kimmers for life

Trimming the Fat

Nick and I have recently come to the realization that our wedding is 12 months away... and our engagement photo shoot is 4 months away... and we would each like to lose about 10 well maybe more like 20 oh ok fine 30 pounds before either of those events actually rolls around.

Yes that's right, I said each.

And 30.

And 4 months.

Yes, we're panicked. Oh hell yeah we are! Too bad this realization couldn't have sunk in a few months ago. As things stand now we're each left with the grim task of losing nearly two pounds a week between now and our engagement photo session.

I think our current lifestyle of work-ear-watch-tv-from-couch-while-snacking-sleep might need to change a bit if we're going to meet our goals.

So, I'm going to do something a little bit terrifying, in the name of accountability and shaming me into actually making this happen and being a skinny bride, dammit!

I'm going to post my weight on my blog. My horrible, awful, shameful start weight, and my weight every week thereafter, to track my progress.

And I'm going to post NIck's too, because that's what happens when you date a blogger, your personal shit gets posted online.

Disclaimer the first: clearly, I know this is not a "huge" number in the grand scheme of things, and I'm certainly not calling anyone at or above this weight a fattie. But FOR ME, this is a horrifying number because it represents a solid 20 pounds gained in less than a year. It represents too little exercise and too much couch snacking and not fitting into ANY of my much loved designer jeans anymore. It represents  hating trying on clothes and hating dressing up and just feeling fat and frumpy and unattractive (and TIRED!) 24/7.

So with that said...

STARTING STATS:

Kim

height: 5'9"

weight: 163

Nick

height: 6'0"

weight: 209.5

Disclaimer the second: I am really not at all sure that my goal weight (which is simply to be AROUND 135) is actually attainable. I weighed about 130, 135 all through high school. Since then my "normal" weight was always between 138 and 145, usually closer to 145, and that was easily maintained without dieting or exercising or turning down ice cream. I am really not at all sure what the hell made me suddenly gain a staggering 20 pounds. Age? Stress? Lifestyle changes? Some combination of the above?

All I know is that right now? I am miserable when I look in the mirror. Nothing is remotely toned. I have stomach pudge for the first time in my life. I cannot bear to think of my thighs. I get winded taking a 20 minute walk around town. I'm tired and lethargic more often than not. My True Religions are gathering dust. One way or another, something's gotta give! And if I start losing weight, and I get down to a weight that isn't 135, and I'm happy with it? That's totally fine. That's great! I just want to be happy in my own skin again.

Look, I just would really like to wear a bikini on my honeymoon and not feel like a total hippo.

And maybe if I think about having to post this every Friday, and having all of you see my progress or lack thereof, I will actually be motivated to make this happen.

Earlier this week, Nick and I decided to implement a weight loss competition program. We're starting off small, and will likely modify as we go. So far the rules are thus:

1. Be conscious of everything we eat. Try to reduce the amount of snacking we do, and also try to choose better snacks. Extremely limited quantities of dessert (God help us).
2. Walk every single day, for at least 30 minutes a day.
3. Take our bikes out two days a week, in addition to the walks.
4. Weigh in every Monday to check our progress. Try to resist weighing in the rest of the week. Try to forget that I posted my weight on my blog, you guys! Jesus.
5. Post an update here every Tuesday with updated weights and a quick summary of how we both did during the week.

That's it so far! So now I want to know from all of you: do YOU have any current fitness goals? How are you working toward them? And what can I eat a gigantic bowl of without consuming half a day's worth of calories in one sitting?!

Your questions, answered

I thought I'd answer some of the questions from my formspring here, since I know we all hated when these things were popping up all over Twitter! I haven't received any new questions on there lately, but if I get some in the future I will post them here every so often so everyone can see the responses.

Favorite Animal? Why?

Right now... GIRAFFES! Nick and I went to Disney a few months ago and we stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Our room had a view of the animals walking around the grounds, and there were a couple of giraffes that would constantly wander over really close to our balcony. I was OBSESSED. I would leap out of bed every morning and rush out to the balcony first thing to say good morning to "Jeffy". I think I have something like 400 pictures of giraffes on my camera. I really wish that was an exagerration.

How much sleep do you need to feel refreshed?

Dude... A LOT. I would say minimally eight hours but I really prefer more. I tend to get very frayed around the edges when I don't get enough sleep. That's a nicer way of saying I am a total raging bitch when I fall the slghtest bit behind on my sleep.

Are you shy?

