One More Sleep

Yup, one more sleep and then I jump onto my scale for my first full week weigh-in! (Also a 10 day on plan or 1/3 of my first month weigh-in, lol.) I'm actually really excited, lol, so we will see what happens. *Fingers Crossed*

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 10

Calories for Day 10 (November 30th 2008):

Snack 1 - 2 Chocolate Puddings = 240
Meal 1 - 103g of Pork, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 90g (dry) of Rice, 30g of Cheese = 937
Snack 2 - 175g (total) of Salad (Lettuce Mix, 1/4 of a medium Tomato, 1/8cup of Cucumber, 1/10cup of shredded Carrot, 1.5tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 145
Snack 3 - 30 Grapes = 102
Snack 4 - 30 Grapes = 102
Total calories: 1526

Exercise for Day 10:
None.

Outcome: Fantastic!!

~M

About Yesterday...

I know my calories were only 840 yesterday, and that is both very good and not so good. (To clarify, I gave my "outcome" a postive remark because I was under my calorie limit, by alot, yes, but I was not starved or hungry. Read on for additional insight.) Once in a blue moon it's fine if I only eat one meal, as long as I'm not doing that on purpose to cut calories. But I do NOT want to make this a regular occurance, and it won't be, and I will tell you why. I usually try to eat lunch and dinner, and a snack or 2, I don't eat breakfast and that is because of my insomnia I'm never able to get to sleep at a resonable hour, therefore, I'm not up in those morning hours for breakfast. I wake up, have my first meal, have a snack, and about 6-8 hours after lunch I have my dinner meal, then an after dinner snack. This is my usual. You can tell by my Calorie Recaps that I didn't set out to starve myself yesterday, and I didn't. I had my first meal, hours went by and I wasn't hungry for a snack, then my neighbours were being VERY loud with their music, gave me a headache so I went to bed, and I did something I normally don't, which is sleep for a long time, lol. So I had a good rest, but I slept through dinner, etc. So, nothing shocking, I didn't try to starve myself, lol. But, that's that. Back to normal meals today, as I am up and awake, heh. I *might* have a small serving of fast food today, but I'm not sure yet. It's only calories I'm worried about, and not eating to excess. If I do decide to have a small meal of fast food the calories will be within my plan, and it will not be an excessive amount of food. Realistic Moderation, remember? I think that should be my lifestyle slogan, heh. Until next time...!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 9

Calories for Day 9 (November 29th 2008):

Meal 1 - 301g (10.75oz) of Oven Baked Pizza (cooked from frozen) = 840
Total calories: 840

Exercise for Day 9:
None.

Outcome: Fantastic!!

~M

Odds And Ends

Just catching up! So my calories have been great lately, I'm very happy with myself. I've noticed that my next meal is rarely on my mind anymore, where before I was constantly thinking "What can I eat next, and when?" So it feels great to not revolve around food, especially excess food. My calories for yesterday, Day 8, were nice and low so I got to have a higher calorie treat that I normally wouldn't have room for, I had 2 cookies, and they were super yummy, lol. As long as I'm not having, like, 4 cookies everyday, lol, then I think whatever fits into my calorie limit should be good moderation. I've averaging maybe 5% of my weekly calories for "junk food", which is only some cookies so far, so I think I'm doing fanfreakingtastic, lol. Plus it helps me from feeling deprived then ending up having a junk food binge, so if I want a serving of junk food, and my calories allow it after meals are accounted for, then I will have it. Realistic moderation.
Oh, before I forget, on the morning of Day 7 I weighed myself just so I could see my full first week total. I was -5 pounds from my starting weight. I think 5 pounds the first week is great, I'm pleased with it. I'm hoping for a 3 pounds loss on this week, bringing me to 377, down 6 pounds overall. 2 pounds is my goal each week though, but I've been so good on calories that I'm aiming a little bit higher. That will be 6 pounds in just 10 days. A good start I'd say! So wish me luck for Monday! I also had a NSV yesterday! I chose to stop adding 1/2-1 serving of cheese on my sandwiches, so it saves me 60-120 calories now! And it tastes just as good, so now I can save that serving of cheese for something more worthy, heh. Anyways, I think that covers everything up until now. \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 8

