I wish I can always be positive and progress without making mistakes. Unfortunately, my journey seems to have its set of pitfalls and roadblocks. After my 20 lb mile marker, I know something triggered a sabotaging mechanism. I've been really negligent these past couple days. The main culprit is probably stress. I've been meeting deadlines and staying at work later than usual lately. When I'm up against deadlines and projects that are due, I tend to turn to food for comfort. Late night eating fast food and junk food. I know this is so bad, but I let myself do it because these deadlines seem to be more important than my health right now. And the one thing that gets me less anxious and juiced up to keep going is comfort food. I guess this is another revelation to one of the many dysfunctional relationships I have with food. Or how food has supported my way of getting through life's crisis thus far. I want to break this. I know stress is part of living. Everything seems to all be linked together. Not only do I need to work on healthy eating and exercising, I should broaden my changes in stress and time management.
I have a long weekend coming up. I pray I will embrace this opportunity to come back stronger and with more determination to really change my entire life around.
My Progress
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
20 LB Mile Marker
In celebration, I dedicate this post to this mile marker.
Today I hopped on the scale to celebrate my official 20 lb weight loss. Actually I probably lost about 22-23 lbs, but since my official recorded highest weight was on March 21, 2012, I have dropped 20 lbs. My BMI is down to 29.6. I am officially out of the "obese" category. What a relief!
What are the changes that brought me thus far?
1. Food. I control what goes in. I don't keep accurate calorie logs, but I stay around 1200 calories per day, and strive to eat majority fruits and vegetables. Although I've tried to keep variety of food in my diet, the most common items include whole grain bread, brown rice, vegetables a plenty, fruits fruits fruits (watermelon, apples, cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas), chicken, turkey, yogurt, milk, and granola bars. Sometimes I plan my meals really healthy, other times I eat fast food (Chicken Fresco Burrito/Tacos from Taco Bell), and I've even been able to mingle during potluck and eat during social gatherings without sabotaging anything. I eat what I know to be around 300-400 calories during each meal. It really is a way of life. I don't gorge or what we'd call "pig out" anymore, and saying bye bye to this one bad habit has made me stronger overall.
2. Water. I drink a lot of water. I don't even know how much I drink anymore, but I carry around a 1 Liter water bottle, and refill it during the day. I'm assuming my water consumption probably reaches about 2 - 2.5 Liters per day. The only other types of drinks I'd drink besides water are coffee and green tea. Ok, occasionally some diet coke as well. But I find that I can't even drink diet coke anymore since my meals are lighter and healthier. The only reason I used to chug diet coke was because my meals were heavy and greasy. Diet coke used to compliment these meals. Now when I drink diet coke, it's too strong and I find that I can't even finish half a can. I guess that's a good thing.
3. Exercise. I run. I hop on the treadmill and run about 3 times a week. Some runs last well past an hour, while other times I stop at 3 miles. I weight train about 2 times a week. I try to be more active outside, and climbing Stone Mountain, walking with my roommates' dogs, and shopping has been more of my weekly activity than ever before.
4. Sleep. I sleep a lot. I love waking up feeling refreshed, and sometimes that means I sleep about 9 hrs! I feel like my body is going through a lot of changes, and the more I sleep, the better results I see.
5. Believe. I think the motivation from believing that I will meet my goal this year has kept me going further than I've ever been. Being able to see visible progress and setting realistic expectations has kept my belief aflame. I know I can do this, and I am so exhilarated knowing I am a good fraction into the journey. It's hard, but its easier than living with the guilt of knowing I'm negligent to my body. This is so much easier than all the horrible self esteem bashing rejections and comments I face for being over weight. This is so much easier than having to be self conscious of my big fat rolls and cellulite spilling over my already too small clothes. I believe I'm done being a victim, and I have my entire life in the palm of my hands.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Quote of the Day: Learning to Say "No"
"You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage -- pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically -- to say 'no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger 'yes' burning inside. The enemy of the 'best' is often the 'good." - Stephan Covey
Stress, a big NO NO
Because I've been making a slow and steady daily progress towards weight loss, I've been able to notice anything that becomes a threat to my well built system. And after a hectic weekend, I'm targeting "stress" as one of the biggest enemies.
When highly stressful situations occur, my priority in taking care of the situation becomes the most important thing to do. Especially if this project requires time, energy, and lots of responsibility, the stress hits in multiple layers that sabotage the well running body. This past weekend, I coordinated a project up at a Christian Retreat. The project was well worth the dedication, but I have to agree that it did throw off much of my sanity and will power for anything else. I was sleeping less, drinking too much coffee, and at times feeling overwhelmed by the continual feeling of being accountable for many who depended on my performance.
