The post about my weekend in bullet form (due to sheer laziness)

Had to swipe this off of Karen's Pinterest.  It was written especially for me:)

• I tell you, I am just lazy, lazy, lazy!  That's right.  I'm a huge whiner.  Today I'm using bullets for my post because I just feel like it.  
• Yesterday was a fun filled day of house chores which included laundry, general tidy up, and meal prep.
• Yesterday I tweeted with my friend over in Ireland.  He always makes me feel better and is a good listener...or maybe reader, since I'm not really talking to him.
• Yesterday I made an awesome roast with sauteed green beans and garlic mashed cauliflower.  The green beans were delish, but I think I put too much pepper flakes in them.  I had a couple of coughing fits.
• I love that cauliflower is in season right now.  I could eat garlic mashed cauliflower everyday.  The trick to a creamy cauliflower is to over cook it then drain it really good. A tablespoon of light cream cheese doesn't hurt either. And I use a hand mixer to beat it all together.  Yummy!
• Yesterday I started my fourth 1000 piece puzzle.  This gal knows how to live!

The pets enjoying the great outdoors. I have another cat,
but she's never around.

• Today was my hubby's longest run ever! He ran 18K. He's tired and sore right now.  He also ran 160+K for the month of August.  I'm VERY proud of him!  One month left until his first half marathon (Niagara Falls).
• Today was supposed to have been a scale back week for me.  I was scheduled to run 23K.  Right now I feel like I wouldn't be able to do 5K.  I'm eager to get back to running, but scared at the same time.
• I spent waaaaaaaaaay too much time on Pinterest today.  The good news is, if you're following my Facebook page, there are some really good looking Paleo recipes on there.  There are also a bunch of good ones pinned to my Pinterest board Primal and Paleo.
• I spent the day making lots of food in my crock pots.  Now I have no food left in my fridge. I must go shopping tomorrow.
• I'm buying two turkeys because they are on sale for 88 cents a pound.  I'm gonna roast one this week and make turkey soup too.  Very excited because I LOVE turkey!

Julien posing with Luigi and Red Toad. He made a bed for Luigi out of leaves.
My POV while reading on my deck. Decided to stop whining because I love my hair.

• I have decided to grow my hair another few inches then get a nice long layered cut for shape.  I think I will get the bangs back this week though.  Now that the weather's cooler, I can rock the bangs again.
• Just in case you're wondering because I know you are, I use Moroccan Oil in my hair.  Makes it super shiny and soft.  I use less than a teaspoon for my entire head.  I work it into the ends mostly.
• I'm eating celery and drinking water right now.
• Chris P. made my day yesterday.  She said I inspired her to run her first 5k this past July. She's in recovery mode right now (due to surgery) but is getting back into running.  I love hearing stuff like that!
• Karen was wondering what program I use for the collages I do.  I use Fotor.  It's easy to use and has a good editing tool too.
• I'm so bored right now that I'm re-reading a book I know I have read in the past.  I didn't realize I had read it until I got a few chapters in.  I decided to keep reading it because it was pretty steamy. Yup, really bored.  I never re-read books...unless they are particularly good pieces of literature.
• Literature is code for smut.
• I kinda like the bullets.  Takes off the pressure of having to use proper sentence structure.
• My broken ankle is achy today and itchy.  I hope that means something good...
• I leave you with my food journal and my daily eats.  My literature is not going to read itself.
• Oh! and only 9 more days until my next x-ray. Fingers and toes crossed that they tell me I can start physio and chuck the moon boot!

My food journal. The activity stuff is the same lame stuff I do everyday.
Strengthening exercises and house crap!

My food from the past two days.  I must say, I eat pretty damn good.
The crock pot has the turkey sausage ratatouille.  I just threw all the ingredients
in and six hours later...voila!  It was delish.

The post about being too tired and lazy to write a proper post

You know that feeling of tiredness you get when you are inactive for a long period of time and you just don't have the energy to do anything.  That is me right now.  I did nothing today.  I sat around and laid down a lot. I read. I watched stuff on YouTube. I answered emails. I read emails. I spent way too much time on Pinterest.  I posted pictures on Instagram.  I basically lazed around and did nothing with my day.  So I am dead tired right now.  I just want to go to bed. And I will as soon as I finish this post.  I'm hopeful tomorrow will be a better day for me.  The beautiful fall weather we've been having makes it even harder for me.  I just wanna run my ass off!  Sigh.  So in light of the fact that I don't feel like typing much right now, you get my last two days in pictures.  I didn't really feel like posting at all, but promised a weigh-in and my food journal. Both keep me accountable.  So for your viewing pleasure...

Thursday's Pictures
My weigh-in. Half a pound in two weeks?  Looks like I'm going to have to
cut back more if I want to drop ten pounds by the end of November.  That
makes two pounds in three weeks.  Gone are the days when I used to be able to
drop two pounds a week.  I did get to work out of the house for a couple of hours
and got treated to a cappuccino by the water front by my gal Tanya!

Friday's Pictures
The only positive thing about not running, my toes look normal again.
Really lazy day. I read, I spent time with Smitty, I put my hair in a sock bun.
That is all!

What I Ate
My eats from the past two days.  When am I going to learn that dairy does not
agree with me.  I had feta in my village salad and had pretty bad stomach
pains right afterward.  It happened the last time I had feta too.  The Greek
chicken was super yummy.  I used this recipe and added a ton of garlic.

The post you really shouldn't waste your time reading. You'll never get that five minutes back...

My eats from the past two days.  No need to photograph carrot sticks and
sunflower seeds.  They are as boring as they sound.

I tried to warn you, yet here you are reading anyway.  I have been feeling really out of sorts lately. I feel lazy, out of shape, sloth like.  There are only so many floor exercises I can do, and I feel like I'm not really doing anything.  Graham (physiotherapist) gave me exercises to do on the ball, but since I can't use my broken leg for leverage, those exercises are not working out for me.  I can still do whatever I do on the floor, but those focus purely on my abs, lower back, hamstrings and glutes. Still better than nothing.  I'm doing some improvised bicep and tricep exercises, but I'm not sure if they are effective or not.  I cannot wait to get out of this cast.  I feel like I have lost my identity.

I know that running shouldn't define who I am, but it really does.  It was such a big part of my life. With it gone right now, I am feeling incredibly restless and genuinely lost.  Who am I if I'm not a runner?  I know I will run again, but my days are passing s-l-o-w-l-y.  Right now it feels like the day I run again will never get here. Running was not only great for my daily exercise, it was also my therapy.  My mind is racing a mile a minute and the problems that I could have worked through during my runs, are swimming in my head.  Not being able to run right now is detrimental to my physical health as well as my mental health.

