Here I was, going through one of my older computers (grabbing files and stuff I need to transfer to my new laptop) and I came across some old pictures of me that show me at different weights. I’ve decided to post them along with the weight that I was at the time.

And please, no “OMG you are soooo ugly and fat” comments. I’ve heard ‘em all already.

Please note a lot of these are blurry because they were taken with one of my older cell phones, which took AWFUL pics. Also, these are in chronological order.

Me, around 130 pounds, 2001, no muscle (didn’t work out):

Me, 135ish, 2004 (no muscle or working out):

Me, Spring 2006, when I had gotten up to around 157 (Yikes!):

Me, August 2006, 135 (after riding my bike all summer):

Me, Fall 2006 right before gaining weight, prob around 140ish:

(I was taking picture of my new hair color, which explains the weird pose).

Me, 155ish pounds, Dec 2006 (A month or two after I first started gaining, a little buzzed after a couple drinks):

Too bad there are no pictures of me from 2005…. I had gotten in very good shape that summer. That’s also the year I started theskinnywebsite.com.

So how do I compare now to these older pictures? Well, I definitely look smaller now than I did in my 157-pound picture above… but not as small as my 135 and 140 pics.

I will eventually be taking more pics of my progress and will post them here.

Mmm… I have a new addiction: organic lemon and/or limes squeezed into a glass of distilled water. Not only is it supposed to be extremely healthy, but it actually tastes good. When I went to Trader Joe’s today to buy some organic lemons and limes, I was disappointed because they were smaller than the regular ones. However… what a difference in the taste and fruit texture! I cut open one of the lemons to squeeze into a glass of water, and noticed how absolutely perfectly yellow and vibrant it looked. I couldn’t resist taking a bite… and it was so delicious.

I’ve always liked sour stuff, like original yellow grapefruit (which I can’t seem to find ANYWHERE these days) and lemons.

Anyway, I just had my evening beverage of 1 organic lime and 1 organic lemon squeezed into a tall glass of distilled water.

I’ve been eating pretty healthy today so far - veggies, flaxseed veggie chips, lemons and limes, water, etc. I’ll probably make some grilled organic chicken for dinner.

The Scale

So, I figured I would address the “no weighing” issue that a couple of you have commented about.

I don’t know about you all, but I’d much, much rather fit into a smaller pair of pants and shirts than see the number go down on the scale. Since the beginning of my weight loss journey, I’ve lost maybe 10-13 pounds, but I’ve gone down several pants sizes. I don’t even know what pant size I was at my highest weight because I was wearing stretch pants and drawstring pants all the time! But I know what size pants I was too big to fit into, and now I’m 3 or 4 sizes below that.

Muscle is leaner and weighs more than fat. So since I’ve actively been building muscle, I refuse to get on the scale and see a higher number. All it will do is throw me into a fit of depression and anger. I know I’m getting fit and slimming down based on my clothing fit and increasing fitness level.

Fitness Level & The Gym

Speaking of which… I managed to get the treadmill up to an even higher incline today. I’m not going to say the number but it’s almost up to 10… almost… and damn did it feel good! My legs, thighs and bottom all felt like they were getting THE BEST workout ever. I think I’m going to get hooked on the treadmill. I also did the elliptical at a fast speed for a while but had to slow down because my heart rate was a bit too high. (I had coffee before the gym today).

I found something great to drink while working out - Smart Water. It has no calories but enough electrolytes that I don’t sweat them all out and feel like I’m going to pass out. And trust you me, I was sweating like a pig today.

So, today’s gym visit went well. There were several skinny girls there today. One was doing the stairmaster at an incredibly fast speed for the ENTIRE TIME I was there, which was 55 minutes. A few others were running on the treadmills. There was a middle-aged woman there who I see every day around 3pm watching General Hospital on both the elliptical and bike. (Who am I to judge - I usually watch King of the Hill, Malcolm in the Middle, Court TV or something on VH1). Yes, I tend to people-watch at the gym, but not in a creepy way. I don’t flat-out watch anyone work out because I would never want anyone to watch me work out. I simply check out the action and see who is doing what. (Except sometimes, when there is a cute guy on the ellipticals in front of me while I’m on the treadmill, I kind of sneak peaks here and there). Is that bad?