Calories for Day 8 (November 28th 2008):

Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Ham Sandwiches (4 slices of bread, 1 serving of Ham, 36g of Green Pepper, 1tbsp of low cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 734
Snack 1 - 10z (approx. total) of Salad (Mixed Leaf Lettuces, 1/2 of a medium Tomato, 1/4cup of Cucumber, 2.5tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 208
Snack 2 - 2 Chocolate Cookies - 180
Meal 2 - 2/3 of a 133g Three Cheese Pasta Packet (2/3 of a 133g dry Pasta Packet, 2/3cup of Skim Milk) = 400
Total calories: 1522

Exercise for Day 8:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 7

Calories for Day 7 (November 27th 2008):

Snack 1 - 1 Chocolate Pudding = 120
Meal 1 - Mac N Cheese (1 box of Mac N Cheese, 1tbsp of low cal Margerine, 2tbsp of Taco Sauce) = 900
Meal 2 - 2 servings (90g dry) of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, boneless/skinless Chicken Breast, 30g of Cheese = 790
Total calories: 1810

Exercise for Day 7:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

I Had A Great Day!

Well today went great! 1644 calories and I finally got in a wee bit of exercise! My guy and I went for a walk up to the grocery store to get some pork chops for dinners. The first half is uphill, eww, but it's gradual, but still, for me it felt like my lower back and my back lower left hip area were about to pop out of me. I want to walk without pain again! But I'm so glad I did it, I didn't get as far as I had originally planned, but I still went I good distance for my current weight. Normally I'm sore just walking to a different room in the house, and very sore just getting outside of the house. A couple good things on the walk though, I got further than I have in about 10 months before I had to stop and take a breather. Also, about half way into it I told my guy I couldn't walk uphill any longer and that I had to turn back, then about 1 minute later I started walking again - and it wasn't to go home! I know cardio is an important part to losing weight, but I don't want to push myself, my hip and back gets very painful, and too much pain isn't going to help me to do anything good for myself. Like I've said before, it should only take about 30, or so, pounds before my pain load starts easing off, and then I can try to be more active without hurting myself. I might try to use my exercise band at home, different form of exercise, but still calorie burning, and good for the muscles. That way I can strength train even if I can't do cardio, and strength training is important to helping your body have a better shape as you lose weight, and not just look like a (smaller) blob, lol. The exercise band gives alot of variety to the exercises you can do with it, so I shouldn't be at a loss for ideas. I have lots of bicep/tricep/shoulder/chest/back exercises in mind, and if on a strength training day I feel like I have enough energy then I could through in some ab exercises, too. I'm not too concerned with lower body strength training at the moment, I feel sorry for my legs for having to carry around 380 pounds as it is, no need to make them do more work than that right now, lol. So anyways, I'm full of future ideas, hehe, I'll never be at a loss for what to do next. As for what to do now...same thing I've been doing, calories under 2000, move my body whenever I can, and hope for the best! \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 6

Calories for Day 6 (November 26th 2008):

Snack 1 - 77g bag of Light Popcorn = 300
Meal 1 - 2 Mini Tuna Melt Buns (75g of (2) Dinner Rolls, 120g of waterpacked Tuna, 1tbsp of low cal Mayo, 1tbsp of Ranch Dressing, 30g of Cheese) = 591
Meal 2 - 67g of boneless Pork Chop, 128g of Green Beans, 332g of (2) Baked Potatoes with skin, 30g of low cal Margerine, 60g of low cal Sour Cream = 653
Snack 2 - 1 Chocolate Pudding Cup = 120
Total calories: 1664

Exercise for Day 6:
15-20 minutes of walking.

Outcome: Excellent!!!

