Up 0.8 Pounds

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STATS:
Weight gain this week: 0.8 pounds
Current weight: 201.0 pounds
TOTAL weight loss: 34.8 pounds 

Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah – gained weight this week, potluck at work, went to Uchiko on Friday – I don’t want to hear about it.  Because….

I’m FREEEEE!!!!

Friday was my very last day at work, and it was a truly joyous day.  We had a potluck for lunch, and a bunch of people came to celebrate with me.  I feel truly blessed to have met so many wonderful people at that job.  It was, without a doubt, the best part of working there.

The best thing about that, though, is that I know we will keep in touch.  I’m staying in Austin, and thank heavens for social media!  What would we all do if we couldn’t know about each other’s lives all the time??? (Says the blogger….)

So I wasn’t great this week.  But I also wasn’t terrible.  At the beginning of the week, Walter went to the grocery store, and when he came home he said, “I am not paying for food again until we go to Uchiko on Friday.”  Valid point, smart boyfriend.  So we cooked! Frequently!  Friends came over on Sunday night and we had Salmon Piccata and Asparagus Risotto.  I’ve been watching entirely too much Food Network lately, and I thought I was just being sooooo chef-y:

The salmon was a liiiiiittle dry, but the risotto kicked butt.  We also made Raspberry-Chocolate bars:

Due to the fact that I….um….had a few cocktails before baking (always a good idea), they were a little overcooked (and misshapen) but TOTALLY DELICIOUS.  There also might have been chocolate all over the kitchen.  I mean, everywhere – the stove, the floor, the cabinet, the refrigerator (what?) – it was amazing.  Plus, it’s a Weight Watchers recipe!

Later in the week, we did a fan favorite: Tuscan Baked Zucchini.  We were even better at it this time, and they came out awesomely:

We really like vegetables and cheese.  Can you tell?

Friday was really the only day that I made some blatantly bad decisions – but I honestly don’t feel badly about it.  The food at my potluck was amazing and delicious, and Uchiko was unbelievable (don’t worry, Mackey, I brought my real camera and I’ll food-porn blog it soon).

On to a new chapter!  Huzzah!

Down 0.6 Pounds

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In the past 6 weeks of my life, I bought a new car, quit my job, and moved in with my boyfriend.  This week, I started antibiotics that have wreaked havoc on my system.

I’ve decided to give myself a little break.

STATS:
Weight loss this week: 0.6 pounds
Current weight: 200.2 pounds
TOTAL weight loss: 35.6 pounds

I know I haven’t blogged since my weigh-in post last week, and for that I give to you my deepest apologies.  We’re coming up on my last week of work – I’m busy with all sorts of things…but mostly?  I’m a little freaked out.  My life is about to drastically change, and I’m not totally sure how I’m going to handle it.  Blergh.

Let’s talk about these antibiotics for a second – how annoying is it to add something to this already difficult journey that JUST makes it harder?  I know that they are going to make me better, but I have to take them for SIX FRIGGIN’ WEEKS (it’s a skin thing).  I really hope that I don’t feel this crappy for six whole weeks, because it makes getting motivated to eat well and work out even HARDER.  Something I saw this week that hit home:

It never gets easier.  You just get better.

How wise you are, Internet.  Here’s to hoping I get better soon.

I’ll leave you with the joy that East Side Cafe brought me this week:

Grilled Shrimp Salad, with the East Side Bellini.  Glorious.  At least I chose well with the food.  (Putting a strawberry in a bellini makes it healthy….right?)

Up 0.4 Pounds

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It’s been a long day, and a long week, so this is going to be a short post.

Sometimes, you are 100 percent ready to take on your health and make totally awesome decisions about food, exercise, and everything else.  Sometimes, you cook healthy food and work out every day, kicking some serious butt while you do it.  Sometimes, you’re in a stable, positive mental state that allows you to plan, resist temptation, and have fun at the same time.

And sometimes….you’re not.

STATS:
Weight gain this week: 0.4 pounds
Current weight: 200.8 pounds
TOTAL weight loss: 35.0 pounds 

I think in these last few weeks of work, things are just going to be a little rough.  I’ve got a lot to do, and we’re still trying to get fully moved into the apartment.  This week wasn’t the easiest one, but I have ideas of how to make things better.  Walter and I most definitely need to go to the grocery store tomorrow with a plan to actually cook things for the week. And a hardcore list in hand.

Ultimately, I am proud of myself for getting out of bed this morning and going to a Weight Watchers meeting.

I know, for a fact, that if it weren’t for this blog, I wouldn’t have gone.  I would have stayed at home and thought “Oh well, it’s just one week – I’ll do better next week” and that would have been the beginning of the end.  So at least that’s good!

