A Challenge for the End of the Year

So while I was playing on Twitter early tonight I found something that caught my eye. It was the Power of One Challenge at Shrinkingjeans.net. It is a challenge to keep you motivated to lose weight and possibly win some prizes too!

So, I began the challenge. I hopped on the scale and recorded a starting weight of 156.4. Hopefully it will be the last time I see this number, EVER!

Now on to the weekly challenge part of it all. I am supposed to let everyone know my healthy living goals for the challenge and for the New Year. It may be somewhat of a repeat of yesterday's post. 

My first healthy living goal is to eat better overall. To fill my diet with more fruits and vegetables, less processed junk. I also want to get away from eating "snacky" foods, chips and trail mixes. While I could be eating much worse things, these still aren't my best choices. 

Secondly, more exercise. Need I say more... I need more running and I would love to try some exercises that I have never done before. I would love to try yoga, pilates, and even a spin class. 

Third, more water. I drink water now, but not as much as I should. I tend to drink too much diet soda and Crystal Light, I need to break away from these bad habits!

And lastly, NO MORE EXCUSES! I have been trying really hard to leave the excuses behind, but I still find instances where I make them. I'm tired...I have to work...I don't have the time... 

I am going to take better care of myself. I deserve it. 

I am going to post a current full length picture tomorrow, camera is currently charging, and I do have to be up in 2 hours for work. Time to get some beauty sleep, good night all.  

Wishes For A Better 2011

As the year draws to a close, I am forced to contemplate 2010. It has been a roller coaster of a year and seems as though it will end on a high note. I have conquered a lot and accomplished just as much, but somehow I feel like my year will fall short of some of my goals. I have worked hard, but I know I can work harder. I am starting to see some things in myself that maybe even I started to doubt. 


I NEVER thought I could or would enjoy running! I never thought I could lose the weight that has been plaguing my life for the last 10 years. I never thought  I could be happy here after leaving NJ.


So now my year in review:

•  Started running!
•  Ran a 5k - Tunnel to Towers 
•  Ran a 4M - NYRR Jingle Bell Jog  
•  Joined Weight Watchers - and lost 26 lbs to date!
•  Became a NYS Certified EMT!
•  Began improving my HORRID credit score!
•  Made some new friends: Sheryl, Trixie, Melanie, and Carolyn. 
•  Made more really wonderful friends (really too many to list) but you can check them out on my Twitter.
• Became a NYRR member.
• Started this here, lil' ole, blog.

Now for my NEW and IMPROVED 2011:

• Run more. 
• Get out and be more active with friends. (I tend to go out alone.)
• Find a new job (One I enjoy! If any of you have leads on jobs in the NYC area let me know)
• Find a 2nd job. (Part-time, can't have too much fun if you're broke!)
• Spend more time with my family.
• Help encourage my husband to lose about 100 lbs.
• Stay more on top of this blog. 
• Lose another 26+ lbs. 
• Have a kick ass credit score. 
• Get ready for the 2012 NYC Marathon! 
• Take my butt to the gym. (I pay for it, yet haven't gone!) 
• And take time for ME!!!!

  And to those of you on the East Coast, I hope you are braving Snowpocalypse 2010 well! I have been snow bound with everyone since Sunday, and I am ready to jump out the window. Not to mention my body wants to run, and I simply can't. 


Hopefully, I will be able to update before Friday again, but in the event that I don't Have a Happy and Healthy New Year! Please be safe!









Glitter Graphics Generator

Happy December!

Sorry I haven't updated in forever. My life has been slightly crazy. I started this blog in the beginning of the month and I guess I will just continue it for all of you. 

Happy holiday season everyone! So far so good this month. I weighed in last week, although it was not my regular meeting. I was up by about .4 lbs, even after eating like crazy on Thanksgiving and not being able to go out and run. I consider that a serious victory.


I have been trying to get used to the PointsPlus program from Weight Watchers. I have been having a little problem though trying to get used to the fact that many of the point values of things I have in my house have changed. But the most exciting change is the ZERO POINTS FRUIT!!!! I love fruit, and usually begin every work day with an apple on my way to the train.


