Post Christmas Update

Hey blog!

I gained back the two pounds lost, because of Christmas cookies mostly. And a lot of meals with family, where it was harder to control what I ate. But I am so confident that I will lose weight this year. Every time I start to try it becomes easier.

Also, I am working a temp job! This will help me lose weight, I have to eat a healthy breakfast, and pack a lunch. I really like my job so far. It would be super if they could keep me permanently.

So yay! I feel more confident and hopeful then I have in a while. Even in the depths of cloudy, rainy Seattle winter.

Still doing it

Since my last post, I have lost half a pound.

So not a huge loss. But considering it is the holiday season, I am doing ok.

I also have another job interview tomorrow. Nervous. But just normal nerves, nothing I haven't faced before.

who lost weight over thanksgiving?

Hey I lost two pounds!
Over the week of Thanksgiving!

How is that for a head start! Going into the holiday season strong.
I have also been going to the gym regularly. Woot!

I will post more now that I am feeling more positive.

Korean Soft Tofu Soup - Cooking and calorie counting

So this dish was fairly easy to count the calories in, this is because I know that my partner and I will just split it equally, and it is all cooked in one pot.

Soondubu on my stove at home

I started with two cloves of garlic and about a cup on kimchi - 8 and 0 calories respectively in a stone bowl on my stove, medium heat
I added a whole can of vegetable stock - 30 - I turned the heat up to almost high
While this gets hot, I add about two tablespoons of red pepper powder, some of the stock, and about two teaspoons of fish sauce in a bowl and mix them up, to avoid clumping in the soup - 90, 16
Add this to the whole and this whole bunch of soup continues to heat
I added five frozen clam meats - 180
I also added about five scallions and half an Anaheim pepper - 20, 5
When this is all bubbly you add the soft tofu, the whole package in this case - 300
Then once this is all back up to a boil I added two eggs, this helps thicken the soup, and it's fun once you find the yolk and break it up - 180.

I added up all these calories and divided them in half, since I knew my partner and I would both want two bowls, which comes to half the stone pot each.  This was all we had for dinner. But it's a filling soup, and served really hot, which is nice on a cold rainy Seattle day.

I recommend counting calories in each dish, and then dividing it up before you serve.

For example, the calories in whole batch of mashed potatoes, then divide it into 6 servings, if that looks about right, take one serving. The whole calories in your roasted beets, divided into four servings, then take one serving. The calories in a chicken breast. Then add the three servings that are on your plate to each other. This way you can add up the whole calories, and then divide, while you prepare each dish. This sounds pretty obvious, but until you have done it a few times, trying to count calories while you cook can be tricky. Also, if you know that the whole batch of mashed potatoes has a certain amount of calories, but you eat one cup, you may not know how many calories are in a cup. Which is why I use the divide it up method. More hands on.

I try to write down how much of each ingredient I put in, and then before I clean up the kitchen, I go back and look on all the packages, or on the Internet for how many calories are in things.
That said, if it's a recipe I have never made before, I try to add up the calories in a rough way, so I can picture how much I can have, and whether or not it will be worth it.

Counting calories

Hi blog.

I did weigh in on Monday, still the same.

I have been to the gym twice this week already. One day of weight lifting, and one of pure cardio. I can already tell I am getting stronger. One great example are squats, I am just doing body weight squats, but the first time I was sore for days, I mean painfully sore, afraid to sit down. I can already do four more squats than I could two weeks ago, and I don't get nearly as sore. It is very exciting!

I thought I would post what a day of calorie counting looks like. Today was easy, nothing I made had very many ingredients. Other days are very complicated and annoying. If it is a recipe or meal I make often, I have been trying to record the calorie count somewhere.

I really hate measuring out my food, but I know I just have to do it with many things, or I can't be accurate. It is a good reminder of what a healthy portion looks like. I am good with most foods, but there are a few things that surprise me.

Toast - 100
Jam, about a teaspoon - 50
Margarine - 40
(This is not a healthy breakfast, but all I did all morning was sew, so I didn't need the energy for anything, I am also trying not to eat if I am not hungry.)

