Week 13 update: I broke my plateau!

Tasty eats at Hachi

Amen and Hallelujah! I FINALLY broke through my plateau and lost 2.5 lbs this week. I attribute that success in part to getting back to the gym. I've been doing the recumbant bike, which seemed the safest way to get some cardio in without pissing off my feet. The temporary inserts the foot doc gave me have really been helping, and I've finally got hope that we might be able to get things in that department under control soon.

This week saw me staying close to home, with the exception of getting to the gym a few times, and an excursion out for dinner and a movie on Wednesday. We hit up Hachi at Red Rock for some pre-Hunger Games sushi, and appetizers,  which were tasty, though a bit overpriced for my tastes. (Have I mentioned I absolutely live for a bargain, and knowing good places to score cheap eats is something I take pride in. Still, the atmoshere was fun, and the service was attentive but not overbearing.

Coconut ginger curry soup... OMG!

After the movie, which was EPIC AWESOME, we decided to continue the Japanese theme and hit up Ichiza in China Town. The service was bad and we waited for a table forever. Still, their food is fun, with lots of variety, and tons of off-menu specialty items printed on cards which cover the walls. Many of them aren't even in English. We joked that the chef was in the back indulging in various substances to come up with some of the seriously off the wall creations. For instance, for desert, we ordered one of their house specialties which is simply called "Honey butter." Which was basicly half a loaf of freshly baked bread which had been partially hollowed out, drizzled with honey and butter, and then topped with a big gob of ice cream. It was... an experience. Good, but I don't feel the need for an  encore. (and before you think that I completely blew out my diet on this thing, between three of us, we ate maybe half of it.

"Honey Butter" after we killed it.

I took the day off work on Friday so that I could attend a friend's wedding, and consequently, I was able to check out an aqua-aerobics class at the gym which turned out to be super fun. I can't say that I feel like I got a real cardio workout, but it got me moving, and my body felt great after: relaxed and loose. If there were classes at times that I could actually attend, I'd definitely go more often. Unfortunately, most of them are mid day during the week (when I'm at work) or very early on Saturdays (which isn't happening.)

The wedding was fun, and I'm proud of myself for staying away from the buffet table all together. It was a dry wedding, so not having cocktails to contend with also made staying on track easy.

When it comes down to it, I actually went over my points for the week, which I Never do, but it was only by 15 points (which is maybe 400-600 calories) and I still lost 2.5 lbs. All's well that ends well, right?

So once again, goals for this week are to actually stay within my points, go to the gym if my feet continue to cooperate, and hopefully continue the downward trend on the scale. See ya next time!

Weeks down: 13

Weeks to go: 39
Starting weight: 271.5 lbs
Current weight: 263.5 lbs
This week's loss 2.5 lbs
2012 weight loss: 8 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 38.9

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs

Total loss: 18 lbs

Week 12: Foot Doc and WTF?

I had a serious WTF moment when I stepped on the scale this week and saw that I'd gained ANOTHER half pound. Okay. So I know half a pound isn't a huge deal, but when I can honestly say that I'm on program, it really pisses me off to see a gain on the scale. I'd be lying if I said that it didn't ruin my day, but I really kind of allowed it to. I've got to keep faith that if I keep doing things right, that things will start moving in the right direction again, and for what it's worth, I am staying on track. I'm tracking everything, and I'm absolutely on target with the diet portion of my program. I can only think that my lack of progress is due to the fact that I haven't been getting any cardio. Something I hope to change very soon.

In other news, I went to the podiatrist on Wednesday, finally, and after an exam and x-rays, the doc announced that I have "everything wrong with my feet that everyone has wrong with their feet: metatarsalgia, plantar fasciitis, neuroma, you just have all of it happening in BOTH feet."

Yay. Lucky me.  

I've also got one foot that's a little longer than the other which is making me walk a little bit funny, and putting strain on a ligament or tendon or something on the outside of my left foot, which explains the pain there.  

Gimpy feet!

The good news is that it's all most likely pretty treatable. The doc's assistant created some temporary orthotics out of foam and padding, to support my arches, and take the pressure off of the neuromas in the balls of both feet, and also gave me a little wedge to put in my right shoe to even out the leg length and take the pressure off the pissed off and strained ligament or tendon (or whatever it is) that's had me limping on my left foot for weeks. I'll be wearing these bad boys for about ten days or so, and then go back for a follow up to see how things are progressing.

