Almost April

I haven't done well with keeping track of my food this week so far :( although, I have found that boiled eggs are my friend. I call it a "shot of protein" when I eat one and I try to eat them in the morning for breakfast. I have noticed a difference. I had a Lean Quis pizza for lunch and beans/rice for dinner. Sometimes I get on a kick (black beans/brown rice) and crave it over and over till I tire myself out on it. So, I need to learn to "mix it up" a bit more and give myself some variety. Tomorrow, my oldest daughter will turn 14 (which freaks me out!!) so I will eat a cupcake. I purposely bought cupcakes so we would not go crazy and eat a whole cake between the kids and I. We are also going to The Olive Garden. I need to look at their menu again online to see what they have that will be a good choice :)

Last Day Of March

Tomorrow is a new month. New possibilities. I weighed myself today. I am up. I know I ate bad yesterday, but I am kicking butt on exercise. I don't get it. I am very discouraged right now. Today I was crazy busy and was only able to get 20 minutes of exercise in. I might do some crunches before bed to help out.

Input:
Bowl of Special K with 2% Milk
Homemade berry smoothie
Chicken Nugget Salad
Iced Tea

Output:
20 Minutes Wii Free Step - I tried something new today, stepping off to the side and I could feel it totally differently. It was great.

Monday: angie

Today was not a good day overall with eating. Mondays are super busy. I did start out the day on the scale "ok" though. Got good news: Dad is getting a liver transplant today, but my tummy was in knots with worry most of the day. My anxiety was in full gear and I was doing good just to breathe. I did get two boiled eggs and a bowl of brown rice/black beans (w/baked chips) in for mega protein and some yogurt + granola bar, etc. So, I didn't starve by any means. I just didn't space it out well.

Crappy Food Day

I have eaten SO bad today. I will have to do extra exercise for today. That's what I get for trying to be nice and bake for the girls. Who knew that two cupcakes with a little icing would equal almost 400 calories. Holy Schmokes! I am going to have to remember that next time I even think about a cupcake or a piece of cake. Blech. But it was worth it since it was the very first time EVER that I baked cupcakes. Yay me! I am not Martha Stewart. I can cook dinners, but I don't bake. Sevi kept thanking me all day for them. Too funny.

Input:
Really, let's just know it was super extra bad and I promise to do better tomorrow.

Output:
41 minutes of Wii...
20 minutes of Free Step (10 forwards and 10 backwards)
7 minutes of Hula Hoop
6 minutes of Strength Exercise
8 minutes of Balance


ETA: I redeemed myself a little this evening so I had to post. We tried Barilla Whole Wheat Pasta tonight and we liked it. We are going to officially switch to it from now on. I also used ground trukey. So it may have been cruddy for the most part, I ended on a better note.

Sunday check in

My goal is to work out 5 days a week at least 40 minutes. So anything above that is just a bonus. I did not work out yesterday, but I did get some in today and even plan to do a little more this evening. I gained 1.5 pounds last week and I have no idea how. I am telling myself it is muscle, but that seems like a lame excuse. But possible since I worked my butt off last week. Oh well. I have stayed below 200 which I am very proud of myself for doing. Now to get below 190 and keep there and then 180 and so on and so forth. I can and WILL do this.

Input:
Turkey and Avocado sandwich on wheat
Iced Tea
Cheeze Its
Chicken Fried Steak
Mashed Potatoes
Green beans
Water with Lemon

Output:
30 minutes of Wii...
20 minutes of free step (I did half of this backwards to shake it up a little)
10 minutes of Yoga.

Saturday: angie

oooooooh...I was bad last night. The kiddos are not here this weekend, so I called in an order to Chilis. BUT, I checked online the menu/calories and got the southwestern vegetable and salad. Here is the bad part...I also got chips and salsa. Anyhow, so that is the only "bad" about it :D But, I felt all icky afterwards from all the salt.

At yesterdays weigh in, I was: 149.8 (.2 ounces up from last week) My problem was last weekend. I went out several times with my sister here and it was hard to keep in check. So, I started off this past Monday at 151 again. So, I was pleased with 149 again. NOW to get 1 or 2 pounds lower by the next weigh in. My goal is 148. I'm keeping my goals realistic to 1 or 2 pounds each week. It is going to be a long slow road to health. I need to learn how to get rid of the "guilt" feelings like I had last night. It is NOT going to kill me to eat a few chips every now and then. Although, to be honest I should NOT be eating them in this stage of losing.

I hope my buddies did well yesterday with their weigh ins :D

TGIF

My husband made it home last night and I survived the week. That's always a plus. We have our middle daughter's therapy today and then a birthday party this evening. My husband is going to meet us at therapy and come home to spend some time with us since he was gone all week and has to play golf with a partner in his firm tomorrow. So we will get him all to ourselves for a few hours today. But that is going to make working out a little hard. We'll see where I can fit it in. And food is going to be extra bad because we are eating pizza at a birthday party and cake, etc. Hopefully I can restrain from the cake.

