Tomorrow is the big day friends. The day I part ways with my scale. Several of you have been living scale free it seems, and some of you want to play with me (ooh..that sounded like fun).
SO, I have to have a plan seeing as how I am going to the parents boat for the long weekend. My original plan was to drink and be merry. But now, since I won't be able to see the damage in numbers, I feel as though I might need to be better behaved.
I am taking my cute Tarvis tumbler with its lid. I will drink more water than Diet Sunkist, beer, or vodka (man...this plan sounds suckie already).
I will try to make positive food choices a majority of the time. I will eat what is served and enjoy it, but focus on portion control. Yuckie.
I do not need to drink much beer, seeing how I don't enjoy it much anyways.
Wine. Man...its going to be hard to not indulge. I like wine now. WHY DID YOU PEOPLE HELP ME BECOME A wine-o? WHY? But, instead of drinking 4 bottles by myself, perhaps I will just drink one.
I am going to be active. First, I am going to ski my heart out. I am going to make my dad take me real early, like 6 am, when the water is still smooth as class. I am taking my workout clothes just in case I can convince myself to go running. Probably not on that one.
And there...that is my plan. Nothing crazy. Just some guidelines.
OOH, and I plan to take lots of pictures and have lots of pictures taken.
The end.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Asking For Money
My father and my dog both have something in common.
They are going to live forever.
And they are going to live forever because I wouldn't know what to do without them. So. Just so you know, they will be the first dog and dad to live forever, or at least as long as me.
My father almost broke this rule though when at age 45, he had open heart surgery...and 6 bypasses.
Today, at the young age of 68 (what's age though when you are immortal)...he is still kicking ass and taking names.
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They are going to live forever.
And they are going to live forever because I wouldn't know what to do without them. So. Just so you know, they will be the first dog and dad to live forever, or at least as long as me.
My father almost broke this rule though when at age 45, he had open heart surgery...and 6 bypasses.
Today, at the young age of 68 (what's age though when you are immortal)...he is still kicking ass and taking names.
You have met Big Al before, but I shall reintroduce you:
So, a couple of weeks ago, I recieved an email from our CEO here at work...asking me if I would be a Team Captain for the upcoming Northwest Florida Heart Walk, benefiting the American Heart Association. I couldn't say NO. I mean, he is the CEO. And if I have to raise money, at least it is for something that we Workman's know all too well. (It's close to our heart...who doesn't love a tacky pun).
The problem is...I don't like asking for things, especially money. I feel guilty. BUT I AM GOING TO DO IT.
Now...the Heart Walk isn't until October 1st. For all my girls here around Pensacola, I would love for you to be on my team and come and walk with us. You don't have to raise money yourselves, but just showing up and supporting the cause would be awesome...and if you happened to donate a little...well...that couldn't hurt.
For the rest of you, if you would like to donate, I would appreciate it. I was going to link you right to the Heart Walk site, where you can contribute...but the minimum donation is $25. I don't know who has $25, so I put a donate button over on the right side of the blog that will link you to paypal. I think a paypal donation can be as small as you need it to be. Trust me...I am the girl that sometimes only has .33 cents in her checking account...so if you CAN'T donate...that's okay. I promise. If you can only donate $2.00, that is okay too! Think if everyone just donated $2.
So there you have it. My plea.
namaste
Update: I am adding the official Heart Walk widget as well. This links your right to to their site and you dont need paypal. However, the minimum donation is $25. But just in case :)
My Measurements
I did not take my measurements before surgery. So for those of you just beginning any weight loss endeavour, I recommend it. My first recorded measurements post surgery were on June 22nd, 2009 (5 months post op, @ 254 pounds, and 73 pounds down.
So, June 22nd, 2009
Bust: 49
Waist: 41 (smallest part)
Hips: 53
Arms: 19.25 (6 inches above elbow)
Belly: 53 (2 inches below belly button)
Leg: 32
As of today, June 30, 2011
Bust: 38
Waist: 31.5
Hips: 41
Arms: 14
Belly: 40
Legs: 25
I am 5'4" tall, and weighed in today at 172.4.