Coffee, splash of milk, packet of light cocoa - 70
Coffee, splash of milk - 10
(I looked around the internet, to figure out how many calories in a splash of 1% milk. This is close)

Can of light soup (It was Progresso Light Chicken and Cheese Enchilada, I do NOT recommend this soup) - 180
String cheese - 80

Three tortillas - 300
Fat free refriend beans - 160
Salsa - 0   Gotta love salsa
Hot sauce - 0
1/2 tomato - 13
shredded lettuce -15
Light sour cream, two tablespoons, I really love sour cream - 70

I made a cheesecake for my partner to take to his work, I licked the spoon - 100

Hot cocoa with water - 60

My total is 1248. This is a pretty low total for calories today. I am not worried though. I was not hungry, and I felt healthy all day. I know some days will be a little higher, and some a little lower. It was a boring food day. But some days are like that.

Anyways. I will post how I cook complicated recipes and figure out the calories another day this week.

Good news!

Well,
Monday weigh in 232.

So the same.

But the good news is that I have been going to the gym. I was afraid if I posted I would somehow jinx it. I have gone four times in a week and a half. I am going three times a week. I am doing a basic weight lifting workout, followed by brief cardio. I need to focus on my diet more, to lose weight. But I sure feel like things are going better.

monday

232.
Same.
I haven't been losing weight, been eating whatever is around, not really paying attention.
I did work out a few times this week.
Ugh.
I will start blogging more again.

Hey Blog...

Hey Blog,

I did not focus on my diet or fitness. I was sad I did not get that job, and it kind of rolled into a big ball of sadness. I got sucked down.

But my partner has been really supportive. We went to the Washington State Fair (Puyallup Fair as it is known here), we had a BBQ with all our friends, and spent time with his sister, brother in law, and children.
Everyone has been so supportive of me.

I am working on getting back on track. My sister is coming over to work on her resume, LinkedIn, and other job search stuff. Sometimes getting out of your own house will help you get more work done, so she is coming over here. I am glad for the company, and will also work on my own job hunt.

Just need to focus on the good things I have going on in my life.

I weighed in this morning at 233. Bummer. I can lose it again. But it sure doesn't look very good. Not actually losing weight is not going to make this blog super motivating to others is it? At the same time, if I am not honest with myself and my blog, then what am I doing?

My goal is to lose weight consistently over the next four weeks. Then I will start leaving comments on the other weight loss blogs I read, and start trying to get mine read by people other then family and friends. See if we can make this really work.

Monday Morning Measurements

230!

So I did not add anything to my midweek weigh in. That is okay. I had family in town this weekend, so I ate out. I was alone in the apartment, and house sitting for a family who has an elderly cat. This means my week was sort of odd. I think I didn't eat enough breakfast and lunch, and then it was hard to eat a healthy dinner.

It's good to look back and see what I can improve on. It is also good to lose a pound, better than nothing!

How to Get My Life in Shape

I am bored.

My partner is gone for the weekend. He's on a trip with college friends. I am happy for him, though I am feeling a bit at loose ends.

I have been bored. Even when I am quilting or doing other things I enjoy. It's nice that I am losing weight, but I really need to get a job. I can't stand it when I think of all the time I have "wasted" watching TV or surfing the internet this last year and a half.

It really makes me so anxious I feel sick.

That doesn't do any good though. I can't take back the last  year and a half I have been unemployed. All I can do is move on with my life. Get my life in shape. Losing weight and getting physically fit is a great start. It gets easier to stay on track, and improve my health. Now I really need to make a concerted effort to get myself a job.

Ugh. Stressful.

Mid Week Weigh In Cheat

I have never been obsessed with the scale. I did watch my sister go through some of that during her weight loss process though, and have been trying to avoid the same happening to me.

Today I cheated and weighed in mid week.

It was awesome!

As you may have read I had disappointing news at the beginning of the week, so eating healthy has been a bit more of a challenge. Getting that validation from the scale that I have been doing things right was a huge boost. I think it will really encourage me to keep it up, and stay on a healthy path the rest of this week. I am only down one pound, but by the end of the week I can make it more.

So yay!

Take that encouragement wherever you can get it.

Frizzy and Encouraged! Ignore the awkward body language going on in this photo

Bad News but Not Eating

I found out that I did not get that job I interviewed for a week ago. I sort of figured, since I had not heard anything yet. I was hoping that with the holiday weekend it had just gotten away from them. But I asked today, and was told they went with another candidate.

I am really disappointed.

But I am not going to eat. I know it won't really hep. It might make me feel better for a few hours, by helping me ignore my feelings. If I just let myself feel disappointed now, and focus on activities that are healthy and make me feel good, I will be able to recover faster and move on to the next thing.