I am pretty proud of myself. I upped my workouts by 10 minutes and held to it all week. I have Wii'd for 5 days in a row and I actually enjoyed it. It was hard. I have had a very very busy and crazy week, but since I moved workouts to nap time, I think that made a huge difference. Although it made getting a shower in harder if she woke before I was done. LOL

So I admit, i don't eat overly healthy. I have made a lot of changes to the way I eat, but it still isn't overly healthy. I don't count calories, but I do read the labels just to get an idea of things. For example, I will never eat another McDonald's Large Fry again after looking the container my husband had. Right on it it says 500 calories. HOLY MOLY!! That's what your whole meal should be. Not just the side.

Anyway, this morning I was making breakfast or the girls and decided I would make some for me. Whole Grain Waffles with syrup. The waffles were 170 calories for 2 waffles and the syrup was 100 calories for 1/4 cup. Not horrible for a meal. But just out of curiosity, I was really craving a bagel with strawberry cream cheese. Bagel was 110 calories (Mini bagel ;) )and the cream cheese was 90 calories for 2 TBSP. I totally went for the bagel! LOL And it was good! Saved me 70 calories.

Input:
Bagel with Strawberry Cream Cheese
Asian Chicken Salad
Iced Tea

Output:
42 Minutes of Wii...
20 Minutes Free Step
8 Minutes of Strength Exercises
14 Minutes of Yoga

Thurs: angie

Overall, I had an "ok" day today. My work days have been long this week and my energy completely drained. I was on my feet a lot at work, so I felt like I was moving most of the day (which is good!) and not just sitting behind a computer.

Tomorrow ~ weigh in day. xxcrossing fingersxx that I did not GAIN this week!

So Tired Thursday

Thursdays are such tiring days for me. It's like how people who work out of the house are thankful for Friday to be over. Well Thursday is the end of my work week. For the most part. Friday is a much easier day then Monday through Thursday. So I am glad to get this day over.

I have started doing my exercise during nap time. I originally was doing them after the girls went to bed, per my Doc's rec. But I am just so tired by then that it is a chore. So I moved them to nap time for my youngest. Only problem then is that the older two want to join or watch and I am suppose to be relaxing while I do the Yoga. Oh well. It is a novelty right now and pretty soon, watching Mama work out won't be so exciting.

Input:
Bowl Special K cereal
Water
Noodles with butter, garlic and parmesean
Water
Upside Down Pizza and Green beans
Water

Output:
40 minutes of Wii...
20 minutes of free step
6 minutes of strength exercises
14 minutes of Yoga

What a Wednesday

I am so sad right now. Woe is me. My husband has been out of town all week. We got a pleasant surprise that he was going to try and come home early today. Only to get stuck in Austin due to the rain storms here in Dallas. So he rented a car and went south to San Antonio, where he has to be tomorrow. And he will stay the night. So we won't see him till tomorrow evening.
So I am feeling down. Oh well. He is going to take half of Friday off to spend with us because he has to play golf with a Partner on Saturday. It is going to be an even longer week then it already has.

Input:
Bowl Special K Cereal
Chicken and Cheese Enchilada
Iced Tea (unsweet)

Output:
47 Minutes of Wii...
20 minutes free step
14 minutes of balance work
14 minutes of yoga

Tues: angie

Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs + large coffee
Snack: Yogurt
Lunch: 1 large sweet potato + corn, peas and brussle sprouts
Snack: Granola bar + large unsweet tea
Dinner: Medium baked potato + cheese + sour cream

Exercise: none

Today was yet another crazy busy day. Had to leave early from work to take my middle child to dentist and then off to baseball practice (that lasted like 2+ hours), home for dinner and then watched a bit of t.v. - now a bit of computer and off to bed.

I.AM.EXHAUSTED.

Good Day

Today is going to be a full but very fun day. I already have one kid off to school and am about to get another one to school. Then my youngest and I have a playdate with some friends we don't get to see enough. So I am very excited. I also have another blood draw today, so I have to fast again this morning. Usually this isn't a big deal, except when I am making the girls breakfast. LOL And our baby slept in her "big girl" bed for the first time last night and had no problems. silly girl hasn't figured out she can climb out of it now.

Input:
Nada so far...fasting
Lots of bad but yummy food at the playdate
Iced Tea (unsweet, always)

Output:
46 Minutes of Wii...
20 minutes of Free Step
8 minutes Balance
18 minutes Yoga

Bad weekend - New Start

So, I was 149-ish last Friday and this morning.....151-ish. Argh!! My body is out of control. I did not exercise this weekend though and did not count calories. I was so upset Friday when I realized what might have been keeping me from losing weight. It is such a pain in the arse to know you have worked so hard and no results!

So, with that said...back to the grind:

Breakfast
1 hard boiled egg (yay protein)
2 100 calorie packs of oatmeal. These were my last two packs, I do not intend to keep eating oatmeal in the morning. I'm going to go for hard boiled eggs, fruit and fiber cereal from now on
Snack:
large unsweet tea, fresh sugar snap peas and strawberries
Lunch:
Black Beans + Brown Rice (large serving) + shredded cheese on top
Snack:
Peanutbutter and Jelly Sandwich + granola bar (140 calories)
Dinner:
Black Beans + Brown Rice (large serving) + shredded cheese on top

Exercise:
20 mins on treadmill

Happy Monday

I am going to try and step it up a bit this week. Eating wise, it won't be so great. My husband is OOT most of the week, so I don't tend to cook very healthy for the girls and I. But I am stepping up the exercises.

