Biggest Loser Update

To be honest, I have not been dieting the way I should. I've been keeping track of numbers in my head, having too many "treats" and I have not been weighing in every week. In fact, I've been avoiding the scale like my dog avoids squirrels, wide eyed and edging slowly away so I can't be attacked. This should technically be the Wednesday of Week 23 but my blog entries definitely don't reflect that. So, what happened? Life happened. My back has been suffering, I ended my semester of school with a lot of stress and I'm facing even more stress in the next few weeks but the fact remains that I slacked. One problem I have always faced is being able to balance healthy eating with the stress of life. When life gets rough, I reach for a chocolate bar or a bag of chips and I avoid the scale. While I haven't been completely off the wagon, I have been lazy. It turns out that stress has been high for my mother and sister the past few months as well so we have decided to extend our "Biggest Loser" bet. We will be weighing in at the beginning of July, when I visit, and declaring a winner for the first half of the year. However, we will also be weighing in when we see each other in December as well. So, while someone will "win" in July, we will still be working toward healthier lives and toward a winner for December. That said, I do have numbers to report and they aren't bad. I was terrified to step on the scale and was pleasantly surprised. I know I could have done better if I had been watching my eating better but I have accepted that and I have decided to be happy with the loss I achieved. I also realized today that I weighed in once before this without reporting it. So here are the numbers:


Weight Lost Since Last Weigh-In: 6.6 pounds
Weight Lost Since Last Blog: 8.4 pounds
Total Weigh Lost: 26.4 pounds
Total Weight Percentage Lost: 12.89%

No crying this time! :)

This puts me a little past halfway toward my goal of 50 pounds lost. My only problem is that I know I have lost weight but I don't seem to be noticing it like I feel I should. I don't feel much smaller and I don't think I look much smaller. Maybe this is because I see myself in the mirror every day. I think it also has to do with my inability to exercise because of my back problems. I guess I will know if I look any different when I see my family next Friday. This makes me want to compliment everyone I know who has lost weight because I know they have been working hard. So, if you know someone on a diet, try to take notice and compliment them on their hard work. This can really motivate a person to keep going. I hope to recognize my own loss soon. I am proud of the numbers and hope to physically see the results soon. This is the smallest I have been since before my car accident so I am going to be proud of my progress. I hope you all have a great week and I look forward to reporting the results of the first half of the Biggest Loser Family Edition at the beginning of July!


Thanks for the pictures:
http://www.miracleskinnydrops.com/2010/11/26/cheated-on-your-hcg-diet/
http://www.thebiggestloser.info/

Biggest Loser: End of Week 8

Technically this should read Week 12 but if I wanted to be even more accurate then the title of this post would be "Getting Back on the Bike." I think it was my mother who used to tell me that when you fall off the bike you have to climb back on. Well, I fell off the bike big time. In fact, I fell off the bike, tumbled down a hill through brambles and landed in a ditch full of water where I then continued to lay face down in the water as I wallowed in self-pity. What does all of this mean? Eh, probably more to me than to you. It's not that I fell off the wagon with my diet as much as I fell off the face of the earth for a little while there.

I had some family problems and then a few more were added and then a few more until I felt like a million bricks were piled on already heavy shoulders and I broke. I think the final straw was being told by one of my favorite cousins that she no longer wanted to talk to me because she thought she was a toxic influence on my life. To say I broke down would be putting it mildly. I cried for hours and I rolled up into a ball and tried to disappear...I don't have the power to disappear so this couldn't last long. Thanks to a wonderful boyfriend, a great best friend and a comforting mom and a few others, I came out of my ball a little bit. After battling depression for 2 weeks, I am finally starting to feel normal again. I managed to make it through life relatively fine but anyone who knew me couldn't be fooled. They've managed to pull me out of my rut and I am very thankful for them.