I have been trying to get back on the exercise horse after my little accident. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I went to the supermarket. I figured I would pick up my Zipcar and off I would go, it was late and I figured the store would be relatively uncrowded. So, I proceed to shop and I run into a neighbor. He asked if I wouldn't mind dropping him off at his building, I said ok. Now, I finish the shopping and check out. I bring the stuff outside and my neighbor watches the cart while I get the car. I am on the 2nd to last bag when it happens.....I was turning to put the bag in the trunk and down I go! Like a ton of friggin' bricks! Being as I am a Taurus to the core, VERY stubborn, I get up and insist I am ok. I am a little upset that I ruined my awesome new Old Navy fleece (it was the prettiest color blue), I have a few scrapes and bruises, and I am covered in Goya Olive juice, but I get in the car anyways. As I am driving I notice that my shirt is sticking to my chest (Thinking "Olive juice shouldn't be this sticky?!?). So, I look down my shirt. F#%$, F&*@, What the F^&%? I all I could say. I proceed to drive the 20 minutes home and have my husband come down with my daughter and get the groceries, then I calmly walk across the street to the ER. My friend Adrenaline is now gone and I am now having a meeting with my friend Pain, the hospital decided that I shoud be tested for pregnancy before they give me something for the pain (other than 2 stupid Tylenol). Well after pacing and sitting alternately for 3 hours, I am seen by the doctor. Who then tells me, "This is a nasty cut, you're going to need 7 stitches".....

"7 stitches??" Despite an entire back covered in tattoos and the urge to get some more, I DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT like needles. And the last time I had stitches in my head to remove 3 cysts, I almost punched the doctor in the face. This doctor was pretty good I have to admit, most painful part being the local anesthesia, and thankfully she moved quick.  Now, I ask the burning question "Can I run??" I am told I will not be allowed to run for at least 8 days, when the stitches come out. Now, I panic. The Jingle Jog 4 Miler is in like 2 weeks, and I can't run to get ready for it. 

Fast forward 8 days, I go to the hospital to get the stitches out. I ask this doctor about running, he tells me no running for at least 5 more days. This brings my recovery time to the Thursday before the race. Oh My Flying Spaghetti Monster!!!! I have to go buy winter running gear and a tacky Christmas shirt on Friday after work. Looks, like I am going to have to run this one cold.

It's now Saturday morning, and I am getting ready for the NYRR Jingle Bell Jog 4 Miler. I plan on meeting the wonderful ladies of WW there, Sheryl, Trixie, Kitty, and  Carolyn. I get to Prospect Park and the race is almost about to start. I give up on trying to find anyone, I check my bag, stretch and enter the corral. I am nervous, I am not ready for this, not by a long shot. The race begins, I hit the starting line and swear I am going to die at some point during this. Alas, I didn't die! I finished the 4 miles in 51:11, with an average pace of 12:47 per mile. I am proud as I cross that finish line. Mind you, I am asthmatic and ran this without my inhaler. I even paused a little to walk and catch my breath and I even used the bathroom. I still made amazing time! At the end of the race, I find Sheryl and eventually run into Trixie as well. This is our 2nd time to gather finish line photos (the 3 of us ran the Tunnel to Towers 5k back in September), you can check out our original finish line photo here. 

Well, I have a long day ahead of me so I will end this with some photos from the race, as well as one I found of me from September (Holy Moly, I lost weight since then). This pictures are courtesy of Sheryl, thank you for allowing me to use these pictures!!!!

                                                       Sheryl and I at the Tunnel to Towers

                                                                Sheryl and I at the Jingle Jog!

 

And finally a finish line shot!!!! 

  

Quick Post :)

Ok, so I hop online as soon as I get home from work to check this new WW plan thingy. All I can say is "WTF???", someone tell me how I can eat this way and still lose weight. It seems like too much food and believe me I ate like a crazy slob this week (partially due to my olive jar mishap and having to be cooped up all week). What in the holy hell am I going to do with 50 points a day and 49 extra weekly points????I can't wait to go to a meeting tomorrow to find out the logic behind this insanity!!!!!! More on the olive jar mishap later, when I have a chance to actually sit down and gather a complete thought. 

Things I have discovered about myself and The Story of the 7 Stitches

Sorry I have been away so long. Life has been extremely hectic, with being back to work and Weight Watchers and my new discovery. 


Two weeks ago, I hit my official 10 lbs. down at Weight Watchers. I did start the program prior to going to my first meeting. This week, I am down a total of 14.4 lbs at Weight Watchers, and a total of 22 lbs overall. I am amazed at how much different my body feels. It feels like it moves more fluidly and with an ease I have not experienced in years. 

I have made an amazing self-discovery too...I LOVE RUNNING!!!!! (Thanks Melanie) For those of you that don't know, Melanie is my Weight Watchers leader and she just ran the New York City Marathon!!! I had gone out for a run back in May and ended up with extreme pain in my knees. I didn't think I was physically able to run, maybe I was just psyching myself out. But in the September, I ran the Tunnel to Towers Run, it was a 5k and although I had some difficulty running it, I managed to cross the finish line. Which brings me to the past few weeks, I have decided to give it a try again. So I went out and bought myself some toys (now lets get our minds out of the gutter). 