Input:
Special K cereal with 2% milk
Tyson Chicken Appetizers
Water with Lemon
Hamburger mac (with ground turkey, so then Turkey Mac, I guess)
Green beans
Water with Lemon

Output:
40 minutes on Wii...
20 minutes free step
7 minutes Hula Hoop
4 minutes of Yoga
9 minutes of balance

Spring Break is Over!!

This was our first official Spring Break and I am so glad it is over. LOL I am exhausted and tired and ready for some down time. It messed with my workouts and my eating. I had a horrible week but plan to get back at it. I am determined to kick some butt this week.

Input:
Sunffers Cheese Fries
Chicken Wrap
Water with Lemon
Charelston Chew
Arizona Green Tea
Salad with Blue Cheese
Spaghetti Balonegse with Grilled Shrimp

Output:
60 Crunches
40 minutes of Wii...
20 minutes free step
20 minutes of Yoga

Friday: weigh in day

Todays weight: 149.6

* I don't think I've been getting enough calories - so my goal is to up my calories a bit this next week!

Breakfast: 1.5 packs of 100 calorie oatmeal
Lunch: 1 sweet potato 2 chik patties (140 calories each) + large unsweet tea
Snack: 1 pear + cottage cheese and apple sauce + 1 tbsp of peanutbutter
Dinner: Lean Cuisine Pizza 370 calories
Snack: 100 calorie granola bar

I'm not going to get excited about being in the 140s till I am consistantly in the 140s three or four days in a row, so hopefully that will be this week! :D

I'm going on a mom/girls night out with a new friend I met from Mason's new baseball team. She has two children that are the same ages as two of my children (only opposite genders lol).

End of Spring Break

Today is the last day of Spring break. Is it horrible to say I am so ready for school to be back? LOL

Input:
Bagel with Strawberry Cream Cheese
Salami Sandwich on Whole Grain with Cheese, Mayo and Mustard
Water with lemon
3 Oreos
Pork Chops
Mashed Potatoes
Green beans
Water with Lemon

Output:

Stress Test Thursday

I had a stress test for my heart today. Didn't take them long to see what was going on. But I really don't want to go to much into that. I have more results I am waiting on.

Input:
Had to fast in the AM.
Tostada
Meximelt
Water with Lemon
Meatballs Stroganoff with White Rice and Edemame
Water with Lemon

Output:
Stress Test - 7 minutes on the treadmill which increased speed every 3 minutes.

3.19.09 Thurs Spring Break - angie

I bought two books from 1/2price books yesterday about body/nutrition/diet. I'm getting frustrated with my body, but I'm being patient. SURELY the exercise I've done is doing some kind of good, even if I don't see the results on the scale.

FOOD
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean cereal w/soymilk
Lunch:
an array of colorful fresh cut veggies (red pepper, celery, cucumber, & carrots) I had a little bit of dressing for dip and two 50 calorie cheese sticks
Snack:
1 small cup coffee & two 75 calorie pieces of chocolate
PB&J sandwich (on wholewheat bread 90 calories)
Dinner: 3/4 cup cereal (260 calories) w/soymilk

EXCERCISE:
20 min fast walk around neighborhood

Sleep Over

We had a first friend sleep over with my oldest last night. It was this little girls second attempt. The first time was not as successful as we hoped, but this time was and we had a blast. So I got in some extra workout chasing four girls around and doing all the fun arts and crafts stuff, etc. But I also ate worse because I felt I needed to do more kid friendly things with her here not knowing what she liked.

Input:
Donuts (Or is it doughnuts)
1 Pig in a Blanket
Chicken nugget salad
Iced Tea
Chicken Quesadilla
Tortilla chips with cheese, salsa and sour cream.
Iced Tea

Output:
40 minutes of Wii:
20 minutes of step
10 minutes of balance
10 minutes of yoga

3.18.09 angie

Breakfast:
1.5 packages of 100 calorie oatmeal w/soymilk
Snack:
1 serving cottage cheese
Lunch:
1 medium sweet potato 1 Pear 1 orange 1 med unsweet tea
Dinner: THIS is where my day went to heck. We went to Chilis. I had my coupon in hand to get from the guiltless menu. I did (fish) but I ate some chips and salsa and had two glasses of tea.

Excerise:
25 mins on treadmill
5 mins on stairmaster (this machine just kicks the crap out of me)

Up a pound

I knew weighing in today would not be pretty. Being on my cycle is BAD! Well, and all the vacation food and no exercise. Blech.

