Back on the Wagon

Blogger, I'm holding out hope that you don't die again before I finish this post. And now, Twitter is all goofed up. Typical Friday the 13th, eh?

So...how's everyone doing? I did really good for about 5 weeks. I lost exercised and ate right and lost 5 pounds for my brother's wedding, which was the mental goal I had set. Then I was diagnosed with nintendonitis tendonitis in my achilles tendon. Ugh. That sure puts a damper on a workout schedule. I haven't been able to do much cardio in the past 2-3 weeks and I'm really upset about that. I had even psyched myself up to work out in the gym instead of doing Wii Active because it's a little more flexible and there are lots of different machines I can use. Plus, I hated the running so I could just do a stationary bike or elliptical. But my ankle really messed all that up.

Not only did I quit working out, but I reverted to my old eating habits. Ya know, frozen bagged food, fast food, chocolate...although I've kept my portions pretty small still. The 12-month-old has been cutting molars the PAST THREE WEEKS and I haven't gotten enough sleep or been able to take care of myself like I normally would. Sometimes, Hardees chicken strips and curlies just have to do the trick. At least my husband is supportive and encouraging and told me the other day that sometimes moms of 1-year-olds just don't have time to make a healthy dinner. No, but I'd still like to do better.

Image from here

So what can I do about this? Well, I'm getting back on the wagon. I will go grocery shopping this weekend and purchase some healthier options. Instead of letting my food run out down to the bare essentials (i.e., frozen fish sticks and tater tots), I will do better about keeping plenty of healthy snacks and meals in the house. I had quit using LoseIt for awhile because, what's the point if I'm eating way more than 1600 calories a day? I picked it back up again this morning. I also found some 3lb weights at home and I know I have an exercise ball that needs to be inflated. Even the boy will have fun playing with that! I can still play the Wii sports that burn calories (tennis, boxing, volleyball), even if I can't do much of the cardio. I still haven't tried my Zumba Fitness game and am not sure how rough it will be on my ankle but I guess it's worth a shot. Waking up at 5 AM hasn't worked well for me the past few weeks but maybe if that pesky molar ever pops through the gums, we can all get some decent rest again and I can pick back up my schedule. I can lift weights at the work gym (I even figured out my locker combination so I can keep an extra pair of tennis shoes and workout clothes there) and if I start feeling better, can get on the bike again.

Image from here

Also, it's LOVELY outside and the boy got a sandbox and a small swimming pool for his birthday so I expect lots of outdoors adventures. And the hedges need to be cut (that's a huge upper body workout). So, maybe I'll get into even MORE of my pre-pregnancy jeans by the end of summer.

I would also love to have an old school bike (the kind from the Regions commercial, not a mountain bike because I have horrible balance and am short and would rather brake with my feet). They even make little "trailers" you can hook on and tote around the kids behind you.

Have you fallen off the wagon? What do you plan to do about it? Any new, summer workout plans in the works?

Week 3 Check-In

THREE DOWN, ONE TO GO! Woot!

So, how's everyone been doing? Made any progress? Meet any goals this week?

Talk to us.

What are you plans afterward? Do you plan on continuing with your exercise regimen, or possibly changing it up a bit? Are you done after this? 
Personally, I plan to keep my momentum going. I have Zumba Fitness and I might switch that up with some of the fun sports on Wii Active (I am loving the baseball that was introduced this week, and I don't even like baseball that much). I might hit the gym some at work, but I prefer to get my workouts over with in the early morning; that seems to be working well for me. My mom has an elliptical and I may try to do that for about 15 minutes on the days when I pick up my son from her house (three days per week).

And I plan on continuing to utilize our community site. I hope you will, too. I still have goals to meet well after our 30 days are up.

Post here or write up a forum post on Spruz about the results you're seeing, how you feel, or whatever you want. Just let us know the link here in the comments.

You're doing great and are almost done with 30 days! Gives yourselves a pat on the back!

Almost There!

