Conference

Just wanted to post to say that I'll be out of pocket for the next couple of days. Just drove 6.5 hours today/tonight for a med school conference. But I will not take a vacation! Normally I would have used a conference or weekend away as an excuse for falling off the wagon or "forgetting" to eat right and make healthy choices. But nope, not this time. This time I packed all my workout gear and made sure the hotel I'm staying in has a free 24-hour fitness center. That's right, Dr Tejas is taking control! Tomorrow morning I'm getting up early so I can fit in a nice cardio workout before my meetings begin.

I hope you're making healthy choices too! Make yourself proud!

Signing off till Monday,
Kelli

It does a body good

Thanks for all your support the other day through my funk. I'm better now! =) I didn't walk the other day like I had planned, but did yoga/stretching/deep breathing instead. It helped me to refocus. I think the problem is not getting enough activity through out the day. By the end of the night, I'm tired, but only mentally. It's been frustrating. But now that I know what's causing by funk, I can plan and prepare myself.

Like today: Sat in the basement of the hospital all day (until 9pm!) going through patient charts trying to find stupid numbers and figures. But...unlike before, I knew that sitting down all day in the tiny cubicle surrounded by other tiny cubicles and horrible florescent lighting would make me antsy. So I took myself to the gym for that walk I promised myself. I ended up walking for an hour and went a little over 3 miles. Bonus: I earned 4 AP! It felt great to exercise again. I forgot what a rush it is. At the beginning I felt like I want to try jogging, but I'm glad I didn't. The hour long walk was plenty for my non-exercising body. I plan to walk for an hour for the next 4 days until my C25K plan starts on Monday. =)

The down side to today was that I did not eat like I was supposed to. I accidentally skipped breakfast because I was running around trying to get out the door and forgetting half my stuff in the process. Then, I got wrapped up in getting all the research stuff squared away and talking with my research partner that I didn't eat anything until 4pm. Luckily, I brought healthy snacks (yay, go me), but it would have been better to eat every 3-4 hours. Oh well, live and learn. Tomorrow (/today since it's after 2am) will be better. I'm planning on bring my lunch and snacks tomorrow to eat throughout my glorious, research-filled day and then come home and go walking again.

I hope everyone had a fabulous day and will have a fantastic tomorrow! Thanks for your comments. I'm glad to know I'm not only talking to myself ;-)

Oh, and tomorrow I will post about the amazing award Pam gave me, so stay tuned!

Peace out,

In a funk

I think I'm in a funk. I don't know why. I should be excited about the 5 pounds I have recently lost, but for some reason I don't really feel it. Maybe it's because I'm sitting on my butt all day not really doing anything besides "research" and browsing the internet, blogs, and WW. I think I might go for a walk and see if that will help get me out of this blah mood. Plus, walking will not only ease my way into working out again, but it will also give me something to do that does not consist of sitting and staring at the computer screen.

When y'all are in a funk what do you do? Any special tricks or tips? I'm hoping this walk will do the trick!

Till later, peace out~

6.21.10 Weigh-In

I lost 2 pounds! Woohoo! That puts me at 185, the goal I wanted to hit today. Yay! As a celebration, I'm going to bed early (like right now) and screw research. It kept me up until 5am last night and I only got 3 hours of sleep.

Yay, -5 total!! So happy! Hopefully you'll be seeing less of me later ;-)

Peace out

Thunderstorms

I love thunderstorms! They're magically delicious. And sexy! We didn't get thunderstorms in SoCal and I missed them. My favorite is to sit on my patio and watch them roll in. I love to watch the display of power and electricity in the air. I love the smell and palpable excitement. And I love the way they make me feel like I'm home. I'm right where I'm supposed to me. When I look into my future, I see myself on a huge wrap-around porch in my favorite rocking chair watching thunderstorms roll in--and that scene always makes me smile.

But enough about the sexy rain, let's talk about me! Today for brunch I made a fabulous concoction of egg substitute, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, jalapenos, and Morning Star fake-meat breakfast sausage. Served with fruit and toast and *bam*, there's  brunch! It was fabulous!

I'm still trying to get all my water in. It's harder than I thought it was going to be, but hopefully it will soon get better.