But wait, that accounts for 2 missing weeks, not 4. Well, before my little breakdown I was battling mother nature as it happened on two weigh-in days so I refused to weigh-in. That should account for the rest of my time where I went missing. I've decided to forget these past 4 weeks and focus on the future. I was doing fine on my diet until depression hit. Then the bad eating started. There were days where I barely ate and then there were days where I looked at my boyfriend and said , "I want a burger and fries" with a look on my face that said if he commented on my choice in food then he was risking a breakdown. So I had my burger, I had my fries, I had some chocolate and then I had some more. I had forgotten how closely tied my emotions are to my eating habits. As an emotional eater for years, this shouldn't have surprised me but it did. I thought I had gained control but I guess when you break down you lose control over many things, eating included. I even forgot how depression affected my writing. This is the first time I've been able to write in a month and it feels great! I'm glad to be back to my old self.
So there is my sad little shpeel for the day. However, I AM BACK! Watch out world, here I come! I'm still in the competition with my mother and sister and I'm determined to make next week have even better numbers. Yes, I have numbers. It may be a month late but I have numbers. I stepped on the scale this morning, scared but knowing I needed to conquer my fears. 


Here's what I found:
Weight Lost Since Last Weigh-In: 2.2 pounds
Total Weight Lost: 17.6 pounds
Total Weight Percentage Lost: 8.6%

I was happy to find I had lost weight. I'll be honest, I was terrified and expected a large gain in weight. However, 2.2 pounds in a month is not enough for me so next week will be better! I'm determined. I have my life and my emotions under control and now it's time to get my weight under control as well. Thank you to everyone who helped me find my way back. 


To everyone else dieting right now, keep up the good work! I plan on it being a great week!

Thanks for the pictures:
http://vintagelawrence.com/teaching/getting-back-on-track/
http://loseweight-safe.com/diets/what-is-a-balanced-diet/

Biggest Loser: End of Week 7

It seems impossible to say that another week has already passed but it has. Sorry this post is a day late but I've been bed-ridden and in pain for a few days. I did manage to weigh in this morning so I have numbers to post. I also have good news! I've reached the point in my diet where I can proudly say, I am seeing results! I put on my jeans the other day and they were very loose and baggy. I'm now at that unfortunate stage where my fat jeans are too loose and my skinny jeans are still a little too tight but I am loving this stage because it means I have been successful! I can't wait until the day when I can say that my skinny jeans are now my fat jeans!

Not this skinny yet but the pants are loose :)

I've also reached that happy point where people are noticing my weight loss! I received a few compliments this week and was told that you could tell I have lost weight. For those of you who know people on a diet, we find it very encouraging when people notice all our hard work. If you know someone on a diet, try to take notice of their changes because it makes them want to work even harder. If you see them every day it may be a bit difficult to tell at times but try to take notice. I know I always want to work harder toward my goal when people notice because I have the mindset that if it's not apparent I lost weight then why should I try? If you don't believe me when I say the compliments are important to us, look here's an article to back me up that was written by a Weight Watchers user.

So, after saying all of that, here are my numbers for the week. They aren't as good as last week but it is a loss and I am celebrating each and every loss. Some weeks will be better than others. 

Weight Lost this Week: 1.1 pounds

Total Weight Lost: 15.4 pounds

Total Weight Percentage Lost: 7.5%

So I've officially broken the 15 pound mark! I'm very excited. This means I have less than 35 pounds left to lose. I set my goal for an even 50 pounds and I am well on my way. My goal is not to be a tiny little thing. I like my curves but I need to get rid of my extra weight so my goal is to be a size 8. I'm on my way!  How's your diet going? Feel free to share tips and comments below! 

I have been promised that I will be able to update on the competition in next week's post. We will see where I stand. I know I am ahead of mom but she has been consistently losing weight each week and I am very proud of her! My sister has promised to weigh in next week so we will see if I am winning or need to pick up the pace. I hope to be able to exercise soon but we'll wait for my back to allow for that. 

Have a great week! And good luck to everyone on a diet! 

