Tracy's WW Journey

A look back -- one year later

2005-05-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to write this entry for more than a week now.

It's been quite a year. In one year (+ one week) I've gone from a size 26 on the bottom and a tight 3X on the top to a size 8/10 on the bottom and a M/L on the top. I've lost almost 110 lbs., and gone from a BMI of 41.4 to 24.2. I made my WW goal weight yesterday, and am now officially a "healthy" weight for the first time in my adult life.

It's been a year of accomplishments, and a year of losses (and not just good ones). In January, we lost our doggy baby, our St. Bernard, Oliver. In February, my grandfather, age 90, passed on. But I know he got to see me after I had lost a good bit of weight, and, dammit, I looked good attending his funeral. He would've been proud. As much as I miss him, I'm mostly just glad he was here until I was 32 years old, so that my memories of him are so clear.

I've gone from someone who didn't really know her own size (and was fatter than I thought, or wanted to let myself think) to someone who doesn't really know her own size (and is thinner than I think, at least according to those around me). I've gone from barely being able to walk around the block to jogging up to 40 minutes at a stretch. I've gone from someone who hated just about all vegetables to someone who actually craves the asparagus roasting in the kitchen more than the treats I'm baking for a party tomorrow.

But, all the changes haven't been positive ones. I'm more selfish, materialistic, and appearance-conscious. I've gone from someone who was totally dedicated to her family and her job, and put herself last, to someone who very selfishly puts herself first -- for the benefit of both myself, and my family, at least in the long run. If the job gets in the way of the gym, the gym usually wins. It takes me longer to get things done at work now, but I enjoy my work more. I've also gone from someone who rarely thought about a person's weight (my own or anyone else's) to someone who notices it constantly. I've also become somewhat obsessed with stylish clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. My clothes budget (even though the clothes are cheaper now) has actually gone up, not down. I'm more materialistic now. I feel like I'm worth it.

Shopping in the misses section and feeling "normal" for the first time in my adult life is amazing. I can't believe I'm wearing a size 8 right now. And I can't believe I can fit both of my legs into one leg of my old "fat" jeans.

It's been a year of victories, both large and small. Hearing the cheers from everyone around me, both in "real life" and virtually, on the WW 100+ board, has been the most important element in my success. I couldn't have done it without you. (And now I have to keep doing it, too, because I can't let myself fail in front of you!)

Other small victories include a two year old daughter, who, god willing, will never remember her mommy fat. I showed her my "before" pic the other day, and asked her if that was mommy. She looked uncertainly at it, and then said, "No... that's mommy!" and pointed at my latest progress pic. I'm setting a better example for my family, and my husband has jumped on the WW wagon as well and has lost 53 lbs. to date. It's so terrific to hear a boss at work ask another colleague (one who's only known me a few months) if Tracy is still looking good (my boss hadn't seen me recently) and hear the colleage respond in a somewhat puzzled voice, "Sure, she's looking great!"

It's terrific to be in control of what I'm eating. Weight Watchers has taught me a lot about myself, both physically and mentally. I'm a comfort eater. When I feel upset, or stressed, or tired, I want to eat. Now that I've realized that, I can usually overcome it. It's also taught me I need to watch my blood sugar levels and keep things in balance. That means keeping the sweets to a minimum, even if I have the points for them. I've learned how exercise can affect not only your weight, but your mood as well.

I've learned great substitutes for the unhealthy foods I used to eat. I love Fat Free Pringles, and I'm fairly sure I'm keeping the Pringles company in business (I actually keep two cans of Pringles at all times -- my house Pringles and my car Pringles, that travel with me to restaurants, etc.) Ballpark FF hot dogs, baked french fries, California Pizza Kitchen thin pizzas, and WW ice cream cones are among my other favorites.

I looked back through my journal (and I can't overstate the importance of journaling EVERY SINGLE DAY -- in more than a year, I only didn't journal a week's worth of days, and those were conscious decisions and the days around my grandfather's funeral) and the difference astounds me.

