Motivation is coming back..........

thanks to my friends, one in particular.  My dear Stacey Lou Freebush helped my progress a lot this last week.  She helped me make healhier choices when we ate out.  We went to the gym together.  She encouraged me to work out at home when I didn't want to go to the gym.  She rocks!  It was also helpful that Kate's wedding was this weekend.  I wanted to make sure I looked a little more trimmed in the dress I bought for her wedding, so that helped a lot too.  Thanks for getting married Kate and Alex.  It was a beautiful wedding. 

So here's this weeks results:
Weight loss = 6 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 32 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 11.43%

So through this whole competition, our overall goal is to go to Italy once we get to our final goal weight.  While this is great to think about, it's so far away.  In fact, it's 73 pounds away.  In the past, I've used some good short term goals to help motivate and push me along.  But right now I am kind of out of ideas.  So that's where you all come in!  What are some short term goals that I could work on and reward with?  Here's a list of what has been used in the past to give you some ideas to work with:

-  Once all three of us got to 15 pounds weight loss we went and saw Iron Man 2 (we all really wanted to
    see it).
-  Once Angie and I got to 20 pounds weight loss we went and got our hair cut.
-  I wanted to take new pictures at 30 pounds weight loss.

Some things I have been thinking about:
-  I love the store Anthropology.  I've always wanted to buy clothes there but it's a little bit expensive and I know the clothes would look better if I lost more weight.  So I've been thinking that I could buy a cute outfit there when I've lost another 20 pounds.

-  I could find a concert that is coming to SLC that I really want to go to, buy tickets, and then go if I lose to a certain amount of weight.  If I don't get to the weight goal, then I have to give the tickets to someone else. 

-  My friends and I want to go to Disneyland in February over President's day weekend.  So I could set a goal to be down 20 pounds or else I don't get to go.  This may help my friends push me a little bit more too. 

What do you think?  Any other ideas?!?  I appreciate your ideas and things that have worked for you in the past. 

Dear Blog Following Friends..........

I suck!  Sorry to be so blunt but it is true!  I have let myself and you all down lately.  In fact, it's kind of like I have dropped the ball and kicked it under the bed where no one can reach it.  Things are NOT going well right now with my whole healthy living plan. 

#1 reason - VACATION!!!!!!!!

I went on vacation.  It was fabulous and marvelous.  We ate at great places, and for the most part I tried to order healthier options.  I had a turkey burger instead of a regular hamburger, a side salad instead of double the mashed potatoes.  I tried not to over eat on Thanksgiving, and did rather well.  I only had two small pieces of pie, but I did have a slice of pie pretty much every day after.  I bought an exercise video to use on the vacation, a Jillian Michael's workout that is only 25 minutes - it stayed in my suit case.  For half of the trip we were really active walking all over Baltimore, New York, and Washington DC.  It was just the other half of the trip when we weren't out sight seeing that I should have been using the exercise video.  With that all said, I actually maintained my weight on the vacation, Thanksgiving and all.  Good job, right?

WRONG! 

Even though I am no longer on vacation, my mind seems to have stayed on vacation.  I am very much lacking the motivation right now.  Since being home, I haven't gone grocery shopping until tonight.  So I have been pretty much eating out at least 1-2 times/ day (calorie trap!).  I've only worked out once and broke a sweat (I know, I suck!).  I am still having one treat per day (unnecessary calories!).  Oh, and I've been pretty much having a diet coke every day too (yes, there are no calories in diet coke, but for some reason it seems to empare my weight loss efforts!  I know better.).  You can only imagine the results of my recent effort.  That's right, I have gained four pounds in one week!  Suck!  The motivation has just hit me like a rock!  I have got to get back on track!

Challenge: 
One week of awesome healthy McHealthyness
(I am aware that is not a real word, but I like it!)

Challenge criteria:
#1:  No more eating out until next Wednesday.  Sorry friends, we are going to have to do something more constructive with our time.  Gym, anyone?
#2:  No diet coke or carbonated beverages.  Who ordered a water?
#3:  Exercise!  1 hour or more each and every day for the next week.
#4:  No more treats!  (I am going to throw away the half eaten carton of ice cream, tonight!)
#5:  I must ride the stationary bike while watching TV.  Goodbye comfy brown couch! 

Challenge witnesses:  My friends, roommate, and coworkers

Goal:  Lose the 4 pounds I gained by next Wednesday. 

The challenge is set.  The motivation is here.  I must stop typing now and go to bed so I can do my 30 minute Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred in the morning.  So ta ta for now.  I won't let you or myself down anymore!  I promise!

Hmmph!

Why is it that when you are ready to be all "go get em' Jillian!" that something always seems to interrupt that motivation and ambition?  So I totally had a bummer of a week last week with my exercise and eating right, because I was sicker than a dog.  I started getting sick about two weeks ago.  It was quite a weird sickness.  It started two Thursdays ago with me getting the aches and a slight fever after zumba, followed by laryngitis on Saturday and Sunday, to congestion/ runny nose with the aches/ cough/ fever/ etc on Monday - Wednesday, to a full voice on Thursday but nasty cough and tickling/ scratchy throat until this Monday.  I even stayed home from work two days in a row, which is very uncharacteristic for me.  To say the least, this illness made me take a break from exercise and eating super healthy.  I only worked out a total of like 4 hours last week.  Yikes!  And it's sad to say, but the numbers are reflecting this.  On my weigh on Tuesday morning morning, I was up 4 pounds!  Yuck!  Luckily I am feeling better now and getting back to work.  I've already lost 2 pounds (according to my scale, so that's good.  I have to really push it for the next week or I'm going to be paying for some other people's dinner in NYC next weekend.  But like I've said in the past, all it takes is getting refocused and back to work.  I know what to do, I just need to do it. 
Here's to a week of exercise and healthy eating! 
Good luck to you all too!  Hope you're doing better than me.  Let's push it hard before the big "eating" holidays hit.  You can do it!

IT'S PICTURE TIME EVERY BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Week 25

The time has come........

30 pounds lost (well actually 31 pounds)

And still going....

My good friend, Tagen Baker, is a fantastic photographer and was willing to take some new pictures of me to show my 30 pounds lost.  We took these last night in her back yard after work and she did a great job.  Thank you Tagen!!!!!

