Sagging Butt Syndrome

Today I caught a glimpse of my butt in the bathroom mirror. I glanced away, but it was too late to ignore what I had seen.

I am a victim of Sagging Buttocks Syndrome, aka S.A.S. The firmly rounded butt I imagined myself keeping forever has been lost - possibly irretrievably. The symptoms were obvious: drooping jeans and a baggy bottom. I chose to ignore them as long as I could.

I must admit I am in mourning for the loss of my butt. I was extremely fond of the taute derriere I possessed in my youth. It shaped my jeans nicely and even brought an occasional glance from construction workers and the like.

Alas, soon my round cream puff backside will become nothing more than a sad flat pancake.

Leg lifts and squats start tomorrow....

To Blog or Not to Blog

Writing a blog about losing weight isn't always exciting.

Losing a pound of weight each week is a slow process- kind of like watching grass grow.

The fact is that the daily events of dieting are boring. Most of us want to flip to the back of the book and find out what happens. I wish I could fast forward to a few months from now and see the thinner version of me.

My daily routine has become very...routine. I am simply trying to stay on track and not veer off the road to Thinville. I eat a sensible breakfast each day, limit my calories, and try to get in exercise whenever possible. I search out healthy, low calorie meal choices and foods constantly. For now, my progress is steady. I know I should increase my efforts, but some days are more challenging than others. I am happy to be staying on course.

Clothes fit me loosely these days, but I refuse to buy smaller pants just yet. I am not satisfied to stay at my current weight. This is just a rest stop along the way.

I have to focus on looking ahead to the end of the journey. Buying clothes now would mean accepting my current weight and that is not an option. Each day must mean progress- no looking back and no staying put!

Next goal: Lose weight worth buying new clothes for!

Rain! Oh no. I Might Melt!

I know this is just an excuse, but all this rain has kept me from getting outside and exercising.









Dieters are allowed to have occasional excuses. It helps us handle our challenges and small setbacks. Today I decided that the weather has really affected my ability to get outside and burn off some calories.

I'm not really convinced that the rain is to blame.
However if I believe that the rain has kept me indoors, then when the sun comes out I will be sure to get right outside and take a long walk.

It sounds really good on paper anyway.

Wedding Weigh Ins

Weddings are events the reunite us with friends and family we often have not seen in many years. Such was the case for my husband and I this past weekend. We attended the wedding of a former neighbor’s daughter. We lived across the street from their family over 15 years ago. All our children are now grown and most of us have grown in various ways as well. It seems like just yesterday that we were the thin youngsters saying vows and sitting at the head table…sigh.

As time goes by, our lives change and so do our looks. In fact, the older we get the more likely it is that our weight and waistlines change also. Whenever I expect to meet up with old friends, I still have some apprehension. I wonder what my old acquaintances will think of the newly ‘enhanced’ version of me.

Seeing old friends last weekend at the wedding was actually quite enjoyable. It seemed that most of our old friends had aged and gained right along with us over the years. We all were on equal ground and I realized that we are all trapped in bodies that change without our knowledge.

My 50 year old body is facing the same challenges as every other 50 year old body. I just need to decide if I am going to stand by and let my belly go to pot. Heck no!
My quest to Thinville continues.

The Magicsuit

Today I received a Victoria’s Secret catalog in the mail. At first, I assumed it was intended for one of my daughters. However after investigating further, I discovered that the catalog was actually addressed to me - or Current Resident.

I doubted that Victoria’s Secret would have any clothing designed to fit my body. However, I decided to research the gold standard in bikini bodies. I discovered that the early pages of the catalog displayed endless teeny weeny bikinis that would never fit the typical woman.
By page 49, I had seen quite enough of the ultra thin bikini models. And then it happened. I turned to page 50 and discovered ‘The Magicsuit’. The first one piece bathing suit in the catalog made claims of slimming, trimming, smoothing and streamlining. The suit's description began: ‘Feel the Magic’ and offered a ‘Quick fix for beach trips!’ Unfortunately, even I realized that the Magicsuit could not fix all that this body requires for the beach. The catalog soon found its way into my circular file.

