I have not disappeared

As you can see I have been avoiding this blog :-(  I attempt to write, but avoid because I know I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing. If you follow my other blog you would know I was in a car accident a few weeks ago and since then working out has been very minimal due to neck and leg injuries.

Well because of this I have gained 5 pounds so I am at 295 (went to the doctor recently).  Not good at all. I am working more on my cardio twister at home and can tell a difference.  I need to get it together if I really want to walk the half marathon in April....I can't lose motivation.

We shall see.

Working Out

I have to get better at posting here.  I am still working out and attempting to eat better.  One set back has been a severe sinus infection and the weather. I love walking and jogging outside, but the weather is changing and it is making me sick :-(.  Plus the other day I guy attempted to set a few businesses in my area (right at the end of my walking route) on fire and he was out and had not been caught....decided not to chance walking that morning.  I am now going to have to step up my indoor workouts in the mornings. Here are my options.

1. I have a few exercise DVDs at home, but honestly they do not motivate me.
2. My apartment has a workout area, but it is not the best. There is one treadmill that works great, but it is usually taken when I go in :-(
3. Could invest again in joining a gym or YMCA, but that is money that I rather not spend right now.
4. My company has a free workout area, but that would mean getting up and being ready to go to work by 5 or 6am and workout before work....not a fan of public showers and lockers.

One thing I did do is invest in a small workout stepper for my apartment that I can do at home.  Wish I could fit a treadmill in my apartment....but then I would have no space. So I recently purchased a Cardio Twister.

This machine can fit in the corner in my bedroom, I can watch tv while I work out and I will have no excuse for not getting up and doing something, because it is right in my room.  It should be delivered today and I hope I can put it together correctly.  We shall see how this goes.

Oh...weight is going down a little, weighed in yesterday and I was at 288, I need to step it up. 

Weekly Update (promise I will get better)

Okay.....the past couple of weeks have been rough, but I pushed on...not full strength, but made some choices and sticking to a plan.

1. Weight is 290 (lost 2 pounds, not great, but at least I did not go up)
2. I am sticking with being a pescatarian. I love cheese and seafood....just will do in moderation.
3. I worked out about 4 times over the past week....not good, but considering I had a sever sinus infection and was having serious allergy problems (I wanted to peel my eyeballs out) not too bad.
4. I plotted my extension walking path, think it will add a mile to my usual 2-3 mile walk, I will attempt to add until it gets freezing cold.
5. Refrigerator and pantry is stocked with healthy foods....veggies, yogurt, beans, brown rice, and so on.  I just have to cook it and stop eating out every other day (that is better for my health and budget)

I think that is all for now....will try out my new path in the morning and use runkeeper to track the distance. 

RunKeeper

Yesterday while I was out sick from work (not a good feeling) I decided to find a better way of tracking my workout progress.  One of my cousins on facebook is training for a marathon always posts things from RunKeeper, but I never really thought about doing it. I finally looked at the website and I love it so far.  It tracks your actual distance and times. It keeps records of your progress. 

I wanted to start this morning, but the medicines the doctor gave me have not completely kicked in yet and my head feels like it is about to burst!! So not cool.  I am going to test out this weekend, even if it is only for a short walk or workout on the treadmill. I love the fact that it can keep track of different activities, rather I run, walk, get on treadmill, or even dare to tackle the elliptical machine (HA!).

Sidenote...this medicine they have me on the pharmacist said no dairy products....guess she is really trying to make me vegan.  I have come to the conclusion that I am going to stick to just being a pescatarian....might go straight vegetarian, but we will see, that will be another post about my eating habits and portion control.

Have a great day!! Today will be a half day because the more I think the more my head wants to hurt. Not Cool :-(

Weekly Update :-(

A lot has been going on, but here is an update.

1. Weight 292 (gained 2 pounds)....I have to stop eating out so much
2. Working out 3 out of 7 days....I have to get back to at least 5 days...I am aiming for 6
3. As stated on my last post I am thinking about going back to straight vegan...just not about the weight loss, but I was able to manage portions better and not putting as many bad things in my body during that time.
4. I am signed up to do a 5k WALK on the 25th with my church....I would love to run it, but not there yet.

I think that is all for now. In the morning I am going to attempt to cut some time off my 15 minute miles....we shall see.

