No, I didn't eat and exercise at the same time.

I offer a challenge...

...but you'll have to watch to find out what it is.

Whammie!

EDITOR'S NOTE: This post was written and ready to post on Thursday night, but I apparently fell asleep while moving my hand towards the "post" button. Today I went to put a new post and found out this was saved in drafts!

Please pretend you read this Friday and stop being mad at me for not posting ever.

________________________

A quick review of how extra pounds can be subtracted for the final weight in. We're calling workouts and days where we get all of our HG's "Whammies" now. Apparently calling them "points" or "bonus points" was very obviously confusing. So:

• 25 Whammies = 1 pound subtracted of off your final weigh in.
  
• No more than 5 pounds may be subtracted total.

I think the way we were originally referring to it, you had to get to 5, and then get 5 of those. So that is a complicated way of saying you need 25.

I am proud of myself for remembering to blog tonight, but not proud of myself for leaving my little P90X calendar in Astoria and therefore not knowing exactly how many times I've worked out.

Somewhere since making this rule I convinced myself if I worked out 25 times I would subtract 5 pounds from my final weigh in. I'm glad that is not the case because now in order to get all 5 pounds, I have to work out like a madman and always strive for my HG's. All of this makes it feel much more like a crazy competition to me, which gives me confidence because I'm a competitive mofo. I will get every pound taken off. And by doing that...I'll be working out all the time, and eating extremely healthy. And therefore...I'll be fit!

Sorry Katy, you're going down like the numbers on my scale.

(The re-ignited competitive spirit has me tempted to end each post with a little smack talk. I hope I'm not the only one...)

Nutrition Consult

Last night, I came home from the gym and had a phone consultation with my friend Kirsten who is training to be a nutrition counselor. When she asked if I would be interested in having a consultation I just about died of excitement. I had to fill out a questionare about my weight, habits, things I eat, etc. Although Kirsten hasn''t studied Weight Watchers in her program, she said that I really seem to be eating well. It was really encouraging to hear, especially my bad eating habits are what got me to be heavy in the first place.

One interesting thing that she mentioned was a "90/10" rule that they talk about at her school. 90% of the time, eat what you think/know you SHOULD eat. The other 10%, eat what you WANT to eat. For example, if you want a piece of chocolate... allow yourself to eat it. I know WW has a similar process - it's just interesting to think of it in terms of a ratio. For example, then, of my 22 points a day, I figure I should spend 20 on things I "should" eat (HGs!), and 2 for a treat that I want. Or... I get 189 points a week (including my 35 extra) - so that means 170 for healthy foods, and 19 for bagels, Taco Bell, and alcohol. It's nice, grounding perspective!

Everyone should check out Kirsten's website, she is a great friend and going to be an amazing nutritional counselor!

I think I should get back into blogging my meals on this site, to keep me accountable. I haven't gotten my HGs in FOREVER, but I've been doing well at the gym. My total count for gym days is 18 days (at least, I am doing bad keeping track) and 8 days of HGs. That means I am up to 1 bonus pound taken off my final weigh in! SUCK IT TREBECK.

Yesterdays menu-
B
.5c 2% cottage cheese, 1c berries, 2/3c peanut butter Puffins cereal - 5 pts

L
Lettuce (I'm not calling it salad), with .5c chick peas, and 1c of this roasted veggie salad - 5 pts (generous guess)
1pt wrap with Laughing Cow Cheese, hummus, lettuce and tomato - 4 pts

S
2pt cupcake that Alex made me for our anniversary - 2 pts
Diet Coke - 0 pts

D
1/2 roasted butternut squash with 1 tbsp light whipped butter and light maple syrup, salt and pepper - 7.5 pts

Total points: 23.5 / 22

My Triumphant Return

Note: This is not actually me, but rather the most appropriate picture that came up when I Google Image searched "Triumphant Return."

I know that most of you were probably worried that I had lost so much weight that I ceased to exist, but worry not. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Since my March 1st 10-pound shocker, I've really only lost about 1-3 pounds. Katy just lost 3 pounds in a week. I think we have ourselves a real horse race here, folks.

OK this post is going to be long, but I owe you all like 50 posts, so take what you can get, alright? I'll use headings to limit the rambling.

Katy is incredible.

