Barrier Broken

I did it!  I broke the curse of 187.4.

I consistently weighed, 187.4 ALL WEEK LONG.  How is that even humanly possible? 

To weigh the exact amount every single morning.  To me it was some type of anomaly.  I thought maybe the scale had figured out what my feet felt like, and was just screwing with me.

However, today I stepped on the scale and was the proud owner of the new weight 186.0. 

So I rewarded myself...with a 30 minute trip to the gym.

Humor for the Day

Bland Diet Food
My sisters and I have weight problems and are always sharing diet tips. One day my oldest sister was showing us a low-fat cookbook and pointed out a chicken dish she had tried the night before. Reading the ingredients, I commented, "It looks like it would taste really bland."

"It did," she replied, "until I added cheese and sour cream."

Subtle Hint
Although I knew I had put on a few pounds, I didn't consider myself overweight until the day I decided to clean my refrigerator. I sat on a chair in front of the appliance and reached in to wipe the back wall.

While I was in this position, my teenage son came into the kitchen. "Hi, Mom," he said. "Whatcha doin', having lunch?"

I started my diet that day.

-- Betty Strohm

Hiding the Evidence
A member of a diet club bemoaned her lack of will-power. She'd made her family's favorite cake over the weekend, she explained, and they'd eaten half of it. The next day, however, the uneaten half beckoned. She cut herself a slice. Then another, and another. By the time she'd polished off the cake, she knew her husband would be disappointed.

"What did he say when he found out?" one club member asked.

"He never found out," she said. "I made another cake and ate half." 

The Fine Print
Needing to shed a few pounds, my husband and I went on a diet that had specific recipes for each meal of the day. I followed the instructions closely, dividing the finished recipe in half for our individual plates. We felt terrific and thought the diet was wonderful—we never felt hungry!

But when we realized we were gaining weight, not losing it, I checked the recipes again. There, in fine print, was "Serves 6."

and last but not least....
Food Group Colors Diet
Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical.
My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot.
My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems.

He said just think in colors...Fill your plate with bright colors... greens, yellows, reds, etc.

So I went right home and ate an entire bowl of M&M's.  And sure enough, I felt better immediately.  I never knew eating right could be so easy.

I do not surrender

 regardless of the lack of working out and probably not the best choices at dinner time, I am staying strong at 187.4 pounds.
Is that a good thing?  ...maybe.
Is that a sign of a wall that will be difficult to break through?   ...maybe.

Will those extra pounds continue keeping me from fitting into my summer clothes?  ...absolutely.

I look in my closet.  I am hoarding clothes like a chipmunk hoards nuts.

I have piles and piles of clothes that once upon a summer time I used to wear.  And I'm not talking "back in the day" clothes from high school or even from early college.  These are clothes that should fit.

I will not simply throw these outfits away.  Purely on principle.  THEY SHOULD FIT.
I will not buy newer clothes that "fit".   The day I do that is the day I surrender to my fat.

I do not surrender.
I do not wave a flag of my giant white granny panties.

There is a war at hand, and I will not surrender.

Buckle Down

Ok.  I will admit.  I am still participating in my dieting habits, but I may or may not be buckling down as hard as I need to be.

Top 3 mistakes I made yesterday
I did in fact eat my entire sandwich from subway last night.

I did in fact have two fun size Baby Ruth's.

I did in fact not go to the gym nor engage in any physical exertion activities such as Wii Active or even walking.


Old habits are hard to break.  Especially when I allowed myself so much freedom last week.  I haven't even gained a whole pound back, but those few ounces already have me considering carefully how I should approach my day.

Instead of letting the stress of a few ounces hang with me (**causing me to perpetually eat something crunchy and/or sweet to smooth over those sad feelings)  I will do better.  I have to.

...it's not a choice.

Weekday blues

I find it difficult to muster up motivation to go to the gym through the week.  I am tired.  Slightly cranky.  I just want to go home and sit on the couch.

Going to the gym really doesn't sound appeasing at all when 3:30 arrives.  I also struggle when the weather is icky.  So it's a double whammy when it is a disgusting cloudy, rainy, cool week.

My eating habits will only get me so far.  Physical exertion is the other key factor in success. 


