100

Okay, so I've been claiming my 100-pound loss ever since I hit about 94 lbs lost. But now it's finally official. I never in a million years thought that I would be capable of something like this, and though I'm not usually one to brag about my own accomplishments, I have to say it feels pretty goddamn good.

To mark the milestone, I've written a list of things I've learned on the way to my 100-pound loss. (It was originally going to be a list of 100 things, but let's get real -- who can think of 100 things? and who has time to read all that?) Some of these are just personal observations, some are tips I've used and feel are worth repeating. Most of it could be taken as advice, even though I hate giving advice (because how can I possibly know what's right for anyone else? I have enough trouble keeping my own life in order! But when you lose 100 lbs, people start asking.)

So, without further ado...

If you can only do one type of exercise, do strength training (aka: weight training, resistance training, weight lifting). Building stronger muscles will improve your overall metabolism, so you'll use calories more efficiently even when you're not exercising (you'll burn fat in your sleep, dude.)

Baby steps. You can't go from being a total shlub to running marathons. Seriously -- I started working out for just 30 minutes, two times a week, and worked my way up from there. Now I hit the gym at least 3 times a week (for at least an hour) and I try to get a walk or run in on the days I don't go, or sometimes a yoga class. And nobody was ever a bigger shlub than me.

Love thyself. Seriously, this is HUGE. All the times I started a diet and/or exercise plan because I hated what saw in the mirror or the number on the scale/BMI chart/clothing label, I failed. When I made a conscious decision to take better care of the body I have, so that my body could better take care of me, I was able to make permanent changes.

Shit happens. Nobody is perfect. I make mistakes. I slack off. I eat pizza. I drink alcohol. Monthly hormonal fluctuations occur. Holidays take place. I gain pounds back. It happens. I have to keep loving myself through it, and taking care of my body, rather than letting one setback lead to a total meltdown. As my friend Joe says, "This too shall pass."

Sometimes, you need hand-holding. I can't stress enough how big of an influence my personal trainer has been on my life. I trained with her for a year and a half, and I still go to her for help when my workout routines get stale or when I just need advice or encouragement. She taught me how to exercise, and more importantly, she pushed me beyond what I ever thought I was capable of doing. My Weight Watchers leader is also a huge help to me. She's funny and patient and encouraging, and I look forward to seeing her every week.

If you hate it, it's probably good for you. Not food, but exercise. I was once told that you should find an exercise you like, and do that, because if you're doing something you hate, it's not good for your stress level. Maybe so, but I've found that if I enjoy something, it's probably because it's super-easy (and therefore, will probably have no effect on my body). The stuff I hate, like squats, step-ups and the rowing machine, are the things that really get my heart pounding, my teeth gritting, and my body changing.

If you get stuck, change it up. I think I once heard that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results? Anyhow, yeah -- it's good to change things up every so often, especially if you're seeing the same number on the scale week after week. Try a new exercise, or try increasing the weight/time/intensity on something you already do. Try a new recipe or a new veggie. Make things interesting :)

I can't not eat pasta! Or birthday cake. Or butter. Any eating plan/diet that tells me I absolutely CAN'T eat a certain food is a setup for failure. It won't work in real life. For me, it only creates unhealthy obsessions with the forbidden foods. I think the trick is making healthier choices most of the time, and saving certain things for special occasions. That being said:

Whole wheat pasta is not bad at all. Neither is low-fat cheese, or fat-free yogurt. (I still don't like light mayo, though!) It helps to make healthier choices/substitutions. When the substitutions taste good, that is ;)

Slow and steady wins the race. It's taken me two years to get to the point I'm at now. but I think slowly developing heathy habits over time leads to permanent change (as opposed to quick fixes, like the cabbage soup diet!)

I have to belong to a gym. I have to have somewhere to go where exercise is all I can do, because otherwise I won't do it. I have about 20 exercise videos at home. Know how many I've done? One. Once. There are too many other things in my house I like to do better than exercise.

Get your thyroid checked. Seriously -- I know more people with thyroid problems than without. If I hear that someone's having trouble with their weight, the first thing I ask is whether they've had their thyroid checked. And if your doctor says your levels are "normal", ask them for the numbers. And then call me ;)

You can do it. Because I did it. I'm not Oprah -- I don't have zillions of dollars to hire a personal chef and a trainer who comes and gets me out of bed and watches me to make sure I don't eat crap. I'm a real woman with a home and a family and a million things to do every day. I'm not naturally skinny or energetic -- my metabolism is complete shit, because I have autoimmune thyroid disease AND hyperinsuliemia. Plus I have endometriosis, which means I'm in pain most days of the month. I have to fight with myself every damn day to get my sneakers on and get out the door, because I'd rather stay on the couch. But there hasn't been one moment when I haven't thought it was worth it. I'm worth it. I did it. I'm doing it. You can do it, too.

