What am I doing?

Almost on a daily basis people ask me about how I am losing weight. I don't have a specific "diet" plan that I follow (South Beach, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, etc.), but I think I will share what I find works for me. I started by using Optifast--800 calories a day, divided into 5 "products" (protein shakes and protein bars). Really, this part of the weight loss program is super easy once you get past the hunger and the food withdrawls. When I am eating "real food", this is what I am finding works for me:

1. Eating frequently--every 2.5-3 hours--to keep my blood sugar levels steady.

2. I have begun recording every single thing that I eat, and it's complete nutritional information (Thanks, Melissa @ GLWW for great recording sheet). I track my serving size, calories, fat, carbs, sugar, protein, fiber and sodium for each thing that I eat. I have a few websites that help with this (http://www.my-weight-loss-advisor.com/calories-for-weight-loss.html, http://www.nutritiondata.com, http://www.my-weight-loss-advisor.com/protein-fat-and-carbohydrate.html), as well as an awesome electronic food scale, that allows me to enter a code for the food I am eating and gives me the complete nutritional information(http://www.amazon.com/Chefmate-Nutritional-Digital-Scale-Silver/dp/B000LWPZDO)on many foods.

3. I limit refined sugar and carbohydrates, and eat lots of lean protein and fiber.

4. I exercise, cardio and strength training, and stay as active as possible.

5. I attend weightloss support groups/weight management education classes weekly, where I am weighed, to help maintain accountability throughout the week.

6. I try to "nourish my spirit" with non-food things--time with family/friends, music, reading, writing, etc.

These are the things that help me to stay on track!!!

Shake Shake It!!!

I tried something tonight that I doubt I would have done at 275 pounds--my first Hip Hop dance class!!! It was a complete and total blast! I loved every minute of it. My daughter's dance studio offers a free class for parents, so I decided to try it just for fun. One of the things on my "list" to do this year was to take a dance class--check! Our song is "Come on Shake It" by MC Shy D--most awesome 80's hip hop song EVER. The best part is that in June we get to be a part of the recital! I have always loved to dance and think that I'm not too bad of a dancer, but now I can really "shake shake it"! Fun, fun, fun!!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pudding

I know--it sounds completely sinful and decadent, but believe it or not, I have come up with a yummy recipe for this really tasty treat. JELLO pudding sells fat free/sugar free cheesecake pudding, which I make with skim milk. Then, mix in 1 cup of pumpkin (just canned, plain, pumpkin) and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Soooo delicious for the calorie count--and the pumpkin is rich in potassium, magnesium, iron and beta carotene. Hooray for dessert!!

Blast from the Past

I was uploading photos for Flickr and Facebook, when I stumbled upon an old friend. Here are my "before" photos and a more recent photo....Wowsers. So glad we did the backside as well--as if one couldn't tell how big I was from the frontal view...Yes, in case you are wondering, that is a maternity top, and no, I was not pregnant! Click on the pics for an even closer view!!!

Sloooooow Dowwwwwnnnn

If you could hear me read the title of this post it would sound like I am speaking in slooooow moooootion. I have been thinking A LOT the last few days about my weight loss journey. And while yes, it has definitely been a real trip, I don't know that I can call it a "journey" yet. This has all happened so fast. My lifestyle has definitely changed, but the weight has come off so fast, I worry a lot about a rebound gain sometime in the future. And so, now that I am so close to my goal, I feel that I need to sloooow doooown a little bit and let my mind and body catch up. Rapid weight loss is awesome. The results are enough motivation to keep at it each week. And I would not change anything about my "journey" thus far, but I do feel that for this to be a permanent change I am going to need to re-evaluate how I get to the end. I have been pleased that I did not need surgery or pills to get this far--not that there is anything wrong with that--everyone has their own path. All changes in my body have been directly influenced by both change in diet and change in physical activity.

So I am at a point now where I am feeling that there is no rush. I like the way I look. I feel great. I can buy clothes at a regular store (size 14 now, btw!). I am determined to finish what I started, but need to move my thinking to 5 years from now...where will I be? What will I be eating then? What will I look like? Will I maintain my healthy lifestyle. I need to find balance and middle-ground for myself. I'll let you know how that goes :)

Wooosh!!!!

Woooshh!!! In the blink of an eye I have lost over 100 pounds...It has taken me my entire life (30+ years) to get to this point, and now that I am here (wherever that is) I feel as though I have not yet had time to fully take in and process my success. I've always been a little slow to process life events--stuffing my feelings away with food until I'm ready to deal with them--so I guess it should not surprise me that this is no different. Honestly, it still really weirds me out when people don't recognize me...I know that mathematically I have lost a lot of weight, but in my mind mind's eye I am still the same me. So I think I have a little catching up to do mentally. Am always a work in progress!!!

I am home sick with the flu today, so I have had more time than usual to think about this today...and, fortunately I have had time to catch up on a most fabulous read. A few posts ago I mentioned Shauna Reid's book "Diet Girl". I have read almost the entire book today. I wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone wanting an inspiring and funny read. I found myself nodding my head in agreement every few pages when Reid shares her most honest feelings of what it is like to be big and to shed the pounds. Link to her blog is on my blogroll at the left side of the page.

Staci's You Tube Posts

Staci--you are awesome, and an inspiration to me too :) Here is a link to Staci's You Tube video blog--she is a fellow blogger, friend and I recently learned a cousin!! So glad our paths have crossed!!
Okay--so having a tough time posting the link for some reason--here is the URL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InmjM9srQ2o

real quick...

