Weigh Day

I just realized I didn't post last week!  Last week I lost 2.8 pounds and was down to 245 and this morning I am 241.8 - YEAH!!!

My calories this week were lower on average and this weekend I did a lot of physical labor installing our new faux wood floors.  I am so excited!

I am down for a total of 17 pounds.  I can't wait to go down a size in jeans.  I have "heard" that in the upper sizes where I am there are about 30-40 pounds between sizes and as the sizes get smaller so do the pounds required to get down to the next one. I have about 4 pairs of jeans in my closet that are 18's that I cannot zip or button and when I can get in to those I will have my first major victory!

Weigh Day

Wooohoooo!!! I lost 2.2 pounds!  This is so exciting! LOL I am down to 247.8 and I met my first Mini-Goal of 10 pounds!!!!!  I am doing the happy dance. 

Next Mini Goal: 228 by August 1, 2010

My Chicken Salad recipe:

1 can of canned chicken (Walmart Great Value is the best tasting I have found) 360 cals
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip 40 cals
10 Red Grapes 34 cals
6 Almonds chopped up 42 cals
Red onion diced finely 1 to 2 tablespoons
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix and refrigerate.  I divide mine into 2 servings.  I eat alone or on a sandwich of whole grain bread. 

Anxious

Tomorrow is weigh in day!  Last week was only .8 of a pound and I attributed it to TOM who showed up Tuesday and disappeared by Wednesday afternoon.  So, it may not have been real!  Now I am stressing about weighing tomorrow.  All week I have been on the high end of my calorie range because of cravings that again, I am attributing to TOM.  They have subsided these last couple of days and I haven't felt so out of control hungry.

I have been implementing some minor exercise.  I have taken some walks around the block these last few days with Noodle.  Sometimes we go twice.  Yesterday I walked the block AND mowed the lawn and mowing the lawn got me out of breath and sweating!!!  I am counting it as cardio! LOL  Also, I have done some exercises on my arms with my dumbells.  Today I did some situps/crunches.  I am just doing a little at a time and doing what I can and trying to push myself just a little.  I don't want to injure myself or over do it and get out of control hungry from it. 

Anyway, I am hoping for a loss tomorrow!  I'll be back with a report.

Today's Weigh In

I only lost .8 - darn TOM is ruining it for me!!!  I am trying to give myself a pep talk- that .8 is better than nothing or heaven forbid, gaining!  Still, only 3 weeks in to not have what I deem to be a significant loss is upsetting to me.  Apparently, TOM can prevent quite a bit of loss and supposedly when it is gone I will have a nice drop.  I hope so. 

I am just going to stay on plan and keep drinking lots of water.  Also, this week I am adding a little "movement" to my days.  Yesterday I moved around the backyard with Noodle for 6 minutes. I jogged, I skipped, I moved my arms in jabbing motions, did walking lunges etc until I lost my breath.  6 minutes sounds pathetic, but that is something.  I am going to go for longer today.

It's going good.

I forgot to write in Wednesday! I lost 3 more pounds- total of 8 now!  2 pounds away from my first mini goal.

I am halfway through week 3 and it is going good. I feel good, have energy and I am sleeping normally.  My blood sugar was 146 today, 148 yesterday and 141 on Thursday.  I expect to be in the 130's next week!  Yeah! 

I am looking forward to weighing in on Wednesday.  I am expecting TOM soon so hopefully it won't affect my weight. I am drinking lots of water.  Eating a few almonds everytime I feel like I need something - I am sure that is helping with my blood sugars and keeping them from spiking high and low. 

Not really exercising yet. I can't decide what to do.  The weather is getting hot here so walking isn't really going to work for me.  Getting hot makes me ANGRY, frustrated and I want to cry. I am too fat for outdoor activity in the Texas heat.  I have some weights so I think I might start using those for my triceps and biceps and then I'll do floor exercises like leg lifts, sit ups and squats.  I can walk and run up and down the stairwell too.  I have some exercise videos, but I am not a fan. LOL  Perhaps when I am down 30 pounds I will give those a go.

Foods I added/tried this week:

Nutri-grain Eggo Waffles (yummy) with strawberries and half of 1/4 cup of syrup
Cottage cheese and peaches
Chicken "breaded" with corn flakes - baked - was super yummy!

I'll be back Wednesday with weigh in results.

Lost 5 pounds

I weighed in Wednesday and was down to 253.6 from 258.6 the Wednesday before. Down 5 pounds exactly.  I stayed under 1700 calories everyday and drank water everyday.  I am eating foods I like so I don't feel deprived, but I am weighing and measuring everything and putting all the data into http://www.fitday.com/

I weigh again this coming Wednesday and I am hoping for at least two more pounds gone.  My first mini goal is 10 pounds and I am halfway there. I am setting mini goals so I can feel a sense of accomplishment along the way.  I think this will help me from being impatient and overwhelmed by the big picture of losing over 100 pounds.

One great salad I made for myself this week:

Iceberg Lettuce Salad Mix 4 cups - 30 calories
1 can of tuna - 100 calories
2 hard boiled eggs sliced/chopped up - 140
2 tablespoons ranch dressing - 110 calories

Total 380 calories and VERY filling and gets me protein.   I may eventually switch to a "light" or "fat free" dressing if I can find one that tastes good. I refuse to eat anything that doesn't taste good because that only sets me up to fail.  I drink water with all my meals.

I saw some Whole Wheat tortillas at HEB yesterday. When I do my grocery shopping this week I am getting some and am going to experiment with making wraps - tuna or chicken with shredded lettuce, tomato, maybe avacado (super food) and a tablespoon or two of dressing.

Sooooooo.....here I am again.

I hope this is the last time I say, "I'm here again and back on the wagon."  The struggle with my weight over the years has taken a toll on me.  On Wednesday without planning for it (considering Tuesday night I ate almost a whole bag of salt and vinegar kettle chips) I just decided I couldn't do it anymore. I know I have probably said that before so I don't even expect anyone to believe me.  I am afraid for my health to decline or deteriorate.  My blood sugars have been over 200 for months and it has finally scared me.  Since Wednesday I have had bs's of 162, 177 and 180 which are still high but they are under 200 and that is great!

I am counting calories and drinking water. I am not beginning any exercise program at this time because exercise makes me extremely hungry and right now I just don't need any additional challenges.  I am re-training myself on portion sizes and just focusing on that and staying within an allotted calorie range.  I will tackle exercise after I have dropped some weight and feel stronger and more confident with my food choices.

I am not the type of person who can follow a thousand food rules.  I don't want to track fat grams, carbs etc.  I am strictly tracking calories, being conscious of portions by measuring, weighing etc.  I am making different food choices because of the calories, but if I decide I want chocolate I am going to eat a normal serving, log it and move on - making sure it is in my calorie range for the day.  I know myself and I know when I deprive myself of certain foods it is only a set up for failure because then what happens is I become obsessed with that which I cannot have. I have found that knowing I can have something if I choose, frees me up from thinking about it all the time!

I am not going to jump on any fads or follow the latest trends. I am not going to become obsessed about chemicals etc that are in foods. I do already choose "real" foods over chemically created foods - like I use real butter instead of margarine, real sugar instead of Equal.  Real is always going to be better for me, but again in the right portion.  I am not going to get distracted by what other people think I should do.  I know me best and I am going to choose how I travel this road.  I am not going to compare myself to anyone else either.

So, like the Whitesnake song says, "here I go again on my own!"  I am on the road to freedom, health and a closetful of jeans I haven't worn in years!