AND.....

 And, I was ready!!! I couldn't wait to get home and run. It was 10:30 at night but I set it all up and ran 2 miles. It felt amazing, had it not been so late I would have ran farther. Being able to track my runs on the Nike website encourages me to push harder. I actually decided to join the New York Road Runners and even signed up for the Jingle Jog (4M) and in the spring I will be participating in a half marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. 


Now, the holidays were always my favorite part of the year. The food, the family, and the seasonal treats. One of my FAVORITE holiday treats is Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Candy. I have discovered that a serving of the candy (4 squares or 1/2 of a bar) is equal to 6 Weight Watchers pts. I have made the realization that, now that I am aware of and tracking everything I eat, I can eat a 1/2 of a serving and savor it and be satisfied. The old me could have scarfed down a whole bar and not even blink, and truth be told, not even enjoy it. I am so much more aware of the taste and texture now, and I truly believe that I enjoy it so much more. I have been doing this with everything I eat. And it has made a huge difference for me. 


With all my goings on, and worrying about everything else, I have decided I needed to treat myself. I have been saving money for something just for me. I finally bought it last Friday and I have hardly put it down since...

The Nook Color is the most awesome thing I have every laid my hands on (next to my Nike +, of course)!!!!


Now on an ending note, I want to wish everyone (at least, those of you who celebrate it) a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving. I will be laying low, cooking a dinner for the family, and I have already planned out my meal of that I can have a slice of dutch apple pie. I will also be taking a brief hiatus from running due to an accident that involves food shopping, a jar of olives, my boob, and 7 stitches!!!! Hopefully, I can resume running in 8 days!!!!

Emotional Breakthrough or Breakdown...

To be honest, I am not sure which of the two I am experiencing at this point. I have been so on point with my thoughts regarding how I have been eating and in general how I have been treating my body. I have been abusive to myself both physically and mentally. If I had done this to a child or an elderly person someone would call the authorities on me. So why is it ok to do it to myself? It's not ok.


If you have read my blog from earlier this week, you may know my husband was hospitalized. The circumstances are beyond my control, but not beyond his. He has abused himself, but in a different manner. Now, unfortunately, he is suffering the consequences. Funny though, that what he has done to himself has affected me so profoundly. I found myself overstressed and nerves frayed since last week.


Tonight, I found myself at my Weight Watchers meeting in tears. I spoke up about how, even though, I had an extremely rough week I managed to stay on target. I saw myself wanted to turn to food to keep the depression at bay. I thought that a huge piece of chocolate cake would keep me sane and happy. I knew it was a lie. I knew that's what the chocolate cake wanted me to think. I knew it missed me and was waiting for me to breakdown and eat it. Well, F&*% YOU, chocolate cake!!! You don't control me. I control myself and my eating habits!


What brought me to this thought tonight was, already being hyper-emotional, a video I had seen. It is called "Doll Face" by Andrew Huang which can be seen here. The version that I was able to find included the video's sound being dubbed over with VNV Nation's song, "Illusion". The combined version can be found here. (I suggest watching the combined version first.) It tied in our Weight Watchers discussion about why are we on this "journey"? Who is it truly for? Is it for us? Or for someone else?


And for the inquiring minds, I will be posting pictures tomorrow (that includes my tombstones for you Trixie). Good night, all.

Why me!

Have you ever had one of those days? Wait, why am I asking that? We all have! One of those days there things start off bad and just progressively get worse. One of those days that can set all your hard work into the toilet. One of those days that set off the downward spiral!


Well, that pretty much sums up today. It started with me waking up late for work, I just started there! By the grace of I don't know who (I'm an atheist.), I made it there 15 minutes early. I was exhausted and somehow  managed to make it through the first part of the day.  Then about lunchtime I get a frantic text from my husband...the TV has sound but no picture. I don't have money for this now. I was saving money to join the Y, damn it! 


So, stressed, I head to lunch. At this point any appetite I had was gone. I know it is not good to not put some fuel in the old body, so I grab a large cup of grapes. I bring them back to work and nosh on them at my desk. I ended up eating only about half of them. But at least I didn't starve myself. 


My husband had an appointment today so I text him and ask how everything is. Well here comes the last straw, they are taking him to the ER. Now, I am not one to want to air his story, but needless to stay it won't be an overnight stay. And the messed up thing is, he was trying to get started on his new job. Now, I'm still at work, almost an hour from home and I certainly can't leave at this point. 


