I haven't given up!!

I know it's been a while (ok, a REALLY LONG TIME) since I last posted, but I have good reason for being MIA from the keyboard. Here's what's been up.

1. I got a job!! I'm working as an administrative assistant at a law firm on Park Avenue. wooo!

2. I found an apartment! I'm a Brooklyn girl now (check out my favorite BK site, brooklynvegan). Also, that's me in my new kitchen (sans furniture).

3. David moved in with me.

So, as you can see, things have been a liiiiitle crazy in my life these days, but life is calming down again after the holidays... and the holiday cookies... and I'm looking forward to starting the new year off by writing again.

I can't claim to have lost a lot of weight, but I can tell you what I've FOUND that works to at least help: city living. I know it sounds a little silly or like it might not apply to my suburban sistas (I know, I know, ubercheese), but it does! I've found walking a few extra blocks to the next metro stop or taking the stairs instead of the escalator really does help with the neverending quest for a smaller dress size.

Alright friends, that's my 2 for the day. I WILL write again soon.

xoxo,
Jessica

Sleep and Weight Loss

I was trying to think of what to write today and all I could think was "I just don't wanna... I just want to sleep!" That I haven't slept well the last few nights isn't a new thing for me. I've always had some trouble with insomnia. It turns out I'm not alone in the world of parallel issues of sleeping problems and weight gain.

I could have guessed the problems were related like this: I'm up late at night and eventually I get hungry and then eat at 3am. I'm too tired to do anything the next day, so I sit on my ass (and then inevitably eat more crap). Presto chango fatso.

But there is evidence that there is more at work than my simple fatty eating habits when I'm being an insomniac or a tired sloth. According to an article on SparkPeople (which is a really cool website, by the way), lack of sleep can mess with hormones affecting weight loss too.

The research shows that excess Cortisol is released when we don't get enough sleep. This is the same hormone released when we stress out. My understanding is that basically, Cortisol makes us feel hungry even when we're full. So we eat more and--say it with me--presto chango fatso.

Not sleeping also decreases growth hormone, so we can't grow as much muscle or burn as much fat. We also won't burn carbohydrates as well when we're tossing and turning all night, meaning that we store more as fat and also elevate insulin levels, which can lead to diabetes. If that's not enough, our freaking bodies start conserving energy when we don't get enough sleep, as in KEEPING THE FAT. Lame.

So it seems a crucial part of my weight loss plan has to be getting better sleep. Starting right now. Night!!

<3
Jessica

Visualize Success

Today's post is about my FOUND of the day. I found a Weight Loss Simulator that created a 3D model at my current weight and at my desired weight. Both figures were in a hideous digital grandma bathing-suit. I did figure out how to change into a hideous bikini, because who doesn't want to look at least kind of hot as a cartoon model?

The results were fairly accurate-I do remember what I looked like about 50 pounds ago, and it's close. Reality fell apart, though, when I asked the modelizer to make me 100lbs, 80lbs, and finally 75lbs. All of those weights looked the same, and pretty close to what 135 looked like. Not to mention I'd likely be dead or skeletal if I weighed 75 pounds.


In short, I think the Simulator works pretty well for showing a difference between the overweight self and the healthy weight self, but not if it's pushed to an unhealthy weight (it just won't show the scary reality that would be a 75 pound woman). It's a nice tool for visualizing the future "after" picture, but certainly could be detrimental to someone with a serious body image disorder.

It was a fun exercise, but I think I'm better served by actual pictures of myself from a few years ago. So, check this out, but for real inspiration, pull out the high school year book.

xoxo,
Jessica

Crazy Cravings!

So since I started this blog last Friday and since then have been assaulted with food cravings for horrible things EVERY day. It's like my mind is saying, "so you think I'll give up just cause you're writing a fancy blog? Ha! Take that!" Where "that" means cheese fries, ice cream, chips... anything. Last night I didn't even crave anything specific. Just something bad. I have 2 questions:

1. How the hell am I supposed to stop these cravings especially when they're not even for anything in particular?
I can tell you some things that don't work for stopping the cravings:
The Food Network. I think I'm going to have to quit watching Rachel Ray and Paula Deen for a while. Especially Paula.
Also ineffective: "I'll just eat this instead." Okay yes, pretzels are better than Cheetos, but I just ate way more than I normally would, felt guilty and STILL wanted the Cheetos.

Tonight I actually found something that worked. I told myself I could have what I wanted (tonight it was a bowl of fruity cheerios) if I just waited 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, I made myself wait a little more. After 2 hours and a glass of apple juice, I'm craving free!! Take THAT mind.

I'm going to try some other things next:
Distraction- crocheting, crosswords, reading (apparently I'm also ~95 years old)
Exercise- daily walks, runs, or bike rides and if a craving is really bad, maybe a quick set of crunches.
Drinking more H2O- because everyone says it works.

2. Just what the heck is going on with my mind/body anyway?
Tada! Here's my FOUND for the day: Your Brain and Food Cravings. There aren't a lot of pretty articles about mental issues involving cravings, but I came across this one from a Bryn Mawr class! BMC was part of the Bi-college consortium with Haverford College, my alma mater. The author claims that cravings are possibly caused by a mechanism outside of our control, but that surrendering to cravings is something we can control.

The truth is, I didn't find a lot of agreement in the research on the mind's role in cravings. It doesn't seem like we really care why we have them, we just want them gone. I'll keep you updated if I find any better research. Til then, I hope we can all keep the chips in the bag and off the ass.

xoxo,
Jessica

I'm going to lose 50 pounds!

Like many women, I have struggled with my weight all my life. I've yo-yo-ed for the last 6 years between 10 and 60 pounds overweight. I'm now at the heaviest I've ever been, and I think in the worst shape as well. Once an athlete, I can't believe who I'm looking at in the mirror these days. Trying to start a new career and a new "grown-up" life in New York City has inspired me to finally do something about my excess poundage and maybe even gain a more healthy attitude about life in the process.

This blog will have 2 elements:

LOST- my belly fat, hopefully! I'll post my progress for accountability (you can yell at me when I screw up) and to share what's working and what's not.

FOUND- finally a purpose for my addiction to internet research! I'll share all the great stuff I find, from recipes to workout tips to inspiration.

The first FOUND is "proof" that Lost and Found is going to help me reach my goals! According to dietblog, blogging helps weight loss by
1. community support
2. accountability
3. tracking progress
4. helping readers lose weight too!
Yay!

I'm looking forward to my Lost and Found weight loss journey! Let's do it.

<3
Jessica