It's finally the final day. My 21st birthday. The end of phase III, the projected end-date of this entire project.
Today I am 130.8 pounds, 23.9% body fat according to my scale, measurements (inches): waist 26 1/2, hips 36 1/2, thigh 21, arm 10 3/4. This means since the end of phase II I have lost:
13.6 pounds and 6.0% body fat (though as we know, the scale is not necessarily reliable)
1.5 inches off my waist, 2.25 off my hips, 1.5 off my thigh, and 1 off my arm
About 1 pant size (my best-fit pants are a 4, though the 6s still work)
And in the grand total I have lost:
53.8 pounds
7.5 inches from my waist as well as 5 from my thigh
4 pant sizes
So I did it! I'm 21, have met my rather arbitrarily chosen goal, and I believe I'm within 10 pounds of my ideal weight. Also, my pants are tiny - before this whole thing I really never thought I'd get smaller than a size 8. I'm happy that I went to that fitness testing and got the alternative body fat measurement, because it tells me I am not just-barely entering the recommended range, but rather that I'm well within it already. It also helps that my belly seems to have gotten noticeably tighter in the last week or so. At this point, I think my personal perception of my body is the best indicator of my progress, followed by weight and inch measurements, and lastly the body fat guesses of my scale.
Where do we go from here? I think I will cut back significantly on my weight-related regulatory behaviors. Specifically, I'll stop counting calories, weigh myself less often (once to a few times a week) and use my scale's body fat function a lot less often (once a month to once a week). What I'll keep doing is writing down qualitatively what I eat in the day and tracking my exercise. I'm going to set up a new spreadsheet that has cells to record weight, body fat, and inch measurements, though none of those will be recorded daily, and exercise in the cardio, strength, and flexibility categories, which will be recorded daily. Calorie intake, expenditure, and deficit estimations will be absent. However, I'll continue with the food journal at least for a bit, and do a weekly reflection on the following questions:
How many days did I eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables? Fewer than 3?
What percentage of my meals included significant protein? What about snacks?
Do I feel that my diet was satisfactory overall this week?
Did I have any negative outcomes this week that I feel may have been related to my dietary choices?
I figure I have stop counting calories sometime, and I know even when I went on vacation I tended to think about the calories, so just not recording them will be a way of slowly phasing out that mindset. Hopefully, just mindfulness and my acquired experience with portion sizes will be enough to keep me on track, and allow me to maintain or lose as I please without being quantitatively rigorous. I'll still probably look at calories and serving sizes in order to make decisions about what I eat, but that's something everyone who's ever had a weight problem should do. If I start to gain without clear cause, I can always go back and audit my diet. My main focus for a while will be exercise and finding a balance between the different types. Overall, the goal is to find an equilibrium where I feel nourished, have treats sometimes, and do exercise I enjoy, in such proportions as to maintain my body in a state I'm happy with, without interfering with my other priorities.
I'll be redesigning this blog, including changing the background (probably immediately after posting this), re-titling it, moving and updating my caption, goals, and weight loss ticker, over the next few weeks. I'll also post some before/after/transition pictures soon, and maybe a weight graph. I have a master, long range weight graph, but it doesn't want to cooperate right now, and it might be nice to wait until I fill up a year of weight records before posting it. I will definitely have a post for my "fat-iversary", although I'll have to decide if that's June 7th (the day I started counted calories) or June 11th (the day I weighed myself).
Until I post again, adieu!
Showing posts with label inches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inches. Show all posts
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
GOAL PARTAAAAYYY!!!
This shit is bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s... okay, no.
This morning I'm 134.6 pounds (2.2 down from last week) and 25.6% body fat. So I've hit my goal right on the dot, and my lean mass is still in triple digits. I now get to see what my ticker does when you hit goal, which turns out to be: nothing interesting. It just says 0 lb to go. And 50 pounds lost. Which is pretty awesome - 50 pounds lost. Annika Q and the whole 50 pounds... that she got rid of. Not to mention 3 compounds of 10% of my body weight. I tripled what they usually get in those obesity-and-dieting studies. Woohoo!
I took my measurements as well: waist 26 3/4, hips 37 1/4, thigh 21 1/2, arm 11. My waist hasn't changed a ton lately and my arm measure has been totally stalled for a while, but my hip and thigh measures have dropped a lot since I last measured. That helps to explain why my pants are getting baggy. However, considering it's currently subfreezing outside, it's actually rather useful to be able to wear an extra pair of yoga pants under my jeans.
I'll do a more thorough debriefing and where-do-we-go-from-here reflection on my birthday, when phase 3 is officially over. However, for now what I'll say is - I'm happy with my weight, and I wouldn't mind if this was the end, but I don't think it has to be, and I think my ideal weight/fat content is still lower. I haven't met my <25% body fat goal yet. I think in the future, my ceiling weight should be around 145. That's when I really began to feel like I looked good and felt good, and it's within normal BMI. At the moment, I'll keep exercising and calorie counting, but think less about weight, more about body fat %, and most of all about fitness. I'll probably go for a bit less calorie deficit than I have been, inching toward a more maintenance-oriented version of this lifestyle. For example, I have my aerobics class certain days and I might choose to do yoga on the alternate days, rather than doing them the same day and then other hi-cal workouts the other days. I would try to get back into running, but I think I'll wait for the weather to get above, oh, fifty Fahrenheit. It just sucks futzing with layers and the air freezes your throat and if your ears aren't warm enough you get a terrible headache and so on...
