For the last few days, I've been feeling a little bloated. :-( And then yesterday, I woke up with a sore throat. Those things combined have made me feel tired and lazy, but that didn't mean my eating habits were going to suffer.
We tried turkey burgers last night, and rather than grill them, we wrapped them in foil, added spices and baked them in the oven. They turned out pretty good, so now we have a new choice for our dinner protein. :-)
Having a general knowledge of how many calories are in what size portion, has made grocery shopping fun. Sounds silly, I know. But it's a challenge now to put together a meal that is under 400 calories, and is something different. I've got a pantry full of cookbooks, but I don't really use them. Unless it's a day when I have more time to cook, I like to make dinners that take very little time.
This morning I weighed, and have lost 39 lbs. I'm almost to my halfway point! I can't wait for warmer weather and outdoor activity!!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Untie the knot!
This morning, I put on a pair of my warm, cozy fleece pants to lay around in for awhile. When I tried to tighten the drawstring, I realized that I had tied the strings in a knot way at the end. I remember doing that, and I remember why I did that.
These fleece pants were on the verge of being too small for me, and if I didn't tie the strings at the end, they would have been pulled into the waistband when I stretched the waist to put them on.
Now, there is over a foot of string, tied at the end, hanging from my waist. Maybe it's safe to untie the knot now, and make a cute little girly bow. :-)
Today is Sunday, March 28 and I've lost 38 lbs.
These fleece pants were on the verge of being too small for me, and if I didn't tie the strings at the end, they would have been pulled into the waistband when I stretched the waist to put them on.
Now, there is over a foot of string, tied at the end, hanging from my waist. Maybe it's safe to untie the knot now, and make a cute little girly bow. :-)
Today is Sunday, March 28 and I've lost 38 lbs.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Elliptically Responsible
Becoming calorically responsible was the easy part. Becoming elliptically responsible is completely different.
I don't hate going to the gym, and I don't love going to the gym. I go to the gym because the exercise is an important part of getting healthy and living long enough to see my future grand kids grow up. Besides, wintertime in Boise is no place for a wimp like me to be out walking and biking. The gym is at least warm.
In the winter, it's hard to find something to do that keeps my interest. It's a long, cold season where all we can do is brave the cold, and sometimes snow, to get to the gym and endure our daily punishment. :-)
Summertime is different. I'm out in the warm sun, sometimes participating with my son's baseball, or playing tennis on weekends. In the summer, if I skip a day or two at the gym during the week, I make up for it on the weekends when I'm out running around.
If only I could change my outlook on the gym. For a lot of years, I went to the gym without a plan. I just went because it was the thing to do. I never paid attention to how many calories I might be burning, or how using certain muscles with certain weights would change my shape. In the past, going to the gym was just another part of a failing weight loss plan that never really came together.
So now, I have a fresh start. I have the eating plan down now. That part is under control. Now I have to incorporate the exercise in a way that I like, and in a way that doesn't feel futile, like it has in the past.
Currently, I go to the gym two or three times a week, and spend up to 30 minutes on a combination of treadmill and elliptical. Then a few reps on a handful of weight machines that target legs, arms, chest, back and abs. It's a decent workout. As I lose more weight, I'll increase the times and weights.
My massage girl says I have strong muscles under the fat layer. Thanks, Kat. That's a real confidence booster. Ugh.
I don't hate going to the gym, and I don't love going to the gym. I go to the gym because the exercise is an important part of getting healthy and living long enough to see my future grand kids grow up. Besides, wintertime in Boise is no place for a wimp like me to be out walking and biking. The gym is at least warm.
In the winter, it's hard to find something to do that keeps my interest. It's a long, cold season where all we can do is brave the cold, and sometimes snow, to get to the gym and endure our daily punishment. :-)
Summertime is different. I'm out in the warm sun, sometimes participating with my son's baseball, or playing tennis on weekends. In the summer, if I skip a day or two at the gym during the week, I make up for it on the weekends when I'm out running around.
