Just over a month ago I started taking nutrition classes at Curves.  I also bought the book about the Curves nutrition program…and IT’S ACTUALLY WORKING!!!!!

My starting stats 228 lbs,  Bust 44.5″, Waist 36″, Abdomen 43.5″, Hips 47″, Thigh 26″, Arms 14″       

After 5 weeks I am 218 lbs, Bust 43″ Waist 36″ Abdomen 42″, Hips 45″, Thigh 26″, Arm 13.5″

Thats a loss of 10 lbs and 5.5″.

I can only say that hope I can continue with this sort of progress.  I think the hardest part for me is going to be doing the actual cooking. I HATE cooking. If I ever win the lottery, I would hire a cook to come in a couple days a week and do all of my suppers (even if they are just ones put down in the freezer) because the hardest part of the whole Curves nutrition program, is actually having to cook.

I am doing the high protein program.  I love it…I’m never starved, in fact at the stage I am doing now, I am having a really hard time eating all the food they want me to.  I am doing the Curves resistance training at least 3 times a week.

My husband is loving it too.  He likes that I’m cooking foods different from the same old, same old. He also likes that since I am making my own healthy lunch, I tend to make his too. In fact..I think he has lost about 10 lbs too.  My oldest daughter is benefiting too. I can see now she has a definitive waist line.

I just wish my youngest daughter would embrace this style of eating too. But she is  a finicky eater (and that’s putting it mildly) I worry about her as she catches just about every bug that is going around. I think it is becasue she does not eat properly. I think if she did, she would find herself feeling better, more energetic, getting sick less often, and her mood would likely improve too. I am sure that not eating properly has to affect a persons hormones, endorphins and all that stuff.  However at this point in time, I would settle to have her start taking a multivitamin.  But she’s a story for another time.

Basically I wanted to say that I am feeling really good about my progress, and pray that my hatred of cooking will not stop me from reaching my goal.

Later                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Tracelyn

Take Please and Thank-you for an example. The most basic of manners. I really don’t think I hear these enough.  I hear questions, but rarely are they ever prefaced with please or followed by thank-you.  

I was going through the drive thru the other day and I said Thank you to the girl who was serving me…I was most pleased to her her say “your welcome”. The tone of her voice suggested she was shocked. Why?  Has our society really become so focused on ourselves and how quickly we can do something, that we can’t use the most basic of manners? Does this girl at the drive thru window really not hear thank you very often? I prefer to think that we don’t do it out of rudeness, maybe we are just too busy multitasking to think of using our manners.

We have to be careful with that though.  If we don’t use our manners, then our children won’t use theirs. They learn from our example. So. PLEASE remember your manners, you will be surprised by how it can affect the people around you.

Thank you

Tracelyn

I have. I know it’s a little morbid. But I have.

I was thinking about it again tonight on the way home from the wake of a 19-year-old kid man. And by coincidence, one of my co-workers forwarded me a bunch of pictures of odd tombstones today. So it had already been in my mind.

Dress me in something nice..perhaps something Blue or Red..make sure my eyebrows are coloured in so you can see them, and I want to be wearing full makeup, mascara, eye liner and eye shadow in my favorite colours. My hair should either be down or in a curly up-do on the top of my head.

 I would like my funeral to be in  church, instead of  the funeral home. But I don’t want it to be a normal church type funeral.  I want a nice short service.  I don’t want communion. 

Bring the casket in on “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”  Then the greeting by the minister. Then maybe a nice lullaby type of song. Like “Twinkle Twinkle up so high”  And how about praying for all those who are there to mourn me (if anyone shows up) Then maybe something like “Here by the Water”. A nice simple Affirmation of Baptism.  Then sing something Like the theme for the Whitehorse gathering and then give my Eulogy. After which we need to cheer up, so sing something happy like “you are my Sunshine” or “Jesus loves me”  Then (if I know death is coming) read the letter I’ll have prepared and close with an upbeat song like “Oh when the saints”

Afterwards, I want everyone to go back to the hall and have a bite to eat, get a good base in their stomachs.  Then all my friends need to go back to someones house, light a bonfire, turn on the New Country radio station, open a bottle of rum, pour everyone a drink, and have a party.

And afterwards, if anyone goes to visit my grave site, I want them to read my tombstone and smile (or be really confused if they don’t know me).  So it should say something like “I meant what you knew” or “Tuna in a can”… if I die in a freak-ish accident, maybe they could put “Blonde to the end!”

And this is, perhaps, the most conservative version I’ve thought I might like for  my funeral.

How about you?

