Weights and Measures

So.

 

Here is something revolutionary I think!!  Ha.  At least for me it has been.

 

 

 

If there is one thing I am horrible at, its portion control (for the most part).  I am good when it comes to the not good for me stuff, but when it comes to what is 'good' for me, I think a portion of good = infinity.

 

Um.  Not exactly.

 

So since I apparently have been (mostly) failing at getting the extra weight off, I figured I needed to exhaust all options.  And this is one that I had never had to worry about or do.

 

Well I obviously had measuring cups already, but I lacked having a food scale.  After doing a bit of research, the one pictured above is what I ended up with.  For the price its amazing.  I can even put a plate or bowl on it, zero it out and add the food for the right weight I should be having for that food and that serving.

 

Its been both amazing and eye opening to say the least.

 

For things that require measuring in cups, half cups etc. well that is easy enough but eye-balling is SO off.  Lord.  I've done OK with what the serving ends up being; but it makes me sad for ice cream.  A half cup of ice cream isn't anything near what I would normally scoop out!  But I have managed it.  When I am done, thats it.  I know I cannot have more.

 

There have been times where I was surprised that 4oz of that or 3oz of this were more than what I thought it would be, and then there is the sadz (like with the ice cream).

 

Oh and for the record, since 4oz is half a cup, 4oz of chicken or beef is MORE than a half a cup.  Scale is for measuring things like protein, fruit, some carbs (think potatoes, not mashed), etc.  Just wanted to be clear...for those that might be measuring EVERYTHING in measuring cups you're doing it wrong..

 

 

 

And also last night when I wanted some Tostitos (bought on a whim)...a serving is 7 chips.

 

Sad panda.  But I had the 7 chips with my salsa verde and managed to be happy about it.

 

I have been doing this now for 3 weeks?  Yeah, 3 weeks.  And it is paying off TREMENDOUSLY.

 

I weigh and measure 98% of everything.  Obviously when I am out I cannot do that, but I can eyeball pretty good and then well...there are times when I just say, eh, its CHEAT TIME!!  Like at the movies this past Saturday.  Lord knows I ate about 5 servings of popcorn.  Eh.  No harm done!

 

 Basically on Sundays I do my meal prep for the next few days/week, and along with my containers I have my scale and my cups ready to go.

 

I measure/weigh out my 4oz of protein, a cup of vegetables and 3oz of a carb.  This is what I have been having for lunch every day.  My breakfasts are usually pre-servings, easy, like boiled eggs, toast, protein smoothie (I obviously measure the almond milk and protein powder)...so those are easy.

 

Dinners have been just as simple.  Salad ingredients in a bowl generally.  Or I will have 4oz of protein, along with a salad.  A lot of my dinners are determined by how hungry I am.  Sometimes I am not hungry much at all, and I will fix a small salad, or my 4oz of protein and 1/2 cup of grain or a cup of veggies.  Just really depends.  Sometimes all I want is to make a protein shake.

 

My snacks are easy too.  Its going to be yogurt, a piece of fruit, a boiled egg.  Something like that.  I am TRYING not to eat ANY snacks, and sometimes I do alright but sometimes I am truly hungry.

 

 

I am not thrilled with this process, but given the factors and what I have been trying to do, this is what is working.  Its true you cannot outrun a bad diet.  Add in my age, my hypothyroidism and nearing menopause and well, weight management let alone weight loss is HARD.

 

I think I mentioned a few posts back about I had weighed and I had in fact gained 10 lbs while in NE, but even more than that, the extra weight/puffiness/bloating associated with it AND premenopause has settled in in a not very becoming way, so its even harder. 

 

Any woman reading this needs to prepare now.  Even someone like me, in the best shape of her life in 2011/early 2012 (for the most part of adult life, in shape, maybe not healthy, but in shape nonetheless) ... well nature is nature and it gets HARD I am telling you.  If you are not paying attention to your health now, you better start.  Because if you wait, ... Well, just don't.  Unless you just don't care or just don't believe me, but thats not my problem, or my business.

 

 

I can TRULY see a difference, but I havent gotten back on the scale.  When I weighed myself about a month ago now, I was 128.8.  Ugh.

 

My feel good weight is 118-120. 

And while I am certainly not fat, or overweight, I personally feel like I am and at the end of the day that is all that matters.  What I feel like.

 

I need to weigh again, but I would rather wait.  I like what I am seeing in the mirror and how my clothes are fitting again.  I LOVE seeing the muscles and definition coming back.  My back and arms are always the first to improve but now I can see it in my shoulders and overall arm and mid-section too. 

 

I put on an old pair of Lulu speed shorts yesterday, my smaller size and they FIT without making me feel fat or poofy.  I am not at the point where I will run in a bra and shorts again, but its a goal.  Ah, the good old days.  Actually when I think about it sometimes that might have been a downfall when I moved to NE.  You just dont run uncovered up there, even when its hot (bible belt, small town and all), so since I always had to be covered up, I didnt worry about my center so much as I did here in HTown...Now that I am back, well....it sure would be nice to run half naked again!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

What I do need to do is put more focus into my legs...Ugh...I hate doing legs, and my heavy cardio days like last Monday I thought would help, but I've GOT to get more weights work done.  I could see a definitive difference in how my upper body is looking compared to the bottom half.

 

My plan is to do some legs on Mondays, since my rest day right now is Wednesday when most likely thats when I would experience DOMS.

 

So for now, I am going to keep on keepin' on because it IS working. 

 

All I can tell you is eyeballing portions anymore and/or thinking I can eat what I want, when I want is clearly over.

 

50 may be the new 30, but not when it comes to metabolism!!!