Run, Forest (Park) Run

We had a team run today in Forest Park. It was, like, 20 degrees out,which was not exactly fun, but it still went great. I had a 3 mile run today. I did walk for about 1.5 minutes, because the hill up Skinker Blvd. was much steeper than I'm used to. So once I got to the top, I had to walk for a minute to recover. I was still really proud that I only walked for a short time. I met someone also doing the half, and we run at the same pace, so it was nice to have someone to run with. She kept me motivated to not walk more. (No one wants to be the weakling!) All in all, it was a great team run!

I'm Possibly Insane

So, I have been REALLY bad about updating (clearly.) I am still plugging along. Down to 152. 31.4 lbs lost to date. I have been slacking off lately, not gaining, but staying steady because I have not been good with tracking.

But- I signed up to run the St. Louis Half Marathon in April!! I am training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, raising money for LLS while I train for the race! I am a little nervous about running 13.1 miles, but I am excited to try. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is an organization close to my heart because we lost my mother-in-law, Maureen Rivers, to Lymphoma in 2003. I am excited to help raise much needed funds to find a cure!

Here is my fundraising page if you are interested:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/gat/spirit10/krivers

I have pledged to raise $1700 dollars by the marathon, so every little bit helps :)

In other news, I lived through the best friend's wedding in October. No one called to report a beached whale in Bethlehem, PA. I didn't quite look how I had dreamed, but it was certainly better than when I ordered the size 16 dress in March. I had it taken in a lot, maybe not in half, but a good amount. Here is a picture from the wedding:

Not the greatest photo, but it was one of the only full body pictures I could find. The professional pictures are not available yet. I will post one when I get it.

I guess that is all for now. Trying my best to be good though the holidays. Trying to get my running in. I did 2 miles today, I have 2 miles to do tomorrow and 2.5 on Thursday. Then group run in Forest Park on Saturday, which is 3 miles. I'll try to be better about updating as I get ready for the half marathon!

I've been lazy....

About posting. I have a bunch of weeks of weights to post. Let's get that over with:

May 22
Previous weight: 169
Current weight: 168.4
Difference: -o.6
Total loss: -15

May 29
Previous weight: 168.4
Current weight: 167
Difference: -1.4
Total loss: -16.4

June 5
Previous weight: 167
Current weight: 166.8
Difference: -0.2
Total loss: -16.6

June 12
Previous weight: 166.8
Current weight: 166
Difference: -0.8
Total loss: -17.4

June 19
Previous weight: 166
Current weight: 164.8
Difference: -1.2
Total loss: -18.6


So as of today, I am at 164.8 lbs and down a total of 18.6 lbs. Meaning I hit my 10% target today! Yay! I was a little worried because I am dealing with an injury, so my running has been halted for the time being. I go to see the doctor on July 9th, but until then, I am stuck with low impact activities. So I have been walking and I am looking for a place where I can swim that isn't too expensive. But it seems that the drop in activity has not hurt my weight loss yet.

I was also really proud of myself last night. We had some friends and work associates in town, and we went to Sleek, which is a super fancy steakhouse in St. Louis. I was nervous going, not know what they were going to have, and knowing that I had a weigh-in this morning! So I ignored the bread basket, stuck to ice water and had the following:

Organic Arugula Salad with toasted walnut vinaigrette
Salmon with leeks and truffle vinaigrette (on the side) - ate 1/2 and brought the rest home
Fresh fruit and a cup of tea

The group ordered like 4 desserts for the table to share (2 orders of choc. fondue, tiramisu, banana ice cream sundae.) I ate the fruit off of the fondue tray, and resisted dipping it in the chocolate. I probably would have allowed myself a little indulgence if I didn't have to weigh in this morning, but I was plenty satisfied and felt good about it this morning.

All in all, a pretty good week. I'm bummed about being hurt, but I am finding a way around it. Hopfully I will be good as new in a few weeks. Super excited about hitting my 10%, now looking forward to being at my goal weight!

