Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Ask The Former Fatties!

Reader Elizabeth Kiernan writes:
I love that I got a shout out! I also love this week's motto: remind myself that nothing tastes as good as being fit feels.

How do you remind yourself of your motto throughout the week?
Great question Elizabeth! My answer is purely speculative, as I haven't yet followed through on the motto, but here's how I plan to / how I did it today:
  • Make it easier on myself by eating before I get hungry. This closely resembles one of the things I said I was hoping to learn from last week. I find that there are times when I get so obsessed on one food, that I almost feel I have no choice - I just know that I am going to pig out on it. These times almost always occur when I haven't eaten enough that day. If I don't have breakfast and/or somehow end up not eating till after noon, I am getting fast food. When I get to that point, I don't think any motto could stand between me and Checkers, so I have to try my hardest not to get to that point.
  • Remember that it is always a choice, and that my choices have consequences. Even during those times when my pigging out feels inevitable, I am still the one who allows it to happen. I hope that the motto can serve as a last guard against cheating. I may have to say the motto out loud. But hopefully reminding myself of how I'll feel if I make a good choice will be enough.
  • Actually imagine what it will be like to feel super fit. For some reason today I pictured Katy and I, post weigh-in on December 15th, 2009. One of us is elated. The other is trying really hard to be supportive and may be surprised by how at peace she feels about having lost the Rematch. It suddenly occurred to me that on this day, I could actually look and feel better than I ever seriously thought I could. I talk all the time about wanting abs by the end of the year. But...what if I seriously have them? By stopping to live in that moment, I realized I was ready to do whatever it takes to make that my reality. And so I P90X'ed at 10:30 tonight. And it was goooood.
  • Set all different kinds of goals according to a timeline, and then divide them into smaller, more immediate goals. It helps if they are ambitious but feasible. There are exactly 11 weeks left in this contest. I want to weigh between 150 and 155 by then. So I've decided that I need to be losing 1.4 pounds a week. That is totally doable, but I need to hold myself accountable. Its tough to see how what I have for dinner tonight impacts what I look like while I'm Christmas shopping, but I can totally see how what I eat tonight can make or break me hitting my goal for this week. Same with exercising. Its really easy to just let a whole week slip away. I don't have time for that - the time is now.
  • Remember that I'm not just doing this for me. I am so glad that you commented, because I'd really like the Former Fatties to become a community that Katy and I happen to be King and Queen of. I knew I wanted to respond to your question, but knew that I would be in no way qualified to do so if I didn't actually follow through and do my workout tonight. And all of your successes have been such an inspiration to me (for those who don't have the pleasure of knowing her, Liz started that whole losing-40-pounds trend that is all the rage these days. And she's now addicted to competitive racing. She actually did that triathlon that I conveniently had to work during. And she loved it.) I hope Katy remembered during all of her crazy working out over the past few days that with every step or rep she completed she was pushing me to complete one myself. I so grateful for that, and for her.
So come on, readers! Speak up! I feel like Katy and I basically use this blog as a forum to talk to each other these days (and mostly, thats probably true) but I know there are at least a few more of you out there. What are your goals for this week? And how do you plan to stick to them?

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

WEEK 2 SUMMARY - Bobby

As week two was going on, I thought I was doing pretty well. Wrong. I was sick for two days, which killed my working out and gave me a steady diet of pretzels and cheese. Friday I had Chipotle for lunch because I was just going to have salad for dinner. "Salad" became "two slices of fresh motz Bravo Pizza," a decision that ultimately cost me a whammie. Saturday night I had a delicious Italian feast from Tony's di Napoli, an impromptu meal with my sister Carolyn and Brother-In-Law Mike and my good friend Liz Kiernan (its Shout-Out-Your-Friends Day here at the FF.)


Sunday I did really well all day, but then ended up getting chicken fingers and fries at a bar when I was really done eating for the day.

This was my first dinner, chicken sausage on deli thin, served with an entire package of frozen broccoli:


Second dinner is not pictured because I ate it quicker than my phone could take a picture of it.

So week two ultimately ended up being a 1.6 pound gain. Not the end of the world, but it means that rather than being on a steady decline since the start of the rematch, I've been fluctuating around 165. Aka, I've been doing exactly as well as I have since the last challenge ended.

I think this will be a good reality check, so I'm glad it came now rather than later. This bet's shorter length has given me a sudden feeling of urgency. If I had to take a few lessons from this week they would be:

1. I used to be great at just not drinking when I went out. Instead, I now have become a just-a-drink-or-two person. That's a waste. It just leaves me a bit tired and over the weekend adds up to four metabolism-slowing drinks.
2. Use all of my points. Before going to the bar Sunday, I was so full on all of that brocolli that I decided to save one of those sausage sandwiches for breakfast the next day. An hour later I was so starving that the party was literally divided into devils and angels rooting for or against me getting chicken fingers and fries.
3. "Its OK to go a little over, I've been so good," is true, but only if you have actually been really good, and only if you are only going a little over. I don't regret the Italian feast in the least. What I do regret is the days before and after it. I probably could have compromised further by having chicken parm for an entre, but maybe salad in place of absurdly-pointy fried calamari for an appetizer.

Ahh well. I am just slightly mopey, but really just because I've lost the I-feel-and-look-so-fit feeling. Maybe its endorphins, maybe it is confidence, but I really feel much better about all aspects of life when I feel fit. So that is going to be my goal for week three: remind myself that nothing tastes as good as being fit feels.

