Personal Victory - Down 20!!

I have 2 minutes until a morning meeting at work but wanted to post that this morning I stepped on the scale and saw 175 . . . Technically 21 but that usually fluctuates so I'm counting it as 20. That's whay I'm smiling today :).

~C

A Few Things That I'm Doing

Hey M - so I thought I would post some of the things I am doing that seem to be working for me since you mentioned it in your last post and I think it's good to have it down on proverbial "paper" so I know what I did this time around that worked:

• I keep my breakfast simple and usually eat a lot of the same thing until I get tired of it and then I change it up. Right now my breakfast is the single-serving Greek yogurts (I like Chobani and Fage - low cal, low carb and high protein). I usually also have a banana for a snack before lunch. Other breakfast faves include 2 hard-boiled eggs with a banana for snack and cottage cheese with a spoonful of jam and an apple with 1-2 Tbsp of peanut butter for snack. Oh and I often drink redbull in the morning - a total treat (read addicition) for me. If no Redbull, then definitely coffee with frou frou creamer and sugar.


• Lunch - again pretty simple. If I am being really good, I make myself a large salad with a lot of rotisserie or grilled chicken (I allow myself as much grilled or rotisserie chicken as I want) with extra veggies that I have on hand for variety. Most importantly, I am picky about the dressing - my fave three are Gerard's Light Champagne, Maple Groves Citrus, or self-made oil and balsamic vinegar blend. If I am in a rush, I will take 2 pieces of bread and a jar of jam and make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a piece of fruit.


• Dinner - I love grilled chicken, grilled thin steaks, kabobs, rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies and rice. I don't deny myself food ever! I just try to be smart about what I am choosing - especially thinking about portions. Tonight I had pizza and it was brilliant - I just don't eat pizza all the time :).

I haven't started exercising regularly again yet, but that will come soon! Keep up the good work and I just remind myself that I get to make the decision with every meal and every snack. And for me, the number decreasing on the scale week after week is a big motivator for me. You can definitely do it - just start making changes that you feel you can do comfortably and then add new things here and there. It's all about how you think about it - once your head is there, the decisions get easier to make :).

Benchmark: Down a pants size!

It's late Sunday night and I started a ridiculous job - getting all of the laundry done for my entire family. Right now I am waiting patiently for the dryer to buzz so I can switch loads and crawl up to bed. But before I call it a night I thought I would blog for a minute about my latest benchmark for me on this weight-loss adventure.

First, I had gained so much weight before that my "big" clothes didn't fit anymore. I started losing weight and the clothes started fitting again. I have been patiently waiting for the clothes to actually be too big and/or be able to wear a size smaller. Well, over the weekend I took a daring trip to Kohl's and Ross and bought a pair of size 14 work pants as well as a pair of size 14 jeans that are actually a little big in the waist but they didn't have a 12 and they fit ok everywhere else. Holy moly! I actually had fun shopping. I honestly can't remember the last time I went shopping and didn't feel like crying when I carried my mountain of clothes in with me only to give the girl at the counter everything back when nothing at all looked good.

And on Friday this week, my husband actually laughed at me (in a good way) when I was putting the kids to bed and my pants started falling down. It's weird, too, because I feel smaller in my clothes. I am definitely liking this.

I am on my way to my next benchmark of losing 20 lbs. As of this morning, I weighed in at 178.8 which I would consider 179 so I am at 17 lbs down total and I can't wait to hit 20 :).

On the road..but heading uphill...I think I can, I think I can...

Oh goodness. Is it Monday already? I'm so not looking forward to another week of watching what I eat. It's so hard. I just came off a heavy meal on Sunday (Canadian Thanksgiving...hence, same holiday, same 800 calorie meal in one sitting and same leftovers haunting me today!). The trouble is this week, I just feel bloated and fat. My clothes are tight, I have antoher migraine and I'm just lacking energy. This is despite my mad dash into Starbucks at 2:30 this afternoon to get my daily jolt. Somehow the jolt part was missing in my latte! I could blame it on the scorching weather that is still upon us here in the Valley of the Sun - or perhaps I'm just not watching what I eat well enough and sneaking in things like bacon and peanut butter need to stop?! Argh. This is not easy. Or is it?

