Weekly Check In

Physical Check In:
This week's weigh in is finally a minus. Woohoo!! Granted I didn't lose much but at least I lost something. It isn't ideal because I am shooting for 2 lbs per weeks, but I am not giving up. Lets hope November is better. Don't forget next week is picture day. Not that you'll see any difference with so little weight loss.

Starting Weight: 271 lbs
Current Weight: 255.6lbs
Goal Weight 169 lbs


Mental Check In:

I attribute the small amount of weight loss I had this week to swimming, I feel it gives my body the workout it needs and the mental adjustment I need too. In case you hadn't noticed, I was not blogging daily because the last few weeks have been awful for me. I had a bunch of interviews at the beginning of the month and was hoping to have a new job by the end of the month. Not only did I not get a job, but all the interviews dried up and I can't find anything new to apply for that fits my skills.

That leaves me with applying for retail positions. I actually like working retail it's fun but the pay is lousy. Let hope I get some holiday work to help pay for Christmas. In the meantime I think this guy's T-shirt says it all.

Swimming and app-ilicous repeat

So yesterday I went swimming for the first time in three weeks and today's workout on the treadmill was much better than it has been for three weeks. I believe swimming makes all the difference for me. Let's hope it reflects on the scale tomorrow.

Remember the Ab workout app I showed you a few weeks ago. Well this month I downloaded an app for my arms. This months workout is heavily cardio oriented so I decided to add in a quick upper body work out twice a week.

This app has a 5, 7.5 and 10 minute option like the Ab workout. It is all free weight and body weight exercises so you don't need more than a pair of dumbbells or even soup cans for beginners. It offers overhead press, biceps curls, triceps extension, bent over row, front raises, bridge dips, push-ups, and side plank.

Bottom line: Overall I think it is a great light weight workout for cardio focused people, but not meant for those of you who prefer weight training.

Check in 10/21/2011

Physical Check in:

Ah Friday! I haven't been looking forward to this weeks weigh in because I have yet again hit that time of the month. So I thought for sure I would have gained weight, but I again stayed exactly the same.

Perhaps this means I actually lost weight and when the bloat is gone it will reflect that.


Starting Weight: 271lbs
Current Weight: 256.8lbs
Goals Weight: 169lbs


Mental Check in:

While I am hopeful next week will reflect a weight loss, the fact that I have been at the exact same weigh for three weeks is really depressing me. On a happy note the pool FINALLY reopened today. It was closed for 3 weeks. Hmmm...3 weeks seems to be the theme. Tomorrow I am doing some volunteering so I will be swapping out my swim plans for a hike but YES to swimming on Sunday! Hallelujah.

Check out this great photo of the Great Bay in Greenland, NH. I didn't include it in my last post but wanted you to see it.

Check in 10/14/2011

I did weigh in yesterday. I did! I Did, but I forgot to post the results on my blog. In case you didn't know it binge eating is bad. I'm not talking a little splurge with your girls. I'm talking overeating 4 out of 7 days this week. Not quite to the extreme of the picture above, but you get the point.

So here it is:

Starting Weight: 271lbs
Last Week: 256.4lbs
This Week: 256.8lbs
Goal Weight: 169lbs

Yup, That right folks absolutely no change. I can tell you why, even though I kept exercising I had a few binge days. Which really sucks. Part of the problem was physical. I was trying to boost my metabolism by eating every Three hours about 5 meals per day. The problem is that I am not a very good grazer. Eating these tiny meals made my cravings worse and while I was never really hungry I also was never satisfied. This is the total opposite of the week before where I wasn't eating breakfast and wasn't losing any weight.
Part of it was mental - Eating seems to keep the tears away and lately I have cried at everything it could be sad it, could be happy, it could be funny, it could be angry. It doesn't matter I cry. Hell I cried at someone stupid kitten video on YouTube. Really Pathetic. I can't watch the St. Jude's Children's Hospital commercials either...Ugh.

So My solution is to eat 3 meals a day, especially breakfast. And not wear mascara for a few weeks. Hopefully I will have cried out all the tears by then.

On the plus side I have been religious about working out, it just needs a boosts from a good diet.

App-ilicous

I didn't have a shoe post this week, so I figured I would show you my favorite shoe app. I have to say I love the Zappos App. I know you can buy more than shoes at Zappos,but really why would I?

It is easy to search and navigate, I can search shoes according to brand, style, price and more. I can also do comparisons to other shoes. the most important is it allows me to "window" shop for shoes when I have time to kill. Much better than Angry Birds.

