I am Stuck!

Stuck. My weight has been stuck at 180 for a week and a half now. It is really frustrating as I am consuming between 1100 and 1500 calories most days (I did have one day at about 2000). I am also experiencing some bathroom problems due to cutting back so much on carbs and fruits. I am trying to add food in that will counteract this (like lower carb foods with fiber and flax seed), but so far, they aren't working. Nothing is really wrong, aside from the occasional lower backache. Overall, I actually feel great. It feels good to feel satisfied on 1200 calories of food and not be stuffing my face all the time. It gives a peaceful feeling of control. Maybe I will cut out the cheese with lunch and add in a little more vegetables. It gets hard to stuff down a quart of raw veggies in 20 minutes, though (I am a teacher).

Physical Activity

I haven't really upped my physical activity either. Since I am now a single mom and my ex is not in a healthy enough state to keep the kids, anything I do I have to take the four-year-old and that is just a lot of effort. The older kids can stay home for 30 minutes or so, but not the young'un. This weekend is pretty chilly, too. It's hard to handle 50 degrees after experiencing 70-something! Excuses, I know. I am trying to add some stomach "vacuum" exercises to my day as shown here:

Link to Smaller waist video

Really, with things like this, I either forget or I do. I need to find a way to incorporate it into my schedule. But just like I used to do squats while waiting on my Keurig coffee, sometimes I just stop without realizing it (I am very much an in-my-head type of person).

It's a Lifestyle, really

One thing I am trying to remind myself is, that this isn't a "diet." This is my new lifestyle. If I want to be slim and light, I have to commit to making that worth more than stuffing my face with an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll. That doesn't mean treats are always out, but I am trying to limit my treats to Friday night. My son's birthday party will be next weekend, so I am going to enjoy a piece of birthday cake, but what isn't eaten will be out the door with guests or in the trash. I think the key to handling these "extra" days will be having a plan for the leftover unhealthy food. And now, I've got it! 

So why are you hear? Are you working on losing weight? Feel free to drop a comment with any advice or just share where you are in  your life's journey!

See you soon!

Been Busy!

 I haven't blogged in a while. On the one hand, I have been "busy." On the other hand, I always have some leisure time. I just between My Fitness Pal (Blueberry Jill if you want to find me), and a few Instagram updates a week, I just felt like I was doing enough.

Skinny School and Low Carb

I started rereading, Skinny School, by Julie Gordon. This is basically a romance/diet manual advocating for a low carb diet. I have been following it for nearly a week. What I have found is it keeps me from getting too famished and I just eat less because I run out of things to eat. I mean how much meat, cheese, and eggs, can you have. I do have low carb veggie choices of course, but I am having an issue with my tooth (my wisdom teeth are beginning to get infected-the dentist said due to their angle (I have a small mouth)-there is little he can do, but send me to have them out. I don't want to spend the money. I have pain when I eat veggies, especially greens, on one particular side).

Either way, I will start back with the daily updates, so you can see my eating plan. When I had carbs it was very easy to get up to 1500 calories a day. Having less than 50 carbs and only 15 grams of sugar, I find it difficult to get up to 1200. 

I still haven't really been exercising. I did a slow hike with the kids, but they weren't up for hills, so it was more a walk, and my four year old is all about stopping along the way to complain his legs hurt. 

I just had my second covid shot, and that appears to have gone fine. My arm is a little sore, I feel a little bit of head cloudiness (but I really think it is the lack of carbs clouding my head). I hope it passes, because I am ditsy enough on my own; I don't need extra help in the airhead department (did I just date myself?).

Pictures?

It is time for more pictures in my tight clothes to scan for progress. I am a little worried. Although I am down 11 pounds from my highest (definitely water-retaining) day five weeks ago, I don't really see any body changes. But monthly pics seem like the thing to do. Since my marriage has finally crumbled-I have been holding the cracks together for awhile-I don't have anyone to take my picture. I mean, I have my grown daughter or my 10 year old son or my 8 year old son. My eight year old seems like the least weird choice, but still. Plus I want morning pictures, so I might have to wait until the weekend. 