Let's get physical

I said it was time to kick up the workouts, and I have. On Sunday, I returned to the gym and threw myself back into my old workout (2 miles on the treadmill, a plethora of abs, core, butt and arms on the floor with hand weights). Coming home and barely able to move, I went with my friend Craig and did an Improv Everywhere skit in my neighborhood. Picture over 2,000 people walking invisible dogs all over my neighborhood in Brooklyn. People were confused; it was ridiculous.


(pardon the picture and the fact that I look like a total tool. Craig hasn't sent me the better one yet.)

It was also another probably 4 miles of walking. I was tired. Yesterday I did pilates on the floor in my room.

Anyway, I'm trying to really hard to get my whammies in so I can get my bonus this month. I'm doing alright.
Yesterday:
B: Fat free plain Greek yogurt with a packet of Splenda and Fiber 1.
L: Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce, tomato, onion, granny smith apple, and honey mustard. Steamed carrots.
D: Homemade pizza on Trader Joe's Lavash bread, drizzled in EVOO, with a schmear of sauce, tons of roasted tomatoes (that I made!), sprinkled with parmesan and provolone. Some yogurt covered pretzels for dessert.

Also, I hate maintenance on Weight Watchers. I lost 2 pounds this week, and instead of the old shooting stars and smiley faces, I got this grim message:
"You lost some weight this week. You might gain or lose a bit in your first few weeks of Maintenance, but you should eventually learn to maintain your weight within 2 pounds above or below your goal. If you’re losing too much, consider using all of your weeklyPOINTSAllowance or activityPOINTSvalues, if you haven’t before. Your aim in Maintenance is to stay steady."
Since I'm not trying to maintain, and actually trying to lose, I am currently trying to change it so I can get my encouraging messages back. Maintenance schmaintenance.

Friday, September 25, 2009

It's Friday wave your hands in the air

There is an insane amount of sexual frustration pent up in this blog. Not sure if it's Bobby or me, but I'll be the first one to say that last post was EXTREMELY phallic.

I don't have much to say, but do have pictures of breakfast and lunch yesterday, so here:

Egg white veggie omlette (heavy on the veggies!) on whole wheat with hot sauce and ketchup. [Courtesy of Liberty Deli]


Salad with black beans, kidney beans, feta, red onion, tomato, zucchini, peppers, oil & vinegar. [Courtesy of Mangia]


Now time for a lunch date at Dos Caminos. What would you order?

This is huge.




I am a dry person. I have dry skin, dry eyes, dry wit. Even when I am not overexercising, I am always thirsty. Since FF:II began, I have felt in a constant fight to stay hydrated. I thought I had done a pretty good job last night but I forgot how much I sweat while Beyoncercising (spell check had absolutely no qualms with that word.) If you are getting enough water, your pee is clear. Not this morning (you're welcome.) To try to win this fight, I am carrying around this massive bottle of water (AP?). I took the picture this way so that you could see that it is as big as my thighs, and for no other reason.

Here is a picture of my banana:



Efficient Eating

I am suddenly hella tired as I begin to write this, so apologies for any lack of coherence.

I actually realized I haven't been blogging about diet nearly as much as I have been about exercise today, and planned to write this entry before Katy demanded it. So I get to pretend I make my own decisions!

I've probably been more focused on exercise than diet this time because I am much more focused on looking/feeling fit than I am on dropping pounds. At this point I'm not embarrassed of my weight, I'm embarrassed of my fat. Still, what you eat has a great effect on this too, so its worth discussing. I have read a lot about trying to walk the muscle building/fat burning line. I haven't really figured out the answers yet. That is frustrating because at this point I have figured out how to lose weight (at least for my body) but I'm in a bit of uncharted territory. My main concern is getting enough food. Well, enough good food - I could obviously go double on my points each day without breaking a sweat. I am a little concerned that with the amount I am exercising I am not getting enough nutrients. Even without trying to build muscle, I've read that this can cause you to put on fat - your body thinks you are starving and saves for the coming winter.

So my plan right now is to count activity points, to get as much lean protein as possible, and to choose natural foods whenever possible. Thanks to the pressure of HG's, I've started eating produce as snacks (and big parts of meals) where I may have previously chosen a bar or something. I'd rather have 2 pieces of fruit than a FiberOne bar. I'd rather have half a piece of salmon than a candy bar.

So after that rambling intro, here is really what I was going to write about today: by making good choices, you can get more food for your points, and therefore end up less hungry. Here is what I ate today:
  • 1 Whey Protein Shake (5) I know its crazy to go on about eating naturally and then start off with a powdered protein concoction, but I need the protein, and it is actually just organic milk mixed with 100% whey protein powder (whey protein occurs naturally in cheese.) What I don't know is how something can be both 100% cheese protein and chocolate flavored. Is there naturally occurring chocolate cheese? Who is responsible for keeping this from me? I assume that I burn almost all of this off through AP's.
  • 3 Eggs Whites On A Pepperidge Farm Deli Flat (2) This is probably the best example of Efficient Eating (patent pending.) It was actually the pre-separated egg whites, but that it is the same thing as if you had thrown 3 yolks out yourself. I used to be a big defender of whole eggs. Mmm, runny yolk on toast! At the end of the day though, they are totally not worth it. 3 full eggs is 6 points, and not really any more filling than 3 egg whites for 1 point. And plus cholesterol or something. As I mentioned yesterday, these new breads are tastier than regular wheat but half the points. Because I shaved all of those points off, I was able to have:
  • PB&J on a Deli Flat (4). I always read that Peanut Butter is one of the best foods for killing hunger. In moderation it really is great. Again, Deli Flats save the day.
  • Planet Smoothie Kiwi Kazi (3) I think I have already blogged too much about how great this thing is, so rather than going into that again I will just tell you that the guy in front of me in line got to the counter and said, "Hello, can I have a smoothie?" We were at Planet Smoothie.
  • Salad with Oil & Vinegar Dressing (3) and half a piece of Salmon (4.5) I probably could have gone for the whole salmon at this point. I may be over counting the dressing, but at this particular place it is pre-mixed and a little darker, so I'm less sure of what is in it than when I just put oil and vinegar in myself. Its also tough to get an accurate reading on the amount you are putting in when using the world's largest ladle.
  • A Banana (2)
  • Spinach Stuffed Turkey and 1 serving (maybe a little less) of brown rice (I have no idea but totally healthy and totally within my range.)
I probably had 31-33 points. I get 29 for the day. With activity points I might have even come in a little under (I did end up doing my abs for 15 minutes and then did a half hour vocal warm up on the elliptical...because I heard that Beyonce used to run miles and miles while singing as a teen.) I guess over the next few weeks I just have to listen to my body as it adjusts to intense workouts every day. I think that I'll know what is working and what is not. I hope at least.