Oh, and one last thing - I'm dropping sugar and refined flour from my pseudo-Lent restrictions because I feel like it is a) not really a big issue for me in the first place, b) hard to enforce, and thereby c) being a pain in the ass in a way that is not useful. Just a few examples to justify my choice: I can't eat the honey roasted peanuts my boyfriend bought because they have regular sugar in them too, but I can make cookies with honey. If I want to go get a yogurt for a snack, most of the time I'm out of luck because I don't want to eat plain yogurt or yogurt sweetened with Splenda, but all other yogurt is sweetened with sugar except maybe those awesome Fage cups. I ate a salad the other day from the salad bar and used this orange ginger dressing, and it didn't even occur to me to think salad dressing might have sugar, but when I got to the bottom of the bowl I realized it was really sweet. Anyway, so I'm still excluding milk, cheese, butter, and intoxicants, but I think the whole thing might have started out too broad.
This morning I'm 134.6 pounds (2.2 down from last week) and 25.6% body fat. So I've hit my goal right on the dot, and my lean mass is still in triple digits. I now get to see what my ticker does when you hit goal, which turns out to be: nothing interesting. It just says 0 lb to go. And 50 pounds lost. Which is pretty awesome - 50 pounds lost. Annika Q and the whole 50 pounds... that she got rid of. Not to mention 3 compounds of 10% of my body weight. I tripled what they usually get in those obesity-and-dieting studies. Woohoo!
I took my measurements as well: waist 26 3/4, hips 37 1/4, thigh 21 1/2, arm 11. My waist hasn't changed a ton lately and my arm measure has been totally stalled for a while, but my hip and thigh measures have dropped a lot since I last measured. That helps to explain why my pants are getting baggy. However, considering it's currently subfreezing outside, it's actually rather useful to be able to wear an extra pair of yoga pants under my jeans.
I'll do a more thorough debriefing and where-do-we-go-from-here reflection on my birthday, when phase 3 is officially over. However, for now what I'll say is - I'm happy with my weight, and I wouldn't mind if this was the end, but I don't think it has to be, and I think my ideal weight/fat content is still lower. I haven't met my <25% body fat goal yet. I think in the future, my ceiling weight should be around 145. That's when I really began to feel like I looked good and felt good, and it's within normal BMI. At the moment, I'll keep exercising and calorie counting, but think less about weight, more about body fat %, and most of all about fitness. I'll probably go for a bit less calorie deficit than I have been, inching toward a more maintenance-oriented version of this lifestyle. For example, I have my aerobics class certain days and I might choose to do yoga on the alternate days, rather than doing them the same day and then other hi-cal workouts the other days. I would try to get back into running, but I think I'll wait for the weather to get above, oh, fifty Fahrenheit. It just sucks futzing with layers and the air freezes your throat and if your ears aren't warm enough you get a terrible headache and so on...
Oh, and one last thing - I'm dropping sugar and refined flour from my pseudo-Lent restrictions because I feel like it is a) not really a big issue for me in the first place, b) hard to enforce, and thereby c) being a pain in the ass in a way that is not useful. Just a few examples to justify my choice: I can't eat the honey roasted peanuts my boyfriend bought because they have regular sugar in them too, but I can make cookies with honey. If I want to go get a yogurt for a snack, most of the time I'm out of luck because I don't want to eat plain yogurt or yogurt sweetened with Splenda, but all other yogurt is sweetened with sugar except maybe those awesome Fage cups. I ate a salad the other day from the salad bar and used this orange ginger dressing, and it didn't even occur to me to think salad dressing might have sugar, but when I got to the bottom of the bowl I realized it was really sweet. Anyway, so I'm still excluding milk, cheese, butter, and intoxicants, but I think the whole thing might have started out too broad.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Leaving weight (and such)
Leaving weight is 142.4 pounds. Also 29.2% fat, 27.5 inch waist, 38.5 inch hips, 22.5 inch thigh, 11.0 inch arm.
I guess this makes the returning goal 141.4.
Remind me to talk about pants when I get back...
I guess this makes the returning goal 141.4.
Remind me to talk about pants when I get back...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Day 99, round 2 - conclusion of phase 2 (posted late)
Yesterday was the last row of my second spreadsheet and my weight was 144.4 pounds. At 29.9% body fat, even! This means that in the past 99 days, I've lost:
18.4 pounds
6.3% body fat
2.5 inches off my waist
a little more than 1 pant size
as well as another 1.75 inches off my thigh. I switched my hip measurement to where it's supposed to be during this phase, so I don't have comparable measurements from beginning to end, and I haven't changed my bra size since the end of last phase.
I can't post a graph because the new Google graphs are funky and don't save properly, and my boyfriend's computer (my power cord broke) doesn't have the program I use to take screenshots. So, no eye candy - sorry.
I've refined my spreadsheet again for phase III. The biggest difference is that I split the exercise column into "calorie burn exercise" and "strength/toning exercise". I need to keep track of them separately, because I need to see clearly whether I'm doing my strength exercises or not. The sheet may look a little more confusing sometimes because certain things, primarily yoga, apply to both - but since it's my sheet, as long as I know what I'm talking about and put the right numbers in the right boxes, I think it's fine.
