Tag Archives: plus size

Chobani 10 for 10

Battle of the Butt, Motivation, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So Chobani (the kick ass yogurt people) has come up with an interesting campaign that inspired me to participate: “10 for 10”. Basically, you come up 10 goals to accomplish for the next 10 months. Their blog shows examples of several of their own people and their goals. You can check it out here.

I totally came across this by accident one day. I had just recovered from the foodgasm I had when I ate a Chobani Bite. Raspberry yogurt with dark chocolate flecks in it. I’m normally not a big yogurt person, but there aren’t words for how awesome this stuff is. So I looked them up on Twitter, where I saw the 10 for 10 idea. I also tweeted them my compliments on the foodgasmic raspberry and chocolate combination. I’m pretty sure I told them I wanted to hump someone’s leg. I expect the restraining order any day.

On their blog, I really enjoyed reading through all the goals their folks shared with the world. When it came down to setting my own goals, I went for a mixture of healthy and fun. (Hey, I have to be honest…sometimes healthy and fun do not coincide for a fat girl embracing change…at least not at first.) Here’s what I’ve decided to challenge myself with:

March: Be a better snacker. Done!

(How did I do it? Check out the details in my Me First! post.)

100 calories of healthy yogurt or cookie dough? It's easy. Me (and my health) FIRST!
100 calories of healthy yogurt or cookie dough? It’s easy. Me (and my health) FIRST!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April: Exercise 3 times a week, every week.

May: Finally get my passport.

June:  Plant a pumpkin patch in the garden.

July:  Complete my needlework project in time to enter it in the State Fair of Texas needlework competition.

The needlework project I've been trying to finish for years!
The needlework project I’ve been trying to finish for years!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August:  Throw out my Frankenpants.

(My workout pants that have been used so much that I’ve had to repeatedly patch the inner thighs. By August, I want to be able to fit into the new ones hanging in my closet.)

September:  Learn how to knit.

October:  Harvest the pumpkin patch and give pumpkins to all the neighbors.

November:  Finally have some wedding cake.

(Hot Mess Hubby and I couldn’t afford a wedding cake when we got married, so we’re throwing a 10th anniversary party this November…and I would love to finally get my wedding cake!)

December:  Fight all the crazy Christmas shoppers in order to get a hold of the hottest toy of the year…and then hand it over to a Marine for “Toys for Tots”.

What about you? Can you come up with 10 goals in 10 months? Since there are only two days left in March, how about making it a goal to do something you’ve never done before? I know you can find something simple, yet rewarding. After that, the sky’s the limit.

So…what are your 10 for 10? Thrill me!

Me First!

Battle of the Butt, Big Fat Crafts, Motivation, Tools, , , , , , , , , , ,

Last year I cancelled my lap band surgery and lost 45 pounds all on my own just through dietary changes – which is totally badass, especially when you consider that I didn’t even incorporate regular exercise into that. I had a major paradigm shift in my outlook on food. My daily regime no longer consists of processed or sugary foods and I can’t tell you the last time I went through a fast food drive-thru for myself. I do still suffer the occasional temptation, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you cut the crud from your life. Your taste buds change. Be patient, stick with it, and you’ll see what I mean.

This year is all about making exercise a healthy habit, which is infinitely more challenging for me. I’m walking my first 5K in May. Go me! Some of you are going with me and I’m really looking forward to saying thanks in person for all the support and love I get from my loyal readers – so if you’re going, I’m excited to meet you!

Trying to make exercise a habit takes a lot of my energy because I’m such a whiny butt about it – and I’ve noticed lately that my snacky habits are slipping. No, I’m not throwing $30 worth of Little Debbies in my cart at the grocery store or anything, but if I’m hungry between meals I get a little lazy about what to nibble on. I used to eat balanced snacks consistently – like an apple, a lowfat chocolate milk and a handful of almonds. A good healthy snack keeps your metabolism going strong. I’ve noticed lately that I’m not taking the trouble to snack right anymore. Now it’s more like I grab a tortilla…or another cup of coffee…or even a piece of hubby’s leftover pizza. Yowch. Anything to plug up the “hungry hole” and keep moving. I can see that I’m starting to make less time for myself…and that’s going to bite me in right in the fat pants if I don’t watch it.

This brings me to the latest installation of Big Fat Crafts. (Except this isn’t really a craft since it just involves printing something out, but I’m giving myself permission to get all fancy with the wording.)