My C25K (Couch to 5K) training starts a week from tomorrow and I'm really excited for it. I think I might start walking tomorrow (not too intense) just to get my body used to moving again. Isn't that sad? I have to oil all my rusty joints and slowly get my body used to being used again. I hope to never be in this position again. From now on, I hope to always maintain some sort of exercise/activity daily so my body never has another chance of becoming dysfunctional from non-use.

I'm super behind in my research =/ so I gotta run off and finish some more before the network kicks me out at 2am. Then I have to tidy up because my friends that are moving tomorrow are coming over for one last breakfast together. *Tear* I'm going to miss them.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend and a Happy Father's Day! I have the best fathers in the world, I hope you do too!

Peace out,

Helpful Friends

I would like to introduce you to some of my friends that will help me with my journey and keep me accountable, honest, and motivated. Starting from the left we have my most trusted computer with the WW website and eTools pulled up. Then we have a WW pocket points calculator on top of a food scale. These three items paired with my iPhone to the right (with the WW application open) will help me keep track of what I'm eating, how much I'm eating, and if I'm eating all of the right things. Behind the scale is my beloved water bottle. It's large, has a huge straw, and has fluid increments on the side so I can measure how much water I'm drinking per day. Then there is a hefty stack of low-fat, low-carb, and quick & healthy cookbooks that I've just purchased and am super excited to start using. I really like to cook, but with my busy schedule and tiny kitchen I never really made it a priority. Now I am. Now I'm going to learn how to cook all the fantastic healthy dishes in the cookbooks and be cognizant of my nutritional needs. The last three are all best friends: iPod nano with Nike+, Nike+ running shoes, and Polar RS100 Heart Rate Monitor. These three are going to help me achieve and record my activity points.

I went to the grocery store yesterday and came home with all sorts of goodies. Below is a picture of some of the greatness I'm filling my fridge with. Lots of fruits (and frozen fruit to make smoothies) and veggies, chicken breasts, salad, yogurt, whole-wheat pasta, high fiber oatmeal and cereal. I love having so many healthy snack options! =D

Below is my workout schedule starting Monday, June 28th. This is on the front of my fridge so I see it everyday. I'm starting with the Couch to 5K program which is a 3x/week walking/jogging regimen that takes 9 weeks to complete. "The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles (or 5K) on a regular basis in just two months". If anyone is interested in starting the program with me, just leave a comment. It would be cool to get a group together =)

I also made a calendar to visually track my journey and keep myself accountable. Everyday I have the opportunity the earn 3 different stars. Blue for staying on plan, silver for blogging, and red for activity. It's kind of a reward system because at the end of the week or month I'll be able to look back and see how many stars I have and if the whole week/month is filled with all three.

This is a sheet with a progress thermometer and achievement checklist. For every 1.25 lbs I lose, I get to color up to the next hash mark. 100% is 40 lbs gone which means I will have hit 150 lbs. Can't wait for that to happen! For every 10 lbs milestone I will be rewarding myself in a non-food manner. Like going for a manicure, getting my hair cut, going to a concert, maybe even buying the digital camera I want when I reach -40, etc. I haven't decided the order of everything, but I'll be posting them to the right side of my blog when I finally do.

I hope everyone finds their own helpful friends and has a fabulous day!

