Monday, January 25, 2010

These Are My Confessions.

Confession #1:  I'm back to the weight I started at before I went on vacation to Denver.  I was around 169-170 when I was at the beginning of my vacation, and then at one point I got down to 167.6.  I ate Taco Bell and TCBY, and I gained some serious water weight.  I actually saw the scale go up to 174 the day after Taco Bell.  Today I'm back down to 169.  And so begins the process of being back on track with low carb eating.  I also am at the point where I'm sort of regretting the planned cheat.  I loved the taste of the food.  It felt good while I was eating it, and I felt like I deserved it.  But now, I'm regretting it because it set me off track on my goal.  I have to spend another week or two to get back into fat-burning mode.  I feel like I have wasted time.  Now, I know that in the grand scheme of things, one or two weeks isn't life-changing time to have lost.  But I'm impatient and greedy.  So, I stocked up on salad and eggs and I need to go get some tuna because I'm out of it.  I'm not going back, Jack!  Not until I get closer to my goal, or to it.


Confession #2:  I didn't complete the shred.  In fact, I only got about 2 weeks through.  Apparently I'm a 1/2-way through kind of girl.  I found myself getting busy and making excuses, and above all, getting really frustrated at the weight gain I saw instead of seeing a loss.  I'll totally admit it.  I quit.

Confession #3:  I'm canceling my gym membership.  It's $80/month and I haven't been in two.  Zumba is fun but these tootsies haven't seen a treadmill in four months or so.  I guess I've just found that losing weight comes better to me when I'm focusing entirely on my food intake and less or not at all on my physical activity.  When I first started my weight loss journey in December of 2008, I worked out three to five times a week for an hour minimum each time.  I had a personal trainer.  I kept my calories around 1500-1700/day.  I lost ten pounds in five months.  I just wasn't seeing results and it was totally frustrating.  As soon as I switched gears and started paying crucial attention to the food I was putting in my mouth and customizing my eating to what MY body needs in order to lose weight, it started to come off.  I'm happy with my choice, and while I might miss the idea that the gym is there whenever I want it to be... I certainly miss that $80 a month more than that idea.

Confession #4:  I just finally watched Twilight.

Confession #5:  I fracking LOVED it.  (Mom, Dad, you were right.)  But, I honestly have to say, it probably has 90% to do with the fact that Robert Pattinson looks like my new boyfriend, Chris Thile. ;)



So.  What are your confessions?  ;)

~Jenn

43 comments:

The Sassy Orange said...

It's the same for me - I lose the most weight when I don't work out. But my WW says that I really need to work out so that my skin rebounds as I lose weight, as I have 160 lbs to lose.

It's frustrating though, as everyone says, oh, just work out.

My trainer says that if you want to lose weight, it's all about your eating. If you want to lose inches, it's about working out.

http://fattiefatterton.wordpress.com

Dawn Dishes It Out said...

Confession: I trained & ran a 1/2 marathon and gained weight!! I was so upset. I kept thinking how could this be. I am running my ass off. Only, I wasn't!! It wasn't until I realized I really don't like to run long distance that my weight began to come off. I lost more weight walking and doing light weight lifting than anything hard core I ever tried.

Lots of luck on your weight loss journey. You are doing so well. Keep up the great work.

Anonymous said...

My confession is that I am dogsitting for a neighbor and yesterday I completely forgot. Poor thing went the whole day without a walk or a bowl of food. I did, however, remember first thing this morning. He was very happy to see me.

Greta from www.bigbottomblogger.blogspot.com said...

You did not lose as much weight when you were working out because you were building muscle as you were losing fat. But...muscle means your metabolism is higher....and you burn more calories just sitting around. I learned this the hard way too many times. :( It is a good idea to have a body fat percentage scale..just to keep track of it all. If you continue to lose weight and your bf % is going down too.....without the gym..then...more power to you! Just be careful....careful...careful to not lose lean weight because that will tank your metabolism and make it SO hard to maintain once you get to goal. (voice of experience here). I always try to spread the word..because I hate to see others make the same mistakes I have made too many times.

