Non-Stop Christmas, etc!

I hope each and every one of you had a great Christmas! I sure did!  Santa didn't bring me a lower number on the scale, though! :(

I'm not even gonna post an official weigh-in this week. I am up.  I don't remember the exact amount!  Things have been MAD! Ha! I have been going non-stop since Thursday. I'm sure many of you can relate. Baking/making treats, wrapping presents, family gatherings, church, church friends' gatherings. Yesterday I went on a little road trip to Nashville with my sister to get my niece (she spent Christmas with her daddy in Arkansas). Tonight we're having Christmas dinner at my mom's. My sister's kids were both gone this Christmas, so we're getting together with them tonight to have dinner and exchange presents. Tomorrow is Christmas dinner at my Nanny's! Thursday is a birthday party! Friday is New Year's Eve, and I've decided to invite a few friends over. I can't wait for the weekend to finally unwind and relax! Ha!  This week is going to be brutal!  I am glad to be able to spend plenty of time with family & friends, though.  I can't wait to give my niece and nephew their presents!

Part of me wants to just throw my hands up and say "forget it" until the 1st. However, a little part of me knows with a little more work and a little more thought, I can pull through this week and at least maintain! It would super-easy to just quit right now. As I have made crappy choices the last few days, that thought has creeped into my mind. I don't WANT to quit! I WANT TO BE SKINNY!!!!!!!!!  I'm just so short on time and energy!  I hope I can pull it together this week!  I don't want that scale to start creeping too far in the wrong direction!  I can deal with a few pounds.  I don't like it, but it is what it is! 

I'm still in the game!  I'm trying hard today to keep better tabs on my intake.  I'm drinking my water.  I'm going to try really hard to exercise, even though it's going to be extremely hard to fit it in!  I hate getting up in the mornings to work out, but, I think I'm going to force myself.  Hopefully I'll have time this week to check back in.  Wish me luck!  HA! 

Weigh-In | 12.20.10 (FINALLY)

I'm here...I'm here!
I did weigh-in yesterday, but wasn't able to blog. It wasn't good, guys. It wasn't good. I was actually up a 1/2 pound! Ugh. Let me tell ya, I was really pretty excited Sunday morning when I weighed myself. I was actually down THREE POUNDS!!!!! Yeah. I know. You're wondering, What happened in one day????? My best guesses?

Chili's happened.
Hard Rock candy & my sister happened (ha!).
PMS set in (Hey, it happens).

On Sunday after church, my hubby & I went to lunch with some friends. I have one friend who REALLY LOVES Chili's. Haha. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, I was like, "Crap." Don't get me wrong, I love Chili's! Ha! I just knew what could happen. I love chips & salsa. Like, REALLY love chips & salsa. I ate a good bit of them, but I don't feel as if I ate waaaaay too much. Hubs & I got the 2 for $20 deal - but, we actually boxed one meal up as soon as it came out and split the other - Chicken Fajitas.  I felt in control.  I had exercised pretty hard that morning.  I had thoughts of going at it again when I got home. 

WRONG!  My sister ended up coming over - and I spent what was left of the afternoon straightening up, hiding/wrapping presents - and I didn't get that workout in!  My sister brought hard rock candy with her and I found that stuff ridiculously hard to stop eating!  I wasn't horribly worried about it, though. 

After weighing in yesterday and realizing that I was up....I quickly blamed Chili's.  All that sodium.  Chili's is so good, but so darn salty!  I realized yesterday after wanting to eat sooooo much that it was about that time...haha.  I just wasn't thinking about being so close, and all of a sudden it clicked with me.  PMS!  Ugh!  Yeah, seriously, my hands are swollen like crazy and I just feel incredibly fat.  My wedding ring that needs resized at this point is tight today.  I don't feel like the woman who's losing weight and feeling great, ya know?  So, I have been chugging the water today.  I'm going to work out so hard this week so I can hopefully get this fluid off of me!!!!  What a GREAT week to be battling this, right????  Christmas!?!  In all reality, all of the Christmas food doesn't even sound good to me!  I was thinking of that this morning.  I hope that mindset sticks with me this week! 

I hope everyone is ready to celebrate CHRISTmas!  I'm ready to get together with my family and celebrate Jesus' birth!!  I'm not sure what this week has in store for me - so, if I don't show up again until Monday, I definitely hope that each of you reading has a WONDERFUL, MEANINGFUL, and BLESSED Christmas!

MyFitnessPal - Free Weight Loss Tools

Weigh-In | 12.13.10



Wow...I'm just barely eeking this blog out in time.  I started it earlier, but ran out of time.  I got caught up in making a Christmas present this evening, and time got away from me!!!

First things first, I'm down 1/2 of a pound.  Grand total:  29.5!  This week wasn't the greatest of weeks, but it wasn't the worst, either.  Eating was decent (at best), I suppose.  Exercise, eh...not too bad.  I made it out to my first live Turbo Kick class in over a year, I believe.  That was fun! 

I had a pretty good start to my week.  I ate really well today.  One area I have been failing miserably in is being prepared.  I HAAAATE grocery shopping.  I put it off, and put if off.  Finally, I decided to go yesterday.  I totally stocked up, and feel more in control!!  Speaking of which...I HATE when I finally go to the store after bout of procrastination.  I.WANT.TO.EAT.EVERYTHING!!!  Last night I didn't fix dinner.  Hubby & I had eaten a good meal after church with friends...so we just kind of snacked all evening!  It's like I wanted to try one of everything!!!!  I know full well I probably would've been down a little more if it hadn't been for that little "episode."  Ugh.  Ridiculous.  I am planning to go to the store more regularly now.  I can't have that happening!

I've been thinking a lot about my weight-loss goals, since I hit the 10% mark.  I would like to set up a little goal/reward system.  I have a few goals in mind, other than my ultimate goal.  Hopefully I can finalize them in the next week or so and post them for you!  I'm trying to think of good rewards to go along with them.

What are some of the ways you like reward yourself after hitting a weight-loss goal?

It's a Blog Hop!!!

I love a good blog! Lately, I'm all about finding new weight-loss bloggers!  I've found so much inspiration & encouragement for my journey from reading them.  Over at Diminishing Lucy a blog hop has been started, and I decided to join in the fun! I'm excited to go check out all of the blogs! Go ahead, start clicking! Add yours to the list, too!

Hope you're having a great week!

Jo

Weigh-In | 12.6.10

Ok everyone...this is a post I've been nervous & excited to write.

First things first.  I'm down 2 pounds!  Yeah!  Grand total:  29 lbs!  This week's weight loss put me over the 10% mark!  Yes, I have now lost over 10% of my starting body weight.  That's the nervous part of this.  By admitting this, if you're decent at math, you now know my starting weight.  *Sigh*

Yes, back in August - I had ballooned to my highest weight EVER.  Two hundred and eighty-two pounds.  UGH.  My heart is thumping like crazy to admit my weight.  Ya know??  (We women are SO protective of our weight).  When I first started this blog, I thought I was 30 pounds heavier than when I got married the year before.  Recently I ran across my old Weight Watchers log from that time.  Um....was I off!  I had gained FORTY-THREE pounds in one year!  Ridiculous!  I was plagued with pictures like this:

Love my friend, but MAN...I was hating my fat face (for starters)!

I heart my sister and our goofy sense of humor.  Look at that double chin!  Yuck. 

The last picture is one of many that were taken on a road-trip with my sister.  She took one with her phone that day that made me realize how big I had become.  It was taken the weekend before I started this blog.  The one above isn't nearly as bad (but bad enough), and I'm glad I don't have the other! Ha!

So, now everyone knows where I've been.  Where I am now.  Also, you now know about how long the road ahead of me is!!  Keep following along.  I'm going to get there.  Wait and see. 