I feel fairly certain that this 50 year old will never purchase a bathing suit from Victoria’s Secret. I do so miss the days of a tanned tummy, but these days are different. My bathing suit goals have become quite simple:
slim my stomach and smooth the bulges.

Hmm...Maybe I should give that Magicsuit a try after all.

500 Calorie FIASCO!

Many people realize that to lose 1 lb. of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you consume. Breaking that down into one week's time, you need to reduce your calorie count by 500 calories a day in order to lose a pound. OR You can also choose to exercise off the additional pounds.

Either way, you need to get rid of an average of 500 calories each day in order to lose pounds.

So why is it so darned easy to add 500 calories to what we eat each day?!
Take these 5 common menu items:

 2 Chocolate Chip Cookies: Careful now
 1 bowl Potato Chips: Perilous Snackin' (Plus lots of fat)
 1 Piece Deep Dish Pizza: Epic Fail Ahead
 1 Innocent Little Margarita: Mad Calorie Count
 1 Outback Bloomin Onion: 2210 Calories!
(YIKES! I wasn’t sure if you knew about that one)

You can see why losing a pound a week is such a challenge. Where is a determined calorie counter to turn? No wonder we all face weekend weight gain! It’s just wrong that these 5 harmless foods present such threatening calorie totals.

Woman cannot live on vegetables and Lean Cuisines alone!

500 Calories - My Butt!
No, seriously. 500 calories would go straight to my butt.

Bumpy Road

Most long journeys ultimately lead to encounters with roads that are under construction or are in need of repair. My current journey happens to be riddled with bumps, potholes and delays.

Every time I seem to be speeding up, I run into a bump in the road that slows me down. Sometimes it is bad weather that prevents me from getting outside to exercise. Other times it is giving in to a food that I just can't resist. Once in a while, I just get lazy and want to coast down the road. Most of the time it boils down to the fact that I am not staying self-disciplined enough to stay on the smooth part of the road.

I can't seem to avoid the areas that slow my pace.

Still, I am certain that I will not turn back or give up on this journey. I refuse to give up. I need to set my GPS for Thinville and follow the directions that lead me to my destination along the fastest route. It's all about avoiding the bumps that hinder my progress.

Crash!

Ordered deep dish pizza tonight.

EPIC FAIL!

No point in discussing it further.

Wrong Way!

I’m going in the wrong direction. Today was the first time since beginning this journey, that I discovered my scale is going up- instead of down.

I am still counting calories faithfully, but I have been eating too many of the wrong kind of calories and it shows. In recent days, I have wrongly convinced myself that sugar is OK as long as I count and limit the calories. In another lapse of judgment, I stopped paying attention to the fat content in foods.

I need to get back to eating pure unprocessed foods. Eating organic foods like fruits, vegetables and meats is very different from taking in processed or high sugar foods. My attempts to steer clear of processed foods are failing. I started to enjoy too many of the delicious 100 calorie (although processed) foods that lure me into defying my diet rules.

The result of my bad choices is obvious. My forward momentum and progress on this journey has stopped. The worst part is that I am now going in the wrong direction.

I plan to get turned around soon and get back on my way to Thinville.

Sightseeing

It seems that ALL the best recipes and food shows are on T.V. right after I get home from work. This is, of course, the hungriest part of my day.

Today, I watched Paula Deen making a 'melt in your mouth' pot roast and frozen chocolate mousse pie. It was more than I could handle.

These T.V. temptations taunt my taste buds too much.

I am well aware of the fact that I need to guard myself from the perils that lie deep within the flat screen. I don't know why, but I just can't look away when I see delicious food preparation staring back at me from the square glare.

There can be no more sightseeing on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel for me. From now on, I've got to respect the stop sign when tempted to view tasty cooking techniques and recipes.

It will be difficult to give up my food watching fascination cold turkey. I'm thinking that maybe I can watch a little of my favorite food shows - as long as it is after I eat a good meal,
but never before I fill my tummy with food first!

Hitchhiking

I really need a lift. If only someone could pick me up and carry me the rest of the way to Thinville. Some days the road seems too long to endure. Lately, it seems that I am spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere.