There is a pretty good chance that I won't be able to walk tomorrow.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Shaking in my boots

It seems, 10 days into our challenge, and Bobby is attempting to use sheer scare tactics to get ahead in this contest. Well, it's only sort of working.

As mentioned, this week has been full of social commitments (oh, I'm so popular), but I am really proud of the progress I am making and the shift in mindset that I have. Yeah, I went over yesterday because I don't even know what kind of food I ate, but I probably didn't go over by more than 5 points - and that's with 2 cocktails already included!

Breakfast was fat free pomegranate Greek yogurt, Fiber 1 and honey nut cheerios, and a banana:

Lunch was the other half of my banana, other half of my leftover veggie wrap, black bean soup, and a side salad.
And dinner included 2 glasses of sangria, 1/2 of some chicken appetizer and something about pork that was crunchy and most likely fried. I only had 1 little one.

Did I mention I got all my HGs in again?

Bobby, I'm not hearing much about what you're eating, and I want to know.

Anyway, off to another party now, then back to my place for a fiesta de tacos y frijoles con mis amigas mejores. Adios, gordos.

Warning: Chance of Tripple Whammie!




This picture is to show Katy how sweaty I got after P90X: Legs & Back today. Since the DVD was playing in my laptop and Katy was online, I decided to IM her each move as we did them. This was supposed to intimidate/motivate her, but instead convinced her that I was lying on the couch typing the names of workouts rather than actually working out. I know I don't actually look that sweaty but...I'm vain (see: this blog) so I cleaned up and waited to turn less purple before posing.

Legs and back is the DVD that I did the least the last time I did P90X. My upper body needs more work than my legs, so if I missed one of those workouts I would do it later in the week in place of Legs & Back. I won't be doing that any more as I now remember that L&B is one of the most intense workouts, and does not neglect the upper body. Half the freaking thing is pullups.

Let us all take a moment to remember when Nikki called my legs "jacked." Thanks, N, if you're out there.

I feel less sick now than I did before working out. It almost makes me wish I hadn't been talked out of working out these past few days. To make up for the Whammies I haven't been getting, I'm going for the Tripple Whammie. I still haven't done Ab Ripper-X today. It is only 15 minutes, but it is hell start to finish. I think I'll pair it with 15 intense minutes on the elliptical.

Honestly, I feel out if whack and am worried about GAINING this week, forget losing 2 more pounds. There are 5 days till weigh in though, and I'm going to use them.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

FF PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Arnold Sandwich Thins

You may have noticed this product sneaking into grocery stores all over the place. Try them! They are so tasty! They make sandwiches seem fancy and indulgent even though they are only ONE POINT! That is half the points of the far less satisfying two-slices-of-whole-grain-bread option.

There is a nearly identical product from Pepperidge Farm. You really can't go wrong with either, but since Arnold was first (and I think has a slight edge in the taste department) they get the spotlight.

A small victory.

Yesterday, I went out to eat for both lunch and dinner. Normally, this would equate a points overload and no chance of getting my HGs in. I'm happy to report I did get all my HGs in, and, had I been able to keep my paws off of Alex's wings for a hot minute, I would have stayed within my points range, too.

B: Special K, Fiber 1, skim
L: Heirloom tomato salad with a few little bits of mozzarella cheese and some sort of oil drizzled over it. Petite, but so delicious. I'm going to miss all the fresh produce of summer.
D: 1 cup of black bean soup (desperate for my healthy protein), 1/2 of a grilled veggie wrap (no cheese), side salad instead of fries, and 3 wings with blue cheese

I have the other 1/2 of my wrap and rest of my soup as leftovers, possibly for lunch today.

Speaking of whammies, I just ripped my whammie calendar from FF round 1 off my desk. I'd made a little calendar to track how many whammies I was getting through the end of the contest. See:


And, I just made a new one (got some work to do):


Keeping our blog focused on food and fitness, and not erotic fantasies (jk BoRo)... I was thinking about doing an experiment. I've been thinking about different kinds of diets and different ways people eat, and I was thinking about vegetarians. I have quite a few vegetarian and vegan friends; it's definitely an easier lifestyle to live in NYC than most other places. There are so many restaurants and even grocery stores that cater to vegetarians. Anyway, since I really don't eat that much meat to begin with, I'm thinking I might try to be vegetarian for a week. Definitely not as a complete lifestyle change, just as a little test as I'd be interested to see how it makes my body feel and how it impacts my weight loss. I'm already an eater of veggie burgers, veggie sausage, and other things. The only meat I really eat is turkey sandwiches, ground beef (burgers or tacos) and chicken. Maybe I'll give vegetarianism a try next week. What do you think?

