Friday, April 30, 2010

A leap of faith

I wasn't expecting any spots to open up for another month or two within the office spaces I've been courting. As you know, yesterday I got an email telling me that something opened up and to please come look at it because she secretly hoped I would be smitten and choose that location. Smitten I was.

As a morbidly obese woman I am forever concerned with perception and judgements. I try not to let it paralyze me, but at some point during every day (unless I never leave the house) I have a moment of insecurity about my weight and what someone else might think. Throughout the phone calls and emails with the two people that run these creative coops I've been told how well they think I'll fit in, how much they hope I'll love it, and made to feel like I was fabulous (and not in a sales pitch sort of way). When I went to check out these office spaces I was nervous. Nervous that once they met me and saw the 360 pound girl making an entrance all would be lost. I would no longer be the cool designer chick they liked so much. I was more nervous to meet these people, whose world I so desperately wanted to be a part of, than I was to meet the boy taking me to lunch afterwards.

If you are my size you always expect to be the biggest person in the room, but you hope that everyone else in the room is accepting. Here, at this new location, I felt accepted (that's not to say I wasn't at their other location, but it was different). Sarah was late so I was waiting just inside for her. From the second she opened the door she had the biggest smile and was giddy to have me there. She gave me a tour and towards the end I pointed to the spot I wanted and gushed, "I want that spot." She got a huge smile, her shoulders hunched up and her head cowered down and she said, simply, "Yay." Everyone that I was introduced to seemed hugely excited to have me there. It felt like home. I wrote her a check. I can move in Saturday. And so it begins.

It's a right of passage for me. It's a leap of faith. It's believing that I can do anything I put my mind to and it's taking the necessary steps to live the life I've always wanted. My weight has kept me from doing things like this in the past. I've been content to live a life steeped in the belief that I wasn't good enough. That I would fail and it would be somehow ok because, at my size, it's just expected. Well, I am not defined by my weight. I don't fit the stereotype that people lump me into. I am destined for great things because I will bust my ass to get them and always remember the girl that thought she never could.

So, I challenge you to take your own leap of faith. To find something you thought you could never do and prove yourself wrong. Start changing your life one day at a time.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Best. Workout. Ever.


I had a bit of a pep in my step at the gym today. I checked in and ran up the stairs to the cardio level. I went into the women's only section like a woman on a mission. On tap? Resistance training. I went through a few machines, mixing arms and legs, and worked in a little bit of free weights as well. I stood on the BOSU ball and got my balance. I started doing squats. Then, I would stop, mid squat, and hold it. And hold it. And hold it. Legs trembling. Then back up for more of the same.

Then I went to the treadmill and tried to beat my 23 minute mile. Yes, that's right...it usually takes me about 23 minutes to walk one mile. I can't ever walk too fast because my shin splints will kick in. I was pumping my arms and walking with intention. Listening to The Script and puttin' right along. Today? I did my mile in 21:10. Shin splints were screaming by about 18, but I pushed through it. Then I had to stand there for a bit to let them relax before I could step off and go to a bike. I finished the workout with some time on the recumbent bike. I left there sweaty and empowered.

Monday (and into Tuesday) I was all up in some woes me. Pathetic really. I've been doing really well. I can't really say I've been perfect, particularly where drinking water is concerned, but pretty spot on all in all. I have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to repent for or apologize for. I've been working out 3 or 4 times a week and yet I felt like I wasn't doing enough. Still felt like a failure. What's THAT about? Anyway, I decided last night that I needed to just STFU and move forward. And so I did.


Tomorrow I am going to check out the other location of the creative coop that I checked out a couple weeks ago. This one is in a super cool building that has art panels as a sort of shutter. There's a cool restaurant on the 4th floor, too. The coop is on the 3rd floor so, that means stairs. I like the neighborhood better that the other location is in, but this building is pretty cool. I'll see tomorrow. They have a few spots opening up on May 1st! If the people are great and the space is great I just might go for it. There is no telling when a spot is going to open at the other location.