It feels SO GOOD to have made it to 30 pounds in the last 4 1/2 months.  But it also is a great motivator to KEEP GOING, especially when I compare and contrast pictures from the beginning of the weight loss journey until now.  I have a new goal and that is to lose another 20 pounds by New Years Day.  That would mean I need to lose 1.2 pounds each week for the next 8 weeks.  Which is totally doable since for the past 4 1/2 months I have been averaging about 2 pounds per week.  I just have to make it through the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a trip to Baltimore/ NYC for a week. 

GAME PLAN!!!!!!

1.    I am enrolled in a Health Challenge with work which goes until Christmas.  The Health Challenge focuses on healthy eating, exercise, a food diary, drinking water, adequate sleep, etc, etc.  It has been a great asset to help me stay on track the past month. 

2.  Healthy options for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I am going to try to create healthier recipes for some of the holiday favorites that will hopefully taste good too.  And if they do not work out, then it's ALL ABOUT PORTION CONTROL!  It isn't necessary to have 3 large meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I also will be sure to track my calories those days too, instead of making it an exception day.

3.  Exercise!  While I am out of town, I need to make sure I keep up my physical activity.  Luckily the trip to Baltimore/ NYC will be with Angie and Ashley (my teammates for the weight loss challenge) so hopefully we can keep each other on track on the trip.  We'll use our workout DVD's, eat healthy at least 2 meals per day, and TRACK CALORIES!  All three of us have smart phones that we can access FatSecret.com with, so we will have to use that app to help us choose good options when we are eating out.  It's going to be hard but worth it!

AND I'm just going to keep going!  There is no giving up.  I know exactly what I need to do to acheive this goal, so I just have to do it. 

This is an example of what I will be eating for the next 8 weeks!!!! 

M.I.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for not posting for the past couple of weeks.  I have recently moved and I don't have internet access yet.  Hopefully I will be able to get that up and going this week and then I will update you on the progress from the past couple of weeks.  It's going to be good!  Consider this a season break and the premier will hopefully be next week!!!!!  Good luck in all of your weight loss goals.  I appreciate all of your support in this endeavor.  I haven't given up! 

MAINTAINED!!

What inspires you?????????????

Week 21
Weight loss = 0 pounds
Total Weight Loss = 28 pounds
% Weight Loss = 0%
Total % Weight Loss = 10.03%

That's right, it's another weight maintenance week.  Slight bummer considering I REALLY REALLY wanted to be down 30 pounds by this week.  But, it's only 2 pounds away which is better than 30 pounds away.  Right?

So I'm always talking about staying motivated, keeping on track, get back on track when you fall off track, telling you what is my track, etc, etc, etc.  So today I'm going to mix it up a little bit.  I'm going to let you know what inspires me to keep going when it would be SO easy to stop.

#1 - GOOD HEALTH
Losing weight can help you improve your current and future health status.  You can decrease your health risks by decreasing your BMI by one point.  Since beginning this adventure 21 weeks ago, I have been able to reduce my BMI by 4 points.  That's a ton of health risk reductions!  I don't particularly want to develop diabetes, heart problems, or cancer so I am going to keep at this to help keep reducing my risks more and more.

That's right, I don't want to have to wear prosthetics when I am older because I have bad knees from carrying around too much weight my whole life!

#2 - PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Let's be honest, that is a top inspiration on pretty much all of our lists.  I've mostly been inspired by seeing those around me do so well with weight loss and see how great they look.  My mom has been working on losing weight for the past couple of years too.  She is doing great and she looks fantastic.  My mom looks the best she has ever in years.  In fact, this is the best I've seen her look that I can remember.  Sooner than later she is going to be unrecognizable to us all.  Keep up the good work Mom!  You are an inspiration to all of us, especially me. 

There is also a celebrity that I admire too.  I think that Jennifer Hudson looks fantastic since losing weight recently.  She did it through physical activity and the Weight Watchers program (which is one of the only programs I would support someone in starting if they want help with losing weight and feel they can't do it on their own).  Jennifer Hudson is a curvy girl (like me!) and I thought she was beautiful before she lost weight.  Now that she has lost weight she is still just as beautiful but she looks so healthy.  I feel her weight loss is an inspiration because it is obtainable and not unrealistic.  I have even considered hanging her picture up in my room to help me remember what I am working towards. 

 

#3 - JILLIAN MICHAELS

That's right!  Jillian Michaels inspires me when I am doing her 30 day Shred workout video (thanks for the recommendation Carla!).  Towards the end of the video you are SO TIRED and all you can think about is wanting to stop or slow down.  Yet every time when I am about at that point, she gives this little speech about needing to keep going.  She tells you how easily it would be to stop but you have to push yourself through the pain.  The pain means you are getting stronger and it's going to get easier the more and more you do it.  So I keep going. 

Jillian and I have a love and hate relationship.  Even though she has an amazingly awesome name, I sometimes hold spite against her name when I am working out to her DVD.  Luckily it is only for a few short minutes. 

#4 - FASHION!!!!!!!!

If you know me then you know I love fashion.  I blame it partly on my mother.  Sorry Mom, you are getting a lot of mention in this post this week.  When I was little she would dress me up all girly (I am the youngest and only girl in the family, now you understand).  I remember going school shopping and her telling me we had to find things unique and personal, so that I didn't have the same clothes as all the other girls at school (which I appreciate now that I am older).  In fact, I wore clothes from a company called "Little Miss Pris".  So it's only natural for me to love clothes when I was surrounded with frilly girly clothes as a child.  The only problem is I can't wear what I want to wear quite yet and have it look the way I want it to.  For example, I LOVE the look of boots, especially tall boots.  But I can't buy boots yet.  I can't fit the calf size most of the time, especially with the boots that I would really really like to wear.  But I am A LOT closer to fitting in the boots than I was last season.  Hopefully you will see me sporting boots by the end of this season if not next.  We'll see! 

Yes, I do want to own and wear (on a regular basis) red cowboy boots.  "Pulling them off..."

