Working on the "hibernation" weight!

Okay, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I just have gotten to a point where writing daily, weekly, or even monthly, isn't a priority anymore. My Mom says it's because if I don't have anything positive to write, I don't want to write at all, and she's probably right. I don't exactly have bad news to share, but it seems less important to write when I'm just barely hanging in there with the program.
But, this is my "watchdog". And the less I write, the more I'm likely to screw up.
To recap the last few months... Let's see...
I had lost a total of 83 lbs way back in July '10. By September of last year, I had leveled out around 180-185. I stayed there for quite awhile, and didn't notice my pants getting the least bit tighter until sometime around February of '11. Bunna calls it our "hibernation" weight. We tend to hunker down in the winter, and there's a lot less activity. That includes getting out and driving in bad weather to the gym.
By the time I got back on the scale to check the damage, it was mid-April, and the scale read 196. Ugh. That was 23 lbs up from my absolute lowest, but more importantly, it was around 12-14 lbs above what I had come to feel was my happy weight. Being at 185 was 20 lbs more than I weighed in high school, but it was at that weight when people I work with and friends of mine all said, "Don't lose any more! This is your perfect weight!" But I let myself slide... I stopped counting my calories, and watching my starch intake. That's a big one for me. Carbs and starch. Bread became a regular fixture over the winter months, and my daily calorie intake jumped to about 1800 a day. Prior to that, I had all but cut out breads. I was getting my whole grain from bars and oatmeal.
So, needless to say, I'm having to buckle down again. It's a never-ending cycle, isn't it? But aside from the fact that my cute size 14 shorts are looking too short this year, I really don't feel as though I've slipped up that much. It's a setback, for sure, but it's not the end of the world.
I watch that tv program called "Ruby" about a woman who has been struggling with her weight her whole life. She started at somewhere in the mid-700's, and got down, (now in the 5th season?) to just over 300 lbs. She has done incredibly well, considering she has some serious emotional issues. Ruby can't even remember her childhood before age 13. We're at a point in the progression of the program where she is beginning to have some memories, with the help of a therapist.
But that's not my point here. My point is, Ruby had a setback. A 50 lb setback. But she got back on the horse, and is getting back on track. In the scheme of things, a 50 lb slip-up isn't that huge, considering where she started. And in my case, I can't let this 15-20 lbs make me crazy. In the scheme of things, it's just a small delay. Not exactly "two steps forward, one step back", but it is a step in the wrong direction. Guilty.
But I've got my mojo going, and I've been going to the gym at least 3 times a week. Back on my 1100 calorie limit. Summer's here, and I'm wearing mostly my 14s, but a couple of 16s are in the rotation. Funny, at this weight, I realize that that 15 lbs makes the difference in one size or the next. When I was at my biggest, all my clothes were of the stretch variety, and I never even noticed when my weight slowly crept up. I notice now! That's for sure! I'll be happy as a clam when my cute little 14 shorts fit cute again... and it won't be long. Summer's only just begun, and it won't take long at all to get this "hibernation" weight off!
Oh, and I bought a yoga dvd the other day. Tried it here at home for the first time. Seriously... this is work! I can see where I have really let the stretching fall by the wayside. What a difference some flexibility will make! Just another brick in the wall of my all-over body health! :-)
And ladies, thanks for being concerned. I am still here, even though I'm a little reclusive. I'll always jump on here and write when you least expect it! And if there anything serious I need to share, you'll read it here. I won't lie to you. I'll always shoot from the hip. Good or bad, you'll get it from the horse's mouth. :-)

The Evil Escalator

Just a quick note... Have to skip the gym today, in order to make my 9 am dental appointment. But I have been going at least 3 times a week, and spending about 40 minutes doing my walk/jog on the treadmill.
But, thanks to the lady that was on MY treadmill the other day, ;-)... I ended up on the Stairmaster... that Evil Escalator. Good news is, there's a tv right there, and the women who go to the gym at the same time as me watch the Price is Right in the little side room. I'm all set! Two minutes on that climber gets me sweatier than twenty on the treadmill! I've found a new toy!
Back to the gym tomorrow, so I can take off this "hibernation" weight. I don't like that it creeped up on me!!

Hip pain.

So I'm back at the gym. And for the longest time, way before I ever got serious about losing weight, I would go to the gym and "work out". Except, I never had a goal. I never had a plan. Now, after losing a bunch of weight, I'm on a mission to keep it off and maintain my loss. Plus, I still have that pesky little 20 lbs to lose.
The sun came out last week, and I felt alive again. Three days at the gym last week, and after I finish today, that will be another 3 days this week. I think I would have gone 4 days, but things came up, and I had to skip Wednesday.
In the past, I've not pushed myself much. But now, when I get on the treadmill, I visualize myself with long, lean legs. I really want to lengthen my muscles, and get those great legs back I used to have. Well, I thought they were great. And compared to what they look like now, those legs I had in my 20's were great!
So I get to the gym with a plan to walk/jog 30 minutes to an hour, and I usually do about 40 minutes before my tendonitis acts up.
On the inside of my right hip, along my pelvic bone there, I have some tendonitis. I can set the treadmill for 4.0 - 4.5, and I'm fine for awhile. It's when I set it higher, around 5.0 - 5.5 when I get into trouble. As that tendon heats up, the pain goes up. If I keep my pace right around 4 mph, I can go longer, but my goal is to get down to a 12 minute mile. I'm trying, but that pain is slowing me down. I can only tolerate so much, before I have to lower the speed, and let my hip cool off.
Here I had been worrying about my back causing me to go slower, or cut back on the walking. But so far, my back has been very nice about this jump back into exercise. It's my old lady joints that are fighting back.

