Weekend Food and Fun

This weekend is going pretty well! 

Last night I made sliders out of cube steak that I grilled.  Fun little dinner!  I made the baked french fries and a big salad with the spinach and lettuce from our garden! 

The only problem with yesterday is that I was experimenting with champagne cocktails (I'm trying to come up with a signature drink for my mom's 75th birthday) so I added in a bunch of calories there, but it sure was fun!

Tonight I'm going to make shish-k-bobs with both chicken and beef.  I'm also going to have veggies and fruit: mushrooms, peppers and pineapple all grilled!  It should be tasty! 

We also worked on the pool and got it up and running, so the kids will be happy with that!  The water is still cold, but the weather is going to be near 90 degrees today so they might actually go swimming today!  I might do that myself!

Why is it that during the week, I have a horrible time getting up and on the bike, feeling like I could sleep forever, and on the weekends, when I have a chance to sleep, I wake up and can't get back to sleep??  I actually gave myself a headache this morning trying to make myself go back to sleep.  The dogs woke me up at 3:30 this morning and I had a fitful time trying to sleep after that.  I'm sure come tomorrow morning, I'll be sleeping and won't want to get up to ride the bike!  Oh, well!

In other news, I am down another size!  My clothes were just feeling loose and I was feeling frumpy so I decided I would go and pick up a few more capris so I would have something to look decent in for my mother's birthday party next weekend.  Well, no wonder my clothes were looking frumpier!  I'm down another size!  Felt pretty good!

Hard to believe I've been on this journey for almost four months now.  I'm really proud of myself for doing it this time.  It's not a fast journey, but I think I'm doing it the right way this time, and it seems to be "sticking" so I feel pretty good!

Hope all of you have a great day, too!

Accountability

Accountability is important in weight loss.

Accountability to ourselves and to others is key in losing weight and getting healthy.  It would be great if accountability to ourselves alone were enough, but it isn't.  Let's face it.  There are times when our inner beasts are stronger than the honor of our accountability.  That's when we need accountability to others.

Blogging is my accountability. 

Yesterday, I didn't have a chance to blog.  I had too much work to get done and I just couldn't find the time to blog.  And I fretted about it.  Which is a good thing.  It actually kept me on track knowing that I have to come back and make an accounting to you guys.  Knowing that some of you came looking for my blog and didn't find a new post kept me thinking about my food choices even when I couldn't blog about it.

And it's a daily accountability that really helps me.  If I slip and gain weight, I have to come tell you guys about it publicly.  Mortifying.  It's a definite aid in my weight loss journey.

I think that may be why weight watchers type programs are so successful.  It involves others and accountability.

We have to own up to our failures.  Which could be deadly in some situations:

Okay, so not deadly, but really, the fear of having to admit failure is a strong incentive to keep going.  And I need all the help I can get on this journey.  Especially on the days when my inner beast is saying, "It's okay to eat that, really!  Eat it!  Eat it!"  It might be accountability that keeps me from giving in.

By partnering with you guys, I have given myself power. You have given me power.  Weight loss is not a journey that one can survive alone.  At times, we all need help to make it.

So, thanks to all of you for being my Darth Vader of weight loss.  I couldn't do it without you!

Not Obese - Just Fat

Woohoo!!  I am no longer obese according to the BMI indicator on the WebMD I use!  Now I'm just fat!  Yay!!  Lol.  I never thought I'd see the day when I was happy to be fat!

I'm down to 195.6 today.  Feel pretty good except for my dern allergies.  My eyes are killing me, which make looking at the computer screen a bit trying today.

I've been eating well this week.  Did the whole menu planning thing and Hubby did the grocery shopping so I should be able to stay on track.  Might have date night on Friday night, but we aren't sure we can work it in yet.  The youngest came home sick today from school and work is crazy, so we'll play it by ear.  If not, I have a good meal planned.

I did find out my B-12 levels are still low.  So now I have the choice of taking shots (Ack!) or taking 2000 units orally.  I think I'm going to try the oral vitamins first. 

My blood pressure is doing fine!  The doctor says soon I might be able to lower my dosage.  As I lose weight it will drop, so I need to monitor it and keep him updated.

My clothes are really feeling loose.  I feel like I'm on an even keel at the moment - cruising along with the weight loss!  Pretty exciting!

Just a short and sweet blog today since my eyes are killing me!  Hope all of you are having a terrific day!

Living By the Rules

I'm not so good with rules.  I was always the kid who couldn't help but push those limits, test the rules by bending them almost to the point of breaking, and, yes, sometimes, just snapping the dern things in half right off the bat.

So trying to set "rules" to dieting just won't work for me. 

But really, we do need some basic rules in order to lose the weight.  We can't keep doing what we were doing or we won't get the change we are looking for in our journeys.

1.  The first rule would have to be tracking.  We honestly don't have a clue how much we eat and even WHAT we eat all day if we don't learn to track it all.  It's so surprising to see it all when you have to write it down.  And that's the beginning of learning how to lose the weight.  So, to see just what we are doing and what is causing our weight gain (or at least the lack of weight loss), we start to track what we eat.

From the tracking, we learn just where we are going wrong and can then analyze it and fix it. 