I'm not ignorant - I know it gets easier but right now I'm still in the "this sucks" mode. I so desparately want to be in the "I can do this" mode. It's way too early to be in the "it's second nature" mode - that hopefully will come around this time next year. Alas, it is only Monday and if I can be vigilant Mon-Thurs, then I can enjoy my weekends with my family and not be as cautious about my consumption. We'll see. I may invest in a bumper sticker that says "I Diet for the Weekends"!

C - are you out there? Hope you achieve another loss this week - if you do, I may just need your help coaxing me off this cliff and sharing some advice! Here's a question - how much does it cost to wire your jaw shut for two weeks?! :) I'll go and Google it!

Benchmark: Down 15 Pounds!

So, I just checked my email and I am so happy to have my friend M back on the blog! As we both know, every journey begins with one step and being on day 4 is great. Maybe not fun, but I know for me it's the habit of making choices that is the toughest part of creating a new routine. And like I re-read from earlier posts, even if I have an off weekend, I can get back on the wagon and still remain on track. Welcome back, M!!

Because I'm at lunch and am pressed for time, I will keep this short and sweet. Yesterday and today I have officially reached and maybe surpassed my next benchmark - I am now down 15 (or 16) pounds!!! For the first time in more than 2 years I stepped on the scale and saw 180.4 staring up at me, smiling :). My clothes are just now starting to feel a little big - still size 16 but I'm getting there . . .
~C

On the road again...

Michelle here. It's been awhile. I'm actually humming Willie Nelson as I type this. I get all the email posts that are related to this blog so it tells me that my dear friend and fellow working mom Candice is back in the saddle again! So, perhaps, I too should take a cue from her and get started on a path (back) to wellness. I started this pale attempt on Monday. Today is Thursday. This morning I ripped open my third bag of raw spinach, packed my third salad for the week and already I'm exhausted. I know the trick is to not get bored of food and dieting but easier said than done I say. So, I'm sitting here at lunch wondering how I'm going to get through another cup of the green stuff. Don't get me wrong - it's not healthy. I added bacon (ok...turkey bacon!), an egg (it's incredible and edible!) and it's covered in Fresh & Easy Balsamic dressing which adds a nice 16g of fat. Oh, and I just saw the 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar that I added for color (yeah...color, that's it!). So again...now you know why I said the attempt was pale. But, it's a start. And this blog post after a looooong absence is just that...a start. Granted, we all know that history repeats itself so hopefully I'll keep posting but we also know that we learn from our past and can do better the next time 'round. This time, I'm hoping I learn not to give up so easily (it's only day 4!!!) and that there is another lunch option besides spinach! I also know one person who will be reading this blog will be my friend Candice and she could use some company. Perhaps she's been lonely up here blogging and venting by herself. Now, us moms can find support (again) in each other.

I've yet to be adventurous and step on a scale so no countdown for me just yet . But I can tell you my clothes still feel the same so it's going to be a long and winding road ahead of me. I guess that means I should keep humming along to good ol' Willie....so here it goes, on the road again....just can't wait to get back on the road again....

~Michelle

Over-Full

This weekend my sister was in town from California. Two days before she arrived, the stress had already begun to swell. My kids bugged me about when she would be here, my mom asked if I had talked to her and knew what her plans were, my husband had already decided it would be a "Charlie Foxtrot" of a weekend and I just wanted everybody to stop asking me what was going on. Somehow being the oldest of the four siblings means that I am the decision-maker and liaison between everyone. And commensurate with this role, I am irritating to everyone when I cast the deciding vote on plans that no one can decide on. I am criticized for taking on the role, chastized for not knowing what the plans are and then get the "roll of the eyes" when I become too bossy.

This weekend was no different and at the end of the 2 days, I am emotionally exhausted, frustrated and barely on speaking terms with my hubby. Great. Awesome. Fucking annoying.

And along with the stress, I face my personal demon: food. More specifically, eating bad stuff in high quantities to buffer my stress levels. It never serves me but I do it anyway and tonight after 2 days of not eating well, I am over-full and wishing I could go back and have a weekend food re-do. While I can't actually turn back the clock, I can choose not to eat anything more tonight and to make better choices tomorrow. This is just a momentary detour - not a pit stop.

Wish me luck as I go back to "normal" tomorrow.

~C