Stopping the Spread

This Has GOT to Stop

2009-06-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well, you can see that more than a month ago I was terribly discouraged about my weight. If you were here right now, you could also see that I still haven't done anything about it. I've piddled around for a day or three at a time on WW but haven't gotten 'IN THE ZONE' like I was last time. I absolutely HAVE to get there again.

I tried to run tonight. It was horrible. It was as if I hadn't exercised in the last six months. Hmmm.....maybe that's because I HAVEN'T. AAAAAAAARRRRGhhhhhh.

So here I am, fatter than a house, starting all over again.

I did one thing right this week. I went out and stocked the fridge with good food. Good food meaning food that I love that is also great for me......fresh spinach, baby greens, lowfat/lowsugar dressings, fresh fruits and veggies, salmon, etc. Unfortunately, while son's girlfriend was visiting, I ALSO made two huge pans of brownies and I think I ate half of them myself along with ice cream and hot fudge.

But I'm here, confessing my transgressions and hoping to get motivated to once again squash the sugar beast that is obviously alive and well in me.

I need to post my menus for a while. Sorry to bore you with it but I have to be accountable even if it's just to a blog.

A Cellulite Cinquain

2009-04-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

fat

globular, squishy

disfiguring, discouraging, persisting

a real joy-killer

corpulence

Well, isn't THAT special?

2008-11-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

After my blissful discovery yestermorn, I finished off the remaining pots & pans in the kitchen and loaded the last couple things into the dishwasher. I put in the detergent, pushed the button, and........................................nothing. Well, almost nothing. It buzzed. No water. No cleaning. Bummer.

Normally it would be just a matter of replacing the dw. However, we are still in the middle of replacing floors and cabinets and we are the ones doing the work. Since Jim is working 60-90 hr. weeks minimum these days, the kitchen is low on our priority list. We can't replace the DW without replacing the floor, the cabinets, and the countertop....our new floor will be slightly higher than the current floor. Anyway, I am not averse to washing the dishes the good old fashioned way. Good thing, huh?

You will be happy to know that I was a good little girl today. My big 'cheat' being tasting a sample at Sam's club. I actually had an all-vegetable/low-fat dinner AND I enjoyed it! Watch out weight-loss world!

Mrs. Charged Up About Losing the Rest of the Weight

2008-11-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yeah. Finally. November 1st. A new start. It's only 1:30 and candy withdrawal has hit big time. I am actually encouraged because I'm not giving in. I must be entering 'THE ZONE'!

This morning was an encouraging morning.....I went to bed with the house a total wreck, dishes in the sink & on the table, papers everywhere, etc. This morning I woke up to a clean kitchen, and a straightened family room. "Which of my sons has pleased me greatly?", I bellowed up the stairs. My soon-to-be 18-year-old was the clandestine cleaning crew. How awesome was that?

After waking up to that, I am sure that ANYTHING is possible today, including sticking to my former healthy habits. So watch out. I am back. I am unbeatable. I am Mrs. Charged Up about Losing the Rest of the Weight.

Creamed corn, Pineapple & Canned Clams

2008-10-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

I pride myself on being able to walk over to the pantry, peruse the shelves, mull over the possibilities, and come up with a tasty dinner out of what happened to be left on the shelf, regardless of what's there.

Not today. Any combination of the three aforementioned items would induce vomiting. I guess it must be time to go grocery shopping.

On the weight-loss front, I have to get my groove back. If this keeps up, I will have to merge the running and weight-loss blogs into one and call it Running out of Pathetic Excuses. It's cold out. I want comfort food. There's nothing in the pantry except the slop I mentioned in the title. I don't feel like shopping. I'm whining.

One of those days. Sorry. Hopefully I'll be 'Mrs. Charged Up About Losing the Rest of the Weight' tomorrow.

Until then,
Karen (the reigning 'Mrs. Sit-on-my-Duff & Eat Junk Food'

You're IT!

2008-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged for this meme on my other neglected blog some time ago and if you want to read those, go here. However, since it's been a while, I'll come up with six new random things about me.

1) I love to cook. If I didn't have any other responsibilities and if I didn't have to worry about who likes/doesn't like whatever....I would sit around and cook fab food all day. Right now, of the three children still remaining at home, one is a vegetarian who despises anything with even a hint of vinegar in it, one is 17, hates most vegetables and is rarely home at dinner-time (works in a restaurant making pizza dough, among other things), the last is 7 years old and not a very adventurous eater. Jim and I love food but have to watch our caloric intake which certainly limits the scope (and FUN)of my cooking,

2) I love writing. I've always wanted to write copy for an ad agency or something. That is, until my husband worked at an ad agency and I saw what a sleezy, disgusting business it is run by complete dirtbags. (no, Karen, tell us how you really feel!) Now I have a creative outlet. I will be creating custom invitations in my friend's store.

3) Tea. I love it. I have always loved it. I will continue to love it. Red and yellow, black and white.....all are precious in my sight. Herbal, Rooibos, you name it. Before bed every night, Jim and I share a huge pot of Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime. Bury me with my teapot. Please.

4) Fall is my favorite season. Apple pie. Hot soup on cold days. Breathtaking colors and incredible smells. Inexpensive school supplies. Exercise without sweat. Need I say more.

5) I am actually somewhat musical although nobody that knows me now would ever know that.

6) I am a walking disorganized mess.

In a Holding Pattern

2008-07-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not too concerned about it, but I am big-time stuck, weight-wise. I am doing push-ups, running (17 miles last week), doing ab workouts, and being smart about what I eat. My body is changing for the better but the scale doesn't show it.

I'm not all worked up about it though....which is a huge change for me. I can't obsess about what I am unable to change. I've talked to many other folks doing marathon or 1/2 marathon training and they stopped losing weight as well.

I just wish I'd hit the '50 pounds lost' mark. It's only about 4 pounds away but as elusive as Big Foot. In the meantime, I'll keep on doing what I'm doing and let Him take care of the rest. I'm obviously not in control here :-)

Too Much of a Good Thing

2008-07-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that I haven't gotten crazy since the end of OFNM (Operation Fat No More - for those of you that weren't a part of that). I've spent a week not counting points but still eating very carefully, except......

.....I have this addiction. I think I made a huge mistake buying an enormous bag of roasted almonds on sale at the grocery store last week. I know they're very good for me but I'm having a tough time staying out of them. Last night I finally had to hand the bag to Jim and tell him not to let me even look at them. I know what I'm capable of.

The other thing I just could eat a ton of is the all-natural, crunchy peanut butter. You know, the stuff that is just crushed peanuts. No salt, sugar, or hydrogenated whatever-they-happen-to-throw-in-this-time. That stuff is SO good. The creamy version you can get away with one TBS on a PBJ because it spreads further, but I get a little crazy with the crunchy.

I suppose as food vices go, I've seen (and eaten) much worse.

My weight is pretty much staying the same. I'm okay with that for now. I'm trying to just keep eating right and keeping up with my exercise. The rest is out of my hands.

One Down, One to Go!

2008-06-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the first of two big graduation parties happened last night. I was so excited when I got in the food line and the first two things I encountered were a bowl of plain, fresh fruit and a wonderful mixed green salad with dressing on the side. Ah, what a relief. I didn't have to blow a lot of points. There was also lasagna. I had a miniscule piece. It was very saucy with little cheese so it didn't do too much point damage. I also treated myself to a very small rice krispy treat with a cup of black coffee. Whew!

The next one is Sunday. It should be a little more difficult to navigate, foodwise. That's okay. I'm prepared to use my final cheat day for it. I might not need to as I will be running tomorrow (4 extra points) and I still have a bunch of 'weeklies' left. I just don't want to starve on Monday and Tuesday. We'll see how it goes. I just know that this same family had the most incredible food at their other son's grad party last year.....I don't know that I'll WANT to resist.

Long Time, No Post

2008-06-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. Last week I had another two-pound loss. This week I gained it back. Not sure what that's all about. I've been very faithful to both Weight Watchers and my marathon training. I look better and feel better, though, so I guess that's what matters. I had my first June cheat day on Sunday but usually that doesn't hurt me, weight-wise. I probably will have to have my other cheat day on Sunday. Major graduation party with lots of incredible food.

I've been Wii-ing a lot lately and having a riot! I love the Wii Fit! ....even if it does call me names(like couch potato) and mock me when I can't complete a pushup. ("C'mon! Those muscles aren't going to work themselves, you know"). Oh, thank you Mr. Virtual Trainer. Anyway....I am so spastic when it comes to some of the balance games like crossing the tightrope. My 6-year-old practically runs across. I've made it only ONCE! I'll stick to the ski jumping for now...since that's the only game in which I can kick everyone else's keister!

I suppose I shouldn't worry about the weight for now. If it's true that a woman's body thinks it's starving to death during the first 30 minutes of exercise, then the marathon training should help whittle the weight away. Until now, all the runs have been thirty minutes or less. Come June 30th, NONE of the runs will be less than thirty minutes, which is both exciting and terrifying.