I went to visit the Running Room today.  Even though they were trying to cheer me up and sound nonchalant about how Run Club (free runs @ the Running Room every Wednesday and Sunday) was going in this glorious weather, Ben and Ron (manager and assistant manager) could see that I was feeling down.  I contemplated showing up around the time that Run Club happens, but I decided that I didn't want to see that many runners at once.  Too hard!!!!!  Maybe I shouldn't have gone by at all. Man am I ever a whiner! There are much worse things to have to deal with in life than not being able to run for a couple of months.  

Having so much time on my hands makes thoughts of food wander into my mind on a regular basis.  It's not easy restricting my diet so much right now.  If I had busy days, I wouldn't be thinking about eating all the time.  Although I am still eating on plan, I dream about nuts and fruit and sweet potatoes.  I'm not thinking about things I have cut out of my diet (ie: processed carbs and refined sugar), but I do think of things I'm avoiding right now.  I'm not in my eating comfort zone.  I'm most confident with my eating when I'm running 50K a week and I don't have to think beyond anything except following Paleo.

Today was a bit busier of a day for me.  I was up and on the computer early for work.  I got conferenced in via telephone for team meeting, so that took up my morning.  I ate a very quick (and not a great) lunch. Carrot sticks and sunflower seeds two days in a row?  Due to pure laziness. Not satisfying, but I made my bed.  I went to physio this afternoon where they ultra-sounded my broken ankle.  Helps with bone repair. Then I went by the Running Room and hung out there for 20 minutes.  Then it was back home for after school and dinner routines.

I had a hard time going back to work when Julien was a baby, and I would have preferred to have stayed home with him until he started school.  But since I made more money and had better benefits, it only made sense for my hubby to be the stay-at-home parent.  Being home all day while Julien is at school, I know that I would not be cut out to be a stay-at-home parent.  I like to be here when he's home, but I cannot wait to get back to work full-time again.  Working at home keeps me occupied for part of the day, but I can't be in front of the computer for longer than a few hours at a time.  It makes my eyes go wonky.

Can you see the missing piece?

I do not watch television. I just finished my third jigsaw puzzle, which was missing one piece. Pissed me off. That's what you get when you buy puzzles from Value Village.  I'm not sure if I want to start a new one right now.  I'm reading a lot, but even that has lost it's luster.  I wish I was a knitter or could do crochet.  I saw a beautiful sweater shawl on Pinterest I want.  It was hand made.  I have no one to teach me.  Man I sound pathetic.  And to add insult to injury, I now have a divot in my cheek where I fractured it, and I think it's going to be permanent.  It doesn't hurt anymore, so I think it's about as healed as it's going to get. My face is no longer symmetrical. Lovely!  I've taken the liberty of photographing the divot for your viewing pleasure. It's hard to see in pictures, so I edited it and added a lot of detail.  It's much more noticeable that way.  Even though it may be hard to notice in pictures, it's quite noticeable in real life.  That is just so awesome!

Photo on left shows lovely cheek divot.  Photo on the right is just to make me
feel better (and it's filtered) because photo on the left is extremely detailed and I look freaky.

I'm going to bed now.  I'm feeling grumpy and sleepy.  I wish I was more happy, or even dopey.  I'm sometimes bashful and don't like to be sneezy.  I'm definitely not cut out to be doc.  I think I have whined and complained enough in this post.  But still I go on.  Tomorrow morning is my bi-weekly weigh-in.  I'm feeling fat and bloated and lazy and unfit (imagine if those were some of the names of the Seven Dwarfs).  I won't blog again till Friday, and I'm sure you will all be waiting with bated breath for my weigh-in results. Please don't.  Breathing is conducive to living. My weigh-in is not worth expiring over.  I promise not to be such a negative Nelly in my next post.  And I sincerely apologize if you are reading this and your name is Nelly.  I am sure you are not negative.

The post about changing out the wardrobe, sexy toos (sp) and my hair

I just want to start off by thanking everyone for the lovely comments and messages regarding my blog.  I just want to say that it's quite humbling to hear how much others look to me for inspiration. Although I am not going to stop blogging, I may switch up my blog a bit and talk about other things (ie: family, fashion, fun).  I think part of my issue is that I've tried to keep this blog purely focused on diet and exercise.  And although that is a huge part of my life, there are other things I love, and I think I could enjoy writing about them as well. I may play around a bit with the format of my blog and have been toying with the idea of changing the title. Although I will always credit Dr. Poon with my weight loss success, I feel like I need to move on from the Poonapalooza title and use something that is more current for my lifestyle now.  I used Dr. Poon for weight loss, but use Paleo for maintenance.  Paleopalooza?  Maybe not.  I'm open to suggestions!

I feel like crap today.  Read between the lines.  I feel like this once a month.  I'm a bit grouchy and I feel fat and bloated.  Hate that feeling.  I went through all my summer clothes and put them away, then pulled out my fall/winter clothes.  I'm happy to report that all my clothes from last winter fit, and some are a bit big on me. The bigger sweaters are in right now, so I'm good.  And I have a couple pairs of pants that will need to be belted.  I have a few very nice leather belts from Value Village.  I also have almost $400.00 left on my Reitman's gift card.  Enough money to build up my fall/winter wardrobe for sure!  I'm looking forward to shopping once the cast comes off.

I got to go hang out with my girlfriend Elin for a couple of hours yesterday.  It's always a relief to get out of the house.  Even if it is for a quick visit. Julien was drawing pictures while we were there, and he drew a bunch of Elin and I.  We decided to recreate his drawings and I put together a collage for your viewing pleasure.  I'm not sure why I am sleeping in one.  Or am I passed out?  I'm not sure, but for whatever reason, Julien cracked up when he showed them to us.  Cute!

It's like looking in a mirror!

I'm on Instagram and I mostly post my meals, and (when I was running) screen shots of my run.  I also posted pictures of my cast and feet as well as girly stuff like manicures/pedicures and outfits I've worn. Basically general Instagram crap.  So last night I got a bunch of likes on some older and more recent pictures of my feet and cast.  Some dude who clearly has a foot fetish and a cast fetish left comments about my sexy toos (sp).  It made me laugh because I'm not sure what toos are, but if he were to see my sexy toos in real life, he would not think them too sexy at all.  I used to have pretty feet once upon a time.  Running has caused them a world of problems.  My husband was like, "Really? Has he seen your feet"?  I have to agree. They are all bent up and gnarly looking. Not sexy toos!

