New Info (as of December 26th, 2012)
Since my last regular posting we have had many, many things change in our lives. New baby. No more working for me. Move across NY state from NYC area to Buffalo. It's been an adjustment and I have to wrapped my head around weight loss differently now. As of this day, I am recommitting and starting over. This is no longer an extenuation of my original 100 pound, 365 day journey. It's different because life is different. Time to adjust and get back to healthy. It won't be the same and I can't expect to succeed in the same way ow as I have in the past.
So let's get on with it!
Former Frequently Asked Chubby Questions...
CQ: What do you do? Where do you work?
A: I don't work- I was a full time student at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. I majored in Baking and Pastry Arts and continued on to the Bachelors program to study the business end of things. Now I'm at home (for the time being) working on my special occasion cakes and cookies business, Kara's Couture Cakes, and taking care of my newest little love.
CQ: How do you deal with all of that amazing food?
A: I no longer do. While there was a TON of food on campus, and there were healthy choices, there were very few fit choices for someone trying to lose weight. I brought my own food from home so that I knew exactly what I was eating and could be accountable for what was going into my mouth. I have much more control now that I'm home.
CQ: Wait...Bring your own lunch to culinary school? That sounds ridiculous!
A: Yup. I know.
CQ: You were gone for a while and your weight seemed to go up. What's up with that?
A: I got pregnant (in large part because I lost 67 pounds and got nice and healthy, treated my body very well, and became ultra-fertile--happened just before each of my 3 babies) and had my 3rd son. But it;s time (at 5 weeks postpartum) to get back into the swing of things.
CQ: What diet are you using to lose weight?
A: I'm not dieting. I'm learning to eat better in the real world. I am using the Weight Watchers program to change my lifestyle. This is not a diet! Dieting implies that you remove certain foods or food groups or switch to specific foods to lose weight. These are not realistic plans for sustainable and life long healthy weight loss and/or maintenance. I eat whatever I want, I just understand now how it affects my body and what I have to do to metabolize it. I make better choices, and it's become easy. I like the payoff of a slimmer waistline.
CQ: Doesn't it suck to have to write down all of your food and calculate things?
A: I'm an office nerd in disguise. I love tedious little tasks that require some effort on a very routine basis. I have become used to planning my food daily and don't mind the tracking aspect of the plan. They have eTools and mobile apps that make it that much easier to keep up with the program while on the go.
CQ: What is your final goal weight?
A: Originally it was to lose 100 pounds in 365 days, which would have landed me at my target weigh on April 3rd, 2012. But pregnancy altered that plan, and that's ok. It was to simply have a goal line to work towards. New plan? be at 150 lbs. by January 20th, 2013. If it doesn't happen though, I'm fine with it. This isn't a race, it's a journey. My final weight goal is 135-140 lbs.
CQ: How fast have you lost the weight?
A: My body loses the weight when it wants to, in it's own time. I want to average 2 lbs. per week to reach my goal. To get the current average weekly rate of loss check the right-hand column of my Home page.
CQ: Exercise? Do you do it, or do you just work the Weight Watchers plan?
A: I didn't really exercise the first time around, but I made (and still make) good choices every day. I park farther away from the store in the parking lot; I intentionally leave things upstairs now so that I'll have to climb the stairs one more time to go get them; I keep up with all of my housework (believe it or not, this is a great way to get activity in). I simply keep myself moving. But this time I know I'll need intentional activity to get to and maintain my goal weight. I'm going to start the Couch 2 5K challenge. I've always hated running but have want to learn to love it. I've heard wonderful things about this program.
CQ: How often do you post?
A: Daily- it's part of my being accountable and knowing that people are watching me. It works for me.
