Ignore the Exit Signs

I heart analogies. They make me happy.  Analogies help me wrap my mind around the "whys" behind why I do what I do each day with making good food choices and making exercise a priority.

Remember the recent CHOCOLATE CAKE analogy? Oh, and the GAS TANK analogy from my one year bandiversary post?

Are you ready for another analogy?  Don't you roll your eyes at me! :)  Keep reading...a cheesy analogy is forthcoming.

I think of the road to weight loss and healthy living as a huge freeway..."The Freeway of Health". 

I know where I am headed and how to get there.  "Just stay on the freeway", I think to myself. 

I'm zipping along in my imaginary car and I get to stay on the freeway as long as I eat well and exercise.  Great and wonderful things happen on the freeway of health: fitting into tiny cute clothes, having tons of energy, no dependence on medications...I could go on and on of the fabulousness that happens on the freeway of health.

Sometimes on the freeway, there is major traffic and things slow down, but I still know that I am headed in the right direction.

But unfortunately, every couple of miles their are exit ramps with signs that say:

• "Baskin Robbins Ice Cream"
• "Sleep in this morning and skip Zumba class...won't that be nice?"
• "Yummy candy and snacks in the break room, stop by and eat some before they're all gone!"

Which exit will I get off at?  Do I have to get off at any of these exits?  Sometimes, getting off at one exit (ie: Girl Scout Cookies) can lead to more distractions and delays in the land of "No Exercise"....it's a slippery slope.

Sure, these exits provide me with a quick fix, but I know that the more exits that I get off at, the longer it will take for me to find my way back to the freeway, and even more time that it will take me to get to my final destination.  We all know that backtracking is NOT fun.

I may not always stay on my freeway of health as it is a constant challenge.  But I am proud to announce that about 10 minutes ago I successfully passed by the "Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappaccino" exit.

Weigh-in Day...and some confessions!

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 144.4 lbs.

Confessions:

• I didn't write down what I ate this week.  I just kept a "mental" tally in my head each day.  I think it has to do with the fact that I am eating familiar foods/portions.  But I still measured and used my food scale...and four sessions of Zumba this week.
• Ate an entire box of girl scout cookies in one evening...yeah, it happened...boy did I workout extra the next day.

Happy Friday!

It's Worth It.

I have noticed that the phrase "it's worth it" has escaped my lips a few times this week.  Both times it was after people ask me what I've been eating lately or what exercise I've been doing.  I tell them and then I say "it's worth it"

What do I mean by "it's worth it"?

EVERY damn day, I:

• Make time for Zumba or Jazzercise class or some kind of exercise.
• Measure/weigh my food intake.
• Writing down the food intake.

I never really used to understand that phrase "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

I used to roll my eyes when people would say that.

I always wondered if the person who first said that phrase had never enjoyed a Double-Double Burger at In-N-Out Burger or understood the joy that is eating an entire box of Samoas Girl Scout Cookies in one sitting.  Didn't they understand that those foods taste REALLY good?!

Well, lately I am noticing that being able to fit into clothes that I NEVER thought I would fit into is worth it and perhaps there is some truth to that phrase.  Feeling "thin" (which I know can be achieved at any size with a good dose of confidence) is still a novelty to me.

As you may remember, I went into my weightloss journey with health goals in mind, not being able to fit into certain size clothes.  This is just a bonus to the whole process, I guess.

But if you say "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" to me,  I am still going to roll my eyes at you. :)

Here's my latest clearance find (Size 6) at TJMaxx for $20....proof that IT IS WORTH IT.  Keep on fighting the good fight!

Because Everyone Else is Doing It...

Yep, check out these posts HERE, HERE, and HERE....


My turn!