Vegan or Pescatarian.....that is the question

Recently I have been really looking at the things that I have been eating and how it is affecting my weight. I can admit a lot of times I do not have will power.  I think my biggest struggle is when I have nothing to do.....I eat.  One way to stop this is always staying busy, but I need to rest, I just don't need to pig out when I do.

In February when I attempted to do the Daniel's Fast I truly ate a completely vegan diet for close to 4 weeks, then I brought back in dairy products, then eventually added seafood back into my diet.  When I was completely vegan my weight loss was very noticeable, but don't think that is necessarily good. As I added bread, cheese, and milk back into my diet the weight loss slowed down. Once seafood was added not a big  change. 

So right now I am having the debate of becoming a vegan and eat no meat and no meat products at all....and this includes seafood or stick to being a pescatarian and continue to eat seafood, but no meat will be in my diet.  I don't think seafood is my problem....it is the cheese and bread that gets me. Plus I have to do thinks in moderation and I am so not good at that.

We shall see...Honestly I do not know what my choice is. I don't look at it as depriving myself, because I have found great recipes for several dishes under both choices, my problem is sticking to it.  We shall see....

I'm Back!!!

I am kicking it back into high gear.  I was a little down with my grandmother passed and did not really post and honestly did not work out like I should have.  :-(  Here is where I am starting at this week.

1. Weight 290 (surprisingly....)
2. No fried foods anymore (I ate was convenient over the past couple of weeks)
3. I realize more than ever I am an emotional eater. When I am dealing with things I eat. Not all bad things, but I will eat in excess....never good.
4. The 5k is a month a way....HELP!!! I am determined to do it....even if I walk. If I walk this one I will still have to find another one to run.
5. My old boss who is still in my office told me about The Couch to 5-K plan. Which I am starting....PRAY!!!

Tomorrow morning (well this afternoon....will get a small workout in before a late meeting) it is on! 3 miles in 50 minutes...I can do it, just have to push myself. I think my body has to build back up, but no matter what I have to keep it moving!

Life Interrupted

A posted on my other blog. Operation Death of Fat Girl is still going, but postings are on pause right now. My grandmother passed and a lot going on.  I will continue to work out and eat right, what postings will be slow.  I shall return!

Pictures speak a thousand words

Since I have been back from vacation workouts have not gone as planned :-( I only worked out 2 times last week and I really did not push myself. Operation Death of Fat Girl was on life support last week.  What was an eye opener was a picture my church posted from our youth conference on facebook. I did not know they took the pic, so I was very shocked to see it. The picture made me realize I have to step it up. There has been progress, I even have to let go of a pair of my favorite jeans because I can not keep them up and I actually fit into a pair of jeans that I could not fasten before(they were tight, but I could breath).  Here is the picture that gave me a wake up call.

 
That is me in the red shirt. I look a mess from the back! I will say a couple of months ago I could not get into those pants and now they are loose and they are part of my clothing rotation. Shirt is tight and I think I will not put back on until I lose a few more pounds.

Point being....when I see pictures like this I realize I have a long way to go.  In the morning I am going to try to run more and hopefully do 3 miles in 45 minutes....lets see how this goes. I will at least do it in less than an hour.  I also realized the 5k run is about 2 months away. I have to kick it into high gear.

I will be stepping on a scale on Tuesday....let's see how much damage I have done.

Snacks

Just back from vacation and my workouts did not go as planned....they did not go at all. I did do a lot of walking in the hot sun and spent an entire day in the hot sun where I felt like I melted off 20 pounds from the heat alone. I did continue to eat pretty well. I stayed away from fried foods, had small portions, and tried to pick healthy choices at the restaurants that we went too....which was not always easy.  I am truly afraid to step on the scale when I get to work this morning, but I will try. JESUS!!!

This morning I did not work out because it took all of me just to get ready for work, but tomorrow I WILL do at least 3 miles on the treadmill....have to get back to moving!! One thing that I did think about and learn while on the trip, or rather practice, is really incorporating small snacks into my day. Pictured below are some snacks that I have grown to enjoy and that are easy to eat on the go.

This is great frozen! Key Lime Pie is my favorite

I am not a big fan of nuts, but I do enjoy almonds.

A favorite fruit of mine, I like to freeze these too.

Great snack on the go or with breakfast.

These are just a few snacks that I like. I am up for suggestions.  I have to now finish getting ready for work...Today is going to be a great day (was about to say long, but trying to stay positive)!!!

Guess What???

