Plus Size My Ass! May 15, 2008
Congratulations to Whitney for winning America’s Next Top Model. They say she is a full-figured woman. Ha! On what planet? For once, someone is giving props to women who weigh more than 100 pounds! Good for her.
Murphy’s Law Lives May 15, 2008
Today’s Daily Photo is courtesy of my irresistable water bottle.
The past few days have seen a confluence of events which, if it weren’t happening to me, would boggle the mind.
On Tuesday, all I wanted to do was hang out at the mall. How is it that something so simple can become such a hysterical laughing matter. It involved Olivia vomiting all over my car, having no cash for the car wash guy, the local bank on fire, etc. I won’t drag you all into it. Just trust me when I say it was a typical Irene day.
Yesterday was more of the same. The entire point of the day was simply to take Olly to a park we haven’t been to. Boy oh boy…not so simple.
After missing my exit to the Gateway Wildlife Reserve in Queens, I found myself mistakenly going over a bridge, paying $2.50, and winding up in Far Rockaway. I decided it wasn’t a big deal since there was a another park, Jacob Riis, I could take her to. There was a detour and I followed it, but when the road split, there were no more signs and of course, I took the wrong one. Yes folks, I ended up on another bridge, costing me another $2.50, and wound up in Brooklyn. I had had enough and decided to go back to my neighborhood. This tryst through the boroughs was costing me too much money.
I took Olivia to the Forest Park playground on Myrtle Avenue near our home. She sat in the stroller as I fed her. I let her walk around a bit, but decided there were too many bugs and was gonna walk to the neighborhood mall. As I am strapping her in a little boy, followed by his mother, approaches and he swipes my water bottle out the bottom of the stroller. Kids do odd things at times so this was not what bugged me. What DID bother me was when the kid started taking swigs from my water bottle and HIS MOTHER LET HIM! WTF? She stood there watching her nearly 2-year-old toddler drink from a stranger’s bottle. WHO DOES THAT!?! I stood watching in shock and confusion. She eventually said “that’s enough”, taking the bottle from him and putting it back in the stroller.
Stunned, I began walking out of the park, toward Atlas Park mall, when the front strap on my flip flop broke. I looked down, realized what happened and sighed. Enough was enough. I walked back to the car with one shoe, drove home, parked the car 3 blocks away - forcing me to walk the 3 blocks with only one flip flop on. I got upstairs, sat on the couch, put on Season 5 of the West Wing, and didn’t move the rest of the day. I didn’t even make it to the pool for my swim.
Today is Thursday. I am not leaving the house. Bad things happen when I leave the house.
Weigh-In For Week 19 May 14, 2008
Good morning everyone! Today’s Daily Photo is courtesy of the beautiful day we have here in NYC.
Today is a good day. for the simple fact that I awoke and it was sunny, and bright. Yes, I woke up in a good mood. I was able to sleep all night again, while Olivia slept in her crib. It’s been a week and has been going well. Ahhh, sleeping is so grand.
Anyway…to the good stuff.
I have done really well this week. I got on the scale this morning and it read 206 pounds. That means I have gotten rid of -1.8 pounds this past week. Yay me! A good result. I am still working my 6-week challenge, although I missed a day of exercise on Friday.
Plans for the next 7 days:
- Today - Swim laps for 45 minutes.
- Tursday - Boot Camp for 45 minutes, Strength Training
- Friday - hiking for 60 minutes
- Saturday - Off
- Sunday - hiking for 60 minutes
- Monday - Cardio Kickboxing, Strength Training
- Tuesday - Step for 45 minutes and Cardio Challenge for 30 minutes, Strength Training
As you can see, there is no running in my plan. Well, my knee is not feeling it so I am going to leave running out of my workouts for the rest of the month.
My goal for next week is the usual - to lose 2 to 2.5 pounds. Obviously I am not going to make my goal for the month, to get down to 199 pounds. But I am gonna continue to kick some ass and get as close as possible. And if I can lose another 4 pounds, I will be very happy.
Oh, there is something else I have been doing. I have made the concious choicce to not log my food on SaprkPeople this month. One thing about this lifestyle change is that I am going to have to be able to maintain my loss over years and years and I do not plan to log everything I eat for the rest of my life. The key to this is learning how to eat properly. So, I have been testing myself to see if I can do it. And so far it has been great. I am still eating my fruit and veggies, the brown foods (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc) and lean proteins. This past weekend I even made breakfast burritos with Egg Beaters. And since I still lost weight, I think I am being successful. So, this experiement so far is working.
And I have reached the final stage of SparkPeople, btw. I am in stage 4. It’s the non-dieting, healthy lifestyle stage and I couldn’t be happier to be in it. SparkPeople has done wonders for me and the support I have gotten there and on HYC has been amazing. Thank you all so much. I really feel that I am engulfed in this life now.
Diets Don’t Work May 13, 2008
Today’s Daily Photo is courtesy of the pretty purple tree in a bushel of green in Prospect Park.
