So, in continuing this dialogue of success, I had to drop in for an early post to announce that I lost another 2.4 pounds! That's right, folks...I got to see the number 15 on the scale today! I actually reweighed myself three times to make sure it was accurate, because the last time I weighed in (I think it last Friday or Saturday morning) I was still at 218.
Now, to be fair, I weighed in at noon instead of first thing in the morning, so I'm not going to panic if it's a little higher on Friday morning. But it just felt so good to see the scale go down, I had to do a little trumpeting!
It's especially encouraging considering the fact that I've been struggling a little lately.
Here are some more cool news:
1. I've lost an inch from my neck, two inches from my waist, and four inches from my hips!! I hadn't thought to measure until now, and I'm SO glad I did! I haven't really felt the difference in my clothes yet, but to see actual inches coming off, well, that was really cool.
2. On my walk today, as well as the past few walks I've taken, I've noticed that it's taken me around two minutes less to make my four laps around the neighborhood. When it started, four laps took me an even 30 minutes...lately it's only taken 28. I take this as a sign that I'm getting in better shape, and therefore walking faster! It looks like I might have to add a fifth lap soon. :)
I've thought of another important reason for me to keep this up: simply to prove to myself that I can see something like this through. For most of my life, I've been kind of notorious for getting really gung-ho about something, then dropping it like a bad habit (except a lot of times, it's a good habit!). Sometimes this happens because I found something else I'm more interested in, and other times it's because whatever it was got too hard. So really, this is also a test of my ability to stick with something that challenges me. I know that passing that test will boost my confidence far more than smaller waist ever could.
Thanks to everyone who left such sweet comments on my last post! It means so so so so much!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Day 100 (we're switching to digits)
Today, on my one hundredth day of posting, I've decided to do a little reflection on the progress I've made so far. I've had a couple of days that were kind of rough for me emotionally, and I figure this is the perfect place to let it all out.
So there's this new show on TLC called "My Strange Addiction." And, as the title would suggest, these people have some strange addictions. Toilet-paper eaters, thumb suckers, compulsive shoe shoppers...just to name a few. But interestingly, some of the advice given to the addicts by psychiatrists on the show applies rather well to my own addiction to food.
Really and truly, for most of my life I've had an addictive relationship with food. Any time I'm sad, stressed, defeated, upset, or just plain bored, my first instinct has always been to go for food. I've got my "hard drugs," which tend to be things like numbered meals at fast food places, bags of Peanut M&M's, delivered pizza, etc. Then I have the more recreational stuff, which can be anything from a mac and cheese to Sun Chips. It all depends on the size of the emotion I'm trying to satisfy. So I've been able to relate a lot to the people on "My Strange Addiction," even if my own addiction is not as outlandish as theirs. Those self-destructive behaviors are all too familiar to me.
Something one of the psychiatrists on the show suggested is removing triggers from the house. My triggers, I've learned, are anything in the pantry or fridge that is salty, sweet, and can be eaten instantly and in quantity. This is why it was so helpful to me when I started this whole project to throw out all my triggers: nutella, sugary cereal, chips, etc. Just getting these things out of the house makes me eat so much healthier. No matter how many nutritious foods I stock up on, if I have even one box of cookies - even fat-free, "healthy" cookies - in the pantry, when I snack I'll choose cookies over fruits and veggies every time until the cookies are gone. I've learned about my triggers the hard way for the past few weeks, having bought a few "healthy" snacks like pretzels, Trader Joe's corn puffs (similar to Pirate's Booty), 100 calorie packs, and those fat-free Snack Wells cookies. I might have bought a bunch of fruits and veggies in addition to all of that stuff, but they get immediately forgotten at snack time in favor of the empty-calorie quick snacks.
Soooo, we're doing a bit of pantry purging again. :) I'm also considering restarting Phase One next week, because I think that sense of structure really helps me.
Another thing that was suggested on the show, which I think is a great idea, is to list the reasons why you quit your addiction. This way, every time you're tempted to relapse, you can go look at your list and remember what made you quit in the first place. So I thought, what better place to do this than on the blog? So here is my list:
So there's this new show on TLC called "My Strange Addiction." And, as the title would suggest, these people have some strange addictions. Toilet-paper eaters, thumb suckers, compulsive shoe shoppers...just to name a few. But interestingly, some of the advice given to the addicts by psychiatrists on the show applies rather well to my own addiction to food.
