Monday, February 28, 2011

Back on Track!

Today was a good start to getting back on track! I stayed within my calorie intake limit, got in a good workout and met my calorie burn goal. I drank over 100 oz. of water, so hopefully my water retention will go away.

I'm sleepy, so I'm keeping this post short...I'll update again tomorrow! :)

Blog Neglect...

For the last two weeks I feel like I have kind of gotten off track. I've gone out of town for two weekends in a row, gotten off of my plan and neglected my blog...good news is, I am back on track today!

This past weekend, I went to New Orleans. I tried to be "good" and I actually did ok with NOT going overboard, food-wise. I ate foods that were not on my plan, but I tried to watch my portion sizes - I feel like I did a pretty good job with that. Although, I did okay with my eating, I really blew it with the drinks this weekend. I had way too many fruity, sugary mixed drinks & daiquiris. I planned to stick to wine or rum & diet coke, and not to over do it with either one....BUT I got into the Mardi Gras spirit a little too much and overindulged. :(  

Even though I "messed up" this weekend (and last), I am starting to learn how to avoid making the same mistakes twice. After the girls' weekend at the ranch, I decided I would not go out of town again and completely go off of my plan...no more mindless eating. I realized that it is ok to have a little treat here and there, but it is not ok to throw out everything that I know about healthy eating and go nuts with the cheese dip! I've also learned a valuable lesson this weekend -- being in New Orleans at Mardi Gras,  did not give me a free pass to "sample" every drink on Bourbon Street! I will be going again this weekend, but I will do things totally different. I will still make the healthiest choices possible when eating at a restaurant, and limit myself to 1 or 2 glasses of wine. The rest of the time, I will stick to drinking water. Also, I am going to make sure that I get some exercise in while I'm there.

I knew that I would face my biggest challenge by going out of town. It's much easier to stick with it when I am at home, doing my normal routine. I have to find a balance with staying on track and still being able to take a weekend trip or a vacation and enjoy myself. I enjoy traveling and I don't want to feel like I can never leave town, for the fear of "falling off the wagon" again. There is no reason why I can't go an do the fun things that I love to do, and still continue to lose weight. The reality is, to be successful, you have to find a way to live a normal, healthy lifestyle - no matter where you are. Calories still count when you leave your zip code. ;)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Quick Post

I'm just going to give a quick update before I go to bed. I've been up wayyy too late packing for my trip to New Orleans tomorrow...I am so sleepy!  My eating and exercise were both great today...looks like I'm back on track! :)

Not going to list all my food today - just going to give a total because I have got to get some rest -- I consumed a total of 890 calories for the day. Not too bad...I probably should have had a little more to eat, but I was too busy packing to even think about food.

Goodnight everyone! :)

Back to normal!

Whew! Today is going MUCH better than the last few! My eating is back on track and that tired, sluggish feeling that I have had all week is finally gone. Tomorrow I leave to go to New Orleans for the weekend, and I am determined to do much better on this trip than the last one. As long as I can get a lot of walking in and eat and drink in moderation, I should be just fine! I can't wait to get there...Mardi Gras is my favorite!


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Today was a little bit better....just a tiny, tiny bit

It was still a tough day...I was still a little hungrier than normal...and I ate a little more than I should have. I'm not going to let myself get discouraged by this - I'm just going to keep working hard.

Despite my eating being a little off today, my workout was great! I did an hour and 10 minutes on the elliptical and then did some lunges, squats and upper body exercises. I burned a little over 700 cals! :)

Looks like I should exceed my calorie burn goal today, so that will make up for me going over my calorie intake limit.

I know that tomorrow will be better...hopefully my carb craving will lessen a little...this hunger thing is killing me!!!

So, here's what I had today:

Breakfast: Smart Ones French Toast w/ Turkey Sausage

Snack: Beef Jerky and 100 calorie popcorn

Lunch: 6" Turkey Subway Sandwich w/ popchips

Snack:  Beef Jerky and Popchips (I probably should have had the grapefruit that was sitting on my desk)

Another Snack:  Lightly Frosted Mini-wheats cereal  (1.5 servings....that's where I messed up)

Dinner:  Salad w/ goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, light balsamic vinaigrette

Okay, so the grand total is..........1537 calories :(


I'm not happy about my eating today, but I can see where I need to make improvements and where I could have made better choices. Tomorrow will be a better day! :)

Monday, February 21, 2011

Rough day...

Today was not easy...AT ALL. I tried sticking to smoothies and veggies, but I was soooo hungry. I did ok, but not as good as I wanted too. Tonight was the hardest part...I didn't eat anything bad, but I wanted to eat a lot less than I did today. I did stick to drinking a ton of water though...and I'm about to Zumba it up in my living room with my new Wii game! I've decided to just go back to my normal eating tomorrow and quit trying to "fix" the damage from the weekend with some crazy "diet"...those damn "diets" are what got me here in the first place.

Okay, so here's the plan:

1. Stick to my 1250 calorie limit or less

2. Go to spin & do a little extra cardio

3. Drink 100 ounces of water

4. DON'T STRESS ABOUT THE SCALE!



Here's what I had today...

