8.30.2007

Weigh-in Day

Drum roll, please! Today I'm 244.2 - which is a loss of 45.8 pounds total!! Hooray! This is my lowest weight since the Clinton administration, I think.

Now we're off on vacation tomorrow to visit my super fun brother in California, and leaving the Ding at the doggie ranch so he can frolic too. I plan to eat whatever the hell I want. Well, within reason. I don't want to undo all of my hard work this week. And the Mel's FitDay Challenge will be on my mind. Happy weekend!

8.29.2007

On Confidence

I read this article the other day. Yes, I read People. (I have an arrangement with a friend at work. She travels a lot, and when she returns, I get her People. Don't judge!) I loved that both of those women were so honest about their struggle with their weight. Old habits, trying to make new habits, and continually thinking about what you're going to eat, never letting your guard down. A reminder to me too, that I need to accept what my body does with extra (delicious) calories. Hint: Not melt away.

What struck me about the article was how much they stopped living because of their weight. I'm proud to say that I never hid due to my weight. Certainly I made sure never to wear tank tops, and I wore cover-ups at the beach, and of course made use of baggy clothes to hide the gargantuan ass and hips I have been blessed with - you could serve drinks on them they are so wide - but I didn't stay away from what I loved. I didn't hide from life. I asked boys to dance, I acted in theater, appeared in lingerie onstage, I danced in clubs with girlfriends, and even placed a personal ad, all while being overweight. It must be different when you're a celebrity and evidence of your weight gain is in the public eye, with magazines creating pages of shots comparing you to your former self. I know these women have confidence, but were still crippled in some situations. I know that no one in my life will stop loving me if I gain all my weight back. But I still want to succeed on this journey, and I want to continue living in a body that I feel better about. And losing weight is such hard work, it is a source of pride for me to say I did it!

One thing I am not proud of, is that I have strayed so far from the theater. When I found my (now) husband, Mr. Black, it was so exciting and all I wanted to do was spend time with him and our friends. Then wedding planning, get a new job, then wedding, honeymoon, buy a house, get a dog and I'm years away from the last show I ever did. And my confidence is waning. I am funny, I am a talented actress, but I feel I'm too heavy to cast. A woman in her early 30's - there are tons of those ladies around, so it's even harder to get cast. And then I felt rusty, and doubting my ability, and I got heavier, and oh boy. I know that when I lose weight, I'll feel like I could belong in a show again. I'll also have a body that doesn't sweat when she's under the lights for 30 seconds. Hurrah! Onward!

8.28.2007

If you bite it, write it

Journaling and I are like competitive co-workers. We know we’re good for each other if we work as a team, but most of the time, we don’t get along. When I was following the Weight Watchers’ Way in 2005, which requires journaling, I loathed it then. I loath it now. Why do I have to write it down? I know what I’m eating, so it really won’t be that helpful, I told myself as I hastily ate a candy bar and reasoned that I would make a mental note to not overdo it at dinner, and then not write it down. But time and time again, Journaling proves to be effective. I am trying to be committed to using FitDay. A great resource for tracking all things weight loss related. My fearless leader/inspiration, Mel is starting a FitDay challenge this Friday, where we have to use it for 10 days. I have a vacation planned for the holiday weekend, and so I won’t be able to log each day, but maybe I’ll keep a pen and paper record? Gah, I’d sooner give up coffee and half and half for a day (only one!) than write down what I eat on vacation. So here’s a public promise to write down as much as possible.

I do notice that before I eat something, I do think “Do I want to write this down? Do I want to “spend” my precious calories on this?”. And lordy, I eat a lot of fat. Shall I cut back? We’ll see. So, I hope to be super diligent before my vacation so I can enjoy myself some more. Cocktails! Dessert! Fried things! Tune in for the weigh-in on Thursday to see if any of this malarkey has paid off.


Ooh! I also found a great resource for finding some commercial foods that FitDay doesn’t have. It is a similar site:
http://www.thedailyplate.com/

Also, this works well too:
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

Now I have no excuses for not finding out the true data of what I’m eating. My inner child is pouting, though. *stomps foot* Don’t wanna!

Today and Thursday will be challenging. Have a fancy client lunch at fancy restaurant tomorrow. And Thursday is lunch with the girls at a sandwich shop. Turkey sandwich, totally doable. Good grief, will I become a nerdy customer who asks “Do you have nutritional information I could have”? Bleh.

8.26.2007

So it begins

Welcome to the Trisaratops Lounge. I'm your host, Sara - a woman determined to obliterate 150 pounds - and I have 41 gone so far. The road is long and hard and I am easily tempted to pull over and set a spell with a plate of cheese bread and creme brulee on the side. Driving me forward are the rewards I believe in: a longer and healthier life, a stronger body that can keep up with the munchkins I hope to have one day, and to be honest - looking beautiful and shopping in a "regular" size store. Oh, to be a size 12!

The easiest part so far is the cooking. I love to cook as much as I love to eat, and so I'm working on ways to keep myself satisfied with the pleasure of eating, as well as acheiving my weight loss goals. Adding fiber with veggies and especially beans, is great way to fill up and be healthy.

Summer is probably one of the easier times of year to lose weight. The produce is gorgeous and delicious, the weather is nicer (well, usually - I'm in the Pacific NW, so it can be unreliable) so walking is easier when you know you won't get drenched. And if you're hot you're drinking more water! Hooray! Which is not to say I am never tempted by backyard barbecue fare. Oh, Mr. Cheeseburger and I have a long and sordid love affair. And his cousin, pork ribs, well, a girl's gotta live! But to be able to enjoy my full fat friends - I regulate my breakfast and lunches and snacks.

Here's a favorite lunch recipe of mine:

2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow pepper, sedded and chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can vegetarian refried beans
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup salsa - or more, if you like
.5 cup cheese

Saute the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add zucchini, and saute for 1 minute, add garlic and peppers and saute for 3 minutes. In a large bowl combine sauteed vegetables with rice, beans, salsa and cheese. Voila! If you're not watching carborhydrates, this is a great burrito filling - but I like to eat it just as a rice bowl. It packs up easily to keep in a fridge at work, and I heat it in the microwave. Delish! And you can add whatever you like to it, super adaptable.

I'm off to get some exercise in - have a great week!