...alas, my gym membership will sit, un-used until the weekend.    Unless there is some miraculous act of heaven that allows me to save enough energy through my day for a workout.

weight: 187.7

A new beginning.

after a week of food sins and Easter Celebrations, it is a new week.

it is a new beginning.

I am continuing the same dieting approach, (*yogurt twice a day, etc), but instead of adding the pounds together, I am going to take my diet 5 pounds at a time.

When I successfully lose 5 pounds then I will add it to the other five I have already lost, but I feel if I keep my goals within reach it won't seem so hard to reach them.  5 pounds is way easier to obtain than reaching 10.

...or at least it sounds that way. 

It's all about the way we make ourselves feel more successful.  It's about "immediate results".    Especially when losing weight.  You desire immediate results to feel like your starvation is not in vein. 


**on a much more positive note, my fat pants are beginning to fit again.  I'm not saying I am "MUFFIN FREE!", but it is much more comfortable to button and breathe.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Pleasant Surprise

I think the weight loss fairy must have used some type of magic pixie dust on me or maybe the scale just felt bad for me, but today I was pleasantly surprised.

I have attempted to continue my "yogurt, cheese, vegetables, repeat" diet this week, but most days I was content consuming chips and chocolate.  I simply was not interested in weight loss, but what foods made me feel better.

with that in mind, I did not take much value in weighing myself, because I figured standing on the scale (only to remind myself of the hog fest I have been participating in) would be a fruitless exercise of my time.   I knew that with the foods I have been joyfully eating, that I most definitely packed back on the few pounds I had shed.

THEN I was pleasantly surprised. 
...more like shocked.  In fact, I stepped on the scale twice, just to make sure the first time wasn't a glitch.

I am proud to announce that the two week tune-up (*with dieting slips and all) I successfully lost 5 pounds.

Current Weight=187.4

Needless to say, I bought more yogurt, cheese, vegetables and fruit while at the store today. 
...because with results like this, how can I go back now?

Check the Calendar...twice.

I suggest to any woman, when planning to jumpstart a new diet and exercise routine, please look at a calendar. 

Check it very carefully, and plan accordingly.

Because if you select just the wrong time, you may end up working very hard only to watch your work disintegrate and having to start back at square one.

I would say last week was a triumphant success.
This week...a total flop.

I should've checked the calendar to plan instead of jumping in head first.   Lesson learned.

An additional lesson I have also learned is that all in all, the diet change can make a difference.  I felt full and happy.  This week, a boat load of chocolate wouldn't have even satisfied me.

(*In fact, I think I may have actually consumed a boat load last night).

weight= get back to me next week

battle wounds

I am in a battle of wills with my body.

Battles won: Lunch Time: String cheese, peppers, 1/2 yogurt, cherrios, 100cal pack cookies. Snacks: 6 triscuits, 1 snack pack pretzels. Diet Drinks, 2 bottles of Water.

Battles Lost: King Size Peanut Butter Cups, McDonald's #2 (2 small cheeseburgers with med Fries) with a Sweet Tea.


I am not sure who won. 

I was too afraid to even step on the scale this morning.

weight= ???.?

BEWARE

Not sure how much "progress" I will get to see this week.

I am not sure how much I will feel like doing.  I am not sure what food I will consume.

I am sure that I need a bottle of Ibuprofen, a pair of stretchy pants, and nice place to lie down.

weight: 189.6
under the current circumstances, I am content with this number.

Chocolate

A girl needs chocolate. 




maybe it's the caffeine.

maybe it's the sugar rush.

but I believe on a much deeper level, that chocolate was put on earth as a natural drug that women could use to treat worries and anxiety. 

Now how does chocolate accompany a dieting regimen?  

Chocolate Cheerios.

God Bless General Mills for creating a whole grain product that resembles the taste of chocolate. 

It's not exactly the same as a snickers or a hershey, however, they get the job done.

So, Thank you General Mills.  Thank you for creating yet another way for women to consume CHOCOLATE.

weight: 189.2  (*I lost 0.6 oz)

It's a pride thing

So this morning I did not make my usual blog. 
I did not fill up the page with my usual tales of success.

...because I had none.   

I gained 1.3 pounds.

I ate...
I ate a lot. 
--potato salad, ham, chips, cookies, crackers, cheese dip...I felt as though I momentarily spun out of control.