Breakfast: Smoothie

Snack: Cucumbers and vinegar

Snack: Popchips

Lunch: Smoothie, cucumbers & vinegar

Snack: Popchips

Snack: Handful of Sugar Free Jordan Almonds & Yogart Parfait

Dinner:  Broccoli & Cauliflower w/ cheese sauce, Lean Cuisine Spring Rolls

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  1333

So, looking back at my food log, I snacked wayyyyy too much today....ughhh...

Tomorrow is a new day and it will be a better day!



UPDATE:

Okay, so I usually try to keep my posts very positive and try to continuously pump myself up...always cheering myself on..."go me!", "awesome workout", "I'm so excited..."  blah, blah, blah, etc....

Today was not a "pump myself up" kind of day....so I thought I would elaborate a little more on my earlier post.

I feel like I totally let myself down this weekend. I went out of town for a fun trip and did exactly what I told myself I WOULD NOT do. All day long I have felt guilty about what I ate over the weekend, and how I got NO exercise. I feel like I took a big step backwards in the progress that I have been making and it is soooooooooo FRUSTRATING!!!! I'm terrified that I will get discouraged...that I will repeat mistakes like I have done in the past....that I could easily go back to all of my old habits without even really realizing it...and bam! everything I've done would be undone, just like that. I felt horrible today...not just because of the guilt from the weekend, but I literally felt bad...sick, bloated, tired, sluggish...all of that - but, there is good news in all of this....

I KNOW WHY I FEEL THE WAY I DO TODAY.
I am recognizing the struggle that I will have to face time and time again...I am recognizing the way that food effects my body...I am recognizing that this journey will not always be easy...and I am recognizing that I have in NO WAY overcome my weakness to temptations. For the first time, I am acknowledging my mistakes and my struggles...analyzing why I slipped up...and making a plan to be more successful the next time that I am faced with a challenge.

This past weekend showed me that going back to my old lifestyle would not be difficult, but it also made me realize more than ever, why I do not want to go back. This crappy feeling I have today, has been constant for years...I am not going back to that! I may have taken a few steps backwards this weekend, but I am back today and marching straight down that road to my goal, full speed ahead!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Vacation Temptation...

Hello everyone! Sorry I have had to neglect my blog over the weekend...girls weekend was out on a big ranch with no internet access, so I was without my normal comforts, but the trip was a much needed break. I wish I could write this post about how wonderful I did with my eating and exercising this weekend, but sadly, that is not the case. I'm not going to go on too much about it, but when you get five girls together, coupled with a snack spread, lifetime movies, and a fully stocked bar...it's never going to be a pretty picture. Let's just say that they cheese dip and chocolate chip cookies called my name one too many times. Ugghhh...moving on though.

As we speak, I am drinking a big smoothie and will be getting back to the gym and on my eating plan tomorrow morning! I would like to stick to drinking smoothies and eating fresh veggies for about 2 days...just to kind of cleanse my body. I feel a little swollen and bloated...I won't be stepping on that scale for a few days....I'd rather not see the damage that I did this past weekend.

I did try to drink a lot of water this weekend and I also tried to make healthy choices when we ate our meals...I just really blew it with the snacking.

This upcoming weekend will be challenging as well when I visit New Orleans, but I am just going to work super hard this week and try to make better choices and do less snacking.

Ok, so back to the program tomorrow!!!

Here's a few photos from our fun weekend:










Tuesday, February 15, 2011

My Drug of Choice...

Well, I've lost 2 of the 7 pounds that my scale says I've "gained." Whatever. The scale is a BIG FAT LIAR...and no matter how much I try to convince myself to stay off of it, my curiousity won't let me do it. I swear, I'm like a crackhead for the scale. Good news is, I know I'm losing inches, because my jeans keep falling down today. Trying not to stress about my number too much...but I would like to see it go down some more this week. I have my first challenging weekend coming up...I am determined to stay on track. I'll be headed to the gym tonight to do some serious cardio...hopefully my weight will be back to normal tomorrow. I've been drinking lots of water today, so hopefully I can sweat out all this extra water weight....we shall see!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day to me!




I got some awesome goodies from my Valentine's Day swap partner, Janna! I'm so excited to try out these DVDs and put that journal to use! Thank you sooooo much, Janna!



Today was a good day...still a little peeved about the weight gain, but I'm going to chalk it up to water weight and try not to stress about it.

I went to Zumba tonight...still lovin' it...it's so much fun and the hour workout goes by soooo quick! I burned more calories tonight than usual...I think it's because I'm starting to learn the moves and am able to get into it more. So fun....love it! AND....I burned about 650 calories!

So, here's the food log today...did pretty well...considering it was Valentine's Day....

Breakfast:  Weight Control Oatmeal & Green Grapes    264 cals

Snack:  Fiber One Peanut Butter Bar   150 cals

Lunch:  Subway Turkey Sandwich (6" wheat)   218 cals

Snack:  Chocolate Pudding   60 cals

Valentine's Treat:   Chocolate Coverd Strawberry (1) & Small Handful of Peanut M&Ms   109 cals

Dinner:  Lean Cuisine Spring Rolls    200 cals

Snack:  Muscle Milk Light - Chocolate  170 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  1171

Not much to say today...