#5 - Love

Yes, I am talking about love in the sense that you are all thinking.  But I am also inspired by loving myself.  A lot of my close friends seem to be finding love and getting married lately.  I am SO excited for all of them (especially you, Kate and Alejandro!).  But I am SO READY for it to be my turn again.  But love doesn't come easy, especially if you don't love yourself as much as you want someone else to love you.  So I am motivated and inspired to keep going, because I feel that over the past couple of months I've been able to rediscover my self worth.  I feel better about myself.  With each pound going away it's almost like another heavy burden goes with it.  I remember that fun and extremely outgoing girl from my life pre-2004 (before all this weight started coming on again), who was fearless and confident.  She's coming back.  So I'm going to keep going with this.  I want to find and love that girl completely again so she can be completely loved for who and what she is. 

So there you have it.  These are just a few of the things that really inspire me to keep going.  So I'm going to get on track!  Whoops, I did fall off track but I'm back on again.  Physical activity daily.  Track my calories and be aware of my food choices.  No excuses!  30 pounds......you're going to be easy to reach by next week.  It's going to be a piece of cake!  (No, I will not be eating a piece of cake in the process.)

Gas Station Lunch!

Week 20
Week 20 weight loss = 1 pound
Total Weight Loss = 28 pounds
Week 20 % Weight Loss = 0.39%
Total % Weight Loss = 10.03%

So things are still just going down slow and steady.  Next week is a new month and I plan to be down 30 pounds.  Sound good? 

So I just thought I'd tell you about my delicious lunch that I had today.  So as you saw in my previous post, my car was wrecked.  It ended up getting totalled.  So I bought a new one (2011 Hyundai Sonata) and it had a recall to align the steering that needed to be done today.  Typically I go home for lunch to save money and calories.  I forgot to pack a lunch to take with me today.  SO, I went with my coworkers to get some food @ the gas station.

1 Oscar Meyer Deli Creations Turkey, Ham, Swiss, and Cheddar lunchable = 340 calories
1 pkg Blue Diamond Lime n Chili Almonds = 260 calories
1 pkg of Kellogg's Cherry Fruity Snacks = 160 calories
1 Diet Dr Pepper = 0 calories
1 Snyder's Chocolate Dipped Pretzel (that's right, just one!) = 28 calories
Total Gas Station Lunch Calories = 788 calories!

So not TOO bad for a gas station lunch, but not great.  There wasn't any fresh fruit or vegetables @ the gas station, that would have been a better option than the Fruity Snacks.  It probably would have been less calories to get some baked potato chips instead of the almonds.  But the almonds were really tasty and there are great health benefits from almonds, so I don't feel too bad.  Overall I am pretty pleased with my gas station lunch.  It's hard to find healthy choices, especially at a ghetto gas station on S. Main street in SLC. 

Please accept this as my absence note...............................

Sorry for not posting for the last week.  I had every intention to post last Wednesday night after work and going to the gym.  But unfortunately this................................................

distracted me on my way home from work last Wednesday night.  Yup, after 3 1/2 years of living in Utah, Peppie and I were involved in a car accident.  Note that I said involved, not the cause.  We were just patiently yielding at a green light waiting to turn left, and a fun ol' Utah driver decided to run his red light and hit Peppie and a Tahoe.  So I blame the Utah driver for my broken car, wacky equilibrium, and blog posting absence.  So let's catch you up on the weight loss now.

Week 19

Week Weight Loss = 2 pounds

Total Weight Loss = 26 pounds

Week % Weight Loss = 0.7%

Total % Weight Loss = 9.32%

So rock on!  A broken toe will not stop the weight loss.  A wacky equilibrium making it hard to stand on two feet without falling over will not stop the weight loss.  I am realizing the only thing that will stop my weight loss is me.  Outside factors are going to happen all the time.  It would be easy to just stop and give up when things like this happen, but I can't.  This is important to me now.  I've seen how much losing weight has done for my overall health, appearance (I know I need to post a new picture, but I don't have one yet.  Soon, I will post one, soon...), and self esteem.  I just have to keep motivated.  When things get hard and I mess up, I'm not going to stop.  All I need to do is fix what went wrong and keep on going.  There is no point of even starting over, just pick up where I left off and keep going.  So there is my motivational/emotional soap box for the night.

Now onto my nutritional soap box.  One of my favorite nutrition newsletter is the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter (I should have gone to school there.  Maybe Grad School?).  This week I was reading some old articles and stumbled upon this great treasure.  I have been trying to increase my water consumption, and this article really helped.  I hope you enjoy it.

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter

The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy

"Beverages Total 22% of US Calories - But Who's Counting"

MARCH 2007

AMERICANS DRINK ALMOST a quarter of our daily calories, according to a new analysis of government dietary data. And when we consume sweetened, high-calorie beverages, adds a Penn State study of mealtime habits, we don’t compensate by cutting back on the calories from solid food.  Those two new findings add up to a double dose of alarm about the role of "liquid calories” in the American diet.

The What America Drinks report, commissioned by the Milk Processor Education Program, used data from more than 10,000 Americans, ages four and up, collected by the government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002. The report found that calories from beverages make up 22% of the total energy intake in the average US diet. Half of the added sugar that Americans consume comes from beverages, according to the analysis.


But many people don’t “count” liquid calories—just those from foods they eat, warns dietitian Carolyn O’Neil, RD, a spokesperson for the report. “People just may not be aware of how these calories are sneaking into their diet.… and not understanding what an impact it has on body weight.”


What America Drinks found that in a typical day the average American consumes:
38 ounces of water
17.5 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks (which alone added up to 12 ounces daily) and teas
8.9 ounces of coffee (which may also be sweetened)
7.5 ounces of milk.


Soft drinks were found to be the source of 36% of all added sugars and 6.4% of total calories in the American diet. Nearly half of all Americans drink at least one sugary soft drink on any given day, according to the report.


BUT WHEN PEOPLE CONSUME sugared beverages, do they balance those extra liquid calories by reducing portion sizes on their plates or by eating less of the solid food they’re served? That’s the question Penn State researchers, led by nutritional sciences professor Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, and doctoral candidate Julie Flood, set out to answer.


