What Happened to the Wagon?

At the end of January of 2008, I realized how overweight I was -- I'm 5'2" and at the time weighed 152 pounds and wore size 12/14 pants. I didn't like what years of inactivity, seating in front of a computer, and unhealthy eating habits had done to my body, so I did something about it. I lost almost 30 pounds over nine months. By November 2008, I was at my lowest weight of 122.4 pounds. Even though that did not last for more than a day, I was under 125 for almost a month before the holiday season came and I began to slip.

Over the last 6 months, I've gained over 10 of those pounds back. As I slowly saw my weight creep up, I told myself I was just gaining muscle since I was very active--training to run a half marathon, biking 15 miles to work (one way), and training for a triathlon. I believe this was true for the first few pounds, since my size 2/4 clothes still fit comfortably. However, the more active I became, the more I let my healthy eating slip. We've been eating out a LOT lately, and I've even flexed on my "no fried food" rule. It's hard to say no to any food when you've just biked 45 miles or swam 1000 meters, but that is no excuse. This week, my size 2 clothes are uncomfortable, and I've hit the 135 lbs mark that I hoped to never see again. I refuse to go up a size in clothes (I wear size 4 from time to time, but I don't want to begin wearing size 6 again), so it's time to stop being delusional and do something about this.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, so here I am admitting to the world that I've fallen off the wagon and slipped down the slippery slope a bit. I don't plan to see what's at the end of the slope. I intend to pick myself up before I slip further down this hill, and starting today begin making my way back to the wagon. I lost 30 pounds before, so I know I can lose 10 pounds with a little dedication, and a little help from my friends :)

I'll use this blog to post my goals, progress, and accomplishments every week, and ask that you help keep me accountable.

Current Stats:

• Height: 5'2"
• Starting Weight: 135 lbs (2/24/09)
• Current Weight: 135 lbs (2/24/09)
• BMI: 24.7
• Current Goal: 125 lbs
• Pounds to go: 10

Before Photo:

I can't believe I am posting this, but what the heck. I know I don't look that bad, but I'm not happy with the growing belly you see here. I don't really care that much about my actual weight, I just want to lose the extra fat and inches around my waist.

My Action Plan:

• Stop eating fried food -- the occasional french fry is ok, but a whole order is NOT.
• Limit eating out and processed food -- we're going to make a better attempt to plan ahead and cook most of our meals at home from scratch, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
• When I do eat out, make healthy choices -- sweet tomatoes, seafood, steamed vegetables, NO fried food, and split a meal with Jason or save 1/2 for lunch the next day.
• Limit sweets -- I'll only eat ice cream/sweets at the end of the day IF I've eaten all my fruit and vegetable servings.
• Eat 3 small meals a day, specially breakfast, with at least one healthy snack between meals (fruit, veggies, yogurt, nuts).
• Go grocery shopping regularly to keep fridge and office stocked with healthy snacks.
• Log everything I eat and my weight at TWYE and My Pyramid Plan Spreadsheet (I count servings instead of calories).
• Do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day -- this includes walking or yoga on rest days.
• Log all workouts at Dailymile.
• Set weekly goals to help me stay on track. 
• Post my progress on this blog once a week. 

Weekly Goals

• Meatless/Seafood Meals: 50% of main 3 meals/day (11/21) 
• Home Cooked Meals: 80% of main 3 meals/day (17/21) 
• Fruit/Veggies: 5 servings / day (35 servings) 
• Water: 64 oz / day (448 oz) 
• Follow Pyramid Plan: focus on fruits and veggies this week 
• Exercise: 30 mins / day - run 2x; bike 2x; swim 2x; yoga 2x