So, about this past week.  I honestly don't feel like I deserved the 2 pound loss I saw this morning.  My eating was way less than stellar, though not horrible.  It was a tough week.  Exercise was lighter than normal.  I'm experiencing a little bit of burn out.  The weather & time change has really made a huge difference in my activity.  So, I'm surprised the scale swung in my favor.  I'm very happy for it, though!  I'll take it and keep going.  I KNOW that kind of week won't happen twice in a row.  So, this week I'm going to pick up the pace!  Maybe.....just maybe....I'll go out and try to run.  Lord knows I miss it!  I want to test my hip.  It's been feeling a lot better. 

Well, that's about it for today.  I'm hoping to be around more this week.  I've missed blogging! 

Weigh-In | 11.29.10

So, how was everyone's Thanksgiving????  I hope that you've all survived the food...and hopefully, if you're watching your weight - you're lighter!  If so, comment and share a tip that helped you this year!

My goal for this past week was to lose, BUT, that didn't happen.  I maintained.  You know, I'm ok with that.  I had a great time with family and friends, indulged in some great food, and was able to get in some rest over the long weekend.  Good stuff!  I followed my plan pretty well.  I had some surprises thrown in, but, dealt with them fairly well.  I ate reasonably on Thanksgiving Day.  I burned over 1,000 calories before I headed to our dinner.  There was a sneak attack Thanksgiving dinner that could have derailed me, but, it didn't.  My dad sent me a text Friday evening and informed me of a dinner that I was not aware of.  It was the same day as my best friend's birthday shindig, and I thought, "Oh no...now I'm gonna have to work out TWICE as hard!  It all worked out.  I didn't eat much there, aside from the desserts that kept getting brought out.....yummy chocolate pie, no-bake cookies, and then.............oh no....my Nanny's peanut butter fudge!   I made it out alive with 1 piece of each.  Calories well spent.  I'm glad I got my work out in! 

So, here I am, the same weight as last week, recharged and ready to fight!  This season is definitely going to be challenging!  Are you up for the challenge???

Weigh-In | 11.22.10

Alright - here we go! 

I pulled it together and finished with a loss this week!  I lost 2.4 lbs.  Soooooo, I lost MORE than I gained last week!  Score!  :)  Total weight-loss:  26.5 lbs.!

I went to the doctor today.  No stress fracture.  Just a torn ligament and burscitis.  I'm not to run on it until pain subsides.  In fact, he recommended just walking.  He said that it burns fat better.  He said that running burns more glycogen than fat.  Mmmmkay, well, running burns more calories than walking.  I'm starting to look into this.......if anyone has any feedback or a good source - please share! 

Well, I don't have much more - I hope you liked my Thanksgiving Tactics.  So far, the plan is in place and I'm adhering to it.  Again, I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving! 

Thanksgiving Tactics

Being on this weight-loss journey and having read numerous weight-loss blogs pertaining to surviving Thanksgiving - I thought I should come up with a few tactics of my own.  After all, I'm giving myself "The Gift of Health" for Christmas, and that means I must survive Thanksgiving to get there. 

I got to thinking about Thanksgiving while I was walking this evening.  So far, I'm not really that worried about it.  I know that the potential is there to MAJORLY screw up my eating for the week.  I'm not stressing about it.  I have a plan!  Hopefully you can make it work for you!

• I'm going to eat well Monday - Wednesday.  If I screw it up during these days, it's going to be even harder on me in the aftermath.
• I will exercise all three days leading up to Thanksgiving.
• I will workout really hard on Thursday morning before I have to hit the road.  Fortunately, I live fairly close to family, and we typically eat late in the afternoon.
• I'm going to focus on my family instead of the food.  I'm thankful for them, and that's what this holiday is all about.  Thankfulness.  I want to make an extra effort to spend time with them all and enjoy them.  They're way more important than that second piece of pumpkin pie.
• I will take it easy on the items that I can have any time of the year.  Seriously?  Loads of mashed potatoes?  I love 'em, and I'll have some, but, I really want to spend more calories on things like Mamaw's stuffing & pumpkin pie.  Moderation is key.  One dessert will not kill me.
• I will eat well Friday - Sunday. 
• I will exercise Friday - Sunday 
• Hopefully, I will wake up on Monday and weigh less than I do tomorrow.
• If my plan fails at any point, I know that "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it." - Anne Shirley

I hope you all have a GREAT Thanksgiving.  I'll let you know how it turns out!  :)

:::1643:::

See that number?  That's how many calories I burned today!  I ATTACKED those calories!!! 

I spent the morning being a little lazy, and then I went on a walk with my neighbor, Wendy.  Here's Wendy and myself on a walk last month.  We saw this pretty yellow tree and stopped to take a picture.  I meant to post this picture a while back, but it kept slipping my mind...

So, I burned 440 calories from the walk.  Not bad.  I came back home and after a little while I decided to do 30 Day Shred.  253 calories.  How about some Turbo Jam?  Why not!  I put in the 30-minute Fat Blaster DVD and burned another 409 calories.  I was going to stop there, but, as I was walking out of the room - I just felt like I wasn't done yet.  I get like that when I exercise...It's a kind of addiction, really!  Sometimes I just want to see how many calories I can burn before I give up!  Ha!  So, I put in the 45-minute Cardio Party 2 DVD.  I racked up another 541 calories with that workout!  Let me tell ya - I'm feeling it now! 

Do you ever feel that way?  Do you get that "addiction" feeling?  I mean, there are some days that I surely do not feel that way.  I seem to have more of those days through the week - when I really have to make time for exercise.  The addiction days usually happen on the weekends - when I'm not as pressed for time.

After today, I'm definitely feeling more "on-track."  I feel like I have things back in control.  Thank God!  Hopefully, I can bust my rear tomorrow as well and have a good weigh-in on Monday.  I'm going to try to get out of bed EARLY in the a.m. to do 30 Day Shred and get things started.  I have to be at church by 7:45 for sound-check, so I don't know how easily that's going to happen!  I'm optimistic, though!  I have a plan! 

Well, that's probably all for this week - I'll check back in on Monday with my results!   Thanks for reading!  Have a great Sunday!

Resolve, Determination and Ramblings

"No matter how many times you get knocked down, keep getting back up.  God sees your resolve. He sees your determination. And when you do everything you can do, that’s when God will step in and do what you...can’t do."           - Joel Osteen

A friend of mine posted this quote on Facebook this morning, and MAN, did it speak to me!  Honestly, I can apply it to my life in multiple ways, but I did feel a connection to it and weight-loss today.  I'm feeling a little knocked down right now............and maybe some of it is that silly little gain this week?

My eating has been off this week.  Not horrible, not great.  Exercise has been worse, honestly.  I am not really motivated this week!  I mean, I have worked out, but the desire isn't as strong as it usually is.  I've had a HARD time getting up in the mornings to exercise.  I've felt so tired every morning!  30 Day Shred has been spotty.  I was doing so well with that, and after missing some last week - I've been inconsistent since.  I believe it's going to be turned into 34 Day Shred at this point!  I have toyed with the idea of doing it twice a day until I catch up...haha.  That may be too much Jillian Michaels for one person (I kid, I kid...)!  

I do have plans to work out tomorrow.  I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do...other than walk with my neighbor tomorrow afternoon.  I'm sure I'll do 30 Day Shred....maybe some Turbo Jam?  

In other news, I DID make an appointment to get my hip checked out.  I'm eager to do that...find out what's wrong and figure out what I can do to get back to where I was.  I MISS running!  I would LOVE to go for a run tomorrow, but, I'm not going to run on this hip until I figure out what's wrong.  I don't want to run the risk of further injuring myself.  This may be a little far-fetched, but this week I read up on common running injuries.  I'm a little concerned that I may have a hip stress fracture..... I guess we'll see.

So, I know that I really just need to get back up...dust myself off and keep on keepin' on.  I need to resolve this issue and muster up some more determination.  I AM committed to this - and I AM in this for the long haul!  I know that God wants me to be healthy and is going to help me get there!