The research team invited 33 adults—18 women and 15 men—to eat lunch once a week for six weeks. In this cross over design study, the same foods were served at each lunch, but the accompanying beverage was rotated among cola, diet cola or water. Two different portion sizes—12 ounces and 18 ounces—were also tested.


The study, published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that subjects ate approximately the same amount of solid food, regardless of which beverage was served. So total calories consumed shot up when a sugared soft drink was the beverage du jour.

Similarly, the bigger the beverage served, the more the participants drank. When the cola serving size increased 50%, from 12 to 18 ounces, men drank 26% more liquid calories and women drank 10% more.


The findings support the idea that liquids are less filling than solid food—making beverages especially dangerous for those trying to control their calories. People have a different mindset about drinking versus eating, Rolls adds, and thirst and hunger are actually governed by separate mechanisms in the body.


Looking to put a stopper on your liquid calorie consumption? The Healthy Beverage Guidelines, released last year, can help. Switching to diet beverages can be a good first step, and low-fat milk is important for dietary calcium and vitamin D. Ultimately, though, nothing beats plain old water for quenching your thirst—with zero added calories.

So as you are watching your food intake, make sure you also pay attention to your beverage intake.  It can be really easy to have the calories add up quick, especially since we typically drink 2 or more portions of fluids at a setting.  As the article stated, there are a lot of options for beverages to help you conserve calories.  The debate between regular drinks verses diet drinks will be ongoing and ever changing.  If you are undecided with what side you want to choose there is an easier decision to make.  Choose water!  Water is great for you.  It's calorie free, can help prevent diseases, help with weight loss when included in a healthy diet and exercise program, properly hydrate you, help with your physical appearance (can we say clearer complexion?), and much more.  Plus it's free!  My goal for this week is to try to get at least 64oz of water per day.  So grab your reusable water bottle (let's save the environment too!) and fill it up multiple times throughout the day.  I will be doing just that.  Bottoms up!

Ban the Under Doggies! No More Under Doggies!

Week 17
Week 17 Weight Loss = 3 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 17 = 1.2%
Total Weight Loss = 24 pounds (If I make it to 25 pounds next week, I will take a new picture for the blog.)
Total % Weight Loss = 8.8%


So for the past couple weeks (okay, okay.....month!) my weight loss results have been quite a bit under what I have been wanting them to be.  I could make up a lot of excuses, which I will just for fun. 

Vacations - In the month of July I was out of town every weekend, except one.
Too Hot - It's sometimes uncomfortable to work out when it's hot outside and inside.
Birthday - Calories don't count on birthdays.  Remember?
Stress of getting older - Calories do count on birthdays, especially when your body is getting older and unable to tolerate them like they used to when you were young. So why bother, you can't prevent getting older.  Calories go right to the thighs!
Plateau - Oh, I'm just on a plateau right now.  This weight loss thing will start working again later.

Yup, that's right.  You did say it.  LAME EXCUSES!  I did use all of those excuses, except for one.  Can you guess which one?  So enough of that.  This week's weight loss rocked!  Which is funny, because I could have totally used one of the best excuses ever (I broke/ sprained/ jammed my big toe giving my niece an under doggie on the swing set.  Watch out for that cement side walk!) and yet I didn't.  Instead I sucked it up and worked out anyways.  My injury occurred on Saturday, yet I went to the gym and did a Zumba video at home on Monday.  Perhaps my Zumba form wasn't the best with putting most of my weight on the side of my foot, but I still burned some calories.  So no more blaming it on this and that.  The only person/thing to blame for my lack of results for the last month is me.  I am sick of having under doggie weight loss results.  So for now on I am banning the under doggie from my life (sorry Sadie, I will just have to teach you how to swing on the swing set properly next time).  My results are going to be consistent.  My techniques are going to be consistent - daily physical activity, monitoring caloric intake to caloric output (thank you Fatsecret.com!), and making healthy food choices.  Good luck to you all.  I'll check back in with you next week, and once again the results are going to rock! 

*Disclaimer:  When giving someone an under doggie while pushing them on a swing set, it is best form to watch where you are running.  Especially if you are in a playground with a large cement barrier/ sidewalk in close proximity.  Cement + open toe sandals + a church dress + not paying attention to where you are going = pain and embarrassment.  Especially when your 6 year old nephew is laughing and tells you he saw your underwear as you are laying on your stomach with grass stains on your face and a very injured big toe.  Ban the under doggies! 

Does Everyone Have Your Buddy?

Week 16
Weight Loss for Week 16 = 1 pound
Total Weight Loss = 21 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 16 = 0.4%
Total % Weight Loss = 7.66%

Week 15
Weight Loss for Week 15 = 1 pound
Total Weight Loss = 20 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 15 = 0.4%
Total % Weight Loss = 7.3%

Sorry for the absence of my blogging last week.  I just couldn't decide what I wanted to blog about.  I'm pretty much getting sick of this plateau that I seem to be stuck on.  It's flat, it's boring, and not very exciting to report on 1 pound down, 1 pound up.  But don't you fret, I'm back and I am using my buddies to help.

So all three of us involved in the weight loss challenge, "Unleash the Skinny Girls!", have plateaued.  We have thought of incentives to help us be motivated more, but they just don't seem to be helping.  I mean, one of us has a brand new IPhone waiting to be used when she gets down another 10 pounds.  It's not me, but hot dog, that would be a pretty nice incentive.  Yet, none of us seem to be motivated on a day to day basis.  Yes, there has been some perks of the 20 pound weight loss so far.  My clothes are all baggy and getting too big.  I went shopping this last weekend and bought a size Large instead of an Extra Large, and now I'm thinking I probably should have gotten a medium size.  Went to Lagoon with friends last weekend and I fit in the seats so much better than before.  Those are all great perks of the weight loss, but it just hasn't seemed to be everlasting throughout the week.  UNTIL.....I found my buddies again.  All three of us have decided we're sick of this and we're getting off the plateau.  So we're using FatSecret.com diligently and tracking all of our calories EVERY DAY and we are trying to be under 1700 calories EVERY DAY.  I am checking their food diaries and they are checking mine.  So far it's really helping me.  I've been more conscious of what and how much I'm eating.  I also am trying to be active EVERY DAY for at least 30 minutes or more.  One of my friends had suggested trying out the 30 Day Shred DVD by Jillian Michaels.  Last night was my first night using it, and it kicked my butt!  So thank you buddies.  Thank you for your suggestions and recommendations (keep them coming!).  Thank you for helping me stick to my goals when we hang out.  Thank you for asking me how it is going each time I see you.  Thank you for reading my blog (I have over 1000 hits on my blog now, whoa!).  Thank you for working on this with me so we can succeed together.  You all rock.  Now it's my turn to ROCK IT OUT for this next weigh in on Tuesday.