It's super awesome that I'm only 10 pounds away. I hope that I can meet the next microgoal - 139.6 - by the time school starts back up at the end of January. It will be a little slow-going during the holiday week, and my Europe trip will be a total wildcard, but the final week of winter break I have all the space I need to push for a couple more pounds.
18.4 pounds
6.3% body fat
2.5 inches off my waist
a little more than 1 pant size
as well as another 1.75 inches off my thigh. I switched my hip measurement to where it's supposed to be during this phase, so I don't have comparable measurements from beginning to end, and I haven't changed my bra size since the end of last phase.
I can't post a graph because the new Google graphs are funky and don't save properly, and my boyfriend's computer (my power cord broke) doesn't have the program I use to take screenshots. So, no eye candy - sorry.
I've refined my spreadsheet again for phase III. The biggest difference is that I split the exercise column into "calorie burn exercise" and "strength/toning exercise". I need to keep track of them separately, because I need to see clearly whether I'm doing my strength exercises or not. The sheet may look a little more confusing sometimes because certain things, primarily yoga, apply to both - but since it's my sheet, as long as I know what I'm talking about and put the right numbers in the right boxes, I think it's fine.
It's super awesome that I'm only 10 pounds away. I hope that I can meet the next microgoal - 139.6 - by the time school starts back up at the end of January. It will be a little slow-going during the holiday week, and my Europe trip will be a total wildcard, but the final week of winter break I have all the space I need to push for a couple more pounds.
Monday, November 15, 2010
MESO GOAL #2 MET - plus waist!
Finally, today I weigh 149.6 pounds! SOO amazing. I am now Cute Normal-Weight Girl! Good superhero name, huh? I've also met my waist goal of 29 inches. Now it's to be expected that I'll waver a bit - I'd like to avoid bouncing above 150 for morning weights as much as possible because the 150s are lame, but I'll certainly be seeing them any other time I step on the scale for a bit. After that inevitable period though, MAY THEY NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN, except possibly in case of pregnancy some years from now.
I can hardly believe this. Not only am I not overweight anymore, but I'm only 15 pounds away from my original, way back in the past weight loss goal, which is exactly how much weight I was able to lose easily then. If circumstances were equivalent (which they aren't, being 35 pounds into the process already) I could just implement one of my qualitative tricks, wait 3-4 months, and be done.
I'm really eager to get away from the overweight boundary now, so I think I'll be extra motivated over these next 5 pounds. I obviously can't peel off 5 pounds before Thanksgiving, but I should be able to get down to the 148, maybe high 147 range. I definitely hope to be below 145 by Solstice and close to 140 by January 4.
Why January 4? Because I will be traveling! I'm going to Europe between January 4-19, just over 2 weeks, which will give an excellent opportunity to test my intuitive-eating skills. I won't be weighing myself because I won't have a scale, and I won't be calorie counting because I will undoubtedly be eating meals the contents of which I cannot monitor. I'm still debating over whether to keep a general log of what I eat. I will also not be able to do the cardio I usually do, but can definitely work on strength exercises, and may do a lot of walking. I'll definitely have to come up with a plan for that before I leave. Then, it's a matter of exercising my ability to think "what's a reasonable portion of this? Which of these foods do I really want and which ones might I skip? What, in a general sense, have I eaten recently? What does my body feel like it needs?" Two weeks, then, is long enough for the effects to build up and I'll see whether I've largely lost, gained, or maintained - but if I gain, it won't be too much damage, not gonna gain 5 pounds or anything.
I've restyled the blog to celebrate this new goal. This is definitely the more important of my two meso goals, and may end up feeling more important than even the final goal. From here on out, everything is new! Every new low I hit will be the lowest low I've ever seen (at this height). I'm already thinner by inches and sizes than I've ever been - though let us not forget that I'm still over 30% body fat. Anyway, looking forward just can be nothing but good at this point.
I can hardly believe this. Not only am I not overweight anymore, but I'm only 15 pounds away from my original, way back in the past weight loss goal, which is exactly how much weight I was able to lose easily then. If circumstances were equivalent (which they aren't, being 35 pounds into the process already) I could just implement one of my qualitative tricks, wait 3-4 months, and be done.
I'm really eager to get away from the overweight boundary now, so I think I'll be extra motivated over these next 5 pounds. I obviously can't peel off 5 pounds before Thanksgiving, but I should be able to get down to the 148, maybe high 147 range. I definitely hope to be below 145 by Solstice and close to 140 by January 4.
Why January 4? Because I will be traveling! I'm going to Europe between January 4-19, just over 2 weeks, which will give an excellent opportunity to test my intuitive-eating skills. I won't be weighing myself because I won't have a scale, and I won't be calorie counting because I will undoubtedly be eating meals the contents of which I cannot monitor. I'm still debating over whether to keep a general log of what I eat. I will also not be able to do the cardio I usually do, but can definitely work on strength exercises, and may do a lot of walking. I'll definitely have to come up with a plan for that before I leave. Then, it's a matter of exercising my ability to think "what's a reasonable portion of this? Which of these foods do I really want and which ones might I skip? What, in a general sense, have I eaten recently? What does my body feel like it needs?" Two weeks, then, is long enough for the effects to build up and I'll see whether I've largely lost, gained, or maintained - but if I gain, it won't be too much damage, not gonna gain 5 pounds or anything.