Me two years ago:



Me now:

Quick, easy, yummy, and WW-friendly dinners

I like to cook, and so your definition of quick and easy may not be quite the same as mine, but I've come up with a few things recently that fit that category for me, taste good, and (for those who are counting) are less than 10 WW points per serving.

My friend Misty recently requested the pineapple shrimp recipe and gave it a rave review, so I thought I'd post it here in case anyone else wanted to try it:

Pineapple Shrimp

2 lbs. frozen raw shrimp, thawed, tails removed
1 tbsp. oil (I use canola)
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1/2 bottle Lawry's Hawaiian marinade
crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

In large frying pan or wok, sauté shrimp in oil over high heat until cooked through (about 3-5 minutes). Add pineapple chunks, stir. Add marinade (and crushed pepper, if desired*), stir until coasted, lower heat to simmer and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. 1 cup = 3 WW points. Serve over 1/2 cup white or brown rice (2 points) with a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower (or any other zero-points veggies).

*If some family members like crushed red pepper and others don't, it can be added to each individual serving.

********

I made this recently on a rare husband-and-kid-free evening, so it serves 1, but it could be easily modified to feed a whole family (assuming that unlike mine, your family wouldn't turn their noses up at the notion of eggs for dinner):

Eggs and Beans

2 eggs (or, for fewer points, use egg substitute)
cooking spray
1 can fat-free or vegetarian refried beans
1/2 jar salsa
1 oz shredded 50% reduced fat cheddar cheese

In small saucepan, heat beans and salsa over low heat, strring frequently. Coat frying pan with cooking spray and scramble eggs (or prepare them the way you prefer). When eggs are finished, add 1/2 of shredded cheese and allow to melt slightly before transferring eggs to plate. Measure 1/2 cup refried bean/salsa mixture onto plate, top with remaining cheese. 6 WW points. Serve with a side of steamed veggies or salad.


Let me know if you decide to try them and how they turn out!

TMI Tuesday - 2/10/09

Trying out another blog meme (thanks, Anna!)




1. What do you think is the un-sexiest part of the body?

Wow. It really depends on the person, because there are parts that may be cute on one person and not so much on another (toes, teeth, belly, butt crack... lol).

2. Toilet paper: over, under, or what the hell are you talking about?

I don't have a preference, but the hubby insists on "over".

3. Have you ever called in sick to stay in bed with a sexual partner?

Yes, I have. Skipped class, too :)

4. Did your parents have a "birds & bees" talk with you? If so, at what age?

My mom did. I was about 7, and she read to my sister and me from a book called "Where Did I Come From?" Jacob is almost ten, and I still haven't explained the mechanics to him, although I have answered specific questions. This has a lot to do with the fact that, although he is Matt's and my child biologically, he wasn't conceived the old-fashioned way. So it's like, "Well, honey, this is how babies are made, but you weren't made that way." My mom says he doesn't need to know the specifics yet, but I feel like if we're being frank enough to talk about penises and vaginas, we should be able to talk about intrauterine insemination. Wow, this really *is* TMI...

5. What is one thing someone could do to you to rock your world?

Whisk me away for a romantic trip without telling me beforehand.

********

I just finished reading Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. I really enjoy her books. The characters are so true-to-life. And the fact that she's a super-cool mom living in Philly who writes books -- and gets them published, no less! -- gives me hope that maybe one day I can be, too :)

I went shopping for jeans today at Fashion Bug. They've recently instituted the same sizing as Lane Bryant has for their jeans, so there are three different options for women with different body types. While I love that clothing manufacturers are finally realizing that some of us are more blessed than others in the hips/ass department, this also means that they are ordering fewer pairs in each size. And because I wear one of the smallest "Plus" sizes, there are even fewer of that size. Suffice it to say that today, while shopping their "Buy one get one 50% off" sale, I was only able to find one stinkin' pair of jeans in my size.

And speaking of Fashion Bug and plus sizes, I was on their website the other day and noticed that their "Misses" (regular) sizes go up to 16, though their "Plus" sizes start at 14. So at first I thought, wow that's great! Now that I'm down to a 16 I can shop on the other side of Fashion Bug. Not so fast, fatty! I looked at the sizing charts for each size, and while a "Plus" 16 fits a 36-inch waist, a "Misses" 16 fits a 32-inch waist. And so, as you've already figured out, a "Plus" 14 fits a 34-inch waist and a "Misses" 14 fits a 30-inch waist. Which means, as I continue to lose weight and go down through the sizes, I will go from a 16 to a 14, and then back to a 16. WTF?!

