Size 12 Power Suit

Ok, maybe not a power suit, because I needed the pants leg hem dropped... LOL

BUT I fit into a size 12 petite suit last Thursday. A gorgeous grey pin-striped number. I ran a workshop at the Orange County (NY) Chamber of Commerce. I'm waiting to see if there's going to be a photo in the online papers -- the Times Herald-Record was there. Someone at the chamber also had a camera. I want to see if there's a photo to send my mom....Oh boy, I hope that the paper has a better photo! :) LOL

I was running a business brainstorming workshop -- more about it here!

Thinner....

Update: Mom is down 52lbs now.

I just bought new clothes today so I can stop stalling my weight loss and get back into gear. I was afraid if I lost more weight, I wouldn't have any clothes that fit me for the winter! It's easier in the summer in 1-size dresses, but I'd be too cold in the winter. I deliberately "cheated" on my diet for a couple weeks, just maintaining my weight. Now, armed with several new slacks, a nice warm wool/cashmire blend sports jacket, and new blouses, I'm ready to take on the next 20lbs.

So here I am at 155lbs or so. I'll be heading firmly into size 12 territory, and once I do, I'll have to abandon the size 16s I've been "getting away with". The size 14 clothes I still have will see me through the transition up to the brink of size 10, but there wasn't enough clothing for the whole cold season in New York.

Onward, and downward! :)

Comment from Mom

This is from my mom!

Congratulations on 24" less of you ... That's a wonderful number and so is
43 lbs down...

I'm happy I'm seeing less of you all the time.. keep sending pictures ...

I'm down 46lbs and I don't know how many inches, haven't measured myself
yet.. I know I'm smaller since all my old clothes are falling off of me and the
smaller things I've saved for yrs fit now...and some are almost too big.

This Cinch stuff is Great..

Helen... Criss' Mom

She started her diet at the same time as I did, but she started off just watching what she ate and joined me on the Cinch plan after watching the pounds coming off me and hearing about my progress. Now my mom, who has struggled with diets for MANY years is convinced that Cinch is really THE inch-loss plan.

The importance of 24 inches

I've lost 24 inches. That's absolutely amazing. 2 feet.

Of course, I lost it a little here & a little there. But we're not here to overanalyze that number. We're here to celebrate it.

We can celebrate dress sizes, pants sizes, we can watch the scale and look for the numbers to drop.

I could celebrate 43 pounds less. I will celebrate 24 inches less.

We all need feedback and motivation, and every "Criss! You look terrific!" in our lives. If that means counting every inch you lost and posting that number in BIG BOLD TEXT -- so be it!!

24 Inches Lost & Counting!

When I started my live-it (who needs a die-it?) I announced it in business circles, to my networking partners & friends. At monthly meetings I would say "I look forward to you seeing less of me next month." And now it's a whole 24 inches less.

Of course it's more than that wonderful 24 inches. It's breathing better. It's being able to take the stairs two at a time without my back & legs screaming in agony, and without hyperventilating. It's being able to sidle between the chairs in a restaurant without asking someone if they could scoot in. It's feeling more like a woman even with less love-handles. It's caring what I look like.

I look forward to continuing the drop in weight and everyone seeing less of me. Maybe even another 24 inches less! I would love to share your story too! Please post comments about there being less of you, or let me know if you need help.

Size 14 and shrinking

I went on a trip to New Orleans for 10 days and walked around so much I had blisters, putting a few miles of walking on per day. I basically stuck to my diet plan, with two shakes a day, my "boost" pills, and occasionally a snack bar. When I came back, I only weighed maybe a pound or two less than when I left because I was eating somewhat over what I would normally eat and I didn't try to resist chocolate and creme brulee. But when I came back, I was squarely on the small side of 16 or a 14 stretch.

Now I'm a size 14 and shrinking. I've had to dig out old clothes I thought I would never wear again. I've been shopping at the thrift stores looking for suits and clothes that will fit. My metabolism changed to match my increase in muscle mass from so much walking, so I keep thinking I'm cheating on my diet -- I have a feeling it's just that I downright require more calories to stay out of starvation mode now. Pounds are still coming off, but since I'm so close to my target clothing size, I'm not being militant about watching what I eat.