I am slowly getting back to not focusing on the pain and working out more. I was recently forced to extend my outside workout which was a good thing...even though I did not want too :-( The other day my car died and I was without a car for a day. That morning I had to get some things from the grocery store and I decided to walk to the store!!! I just calculated the walk and it totaled 2.99 miles (just say three...) on mapquest. I was like YAY!!! This is a milestone for me because I was not tired when I got back home, I walked at a steady pace without stopping, and considering the extra hills and heat I had to endure, I say I did a good job!.

Now I just have to continue this motivation on a consistent basis. Unfortunately I am about to go on vacation...working out will be harder. Hotel will have a workout room so hopefully I will wake up early enough to workout before the days activities and also I HAVE to eat right while I am gone.

We shall see.  Weekly update will not include weight because I will not be on a scale, but will give an update. 

Week #3

Okay...this was a bad week. On top of being sick (have a tooth infection and need a root canal....if you have ever had this type of pain...it will take over) I went to go work out on Saturday and fell and fractured my finger is several places :-( See....

This prompted me to say it is so much easier being fat....but I know that is not true.

Here are my updates :-(

1. Weight 295 lbs (+2)
2. BMI: 42.3 (+.2)
3. Worked out 3 days out of  7
4. Did some weights, but did not do elliptical machine

This was not a good week....I ate semi healthy, but splurged more than I should have. I am hoping to go workout more this week and cook healthier this week also. Last week I did a lot of eating on the go which is never good.

Although I gained weight, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Lets see what this week will bring. :-)

Sugar Doll Award

Although this is a blog that chronicles my weight loss goals. I want to thank LC over at Loving Me for my Sugar Doll Award. She followed me on my original blog and is following this one also. She has great quotes and inspirational posts that I like to read.

The rules are:


•Thank the recipient

•Link back to the giver

•Reveal 10 things about yourself

10 Things about ME!!!

(since the few people who follow know me...will try to state things you don't know about me)

1. The tattoo I am getting on the back of my neck is the Adinkra symbol of the omnipotence and immortality of God.
2. My best friend I have known since 3rd grade. She always has my back even when we don't see each other long periods of time.
3. I am going to run a 5K in October....JESUS!!! I need all the motivation I can get.
4. I censor most of my thoughts because I don't want to scare people...sad to say, most people are scared (or look at me crazy) and they don't have a clue...If you only knew....hence the title of my original blog (which is not as censored)
5. My favorite books are erotica books, not porn erotica. I love reading almost anything...erotica just happens to be one of my favorites....Historical books come a close 2nd.
6. In contrast to #5 I have never been on a date or in relationship....think I said this in the last one of these that I filled out. It has not changed, but I can't give up hope (although...hope was fading and a life support the other day....still close to it)
7. I would be rich if it were not for student loans. That is an extra mortgage payment every month!! Why did I want to go to Vanderbilt again???
8.  I do not eat meat. Started off vegan, but that was CRAZINESS! Now I am a pescatarian, I eat seafood from time to time. I have not had meat since February...at this point I am afraid to work meat back in...
9. I am not an alcoholic, but the fact that I have given it up to aid in the weight loss makes me want it more.  I have 2 bottles of alcohol in my fridge that I have cooked with....they call my name every time I open the fridge door. Sad...I know :-(
10. My mouth can be very foul...working on it. Curse words slip out from time to time, but if I did not sensor my mouth and my thoughts....that would so not be a good combo.

Those are my 10 things.  I just took medicine so my eyes are going to sleep as I type.  Hopefully when I wake up the tooth pain will be gone and I can work out. These past couple of days it has taken all of my energy to get up and go to work. I have to work out tomorrow, I just have to!!!!

Oh...not good at tagging people. Oh well.

Week #2

This week was a rough week. I developed a major toothache and it is killin me!!! So the update will be short.

1. Don't know weight, but pretty sure it was not a lot due to the holidays....I did not pig out but I did not really exercise portion control. Will update tomorrow will I get on the scale.
2. I did walk 2.5-3 miles 5 out of 7 days. Most of them were done inside on the treadmill.
3. I did weight training 2 days last week...my muscles will never forgive me.
4. I did not even look at the ellipitical machine...tooth ache consumed my thought process.
5. I pigged out on a veggie pizza this weekend.  But I attempted to walk a little longer.

That is all the update I can do for today.  I don't think I gained weight, but loss of weight still not sure....Going to dentist in the morning so hopefully the pain will go away.

