Fishie Musings

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

2010-01-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

A year! Its been a year since I found Jenny Craig and about 13 months since I decided to do something for my life and my health.

What has this year brought me?

Today, I'm 153 lbs! Dec 2008 when I started my life change, I was 217 lbs.
I was size 18. Now I'm size 8!

It CAN be done. I look at food so differently now after where I've come from. Food is fuel and I know this. It's no longer mindless eating. It no longer holds the power over me that it once did. Although, now that I'm used to eating every 3 hours, I definitely MUST eat when my stomach starts to rumble! The difference lies here.... A year ago, a footlong sub didn't fill me. Now, a 6" LIGHT sub is too much. My body knows how much to feed itself to fuel itself for the next 3 hours.

I've managed to travel many times throughout the year and made it through 2 Christmas holiday seasons and managed to either lose, or gain a couple pounds of water weight that comes off just as fast as it came on. I went to Vegas 2 times, a Greek island hopping tour on a cruise ship, Mexico for NYE as well as travelled across Canada a couple times. All along, I brought snacks and food that I knew were "safe" and when I couldn't I ate what I needed to in order to stay on track.

Along the way, I also gained several lbs of muscle on my body thanks to my own hard work and the push of my personal trainer.

Today, I plan my wedding in Mexico for April and look towards a Size 6. My goal!

Life can't get much sweeter...

Celebration time

2009-10-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

Last week was my last session with Vanessa. My trainer has been with me for the last 11 months and saw me work hard enough to almost pass out. She's been there when I said "I can't" and when I went ahead and did it anyway because for her, I HAD "3 more" in me. Because of her and my own determination to get my goal here's my stats....

Nov 18/08

Weight 217 lbs
Neck 14"
Shoulders 44.5"
Chest 43"
Upper Waist 36.5"
Lower Waist 45"
Hips 49.5"
Right Thigh 31"

Data:
Weight of Lean Body Mass: 115.55 lbs
% of Lean Body Mass: 53.2%
Lean Body Mass to Fat Ratio: 1.1 to 1 (ideal is 3.2 to 1)
Total Body Water: 36.2 litres
Weight of Body Fat 101.45 lbs
% of Body Fat: 46.8%
I had 21% excess fat, 53% Lean Body Mass, 26% was my Goal Body Fat.

Oct 13/09

Weight 156 lbs
Neck 12" (down 2")
Shoulders 39" (down 5.5")
Chest 35" (down 8")
Upper Waist 29.5" (down 7")
Lower Waist 33.5" (down 11.5")
Hips 42" (down 7.5")
Right Thigh 25" (down 6")

Total Inch loss so far 47.5"

Data:
Weight of Lean Body Mass: 108.47 lbs
% of Lean Body Mass: 69.5%
Lean Body Mass to Fat Ratio: 2.3 to 1 (ideal is 3.2 to 1)
Total Body Water: 36.4 litres
Weight of Body Fat 47.53 lbs
% of Body Fat: 30.5%
I now have 4% excess fat, 70% Lean Body Mass, 26% is my Goal Body Fat.

When I reach 147 lbs, I will be at goal body fat with no excess fat. In 11 months total of eating right and exercise, I have lost 17% of my body fat.

Information:
Lean Body Mass includes all body components except fat.
Goal Fat represents the goal body fat which is necessary for proper physical health
Excess is fat which is in excess of normal limits and is unhealthy.

Vacation success!

2009-09-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

In June, I went on a 2.5 week vacation, where 2 weeks of it was in Greece on an island hopping tour which included 5 days on a cruise ship. You know what that means... BUFFETS!

I can't say I really exercised alot... I exercise frequently at home so I wouldn't think it was the exercise too much. I think that as a result of the portion sizes that I've learned because of Jenny, I found myself VERY happy when I came home and had a weigh in!

I was down 4 lbs from the day before I left for my trip! I know that even in the face of drinking every night and having tons of food choices literally staring at me, I could still do this! That means everything to me because now I know that I will succeed in maintenance!

Then in August, I spent 5 days in a rented house with 19 other women where every day all day was constant foodfoodfoodfoodfood. I brought a few JC things with me and where I could I made the best choices I could and stuck to my portions. I also exercised while there with a few of the women that are interested in fitness with me.

I lost weight! I still lost 3.5 lbs!

This message from one of my friends that I saw last year when I was 220lbs and then again this year made me so happy and at peace with this way of life.

Cheryl's transformation has been nothing short of fantastic -- and I'm not even talking about her absolutely smokin' new body. Cheryl is obviously in such a great place mentally these days; she just absolutely radiates happiness in how she carries herself, her smile, standing up tall, looking people in the eye, taking on the world. Seeing how beautiful Cheryl has become -- and I'm not just talking about physical beauty. Cheryl absolutely *glows* these days!

Another woman actually started crying when I came into the house because she wants to feel as wonderful as I do right now. She's still got her own obstacles to overcome before she'll be mentally ready enough to do this but she's been asking me about Jenny ALOT! I know she can get fit and healthy and will be soooo much happier as a result.