I currently weigh 154 lbs as of this morning. I took photos on September 7th, around 157lbs (40 lbs lost!), so here's an updated photo. I'm wearing pants that are too large on me, and that shows under the tight shirt. I'll try taking more photos, my mom keeps asking me to show off :)

I had set my target weight at 135, but more importantly my target pants size at 12. I just bought 1 classic grey pinstriped pantsuit size 12P, and one dress size 12 -- thrift store purchases. I'm down from 1x and 2x tops to large, and I'm starting to look at mediums. I'm afraid to lose weight too quickly at this moment because I'm not ready to buy a whole new wardrobe. :) That's a terrific reason to both keep to my diet, and to relax a little on how quickly I lose weight. I'm also thinking that size 10 is quite possible if I'm going down to 135. If I add a little more exercise into my routine and that means I need at least two more wardrobes. Thank goodness I'm not buying suits at $100 a pop!

For now I'm collecting my larger clothes and considering either freecycling them or donating them back to the thrift stores.

One Size fits me

174.6lbs. 36.5"waist, 45.25" hips. [Ed. oops, just noticed the typo -- I don't weigh 74lbs, nor do I ever want to!]

The way my body is built, I'll never have a 20" waist, but I'm going from "rather plump" to "pleasantly curvy" which is a change for the better.

I felt for the first time in a while like I could wear a dress yesterday -- 80 degrees, and I feel less than fat. A dress that would NOT fit me just last fall, now fits well and will only look better and better as I take off weight. I put on a different dress first, but while it fit, it was still too tight in the gut-hip area, where I'm carrying what my mom calls the family belly, so my daughter wore it.

I've been having discussions with my weight-loss partner (my mom) about rewards for a good job done on a diet, about feelings of entitlement when traveling or socializing. It's just not healthy to think that you spent so much money to go someplace you deserve to have a large meal (or dessert, or snacks, or...). The two are unrelated. Our society brainwashes us into thinking that white flour, sugar, potatoes are "rewards" and these messages are hammered into our head from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep.

If you spent a lot on a trip you should darned well enjoy the trip, enjoy healthy choices, enjoy your food, relax, get extra sleep, get some extra exercise in the pool or workout room, but don't think that you deserve to treat your body badly because you're spending some extra time away from home or with friends.

I spend a lot of money every month on networking events, often those events come with breakfast, lunch or dinner. I also go to committee meetings where the fare of the morning is donuts or bagels (I've come to call them the "donut meeting" and "bagel meeting" respectively when talking about them to my partner, just to really point out how ridiculous this "culture" is.) I can think to myself "Well, I pay my $400/year for membership in this chamber, so I deserve the free breakfast!" And that type of thinking can get me into much more than $400 of health concerns and illness, and new larger clothes purchases to accommodate my brainwashed mentality. Several members of said chamber are in trouble healthwise and taking drastic measures to change their weight, and I find that very very alarming. I drink my shake religiously before going, treat myself to an herbal tea when I get there, and instead of fussing with food, I pay attention to the meeting! I can network better without a mouth full of bagel anyway.

We need to reconsider what we put into our mouths. 500 years ago there WAS no white sugar, or white flour, or white rice. It's not in our genetic or metabolic make-up to properly handle them, much less "high-fructose corn syrup" and "hydrogenated fats". To watch our weight, every calorie that goes into our body has to carry nutrients with it, and any nonsense calories that go into our body aren't holding up to their end of the reasons we ingest food in the first place. High-glycemic foods like potatoes, sugar and white flour cause a bounce-back reaction that leads to cravings, and cravings lead to binge eating and overeating. I watch people put 3-4 spoons of sugar into their drink, eat 3 pieces of white-bread before eating a full dinner, a plate full of french fries, etc. I just have to choose differently than they do, not feel deprived. I think of those things as fat cells going right into their bodies, and they're far less appealing.

I miss those starchy sugary foods just like the next person would, but I know better. Even if it takes a lot of mental willpower, discipline, and self-talks to stay away, I know I can change my own mind about anything, and I'm determined to erase the nutritional brainwashing and damage done by our culture, so I can live a healthy and long life.

Next goal: halfway point: 166.0lbs - squarely size 16 pants, and the original broadway cast recording of Evita (my reward, a 2 album set). Not going out to dinner. Not dessert. Not ice cream.

