More Tornadoes and some other stuff.

Well, first thing's first.  Thank you guys so much for entering the giveaway!  And now for the random winner:

So!  DEB!  Send me an e-mail at jennybeanjcb@msn.com with your shipping info and we'll get you hooked up with your very own Quantum Scale!  Thanks to everyone for entering.

Now, I'd like to ask you guys a quick favor. :)  I don't know if you remember when I did this photo shoot for my close, good friends and their band... MESTIZO!

Well, they're poor.  (Duh, they're musicians.)  They are also in this contest for free studio time.  So, they need lots of votes to win some free studio time from Marquee Magazine.  If you would pop over by clicking THIS LINK, and voting for Mestizo, it takes two seconds, you do NOT have to register or give any info.  That'd be amazing, y'all.

In other news, since I should probably throw something in here about weight / health / fitness / etc... I weighed in this morning with the Quantum scale at -3.4.  Apparently I'm up .6 pounds.  I've been totally lax, I go back and forth, I suck.  I also just saw this photo of myself, and I'm not too happy about my apparent ARM GIRTH. 

I need to remember I have around 1 month until Engagement Photos take place, and the wedding is 128 days away.  Holy crap, I'm not eating anymore.  Well, okay, that's extreme.  I'm going to really have to buckle down.

And yes, that was me at a Chaser Convergence (fancy ass way of saying "a bunch of nerdy weather freaks and photographers standing in a parking lot waiting for storms to fire) on my most recent storm chase.  Skip & I had our most close encounter (EVER) to a tornado.  Here are a few of my favorite photos... and you can click HERE to view the full chase log on my photography blog, complete with lots of photos and info - and links to some amazing video of how close we got. :)

Monday Weigh-In Results + Bodybugg Review

Hello lovelies!

Well, since I started using my Bodybugg on a Monday, that's when my weigh in is now.  That's pretty good, too - I feel like Mondays are good weigh in days.

SO, here we go.

-1.6 lbs!

So, apparently for the first week - this Bodybugg thing has put me on the right track.  Pretty sweet, too because I had a sandwich with actual bread on it at the wedding.  I ate a Lean Cuisine mini pizza with spinach and mushroom.  I had a Pho the size of a car tire.  If it can truly go this way -1.5~ pounds for the next however long it takes, that'd be pretty damn sweet.

Here's the update on my progress and my goal:

Now, for a little Bodybugg review based on my first week of use.

Pros:

1.  It really helps show how many calories I'm actually burning.  Amazing and helpful.

2.  It acts as a pedometer, which is sweet.  Brings to light how much I need to walk.

3.  The food logging program is pretty good - it's similar to a Livestrong or Sparkpeople database, so I rarely have to enter custom foods.  If I need to, it's easy.  It also remembers things I usually eat for various meals, so since I'm a creature of habit, it's easier every day.

Cons:

1.  The Bodybugg website is a pain in the ass.  It isn't compatible with Google Chrome, and you can only use it with Internet Explorer or Firefox.  This means it takes me 10293809284012 years to track stuff.

2.  The website likes to time you out.  Like, super quickly.  So I'm signing back in three or four times over the course of tracking my food for a day.  It takes a long time with that + the website only working with a slower browser.

3.  The Bodybugg resets every day at midnight.  So, for those of us up late like I am, through 1:30-3:30 am, or something like that... any of the calories I burn, or food I consume go on to the next day's count.  Now, it all evens out in the long run because it happens every single day.  However, it's really annoying.

Ultimately it's a phenomenal piece of equipment, but I still think they're kind of stuck behind the times in terms of where they should really be.  I am super happy I have it, and the cons aren't reasons to NOT buy it.  But, I do think they're things that can be easily fixed by the Bodybugg people.

Also right now, I would list as a "Con," when I go to download the app for it on the iPhone, it tells me I need iPhone 4 technology.  So, what the EFF?  The website says it's compatible with all the iPhones, but I can't download the app.  

There's information on synching it with your smartphone on the website, so I'm going to try that this week.  I'll keep you guys posted on how that goes.  :)

~J

You guys? I'm "normal" now.

Okay, so... before I get into anything, I need to ask you guys to help me out.  You all know I'm a photographer here in  Milwaukee.  Well, if you wouldn't mind taking a quick second to vote for me on the WISN A-List, that would be hugely amazing.  Seriously, it only takes a minute and it would help me out greatly. :)

Alrighty!  Now down to business.

Today I weighed in at 159.  I'm officially normal!  So, I get these buttons from Scale Junkie's Healthy You Challenge:

  

Seriously.  65 Pounds, SUCK MY BALLS.