Really and truly, for most of my life I've had an addictive relationship with food. Any time I'm sad, stressed, defeated, upset, or just plain bored, my first instinct has always been to go for food. I've got my "hard drugs," which tend to be things like numbered meals at fast food places, bags of Peanut M&M's, delivered pizza, etc. Then I have the more recreational stuff, which can be anything from a mac and cheese to Sun Chips. It all depends on the size of the emotion I'm trying to satisfy. So I've been able to relate a lot to the people on "My Strange Addiction," even if my own addiction is not as outlandish as theirs. Those self-destructive behaviors are all too familiar to me.
Something one of the psychiatrists on the show suggested is removing triggers from the house. My triggers, I've learned, are anything in the pantry or fridge that is salty, sweet, and can be eaten instantly and in quantity. This is why it was so helpful to me when I started this whole project to throw out all my triggers: nutella, sugary cereal, chips, etc. Just getting these things out of the house makes me eat so much healthier. No matter how many nutritious foods I stock up on, if I have even one box of cookies - even fat-free, "healthy" cookies - in the pantry, when I snack I'll choose cookies over fruits and veggies every time until the cookies are gone. I've learned about my triggers the hard way for the past few weeks, having bought a few "healthy" snacks like pretzels, Trader Joe's corn puffs (similar to Pirate's Booty), 100 calorie packs, and those fat-free Snack Wells cookies. I might have bought a bunch of fruits and veggies in addition to all of that stuff, but they get immediately forgotten at snack time in favor of the empty-calorie quick snacks.
Soooo, we're doing a bit of pantry purging again. :) I'm also considering restarting Phase One next week, because I think that sense of structure really helps me.
Another thing that was suggested on the show, which I think is a great idea, is to list the reasons why you quit your addiction. This way, every time you're tempted to relapse, you can go look at your list and remember what made you quit in the first place. So I thought, what better place to do this than on the blog? So here is my list:
Monday, January 24, 2011
Day Ninety-Five
Wow! Can you guys believe it? We're coming up on the 100 day mark! I never dreamed I would make it this far. So awesome.
So I started the week off right by taking my 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. It was actually a pretty day, despite it being kind of cold. I realized it's going to take some work to get myself back into the good habits I had going before Christmas. I came back from the walk a little more winded than I used to! But the important thing is that I got out and did it! Hopefully I can keep it up for the rest of the week.
I missed my Friday weigh-in this week, as I went home for Mom's birthday, so I'm going to try to remember to do it first thing tomorrow morning. I guess I could do it tonight, but the scale is always much kinder in the AM! So we'll get that going tomorrow. I did have birthday cake over the weekend, but I'm hoping it didn't throw me off too badly.
The goal for this week is to get back to planning meals and finding some new recipes. I have a bunch of veggies in my fridge going bad right now! I skipped lunch today, which was not the wisest choice...I know that if I plan ahead, I won't end up doing those sorts of things.
While I think that magic period of "This is so great, I love this, this is easy!" has passed, I'm still on track and am determined to see this thing through. I've dealt with more cravings lately than usual, and made the mistake of bringing some things into the house that keep me from making healthier choices. So I'm going to try to nix that. The good news is that I've found a form of exercise (the walking) that I enjoy and that I foresee myself continuing in the future. That's a huge step for me, as exercise has always been my biggest struggle. We'll keep plugging away at the food thing, too. The biggest thing is planning, as well as having strategies in place for when cravings hit. Gotta stock up on sugar-free gum!
All in all, the outlook is quite positive! I look forward to more success, and can't wait until I finally get to go down a pant size! That, my friends and family, will be cause for celebration. And shopping.
Love you all! Hope life is treating you well!
Today's Food:
Breakfast
Kashi Berry Blossom cereal w/ milk - 200
Coffee w/ creamer - 80
Lunch
Trader Joe's cheddar corn puffs - 140
Apple - 80
Dinner
Spinach and Chive Linguine w/ marinara, ground turkey, and goat cheese - 294
Green beans - 80
Snacks
Reduced fat peanut butter - 150
Kettle mix 100 calorie pack - 100
Total: 1124
So as you can see, I went a little overboard with carbs today. I've got to get out of that habit! I think I lose much better with carbs out of the picture. Might be back to phase 1 for me very soon!
So I started the week off right by taking my 30 minute walk around the neighborhood. It was actually a pretty day, despite it being kind of cold. I realized it's going to take some work to get myself back into the good habits I had going before Christmas. I came back from the walk a little more winded than I used to! But the important thing is that I got out and did it! Hopefully I can keep it up for the rest of the week.
I missed my Friday weigh-in this week, as I went home for Mom's birthday, so I'm going to try to remember to do it first thing tomorrow morning. I guess I could do it tonight, but the scale is always much kinder in the AM! So we'll get that going tomorrow. I did have birthday cake over the weekend, but I'm hoping it didn't throw me off too badly.
