Sorting Out

Bit unusual of me to post so close together, but I have weight loss news, which is that I finally cracked the 50lbs loss mark! I had hoped to hit this in February, but then after all the craziness mentioned in my previous post, I'd rather psyched myself out and thought I would never get there. However, I weighed myself on Friday and came in at 78.5kg (173.1lbs). I practically did a lap of victory around the meeting desk at Karis
when I got off the scales, I was so chuffed! This is a big milestone and I am proud, amazed and frankly a little surprised that I've come this far, and very excited to continue on to hit further goals.

Anyhoo, the real reason I wanted to post today was due to a rather impromptu wardrobe sort out that ocurred this afternoon. I've recently developed an addiction to Teemagnet (a website that showcases 8 other sites which offer super-cheap t-shirts for 24 hours only) and so I really needed to make room for all my new t-shirt purchases. As such, I thought now would be a good time to banish some of my "fat" clothes from my wardrobe forever. Whilst it was a bit sad to part with some of my favourite items of clothing, it was really quite therapeutic and sort of liberating to just take a fair chunk of my wardrobe and bin it. Anyway, I seem to be rambling; the point of this story is this: remember that progress picture I posted a few entries back, and on the left I was wearing a Batman tee and black pencil skirt? Well, I found the pencil skirt and, for fun, tried the outfit on again. As you can see from the picture here, I think I'm pulling the look off a lot more now than I was then! Unfortunately, I had to throw the skirt away after this photo was taken as I was actually having to hold it up a bit! I cannot tell you how amazing and incredibly satisfying it is to see this same outfit at different times, side-by-side, showing exactly how far I've come.

So here's my advice to anyone starting their weight loss journey. Pick an outfit (any outfit, but preferably something you like to wear) and take a full-body photo of yourself in it. Then keep it, and do this very thing with it in a year or so. When you see yourself so often in the mirror, it's often difficult to notice just how much you've changed, and just how big your old clothes are now. Seriously, I was ecstatic when I put the ensemble on (and even moreso when I binned the skirt shortly thereafter!) and I highly recommend this feeling.

Current Weight: 78.5kg

February Flop

Oh dear. I seem to have rather spectacularly fallen off the wagon during February. I did lose a little weight the first week, but then due to a combination of illness, exhaustion, a trip to Manchester and a general dip in motivation, my gym trips decreased a bit and my diet went somewhat out of the window. I did manage to keep a little bit of control and only gained 0.7lbs over the month, but I am pretty much kicking myself over the whole affair. I did so well in January and then everything went to pot somewhat.

In a bid to get myself back on track, I'm setting myself a few goals for March, and I'm doing it publicly so I can be held accountable! Here we go:

1. I shall be off booze again for the rest of the month. I had thought about doing this on alternate months, but then realised that these would fall on the months of me and my hubby's anniversary, the hubby's birthday and my birthday! But I may do these off and on throughout the year.
2. I have to start going to the gym at least 2-3 times per week again. I went today and it was actually really good for my motivation; I got a 5k PB of 00:35:25 and did my longest period of jogging without stopping (35 mins).
3. I currently weigh 175.9lbs (79.8kg), so my goal for the month is to be 170lbs (77.1kg) or less. I think this is achievable if I stick to my guns, food-wise.

I guess I'll check back in at the end of the month!

Current Weight: 79.8kg

January Update (Or How I Need To Set Myself Better Goals)

Right, without further ado, here's how I did for January:

It's not particularly clear from that graph (but I like the downward trend of it; that's definitely the right direction!) but I actually lost 10.1lbs in January. I could not be more proud of myself, I tell you. I was a little disappointed not to hit my 50lb target, but at just 1.3lbs away it won't be long before I smash it. I hope! I will admit, I am slightly concerned about keeping up the diet; due to lack of funds and attempting Dry January (which I achieved, I'm happy to report) I didn't get much in the way of temptations or meals out this month, meaning I had much more control over what exactly went into my gob. However, February already has several plans going on (Superbowl/my mate Paul's birthday weekend, curry night with the Premier League Predict-A-Ball crew, a trip to Manchester to see St Vincent etc...) so I'm going to have to work extra hard to keep on track. But I know I can do it, and now I have even more incentive to keep it up; a few days ago I ordered a size 14 dress from Dorothy Perkins, with a view to fitting in it by Easter this year.