In other more awesome news, it has been exactly SIX MONTHS since I started Weight Watchers again, and created this blog!  In honor of this amazing occasion, you really should reread my first post.  I just did – and it was really good for me.  This excerpt was especially good for me to read today:

I think I’m more pissed off this time around.  I’m pissed that I’m overweight.  I’m pissed that my sciatic nerve hurts.  I’m pissed that diabetes runs rampant in my family and I’m not doing a thing about it.  I’m pissed that I get winded going up a flight of stairs.  (Yes, one flight. Ugh.)  I’m pissed that I get holes in my jeans because I’m stretching them out so much.  I’m pissed that I am scientifically “obese”.  I’m pissed that I can’t cross my legs like a normal person.  I’m pissed that there isn’t a single angle left in which to tilt my head when posing for a photo that hides my double chin.  I’m pissed that I don’t feel good.

You know what’s really awesome about that whole thing?  My sciatic nerve rarely hurts anymore.  I get less winded when I go up flights of stairs.  It’s getting easier to cross my legs.  And that double chin is getting harder and harder to find.  :)

Even though these last few weeks have been rough, I am still successful and I will continue to work hard.  And hopefully this week will be better.

Seize the Day

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Monday was the first day in a really long time where I totally kicked ass.

I wrote down everything I ate.

I worked out.

I didn’t go over my daily points.

I went to bed at a decent hour.

Did mention that I wrote everything down and didn’t go over my daily points?  I’m really excited about that.  Like, ecstatic.

It’s amazing how much of a difference I felt.  It was both physical and mental – my body felt stronger and better and my thoughts were ALL positive.  ”Hey, I can do this!  Being healthy isn’t so hard!  Let’s work out for eleventy hours!!!!”

Walter and I went to the gym so that I could catch the 7:30 Zumba class at 24 Hour Fitness.  Remember how I love dance classes?  I really just can’t get enough.  When I walked into the room, I knew it was going to be a long class – it was AT LEAST 10 degrees warmer in there than the rest of the gym, if not more.  And way more humid.  And sweaty. And deathly.  I thought I was going to pass out more than once, but I made it:

I made Walter take this photo so there would be documentation of my badassery.  I was a gross, hot mess – but I made it.  And after I cooled off enough to be a real person again, I felt awesome.  Those endorphins were having a party up in my brain.  Fo sho.

The last two days haven’t been totally awesome – but at least Monday set me up to have a more successful week than last week.  Had a rough day at work today – but guess what? Tomorrow is a new day.  Did you guys know that?  It’s a new friggin’ day.

Let’s seize it.

Up 1.4 Pounds

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Cute, right?  I lose 1.4 pounds last week, and now I’m right back to where I was.

Ugh.

I mean, it’s not like I tried really hard this week.  I’m not walking around today going, “Huh, I wonder why I didn’t lose weight this week.  It couldn’t possibly be the fact that I only worked out once and didn’t even get close to cooking anything all week.”  I know exactly what’s going on here.  I half-assed it this week.  Actually, I probably only quarter-assed it this week.  Eighth-assed it?  Yes.  I eighth-assed it this week.

I do have a big announcement from this week – I turned in my letter of resignation at work! My last day is June 1 and let me tell you what – I am incredibly excited.  Now, there are a lot of reasons behind this, but the main one is this: I want to focus on things about which I am incredibly passionate.  I am currently applying for teaching jobs, and I cannot wait to focus on playing the saxophone, singing, and my photography.  I am so incredibly happy about my decision – it has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders.  (Haha, get it? Weight? Except apparently the weight left my shoulders and went somewhere else this week…..)

This means a lot of new things for my life – and this blog.  For the next unknown amount of time, I will be unemployed.  This means a lot of awesome and scary things, including a complete overhaul of my daily routine.  I will have the time to workout and cook every single day (in theory).  The only question is – will I actually DO these things?  That’s where you come in, Support System – you all have to keep my accountable in my new routine!

In other completely unrelated news, here’s a pretty photo of sunflowers:

Also, I would like to introduce you to my absolute favorite sweet treat in the world.  There are few sweets that are both lower in calories and INCREDIBLY delicious – and I have found my favorite: Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Bars.  Or WWDCDDLICB.  Commit that acronym to memory.

Seriously, though, folks.  It’s only 3 points, and it’s incredibly amazing.

That’s last week’s update – I’ll keep you posted on this week’s progress.  Let’s keep sending the good vibes, shall we?

GHG: Exercise

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Remember Weight Watcher’s Good Health Guidelines?  Let’s explore them…together!!

I thought about going through them in order.  Then I decided I didn’t care about that.

I have come to another revelation.  Remember how I really want to be a Weight Watchers leader when I get to my goal weight?  I have another goal for that magical time in my life.

I want to teach dance fitness classes.