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Why I wish I'd won last time.

Take a look at this (click it to zoom if you need):
These are my last 20 Facebook profile pictures. Notice anything?

To those of you who noticed that I have the exact same face as my mother, I say, "Thank you." To those of you who wonder why I look a million times hotter in that one picture in the top center from the day I cut my hair, I say, "I don't know but I've been trying to replicate it since that day. I was only that hot for one moment in time. Life is hard."

No. What you were supposed to notice is that I only wear 3 different shirts when I'm going out! That is because I only have 3 shirts that make me look thin and good. I sometimes end up looking overdressed because I tuck my shirt in because it doesn't fit me right otherwise. That is fine because I never have a problem being the snazziest person in the room, but still, it would be nice to have $150 bucks worth of clothing right now. Actually there is a coat that exists that is $149 that I REALLY want to rock this winter. Watch out, Katy.

Since this is already the gayest blog post of my life, I will completely randomly take it further. I am in such a Cyndi Lauper phase right now. She is fantastic! I'm not really into 80's production but behind it are some fantastic songs. And her voice is amazing and she is the coolest person ever and I want to tour with her. But, more relevantly, pretty soon I'll have a hot body and an extensive knowledge of the Lauper catalog. I am SO going to land a sugar daddy! There is no way Anderson Cooper didn't used to belt out "Time After Time" in his bedroom when he was younger. (As I am writing this Cyndi just did the coolest thing with her voice.)

Oh my goodness, I just realized that I now blog primarily about guys I want to hold hands with. Apologies, readers. Oh wait...

Out of the way, Former Fattie coming through.

Oh wait. None of you fatties take the stairs. This is what it is like just about every morning when I leave Penn Station. (Full Disclosure...I've only been taking them for a few days. I'd say since...Tuesday. Hmmm...wonder why...)

I took this a few days ago but was inspired to post it after Katy's BEAUTIFICATION of the BLOG! First off, those food pictures look amazing and delicious, and I'm glad they won't be the last. Second of all...check out this layout! And LOGO! As if we didn't know this already, but I'm going to say it: Katy is incredible.

Which is going to make beater her so much more satisfying. I don't prey on the weak.

MISSION: Make this not a fluke.

So I made sure to eat REALLY well yesterday in preparation of my weigh in this morning. As the day went on though, I started feeling sicker and sicker, and eventually found myself unable to do Plyometrics last night. SAD.

Maybe its because I'm sick but I just weighed in at...164.0! I was glad but not bowled over, since it was just recently that I was at 163.8. It wasn't until I entered that weight into Weight Watchers dot com that I realized that I just lost 4.8 pounds in a week. WHAT!?

My first instinct is obviously that this is a fluke, but I've had what I thought were fluke weigh-ins before and ended up losing more the following week. I also feel like my sickness could be to blame (credit?) but hey, I'll take what I can get. It seems obvious, but my official goal of the week is to weight less next Tuesday than I do this one. In fact, I'll get more specific: I want to lose another 2 pounds. So I'd like to keep this weight off, and I'd like to set a new personal best. And, especially, I'd like the 150's to be within my sights. Hmm...lets make my stated goal of the first month of this contest to consistently weigh in in the 150's.

I have two major thoughts on this event:
  • Is history repeating itself? I think we all (meaning both me and Katy) remember my week 1 weigh-in of close to four pounds in the original contest. Some good that did me. It essentially awoke the sleeping dragon that is Kaitlyn.
  • I know this seems a little silly considering the entire focus of the bet, but should I be so focused on the pounds? I'm glad I got off to a good head start so I can now work on a little bit more of the slow and steady. Basically what I'm getting at is that I don't give a crap at this point how much I weigh this Christmas, but if I don't have a six-pack, I'm going to be fairly devastated. This is where exercise comes in. Good news is I'm pretty obsessed with P90X and how sore its making me right now. I am so mad that I can't work out today (since Katy told me that she heard that working out when sick is the worst thing for you...and I trust her...I...guess...) Still, I'll be OK without a few days of exercise, the important thing is that I'm really focused on fitness this time around, rather than the scale. Although GOD I want to be able to say I lost 50 pounds so...
WEEK TWO BEGINS. This is the point where we really settle into our routines, figure out what is working for us and what isn't, and hopefully find it all a little easier. Its still a long haul though, so stay tuned.

Katy - Week 1 roundup

Week 1 came up short of being a success, but I’m not going to let it get me down. I actually gained weight this week, and while I’m not entirely surprised, I’m going to attribute some of it to the fact that a) I added an absurd amount of salt to my food yesterday, and b) it’s my special time.

ANYWAY...

I’ve turned over a new leaf and embraced a new attitude this week, and regardless of the setback on the scale this morning, I’m really proud of how I did yesterday. I came in under my points (I say tentatively) and I got a workout in. For the first time since mid-July, I went to the gym and worked out. I decided a pilates class would be a good way to start, which was mostly true except for the fact that my teacher was so fucking weird and taught class like a robot.

I got a new BlackBerry and took pictures of some of my food to try and make this blog more exciting. Not sure it worked. I need to remember to take the pictures before I start eating and things look nasty (I'm not posting the picture of the chili for that reason).

B: Special K Fruit and Yogurt (2), Fiber 1 (0), skim (2)
L: Salad with points from oil (2.5), kidney beans (2), and maybe the roasted mushrooms(1)?