I am now tired and stressed and I want to sit and eat an entire box of Devil Dogs, a large pizza, maybe some McDonald's and some fried dumplings from the restaurant down the street. I WANT a HUGE chocolate root beer float and maybe a good cry! But for right now I am going to keep my cravings in check. If I can hold it together now, I am capable of more than I thought!

My 1st Meeting!

Well, as I have posted before I just joined Weight Watchers last week. Tonight was my first meeting, and needless to say, I was a bit nervous. I can remember in the old days getting on a scale in front of a room of people and being mortified when the slide keeps moving to the right...and a little more right...and even more right. The nauseating, stomach dropping, roller coaster feeling...I can still remember it. 


I have decided to attend the same meetings that Sheryl attends. She has been ranting and raving about her leader, Melanie, for a while and I thought to myself she must be a great leader to keep Sheryl so motivated. During the last week or two I have been twittering about joining WW, and much to my surprise Melanie began following my tweets. Sheryl was right, she is super supportive. (So are Sheryl an Trixie though, have to give credit where credit is do!) 


I walk into the meeting nervous as can be, and I complete my registration. And then comes the moment of truth, 173.4 lbs!!!!! Holy shit (Please excuse my French!) I had to take a moment to get my jaw off the floor. I weighed myself last week and I was 181 lbs. That's a loss of almost 8 lbs!!!I didn't think it was humanly possible to lose all that in a week without starving myself.  But, Melanie told me it is entirely possible. In a week I have drastically changed my eating and drinking habits. I have watched what I ate and tracked every thing I ate (including a single Starburst and a single french fry!). I also made it my mission to increase my water intake almost tenfold. 


Tonight's meeting was a special event actually. It touched on a subject I have been struggling with for years, "Less is More".  And indeed it is. Even though it is a "boring" topic, Melanie managed to engage me completely in the discussion. The main focus was portion control, which is a mystery for a lot of people. They don't know what a portion is or what it looks like. I know, before I started I wasn't fully aware of what a portion size should be. I could sit on the couch an mindlessly chomp on whatever I could find. 


Having to be accountable with points helps me to be aware of what is too much for me. Melanie asked some pointed questions regarding portion size and what drives us to eat out of control. I, for one, have always struggled with emotional eating. I eat when I'm bored, happy, sad, excited, depressed, angry, etc... I realized that I ate without truly experiencing food, without tasting food, making wrong choices and just plain bad habits. This past week, I had made an effort to eat smaller, eat slower, eat better. I was successful. 


I have decided to make it work this time. I realize when I am full instead of eating out of control. I have even ventured out to lunch by myself. I have taken almost my full lunch hour to sit alone and enjoy. I have vowed to make better food choices and I have been making the effort to buy things for myself that are healthy and satisfying, rather than eat empty calories at the food truck on the corner. 


Well, at this point, I am exhausted and scatterbrained, and probably rambling too. So with that being said, good night and thank you to my supportive new friends. Ladies, you may not fully realize the inspiration you are to some people. Your encouragement and support is invaluable to me. 

My new love.

Thank you to everyone who has stumbled across my blog, whether it be from a linked post (Thank you Sheryl and Trixie) or  Twitter. You have all left such supportive comments for me. And I truly hope you enjoy following along on my journey. Now that my thanks are you of the way, to the heart of the post we go...


I am in LOVE, now before anyone says anything, yes I am married. But I discovered a new love today. The Weight Watchers Mobile Tracker!!!!! I discovered it last night after signing up and I used it all day today. If you have a smart phone (Blackberry, iPhone, Droid, etc.), I highly recommend keeping this as a favorite or bookmarked site. It is easy to use, and if you are like me (new to Weight Watchers) and don't know point values yet, it's a life saver. Tracking on the go makes things so much easier. I have found that it truly makes me accountable. I mean there are times where you get busy an forget to track or just don't feel like tracking. But one thing I have come to realize, especially when I used to journal what I ate, you can omit something because you don't want to admit eating it. The only problem I had was that even though I left things out of the journal because I was too embarrassed to admit that I ate them, I couldn't lie to the SCALE.


The scale is Judge and Jury!!! It doesn't lie. 


I tracked everything I ate today even that 1 Starburst candy I ate this morning. (I love my sweets) I am proud to say that I managed to stay within my points today, I went over yesterday (by quite a bit). And I managed to gain 2 activity points despite crappy weather. 


I will post some pictures over the weekend of me at my current weight. I currently don't have any because I hate how I look in pictures. 


And lastly, I'm sorry if this post seems a bit jumbled but I am tired. Been a very long day, just wanted to keep everyone up to date. Thank you again!