The bad news is that I'm already out of pocket $180 bucks for a pile of foam and medical tape, and it turns out I have a $500 deductable on my health insurance when I see a specialist. Serious suckage. Don't get me wrong... I'm VERY glad I have insurance, but I was really hoping to save my pennies for a trip out to NYC and Boston this summer, and my little adventures in podiatry may put those plans on hold.

Sad Panda.

C'est la vie, right?  

Yes, I posted a foot pic.
Deal with it! LOL!

The doc sent me off with instructions to go forth and be rowdy on my feet. Go to the gym. Wear heels. Knock myself out. The point is, she wants to see how much, or if the orthotics help, presumably to see whether I'd benefit from more permanent inserts. So far, they do seem to be helping, and I went to the gym three times this week. I've been taking it a little slower, just recumbant bike for now, but it feels good to be moving. For once, my back is more sore than  my feet! (Yay...? LOL!) I go back in another week for a follow up. I just hope that I can get this resolved, and get back to 100%. I may be a big girl, but I've never been lazy, and I hate the way this injury has slowed me down.

My pretties, all ready for planting.
After all of that, today I'm so sore I can hardly move! Oof!

I spent a couple of hours Saturday afternoon at a plant nursery picking out herbs and a few flowers, and several hours yesterday potting my treasures, and playing in the dirt in a major way: digging, scooping, amending and reconstituting potting soil. So far, I have rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, marjoram, catnip, chocolate mint, three kinds of basil: boxwood, purple opal, and Thai, all in pots of various sizes. Some two or three to a large pot. They smell fantastic, and I feel like I did a good job of combining the plants in a way that will be a beautiful and visually pleasing addition to the garden, in addition to their kitchen yumminess. For ornamental stuff, I planted a couple of good sized cape plumbagos with pretty little periwinkle flowers all over them, a whole mess of petunias, and also transferred a large geranium from a hanging basket into a flower bed. I've also got a ton of marigold, burgundy mexican amaranth, and four o'clocks sprouting up from last year's scattered seeds.

My bratty Daisy cat only had eyes for the catnip. Typical!

No formal recipes this week, but I did discover a surprisingly tasty and easy meal: diced jalapeno, onion, and a couple of handfuls of frozen sweet corn, all sauteed with a little non stick spray, which I then tossed with a serving of egg noodles, 1/3 cup of alfredo sauce, and a little cilantro. Easy peasy, and so tasty I made it for lunch two days in a row. (It runs about 12 ww points, but 4 of that was from the corn.)

My goal this week is to get to the gym at least three days and try to get my momentum back. I'm really ready to see a lower number on the scale!

Weeks down: 12

Weeks to go: 40
Starting weight: 271.5 lbs
Current weight: 266 lbs
This week's GAIN .5 lbs
2012 weight loss: 5.5 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 39.2

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs

Total loss: 14.5 lbs

Week 11 review, and Roasted tomatillo and chipotle chili!

Well, I gained half a pound this week. I'm not sure why, but I'm not stressing about it. We're talking 8oz here, which is not much to speak of. I'm not really surprised to see a bit of fluctuation when it comes down to it though: it happens. I lost a total of 5lbs in the previous two weeks.  I've stayed on track with my diet, and I'm getting excercise in where I can, so hopefully it will average out in the end if I just keep doing what I should be doing.  

I go to see the podiatrist about my feet on Wednesday, so hopefully that will give me some answers, and she can give me some guidance as to what sorts of excercise I can safely do.

I'm trying to get back into the habit of cooking a new recipe each week. This week we hit a cold snap here in Vegas, and I decided to try my hand at a Roasted tomatillo and chipotle chile. I cobbled it together from a few different recipes I found. I'm considering it a work in progress, but it came out pretty tasty! I think next time I may add some roasted corn just before serving.

	2 Tbsp olive oil
	1 lb Tomatillos, Roasted, skinned, and pureed
	1 orange bell pepper, roasted and skinned
	2 green bell peppers, roasted and skinned 1 yellow bell pepper, roasted and skinned 5 medium Anaheim chiles, roasted and skinned
	2 medium  white onions, chopped (save some for garnish)
	6 cloves garlic, diced 1 Can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 2 cans Cannellini beans (white kidney) drained and rinsed 2 cans diced tomatos 1 small can (about 5 oz) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 1 small can tomato sauce 1 small can veggie broth Start by peeling the papery wrapper from your tomatillos, and rinse them well under warm water to remove the sticky residue. Roast your chiles, tomatillos, and pepppers under a broiler until the skins are blacked, turning as needed to cook evenly (about 10-15 minutes.) Once cooked, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 mnutes or more. (This traps the steam and makes them easier to peel.)  Peel skins and remove seeds (for less heat) and dice. Set aside. Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil in a large pot for aprox. 5 minutes.  Puree tomatillos, chipotles in adobo, and 1 cup hot water, then add to onions and garlic, crushed tomatos, 1 can veggie broth, and tomato sauce.. Simmer for a few minutes to integrate, then add roasted peppers and chiles. Add rinsed beans, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, oregano, basil, sage, and (aprox 4 tbsp) balsamic vinegar to taste. Simmer at least 45 minutes or longer. Add water or simmer down to your desired thickness. Garnish with chopped onions, garlic, cilantro, low fat cheese, and sour cream as desided. Lean ground beef, turkey, or pork may be added or cooked separately for your omnivores, but be sure to adjust the point value. Makes aprox. 8 two cup servings 6 points per serving
	As with all of my recipes, if you have ideas for how to make them better, or if you try it, let me know what you think! See you next week!