/ahem.

Stats time.

Weight = 159 (-1.4)
Arm = 11.5 (-0)
Bust = 37 (-0)
Ribcage = 32 (-1 finally!)
Waist = 28.5 (-0)
Butt = 39 (-1)
Hips = 38 (-0)
Thigh = 24 (-0)

Overall, a loss of 1.4 pounds and 2 inches.  Fair, successful week in my opinion!

So I thought I'd share a few pictures.  Here's one of me in an outfit, 'cause you know I'm a clotheshound/shoppingwhore.  Headband from Bangles and Bags in Milwaukee, Shirt from a consignment shop (originally from Dress Barn!) - Vest (size 8) from New York and Company.  Yellow belt from Boston Store, and matching yellow shoes you can't see are from DSW. :)

Also, size 8 Old Navy Jeans (my goal jeans) are officially my day to day jeans.  They fit correctly and such.  Time for some new goal jeans, eh? ;)

Speaking of goals... here's one I haven't talked about.  This tank-top / corset thing is so gorgeous, and I BARELY fit into it when I was at my thinnest.  Dagnabbit I want to wear it.  I have a faint memory of wearing it out one time, and then gaining weight before I could wear it again.  I tried it on just for kicks, and it very tightly snaps over the bosoms, but ridiculously so... it smooshes them into less existence than they already are.  After that, it's definitely not hooking (because it's just too small and my midsection won't squish like my boobs will.)  I'm not sure if I'll ever fit into it, but I want to.  I probably need to lose another 1-2 inches overall before it'll fit, and probably a little more than that in my mid section.  I'm not sure when I bought this or why, or if it really fit me.  If so, I must have had a 26 or 25 inch waist at some point.

So!  Time to answer a few questions.

Q:   I was just wondering if you're including exercise into your diet regimen.

A:  Well, not exactly, no.  I have a somewhat physical job (photographer) - ((Don't laugh until you've photographed a wedding, seriously.))  And with all the work involved in the studio renovation, I've been sweating a lot lately.  But, no.  I canceled my gym membership, I don't do the 30 Day Shred anymore, I am a lazy bitch.  I really want to get a bike though.  And I lay in bed at night thinking about jump roping.  But, I never do anything about that.

Q:  That egg plant looks sooo good. You think you could bake it? I don't have any kind of grill. :( 

A:  Yes, you can totally bake eggplant.  It works better if you put salt on it, then put it between two paper towels and let it sit for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture.  Also, I saw a recipe to dip it in egg after that, then bake it.  Mmmm.

I have a few other things to chat with you guys about but I'm going to wait until tomorrow for that.  For now, thank you so much for going over to vote for me really quickly!

~Jenn

What 10 Pounds Looks Like on Me.

Last week when I weighed in, I knew it'd be better this week.  And it was!  And now I'm SOMOTHERFLOCKINGCLOSE to the 150's that I want to freak out!

Drum Roll Please...

160.4

(teeny dance of joy inserted here.)  (Oh, and you guys keep commenting on my hideous toenails... I know.  Seriously, I know.  I'm  booked for a spa day on the 10th.  Until then, I can't be bothered.)

So!  Here's a sum-up of all my numbers:

Weight:  160.4 (-2.2lbs)
Arm:  11.5 (-5.)
Bust:  37  (-0)
Ribcage: 33 (I swear this is never changing)
Waist: 28.5  (What! -.5)
Butt:  40  (-0)
Hips:  38 (-1)
Thigh:  24  (-0)

This means my BMI as of today is 25.1.  ARGH!  I am SO close to "normal" it's not even funny!  Plus, I'm .4 pounds away from that 65 pounds lost button, so I'm waiting anxiously. ;)

So, I'm updating my little ticker thinggie:

This ticker will take me to 145 pounds.  That's my goal weight.  Ultimately I'd like to see 140 so I might end up readjusting the ticker when I get down so I can be working on those last five pounds, but for now I'm keeping it how it is.

And, now it's just a wait!  I definitely feel confident I can break the 160 mark by next weigh in.  I also think I'm totally on track to hitting my goal for going back to Denver.  In my head I am thinking that I want to lose another 5 pounds before then (August 15th).  I have 18 days until then (2.5 weeks) - and so technically it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibilities to hit that 155 number by my birthday.  Back when I started this I wanted to lose 15 pounds by my birthday.  Oh, wait.  It was actually to lose 13 pounds from 172.5 which actually means I wanted to be 160 or 159.whatever.  And somehow I upped the ante to being 155.