I actually do not like taking my measurements. They are more discouraging to me than the scale. The scale I can blame on things like muscle vs fat, water weight, salt.
The measurements are the measurements. For example, the last time I measured was Dec. 4, 2010. So, nearly 7 months...my measurements havent changed. EXCEPT, I have gained an inch in my arms and 2 inches in my belly.
mmmhmmm...whatchu think about that.
I am actually glad for the gain in my arms, bc I can say with certainty...that's muscle. The belly...I don't know. I did read that muscle takes up more room than fat, but I dont think that two inches below my belly button as any more muscular now than in December.
But here is something. Heather, miniature tone little Heather, let me take her measurements back in January. She is almost 5'4, and 124 pounds. In all of her measurements, with the exception of her belly, we are only about 2-3" different. Her belly is about 9" smaller than mine. But her waist is only 2 inches smaller. Funny huh? Funny because it tells you how different our shapes are. She is more like a pencil, and I am more like an hourglass. But also funny because I see her as so damn tiny. And she is. I have several pairs of shorts I wear at home that are Heathers. Now, she does like to wear her shorts baggy and roomy, and I wear my clothes a little more fitting...but whenever she tells me "try my pink shorts on" I am always braced for them not fitting.
And I am always shocked when they do.
Are mine are whack sometimes.
TGIT! One more day until Friday!
So, June 22nd, 2009
Bust: 49
Waist: 41 (smallest part)
Hips: 53
Arms: 19.25 (6 inches above elbow)
Belly: 53 (2 inches below belly button)
Leg: 32
As of today, June 30, 2011
Bust: 38
Waist: 31.5
Hips: 41
Arms: 14
Belly: 40
Legs: 25
I am 5'4" tall, and weighed in today at 172.4.
I actually do not like taking my measurements. They are more discouraging to me than the scale. The scale I can blame on things like muscle vs fat, water weight, salt.
The measurements are the measurements. For example, the last time I measured was Dec. 4, 2010. So, nearly 7 months...my measurements havent changed. EXCEPT, I have gained an inch in my arms and 2 inches in my belly.
mmmhmmm...whatchu think about that.
I am actually glad for the gain in my arms, bc I can say with certainty...that's muscle. The belly...I don't know. I did read that muscle takes up more room than fat, but I dont think that two inches below my belly button as any more muscular now than in December.
But here is something. Heather, miniature tone little Heather, let me take her measurements back in January. She is almost 5'4, and 124 pounds. In all of her measurements, with the exception of her belly, we are only about 2-3" different. Her belly is about 9" smaller than mine. But her waist is only 2 inches smaller. Funny huh? Funny because it tells you how different our shapes are. She is more like a pencil, and I am more like an hourglass. But also funny because I see her as so damn tiny. And she is. I have several pairs of shorts I wear at home that are Heathers. Now, she does like to wear her shorts baggy and roomy, and I wear my clothes a little more fitting...but whenever she tells me "try my pink shorts on" I am always braced for them not fitting.
And I am always shocked when they do.
Are mine are whack sometimes.
TGIT! One more day until Friday!
Eaten By The Podcast Monster
So yesterday, instead of listening to music while working, I listen to my other girlfriend Jillian Michaels podcasts. I love Jillian of course and think dirty thoughts highly of her. I realize that she, like most fitness professionals, has her own opinions and "facts". But I do enjoy hearing her point of view and advice on certain topics. So when I went to circuit last night I was all pumped up on Jillian Juice and must have said "Jillian told me today..." at least 23 times.
No joke.
So in my own words, these are some of the things I took away from my podcastathon.
1. Again she talked about vanity pounds. She said if you have 5-15 pounds to lose, those are probably vanity pounds. Your body is healthy, but you want to change it a little more.