Goodbye 170's!

We were out of town this weekend, so I didn't get a chance to post this last week. Here is last weeks results:

Previous weight: 170.2
Current weight: 169
Difference: -1.2
Total loss: -14.4


I weigh in again tomorrow, so I will post this weeks results then, and have a longer post about the week.

Progress

Today was a weigh-in day, and I was nervous. I have been really good this week, but I didn't feel like I had lost anything. But, I was down a pound! Here are the stats:

Weigh-in Date: 5/8/09
Previous Weight: 171.2
Current Weight: 170.2
Difference: -1
Total loss to date: -13.2

I just started my third week of C25k today. It was rough. In my mind, running for 3 minutes without stopping sounds like nothing. In reality, hauling around my 45 lb. overweight ass is hard! I really wanted to quit; it was POURING rain and I was tired, but I didn't stop and I finished it. I just need to keep reminding myself that it will get easier. I can't wait for the day that I can look back and laugh at myself for dying after a 3 minute run.

I am a little behind track for my 8 lbs. in May goal. But even if I don't hit 8 lbs., as long as I continue to make progress, I will be okay. The last 2 weeks, I have worked out 6 days a week, which is a big accomplishment for me. And I am continuing to work at eating well and handling stress differently. There is not much more I can ask of myself right now.

Much Better Week

I was much better this week. I worked out every day but 1, and stuck to my eating plan. I am into week 2 of C25K, and I really like it. Today is supposed to be a running day, but I have a killer charlie horse in my right calf, so I am using lots of Icy/Hot and taking it easy, using today as my off day. I will run tomorrow. I am trying to do some exercise 6 days a week. On C25K days, I do my run and then spend about 30 minutes on the Wii Fit doing yoga and strength training. On non-running days, I either do a P90X video or an hour on the Fit with aerobics, strength training and yoga. And I give myself 1 day of doing nothing, so I don't go crazy and get burnt out.

As far as food goes, I was really good this week. I have added in some supplements to my diet; I am now taking a multi-vitamin, a probiotic complex and a cranberry supplement. I have been really good about getting in all of my water, and working hard on getting all my fruit & veggies in. I made an awesome Chicken Vindaloo the other night. It was a Weight Watchers recipe. Shane and I love Indian food, so I was excited to try it out, and it was delicious!

As far as weight goes, I did not get under 170 this week. It is definitely a realistic goal for this upcoming week though. Here are the stats:

Weigh-in Date: 5/1/09
Previous Weight: 171.6
Current Weight: 171.2
Difference: -0.4
Weight Loss to Date: -12.2

Okay, a few things about this weigh-in. First of all, I wimped out last week because I knew I had gained, so I was probably heavier than 171.6, meaning I lost more than 0.4 lbs. last week, but that I was re-losing some. Also, this means that in all of April, I lost 1 lb. I was pretty sad when I saw that. I was sick for part of the month, but 1 lb? That is kind of pathetic. It has definitely lit a fire under my ass to do much better in May. I should be able to lose about 8 lbs. in a month. That is a reasonable average weight loss. So, my goal for the month is to be 163.2 by May 31st. That will put me past my 10% weight loss, which is also a goal I am looking for this month. It will mean I am down 20 lbs. overall, leaving me with only 30 lbs. to hit my goal of 50 lbs. That is what I am aiming for in May.

Wimp

I totally wussed out on going to WW yesterday. I knew I had gained, and so I didn't go. However, I did work out and stay on plan all day.

I have started the Couch to 5K over again, because I got sick after completing the first week. So yesterday I did Week 1 Day 1 again. And when I got home I did yoga on the Wii Fit.

We ate really well yesterday, too. For breakfast I made breakfast burritos, with an egg, red and green bell peppers, onions, turkey bacon and WW reduced fat Mexican blend cheese all wrapped in a tortilla. Yum! Lunch was a chicken sandwich with these chicken grillers we found at BJ's


They are only 3 pts. per serving and are really good. We had them on Arnold Sandwich Thins. Another new favorite.