I wanted to create something that would remind me of my commitment to myself when I’m at my most vulnerable: standing in front of the open refrigerator and/or pantry…cruising for a snack. So I created these “Me First” labels and smacked them on a couple plastic bins from the discount store. Now when I open the fridge or the pantry, my eyes are drawn straight to a visual reminder of my most important health goal: Me First!

Take THAT, temptation!
Take THAT, temptation!

Whether hubby’s tempting snacks are there or not, when I see that “Me First” sign I’m instantly reminded why I’m doing this. Suddenly I feel like I’m hurting myself if I grab for the Crunch ‘n Munch (and DUH, I am…but this makes it harder to ignore my conscience). It puts things in immediate perspective for me. I made two bins: one for the fridge, and one for the pantry.

So that’s one “danger point” I’ve got resolved. I feel so much better about where I am food-wise, but this was a vulnerable spot that needed to be addressed. And I addressed it. Like a boss.

100 calories of healthy yogurt or cookie dough? It's easy. Me (and my health) FIRST!
100 calories of healthy yogurt or cookie dough? It’s easy. Me (and my health) FIRST!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’d like to make your own “Me First” snack bins, I’ll make it easy for you. You’ll find free printable versions here…and I even made them in different colors in case you don’t like the teal one shown here. (I printed mine on cardstock paper since regular paper gets a little warped from refrigerator moisture.) Printed design is 4 x 6.

What creative solutions have you come up with to control your own vulnerable spots? Share your ideas here.

Click here to download the Me First printable in teal!

Click here to download the Me First printable in green!

Click here to download the Me First printable in royal blue!

Click here to download the Me First printable in red!

Click here to download the Me First printable in pumpkin!

Click here to download the Me First printable in purple!

 

Useful Things

Battle of the Butt, Tools, , , , , , , , ,

Hey, y’all!

Mr. Scale and I are still not on speaking terms.  I was planning on another meeting with him this weekend, but I think it’s better to let him stew about it for another couple of days.  In fact, since it’s my goal to hit 359 by Valentine’s Day, I think I’ll just leave him alone until then.  God help him if he hasn’t changed his tune.  🙂

I’ve received quite a few comments and direct emails asking about what tools I use to motivate myself and track my progress – not to mention the tools that have been suggested to me that I find ab-fab, so let’s talk about those today.  Making meaningful changes is hard work and I love tools that help make the transition easier.

My Fitness Pal

My Fitness Pal is an online food, exercise, and weight loss tracker.  Gone are the days of looking up the nutritional content of any food.  Just type the food in the search window and click…I’ve never found anything that wasn’t already listed.  In fact, thanks to a widget from My Fitness Pal, you can see how much weight I’ve lost right there on the upper right side of my web site.  Soon, that number will be anything 22 or higher…and we will all do the happy dance when I’m in the 350’s.

There’s even a mobile app you can use when you’re out and about so that you don’t forget to log.  And if you’re at a restaurant and you need to know the nutritional value of something, just type the restaurant’s name in the search window and click. Chances are you’ll find what you’re looking for.

What I love most about it is it’s simplicity.  When I first started logging my food & exercise online, I used the tracker at livestrong.com – however, it soon proved to be too cumbersome and glitchy for me.  The ads bog down the page too much and loading time can be annoying.  There were times when I would log in to add my dinner selections only to find that my entire day’s worth of calories was missing…and I would have to re-log the entire day.  Many times my daily caloric intake goal would magically re-set to something higher.

I also tried Sparkpeople.com but I find their site to be way too busy.  This is the hardest change I’ve ever had to make in my life and I naturally gravitate towards simplicity.  I don’t want to log into a site and get bogged down with too many buttons, tabs, and links.  There are thousands of groups to join and points to earn for this and that…and badges to be awarded and…good Lord.  No, thanks.  I want simple.

By the way, if you decide My Fitness Pal is for you, look me up.  I keep my food log private, as everyone & their brother tends to think they’re a nutritionist when eating healthy, and nothing annoys me like a friend asking me if I really needed to eat that dinner roll.  I share my exercise and weight loss info.  I’m listed as HotMessPrincess (of course).  I happily accept all friend requests and will gladly cheer you on as you cheer me on.  Let’s do this!

Fooducate

Donna shared this with me and I think it’s just about the most awesome app I’ve come across.  For those of you with smart phones, go download the free app called “Fooducate” and arm yourself with a very powerful weapon the next time you’re in a grocery store.  Check their website out here:  Fooducate.