So the aftermath of all this stress? Exhaustion and confusion. I guess I was chugging too much coffee during the weekend, because the caffeine withdraw symptoms were physically killing me as well (headache, nausea, lethargy, depression). I was so tired to clean up after a weekend away, so my room is still full of laundry that needs washing and my car is still messy from having all the kids ransack the backseat. My wallet still has lots of random receipts and my purse has many squashed granola bars that got tossed around. I want to be able to get everything back in order, yet it seems monumentally harder said than done. I am looking forward to getting my energy level, order, momentum, and peace back this week.
Lesson from this past weekend: Be prepared to be thrown off balance. Take a day or two afterwards to recover. Before leaving anywhere, make the return home easy by having food prepared, room cleaned, and taking care of any little details beforehand to avoid added stress. If I end up over caffeinating, reduce the dependance of the stuff gradually, not cold turkey, or else the sudden change will be painful.
All in all, great weekend with great people.
When highly stressful situations occur, my priority in taking care of the situation becomes the most important thing to do. Especially if this project requires time, energy, and lots of responsibility, the stress hits in multiple layers that sabotage the well running body. This past weekend, I coordinated a project up at a Christian Retreat. The project was well worth the dedication, but I have to agree that it did throw off much of my sanity and will power for anything else. I was sleeping less, drinking too much coffee, and at times feeling overwhelmed by the continual feeling of being accountable for many who depended on my performance.
So the aftermath of all this stress? Exhaustion and confusion. I guess I was chugging too much coffee during the weekend, because the caffeine withdraw symptoms were physically killing me as well (headache, nausea, lethargy, depression). I was so tired to clean up after a weekend away, so my room is still full of laundry that needs washing and my car is still messy from having all the kids ransack the backseat. My wallet still has lots of random receipts and my purse has many squashed granola bars that got tossed around. I want to be able to get everything back in order, yet it seems monumentally harder said than done. I am looking forward to getting my energy level, order, momentum, and peace back this week.
Lesson from this past weekend: Be prepared to be thrown off balance. Take a day or two afterwards to recover. Before leaving anywhere, make the return home easy by having food prepared, room cleaned, and taking care of any little details beforehand to avoid added stress. If I end up over caffeinating, reduce the dependance of the stuff gradually, not cold turkey, or else the sudden change will be painful.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
I am a RUNNER, Baby!
Yesterday I ran 8 miles, just because I felt like it halfway through the run. Hahaha! I actually didn't even feel like running/working out yesterday, and had hopped on the treadmill thinking I'll squeeze in about 3-4 miles. When I reached my 3rd mile, I was feeling great and my energy level was up. I was thinking I can do double what I've done so far and run about 6 miles (last week my longest run was 5 miles). Well lo and behold, I kept going and going until I reached 8 miles! This is about 2 miles more than the 10K I ran last month.
I've been doing some research regarding muscle and how to build the right ones for long term weight loss and toning. So there is two types of muscle fibers: Type 1 and Type 2. The muscle fiber type 1 are what we commonly know as lean muscle. It's what gives us endurance and tones our bodies. Muscle fiber type 2 gives us the burst of strength and can be seen on the body builders. Surprisingly, I read that the type 1 fibers may appear smaller but burn more energy. That's what I want. I want to be lean yet able to burn my calories. So with that new perspective, I am looking forward to running a whole lot more. As I continue to build my endurance through long distance running, I'm building lean muscle fibers all around, especially in my legs. There is nothing like running!
And if you look on my weight loss ticker above, I have reached 16 lbs up to date. I'm treading into weight territory of my post college years (2008-2009). It's good to be climbing back to when I was healthier. I have 5 more lbs to lose until I reach a BMI of 29.9 which is another major mile marker for me. All in all, I am trekking onward towards becoming a more responsible, healthier me!
I've been doing some research regarding muscle and how to build the right ones for long term weight loss and toning. So there is two types of muscle fibers: Type 1 and Type 2. The muscle fiber type 1 are what we commonly know as lean muscle. It's what gives us endurance and tones our bodies. Muscle fiber type 2 gives us the burst of strength and can be seen on the body builders. Surprisingly, I read that the type 1 fibers may appear smaller but burn more energy. That's what I want. I want to be lean yet able to burn my calories. So with that new perspective, I am looking forward to running a whole lot more. As I continue to build my endurance through long distance running, I'm building lean muscle fibers all around, especially in my legs. There is nothing like running!
