"Tiny Dancer"

Okay, a tiny dancer is not what I want to be, but the lyrics work for this entry. I present to you our "Goal Jeans." On the left, my 36 slim boot cut Diesels that I am still in love with after three years. (Yeah, that's right, don't choke on your Diet Coke you skinny bitches reading this, I said one of my goals is to fit a size 36. Keep the "Whoa!" to yourself.) On the right, Fabricio's size 34 straight leg Paper Denims.

Fabricio came up with the idea a few years back, and it worked for him at the time. In reality, these will fit me within about the next 20 pounds, so they aren't my final goal jeans. At some point I'll buy a final pair (in a waist size I haven't worn since middle school!), but for now I've got the next size down covered.

In recent years, I've made a habit of purchasing pieces of clothing that I really love, even when they're a size (or two) too small. I always rationalized that "It will fit soon!", but I can go into my closet right now and find something from 2004 that still has the tag because I have never been able to wear it. Call it the hoarder in me, but I refuse to let it go. I ended up giving away garbage bags full of clothing that still had the tags on them, so I learned my lesson as of about a year ago.

The point of the jeans nailed to the wall are to inspire us each time we see them. Honestly, they've sort of lost their impact as I've gotten used to them, and I now I actually like how they look as a decorative splash of color on the otherwise boring wall, but there are times when I see them and "visualize" how nice it will be to wear them instead of my current less exciting jeans.

Either way, I encourage you to pick out a piece of clothing that you love (that you don't currently fit), and tack it to a wall. You'll get a mini reminder of your goal each time you walk by it. I can't promise that it will make a big difference, but it can't hurt, no?

"Blue jean baby, L.A. lady, Seamstress for the band. Pretty-eyed, pirate smile, you'll marry a music man..."

"Keep on Pushing"

Quick update: Weight Watchers is going well! The first few weeks had me down 6.6 pounds! I gained a few 'fake' pounds on the third week's weigh-in, but that's only because I did a little cheating on the Sunday before weigh-in. I had lost a bit of weight in November/December, so I'm down approximately 13 pounds since I hit my peak in mid-late 2009!


This time really does feel different, and even though I'm not losing quite as quickly as when I was on the plan in 2007, it's been much easier this time. We're eating a fantastic variety of foods: Mediterranean Lamb Stew, Mango Thai No-Meatballs with Peanut Sauce and Rice, Chicken Marsala, and Shrimp Scampi with Linguine, to name just a few. Anyone who says a "diet" has to be boring is straight up wrong.


One of the most exciting developments in the 'eating habits' area has been the addition of a Blendtec Total Home Blender. To call this thing a blender is to not truly understand the versatility and power of this incredible machine. Dedicated post to follow!


"I've got to keep on pushing, I can't stop now. Move up a little higher, some way, somehow..."

"Let's Get It Started"

Signed up last night! Weighed in and started this morning! Look for another new post later this evening! 

"Step by step, like an infant new kid. Inch by inch with the new solution. Transmit hits, with no delusion. The feeling's irresistible and that's how we movin'..."

"With a Little Help from My Friends"

Well, that didn’t exactly go as planned, did it? Excuses, excuses. I don’t know if it’s even helpful to go through them, to be honest. I started a new job, the holidays made me crazy, I went out of town five times in two months, blah, blah, and blah. What’s the point, really? The fact is that I haven’t posted here since September. That’s a shame, but the past is over and gone. I open my eyes and awaken in the present. That’s where we are, so let’s step forward from here. 2010. It's kind of wild.

Updates on the vitals: I don’t think I gained any weight throughout the autumn, but if I did, I dropped it when I came down with a 10-day case of swine flu. (Pardon me, “Novel Influenza A, H1N1".) I had no appetite for days, and would occasionally hurl in the morning as the daily realization set in that I still wasn’t back to normal. On the upside, it gave me a solid eight-pound loss (which I have kept off, thank you very much), so like Fabricio encouraged each day, I say, “Keep throwin’ up!” Now, now, don't judge me. I’m not bulimic, and I don’t condone bulimia as a healthy way of living. Let’s make that clear to keep the letters from starting when this blog hits the big time. (In my dream, I have a sit-down interview with Jillian Michaels, or she surprises me at my office and gives me an impromptu beat down. Feel free to write and tell her how much I need to experience her amazing brand of psyche-breaking, fix-you-deep-in-your-core, then-build-you-up-to-be-stronger-than-ever skills.)

A few months ago I wasn’t sure if the structure of the Weight Watchers Points System was still the best method for me to monitor my food intake. I did the program in 2007, and then a halfhearted attempt early in 2009. However, I’ve come to realize that (at least right now in the beginning of my loss) it is the easiest and most foolproof plan. Due to my work schedule, I can no longer attend the same weekly meeting that I used to, so I’m going to try their online-only plan that includes the most helpful tool of all, their “Points Tracker”. 

