10 Pounds Down!

Whoo hoo! I am 10 pounds down today! This just a bit over a month after I started this journey. I am quite happy and feel good. I think the pumping up the exercise yesterday and drinking lots of water helped. And this while I am feeling slightly PMS-y. Which is why I didn't make it to the gym this morning. That and I have a crazy day today and there was a lot on my mind.

But, I have a plan! Tonights my night to take Thing 1 to swim team practice. Usually I sit in the waiting room and read or sew something if I need to (girl scout patches, etc). But tonight I will do a few loops up and down the staircases at the aquatic center. And I will drink lots of water. I think today I will add bits of frozen fruit to my water to make it "fancy". I've been having egg whites and veggies for breakfast, but today I think I need my comforting oatmeal with peanut butter.

Tomorrow is my big night out to a charity event with my husband. I had scheduled to get my hair cut and highlighted tomorrow. I was planning to save the highlights as a reward for the 10 pound weight loss, and what do you know I made it!

I ran!

eeWell, I knew I'd better get up and go to the gym today if I wanted to keep seeing results, since I didn't go yesterday. And I did! Even got there a bit early. My plan was to do 2 miles on the treadmill and then the weight machines I did two days ago. For some reason, I woke up early with almost a nervous energy. Anyhoo, I'm on the treadmill. I usually do between 4.0 and 4.7 alternating and adding a bit of incline here and there. And as I kept doing the 4.7 mile bursts, I thought, I can go faster.

So I ran! cranked it up to 5.7 mph! I hadn't planned it. I just did it for a minute or two at most, about 3 times. But it felt good! And the amazing thing is when you go faster, you go farther much more quickly. Doh! I'm guessing skinny people just know this. :) So I did 2.5 miles and still had time to do my weight machines. I actually found myself looking at couch to 5K info when I got home.

I've been wary about running as I had a knee injury in college, and I didn't think the pounding of running would be great. So I'll take it slow and listen to my body. But the lesson I learned is that I need to push myself, and I can push myself.

I think reading so many inspiring blogs of others who are on this weight loss journey has really helped. I see what other people are doing. People who weigh more than me. People who used to weigh more than me. Skinny people. All pushing themselves to be better.

Tomorrow will be treadmill only, so let's see how far I can go?

Slow down!

Another interesting article from the New York Times: To Cut Calories, Eat Slowly. "Those who reported eating quickly and eating until full had triple the risk of being overweight compared with others."

Tomorrow, as I do my skinny person impersonation, I will eat slowly. Can't today because I'm done eating for the day!

Desk job

This morning I read this NY Times article on how sitting all day is not good for you, even if you exercise regularly:

Not good news for those of us with desk jobs! The comments to the article are interesting. In the article, they reference the treadmill desk, which I linked to the other day! Now I don't think I'm ready to set up a treadmill desk, although the idea is intriguing! But this seems more feasible: 10 reasons to use an exercise ball as yourchair

I also think walking around while I'm on the phone could help (I work at home). Sometimes I'm on the phone and just need to listen in. So I can put the phone on mute, speakerphone even. Maybe do lunges or lift light weights? Unfortunately, most of the time I'm sitting at my computer, but I can get up periodically to move around!

This is also why those sensors like the Bodybugg or the Gowear Fit seem like a great idea. If I was more aware, I could probably get more movement into my day.

Food for thought. I did not go to the gym today. Not sure why, just felt like I needed a rest. But looking forward to the weight machines tomorrow again.

Goal for today: move around when I can while I work and drink more water!

Good workout day

I got to the gym today, 2 days in a row, whoo hoo! I did two miles on the treadmill and then some weight machines for a total of about 50 minutes at the gym. I was proud of myself and felt good when I left.

I had a good day of eating yesterday, due to all the healthy choices I surrounded myself with.

As expected, I'm pretty much back down to my Sunday weigh in weight after a day, so no harm done. Tomorrow it will be one month since I started this weight loss quest. I had told my husband that I wanted to to this, and he supported me joining the gym. He challenged me to losing 2 pounds a month for a year. Very doable! Of course I've lost more than 2 pounds. Even if I only lost 2 pounds a month, that would mean next January I would weigh 24 pounds less, and that wouldn't bad! But I hope I can way exceed that. I know I will.

I need this!