These are only 1 pt. per serving! With a little lettuce, tomato, and some fat free mayo, it was a great lunch.

Dinner was Enchiladas. I have the WW complete cookbook, and it is a recipe from there. Only 4 pts. per enchilada. Can't beat that. With a nice big salad, it was a great dinner.

Today is an off day for C25K, so I did a P90X video. I thought I would take it easy today and do the P90X Yoga. Hahahahaha! It was SO hard! It is a 90 minute program, and 10 minutes it, I was sweating my butt off and wanting to quit. I forced myself to finish 30 minutes, but then I stopped. I was sweating like crazy and hurting! I feel kind of bad for not finishing, but it something to work towards.

Shane wanted breakfast burritos again this morning, so that was breakfast. But this time I added WAY more peppers and onions and I threw in half a tomato I had in the fridge. And Shane made us iced coffees (mine had sugar free vanilla syrup.)

Lunch was left over enchiladas from last night. And tonight for dinner, Shane is making us beer can chicken. We just bought a new grill, so he is excited to try recipes on it. I'll let you know how it goes.

This week I am committing to doing better. I am going to keep up with my workouts and continue to be on plan and tracking my food all week. I really want to get under 170 in the next week or 2.

I Suck

I have been terrible at updating.  I blame it on being sick.  I had been fighting what I thought was a cold pretty much since we got back from FL.  Turns out it was a sinus infection.  A week of antibiotics later, I am fixed!  I did lose weight while sick, I think it had to do mostly with my diet of Popsicles, ramen and tea.  So while I do feel better, I think I am going to have an up week this week.  Here is where things are:

Weigh in Date: 4/3

Previous Weight: 174.4

Current Weight: 172.2

Difference: -2.2

Total: -11.2

Weigh in Date:  4/18/09

Previous Weight: 172.2

Current Weight: 171.6

Difference: -0.6

Total: -11.8

I missed a week weighing in because I was sick.  I do expect to gain this week, so I need to mentally prepare myself for that disappointment.  I weigh in tomorrow,  so I'll be back with that.

Back on Track

So, after that last post, I weighed in and had gained 1 pound.  No good.  But then we went to FL for 4 days.  We had 2 parties and multiple social events to go to, so I was a little scared.  But we worked out every day we were there, finishing the first week of C25K.  And when we got home we were right back on track.  I weighed in today and I was down 4.2 lbs!  After 4 days in FL!!  Woohoo!  Here are the stats:

Beginning Weight (on WW): 183.4

Weight to Date: 174.4

Difference:  -9

Tonight my cousin comes to visit for 3 days, so it will be another challenging weekend.  (Hopefully April will calm down!)   

St. Patrick's Day

I want a Shamrock shake!  But I found out the small is like 9 points.  Don't think it's quite worth it.  

So my husband and I did p90x yesterday, and my arms are KILLING me today!  I have never done so many push-ups and pull-ups in my life!  It was a little rough.  Today we are starting the c25k together.  Hopefully it will boast our weight loss.

As I mentioned, the past couple weeks have been rough for me.  I ended up gaining 1.5 lbs.  I went away this weekend to visit friends in Philadelphia, and I ate horribly!  Hoagies, french fries, strombolies...It was not good.  But I am determined to lose that 1.5 and an extra .5 this week.  We are going out of town again this weekend, so I am a little nervous, but we already have a plan to do the c25k while we are there.

Philadelphia was a hard trip.  I got to see my friends, which was awesome, but I was in town to try on dresses for my best friend's wedding.  It was pretty depressing.  We were at a bridal boutique, which meant that each dress style only comes in 1 sample size.  I couldn't even try on most of the dresses because they were size 8.  I was the biggest girl out of the 4 bridesmaids, and it was sad and embarrassing.  We did pick a dress though, and it looked good on everyone.  

                                             

(It's going to be green, not this red.)  I ordered it in the size that fits me now (16), but I am hoping to have to have MAJOR alterations done.  The wedding is not until October.