 

Weigh-In | 11.15.10

I love my blog.  I love writing it.  I love losing weight.  I love sharing my success.  Today I will not be sharing success.  I will be sharing with you about failure.

I gained.  Yup.  I knew it was coming...  I've been worried that things were going too well.  That I was destined to hit a speed bump at some point.  I've maintained only once.  My gains were a big ol' goose egg until now.  Argh!  Now all that's changed.  Sad.  I'm up 2 whole pounds.  UGH!

Well, I know exactly what I did to get where I am today.  I did not eat well last week.  I'm not sure what it was.  I was just super-hungry last week.  This weekend I let the fat girl eat a little bit.  My husband and I went out for Mexican on Friday - and I thought I could totally deal with that.  Man.  We ordered our usual - fajitas.  We always split an order.  The chips kill me.  The endless chips!  And of course, there's the queso.  Ugh.  So good.  So bad for you!  Saturday I did go out for a LONG walk.  I burned a lot of calories, but it wasn't enough.  I missed THREE whole days of 30 Day Shred.  One day turned into 3.  The first was because I hadn't taken a day off in at least 2 weeks.  I ran out of time on Saturday.  Then I was feeling under the weather yesterday and didn't get it done.

See, I'm a little frustrated right now.  The "on my mind" section here on the blog has eluded that there is an issue.  A couple weeks back - when I completed the 45 min. run for C25K, I hurt myself somehow.  I don't know if it was too early to try for that run or what.  Since then, I've been hurting.  My leg hurts where it connects to my hip?  In the joint there... It's varied in intensity, but, the pain hasn't left.  I ran last weekend and didn't feel a thing.  This past Wednesday I went out to run, and immediately felt pain and ended up walking after a couple attempts.  I knew it was better to take it easy - I don't want to hurt myself any worse than I already am.  So - I'm about THISCLOSE to going to get it checked out.  Two weeks is too long.  I just don't know what I've actually done.  It doesn't hurt all the time.  Just when I first stand up, and sometimes lying on that side, and of course, when I run.  Weird.  It's really cut my activity down.  Running was my major calorie burner! 

Well, I got myself started off right this week.  I woke up early and got in 30 Day Shred, Turbo Jam, & a 15 min. walk before 7:30.  I've been eating well today.  We'll see what happens this week........

The Gift Of Health

So, I've been following a blog by a woman named Lorrie @ The Token Fat Girl for a while now.  She has posed a challenge this season.  To give yourself the gift of health for Christmas this year.  I'm taking her up on the challenge!  If you're interested - hop on over to her blog and see what she's doing to give herself the gift of health.

What does health look like to you?  What can you do in the 43 (yep...43!) days left until Christmas to give yourself that gift?  What changes would you make?  Be thinking about these things...I know I am.  I've been on my weight-loss journey for 3 months now.  It doesn't seem like it's been that long.  Things are going well.  I'm excited about my loss - and looking forward to future success.  So, I'm starting to think of different things I could do to further ensure that I give myself the gift of health this year. 

I could always eat even better than I have been.  There have been days that I don't eat enough fruits & veggies.  Most days, actually.  I love fruit.  Veggies are good, but I'm not big on them!  I like certain ones.  I've been thinking of trying a new vegetable every week.  Perhaps I could even sample some that I don't like and see if my tastebuds have changed (they do that), or if there's a different way to prepare them.  I could try some different fruits as well.  I think I'm going to take trip to the store this weekend and look around!  Haha.

Well, if you want to give this challenge a go - visit Lorrie's blog and tell her!  If you have the time, I'd love to know, too! 

Weigh-In | 11.8.10

Hel-lo weight-loss!  I LOVE YA! :) 

This morning I when I stepped on the scale, I was hoping to see 3 pounds.  I knew what I had taken in and knew what I had burned.  I was prepared to see less, but I was SHOCKED to see FIVE pounds!  Whaaaaaa?!?!  AWESOME!!! 

I had barely rolled out of bed...trying to convince myself to get 30-Day Shred over with for the day.  I thought, Well, let me go weigh myself....we'll go from there... Ha!  After doing my 5 lb. happy dance, I was READY for some Jillian Michaels!  I'm thinking, Let's kick it up a notch this morning!  Level 2, here I come!  Well,  I did bump the workout up to Level 2, but, I'm kinda wishing I hadn't.  Ha!  It was pretty crazy.  I made it through, but with MUCH modification... It was tough!  I probably should've stayed on Level 1 for a little bit longer.  I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow.  Level 1 is much easier now, after a full week!  My endurance has gone up, and even if I'm grunting through some of the moves, I'm sticking it out!  I want to quit SO bad, but I'm finding myself pushing harder.  I'm really looking forward to seeing the results of this workout at the end.  I really think that 30-Day Shred has definitely attributed to this bigger number this week.  I hope it continues, though I'm not expecting a 5 pound loss every week.  I wish I had taken measurements before starting.  That's something I really want to do this week. 

This week my eating was pretty good!  I've been staying at or just below goal - which, MyFitnessPal figures your exercise calories into you daily total.  Sometimes I eat some of my extra calories, but I try to avoid that.  I want to maximize my weight loss as much as possible.  This was my second week of using MyFitnessPal, and I'm still loving it.  It makes things pretty easy.  I logged my food all weekend, and was pretty good this weekend.  It's so hard to be good on the weekends!  That's typical "lazy" time, but with changing my weigh-in date, it really has been keeping my eating in check.  I find myself making better choices.  Telling myself no - unless I'm really hungry.  It's working! :)

Fat girl - you're going DOWN! :)

Some Ramblings...

Hey everyone...I don't have any real purpose for writing today, but thought I would share a photo from yesterday.  I got a lot of great comments and likes on Facebook yesterday - which really surprised me!  I thought the picture was just cool - because it was on top of one of the taller buildings in the city!  So, the compliments really took me by surprise!  Black is so flattering, right?!  Haha.  I think I look a LOT smaller in this pic than I really am!  Even with a heavy coat on!  I'm really enjoying the way my body is changing, though.  It's starting to get more noticeable.  I see changes almost daily now!  It's so motivating!

So, I had a great little lunch with my dad yesterday - and he's the one who took this shot.  From the top of the building I work in.  He had called me the night before, but I was asleep.  When I saw the number the next morning - I was kind of worried.  You see, my dad doesn't call me that often.  We don't really have what you call a "great" relationship.  Ya know?  Anywho - I called him back yesterday.  He was wanting to know what building I worked in.  See?  We don't really communicate much, right?  So I told him, and he says, "That's what building I've been working at all week!  What time do you take lunch?"  So I tell him - and we made some quick lunch plans.  Never mind the fact that I had already ordered a salad for lunch........

Lunch went very well.  Good conversation, lots of laughs....as it turns out, he's working for a company that is replacing the lighting on our building signs.  He was talking about being on the roof, so I asked if he could take me up there.  Of course, he agreed.  Now, this building isn't even remotely close to a skyscraper (17 stories), but, I don't know - it was just fun.  I'd always wondered how to get up there, you know...there had to be a way.....

So, in other news, I completed Day 4 of 30-Day Shred today.  All week I have been sore.  I mean, SORE!  It was hurting to WALK at some points!  Stairs were killing me!  It's all those lunges and squats!  I've been dealing with a slight running injury this week, and haven't been out to run since Sunday.  That's starting to feel better, plus, the soreness has started to ease up.  I think my body is starting to adapt.  Don't get me wrong - I grunted, growled & sighed all through that workout this morning...but, it didn't last all day!  Thank God! 

30-Day Shred (Take 2)

So, ok....now that I have totally completed Couch To 5K (something I had started a few times, but never finished), I was thinking I need to tackle something else of the same nature.  About this time last year - I got this video from Netflix to try it.  My sister-in-law talked about it a lot, so I wanted to see what it was all about.  I think I made it 3 days!  Haha.  I remember yelling at the screen A LOT!!!  I gave up! 

