Talk DERBY to Me!!!

Hahahah!  That used to be a Derby slogan a few years back.

It's MAY...and the first Saturday in May is always the Kentucky Derby.  Which means the first Friday is Oaks Day...the phillies run for the lillies.  We have never been to either of these horse races and are not really into it. Neither Rambo nor myself are from here originally. Some of the locals go all out Derby Weekend, others leave town and get the heck out! Lots of tourists and celebrities fly in for the KY Derby.  All the local radio and TV stations are Derby this and Derby that.  I will be glad when it clams down a bit.  

May also brings our son's birthday.  Our Cinco de Mayo baby! This year my baby boy turns 18!!!  Wholly cow, where does the time go?!?  I thought it was bad when our daughter turned 20 this past January, but this is my baby...the youngest...TURNING 18!  You know that this momma will be having a margarita or three on that day.  :)

Whew!!! What a week. This whole insurance claim thing for the roof is pretty stressing. Much of it is a hurry up and wait thing. I hate waiting!   Finally heard back from the insurance co about our roof. The mortgage co finally did their part with the first check and now I'm hoping that the roofing co will be able to begin work shortly. I also plan on hiring someone to repair and paint at least 2 ceilings in the house and more than likely paint the ceilings in the stairways. I'm a clutz  and it would just be bad, bad, bad me falling down the stairs with a roller full of paint. hahahahah

As for my weight loss; I have managed to maintain this week, which I will take as a victory.  Stressing out about things that I have no control over is silly and I try not to do it as much as possible.  Sometimes this whole being a responsible adult thing really stinks.  It stinks even more when I am doing it solo.  Rambo is off doing his thing and I am here holding down the fort, and trying to make sure that the roof of said fort does not cave in on us.  

Ahhhh, no rest for the wicked......Wicked Stitch that is!  :D

The Numbers are Moving!

FINALLY!!!  After literally M O N T HS of hanging out at or around the same weight, the numbers have started to budge.  Wholly cow!

In January, right before my birthday on the 2nd, I was at my lowest in years, I was so close to getting under 200 I could smell it.  Then it just escaped me.  After doing so well all through the holidays I was stalled.  It stayed the same for weeks, then a small gain.  Well drats!  As the pending deployment got closer we began dining out more.  We like it.  We get to spend time together and I don't have to be stuck in the kitchen when I would rather be spending time with Rambo before he leaves.  Then came the flat out self sabotage, with all that dining out, who wants to watch carbs when I'm not seeing results?  In my Gotta Get a Grip post I talked about that!

"It's official...I've got to get a grip!  Gained weight...gee how odd!?!? *smacks head*  Dining out far too much on the road the past couple of weeks and eating far too many carbs!  Not even hidden ones, flat out consuming french fries and damn dunkin donuts munchkins!  Self sabotage sucks.  I lost almost 40# and now I think I can eat whatever I please?  WTH self?  What are you thinking?!?!?  You clearly do NOT know how to be a grown up, stop trying and follow your eating plan!!!  Got to get a grip.  Step away from the tater tots and the M&Ms you jackass! "

I'm not a sugar coating kind of gal.  My self talk amuses me.  :)
Sometimes a good swift kick in the pants is what it takes...even if it comes from yourself!  

I decided to look at my intake.  My calories were low since I do not exercise much; I'm just not a fan.  I don't like to sweat, never have.  Every now and again I will hop on the treadmill and walk a few miles an swing my kettlebell 2-3 times a week but nothing super regular.  If I feel like it, I will do it.  If my plantar fasciitis isn't killing me, I will walk longer.  If it's taking me down like a rhino with a dart gun, then there is NO WAY any walking is happening.  So calories were not my issue.  I looked at how I had my percentages broke down between fat, protein and carbs.  I lowered my carbs and upped the fat.  Thus the FAT BOMBS post that was before this one.  I also bought some ketone sticks.  Lo and behold, the weight began to drop!  Wheeeee!  It's about time.  

I am enjoying watching the numbers drop after having them remain static for so long.  While I am not under the magical 200 yet, I am closer than I have been since January 2nd, and that's good by me.

Fat Bombs...Who Knew?

I made these little fat bombs last night, and wholly cow :yummy: they are so good!!!  If you are doing keto or need to up your fat intake fat bombs are such a treat and way tastier than eating a spoonful of straight coconut oil.   And I LOVE anything coconut!  They are especially great if you are a fan of almond joy candy bars.  I have found other recipes with peanut butter, but I am just not a fan of pb.  It always has a way of burping back up on me, not cool pb, not cool at all!

http://lowcarbbetterhealth.blogspot.com/2012/07/fat-bombs.html?m=1
Nutritional info for one Fat Bomb:
145 calories
14.7g fat (91.2%)
1.53g protein (4.2%)
1.67g carbs (4.6%)

Hanging On

While the weight may just be hanging on, waiting for me to up my activity, or perhaps just getting used to being here at this lighter weight for a bit before it continues on it's journey; I've noticed there have been changes other than weight loss as a result of my low carb way of life.

