Note to self

• Kerrissa, my old friend from highschool (who reads this and shares her enthusiasm)recommends Turbo-Jam to work out to and describes it as "Tae-Bo on crank." Note to self: I will HAVE to try this out, but not while using "crank". You'd think being a urbanized social worker I'd have more street cred, but I really don't know which drug crank is.
• My classmates in Group Therapy class all told me how awesome I looked last night. Made me feel a lot better to know that people who are basically strangers and do not owe me anything are proud of my accomplishments. Mind you we're all training to be counselors and we should be nice and honest. But they did not have to go out of their way to compliment me and they all did. They see me come in each week toting my Weight Watchers mug of liquids (32 oz.) and I've talked about being hard core in weight loss success. Note to self: Bake cookies for last day of class and watch them eat all of said cookies, while I remain skinny in the corner.
• Honestly, I began trying to lose the weight because I didn't want to be the stereo-typical fat girlfriend. I wanted to look/feel/be healthy for myself again too, but my main motivation was to be hot for him. Like when you see the guy in reasonably good shape standing next to a horse woman with a double chin and rolls hanging out of her pants so disgusting they should have butter on them and you wonder if she ate the girl he used to date. I didn't want to be her. I wasn't a heifer by any means but I was on the verge of serious pleasantly plumpness. Here I am 16+ pounds and 10.5 inches gone from me and I'm still going strong. And well, I don't have a boyfriend anymore and so now I'm going to be slim and single. Note to self: I don't really have a note to self for this one, if not to mention the irony behind my motivation?

Anywho, here comes Easter. I stole some chocolate from an Easter basket at work today. OOps. Some poor little one will not have a Twix mini bar. I really hope I don't gain anything this weekend I've been doing soooo well. I'm going to do my pilates tape now, maybe take a bath and relax for the evening. Might get a car this weekend? Plan a trip to NC to see Tito? Possibly a new tattoo? Dye my hair fiery red? (ok, that's a NO) I'm going to let loose and let go. Note to self: Good for me. I deserve it.

to the general, with love

Dear General Tso,

I love you, and your lucious chicken-y goodness. Keep up the fantastic work!

Sincerely,

Jillian

Last night Amy and Kristen came over to my apartment and I ate New Panda General Tso's and it was dee-lightful. Too bad I couldn't finish the whole thing. Right now, I'm continuing the magic as I type. MmMmM. Spicy, sweet and satisfying.

This week, I haven't been eating too much of anything. I'm hoping soon that my appetite will return to me. Not in full force, of course. But I know that not eating slows the metabolism down and then when I eat, my body just stores it and doesn't burn it up. Trying to stay positive!

On a very, very happy note I now have abdominal muscles even when I don't breathe in. I made the woman I work with feel them today. They're oblique muscle and now I'm showing the beginnings of defined abs. I'm noticing over all changes in my body. My thighs are looking a lot leaner and in a few more pounds I will have my collar bones again! I feel good about my body again. I feel a lot more confident in my clothes. It's very exciting to be successful again in the weight loss battle. I can't wait until I hit my 10% goal (7 more pounds for that!)

This week's measurements?

Arms: 11.5"

Legs: 22"

Waist: 33.5 (down ANOTHER 5. inch!)

Hips: 39

And weight?

177.6 (stayed EXACTLY the same, which is totally fine b/c I lost 4 pounds last week)

So yeah. That's me.

*UPDATE: 4 month mark*

If I told you that today started out awesome, I'd be lying. Stress is a killer. I think sometimes I make my own stress up in my head, when I need to learn how to calm down and relax and let things go.

But I digress...

I started this blog on November 26, 2006 weighing 193 (not 191 like I thought) pounds.

And these were my measurements on that day:

Arms: 12"
Legs: 24"
Waist: 38"
Hips: 42"

I was very uncomfortable and had let my weight slowly creep up on me. I had lost 25 pounds and gained 28 back. I knew that something...anything...needed to be done. So I began to do my own version of Weight Watchers and then in January, I re-joined again with a new found committment to getting healthy. There are some health issues in my family, and I wanted to take preventative measures to ensure that I wouldn't be at risk for them, since most of them are linked to being overweight. I wanted to look good and feel great again. I looked at pictures of me at my smallest and I felt very attractive and content. Then I got cocky. And I ate, stopped going to meetings, and ate some more.

This time around will be different. I'm setting small goals for myself. I'm keeping track of what I eat, and exercising at least 3x's a week. I have motivation to continue on and keep it off. I'm showing more willpower, by refusing food that's not great for me and by cutting my portions into smaller sizes. I'm drinking lots more water and I'm taking better care of my body in general.

One of my best friends who has recently lost 66 pounds herself and I made a pact that we would do something nice for ourselves if we hit our goal. She has 1 more pound to go before she hits her lifetime goal. And today, my personal goal of weighing in under 180 lbs. was reached. I lost 4.6 pounds this week. Amy, we are SOOOOO getting manicures or massages next time you're in Albany.

Today, I weighed in at 177.6 pounds
and today's measurements are:

Arms: 11.5"
Legs: 22"
Waist: 34"
Hips: 39"

I've lost a total of 16 pounds and 9.5 inches off of my body since 11/26/06!

Just imagine a 16lbs turkey GONE from my body!!!!

Here is a visual aid, in case you need help:





My new goal? Since I have 7 pounds to go before I hit my 10% weight loss, I'm hoping to be rid of those 7 pounds by the time classes are over in May. I'm allowing myself all of April to work hard.

im like oozing positivity

Ok...so I gained .4 of a pound.