Why do we do that!?

/sigh.

Also I wanted to share with you guys what 10 pounds looks like on me.  I took the before photo on June 16th when I was at 170.8, and today I'm at 160.4.

Anyhoodle!  I wanted to share with you the most DELICIOUS eggplant I made last night!

Cut up the bastard.  I chose 1/2 inch-ish slices.  Nice and thick.

Then I whisked up the delicious marinade:

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs balsamic vinegar (I was out so I used balsamic vinaigrette dressing)

2 cloves garlic chopped finely

salt and pepper to taste

Then I brushed both sides of the eggplant slices with the marinade.  I also cut some groove slices into the meat of the eggplant (on one side only, criss crossed, not going all the way through) so the marinade would soak in.  I let it sit for about 15 minutes.

And voila!  This is after putting them on the grill for about 12-15 minutes total, flipping once.  DELICIOUS!  The flavor was so good you guys, I can't wait to make more. <3

~Jenn

Harder, not in a good way.

Hello lovelies.

Well, Today is Wednesday, so I'm weighing in, and the number is not so pretty, but I think it's because I ate something like six stuffed mushrooms right before bed last night.  :)

Really, I think the closer you get to goal, the slower the weight wants to come off, and that's the truth, dammit.

Weigh in:  162.6

That's a miserable, lame loss of only .4 pounds for the week.  I DO, however, think it'll be way further down next week.  Here's why:

Dan and I ate out a lot this week.  Even though I made healthy choices the whole way (salads, grilled everything, burger with no bun, etc) - I still have NO clue how much salt was in all the stuff they gave me.  Plus a burger I'd make at home would be around 200 calories.  One they'd give me could be closer to 500 or more!  So, I need to take a break from eating out and focus on my huge salads and at-home recipes.

Here are the official numbers for the day:






7/21/10

162.6  (-8.2lbs in five weeks)
Average loss of 1.64 lbs per week for the last 5 weeks.
-17.4 lbs since 5/21 (2 months)
Average loss of 2.1 lbs per week over the last 2 months.



Arm: 12 (-0)

Chest:  37  (-.5)


Ribcage: 33  (-0)


Waist:  29  (-0)


Butt:  40  (-.5)


Hips:  39  (-.5)


Thigh:  24   (-0)

So!  I'd now like to share with you a few recipes.  (grin)

Something I'm munching on right now:

Cucumber Salad!

Peel and slice one large cucumber.  (This one was my ginormous cucumber so I did half of it.)

Chop into thick slices, one sweet onion.  Mix them together in a bowl with:

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp Splenda

Pepper to your preference

Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

It's the most refreshing summery crisp salad!  If you like a sweet/vinegary type of taste, you'll love this.

So!  Also I wanted to show you my favorite breakfast:

This is 3 eggs scrambled with spinach, broccoli, turkey, red bell pepper, cheddar cheese and topped with chopped tomato, sour cream and 1/2 sliced avocado.  I also like to chop up zucchini lately and sautee it in the pan with mushrooms and broccoli, then add the other things.  As many veggies as I can pack in to my "scrambles" in the morning, the better! :)

Wednesday Weigh In, and I HATE my Aunt Flo.

Hello ladies and gents!  By the title you should have guessed I'm going to be whining about women's period-ey issues, so if you don't like it, you should leave now.

I weighed in today at 164.2.  That is a total weight loss for the week of -.8lbs.  Boo!  Well, I kind of knew it was coming because I'm on my period.  So, I'll take it.  Now I sort of want to fast forward to next week to see what it's going to be then.  Also I'll be done with bloat, blah, cranky, blah, BLAH.


With that said, here are the numbers:


Date:        6/16/10         7/7/10
Weight:    170.8             164.2
Arm:        12.5               12     (-.5)
Bust:        40                  38     (-2)
Ribs:        34.5               33     (-1.5)
Waist:      31.5               29     (-2.5)
Butt:        42                  41     (-1)
Hips:       41                  39.5  (-1.5)
Thigh      25                  24.5   (-.5)


SO!  I've lost 6.6 pounds in three weeks which means I'm right on track with the 2 pounds per week.  (I lost more than 2 pounds last week so I'm safe this week.)   My goal is still to hit 155 by my birthday (8/15) which means I have 5.5 weeks left.  If I continue to lose 2 pounds per week, I should hit 155 by then.  :)


In terms of inches, I'm down 9.5 inches in three weeks.  Wild eh?