My scale was a horrible liar this morning...says I gained 7lbs over one day...seriously. The day after I lost 3 lbs, I manage to gain 7!!!!! What the heck?????? I went over my calories yesterday, but not by much...and according to my BodyBugg I still burned wayyyy more calories than I took in. The only thing I can think, is that I'm probably retaining water...again. I made some soup the other night, that may have had more sodium than other things I've been eating...and I noticed that my fingers were swollen when I woke up this morning...so that has to be it. NO ONE should gain 7 lbs overnight...especially with what I have been eating. Uggghhhh! So frustrating! And this is why "they" say you shouldn't weigh daily...I think I get it now...

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Yesterday and Today

I forgot to post my food last night so I will post yesterday and today in this one. Today has been a little harder than usual. I'm sure it's because I haven't been really busy today, so that leads to boredom eating...ughh. I still went to workout earlier so that was a plus, but I've just been feeling hungrier than normal today. I haven't had anything crazy...just wanted to eat more food and more often. Oh well, I guess everyone has "those" days.

So, here's what I've had today...

Breakfast:  Egg Whites, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, green grapes    219 cals

Snack:  2 Wasa Crisp w/ PB2 Butter Butter and drizzle of maple syrup     131 cals

Another Snack:  Unsalted pretzels w/ Hummus    145 cals

Lunch:   Corn Chowder     277 cals

Snack:   Kashi Cereal    190 cals

Dinner:    Chicken Breast w/ goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes,
broccoli w/ light cheese sauce, corn    365 cals


TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:    1327

Ok, so I went over my 1250 limit today, but not by much.  I was under 1250 every other day this week, so I guess it all kind of evens out! :)


Here's yesterday's log:

Breakfast:   Egg Whites w/ goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes     131 cals

Lunch:    Tuna Sandwich on Orowheat Thins w/ pretzels     402 cals

Snack:  Apple    61 cals

Dinner:   Corn Chowder   339 cals

Snack:  Fat-Free, Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding w/ Sugar Free Cool Whip    220 cals    

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:   1153            

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Super Saturday!

So, I didn't get a chance to post my food log yesterday. I didn't do great...meaning I didn't really eat enough yesterday...and I had a few drinks last night.  BUT I still went to workout and I the drinks didn't make me exceed my maximum calorie intake.  

Here's what I had yesterday:

Breakfast: Weight Control Oatmeal    160 cals

Snack:  100 Calorie Popcorn    100 cals

Lunch:  Smart Ones Mini Rigatoni w/ Vodka Cream Sauce    290 cals

Snack:  Fiber One Peanut Butter Bar     150 cals

Dinner:  1/2 Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bar (not a very good dinner)     60 cals

Drinks:  Rum & Diet Coke (3 drinks)      321 cals 

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:    1081 

Okay, so I didn't pretty well until dinner time...a 1/2 of a granola bar is NOT a good meal! ;)


On a better note, I had a happy morning on the scale!

I LOST 3 MORE POUNDS!!!!!

That makes 4 pounds for this week and 23 pounds overall!!!!!!!!!  I'm so excited! 

 
I don't feel this way about my scale today...but I had to share this! Too Funny!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Finally Friday...

107 days left in my 118 day challenge...45 pounds left to go! I still need to lose 2 pounds by this Sunday if I want to reach my weekly goal...better work hard this weekend. :)

I've got two weekends of out-of-town trips coming up, which in the past meant "diet goes out the window..." because it doesn't count if your out of your area code, right? Seriously, my logic was so messed up. So, those two weekends will be challenging, but I am determined to stay on track. The first trip is a girls weekend at a ranch near Austin...we'll be doing some shopping, and relaxing...that's pretty much it. I'm going to bring my Wii w/ Just Dance & Just Dance 2, so we can have some fun and get exercise at the same time. Because we are staying in a house, we won't have to eat out for all of our meals, so that should make things a lot easier. The following weekend, I'm headed to New Orleans with my friend Stephanie, to go have some Mardi Gras fun! This is where I'm going to really be tested. I know New Orleans means a lot of yummy food and yummy drinks and I know I'll be eating foods that are higher in calories and enjoying some drinks too...but my plan is to keep it as healthy as possible and to make sure and do a lot of walking...which means I'll probably need to do A LOT of shopping to make sure that happens!  :) 

Like I've said before, this is no longer a "diet" for me -- it is a complete life change. If I am going to be able to do this forever, I have to be realistic about things and realize that there will be times that will challenge me...there will be times where I'll need to increase my exercise to combat eating over my calorie limit...there will be times that I do not see that number on the scale go down...there will be temptations...there will be times when I give into that temptation...but even better, there will be many times that I will NOT give in to that temptation! Vacations and weekend getaways will always be challenging, but as long as I stay aware of what I am eating and don't go overboard, I'll survive! :)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Takin' a break today... (NEW PROGRESS PIC!)

To meet my goals, I have planned to workout 6 days a week - so I'm making today my "off day." I've been pushing really hard and it caught up with me today. Come to think of it, last Thursday was my "off day" too...I guess 6 days in a row takes it's toll. I know how important it is to give your body a rest, so that's what I am doing tonight.

My eating was good today...still sticking to my plan and staying on track! Since I have hit the 20 pound mark, I took another progress picture! The first picture is after I lost 9 pounds (I didn't take one until a week after I started this.)


