The Tipping Point (153.4)

So last year, I started the new year at about the same weight I am now. I wanted to shake off 7 pounds by the Spring and then drop 3 to 5 more before my birthday.

But things didn't quite go as planned, physical therapy took months instead of weeks. Without being able to 'really' work out and some other life stressors, I felt like I was dieting & hated it. I really loved the balance of watching what I eat and exercise.

 

So I stopped watching as closely as watching as closely what I ate. I had more than the usual indulgence. In the back of my mind, I thought you've been watching so closely what you ate the last nine months - you kinda deserve this. I convinced myself that I would be able to easily lose any extra weight once I got back to full activity. Two business trips in a month's span didn't help anything.

I added running laps in the pool, aqua boot camp, and aqua zumba. Then later in the summer, I was back at UHF. I lost some weight right away, then toned up, but never made any more progress for the rest of 2013.

I've been at 153 for a few weeks. 3 Actually. I had wanted to start June 1 at 149. In the 40s...after a year plus.

I've been busy, busy with work & a charity I am on the board with. So I haven't gotten in all my workouts. My eating has been good but I've had extra indulgences.

And, honestly, I'm looking and feeling pretty dang good. I have more work to do. Ive lost 15 to 17 pounds! But in certain outfits - I feel and look really good! Even when I'm not in my clothes - I can see and acknowledge the positive changes. I've been trying to practice better selfcare and my hair, skin, nails are looking better too! 

Now that I'm back 'here'  - I see how I didn't work as hard to get back to my 'safe zone' as I could have last year.Of course, complicating that was my ankle and knee injuries...

The other day I put on a dress that I had bought last year and now it fits really good. And I thought about how close I was last year to goal...And how close I am now to the next goal. I thought about the huge difference 2 or 3+ extra pounds can make on 5'2 frame - not to mention 10 or 15+ extra pounds.

I'm at the tipping point. If I'm not careful I won't progress - I might even regress. Or it'll take me til December to do what I should by August.

I need to drop about a pound a week the next two months to hit the challenge requirements and my personal goals. I have two important family events - one the last week of July and the other 2 weeks later - that I want to feel my best. 

 

Four Eyes (153.2)

Ive worn glasses since I was 12. I started wearing contacts exclusively at 14. My junior year of college I had to start wearing glasses again. Late night study sessions caused me to overwear my lenses & my eyes needed the to breathe and recover. But I still wore contacts sometimes - a lot of the times.

Somewhere - somehow in the middle Of corporate America, I stopped wearing my contacts so frequently. I started wearing my glasses most of the time and my contacts every once in a while. 

Then I gained the "corporate twenty" and lost it and then regained it - slowly. And I started wearing my glasses more to breakup how "wide" my face had become.

But even after I lost the weight again I was so used to wearing my contacts less that I started to mostly wear them for 'special' occasions. Well then I broke my glasses -  early this year. They didn't have the same frame anymore & I wasn't feeling the new options.

So I've been rocking contacts all year long - even though I'm heavier again &losing the pounds again. 

So - a few days ago - a churchmember told me they like my 'new look' - no glasses. I told him I've worn contacts since 13 off & on but broke my glasses on accident . Then he went on to say its the difference maker between him trying to talk to me or not. But then my girlfriend who was nearby agreed. Said I don't even look like the same person and I should limit my glasses wear. 

It's not the first time I've heard that. I had heard that last year when I changed my profile pic - to one with no glasses. And one of my friends said it doesn't even look like me. In Jan, another girlfriend said she liked the no glasses look and thought it showed my facial features. My hairdresser said she thought I had very pretty eyes and they're always covered up...

So of course - I went through my pictures over the last several years and they were right. I look so different without the glasses. The glasses tend to obscure my full smile. Also,I'm realizing one of my best features is my eyes - my eyes are a very distinct almond shape - clearly those are obscured with the glasses.  

And, maybe most importantly, I don't think my face really looked slimmer with the glasses....after all.

What has helped my face looked slimmer? Diet & exercise :) 

Anyways, what does all this have to do with health and wellness? It got me thinking about the things that we do it in an attempt to camouflage our extra weight that really doesn't work. Wearing black. Wearing bigger baggy clothes. Avoiding stripes. Avoiding certain haircuts and hairstyles.

