Diet/Weight Loss

On weight loss.

| cheriarmour

This is that time of year where Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and Hydroxycut commercials are hitting hard and heavy.  And that’s certainly not to say that all of these things are bad, I personally think that Weight Watchers is one of the best programs out there.  But with everything that’s out there, I’m sure that’s it’s really tempting to try a pill or a chew or something that you sprinkle on your food to help you out to reach your weight loss goals.  But truthfully, as someone who lamented over her weight for a looooooong time, rest assured that none of those things will work.

2010
This was me in the spring of 2010, and I think I weighed approximately 160 at my heaviest.

Then here’s me again.

2011
This is me in 2011 at about 128.

So currently, I rest comfortably around 129 lbs or so, and here’s how I did it.  There were no powders, or magic fixes.

  1. I got rid of dead weight.  Literally, and figuratively.  I started hanging out with people who were like-minded.  Instead of spending time at the bar, I started spending more time in the gym and in my bed.  Did wonders for the bod.
  2. I did a stint at fat camp.  Sorta.  I worked at Camp Pocono Trails as a fitness instructor, more specifically a Zumba instructor, and instead of sneaking my own food and going off the plan, I followed the same plan that the kids were on.  As a fitness instructor, I really would never make my clients do anything that I wouldn’t do myself, and the same went for food.
  3. I stopped counting teaching a class as a workout…
  4. And put a priority on doing my own workout in addition. 
  5. I started using measuring cups to measure my food.  Which sounds insane, but if you’re on any kind of plan like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, they’ll tell you the same.
  6. I started logging all my food in an app on my phone/iPod so I could make sure I was in a caloric deficit on most, not all days. 
  7. Annnnd, as I got more into the fitness aspect, I started adding a variety of fitness classes.  Yoga, lifting, I tried Barre, swimming.  

With all of this said, I can honestly say right now, since I’m not really trying to lose weight, I have pulled back a little bit on logging every morsel that goes into my mouth, with the idea that I simply want to nourish my body, rather than lose part of it.

But my gift to you?  If you want it, of course.

For the next week, I will log every morsel and every workout, and bring it to you this time next week.  I’ll critique it, cause I’m definitely not perfect, point out the good stuff, and add a few tips for those of you looking to shed a few pounds.  Who’s in?  

 

 

 

 

This week’s fit challenge! No alcohol!

| cheriarmour

I just wasn’t feeling it anymore last week.  I had two glasses of some cheap red wine at a social thingie, and woke up the next morning with the headache from hell.

You guys know I love my beer, so it was a tough decision.
You guys know I love my beer, so it was a tough decision.

It really shouldn’t have been enough to make me feel so sick, but the entire next day, I had the nastiest feeling, and I was just done.  And for a slightly indefinite period, I decided that I was off the sauce.

I mean, it’s truly not the worst thing in the world to happen to my diet.  Alcohol leads to drunkness, bloating, and poor life decisions, so I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on a whole lot, and I swear that my tummy is looking a little more muscular as of the last few days.

I’m no doctor, so don’t be an idiot about this, but if you’ve been toying with the idea of taking a little break from the Devil’s urine, (I kid, I kid), consider taking a little hiatus.  

I’m not sure how long I’m gonna go, but I’m feeling pretty good, more clearheaded, and I’ve been substituting beer or wine for some club soda or sparkling water with a little lime, and usually nobody asks any questions.  

Of course, two people have already asked if I’m expecting (I’m not), but other than that, it’s been relatively pain-free!

How will you challenge yourself this week? 

What was your fatty meal?

| cheriarmour

Waffle

 

We all have one.  The meal you ate way too much of hungover in college.  You ate it when you were 40 pounds heavier than you are now.  And now you only eat it once or twice a year, but when you do, it’s literally the best meal you’ve ever eaten in your life.

Mine was anything breakfast related, but in particular, an egg and cheese biscuit and plain hash browns from the Waffle House.

Well yesterday, I was meeting someone at the coffee house over by State, and I saw it.  They’re opening a Waffle House and they’re hiring.  Should I quit my full-time gig?

I kid.  (Kinda!)

But what’s your meal?  

Veggie Dinner

| cheriarmour

20140101-214730.jpg

Veggie dinner is my technical term for the kind of dinners I usually go for on nights after NYE celebrations. Too much cupcakes, too much champagne, and too much of a bellyache that next day.

So the day after too much celebrating, I’ll stir fry up so veggies, throw some eggs in there, and I swear, it tastes just like Chinese food, without the greasy stomachache after. Light on the cals, and light on your tummy!

What’s your go-to post celebration meal?

Dinn

| cheriarmour

20131223-210644.jpg

After the crap I put into my body last night, (the sweets and the alcohol), as the result of a holiday celebration, I decided to drain some tofu, sauté some green beans, bread the tofu with a few bread crumbs, and just keep it simple for dinner. What’d you make?

Sunday Brunch

| cheriarmour

20131222-120835.jpg

Instead of the usual mimosas and biscuits, I went for the mixed greens and fake chicken (Gardein) for todays’s brunch. What’s your Sunday brunch tradition?

The Christmas Creep…

| cheriarmour

My dear handsome Austin does this thing where he records the first incidence of Christmas anything in his phone, to see if Christmas is creeping up earlier year after year, like they say it is.  Generally, the phrase “Christmas creep” refers to the phenomenon that is Christmas literally creeping up earlier and earlier each year.  Sort of a marketing/consumerism thing.  As a total side note, the Christmas creep doesn’t bother me at all, I quite enjoy Christmas any time of the year.

