Just Imagine...A Thinner Me!

New Blog, Please Follow!

2012-01-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...I am back! But I will not be posting to this blog anymore. This blog symbolizes how I lost so much weight, and then gained much of it back! I have begun a new blog...please come and follow me there. I need ALL the help I can get! I hereby promise to post as much as I can! It feels good to be back!

The Wedding Gown Slim-Down

Just a little tip

2010-10-13T19:14:00.000-06:00

When you are writing your grocery lists, do it next to your computer. I like to google things like "easy low-calorie meals" or "fast healthy meals." You will find a lot of things on forums, recipe websites, blogs, etc. I like doing this because it gives me different ideas and spices up my diet by giving it variety, which I know is key to not getting bored and staying on track!

Feeling great!

2010-09-15T12:05:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been a week and a day since I started over on this journey. I began at 189 last Tuesday, and I am happy to say that today, I am weighing in at 184.5!

I'm down 4.5 pounds in a week and a day! It feels amazing...now I remember why I lost so much weight before and didn't have such a problem sticking to my plan. It makes you feel SO good! For those of you struggling, just keep going. You WILL eventually see results and you WILL feel great! Patience is a virtue!

Unconventional Tips

2010-09-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

Hello again! I just came across an article that I read when I was first getting started with my weight loss. After reading it over again, I wanted to share it with all of you. I lost a lot of weight by following these rules. Also, be sure to read the reader comments, they have some good input as well!

Click here to read!

I'm in a better mood today!

2010-09-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

After my emo-style blog a few days ago (haha, hey, we all get discouraged sometimes, don't we?) I have great news! I'm down 3 pounds since Tuesday!

Haha, time for another scale cleaning I think. It's been collecting dust over the summer! Anyway, the good news is I'm back on track! It feels good!

Last night I had grilled a chicken breast and had some of my favorite steamed veggies from Green Giant, and I'm back to NOT drinking soda (if I really need a caffine fix, I go for diet, since I'm calorie counting.) So, instead, I drink the great value brand Crystal Light (the peach tea flavor is my fave!) This is always filling:

The key for me when eating chicken breast is to use spices. Use your spices people! They will make something seemingly bland so much better...a lot of times I even crave my spiced-up chicken!

Also, I work at a retail store, so when I stay there for my lunch hour I like to wander to the frozen healthy meals section and give new things a try. The other day I tried this:

Great Value Alfredo Pasta with Chicken & Broccoli. I tried this because I LOVE the Weight Watcher's brand of the same thing, but this one is cheaper. I will say that the WW one is a little tastier, but this was very filling and satisfied me. Overall, I would buy this again.

Happy eating!

Disappointed

2010-09-07T20:30:00.000-06:00

I began this blog on January 1, 2010, because I made a New Year's promise to myself: I was going to lose weight! I set my goal to lose 60 pounds by January 1, 2011, which would put me at 145 pounds.

I began the year at 205 pounds. I got as far as 171, and I quit. I am back to 187. I feel awful that I've only been able to keep 15 pounds off. My goal was sixty.

I really wanted to keep this promise to myself. I don't know that I have time left to get to 145 by my goal date. I'm going to keep doing it the healthy way, and realistically, I don't know if 40 pounds in 4 months is safe.

I'm feeling very disappointed in myself.

More tomorrow.

Losing it!

2010-09-07T20:13:00.000-06:00

It actually feels GOOD to be eating right again! I'm excited about it! Why did I ever let myself fall off the wagon? Ugh.

One good thing I'm finding is that I'm easily remembering all of the things that I was eating when I was on the right track. So, for those of you who have veered from the beaten path, try going back to your healthy eating plan! It may be a little easier than you think!

I'm weighing in at 187 today. I've lost 2 pounds in the last week. Not bad, but I really think it could have been more. I slipped up here and there. Overall, I'm ok with the 2 pounds.

I have a friend who is getting married next summer, and she's trying to lose weight, too. I'm so happy to have a friend to go through this with! It's always good to have support.

Motivation!

2010-08-28T19:55:00.001-06:00

I have not written a blog since June 9th. June 9th! That is just plain pathetic.

When I last left you, I was trying to get back on track with my healthy lifestyle. HA! Easier said than done. As you may have guessed from my lack of posting, I didn't get back on track. Instead, I had a summer-o-fun, which may as well be called my summer-o-food. UGHHH.

As much as I hate to report it, I'm weighing in somewhere between 188-189 pounds. I gained 10-15 pounds over the summer. I can see it, I can feel it, and I HATE it!

One day, when I was feeling particularly large, I grabbed a Weight Watchers meal and a magazine on my lunch at work. I opened the magazine and saw an article about a show I watch. It talked about one of the girls on the show, Amber, and how she had lost 65 pounds. She looked AMAZING! It was then that I decided that I'm going to do this for real. If she can do it, so can I!

Looking at that picture makes me want to cry. If I had just stuck with my plan and changed my life like I wanted to, I would be at my goal weight by now. I'm so scared to see that 190 show up on my scale. I'm not going to let it happen. So, I'm going to give this another go. I really hope I can do it this time. Here goes nothin'.

So tired...

2010-06-09T12:16:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the delay in posts...I have been working non-stop. Today is my 8th day in a row. Tomorrow I FINALLY get a day off!!! This will be short and sweet, just want to show my accomplishment...

175! Woo hoo! I'll write a longer blog later this week, after I've recovered from my long week at work!!

Loss!

2010-06-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

Woo hoo! I lost 1.5 pounds. 177.5.

Oops...I did it again

2010-06-04T14:08:00.001-06:00

I messed up yesterday. I made burgers for Al on his lunch from work, and I had one. Ok, I had two. And some barbeque potato chips. And a Coke. UGHHHH!!! I feel like such a failure.

The good news is, today is a new day. I can't let slip-ups stop me from doing this! Like I always say "you have to live your life." If I beat myself up everytime I eat something enjoyable, I'm never going to stick to this.

Last night, I was chatting with a friend of mine on facebook, and she told me that she recently started dieting and has lost 6 pounds already. It was just the extra boost of motivation and support that I needed! I actually woke up today wanting to eat healthier.

I had a bowl of delicious steamed veggies for breakfast, and am thinking a tasty chicken breast thrown on the grill for lunch!

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Cheeeesecake

2010-06-02T23:19:00.000-06:00

Well, I think I did pretty well for my first day back. One thing, though...I was SOOOO HUNGRY. The tummy rumbling was very reminiscent of when I first began this calorie counting business. I have to remember that after the first week, I didn't feel nearly as starved. Any beginners out there should remember this too. It WILL get easier!

To make things worse, my boyfriend's mom's fridge went out today. She didn't want anything to spoil, so she brought all of her food over to OUR place. Not just to hold, to have. So now we have all this delicious food in our fridge. Including a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.

I guess this gives me a chance to really see what I'm made of! If I can get through the week with that tempting yumminess in my fridge, I will reward myself with a piece at the end of the week! Unless Al eats it all before then. I'll kill him. Haha!

Ashamed...

2010-06-02T11:50:00.000-06:00

I can't believe you all are still following me! How faithful! Thank you for not giving up on me. I am still around!