2.  The second rule flows from the first:  portion control.  We have a list of what we are eating because we are now tracking it all.  Clearly, by cutting back on our portions, we can make a difference.  Because, believe me.  I'm not one who can cut out certain foods.  I can't cut out sugar.  I just can't do it.  And if I try, I'll end up blowing the diet.  It's not something I can do for life, and I'm in this for the long haul.

So by eating the foods I normally eat but simply watching the portions, I can make a difference.

3.  The third rule would be:  make changes slowly.  When we jump into a diet trying to do it all at once, it becomes overwhelming.  It is best to make small changes at a time.  We aren't in a race here.  We are looking to get healthy and stay healthy for the rest of our lives.  That doesn't happen over night.  So make small changes.

4.  The way to do this is with rule number four:  planning.  The first step might be simply to replace all sodas with water.  Do that for a bit until it becomes second nature.  Next, maybe add in an exercise, even something as simple as taking the stairs at work rather than the elevator.  Plan it out.  Figure out what changes you can do and want to do (and are willing to do) and implement them over time.  Having a plan makes us feel productive.

5.  This brings us to rule number five:  exercise.  This is a hard rule because not everyone has the ability to do all forms of exercise.  I have bad knees, for instance.  So I can't do anything that might require me to be remotely agile ... or athletic ... or coordinated.  Each person is going to have to find an exercise they can not only fit into their schedule, but one they like and will be likely to do.  For me, it is riding the recumbent bike and weight lifting.  No knee issues with those.  For some people, running is key.  For some, walking.  The point is, there is some kind of exercise that you CAN do and that you will actually ENJOY doing.

Even though you can lose weight through eating modification alone, it's not the best way to become healthy for life.  Your body needs exercise, so you are going to have to figure out a way to do it.  Trial and error will help as well.

6.  Rule number six would be to choose your calories wisely.  The key to long term success is to not be deprived.  No one can live a life of deprivation for very long and remain happy.  So, yes, you can have that piece of cake if you really want it.  Just remember those calories, log it in so that it's tracked and then make better choices the rest of the day.  There are days when I could take or leave something, and if I can leave it, great!  That saves calories for something else later on.  Just think about what you are eating.  And just because you make a choice to splurge a bit, don't beat yourself up about it.  You thought it through, you decided it was worth it, and that's all there is to it.  Move on and choose wisely later.

7.  Another important rule is:  do NOT skip meals.  It is so bad for you to skip a meal. It messes with your metabolism.  It makes you feel hungry which then leads to potential binges.  It is totally counter-productive to healthy living.  Eat.  Just think about what you eat.

8.  The last rule would involve support.  You might have family and friends who are very supportive.  You might not.  If not, then blog.  There are a ton of great people out there who will support you and get you through the tough times, and blogging can connect you to them.  Everyone needs support now and then.  Everyone is going to have a tough day and will need someone to help them stay on track and remind them what they are on the journey for.

There are lots of ways to implement these "rules."  You can do like I do and make "light" versions of your favorite foods.  I'm a foodie.  I do not deny it.  I like the rich decadent foods so I find a way to make them "lighter" so I can choose them and still lose the weight.

And really, I don't consider these hard and fast rules.  I don't do well with rules ... let's say they are more guidelines for my journey to a healthier me.  If I think of it that way, I might resist the urge to break them!

A Day of Food

We went to the Renaissance Festival this weekend.  It was a lot of fun!  Lots of food, too, however!

We had turkey legs, fried pickles, fried mushrooms, curly cheese fries, fried oreos, fried brownies and lots of wine!  I actually didn't eat a lot of all that - so it's not as bad as it sounds!  And we did a ton of walking around the festival, so hopefully that helped some!

The turkey legs were fantastic, and not a horrible choice as the foods there went.  The worst choice was the fried brownie! 

Now I have to work hard this week to make up for it!  But I would say it was worth it.  And it's a part of life.   I'm not going to give up on the fun things just because there are going to be unhealthy food choices.  It's a tradition to go to the festival and the kids have a wonderful time!  I just have to be sensible but for these types of outings and then it will all work out.  If I tried to deny myself this type of fun just because I might eat poorly for one day, then there is no way I could keep on my journey.  I would end up quitting.  And I'm not going to quit!

It was also fun to look at some of the clothing and think that next year, I might be willing to spend the money on those things if I've lost down to my goal weight.  Something to look forward to!

Back to reality today, though.  I have a doctor appointment to check on my blood pressure.  I haven't lost enough weight yet to make a difference there, I don't think, but that's a goal.  It would be nice to be able to get off the medications!  He will test my B-12 levels as well to see if I need to have shots to supplement my levels.  Not a pleasant thought, but if it helps with my energy levels, I'll take it!

So back to my normal routine today.  I rode the bike for 1 hour and 5 minutes and did my usual reverse crunches, leg lifts and butt crunches.  Feel pretty good!

So, don't forget to enjoy yourself on your journey.  It won't last very long if you try and deprive yourself.  Take the time to have fun.  After all, it's for the rest of our lives!

Sleep and Weight Loss

I am feeling so much better today!