If only I could change my outlook on the gym. For a lot of years, I went to the gym without a plan. I just went because it was the thing to do. I never paid attention to how many calories I might be burning, or how using certain muscles with certain weights would change my shape. In the past, going to the gym was just another part of a failing weight loss plan that never really came together.
So now, I have a fresh start. I have the eating plan down now. That part is under control. Now I have to incorporate the exercise in a way that I like, and in a way that doesn't feel futile, like it has in the past.
Currently, I go to the gym two or three times a week, and spend up to 30 minutes on a combination of treadmill and elliptical. Then a few reps on a handful of weight machines that target legs, arms, chest, back and abs. It's a decent workout. As I lose more weight, I'll increase the times and weights.
My massage girl says I have strong muscles under the fat layer. Thanks, Kat. That's a real confidence booster. Ugh.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Setting My Pace
When I started this plan of mine, I set a goal for myself of 90 lbs. That is still a good goal, and I'd like to reach that, but because I'm so OCD, I'd like to set my goal for an even number. :-) So I'm altering that goal to 86 lbs. Once I reach that, I'll decide how much more I want to lose.
It's been 53 days, and I've lost 37 lbs. I looked back at my posts and found that as of March 13, I had lost 31 lbs. So in the last 14 days, I've lost 6 lbs. That is so great! And hopefully not too fast. You know they say 2 lbs a week is ideal. But if I can keep up this pace of 2-3 lbs a week, then I could easily lose another 32-48 lbs by the beginning of August.
At this point, having lost 37, I am almost halfway to my goal. I have 49 to go. I could totally be at my goal by the time I see my family in 4 months! Oh my! How shocked you all will be! :-)
It's been 53 days, and I've lost 37 lbs. I looked back at my posts and found that as of March 13, I had lost 31 lbs. So in the last 14 days, I've lost 6 lbs. That is so great! And hopefully not too fast. You know they say 2 lbs a week is ideal. But if I can keep up this pace of 2-3 lbs a week, then I could easily lose another 32-48 lbs by the beginning of August.
At this point, having lost 37, I am almost halfway to my goal. I have 49 to go. I could totally be at my goal by the time I see my family in 4 months! Oh my! How shocked you all will be! :-)
Dinner Variety
It's been 53 days of eating like a normal human, and I'm really starting to notice the change in the way I look. I've been noticing for awhile that my clothes fit better. Good thing I kept all my old uniforms... the ones that I kept growing OUT of. :-) Summer's coming, and I'll have to order new shorts that fit. And maybe one or two of the little carrier skirts. Yay! New clothes!
The types of dinners that we've been sticking to have been your basic meat and vegetable. Sometimes a little fruit thrown in, or cottage cheese, and always a big salad. I'll put a hard-boiled egg on the salad, tomato and light dressing. The lettuce we keep cut up and ready, and ironically, in an old, plastic ice cream bucket.
But for variety, instead of grilling chicken, or even a lean beef patty, we have started checking the stores for low-cal, inexpensive tv dinners to give us a change of pace. The Lean Cuisines are good, for the most part. And Healthy Choice has some good options. But honestly, for the price, they're not so great. The one thing I like is the Lean Cuisine French Bread Pizza. Oh, and the Philly Steak Panini is really great.
But those dinners cost between $2-$3 each. And although that's not a lot, it makes for an expensive trip to the grocery store if we're going to stock up for a few weeks.
What we've found that we really like are the small tv dinners that are made by Banquet, Swanson, etc. They have small portions, always include a vegetable, and are most times less than 250 calories, depending on the meal. And those smaller dinners cost less than a dollar! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! They might have more sodium, or more fat than grilling my own chicken, but some days, I just need to eat and crash. And these dinners fit the bill!