Treadmill vs. Walking Outdoors

Okay...When I first started operation death of fat girl I was pretty much doing a 2 mile walk around my neighborhood and adding up to a mile walking around my complex depending on how I felt.  Well with it being close to 80 degrees at 4am in the morning it is harder to walk outside without passing out.

Well I have been walking more inside on the treadmill and I am actually pushing myself more on the treadmill. Walking outside it is easier to slow down walking or just stop. On treadmill I have to keep going or I might become a funny youtube clip. I am slowly increasing the speeds on the treadmill and today I actually increased my length of time.

Hopefully next week I am going to mix it up and do some days outside and some days inside.  I have to get use to walking and hopefully running soon. October 9th will be here before I know it. 

Week #1

I survived the first week of Operation Death of Fat Girl!!!! It was hard, but I made it. Had a few stumbling blocks, but I came out better. Each week I think I will give an update on my progress. Rather the progress is good or bad. I know it is going to take me a while to lose all the weight, but I have to realize that it took me a while to gain it all too.

Successes

1. Weight: 293 lbs (-7)
2. BMI: 42 (-1)
3. Worked out 5 out of 7 days
4. Walked/Jogged Approximately 2-3 miles each time
5. Attempted the Elliptical Machine (only lasted 3 minutes...better than the 2 minutes the last time I tried it)
6. Drank no alcohol (although I don't get drunk...the absolute no drinking of alcohol is very hard...but I will have alcohol on my 30th birthday....in moderation, hopefully)
7. Incorporated small snacks back into my meal plan (yogurt, fruit, fiber bars, etc.)

Failures

1. Ate after 7pm twice (although small amounts still ate)
2. Had sushi twice with tempura shrimp (fried) although it wasn't straight grease, still was fried
3. Did not push myself when I know I felt comfortable in my workouts, I think I could have jogged more and some days could have gone for longer times.

Goals for Next Week

1. Walk 3 miles each workout in 45 minutes or less
2. Increase elliptical machine time to 5 minutes
3. Absolutely no fried foods
4. Start putting weight training into my workout (I hate weights almost as much as I hate the elliptical machine).

As you can see week #1 was very good, but I have to continue on the right path.  I know I will not lose that much every week, and some weeks I might not lose anything, but my main goal is to be healthier in the long run and continue Operation Death of Fat Girl!!!!

I can confidently say I can walk the 5K at a reasonable speed without passing out so by October I just have to increase it to a run...YES I CAN!!!!

Finding My Own Path

Losing weight has been a long struggle for me.  Growing up I was never huge, but I was never little either.  I think in college is when the weight first started getting out of hand. Starting with the "Freshman 15," not having home cooked meals often, and being an emotional eater while going through a lot of things while in college lead to the majorityof my weight gain.  I think I was around 190 pounds when I left for college, during college think I got up to about 250 pounds, then as an adult I got up to 300 which is about where I have stayed for the past few years.

I attempted to exercise in college, but nothing consistent. As an adult I have had gym memberships, gone to classes, got a personal trainer, bought the lose weight in 6 weeks kits, tried the acai berry pills....shall I keep going?  Everything  I have done I have not done long enough to get long term results and I never really had accountability while doing them.

I have had to find my own path to losing weight. My mother use to always say something about my weight and it became (and still is) very irritating.  I had to make up in my mind that I had to do it and sad to say I can't depend on others to help me do it. I mean I am thankful for the encouragement and the people who have offered suggestions, but I have to do this my way.  It might take longer and I might make mistakes, but I have to do what works for me.

Recently I went to a surgical weight loss seminar just to see my options. After attending I honestly still debated is this the best option for me. I didn't want the surgeries where they cut your stomach to shrink it, I just wanted the lap band...simple, not really messing with body organs, and can be reversed. But after weighing the advantages and the disadvantages I realized this was so not for me.  Because in the long run if I am not willing to eat right and exercise any surgery that I have would would serve no purpose.

I am still trying to find my path to weight loss. So far it has been good, not easy, but good. I have not been perfect, but learning.  Think I will do weekly updates with successes & failures, weight updates, and things I have learned. 

Now it is time to pass out....attempted the elliptical machine after working out at my apartment's gym....I can't feel my legs. I told you all that machine was the devil!!!!

No Excuses!!!