My first day tracking on plan reads as follows:

May 3, 2004

Breakfast:

2 slices white bread (2)
1 tsp margarine (1)
1/8 medium honeydew melon (1)
2 slices cooked bacon (3)

Lunch

1 item Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich (9)
1/3 small serving Chick-fil-A Waffle Potato Fries (2)

Dinner

2 servings beef stroganoff with noodles (31.5)
1/2 cup yellow corn (1)

Total: 50.5 points (and I was trying to do well)

And yesterday's journal:

Chicken (2)
roasted garlic (1)
croutons (2)
pecans/bacon (2)
Salad greens (0)
Tomatoes (0)
Cucumber (0)
Dressing (.5)

1 mini almond biscotti (1)
Chicken breast (8)
Asparagus (1)
Bread (4)
Olive oil (2)

Total: 23.5

What a difference, huh?

Anyway, the point of this long ramble (and if you're still reading, wow, I admire your persistence!) is that I never would have thought this year could have meant so much to me. Thank you Weight Watchers! And a big thank you to my friend and neighbor who got me started last year -- without that gentle nudge in the right direction, I wouldn't be here today.

GOAL!!!

2005-05-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

I reached my WW goal yesterday, May 5th! Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

I was 162.6 lbs, which brings me to 109.4 lost.

Now to just reach my personal goal, which is something lower than I am now. I'm not sure what my personal goal is, even -- I just know I'll know (or I hope I'll know) when I get there.

It's been quite a year. I'll post more later about all of that when I have time. Hope everyone is doing well!

PF Chang's Shrimp Dumplings

2005-05-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

Portion = 4 ea.
Sauce = 2 oz.
Yield = 2 to 4 portions

Recipe

Mix-
1 lb. Peeled and deveined medium shrimp, washed and dried.
2 Tbl. Minced fine carrot.
2 Tbl. Minced fine green onion.
1 tsp. Minced fresh ginger.
2 Tbl. Oyster sauce.
1/4 tsp. Sesame oil.

Wonton Wrappers – 1 pkg.

Sauce
1 cup Soy sauce
1 oz. White vinegar
1/2 tsp. Chili paste
1 oz. Sugar
1/2 tsp. Minced fresh ginger
Sesame oil to taste
1 cup Water
1 Tbl. Cilantro leaves

Procedure

Take ½ pound of shrimp and mince fine in a food processor. Take the other ½ pound and dice small. Combine rest of ingredients.
With a small spoon, place about ½ oz. of mixture into wonton wrapper. Moisten outside edge. Fold corner to corner (opposite and seal). Top should look like cross. Place on a plate covered in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Combine sauce ingredients and mix very well.

Prepare garnishes.

For Service
Fill soup pot with water. Bring water to a boil, then down to slight boil. Line bottom of Chinese steamer with light coat of vegetable oil or non-stick spray. Place dumplings in steamer. Cover and steam 7 to 10 minutes. Dumplings should be firm with internal temperature of 160 degrees. Serve in steamer or on plate.
Place 2 oz. of sauce in small bowl for dipping.

Then and WOW! Contest Entry

2005-04-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

OK everyone, I need your opinion. Which after photo should I enter in the Then and WOW WW contest? I need your opinion tonight, so don't be shy!

Before pic:

After pic in jeans:

After pic in a skirt:

Please leave feedback here or on my post on the WW 100+ to lose board! Thanks!!!

A Drive-By Blogging

2005-04-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Just a quick drive by post. I updated the snake. I was down 1.8 last week for a total loss of 104 lbs.

Down 2.2 This Week

2005-04-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

I was down 2.2 this week, which took me (barely) into a new decade. I was 169.8.

I'll update the snake soon.

I'm really upping my exercise this week, focusing on a blend of cardio and toning (I started pilates classes at the gym -- I had been doing the DVDs, which was good, but I like the classes better). I'm also thinking of going to a class called Hard Core Abs. I think maybe someone should talk me out of this...