In the past following through on my own advice was hard. The more times I try, the easier it gets. I think today will be an okay day. I will be healthy.

Frizzy and is making room in my calorie count for a beer today 

Monday Morning Measurements

231.3

Exactly the same weight as last week, even down the tenth of a pound.

I am okay with that. I had a job interview and subsequent total freak out. It was also a holiday weekend.

I did okay.

This week I will focus on being thorough in my food journal. I will post some recipes of things I am making, with calorie count. It will be a success.

Happy Labor Day and International Workers Day! Thank a union member!

Home Organization as a Weight Loss Tool

I am not the only person who eats when they are stressed out or feeling overwhelmed. I know that for myself and many other people a messy home can trigger these feelings. My partner and I have struggled for over a year since we moved in together to get our apartment in shape (or fit!) We had too many belongings for the space. My partner especially has a tough time getting rid of things, old paperwork, toys, odds and ends he may one day want for a project. 

A few weeks ago he had a few days he took off from work for vacation. Unfortunately we needed to be in town for part of the weekend for a funeral. We decided that we would put off our camping trip and use his vacation days to get our house in shape and spend some quality time together. 

In the end we got our bedroom completely cleaned out and organized. It feels great! I tell you every time I need to go in there for something during my day I get a little buzz. It is so nice now. It helps me feel more in control of my life. This feeling carries over into other choices I make, like my diet and physical activities. 

Part of this project was also creating a little studio for me to work in. I quilt and do other fabric related projects. 

I forgot to take a before picture of the studio side of my bedroom, but I do have some fun pictures of what we did. 

All of the stuff that came out of the bedroom, way too much stuff

You can see we took the dresser drawers out too. We actually went through and got rid of clothes we don't wear, and folded everything. We tried to focus on all the details we could, and get the room really polished. 

My craft shelf before, really poorly organized and bad use of space

Turning an old dresser into my new sewing table. Yes the dresser was black, I was 15 the last time I painted it. 

Craft shelf organized now. The big cardboard box stores all my quilting fabric. I even have room now for batting as you can see on the bottom shelf

Studio

Frizzy and Fabric

Getting fit can affect many parts of your life. Try cleaning or organizing something, use the energy you get from that to focus on yourself and your diet or exercise. It was inspiring for me.

Interview Outfit

I did remember to take a photo once I was in my interview outfit. It's from my phone and the quality is not super.

frizzy and job hunting 

Monday Morning Measurements

I didn't take any measurements yet.
But I did weigh myself this morning.

231!

Lost two pounds this week.

AND

I had a job interview today that went really well. I don't know yet if I have a second interview. We will see.

Job Interview!

FRIZZY AND SHOPPING!

I have been working with a temp agency for about a year now. I've only had two jobs so far though. This agency doesn't place you, they give you tons of information about all sorts of jobs, and asks that you apply to the ones you are interested in. They store information about you, so you just click, and you are applied. They do some of the more traditional temp type work, where they give you a call and send you out the next day, but I haven't had any of those actually.

Lately I've been thinking that this agency and I were not the best match. I had been struggling to find jobs that would suit me. However, I saw a listing last week for a major non-profit that looked super. Well I get to interview with the organization on Monday!

I have a few nice professional pieces, for situations like this. Though the slacks I have were too short, and I altered them myself. The only problem with this is that the work hasn't lasted very long, they need a touch up.

I am so excited about this interview, however, that I decided to go buy a new blouse. Something for luck and confidence.

I have been trying to avoid buying clothes because I really believe I am on the path to losing weight. I do believe though that doing small things to make yourself feel better can have a big impact. So one new shirt might make all the difference on Monday!

I will post pictures when I get back.

7:46 : I totally forgot to get pictures. Sorry blog. I got a funky but professional tank to wear under my suit jacket. Wish me luck.

Try New Veggies

I have been focusing on my diet this week. I eat fairly well most of the time, but obviously if I ate well all the time I would lose weight. I admit that my partner and I get convenience food for dinner when we are busy. Which is ridiculous because I am unemployed, and I should have time to cook dinner most nights. I also admit that I binge eat from time to time. I often snack after dinner, or have two helpings. This has contributed to my weight staying the same for so long.

So I have been focusing on making really yummy dinners and having a healthy portion. Focusing on being positive, instead of feeling restricted in what I eat.