And while we're at it, someone (Wes, check his blog out now) - suggested I do a new before/after since I can "fit" into my skinny jeans.  It also made me realize that I haven't compared my measurements, so let's do that too.

Pulling this info from my Starting Stats post...


As of 12/6/08

26 years old
Height: 5'6 inches
Weight: 225 lbs
Blood Pressure: 111/75
Waist: 38.5"
Hips: 48.5"
Waist to Hip Ratio: 0.79
BMI: 35.8


HOLY SHIT.  You guys.  YOU GUYS.  I've lost 9.5 inches in my waist???  9 inches in my hips!  HOLY CRAP!

The thing that made me the most happy today was this:

I never thought I'd see a 29 inch waist.  It's always been 30 something, y'all.  SO.  Even with the small loss this week (and the stretch marks, /sigh.) -- I'm feeling pretty good.  Another reason to do measurements and not just weigh!

I thought I'd take a look at my waist to hip ratio.  If any of you watch The Biggest Loser or You Are What You Eat, the "waist to hip" ratio is something they talk about being a big indicator of your health and how at risk you might be for various issues such as heart disease and diabetes.  

Waist = 29 inches (divided by)

Hip = 39.5 inches

Ratio = .73

Waist to Hip Ratio Chart
Male	Female	Health Risk Based Solely on WHR
<0.95	<0.80	Low Risk
0.96 - 1.0	0.81 - 0.85	Moderate Risk
1.0+	0.85+	High Risk

So, I'm falling into the Low Risk category.  Woo-hoo! :)

~Jenn

Right on Track, Jack. Oh, and NEWS!

Today, I weighed in at a beautiful 165 pounds. 

That's a 3.2 pound loss for the week, AND means:




Oh, and also:



YAY!

I'm so excited. Now I'm 10 pounds from my mini-goal weight, and 20 pounds from my ultimate goal weight.

I'm going to do a post later about the pants, I promise. I've been so busy with my new studio painting floors and all that, it's really hard to get in and do a quality blog post. :/ On that note, I'll have studio pics soon! Our favorite Ms. Jewlia Goulia is hanging out with me on Thursday and helping me decorate!

So. Here are the official numbers for weigh-in today:


Jenn       6/16/10      6/23/10       6/30/10
Weight   170.8         168.2          165

Arm       12.5           12               12
Bust       40              39               39
Waist     31.5           31               30
Butt       42              42               41
Hips      41              40               39.5
Thigh     25              25               24.5

- 3 inches
- 3.2 pounds!


No exercise here other than mopping and painting.  Hard core sticking to the diet.  That's it! :)

Oh!  I also had a non-scale victory (which actually is related to being a scale victory because without the scale moving I wouldn't have had said victory...) -- Anyway.  I have these pairs of cargo pants and they're just too big for me to wear now (NSV1) - and so I borrowed my boyfriend's belt (NSV2...) which never would have fit around my waist before.  It held up those too-big pants like a dream. :)  

So anyone else have a NSV this week?  OR a SV???

<3
~Jenn

Wednesday: Weight and Measurements PLUS my Diet Plan!

Alrighty.

I've joined the forces of all the lovely folks who have chosen Wednesday as their weigh in days (Like this sexy mama, and this sexy mama too.)  It's a brilliant thought, and I'm game.  I'm so obsessed with losing fifteen pounds by August 15th, I'm doing weekly accountability until then.  A friend of mine is trying to lose about 10 pounds, and we're doing it together. :)

Here goes:

Date	6/16/10	6/23/10
Weight	170.8	168.2
Arm	12.5	12
Bust	40	39
Under Bust	34.5	34
Waist	31.5	31
Butt	42	42
Hips	41	40
Thigh	25	25

2.6 lb weight loss for the week!  Also I've lost 3.5 inches overall.

So.  You can see I'm keeping track of my measurements as well, just so I don't get TOO bogged down with that pesky weight number thing.  (Who am I kidding?  I'm obsessed with that number, dammit.)   At this point, things are looking pretty decent.  I've FINALLY broken through that damned 170 barrier, and I'm very happy about that.

Food has been a solid low carb eating plan, but I'm STILL eating too much cheese.  Here's an idea of my typical day:

Breakfast:
Coffee or diet soda
1 or 2 hardboiled eggs OR
2-3 scrambled eggs with mushrooms, spinach and swiss cheese

Lunch and Dinner meal options:
1.  Lean turkey lunch meat (or) grilled chicken breast wrapped in lettuce leaves with a bit of mayo and a slice of cheee
2.  Can of tuna with mayo and a load of chopped veggies (red bell pepper, cucumber, celery), 1/2 avocado
3.  Huge salad with baby greens (or) baby spinach with tons of chopped veggies, 1/2 avocado, and chopped grilled chicken (or) lean turkey lunch meat, tossed in ranch (or) light vinaigrette dressing.
4.  One or two grilled bratwurst (no bun) with mustard.