~M

Food Scale

I couple months ago I was smart enough to purchase a food scale. It has been a saving grace for me, I love it! I measure everything out exactly, my rice, sandwich veggies, meat, and especially, cheese. Cheese is something that most people would over estimate the look of 1 serving, and with cheese, you to be careful since it packs alot of calories into a tiny serving. I'm thinking from now on I'm going to list grams on my food journal instead of converting it to ounces from now on. I weigh everything in grams, cause I feel it's more precise. For things like meat, though, I think it's easier to judge by ounces. But I've been measuring out everything I have, on the food scale, with measuring cups, and with measuring spoons. I like to avoid measuring cups whenever I can though, there's too much wiggle room when you use them. So for my rice tonight, I needed 1 cup dry, so I weighed out the grams for it (based on the serving chart on the box). So I knew I had exactly what my serving was suppossed to be, not an approximation. My guy even weighed out the grams of the green pepper slices than went on my sandwiches! Now that's precise. Today all I wanted was CHEESE, lol, so my guy and I measured out 100 calories of it so I didn't go crazy with it. If you're curious...100 calories was 25g of pre-shredded cheese; a full serving is 120 calories, which is 30g, just a teeny bit over 1oz(28g).
Well, lastly, a little bit about how today went. 1788 calories as you can see in the previous post! I'm really happy with that, I'm a tiny bit hungry right now, but that's just because I recently woke up from a little nap, lol. So all went well, another OP day! Oy...I want a cookie, lol. I was going to have a cookie as a between meal snack earlier but I went with a serving of cheese instead, so now my cookie craving is still around, lol. That's okay, I will fit one into my calories tomorrow if I still want it. \m/

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 5

Calories for Day 5 (November 25th 2008):

Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Ham Sanwiches (4 slices of Bread, 1 serving of Ham, 1oz of Green Pepper, 1/8cup of Cheese, 1 tbsp of low-cal Mayo, 2tsp of Mustard) = 778
Snack 1 - 1oz of Cheese = 100
Meal 2 - 2 servings (1cup total, measured dry) of Rice, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 5.5oz of boneless/skinless Chicken Breast, 1.5oz of Cheese = 850
Snack 2 - 1 Popsicle = 60
Total calories: 1788

Exercise for Day 5:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Identity

"I'm...The Big Girl"
I came across something that made me think. I've always been the big girl, in grade school, in high school, and now as an adult. When I go shopping I'm the biggest person I see. When I get together with family for a holiday I'm the biggest person I see. When I go to a restaurant I'm the biggest person I see. Anyone in any of those situations looks at me and see "the big girl". What I've been wondering is...once I lose weight and start blending in size wise to those around me...what will people see me as? If someone pointed me out in a restaurant, at a family gathering, at the mall, in a classroom, at the park, what would say to identify me? "She's the big girl." ...Or something along those lines, something to do with my weight/size. So after my weight loss, what am I if I'm not "the big girl"? How would an outsider describe me? What would define me? What would my identity be? What is underneath me? Who am I if I'm not "the big girl"? I wonder what qualities of mine will come through once the "go to" attribute ("She's the big girl." "She's the chubby girl." "She's the biggest one.") is gone. I wonder how someone would describe me now if they couldn't mention my size. What is it that I will make myself?

"That's the girl."
"What girl?"
"Right over there."
"Which one are you talking about?"
"The one who is __________________."

Who will I be? How will I be seen?
Hmm...time will tell.

~M

Hungry?