The scale said I GAINED 7 pounds…7 pounds…can you believe that…with all the hard work I’ve been doing, and with my scale at home telling me I’d lost 2 pounds from the week before. So I thought maybe, I’m just bloated. But then there are the measurements.  My breast measurement went UP 1 inch, but my chest measurement went DOWN 1 inch and my waist measurement also went DOWN 1 inch and all my other measurements stayed the same. 

I’m not sure what is going on.  But I guess that as long as the measurements are going down that’s good…and I don’t mind keeping my boobs. LOL

Anyway, I just thought I’d give a little up-date, since that was so weird…gaining weight and loosing inches.

Later

Trace

Weight: 223lbs

 Observations:  Todays bring down was when I bent over to tie my steel toe boots at work. I thought I was going to puke from the pressure of my gut pressing upwards on my chest…LITERALLY!!!  My t-shirts are too tight, I went out to buy new undies and came home with size 2XL.  Also this past weekend, I over-straightened my knee again, and today during my workout, my knee almost gave out during the workout (3 or 4 times) Until I realized what was happening and then I was very careful NOT to straighten it  fully.

My Thoughts:  I am also wondering if this 2 lbs is really water weight, or is it fat loss.  I guess that tomorrow when I am at Curves I should do an official weigh in and measurement. (especially since I still can’t find the tape measure that the kids hid on me)As for how I feel?  well I still feel like a fat pig. I hate it.How freaking depressing.  I can remember as a teenager, when my mom would ask me if I was gaining weight and telling me if I wasn’t careful I’d end up like my Aunt, I remember replying, oh well, If I hit 200, just shoot me.  I STILL feel that way.   AAAGGGHHHH…Being fat is just gross.

Short Term Goals- These pretty much remain the same. Go to curves at least 3 times a week.  Go for a walk with my daughter whenever she is home.  However, instead of cutting out the ice-capps completely, I think I will just downsize them for now.

Medium Term Goals – Lose 10 lbs in a month, so I don’t feel like I’m going to puke when I bend over to put my boots on.

Long Term – to loose 50 lbs in a year, go back to karate and get my Black belt.

Well I think that’s about it…though I will say that I have placed a call to the hypnotist..it’s worth a try. Isn’t it?

Trace

If everyone lived by that old adage “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”, then it would cut down dramtically on hurt feelings, which in my mind would help cut down on violence (think school shootings, road rage, bar fights etc).

But NO!  Now-a-days, more and more people are forgetting to teach their children the basics of interpersonal relationships (not that texting and Internet chat rooms help). People are too focused on their personal rights privileges. We are all too focused on “ME”. “MY” needs. “MY” wants.  Yes I am including myself in this. I admit it…I AM SELFISH, but I digress, we were talking about rudeness. (I’ll rant about selfishness later)

People do and say rude things all the time because they are so focused on their personal rights like freedom of speech, but what about the rights of others to be treated with respect?

Please people JUST TRY living with that old adage “If you don’t have anything nice to say…don’t say anything at all.”  Maybe we’ll all be surprised with how pleasant a world this could be.

I say I have had no willpower.  I have had so many cravings this week I feel awful thinking back over all the junk I’ve eaten…and that’s on top of my addiction for Iced Cappuccino’s. 

So  there are no real updates this week except that I feel horrible about my lack of progress.  So much so, that I want to do one of two things right now…walk to the store in the rain and buy some fattening chocolate  or ice cream…or I can go curl up in my bed, and dream about the days when I was fit and fabulous.

However this week I did find an interesting article in a magazine that claims I can loose up to 14 lbs in 2 weeks, with a fitness jump start program.  The article outlines a sample menu and talks about how many servings to eat  of which category at each meal and snack.  It is probably the first “diet” menu that I’ve seen that I can work around my “pickiness” regarding food.  The article was smart too in also giving  a workout that I can do.  I tried the weight resistance part…I found it hard, but do-able, and it includes a walking program, that can be done outside or on my treadmill. I think I’m going to try it.

I also noticed that we now have a hypnotist in town who includes weight loss on the list of things hypnosis is good for…I wonder how much that would cost me? If it would help me change my attitudes towards food, perhaps it would be worth looking into.  Maybe they could hypnotize me out of my Ice Capp addiction.

Ah well, I’ll update you next week and we’ll see if I can change anything between now and then…at this point I’d be happy just to add in the extra workouts to burn off the ice Capps I’m sure I’ll still be drinking.

Pray for my progress!