S: Banana (2), coffee (0)
D: Leftover chili (4) with a dollop of FF sour cream(1), leftover carrots (1)


And, I had 2 bites of leftover birthday cake which I’m guessing clears out my remaining 2.5 points.

REALIZATION: I love cooking. After cooking for Alex’s birthday, I realized I really love doing it and I’m going to do it more. Send me any ideas or recipes or requests you have, and I will cook. I also realized that my Italian blood runs deeper than I thought, because my compulsion to feed my boyfriend 24/7/365 is kind of insane. It also helps that he tells me that everything I make is so good... But even I know, that macaroni was way too dry.

Monday, September 21, 2009

I get by with a little help from my friends.

Monday, Monday. The weekend has come and gone, and while not entirely a disaster, I certainly am not the Patron Saint of Weight Watchers. It was Alex's birthday which was basically a 48 hour nonstop celebration, but I still make some semi-wise decisions:

Saturday: Brunch at Cabana Bar which included Huevos Rancheros and unlimited Sangria (yikes), came home and passed out for a few hours, woke up and made a quesadilla with low fat cheese and black beans while everyone else ordered in. Drank in excess through the night at Union Hall. Came home and ate a baby bag of potato chips dipped in Franks Hot Sauce. I also ate a cupcake at the bar.

Sunday: Whole wheat everything bagel scooped out with egg whites and tomato, died of stomach pains, came back to life, ate some of Alex's french fries from Bark, and later made Alex a nice birthday dinner. Solely of Weight Watchers recipes!!! (he had no idea...until I told him). I made turkey chili, homemade mac and cheese, and orange-and-cinnamon glazed carrots. I think, if I'd had the whole serving of each, it would have been only 11 points. But I could barely eat because my stomach hurt so bad (somethings wrong), so I'd say I only ate maybe 7-8 points of it.

Last week, I had a whiney baby bitch fest to Bobby when he IM'ed me to check in on my status. I really just haven't been trying, there are no excuses. I feel/felt a lot less motivated for some reason, but that is going to change. I have been having some serious stomach issues lately, and I am going to hope that by getting back into a routine of eating right and exercising (what's that again?) that my body will sort itself out and I'll start feeling better. Because let me tell you, I've been miz.

But regardless, Bobby has been great and so supportive and so encouraging and apparently is just asking for me to whoop him again, so I guess I'll do it. He also said something to the effect of "when I know you're not trying, I'm not trying," which is exactly right. We are doing this together, in all honesty, and owe it to each other to each bring 110% to the table. So today, I am going to eat right and I'm going to work out.

Bobby sent me the sweetest text this morning, which I am going to share just in case Zac Effron ever reads this blog and he should know how amazing Bobby is:
"It is an unbelievably beautiful day. And you are an unbelievably beautiful girl. You got this, Champ."

Just checking in...

Weekend could have been worse, could have been a little better (there are no points in steak, appetizers, ice cream or pie when they are served to you by your grandmother on a Sunday night...right?)

Weighed in this morning. Didn't lose as much this week as I was hoping/expecting but I'm trying to remember all of that business about slow and steady. If I lose this much every week I'd be on track to throw my fifty pounds party by the end of this bet. Still, I'd hope for a bigger first week to compensate for the inevitable slow weeks. Right now I've got no room for error. Wait...I just remembered that my last weigh in was on TUESDAY, not Monday. Hmm...maybe I could lose a few more ounces today...

I am really glad that we adjusted the Whammies. I am going to have another long day today, but hopefully the sheer terror of another defeat at the hands of Katy is enough to scare me into jumping for at around midnight tonight. Today is going to be the first day that I actually go for my HG's. Having just reread them, I was much closer a few days last week than I thought; I should have gone for them. Ahh well. October 1st is rapidly approaching and I'd like to be beyond 20 Whammies both to leave myself wiggle room and to scare the pants off of KFC. I love it when she Donald Ducks it.

Every day is a new opportunity. Let's do this.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Getting through the workout.

Back in the P90X game, I'm kinda surprised and glad by how hard they are. The surprise is likely due to the fact that when I finish the DVD, I feel like it wasn't so bad. I mean, if I can do it, how tough could it be? (It has come to my attention that I may no longer be 50 pounds overweight.) I think before restarting the program, it was those warm fuzzy feelings that I remembered.

While I am actually doing the workout though, let me tell you, I think there is no way that I will make it through. I will try to remember the post-workout feeling next time I want to stop early. I'm glad that it really is so tough though, because that way I know that its working. If it is really difficult, but when I complete it, my body is going to change.

And that is what got me through my workout today (Chest & Back...aka various forms of pushups and pull-ups...why is only one of those hyphenated?) It was knowing that in December I could look and feel way better than I do today by simply putting the work in. I have to tell myself that at this point if I don't look good in a few months its not because anything was stacked up against me, it was because I had an opportunity and just didn't take it. Whenever people ask me about losing weight, I always have the same response, "I stopped eating like a fat person and I started workout out. Turns out there's something to all that." And I really do believe that it is that easy. If you work out and eat right, you will be in shape. Easier said than done, but still...it is not magic.

When I was doing what felt like my 40th set of pushups today, I wanted to stop after only a few reps, but pushed through by thinking of my "after" picture from last week. On the one hand it sounds unhealthy and unrealistic to go out and find a celebrity body shot that you want to resemble, and on the other hand, Zac Efron is only human. The difference between having a body like his and a body like mine is actually working out and eating right. My face isn't going to be as beautiful as his (although my face really is damn near unrecognizable at this point compared to Fat Bobby's) and I'm never going to be as tan. But I can work just as hard to have a body just as nice. And soon, I'm going to. So, commenters (I am going to pretend you exist), what is your inspiration photo? And what are you going to do to make it happen?