So, that's were I am right now.  Trying to work out extra hard and eat very carefully this week to lose 2 pounds by Thursday (oh, I have to weigh in early because we are going out of town.)  I will check back after I find out!

Weeks 2-3

The past couple weeks have been crazy.  I have been sick for the last 10 days, which has made my eating habits weird.  All I want is comfort foods, when I'm hungry at all.  We had family in town, too, so we were eating out a lot the past few days.

Last week at my weigh-in, I was down 3lbs!  That brought me to a loss of 5.8 overall.  I am supposed to weight in on Saturday, but I'm going out of town this weekend, so I might not make it to  WW meeting.  I am trying to fight off this stupid cold, so I haven't been really focused on my eating and I haven't been working out since I can't breath!  Overall, a kinda crappy week.  More later.

Yay for Nice Weather!

So, I have been on WW for a week and a half.  So far, so good.  I weighed in on Saturday (2/28) and I was down 2.8. So the stats are this so far:

Start weight:  183.4

Week 1 weight: 180.6

Change:  -2.8

I have been loving the Wii Fit.  It is really fun, so you don't feel like you are working out.  I don't know how much of a work out it really is, but it's better than sitting on the couch.  My favorite is the yoga.  I think that the strength training is the best workout, though.  I try to use it everyday for at least 20 minutes.  Today I was on it for 55 minutes, and I will probably do another 5 because I have OCD and hate that it isn't an even hour.

The weather today is great!  (The Mid-West has the weirdest weather, BTW.)  It was in the 50's, so I took a walk in the afternoon.  I strapped on my pedometer and grabbed my Ipod and explored my new neighborhood.  I ended up walking for 41 minutes, going 4897 steps.  That is 2.086 miles.  I burned 250.9 calories.  I feel like that is a pretty slow walk...but it didn't feel slow while I was walking.  Hopefully I get better.  I have been looking into the Couch to 5k program, but I'm scared of it.  I am trying to work up to that.

My hubby has also been doing great.  He lost over 5 lbs. his first week!  It is so much easier to stay on track since we are doing it together.  And since I have added fish and poultry into my diet, it is nice to only have to cook 1 meal a night and know that we will both eat it.  Speaking of which, I should go think about what to make for dinner!  

I'm back!

Okay, so it's been a few weeks.  I moved halfway across the United States, that is my excuse.  But because of that, I was not doing anything I should food or exercise wise.  So, I joined Weight Watchers on Saturday (2/21) and weighed in at 183.4.  Yuck.  But since then I have been doing well.  I bought a Wii Fit this weekend and it arrived today!  I was so excited!!  I used it for about an hour.  It's pretty cool.  And I am totally proud of myself today.  Today was Free Taco Day at Jack-in-the-Box.  My husband (who is doing WW with me) refused to miss it.  So I went.  But I looked up points values of everything first, and did pretty well, I think.  Here is my menu today:

Breakfast:

1 C Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs

1 6 oz. Vanilla Dannon Light and Fit yogurt

4 tsp. sliced almonds (still gotta get my MUFAs from FBD!)

water

Lunch:

2 C cheesy Vegetable Soup (recipe to follow)

14 Baked Tostito Scoops

water

Dinner:

1 Grilled Chicken Fajita Pita- no sauce

1/2 of a small serving of fries (Hubby and I shared them)

Small Diet Coke

I do realize that this was not the most nutritious day, but I stayed within my points and I'll eat more veggies tomorrow :)

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

2 16 oz. pkgs frozen veggies (your favorite kind.)

1 can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies (or plain diced if you don't like spicy)

3 cans of fat free chicken or vegetable broth

10 oz. of 2% velveeta cheese

Dump the veggies, tomatoes and broth in a pot.  Bring to a boil over med. heat.  Cube the cheese and add it in.  Stir until the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and enjoy :)  Only 1 ww pt. per 1 cup serving.  Yummy!

