On Sparkpeople you get points for doing various things...tracking your food, reading articles, exercising, and you get to spin the Spark wheel every day for points. I got to Level 2 today. I saw on the Wheel of Sparking one space that had 1000 Spark Goodie points! Goodie Points!? I want some! So I read more to find out what happens when you have a lot of Spark Goodie Points. You know what happens? You can buy yourself or another Spark member "virtual" gifts! Virtual Gifts, are intended to lend incentive to Sparking more effectively. You can buy a new "virtual wardrobe" or "virtual hairstyle".
Now what the hell is that??? How does that induce me to lose more weight? I can just lose "Virtual Weight" and get down to a size "Virtual 0". Happily I'm so irrationally competitive that I will continue to get my Spark Points, which I am sure is what the Sparkpeople were counting on.
Back to my Spark Baby Steps (not their phrase). In order to get your first points you need to pick at least three jump start goals, so I did.
1. Record food intake.... check. (Record like write down, not have Record Food Intake, which I've also done and that brings us full circle).
2. Do 10 minutes of outdoor activity everyday. I don't know if that means 10 minutes in a row or cumulatively but I think I can pull that off.
3. Get up without hitting Snooze. This one is going to be a tough one.
These are sort of like New Year's Resolutions and they do not go into effect until January 3, 2012 because I said so. I have a couple of other Resolutions to add:
4. Go to Church more often. I like going to Church, I'm just lazy.
5. Win a contest. I have already begun work on this and I am entering every contest I see. These are sweepstakes, not a contest where you have to write something or submit a photo. I'm not ready to be judged on a talent. I don't need to win a cooking vacation in Tuscany but I would like to win an Ipad, a Spark! book, a gift card to Starbucks (I don't drink coffee but it would still be a victory). The odds are not with me on this one so I will have to work extra hard on this goal.
In other blog news....
My ever diligent researcher/boyfriend informed me that a bottle of pinot gris has 623 calories or something like that. I informed him that if I say I don't know something, chances are really good that I don't want to know.
Boyfriend also acknowledged last night that I'm a bit chunky. "You know how you have a chair that is in a room for a couple of years with the sun shining on it through the window and after a couple of years the upholstery is faded and you think 'what happened to that chair?'" Apparently that is how my weight gain just "snuck up" on him.
I may make this blog about my weight loss efforts and stupid things my boyfriend says.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wining
Wine. Wine is a problem for the fat lady. I started this blog originally on the website sparkpeople.com which I'm using to help me lose weight. After my first blog entry I realized that the Sparkpeople are probably not the best audience for me. The Sparkpeople appear to be determinedly cheerful, very positive, very sincere, very serious about their weight loss goals and their blogging. They are virtual community cheerleaders! This is Effortless! You can do it! You are worth it! Many of them are probably losing weight for health reasons or self esteem or health reasons. I bet not one of them is doing it to fit into a winter coat. So I switched my blogspot to find a more fitting audience.
Anyway, on Sparkpeople, sparkpersons are to enter everything they eat everyday to find out how many calories, fat units, carbs, etc they are eating. It definitely makes you pay attention to what you're eating. Here's where the problem comes in, I think they want you to enter everything you drink, too. See? Do I really REALLY want to know how many calories and other things are in 750 ml of pinot gris?
Oh wait, you say, that's the problem Maggie... you only have to enter what you drink, not the whole bottle! Oh yeah right, I get it but here's the thing.... I drink the whole bottle every damn time. Why drink just a glass? That's calories for nothing. I don't know how many calories but it's some number of calories. And unless I am going to have the satisfaction of drinking the whole bottle why drink anything? Also, do I put pinot gris under dinner? or snack?
Actually the drinking isn't the problem. Some people may classify it as a problem but it's not my particular problem at this time. The problem, in the weight loss sense, is prepping for the wine. I'm simply not cut out to be one of those really skinny alcoholic types who apparently don't bother with food consumption. I need to prep for my pinot gris. I need to be sure to eat plenty during the day so I'm not drinking on an empty stomach. I have to eat a good dinner or heavy snack rotation to keep absorbing as the pinot gris gets to work. And if I drink the bottle...if? who am I kidding?! when I drink the bottle, at the very least the next day I'm going to need a sesame bagel and cream cheese for breakfast if not an egg and sausage sammich.
This is a dieting dilemma that I will bet is not covered on Sparkpeople. I can't very well prep for my pinot gris without bread, cheese or pasta being involved.
Luckily, I'm not officially starting to diet or spark until January 3. This is me getting ready to do it. I have to buy a scale and then I'm going to have to step on it and weigh myself but that is post for another time.
Anyway, on Sparkpeople, sparkpersons are to enter everything they eat everyday to find out how many calories, fat units, carbs, etc they are eating. It definitely makes you pay attention to what you're eating. Here's where the problem comes in, I think they want you to enter everything you drink, too. See? Do I really REALLY want to know how many calories and other things are in 750 ml of pinot gris?
Oh wait, you say, that's the problem Maggie... you only have to enter what you drink, not the whole bottle! Oh yeah right, I get it but here's the thing.... I drink the whole bottle every damn time. Why drink just a glass? That's calories for nothing. I don't know how many calories but it's some number of calories. And unless I am going to have the satisfaction of drinking the whole bottle why drink anything? Also, do I put pinot gris under dinner? or snack?
Actually the drinking isn't the problem. Some people may classify it as a problem but it's not my particular problem at this time. The problem, in the weight loss sense, is prepping for the wine. I'm simply not cut out to be one of those really skinny alcoholic types who apparently don't bother with food consumption. I need to prep for my pinot gris. I need to be sure to eat plenty during the day so I'm not drinking on an empty stomach. I have to eat a good dinner or heavy snack rotation to keep absorbing as the pinot gris gets to work. And if I drink the bottle...if? who am I kidding?! when I drink the bottle, at the very least the next day I'm going to need a sesame bagel and cream cheese for breakfast if not an egg and sausage sammich.
