Josie back in 2006
I know some people strive for the 185-pound mark, and I give major kudos to the people who blasted the fat down to the 185 range with starting numbers in the high 200's and into the 300's.
But me? I started my weight loss journey at 185 pounds. And it was my weight gain threshold. It was the trigger point where something clicked and I decided I would NOT allow myself to gain another pound. I was sick and tired of myself. Namely, the unhealthy habits that were making me fat.
I already showed you the trigger picture that convinced me I had to do something with my body. That post also shows you what I look like right now.
But Look! I found the official "before" pictures that I snapped to kick off my fitness journey.
Back here in 2006 I didn't quite qualify as the poster child for classic obesity, but I was well on my way. What you can't see in this picture is the excessive amount of back fat and inner thigh flab I was sporting. Yet this is more about how I FELT.
I was miserable. My 185 pounds (and climbing) felt tired, sluggish, out of breath, uncontrollably greedy, and unhappy. I had to do something.
After I took these pictures I kicked it down to a low of 145 pounds, but I got knocked up again with a fourth child (thank you, dear husband, for our Greedy Baby) and had to start all over with weight loss.
I have no idea how much I weigh right now. Last year I gave my scale a battery lobotomy because I was tired of being it's slave. I still have some minor fat slab remnants on my stomach (birthing 4 kids will do that to you), and so the fat battle continues. But my newest pants are a size 4. That's a better indicator of my weight loss than some stupid scale.
A lot of people talk "healthy at any size", but I say it's a bunch of crap. My former 185-pounds made me feel like marinated seagull sludge smathered on toasted wombat chips. What's so healthy about that?I'm keeping The Crumb Snatcher as a regular feature. Now you can stay up to date on all the stupid stuff going on in my life.
Funk Fumes & Dog Shit
I usually don't use real curse words 'round here, but "shitty" is the only true way to describe it. Health-hater Husband and Greedy Kid #2 were playing basketball in the driveway. Next think you know, my kid has shit on his hands and husband has it all over his clothes.
How it Happened
After detecting some funk fumes around the hoop, Husband started pointing fingers at the Greedy Kid. Upon further investigation they discovered their basketball had previously rolled into a pile of shit. We don't own a dog, but I'm hoping it indeed was dog shit rather than (maybe) the mailman dumping in our backyard.
They apparently played for a while, passing the ball and making baskets, before noticing they were covered in shit cakes.
Greedy Kid made a beeline for the kitchen sink to try and clean up, but after a few choice phrases, like "What the hell is your problem, you can't clean that shit in my kitchen sink!", I banished him to the basement sink to get the shit off. Husband was last seen grumpy as shit. What else is new.
Stranded in Snow (kinda)
This was an abrupt reminder that fitness is NOT just about looking sexy-good. Had I not been in some type of physically-fit shape, I would have been screwed.
What Happened?
Health-hater Husband accidentally took my cars keys to work with him. But instead of yelling with demands he leave work to bring me my keys, I decided to trek in the snow. Almost a 1/2 mile. With the kids in tow. To deliver them to daycare and catch a bus.
I carried the 25-pound, squirming Greedy Baby. I had my purse. I had a really heavy bag, and Greedy Kid #3, of course.
The wind was blowing and it was snowing really hard. We had to dang near hike in the middle of the road because the sidewalks were not cleared from the previous storm. AND I did all of this in power-walk fashion because I had to catch the bus.
By the time I reached my destination I was sweating in my coat and my hair was all jacked up. But it wasn't as bad as this.
So this is the very first time that my physical fitness came in handy for an emergency-type situation. It took a lot of strength and stamina to lug the Greedy Kids in the snow. No way I could do that with my former, extra poundage from couch-azz-ing too much and eating whatever. Congratulations to me.
That is your Crumb Snatcher report. Until next time, this is the Yum Yucky. Have a great weekend.
I mostly suck wind in the kitchen, but I can pull off a kick-azz lasagna that'll make my family of food-heathens turn wilder. My lasagna-cooking swag is through the roof. Those frozen kinds can't hold a candle to mine.