Here’s how I imagine that going – people will walk into my class and think, “Wow.  She’s really, really white.  There’s no way she will be any good at this.”

And then I will pop my booty.  And they will understand.

Seriously, friends.  I had no idea I was so good at booty poppin’ until I started going to these fitness classes.  Liz Love, Expert Booty Popper.  (That looks a lot like Booty Pooper at first glance.  I am laughing out loud right now.)

I went to “Cardio Dance Party” last night at 24 Hour Fitness, and consistently popped my booty for about 50 minutes.  Official realization?  Dance fitness classes are really the best way for me to work out.  Some people run – and some booty pop.

Here are my tips about exercising:

  1. DO SOMETHING YOU LIKE TO DO.  WW says you should get 30 minutes of exercise in a day.  It is incredibly difficult to get motivated enough to spend 30 minutes exercising every day.  You need to find something you love to do.  Or at least like to do.  Or something you can tolerate for the most part sometimes.
  2. Mix it up!  When it’s nice out in Austin (which won’t happen again until October), I really like to ralk outside.  When I’m feeling extra motivated, I like to do a workout from the Nike Training Club app.  I hope to get into yoga at some point in the near future.  WRG is teaching me how to use free weights.  I know that if I don’t have a lot of options, I’ll get really tired of something really quickly.
  3. Plan your workout schedule.  This is something I really, REALLY need to do.
  4. Buy awesome shoes/clothes/equipment.  I am in love with my Asics, my Champion sports bras/tanks from Target, and my Camelbak water bottle.  Find things that serve as even more motivation to kick ass.
  5. Get a partner in crime.  I know for a fact that I would not be as active as I am if it weren’t for WRG.  We try to keep each other motivated – because there will most definitely be days (weeks/months) when you do not feel like exercising.
  6. Ride the endorphin high.  It. Feels. AWESOME. To. Exercise.  I forget that so frequently, but the post-exercise endorphin rush?  There are few things like it.

Those are my exercise thoughts for you.  I’m a little silly today.  I do not apologize.

Down 1.4 Pounds

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Yesterday, I woke up absolutely dreading my weigh-in.  When I didn’t weigh in last week, I decided that I would just check up on myself with Walter’s scale.  I thought that his scale weighed me at about a pound lighter than the WW scale, so when I hopped on and I was at 203 pounds, I freaked out.  DID I REALLY GAIN 4 POUNDS THESE LAST TWO WEEKS? EFF.  I thought that I had been doing okay – definitely not awesomely, but certainly okay. But FOUR POUNDS??  Ugh.  I spent most of this week in a slump, pissed of that I had put so much weight on, and not really even trying to do anything about it.

Nonetheless, I got up yesterday morning and headed to my meeting.  Right before I left, I said to Walter, “I’m going to be up lots of pounds today.”  He looked at me with a smile and said, “Okay – but then next week you’ll go to WW and be down lots of pounds.”  (He’s a keeper.)  I might have talked to myself in the car, all the way to the meeting.  Liz, you’re fine.  This is going to suck, but you’re going to turn this around in the coming weeks.  You’re stronger than a couple-pound gain, and you don’t need to cry.  STOP CRYING, LIZ, YOU’RE A PANSY-ASS.  And so on.

Thankfully, there wasn’t a line to weigh in – I didn’t think I could handle it any longer.  As I handed my weight log to Angela, the WW lady, I must have given her a pretty serious look, because she just said, “Uh oh…”  I told her that it was going to be a rough time, but I had prepared myself for the worst, and come on, at least I’m here STOP JUDGING ME!!! (Sometimes I wonder if Weight Watchers meeting places come equipped with panic buttons.  They probably should.)  When I finally stepped on the scale, this is what it read:

199.0 pounds

Um.  What?

Wait, what??  How much did I weigh before?

WAIT, HOW IS THAT NUMBER LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED????

That’s right, friends – Walter’s scale is a dirty friggin’ liar.

Weight loss this week: 1.4 pounds
Current weight: 199.0 pounds!!!!
TOTAL weight loss: 36.8 pounds

I spent so much time (and a few tears here and there) being so upset because I THOUGHT that I had done terribly.  Angela just laughed and laughed at me – she couldn’t get enough of it.  I felt hilarious and ridiculous and SO HAPPY THAT I AM BELOW 200 POUNDS. Seriously – I don’t have any idea the last time I was under 200 pounds.  It’s magical!!!!!

In other news, WRG and I are moved in!  We’ve spent a lot of time unpacking and organizing and giving things to Goodwill.  I’ll post photos of the new place soon!  In the meantime, here’s an awesome photo of our entryway:

Bach and Beethoven make the best greeters.

There are a lot of lessons to learn from this week – but the main one: Don’t trust your scale at home.  It’s probably a lying bitch.