Well, it's been in my queue for a LONG time to try again.  Now is the time.  I'm in better shape now than I was a year ago.  Even with that said, putting this DVD in will make you quickly realize - you're not in as good of shape as you thought!  Instead of yelling at the screen this time - I'm growling and sighing.  You don't stop.  For 20 minutes.  Jillian says - if you want to see results in a 20 minute workout - you CAN'T stop.  Makes sense!  I've only tried Level 1 so far.  It's full of jumping jacks, butt-kicks, punches, jumping rope, lunges & other strength moves, and various crunches.  I'm intrigued, but slightly scared of Level 2 right now.  Ha!  We'll see.  I should take a look at all the levels. 

After 2 workouts, I can definitely feel that I worked out hard!  Even though it's short, it's a total body workout.  I feel "the burn," just about everywhere today!

Supposedly you can lose 20 pounds in 30 days with this video.  We'll see what happens.  I'll let you know how I progress through the levels.  Let me know if you give this video a try!

Weigh-In | 11.1.10

Today I’m happy to report that I’m down 2.2 lbs.!  Which FINALLY puts me over the 20 lb. mark!  Tally:  21 ½ pounds! 

This past week I did things a little differently.  I ran across a website called Myfitnesspal.  It’s really pretty cool.  You plug in all your specifics – gender, age, weight, goal weight, how much you want to lose per week, and how much you exercise, and how you spend your day.  It will give you a calorie goal to reach your weekly weight loss.  You can log all of your food on the website - and they have a huge database of food entries.  You can just search for a food and add it to your daily total.  It keeps track of your calories, fat, carbs and protein.  You also log your exercise each day.  One thing I found interesting was that each day when you finish your logging – it will tell you, “If every day were like today, you would weigh X amount in 5 weeks.”  I found that pretty inspiring.  Some days it was more inspiring than others, though.  Haha.  Did I mention that this site is completely FREE? :)

Oh, and this website has a fully-functional iPhone app, too!  You know, I logged my food every single day with this website & app!  I counted very few “real” calories.  The info was on the site/app, and I just plugged it in.  The math was done for me...so easy!  I’m going to continue to use this site, since it helped me to have a more successful week.  One thing I found interesting is that the calorie count for Myfitnesspal is actually lower than Weight Watchers.  I’ve always been told that 1 point is roughly equivalent to 50 calories.  I had a difference of 450 calories each day.  3,150 extra calories per week?  You have to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound……..so yeah…think about it!  Weight Watchers, I love ya….but, I didn’t feel deprived this week with a lower count.  I’m moving on.  Thank you for teaching me some healthy habits.  I’m carrying those on over to Myfitnesspal and using them there….

So, I’d love to share some positive things that went on this week!  There were quite a few that didn’t have to do with the number on the scale!

In one week I:

- Tightened bra straps

- Had some loose shoes (I’m not self-conscious about my feet, but I’ll take it!)

- Wore a pair of jeans to work that I hadn’t been able to wear in MONTHS!

- Ran 45 minutes for the first time in 5 years!  (This was the *official* completion of C25K!)

Well, that's all I have for now.  If you happen to try out Myfitnesspal, look me up as "freendeed280."  I just found out that you can change your user name once.  I just did!  Now you can find me as "skinnygirlfreed."  I love it when everything matches!!! :)

Weigh-In | 10.25.10

Ok, ok...I'll post.  I'm not exactly hanging my head in shame..........BUT, I'm down 1/2 pound.  Eh...it's not that bad, halves make wholes, right?  Somewhere along the line I'll even that out with another half pound.  Hopefully that 1/2 pound will follow a bigger number.

It just kinda stinks because I had a few extra days to make this weigh-in a little bigger, but instead - it's smaller!  Boooo!  Oh well.  At least I'm down.  Believe me, it could have been worse!  I was TERRIBLE this past weekend!  TERRIBLE!  Haha.  The whole Monday weigh-in philosophy went right out the window.  Seriously....right....out...the....window! 

First mistake:  Failing to give away my leftover office Trick-Or-Treat candy to the shelter.  My slightly selfish, kinda brilliant plan back-fired.  We only get a handful of trick-or-treaters at my house.  Sooooo, I thought, I'll just take this home and use it for trick-or-treat night.  That way I won't have to buy more last minute on Wednesday....or Thursday - knowing me.  I mean, hey....I've given it away every OTHER year......*sigh*

Outcome:  Less than 1/4 of the candy I brought home remains.  BAD JO.  Well, Scott ate some, too. ;)  At least SOME of it is left, right?  Ugh.  Darn Reese cups.

Second mistake:  Going to my sister's house Friday evening.  Not really......I love my sister and her family. :)  Upon arrival I was greeted with mac 'n' cheese, regular soda, salt & vinegar chips (our FAVE), and dear Lord - she had one of my favorite ice creams (Extreme Moose Tracks).......yeah...total sabatoge.  Pre-menstrual Jo-Jo had fun on Friday night!  Haha.  Sorry for the TMI...

Outcome:  I had a HECK of a lot of calories to work out Saturday!

Postives:  I had 2 major workouts this weekend.  I worked out at Anytime Fitness on Saturday afternoon.  Sunday I ran a couple of miles and walked a couple more.  Both workouts were over 1,000 calorie workouts. :)

I'm seriously hoping to do better this coming weekend.  I will stay far, far away from my sister's house (sorry Mandie...lol), and stick to program.  I am sooooo ready to be down an official 20 pounds! 

Have a good week!

A Change Would Do You Good

Are you singing that Sheryl Crow song now?  Sorry if that gets stuck in your head!

I'm writing today to tell you that I'm moving my weigh-in day.  And before you even think it.....I'm actually down this week.  (I mean, come on, it's not "official," but I did weigh in)  My weigh-in will now take place on Monday.  I'm doing this to keep myself more focused on the weekend.  I've mentioned having trouble in this area before.  I'm always playing catch-up afterward.  I usually slack off and don't count my points.  I eat things I shouldn't be - and typically too much of it!  Hopefully this will help keep things in check.

I have to say - I have a great support system in my best friend, Laci.  We're both doing this thing - and succeeding.  She's lost 15 pounds!!  Yay!  We tell each other our weigh-in successes the day of, we email back and forth about the foods we're eating and the exercise we're doing.  We've been walking together on our lunches.  It's been great! :)  Now we're both changing our weigh-in day to Monday to keep us both on track and to share in our successes the same day!

Here's me & Laci on a little hike last weekend. 

So, last night I went out for a run.  I set out to do the typical 30 minutes.  I ended up running 36!  Nothing huge, but I went for it.  It was totally "mind over matter."  Since it was late, I just ran this flat street close to the house (mine has a huge hill) over & over.  About halfway into the run, I really wanted to stop, but even then I realized that my legs weren't hurting......the only thing that was bothering me was my breathing.  I'm still hanging onto a little bit of a cold, so I think that's the problem.  When 30 minutes was up, I was all the way at the end of the street.  I could've stopped then.  I pressed on! :)  After it was over I felt great! :)  I looked up the mileage later, and realized that I had run just over the distance of a 5K!  It was the first time since doing Couch To 5K that I had actually covered the distance.  :)  Woo hoo! 

Tonight I went to Anytime Fitness for the first time.  I'm trying to get myself geared up for the winter months.  I'm not sure yet, but Anytime Fitness seems pretty cool.  You really can work out anytime of the day or night.  I started a free 7-day trial today - and if you go to their website and fill out the pre-registration form, they'll send you an email giving you the trial.  They have a pretty good variety of machines.  It wasn't super crowded.  One of my favorite things was that all of the treadmills, bikes and ellipticals had built in TVs!  That might help me like the treadmill a little more!  I'm not sure if I'll end up joining or not.  I really don't want to join a gym - but I want to have options this winter.  I hope this winter is mild and I don't have to fight too much cold.  I really hope the "s" word doesn't come into play much.

