weight loss « Fancy Pantsy

Archive for weight loss

Back to an old habit

November 20, 2007 · Filed under a day in the life, about the blogger, exercise, weight loss

I have been really, really lazy lately. I have not exercised (except my dance class) in about 2 weeks. I have been so physically and emotionally exhausted, I just couldn’t do it. I hopped on the elliptical last Thursday evening, and hopped off 2 minutes later!

Today, day 2 of my vacation, no more! Time to get off my butt. I considered jogging since it is not too cold today, but decided against it as my right ankle is already feeling tender for some reason. I considered the elliptical, but there is nothing on TV I want to watch, and I am going out tonight and don’t want to leave it until later.

Then, I remembered an old favorite of mine, power Yoga! I have been enjoying the Rodney Yee Stamina, Strength and Flexibility series on and off since before I had the girl, and I have always enjoyed the mix of exertion, stretching, toning work, balance, flexability and…ahh…relaxation that Power Yoga gives me.

Before I got pregnant, I got really into Power Yoga and was doing at least one of these DVDs about 3-4 times a week. I loved how it made me feel, and though it is probably not (on it’s own) great for losing weight, it is the perfect amount of exercise to maintain my weight, keep up my endurance, and get in some toning-or it was back then, anyways. I am kinda there now. Too much is going on in my life to be focused on weight loss or hard core exercise right now, but I don’t want to get lazy and lose the gains (via loss) that I have made over the past couple years. Also, I feel better (physically and emotionally) when I am exercising and staying active. I certainaly don’t want to get into that downward emotional spiral that laziness brings (laziness begets laziness, you know!).

I don’t know yet if I am gonna hop back on the elliptical, get intoPower Yoga again, or do some combination of the two. I can, however, say that for today’s foray back into exercise, a power yoga workout was just right!

Oh, and Rodney is a treat for the eyes:

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random points about recent and upcoming events

November 11, 2007 · Filed under a day in the life, about the blogger, clothes, doing the happy dance, exercise, update, weight loss

1. I bought a new coat. I know I said I wouldn’t, but I lied. It was just what I was looking for, my size, and cheap (Joe, of course). I have actually been eyeing it for months, but never ever found it in my size. I knew if I did, I would buy it. But when I wrote that post, it had been so long since I had seen it in the store at all, it was not likely. Then yesterday it was there. Just one left. My size. Fit perfectly. It was meant to be.

DSC00536.jpg picture by botterflylover

2. My novel? Not so much.

3. I start Hebrew school today. A free lesson for parents at the girl’s school. Good times.

4. I have been really lazy at sparkpeoplelately. It is clear to me that I am the weight I am now for good (barring any extreme situation or lifestyle change) so I am not tracking food and exercise anymore unless I start gaining weight. I will keep tracking weight and measurements to monitor myself and stay accountable.

5. My birthday is in 2 days. 34.

6. My anniversary, 7 days. 6.

7. Dinsey world trip, 14 days.

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I’m feeling bummed

October 18, 2007 · Filed under bellydancing, pity party, weight loss

1. We were suppose to perform tomorrow night. Now we aren’t. That is a good thing, as we will in 8 weeks and it’ll be so much better then. But I was psyched for it, so I am disappointed.

2. I have been on spark-people for over a month now, keeping to my fat and calorie limits. I have also been exercising a lot more, and harder. But I am not losing weight. I am losing inches, but not many.

3. I am borrowing a costume from my instructor (it was her mom’s I think. She is tiny). The top, amazingly, fits me fine and is super cute. I could not get into the bottoms, and had to pin the belt onto my own pants. The other women in my class are all very thin. I feel so fat and ugly and disgusting next to them. I know I am much more fit and in better shape than I was a couple years ago and that I am in good shape for naturally chubby me right now…but I am still nowhere near thin and I don’t know how to get there. I don’t know how to watch what I eat even more carefully or fit in even more exercise without feeling miserable and getting obsessed.

*This post was brought to you by P.M.S.