I'm off to abuse myself just a little more with the Wii Fit......

Have a good weekend!

First, the Good News!

2008-06-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

I lost another TWO pounds this week. For this, I am grateful. Extremely grateful. However, I logged on to the Weight Watchers site and fed them said weight loss information. Guess what else I lost? Another two daily points!!! Unfair! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Twenty daily points???? I'll starve to death, I tell you!

I better go eat some broccoli and simmer down.

Ceremonial Jean-Cutting

2008-05-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

It looks as if the change in routine has worked. For the last week and a half I've tried to eat all of my daily, weekly, and activity points . I finally am seeing it register on that wicked scale!

I hereby declare next Wednesday to be:

Cut Up the Too-Large Jeans for a Sewing Project Day

It's not that I've lost all that much, it's just that I've been hovering on the brink of a lower jean size for months and these last couple pounds FINALLY enabled me to buy the NEXT SIZE DOWN! Wahoo!

Hmmmm. Maybe I should have refrained from moronic behavior like skimping on points in the first place. Maybe I should have used the program like it's supposed to be used. Maybe my body just decided to cooperate. Maybe running is the secret. Maybe I don't really care, I'm just excited that whatever the combination is, it's beginning to work. Maybe my body reacts well to deliciously over-the-top cheat days like the one I had last weekend.

Untitled Boring Post

2008-05-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

My Wii Fit shipped yesterday! I can't wait. This will give me a slow start into some cross-training by getting me started doing something on my non-running days. Yeah, I know it's not exactly step aerobics or power-lifting but it's a start.

I'm going to try to eat every single one of my points this week again, but spread them out over the week so I'm not eating this HUGE amount on the last day of my WW week.

Wednesday:

Morning
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
1 sl df ww bread
1
yo plus yogurt
2
Subtotal
5
Midday
lo-fat ramen w/ broc/carrots added
5
Subtotal
5
Evening
1 item refrigerated grilled chicken breast fillet
3
1 cup cooked bulgur
2
1 cup cabbage, all varieties
0
2 Tbsp Kraft Light Done Right Asian toasted sesame
1
1 small carrot(s)
0
1/2 large jalapeno pepper(s)
0
Subtotal
6
Snack
1 item McDonald's® Hamburger (yeah, that's right. FAST FOOD. How low can I go?)
6
fiber one yogurt
1
1 tbs pb on df ww bread (1 sl)
3
Subtotal
10
Total Food POINTS values used
26
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-4
Exercise
20 min jogging
2
10 min walking, brisk
0
Total Activity POINTS values earned
2

Changin' it Up!

2008-05-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try something a little bit different this week. Since I'm not losing any weight at this point, regardless of sticking to the plan like aphids on roses, I decided I needed to switch something up. I usually barely dip into my weekly points and sometimes even leave my activity points unused. I thought I might try eating as many of my weekly points as I could. I ate all but 3.5 this week. It's tough but somebody's got to do it! For the record, I didn't eat a lot of garbage in order to do this. Yeah, I snuck a bratwurst in there but other than that, I ate good stuff for the most part.

All of this resulted in..............................................................absolutely no loss. Surprise, surprise. Then again, I ate most of those extra points yesterday so I will weigh myself again tomorrow and see if it's made a difference. In the meantime, I've started reading a book called, From Belly Fat to Belly Flat. Has anyone heard of it? I've got to do a little internet research on the author to determine the 'quack level' of the author. From what I'm reading so far, the book makes sense but I'm a skeptic in all things health/diet related. It got decent reviews at Amazon but I haven't done much googling on him or his plan yet.

One Sick Puppy

2008-05-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am ashamed to report to you that I jumped on the scale BOTH yesterday morning and today. How warped am I?

I can't believe I haven't posted since Wednesday. Things have been going well point-wise, however I felt like I was eating almost nothing yet I was eating all my points and dipping into my weeklies. I decided to take a look at what I've been doing that could have possibly made me feel this way. Aha! Somehow I stopped eating big platefuls of vegetables and didn't even notice. Weird, I know. So the first thing I did was fix myself a pile of broccoli last night. Tonight I had a big sweet potato and fresh green beans for dinner and it was great!

Hopefully getting back on track with the vegetables and fruits will keep me from feeling like I'm barely eating. I also need the iron & calcium that some of those things provide, especially while I'm taxing my muscles and skeletal system with getting in shape.

Sunday:
Morning
fiber one yogurt
1
pf ww mini bagel
1
Subtotal
2
Midday
2 large whole poached egg(s)
4
2 slice rye bread
3
3 oz center slice ham, lean only
4
Subtotal
11
Evening
1 large cooked sweet potato
3
1 cup cooked green beans
0
Subtotal
3
Snack
fiber one yogurt
1
short starbucks skinny latte
1
pbj on ww mini bagel
3
Subtotal
5
Total Food POINTS values used
21
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+1
Exercise
10 min swimming, fast
1
20 min jogging
2
10 min walking, brisk
0
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3
Addendum: After I posted last night, I ate a no-bake cookie (4 pts) and a slice of bacon (1.5 pts), This used up the daily point I had left as well as my earned activity points. It dipped .5 points into my weeklies. Occasionally I forget to post these additions to the blog, but I always post them immediately to my WW log so I don't miss anything and it keeps an accurate tally.

The Trial Separation

2008-05-14T05:50:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 26:11As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

I knew the relationship was becoming very dysfunctional but I didn't care. The emotional battering was overwhelming but still I stayed. Now I'm stronger. It's time to end this abusive relationship and take control. I'll need your support for this. This day I declare my independence from that stupid scale.

No more middle of the night weigh-ins. Last night I actually weighed myself three times between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am. I've weighed myself twice since I got up two hours ago. While I think it's a good thing to keep tabs on my weight, this has gotten way out of control. I'm already doing everything humanly possible to safely & gradually lose weight. I don't eat junk food. I rarely eat refined carbs. I love my veggies. I'm RUNNING(if you knew me you would know how drastic THAT little measure was!) and getting as much physical activity as possible. The rest is in the Lord's hands. I can do what He's given me the ability to do and the results have to be left with Him.

In order to turn my relationship with the scale back into a healthy one, I'm limiting our 'visits' to once a week on Wednesdays for my Weight Watcher weigh-in. While I'm in the process of building muscle with all this running, the scale always discourages me. I'm not losing weight right now but my body is changing and shifting in the ways that it should. Why do I want to get hung up on a number that really isn't going to do anything but set me back?

Here's the scoop on what I ate yesterday:

Morning
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
pf ww mini bagel
1
Subtotal
3
Midday
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1/2 cup salsa
0
fiber one yogurt
1
sample fiber one caramel del cereal
3
Subtotal
6
Evening
1/3 cup Fantastic World Foods Jasmine Rice
4
1 serving stir fry 5/12/08
5
Subtotal
9
Snack
fiber one yogurt
1
pf ww mini bagel
1
yo plus yogurt
2
Subtotal
4
Total Food POINTS values used
22
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
0
Exercise
20 min jogging
2
20 min walking, brisk
1
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Almost forgot to post this:

2008-05-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Morning
fiber one yogurt
1
pfww mini bagel
1
Subtotal
2
Midday
1 cup canned ready-to-serve chunky chicken soup
4
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
pf ww mini bagel
1
Subtotal
7
Evening
1 cup cooked brown rice
4
1/2 cup generic special K
1
fiber one 4 oz yogurt
1
1 serving stir fry 5/12/08
5
Subtotal
11
Snack
1 small apple(s)
1
2 Tbsp peanut butter
4.5
pf ww mini bagel
1
Subtotal
6.5
Total Food POINTS values used
26.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-4.5

11 weekly points left

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

My family celebrated Mother's Day on Thursday due to kids' work schedules. Today Jim and I ended up in a bookstore (nothing new there). I decided to sacrifice a half-day's worth of points for a 16 oz coffee beverage. There's something sick about ordering a javalicious mocha crunch whatever it was and then asking the server for the nutrition information. I got the total calories, fat grams, and fiber content and went to log it onto Weight Watchers. It was a whopping TEN points even though I opted for no whipped cream. I tell you, it was worth every crunchy, sweet, iced strawful. I've been smiling ever since.

Since I opted to eat dinner as well, it used up a chunk of my weekly points and I don't even care. I wasn't out of control. I made a conscious decision and don't regret it. So there.

Here are the rest of my choices for the day:

Morning
2 large whole poached egg(s)
4
2 slice rye bread
3
3 oz center slice ham, lean only
4
Subtotal
11
Midday
seattle's best iced coffee drink
10
Subtotal
10
Evening
3 cup canned ready-to-serve chunky chicken noodle soup (This was actually homemade soup made yesterday and the fat was skimmed off while cold--it was similar in chunkiness to the canned stuff so it was a good comparison. I also threw a handful of fresh spinach in when I reheated it. Mmmmmm! Good!
11
Subtotal
11
Snack
crust from 1 lg pizza sl.
4
Subtotal
4
Total Food POINTS values used
36
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-14
Exercise (haven't logged it yet because we haven't run yet today)
I have 13.5 weekly points left (I'll have 2 more if we actually finish our run--it's pouring out now so I'm not hopeful)

Quick Post Before I Go to Sleep

2008-05-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Here's today's foods...just so I don't forget to post it tomorrow.