Oh well - I'll be back on Monday with my weigh-in result!



Is Your Belly Growling?

So, I know that this is not by any means ground-breaking, but, I'm trying out something new.... 

I'm not eating until my belly growls.  Not little gurgles......You know?  The growl that you can feel?  So far, I have gone all day without eating.  At 11:30 I had the slightest little gurgle....but, it never turned into a growl.  Here it is, inching closer to 8pm, and I've had nothing but a coffee all day.  Crazy?  Pretty much - I've exercised twice today!

I'm waiting until I'm actually hungry before eating.  I mean, that growl - that's the actual cue to eat saying, "Hey you with the mouth......I need some food!"  After all, food is just fuel for our bodies, right?  Why do we focus so much on it???  I was talking with a friend the other day - and we both admitted that we pretty much plan our days around food....meal-to-meal..  I'll admit - I constantly think about what I'm going to put in my mouth next.  Constantly.  Food is GOOD.  Everyone knows that!  :)  However, I need to look at it in it's truest, simplest form.  FUEL.  To keep my body running properly.

The other day I thought about how often I eat out of habit.  I get to work...put my lunch away, and fix my breakfast.  Sure, some days I know I'm hungry - but, how many of those days am I eating out of habit?  Even after breakfast,  I'll sometimes eat a little snack.  Whether I do that or not, I'm counting down the time until noon - because hey...that's when I eat.  Dinner is at different times in the evenings - but, it's out of habit as well.  It's usually really close to when my husband comes home from work.  Habit, habit, habit.......

So, maybe this approach is a little extreme, but, I feel like I really need to get this feeling of hunger in check.  Sometimes life isn't going to allow this approach, depending on where I'm at, what I'm doing, who I'm with, etc.  I think it's definitely going to cut down my food intake, though.  It should cut out some unnecessary snacking.  Today has been a little on the extreme side, because I ate kind of heavier foods yesterday.  Isn't that crazy?  I obviously ate enough food yesterday to tide me over for practically another whole day??? 

I'm sure once I eat tonight (granted my stomach growls, haha), things will taper off and I'll be hungry more often.  I'm still planning to follow Weight Watchers as normally as possible, but, I just have to do this...........I want to know what true hunger feels like.  To get rid of the "habit."

Weigh-In | 10.14.10

So...guess what?!  I'm amazed!  After some *pretty* careful eating the last couple of days, a great workout (finally) last night.... I'm DOWN 1.8!!!  Seriously?!  I was so stinkin' happy when I stepped on that scale this morning!  I was honestly hoping to maintain.  I'm not gonna pretend I didn't *know* what I was dealing with.  I know I've mentioned before - I weigh myself all the time...haha.  At one point this week, I was UP 5 pounds!  Not cool!

Anyway - I'm doing the happy dance!  After a few days without exercise and a little bit of being a sicky, I realized that this is normally where I may throw in the towel.  Not on purpose, but, the momentum slows, and actually going out to exercise turns into thinking about going out.......then to wishing I were going out, but I don't wanna....then to "Ohmygosh my pants are too tight!"  It's a week like this that you have to dig in a little deeper and act on those desires, think about how far you've come, and get busy! 

Last night I did my first C25K workout in just about a week!  Again, a little under the weather, so I didn't push myself TOO hard.  I stopped 1/2 way to stretch and then continued on.  I wanted to stop SO bad!  The last 2 minutes sucked so bad, because it was uphill.  I was determined, though.  I finished that run!!  That was all I was planning to do last night, BUT I ended up bumping into my walking buddy on her way out, so I turned around and walked all the way back around where I had just run!  Another 2+ miles!   Calories burned:  1001!  :)  AWE-SOME! :)  I felt great!

I'm so thankful for the success I'm experiencing!  I asked for God's help with this - and hey...He's been faithful!  :)  I know that He wants me to be healthy...and I'm pressing on to see this journey through.  I mean, why stop now?  He's given me this help - why be lazy and let the weight pile back on?  It'd be kinda like a slap in the face, right?!

Until next time!  :)

Road-Trip Redemption

My sister-in-law & myself on "Top of the Rock!"

So, as I mentioned on Thursday, I went on a little road trip.  My sister-in-law and I went to New York City!  We went on one of the cuh-RAZY red-eye bus trips!  If you're not familiar - we left on Friday evening and drove through the night.  We were dropped in Times Square to spend the day in the city.  We were picked back up at 11pm and drove back home through the night.  Exhausting!  We walked ALL OVER the place!  I got my exercise in, but, man.....it took a toll on me!  When I got home, I realized I was completely swollen!  My legs, ankles and feet were soo crazy swollen! 
Like I said, we walked a LOT.  I didn't eat a lot, but, I had things that were bad for me.  I had 2 cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (mmmmmmmm) and General Tso from some random place in Chinatown, and a piece of non-descript chain pizza in Time Square.  I wanted to have real NYC pizza, but it just didn't pan out. 

Once I came home, I slept and slept and slept.  I slept about 12 hours - was up for one and then went right back to bed!  I only ate once that day, really.  I had a Whopper Jr and some fries that my hubby brought me.  Then yesterday - I wasn't good either!  We had DiGiorno for lunch and Chinese for dinner.  UGH! 

So let's just say - I'm SOOOOO not looking forward to weighing in on Thursday.  It's going to take some major kick-butt exercise effort to redeem myself.  I haven't done anything since Saturday!  I'm sitting here now eating a salad from Subway - trying to take control back from my road-trip!  But hey.......I had fun, and I know I'm STILL in control here! :)  This week I will get back to normal! :)

Weigh-In | 10.7.10

Hello everyone!

Today's weigh-in was a success!  I am down 2.2 lbs.  I'm so including that .2 in there, because, baby - it may not be a pound, BUT, I worked hard for it!  I'll get to that in just a second.  I am down SEVENTEEN pounds!  Oh yeah!  Can you guys tell that I'm getting excited?  I hope so!  So, yes, the freshman 15 is gone, plus 2 more! :)  If you all remember from my first post - I'd gained 30 pounds over the last year.  Sooooo, over half of that weight is off of me!  It's really exciting to see things adding up.  Yesterday was the 2 month mark.  I honestly can't believe it's been 2 months!  It's amazing how time flies!  Typically, I would be thinking, Oh my gosh...it's been so long...I've only lost 17 lbs?!?  Not this time!  My mindset is COMPLETELY different.  I'm in it for the long haul this time.  Absolutely no turning back!

So, one of my goals for this past week was to TRACK my eating.  Every bite.  Did that happen?  NOPE.  Tracking is so annoying to me.  I've been noticing a trend on the weekends - I'm not tracking much then, either.  I have the running tally in my head, but, I know there are times I go over.  Thank GOD I love to exercise.  It REALLY makes up for the days I'm slacking.

This past Saturday was rough.  I had planned to continue my habit of working hard on Saturdays.  I've been burning no less than 1000 calories.  Before noon.  I had a major lack of motivation this past Saturday.  I slept in for the first time in weeks.  No problem.  Then I get up start looking for something to eat.  I wasn't in the mood for anything, except for the stupid Kraft Caramels that I bought for no good reason other than I hadn't seen them in a while.  So I got about 3 or 4 and sat down to watch a movie.  Then I got 3 or 4 more.  I kept going back for more - and guilt started to set in.  I knew how many points were in 5 of those babies.  All of sudden I had a brilliant idea.  I'll just finish off the bag so I won't have to worry about them anymore.  Heh.  Fortunately, about 1/4 to 1/2 of the bag was left.  Still ridiculous.  So I felt terrible.  What was that??????  Finally after my movie went off, my friend Chas called - and I mentioned how unmotivated I was.  I know she wasn't entirely serious, but she told me to get my butt in gear and be done with exercise by 2.  Finally, I pried myself from the couch and went to the track to do a C25K workout.  Then I walked 3+ miles.  Just over 1500 calories.  I wasn't too worried about the caramels after that...haha. 