So I work out of my home. Sitting at a desk in front of a computer. And I sooo, need this treadmill desk:

http://www.treadmill-desk.com/

New week, new motivation

I had a good weekend. Yesterday was my official weigh in day, and I weighed in at 196.2 for a 7.8 pound weight loss in almost a month. Not bad. Of course today I was up a little, but I attribute that too mexican lunch out. I made good choices (OK maybe I ate a few chips), but I special ordered my dish without sauce, left the tortilla and only half the rice. Also, I hadn't exercised in a number of days, so all explainable.

But I had a weekend of good choices. And I was surrounded by girl scout cookies everywhere! I have them in my house! I helped deliver them! I helped sell them in front of a store! They were serving them after church! Just didn't touch them, so hooray for me. I wonder what year I'm going to break down and just ignore the cookies and write the girl scouts a check! I support them, but my goodness all you read about is the childhood obesity epidemic. Surely we can think of a better way to support these girls!

Didn't really have anything too junky this weekend. Got to grocery shop by myself, and bought tons of veggies. Fresh, frozen, you name it, I've got it in my house! Think I'm going to roast a bunch of them today just to have to snack on or add to meals quickly.

Today I got to the gym bright and early. Did my 3 miles on the treadmill in 40 minutes. Added some inclines and did intervals of fast and really fast (for me). Was nice and sweaty when I'm done. Tomorrow I hope to do 2 miles on the treadmill and start with some weight machines.

And I have some new short term motivation! My husband and I decided to go to a black tie optional charity event on the weekend. We never do things like this! I tried on a black cocktail dress I wore to a wedding last year. I was disappointed to see that it fits just right and is not too loose. Last week I had to go to size 14 in my pants, down from 16. I've been in 16 for a long time. But the dress fits, I don't feel like spending money on a new one, so that's what I'll wear. Motivated to work out hard this week so I look and feel my best on the weekend and I can enjoy some of the food that will be served then.

I have a busy month or two ahead of me, and I need to carefully shop so I have healthy meals in. This week I'm set and ready for what comes my way!

Planning

Friday evenings are my turn to take Thing 1 to swim practice. So i quickly leave my desk and make sure she has her suit on, swim bag and we run. We leave at 5 and don't get home until 7. Oh and some instructions yelled out to my husband as to what he can make for dinner (really his one night to make dinner).

So we get home and there's pizza. Kids were happy, I was tired and would have preferred something else, but we didn't have anything else. So I ate a slice, and then finished my daughter's slice (something I said I shouldn't do in a previous post)! I was going to beat myself up, but was really too tired. I weighed myself today and no damage done. I think eating well the rest of the day and most of the week helped. I know as I drop pounds I'm really going to have to exercise more to ensure slip ups or indulgences like this don't result in a weight gain.

So what will I do differently next week? I know next week is going to be a busy work week, so I am going to make sure I stock up on healthy foods. I really like garden burgers, but didn't have any in the house, so I'll make sure I have those in as a quick meal for myself. Also lots of veggies, frozen too. I need to come up with some other make ahead meal ideas that we can all have or that I can have when I don't want to join in on the pizza. Or maybe have a small slice of pizza with something else healthy of my choosing?

Foods that keep me going

This was a crazy busy week, hubby out of town, work deadlines looming. Couldn't get to gym. Luckily hubby doesn't travel often, so next week, I am there. I started this list a while ago. It helps remind me what good options I have to eat.

This is a partial list of things I eat on this weight loss journey. Most of these things are things I ate before I started this journey, but then I also ate additional junk too!

Egg beaters - usually with some Pam spray, leftover veggies, and a slice of soy cheese.

Herbal tea/unsweetened ice tea - In the cold months I have different flavored herbal teas throughout the day. During the warm months I always have a homemade pitcher of unsweetened iced tea available.

Oatmeal - old fashioned oats with a spoonful of peanut butter and a splash of almond or soy milk. Just saw this Custard Oats Primer at Finding Radiance that I'm going to try!

Oatmeal smoothie - This is how I eat my summer oatmeal. 1/2 cup oatmeal, cup of soy milk or other milk, cinammon, maybe half a banana. Very thick and filling. Yum!

Fiber one - filling! Usually I have this midmorning if I've had the egg beaters, I'll have some fiber one later in the morning, but never after oatmeal.

Nonfat greek yogurt - Yum! Sometimes plain, sometimes with a chopped up apple or other fruit. Could spring come and expand my fresh fruit options, please?

