Progress Picture

So it's no secret that I'm not exactly very technically saavy.  That's Michael's dept around here...he is super smart with computers and has actually built his last three. 


That being the reason that it's taken me this long to get a side by side before and after picture of my weight loss journey. But I finally discovered Picasa that seems to be pretty user friendly.


So voila!  The before pic is when I believe I was at my heaviest.  I wasn't exactly weighing myself a lot those days (there wasn't a scale in our house).  The after was Saturday June 23, 2012.

Back again...hopefully to stay

Weigh in today: 157.4   -2.0 lbs from last week

Holla! I finally made it back down to my original goal weight.  Only took about a month to lose 4 lbs but whatevs.  Because this time I know it was all me and not because I was on "salt reducing" pills.   2 weeks ago I decided to change my goal weight to 159 lbs.  That seemed more manageable and will be okay if I bounce around like 2 or 3 lbs from that. 

So I guess I'm officially back on maintenance again!  I'm trying things a little different this time...I manually set my daily points on WW to 31 instead of the default 34.  Then on MFP I set it to 1700 cals instead of 1920 or whatever their default is.  So maybe my body won't have this big shock of eating so much more and me have a massive gain next week like my first go round with maint.  I'll just have to wait and see and realize that it might take awhile for me to figure out what works.

Because duh.....I have to be in top form next weekend, it's my birthday bash weekend!  I am beyond excited about this and I hope I'm not building it up too much in my head.  Next week at work will be the looooongest week ever until I clock out at 2pm on Friday.  Margaritas and tattoo on Friday night, big luau party on Saturday night, then hopefully a fabulous lunch just me and the hubs at Mr Sushi on Monday for my actual birthday. Since my vacation days at work are seriously lacking, this is the only "vacation" I'm gonna get this year so I'm damn sure going to enjoy my 3 days away from there.


I never know how to end these posts.....Love Kristi? I'm not 12 and this isn't my diary?

Learning to love the old me

Weigh in: 159.4   -2.4 lbs from last week

Okay I'm over my woe is me mood from last week! I think it was just because I was sick and other "womanly" factors getting to me.  Plus I'm back on the losing track and running my longest distances yet.  Tuesday I ran my first 5k without having to stop and walk.  Yesterday I had to stop and walk a few times, for only about a minute each, but I ran my longest distance yet- about 3.5 miles.  We'll see how I do tomorrow...I'm just NOT a morning runner.  My endurance seems to at its best in the afternoons.

So we got into a good discussion today with my boardie friends on the Relationship thread.  We were talking about compulsive eating habits, binges, and hiding or sneaking food.  It got me thinking about my past and current food behaviors.  I never really struggled with my weight growing up or in high school.  Like most high school girls, I was convinced I was fat when I really wasn't.  In fact my high school weight ended up being my WW goal weight.  I was very active in high school- playing volleyball and basketball and running track.  I was active enough that I could eat whatever I wanted.  Once I got into college the scale slowly started to creep up year by year.  I was working on my feet all day at the grocery store (shout out 4th and Slide!) so I really think that kept me from gaining fast.  Because it sure wasn't my eating or drinking habits!  I was drinking at least 5 nights and week and most of those nights would end with a trip to the Whataburger drive thru, or a 3am run to IHOP, or to get a burrito at Josie's.  By my senior year...I was starting to notice and it was starting to bug me.  But in a purely superficial way of course.  Why wouldn't the guys at the bar hit on me?? Why do they talk to my friends and buy them drinks but act like I'm not here? This shouldn't have mattered because they weren't exactly quality guys anyway but it bothered me.  I remember getting Taco Bell for lunch pretty frequently and bringing it back home.  It would irritate me so much if my male roommates were home and sitting on the couch when I got back with my nachos bell grande and 2 gorditas.  I didn't want them to see me with so much food...like they even cared.

Then I graduated in 2006, dated a guy for a year....one big hot mess later I was back in Dallas working at my first real live desk job.  With my ass firmly planted in a chair for 8 hours a day my weight shot up like crazy.  Michael and I started dating at the end of 2007 and then of course I put on my "comfortable" weight.  I was at my highest weight at our wedding.  I try not to look back at wedding photos and be ashamed...it was a great day! It was an amazing day filled with family, friends, and love.  But I can't help but see in my eyes that I didn't feel as beautiful as a bride should on her wedding day.  I really do have the most amazing husband...the woman I am in his eyes has never changed, no matter what weight I am.

  I honestly think my rock bottom was going to the doctor in April of last year and her telling me I was overweight. I was 219lbs then and I knew I was..but nobody ELSE had ever said it to me. I always got the "yeah but you're so tall". It felt like a swift kick in the ass to have another person tell me to my face that I needed to lose.  

So I did....lose 60 lbs.  I wish that I could embrace the bigger me and I really am trying.  She's still Kristi....still has the same eyes, nose, laugh, sense of humor.  But at the same time I couldn't wait to get rid of her..and I'm afraid of going back to her.  I know she's still in there and I struggle to keep her contained. 