We're almost finished with Week 3 and will be done with the challenge before you know it!

Have you hit any snags? I felt sorry for myself this week because I haven't really seen any tangible progress even though I've completed every. single. workout. Although, when I was scratching my arm yesterday, I could feel muscle definition! And family members have told me I look like I'm losing (even if the scales say otherwise--well, my scale is currently on the fritz so I may just have to get a cheap analog to continue). My pants keep getting looser and I think I may even see a bit more definition in my waistline even if my stomach doesn't look like it's shrinking. Also, I hurt my left foot and ankle (and today, it feels like the inner muscle right below my knee is achy), so I've been glad the exercises have been fairly easy this week and not leg-intensive even though I'd like to burn more calories.

I posted yesterday on the community site that I'm getting kind of bored with my low-cal food options. However, I do go to the grocery store at some point this weekend so I'm going to see if I can vary it up a bit. Is anyone else having trouble finding healthy but tasty meals?

week 3? already?

yes. i just reused a title from a discussion i posted in our community site.

i'm contemplating making a ginormous salad for dinner tonight. with grilled chicken on top. and cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms... all sorts of good veggies. yum.

i'm holding steady at 6 pounds lost. i consider that a win after my weekend neglect of the loseit app, beer(s), nachos, and a hot dog. no, i didn't go to a baseball game, even those are token baseball foods. i had the nachos at a bar, and the hot dog from sonic. so it wasn't a regular, plain hot dog. it was the one with sauerkraut and a little bacon. oh, and the one with peppers and pickles. so really, it was two hot dogs. so like i said, i win by staying within the weight i was on friday.

what else? like tamara, i fail at the wii challenge. but i'm staying active. and husband has been holding me accountable. he has asked me how things are going, and if i'm still doing the wii. i didn't hate telling him i wasn't, because i'm still doing the walking. not a walking plan or anything, but i'm making a point to walk the bridge at work (a mile and a half, round trip) at least once a day. i've taken to doing the stairs up two flights (really 3 because in between is a utilities floor), which does not make my thighs happy. but happy doesn't get me into a different size pants.

oh, and for dessert yesterday, husband and i had strawberry shortcake. yes, we had dessert. because you can make strawberry shortcake for under 200 calories. angel food cake has practically none, and use the light cool whip. then it's just fresh sliced strawberries and sugar!
trust me, it's the perfect summer dessert. especially now that berries are in season.

week 2 check in

hey everyone! how'd you do for the second week?

i ended up losing weight finally! and i have my scale at home now, so i can document my weight more accurately. i didn't keep up with the wii workouts as much as i should have (blame it on work, and my master's program...) but i still kept active. whether it was taking an evening walk to starbucks with husband for a skinny vanilla latte (only 90 calories!) or walking across campus instead of taking the shuttle, i did it. i'm blessed in that i have a job that i can wear tennies and capris to if i don't have important meetings, so i've taken advantage of that this week.

what about you? end of week 2 means we're almost halfway done!

Bored?

Maybe it's just the Week 2 slump (Week 1 was fast and furious), but I'm getting kind of bored with Wii Active 30-Day Challenge workouts. Is anyone else feeling this? I haven't skipped even one session (although Wii didn't record Monday's workout because I had to skip a few activities due to my faulty nunchuck) and the past few days I just haven't been feeling like I'm making much progress even though I replaced the nunchuck and the last workout seemed to go smoothly. Maybe I need to bump up my intensity level (I'm still on easy), but I'm afraid if I do that, it'll want me to run for longer and I already hate the running the most.

I get up at 5 AM but getting dressed, a bottle of water, and the wii revved up takes a few minutes and sometimes I don't get started good until 5:15 or 5:20. Then, I'm still running when the hubs comes in the living room after his shower and I get self-conscious.

I saw good results last week. I even tried on dresses (and bought two!) and didn't feel like a fatty, as I usually do. I feel pretty today in the clothes I'm wearing, but I'm just wondering if I'm doing enough. I'm only burning around 100-140 calories with the workouts (usually the lower end). I know I'm probably toning more than anything and that's great because I need it. I just feel like I need something more.