This is a dieting dilemma that I will bet is not covered on Sparkpeople. I can't very well prep for my pinot gris without bread, cheese or pasta being involved.
Luckily, I'm not officially starting to diet or spark until January 3. This is me getting ready to do it. I have to buy a scale and then I'm going to have to step on it and weigh myself but that is post for another time.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Fat Not Fast
Very concerned editor/boyfriend has just told me that my face is fat not fast. So keep in mind Fat Face not Fast Face. Fast Face doesn't even make sense.
Something Fat Happened on the Way to 47
And it's me.
Sure, I've had clues for the past 18 months that something was up but I didn't pay too close attention to these warning signs that fat was happening to me. The physical in June 2010 that told me I had high cholesterol or at least high for me. I am someone who loves going to the doctor because it's always good news so understandably I ignored the cholesterol results. They had to be due to the recent 4 day trip to Virginia to see the Cakes. Drinking wine for 4 days could result in a misleading cholesterol test result. Nuff said, won't worry about that.
I joined the gym in my building in 2011. I went sometimes but it is very small and there are many 20 something young men having personal training sessions and grunting and counting and I don't like that. 10 years ago I was still MILFY so those boys were checking me out, not so much anymore, I just look like their moms. And I can always think of something better to do than work out.
May 2011, yet another doctor's appointment and my blood pressure is high (130/80) and my tiny doctor tells me I need to lose 20 pounds. Oh sure I do and you are only as big as my leg. Hmmm.... well that's annoying can't go to the doctor anymore.
So the fat is building. The photos from my sisters' 40th birthday party show a fat eldest sister and she is me. My face is fast and my boobs are way too big. Stay away from cameras. November 2011...trip to Disneyland with girls and sister and Sebastian and darling 3 year old nephew. My nephew's aunt is holding him in pictures and she is really fat. And once again she is me. Huh. My brother tells me it's time to be done with having my picture taken, too bad b/c I have a great smile but it is now housed in a fat face.
The reason this is such a surprise is that my boyfriend has assured me that I am the hottest thing going so I can't be fat.
And that brings me to December 2011. Aforementioned boyfriend buys me the coat I want for Christmas in a size 12. Best to get it big so I can wear sweaters under it. Um, huh. 12 doesn't fit. I go (alone) to try on other coats and the only one that fits is a size 16!! Well what the hell?!?!
So here I am. I need to lose 20 pounds. I need to be able to wear outerwear. I need to be able to wear a coat. I'm getting started. Getting my points for checking in. I like writing so I can do this. I like to go outside and I think it looks interesting to go running even in the rain. I will go buy a scale and weigh myself. I will write down what I eat. This is kind of fun unless I don't lose weight and then it will just be irritating. My 25th college reunion is this spring. Hopefully I can go back looking good again, not a size 12 like for the 20th. Although I'm not as big now as I was then.
Another issue I have is that most of my pants are size 6 or 8. They keep making clothes bigger and knocking the size number down as America gets fatter! They who? They! They who are making clothes that make me look so fat!
hahahaha
here goes!
Sure, I've had clues for the past 18 months that something was up but I didn't pay too close attention to these warning signs that fat was happening to me. The physical in June 2010 that told me I had high cholesterol or at least high for me. I am someone who loves going to the doctor because it's always good news so understandably I ignored the cholesterol results. They had to be due to the recent 4 day trip to Virginia to see the Cakes. Drinking wine for 4 days could result in a misleading cholesterol test result. Nuff said, won't worry about that.
I joined the gym in my building in 2011. I went sometimes but it is very small and there are many 20 something young men having personal training sessions and grunting and counting and I don't like that. 10 years ago I was still MILFY so those boys were checking me out, not so much anymore, I just look like their moms. And I can always think of something better to do than work out.
May 2011, yet another doctor's appointment and my blood pressure is high (130/80) and my tiny doctor tells me I need to lose 20 pounds. Oh sure I do and you are only as big as my leg. Hmmm.... well that's annoying can't go to the doctor anymore.
So the fat is building. The photos from my sisters' 40th birthday party show a fat eldest sister and she is me. My face is fast and my boobs are way too big. Stay away from cameras. November 2011...trip to Disneyland with girls and sister and Sebastian and darling 3 year old nephew. My nephew's aunt is holding him in pictures and she is really fat. And once again she is me. Huh. My brother tells me it's time to be done with having my picture taken, too bad b/c I have a great smile but it is now housed in a fat face.
The reason this is such a surprise is that my boyfriend has assured me that I am the hottest thing going so I can't be fat.
And that brings me to December 2011. Aforementioned boyfriend buys me the coat I want for Christmas in a size 12. Best to get it big so I can wear sweaters under it. Um, huh. 12 doesn't fit. I go (alone) to try on other coats and the only one that fits is a size 16!! Well what the hell?!?!
So here I am. I need to lose 20 pounds. I need to be able to wear outerwear. I need to be able to wear a coat. I'm getting started. Getting my points for checking in. I like writing so I can do this. I like to go outside and I think it looks interesting to go running even in the rain. I will go buy a scale and weigh myself. I will write down what I eat. This is kind of fun unless I don't lose weight and then it will just be irritating. My 25th college reunion is this spring. Hopefully I can go back looking good again, not a size 12 like for the 20th. Although I'm not as big now as I was then.
Another issue I have is that most of my pants are size 6 or 8. They keep making clothes bigger and knocking the size number down as America gets fatter! They who? They! They who are making clothes that make me look so fat!
hahahaha
here goes!
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