As much as I hate to admit this, I'm weighing in right now at 179. I'm disappointed in myself that I have gained. I want to have my cake and eat it too. Why can't we just eat whatever we want and be whatever weight we want?

I want to get back into posting because it has been one of my biggest motivaters through all of this.

I can't help but wonder what weight I would be at right now if I had kept up my calorie counting. It makes me a little sick to think of it...I could be at my goal weight of 145, or dang near close!

I am setting a mini-goal of 169 by July 15th. Here I go again...

Please follow along while I try to shed the rest of this stupid weight!!!

Loss sure feels like a win!

2010-04-30T11:42:00.000-06:00

Tada! I'm down to 171.5! Offically down 48.5 pounds since August, 33.5 since January. Today is a great day, I'm very happy with this number! Now if only I could have gotten more sleep before I have to go to work...

Anyway, here is a picture of my breakfast today:

That's right, veggies! 100 calories of peas, potatoes, and whatever other delicious vegetables Green Giant decided to throw in amongst their yummy flavoring. That should keep me going until at least my first break at work, where I will probably have a 100-calorie granola bar or something. This seems to be working out, I hope to stick to it this time!

Reviews

2010-04-29T12:22:00.000-06:00

Plan GET YOUR BUTT BACK ON TRACK has been going great! I've been staying within my calorie range and feeling fine. I haven't lost any more yet (I'm at 174.5) but I need to be patient, it's only been 2 days!

I know how important eating breakfast is to losing weight, but my problem is I'm just not very hungry in the morning. So, what I've decided to start doing is to eat around a 100-calorie meal for breakfast. A banana, or something I would normally just have as a snack. It gets my metabolism rolling, and I don't waste a ton of my calories when I'm not hungry! It seems to be working, and I'm more than happy to have more calories later on in the day!

I tried two new frozen dinners this week, both Weight Watcher's Smart Ones. The first was 280 calories-"Creamy Rigatoni with Broccoli and Chicken":

OMG. It was so delicious. Seriously-I was very surprised. I scarfed it down. I'm not even a huge broccoli fan, but this I would definitely buy again.

The second one I tried was 290 calories-"Chicken Parmesan":

I wasn't as thrilled with this one. It tasted pretty good, but the chicken part was tiny and it was mostly spaghetti. But, all in all, it was satisfying, and I would buy it again.

So there's my week in a nutshell, I hope to start losing again by next week! I'm setting my mini-goal at 169 by May 15th (I am attending a wedding that day!) Here's hopin'...

Day 1

2010-04-27T12:18:00.000-06:00

Well, day 1 of GET YOUR BUTT BACK ON TRACK went pretty well. I stayed within my calorie range, minus oneee slip up...I had a chocolate chip cookie at work. Otherwise, I did really well. No treats today though! I'm making myself work!

Here we go...

2010-04-26T12:18:00.002-06:00

Today is day 1 of GET YOUR BUTT BACK ON TRACK!!! Wish me luck.

Plateaus

2010-04-24T13:53:00.000-06:00

Hello to all my faithful readers! Thank you for not giving up on me...I'm still here!

The thing is-I lost all this weight, and I have been off enjoying it! Truthfully! I have so much more energy these days that I haven't been spending so much time on the internet. I have taken up learning piano & guitar, and I love being outside in the fresh air and being social again!

If there is anything that could motivate you as a reader, I hope this is it! I feel like the quality of my life has improved 100%, and I'm not even at my goal weight (not even close, 30 pounds away to be exact.)

Actually, as far as weight loss, I haven't lost another pound. I'm not gaining, I'm just maintaining at the moment. I'm happy with the way I look, although I do still want to get down to 145 instead of the 175 I'm at now. I've hit a plateau, but I'm not freaking out. I just need to keep on keepin' on!

Thanks to all of you for being here for me, this blog has been one of the biggest motivaters in my journey. I solemnly vow to get back into posting more often!

Pizza

2010-04-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

Long time no see! I'm sorry for not writing in, like, a week...but I needed a break!

So anyway, as far as my list of goals for last week, all I have to say is EPIC FAAAAIILLLLL! I don't think I completed one of them. I NEED TO GET MYSELF BACK ON TRACK HERE!

I'm scared. I'm really scared. When I first started this-and for the first 3 months-I was so into it and was losing a lot. I've plateaued. I am getting to the point where I'm very comfortable with my body, and a lot of times I think things like "This pizza won't hurt..."

I would say I'm staying on plan about half of the time. I really don't want the weight to come back. I need some new recipes, or new ideas, or SOMETHING to keep me motivated.

Ok, enough ranting. The only one who can turn this around here is me.

Lastly, on a side note, I think Pizza Hut is trying to keep me on track. Look at how my pizza was delivered:

It's a sign! Don't order pizza!!!

Ughh

2010-04-05T22:55:00.002-06:00

Easter weekend was not good to me. I ate way too much. I am now weighing in at 177 pounds. Ughh...I just need to be really really good this week. I really don't want to see my hard work go down the drain.

How did you do it?!

2010-04-03T16:43:00.001-06:00

Everyone in my life has been so incredibly encouraging during this journey. I've been getting compliment after compliment, and along with that, the age-old question, "How did you do it?!"

Specifically, I had a couple friends ask me to write out my meal plan. It's not really an exact plan, it's just what has been working for me. You have to cater plans to your own needs. I think that calorie counting gives me a lot more control than if I were to just eat the same things every single day. I'd get bored with that. So if they (or you!) can lose weight the same way I did, then more power to them! Anyway, I thought I would share with you what I told them:

I began by tracking everything I eat on http://www.livestrong.com/. It has a place where you can enter your height, weight, and how many pounds you want to lose per week, and then it calculates how many calories you need to eat to get to that goal. Don't forget to go back and change your weight as it goes down because as it goes down, your calories allowed will change to keep losing.

You can basically type in any food you will eat and it will pop up with the amount of calories. Be sure that its the same amount as what the package says you're eating.

For me it has basically broken down in to around 300 calories a meal and a two 100-calorie snacks per day.

I have pretty much been ignoring all nutritional information and only going by calories, so some of these foods may not seem the healthiest but they are low-cal. (Sorry, but like I said, it's been working for me.) Here is what I have been eating that I would recommend:

Most mornings I have 2 cups of Cheerios and 1/2 cup of skim milk. I started eating breakfast because I keep reading how important it is to losing weight. Switching to skim milk was not a big deal, especially since I don't drink it straight. It was an easy change because it gave me more calories for later in the day!

Snacks:

Bananas, light string cheese, Orville Redenbacher's 100-calorie popcorn bags, Weight Watchers Lemon Cakes, beef jerky, 100-calorie bagels and fat free strawberry cream cheese (there are more, those are some of my faves, just look for things around 100 calories or lower.)

Meals:

Chicken breast with seasoning, Lean Cuisine frozen Pizzas, Spaghettios, frozen Lean Gourmet Chicken Alfredo & Lasagna, Rotisserie chicken from Walmart or Safeway, I buy tons of Green Giant frozen veggies in a box...they are so delicious and so easy to steam in the microwave & I pair them with almost everything, Taco Bell Fresco Tacos, Subway. (again, there are more, but you get the idea.)