-9 lbs

-20 lbs

I'll post the next picture at -30 pounds! I'm thinking that the solid black is not doing much good for showing any progress....maybe I'll change it up a little next time. So, I can't really see much of a difference (except in my face), but I can feel the difference in the way that my clothes are fitting, and of course, the way that I feel! That's the most important thing, right? :)

Here's today's food log:

Breakfast:  Michaelina's Lean Gourmet Breakfast Muffin   180 cals

Snack:  Fiber One Peanut Butter Bar   150 cals

Lunch: Smart Ones Swedish Meatballs   270 cals

Snack:  100 Calorie Popcorn   100 cals

Dinner:  Egg white omelet w/ goat cheese & sun-dried tomatoes, pretzels w/ hummus    375 cals

Snack:  1/2 cup Bell Blue Frozen Yogurt - The Great Divide    110 cals

Snack:  Banana Peppers    10 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  1195


Overall, it was a good day...BUT after looking at my food log, I definitely need wayyyy more fruits and veggies in my diet, so I'm going to work on that! :)

I am a LOSER!

I'VE LOST 20 POUNDS!

Woohoo! Go me! I'll take a new progress picture tonight!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

J-E-L-L-O....legs

That is what 40 minutes on the elliptical + a kick ass Zumba class will do to your legs. I wasn't planning on doing both tonight...I was actually just going to go do some cardio, get it over with & go plant myself on the couch for the rest of the night. After the workout I had yesterday, I wanted to take it easy today. BUT, I changed my mind and decided to go ahead and go to the class.

 It was so worth it, all because of this...
I'll take the Jello legs any day to have a calorie burn like this! 

My total calorie burn for today is 3500...and I still have 2.5 hours to go! So, another great day in the books...I'm beat...here's the food log:

Breakfast: Michaelina's Lean Gourmet Breakfast Muffin   180 cals

Snack: Fiber One Bar   90 cals

Lunch: Smart Ones Swedish Meatballs   270 cals

Dinner: Whole wheat tortilla w/ hummus, goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes   270 cals

Snack:  Unsalted pretzels w/ hummus   145 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:   955

Still going strong for my 7 Day Chip! Day 109 of my 118 Day Challenge comes to a close...goodnight everyone! :)


The Importance of Finishing...

So, I have been thinking about the reasons/factors that led me to become overweight. I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. I honestly cannot remember a time, past the age of like, ten, that I didn't worry about it. I wasn't a fat kid...but I was on the chunkier side. I can remember being bigger than most of my friends and feeling fat, but looking back, I was not. I just developed quicker and really grew into my body faster than most of my friends. I was never, ever skinny, but I was far from being fat. In high school my weight went up and down, nothing extreme though...I think at my heaviest I was probably about 160ish and my lightest was around 135 (this is the smallest that I can remember being). I don't believe that my body is meant to weigh any less than that. At my lowest weight, I looked good and I felt confident. Did I still have moments where I wished I was skinny like my friends? Of course I did - but I didn't feel fat - not in the least bit.

Growing up, I always watched what I ate. Fast food was a rarity and forget about candy bars and junk food - it just didn't happen. Now, I'm not saying that I never touched the stuff, but I definitely had to have some longggggg conversations in my head to justify it. Looking good was just more important to me than the taste of food. At some point, that all changed.

I can't pin-point it exactly, but I think everything changed when I was in college. In high school, I stayed very active and for the most part, ate pretty healthy. In college, my social life took over, which meant more late-night eating, and a lot of drinking...which, of course, led to even more eating. Now, I kept my weight under control for awhile, but not by the safest means. I tried everything...starving, eat one meal a day, liquid diet (not the good kind...the diet coke and cigarettes kind), laxatives,  diet pills - and minimal eating...just about every bad thing you could do to kill your metabolism, I tried. Eventually, everything caught up with me and my weight started creeping up. I got lazy, and stayed lazy. It's like I just stopped caring about me.

Over the years, I would go on "diets"....probably hundreds of times. I would have some success, but then something or someone would come along, I would lose my focus, and the whole thing would go down the toilet. Over and over again, I would get on a good kick of working out and eating healthy, and then stop. This is where the importance of finishing comes in. I HAVEN'T FINISHED A DAMN THING THAT I'VE STARTED IN THE LAST 10 YEARS! Not just with dieting, but in my life. For some reason, anything I start, I can't seem to follow through until the end...I get bored, or things get tough and I give up. Well, all that is changing now! For the first time, in a longggggg time, I am going to finish something. I am going to make sure that I lose all of this weight and keep it off! It's been holding me back long enough and I am sick of it!

I know that losing weight will not magically make everything in my life come together, but if you feel good about yourself, things just seem to come together more easily. Keeping this blog is going to keep me focused on my goal. Knowing that people are reading it, and it is inspiring them, definitely makes me want to complete this journey.

Just a quick post...

I lost those extra Super Bowl pounds that I gained...plus one more! That brings my total to
19 pounds!!

109 days left in my 118 Day Challenge and Starting day 3 of 7 Day Chip! 


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Holy Cardi-O!