Look at those calories!!! 1881, 1900, 1210, and now 1223!!! OMG! I thought I'd be at 1999 everyday and have my stomach growling up a storm all evening. You know what...I'm not really hungry! My tummy growls a bit if I nap between meals and it's a long wait, but then I go make my next meal and I'm not even scarfing it down because I'm starving. I think my stomach is shrinking, lol. I had my lunch today then fell asleep later on before dinnertime and woke up hours past my usually dinnertime, and I was quite hungry, so I heated up my serving of dinner I had regulated for myself earlier and by the time I ate 1/2 of it and had some salad I was full enough that I gave my guy my last slice of pizza! (Each slice was about 2oz.) I used to eat the whole thing (about 14oz total) for just a lunch, and now I had it between 2 meals, and shared some! I'm feeling really good about that right now. It might not seem like anything to other people, but it was a huge NSV for me. I just can't get over how satisfied I've been under 2000 calories a day so far; not to mention half of them before barely over 1200 calories! I really hope I can keep this up. Even if I have 1999 a day I would be happy. Before I used to have probably...3000 or more a day, so, big change. I'm trying to concentrate on portion control, and not eating if I'm not hungry. So, hopefully I can get some success with the 2000/day plan! I didn't exercise again today though, but as long as my eating is on track, I don't want to push my luck, lol. My body get exhauted enough just walking around the house right now. The time will come when I will exercise regularly, but it's not right now, maybe next week, maybe 3 months, who knows, but I'm happy with what I'm doing so far. Once my body loses some of its mass it should be easier to get out walking again, maybe dancing, maybe strength training. Even at about 340 pounds I was walking an hour a day to try to lose weight before, so once the pain in my lower back subsides a bit, maybe in as little as 10-20 pounds, then I will try my best to do both food and exercise control. Ugh, I remember when I was walking an average of 70-80 minutes a day, was eating under 2000 calories a day and allowed myself NO junk food of any kind. It was too strict, lasted about 6 months, lost a few inches off my waist and hips, and 31 pounds total, but I couldn't sustain it. I want to do it right this time. Work up in baby steps. I'm trying not to make myself feel like I have to do it all or nothing. I can't wait for my back pain to go away!! I remember when I walked over 5 miles nonstop with my guy, just to say I could do it, and I did! I want to be able to get outside and move my body again. There's nothing I like more than taking my doggie, my tunes, and looking at the beautiful nature as I take a walk. Someday I will be there again. Oh, but a do have a little NSV already! Showering is easier already, my back only just starts to hurt before I get out, before I was in alot of pain, so much that I had to rest my back, about halfway into my shower. So, changes are coming, and I can't wait for more! Wow, that turned out longer than expected, lol! I should've renamed it 'Hungry? And Another Hour Worth Of Rambling" LOL!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 4

Calories for Day 4 (November 24th 2008):

Snack 1 - 5 Crispy Minis = 38
Meal 1 - 5.5oz Oven Baked Pizza = 373
Meal 2 - 8-9oz Oven Baked Pizza, 10oz (total) Garden Salad (Leaf/Spring/Romaine Lettuce, 1/8cup of Carrots, 1/2 of a medium Tomato, 1/4cup of Cucumber, 2tbsp of Ranch Dressing) = 812
Total calories: 1223

Exercise for Day 4:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Afternoon Rambling

Bored...just came on to talk about how Day 4 is going so far. Almost 2:30pm, I cooked up a pizza for lunch/dinner, I used to eat the whole thing in one meal, but today I decided to have 1/3 for lunch and save 2/3 of it for dinner. I weighed out the portions so they were correct for calories. Lunch was 373 calories, the rest, I'm assuming for my dinner, is 747 calories. Not the best "diet" choice, but I want to lose weight realistically, where I'm not cutting out anything mildly "bad" for you. Because I know I won't be able to sustain that, and as soon as I have a craving, or go back to eating those kinds of foods, I will be ruining my progress. So I'm trying to get progress, with normal eating: Anything in moderation! Having only 1/3 of the pizza (5.5oz, it was a small serving, probably would be 1.5 restaurant slices) was a great feat for me, but, yes, I am still a bit hungry since that is only 1/3 a "before" lunch for me. It feels great though, the moderation makes me feel like I'm doing something really good. Which I guess I am. So far today my calories are at 38 (5 crispy minis) + 373 (5.5oz pizza) = 411. After dinner (if I don't snack before dinner...) 411 + 747 = 1158. So still some room for a snack. Lookin' good! Off to read some success stories and hopefully motivate myself to do some exercise later on.

~M

Weekly Weigh-In #1

My first official weigh-in! Even though it has only been 3 days on plan. But that's okay. Let's jump in.

Highest/Starting Weight: 383 pounds
Current Weight: 380
Pounds Lost This Week: 3!
Pounds Lost Total: 3

Next Weigh-In (#2): Monday, December 1st 2008 (once a week, on Monday)

Well pretty good for only 3 days I say! I'm anxious to see how my first full week goes!