Avocados - I love avocados! Love them when they are ripe and I'll take 1/2 an avocado and mix with a little lowfat may and spread on toast. Sometimes add a slice of turkey.

Salad - I'm trying to get out of the lettuce tomato spray dressing rut. I think today I may have some chopped turkey on my salad at lunchtime.

Bag o'cabbage - I spray a pot with some canola oil spray, put in 1/2 a bag shredded cabbage, add a wee bit of salt, and then turn up the heat. Stir for a few minutes, then lower the heat and cover the pot for about 5 minutes. Sometimes I'll have this as a side or add a chopped up veggie burger or veggie crumbles (aka fake meat) to it. Back in the day, I would have the cabbage with a veggie burger and pasta for a power meal.

Soup - I love soup! Try to keep some tasty low sodium options in the pantry. My husband made some leek potato soup that I'm going to eat soon. Yum.

Popcorn - When I am very hungry and just feel like stuffing my face, I will eat a whole bag of popcorn. It's a safe vice, makes me feel like I've eaten a lot. I try to make it myself via the Alton Brown method: Put 1/4 kernels in a brown paper bag. You can put oil in, I don't. Fold over the top of the bag a few times. Alton says to use a staple, I don't. Microwave for a few minutes, listen carefully for when it slows. I sprinkle with a teaspoon of olive oil and spray a little Canola oil spray on and then salt, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, whatever you like. Yum! Healthier than the packaged microwave popcorns.

Kale chips and roasted chickpeas - Love these! You may not, I think it is an acquired taste. See the recipes here at FatFree Vegan Kitchen here.

Veggies - Luckily I love all kinds of vegetables. Dinner for me is usually what I serve me family, chicken, fish, lean turkey and a big salad or lots of vegetables. I usually try not to do carbs at dinner unless we're having a pasta dish. Some recent departures for me: Roasted eggplant with garlic and brussel sprouts (shredded in the food processor and sauteed for a few minutes with garlic and canola oil).

Tired

Was actually looking forward to working out today. My children had other plans. They both kept waking me up all night. Thing 1 wanted me to sleep with her, which I got up and did, but was awaken by Thing 2 who was having a nightmare about shrimp and a fire. ?? Once I got up I turned off my alarm. I think there were a few more sleep disruptions from them. I can't remember. I slept until 6:30, when I usually am back from the gym and on my second cup of coffee.

So feeling bad about missing the gym, groggy, but still down slightly on the scale (after Indian buffet lunch!) Don't think I'll make my minimum 3 visits a week to the gym this week.

Trying not to follow mom diet

Once "skinny person" habit I'm trying to adopt is to avoid the mom diet. You know when the kids don't eat everything on their plate and you finish it up so as not to waste food? Or like today when I was making Thing 2's lunch and I cut part of the crust and turkey off. Prior to starting this journey I'd just pop it in my mouth!

I think skinny people don't eat the scraps off of other peoples's plates! So now I don't either!

I remember two relevant talks at two long ago weight watchers meetings. One topic was to beware of BLTs (bites, likes and tastes). You know, licking the peanut butter spoon or cake batter or samples at the grocery store. Those can add up! So if you want a BLT, have it, but count it as part of your food intake (or points if you are doing WW).

The other WW meeting I remember was years ago, and the leader was so funny. She kind of reminded me of a (thin) Roseanne Barr. She said she liked to bake and cook for her family, but she had a bad habit of always licking the spoons and beaters. Her solution? She wore a surgical mask when she was baking and cooking. This was a reminder to her to keep the spoons away from her mouth! A bit drastic, I think, but you have to do what you have to do!

I am down to 196 now. Sunday is my official weigh in day, but I'm planning to go out for lunch with my husband today and enjoy it. I did make it to the gym. I think I did over 3 miles on the treadmill. I had to pause the machine to go blow my nose, but when I came back it lost the record of my progress. I think I overcompensated to make sure I had indeed done at least 3 miles.

Feeling good today, and looking forward to a good day.

Officially not obese!

I weighed myself this morning and I am the exact weight just below the weight classified as obese. I am officially overweight. I never want to be obese again! I know that was a much easier milestone for me to reach than many others who are way over the obese limit. I would just say keep making mini goals for yourself and reward yourself. Set 5 pound goals. Walk for 5 minutes more a day than you did last week. You can do it!