Encouragement makes the road so much easier to travel. Recently, a friend who I hadn't seen in a while, noticed that I looked a little thinner. Actually, she said my butt looked tiny! She carried me a few miles with that comment!! It was so nice to receive validation that even 10 pounds can make a difference. I am noticing that all my pants are fitting better these days. Additionally, it doesn't seem that my belly sticks out quite as far as it did a month ago (of course, my perspective may be different from that of others). Successful results have a positive impact on my journey and carry me further down the road.

Sometimes discouragement makes me feel like a hitchhiker waiting on the side of the road. For now, I plan to stay on course and keep following my road map-
I just wish I could find some shortcuts!

Detour Ahead

The thing about trying to be disciplined is that nobody is perfect. Sometimes, I just can't stay on track the way I would like to. Today was one of those days that I veered off the main road to Thinville and took a detour.

During the day, I stayed on course with my eating. By nightfall, my weekend tendencies kicked in. The husband brought home one of my favorite 'take out' dishes: Bang Bang Shrimp, from Bonefish Grill .

Although Bang Bang Shrimp is a seafood dish, those little shellfish are fried and covered in a deliciously creamy hot sauce -that must be full of fat and calories. Bonefish always sends baked bread to accompany the take out shrimp and tonight I had to taste a slice of the freshly baked loaf - actually two. Oh, and I might have added a few pats of butter to my bread too. Throwing caution to the wind, I also decided to enjoy one of my husband's special raspberry martinis as well. It is the weekend, after all.

My calorie count for the day isn't crazy, but my body took in a lot of extra fat and sugar tonight.

The nice thing about detours is that they are temporary. There is always a route back to the main road. Tomorrow, I will get back on track and take advantage of warmer weather outside. My dog is always up for hiking a couple miles. Once I get out into the fresh air, I always enjoy it as well. Exercise offers me the option of burning off a few of those extra calories I enjoyed tonight. As a result, my Fun Food Friday won't be a great setback.

Yes, taking detours usually mean slowing down the trip and delaying arrival times. Choosing this alternate route may delay my arrival to Thinville, but some detours make life a little more enjoyable and interesting.

Happiness is a direction, not a place. ~Sydney J. Harris

Rules of the Road

Harsh reality is settling in. Giving up food is not the only rule to monitor on this road to Thinville. Along the way, I am discovering many unexpected cautions, speed limits, and stop signs.

For starters, a caution sign now guards my T.V. Gone are the days of watching mouth-watering comfort foods on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives or tempting European desserts on Everyday Italian. I simply cannot allow the memories of deep fried delicacies and candy confections to invade my brain.

I am skating on thin ice if I accept invitations to join friends for lunch or dinner. Salads are available on most menus, but so are juicy cheeseburgers and raspberry martinis.

My intentions are always honorable, but my mouth doesn’t always choose the menu items that my sensible brain tells it to.

There are Danger signs everywhere when I enter restaurants: delicious smells, attractive entrees on nearby tables,and decadent dessert trays.

When I do begin to eat a meal, I now have speed limits. I've learned to slow down and properly chew my food. Each bite must be small and deliberate. Everything fast about food is wrong. My stomach needs time to realize that it has been fed.

I’ve also found giant stop signs accompany some temptations that I simply have no willpower over. Pizza is beyond the limits of my self-control. It is impossible for me to resist even the worst frozen pizza. The old comparison to sex is true of pizza- even when its bad, it’s still pretty good. When my favorite take out pizza enters our home, I am at its mercy. One piece is never enough. Simply put: Pizza is for me a Do Not Enter Zone.

All in all, the rules of the road must be monitored at all times. The most significant warning on the road is always in the distance-
DANGER: CURVES AHEAD!

Super Bowl - Arghh!

Super Bowl Sunday could not exist without salty snack foods, hot cheese dips, sugary sweet treats and calorie-packed beverages. The challenge for those of us trying to resist these temptations is which road to take?