Once I was reminded of the saltiness of the chips on my taste buds, the crunchy feel of the cookies between my teeth, the sugary high I was given when the food fest was over...

I honestly was afraid after having a binge, I wouldn't be able stop.  I wasn't so sure I would be able to easily climb back on the wagon I fell off of so quickly and so hard. 

Today was a new day.
Today I reclaimed my pride, and stayed on track.

Today was something to blog about because...

Today, I didn't give up.

Cardio

15 minutes Elliptical
20 minutes Bike
20 minutes Treadmill.
6 miles total.
60 minutes Walmart Walking

My feet are tired.  My shins are splint.  My legs ache. 


Even my back-fat is sore.



Certainly this is a good thing.
Weight today: 188.6

First Test

I had to take a test last night.  My stomach was in knots.  My mouth was watering.  My eyes were darting across the page looking at the words but unable to decipher what answers I would chose.  I looked around the room nervously as I was making my final decision.  When my name was called I slowly gave my answer,

"A club with a side salad, please."

Woo.  I did it. 

THEN PANIC STRIKES!!!!

...was the Club a good choice? 

I looked around the room nervously as I considered my final decision.  It has BACON, 2 cheeses, Turkey, Ham, and 3 pieces of bread.  There is no way that could possibly be healthy. 

I was proud of resisting the burgers and fries at first then when really considered my choice I was left with half hearted feeling.  I bucked it up, and ate the sandwich knowing that it may sink the ship I've been working so hard to keep afloat. 

So this morning with that same stomach knot, watery mouth, nervous feeling I stepped on the scale.

189.2----I didn't lose, but I didn't gain.

So I want to say "thank you, Club Sandwich.  Thank you for not making me gain back two pounds and destroying my friday."

Rounding

When weighing things like a cereal or cheese, manufacturers round up the weight of the package.  If it's 3 lbs 8 oz, they magically label the package at 4 lbs.  Because who is going to take their package of cheese home and weigh it to make sure they didn't get ripped off?

When you buy fruits and vegetables they take the exact amount of weight, pounds and ounces, to charge you, because of course they want every last penny out of you.  They can't do the magic rounding of weight, because you are standing there watching the screen and you know there is no way on earth you picked up exactly 2 lbs of bananas.

Some banks round down the dollar amount you spend, and let you keep the change.  So if you spend $2.35, you banks only removes $2 and lets you keep the .35.  It's almost like that $0.35 doesn't even matter enough to count.

So when you step on the scale you consider these factors.  Do I round up?  Do I take the pounds and ounces at face value?  OR can I be generous, round down, and really make myself feel good about the day?
  
Todays weight:  189.2

Day 3: FOOD

Food is everywhere.  Our lives revolve around it.

3 times a day we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Then we snack and treat ourselves to chocolate or chips to reduce stress or anxiety or just make our day better. 

The crunch, the caffeine, the smooth sugary taste...

...and while the world is indulging, I eat my sugarless cereal and devour my vegetables.

because two pounds may not be a big deal, but it is to me.  Those two pounds, may turn into 4, then 6, or 8.  Anything that I can do to continue to see my 32.8BMI reduce will be well worth it.

(*remind me that next week when I want chocolate so bad I will lick the wrappers just for a taste)

Day 3: 190.0

No lie

Weigh in day 1: 192.6
Weigh in day 2: 190.0


JUST ONE DAY. 

I like progress.

Yoplaits Two week Tune Up

After a few weeks of diet attempting (no really, I was actually trying this time), I have seen 1-2 pounds of progress.  Enough is enough. 

I am going on an actual "diet".  With my last post in mind *cutting out meat* I researched different easy diet options that allow you to still live and not cost an arm and a leg.  Yoplait's two week tune-up is exactly that.  For every high priced item you can find a store brand that offers the same product.  Yoplait can easily be exchanged for Great Value Light Yogurts.  Grains like Chex Cereal, Nature Valley Granola, Triscuits, can all be replaced with the Walmart Brand for $$$ less per item.  The biggest place you can spend your money is on fruits and veggies.  Depending on store's mood, you could get lucky and get things on sale. 

I read the "meal plans" and it is nice to see a "diet" that allows you to still eat.  I have a feeling it will become a bit mundane eating the same basic things over and over, but with a variety of different fruits and vegetables available it may be easier than I think.