Morning
1 large carrot(s)
0
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
1 sl df ww toast
1
Subtotal
3
Midday
1 serving lunch 5/9/08 (see last post)
4
Subtotal
4
Evening
1/4 pound cooked ground beef
5.5
1/8 cup onion(s)
0
1 Tbsp ketchup
.5
1 tsp mustard
0
1 sl df ww bread
1
Subtotal
7
Snack
4 items graham cracker(s)
2.5
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1/2 cup salsa
0
1 item refrigerated grilled chicken breast fillet
3
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
8.5
Total Food POINTS values used
22.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-0.5
Exercise
20 min walking, brisk
1
10 min jogging (this was actually 15 min of running, 15 walking but WW doesn't let you log in 5 minute increments)
1
Total Activity POINTS values earned
2

Making Healthy Eating Convenient

2008-05-09T08:50:00.001-07:00

I just had the BEST lunch. It was possible because I've got my kitchen stocked for success. I have almost every fresh vegetable you could imagine in the fridge and a variety of lower fat meats and fish in the freezer. I grilled some chicken the other night for whenever we need it.

Today I pulled out about a half cup of frozen shrimp, snow peas, fresh ginger, garlic, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and zucchini. I stir-'fried' it in my non-stick wok (that I leave on the stove 24-7) and finished it with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, soy sauce, and some mahvelously pungent cilantro. Oh my. A treat for the eyes, the nose, and my stomach. No fat, no sugar, no guilt.

I have finally switched the rest of my fam over to whole-grain bread. Carrie balked but has come to terms with the fact that we aren't switching back. I miss the convenience of white rice and occasionally will have Jasmine rice in the cupboard, but 90% of the time we eat brown or wild rice. Sometimes I even cook whole wheat berries in with it. There are a few family members that would probably threaten to blow up the house if I took away their sugar (they're over 18 so I don't make an issue of it) but Jim and I really have replaced sweets with fruit. I keep the house stocked with it. It's expensive but it's worth it. I'm not spending the dough on convenience food or garbage treats so it's not much more.

I'm posting yesterday's food list. I was at a restaurant for lunch. There was no way to know exactly the calorie count of what I was eating. The sandwich was fairly easy to estimate because I knew all the ingredients. The soup was tougher so I looked up a recipe for eggplant soup on allrecipes.com, figured the points value, then doubled it just to make sure I wasn't cheating. I also was very conservative when figuring the sandwich as I want to be honest.

Morning
pb on ww bagel
3
Subtotal
3
Midday
eggplant soup sm cup
10
small ff sf froz yog/no cone
2
3/4 lowfat sandwich at restaurant
10
Subtotal
22
Evening
1 1/2 cup cooked green beans
.5
1 medium acorn squash
3
Subtotal
3.5
Snack
2 items graham cracker
1
Subtotal
1
Total Food POINTS values used
29.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-7.5
Exercise
Total Activity POINTS values earned
0

Wednesday

2008-05-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here's my log for today.

Morning
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
pepp. farm mini ww bagel
1
Subtotal
3
Midday
1/2 cup onion(s)
0
pf ww mini bagel
1
tuna
1.5
mayo lt.
.5
Subtotal
3
Evening
2 cup mixed baby greens
0
1 cup spinach
0
1 item refrigerated grilled chicken breast fillet
3
1 Tbsp red onion(s)
0
1/4 cup snow peas
0
2 medium strawberries
0
3 Tbsp Kraft Light Done Right Asian toasted sesame
2
pf ww mini bagel w pb
3
Subtotal
8
Snack
2 pieces Hershey's Assorted Miniatures Candy
2
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1/2 cup salsa
0
2 oz cooked lean boneless pork chop
2.5
2 items graham cracker(s)
1
pf mini ww bagel
1
Subtotal
10.5
Total Food POINTS values used
24.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-2.5
Exercise
50 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Sorry!

2008-05-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to post my intake! I won't bore you with the weekend.....I promise you that I logged every bite every day. Here's Tuesday's log:

Morning
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
1
Midday
1 oz Hormel Honey smoked turkey
.5
1 tsp mustard
0
1/2 cup mixed baby greens
0
1 sl df ww
1
Subtotal
1.5
Evening
1 6-inch SUBWAY® Restaurants Turkey Breast & Ham Sub
5
1 3/4 Tbsp SUBWAY® Restaurants Fat Free Sweet Onion Dressing
1
5 oz cooked lean boneless pork chop
5.5
1 large potato(es), baked
3
2 tsp unsalted butter
2
Subtotal
16.5
Snack
1 item McDonald's® Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone
3
1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
1
df ww bread
1
Subtotal
5
Total Food POINTS values used
24
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-2

Wheeee!

2008-05-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

Guess what Jim came home with?

He's taking a week off next week. Son# 2 is coming home from college on Sunday, Son#3 is done with school for the semester, Son#4 will be around next week, Carrie's always here, and I need a workout. We aren't going anywhere nor do we have any big plans. So good old Dad came home with a Wii! Then good old Mom logged onto Amazon and pre-ordered Wii Fit. Happy Mother's Day to Mii.

So far, I've only played the bowling as we're all taking turns (and I was the one cooking dinner). I can't wait to play baseball & box a little. This should at least earn me an extra slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter on it. Hmmmm. I wonder if WW has Wii as one of their exercise categories?

I'm going to go ahead and post today's foods even though the day's not over just in case I don't get around to it tomorrow. I have 4 points left and I promise not to go over unless I dip into my weeklies (I don't forsee that happening, I'm full!)

Have a good weekend!

Morning
1/2 small mango
1
1 item asian pear
0
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
2
Midday
pbj on ww
6
Subtotal
6
Evening
3 oz Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Spaghetti style
4.5
spaghetti sauce
4
Subtotal
8.5
Snack
1/2 small mango
1
4 medium strawberries
0
1/2 cup blueberries
.5
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
1 large cooked sweet potato
3
Subtotal
4.5
Total Food POINTS values used
21
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+1
Exercise
50 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Nothing New - Just posting yesterday's menu

2008-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

I grocery/garden shopped for 6, count them, SIX hours yesterday. I saved a lot of money in the process, and was rushing so fast I barely ate anything. I ended up trying to stuff a bunch of stuff in my face at around 8:00 just to make sure I ate all my points. I still didn't make it but I'll live.

Morning
1 cup cooked oat bran
1
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
2
Midday
1 6-inch SUBWAY® Restaurants Turkey Breast & Ham Sub - no cheese no dressing
5
Subtotal
5
Evening
1 6-inch SUBWAY® Restaurants Turkey Breast & Ham Sub- no cheese
5
1/2 package McDonald's® Hot Mustard
.5
Subtotal
5.5
Snack
20 items peanuts
2
1 cup Louis Kemp Seafood Co. Crab Delights Fat Free Imitation King Crabmeat Chunk Style
2.5
1/2 item pomelo
1.5
Subtotal
6
Total Food POINTS values used
18.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+3.5

I've Got Good News and Bad News

2008-05-01T04:49:00.001-07:00

Bad news first. It seems that men lose weight faster than women. Duh! Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. The good news is that I watched something yesterday that explained a little bit of the mystery surrounding that and how to work with it.

According to this study, when men begin an exercise program, their bodies experience the benefits immediately. Their bodies go into calorie burning mode right away and they start to build more muscle and lose weight. Apparently, our female bodies handle it differently. When we start an exercise program, for the first two or three weeks...our bodies think they're being starved to death and start to act like it by hanging on to those calories with all their might. (I know it's felt that way for me lately!)

The solution? Consistency. Starting and stopping an exercise program is like yo-yo dieting as far as the havoc it wreaks on your metabolism. They suggest cross-training so that you don't even miss days at all. This is probably part of my problem. I do my walk/run 3 to 4 times per week and it's intense exercise....but then I do nothing on my off days. Bad move. I need to either do some type of exercise video, go to the Y, or do some exercise at home in between.

Another part of the study indicated that women lose weight more effectively with longer, less intense exercise sessions whereas men can benefit from the very intense shorter workouts because their bodies start burning calories right away.

I actually thought all of this was fairly good news. I started my training a few weeks ago and haven't really lost much. At least there's some science behind it.

For those of you on Weight Watchers: This means EAT those extra points you earned with exercise so your body doesn't think it's starving! I have a hard time doing this. I always feel like I'm eating up a bunch of calories I just burned up and nullifying the benefit of the exercise, but the opposite is true.