I think it has to do with a good night's sleep!  I went to bed around 10:15 last night and, even though I woke up at my usual 5:44, I slept well.  And I made myself stay in bed and I just rested and dozed and relaxed until about 7:30 when I finally got up.  And, man, what a difference from yesterday.  I feel GOOD today!

I have heard all kinds of rumors about sleep being related to weight loss.  Or, more specifically, the lack of sleep being related to weight gain.

I read an interesting article on WebMD about it.  Here's the link:  Sleep & weight gain article.  Really fascinating, and I think there may be something to it. 



I know for sure that this is one of the worst weeks I've had in regards to sleep.  And it was also one of the worst weeks I've had on this journey in relation to food and my mental battle to stay on my journey.

I guess I need to try and make it a priority to get better sleep.  Okay, easier said than done, but definitely worth an attempt just based on what I feel today after one good night's sleep.  The problem is that to find time for doing the things to help me on my journey, sleep is the first thing I sacrificed.  And my journey is too important to give up, so somehow I have to figure out how to get more sleep.  Actually, it probably isn't MORE sleep I need, just BETTER sleep.

One thing that I have changed in the recent past is that I stopped listening to my hypnosis CD as I went to sleep.  Maybe I need to start that back up again.  I may have been sleeping better and just didn't realize it.  I know I was definitely on task every day and had very few issues with my eating habits when I fell asleep listening to the CD every night. 

There are also specific CDs that are supposed to help with sleep patterns and help you sleep a better sleep.  I may have to try those.

Something to think about.  I'm just glad that I feel better. I was worried that they way I was feeling this past week that I might really fall off the wagon and not have the will to get back on. 

So, keep in mind how important sleep is.  We can't stay on our journey to health if we don't have the good sleep.  We've got to make sure we give ourselves the sleep we need or our journeys may take a u-turn.

Tough Times

I'm having a really tough few days here.

I'm extremely hormonal.  I ate fudge last night.  Don't get me wrong - it was worth every bite of it that I ate.  For some reason I was craving it and it hit the spot and I felt better.  I'm not going to obsess about it or feel bad about it.  It was good and that's that.

But I'm so tired.  This month is just kicking my butt. 

I did get up and ride the bike for an hour and five minutes this morning.  And I plan on doing my bowflex today, though I have work that might prevent it.  I'm hoping to still work it in. 

I'm just having a tough time of it.  I assume I will get over it soon.  I sure hope so!

Dinner last night was really good.  I did the shrimp thing and it is amazingly low calorie.

The top picture is the po' boy with the bun.  The side dish is grilled artichoke hearts (10 pieces for 50 calories).  The bottom picture was my plate - I am not a big bread eater, so I just ate my shrimp on the shredded lettuce drizzled with Texas Pete hot sauce.  It was very tasty.  And get this - the total meal (including the bun) was only 180 calories.  Mine was 109 calories since I didn't eat the bun.  It was very satisfying.

Another reason I didn't feel so bad about eating the fudge later that night.

I'll post the recipe on the recipe page. 

Hopefully I'll get through this and be back to my chipper self in a few days.  Maybe I'll get some sleep this weekend and that will help.

I guess we all face tough times now and then.  We just have to work through them without eating through them.

Super Foods

Are there really "super foods" that can help us lose weight?

Well, there might be foods that are smart for us to eat, but I don't think there are any specific super foods that if we eat them we'll lose weight.  There's the grapefruit diet, for instance.  Now, I love pink grapefruit.  And it does have lots of healthy benefits - lots of vitamin C, etc. But any diet where all we eat is pink grapefruit would be dangerous, and would inevitably fail.  Who can eat just one thing for any length of time?

I think the key is to eat lots of the so called "super foods" in conjunction with other foods.  Variety is the key for me.

And there are so many foods that are low calorie and taste good!

Tonight I'm going to make shrimp po' boys.  I am going to marinate my shrimp in some Texas Pete for a bit and then I'm going to grill them.  I'm going to use Texas Pete hot sauce for my sauce (rather than mayo or remoulade sauce).  I'm going to pile on shredded lettuce and maybe some sliced tomatoes.  I might even forego the bun (not a big bread eater here) but even if I didn't, that's a very low calorie meal - and it's comfort food!

I'm also going to try microwaved potato chips tonight.

If all this comes together, I'll post it on the recipe section.

But, my point is, any diet that tries to concentrate on one "super food" just isn't going to work.  At least not long term. 

But there are a lot of foods that are "super" for our diets:  apples, eggs, berries, melons, avocados, kiwi, and more.  You know what all those have in common?  They are natural foods - not processed.  And they are packed with vitamins and nutrients.  And the avocado??  Oh, so decadent!  Full of the "good" fat!  Way to feel like you are eating rich!

One thing I have not tried yet is quinoa.  I keep hearing good things about it.  I'm going to have to check it out.

In other news, I dropped to 196.6 yesterday!  However, I tend to fluctuate before I stabilize at a weight, so I'm waiting to see if it will stick or not.  I sure hope so! 

Of course, last night I ate another 3 bags of 100 calorie snacks.  Not the best in choices for me!  I guess it could be worse!

I need to hang in there and try to get more of the "super" foods into my diet. 

Here's hoping that all of you have a "super" day!

Triggers.