The types of dinners that we've been sticking to have been your basic meat and vegetable. Sometimes a little fruit thrown in, or cottage cheese, and always a big salad. I'll put a hard-boiled egg on the salad, tomato and light dressing. The lettuce we keep cut up and ready, and ironically, in an old, plastic ice cream bucket.
But for variety, instead of grilling chicken, or even a lean beef patty, we have started checking the stores for low-cal, inexpensive tv dinners to give us a change of pace. The Lean Cuisines are good, for the most part. And Healthy Choice has some good options. But honestly, for the price, they're not so great. The one thing I like is the Lean Cuisine French Bread Pizza. Oh, and the Philly Steak Panini is really great.
But those dinners cost between $2-$3 each. And although that's not a lot, it makes for an expensive trip to the grocery store if we're going to stock up for a few weeks.
What we've found that we really like are the small tv dinners that are made by Banquet, Swanson, etc. They have small portions, always include a vegetable, and are most times less than 250 calories, depending on the meal. And those smaller dinners cost less than a dollar! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! They might have more sodium, or more fat than grilling my own chicken, but some days, I just need to eat and crash. And these dinners fit the bill!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Boots.
When I was 17, I weighed 170 lbs. I wore a size 11, and I didn't feel heavy. I remember feeling like I was bigger than my friends, and I worried about that, but I didn't feel fat.
I had been chubby my whole childhood. But now at age 17, I felt like I was an average size, and was happy with my weight, for the most part. That is, until my then boyfriend made a deal with me that changed my view of myself.
There were a pair of boots that I really wanted. They were the really sexy ones... thigh high, with super high heels. I had seen them in a catalog... probably Frederick's. So I had never tried them on, and I had no idea if they would fit my legs or whether or not I'd look like a couple of stuffed sausages.
Anyway, I never got the chance. They were expensive boots, and I couldn't afford them. My boyfriend told me, "I'll buy them for you if you lose 30 lbs." Ugh. There went my dreams of the new boots, and at the same time my self-esteem was shattered. I thought he liked my shape! I thought he thought I was fine! Apparently, not.
I never got the boots, and I've always thought about them. Not because I would wear them these days, but because I never got the chance. Silly, right? Crazy the things that shape our poor, impressionable minds.
Today is Wednesday, March 24th, and I've lost 36 lbs.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Dinner out!
Since I've been on this new eating schedule, which has been about 48 days now, I've been to three restaurants. The first time we met friends for breakfast, and was teased about the small amount on my plate. I left that restaurant full, and had eaten a 2 egg plain omelet and one pancake.
The second time we went out to eat, we went to a Mexican restaurant and both ordered the chicken tortilla soup. We had some chips and salsa, but only a few. We also had a good sized house salad.
On those two occasions, I felt like we were counting our calories, and stayed within our daily limit.
But last night, I knew in advance that we were going out. I woke up ready to plan my calorie intake for the day.
The first thing I did was go to the restaurant's website to check out the menu. It had the usual choices of meat and fish, and some nice soups and salads. After reading all the options, I made my choice.
So I spent the day doing my regular chores, and made an effort to spread my calories out longer in the day. I also had a big glass of water with Benefiber to get me through the afternoon.
By the time I got to the restaurant, I had only had my Egg Beaters in the morning, and an afternoon apple. This schedule deviated quite a bit from my normal plan of 100 calories every 2-3 hours. I had gone longer between snacks, and eaten less. But my goal was to save what calories I could for dinnertime, just in case something unexpected was on the table.
I got to dinner with about 800+ calories available to spend. But the unexpected was about to happen...
Our hostess ordered wine. And appetizers. And as much as I would love to shout from the rooftops that "I've lost 34 lbs and I didn't get to this point by drinking wine and eating appetizers!", I couldn't do that. I was going to blend into this party, and they wouldn't even know I was eating light.
So I accepted the half glass of wine that was poured for me, and it was delicious! :-) I also had one bite of the grilled asparagus on bruchetta and one crouton with warm artichoke dip.