To further these efforts, we got some yummy vegetables at the local farmers market. We also got one we have never had before.

Luffa looks like this at the store - wiki commons photo

Luffa! Also known as Silk Gourd or Chinese Okra. That's right, the same luffa they use to make shower sponges. When it is young it is commonly eaten in Vietnam and many parts of Asia. It is part of the cucumber family of vegetables.

The luffa cut up, I put some other veggies in the shot to look nice and fresh. We only got two little ones to try so they didn't go very far. 

I actually lived in China for six months, and have taught myself to cook a lot of the dishes I miss. So I used the luffa along with eggplant for Fish Fragrant Eggplant, Yu Xiang Qie Zi.

Dinner turned out pretty good. The luffa were really soft, I overcooked them. They did taste like cucumber, but were a bit slimy, less so than okra. 

My partner was really excited to make a GIF on his new phone. So there I am. 

Frizzy and cooking 

Monday Morning Measurements

Welcome to my new series Monday Morning Measurements!

But first, a little bit of what I think about weights and measures.

I don't think weight or measurements are super important in getting fit. I think that it should be about how you feel. I know that right now my body does not feel fit, and I am disappointed in my physical limitations.

I also think a lot about body shaming. One of my favorite blogs had a good article the other day about how to prevent and respond to body shaming, http://offbeathome.com/2013/08/body-shaming. I try not to shame myself, or hate my body. It is my only body and I need to love it and take care of it. I can love everyone's body, and not disparage them. It is not my place to judge anyone else's bodies.

Yet I do think that if you feel like you would like to be more fit, and in the process be a smaller size, that is valid as well. I know that my body will feel better if I wasn't carrying around this weight. I will not make the same assumption for other people though, how they feel or how fit they are, is not my business.

So why post weights and measures at all?

Frizzy and trying not to sunburn

I want this blog to inspire myself and hopefully one day inspire others. This means I need a way to show people the changes I go through, and how I achieved them. My weight and measurements are a good way to demonstrate these changes. I will also be creating a fitness regime, pushups and such, and show that I can improve on those as well.

I weigh 233 pounds this morning
My measurements are: Bust 40 inches,  Waist 50 inches,  Hips 45 inches

I bought a scale!

I will post some numbers in the morning, no one likes to weight themselves in the evening. I did have a healthy food day. Delicious Chinese soup and vaguely Asian pork chops for dinner!

What does it mean to be "stuck"

I sleep in a lot of days. I get up and make my boyfriend's lunch for him to take to work. Then I go lay back down to "read" and fall asleep. Then when I get up I browse the internet, watch TV while I eat lunch, and generally putz around. Then I feel like "why bother to do anything this late in the day?" So I wait for my boyfriend to get home from work. Then I pretend I was fine all day. I make dinner, and put on a nice face.
But just when I get really desperate I will clean for a day, and have friends over. Or a chance to volunteer will come up.
Then it starts over again.
That, my friend, is how  you stay unemployed for over a year.

I have no idea how to get unstuck.

I still haven't purchased a scale yet either.

Ouch!

Hiking!

My friend Sophia got me hiking recently. We went two Fridays this month. Good thing about only being a temp worker!

I don't really like hiking while I am doing it. I hate feeling out of shape, I always have, even when I was at a healthy weight. Hiking feels hard.

There are things I enjoy about it, I am so lucky I live in a really beautiful part of the world. I do love being out in the woods and the foothills of the Cascades. I also love the feeling have after a hike. Feeling fit and warmed up. It puts me in a good mood.

Twin Falls, the view at the end of the hike

The least flattering picture of me ever! But really, I don't want to hold myself back, even if I am out of shape. So hiking makes me red, sweaty and frizzy. It's totally worth it. 

Looking down river

Smaller falls upriver

Part of what this blog means to me, is one day showing other people who feel out of shape or stuck in their lives, that they can make progress too. This hike was about three miles round trip, and an elevation gain of 500 feet. It was still hard for me. I took a lot of breaks. I am not an experienced hiker and have a hard time setting a pace I can stick to. 

I don't know about you. But when I see someone hiking who is not the type of person on the cover of the REI catalog I feel like cheering them on. People who are young, old, over weight or impaired in some say, I think they are brave and fantastic. Never let being heavy hold you back. If you are able to, go for a hike, play a sport or something else that feels good. Go as slow as you need to, while still getting your heart rate up. You will feel better for it. 

