Christmas Over-view

Christmas week is over. It was a little ugly but I am happy to say I had a great day yesterday and it is going well today. Dane is back at work and that makes a huge difference. He is very supportive and doesn't try to sabotage my diet at all. I just get into this mind set like - why should I have to eat good if he doesn't have to. It's a totally ridiculous way to think but it's true. He is totally different than me too. He can eat one meal a day and be fine. I cannot go more than about 3-4 hours or I get really shaky and weak. He also has a crazy metabolism which is why his weight has only fluctuated by about 10 pounds our entire 10 years of knowing each other. It's way annoying.

Anyways, some of the things I am proud of during the holidays...

I only bought ONE bag of clearance Christmas candy - even though all Hershey Kisses were only $1.

I THREW AWAY all of the leftover treats the day after Christmas - not easy since I also hate wasting food.

I didn't eat after 8 PM (except on Christmas Day)

I declined ice cream from Dairy Queen while the rest of my family enjoyed.

I have had a bowl of M&Ms sitting out of which I have only eaten ONE handful.



I just had to point out some of the good choices I made since I had plenty of bad choices to go along with that. With the exception of Christmas Day, I didn't go crazy. I think I did about 2000 calories a day which is okay for maintaining but NOT for losing weight. I got a couple of workouts in but nothing too impressive.

Since I probably will not be reaching my goal (I have 10 more pounds to my goal weight), I am just going to do the best I can. I will continue with my meal plan and exercise. One positive thing is I can fit back into my clothes I wanted to wear. They are a little snugger than I would like them to be but they fit! Good luck to everyone. Thanks for all your support and love.

Good News/Bad News

The good news about today was that I got to work out twice. Both were little but I went to the gym and got about 45 minutes in and last night I ran a mile at home. The other good news is that I stayed at about 1800 calories - in spite of all the treats I ate.

The bad news is that ALL of the 1800 calories were total crap. I don't think I had one meal. Just treats and junk all day. I didn't feel so hot at the end of the night (I wonder why). But the treats were yummy. Tomorrow and Christmas are not going to be counted. I am just going to enjoy the days with my family and not worry about it. So Friday I will be back on schedule with a good workout and meal plan. Have a good Christmas, everyone!

Back on the Wagon

After falling off the wagon...eating the wagon...and deciding it didn't taste that good, I am re-building it and getting back on today. I am still going to stick with the basic meal plan. It might not work as well because there is no school this week so I have no structure to my days. It is a lot harder for me to stick with the plan when my schedule is up in the air. I think having protein and veggies later in the day is awesome. It makes a lot of sense and it fills me up better than a lot of carbs do.

However, I cannot deny that this is Christmas week and I will be allowing a few goodies here and there but keeping them in check (hopefully). Sorry about the emotional tirade the other day. I am going to try and stay more positive because that totally has an impact on my eating. I hope everything went well for everyone else this weekend

Angry

I am just writing a quick note because I am not happy. I will be at school classroom parties all day tomorrow so I will not be going to the gym to weigh in. It has been 2 weeks since I have been on the scale. I went to the gym tonight and decided to weigh expecting awesomeness. If you can guess from the title I am angry because I have been very dedicated to my diet and not straying one tiny little bit. Not one piece of candy or anything. I lost NOTHING!!! I still weigh the same as stupid 2 weeks ago. I am taking Saturday off this week and continuing on. I am not giving up, don't worry.

I know I said it didn't matter if I lost any weight because I felt good. Well, I am a liar because it totally matters. The number is a big deal for me and weather I like it or not if effects my mood for the rest of the day. I just have to vent and get it out of my system so I can move on and continue with this wretched diet so I can weigh the same next week.

I will be happier tomorrow - I just need a moment of crabbiness...sorry.

The Day Is Finally Over

I thought it would never end! I am super busy this week trying to plan both class parties for my kids and getting last minute Christmas stuff done. I have the worst PMS today...my poor children. I am soooo irritable. Sorry sweet babies, maybe tomorrow you will have a nice mommy.

But...I am so proud to say that I stuck with the plan. I made a few little adjustments and am a little curious to see what that did to my calorie count. I will post it just for my own adding purposes. I also got a really good workout in doing cardio kickboxing. It felt good and I hope I am making some sort of progress. Even if I don't have the numbers, at least I feel good!

Multi Bran Chex 220
Fiber One Bar 140
Grilled Tuna Sandwich w/cheese 500
1 scoop protein powder w/ milk 200
Mini Turkey Burgers & Roasted Veggies 300

TOTAL 1360

Shoulda skipped the cheese on the tuna sandwich but it was oh so tasty! I must say...it is REALLY tough for me to stick with this during the day. I feel like I have to be so focused. I don't know how people eat like this every single day of their lives. But it feels GREAT at the end of the night when I have pushed through all the cravings and mental battles to know that I did something good for my body today and I can control this!

How About Some Barf To Go With That?

That was the theme of the day here. Not me...yet. All 3 of my kids have been throwing up in the past 24 hours. Do you think they could have neatly barfed in the toilet or the sink or a towel or the "barf" bucket or maybe even on the hard wood floor? Nope...I had barf on carpet, all layers of my bed, and my one upholstered couch. It has been quite eventful around here! Oh, and my baby has flaming diarrhea of burning death.

It was SOOOOOO hard to stick with the plan today. It was cold and snowy and we were inside all day. I just wanted to eat a bag of Hershey Kisses (I mean the other half of the one I ate on Sunday- let's be honest). But I would give myself a 95%. I couldn't eat tuna fish for lunch - with the plethora of smells happening in my house the thought of it was nauseating to me. So I just ate more Wheat Thins (hence the -5%). But I jumped back on track and finished the plan for the day.

I think I will try a similar plan tomorrow. But I will be substituting my morning Wheat Thins and Cottage cheese with a Fiber One Bar and String Cheese. We will be on the go (hopefully) and I know I won't be home to eat that. So good day overall. I guess I ended up with about 1200 calories but that's okay cuz I didn't work out.

Made It...Day One!

At the end of the day I can now say I feel great and am very happy I stuck with the plan all day. Toward the middle of the day I wasn't so happy about it. I was so close to putting a post up that would have required an explicit language warning. But the rage is gone now and I am happy.

I never felt hungry. I just REALLY wanted some carbs. My body is going to be going through withdrawals, I guess. Some of the order of the meal plan didn't work for me so I changed things up to accommodate my schedule. I am going to post what I ate and when and I also was curious how many calories it was so I will include that too.

1/2 c. oatmaeal (no sugar, fruit, just straight up) 150

20 Almonds 180
1/2 c. cottage cheese 90

5 oz. tuna 120
tomato, cucumber, lettuce 50
Wheat Thins 140

Protein (1 scoop) Shake 120
w/ 1/2 Banana 50

Turkey Burger 240
2 c. veggies 100 (I put 1 tsp. oil to cook them)

1/2 Apple 40

TOTAL 1280


Wow! It seems like a lot of food but it was only 1280 calories! My tummy will definitely get smaller off of that - if I can keep it up!

Here is a picture of my delicious dinner. I was a little frightened about eating a turkey burger without a bun and all the stuff that makes a turkey burger delicious. But this was honestly just as satisfying!

Sometimes I have a hard time with veggies but this way they are REALLY good. I bought a whole bunch of veggies today - zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper, & mushrooms. I chopped them all up and mixed them together (you can use whatever you want). Then I filled baggies with them for my veggies all week. You can freeze some of them or if you know you are going to use them just leave them in the fridge.

I like to roast them. All you do is:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil
3. Put a little (about 1 tsp) olive oil in the baggie of veggies (or it's also really good with Fat Free Italian Dressing)
4. Pour the coated veggies on the tray
5. Sprinkle some Mrs. Dash or a little Seasoning Salt on the veggies
6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are as tender or firm as you want them

My meal plan for tomorrow will be the same as today. However, I am going to try the weight control oatmeal (maple brown sugar) instead of the plain stuff.

I Just Have To Say...