Life is never dull...

In the New Year

Some plans/goals for the new year. I hate to say "resolutions," because it sounds so definite... plans and goals are more of a "work in progress" sort of thing. Anyhow...

Spend a lot more time with Matt.

Find a part-time job that pays decently and doesn't suck.

Clean (and maintain cleanliness of) our bedroom.

DE-CLUTTER MY HOUSE!

Incorporate more structure into our homeschooling routine, and begin to prepare Jacob for the possibility of school.

Lose the last 38 lbs. I need to reach the goal weight I set for myself. (92 down, 38 to go!) At that time, consider whether or not Weight Watchers' suggested goal for me (another 39 lbs. below my own goal) is realistic and/or healthy.

Choose, on a daily basis, to use my WW points for more healthy protein and less sugar.

Finish writing something. This is my goal every damn year, and yet somehow... *sigh*.

That's it for now. I may add to this list as I see fit!

Changing the game plan

I'm still not keeping up with this blog like I want to, but my life has been very busy lately -- which is definitely a good thing!

As most of you know, over the last year and a half I've lost a lot of weight. For the first sixteen months or so, I lost almost sixty pounds simply through exercising -- I started out with two half-hour sessions a week with a personal trainer (focusing on strength training and cardio), then later increased those to two one-hour sessions, and added in a yoga class and an extra day of swimming or biking here or there. No surgery, no pills, no starvation, just exercise.

This summer my weight loss began to slow down, then pretty much stalled completely. I stepped up the exercise routine to 3 days a week of strength training and cardio, one yoga class and an extra swim, but I was still stuck. I had my trainer change the routine, but nothing changed. Finally I had to face the truth: I had to change my food intake if I wanted to lose more weight.

Ugh.

Here's the thing: I think I've read and tried every diet book known to womankind. They're all good in theory, but you get to a point where you just can't take it anymore. Every time I lost any weight dieting, I would wind up gaining twice as much as I lost when I stopped following the diet. And of course that would make me feel terrible about myself. So at some point I promised myself that I would never diet again.

So I found myself with a dilemma. I don't want to diet; I want to make healthy changes to my eating habits so that I can continue to lose weight, but I don't want to feel deprived or restricted. I started by keeping a log online of everything I ate each day (there are a bunch of websites where you can do this, and they count the calories for you -- yay!) I've always thought of my diet as pretty healthy -- I make sure to eat lots of fruits & veggies, protein, more whole than not-whole grains, and very little processed food. The problem wasn't the foods I was eating, but how much I was eating. At that many calories a day, even with all the exercise I was doing, I was just maintaining my weight.

I thought about it for a while, explored my options, and I decided to try Weight Watchers. I made this decision for a number of reasons, the main ones being 1) I needed to learn portion control (what exactly *is* a serving, anyhow?), 2) there aren't any strictly forbidden foods, which means I won't get obsessed with what I can't have (like when I did low-carb and all I could think about was pasta and cake), and 3) I have an appointment with the scale every week, and I have to pay for it, so there's a lot more accountability than if i just read a diet book. Plus, WW have been around for a long time, and I think their plan actually works if it's done right.

I was scared. I could think of as many reasons *not* to do WW as I could *to* do it, but I sucked it up and went to my first meeting almost two weeks ago. The first week was hard as I adjusted to smaller portions and low-fat versions of the "regular" foods I enjoy, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It forced me to get creative in the kitchen and eat lots of veggies, which I enjoyed. And at my first weigh-in, lo and behold, I had lost 7.75 lbs. Very cool.

I'm almost finished with my second week now, and I've been presented with a few challenges, such as going out to eat, and birthday celebrations -- but I'm surviving. And every day that I work out, I get to eat a little more than on other days :)

But most importantly: I'm resigned to not buying into the whole diet mentality. I don't hate my body or think that happiness can only come from being thin. I love my body and I want it to be healthy so that I can live a long, happy life. I've been amazed at how my body has responded to exercising, and I know now that it's a permanent part of my life and not just a means to an end -- and I'm going to treat WW the same way.

;)

Assorted, unrelated ramblings

I feel like dog poo. I think I have may have somehow caught the "thing that's going around", which starts with a sore throat , headache and backache. My mom had it two weeks ago and my sister had it last week, so I guess it's my turn. Great!

