For those of you who didn’t understand my reference to “muffin top”….  Note how the top of the pants cut into this poor woman’s stomach/waist area and cause an overflow of chub… That, my dear friends, is the muffin top.  That, my dear readers, is what we DONT want to have happen – ever again.

There are 2 ways of rectifying this situation – 1) buy bigger pants that do NOT cause the muffin top phenomena or 2) lose weight.

We have opted for #2.  Enjoy the journey.

Here we go again…  I’m stillllllll holding steady, even given the holidays we are in the midst of!!    To me – that’s success.  I have not been eating a whole lot, because I believe my stomach has shrunk – I’m just not ABLE to eat as much as I used to.  That’s a good thing.  I’m still hitting the gym pretty hard and have roped my neighbor into joining me on the days I have the trainer.  They basically kick our collective asses and we pay them for it.  As a result, we are generally unable to walk or lift anything for a day or two afterward…. It’s all good pain and we get to grow all that fun mitochondria that helps to burn energy while sitting on those same asses mentioned before.  In the end, it’s a winning situation – despite the pain and sweat.  (and I like to type mitochondria)

I’ve begun keeping a daily diary of what I eat, including the massive amounts of water I intake, down to the single cookie I shoved in my mouth like a starving wolf faced with a sweet little baby chipmunk….yummy…. and gross at the same time.  Basically – whole thing, shoved into my moufff, no chewing, 100% swallow.  Yeah baby….  The diary has definitely helped guilt me into only eating when appropriate and to only eat appropriate foods.  On the other hand, it does NOT help me when I forget to eat, or when I run out of time to actually prepare something that may not cause twenty new saddle bags on my already-burdened hips.

Additionally, I’ve cut the Coke out about 50% of the time.  Today is Friday and I believe I’ve only had 2 this week.  THAT, in and of itself, is a major step forward for me.  I tend to consume one 20-oz Coke a day and that’s a couple hundred Calories I don’t have to eat good, healthy food with.  So, while it is a moving target, I’m making progress.

I still have to get through next week, with Christmas, and the week after with New Years (this will be a challenge as I plan on getting all drunkerd up and sloshy over that particular holiday), so wish me luck.  I’m planning on hitting the gym hard EVERY day between now and then just because I feel so much better when I do, and I’m really liking the results I’ve seen thus far.  Smooches – ciao!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh…………..

Seriously – it’s quite aggravating and I mentally understand it but cannot emotionally detach myself.  I just love Coke.  Original Coke, no diet, no zero, no caffeine free.  Good, old fashioned, original Coke – okay, minus the actual cocaine, but with 100% calories, sugar and caffeine. 

This is not helping my diet efforts.  However, since I don’t really eat a LOT of junk, I allow myself this indiscretion.  Yesterday, twice.  I’ve begun keeping a food diary so I can review my intake and compare it with what I should be eating.  YES, I understand that this is pretty much a trial run and that I don’t eat enough of the good stuff and too much of the bad stuff. 

For instance:  yesterday’s total intake was this – 6 fig newtons, 1 blueberry Activia yogurt, 2 – 20oz bottles of water, tuna salad in a spinach wrap, 20 oz Coke, 1 small biscuit, 2/3 of a chicken breast, 1& 1/2 cups of spaghetti with alfredo sauce, 20 oz Coke, and another 12 oz of water. 

While this combination of food was yummy to my tummy, it was not nutritionally balanced.  While I may have consumed enough protein, there is a severe lack of fruits and vegetables….. 

TIP – it can be especially helpful to keep a food diary and track your food intake.  It allows for a comparison to nutritional guidelines and lets you know just how bad your diet may be for your efforts to lose, and can enable you to make adjustments where necessary to maximize your intake.

It’s almost Thanksgiving folks, and I’m flat lined right now.  I’m not mad, and I’m certainly going to eat me some turkey and all the fixin’s with the Pash clan, but I will definitely be hitting the gymand getting some great day-after exercise.  Enjoy yourselves, try not to over-indulge, and if your family’s making you crazy, leave.  Hard enough to do, but honestly, it’s possible.  Traditionally, I check out a movie or something.

Ciao!! 

I’m going to stop apologizing for being busy and not updating the blog as often as we initially intended.  We start off about every 3rd post with apologies and reasons why we haven’t blogged in an appropriate span of time, but you know what?  Oh well – we all have busy lives and try to keep things going daily, so if we miss something here or there, it’s just a good thing we remembered to get back to it at all….   That being said, I have lots of good news to share with those of you playing along at home:

Workouts:

I’m doing VERY VERY well on the workout scene.  I’ve become a little obsessive with it.  As Ash said earlier, I finally joined Peak fitness so I can try and get some workouts in at lunch or immediately after work or class as it works out.  I’ve also made use of the workout facilities in my apartment complex which is not as good as elsewhere, but encourages sweat, so I’ll take it.  I’m trying to consistently attend the Funky Fit classes, though I am rhythmically challenged at times, it works my smile/laugh muscles as well ‘cuz I can’t help but laugh at my own ridiculousness.  I’m also still getting up at the ass-crack of dawn with my step mom and doing interval run-walking.  It’s really showing a difference, and I’m excited about it.  Additionally, this week I’ve begun doing core work and ab work directly after my morning excursion – situps, pushups, butterflies, crunches, and supermans (gotta work the back).

Food:

Also doing pretty well, though I definitely have room to improve.  I have been consistently eating lunch, and drinking water and taking my vitamins.  As a downfall, I’m still drinking my Coke a day (crack in a bottle, I like to call it), and often forget dinner.  NOW – that’s also because the term is coming to an end and I’m stressing over homework and projects to complete within the next couple of weeks, so I really DO forget.