Any suggestions? Should I just scrap the 30-Day Challenge function of the game and customize my own workouts? Should I do Wii Zumba instead (I haven't even put this in the Wii yet to see how long the sessions are)? Or should I add in something else during the day? I don't have a lot of time and 5 AM is the best time for me but I can't leave the house due to a sleeping babe. I can probably get some walking in during lunch but it's already starting to get warm here. I do have access to a gym with a treadmill, elliptical, weight machines, etc. Does anyone have any ideas? I need help!

Are you bored, too? I know I'm not the only one having problems this week. I want to see weight loss (and I haven't lost anything this week, despite doing my workouts and eating 1600 calories or less/day) but I mainly want to get fit.

I don't like to be a quitter. I'd like to finish the 30 days and I'll probably give it another week just to make sure, but I also don't want to be doing something that's not getting me where I need to be.

How are YOU doing?

start of week 2!

or, if you're like me, "technically" the start of week 2. meaning that i didn't do the wii on friday (don't hate. i got plenty of other exercising done), took saturday as the actual break day, and then was too busy on sunday (but husband and i DID walk the big mall in town). so, while i didn't exactly follow the wii, i still got some form of workout in.

anyways, couple of things i want to cover in today's post.

first, i can't stand my trainer. here's a few of the conversations i had with my wii this past week:

wii: alternating lunges are a GREAT way to get strong legs.

me: i don't want strong legs!

(during the inline skating)

wii: pay attention to those obstacles. know they're coming so you can overcome them.

me: dude. i know they're coming. my thighs hurt.

second, you may remember that i posted on our community site a question about what time is the best to workout. because i've been really inconsistent in my workouts, and i have my own theories. i think morning will be best because it helps wake you up. i think afternoon is best because maybe metabolism is highest. i think evening is best because you're working off the food you ate that day. anyway, i have a great husband who brought me some junk food magazines, one of which was woman's world. there's a lot of great information in there, even if there's too many exclamation points.

anyway, there's an article that talks about the timing of your workout! how lucky. so, per this article, you should workout in the morning, before breakfast. it prompts your body to use the fat for fuel, instead of using food you've recently eaten as fuel.

sidenote (which was great news)-- "clacked off on workouts during winter? great news! previously toned muscle fibers bounce back quickly, even after months of inactivity, according to research."

don't forget that our catch up is on saturdays. i know it's the weekend, but make sure to check our blog out to give your update. tell us how your week went. remember, this site is here for your support!

check-in, week 1

so, how'd your first week go? are you staying with the program, if you're doing the wii challenge? if not, have you been being active? it's been fun to watch the conversations going on over at our community site. if you haven't checked it out, go! and you're welcome to sign up and communicate with us there, too.

i've done really well. i have been documenting my calorie intake and exercises on loseit, and having a good time staying under budget. i haven't weighed yet today (my scale is at work-- gotta change that), but look forward to seeing that i've lost a pound or a pound and a half this week. i've done my wii workout every day that i'm supposed to, except for yesterday because i was so far under my calorie budget, i didn't want to get any lower. but i'm using today's rest day to make up for that.

so, how was your week? now's your chance to update everyone!

Feelin' Groovy

I'm feelin' groovy this morning.

Slow down, you movin' too fast
You gotta make the morning last
Just kickin' down the cobblestones
Lookin' for fun and
Feelin' groovy

Hello, lampost
Whatcha knowin?
I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me?
Doo Bee Doo Doo,
Feelin' groovy

Got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me...
Life, I love you,
All is groovy

Lyrics found here.

It's been a Simon and Garfunkel kinda day. And I feel groovy and fabulous and wonderful. This, from the self-professed exercise hater.