Fun fact: This is the best x-mas album ever, and if you grew up as a black child in the states, this and the Temptations x-mas album were a main staple of any holiday.
Fun fact: This is the best x-mas album ever, and if you grew up as a black child in the states, this and the Temptations x-mas album were a main staple of any holiday season.

But when I say creep, I’m talking about the pounds.  Conventional “wisdom” used to tell us that the average adult person in the United Stated would gain anywhere from 7-10 pounds during the holiday season.  But according to the Times, that number is closer to 1 pound, which doesn’t sound so bad, except that typically, we hold on to this pound for the rest of our lves.  So for all of the holidays that we do over our adult lives, we’re supposed to just hang onto that pound?  Over 20 holiday seasons that’s 20 pounds, for those of you who aren’t too math oriented, which is well above the +/- 15 you get when you’re at your ideal weight.  Total yikes.

What can we do to avoid the creep and avoid feeling like a slob kabob after December 31st?

Tons.

    • If you overdo it, go here.
    • If you know you tend to overdo it, create a plan of attack.  Take a teeny bit of everything, and not a lot of any one thing.
    • Walk. Walk walk walk walk walk after a big meal.  It just…works.
    • Drinks.  If you indulge, stay far away from the creamy, sugary alcoholic bevvies, and stick to simple, low cal bevs.  I get made fun of all the time, but I truly think Michelob Ultra is sorta refreshing, and I love a vodka and soda with lime.
    • Dessert. SKIP IT.  (Totally kidding).  But same rule as the food.  Take a little bit, and realize there will still be more pie the next day.
    • Get some sleep! Seriously.
    • And stick to some sort of workout schedule.  It can be really nice to sneak away from family for like 40 minutes for this.  A few years ago, I took the family dog for 5 miles on Christmas.  No one really missed me, plus I didn’t get knocked too far off my workout goals.

For me, to combat the poundage, and to avoid falling off the fit wagon, I plan to do a running streak between Thanksgiving and New Years Day, similar to the one I did between Memorial Day and the 4th of July this past summer.  It’s at least a mile a day, every day, for however many consecutive days that is.  I suck at math so that’s like….34 days right?  Someone get back to me if this is wrong…

I went to the gastroenterologist.

| cheriarmour

If you’ve been following along carefully, as I’m sure you have, you’ll recall that mid-26.2, I was halted by a sudden urgency to vomit.  And 18 miles into my second marathon, I left my DNA all over someone’s lawn somewhere between Elon and Greensboro North Carolina.

I’d been experiencing some GI discomfort since I got food poisoning in September, and my GP’s explanation just wasn’t cutting it for me.  Plus, anytime I ate anything, or even looked at food the wrong way, I’d wake up in horrid pain.

So, since I had the appointment, I didn’t have work, so I dressed extra cute for the occasion.  I so rarely look good in public due to the fact that I work out, so when I do dress like a regular human being, I really take it up a notch.  Even put on the Spanx under.   I felt so cute, in fact, that I took the requisite bathroom selfie for my viewing pleasure later on.

knit
Look at the sheer volume of running shoe that is behind my head…

“Work, honey!” I said to myself.

And off to the stomach Dr. I went.

Dr. H: Tell me what’s going on!

Me:  [I describe my symptoms to him] Sir, I also threw up in the middle of a marathon.

Dr. H: A marathon?! What is that, like twenty…whatever.  That’s extreme.

Me:  Well, bye, I never usually throw up when I run so…

Dr. H:  [points at the remnants of my green breakfast smoothie] What is that?  Does that bother your stomach? I bet! [I start to kind of wiggle from buttcheek to cheek here]. Do you drink alcohol?  [I wince right over here].  How about gum…do you chew gum? [I start to fidget in my seat, and bounce my ballet-flatted foot around]. How about coffee.  You drink coffee?

Then, being the brilliant, educated young woman I am, I have to explain to Dr. H that I wore Spanx to a gastroenterology appointment, and that he’ll have to excuse me while I wrangle my body out of the giant compression sock I sewed myself into that morning in order for him to you know, examine me.  I thought we were just gonna chat!  He looked really confused.  I’m sorry, dude.  I wasn’t thinking.

His verdict?

It’s acid-related (duh), either an ulcer, or some lovely hydrocholoric acid splashing to and fro in my stomach.  So the grand list of things I’m no longer allowed to do.

  • No ibuprofen.  I told you I just finished my 2nd marathon, right?
  • No gum. ::blank stare::
  • No more smoking cigarettes.  Okay, doc, gotcha covered. No prob.  That’s the one thing I know I don’t do.
  • Citrus is bad.  So that smoothie I drink every morning?  With pulpy delicious OJ as the base?  Apparently was just tearing my stomach to shreds.
  • No coffee/caffeine.  Is this a joke?  This is a joke, right?
  • No kombucha. My will to live is dwindling.
  • No mint and chocolate.  The only candy I eat is York Peppermint Patties.
  • No Italian, tomato-y food.  
  • No alcohol.  Is beer included in that?

And the kicker?  I have to get scoped the day before Thanksgiving, to see how bad my stomach lining is.  But on the plus side, it’s a pretty simple procedure, and they’ll IV me up with the same stuff that Michael Jackson used to use to get to sleep.  Lucky for me, Dr. Conrad Murray doesn’t have his medical license, so I think I should be decent on, you know, living and stuff.

Alright guys, I’ve already done really awesome, I’m chewing a piece of Eclipse as I write this, and I just slammed a glass of ice water with lemon as a garnish.  Jesus take the wheel.