My hair is getting long.  This is probably the longest I have had my hair since my late teens/early 20's. I'm not sure what to do.  Part of me wants to  grow it longer (like maybe a few inches longer), then have it layered in the back.  And part of me wants to cut it right off.  I'm leaning towards the growing it longer.  It's super healthy right now.  I haven't had it cut since Kristjan cut it for the Steven and Chris Show back in January 2013.  Even though it's not been cut since then, I have no dead ends and I have been caring for it exactly like he told me to.  It's super soft and very shiny. I think my good hair health has to do with how I eat as well. I'm definitely getting bangs trimmed for the fall.  Maybe Friday!  Something to look forward to and be excited about! I really have nothing else going on.

My fridge and cupboards are bare.  I have to make my shopping list for this week.  Hubby can take me tomorrow morning and I'm totally able to use the crutches easily while I'm out and about.  I thank my lucky stars that I broke my ankle while I was at this weight.  I was thinking about what it would have been like to have a broken ankle and weigh 300 pounds.  What is simple for me to do now, would have been horrendous for me at that weight.  I can hop up and down the stairs with ease.  When I was at my heaviest, I could barely walk up the stairs without a lot of discomfort and pain.  I can't even imagine what it would have been like to use the crutches.  It sucks so bad to have limited mobility and I can't sit still.  If this happened when I weighed 300 pounds, I would have been lying in front of the TV binging like crazy and gaining a ton more weight.  Although I obviously wish I never broke my ankle in the fist place, the experience has made me thankful that I am in good shape during this ordeal.  I can't imagine how I would have coped if this happened the summer of 2011.  Just another reminder of why I need to be thankful for what I have.  My health and a body I can move around effortlessly in, even with a cast! It really puts things into perspective. Having the restriction of a cast is nothing compared to having the restriction of 130+ extra pounds.

My eats from the past couple of days

The post about Cocoa Pebbles, getting out of the house and being thankful

Cracked me up!

The last couple of days have been exciting. I had visitors on Friday and I got to go out for coffee without my husband on Saturday!  Friday's lunch was not a good one.  I ate baby carrots and spicy hummus (not Paleo).  I also had too many raw almonds.  I put them out for my guests (who were just dropping by for a quick visit with their new baby), and ended up eating them myself even though I told myself I'd wait till they left than have a proper lunch.  No such luck.  I ended up counting all my snacking as my lunch.  Not nearly as satisfying as having a proper lunch.  I decided not to stress over it and got back on plan for dinner.

Last night I got to go out for coffee with my running gal Dawn.  She took pity on me and came and picked me up and took me out for a couple of hours.  It was nice to get out for a bit without my husband.  Bless his heart, he has been great during the broken ankle ordeal, and it can't be easy being married to me right now, but I think we needed some time apart.  It was nice to catch up with Dawn and hear some of the stories from her recent half marathon.  I talked her into running the Around the Bay 30K with me at the end of March.   So that will be fun and I look forward to doing some long runs with her.

I think I'm going to train for the Chilly Half and The Bay alone.  I'll just be coming off my injury and I expect my pace is not going to be good.  I'll do weekly runs alone and run with the Running Room on Sunday morning long runs.  That way I'll get to socialize and have others to suffer with through the frigid winter temperatures.  Makes long runs a bit easier when you know you're not alone.

I need a new job so I can become a world traveler.

Lynda and Marion both commented that my last puzzle was actually this wonderful looking place in Italy called Vernazza. Beautiful.  I'd have liked the picture on the top to have actually been the puzzle.  Lynda actually vacationed there last year.  Jealous!  The Google images are breath taking. Maybe one day...

Sometimes I wonder if I should continue to blog.  It is definitely a lot of work and I started the blog to connect with others and to keep myself accountable.  I suppose that I still use it for accountability, but less so than I used to.  I always like the social interaction and the support that the blog brings to my life.  I just don't feel like I have very interesting posts anymore.  And whenever I doubt the impact my blog may have on others, I get a whole new slew of emails from people telling me how my story has encouraged them to try and get healthy.  Then I remember why I do this.  Because if I can help just one other person make a difference in their health.  It is worth it.  So for now, the blog stays.

My POV Friday afternoon.  Feet up, wine and a trashy novel.
Just wish that I didn't have the moon boot on and all would
have been perfect!

The strengthening exercises are going okay.  I'm not gonna lie.  I'm bored.  I think it would be easier to do them if I was in a group or something. Yoga was enjoyable for me, but I know it's because I was in a class with an instructor.  Whenever I've tried to do yoga alone, I lose interest really quickly.  I take the boot off to do my floor exercises, but then become anxious about hurting the ankle.  So I know I don't work my right leg as effectively as the left leg.  Man the legs are going to look bizarre once the cast is off for good.  Thank goodness it's fall and therefore pants weather. My calves are noticeably different sizes and look bizarre.

Yesterday it rained here all day.  From Friday at around 11pm, right though to 5pm Saturday.  It rained in my kitchen a few times that's how bad it was.  Oh the joys of living in an old house.  My whole right leg was achy right up to my upper thigh.  I was a whiny mess yesterday.  Feeling sorry for myself and just in a bad mood overall.  I spent all afternoon in solitude working on a jigsaw puzzle.  I got out of my funk though because I know I have to be thankful for what I have.  There are many others who are much worse off than me.  I will heal, I will run again, I'll get to go back to work in a few weeks.  I have nothing to complain about. I'm bored yes, but I'm healthy and my family is healthy.  We have a roof over our heads and food on the table.  We don't have tons of money but we live a comfortable life. Yes, I definitely need to put things into perspective and be thankful. Whining is officially done!

My eats from Friday and Saturday. Cauliflower was on sale and I still have
one left! Greek chicken and garlic roasted cauliflower tomorrow.

The post about my life as an invalid, Meridia and why I can't give weight loss advice

Pictures from yesterday.  Since I was heading out to pick up my
prize, I wanted to wear make up to hide the discoloration that
is still on my face from fracturing my cheekbone.  Other than a
lovely hue of yellow and a divot in my fractured cheek, I'm almost
back to normal.  Really needed to get my nails done too.  It had been
over a month since I had them done! Doesn't the boy look devilish?

Yesterday I went to the Juravinski Cancer Center to picked up my second place prize from the raffle I won through the Bright Run.  I got a gift card for $750 that can be used at one of the Vintage Hotels in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the use of a Lexus convertible for the weekend from Performance Lexus in St. Catherine's.  What a fun prize!  My 11th wedding Anniversary is coming up on November 2nd.  Guess what hubby and I are doing that weekend?