I woke up this morning (a little early thanks to Bennett). I was completely P.O.ed that I had to eat sick, tasteless, mushy oatmeal for breakfast when I just wanted my regular cereal. However, I pushed through it and just choked it down...no sugar or fruit or anything. Just plain old oatmeal with water. It wasn't super tasty but 30 minutes after the meal, I feel just fine. I am not mad anymore and I'm a little proud of myself that I didn't cave on day one meal one. I can do this!!

New Week/ Meal Plan for Monday

Sorry I haven't been posting. Dane had a few days off so it was a long weekend. We got all of our Christmas shopping done and just had a lot of family time. So sorry to ditch my blog but I took a few days off. The eating wasn't so bad minus the love affair with some Hershey Kisses. I didn't workout at all but there were things to be done.

Starting this week I will be posting my meal plan the day before. For Monday I am just copying Becca's just to try it out. I will probably be following a similar pattern most days. I am very committed to this for this week. My day off will be Saturday. Here is the plan:

1.
1/2 cup oatmeal (or a serving of high fiber, low far cereal)
1/2 cup cottage cheese

2.
20 almonds

3.
6 oz tuna
20 Wheat Thins

4.
1/2 bannana
1 scoop protein powder

5.
1/2 bannana
1 scoop protein powder
(this will always be your post-work out)
Note: if you don't work out for the day, just skip the bannana

6.
1 turkey burger
2 cups veggies


This is a very strict meal plan - more than I'm used to. So I am expecting some killer results. I think this is definitely doable. I'm not going to lie...the holiday goodies will be calling my name. I just have to focus on the roll of jelly hangin over my pants. That will hopefully be gone in 2 weeks on this plan! Good luck friends!

Glad Holiday Baking is OVER

I got my Holiday treat making done and delivered today. Yay! No more delicious morsels of goodness lurking in all corners of my house to torture me. I didn't even make an extra plate for my family. They weren't too happy about that but I just knew I couldn't have it around. I DID save some fudge for my hubby and kids. I don't like it so it isn't really a temptation for me. Everything else that I made were my favorite Christmas goodies. I enjoyed some sampling so I feel like I am not deprived. Last year I started making treats but realized everyone I was going to take them to was out of town. So I had a billion treats laying around and we ate ALL of them! Not this year...it's done and over with.

I got a great cardio kickboxing class in this morning and here's the run down:

Cereal 200
Protein Shake 200
Banana 70
Holiday Treat Sampling 400-500 (?)
Chicken Tortilla Soup w/ Cheese 300
Tortilla chips 150

TOTAL about 1400

I feel pretty good about the calorie total. I am still lacking on nutrition, though. Next week will be great with the meal planning.

INSPIRED!!!

I was totally inspired by someone I have never met...her name is Becca. She is a friend of my sister-in-law, Lisa (also a link on my blog - I'm Bringing Sexy Back). Becca's link is: Count Down To Wedding Dress. I have been very disappointed in myself the last little while about the lack of nutrition I have been getting even though I am staying mostly within my calorie goals. She has some meal plans on her blog that totally inspired me and I had an epiphany. To really step up my weight loss goals I am going to have to make some changes. My body has to be able to use food as fuel and it can't if isn't getting the right nutrients. So here is the new plan.....drum roll, please!

Starting next week I will be posting my meal plan the day before.

That way I know what is coming, I won't be hungry, and it will be much easier to deal with temptations. If anyone else wants to join me, you are welcome to. It would be great to get different ideas on what to eat so we don't get bored. I think this will be just the push I need for this last 6 weeks. I am also thinking I can have 1 day a week "off". Any other ideas on the matter? I am starting next week because I am not going grocery shopping until Saturday and I don't have a great selection of fresh veggies right now. I am totally pumped about this!!!

Uh Oh....

I don't really know why but it seems like yesterday was the official start of Holiday treats for me. It hasn't really been a problem until last night. We received some cookies and I started Holiday baking today. This is where I get into trouble. I am starting to record now so I will try to stay on track....even though I've already blown it for the day. It doesn't mean the rest of the day is ruined, right?

Cereal 250
Toast 100
Chex Mix (the chocolate and peanut butter kind...DON'T make this!!!) 300 (?)
Cookie 100
Soft Pretzel 300
Chicken Sandwich 300
5 Kisses 100

TOTAL 1450

I don't know if this will lead to any kind of weight loss. I am not eating a ton of calories but as you can see I have almost no nutrition. Oh well...whacha gonna do?

I DID get a workout in after all. I thought I wasn't going to be able to but I went to a step class tonight and I'm so glad I did!

Not Such A Hot Start

Well, the workout first thing this morning was probably the best thing about today. I lost some focus toward the end of the day. I'm not sure where I will end up so I will just post the calories:

Cereal 250
2 cookies 200
Protein Shake 160
Grilled Chicken Snack Wrap 300
5 French Fries 50 (?)
Spaghetti (just a little) 150
Green Beans 40
10 Kisses 220
1 cookie 100

TOTAL 1470

Not as bad as I thought, I guess. It just felt like a lot and I didn't drink hardly any water so I felt yucky at the end of the night. Tomorrow will be better.

Weekend Post

I am trying to be a little more accountable for the weekend since they have been a problem. This weekend was pretty good. Friday night we took the kids out to a "special" McDonalds. We had to drive about 40 minutes to find a really good play land. But I got Chicken Noodle soup. Kind of weird at McDonalds...but it was a good lower calorie alternative to a sandwich or hamburger.

Saturday I kind of took "off". I don't really feel that bad about it. We had our ward Christmas party and I didn't want to have to worry about every little think I ate. So I gave myself permission to just eat what sounded good. I feel okay about everything except the sweet potatoes. Ali is the devil and made these ridiculous sweet potatoes with pecans and coconut on the top. They tasted like a dessert - NOT a vegetable. I ate way too many of those. I also ate apple pie which was very tasty. Oh...and a cookie. But it was all great and I was able to get back focused on Sunday.

I think I made up for yesterday's calories today. I think I have really only eaten about 900 calories today. I am excited to get some good workouts this week and hopefully I can drop a couple of pounds so I will only have single digits to lose.

Friday's LOSS

It wasn't as much as I was expecting but I DID lose this week - 1.5 pounds! I have about 11 more to go to my goal. I did have one great moment this week. I put on some pants from last winter and couldn't wear them at all. I could pull them all the way off without unbuttoning them. And they were pretty tight last winter. That made me feel good. However, I pulled out my "skinny" jeans from 3 years ago (before I got prego w/ Bennett), and they are still a little snug. But at least they went on!

I also had a little oops today. I am not quite sure what happened but I ate a whole Hershey chocolate bar. It was that 4:00 sugar fix. I guess I just wasn't busy enough this afternoon to push past it and I gave in. Hopefully it won't destroy all my hard work. Plus the day hasn't been that great as far as the diet goes. Oh well. I DID get a workout in - that's the good news.

Cereal 250
Hot Dog from Costco (?) 400 (guessing)
Chips 200
Hershey Bar 230

TOTAL 1080 so far

6 Weeks and Counting

It's crunch time. 6 more weeks til the big cruise!!! I must say for myself that I have been very good this week. I have made a very big effort to keep my calories in check and I have been able to do it every day so far. We'll see if it will make a difference on the scale tomorrow. I really haven't even been tempted. I think it is because I have been very busy this week so I haven't had much "down" time to think about yummy things to eat. The only bad thing about this week is that I didn't get much of anything done as far as workouts go. I had a pretty lame one on Tuesday and that's about it (unless Monday counts...you know, when I got dressed in my gym clothes and went to Target instead......no? Doesn't count?) Tomorrow will tell.

Cereal (as always - maybe I should change it up a little) 250
Apple 70
1/2 Chipotle burrito 600
Chipotle chips 400
Protein Shake 160

TOTAL 1480

It doesn't seem like I ate that much but the only time I was really hungry was right before Chipotle. It filled me up for the rest of the day. Weird. The weekend is coming, though. It seems like I am never FULL on those days!

Good Day, No Workout :(

I had a home project to work on today so I didn't go to the gym. I think I got plenty of physical activity, though. I am moving Hailee into her own room so I spent the day moving and arranging furniture. I have more to do tomorrow and hopefully it will be done. I won't be going to the gym tomorrow, either. I am babysitting in the morning and have a school activity at night. But Friday will be a great workout.

