Must resist the tempation to eat you. Must resist the temptation to eat you…

My self-control isn’t the best, and I’ll be the first to admit it. That’s why going into situations with a plan works the best for me. Going into a situation where there is going to be pizza served? Either the game plan is avoid the pizza and all costs or, if I really must have some, only have ONE slice.

So what’s the plan for this weekend when I go to Geneva, Switzerland? Land of delicious wine, cheese, meets, and SWISS CHOCOLATE??? I must behave. Game plan:

1. Eat fish and salad whenever the choice is made available. You know it’s going to taste incredible regardless of what it is.
2. Protein for breakfast whenever possible. Avoid those delicious baguettes and croissants.
3. Avoid the delicious chocolate. If I absolutely must, I will have ONE piece.
4. Jog/Walk every morning regardless of how jet lagged I am.

Pretty good plan I think. Perhaps instead of sleeping I will spend the entire 8 hour flight writing this game plan over and over and over until my brain is wired correctly.

In the meantime, I will satisfy my hunger with a handle of almonds. WHAT AN EXCITING SNACK! (and what a creepy looking hand. Thanks a lot Instagram)

 

Here we go again.

Guess who’s going back on the meals? This guy.

Long story short, I never lost the 20lbs that I promised to before my vacation, and then of course I gained a few on the vacation, and now I’m about 7lbs heavier than I was at my lowest weight since this diet business began. So what’s the logical thing to do? Kickstart the show and get back on the horse by going back on the meals! And then of course blog about it, because I know you all love to laugh at my pain (you sickos).

I think I put the idea of going back on the meals out of my head for so long because, after being on them for so many months, I somehow convinced myself that I had been there/done that and could never go back on them. But why not? It’s been over a year, hasn’t it? They clearly work the best for me (strict regiment, no need to cook, etc.). And they weren’t THAT bad. In fact, I’m on day 4 already and I’m surprised by how good they are! I actually think BistroMD made some adjustments to the food, because I do NOT remember the eggs tasting like anything other than a soggy sponge. But these eggs are good! And the cheese, while being non-fat (i.e., non-happiness) actually melts! I don’t remember this, but maybe I blocked all the good memories out?

An added bonus that makes this time around even better than my first adventure with the meals? The invention of Instagram! For those of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, Instagram is an app that makes pics on your phone somehow look awesome no matter what. It could literally be a picture of dog poop, and instagram turns it into an “edgy” and “artsy”photo. I mean, doesn’t my breakfast look so trendy?

Très chic, I know.

Oh, and I signed up for a 5k on June 13th, so you can look forward to some horror success stories on that.

I’m off to microwave my lunch, Bacon Cheeseburger  Meatloaf. I know you want some, but I doubt there’s enough to share. Lord knows, if they are letting me eat anything with the words “bacon” and cheeseburger” in it, the portion is going to be smaller than a thimble. Either that or it’s going to taste like the cardboard box it sits in. I’ll let you know which one it is…

Missed you!

Happy New Year everyone – I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and here’s to a happy and healthy 2012!!

2011 was a great year for me personally, professionally and, most importantly, fattynessly (which is totally a real word). I’ll obviously focus on my fattyness, since that’s the point of this blog:

I’ve learned to love the gym and have discovered certain classes that I genuinely look forward to, like Spin and Zumba. Over the course of the year, I really only lost about 15 pounds (I lost more in 2010), but I’m not looking at that as a failure, because I didn’t gain a pound back from my starting point and I learned how to maintain my weight. I’m no longer binge eating until I feel like my stomach will explode and then proceeding to have 5 more bites. I also no longer feel anxious/nervous about when my next meal is coming and whether it’ll be enough to satisfy me – only people who are addicted to food can understand that one. I also planned ahead for the holiday bulge by dieting before the holidays and lost 5 pounds, then I gained 4 back over the holidays. Oops, that one probably wasn’t my best work, but net-net I’m down 1 pound from before the holidays! Hey, it was a strategy that worked for me. Overall, I’m currently down 36 pounds from day one in August 2010.