Input:
Bowl of Special K with 2% milk
Salami Sandwhich
Flat Bread Pizza, Half Hambuger Meat and Half Pepperoni
Blue PoweAde with water

Output:

ARGH!!! angie

Seriously, it pisses me off that the scale showed 151 again today. I FEEL like I have been busting my a** for the past two weeks and according to the scale, have lost NOTHING! It can NOT be right to eat a little something extra (dessert last night) and gain another pound. I'm just PISSED!! Its like one step forward, two steps back. NEVERENDING!!!!!!! *end of vent*

FOOD:
Breakfast:
1 cup plain oatmeal (w/organic bsugar)
Snack:
2 rice cakes (50 calories each) w/pb
1 granola bar (140 calories)
Lunch:
Large fruit bowl from CFC + 1 med unsweet tea
Snack:
1 bowl of Kashi Go Lean cereal w/soy milk
Baked tostito chips w/shredded cheese on top (BAD!!!)
Dinner:
1 bowl of plain oatmeal (w/organic bsugar)

EXCERISE:
20 min fast walk around my neighborhood this morning!
20 min on elliptical at gym

Home

I am home and I am exhausted. I don't think I will get caught up on the past two days, but I will start up again tomorrow. I have to do my weigh in tomorrow, so I know I will have something to post about. Mainly how much I gained from eating out and not exercising over the past two days. Oh, and my lovely cycle rearing it's ugly head. I am truly afraid to step on the scale tomorrow.

Anyway, I am home and headed to bed.

3.16.09 angie

Breakfast: 1 multigrain bagel from CFA + unsweet tea
Snack: 1.5 bags of 100 calories oatmeal w/bsugar
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Spinach Mushroom Pizza (350) calories + 1 lb strawberries
Snack: 1 pear + 14 tostito chips (120 calories) w/ 100 calorie shredded cheese pack melted on top + 2 rice cakes w/pb
Dinner: Salad
Snack: I made a 130 calorie Betty Crocker warm Glazed Caramel coffee cake bowl for myself and each of the kids to kick off our Spring Break! w00t!

Excercise: 20 min (semi-fast) walk with my kiddos around the neighborhood. I walked, they rode on their scooters!

STRONG Saturday

Breakfast: Oatmeal (plain) w/organic brownsuga!
Lunch: Salad at Whole Foods small coffee *meep*
Snack: Kashi granola bar
Dinner: 3 rice cakes with peanut butter!
Snack: handful of almonds

Exercise: 20 mins on treadmill
5 mins on stairmaster
2 leg machines and 1 ab machine!
at home: DANCED to my ipod for 30+ mins
at home: leg exercises!

Yes, I did kick some boooootay today :)

Dear Scales....why you be so mean?

You know how much I want into the 140's and this morning you showed me 150 ON THE DOT! Such a tease you are ;) It makes me more motivated to prove you wrong!!

Saturday: Angie - my butt hurts!

Breakfast: 3 rice cakes w/pb on top
Snack: granola bar small coffee
Lunch: 1 lb of strawberries
Dinner: a few chips and salsa + 2 blackbean + rice burritos
Drink: 2 patron shots (::blush::) + 2 glasses of wine 0h and a few sips of mojito (sp?) of my date's drink.

I told myself I was going to be totally honest ~ and I am...I had two patron shots. I would have rather had margaritas, but didn't want the extra sugar/calories, so decided on a shot. 2 glasses of wine (sangria)

Exercise: I actually went to the gym today!! 35 mins on the treadmill (2 miles) Also, did arm exercises and danced to "All the Single Ladies" a few times :D

oh, my butt muscles hurt. Guess the extra exercises at home are working!!!

Saturday Stuff

Not much to report today. I am going out of town in the AM, so there will not be an update from me till Monday evening at the earliest. Unless I get bored and figure out how to post from my iPhone.

Input:
2 pieces of Whole Wheat toast with margarine
Snuffer's Cheese Fries
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Water with Lemon
Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream (that the girls ate most of)
Slim Fast Protein Bar
Salad with Ranch
Cheese Pizza
Dessert Pizza
Iced Tea

Output:

Another Busy Day

Today was my middle child's therapy day. One of the things the therapist hit on was that I am SuperMom. I am trying to do everything while keeping a smile on my face. And the fact that many of my posts on here start with "Another busy day" just proves her point.

Anyway, I had a doctor's appt. Long story with more tests that I really don't feel like going into right now, but I will later. Then my middle daughter's appt. Luckily my MIL came over to watch the baby while we went. So this afternoon I was able to hit the gym by myself. Woohoo. And now my husband and I are going out for date night...alone. Something we haven't done in 2 years.

Input:
Half a Hash Brown
Half a Hazelnut Iced Coffee (my first one all year from McyD's)
Chicken Nugget Salad with Ranch
Waffles Fries
Iced Tea

Output:
19:30 minutes on treadmill for 1.13 miles
15:00 minutes on bike for 3.75

Friday - ALMOST but ........

well, I almost broke into the 140's but didn't (boohoo!). Not to worry, it is such a tiny bit that I know I'll get there soon.

Todays weight: 150.6 lbs

Breakfast:
4 Kashi Go Lean Strawberry waffles (160 calories for two = 320 calories) with a little bit of peanutbutter on top for protein
Snack:
Granola Bar (140 calories)
Lunch:
Medium size baked sweet potatoe with a sprinkle of brown sugar
Snack:
14 baked tostitos with a 100 calorie shredded cheese pack on top (14 chips = 120 calories) + 2 rice cakes (50 calories each) with peanut butter on top
Dinner:
Huge salad :D
Drink:
Unsweet med ice tea, 1 glass of sangria (had to, it was a stressful day) & water

Exercise:
I actually did some exercise today! :) I did some leg exercises at home. Go me!! I got so hot (and its so cold outside and I don't have the heat on inside)...so me working up a sweat was GOOD!

