I haven't seen Mo in quite awhile. Mo hung out with me last summer and helped me lose 10 pounds. Then Mo checked out (did I chase Mo away?) and left me on a long, long plateau.
But a couple weeks ago, there were signs that Mo was returning. I took Mo with me to Fitbloggin last weekend and we had a great time walking, doing Zumba, eating healthy foods and learning from fellow healthy living bloggers.
Last Monday, the day after getting back from Baltimore, I weighed in and discovered I had lost 3 pounds -- in one week. That's HUGE for me. And then this morning I got back on the scale and lost another pound.
That's 4 pounds in two weeks. Mo, aka Big Mo or Momentum, was quite pleased with the results.
Mo says he's gonna stick around but he's temperamental -- I can't piss him off. He doesn't like sabotage or mindless eating or lack of preparation or lame excuses not to exercise.
Mo says just because I lost 4 pounds doesn't mean I need to celebrate with a "cheat day" or some such nonsense. That's a surefire way to make Mo leave.
Mo says nothing tastes as good as success, so I'm going to respect Mo and keep this ball rolling.
I really like Momentum and need him to stick around awhile longer.
Here's a Fitbloggin' video I found on Skinny Emmie's blog. It was the Day 1 Zumba class, which was after the 5K. It totally captures the fun and sweaty energy of the day (and my caboose at the far right).
Got a new Nano to clip onto my BodyMedia FIT armband to cut down on "body clutter." It's loaded up with podcasts from Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy, Jillian Michaels and Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone.
Got a huge booster shot of motivation this past weekend at the second annual Fitbloggin' conference in beautiful-as-always Baltimore. I went last year -- its inaugural year -- and this year had twice the awesome, nearly three times the attendees and, as always, no trans fats.
I caught up with:
Fellow Fitbloggin' veterans Karla from Fitness magazine and the Healthful Bites blog and Andrea from the blog AJ Loves to Lose and chatted their ears off.
I also caught up again IRL (in real life) with Melissa and finally met her fitness video compadre Leslie. The three of us go back (at least through the mail and Internet) five years when I reviewed fitness videos for my former newspaper column.
Carla (aka MizFit) and I reconnected from last year and I got to meet the Amazing DietgirlShauna, who jetted in from Scotland. Both of them do the Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone podcast, and I walk with them regularly -- me on the track and them in my ears. Shauna and I were among the dozens burning up the floor in Friday's Zumba class.
And of course Roni-- we shared a bazillion e-mails with me proofreading her cookbook, the Fitbloggin website and the signs and brochures. (Typos were my biggest fear at the conference.) Last year's conference was great and you outdid yourself this year -- all while taking care of the Little Bean. (Ryan was a great sticker concierge.)
Finally met in real life:
Kia (Bodhi Bear) and Greta (Middle-Aged Jock), who cheered me on through the Mamavation campaign a few months back. You know the phrase "fast friends"? Definitely applies here in more ways than one.
Susan, from the blog Food Food Body Body. My grand scheme for a slumber party didn't pan out but you definitely threw an impressive wine and cheese party in your room. I've never seen so many people crammed into a hotel room before. And your one-woman show bringing your blog to life was truly moving.
Julie, Queen of the Chubby Mommy Running Club. Read the blog, bought the T-shirt, finally met JulieJulie! She was our "cruise director" for the Saturday night Post-Rapture Celebration Dinner in Fells Point. And she had the cutest shoes of anyone. Lots of great dinner chatting.
I also met some new pals:
Jodi from the blog Just a Bit Wicked and I walked Friday's 5K and on the way back got a wee bit discombobulated. 5K? 8K? 10K? You be the judge.
Kerri from Kat's Adventures in Dietland, who was my paparazzo on Sunday morning when I spied KC from KC and the Sunshine Band standing right behind her.
Annelies, the online community manager at Attune Foods, who hung out at the pool with me while others went night swimming. We discussed social media, journalism and myriad other things while making sure everyone's cameras, phones and wallets were safe.
And Kenlie, from All the Weigh, who just Wednesday was merely "that woman who was on the Today show." As I watched that segment I checked out her blog and saw that she'd be at Fitbloggin'. "I've gotta meet her and say hi," I thought. The next day we were both on a SuperShuttle from the airport, probably boring everyone else on that van to death with bloggy stories. After we offloaded the baggage at the hotel, we headed out for lunch where we proceeded to talk and talk and talk and talk. What a rock star you are!
And I didn't get to meet:
Lynn, from Lynn's Weigh -- boo! We really were looking forward to meeting and being roommates at Fitbloggin. We've kept in touch ever since I interviewed her for my former newspaper weight-loss blog back in 2006. But car woes kept her from Baltimore and we both were bummed. Next year for sure!
And now for photos:
A bird found its way into the restaurant where Kenlie and I ate lunch Thursday and it had a fondness for lo mein.
Baseball geek that I am, I noticed the lights at Camden Yards Thursday night.
This year's room view. Last year I had a lovely view of a parking garage.
Saw this lovely site as I waited for an elevator. Aside from some clouds early on, the weather was fantastic and lots of us walked all over the city.
Julie Anderson, Kate Brown and Christy Mensi discussed community building -- they all have some amazing communities of their own. At left, Julie's shoes, from her sponsor OhShoes.
Dr. Fitness and the Fat Guy closed the conference on Saturday afternoon, which was a real treat because their podcasts have carried me through many a power walk. You've got to load up your iPod with their show!