I just got back from the gym and I am sooooo excited! I did a total of 2 hours of cardio tonight!!! 2 HOURS!!! I didn't end up going to Zumba because I got on the elliptical before it started and got into tonight's episode of The Biggest Loser. I wish that show came on everynight!!! I started off on the elliptical and watched the first 40 minutes of the show, then I moved to the elliptical that works your arms at the same time and watched another 40 minutes of the show (that's when I realized that the episode was 2 hours long...), and THEN I moved to the AMT to watch the last 40 minutes!!!! 2 HOURS!!!!! OK, so y'all know this is coming....

Check it out:

That's right! 1026 calories!!!! And.....about 10 miles!! Holy SH*T! Sorry, I can hardly contain myself! Anyway, if I didn't lose those 2 pounds tomorrow morning, something is wrong with the universe. 

So, on top of this wonderful accomplishment today, my eating was really great. 
Here's what I had:

Breakfast: Smart Ones Breakfast Burritos & Grapes    344 cals

Snack:  100 calorie popcorn   100 cals

Lunch: Vegetable Soup   90 cals 

Snack: Fiber One Bar & Fat Free Chocolate Pudding  170 cals

Dinner:  Lentil Soup   172 cals

After Workout: Gatorade G2  50 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  926

Great day! Amazingly Awesome Day! 


A better morning...

Well, the scale was a little nicer this morning. I've lost 2 of the 4 pounds that I somehow managed to gain in ONE DAY! I'm still going to chalk this up to water weight...and maybe my body just adjusting to all of the changes that I've made lately.

I'm on day 2 of the 7 Day Chip, and I just had my breakfast...so far, so good!

Going to Zumba again tonight and will probably do some more cardio afterwards. Because of my weight gain, I need to lose 5 pounds this week instead of 3...ughh...we'll see how that goes. If I don't make it, I'm sure it'll all even out next week. I'm going to try to top my best calorie burning day that I have had since using the BodyBugg - 3797 calories! I would like to reach 4000 at least one day a week - or at least shoot for that number. :)

110 days left in my 118 Day Challenge!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Zumba Night!

Zumba is officially the most fun workout ever!!! I went to the class tonight with my mom and then did 30 mins on the ellipictal.


Check out this calorie burn...




That's right people, 759 calories!!! Okay, so I had to work extra hard today because this morning, my scale decided that it hated me. It said that I GAINED 4 FREAKIN' POUNDS!!!!! How is this possible??? I have been working my butt off...and yes, I ate some stuff yesterday that was not what I have normally been eating, but I did not eat enough to gain 4 pounds!!!!!!! I drank a ton of water last night too...hopefully I'm just retaining some of that. Geez!!!! 4 pounds???? Seriously??? Mr. Scale...I hate you too!!! Until tomorrow morning, when you hopefully show me something that I want to see...






Also, I started the 7 Day Chip today...my commitment to eating healthy and not exceeding 1250 calories for 7 days straight. That went really well today. Here's what I had:

Breakfast: Weight Control Oatmeal & grapes   264 cals

Snack:  Fiber One Bar   90 cals

Lunch: Baby Carrots & Broccoli w/ Laughing Cow cheese & Homemade Vegetable Soup   204 cals

Snack: 100 Calorie Popcorn    100 cals

Dinner:  Mini Pizza (Orowheat Sandwich Thins, Hummus, Sundried Tomatoes, Goat Cheese, Chicken Breast, drizzle of Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing) & Unsalted Pretzels     352 cals

Snack:  Gatorade G2   50 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  1050

7 Day Chip!

Ok, I'm starting this today! Here are the details...

7 Day Chip

Zumba tonight!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

I Survived Super Bowl XLV!

Well, I just got home from the party and I have to say that I am pretty proud of myself. I ate some things today that I don't normally eat, but I didn't get out of control with it. I fixed myself one plate, like I planned! I had just a little taste of the things that I wanted and then had a snickerdoodle cookie and half a brownie. I drank water the whole time -- 4 bottles, I think. I probably should have either had the cookie or had the brownie, and not had both, but oh well.

I had a good workout before the party. 30 mins on the AMT and 30 mins on the elliptical, so that should help make up for the eating today.  :)

I'll list what I ate today, but I'll have to estimate on the calories for everything at the party - I'll over estimate just to be safe.

Breakfast:  Grits w/ Laughing Cow Cheese and a sprinkle of bacon bits, green grapes   230 cals

Snack:  Pretzels w/ Hummus   145 cals

Lunch:  Sandwich (Orowheat Sandwich Thin w/ one slice of turkey breast, Laughing Cow cheese wedge, sundried tomatoes)   187 cals

Superbowl Party:

Chicken breast w/ hot wing sauce, a few tortilla chips w/ cheese dip, veggies w/ ranch dip, a few crackers w/ dip, 1/2 brownie, snickerdoodle cookie, handful of mixed nuts  

Estimated Calories:   880 ??

Dinner:  Chicken Teriyaki Frozen Dinner   330 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  1772

Ok, so hopefully my estimation was pretty close. I'm just happy that I stayed under 2000 calories today.  I ate more calories than normal, but it looks like I am also going to burn more calories than usual since right now I've already reached my goal of 3100 and I still have 2.5 hours in the day!! Today shouldn't cause me to gain weight, so I will still be on track to reach my goal. I'll just keep drinking lots of water until bedtime tonight to flush out all the salt from today's tasty treats!