The goal for this week is to get back to planning meals and finding some new recipes. I have a bunch of veggies in my fridge going bad right now! I skipped lunch today, which was not the wisest choice...I know that if I plan ahead, I won't end up doing those sorts of things.
While I think that magic period of "This is so great, I love this, this is easy!" has passed, I'm still on track and am determined to see this thing through. I've dealt with more cravings lately than usual, and made the mistake of bringing some things into the house that keep me from making healthier choices. So I'm going to try to nix that. The good news is that I've found a form of exercise (the walking) that I enjoy and that I foresee myself continuing in the future. That's a huge step for me, as exercise has always been my biggest struggle. We'll keep plugging away at the food thing, too. The biggest thing is planning, as well as having strategies in place for when cravings hit. Gotta stock up on sugar-free gum!
All in all, the outlook is quite positive! I look forward to more success, and can't wait until I finally get to go down a pant size! That, my friends and family, will be cause for celebration. And shopping.
Love you all! Hope life is treating you well!
Today's Food:
Breakfast
Kashi Berry Blossom cereal w/ milk - 200
Coffee w/ creamer - 80
Lunch
Trader Joe's cheddar corn puffs - 140
Apple - 80
Dinner
Spinach and Chive Linguine w/ marinara, ground turkey, and goat cheese - 294
Green beans - 80
Snacks
Reduced fat peanut butter - 150
Kettle mix 100 calorie pack - 100
Total: 1124
So as you can see, I went a little overboard with carbs today. I've got to get out of that habit! I think I lose much better with carbs out of the picture. Might be back to phase 1 for me very soon!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Day Eight-Nine
So FINALLY I got out and got some exercise today! I have to thank Karlee for getting me out, since I was busy coming up with excuses not to (it's cold and wet, I have homework, etc. etc.), but she dragged me out and I'm so glad she did!
We also had a little unexpected surprise during our walk...
We also had a little unexpected surprise during our walk...
Yes, that's right...we got suckered in to bringing home a little stray. We were walking along, innocently enough, and this little kitty crossed our path. Of course we had to pet it, and then it proceeded to follow us until we knocked on the neighbor's door close to where we found him to ask them if he was theirs. He wasn't, and to make a long story short, he ended up here, curled up on our chair. He's the most precious little thing! So we're either going to find a new home for him or Karlee's going to keep him. I have abdicated all responsibility...one cat is more than enough for me. But I just couldn't stand to leave him out in the cold! I can't imagine how he survived all the snow.
So I haven't had dinner yet, but the day was pretty good as far as food goes. I tried to make an eye of round steak for lunch, but it turned out a weird color and didn't taste very good, so I dumped it and just ate a veggie mix cooked in some olive oil. I was going to make steak salad for dinner, but I'm not sure the second steak is going to be any better than the first. So I might have to get creative.
Thanks so much for the encouragement everyone! Now I'm on the road to the 30 lb mark, very exciting! It's so great to watch my goal get closer and closer. Here's to the next 22!
Day Eighty-Nine
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day Eight-Four
So three days later than planned, I finally started school today! Actually, we had a delayed start, so I really only had one class. And we're having a delayed start tomorrow too, which means I'll only have one class tomorrow. And MLK day is Monday.
So basically, it's going to come as a huge shock when I finally have to go to class for a full week!
Maybe this will help ease me into the semester. But looking at the pile of novels on my desk for next semester, it's hard to believe that any amount of easing will help much. :) Ah well.
I did better with eating today. I made a tasty Mom-inspired veggie stir-fry for dinner (Mom made me a delicious stir-fry over the break, and I was determined to try and recreate it), as promised:
So basically, it's going to come as a huge shock when I finally have to go to class for a full week!
Maybe this will help ease me into the semester. But looking at the pile of novels on my desk for next semester, it's hard to believe that any amount of easing will help much. :) Ah well.
I did better with eating today. I made a tasty Mom-inspired veggie stir-fry for dinner (Mom made me a delicious stir-fry over the break, and I was determined to try and recreate it), as promised:
Meh, not the best picture. But it tasted great! I used tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, green onions, and garlic. And cooked it up in some olive oil. YUM! Let's just say that it's probably the first time in a long time I've had an all-veggie dinner.
For some reason, since I've gotten back to school, I've been getting the munchie feeling really bad right before bed. Don't know what the deal is with that. I've been trying to substitute with tea and small snacks, but it's been tough. I think I get bored at night, and that's when I start munching. Ugh. Must find a way to reign that in!