Wednesday's Fare:

Morning:
pbj on df ww bread
6
Subtotal
6
Midday
3 oz cooked tilapia
2
1 cup broccoli
0
pbj on df ww bread
6
Subtotal
8
Evening
whole wheat blend pasta
3
spaghetti sauce
4
Subtotal
7
Snack
1/2 cups strawberries
0
1/4 cup blueberries
0
Yo plus 4 oz yogurt
2
Subtotal
2
Total Food POINTS values used
23
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-1
Exercise
50 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Growing my Garden - Getting Rid of my Gut

2008-04-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was surprisingly easy other than Friday evening when all I wanted to do was eat. I did have victory. I stayed on target. I realize that I forgot to post yesterday so you didn't get my food log, but I did log it on WW. Yesterday I walked/ran and had a good eating day. It seems that the longer I stay away from the garbage, the less I want it. Part of it, I think, is that after working so hard to lose each ounce I'm that much more conscious of how much each bite matters. If I'm taking three steps forward, why would I want to take two steps back. If my goal is to change my lifestyle, I need to embrace the new lifestyle instead of longing all the time for the old one.

The walks and runs help with this. It's hard work. Why would I want to waste all that effort by eating a Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar. A delicious choice, yes, but 10 minutes after I've made the choice to eat or not eat it....I'm not enjoying it whether I ate it or not. Eating is one of those momentary pleasures. I'm determined to let those crisis moments pass and find something else to do instead of pining for poor food choices. I figure that my garden is going to look great this year if I even take half the time I spend focusing on food and turn that effort toward my garden. I should do before and after pictures of the garden and myself!

Oh, here's Saturday's Log:

Morning
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2
1 sl df ww bread
1
Subtotal
3
Midday
1 cup cooked brown rice
4
1 Tbsp asian stir-fry sauce
1
1 Tbsp soy sauce
0
1/2 cup carrot(s)
0
3/4 cup cabbage, all varieties
0
1 medium green pepper(s)
0
1/2 clove garlic clove(s)
0
1 Tbsp ginger root
0
1/2 cup onion(s)
0
1/2 cup zucchini
0
sausage 1/2 link
4
Subtotal
9
Evening
1 6-inch SUBWAY® Restaurants Turkey Breast Sub
5
1 3/4 Tbsp SUBWAY® Restaurants Fat Free Honey Mustard Dressing
1
11 items Lay's Baked Original Potato Chips
2
1 item Bob Evans® Dill Pickle
0
1 large carrot(s)
0
Subtotal
8
Snack
1/2 medium mango(es)
1
2 small clementine
.5
Subtotal
1.5
Total Food POINTS values used
21.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+0.5
Exercise
50 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Friday

2008-04-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

Catchy title, huh? Still hanging in there! I can't believe how much it helps to have a little contest going! There are times I think about eating something and then I remember how much I don't want to 'lose face' and I'm able to kick myself right back into killer weight-loss mode.

New topic. I bought an exercise ball (swiss ball) around Christmas time. So did Jim. The most these things have see of our behinds is when we happen to walk by them. I decided that until I start putting time in on it doing crunches & stuff, I'll at least sit on it while I'm using my laptop or doing other sitting chores. Maybe I'll actually be overcome with guilt and start using it in earnest. Maybe I'll just look funny sitting at the table.

Also in exercise world----I just wanted to state, for the record & Ames, that I am completely incapable of doing even one measly pushup either. I seek to remedy this so I am starting out with what my son calls "girl push-ups". I call them knee push ups but what does it matter. He's also got me doing tricep push-ups. Oh DO try them. Especially if you're a bit of a masochist.

Morning
1 item egg
2
1/2 tsp unsalted butter
.5
4 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt
1
1 sl df ww bread
1
Subtotal
4.5
Midday
1 item whole hard-boiled egg(s)
2
1 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1
1 cup mixed baby greens
0
1/2 large jalapeno pepper(s)
0
1/2 tsp mustard
0
2 Tbsp onion(s)
0
2 sl df ww bread
3
Subtotal
6
Evening
2 item whole hard-boiled egg(s)
4
1 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1
1 tsp mustard
0
1 small jalapeno pepper(s)
0
2 Tbsp onion(s)
0
11 items Lay's Baked Original Potato Chips
2
2 sl df ww bread
3
Subtotal
10
Snack
2 tsp peanut butter
1.5
2 sl df ww bread
3
1 serving chicken stew
5
Subtotal
9.5
Total Food POINTS values used
30
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-8
Exercise
50 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

I went 8 points over today, swapped activity points for 3 of them, took the remaining 5 out of weeklies.

Thursday's Lament

2008-04-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's all a matter of perspective. I'm usually generally dissatistied with the way I look. I don't lose weight easily, my behind is too large, my chest too small, my skin too blotchy......or whatever my perceived flaw du jour is. Today my brother-in-law was diagnosed with MS. I think I should shut up and stop my complaining.

I had to ponder what types of things would be going through my head if I were to receive a diagnosis like that. What would become important, what would wane in priority? Would I suddenly miss the opportunity to engage in intense exercise (heating the body up exacerbates MS symptoms) instead of looking at it as a burden?

My healthy body is not something I can take for granted any longer. It's not an entitlement.

I realize that MS isn't caused by poor personal choices, but so many diseases can be. We can choose to eat right. We can choose to exercise. We can choose to give our brain a work out. All these things help us to prevent cancer, diabetes, alzheimer's, and an endless list of other maladies.

So I guess that's my lament for today......that I haven't been grateful for the less than perfect body I have. It's treating me well and I should be glad I have the opportunity to reciprocate.

What I put in my stomach on Wednesday:

Morning
4 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Blueberry Yogurt
1
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
Subtotal
1
Midday
2 tsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1
1 item egg
2
1/2 tsp mustard
0
2 Tbsp onion(s)
0
1/2 average jalapeno pepper(s)
0
1 large carrot(s)
0
1 sl df ww bread
1
1/2 serving coleslaw
1
Subtotal
5
Evening
1 serving(s) Applebee's® Cajun Lime Tilapia
6
1 item McDonald's® Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone
3
Subtotal
9
Snack
1 cup Kellogg's Special K Red Berries Cereal
2
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
4 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt
1
Subtotal
4
Total Food POINTS values used
19
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+3

Wednesday Weigh-In

2008-04-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

I'm at least back to where I should be. I anticipate I might actually see a weight I haven't seen in about a decade before the end of May. That prospect alone should keep me motivated.

I ate more than what I was gastronomically comfortable with yesterday but I didn't exceed my weekly point allotment. I still always feel a little guilty dipping into weekly points although it's part of the program. It's actually one of the things that keeps it doable.

Nothing else of interest to report.

Tuesday's Feasts {{eye roll}}
Morning
2 slices Wasa Light Rye Crispbread Crackers
1
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Original Flavor
1
Subtotal
2
Midday
1 item egg
2
1/2 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
.5
1 1/2 large carrots
.5
1 cups strawberries
0
1/2 tsp mustard
0
2 cup mixed baby greens
0
2 slices df ww bread
3
1/2 packet ff ital. dres.
0
Subtotal
6
Evening
1 item bell pepper
0
1/2 cup cooked onions
.5
1/3 clove garlic clove
0
1 link italian sausage
8
Subtotal
8.5
Snack
1 1/2 cup Kellogg's Special K Red Berries Cereal
3
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans
2
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
4 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt
1
lame boneless rib- wasn't worth the points
5
Subtotal
14
Total Food POINTS values used
30.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-8.5
Exercise
30 min walking, leisure
1
Total Activity POINTS values earned
1
Swapped 1 activity point
Used 7.5 weekly points.
Still had 24.5 weekly points remaining
Week resets on Wednesday.

Boring Food Day

2008-04-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

Morning
6 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Blueberry Yogurt
1
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
1 cup black coffee
0
Subtotal
1
Midday
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Original Flavor
1
1 large cooked sweet potato
3
Subtotal
4
Evening
6 oz cooked trimmed pork loin
7
1 cup cooked brown rice
4
1 cup cooked sweet green pepper strips
0
1 Tbsp canned tomato paste
0
Subtotal
11
Snack
1 small banana(s)
1.5
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
1 tsp peanut butter
1
8 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Raspberry Yogurt
1.5
1 large carrot(s)
0
Subtotal
4
Total Food POINTS values used
20
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
+2
Exercise
Total Activity POINTS values earned
0

Ahhhh Relief at Last

2008-04-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Alrighty then. I went for two months essentially without losing a thing. I was up several pounds in a day sometimes, the down two, up three, over 5, whatever...but never with a net loss. This 49-year old was getting a bit nervous. Hmmmm. No 'cycle' for two months. Unexplained inability to lose weight even while doing vigorous exercise. Do you see where I'm going with this? I was too chicken to go get a pregnancy test. I wasn't quite prepared to see the result if it was a yes. Anyway, I guess it's just that time in my life. Wahoo! I am now most assuredly NOT pregnacious and for that I am very grateful. Not that I don't LOVE children.....I just think I've already produced my quota.

So, apparently my body is just whacking out on occasion which apparently is normal at my age. I am now down a few pounds from where I was a week ago but at least I feel like there was a hormonal reason for my lack of a loss and intense appetite increase.