Super Bowl XLV = Food Fest 2011


I've had major anxiety about this day for about a week now. Is it because I so desperately want the Packers to win today? No. I'm a Saints fan so I'm not really into the Super Bowl this year. I did decide to pull for the Packers today though...no real reason behind it...just decided to pick a side. Besides, green is one of my best colors! Anyway, my anxiety about this game has been created by the food spread that is going to be at the party that I am going to. I don't know everything that will be there, but I do know that it will definitely include buffalo wings and cheese dip...some of my favorite foods on the planet.




I have gone back and forth on what to do about today. Do I go to the party and not eat anything...maybe if I don't taste any of it, it won't be as hard? Do I stay home and watch the game from the safety of my couch...while snacking on a bowl of 100 calorie popcorn? Do I say, "what the hell? It's only one day..." and totally go off my plan?

Ok, so none of those choices are going to work for me. First of all, I'm not going to go to a party and be the "diet girl" who won't eat anything. Second, I'm not going to hole up in my house to hide from anything that may tempt me. And last, I am DEFINITELY NOT going to throw in the towel today and stuff myself with whatever my heart  stomach desires.

So, here's my plan. I have already decided that eating one buffalo wing would be a mistake for me...I mean really, can anyone just eat one of those things? So, I talked to my friend who is having the party and she said if I bring a chicken breast over, she'll cook it for me...and I can dip it in the yummy wing sauce. Ok, so I can have my chicken and eat it too. :)  As for everything else at the party...let's just hope there is one hell of a vegetable tray!!! Seriously though, I'm just going to make the best choices possible and not over-do it. If I want a little cheese dip...then I'll have a little cheese dip. I am setting some rules for myself though:

1) One plate...that's all I get. No multiple trips to try a little of this and a little of that.

2) Hovering over the chip bowl is a bad idea...stay away from that area.

3) No alcohol today. I know it's the Super Bowl but I've got to save calories where I can. I'll stick to bottled water.

Ok, so that's it! Wish me luck and pray for a giant veggie platter!!!




Now, off to the gym!! :)

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Thank You!

I just wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone who has commented or sent me messages letting me know that this blog is inspiring them to do something better for themselves! When I started this, I thought a few people may look at it once or twice, but I probably wouldn't have any real "followers." It is so awesome to to know that more and more people following me on this journey everyday. I can't even begin to explain how much more motivated and determined I am, just because I know that people are "watching" me. The accountability factor is definitely keeping me on track. I don't want to let my self down and I don't want to let any of you down! So thank you, thank you thank you! And please keep reading!!!!

Ok, so here's how the day went. I had a good workout, just not quite as long as I wanted. I did 30 min of cardio between the AMT and elliptical -- I put my resistance way up, so I could burn my calories faster. Then I did some upper body exercises and more lunges - which I will continue to do everyday...I want my legs ready for some cute shorts this spring! After my workout, I sat in the suana for a little while.

So, yesterday I posted about having trouble getting in all my calories and not really being hungry. I SPOKE TOO SOON! Today I was soooo hungry! I had a bigger breakfast, but then didn't have lunch until late in the afternoon. Lunch was followed by two snacks...ughh... After my workout my stomach was growling, screaming, howling...whatever you want to call it. So I had my dinner, but still didn't feel satisfied. I wasn't hungry anymore, but I just still wanted to eat....and I had already reached my calorie intake for the day. As I sit here typing this post, I'm thinking that I want to eat something else...maybe something sweet, or salty....just something. I guess these days will happen every once in awhile...I'm not going to sweat it too much.

Food:

Breakfast:  Omelet w/ spinach, sun-dried tomotes, goat cheese & pretzels w/ hummus    325 cals

Lunch:  Chicken Corn Chowder  & Salad w/ sundried tomatoes & balsamic vinaigrette  330 cals

Snack:  100 calorie popcorn    100 cal

Snack:  Weight Watchers Fudge Cone    140 cal

Dinner:  3 Wasa Crackers w/ hummus, goat cheese & sundried tomatoes    280 cals

Snack:  Green grapes (1 cup)   104 cals

TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:  1279

Chicken Corn Chowder

Just thought I'd share the recipe for the yummy chowder I made last night!
ENJOY!!!



Chicken Corn Chowder
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large potato, diced
2 cups frozen cut corn
2 cans (16 ounces each) fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
4 ounces processed cheddar cheese, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup processed bacon bits

Spray a large soup pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot. Add chicken, onion, and bell pepper and cook over medium heat until chicken is browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in potatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Stir in corn. Blend the flour and milk in a bowl then gradually stir it into the pot. Increase heat to medium and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted and well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with bacon bits before serving.

Makes 8-10 Servings
Serving Size: 12 ounces

Nutrients per serving:
Calories202
Total Fat3 grams
Saturated Fat1 grams
Protein22 grams
Carbohydrate22 grams
Cholesterol33 milligrams
Sodium428 milligrams
Fiber2 grams
Calcium0 milligrams
Iron0 milligrams

Good Morning!


So, I'm five days into my challenge now, and I am on track to reach my goal! I'm planning on another good workout today and healthy eating! I tried to eat a bigger breakfast this morning and I am stuffed! I had an omelet made with one whole egg and one egg white, with spinach, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes (obviously, my favorite combination on the planet...If you've been reading my posts, you'll notice the trend...lol). After I figured up the calories for the omelet, I decided I needed to eat something else. (It was only about 170 calories for the whole omelet). So the rest of my breakfast was kind of weird...unsalted pretzels and hummus...not very breakfast-y...but very tasty!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Another Good Day!