While all of those things are great, I still have a long way to go. I’m definitely much happier at my new weight, but I still find myself trying on old dresses from my skinny days and thinking, “I wish I could wear this,” and I still don’t like showing my arms at all. In an ideal world I’d like to lose an additional 40 pounds. More realistically, I will set a short-term goal of 20lbs. That will bring me past my original overall goal of 50lbs, so I think it’s appropriate. It’s still aggressive, but I need to go big or go home. No more of this wishy washy BS of saying, “yay I’m maintaining, go me!” – I need to get back on the losing train.

What better way to get the motivation I need to kickstart this thing than a tropical vacation with Shane scheduled for the end of March? Perfect! Oh boy, strap on your seatbelts because this is happening. I WILL LOSE 20 POUNDS BEFORE THIS VACATION. It’s on like Donkey Kong.

However, before I continue, I want to point out that New Years resolutions are usually BS. Like they say when someone is trying quit anything cold turkey, you won’t be able to do it unless you truly want to and are ready. Same thing goes for dieting, it doesn’t matter whether it’s January 1st or a Friday at 2pm in July, if you’re ready, you’re ready. Another issue with New year’s resolutions is that everyone knows that they tend to fail, which can be used as an excuse for failure – “oh well, it was just a silly New Year’s resolution anyway, I didn’t take it seriously.” Therefore, I’m not looking at this as a New Year’s resolution at all, but more of a weight loss re-engagement starting point, if you will. Just go with it, ok? Here’s the plan:

First step, I will tell the world about my goal so that I’m held accountable. Done.

Second, I’m going to start buying my food for the week online through Fresh Direct or from my local grocery store that delivers (yay NYC!), which will give me the opportunity to plan out my meals for the week in advance. I’ve been getting a little lax with that lately so I end up ordering in when I feel lazy instead of cooking something.

Third, Weight Watchers. I have the app on my phone, I just need to stick to tracking my points every day for everything I eat no matter what. It’s so easy and there’s no excuse.

Fourth, drink less booze! Duh, it’s a no brainer I know… the more I drink, the more dehydrated I get the next day, which is when my body thinks I’m starving it and decides to cling onto every ounce of food that I eat the next day as a mechanism for survival and then I end up gaining extra pounds. Not to mention the calories in alcohol itself. And the food that comes along with hangovers, forget about it! This one will be hard but I’m going to try because it really is an important factor!

Lastly, I’m going to put some signs up in the kitchen that say things like, “Don’t eat that, it’s not worth it!” and, “Don’t you want to reach your goal?” – hopefully they will stop me from grabbing the extra snacks that I don’t need.

So that’s the plan. I still don’t have much time to blog these days, but I promise to write a progress update as often as I can.

Wish me luck!

What a difference a year makes!

So the Susan G. Komen breast cancer 5k was this past Sunday, and it was a success! Sure, maybe I didn’t run the entire thing, but I can tell you with a straight face that I probably ran about 65% of it, and sped-walked the rest. My mother can attest, since she ran it with me (unrelated: I’d also like to point out that she wore a fanny pack. Adorable.). Last year when I did this same race, if you had asked me to run 2 minutes of it I would have refused. Not to mention, when they asked for my t-shirt size, I was able to get a full size smaller than I did last year!  We looked super hot…

I’m also proud to say that when I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago, I worked out! I NEVER used to work out while on vacation. Exercising on vacation was like a cardinal sin. But since I was down south and eating a fair amount of fried food, I figured, why not? I made sure to walk as much as possible, and the hotel I was staying at had a gym! I didn’t gain a single pound on the trip – which is pretty unheard of for a trip to the south. As usual, I’ve got evidence:

All in all, I’ve accepted the fact that running isn’t really my jam, but I’m not going to rule it out, since it really is the best exercise you can do. Since the weather is starting to get cooler out, I will continue to try to make appearances on the East River since it will be so nice in the fall. Also, I’m trying to ramp up my spinning class attendance, since I genuinely do enjoy spin so much. Now that I don’t necessarily need to be at work at 8am (like I did in my last role), I can get away with doing some morning spin classes. I mean, Mitch definitely misses me…

That’s all for now. I didn’t lose any more weight like I promised. So sue me. Hopefully the next post I write will be the 40 pounder… Here’s hoping!