Peace out

I'm back and ready to kick it

Today is off to a great start! I already feel so much better. However, I'm going to start with the not so good part first so I can leave you with a sweet taste in your mouth at the end of the post. I'm nice like that ;-) *Start long tirade* I talked to my doctor and she said if the bleeding continues to head to the ER....uh...okay, I'll keep that in mind. =/ It's times like this that I don't enjoy being the patient. I'm a horrible patient. I don't like taking medication and sometimes I plainly ignore my doctor's advice. Wow, way to go soon-to-be-doctor. Yeah, yeah, everyone does it, I'm not perfect. But this time I was especially irked because I got my doctor on the phone and I asked if this issue was really something to be concerned about (because of course I spent all last night/the early hours of this morning scouring the internet for information). Her reply, "Well....you're bleeding, right?..." Don't patronize me. Don't treat me like I'm stupid, because I'm not, I assure you (like that'll do any good). It's a good learning opportunity, however, to be reminded what it feels like to be on the other side of the exam table. I wanted her to say, "I understand how you could be concerned. But, remember how we talked about how you might experience some bleeding after you had surgery? However, if the bleeding is excessive and doesn't stop, I would feel best if you went to the ER" (I'm not in the same city as my doctor). Instead she treated me like a worthless, ignorant person. Instead I got something more like, "Uh...yeah, head to the ER if you're bleeding like you're dying...*Duh*" Gee, thanks! I kinda figured that out by myself. Excessive bleeding = bad. That's pretty basic. On the other hand, I really like her as my Ob-Gyn because she's a no-shit-taking, abrupt almost to the point of rude, badass. She comes in, gets to her job and leaves. That's the way I like it. Don't try to chat with me like we're buddies, because we're not and I'm already uncomfortable being here so one foot's already out the door. She always answers all of my questions, gives me a chance to ask anything or bring up any topics, and always calls me back ASAP. -- Wow, sorry for that long tirade. This whole conversation only took about 5 minutes and I was back to my fabulous day. So overall, I think everything's okay and normal. And I promise, if I start bleeding excessively or feel like I'm about to die, I will head to the ER stat. =) But that won't happen. *End long tirade, sorry* Ok, back to more exciting things...like my fabulous new morning coffee drink It's the 1 point Caramel Latte Smoothie made with water and one packet of Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Colombian Coffee. I get a jolt of caffeine added to the great taste of my caramel latte all for the price of 1 point! I add only 3 ice cubes so it's not terribly icy but it gives it a nice cold consistency. I also had a Jimmy Dean D-lights Turkey Sausage Muffin. I really want to eat more non-frozen food, but I haven't made it to the grocery store yet so luckily I had these in the freezer. It's not bad if you like those breakfast sandwich things, and they're only 5 points =) So I was exploring the plethora of information WW has available online and came across an interesting article titled 5 Reasons You're Always Starving. I only list two below.

2. You eat breakfast, just not the right kind.

Although any breakfast is better than none, the foods you choose can have a major impact on how satisfied you feel for the rest of the day. Take that convenient cereal bar: It might appear to be a healthy choice when you don’t have time for a sit-down meal, but its mega-dose of simple sugars may have you rummaging through the fridge well before lunch.
The Fix: Build a better mix of nutrients.
The key to making your breakfast hold your appetite at bay until lunch is building a morning meal that contains both protein and carbs. “It’s important to combine some protein along with some complex carbohydrates to provide sustained energy throughout the morning,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, a Long Island–based dietitian in private practice. Opt for no-fuss choices like a slice of cheese on whole-wheat bread, egg whites on toast, whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk, even half a turkey sandwich .

4. You stockpile your calories.
Do you often eat so sparingly during the day that by the time dinner rolls around you’re famished? That strategy can backfire, leading to uncontrollable overeating in the evening. “When you skip meals it’s harder to think straight, so you’re less concerned with the implications of what you eat,” says Taub-Dix.
The Fix: Frontload those calories.
Eating earlier in the day is a must to head off disaster later on. Limit the size of your evening meal so that you wake up eager for breakfast. Even if you’re not hungry, be sure to eat something—even a small bite. “Treat yourself the way you’d treat your kids—you wouldn’t let them skip meals,” says Taub-Dix.

Also from the same article, it suggests to "write out a schedule that focuses on eating within 2 hours of waking up and every 3 to 5 hours after that for the rest of the day. If you tend to lose track of time, set your watch or digital organizer to beep when you should eat."

I found it to be quite interesting especially because I'm definitely one to stockpile my calories. I will go through my day and  have 7-8 points left over even after dinner. So I'm going to make and effort to distribute my points more evenly. So I made this not-so-fancy menu planner to help me. I will plan my meals and snacks for the week and include any special events or plans so I can adjust my points accordingly.

I am going to plan for larger, more protein filled breakfasts and taper my points down through the day. I'm also going to try to eat every 3-5 like the article suggests. I might need to set little reminders though. My goal is to eat healthy, well-balanced meals like look like the ones Prior Fat Girl makes. She inspires me with her fabulous lunches.