I do realize that this trick is probably most effective for the gays. There are so many more ways to want somebody's body.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Nice try, Katy.


I had a few minutes before the train this morning, so I ran to the Coffee Shop Diner in Mineola and ordered an egg white veggie omlet with no cheese (2...which may be generous.)

I got on the train and opened it up, only to find that I had received a platter - half of which was hash browns. They smelled and looked amazing. They were, however covered in oil and not part of my plan for the day. So I didn't eat them.

I'm now wondering if it was more than coincidence that the guy who served me looked suspiciously like Katy in a chef's hat and a fake moustache.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Healthy guidelines? What are those?

B - thanks for the kind words. Had a really nice night with Alex(andstayed within my alotted points!). Also desperately craving cupcakesfor some reason...


And I totally empathize on the eating-out-is-always-a-disaster thing.It seems like I have a lunch and/or dinner and/or cocktail date everyday in the coming week. Mostly with reps/work stuff, and Alex turnsinto a senior citizen as we celebrate his 26th birthday this weekend.I know how to make points-conscious decisions at times like these,although it seems that when I dine out even for 1 meal that isn't 100%within my control, I lose any chance of getting all my HGs in (withoutracking up excessive points). Anyone have any tips?


B: Honey Nut Cheerios(2), Fiber One(0), skim(2)

L: Daisy May's BBQ- whoa. Tried to be as good as posslble. 2 pieces of BBQ chicken(8), 1/2c creamed corn (1.5), 1/2c baked beans(4)

S: chocolate binge with my female coworkers as we spent 3 hours creating an internet dating profile for Jessica(4)

HO(happy hour gets its own abbreviation): 1 Bud Light(2)

D: Taco Bell: Crunchy Fresco Taco and side of pintos and cheese(7)


Over again, this time by 11.5. No HGs, no exercise. Fuck. Just take the crown.


I'm currently on the LIRR to my parents' because tomorrow is ourfamily run charity golf tournament and italian "feastival" completewith cannolis, gelato, cocktails and italian meats spread throughoutthe course. Fan-tastic. Oh, one of the guys from the Sopranos (Vito is his characters name, no clue his real name) will be there. Fangul!


Carpel tunnels via blackberry setting in. Katy out.

In other news...

Yes KFC, you can absolutley lose 7 pounds in 3 months. I think we both probably need to be prepared for slower pound droppage now that we are arguably thin people. So, weekly weigh ins may be discouraging, but I like your ambitious but realistic longish term goal. I think I'll set mine for 12 pounds - to finally get to 155 and throw a FIFTY POUNDS PARTY! (I have no idea what happens at a Fifty Pounds Party. If we were in England I could charge 50 pounds to get in. Maybe I still will, and just convert it after.)

More importantly, Happy Anniversary-and-a-Half to Katy and Alex! Hope your dinner was delicious and lovey.

BREAKING NEWS!

This just in from the Former Fatties Newsroom: Sources are telling us that just because you are at a restaurant chain that offers healthy choices, does not mean that whatever you get there is low in points.

Yesterday I went to Panera and decided to get a Sierra Turkey sandwich instead of my usual low-fat chicken noodle soup (2 delicious points.) Turns out that it was 12 points! And thats only for half a sandwich! So with the classic salad (I get the You-Pick-Two, where you choose two from a menu of half sandwiches, half salads, and full soups) and the apple it came to 15 points! That's what it costs me when I go to Burger King!

It gets way worse. Today I went to Subway, home of many low-point sandwiches and delicious multi-grain breads. I knew I wasn't making the best choice when I opted for meatball marinara, but I had no idea just how bad it was.

I got a 12 inch so I could save half for later, but it was so messy (and scrumptious) that I ate the whole thing. Then I looked up the points. 12...for a 6 inch. If I knew I'd be using 24 points I'd have just gone to Chipotle. At least that feels like real food.

So counting the FiberOne and Multi-Grain Cheerios I had for breakfast, we're looking at 26/29 points...by noon. And I'm going to be in class with little breaks until 9:30 tonight.

This may seem like an FML post, but it really isn't. This is all just a part of the readjustment process. I am so full right now that I should be able to make it through most of the rest of the day only going a few points over (thanks, salad.) And I'm doing Yoga-X for an hour and a half tonight, so that buys me back a few points.

It really is great to be back, I thought I was back in the right mindset before The Rematch started, but now I KNOW I am. Even though I was recommitted to P90X, I would not have done it last night (or tonight...or tomorrow) just based on my schedule. But now, I refuse to let a chance for a Whammie pass me by. I may or may not have realized that my meals were higher in points than I had thought, but now I am keeping track of every point to balance out my slip ups through bonus points.

And I'm blogging about it. I like to keep Katy happy right up to the moment I snatch the Former Fatties crown right off if her pretty, skinny, little head.

This seems like a pretty good time to remind Katy about the existence of cupcakes.

I'd especially like to remind her about the existence of mini-cupcakes with individual dolups of frosting - making the frosting : cake ration perfect.