Kia won some Babybel cheese during the Laughing Cow discussion. She wanted me to snap this photo of her first-ever Babybels.
Saturday night it was time for some Fells Point fun. That's Melissa and Lisa of The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans whooping it up with Christy and Ben in the background.
But no, the partying wasn't over. There was a wine and cheese party, where I wandered up for a bit, said hi and left before I dissolved into a puddle of sweat. That's Kenlie and me mugging for the camera, and yes, I was sweaty.
My OMG moment came Sunday morning, when I spied THE KC (Harry Wayne Casey) of KC and the Sunshine Band in the hotel lobby. (Crap -- did I have to be in my workout clothes?) The young'uns didn't have a clue who he was but if you're over 40, he's a big freakin' deal. As he said during a concert after a Marlins game, "If you don't know who I am, I was your mom's Justin Timberlake." The band can still shake-shake-shake its booty.
(Do I sound old?)
When I got back home, this bouquet was waiting for me. (I think the florist must have been a Smurf or something.)
The weekend began and ended with a whole lot of love.
Since I can't post polls over at Examiner.com, I'm asking here: Who do you want as the third finalist in the Biggest Loser season 11 finale: Jay or Irene?
OK, Shrinking Sisters readers, I need help. I've been working out around 5 hours a week, averaging 1,400 calories a day and running more than a 1,000-calorie deficit, according to my Bodymedia FIT armband. In theory, the weight should be falling off me.
And yet, the scale doesn't move.
Am I eating too few calories? Too many? Working out too much? Not enough? I went from 1,800 calories to 1,600 to 1,500 to lately 1,400. I've cut back on starchy carbs and have my diet pretty much in an equal pie (The image at left is from the Bodymedia Activity Manager.)
This, apparently, isn't changing things either.
Don't get me wrong -- I feel better than I've felt in a long, long while, and I'm actually ENJOYING exercising. I'm pretty sure I'm converting flab to muscle because my jeans fit looser and I can feel myself firming up. And I love playing "diet detective" with the Bodymedia Activity Manager software.
What I'm not enjoying is the stagnant number on the scale.
And these are not "vanity pounds." They're "obese" pounds. These pounds shouldn't be so darn stubbon, but they are.
Throwing in the towel is not an option.
Weight-loss winners: Got any tips?
DISCLOSURE: BodyMedia has provided its BodyMedia FIT to me free of charge. The opinions I have expressed in this post are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Thanks, everyone, for your great Diet Champion foods that I asked for last week. I spun my office chair around, closed my eyes and randomly chose Lauren F (of the blog Sugar, Spice and Daisies) as the winner of the new book Carrots 'n' Cake by blogger Tina Haupert.
Your ideas were so delish I thought I'd share them with everyone.
Katie: Greek yogurt and oatmeal mixed with nut butter are my go-tos!
Gabriela: Definitely roasted kabocha pumpkin! Full of vitamins, but low-cal.
Leanne: Mine is definitely Laughing Cow Light cheese -- add it to any regular diet staple and it tastes great! I like it with turkey, celerey, eggs, pretty much anything.
Emily: Bran muffins...filling and full of fiber!
Dynamics: My diet champion food is one egg and 1/2 cup egg whites. Keeps me going all morning. Only takes a minute or two to prepare. In a hurry, just pop in 1/2 cup egg whites in micro for a minute or two.
Lauren F: My diet champion food is Greek yogurt. I mix it with fruit and honey. It's tasty and filling!
Nicole: I like filling up on fruits when trying to watch my calories. Sweet, full of natural sugars and just plain good!
Milu: When I am craving something and usually are sweets... I cut some strawberries and dip them on COCOA Powder, put it in the refrigerator and it tastes like Heaven!
Moves n Munchies: I'm SOO with you on almonds and pistachios.. they are my FAVVV nuts along with cashews and walnuts! some of my fav things are peanut butter, veggies, bananas!
SamanthaAngela: My diet champion food is probably fresh pineapple. I have a major sweet tooth and pineapple definitely satisfies my sugar cravings. Also I can eat and ENTIRE pineapple for the same calories as a piece of cake.
Feast your eyes on the ad above, which I found in today's coupon circular.
Oh, thank goodness someone came up with a way to take those pesky and time-consuming wrappers off candy and miniaturize them so that consumers can shove fistfuls in their pie holes while watching TV.
Better yet: Strap the bag to your head, feedbag style.
Ever hear of Brian Wansink? He wrote a book a few years back called Mindless Eating, which outlines how people are snookered into buying and eating food in ways they are unaware. One of his studies was to serve people chicken wings, in two different ways: In one scenerio, the waiter would haul away the gnawed-off chicken bones as people would finish them. At the other table, the remains of the day would stay on the table.
Guess which table ate more chicken wings? Yep, the one without the "evidence."
It's actually a good thing to individually wrap candy. You have physical proof, then, that you gobbled down five Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. All you have left with those Minis is one small, empty bag.
"Oh, but they're so cute and tiny, just like baby candy!" Bully for you if you can nibble a couple pieces and put the bag away (at least the bag is resealable). My guess is that you can't -- can't, can't, can't.
Why does candy have to be convenient? Isn't it convenient enough, showing up in hardware store checkout lanes and office supply stores?
Real conversation last week:
Me: "I'm going to pick up some printer ink. I'll be right back."
The kid: "Pick me up some Combos!"
Why does my kid know that the local OfficeMax is where you pick up printer ink and snack food?