Goodbye 180s ...

ShrinkingDiva is back and needs to blog some more.

What's new? I'm no longer in the 180s. Who would've thought? Certainly not me. Yup, I weighed in today despite the fact that I'm probably +2 lbs because I got my period. Anyhow, I'm still very satisfied with the result, 179 lbs. I also weighed in on another scale and the result was the same, 179 lbs. Amazing!

That's a huge milestone for me. I don't recall ever ever weighing in under 180 lbs. At 26 years old, it's the first time that I see something below 180 which means that I'm getting closer to goal. Yay!

This whole diet & exercise thing really works after all. After being overweight my whole life, I thought I was destined to be fat. I really believed that I was destined to be overweight for the rest of my life. Yo-yo diets, South Beach, restricting my calorie intake, eating a meal per day ... been there, done that.

I'm overwhelmed by all the attention I've been getting because I've lost the weight & because society's perception of me has changed. I might be stupid for saying this but I feel like a celebrity. The people at the gym know me, strangers know me, guys are checking me out for the first time in my life. So many changes ...

I'm 19 lbs short from my goal weight and 29 lbs short from my ultimate goal weight. What's the plan? I'ma keep on doing what I've been doing.

Spinning 101

The Scoop on Spinning
Spinning was created by world-class cyclist "Jonny G." Goldberg as a convenient and quick way to train for races. In 1989, he and John Baudhuin opened the first spinning center in Santa Monica, California and then developed a program to certify other spinning instructors. Curious to know about this spinning thing? The following info will help you decide if it's for you:

What is it?

Spinning is an aerobic exercise that takes place on a specially designed stationary bicycle called (obviously enough) a spinning bike. As you pedal, motivating music plays and the instructor talks you through a visualization of an outdoor cycling workout: "You're going up a long hill now, you can't see the top yet.…" During the class you vary your pace -- sometimes pedaling as fast as you can, other times cranking up the tension and pedaling slowly from a standing position. This helps you to focus inwardly and work on your mind as well as your body.

Why we love it

Spinning burns serious calories (about 450 in 45 minutes) and offers an awesome aerobic workout that makes your heart pump fast. It also tones your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and outer thigh muscles like nobody's business! Because you stay in one place with the same basic movement throughout, Spinning doesn't involve a lot of coordination; it's easier to concentrate on your form than in other types of aerobic classes. And although you follow the general instructions of the spinning teacher, you are in control when it comes to your pace. You can finish a spin class, regardless of your fitness level, simply by adjusting your pace or the tension knob on the bike.

Drawbacks

Spinning does not work all leg muscles equally, so if you spin without doing some cross training activities, you may develop muscle imbalances. Spinning every day can also be too much of a good thing -- real spin enthusiasts have to watch out for overuse injuries in their knees, hips and lower backs. If Spinning is your main source of exercise, we recommend doing some resistance training workouts that include hamstring (back of thigh), buttock and inner thigh exercises.

Equipment Needed

Other than the bike, here's what you need for a safe, comfortable ride:a stiff-soled shoe with good ventilation. (Running and aerobic shoes, which are soft-soled, may leave your feet numb by the end of the class.)

Two towels, one for wiping away sweat and one for draping over the handlebars so your hands won't slide out of position.

A full water bottle, because you're definitely going to sweat. Most spinning bikes are equipped with a water bottle cage so you can place your H2O within easy reach.

Insider information

Riding with an incorrect seat setting can also lead to injury. Set your seat height so your knee is slightly bent at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Set the handlebars so that they are level with the seat. When you lean forward and place your hands on the bars, there should be a slight bend at your elbows.

Hot Tip
Arrive five minutes early for your first class so your instructor can answer any questions and help you with bike adjustments. Make sure you let her know about any injuries that you have so she can help you modify some of the moves. During class, be sure to let your instructor know if you are having trouble with the resistance knob or the general technique. If the class is too intense, just pedal more slowly or take the tension down.

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Source: http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/spinning-101.html?pageNum=1

Update!