Got some walking in today. Jim went, too. Went a few miles, cooled down at Starbucks with a Passionfruit Iced Tea (unsweetened, of course), came home and ate dinner.

Here's today's food choices:

Morning
1/4 cup fat-free skim milk
.5
sample box of bran cereal
1
Subtotal
1.5
Midday
2 tsp mustard
0
8 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
1
1 hot dog
4
1 sl. df ww bread
1
Subtotal
6
Evening
1/2 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
.5
1/2 tsp mustard
0
1/2 large jalapeno pepper(s)
0
1 pkg light ramen
5
tuna
1.5
1 slice df ww bread
1
Subtotal
8
Snack
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
1 large carrot(s)
0
5 cups reduced-fat microwave-popped popcorn, 94% fat-free
1
16 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt
3
1/2 pbj on dfww
3
Subtotal
7
Total Food POINTS values used
22.5
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-0.5
Exercise
30 min walking, brisk
2
20 min walking, leisure
1
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Yesterday's Log and Today's Question

2008-04-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

What are those foods that you just CAN'T have in your house because they are too overwhelmingly tempting? Don't worry, I want to win this BAD, but I'll refrain from having double cheese pizzas and 3-liter bottles of Coke delivered to your domiciles.

Here's mine: This cornbread recipe is deadly, as are homemade macaroni & cheese, grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches, and carrot cake.

What foods are the things that make your plan doable? I have a few of those. 'Fried' Rice is one of them. I cut up a huge pile of vegetables (usually cabbage, onions, carrots, pea pods, fresh ginger & garlic), 'fry' them in my non-stick pan(no oil whatsoever), throw in about a 1/2 to 1 cup of leftover brown or wild rice, and a little soy sauce. It also works great with leftover whole wheat pasta. I sometimes put shrimp in it if son#3 isn't eating it.

The other 'magic' food for me is yogurt. I mix in a little Fiber One and some fresh fruit. Although I prefer cooking from scratch, a convenience food that I use LOTS on this diet is canned soup for lunch. The vegetarian vegetable, tomato prepared with water, chicken noodle, and minestrone are all SO low in points and convenient that it makes lunchtime less temptation-laden.

Yesterday's choices:

1 cup cooked oat bran
1
Subtotal
1
Midday
1/2 pbj ww df
3
tomato soup w water
4
Subtotal
7
Evening
1 6-inch SUBWAY® Restaurants Turkey Breast & Ham Sub
5
1 3/4 Tbsp SUBWAY® Restaurants Fat Free Honey Mustard Dressing
1
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1/2 cup salsa
0
Subtotal
8
Snack
1 grande latte , made with fat-free milk
3
5 cups reduced-fat microwave-popped popcorn, 94% fat-free
1
1 ww df bread
1
1/3 cup spaghetti sauce
1
Subtotal
6
Total Food POINTS values used
22
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
0

Nothing New

2008-04-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

For the sake of accountability, here is yesterday's log:
1 small banana(s)
1.5
2 slices Wasa Light Rye Crispbread Crackers
1
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Original Flavor
1
Subtotal
3.5
Midday
8 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
1
tomato soup made with water
4
Subtotal
5
Evening
1 slice ww df bread
1
1 serving stir "fry"
8
Subtotal
9
Snack
1 medium banana(s)
1.5
2/3 cup Manischewitz Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1
1 large carrot(s)
0
3/4 c. spec. K c.p. w.skim
3
Subtotal
5.5
Total Food POINTS values used
23
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-1
Exercise
50 min walking, brisk
3
Total Activity POINTS values earned
3

Why are YOU losing Weight?

2008-04-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of one of the Biggest Loser (tv show) seasons, they asked them all why they were losing weight and what some of their goals were. They put them on a t shirt that they would wear during working out. Things like "to see my kids grow up", "to not be embarassed when I meet new people" , "to be able to run around with my kids"

Here are some of my reasons. I had Carrie when I was 42. By the time she's 20, I'll be 62. I don't want to be a slow old mom for her. I want to be able to be active and healthy for her while she's growing up. Secondly, I want to look the best I can for my dearest much better half. I wasn't this size when he married me and while I'll never be that tiny again (let's be realistic, I've been pregnant a lot), I know I can be smaller than I am right now. Thirdly, I just want to be healthy for the long haul. If I don't completely adapt to eating like this long-term, I will just gain and keep on gaining. I don't like that it works that way for me, but it does, so I better adapt.

I lost 40 before. I gained very little of it back. I just want to finish the job now (losing it....not gaining it back, wise guy). Losing the weight gets increasingly difficult the older I get so I can't wait any longer.

Thursday Food Log
Notes about log....at the bottom it says there is an overage, what it doesn't show you is that you swap activity points for food points. Then the remaining 3 extra points come out of my weekly 35 bonus points that reset on Wednesdays. WW Bonus Points can be split up any way you like over the week. If anybody ever has a question about anything I've logged, please ask.

Breakfast
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
1
Midday
1 Tbsp Kraft Light Done Right Balsamic vinaigrette
.5
1 cup fat-free canned refried beans
4
1/2 cup salsa
0
2 Tbsp fat-free sour cream
.5
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1 small jalapeno pepper(s)
0
1 1/2 cup lettuce
0
Subtotal
7
Evening
1 serving(s) spaghetti with meatsauce
9
3 oz Dole Classic Iceberg Salad
0
2 Tbsp Kraft Light Done Right Balsamic vinaigrette
1
2 tsp unsalted butter
2
2 sl.ww df bread (wwdf=Brownberry whole wheat double fiber bread)
3
Subtotal
15
Snack
3/4 cup Kellogg's Special K fruit & yogurt cereal
2
1/2 cup fat-free skim milk
1
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
4
Total Food POINTS values used
27
Food POINTS Balance over (-) under (+)
-5
Exercise
30 min walking, brisk
2
Total Activity POINTS values earned
2

Let the Thrashing Begin!

2008-04-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Fellow OFNM Players: I regret to inform you that you don't know who you are dealing with. I WILL win this thing. Oh yes. You all weren't around last summer/fall. I was the diet QUEEN. Now I've got more motivation than just standing on the stupid scale 47 times a day to see a smaller number. This time it's for bragging rights! Handknit socks! Soap that actually smells good! Not having to wear an "I'm a quitter and can't stick to my diet" T-shirt is fairly motivating, too!

I was having trouble coming up with what I would contribute to the ante. However, I thought of something. I have yards of canvas upstairs that are begging to be turned into a lovely pair of canvas totes perfect for the homeschooling mom to lug around those ever present stacks of library books, for the environmentalist to use as reusable grocery bags, or for the knitter to use to protect and carry her latest project. This bag can be custom-designed for the winner in case of a fluke where one of you should win rather than me. (yeah, like that's gonna happen).

So let the battle be joined. I'm ready when you are. I've already started.

Wednesday's Log

Morning
1 slices cooked bacon
1.5
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
2.5
Midday
1 cup mixed baby greens
0
1 small jalapeno pepper(s)
0
8 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
1
1/4 cup salsa
0
2 tsp mustard
0
df ww bread (2)
3
thin sliced ham lo fat
1
Subtotal
5
Evening
3 1/2 oz cooked tilapia
2.5
1/2 cup cooked spinach
0
2 small carrot(s)
.5
Subtotal
3
Snack
1 item cooked chicken fillet
3
1 bar Weight Watchers Giant orange sherbet & ice cream bar
2
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
fiber one yogurt
1
Subtotal
6

Operation Fat-no-More Day II

2008-04-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah!!!! Two whole days with nary a slip-up. This is going to be fun! I know Ames mentioned on her blog that others might want to get in on this challenge. We're also trying to think of some fun little prize for the conquering hero or a consolation prize for the person who bags out first. Ames friend Shan has already volunteered to contribute a beautiful handmade item to the winner's cache! Hmmm, what can I contribute.?....I don't knit. Let's see....what am I good at? I can cook! If I was closer I'd come over and cook the winner's diet food for a week but that obviously isn't going to be real practical. I can also whip up 9 tax returns in 24 hours, but tax day has come and gone. I can bear children over three different decades, in two different millenia, but I'm not willing to part with any of them (most days) and, quite honestly, surrogacy is out of the question (hey, I'm 49 anyway...give me a break). I guess I'll have to keep thinking...

As far as a booby prize, I personally think this (please take a look)fits the bill....but since I am not independently wealthy, we could stick to my suggestion of having the loser wear a T-Shirt that says something like "_________ beat me in a weight loss competition because I was lazy and cheated on my diet". This shirt would be worn in public while doing morning walking or jogging for a day(or a week!). Just a thought.......but I'm sure we can get creative here. If you think you want to be a part of this let us know. Ames and I have already started but it would be great if more people jumped on the bandwagon! The sooner the better. The more the merrier. Maybe I should take a giant leap out of cliche world while I still can.

I know it's a little bit cumbersome to show you my entire food log every day, but it goes a long way towards preventing me from getting careless and not keeping record. I guess what I'm saying is....you're stuck with it.