I'm also going to a book bindery to see what they can do for me when it comes to a custom portfolio. After that, I may or may not have a date.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Bobble Head



I got my order of bobbles today. My drawing is still going on for those that want a chance to win a bottle that filters water for your enjoyment. See this post for details. For something so small in stature it's hard to believe what it does for the earth. It's a hard plastic material so the bottle will last and the filter is good for two months before you need a new one. All told, it prevents 300 water bottles from hitting your local landfill. And it's pink! (or blue, or black, or yellow, etc).

Sorry I've been AWOL over the last week, but a. I've not had a lot to say, b. homework up the wazoo, and c. I'm kinda feeling like my blog is just going through the motions despite all the work I've put into it. Does anyone care? Does anyone even still read? I used to put a LOT of thought and effort into my writing trying to be so witty and comical. Now? Not so much. Now I just write, whatever comes to mind, with very little creative chutzpa. Note to self: Must work on this.

For those that are looking for a weigh in? Not happnin'. I didn't go to the gym today. I got my exercise renovating The Love Shack. I don't know why I call it this, other than it's better than saying "The addition to my parent's house that doubles as an apartment for many family members." See? Now you understand the nickname. My cousin and her husband had lived there for about 5 years and moved out in December. Every once in a while I go over and start tackling all the things that need to be done to fix it up. The list is long and I don't have time. Dad sure as hell isn't going to pull himself away from training for the Lay-Z-Boy Olympics and mom works all day so...that leaves me. Needless to say, it's slow going.

I also didn't go to the gym because I had no intention of weighing in anyway. I am retaining water. I don't feel like I've lost anything. I didn't want to see proof of that on the scale. Worse, I didn't want to see a gain. Had a really bad self-esteem day yesterday and spent today trying to snap out of it. Seeing a gain on the scale is not the most effective way to do that.

I have been eating some pretty snazzy things, though.


My standard Kashi Warm Cinnamon cereal with Silk Light Vanilla Soy milk.


I made a, dare I say it, kick ass stir fry one night.


Salmon Patties, Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Asparagus, and Long Grain Wild Rice.


Now this little number deserves an explanation. I have started putting this Yoplait Chocolate Mousse Whips in the freezer for a couple hours and topping it with Fat Free Cool Whip and having this for dessert at night instead of ice cream. It's pretty darn yummy.


Last night I marinated chicken in Lawry's Oriental Sesame Marinade (I think that was the name). Yummy. So this morning I cut some up and did a little Egg Beaters scramble with the chicken and a little sharp cheddar on top. Had a glass of Silk and a high fiber english muffin with a little Barney Butter.


Today's lunch was some hummus, a whole wheat pita, and a sugar free pudding with fat free cool whip.


My afternoon snack was another bit of yogurt goodness. Yoplait Thick and Creamy Key Lime Pie with a 1/4 cup of Bear Naked Vanilla Almond Crunch Fit Granola. Super good.

I made fajitas for dinner, but no photo. My bad. Mom got three or four more pints of Ben & Jerry's, too...I make no promises. They are new flavors and they deserve my attention.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day Giveaway!



Last year, Americans sent 38 Billion bottles to landfills across the nation. By switching to reusable water bottles you can keep an estimated 300 single-use bottles from reaching those landfills. It's time to Bobble your water and I'm going to help a few lucky people do just that.


Remember that water bottle I was swooning over this summer? With the built in water filter? The Water Bobble? I've got a few coming my way and I want you to have one, too (and possibly you...and you). So, I'm choosing Earth Day to ring in my first giveaway (and if saving the earth isn't a good enough reason, you can save $1,000 a year by switching to a reusable water bottle if you currently buy bottled water).

So how do you get your hands on one of these little gems? Well, I'll tell ya...

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me another step you're going to take this year to reduce your carbon footprint.

2. Show me that you blogged about my giveaway.

3. Show me that you tweeted, chirped and otherwise pimped my giveaway on Twitter.

4. For every new follower that does No. 1 and tells me that they found me from your blog, tweet, or email...you get another entry.

Just make sure that all this craziness is documented in the comments of this post and you have lots of ways to enter to win (yes, this means multiple entries if you do all of these).