"GYM" is not a four letter word.

Three times at the gym this week. This isn't as hard as I thought it would be, getting back into it. I love my tv over my head, where I can watch my Drew Carey to my heart's content. The first couple of days I did a mile, then two miles. Today I did 2.33 miles, in about 41 minutes. At two miles, I checked my time and it was at 35 minutes. So with my walking/jogging I am doing about an 18 minute mile, give or take. It'll get better. I'm walking the 5K on May 7th for the Race for the Cure. Bunna's mom and I are doing it together, and she's not a jogger, so I'll be happy to pace myself with her and get our 5K done at a leisurely pace. So far, my legs and back are holding up. I had an injury in my left ankle a couple years ago, and it acts up occasionally, but it's been behaving. My back is super great, and I can attribute that to the good work my new chiropractor did with me. I'm to a point now where I only go when I feel the need for an adjustment. And so far, so good. I haven't seen him in weeks, and I'm still feeling great. I think I can stick to the new 3 day a week gym routine. Honestly, I think it's because the weather is getting warmer that I even feel the slightest bit of motivation to leave the house in the morning. I totally get all cocoon-ed up when the weather is cold. My winter routine in the morning is to crawl out of bed, pull on my big, fluffy, pink robe, come downstairs for coffee, and "veg" out in front of the computer until it's time to do laundry or get ready for work. Today, I got done at the gym, and had the energy to come home and vacuum and dust the entire house. Then I still had breakfast, paid bills, and showered for work. All I can say is.......... YAY! for sunshine and warm, happy days!!

Gym time.

Gym. It's not a four-letter-word, but it's close. I used to be a fan, but I just can't feel the love like I used to. I think once I get in the habit of going again, the happy feelings will come back. The positive feelings I get once I'm there, working, and making a difference in my health and shape, come back after awhile. But yesterday, I got to the gym, and there was a sign up near the treadmill where I always start out. It said, "Don't touch the tv". Really? It's within reach, so I can easily change the channel, and if no one else is in the room, why can't I touch the tv? Seriously, I pay good money to be allowed to use the equipment, so why isn't the tv part of the perks? I don't expect to go and spend my 30-60 minutes on a treadmill watching a continuous loop of the news, or even worse, ESPN. I make a point of getting to the gym at the same time as the Price is Right comes on. I have a little schedule I've made up for myself, and I run during the commercials, and walk during the show. It works for me, and more importantly, it keeps my mind occupied. Walking for any length of time staring into a mirror, with nothing to think about besides how your waist wiggles when you take a step, is not how I want to spend my workout time in the morning. Drew Carey is much more fun to watch. And at the risk of getting my hand slapped by a Stepford-gym-employee, I'm going to touch that tv. I might even touch it twice.

Food Vacation

Well, let's see. It was Monday this week when I woke up and got back on track for these last few pounds. I would like to say that it was to lose the last 20 lbs, but in fact, I had gained a few back, and I actually need to lose 24 when I woke up and started paying attention to my calories again on Monday.
On March 14, I was weighing 189. Today, I'm weighing 184 again. So, to reach my new goal, I am 19 lbs away.
Back in August, I posted that I was 176. And at the time, I had a goal of 170, so I was only 6 lbs away. But I see that it's possible for me to get to that 165 mark, so that's my new goal. And it's less than 20 lbs away.
I've been in this range for so long now, since around September, that it seems this is my new regular weight. But it gets me thinking... when I started at 256, and I began eating super healthy, I lost 12 lbs in one week! If this is my new weight range in the mid 180's, then why can't I lose 12 lbs of water weight immediately when I get on track again?? It's not fair somehow. :-)
But 5 in one week is fine with me. Seriously, for those of us that are in our normal range, or close to it, the maintaining is something that will be with us forever. I've learned what a month of random snacking can do to my waistline. And it was over 13 months ago when I decided my "food vacation" was over. I have to remind myself every day that I'm not on a food vacation.
On the other hand, when vacation really does get here... well, all bets are off. :-)

Yogi Chips

Snacks! I've gotta have 'em! And I've gotta have 'em every couple of hours, or my tummy reminds me. I'm thrilled that summer is coming and I'll have berries and fresh stuff in my snack box for work. I usually take one apple, one cheese stick, and two or three bars of some type. I usually have my egg whites before I leave for work, and by the end of the day, with my 4-5 snacks, I go into dinner time with about 600 calories under my belt. That leaves me with 4-500 to spend for dinner.

The other day, at the Grocery Outlet, I found something new. A type of chip, that is only about 110 calories for a bag. Granted, the bag is only a fraction of an ounce, I think, but just because they're lightweight, doesn't mean they're low on flavor!

They're made by Wai Lana, and they're called Yogi Chips. The main ingredient is yucca flour, so they're different than a basic potato chip. These little gems are flattened and formed to resemble a chip, but the consistency is more like a Pringle. They come in different flavors, like bbq or sweet and sour. They're more of a sweet snack, as opposed to a salty chip snack, but the sweet and sour flavor is so good with the little cinnamon they put on them.

Also, for anyone interested, they are also gluten free. That makes a difference for some people. I've never had any trouble with gluten foods, but I know some people have an allergy to wheat, so this is a good replacement snack.

Since I found them at the Grocery Outlet, the quantities were limited, and when they're gone, they're gone! But I couldn't imagine that this product was there because it had been discontinued. It was just too good. So I checked around. You can buy them by the case on Amazon, and I think Whole Foods has them. Here locally, I found I can buy them at our Co-op market, which specializes in local and organic groceries.

They're worth checking into. They make a great treat for me when I need something sweet, without breaking the bank on calories!