A trigger can be defined as:  a factor caused by the environment.  It is also:  the mechanism that sets off a firearm.

In the world of dieting, I'm more inclined to think the second definition is more accurate.

When I hit a trigger, it's most definitely like a firearm has gone off as I ricochet around the kitchen from cabinets to pantry to refrigerator like a wild bullet. 

So what are my triggers?  Sometimes, I honestly don't know. 

Mostly though, I can track them because of my logs and tracking.  I can usually pinpoint what it is that set me off.   Those types of triggers I can fix, or at least understand and try to avoid.  Like the celebration triggers.  I can see those coming from a mile away and attempt to plan around them.

But what about days like yesterday?  What the heck was that all about?  I actually did pretty well.  But there was definitely something going on.  Something that made me want to eat and eat and eat.  The good news is that I didn't.  I was actually pretty good, but I sure WANTED to eat.  And we did end up eating out last night, but that was mostly because of timing - daughter's physical therapy session, my work schedule.  We ate at Tanner's but I ate an appetizer rather than a full meal, so that was not so bad, diet-wise.

Hopefully today will be a day without triggers. 

I guess as time goes on, the more I log and track, the more I'll come to understand my triggers.  There are emotional ones, celebration ones, time-factor ones, stress ... and I just need to learn to get through them without exploding like a bullet.  I need some kind of bullet-proof (trigger-proof) vest that can keep me from damage when a trigger is ... well, triggered.

If I can't have a vest, then maybe I'll have to hope I only get shot in the leg ... that would be damaging, but not fatal.  I guess that was what yesterday was - I was damaged, but didn't keel over.  I was able to get through it, though it was a yucky, icky, grumpy day.

So, be on the lookout for triggers.  Track them, understand them.  Survive them.  At the very least, try and keep the safety on.

Lost that Pound!

Finally!  I got that nasty pound off!

I was down to 197 yesterday - lower than the 197.4, which was my lowest point until yesterday - AND 1 pound plus down from the 198.4 that I've been stuck at since Easter weekend.  Now I'm just one more pound away from being "overweight" instead of "obese" according to WebMD and my BMI.

Little steps.  I'll take them!

Of course, for some reason I am ravenous today.  I think I am going to have to make sure I make a lot of veggies for dinner tonight so that I can fill myself up on something healthy.  If not, I'll end up eating like a pig.  Last night I had 3 bags of 100 calorie snack foods ...

Either I'm about to lose a bunch of weight or I'm not sure what's up.  Of course it's just about TOM so that might be it, too ... (though that is usually chocolate related, and I'm not really hungry for any particular thing - I'm just HUNGRY!).

I'm tired today too.  I REALLY didn't want to get up and ride that bike this morning.  But, once I was on the bike, I was good.  I rode longer than usual - about 1 hour and 5 minutes and I rode faster than usual, too, so I burned more calories.  My muscles are all sore from doing the bowflex yesterday, so that's a good thing, too!

I think my next challenge for myself is to make myself drink more water.  I like water.  I actually love ice water.  And I try to drink it, but I come nowhere near the amount I should be drinking.  Maybe that is one of the reasons my weight loss is slower than some other's around me.

I did try my trick of drinking ice water last night while watching TV, but I still ended up eating the three bags of 100 calorie snacks ...

I'm feeling a little "bleh" today. 

Which is okay.  We all have those days.  I just need to get through this one without eating my way through it.

Hopefully I'll report a weight loss come tomorrow!

Fun Day.

Yesterday was a really fun day.

I took the girls (all four of them!) shopping for shoes, exercise clothes, etc.  Had a lot of fun!  Came home and made a wonderful dinner on the grill!

I was planning on shish-k-bobs, but didn't feel like doing the skewer part, so I used non-stick grill pans to cook everything in.  We had beef and shrimp as well as mushrooms, broccoli (mixed in with a little fresh asparagus from the garden), and peppers & onions!  It was a lot of food and it was really good!  And because it was grilled with very little oils involved, it was healthy as well as tasty!

It was a really good dinner!

And then, we found a kitten in our yard!  There is a wild cat that breeds constantly and no one can catch her.  So we now have a new kitten - Oreo.  She is very cute!

So after a great Sunday, I'm hoping that my re-focusing will mean that I can get rid of this stubborn pound that hasn't come off (plus more!).  I feel good.  I feel strong.  I feel ready to do this!

How about you?



Back on Track.

Okay, I'm falling and I can't get up!

I've been on a downward spiral since Easter!  I mean, I've done my exercising, so I'm good there, but my food choices have not been the best.

Time to pick myself up and dust myself off and get back on track.  Life just sometimes gets in the way.  Holidays, date nights, crazy work schedules, stress ... it all adds up and sometimes bumps us off track.

So, I'll be doing what I've talked about doing in the past.  I'll pull out my posts on my reasons that I'm doing this.  Re-focus and why this is important to me.  It's probably time to find some more inspirational photos and quotes and put them up around the house.  I need to get myself re motivated. 

I have to do a better job on the planning.  Last week was just an awful work week, so I didn't have the time to plan out menus and snacks and, as usual, the lack of a plan led to choices that could have been better.