Shew, busy day!

After dropping off two of the girls at school, we had a birthday party to go to this morning. I also had to stop into the Apple store to get my iPhone looked at. Ended up getting a brand new phone. Then started the pick up routines. Then it was Fundraiser night for my Oldest's School, so we had to go to McDonald's for dinner. Bad food and not enough exercise. Weigh in day is tomorrow and I am afraid it won't be pretty.

Input:
Turkey and Avocado Sandwich
Lay's Baked Chips
Iced Tea
Southwestern Chicken Salad
Apples
French Fries
Iced Tea

Output:
100 Crunches
30 Leg lifts per leg
Chasing my youngest around the Mall.
Lots of walking through the mall.

SO CLOSE Thursday

I am >< this close to breaking into the 140's. SQUEEEEEEE!!! I'm SO excited. I'm going to work hard in the next few weeks (I think I read somewhere where it takes 2 weeks for something to become a habit) to not eat after 7pm and do the toothbrush thing (brush immediately after each meal). I'm also at the tail end of my monthly cycle, so perhaps another day (WEIGH IN TOMORROW!!) will help me rid of more swelling/water and I can break on in to the other side (140's).

Breakfast: 2 Kashi Go-Lean Strawberry waffles with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter on top of each waffle for extra protein.
Snack: Fruit Salad!! I cut up a small apple, some strawberries and a nectarine and also a few pieces of cantaloupe
Lunch: 2 Morningstar Farms Chik Patties (140 calories each) + granola bar (140 c)
Snack: Two rice cakes with peanut butter on top (YUM!)
Dinner: Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli plus I added a single serving bag of corn and peas

Exercise: 40 mins at the gym (15 mins on elliptical, 5 mins on stairmaster, 20 mins on treadmill) I also did some arm exercises after dinner!

Your toothbrush is a calorie fighter! + other GOOD tips!

Jamie I were talking about this today, so I decided to look some information up on it. I have been thinking of little ways to help me throughout the day to NOT snack at work. I realized that brushing my teeth seems to keep the snacking pangs at bay. I have always had a travel toothpaste and brush at work to brush after breakfast and lunch :D

Here are a few articles that I found interesting:

The Toothbrush - A Calorie Fighter

I really liked this website and will take the tip of the listerine strips. I've tried them before and they are GAG tasting, but give you fresh breath ~ haha!

5 Little Known Fast and Free Weight Loss Tips and Secrets

3.11.09 angie

Breakfast: two 100 calorie packs of oatmeal w/smidge of brownsugar
Lunch: 2 Kashi TLC Trail Mix granola bars (140 calories each) an orange and a nectarine
Snack: handful of plain almonds
Dinner: big salad + medium sized baked sweet potatoe (sprinkled tsp of organic brown sugar on top)


Exercise:
40 mins at the gym (20 treadmill 20 gym) YAY ME~!! I was sweatin'
Some leg exercises at home!

~ No Pain No Gain ~

Right? Isn't that what they tell you? Well I am feeling the pain today. Not sure which exercise did it, but I am feeling it and I am happy about it. LOL It is in my thigh/hip area. Right where I really need it. So this is good!!

Input:
Bowl of Special K Cereal with 2% Milk
Lettuce with Balsamic Dressing
Water with Lime
Hamburger Mac
Green Beans
Edemame
Water with Lime
Pistachio Pudding

Output: (This cold rain did not motivate me today. I was officially a slacker)
100 Crunches (I did up these by 20)
30 Leg lifts per leg

Could it be a better day? :)

I decided when I left work yesterday that I was going to try and make it a better day and I feel like I did. I woke up today thinking I need to continue to make it a good day!

Breakfast: 2 100-calorie packs of oatmeal (w/brown sugar)
Snack: A small nectarine, grapes and fresh strawberries
Lunch: Lean Cuisine Pizza (340 calories)
Snack: an orange, a handful of plain almonds, soy meat slices and cheese cubes
Dinner: Salad and then I had a bowl of organic puffins cereal


Exercise:
7 min walk around the buildings at my workplace
30 mins at the gym (20 mins treadmill 10 min ellip)
Arm exercises at home!

Happy Anniversary to Me!!!