I hit the 50 lbs weight loss mark! Yay! 35 to go !!!

ShrinkingDiva's Still Going Strong

I have to stop doing that! Where have I been? I know, it's been a while. Believe it or not, I've been extremely busy working out at the gym and listening to Jillian Michaels' podcasts. I barely remember how to use my television, except on Tuesdays of course when Biggest Loser is on!



My blog title is pretty much self-explanatory. I'm still at it, still going strong and enjoying every minute of it. It's hard to believe that it took me 26 years (I'm 26) to get here and finally start to do something good for myself. I've been good and haven't given in to temptations. I didn't cut out everything cold turkey, I do indulge at time but intelligently and with moderation. I'll have a piece of cake or chocolate and not the whole thing times 2,3 even 5 that I did for so long. It's no wonder I got so big.



- What was I afraid of?

It's a question I've been asking myself a lot lately. What was I really afraid of? What caused me to turn to food to solve my problems? Why was I never ever able to believe that I could lose the weight? I'm sure many of you guys can relate to this but food was my drug of choice, it would never let me down. My eating habits were so out of whack just thinking about it makes me want to puke.



2 years ago, I was dealing with a lot of things (work, stress, family issues, etc). I would go to McDonalds and order a BigMac, supersize the fries, had an apple juice to cut down on some of the calories AND added 12 nuggets to that. I would then sneak the food home, lock myself in the basement and ate until I felt numb only to go straight to bed. I would repeat the same thing the very next day several times a week ... And that's just an example. Even though I had been to the gym off and on, exercise back then was a foreign concept to me.



I think it was a way for me to hide those emotions of fear, failure, rejection or loneliness I was feeling. I was afraid to embark on a weight loss journey convinced that I would fail. Shoving food down my throat muted those feelings and that's why I probably did it for so long. I loved it more than I loved myself. In fact, I hated myself. Knowing that I was missing out on so much, it just filled that void. My friends would spend the day with their partner & kids ... well, I had to spend mine with food, again!





I'm absolutely loving this journey of mine, I'm finally getting to know myself.



Enough rambling for now, I'll keep the rest for next time!

Rambling/ Falling off the Weight Loss Wagon

1st of all, I have not fallen off the weight loss wagon!

The journey continues and it will never end! Literally! I've learned so much in the past 6 months about diets, health and fitness. I've learned from my past mistakes and I'm more than happy that I did. I'm sure not going to let them happen again.

I sat down the other day and finally got it! No wonder I got so heavy. I was eating the wrong type of food, too many of it! "Weight loss/weight gain is a calorie equation". I did the math and it all adds up. 235 lbs on a 5'5" frame? What the heck was I thinking? Where the heck was I?

Absent? I know. Clueless? For sure! Uninformed? Of course !!! I'm now 42 pounds lighter and still going strong. I'm loving every minute of it.

Even though I'm enjoying every minute of it, I will admit that I'm somewhat scared at the same time. If Oprah, the richest and most influencable woman out there, is struggling with her weight, how can good old me make it? She's the Queen of yo-yo diets. She has lost and gained the same 50-60-70 time and time again. And I've been there too, we've all been.

Losing weight & looking great and having people praising our accomplishment only to regain it (and more) and start over. It's a never-ending vicious circle.

I'm a huge fan of "The Biggest Loser". It scares me to see how many "Losers" have put the weight back on. Just to name of few, Ryan or Erik under different circumstances of course. Gaining the weight is sooo easy, losing it hard enough as it is but maintaining is where the true battle begins.

I keep reminding myself AND others that I am NOT on a diet. This is a change of lifestyle. Diets don't work, they never did & never will. It's been a least 6 months and I get a high when I exercise, I'm absolutely loving it and always looking forward to it. I cannot wait to reach my goal weight as I don't even remember when I weighed 150 lbs (and I'm only 26). I am totally clueless! In the midst of all that, life happens. Stress, deaths, pregnancy, loneliness, boredom, hard times,etc.