Yesterday's Sustenance:

1 bar Weight Watchers Strawberry sherbet & ice cream bar
1
1 item egg
2
1 slice whole wheat bread
1
Subtotal
4
Midday
1 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1
1 tsp mustard
0
1 small jalapeno pepper(s)
0
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1/4 cup salsa
0
1 slice double fib. whole w. bread
1
tuna
3
Subtotal
7
Evening
1 6-inch SUBWAY® Restaurants Turkey Breast Sub
5
1 3/4 Tbsp SUBWAY® Restaurants Fat Free Honey Mustard Dressing
1
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1/2 cup salsa
0
1/3 bag light popcorn
2
Subtotal
10
Snack
1 large carrot(s)
0
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Original Flavor
1
fiber one yogurt
1
2 ry krisp
0

Taxes & Temptation

2008-04-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I've now made it exactly one whole day without cheating at all! It's pretty sad that I feel so good about it.

One would think that when one's children are no longer 'children' that one would be spending less time taking care of said children. Somewhat true, until tax time. It seems that Dad and I are way too nice and volunteered to do all of their taxes this year. Last night at around five in the morning we had our "What on earth were we thinking??" moment. Unfortunately, it was too late, the onus was on us. Son#1 moved out to NY last spring so he had to deal with partial tax years in two states...which is why we had originally offered to help him navigate tax world. Son#2 is flat out busy at school right now a few weeks from finals with a part-time job and arranging his summer internship (and he's an RA). All of his W-2's come here so it's easier to just do it. Unless of couse you're missing some numbers, which we were. Son#3's we did together (he's at home), son#4 probably doesn't even have to file (do you believe we haven't even looked at it yet). The other reason we offered is because we always use Turbo Tax which makes the job SO fast seeing that we, as a family, have up to 11 returns to file counting state and federal. It keeps it all on record for the next year as well, which is nice. Hey wait. They should pay me for this little commercial.

Of course, I was NOT counting on the laptop deciding randomly to pretend that it couldn't identify the printer it was connected to. Nor was I counting on the printer running out of ink halfway through printing once we finally got the laptop to recognize it.

I was annoyed that we had waited to do this stuff. We waited on ours because we knew that we owed instead of getting a refund this year, but we still should have done it all ahead of time. So I was freezing, annoyed at myself, tired, and needed comfort food. But good sense and knowing that I would have to confess any wayward eating to Ames, thus losing the contest, kept me from straying into my refrigerator or the 5 bags of goldfish lurking in my pantry. I drank countless cups of hot tea instead, thereby guaranteeing that I would have to run to the, uh, ladies' room every 2-5 minutes until the taxes were done (or close, anyway) and I could hop in bed (just after 5:00 am) and get a few winks before I had to run to the bathroom yet again.

Anyway, I'm up and going (hmmmm, no pun intended, but it works) , drinking yet more tea and eschewing those pesky goldfish.

I have published my food log below. I promise not to post anything else on the blog until I get some more sleep. I get a littzzzle......zzzz...wordy when....zzz....I'm...zzzzzzzzz...zzz...zzzzz...

Morning
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
light n fit yogurt stawberry
1
Subtotal
1
Midday
4 oz raw farm-raised tilapia
2
1/4 cup cooked spinach
0
2 cup mixed baby greens
0
1 Tbsp Kraft Light Done Right Balsamic vinaigrette
.5
Subtotal
2.5
Evening
1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
0
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
0
2 tsp Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix
0
3/4 cup cooked white rice
3
3 oz cooked trimmed beef round steak or roast
4
1 large yellow pepper(s)
1
1/2 cup onion(s)
0
1/8 cup green hot chili peppers
0
1/3 cup canned tomato sauce
.5
1/8 cup fat-free sour cream
.5
1/4 cup salsa
0
3 cup mixed baby greens
.5
2 Tbsp Kraft Light Done Right Balsamic vinaigrette
1
ww tortilla
2
Subtotal
12.5
Snack
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
0
1 bar Weight Watchers Key lime sherbet & ice cream bar
1
15 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
2
1 medium carrot(s)
0
1 cup carrot(s)
0
peach fiber one yogurt
1

Speaking of Keeping Me Honest...

2008-04-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

Here's honesty. I ate like a blooming cow over the weekend. Yes, I did. Fritos. Goldfish. Grilled Cheese. I knew I was in danger when I weighed in so heavy the other day.

So now that my little hissy fit is over with, a little competition has been arranged with fellow weight-loss blogger Ames. A little competition might give me the motivation I need to get back in gear. We haven't thought of a prize yet, but we each have to stick to our goal. Mine is sticking to plan 100% and logging everything. Hers is staying a way from snacks and desserts. The first one to cave loses. Since Ames and I both are losing at an amazingly slow rate, we thought this might keep each other going.

I'm ready! I had a healthy, plan-friendly breakfast and I'm going to log it right now!

2008-04-11T07:58:00.000-07:00

I'm still hanging in there but I gained 3.5 pounds between 9:00 last night and 6:00 this morning. How this is possible, I do not know.

I'm hoping this is just a weird aberration and resulted from excess salt at dinnertime causing me to retain the 2 huge cups of tea and all the water I drank. I'll let you know.

Things like this are dangerous for me. They make me want to throw in the towel and go have a pizza. Don't worry, I won't. Thanks for keeping me honest!

The Importance of Goals

2008-04-09T06:48:00.001-07:00

Last night as we were watching Biggest Loser, what struck both of us was the importance of goals----especially short-term ones.

There were four people left. All of them were vying for the final three spots to be able to win $250,000. In order to do this, they had to lose amazing amounts of weight. Two of the four are down so low already that I wondered where they could lose any at all. They all KNEW they had to have ridiculous numbers to stay on the show and every single one of them, without trainers, lost MORE than 10 POUNDS this week! I struggle to lose ten pounds in a month!

Now, I'm not saying we can achieve what they did. They're essentially at 'fat camp' for 15 weeks, with nothing to do but work out and have endless time to prepare weight-friendly dishes. However, there's something about short-term goals that allow us to apply some serious intensity to our plan.....whether it's weight-loss, fitness, financial goals, or sewing a quilt.

With that in mind, I've decided that I need to go after my April goals with the intensity of seagulls fighting over the last dead carp. (I just give you the warm fuzzies, don't I?)
Every morsel that enters my mandible gets logged. If I've eaten all my points, I stop. Period. I will stick to my marathon pre-training with no excuses. I've got to want this. I'm not getting any younger, so losing weight and getting fit aren't going to get easier.

To borrow from Dave Ramsey's money stuff.....I'm going to "live like no one else now, so I can live like no one else later". The goal is worth the struggle.

Not sure what's going on

2008-04-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

Still hanging in there. Just hanging around the same spot on the scale. I'm not going to quit, though. It wouldn't be worth it because the weight would just sneak back on.

I'm anticipating some droppage now that I'm walking/running nearly every day. We'll see. I also need to re-adopt some of my old ways....like not sitting down at all during the day, etc.

Seeing that I haven't had breakfast or tea yet, I best get myself going before I start school. Maybe I'll have some good news for you tomorrow.

What is WITH my Appetite?

2008-04-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

I've been able to control my appetite for so long. Now, all of the sudden, I'm having a terrible time. I usually get this way about a week before my cycle starts. I want all bad things that start with 'ch'.......chocolate, chips, and cheese! Arg! My cycle has been a little screwed up lately and I'm a little late (too much information, sorry!) so I feel like I'm trapped in that food craving cycle---along with perpetual bloating. Weeks like this don't make it particularly fun to be a woman. Anyway, it is what it is. I will wait it out and persevere.

It's supposed to be in the 50's most of this week. That will help, too. When it's freezing out, all I want to do is eat comfort food. When it's warm out, I love salads, raw vegetables, and grilled meats.

Goals for April: stick to plan 100% & log everything. Exercise every weekday. Stop making excuses. Start enjoying the weight-loss journey again. I was having so much fun with it before. Now I feel like a bit of a wacky, hormone-laden slug. Time to change that.

April Fool's Day

2008-04-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the first of a new month and a good time to get going again with the diet. There are no birthdays or anniversaries this month to make things difficult.

On Sunday, Jim and I threw caution to the wind. He had been working ridiculous hours along with a few other folks there. He was told to take me out to dinner on the company's tab, and make it good! We did. We went to Mitchell's and it was amazing. I didn't think about price and I didn't think about points or calories. It was a great 'last hurrah' before going full-tilt again during April.

I registered for the marathon early this morning so the training should also help with the weight loss. Here's hoping. It's warm out for a change. I can deal with puddles and wind as long as the snow is gone.....and it is.

Short sleeve weather is coming. I want to be the right size before I emerge from winter coats and heavy sweaters. There's no time like the present.

Whatever!!!

2008-03-28T08:10:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm suspended in weight loss limbo. Haven't been eating like a pig, but I haven't been excruciatingly careful either. I haven't gained, really, but I haven't been losing either. Cause and effect. I just can't believe how much harder this is to accomplish as I get older.