When you think you can't, you CAN!

Jenny is part of my life and it will be for the rest of my life in some form or another. I know now that I can do this no matter where I am... vacations be damned, this is my lifestyle and I've been working damn hard for it. My outside is matching my inside now and I am excited about every step in this journey!

As of today, I've lost 58 lbs! Wahooo!

Things about me

2009-08-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

I'm alot more laid back but also more sarcastic with jokes thrown in in person.
I don't snore (according to others, unless I'm sick)
I eat with my mouth closed but I tend to eat fast (I'm trying to change the fast part...)
I need my alone time too and will occasionally disappear from a group of people. I love when ppl check on me but I will come back to the group when I've recharged.
I am NOT a morning person and not very talkative in the morning
As much weight as I've lost, I'm still extremely aware of my body and have a pretty poor self-image of it (which I'm ALSO working on!).

All that aside, I'm absolutely, dreadfully, hopelessly in love with my best guy friend. And he loves me just the same. I just may be the happiest girl in the world.

CLX Extreme... here we go!

2009-07-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

July 9/2009 starting pics and measurements!

See link for starting pics as of today! Cut my face off or blurred it only because I'm hosting it online

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v6...albumview=grid

Measurements as follows:

Waist 34.25"
Hips 44.0"
Abductors 41.0"
Chest 38.5"
R Arm 11.5"
L Arm 11.25"
R Thigh 22.5"
L Thigh 22.75"
Weight 167.5 lbs

Here we go!

Progress pics!

2009-05-14T19:29:00.001-07:00

Now

As of today, 45 pounds down (according to the gym scale) since end of November!

Before (at this time, I was about 230-ish)

41 lbs down!

2009-05-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

I've been asked a few times. How do I do it?

Well I eat clean. I don't make excuses to allow myself the luxuries of "just one" because as we well know, its never just one bite! I work out 4-5 days a week. 3 of them with a trainer doing strength/weight training and the other 2 doing cardio.

And I try to celebrate my successes with a mental victory. A sort of... "see, told you that you could do it!"... above all, no matter what... POSITIVE self talk! And heck, I do it out loud. Only my dog here to stare at me

It's alot easier to want this enough when you love yourself!

The absolute BEST moment on JC!, so far....

2009-05-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have this ex that absolutely had me over a barrel a year ago. I was incredibly, intensely, unbelievably head over heels for this man. He split with me after a short time because he wasn't in the same place he said. He told me that while he loved me, it wasn't the kind of love that I deserved. So, broken hearted and jaded, I retreated. At the time, I was 220 lbs.

We fell out of touch last year and recently reconnected. I've seen him twice since I started Jenny.. but never in this format. A ritual we used to do is have a Tim Horton's coffee and sit in my hot tub and chat. So I asked him over for just that on Thursday night.

The man literally didn't take his eyes off me the entire 2 hours. He said "wow you're hot" and "you look amazing" each about 4 times in the course of while we were talking. He NEVER not one single time EVER said that to me when we dated.

Eat your heart out man

YAY Jenny!

Updated Stats!

2009-04-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Updated Stats

Nov 18/08

Weight 217 lbs
Neck 14"
Shoulders 44.5"
Chest 43"
Upper Waist 36.5"
Lower Waist 45"
Hips 49.5"
Right Thigh 31"

April 16/09

Weight 179 lbs
Neck 13" (down 1")
Shoulders 39.8" (down 4.7")
Chest 37.5" (down 5.5")
Upper Waist 32.7" (down 3.8")
Lower Waist 36.5" (down 8.5")
Hips 45.7" (down 3.8")
Right Thigh 27.5" (down 3.5")

Total Inch loss so far 30.8"
Body fat started at 46.6% now 37.0%

Unfortunately I lost a little more muscle so I'm going to be adding in some more protein powder (or egg whites) so that my body doesn't peel the needed calories from the muscle in my body. I can't deny that the loss of muscle is frustrating me even though the rest of my stats are better than last time. I would love to have seen even .5 of a gain of muscle... instead I lost 1.8 lbs of it! Argh

My trainer and JCC both are convinced that Jenny is too low in protein for muscle maintenance/gain. Most people aren't interested in that part even though they SHOULD be! Muscle helps burn fat even when you're inactive so the loss of it is NOT good. Muscle is what's going to help maintain my loss when I get to goal... and I don't want to be a "skinny fat" with a low weight but lots of loose skin! I wanna be lean and toned!

So our solution (which I was already adding in on my own anyway) is we're increasing my calories back to 1700. BUT. My calorie menu stays at 1500 and I'm to add those other 200 calories in as protein so that my body gets the necessary fuel it needs to build muscle.

I also broke my plateau this week. I HOPE. Being that I've lost that much muscle this last month doesn't have me as happy... however I'm down another 2.6 lbs this week

I'm OFFICIALLY in the 170's! WAHOOOO!!