2. You cannot spot train to lose in just one area. Heather says this all the time as well. When you lose weight, the way you work out and/or what you do or do not eat will not take away fat "just from your ____ ". You will lose from all over, or wherever your body wants you too. Often people will ask Heather what they can do for their abs. And she tells them "diet". Meaning, a lot of us who work out regularly have good abs and a solid core but we have fat covering them. Bastard fat.
3. If you want to ad bulk (she said she was talking to men for the most part bc women rarely want to add bulk...um...but I was listening) then you need to find out what you 1-rep max is. So if I want to add bulk to my chest, I find what I can press ONCE...the heaviest I can go...and then figure what 85% of that is. Then, I press that weight 3-5 times, for at least 3 sets. Interesting. So yesterday, just for fun, I pressed 50 lb dumbells to see if I could. I could. But it was hard.
4. I have to go back to drinking organic milk. After I watched Food Inc. (if you havent...you should), I was doing good buying organic. But then I kinda strayed away. Well, Jillian says that a normal cow produces 14 gallons of milk, and a cow that is hopped up on steroids and antibiotics (which we drink), produces 100. That ain't natural. Back to organic I go.
5. She talked about letting your body rest and recover. I know I don't do this like I should. I take the weekends off, but I should have a day in between. OR, work upper one day...and lower the next...and so on. Which I am trying to do better at. But without proper rest, your body can't rebuild.
6. Injury is no excuse for not exercising. If you have a bad shoulder, work your lower body. If you have a bad knee, work your upper body.
7. um...I think that's all I can remember.
8. OH, she told me that the HOUR after a workout is the "golden hour" for eating. I had said 30 minutes in my breakfast post yesterday.
No joke.
So in my own words, these are some of the things I took away from my podcastathon.
1. Again she talked about vanity pounds. She said if you have 5-15 pounds to lose, those are probably vanity pounds. Your body is healthy, but you want to change it a little more.
2. You cannot spot train to lose in just one area. Heather says this all the time as well. When you lose weight, the way you work out and/or what you do or do not eat will not take away fat "just from your ____ ". You will lose from all over, or wherever your body wants you too. Often people will ask Heather what they can do for their abs. And she tells them "diet". Meaning, a lot of us who work out regularly have good abs and a solid core but we have fat covering them. Bastard fat.
3. If you want to ad bulk (she said she was talking to men for the most part bc women rarely want to add bulk...um...but I was listening) then you need to find out what you 1-rep max is. So if I want to add bulk to my chest, I find what I can press ONCE...the heaviest I can go...and then figure what 85% of that is. Then, I press that weight 3-5 times, for at least 3 sets. Interesting. So yesterday, just for fun, I pressed 50 lb dumbells to see if I could. I could. But it was hard.
4. I have to go back to drinking organic milk. After I watched Food Inc. (if you havent...you should), I was doing good buying organic. But then I kinda strayed away. Well, Jillian says that a normal cow produces 14 gallons of milk, and a cow that is hopped up on steroids and antibiotics (which we drink), produces 100. That ain't natural. Back to organic I go.
5. She talked about letting your body rest and recover. I know I don't do this like I should. I take the weekends off, but I should have a day in between. OR, work upper one day...and lower the next...and so on. Which I am trying to do better at. But without proper rest, your body can't rebuild.
6. Injury is no excuse for not exercising. If you have a bad shoulder, work your lower body. If you have a bad knee, work your upper body.
7. um...I think that's all I can remember.
8. OH, she told me that the HOUR after a workout is the "golden hour" for eating. I had said 30 minutes in my breakfast post yesterday.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Putting On My Grumpy Pants
I am a MOOOOOD today folks. Let us examine the why's shall we?
1. The power went off last night, for what seemed like an eternity. So at some point, although I cannot verify for sure, I believe it was approximately 400 degrees in our bedroom.