Other Dinner meal options:
1.  Grilled kebabs with lean steak or chicken and veggies (mushrooms, bell pepper, onion)
2.  Spaghetti squash with butter and parmesan cheese or low sodium crushed tomatoes
3.  One or two grilled hamburger patties (no bun) with cheddar cheese, smeared with avocado and a bit of mustard and mayo, on top of lettuce leaves.

Crucial keys:
1.  NO SUGAR!  This includes all desserts, sweets, candy, non-diet soda, juices and fruit.
2.  NO BREAD!  This includes anything in the bread-like category, such as chips, crackers, tortillas, buns, rolls, bread sticks, croutons, etc.
3.  NO STARCHES!  This includes anything like pasta, dumplings, rice or potatoes, and also includes cereal, oatmeal, beans, quinoa, etc.
4.  Other notes:  I currently don't eat any nuts or seeds.  Later in the low-carb plan, that would be okay (as would certain fruits) but I am keeping my carb count below 20 grams per day.)  Also, NO dairy other than 0 carb cheeses, heavy cream or a little bit of sour cream.  That means no milk, no cottage cheese, no yogurt.  In addition, I don't eat tomatoes or carrots because of their high sugar content.  And remember, NO fruit or fruit juice!

Not-so-guilty Pleasures:
1.  Diet soda - I drink it in excess, but it keeps me happy.  No carbs, no sugar, good to go.
2.  Starbucks coffee - Iced or hot with splenda and half-and-half.  Delicious, and a natural appetite suppressant.  Plus it gets "things" moving in the "tummy" poo-area.
3.  Sugar Free Jello - Great sweet, 15 calories per serving, no carbs!  Just awesome.


Hopefully that gives you all a good idea of what my plan looks like!  It sounds pretty solid, but sometimes I'll skip breakfast or lunch and end up eating four or five slices of (0 carb) cheese.  The trouble is, I KNOW that one (1) tiny little slice might have "0" carbs, but if I'm eating a few slices, the carb count IS there.  Not to mention the sodium.  One other thing is I'm always trying to eat 1/2 an avocado a day.  I swear it's a miracle food, and it's not only delicious but it's SO good for you!  Also, my new favorite "snack" food is raw mushrooms.  I heard that Katy Perry does this, and I thought "Hey!  I like mushrooms!"  They sort of snap in your mouth, they're chewy and dense, and they fill you up.  If you like mushrooms, give it a shot.  I've gone through two packs of mushrooms in three days. :)

Also, don't forget that there is a new giveaway on the Bloggerhood of the Pants for not one, but TWO pairs of size 24 pants.  Go check it out and enter!

Coming very soon... another giveaway from (yours truly) -- I found a pair of size 18 and 16 jeans in my closet, so I'm going to be doing photos and auctioning those off as well in a few days.  Everyone's gettin' some new pants!

ALSO... Dan and I are going to be attacking the paint epoxy of my studio floors, which I've been putting off FOREVER, and I should be able to get things into some semblance of order in my studio starting next week.  Official opening day:  August 1st!  :)

~Jenn

8 Pounds in 8 Days?

Well, yep!  I am guessing the Cancun/eating crap weight wasn't "real" weight.  I've lost 8 pounds in the last 8 days, and that definitely can't be "real" weight.  So!  The good news is that I'm down to 172.5 as of this morning.  That's bloody brilliant!

Now for the new weight loss goal!

I want to be 160 (actually I want to be 159, 'cause it just sounds/looks/feels better...) by the time I go back home for my birthday, August 15th.  That means I have 10 weeks to lose 13 pounds.  TOTALLY healthy, and totally doable.

Any of you renewing your weight loss goals?  I know I'm not the only one who has gotten a tad loosey goosey over the last few weeks (months,) so I thought I'd ask.  I've been going through so much salad, it's kind of insane.  The other night I ate a pound of asparagus for dinner.  (THAT pee smelled for about 24 full hours.)  But, it's feeling good.  I actually forgot how much I enjoy salad!  I couldn't remember the last time I made a big, delicious salad, and now I'm back to doing one a day for a meal.  Mmmm!

