August 1, 2010

I'm totally grossed out that I let myself gain a bunch of weight back. I think at this time last year I was about 157 and now I'm 173. EWWW! I'm not making excuses, but I need to recognize my weaknesses, so I'm putting them out there...
1. Have to keep high calorie, high fat foods in the house for Addy, my daughter, and because she's doing feeding therapy and such, we have to eat when she eats... and it works better to eat the same foods she is eating. But, that doesn't mean I NEED to eat her OREO cakesters after she goes to bed, right!?
2. I crave sweets then salty, then sweet then salty... it's a cycle I need to break.
3. For some reason, the hormonal food cravings are out of control. Every month, it never fails, I've been experiencing cravings that don't end for at least a whole week. Seems like I can't get full. So I eat. I need to get this under control, pronto!
4. I don't eat too much during the day, but once Addy goes to bed, I hover in the kitchen. I need to find something else productive to occupy my time.

So, it's Sunday, August 1st and no time like the present to get back on track. I did some grocery shopping yesterday to help stock the house with healthy foods too. Dinners are going to be tough for me, as Nick's schedule is such that he doesn't get home for dinner at the same time each day. Sometimes it's 5, sometimes it's 9. Makes it hard. I need to figure something out. School is starting soon for Addy, and she'll be doing preschool on MWF and therapy on T & TH. That will put more structure into our schedule, so I hope this new start will be a good one.

I calculated my points, and apparently, I'm allowed 23 points a day. This should be easy! I need to find some sweet snacks and some salty snacks that are low points. I think a typical day might look like this:
Breakfast - yogurt, fruit, mini bagel
Lunch - cottage cheese, fat free chips, veggie
Dinner - ??? I've got a bunch of good WW recipes to cook, I just need to get a menu plan together.
Snacks - popcorn, skinny cow ice cream sandwiches, fruit, string cheese, rice cakes

Anyone else have some great meal ideas?

March 15, 2010

So, I lost about 30 pounds last spring/summer. I felt so much better about a lot of things. This winter has been a rough one. Very stressful. Lots of struggles. Lots of boredom. When I'm stressed or bored, I eat. I watch TV and I eat. I wish I didn't, but it's true. I gained about 7 of those 30 pounds back, and while I'm still fitting into my size 12 jeans, they are getting a bit snug! Since I'm planning a 5-7 day hike this September with my mom on the Appalachian Trail, I NEED to get in better shape. I also have 4 concerts this summer to attend, so I'd like to be able to wear some cute clothes and be comfortable in them, and take pictures with my friends that I'm not ashamed of! So, I am getting ready to make a re-commitment to myself. I've got about a weeks worth of regular food left from my last grocery shopping trip, so I'll use that all up and then start shopping for healthier choices. One reason it's been difficult: Addy is starting to eat regular foods now, so we have high calorie type foods in the house for her. Foods I should NOT be eating, but it's what moms do... if the kid doesn't finish her mac n cheese, mom finishes it, as to not let it go to waste! So, I'll have to build up some will power to fight the mommy urge! :) I'm going to be adjusting my menu plan and shopping lists and recipe bank. Please feel free to share some of your favorite recipes with me. I'm especially interested in frugal recipes, as to try to keep our grocery budget down at $40 a week, which is what we've been working with the last couple years.

So, today's weigh in: 167
I'll be back to post, maybe daily after I get started next week.

August 4, 2009

Today I weighed in at 159. Although I haven't been tracking points since May 2nd, I've been able to lose an additional 10 lbs. I've been able to drop from my original size 18 (yes, I'm not afraid to share that!) to a size 12. I feel so much better about myself and I have even gone out in public in a bathing suit! A lot of things have happened since I last posted.

I lost my job due to the lack of available work on May 2nd. I am now a stay at home mom and love each moment. We've had to make a lot of sacrifices and will have to make even more as time goes by.

I turned 30 on June 18th. I know how much harder it is to stay fit as you get older, so I'm really going to need to keep on top of this!

I stopped going to ZUMBA when I stopped working. The gym with ZUMBA was right next to work and very convenient, but since I'm no longer out that way, it just isn't going to work. In addition, the great instructor, Trudi, left the gym and I wasn't wild with the young girls they brought in to replace her!

Addy's been struggling with her eating and vomiting still. We've contacted a new set of doctors that we think are going to be able to help us. We're in the middle of that process, so it's stressful.

I had been planning a trip with my good friend from college, Angie. We drove to Wisconsin to see our favorite band, Dave Matthews Band, at Alpine Valley. We stayed for 2 nights at a campground and saw both nights of concerts. It was an awesome experience and we've decided to make it an annual trip! This past weekend, I was lucky enough to get to see DMB again at Deer Creek in Indy. I only made it to one night of concerts, but met up with a good group of friends from college (Amber, Angie, Jerry, Chris) and some new friends too (Jeremy, Slone, Traci). Next year, I'm planning on going to both nights and camping up there with the group.

I've decided that while I'm so proud of my weight loss so far, I really need to get back on track. I'm hoping to lose the additional weight before the concerts next year! It's certainly obtainable and reasonable.