I have a couple posts on this over at my blog:
http://bigbottomblogger.blogspot.com/2009/08/plateau-heck-no.html

and

http://bigbottomblogger.blogspot.com/2010/01/pop-quiz-friday.html

Spilling Ink said...

God I'm glad I read this post and the comments.

I have cycled two and half hours/day five days a week for a year and sure I've got a bit more toned but the weight hasn't come off. At all. Because I've been off work for about a month I've not cycled but just paid attention to what I've eaten for the past three weeks and wouldn't you know it, the weight is coming off with no exercise.

Low carb seems to work the best for me. I've decided I need to find foods and habits that work for ME for life.

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean about the gym! It takes me forever to get the momentum to decide to get up and moving, let alone needing to drive there and then just using the treadmill... I am so buggin my hubby for one mercifully!
BTW_ I am a total Twilghtaholic! I read all the books in 1 week over the summer

'Drea said...

I'm curious about your gym and the amenities that they have...

x said...

I find I can not loose weight unless I work out. For me very little of it was modifying what i was eating and almost ALL of it had to do with becoming fit and active.

Jennifer said...

Here is my confession..... Now I have Usher in my head!!! :)


Oh, and Twilight is amazing! <3

M said...

Ummm, I hate to break it to you, and I totally didnt want to have to be the one to tell you this but umm, yeah, your boyfriend=way hotter than Rob Pattinson. Yeah, I said it.

What level did you make it to on the Shred? I am struggling my ass off on Level 2. I could cry. I need to just pass Go, collect my $200 and move on to level 3. Seriously.


$80 a month is a bit much for a gym, I dont blame you for canceling!

Claire Dawn said...

My confessions:

I totally also have Usher in my head.

I completely lve Twilight and am not particularly bothered if that makes me 12.

I am a workout person. Simply because I know what happens when you stop dieting and because I think your body knows what you need, and starving it of particular nutrients only pisses it off.

Inches, not weight matters. But that's easier to say than obey.

Good luck, nonetheless.

Kristen said...

Your two weeks doing the shred is way better than my lame barely completed two tries.

Oh, and yes Chris Thile does look like Rob P! I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed.

Liz said...

confession...instead of going for a run today (as planned), i ate half a choc chip cookie my flatmate had just baked, threw the other half down the sink, and took a nap. i feel bad and tomorrow will be out running. now to search your blog for tips on low carb eating and what relationship water retention has to do with carbs...

This Little Girl Dreams... said...

My confession is that I gained 2 pounds over Christmas break... So far I have lost one. I totally feel you on the "it wasn't really worth it feeling" when you decide to eat junk. It just never does it! Why can't I ever feel guilt free after wards?!?! LOL!

carla said...

Im in a huge flipping panic about my upcoming halfmarathon.
I dont like running much and am only doing it for the free trip.

Ive never read harry potter or cracked the binding on a twilight book.
inexplicably these things have become my..."things" & I refused to read em or watch the movies.

Im an odd one,

Miz

Runnergirl said...

I've done weight loss both ways - once not exercising at all, and once with running 20-30 miles a week. You know what seemed to work best? The focusing on my eating only!

The only reason I've started exercising more now is because I've been paying far less attention to my diet - especially at weekends when I don't stick to it AT ALL.

Do it any way you want to - at the end of the day, as long as you're doing it healthily and you get there, the end justifies the means, right?

I am still resisting Twilight, being a HYUGE Buffy fan... my own silent protest that Buffy seems to have been so quickly forgotten!

Ashton Dene' said...

I love that you just watched Twilight. My friend renamed it Sucklight after the greatness that was New Moon. I suggest reading the books, not great writing like Harry Potter, but a good story none-the-less.

And I like working out for the endorphins, but that's just me. They tell me that muscle burns fat and increases metabolism, so I'm hoping that's how it works!

x, ash

The Sweet Tooth Obliteration Operation said...