I'll post again soon!

Apple and Pork Stir-fry with Ginger

2005-04-05T22:05:00.000-07:00

From the American Institute for Cancer Research. Many other healthy recipes on their site...

7 pts. a serving

2 Tbsp. peach jam, preferably fruit sweetened
2 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. dark toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger root
1/2 pound (8 ounces) pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 firm apples, such as Fuji or Gala, cut into one-inch pieces
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups steamed brown rice or whole wheat angel hair pasta

Instructions:

In small bowl, combine jam, soy sauce, water and cornstarch. Set aside. In large non-stick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add pork and ginger and stir-fry until pork is browned and just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer pork and ginger to bowl with slotted spoon. Add canola oil to skillet. Stir-fry peppers, water chestnuts, and apples until peppers are crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Add pork back to skillet along with scallions. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add jam mixture. Continue to stir-fry 30 seconds to one minute, or until sauce thickens. Season to taste with black pepper. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Makes 4 servings.
Nutritional Information:

Per serving: 355 calories, 8 g. total fat, (2 g. saturated fat), 55 g. carbohydrates, 17 g. protein, 10 g. dietary fiber, 345 mg. sodium.

Weight Loss Progress

2005-04-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I was asked if I'd mind posting my weight loss progress, with dates, so, here you go! It's pretty long, since I've been on-program almost a year, so you'll probably have to scroll...

100 lbs. Gone Photos

2005-04-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I gained 1.4 over Easter, but that still only brought me back up to 172, for exactly 100 lbs. lost!

I thought I'd post a couple of pics in honor of the milestone. These are from Easter.

I NEVER EVER thought I'd post a picture of my behind online. But this was actually the best view of me out of all of the pictures taken :-). So, I figured, why not?

Here's one from the front:

Have a great week!!!

Lemon Dijon Chicken

2005-03-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

Recipe By : Eater's Choice Lowfat Cookbook

4 Points per serving

4 skinless chicken breast halves

2 teaspoons margarine

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon tarragon

1/4 teaspoon salt -- optional

Preheat oven to 375º F. Place chicken in a shallow baking pan. In a small saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in mustard, lemon juice, tarragon, and salt. Pour over chicken. Bake chicken for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through. Spoon sauce from pan over chicken.

Servings: 4

Down 3.8 last night

2005-03-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

Just a quick drive-by post. I was down 3.8 lbs. last night (can't figure out how, but, whatever....). That brings me to 173.6, and they took away 2 of my points!!! Agh. I know, I know, taking away points shows progress, but I honestly was having trouble with only 24 points a day. I can't figure out to manage on only 22. And 20? Doesn't seem possible...

A New Decade!

2005-02-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

Had an amazing 7.2 loss this week, for a total lost of 94.6 lbs.! That brings me to 177.4. I hope to make 100 lbs. lost by St. Patrick's Day!

In honor of the new "decade" of the 170s, here's a couple of pictures... the jeans I'm wearing are a size 10 (undoubtedly the biggest size 10 in existence, but I'll take it anyway) and the shirt's an XL.

Have a great week!

Down 4.6!

2005-02-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

I was down 4.6 at weigh-in tonight! Which sounds like a lot, but it was two weeks, since I didn't go to my meeting last week. That brings me to 182.8, and 24.8 pounds from goal!

This is just a drive-by post, but I thought I'd post something to update the site. Have a good week!

A Size Medium Belt!

2005-01-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to go shopping at Stein Mart today (by myself!!!) and decided, on a whim, to try on a bunch of the belts. They have some really cute ones, by the way. I tried on a L and it was too big!!! Then I tried on a M and it fit! Made my day, seriously. I came home to tell my husband, and he doesn't get it I think (he gave me a kind of strange look when I told him how happy I was...) The happy feeling even lasted all the way through the movie I went to see -- White Noise -- which was, frankly, kind of weird and disturbing. Two 1/2 stars. :-)

In honor of the belts fitting, I'm posting a new pic. Even though it's only been about a pound since I posted one...