Speaking of C25K, today I started my final week!  Final week?!?  I can't believe that by the end of this week - I will technically be in shape to run a 5K.  How cool is that?  I haven't been able to say that in about 5 years! Initially, I set out to do this only for exercise.  Now I'm thinking that I may like to run one.  Have I mentioned the one and only 5K I've run?  Came in dead last.  I finished, though!  Haha.  Not to make excuses, but I had been training for a 5K, and the week before - I got sick.  It was about this time of year, and the weather snapped.  I didn't get to run after I was well until the race.  I swear, between the cold air in my lungs and taking off too fast, I was sabotaged.  One of my co-workers is a marathon runner, and he was running that race.  He finished the race and actually started back down the course.  He found me and ran with me to make sure I finished.  Marshall rocks! :)  I can't remember my time (I didn't care about it at that point)...but I'm thinking that I'd like to try again!  Hopefully I'll be at LEAST next to last!!! Haha!

So, I'm going on a little road trip this weekend.  I'm kinda worried I'll splurge a little too much.  I'm saving up my extra points...and I'm going to HAVE to use my exercise points I earn this week.  Of course, I'll be doing a lot of walking, I'm sure.  So....we'll see.  I'll post some pictures next week. :)

Have a great weekend & week! 

Jo

P.S.  - Have I mentioned how much I HATE running on a track?!?!?!

Weigh-In | 9.30.10

Yep.  I'm down.  Woo hoo!  I'm not going to lie.  I got on the scale this morning and saw 1.8 and thought, "Seriously?????!!!???"  I worked super-hard this week.  HOW-EV-ER, I AM down.  I didn't maintain.....I didn't gain.  We're cool.   I have visible results, and that's what really should matter.

Total poundage lost:  14.8! 

So close to 15!  Fifteen! :)

So here we go into week 8.  There are areas to improve this week.  I did NOT eat perfectly.  I don't want to pretend here.  I need to work on my fruits and veggies.  I get them in MOST of the time, but some days I struggle.  Typically it's because I'm unprepared more than not wanting to eat them.  I struggle with veggies more than fruit.  I love fruit.  Veggies - eh - I stick to the salad variety.  I don't venture out too much more than that. 

Exercise - If I'm not mistaken, I worked out EVERY DAY.  Some days my activity was higher than others, but it was up there most days!  I typically don't struggle in this area.  If I do, there's a pretty legit reason.  I just struggle with what I eat!  It was definitely better this week.  I was more strict.  I could have been better, though.  I do really well keeping my points in check through lunch and snacks.  I'm really bad about recording my points for dinner.  I always know how many points I have for dinner.  I just may lose track of what I've actually eaten sometimes.  This week I'm recording everything!  EVERYTHING! 

Hopefully next week I'll have the "Freshman 15" gone!  And then some! :)

Progress.....

So ok, I'm getting a little bored with this blog.  I've been mainly posting my weigh-ins, and that's about it.  Sometimes there's a little more......but I don't know... I think I need to step it up a little.  I'm not sure how, though.  I've been trying to find some new blogs to inspire me...

This week has been going pretty well.  Since I last wrote, I met a woman in my neighborhood - and we've been walking.  Her name is Wendy.  She stopped me when I was on my way in from a run and we got to talking...she's been wanting a walking buddy.  So we've been walking quite a bit.  In fact, after our last walk - we were up to almost 15 miles!  We're still trying to work out our schedules and commitments and such - but we're both on the same page.  Both of us want to kick this fat to the curb!

I finished up week 7 of Couch To 5K today.  All 3 workouts were runs of 25 minutes.  They have all gone pretty well.  Most of the time I wish my neighborhood wasn't mostly uphill.  Though I think that it's making me stronger - since I'm pushing through it.  It's kinda fun sometimes.  I'll push myself up one hill, you know...dying by the top of it - and I get to kinda "fly" down the other side.  I feel like a "real" runner then.  Ha! 

I have also been doing some Turbo Kick.  I need to step that up a little.  I haven't done it since Saturday.  I did two 45(ish) minutes videos then.  I'm a glutton for punishment, really.  I've been pushing myself really hard on Saturdays.  After the videos Saturday, I went out for a 3+ mile walk with Wendy.  Again....lots of hills....they kick our butts.  I'm enjoying getting to know Wendy - it's nice to have some support. :)

So...I'm *hoping* I'm down this week.  After last week's maintain - I need it.  I've been working hard and eating well, so I feel like I totally deserve it this week!  Fingers crossed. :)

Weigh-In | 9.23.10

Apparently these ladies are trying to burn fat somehow...

Ok...so I didn't lose this week.  I'm trying to humorous about it. 

"Excuse:"

Was "under the weather" and not feeling like exercising most of the week.  Ok...just gonna throw it out there.  I had a UTI this week.  These things ALWAYS affect me in my lower back...and I don't feel like doing much activity.  This one was worse than usual.  Blah.  Enough whining.

Positives:

I maintained.

I worked out hard on Saturday!  I burned off 1675 calories working out that day.  1375 was before noon!  Woo hoo! 

I worked really hard yesterday to make up for some lost time.

I wore a cute shirt for the first time - that previously did not fit me well. :)

Bottom line:

I didn't follow program as well as I could have this week.  I wasn't at all bad, I just wasn't great, either.  Somehow when we're not feeling well, we seem to "validate" not eating right....

Weigh-In | 9.16.10

Down one.  1 little pound.  So I've been a little annoyed and frustrated today.  I guess I was expecting a bigger loss.  Anything two & above and I would've been fine!  I've eaten pretty well this week.  I've exercised almost every day!  Some days more than once!  

I've had some negative thoughts today...about quitting...and I KNOW that's stupid.  STUPID.  Especially when I lost weight!   It's not like I stayed the same or gained!  Ha!  I just want to keep my momentum going.  As I've mentioned before, it's NOT easy!  I guess I'm to a little point where I'm going to kick this thing into a higher gear.....or get lazy.  I DO NOT WANT TO GET LAZY!!  I AM in this for the LONG HAUL! 

So,  with all that out of my system, today I read a little bit about muscle and fat.  Sooo many people say that muscle weighs more than fat.  NOT TRUE.  I love to bust people on that one!  Muscle or fat....a pound is a pound!  Muscle takes up less space than fat. 

Maybe I didn't lose much this week because I've lost weight BUT gained muscle?  I mean, I can really see it.  I can definitely see it in my legs from the running.  I'm wishing I'd paid closer attention to the body fat percentage this morning.  I just focused on the weight.  I have seen differences just about everywhere.....and THAT'S what I SHOULD be focusing on, right?  I've noticed some changes in my clothes this week.  That was encouraging... :)

So, this week's goal: 

Stay focused on the changes instead of the numbers.  I know the numbers are going to change..........I'm NOT giving up! :)

My Latest Breakfast Kick...

Ok, ok...I'm not really eating these for breakfast!

However, I have been making a delicious oatmeal recipe lately that tastes almost exactly like these!  It's sooooo good! :)  My sister-in-law gave me this recipe last year, and she calls it "Power Oatmeal."  She said she thinks she got it from "The Zone" diet or something similar.  You may have run across it before....but, I love it!  It has seriously filled me up in the mornings, and it tastes quite a bit like a no-bake cookie!  Extra protein can help you build muscle.......which in turn can help you burn more fat! :)

POWER OATMEAL

1 package plain instant oatmeal

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

1-2 packets of splenda (optional)

Cook oatmeal according to package directions.  Add protein powder, peanut butter & splenda and mix well.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:  285 calories/10g fat/3g dietary fiber

Reduce these stats by using a reduced fat PB!

Hope you're all having a great Monday!

Weigh-In | 9.9.10

Ok…first things first. This week – I’m down 2 pounds. Woo hoo! 

Grand total...

