Weight Loss Programs: What Works for Me

The primary problem many future former fat-asses face when approaching weight loss is what exactly to do. We're off the couch, we've put away the pork rinds; so, now what? Lucky for us, we live in an overstimulated economy of get-slim-quick fad diets, smartphone apps, gizmos, and support groups. Weight Watchers has been said to provide real results (some of my friends even swear by it) while others, like a certain one whose name rhymes with Kenny Greg, push overpriced and unnecessary prepackaged food-like items.

Not a fan of AA-like circle recounts of carbocide nightmares and nights spent drowning in pints of Ben & Jerry's and far too knowledgeable to fall for some gimmick diet or price-inflated aluminum rod, I opted for the smartphone app. I had some prior experience with MyFitnessPal. A former coworker was a featured weight loss story and I had logged a few weeks of unsuccessful off-and-on dieting.

It immediately felt different, more serious, this time as Jenn and I began eating well and exercising. So, instead of logging back into MyFitnessPal, I downloaded two Noom apps to my phone: Cardio Trainer and Weight Loss Coach. I first tested Cardio Trainer. A graphic design junkie, I was drawn to their bold and colorful style. The interface operated much like my Android phone. The app allows the user to input his or her daily exercise and an icon displays in the top bar tallying each week's burned calories. Ooh, nifty!

Our first weigh-in!

     O. M. G. We are already doing a bang-up job, and we just started this blog! We have been so busy, but we will, WILL make this a priority to post as often as possible. But you thought we probably didn't follow through with our goals, didn't you? You probably thought we didn't work out or eat healthy aside from the one lunch recipe I posted, huh? Oh ye of little faith- we have some good news! We have been diligently working out, painstakingly getting up at 4am every morning during the week, and eating much smaller, healthier meals every day. Every day.
     So.. we have results! Jamie lost a whopping 10 lbs ! And I lost 8 lbs ! In only two weeks! Also, we measured ourselves today as we said we would every other week, and I lost half an inch from my waistline! And Jamie lost an entire inch as well. We are so happy with our results, especially since I expected much less progress made in such little time.
     We are still working on a specific routine for exercise, but everything that we're doing is obviously having a great impact. However, we have been doing ab work religiously, since it's clearly needed, and it's making a difference. Here are some other things we have found that work for us so far:

• Jamie has become one with the treadmill, running as fast as possible (It's old and not very fast) at higher inclines for as long as he can before dropping down to a power walk to catch his breath. We'll have to post a picture of his calves some time- they're enormous! Seriously, like bigger than my head- pure muscle!

• I have always taken to Tae Bo, which makes my thighs beg for mercy, but overall when I push myself, I find this works best for me. I sweat in places I didn't know I had, and it's a total body workout.

• I have been making it a point to drink an entire glass of water before every meal and of course, throughout the day. Jamie also drinks a ton of water daily.

• Our portion sizes have significantly reduced. We follow every label on snacks, pasta, whatever for appropriate serving sizes and stick to them. The only thing I'm lax on with sizes is vegetables. I eat tons of them with the exception of potatoes- they're a major carbohydrate. 

• I am also more active at work. I have a sit down 8 hour work day, so I make it a point to walk around the building as often as I can, do ab work on my lunch (No, it doesn't make me sweat), and just generally get out of my chair more often.

• We both park far away from everything. Movies, restaurants, grocery store, work, anywhere we go. The more walking, the better. And stairs instead of elevator/escalator. Pain in the ass? At times, maybe. Worth it? Most definitely.

• And finally, we cook more. We are huge culprits for eating out, and of course, eating crap when we eat out. Our schedule leaves us much to be desired as far as motivation goes, but we have found our niche. Healthy, quick, small meals that require little prep that can't be done ahead of time. And it's made all the difference.

     So those are all of the major changes we have made in our lifestyle. They're working. After we have both lost 20 lbs, we'll post pictures again, but we'll continue to track our progress aside from that. We also have some posts planned for workout reviews, recipes (Banana ice cream- what?!), and some other random lifestyle-related treats. We also will be addressing the other aspects of this blog in the future, meaning 'get wealthy' and 'get lost.' But for now, one thing at a time.

First Re-ci-pe!