After reading a post by Felicia and prompted by a call I had with a family friend, I feel the need to get something off my chest.
On Sunday I spoke to a friend of Gary’ named Vicki. We got to talking about my weight loss and she mentioned that she wanted to do this 3-day diet to lose 10 pounds. I explained to her that wasn’t a healthy way to do it and why.
Yesterday I read a great post on the Life Happens blog while John Mayer was singing my new favorite song in the background. All these things pushed me to be honest about what I feel real weight loss means and is.
Diets Don’t Work.
When I first began this journey into becoming healthier, I new it would be difficult. I was raised in a typical Hispanic household (well not really typical) where everything was fried, greasy, and just plain bad for you. I loved Burger King, Wendy’s, McDonalds, and White Castles. We would visit IHOP weekly for the biggest breakfast we could get our hands on. Then, after all that eating, we’d come home, sit on the couch and watch hours and hours of television. Not a pretty sight.
I knew all that would have to change. And the majority of that did.
Now, my life consists off going out to the park, the beach, the mall, eating salads, roasted vegetables, and lean meats. I work out 5-6 day per week, either in the gym or outdoors. I cook, play with my daughter, walk the neighborhood, and try to keep active.
I am not on a diet. I don’t want to just lose weight. I want to change my lifestyle. That means that I won’t allow myself to be bogged down by the scale numbers anymore. If something isn’t right, it’s because I did something that isn’t consistent with my new lifestyle.
Diets Don’t Work.
I have been on a load of diets. The only thing that came close to working was Atkins. Yes, I did the low carb thing for 2 years, I lost 27 pounds and was able to keep it off for the entire time. But when I began eating normally again, all the weight came back. The reason was because I didn’t learn what proper portions were, I didn’t know that some carbs were good and others, not so much. I didn’t learn that exercise was necessary in order to be healthy. I was lazy, plain and simple. I wanted the easy way out.
Diets Don’t Work.
The only thing that works is changing your life. And the first part of that change is education. In order to become a healthy person you have to be committed to what that means. Is there sacrifice? Yeah, but just a little. Is there work involved? Yeah, but it’s fun. Is it hard? Yes, but only until you accept it for what it is.
Diets Don’t Work.
I love my new life. I love sweating at the gym. I love having enough energy to spend all day at a theme park and then going to the beach at night. I love being able to play with Olivia and not getting tired so easily. I love getting out in nature, going hiking or just walking around, being with the trees. I love cooking my own meals. I love that even though I am nowhere near my goal weight, I am so much more healthy that I was just a year ago.
Diets Don’t work.
Because you can diet and lose all the weight you want. That doesn’t make you healthy. You have to make the decision to do things the right way. You can chose to simply lose weight and have that consume your entire life. Or you can chose to be healthy and get out there living your life.
That’s all I’ve got for now.
I thought It Was Mother’s Day May 12, 2008
If you know anything about me, then you know that I am not a person expecting gifts from people. Honestly, I rather not get a gift from anyone other than my hubby, cause simply, by law he has to. LOL! But another part of that is that if you feel you have to get me somethnig, make if thoughtful. Make it something that I would like. When giving a gift, I always think of the the person and what that person’s history is. I don’t just grab the first thing I see out of the 99 cent store. Buying a gift like that shows me that you DON’T particularly care about the person, rather you are doing it out of some forced feeling of obligation. I know this makes me sound ungrateful and I don’t mean to be, but I think like this - if you are going to do something, do it right.
My hubby bought my mother’s day gift a while ago. It was a membership to the NYRR Club, which is what I wanted. I still, however, expected a card, but I got nothing. I actually really wanted a card.
Then my in-law’s kids gave both me and Gary’s sister these ugly little flower things that change colors. First off, they should know me by now that I don’t like little trinkets to litter my home. I am not that type of person. And I now have a collection of ugly little things that my in-laws give me. Secondly, Gary’s sister is NOT A MOM! So, really, it’s a bullshit gift.
Not even a card. Sheesh!
This year hasn’t been good for me. First my birthday gets totally trashed and now this. These are the types of things that make me think people don’t give a shit about me.
Stuck in the Hall of Mirrors in a Swimsuit May 11, 2008
Today’s Daily Photo courtesy of the Speedo Classic Ultraback swimsuit I bought at Dicks yesterday.
So yes, I finally found a lap swimming suit that is under $30, and covers up my boobs. I was feeling quite good about myself, after earning my new badge. But, buying a swimsuit was humbling at best. No matter how I tried to convince myself I looked good…I simply looked like a whale stuffed into a sausage casing.
The suit is a size 14, yay! It fits snugly, but it’s supposed to. I love how it covers everything I will no longer have to worry about the twins popping out during a lap. It’s the perfect swimsuit.
However, buying it wasn’t easy. I had to try on 4 before I found the right one. And you should see what the wrong ones made me look like. Ick! I seriously wanted to barf.