Weight Loss Fears

I do have some fears-namely sagging. I mean I had six kids with all the stretch marks and natural body destruction someone with unlucky genes has. But now to lose weight at my age (47), I am concerns it will just be saggier and my face will be wrinklier, and I hope I am making the right choice. I guess I can regain it, if I don't like the way it looks. :o)

Initially, I had called this Sophia Jill's Weight Loss Journey. And that is very hopeful and inspiring.  But almost too saccharinely hopeful and inspiring. The Ick factor was too great for me. So for now, it is Losing It!, again unoriginal, but maybe the right name will just hit me at some point. Subconcious, get to work!

To be honest, I am doing really well. What I am dealing with in my personal life is so challenging, I could easily bury myself in brownie batter and cookie dough. I feel a quiet, lonely depression hanging over. But truthfully, it would be weird NOT to be a little depressed and lonely going through such a life change. And adding the highs and lows of sugar addiction to the mix would not help. I will admit to sneaking Stevia packets from time to time. It is probably just a matter of time before some scientist discovers Stevia is as bad as the rest of the sweeteners, might as well enjoy it while I can.

Take Care, Friends!

Sophia Jill

 Here the plan, folks! 

At 190 poundaroos I shouldn't need to cut back too drastically to lose some weight. My plan is to use My Fitness Pal to track my daily calories. I also plan to try to get more active each day. Although my phone tracks steps, I don't keep my phone on me all day long. So until I have some sort of way to measure steps, I am going to just not worry about that. 

I have started doing the dreaded burpees every day. Those things are killer, but my bladder cannot handle the stress of the simple jumping jack (six babies out that track), so I am starting with these. I started a couple days ago, and started with 1 a day and adding 1 a day. Which means I did three today, since this was the third day! I wonder if I will get to a day when my body can't even add just one more? Or if will adjust accordingly. Perhaps when that day comes, I can break them up into smaller groups throughout the day. I guess I will have to place a limit somewhere. We shall see!

No, I am sitting crosslegged on my sweet, soft bed and feeling my butt just spreading into mush. I need to get out and walk. I am slightly agoraphobic. Maybe not, I mean I work outside the home and go shopping and stuff. But going out and walking...during the day...and seeing people...is somehow remarkably dreadful to me. Often, I have been known to take a walk at night with my older son. Now that the weather in my area is starting to stay above freezing, perhaps it is time to get that going again.

So hello! Over the next few weeks, I hope to introduce myself a little more and start making some REAL progress on this weight loss and ultimately fitness adventure.

Today's exercise: 3 burpees, 5 "real" push-ups. 30 squats.

Today's food=not great.

I had leftovers for breakfast, which were just a lot of calories. It was early, and I figured I could skimp later. Then my kiddos wanted chocolate chip cookies, so I had a few of those. Then my in-laws surprised me with a whopper and fries. I took the bun off the whopper and only had 2/3 of the fries, but it still was a lot of calories. Finally, my husband brought home champagne. Eight ounces of sweet champagne does a lot of damage. I won't even pretend it was a healthy eating day. But at least the calories stayed below maintenance! I am proud of that. I am a bit HUNGRY today!

March 6, 2021

Gained the weight back. Again. 

Here I stand 47, wearing the same 15 pounds I painstakingly took off two years ago. Now, this didn't bring me to my ideal weight. It did, however, take me out of the "obese" category down to just "overweight" and meant that I no longer needed to crunch antacids all day long to keep from keeling over dead with pain.

For accountability's sake, I felt going all public on a blog is the way to go. Now, I don't plan to share this with friends and family until success is WELL underway. Frankly, I am M O R T I F I E D by my before pictures, posture loose, stomach hanging. Yes, hanging. I have given birth to six babies and my stomach is not what it used to be. Even when I lose weight, there's no telling what my stomach s going to look like.

I want to lose weight for a few reasons.

 First of all,

 I am hoping to increase my energy levels. While some people want to calm down and relax, I love the feeling of energy and excitement. A lot of times I just don't "finish the job" during housework/renovation projects, because my body just declares it. is. done. I shy away from the outdoor activities I enjoy because dragging along three kids and the gear they need is just too much. I get tired just thinking about it. 

Second,

So what's the plan, Stan?