Hiatus

I am taking a little break.  I have the most insane week, and I know I won't have time to check in.  Be back when I can.

Been away...

I was in DC for the inauguration.  This ultimately meant that I ate mindlessly and drank too much.  Sooo, I am back at 182 as of Wed 1/21.  But, I got right back on the horse, and will turn it around. 

Day 5 Review

Today was kind of a crazy day, but I did my best to stick to the plan.  I got up, weighed in, and had breakfast:

1/2 C quick oats made with water

mixed with:

2 Tbsp almonds

1 cubed apple

apple pie spice

After that I got really busy running around, and totally missed lunch.  So I doubled my calories for dinner to make up for missing lunch.  Dinner was:

1/2 C whole wheat pasta

1 C marinara sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil

8 veggie meatballs

This became an 800 cal. meal instead of the 400 cal. it was supposed to be.  Not exactly how it is supposed to be done, but it just wasn't going to happen today.

For my snack, I had:

1/4 C sunflower seeds

1.5 oz aged provolone

10 olives

This came out to 376 calories, which was close enough to 400 for me today.  Tomorrow will probably be another hectic, stressful day.  Things should slow down later in the week, hopefully.

Yay!

Even with my little stumble last night, my 4 day jumpstart was a success!

My starting weight was 182.5

My weight this morning is 179

I am down 3.5 pounds!!

We now move into the main FBD weight loss plan.  I get 4 400 cal. meals a day (the jumpstart was only 1200/day, this is 1600.)  And there is a lot more flexibility in what I eat (no more pints of tomatoes.)  I will post my meals later.

(FYI - I will usually only weight once a week, but because of the jumpstart, I am weighing twice this week.)

Not a great day 4....

So...I fell off the wagon tonight. The day started well. Breakfast was:

1 pkg. instant cream of wheat, prepared with
2/3 C lactose free skim milk
1/4 C sunflower seeds
2 dried plums
Sassy water

(BTW, you can't fool me, call them what you will, dried plums = prunes.)

Lunch was:

4 oz. turkey breast
1 C steamed carrots
1 reduced fat string cheese
Sassy water

(I had left over turkey from last night, because I didn't really like the deli meat.)

I had decided yesterday that I was going to move my snack (smoothie) from late afternoon to after dinner, because I was feeling really hungry later at night. So I did not have a snack at 4 like I have been.

This is where it all goes down hill....

When I get really stressed out, I sometimes get panic attacks. Things have been really stressful for me the last few weeks, but everything just kind of came down on me tonight. I needed to go to the bank, and the closest branch to my house is about 18 miles away, and I don't really know how to get there. I was already stressed about other things, and when I left to head to the bank, multiple things happened at once. I had parked under a tree, and my windshield was dirty, so I hit the cleaner button a few minutes into driving. Of course, because it is 2 degrees outside, it froze, completely obstructing my view. I could feel I was starting to panic, so I was quickly trying to turn on the defroster and the wiper blades, and shift all at the same time, and I stalled the car on a major road. I was able to pull off onto the shoulder and get started again, but right at that moment, the GPS unit died, leaving me with no idea how to get to the bank. I could tell a full blown panic attack was coming on, so I turned around and headed back home so I could have my panic attack in the safety of my house.

After the attacks pass, I get this "panic hangover," and honestly all I want is comfort food. I knew I shouldn't do it, I even said to my husband "It is just going to make me feel worse later." But I couldn't stop. I needed the comfort food to calm me down. So, I did. I had pizza for dinner and some shortbread cookies and a diet coke. And it did help calm me, but I do feel guilty about it and I know I am going to regret it in the morning when I weigh myself.

I do know that this is not a healthy way to deal with my stress and anxiety, and I know that nights like tonight have played a major factor in my weight gain. In order to have successful and sustaining weight loss, I need to find other ways to deal with my anxiety. (Anyone have a Xanax?)