Drinks:

Water, I drink a ton of Propel (flavored water) now-it is really helping me get my water intake, Crystal Light (Walmart brand), and when I need caffine-very rarely-I will only drink a diet pop.

I always go shopping on payday. I stock up for the next two weeks, and its really been working. I always try to pick up something new to try every time so I don't get bored with food.

Last but not least, actually, probably most importantly: take one day off per week to eat whatever the hell you want. It has kept me going to know I can still have my favorite foods at the end of the week.

If you slip up, don't let it get you down. Just keep on going.

It was really hard at first, and I felt pretty hungry a lot of the time, but then my stomach shrank and now I often feel stuffed after eating a 300-400 calorie meal. It took about a month for it to become habit, so hang in there...you can do it!

Thanks to YOU! Yeah, YOU!

2010-03-31T23:08:00.000-06:00

I wanted to write a blog just to send out my gratitude to all my readers! This blog is one of the biggest reasons I've kept so motivated. I mean, what on earth would my readers think if I gained all my weight back? Haha.

But seriously, you all leave wonderful comments, and I enjoy reading your blogs as well. Thank you!

Mini-Goal MET!

2010-03-30T11:24:00.001-06:00

As you probably gathered from the title of this post, I met my goal of 174 today! I was trying to do it before April 1st, so I did it with two days to spare. 46 pounds lost since August, 31 pounds since January. Woo hoo!

I'm actually a bit surprised that I made my goal. I was starting to think I wasn't going to hit it (which I was ok with.) But I have been slacking the slightest bit in small ways, like not tracking my calories online every day, and having an ice cream or pop here and there.

I really don't want to undo all of my hard work, and I know I need to push myself to stay on track. so this week here are my goals:

Start back up doing my Wii Active. (Yes, sadly, I haven't been doing it at all.)
Track my calories every single day this week, even on my day off.
Drink more water.
Do at least one exercise that gets me out of the house and into this beautiful weather we've been having!

Those all are very realistically attainable, so I have no excuse to not do any of them!

Lastly, I need to set my next mini-goal. I'm thinking 170 by April 15th. This may or may not be do-able, but I'm sure going to try! Here we go...it may be a bumpy ride.

*Update* I just checked my BMI on http://www.livestrong.com/ and it FINALLY says that I'm not obese. Lol, I'm just overweight. How lovely. But nice to see finally!

Busy busy busy

2010-03-29T12:26:00.000-06:00

Life has been so busy lately! I will update after work-lateeee tonight....see you then!

Good Vibrations

2010-03-27T13:24:00.000-06:00

I love losing weight. It's, like, the best feeling ever. And seeing the scale move is great motivation!

I just feel like I'm enjoying my life so much more now, and I'm still 30 pounds away from my goal weight! I find myself in such a good mood most of the time. Smiling for no reason, whistling happy tunes-that type thing.

I'm so glad I decided to do this. I don't want to have any regrets when I'm older. I know I would regret missing out on things because I was too embarrassed to wear a swimsuit or something. When my high school reunion comes in 5 years, I don't want to dread it. I want to be excited to go!

Losing weight is so much more than shedding inches. It really is improving the quality of my life. I'm healthier, happier, and more energetic. I don't want to miss out on anything! This is the beginning of a beautiful life to come!

"Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies." -Ann Landers

Cheez-Its!

2010-03-25T23:41:00.000-06:00

I was feeling really sick at work tonight. My stomach was just turning and I felt like throwing up. I didn't, thankfully. I did, however, decide that I needed to get something in my stomach to soak up some acid. So, I wandered over to the cracker aisle in search of some low-calorie crackers. I came across this:

Cheez-It 100 calorie packs. Yum! I love Cheez-Its so I grabbed the box and off I went.

I was seeeeeeeeeeriously disappointed when I opened it. The pack was tinyyyy. Check it out:

I should have known better! Oh well, it did settle my stomach, but definitely left me wanting more. I really wanted to eat another one, but I resisted!

Last but not least, I have a scale update!

176.5!!! Hitting my goal of 174 by April 1 is looking good! I'm now officially down 43.5 pounds (28.5 pounds since January!) Ahhh! It feels amazing!

Shape-Ups

2010-03-23T22:35:00.000-06:00

Well, my vacation was cut short today when I received a phone call saying they needed me to come in to work. Ugh. I didn't want to, but I always feel guilty if I say no. So, I went. Oh well. I'm sure I needed the exercise after stuffing my face this weekend! Lol.

I'm considering getting some of those Skecher's Shape-Ups. If you're not familiar, check out the link. They are shoes that supposedly help tone your legs & butt, and help burn calories. They're a little spendy, but it would be awesome if they worked. Has anyone tried these or know anyone who has? I'm very interested to hear from real people if they work or if they are just going to kill my legs and feet for nothing. Any info would be helpful!

Eating Out

2010-03-22T19:44:00.000-06:00

Ahhh. It feels so good to be home, rested, fed, and chillaxin'. We had such a great time this weekend with our friends. We didn't get a whole lot of sleep, but it was worth it.

However......................

We ate out for every meal. I mean, I guess we should have expected this. We went to stay with college guys. Of course they eat fast food for every meal. Haha! I'm so naive.

I'm a little sorry to say that I just ate whatever I wanted. I think once I ordered a Diet Coke, and another time I grabbed a Coke "zero" at a gas station, but those aren't even "healthy" choices, just low calorie.

I came back thinking I was going to weigh like 10 pounds more than when I left, lol, but was relieved to see it was only at 180.5. When I left I was at 179, so I only gained 1.5 pounds. Whew. I've decided that I will skip my day off next week seeing as I took two and a half days off this week.

I really really really want one of those nutritional guides that you can keep in your purse that has fast food nutritional information. It would be really nice to have during a trip or times where you don't have a choice but to eat out. If anyone knows where to get one, let me know!

Today I just got right back into the routine of my diet, and it was a pretty easy transition. The compliments I received from my friends that I haven't seen in awhile gave me a huge boost, and it really makes me want to keep going. I'm feeling very confident; I know I can do it!

Now that my trip is over, I need to focus on my goal to be at 174 pounds by April 1. I'm going to have to work hard if I'm going to reach that point, but I really want it! Wish me luck...

I'm baaack

2010-03-21T17:58:00.000-06:00

I just got back into town from my road trip about an hour ago. We had a blast. We ate out a LOT. We drank. Does bar hopping count as exercise? Lol. Ughh...I'll blog about it tomorrow or later after I take a much-needed nap.

Filet Mignon

2010-03-18T12:26:00.000-06:00

Last night for dinner I had this really yummy Filet Mignon. It really satisfied my want for steak, and they are only 220 calories per steak. I bought them at Wal-Mart and they came in a package like this:

That's my boyfriend, Al, trying to be funny. Lol.

Anyway, we added some of my trusty Green Giant veggies and it really was a great meal. It tasted woooooooooonderful. I suggest this next time you have a craving to eat a 10 oz. steak.