Anyway, one last thing because I’m rambling on here. I’m employing a slightly new eating strategy (but mostly sticking with natural foods when I can). On the advice of a fitness trainer, I’m eating my biggest meal of the day right after I work out. I include lean protein as well as veggies, fruit and some simple carbs. At night, I’m trying not to eat any carbs (other than veggies). Right now that is my biggest challenge… I tend to crave carbs at night for some reason!

I’m feeling a bit better today. I’m no longer unhappy and my stress level has gone down a little.

I did a great workout at the gym yesterday despite feeling crappy. First I did the elliptical for 30 minutes at a somewhat challenging pace and resistance. Then I got on the treadmill for 20 minutes and did a higher incline then I ever have before. Still, it’s nowhere near where the fitness buffs get to, like 10% or 15%. When I get to a 10% incline, I’ll let you all know…

I’m planning to hit the gym again today tonight despite being a little sore from yesterday. I was really good last night and didn’t drink, despite going to the pool hall and shooting a couple of games.

So, I may be going back to Tulsa sometime in the next month or so, maybe sooner. The “business” that brought me out here to NH has finished and although I dislike the actual city of Tulsa, I am looking forward to getting back to my super nice apartment and see my sister and niece again. Now that I have gotten over my embarrassment of working out in front of other people, I will be using the 24 hour gym in my apartment building’s basement! (It has the same type of equipment that my gym out here has, LifeFitness treadmills and ellipticals, etc). Plus I have my elliptical and HD TV in my actual apartment. I’m dreading the drive back though.

Of course I’ll be going back there during tornado season. Now THAT ought to be fun…

Today’s gym goal: add an additional 1% incline on the treadmill, and another resistance level on the elliptical. It’s not a matter of being able to do it, it’s a matter of not having my heart rate go too high while I do it. When my heart rate gets too high, I stop burning fat.

I am also strongly considering doing a bit of a juice detox for a few days. More on that later…

I’m very uninspired to write here right now, mostly because I am in a “blah” mood.

But I will report that I did my morning weights/stretching/bike workout, and will be hitting the gym shortly. Today I’m going to aim for a higher setting on the treadmill than I’ve yet attempted. When I get the incline up, I can really feel my entire legs and thighs getting a really good workout.

Then I’ll hit the elliptical for a bit.

All in all, I’m going to shoot for spending about 50 minutes working out at the gym.

I feel like crap today, but what’s new? I’m slightly depressed, very stressed out and just plain unhappy.

Maybe my gym trip will change that. I hope so. I’ll update a bit later on.

I’m experiencing some significant delayed onset muscle soreness right now… I must have did some (good) damage at the gym and at home yesterday. Ouch! I’ve been hobbling around like an old lady all morning. So I’m going to have to take the day off from working out. After all, I’m trying to build muscle, not break it down.

I had some very weird anxiety symptoms last night that lasted all night. I don’t know if all the endorphins mixed together with my brain chemistry or something, but I was way overstimulated all night. I couldn’t sleep at all. Every time I dozed off, I’d jerk awake. I hate when this happens. And yeah, it does from time to time.

I’m planning to go out tonight but not get drunk, although on my 2 hours of sleep last night, I probably will regardless. Three drinks will be my limit - maybe two. I am about 60% Irish so I feel obligated to go out and have at least a couple. I think my friend B and I will be doing some bar-hopping along Main Street. There are several bars and pubs in the area and I happen to live within walking distance of them all.

I have a feeling I won’t be eating dinner tonight to account for my alcohol calories. I know that is bad, but… oh well. I’m going to make sure I have a nice big healthy late lunch with all the food groups. I had egg whites and bacon for breakfast. For some reason I was craving protein this morning. (Probably my muscles crying out for sustenance).

Eventually I’m going to have to muster up the courage to get back on the scale. But I know if I did it right now, it would show a higher number because of all the muscle-building I’ve been doing. Not to mention I had enough sodium yesterday to sink the Queen Mary, so I’m likely retaining an ocean’s worth of water. No, I’ll wait for a few more days to get on.