I'm too wiped out to get my calorie count posted today, but I'll definitely get it together for tomorrow. I'm much more conscientious about what I eat when I know I have to fess up about it later!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Day Eighty-Three
So not my best day today. Didn't get any exercise. Didn't keep up with calories. Ate chocolate I thought was sugar-free only to find out later it wasn't.
Sigh.
But tomorrow is another day! We're finally going back to school tomorrow, but not until 11am, so I'll only have one class tomorrow. Still, it will give me some semblance of a routine. That's what I hope, at least!
Before the holidays, I was really on a roll with my walking, mostly because I actually enjoyed doing it...but now that it's so cold, I'm pretty much restricted to the treadmill, which I find far less enjoyable. Yet it must be done. Once I get my tunes going, I think I should be able to knock it out.
I was able to get back out to the grocery today and load up on veggies. I made some yummy tomato soup tonight (sorry, I didn't get a picture), and I plan to make a Mom-inspired veggie stir-fry tomorrow. I also had some tasty shrimp salad for lunch (again, failed at picture-taking!). So at least I got some healthy cooking in today, even if I did go a little overboard with snacks. I have leftovers of everything, so hopefully I can get it together and take some pictures tomorrow.
Like I said, tomorrow is another day. :) I've just got to get revved up again. I knew this wasn't going to always be easy, so I just have to keep plugging away at it. Morale is a little bit low right now, but I'm hoping I'll get my second wind soon. That routine is really vital to me! The sooner I get out of vacation mode and back into business mode, things will get a lot easier, I think!
Thanks everyone for keeping up with me! Love y'all!
Sigh.
But tomorrow is another day! We're finally going back to school tomorrow, but not until 11am, so I'll only have one class tomorrow. Still, it will give me some semblance of a routine. That's what I hope, at least!
Before the holidays, I was really on a roll with my walking, mostly because I actually enjoyed doing it...but now that it's so cold, I'm pretty much restricted to the treadmill, which I find far less enjoyable. Yet it must be done. Once I get my tunes going, I think I should be able to knock it out.
I was able to get back out to the grocery today and load up on veggies. I made some yummy tomato soup tonight (sorry, I didn't get a picture), and I plan to make a Mom-inspired veggie stir-fry tomorrow. I also had some tasty shrimp salad for lunch (again, failed at picture-taking!). So at least I got some healthy cooking in today, even if I did go a little overboard with snacks. I have leftovers of everything, so hopefully I can get it together and take some pictures tomorrow.
Like I said, tomorrow is another day. :) I've just got to get revved up again. I knew this wasn't going to always be easy, so I just have to keep plugging away at it. Morale is a little bit low right now, but I'm hoping I'll get my second wind soon. That routine is really vital to me! The sooner I get out of vacation mode and back into business mode, things will get a lot easier, I think!
Thanks everyone for keeping up with me! Love y'all!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Day Eight-One
So it turns out, all the panic over snow yesterday was somewhat justified! We got a whopping 8 inches of snow in Athens last night, more snow than I think I've ever seen in Georgia! And I've lived here my whole life. So not only was school cancelled today, but tomorrow too. I'm not sure when the snow will melt to the point where the roads will be safe again...it's supposed to be pretty cold all week. I would rejoice in the extended vacay, but I have a feeling I'll start getting pretty bored sitting around here all week. Hopefully everything will be up and running by Wednesday! Here's a picture from last night:
Though it wasn't a long one, Karlee and I took a walk around the neighborhood in the snow. We only made it around one lap, but the snow made walking a bigger challenge than usual! We were pretty cold by the time we got back in, but it was nice to get out in it. If only we had a sled! Here's a snowman one of our neighbors made:
Dang! That's a legit blizzard!
Though it wasn't a long one, Karlee and I took a walk around the neighborhood in the snow. We only made it around one lap, but the snow made walking a bigger challenge than usual! We were pretty cold by the time we got back in, but it was nice to get out in it. If only we had a sled! Here's a snowman one of our neighbors made:
We intended to make our own, but by the time we got out, the sleet had created a hard layer of ice on top of the snow, making it pretty hard to work with. So we just admired the neighbors' efforts. :)
Eating wasn't exceptionally good or bad today. I'm realizing that it's going to be harder than I thought to curb the not-so-great habits I descended into over the holidays (namely, eating without keeping track), so I'm going to have to get strict and start keeping a close eye on what I'm munching on. Especially today, being trapped inside and thus in extra danger of bored-fueled munchie feeling, I had a hard time putting a cap on it. It didn't help that I hadn't taken my ADD pills. I didn't go over my calories, but I didn't make my best choices either. So that's something to work on.
