The Tale of the Tape, March 2008

New stats:
BUST - Then: 64"; Now: 37.25"
WAIST - Then: 55.5"; Now: 35.5"
ABDOMEN - Then: 58.25"; Now: 36.5"
HIPS - Then: 51.25; Now: 38.75"
THIGHS - Then: 33.75"; Now: 21"
ARMS - Then: 18.5"; Now: 12"
BODY FAT - Then: 48.6%; Now: 26.7%
Total Inches Lost: 121
Total Pounds Lost: 150
Body Fat Pounds Lost: 107.94

Goal, Baby!

Well, after almost 35 months on WW and 44 months altogether after deciding to change my life, I knocked it out of the park this morning with a 5.6 lb loss -- putting me 1.2 lbs below goal! In addition to my Goal charm, my awesome Leader Sandy also gave me the new weight charms that replaced the magnets -- a 100 and a 50 -- in honor of my 159-lb weight loss! (Total weight loss since 2004 is 171.2 lbs.) During the meeting, she also gave snaps to the site, and a few people came up to me afterwards and asked for the link ... talk about feeling like a rock star, LOL!

All this after the day from hell yesterday -- and I mean from the moment I woke up ... first I had a very early morning project. Then I found out that one of my prescriptions was DOA until I go back to the doctor ... who doesn't have Saturday hours or an emergency number (WTH?). Then I had a random stranger lecture about the canned corn, sweet peas and green beans in my cart that I was buying for a Curves food drive. Then Curves was opened late (staff emergency). I got home -- no answer at my doctor's office. I found myself reading Scripture before going out in the pouring rain for my next obligation, where I got called on my attire (sneakers) before I could even say "Good afternoon!" It took everything in me not to come home and chow down -- especially after passing up a deli tray, Doritos and fruit punch at my appointment -- but I dutifully had my steamed brown rice and winter mix, followed with some air-popped popcorn and plenty cayenne pepper (to stop me from eating, LOL!).

I got home and had breakfast before zooming down to Exit 135 to donate platelets for the New York Blood Center. The nurse who did my pre-donation checkup was absolutely floored when I showed her my license -- and of course I explained that I had made goal today. I had to explain that I eat regular food, not "Weight Watchers food" (whatever that is) on the plan.

When I got home, I finished posting on the boards, my email groups, emailed my sorors, called my two sisterfriends out of state, did my colored laundry, and made dinner. Yeah, I'm happy, but it's pretty much business as usual. I was already not eating all 35 WPAs on Core -- I have no idea how I'm going to take on another 28 for Maintenance!

Facing the Music, Part 2

Well, I got myself to another meeting. I was down 1.4 today. After weighing in, I looked at my membership book for the first time -- I had gained 3.4 the previous week -- something I might have done with or without a trip to Alabama. So now I only need to lose two pounds to get to where I was -- something that shouldn't be too hard with TofM on the horizon -- and 4.4 to get to goal.

If I had looked, I would have been ticked all week and probably gained even more by binging and blowing off a few workouts. I guess ignorance is bliss, LOL!

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.