Remember that magical day....

that I met my goal weight?  Because it's just a memory now.  My weight this morning... 161.8.  Really?!  But I'm not surprised.  My longest cold ever that I talked about last week?  It's still hanging on for dear life and earned me a doctor visit yesterday.  Turns out it's a sinus infection and bronchitis! Yay! :/ So I've pretty much been knocked on my ass these last few days.  At the grocery store yesterday waiting for my meds to get filled I decided some greasy, sodium filled Chinese food from the Wok was just what I needed the day before a weigh in + I haven't worked out since Tuesday=  a 1lb gain. 

I'm trying hard to not be so depressing on this blog post...but it's hard tonight.  I don't feel good, I feel beyond discouraged that I'm still gaining weight, plus I'm really bummed about my lack of friends here in Tyler.  I have some great friends at work and honestly I'm not sure why we never do anything outside of work.  I would love a group of girlfriends here that we could do some patio sitting and drinking.  I'm not in college anymore...where do I meet these friends??? 

I dunno...I just feel like I'm in a rut.  I need something to shake things up and to have some fun.  I'm soooooooooo ready for my birthday weekend to get here.  I'm getting some margaritas and a wrist tattoo with my bestie on Friday night then 30th bday luau on Sat!

I'm getting the one in the middle on the bottom row.

This has been your weekly blog post from Debbie Downer.

Longest.cold.ever

So yeah...I'm bored out of my mind right now.  This little cold I picked up on Monday has now settled in my chest and coughing is well...pretty gross.  I need to venture into town and get some Mucinex.  Also some Panera...I've never been and there is a newish one in Tyler.  I have perused their menu and definitely decided that's what I'm having for dinner since the hubs is at the 2nd job.  Already know what I'm getting and the PP+ figured out as well.  You Pick Two with cup of broccoli cheese soup and half an Asian Sesame salad.  YUM...okay I might not make it to dinnertime.

But mainly, I wanna run!!  I hate that this damn cold is keeping me from working out.  I sucked it up and went running last night.  I didn't make it very far before I felt like an elephant was stampeding on my chest, about 2 miles I think.  Not sure since I had to keep stopping and walking.  It crossed my mind for a hot second to get up this morning and run before it got to be 175 degrees outside in my fair East Texas.  But yeah..I woke up at 10:30 feeling like death warmed over. I ate breakfast and had some coffee and have finally started feeling halfway human again.  But it's now 1:32pm and a very humid 88 degrees out there.   I might possibly just head into town and go to my former gym and pay the money for a day pass to run on their indoor track...if I can steer the Mustang away from Panera long enough.

I love running outside around my neighborhood.  We live on Lake Palestine and it's always so peaceful out here.   This little cutie started following me one Saturday about a month ago when I was running.  He followed me around my route 3 times and then back to my house.  After I went inside he disappeared and I haven't seen him again. :( I think he went back to his own house down on the water.

Fail....or not

Well my first week of maintainence....did NOT go so well!  UGH.  I weighed in this morning and was up 3.4 lbs.  I had been expecting it for a few days but it was still really discouraging to see.  What caused me to gain 3 freakin lbs in a week?!


My friends, in real life and my WW boardie friends, have all told me to chill the hell out.  I'm eating more and I need a few weeks to figure out how this whole thing works.  Also I ran out of hydrochlorithorizide (sp?) officially this week.  Funny..I got put on them for my blood pressure when I was overweight.  Now I almost depend on them to help keep the excess salt out of my body- ie no bloating.  Now that I'm  not overweight and don't have BP problems, I don't need them anymore.  Bring on the water weight! Blah.  I also managed to catch myself a nasty little cold or sinus infection or something this week.  I missed a day of work on Tuesday because my throat hurt so bad and my head was about to explode.  So I've been downing the cold meds too.   Anyhoo....my boardie friends told me that it's more than likely a false gain and to give myself a few weeks to settle down and figure things out.  Lots of factors happened this week to show a gain on the scale that should go away...so they say.


I listened to them...for a day.  This morning I reset MFP and WW both back to "lose" and also changed my goal weight to 155 lbs.  I tell myself that if I bounce around between 155-160, I'll be okay with that.  But will I really??  I absolutely hate that I let that stupid scale get the best of me.  I was seriously depressed last night about this.  WHY?  It's dumb. I let my fear of maintaining already change my mind and set me back to losing again.  I can't just continue to lose weight!  I recognize this is a problem but I sure haven't changed it.  I felt more in control today when I only ate 31 points (3 activity points included) and 1450 cals.  I didn't feel like I was just floundering around.  I guess that's the control freak in me...it's now spilled over into my WLJ too.


Now I'm not going to kid myself...I didn't exactly stay OP all this week.  I had fun with food and beverages this past Sat, enjoyed some kick ass chicken fajitas on Wed, then my wonderful hubby brought me home this when I was home sick:

Oh.my.stars....stuff like this is what I miss from 60 lbs ago.

I might change my mind later on this week...if this so called water weight comes off.  But first I think I need to take a long hard look at why I let the numbers on the scale affect me so much. 

I hate to end on such a negative note!  So here's my dog Max.  He makes me happy!