Thursday, August 16, 2012

I Need To Eat Like A Skinny Girl

I have come to the point in my weight loss journey where I can no longer assume that they baby weight will fall off by itself. The baby is over a year old, I am no longer breastfeeding - this weight is mine. All mine.

It isn't much - but it isn't budging, in fact it is actually on the rise. Three pounds this last month. You may be thinking that 3 pounds isn't such a big deal but when you consider I still haven't returned to my normal pre-pregnancy weight and that I am a short gal, those three pounds are significant.

That is really one of the cruel realities of being a woman of small vertical stature. Three pounds on my frame looks like 10 pounds on my 5'9" friend. I need to eat like the short girl I am and the skinny girl I want to be.

I have been using the Lose It! app on my phone for the last three years. For the last 18 months I haven't been keeping track of what I eat, I hate that part. But, I have enjoyed watching the chart change from gaining/losing the baby weight. Makes it seem like I am doing something, when I know I am not.

But now it is time to get back to work, and it is work.

My healthy weight range for my height/age is 107-140. That is a big range, and I know all to well from personal experience what I look like at the upper end of that range and I don't like it. My experience tells me that the only way I look good at 140 is when I am pure muscle. But, I am not going to the gym and I don't have the time to make it happen. When I am not pure muscle, 115 is really a better look for me. I am thinking 120 with moderate exercise would be ideal.

According to the LoseIt app, I need to eat 1,100 calories a day to get there. Are you kidding me! I might as well just give up eating good food ever again. Calories suck.

If I consume a pint of Ben & Jerry's Mint Cookie Ice cream that is my entire caloric allotment for the day. Do you know how easy it is to finish a pint of ice cream? I can do it without batting an eye lash. And it tastes so good. And seriously, who has the will power to just eat 1 serving (1/2 cup) of ice cream.

I like eating copious amounts of delicious, high-fat foods. I don't like eating my fruits and vegetables. I know fruits and vegetables have fewer calories so I need to eat more of them, but my body doesn't crave them like they do enchiladas, pot roast, pasta, baguettes, cookies, and baked goods.

Why couldn't I be 5'10"? If I were I could eat 2,090 calories, be at the lower end of the healthy weight range, and a pint of Ben & Jerry's wouldn't ruin my whole day.

One more example of how life is unfair - deal with it!

Any healthy, low-cal, yummy tasting foods in your recipe box?

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12 comments:

  1. Haha, I can totally relate! I'm 5'0, so if I gain a single lb, you can tell. And in order to loose weight, I have to eat practically nothing. It's stinky. I wish I was a little bit taller... I'm on a "diet" right now. Trying to get down to 112, but would be happy with maintaining around 115. I only had 11 lbs to loose, but it makes a HUGE difference & they seem to take forever to get rid of. I'm down to 116, so 4 more to go!!!

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    1. I wish I had single digit pounds left to go... I am working on about 15-18. I am holding on to this baby fat a lot longer than I previously have. Until science can figure out how to make me taller I really need to start doing something different. Best of luck with those last 4!

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  2. I'm also 5'0!! I gain a couple pounds and my clothes no longer fit! It sucks. I worked out for a year pretty hard before my wedding and only went from 112 to 108. 4 pounds! And I by no means looked too skinny. Which of course was not maintained after the wedding...I've also recently tried to make the switch to eating more fruits and veggies. I like to eat tuna salad wrapped in lettuce leaves for dinner when I feel like I've been bad earlier in the day. The protein fills you up and you're skipping out on all the carbs of bread. Ooh and Skinny Cow! I love ice cream so it has become a staple in my freezer.

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    1. There is NO wiggle room when you are short! I ran long distances for a year and the result: I was more toned, but not a single pound lost - so frustrating!

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  3. I could easily eat that pint of Mint Cookie Ice Cream too! :-) Shaklee has a very easy and delicious program to lose those pounds called Cinch. It is made with Leucine an amino acid that helps your body retain muscle (that fuels metabolism) while ditching the body fat. I even have a recipe for a Mint Choc Shake! My husband and I love Cinch products. (..p.s. he is a surgeon too :) Let me know if you would like information on it.

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    1. At this point I am ready to create my own diet, the ice cream diet. I figure if I eat the pint of ice cream over the course of the day and calories in/calories out works then I should be good! Yes, I've never heard of cinch - please email me!

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  4. if you have a gym membership OR have access to weights do leg press, bench press (or free weights over the shoulder), sit ups (100/day, split it into 35 sets morning/noon/night) and eat lots of protein (sugar glazed peanuts, protein shakes you make with your blender, eggs, cheese, berries etc) cut out all drinks except water and all desserts for 2 weeks. you will lose at least 6 pounds those first two weeks and might even look/feel better. good luck! it's hard not to indulge in yummy ice cream or chips.

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    1. I miss my gym membership, not for the workouts but for the free babysitting. My husband works out at the hospital gym (nice, huh) and the thought of paying for a gym membership AND babysitting hasn't inspired me. I tried working out at home, and I think when the weather gets cooler and the kids are back in school, and I figure out what it is I have time and energy to do... listen to me procrastinate. I do like lifting weights, but the 3 and 5 pound weights I have are probably not what you are suggesting. Maybe I need to start lifting the furniture! If there is a freshman 15, then there is certainly a residency 15. I am living proof! Thanks for the advice - I need to take it:-)

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  5. http://www.skinnytaste.com/ is a great blog with slimmed down recipes of regular tummy foods! I am also on the tail end of nursing and still have those lingering pounds. Blah! We are having a really rough time with 3rd year and today I just ate carbs and sat on my less than firm bum.

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  6. Sounds all too familiar! At the end of a really hard day, and there are a lot of them, nothing helps take the edge off like sugar and carbs:-) Thanks for the website recommendation, I am excited too try some. Speaking of nursing and firmness... my son used to play with my squishy arms - he has now identified my legs as being squishy. It's time to firm up!

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  7. I'm vertically challenged as well! Weight Watchers worked well for me. I met my goal weight and then lost another 3 lbs lately by just switching to organic foods and cutting meat from half of my weekly meals.
    You can do it!!!

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