Today I was proud of myself because I planned on having cinnamon rolls at our Enrichment activity so I included them in with my calories AND I noticed that it was 7:55 so I hurried and ate it so I wouldn't eat past 8:00. Here is the run down for the day:

Cereal 250
1/2 Banana 35
Wheat Thins 200
Apple 70
Cup of Soup 100
1/2 Grilled Cheese 150
2 waffles 300
Cinnamon Roll (oh my yumminess!!!) 250

TOTAL 1405

I am feeling much more satisfied than last night when I ended up with 1100 or so calories. I was so starving when I went to bed and couldn't do one thing before I ate breakfast. I think 1400 is a little better. And it's a good thing that I was in public when I ate that cinnamon roll. It was so tasty that I could have eaten 3 or 4 if I was by myself.

Tuesday

It's been a busy day running around but I don't want to lose track of my calories. Here it is so far:

Cereal 250
Turkey Sandwich 330
Protein Shake 160

Total - 740

I really didn't eat enough today but I'm sticking with my no food past 8 rule. I'll have to actually eat dinner tomorrow night. I had to go to a rehearsal thing so I just got too busy to eat.

Animal Crackers 200
Cereal 250

TOTAL 1190


I DID go to the gym today. Not the most vigorous workout but at least I made it. 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes of weights.

The Big Weekend

It wasn't terrible but it wasn't great. I wish I could have had Lisa's report. Way to go, Lis!
Thanksgiving I just didn't count at all. I had it at my house with our friends, The Holmans. Since there were only 2 families, there was tons of food. Like I had said before, it isn't the dinner that is the problem for me...it is the appetizers and treats and other things laying around. I made fudge and normally I don't like it. I guess the lack of sweets these last couple of weeks made it taste really good. Other than that, the weekend was okay. I didn't record all of my food but I think I ended up at under 2000 calories each day. Not so bad. And I got a fabulous workout on Friday when I went to a Turbo Kick class at the gym (I am still sore today). We were shopping all day Friday too so that was a little exercise.

This week will be great. Here is the break down so far:

Cereal 250
Pretzels 150
Turkey Wrap 250
Chips 200
Protein Shake 200
Cereal 270

TOTAL 1320

I decided that during the holiday season I am not going to cut out sweets because that has led to disastrous weekends in the past. I will just try to include them in my calories, if I must have some.

Calories stayed low but no workout today.
Did I get dressed and ready for the gym? YES
Did I leave my house and decide to go to Target instead? YES
Did my baby fall asleep in the car so I had to go home? YES
Am I STILL in my gym clothes at 9:30 PM? YES
Have I been planning on working out all night but am now too tired and just going to go to bed? YES!!!

Boo on me for the exercise today. I am the treadmill scrooge for the day. However, I will be going to the gym first thing in the morning!

Hard Work Paid Off

Out of sheer curiosity I weighed myself today to see if I had made any progress from last week's crappy weigh-in. And yes...I am back down those 3 lbs I had gained. Now if I can just maintain that this weekend, I will be happy. Luckily I have some good motivation to get to the gym on Friday. There is a special Turbo Kick class at 9:30 and I am all over that. I am more excited about that class than I am for Thanksgiving (just because I have so much to do).

Today has been good. I did 30 minutes of a cardio kickboxing class, 15 minutes abs, and ran 1 mile. Here is the food:

Cereal 150
Toast 100
Animal Crackers (while shopping - should have planned better) 200
Protein Shake 160

So Far - 610

Gearing Up For Turkey

So far so good on the day. I ran 3.6 miles in 50 minutes again. Very slow but I think I will be able to do 5 miles in a couple of weeks. The only bad thing about devoting my whole hour at the gym to running is that I don't get as much muscle toning in. I guess the calorie burning is more important than muscle toning right now. Plus it feels better later in the day if I have done really good cardio in the morning. And trying to get strength training in at night is a bit of a joke. There is just too much to do at night to try and fit that in. And then not be able to fit it in and feel guilty about it. So I can't plan on doing that. Wow lots of rambling today. I am feeling hungry today. My calories might be up from yesterday as they probably should be. I only ended up with 1160 calories and I don't think it was enough - especially after burning 400 calories on the treadmill.

Here are the calories so far:

2 eggs 140
Toast 120
Luna Bar 180
Protein Shake 160
Flat Out Pepperoni Wrap 250
Crackers 150
Cereal 250
Protein Shake 160

TOTAL - 1410

Ahhhhh...Much Better

As much as I hate to admit it, I am such a better person when I exercise. I tried everything I could think of to talk myself out of working out today. But I did it anyway. I decided to do all cardio. I ran/walked for 50 minutes for 3.6 miles. It wasn't very fun during but I feel great now. I am going to try to work up to 5 miles in an hour. I think I can do it.

After this weekend I also discovered that I like the feeling of being hungry when it is time to eat. I don't like feeling hungry all the time. Sometimes I will just eat lunch because it's "time" to. But it really makes a difference if I am genuinely hungry. It makes me feel like I am using food the way it should be used...for fuel and energy instead of something to do. Here is the run down so far:

Cereal w/milk 200
Toast 100
Luna Bar 180
3 bites of Braden's soft pretzel 100 (?)
Protein Shake 160
Chicken Sandwich 300
Apple 100

TOTAL 1140

Don't Weigh During Your Time of The Month

It's true. I KNEW I shouldn't have stepped on that scale on Friday. I told myself no matter what it said it would be fine and I knew the number would be a little off. Well I wasn't expecting a 3 lb GAIN. That's right. I gained 3 pounds. It pretty much put my weekend in a tailspin of bad decisions and overeating. It is now Sunday night and I am feeling full. I am not used to feeling full at 9:30 because I haven't overeaten at night for a long time.

Although through the whole weekend I can honestly say I didn't eat past 8:00. That's about the only positive thing I have to say for myself. I am using this gross, full, bloated, fat feeling to inspire me. I don't like feeling like that at night and it makes me feel sluggish in the morning. So no more of that! I will be completely satisfied this week if I just get back those 3 lbs for my loss. I am going to exercise everyday and hopefully supplement a little extra strength training at night. I will be checking back in tomorrow with a day full of exercise and good eating.

Not Hungry...just feel like eating

Anyone else ever feel this way? I'm really trying to not do what I would normally do and just chalk it up to a bad day and go crazy. The morning started out that way when I made a bad choice and ate a lot of Peanut M&Ms. But I am trying to keep myself in check and not screw up the whole day because of one bad choice. I thought maybe saying it out loud would help me stay in control. We'll see if that works later today. I'll update later.


Continuing from before.....
It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Not the best day ever but not the worst considering it is day two of my time of the month (yuck)!

cereal 250
toast 110
Peanut M&Ms 480 (yikes)
1/2 soft pretzel 150
chips 300
2 eggs 150
toast 200
protein shake 160

TOTAL 1800

No workout today. Too much kid stuff going on.

Wednesday Report

Just a quickie...

2 eggs 140
toast 110
turkey wrap w/ cheese 230
protein shake 160
2 cookies 200
Pasta w/ chicken & veggies 500 (?)
Banana 70

TOTAL 1410

I did a cardio kickboxing class for 45 min. & abs for 15 min.
Busy day but calories stayed in check!

Great Tuesday

Today was a good day. I should have had more water but I chose Diet Coke instead. But my calories stayed in check and I did about 40 minutes of a step class and ran for 1 mile (ran the whole way!).

Cereal - 250
Toast - 110
Cookie - 200
1/2 Peanut Butter sandwich - 200
Protein Shake - 160
1/4 grilled cheese sandwich - 100
Weight Control Oatmeal - 200
Protein Shake - 160

TOTAL 1380

Emotional Weekend = Bad Food Choices

The title pretty much speaks for itself. Monday was better. The weekend wasn't that great. This is a little bit of self therapy so if you don't want to hear my ramblings, scroll down to the calorie count or just skip today. I had some family issues that I was emotional about all weekend and the focus slipped. I was also a little angry that I had to "watch what I ate" and that I had to be on a diet at all. I usually get that way when I get depressed or upset because I am used to dealing with it with food. But at least I had enough perspective and experience this weekend to pull myself out of it and understand that it's not helping anyone for me to stuff my face.