Pictures courtesy of: http://www.clipartclipart.com/free_clipart_images/a_cartoon_woman_holding_the_waistline_of_her_pants_to_show_weight_loss_from_her_new_years_resolution_0515-1012-1716-4853.html

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=87891&sc=3053

Biggest Loser: End of Week 6

And so ends another week of weight loss. I wish I had some pictures to share of meals that have been made but I seem to have forgotten to do that this week.  Instead, I will share some thoughts on the week.

In the past, I have always had trouble when going to restaurants when I am trying to eat healthy. It used to be that if you sat me in a booth and handed me a menu, I would cave and order anything greasy, yummy and a side of fries. Instead, I have found myself examining calories, looking for protein and weighing all possible options before ordering. I've settled on salads and healthy wraps instead of chicken fingers and fries. I'm very proud of myself because this has always been something I struggled with.

I think the reason I've stayed strong this time is because I have an even bigger goal in mind aside from weight loss. Yes, I want to lose weight, but I also want to get my back as healthy as I can. The constant pain seems to work as a good reminder why I am doing this. Oh, and there is that competition in the family...that helps too. 

I've began following Weight Watchers, using their handy point calculator online. We've still been substituting in a lot of gluten-free foods, because they don't leave that heavy feeling after eating like some other foods do. I'm still taking the bee pollen and raspberry ketones and I feel great. I've been able to cut my portions down quite a bit and I'm seeing the results.

Here's where I stand:

Weight Lost this Week: 4.4 pounds

Total Weight Lost: 14.3 pounds

Weight Percentage Lost: 6.98%

I don't know if I am leading the family competition because I haven't gotten my sister's weight for the week yet. I know I am ahead of my mom and that is good enough for now. I'm very proud of my 4.4 pounds and I look forward to another great week! How's your diet going? Feel free to comment below. 

Biggest Loser: End of Week 1

Week 1 of my diet ended this morning when I weighed myself. It's been a good week and an interesting one. We've been figuring out how to adjust to gluten-free foods and I'm happy to report that it hasn't been that difficult. Everything we have tried has turned out quite tasty and leaves us feeling a lot less heavy after we eat. We are not 100% gluten-free but we are very close. Everything we buy now is gluten-free except for our FiberOne bars and our Kashi cereal and, once the gluten-type products are gone, we will be purchasing the gluten-free counterparts of things like Ketchup.

Our breakfasts have consisted of fruit and yogurt smoothies or Kashi cereal. We mostly snack at lunch or I've had a small spinach salad. Peanuts and light popcorn are now our favorite snacks. We are eating a lot better and it's only been one week!

Our dinners have been a fun experience! I've really been having fun cooking and we've come up with some great meals. It's funny, I thought I'd miss the ease of going through a fast-food drive-thru or cooking up random crap but I'm having fun cooking. One thing I must note for anyone wanting to try gluten-free cooking: not all gluten-free brands are the same! This may seem like a "duh" comment but we tried two different types of noodles. One was delicious and tasted great. The brand was Quinoa, I highly suggest it. The other brand I forgot the name of but the noodles were smooshy and stuck together. I wish I had written down the brand name but just be warned, they vary greatly! Here are some pictures of our culinary masterpieces!

My General Tso's Chicken on gluten-free brown rice 

was almost gluten-free (the sauce had a little in it).

Bill's Spicy Chicken Alfredo was delicious. We didn't like those
noodles but it still tasted great!

I wish I had taken a picture of the Mac and Cheese. That had to have been the best mac I've had in a long time. The recipe was in Elizabeth Hasselbeck's "Deliciously G-Free" cookbook so I don't feel right sharing the recipe but anyone with access to the book should try it. It was excellent!

We also had fun grilling up some burgers on our new George Foreman grill that we got for Christmas! (Thanks mom and dad!) We bought low-carb buns and had cheeseburgers. This wasn't gluten-free but it was low-carb and we are trying to do less carbs as well. They do make gluten-free buns but I haven't had a chance to get them yet. They are on my "to try" list.

Yay grill!