I've restyled the blog to celebrate this new goal. This is definitely the more important of my two meso goals, and may end up feeling more important than even the final goal. From here on out, everything is new! Every new low I hit will be the lowest low I've ever seen (at this height). I'm already thinner by inches and sizes than I've ever been - though let us not forget that I'm still over 30% body fat. Anyway, looking forward just can be nothing but good at this point.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Different indices tell me different things
My 3 days of snacking and inactivity are still lingering, I'm up again today to 159.8 (geez). On the other hand, my body fat percentage was 34.6, which was surprising enough on its own after 35.7 yesterday, and then after my shower it read 33.0. I'm not sure what to believe there, we'll see if it sticks to its story tomorrow, but I went to measure myself and see what was up. I've lost another half inch off my waist to make a round 30, and my thigh is down to 24 even. So maybe I have lost significant fat.
Still, some downward progress tomorrow please? I ate 1360 calories yesterday and went for my run this morning, I think I deserve it.
Still, some downward progress tomorrow please? I ate 1360 calories yesterday and went for my run this morning, I think I deserve it.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Weekly summary
So I was reading a website the other day that was making the point, a calorie is a calorie, and it said for an example, eating 4000 calories it doesn't matter if you eat 444 grams of fat or 1000 grams of white sugar. Weeeelll, I looked up the LD50 of sugar, and 1000 grams would be about half an LD50 dose, based on rat values, for someone of my current weight. So erm... it matters in other ways!
... oh yeah, my current weight. 157.6, 35.5% fat. We are on another WTF curve, this one pointing the opposite direction from last time:
That gray line is 160 and each of those dots is spaced approximately 1 pound up or down from the next. Yes, I've been seeing one-pound steps all week. I don't fuckin' know, dude.
Quick stats: average kcals/day 1660, 5 cardio, 3 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, average estimated daily kcal balance -816, -2.6 lbs.
I did some measuring again today. I still can't find a way to measure my arm that gives me consistent readings. I think it's just because I have to use both hands, one of which is attached to the arm itself. I've lost another quarter inch off my "hips" since the phase end. I've decided for the hips I'll just keep measuring the spot that's easy to do, because it's still a self-consistent measurement.
Friday 9/24
Scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and cheese and toast with cream cheese and jam (140+30+20+110+110+45+25=480)
Coffee with skim (10)
Roseberry chocolate (80)
Soup, cheese, and crackers (200+110+130=440)
Crackers (50)
Rice and cheese soft taco with less beans (120+115+60+110=405)
Ice cream (300)
480+10+80+440+50+405+300=1765
Thursday 9/23
Granola with cream (140+80=220)
Banana and soaked almonds (100+100=200)
CV sandwich (470)
Coffee with skim (15)
1/2 bar roseberry chocolate (135)
Chicken, half a buttered baked potato, and green beans (480+100+50+50=680)
220+200+470+15+135+680=1730
Wednesday 9/22
Plum (50)
Egg and cheese toast sandwich (90+110+110=310)
Pasta, black beans, sauce, and cheese (200+115+50+110=475)
Soaked almonds (100)
Coffee with skim and cookies (10+40+140=190)
Rice, bean, and cheese soft taco (460)
50+310+475+100+190+460=1575
Tuesday 9/21
Oatmeal with cream and sugar and tea (220+40+30=290)
A few bites of a nectarine that was bad (20)
Kiwi (50)
Vegetable soup, cheese, and crackers (200+220+130=550)
Coffee with skim (10)
Flatbread (120)
Pasta with sauce and salad with tuna and dressing (200+50+25+75+50=400)
290+20+50+550+10+120+400=1440
Monday 9/20
Sweetened yogurt topped with granola and an egg on bread (85+25+70+80+100=360)
Coffee with skim (10)
Vegetable soup, cheese, and crackers (200+110+130=440)
Kiwi (50)
Bell pepper and cream cheese (35+90=125)
Coffee with skim (10)
Flatbread (200)
Rice, bean, and cheese soft taco (230+110+120=460)
Glass of wine (125)
360+10+440+50+125+200+460+125=1780
Sunday 9/19
Oatmeal with cream and sugar, grapefruit with sugar, and an egg (150+60+30+45+80=365)
Cheese and tomato sandwich (470)
Crackers (90)
Plum (50)
Vegetable soup, bread, and wine (200+400+125=725)
365+470+90+50+725=1700
Saturday 9/18
Banana chocolate chip pancake, veggie sausage, and coffee with cream and sugar (475+160+55=690)
Potatoes (150)
Leftover pancake (230)
Chunk of cheese (110)
Mac and cheese with tuna and peas (300+40+75+35=450)
690+150+230+110+450=1630
... oh yeah, my current weight. 157.6, 35.5% fat. We are on another WTF curve, this one pointing the opposite direction from last time:
Quick stats: average kcals/day 1660, 5 cardio, 3 strength workouts, 2 yoga classes, average estimated daily kcal balance -816, -2.6 lbs.
I did some measuring again today. I still can't find a way to measure my arm that gives me consistent readings. I think it's just because I have to use both hands, one of which is attached to the arm itself. I've lost another quarter inch off my "hips" since the phase end. I've decided for the hips I'll just keep measuring the spot that's easy to do, because it's still a self-consistent measurement.