What I ordered for my dinner was a cup of tomato basil soup, and the mixed green Mignonette salad with balsamic dressing and crumbled bleu cheese. It was a good sized salad, and was plenty for dinner.
At this point, I was thinking that I might go over my allotted 800 calories for the night. But since I didn't bring a calorie book with me, I had no idea what I was eating. I just hoped for the best. It all looked like a common sense meal, but I know the soup had heavy cream in it, and the bleu cheese was probably a no-no.
Then dessert came around. The table decided to order two to share, and we asked our server to bring a tiramisu, and a baked apple with raisins and a caramel type sauce.
I had two bites of the tirimisu as it came around, and two bites of the apple. They were both so good! I hadn't had sweets like that in 48 days!
We finished up with strong coffee. It was really a great night out, and a true test of my will power. Honestly, I think I did fine, and it wasn't hard.
Something has clicked in my brain, and I'll never look at food the same way again. I still have some bad tendencies, but I haven't followed through with them. I'm able to stop myself, and that is a sure sign that I'm turning things around. Thank God!
Oh, and I guess my internal calorie counter was working last night! I weighed this morning, and lost another pound! I'm at 35 now! I love that my goal keeps getting closer!
The second time we went out to eat, we went to a Mexican restaurant and both ordered the chicken tortilla soup. We had some chips and salsa, but only a few. We also had a good sized house salad.
On those two occasions, I felt like we were counting our calories, and stayed within our daily limit.
But last night, I knew in advance that we were going out. I woke up ready to plan my calorie intake for the day.
The first thing I did was go to the restaurant's website to check out the menu. It had the usual choices of meat and fish, and some nice soups and salads. After reading all the options, I made my choice.
So I spent the day doing my regular chores, and made an effort to spread my calories out longer in the day. I also had a big glass of water with Benefiber to get me through the afternoon.
By the time I got to the restaurant, I had only had my Egg Beaters in the morning, and an afternoon apple. This schedule deviated quite a bit from my normal plan of 100 calories every 2-3 hours. I had gone longer between snacks, and eaten less. But my goal was to save what calories I could for dinnertime, just in case something unexpected was on the table.
I got to dinner with about 800+ calories available to spend. But the unexpected was about to happen...
Our hostess ordered wine. And appetizers. And as much as I would love to shout from the rooftops that "I've lost 34 lbs and I didn't get to this point by drinking wine and eating appetizers!", I couldn't do that. I was going to blend into this party, and they wouldn't even know I was eating light.
So I accepted the half glass of wine that was poured for me, and it was delicious! :-) I also had one bite of the grilled asparagus on bruchetta and one crouton with warm artichoke dip.
What I ordered for my dinner was a cup of tomato basil soup, and the mixed green Mignonette salad with balsamic dressing and crumbled bleu cheese. It was a good sized salad, and was plenty for dinner.
At this point, I was thinking that I might go over my allotted 800 calories for the night. But since I didn't bring a calorie book with me, I had no idea what I was eating. I just hoped for the best. It all looked like a common sense meal, but I know the soup had heavy cream in it, and the bleu cheese was probably a no-no.
Then dessert came around. The table decided to order two to share, and we asked our server to bring a tiramisu, and a baked apple with raisins and a caramel type sauce.
I had two bites of the tirimisu as it came around, and two bites of the apple. They were both so good! I hadn't had sweets like that in 48 days!
We finished up with strong coffee. It was really a great night out, and a true test of my will power. Honestly, I think I did fine, and it wasn't hard.
Something has clicked in my brain, and I'll never look at food the same way again. I still have some bad tendencies, but I haven't followed through with them. I'm able to stop myself, and that is a sure sign that I'm turning things around. Thank God!
Oh, and I guess my internal calorie counter was working last night! I weighed this morning, and lost another pound! I'm at 35 now! I love that my goal keeps getting closer!
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