So, to some, that may not seem like a lot. It’s kind of crazy how much of a difference just 10 pounds makes. I say that just about every time I start losing weight. I have really started to see differences.  It’s so motivating! Controlling what I eat is hard...I’m still struggling with that.  I don’t think that will ever really go away. I hope it does!

One thing I’ve noticed in the last few days is how much energy I have! It’s nuts! I find myself when I’m sitting at work or wherever, tapping my feet or bouncing my legs. It’s all this crazy pent-up energy. I’ve worked out pretty hard this past week. I only missed one day! It’s amazing to me how I can work out pretty hard, and STILL have crazy energy! I find myself wanting to exercise more than once a day. Part of it is energy, and part of it is just the fact that I want this weight off!!!!!

Couch 2 5K is getting harder…and easier at the same time. I started Week 5 today. My running will start to vary by day now. On my last run this week (there’s 3), I will run for a full 20 min. I’m going to have to push myself a lot harder.  Even though the walking is decreasing and running increasing - I'm doing it...I'm not walking.  I just keep going.  I hubby bought me an armband for my iPhone, and it's been wonderful!!  It's nice to run hands-free.  I’ve also been doing Turbo Kick on my off days, which is really helping.  It's a great workout.  It makes me feel strong...

I tried some new things this week. I made potato salad with cauliflower instead of potatoes. It wasn’t my thing, but I took it to some cookouts and people ate it…some even liked it! I split my hot dog weiner in half at one cook-out and put them on two buns. I found that satisfying.  I took half of my food home from a restaurant. It’s little things that I have been changing – and it’s been helping a lot!  Be flexible, creative and adventurous!  Don't be afraid to do things differently!  I know it’s the only way I’m going to keep this going!  I WILL keep this going. 

Baby Carrots - The New Junk Food?

A co-worker brought this article to my attention.  I had to post it.  If you've been following along, you should recall my love for baby carrots.  Haha.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/09/03/baby-carrots-new-junk-food/

"Scarrots" made me chuckle...  :)  Give those out at Halloween, and your house is bound to get egged.  Or TP'd.  Haha.

I still just can't really dig the carrots.  I'm thinking I'm just going to try to be sneaky with them.  I've heard of shredding them up into spaghetti sauce.........I think I'm going to have to try it.

Weigh-In | 9.2.10

So.........things weren't quite as bad as I imagined!  :)  I'm down 2 pounds today, for a grand total of 10!  I was so happy!  Things were not TOTALLY sabotaged! :)

Going into Week 4 of this - I've noticed some differences.  The Couch To 5K program is really working.  I was kind of dreading the change in running this morning.  Last week running and walking were about even.  This week.....it changes to running more than walking.  I noticed this morning that I was able to run easier and longer.  You know, a few years back when I first started running - I was able to start out running - no problem.  If I remember correctly, the first time I went out - it was about a 1 1/2-2 miles and over a period of time increased to close to 5 miles!  No walking!  It's so strange, because I know I have the endurance to run like that, but with this program - I am always looking for that "walk."  I find myself checking my phone to see how many minutes I have left to run before the walk.  It kinda grates on my nerves.  Oh well. 

Anywho - here we go!  Week 4!  As I said yesterday, this week WILL be better! :)

I RESISTED The Birthday Cake!

On the first workday of the month, we always have a birthday cake for everyone who has a birthday that particular month.  I usually partake.  Today...I did NOT go upstairs for it!  I hadn't prepared for it - I had honestly forgotten.  However, I had a little Fiber One bar (Oats & Chocolate) tucked away in my drawer.  I don't need cake!  Ha!

One little thing at a time............

Confession Is Good For The Soul.....

So...I've been MIA for a little while.  I took a long weekend this past weekend.  My husband and I celebrated our 1st anniversary on Sunday.  So, we had off all weekend, Monday & Tuesday.  It was sooooo nice!  We ended up staying at home and relaxing.  It was great!  Except for the fact that I ate too much!  We did go out to a little anniversary lunch on Sunday after church.  We went to Hibachi.  I didn't find much "accurate" nutrition info for their food, but we went anyway.  I just told myself it would be a "cheat" day.  After all, I did well on Saturday - and I went out for a run.  That was the last time I worked out!  Time kinda got away from me.  I had good intentions........

~Here we are on our anniversary @ Hibachi~

Anyway - the eating thing...it's SO much harder for me when I'm at home.  With my options wide open, I snacked....and snacked...ugh.  I did try to get things back on track yesterday.  We did kind of a brunch thing at Bob Evans...and I got a lighter option - so that was two meals in one.  However, my friend Steph's birthday dinner was at Outback last night.  I ended up hungry in the meantime.  I tried to prepare in advance....I looked at Outback's menu & nutrition info.  OH MY!  I had heard that they were bad...........but MAN, I was seriously wondering what I was going to eat!  SEVERAL things I looked at were over 1000 calories.  For ONE MEAL!  *sigh*  I remember looking up one entree - and it was 42 points!  That's WAY over the points I have for the day!!!!  I didn't do TOO bad overall.  I did have a little bit of cheese fries and bloomin' onion.  My meal was supposedly under 500 calories since they listed an option to have it made without butter.  I was glad to see that option! 

So with all that said, I got on the scale this morning............and I'm up a little.  I'm not surprised.  I'm hoping I can break even this week!  We'll see.  I was ready to go this morning.  I packed a healthy lunch, parked at the mall and walked to work (I usually just park in the building), took the stairs (7 flights), and have a positive attitude....  No matter what the scale says tomorrow, next week will be better!  This was a week of celebrations - and I'm not going spend time feeling guilty about celebrating love and awesome people in my life!

Weigh-In | 8.26.10

Today is my official Week 2 weigh-in!  I'm down 3 pounds!  If you're keeping score - that brings me to a total of 8 pounds! 

So, I have to admit.  I weigh myself CONSTANTLY.  Even when I'm not dieting (I hate that word).  I've heard you're really only supposed to do it once a week.  However, I pass by that scale and it makes me think, "Hmmm."  So I've been weighing myself at LEAST once a day!  Which means that yesterday I already knew how much weight I'd lost.  It was the same today.  RAWR!  Haha.  I was really hoping for another pound.....or two!  It's not a big deal - I'm happy with 3.  It's more than the "healthy recommendation."  This morning I was a little disappointed, though.  Oh well, moving on!  I know the things I've done wrong this week.

One thing I have trouble with is my evening meal.  I can do SO well all day!  I have my breakfasts and lunches all planned out.  I haven't been doing much extra snacking at work.  I pretty much stick to what I brought.  Dinner is harder.  I'm good at figuring out how many points are in what I cook, BUT, it's time consuming......and who wants to make the dinner process LONGER????  So, I've been kinda guessing a little.  No more!  My goal for the coming week is to either plan it in advance and try to figure it out, OR spend every little minute it takes to figure it out during the process.  It WILL be worth it.

I want to share a few sites that I like!  First off is the Hungry Girl website.  I LOVE her! :)  She takes restaurant foods that we love (and more) and puts her own healthy spin on them.  Click on her "Chew The Right Thing" tab and there is a whole archive of recipes!  It's great!  I have tried a few of her recipes - and they are very good!  She also has some books out, and is coming out with a TV show!  I have her book 200 Under 200.  And yes, that's 200 recipes under 200 calories!  I really need to crack that book and make some more of her recipes, since I'm in the game again....

Another site I've been using just about daily is The Daily Plate.  If I'm not sure of the nutrition info in a certain product, I just check on there!  They have restaurants listed and just about any food you buy at the store!  It's come in handy on those mornings I packed things for lunch and didn't have time to actually figure out it's points value.  Be careful, though.  Look first for the entries with the "verified" symbol.  If it's not there, check for multiple entries and compare.