Friday 9/24
Scrambled eggs with sauteed onions and cheese and toast with cream cheese and jam (140+30+20+110+110+45+25=480)
Coffee with skim (10)
Roseberry chocolate (80)
Soup, cheese, and crackers (200+110+130=440)
Crackers (50)
Rice and cheese soft taco with less beans (120+115+60+110=405)
Ice cream (300)
480+10+80+440+50+405+300=1765
Thursday 9/23
Granola with cream (140+80=220)
Banana and soaked almonds (100+100=200)
CV sandwich (470)
Coffee with skim (15)
1/2 bar roseberry chocolate (135)
Chicken, half a buttered baked potato, and green beans (480+100+50+50=680)
220+200+470+15+135+680=1730
Wednesday 9/22
Plum (50)
Egg and cheese toast sandwich (90+110+110=310)
Pasta, black beans, sauce, and cheese (200+115+50+110=475)
Soaked almonds (100)
Coffee with skim and cookies (10+40+140=190)
Rice, bean, and cheese soft taco (460)
50+310+475+100+190+460=1575
Tuesday 9/21
Oatmeal with cream and sugar and tea (220+40+30=290)
A few bites of a nectarine that was bad (20)
Kiwi (50)
Vegetable soup, cheese, and crackers (200+220+130=550)
Coffee with skim (10)
Flatbread (120)
Pasta with sauce and salad with tuna and dressing (200+50+25+75+50=400)
290+20+50+550+10+120+400=1440
Monday 9/20
Sweetened yogurt topped with granola and an egg on bread (85+25+70+80+100=360)
Coffee with skim (10)
Vegetable soup, cheese, and crackers (200+110+130=440)
Kiwi (50)
Bell pepper and cream cheese (35+90=125)
Coffee with skim (10)
Flatbread (200)
Rice, bean, and cheese soft taco (230+110+120=460)
Glass of wine (125)
360+10+440+50+125+200+460+125=1780
Sunday 9/19
Oatmeal with cream and sugar, grapefruit with sugar, and an egg (150+60+30+45+80=365)
Cheese and tomato sandwich (470)
Crackers (90)
Plum (50)
Vegetable soup, bread, and wine (200+400+125=725)
365+470+90+50+725=1700
Saturday 9/18
Banana chocolate chip pancake, veggie sausage, and coffee with cream and sugar (475+160+55=690)
Potatoes (150)
Leftover pancake (230)
Chunk of cheese (110)
Mac and cheese with tuna and peas (300+40+75+35=450)
690+150+230+110+450=1630
Monday, September 13, 2010
Day 99 - conclusion of Phase I
Well it's day 99 and what do I weigh? 162.8. As I updated in my sidebar earlier, that means that in the first 99 days I lost:
21.8 pounds
3.5 inches off my waist
1, almost 2 pant sizes
and for a bonus:
at least 1 cup size
at least 2 band sizes
3.5 inches off the part of my hips that might not be where I'm supposed to measure, but at least I'm consistent
1.75 inches off my thigh
Here's my weight data over time in eye-candy form:
"Adjusted" simply means that weight entries from the analog scale were multiplied by 1.026 to align them with entries from the digital scale. See 7/23 for a more detailed explanation.
So, I'm excited about my progress so far and I'm also excited about new features in my spreadsheet for Phase II! I've added a column that calculates my BMR based on my body weight and then another one that multiplies by 1.3 for what I call my LMC, lifestyle maintenance calories. This assumes that, before the exercise I track, my basic lifestyle of being a student, walking around campus with books, and riding my bike to and from school is in between "sedentary" and "lightly active". I may tweak the multiplier on weekends or other days that I am noticeably less active. I'm also going to start estimating my calories burned during exercise, since so much of it lately is on machines that calculate it. For now I'll count running as 100/mile, and a yoga class as about 200 (harder than walking for an hour, but less aerobic & rhythmic, plus, the internet said no). Finally, my last handy dandy column puts it all together and calculates my estimated deficit. So each week, I'll now be able to compare the deficit I think I had to the weight I lost. It'll be fun!
And now, it's time to start over. My "high weight" is no longer 184.6, it's 166.2. I've gotten a little ahead already, but the name of the game is to get further away from that reminiscent-of-8th-grade number and close in on that juicy normal-weight number, 149.6. I'm really looking forward to breaking 160, although it could still be a few weeks away. Bring on the 5's!
21.8 pounds
3.5 inches off my waist
1, almost 2 pant sizes
and for a bonus:
at least 1 cup size
at least 2 band sizes
3.5 inches off the part of my hips that might not be where I'm supposed to measure, but at least I'm consistent
1.75 inches off my thigh
Here's my weight data over time in eye-candy form:
"Adjusted" simply means that weight entries from the analog scale were multiplied by 1.026 to align them with entries from the digital scale. See 7/23 for a more detailed explanation.So, I'm excited about my progress so far and I'm also excited about new features in my spreadsheet for Phase II! I've added a column that calculates my BMR based on my body weight and then another one that multiplies by 1.3 for what I call my LMC, lifestyle maintenance calories. This assumes that, before the exercise I track, my basic lifestyle of being a student, walking around campus with books, and riding my bike to and from school is in between "sedentary" and "lightly active". I may tweak the multiplier on weekends or other days that I am noticeably less active. I'm also going to start estimating my calories burned during exercise, since so much of it lately is on machines that calculate it. For now I'll count running as 100/mile, and a yoga class as about 200 (harder than walking for an hour, but less aerobic & rhythmic, plus, the internet said no). Finally, my last handy dandy column puts it all together and calculates my estimated deficit. So each week, I'll now be able to compare the deficit I think I had to the weight I lost. It'll be fun!