I will randomly choose the winners Saturday, May 1st, at 3:00 pm Pacific. Contest open to US and Canadian residents. You will be required to give me your address if you win because shipping will be done by me. These are gifts from me, not from the Water Bobble company.

Now, go plant a tree or something, but do NOT buy anymore bottled water!


Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Beached



What's the tally, ho?
Weight = 358.1 (sorry, no pic. Left phone in car)
Down 3.1
Total 11.9
Managed a miracle considering I was at the beach all weekend.

Things have been a little crazy since I last posted. Wednesday got away from me after dealing with unemployment, doing homework, having my phone call with a Bodybugg coach, running to school to pick up some funds, and so on. Never made it to the gym.

Thursday was a designated day off so that I could run errands (like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's) and go check out the potential office space. I am in love with it and hoping a spot opens soon. They think I'll fit in well there and it sounds like it's all mine if I want it. Yes, please. It will be so awesome to run my business from a legit place and then be able to shut it all off and go home and relax (most of the time). New chapters, new life, new everything.


Friday I had class and then headed to the beach until Sunday. I had no internet save for what I could get with my Blackberry. It was so nice. I could sit on the couch at the beach house and see the ocean through the sliding glass doors. The weather was great and the door was open most of the time and I could listen to the waves crashing on the shore. I'm blessed to live in a place as beautiful as Oregon. We played a lot of games and watched movies. Consequently, I didn't get any homework done and yesterday was chaos as I tried to dial it all in before a midnight deadline. Whew!


I was pretty shocked at weigh in after all I ate over the weekend and the fact that I didn't count one calorie for three days. I decided not to worry about it while gone since I wouldn't be able to access all my info on the Bodybugg site with no internet. I was ok with it, but it made getting back into the swing of things a little more difficult. I really really have to watch what I eat and do this week because all these great weight losses are going to result in something not so pretty next week. I will have to drink tons of water and hope for the best. Scratch that, I will have to work my butt off (literally).

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Spice route gone wrong


What's the tally, ho?
Down 6.0
Total 8.8
Am fierce


On the way home from the gym I picked up some birthday pressies for my mama. I got her some things to plant in the veggie garden and a super pretty Columbine. I brought a bunch into the house and my Dad's childhood friend, Wes, was here visiting. I said Hi and went to get the rest of the goodies. As I came back into the living room Wes said it looked like I had lost weight. He said he waited until I walked back out and asked Dad before saying anything just in case I hadn't. Dad told him I'd been working on it so he was in the clear to comment. Thanks, Wes!

Wes is very sick. He's on Oxygen and is rockin' a tracheotomy. He uses a walker and when he got up to go use the bathroom he got so dizzy that we had to try and get him back in the chair before he ended up on the floor. This is my Dad's best friend. They grew up in Florida together and came to Oregon together. It pains my dad to see him this way. As he was working his way out the door to head home he stopped and told me to keep it up...that I'm looking good. Who knew 8.8 pounds was so noticeable. It must be the navy blue shirt and black pants. Slimming.

After Wes left Dad was going on and on about how sick Wes is and that he doesn't figure he has another year to live. I said, "I'm going to say something and you can get as pissy as you want, but...I would appreciate it if you would do something to prolong you being in Wes' shoes for as long as possible because that's where we all predict you'll end up before long." He said he wouldn't end up like Wes, he'd just drop dead. Alrighty then. Good talk, Dad. Good talk.

And so it goes...


Lil Hummus, pita, pudding, and tea for lunch and Peanut Butter Cookie LARABAR for snack. Then came time to start cooking dinner. On tap? I decided to try a lil something from the Indian Spice Route.


It involved fancy things like turmeric, ginger, coriander, cardamom, and the like. I believe it's the most exotic I've ever been.


Well, me and exotic are no longer friends. Chicken Curry was a complete failure. This...


was dinner. Why, yes, that IS country potato bread, but it's a hell of a lot better than the Burger King that Mom and Dad are bellied up to right now. SFD (Translation = ShitFuckDamn, the swear word trifecta)!!