Weeks down: 11

Weeks to go: 41

Starting weight: 271.5 lbs

Current weight: 265.5 lbs

This week's GAIN .5 lbs

2012 weight loss: 6 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 39.2

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs 

Total loss: 16 lbs

Week 10: Breaking Even

Good news! Somehow, I lost another three pounds this week! That means I've managed to lose the last of the 5 lbs I gained on vacation. It felt good to see that number on the scale!


I say that I don't know how I lost three pounds in a week, because I didn't even attempt to go to the gym this week, but I stayed on target with my WW tracking. I actually came in under my points this week, and way under my daily points yesterday, due to what I would like to say was due to a stomach bug, but in reality was really a nasty hangover. Oops.


Bad mermaid.


Note to self: when attending a dinner party, eating sparsely throughout the day, and like a bird at said dinner party does not mean it's a good idea to drink the rest of your daily points and then some. I thought if I went easy on the food and saved my points for drinks that I'd be good, but I got sick. Horribly horribly sick. Yes, I mixed. Yes, I failed to drink water. Yes, I failed to eat. Yes, I probably had a bottle of red all to myself throughout the course of the evening. Yes, I ate the vodka soaked gummy bears and behaved scandalously. (No, I won't be thrilling you with the details!) And, yes, I know better... but I did it anyway, and I paid for it. Believe me, I paid for it with one of the worst hangovers I've ever had. We've all been there, right?


I'm not trying to visit that awful place anytime again soon, trust me. ***TMI ALERT*** If you've ever considered getting lap-band, let me tell you something they will never mention in a seminar. Once you get it, even if you have it unfilled like me, you will never again be able to throw up like a normal person. It just doesn't work. It's pretty much a one way street. When you're sick and your body says it's time to get rid of something, it's going to keep trying to get rid of it whether you're able to bring up anything or not. It's really really difficult to get it all out of your system. You will be very, very sore for days. And you will have horrible hiccups because you've irritated the tissues in the area. Hiccups with a headache and nausea absolutely suck.  I still only feel like I'm at about 85% today (Monday) and the craziness went down on Saturday night. ***This concludes the TMI portion of this week's blog post. You're welcome.***


As for the rest of the week, I actually spent most of it actually at the office. I get to work from home most of the time, but the fan went out in my laptop and I had to commute while it was being repaired. (I know, poor baby!) That meant getting up an hour and a half earlier than normal every day, packing a lunch, and staying on program with all the usual free goodies around. I'm proud to say that I was able to enjoy the goodies in moderation (one of my company's partners delivered a stack of pizzas for the office on Wednesday, another delivered chocolate chip cookies on Thursday, and a third delivered a huge bowl of chocolate candies that I had to walk past every time I left my desk.)

I also went out to sushi with a good friend that I hadn't seen in almost four years on Thursday. We had a fantastic time catching up and feasting on all sorts of wonderful little fishies.

I'm sure I've said it before, but one of the things about Weight Watchers that really works for me is that I can budget my points to allow myself indulgences like going out for sushi, and I still know where I stand. Any time I tried to diet on my own, or do more restrictive programs, sushi would have felt like an enormous cheat, but not on WW. I was tightfisted with my points throughout the week so that I could do sushi on Thursday, and my friend's epic and notorious dinner party on Saturday. I've done really well at staying within my points, but if I do have a day where I fall off track, it's easy to pick it up again anew the next day and start fresh.

This week I plan to stick to my guns, stay on target, and try to get in more activity even if I'm not doing it at the gym. I'm very happy that I ditched the vacay weight, but I'm also behind on my goal for the year at this point. I'd hoped to lose at least one pound a week, and as of now, I'm down 6.5 lbs for the year, and we're ten weeks in. I've got some catching up to do! Hopefully by this time next week I'll have more good news to report.