New Workout - Old Habits

I have new workout routine because I my body was getting used to the old one. At the same time though I am finding it hard to stay on my diet track. Most notably at night - this past week I have binged between the hours of 8pm -10pm 3 out 5 nights. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to curb this?


On the up side my new routine is focused on cardio to burn more calories and build up my fitness. The pool is still closed - hopefully it will open by the weekend - so in the meantime I am replacing my swims with hiking. Here is my new routine....


Monday - Biking 30 minutes building up to an hour. (I feel like my lungs are handling the workout well so far, but "down there" is another story. My rear and vagina are so numb after 30 minutes of biking I switch over to the elliptical. Also 5-10 of Abs workout.


Tuesday - Intervals Walking 3-5 minutes, running 3 minutes for 30 - 45 minutes. (my goal is to run 5 minutes and walk two, but 2 minutes of running is hard on this obese body) 5-10 minutes of upper body toning


Wednesday - Swimming Laps 1 hour (currently hiking to make up for the lack of water) 5-10minutes of Abs workout.


Thursday - Walk/Run 2 miles - Starting with walking most of the way until I can eventually walk a mile then run a mile. 5-10 minutes of upper body toning


Friday - Walking for 1 hour at a brisk pace. 5-10 minutes of ab workout.


Saturday - Swimming Laps for 30 minutes


Sunday - Casual swim or walk not timed.


Today I went hiking at a trail that is two hundred yards from my parents home and maintained by the beaver brook association. I have to stay hiking today worked wonders for me, as you may know I was suffering from some mild constipation the last few days. As soon as I made it up the hill my body said it was time to go. So I rushed back to my parents house through the woods. Here are a couple photos before nature called.

The view on the road to my parents house.

Walking the 200 yards from my parents driveway to the trail. The sign says bridge closed, the "bridge" has been closed for decades and the locals knew if you tried to drive on you would end up in the brook. The sign was only put there ten years ago to the damn flatlanders the don't know a dead end when you see it; and then they added some large boulders to idiot proof it.

Love this hiking trail because it leads into lots of fields and some time in the spring you see deer.

What do you think?

Serving Single - Succotash

Suffering Succotash. I have had a rough couple of days diet wise, but nice quiet days holiday wise. To top off the bad diet days the pool is still close I guess when they started to repair the ceiling (it was damaged last winter with the MANY feet of snow we had) they figured out it was going to take an extra week to fix it right. That or they just take 3 hour lunch breaks. So I made my favorite no meat dish this weekend.





I love Succotash, but not the kind that that is pre-made, which I didn't know you could get until I started researching it's history. I love the kind my mom makes. This is traditionally a depression era dish that is inexpensive with very few ingredients. The succotash in a can is made with Corn and Lima beans, but my family makes it with Kidney or Pinto beans. My suggestion is that you make a big batch and freeze what you don't use for a later date.



You need...

1 bag of frozen corn (12-16oz)
2 cans of Kidney or pinto beans(12-14 oz per can)
1 cup of milk
salt
pepper

1. Drain but DO NOT rinse your beans. The starch on the outside of the beans will be used to thicken the milk.
2. Using a large pot on Medium heat put the frozen corn and the beans in the pot. Then season with salt and pepper to taste. Then add 1 cup of milk. You can use whatever milk you have handy skim or whole.
3. Let it cook stirring occasionally until the it is simmering then remove from heat.



It is really like a thin chowder at this point. I would put it in a bowl and garnish with a bit of fresh parsley and maybe some crumbled bacon and I sliced of hearty bread with butter. If you have left overs you can add some cooked Potato or Lima beans. It is very basic but tasty.

Saturday in Pictures

So I decided I was sick of walking around Nashua and decided to take a trip to the very rural Fitswilliam. Apparently I choose a bad weekend because every town between Nashua and Fitzwilliam had a pumpkin festival, apple festival, fall festival, or community yard. Not that I mind, they are really fun to visit and the detours often show you new scenic routes, but sometimes the traffic and the people annoy me.

Today I went for a walk in Rhododendron State Park in Fitzwilliam, NH. While it's best to go in May, June & July for the blooms - I enjoy going any time of the year because it is a quiet, easy trail that almost no one visits because they all pay $3.00 to go to Mt. Monadnock aka the most climbed Mountain in the world. Also I found that the local arborist maintain the area and they took the time to bring art into the trail in the form of stone benches, and columns, to hand painted trail maps on wood.
Above is said hand painted map of the trails. The big trail is Little Monadnock, which starts out easy and then get harder towards the top. The smaller loop is Rhododendron Loop which has some small offshoots like Laurel trail, and Wildflower trail.