All in all, though, I'll still chalk to today up as a win. Although, I've gotten absolutely no homework done because curry disasters take hours. Might not be blogging it out tomorrow, but I'll definitely let you know how the walk through on the office space goes.

Monday, April 12, 2010

It's not delivery OR DiGiorno



I had a pretty decent workout at the gym today, but not very long. I had a lot to do and needed to make it quick. I snagged a McDonald's Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken on the way home. Love this salad.


I got adventurous in the kitchen again and made pizza for dinner tonight. I make calzones for Mom and Dad quite often, but I just use some sort of instant pizza dough like Pillsbury or something. Today I made the dough from scratch. I also made the sauce from scratch. I put turkey pepperoni, canadian bacon, mushrooms, olives and some cheese (a little bit of sharp and some reduced fat four cheese italian blend). That crust was super tasty. I'm not going to say it was the most healthy dinner, but it was better than what I would have gotten somewhere else. I'm going to try a whole wheat crust one of these times.


I have a crazy week ahead. I have to get a LOT (and by a lot I mean a shit load) of homework dialed in before I go to the beach for the weekend, hit the gym on Tuesday and Wednesday, have some phone coaching thing with a Bodybugg coach on Wednesday, coffee with a friend Thursday to do homework together and then...


On Thursday I am meeting with someone that runs a creative services coop. Meaning, 10 people share the space and run their own businesses out of it. We each have a "pod" (aka cubicle of sorts) and do our own things, but we share the basics. The huge layout table, the conference room, the kitchen, the copier, etc.


We'd also share opinions, feedback, some laughs and some coffee. It's having my own business while still getting to socialize with like minded individuals. Bliss. I am still going to be looking for a full time job so I get some of that real world experience, but Pixel Dust will have a home. There are two locations in Portland and they have a space opening at the location pictured above. I'd have 24/7 access to the building so even if I got a "job" I could do my own thing on evenings and weekends. Ideally, though, business will be booming soon enough and I can focus all my attention on making my design studio a success. Giddy. Graduation is looming and big things are on the horizon.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Easy like Sunday morning


My mom has these tea cups. This is one from the set of four. They've always been there, on this rack that hangs on the kitchen wall that has pegs to hang coffee cups. They sit on the shelf it has above the pegs. No one ever uses them. I've always thought they were the ugliest things. Suddenly in the last month they have become the sweetest little tea cups in existence. Each cup has a different image of bright little flowers and are quite happy making. How things change as we get older and appreciate a simpler time. Today I made a cup of green tea and put a skosh of Silk Light Vanilla Soy Milk in it. Delish. It almost made a day of homework bearable.


With my tea I had Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon with more Silk. I can't seem to find this cereal in my town so I occasionally snag a couple boxes whenever I get to Whole Foods. I also snagged a bunch of LARABARS while I was there. I still had never tried them and hear so much talk about them.


This one was Key Lime Pie. Not one I'll get again and I'm hoping the others are better. I got quite a few different kinds. Maybe my first LARA experience shouldn't have been so exotic. Peanut Butter Cookie sounds about right. Will give that a shot tomorrow.


For lunch I cooked up two Black Bean Chipotle Gardenburgers and made an open-faced sandwich. It seems like so much more food when you do it that way. I used my homemade hummus instead of mayo and slapped a little lettuce on there. I love love love these gardenburgers. Yet another thing I can't find in my town and have to get at Whole Foods (have I mentioned how eager I am to move back to Portland)?


I might have had another Jell-O Mousse Temptations, too, but don't try and guilt me. They are only 60 calories and that is fat free Cool Whip my friends.


Oh...and according to Steaz, I am balanced. Though I am successfully sitting on a stability ball with utmost balance, I don't FEEL very balanced. Thanks anyway, Steaz.

I'm considering doing a little challenge or giveaway or combo. For the last few summers I have donned the hat of Sergeant Shrinkabootie and coordinated a weight loss boot camp with people that expressed interest through weightwatchers.com. It was a LOT of work and I don't have the time for it as it was previously defined. I was thinking, though, that I could take some of the weekly challenges that I used to come up with and pose them to you all. I'll keep track of who wins week to week and winner gets a prize...from me (which is more than anyone got from me during previous boot camps). Lose weight AND get a prize? That's win win right there. Any interest?