I have not been to Starbucks in TWO Months. Yay me!!! It was hard at first. Really hard. Especially on a cold early morning. But it has been two months and I have not been near one. Summer might be harder because I love their Ice Tea, bit if I keep losing weight the way I am, it will be easy to say no to all the sugar they put in it. I have been drinking Starbucks since I was in High School. Let's not get into how many years ago that was, but that's A LOT of Starbucks. So this is a big deal. I also have this quirky side to me. I always pay for the car behind me when I go through a Drive-Thru. So it could get pretty expensive at times. So not only am I cutting out the calories, I am also helping my wallet. LOL Now to just work on Miss Angie. ;)

Input:
Bowl of Special K Cereal with 2% Milk
Salisbury Steak w/ Mashed Potatoes and Watermelon
Beef Tips with White Rice

Output:
17 minutes (1 Mile) on the treadmill at the gym before they called me for a crying baby.
80 Crunches
30 Legs lifts per Leg

Argh Monday for Angie

I'm feeling so much stress today. Aunt Flo is never a smooth ride for me. So, I've been off the anxiety meds for about 2.5 or so weeks. I tell ya, it was NOT a good time to get off them. With my dad back in the hospital, work, dealing with the ex, etc etc all falling down on me, wowza! So, Jamie and I took before pics (shown on this blog) and I'm so incredibly sad about the way I look. It does light a fire, but it frustrates me. I feel like I have NO TIME to devote to myself. I'm always go go go. When I lost the 50 lbs before, I was a stay at home mom and I could exercise anytime I wanted. I could make my food and be devoted 24/7. I feel so much pressure now and overwhelmed. I struggle with time and being tired. NO MORE EXCUSES!! I'm having a pity party and its making me mad at myself.

Breakfast: 2 - 100 calorie packs of oatmeal (w/tsp of brown sugar) + LARGE coffee...ugh!!! I'm so mad at myself!!!!!
Snack: A nectarine
Lunch: 1 MorningStar Farms fake corndog (150 calories) + a small orange
Snack: Another nectarine
Dinner: Salad!! YIPPPPEEEE!!! (now I just need to fight any food cravings till I go to bed, lol)

Excerise: I cleaned my garage for an hour after work. I am feeling the pain now :(
20 min power walk around the neighborhood with my oldest daughter!! :)

Our Before Photos

Angie came over and we did before photos. These are real eye openers for both of us.



Here's Angie!!




And my lovely self.

Monday Weigh In For Jamie

I lost 2 pounds since Friday. I wish I could say it was from exercise and good eating, but really it was from throwing up for 2 hours last night. So I am going to work really hard (as soon as I get my strength back) to keep it off and lose some more.

Input:
Salami sandwich on Whole Wheat bread with lettuce, Colby/Jack Cheese, Doritos, mayo and mustard.
Iced Tea
3/4 of a Philly Cheesesteak on a hamburger bun with Provolone
Fries with ketchup
Doritos
Water with Lime

Output:
Throwing up for two hours is good exercise on your stomach muscles. LOL
30 Minutes on Wii...
20 Minutes Free Step
6 Minutes of Hula Hoops
4 Minutes o Balance

Bob Greene's "Back to Business" Plan

I am sort of following this plan of thought.

Weeks 1&2:

Food Switch: Replace soda with water, unsweetened ice tea, or fat-free milk. Diet soda is okay, but limit amount, as it may encourage cravings for sweet foods.

Cardio: Fifteen minutes of activity such as walking or riding a stationary bike five times a week. You should be working hard enough so that you can talk, but not for very long.

Strength: None. Starting a strength-training program can stimulate hunger. That's why I recommend waiting until you get a few healthy diet changes under your belt.

Traps to Avoid: Don't be tempted by a shortcut (a fat-burning pill, a fad diet). It may work for awhile, but to lose weight permanently you need to move more, eat less, and figure out the emotional reasons you turn to food.

Sunday Input/Output

Angie is coming over today to take some photos. So be on the lookout for those. These are suppose to be our before shots, but we are a little behind since I have already lost 11 pounds. But I still have a ways to go and these photos will show that.

Input:
1 Mini Cheese Burger - Plain
Small portion of Cheese Fries
Water with Lemon

Output:

3/8/09 angie

I woke up and forgot about daylight savings. so, I guess it isn't almost 10am lol. Anyhow, I'm dressed and ready to go for a neighborhood walk with my oldest. Then back for breakfast and house cleaning. Today, Aunt Flo arrived.

Breakfast: Puffins Organic Peanutbutter Cereal w/soymilk
Snack: 2 Kashi granola bars (140 calories each) + fresh pineapple
Lunch: Soy meat + cheese cubes
Dinner: Salad and then I had Puffins cereal w/soymilk

Exercise: Walked around neighborhood with my oldest daughter

Birthdays Galore

Today was a very busy morning. We had a couple of birthday parties so we had to divide and conquer. I took our youngest and we went to one. I tried to be good. I did eat a bit of the tortilla chips and spinach artichoke dip but I stayed away from the pizza...till the end. I ate 3/4 of a piece. However, i did NOT have a piece of cake. Yeah me. I have to say I am really proud of myself about how hard I am trying. I have given up a lot of the sweets stuff. I still love my food, but I am not eating all the empty calories I usually eat.

I do get to brag. I have a stack of pants in my Armoir. Those that fit on top. Those that fit but are snug in the middle and those that don't fit on the bottom. There was a pair of capris I really wanted to wear but they are on the bottom of that pile...Well not any more. Not only do they fit, but the fit perfectly. Not tight. Woohoo! Even my husband noticed that I was wearing pants I hadn't worn in ages. And my friends at the birthday party even noticed I looked slimmer. I love my friends.