Some other tips, (I am not a medical professional, these are just common sense pieces of advice.) 

1. Find someone who will hike with you that you are comfortable with. On my second hike I really did have to stop every five minutes, but my friend didn't mind, and waited up for me. I felt safe, to show how out of shape I was, and supported. It makes a huge difference. 

2. Go slow. It's important to get your heart rate up, and breath heavy. But don't let yourself get dizzy or dehydrated. Don't chose a hike that is so long you won't be able to hike back out again. Start with something that seems so short it's ridiculous, and try that first. 

3. Bring tons of water, for safety. Also bring a snack, it feels so much better to get to have a snack and a break when you reach the halfway point of your hike. 

4. Bring a camera. You can take breaks, catch your breath, and then show off photos to your friends and family later. They want to see you being healthy and happy, even if you are frizzy and red faced!

Frizzy and getting fit!

On Being Unorganized

Okay, I didn't buy a scale yet. I was even at the drug store and I completely forgot! I also forgot bubble bath, which I have been out of for weeks.

My partner and I have been very unorganized the last few weeks. This weekend we have my partners grandmother's funeral to attend, his Bachan (means Granny in Japanese.) His father requested he speak at the funeral on behalf of all her grandchildren. I offered to make onigiri, with shiso wrappings, from my garden. So we both feel a bit stressed, we need to make time to get these things prepared.

On a slightly better note? I was very worried about what to I was going to wear to the service. But I fit into an old black dress that I have. I thought it would be too small, but it's ok. So at least I know I am the same size as I was a few years ago. And I know I will be showing the respect the event deserves by dressing formally and in black.

Also something to think about. The service is followed by a special reception, with all of Bachan's favorite foods. Including sushi, fried chicken, pretzel jello and all kinds of things. Which means I need to eat healthy the rest of the weekend, and focus on having small portions. I don't plan on eating things I don't like, but I do want to have the chance to eat the foods that remind me of my partners family.

Being unorganized does make it hard to lose weight. I end up without certain groceries I want, and it leads to eating out more. So far I have done really well, and we only got Subway sandwiches.

But in psychological ways it doesn't help. Being so unorganized makes it easy to put things off, to not take care of myself, and generally lead to a down mood.

So, something to work on this weekend, after the service that is.

P-Patch (Community Garden)

Seattle has a system of community gardens (or allotments if you are British) called P-Patches. This is because the first patches were set up in a place that was once the Picardo family farm. Picardo Patch eventually became P-Patch.

Here is our P-Patch viewed from the street. There are 60 plots, a tool shed, bee hives, Giving Garden plots, a little picnic area and flower beds in front. Behind the garden is a deep ravine that is undeveloped, so that is why there are so many trees and it doesn't look like it is in the middle of a residential area. 

Getting a P-Patch is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I wanted to try to grow some food. I also just really like weeding, I find it meditative. But since I have been out of work so long, the idea of getting outside more often was also really appealing. I have to say that the whole experience has been just as great as I had hoped it would be. How often can we say that in our lives?

It hasn't cost us very much money, the patch is ours for a small fee. We mostly planted everything from seed, we only purchased starts for cucumbers, peppers and some herbs. We have had salad greens for months, as well as some other produce and fresh herbs. I don't think we saved any money, we still have to buy a lot of our produce from the store.

Adorable label my partner made! We gave some lettuce to a friend recovering from surgery, my partner really put some detail into the label. An example of the beautiful lettuce we have been eating. 

Besides the vegetables from our garden my diet has been hit or miss, so I haven't lost any weight from gardening. But I have been a lot more physically active in some unique ways. A lot of squatting to pull weeds for example. Seattle has had a really nice spring and summer, unusually warm, so being outside has been a pleasure.

I think this photo is from early May. The garden was only just getting started. Behind me are broccoli raab, baby lettuce and some radish tops. The right side is all planted but has not sprouted yet. The left side hadn't been tilled yet. Since then we have also widened the path down the middle, so we can actually use it. 

And of course I got involved in volunteering for the garden. My mother has accused me of volunteering so that I don't have to focus so much on getting a job. At the same time she knows how important it is that I get to interact with new people and push myself to get out of the house. She is right, of course.