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Black and Blue


Not me, silly. My dinner. I made Black and Blue Bacon Burgers.

Black = black angus ground beef (I just use any ol' lean ground beef)
Blue = blue cheese
Bacon = real bacon bits

I take a portion of ground beef that I'd normally make a pattie out of and divide it in half, making two thin patties. I put about a tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese and a tablespoon of real bacon bits (beats cooking bacon) in the center of one of the thin patties and spread it out a little bit. I put the second pattie over that and pinch the edges to keep the goodness inside. I shape it back into a better looking burger and cook it up. Voila. Black and Blue Bacon Burger. I used a sandwich thin and the rest of the condiments are pretty much up to you.

And earlier today, I did a little more math.


All this...


divided by this...


plus this...


equals this.

I made hummus. Like, from scratch. Mom got Dad a Cuisinart for Christmas and he had never taken it out of the box (it's hard to find time to cook when you're training for the Lay-z-boy Olympics, donchaknow). I decided to take matters into my own hands and deboxed that bitch. I found a recipe, tweaked it a bit, and it's pretty dang good. Still needs a little work. When I get it dialed in I'll toss the recipe at you.

And guess who has so many calories left that she gets Ben & Jerry's tonight? This girl. Homework calls.

Make it Sparkle.

After my twelve hour day on campus yesterday, and heading home at 9pm, I stopped at Whole Foods Market because I needed to get some Tahini to try my hand at homemade hummus. I love that place, have I mentioned that? I believe I have. I feel ever so slightly lighter on my feet just walking in there. It almost makes the higher prices worth it for this girl. It's the little things. I got all sorts of new goodies that I've been wanting to try, but haven't ever braved. This renewed sense of weight loss empowerment has me wanting to be more adventurous and try all sorts of new things. Know what that means? Reviews.

I contacted a couple companies for samples just for S&G's and so far I'm waiting for my delivery from the ever so kind Vitalicious crew. I'm an unemployed student for cryin' out loud. Trying all sorts of new things is a risky endeavor when you're reserving all of your money for your graphic design habit. Needless to say, I was super excited when they eagerly replied to my email. Love them already.

Where was I? Oh, yes, Whole Foods. As I was walking through looking for things I've wanted to try I was enamored by all the packaging. I know there are some artsy chicks that read my babble, but I don't know if anyone has an appreciation for the Graphic Arts. It is my crack. What was a minor crush pre design education has become a full on love affair (which is good since it consumes 99.9% of my time). Part of my habit includes packaging. When you are a design(erd) you see things in an entirely different way. For instance, you pass a billboard and say "Oh, look. Air Supply is going to be at the casino" (who knew). I pass the same billboard and say something like "Did they REALLY just use Papyrus?" or "For the love of God! You could drive a bus through the space between that A and that I. Kern that SOB!" Road trips for you involve games of Eye Spy and the Alphabet game. For me? It's one big mass opportunity for logo critiques. I am the queen of offtrackedness today, no?

I came upon Steaz Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea. I felt flushed. The packaging appealed to my inner minimalist. White and clean with a lovely patterned flower. I wanted it. I wanted it bad. One problem. I hate sparkling water. There, I said it. I do, however, love green tea. So, there I stood, at a crossroads.


You might be able to resist it, but I? Cannot. Lovely packaging coupled with promises of zero calorie goodness is more than this girl can handle. Sustainably sourced, fair trade organic green tea? Sweetened with the leaves from the stevia plant? What choice did I have?


I just took one out of the fridge and am ready for the steaz experience. I'm sure many of you have already partaken, but I have been locked in classrooms and out of the loop. This will happen often as you read my reviews. I'm behind the times. I popped the top on the little gem and Shut The Front Door. Steaz comes with a side of wisdom on every cap. Today, apparently, "I am energy" (or so the cap says). Giggle. I felt a little spunkier just having been told so.

