Get back to 200 pounds

Slow progress but at least it’s progress again :o)

263 in, 223 lbs, 40.7% body fat

Oct 12, 2009
264.5 in, 224 lbs, 41.1% body fat

I’m going in the wrong direction! Made a bet with my Curves Coach that whoever loses the most weight over the next month gets a prize ;o)

Overall I’m not too disappointed. I’ve made some huge changes in my life over the past 3 months: went from no exercise to 3xCurves and 2-3x Tai Chi each week. I’m eating a lot better. Protein breakfast within an hour after getting up has become pretty engrained as a habit. Not 100% yet but probably 95% which I think is great.

My biggest problem at this point is that I’m really not getting a handle on the food journal, and I’ve gone back to eating lots of carbs in the evening.

Sept 26, 2007
279 in, 228 lbs, 42% body fat

Mar 14, 2008
266 in, 231 lbs, 47% body fat

Apr 15, 2008
261 in, 226 lbs, 42% body fat

June 6, 2008
257 in, 226 lbs, 46% body fat

July 15, 2008
254 in, 223 lbs, 41% body fat

Feb 16, 2009
276.5 in, 230 lbs, 42.7% body fat

July 7, 2009
271 in, 232.5 lbs, 42% body fat

Aug 7, 2009
267 in, 224 lbs, 41.3% body fat

Somehow I don’t think the body fat readings from March & June 2008 are accurate. Anyway, just want to keep track of this… obviously I have a lot of work to do.

This is really hard work. I’m holding steady with step 1 (protein & brown carb for breakfast). Step 2 (food journal) is awfully tough. The other night I basically had a breakdown over it… wow. Dr Desmaisons does say that a lot of people have real trouble with it at first but naturally (and especially since step 1 was NOT particularly difficult for me) I figured I was going to do just fine.

Well, it turns out this is a really emotionally charged issue. I kept beating myself up, not because of what I was eating but because I get hung up on how to record it. Part of it is just my perfectionism, wanting to get it all “just right” and of course a lot of it is subjective. So instead of just writing it down I agonize endlessly, and in the end I just avoid it altogether. Oh and yes, I “forget” to write things down and then I have to do it at the end of the day, which of course defeats the purpose.

So step A, on step 2, is to just record the date & day, time I eat, and what I eat. I’m leaving out how much I eat, and the other details (how much exercise and water I got, when I got up and went to bed, and the whole “how I’m feeling” part). Once I’m more stable with step A I’ll add more details.

Forgot to mention that in the past two months, my body fat percentage has dropped from 42.7% to 40.8%. My BMI has gone from 37.6 to 35.7. That’s still terrible (puts me in the obese/morbidly obese range) but I’m going in the right direction :o)

Food journaling is hard work at this point, and I’m not on top of it yet. I’m supposed to start step 3 when I “LOVE” using my food journal… have a feeling that’ll take a while. But hey, I do love doing step 1 so I guess there’s hope :o)

Last night I put my new food journal away, not sure yet whether I was ready for step 2 or not. This morning, I got it out and started using it. I realized last night that even though it feels like I’ve been doing step 1 forever, it’s really only been about a month. But, I think I’m stable enough to add the journal to my toolbox :o)

12 lbs down since July 7 :o)

I’m sticking with PROTEIN + COMPLEX CARB FOR BREAKFAST WITHIN 1 HOUR OF WAKING UP (Potatoes not Prozac program), plus CURVES EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY, plus Tai Chi 2-3 times a week. Feeling great :o)

The other day I ordered my PnP food journal. Getting ready for step 2.

Update: The journal arrived today, yeah!

Haven’t weighed myself recently but this morning when I tried on my size 16 jeans they fit, that’s one size down :o) The arm flap appears to be shrinking and two people have commented that my back looks skinnier. Go me!

Getting rid of some of my old jeans which are now too loose.

No further weight change (still at 224 lbs) but I feel much better. Today for the first time I had that feeling of just being comfortable in my body. I feel like I’m strong and healthy. I know I’ve got a long way to go but I feel so much better, not sluggish and disgusting like I have been.

So how is it going?

• During the first month (July 7-August 7) I lost 8.5 pounds: I went from 232.5 lbs to 224 lbs.
• I am more clear-headed than I’ve been in years. I feel like I was living in a fog and now the sun has come out. I can think straight! I can plan things and then execute the plans.
• The cravings are gone. It’s hard to believe but my life is no longer controlled by food. I can pass by an ice cream store and not stop for ice cream. I can walk by candy or donuts someone has put out, and not want any. I can have chocolate in the house, and not eat the whole thing in one mindless sugar rush.
• I’m enjoying exercise. ‘nuff said.
• I rediscovered cooking. I literally had to dust off my spice shelves because I hadn’t made food in so long! It’s become fun, again, to prepare food and cook good stuff.
• Food tastes better. Before I made these recent changes, a grapefruit held no appeal for me. I knew that, in theory, I like fruit and veggies… but the simple act of cutting a grapefruit in half and eating it was too much effort when I could just pour some cereal and stuff myself. Now I find myself wanting to eat fruit and veggies, and enjoying them again.
• My kitchen looks better. No more having to dig around on messy shelves and having a fridge full of stuff I couldn’t face eating, and would end up throwing out after it had gone moldy or worse.
• I haven’t had any dairy to speak of… cereal with milk no longer sounds very appealing. I do have some cheese every now and then, but other than that dairy has all but disappeared from my diet. That’s a good thing for my “Cure my PMS” goal.
• Speaking of PMS, my mood swings appear to have lessened. They’re not gone yet but I feel a lot more level-headed and I’m sure this trend will continue.
• I sleep better!
• My body is more toned. For the first time in ages, I went shopping for short-sleeved t-shirts, and I’m wearing them! For someone living in Southern California that’s a good thing :o)
• My skin is clearing up. I have to say I’m blessed with good skin anyway… never had acne as a teenager, lucky me. But, I had started to look like Michelin Man’s wife, and my skin looked the part too. It’s a lot nicer now :o)
• Miraculously, a cyst I have had on my shoulder/neck for years is GONE! I know this sounds nutty but it’s true. I was actually scheduled to have surgery in July, but I canceled the appointment when I decided to go on a fast. I thought perhaps it might go away, and what do you know, it did.
• I have more energy. I am able to finish things I start. I no longer have to drag myself through the day.