I have gotten pretty good at rocking the crutches.  I can get around with them comfortably.  Just as long as I have a chauffeur, I can get out of the house for a bit.  (The problem is I only have one chauffeur who is also my personal assistant and I think he wants to quit).  I was chatting with my supervisor from work today and he said that a sure fire way for me to make the paper would be for me to do the marathon with my crutches. Well, I'm not necessarily looking for media attention and we had a good laugh over it because I definitely wouldn't finish the marathon in the allotted time. I'd still be on the course at dinner time.  Maybe the 5K? I'm kidding of course.  I'll be out of the cast by the time the Road2Hope rolls around so it's not really an option.  I'm just pumped that if everything goes as expected, I can start training for a half marathon at the end of November.  Just in time for the frigid temperatures to roll in once again. Awesome!

Finally finished my freakishly hard puzzle and started on
a new winter scene.  This is as exciting as it gets for me.

My days are passing by slowly.  When I'm doing some work, I can focus on what I need to do, but I also can't be sitting at the computer for longer than a couple of hours at a time.  It bugs my eyes and my back gets stiff. Although I have an office space in Toronto when I'm working my regular 9-5, I'm rarely there.  I'm in the community visiting clients.  I'm not suited for an office job.  I've not had one since my early 20's and I couldn't stand it then.  I'm definitely feeling a little claustrophobic at home right now.  Getting out for even an hour a day is a huge treat for me.  Other than my work projects, all I really have are books, puzzles and evenings with Julien. I don't have many friends in Hamilton. And everyone is busy anyway.  With the five weeks I was off over the summer for vacation and the five I'll be off because of my ankle, I'll not have worked for 10 weeks before I go back.  And that's if my next set of x-rays go well.  This is the longest I've ever been away from work.  And although some may think it's a treat to be off work for so long, I assure you, I'd much rather be working my regular job and seeing my clients.

I requested that I be allowed to work from home for 21 hours per week.  During my phone conference with Human Resources, I had to have Union representation and I was advised not tell management anything about my condition and to prepare myself for being assigning work that wouldn't necessarily be part of my regular duties (which I was fine with if it could be done from home and kept me busy). I got a bit freaked out, and for nothing.  The meeting went well, I pretty much requested what I wanted and it was approved.  I couldn't figure out why everything had to be so hush hush.  Then it dawned on me that some of these meetings are likely done with people who don't want to work, but are capable of doing something.  I rarely call in sick and being off right now feels punitive to me.  I'm crossing off the days on my calendar with x's like I'm in prison. Less than three weeks left!

Top left: The "before" of my toes as well the differences between my good (left)
leg and bad leg.  My right calve is skinny from the muscle not being used.
Bottom left: My much needed pedicure.
Right: My meet the teacher outfit reminiscent of Austin Powers. The pants are too
big for me but I had to wear them because they fit over my cast. 

Yesterday I got a Facebook message from Dr. Poon's son Doug who read my last blog post and sent me the link to a Canadian Press news story about a class action law suit against the anti-obesity drug Meridia. Basically six people are fighting to launch a lawsuit against the drug makers because they are arguing that Meridia caused them dire health problems including heart attacks and stroke.  I took Meridia for years.  I remember when it came out on the market and I was sure that since I could no longer take Fen-Phen (because it had been pulled for the same reason's Meridia was finally pulled) that Meridia was going to be my answer for permanent weight loss.  I even knew about the health warnings and still chose to take it.  

Frankly, I didn't care about the health warnings because I wanted an easy way to lose weight, and this seemed like a simple solution.  I could still eat what I wanted and the drug would make me feel full on less food.  I did lose weight on Meridia.  I used it prior to getting pregnant with Julien and got my weight down to 265 before gaining 45 pounds during my pregnancy.  It baffles me now that I had no care about how the drugs I took for weight loss could affect my long term health. When I attempted to lose weight again after Julien was born, I went back to weight loss drugs and looked into weight loss surgery, because I thought both options were the easy way out again. After learning more about WLS, I realize it was never an easy road to take and the pre and post op diet are more restrictive than what I followed on Dr. Poon.  

When Meridia was finally taken off the market in 2010, I panicked.  Not because of the health reasons, but because I no longer had my go to weight loss method.  And really?  The method sucked.  How many years was it on the market, and I took it for part of all those years.  If it truly worked as an effective way to lose weight, I'd have been thin long ago.  I am very thankful that I have finally figured out the weight loss method that works best for me.  Structure, simplicity, restriction and consistency.  I had that following Dr. Poon's diet (for weight loss), and continue to have it following the Paleo Diet (for maintenance).

I get lots of emails from blog readers and people who know me from Dr. Poon's Facebook group.  I read every email I get and answer them all.  Sometimes it takes me a day or two to answer, but I take the time to respond personally to each and every person that reaches out to me.  Sometimes I get a response to my response, and sometimes I don't.  I don't know if I inadvertently offend people because although they are asking for my help, I can't give out weight loss advice.  I can encourage and (hopefully) motivate, but I am not a doctor. I can only tell them what has worked for me.  And what has worked for me, may not be the right fit for someone else.  Not everyone is able to follow a really restrictive diet.  Not everyone can become a runner. And that's okay.

If I do give out advice, it's to do some self exploration and perhaps get some help (through counselling or a support group) to deal with eating disorders/behaviors.  I strongly believe that figuring out why we turn to food for comfort and finding alternatives to dealing with upset and stress is key to long term weight loss success. Food is an emotional subject for a lot of people.  No one wants to hear that they may have to give up their favorite foods permanently.  It was devastating for me to realize this about processed carbs and refined sugar.  But not nearly as devastating as dying young and leaving Julien motherless.  I lived in denial about my health and my weight for far too long.  I convinced myself that since I only had high blood pressure (and was on two types of medication to control it), I was still fairly healthy.  At 300 pounds, I do not believe that is possible. Especially since type II diabetes runs in my birth family (I was adopted).  It's hard to hear the truth sometimes, but the truth really did set me free.  I thank Dr. Stephen for being honest with me from the get go.  It was what I needed to hear.  I didn't like it, but it was his blatant honesty about my situation that made it possible for me to recover from morbid obesity.  Perhaps honesty is the best medicine.  It can be a tough pill to swallow.

My eats from the past two days. 

The post about another important anniversary - my Pooniversary

This was taken in 2008, but I know I weighed
297 here. It was Julien's baptism and I cried
the day before because I had nothing to wear.

Taken the day before I broke my ankle.
September 3rd, the first day back to work.
I weighed 166 here.