I took a sip. Hmmm. Another sip. Definitely better than sparkling water. Sip. Not quite like green tea. Sip. It's pretty. Sip. I suppose I can drink this. In a nutshell. I'm not swooning over the contents near as much as I was the outer pretty. I think it will be a nice switch when I'm tired of drinking plain water. I think that those that are fans of sparkling water would love it. I also think that the more sips I take the better it is. It might just be one of those better at the bottom things meaning...some things just grow on you after a while.


One more thing...even though I got home late, I sat down at my usual spot (notice the balance ball that I use as a chair) to work on homework and once mom and dad went to bed I watched my DVR'd Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. So sad. Made me tear up. This show provides inspiration beyond what Biggest Loser ever manages to. He went to a mortuary and you saw ginormous caskets built for the obese. You heard about how they have to explain to the families that their loved one won't fit in a regular casket, that the large caskets won't fit in their hearse and that they will have to buy two burial plots at the graveyard. And just when you think that doesn't apply to you because you're one for cremation you find out that's not so much the case. You see, when morbidly obese people are cremated they go up like roman candles because of all the fat in their bodies and there isn't really anything left in the way of ashes. It was profound. It was creepy. It was an awakening. I heart you Jamie Oliver. Truly, madly and maybe even deeply.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Great Expectations

I had big blogging plans today. Took photos of what I ate, thought of witty things to say, etc. Then a design brief happened. Basically I had to write a paper on what I intend to do for my portfolio, talk about my work, what I might put in it, what format the book might take, images of potential looks for it, and list 10 or more firms/studios/people/places/things I'd be interested in working for (hereforto known as the WhoToWoo list). Only, I didn't know it was this involved. Why? Because I am apparently no longer "that girl." I was that girl. You know, the girl that always has her shit dialed in no matter what class? She knows what's due and when and is never late? She gets assignments done ASAP and is crazy girl scout prepared no matter what? Yeah, that girl. I put this off all week and then when I looked at what was expected had a holy shit moment and panicked. I just got it done. It took four hours and is only a page and a half long. The good news? I'm not sure. I might know what portfolio I'll be using for my book? It might involve laser etching...just saying. SWOON!

Anyway, as promised...more cowbell.

I didn't eat breakfast before going to the gym which made me all wobbly and weak and resulted in a 30 min treadmill experience followed by, well, bailing.


Then I ate Subway.


Which might have been followed by Jell-O Mousse Temptations with Fat Free Cool Whip. Nom Nom Nom.


PM snack involved this lovely little fruit in one of mom's retro lil bowls. You know the kind. The one's you thought were completely hid(eous) when you were young but now secretly hope you get should she end up wearing cement galoshes and swimming with the fishes at some point (could happen, she's wiley that one).


Then all madness happened as I tried this hot lady's recipes for Pork Loin Roast with Gravy, Smashed Root Veggies and Roasted Broccoli. The kitchen was a tornado zone by the time I got done. My favorite was the smashed root veggies. I had never tried a turnip before. Go me for being all culinarily adventurous.

Somewhere around the 3 hour mark of my design brief there may or may not have been some Ben and Jerry's, but since there is no photographic evidence, you cannot prove it and thus...it never happened.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

This blog needs...



but since I don't have a cowbell you'll have to settle for photography. I love photos and I love my camera. From snapshots to professional grade perfection I just heart it. I've been integrating more images lately, but they've been from the internet. A while back I was taking pics of the food I was making. I think it's time I kicked that back into gear now that I get to cook more often. For tonight, I have two quickly snapped photos just to show you why it's so impossible to lose weight around here.


This little gem is the Easter "flower" arrangement that's in the middle of the dining room table. That is my view nearly all day every day as I do homework and read your blogs and write my own. Yes, those are cupcakes. I have not had any, though they mock me terribly. Eff the Easter bunny.


And this is at eye level in the big freezer in the utility room. Mom got eight cartons of Ben and Jerry's because they were on sale for a buck something. That woman can't pass up a sale, bless her little heart. She stacked them ever so perfectly next to the Entenmann's. I can't say I've been as strong facing this demon as I have the cupcakes. The last two nights we have split a carton between the three of us. There are supposed to be four servings in a container. Is it me, or did they used to be a single serving? Oh, right, that is just me. Oops.

