Muffin Tops (Boring, Girly Weight-Loss/Body Size Post)

Our house is cold, I constantly wear sweaters, and my fingers and toes never get warm unless I'm exercising, but I keep reminding myself: body trying to keep warm=higher metabolism!

I lost a freakish 3.0 more pounds between Jan. 2 and Jan. 9, which includes another 1/4" on all measurements, so I am now down 28.5 pounds! And this in a week that included no walking, short (1 job) workdays (except Sunday!), and cookies and/or chocolate every single day. I celebrated by wearing my new size 14 Target jeans Monday and Tuesday. They're still a bit snug--if they weren't stretch there's no way I could have done it--and I have serious "muffin tops" over the waistband, necessitating a strict "all shirts long and untucked" policy, but I bet they'll fit in a month. (I wish I had made up the term "muffin tops." But I actually learned it from one of those lists of Top 10 New Words of 2005. Here is an example of the word used in an article. It was the first Google result after a search for "muffin tops." Oh, here's a link that's even better--an entry from the Double-Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary, complete with word history!)

I just saw this article in Newsweek about the importance of core muscle strength for long-term health (yoga, pilates, etc.). My workout DVDs incorporate this training, and I already notice my back is a lot less sore. I gave Mouchie my ugly office chair and now use an exercise ball to sit at the computer, and sitting at a backless piano bench all day is a lot easier! Mouchie loves the chair, too--he sleeps on it, sheds on it, and uses it as a horizontal scratching post. At first I discouraged this behavior, but I've noticed it's saving wear and tear on the office futon. :-)

Surprisingly, I didn't gain any weight or girth over the Houston trip, despite lots of sitting, no exercise, meals out, and a party full of Texas-style entrees and an entire table full of homemade brownies, cakes, and cookies. I actually lost .5 pound that week, don't ask me how. That included the closest thing to a binge I've had since September--eating 24 oz of Jelly Bellies and saltwater taffy from a gift shop all by myself over 2 days. I guess that actually is a binge. :-S Strangely, we can have massive amounts of chocolate in the house and I won't do that. But I just can't handle the soft, chewy candies. Well, part of it was the "I'm on vacation/holiday" syndrome, which, mercifully, ended the day after we got home. Even that amount (I used to eat at least 24 oz of candy every day!) made me feel icky and gave me nasty gastrointestinal side effects. You'd think that would be a deterrent, but I still didn't stop. Oh well, my goal was just to maintain over the vacation, which I still managed to do.

Don't worry, I am not going to waste away! I started out with a 37.75" waist, and my goal is a 30" waist. (I have exactly 3" to go and I'll be there.) I don't even care what the other measurements are. Last time I was that size, I was at 140 pounds. I'm realizing as I get closer that my waist might not be that small at 140 this time (10 years older), so I might end up shooting for 135 or so. We'll see.