Today is an important anniversary for me.  It marks the day, two years ago, that I permanently changed my lifestyle.  I started Dr. Poon's Metabolic Diet on September 17th, 2011.  According to my Tanita Body Composition read out dated September 16th, I weighed 285.6 with a BMI of 45.4 and a fat percentage of 54.4.  I had already been taking Xenical for 1.5 months and dropped 11 pounds just prior to starting Dr. Poon, under the supervision of my GP.  In August 2011, my official starting weight was 297 pounds.  I stopped using Xenical the day I started Dr. Poon's diet.

I remember going to the clinic for the first time so clearly.  It was the old clinic on Wilson Road (which is not there anymore) in Toronto.  I saw Dr. Stephen who pretty much laid it on the line and told me what I needed to hear.  I remember thinking that he was somewhat rude and harsh, but I appreciated what he had to say to me because no one had ever spoken to me in that manner before.  He didn't sugar coat anything and I really needed to hear the truth at that time.  I had been in denial about my weight for far too long.  Although I went to the appointment with the mind set that I was going to listen to what he had to say, but would likely decline the help offered me (because I was going to go the route of weight loss surgery), something in my mind told me I had to act on this opportunity. The reason I was hesitant to even try is because the diet, was in my mind, much too restrictive.  I thought that there was no way I was going to be able to give up processed carbs and refined sugar indefinitely.

I left the appointment with my phase one sheets in hand, and I did commit to (what I told myself was only going to be a trial) two weeks because I made a follow up appointment.  Following my initial appointment, I went into the office for the remainder of the day and went out for lunch at an Indian buffet with a couple of my colleagues.  I figured this would be my last supper.  Dr. Stephen could tell I was apprehensive about the diet and told me to take the weekend to muddle things over.  I woke up on September 17th (which was a Saturday) and knew that if I was going to do this, I was just going to go for it.  No apprehension, no looking back.  I made the commitment that very morning to start the diet immediately.

I was hungry and there were no "Poon" approved foods in my house except eggs, tuna and cabbage.  So that is what I ate for breakfast on the morning of September 17th.  Right after I ate, I showered, and I took off to Walmart to stock up on everything I needed to be successful following this lifestyle.  I made two week goals for myself because I got weighed every two weeks.  The first two weeks saw an 11 pound loss, the second two weeks, I lost 6 pounds of fat but retained water weight because I was not being mindful of sodium.  I only made that mistake once.  After that, I normally lost 5 pounds every two weeks.

I cheated once during my wedding anniversary dinner with my husband in November 2011.  We went for all you can eat sushi.  I was supposed to stick to sashimi (raw fish, no rice), but ended up eating a couple of pieces of sushi.  I spent the rest of the night on the toilet.  I never made that mistake again either.  A referral for gastric by-pass surgery was put in at the same time that I began Dr. Poon's diet.  I got contacted by the Bariatric Clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital here in Hamilton in November and was told to come in for an information/intake assessment for December 3rd, 2011.  I ended up cancelling that appointment because I had already lost 40 pounds since August, and didn't feel I wanted to go the route of surgery anymore.  I just didn't think it would be a good fit for me.  The bariatric surgeon I saw two years prior (this was my second referral for WLS), told me that the only way I would successfully lose weight was through surgery.

I have been at goal (give or take a few pounds) since December 2012.  So it took me a total of 17 months (Xenical and Dr. Poon) to lose 132 pounds.  Although I was successful with Xenical in the beginning, I do not endorse weight loss drugs.  I have taken Xenical off and on for years.  I would lose weight and gain it right back.  The only reason that the initial 11 pounds stayed off this time around was because I started Dr. Poon's diet right after I stopped taking Xenical.  I did nothing but yo-yo diet the many years I took Xenical, Meridia, Fen-Phen.  These were band-aid solutions for me that worked for a short period of time.  Not to mention that Fen-Phen and Meridia were taken off the market for dangerous side effects.  The reason I was always agreeable to taking weight loss drugs in the past is because I wanted a simple, easy solution for weight loss.  There ain't no such thing.

I still can't believe I am living in the body I have today.  I used to dream (literally) about being thin and the dreams would be so vivid and seem so real.  I feel exactly like I felt in those dreams.  Fit and healthy.  There is truly nothing in my mind that will make me think that it would ever be okay for me to go back to the way things were.  Losing weight is hard, but I have to be completely honest with you.  Maintenance is even harder (for me).  When I was losing weight, I had the mind set that it was just for now, not forever.  I can give up cake and pasta.  It's just for now.  I can indulge again once I'm at goal.  Once I reached goal, I knew that I couldn't indulge. It really was forever.  I'm a binger in the worst degree.  Even if I gained and lost the same 10 or 20 pounds, but at a much lighter weight (ie: my weight fluctuated between 165 and 185), I was still a yo-yo dieter and a binge eater.  I would have learned nothing about controlling my eating.  And that was the good scenario. My worst case scenario? I'd gain it all back, and then some, AGAIN!

This day means a lot to me because it signifies my re-birth.  I feel like I have been given another chance at life.  It would be completely selfish and destructive for me to throw that gift away.  This is the only life I'm going to have.  Although I continue to work on letting go of my "inner fat girl", and I will always have some demons from my past that will continue to haunt me, I am in such a better place today than I was two years ago.  I have changed, yes.  But I have also grown and flourished. Although it would have been nice if I was able to get my act together sooner, I wouldn't change the journey I have undertaken.  It has molded me into the person I am today.  I continue to learn from the morbidly obese version of myself.  Although she is becoming more and more of a distant memory, she has also given me infinite wisdom on what it truly means to be healthy.

My eats from the past two days.

Chicken soup with onion, cabbage, carrots and celery.

Lazy cabbage roll casserole made with extra lean ground beef, cabbage,
onion, diced tomatoes and Paleo taco seasoning.

The post about my action packed weekend and some reader's questions answered

So over the weekend, I had a rip roaring good time...doing this puzzle.  It has become my new obsession. It is freakishly hard.  None of the colors on the box picture actually match the colors of the puzzle.  I started it Friday afternoon and I'm about 2/3 of the way done.  Heavens to murgatroyd it is consuming me.  I cannot wait to finish, so that I can tear it apart and put it away forever!  See what I did there?  My post title is actually a false teaser.  I haven't even left my house this weekend.  Wah, wah, wah.

We are not friends...this puzzle and I!

Since I've had the moon boot (aka: air cast), sleeping at night was next to impossible.  My ankle would end up in a lot of pain and I could never find a comfortable position.  Until last night.  I decided to put my brains back into my head and deflate the damn boot.  Of course pumping it for the daytime makes sense for extra support when you're up and about, but I don't need that support any longer when I'm lying in bed.  Sucking the air out of the air cast made me have the first restful night's sleep I've had since acquiring the dreaded thing. Good thing I put my thinking cap on.  I was seriously considering chucking it and going back to the fracture clinic for a plaster cast.  I would have gotten a purple cast.  That plan is still not off the table yet. Maybe I'll go back the last week I have to wear this thing and demand a purple plaster cast.