And if you look on my weight loss ticker above, I have reached 16 lbs up to date. I'm treading into weight territory of my post college years (2008-2009). It's good to be climbing back to when I was healthier. I have 5 more lbs to lose until I reach a BMI of 29.9 which is another major mile marker for me. All in all, I am trekking onward towards becoming a more responsible, healthier me!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Slimming Down
More than the dropping numbers on the scale, visually seeing the changes on my body is such an exhilarating feeling! I have like 3 pairs of jeans that are starting to get loose, and everything in my closet is good to wear again (I had gained about 10 lbs in the past year, and about 80% of my clothes were awkwardly tight on me, bleh).
About a month ago, I bought two shirts at Target. Same size Medium, one in blue and one in white. I tried the blue one on in the fitting room, and figuring the white one would fit the same on me as the blue one, I bought both without trying on the white one. Few days later when I tried the white shirt on, it was way too tight. I'm not sure if the sizes were accidently switched or if the variance of the sizes were large enough for this drastic of a difference. I really don't know, but the white one was too tight and I looked like the Michelin Tire guy trying to wear a muscle T, haha. Blue one was fine. So I planned on returning the white shirt and kept it in my car. Then, I completely forgot about it. Last week, I rummaged through my wallet to see if I had the receipt, and it was no where to be found so I couldn't even return the shirt anymore. Oh well. I brought the shirt back in and this morning, I tried it on. It fit! It looked like how the blue one looked on me last month (blue ones been getting looser on me now). Here's a picture of me and my white tee hehe:
I have lost a little over 13lb up to date. Wow, what a number! It feels like just yesterday I was struggling to reach 5lb then 10lb. Best part of it is knowing that I didn't even have a dramatic water weight drop in the beginning (my highest weight may have been a few pounds higher that I didn't get to log) so every pound lost was hard earned through sweat and discipline.
Overall, I feel lighter. There is this lightness I feel in my stomach, and lots of strength I feel in my legs. My back has definitely lost the puffy padding that I used to grab and despise these past several months, and I even use the innermost hook on my bra rather than the outermost hook that I used to in the past. Unfortunately, the first thing that goes are my breasts. Other areas I've noticed change are my thighs, face/cheeks, collar bone area, and feet. Hah, it's so surreal knowing that it's actually happening! I haven't been this proud of myself in years, and it is so worth it. It's hard work, but it's a lot easier than what I had imagined it would be like. Days and weeks fly by, and my continual efforts have finally shown some results. It's fun, it's exciting, and I love that I CAN!
For anyone reading, I wish you the best on whatever journey you are taking as well. I find that the weight loss journey is no different from any other journey in life whether it's money making, skill building, relationship seeking, etc. It's all about persistence.
I love how Richard M. Devos, co-founder of Amway and has a net worth of $4.2 billion, puts it:
"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying 'Here comes number seventy-one!'"
About a month ago, I bought two shirts at Target. Same size Medium, one in blue and one in white. I tried the blue one on in the fitting room, and figuring the white one would fit the same on me as the blue one, I bought both without trying on the white one. Few days later when I tried the white shirt on, it was way too tight. I'm not sure if the sizes were accidently switched or if the variance of the sizes were large enough for this drastic of a difference. I really don't know, but the white one was too tight and I looked like the Michelin Tire guy trying to wear a muscle T, haha. Blue one was fine. So I planned on returning the white shirt and kept it in my car. Then, I completely forgot about it. Last week, I rummaged through my wallet to see if I had the receipt, and it was no where to be found so I couldn't even return the shirt anymore. Oh well. I brought the shirt back in and this morning, I tried it on. It fit! It looked like how the blue one looked on me last month (blue ones been getting looser on me now). Here's a picture of me and my white tee hehe:
I have lost a little over 13lb up to date. Wow, what a number! It feels like just yesterday I was struggling to reach 5lb then 10lb. Best part of it is knowing that I didn't even have a dramatic water weight drop in the beginning (my highest weight may have been a few pounds higher that I didn't get to log) so every pound lost was hard earned through sweat and discipline.
Overall, I feel lighter. There is this lightness I feel in my stomach, and lots of strength I feel in my legs. My back has definitely lost the puffy padding that I used to grab and despise these past several months, and I even use the innermost hook on my bra rather than the outermost hook that I used to in the past. Unfortunately, the first thing that goes are my breasts. Other areas I've noticed change are my thighs, face/cheeks, collar bone area, and feet. Hah, it's so surreal knowing that it's actually happening! I haven't been this proud of myself in years, and it is so worth it. It's hard work, but it's a lot easier than what I had imagined it would be like. Days and weeks fly by, and my continual efforts have finally shown some results. It's fun, it's exciting, and I love that I CAN!