P.S.  I promise to blog next Tuesday night.  It will be interesting too.  :)  No more slacking off.  I also plan to post new pictures once I get down to 25 pounds.  4 more to go!

I'm Having a Relationship with my Pizza

Week 14
Week 14 Weight Loss = 3 pounds
Week 14 % Weight Loss = 1.16%
Total Weight Loss = 19 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 6.93%

Well this week things are looking like they are going to get back on track. I lost some of the weight that I regained last week. Overall I had a great week when it came to my diet. I actually ate out quite a bit (I need to go grocery shopping!) but I chose healthy options the majority of the time and stuck to my calorie goals. It also helped that I got a major food borne illness TWICE this past week. The first time was on Wednesday/Thursday and I just had stomach pains. Friday it hit me like a rock after eating at Tickles Greek restaurant. I will never EVER eat there again and don't recommend it to anyone, even though I am pretty sure it was probably from something else I previously ate. I also did really well with my physical activity level too. So I am just going to try to stick to the plan this week and hopefully next week I will have a weight loss too. No more roller coaster weight loss ride!

This past week I went and saw Eat, Pray, Love. I really enjoyed the book and recommend you read the book even if you didn't care for the movie all that much. The movie storyline was pretty slow, but the cinematography was beautiful and the whole concept is very enticing. The food stylists did a really good job. If you haven't seen it yet, I don't recommend seeing it on an empty stomach. This was one of my favorite parts of the movie. I like her justification in eating pizza in Naples. I mean come on! You're in Naples! When I go to Italy (the overall prize/ goal for the end of the weight loss journey) I do plan on eating pizza (maybe a whole pizza to myself!). I've been learning how to enjoy the foods that I love without feeling guilty about eating them. All foods are allowed in my diet. It just takes a little bit of adjustments in other areas when I indulge. I'm still working out the kinks in the process, but so far I can tell it's going to work out in the long run. Luckily if my plan does work I won't be having to go buy big girl jeans very much longer! :) Enjoy the clip!

ADVICE IS FLOWING..................

Well.......I have poor news to report once again.  The roller coaster continues on.  Once again I have to report a weight gain instead of a weight loss.  In fact, the 5 pounds that I lost last week I regained this week.  I am stuck in a plateau that I just can't seem to break out of.  As friends and coworkers have asked me about how my weight loss is going over the past couple of weeks/month I have received quite the variety of advice.  Most of the advice is based upon people suggesting that I take this supplement, try this diet (Atkins, South Beach, High Protein/ Low Carb), and the most frequently suggested is hCG diet.  You know "The Diet 'They' Don't Want You To Know About" because the government and health officials don't want the U.S. population to be healthy and skinny.  So I am about to step up onto my soap box and give many reasons as to why I would NEVER consider using the hCG diet/weight loss program.  Your attention please.

#1 - YOU ARE STARVING YOUR BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really shouldn't even have to explain this one.  It's simple.  Yes, on the HCG diet you will lose weight fast because you are starving on this diet.  Yes, your body is living off of your fat stores - BUT your body is also living off of your lean body mass (muscles), depleting your bones (can we say osteoporosis?), and starving your brain when you are eating such a low calorie diet.  "It is virtually impossible to meet your nutritional needs for carbohydrates, protein, fats, and fiber with less than 500 calories per day and the diet will most likely result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  Minimum calorie levels are closer to 1200-1500 daily to satisfy hunger, fuel daily activities, and provide all the nutrients you need for good health each day."  (Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD) The body uses carbohydrates first, proteins second, and fats last for energy production.  So how is hCG reversing that process?  How are you not burning through your lean body mass in the first phase of this diet?  Yes, I would LOVE to lose 30 pounds in 30 days, but I would prefer not to kill my body in the process. 

#2 - I would never start a diet that is NOT recommended by multiple medical organizations for decades. 

The HCG diet has been around since the 50s.  Dr Simeon's was the first person to make this dieting option public.  From the good ol' Wikipedia site for Kevin Trudeau (the author who wrote, "Lose 30 Pounds in 30 Days! The Weight Loss Secrets "They" Don't Want You to Know About" which utilizes hCG and started the current hCG craze) states the following paragraph.  "Critics say that as early as 1962, the Journal of the American Medical Association warned against the Simeon's Diet.  In 1976, the FTC ordered clinics and promoters of the Simeon's Diet and hCG to inform prospective patients that there had not been "substantial evidence" to conclude hCG offered any benefit above that achieved on a restricted calorie diet. Clinical research trials published by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shown that hCG is ineffective as a weight-loss aid, citing "no statistically significant difference in the means of the two groups" and that "hCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction."  Kathleen Zelman, MPH RD LD, states "You will lose weight on the hCG diets but the weight loss will be the result of the very low-calorie or starvation-like diet, not the hCG injections."  Kathleen goes on stating, "Although it may sound like a plausible weight loss plan, the scientific evidence for using hCG injections is lacking.  In 1995, the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published an analysis of research showing no benefit of hCG in promoting weight loss. A December 2009 position paper of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians concluded they did not recommend hCG as a weight loss aid.  Quack Watch.org director Stephen Barrett, MD tells WebMD that "scientific studies have demonstrated that hCG injections do not cause weight loss.”  The list goes on and on of various medical organizations, doctors, and dietitians that warn against using hCG and the hCG diet. 

#3 - I don't want to participate in a weight loss program that has a list of possible side effects. 