Less creaking of the stairs when I go up and down them.
Less creaking of ME in general. :)
Far less joint pain.
Stronger nails.
Brighter and younger looking complexion.
Less breakouts.
Better sleep.
Wake up actually refreshed and not like the walking dead.
Less migraines.

Since I am not one for doctors, I am sure that whatever levels they test are also in a far better range. Although, when I did go to my weight loss place, my cholesterol was always in the preferred range as was my heart rate. If it ain't broke don't fix it is my way of thinking when it comes to drs. Not always a popular choice when others find out about how I don't go. It's usually followed by "you should get checked for this or that, just a check up to make sure you're doing okay." I'm doing super okay. If I felt as if something was seriously wrong I would get it checked out, but I am no hypochondriac. I am not going to have some pill pushing dr just look around until he/she finds something potentially wrong. I've done the test lab guinea pig route a couple times in my life and I now choose to stay far from that, thank you very much.

Others who follow the low carb way also notice changes other than weight loss. Here is a list is from Wifezilla's Way.

I know that I function better when I am following a low carb way of life. Now if I could just stop all the carby treats from directing their siren song toward me...

Motivation

Or the lack of in my case. It's been a while since I have done any intentional moving. The scale on the other hand, is having a grand time moving in the wrong direction. My little lime FitBit Zip hasn't been able to show me a great step day...because I've been a lazy sloth. We are prepping for another deployment and it always takes a lot out of me mentally, which makes for a sloth like and depressed Wicked Stitch. This pre-deployment has been THE most unorganized we've ever experienced. I am not a fan.

One of my weight loss friends whom I have never met, she lives on the other side of the continent showed off her cute Polar FT4 heart rate monitor. I have never had one and quite honestly had no idea what my 'zone' even was! I still had some money left on the Amazon gift card Rambo gave me for xmas...so I got one! Lime green of course to go with my FitBit Zip. 

Today I strapped that bad boy on and hopped on the treadmill for an hour.  It tells me I burned 405 calories my average rate was 130 and max was 146; also I was in zone apparently for 54:28 of my hour.  I think that's good.  :/  I really need to read up on this thing and see what's what.

Gotta Get A Grip

It's official...I've got to get a grip!  Gained weight...gee how odd!?!? *smacks head*  Dining out far too much on the road the past couple of weeks and eating far too many carbs!  Not even hidden ones, flat out consuming french friens and damn dunkin donuts munchkins!  Self sabotage sucks.  I lost almost 40# and now I think I can eat whatever I please?  WTH self?  What are you thinking?!?!?  You clearly do NOT know how to be a grown up, stop trying and follow your eating plan!!!  Got to get a grip.  Step away from the tater tots and the M&Ms you jackass! 


This is a pattern I have had all my life.  Lose a decent amount


 of weight or get close to breaking a self set goal and 

BLAMMO...SELF SABOTAGE!  It really is a messed up thing.

So, this is my way of getting myself to realize this and move 

forward.  No use in beating 

myself up over gaining 8 or so pounds...it will be gone before

 I know it!  Cut the carbs out,

 and deal with the monthly physiological female junk and I

will be smelling the sweetness of 

being right on the heels of another goal! 

I've got my handy dandy little FitBit Zip.  Yes, I did.  I finally

let my classic die and got a cute new lime green zip. Now it's 

time to put that little thing to work and get back on track!

Happy New Year!

Most people look at the end of one year and the beginning of another as a time to reflect upon past and future.  For me, it brings a double whammy...my birthday is the second day of the New Year.  So not only do I have the reflecting of old year/new year, but I also have the joy of turning another year older and taking stock in whatever that might bring.

Good thing for me, is that I don't get all wrapped up in turning another year older.  It's just a number.  I don't feel any older than I did when I was 20 years younger, so bring it on!

I was super close to reaching the 200# even mark by my birthday.  However, one of the not so great things about having a holiday time birthday is it's silly to set a weight loss goal during feasting season.  I didn't make it, and I did not try to kill myself to attain it either.  My family wanted to take me out to a fabulous Cuban restaurant for my birthday, as if I am going to say no to that?!  LET'S GO!!!  I told them no need to get a ice cream birthday cake, as is our tradition...instead we went to a dessert place and each ordered one slice/serving of whatever dessert we wanted.  It was perfect and nothing sitting in the fridge/freezer staring at me waiting or begging for me to pig out on it!

While I may have missed the 200# mark, I did manage to accomplish quite a bit in 2013.

*I have lost my greatest amount to date: 40#

*BMI has gone from 40 down to 33.5 still technically obese, but less than before!  :)

*My clothes are baggy, even ones that I had not been able to wear in years are now hanging loose.

*The V's of my Vneck shirts are substantially lower than they were when I purchased them.

*15.5 inches are gone as well.

I am feeling pretty darn good about this!

Of course have full body photos, which aren't the best, because I still wear my baggy clothes.  No matter what size I have been in my life, super tight clothing just isn't my style.  In the face shot comparison you can REALLY see a difference.  Not too shabby for 44  ;)