How does Jessie measure up? Read on to find out.

Happy Pioneer Day, all.  I hope you all have your snappers, parachutes, and fountains ready to go.

Part of my first appointment with Allison at the Diet Center was getting measured.  Everywhere.  Ever wondered what your knee size is?  I now know.

Here are my beginning measurements (all in inches):

Neck:  13.5
Upper arm: 13.25
Upper chest:  36.25
Chest:  37.25
Midriff (ribs):  32.5
Waist:  37
Abdomen:  42.25
Hips:  45.5
Bum:  45.25
Thigh: 25.0
Knee:  17.75
Calf:  16.25

If you're paying attention you'll notice a few things.  First, I'm a pear shape.  Second, I carry approximately 2/3 of my body weight in my thighs.  Twenty-five inches around just one of those babies!  Yikes.  Third, I have a bunch of work to do.

So now we're all caught up.  And you all know way too much about me.  I'm sorry / you're welcome.

JD loves JD!

How do you celebrate the cool down portion of a work out?  I listen to a couple of songs by John Denver.  You read that right.  Turns out "For Baby" and "Goodbye Again" are amazing for that.  The tough part is not singing along.  (I run outside.)

My C25k is going well.  I finally made it through week five, day two.  I've been on week five, day one for weeks.  I didn't think I could jog for eight minutes.  Tonight I did it.  I totally did it.  Twice!  I jogged for eight minutes, walked for five, and jogged again!  It might not sound like much to you but I am really proud of myself.  Yay for Jessie!

Meeting with my dietician is going well.  It's sad I had to pay someone to tell me to eat my veggies.  It's good to get her advice and to have someone to be accountable to twice a week. 

Ok.  I found the paper with my measurements on it.  I'll post those tomorrow.  I know you (my imaginary reader) can hardly wait!  Today I'll post my yesterday weigh in.  I'm at 171.something.  I'm nearly 48 lbs down.  When I drop another twenty I'm getting my hair cut short.

I almost forgot!  I was able to wear some really cute pants today.  Pants that haven't fit since 2008.  Everyone clap for Jessie!  Plus they're dress pants so I can totes wear them to church on Sunday.

I'm heading to DC!

And by DC I mean the Diet Center.  (Please don't judge the whole franchise based on the sad, sad website.)

It's how I lost the weight in my mid-twinties (sic).  I went from 180 to 140ish.  It was amazing.  I kept the weight off till I moved to Rochester, MN.  I knew no one, it was too cold to walk around outside, had no job, and couldn't go anywhere because I'd get lost.  So the fridge, LoveSac, and I became good friends.  Oh, and the PS2.  I played the entire RPG Kingdom Hearts before I eventually found a job there.

I digress.  I went from 140ish to 160 in almost no time at all.  It's impressive, really.

Five years later I'm back (down, sadly) to the mid-170's.  I am ready to get back in to my smaller clothes, have more energy, and I saved enough of my babysitting money (I'm not twelve, honest) to go back to my favorite dietician, Allison.

Today she took my measurements.  Turns out my arm and neck are about the same size.  She said that's typical.  I will never look at people the same again.  I didn't get a copy of my before measurements.  I'll get those and post them.  I go back on Friday.  I'll go twice a week and weigh in each time.  I'm excited to see progress. 

My current weight is 174.5.  Good luck, Jessie!

mid-day weigh in for Jessie

I have just a minute or two left of my break.  I weighed in this afternoon at 175.6.  Yay!  Progress.

I'm sticking with the C25K program.  I'm in the midst of week four.  That means I'm up to jogging for five minute stretches.  It's not easy, but it's doable and I can still move the next day.  I'm liking this running thing.

Imagine what my weight loss ticker would be at if I hadn't had about a gallon of ice cream over the last six weeks. 

Running with friends and I get pantsed.

I have started a couch to 5k program.  I picked a free app for my iPod, downloaded it, and waited several weeks for it to cure.  You don't want to open apps before they're ready.

I started the program late in May.  The first week the schedule was five minute warm up, jog for 60 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, jog, walk, jog, walk, etc, cool down for last five minutes, totaling 30 minutes.  It is amazing how much longer a jogging minute is than a minute and a half of walking.  Time bends around me when I jog. 

I have been 'running' with two amazing women from the neighborhood.  We meet up at the park and cheer each other on.  It's nice to have support in this.  And it's super wonderful to have friends in the neighborhood! 

Tonight I am going to do Week 2, Day 3 of the C25K program.  (I missed a few days due to birthdays.)  I'm jogging for 90 seconds and walking for 2 minutes.  It's getting easier.  I don't feel a stitch in my side ten seconds in to my first run.  I may turn in to one of those obnoxious people who prescribe running for everything.