We went out to dinner on Friday night and I ate fries (which I haven't done in months) and we got ice cream after. The whole time I knew I would feel like crap after. But I did it anyways - justifying it the whole time. I told myself I had a really hard day and I DESERVED it. I have also been very good on my diet and I needed a reward. Well, I DID feel like crap and I was going about it all the wrong way.

The fact is, I DO believe I deserve ice cream every once in a while. However, I cannot eat it in a fit of rage or to help me feel better. I can eat it when I am in control of my emotions and therefore in control of my eating choices. I also believe rewarding myself with food is just as harmful as medicating myself with it.

Saturday and Sunday weren't much better. We ate pizza for lunch and McDonalds for dinner. On Sunday I made breakfast for dinner and ate way too much of it. So overall not great but all I can do is try to do better tomorrow.

Here is the breakdown for Monday (a better day):

Cereal w/ milk - 300
Chips - 300 (ouch)
Protein Shake - 160
Cookies - 300
Turkey Taco - 500

TOTAL - 1560

I did 2.5 miles on the treadmill and about 20 minutes of weights.

My new BFF

I have a new BFF - Protein Powder. It has been so long since I have had it and I forgot how easy and great it is! I bought a huge bag of it at Costco today and I will probably be drinking one or two shakes a day. It helped so much in the afternoon! It made a huge difference to drink a shake at about 3:00. I wasn't shaky and hungry at 5:00 like I normally am. Here's the total for the day:

Go Lean Cereal - 250
1/2 turkey wrap (costco) - 300 (guess)
1/2 churro (?) - 200 (guess)
Pomegranate - 50
Protein Shake - 170
1/2 PB & Honey sandwich - 150
1/2 Pretzel - 150
Protein Shake - 170

TOTAL 1440

I also did an Extreme Step class tonight.

Oh, I almost forgot the best news of the day. I weighed in today and.........................lost 2 more pounds!!!!! Yay for me. Only 13 more to go!

More Protein Please

I think my body is screaming for more protein. Especially when I work out a lot. I know I eat way too many carbs and not close to enough protein. So my goal for the next couple of weeks is to eat more protein. I am going to pick up some protein powder so I can supplement that into my diet. I think it will make a big difference. Here's what is goin down so far today:

Grape Nuts w/ milk - 250
Crackers - 200
2 Eggs - 140 (trying to start with what I have - obviously it is grocery shopping time since that is the only protein in my house!)
Yogurt - 70
Mini Pizza - 700 (guess)

TOTAL 1360

I can't believe how long I felt full after eating mostly protein for lunch. I think the protein shakes are going to be a great idea. I am getting way too hungry between lunch and dinner and then I go and do something like eat pizza with my kids because it is easy and I am so hungry that I don't care what I eat. The problem is...when I leave my house at 2:30 I am still full from lunch. By the time I get back at 4:00 or 4:30, I am ready to eat my arm off. I should have healthy snacks in the car. Let's see how the shakes work out.

Terrific Tuesday

It was a great day today. I went to a fun step class tonight. It is a little crazy getting the kids fed and out the door for night classes but I never regret it - the classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays are worth the effort. I can't believe what a difference it makes for my diet to be busy during the day. I am distracted so I eat less. Although, sometimes it leaves me not making the best food choices because I get too hungry. Here's the breakdown:

Go Lean Cereal - 250
Snack wrap - 400 (guess)
2 chicken nuggets - 150 (guess)
Weight Control Oatmeal - 200
Toast - 100
Yogurt - 80
Banana - 70

TOTAL 1250

I went to a step class tonight for 45 minutes. It was a very busy day so I didn't have a lot of time to think about being hungry or eating. Should have gone for the salad instead of snack wrap...I just love carbs too much. What can I say?

Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down

Or should I say snowy days? Sadly after only 3 days of rocking, today wasn't so hot. Here is the ugly truth of what I ate today. Keep in mind, I had a "made up" menu that I was going to post to tell you how great I was still doing but really, what's the point of that? I don't want to be chubby AND a liar...so I'll just be chubby. I stayed home with my boys ALL day and we just played and read and painted and all kinds of fun stuff. Usually on the days like that, I end up eating the world because I get a little bored and just lose track. Enough justifying - here it is:

Rice Krispies (I don't know why) - 200
White Bread Toast (Again - ?) - 120
Left over Chipotle from Saturday - 600
3 cookies :( - 400
Waffles - 400
Scrambled Eggs - 300
Orange Juice - 100

TOTAL 2120

No exercise today. I have NO excuse for that - only that I felt like being lazy. There you go. I have nothing more to say about today.

Weekend Update

I had some really great things this weekend and some really not so great things. I will just post the calories on Saturday:

Grape Nuts w/milk - 250
Yogurt - 80
Leftover Pizza - 400 (guess)
Chipotle (date w/ my hubby) - 600 (really!)

TOTAL 1330

My trick with Chipotle is that I order the Burrito Bowl with an extra container and before I eat any of it I put half of it in a take out bowl. That way I am eating the correct portion and I don't feel so full that I'm going to barf after I'm done.

The good thing about this day was I went to a movie and I bought candy for it. However, it was after 8:00 by the time I remembered that I had it. I made a decision to be firm with that rule and I wasn't going to break it that night. Yay for me!




SUNDAY

Toast - 120
Banana - 70
Cereal - 200
The Candy I was going to eat at the movie on Saturday (sad but true) - 400
Crackers - 200
Chicken - 100
Mashed Potatoes - 200
Green Beans - 40
Roll - 80
1 Cookie (only one - which, again, is sad but it was hard for me to only eat one) - 100

TOTAL 1510

Not too bad considering the candy and cookie. If only Sunday wasn't so hard. I guess it could have been worse. Another bad thing is NO exercise this weekend. It will be better this week. Hopefully I get a good workout everyday!

Friday RE-Weigh In

So after my very successful day on Thursday, I went to a Triple Fit class in the morning and Ali and I decided to re-weigh after we both had very UNpretty results from the day before. The good news is that I was down 2 pounds from the day before. So that's not as bad as I thought but I can definitely tell a difference in they way my body feels. I was SO sore on Friday and Saturday after doing 3 workouts in 24 hours. I guess I should take it easy (am I wrong that I kind of like that sore feeling?). So here's the food part of it:

Go Lean Cereal w/milk - 230
1/2 Banana - 50
Turkey wrap w/cheese (on "Flat Out" bread - the best!!) - 250
Wheat Thins - 200
Yogurt - 80
Homemade Cheese Pizza - 500 (I'm guessing)

TOTAL - 1310

Notice no dessert or Halloween candy. I had to note it because it was very hard to resist it today!

The Effects of Slacking Off For Three Weeks

I was possessed by the devil today and I weighed myself at the gym. It has been 3 weeks. I don't know why I was expecting the number to be great. I have done nothing to merit a weight loss. But I GAINED 3 pounds! Not a great day. I had a light bulb moment after that and called Ali. We are recommitting - no kidding. Not like the 3 other times I have recommitted and was lying. No joking, REALLY, kick starting it again. I celebrated my new commitment with 2 hours at the gym today. I did weights for 30 minutes and ran for 30 minutes. I went home and cleaned up my yard. Then went back to the gym and did a step class. I rocked the workout today. I am starting to track my food again too so I can see what's going on. Here's the damage (keep in my I didn't have my epiphany until after breakfast):

Grape Nuts - 300
2 pieces toast - 280
the rest of Bennett's oatmeal - 100
Turkey Wrap - 200
Wheat Thins - 200
Kashi Granola Bar - 150
Cereal - 250
Banana - 50

TOTAL - 1430


Pretty good considering most of my calories were consumed during breakfast (sad, I know). I also only had 1 Diet Coke today. It is actually my first one in a week. I think that is some kind of world record. I don't know if I have ever gone that long without it. I am not necessarily trying to quit - it just doesn't sound good. Weird!!! I have had about 100 ounces of water today, too. Yay!