I mean, my choices weren't horrible.  I did the chicken wings for date night, so that was a better choice than some of the things I've had.  And I avoided most of the Easter candy.  I ate decent portions of the Easter dinner.  What the problem was is that I was doing this often rather than just sometimes.  It's okay to splurge, but not on a consistent basis. 

I'm actually proud of myself for doing as well as I have, and for not giving up.  Back in the old diet days, I would have said to just forget the diet thing.  It's too hard to do all the planning, the special recipes, the cooking, the exercise.  But I haven't given up and I've done fairly well - it's not like I gained back all 14 lbs ... just one.

So I just need to remember why I'm doing this.  Get back some of that spark and fire that prompted me to start in the first place. 

And today I have time to do some planning.  Next week's work schedule isn't nearly as bad as last week's so I should be able to get back on track again. 

So, I might have swerved into a parking space, but I just sat on idle for a second and now I'm back on the road!

Choose Your Calories Wisely

I have tried every diet there is.  None have worked, because frankly, I LOVE food.  There is no way I can ever exclude any particular foods from my diet and manage to stay on task and not end up binging and un-doing everything.

The only way to lose weight is to watch the calories.  And to choose them wisely.

You can eat Twinkies.  You just have to count them in your calorie intake and adjust somewhere else.

I have found that the easiest way to get rid of extra calories, is to drink water.  No diet sodas, no regular sodas, no sweet tea, no juices.  Just water.  Ice cold water.  Our bodies need it anyway, right?

Now I do have to have milk.  I'm a milk fiend.  So if I have cereal in the morning, I'll have it with skim milk.  But other than milk, I drink water. 

So, just keep in mind (and track) what you are eating, so you know what calories you have left in the day.  It's simple, really.  My hubby did this just the other day.  He made a better choice at lunch so he could have an extra helping of something at dinner.  He planned it out and was able to enjoy the dinner without guilt or worrying about the extra calories.

For me, I'm not a big bread eater, so it's easy for me to pass up on breads and even buns or tortillas.  If it doesn't make me feel really happy, than I can do without it and it doesn't bother me. 

The other half of this equation is that you can also increase the calories burned to compensate for a less than good choice of food. 

I've never found it easier to be on a "diet" in my life.  Which, I guess is because I'm not really on a "diet."  And it's weird.  When I do eat fatty stuff, I find that I don't feel well afterwards.  And that it really didn't taste as good as I remembered it tasting. 

Well, except for steak.  I can eat a WHOLE lot more than the 3 - 4 oz serving size.

And, of course, eating just Twinkies is not a good idea, even if you do stay in the calorie range to lose weight.  We are on this journey for our health and a Twinkie diet is in no way healthy.  So, you still have to consider WHAT you are eating in addition to the calories you eat.

I was reading a friend's blog the other day and she had said that calorie counting didn't work for her.  And when I looked at her stats, she weighs a bit more now than she did last year.  And she had tried several "diets" during that time.  It brought home to me that you really do have to watch your calories.

Then again, you can't be maniacal about it, though.  If you get too tied up in numbers, you can forget that food is fun and tasty - even the lower calorie ones.  And with today's tools, it's so much easier to keep track than it used to be.  I use the WebMD tracker, but there is the Livestrong one as well as the Sparkpeople one - all are fantastic and have great databases that make it a snap to keep up with how much you eat.  And Sparkpeople has a whole bunch of recipes that are low calorie and quite good, so you don't have to spend a lot of time researching or experimenting (time that most people don't have) to come up with food that you actually like and want to eat.



So, start tracking those calories.  Plan around your choices and I think you'll find this is doable forever.  'Cause, it's not a diet.

Measurement Day

Yesterday was measurement day.  Ever notice how hard it is to figure out where you measured before on your hips or waist??

I THINK I've lost 4.5 more inches!  It depends on if I measured in the same spots as last time!  I think I was pretty close, and if so, then I'm pretty happy!

I lost no more on my boobs (thank goodness) this time, nor on my waist (boo!!) but I lost 2.5 inches off my hips and 3/4 inch off each thigh.  That's actually where I can tell the biggest difference - in my thighs.  I guess that's from the bike riding.  I can tell in my clothing as well there.  It's what gives me the frumpy look.

In other news, I had no choice but to go shopping for a few things yesterday.  My pants fell down at work all day on Wednesday and I know I didn't look very professional.  So, I went shopping and I am down a size - hooray!!  So I got a pair of slacks, a pair of jeans and a pair of capris to get me through for a bit.  I'm very excited!!  It's been a long time since I was able to go shopping and not feel like crying every time I tried something on.  I even looked GOOD in some things yesterday.  Very exciting.

And I got my hair cut, so that was also nice.  It was a happy, reaffirming day for me.

However, after hitting my tipping point and losing quickly over a few days, I hit Easter and then went up a pound.  And it seems to be sticking.  I had hoped it would come off this week, but so far it has not.  And I have date night tonight, which is problematic.  But worth it.  I'll make decent choices tonight and then get back on track after that.

I am thinking I have got to spice up my exercise, though.  I was telling my Hubby that I really believe I've got the stomach of my dreams under all my belly fat, if I could just get rid of the fat!  I can feel the muscle under there, but it's all covered up by the fat I still carry.