Well, I leave tomorrow for my weekend trip. I'm really hoping to make good choices, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I don't take trips very often. However, it would be nice to come back not weighing 10 pounds more than when I left. Lol, wish me luck.

More than likely I won't be on a computer this weekend, so I will update everyone when I return Sunday night or Monday! Stay tuned..

Walkin'

2010-03-17T11:33:00.000-06:00

Busy, busy, busy. I've been running around doing things in preparation for our trip on Friday and haven't had much of a chance to get on here! Not much new to update; I'm still sitting at 179 pounds.

I did manage to get to the park the other day when I said I was going to go on my day off, and it was gorgeous outside. Annie (my dog) had such a good time, she stopped to sniff everything. I'm soooo happy that spring is almost here!

Anyway, lots to do today, so I'd better skidaddle. In closing, here are a few pictures from our walk:

Lazy Days

2010-03-15T15:40:00.000-06:00

Finally! A day off. I have been thinking all week about all the things I need to do today. Laundry, dishes, car wash. Take a stab at how many of those things I've done today.

ZERO! All I feel like doing is laying around. I think my body needs it after my hellish work week.

I did manage to get up off the couch (after sleeping until noon) to go to Taco Bell and get a couple fresco tacos. I was too lazy to even think about making myself something to eat. Lol, this week just sucked the life out of me! Luckily, it's only 300 calories for two of them, and it was quick.

I'm sure hearing that I'm sitting around like a pile today is not very motivating, I'm sorry!

It is a beautiful day out (finally, for once), and I would love to take my dog for a walk, and I know she would love it, too. I'll make that my goal for the day. Get...up...go...outside...fresh...air...it wouldn't kill me.

"I'm so bored....puh-LEASE take me outside!!!"

Lol, ok, ok. I'm going.

Smart Ones

2010-03-14T11:53:00.000-06:00

I'm so tired. I'm just about to start getting ready for work. This is day 6 in a row, and I'm absolutely exhausted. To say the least, it's been the week from Hell at work. At least I've been getting tons of exercise. And I have tomorrow off. One day. Then it's back to the grind. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I have my road trip to see friends coming up next weekend!

I'll have to be careful not to eat too much while I'm there. I'm getting pretty good at knowing what I can and can't have, but it's always more difficult when you're not at home. They would probably think I was a nutcase if I brought my own food, lol. Oh well, like I always say, you have to live your life. So I'll just enjoy my trip and try not to fret too much over my meals.

I tried out a new frozen dinner this week. It was one of those Weight Watchers Smart Ones.

It was called Flatbread: Chicken Marinara with Mozzarella Cheese. It was pretty good. Very filling, only 290 calories. I wasn't overjoyed with it, but I would probably eat it again. This one almost had a barbeque taste to it, of which I'm not a huge fan. I would like to try some other flavors; there's a Chicken Bruschetta meal that looks appetizing. Has anyone tried any of these? I'm always looking for yummy frozen meals, because some of them taste like my foot.

Ugh, off to work...

Number Obsession

2010-03-12T23:00:00.003-07:00

There's something I don't understand. Maybe you all can help me. Why do people insist on sqeeeeeeeeeeeeezing in to clothes that are too small for them?

Case in point: I have a friend who is average sized-not tiny but definitely not big. She is obsessed with being skinny. She prides herself on what size jeans she wears, so, naturally, she squeezes into jeans that are 1-2 sizes too small. I just think it looks ridiculous. I wish she would realize that if she just wore the right size jeans, and maybe a medium shirt instead of a small, she would actually look thinner. She wouldn't have the "muffin top" that she hates so much!

So why do we obsess over numbers? I'm guess I'm guilty of it too-I have to admit, I'm a little fixated with my scale as of late. It really shouldn't matter what it says, just how I look and feel. (And I've been feeling great!)

Oh well, seeing the numbers go down is motivating and has kept me going, so whatever I guess. Thats probably why my friend likes to wear small clothes. To each his own, right? Anyway, speaking of scale obsession, lol, here's my latest victory:

I broke the 180's!!!!!!!! I was happy to see this, especially since I broke a mini-goal. The goal was to hit 179 by March 19th, so I'm actually a week early! WOO HOO!

I guess its time to set a new goal. We'll say 174 by month end, or April 1. Is that too easy of a goal? Would love your opinion!

25 Pounds Lost!

2010-03-11T22:19:00.001-07:00

I'm in the middle of a lonnnnnnnnnngggg work week, so I haven't had a whole lot of time to get on here. Buuuut, I'm happy to report that I'm down another pound!

Since I technically started eating right on January 5th, weighing in at exactly 205.5, today marks 25 pounds lost since January! It feels fabulous!

It also puts me at 39.5 pounds lost since August. (for those of you that don't know, I lost 15 pounds from Aug 2009-Dec 2009 just from starting a job where I run my butt off!)

I'll blog more tomorrow when I'm not so tired, but I wanted to share the good news!

Creative Blogger Award

2010-03-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

What an exciting day! I would like to thank Mimi at 1972: The Retro WW Experiment from the bottom of my heart for giving me the "Creative Blogger Award." It was a pleasant surprise to wake up to this morning!

As is customary with this award, I am to post 6 outrageous lies and 1 outrageous truth about myself. Soooo here it goes:

1. I am an escaped mental patient.
2. I once sang a duet with Justin Timberlake.
3. I have an obsession with Harry Potter.
4. I lost 12 pounds this week.
5. I love cold weather.
6. I hold the world record for pole vaulting.
7. I once jumped off a seven-story building and survived.

Lol, ok, there it is, I bet you can't guess which one is true!

Next, I would like to pass this award on to a few of the blogs who have most recently inspired me! Congrats to all!

lowermainlandmom at A Year Of Daily Exercise
Brooke at Losing It!
Sarah V. at Embracing Change

Thanks again, Mimi!

Drinks!

2010-03-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Does anyone really realize how much 8-10 glasses of water a day is? When I first started trying to lose weight, I was trying to drink that much water a day. I felt like I was chugging water all day long and forcing it down. It got really old. So, I decided I needed to do something that worked for me. That seems to be the theme of changing my eating habits-it doesn't matter what works best for others, you have to figure out what works for you.

I needed to find low-calorie drinks with lots of water content in them. I came across Crystal Light, which tastes almost like Kool-Aid and is only 5 calories a serving. I actually buy the Wal-Mart brand because it tastes exactly the same and is cheaper. Gotta love that! I always keep a pitcher of this stuff in the fridge so its ready to go when I want it. My personal favorite is the Iced Tea with Peach. Mmmm!

The other thing I found that I feel is my secret weapon is Propel. If you've never had it, you need to try this. Its just a lightly flavored, non-carbonated water. I feel like I constantly have a Propel bottle at my side. I buy them in Bulk at Sam's Club. They also sell them in do-it-yourself packages like the Crystal Light, which I might have to switch to since I feel guilty for buying so many plastic bottles. Its wonderful for getting that water intake that we all so desperately need! Its only 20 calories per 16 oz. bottle.

Does anyone else have any secret weapons that I need to know about? I would love to hear about them!