(A) Age: 32
(B) Bed Size: Queen
(C) Chore You Hate: Cleaning the toilet...blech.
(D) Dogs? Nope, dogs are slobbery and jumpy...I'm a cat person
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: COFFEE
(F) Favorite Color: Pink
(G) Gold or Silver? White Gold
(H) Height: 5'4"
(I) Instruments You Play: Piano and a little bit of Violin
(J) Job Title: Import Logistics Manager
(K) Kids: are to be seen and not heard.
(L) Live: OREGON!
(M) Mom's Name: Not telling...'cause it's my middle name...and I like to be mysterious...heheh.
(N) Nicknames: Lap Band Gal (duh)
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? yes, twice in 2006, then once for LB surgery
(P) Pet Peeve: people who are late
(Q) Quote from a Movie: I have two: "Nobody puts Baby in the corner"  ~Dirty Dancing  and "Well, you know what they say: if you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me!"  ~ Steel Magnolias
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings:  one older Sister
(T) Time You Wake Up?  5:30am
(U) Underwear: bikini-cut
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Way too many to list....Broccoli, Mushrooms, Green Beans...I could go on and on.
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Actually, I am never late...usually early...it's a curse
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: can't remember
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: Lasagna and Cinnamon Rolls
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Tigers/Lions

Looky What I Got!

Have you heard of Jen over at PriorFatGirl.com?

In my quest to find those rare bloggers who are successful in maintaining their weightloss, I came across Jen and her great website.

She has lost 90+ lbs (using the traditional methods i.e. eat less, move more).  She continues to blog about her weight maintenance.

She created a FABULOUS bracelet that has the simple message "One bite at a time.  One decision at a time."  How great is that?  Anyways, I ordered the bracelet awhile back and it arrived today.

I think I will put it on my desk at work as a constant reminder for me about making good food choices....or maybe on my key chain.

PS: Thank you for all your kind comments on the dress in the previous post....still not sure what shoes I could wear with it?

Shopping! Pics! Opinions Needed!

OK, so I was perusing my local Fred Meyer (think Wal Mart for us Pacific North Westerners)...anyways, I ended up in the Juniors section and found this dress in the clearance section for $6.

I think I am short enough to pull off the short length of the dress....it hits just above the knees....but what do you think?  Too "young" for this 32 year old?  Thoughts?  Hopefully the phrase "sheep in lamb's wool" does not come to mind?  LOL

Size: Juniors Large

Of course my cat had to snoopervise the photo session...

Gotta Have a Back Up Plan

I woke up this morning and it was snowing.  Kinda a cool thing for this California girl.

My plan was to drive 10 minutes to my usual Saturday morning Zumba class.  It was cold...the roads were slushy...What if it really was unsafe to go out due to the weather? (which it wasn't).

I always try to have a back up plan for exercise:  This morning, my back up plan was 45+ minutes of Just Dance 2 on the Wii and 15+ minutes of Zumba on the Wii.

But I didn't do the Wii, I ended up going to my usual Zumba class this morning...here's proof...a red-faced/sweaty mess:

What's your back up plan when your planned exercise can't happen?

Yeah, I ate it.

the...whole...thing.

all 770 calories of it....

just keeping myself accountable...

and proving that nobody's perfect...

Taco Bell's Nachos Bell Grande:  770 calories and 20 g protein.  Yep, it's going on the post-it note.

YUM

Weigh-in Day...and the results are...

Goal Weight: 145 lbs

Today's Weight: 144.8 lbs

Happy Friday!

Great News from the FDA!

FDA has just approved the expanded use of the Lap Band to people with BMIs 30-35 (with one or more obesity related co-morbid conditions).

More specifically, The LAP-BAND® System is now the first and only FDA-approved device for bariatric surgery in patients with a BMI of 30-35 with one or more obesity related co-morbid conditions.

Adding the BMI 30-35 patient segment, allows lap band to be a weight reduction option to over 26 million new patients that previously could not qualify for surgery.

For example, someone my height (5' 4") could now qualify for surgery at a weight as low as 175 lbs (BMI 30) with co-morbid conditions.

Thanks to this new approval, more people than ever before will be able to manage their weight with gastric banding and can look forward to a healthier life.