My confession: after 2 weeks of being really really good on my eating I definitely had 10 oreos, a cupcake, and 2 glasses of wine... and regretted it!

MegFordice said...

So what is your workout plan going to be? Are you going to workout at home?

nancy said...

Now all you have to do is watch, Finding Nemo!!!!

I love you, Jenny.

Mom

Julie, The Wife said...

Love Twilight, loved New Moon, love all of the books and...Confession...I've read them all. Four times each. *cringe* But with my 12-year-old daughter, so it was fun. I guess I will own my middle school self. And I think RP AND CT are both hot.

I did the exercise hardcore/watch what I eat thing for 6 mo and lost 10 pounds. Then I canceled my Y membership at $65/mo and went on Medifast and lost 25 pounds in three months. And sometimes I slip and eat something on the "bad" list, and then I have to play catchup, but hey, I love food. It's a struggle.

You're doing great Jen, and I love your "before" and "today" pics on the side. You look so healthy and fantastic!

Rachel said...

I hate working out. I really do. It's boring, and it makes me tired. BUT, more than losing weight, being fit, keeping my diabetes in check, etc. exercising has helped my stress levels dramatically. It's a great way to clear your head. Gym memberships certainly don't work for everyone, and I'm not here to tell ya what to do, but even going on a walk most days of the week will work wonders.

Crystal said...

1. I'm glad you watched Twilight. Welcome to the cult. I mean that in a good way...I think.

2. I hate working out. HATE it. I've never worked out in my life besides the 6 years of dancing 4-5 hours a day when I was younger. But actual aerobics....I hate. I'm doing it daily though because I really want to lose weight this time.

3. I'm scared if I skip even one day of working out that I'll quit. I've worked out every day for the last 2 weeks, granted it's only 30 minutes a day.

4. I hate being patient when it comes to anything but especially my weight loss. I want it gone now. I have a realistic goal but it still feels so far away.

I think that's it for now. Don't beat yourself up about the cheat. You did deserve it. :) And 80$ a month is too much to waste if you aren't using it so I think you made the right choice. :)

Lindsay said...

Love the post! Especially since I was planning on doing a "confessions" post today as well! Somethings, I just need to get off my chest! :)

Lindsay

EGG said...

I dont know if your gym has a thing where you have to be a member for a cetain amount of time (1-2 years) or else they charge you a cancellation fee if so maybe asking them to put it on hold for awhile I did that with my gym becasue I knew I would go back but i didnt go for at least a month so I froze it for 6 months and that way when I start back up i dont have to pay to re-register and start the contract over.

Mishy said...

hi. do you have cable? if so, check out FitTV for some workout shows, or even better, check out Exercise TV on Demand, channel 426 in the greater MKE area. if no cable, just invest in some handweights, a band/tubey thing and about 30 min of your day. you really don't need a gym membership to get a workout in.

Unknown said...

You are looking good, girl!
My confession - I've been eating anything and everything for the past two days, and I don't know why. I can't seem to get a consistent pace back, I go two days with good eating, then destroy it with 2 days of bad.
I'm thinking I need a SERIOUS sugar detox...maybe low carb for a while, just because I can't seem to stay away from the stuff.

The Insatiable Host said...

I knew you would love Twilight!
I am glad you loved Twilight!

I love that you are truthful and real.

Confession: I hate my belly button. Ever since I had kids, it stretched out and is ugly. I hate it so much that when I wear dresses/shirts where it's noticable, I have to cover it. Seriously, it's an ugly button!

MMM said...

YAY!!! I am so glad that you are back!!!
Good confessions. (I am almost done reading the last book in the Twilight series.... it is AWESOME! So, if you have not read the books... you need to!)

I guess I can confess that I already have a pair of the jeans that I am currently sporting from Bloggerhood. But...I did not know that until I had the other jeans for at least 2 weeks. I am a dork! No wonder I liked them so much!! LOL!!!

Carol said...

Hey ! I see you lost a lot of weight watching your progress photos! Congratulations, and keep your journey!