Well, I had another successful day today.  After I got myself out of my warm, comfy bed, I made myself an awesome breakfast of grits with goat cheese & sun dried tomatoes and scrambled egg whites. It was so yummy!



After breakfast, I went to the gym and had a great workout! I started out on the stairclimber - which totally kicks my butt every time - but the good news is, I'm able to last a little longer on it. A few weeks ago, I could barely last 3 or 4 minutes without my quads screaming at me to please get off the machine! Today I used it as my warm-up for 7 minutes, then I moved to the AMT machine. I stayed on it for 35 minutes. After that, I went over the free weights and workout out my upper body. In between sets, I did my favorite leg-killer - lunges, and then finished up with some crunches. I'm headed back tomorrow morning to do it all over again!

Since it was such a cold day, I wanted to make some soup to have for dinner. The BodyBugg website has recipes, so I looked up soups & stews between 200-300 calories, and I found a recipe for Chicken Corn Chowder. It sounded like it would be delicious, so I decided to try it out. And let me tell you....IT WAS AMAZING!!! A serving is a cup and a half and has about 200 calories. D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!



Food:

Breakfast:  Grits with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes & scrambled egg whites   231 cals

Lunch:  Lean Cuisine Spring Rolls & Green Giant Broccoli w/ Cheese Sauce   240 cals

Dinner: Chicken Corn Chowder  200 cals

Snack:  Peanut Butter & Chocolate Sundae (with all low-fat/ low cal ingredients, of course)  283 cals

TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE:  954 


I am finding it hard on most days to get all of my calories in. I hate to eat something when I'm not hungry at all, only for the sake of reaching my daily goal of 1250. Before I started this journey, I easily surpassed 1250 probably by lunchtime...lol...but now that I am paying attention to what I am putting in my body, I'm having trouble eating enough. I don't feel deprived or hungry at all, but I know how important it is to eat enough. Also, I don't like to eat late at night so if at the end of the day I still need 200-300 calories, I don't want to raid the pantry just to reach a number. Maybe if I start my day off with a bigger breakfast, I won't have this problem.  Is this an issue for anyone else?


**I still need to get in a lot more fruits and veggies -- I'm tryin'...

No work today!

I'm off of work today for the weather - which didn't get as bad as everyone thought it would. So happy to not have to be jolted out of my bed by the sound of my alarm clock today! It's such a good feeling to just wake up when your body tells you to wake up.   :)


Hahahahaha!


So, here's the plan for today:

I'm going to get out of this bed, put on my workout clothes and go spend a lot of time at the gym. I'm thinkin' a good hour and a half to two hour workout would be good today...and then maybe I'll hang out in the suana for a little while.  Later on,  I want to make a big pot of vegetable soup, so I'll have to go to the store -- sounds so good for a cold day like today!  

I came across this quote today on another blog -- it is so true:

Losing weight is hard, maintaining weight is hard, staying fat is hard - choose your hard. 




Thursday, February 3, 2011

I am frozen...

It's cold today! 
This is the get-up I had to put on to go outside...brrrrrrrrr!



I'm feeling a little sad because I skipped my workout today. :(  I got off work early - because I live in Southeast Texas and when it sleets/snows, this whole place shuts down...lol...we don't how to deal with this stuff. Anyway, when I got home from work, I was soooo tired and fell asleep for over 2 hours. I didn't get enough sleep last night and I guess all my hard work caught up with me...I kind of crashed today. My eating was still good today - but my energy level went down the toilet by mid-afternoon. I guess today will be my day off - just have to workout extra hard tomorrow! So tonight, I'm just going to take it easy and avoid going outside.

Icicles on my car...it's way too cold for Texas.




Food:

Breakfast: Smart One's Breakfast Burritos     240 cals

Snack:  Sugar Free Hot Chocolate     50 cals

Lunch:  Healthy Choice Chicken Parmigiana     320 cals

Snack:  Fiber One Bar     90 cals

Dinner:   2 Mini Pizzas (Orowheat Sandwich Thins, Goat Cheese, Spinach, Low-fat Mozzarella, Sun-    dried Tomatoes, drizzle of Balsamic Vinaigrette) & Popchips      408 cals

Snack:  Skinny Cow Chocolate Fudge Cup     150 cals


TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED:    1258




Awesome Morning!

I lost another 2 pounds!!!! That brings my total to 18 pounds lost and 3 pounds lost for my challenge! I'm only a few days into my challenge and I've already lost the weight that I needed to for this week...all my hard work is starting to pay off. :)

So, I've got 47 pounds to go to reach my 50 lbs in 118 days...and I have 115 days left to do it! I've got this! :)


As soon as I lose 2 more pounds I will take another progress picture!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

I AM IN LOVE....

WITH ZUMBA!!!!!! Oh...my....gosh....that was the most fun I have ever had working out! I'm not a great dancer, so I'm sure I looked kinda of crazy sometimes, but who cares....it was a blast!! I will definitely be a regular from now on! SO, SO, SO MUCH FUN!

Ok, can y'all tell I'm excited yet??? Here's the best part....