And now, it's time to start over. My "high weight" is no longer 184.6, it's 166.2. I've gotten a little ahead already, but the name of the game is to get further away from that reminiscent-of-8th-grade number and close in on that juicy normal-weight number, 149.6. I'm really looking forward to breaking 160, although it could still be a few weeks away. Bring on the 5's!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The "other scale"
After a series of gains the past few days and random bouncing around of the body fat number, I was feeling rather frustrated this morning, so I pulled out my ribbon and measuring tape for a second opinion. Since it's been a while and I may not have posted the last time I measured, here were the previous data (all in inches):
6/12: waist 34, hips 43
6/26: waist 33, hips 42, thigh 26, arm 13
7/11: waist 32 1/2, hips 42, thigh 25 1/2, arm 13
My hips haven't changed, but today my waist was 31 3/4 and my thigh was 25 even. I got varying measurements of 12 1/2 - 13 1/2 inches for my arm, even though I thought I was measuring in essentially the same spot. I therefore conclude that I can't measure my arm precisely enough to track at this juncture, and I probably shouldn't be looking for losses in girth there anyway because it's the part I'm working out for strength.
I suppose I'm lucky that my waist is one of the last places my body wants to store fat and the first place it shaves it off. It keeps me under the "danger line" of 35 inches even when I'm quite heavy. And even if your butt is the size of a planet (not quite the case here, more of a small asteroid) and your boobs clearly exemplify why you never wanted them to exceed a B cup (definitely the case, grar!), a skinny waist goes a long way toward making a girl feel sexy.
6/12: waist 34, hips 43
6/26: waist 33, hips 42, thigh 26, arm 13
7/11: waist 32 1/2, hips 42, thigh 25 1/2, arm 13
My hips haven't changed, but today my waist was 31 3/4 and my thigh was 25 even. I got varying measurements of 12 1/2 - 13 1/2 inches for my arm, even though I thought I was measuring in essentially the same spot. I therefore conclude that I can't measure my arm precisely enough to track at this juncture, and I probably shouldn't be looking for losses in girth there anyway because it's the part I'm working out for strength.
I suppose I'm lucky that my waist is one of the last places my body wants to store fat and the first place it shaves it off. It keeps me under the "danger line" of 35 inches even when I'm quite heavy. And even if your butt is the size of a planet (not quite the case here, more of a small asteroid) and your boobs clearly exemplify why you never wanted them to exceed a B cup (definitely the case, grar!), a skinny waist goes a long way toward making a girl feel sexy.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Since I'm doing so well let's lay down some time goals
I didn't expect to maintain 174 from yesterday, but I did. Hellz to the yeah.
I also decided to start measuring my arms and thighs, since they are holding a lot of my fat right now. If/when I hit a weight plateau, it'll be nice to have an additional index of my progress. Today: thigh 26, arm 13, waist & hips same as last time.
As previously stated, my medium goals are 165 and 150. I'm calling my final goal 140 for now, and I consider my micro goals to be every 5 pounds (6 for the first one just because I started at an odd number). So I have already reached the first microgoal of 175.
My spreadsheet, as I've mentioned, can currently hold 99 days of data which will bring me to the first couple weeks of school. In the first 99 days, I would like to reach 160 - that's meso goal #1 plus 1 microgoal, 21 pounds. In the second 99 days (up to Winter Solstice) I want to lose 10 more pounds to meet meso goal #2, 150. Finally, in the next 118 days after that, by my 21st birthday, I want to lose the last 10. Of course, it's really up to my body and not me, but I think these are realistic times. It would be a really great birthday present to myself to feel slim, hot, and healthy for the big 21! Then I'll move into various phases of maintenance.
I know most people gain back weight they lose because they go back to old habits. They go on a diet and they go off the diet. I think that those factors won't influence me so much for a few reasons. Number one, the way I'm eating and exercising right now isn't a burden. 1800 calories a day doesn't feel bad. Exercising will be difficult once I go back to school, but I'm going to go back to school before I finish losing this weight anyway, so I'll learn how to make it fit. Number two, the last time I really had control over my own food, I lost weight without trying. Living with my parents and living in dorms both created conditions in which it was hard to eat in tune with my body's needs - I didn't get fat by being left to my own devices. On the other hand, I'm not entirely on my own this time - making my skinny-ass boyfriend understand that I actually have to pay attention to what I eat is an ongoing process. (Rant on how men just don't get it can happen later.) Number three, it seems to me like having a trim body is the perfect motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I always feel like there's something very bothersome about eating healthy and exercising and not having the body that should match that lifestyle. But having the lifestyle and body should strength your self-esteem, like, I'm doing this good thing and getting the reward for it. Also, things get easier for simple mechanical reasons - a lighter runner can be speedier and puts less stress on her joints, twisting and stretching works better when you don't have fat rolls in the way, my boyfriend might actually be able to pick me up if I only weighed 20 pounds more than him rather than 50. (I'll never weigh less than his 120.)
I also decided to start measuring my arms and thighs, since they are holding a lot of my fat right now. If/when I hit a weight plateau, it'll be nice to have an additional index of my progress. Today: thigh 26, arm 13, waist & hips same as last time.