So here comes the Michael Angelo's Vegetable Lasagna people waving free coupons at me. And FREE is fun, so even if I think it might be nasty, I'm gonna try it. Because it's free.
Eatin' Veggie Lasagna
I was too lazy to cook with pots and pans, so I cracked open the Michael Angelo's. I'm thinking, blah blah blah. I'll eat a boring, frozen, veggie lasagna, then force Husband to make me coffee while I lay on the couch and computer click for two hours. Normal stuff.
First, I noticed the big chunks of veggies that got trapped on top. Surprisingly they weren't microscopic in size, like freaky human eyelash mites. And then I tasted it - the food, not the mites.
Holy crap, it's like homemade!
Surely I can trick my future dinner guests and pawn this stuff off as my own. It's a delightful concoction of zucchini, squash, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and cauliflower mingled with high quality mozzarella and ricotta cheeses in a wonderfully seasoned sauce with Italian spices and al dente pasta. I don't know how they got the noodles to NOT be mushy, but they weren't.
So now the coupons are gone, but I'm gonna get some more with cash out of my own pocket. Because this stuff is real good and it empowers me to NOT have to cook. Check out more of Michael Angelo's gourmet goodness here.
Bad parenting moment: It was so good, I gave in to the temptation to eat Greedy Kid #2's piece while he was at basketball practice. And no, I don't remember what he ate when he finally got home. Probably cereal.
Veggie Lasagna NotesReactions from the Taste Test Crew
Health-hater Husband: High quality. Flavorful. The veggies don't taste sh!tty.
Greedy Kid #1: Very filling. The sauce is delicious. Better than Trader Joe's.
Greedy Kid #2: Why didn't you guys save me any? You know I had practice!
Yum UP! to: Kick-azz veggie lasagna that I don't have to cook myself.Yuck Down to: Bad parenting moments. Ooops.
View the complete Taste Test Directory and Fast Food Cheat Sheets.
The new Wish Yourself Really Thin Diet is now on the market!
But it comes with a drunk fairy that might screw up a little.
You've been warned.
Disclaimer: This post is not for everyone, but if it strikes a chord I'm probably talking about you.
This is tough love, people, so enough with all the whining about, "I don't have time to exercise because....."
Blah blah blah! Yes, you DO have time.
You can find the time when you pinpoint where you are WASTING time. But get ready to sacrifice some of your time-wasting indulgences. It's all in the name of deflated fat cells.
Assess YourselfDo you whine because there's no time for fitness, but you have plenty of time for:
So you see, there really is time to exercise. Are you a former offender? Or do you need time-waster rehab right now?
Well, yeah. There's bunch of fantastic women out there who blasted their booty fat and thinned out their thighs. But what about the men? I checked in with three awesome guys and asked them.....
"What are the top 3 ways you achieved/maintained your weight loss?"
Jeremiah
My beginning weight was 368.4 lbs. And though I'm hesitant to give an after weight (since I'm not there yet), my current weight is 239.0. I'm still not at my final goal (what that is, though, I'm not sure yet).
1. Support. I have my wife who supports me in everything I do--and challenges me when I get lazy or try to make poor choices. I have my blogging community--which has become a huge support--just knowing that there are so many other people out there struggling on this journey, too sure helps. And I have God--He supports me when no one else can or would.
2. Patience. I don't think I would have even been able get close to my goal (I certainly would have given up much earlier) if I had been looking for a quick fix (as I had always wanted in the past). But this time, I decided that I was in it for the long haul. And in fact, I didn't see much progress at the beginning. In the first 4 weeks, I'd lost 4.4 pounds. But consistency got me through the first stage. During my entire 44 weeks, I only gained 6 times, and all but one was less than a 2-pound gain. But most of my losses were less than 4 pounds a week. My goal stopped being to lose a specific amount, and began being to lose every week. At least some.