One of my original intents with this blog was to show how anyone could conquer weight loss on their own, and that it wasn’t necessary to use a service that has a monthly fee. Well...sometimes you (read: me) need to accept the fact that you need help.

I won’t have a “leader” to give me a sermon and pep talk each week, so I hope that I can count on all of you to keep me accountable and encouraged! The new plan starts bright and early on Monday, January 4th. I hope you’ll join me. Whether you have 5 pounds to lose, or 100+, let’s make this the start of something big.

Happy New Year! The "New Year, New You" catchphrase for 2009 in the media was “Feelin’ fine in ‘09!” What should we use for 2010? I like cheesy, so hit me with something good!

"Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends. Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends..."

Step by Step, Three Choices: Day 4

Thursday, September 24th

1 - I bought a few 'Full Bars' today. Supposedly, they're a healthy snack bar to eat 30 minutes before a meal to make you feel somewhat full so that you eat less. My problem has usually been the types of food I eat, and not as much the quantity or portions. But, I'll give them a try anyhow. I had an "Apple Caramel Crisp" Full Bar for breakfast, and it wasn't too bad. After waking up at 7:30 and eating the bar around 9:30, I wasn't hungry for lunch until about 1:15. Not bad! (Check out www.fullbar.com for more info. Rest assured, this isn't a paid endorsement. It's not an endorsement at all; I don't know if I even like them yet.) :-)

2 - I spent 20 of my 30 lunch break minutes walking around my new work 'hood (NoHo). I picked up lunch at 'wichcraft. I got the soup & sandwich combo which was TINY. I'm talking supermodel food. The tiny friggin' finger sandwich was delicious. (Multigrain bread with goat cheese, walnut pesto (very little oil), watercress, celery, avocado.) The soup was tiny and average. It was a watery split pea soup with "olive oil croutons". There were 2 little croutons, so I wasn't worried about them being unhealthy. I haven't been able to find calorie counts online anywhere, but I'm fairly sure that these didn't have crazy hidden fats. Even so, the portions were so small that I'm not worried. So to clarify: Today's #2 Choice was a decent walk and mini-sized food portions.

3 - This is harder than I thought. Anyone have any tips to make me reach three healthy choices each day?

Step by Step, Three Choices: Day 3

Wednesday, September 23rd

1 - I had a meeting on the 3rd floor, and to get back to my desk on the 10th floor, I decided to take the stairs. That may not sound like much, but walk seven flights in a large office building, and you'll say otherwise. (That is, after you spend four minutes heaving, gasping for air.)

2 - It was one of my manager's birthday today, so my department had cupcakes. They looked delicious. Whole Foods dark chocolate cupcakes with a butter cream frosting, plus a little smiley face perched atop made from white chocolate. As I stood in the group of folks waiting to grab one, I remembered how it was tough to come up with 'three little steps' yesterday for the blog entry, and I walked away. Let's just hope that next time they don't test my strength with jumbo crispy chocolate chip walnut cookies. Mmmm-mmm!

3 -I had Japanese food for dinner tonight. Normally when I get take-out from my favorite place (Kodama, for all the New Yorkers reading this), I get one roll and the 'Kodama Chicken' box. The box has chicken, rice, steamed broccoli/carrots, and two tiny shrimp shumais. I'm usually able to finish the entire box, but tonight I stopped myself halfway through. I could have eaten more, but I was also okay with stopping. The leftovers won't be enough for another meal, but certainly it'll be a fairly healthy snack in a day or two. We're getting somewhere!

Step by Step, Three Choices: Day 2

Tuesday, September 22nd

Keep in mind these are SMALL triumphs, people. Don't expect enormous breakthroughs. This is all about the day to day little things.

1 - My friend Jess convinced me (I swear it wasn't my idea!) to get Red Mango (www.redmango.com) tonight while she was over visiting. I have cut way back on my addiction in recent weeks, but I'm proud to say that quite possibly for the first time ever, instead of getting the 'Regular' (Medium), I ordered a small. She and Fabricio said something crazy to the effect that with dessert, it's the taste you crave, not the quantity. You aren't eating to feel full, it's just the flavor that you want. While I feel like I basically knew this already (I mean, duh, right?), it sort of blew my mind a little bit. Like, "Ohhhhh, yeah that's true!".

2 - I can't come up with a number two, so I'm going to say that the second good thing I did was that I learned the dessert thing from Jess & Fabricio.

3 - Today was "Waffle Day" in my office. (Yes, you heard right. Meetup is an amazing place to work, though this is just one of the reasons.) The options included buttermilk Eggos, syrup, powdered sugar, Reddi-Whip, chocolate chips, sweet cream butter, the WORKS. I chose two small organic whole wheat belgian waffles that were high in fiber. I covered them with sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and a drizzle of lite syrup. Score one major point for me!