Weekly Weigh-in #47: We Suck

OK, this post is late for a reason. Neither one of us wanted to write it. I'm sucking it up now to share our weigh-in results, which were suck-tastic.

Jay
Starting weight: 301 pounds
Current weight: 256 pounds
Pounds lost this week: 0 pounds
Total pounds lost: 45 pounds

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 179 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (4) pounds
Total pounds lost: 59 pounds

See those parentheses? (4) pounds means I GAINED 4 pounds. And Mr. continues to be stuck at 256.

I honestly can't believe I ate an extra 14,000 calories in one week to gain 4 pounds of fat, but it's quite possible I ate an extra 4,000 and the rest is water weight. Whatever it is, I don't like it and I want it gone.

Mr. got a little "talking to" from his personal trainer, who evaluated his food diary and told him he's eating "too much crap." That means not enough veggies and fruits and too much processed carby stuff.

Damn it all, we're not giving up. Thanksgiving will have to involve more calorie-burning, less turkey and pie-eating, and we both know it. Next week's weigh-in simply MUST go better.

Oh yeah, and happy Thanksgiving. If you want some tips for cutting back on calories at your turkey-fabulous dinner, check out the latest post on Mr.'s other blog, Mission Nutrition.

Let's Compare, Shall We?

OK, OK! The people have spoken. They want MORE PICTURES.

So after having my "hurr did" this morning and wearing my new Sephora makeup and Macy's duds, Mr. took some pictures. And I bring them to you.

But I feel it is important to put them in context. When I look at today's pics, I think "Who IS that lady? She's too good looking to be me!" I simply have to compare them to the Mrs. from a year ago. The fat one. Take a look for yourself.


Mrs. back in January VS. Mrs. today


Mrs. opening her Gilmore Girls DVD at Christmas last year VS. Mrs. today

I'd also like to brag that I was selected the "biggest loser" (highest percentage of weight loss) in my company's Health and Wellness Challenge yesterday. Guess what the prize is? $50 Macy's gift card. More shopping to do!

P.S. I want to show you some pics of Mr. too. Unfortunately, he's the photographer in our house, so it's harder to get him in front of the camera. I'll work on it, I promise! You should see his new hunky muscles.

My Mini-Makeover

A couple of months back, I was bummed that I didn't win a makeover contest, for which I was one of 20 finalists. After losing so much weight, I really felt like I needed--or dare I say deserved--a little visual upgrade of my makeup, hair and clothes.

Of course, I didn't have to win a contest to do those things. It just would have made it a lot more fun (and cheaper).

Well, my good friend Kelly--bless her heart--decided I should have at least some kind of makeover, which she suggested as a belated birthday outing for us. Last weekend, we hit the mall in search of a new look for me.

First, we headed to the department store makeup counters in hopes of getting a little free mini-makeover. No luck. They were all too busy or said they required a minimum purchase of $50. What?! Too much of a commitment for me.

We split for Sephora instead, where we walked right into a very hopping store and got seated for a quick (free) makeover. My lady did a number on my eyes, making me look much more dramatic and glamorous than I'm used to--but I liked it! I even bought the products (more than $50 worth, thank you very much, department store snobs!)

Then, it was time for new clothes. In new sizes. I have almost no nice clothes that fit me well. They're all too big and baggy. So Kelly and I hit up Macy's for clearance and sale items that would be work-worthy and show off my slimmer figure.

It was helpful to have her second opinion and open mind, which got me considering clothes I might otherwise have passed up. As I tried a few items on, she made the brilliant suggestion of trying petite when all the size 14 slacks were ridiculously long on me. Petite? Me? Well, I'm 5' 8" so I figured I was too tall. Apparently I have short legs? 14Ps fit like a glove.

Kelly also kindly pointed out that perhaps I needed an upgrade on the frumpy sports bras, my undergarment of choice as a fat, frumpy person. She said when you wear fitted, lovely blouses, you need some uplifting support underneath. Duh, right? So our next stop was Lingerie, where I tried on more bras than I have since I was 13, and found a brand I loved: Walcoal, maker of $50+ bras. Worth every dollar (though I have since learned there are better deals on this brand at Stein-Mart and TJ Maxx).

Walking out of Macy's, I carried four new work outfits that actually flattered my figure, plus a new look to highlight my eyes (when I actually have time to do makeup) and comfortable, supportive undergarments.

More importantly, I felt a renewed sense of commitment to the fit lifestyle we've been living these past 11 months. I absolutely love the feeling of shopping for "regular" size clothes--and liking what I see in the dressing room mirror. No amount of chocolate or pizza or lazy couch time could possibly compare with the joy of being fit!

(Now, I just need to go make a hair appointment. I'm thinking blonder, longer, more fabulous.)

P.S. Many thanks to Kelly for the fun afternoon and being such a supportive makeover companion. It meant more to me than you know!

Weekly Weigh-in #46: Marking Time

I admit it: I used to be a marching band geek. (I only tell you this to explain this post's title, blog friends--don't hold it against me.) You know when marching band people march without actually going anywhere (like when a parade line gets held up or led into an alley as in Animal House)? It's called "marking time."

That's kind of what Mr. and I did this week. We didn't go anywhere, really, but we didn't stop either.

Jay
Starting weight: 301 pounds
Current weight: 256 pounds
Pounds lost this week: 0 pounds
Total pounds lost: 45 pounds

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 175 pounds
Pounds lost this week: .5 pound
Total pounds lost: 63 pounds


We now know that Mr. has been replacing pounds of fat with muscle, which is awesome. (Read his post from yesterday for more details.) Despite going out of town last week, and his trainer getting the flu, Mr. was able to make it to two personal training sessions. Go, Mr.!