Rotisserie Chicken

2010-03-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I got a little house cleaning done & had a quick dinner. I bought a lemon-pepper rotisserie chicken from Wal-Mart (pretty much all of the food I blog about comes from Wal-Mart just fyi.)

It was $4.98, and plenty for at least 4 or 5 meals for me. I just peel the skin off and eat a portion of the chicken. Roasting chicken in a rotisserie oven is one of the healthiest ways to cook it, and it tastes great. Its also very quick. As usual, I added a box of steamed veggies (Green Giant: Healthy Vision Blend this time.)

I would really love to find some new recipes to try out, but I'm so busy all the time that things like this really work best for my life. I love to cook, but I don't always have time! I'm going to make it my mission to find quick & easy recipes, that don't require a million ingredients. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Great Workout

2010-03-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

My muscles are so sore. Last night at work we had a large truck of freight come in at work, and they needed some of us floor associates to help unload it. Holy moly, thats quite a job! I was running back and forth and lifting and sweating. But it gave me an idea. If I were to transfer back there, I would be getting an awesome workout five nights a week. I'm seriously considering it. Talking with some of the guys on the crew, they all said they lost around 40 pounds when they first started working back there. I'm still very iffy about it, but wouldn't that be wonderful?

My dinner at Guadalajara's Mexican Restaurant was fabulous!! I was so glad I waited all week for that one incredible meal! It made it so much better! For anyone who is just starting to diet, I would absolutely recommend taking a day or even just a meal off per week from it. It has really kept me going!

Anyway, Today is my one day off this week from work so I better get to doing some laundry and house cleaning...more later.

100 Calorie Mini Bagels

2010-03-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

Hello again! I am in a wonderful mood today. I'm betting you can probably guess why...

Ok, it's a little blurry, but you're reading it right...181.5! I am now officially more than halfway to my goal weight of 145! 38.5 pounds lost, 36.5 to go! It makes me so happy to see that number go down again. 179 is so close I can taste it.

On another note, as we speak, I'm munching on one of my newest favorite treats. 100 calorie mini bagels with strawberry fat-free cream cheese.

So delish! I definitely recommend these, and you honestly wouldn't know the cream cheese was fat-free if it wasn't printed on the label! Its great for those in-between-meals snacks. Mmmmm!

I'm finding that as I try more and more low-cal and fat-free foods, I'm very surprised to find that I like them. I'm so very happy to know that eating better doesn't have to mean sacrificing taste! I'm excited to get out there and try more!

As for tonight, its my night off, so my boyfriend and I are going to Guadalajara's Mexican Restaurant. Its one of my favorites, and I can't wait to dig in to the chips and salsa! Lol, thats my favorite part. Aaaand I may just have to force myself to choke down a Margarita ;) haha.

Pictures

2010-03-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm down again! I'm sitting at 183.5. I'm really hoping to make my goal of 179 by March 19th. I seem to be on track!

It feels so great to see the scale going down that I decided it was time to post some updated pictures. Unfortunately, taking pictures actually made me less excited about the weight loss. It just feels so great to know that I've been losing weight, but I look at pictures of myself and I have to face the reality that I'm still a lot bigger than I feel. My arms, in particular, have always bothered me. Ugh. Well, its never going to get better if I don't keep it up! Anyway, here are the pictures:

Comparatively, it does make me feel a little better:

I was very surprised that the pictures would be discouraging. I just need to remember that my body is already thanking me for giving it nutrients instead of junk!

Veggie Soup

2010-03-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

I'm just now getting to blog because I was watching The Bachelor finale. I know, I know...but it's addicting!! Lol.

Anyway, I still have this cold, and it seems to be getting worse. My throat is on fire, and my head just feels cloudy. Needless to say, I haven't been working out the last couple of days because of it. I've been on the couch :( just trying to get better!

I'm not feeling much like eating solid foods, so I searched around my cupboards and found this Select Harvest Light soup that I bought a few weeks ago. I decided to give it a try, even though it's only a vegetable soup. Soup with no meat sounded a little dull, which is why I haven't tried it until now.

But-I was pleasantly surprised. It had a lot of flavor and I really didn't even miss the meat. The best part is that the whole can was only 100 calories, and I felt so full after I ate it. This is going to be great for those days when I feel hungry but am closing in on my calorie quota!

I am starting to realize that a lot of low-cal "diet" food really isn't bad, and some of it I actually enjoy! Next time I'm shopping I'll have to remember to look for different flavors of this soup.

Ok, its fluids, Dayquil, and rest for me!

Tacos

2010-02-28T14:28:00.001-07:00

BRRR! Its cold out there today. And it kinda looks like snow. Bummer. Enough with the cold weather already! I could use some sunshine! (My white skin thinks so too, lol.)

I'm having one of those days where I feel like I could eat everything in sight. Its so weird. I've been doing so well, and normally I don't even remotely feel the need to eat between meals-or veg out on unhealthy foods. But today I would be happy as a clam if I could eat a bag of Doritos and a pizza! Haha, don't worry, I won't. I've got to resist my urges and keep my eye on the prize! It will be worth it in the long run.

Today I had one of my newest favorite foods: Taco Bell Fresco Tacos (hardshell.) I had two. (they are 150 calories each.) I really like these because when I get that urge to get fast food, I can go to Taco Bell and order Fresco Tacos and I feel satisfied but not guilty! They have this fresh salsa on them that I love, and I don't even miss the cheese. I also tried the Fresco Chicken Ranchero Soft Taco (170 cals each) yesterday. I liked that too. I have yet to try the rest of them.

Also, they have the "diet" menu sitting right there on the counter where you order showing how many calories are in each item. It's very handy. They also have it on their website if you like to plan ahead. Beware though, the fresco burritos are bigger and 340 calories each, so don't order two!

Now, where is that popcorn...

Goals & Colds

2010-02-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

Ughhh. I woke up this morning with a sore throat, stuffy nose, stomache ache and achy body. Greaaaat. Just in time for my Friday-Saturday off work. I hate being sick! Hopefully it doesn't affect my workouts.

Other than the cold from hell, I'm feeling great today! Why? Because I officially dropped below the 20 pounds lost mark! (35 pounds lost since August.)

One of my personal goals was to be at 185 pounds by the end of February. 20 pounds in 2 months! I'm super excited to see this number on the scale! My next mini-goal is to be at 179 (just below 180) by Friday, March 19th. We are going on a road trip to visit some friends that weekend.

I would actually like to be lower than 179 on that date, but I know weight comes off fast at first and then slower and slower. I can't keep expecting to lose 10 pounds every month. Wouldn't that be nice! Lol. I just want to set realistic and attainable goals.

I know its going to get harder and harder to stay motivated when the scale isn't moving as fast, but I have to keep in mind that losing it slowly and doing it right is the only way to keep it off!

Italian Chicken

2010-02-24T14:30:00.001-07:00

Well, I did my workout last night! I was tired, but it felt so good afterward. I'm just about to do another before I start getting ready for work. I'm still doing them at low intensity because I skipped a few days, which I'm annoyed at myself for. I'll have to work my way back up.

Last night I had a pretty good dinner, I just took a boneless, skinless chicken breast and cooked it with some of my favorite spices, melted a little shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese on top, and topped it with some Prego Heart Smart marinara sauce. It was just a little Italian play on my normal chicken breast. I liked it!