Last year, I was such a huge fan of Nature’s Own brand bread products.  I had no idea how they made such tasty breads without the calories and fat of other brands, but I was sold.  That is, until I read an article about a chemical they use in their breads that causes asthma or allergic reactions.  It’s a dough conditioner and, although their bread products still get a better report card than many brands, I’m left with a bad taste in my mouth.

I decided to test Fooducate with Nature’s Own products, then, on my first trip to the grocery store.  I wheeled my cart dangerously close to the Little Debbies in order to get my hands on some Nature’s Own hamburger buns.  One scan of the bar code with my smart phone and Fooducate showed me the food facts on these babies.  Their overall grade was an A-…however, I was interested to see whether the app told me about that chemical…and it did.  I tapped on the warning and got tons of information about the chemical and what it does.  I was even able to read comments by other Fooducate users.

I decided to scan all the other whole grain hamburger buns and ended up choosing another brand that had a solid A grade and no warnings on it.  The calories were a tad higher, but I’d rather eat 20 more calories and no chemicals.

I used the app several times during my shopping trip and it really helped me to make better decisions.  There were quite a few items I exchanged for other items once I read the info on Fooducate.  Check out their website for more info:  www.fooducate.com

Also, I just posted this tip on my Facebook Fan Page:  the Fooducate blog has a pretty ingenious portion control tip for us mega eaters.  I still feel like I need to keep the leash pretty tight on myself right now, but I will try this in the future:  portion control tip.

Pampered Chef Chip Maker

When I started eating healthier, I made a list of my vices:  all the yummy foods I love that have helped me pack on 219 extra pounds.  From that list, I made two more lists:  foods I could give up and foods I could not give up.

I simply quit eating the foods I could give up.  I had to ween myself off some of them (like Diet Dr Pepper).  I stopped eating ice cream completely.  I still can’t believe it.  I deserve some kind of medal for that one.

As for the foods I can’t give up (or don’t want to), there were a few – and one of them was potato chips.  I tried to find healthier options for all my favorites and I was successful with chips.  In fact, I rocked it.  I love my salty, crunchy chips.  The “healthy” chip varieties out there just aren’t the same.  I like the crispy, salty, potato-y goodness of the classic potato chip and I don’t want to have to live without it.  I’m putting my chubby foot down on this one, damn it.

You can find my recipe for crispy potato chips (no oil necessary) in the recipes section here on my website.  No special chip maker is needed if you have parchment paper.  Frankly, I don’t use parchment paper for anything else and I’d rather not have to keep buying it.  So now I use the Pampered Chef Chip Maker.  I make chips, throw the chip maker in the dishwasher, and throw it back in the drawer.

S2H STEP Pedometer by S2H

This is a damn awesome idea.  The people at S2H have come up with a way to get us moving again:  by wearing the S2H Step or the S2H Replay wrist band, you earn points when you get your body moving.  Points can be redeemed for various prizes (including gift cards from major retailers) – and they’ve just announced a spring contest where you can win a Kindle, Wii, or iPod.

The Replay is a wristband, but my skin doesn’t like the latex band so much.  It gets annoying after a couple days – so I was super happy when the Step was released.

S2H STEP

The Step gives a reward code for every 10,000 steps you take.  If you have a fairly sedentary job like me, that can be a challenge – but it’s fun.  I can’t explain why, but knowing I’m racking up points makes me park a little farther from the front doors at Target.  It makes me want to get on the treadmill a little more at the end of a rough day.  It’s a little more motivation – and I’ll take all the motivation I can get.

Lastly, there a new tab in the house!

I’ve added a tab to the site called “Linky Links”.  Sorry, but “Useful Links” seemed too boring for me!  I’ve put all these links there and hope to put up many more as we all go through this together.

If you’d like to suggest a cool tool to me, please feel free to use the “Contact Me” tab to get in touch with me and give me the scoop.  I can’t promise that I’ll pass the info along here on my site, but I can promise that I’ll look at it!  If it works for me or if I’m sure it’s imaginative & awesome, I will post it.

I’m looking for tools with real value – things that are creative & unique.  I won’t be putting up links to special diets, supplements, or specific work out programs because I truly believe that we all need to do what works for us as individuals…and we all know how to get our Google on if we’re looking for that kind of stuff.

In other news, I’m still working on my next motivational craft project.  🙂  It’s not nearly as fabulous as the marbles, but it means a hell of a lot to me.  You’ll see what I mean...tomorrow!