I'm on Day 5 of the Challenge and am getting up a little after 5:00 each morning to do my Wii workout. Great start to each day and I get it out of the way, first thing. Yes, I've been sore...Day 2 was BRUTAL. But, the soreness now is a good sore, the kind of sore where you know you're working your muscles but not so sore that you're in misery. On the Wii Active Challenge workouts, you run each day and although I absolutely detest running, I know it's really working my legs and all those muscles. Especially the routine where you run for a bit, do high kicks for a bit and then try to kick your behind (I can't remember what those are called but I did them this morning). I have been sore in places I've never been before (inner thighs). So, basically, I'm really enjoying the workouts I'm getting even if they are only burning around 120-140 calories each time. I know I'm going to be more toned by the end of the 30 days.

This whole program has also inspired me to cut my calories. I would like to lose 30 pounds (initially) and LoseIt has helped me create a plan that projects I can lose 30 pounds by October. I know that sounds like a long time, but it's one pound a week and that's a really healthy rate to go. Maybe by doing this Challenge and adding in a few more workouts during the week (like walking during lunch or going over to the gym to do the elliptical), I can lose a little faster. In any event, I just want to do this the right way and be healthy. I'm eating 1600 calories a day (some days a little more, some days a little less, but have been pretty good to stick to it this first week) and think that's a do-able amount. Suppers are the hardest thing for me to keep under caloric intake, but I'm gonna try to find some lower fat recipes and incorporate those into our meal schedule. I have lots of lean meats at home, I just have to lay off the cream sauces and fattening sides.

Also, I got a really cool scale for 1/4 of the price it should have been on Amazon: Ozeri Elite Series II Digital Bathroom Scale With 5" Blue Backlit Xbright LCD and InstaOn Technology. It's still half-price and if you use the code SHAPEUPI (not sure if it still works, you might want to check before submitting the order), you get another 50% off! Since it is $25 before the coupon discount, you get free super saver shipping, but you have to make sure you select that option in the check-out. Basically, I got a $50 scale for $12.50, shipped! Just wanted to pass that along to you.

So, how's everyone doing? Weekly check-in is tomorrow and you can share what you feel like sharing. We just want to know how thing are going!

one week-- right!

i don't even know how many times i've said i'm back. but really. once you stop trying is when you really fail. isn't there a quote like that out there? anyways, leann said recently that it's about changing so much more, and that's true. i can't tell you how great things are in my overall life right now. money's going alright. we're maybe moving to a new place to be able to put some in savings. and, like leann, i'm doing the 30-day challenge on encouraging your husband. god is so good.

so, i guess the next place i need to keep working is at my fitness. and darlings, as much as i talk about wanting to be fit, right now my motivation is weight loss. i'm currently more than i've weighed in about a year or so. blame it on stress from school, or work, or whatever. but blaming doesn't help my jeans fit better. you know what does? watching what i eat. taking a walk during lunch. yeah. that.

so, i've faithfully used the loseit app on my phone for all of last week.

and i did good! as much as it looks like i'm under, i'm sure it's much closer to being on target. i try to document correctly, but when there's three options for "apple", how do i know i'm picking the right one? the good thing about at least writing it all down is that it keeps me accountable. i don't eat whatever i want, then write it down. if i did that, every day would be red. instead, i bring cupcakes for a work meeting, but don't eat any. i choose water over calorie-filled beverages. and i eat breakfast. that's a big one for me.

anyways, i know this post wasn't full of inspiration, or even a recipe, but i just wanted you all to know i'm back. and instead of not documenting my weight because i'm ashamed of it, i'm writing it down now. so if you follow me on twitter, i didn't actually gain 7 pounds in a week. i just hadn't written it down in so long. but it's time to be honest, and follow through!

i need to start walking.