Chuck said...

Jenn,
I have one recommendation for you...Wii. My wife and I got one for Christmas (it was only present we got each other)and it is great for keeping some activity going. You can work up a sweat in an hour playing tennis or bowling or basketball, pin-pong, boxing etc. For the price of 4 months gym membership...you can have activity and variety right in your own living room. Even a month later I use it a little every day. Consider it fun and useful...can't beat that! Funny thing...I play it right next to the treadmill I haven't been on in 3 months. Spend an hour or so on the bowling and I promise you you'll be sore the next day. Make sure you get the Wii Resort game too! There ya go!

RedPen said...

I'm 1/2 way through twilight - couldn't do it all in one sitting.

My confession relates to the love - the new relationship is seriously distracting me from the babe restoration project.

You're right about focussing on food - results always follow a week of following the hard-core, being totally good eating regime. You'll be back down your your lowest number in no-time.

xx

hackaday said...

Hello it's my first time in your blog ever. It 's really cool. Congrats for your good progress in losing weight. You inspired me 'cause i have a lot of extra weight. Keep up with the good work.
If you want check out my blog: http://cyglobe.blogspot.com. Greetings from Greece.

Lianne said...

my confession is that i keep saying i will exercise 3 times a week, but really, its only once :S must be more determined!

leethroughthelens.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

We must be on the same wavelength...my January confessions are coming this weekend...for all those New Years resolutions I posted. I'm dreading it but i think it will keep me honest!

Glad to find another TWILIGHT fan!
Edward Cullen...sigh! :)

SPEAKING FROM THE CRIB said...

my confessions are:

we weigh about the same and are still pretty darn cute anyhow

i will never complete the shred

i love my gym membership even if i never go b/c it is always an option

i did not enjoy twilight even though i have a vagine

rachaelgking said...

Confession: I keep meaning to START the Shred but am too lazy.

Sigh.

Claire said...

Plain ol' walking is the ticket. My friends and I have started walking as often as we can, and I feel the difference, but no weight gain. Haven't lost either, but that's definitely a food issue on my part. I've had a gym membership for over 13 years, and I get there, oh, about twice a year. Why don't I cancel it? Because at $15 per month, I will NEVER get that deal again, and I will use the gym again, sooner or later. Probably later.

Faux Trixie said...

1) You look fabulous.
2) I am doing low carb now too. I'm down about 8 pounds since the beginning of January. Not quite where I wanted to be, but good enough. I want to lose 40 lbs. by June so I can feel confident in a swimsuit around my skinny friends.
3) If you need/have any good low carb recipes, please share.

Anonymous said...

Aren't you afraid you're losing a bunch of muscle? Reviewing the data and literature implies that that happens when people diet and don't exercise. I exercise a lot, eat lots of fat and carbs, and lose weight slowly but consistently. I may have to tighten up to go from BMI 25 to 22, but I'm not sacrificing health, sanity, or muscles.

Rob Dyess said...

I think that Lawgirl is EXACTLY right!! I think that overall you will loose weight with the diet... but will loose inches with the working out. I found that you HAVE to do both or the whole thing will not work. Check www.weighdownsouth.com. Thanks!

Rob Dyess said...

Greta from www.bigbottomblogger.blogspot.com is right too. When you workout... you build muscle. I can remember several times during my weight loss that I had no lost weight in a week... very frustrating becuase I was working hard in the gym... going through a boot camp. Do plenty of cardio and this will help with the weight loss! Check www.weighdownsouth.com. Thanks, Rob

Curvy Girl said...

My confessions....

I haven't blogged since October--until tonight.

I'm paying for a gym membership @24HR Fitness, but working out at my office gym for free.

I heart Twilight. I guess since you just saw Twilight, you haven't seen New Moon. You should get on that because Eclipse comes out June 30th. Yeah, I know the date and yes I know that makes me a dork. After you see New Moon, tell me whether or not you switch to Team Jacob. Yeah, I said it.





http://stacey-curvygirlconfessions.blogspot.com/