MyPlate tells me it was about 300 calories (including the veggies.) Also, if you'll notice, I used a larger plate when I prepared this meal than I normally do. And this is why you shouldn't! The plate just looks so much fuller when you use a smaller one, and in turn, is more satisfying.

One last thing that made me laugh when my phone just rang:

Yeah, I'm really going to answer. Lol! Wii Active time!

Popcorn!

2010-02-23T23:23:00.002-07:00

I just got off work and am munching on one of my newest favorite treats. Orville Redenbacher's 100-calorie bags of popcorn. Seriously, it is so satisfying. I get to sit here and eat a whole bag of tasty (and buttery!) popcorn, and I don't have to feel bad about it. Granted, it doesn't have as much butter or salt as I am used to, but there's enough that it still tastes good. I'm sure I'll get used to it.

I paid around $7 for a pack of 28 of these mini-bags at Sam's Club. I saw them when I was there and made an impulse buy, and I'm sure glad I did. This is definitely one of the best low-cal snacks I've tried so far.

I hear they also have a kettle corn flavor. Not my cup of tea, but some of you may prefer that!

Something I should feel bad about is my lack of commitment to my workouts. I started out with a plan to do at least one workout with the Wii Active every day, and I'm sad to report that I haven't done it in about 3 days. I've been very busy and this and that and yadda yadda yadda, but I know it's no excuse. My old self would say "I'll get back on track tomorrow." Thats not good enough anymore! I'm working out tonight! Even though I've been working and running around all day. Because when I don't do it, I'm only hurting myself.

At least I've been eating right. Its funny to think of how much I used to eat per day compared to my new lifestyle. It's no wonder I'm overweight! It feels good to give my body the nutrients that it really needs, rather than toxins that it doesn't need. Too bad those toxins taste so good. Haha.

More tomorrow, time to workout!

Olive Garden

2010-02-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend! I went shopping with my mom on Saturday, which included a lot of walking, followed by a nice dinner at Olive Garden. It was my day off this week & I indulged in some Chicken Parmigiana. Delicious! Its nice to only eat things like that once a week, because somehow they taste so much better than if you were to eat them every day!

I also couldn't resist having an Italian Margarita. I don't even want to know how many calories were in it, but it was great too!

This healthy eating thing is really getting to be a habit. Finally. It feels so good that I have gotten to the point where I want to eat healthy and low-cal foods. It just feels so good to be losing weight. I look better, I feel better...and thats great incentive!

Today for lunch I tried one of those "Michelina's Lean Gourmet" frozen meals (Chicken Alfredo). It was $1. And it was GOOD! I was very surprised. Paired with some veggies, it added up to a 300 calorie meal. I will definitely be stocking up on those next time I go shopping, and will give some of their other meals a try.

Last but not least (I saved the best news for last) I'm down to 185.5! That's 1/2 a pound away from losing 20 pounds since January! And 35 pounds since I started my new job in August! Life is good. :)

Spaghettios!

2010-02-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

I did all my healthy-food shopping today, as yesterday was payday. I love this day because I get to try out new things! I have a list of things that I always get, and then I like to try out different healthy frozen dinners and such.

Today, as I was shopping in the can aisle shopping for some tasty low-cal soups, the Spaghettios caught my eye. Ok, some of you-I know-are going to think this is gross, but I love them. I picked them up and looked at the calorie content, expecting the worst. 180 calories a serving, 2 servings in a can...quick math...360 calories in the whole can! Also, they say they have a full serving of veggies & only 2 grams of fat.

Now, I am aware that there is quite a bit of sodium and carbs in this can of deliciousness. They probably aren't the healthiest thing I could be eating, and I won't eat them all the time, but I'm lovin' it!

Also, a quick note: One of my co-workers bought the Wii game "Just Dance" and she said it is a great workout and lots of fun! I'm thinking about getting one, too!

Fat Free

2010-02-18T23:47:00.001-07:00

So I'm watching that show Ace of Cakes, and I WANT CAKE!! Lol. I don't usually crave sweets, but when you can't have something it seems to have a way of calling out to you! I guess thats what I get for watching the Food Network. Oh well, maybe on my day off!

Today was good. I had my cereal this morning and a homemade taco salad at lunch. It was simple and tasted yummy. I just browned some lean ground beef (It was 93/7) & added some pinto beans & taco seasoning. I topped it with mixed salad in a bag, tomatos, fat-free shredded cheese, a small amount of fat-free ranch dressing (which it really didn't even need), and a couple tortilla chips crunched over everything. After adding everything up on my calorie counter (on http://www.livestrong.com/) It only came out to about 350 calories for a serving. Awesome!

Best of all, it was something different. I've really been trying to find new quick & easy healthy recipes. If anyone has any good websites or recipes, please clue me in!

Ok, enough internet time, I'd better get to my workout!

Tired!

2010-02-17T23:57:00.002-07:00

Well, I did 2 workouts yesterday. And it felt great! This Wii Active game is fun. Although this morning I was definitely feeling it! Combine that with 8 hours of working my butt off today, and my legs feel like Jello right now!

It's 11:20 p.m., and I'm sitting here thinking, "I really should do my workout for the day..." I suppose I will. I don't want to be all flabby once I lose all this weight, now do I? My legs sure are tired though. Hopefully it will all be worth it!

On another note, I must say, sometimes Subway is my savior. I had it earlier! Its perfect when I don't feel like cooking or am getting sick of my normal recipes. Its the closet thing I have to fast food! Anyhow, when you go there, right there plastered on the glass where you order, they have a list of how many calories are in each sub. Its so easy to just pick a low-cal sub and put all the veggies you want on it. My favorite is the toasted oven roasted chicken breast on wheat with lettuce, pickles, banana peppers, and green peppers. Sometimes I add cheese, usually not. I find that with enough flavorful veggies, you really don't miss the cheese or the dressings. 320 calories.

Best of all, they have $5 footlongs (I know you're singing that song...lol.) I always buy the footlong and have half of it then & save half for later. It warms up and tastes just as good as when you first bought it. $2.50 per meal? Yes, please!

Ok, it's almost midnight, I got caught up in the Olympics. I better get to that workout!

Mmm, Mmm Good

2010-02-16T17:37:00.002-07:00

I just finished my delicious dinner! It tasted great, and for around 200 calories for the whole thing, I feel really good about it!

It's so low in calories that I'm going to have dessert! I found these yummy 90-calorie snacks called Quaker Mini Delights-Chocolatey Drizzle. They have other flavors too, but these help me curb any chocolate cravings that I may have.

I'm thinking I might be feeling up to doing another workout today, so I may just do that! More later.

Workin' Out Feels Good!

2010-02-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'm on day 2 of my 30 day Wii Active challenge, and I really like it! I love how it has programs set up for you. You just turn it on, and your "personal trainer" has a session all ready to go. The activity changes every couple minutes so you don't get bored. Some of the activities include: running, lunges, tennis, inline skating, bicep curls, etc. I'm sure more new things will come up as I go on!

