Friday, February 19, 2010

I've been a bad girl

I admit it, I've been bad. Last September, I set a goal of getting to a size 10 by 10/10/10 and I'm nowhere near it, which is stressing me out since we now have 7 months until the wedding. So blogging about it is my confession. 

I was on a roll -- working out to my Biggest Loser DVDs, eating oatmeal for breakfast and trying to watch what I ate. I had lost 10 pounds by December. Then I got the flu just before the holidays and was off my exercise and eating routine while we were in Florida over Christmas. By January, my "all or nothing" attitude had set in and the consecutive rainy days forced me indoors with the winter blahs. I love hiking, walking or jogging and not being able to get active outdoors depressed me.

A tennis teammate took a photo of us this past weekend and I really hated how I looked! I vowed never to get as big as that ever again and there was a double-chin slowly creeping back. Ugh.

I have been looking for a gym to join to get me out. There's a climbing and fitness gym (Berkeley Ironworks) just 3 blocks from work that offers spin (yes!), fitness group classes and of course, climbing. It's only $67/month compared to the $399 membership (3 months) at another gym that specializes in fitness bootcamp. I even looked into Jumpstart (advertised heavily in local bridal magazines) but I don't think taking weight-loss medicine at $300 a month is really the way to live healthily. 

I have committed to going to Berkeley Ironworks today to open a membership and dedicate time to work out at least 3 times a week and build up to 4 times a week like I used to.

I also need support. My MOH lost a few sizes over the last two years; she was on Weight Watchers initially and eventually incorporated healthy eating and exercise into her lifestyle -- the ultimate goal, right? She is a source of inspiration and support.

But it's been tough at home. Guitar Fred has a different approach to eating healthy. He eats like a bird in terms of portions but he also eats a lot of sweets and processed food whereas I'm trying to focus on eating fresh "slow" food. We've been butting heads and he finally said, "Maybe we just cook for ourselves." I was disappointed to hear that since we live together and cooking for one is no fun. Nonetheless, I still made us dinner last night -- right sized portions of Niman Ranch pork, steamed greens and fingerling potatoes tossed with chopped parsley and a tablespoon of sour cream. The meal was satisfying and didn't leave me feeling guilty as I've often been feeling. In addition, Guitar Fred appreciated the meal. It's a good sign. :)

To motivate myself, I'm reposting what I wrote in my September 2009 post. 
I vow to give up:
   1. Being too hard on myself (this one is tough because I tend to be a perfectionist)
   2. Carnitas (oh, Trader Joe's $3.99 carnitas are my cryptonite!)
   3. Feeling bloated (yes, I can't wait to give this one up!)
   4. My "big" clothes (Crossroads Trading Company, here I come to trade in)
   5. 1-2 hours every day (to exercise and cook instead of watching TV right after work)
   6. Believing that I will fail after 2 weeks (so far, so good)
   7. Believing that jogging the lake or beach with Munch isn't fun (so not true!)
   8. Resistance to changing the status quo
 What have you been doing to jumpstart your health routine? 

7 love notes:

Heather said...

You can do it! The winter has been rough for me, too, since I love to work out outdoors and it’s been too cold lately. I’ve gained back a couple pounds after losing a lot of weight last year, so I’m really looking forward to spring as a fresh motivator.

Anonymous said...

I'd recommend reading Food Rules and/or In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (he's a genius!) and watching the documentary Food Inc. I used to really struggle with eating healthy until I read his stuff. Makes a lot of sense and genuinely made me want to eat healthier. I've actually been writing about Food Rules recently so it's on my mind :)

Karen said...

Yes you can! Go Vera! I'm on "Take off 20 by 10/10/10"! Kick. I've not lost a pound, but I lost an inch on my waist and on my thighs!

Vera D. said...

Karen, good point, it's about the size not necessarily the pounds. :) And Betty -- Food Inc. is definitely an eye-opener. I support the principles of slow food (and living in Berkeley-Oakland, it's accessible) but I definitely have to focus on making time to eat right.

Meg said...

Hey girl, I am definitely with you! I want to be a size 4 by our wedding. I just started the Jillian Michael's DVD and I love it. I was having a hard time with the eating thing, because I tend to try to eat so healthy and then get down on myself when I cheat. That is what I am working on, but the Jillian Michael's DVD is hard workout and it is only 20 minutes. I can do 20 minutes...try it!

Vera D. said...

Thanks, Meg. I do have the Jillian Michaels DVD and even her book. I just gotta make time to do it! Everyone's support has been great. :)

Emilia Jane said...

I just started counting calories. i know this sounds awful and horrible but I actually have to eat MORE calories in a day to reach my goal calorie intake. I wasn't eating enough (due to hectic workdays / not on purpose) and my body was trying to store fat instead of getting rid of it. This on top of Jillian every other day and I have discovered free cardio videos here -http://www.exercisetv.tv/workout-videos/ - has made a difference. I definitely feel more toned. I don't own a scale but I have more energy and feel better so I think it's working? You can definitely do it by 10/10!

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