So, it's really time for me to plan in some more exercise.  My cardio is the bike for an hour every day, but I think I need something more.  I am tinkering with the idea of the belly dancing.  I have found one DVD,but I haven't watched it yet to see if it's something I can do if I might die trying.  We have wii fit, so I could do that, but that seems less productive than some other things, unless I get maybe a dance wii game - I bet that would burn some calories.

It's definitely something to think about.  I'll keep you posted on what I come up with.  You know, yesterday when I was shopping, I worked up a sweat running around the stores and trying on clothes ... maybe that should be my new exercise program!  Somehow I don't think my hubby would like that idea - lol.

I also took some pictures yesterday to track my progress and you really, really cannot tell a difference.  I guess the 13-14 lbs I've lost isn't enough to really "see" yet.  At some point I hope to have some pictures to post.  Maybe next month.

I'm still proud that I've been doing this for nearly three and a half months.  Better than I've ever done!  And I'm feeling better about myself. 

I want more results, but for now, I'll take it!

Spring Cleaning

Nope.  Not your house (though mine could certainly use a good spring cleaning - and I'd burn calories doing it, too, but that's a blog for another day ...), your weight loss plan or whatever it is you call your journey.

There are certain times of the year that can be used to kick-start us into action.  New Year's is one - a time to "start over,"  "start fresh."  A time of new beginnings.  But Spring works that way too.  It's also a time of new beginnings - baby birds, newly budded flowers ... you get the idea.  Some of us need the idea of a time for new beginnings to get us motivated to start, or re-vamp, our weight loss plans.  For me, it was New Year's.  I started my journey on January 2, 2012.  But spring works too.

So, use this time to either start your journey or re-examine the one you are on.

Look at your current habits.  Are you still doing what you were doing in the beginning when it was all new and you were motivated?  If not, now is the time to dust off those things you've stopped doing and start them up again.

Journaling/blogging/tracking.  It is so important to keep track of your journey.  That's how you know what is causing your weight gain, plateau, etc.  It's such a necessary tool that tracks what you are eating, how you are exercising and what is going on in your life.  It's what makes it easy to catch what went wrong and fix it.  So if you've stopped, pick it back up again.

Tools.  Re think the tools you are using.  Have you let some of them go?  In looking at things now, do you need to start using that tool again?  Do a search on new tools.  As you all know, I'm a big ipad app geek.  Now is the time to see if there are any new weight loss apps out there that might get me on track and help me reach my goals.  If you don't have an ipad, there's lots of stuff on the internet.  Sometimes a tool a fun new thing that makes us want to get back in the game.  If it works, then go for it!  I find it fun trying new ones, even if I don't end up using them in the long term.  I'm always on the lookout for something to help me.

Re-think your goals.  Where are you now on your journey?  Are you where you wanted to be?  Is it going slower than you want?  Have you gotten complacent about reaching your goals.  Now is the time to focus on what your want and make a plan to get there.

Diet.  Have you slipped back into the fast food habit?  Do you find yourself eating things that aren't the best choices?  Now is the time to clean up that diet.  Do some searches for healthy recipes, buy a new cookbook with low calorie recipes.  It might even be a good time for a cleansing of sorts to try and rid your body of toxins and such.  Try to "eat clean" for a week and see if you feel better.

Plan.  Spring is a great time to plan.  A time of new beginnings that you can plan around.  More time outside.  Exercises that can be done outside now that it's warmer.  Plan out changes that you want to make to get your journey back on track.

Don't you just love this time of year?  Take that "spring fever" and put it to use!  Get out there and spring clean yourself!

Holiday Food.

I survived Easter food!

The Easter Bunny was very clever and brought Hubby and myself non-candy things!  I got weight lifting gloves and we got things for the grill to make our lower calorie cooking easier!  Very wise Easter Bunny!

I must admit, though, that the food was decadent.  I made a lot of non-healthy things and mmmmmm where they good!

For breakfast we had creamed egg on toast:

And then for a lunch/snack I made scotch eggs:

then I made dinner (ham, mashed potatoes, peas, green bean casserole, fruit salad, rolls with honey butter ... ):

and of course, the peeps for the peep s'mores!

It was a really fantastic dinner, and I really enjoyed it!  And yes, it did set me back a bit, but I was up yesterday morning and on the bike as usual.  I did my bowflex, even with my awful work schedule this week.  I think the weekend was a wash due to three days of decadence.  We had date night on Friday night,  the girls came home from college on Saturday, so we grilled out steaks (and even though I only ate half of one, it was a LOT more than the 4 oz I was supposed to have) and then Easter food on Sunday.  Three days.

But, no guilt.  Just a little sadness at the scales creeping back up, but I fully expect it to be back down by Thursday or so.

In fact, I'm supposed to do my progress pictures and measurements this week.  I can't believe I've been doing this for three months now.  And I'm still doing it!  And it's not hard!  The exercise is like second nature now.  And the food isn't that hard any more either.  Most days I like the lower calorie foods.  And since I allow myself the pleasures every now and then, I think I can do this indefinitely! 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter and is back on track with the journey!  Keep it up!