For anyone reading, I wish you the best on whatever journey you are taking as well. I find that the weight loss journey is no different from any other journey in life whether it's money making, skill building, relationship seeking, etc. It's all about persistence.
I love how Richard M. Devos, co-founder of Amway and has a net worth of $4.2 billion, puts it:
"If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying 'Here comes number seventy-one!'"
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Good Food
One of the main reasons I have made such good progress so far: I really love the food I'm eating.
Ever since I started supporting myself and living off on my own after college, I was a major supporter for our economy's food industry. An amazing portion of my paycheck went to eating out at different venues and hole-in-the-wall restaurants all around Atlanta. I had my niche of favorite restaurants: Chipotle (best burritos), Penang (Tom Yum and Pad Thai), Cafe Wings (hole-in-the-wall chicken wings in Marietta), Blu Sushi (Yaki Udon), J. Alexander's (best Prime Rib), Gobawoo (best unlimited Korean BBQ), Cracker Barrel (best breakfast), and last but not least Chick-fil-a (best fast food). I literally ate out EVERYDAY! And with deals like Groupon and Scoutmob, things were getting even easier to try out new venues at half the cost. Fun and flavorful options were plentiful, and so were the calories in my diet and the numbers on my scale.
I always knew that the most important thing I'll have to integrate into my life to make lasting change is to start cooking at home. So I focused on that. Nothing fancy, just plain old home prepared meals. Since I'm sharing my refrigerator with two other roommates, things can get kind of ... confusing. So I try to keep my foods in a pile on a certain shelf where I can see easily. When I go grocery shopping, I immediately wash, chop, portion, bag, etc with every item I bought since there were too many times I threw away food that went bad just because I didn't get around to washing them to eat.
And grocery shopping has also become a whole new "fun & exciting" experience. Once or twice a week (depending on the supply level), I swing by the Buford Highway Farmer's Market on my way home from work/gym. This store is the size of Super Walmart, but with exotic fruits and vegetables (some I don't even recognize), large organic produce section, and international foods with products from Asia, Europe, South America, etc. I have a hay day in the store. I take a basket and go through the store looking for my usual products like spinach, cucumbers, apples, and carrots. I also look for juicy fruits that are in season (the other day I bought a pkg of amazing strawberries for $0.99) and new veggies I'd like to try (how I started enjoying zucchini and beets). Here's a batch I bought just the other day:
My breakfast is my All-Star meal. I make sure I have plenty of protein, two servings of vegetables, and a serving of complex carb to last me through the day. I have a serving of fruit while I cook, and a cup of coffee to get me up. It's become the thing I look forward to every morning, preparing my meal neatly on a plate, sitting and enjoying a legit meal at the beginning of the day. My days turn out so productive afterwards! Here's a picture of my breakfast yesterday:
All in all, I love the new diet I eat on a daily basis. There's this sense of accomplishment I feel knowing that I'm cooking at home, grocery shopping and making use of every single item I purchase. It has become an exciting part of my weekly routine to visit the farmer's market, and finding good deals on organic milk and other items at Kroger, too!
Ever since I started supporting myself and living off on my own after college, I was a major supporter for our economy's food industry. An amazing portion of my paycheck went to eating out at different venues and hole-in-the-wall restaurants all around Atlanta. I had my niche of favorite restaurants: Chipotle (best burritos), Penang (Tom Yum and Pad Thai), Cafe Wings (hole-in-the-wall chicken wings in Marietta), Blu Sushi (Yaki Udon), J. Alexander's (best Prime Rib), Gobawoo (best unlimited Korean BBQ), Cracker Barrel (best breakfast), and last but not least Chick-fil-a (best fast food). I literally ate out EVERYDAY! And with deals like Groupon and Scoutmob, things were getting even easier to try out new venues at half the cost. Fun and flavorful options were plentiful, and so were the calories in my diet and the numbers on my scale.
I always knew that the most important thing I'll have to integrate into my life to make lasting change is to start cooking at home. So I focused on that. Nothing fancy, just plain old home prepared meals. Since I'm sharing my refrigerator with two other roommates, things can get kind of ... confusing. So I try to keep my foods in a pile on a certain shelf where I can see easily. When I go grocery shopping, I immediately wash, chop, portion, bag, etc with every item I bought since there were too many times I threw away food that went bad just because I didn't get around to washing them to eat.