It is virtually impossible to meet your nutritional needs for carbohydrates, protein, fats, and fiber with less than 500 calories per day and the diet will most likely result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  "The Truth About hCG for Weight Loss",  By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD.  http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss

Side effects of hCG include: increased risk of blood clots, headaches, restlessness and depression. Increased pregnancy symptoms are also a common side effect: breast tenderness, water retention, swelling and nausea. When overused, hCG can result in more serious side effects such as ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome (OHSS).  http://www.hcgdietinfo.com/


So why are there Md's recommending patients to try hCG?  Maybe it's because we live in a society where all we want is the fast and easy fix for EVERYTHING.  We want our hot and ready pizza, 15 minute oil change, high speed Internet, 3G/ 4G phone service, and to lose 30 pounds in 30 days.  We are obsessed with instant gratification and would rather try a weight loss plan that most of us (I dare say 9 out of 10 of us) know deep down is unhealthy.  Over half of the American population is considered overweight or obese and we are searching for weight loss solutions that are quick and easy. It's hard to put in the effort, energy, discipline, and blessed time to lose weight the healthy and natural way.  We want to look good for that cruise, class reunion, wedding in a couple of months and we can't take the time nor have the patience to do it healthy.  I feel most of our society is full of procrastinators too (including me, I am a number one offender in procrastination).  We know we need to lose weight to be healthy but we wait to try to lose weight until there is a reason to get skinny (bathing suit season) or our health is at risk.  Our entire society needs a shift in prospective about weight loss.  If we could shift the prospective of weight loss to be towards a healthy and long term lifestyle change a lot of fad diets would be eliminated, including hCG. 

So, how do we get past the fad diets and start living a healthy lifestyle?  It's all about lifestyle changes that are obtainable and long term.  Do you really want to be taking hCG shots the rest of your life?  Do you want to eat a ton of grapefruits everyday for the rest of your life?  Fad diets are not long term.  I found a fantastic short article that I am going to copy and paste from the American Dietetic Association's website on how to identify a fad diet.  The next time your reading a magazine article about the newest diet, look at these different criteria outlined by the ADA and decide for yourself whether this is a good diet for you.  My education and professional background has definitely helped me decide whether a diet is good or bad, but unfortunately a lot of us can be persuaded very easily into unhealthy weight loss plans.  So I want to help you be able to decipher the information a little bit easier.  Like I have been saying week after week, my weight loss plan is to eat a balanced diet with foods from all five food groups within my specific calorie range, increase physical activity, and be consistent on a day to day and week to week basis (my biggest downfall so far!).  I am not going to use any medications, eliminate any foods or food groups, etc.  This is my plan for the rest of my life, it has to be healthy and obtainable.  Here's the article:

"Staying Away from Fad Diets"
American Dietetic Association
Eatright.org website
http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6851


With all the focus on weight in our society, it isn’t surprising that millions of people fall prey to fad diets and bogus weight-loss products. Conflicting claims, testimonials and hype by so-called “experts” can confuse even the most informed consumers. The bottom line is simple: If a diet or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


There are no foods or pills that magically burn fat. No super foods will alter your genetic code. No products will miraculously melt fat while you watch TV or sleep. Some ingredients in supplements and herbal products can be dangerous and even deadly for some people.


Steer clear of any diet plans, pills and products that make the following claims:


#1:  Rapid Weight Loss


Slow, steady weight loss is more likely to last than dramatic weight changes. Healthy plans aim for a loss of no more than ½ pound to 1 pound per week. If you lose weight quickly, you’ll lose muscle, bone and water. You also will be more likely to regain the pounds quickly afterwards.


#2:  Quantities and Limitations


Ditch diets that allow unlimited quantities of any food, such as grapefruit and cabbage soup. It’s boring to eat the same thing over and over and hard to stick with monotonous plans. Avoid any diet that eliminates or severely restricts entire food groups, such as carbohydrates. Even if you take a multivitamin, you’ll still miss some critical nutrients.


#3:  Specific Food Combinations


There is no evidence that combining certain foods or eating foods at specific times of day will help with weight loss. Eating the “wrong” combinations of food doesn’t cause them to turn to fat immediately or to produce toxins in your intestines, as some plans claim.


#4:  Rigid Menus


Life is already complicated enough. Limiting food choices or following rigid meal plans can be an overwhelming, distasteful task. With any new diet, always ask yourself: “Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?” If the answer is no, the plan is not for you.


#5:  No Need to Exercise


Regular physical activity is essential for good health and healthy weight management. The key to success is to find physical activities that you enjoy and then to aim for 30 to 60 minutes of activity on most days of the week.

If you want to maintain a healthy weight, build muscle and lose fat, the best path is a lifelong combination of eating smarter and moving more. For a personalized plan, tailored to your lifestyle and food preferences, consult a registered dietitian with expertise in weight management. A registered dietitian can help you find a realistic, flexible eating style that helps you feel and be your best.

Another good article is "Weight loss: Choosing a diet that's right for you" by the Mayo Clinic Staff @ http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/weight-loss/NU00616/METHOD=print

So I have my dietitian and my plan.  I just need to keep working at it and be consistent.  No more slacking off after a good weight loss week.  It's important for me to work physical activity and healthy eating into my life on a day to day basis.  If you want help with knowing how many calories you need, I can help you.  Another great resource available to EVERYONE is the http://www.mypyramid.org website.  You can put in your demographics and it can help you determine your daily caloric needs.   Then you can find a way, I use a website called Fatsecret.com, to track your calories to see how many calories you are eating daily.  That way you can keep eating a variety of foods on a daily basis and just adjust your options as needed.  Plus a lot of the calorie tracking websites also have a database for activities, so you can compare your calories taken in verses your calories put out.  As we all know, the more calories you burn the more weight you lose.  And it can be done in a safe and healthy way, no expensive shots needed. 

I am now stepping off my soap box.  Sorry if I offended anyone.  I just needed to vent some frustrations with fad diet suggestions.  Also I really want everyone to be successful in weight loss without harming their body.  You only get one body in this life, it's important to treat it well and take care of it. 

Resources:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/weight-loss/NU00616/METHOD=print


The Truth About hCG for Weight Loss
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Expert Review
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-hcg-for-weight-loss


The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don’t Want You to Know About
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Expert Review
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/weight-loss-cure-dont-want-you-to-know


http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/low-carb-diet/NU00279/METHOD=print

Good News ALL Around!!!!!!