Cutting Calories while Cooking

I've done a lot of thinking (and re-thinking) about the food I cook.  Last night I made a black bean soup that was very tasty!  It was only about 230 calories for 1 cup of soup and only about 8.5 grams of fat.  And it was rich and wonderful.  (I'll post the recipe on my recipe page later).

And it got me thinking.  There are many ways to reduce the calories in recipes without too much effort.  Ideas range from the very simple to the strange.  Of course, the strange ones may only be strange because I haven't tried them yet ...

Lower calorie doesn't have to mean less taste.  Or less comfort food.  So how to begin?

First, equipment.  By changing what we use to cook with, we can reduce the oils we have to use to cook and that takes care of a lot of fats (which = calories).  I've already talked about grilling.  By grilling food rather than frying it, you remove the need to add in the fat/oil.  And grilling adds a nice smoky flavor to the food.

Other equipment would include a kitchen scale.  It is imperative to be able to know the proper portion size - at least in the beginning when we have no concept of what a serving size really is.  Along those lines are the measuring cups.  Just this morning, I measured out my cereal to make sure it was the one cup serving size. As we get better in our food intake, we might better be able to "guesstimate" the amount, but in the beginning, measure it.

A steamer is another way to cook without adding in fats, or leeching out vitamins.  Steaming veggies is a great way to cook them.  I'm one of those people who likes my veggies cooked to the point of mush as opposed to the normal person's crisp/crunchy kind.  You can steam a veggie to whatever point you want.

Non-stick pans are a must.  It is another way to be able to reduce the amount of fats/oils used to cook with.  In fact, I try to use chicken broth or water rather than oil when my frying pan gets dry.  Which brings me to the next step.

Second, substitution.  This is the biggest one.  The main one.  It's amazing how many hidden calories are in our foods.  And by substituting ingredients, we can make a huge difference in the amount of calories we end up with. 

One of my first substitutions was mustard for mayo.  When making sandwiches, I no longer slather on the mayo.  I use mustard and actually like the flavor better than the thick mayo.

Some substitutions are obvious and easy.  When cooking, substituting 2% milk, or even skim milk, for regular milk is a no-brainer.  Substituting turkey sausage for regular sausage is also an obvious switch.  Lower fat cheese for regular cheese (although, I have noticed that the lower fat cheese doesn't melt as well, so stick with using it in recipes as opposed to on top when you need the gooey melt).  But there are some substitutions that aren't as obvious.

I like to start with a half-and-half rule.  Like eggs.  If the recipe calls for 2 eggs, I might use 2 egg whites and 1 egg with a yolk.  When it comes to sugar, I'm experimenting with mixing regular sugar with Truvia.  (I actually tried using Truvia exclusively when cooking a recipe and I could taste it - it had an odd after taste - so I think using some of each would solve that).  If you can't stand skim milk, using part skim and part 2%.  Any little substitution you do is going to cut some calories.  And every calorie counts. 

Some weirder ideas I've seen, but having tried yet, include swapping some oil in baking with applesauce.  Since my weakness isn't really baked goods like brownies, etc, I haven't used this one yet.  Evaporated milk for cream.  I haven't tried this one either.  It will be worth testing out.

Basically you can take any recipe and look at the ingredients and see what you can swap out.  Yogurt for sour cream.  Also think in terms of using the healthy request Campbell's soups as a base.  Like in my enchiladas, I knew I needed a creamy filling so I used the cream of chicken soup as a base. 

It is going to take experimentation.  Which is actually kind of fun!

Third, flavor.  You can add major flavor without a lot of calories. One of my main tricks is bacon.  Everything tastes better with bacon!  And while you probably think it's crazy to even consider bacon when you are trying to lose weight, one piece of bacon which is crisp-fried is only about 48 calories and yet it packs a HUGE punch in flavor.

Another flavor must is spice.  Spices are key.  I happen to like spicy, so for me making a dish spicy makes it satisfying without having to add the fats for flavor.

Fourth, technique.  As I talked about above, the way you cook can help.  Grilling, etc.  Broiling is another option. I stumbled on a really good chicken finger type thing by accident.  It was when I was making my chicken enchilada recipe.  I sprinkled taco seasoning on the chicken tenders and let them "marinate" in that for about 2-3 hours.  Then I broiled them, sprinkling some more seasoning on them just as I cooked them.  They were so good just by themselves that the kids kept coming and stealing snippets of them while I was shredding them for the filling of the enchilada.

You can also "oven fry" food which is another way to cut the oils.  Or fry-steam foods in a frying pan by using chicken broth and a lid. 

The bottom line is that there are many ways to make our recipes "lighter."  Some will be failures and some will be huge successes.  Half the fun is trying.  So go have fun with your food!

Jelly Beans, Peeps and Sweets, Oh, my!

I'm a little nervous about Easter!  It's another holiday we celebrate with food!

And I'm doing so well - down to 198.4 today - I've definitely hit that tipping point!  And I don't want Easter to un-do me!

At least with planning, I can make better choices.  Like, we are having ham, which isn't an awful choice as far as main dishes go.  And rather than the four-cheese au gratin, I'll make mashed potatoes.  I'll have the green bean casserole, but will also have baby peas, which is a better option for me.  So I've planned out better choices. 

