Wednesday, February 22, 2012

I've got a bugg; his name is Steve.



Ok, I haven't actually gone as far as naming my Bodybugg.  But, I do love it (and will admit to saying hello/goodbye when it makes its customary beeping).  Not sure what the Bodybugg is?  Well, it's probably one of the coolest inventions ever.

Long, long ago...  Before the FI was anywhere in the picture...  I had hit my own personal "scary weight".  I assume that most people (women) have this.  Mine was pretty high: 200 lbs.

Yep.  Scary!

On September 16th, 2008, the sixth season of the Biggest Loser started.


I couldn't find a good picture from the premier, but during that episode, they showed the contestants wearing armbands and logging information onto computers.  With a bit of research, I was able to figure out that the Bodybugg might be exactly what I was looking for.

The armband records metrics throughout the day and then, after uploading through a computer, the web application estimates how many calories were burnt.  Additionally, the application keeps track of calories eaten when food is logged on the website.  This breaks down weight loss into the most basic of principles: burn more calories than you eat.  What?!?  That's all I have to do (I know, easier said than done).

A week after the BLC premier, I was strapping on my own armband, logging food and trying to follow my weight loss program.  And, it worked...  Slowly.  But, worked for a very long time.

Six months in, I had lost about 20 pounds.  Three more months and I was down about 30.  And, while I know that 170 lbs. may seem heavy for a lot of people, I was super happy to be there.  (Prepare yourself for some awesomely terrible pictures from facebook.)

Jan. 2009 (with my cat Ben) - Notice that the cat hides the chin area?

May 2009 - No more hiding behind the cat.

The surprising thing was that I kept the weight off for a very long time.  I didn't officially do a "maintenance" program.  I just started weaning myself off of using the bugg...  I'd skip logging one day a week, then another, etc.  Plus, I found that three, one hour workouts a week was enough to keep my weight steady.  That was totally doable.

Fast forward to February 2010, I was still down 30 lbs and was excited to be moving in with my FI (BF at that time).  I'm sure you can tell where this is headed...

My three mornings a week at boot camp classes were no more.  Actually, all exercise of any type was no more.  My eating habits got pretty atrocious, snacking became an every night kind of thing...  And, it wasn't a small piece of cheese and a glass of wine (like when I lived alone); it was way more food, way more often.

Over a surprisingly small amount of time, I gained all 30 pounds back!

Harrumphf.

And, so, the attempts at weight loss began anew.  Half-assed tries with Weight Watchers got me ten pounds...  But, for the last year, I've been stuck there.

So, a couple weeks ago, I decided to re-up my Bodybugg subscription and give it another go.  Not sure if it's going to be the same magic it was the first time around but I'm definitely hopeful.

After all, I've got a wedding dress I've gotta look amazing in.  I don't want to look back at my wedding pictures and think "if only I'd been thinner, I would have looked great".

Are you hoping to get in better shape before your big day?  Any secrets to working out more effectively?

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