Weird

This past week has been really weird. I think I had a version of the Flu. I have felt totally nauseous all week and very tired. Yes, I thought that I was pregnant. NO, I am NOT trying. I am not pregnant but felt like I was. I had zero energy to do my normal daily things let alone workout. Hopefully weird mysterious flu is over.

Getting Back Into It

Monday and Tuesday have been pretty good so far. I finally made it to the gym on Monday after arguing with myself for 2 hours AND I worked out at night after my kids went to bed (only 30 minutes but it was better than sitting and watching TV). I am getting ready to do a little workout tonight (Tuesday). My eating was just okay. I have Halloween candy sitting around which is NEVER a good thing. I did great all day until I got home at about 4:30 and felt starving and stressed and all better judgment went out the window. But at least I'm keeping my workout end of the deal. Tomorrow will be great with a kick boxing class in the morning.

Struggling

Usually when I think I am struggling it is because I am feeling really bad or depressed. That is not the case, luckily. I am just struggling with my focus. I have lost a little bit of my edge in my dieting and exercise regimen. However, today I am getting it back. It took all morning to talk myself into going to the gym this morning but I finally just did it (not happily). But of course, I felt way better after I had worked out and was going home. It gave me the energy I needed to go home and get some house work done and some other things that I needed to do. So this week I am committing to workout every day and get back on track with my eating. I will be posting everyday so I can be accountable.

Oh I almost forgot. I have been maintaining my weight for the last two weeks. I haven't gained or lost. I plan to change that this Friday!

Last Week

Last week was kind of busy. I didn't have a bad week, I just let life happen. I lost a little bit of focus and the thing that has slacked is my workouts. But I feel like I had some good progress with eating. Even though I haven't been super focused and I have allowed some sugar, I haven't gone crazy with it (which is usually something I would have done by now). I have been super strict with not eating past 8:00 and that makes a big difference for me. I usually never make good choices after 8 anyway so if I take away the possibility, I don't have to worry about the consequences. I didn't weigh on Friday. I only worked out 2 days last week and I wasn't mentally prepared to have gained (my emotions are a little on edge with THAT time of the month). I figured I'd give my family a break and not make them deal with my bad mood all weekend. I will just weigh next week.

Some things I was proud of:

Friday night was our version of Super Saturday. I had 1...I repeat ONE dessert out of the 25 varieties of sweet goodness they had there. I was sure to eat it before 8:00 and didn't eat anything after 8. I also had a singing practice thing that I had to go to on Sunday night. I had eaten before at about 5:30 but when I got home it was after 8. I was hungry but I didn't eat. I just went to bed early so breakfast would come sooner. Those are my little accomplishments for last week.

Still Here...

Yes, I'm still here and alive. If you read my other blog you will know that I am reading the Twilight books and apparently food is not the only thing I am addicted to. I have read about1700 pages in 10 days. So any spare time (and not so spare time) has been put to my reading addiction. I just started Breaking Dawn which is the 4th book so hopefully I am back in full force next week. This weekend was really bad just like the rest of my fitness friends. The rest of the week has been just okay. Today was really good. I didn't eat any treats and I stayed within my 1300 calories. I exercised today but today was the first time in 5 days :(. I'm still going strong, though, as far as motivation goes. I am not feeling close to being done. So until I get these 15 more pounds off, I am in it for the long haul.

More Workout Entertainment

Seriously I don't know where these people are coming from. There was another one today. I am not quite sure which one was better. I went to an Xtreme Step class. It is an advanced step class so you get a lot of hard core workout people there. There was a man, of course right in the front row, who must have confused Xtreme Step with Ballet Step. He was very good at ballet and he was in fantastic shape, I have to give him that. But a smidge out of place at a step class. There is a move that you do where you squat down with one leg on the bench and jump up to the other side. This man was doing a full assamble - where you jump and arch your back and touch your legs together. And every move he added a little turn or a swoop or arched arms. It was quite impressive but a little distracting. The best part was the shorts - if you could call them that. They were white (what else?) and so short that I was afraid to look as to witness some overflowage. Very tight dancer tank top (also white). And legs more shaved than mine. I am not making fun. I just have to create the visual so I again...don't take myself too seriously in my workouts.


Food was good today. No treats still! I almost bought Peanut M&Ms...I had them in my hand. They are my favorite. I even had the calories worked out in my head so I could eat them if I had a skimpy dinner. But my concionse got the best of me and I put them back. Okay...I threw them just a little. I really wanted them. It was a small victory for me!

Wednesday Workout

I title this Wednesday Workout because I had the highlight of my day in the Kickboxing class today. Ali, I wish you were there so SOMEONE could witness the awesomeness of it all. Picture this if you will...

50ish man - very tall, burly, balding but has lots of hair on the sides to apparently make up for the lack thereof on top, wearing too short shorts and a tank top.

Okay...now imagine me walking up to the doors to enter into the class and hearing a large amount of over zealous woohooing coming from inside the aerobics room. I thought it was going to be a bunch of people or a new teacher or something. Sadly, our gym is a tad snooty and no one really gets into the classes that much. So was it one of the 40 women who were in the class? Nope, burly old man getting his funky groove on right in the front.

I go in and start my workout. The guy continues on his very distracting cheers and yelling. I finally had to walk out of the room when he full on sang the entire Miley Cyrus song along with the CD. Apparently he is also knowledgeable in Maraih Carey tunage too because he kept right on going when it switched artists. I couldn't stop laughing. I left to "get a drink" and couldn't stay away. It was out of morbid curiosity that I went and finished the class. It just got better. He would count down every 8 counts very enthusiastically. Something like this:

Eight...that's right...seven and six - oh - yes and a five - a four, got it...three two one...YYEEAA, wooooo!

I just had to include that so as to not take myself too seriously in classes. And I can have a good laugh when I need one. There was only one other girl in class who was laughing like me. We kept having to go out together. NO ONE else said a word or even cracked a smile....snooty.


Now for my day...the last couple of days have been good on calories. I am finding I am getting bored with my food and I'm usually too hungry by the time I eat to get creative. So the last couple of days I just haven't been eating very much at all. It is nice to not be fighting an urge to eat all the time but eating too few calories is not good for my metabolism. If my body adjusts itself to too few calories, it will not be prepared to burn more if I want to incorporate more caloires in..which I will eventually. So I wouldn't say I'm in a rut, I just need to try to prepare better ahead of time, I guess.

I obviously did a cardio kickboxing class today. Yesterday I didn't work out. I'm not doing so hot on the "stepping it up" for the week. I'll keep trying. I will be working out tomorrow night and Friday morning. Hopefully I will see some good results at the weigh in!

Weekend Update

It was an okay weekend. I still haven't mastered the Sunday treat thing. I did pretty well the rest of the weekend, I think I just went a little overboard with the treats on Sunday. Okay...and it sort of trickled over into Monday morning. There, I said it. New rule for me: if treats are to be had on Sunday, they are to be out of the house and gone by Monday morning. I think it is okay to have treats as long as I know I will be having them. That is key for me...planning! Today was pretty good. I think I stayed at about 1500 calories and I walked/ran for 30 minutes on the treadmill. Kind of a wussy workout but it was better than nothing. I have to finish reading this stupid book because it has taken over my life for the last 2 days. I shouldn't be allowed to read because I can't function like a normal person until the book is done. Don't get me wrong...I love the book, I just hate that I am an out of control reader. I just started reading Twilight...and yes, Suzy and Tiff, I am very upset that my husband is not a vampire.

Yay For Friday!

I am happy to report that my spirits are up once more. It also doesn't hurt when you lose 2 pounds! What? Yes, that's right....2 pounds! I was a little surprised considering the blur of the first of the week. But I feel like I am back on track. I worked out last night at a step class and this morning I did half of a Triple Fit class and then ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes. And I actually RAN the whole time. It is getting a little easier to run, I must say. I am only up to about 1.5 miles but considering where I was about a month ago, it is great progress! I have been really good about keeping my calories around 1500 so I think that is what contributed to my weight loss. I think I am ready to introduce just a little bit of a treat back in. I will see how it goes this weekend. I am planning on making cookies for General Conference and I am planning on eating some of them. If I can remain in control, I might be able to do a special treat every week. If it is a pig mania fest, I will have to go back to nothing. So glad the weekend is here! We have a busy one but I'm glad conference is on Sunday. I plan to stay in jammies all day.