2. After the power came back on, I was then in superclingygirlfriend mode and was trying to tell Heather, through a series of nonverbal movements, including but not limited to wallering, tossing, and turning...that I wanted her to spoon me. WHY she could not sense this while she was asleep is beyond me, but eventually I just started pouting and scooted all the way to my side of the bed. Unfortunetly, she didnt see this either through her closed eyelids. Then I turned to glare at her and she was so precious looking...which made me pout all over again.
3. I am having a shoe crisis...coupled with a pants crisis. Sometimes I get bored and want to wear something I don't wear very often. Today that is a pair of Express slacks in a camel color. WELL, camel and khaki can highlight my ass and rear thigh cellulite, so I have to wear the power panties to smooth that all out. And they suck. So, strike one in the closet this morning. I love sweating as a I get dressed. THEN, I went to put on my new black heels but they were too high for these pants so I couldn't wear them, so I am wearing a nude colored heel that doesnt match my camel colored slacks and that bothers me!
4. I got to work and my backup battery pack for the computer was beeping. After calling the help desk, I realized the entire breaker for the office was tripped which means the mini-fridge in the office, which contained a new gallon of milk I had purchased yesterday, had been off all night. WHICH MEANT I was going to have to go and get milk in shoes that don't match my pants.
5. I am dieting. And that makes me grumpy in and of itself.
6. My body hurts all the time. I have muscle soreness from lifting, which I can deal with but just one day I would like not to be sore. But then I have joint soreness which sucks even more because it makes me feel old. I have started doing some plyometrics during circuit (jump training/using your own body weight) and all that jumping is bad for my knees and legs. Huh...go figure.
So there you have it. The list for the grumps.
Go in peace.
1. The power went off last night, for what seemed like an eternity. So at some point, although I cannot verify for sure, I believe it was approximately 400 degrees in our bedroom.
2. After the power came back on, I was then in superclingygirlfriend mode and was trying to tell Heather, through a series of nonverbal movements, including but not limited to wallering, tossing, and turning...that I wanted her to spoon me. WHY she could not sense this while she was asleep is beyond me, but eventually I just started pouting and scooted all the way to my side of the bed. Unfortunetly, she didnt see this either through her closed eyelids. Then I turned to glare at her and she was so precious looking...which made me pout all over again.
3. I am having a shoe crisis...coupled with a pants crisis. Sometimes I get bored and want to wear something I don't wear very often. Today that is a pair of Express slacks in a camel color. WELL, camel and khaki can highlight my ass and rear thigh cellulite, so I have to wear the power panties to smooth that all out. And they suck. So, strike one in the closet this morning. I love sweating as a I get dressed. THEN, I went to put on my new black heels but they were too high for these pants so I couldn't wear them, so I am wearing a nude colored heel that doesnt match my camel colored slacks and that bothers me!
4. I got to work and my backup battery pack for the computer was beeping. After calling the help desk, I realized the entire breaker for the office was tripped which means the mini-fridge in the office, which contained a new gallon of milk I had purchased yesterday, had been off all night. WHICH MEANT I was going to have to go and get milk in shoes that don't match my pants.
5. I am dieting. And that makes me grumpy in and of itself.
6. My body hurts all the time. I have muscle soreness from lifting, which I can deal with but just one day I would like not to be sore. But then I have joint soreness which sucks even more because it makes me feel old. I have started doing some plyometrics during circuit (jump training/using your own body weight) and all that jumping is bad for my knees and legs. Huh...go figure.
So there you have it. The list for the grumps.
Go in peace.
What I Eat For Breakfast
The bar has 19 grams of protein, 2 net carbs, and 240 calories. I found this little guy when I was doing Atkins, and like it for several reasons. Although it is not something you will probably ever crave for its superb tastiness, it is not bad. It is also very solid and takes me about 10 minutes to eat. I take a bite, put it down, have some milk...rinse and repeat. And while it has the same amount of calories as a Snickers (trust me, this is how I have justified eating a Snickers for breakfast recently), it is a good way for me to NOT to start my day off with tons of sugar.
Now, I like my 2% milk. I could drink 1%, but for a few extra calories, I prefer the 2. Depending on whether I drink 1 or 2 cups, that is anywhere between 8-16 grams of protein.