3. Consistency. I just kept with a program. I'm not sure that the program actually mattered. It's just that I stuck to it. I was in the gym almost every (work) day for the past 44 weeks. And I kept on pushing myself. I'd try to increase my intensity or my duration or switch up the machine I used whenever I got bored or complacent.
Jeremiah's blog: Journey to Santification
Steve
According to my doctor's scales, my start weight was 283.6, and my weight at my physical in November was 196.2. At home I am weighing between 190-196. I should be clear here that I don't consider my journey quite done yet. I think I need to get down to 180 or so, but I am much closer than were I have been.
The top three ways I have achieved/maintained my weight loss:
2. Learn your body. Learn what foods you do well with. Learn what your cravings are. Learn which foods cause you problems. The more you know, the easier it is to plan accordingly.
3. Don't expect overnight miracles. While some lose weight very fast, that is not the normal progression from fat to fit. Slow and steady is fine. Along the same lines - you WILL go through plateaus. Just keep doing the right thing, and the weight will come off. Always remember, progress is progress. Never be unhappy when you are progressing.
Steve's blog: Log My Loss.
Tony
How Tony did it:
1. I learned to love fruits and vegetables- I have always been a processed person. So it was new for me to eat a fresh anything. I did not realize there were so many options. Instead of a mango smoothie I would eat a fresh mango. Instead of drinking POM I would eat a fresh pomegranate. I do think that has been the key.
2. Working out- In the grand scheme of things, eating right is my main career while working out is kind of like my part time job. I enjoy sweating and the feeling leaving the gym after a great workout.
3. Love for myself and family- Self-esteem plays a big part in anyone's success. With that comes caring about others. So many people in my life care about my health and they always have. I just was too selfish to see it. With such a great support network, I know I will not fail.
Tony's blog: The-Anti Jared.
##
Major kudos to these men who got serious about weight loss and stuck it out with the discipline to shed the pounds.Ummm. Yeah. I had a few reasons to melt down back when I was single. Like the time my lame-O date pulled some mouthwash out of his car, swigged it 'round real good, then spit in my driveway. Then there was that other date - the one where the guy had a booger hanging out his nose for most of dinner.
This right here is uber-lame too and, needless to say, these melt down situations did NOT result in true love. So now I'm almost barfing again just thinking about it.
But we're talking Kraft Singles Melt Downs anyways - the food kind.
Now you can have portion controlled nacho-greediness? These are reduced fat, single serve nacho flavored cheese slices infused with jalapeno taste. Kraft suggests you take 5 tortilla chips, top it with a Melt Down, then zap for 15 seconds. If you don't know anyone with breath hot enough to melt the cheese, then I suggest you use the microwave.
Too bad it's nasty. There's a nice hot kick at the end, but only a microscopic hint of nacho/jalapeno flavor. The cheese does indeed melt down real nice, but I don't give a damn because the end result is crappy, fake cheese taste.
Spare yourself the Melt Down experience. It's better to buy a real block of cheese or the pre-shredded kind to concoct your nacho tortillas.
Reactions from the Taste Test Crew
Health-hater Husband: Nope. No good. I doesn't taste any different than generic cheese.
Greedy Kid #1: Tastes like a regular Kraft cheese single.
Greedy Kid #3: Tastes good! Mom, I said it tastes good. I'll have another one.
Yum UP! to: People who use mouthwash. But NOT in my driveway!
Yuck Down to: Fake cheese taste. That's a bunch-O crap.
View the complete Taste Test Directory and Fast Food Cheat Sheets.
Congratulations to Ibu!
You win the Clean Eating Magazine Prize!
But wait!! Trish wins too!
.....because I felt like throwing in an extra prize. ha!
May you eat mostly clean & get greedy with a little bit-O dirty, my friends.
I'm selling extra eyeballs for gazing into greedy-ness.
"Install into face to enhance Foodgasmic viewing."
Only $89.95 per eyeball. No checks, please.
Chocolate Chewies from How Sweet Eats. Ooo!