The Rhododendron Loop is fun because it is like going through a tunnel of trees. This shot is of the canopy above me.

As you can see the trail looks like a tunnel up ahead is a bridge over brook with one of the few breaks in the canopy.

This is the shot of the trip home on Rhododendron Road. You can see the leaves are starting to change, right now northern NH is at the peak of leaf season. In another week or two southern NH will be at it's brightest.

Check in 10/7/2011

Taken 10-7-2011 - That jacket is actually a size 18, not a 20. I can button the top button, but not the bottom. So maybe in a month or two I will be able to button both.

Taken 9-9-2011. Remember this from the beginning of month one the was 15lbs ago.

Physical Check-in

Starting Weight: 271lbs

Last Week: 256.4lbs

This Week: 256.8lbs

Goal Weight: 169lbs

I saw a slight uptick this week. I felt like I wasn't loosing any weight. I think part of it was the lack of swimming, but I think a part of it was the fact that I haven't been eating breakfast until 10am for the last two weeks. It my have stunted my metabolism a bit.

I reviewed my food log and I feel confident about my portion sizes and my calorie intake, but there is always room for improvement. So I have 3 goals this week -

1. Get back in the pool (let's hope it open for tomorrow morning),

2. Eat breakfast between 6am-8am,

3. Measure my portions all week just to make sure I am not over splurging on the calories.

Mental Check-in

I am bummed at the increase in weight. Let's face it, being a woman it could be anything, my boobs hurt so maybe I am a bit bloated while ovulating, I have been stressed with all the additional interviews this week, and...TMI...do not read the next line if you are easily grossed out...I have been CONSTIPATED. Yes, that right for the last three days I have yet to see a decent bowel movement. What's good for a stuck colon, more water, exercise like walking or jogging, and maybe some prunes.


I feel like I worked really hard and I completed my first month of exercise routine and I am changing that up to focus heavily on cardio for the next month. So let's hope next week is better.

App-ilicous

Today's Fitness app is Nike's Boom. This App is cheestastic, but I find it oddly motivating. It takes and shuffles the music from you iPhone for your work. No big deal as I can do that on my own, but I have to say I like that is doesn't change songs when I am moving. When I have my iPhone in iPod mode the songs change mid-way through because my ginormous body giggles the phone in my pocket when I exercise telling it "Hey - she wants to change this song."

The other cheese factor is the "attaboys" you can select pro-athlete to cheer you on with canned and cliche expressions during your workout. The only thing is that there aren't any female athletes. It also records your workout so you can take a look at your work out history, but it doesn't give you much information other then the date of the work out and how long it was.

It gives me two options:

1 - Basic Workout - I select my warm-up, cool-down and exercise time. A trainer from SPARQ called Matt James tells you to start and finish and gives you a little canned encouragement every 10 minutes or so.

2 - Interval Training - Probably the more useful of the two. You can select how many sets you want to do, how long, and time between set. And it blow a whistle every time your supposed to change. The frequent whistle is irritating but you don't have to do you own timing then.

It has a couple other features like getting SPARQ rated. - Your enter a lot of your metrics like body weight, how fast you do the 40 yards dash, etc. I don't need to compete so I don't use it, but some dudes out there might like it. It also has a featured gear section, but I don't feel the need to use because I am not a Nike aficionado. You can also sign up for Team LiveStrong, which I couldn't tell you about either because I haven't registered.

Like I said Oddly Motivational, but ultimately can be replaced with your iPod and a stopwatch.

About Monday's Gripe....

On Monday I complained about the fact that I felt like I wasn't losing any weight. I think I figured out why. The pool has been closed since Thursday. They are doing some work on the ceiling. I really feel like swimming laps makes a huge difference, I get out of the pool hungry, and physically spent, but not fatigued mentally.

I said it before - swimming a mile is like running 4. I am looking forward to the pool reopening. Let's just hope that my weigh in on Friday does not reflect how I feel.

Taking Interview in Stride

What I am wearing now...

I had two interviews today and scheduled two more for Friday and Monday. Looks like I am going to be very busy over the next couple weeks. Right now my go to interview shoes are the T-strap pump below by East 5th I got them from Penney's for $35 on sale. And yes I got two pair, one in the Nutmeg/Brown Color below and One in Black/Grey. I bought these strictly for interviewing but I love the 40's feel they have and the heel is not quite 3 inches so perfect for interviewing.