Okay it is a rough morning for me....I so do not want to work out. Yesterday I took a break and I want to take another break today...but I can't. What is funny yesterday I was reading one of my favorite blogs thegayte-keeper and he wrote a post on excuses for not exercising.  I have used the majority of them...and this morning the majority of them are going through me head.  I am tired, need to get to work early, my Ipod is messing up, my head hurts....just to name a few.

Well....I am ignoring those excuses and getting out and workout this morning. I am going to try to jog more today.  Next week I am going to increase my walking path. Hopefully by the beginning of July I can be up to 4 miles and then on my way to running (JESUS!!!).  October 9, 2010 is around the corner to me and for me to able to run...not walk a 5K I have a lot of work to do.

I was supposed to go grocery shopping last night...did not happen, but I did start planning my meals.  I also looked at some health suggestions on the food pyramid. The mypryamid is a good way of seeing what you are supposed to be eating and to see what is good for your weight and workout level.

Also...this weekend I am going to attempt to tackle....

the elliptical machine!!! I consider this machine evil and needs to be destroyed. I can go no longer than 2 minutes on it at a time...we shall see.

Day #2

Okay....I am not going to write everyday, but in the beginning I need some motivation and to vent.  This morning I woke up with a headache, saw on the news it was 77 degrees BEFORE 5am, and I had the thought of having to be at work early so I was making up a whole lot of excuses not to go walking this morning. But I did it! I only did 2 miles, and did it in about 35 minutes which is not too bad for me.

Walking outside is better for me than walking inside on a treadmill. I get bored with a treadmill and I feel like I have not done anything. I might try doing some time on the treadmill on those evenings when I don't have things to do after work (which is rare).

I will say this being fat is so much easier!! I cooked grilled veggie burgers, sauteed spinach with garlic and a little lemon juice (thanks for the tip Elisabeth), and corn (no butter). I am going grocery shopping tomorrow so tonight I am going to look at some great recipes and some healthy ideas.  I up for suggestions as long as it has no meat. I like seafood, but trying stay away from that too...shell fish is a weakness and crab legs with garlic butter is the devil and he is always calling my name....especially when publix has them on sale.

Okay...Off to work and I to have shower. Did I mention it is much easier being fat??? I so don't like to sweat.

The Beginning

This is me now....this is a recent pic that shows my weight. Not the best picture in the world, but you get the point. I don't ever want to be this size again. I am using this post as my basline post. A few statitics about me, some of my goals, and how I plan on accomplishing those goals.

Now

1. 
   
   Age: 29 (30 in a couple of months)
2. 
   
   Height: 5'10"
3. 
   
   Weight: 300
4. 
   
   BMI: 43.0

Goals

1. 
   
   To live a healthy lifestyle for as long as God allows
2. 
   
   Weight: 170
3. 
   
   BMI: 24
4. 
   
   Run a 5K (October 9, 2010)
5. 
   
   Walk Music City Half Marathon (April 30, 2011)

Steps

1. 
   
   Eating healthy consistently
2. 
   
   Workout 5 days out of the week
3. 
   
   No eating after 7pm
4. 
   
   No Alcohol (this is going to be a hard one)
5. 
   
   No Fried Foods

This is just the beginning...this will be a long journey.  This morning I walked about 3 miles and attempted to jog part of the way.  Had a healthy breakfast and plan on having a healthy lunch....the journey has begun

Welcome!!!

Welcome to my new blog! Some of you might follow my other blog and others might actually know me in real life and decided to see what this was about....Well, yesterday on facebook this was my status:

okay....operation death of fat girl has started. No fried foods, no alcohol (pray for me!), and working out at least 5 times a week....Running Race for the Cure on October 9, 2010 and walking the Music City Marathon on April 30, 2011. With God and accountability it can happen....JESUS!!! What have I gotten myself into????

This status received various comments and encouragement so I decided to track my journey.  In my other blog I talked about my weight on occasion and one of my 30 things to do while 30 is to lose at least 30 pounds. As a way of accountability and a way to track my progess this blog was created.  I will give updates on goals, milestones, activities, recipes, and things that I do that work...and don't work to help me acheive my goal....death of fat girl!!!

I have been overweight the majority of my life, but as an adult I have become obese and this has to stop! Thank God I have had no health complications and through operation death of fat girl I want to keep it that way. I am open to suggestions and ideas and encouraging words along my journey!!

Thanks for reading and/or following!!! First post will be the beginning of my journey ;-)