I really have to go to sleep but I do want to check in (and I do want to get a blog credit.)
  • Weighed in at 167.6. Two-ish pounds above where we weighed in. Considering the summer, that may be my crowning achievement. I wouldn't be surprised if I had another 15 pounds to lose. It wouldn't be unreasonable to be 155, I don't think.
  • Had a bit of bottom-of-the-mountain depression at one point today. The "how the hell can I do this" feeling is awful. You are adjusting to working out / eating and don't know how you'll last the day let alone the year. It literally only lasted a few seconds though as I remember having a HUGE freakout on day 1 or 2 of the original contest (oh, doesn't it seem so quaint?)
  • I loved the original bet's February challenge (and won it by dropping 10 pounds!) Let this be a reminder that there is a prize (and pride) at stake 29 days from now.
  • Cupcakes anyone?
  • Thought I was doing pretty well on points. Was actually doing awful. Ended up about 6 points over, which is fine because I'm still starving and last time I had a lot of success by easing into the points by dividing my first week's 35 bonus points over the days rather than binging on them. Highlights include:
  • 1 slice of Sbarro pizza which is apparently a whopping 10 points. They are bigger slices so it makes me feel like the 8ish points we usually charge for regular pizza is probably sadly accurate.
  • A hot dog and bun ( I got in Penn Station because I was so hungry I decided it was better to get something to eat (with some protein - my first of the day) to cut my craving. Didn't realize it would run me 8 points
  • A salad and half sandwich that I got from Panera because I assumed it was healthy. The salad was very low points and delish, but aparently the half sandwich was completely loaded. I've actually had better sandwiches there for less points, so this is why you should go into chains prepared.
  • Actual Highlight Alert: Kiwi Kazi smoothie from Planet Smoothie. It is so freaking good (and I get several a week) and the best I can figure it is 3 points. Soooo worth it. And since I request no added sugar, its really just fruit and ice. I would like to reapeat that it is delicious. I mean, not as delicious as a cupcake, but I mean...what is as delicious as a cupcake? Mmm...let's all think about cupcakes.
  • Finally, I P90Xed. Had similar feeling of overwhelmingness (how the hell am I supposed to do this for the full hour, let alone for 90 days?) I realized though that it is good that it is so difficult. In the words of Jillian Michaels, that pain you feel is your body changing. So it is actually really encouraging that I haven't hit my peak. There is so much I can do. Like eat some cupcakes.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

And we're off

Started this morning and realizing it's hard to get back into the points counting mindset, but I'm sure I'll be back to my old ways in no time.

I weighed in this morning at 136.8 - a pound less than when our first contest ended in May. Not bad, but I'd love to see if I can hit 130 for my 25th (!!) birthday on December 19th. Does that seem realistic?

B: Double Fiber Honey Wheat English Muffin (1), 2 egg whites (.5), ketchup & hot sauce, 2 cups of OJ (4.5) = 6 total

L: 2 avocado rolls (6), 3 small bites of shrimp shumai (2) = 8 sub / 14 total

S: large banana (2) = 16 total

D: Going to Crocodile Lounge to celebrate me and Alex's 1.5 year anniversary :) and will have 2 drinks (4) and a mini pizza (6?) = 10 sub / 24 total

If I stick to my dinner plan, that puts me at 6 over today, which I'm totally okay with because it's a very special day.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Former Fatties / Fall Fitness version 2.0

We talk the talk, and have not been walking the walk, jogging the jog, or breaking any sort of sweat.

As per my discussion with Bobby this morning, we have officially committed ourselves to ANOTHER CONTEST. The idea of just getting fit for the sake of getting fit apparently wasn’t resonating with either of us, but the “sheer terror” of beating each other in a contest again is enough to light a fire under our (fat)asses.

Pretty much the same rules apply:
DATES:
  • Contest starts on September 15th (that’s tomorrow), and runs through December 15th.

WHAMMIES:
  • Whammies are valid in one month intervals only: from the 15th of the starting month to the 14th of the following month, at which point they expire.
  • To up the ante, 40 whammies must be attained in the one-month period to earn the bonus of two pounds off the final weigh-in weight.
  • Whammies can be acquired in two ways:
  1. Exercise/workout exceeding 20 minutes in length. Maximum of 2 workout whammies can be earned each day, with each workout session happening at different parts of the day (ie: 2 hours of working out straight through, unfortunately, only warrants 1 whammie)
  2. Getting all of your Healthy Guidelines (“HGs”) in during the course of the day. Our slightly-doctored version of Weight Watchers HGs include: 5 servings of fruits/veggies, 1 serving of dairy, 6 glasses of water, 2 teaspoons of healthy oil, 1 lean protein, and whole grains whenever possible.
  • On the 1st of every month (mid-month in the competition calendar), both opponents must check in and report how many whammies they have tallied, inducing the “sheer terror” factor.
  • Final whammie totals are to be reported on the 14th of every month in order to redeem the 2 bonus pounds per month off final weigh-in. (For a total of 6 possible pounds off the final weigh in)
  • As per Bobby’s request, the competitor who earns the most whammies will be deemed “The Mayor of Whammieville.”

BLOGGING:
  • Since I get annoyed at Bobby’s leaves of absence from the blogging world: a minimum requirement of 3 blog postings per week are required.
  • If the weekly blog posting requirement is not met, 2 whammies are to be docked from the monthly whammie total. This potentially means that by neglecting this here blog you could lose up to 8 whammies a month of the necessary 40 per bonus. Sucker.

TALLYING RESULTS:
  • The winner is determined based off of highest percentage of weight lost ([starting weight – final weight]/starting weight x 100)
  • Just for fun, we’re going to record our measurements to see how skinny(me)/ripped(Bobby) we get.

PRIZES:
  • On October 14th, we will have a one-month check-in. The contender who has lost the greatest percentage at this point gets a $30 gift card.
  • On December 15th, at the final weigh in (version 2.0), the contender who has lost the greatest percentage of weight gets a $150 cash prize (paid for by the loser).

Bobby – anything I missed?