It arrived today, and it TOTALLY ALREADY FITS. Check this terrible photo for proof! (Hey, you try taking a better photo when contorting about the bathroom to try to get your whole self in a little bathroom mirror :P) What with the shorts goal and the dress goal already thwarted, methinks I'm going to have to start setting better goals for myself... In all seriousness, I was stupidly chuffed to get into this dress, and actually checked the label no less than 4 times after taking it off to ensure they hadn't sent the wrong size... I've never been a size 14 before, so this is most definitely a Big Deal, and a huge incentive not to undo all my hard work by being a February Pig. I must say, I think the best thing I've done so far is accepting that I can eat what I want sometimes, or go out and enjoy a nice meal, without it being the end of the world. A little extra discipline just before/after and a bit of extra gymming should sort it out, like :)

Right then, boys, look away now; it's time to talk TOM! I'll admit I was rather disappointed on Thursday when I hopped onto the scales hoping to have lost 1.5lbs to hit my 50lb target, and I'd actually lost just 0.2lbs. I racked my brain to think of why, after 3 PB 5ks at the gym that week and a very good dietary intake (aside from that one Toffee Crisp the previous Sunday), and then it hit me; it was my time of the month (or TOM, as I shall refer to it for the rest of this entry, as that seems less gross :P). DISCLAIMER; not all women will gain weight during their ladytimes, so it's worth keeping track of your weight weekly and seeing if there is a rise (or a significantly smaller loss, like in my case) once a month around your TOM. I know I gain between 1.5-3lbs during mine, as I'm a little obsessive about documenting my weight and have about 3 years of weekly weigh ins to compare and contrast! This month alone illustrated my point quite nicely; Week 1 I lost 5.5lbs, Week 2 2.2lbs disappeared, Week 3 was 2.2lbs again, and Week 4 was 0.2lbs, despite doing nothing differently. So, if you're one of those unlucky ladies that does gain during that time, why is this, and what can you do to stop/reduce this gain? The most common causes for weight gain during TOM are;

• Water retention: Hormone bonkers-ness and the resultant water retention is one of the biggest reasons for weight gain during TOM. To avoid this, try reducing the sodium intake in your diet just before and during your period.
• Bloating: If you're anything like me, you'll spend your TOM feeling constantly like you're the size of a blimp, worrying that an errant pin or sharp object might just pop you right then and there. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about bloating, except avoiding foods that you know can sometimes cause you to be bloated (for me, that's potatoes!)
• Food cravings and overeating: As sugar levels fluctuate during your TOM, you might get cravings, particularly for sugary foods. Again, there's not much you can do about this except try not to give in to the cravings. Or you could try low fat alternatives, like frozen yogurt/gelato instead of ice cream, a nice Options hot chocolate instead of a chocolate bar etc.

Other tips to remember during TOM:

• Tiredness before or during your period can cause you to give into sugary cravings as well as give up on any exercise regime you may have been following. If this is the case, try increasing your iron intake a little by scoffing red meats and/or dark leafy green vegetables and beans to try to quell the fatigue.
• Keep exercising! Although you may not feel like doing a lot, it's incredibly beneficial to at least keep up the bare minimum of exercise. Some exercises can even help to alleviate period pains, so there's an extra bonus!
• Be sure to drink lots of water and avoid too much alcohol and caffeine in order to stay hydrated and healthy.