2009-04-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Quick weight loss

We all struggle with wanting the weight to come off faster than it is even though we know that it is unhealthy to lose too quickly and unlikely to stay off in the long run.

I found this article and I loved this bit....

Quote:

Suppose you're on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, and two hours into it you decide you're not getting there as quickly as you'd like. What do you do? Bail out? Not likely. You tell yourself to be patient, perhaps you squirm in your seat a little bit, but when it's all said and done you accept the reality that it's going to take five hours, even if you'd like it to be a much shorter trip. Sure, you can fantasize and wish the day would come that they'd invent the transporter from Star Trek that will get you there in seconds, but until that fantasy becomes real, there are limitations to how quickly you can reach your destination. What happens if after two hours you choose to bail? Hmmm. In all likelihood you go SPLLAAAAATTTT somewhere around Houston Texas.

I guess the reason you aren't likely to jump out of a California bound 727 at 42,000 feet is because you know better. Nobody's telling you that it's the secret to arriving sooner. You fully understand the reality.

the entire article is long but a great read! check it out here -> http://www.philkaplan.com/thefitness...weightloss.htm

A twinkie separates us

2009-04-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

And all such nonsense...

So I'm a pound away from 1/2 way to goal. What does this mean really?

Well lets see...

it means that for the first time in way too many years I find myself close to single digits in clothing
it means that I don't huff and puff when I have to take the 5 flights of stairs to work because the elevator is taking too damn long anyway
it means that when I go to Greece in 56(yay!) days, I will fit more than easily into my too small plane seat
it means that I can now be counted among the "skinny" friends
it means that people that know and love me are impressed and inspired by my determination and drive to reach my goal... for the LAST time.
it means that when I go shopping, I don't have to go to the "big girl" stores and I don't have to go to the back of the rack either
it means

....

that I inspire myself.

There is no I HOPE... there is only because I CAN and I WILL.

2009-04-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

Woot! 1 pound to 1/2 way!

My Weight Chart:

Hot yoga

2009-03-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was up at 6am on Saturday to exercise. I must be insane. SOMEONE call the funny farm!

I tried out hot yoga for 8am today. I was nervous. Mostly that I'd puke or couldn't breathe. TOM also started yesterday so I hoped that the heat would also help with the cramps. They say not to eat a heavy meal 2-3 hours before doing the yoga. I had a muffin. It thankfully was not enough to be considered "heavy". I had to eat something. Not only because I'm starving in the morning but because I will DEFINITELY puke if I don't because of low blood sugar.

The room was hot but not as heavy as I thought it would be. I loved the heat. Sweat was literally dripping off my face onto the towel. I never got nauseous but I did get light headed once and had to chill in child's pose for a bit. 90 minutes flew by. I was beet red when I was done. Exhausted, energized and relaxed all at the same time.

I'm going back tomorrow! $20 unlimited for 1 week

My journey

2009-03-19T19:14:00.000-07:00

When I was getting close to my 32nd birthday (end of November 2008) I found myself missing parts of myself. The happy part. The healthy part.

At that point something clicked in my head. I was done. I was done being fat. Uncomfortable. Sick. Tired. Sad. Single and Sloth-like.

I joined a gym first and hired a personal trainer for 2 days a week. I used the gyms nutritionist and developed a customized eating plan to help keep my food on track. Very quickly, I realized that I not only had to step up the days of exercise with the trainer if I wanted to actually see any results but I also had to make some changes to the eating plan I was on. I am a very busy person and don't have alot of time to cook so I found myself eating a lot of easy quick things to grab. I ate alot of cottage cheese.

I confess. I'm a terrible cook. I hate cooking. I'm too A.D.D. to bother to watch it and usually find it burnt before I realize it. Charcoal IS a food group in my home. Thankfully (or not?) its just me to cook for so when I got close to the end of 2008, I found myself researching eating plans where I could eat their pre-made foods and get a little variety all while losing weight.

I settled on Jenny Craig just after the New Year. It was more money than Nutri-System but several people had told me how terrible the food was on that plan so that was enough for me to choose JC instead.

I've been eating right and exercising a minimum of 3 days a week since the end of November.

I've lost 32 lbs and 26" off my body so far. I started at 46% Body Fat. I'm now at 38%. By summer, I have a goal to be about 26% and at my goal weight. This will be a total loss of 72 lbs. Everyday IS a struggle but I've made this decision for my life and for my health. I won't say its "easy" because its not. There's lunches and potlucks and dinners and drinks and cake and candy that I can't have if I want to get to my goal. I see others around me that are slender and healthy looking and I don't understand why I have to work so hard and be so diligent to stick to it all week long to lose 2 lbs. But its coming off. And I'm seeing sizes I haven't seen in over 7 years. This is enough encouragement and motivation for me.

As I tell my friends and family..... This is the LAST time I'm losing weight!

Another blogging page to remember to update

2009-03-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

I promise nothing. But I will try!