In the meantime, tell me what y’all have been up to.  Whether it’s weight loss or bitch’in about the car pool lane or some awesome new tool…lemme have it, peeps – I’m all ears.  🙂

 

Hope you’re all doing well.  🙂

 

Catalog of Horrors

General Hoo-Hah, , , , , , , ,

I’m inspired and motivated in my weight loss efforts by many things…

…my desire to ride a rollercoaster again

…my desire to be physically STRONG again

…my fear of having to be removed from my home by firefighters who have to cut through the side of my house to get me out, then load me on a flatbed truck and take me for a mandatory gastric bypass.

…and the simple joy of wearing beautiful clothes again

There aren’t a lot of fashion choices for those of us with multiple butts.  Truth.  In fact, using the word fashion to describe the choices available to women my size should be a crime.

I’m still clinging to my stubborn proclamation that I will not buy anymore clothes until I drop a size.  As such, my co-workers see me wearing the same thing week after week and my regular weekend uniform of workout pants and a t-shirt hasn’t changed since Bieber Fever first showed up.  It won’t always be this way, but for now…it is what it is.

Am I still curious as to what “fashion” choices are available to my fellow chubby girls and me?  Sure!!  It’s important for any chubby chick on the go to keep tabs on the current trends in “fashion” for the plus sized woman.  Naturally, when I get a catalog in the mail, I take time to peruse it…whilst eating my afternoon snack of healthy fruit and a small handful of almonds.  Tres chic.

I flip through the pages and try to ignore the fact that my blood pressure is skyrocketing as I see page after page of non plus sized models wearing these “fashions”.  By the time I’m hurling it into the trash can, I’m screaming.

I’ve had enough.  Really.  I’m so tired of the bullshit marketing that goes into these catalogs that I’ve decided to cut through it right here and now.  Let’s go through some of the real gems of the “fashion” catalog I just got in the mail and let’s dissect the real messages behind the bullshit marketing, shall we?

We’ll start with the cover.  What are they saying?  “We miss you, Dianne, since you bought those pants from us that shrank in the dryer and are now only fit for a 3 foot, 400 pound midget to wear!”

What are they really saying?


Hey, at least they’re honest now.  Let’s try another one, shall we?

Speaking of ugly shoes, what the hell is going on here?

I love it when stores name their stuff.  This model shoe is called the “Darling”.  So stylish…it’s the fat girl’s answer to Jimmy Choo.  Forget designer touches, ladies, these bad boys are precision stitched for extra support.  And the best part is they’re on sale.  Now you, too, can look just like Grandma on her way to an AARP meeting for only $44.99

Speaking of naming shit, how about this:

What decade did they pull this out of?  We’ll call this stylish little number the “Ward, I’m worried about the Beaver…so I’m covering it with yards of fabric!”

Let’s see what other bullshit I can cut through…

I love a good tunic, don’t you?  Actually…sadly…the tunic is a staple in my “fashion” wardrobe.  Just more motivation for me, though.  Someday my closet will be a TUNIC FREE ZONE!!!

Mmm…hmm.  I heard that, girlfriend!

This one really gets me going.  These jeans are a “tummy tamer”.  Look at the fatty who’s modeling them.  How many Twinkies does this chick eat?  Thank God for those hidden panels that shape her beautifully!  What a total cow.

By the way, someone should talk to her about her devil-may-care, thumb-in-her-back-pocket pose.  We chubby girls have to keep both feet firmly on the ground at all times…especially when we’re being controlled by hidden tummy tamer panels.

Nothing says “feel the burn” like getting your sweat-tunic caught in the rowing machine at the gym!

This last one is my favorite…

Wow.  I don’t know about you, but I’m buy’in what she’s sell’in!!  Look at all her hot, sexy mu-mu wearing friends, too!  They’re ALL feeling sexy in their mu-mu’s!!  I’ve gotta have one…I’ve gotta!

Why are they trying to bullshit us?  Do they think we’re so hopped up on carbs we won’t see through this crap?

At least Lane Bryant and the Avenue use models who wear their sizes.  Sure, they’re 14’s and 16’s…but they’re not trying to shove some size 4 model has-been in a denim mu-mu down my throat.  They’re realistic.

These idiot catalog companies would get a lot more respect from me if they’d at least be truthful.  Let’s face it:  when you weigh over 300 pounds like I do, a tunic really isn’t that slimming.  Nope.  My sick dependence on the almighty tunic is simply due to a sincere appreciation that it covers my multiple butts and my huge gut. That’s what a tunic really does.

Can we be honest?

I guess I’ll never have a career in “fashion”.

 

 

 

 

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