Ummmm...yyeeaa

Yes...it's Thursday and yes...my last post was on Monday. I had a momentary lapse in being human and I just didn't do much of anything these past few days. I'm not quite sure what happened, I just stopped caring for a few days. But I care now and everything is getting better. The weather got very gloomy and cold this week and that might have set it off. But I have one good thing to say for myself. I wasn't tracking calories but I never once turned to food for comfort. I didn't eat any "treats" which I normally would have done in that state. And looking back on it, I don't think I ate a crazy amount of calories. I stayed somewhat in control. So there are some baby steps in there.

I didn't exercise at all this week until last night and I didn't want to do that. On Tuesday night I was planning on going to a step class at 5:30. I put my gym clothes on (including shoes) and I just never made it out the door. I put the same gym clothes on yesterday morning intending to go to the kickboxing class and Bennett had a fever from his shots the day before. I stayed in my gym clothes planning on running on the treadmill when Bennett took his nap. But I decided I needed to play with Braden while Bennett was asleep. The day kept rolling by and I was still in my gym clothes becoming more unshowered by the second with big intentions of running on the treadmill. Finally when I got my kitchen cleaned, book reports done, and all kids in bed, I was exhausted at 9:30. I didn't want my greasy-hair, tight, uncomfortable gym clothes day to be in vain so I just did it. I said I would just run 1 mile so I could say that I did SOMETHING that day but I ended up running 1.5 miles and I felt sooooo much better after. I might be addicted to the endorphins I get from exercise and when I don't have them I get withdrawals. Maybe another explanation for my funk.

Anyways, what I have learned from this:
I can go from super motivated to barely existing in 2 days flat.
As much as I don't want to admit it, exercise makes me feel better the whole day.
I don't need to reward myself with treats.
I am stronger than I thought in regards to emotional eating.
I don't like cold weather (that I already knew, this just reconfirms that).
I have a long winter ahead of me so this little sneak preview better gear me up so I can find some way to stay motivated for the next 6 months. I will NOT repeat last winter at any cost!
I love having friends to motivate me through times like this.

Thanks for everyone who supports me!

I Don't Want To Talk About It

So it happened this weekend...the day when I got bitter that I had to diet and protested by eating a lot more than I should have and then feeling horrible about it and then resolving to do better next week. That pretty much sums up my weekend. Don't really want to talk about it but let's just say I am committed for this week and I am moving on. Thanks to Ali for providing delicious fruit instead of cookies for games last night. That was great! I am starting today by trying to get more water in. I really notice a difference when I drink lots of water. So far so good. It is only 9:30 and I have already had 32 ounces. Now I have to pee. Calorie update later.

The Big Weigh In

I had my weigh in today. I only lost a pound. I am trying so hard to be positive about it and at least it was a loss, right? I can't help but feeling a little disappointed because I feel like the effort I made was worth more than a pound. So Sara...you and I can have a little pity party for ourselves. It is funny that the first thing I wanted to do when I got home was find something really bad to eat. Like that's just gonna teach the scale a lesson or something. Luckily I have gotten rid of any temptation for myself...and now I know why! I am happy I lost a pound. I also started tracking my body fat percentages and BMI today. I'm not quite ready to share...maybe soon. I will update calories later. I'm going on a date tonight so hopefully I don't blow it.

Date's over...I wouldn't say I blew it but all I need to say is that we went to the Olive Garden which is pretty much diet suicide. I was surprised at how my body handled me trying to eat fettuccine alfredo. I ordered the never ending pasta bowl and only ate half of the first bowl. I physically could not eat any more. Maybe that means my stomach shrunk a little. We had talked about getting dessert and I just couldn't do it. The have a new delicious looking pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream and caramel all over it but I resisted. I skipped lunch today to try to save on calories but I think I still ended up at about 2000 with the OG wonderment. I must say, it was pretty tasty! I didn't take my leftovers home so I wouldn't be tempted to eat it later. Bonus points for me!! The money-saving, cheap side of me was disagreeing the whole time but I thought it was more worth it to not put that into my body.

Okay day

I had a pretty normal day. For some reason I was really craving chocolate. It's a good thing I didn't have any on hand or I might have given in but I'm glad I didn't. I'm trying to drink lots of water so I can flush out my system for tomorrow's weigh-in. Here's how the day ended up with calories:

Cereal 250
Raisin toast 120
Chicken Salad w/ crackers 400
Leftover BBQ Chicken Pizza 250
Chicken Rollups 400
Salad 80

TOTAL 1500

A little more than I would have liked. I tried to do a bigger lunch today and less snacks. I probably should have just eaten something a little more healthy but I felt full all afternoon - something I haven't felt for a while. Usually by about 4:30 I am so hungry I could eat my arm. I don't know which is better. I like eating dinner when I am really hungry and then I don't feel hungry the rest of the night. I also did a "jump-o-lean" class today which is mini trampoline and jump roping. It is a pretty good workout.

Wednesday's Info

I had a really good day again today. I stayed busy all day long. I had 7 kids here after school until about 6:00 so that helped keep me occupied (just a little). Here's how the day went:

Cereal 250
Almonds 200
Crackers 260
Yogurt Smoothie 70
BBQ Chicken Pizza 600 (I'm guessing)

TOTAL 1380

I did a 45 minute cardio kickboxing class which was really good. I am anxious to weigh on Friday to see if I lost any. I think I will be a little bummed if I don't because I feel like I have worked really hard these last few days. But Sunday and Monday weren't as good so if things are bad...I will know why!

Better Today

Just a quick post on my calories. I really don't feel like posting but I am pushing though that because it helps me be accountable and I don't want to loose track of my progress. Here are my calories:

Oatmeal 200
Toast 100
Fiber One Bar 140
Almonds 200
Yogurt Smoothie 70
Crackers 150
Veggie Soup 160
1/2 slice Garlic Bread 100
Sugar Free Fudge Bar 70

TOTAL 1190

Probably should have eaten a little more today but maybe it will be helpful this weekend. I have a hot date on Friday. Maybe I'll pretend it's a first date and just get a small salad and act completely full. Come on, you've all done it.

I also worked out: 2 miles on the treadmill, 30 minutes weights. It was better for me not to be home all day today. No temptation!

Not Great Today

I don't know what the problem was today, I just felt like I was dragging all day. Braden didn't have school so I thought I'd give Bennett a chance to have one really decent nap this week. He slept for 2 1/2 hours...he really needed it. But I didn't really get all that much done. I was so tired from running around all weekend and having the boys get up all night long last night and Saturday night. I just couldn't keep my eyes opened. So I fell asleep for about 30 minutes while Braden watched his favorite cartoon. It turns out that it wasn't a good idea because it just made me sleepy all day long. I didn't want to put effort into making anything healthy so I just grabbed some convenient food like crackers. I didn't eat any treats, which is great. But I didn't keep track of my calories and didn't drink enough water. All that added together makes for a pretty blah ending to the day. I DID, however, manage to do 30 minutes of Turbo this afternoon which made me feel a little better. Tomorrow will be better. I am going to the gym and getting back on schedule!

Sunday Bomb

As always, Sundays are really hard for me. When I am not being good, I usually spend a lot of time on Sundays baking delicious goodies. I really love baking but it is a little dangerous and way too tempting. I guess I have no room to talk when Sara made a beautiful cake for a baby shower and didn't eat ANY of it. I have to admit that I ate a cookie. I wasn't really planning on it. I thought I could be strong and just let my family enjoy them but nope, couldn't do it. I found myself getting a little P.O.ed thinking that I deserve this and I am not going to gain 100 pounds from eating one cookie. I think it will be okay when I am off of the no sugar thing, to indulge in some treats on Sundays. But I need to stick with my goal for now. I really have no idea how many calories I ate today. Probably a lot. I just need to plan out Sundays a little better and make sure I have other options available to me.