WEEK 12:

Weight Loss:  5 pounds
% Weight Loss:  1.9%
Total Weight Loss:  21 pounds
Total % Weight Loss:  7.7%

This has been my best weight loss week so far.  And of course, all I did was go back to the basics.  I did exactly what I have been talking about needing to do from week to week.  I tracked my calories, picked better options, and increased my physical activity.  It feels good to be back to the 20 pound weight loss mark again. 

One extra exciting thing that happened today was I found out that the scale I use to weigh myself on was more accurate than I thought!  I've been using my roommate's bathroom scale for months now and I thought it was off by 6 pounds.  So every time I weigh myself I add 6 pounds to what is reported on the scale.  As I was telling my roommate about this, she informed me that the scale was only off by 4 pounds (WHAT????).  To get down to the bottom of the situation, I got our scale and our other roommate's scale and did a comparison AND................................she was right (that's right, I admitted that you were right)!  The difference was only 4 pounds, not 6!!!!!  Just to double check, when I got back to work 10 minutes later I compared her scale to 2 scales at work and they were showing that it was only a 4 pound difference too.  That means, I've been losing a little bit more than I thought.  Yay! 

Another exciting thing that happened this past week was the fact that I am wearing a pair of my skinnier jeans with comfort now.  Woot woot!  Those jeans have been sitting in my closet (on the skinnier clothes shelf) for a couple of years now.  In addition to that, I can actually put on my skinniest jeans too, they just can't button up quite yet (they are ones that I was wearing when I was a lot skinnier about 5+ years ago).  It's a good thing that fashion tends to revolve quite a bit back to old styles.  Also a good thing that I buy a lot of my basics in classic trends that flatter my body so they never will go out of style.  This is going to help me save a couple dollars as I change sizes with this whole weight loss thing.  It also helps that Angie and I both have our skinnier shelves and we are swapping out clothes to share as we go along the downward trend.  I just don't know what we're going to do when we get smaller than our skinnier clothes (and we will!).  Okay, I DO KNOW......a little thing I like to call shopping.  I think I can handle it.  ;) 

Tomorrow I head off to Idaho for the good ol' family reunion.  Typically I am very worried about not doing well with the whole weight loss thing when going on vacation, but this time I'm not.  My family is all VERY supportive of what I am trying to accomplish.  Most of my family is also working on a healthier lifestyle and weight too, so hopefully we can keep it going together this weekend.  We're already planning on running (I'm going to slowly jog/walk) a 5k.  I'm sure my mom has figured out what days (early mornings) we'll go to the gym to work out.  And we should have overall healthy food throughout the weekend.  If not, I will just try to be conscious about what I eat and I give FULL LIBERTY to my family to comment to me if I do try to eat poorly.  I need their help with this.  So here's to the family reunion that won't inhibit my weight loss.  I'll let you know how it goes next week. 

P.S.  Last time I saw my nephews they commented on how much bigger I was than their mom.  Hopefully that won't be such a big temptation for them this time.  But there's no guarantee on that considering we are going swimming.  Got to love kids and their honesty.  :)

Ridin' the Roller Coaster!!!!!!

Previous Goal:  20 pound weight loss by my birthday on July 20th. 

Week 10
Weight Loss = 4 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 10 = 1.5%
Total Weight Loss = 21#
Total % Weight Loss = 7.66%

I was SO STOKED to meet my goal.  In celebration I went and got my hair cut.  Of course I also partied like a rock star, it was my birthday.  So in birthday fashion, I didn't really care about what I ate that day.  I did go to the gym for an hour that morning, but it definitely didn't help create a big calorie deficit by the end of the day.  That day I went to lunch and had sushi followed by a trip to a French bakery for a delicious chocolate eclair.  I went to dinner that night with the girls, but I picked a pretty good meal overall (halibut and orzo pasta with artichokes and mushrooms, yum!).  Then we finished the night with a birthday party at my house, which included yummy sweets and ice cream cake.  Too say the least, I was WELL above my calories.  But calories don't count on your birthday, right? 

That's right.  They don't count on your birthday.  But they do count the day after, the day after that, and the day after that too.  We had birthday treats at work the day after my birthday and the day after that.  Then I went to Las Vegas and St. George for the weekend.  Road trips are never great for a weight loss plan.  We ate out at every meal except for one, and it was mostly fast food.  I also worked out only twice in the last week after my birthday.  So, to say the least I have bad results to report for week 11.  Here we go! 

Week 11
Weight Loss = 0 (Gained 3 pounds instead)
% Weight Loss for Week 11 = 0%
Total Weight Loss = 18 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 6.57%

So I had a bit of a roller coaster experience the past two weeks.  I kicked it into high gear to make it up the hill to meet the goal of 20# and then quickly accelerated back down to my old ways once I got to the top.  Luckily I know the different barrel rolls and loopy loops to work through to get ready to start the climb back to the top again.  The barrel rolls to work through are going to be to start logging my foods again (I haven't tracked my calories for about 2 weeks, boo!), no more exceptions on foods (it's okay if I eat this since I worked out today), more consistent workouts (4-5 times/ week for an hour and a half).  I know, I know!  I go over these different things every time I have a bad week.  It just goes to show that CONSISTENCY is key!  Especially when riding the roller coaster.  Life will always throw it's ups and downs during a weight loss plan, it's just important to hold on tight so you don't go off track.  So it's time to buckle in, now that the barrel rolls are over, and prepare to climb to the top again.  I WILL be back to a 20 pound weight loss by the next weigh in. 

P.S.  Sorry for not posting last week or on time this week.  I was super busy all last week, especially Tuesday since it was my birthday.  Then I decided to go to bed at 9pm last night instead of posting.  But I will be better, especially since I know that people are following and interested in my results.  It's a great motivation. 

It's Business, It's Business Time!!!!!!

Week 9 Weight Loss = 4 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 9 = 1.46%
Total Weight Loss = 17 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 6.20%

That's right!  I did get down to business this last week to bust out another 4 pound weight loss week.  It wasn't an option not to.  My overall short term goal is to be down a total of 20 pounds by my birthday next Tuesday, and I knew I couldn't have a poor weight loss week again to reach that goal.  So I watched my calories even more this last week than I have for the past two weeks.  AND I have finally figured out how to eat out with friends and still stay in my calorie range for the most part.  I ate out on Thursday night, Friday night, and twice on Saturday.  I just tried to choose healthier options.  So I thought I would list what I chose at each restaurant to show some options when eating out. 