You're feeling blue?  Get out and run.

You're tired?  Get out and run.

You can't find your keys or wallet?  Get out and run.

You need to go grocery shopping?  Get out and run.

We all know those people.  I hope to not become one.  I think keeping away from professional running gear will help me keep my joy in check.  It's not that I don't want to enjoy exercise.  It's that I don't want to carry it like a disease, always looking for a new host.

Yesterday I had time to go to the DI and get new pants.  I now have two pairs of pants that are the right size!  I never thought I would be glad to shop for a 14 (12 according to Old Navy).  I found one Dockers pair that are sized for petite and curvy.  So ... short and fat, right?  Needless to say they fit me perfectly.  (:  The other pair are a great fit, aside from the twelve inches I need to lop off the bottom.  It really is about a foot of extra fabric at the end of each leg.  How big can cuffs be at the bottom of pants before it's insane?  Are cuffs ok at all?

Wish me luck with my jogging.

Weigh in coming soon.  But I won't expect too much loss.  I've been eating lots of pizza, ice cream, and cake.  Aren't birthdays the best?

I can't go out in public like this but I can blog about it. -or- Everyone clap for Jessie!

Right now I am wearing size 12 pants!  They don't look great, and they are my most forgiving pair of 12's, but they are on and zipped!  They fit about as well as the 16's I've been wearing.  (Size 14 in Old Navy's opinion.) 

I have shopped around for some 14's.  But only at Old Navy.  (So, a size 12 in Old Navy speak.)  Has anyone else noticed their jeans are paper thin? Yikes!  Also the rise was insanely low.  Or I'm getting old.  Mix of both?

I went to the DI to find some pants.  DI has racks and racks of jeans.  That's great!  But I don't have time to sort through all of them.  And so I am making due with my way too big 16's and I can get them zipped, but just barely 12's.  Ugh, first world problems. 

The weather is getting warm enough to start exercising outside in the evenings.  I'm really excited about that! 

Anyone volunteering to call/come over to make sure I actually leave the house? 

What are you going to do to get in more exercise this summer?  I need ideas!  A Slinky to the best idea left in the comments.  (I'm old school so it'll be a classic metal one.)

It's not you, nor me. It's you and Mary Kay

On Facebook I like when my friends announce they have started a new business.  It is a good reminder to unfollow them.

Happy dance! and a weigh in.

I am back down to the weight I was in 2009.  Hooray!  That puts me at 180.  Getting back down to that weight was my little goal.  Now that I'm there I'm going to focus on getting down to my healthy weight.

I am going to start going to The Diet Center again, in May or June.  The Diet Center is how I lost all the weight the first time.  (I kept it off for years.  Then MN happened.)  The Diet Center is fabulous.  If you want more information let me know.  If you have questions or want to join with me let me know.  I would love to have a buddy on this journey to a healthy weight!

Now I can give myself permission to get new pants.  It'll be nice to wear pants that aren't comically large.

One more cheer for Jessie!  Hooray!

What if they sold used cars? (Ready to paint.) Or kids? (Ready to raise.)

The weekend before Easter I was perusing the printed Target ad.  (I am old and so get the newspaper delivered.)  I ran across this gem.

Notice the eggs are a really good deal.  Gotta love a good sale.

However, it was the selling points listed that really made me want to run to Target asap. 

These eggs are ready to cook and dye!!  What?  Upon seeing this I ran to the fridge to check my Costco eggs.  There was no such guarantee listed on that 1.5 dozen.  Naturally I threw them away.  Who wants eggs that are ready to neither cook nor dye? 

Thanks, Target, for prepping your eggs.  It makes a difference.


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I drew something. All by myself.

Candice and I have been playing DrawSomething.  She's really good.  I am ... less so.  But I am proud of this drawing I made some time last week.

Enjoy.

Never gonna give you up. Ever. No matter how hard I try.

I got Rick Rolled today.  I watched the entire video.  I dare you to try to turn it off.  But watching Rick's moves makes me feel better about my total lack of dancing ability. 

For this confidence booster and so many great songs, I thank you, Rick Astley.

Anyone know where he is nowadays?

What are you trying to say? II

I watch a five-year-old in the mornings.  She's darling and looks so much like Dora the Explorer.  (She does not speak Spanish.  Nor does her back pack talk.)

Nearly every morning she asks me, "Did you sleep in your clothes?"

"Um ... no?"  I answer like it's a question because I automatically wonder do I look like I did?  Typically after this I try to smooth down my hair.  We both know I'm not fooling anyone.

What are you trying to say?

 

Use before, during, and after? Isn't that like... all the time?

If I Had A Million Dollars...