And what is with my stinky foot?  I have a removable cast.  I take it off to shower and do my exercises everyday.  Still my foot smells like FEET!  You know, the sweaty stinky kind.  I wash that foot every single day.  It baffles me that it smells.  Just imagine what it would smell like if I was in a plaster cast.  Yikes!  I'd hate to be the sucker whose job it would be to remove that baby.

So over the past few weeks, I've gotten some questions asked to me in post comments.  I like to save them up and answer them all in a post.  So here goes in no particular order.  Salemslot9 wanted to know if I watch the Steven and Chris show.  Well Salemslot9, I don't watch much television at all.  But I do watch Steven and Chris sometimes on Saturday and Sunday morning before my runs (when I was running) and while I'm enjoying my coffee.  The weekend episodes are repeats from the previous week.

Can_Lil_Saint asked if I could post the playlist I listen to when I run.  That is sadly an impossible request for me to do because I don't listen to a playlist.  I normally listen to either talk radio, an audio book or if I'm doing shorter runs, classic rock Q107.  The reason I don't often listen to music when I run is because it affects my pace a lot.  I found that the beat of the song would either speed me up or slow me down.  I try to stay consistent when I run.  Sometimes I don't listen to anything at all.  I did listen to the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy while running.  That messed with my pace, but for other reasons.

Enyonam asked if I eat any grains at all.  Nope, I do not.  I only eat lean protein (including meat, fish, seafood, eggs), vegetables (no white potatoes or corn, which is actually a grain), fruit and nuts.  I only have cream in my coffee and no other dairy.  That is all.  No grains, processed carbs, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, legumes or lentils.  Am I forgetting a type of food I don't eat?

Marion asked if I could do upper body weight lifting while I was grounded from running.  I did go to physio to get exercises to work on my upper body.  They gave me resistant bands to work with.  I would love to get into a gym and do some weight training.  Sadly, my budget does not allow for me to join a gym at this time.  Perhaps in the spring when some things will be paid off.  That will give me more wiggle room financially.

I think I may have answered this already, but I'll do it again.  Boxedb asked what application I use for running and motoring my heart rate.  I use the Nike+ Running App.  It's a pretty decent app.  It clocks time, distance and splits.  It was the first running app I tried and since it's free and still serves my purposes fairly well, I continue to use it.  I actually don't monitor my heart rate.  It is definitely an effective way to become a faster runner, but I have not gotten there yet.  One of these days I'm going to splurge on myself and buy a proper distance and heart rate watch.  The Garmin Forerunner 310XT sounds like a good option.

Finally, an anonymous reader asked my thoughts on barefoot running.  I am jealous of people who can barefoot run.  I cannot.  I have useless orthotics I have to think about.  But more importantly, my feet are just too messed up to run that way.  I was told that I'd always have to purchase a stability shoe for the support it would give me.  A neutral shoe would be okay if I had my orthotics in.  I was diagnosed with Morton's Neuroma and when I run long distances, it feels like a bone is sticking out of the bottom of my foot.  Running barefoot would not be a good thing for that.  I tried minimalist shoes for a very short run and couldn't go very far.  I know that if you switch over you're supposed to do it very slowly.  I know that for me it would not be a good fit.  However, the runners that I know who do run barefoot, love it and claim they would never go back to wearing supportive running shoes again.  Which brings me to this Youtube video.  Cracked me up!

Anywho, there you have it.  I'm all caught up once again on reader's questions.  This weekend I have been back on track with my eating.  Hubby is still flaunting his nuts in front of me.  Hardy, har, har.  No seriously, the bastard is eating a bevy of mixed nuts, banana chips and Thompson's raisins every single night.  And to add insult to injury, he insists on keeping his concoction of nuts and fruity goodness in the fridge.  It was easier for them to be out of sight, out of mind when they were in the pantry.  But he likes them cold so he keeps them in the fridge.  Do you know how many times a day I have to open the fridge?  BASTARD!

I know today's lunch was strange.  I have to do a food shop tomorrow.

The post about a "less than stellar" eating day and why "moderation" will never work for me

Rock'in the crutches on my way to work.
My new sweater from Value Village. Only $3.50!

Yesterday's food post, a day late.  Yesterday morning was an exciting one for me.  Hubby had some free time to drive me into the office so I could pick up the work I need to work from home.  It was good to just get out of the house and see some familiar faces.  It wasn't a long visit, we had to drive into Toronto, so no lollygagging around.  We had to be back to pick up Julien from school at 3pm.

I had a day of eating errors yesterday.  My first mistake was not eating breakfast.  I was unprepared.  I had no hard boiled eggs left, and forgot to boil some more the night before.  So I went without.  Weight loss 101. Always be prepared!  I didn't end up eating until after 1pm when I got back home.  I had a good enough lunch and dinner. I treated myself to a small glass of wine in the afternoon. That was supposed to be my only treat for probably the week.  It's the evening where I went off plan.  I had 10 nuts (my bastard husband has them in the house...no excuse for me though), I also had some watermelon (1 cup) and a couple of handfuls of popcorn.  Now all these things separately throughout the day would have been on plan with Phase 2 of Dr. Poon's Metabolic Diet.  But eating the nuts, watermelon and popcorn in the span of 1 hour made it a bit more like a binge in my mind. Not good!  And popcorn is NOT Paleo!  I also drank only half the water I usually do.  Not a great day overall.

Am I being a bit hard on myself?  You  betcha.  No one else is going to give me a hard time about this.  I'm attempting to lose weight, not maintain while being pretty much sedentary.  I made a commitment to lose weight over the next couple of months.  So I need to do my best to make that goal.  I'm not going to dwell on my choices last night.  I'm just moving on today.  Will this set me back? Likely not.  It's one day out of 14 between weigh-ins.  But if I do this once, it could become easier to do it again, then again.  Before you know it, all my days will be like this and I'll have wasted 2 months while literally sitting on my ass.  Not going to happen.

Although I had "movie night" with Julien, this is the real reason why my
post is a day late.