~M

Calories/Exercise Recap: Day 3

Calories for Day 3 (November 23rd 2008):

Snack 1 - 1/6 of a Banana, 29 grapes = 121
Snack 2 - 2oz of a Apple, 30 grapes = 103
Meal 1 - 1 can of Potato Soup, 2 Turkey Sandwiches (4 slices bread, 1 serving of Turkey, 1 serving of low-cal Mayo, 1oz of Green Pepper, 1/8cup of Cheese, 2tsp of Mustard) = 776
Snack 3 - 1 spoonful of Mac n Cheese = 30
Snack 4 - 2 cookies = 180
Total calories: 1210

Exercise for Day 3:
None.

Outcome: Awesome!

~M

Temp. Food Log

Just logging my food calories so I don't forget.
121, 103, 273, 300, 100, 45, 5, 45, 8.

Oh, and tomorrow is my first official Monday weigh-in! Wish me luck!

~M

Fruit And Dinner Ideas

This morning I had about 2 small bites of a banana and 29 grapes, calories totalling 121 calories. For a meal today I'm hoping I can treat myself to pasta, maybe. Pasta is very high in calories if you eat a serving that is filling enough. Although soup and sandwiches sound good right now, too. But, my main meal, or meals, aren't until much later on. It's almost 8:30am and I haven't slept yet. So I'll wake up for dinner I'm assuming. I'm tired, getting a headache, so I'm off to nap for a bit. Until next time...!

~M

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

I love a good list, lol! Especially when it can be motivating. So, I'm going to list the reasons I want to lose weight, the things I want to be able to do, the things I used to be able to do and can't anymore, things that could improve by losing weight and getting healthly, and things like that. Let us begin!

THE BAD:

• I get sore from walking VERY quickly.
• I can't take my doggie out for long walks or to the park.
• Alot of seatbelts barely fit me, some don't at all.
• I can't stand/walk long enough to enjoy shopping.
• I can't ride a bicycle anymore.
• I can't cross my legs.
• I'm not in shape to play sports.
• I have insomnia.
• I have little energy.

THE UGLY:

• I feel I look disgusting to others.
• I can't wear the "in" styles because they don't come in my size.
• No stores in my town carry my size.
• Plus size clothes are more expensive then regular sizes.
• I rarely feel sexually attractive (TMI, I know, lol.)
• I don't feel as girly as I could be.
• I feel people judge me by my appearance.

THE GOOD (benefits of weight loss):

• I'd be in better health.
• I would feel sexier.
• I would have more confidence.
• I could get around easier.
• I could handle working, and therefore make money.
• I could wear high heels.
• I would sleep better.
• I would feel I fit in better in public.
• I would feel more accepted, and not feel pre-judged.
• I could do more things with my man, and my doggie.
• I wouldn't have to worry about fitting into booths/seats or seatbelts.
• I would sleep better.
• I would have more energy.
• I would be able to ride a bicycle, and play sports.
• I could (probably, lol) cross my legs.
• I would have a wider/better looking/cheaper variety of clothing choices.
• I'd have pride in myself.
• I'd be happier with myself!

I'm sure there are more to each list but what I can think of at the moment. Hopefully one day I will be able to own some of those good qualities!

~M

Ramblings Of The Day

Well as you can see from my Day 2 Recap post today has been good! I'm thinking about making little goals along the way, not weight or size goals, but more like something I have to do, or not do, for a certain amount of days. And once that time limit is up, I give myself another challenge. And since my favorite number is 13, I could do 13 day challenges, or if that's too long I could just do one week at a time. Some ideas for the challenges:
- No fast food
- No "junk food"
- Limit of 1 serving per food per meal
- Must exercise 5+ minutes
Yeah, so there's some ideas of things I could strive to do daily. I'd also like to kind of set weight/size goals for myself too, but I don't really know what to expect. Weight wise, my goal would probably be 2 pounds a week, every week. Size wise I'd say 1" off both my waist and hips every time I take my measurements, every 4 weeks. A girl can dream, right? As I lose weight I can also make clothing size goals. The largest size my town sells is size 22-24 jeans...which even at around 340 pounds or so were way too tight to get on! I think the button was about 7" away from doing up, and they were skin tight on me, too, lol, not gonna happen. I don't think I'd fit them comfortably for quite some time, maybe 100 pounds from now. Oh, I have an important list I'd like to make a new post for. Until next time...!