Weeks down: 10

Weeks to go: 42

Starting weight: 271.5 lbs

Current weight: 265 lbs

This week's loss 3 lbs

2012 weight loss: 6.5 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 39.1

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs 

Total loss: 16.5 lbs

Week 9: Unofficially Gimpy

Well kids, I officially screwed up my feet. Or at least as officially as my primary care doc can say. I've got a referral to see a podiatrist at the end of the month. After listening to my symptoms, and administering a few pokes, prods, and not-so-gentle squeezes my doc pronounced her verdict: I've probably got neuromas growing on both feet, metatarsalgia, and possibly some plantar fasciitis going on as well. The one that weirds me out is the neuroma, which is basicly a benign tumor or growth on the nerve. It's just creepy. She did a simple test: squeezing the sides of my feet together, right across the widest part of the foot, just below the toes, and YEOWCH! On both feet. No bueno, my friends.

I likely ended up in this pickle due to the following factors: I'm about 100 lbs overweight, (duh), overuse (i.e. going from zero to gym bunny in a short period of time,) and wearing improper shoes. This means no heels in my wardrobe for the foreseeable future, as they will only exacerbate the problem. Most sandals are also a bad idea, unless they have good arch supports. I'm going to go see a podiatrist just to make sure what I'm dealing with, but my doc tells me the treatment is pretty similar whatever the exact problem turns out to be: I've got a prescription for anti-inflammatories which will hopefully help the pain and swelling to chill out.  I need shoes that provide good shock absorbtion, and have a decent amount of padding across the pad of the foot. I need to wear good shoes with proper arch support all the time. Even in the house. Apparently, going barefoot on hard surfaces is a bad thing, and my whole house is tile.

So... that means shoe shopping, right? Yay!!!

"Shoes.... OMG! Shoes..." 

Not so much. Have you seen orthotic shoes? Most of them are not cute, and they come with a higher price tag than I'm used to seeing on my shoes. I picked up a pair of Merril sandals for $35, which was half off the regular price, but still pretty pricy for what amounts to a pair of glorified flip flops. I think for the time being, I'll stick to my tennis shoes and Teva sandals until I see what the podiatrist recommends.


My doctor gave me the go-ahead to go back to the gym, as long as I stay away from weight bearing excercise. I'm good to go with the eliptical and stationary or recumbant bike, but I'm forbidden to set foot on the treadmill. Yay...? So, off I went that very night, determined to get cracking and get the vacay weight off. I did 20 minutes on the eliptical, and 25 on the recumbant bike. Great workout! I got this! No problem... until I stepped off the bike and had to limp my way out of the gym. *sigh* I think I'm going to have to give it more time. I really don't want to slack off, but I'm also tired of being in pain. Meh!


Now for the good news: I lost two pounds this week! That's even with a happy hour cocktail party on Tuesday, a happy hour work function Wednesday, and dinner out on Friday to celebrate my roommate's birthday. I BARELY stayed within my points for the week, but I did it. Down to the last activity point!

And I lost two pounds. Maybe I should eat all of my points more often...? Nah!

Just three more pounds to go to get back to my pre-vacay weight. I know it's a lot to expect to do it in just one week, but I'd really like to get back to 265 by my next weight in. That will mean that the month of February 7- March 7 was a wash, but then I can get on with my progress, instead of just making up lost ground.

Weeks down: 9

Weeks to go: 43

Starting weight: 271.5 lbs

Current weight: 268 lbs

This week's loss 2 lbs

2012 weight loss: 3.5 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 39.6

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs 

Total loss: 13.5 lbs

Week 8: Vacation's Over! Back on the Wagon!

This week was boring! LOL! Okay, maybe not boring, but certainly sedate after last week. I'm back on track with my diet, and stayed on program all week. Still dealing with the consequences of my indulgences though. As of Thursday's weigh in, I was up another three pounds, which means I gained a total of 5 lbs while I was on vacation. It's hard to believe that it took me three weeks to lose three pounds, and only ten days to gain 5. It just doesn't seem fair! As friends have reminded me though, alcohol is the diet killer, and while I didn't go on any crazy benders, there were a quite a few happy hour evenings, combined with tasty eats. Oh well. For better of for worse, it's done and it's time for me to get to work taking it back off.