Input:
Bowl of Special K cereal with 2% Milk
Spinach Artichoke Dip with Tortilla Chips
Fruit
Water
3/4 Slice of Supreme Pizza
Green Salad with Chicken and Ranch
Iced Tea

Output:
Walk around the neighborhood with my oldest daughter.
80 Crunches
40 Leg Lifts

Sassy Saturday!!

Got up earlier than I wanted to and headed out with M in tow to his baseball practice. Did not have time for breakfast, which I am kicking myself ~ so got a McD's coffee (small) on the way there to have some juice in my tummy! I am feeling good today!!!

Brunch: Lean Cuisine Pizza (340 calories)
Drink: Small McD's coffee, Medium Unsweet Tea
Snack: Blueberry Smoothie drink (340 calories) + granola bar (140 calories)
Dinner: Bowl of cereal w/soymilk
Snack: Fresh blackberries

DAM Weigh In Day

Down a little more...

Today was a busy busy day and I really haven't eaten a whole lot. But I had a wonderful evening with friends. I need to take my tired, buzzed butt to bed. Yes, I said buzzed. Boy am I buzzed. That's two weekends in a row. I feel like a school kid doing something behind my parents back and yet, I am 30 something. LOL Ok, I need to shut up now, it's the alcohol typing.

Input:
Green Beans
1 Ciabata bread
1 small Piece of Lasagna
Iced Tead
2 Fuzzy Navels

Output:
20 minutes of playing chase with the girls.

Back to where I started FINALLY

I am back to where I started finally: 151 lbs so, 26 pounds to go! I can do this!! and if I get the call to go out of town again if my dad gets a liver or gets worse...I will have to keep it together and not go free for all on food. Yesterday, I went to Kroger and got the $1.49 deal on their lean cuisine meals. I am going to go back this weekend to stock up on more. Those can be my lunches for sure. Back to the gym....starting today! Will take my gym clothes to work.

Breakfast: PIZZA!! from Lean Cuisine (heehee) 340 calories. It was a nice change from oatmeal.

Helpful Links

These two links helped me in my weightloss journey a few years ago:

Body Mass Index

Body Health Calculator

3.5.09 angie

Breakfast: oatmeal packet 100 calories + blueberry smoothie (340 calories)
Lunch: 2 MorningStar Farms corn dogs (150 calories each)
Snack: 2 pieces of chocolate
Dinner: Pasta w/tahini sauce + corn and peas
Drink: Water

I want to go to the gym today but I have my son's baseball practice. I might walk around the grounds while the practice and do some stretches when I get home. I think my body is gearing up for aunt flo ~ hence my cravings for chocolate. Yikes!

3.5.09 Input/Output

Not much going on today. This will be a boring post, cuz you know, all my other posts have been SO exciting. LOL Tomorrow is weigh in day for the DAM Biggest Loser. Here's hoping I have something positive (or technically negative) to post.


Input:
Water with Lime
Chicken Rice with Veggies (310 Calories)
Couple Slices of an Orange
Chicken Stroganoff with Egg Noodles
Water with Lime

Output:
30 minutes of Wii
10 minutes of Free Step
20 minutes of Balance Work

I'm so full of ...... STRESS!

I have not been to the gym in over a week. Probably two weeks and it is taking a toll. Must get back soon. My mental status is depending on it.

Breakfast: Oatmeal 100 calories
Snack: a pear
Lunch: Cereal + soymilk
Snack 2 soyjoy bars (150 calories each) plus about 8 of my kid's french fries
Dinner: Lean Quis. Pizza (340 calories) + blueberry smoothie

What About Wednesday

What about it? I ate bad already. I mean, I always eat bad, but I ate REALLY bad this morning. I promised Sevi we could go out for breakfast and we went to McDonald's. It was SO good but SO bad. LOL However, I did not order my favorite Hazelnut Iced Coffee. I really really wanted to, but didn't. Yay me!!

Input:
Sausage McMuffin with Cheese
2 Hash Browns
Water
3/4 of a Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers Rotini and Zesty Marinara
Water with Lime
Chicken Parmesan
Garlic Cheese bread
Water with Lime

Output:
60 Crunches
31 Minutes of Wii...
20 minutes Free Step
11 Minutes of Balance

An "ok" Tuesday

breakfast oatmeal (200 calories)
Snack: An orange and a pear + 100 calorie snack
Lunch: Some cheese with alvacado spread on it + baked lays
Dinner: Black Beans + Brown Rice + tostito chips
Snack: small snack pack of cookies :( (200 calories)
Drink: water, med unsweet iced tea

I am officially done with the 100 calorie snack box and I will not be buying more.

exercise: A brisk walk around the business center at my job

What is your ideal weight?

5 tips for finding your happy weight....

If you're trying to lose weight, you probably have a goal, your ideal weight, in mind. A good question to ask yourself is, "Where did I get this number?"
Is it what you weighed in high school? Is it what health experts suggest you should weigh, based on your age, body frame and body type?

While weight loss is an admirable goal for a woman who is truly overweight, many women who want to lose weight don't need to. In study after study, researchers have found that the majority of normal weight women think they need to lose 10 or 15 pounds: what I call vanity pounds.

Why is this a problem?

