The Fat Files: The Case of the Incredible Shrinking Neck

Today, I weighed myself, and surprise, I am down to 196 pounds on the button.  That's 35 official pounds down since I started LCHF/primal last year...  Yikes.  So I did some measurements and discovered that my neck has shrunk down to less than 14.5". 

 

<--- Check me out.

 

Maybe I'm finally over my weight loss plateau.  

 

I also noticed that I have not updated my Numbers Do Not Lie page in, oh, 17 weeks.  Striking.  That's embarassment at plateau-ing, for ya. 

 

Here's what I am up to these days.  The theme is "back on track".

 

Fitness: I am back at the gym, trying to get some challenging workouts in.  I have contacted a local health and fitness coach, who I am going to meet up with on March 10th, to see about getting some training.  The good things are (1) he was recommended to me by someone I know who is in the business (but who is not local and thus cannot train me himself); and (2) he advocates primal nutrition for optimal health, and seems to be into the "lift heavy things" and "chronic cardio is bad" school of thought.  So, that meshes with what I've learned, in theory, about primal nutrition and fitness from Mark Sisson.  I say "in theory" because I am not doing so hot with the primal fitness aspect of this lifestyle.  I am still a little intimidated by the fitness world, and I loathe trying new things in front of a gym full of strangers.  That's why I sought out this trainer.  I am hoping that this will change some things for me and get me back on track with my weight loss.

 

Diet: I hate to admit it, but I have been slackin'.  I'm not completely non-compliant, but I am being a little too lenient with my food choices.  I have been eating out quite a bit, which is a no-no due to the presence of hidden carbs and quality questions regarding the source of the food that comes out on the plate.  I do better (we all do better) when we eat at home.  This is easier said than done when you are a busy mamasita.  Like me.  Also, I have to admit that I have been nibbling on forbidden things.  A bit of rice here, a little spoonful of pasta there, and just a dollop of "do you mind if I have a bite of that" all adds up to a slippery slope back to fat.  I don't want to go there.

 

Let's do this!!

A Success Story in the Making!

My favorite paleo/primal website, Mark's Daily Apple, has added a new page, called "Success Stories in the Making".  Check it out!

You can participate too, along with hundreds of other people who are setting goals and working to achieve them. 

Just submit a dated "before" picture of yourself, together with your name, your age, and the health goals that you wish to achieve through your paleo/primal way of life.  Instructions are on Mark's website. 

I am submitting my information this evening.  Once it is up, I will post a link on this blog so that you can see for yourself.

Best of health!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

I have made some slight additions to my diet and exercise regimens in this New Year. 

First and foremost, I started supplementing with MCT oil this week - one tablespoon twice daily.  I will be posting on the purported benefits of MCT oil supplementation as well as the results of my n=1 MCT oil experiment in the near future.

Secondly, I have upped my gym attendance, and tonight, I am attending an orientation at a nearby martial arts facility, which is doing a "Biggest Winner" contest. 

For $50, you sign up for the "Biggest Winner" 8 week program, which begins on January 16th.  They weigh you before the start of the program and at its completion; the person who has lost the most weight in the interim wins some cash.  I'm not doing it for the cash - I am doing it for the highly discounted "cage fitness", "brazilian jujitsu" and "applied self defense" classes that you can take for no additional charge during that 8 week period.  Assuming that I go twice each week, that is 16 fitness classes for $50.  I am trying something new and interesting, and I am excited.  I fell asleep last night, with the "Kung Fu Fighting" song in my head...

I weighed myself this morning, to get an official 2012 starting weight. 

Here are my stats:

198 pounds; 14.5" neck circumference; 6" wrist circumference; 43" bust; 37.5" waist; 46" hips. 

I lost 33.5 pounds last year, and several dress sizes.  I feel better and look better.  I am three pounds away from being at my high school graduation weight.  2011 was a really trying year.  I wasn't able to focus on my own health goals the way I aspired to at the beginning of the year, when I started LCHF.  Given all of the crazy stuff that we dealt with, I am happy to have lost this weight, and I look forward to becoming healthier and trimmer in 2012.

This year, my goal is to lose 40 pounds , and to get myself toned up.  My weight has not changed much since I squeaked in under 200 pounds in October 2011.  It is time to shake things up a bit. 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS NEW YEAR?

Fitness for Dummies - Holiday Edition

Would you rather start the New Year off with regret over your December glut, or begin 2012 admiring the work you did in December to help trim your big ol' November butt? 

Everyone always talks about New Year's resolutions, and starting afresh in the New Year.  You can see evidence of this everywhere you look, but especially at your local gym.  In December, the place is dead. 

Come January 2nd or 3rd, however, and you can't get a parking space outside, you have to wait 15 minutes to get on an elliptical machine, and the dumbbells are being occupied by, well, dumbbells who don't know how valuable your time is!  It is ridiculously frustrating, and, if you're like me, it gives you just one more excuse to slack off and stay at home, munching and watching the tube like a zombie. 

Here are some thoughts. 

First, you can do what I did, and hit the gym hard THIS month.  That's right.  Live in the present, and kick some tush NOW, not later.  While everyone else is out at Christmas parties, drinking and noshing their waistlines away, or vying for a parking space at the local shops, you can do the smart thing and hit that deserted wasteland that is your gym in December.  (Not that you can't go to Christmas parties or shop... just don't forget fitness while you gleefully prepare for your favorite holiday). 

There are a lot of benefits to hitting the gym right now.  Because it is not crowded, you don't have to wait in line for machines or weights, you can feel comfortable trying out a new routine or technique because you won't have an audience to observe if you mess up/fall off, and the likelihood is that you may actually get to have some quality time with knowledgeable gym staff who can teach you some cool tricks, or show you how to use a particularly daunting weight machine. 