What always blows my mind when reading Katy's posts (beside her bottomless well of charm, of course) is that she never just says, aww screw it. That doesn't mean she doesn't have fun (using the standard Former Fatties definition of "fun:" eating things too delicious for their own good or drinking). It means that she almost always makes healthy choices, even when out with friends, and when her choices end up less than healthy, she does her best to count the points. That is why Weight Watchers rules, because it lets you do that. I'm just a barrel of excuses, when Katy proves you don't have to make excuses. I plan to use "What Would Katy Do?" as my mantra for the next 65 days. 

I love that this has become a super close competition, as it just makes the "No excuses" part so much more important.

Two Major Life Announcements

While I've loved every moment of karmagroove, when I got into this business it was always my intention to be a composer. When Auria took me under her wing and offered me a job, I happily switched gears. It would have been madness to pass up the opportunity to really learn this business from the best, most jaw-droppingly experienced producer in the biz. Especially since we have so much fun. karmagroove has allowed me to take on a level of responsibility and experience that I'm sure no one my age has been given. When I was a senior in college, I was taking calls from clients solo and delivering revisions and finals to them. I can edit and upload a few tracks to a client without breaking a sweat, even when they ask for it in an unreasonably short period of time. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get to heaven and God is going to say, "You're welcome." I'll say, "For what, God?" God will thunderously laugh and say, "For putting 19 year old Bobby Rowe in the right place at the right time in order to work with Auria." 

I just realized in that whole paragraph I didn't actually MAKE my first announcement. Way to avoid rambling, BoRo. OK, drumroll...I'm leaving karmagroove in order to become a freelance composer. Since I know half the battle in this game is how good your stuff sounds, not the strength of the composition, I'm going to audio engineering school full time from April - December. Its a few hours a day, and I plan to spend the rest of the hours practicing like a crazy person / working out / not eating. 

I just realized that there is a beautiful symmetry to my arc at kg: When I got there, I was at my all-time adult low of around 175 lbs. I gradually swelled back up to 205 lbs. Now I'm leaving, right back in the mid 170's. I'm glad that I was a Fattie for at least part of my time there. Everyone can remember me by the dent I left in the couch. 

That pretty much segues into life announcement two: I'm moving back to Long Island at the end of May (when I will be hot.) Paying for school + no more steady job = moving home. This is sad but a decent chunk of my friends still live with the rents on LI, and the other chunk lives in Brooklyn. Guess what folks, it took me an hour to get to your apartment in Brooklyn from Astoria anyway. MTA, I'm sure you're reading this: trips that are 10 minutes by car should not take over an hour by subway. 

The moving home thing is relevant because whenever I'm home, I pretty much go into f-it mode and eat cookies, cheese, and checkers. (I'd say pizza, but when do I NOT eat pizza). So June is going to be the ultimate challenge: lifestyle change + end of bet. I think KF and I will keep on top of each other though. 

My Final Excuse, I Swear

I've been crappy and unfocused and detached because of all the hasty life planning I've been doing over the past week, but my REAL final excuse is what transpired this weekend. Craig and I sat outside 30 Rock from 5 PM Friday until 7 AM Saturday in order to get standby tickets 3 and 4 for Saturday's SNL. My every dream came true when we were seated DIRECTLY in front of Kelly Clarkson, and she and I shared a wave before she blew the roof off the building using her superhuman voice. 

While sitting in the 33 degree weather, pretty much the only thing we had to keep us going was the next time we ate. And since it is a business district, the only things open were fast food. So I ate:

• A BK Whopper Value Meal with Medium Fries (and a diet Coke)
• A Magnolia cupcake and 2 cookies
• A 6 piece Chicken McNuggets and Medium Fries from McDonalds @ around 4:30 AM

I then pretty much didn't eat all Saturday, which left me starving after the show at 1 AM, so I got the only thing I could find open, 2 slices of pizza. They were out of plain so I got sausage, only to discover that there was a layer of wall to wall pepperoni under the cheese. 

I would add this all up but I just need to get this posted, so lets assume it was about 150 points. I would be shocked if it was less than 100. 

Coming soon...