A) Resist cold turkey- no food or drink-and be miserable all night

B) Resist within limits and have small amounts of food and drink - still no fun

C) Stay home and avoid all parties; think about all the food and fun you are missing
OR
D)Just give in and eat whatever you want

There just aren't any good choices on a night like this. Reality reminds me that it will only take a few fried foods, chips, and adult beverages to gain back every pound I have lost in the last month. I don't want to start over again when I have made it this far.

So I remain devoted to my journey. I confess that tonight I had a few more calories than usual, but it could have been worse. I will have to get in some extra exercise this week to get back on track.

Football may mean fantastic feasts, but Thinville means bigger thrills!

I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it.
Mae West

Off the wagon-

Today I kind of fell off the wagon. My calories are still O.K., but I ate something decadent, containing 470 calories and 26 grams of fat. Since beginning this journey, I have religiously avoided all fast food. But today my willpower was weak.

I had nothing planned for dinner tonight and my son texted me to ask if I would get him McDonalds. I hesitated, but ultimately opted for an easy dinner solution. I stopped on the way home from work and found myself ordering a Filet of Fish sandwich for myself.

It was sinfully delicious. I savored every bite of the fried fish sandwich. I didn't leave one drop of tartar sauce behind either. I knew that my calories for the day were fairly low, and I just couldn't help myself.

Now the guilt sets in. Most items off McDonald's menu are not on the good calorie list. This was the most reckless food decision I have made to date. I am a little worried about staying disciplined after this setback. Still, I have a kitchen full of good foods and worthwhile calories.

I need to see this momentary lapse as motivation to have a great day tomorrow. Yeah, that's it: today is my reason to do better tomorrow.

Hang in there. Nobody is perfect!

Calorie Counting, Portion Control, blah, blah, blah...

Tonight was about calories and portion awareness- yuck! We had a family
dinner out at a fun Hibachi restaurant and then came home to celebrate my son's birthday with cake and ice cream. It just isn't a lot of fun to limit portions when I am faced with so many delicious food choices.

I miss the days of my youth when I could polish off half a bag of oreos with milk an hour before dinner without thinking twice. I never thought about my activity level then, but the comparisons to life now are obvious.

As a child, I spent hours outside walking, biking and climbing through the neighborhood. We walked to school daily and watched T.V. about an hour a day. There were no computers and we hardly spent any time inside. Even up until my late 20's, weight was never an issue.

As an adult now, I spend nearly all of my day indoors working and come home after work exhausted. I am lucky to have enough energy to cook dinner, let alone exercise. Gone are the days when physical activity was built into my day. I try to walk the dog and get to the gym a few times a week, but what a drag. It just doesn't seem right to have to schedule time to get my heart rate up. I wish I could limit my portions to fist size, but I just like food too much. I know my life is now about choices and I have to pick my poison: food or fat?

I didn't overindulge tonight, but I could have been more disciplined about the amounts of food I ate. I know that my trip to Thinville could go a lot faster if I had just a little more willpower.

I am still as determined as ever. Truthfully, tonight was the first night I had a treat like cake since beginning this journey 3 weeks ago. Tomorrow is another day.

The scale is still going down,and my motivation keeps going up.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.
- Confucius

Beware the Birthday Cake!

I knew it was coming. My comfortable 'no sugar bubble' finally popped.  My 3 weeks of avoiding all sugar encounters and difficult temptations has ended.

Today things changed when my son asked me to bake him a birthday cake for his 17th birthday. He wants his favorite yellow cake with chocolate icing. We won't be cutting the cake until tomorrow, but my anxiety is already on the rise. How am I going to handle this?

I have to confess that there is no way I am not having a taste of that cake. The question is: Will I stop at a taste or will I go for the usual portion? I can't tell you what the outcome will be,  but the cake isn't the worst of it.

Before we celebrate with cake, we are going out for dinner! The restaurant we are going to is a Japanese Hibachi setup. I know from experience that there will be lots of yummy food cooking and flying around while we are dining. The ongoing question remains: Will I stop at small portions or will I be tempted to eat all that is in front of me?
Reality has arrived and I have hit the first true fork in the road on my journey to Thinville. Will I take the road less traveled or will I follow the bread crumb path? Wish me luck!