But it’s done now and I no longer have to be concerned with what I look like in the suit. I mean, it’s full purpose to to allow me to swim 45 minutes of laps and to keep everything in place comfortably. It is not a swimsuit for looking hot on the beach. Thankfully. Cause it surely will fail in that aspect if it were.
I am leaving in 15 minutes to test it out at the gym.
A New Badge! May 10, 2008
It has taken me a while to get here, but this morning the scale read 206.6. That means I have earned a new badge!
Yay Me!
My next mini goal is to get to 202 pounds. At that weight, I will no longer have an obese BMI.
Hope everyone has a terrific weekend.
Say What You Need to Say May 9, 2008
This new song by John Mayer is my favorite song right now. One with the best lyrics I have heard in a long time.
Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so-called problems,
Better put ‘em in quotations
Say what you need to say [x8]
Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you’d be better off instead,
If you could only …
Say what you need to say [x8]
Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You’d better know that in the end
Its better to say too much
Then never say what you need to say again
Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open
Random Randomness May 9, 2008
Todays Daily Photo is courtesy of my daughter giving me the *side eye* while playing in Prospect Park. Ha! I’ve taught her well. I just wish she wouldn’t use my own devises on me. It’s a bit scary.
Exercise
Last night was boot camp and strength training. I rocked the class and the weight lifting. However, I feel as if I need to go to the next level, as far as the strength training was concerned. So I raised the weights a bit. I think next week I will increase the number of reps per set from 10 to 12. Not much of an increase, but before I push it to 15, I want to see how that feels. I am not getting the results, particularly with my arms, that I would like to see.
Food
I am going shopping this morning. This is making me very happy. I haven’t really shopped since we’ve returned from vacation because money was tight. But since today marks the beginning of next months bills, I can grocery shop freely. We have been making it on whatever was in the house, and I ran out of fruits and veggies 3 days ago.
Money
Well, like I said, today starts the beginning of next month’s bills. Out Amex bill is $2,790. Mostly due to vacation. Our Chase bill is $2500,all due to paying my school bill (which we will get back once my loan is approved). Thankfully, the federal government gave us our tax rebate today of $1500. Yay! It was an expensive month. Now, we have to control this month’s expenses. There is going to be a couple hundred dollars for my summer school books. I need a new swimsuit badly. We have to buy b-day gifts for Gary’s mom, SIL, and cousin. We have to take Gary’s mom out for Mother’s day. That’s like $500 right there. Sheesh!
Olivia
For the past 2 nights Olivia has slept in her crib in her room. I cannot believe it. For the first time in months I have slept for a least 7 hours a night the past 2 nights. I feel so…awake.
She is walking more and more around the living room by herself. Her cousin, who is two months younger than her, is walking by herself. Damn! This girls birthday party is at the end of the month and I told Olivia she cannot allow a baby to beat her at anything. So I think she understood. She is practicing her walking all day long now. LOL!!!
Fun
I am planning a weekend getaway upstate with the girls in August. Gary has his own views on it and really doesn’t want me to go. He is afraid of being with lly alone for 2 whole days. HMPF! Men!
Anyway, I want to rent a cabin on a lake inthe catskills so we can go hiking, swimming, kayaking, etc. It would be great fun to have 4-5 girls alone in the woods drunk and out of control. Actually, it sounds like the beginning of a bad horror movie. LOL!
That’s all I’ve got for now.
Weigh-In For Week 18 May 7, 2008
Today’s Daily Pic courtesy of Rocky’s blog. I just found a lerger version. And here I was, about to post some boring ass picture of the arugula growing in my herb garden. That is some funny ass shite! LOL!
So, today is weigh in day, and even though I had some snacks during the week and I didn’t work out last Friday or Sunday, I did get rid of 1.2 pounds this week. Food wise, I was great! I think I have gotten the hang of this healthy eating thing.
With the 6-week challenge now entering week 4, I have to get rid of 8 pounds to make my goal - in 21 days. Not gonna be easy, but I am going to do my best. I have a coupon to Glamour Shots for a free makeover and photo shoot. My prize to myself if I succeed in this challenge is to have some photos of me taken with my new, in progress, body.
Last night I kicked in with Step AND 1/2 Cardio Challenge class. Tonight is cardio kickboxing and strength training. Speaking of which, I feel my triceps getting really hard. I love it! I cannot wait to be this ultimately toned woman I am working so hard to be.
Funny thing, I talk about food and cooking a lot at the gym. A couple of ladies there were asking me questions about how to revamp some of their favorite dishes into healthier versions. It feels so cool that out of all the personal trainers at Bally’s, I am the person that people are beginning to come to for food advice. Yay me!
So, with this weeks loss, my total weight loss to day is 24.2 pounds. Pretty good. I keep looking at where I should be at this point. Ack…I cannot complain. I am doing the best I can now. No need to wish for the “could have beens”. This is a long term change and I am extremely happy about it.
So, this coming week I need to get rid of 2.6 pounds. I am gonna work my butt off to get there…let’s see how I do.
That’s all for now. Hope we all have a productive week ahead of us.
-Irene
