here's to my health

September 12th, 2011


Weight: 238.0 lbs.
L arm: 12.5
R arm: 11.5
Bust: 43
Chest:38.5
Waist: 54
L thigh: 31
R thigh: 31

[Sorry for getting this out so late. I wrote it Sunday but forgot to publish! I won't make any promises for this coming Sunday either; it's Lydia's birthday party day, and so I'll probably be crying over her little baby pictures and nowhere near my computer]

This week held not so much a weight difference, but rather some inches. I knew my boobs would be the first to go with this whole weight loss thing...they're slowly disappearing before everything else. BUT the good news is that I am maintaining a consistent weight loss along with changing inches. Over time this is a much better approach in order to keep the weight off and continue with healthy habits.

I am going to swallow my pride (not something I often do) and go up to the wellness center to renew my membership after purchasing, and not using, a month around Christmas time last year. My eating habits are changing for the better, immensely better, but now I need to throw more productive exercise into the mix. I do really well when I'm working at Prairie View-it's a lot of moving, and we cover quite a bit of ground when we're on the floor. I have noticed that my strength with doing lifts (people, that is) and my endurance have been increasing even though I don't have a formal workout plan yet. I want to start incorporating more of a routine time to work out, like before Lydia wakes up. Now with the winter approaching it makes sense to me that we start going to the gym more often.


Thank you all for your continued support! Have any workouts/exercises really stood out to anyone reading this? What's your favorite way to start your day or blow off steam with exercise?


September 5th, 2011


Weight:  238.5 lbs.
L arm: 13
R arm: 12
Bust: 44
Chest: 38.5
Waist: 54
L thigh: 31
R thigh: 31


Awesome week, awesome results...cannot believe it's going so smoothly! :)


August 28th, 2011

I only have my weight for this week: 240.0! Five pound mark!

We had an entirely too-busy weekend, so I will be getting my measurements sometime this week.  Goals until next time include making time for exercise in the morning, when I actually really like to do it, continue to eradicate added sugars (especially fake added sugars) from the foods I eat, and spend more time in my weed patch garden, where my peppers, tomatoes and herbs are coming along nicely.

My best friend, Lani, is here to stay with us for an extended period of time, maybe months, so that will hopefully bring a renewed sense of accountability and friendship with following my weight loss journey.  She is right there with me with wanting to be healthier, so having a partner in crime will definitely help me out :)  See you all soon.

August 21st, 2011

I'm going to do my stats first today, because I am wicked proud of the fact that I had numbers go down despite the fact that it was the week of the Murray County Fair! I was incredibly good with what I ate, and Lydia and I walked down every morning to say hi to all the animals and check out the commercial building exhibits.

L arm: 12
R arm: 12.5
L thigh: 31
R thigh: 31.5
Waist: 55 1/2
Hips: 54
Chest: 41
Bust: 47

Weight: 241.5!

I am very proud that I lost two pounds! With the exercise and ever-changing eating habits that I'm adopting, slowly but surely my numbers are changing. My friend Rachel, bless her heart, commented with some wonderful low-cal food options for healthier snacking, and I've been wicked conscious of trying to keep my calories and reasons for eating in check. Because I'm an emotional eater, there are other avenues for stress relief that we're exploring besides diving into comfort food.

One of my favorite subjects when it comes to food is the nutritive power of the coined 'superfoods'. Superfoods were categorized as such because of their powerhouse features such as high antioxidants, high fiber, loaded with vitamins and minerals, low-fat/cholesterol, etc. They're often described as having the benefits of lowering your weight and blood pressure, reducing the risks of having cancer and heart disease, and bettering your mood. Who could resist foods that do all that (and more)? With being more concerned about the calories we're eating in our house, I want them to have the most bang for their proverbial buck. Here are some of my favorite superfoods and how we use them every day here at the Chapmans'.

1. Blueberries. Lydia loves them mixed with yogurt, I sprinkle them on hot and cold cereal, or eat them right out of the container. Just make sure you buy organic/wild-grown; conventionally grown berries usually lack the taste and nutrients of wild, and they're laden with pesticides to boot. Blueberries are high in fiber and antioxidants, and low in carbs.
2. Quinoa. It's an ancient grain, high in fiber and protein, and host to many needed minerals that your body craves. I eat it with eggs for breakfast, or with a slew of sauteed veggies for supper.
3. Broccoli. We eat it every which way here: sauteed with kale (another yummy superfood), raw, steamed, grilled, you name it. Broccoli has tons of beta-carotene, fiber, trace minerals, and vitamin K.
4. Salmon and other Omega-3 rich fish. Grilled, baked or broiled, we love fish and it loves us. It's low-cal, high in good fat, rich in protein, and, if wild-caught, low in pollutants namely found in farmed fish.

What superfoods do you like to eat at your home? Google them and learn more! :)

August 14th, 2011

This past week held some exciting changes for me in regards to exercise.  I now am in possession of the prettiest Trek riding bike and baby trailer! It's built like a Schwinn old-style riding bike, but it's up to date with 21 gears and a modern frame.  The bike trailer I received for my birthday this year from my wonderful family, but didn't have a great bike to pull the thing! Lydia and I took it out on a few test drives and aside from my butt bones hurting the next day, we really like it :) We also took some nice long walks and I worked hard at Prairie View, which includes lots of lifts and walking between apartments.