And grocery shopping has also become a whole new "fun & exciting" experience. Once or twice a week (depending on the supply level), I swing by the Buford Highway Farmer's Market on my way home from work/gym. This store is the size of Super Walmart, but with exotic fruits and vegetables (some I don't even recognize), large organic produce section, and international foods with products from Asia, Europe, South America, etc. I have a hay day in the store. I take a basket and go through the store looking for my usual products like spinach, cucumbers, apples, and carrots. I also look for juicy fruits that are in season (the other day I bought a pkg of amazing strawberries for $0.99) and new veggies I'd like to try (how I started enjoying zucchini and beets). Here's a batch I bought just the other day:
My breakfast is my All-Star meal. I make sure I have plenty of protein, two servings of vegetables, and a serving of complex carb to last me through the day. I have a serving of fruit while I cook, and a cup of coffee to get me up. It's become the thing I look forward to every morning, preparing my meal neatly on a plate, sitting and enjoying a legit meal at the beginning of the day. My days turn out so productive afterwards! Here's a picture of my breakfast yesterday:
All in all, I love the new diet I eat on a daily basis. There's this sense of accomplishment I feel knowing that I'm cooking at home, grocery shopping and making use of every single item I purchase. It has become an exciting part of my weekly routine to visit the farmer's market, and finding good deals on organic milk and other items at Kroger, too!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Reflection of my Vacation
I am currently flying back to Atlanta from Miami, and I can't wait to get back to my routine life. It's funny how even after a paradise vacation, nothing ever sounds as good as home when it all comes to an end and the comfortable solitude of my own bed, bathroom, and car.
With that being said, there were some amazing memories I'm taking with me from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Key West. One thing I noticed was that there are so many runners near the beach. Most of the beaches have paved sidewalks wide enough for bikes and runners to run up and down the shoreline, enjoying the beautiful scenic view. I ran along the Keys' amazing morning shoreline this morning, and the feeling I got from running along clear blue waters on a beautiful sunny morning was so... epic. Here's a picture I took during the run:
So this past week, I lost 0.5 lbs. It's pretty amazing considering that I typically come back from vacations with an additional 7-8 lbs. There was a lot of self control I had to practice. Since I went with my co-workers, mealtimes were not completely in my control, nor was the place and the frequency. I had to find the balance of enjoying the vacation and the variety of different foods/sites and learning to make educated healthy choices when eating. Since a big portion of the time we were walking up and down Collins Ave on South Beach, the Hard Rock Cafe Casino, and the villages at the Key West Island, there were so many vendors offering delicious snacks and beverages that I had almost loved more than the trip itself before. I didn't succumb to the temptation, and won my battle against mindless feel good snacks that I associated vacations with. The one splurge was the Key Lime Pie. Key Lime Pies originate from Key West, FL, and I definitely wanted to try it. During dinner, I split a slice with a friend, and it was so delicious! I was happy with a few bites, and now this is definitely not the me I used to be! All in all, I was able to have fun yet build my endurance in learning to say no to my battle with food.
Now I am so happy to be back to my routine. Good food that I don't have to think too much about to prepare/eat. Less temptation throughout and a scheduled workout time. Yeah, back to the real world!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Miami Vacation
Today is my third day at Miami, and the weather has been stormy. This morning was the first time I encountered some sunlight, and I really do love how the sunlight makes everything so beautiful here.
I am notorious for gaining weight whenever I go on vacation. Something about all the random snacks I buy (ice cream, local cart goodies, drinks, etc) and all the fancy restaurants I visit, I always had this mentality that I should "make the most of my vacation" by eating like a king. But this mentality has always have left me a few pounds heavier than before the trip. I can attest that my slow and steady weight gain mile markers from the past 10 years probably happened during all those vacations I went on.
The new me has broken this dreadful pattern. Honestly, all last week I was worried that I'd give in at some point on my vacation, since it has been one of my weakest links. Typically when I'm having fun with other people, I shortcut here and there and the discipline I have built slowly starts crumbling down on me. Yet today I can testify that I am standing firm with my commitment in the middle of South Beach! Luckily the complimentary breakfast here at the Westin Diplomat has lots of fresh fruit and other healthy breakfast choices like smoked salmon. The gym is pretty impressive too, and I logged 4 miles on the treadmill yesterday without the slightest hint of dread. All the restaurants we've visited had a good selection of healthy salads, and I cannot relay how delicious those salads were compared to my usual homemade veggies (a whole new level of excitement). I am starting to wonder that perhaps the healthier options are more abundant when on vacation, and this whole experience has become an affirmation to how much I have changed since March in the way I view food and exercise.
Well, I am off to enjoy some more beach on this fancy resort, and will be back to write about some of the little changes I've noticed on my body these past couple weeks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)