Well, I'm off to the grocery store to fill my cart with sandwich thins, Flatout bread, tons of veggies and fruit, salad, chicken, etc. Hope everyone's having a fabulous day! My next post is going to be about all the great things that are helping me to stay on my path to healthiness.

Peace out!

P.S. If y'all aren't reading Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit, y'all are missing out! His posts are always so amusing and always put a smile on my face (and sometimes I'm laughing hysterically all myself in my apartment...).

Not so good

Sorry this is a late post...wait, what am I saying? I always post at 4, 5, 6 in the morning.

Anyway, I was planning on another post topic, but that's just going to have to wait because all I can think about is the fact that last night (~11pm) I started bleeding due to the surgery I had 8 days ago. It's got me kinda freaked out even though I'm sure it's normal or some healing process mumbo-jumbo. But I'm going to be on the phone with my doctor at 9 AM sharp just to make sure. In an odd way it makes me thankful that I actually listened to the post-op instructions and did not start working out or running until I get the go-ahead.

But before that awful turn to my day, I had an overall okay day. Stayed OP, drank tons of water and tea, and met all of my daily guidelines (with the exception of activity). My dinner was fabulous. I am in love with Boca burgers! I had one with 2% cheese, those sandwich thins I'm also a fan of, and loaded with veggies and hot peppers. And on the side I had steamed broccoli, carrots, and red and yellow bell peppers. Ab Fab!

More stressors- I have lost the ability to connect to the hospital's network from my apartment and therefore cannot do my research (which I'm really behind in) from home. It's all a big mess. I spent a couple of hours on the phone today talking to three separate IT departments. None of them could really help me until I got to the last guy who told me that I had to reapply for a security clearance yadda-yadda-yadda. Ugh!

So, I should have written this post before 11pm because then it would have been the awesome, upbeat post I was planning and excited to write. However, you'll just have to wait for tomorrow/later today to read it. And I'll probably let you know that my little freak out moment was for nothing, but when anything happens after a surgery you tend to be more easily spooked.

Hope y'all had a better day, Peace out

My running shoes are mocking me

Fluids update: Drank 2L instead of the 1.5L I made as my goal. Go me!

That might sound simple and elementary, but it takes a lot of effort for me to drink that much. Besides having iced tea at restaurants, I don't really drink that much during the day. I definitely couldn't have done it without my super-duper water bottle complete with massive straw and measurement increments printed on the side. It was a lot easier to drink that much water out of the straw, so maybe that's my new secret.

Overall today was a good OP day. With one major happening--I fell in love with sandwich thins. They're only 1 point! Perfect for my boca burgers, garden burgers, tuna salad (with low fat mayo and tons of relish), basically everything!

But the real reason for the post is because my running shoes are mocking me. They're staring at me, taunting me, teasing me, and reminding me that I can't start my running program yet. *Sigh* I know I have to be careful because I just had surgery. But with all this momentum to get healthy it's hard to not think about starting to run again, how long it will take me to get back into shape, which races I want to sign up for, making a training schedule, etc. I have running mania!

So I actually spent time and made a training schedule that starts off following the Couch to 5K program and ends up with me running a few half marathons in February/March of 2011. Yes, the training schedule is a year-long. Yes, you can call me crazy. I have running mania!

So my mom is going to start running on the same program on the same day but in a different city. It will be interesting to see how we both do. I usually enjoy running with other people as long as they're not out of my league. And fortunately, for some reason, running seems to come naturally to me. Unfortunately, I haven't stayed with it for any great length of time....until now.

So I start the running program on Monday, June 28th and encourage anyone out there in the blogosphere to join me. I'm planning a few 5Ks around September, 10Ks in October, 8M Turkey Trot (November), 15K Jog'r Egg Nog'r (December), and half marathons in February and March. I also hope to make the BolderBOULDER in May. I went and watched my dad run it a couple of years ago and have wanted to go back to complete it myself ever since. It's a 10K in Boulder, CO so the elevation and terrain is what's going to get me if I actually get to run it. But that's way in the future.