On my way to size 16

I haven't weighed in or measured this week -- my Week 2 weigh-in is tomorrow morning. BUT, I just had to say that I'm fitting into my size 18s better and better all the time. I'm not sure when I'll hit size 16, but it's not far off. My thighs were bursting the 18s, now they're comfortable. I bought 18 stretch because I NEEDED 18 stretch, now I don't need the stretch anymore.

I asked my partner if he'd still love me when there's less of me to love, and we had a good laugh. He's mimicing what I'm eating and taking a different brand of protein products -- he should be on an 1800 calorie diet, so his cheating here and there is probably OK -- and he said he lost a couple pounds too.

Here's a tip I wish I could follow: When you're bored -- exercise! :) Talk to you soon!

Delicious Choices

I received more products, and that means I now have chocolate shake mix and peanut-butter chocolate chunk meal bars to add to the plan. Yay. I brought home a sizable chunk of last night's dinner, so lunch is ready for me when it's time to have it, and I'll probably do the diet products for dinner, since Fridays are "Kid exchange nights" where I'm always dashing out of the house to drive kids back and forth for visitation.

I had the chocolate shake for lunch yesterday. At dinner, one of my clients, who sells exquisite therapeutic magnetic jewelry, was remarking on how great these products taste (She has a photo at her website -- I hope she doesn't mind me giving her a little plug!). :) She doesn't LOOK like she needs a weight loss plan! Maybe I'll look that terrific someday. :)

I really have to say something about the peanut-butter chocolate chunk meal bars now that I'm having one as a meal. WOW! These things are fabulous! I've had a taste-test, but nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to actually sitting down and eating them as a meal in itself. It's great! It was on back-order for a week, arrived yesterday, and finally I'm eating it right now. [I had eaten over half the bar before realizing you might like to actually SEE it. Oops! :) What can I say, I was hungry! :) ]


I'm thinking of calling this "waist watchers" as in watch your waist disappear :)

Have a great weekend! I'll probably be blogging, but I thought I should say that.

Weigh-in - Week 1

Here are the results of Week 1 of my Waist-loss plan :)

I weighed in this morning: from 197 I went down to 193lbs, My waist went from 40 inches to 38 inches, my hips went from 38 inches to 37. My size, instead of bursting the seams of a size 18, is much more comfortable. My winter coat, while not loose, is no longer bursting.

I'm very happy with the results of Week 1 on the diet! 4lbs and an overall 3" waist-N-hip loss, and I fit in my size 18 which is my first goal/milestone.

I'm required (legally) to say my results are not typical. My results may not be typical. But then there's many people out there with good results. For other disclaimed "results not typical" success stories, visit the waist-loss plan website's success story page.

I'm glad everything is working out OK, now if only I could work out more! I have 3 appointments in my calendar today for work. :/

Shake Styles

I'll probably have more to say on this as time goes on -- I've been using the vanilla waist-loss protein shake powder as directed and mixing in fruits and having mixed results. Banana -- stellar combo. Blueberries are OK. Raspberries from my garden -- well, if you like a LOT of seeds, try it, but this was positively chewy at the bottom -- I can't blame anyone but me, though, it was all my idea. Another chewy combo: this morning I did 1/2 cup blueberries and about 1/8 cup of oat bran. I feel like a horse chewing on mash. However, 1 frozen banana + 1/2 cup frozen mango -- that was delightful, if very hard to shake, it was too thick.

The program suggested 1/2 apple, but it never specifies whether to put that IN the shake or just eat the apple, so I just ate the apple with the shake. That was a very good combination.

Variety is the spice of life, right? At least I'm not bored of the shakes :) I have more on the way of the vanilla, and my first try of the chocolate shakes are on the way. I'm also expecting a delivery of the meal replacement bars. I am not used to drinking 2/3 meals a day.

I'm not exercising enough, and I'm not drinking enough water :/

Oooh -- I get to weigh in and measure myself tomorrow. Stay tuned!!!

Say cheese!

It's almost a struggle to figure out what I can have for my "real meal" that fits my suggested protein/carb/fat ratios. Thank goodness for cheese. When I'm stuck needing some extra protein and fat, cheese to the rescue!

