Thursday, September 27, 2012

Weighing In - September 2012

In June of 2011, I announced that I was tired of feeling "fat and frumpy" and I devised a plan to do something about it.

I started by keeping a food journal, and I faithfully recorded every bite of food that crossed my lips... for about 3 months. That was long enough to confirm that my biggest food problem (aside from overly large portions) was snacking. Specifically, snacking while watching TV.  So, I try to find other things to do with my time.  Obviously, I haven't been overly successful with this because my house is still a wreck and I have at least a dozen unfinished projects in my craft room.  And the M&M's... they will always be a temptation for me as long as they are in the house.  *sigh*

Exercise has become a regular thing for me.  Some weeks are more regular than others, but I try to get at least 4 workouts in every week. Sometimes I count weekend yard work as a workout, but I figure that if I'm sweating, it counts.  I've built up quite a collection of workout videos, and mix them up to keep it interesting.  The last week has been focused completely on yoga, since I rubbed blisters on my heels (new shoes) and needed something I could do barefoot.  See... no excuses!!!

I've been recording my weight and measurements every week... okay, most weeks... at least once a month, to see how I'm progressing.  Sometimes the numbers have gone up, but mostly they've gone down.  I set a goal to lose 69 pounds.  Yes, I know, that sounds like a lot of weight, and it is.  The fact is that I had gained a lot of weight, and 69 pounds would put me at a healthy weight for my height - not model thin, just healthy.  As of this week, I still have about 43 more pounds to lose.

For an entire year, I blogged about my progress every week.  Okay, I may have missed one or two weeks.  I shared my successes and failures with the world - okay, my five regular readers (LOVE you guys!!) - and I think that knowing that I would have to 'fess up kept me on track better than any paid weight loss program.  I plan to continue posting, but on a monthly-ish basis.  I am looking forward to one day writing that "I did it!" post.

My numbers:
Pounds (+/-) since last post:  -4.6
Total weight loss:  26.4
Inches (+/-) since last post:  3
Total inches lost:  36.5

Motivation:  We really can't expect to be successful when we attempt something without the proper motivation.  A lot of things have kept me motivated in the last year - my health, my family, being able to climb a flight of stairs without gasping for breath.  Vanity played a big part in it, too.  (Re-read the first sentence.)  This week, I will be attending my 30 year high school reunion.  Though I haven't yet reached my goal, I'm healthy, I'm happy, I feel really good about myself, and I look good! 

Here's to the Northbrook Raiders Class of '82.  Huzzah!

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Discovering Hubcap Grill

Shortly after I started working downtown (7 months ago), I heard about Hubcap Grill - home of "the best burger in Houston" - and I knew that I had to try it.  Sadly, I wasn't able to convince any of my regular lunch buddies to go there due to the five block walk. 

A few weeks ago, my mom texted me from the county courthouse, where she was waiting on her husband to be released from jury duty, and I immediately arranged to meet them for lunch.  I had the perfect place - Hubcap Grill.  Their downtown location at 1111 Prairie is between my office and the courthouse (a bit closer to the courthouse).  Perfect!  Hubcap Grill is the most unlikely looking burger place I have ever seen.  It's a tiny, cinder block building that seats maybe 12 people with an attached covered patio with additional (non-air-conditioned) seating, and it's decorated with hubcaps (surprise).  It reminded me of an old fashioned gas station, back when full service was still the norm.

Philly Cheese Steak Burger
I hear that the place is really packed between 11:30 and 1:30, so I was a little worried about dealing with the crowd. But thanks to some long-winded lawyers, we arrived after 2:00 - giving us our choice of the two tables in the main building  and just enough time to enjoy our lunch before they closed for the day at 3:00.  After asking which burger was the most popular, I ordered the Philly Cheese Steak Burger.  It was amazing - a 1/3 lb burger topped with grilled onions and peppers, ribeye shards and Swiss cheese on an in-house baked bun.  Mom and her hubby both chose the Greek Burger - with feta cheese, kalamata olives, onions, peppers, tomatoes - and claimed it to be delicious.  We shared an order of sweet potatoes, which we weren't able to finish after polishing off our burgers, and topped off our meal with bottles of root beer and cream soda.

The meal was definitely worth the long walk - and the exercise was a helpful start to burning off all the calories I consumed.  I'm ready to go back again to try that Greek Burger, so if you're in downtown Houston and you're looking for a great burger and a lunch date... give me a call!  Oh, and if you go to Hubcap Grill, make sure you take cash... they don't accept anything else.  Happy eating!