So yeah, that's me. I want to run, but can't. And I have yet to go over my DP (daily points), yay! =)

Peace out

Fluids

New goal for today (starting at 3:25pm): drink 1.5 liters of fluid

1.5 liters = 48 oz ~6.3 cups

Let's do this!

The Beginning

I've started this recent weight loss journey on June 9, 2009. That's when the doctor put me on the scale and the daunting 1-9-0 was starring back at me. I decided then and there that I was going to make a permanent change about my lifestyle and eating habits. I know it won't be easy. I know I'm going to want to give up and throw the towel in. But I can't. Not this time. This time is for real and I'm playing for keeps. I'm doing this for me and no one else. I'm doing this for my current health and the health I choose to have in the future.

So I "started" on June 9, but it was mostly mental because I also had minor surgery that day. Nothing big, but I'm not allowed to exercise or strain for awhile. However, I went to my first weigh-in on Monday, June 14 and I was already down 3 lbs! All I had done since the previous Wednesday was watch what I ate and portion control. Portion control is what kills me. I'm a volume eater/snacker. I will also eat from boredom and other emotions that I guess I can't comprehend properly. So there you go. I was conscious of how much I was eating and already I'm off to a good start I feel. My current weight is 187 and my new weigh-in day is Monday. I think Monday is a good choice for me because it will help me make good choices throughout the weekend.

My primary goal is to have a "normal" BMI of 25 (the normal range is between 18.5-25, but WW uses 20-25). With my height of 5'5" (when I stand up properly) that would put my goal weight at 150 lbs. I think once I get to 150 I will want to continue to lose, but I'll worry about that once I'm there. Who knows, a size 6 sounds like a nice goal. Hell, anything smaller than a 16 sounds nice to me right now. I truly can't imagine being a size 6. I don't think I was ever a size 6. Ok, so maybe I was a 6 for like a month on my way to a size 8. Like I said, I've always been "curvy". As a cheerleader I was my smallest at an 8, but that was forever ago. I still have my cheerleading uniform I think. So when I get down to that size again I'll post a fabulous picture of me parading around wearing it like a fool.

So these past two days I've been having fun getting reacquainted with the WW website, eTools, message boards, blogs, and making my own calendars and weight-loss achievement thermometer that I get to color in. I'll post the documents or pictures of the documents later so you can see what kind of system I'm setting up. For one of the monthly calendars that I put on my fridge, I get a colored star if I stay OP (on plan), exercise, and blog. So I have the potential of gaining three different stars on a single given day. This is meant to motivate me to do all three daily because I've heard it takes 30 days to make something a habit. After I strive to earn all 3 stars after awhile I'm hoping it becomes second nature to me. All this planning is making me excited and ready to jump start this process!

I've stayed OP Monday and Tuesday and have logged all of my food with eTools. So I'm off to a good start. I am especially proud of how I handled today's choices. Today a friend of mine who is a year ahead of me in school took the USMLE Step 1. It's basically this crazy huge basic science exam that med students have to take after their second year in order to continue their medical training in 3rd and 4th year. It's the first national licensing exam in a series of 3 that we must complete during med school. Well, my friend took his exam today and wanted to celebrate. I was very conscious about what I ate during the day so I wouldn't have borrow too much from the weekly points. We went to dinner at his favorite burger joint (I was slightly worried so planned ahead and had an apple before leaving). Originally I was just going to order a burger with no fries, but then I saw something better -- a kid's meal! 2 sliders and a kid's size fries = perfect portion control. I did even better because I gave my fries away =) Yay, so proud! Oddly enough I was completely satisfied and wasn't hungry. I found that drinking 32 oz of iced tea and talking most of the meal very helpful. It made me slow down my eating process when normally I would have probably inhaled my meal before my brain had a chance to realize I stopped being hungry. I was also able to have a piece of his celebratory cake that his wife made for him because I had points to spare. =)

So here's the overall rundown of my plan and how I want things to go.