Day 3 Dinner

Tonight's dinner:

3 oz turkey breast cutlet

1/2 C red potatoes roasted with 1 tsp olive oil

1 C fresh steamed green beans

Sassy water

I seasoned the turkey with sage, thyme and black pepper, and cooked it in a pan with cooking spray.  The potatoes got Mrs. Dash (of course!)  It was pretty good.   

I do have to admit that I really miss dessert.  I am just used to having it, so my mind is saying "Hey, where's dessert?!?!"  Water doesn't quite take the place of ice cream :)

Tomorrow is the last day of the 4 day jump start.  I will be glad to be rid of the repetition.  I need something that is not cereal for breakfast!!  

Day 3

Today has been better than yesterday, hunger-wise.  Here was the meal break-down:

Breakfast:

1 C corn flakes

1 C lactose free skim milk

1/2 C raisins

1/4 C sunflower seeds

Sassy water

Lunch:

4 oz. deli turkey breast

1 reduced fat string cheese

1 pint grape tomatoes

Sassy water

Snack:

Peach smoothie with flax seed oil

These smoothies have been really good.  They are just 1 cup of fruit with 1 cup of lactose free skim milk and ice.  Add in a Tbsp of flax seed oil, and yuuum.  If you don't have/like the flax seed oil, you can have 1/4 c sunflower seeds instead.  But flax seed oil is something my dr. has been telling me to take for a long time, so I figure I should start to listen :)

Nighttime Day 2

So I had my first chicken in a looooong time.  It was pretty good, but there was a red veiny thing that kinda creeped me out.  The menu was:

3 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 C crimini mushrooms sauteed with 1 tsp olive oil

1/2 C cooked brown rice

Sassy water

The chicken was supposed to be grilled, but it was way cold out and I totally forgot we have a Forman, so I did it in a pan with some cooking spray.  I also put some Mrs. Dash on it before I cooked it.  The mushrooms were the highlight.  I love mushrooms!  But I can't use salt, and garlic is not on the list of approved spices, so they were a little boring.  I have been Mrs. Dash-ing everything (as you may have noticed) because it is one of the only approved things to use.  I never realized what a salt addict I am until now.

The best part about this diet is the Sassy water.  The name is stupid, but man is it yummy!  I find water boring, which is why I drink so much juice and diet soda.  But with the ginger, cucumber, mint and lemon, the water is so refreshing and flavorful!  Even if I don't stick with this particular diet, I will definitely keep making this water.  (And with a little rum, it would be a tasty mojito!)

My hunger level today was a little higher than yesterday.  I have had a little twinge of hunger for most of the day about 1-2 hrs after eating.  I know that I just need to shrink my stomach down and get used to eating smaller, normal sized portions, but it is tough.  I am trying to stay full on water.  I am used to Weight Watchers, where even if you use all your points, there are 0 pt. snacks that you can have.  This is 3 meals and a snack, period.  I think it gets more flexible after the first 4 days.

I just made plans for the weekend with friends.  We will see how tough it is to eat out on the FBD...

Day 2

Breakfast today called for:

1 C Rice Krispies

1 C lactose free skim milk

4 oz. pineapple

1/4 C sunflower seeds

Sassy Water

Pretty much the same as yesterday, except I got to have fresh pineapple.  There is nothing better than fresh pineapple.  And everyone should own one of these :

Best invention ever!  Ever tried cutting up a pineapple?  Pain in the ass.  This thing is magical.

Lunch consisted of:

3 oz. white tuna

1 C steamed baby carrots

1 reduced fat string cheese

Sassy Water

Tuna was not very exciting...it was just out of the can.  I did sprinkle some Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb on it.  

Now I am off to have my afternoon snack, another smoothie.  But today it is a pineapple smoothie with flaxseed oil as opposed to yesterday's blueberry with flaxseed oil.  And did I save my pineapple shell this morning so I can drink my smoothie out of it and pretend it's a fruity rum drink???  You bet I did.

Something's A Little Fishy...