Saturday

We went to Columbus today and I really haven't totaled my calories so I will try to remember what I ate. I didn't eat any "treats" nor did I really want to. I really didn't think about it at all. It is kind of a relief to not have to worry about it and worry about the guilt associated with it. Calories:

Cereal 250
Banana 80
Almonds 100
Einstein Bros Bagel Sandwich 500 (I'm guessing)
Chips 100
1/2 Chipotle Burrito Bowl 500

TOTAL 1530

Oooops! Not as good today. It could have been worse, I guess. No gym today but I walked around the Columbus Zoo for 4 hours. I think that counts for something!

I Love Turbo Jam

I got to do my favorite type of exercise in the whole world tonight. They offered a special, one-time class at my gym tonight. I remembered what it was like to workout so hard that your elbows and shins sweat. That is good stuff! I think I want to become certified. The director was saying they just need to get certified people to be able to teach and they can bring it to our gym. I am going to look into what it would take to certify.

Today was much better than yesterday. I got 2 workouts in! I went in the morning like I usually do. I went to a Triple Fit class. It is a circuit class with cardio, weights, and bands. It was pretty good. Then I went to the Turbo class tonight. I haven't been putting my food up because I have just been lazy about it but I will put it up for today because it was pretty good. My blood sugar didn't drop like it has been in the past few days. I didn't feel starved at any point but I could tell when I was getting hungry. It is so amazing that 2 weeks ago I wouldn't have been able to distinguish starving, hungry, bored, or sad. I am making major progress...and all on day one of my period. Cheers for me!!! Here is the calorie tally for today:

Cereal 250
Toast 100
Banana 80
Almonds 150
Ham & Cheese Sandwich 250
Granola Bar 180
Yogurt Smoothie 70
Hot Dog 250
Cereal 250

TOTAL 1580

Total is a little higher than I usually like to see but since I worked out twice today, I needed some extra calories.

Oh yea, I weighed in today. Just as I suspected...I just maintained. That's okay, I am at peace with that. But next week, just wait and see. I am going to kick some booty on that scale!

Blah, Blah, Blah

The title indicates 2 things. That is the kind of day it was and I feel like rambling a bit. I started the day at 5 AM when the Holman boys came over because Terri had her baby today (a beautiful baby girl, by the way). I had a half-hearted workout for only about 40 minutes and I barely broke a sweat. I just couldn't get motivated to do anything more. I had a few mistakes in my eating too. I was at the grocery store and they had samples of pumpkin bread. It didn't even cross my mind, I just gave one to my kids and ate one myself. I was chewing and realized what I was doing and considered spitting it out but I thought I wouldn't make a scene in the middle of Giant Eagle, I would just have to deal with the guilt! It was a good reminder, though, that it is a constant process that I have to think about all the time. As soon as I am not paying attention, my old habits can creep back in so fast. It wasn't the one bite that was the big deal, it was the mindlessness. I also ate a handful of my kids' Teddy Grahams. Again, not huge, but I could have chosen something better for my sugar craving.

It is so amazing how easy it is for me to just not think about it and eat whatever. It is so interesting for me to see, now that the sugar cravings have subsided a lot, when I would just mindlessly eat. It was really hard at first to tell if I was actually hungry or putting food in my mouth out of habit or some other need that has nothing to do with food. I did just okay with food. I am still not eating after 8 and I have been a real stickler about that. And I have also been good about getting at least 64 oz of water in. Most days it has been about 100. The more the better for me. I think I finished they day at about 1480 calories. Which would be okay if I did a really good workout but I think I will be going twice tomorrow. Hopefully it balances out somewhere. I will be weighing in tomorrow and I don't think it is going to be pretty. I will be happy if I don't gain any. If I can just maintain for this week, that would be great!

Don't Get Too Hungry

I think that is my biggest problem right now with my schedule. I was not tempted at all to eat treats. I went shopping and I didn't even flinch at the Halloween candy. Because Halloween is in 6 weeks so everyone better hurry up and get some Halloween candy you can save for Trick-or-Treating...or...SAY you are buying it for Trick-or-Treating and open it up and have just one little candy bar (they're so tiny) and in one week wonder who has taken the entire Trick-or-Treat supply that only you knew about. That's never happened to me -ever.

Today I ate a regular breakfast and had a snack and only had a piece of Braden's pretzel for lunch...NOT ENOUGH FOOD. I went non-stop until I got home from picking up Braden at 4:00. So I was totally famished and shaky when I got home. I had a few crackers and 3 almonds but my blood sugar was so low I had a few corn chips as I was fixing dinner. Not great choices but I was in desperate mode by then. I had soup and a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner but I could hardly wait for it. Lesson: keep some healthy snacks in the car for emergencies!

I finished the day at 1350 calories. Not too shabby.

No workout today because it's Wednesday. I will try to do some abs and stuff at home. We'll see...I also have a lot of blogging to catch up on and that sounds like way more fun!

Oh...one more note-worthy item. I put on a pair of pants I haven't worn since last winter and they were way looser than what I remembered. In the spring, before I started this blog, I lost about 10 pounds so add that to my 2 1/2 from last week and that makes for loose pants, I guess. It felt way better than when I put pants on last winter and couldn't do any of the m up!

Weigh In Results and NY/DC Trip

I'm back, finally! I can't believe I haven't posted my weigh in results for last week. Drum roll please........ I lost 2 1/2 pounds! Yay! Although I am a little frightened to weigh in on Friday because of the vacation this week. Here's the scoop on the vacation:

We walked a lot and I usually had some kind of back pack or child on by back or in my arms so that counts as weight lifting right? Except for yesterday (the drive home), I feel like I got good exercise.

Day one was awesome! NO car trip treats - just a Diet Coke and water and a few crackers. I stayed around 1300 calories.

Day two was great too. I made good choices at a breakfast buffet which could have been very dangerous for me. That is my favorite kind of food. I just ate some Kashi cereal and yogurt. We ate pizza at the game but it all worked into my calories. I ended probably around 1400 calories.

Day three was pretty good. The only blunder I had was I ate frozen yogurt at the Statue of Liberty but it could have been a lot worse. There were far worse choices I could have made such as a delicious cookie ice cream sandwich which was a whopping 600 calories (for a snack!!!!!). I ate sugar that day but not too bad.

Day four was a little worse. I had a ham and egg biscuit for breakfast. I was getting too hungry on the other days so I tried to eat something a little more filling. I could have done without the biscuit, I guess, but who really wants to eat that? Then we went to Chilis for dinner that night and we ate chips & salsa and I mistakenly got fried chicken on my salad instead of grilled chicken. We spent that day in Washington DC so we walked a TON. I think I burned a lot of it off but I could have made better choices.

The last day I don't really want to talk about. I might have had a "last hoorah" mentality so I didn't really pay attention to anything. My only saving grace was that we got Subway instead of some fast food fried crap. But I DID partake of car trip treats including regular chips and M&Ms. I'm not proud but I'm honest. I am excited to get back on track tomorrow. I am ready to be back in my own element and surroundings so I can focus better on my goals and have my support back! I missed that A LOT! It might have been a different story if I knew I had to report back everyday. Overall, not great but not a disaster.

Quick Post

Just to track the day...calories

Cereal 250
English Muffin 100
Fiber One Bar 140
Turkey sandwich 250
Grilled chicken alfredo (not the best choice but very yummy) 600

TOTAL 1340

Workout:
20 minutes treadmill
15 minutes jump class
15 minutes abs


The triumph of the day: going to a baby shower with the yummiest food and not eating ANYTHING because it was after 8:00. Can I get a woo-woo?

Most depressing thing of the day: getting mistaken as being pregnant at the gym. Not wearing a cute high-cut waist shirt, nope. Wearing my gym clothes - pretty form fitting, too, I might add. I really don't think I look pregnant at all so it didn't bother me that bad. I was with my friend, Terri, who is about to pop any day now. The lady said she thought we were pregnant friends together and we shouldn't do a jump class. I said I WILL do the jump class because I'm not pregnant. She didn't even say sorry or anything. Some people are so clueless!