OK seriously Katy convinced me to do this rather than my laundry but I have people coming over and my laundry is everywhere. I vow to post a much shorter blog on what was supposed to be my final, most important heading: What the heck is P90X, and how many bonus points have you been accumulating while not blogging all of this time. 

I've missed you.

Top o' the mornin...

"...and the rest of the day to you!"

Happy St. Pats. Things here are good, had a really nice weekend hanging out around Brooklyn & the city. On Saturday, lazed around a bit and went to the gym, then at night we went to this WILD restaurant for Shannon's birthday dinner. It's called Panna 2 and it's a BYOB Indian restaurant that's the size of a shoebox and FILLED with Christmas lights about 5 feet down from the ceiling. Like, you're sitting there eating delicious Naan, and there are glowing chili peppers dangling on your head. Then we went drinking at the Delancey. Good. Probably about 8 drinks consumed. Nice work.

Sunday was Alex and I's (Alex and me's? Me and Alex's?) 1 year anniversary. First of all, I just want to point out how amazingly cute my boyfriend is and tell you all that he showed up on Friday night to my apartment with a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers and cupcakes - Weight Watchers 2pt cupcakes - that he made from scratch! I mean seriously, is he great, or is he great?

Anyway.... on Sunday I let myself have a bagel for the first time in a while. After I came down from cloud 9, Alex and I went and got 1 hour massages (wow hello amazing), and then went to the bar where we first "met" - and by "met" I mean made out. George Keeleys on the UWS. Had lunch there (Grilled chicken sandwich), and spent the rest of the afternoon at Riverside park.

Yesterday I ate well, and discovered a nice new place for dinner - Pump Energy Foods. Pretty much a Weight Watchers dream for anyone in the city. Of course the food is kind of bland, but it's really healthy, and not cooked in any grease, butter, oil, etc. And with dishes with names like "Hercules," you instantly feel stronger. http://www.thepumpenergyfood.com/#/ - I had the "Lean Body Junior" for a total of 5 points.

Also last night we saw the Ting Tings at Terminal 5, which was a great show. Usually I booze up big time for shows, but I only had 1 Stella. Today, however, will likely be a different story. We're meeting up at a pub in Brooklyn, and I think my dad is even going to meet us.

Oh, and I lost 3 pounds since last weeks weigh in.

See ya.

Fat chat.

TGIF shorties.

First, I'd like to address my mother's comment to me, "what is wrong with your mouth?" and let the world know that
1. I was NOT wearing a retainer in the video below (thanks mom).
2. I do not have a poop tooth.
3. My mouth looks weird because I drank 3 glasses of red wine. Okay? Okay.

Second, I feel like typing a blog. I'm having a slow day at work (shipped my project earlier this morning - yeah daddy!), and have been spending a bit of time perusing the Weight Watchers message boards.

Now, I love the boards, they (usually) answer any questions I have, and are a good source of inspiration, in a 12-step-recovering-alcoholic-let's-all-hug kind of way. But some people are so fucking uptight! Yes, I understand the rules, we can't post Points values. Whatever, that's a stupid rule, but I'm guessing it's a legal thing. (And I've learned from work this week, don't try to change the legal department's mind. You'll always lose.) Seriously, ditch the tude, ladies. Take a little 0-point fiber one and loosen up.

Anyway... yesterday, I was reading in Glamour that your body gets used to a workout after doing the same thing for 6 weeks, and it may not be as efficient. So, that freaked me out, since I pretty much always dominate on the elliptical. So yesterday, I did 2 miles on the elliptical, followed by 1 mile on the treadmill (ugh), followed my stomach exercises on the floor which I do sometimes, and then I did some arm machines. This was also fueled by my fear of losing weight only to become "skinny fat" - where you're thin, but so not toned, you were better of with a little chub. This juxtaposes my fear of becoming jacked like Jillian Michaels. I'm going to work (out) to find a happy medium.

Basically, what I'm saying, is that come Memorial Day weekend (um, in 69 days)... I want to look like Gisele.

Wallet sized.

No explanation needed.

Someone hates me!

My last TWO video blogs have 1 star on YouTube!

I'm going to cry homophobia because its clearly not my shining peronality.

I just remembered that they could just be offended by the sight of my torso. In which case...that's fair.

OMG

Bobby!

I full on GUFFAWED like a complete idiot watching this. Amazing.