I recently came across a couple of blogs where people lost 100+ pounds only to regain all that weight plus more.  I know that feeling.  I've been there and done that.  The difference between then and now for me is that I realized that I had to cut certain foods out of my life for good in order to be successful this time around.  Moderation does not work for me, nor will it ever.  I'm a binge eater, telling me I can only have one cookie will not fly.  If I have one, I'll want two, then not want to stop till they're all gone.  My good friend Lynda over at Living the Life wrote an excellent blog post about this earlier in the week.  I agree 100% with what she had to say.  Go on over and take a look, she explains things so well.

My husband is just starting to understand what it means to be a binge eater.  He's never had that problem, so cheat days for him while doing Paleo, are not an issue.  He can go out for sushi, eat a bunch of rice and move on. He can also sneak bread here and there and it doesn't affect him the way it would affect me. Unless you've been morbidly obese and struggled with binge eating and processed carb and refined sugar addiction, you won't be able to understand what it's like.  It's not as easy as "just stop eating".  I hear that way too much from people who have never had a weight issue.  If it was that easy, obesity would be a non-issue instead of the the leading cause of death in North America (due to obesity related illnesses).

Those of us who are still on the yo-yo diet roller coaster, don't want to hear that we have to let go of food that we love.  It's such an emotional subject.  Especially if you're an addict.  I love food just as much as the next gal, but I don't love it more than my son or my health. One of the hardest things I ever did was give up processed carbs, refined sugar and dairy.  It was hard, but not as hard as weighing 300 pounds.  I went through withdrawal when I quit the carbs and sugar and felt like shit for a week.  It was hard to do two years ago, but it's much easier now.  Once you cut something out of your diet for a prolonged period of time, the cravings really do disappear.  I still eat very well.  I make dishes that have a lot of flavor and that I enjoy eating.  Do pasta, pizza, baked goods, cheese and ice cream still cross my mind?  You better believe it.  But they are becoming more and more of a distant memory.  A comforting memory.  Almost like an old lover that you really clicked with but couldn't commit to. We had a good time, but my priorities have changed and it's time to move onward and upward.

The red wine was at 4pm. The snacks all happened during the movie with
Julien. At least "Rise of the Guardians" was enjoyable.

The post about returning to work, a weigh-in and driving my dream

Today was an exciting day.  I had a phone conference for a "return to work" meeting with my employer. Since I can't drive and I need to drive for my job, it was agreed that I could do a lot of the "extra stuff" I do at home.  I have a couple of projects that are due in November.  I have another that's not due till spring, but I can work on that as well.  I got permission to work 21 hours from home per week.  It's something and will help occupy my days.  There's only so many literature books, jigsaw puzzles and strengthening exercises I can do in a day!  Tomorrow my hubby is available to drive me into the office so that I can pick up all the stuff I need so I can work from home.  I'm looking forward to getting out of the house for a few hours.

Today I weighed myself.  The last time I stepped on the scale was September 3rd.  Labor Day.  I weighed 166 then.  Today I weighed 164.5.  So that's a 1.5 pound loss in nine days.  I'll take it! Not too shabby considering I'm not moving much.  Just a quick side note, that is also my lowest recorded adult weight.  I'd like to drop about 10 more pounds.  I'm in no hurry.  I have until I start half marathon training at the end of November to get there.  That's plenty of time to drop ten pounds.  Once the cast is off (hopefully on the 8th of October), I'll walk.  I'll start out with short walks, then work my way up.  I'll do what ever my physiotherapist tells me to.  I'm making sure I heal 100%.

Today I got an awesome phone call from one of the organizers of the Bright Run.  I won second prize in the raffle they had this past weekend.  Second prize is the "Drive your Dream" weekend. Basically, I won a weekend at a historical inn at Niagara-on-the-Lake ($750.00 value), and I get the use of a Lexus convertible for the entire weekend!  Such a great prize!  I already knew about it because my gal Beverly (who is one of the organizers of the event) called me right after they pulled my name on Saturday.  I didn't want to say anything until it was all official like though.  I'm superstitious about stuff like that.  Thanks for selling me the winning ticket Beverly:)

Short post today.  Off to finish my jigsaw puzzle, then read some literature.  Sleeping is not my friend. Who knew it would be so awkward to sleep with a giant moon boot on?  Oh and I forgot to mention, hubby got to run 6 hills today.  Have I mentioned lately that he's a BASTARD?

My eats and my weigh-in.  Yes that is my broken ankle out of the cast.
At least I get to take it off to shower.

The post about a fibula, an air cast and being grounded until late November

The past couple of days have been a touch busier for me.  I went to physio yesterday to get Graham and Lana to show me how to do strengthening exercises where I don't need to stand or put weight on my right leg.  I got several new exercises to help strengthen my abs, triceps, biceps and my core overall.  Along with the glute, hamstring and quad exercises I already have, I have about a 45 minute workout.  I got resistance bands from physio and I already have the giant ball, so I'm good to go.  It's not what I'm used to, but it's something.

This morning was my appointment at the fracture clinic.  I was x-rayed again. It was quite amusing actually. One doctor comes in to talk to me, and asks all about how I hurt myself.  So I go through the story about how I was training for a marathon and this happened on my early morning run, blah, blah, blah.  So he looks at my x-ray, excuses himself, gets another doctor and a nurse. They all come back into the room and the doctor looks at me all serious like and says, "Leigh, we have some very bad news for you".  So I start to get heart palpitations.  I'm thinking that they're going to tell me I need surgery, or amputation or something.  I hold my breath as he says, "you won't be able to run your marathon".  Then I exhale and say, "That's it?" Yep that was it. Apparently, they didn't realize that I came in a cast and thought I had been nursing the ankle at home for a week before getting stuff done.  I laughed and said, "You guys had me thinking I was unfixable!  I'm a runner.  If I can't walk, you better believe I'm gonna get that checked out stat!" Everyone was relieved in the end.  Me because I didn't need surgery or a prosthetic. Them because I didn't start wailing.  Happy story, yes?

NO!  So not only did I fracture my fibula, but I also tore some ligaments in my ankle. I have a fracture and a very bad sprain.  I'm awesome.  When I getter done, I getter done!  I really don't do anything in half measures whether it be eating, training, or breaking my ankle.  So, I'm sporting a lovely removable air cast for the next four weeks (possibly six depending on how my 4 week x-ray goes).  I will also have to do 3-4 weeks of physio before I can start running on my ankle again. Which brings me right to half marathon training at the end of November.  I asked, and the doctors all agreed that it was a doable goal.  Phew. Dodged a bullet there!

Top photos: One week comparison.
Bottom Photos: My new air cast and my face almost looks normal!