Still Going Strong

Proudly, I haven't caved yet! That is the news of the day. I didn't get a workout in because I went to a playgroup this morning. Wednesdays are going to be difficult to get to the gym. Maybe I will have to do something at home but here are my calories for the day:

Cereal 250
English Muffin 150
1/2 Peanut Butter sandwich 200
Crackers 250
Watermelon 30
Vegetable Soup 160
1/2 grilled cheese 200
Strawberries 70

TOTAL 1310

Not too shabby. Although, I am so hungry right now I could eat my arm off and this computer so I think I should just go to bed so breakfast will come sooner! I have to say I am proud of myself. I have had a very "I don't really care" attitude about food for the whole summer. It is very hard for me to change like this. It is very good for me, though. Especially since Sara and Ali are checking on me everyday! It is hard for me to figure out what I am trying to "fill" with food. Most of the time it is boredom but sometimes it is stress or anxiousness about something. It is eye-opening for me to really search inside and figure out what I REALLY want. Sometimes it is food and sometimes it isn't.

I REALLY Want That Chocolate Bar

Isn't that just so sad? It's only day 2 without sugar and I am having a major craving. But I am doing the better thing...blogging about it. I just finished dinner and I am not hungry but out of habit I am used to eating something sweet after dinner. I bought my kids some special treats for their lunch and I swear I heard them calling my name. But I'm not going to give in, little delicious chocolate goodness. So you can call all you want...I'm not doing it - even if you are tiny.

Today was so busy I actually forgot to eat. I don't know that it has ever happened before. But it's true. Braden started preschool and I have entered the Mom Taxi Cab era. This is my routine now:

Get up (which is a challenge in and of itself most days)
Get kids ready for school
Breakfast
Walk Hailee to school
Run home so we can make it to the 9:15 class at the gym
Drive to the gym
Come home and eat lunch
Shower (sometimes)
Take Braden to school
Run a few errands
Pick up Hailee from school
Drive to Braden's school
Home for homework
Make dinner and eat
Baths
Reading
Bed

Leaves little time for snacking which is a good thing for me.

Here is the calorie count so far

Cereal 300
Toast 100
Crackers 150
Fiber One Bar 140
Cheeseburger 400
Tater Tots 150
Watermelon 50

TOTAL 1290

I could have made a better choice than the cheeseburger and tater tots but I let Braden choose a "special" dinner for his first day of school. I wanted to be included in the family dinner and let's face it, I didn't want to cook something different for myself. Plus, I was starving (seeing as how I accidentally forgot to eat lunch)!

Exercise:
40 minutes treadmill
20 minutes weights (arms and legs)

Calories For Today

Just for myself, I am going to try to track my calories to see how I'm doing.


Food:
Multi Bran Chex w/ milk 250
wheat toast 100
Wheat Thins 180
1/2 turkey sandwich 150
Fiber One Bar 140
Grapes 50
Vegetable Beef Soup 160
Cheesy Potatoes 250

TOTAL 1280


Exercise:
30 minutes on treadmill - 2.5 miles
30 minutes arm weights
20 minutes soccer with the fam



Pat on the back for today. One day at a time. I feel pretty good but it is about 9:00 and I am way hungry. I should probably eat later tomorrow or have a snack at night.

No Sugar...Who's In?

Okay...it's getting serious. I think the only solution I have is to go on a sugar fast for 2 weeks. That will be the kick start I need. I just know January is going to come and I am going to wonder what in the heck happened and why I'm not sexy! So my friends, Ali and Sara, are joining me and we will be accountable to each other everyday. If anyone else happens to read this and want some support in this terrible method of torture and agony, let me know. I am all ready to go on a Sunday night where I have eaten to my heart's content and I am feeling a little too full and yucky. I guess it's easy to get all excited about it when you're not in the middle of a mad sugar craving. I'll have to go stock up on some Advil and Diet Coke. That's going to be how I make this next week. Wish me luck!



Oh, I have to mention this weekend. Today wasn't that good but Saturday I did so awesome. We drove out to Sandusky because we were going to go on a ferry boat ride to Kelley's Island. The whole boat thing ended up not working out but we just stayed and played out there and had some fun. I had the opportunity to make some really horrible choices but I was strong and I resisted. I got a Subway foot long and ate half of it for lunch and the other half for dinner with a few pita chips. I could have gotten ice cream and all kinds of other stuff but I stuck with it and just ate my sandwich. I felt really awesome at the end of the night and I didn't miss that ice cream at all. So hopefully that little reminder can give me some motivation next week!

Can I Have A Do-Over?

It's not going so well. Obviously, from the lack of posting. Usually no writing means bad news. I have been really good about exercising every day. It is just the food part that is killing me. I guess I have a lot of habits that aren't going to die easily. This past weekend wasn't horrible but it wasn't good either. I didn't really keep track of anything and just didn't really care which is a really bad sign when it's only week 1. It seemed much easier the first time. I guess it is because I saw major results really fast. This time I am trying to take off about 15 lbs instead of 40. I just don't like dieting. I hate knowing that everything that goes in my mouth is going to effect the scale. It makes me just want to eat something really good.

But today wasn't so bad - hence the post! I was considering not working out because Bennett went back to sleep this morning before I could get out the door for the gym. If I don't go right after Hailee goes to school, it just doesn't happen. I was just going to not go because I was all dressed and ready to just spend time with my family but I decided to be strong and go. So I hauled my lazy butt up the stairs and put my gym clothes on. It was an extra bonus that Dane got home to watch the kids so I didn't have to worry about taking all of them. Anyways, I went to a step class and I am sooooo glad I did! I felt totally awesome and energetic after. And we all know I need energy at night with Bennett's little barfing charade! So I am just taking it a day at a time and hopefully I can make each day better than the last. I plan to go at 9:15 tomorrow. Hopefully there will be a post that confirms that!

I must give myself credit for the water and not eating after 8:00. I have really stuck with those and I feel a lot better if I do both of those things!

Just have to say...

I know I already posted today but I just have to say that I came home at about 8:30 and really wanted to eat cookies with my kids but I resisted and it was really hard. I just drank a lot of water and had some gum. Go me!

I did it!

I ran a mile today! I did it without stopping and I kicked it up for the last 1/4 mile. It was really hard and I hated it while it was happening. But after it was over, I was proud of myself. I even sprinted another 1/4 mile after I caught my breath. I did a total of 3 miles but I walked the entire last mile. I was chatting with my friend, Ali about her dog getting killed by a car :(. It's going to be a great day. I am still working on my nutrition. It seems like I am just concentrating on calories but I need to have more nutritious food in my diet. I'll get there. Hopefully next week I will work up to 1 1/4 mile without stopping.

Day 3

I remember why I shouldn't quit working out and then try to workout like I didn't quit. I am SOOOO sore today. My back is killing me. I hope it's just my muscles getting used to it and not my back on the verge of going out. I jogged for 3/4 mile without stopping. It isn't my goal of 1 mile but it is better than the 1/2 mile I did the other day. If my back would have been feeling better maybe I could have done it. I will keep pushing, though. My eating was just okay today. I had a little treat at Enrichment Night but I could have gone crazy and I didn't. I haven't totaled up the calories but it was probably around 1500. I consider it good since I worked out hard today. I still need to figure out how to stay closer to 1300 and not feel starving. Yesterday I went to bed at 9:00 because I had a massive headache. Some of it was that I was hungry but I had already eaten my 1400 calories. I need to drink more water throughout the day too. I usually get my 64 oz in but a lot of it is at night. I think I will try to drink water before meals and when I think I am hungry. Wow lots of rambling tonight. I need to take some Advil and go to sleep. Overall, it was a good day - not great but good.

Day 2 - Still Goin' Strong

I remembered why I workout. I woke up in the worst mood. I'm pretty sure it had to do with the fact that my kids woke up at 6:30 and were jumping on me to wake me up. It probably also had to do with the fact that I was showering at 12:30 last night because I just didn't get it in earlier in the day - I'm going to have to figure out how to not have that happen. 1:00 a.m. is NOT a good bedtime for me. Anyway, it is a cloudy, rainy day - the kind where you want to just stay at home in your jammies and watch movies all day. But I got out of the house and went to a Kickboxing class this morning. I feel so much better! I forgot that is why I workout. I am totally awake and motivated to clean my house (not that it's actually going to happen but I'm motivated)! So far so good. It is 11:30 and the calorie count is 440 - not too bad. I will post later to see how the rest of the day goes.