So!  In other news, I've been pretty busy.  (shocker.)  I did a few entry shots for the Insatiable Host's Pinup Contest, so you can see my cheesy-ness, and also some sort of "now" photos of me.  Took them two days ago:



Also, did an engagement session on Friday (click HERE for those images):
 

And rocked out a boudoir session last night (click HERE for hers):



Overall, things are good, and I'm glad to sorta-kinda be back in the blogging semi regularly groove.  I need to do it more though.  Also, I keep thinking about jump roping.  I have three of them and I NEVER do it.  I want to start.  Anybody else out there jump roping?  Tell me that it's fun and you love it!

~J

Scale Obsessed.

Hello everyone!

Today I want to talk about scale obsession.  I'm going to be honest and admit that I'm totally, TOTALLY obsessed with the scale.  I think it's something that we don't like to talk about.  We all know we should only weigh once a week, or even only once a month.  We post about our weight loss journeys and our eating, and working out and we are bold and up front with our numbers about those things.  "I ate 1650 calories today, and here's the breakdown."  "I ran for 20 minutes and then did weight training, and then did work on the bosu ball, and I burned 478 calories!"  "I ate 10.2 grams of figs today."

But for me, the numbers I get most obsessed with are the ones on the scale.  My scale.  The scale at my brother's house.  My parent's scale (it's the same scale as mine, so I always enjoy weighing in on that one.)  The scale at the gym.  The doctor's office scale.

I weigh myself at least twice a day, sometimes three to four times a day.  I weigh in my underwear in the morning after I go to the bathroom.  That is my "weigh-in" weight any time I update you guys.  Today that number is 169.4!  (hurrah!)

I then weigh at some point in the evening, just to see what effect the food I've eaten thus far has had on my body.  I feel like it gives me a handle on how much I've been eating and what kind of sodium I'm consuming.  Of course, if I tracked my food and all those numbers I would KNOW what those actual numbers are, but I don't do that.  And then I weigh myself before I go to bed when I'm in my pajamas.  I like to see the difference between night-time weight and morning weight.

I've heard lots of advice from people in their blogs or on forums about weighing in.  Weight fluctuates so much that you really can't get a good grip on your overall weight loss week to week when you're weighing in every day.  It can be discouraging.  It's not a good thing, because it can make you really obsessed with the number on the scale instead of how your clothes fit, how you feel and how much more you can work out than you used to be able to.  But for me, I find that constantly keeping my ass on the scale is the biggest thing that keeps me motivated to stay on track.  It's the series of days that I don't weigh in that makes me slack off.  When I feel "okay" in my jeans, or when I feel pretty, or my face doesn't feel bloated... those are the times I tend to slip and cheat just because I'm not face to face with the digital box that says "170" on it.

For me, I love the weighing in.  It keeps me focused.  But that's just me.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person who does it, so what about you?

~J

The Ugly Truth and Reader Questions.

I've been totally unmotivated over the last month or so.  I ate badly, then "recommitted" to getting back on track, then let thing after thing pull me off course.

My weight has fluctuated between 168 to 178 over the last month.  Much of that has to do with water weight, as I've gone back and forth from carbohydrate intake to low carbohydrates, and that also includes high amounts of sodium.  I was doing really well, and then my friends came into town to visit me.  That was the excuse to eat badly, along with the fact that my friend Wes (usually my fellow low-carber) was not on plan because of some medications he was taking.  So... here's a sampling of what I ate:

Burger and fries from Culvers
Burger and fried cheese curds from Culvers
One white castle burger and a whole medium movie theater popcorn
Garrett's Chicago mix cheese and caramel popcorn (easily an entire medium bag of it)
Sleeve of ritz crackers
1/2 pound ham and cheese Hot Pocket
Easy Mac
King sized Payday
Three donuts (two of which were creme filled)
Fish tacos (fried fish, not grilled)
Large pub style nachos
Untold amounts of onion rings
Deep-fried mushrooms
Denny's breakfast (awesome omelette and a pancake)
Small plates dinner at Swig, including crab cakes, salad, flatbread, tempura snap peas, breaded three-cheese ravioli and a dessert sampler


Okay.  That's all I can remember, but there obviously has to be even more than that.  Needless to say, this was TOTALLY a week-long binge.  I decided that since I was eating that way anyway, it was my "opportunity" to eat everything I wasn't allowed to eat, and I did it.  And boy did I feel AWFUL after it was all over.  I felt like CRAP.  I felt bloated and uncomfortable.  I had gas and tummy problems, and my face felt fat.  I had water weight and I felt awful peeling off my clothes to take a shower.  It sucked.