Just for reference (I know I like it when people state this on their weight loss sites) I'm 5'8" and I'm about 187 lbs. in this pic. The jeans are a 14 and the top is an L.

In memory of Oliver... a true doggy saint

2005-01-14T15:58:00.000-08:00

It's funny how dogs and cats know the inside of folks
better than other folks do, isn't it?
Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna, 1912
(1868 - 1920)

Our St. Bernard, Oliver, passed on yesterday, January 13, 2005, one day short of his 5-year anniversary with us. We're all so sad. He was the best dog! He passed on from Lymphoma, which is evidently quite prevalent in St. Bernards. He stopped eating last week, and we rushed him into the vet, but the cancer was already quite advanced and had affected not only his lymph nodes but his kidneys, as well, and they were beginning to fail.

We kept trying to get him to eat, and we did get him to eat a bit, but it just wasn't enough to keep him strong, I guess. The cancer progressed unseen for too long.

We got Oliver from St. Bernard Rescue on January 14, 2000. Someone had brought him to the pound on Christmas Eve, 1999. WHAT is wrong with some people?

We enjoyed almost 5 years of his company, and we'll miss him so much!

188.2

2005-01-13T19:14:00.000-08:00

At weigh-in tonight, I was down 1.2, for a total of 83.8 lbs lost. That brings me to my current weight of 188.2.

Thought I'd post a couple of news pictures, mainly cause we were playing with our digital camera. So here goes...

And the infamous before shot, since it's hard to find on this site... I really need to organize things better.

And the results are...

2004-12-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

It was a loss at WI tonight! A big one, even. I lost 3.6 lbs. for a total loss to date of 80.2!

Made it through Christmas... now if I could just give away those cookies...

2004-12-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

I think I made it through Christmas without much of a gain. I don't weigh-in until tomorrow, but my home scale shows me at 195-196, which is about where I was two weeks before Christmas. So, not bad!

I'm putting up a new picture my DH took of me standing in front of our Christmas tree. This pic was taken on Christmas Eve, and I weigh about 195 lbs., give or take. The skirt's a size 14 and the sweater is a large.

I'll post again tomorrow after I weigh-in and let you know the damage!

Wow!!! I went shopping in the MISSES section!

2004-12-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

OK, I know it's silly, but I was SO thrilled! I went shopping in the misses section today, tried on a regular 14 (no W or anything) and it FIT! Yay! I think my mom thought maybe I'd lost it, I was going around and grabbing things to try on just cause I wanted to see that they fit. My husband definitely thought I had lost it when I called him on my cell phone to tell him I was shopping in the Misses section, and wasn't it great?

Made it to ONEDERLAND!!!

2004-12-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe it -- I made it to less than 200 lbs. 199.2 to be exact. I haven't been here since before I had my second child, I don't think.

Here's my (somewhat official, I had to use my webcam, stupid digital camera still isn't working) Onederland pic!

With these pics, the first is my "before" pic and the ones on the right are at about 204 or so.

Had a few NSVs this week--

--Got carded for the first time, EVER! (Really.) My husband said I looked younger, guess he's right.

--Can almost fit into a dress I wore when I was 14. This is kind of a victory, I guess it's kind of sad that I (a) still have the dress, and (b) was that big in 9th grade, but I'll take it anyway.

--Had to get rid of still more "too big" clothes. Again, a mixed victory, since I really liked some of those clothes, but I'm going to go buy myself new clothes to celebrate Onederland anyway!

Have a great week!

Been a Rough Month

2004-08-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a month since I posted, so I just wanted to post something. It's been a rough month personally for me, but I've managed to keep my weight going down instead of up, which I consider a MAJOR accomplishment for me, since I tend to eat when stressed. From a grandfather with cancer to school starting back up to a wrecked car, it's been a stressful month.