I took on a volunteer position when no one else would fill it. I am the Coordinator for the Giving Garden. This is three plots that are used to grow food for local food banks. The city in conjunction with a local non profit, Solid Ground, provides the starts that are grown. This has been mostly a fun experience. At times I was not confident enough to ask for help, or none was given, and it has been really stressful. Trying to get a ton of plants in the ground, where there isn't really enough room. Not knowing if I am doing something wrong, or if other gardeners will end up criticizing me. Or even if what I am doing is going to crowd and eventually kill the plants. Besides putting in plants I also have to follow through, going to harvest food, clean it and take it to the local food bank.

Besides at times feeling overwhelmed, I think taking on this position has been good for me. It forces me to talk to new people, to ask for help, to organize things for the garden community. I feel like I am still contributing, even though I am not working. It helps me remember that I am friendly, approachable, and that I can make myself do scary things. I can also bring it up in job interviews and other situations, to show that despite not working I keep building on my skills and trying to take on new responsibilities. I have also made sure that the way I scheduled it, when I do get a job, I will still be able to keep this position without too much hassle.

Me at a recent event, a volunteer secured a grant we used to purchase new furniture, to make the garden more accessible for the elderly and disabled. So we had a party where we sealed all the new furniture. So this is me chatting with new people. 

So, as far as losing weight. I need to walk to the garden more often, to make it even more of a workout. I have been excited about the vegetables, and need to use this to keep focusing on a healthy diet.

I have been dieting pretty well for almost two weeks. Before that I had a few bad weeks, where I didn't eat very healthy, and had some bad days where I really binged on junk food or cake. But our scale broke! So I'm not sure if I lost weight.

I will buy a scale, if not today then tomorrow, and post something with hard numbers in it.

Random bonus picture 

Blog Archive Hell

According to my blog archive I originally posted in August of 2010, nearly two years ago.

I have started and stopped blogging a few times in the last two years, but I have never actually lost any amount of weight and kept it off.

I noticed this a few weeks ago, and it caused me to have a really rough few days, lots of crying, self criticism and pessimism.  I am ashamed to think about a stranger finding this blog, and putting the numbers all together, and realizing that my weight loss experience has been a failure for so long.

If it was just the weight issue, that would be tough enough.

But I have also been unemployed for a year this month. I have had temp work, so it hasn’t been a continuous year, but pretty close.

It really hurts to admit that I have been fat for five years, and have been unemployed for one year.

It is also really scary. I am so scared I will never lose weight. I am so scared that I will somehow never have a job that I like doing.

I am however, determined to get my life moving. Get a job, lose weight, manage my money, be a good partner, friend and daughter. I can do these things. I have in the past. I can’t stand feeling stuck anymore, so despite how scared I am I need to keep pushing forward. 

How am I Doing?

Meh. Pretty standard for me.

I did get to go to the community garden patch I got. It was so much fun. We had a sunny day in the 50's here. My partner and I got the whole patch weeded and part of the center walkway dug back up. We also trimmed back a kale that was left growing in the patch, and brought some home to eat. We are already eating from our garden and we didn't plant anything!

I am waiting for the soil to dry out a little more, so we can work in some fertilizer, before we start planting anything. I am so excited.

I know that walking over to my garden to work on it, water and weed it, will be so good for me. It will get me outside more often. It will remind me to keep eating well and focusing on delicious vegetables.

So far I have not been keeping up with my diet enough to lose weight. I think I lose a pound or two these last two weeks.

I will try to focus more.

I know, boring blog.

NOT staying on track

So I got a temp job.

This means commuting for an hour every day. It means being anxious, messing up a lot, feeling like I look terrible in my not so hot professional clothes (I do have a killer jacket though.) This also means learning a lot, meeting new people, feeling proud when I figure out things.

So my diet and exercise have not been happening, at all. I am frustrated. Packing lunches has been pretty successful  My partner and I both pack healthy snacks and lunches. Dinner has been alright. We haven't ordered out, or one day when we got something it was Subway sandwiches  But I have been stressed out and tired in the evenings, so I have been eating too much dinner.

I am going to promise myself that I will post more here, and on my healthy incentives for our insurance. I think a week adjusting to this new job is long enough. I will probably find out next week if I am going to get to keep this job or if they will hire someone else. Either way I need to focus on myself and being healthy. I am getting really really sick of being overweight and not fit.

I found some inspiration today in 344pounds.com, one of my favorite weight loss blogs. Here it is: http://www.344pounds.com/2013/02/joe-lost-160-pounds-by-counting-calories/

insurance

I am on my partner's insurance, which is great. It is that time again, time for healthy incentives! We signed up for a WebMD course, if we fill out three items a week for six weeks we get a break on our insurance.