I BURNED 572 CALORIES DURING THE ZUMBA CLASS!

I reset the trip on my BodyBugg when the class started, so I could see how many calories I would burn...572 in an hour...I'll take it! I know I'll probably even burn more as I get more comfortable in the class....tonight I was just trying to get the steps down, so I didn't get into it as much as I would have liked to. 


Food:

Breakfast: Weight Control Oatmeal    160 cals

Lunch: Healthy Choice Marinara Manicotti Formaggio     350 cals

Snack:  Fiber One Bar & Sugar Free Hot Chocolate    142 cals

Dinner:  Sandwich (Orowheat Thins, goat cheese, turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, romaine lettuce, drizzle of Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing) & Popchips    292 cals

Snack:  Weight Watchers Fudge Cone   140 cals 

TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE:    1084

Day 116 is almost done....115 more to go! 

My Love / Hate Relationship with...

My Scale. Somedays it's my best friend...other days it's my worst enemy. This morning it was good to me...I lost another pound! -16 now...and 116 days left in my challenge! I know I've said in previous posts, that I would only weigh myself once a week. That's what "they" (whoever "they" are) say, right? Well, here's my argument against that, for me at least. I feel like how often you weigh yourself, is up to you. For me, I need to weigh myself everyday to keep my self accountable. If the scale shows that I've lost weight, then it motivates me to keep going -- if it shows that I gained weight or stayed the samed, then it's makes me feel like I need to work harder or just make sure that I stay on track. I know there will always be fluctuations, so I try not to stress about it too much if I see an increase in my number. Also, I know myself...and how my crazy mind works. I'm a procrastinator...a really, really, really bad procrastinator. So, lets say I decide that I'm going to weigh myself every Friday morning, and on Monday someone brings in a box of donuts to work...I know myself well enough to know how easy it would be to talk myself into eating one all because I won't have to get on the scale until Friday. I would feel like I could make up for the donut mishap throughout the rest of the week. If I do that enough times, I'll be wayyyy off track. Now, I know that there will be times along the way that I will slip up and eat something that is not on my plan, but if I can make it happen less, then I will. So, for now, I'm going to keep getting on that scale every morning just to see how I'm doing.




***Just a sidenote -- Do you burn more calories when you are cold...because it's FA-REEEE-ZING here today! Southeast Texas is not supposed to be this cold!!!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Grocery shopping is not as fun as it used to be...

Okay, so I've never really loved grocery shopping, but it was a lot more fun to go through the aisle and just put yummy stuff in my basket. Wondering around aimlessly -- while hungry, usually -- ahhh, those were the days. LOL. Not that what I bought tonight was not yummy, but y'all know what I'm talking about...the REAL yummy stuff...the stuff you look at and think, "Mmmmmmm...I think I'll get this gallon of chocolate ice cream and a bottle of magic shell...ohhh, and maybe crush up some chocolate cookies - you know, to add some texture...and maybe a can of redi-whip to top it off..." -- that kind of yummy stuff. Okay, enough of the fantasy...I filled my basket with healthy goodness instead. I bought this stuff that a friend of mine told me about. It's powdered peanut butter....PB2.


You mix this powdered stuff with some water and it taste just like peanut butter! I mean, it is peanut butter sort of. They take peanuts and somehow remove all the oil and fat so it leaves this powdery stuff. Then you just add a little H20, mix it up and spread it on whatever you want! It's soooo good! I put mine on some Wasa Crispbread slices and added a little sugar-free jelly. 

Now, I'm not going to lie and say these taste amazing, but they are only 30 calories a slice and they taste okay with stuff on them. They are kind of like a really bland cracker.


My eating today was not great. What I mean by that, is that I didn't eat enough. Right after work, I had lots of running around to do, so I really didn't have time to fix myself a good meal. 

Here's the rundown for today:

Breakfast:  Mixed Fruit  & Michaelina's Lean Gourmet Breakfast Muffin     230 cals

Snack:  Pretzels and Laughing Cow cheese wedge   196

Lunch:  Grilled Chicken Salad w/ Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing  235 cals

Snack: Popchips - Sea Salt & Vinegar  (1/2 Serving)    60 cals

   ***by the way, Popchips are awesome! 


Dinner:  2 slices Wasa Crispbreads with PB2 and Polaner's Blackberry Fruit Spread     145 cals


TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE:     866


I guess it could be worse...I could have eaten too much. Maybe I'll have a little more fruit before I go to bed tonight. 


Exercise:

 I am so sore today after my workout with Haley yesterday. Lunges killed my legs and my butt! When I woke up this morning, I wasn't really that sore, which was surprising, but I thought to myself, "Well, I have been working out a lot, maybe I'm just starting to get in better shape..."  Oh, how wrong I was!!! As the day progressed, so did the aches and pains all over my body! But, I kind of like being sore...it lets me know that what I am doing is working. I went to spin today...and it was tough, but I got through it. I'm planning on Zumba tomorrow...for the first time...since I never made it last week. Hopefully I'll be a little less sore tomorrow, but the second day is usually worse for me so I'm not getting my hopes up!  Sore or not, I'm dancin'! 




Fruity Tuesday!

Okay, so I'm starting the day off right this morning with a big ol' bowl of fruit!



117 days left to go!