I calculated my entire intake using the application that comes with my diet program. I had 8 lean chicken meatballs with mozzarella (2 servings), green beans, brown rice -- and even had butter on the beans & rice! But I darned well needed more fat and protein, so I was able to have 4 1" cubes of cheese last night. That's a lot of cheese. This is a mixture of local farmer's cheddar and horseradish cheddar. Mmmm.

If I'm struggling to lose weight, I'll adjust my carb intake down, but I'm trying out about 1500 carbs a day.

Do I weigh too much? The camera lies....

Just kidding about the lying. It's true. I weigh too much. Egads. Hard to look at. I hope I look fatter on camera than I do in real life -- eternal optimist, I guess. I'm glad I'm on a diet. I have to keep this blog around as a reminder. Whew.

I hate taking photos, but at least my partner and I can laugh together. That makes it far more tolerable. I stood in front of his pies, laughing about playing Vanna to them, then I did it....here I am showing off the pies. They're the Pièce de résistance! I'm going to resist. Nya.

So I weighed-in at 197lbs at 5'3" -- and I'm on a diet. I told you about the pies, and took a photo yesterday evening -- well, now there's about 1.125 pies left -- that's to say about 1 pie and one whopping slice or two petite slices. And it really wasn't me. I had a shake this afternoon with a frozen banana blended in. It was awesome. I got to choose a free item from the unmentionable company today, and I chose the 28 day supply of the supplements (metabolism regulation) you're supposed to take on this plan, because they're one of the more expensive single items, and I want to make sure I stay on the plan.

Anyway, time to run to see a potential client. I hope Ecto is working to post on my blog.

My first (real) diet plan

Ok, today my weight loss plan starter kit arrived and I'm ready to take a plunge. [Product name and company logo smudged out on purpose.]



It was like opening a box for an Apple laptop -- an experience in design. I dutifully put the battery into the pedometer, used the enclosed measuring tape to measure my waist & hip size -- wonder if I should measure bust, thighs, or arms, too....I can't enter my weight in the charts or the software because I don't have a scale, so I guess I should give in and buy one, just for curiosity's sake.

Then it was time to have a shake. I washed the shake cup. I measured a cup of (organic) milk (I have only 1% -- need to get skim!) into the cup ("Is that ALL?") and went to add some protein shake powder into the cup. Opening the canister could have been easier, but I managed that.

Then it was time for the scoop. Scoop? "2 scoops of powder." Yeah, that implies a scoop. So I tapped the powder around, with inevitable small dust clouds and breath-holding (I'm not supposed to BREATHE the protein powder!) and then I had to make the plunge. I stuck a finger in and pushed around, located the scoop, and managed to dig it out with minimal mess and a powdery finger.

2 scoops of powder into the cup, screwed on the cap, put on the two safety belts (there are closures for the drinking hole and the airhole), and shake shake shake.....hrm, a little powder on the sides, shake shake shake....hrm, it's a tiny bit but I can't get it into the liquid ....shake shake shake aw fergettit. Must have gotten powder on the freshly washed side of the cup.

Well, here I am about to take a sip.... I better gulp to get it over with faster. Oh -- that's pretty good. It's heavy (probably should be), and a little powdery but what do you want from something so full of protein? (16g) But it actually tastes good. Like real vanilla. Almost -- dare I say it -- like the flavor (not the temperature) of ice cream. I'll enjoy blending it with frozen mango or banana in the summer. Mmmm. Ok, that was good. I was really hungry. I still feel a tiny bit empty but since there's actually some protein powder and drink stuck to the container, I'm going to wash the pill I'm supposed to have with it down with a water rinse of the container.

...addendum: This was about 1pm. About 5-10 minutes later, I felt full. At about 3:30 I was hungry again, and I had the chocolate snack bar because lately I've been grazing on chocolate chips. So I figured this early in the plan, I better make sure I get a chocolate fix. The chocolate bar is sufficiently large -- not large, just sufficiently large :) and the taste is fine. It's not like a terrific brownie, but it is much better than a brownie (a la mode) I had at an ice cream parlor at one point. That brownie was not worthy of the name. So I can certainly live with this chocolate snack bar in place of that brownie.

Now off to see about a scale. More later...

40-inch-waist, 48-inch-hips -- and counting. [ed - got the scale: 197lbs, size 18 (almost 20). Goals: size 12 or 135lbs. Whatever looks and feels the best.]