Moral?  It's just NOT worth it, y'all.

The official numbers today, March 15th, 2010:
5'6.5", 174 lbs
Bust = 39.5
Waist = 32
Hips = 41.5

I've been back on my low carb program with a vengeance for two days, and I feel SO MUCH BETTER, it's not even funny.  I've also come across a new program, and I'm going to look into it a little bit more before I decide if I'm going to try it.  I'll share with you guys in a bit.

I'm going to Cancun on vacation mid May.  I have eight weeks, and I'm really curious to see how much weight I can melt off in that two month timeframe.  Skinnier me + bikini?  HERE I COME!


SO.  Now I wanted to take some time to answer some questions I've gotten!


Q:  How is the studio hunt going with all the other busy happenings?
A:  I put in my application for the space I posted before, and should hear tomorrow, I think!  If things go well I will be aiming for move-in by April 1st or so.

Q:  Do you do a lot of studio work?
A:  I do a fair amount.  It averages around a shoot a week.  But, a large reason for that is my dissatisfaction with my current studio space.  Once I move to a more real, professional space... I will be able to really push and market my studio work. :)

Q:  My advice is to work out.  Do you work out?  You should work out!
A:  My gym membership is soon to be canceled (at $80/month!) I haven't been there in over four months.  I loath working out.  I've considered getting back into Krav, but I can't make a financial commitment when I know I won't do it.  I've gone into and out of so many workout programs, but I can NOT commit to it.  I seriously, seriously hate it.


Q:  Are you happy with your current weight?  Who holds you accountable?
A;  I'm happier with my current weight than I ever was with weighing 225.  It's a false happiness, because I really want to lose another 20-30 pounds.  But when I fit into these size 10 jeans and I am 50 pounds down from where I was before... I feel "okay."  I am my only accountability.  You guys are a huge support system, and I feel reluctant to post when I slip or eat wrong or gain weight.  But aside from that, I have no diet/working out/fitness buddy or anything like that.

Q:  Why are there Pop Tarts in your house?
A:  Unfortunately, I don't live alone, and I refuse to let my food weaknesses be a reason to go postal on Dan's food choices.  He can eat Pop Tarts if he wants to, and it's not his fault, or his problem, if I am not strong enough to NOT EAT THEM.

Q:  Can you post some low-carb recipes?
A:  Well, yes and no.  Just because low carb eating is SO super simple... I don't really go nuts in cooking.  What I can do is post some more detailed info on what I eat and a few options for each meal.  I like to keep it sweet and simple.  Keep an eye out for that post soon!


Ta-ta- for now!

~J

PS... Thank you, THANK YOU to all of you who have been so kind as to bestow a blog award upon me over the last few weeks.  I am way too behind to come by and grab them and re-distribute, but I should just say that it does mean a lot and I LOVE that you're thinking of me.  Thank you!

Attack of the CARBS!

Now for the bad news.

Well, maybe it's not "bad" news, but it's definitely not a post about how I went to Vegas and stared a buffet in the face and said, "HELL NO!" ... Rather, it's about how I went to Vegas, and made sweet, sweet, culinary love to the buffet. In fact, it began at the Super Bowl, when I did not stop myself from eating fried chicken and tortilla chips with my brother's maddeningly good homemade guacamole.

I went out of control, don't care, ate whatever sounded good, and did it for a whole week. I spent seven days knee-deep in food, and I'm only 3.5 or 4-ish pounds up from where I was before vacation. Not too shabby, considering I was shoveling candy hand over fist into my mouth last night.

You guys, it's true. Eating bad makes you eat more badly just because once your body gets some of the bad stuff, it wants more. I never was a sweet tooth, but this week ate sugar. Like, lots of it. Cakes, candy, margaritas, etc.

Last night, I was inhaling skittles, chocolate covered peanuts and pretzels, mike and ikes, and I had a piece of carrot cake. Dan was just staring at me, "Whoa, I've never seen you like this!"

The sugar monster took hold of me. So today I'm cutting that bastard off, cold turkey. Plus, I'm pretty sure if I tried on those size 8 skinny jeans that they would NOT come close to zipping up as they did a few weeks ago. I need to keep moving forward.

So, here's a visual of some of the stuff I ate!  It started out well enough, with a Cobb Salad (super awesome for low carbers) on the first day:

Then, I went for a dinner at Margaritaville, and had this lovely combo, and did NOT eat the bun.  I started to sample little fries off of Dan's plate at this point, and maybe had some of his onion rings.  I die for onion rings.

