Pleasant Surprises

March 1st, 2014 was the day. Oheka Castle was the place. My cousin was was getting married. I have been wearing the same dress to almost every wedding I have gone to since 2010. --> Mostly because the dress is adorable and it fit. 

So I decided to buy myself a new dress. I ordered a cute dress off Macy's and when it came in the mail, I just hung it up in my closet. I didn't try it on until 2 days before the wedding, which was a bad idea because it was too big.

In July, I went to another wedding and my mom had bought me a new dress which was a size smaller then my go-to wedding dress. I was so ecstatic when I fit into it. I have lost another 15 lbs since then, my go-to dress wasn't going to fit and the one I bought for the wedding was a summer dress. I rummaged around and found a dress that I had bought for a different wedding in 2005 (9 years ago). I tried it on and to my surprise it fit! I tried it on, showed my mom and with some help from Spanx, it was a done deal. 

Saturday at 4:30, I start to get ready and put the dress on. As I'm getting ready, I realize the dress keeps falling down my back and I am showing major side boob (curse of small boobs). I did not feel comfortable in it and I couldn't wear it.

It was LITERALLY 10 minutes before we were leaving. I didn't know what to do. So my sister asked me what size the dress was. I told her and she said hold on a minute. Now the only clothing I have really been able to borrow from my sister in recent times was a cardigan. Nothing else really fit. She then comes out with this dress and told me to try it on. 

It fit... And looked AH-MAZING, I might add. I could not believe it. Neither could my mom, sister or boyfriend. Of course, everything was sucked in with the Spanx, but it still fit. 

So we made our way to the castle, had an amazing time, drank wayyyyyy to much vodka, and dance my butt off my with family. A month later, I am still riding the high of fitting in that dress! 

The moral of this story is: don't give up! There are days where I feel like I just can't do this anymore and I just want to have a cheeseburger, fries and a brownie. But then there are days like March 1st, 2014 and I can't imagine going back. It is a journey. I have been doing this for over a year now and the progress I have made is honestly shocking. I did not think I could do this and there were a lot of people out there that thought the same. But I keep chugging on because I can't go back. 

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...

So for the past three weeks I have been bouncing between the same three numbers. I haven't hit a new low for almost a month. At first, I was extremely frustrated. I started to do a food journal which I sent to my nutritionist every day. Usually when I do a food journal, something clicks after day 4 and everything goes back to normal. After day 5, nothing had changed. I was still bouncing between the three numbers. I even changed AND increased my work outs. I started yoga, so I would go to the gym 2 days a week and now I am doing yoga 2 days a week. STILL NOTHING.

I decided to just let it be till I saw my nutritionist. When I went to my appointment yesterday, she asked me for my weights for last week. I told her I still haven't hit a new low and I don't know what else I could possibly do. She decided it was time for a change. 

The 17 Day Diet: It is a book by this guy Dr. Mike Moreno.The diet is centered around four 17 day cycles:  Accelerate- which is the rapid weight loss portion, it helps flush sugar and fat storage from your system. Activate- which is the metabolic restart portion,  alternating low and high calorie days to help shed body fat. Achieve- which is the phase that involves learning to control portions and introducing new fitness routines. And finally Arrive- which is a combination of the first three cycles to keep good habits up for good. (http://17ddblog.com/overview/)

As of Monday, I will be starting the Accelerate cycle. When you hear people talking about "eating clean," this is what they are talking about. You are allowed unlimited lean proteins and cleansing vegetables (there is a list). You must eat 2 servings of low sugar fruit and 2 servings of probiotic food. Friendly fats such as olive oil and flaxseed oil are fine. But only certain condiments are allowed... in moderation. 

In the first 17 days, you should be able to lose 10-12 lbs. That will not be the case for me because I am not changing my eating habits very drastically. I am doing this because my body has just become accustomed to my lifestyle and it needs to be shaken up! 

Here is a the list of foods you are allowed:

Protein- Unlimited

Chicken breast, turkey breast, lean ground turkey, Salmon, Sole, Flounder, Catfish, Tilapia, Tuna, whole eggs (but no more than 4 yokes per week), egg whites and egg beaters. 

Cleansing Vegetables- Unlimited

Artichoke, Artichoke hearts, Asparagus, Peppers, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Spinach, Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Green beans, Green, leafy veggies, Kale, Tomatoes, Carrots, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Scallions and Watercress.

Low Sugar Fruits- 2 Servings Daily

Apple, peaches, pear, blueberries, plums, raspberries, grapefruit, orange, blackberries, prunes, strawberries, RED grapes, prickly pear cactus. You cannot eat any fruit AFTER 2 PM.

Probiotics- 2 Servings Daily

Low-fat yogurt, greek yogurt, Kefir, low fat acidophilus milk, Yakult, Breakstone Live Active cottage cheese, Tempeh, Sauerkraut, Kimchi.

Friendly Fats

Olive oil, flaxseed oil.

Condiments

Salsa, low-carb marinara sauce, lite soy sauce, low-carb ketchup, fat-free sour cream, Truvia, sugar-free jams and jellies, vegetable cooking spray, fat-free cheese, fat-free salad dressings, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, herbs and spices. These are allowed in MODERATION.

So, as of Monday, this is what I will be doing for the next 17 days. I will report back before the 17 days are up and let you know how it is going!  

The Average Pants Size for American Women

Okay, let’s first start off with the fashion industry saying a size 8 is “plus size.”

I think the first time I heard this was when I was watching America’s Next Top Model marathon on VH1. In season 10, we see this FAB-U-LOUS girl Whitney Thompson hitting the mark every episode, but they don’t think she’s “right” because she’s a size 8 (“plus size”). Like WTF? I can’t even remember the last time I was a size 8. 

I keep hearing this statistic thrown around that says the average American woman is a size 14. I don’t know where they got this statistic or who came up with, but according to this New York Times article, it is true. “...even the women who came in on the small side in the SizeUSA survey look more like what the longtime clothing industry standards would consider a size 14 -- the size at which ‘plus size’ clothing begins.”

When the average pants size is 14, why don’t more store accommodate that? The Huffington Post made this chart of some stores and what size they sell online and in-store. It’s very interesting.

Being plus-size for majority of my life, I’ve grown accustomed to buy my clothes online. It’s also super annoying. Sometimes I need to buy one pair of jeans in two different sizes, then ship the one that doesn’t fit back and waste money in shipping. Or I have to measure my chest and waist to make sure the size I buy is correct. Then I have the issue of it being too big in the chest and perfect in the belly, or the opposite. Anyway, it sucks.

The point of this post is that the media and the fashion industry make it hard for almost anyone that has a little chunk on them. If you’re 5’4” and weigh about 140 lbs, you’d be around a size 8. According to BMI charts, that’s a healthy weight for someone of that size.... so why does the media and fashion industry consider it plus size?