I decided to go ahead and take it seriously. I will check in and use it to supplement the efforts I'm making already.

I haven't been focusing on my diet. I haven't really been keeping the house clean, or exercising either. I haven't gained any weight back either.

I have been applying for jobs though. I had one lined up for the next week or so, but found out at the last minute that it fell through! Frustrating.

I need to keep building on the motivation I have going now.

I will do a better check in tomorrow.

Mixed bag! or Meat Pizza Night

Well, I didn't lose weight this week. I maintained, which is okay. I did work out this morning. I walked with my mom. She is out of shape, so it's kind of funny. She will walk down the block, I will jog to the intersection and back every few minutes, so we can chat in between. That way we both get a workout.

I am taking the day off with my diet though. My partner wanted to make a dish in the cast iron skillet he inherited from his Grandma. The dish he was super excited to make is of course a deep dish meaty pizza. Oh well! It's worth it to take one night off to let him do something fun.

I have lobby day with Planned Parenthood on Monday at the state capital. This means getting dressed up, smoozing, rallying and other fun things. This kind of situation always reminds me that I want to be skinny. These women are great. But I know that most Americans hold a subconsciousness or conscious bias against people who are overweight. I could network more effectively if I were slimmer.

But I also can be confident that I speak well and am good at meeting new people. I will post about it when I get back. Volunteering and being politically active is so good for my mood. I know it helps improve my quality of life, which makes it easier to lose weight and feel balanced.

Yay!

Being social and still losing weight

My sister has lost over a 100 pounds. She did weight watchers for about two years. Now she is pretty much finishing up on her own. Over time she has gotten very good at eating out. She orders a salad with dressing on the side. Even if it's a fajita salad she asks what kinds of vinaigrette or diet salad dressing they have. She also gets a little normal dressing. I can't but help feeling like she is getting ripped off paying a restaurant to make a salad. She will order other things, but the point is, she makes good choices.

I got some practice doing that this weekend. Tanner and I saw his old college friend Jim on Friday night. We gave him our old TV and then went out to dinner. It was a great barbecue place. I ordered a whole meal, and ate it. It was great! I felt like it was worth it. But on Saturday night we went out with my sister and her boyfriend. Tanner and I knew we wanted to have a few beers each. So we split an entree. It was a good choice. I was full, and I knew I didn't overeat. It was also a good financial choice. Our budget can't afford to eat out a lot.

I obviously still have a long way to go. But at least I am thinking about it. I recognize that for my sister it has become a meaningful change. It will help her keep the weight off for the rest of her life.

Workout!

Today my partner and I did our usual workout. We went the to the little gym that is in our apartment complex. We used weights for 20 minutes or so. It takes more than twenty minutes so that each of us are actually lifting weights for the twenty minutes. Then we ran on the elliptical machine for twenty minutes. I like this workout. I get bored, so working out a few different ways keep me interested.

For dinner we are having chicken and mushrooms broiled in tomato sauce (all I did was add a can of low sodium tomato puree to low sodium diced tomatoes) over whole wheat hamburger buns I turned into garlic bread under the broiler.We only have a tiny amount of cheese too, so low cheese. Not really what we are supposed to be eating, we don't enough veggies in the house right now. But its almost the end of the week, and I will go shopping on Saturday or Sunday. Its a super fast, low fat dinner that we can both live with.

Yay for being on the right track.

I'm back!

I got a job for a month, and quit posting.

So I'm back!

While I working I lost 10 pounds. This was not really a success though. I was getting up at 4:00 am every day, and working at a job I didn't really like. So I often felt a little sick, and didn't feel hungry. So I don't think I lost weight in a healthy fashion. But! I've been out of work for a month, and basically doing nothing. Throughout this time I have only put back on two pounds. Honestly I have not been focusing on my diet or working out. So I am super happy that despite the holidays and being at home all the time, I'm not really gaining this weight back.

I am 222 right now.

Going to focus on doing a food journal for a week. Once that is successful I will start including calorie counts. My partner and I are also going to focus on working out more. The weather is pretty mild here, wet, but mild. So we need to get outside.

I have posts ready about cooking, a no sugar no refined carb cleanse, our community garden plot, and all kinds of other fun things!

So yay! Good blog!