I started out on the low intensity level, I'm thinking I'll do it for about a week and see if I can move it up to the medium level, followed by high. (thinking positively!)

I was surprised that I actually broke a sweat. And this morning, I could feel a little soreness in my muscles. Good sign! My eventual goal will be to work out the required once a day on work days, and twice on my days off. However, I don't want to go too fast, that's why I say eventual goal.

The absolute best thing about this is that I can do it whenever I'm feeling up to it, and I don't have to go to a gym and wait for machines, or pay for a membership.

I'm feeling good and energetic now, so I'm going to start preparing dinner for tonight, my mom's old Weight Watchers recipe Poulet de Roma. I posted the recipe on an earlier blog: click here to read the blog and get the recipe.

Wii!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day weekend! It's also my 5-year anniversary with my boyfriend, Al. We spent the weekend together, mostly just hanging out and watching the Winter Olympics (LOVE the Olympics!) We went out to eat on Sunday-my day off! We also went to Deadwood for awhile, played a little black jack and wandered around a bit.

He got me a Wii Active. I know what you're thinking. How romantic. Lol. I sort of thought that too. But it's actually so incredibly sweet, because he's been so supportive of me and what I'm trying to do here. It's good to know that he's actually been listening to me, because I've been talking about getting a Wii Active all month! Lol. We should give men a little more credit. I'm so excited to get started!

So, even though there is an "I Love Lucy" marathon on today, lol, I'm going to set up my Wii Active profile and start the 30 day challenge! Wish me luck! Updates later...

Down Again!

2010-02-13T12:16:00.001-07:00

I'm so glad I didn't let that little "Superbowl setback" get me down. I woke up this morning and weighed myself, as I do every morning, and this is what it said:

Ugh, finally! Back down below that 190 mark, and at my lowest since I started this business! Huh. So I am actually down a pound and a half for the week. Maybe this is the reason you shouldn't weigh yourself everyday. Lol...I know I shouldn't, but I'm too impatient and I need that everyday motivation. Anyway, I'm off to eat my Cheerios and headed to work, it's very icy today because it rained last night, so I'd better get an early start!

More Veggies Please!

2010-02-11T22:02:00.001-07:00

Whew, what a day! It was busy at work, which is always good because time flies and I work twice as hard.

I'm happy to be home. I made a quick and easy dinner tonight and I thought I would share it with you. Its so fast and tasty, I usually have it a few nights a week. Best of all, its under 300 calories!

Every time I go shopping, I pick up a ton of these Green Giant frozen veggies with sauce. They come in a box with 2 servings (which is only 100 calories per box.) They have a variety of blends, and are super easy because they steam in the bag in the microwave in about 4 minutes. Its so nice to just throw them in the microwave, and now I am getting vegetables with nearly every meal. It's great!

Anyway, Tonight I chose the Garden Vegetable Medley, which includes potatoes.

I cooked a 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast on the stove (Great Value, 110 calories per 4 oz.) adding garlic, seasoned salt, and oregano. I chopped up the chicken, steamed the veggies, tossed them together, and presto! It's pretty delicious, too. Sometimes I just leave the chicken breast whole, but either way, this is a 210 calorie meal and I feel stuffed!

Back on Track

2010-02-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated in a few days because, really, there's not much to update! After my Superbowl setback, I was feeling very discouraged. But, I sucked it up, and just got right back on track. It's not going to get better if I just give up! Sad to say, I'm back up to 193 after seeing that beautiful 189 on the scale on Saturday.

I've decided that I just can't give up my days off. I am instead going to cut back though and not make them totally free. I'll have one meal per "day off" of whatever I want, and one pop (if I choose to have one, I really can live without it, though.) I'm hoping this will keep me going.

I've been working a lot lately, which is one reason I didn't post in two days! Its a crisp 36 degrees, which is a heat wave where I live! Maybe I'll take my dog for a walk....more later!

Ughhh...

2010-02-08T23:39:00.001-07:00

I'm not feeling so great today. Yesterday was Superbowl Sunday, and my day this week I designated as my diet "day off." I did this, obviously, on purpose because I knew there would be lots of goodies that I would want to snack on. I did, and it was great...until this morning. I felt awful and regretted everything I ate. This happens to me every single "day after" my day off. Especially when I weigh myself. AHHH. It feels like a setback, even though doing it this way has helped me to lose around 3-4 pounds a week.

I don't want to give up my day off. It is honestly what keeps me going. When I get urges to eat something unhealthy, I just think "not now, save it!" I just need to work on not going overboard. I'm going to guess I had upwards of 3000 calories yesterday.

I'm getting kind of discouraged here.

I'm not feeling much like writing any more, hopefully tomorrow I will be feeling a little more optomistic.

It's Saturday!

2010-02-06T12:04:00.002-07:00

I know you're not "supposed" to weigh yourself every day, but I am wayyy too impatient for that once a week stuff! And it's been working for me. I like the daily motivation. I always weigh myself every morning when I wake up. I know weight fluctuates during the day, but as long as you do it at the same time every day, it's going to be pretty accurate. I have also been logging my weight almost daily (starting January 5) on my computer.

Jan 5-205.5
Jan 6-202.5
Jan 7-203.5
Jan 13-200.00
Jan 14-198.00
Jan 16-193.00
Jan 20-196.00
Jan 21-197.00
Jan 22-196.00
Jan 26-195.00
Jan 27-193.5
Jan 29-193.00
Jan 30-192.5
Feb 1-194.5
Feb 3-191.00
Feb 4-190.00
Feb 5-190.00

And finally...

Jan 6-189!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm finally out of the 190's! What a wonderful thing to wake up to on this sunny Saturday morning!

Mmm, Doughnuts

2010-02-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

Whew. I had a long night at work. I'm tired. I suppose I should look at it as a good thing because I'm getting so much exercise. But I'm still tired.

Anyhow, once every two weeks, on Fridays, we have a "doughnut meeting" at work. I rarely work Fridays, so I don't really ever have them. Tonight, I was there, and I gave in and had one. A chocolate doughnut, no less.

And it was delicious! Haha. Of course, it was the same number of calories as one of my normal entire meals, but I try not to let that get to me too much. I work hard at staying healthy and deserve a little indulgence once in awhile. As long as it's not happening all the time, I think that everyone should follow that rule. Live your life! You deserve it!

Back to work...

2010-02-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

Why is it that the work week drags on, and your days off fly by? Haha. I don't have much time to make a post right now, but when I get off at 10 p.m. tonight I'll be updating on my day. Have a good one everyone!

This feels good.

2010-02-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Well, haha, I guess it's morning for me, I slept until NOON today! And it was just as beautiful as you would imagine. I love days off. Plus, hey, the more you sleep, the less you eat, right? Haha!

I woke up to see snow outside the window. It's cold and will mean I have to scrape my car later, but I can't deny that it is pretty. I took a picture, but didn't go any further than right outside my front door, lol. I really should go take pictures in the canyon, it's gorgeous when it snows.

It would be a perfect day to just snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and a good book, but I think I have to venture out to the grocery store today. It's my payday, and shopping day! I will get all the food I need for the next two weeks, such as chicken breasts, lean meat, fresh fruit, frozen veggies...etc. If I don't stock my house with junk, I don't eat junk! Funny how that works, huh? Haha!

