What do Bridget Jones and I have in common? We’re both single, 30-somethings. Singletons I believe she calls it. I don’t live in London. But I do live in Healdsburg, California. Not quite the same thing, I know. She chronicles her love life, her obsessions with alcohol and cigarettes, and just general life commentary. I chronicle my life (a tiny bit of my love life–OH!–I had a total Bridget Jones moment when I was dating a guy last year–does that count? I really have to organize and relaunch that site, sigh. So many things to do, so little time). I could chronicle my obsession with wines and the internet and give general life commentary too.
The main thing Bridget Jones an I have is our obsession with our weight. Today. I’m mortified at my weight. I haven’t been taking care of myself as I should be. It’s partly because I’m a consultant and my bills don’t get paid if I don’t consult and I usually have three or four jobs going on. BUT TODAY. Or rather, this week. THIS WEEK, I reached the tipping point. A mortification tipping point.
After all this running I’ve been doing, you’d think the last thing I’d be worried about is my weight. But, quite the opposite. I like to eat. And I’m pretty stressed lately. So–um–I eat more. Stress eating. You know what that’s like, right?
After the marathon, I thought I should focus on rebuilding my upper body and I finally dragged myself to my gym in an effort to feel better about myself. Out of curiosity, I weighed in. I WEIGHED IN. Shall I announce it publicly?
Obviously. That’s what blogging is all about. Living out loud. So. SO. Guess what?
I weighed in. I weighed in at 151 pounds. I could convert it to kilograms (68.5) and get a lesser number–but that wouldn’t make a real bit of difference. The fact is: I weigh 151 pounds.
UGH.
UGH.
I have gained an ungainly 15 pounds since last May. I have to do something about this. Today. The first time I decided to do something about my weight was in 2004 and that something worked was when I kept a food diary. It was this little notebook where I could record line item by line item what I’d eaten that day. And it had recommended calories and foods that I could reference to I could calculate accordingly.
Basically though, what really worked was being conscious about what I was eating — and being accountable for it. Making conscious decisions about what I was eating and learning about portions.
Right now, according to this BMI calculator I found on Google, I have 25.1 percent body fat and by some sort of arbitrary chart, I AM OFFICIALLY OVERWEIGHT.
Here’s my plan. I wasn’t blogging in 2004 when I kept my food diary. But I am now. I’m going to use my blog (with all of my official and unofficial readers) to help me account for my eating and exercising habits. I’ll really be living out loud. I’ll even start a new category. What should it be called? Living Out Loud?
Ok. Here’s the stats for today (cringe):
Up at 6h am. Didn’t even make breakfast before I started working on a proposal.
Worked until 9am on proposal before I took a break and made a half bagel and coffee (with milk) for breakfast. Somebody showed up at my door and I didn’t have time to put anything healthy on the bagel. It was just a dry, half bagel. Normally, I like crunchy peanut butter and slices of apple on it.
Worked all day. Had a meeting in Petaluma at 3h pm. Meeting until 6h pm. Ended up being tired and hungry and dehydrated.
Thought about getting a burrito from Whole Foods–and only eating half of it. But — got side tracked by a Chinese place because I actually wanted soup.
Had mixed vegetable soup and a plate of mixed meat stir-fry on crunchy noodles. I didn’t finish the entire plate, but I made a good dent in it. Green tea. I think I really was dehydrated.
OK. All of that isn’t terrible. Right? In general healthy–but not as regular as it should be (breakfast, lunch, dinner). The kicker is the fact that on the way home I stopped to buy a gift for a friend. I bought a chocolate bar at the checkout. I didn’t really need that chocolate bar, now did I? Especially since I didn’t make it to the gym.
The worst part about it is. I don’t really like chocolate. OR until last September, I never really ate chocolate. Now it seems, I can’t ever get enough. UGH. Something else to work on.
Well. Tomorrow is another day. I guess I’ll let you know how I do.
Wish me luck.
You can do it! It’s all math. 3500 calories = 1 pound.
I am with you – back on track! Together we can do this!
Hi Jen,
I’ve calmed down somewhat since I read this post this morning, but let me say that I found it pretty insulting. Before I got pregnant with Halia, I weighed 150 lbs, and I don’t care who knows it. Even if the “official” numbers say I was (and am) overweight, I don’t think anyone looked at me and thought, “Ugh, she’s fat!”
By the fact that you are certainly taller than me AND that you just ran a marathon and therefore undoubtedly have more muscle mass than I have, I doubt anyone looks at you and thinks you’re fat, either.
It’s true that you have to be comfortable in your own skin. If you don’t feel healthy, great that you’re doing something about it. But don’t let the number “151” influence you into feeling worse than you have to, that’s ridiculous.
I had the same problem with the Bridget Jones book, btw. It was a fun and easy read, but the “OMG, I weigh 77 lbs, I’m sooo fat!” part was disgusting.
*sigh* Now that that is out of my system, I have a few things to add for your weight loss plan…
– Sugar is by far a worse enemy than fat. One week while I was pregnant with Jade I was forced to lay off refined sugar and that was the only week I actually lost weight in my pregnancy. (Duh! Losing weight is not generally recommended during pregnancy.) Anyway, I didn’t think I ate much sugar to start with, so giving up that little bit and having such a dramatic result really opened my eyes. When I tried it again after giving birth, it totally kick-started the weight loss.
– Some recent studies show that having more protein and less carb for breakfast enhances weight loss.
– Drink a cup of green tea every day — it boosts your metabolism. You will burn more calories without even doing anything extra.
Good luck, Jen.
Hi Fawn,
Yes. I know. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. First, let me say, I, personally, would NEVER think any weight gained during or from a pregnancy was fat. But, I can’t say. I’ve never been pregnant. AND that isn’t a personal choice.
I am obviously having issues other than my weight…will they make it on my blog? I doubt it. Maybe by creating my new category: Living Out Loud, I’m sort of challenging myself to get them out there. I don’t really know if they are blog fodder though. Some things are well–too much.
Thanks for the tips on sugar and tea. In 2004 when I was paying attention to my eating habits, I found I did well if I ate my carbs (whole grain toast) with protein in the morning, maybe some light carbs at lunch, with only protein and fiber at dinner.
I don’t know what started the sugar thing with me. I do know it started last September though. At least I know if I’m making conscious decisions about what I eat, rather than what I’ve been doing lately, I also feel better about myself.
And that is my main goal I think. Feeling better about myself.
Hey Jen — sorry if I was being insensitive. I think you misread part of my comment, though. 150 lbs is my normal NON-PREGNANT weight, and I don’t think it’s such a bad place to be. 🙂
I will reiterate something I said, though, and which you also put in your response: the important thing IS that you feel better about yourself. If losing weight help, then GREAT. (Hey, I wouldn’t mind being a little lighter than 150 lbs — I just don’t think it’s disgusting, is all.)
But remember to be gentle with yourself, too. If you’re eating better AND you’re fit enough to be RUNNING MARATHONS, for crying out loud, I think you’re doing great on the health front. 🙂
Remember; a calorie, is a calorie, is a calorie, is a calorie. Don’t get hung up on carbs & protein & fat (& sugar, which by the way is a carb).
The more it’s processed, the worse it is for you. If it doesn’t grow that way, avoid it. The more ingredients on the label, the less you need it.
You can do it! It’s all math. 3500 calories = 1 pound.