The Tale of the Tape, February 2008

New stats:
BUST - Then: 64"; Now: 37.5"
WAIST - Then: 55.5"; Now: 36.25"
ABDOMEN - Then: 58.25"; Now: 38.5"
HIPS - Then: 51.25; Now: 39"
THIGHS - Then: 33.75"; Now: 21"
ARMS - Then: 18.5"; Now: 11.5"
BODY FAT - Then: 48.6%; Now: 26.9%
Total Inches Lost: 118.75
Total Pounds Lost: 151
Body Fat Pounds Lost: 107.89

(For anyone keeping track, these numbers are higher than December's because not only did two different people do the measuring, differently, the December stats reflected my WW weigh-in the day before rather than the Curves scale, which usually registers me 3 lbs. heavier. Sigh.)

Facing the Music, Part 1

Well, my jubilance two weeks ago didn't last. Less than two hours after I got home from WI, I got a call saying that my uncle had died over the weekend. Although he lived in Jersey, the arrangements were scheduled for Alabama, so my grandmother wouldn't have to travel. I hemmed and hawed (over the expense, over losing personal days, over having to see my family for the first time in seven years despite not being at goal, damn it!) before deciding to go.

So there were a few not-so-OP or -Core days over the last week, and this is a week that I would have gained anyway. So this morning I had a few choices:

1. Stay home (and miss another meeting). Not!


2. Use a No-Weigh-In Pass for the first time in almost three years. (Hmmm ...) No ... I'd be a liar if I did.


3. Go weigh in and get ticked over the number for the rest of the day (and possibly the week), setting myself up for another gain.

Well, I got up and went to the meeting. I weighed in but told the receptionist, "Don't tell me the damage. I'll check the book when I can handle it." She didn't, and I haven't. I bought the March/April WWM and had a great meeting, great breakfast, great day (not so great donation in Clark for the New York Blood Center -- it took two hours to give platelets and it's official -- I still have HBP. The nurse suggested I go get my Micardis prescription filled. Rats!).

My visit South was quite pleasant. I wowed my family -- at least the ones who saw me. And while I was there, I saw my next car! Deep Sapphire, here I come, LOL!

Board Gems, No. 1

Now that I'm so close to goal, I've been spending more time at WW's Maintenance boards. A boardie in Maintenance posted that she had not been so diligent on the Program and she expected to gain at her next WI. The awesome Deb (RRainbow) weighed in (no pun intended) by pointedly asking: "Did you think that once you got to goal you would be DONE?"

Here is a little more of her post, and the gem therein:

Here is how this program works: it is for LIFE. For the rest of your life, you need to:

1. Be accountable for, and track your intake, one way or another. Point counting, calorie counting, Core, exchanges, portion size control. You can't just go back to what you were doing. That will get you fat again quicker'n a wink.
2. Weigh yourself frequently.
3. Ideally, exercise.
4. Remove small gains before they become bigger ones.

None of this means you don't get freedom to eat foods you love. But you can either eat what you want, or be the size you want. You can't do both - unless you take the foods you want and eat them in smaller portions, account for them, and eat them less frequently.

For years I ate whatever I wanted and then wondered why my most of peers didn't have to shop in stores like 16 Plus, Sizes Unlimited, Smart Size, etc., or, worst of all, have them custom-made. What were they doing that I wasn't? Answer: They were being selective! They made their choices, and I suppose that I made mine.

Now I am making different choices -- and they really aren't that hard. I'm choosing to wear whatever I want -- far too many years have passed when I could not.

Look for more of these in the future ... I will reflect on various posts or quotes I see out there.

Weekly WI

Well, after Jan. 13 I went into a downward spiral. Between water weight for TofM and finally getting sick, I had gains three weeks in a row -- 0.4, 1.2 and 1.

I decided there would not be a fourth gain. I went hard-Core this week, sticking mostly to water (I typically have decaf coffee or tea twice a day with Splenda), not having bread, staying away from APs simply because I had earned them, and not using as many WPAs as I normally do.

Today's verdict: down 5 lbs. While I'm very pleased, I know there is still work to be done and will continue to be vigilant.

NSVs --
1) bought a pair of size 4 Gap jeans last week and a size 4 skirt yesterday
2) two members came up to me after the meeting -- they remembered me from when I started going to these meetings in Nov 2005 -- and said that I inspired them.