Jeandog, you're gonna love it.

The rest of the world, you are too.

Me and Bobby have a date to play "dirty bingo" tomorrow in Brooklyn, hollaaa.

I apparently always have a goofy grin on when listening to Alphabeat, even when doing walking squats.

I made / meant to post this Sunday, but I was having internet trouble.  I look busted but I mean whatevs. I'm sure I've gotten a lot better looking in the last two days. 

A Cause for Concern

Slowing down.

As my progress has slowed down though, I've gotten less hard core. One might say that you lose more weight when you watch what you eat and exercise regularly. Honestly, after this week I was thrilled to lose 0.4 pounds rather than gaining 2. 

But...11 weeks. No time for "at least I didn't gain anything" weeks. 

3/4/09 - Katy loses her v-card. (V is for videoblog)

I'm testing this out. I might hate the idea of my face on the internet talking about being fat - somehow it's different when I'm just typing. But I just watched Real World (only because it takes place in Brooklyn), and Chet's VJ audition inspired me to give this a shot.

Anyway, for the record, I'm not topless like BoRo. Although I look like Lady Godiva with my freakishly long hair covering my private bits, I promise you I have a tank top on.

3/3/09 menu - Katy

I was in serious damage control after Monday's little fiasco, and happy with my performance yesterday.

Points - 21.5 / 22
HGs - Yes (total 8)
Exercise - Yes (total 12)

B -

• 2 slices of wheat bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter and 2 tbsp rasperry jam - 6

L -

• Veggie stir fry (oil) with shrimp and a side salad - 6
• 10 almonds - 1.5
• Apple - 1

D -

• Mexican pizza with fat free black bean dip on 1-point whole wheat wrap, light mexican cheese, and a ton of mixed peppers - 3 (AMAZING for dinner! Come on!)
• 2 tbsp of my new favorite discovery, Better n' Peanut Butter from Trader Joes. Danger danger. - 2

And no, Bobby, THIS is when you know you're a not-so-former fattie:

Deep Fried Peanut Butter-Covered Brownie Wrapped In Cookie Dough
courtesy of This Is Why You're Fat (- five BILLION points)


You're welcome!

You know there is a fattie living somewhere deep inside you if...

...this looks like heaven to you.

3/2/09 menu - Katy

Total points: 29.5 / 22
Exercise: No, but I did exercise Friday night (I did the Shred when I got home from babysitting), and a double workout on Saturday - AM and PM. (11 total so far)
HGs: No (7 total)

Breakfast

• Fiber cereal, berries, skim - 4

Lunch

• Vegetable soup with kidney beans and chick peas (protein) - 2
• Baked potato with 1 tsp butter - 3.5
• Apple - 1
• 2 Starbursts - 1

Dinner - this is what we call "A WILD BINGE"

• We made a nice dinner - whole wheat pasta with asparagus, mushrooms and spinach, black olive tapenade and feta cheese - 7.5
• 4 glasses of red wine - 6.5
• which justified having...
• Semi-WW cupcake that we made for Eva for her bday (substitute apple sauce for oil in the recipe) - 4

So yeah, not so awesome on the back end there but I needed it. Alex was here, we were snowed in, Nikki and I needed to drink because we may or may not be alcoholics. Making cupcakes was fun, though.

I'm going to do better, because I am feeling the effects of my decisions today and I'm pretty unhappy about it.

Bobby Rowe's video blogs are out of this world. I still can't decide if I'm ready to board that party train, but I promise that if I do, my shirt stays on.

My hair looks awesome after P90X.

I talked for far too long to justify me typing anything here.

CONGRATULATIONS BOBBY ROWE!!!

As Former Fatties February comes to a close, I would like to congratulate Bobby on winning the first heat of our competition!

From February 1 - March 1, Bobby lost an amazing TEN POUNDS. That came to 5.4% of his entire body weight! Gone!

I think he might not even be human, losing weight at a rate like that. Guaranteed, he worked REALLY hard, and definitely deserved it. I'm really proud of him and inspired by him, and now am even more motivated to whip his ass come Memorial day.

I lost a total of 6.4 pounds, or 4.1% of my starting weight.

Bobby, your well-deserved prize of a Trader Joe gift card will be coming along sometime this week.