Now we are getting ready for Week 2 and I'm looking forward to cooking and eating even better. I'm happy to say that we both lost weight this week!

Bill lost 8 pounds!

I lost 8.8 pounds! (Yes, very specific, thank you Wii!)

We are making great progress! If I have done my calculations right, and I think I have, this puts me at a 4.32% weight loss. My mom and sister both lost great amounts (4 and 6 respectively) but so far I'm in the lead for our contest. It's a 6 month contest so I have to keep it going in order to win. It's still any woman's game but I'm invigorated by my first week's success! On to week 2!

I still can't do much with exercise, because of my back, but I hope to work my way up. Have any comments on eating better or any great recipes? Leave a comment below! Here's to another great week!

Biggest Loser: Family Edition

A few weeks ago, I told my mom that I wanted to lose weight. It will be better for my back, better for my health in general and, let's face it, I hate how I look in pictures these days. She presented me with an option, a challenge, so that I wouldn't have to go after this goal alone. She and my oldest sister, Sarah, are going to start their own version of the The Biggest Loser with me. The competition begins tomorrow and will go until June, around the time that my family is coming to visit me in New York. Each of us gets to choose our own diet and work-out routines because we have different lifestyles and bodies (for example, I can't work out much because of my back so my diet will be very important while I work my strength up). We will weigh in using our Wiis to keep track of each other. I have been ordered to take a picture of my weigh-in on my phone so they know I am not lying...I have ordered the same in return. At the end of the competition, the person with the greatest weight loss percentage wins. We decided to go with percentage because we are all different heights, weights, etc. The winner of the challenge will get $100 from each person to go shopping. So the incentive to win has four sides: to lose weight, to be beat them, to win money and to not have to pay money. It's on!


I told Bill about our challenge and he told his mother and they are now in their own competition, though theirs will be based on pounds lost and a bit different. This excites me! I knew he'd be willing to diet with me because he has told me he wants to eat better but now he has the incentive to win. Like me, he doesn't like to lose. So I now have a support system in my house and we are ready!


So what is our diet plan? Well, one of my doctors told me a while back that carbs aren't the best for my back because they cause inflammation in the body. I've also noticed that carbs make me feel heavier and that Bill seems to have some problems digesting gluten-filled foods. The day before I left Colorado to return home, I watched "The View" with mom and Elizabeth was showcasing gluten-free foods from her new book. I was surprised. The foods looked so, so normal! They looked edible yet they were supposed to be better for me. So I purchased Elizabeth Hasselbeck's book "Deliciously G-Free" and I've been reading it since it arrived. I'm not saying we are going to go 100% gluten-free. We are going to start using some of these recipes instead of our heavier gluten-filled ones and we are going to be looking at a lot of gluten-free foods. We are also going to to be going low-carb, high protein and adding in fruits and vegetables. Basically, we are eating healthier. This is more of a lifestyle change than a diet because I don't want to "end" the diet and go back and gain my weight back. 

As for exercise...well, I can't exercise with my back so I am hoping I will slowly build up on my walking time and add in light weights and work my way up. That's pretty much all I can do. Bill is going to take advantage of the campus gym and also start running again. We have a good plan set up and I am excited to see it in motion.


So, the challenge begins tomorrow. I let Bill have what I call "last meals" before we started. This means we ate at some of our favorite places because we won't be seeing them for a long time and we won't be seeing them nearly as much as we used to. They will now be treats and treated as such. Our last treat will be going to All American Burger tonight (if you haven't heard of this place, it's like the mecca of hamburger happiness in Long Island...so yummy but so horrible for you). Tomorrow, the diet begins. I'll be doing weekly updates on our progress. This will be added incentive because I will not only have my family holding me to this but anyone who read this blog. For the sake of my own pride, I won't be putting my weight on this, only the weight lost. Maybe at the end I'll feel brave but until then this will have to do. I'll update on our progress and hopefully find some yummy, good-for-you meals to share.


I guess that's it. Wish us luck!