However, it was an emotionally stressful/mentally challenging work week.  With my Shetek job coming to a close, Charlie and I have to try and redo our budget to fit my new income.  Plus, working so much leaves me little time with little Lydia, and I found myself teary from missing her so much while I was at work.  One major impact of my working 40+ hours a week now is that my nursing relationship with her is pretty much in the tank. I don't have enough time/milk/energy to pump as much as I need to sustain a healthy supply for her, and she's too busy and determined to learn everything about her world to spend any time nursing besides in the morning and evening.  I have been feeling pretty lost and sad about that; I've always handled emotional distress with food, which is probably why my numbers haven't changed too much.  That, and Charlie offers the disclaimer that he couldn't remember exactly where he measured me last week.  But I digress.  Here's this week's results:

L arm: 12.5
R arm: 13
L thigh: 31
R thigh: 30
Waist: 52
Chest: 41.5
Bust (this is BEFORE pumping, mind you): 47

Weight: 243.5 lbs.


Wish me luck with more exercise and emotional support in the form of anything but food this week :)

August 7th, 2011

This week wasn't so bad.  I didn't lose a whole lot because I didn't put much effort into exercising, but my portions are becoming much more realistic and within my calorie budget.  

Here are my measurements for this upcoming week! All are in inches.
L Arm: 12.5
R Arm: 13.0
L thigh: 30
R thigh: 30
Waist: 56
Waist, sucking in: 49.5 :)
Chest: 41.5
Bust: 46.5

Weight: 243.5 lbs.

Obviously, none of these measurements are remotely healthy, but the worst by far is my waist (even when I'm sucking in).  Belly fat, or visceral fat, is the most dangerous, unhealthy fat to have in your body for myriad reasons: it metabolizes differently than other fat cells, it fills the spaces between organs and is linked to high cholesterol, high insulin, high triglycerides, high blood pressure and other problems. Researchers are investigating whether visceral fat secretes more inflammatory molecules that are linked to diseases than other types of fat.  Subcutataneous fat, the kind found under your skin, is unhealthy for many reasons as well.

Exercise.  It's so necessary.  Unfortunately, it's the last thing I want to do on a hot morning or in the evening after spending the day supervising parent visits or wiping butts and doing lifts.  As the mornings get cooler, though, I am getting more than excited to take Lydia for walks, and possibly wake up earlier in order to get a cup of coffee and some yoga in before she wakes up. 

I am going to go to bed, my eyes are watering with how tired I am! Please stay tuned...I need all the support I can get :) thank you all!


July 31st, 2011

Well, I definitely didn't pick the best week to start all this out.  My brother and sister-in-law visited from Las Vegas, and stayed with us through the week.  Between working, taking care of a daughter with a bad ear infection, and visiting with my wonderful family, I didn't get much done in the way of my nutritive goals.  Actually, nothing at all.  I didn't exercise like I wanted to, and we certainly didn't eat the best.  The funny thing is that they're all doing a strict, non-carb-ish diet out there, and we blew up their diet here too.  Fat and carbs for everyone this week!

We joked that they're doing a no-carb diet, and I've always been a fan of the no-carbs-left -behind plan. ;) Seriously though, this week was a perfect example of the need for moderation in all things, butter and carbs especially.  We made meals such as banana bread French toast, maple-infused chard and apples, and chicken Alfredo, stuff reserved for special occasions (and the gods! so delicious).  Charlie and I also worked quite a bit, a trend that will be continuing for a long time, I am sure.  August is setting up to be just as, if not more, busy than July, with work and friends visiting us.

Finding our way in the world of nutrition and exercise with a family schedule like ours is tough.  I can tell you how much I want to come home after a long day of wiping asses and make a healthy meal (and I'm sure you can guess).  The thing is, I know how much we'll appreciate and love the results of doing so in the days to come.  Charlie and I are also working hard on developing a better family budget, and that's why I am going to be creating a realistic and creative menu for the month.  We'll go grocery shopping once for pantry goods and non-perishables, and then hit up the farmer's market and our garden for produce and baked goods.

I will also be taking my measurements as soon as I find a fabric tape, and will add them to this post for the week.  I'll be measuring my bust, chest, waist, hips, arms and thighs.  Just another way to see some positive results.

My stats this week:

Weight: 244.5 lbs (hell yea!)

Thanks everyone! 


July 24th, 2011


So....

I'm going to lose 100 lbs.

And I need your help to do it.


It's mostly an accountability factor, and a great motivator.  If I progress note my journey along the way, I have a feeling I'll be more down with recording my stats and keeping up on my eating/exercise habits.  I also have friends who, from time to time, may join me on here in my quest to find health and wellness through community endeavors (farmer's market, community gardening, walks with friends, etc.) and healthful habits in our home.  This page will be continuously updated with new posts every Sunday to track my (or our, depending on if you're along for the ride!) progress.

My weight at the beginning: (gulp, here we go) 245 lbs.

Here's to my health!