Since I fell, I haven't had good movement in my neck.  I made my way to my massage appointment this afternoon and Mark worked on my back and neck for an hour.  I definitely have better movement now.  I'll go back for my regular three week appointment.  He may have to work on my good leg then.  When I had my cast off today and I was comparing my legs, my left calf is already noticeably bigger than my right.  Right side looks all week and scrawny.  Can't do anything about that I suppose.  I'll just have to work the calf harder when it's well again.

Since I have a removable cast, I'm gonna do an official weigh in tomorrow morning.  Then I will weigh myself every two weeks.  I know that the scale can still be an issue for me.  As long as I keep eating on plan, I don't need to weigh myself regularly.  When I was losing weight on Dr. Poon, I became a little obsessed with the scale and would weigh myself all the time.  It got to the point where I'd weigh myself several times a day. Since weight can fluctuate by pounds during the day, I'd get all freaked out and upset.  I started only getting weighed on Dr. Poon's scales because I knew I was committed to the diet and I was on plan.  I usually lost 5 pounds every two weeks (except near the end).  That continued to happen regardless of how much I weighed myself or obsessed over it. Even while I've been on maintenance, I usually only weigh myself about once a month.  I'm pretty in tune with my body now, and I'd know if I gained weight.

Eating over the past couple of days has been pretty good.  My hunger is dwindling which is good for now, but makes me realize that my metabolism is not as powerful as it was.  I haven't run since September 3rd when I did my Labor Day run in the rain during the parade.  A good running memory to keep with me.  So no cardio in nine days.  I'm feeling like an addict quitting smack.  I'm jonesing for my runner's high, and I got nothing.  Running still consumes my thoughts and at least I have my husband to live through vicariously.  He's still training for his half marathon.  The bastard.

I have been occupying my time with a jigsaw puzzle (thanks for the suggestion again Luana).  It's quite addictive.  It's been years since I worked on one.  Dare I say it's more addictive than the "literature" I read right now?  OK, maybe not.  I gotta do something to keep my brain from turning to mush.  There's only so much stuff I can look at and pin on Pinterest!  I've had some awesome people messaging me from all over the world.  Malaysia, Ireland, India.  It's so awesome that I have so much support.  And I of course like to give support where I can.  Thanks to all again for all the touching messages and comments.  Your words brighten my day.

My eats over the past two days.  Lots of cabbage today. I don't feel
remotely sorry for my hubby.  He still runs.  The bastard!

The post about an electric scooter and what is a healthy BMI?

There is nothing more frustrating than completing a blog post, then hitting the wrong button and deleting it instead of publishing it.  That happened to me yesterday and I was not amused.  It was already 9:45 pm, so I wasn't going to re-write it.  I ended up posting my eats to my Facebook page instead.  You can see that here if you care to.  I can't even recall what I wrote about yesterday.  I do know that I wrote that I got out of the house for a few hours because I went to my girlfriend Elin's house.  I was going stir-crazy and really needed some sort of diversion.  Thanks El:)

I ate okay yesterday, but was in desperate need to grocery shop.  Pickings were slim for lunch and I had to give all the protein deliciousness that we had to my hubby.  He did his long run (the bastard) and needed recovery food.  So I caved and ate a grape fruit in lieu of more protein.  I'm trying to steer clear of fruit right now, but I don't feel guilty.  I remedied the situation today.  I went shopping this afternoon at Walmart.  I got to ride one of those electric scooter/grocery carts. Awesome!  It got old really quick.  I did spent $110.00 on wholesome deliciousness.  Lots of veggies!  Hubby got stuff he wanted too (ie: mixed nuts, banana chips, raisins). BASTARD!  I'm not going near my pantry till that shit is done!  I'm keeping my eye on the prize people.  I will weight less when this whole ordeal is over!

My eats from today.  Didn't bounce around as much today.  I find that when
I'm only on one foot for a long time, My toes go numb on my good foot.
Next they'll start to cramp.  Reminders of running.

Today I made an appointment to see my physiotherapist tomorrow.  I wrecked up my back and neck when I fell.  He can do some work there, but I also want them to show me the best floor exercises that I can do to strengthen my glutes, hamstrings, quads, abdomen and lower back.  I have a few exercise for these already, but the majority are standing up versions because I was mobile when they gave them to me.  I'm also going to keep my massage appointment.  My neck can be stripped which may help with the stiffness.  And I could really use an upper back massage too.  I won't have to put my wrecked face in the massage table hole, I never do anyway.  Marc gives me a pillow so I can put my face to the side and I won't smudge my mascara.

A couple of weeks ago my girlfriend Karen came over.  I hadn't seen her for a while and we needed to catch up.  She hadn't seen my makeover on the Steven and Chris Show.  So I watched it with her.  I hadn't watched the episode since April when I showed it to my dad.  Anyway, Karen commented that I'd lost more weight since then.  The truth is, I have not.  My weight is the same give or take a couple pounds.  I definitely look different though.  My face shape has changed and I was wearing size 11 Reitman's pants in that segment. I now wear a Reitman's size 7.  My point is that with proper eating and exercise, body composition continues to change without the scale moving.

The left photo was taken January 2013, the right August 2013.
My face went from being square to oblong. I do not miss that make up.
It was caked on for the cameras, but I still think that doesn't look like me!
I look older.

I struggled a few times over the past 9 months to drop more pounds.  It seemed that it didn't matter how restrictive I made my diet, the scale wouldn't budge.  But my body still changed.  According to BMI (body mass index) charts, I still fall in the "over-weight" category.  My BMI is 26. I won't be a "healthy" BMI until I weigh 158 pounds. That's 8 pounds away.  I don't believe in the BMI scale and that's not why I want to drop another 10 pounds or so.  When I'm able to run again, I want to be the lightest I can be so that I can come back a stronger and faster runner. That's it.  An interesting side note (to me), when I started my weight loss journey, I was considered "very severely obese" with a BMI of 47.  So I don't feel so bad being labeled over-weight now.  And just for the record, I think I'm healthy at the weight I am now.

I have no unhealthy thoughts or notions about my body, or my size.  This is just my time to switch my focus from running to weight-loss because I finally can.  When I'm training, I can't lose weight. I have to eat enough to fuel my body for my runs.  I'm on a training hiatus right now.  I figure that I might as well use my time constructively.  That, and I refuse to gain any weight over the next 6 weeks.  I may not be mobile, but I will not use that as an excuse to get sloppy with my eating. Right now I have to be very careful with my food intake.  When I run my next half marathon (Chilly Half @ the beginning of March 2014), and the Around the Bay 30K (hubby and I are going to run the whole distance together) at the end of March 2014, I'm gonna be in the best shape ever.  So much to look forward to.  I can't wait!

Size 11 pants on left, size 7 pants on the right.
Really, really too much make up!