Anyways...just a few more pounds to go...Does 8 to 10 pounds count as a few? :) I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

To Get Back To Where I Should Be

Saw this quote by Jamie Foxx and loved it. I definitely prefer to get it right & keep it tight! I want to look and feel great all year round - not just for a special event. Working to get back to my ideal weight...about 8 to 10 pounds to go. 

One thing I've learned through my ankle sprain and re-injury is variety and adaptability is key to keeping my fitness and wellness goals. I had figured things out as far as my diet and exercise when I could do heavier cardio, hiit, and full weight training but when I couldn't do that it was hard to keep things in check.  I wish i had figured this out earlier but hindsight is twenty-twenty. 

100 Days (154.8 lbs)

Okay so it's really 118 days because I was too sick to post!

I saw this girls video capturing her journey to stay focused on exercise and better nutrition for 100 days. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/100-day-workout. And was inspired. I really wanted to get back to my healthy, happy weight this year and I knew I need to be more consistent and patient.

So I marked the date on the calendar and got to work. My church starts the new year fasting - fruits, veggies, and nuts only. I started bumping up my exercise - Hiit Fitt sessions and also waking for about 40 minutes and stairs for about 10 minutes. I saw pretty good results in January and early February.  Even while i was out of the country in a very remote, poor Caribbean country. But then stalled.

So, I joined a 21 day fitness challenge at my gym to help me stay focused and push harder. It's a mix of physical and reading and online journal/Facebook posting . I dropped 2 lbs but ended up losing 3.7% body fat. I lost an inch around my waist! And my also on my chest...The winner dropped 15 lbs and 3.9% body fat. I had wanted to lose at least 5 to 6 lbs. I was disappointed with numbers but then I remembered progress is progress and the inches lost and body fat was great! Then I saw how close I was to body fat loss of the winner and realized I did pretty darn good.

I joined another challenge at my gym. This time I added some more cardio with more intensity - Zumba & running intervals. I also kicked up my better eating habits. More variety - more veggies - less starchy carbs.  I've lost another 5 lbs.

I'm ecstatic! I'm looking and feeling so much better! Its great to finally progress. I've got about 10 more pounds to go for my summer goal. Id really love to lose 6lbs of those lbs by the end of this month. That's a stretch. Then I'd like to lose another 3 to 5 lbs by September 9th, my bday.

A local health care company is sponsoring a Live Blue's 10-lb Challenge. It starts May 17. We have to attend a Live Blue walk, run or bike club at least five times between May 17 and August 8, and  weigh in once per month.  If I  lose at least 10 pounds i will qualify for a chance to win  one of five $100 gift cards to A really nice kc shopping center.

I signed up for that. It was free! And I think the extra checkins and meetings will be a good push to make sure I hit my target.

Here's My Summer Weight Loss Goals:
Apr  30th - 155 - met!
May 31st - 149 - (~2 lbs a week)
July 13th - 145 (9 weeks ~1/2 lb a week)
August 8th - 140 (4 weeks)
September 9th - Maintain!

I'm looking forward to getting back into my clothes! I'm starting to feel like myself again!

Women With Big Butts Are Smarter And Healthier: Oxford Study

My friend posted this article a few days ago...I told him I found this particular study amusing as it seems every few years or so researchers seem to study this "topic" -- what exactly are they studying :). Yet another reason to embrace the curves...

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/big-butt-healthy-butt-study-says-women-big-butts-healthier/

Scientists from the University of Oxford have discovered that women with larger than average butts are not only increasingly intelligent but also very resistant to chronic illnesses.

According to ABC News, the results found that women with bigger backsides tend to have lower levels of cholesterol and are more likely to produce hormones to metabolize sugar. Therefore, women with big butts are less likely to have diabetes or heart problems.

And having a big butt requires an excess of Omega 3 fats, which have been proven to catalyze brain development. The researchers also found that the children born to women with wider hips are intellectually superior to the children of slimmer, less curvy mothers.

Eyeonthenut reports that the team analyzed data from 16,000 women.