Tonight I attended a viewing for my great-uncle, who at age 93 was the last of my grandfather's generation to pass away. It's strange; I don't know very many old people anymore. Matt still has two living grandparents, and I have a few great-aunts on my mom's side, but I rarely see any of them. Thinking about it really makes me miss my grandmother. It's amazing that after more than three years the pain of losing her is still so fresh.

The completely unrelated good news: For the past week or so, I've noticed something strange about myself when I look in the mirror. I have a neck! Yeah! Not just a mound of chins, but an actual neck. The double-chin is still there to a degree, but it has shrunk an impressive amount -- I was looking at photos from just a year ago and can't believe the difference. I like it!

;)

A few words on weight

As the New Year approaches, we are inundated with advertisements for the weight loss industry. New year, new you... but the same old, tired shtick. They tap into people's (women's, mostly) low self-esteem and sell you on the idea that you can only be happy and healthy if you follow their weight-loss plan.

A few statistics about dieting:

- The diet and weight loss industry is a $30 billion dollar a year operation.

- At any given time, 62% of American adults are dieting, and 18% are constantly on a diet.

- 98% of people who lose weight on a weight-loss diet will gain it all back, and then some, within 5 years.

- The risk of dying from heart disease is increased by 70% in individuals with fluctuating weights (yo-yo dieting) than in individuals with a stable weight, regardless of their weight and other factors such as smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

- The list of illnesses associated with dieting includes: anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, hair loss, gallstones, gall bladder disease, heart disease, ulcers, constipation, anemia, skin rashes, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), gout, infertility, kidney stones, reduced resistance to infection, osteoporosis, and of course, eating disorders.

- In the USA alone, 150,000 women will die from the effects of eating disorders complications in the coming year.

- Most of the diseases that are touted as being "caused by" being fat -- diabetes, heart disease, etc. -- are actually, at their root, caused by endocrine (hormone) imbalances. One of the first symptoms of any endocrine disorder is weight gain. And so the "cause" -- fat -- is actually a symptom that something is wrong. Many other "fat-related" illnesses are actually caused by yo-yo dieting.

- "Overweight" is a designation based on weight charts, which were based on statistical reports developed by Metropolitan Insurance in 1959. These statistics are based on the normal range of middle- to upper-class white males in the 50's. Do you fit into that category? Me neither. 78% of American adults have a weight that's not in the "normal range".

- People whose weight is 20-40% "over" the charts actually live longer and have lower rates of most cancers, respiratory diseases, and hip and vertebral fractures (all that extra padding is good for something!)

(*these stats courtesy of NAAFA)


But Maggie, you say, you've been regaling us with the tales of your weight loss for 9 months now! You've lost 42 pounds, you look and feel better, and yet you're writing all these damning statistics about weight loss!

Well, actually, these statistics are mostly about dieting, not just weight loss per se. And I'm happy to report that I am not now nor will I ever again be on a weight loss diet. For the past nine months, I've been working out with my personal trainer to improve my overall health and fitness, to build lean muscle mass to make my body's metabolism work more efficiently, to reduce the effects of the multiple endocrine disorders from which I suffer. And yes, I have shed quite a few pounds as the natural result of improving my metabolic profile. But all the while, I've been eating normally.

Now, "eating normally" for me may look a bit different than it does for many Americans. As a rule, I do my best to avoid certain types of foods: overly processed food, hydrogenated fats, refined sugars, aspartame, soy foods, etc. You won't find very many frozen dinners or pre-packaged meals in my fridge or pantry. I only buy organic, full-fat dairy products, free-range meat, poultry and eggs, and as much as possible I buy my produce locally and in season (I make exceptions for things like bananas and lemons, which don't grow locally, but I do try to buy organic versions of these things). But I don't count calories, fat grams, carb grams, or anything else. I don't weigh my food or measure portion sizes -- I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. And yes, I do occasionally indulge in take-out, sweets, and restaurant meals.

I just don't believe that depriving myself of certain foods accomplishes anything other than creating a strong desire to binge on those foods. I don't believe that creating a healthier, stronger body can be accomplished by limiting my calorie intake to near-starving levels. My body needs an abundant variety of healthy, nutritious, "real" foods in order to perform all the functions it needs to every day. My body needs exercise in order to remain healthy, and it needs calories -- energy -- in order to be able to perform the exercises I do. By loving my body and providing it with what it needs, rather than desperately loathing the way I look, I am able to create wellness within myself. It's not about the weight, it's about taking care of me.