But I am totally OK with this. See, the slight gain (and really, it's not upsetting) is caused by 3 seperate, but equally important factors:

1. (french fries) (irish people like potatoes, and so does Jillian)

2. (st. patrick's day beer)

3. (P.M.S.)

on a very serious note, I've lost some inch-age on my body, despite my little gain. This makes me very happy.

Arms: 11.5"

Legs: 22" (1 inch DOWN!)

Waist: 34" (.5 gone)

Hips: 40" (when will these shrink again?)

and weight...182.6 lbs.

Now its paper time, since I've put it off till...well now. It's due tonight.

Oh. And Ellen Barrett, you are still my best friend.

curse you snow!

Weird.

I'm playing on Google and I Google-imaged myself. I found 2 of the most unflattering photos of myself (including this gem)

and then the third was of my roomate from sophmore year of college.

Today, the receptionist at work offered me one of these babies

And I said "No thanks." which was probably the HARDEST THING I'VE EVER HAD TO DO...EVER. Seriously, I almost died after I said no. A chocolate croissant is a gift from heaven. And I denied myself even a bite of it. I walked around to the other side of her desk and grabbed a Hershey's kiss instead. Told her I felt like being bad, but not so bad. (By the by, a Hershey's kiss is not nearly an food-gasmic as a chocolate croissant)

So now, my world-tour has been put on hold. It's friggin snowing too bad to drive anywhere. The problem is that I have no food here in the apartment, since I had planned on NOT being HERE. OK that's a lie. I do have some food. I just don't have these

and that's what I really want.

Consequently, you will find me snowed in tonight doing my pilates dvd then eating cereal on the couch.

lucky lime greens strike again.

I would like to start today's entry by admitting that I wasn't exactly being strict with myself these last 2 weeks. I haven't written a thing down since Sunday in New Orleans. I haven't been drinking as much water. Friday night I had some gin & tonics @ Kristen's. Saturday I ate all of the Japanese food that Ichicban had to offer with Jessica (hi!! i know you read this in the law school library!!) and then went out for a few at Lark Tavern and Lionheart. Aftewards, Kristen and I went through the drive-through at McDonald's and got chicken selects. What. Was. I. THINKING?!?!?!?!?!And when I got back to her house, I ate a cookie. Did I mention that I ate a ton of deep fried delicious in New Orleans? Oh yeah, that was in last entry.

With all of the damage I did, I went into the meeting today fully anticipating a gain or being even. Much to my surprise, I lost another 1.8 lbs. What? Yeah, another 2 pounds gone AND I lost about an inch off of my body. I think it was my lucky lime green pants. And the lady who weighs me in is really lucky too.

Arms: 11.5"
Legs: 23"
Waist: 34.5"
Hips: 40"
Weight: 181.8

My Pilates DVD is really doing the trick I think. I've done my new one 2 x's and I already feel a bit of a difference in my abs, thighs and bum. Right now Amy and I are planning our goal for April. By then, she will be a LIFETIME member and reached her final goal weight with a total of over 65 lbs GONE! By April 1st, I'd like to be under 180, in the 175-177 range. With St. Patty's day comming up, and a trip to Boston in the works, I'm going to have to be REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY good.

older, wiser, more secretive

I shall start with a special shout-out to Adrienne who actually reads this and knows every dimension of my body. Thank you for the beautiful rainbow socks, stuffed fish and awesome pen holder.

(a cake from my boss @ work)

I returned from NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) last night around midnight. Then my roomate's car DIED right as we got off of the highway, thus dubbing me Jillian "the curse" Goldfine. As we sat there stalled out, a police car drove by. He ended up "pushing" us with his vehicle down Western Ave into a parking lot. Consequently, I have a slight case of wiplash from the car going backwards into the police-rammer-ma-bob. I didn't get to bed until 2 am. On the airplane I sat next to Ruthie from MTV's Real World Hawaii. I took a picture of her sleeping with my camera phone. Also, I offered her a piece of gum and she took it! But I digress...


When I arrived in NOLA (see above) Felipe told me that he didn't recognize me. This was by far the best compliment I've ever recieved about losing weight EVER. I know he wasn't lying because his face gave away the shock factor. So Felipe, if you were lying, you did a fabulous job of making me feel gorgeous. Even more incentive to continue down the poundage.


He made it difficult to behave on my diet because we kept going to these awesome restaurants and I really couldn't help but order food that was not so great. I tried. I really did start out with good intentions. But I slowly succumbed to deep fried delicious.


On a very positive note, I walked around the French Quarters a ton with Zoey (his puppy) and I made it to the hotel's fitness room to lift some weights. I'm taking this week to regain my composure and focus of eating healthy again. Call me a cheater, but I don't HAVE to tell you ANYTHING.


While taking a trip to Wal-Mart I bought a new Pilates DVD by Ellen Barrett, who made the Pilates tape I've been doing every Thursday religiously since I started Weight Watchers. This new one is called "Pick Your Level: Weight Loss Pilates" and I can choose from beginnger, intermediate and advanced levels. I think tonight I'm going to take it easy and keep it light. My body hurts enough. Ellen is my new best friend. I love you, Ellen.


All in all I'm sure I gained a pound or so but I'm not divulging either way.



You're just going to have to wait 'till Monday for measurements and weight.