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 2

Calories for Day 2 (November 22nd 2008):

Meal 1 - 2 Cinnamon Waffles (plain), 1 Crustini = 470
Snack 1 - 2 Popsicles = 120
Meal 2 - 2 servings of Rice, 1 Chicken Breast, 1 can of Mushroom Soup, 1 serving of Cheese = 789
Snack 2 - 1 bag of Mini Rice Cakes, 1 Cookie = 521
Total calories: 1900

Exercise for Day 2:
None.

Outcome: On track!

~M

So Far Today...

So far I've done pretty good today, I don't want to jinx it though, lol. No exercise, but as long as I'm close to 2000 calories then that will be good for now. So far I've had 1 meal, 1 snack, and just about to have dinner, calories at the moment are: 240, 230, 120, 300, 80, 275, 100. For a total of 1345, but I will be having a snack after dinner most likely. My planned snack is a bag of mini flavored rice cakes, which is 431 calories. For a total of 1776! We shall see how on plan I stay.
Okay, just wanted to get these written down before I forgot what I ate, lol, maybe I should keep a journal at home with me and not just on here. Well, I like to come here to blabber a bit before my full daily recap anyways, heh. Almost dinnertime now, so I'm off.

~M

My Motivating Pictures

If I had to choose a picture that would be my "perfect-in-my-dreams-ideal-goal-size" this would be it. PERFECT! And the boots, ahh! I need to think about these to motivate me to exercise, LOL!

Done with another post that I'm sure if anyone is reading this they are now sorry they did, lmao, yeah, I'm blog-happy alright. You could say I'm...blappy! ^^ LOL!

~M

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

I am obsessed with both blogging and my goal numbers at the moment, LOL. So here I go rambling on another post. (Better than having my head in the fridge! LOL!)
The 4 things I am basing my success on: Weight, Waist Size, Hip Size, Clothing (Jeans) Size.
So where am I starting with those...

Weight: 383lbs
Waist: 55"
Hips: 67"
Clothing Size: 30

Estimating my size for my 3 goals...

Modest Goal:
Weight: 283lbs (-100lbs)
Waist: 45"
Hips: 57"
Clothing Size: 24

Optimistic Goal:
Weight: 233lbs (-150lbs)
Waist: 42"
Hips: 52"
Clothing Size: 20

In My Dreams Goal:
Weight: 183lbs (-200lbs)
Waist: 36"
Hips: 46"
Clothing Size: 16

Well those are my guesstimates, just going with whatever knowledge of sizes I have, since I personally haven't been in those sizes in many, many years, lol. Anyways, enough of my ramblings for now. ^^

~M

About Me

Since it's nearly 2am and I'm bored and can't sleep...here's a general post all about ME.

Name: Melissa
Age: 20s
Status: Commonlaw, been together for over 4.5 years now, we have 2 "children" - a 13 year old cat, Munchkin, and a 2 year old Chihuahua, Jasmine.
Location: BC, Canada

Interests/Hobbies: Photography (I love photographing nature, and my pets!), music (I listen to every genre, but I love rock, pop, and soothing classical.), TV/movies, writing, reading, playing games on Pogo, dog training (my Chihuahua is too smart for her own good, LOL!), astrology, magazines, Bleach (only anime show I will watch), storms, stars, tattoos, nature, and everything spooky and mystical!

"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”

~M

Calorie/Exercise Recap: Day 1

Calories for Day 1 (November 21st 2008):
(Calories go in a 24hr span from 12am to 12am since my sleeping is so irregular. I will try to recap each day after 12am.)

Meal 1 - Potato Soup, 2 Turkey Sandwiches = 843
Meal 2 - 2 “Meatloaf” Burritos = 938
Drink 1 - 2/3 Pineapple Drink = 100
Total calories: 1881

Exercise for Day 1:
None.

My daily calorie goals are 2000 without exercise, and up to 2200 when I get in some sweatin’, LOL. So I’m happy with day 1! Let's hope tomorrow goes just as well!