To my friends – sorry about what this means for my social life. I’ll still come out, I’ll just be be back in the routine of making health-concious(what’s that?) choices and curbing the binge drinking...just a little.

Like they say, you gotta be in it to win it. I’m all in.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Heeeeere we goooo.

FALL FITNESS HAS BEGUN.

Scratch that post about me weighing 163, because I weighed in at 168.8 this morning. That is OK though, since tonight starts P90X.

I will be taking all sorts of Before Pictures tonight (still so sad I lost my befores from the beginning of FF.) I plan on the before/afters being SUPER dramatic. It is not going to be easy, but December 12th will be here before we know it. Bye, bye, fat.


December 2007:

December 2009

Monday, September 7, 2009

What we've accomplished.

Now that the summer of eating, drinking and celebrity death is over, I am trying to have a really positive fitness outlook. That means that I am optimistic about what I am going to achieve over the next few months, but it is probably also a good idea to acknowledge how far I've come already. Depending on the day it is safe to say that I have lost at least 40 pounds, rapidly approaching 45. I really wish that I had taken before pictures at the top, but unfortunately I basically went around detagging pictures on a daily basis back then.

I think I have preserved the same basic shape so its really easy for me to feel exactly the same as I always did, so I am trying to remind myself that I look completely different now than I did then. I wore XL shirts and 36 waist pants. Currently, about half of my shirts are mediums and half of them are smalls.

And I now write you, for the first time ever, in size 31 jeans. 31! It seems more or less absurd. I can't tell you the last time I was a 31 because I literally don't think I've ever been one. I did not think that ANYONE was anything below a 32. It feels not that long ago that I'd be trying to fit into 35s but knowing that they were really too snug. So I will admit that the first thing I thought was, "I can totally be a 30! Or lower!" And that is fine. And I look forward to rocking a sweater this Christmas that only a hot gay man can wear. And I hope that the shift of focus to working out will mean that my shape will change enough that I feel better without having to look to the numbers to tell me to.

But in the meantime, lets give it up for the Former Fatties. Katy once told me early on that this was one of her favorite things that she ever did. I agree with that more every day.

Possibly my favorite Former Fattie ever (sorry Katy)

I've been watching a lot of P90X before/after YouTube videos lately. They are so inspirational! They are probably what made me buy P90X in the first place. I am going to eat right all week and try to do as many pullups as I can, whenever possible. And then Sunday...it begins. (Makes X symbol with arms along with one bad-ass face.)

Below please find by far my favorite of all of these videos. What I love is that he had to come up with this idea and film the beginning while he was still a fattie.


December 12th. Do you know how hot we're going to be?

So hot.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

FF09 pt 2 - all systems go.

Bobby - congratulations! I am so proud of you and that is so amazing. That's pretty much the motivation that I need to get back on track. And by "back on track," I mean no more pad thai for lunch and supreme nachos with extra meat for dinner.

Ready to be freaked out like I just was? On December 31st, 2007 I weighed in at 168 lbs. That's 5 pounds more than Bobby - a man, who is at least 6" taller than me - weighs now. OUTRAGEOUS!!! I mean, yeah, I was fat. Since I've struggled with my weight my whole life, I've always been really self conscious about being the biggest one in the class or bigger than the boys. It's a pretty recognized fact that I don't date small guys. It's probably mostly a psychological thing having to do with my need/desire to feel small, feminine and protected. I think now is the first time in the past 5 years that I weigh less than my brothers, which to me is an accomplishment (since they are really fit guys with muscles like crazy). I remember being pretty little and my dad weighing himself (my dad's not a tall guy), and the scale read 155 and he was really bummed about it, and said he'd never want to be more than that (I disagree). For some reason, that stuck with me and I felt like if daddy should never be over 155, I should be WAY below that. Of course, that didn't happen until about 6 months ago for the first time in like, at least 7, 8, 9 years.

But now that it has, I'm determined to keep it off and keep getting healthier. Bobby, I love the idea of turning our Double-F's (Former Fatties) into a new Fall Fitness regime. I weighed in yesterday back in the 135 range (!!) and my goal is to reach 130 by my 25th birthday (December 19th). I also need to shift my focus on FITNESS since I hate working out. At least I love food (duh) so figuring out how to eat healthy was kind of a fun game. I have 0 fun working out, but I guess I need to change that mentality and just learn to enjoy it.

[ psychoanalysis complete ]

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

All I Want For Christmas is A Fucking Six Pack Already.

I'll make this brief cause I need to get my dream on.

I am so back. Like...SO back. I have been eating great, exercising periodically. Next week should be difficult because I am working every day and then going to school every night. So food could easily become an afterthought without the right preparation. So...I'll try to do that.

Sometimes I guess it really does take shaking things up to get going again. I think the summer ending (and taking its month long queue of drinking parties with it), along with me starting work have just put me in a fresh mindset that has really been working for me.

So this has all culminated in me weiging in this morning at...163.8!

I'm pretty sure I weighed more than that at birth. There really is nothing like positive re-enforcement. and let me tell you, after seeing that number on the scale this morning, I never want to see something higher than that again. And that is mere weeks away from the 150's!

I made my entire calendar to do all 90 days of P90X starting a week from Sunday. At this point, there are so many YouTube videos of people who started the program fatter than me and finished it with sixpacks. I will be done the second week of December. And then I am throwing a shirtless Christmas party!

So...I extend the invitation to everyone out there. Channel your end-of-summer blues into something more productive. Katy and I proved you can make a huge difference in your life in just about the amount of time we have from now till the end of the year. FALL FITNESS '09. WHO'S WITH ME?