Of course, if you do find out you're a TOM Gainer like me, then you could just ignore your weight that week (or not weigh in at all), and just keep up the good work until the following weigh in! I think it's about time I stop talking about TOM now (guys, you can come back now!), so, in other, completely unrelated to weight loss news, but very much nerdy news; last week I had the brilliant opportunity to interview a childhood hero of mine for my podcast. Rob Paulsen (aka the voice of original Raphael, Yakko, The Mask, Pinky, the current Donatello and squillions more) did a wonderful interview with me. I must admit I'm a little embarrassed by the episode, as you can clearly tell that I'm struggling to keep my fangirling at bay so I barely say anything, but Rob himself was wonderful! Really smart, funny, articulate and an absolute gentleman. So, so sweet, and just a pleasure to chat with. I really hope I get to meet him in person some day so I can prove that I'm not a squeeing mess. If you want to have a listen, the episode is over at www.popcultureparlour.podbean.com :)

Current Weight: 79.5kg (175.3lbs)

Progress!

Well, ladies and gents, I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm back on the path to a fitter, healthier Stace; although my designs of going to the gym on Friday 3rd Jan were scuppered by the ruddy place being closed for refurb, I have been 3 times a week since then, and have been pretty good with my eating too (aside for the fish and chips I literally just ate, but hey, I'm allowed a treat every now and then!).

The Christmas damage was nowhere near as bad as I thought; 4.2lbs gain, which is by no means good but much better than I'd expected (0.8lbs less than the average Chrimbo weight gain, ahem...). I can happily report that 7.7lbs have been shed since, so IN YER FACE, CHRISTMAS!

Ahem, so I thought I'd chat a bit about one of the secrets to my success (which is actually not a secret at all); MyFitnessPal. MFP is a website/mobile app that allows you to count your calories, track your progress and make friends with other people trying to lose weight or improve their overall health. Before I started using MFP, I had literally no idea about the calorie content of stuff. Let's take my most ridiculous example; potatoes. They're a vegetable, right? I know they're a bit more substantial than other veg, but I assumed that potatoes would be about...I dunno, about 100kcal for a big baked jacket potato. HAHAHAAAAAAAnope. Maybe this is a bad example as, despite the higher calorie content than I'd anticipated, baked spuds aren't particularly unhealthy, but it does illustrate how easily extra calories can worm their way into your diet without you even noticing. Using MFP made me realise just how much I was scoffing and adjust my diet in small, sensible ways to be a healthier me. The one thing I will say though; avoid the MFP community forums at all costs. It's basically full of people talking nonsense. A lot of it entirely unhealthy nonsense, like "I'm only eating 700kcal per day and losing pounds, it's great!" or "One tip to weight loss success; eat nothing but lettuce for every meal!" OK, I'm exaggerating a bit, but there really is a lot of bad advice given by Average Joes with absolutely no knowledge of nutrition or healthy eating whatsoever. As I mentioned in my first post, I'm not a professional, but I do have a basic knowledge of what's healthy and what's not, and what's healthy is making small, sustainable lifestyle changes, not bonkers fad diets or starvation etc. Forums aside, the site is a really helpful tool for watching what you eat, getting (and keeping) motivation and inspiration, and tracking how you're doing. I found out via my MFP progress page the other day that I have lost 20.7% of my original body weight. Which is CRAZY and makes me stupidly proud of myself.

Anyhoo, remember when I said one of my weight loss New Year's Resolutions was to fit back into my Dotty P size 16 shorts? I think I need a new resolution...

Current Weight: 80.6kg (177.7lbs)

Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone!

If, like me, you totally disregarded my last post and ate and drank like there wasn't going to be a tomorrow over the Christmas and New Year period, you're probably feeling pretty bloated, lethargic and down/mad at yourself because of all the pounds you've probably lumped back on. (I can't weigh in til I'm back at work tomorrow, but I would honestly not be surprised with about 10lbs damage...) Well, feel free to kick your down-ness/madness right in it's stupid face; Christmas and New Year gain is not the end of the world. Yes, it's a definite setback, and yes, it could've been avoided, but it's done now so there's no point crying over scoffed mince pies. Feeling down or angry will only have you reaching for the selection box leftovers, so pick yourself up and get right back on the healthy horse!

This doesn't work for everyone, but I actually find the odd pig out quite helpful, in that it reminds me how crap over-eating can make me feel, and actually re-motivates me for going to the gym and whatnot. I'm in a very good place today to be getting control of my eating and drinking back and for setting myself some goals.