I had good intentions to get up and go to the gym, but I had a horrible sleep. So I let myself sleep in. If I go to the gym tomorrow and the next day, I will still meet my minimum goal of going three times a week. So I won't beat myself up.

10 pounds gone is so close, I can taste it! I plan on writing down everything I eat today to get me to that goal. I need to put my nose to the grindstone for work today. Trying to get a few things accomplished at work.

Why can't I?

Yesterday the kids were having turkey sandwiches on some yummy rolls. I really wanted one because we got some new yummy mustard with peppers. I thought that would taste so good with turkey, but I really didn't want the big roll or any bread. So I was about to write off having the turkey when it suddenly dawned on me that I could have the turkey with the mustard without the bread! Doh! Wouldn't a skinny person do this? Just pick the best part of a dish and leave the parts they don't want or need.

I dub thee pepper mustard turkey rollups and I give thee five stars!

Fat Tuesday!

I just realized that it's Fat Tuesday. What a fitting day to begin this blog! And no, I'm not going to do a blow out binge before lent tomorrow! Will I give anything up? I think I'll try to keep doing what I'm doing through Lent. 10 more pounds by Easter? That seems like a reasonable goal.

These are the little "rules" I've set up for myself over the past few weeks, and they seem to be helping:

• No sugar. I'm sure I'm having some sugar once in a while in the things I eat, but I'm not having ice cream, girl scout cookies (yes there are a bunch in my house now), valentine's candy, etc. Just not having it.
• Exercise 3-5 times a week, at least 3 miles on the treadmill. Right now I'm easily doing this, so might have to add something to this to challenge myself, but for now this is doable.
• No carbs with dinner. A protein and as many veggies as I want.
• Drink lots of herbal tea and water. I have two cups of coffee and sometimes 1 Diet Coke.

And that's it. Easy, manageable, I can still go out to eat. During these few weeks when I've lost 7 pounds, I've had pizza, chinese food, Indian buffet and McDonalds for pete's sake!. I do not fell like I've been suffering. Do skinny people feel like they are suffering? Maybe some. I think they just find the right balance and that's what I'm trying to do.

Acting Like a Skinny Person, my online journey begins

I have fought this battle before. I have won before. I have lost before. What is it that finally motivates people to lose weight and get fit? I can't point to any one thing, except for a feeling that it's now or never. Recently I've been aware of a number of people who have died and are close to my age. I have two young children. I want to be here for them. I know I need to work to increase my odds! And, I know I can do it. I've just been lazy.

I've been inspired by reading so many weight loss blogs (and I'll post them here). I am hoping that this will keep me accountable. I also know that if I can write down what works for me, later I can look back when I need a push.

Why did I call this blog Acting Like a Skinny Person? Because I think that although sometimes us overweight folk would like to think that skinny people are lucky or have a different, better metabolism (and maybe a few do), that they do things differently than fat people. They eat the right amount of food for their size, and they exercise. So I am going to act like a skinny person.

I actually started my journey about 3 1/2 weeks ago. I joined a gym, and I've been eating well. I've done Weight Watchers in the past (successfully and unsuccessfully), but for now I'm not going to join. I reserve the right to join in the future. So here I go. If I inspire someone, great, but for now this is a journal for me, to keep me honest and to keep me going.

Here are the facts. I'm 47. I'm happily married and I have two kids. Thing one is 8 and Thing 2 is 5, almost 6. They are girly girls. More on them another time. My starting weight (a few weeks ago on January 24th) was 204. As of today, I am 197 (yay me!). I will try to post weekly weigh ins on Sunday, but I admit, I weigh myself almost every day.

I have never been a great exerciser. But, in the past the only time I really lost weight was when I went to a gym. And the only time I consistently went to the gym was if I went bright and early. 5am early. I know for many people this seems ridiculous, but it works for me. And really, you'd be surprised how many people are at the gym at 5am. A lot.

I'm just starting with the treadmill. I actually have done better than I thought, so I wasn't as out of shape as I feared. For now I'm trying to do 3 miles every visit. I try to do that within a 40-minute time frame, 3-5 times a week. I'll mix that up, and I know I need to add weight training too. I know myself, and slow and steady is the only way to go.

So here I go. Wish me luck.

Today's thought: If you always do what you what you always did, you'll always get what you always got!