In celebration of starting our blog, I wanted to be the one to post the first recipe. Today, I made a quick, delicious and healthy lunch using ingredients to create a meal I dreamed about last night. Crazy, right? Who loves food so much she even has visions of it dancing in her head throughout the night? This girl does.

In my dream, I was attempting to create the healthiest, most nutrient-packed tuna salad with the usual vegetable choices, plus some others I incorporated as well. Sort of a jazzed up, Not cho' mama's tuna salad, if I may.

The best part was everything I dreamed about putting in the salad we have on hand- except for the celery salt, but I was only putting that in the recipe in my dream to make someone else happy. I don't even remember who it was, but I probably made them up anyway.

Not Cho' Mama's Tuna Salad

1 can chuck light tuna packed in water, drained
2 1/4 spoonfuls of Nayonaise (soy-based mayo substitute found in most grocery stores nowadays)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp hot sauce (we used Frank's)
1/4 c cucumber, diced
1/4 c yellow pepper, diced (or whatever color you like)
1/4 c tomato, diced (seeded if too watery)
1 TBSP chives, chopped (or whatever onions you like)
1  TBSP flat leaf parsley, chopped
8 Romaine lettuce leaves
1 can chickpeas
EVOO, just a drizzle
Balsamic vinegar, just a drizzle
salt and pepper to taste
Makes 4 servings

Note: Jamie and I choose to eat the chunk light canned tuna packed in water as opposed to other varieties because it is known to have much less mercury in it. However, you may use whatever works best for you.

In a mixing bowl, combine Nayonaisse, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste your dressing at this point to adjust for seasoning. Also- go easy on the salt since canned fish can pack some sodium on its own.

Add diced cucumber, yellow pepper, tomato, chives, parsley, and tuna to the bowl. Fold the salad into the dressing while turning the bowl with each fold.

Place two lettuce leaves on a plate, spoon some tuna salad on them, and top with 1/4 c of chickpeas. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar and EVOO on top and VOILA! You're about to experience deliciousness you never realized existed with canned tuna!

I enjoyed my salad with a side of cucumbers that I love, but I'll save that preparation for another time.

Jamie enjoyed his with a side of sriracha and a drizzle of hard-boiled egg. Or is that the other way around?

Mmmm... So good!

~ Jennums

Starting somewhere...

We are Jenn and Jamie. We're big dreamers. But not big doers. And now we're just big.

Jenn and I have always struggled with the hard work it takes to achieve our goals, specifically maintaining a healthy weight and reasonable budget. Our cut corners and compromises have left us in an unhappy place, both mentally and physically. And now we have laid out our goals in front of us, more clear than ever.

Our mantra is both our lifestyle and our goal. Get healthy, get wealthy, get lost. Let's start with our health. We'll get wealthy and lost at a later time.

So this is where we're at:

Jenn's Current Weight: 255 lbs (Let me just die right now.)
Waist Measurement: 50"
Hips: 54.5"
Chest: 54" (Still dying.)
Neck: 16"
Mid Upper Arm: 16.5"
Mid Thigh: 28" 

Jamie's Current Weight: 269.6 lbs
Waist Measurement: 51.5"
Hips: 46.5"
Chest: 50"
Neck: 18.5"
Mid Upper Arm: 15.5"
Mid Thigh: 24.5"
Calf: 18.5" (my best physical attribute; gotta keep an eye on that one too)

There. We did it. We put ourselves out there.

And we're still alive.

The bottom line is, we have to be brutally honest with ourselves if we're going to do this. And we can't think of a better way than to post our vulnerable, raw, fat photos on the internet. [insert cynical comment here]

But in all seriousness, we do have goals -- specific, measurable goals. However, our time frame is tentative only because frankly, there's enough pressure to do this without the constraints of a deadline. That being said, we are aiming for late next summer and we refuse to feel like failures if we do not reach our target weight within that time.

So, here are the goals:

Jenn's Target Weight: 130 lbs (125 lb loss)
Jamie's Target Weight: 180 lbs (89.6 lb loss -- that's one Backstreet Boy!)

We don't have goals for our measurements, however Jenn would prefer not to have a thigh the size of an average woman's waist.

We will be weighing in--no, posting in weekly updates on our weight loss and bi-weekly updates on our measurements.

In between our successes and lamentations, we will also share any tips and tricks we learn along the way, our recipes, exercise routines, travels, books, and anything else that tickles our fancy. So take care and stay well.

And we will too.