The biggest problem with New Year's resolutions is that most people create nigh-on impossible goals that just set you up for instant failure. So, I've tried to create small, achievable goals for myself, and here they are:

1. The Weight Thing
I don't want to say that I'll lose x amount by y date, because if I don't do it I'll get all sad and eat-y. So, instead my resolutions weight-wise are to make more effort to control myself at weekends and special occasions, try to exercise more (either at the gym or using the fitness DVDs I have gathering dust on my shelf) and to start taking waist, hip, arm and thigh measurements so that I don't rely solely on the scales to tell me how I'm doing. I have a pair of Dorothy Perkins denim shorts (size 16, though a fairly small 16, more a 15 if you ask me!) that I haven't been able to fit in since my wedding in May 2011, and so I also have designs to get those bad boys back on by the warmer months to show off my pins!

2. The Work Thing
Those that know me know I am currently in a fun, nice department in what is unfortunately a fairly dead-end admin job. Not much room for progression or promotion, and it's not like I really want to be in admin all my life anyway. So, this year will be the year I actually take time to research jobs/career paths I might actually like to get into, and see if I can take steps to get closer to it.

3. Promoting My Podcast
Y'all know I'm a nerd. What you might not know is that I do a monthly podcast called Stacey's Pop Culture Parlour, in which myself and a guest co-host discuss all the stuff we've seen/read/heard lately. I'm pretty happy with my little show, but 2014 will be the year I actually try to promote it so there's more than just 3 or 4 listeners :P

That'll do methinks. I have some little goals (picking up my daily photoblog again, learning German, attempting a no booze month here and there, doing another 10k etc) but these are The Big Three. Here's hoping we all stick to them this year, eh?!

To leave you with a little inspiration (and finally a photo as promised back in my first post); below is a progress picture I made last year to encourage myself to keep going:

What you're seeing here is me at Thought Bubble Comic Con in November 2011 (I don't remember my weight exactly but it was around 15st) on the left, and on the right is me in my hallway in April 2013 (again, not sure of the exact weight but it's somewhere around 13 and a half stone). I wholeheartedly recommend making a photo like this; seeing yourself in the mirror every day means you don't often notice just how drastic a change you've made, but seeing it side by side like this is pretty encouraging :) I think at some stage this year I might throw the outfit on the left on again and take a piccy from the same angle, just for comparison's sake!

Anyhoo, that's enough rambling; I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and wish you all a happy, fun and healthy 2014!

Stacey's Top Tips For Christmas

It's that time of year again, when we all use Christmas as an excuse to be massive pigs. Don't feel bad, I've been doing it too; between Christmas parties and meals, German market trips and the lure of mulled winter cider, I've done a lot of scoffing so far this month. However, in a bid to not undo all of this year's good work in just one month, I figure it'd be a good idea to remind myself of the tips to get through the holiday season without putting on a billion pounds. Here goes!:

1. Christmas Is One Day, Not A Whole Month!

One of the biggest ways to get piling on the pounds is to act like Christmas equals the entirety of December. Erm, no. No-one wants to feel deprived on Christmas Day, so why not allow yourself a couple of hundred extra calories for Christmas Day itself? One day won't hurt, and you can fill up on all the Brussell sprouts you like!

2. How To Enjoy Yourself At The Christmas Party

OK, so sticking to the 'just Christmas Day' rule can be pretty hard, what with office parties, work Christmas lunches, and who knows what else. Parties are indeed tough, and you probably will go a bit over on your calories, but that's no reason to full on pig out.

• Why not try skipping a course (i.e. just have a starter and main, or main and dessert instead of all three)? 
• Choosing low fat/calorie drinks is a great idea; booze can add so many empty calories to your meal. 
• Your food choices make a difference too; try choosing grilled items rather than fried, foods with sauces that can be served separately so you can dictate the amount you scoff and ask for jacket potato or salad instead of chips or wedges. 
• Get some extra exercise in the day(s) before and after calorific events. I'm off for a 3 course meal at Pizza Express on Thursday, so I've been putting in extra time at the gym this week, and am planning to go for a walk shortly before the meal too. 