From ABC News:

“Professor Konstantinos Manolopoulos, who leads the team at the University of Oxford, says that women with more fat on the buttocks have lower levels of cholesterol and glucose.”

Having a big butt also favors leptin levels in the female body, which is a hormone responsible for regulating the weight, and the dinopectina, a hormone with anti-inflammatory, vascular-protective and anti-diabetic attributes. The adipose tissue of the buttocks traps harmful fatty particles and prevents cardiovascular disease.

Eyeonthenut also cites similar studies conducted by universities in California and Pittsburgh not too long ago that discovered that women with bigger butts, wide hips and smaller waists may even live longer as well.

*This study did not include fake butts.

We already know girls with big butts are smarter and healthier, but they also have some things only they will understand.

The Shape Week: My Musings On Being A Curvy Girl

I realized I haven't been "wearing my curves". For months, I have been wearing a-line skirts and dresses, flowy tops, and jackets. I haven't worn things are more form fitting.
 
A week  ago I was chatting with my sister and she asked about my first weight watchers meeting. I told her I am overwhelmed knowing that I have to do this again (lose 20 pounds).  I started to tear up...
 
She said "You have a beautiful hourglass shape. You don't need to lose any weight. Plenty of women want your shape..."
 
Her words have been reverberating in my head.

 

 
I think almost everyone has a weight that they feel the best in. I do. I feel I look really great about 134-137. Most clothes fit the way I want. I like what I see in the mirror - clothed and unclothed. But, 139-142 is also really flattering. Alot of the clothes fit the way I want and I like much of what I see in the mirror - naked and fully dressed. 145-147 can be pretty good too. Not as great as the other weights but pretty darn good.But at the weight I am now - I do not feel my best. I don't like the additional weight. 

I gave away my "fat" clothes...so I can only really fit a few things that have flared cuts.  I picked up some really cute retro skirts from some thrift stores in the late spring but I purposely picked a-line cuts that I knew I could wear once I've lost the weight. Somewhere in the process of trying to wear clothes that fit and flatter w/ limited wallet impact AND losing this darn weight, I think I've forgotten to embrace the curves I do have.

The more I thought about it - the more I realized I had quite a bit to think about/talk about.  So, this week I am going to explore being shapely...being curvy...being me...

This Week's Workouts

I want to start capturing my weekly workouts in better detail...So here goes...

This week:
Went to UHF - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I had planned to workout Wednesday and Friday too. But, we got a surprise invite to see a special screening of 12 Years a Slave on Wednesday and I was so exhausted by the time I got home. It's really good - very powerful - go see it!

I also wanted to try out this Zumba Friday pm class but my good friend had an art gallery opening and I didn't want to miss it. By the time, I would have finished the class, got back home, and washed up and changed - I would have missed it all.

After, the UHF classes, I walked the treadmill for an hour at 24 Hours. I bumped into one of my friends from high school I see super rarely twice this week at the gym! It's been nice to have someone to talk to on the treadmill.

Next week I'll start to bump my intensity up and the incline a little sooner. I realized as I was talking to him that I've been a bit too conservative with my speed.

Tuesday's workout:

I did level II. I could only remember part of this workout (and Monday's and Thursdays for that matter). My coach posted it a few days ago in case we wanted to repeat at home. It was a totally challenging!

Saturday's Workout:

Saturday was killer! We warmed up by jogging a few laps, shuffling facing in and out, running with high knees and then butt kicks, and running a few laps. Then we did some 3 sets of "hindu" pushups and planks. Then we went into the "workout". We did two sets alternating 1) burpies and jumping a heavy rope, 2) low, low squats (on a tire) and lunges with weights, 3) shoulder lifts and squats with shoulder press, 4) crunches on a bosu ball and sandbag slams, and 5) bearcrawl to pushups and kettlebell swing to burpies. 

After class, I stopped and got some yogurt and some nuts and some applesauce and some water. Then walked/hiked at George Owens Nature park. It was beautiful with the leaves changing colors. It was also cold but once I got moving I was fine. I can see myself walking there as it gets colder as long as snow/ice isn't on the ground and I stay bundled up.

Next week I wanna start bumping my exercise to 6 days a week and a few two a days.