If My Scale Could Talk

After seven weeks of dieting, I’ve lost around 14 lbs. It felt like I plateaued for a couple of weeks but by the sixth week, I was still within my 2 lbs. per week goal. I still have that strong desire to go for forty by June, but I’ve been a little down lately because I don’t feel or see the difference. The scale has been encouraging me, but to everyone else, I am still in the FAT category.

When trying on slacks at the tiangge, I am still a double XL. At the mall, I am still a size 34 or an XL.

Denver urged me to try on formal wear last week. At first I refused because I felt like I had no right to be trying on possible outfits for Sony’s June wedding in my current plus size. After barely an hour, I had tried on four cocktail dresses. The bride wants her bridesmaids in short green dresses, so I didn’t bother taking any of the longer and flowing ones in the fitting room.

Denver took a picture of the only green dress I put on. Then we both decided to delete the image from his phone. Obviously, I am still far from looking decent in a bridesmaid’s dress. I think I look more like a principal sponsor or the bride’s mom.

Maybe after a month, I will actually see and feel a difference. I can’t wait to hit a hundred and fifty something. If my scale could talk, it would probably tell me to give him a damn break or “ang kulit mo” for stepping on it around four times a day.

Ambisyosa

Now I’m really interested in reading The Secret. I first learned about it through some stranger’s blog, and then Third mentioned it in his comment on Biggest Loser.

I’ve wanted to lose weight since giving birth to Ippo. (I know that’s a long time). I tried a few times, but gave up because I didn’t feel like I was making any progress. Looking back, I actually dropped from 186 lbs. to 155 lbs. but still felt so fat so I stopped dieting. Man, that’s 31 lbs. lost and I didn’t even give myself credit for it. This time I am dead serious about sticking to it.

My cousin’s getting married in June and I am a bridesmaid. The other bridesmaids already have their pretty green dresses. Sony asked me what I’m going to wear and I told her I won’t have a dress made until a month before her wedding. I hope I didn’t scare her. She wants to see the design and color first because she has very specific guidelines about the length and shade (and even our hair).

So, I’ve set an ambitious goal of losing 40 lbs. by June. I’ve taken Third’s advice and now I’m like thinking about my goal every waking minute. I’ve even dedicated my 2008 Starbucks Planner to this goal. I’ve filled the pages with the line “I will lose 40 lbs. by June.” Each day has a list of what I’ve eaten. I also note down physical activities I’ve performed. You must think I am so weird, but again, let me say that I am really serious. I want it so bad it scares me.

A colleague told me that losing 2 lbs. a week is sensible. Since starting my diet journal, I’ve monitored my weight loss, and I think I am on track. From 177 lbs. on New Year, 175 lbs. on January 5, now I am yo-yoing from 169 to 171. I know it’s not much but if I stick to it, I know I will lose 40 lbs!

I’ve completely eliminated rice for three weeks. I know I won’t be eating rice for a long time. Not even California Maki, one of my faves. I’ve managed to avoid ice cream, cake and chocolates. Uh-huh. Denver ate the chocolates I got for Christmas and I refused to order cake when Sony and I were at The Coffee Bean. I bought some olive oil last week (very unlike me because it’s a bit expensive). And today I asked my tita to buy fresh tuna from the market. I don’t like fish dishes at all. I can eat tuyo, danggit, Spanish sardines, canned tuna, sushi, sashimi or breaded fish fillet, but that's it. But because I want to lose 40 lbs., I am including fish in my regular diet. My tito offered to smother my tuna belly in butter because he knows I am sensitive to fish smell but I said no to butter and yes to olive oil. Naks.

So what do you think? Can I lose 40 lbs. by June?

Biggest Loser

I’ve entered the Biggest Loser. No, it’s not the famed television show featuring obese contestants, but yeah, the contest I joined has the same concept. It’s a weight loss competition, only it’s our own version (office edition). So no, I won’t be wearing a two piece during weigh-in. We won’t be living in a barn equipped with the latest work-out machines, and were not training with anyone like Jillian Michaels. We’re on our own, but the deal is no lipo/meso, no drugs or any other kind of intervention besides exercise and diet.