 

 So, that was pretty much the end of the good eating.  I tried to maintain at the Flamingo's buffet (which is the most awful, crap food in the universe, so please, skip it.)  And they had sugar free cake.  I had a piece of that, but then ate a cookie and some soft serve with m&m's.  No idea why I did that.  The next day and the next day just progressively became more and more like "Aw, fuck it, I'm on vacation in Vegas!"  And, that's how I ate.  Buffets with desserts and potatoes and pastas, and TCBY at the airport, and a bagel for breakfast, and all the sugar and carbs I should not have eaten.  But come on.  Chicken, spinach and Brie crepes at Paris?  HAD to have it.

Or, this vegetarian restaurant we went to in Denver when I came back?  They had a scramble with cage free eggs, spinach, brie and sun dried tomatoes!  Also, there's a biscuit there with raspberry jam and sweet potato home fries!  Holy crap.  I love food.

Now I didn't go CRAZY overboard like this might suggest... I just didn't care.  I didn't cut those things out.  The only day I stuffed myself was at the World Buffet at the Rio (amazing, you must go if you visit Vegas, and I'm sorry I didn't take photos... I was too overwhelmed by the awesomeness and I forgot.)  -- but I was miserable and thought I was gonna die afterward.  We also probably walked about six miles that freakin' day.  So, given the amount of walking and *other* activities that took place... I think that's why I'm not that far up from where I started, weight wise.  

I'm not lamenting my decisions.  I'm just hopping back up on that freakin' horse, and I'm not jumping off again for a long time.  I had to go ahead and change my weight tracker on the right side of my blog, and I'm up from my low weight last month by like, seven pounds.  Now, I fully will admit that the low weight there was taken after a night of drinking, so it was probably a ...bit... incorrect. ;)  BUT!  I must have something going on inside my head because instead of typing "173.6" I typed "213.7"  ... Yeah, I think my brain is messed up.

~Jenn

Perception is everything.

Ladies and Gentlemen!!! I am proud to announce I finally get this little creampuff beauty of a badge, as I weighed in this morning at 184.6! I've officially lost 40.4 pounds since December 2008, and 30 of those pounds has been since July 2009.



I figured it out and I've actually lost 18% of my body weight!

And since y'all keep telling me you love the photos, here's a quick recap of the before and current.

220 pounds, headless fattie photo, May 31st, 2008


May 2009, one year later, only TEN pounds down from that! Boy was I slacking, and part of my body is still even cut off in this photo. UGH!:


And, yesterday!:




So, I'm all celebratory today about getting into the size 12 jeans you see there, and it reminded me about back when I bought those jeans, and how fully pissed off I was. I was on a trip to New York with my best friends Wes and Jesse. I thought I'd dig up the journal entry I made back then, the last time I fit into these jeans, March 2nd, 2006:

I bought a new pair of jeans and found myself severely angered to be purchasing a size 12. 12! 12! 12! My self-worth took a serious nose-dive today. Now introducing the theme of today's blog self-consciousness! Overweight, bloated, bad skin, stretch marks, pimples, bad hair, tight clothing... none of which anyone other than myself really notices or thinks is significant. The only thing I keep hearing in my head is that line from Beauty and the Beast, "....fat and lazy, you walked in and oopsie daisy!"

Even after all the compliments I've received this week thus far from the gay boys, ("Girl, you are SO New York. This is YOUR town. You are IT.")... I feel worse about my "image" than I have in quite some time. Maybe it's feeling sick, as I always do when or after travelling. I can't count how many supplements I have taken so far on this trip. I have been eating very poorly. (Street-side vendors! Italian Deli's! Free breakfast and dinner buffets at the hotel!) It's a good thing I'm not going to pursue being a rock star. I'd go insane and end up front page headlining in an untimely death most likely involving a screwdriver and a screwdriver.

When it comes to weight loss, I'm like a little girl that keeps asking, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" Enough so that my body tells me "I will TURN this car right back around to the buffet." And I do.

Isn't it funny how perception changes?



Oh, and before I go, the lovely Sarah gave me a blog award today:



And I suck, but I'm doing a somewhat quickie blog post and I don't have time to nominate a bunch of people for this one here. I've become a slacker, rule breaker, non blog award passeronner. :( But! I'll say I love Sarah because she's sweet, and because she met her husband on the internet, and that's how Dan and I met. ;)


Alrighty. I'm off to Target to buy a hula hoop. Actually, I'm buying two hula hoops. Be prepared for the awesomeness of awesomeness after the hula hoops are purchased and I figure out a way to video record some awesomeness outside. Awesome.

~Jenn