Tomorrow my friend, Laci and I are going to get together and try to replicate a delicious wrap we've eaten at Salad Creations(Fajita Chicken Wrap).  Don't let those "healthy" sounding restaurants fool you!  Check the info!  I tried this wrap some time ago - and figured it was pretty low.  Uh....NO.  Even though it's a big one, it was around 16 points for that sucker!  NO thanks!  It's just grilled chicken, veggies, croutons, dressing and a tortilla!  So, we're only really going to tweak the wrap and the dressing.  That should take it down a LOT!  I'll post the outcome!

CONSTANT PEP-TALKS

So, now that I've embarked on this journey - I realize that I need constant pep-talks.  I'm constantly giving myself a pep-talk!  When I'm making food choices, when I need to exercise...all the time. 

I woke up at 6:30 on the dot this morning.  I immediately thought, "I feel really good!"  I slept SO well!  I know it's because I did Turbo Kick pretty close to bedtime last night.  So, I'm thinking, "I should really go out and run this morning."  I had just enough time.  I sat up on the edge of the bed and just sat there.  I knew I should go........but I was so torn between snuggling back underneath the covers with my hubby.  To sleep for a 1/2 hour.  I mean, was it really worth it??  I had to do the pep-talk.  After about 5 minutes, it worked.  I went out to do C25K.  It was challenging - since I started a new week today.  The running was upped on me today.  From 60 seconds at a time to 3 minutes.  That's a pretty good jump.  I mean, I've been conditioned to do over 3 miles before....but that was a while back!  It's rough starting over!  The cooler temperature totally helped me out this morning, though.  I REALLY need to start getting up and working out in the a.m.

So, it's confession time.  Some of you from Facebook know that I checked in at Little Mexico last night.  *sigh*  I didn't eat well.  Granted, Scott & I typically order fajitas and share them - and did so last night.  I guess it's not horrible if we're sharing.  However, the CHIPS get me every time!  I could probably LIVE on chips & salsa.  Of course, our waitress asks right out of the gate if we wanted cheese dip.  Dang it....OF COURSE I WANT CHEESE DIP!!!! Ha!  So, we got it, and it was so good!  I ate way too much of it.  I guess it's good to do that every once in a while, though.  As long as you're back in the game immediately!  I did work out last night - so I'm hoping it didn't completely sabotage me!

So, originally I had decided to weigh-in on Wednesdays, since that's the day I started.  Earlier this week I realized that I started Weight Watchers on a Thursday - so that should be my official weigh-in.  Tomorrow I will post the results.  Now I somehow need to get C25K on that schedule.  Then everything will be in sync.

It's A Learning Process...

So, this past Saturday, I was a workout FOOL!  I had made plans with my friend Anissa to run at 8 am, and I got up to do that...met her and we actually ended up walking.  We tried to run at the end, but my Couch25K app was goofing up.  So, we ran a little, but not much.  That was about an hour.  When I got home, I decided to finish up the C25K.  I did that, and thought I hadn't had enough, so I put in a Turbo Kick video and did that for an hour.  Crazy!  I really had to push myself through the Turbo Kick.  It was good to test my limits, though!  All in all, I worked out for nearly 3 hours!!!  Surprisingly enough, I actually felt like going to the pool afterward!  My sister-in-law and her kids took off and were at the pool for a few hours.  I swam a little...it was nice.  I hadn't been in the water ALLL summer!  It was great!  I think I'm going again this weekend!

Anywho - with all that extra activity, I earned lots of bonus food points.  In fact, I earned about 20!  I ate them all!!  Ridiculous!  My nephew kept talking about wanting to go to Coldstone...and even though I LOVE ice cream, I was like, "Oh man."  We did go - and I ended getting the "like it" size and ate it with out questioning too much.  When I got home later and figured out what I'd eaten.......I'd consumed 13 points with that little cup of ice cream.  I mean, hey....it was chocolate & peanut butter ice creams with Reese cups in it....and it was great.  Now, I'm not sure it was worth it.  I mean, on one hand, I'm thinking that I technically earned these points - and I'm allowed to eat them.  You don't HAVE to, though!  What if I hadn't?  How much MORE weight would I have lost???  *sigh*  Also - I totally could've ordered sorbet at Coldstone instead of ice cream.  How fun is that, though????  Blah.  Oh well, I had fun........and I'm moving on from it.  It's a learning process.........or re-learning for me....haha.

I do have that GREAT sore feeling though....I woke up yesterday and my hips hurt!  It wasn't a bad hurt, though...it was that good one....like, "I worked out hard..." results kind of pain.  I'm excited about pushing forward and accomplishing this goal!  :)  I think I may have more extreme exercise Saturdays!  I liked it! :)  I want to achieve it as fast as I can - but I also want to do it in a healthy way!  I'm already reaping the benefits.  I feel better, I've noticed that I'm walking faster, and I'm sleeping better!!!  Good stuff!  I can already see little teeny changes in my appearance.  That makes ya keep pressing on! 

Bring on the skinny girl! :)

The Zumba Verdict and more...

So, my friend, Amanda invited me to Zumba last night.  First off, Amanda is SO sweet.  She's one of those gals who ALWAYS makes you feel good about yourself!  I mean, she compliments me on the days that I'm like, "I sooooo don't deserve that!"  Haha.  So, Amanda is telling me that I'm going to LOOOOOVE Zumba.  Her friend told me the same thing.  What they're about to find out is......that I CAN'T DANCE.  HA!  See, I know Zumba is still pretty huge...and that LOTS of people LOVE it.....but, yeah....I knew it was gonna be awkward for me.

And it was.  Haha.  We secured our places in the back and we got started shortly after.  I quickly found myself VERY self-conscious.  That's just how I am.  I "like" to dance, but, I just don't like to dance in front of people.....and the moves were not super-simple to catch onto...at least for me.  So, yeah - again, couple that with the fact that I just feel like I look like a huge dork, and yeah...not FUN.  I mean, it wasn't HORRIBLE.  I just laughed at myself - which is the best approach, I believe.  I "tried."  Ha!  I HATED when we did moves that turned the class around and I ended up in front!  Sneaky little thing they do to the back dwellers...haha. 

So....I'm sure that after attending another class it would become easier....BUT, it's still just one of those things I don't know about.  I just didn't take to it like I did Turbo Kick.  Turbo Kick made me feel MUCH stronger...there was a little bit of dancing in it, but not enough that it made feel uncomfortable.  I think I got a much better workout with Turbo Kick.  I will probably go try Zumba again, but I doubt it's going to be a regular in my regimen.

After Zumba I decided I hadn't had enough.  I decided to go do a C25K run on the treadmill.  I normally HATE the treadmill, but, it was a change of scenery, so I actually enjoyed it.  So I got in a GREAT workout yesterday.  :)

I have a recipe for you!  :)  I mean, it's not SUPER low, but it was great for me last night!  It was a pretty good serving size and it was VERY filling.   I don't have a flashy name for it, but that's ok!  It's a dish that my mom used to make ALLLL the time when I still lived at home.  I got SOOOO burned out on it.  There came a time I probably said I would never eat it again.  Flash forward to me living on my own and having a couple of hungry people to feed.  FAST.  What did I reach for???

Spanish Rice w/Roast Beef
Servings:  4
Serving Size:  About 2 cups
WW Points Value:  9
* You could knock this down as low as 6 points if you split into 6 servings.  Maybe serve with a couple veggie sides?
** I will try to remember to post regular calories/fat/fiber content later, SORRY!

Ingredients:
1 box Rice-A-Roni (Spanish Rice style)
2 T butter or margarine (I used "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter")
1 can roast beef (drained & shredded)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes w/green chilies)

Prepare rice according to package.  When it's time to add the tomatoes (I use less than the box directs), add all other ingredients and simmer 15 minutes.  Enjoy! 

Last night was the first time I used black beans in this dish.  After the first bite, my hubby and I agreed that it probably won't be made without them again!  They added a TON of fiber...which made us full faster.  Good stuff! :)  Even if you're not watching your weight, this is a great dish!  It's not "diet."  :)