Thinspiration

My Weight-loss Inspiration

Since I have to change my diet plan, I feel a little lost.  I'm spinning my wheels.  I know I'm going back to lowcarb dieting... in fact, I've already returned to lowcarb ways for the most part.  I've done it before, so I know the ropes: no bread, 'taters or sugar, for starters.   My struggle, as always, is sticking to the plan.

Seeing others who've succeeded in meeting their weight loss goals helps me alot with motivation.  Maybe it will help you, too, whatever your goals may be.  Here's a list of blogs and websites by ladies who met their weight loss goals.  They rock, and they're my Thinspiration:

Roni's Weigh
Roni lost her weight on Weight Watchers.  She stays active and looks fab.  Check her site for lots of helpful information, motivation and recipes.

SherylYvette.com
Sheryl also lost her excess weight on Weight Watchers.  And stays active and looks fab.  If you're interested in photography or the Big Apple, those are more reasons to stop by her blog.  It's chock full of gorgeous photos of New York City.

The Tippy Toe Diet
Cammy lost her extra weight by changing one little habit at a time... for big results!  She's another lady who stays active and looks great.  I should make note of the "stays active" part, that seems to be creeping up alot with these success stories.  Cammy's blog is down-to-earth and interactive. 

Sugar Free Sheila
This isn't a blog, but it's a well-maintained website by Sheila, a veteran low-carber.  She lost weight and has maintained that loss for about 10 years, all via low carb eating.  She shares a great deal of helpful information about low carbing.  If you're interested in low carb dieting, or even just curious, I recommend you stop by her site.

If you're struggling with motivation, check out their stories.  I'm all pepped up now, as soon as I finish this post I'm going to go plan some healthy meals!

Who or what inspires you?

Baby Steps

Lately I've been feeling very busy and tired.  Nothing out of the ordinary is going on, just the day-to-day minutae that piles up in a big to-do list.  I truly believe that living a healthy life will be worth the effort, but each step that needs to be taken is one more thing on the to-do list.  I'm losing steam, and I don't want to lose steam.  I know I posted about this already, but it's still happening.  I have to find a way to grab hold of this process and keep the momentum going.  I don't want to get up at 5:00 a.m. to go to the gym.  But I did it once last week and it didn't kill me.  I don't mind preparing my lunch and snacks ahead of time to take to work, but I do resent the time it takes.  I feel like I have a limited amount of free time and do not want to give up the pieces of it that these activities take up.  But the reward will be an increased enjoyment of every day with increased energy, increased athletic ability, and let's be honest, smaller size.  And a longer life to enjoy these things. It's important, and maybe I'm just being whiny and lazy.  Life is full of obligations and responsibilities, and this commitment to healthier living is an obligation and responsibility to myself.  Going to the gym once or twice a week is not enough, and eating on-plan 60% of the time is not going to cut it.  I guess it's time to go back to the basics.  And take baby steps.  Not token baby steps, but things that matter.  Move more and eat better.

Back On The Wagon

So this morning my alarm went off at 5:00 a.m.  I was in the gym before 6:00 for a slo-mo 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, then home to shower and get ready for work.  I didn't leave myself enough time to pack my lunch this morning, so I should pack tomorrow's lunch tonight so that's already taken care of for tomorrow morning.  Lunch was a small selection from a grocery store salad bar, and two Smart Ones quesadillas (four points each). 

And I went to Weight Watchers.  Weigh-in was tough; I gained 2.2 lbs this week.  That's 3.4 lbs in two weeks.  Yikes!  So I was extra glad I worked out this morning.  And I tracked everything I ate today. 

Aaaannnndddd I'm back.

What IS That Crazy Thing in the Sky?

OH MY GOD IT’S THE SUN!!!


Dear Sun,

I have not seen you in almost two weeks. You didn’t call, you didn’t write..I was afraid you'd left forever. I heard a rumor another girl saw you Friday. But I didn’t. I was so hurt.

But you’re back! The world is bright and fresh and I feel alive again! Your return has filled me with love and energy. Today I’m not going to the gym; I’m going to get my workout cleaning my house from top to bottom! There are ceiling fans to be dusted, carpet and furniture to be vacuumed and shampooed, floors to mop, laundry to do…. And I’m doing it all because YOU ARE BACK!

You light up my life [cue singing].

Love,

Liz

I Am So Excited!

Last week I only made it to the gym twice but still managed to get my two hours on the elliptical in. And in doing so remembered how good I feel after longer cardio sessions: I am more relaxed and I’ve had plenty of time to 1) let my mind wander and 2) get over whatever might be bothering me. I’m kind of an over-thinker and exercise is good therapy for me.