I'd have bought me a plane ticket, so I could be at Jessie's birthday party today. But alas, I don't even have enough to buy a green dress (not a real green dress, that's cruel). So this crummy post will have to do. Here's to you, Jes!

werenotmommyblogs.blogspot.com

Then the Bottom Drops Out

**PHOBIA ALERT** I'm posting a picture of my feet.



So, I'd been doing really well with my new healthy-living incentive. I even lost a couple pounds! Hooray!! Then last Thursday - Valentines Day - I walked into a room and WHAM!!! I heard a crack and felt A LOT of pain in my left foot.

My neighbor friend came over (she's a nurse) and looked at it, felt it - Ow. - and compared it to the other foot. It was swollen and "injured", but even if it was broken there's nothing that I could do about it. So much for my exercising streak! Boo. Hiss.

I hobbled around the store and the house the rest of the day, trying to make a nice Valentines dinner for my husband and I. And watch the dogs. And care for my child. All while trying to put as little pressure on my very sore foot as possible. On the bright side, my right quadricep and buttocks got an awesome workout that day!

AND my friend thinks it was just a sprain because it feels better each day. Now it's mostly just a nasty bruise. See!

That bluishness on the left side is not shadow.

Common Cents

Inspiration has struck! My other half and I had been doing our thing to lose weight this year (I know, typical New Year's Resolution.) He's training for a half-marathon. I'm training for... life in a smaller body. I'm pretty sure I'm ready for that.

Anyway, the first month, he lost 10 pounds. I lost 2, but managed to find them in a I-hate-that-he-can-lose-weight-and-I-can't eating-fest weekend. Nevermind that he was running, swimming, biking, and cutting out refined sugars. I was thoroughly depressed about the whole thing. And then it hit me. A great idea to keep me honest and actually working at being healthy. This is it:

We each get a jar to our name (or initial, as you see). There's $20 in dimes and nickels to split. Every day, we get a dime for each healthy activity: no sweets, 30 minutes of exercise, and 5 fruits and vegetables a day. That's a possible 30 cents a day, with the option to earn another nickel for every 15 extra minutes of exercise. If we don't do the fruits and veg or exercise we don't get a dime. But if we eat sweets, we have to take a dime from our jar and add it to the other person's. When all the loose change is gone, whoever has the most, wins the cash / or the better prize.

I'm already pretty sure he's going to win. But I figure if this actually helps me to get in shape, I've won that much anyway! So far it sure helps me think twice about sneaking that cookie if I lose a hard-earned dime for it! Yay for inspiration! And for progress!

Here's the Skinny

So, I'm sure you've Jessie's noticed I haven't posted in a while. I've come up with a few things sometimes, but alas, "It's not that funny!". So I haven't bothered to publish them.

I figured I could always address the fluffy-to-fit topic, but it's just so embarrassing! I confessed to Jessie that I wasn't ready to post on here until my current weight would be less humiliating... and then realized that my weight loss ticker is still on the bottom of this blog. That blabbermouth ticker! (I'll save you the trouble of scrolling down - "Wendy's lost 0 lbs.")

Anyway, since it's a winter wonderland outside, and probably will be for the next few months, it's hard to be motivated to exercise instead of curling up with a book, a blanket, and a pastry. Have you found anything that works for you? I have! But not anything that works for me yet. HA!

But seriously, winter workout/weight loss ideas - Go:

Are you calling me a liar?

Last month a representative from the FBI or something like that came to my house to do a background check on my neighbor.  At the beginning of the interview Mr Agent asked me some basic, identifier questions.


What is your name?
How long have you lived here?
What is your quest?
(He didn't ask about a quest.)
What is your occupation?
May we contact you about this interview in the future?
Blah, blah, blah.

I learned that when you tell the FBI your occupation is "being awesome" they will look at you, pause, and ask, "So ... housewife?"

I should have stuck to my description.  I like it much more.

The Sedentary Times

If I had a newspaper it would be "The Sedentary Times."  That's how I feel about the last few weeks.  With Christmas came lots of reading Christmas books, eating treats, drinking cocoa, watching movies whilst wrapping presents, more cocoa, melting cheese and pouring it on everything and that's dinner (pictures of that to come).  You get the idea.

Christmas is over.  The New Year is here.  I finally moved our Christmas tree outside.  (There's a trail of needles through the house to prove it.) 

This year I have only one true resolution.  Better posture.  

I haven't weighed myself in weeks.  I will be weighed tonight.  The husband and I have physicals scheduled to get approved for life insurance.  So now I'm going to see how much my tubbiness costs, in terms of dollars.  That's going to be amazing.  I hope I'm not back to the 190's again. 

If anyone happens to read this and that person happens to have a good idea on what to do for exercise in the winter please let me know in the comments.