I will very quickly, however, share that I lost 8 pounds this week. Good week. All around.

Blogging Suspended

I am suspending my blogging for today, January 20, 2009, to celebrate the inaugaration of BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a glorious day :)Congratulations America!!!!

Update

So lately I have had very little time to do more than a small blurb on my blog...Thought I would update a little more thoroughly. I'm having a really great week this week. I feel motivated, focused and in control. I am on full Optifast formula (800 calories), and have made it to the gym 3 times so far since Monday. At the gym I have been running on the elliptical for 30-35 minutes, and I have been doing some strength training as well. So right now I feel pretty good about things. My weightloss ticker is updated below according to my home scale this morning.

I have been trying to start a new habit, that focuses on my emotional health--a gratitude journal. Each night I am writing down at least 5 (I always have more than that) things that I am feeling grateful for that day. This was the suggestion in a book I am reading: "Simple Abundance". I am finding that I have been "standing knee deep in a river and dying of thirst" (song title). Along this journey I have learned to not take so many things for granted, and to not get too caught up in the details. I definitely feel like my gratitude and contentment with life is related to my eating. It is as if I had been trying to fill a hole in my heart with food for years and years, and now I realize that there are so many other things to put in that hole. So many things to be "full" of instead of food....

Something else I wanted to comment on--when I saw my doctor again after several months one of the questions he asked was whether or not people treat me differently now. The answer is, yes, absolutely. People I have known for years have suddenly become much kinder to me...I feel like I have gained a lot of respect from people. And while this may seem nice, it bothers me alot. Because I was no less wonderful when I was heavier. I was still smart and funny and caring--some people just didn't/couldn't see past the weight. Sad. But another thing my doctor said made a lot of sense--really it is on an unconcious level that people make judgments. They probably don't realize that they were discriminating based on weight...Interesting...

That's all for now. OH---one more thing. Reading another weightloss memoir "Diet Girl"--Shauna Reid is a fabulous blogger and author. Very inspiring.

DEAR KIM!!

Dear Kim,
Thanx for checking my blog so regularly. Makes me happy :) Please join Facebook.
Love your BFF,
Katie

A Little Sloppy

I got a little sloppy this week and stayed the same (lost .3 pounds--ha ha). The last 25 pounds is definitely going to be the hardest. This time of year is a tough time for me to lose weight, as my pattern is typically to be gaining it. So have to continue to find motivation and willpower to keep going!!! Today has been a great day. One day at a time....

A Swimsuit is Still a Swimsuit

100 pounds gone has made a huge difference in most areas of my life. But this weekend I am finding that it has not made that much of a difference in terms of how comfortable I feel in a swimsuit. On a weekend getaway here at Kalahari (indoor waterpark), I have actually discovered that I feel a little more self-conscious in my swimsuit than I ever did when I weighed close to 300 pounds. I'm figuring there are multiple reasons for this: a)When I weighed 100 pounds more, I was in serious denial of how large my body was. I knew I was fat, but I just stopped looking in the mirror below my neck at some point, b/c it was too painful. b)The bigger one is, the more invisible one becomes. I used to be that lady that people glanced at and looked nervously away, because I was so big. Maybe this is just my perception, but I felt a lot more invisible when I was bigger. I remember hearing my friends (and practically every woman on this planet) complain when they got into swimsuits about some their thights, or butt, or some other minor "flaw", but I never did this, b/c I didn't even know where to begin.

So this weekend, I understand. I feel awkward about my body, even though it is so much smaller than it used to be. I am not one to let stuff like this get in the way of having a good time--and I never have---but just a new experience I thought I would share. Interesting...

For those who are curious....

I lost 10 pounds this week!!!! I feel like I'm melting....

Half-Assed!

Reading a book called "Half-Assed" by a weightloss blogger: www.pastaqueen.com. A really funny weightloss memoir. The author has literally lost half of her ass--started at 372 pounds and is now in the 100's. Very inspiring and encouraging!

So Far Away

Current theme song...


This is my life
Its not what it was before
All these feelings I’ve shared
And these are my dreams
That I’ve never lived before
Somebody shake me
Cause I, I must be sleeping

(chorus)
And now that we're here,
So far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes,
One life contained
They all finally start to go away
And now that we're here its so far away
And I feel like I can face the day
I can forgive, and I’m not ashamed to be the person that I am today

These are my words
That I’ve never said before
I think I’m doing ok
And this is the smile
That I’ve never shown before

Somebody shake me
Cause I, I must be sleeping

(chorus)
And now that were here
So far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all mistakes one life contains
They all finally start to go away
And now that were here
So far away
And I feel like I can face the day
I can forgive, and I’m not ashamed to be the person that I am today

I'm so afraid of waking
Please don't shake me
Afraid of waking
Please dont shake me

(chorus)
And now that were here
So far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes one life contains
They all finally start to go away
And now that were here
So far away
And I feel like I can face the day
I can forgive, and I’m not ashamed to be the person that I am today

Happy New Year!!!

I am soooo ready for 2009! Am having a great week and my lifestyle is back in check again. Here is a link to an article that is really interesting on MSN:
http://health.msn.com/nutrition/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100218116&imageindex=1

10 Secrets of the Effortlessly Thin:
1. They don't diet
2. They keep track of their weight
3. They exercise regularly
4. They don't solve problems with food
5. They stop eating when they are full
6. They don't surround themselves with temptation
7. They allow themselves treats
8. They eat breakfast
9. They move, stand and fidget more
10. They don't skip meals

All things I am working on...makes a lot of sense!!!