Tomorrow I plan to trudge down to the gym and get some real exercise. Or maybe do another dvd workout! We'll see how it goes.
Today's food:
Breakfast
Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch - 270
Lunch
Low-carb bread w/ reduced fat peanut butter - 200
Dinner
Goat cheese omelette - 180
Veggie sausage - 160
Snacks
1 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter - 100
Sugar free pudding - 60
Smart balance popcorn - 100
Whole grain cheerios - 200
Total: 1270
No fruits or veggies! For shame! I didn't really get any at the grocery as Kroger was out of almost everything. So as soon as I can get out of the house I'm going to head back to get some fresh fruits and veggies. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day, for both eating and exercise!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Day Eighty
So did you guys think I was never coming back? I know it was not the best time to disappear, considering my rather concerning last post, but let me assure everyone that all is well and that I'm still on track with my weight loss! I just get way, way off my routine when I'm at home, so I just kind of gave up trying to post until I got back up here to Athens were, somehow, my brain functions more consistently.
First thing to report is that I maintained my weight over the holidays! I even lost .2 pounds, but that's hardly worth calling attention to. :) But maintanence was my goal, so I'm thrilled. Especially since I didn't exactly exercise like I should have.
So I'm gearing up to get back on track and start cooking up a storm! Speaking of cooking and storms, I was forced to venture out to the grocery store today in possibly the worse grocery store conditions ever...not only have a bunch of students, like myself, just returned to bare cupboards after Christmas break, but we are also supposed to have some pretty serious snow tomorrow (serious for Georgia, at least), and you know what that means...
DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN, NOT WALK, RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE!!! YOU MUST HAVE MILK, EGGS, AND BREAD IN LARGE QUANTITIES BEFORE THE SNOWPOCALYPSE! (Or Snowmageddon. Whichever you prefer.)
Lol. So it was kind of the perfect storm at Kroger today...college students with empty pantries and southern natives who, when faced with the prospect of being trapped in the house for a whole day, seem to suddenly realize how much food they need. Though I'm not sure what people think they're going to be able to do with milk and eggs if the power goes out.
Anyways, now that I've braved the grocery crowds, I'm stocked up on food (at least, enough to get me through the week) and am looking forward to one last day of vacation (assuming school is cancelled tomorrow, which it better be) before I start my last semester of college!
I was happy to find, upon my return to Athens, that Karlee has also gotten on a healthy eating kick. So hopefully we'll be able to support each other. We'll probably find ourselves at the "gym" in our complex (I put gym in quotes because, well, let's just say the equipment inside looks like it came from the Goodwill), as it's way too cold to walk outside.
So there's your update! I plan to post with MUCH more consistency now that I'm back at school, so be sure to check back. Hopefully I'll have some picture-worthy meals to post tomorrow!
Love you all! Hope everyone's New Year is going well!
First thing to report is that I maintained my weight over the holidays! I even lost .2 pounds, but that's hardly worth calling attention to. :) But maintanence was my goal, so I'm thrilled. Especially since I didn't exactly exercise like I should have.
So I'm gearing up to get back on track and start cooking up a storm! Speaking of cooking and storms, I was forced to venture out to the grocery store today in possibly the worse grocery store conditions ever...not only have a bunch of students, like myself, just returned to bare cupboards after Christmas break, but we are also supposed to have some pretty serious snow tomorrow (serious for Georgia, at least), and you know what that means...
DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN, NOT WALK, RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE!!! YOU MUST HAVE MILK, EGGS, AND BREAD IN LARGE QUANTITIES BEFORE THE SNOWPOCALYPSE! (Or Snowmageddon. Whichever you prefer.)
Lol. So it was kind of the perfect storm at Kroger today...college students with empty pantries and southern natives who, when faced with the prospect of being trapped in the house for a whole day, seem to suddenly realize how much food they need. Though I'm not sure what people think they're going to be able to do with milk and eggs if the power goes out.
Anyways, now that I've braved the grocery crowds, I'm stocked up on food (at least, enough to get me through the week) and am looking forward to one last day of vacation (assuming school is cancelled tomorrow, which it better be) before I start my last semester of college!
I was happy to find, upon my return to Athens, that Karlee has also gotten on a healthy eating kick. So hopefully we'll be able to support each other. We'll probably find ourselves at the "gym" in our complex (I put gym in quotes because, well, let's just say the equipment inside looks like it came from the Goodwill), as it's way too cold to walk outside.
So there's your update! I plan to post with MUCH more consistency now that I'm back at school, so be sure to check back. Hopefully I'll have some picture-worthy meals to post tomorrow!
Love you all! Hope everyone's New Year is going well!
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