Weight Loss

In response to concerned friends, let me explain why I'm saying I'd like to lose 10 lbs. First of all, I'm a tiny person. Its true. I think I might just be half-elven. I'm 5' 3 1/2", which isn't too short, but I have the tiniest skeletal frame imaginable. My wrist is 5 1/2" around. So, take a piece of yarn, cut off five and a half inches of it. Hold it in a little loop, there you have my wrist. Tiny.

From the ages of 19 onward, until I got pregnant, I weighed 98 lbs. I didn't diet, in fact, I lived on sweets and junk food until I got married, when the Jedi's more responsible habits and ability to cook ensured me at least one healthy meal each day. I didn't exercise, but I was active. While I was in college I didn't own a car so I did a great deal of walking. After college I worked as a preschool teacher, which also kept me active. I wasn't anorexic or bulimic or even concerned with my weight. But everytime I was weighed, I came in at 98.

When I was expecting, I changed my eating habits. Gone were the chocolates and the sweets and the junk food. Instead I really focused on eating a healthy, balanced diet for the baby. I gained a goodly amount of weight, and looked like someone had stuffed a beach ball up my dress. Observe....

And that's still with a month to go before I delivered.

I nursed Sweetling for a year, and continued my healthy eating, though a bit less stringently. About 2 years after Sweetling was born, I was in for a check-up, and low and behold, I weighed 102. Did I diet to get there? Nope. Did I even worry about my weight up until that point? Nope. Did my stomach look like a piece of dead elephant hide rudely grafted to my skinny little body? You betcha.

Now, Sweetling is 11 and I weigh 120. Don't get me wrong, 120 is not a bad weight for my height. And I don't think anyone would call me chunky. (And if they did, I've got a pretty mean round-house kick now.) But, I still have this ponchy belly gut that I don't like. And year of Tae Kwon Do, complete with stomach crunches and sit ups and the like hasn't changed that any. So, I don't think stomach "flattening" exercises are going to fix it. The only thing I think might have at least a little impact is perhaps some weight loss.

Mathematically, 120 is a nearly 20% increase over what I weighed 2 years after childbirth. It has to be on my body somewhere. Seeing myself in profile leads me to suspect at least a good portion of this additional mass might be hanging out just below my belly button. A few kind friends have reminded me that muscle weighs more than fat, or some such thing. Cause I'm so buff now, apparently.

And even if I don't lose any weight, being mindful of not eating junk food or excess sweets can't be bad for me. And my heart could certainly benefit from a little bit of activity on a daily basis. So, I think my plan is a reasonable one from a health stand point.

I did do a quick google search for other ways of looking at a body's proportion. I'm not quite sure what this one is...but I'm posting it here anyway.
Hip, Waist, Chest Ratio Calculator

Here be my measurements, I think, and their ratios. According to the brief paragraph of explanation on the site,

"Published data suggests that a WHR (waist to hips ratio) of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men have been shown to correlate strongly with general health and fertility. Women within the 0.7 range have optimal levels of estrogen and are less susceptible to major diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and ovarian cancers. Men with WHRs around 0.9, similarly, have been shown to be more healthy and fertile with less prostate and testicular cancer. A CHR (chest to hips ratio) of less that .8 suggests the possibility of poor circulation and poor exercise habits. A CWR of greater than 1.1 also indicates poor exercise habits and suggests dietary evaluation."

hips 38
waist 30
chest 35

wth .79
wtc .86
cth .92

And my ten point check list for the day...which I'll update as I go along.
1. Up-yes. Thanks to the Jedi :)
2. Stretch. Yes.
3. Weigh 121.2 So motivational. :(
3a. ha ha
4. Dishes-yes
5. Devotions and breakfast--yes
6. exercise--wii olympics (and TKD this evening)
7. Declutter--cleared some things off the kitchen counters and table
8. glasses of water--6
9. No-S--one oreo. only one. but that one was just irresistible.
10. Evening--only 6 ounces of hot chocolate and no jelly on my english muffin.

(ps---Holly!!!! Its so good to hear from you again! How are you doing?? What are you doing? How have you been?)