~M

Measurements: My Starting Point

I’ll be keeping track of ALL my measurements. Even though alot of them may seem useless it helps me get motivated, so, whatever works!

Starting Measurements: November 21st 2008
Neck: 18″
Chest: 53.5″
Bust: 59.5″
Ribcage: 54″
Upper Arm: 19″ / 18″ (Right/Left)
Forearm: 16″ / 15″
Wrist: 9″ / 8.5″
Waist: 55″
Bellybutton: 58.5″
Hips: 67″
Upper Thigh: 38″ / 38″
Above Knee: 31.5″ / 32″
Calf: 25.5″ / 24.5″
Ankle: 11.25″ / 11.5″

Next measurements (#1): December 15th 2008

My measurements will be taken every 4th weigh-in (every 4 weeks). My first measurements check-in will be about 3.5 weeks from now though, but I don't think it will make any difference.
So, that's how my measurement check-ins will go.
Both my weekly weigh-in and my monthly measurement check-in will be posted in RED so they stand out.

~M

Weight: My Starting Point

Here is my starting info in the format I plan to use for now.

Highest/Starting Weight: 383+ pounds
Current Weight: N/A
Pounds Lost: N/A

Pounds Lost Total: N/A

Next Weigh-In (#1): Monday, November 28th 2008

So there's an idea of how each weekly weigh-in will look. My #1 weigh-in will only be 3 or 4 days in though, but that's fine, hopefully I'll see a loss no matter how small it may be.

~M

A New Beginning

So this is the beginning of my weight loss journey. Yesterday, November 21st 2008, I made the decision to give it another try. I’ve decided to blog about it in hopes it will keep me on track, or at least give me something to look back on to see where I went wrong. (I don’t expect anyone but me to be interested enough to read this, but readers are welcome, but you’ve been warned, LOL!) My ultimate goal is that I’d like to lose 1/2 my weight, but I’d settle for anything at the moment, LOL. My weight has been flucuating 10-15lbs back and forth within a few days of each other, therefore I might not know real progress until I lose a good amount. The most I’ve lost, ever, was 31 pounds, about 2 years ago, and I was very strict and worked very hard even for just that amount. Then, at Christmas my guy and I went to visit my family for the holidays. For the first week I resisted all temptations then suddenly I went off track and never got back on…and I’m about 50 pounds heavier than I was at that time. This year I was holding at 350 pounds or so for months then one day I got on the scale and WHAMO! Somehow I was up about 20something pounds…I didn’t even notice. I measured myself too, and found I had a new biggest size to cry over. My waist had gone up about 2″. Not to mention everything else too. Well, here are my important numbers so I know where my starting point is.

Date: November 22nd 2008
Height: 5′4.5"
Highest Weight: 383+ pounds
Current Weight: 380.6 pounds
Lowest Weight: 325.5 pounds (after losing 31 pounds in 2006)

My Weight Goals: Well, I’m very OCD when it comes to numbers, but I like to calculate and recalculate, some people might think this would hinder me, but it actually helps. So, here’s my list, yes, list, of weight goals, and their signifigance.

350 - Under my old highest weight / Starting into the nicer side of the 300s
333 - 50lbs lost325 - Lowest adult weight in years
299 - Under 300283 - 100lbs lost
250 - Half way out of the 200s landmark
233 - 150lbs lost
199 - Under 200lbs
191.5 - Half my highest weight
183 - 200lbs lost

So there are my goals, from basic to my ultimate. Once I get some rest I will get my “official” starting weight for the week, as well as my starting measurements. Weight I will check once a week, inches once a month. I am going to try to count calories, trying for 2000 a day or so. My sleep is VERY irregulat so I will count calories in a 24hr chunk since I don’t have a regular schedule, sleeping or otherwise. I don’t work either, so I am making my health/weight loss my job, LOL. Exercise will be just as hard as portion control for me, I have bad lower back pain that makes it VERY sore for me to walk/stand for more than a couple minutes - literally, so I will try to do some strength training using a resistance band, and some in home walking/dancing, etc. Even 5 minutes I will be happy with for now! One step at a time, right? Well, that’s all for my intro post. I will post more with my starting weight/measurements.

~M