What I want....

I have 2 pairs of ballet flats for casual wear but I would like to purchase another pair because 1 is getting a bit too worn. I love these BCBGMAXAZRIA Slipper but they are $195.00 on Zappos. Sorry I just won't spend that much on a Ballet Slipper.

What I will probably get...
These Hounds tooth Flats by Rocket Dog are super cute and on sale at Zappos for $40. PERFECT for a fall weekend in New England. My reward for meeting my goal last month.

Sluggish Weight Loss

Do you have those days where you are working out and following your diet rules but you feel like your loosing nothing! That is what is has been like the last 4 days. I'm working out, I am eating right, but I feel very bloated and just BLAH! Especially my belly.

Any Suggestions?

Serving Single- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I love slower cookers because it really is just set it and forget it. So here is my recipe for slow cooker pulled pork.


80z to 12oz Country Style Boneless Ribs or any other lean pork of your choosing.
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Smoked Paprika
About 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite bottle BBQ Sauce
1 tbsp apple Cider Vinegar

This is SO easy. I like the country style ribs because they are lean boneless, and cook fairly quickly. Sprinkle the pork with your salt, pepper, and paprika to your taste. Put the meat in the cooker for 4 hours put it on High or for an 6-8 hours on low cooking time put it on low. Then add 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, and Vinegar. There is something about the extra vinegar that helps break down the pork.

After the cooking it should just fall apart with two fork, or a pair of tongs. If you like it extra saucy add your last quarter cup of BBQ Sauce. I prefer to serve it with some shredded lettuce and diced tomato and instead of a bun I use Light High Fiber English muffins. They are only 100 calories each and have 8 grams of fiber.

Seriously just toast up the muffin and pile on the pork, lettuce and Tomato. YUM!

8-12 ounces make 2-3 servings. I have a tough time saying no to pulled pork. So I make my servings bigger and I like to have left over for the next day.

Weekly Check In

Physical Check in:
Starting Weight: 271 lbs
Current Weight: 256.4 lbs
Goal Weight: 169 lbs

Well I met my first short term goal. If you remember from the very first blog post, I said my goal was to lose 14lbs. 5% of my body weight. I lost just over 14lbs.

So setting a new 5% goal. My next short term goal is 13lbs. I know some of you are asking why not 10%...well 25lbs is too far away. Most professionals recommend 10% but I get discouraged easily and I am all about instant gratification. So if get the satisfaction of losing weight by making smaller goals then that is what I am going to do. In the long run it doesn't matter if the end goal is the same.

Next week I will be gearing up for a photo, after all it is the beginning of the month.

Mental Check in:

I am doing well mentally, but I am a little sad that the only place I have seen weight lost is in my boobs. I mean I know I haven't lost 14lbs all in my breasts. My rather healthy sized D cups are shriveling before my eyes.

I mean I knew it was going to happen, when I was at my thinnest (a healthy 140lbs) I was practically back in training bras BUT COME ON! WHY is it always the chest that goes first? Why not my thunder thighs or my Texas sized ass.

App-ilicous

So I wanted to tell you about Meal Snap. I broke down and actually purchased this app for 99 cents. So far my all it gets from me is an "Eh", definitely no WOW factor. It works well if the food is easily recognizable. Like if I took a picture of a slice of pizza and diet coke it will give me fairly accurate calories, but I take a photo of something like my Tomato pancakes. It doesn't work so good.

I took a picture of my tomato pancakes in fact and it told me it was only 13-19 calories per serving. WAY OFF! But take a photo of something like 1/2 a cup of Frozen Yogurt it can guess is pretty accurately 150-190 calories.

It also does not automagically transport my meal to my Daily Log. Which it should because they are both made by DailyBurn. So my suggestion is to skip this app - don't spend the $0.99, unless you eat at chain restaurants a lot.

Weight in the News

The biggest story this week? Dr. Oz.

Dr. Oz just announced his "Transformation Nation" program. He is giving away 1 million dollars to one lucky loser all you have to do to be considers is weigh in this week for free at Weight Watchers, ending October 3rd. Then try to lose 10% of your body weight by April 2nd, then weigh in for free again between the 2nd and the 9th. Then you are entered in the contest.

The million dollar winner will be announced in May. I decided that since I was already trying to lose weight I might as well sign up and try to win. But do you think this will motivate people to Lose? For more info just click below.