And it begins...

Good morning everyone! I wanted to thank Sheryl and Trixie, my new friends, for inspiring me to get off my ass and do something about my weight. 


So last night, I began Weight Watchers! I was a member many moons ago and it was nothing like it is now. Back when I was a member you went to the meetings, weighed in, and chatted a little about what everyone was doing to help lose weight. Boy was I shocked! I registered online and purchased the monthly pass, which includes your eTools. I LOVE IT!!!!! I started tracking my food intake for yesterday, and realized how bad my eating habits are. Things that I think are within normal limits left me way above my daily points and dipped into my weekly points. Now, normally I would be upset with myself for being an "undisciplined" muncher. But I thought, this is my first day. And I got my NYS Insurance Agent License, so I celebrated with some hot spiced apple cider. I know now that I need to keep those to a minimum (4 points apiece). So today, I am going to indulge in "conscientious" eating. I will tell you all about it later. 

Buried in baggy!

This morning as I sit here having my morning tea, I think about getting ready for work. I think about the "endless" possibilities that hang in my closet. Ok, I'm kidding, there are no "endless" possibilities there. I have very few clothes, actually. 

The main reason I have so few clothes is discouragement. The fear and aggravation from clothes shopping has kept me from an ample wardrobe to fit my ample self. The feelings I get from walking into a dressing room are disgust and anger. Disgust at how I look and anger at myself for letting myself get out of control. I can not stand to try things on knowing they will not fit.

Lane Bryant is too big, every other store is too small. I am tired to buying things that fit around my stomach to end up having super baggy legs. And I am tired of buying things to fit my legs an having an entire dozen "muffin tops" hanging over the waist. I am tired of hiding behind stretchy pants or sweats, and over-sized t-shirts and baggy hoodies. I want to walk into a store and try on whatever I want. I am tired of not having stylish clothing because nothing looks right. 

Ok, rant over! Enjoy your day. 

New Beginnings!

I have thought for a long time about writing a blog. I wasn't sure where to begin or who would actually want to read what I had to say. Low and behold, I would have an experience this past week that would change my thinking forever. I will get back to that soon enough.


First a little about me, my name is Jenn and I have been struggling with my weight for almost my whole life. I spent the last 5 years working so many hours that I did not have time to think about me and my need to lose weight. Not just because I don't like how I look and how I hate trying things on, but for my health as well. 


I decided about 6 months ago that I really needed to do something. I began to consider things I could do to help myself. Being new to Brooklyn, I wasn't sure where to start. I went searching online an began to check out the weight loss blogs, considering options and seeing what works for others. Now, mind you, I am not obese but I am definitely overweight. And that's where the idea for my blog came from...I am round. There are no two ways about it. I have skinny little chicken legs but a round belly reminiscent of Santa. If you remember the Weeble Wobbles, the Weebles wobbled but they didn't fall down. Well, lose the legs and I am a Weeble shaped woman. I dread shopping, and it doesn't matter the occasion either. I can never find anything that fits even remotely well. 


I have read so many blogs that inspired me. I thought, if these women could do it so could I. I started exercising and eating better and drinking oceans of water. Holy moly, the weight was coming off! Then it happened...THE PLATEAU! Nothing was happening, I was trying but I saw no change. I deviated from my plan and was miserable. 


I continued to read blogs and keep up with the progress of others. I still follow these bloggers now, but I was feeling unmotivated. I was lost, and confused, and unhappy, and worst of all...still overweight!


So, back to what changed my mind. On September 26th, I participated in a 5k race called Tunnel to Towers. It is a run/walk in honor of Steven Siller, a FDNY fire fighter who ran from the Brooklyn side of the Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center towers. Now, this is not my story to tell but  you can read about this hero's story at tunneltotowersrun.org. I knew one of the most inspirational weight loss journey bloggers, Sheryl, would be there. Having spoken to her on Twitter, I said I would try to meet up with her. 


With the huge turnout I never thought in a MILLION years that I would find her. As I headed to the UPS trucks to find my bag, I saw a familiar face. There she was! In the flesh! Now I know it sounds silly but she is truly an inspiration. But it gets better, standing with Sheryl was Trixie, another awesome weight loss blogger.


Together, these women are hugely responsible for my change in mindset on the spot. The showed me that Weight Watchers can work for you and that goal weight is only an obstacle in your own mind. You have to get out and do something about it. So, this week I am signing up for Weight Watchers and the Y.


Thank you ladies! You are both awesome. And thanks to whomever might be reading this. I hope that you continue to read as I continue my weight loss journey.