With any luck I will see some weight shed.  With any luck I will be able to "JUST SAY NO" to devil chips and cookies.  With any lucky I will turn the "Two week" into a "Four Week" and so on and so forth.

...because quite frankly, I need my pants to fit.

Meatless

I would classify this as a good day.  Went to the gym this morning: 2 miles treadmill, 3 miles bike.  Had a tuna wrap with a few pringles and an apple for lunch, then tried something new for dinner.  Vegetarian Nachos.  What prompted the meatless adventure?

While outside reading Shape magazine, there was a story on the cover that grabbed my attention.  The slogan said: Slash your grocery bill and still eat healthy!  Naturally I was intrigued by the "save money" aspect, so I quickly flipped the pages til I came upon what the real story was actually about; Becoming a part time vegetarian.  A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that people who eat more red meet and processed meat/poultry gain more weight than those who eat more vegetable based diets.  Eating less red meat also increases your chance of getting breast cancer by 24% along with putting you at a higher risk of coronary heart disease (according to a 26 year long study at Harvard) 

Their suggestion wasn't to cut out all meat all together.  However, their suggestion was to cut out at least 1-2 meat based meals per week and substitute them with a vegetarian options.  Not VEGAN, but vegetarian.  So replacing a sausage muffin for an egg muffin or a vegetable wrap instead of a turkey and cheese.  OR a cheesy bean burrito instead of a hamburger filled shell.  This is what inspired the meatless nachos.

I had tortilla chips with covered with cheese, lettuce, onions, green peppers, black olives, tomatoes, and salsa.  I had some Fat Free Refried Beans (with Taco seasoning for added flavor) on the side.  It was both filling and delicious.

I may try to add more "meatless" meals into my diet to see if there is any improvements to weight loss efforts and how I feel in general.

**on a side note I am totally proud of my boyfriend for embracing our meatless mexican dinner!

dieting vs exercise

A new study confirms the overall research findings that dietary change, specifically eating less fat, produces more weight loss than changes in exercise. But it also shows that changes in one kind of behavior may help promote changes in the other, especially among women.

Many studies have compared weight loss resulting from changing diet versus increasing activity. Most often, weight loss during programs focused on dietary change produced two to three times greater weight loss than programs focused on exercise. 

Cutting calories doesn't have to mean dieting Cutting calories doesn’t necessarily have to mean going on a “diet.”  It can just mean avoiding or limiting one or more foods high in calories from fat (such as high-fat meat, cheese, or snack foods, or too much added fat), lots of sugar (like sweets or sweetened drinks), or alcohol.  Cutting calories can also be accomplished by reducing our portion sizes, or by eating smaller portions of those high-calorie foods and filling up on larger portions of low-calorie vegetables and fruits.
Objective analysis shows that cuts in calorie consumption add up faster than increases in exercise. Studies show that a combination of smaller portions and changes in what we eat can easily add up to reduce calorie consumption by 500 daily, whereas burning an extra 500 calories daily can be a daunting target.

Exercise plus lower calories for women In this new study conducted at the University of Minnesota, moderate or substantial drops in dietary fat were linked to weight loss in overweight and obese men and women, regardless of how much they changed physical activity. In women, even substantial increases in exercise were not enough to produce weight loss if they did not decrease fat consumption. Men, however, were able to lose weight through increased exercise alone.   
Whether exercise changes metabolism to allow more successful weight loss, or whether its stress-reduction benefits allow more consistent progress in changing eating habits, this and other studies show that both increasing exercise and decreasing calorie consumption clearly seems the best weight-loss choice for everyone.

www.msnbc.msncom

A trip to McDonalds

and what did I get?   A salad.  A grilled chicken salad, for that matter.

Could have had fries.  Could have had FRIED ANYTHING.

but I saddled up and took on the salad.

The scale seems to be consistent lately, which isn't a bad thing.   I am not gaining, however it also means that I am not losing anything either.  I will take any silver lining where I can get it.  The "Not gaining" part is where I will choose to focus for now. 

It is all progress in my eyes.  Refraining from fries and nuggets was a HUGE step.  Leaving the icecream bars in the freezer is torture, but they are better there than on my hips. 

...now to only make it to the gym...