I've never been much of a breakfast eater. However, I have read a million times over how important eating breakfast is to losing weight, so I have gotten myself in the habit of eating when I wake up. I have pretty much the same breakfast every day:

Cheerios! And skim milk. about 2 cups of cereal to about 1/2 cup milk. Luckily, Cheerios is my favorite cereal, so I don't mind eating it every day. Sometimes, I switch it up with Special K Plus Protein. I read that the Special K is one of the healthiest cereals so I gave it a shot. It's not bad, but I still prefer my Cheerios.

I thought that switching from 2% milk (which I have drunk my entire life) to skim would be awful, but the truth is I can barely tell the difference when it's in my cereal. It also lets me have more calories for later in the day! Totally worth it.

More later, but here is a little scale update:

Today marks exactly 15 pounds since January 1st. Yay!

Eh...

2010-02-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to say, the meatloaf wasn't fantastic. It was ok. Tasted like a hamburger without the bun (which I like, but don't want in a meatloaf.) I'll try with more ingredients another day.

Mom...THE MEATLOAF!

2010-02-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have two glorious days off work. I am SO ready for it! The only problem is, I work so hard and do so much when I AM at work, that on my days off, all I feel like doing is sleeping and lounging. At least I have taught myself not to snack. It's easy to finish off a whole bag of chips when you're watching T.V. and not paying attention!

At least I was on my feet preparing dinner for tonight. I decided to go with meat loaf since I had most of the ingredients. I browsed the web for healthy recipes. I sort of mixed and matched recipes I found and created my own from the ingredients that I had in the house. It's prepared, but I'm waiting until later to stick it in the oven. I'll let you know if it's any good, and post the recipe if I like it!

Exhausted!

2010-02-02T22:59:00.002-07:00

This probably won't be much of an update because I'm SERIOUSLY exhausted from work tonight!

My boyfriend (Al) gave me an iPod Nano for Christmas, and it has a pedometer on it. Out of curiousity, I slipped it into my pocket today at work to see how much exercise I really get when I'm there. I saw a commercial on FitTV that said you should try to challenge yourself and get at least 10,000 steps a day. I didn't wear this all day, just the 9 hours that I was at work.

Here are the results:

12, 878 steps and 705 calories burned. Not bad! Now if I could just do this on my days OFF...

In other news, I'm happy to report that after about a week of plateauing at 193-194, this morning I finally saw the scale going down again! I was very happy to see it because I was getting a little discouraged. I guess I just have to remember that's part of losing weight!

Also-I think I need to clean my scale. LOL!

Parsely, Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme...

2010-02-01T21:37:00.006-07:00

So far, my 11-pound weight loss has come from only changing my eating habits. I know the next step is to find an exercise regimen that works for me. This is the part that I think is going to be a little more difficult. I feel lost as to whether I should join a gym, buy weight-loss DVDs, invest in a Wii Fit or Wii Active (I already own a Wii), watch FitTV and workout along with that, etc. This is where I really wish I could afford a personal trainer! Haha, don't we all?

I made a deal with myself from day one of this life change that I would take one day off per week and eat whatever I wanted. I just know that if I say I can NEVER have my favorite foods again, I'm going to fall off the wagon like I have so many times before.

Yesterday, I took my day off from dieting. After I recorded everything I ate on my daily plate, I felt a little sick. I had 1,900 calories in one day. It's normally around 1,100. I'm trying not to let those days off get to me. But, sometimes I still feel guilty-even though it's a part of my diet plan. I also make sure not too go TOO overboard.

Today, however, I'm back at it and I've done well so far. I had the day off from work. Sitting at home always seems to make me feel hungrier than when I'm running around work all day. Lol. I guess because food is more readily available at home and I'm so busy at work. But, instead of sitting around eating all day, I stuck to my plan and I made a healthy meal for dinner. It was Poulet de Roma, which is an old Weight Watchers recipe that my mom had, and is surprisingly easy, low cal, and yummy. Paired with some veggies, I really felt good about it.

Here is the recipe, give it a try:

1/2 cup water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4oz. each, 110 calorie)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. sweet basil
1/4 t. rosemary

1/4 t. thyme

1 4 oz. can of mushrooms
Rice

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover bottom of baking pan with 1/4 cup of water. Place chicken in single layer in pan. In separate bowl, combine tomato sauce, water, & spices. Pour over chicken. Top with mushrooms. Bake covered with aluminum foil at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If preferred, serve with hot rice.

*Note: Can be prepared without the mushrooms, if you prefer!

Makes 2 servings. 140 calories per serving (without rice).

January

2010-02-01T20:44:00.001-07:00

So, I told you that I had a New Year's Resolution to get healthy, so you are probably wondering if I've stuck to it! I'm happy to say this, "so far, so good!" I joined http://www.livestrong.com/ and began counting calories. It has been wonderful. It has a page called "My Daily Plate" where you can log everything that you eat. It makes calorie counting so easy. It also charts your weight loss (which makes you feel great to see those numbers going down) and tells you exactly how many calories you need to eat to lose a certain amount of weight per week. At the moment it has me eating around 1,100 a day.

I have lost around 11 pounds since January 1st. One month exactly. I'm sitting at 194 pounds. I have a long way to go, but I feel so accomplished already.

It was a beautiful thing see that "1" on the scale instead of "2." I really want to keep it up. Writing this blog is one thing that I'm hoping will give me some accountability. I'll have you to think of when I want that juicy burger and fries! Haha.

Here I am a few days ago (at 194) out for a friend's 21st birthday (Lol, ignore my obnoxious friend in the background!):

New Beginnings

2010-02-01T20:07:00.009-07:00

Hello everyone! My name is Christy and I'm 23 years old. I love to sing, act, play sports, camp...you name it. All of which would be so much easier if I could shed some of this unwanted weight!

My weight has fluctuated up and down since I was about 13. It really started becoming a problem after I graduated high school. I went to college where I'm sure I ate and drank entirely too much. It began there. Then, I went from working at a retail store where I ran my butt off all day to working at a desk job where I sat in front of a computer screen for 8 hours a day.

I ballooned. At my highest recorded weight, which I only knew because I HAD to go to the doctor, I was shocked to see 220 pounds on the scale. I'm only 5'4". It scared me that I could ever let myself get to this point.

I quit my desk job (for reasons not related to the weight gain) and returned to my job in retail in August 2009. At that point, I lost about 15 pounds from August to December just from getting to move around more. I was down to 205, and ready to start a healthier lifestyle.

I made the decision, like so many others, to make a New Year's Resolution...get ready for the big shock...to lose weight! So I set myself a goal. 60 pounds. That would put me @ 145 pounds and right at the top of the healthy weight range for my height & age. Originally it was my goal to do this by August 21st, 2010 (the wedding date of a good friend) but I wanted to make sure I did it right. I think I will give myself until the end of the year to complete this goal. Wish me luck!

As much as I hate this, here are a couple pictures of me (one with my wonderful boyfriend Al!) at 220 pounds to start out: