Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
the return of lighter leaf
During my time away I certainly took time away from my weight loss goals. I didn't abandon everything, but I didn't do well and I know I've gained. I'm not ready to step on the scale again... but it won't be pretty. I also have not been to the gym in about a month because of my insanity at work. I would go into the boring details - but it got really crazy there for a few weeks and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and will be slowing down significantly within the next few days. Hallelujah.
I have the same goals, and I'm going to focus on counting calories as best possible and maintain a consistant workout schedule. I am also hoping to get a measuring tape and do some measurements so I can see change even if the weight isn't coming off as quickly as I hoped. This is not an impossible task... I just need to figure out what works for my body and where the "sweet spot" is for seeing results.
In other news, I went shopping today for a pair of shorts and purchased the largest size I have ever worn in my life. Talk about a reality check in the Macy's dressing room... ugh. I bought them anyway, because that is my reality and I'm learning to accept that. Change will come. This blog has pretty much turned into a "pep talk" for myself - so I hope you don't mind reading my "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can". Chugga Chugga Chooooo Chooooooo.
The husband and I are leaving for a vacation on Tuesday and will be gone 6 days. I'm looking forward to the time away to reconnect with my husband and seeing my family again too. (yep, a family vacation that includes my parents, myself and my husband, and my sister and her boyfriend). It should be ...interesting. My entire family struggles with weight issues - so I'm hopeful I can still make some positive choices while we're out of town.
Dinner tonight:
It was very good. If anyone has comments on portioning - does this look appropriate? I *think* this was a healthy meal... but I'm unsure about what is realistic on portions. I know that the rice said it made three servings... and the husband and I ate probably half of it, total. In regards to the tilapia, is one full fillet appropriate? thoughts?
Tilapia (a la 'me'): I chopped garlic very fine and sprinkled over the fish. Then I added lemon juice, a tiny bit of chili powder, garlic salt and pepper. Then I added a thin slice of butter on each fish. I cooked for about 15ish minutes on 350 degrees until it looked flakey. This was very good.
Boil in a bag whole grain rice
Steamed vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
Monday, April 19, 2010
Week Seven: Monday
Breakfast: Special K Bar - 90 calories
Lunch: Schloztsky's kids meal cheese pizza (terrible, but I was in a huge rush and made the quickest choice available to me. blah.) - 479 calories
Dinner: Salmon and Asparagus in Foil Packets (recipe link: http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/fishandseafood/r/salmonasparagus.htm) with 1 serving of whole grain brown rice, and a Fuze Drink - 408 calories
After dinner, I was only at 977 calories so I had two s'mores as a snack (150 calories each)
So my calorie total came in at 1,277 for today. Right on track.
I'm going to go to Pilates tomorrow morning, and if I can figure out how to make my calorie tracker watch work, I'll post results with how many I burned. It seems much more difficult than I originally thought to make that gadget work.
Friday, April 16, 2010
weigh in: week 6
Weight loss for week six: 2.2 pounds
ummmmm..... okay scale. Whatever you say.
Stats:
first weigh in: 163.5 lbs
today's weigh in: 161.4 lbs
total weight loss: 2.1 lbs
Can't explain this one. I've done really well for 2 out of the 7 days.
Honest to goodness, don't know what to say. I'm pleased, but can't tell you how that happened in the two days I've put in effort.
Oh well, I'll take it!
Off to the gym.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday check in
Lunch: Opti-Meal Chocolate Shake (aka: off brand slim fast): 180 calories
Dinner*: Green Salad (20 calories), Fat free Zesty Italian (15 calories), Grilled Atlantic Salmon (309 calories), Steam Fresh Vegetables (120 calories), 1 cup of white short grin rice, cooked (241 calories), water (0 calories). Total dinner calories: 705 calories
Snack: 1 s'more: 175 calories
Total calorie intake today: 1,150 calories
I slept in today and missed my class at the gym. Argh. I will be there tomorrow morning though.
I had another doctor appointment today (for something minor, unrelated to thyroid issues) - and asked her opinion on calorie intake, weight loss, ect. She suggested 1,300 calories - with a bit more on workout days. I told her I had been shooting for 1,200 and she said that was fine - but to open up my range to between 1,200 and 1,300 each day to allow myself a bit more flexibility. Today I was at 1,150 - so I'll plan accoringly for tomorrow.
Tomorrow morning will also be the first weigh-in in a while. I'm not holding my breath for good news - I'll give it another week before I expect any changes.
I've got a fun weekend planned with friends and family. I can only hope you have as much friendship, love, and fun planned into your next few days!
*dinner was one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. A little bit of chili powder and a tiny bit of cinnamon sprinked on skin and flesh side. Then sauteed in (very little) sesame oil. Just 3-4 minute per side - and delish.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Back on track.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
pout.
I have been working hard on this. I have seen no results. None. Honeslty, I've probably gained in the last week out of pure frustration. I cannot fit another day at the gym in my work schedule. I have changed my eating, I work out regularly. I continue to gain weight.
Off topic (but acually not, in a round-a-bout way).... I got off he pill back in January. We're not going to be making babies (on purpose) any time soon - I just wanted to get off. I have had one period since. Not normal, clearly. (Seeing as though it's Apirl 13th).
I called my doctor and she said this could be a thyroid issue and asked me to have bloodwork done. (note: had my bloodwork done back in December for thyroid concerns from my "significant" weight loss in the past year (approx 20 pounds). I did that last Friday morning.
Upon further (internet) research, my lack of menstration would fall under the "hyper" cateogry, where my weight gain and difficultly to lose weight would be "hypo" - so now I'm all confused.
The doctor was supposed to call me today and didn't. Clearly a thyroid is not life or death and she's probably off delivering babies or something more important - but good lord... I need to know. I'm not sure why I need to know so badly, but I do.
ugh.
weight loss.
ugh.
weight gain.
ugh.
failure.
ugh.
thyroids.
ugh.
doctors.
ugh.
bloodwork.
ugh.
seems
like
nothing
is
going
my
way.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Monday Meal
Sunday, April 4, 2010
well hello there portion control...
Friday, April 2, 2010
week four: weigh in
Weight loss for week four:
0.9 pounds
Stats:
first weigh in: 163.5 lbs
today's weigh in: 162.7 lbs
total weight loss: 0.8 lbs
amt to final goal: 29.7 lbs
Four weeks - and I've only lost 0.8 pounds. And this blog is focused around weight loss.
Shameful.
I haven't been 100% on the eating better front, that's for sure - but I'm making strides working out for sure - all while and trying to figure out what is realistic.
(I can actually tell a slight difference in the shape of my arms. The working out is toning me a bit, but hasn't been helping with the weight loss at all!)
I have today off of work, and I plan on cleaning the house and going to the gym. I didn't make it to my regular 9:30am class today because I couldn't roll myself out of bed in time. I'll go eventually though...
Happy Friday.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Dinner tonight: Win.
This Week - Dinner Plans
- Smoked Paprika Roasted Salmon with Spinach
- Tacos (with fat free refried beans for me... extra lean meat for the husband)
- Tuna Noodle Casserole (not healthy, but delicious)
- Salmon (slow cooked) with herbs
- Peppered Mahi Mahi with Vinagerette
- Angel's Pasta
the National Enquirer...
I snapped this photo in line at the grocery store a week or two ago.
The lower part says...
"heart attack risk as her binge eating habits turn deadly"
"109 (lbs) in 2000"
"She's only 5 foot 3!"
well.
I'm 5'2''.
I probably weight about 109 pounds in 2000 also. And ya know what... around that time I developed an eating disorder.
Clearly, I have weight to lose, but this whole cover actually hurt my feelings. I guess I could just see myself and my own struggles in it - and I took it personally.
Motivation.
Monday, March 29, 2010
stop the press.
....
....
....
....
....
Yeah... I'm going to need a few more minutes.
I saw this photo at work, while diligently working... um, well... actually, I was surfing the web. Photo compliments of this article.
This man (in my opinion) is lick your lips georgous. Swoon.
I pretend I've never heard his music - or seen his dancing... and I swear on all that is holy... my cheeks get flushed. Very flushed. Sigh...
If you know me, you know I've got 'thing' for the latino men. Ricky Martin just hits the spot. And this photo takes the cake.
My husband is latino, and beautiful - and I love him eternally. (a plus is that the husband, thankfully, prefers women) - but if Ricky ever decides to give females a 'go' he will be at the top of my list. Ya know, the list of 5 celebs you could have a 'thing' with - and not ruin your exisiting (real life) relationship. Yeah, he might be my #1. Laugh all you want.
Who is on your list of 5???
spill it.
Friday, March 26, 2010
weigh in: week 3 and knee update
Friday night we left for the in laws and there was a mini family reunion where there was nothing but eating. And I partcipated fully... all weekend long.
When I got back home on Monday, I had gained two more pounds since Friday. Upset, I didn't eat well at all this week, thus - not posting on this blog. This (past) weeks dinner:
- Monday: Pizza
- Tuesday: Leftover Pizza
- Wednesday: Spaghetti
- Thursday: After a failed attempt at cooking a healthy dinner (it looked disgusting), we ordered Pizza.
Somehow, I lost 1 pound of the weekend weight... but overall, it's still bad news:
Current Weight: 163.3
Starting Weight: 163.5
Total Weight loss (after two weeks of ups and downs): 0.2 pounds
Goal Weight: 133
I am starting over. Next week will be a new week.
An update about my busted knee that I posted about Wednesday:
I went to my doctor on Thursday. As I was turning into the parking lot - I got rear-ended by somone who was too busy talking on his cell phone to apply the breaks. ugh.
Once I got into the doctor 30 minutes late - she (thankfully) still saw me. After a lot of pushing pulling and turning on my knee she said she thinks it is tendonitis in my left knee. With my career - it's probably been in my knee a long time, but the spinning class brought it out in full force.
From now on, no more spinning classes - and I need to be careful running. Thankfully, I hate hate hate running so I won't be doing of that anytime soon. I was given so higher dosage pain killers and she said to take it easy for the next week.
I still plan on working out next week - but i may focus more on weights than cardio to rest my knee. I will also do a meal plan for next week - and will post that by Sunday.
I can do this. I can do this. This will not beat me.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
busted knee.
I wanted to die. It was so hard. The cardio was awesome.
About 45 minutes into the one our class I kind of 'slipped' off a petal on one side. It wasn't a big deal and I kept cycling. A few minutes later, my knee started aching.
I slowed down for the rest of the day and took it very easy. It was very sore last night, but I figured I would just rest and feel better today.
Nope. Worse. Very much worse. I can't bend my knee past 90 degrees. It just won't go. Other positions make me scream in pain. This is bad news.
This is bad news on so many different levels. I teach dance for a living. If I can't bend my knee this creates a major issue. Major.
I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. I fully expect them to send me off for an MRI. I'm trying to stay positive but I'm very worried.
I'll keep you posted.
Friday, March 19, 2010
week two: weigh in
Don't really have much to say. Just frustrated. I did well 75% of the week and worked out three times. I know that I need to do 100% --- but reeeeeally.... no wiggle room??? The amount of effort but in this week was far and beyond what I was doing three weeks ago. What the hell. I thought the weight would come off easier in the beginning and get harder as my fat % decreased.
uuuugh.
I'm off for the weekend to visit my inlaws with the husband. I'm sure there will be eating out for three meals of the day. Hopefully I can figure out the best choices with the situation at hand.
Pissed.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
picky.
My dislike of meat is purely taste-based. I don't like the smell, the taste, the texture - nothing. I do however love me some fish. Strangely enough, my mom abanonded her vegetarian ways when I was in college and now I'm left alone with my anti-meat pickiness.
The husband is awesome with this. He doesn't really love turkey, chicken, but enjoys gettting a steak when we eat out... and is all for fish. The husband mentioned he was kind of 'fished' out on Monday night so Tuesday we did Chicken Tacos and I figured I could suck it up and try chicken again (it had been about 8 years since I tried it).
yuck.
I've heard raves and raves and raves about this recipe so I KNOW others will love it - but it was not our thing. We made it in the crockpot, shredded it, cooked it again for another 30 minutes then put them in tortillas with cheese and lettuce. Here's the link: http://sherj.blogspot.com/2009/11/kas-crockpot-chicken-tacos.html
I ended up scraping out all the chicken and just eating the whole grain tortillas with cheese.
I also suck at working out this week and haven't gone once. Not once. Ugh. I do have plans to go this afternoon, so I know I'll be able to get in at least 3 workouts... but I'm a bit disappointed in myself. My mind is on spring break - and I need to get back on the bandwagon pronto.
Happy St. Patricks Day!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Monday dinner = win!
- It had fish - and you all can tell how much fish I eat
- It had veggies of multiple colors - and makes me feel healthy
- It took approx 1 minute to prepare - it does not get easier than put fish in pan, sprinkle seasoning, throw FROZEN vegetables in with it and put it in the oven. Seriously.
- There was one dirty dish at the end of this meal (with our plates as an exception). My husband (the do-er of dishes thinks this is fantastic!
Week Two, plans.
Monday - Jillian Michaels workout DVD at home
Tuesday - Pilates and Kickboxing at the gym (doubling up due to the double mexican martinis on Friday)
Wednesday - Step class at the gym (Movements performed on and off a step platform with or without risers. This class consists of medium level movement patterns. Intensity level determined by speed, travel, and execution of movements.)
Thursday - Camp 24 at the gym (Pace yourself, or go the limit in this ultimate circuit workout. Improve cardiovascular and muscular strength and endurance in 24 Hour Fitness boot camp style! One of the most fun ways to get fit! Suitable for all levels.)
Friday - Body Sculpt at the gym
Meal Plan for Week two:
Fish Tacos
Salmon with veggies
no bake whole wheat macaroni with broccoli
Easy Bake Tilapia
Chicken Tacos
Zucchini Pasta
Hopefully I can do as well as last week (or even better!) with weight loss.
As always, I'll post recipes through the week with my experiences and thoughts as I push through to a lighter me.
And to my readers: I already feel your accountability. I think this blog is going to be great for me, so thanks for reading!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
weekend warrior
Friday, March 12, 2010
week one (official) weigh in.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
I cheated.
Well, I did it anyway. And I've lost 1.1 pounds! Not a lot... but it hasn't even been a week yet (really, only 4 days!) I know that potentially the results could be skewed due to an early weigh in - but I DON'T CARE. I'm thrilled.
Whoot. This is what I needed to get through the week.
Tonight is spaghetti night. I've checked my iphone Ap "my fitness pal" - and it looks like I'll just be having a cup of noodles with sauce and a big salad. Pasta shall be my enemy, yet long lost love.
Looking forward to Friday to see what else I can accomplish before then!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
I thought today was Wednesday... all day.
Monday, March 8, 2010
yucky describes today.
Tonight's dinner was Crab cake Burgers with whole grain buns.
I made myself a salad as a side dish and the husband had some frozen French fries. I won't be making these again anytime soon. They weren't bad... but they weren't good. They were bland, boring, and had a strange texture. Plus, the 1/2 pound of crab was TWELVE DOLLARS at Heb. That's just for the crab... not any other ingredients (and I needed to purchase several of them!)!!! All in all, this was an expensive meal that was nothing to write home about. The husband's comment "They were edible". I'm not impressed.
Recipe for crab cake burgers: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/crab_cake_burgers.html
Sunday, March 7, 2010
(full) week one.
I did take a few "before" photos yesterday (of myself in shorts and a bra top). I am not brave enough to post them. They make me sad, honestly. I'm thinking maybe I'll post before and after photos when I hit my first goal of 20 pounds. That way I can do a 'before' and 'after' and hopefully feel proud... not sad.
Workout plan for this week, March 8-12 (I have no real plans to do weekend workouts).
- Monday - Yoga (description: Designed to enhance vitality and a sense of well being, this workout will help participants gain improved flexibility, balance, strength and posture. The class will borrow from each instructor’s experience with Yoga and may incorporate basic poses from various Yoga styles.)
- Tuesday - Power Sculpt (description: Class designed to utilize a variety of equipment for resistance training. Hand weights and barbells may be used to sculpt and define.)
- Wednesday - Day off
- Thursday - Pilates (description: A workout designed to develop core strength and coordination, the focus of this class will be on traditional Pilates movement patterns, the use of breath and correct alignment. Participants will enjoy improvement in posture and overall toning.)
- Friday - Power Sculpt (see description from Tuesday)
I've put my schedule out there... and there is no getting around it. I will go to the gym four times this week. I also want to peek in on a cycling class to see if it's something I'd be interested attending.
Meal Plan for the week: This week we will eat in 6 of the 7 nights, which is pretty much unheard of around our house. Bonus to my goal of cooking more: saving money. Our eating out budget is silly when we could be eating meals at home that are healthier and just as satisfying.
- Salmon, Green beans, Rice
- Crab Cake Burgers on whole wheat buns, Broccoli
- Angel Hair Wheat pasta and shrimp
- Tacos
- Spaghetti and Salad
- Tilapia, Broccoli, Cauliflower
As the week goes on I will post recipes, photos and reviews. But I'll use this post to share tonight’s success! Tonight was Salmon again. We used this recipe: http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/fishdishes/r/roastsalmon.htm. Again, it was very easy and tasty. I also made whole grain rice (surprise!) and heated up soem canned green beans. Overall - a very good dinner and a great new way to cook Salmon. We eat a lot of it - so it's nice to have a low fat alternative. I'll do another post soon on choices in regards to food.
...but then I ate a s'more. It was delish. I only feel a smidge bad about it... can how bad could one graham cracker, a marshmallow, and a tiny square of chocolate be??? And, I'm not like I'm 'cheating' because I've given myself not assigned diet. So there.
Overall, I think I'm doing pretty well with portion control and I re-stocked my fridge with some (off brand) Slim Fast drinks for lunch. This should be a good week and I am dedicating myself to some of the major changes I listed in my orginial post. I've already drastically increased the amount of fluids I consume each day (Specifically water!). I normally drank very little each day, but the more I drink over the last few days I'm actually noticing when I'm thirsty which is different. When I wasn't drinking much, I was never thirsty. I'm pretty sure that's an obvious sign of dehydration that I've been ignoring.
Today I also bought some vitamins. I've never taken them as an adult. From some advice of my doctor, I decided to go with a Calcium supplement, and I added in the Women's One a Day vitamin. I don't expect any "results" from this... but it kind of goes hand in hand with my health goals.
All in all. Excited to get this week rolling.
And I'm even more excited that next week is Spring Break and I have a whole week off!
Friday, March 5, 2010
well, ain't that a kick in the pants?
(about 5 minutes into the conversation)
Him: "Well, how's your health?"
Me: "ummm... fine."
Him: "Well, are you sure?"
Me: "Yep. Sure." (wondering what in the world he's talking about)
Him: "I noticed the last time I saw you (mid December) that you had gained weight".
Me: "uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh....."
Him: "But I guess if you stay active that weight shouldn't be too much of an issue... Are you active?"
Me: :::: changes subject ::::
In December my (incredibly unsympathetic) doctor made a comment about my weight. It stung, but I felt like she was doing it from a doctor/health view - so went to my car, cried my eyes out and tried to suck it up. This, however, is the first time that someone who knows and loves me has said anything. And this was far less painful to hear from my Grandfather than my doctor. I think I'm just in a difference place than I was in December. Just 3 months ago I was refusing to look at the facts. Now, there is not hiding and it's something I'm accepting as a challenge. Just think, if all these people are noticing how I've gained weight - they'll all notice that I've lost it too... right?
My grandfather my have zero tact... but he's right. He was being honest. Hopefully the next time he sees me he'll say something equally inappropriate about how dang good I look in my jeans! ha!
here we go.
On Thursday (yep... the very next day!), I headed off to Pilates. The class was a great size and the instructor really explained everything really well. In college, I did tons of Pilates so I was thinking it might be a bit too beginner... but I think it ended up being a great fit for my current body. It was an hour and offered a lot of abdominal work, which I really need. I woke up Friday morning fairly sore in my deep, lower abs -- yay! Friday I also met up with my online friend, at the gym and we took a Body Flow class. Holy Moly - THAT was a workout. We did arms, abs, back, squats, and everything else under the sun. I left drenched in sweat and feeling great!!
That is two workouts this week, and I didn't start until Thursday! I feel totally confident that I can get 3-4 workouts in each week... and really enjoy them.
Now, check out our yummy dinners!
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/fishandseafood/r/salmonasparagus.htm
(link above) Salmon and Asparagus: This one was very very easy and good! Cooking in foil packets is awesome - and you can't beat the clean up time. This husband felt the salmon could have used more spices, but I was very happy with it. We also made a serving of whole grain instant rice. All in all, I'll give this one at A-. I'll certainly cook it again, but maybe add more flavor before cooking. Check out how healthy this looks!
We made this on Thursday night for dinner: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Grilled-Shrimp/Detail.aspx
These were great too! It required a bit more setup time... but they turned out beautifully. I steamed the asparagus we didn't cook on Wednesday and made more whole grain rice. Yes, the sides were the same... but why change a good thing. This meal was in my belly before I remembered about photography.
I think I'll be posting numbers on Fridays (weigh in days). This is very difficult for me. My husband doesn't even know these numbers... (and I may not let him read this) but here goes nothing:
Current Weight: 163.5
Goal Weight: 133
- My first goal is 20 pounds, which would put me at 143, and I would still be overweight. Sigh.
- Long term, I would like to lose 30 pounds and stay around 133 pounds.
- Based on this website, it says my 'ideal weight' should be 115 pounds (being 5'2''). However, my healthy weight could be within 10% of this (up to approx 126 pounds). I think I would feel incredible at 133, and I really feel confident putting my goal at that number. Once I meet my goal - I'll re-evaulate based on how I feel.
I've been at this 2 days and I'm feeling great! Please comment if you have any questions, suggestions, dinner ideas, anything! I'm hoping this can create a great accountability for me and I'd love to help you too.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
the start.
I'm a 25 year old woman living in Texas with my husband. We've been married a little over a year and all-in-all... life is good. We love our jobs, our families, friends and our dog. We're enjoying spending time together before it's time for the next step that life will bring (whatever that may be). As I said, life is good. However...
I feel like I could be a happier and healthier person if I lost weight. A significant amount of weight. Compared to a lot of people, I'm very fortunate. I haven't had to worry about my weight at all until the last year and a half. Marriage has, to quote my (incredible sympathetic) doctor, made me very "fat and happy". For a long time I thought 'I don't know how this happened'... but if I was honest, I know exactly how it happened. I ate crap, all the time, thinking there would be no consequences. I was wrong, very wrong.
My goal to lose weight has several different facets:
1. Cooking more, eating out less.
2. Cooking better, more healthful meals.
3. Creating a meal plan each week.
4. Drinking lots more water.
5. Eating well at work.
6. Working out regularly.
7. Losing 25-30 pounds.
I will post my weekly meal plan, and results of recipes I find and cooked. I also plan on logging my weekly exercise plan/results and weekly weigh-in results. Hopefully I'll come across some interesting facts, good foods, and something that will make this blog worth reading!!
I will be very open and honest on this blog about my journey to turn a lighter leaf. I plan on posting actual numbers (scary!), photos (even more scary!) and as many yummy and healthy recipes that I can find. Struggles and triumphs are inevitable - and available for all to read.
If you have any advice, information, (constructive) critiques, or anything else to share please please please comment or you can email me!