WW announced the new "core" plan today, but I think I'm going to stick to the flex points for now -- I prefer to stay with what's working.

I'm now down to 227.6 lbs! For a 44.4 lb. loss! Yay! One of things I attribute it to is starting the Couch to 5K program. It's been a lot of fun, and very challenging so far. I'll let you know how it goes.

I haven't been going to the gym as much, mainly because our car got smushed. But I hope to pick the swimming back up as soon as I can.

I'll post another picture soon!

My Virtual Model

2004-07-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

I decided to waste some time tonight and create one of those virtual models of myself. Then, since creating it wasn't enough, I decided to animate it, too.

So, here you go. The first view is at my starting weight of 272, the middle is my current weight of 239, and the last (the skinny-mini one) is at my goal weight of 140. Which is probably overly optimistic, but I'll worry about that when I get closer.

Left the 240s behind!!!

2004-07-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Weigh-in didn't go great (down 1.6 lbs.) but that brings me into the 230s, a decade I haven't seen since shortly after my first pregnancy. It also brings me down to less than 100 lbs. to lose!

I finally took some pictures for the site. They're horrible. But I'm posting them anyway so that I have motivation going forward. I'm not really unhappy or mad in these, I just had a headache that day and my DH insisted on taking them because he wanted to get the
film developed :-).

Here's a full-length shot of me, at about 245 lbs, give or take.

Here's a face-shot.

I'm down to 238.6 now. Hopefully a couple more lbs. next week! I've really tried to recommit to the plan this week, I had been slipping for the past couple of weeks.

On a lighter note, here's a picture of my puppy. My goal is to weigh less than my dog. He's about 145 lbs., and I'm aiming for 140!

Brunches are EVIL

2004-06-21T15:31:00.000-07:00

Aargh! WHY are weekends so hard? In my case, it can't be lack of structure, 'cause I never have any structure :-). Anyway, it was a rough weekend. With a birthday party on Saturday (had a piece of cake) and Father's Day brunch on Sunday, I ended up dipping into my flexpoints by about 17.

We were back on track walking this morning, though. Even if I did come home and collapse and sleep for another hour afterwards.

Good Weigh-In!

2004-06-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

I had a good weigh-in last night, so I'm happy today! I lost 3.6 lbs., for a new weight of 246.4 and 25.6 lbs. lost! Yea!!!

I've had a couple of questions about my exercise routine, so I thought I'd write about that today, although calling it a "routine" is probably a bit much. I basically keep trying new things, hoping to keep it varied. Mostly, I do the following:

Walking (50 min., 2-4 times a week)

Swimming (20-30 min., about 3 times a week)

Weight training (20-30 min., I'm trying to work up to 2-3 times a week)

Pilates (occasionally)

Bellydancing (occasionally)

Bike riding (I DO still remember how -- I wasn't sure :-)

I'm trying to take the exercise thing slowly, so I don't hurt myself, and also so I can up the amount of exercise later on if I hit a plateau. I don't want to max myself out now.

My exercise goal for the week is to add in 5 sit-ups per day. Like I said, babysteps! :-)

Someone Actually Noticed!

2004-06-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, someone noticed today that I had lost weight! I'm so thrilled. Even most people I know pretty well haven't said anything. On the other hand, it was someone who doesn't see me that often, so maybe it was more obvious to him.

Anyway, I'm thrilled. Had to write something down about it!

Welcome to my WW Blog!

2004-06-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I started this blog as a way of documenting my weight watchers journey.

I started Weight Watchers on 4/29/04, at the prompting of a friend. I was nervous but excited about going to the first meeting. When I weighed in, I was horrified to see that I weighed 272 lbs.

Scarily enough, I'm sure that probably wasn't my highest weight. This picture is a couple of years old, but I know I was higher then. I'm guessing about 280. It's an awful picture (both in my appearance and in general quality), but I think it's a great "Before Shot."

I'll post more pics as soon as I can get my digital camera working again.