As well, because you are being mindful of your fitness, you are less likely to treat yourself with the carby delights and alcohol abondanza that are pressed upon you this season.  So, the likelihood is that you will maintain your weight or even lose weight during the holiday season, instead of digging yourself into a nutritional and fitness hole that will be hard to climb out of next month. 

Second, you can start learning fitness techniques that you can do outside of the gym NOW, so that when the inevitable January gym rush hits, you can supplement your gym routine with activities that you can do in and around your home.  

Here's my recommendation: Check out these videos on body weight exercises by Mark Sisson of marksdailyapple.com and the Primal Blueprint fame, and give them a try.  In my life, I've never been able to do a single pullup.  Mark Sisson's videos show techniques that fitness neophytes like me (and maybe you) can use to work our way up to doing pullups, increasing the intensity of the exercise as we develop in upper body strength.  There are also videos for doing squats, pushups and the plank.  Best of all, these are exercises that you can do in the privacy of your own home, whenever the feeling strikes you.  To my family's amusement, I've popped a couple of wall squats (they look a little bizarre) while watching cartoons with my kid, and done some pushups off the kitchen counter while waiting for water to boil. 

Making the commitment to fitness, whether at home or at the gym, is something that you can absolutely do.  In my experience, taking control of my diet and my activity level has been an empowering experience.  

My LCHF 1 year anniversary arrives on January 24, 2011.  I have come a long way since then.  Today, I weighed in at 197 pounds.  I started this way of life at 231.5 pounds.  That's is a total loss of 34.5 pounds to date. 

Thanks to the changes I've made in my diet and fitness over the past year, I've said goodbye to heartburn, IBS, recurrent back pain, feeling dizzy when I bend over to tie my shoes, and wearing size 20W clothing.  I have said hello to being healthy, being able to run around with my kid, looking better (in clothes which are a size 14 regular now), and feeling more confident and accomplished.  Most of all, I have a hope for the future that I will never be fat and sick again, and I can see myself trim and healthy.

My interim personal goal is to hit my 40 pound weightloss milestone by January 24, 2012. 

What's your goal?   

Numbers Don't Lie

Check out my updated weight and measurements.

I am pleased to report that, somehow, I have lost weight during this crazy, stressed-to-the-max week. 

Historically, I started measuring myself on February 13, 2011, after I had already lost 8 pounds on LCFH.  Compared to those original measurements, after being on LCFH for 38 weeks, I have lost just over 15 inches of girth, total, from my bust, weight and hips. 

As of today, I have lost 33 pounds since I started this WOE on January 23, 2011.  There have been a lot of stalls, and some ups and downs, but my average weight loss is just under 1 pound per week.  It adds up, even though it feels like it is taking forever.

Not only do I feel better, I look better.  I've gone from a size 20W to a size 14 (on a skinny day), and I am still chugging along.  I have accomplished something that I never thought I was capable of doing, and in the process, I have learned a lot about myself. 

Now, if I could just get rid of my stress related zits and back pain and get a good 12 hours of restful, uninterrupted sleep...

Before and After Pics: 38 Lbs Lighter Than Last Year

Before:

One year ago (I am second from left).               

After:

Last weekend (I am on the right).   

Under 200 Pounds!

Yay!  I hit a milestone that I have been dogging for a while. 


199.5 never felt so good! 

This weight represents me hitting 40% of my 80 pound weight loss goal!

Numbers Don't Lie!

I updated my weight and measurements today. 

Forgive me for skipping that lovely task last week, as measuring oneself when it is that time of the month is an exercise that no self-loving woman should do more than once in her life.  (There is a reason your clothes feel tight during that time: you can put on 5 pounds of water in your midsection alone - increasing your girth, temporarily, by inches). 

I am back down to 201.5.  I am driven to get under 200 pounds this week.  Come on, 199.5!!  (That's my new lucky number).

Calling all curvaceous chicas and shapely sirens!

Today is a skinny day, thanks to my fashion friend and newest transitional wardrobe acquisition: Chico's Metro Wide Leg Pant! 

This was a splurge-worthy purchase.  With beautiful lines, including a barely-there waist (who needs all that detail at your mid-section) and wide-but-not-too-wide legs (which helps to balance out a juicier booty and/or what remains of your ever-shrinking belly), these comfortable trousers are super slimming.  I am currently wearing a size 3 short (that's on a 5'6" woman with long torso, who usually wears a 16R).

Paired with a black tank and black heels for a long, continuous line from neck to toe (makes you look taller and slimmer), and a comfy jacket or sweater (opened, of course, to preserve that long line), it is one hot look!

Check out Chico's online, and view these affordably priced wide leg trousers that just happen to be on sale (here, here and here). 

Wardrobe Woes and Tailoring Tactics

Nothing Fits!!  Sorry about the alliteration, folks, but I'm a desperate woman, here!

Today, as per my usual weekday morning itinerary, I got myself up and ready to go before 7 a.m.  I have started doing the shower at night / hair do in the morning, because it shaves about 45 minutes off of my get ready time, and I've been using that time to either sleep a bit more, or get into the office a little earlier.  It has been a good change. 

So, this morning, I woke up a little stoned, thanks to the benadryl I took before bed last night (allergies have suddenly kicked into high gear).  Drowsy, I got myself together: hair, make up, etc.  I dressed in the near-dark.  I made my way down stairs, grabbed some on the fly breakfast, then headed into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

On my way into said bathroom, I chanced to look in the full length mirror.  Gasp! Gasp! Horror! Horror!