The Road to Healthy Eating

I actually have a progress report this week. Last Saturday, I bought groceries. I got a LOT more produce than I normally get: two bags of baby carrots, some bell pepper to cut up for snacks, a bag of oranges, some apples, some bagged salad, fresh mushrooms for roasting, among other things. I also bought all whole-grains and all lean means: a large bag of tilapia, shrimp, lean pork chops. I bought substitutions for more healthy quick-meals for weeknights and lunches: whole wheat tortillas for steak quesadillas, whole grain buns for BBQ, whole wheat pasta for shrimp arrabiatta, lots of steamed veggies, low-fat canned soups, etc. I also bought a ton of healthy snack options: low-fat granola bars, fat free yogurt, hummus to go with the carrots and bell pepper. I also got brave and bought some almond milk--not a huge fan but it works in my cereal. The almond aftertaste is a little daunting.

I spent a lot of money but got enough to last us two weeks. And I spent about the same amount as I normally spend. But I went to Kroger and I usually can find some really good deals and utilize their sales combined with their coupons and come out really well. Here's a breakdown of what my day of eating usually looks like:

Breakfast: cereal with almond milk
Morning snack: fat free yogurt
Lunch: lean cuisine and carrots with hummus
Afternoon snack (if hungry): orange
Supper: Regular supper but smaller portions since I'm not starving from all the snacking during the day
Drinks: water and a little bit of coffee

I'm doing SO much better with my portion sizes. I have not gorged myself (really, this is a huge step forward) once this week. I even leave food on my plate. One night, I was craving ice cream, so I just bought the little bitty tub of Skinny Cow low-fat ice cream. It was a very small, single-serve tub and just enough to give me a chocolate fix. I haven't eaten much sugar at all this week. Mostly, just in my cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios or Cocoa Puffs--I usually don't eat Cocoa Puffs but some days I just want something chocolatey). Yoplait has so many great yogurt flavors that I feel like I get a treat every time I eat one. At first, the hummus was a little peculiar but it's growing on me.

I still need to eat more veggies at suppertime, but it's been one of those weeks when I'm lucky if I get supper on the table before the baby's bedtime. I'll try to do better next week. I think I may cook fish tonight and I'll pop in a bag of veggies if so and maybe some brown rice. Maybe not even any carbs at all.

Honestly, I'm not craving junk food like I did. I'm not have the ravenous chocolate withdrawals like I used to. I can't say that I've lost any weight or that I feel GREAT yet, but I know I'm on the right track. Now, if I could just get some exercise in. Tomorrow will be a lovely day in the high 60s, so I may take the baby out for a brisk stroll. I'm sure he'd love to get out of the house, as would I. I want to try to go to bed earlier and get up a little earlier and do my workout DVD. That's my next goal. That, and continuing to buy healthier foods. If I have to buy snacks for my hubby, then I'll get stuff I don't like. That way, I'm not even remotely tempted to eat it.

How have you all been doing?

whoops... now to week 4 of the challenge

well, whoops on a few things.
1) that i totally forgot to post last week. forgive me. it was my birthday.
2) i definitely flaked on the week 3 thing.

so anyways, weeks 3 and 4 are pretty much the same. most allergens have been reintroduced. you're mainly working on continuing healthy habits like increasing vegetable intake, keeping sugar and processed foods to a minimum, and making healthy substitutions when possible (applesauce instead of oil, anyone?).

working out... have i already mentioned that i didn't do any of the exercises? yeah. none of them. but hannah has been, and she's my little yoga hero.

i'm still hovering at around 4 lbs down since the beginning of the year. not bad for three weeks. thing is, i'm not exactly sticking to the plan. the good thing is that the recipes are basically anything listed on the whole living website, which means a TON of good foods. the bad thing is that husband and i decided this would be a good few weeks to clean out the freezer and pantry and see how long we can go without buying food. so, i'll still be trying to make healthy changes, and i'll be counting calories, and adding veggies (we have a lot of snack bags in the fridge with fresh carrots, etc, and also lots of frozen veggies), and, and, and...

i'm working on it. i'll wii this week some, too. so that's something. my hopes are to continue with this energy high that i seem to have (yay, more sleep! yay, healthy food!), and lose about another pound or two this week. i can do that, as long as i don't eat pizza. or popcorn. whoops. and as long as i do SOMETHING active, even just the wii boxing. have you done that? it's rough.