If our happy weight is based on unrealistic expectations, it will cause us much pain and suffering. We'll exhaust ourselves, trying to achieve the impossible. We'll live in fear: when we've lost weight, we're fearful of gaining it back; when we've gained a few pounds, we're fearful that the scale will keep rising. We may delve into all sorts of whacked out behaviors: crash dieting, food obsession, fasting, and overexercising in our desire to reach our goal.

Unrealistic expectations can create an unhealthy focus on our appearance. You can only be 10 pounds underweight if you're working very, very hard: by exercising for hours a day and being very stringent about what you eat. These behaviors can easily morph into an eating disorder.

The flip side, accepting a realistic happy weight, may mean giving up our wishful thinking of being a size 2. This can be painful; I know. But the rewards of letting go of our impossible expectations are many: vitality, feeling satisfied by the variety and amount of food we eat, energy, stable moods, confidence and a healthy appreciation for our appearance instead of obsession. It's also a sure way to temper the jealousy you may feel about other pretty women.

Click here for the 5 tips

Monday Weigh In...Oops, it's Tuesday!

I forgot to weigh yesterday. Shame on me. So I made sure to get it in today and WOOHOO!!!! I am so glad I did.




I am going in the right direction.

Input:
Grilled Chicken in Garlic Sauce with Asparagus and Carrots
Banana Pudding
Iced Tea
Boneless Beef Ribs
Mashed Potatoes
Green beans
Water

Output:
60 Crunches
33 Minutes of Wii...
10 minutes of step
23 minutes of Yoga

Very Exciting News

Since having my youngest, I have been a size 18. I even got down to a 16 but then went back up to an 18. I have never in my life worn an 18. This was really hard for me. At Christmas I ordered a pair of Jeans from Victoria Secrets (Gift Cards). I decided to order them in a 16 just to motivate me. When they arrived (and I finally got the courage to try them on) they fit! I was so excited and couldn't believe it. Then I had to return something, so I exchanged them for another pair of jeans since these were so comfy. Again, I ordered a size down, 14, to help motivate me. They arrived and again, I waited to try them on. After my 3 pound loss last week, I had enough courage to try them on this weekend to see how much farther I needed to get to be able to wear them....

THEY FIT!!!!

Oh my gosh, you can not even imagine my excitement. I was a 14 after my first two babies and I was able to get down to a 10 from them. So I know if I can get to this 14, I can get to my goal of a 10. I am so so excited. However, I am also a realist and realize I may not make it to a 10. Not because I am fat or overweight or what not, but because my body (ahem, HIPS) just aen't the same after having three children. So I will be happy with a loose ( LOL ) 12.

Just had to brag a bit as I am very very excited about this. This is a great motivator!!!

Back on track

New week, time to get back on track after a horrible weekend food wise. Ok, so I always eat horrible, but a weekend out of town makes it even worse. I never ever drink alcohol, but I did this weekend to let loose a little. I just need to do some extra workouts this week to make up for it. Today was a draining day emotionally as we had a big day with my middle daughter. But it all ended up being good and I am happy to be on a system now with her. We ate bad today because we were on the road and then I didn't make it to the grocery store this weekend since I was out of town.

Input:
Soft Taco with lettuce and cheese
MexiMelt (can you tell where we ate?)
Iced Tea
2 Chicken Soft Tacos (Different place for dinner)
Chips and Salsa and Queso
Water with Lemon

Output:
32 Minutes on Wii....
20 minutes of Free Step
4 minutes of Yoga
8 minutes of Balance

Monday Madness!

I think I am going to make Mondays my "mad" or "off" days. Its just always a cluster at work and .... ugh!!! Ok...I want some chocolate :(

Breakfast: Oatmeal (200 calories) 2 tsp brown sugar
Snack: An Orange and a Pear
Lunch: 1/2 a black bean burrito from Taco Bueno + three 100 calorie snack packs (darn me!!)
Dinner: Black Beans + Brown Rice + 100 calorie cheese pack + baked tostitos

Back home

I am back home today. I had a wonderful weekend at the seminar which ended with a flat tire this afternoon. Blech. But I am home and ready to get back on track.

Input:
Eggs with salsa
Fruit
Orange Juice
Coffee
Flank Steak
Small bit of Potato Soup
Side Salad w/ Ranch
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Oven baked red potatoes with Rosemary
Water with Lemon

Output:
90 Crunches
10 Push ups
30 squats

Getting Back on Track!

I'm SO excited to report that it has been a full week since I have completely stopped the anxiety meds. The dizziness has subsided and.....and....I feel as though I have a wee bit more energy :)

Brunch: Lentil soup from Whole Foods + Odwalla drink (340 calories as it had 2 servings in the bottle...yipes! but worth the nutrients for sure)
Snack: 14 baked tostitos (yes, I sure did count them out..heehee...120 calories) 100 calorie shredded cheese sprinkled on top and melted.
Another Snack: Cinnamon Oatmeal 160 calories
Dinner: A baked Sweet Potato, a bag of chezits (220 calories) & 2 PB&J sandwiches

Exercise: I furiously walked from one side of Willowbend Mall to the other and then back. Doing controlled breathing so that was helpful.