I, on the other hand, don't feel like I "deserve" to have lost .5 lb this weigh-in. I didn't exercise last week. Not once.



It was surprisingly easy for me to blame circumstances, like our daughter being sick, being busy catching up on work, finishing the many piles of laundry, hosting a family get-together, blah blah blah. I realized how excuses not to work out are always there. I have a veritable cornucopia of them at my disposal. So I pulled one out each day and avoided yet another sweat session at the gym or in our basement.



Scary how in one week, my fitness habits can slide back to the bad old days. I definitely don't want to go back there. Last night, I forced myself to ride our stationary bike for a measly half-hour while catching up on my stories. Though my effort was somewhat pathetic, I'm glad I did something.

Tonight, I hope to actually go to the Y and lift weights and do serious cardio. I refuse to give up just because I had a lousy exercise week. It's not the end of the world. Just a little "wakeup call" that fitness requires a daily recommitment--I can't coast my way to my goal (or after I reach it).

Staying the same weight and losing fat

I haven't posted in a while since I've been focusing my efforts on my workouts with my personal trainer. I decided I needed to increase the intensity of my workouts since I wasn't dropping the pounds like I used to be.

I've been working out with a personal trainer three days a week for a solid month now, and I can tell you I've been pushing myself harder than I ever would have if I was still working out by myself.

As it turns out, I discovered that it's possible to stay the same weight and drop the fat at the same time. After the first solid month of intense weight lifting and aerobic exercise my total weight remained exactly the same, but my body fat percentage dropped 3% from 75 pounds of fat down to 68 and my lean body mass (muscle mass) increased from 181 pounds to 188.

My long term goal still remains, I want to lose weight rather than maintain my current weight, but I feel like I've managed to accomplish something by losing seven pounds of body fat. Sure, I gained seven pounds of muscle, but there are long term benefits from that (namely increased metabolism) that will help me lose weight going forward.

Mrs. and I will continue to post our weekly weigh-in numbers, but we thought it would be a good idea to post about my changing body fat percentage ... since those numbers don't always show themselves on the scale.

Weekly Weigh-in #45: Part 1 (with Photos!)

Mr. is traveling for business with no scale access, so it's just Mrs. weighing in today.

I've been flying solo with a sick kid at home for the past couple of days. No easy feat, especially in the exercise and sleep departments. (It's hard to get much of either when Miss Croupie Pants needs 24-7 attention. Poor kiddo.)

Nonetheless, I had a decent week (weight-wise, at least)! Check it out:

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 175.5 pounds
Pounds lost this week: 1 pound
Total pounds lost: 62.5 pounds

I'm now finding my size 16 pants are all getting too big, and size 14 is fitting a lot better. When I think back to how I looked and felt a year ago from now, it seems somewhat unreal. See a photo comparison here: Mrs. with the little fairy princess last Halloween, Mrs. with the beautiful ballerina girl this Halloween.



How did I let myself get so bad? And why didn't I do something about it sooner?

With each pound I lose, I'm more committed than ever to staying fit for life. I simply can't imagine willingly giving up all the energy, confidence and possibilities I've gained this year! Just to eat like Miss Piggy. I'll pass on the seconds to feel this good.

Stay tuned for Mr.'s belated weigh-in on Thursday.

Weekly Weigh-in #44: Election Day

We won't know how the elections will turn out until tomorrow morning, but Mr. and I have the results from our Tuesday weigh-in--and they're mixed.

I had a stellar week on the scale. I have now passed the 60-pound loss mark. Wow! I didn't expect it. In fact, I truly thought I'd see the same number as last week or higher. Not that I went crazy with the Halloween candy or anything, but I was by no means "perfect." Still, not going to complain. Just going to keep plowing ahead!

Mr. had a lousy week. We're both frustrated, because he's been going to the personal training place for several weeks now. We thought he'd be losing like crazy by now. Nope, he gained! So he's going to talk to them and figure out how he can drop more pounds in the coming weeks.

Jay
Starting weight: 301 pounds
Current weight: 256 pounds
Pounds lost this week: (2) pounds
Total pounds lost: 45 pounds

Susan
Starting weight: 238 pounds
Current weight: 176.5 pounds
Pounds lost this week: 2.5 pounds
Total pounds lost: 61.5 pounds

Have good thoughts for Mr. and send some encouraging vibes his way. He needs them!

The Growing Tower of Fat Clothes

Since Mr. and I started this fit journey 10 months ago, we've not only lost pounds--our bodies have shrunk. And as we shrank, our pile of fat clothes--the ones that once fit or were even tight--has grown.

Back in January, Mr. was wearing 2XL or 3XL shirts and 44-inch waist pants (or 42-inch in some cases). I was wearing 1X or even 2X shirts and size 22 pants. Yikes!!! Neither of us could believe we had gotten that big, but there we were.

Over the course of this year, we've culled down our wardrobe as clothes became baggier and fell off of us. With no small amount of satisfaction, we'd take the item off the hanger and say "Another one for the fat-clothes tower!"

The tower grew a lot last week, as we made the summer to winter clothes switcheroo. Where did all of last year's winter clothes go? Most of them ended up in the fat clothes tower.

Now a big donation to Goodwill or Salvation Army is in order, followed by a trip to Old Navy and TJ Maxx. Mr. will shop for XL shirts and 38-inch waist pants. I'll be looking for size L shirts and size 14 pants. Woo hoo! Here's to new skinnier clothes!