Turning to food is what got me to 235lbs. After watching that Oprah episode, my fear of failure has reappeared once again but this time, I will not let it dictate my life. I'm much stronger than that. I truly do not want to go back there.

This journey's allowing me to find the roots of my previous weight gain. I ate my emotions. I am not a cryer, at least not publicly. When I cry, it's in the privacy of my own home. Closest friends of mine have yet to see me shed a tear. I ate to be "part of the crowd". Food brings people together. My social life used to revolve around food and eating out. I was to weak to say refuse to go to these gatherings.

I used the weight as a shield/protection. If people didn't like me, it was only because I was fat. If a guy wasn't into me, it was because of my weight. Not being popular at school to me was because of my weight. Not getting the jobs I wanted was because of my weight. Suffice it to say, I blamed it for everything that went wrong in my life.

Why did I put up with it? For the following reasons; "I've been fat all my life" or "I tried losing weight but can't" or "I'm genetically predisposed to being fat". Truth is, I never knew I had it in me.

To get back to the main idea of this blog, fear of failure (putting the weight back on), am I the only one feeling this way?

Weight Loss Battle

Onederland & Story About my Weight

Onederland feels absolutely great, I can't complain. What a great feeling to be in Onederland but by having done it the right way. 8 years ago when I graduated from high school, my highest weight ranged between 210-215 lbs. Fed up of the extra weight, I decided to go on a diet. Yes, a diet NOT a lifestyle change. I did it my way: calorie restricted & no carbs allowed. I'm guessing that I consumed at the most 700 calories a day. I went to eating fast food 3 times/day everyday to drastically reducing my calorie intake so it's no wonder the weight came off that quickly!

I got down to 180 lbs and it felt great having people complimenting you every second of every day. 180lbs without exercise! At 18, I had all the attention I've ever wanted and more. Since I had reached my goal weight, I felt comfortable enough to reincorporate the same foods that had made me heavy. I thought I had the whole concept of "moderation & willpower" figured out. In a blink of an eye, I had gained the weight back. 8 years later, I found myself weighing 235 lbs. Yikes!

8 years later (I'm now 25), I'm realizing how much the extra weight has robbed me from things especially from dating. It's hard to openly admit to friends & family, that you've never dated or been intimate while other people your age have or are having children, getting married and such ... I've made up imaginary guy friends, boyfriends because I didn't want to feel like a loser. Today, I completely avoid the topic.

With knowing what I know now about health and fitness, diets don't work! The minute you go back to your old ways, the weight will come back and more. When I look back at it, I can believe how stupid I was. Actually, I was young, naive and uninformed.

I lost 38 pounds (went from 235 to 197) and I've got 47 more pounds to go!

Superficial People

Shallow people ...
I can't believe how superficial people can be. I've been discriminated against all my life because of my weight so that's nothing new to me. For the first time in years, I'm starting to feel good about myself. I'm noticing the changes in my body and words can't describe how great it feels.

I go to the gym 5 to 6 times a week, I literally live there. The manager was recruiting people for a videoclip they're making to promote the gym and they needed about 10 to 15 people. The idea was to film a step class from one of the instructors. I love step and I'm quite good at it (and no, I'm not showing off). I saw the gym owner approaching people for the video. They all had one thing in common: good looking girls & guys in their mid-twenties/early thirties with gorgeous bodies and guys with 6 packs and all.

I was never approached and I frustrated me. A friend of mine was chosen and she's the lucky one with the nice body but never ever did aerobics in her life. She's never had issues with her weight and goes to the gym 3 times a month maximum. She admitted to me that she probably ruined the whole thing because she's never done step in her life! She had the hardest time following the choreography and was out of breath before the warm-up was over.

The thing that frustrates me the most is not that I wasn't chosen. What irritates me the most is that the people that were chosen are not representative of the people who go to the gym that is old & young, fit & fat, black or white, etc. I feared the gym for many years because of that because I thought I wouldn't fit in.

It made me feel like I wasn't good enough again and it sucks. I'm getting over it but it's so frustrating! Can't wait to see how that video will turn up ...

Alright, enough!

Later