*I think I will have a costume made for me. Even though it will cost money, I am sure I will look much better and feel much better about myself in a costume that fits me.

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7 good things, 7 bad

September 29, 2007 · Filed under a day in the life, about the blogger, food, update, weight loss

GOOD

1. I have been working really hard at eating healthy, and exercising.

2. I am glad I am vegetarian again.

3. We are invited to a wedding in Maui.

4. I had Pad Thai for lunch today, at Springrolls. I love it there. LOVE.

5. The walk is Sunday.

6. I got a Zeno…and it works.

7. I have surpassed my record on the elliptical.

BAD

1. I’ve only lost, like, 1 lb since I started really being “good” again.

2. I miss turkey and swiss cheese sandwiches

3. I am not sure we can go to the wedding, due to scheduling and money.

4. Pad Thai was a pretty bad choice.

5. I have to be at the walk at 7am, and it is about 40 minutes away from my home, and we have plans the night before…yawn.

6. I need the Zeno.

7. My legs hurt all the time due to the elliptical.

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depressing article

September 25, 2007 · Filed under about the blogger, debate, exercise, food, weight loss

here. (for some reason it would not open in explorer, but did in firefox)

Man, that is depressing. As most of you know, I lost about 35lbs about 18 months ago (well I started about 18 months ago, finished about 6 months ago, though I lost most of it in the first 6 months, so I have maintained most of it about a year…yeah me!!!)…and want to lost 15-20 more. I have upped my exercise to reach this goal, and started tracking my food again to cut out the indulgences I have been letting myself have a little too often lately. I really don’t want to eat less or healthier than I do now (which may not be great to many of you…but it very good for me since I would seriously be very happy to live on cheese and pasta and never touch another vegetable, legume or whole grain for the rest of my life…and if I like something, there is no limit to how much of it I can happily eat).

Discovering that working out more may not help me dump the last pounds, that I may be stuck where I am unless I seriously cut my food intake to the point where I am just not enjoying eating anymore is…well…very saddening.

I will still keep exercising because it is good for me, because I like (some of) it, and because I am not sure I truly believe it is not helping me lose weight as long as I keep tracking my calories and do not let myself overeat to make up for it.

I can say I lost most of the 35lb with dietary changes and not exercise…I only added exercise in the last 5lbs or so.

I was very thin in university and exercised a ton…but I also ate very little so I cannot say which one really contributed to it.

I generally would say I lose weight more with diet than exercise…but I maintain the loss easier if I am exercising. I have only gained 5lbs since I lost the 35lbs. My diet got much much worse over the past year than it was when I lost the weight, but I have for the most part kept active (the last month was a bad one…but prior to that I did).

What do you think of the article? Which do you think helps lose weight more, diet or exercise?

P.S. Maybe it no longer matters (wah) but I am pretty proud of myself because today I did something I have not done in…well…ever. I JOGGED. I was walking and decided to add some jogging in to up my heart-rate. What I did was jog as much as I could (usually about a residential block) then walk 100 steps (no, I didn’t count, I have a pedometer) and then jog again. I went about 2k in 25 minutes. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The great thing about walking or jogging is you cannot stop. On the elliptical, if I get tired or lazy or distracted, I can tell myself “good enough” and get off. With jogging, once you get out there, you have to keep going to get home. Of course, you can stop jogging and walk…but walking is still a lot better for you than sitting in front of the TV with (or even without) a bucket of ice cream! Also, if you are feeling lazy and anxious to get home, it motivates you to jog so you can be home and done with exercising faster!

Another thing I found motivating was that I felt like I was being watched. I know no one really cares if I am jogging or walking…but I also know when I see someone jog, I often think “I wish I did that…it looks so healthy and shows real commitment to exercise since she doesn’t even have to watch Gossip Girl to do it”. It was nice to think maybe someone was saying that about me…and pushed me to get jogging whenever I saw that I was approaching someone. More likely, they were saying “doesn’t she know Payless running shoes suck??”

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