3. Getting Back On Track

If you fall off the wagon due to all the festive temptations (lebkuchen, I'm looking squarely at you), it can be incredibly easy to let that bad day become a bad week, then a bad month, and before you know it it's one year later and you're 2 stone heavier. (This actually happened to me, you know. Damn food and it's all-round deliciousness!) So, you need to train your noggin out of thinking "Well, I had that cake yesterday so I might as well go to the chippy today" and into thinking "Right, well, that cake yesterday was a proper yummy treat, but I'd better have a nice healthy stir fry today!"  I think this is probably the hardest step to follow. I don't know about you, but my brain is my worst enemy when it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes, and it's taken me several years to train it into not acting like one unhealthy day is the end of my healthy streak. Of course it isn't! In fact, I actually recommend having the odd treat every now and then, so you don't feel deprived. As I've said before; you can always make up for it with a little extra activity, and as long as you can climb straight back on the healthy horse you won't do too much damage. 

4. Don't Let A Weight Increase Get You Down

Let's not pretend that it isn't tough to lose weight over the holiday season. Heck, it's hard to just maintain your weight with all the temptations and shindigs going on. So, when you hop onto your scales on January 1st, try not to be too disheartened if there's no change, or even a little increase. We all know where that sort of thinking is heading; you'll be off to faceplant the nearest chocolate bar ASAP. Well, put down the Twix and try to be logical; you've shifted weight before; you can shift this too! Plus, the sooner you get back on track, the sooner the weight will start to drop off. And won't that be nice!

5. Have Fun!

Don't forget that Christmas is a time for having ridiculous amounts of fun, so do just that! Just don't go crazy, yeah? :P

Current Weight: 81.3kg

My Story So Far

So, you seem to have stumbled across my blog. Welcome! This first post will basically give you an overview of who I am, my weight loss journey so far, and what I hope to get out of this blog.

First things first; why the name "Big Fat Nerd Bird"? Well, my nerdliness is a big part of who I am, and so, unfortunately, is my weight. I've been overweight pretty much as long as I can remember, and that has had a huge impact on the person I am today. Picture this, if you will; I am 14 years old. For some reason I haven't hit puberty yet, so my growth spurt has not yet happened. I have recently upgraded from a fixed brace to retainers. I have glasses, I am 4' 11" tall (or short, rather) and I have no boobs to speak of as yet. I'm nerdy, bookish and quiet. I am, quite literally, a bully's dream come true. And so yes, I was bullied at primary school. And high school. And, weirdly, at college, when I thought people would be a little more grown up than that. Now, this bullying could've caused me to go one of 2 ways; 1. I could use their negativity to inspire change in myself, or 2. I could eat my pain away. Unfortunately I chose the latter.

My terrible lifestyle habits (large portions, snacking, and lack of exercise due to constantly having my head stuck in a book) continued on into my late teens/early twenties, until I hit 16st (224lbs or 101.6kg). I'm not sure why this number hit me so hard, but it did, and I thought "No. No more." I vowed I would never weigh this much again, and indeed definitely never creep over that amount And, I'm happy to say, I never have.

Full disclaimer here; I'm most definitely not perfect. I'm not a dietitian, a health trainer or nutritionist. I don't know everything there is to know about weight loss or healthy living. My weight has yo-yo'd over the years, but I'm getting there. This past year, my weight has been on a downward trend, and I currently weigh 12st 11.9lbs (179.9lbs or 81.6kg). I am less than 5lbs away from being the lightest I've been since puberty (it hit when I was 15-and-a-bit, and I grew to a respectable 5' 7", in case you were interested!). I still have a ways to go with weight loss (I'm aiming for anywhere between 10st and 11st, depending on how comfortable I feel) and that's where this blog comes in. It took me a while to realise how much progress I've actually made, and so I'm here to keep myself motivated and impart any useful tips I've picked up along my journey. I hope (after this initial, fairly serious post) to update regularly with interesting tips, daft stories and humorous anecdotes to keep myself reflecting on my progress, staying on track and basically sharing the weight loss love. I must say, my confidence is on the rise and it's because I feel fitter, healthier and happier, so let's do this!

Current Weight: 81.6kg