 

My feet are still bothering me, and I've decided to stay away from doing any sort of gym activity that involves me putting pressure on my feet until I've been to the doctor this coming Monday. This week was all about getting back on track, so I wanted to at least TRY to get some exercise. I went to the gym one night this evening and gave the arm bike a try. The arm bike is just what it sounds like. You sit down as you would at a recumbant bike, but instead of pedals for your feet, you have pedals with hand grips. It moves the muscles in your arms and shoulders and gets your blood moving. From what I understand, it's primarily used by people who can't do excercises which involve the larger muscles of the legs (which burn WAY more calories, btw...) whether due to foot or leg injuries, or because of excessive weight. If you've ever watched a TV show about super morbidly obese people who are trying to lose weight, they usually put them on arm bikes because it's one of the only cardio excercises they can do, because they're often too heavy to walk on a treadmill or use other cardio machines like stationary bikes and elipticals. It's also a good machine to use for five minutes or so to get warmed up before lifting weights.

 

I wanted the arm bike to work out, but It's just not my thing. After just one 40 minute workout,  my wrists and hands were sore, and I'm not looking to mess them up too. Plus, it really doesn't burn very many calories.  I decided to just take it easy until I can get to the doc, and get my activity points doing housework and gardening. I spent a large chunk of my weekend working on tidying up the garden. I've got my two largest beds cleaned out, pulled out all of the dead and dying annual vegetation like giant zinnias, moonflower vines, and marigolds, plus a small mountain of weeds. It was quite the workout, as my legs, back, and arms were quick to remind me come Monday morning.

 

This time next week I hope to have some answers from the doc, a game plan, and hopefully a weight loss to report!

 

Weeks down: 8

Weeks to go: 44

Starting weight: 271.5 lbs

Current weight: 270 lbs

This week's GAIN: 3 lbs

2012 weight loss: 1.5 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 39.4

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs 

Total loss: 14.5 lbs

Weekly Check in: Week 7 and Staycation

This week was not a good week in terms of progress towards my weight loss goals. I took the week off work and planned to make a little staycation out of it for myself. Coming on the heels of the previous indulgent weekend, instead of climbing back on the wagon like a good monkey, I thumbed my nose at the caravan and cavorted my merry way into a 2 lb gain.  I went out almost every day this week, including an evening out with my ladies on Valentine's Day, a catered open bar employee appreciation event for work, plus several happy hour evenings out. (Including my first visit to a British themed gastropub!) Then, over the weekend, I went out of town to a convention in San Jose, CA and hung out with some good friends that I haven't seen in over a year.

 

I can honestly say that I only remember cooking one real meal all week. The rest was meals out, or fast food. I'll tell you straight up that I was a bad little monkey, and I didn't even try to track my intake this week. I relaxed, spent time with friends, stayed out til all hours, and slept in every day. I didn't go to the gym once, but that was only partially due to laziness. The main reason I didn't go was the growing realization that I've done something really bad to my feet. I took the week off from the gym to see if the break would help my foot problems, but little luck there.

 

The pain has been getting steadily worse over the past few weeks, and by Saturday evening there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I'd be seeing a doctor about it. I've had pain in my arches and heels on both feet. On the right foot, I'm getting charlie horses across the pad of my foot when I flex my toes, and once in a while I get a spasm down the length of the arch that feels like my foot is splitting open. In the left foot, I've got pain and visible swelling on the top of the foot, just in front of the ankle. The pain is the worst in the morning when I first step out of bed. Based on my symptoms, it sounds like possible plantar fasciitis in both feet, or even a stress fracture in the left foot. I'm no doctor, but I have an appointment on the 27th. In the meantime, I plan to stay off my feet as much as possible, keep the left foot braced (when I immobilize my ankle, I get less strain on the top of the foot) and stay away from heels and shoes without arch support. I'm also stretching and massaging, but it's not getting much better. I spent most of Sunday walking around the convention barefoot because the sneakers I brought gave me blisters, and the wedge sandals were making the cramps worse. No one seemed to notice or care about my bare feet, but I'm sure it didn't help my feet any.

 

I flew home today, ending the great staycation adventure, with all of it's debauchery and multitude of culinary and alcoholic indulgences. I expect I may be dealing with some additional weigh in consequences, as my most recent weigh in only brought me through Thursday. As of tomorrow, I'm back on the wagon.

 

 

Weeks down: 7

Weeks to go: 45

Starting weight: 271.5 lbs

Current weight: 267 lbs

This week's GAIN: 2 lbs

2012 weight loss: 4.5 lb

2012 goal: 219.5 lbs

Starting BMI 40.00

Current BMI 39.4

Started WW on 11/28, @ 281.5 lbs 

Total loss: 14.5 lbs