On a personal note I am taking a part-time position just to keep the wolf at bay until a find a new job. But I am nervous that working will sabotage my weight loss; I started this diet expecting to be unemployed for a while. So let's consider this PT job a test run.

I will be a companion to very independent 98 year old lady. She still lives on her own but had a fall recently. Fortunately she wasn't injured, but being alone all day every day is making her family(who lives next door) worried. During the day I will be there to listen to her stories, do the heavy housework, and maybe learn a thing or two from her.

I am looking forward to the stories most of all. I used to teach a seniors fitness class in Boston years ago. I got a listen to stories from woman who actually was a stewardess during the cold war and she had actual run-ins with spies. I met a woman who wore heels every day of her life until at the age of 97 she had a fall and injured her hip. After that the doctor told her to wear flats and she could keep on doing everything she was doing. I met a woman who went back to college at the age of 72, she attended Boston University and became an artist.

It is stories like that I hope to hear. Wish me luck on losing weight and working at the same time.

My workout routine

"Start by doing what is necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi

For me what is necessary is my daily workout. It seems to give me a sense of calm, and focus, something I lacked when I wasn't working out. I have to say it showed in my work.

I have been working out religiously now for 3 weeks and it feels good to get back in the swing of a regular workout, I find I have more energy to look for a job, and maintain my diet. Without exercise I think I would have already failed at trying to lose weight again.

So here is my beginner's routine. Now I should note that I had some level of fitness despite my obesity because I did workout sporadically and make an effort to walk everywhere I possibly can.

Monday - 30-45 minutes of walking, and lower body strength training.

Tuesday - 30 - 45 minutes of Swimming laps, 5 minutes of Abs(from my Ab Workout App)

Wednesday -20-30 minutes of Elliptical, and Upper body strength training

Thursday -30-45 minutes of Swimming laps, 5 minutes of Abs

Friday - 20-30 of elliptical and Core strength training

Saturday - 20-30 minutes of a leisurely swimming or water exercise

Sunday - 30 - 60 minutes Leisurely walk around town - window shopping - or in a local park

If you notice Saturday and Sunday aren't hard core exercise just something to get my body moving in the AM. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are my strength training days and Tuesday/Thursday offers some hardcore swimming which gives my knees a rest, but also burns major calories. Swimming 1 mile is like running 4 miles.

This may seem like a lot, but if all I can do it 10 minutes I would do that and call it a day, just as long as I get something in. Fortunately I get to burn extra calories while I am unemployed. Of course it is important to change your routine so your body doesn't adjust. So at the end of 4 weeks this routine will change. I am thinking I might like to add in some Zumba.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Hopefully with a new workout routine will come the possible and then the impossible.

Serving Single - Three Potato Salad

I love potato salad but for me I think of it as a hearty fall/winter dish and I DON'T like mayonnaise based dressings. I prefer vinaigrettes. Here is my recipe for Three Potato salad. It makes about 2 servings perfect a single dinner with enough left over for lunch on Monday.

1lbs. of small blue potatos, baby reds, and baby yellow or white potatos.

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

1 tablespoon of Flat leaf parsley

1 small green onion or a few chives

1-2 tbsp. of Olive Oil

1/2 tbsp. sherry vinegar

1/2 tsp of Dijon or whole grain mustard

Ground Pepper to taste

Just cover the potatos with water in a pot, and add a teaspoon of salt(you can add more if the water isn't salty enough.) Bring to a boil then simmer until the potatos are fork tender. Drain and let cool, while you make the dressing.

Combine vinegar, Dijon mustard and pepper, then drizzle in 1-2 tbsp of olive oil while stirring. Finely chop your parsley and chives.

The potatos should be cool enough to handle but still warm. Cut the potatos in half, toss in the dressing, parsley and chives.

Additional notes: I typically only buy one kind of potato at the grocery store because they come in those big giant bags. If you plan on making this go your local farm stand where you can buy two or three of each kind of potatos. If you can't get small batches you can use just red or yellow potatos. I promise I won't tell.

Check In 9/23/2011

Physical Check in:

Weight: 260.8lbs only lost 0.2lbs

Mental Check in:

It's a miracle I lost any weight, I started my cycle this week and have been so bloated I have been scared to step on the scale. Not to mention every month it feels like my uterus is falling out so the last thing I want to do is exercise. Fortunately I only missed one workout this week and that was yesterday. Let's hope the bloat is hiding more weight loss that I will see next week.