I’m ready for my close up!

Went for my first run outside since the “interview” today and it went really well! I ran nonstop for 3 and a half songs on my iPod (14-ish minutes), walked for a song and a half, jogged again for 1 and a half songs/5 minutes, walked, jogged, walked, jogged, and so on for a total of around 37 minutes. And I mapped out the run online and I went 2.94 miles. Not bad for an outdoor run!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will say though, I was sort of bummed when I wasn’t asked for a post-run interview when I was done. Maybe I’ll have to ask my doorman to ask for a play by play when I get back from my runs. And, of course, I looked SO GOOD:

A Year in Review…

So… hi. I’m back? Sorry. I meant to write I really did, I just…I just needed a break. It’s not awkward is it? Ok, great. I’m glad we got through that. I feel better…

Wow. I’m absolutely shocked to say it, but it’s been an entire year since I started all of this. So what better way to jump back into things than with a full review/recap of everything that’s gone down in the past year. The ups the downs, the good the bad…

I have to say,  I am SO proud of myself. Sure, maybe I haven’t lost all the weight I want to yet, but I’ve made huge changes in my life – I work out 3 to 4 times a week! Who woulda thought? I’m a regular in spin class, trainers at the gym know my name (probably because I cried or cursed out Darrell in front of them, but same idea). I eat well and snack on almonds and fruit instead of M&Ms, Doritos, and cheese like I used to. I ONLY EAT BAGELS EVERY OTHER FRIDAY. Actually, I’m not sure I can say I’m proud of that one, I feel like I’ll get bad bagel karma or something.

So a whole year, huh? Let’s review, shall we?

Pounds I’ve lost so far

Number of diets I used (BistroMD & Weight Watchers)

Number Personal training sessions with Darrell that I endured

Number of times Darrell made me cry

Actual number of times Darrell made me cry (I should be embarrassed I know)

Dress sizes I’ve gone down in (coming up on 2)

Pounds I still want to lose (a girl can dream)

So now the question is, what’s next? Well actually, the reason I’ve pulled the cobwebs off my laptop to start blogging again is because I recently stumbled upon some new inspiration! Firstly, I have an event at the end of September that is the equivalent to a college reunion. A lot of people from school will be there, and I want to look good. So that’s my inspiration to lose more weight (and FAST).

Secondly, my friend Franny is forcing me to run in the Susan G. Komen breast cancer 5K race coming up on September 18th. Woah there Julie, you run now? Uh… no, that’s the issue. But I’m going to train and give it my best shot? It’s one of those races that people either run or walk, so I figure it’s not the worst thing in the world if I have to walk here and there. But I really am going to give it my best shot. This inspiration is actually very recent too – I signed up for the race yesterday and also started training yesterday… I was going to save the details of that escapade and the whole notion of “running” for another post, but I know you just can’t wait. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come:

My current 5K time on a treadmill is 39 minutes (I know the treadmill is easier than running outside, that’ll be my next step, relax)… not too shabby, but also not that great, and I have to walk quite a bit. How red my face gets when I run? NOT AT ALL OK. I’m pretty sure I scared a girl in the locker room… Or maybe it was because I was taking a picture of my sweaty face with my phone when she walked by.

P.S. I know I was M.I.A for way too long. Thanks for all the comments and support while I was gone!

You can’t make this sh*t up…

Saturday morning I woke up and decided I was going to attempt running. Yes, I said it, running. Oh, and as if running wasn’t hard enough on a treadmill indoors (not that I do that or would know), I decided I was going to run outside.

The sun was shining through my bedroom window and I felt like the angst of winter had finally washed away. Unfortunately, when I checked the Weather Channel app on my phone, a huge 35° popped up with some animated wind flowing behind it. Delightful.