As previously stated, my medium goals are 165 and 150. I'm calling my final goal 140 for now, and I consider my micro goals to be every 5 pounds (6 for the first one just because I started at an odd number). So I have already reached the first microgoal of 175.
My spreadsheet, as I've mentioned, can currently hold 99 days of data which will bring me to the first couple weeks of school. In the first 99 days, I would like to reach 160 - that's meso goal #1 plus 1 microgoal, 21 pounds. In the second 99 days (up to Winter Solstice) I want to lose 10 more pounds to meet meso goal #2, 150. Finally, in the next 118 days after that, by my 21st birthday, I want to lose the last 10. Of course, it's really up to my body and not me, but I think these are realistic times. It would be a really great birthday present to myself to feel slim, hot, and healthy for the big 21! Then I'll move into various phases of maintenance.
I know most people gain back weight they lose because they go back to old habits. They go on a diet and they go off the diet. I think that those factors won't influence me so much for a few reasons. Number one, the way I'm eating and exercising right now isn't a burden. 1800 calories a day doesn't feel bad. Exercising will be difficult once I go back to school, but I'm going to go back to school before I finish losing this weight anyway, so I'll learn how to make it fit. Number two, the last time I really had control over my own food, I lost weight without trying. Living with my parents and living in dorms both created conditions in which it was hard to eat in tune with my body's needs - I didn't get fat by being left to my own devices. On the other hand, I'm not entirely on my own this time - making my skinny-ass boyfriend understand that I actually have to pay attention to what I eat is an ongoing process. (Rant on how men just don't get it can happen later.) Number three, it seems to me like having a trim body is the perfect motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I always feel like there's something very bothersome about eating healthy and exercising and not having the body that should match that lifestyle. But having the lifestyle and body should strength your self-esteem, like, I'm doing this good thing and getting the reward for it. Also, things get easier for simple mechanical reasons - a lighter runner can be speedier and puts less stress on her joints, twisting and stretching works better when you don't have fat rolls in the way, my boyfriend might actually be able to pick me up if I only weighed 20 pounds more than him rather than 50. (I'll never weigh less than his 120.)
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Who knew breaking 2000 would be hard?
The vanilla pudding tasted like frosting and had the consistency of yogurt. I didn't want to eat my whole serving so I had half, added 30 calories for tasting it while it was cooking (arbitrary really, just a convenient number) and had a string cheese bringing me up to 1660 for yesterday (damn yo). It's even grosser after sitting in the fridge all night - looks like flubber. Hopefully my boyfriend will eat it as he didn't seem to mind.
Today we went out for breakfast so I decided to make it my metabolic booster day. First I will show the numbers:
Breakfast out (690)
Salmon and brie quiche (500)
Green salad with vinaigrette (50)
2 cups coffee with cream and sugar (120)
1 Andes mint (20)
2 dried fruit bars (2*50=100)
Bread and milk (150+100=250)
1.5 plates stir fry (1.5*600=900)
1/2 ice cream cup with extra cream (180+100=280)
690+100+250+900+280=2220
Holy shit 700 calorie breakfast. I didn't feel like I was stuffing myself at the time (French food is compact y'know) but as we left it started hitting me and I felt bogged down for hours. Then, funny sort of trade happened. We took the bus out to get b/f a dress shirt in the meantime. As we were on our way back, I wasn't terribly hungry but needed a blood sugar boost so my plan was to have an apple when we got home, then go down to the track and run. However, our bus transfers expired before the second bus back, so b/f convinced me to walk the rest of the way and he'd get me some fruit bars. So I traded an apple for fruit bars, and running for walking. Normally I wouldn't count walking, but it was 2.3 miles, probably further than I was going to run, so it seems worth mentioning. It counts as a reason not to run (tired feet), but not as something I need a rest day from, so I'm calling this my rest day for the week as well.
Anyway, then we ate dinner and wow that filled me up. And it was actually a little distasteful. My b/f, skinny bastard, says eating too much makes him feel sick, and I never understood it, but I kinda get it now, and I think it's good that I'm developing that capacity. Still, this only brought me to 1940 (WTF I'm thinking) and so I happily agreed to smoke some pot with our movie and afterwards had the ice cream. There's never a time I don't feel like ice cream.
Weight back at 177, waist down to 33", hips still 43".
----
Scarlet: I'm glad you took my message to heart. I have a few tips for you:
- I understand that you're not ready to try eating normally right away, but it's generally accepted that under 1200 calories for a woman is starvation and leads to major metabolic shutdown. Do try to meet that at least on your "booster" days.
- Eat breakfast. No matter how many calories you're eating, it's beneficial to eat the greater part of them earlier in the day. I notice, and I think this is a very common ED tactic, that sometimes you fast until a certain point in the day or as long as you can stand and then eat later. This the least effective way to get your food burned off. Also, eat protein with breakfast. It's an important nutrient, will keep you full relatively longer than carbs, and will release sugar into your blood smoothly rather than in a spike.
- When you move out and buy your own food you will have much more control over what you eat and what is available for eating. You will also be able to explore at your leisure what works best for your body. I have been out of my parents' house for two years now and between the three living situations I have had (parents, dorms, and buying my own food) the self-directed approach has worked by far the best. My parents were actually somewhat of health nuts, but I think this made me crave the forbidden fruit, and also my body just doesn't work ideally on their kind of diet (actual or idealized). Dorms are problematic because portions, good or bad, are one-size-fits-all and I don't make the food. Being by myself, I've learned that bread and milk are delightful staples that my body loves, I can eat less or more as I see fit, and I get enjoyment out of preparing food as well as eating it. Also, I can't just decide I feel like a brownie and have one in 3 minutes.