So I just had my first non-vegetarian meal in 15 years.  And I have to say, it was pretty tasty!  Here is what was on the menu:

1 C steamed green beans

4 oz tilapia, baked 

1/2 C red potatoes w/ 1 tsp olive oil, roasted

sassy water

We did put some Mrs. Dash on the fish and the potatoes (that is an allowed spice.)  I was really nervous to try the fish, but I actually liked it!  Which is funny, because pre-vegetarian, I hated fish.

So day 1 went well.  I am a little hungry right now, but not terribly.  I am having a glass of water to fill up.  Hopefully it will continue to go okay until I lose these 50 pounds!

Day 1 Afternoon

Okay, so I did my measurements.  Boy was that depressing!  Here it is, in black and white (all measurements are in inches):

Left Arm: 13.5

Right Arm: 14.5

Chest: 42.5

Waist: 34.25

Belly: 43.5

Hips: 46.5

Left Thigh: 29

Right Thigh: 29.5

Not pretty....

My lunch menu was as follows:

4 oz. of SmartDeli Turkey Style slices (veggie lunch 'meat')

1 pint grape tomatoes 

1 reduced fat string cheese

sassy water

Yes, that does say 1 pint of grape tomatoes.  I love tomatoes, but by the end of the bowl, I was getting a little tired of them.

Now, according to the FBD book, you are supposed to follow the first 4 days of the diet (the jumpstart) to the letter.  But, I am not comfortable with having animal proteins for 2 meals a day yet, so I switched out the 4 oz. of turkey breast with 4 oz. of SmartDeli turkey (which, by the way, is not my favorite.)

I am now off to have my snack, a blueberry smoothie with a side of sunflower seeds.  I will report back after dinner, and my first attempt at eating meat in 15 years.  (Tonight it is Tilapia.)

Day 1

This is day 1 of my 9 millionth attempt at lasting weight loss. I decided that writing about it might keep me honest. We'll see. I would like to lose 50 pounds (well, 52.5 to be exact.) Right now I am doing the Flat Belly Diet (aka FBD), but that will probably change to some sort of FBD/Weight Watchers hybrid in coming weeks. I plan to keep track of my meals daily, and my weight and measurements weekly. So here we go:

Starting Weight: 182.5 (yikes)
(And because I hate it when I read these things and have no point of reference, I am 5'3" tall.)

Here is me. I don't have a 'stand againt the wall looking fat and miserable' picture, but this was taken this weekend. I look pregnant. I'm not. (Why am I with Elvis, you may ask? It was my mom's 50th Birthday party. Her best friend hired an Elvis.)

I'll get my measurements later in the day, I am home alone right now, and it is hard to get accurate measurements on yourself. I'll post those later. On to the food log:

Breakfast:

1 C cornflakes

1 C lactose free skim milk

1/2 C unsweetened applesauce

1/4 C roasted sunflower seeds

Glass of Sassy Water

The "Sassy Water" is a thing in the FBD book. It is water with fresh ginger, cucumber, lemon and mint in it. Yo put it all together and let it steep overnight. It is supposed to calm and soothe the GI tract. You are supposed to drink 2 liters per day. It actually tastes pretty good, kinda like ginger ale or something.

The first 4 days of this FBD are supposed to be an "Anti-Bloat Jumpstart," so the foods are a little stranger than I would regularly eat (ex.: sunflower seeds for breakfast.) I am not usually a diet book kind of gal, but I am giving it a try. My mom is doing it as well, so hopefully that will help.

Something I forgot to mention is that I have been a vegetarian for the past 15 years. However, my diet has been pretty poor, and my weight has yo-yoed. I have also recently been having health issues and found out that my cholesterol is 256 (should be between 100-199.) Because of all this, I have decided to try adding fish and chicken back into my diet. It seems ironic that I would add meat into my diet to lower my cholesterol, but because I am a vegetarian married to, and surrounded by, meat-eaters, I usually eat convenience-type foods instead of well rounded meals. I am hoping that adding a little bit of these lean proteins into my diet will help with my health. I am willing to try.