Height: 5’5″

Weight: 225 lbs

Measurements:    Bust, Waste, Hips  (unknown…the kids seem to have hidden my tape measure…I’ll try to find it)

Clothing Size: 40DD bra, 2xl shirts, 16W pants

Observations:  My face is starting to blur into my neck, my upper arms are folding over my elbows. I have an extra roll at the top of my butt. I have the dreaded mommy apron.  My thighs rub together so much, the friction is creating holes in my pants! I have to bend over slightly to see my feet (Size 6 long and size 7 wide).  I get out of breath when I go out walking with my daughter. My knees ache, as does my back. I have very little energy to expend on anything more than the stuff I have to do. Basically things I used to do with ease now make me huff and puff.

My thoughts:   This is going to be so hard!  I really hope that I can stick with it this time…I hope that blogging about it gives me enough incentive to stick to it.  It seems to me that I do really well for a while, then I start back sliding until I am even heavier than I was before. I don’t like being fat, and I want to change, but with all of my idiosyncrasies, I find it really difficult to stick with it. I HAVE to stick with it this time…I have one daughter who is fat and one who is showing signs of following in our footsteps and I need to be a better example for them.   I don’t want to end up with horrible heart problems or any other horrible weight related diseases.  But you know, out of all the things that bother me about being fat, it has to be that I am too uncomfortable with my own body to do more than change the oil every few months, despite wanting to change it daily!

Short Term Goals:   to go workout at "Curves" at least 3 times a week, to take a long walk with my daughter every night that she is not working, to cut out those addictive and calorie ridden Ice Capps that are so horrible for me.

Medium Term Goals:  to loose 20 lbs in 3 months, to fit back into my Karate Gui, to see my chin again, to not have to bend over to see my feet.

Long Term Goals:  to loose 50 lbs in  year, to be able to wear stylish clothes again without looking silly, to be able to go back to Karate and get my black belt without worrying that my knees will give out again,because of my weight.

Well, that is all I can think of right now…I’ll probably revise these as I go along on.  If you’ve got any tips to help me along on what I hope will be my most successful and last, fitness and weight loss attempt, feel free to leave me your positive comments.

Trace

As a fat person , I am inundated with helpful advice on how to loose weight. You know the kind of thing I am talking about…eat this food, do this exercise, take this supplement/appetite suppressant/fat blocker. And some not so helpful advise from well-meaning  friends and family. Well quite frankly, I KNOW why I am fat, I don’t get enough exercise, I don’t eat enough veggies, and I eat too much junk food. So really, I don’t want to see anymore “self help” advice articles,

What I want to see is an article on what a fat persons friends and family can do to help out. So I have come up with a list for the loved ones of my fellow “fatties“. These are things, that I, as a “fatty“, know would help me out. Maybe they could help you or someone you love too!

DO give your loved one genuine compliments. (about their hair, their outfit, something they’ve done well, or if you REALLY think they may have lost a few pounds, you can compliment how great they are doing)

DON’T point out when you think they’ve gained. (That will only depress them and send them straight for their favourite comfort food)

DO cook healthy balanced meals when its your turn to cook and if it’s your loved ones turn and they are looking for ideas, give them healthy suggestions. If you do the grocery shopping buy only healthy food.

DON’T bring home fast food, or junk food and if your loved one suggests it, gently discourage it by suggesting something homemade and healthy. (If YOU must have it, have it when your loved one is not with you.)

DO physical activity WITH your loved one. Go for a walk, go dancing, go for a bike ride , go canoeing, or take some kind of class (like self defence). Just remember that your loved one is more likely to participate if YOU or another person they love are doing it with them.

DON’T pay for them to join a gym, or any other type of fitness facility as a gift. (unless they ask for it) If its not their idea, and someone they love doesn’t do it with them, your loved one will probably NOT stick to the program. You might see it as a demonstration of your concern for them, but all they’ll see is you are nagging them about their weight.

DO allow your loved one to have a small treat now and again. After all we should NEVER completely deprive ourselves of something they love, that is when you completely fall off the wagon and go on a binge. Just remember if you are the one to provide it, to make sure its small (ie buy 1 portion, not a box with 12 portions)

DON’T comment when your loved one does fall off the wagon and goes on a horrible binge…

REMEMBER to continue the positive encouragement I outline in all the “DO’s” above. They will help your loved one know how much you value them. After all , if you don’t show them they are worth it, why would they put the effort into all the work required to get fit!

I sincerely this hopes you help your loved one.  Check back for my own personal progress reports, as I work to go from Fat to Fit

Apparently I am blog challenged, simply because I found it hard to set up with the vague waves of the hand and the constant chatter telling me to click here and type there, add this, “move, let me do it“… “can I see it for a sec“…”its easier if I do it“.

Cut me some slack, this is my first time, I am a blog virgin.  It won’t be great the first time out, I WILL GET BETTER!.

So stick with me and you never know what you  find on my blog..it could be rant, a poem, a philosophic musing…It could be just about anything.

Catch Ya Next Time

TraceLyn