My 49th birthday was this week which really solidified in my head that I really, really, really, REALLY want to finish losing the rest of the weight this year. I'm NOT going into my 50's with excess baggage. I just read an article yesterday about studies done showing a link between big bellies in your middle age and alzheimers 20-30 years later. That's all I need to hear.

So, if you'll all excuse the diet waffling (sorry, bad term to use with fellow dieters) I've been through the last few months, I'm ready to get back on the stick. I was so 'in the zone' last summer/fall. I guess I just have to get my focus back. Jim has been on WW as well and has been really steadfast except for some of those unavoidable work lunches they bring in. He brings his lunch for lots of them but sometimes he just has to eat what's there. He still loses weight. Then again, I have to remember that he's close to his top weight and at that point the weight comes off pretty quickly. Since I'm closer to goal, it's acting pretty stubborn. My excess fat, not my husband :-)

Okay, dieters. A question. Who of you are watching Biggest Loser on Tuesday nights on NBC? I confess. I'm addicted. It's about the only show I watch that's not a documentary or a home improvement type show. The drama is hilarious. The weight loss is encouraging. The intensity of their workouts is inspiring. Every single one of them started out a lot bigger than I ever was and yet each one of them is just peeling the pounds off in a very healthy way. There are definitely some things I don't like about the show and there are times we change the channel, but overall, it's been fairly entertaining.

Today is the day I'm spring cleaning my bathrooms. {{eye roll}} I better get going, I'm just feeling particularly lazy today. That can't be good.

I'm Being so Good!

2008-02-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Since my return from Chicago, I've been eating a very healthy diet! I've been drinking so much water that I'm sure there will be wear marks in the floor between the kitchen and the bathroom. I've been eating my veggies. I haven't touched any sugar, I've kept the fats to a minimum, and everything has been 100% whole grain.

I actually feel so much better when I eat this way. I'm not sure why I have those temporary forays into fat-girl world. For immediate gratification, I suppose. Anyway, it's not worth it.

Here's what I ate yesterday:

Morning
4 oz Dannon Activia Lowfat Peach yogurt
1/3 cup Kellogg's Bran Buds All-Bran
Midday
3/4 cup canned garbanzo beans

1/3 cup onion(s)

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener
2 Tbsp vinegar
Evening
2 serving Szechwan Pork (Weight Watcher's recipe)
2 Tbsp Fisher Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 slice ww bread
1 Skinny Cow 100 cal. ice cream sandwich

Oh, Well!

2008-02-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

I just returned from several days in the Windy City. We had a ball! I walked everywhere. Unfortunately, it didn't whittle anything off of my backside. Could have something to do with the cooked-to-order breakfast every morning or eating my weight in snack mix every evening at the manager's reception. Somehow, when I go away, the cheapskate in me wins over the dieter in me. Our room was paid for by Jim's company (he was there for a two-day certification exam). The breakfast comes with the room. So does the manager's reception. It's such a nice break for a mom to have these luxuries. Every morning I had an omelet with lots of veggies (so far so good), bacon (okay we're moving downhill), hashbrowns (aaahhh), and lots of juice and........a glazed doughnut (guilt, guilt, guilt). I usually had a reasonable lunch and then around 5:30 we'd go play Scrabble or Boggle in the lobby while consuming piles of snack mix and a combination of grapefruit juice and cranberry juice which was provided at the complimentary manager's reception.

I'd like to say I feel horrible about it, but I suppose I really don't. I didn't sweat it while I was having fun with my family. We don't have any trips or special occassions coming up any time soon. Other than the fact that it put back on a few pounds I had already lost, I'm not too worried about it. I'll be right back on track on Monday.

Planned Wreckless Abandon

2008-02-11T05:17:00.000-08:00

This weekend, my beloved and I celebrated our 24th anniversary! Back in January, I posted that this would be one of my planned exceptions from the world of dieting. It was wonderful and hey, as long as I'm sitting around NOT losing anything, I might as well enjoy a petit filet in demi-glace once in a while, right? It was wonderful. I didn't go completely hogwild crazy the whole weekend, but it was nice to not think about points or anything else for two days. From our hotel we walked to anywhere we needed to go so I didn't feel like a total slug. Other than that I didn't worry about putting in time on a treadmill, it's not particularly romantic sweating in the hotel gym. In my opinion there are more, um, interesting ways to burn off calories on one's anniversary anyway.

So, this morning I had my hot whole grain cereal for breakfast and I'm back to the reality of disciplined eating no matter how pointless it seems some weeks. Overall I am losing. The numbers on the scale are not moving upward so that in itself is a victory. I'm not planning on weighing less this Wednesday as I am in that point in the month where my weight gets wacky. The next Wednesday should be stellar.

Have a good week! I plan to.

You've Been Served!!!

2008-02-06T06:27:00.001-08:00

The remaining fat on my body apparently isn't leaving without an eviction notice signed by a federal judge. I don't know what else it could be waiting for. I'm doing the right things. I haven't even looked at a piece of candy wistfully or flirted with any white bread or rice. I've eaten more unadorned vegetables than the jolly green giant. I've consumed enough water to float the Queen Elizabeth II, and I've ingested enough fiber to keep a wooly mammoth regular.

Everyone that loses weight for the long haul goes through these times. I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. Eventually, the wall I've been hitting will disappear and the pounds will start dropping again. My anniversary is only about a week away and I was hoping to be a few pounds lighter by then. Just goes to show that I can't be hung up on the results(over which I have no control), only my behavior (over which I have all the control, unfortunately for me at times).

So.........no loss for this week.

How are the rest of you doing?

Surviving the Super Bowl

2008-02-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

How delightful. I just wrote a whole post for today, then the cat traipsed across the keyboard of my laptop and deleted it all. I have used up all my creativity and time for the day, so this will be a short post.

I'm doing well.
Survived the super bowl food-wise. (had taco salad instead of tilapia...mom's choice)
Stayed away from garbage food.
Drank lots of water/tea.
My Giants won (last time the Giants were in the superbowl, I barely noticed because I was in shock at finding out I was 'with child' at age 41)

Nothing much new. I'll post my what I ate later. Lucky you.

Finally!

2008-02-03T08:43:00.001-08:00

The scale is finally starting to reflect my good behavior! This is a good thing. Now I don't have to quit in disgust. Okay...I wouldn't really quit. I'm too far into this thing now.

Tonight is the SuperBowl and my parents are coming over to watch it with us. My mom is WW-ing as well so we can both eat our baked tilapia with fresh fruit salsa & brown rice whilst the testosterone-laden 'thin crowd' can stuff their faces full of cheesy potatoes, buffalo wings, and all manor of things that would certainly increase the volume of lard on my now-dwindling carcass. Hurray for us.

No planned walks today, but if I can get some reading done in the Core Performance Essentials book, I might just spend some time using the stability ball later. My children certainly will laugh at my inability to do this with any ease, but let them. In eight months I will be the one laughing. I teasingly taunted my very buff 17-yr-old son that I will be able to out-run him (distance-wise) by the end of the summer. He said his pride wouldn't let that happen. So I think we're all going to be winners here. His pride will get him in even better shape then he is now.

My 6-yr-old daughter told me that she likes laying her head on my stomach because it's "soft and mushy. Well, isn't that special? Oh well, more motivation to work hard on that stability ball.

How is everyone else doing out there in blogland?

Still Sticking to It, Just Busy

2008-02-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

Next week I'll be back to posting my daily intake for my own sake, but for the time being I just wanted to post that I have been focused and staying on track.

Brrrrr.......

2008-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure I needed to watch my eating yesterday because it was so cold I nearly froze my backside right off. Wouldn't that be nice and easy? Alas, I have to lose my derrierre the way everyone else does, one conscious food decision at a time. Here are yesterday's choices:

1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
1 large tangelo
Midday
1/2 cup snow peas
1 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard
1 average serrano chile
1 cup lettuce
1 cup onion(s)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes
2 slices ww double fiber bread
can of tuna
Evening
5 oz cooked trimmed pork loin
1 large cooked sweet potato
Snack
4 cups Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Microwave Popcorn 94% Fat Free Butter, Popped
1/4 cup canned garbanzo beans
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
6 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry-Banana Yogurt

It was Monday, Need I say More?

2008-01-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

Kind of a blah day here on Monday. Rainy, slushy, Jim's gone, the guys are all working. I didn't let my blah mood force my face into the cookie, though, and for that I am thankful. I am also thankful that the further you get into the weight-loss 'groove', the easier it gets. I didn't have any real trouble today. I stayed within my points allowance and actually exercised both at the Y and with my new exercise ball (although I have to admit that my 6-yr-old daughter outdid me with the crunches.