I would say it depends on the situation. When I'm with Nick, or my friends or family, I tend to be pretty outgoing and I can be a total chatterbox. On the other hand, I can be shy in bigger groups when I don't know many people. I'm not really someone who feels comfortable being the center of attention. I also have the tendency to think strangers are judging me. I think it has a lot to do with my confidence level on any given day.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of New Jersey? Please, please don't say Jersey Shore! Ha! from Rachel.

Ok, if I'm being totally honest here, Jersey Shore definitely jumps right to mind when I think of New Jersey! Although, I DO understand that the show isn't filmed in "your" part of New Jersey. Does that make it better? :) BEFORE the show came out, I would've said the beach! Or you!

Do you like to cook?

This is a tough one for me. I feel like, I WANT to like to cook, but overall, I just... don't, really. Part of it is a frustrating lack of skills and recipes. Part of it is a fiance who is a Picky Eater in the extreme. Part of it is struggling to keep the grocery budget low. And part of it is just being so damn exhausted when I get home that cooking is the LAST thing I want to do. Expanding my meal base is something that is sort of always on my To Do list, and never really seems to get crossed off!  

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate... always, allllllllways chocolate.

Feel free to answer any or all of these in the comments! Or, leave me a question to answer for next time!

 

To bang or not to bang?

I've realized I have a bit of an obsession. Every six months or so, I become completely fixated on the idea of cutting some sideswept bangs into my hair.

Inevitably, the bangs are an epic fail, for a multitude of reasons. First, my bang styling skills are nonexistant and my hair usually has pretty firm ideas about where it wants to part. The bangs look *GREAT* when I leave the salon, and progressively less great with every day that passes. Many days I am too lazy to style ANY of my hair and I just ponytail it. (Contributing to this laziness is the fact that Nick actually prefers my hair to be in a ponytail. I would need extra hands to count the number of times I have emerged from the bathroom with some style or other, only for him to chant, "Ponytail! Ponytail! Ponytail!" Yeah, I don't get it either.) Also, my hair grows freakishly fast and my average time between trims is about 4 months (because I trim when I color, and not before!). Obviously this leads pretty quickly to straggly, grown out, even harder to style bangs.

I've also spent several tortured, dedicated months growing out my hair in order to give myself plenty of style options for the wedding next May. I made a SOLEMN VOW to myself not to cut my hair (except for the occasional trim) until after the wedding. God knows I HATE growing out my hair, so do I really want to take a chance now on ruining all my painful progress? Also, do I really want to have bangs in my wedding pictures? If I don't, can they somehow be pinned back or concealed for the big day?

I also have this intense slight fear that cutting full bangs will suddenly make my forehead a total greasepit, and therefore Breakout City. (I do have sensitive skin but it's generally pretty clear about 25 days out of the month.)

Is it any wonder this bang thing never works out? It's basically doomed from the start.

Regardless, lately I've been feeling that old urge again, and a few recent movies featuring lovely ladies with bangs (I'm talking to you, When in Rome and The Backup Plan!) have only added fuel to this fire.

I'm thinking maybe if I went all out and got FULL bangs rather than attempting the side stuff, the styling would be easier and this would have a better chance of working out?

Here are some of my inspiration pictures:

So pretty, right?

I'm also loving how they look with an updo, and parted slightly to both sides. Cute! Good to know they still look nice if shoved to the sides a bit. Sometimes I have major Hair In My Face, Omg! issues.

This one gives me hope because it's probably a more realistic idea of what *I* would look like with bangs, as my hair is compeltely and utterly stick straight. I think this looks great.

I like the face framing layers here, and the fact that the bangs get a little longer at the sides. Also, Kristen has fine hair like mine, so this might be similar to how mine would look. (I have A TON of hair, but it's super fine and easily weighed down.)

Important: the bangs look good with a ponytail here! See further proof below.

Oh, the cuteness. I can't stand it. I <3 bangs today.

I have to wonder if I can really commit to full bangs though, when so many of my inspiration pictures featured the sideswept bang. See below:

Lovely. Although I do not have an ounce of curl (much to my dismay) which is a big part of the loveliness here.

 
This one is great all around. Love the bangs, love the layers, love the bounce at the ends.

I'm starting to think I might have a slight girl crush on Ms. Bell. Ahem.

I think the bangs are a *little* too sparse at the front here, but I'm loving the side view!

Ok now I need some help! Should I do this thing, or should I back slowly away from the scissors?!?!

And if you think I SHOULD make the big cut, do you have any advice for me?