I'm having to make more of an effort to get personal time now that I'm a stay at home mom, so I'm going to strive to make greater connections with friends and to explore my surroundings. I need to enjoy the wonderful life I have and live it to the fullest.

So, here's to inspiration!

May 1, 2009

Starting weight: 169.5
POINT GOAL: 20 pts

Breakfast:
14 mini rice cakes - 2 pts
water (8 oz) - 0 pts
subtotal: 2pts

Lunch:
baked potato - 3 pts
1/2 c fat free cottage cheese - 2 pts
medium banana - 2 pts
1/2 serving WW chocolate fudge brownie ice cream - 1 pt
24 oz water
subtotal: 8 pts

Snack:
WW Giant Latte Ice Cream Bar - 1 pt
subtotal: 1 pt

Dinner:
8 Gorton's grilled shrimp - 2 pts
2/3 c brown rice - 3 pts
2/3 c corn - 1 pt
16 oz sugar free koolaide
subtotal: 6 pts

Snack:
1 bag popcorn - 3 pts
16 oz sugar free kookaide
subtotal: 3 pts

TOTAL POINTS: 20 pts

EXERCISE: none

WATER: 64 oz fluid total

April 30, 2009

Starting weight: 169.5
POINT GOAL: 20 pts

Breakfast:
2 Aunt Millie's whole wheat mini bagels - 2pts
2 T fat free strawberry cream cheese - 1 pts
1 WW yogurt - 1 pt
water (8 oz) - 0 pts
subtotal: 4pts

Lunch:
7 slices Healthy Ones turkey and ham - 1 pt
1/2 c fat free cottage cheese - 2 pts
1 oz Ruffles Light chips - 1 pt
7 mini rice cakes - 1 pt
water (16 oz) - 0 pts
subtotal: 5 pts

Dinner:
Tonight we celebrated Addy's birthday with Nick's family. Grin cooked and she used all low cal recipes since she is following WW too, so I felt good with the choices. I don't know the point values, but here's what I ate:
Pork Chop with onions and apples - ?
green beans with a few small red potatoes and onion - ?
whole grain bread - ?
mini cupcake - 2 pts
2 tarts - 4 pts
8 oz diet soda - 0 pts
subtotal: 11 pts (estimated)

Snack:
1/2 bag of low fat popcorn - 1.5 pts
16 oz sugar free kool aide
subtotal: 1.5 pts

TOTAL POINTS: 21.5 pts

EXERCISE: none

WATER: 48 oz liquids throughout the day

April 29, 2009

Starting weight: 168.5 (Not sure why the 2.5 lb drop in one day, but I'll take it!)
POINT GOAL: 20 pts

Breakfast:
2 Aunt Millie's whole wheat mini bagels - 2pts
1 T fat free strawberry cream cheese - 0 pts
1 WW yogurt - 1 pt
subtotal: 3pts

Lunch:
7 slices Healthy Ones turkey and ham - 1 pt
1 c fat free cottage cheese - 2 pts
1 oz Ruffles Light chips - 1 pt
1/2 Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar - 3 pts
water (8 oz) - 0 pts
Crystal Light metabolism+ peach mango green tea (16oz) - 0 pts
subtotal: 7 pts

Snack:
South Beach Chocolate Crispy Meal Bar - 4 pt
water (8 oz) - 0 pts
subtotal: 4 pts

Dinner:
6" Subway Ham sandwich on wheat, no cheese with lettuce & yellow mustard - 5 pts
16 oz sugar free cherry kool aid - 0 pts
subtotal: 5 pts

Snack:
4 reduced fat vanilla wafers - 1 pt
2 T reduced sugar Pillsbury chocolate frosting - 2 pts
1 medium banana - 2 pts
subtotal: 5 pts

TOTAL POINTS: 24 pts

EXERCISE: one hour of ZUMBA! (earned 6 activity points)
16 oz water during zumba

WATER: total of 64 oz.

April 28, 2009

Starting weight: 171
POINT GOAL: 20 pts

Breakfast:
2 Aunt Millie's whole wheat mini bagels - 2pts
1 T fat free cream cheese - 0 pts
1 WW yogurt - 1 pt
subtotal: 3pts

Lunch:
7 slices Healthy Ones turkey and ham - 1 pt
1 c fat free cottage cheese - 2 pts
1 oz Ruffles Light chips - 1 pt
subtotal: 4 pts

Snack:
1/2 Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar - 3 pts
7 mini rice cakes - 1 pt
subtotal: 4 pts

Dinner:
2 eggs, "fried" in nonstick spray - 4 pts
4 slices turkey bacon - 2 pts
2 slices bread - 2 pts
16 oz lemonade made with splenda - 0 pts
subtotal: 8 pts

Snack:
4 reduced fat vanilla wafers - 1 pt
tootsie pop - 1 pt
subtotal: 2 pts

TOTAL POINTS: 21 pts

EXERCISE: none

WATER: total of 16 oz of the lemonade I had for dinner... I need to remember my water bottle tomorrow!