Weight:

Drum roll, please…………………………..  I’m down to 212lbs!!!!!!!  I can hardly believe it, but hard work pays off, and I’ve been fairly successful at a good eating/lifestyle change.  A little reality for you all – I bought a pair of pants 4 years ago because I loved the style and they were $7.00.  Couldn’t pass them up.  I have NEVER been able to wear them before because I tend to average from a size 20 pant to about a 16 when I’m doing really, really good.  Well, these pants are a size 14 and I wore them to work yesterday.  NO – I did not have a muffin top, and they were very comfortable, with room in the waist… I call that SUCCESS!!!! 

I still have a long way to go, but I am seeing improvement.  My peeps are doing great at keeping me accountable and reminding me that I can no longer be a blob o’ awesome, but a lean, mean, machine of crazy, mad, sexiness…….  Care to join me?

I find Halloween to be all about the candy.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never been big on all the dressing up so much as counting the loot when we got it back to the house and then making trades with my brother to get as much chocolate and candy bars as possible.  It was always a score when we hit the rich neighborhoods up to get the BIG candy bars……

This year, I’m abstaining from the holiday.  My office has gone nuts with a football theme and a “tailgate” potluck.  It should be great, calorie-filled fun for them, and I think it’s great.  It builds the team atmosphere and people are able to put aside their differences for just one day and focus on creativity.

I am contemplating a juicy, cheesy hamburger for dinner, and possibly some french fries.  I couldn’t even begin to tell you when the last time I partook of such a delicacy, but I’m craving one like I don’t know what.  AND – if I don’t indulge myself now, I don’t know what I’m liable to do later, like steal my daughter’s candy-loot and shovel the sugary-sweetness into my face, but I will make an effort to refrain.

ACTUALLY, I probably will behave myself food-wise, but I AM considering heading out to party it up with my fav’s, Ash & Pash – so stay tuned for whatever alcoholic binge tonight may bring.  NO, I’m not going to count calories, and I probably won’t count drinks, though I DID have a 2-drink maximum, I have waived the limit for the evening.

SO – enjoy this wonderful holiday folks, and try not to put yourself into a diabetic coma from over-sugar consumption.  It’s okay to slide here and there.  There are really no rules to eating ONLY good stuff ALL the time.  Once in a while, we have to feed our inner fattie to stay happy.  I don’t see that as something wrong.  I’m holding steady at 20lbs gone, and I plan on upping the workouts and pro-weight loss goals very soon, but for tonight, it’s game on – let’s rock this MF’er!!!

It has been one whole week since the inaugural post here at AOF and what have we got to show for it?  What have we learned?

1. Prevention.com has an amazing tracking tool to help you keep track of what you’re doing, what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right.
2. We need to eat less carbs and fat…and more protein.
3. Everyone has a different story.
4. This is harder than we thought.

Proud to have started such a personal, and popular blog that so many people can come to fir ideas, advice and support.  Here is to many more weeks.

I need some cool leg warmers.

So, to follow up to yesterday’s commentary….

I behaved myself! hahaha – for those of you who know me know that this can be a challenge. Actually, I’m still doing well. I already told you that I got up at the crack of dawn to force myself to sweat down the road for 45 minutes. Well, I did that again today – yay – it’s almost routine. I actually woke up 5 minutes before my alarm, got up and got going…. It’s a GOOD feeling.

So…. food – the devil’s temptation….lol. yes, yesterday for b-fast I ate my Activia yogurt with some blueberries and some water. Lunch – I slid a little bit and went to McAlister’s but I was still good – garden salad with tuna and light ranch on the side, no croutons and only dipped the tomaters in the dressing, so actually pretty good. Two huge sweet teas were my downfall, but I’m okay with that. Dinner consisted of a SmartOnes frozen meal and a little chicken salad ‘cuz it just sounded good. Not too terribly bad overall.

The presidential debate actually didn’t make me eat an entire chocolate cake, so that’s a good thing, and I went to bed without tummy rumblings. I’m on my way. See ya later!

Okay, so here I am, contemplating the excitement of calorie counting and sore muscles, and I wonder if this isn’t the beginning of the same old cycle of weight gain and loss. Can I seriously lose the weight I need to lose and keep it off? I want to. I need to. I know I can do it if I set my mind to it… (sings – you can do it, put your mind into it) I just have to get over myself and get started. Well, guess what???? I did.

Sunday – 1 hour brisk walk, a nice salad for brunch but still drank about 3 Cokes in one sitting, some broccoli and egg salad for dinner with water

Monday – 45 min. brisk walk, yogurt & blueberries for b-fast, broccoli and egg salad with a tortilla for lunch and a couple of wheat thins and water, chicken chili w/a small piece of corn bread and some sweet tea

Tuesday – 45 min. brisk walk, yogurt, blueberries & a banana for b-fast, chicken quesadilla with one Coke for lunch, forgot to eat dinner…ugh…. Funky Fit with the amazing Queen Pash for an hour.

Wednesday – (so far) – 45 min. brisk walk, yogurt & blueberries for b-fast, will have chicken salad w/a tortilla for lunch and maybe a Coke.

There it is – I’m making an effort and my body is not dying, and I’m feeling pretty good – happen endorphins and all…..

Wish me luck, and please feel free to give me a hard time. Yes, I love Coke and need to cut it down to less than 1 day – empty calories and all. Yes, I need to remember to eat throughout the day and not forget dinner. I have my faults, but you’re here to help me with them and point out the obviousness of my retardation. Love ya! See ya soon….

Welcome one and all to the Audacity of Fat; quite possibly the coolest, more frank, honest blog out there about getting in better shape, trimming off a few inches and having fun while doing it.  We hope to be able to share personal experiences, tips that work for us, and support in times of low willpower against cookies, candy and the like.  So join us for the journey to become more fit and more fabulous than ever before!