ouch.

remember leann's woe-is-me post? expect something similar from me.
my weight this morning? i don't want to talk about it. seriously.
because i'm pretty sure my breakfast didn't weigh 10 lbs.
so i can't blame it on that.
could it be the four meals i had yesterday?
or maybe the lack of activity i've been participating in.

but anyways, i'm all talk. i know what i should do, and i know that i should do it. but i don't.
i also don't sew anymore, but that's beside the issue.
sort of.
see, it all stems down to me not having time.
i don't have ANY time to myself. i have time to cook and to do homework and to grade tests. my life is, quite simply put, miserable--
with no time.
but honest? my life is great. i have a loving husband who helps with dishes (which i don't have time to wash), helps clean (which i don't have time to do), and lets the dog out early (which i don't like to do).
i have a beautiful home.
i have enough food to keep me healthy (obviously).
i just don't have time.

i hope to at least start my wii back up, but i make no promises. i get to bed late because i do homework, so i don't like waking up earlier than i have to.
i could walk, but i would be cutting into school time.
the easiest thing will be to eat better, so that i can promise to do. and i've been doing really well with having veggies in every meal, like i mentioned in a previous post.

the good news is that my clothes are still fitting well. once i get to where they're not fitting, i think i would cry. so i'll get to working so that i can go back into my skinny jeans (which are, yes, still hanging in my closet). don't get all excited. my "skinny" jeans are a size 16.

Accountability

This is an accountability check. That's progress, right?

Well, I have basically nothing to report this week other than I am lazy and eat too many cookies. I want to lose weight without having to get off my tush to go to the gym or quit eating sweets; I didn't win the genetic lottery, to borrow a phrase from Kyrstin. Leftover Halloween candy haunts me (luckily, it's almost gone) and Husband must have cookies in the house at all times. I'm going to start buying ones that I don't like (Pecan Sandies, Double-stuffed Oreos, Nutter Butters, etc.) so I won't eat them. Pretty much nothing that has chocolate in them. Can't. Resist. Chocolate.

I could attend Zumba once a week (it's only $5 a sesson here in town) but I don't have the time. Class starts at 7 and I start getting the baby ready for bed around 7:30. UGH! Does it ever get better? Before I had a kid, I just thought I was busy. I had no idea.

All this is compounded by the fact that Thanksgiving is coming. I loooooooooove Thanksgiving food. And I'm sorry, but yes, I'm going to overdo it. Sweet potato casserole, corn bread dressing, buttery rolls. Nothing is healthy about any of that. Thanksgiving comes but once a year and I will partake.
In more positive news, I did sign up for the American Heart Association walking program but I haven't even started. I signed up Monday and it generated a program for me that will start out slow and gradually increase in intensity for weight loss. I haven't done a thing all week. Maybe it will get better. But I have motivation...my brother is getting married in April and I don't want to be the fat sister.

I believe Kyrstin signed up. Does anyone else want to join us?

LeLe, out.

just another manic monday

seriously. my life has been crazy. i know i've mentioned before, but let me stress it again.
i work. full time. as in, 9 hour days because i always take a working lunch.
i have a second job. two nights a week, i teach and have lab at a local college. and i have all of the after hours prep for that, whether it's grading tests or preparing for lecture.
i am finishing my master's degree. this week, for that class, i have to make six discussion posts, do homework questions from the chapter, and write a paper that is anywhere from 5-10 pages.

so. i'm busy. we've established this. but i mentioned before that i was too busy to eat, so i've gotta get healthy! well, that's obviously false. when i weighed in at the hospital today, i was 207.2 lbs. i wanted to cry. that's a gain of 10 lbs since the wedding. i know, i know. you all warned me this would happen. but i was determined it would not happen to me.

it did.

so, this hard evidence (like my tight jeans weren't evidence enough) means it's time to change. when i say i'm too busy to eat, what i obviously mean is that i'm too busy to eat healthy. and it's quite embarrassing to admit this to you all, but i have been eating two dinners on class nights. worst part is that my husband will probably read this, and i just admitted to him that i'm doing what i whine at him about. i grab some junk from the drive through between work and class. then when i get home, i eat a second dinner of whatever husband made. i justify it by saying that they're both small meals, etc... but seriously- with how busy i am, i do not have much time for activity, so i need to rely on a healthy diet right now. and i'm not. that changes immediately.

so. what will i do?