Last week I missed my weight watchers meeting for the first time; it was because of the snow. I hated missing the meeting and am really looking forward to going this Wednesday.

I have this week off so will be able to get tons of gym-time in! Which is great because since I still am not doing so well tracking food, and because I used the over 600 calories I burned at the gym Saturday as license to eat whatever I wanted at that final Christmas gathering later that day… which extended into the next day (Waffle House, oopsy)… Ahem. You get the idea. With two weeks between weight watchers weigh-in’s this time, I would really like to be able to show some kind of a loss and am not sure I will. But that does not take away from the fact that I still made it through the holidays (not including our extended version) a full size smaller.

After a conversation with Anonymous Fat Girl in the comments on a post she wrote about putting your progress stats out there and another post as well, I’ve decided to bite the bullet and post my weight and measurements. I have to work on it since Blogger does not really have a ready-made way to make pages (where you have links on top of the page or in your side bar to static pages like “About Me”, “Progress”, etc.) but I found a way to make it work so that will be coming up this week.

Also coming up this week: trying shirataki noodles which are 20 calories a serving, and cooking spaghetti squash which is a low-calorie delicately flavored vegetable treat.

Have a fab week!

Gaining Muscle or Fat? 4 Pounds in a Week, Yikes!

I hereby declare Week 1 of the Mulligan officially over! I was at the gym by 5:30 a.m. every day this week, Monday through Friday. I drank 2 liters of water each of those days except Wednesday. I lifted Monday, Wednesday and Friday, doing 20 minutes of cardio on the elliptical trainer those days. I did 30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical on Tuesday and Thursday, and did 60 situps all five days. And I gained 4 lbs. Yeesh! Hopefully it's muscle, or water. Don't stressed muscles retain more water, then release it after a couple weeks when they're more accustomed to a new workout routine? Cross your fingers for me.

I had a couple rough spots... Friday I parked my car in front of the gym and seriously considered just going straight home again. And for no reason really except that I was tired of being in such a rush getting ready for work after the gym; not having time to get pretty, just having time to get clean and neat. Mid-week I walked into the restroom and saw alot more of someone than I would have preferred to see. C'mon, let's preserve a little mystery, thank you. There are plenty of semi-private areas in the locker room to dress in, no need to stand out in the middle of everything in your altogether while you try to find a matching pair of socks in your gym bag. Anyhoo, I recovered from both episodes and finished my workouts.

I have one more week committed to the morning workout. Hopefully after that it will become habit. I do enjoy the workout itself, and the drive home is pretty relaxing. Plus I feel virtuouos all day, having gotten in my exercise 1st thing in the morning. However, I am so tired in the evening that I take a nap after dinner, then go to bed early. I thought I would have more energy from working out regularly, not start napping like my grandma. I haven't gotten anything done around the house and have fallen behind in emailing or calling family and friends. My mani/pedi needs to be touched up (I do it myself and do a pretty nice job, if I do say so) and seriously, it would be so nice to have time to fix my hair before work, instead of just quickly blow-drying it with a little product in it and hoping for the best.

I will stick it out another week and see how I feel at the end of next week. I'm excited about the changes that are coming. Yesterday I crossed my arms while I was talking to someone and was surprised to feel my triceps! Whoo hoo!

The Beginning

I see a mental image daily, of myself performing the same tasks I'm actually performing, living the same life I'm living now, but I am thin, svelte, healthy. It's as if the last 3 or 4 years of gaining weight have been erased. I am the same person that I am now in this image. I have the same job, I come home to the same boyfriend, have the same friends, and am equally as happy as I am now. But I am slim, light, and fit. I started seeing these images in the back of my mind about 6 months ago, and I think now it's time to bring the vision into my reality.



I've been making attempts at regaining my fitness and figure over the last 2 or more years but in retrospect they were no more than practice runs, like someone jogging up to deep ravine they're going to leap across in order to gauge the distance and the necessary speed to propel them to the other side. I will make great strides and experience some success, and then I go off-track at some point and do not try again for weeks or months.



I have been interested in nutrition and fitness since my teens, and I love reading the success stories of others who struggle with weight loss. So I am joining the fold of weight-loss bloggers! I'm starting the journey today, not tomorrow and not next week. Today. Right now. So have a great day. Myself, I'm going to eat a breakfast of steel-cut oats with skim milk, and then take the dog for a walk. It's a beautiful day to start shedding the fat-suit.