Snappy new digs.

I decided it's time to give the ol' blog a facelift (as you can see). Will keep working on it, but thought that crazy header up there would set me apart from the crowd a little better than the generic trash I had up there before. Haven't had time to add the sass factor (and probably still shouldn't have now that I've pissed away an entire day doing it), but I've decided to always make time for sass.

I didn't go to the gym today (I blame Aunt Flo) so I broke out the Wii games and worked off about 350 calories. Better than nothing. Might knock more out later if my Uterus stops harshin' my gig. According to the ol' Bodybugg I'm on track for meeting my burn today, though. Go me n' stuff.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Sync'd up?

You know how women "sync up" when they live together or work together closely? Where our TOM's all start happening at the same time? Are we women of the diet blog world syncing up? I've been catching up on blogs and finding new one's and oddly enough, nearly every freakin' one of them is talking about Aunt Flo or TOM right now, myself included. It's like we're in some odd little sorority of sorts. Luckily for the men reading our blogs, it will all pass at once and you'll have three weeks of blog posts where we don't fixate on all things bloaty.

Oh, Bodybugg, how you spin me.

What's the tally, ho?
Down 2.8.
Sweet! Take that, Aunt Flo.

On another note, I thought I'd delve into what I've learned after one week of using the Bodybugg. The most important thing I've learned? I've been starving myself. Not so much during my months of hibernation that I partake in on occasion (read: most of the time), but more so during the times that I think I'm on track. Shall I explain? Good.

Our bodies burn a certain amount of calories just existing. We use a certain amount of energy just breathing, pumping blood, digesting, looking pretty, etc. It's a wonderful lil' thing known as BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). The more you weigh, the more your body has to work to do these simple tasks so the more calories you burn just, well, existing. Most of us know this. We also know that if you start moving you're burning more calories. Simple. The more you move, the more calories you burn. Also simple. With me so far? Good.

If you've been trying to lose weight for any length of time or done much reading on it, you know that when you exercise consistently you start raising your metabolism. You start burning calories faster and more efficiently burning the fuel (food) that you put into your body. What I didn't realize, is just how quickly that change can take place. In my mind this was a long drawn out process over months and months of hard work. Well, look at these screenshots from my Bodybugg readings.








I started working out on Monday of last week so I had already started the boost before I got my Bodybugg. In these readings, though, I went to the gym the first three days and then again yesterday (the last reading). My workouts weren't exactly the same, but they were not that different from day to day. I did about 45 minutes of cardio each of those days and very light resistance on all but Wednesday I think it was. You can see that my burn for the day gradually increased despite the workout being the same because I was being consistent and it kept my calorie burn high. Then, on Friday, it was still high enough to meet my daily burn requirements even though I didn't workout; however, it decreased more every day I didn't workout.

Here's where starving comes in. Look at Thursday. I burned 4,430 calories that day. If you're on some crazy 1,200 calorie diet and burning 4,430 calories a day your body is going to think it's starving. Maybe not at first, at first you'll drop pounds like a mofo, but eventually your body is going to say, "WTF, yo? 1,200? Did you get picked for the cast of Survivor and not tell me? I can't even pump your blood for 1,200 let alone keep you breathing. I'm obv. gonna have to stockpile that shit because I PPH (pink puffy heart) you and don't want you to keel over." And so it begins. You stop losing weight and you whine (and perhaps even wine) and workout harder burning even more calories and eating less and still don't lose what you think you should. At this point you're lucky your hair isn't falling out because you're verging on anorexic and still...hardly losing. Then you eat a burger and fries and lose 5 pounds and don't understand it.

Eat. Eat carbs, eat fat, eat protein, eat fiber. Get your calories in SENSIBLY. Don't boycott something because your body needs all of it. If you workout harder you'll need more food. Whether a Pinto or a Porsche you still need fuel to run.

Note: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. I am also often wrong, but don't tell me so because this information, even if false, just might keep me on track for a while.