On any other day I would’ve bagged the idea all together, but for some reason I still had high hopes for this whole “running” adventure. So I texted all of my friends who run outside regularly, and wrote, “I’m thinking of attempting to run outside. Is it too cold out for a first timer? I hate the burny lung feeling…” The responses I got ran the gammet of, “I just ran outside and it was GREAT!” to, “The burning lung feeling means it’s working. Go for it girlfriend!” Not one response included anything negative enough to stop me from going for it. Thank goodness, otherwise the following story would not have been possible…

So I put on some long spandex and a sweatshirt, popped in my ear buds, and went for it. I live right near the East River in New York City, and there’s a nice path that runs along the river that is amazing for running, walking, biking, or being homeless on a nice day. So I headed east from my apartment in (what some would call) a light jog with Lady Gaga blaring in my ears.

“It’s not as cold out as I thought it would be, and this doesn’t feel as awful as it should,” I thought to myself as I made it the 2 blocks from my apartment to the river…

Just as I cross over onto the other side of the FDR drive, this guy sticks his hand out and waves to me to get my attention. Grateful for the opportunity to stop (I’m already pretty winded, let’s be honest), I take my earphones out and he says, in a British accent, “I’m making a documentary about running, can I interview you?” He gestures to his video camera…

Let me repeat that for effect:  ”I’m making a documentary about running, can I interview you?”

(Insert sound of a screeching record). IS THIS FOR REAL? You want to do WHAT? I’m standing there trying not to laugh in this poor guy’s face, wishing that I was with someone so they could experience the absurdity of this situation with me, and be in on the secret that I haven’t run since highschool (when it was mandatory for a grade) and here I am being asked to be interviewed about my “running career.” It’s even funnier to me that it’s not only the first run of what feels like my life, but it’s only 2 blocks into that run. It feels slightly premature to be discussing the ins and outs of my experiences with running. Only slightly though.

I’m tempted to let him in on the joke, but being the asshole that I am, I say with a straight face, “sure, what do you want to know?” I mean, what was I supposed to do? Pass up the opportunity to be in a documentary? No siree. Plus, it gets better. He directs me towards a sunnier patch of gravel, and says, “Just say your name, how long you’ve been running, how long you go for when you do run…” This is too good to be true. Once he signals that the camera is rolling, I go, “I’m Julie and I’ve been running for about 6 months. I only run for about 20 minutes a day, and I probably go about 2 and half miles because that’s all I really have time for….”

As I’m telling all of this to my mother last night, this is the part of the story when she slaps her hand down on the table, spilling her wine, and shouts “WHAT?!? 2.5 miles in 20 minutes? Julie I’ve been running for 35 years and I don’t even run 2.5 miles in 20 minutes. That’s like (she does the math in her head) 8 minute miles. I mean it’s not impossible but… but….” she proceeds to literally hunch over laughing hysterically, pointing and knee slapping, while trying to replay the story outloud, barely able to get it out over her laughter, saying things like “Oh sure, I just bust out 2.5 miles in 20 minutes, no big deal!” She swears she’s laughing with me and not at me…

I decide not to get mad at her, because I suddenly remember running “the mile” in elementary school and never getting better than a 9 minute mile. At 10 YEARS OLD. The peak of my ahtletic prowess… “Oh. I guess I overshot that number a little bit.”

Shane comes in the room to see what all the commotion is and my mom tells him what she’s just heard. Shane’s eyes open wide, “you never told me THAT part of the story!” I stop laughing for a second and with the most serious and earnest face I can put on I say, “you guys just wouldn’t understand. I take running really seriously…” An explosion of laughter ensues.

I told you that story to tell you this story. After my interview of a lifetime, I actually did go for a run jog and it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be! I think I’m actually in better shape than I thought which is awesome. I mean, I was out for a total of about 50 minutes doing a mixture of jogging and walking, and I was able to jog  trot for about 20 minutes straight, although I probably went 1 mile, not 2.5, in that span of time. And hey, I’m OK with that! It’s a step in the right direction. And it was nice being outside using a whole new set of muscles and really going out of my comfort zone. It was like exercising for the first time! I may start doing it regularly. Some pictures:

And for good measure (and tradition), my post-workout crazy person look:

Have a nice day!