• veggies with every meal. except breakfast, really.
• eat three solid meals a day. i can have a mid morning snack and a mid afternoon snack, but these are healthy. like laughing cow cheese with wheat thins, or a small bag of carrots, or apples and peanut butter.
• walking more often during work. it's really not great that i work 9 hours straight. sure, many of those days i'm up all over four different campuses, but some days i spend 9 hours in my office. those days, i need to get up. take a walk during lunch.
• get back to using my loseit app. i really only document the exercise because that's what i'm proud of. but i did my best at staying within my calorie limit when i used that thing daily.

and now, i leave you with this hilarious cartoon. thankfully, none of us are at this point, but you should laugh, too.

happy monday everyone.

i feel so... ugh... today

yuck.
we're all girls here, right?
i started my period today. that makes me feel ugly. i don't like it. anyways, i'm going to blame this weight on this weekend's meals combined with bloating of my period. thanks, nature.

but i'm not just going to sit here and feel ugly and icky. i'm going to do something about it.

i can say all i want that i'll start going to the gym "soon". everyone can say that.
i'm starting to go to the gym this wednesday morning.

i remember how happy i was when i was going to the gym on a regular basis. so starting wednesday, i'm back in the gym! i'm shooting for three days a week.
keep me accountable.

Sugar Fast Check-In

As I sit here, drinking a Diet Dr. Pepper and eating a Twix (no, those don't cancel each other out, unfortunately), I feel like a failure. But it's Friday. And I did good all week. Well, up until last night when I had four Chips Ahoy. I successfully avoided sugary substances other than a little vanilla creamer in my coffee or low-sugar jelly on my PBJ sammich (well, and a little Sunny-D and if we're being honest, I forgot I had Toaster Strudels for b-fast yesterday. I suck.) until last night before supper. And honestly? I didn't even really crave it. It also helped that I didn't have any change for the vending machine at work, so I wasn't tempted by all the chocolately goodness.

Yesterday, I had a moment of weakness with the cookies. But, Nabisco or whoever makes Chips Ahoy, is slacking on their cookie making because those things are a lot smaller than they used to be. Charging the same price while giving the consumer less. I guess in a way that's really GOOD for me, but I was sort of irked. Oh, well. I didn't need them anyway.

So, what have I been eating to replace my "desserts"? Yoplait yogurt. There are tons of fun flavors like Key Lime Pie, Orange Creamsicle, and Strawberry Shortcake. Whenever I have a sweet craving, I eat one of those and it staves off the sugar shakes.

I have a feeling this will get easier. I know it will. I've done it before, but it just takes some time. I know I'll pull through and will soon not have the OH-MY-LORD-I-NEED-CHOCOLATE-NOW tantrums. And that's good for everyone. :)

back on the wagon

I'm up to 200 lbs again. dangit.
so i'm actively-- i mean ACTIVELY-- back on track. i carefully planned all of my meals today, because i know that is my big problem. when i don't plan my meals, i eat too much. i ate a lot of food today, but it was all fresh and awesome, and i wasn't hungry at all.


8:45 am, Breakfast: 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries, 1 cup light-n-fit vanilla yogurt, and 1/4 cup homemade granola. Total: 289 calories


11:50 am, Lunch: 1 cup lettuce, 3 chopped mushrooms, 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped zucchini, 1/4 cup croutons, 2 tablespoons wishbone light balsamic basil dressing. Total: 132 calories.