This blog will serve the following purposes:
-To journal my everyday struggles, accomplishments, and overall thoughts about changing my lifestyle
-To keep me honest and accountable. Because I know there are people out there reading this (Hi, Mom!), I will try my best to write everyday.
-As a source of inspiration and encouragement to myself and others

My overall plan as of today:
-remain OP (on plan) everyday
-track every single thing that passes my lips on eTools and keep an accurate account of daily and weekly points
-make healthy choices
-try to not get discouraged

Plans for the future:
-start exercising and remain active (this will have to wait a little bit due to the surgery)

Anyway, all in all, it's going great so far! I'm two days in and I'm ready to set my routine and start living healthy. And I really can't wait to start running again!

Peace out,
DrTejas

Once upon a time...

I have never been skinny or thin. Never.
I have always had curves. Always.
But now my curves are getting out of hand.

While I've always been on the heavier side growing up, I think the bulk of my weight gain and problems started my senior year of high school. I got lazy and comfortable in my relationship with my boyfriend and found myself not caring as much about what I ate, how much I exercised, or how I looked to other people. I figured he loved me for me and didn't care what I looked like. And it's true, he never said a word. Not even an inkling that my added squishiness bothered him. So therefore, it never bothered me.

I graduated high school weighing 155 lbs, the biggest I had ever been up to that point (and now I'm desperate to see those numbers on my scale again). Well, needless to say, the "Freshman 15" found me. Not that I was hiding very well. I basically invited it to take up residence on my body. "Oh hey, I have some extra space on this hip right here, any takers?" That first semester of college was crazy. I was still playing lacrosse (thankfully), but I was also introduced to the world of "eat as much food as you can" dinners at the dining hall followed by multiple and habitual late night drive-thru runs. My second semester I traded in the lacrosse team for pledging a sorority. Another big mistake to my waistline. More events with food, more stress, less time for anything, and more emotional eating + zero exercise = perfect recipe for a disaster.

I "tried" everything to lose weight. *Liar* I half-assed my way through multiple diets only to have my weight yo-yo and toy with my emotions. November 22, 2006 (my junior year), my mother and I joined Jenny Craig the day before Thanksgiving. It was the perfect day to join because that year I didn't gorge myself with crazy Thanksgiving lunch/dinner/leftovers. By my 21st birthday (Feb 2007), I was back down to 155 lbs and loving it! Continued with JC through that summer and maintained my weight loss. August 2007, I headed to Galway, Ireland for a study abroad semester where I preceded to have a great time and gain most, but not all, of the weight back. When I came back for my last semester of college it was party time. Everywhere I turned it was a party or celebration for the class of 2008. Everyone was happy it was our last semester and living it up like it was our last few months to live. No excuses, party like a rockstar! I was having a blast! Until I stepped on the scale...

My graduation (May 2008) was a bittersweet moment. I was excited and happy to receive that flimsy piece of paper, but also very sad and slightly depressed that I had ballooned up to 190 lbs. I was always the girl that had her camera and would take a thousand pictures of everyone and everything. But at my own graduation I didn't even want to be in the pictures. As I grimaced and tried to make my smile as genuine as possible, I came to the realization that I was not happy at that weight and even more disappointed in myself for letting it happen.

The picture below on the left was from my graduation and the picture on the right was from the night before. Weight ~190 lbs.

November 1, 2008, my mom and I joined WW. At the initial weigh-in I was 190 lbs. By the end of February 2009 I had lost 25 lbs and was roughly 165 lbs. I fluctuated between 162-170 lbs until June/July 2009, when I gave up. I'm not really sure why. I got lazy I guess. I was relaxing before I had to start medical school and I think I relaxed too much.

The first semester of med school wasn't so bad and when I ventured back to WW in January 2010 I weighed 175 lbs. My second semester was killer though. I stopped WW completely and with the exception of running for a random week, I was basically a couch potato. I knew I was gaining weight, but there wasn't really anything I felt I could do at the moment. I "didn't have time" (read: I couldn't find time) to exercise properly because I was so busy, and I was eating poorly and for the wrong reasons. I found that I would eat as a "study break", or when I was bored, angry, sad, happy, *insert any emotion here*, but mostly because it was a distraction from my studying. How horrible is that? "Wow, this immunology is so boring! I think I'll stuff my face so I don't have to read for awhile". What a tragic rut.

*End of side one. To continue, turn the cassette over and press play.*