But there will be CANDY in the house.  That is a very hard temptation to overcome!  I suppose I can eat the jelly beans, which are at least fat free.  And I'm sure the Easter Bunny won't put too many decadent things in MY basket, but I know he'll shower the kids with chocolates!  I'll just have to stay away from their baskets!

One thing I won't be able to stay away from are the peep s'mores.  You take peeps, small chocolate bars and graham crackers and melt them in the microwave for s'mores.  I have no doubt I will eat those.  Maybe I can keep it to one.

I'm tinkering with the idea of making some of the deviled eggs with low-fat mayo.  But I really don't like the low-fat mayo flavor.  And I LOVE deviled eggs.

I guess I just need to be as good as I can be on my diet and exercise to make up for what will be a decadent Easter.  And hope that the kids eat their candy really fast so it's not there to tempt me for very long!!

Hopefully the weight will continue to drop.  Once I hit my next plateau I'm going to have to buy some new clothes.  My pants kept falling down in the grocery store this morning.  My undies are too loose as well.  But I can't see buying anything at this point. 

Here's hoping I'll get through Easter and drop enough inches to go buy some summer clothes!

The Tipping Point

First, I have to tell you my good news, which is what caused me to think about the "tipping point" to begin with.

I have broken the 200 lb barrier!  I was 199.8 this morning!  I am so proud!  And this is even after my vacation where I ate and drank way more than I should have.  It goes to show that persistence and long term commitment pay off.

And this is what got me thinking about tipping points.

Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point:  How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, defines the tipping point as follows:

"The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire."

I think it applies to weight loss journeys as well.  Think of all the little things we do every day to help ourselves on our journeys:  eating right, drinking lots of water, exercise, blogging, etc.  The things, little in themselves, cumulate and build into that magic moment when all of a sudden the weight comes off.

For me, you can see (in my graph on the 'stats & stuff' page) the entire first month did very little for me even though I was doing all the right things.  In fact, I was doing them with great intensity and fervor since it was the beginning and I was still in that honeymoon phase of determination and excitement.  And yet, I only managed to lose 1.6 pounds that whole month.

And then, all of a sudden, you can see I reached the tipping point in February and the weight came off - 6.4 lbs of it.

And then came March ... another plateau hit.  And again, all my good habits, little by little, put themselves together until I think I'm at that magical moment where the weight is about to come off again.

It's almost like I can feel the tipping.  I can feel it coming.  Sometimes it's heralded by the desire to eat everything in sight.  Like right before I started to lose in February, I wanted to eat everything.  Anything bad for me.  Like red velvet cake.  I could even smell it everywhere I went.  But I resisted and then - BAM - the weight started to drop.  I hit that moment and tipped.

I think we all have these moments.  We all hit plateaus and it gets frustrating.  But what we need to remember is that during these times, our little actions are adding up.  They are leading us to our next tipping point.

So don't give up.  Keep up your little steps.  Your actions will lead you through your plateau.  If you are too impatient, add in some new steps - they can be very small ones since they all merge together - to help the tipping come faster.  Just know that it's all working, even if you aren't seeing it right this second.  It's coming.  Your magical weight loss wildfire is on its way. 

Hang in there and don't fall off when you tip!

Vaction Survival

Well, I made it through vacation!  Ate like a pig, drank like a fish - had a great time!  Didn't make it to the exercise room once ... well, I actually went and looked at it ("Yep, there it is!") but didn't work out. Glad to be home now though.

It's funny that I actually didn't feel all that great eating the fattening foods.  I used to live for those foods.  Now they don't make me feel well.  And I'm surprised by how quickly I fill up now.  So, all in all, it was a fun trip with not too much damage.  I'm up a few pounds but I expect a lot of that is water weight from all the salty foods I ate.  I'll see what I weigh in a few days.  I expect I'll be close to where I was when I left.

So I'm glad to be back on schedule.  Got up and rode the bike for over an hour this morning.  Did my usual reverse crunches, leg lifts and butt crunches.  Felt REALLY good to be back on schedule.  I will do the bowflex today and then I'll be right back where I should be.  And it feels great!  Who ever would have imagined it would be possible?? 

I found myself checking out the options on the menu and choosing things that were more healthy than other things (don't get me wrong - most of what I ate was not healthy, but I chose the healthi-er options).  Mostly. 

And it's so weird.  I don't feel guilty at all.  I feel good.  I feel better than good.

I guess I needed the time off.  This year has been pretty much non-stop work, so it was nice to take a few days and enjoy my family and do some shopping for silly, trivial things. 

The little kids are still home the rest of this week for their spring break, so I think I'll do some fun things with them interspersed with work.  The weather is actually hot now, so I'm going to work on getting our pool up and running.  My six year old is dying for me to get it done!  After I do some catch up work today, I may go out there this afternoon and tackle that!

At any rate, I'm very happy to discover that I can survive a vacation and get back on track with little disruption.  I was a little afraid that once I was off schedule, I'd never make it back.  That I'd be so enamoured of the rich food again, that I could never go back to my low calorie choices.  But it didn't turn out that way!

Now I have to try and catch up on work and other things, so I don't have the time to blog any more.  I'll be posting my weight graph at some point today for March.

So, I vacationed and I conquered!!  I did it!!