This is also a great breakfast for me on mornings I work out. 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes before or after working out is a good rule of thumb. Your muscles are very hungry and use the goodies in protein optimally at that point.
ALSO, this will hold me for a few hours before I am physically hungry again.
Happy Wednesday. I am extremely grumpy today and probably should be quarantined until further notice.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Oh...So You Think Peer Pressure Is Gonna Work?
Well you are right. So I was hemming and hawing on my decision to go scale-less for the month of July...fitting and appropriate yes...as it is the month of of Independence here in the great states of the United.
Anways, essentially I was talking myself out of it but because so many of you were like:
"OOOH, Amy if any can do it. You can"
or
"If you do I will do it"
OR
"Amy, you are a beautiful moon goddess...go for it". (I made that one up)
I will do it. I think the only way to bring peace into my mind during this non-number focused month ahead is to really commit to being the best bandster I can be. Working out is a given, but the food is not. So I will have to choose a healthier diet with more consistency.
A couple of scary pause points if you will.
#1. We are going to my parents boat for the Fourth. I had planned on drinking and participating in nonsense all weekend, but we have to limit my drinking now. EMPTY calories. That's okay. I run am actually more fun to others when I am sober, as Drunk Amy is sometimes moody and needs even more attention than normal...if you can imagine.
#2. I have to see Dr. Friedman next week for a scheduled visit. Which technically means there will be a scale involved, but it's not my scale...so it doesnt count. I don't know whose bright idea it was to schedule a damn appointment right after a holiday. I was probably in some sort of love haze after seeing Dr. Friedman so I can imagine I just replied "Sure...schedule me anytime...sure..."
#3. My weight is at an all time high (since reaching goal). It is 175.4. ShhhNIKES! I don't know how or why...but mama no likey.
What is funny though is there is a noticeable difference (to me and Heather anyways) in my body. I was looking at a picture of me when I met goal in my bikini, and one taken recently. I am the same weight, but you can see a slight difference. More tone, less skin. I will see if I can take a picture tonight and do a side-by-side. People keep saying "you keep getting skinnier"...and I tell them..."actually I haven't lost anymore in about 6 months...its just shifting! I hope that is true.
It's Tuesday people! Let's do this!
Anways, essentially I was talking myself out of it but because so many of you were like:
"OOOH, Amy if any can do it. You can"
or
"If you do I will do it"
OR
"Amy, you are a beautiful moon goddess...go for it". (I made that one up)
I will do it. I think the only way to bring peace into my mind during this non-number focused month ahead is to really commit to being the best bandster I can be. Working out is a given, but the food is not. So I will have to choose a healthier diet with more consistency.
A couple of scary pause points if you will.
#1. We are going to my parents boat for the Fourth. I had planned on drinking and participating in nonsense all weekend, but we have to limit my drinking now. EMPTY calories. That's okay. I run am actually more fun to others when I am sober, as Drunk Amy is sometimes moody and needs even more attention than normal...if you can imagine.
#2. I have to see Dr. Friedman next week for a scheduled visit. Which technically means there will be a scale involved, but it's not my scale...so it doesnt count. I don't know whose bright idea it was to schedule a damn appointment right after a holiday. I was probably in some sort of love haze after seeing Dr. Friedman so I can imagine I just replied "Sure...schedule me anytime...sure..."
#3. My weight is at an all time high (since reaching goal). It is 175.4. ShhhNIKES! I don't know how or why...but mama no likey.
What is funny though is there is a noticeable difference (to me and Heather anyways) in my body. I was looking at a picture of me when I met goal in my bikini, and one taken recently. I am the same weight, but you can see a slight difference. More tone, less skin. I will see if I can take a picture tonight and do a side-by-side. People keep saying "you keep getting skinnier"...and I tell them..."actually I haven't lost anymore in about 6 months...its just shifting! I hope that is true.
It's Tuesday people! Let's do this!
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