First weigh-in is on January 2. The biggest loser takes home P18,000 on February 29, 2008. I don’t think I’m going to win, but I need to lose weight anyway so I decided to join. If I had known I’d be entering this thing, I wouldn’t have ended my Fitness First membership. I’ll have to try Hip Hop Abs asap.

Computation for determining the winner is lost weight over original weight, which is why I think I’m bound to lose.

The contestants: Jenny Q, Jenny B, Jenny D, Gwen, Dova and yours truly. To come up with P18,000, each of us will give P3,000 for the pot.

Oh well, goodbye P3,000. But you never know right? I just might be the biggest loser.

Ten Inches

I don't mean to bore you with my wellness talk but it's just been my focus for the past few weeks. I quit my no-rice diet on the third day. But wait! Before you shake your head in disapproval, let me tell you what I've been stuffing myself with for the past week. Well, I've been eating vegetables. For the first time in my life, I am eating greens like it were normal for me. That's everyday for the last seven days.

For those of you who do not know me, my regular diet consists of anything smothered in butter or fried in oil. I am no fan of ulam with sarsa or sabaw, except if it's Kare-kare or my mom's La Oya. I just like fried steak (not even grilled), pork, hotdog and eggs. No fish, no veggies. I only eat fish if it's canned and swimming in oil and preservatives, filleted (especially if it's from Mcdonald's), or if it's sashimi or in sushi. I will eat veggies in the form of french fries, onion rings, and occasionally, gourmet salad. I almost never eat veggies at home, except for the squash in Pinakbet, onions in Bistek Pinoy, my mashed potato recipe (does that count?), frozen/mixed corn, carrots and green peas (I throw away the peas though), tortang talong, and probably a few more not-very-healthy vegetable dishes. I don't eat healthy at all. I love fat. You are what you eat, huh? Even my tuna omelet has lots of oil, butter, milk and cheese.

I know that I am a good (and young) candidate for heart disease or cancer, especially with my old habits – tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, no fruits, no veggies, all fried diet, very little water. This is the year when I attempt to change all that by adapting a new lifestyle.

I still have a lot of inches to get rid of (around ten on my waist alone). I don't think I've lost any weight at all (huhuhu). It's been a month since I enrolled in Fitness First. But guess what? Those chicks that I used to envy? I can outrun them now. Normally I alternate 2 minutes of walking with 3 minutes of jogging, until I complete 30 minutes on the treadmill. On Wednesday, I walked for 2 minutes and jogged for 23 minutes non-stop. Yesterday I did 2 sets of 25 minutes (non-stop jogging). Who would have thought? I can't wait to see the results. I hope that my new plan proves to be effective.

Liver Talk

Today, I (re)started my no-rice diet. No, it’s not a no-carb diet. I still had pandesal for breakfast. For the lack of green salad in Jollibee Cybermall, I ordered fries. I know that French fries is a lame substitute for greens but it’s still a vegetable and it’s not like there are better (or healthier) choices at four in the morning.

I am trying to integrate fruits into my life gradually. I’ve made a commitment to have at least one serving of fruit a day. This time, I’m serious. Promise. It’s not just because I want to trim down. I watched something about liver disease on telly a few days ago and it scared me. I’ve been eating junk for over twenty eight years. I am poisoned and I want to detoxify. The do-it-yourself cleansing processes are intimidating. Look up coffee enema and liver flush and you’ll see what I mean. I am not sure if I am ready for the enema but I will definitely try the flush. Just need to figure out when to start and where to get Epsom salts.

As a part of my healthy liver campaign, I have also (re)started taking glutathione. According to the doctor from that show I watched, it really does good to the liver. I thought that glutathione was just for skin whitening. Doc says healthy, glowing skin is a reflection of a healthy liver. I was getting breakouts recently, so now is really the perfect time.

Living healthy is expensive.