- You may be interested in this essay.
Today we went out for breakfast so I decided to make it my metabolic booster day. First I will show the numbers:
Breakfast out (690)
Salmon and brie quiche (500)
Green salad with vinaigrette (50)
2 cups coffee with cream and sugar (120)
1 Andes mint (20)
2 dried fruit bars (2*50=100)
Bread and milk (150+100=250)
1.5 plates stir fry (1.5*600=900)
1/2 ice cream cup with extra cream (180+100=280)
690+100+250+900+280=2220
Holy shit 700 calorie breakfast. I didn't feel like I was stuffing myself at the time (French food is compact y'know) but as we left it started hitting me and I felt bogged down for hours. Then, funny sort of trade happened. We took the bus out to get b/f a dress shirt in the meantime. As we were on our way back, I wasn't terribly hungry but needed a blood sugar boost so my plan was to have an apple when we got home, then go down to the track and run. However, our bus transfers expired before the second bus back, so b/f convinced me to walk the rest of the way and he'd get me some fruit bars. So I traded an apple for fruit bars, and running for walking. Normally I wouldn't count walking, but it was 2.3 miles, probably further than I was going to run, so it seems worth mentioning. It counts as a reason not to run (tired feet), but not as something I need a rest day from, so I'm calling this my rest day for the week as well.
Anyway, then we ate dinner and wow that filled me up. And it was actually a little distasteful. My b/f, skinny bastard, says eating too much makes him feel sick, and I never understood it, but I kinda get it now, and I think it's good that I'm developing that capacity. Still, this only brought me to 1940 (WTF I'm thinking) and so I happily agreed to smoke some pot with our movie and afterwards had the ice cream. There's never a time I don't feel like ice cream.
Weight back at 177, waist down to 33", hips still 43".
----
Scarlet: I'm glad you took my message to heart. I have a few tips for you:
- I understand that you're not ready to try eating normally right away, but it's generally accepted that under 1200 calories for a woman is starvation and leads to major metabolic shutdown. Do try to meet that at least on your "booster" days.
- Eat breakfast. No matter how many calories you're eating, it's beneficial to eat the greater part of them earlier in the day. I notice, and I think this is a very common ED tactic, that sometimes you fast until a certain point in the day or as long as you can stand and then eat later. This the least effective way to get your food burned off. Also, eat protein with breakfast. It's an important nutrient, will keep you full relatively longer than carbs, and will release sugar into your blood smoothly rather than in a spike.
- When you move out and buy your own food you will have much more control over what you eat and what is available for eating. You will also be able to explore at your leisure what works best for your body. I have been out of my parents' house for two years now and between the three living situations I have had (parents, dorms, and buying my own food) the self-directed approach has worked by far the best. My parents were actually somewhat of health nuts, but I think this made me crave the forbidden fruit, and also my body just doesn't work ideally on their kind of diet (actual or idealized). Dorms are problematic because portions, good or bad, are one-size-fits-all and I don't make the food. Being by myself, I've learned that bread and milk are delightful staples that my body loves, I can eat less or more as I see fit, and I get enjoyment out of preparing food as well as eating it. Also, I can't just decide I feel like a brownie and have one in 3 minutes.
- You may be interested in this essay.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
More DATA!
Just took my measurements:
Waist: 34"
Hips: 43"
Both were 2" less when I weighed 165, and my waist has gone as low as 30". Let's say I'll have a goal of 29"/40" - one inch less than the lowest I can remember measuring on each.
I still weigh 178 today, so it looks like I've dropped out of the obesity range. I have been working out for about two weeks, which is about how long it usually takes to start seeing results - so it shouldn't take long for things to get rolling.
Calorie report:
Bagel with cream cheese and 1 apple (230+100+100=430)
Tea and shortbread cookies (0+100=100)
3 egg bell pepper omelette and 1 string cheese (210+50+50+60=370)
Tortilla and feta cheese (150+100=250)
Milk and string cheese (150+60=210)
And I believe we're having pasta casserole for dinner, of which I think 500 calories will be a reasonable serving.
430+100+370+250+210+500=1860
Not a great day but I gave myself a bit of a pass after my extreme tiredness earlier. I'll probably be back under 1800 tomorrow.
Waist: 34"
Hips: 43"
Both were 2" less when I weighed 165, and my waist has gone as low as 30". Let's say I'll have a goal of 29"/40" - one inch less than the lowest I can remember measuring on each.
I still weigh 178 today, so it looks like I've dropped out of the obesity range. I have been working out for about two weeks, which is about how long it usually takes to start seeing results - so it shouldn't take long for things to get rolling.
Calorie report:
Bagel with cream cheese and 1 apple (230+100+100=430)
Tea and shortbread cookies (0+100=100)
3 egg bell pepper omelette and 1 string cheese (210+50+50+60=370)
Tortilla and feta cheese (150+100=250)
Milk and string cheese (150+60=210)
And I believe we're having pasta casserole for dinner, of which I think 500 calories will be a reasonable serving.
430+100+370+250+210+500=1860
Not a great day but I gave myself a bit of a pass after my extreme tiredness earlier. I'll probably be back under 1800 tomorrow.
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