Here's my daily list of what I ate and what I did:

1/8 cup salsa
1 item egg
1 item egg white(s)
1/8 cup onion(s)
1/4 cup mushroom(s)
1 small jalapeno pepper(s)
1/4 medium zucchini
1/2 pbj
Midday
1 large orange(s)
1
1 large potato(es), baked
3
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 clove garlic clove(s)
1 small jalapeno pepper(s)

1/2 cup onion(s)
1 tsp dried rosemary
Evening
3 oz raw farm-raised tilapia
1.5
1 medium carrot(s)
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
2 clove garlic clove(s)
1/8 cup beets
1 medium green pepper(s)
Snack
3/4 cup blueberries
3 cups plain air-popped popcorn
2 tsp vegetable oil
pbj

Exercise
30 min walking, treadmill
20 min strength training--free weights

World Travelers - I Need Your Help!

2008-01-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I dropped Jim off at the airport for Part II of the certification training he's attending. Since I was down in that area, I popped over to my favorite place to get produce, Joe Randazzo's. The place was packed when I was in there, and I was probably one of very few caucasian people in there. That's why I love the place! You'd think you were halfway around the world every time you visit. The people are so diverse and the produce they carry is as well. So, here's where I need your help. I picked up or considered picking up a few different vegetable items that I have never heard of. They are the opo squash, boniato, and eddos. I think both the boniato and eddos are root vegetables, so I will cook them accordingly, but if any of you REALLY know what you're supposed to do with these, give me a shout!

I always try to buy something that is new to me every time I go in. I wait until someone else is getting one out of the bin, and ask them how it is used and prepared. Unfortunately, more often than not, the person doesn't speak english so I end up tracking stuff down on the internet. I've found some info on the boniato but I'd love to hear from someone who's experienced these 'new' things.

I will have to post pictures of Joe's. I come home with a trunk full of produce for about a quarter of what I would have spent on sale at the grocery store.

What did I eat on Sunday?

2008-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

Here's what:

1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One
1/8 cup blueberries
6 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry-Banana Yogurt
1/2 homemade burger
Midday
1/2 Tbsp Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp onion(s)
1/2 tsp mustard
1/2 can tomato soup w water
1 slice whole wheat bread
1/2 can tuna fish

Evening
22 items Tostitos Baked! Scoops tortilla chips
5 oz cooked tilapia
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s)
1/4 cup cilantro
1 clove garlic clove(s)
1/8 cup onion(s)
1/4 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 tsp canola oil
Snack
1 large tangelo
1/2 cup mushroom(s)
1/3 of a pummelo

Over the lips and past the gums, look out stomach, here it comes!

2008-01-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

My dearest took me out for breakfast this morning since he'll be gone all week. : - ( It was an extremely high point breakfast so I had to take it easy the rest of the day. Here's what today's menu ended up looking like:

2 large whole poached egg(s)
4 oz center slice ham, lean only
2 slice rye bread
1 Tbsp jelly

Midday
michelina lasagna lite

Evening
1 cup cooked cauliflower
1 1/2 cup spinach
3 oz cooked tilapia
1 small sweet potato(es)
Snack
6 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry-Banana Yogurt
1/2 cup General Mills Fiber One

Sorry to bore you with these food lists, but it keeps me from stuffing something in my face if I know I'm going to have to tell ya'll about it!

Friday's Intake

2008-01-26T13:25:00.001-08:00

I didn't get around to posting yesterday, but this is what I ate:

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 medium grapefruit

1 cup black tea, without sugar

ww bread

Midday
11 items Lay's Baked Original Potato Chips

can of chicken noodle
Evening
1 cup beef stew

Snack
1 medium banana(s)

There was something I ate later in the day worth 5 points, and I can't for the life of me remember what it was. I looked it up but I didn't record it.

Another successful day!

Back to Basics

2008-01-25T03:36:00.000-08:00

When I started blogging my weight loss back in August, I had tremendous success for the first four months. No cheating. NONE! I didn't lose the weight as quickly as I had hoped but it had nothing to do with my lack of adherance to the program. Since the holidays, I've had a harder time sticking to it although I feel like I'm 'back in the zone' again now.

I decided that I needed to think back to what I was doing that was working so well and how I was staying motivated. I realized that I wasn't doing any of those things anymore. They were little things, but all together, they were helping a lot. Here are some of them:

When I get up in the morning (I get up around 6:30 to make Jim's lunch for work and start my day) I eat a healthy breakfast and follow it with LOTS of tea. The tea helps to keep me full and is REALLY good nutritionally.

Keep lots of fresh veggies available. Cut them up in the morning in bite size pieces and use them like chips! Sometimes it's the motion of eating that we miss, rather than the actual food itself. Yesterday I had a big bowl of celery. I know....sounds exciting, but it actually did the trick when I was rooting around the kitchen looking for a snack. Carrots, snow peas, sliced up raw turnips, radishes, green pepper, raw mushrooms. broccoli,.....the sky is the limit. Then there are all those delicious fruits ......oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. (My apologies here to Pam as I know these things aren't available to her)

I need to stay on my feet. I moved my laptop to the kitchen counter so that whenever I use it (I do everything on the computer - pay my utility bills, make grocery lists, you name it), I have to stay vertical! Once my derriere hits the couch, it tends to stay there for a while. This way I get more done, and I'm using up just a bit more energy than if I'm sitting.

When I'm done eating a meal, I brush my teeth right away and use some perfumed hand cream. It might sound silly, but if you're a person that's still fixing meals for your family all the time and spend a lot of time in the kitchen, the toothpasty taste can keep you from plopping something in your mouth that you don't need, and who wants to pull chips or cookies out of a bag and have them smell like Japanese Cherry Blossom hand cream? Silly? Maybe. Every little thing helps.

I need to make sure that I don't run out of the things that work well for me. In the beginning of January, I would find myself always looking around for something to eat and would grab something that was high sugar, fat, or both. Then I realized I was out of carrots, my oat bran jar was empty, the eggs were gone, I didn't have a can of garbanzo beans in the pantry, and I always wanted ice cream because my Dannon Light N Fit yogurt wasn't in the fridge. These are foods I love that also happen to work well with Weight Watchers.

I've gone on and on here but I will post one more thing for accountability's sake. Below is a list of everything I ate yesterday. All of it. I will be doing this every day.

Morning
1 medium orange(s)
1 Tbsp peanut butter
whole wheat toast 1 slice

Midday
1 medium carrot(s)
michelina salisbury steak - yeah, it was a pre-made lunch -lame- but low WW point
Evening
2 cups homemade beef stew
6 oz Dannon Light 'n Fit Nonfat Yogurt Strawberry Yogurt mixed with...
1/2 cup Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber
Snack
1 medium orange(s)

Taking out the Garbage

2008-01-24T06:10:00.001-08:00

In honor of Thursday being 'garbage day' here in Milford, I think I need to carry that thought into my pantry, refrigerator, and my mind.

I'm fairly good about not buying 'junk food' because I know how tempting it is when it's sitting around. However, I grew less vigilant around the holidays and some of that stuff is creeping back into our food supply. My dearly beloved has been working ridiculous hours due to just starting a new position, as well as taking a certification course that only 60% of people pass the first time through. All this to say that he's been coming home exhausted and stressed, with not a speck of energy left to be watching what he eats and definitely looking to eat some 'comfort food'. This is all well and good, except that I tend to eat what he eats and stock some things in my house that he wants to eat that I know I can't eat. Case in point, ICE CREAM!

Today I need to identify those things in my house that are less than great for me, and encourage my 19-yr-old-son-with-the-fuel-guzzling-capacity-of-an-suv to have fun eating and get rid of it all for me.

After cleaning out the fridge and the pantry, I then need to clean out some things from my mind. Things like, 'it's just one piece of cheese.....', 'I don't need to log this, it's just a little (insert food item here)', or ' I don't look so bad right now, I've got a whole year to lose this weight'. That kind of garbage has to go. Period.

It all begins in the mind, doesn't it? Battles in our life are won & lost in that mass of grey matter. Luke 6:45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. What we have stored up in our mind, is what will spill out into our actions. If we've told ourselves that sugar and fat will satisfy, we will eat those things when we're needing comfort or stress relief, or whatever it is that we think we need. Sometimes we don't tell ourselves these things consciously, but we don't fight vigilantly to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (from II Cor. 10:5)

Eating a bowl of ice cream isn't always a sin issue. Killing myself slowly with foods full of fat and sugar is.

Today I'm taking the garbage out!

Welcome

2008-01-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

Phillipians 4:12......I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

This blog is taking the place of my former blog, ChristmasCriscoChallenge, since we're now well past Christmas.

The challenge this year is to get to goal. I'm so close. I'm motivated. I'm ready. I turn 49 in March and I am NOT going to go into my 50's overweight. SO.......this is the year!

I believe I've learned how to keep the eating under control and I've been able to sustain that fairly well. The missing ingredient has been consistent, vigorous exercise. I have rarely been able to sustain that for more than a month at a time. I'm having trouble getting rid of those last pounds without engaging a little muscle, so the time has come. I am convinced I will never reach my goal without it. Like I've mentioned on my other blog, I am starting pre-training for a marathon that will be run next fall. If doing that doesn't start pulling me closer to my goal, I don't know what will!

So, here's to a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, and being losers!

Karen