3:10 pm, Snack: 1 cup fresh strawberries dipped in 1/4 cup light-n-fit vanilla yogurt. Total: 106 calories. (not pictured: beef jerkey, 82 calories)


5:10 pm, Dinner: 1 cup chicken tortilla soup, 27 tortilla chips (crunched up), 3/4 cup salsa. Total: 359 calories.


6:30pm Snack: 2 graham crackers- halved, 2 marshmallows, 1 hershey bar. Assembled into s'mores. Total for 2 s'mores: 374 calories.

Total for today, I've had 1342 of my allotted 1613 calories.
and.
i'm.
full.

It's awesome.
I'm back. I'll be keeping much better track now and documenting more what i eat, while being a lot more careful while i plan what i'll eat.

Plus, my reasoning is here now: my dress will arrive in about a month, and I'd like to use this month to lose weight for my one and only dress fitting.

down a size!

i've been a size 18 for as long as i can remember.

well, not as long as i remember. i clearly remember being a beautiful size 14 or 16, even down to a 12.

i'm no longer an 18.

i'm visiting my mother, and if you can remember, she's lost a ton of weight on weight watchers. i can give you her details, because i am pretty sure she's proud of where she's at. at her heaviest, she was a size 22/24. she now wears a 14. i'm so proud of her. well, since she's been losing weight, she has a lot of clothes that don't fit her. as she's giving me a lot of size 16 pants and shorts, i'm hesitant to even try them on because i know i'm an 18. it's all i have at home.

i tried them on.

they fit.

i got two skirts, two pair of shorts (i don't even remember the last time i wore shorts!!), and two pair of capris. and i feel skinny and beautiful in all of them. we're even the same size top now, so we've been sharing clothes all week. she loaned me one of her bras to try today, and while we were out shopping, we bought one of those for me. i feel skinnier for the first time in a long time. it's one thing for people to tell you you look like you're losing weight, it's another to begin to feel skinny.

however, i'm with kyrstin now, as i was just measured for my wedding dress. that's right, it's all official now. i'm engaged as of monday! so, although losing weight for a wedding is a great motivation for most people, i'm going to be trying to tone but maintain my weight at around this 190-mark. especially since my dress is being handmade for me here in pittsburgh, and i won't get another chance for a fitting until shortly before the wedding.

additionally, my engagement ring is too big. i'd rather it be too big than too small, because at least i can wear it with a ring guard to size it until we can get it resized. thing is, chris used a ring to size me in about december, a ring that used to fit on that finger before i lost the weight :-) so now it's too big because even my fingers are smaller. i love it.

oh, the ring is beautiful, too.

so happy

down another three pounds! wahoo!

yesterday, i wore a skirt for the first time in a long time. the biggest deal was that it's a skirt i've owned for years, but this is the first time i've worn it in about 4 years. and, it looked cute. yaaay! wish i'd taken a picture so i could post that on here also.

so my biggest hurdle had been watching my serving sizes. that, and eating even when i'm not hungry. i'm not saying that i'm past those hurdles, but i must be more on track than i think-- because i didn't work out at all last week (false- i played Wii one day with chris) and i still lost weight. just because that muffin's there? just because i *want* to eat four donuts? i try to only eat when i'm hungry and until i'm full.

this weekend i'll be going to the farmer's market. i'm excited about that and that i'll have a lot of fresh veggies and fruits in the house. i can't wait until we live down there, and i can go there any time for fresh foods.

of course, i'm about to hit the same dilemma as Kyrstin. i'll be doing some serious wedding dress shopping while in pittsburgh in three weeks, and since a lady is making it for me, and i won't have another fitting, i'll be trying to just maintain my weight-- tone also. so, do i try really hard to get more weight off in the next three weeks? or do i just coast along where i'm at? or, is it okay to lose more weight, and just have a tailor here do the last fitting for me? *sigh* this looks like a question for mom.