Thursday night - Pei Wei Restaurant
            - Chicken Lettuce Wraps (YUM!) - 500 calories
            - Edamame - 156 calories
            - 1 crab cream cheese wonton - 50 calories
            - Total Calories for Dinner = 706
Friday night - Jimmy Johns Sandwich Shop
            - Beach Club Sandwich on Wheat (no cheese) - 730 calories
            - Total Calories for Dinner = 730 calories
Saturday night - Chipotle
            - Chicken Burrito (no cheese) These things are humongous! - 480 calories
            - Total Calories for Dinner = 480 calories

Overall these are pretty good numbers for total intake @ dinner time.  The one way I best kept in my calorie range while eating out was just to get the main dish.  A lot of portions at restaurants are huge these days and can easily fill you up.  So if you can, avoiding the side items can save you some calories while still enjoying eating out with friends and not going hungry.  But you definitely have to assess that per restaurant. 

I also tried to choose things w/ vegetables since they are lower in calories and have lots of fiber to help fill me up.  Also I tried to make sure I got some protein in my meal too.  I am not the biggest fan of most protein foods, so sometimes I slack on protein in my diet.  But I do know I am not as hungry when I include protein in my diet. 

Looking back now as the dietitian at my meals, there are some adjustments that I could have made to my selections to help save calories too without giving up the flavor of the foods.  Here are some ways that I could have made my selections even better when I was eating out. 

Sharing an entree:  At Pei Wei I could have shared the Lettuce Wraps with Joy which would have cut their calorie amount in half.  Sharing an entree with a friend is always an easy way to conserve calories.  Plus it conserves money because you can split the cost.  Also sharing an entree can help you from overeating, especially if you are one of those people with the "clean your plate" mentality.

Be more aware of the condiments:  At both Jimmy John's and Chipotle my meals were sabotaged by condiments.  My Beach Club sandwich at Jimmy John's had mayonnaise and avocado slices on it.  I definitely could choose to not have one added the next time I get one to help save calories.  At Chipotle I added the sour cream to my burrito, which was unnecessary.  The burrito was flavored very well and I could have easily saved a 100 calories (more or less) if I would have left off the sour cream.  High fat condiments such as mayonnaise, butter, guacamole, etc can definitely add unnecessary calories to foods.  Most of the time it is best to try to add flavor to foods other ways (like spices) than adding the fat, sorry to disappoint you Paula Dean and Julie Childs (I know you both LOVE butter way too much!). 

Another thing that helped my weight loss was my hard core workout with Angie on Saturday.  STORY TIME!  Saturday morning Angie and I decided to head up one of the canyons in the mountains surrounding SLC and explore and hike for exercise.  We weren't planning to be gone TOO long but we did want to get in a worthwhile workout.  After being confused about which canyon we were in, we ended up just stopping at the first trail head we saw off the side of the road.  We stopped at the Ride Pine Lake trail head because there were a lot of people parked there, so we figured it must be a good hike. 

We started up the mountain and did awesome for the first hour (to the point that we even did a small sprint of trail running).  Then nature caught up to me.  I didn't think our hike would be very long or strenuous and I don't like to eat before working out, so I didn't eat breakfast.  After hiking at a steady quick pace for an hour and then starting to climb over rocks and at a higher % grade up the mountain for about a 1/2 hour, I lost ALL MY ENERGY!  It was not very fun.  I typically don't whine a lot during workouts but I started whining and having to stop frequently.  All energy was vacant from my body and Angie could tell.  So she came to my rescue!  She stopped a couple of boy scouts that were heading down the mountain to get an estimate of how much further it would be to the top (we were determined to make it to that lake, especially Angie who ate breakfast).  After they told us it was at least another mile and about an hour, Angie then bravely asked if they had any type of snack that they could spare us since "we" didn't eat breakfast.  She didn't even call me out in front of the boy scouts, nice friend.  Of course the boy scouts had a ton of food left over after their camp out and they were so nice to share it with us.  They didn't even take my $5.00 that I offered.  So I was saved by Angie, boy scouts, and some homemade trail mix that some young 12 year old's mother made for a camping trip. 

After eating a little trail mix and resting a few minutes and along the way, we made it to the top in 2 hours total.  (Not going to lie, that last hour was one of the worst I've experienced in a while.)  The 4 hour hike and 6 miles was totally worth it!  I would definitely recommended Red Pine Lake as a must do hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Just make sure you eat a good breakfast before you go so you don't deplete all your energy stores half way up the mountain.  You don't want to be saved by a boy scout, do you? 

SO, now all I have is 3 pounds to get to my 20 pound goal by my birthday next week.  I can totally do it.  And actually I am hoping for even more.  Just going to stick to the basics again.  A healthy diet within my calorie goal range or below and lots and lots of physical activity.  Should be fun and totally worth it again!  Till next time!  Keep up all of your hard work!

Recipe Time!!!!

Easy Vegetable Primavera

Ingredients:

1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small/ medium sliced zucchini
1 small/medium sliced yellow squash
1 small diced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt, pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp Basil (or to your taste preference)
1 jar of Marinara sauce (I typically use a Roasted Garlic and Onion sauce)
Parmesan Cheese
(May add any other vegetables you prefer.  Other ideas are carrots, eggplant, etc)

Cooking Directions:

Step 1:  Cut peppers in julienne strips.
Step 2:  Slice mushrooms, zucchini, and squash.
Step 3:  Dice onion.
Step 4:  Combine in baking dish.
Step 5:  Add basil, salt and pepper, minced garlic and stir so evenly distributed.
Step 6:  Add Marinara sauce and stir to evenly cover vegetables.
Step 8:  Sprinkle top w/ Parmesan Cheese.
Step 7:  Bake in oven @ 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until vegetables are cooked to preference.

Can serve by itself, with chicken or fish.  Yum Yum!  Bon Appetite!

The Dreaded Post.......

The time has come.  Yes, it's time to post the dreaded post.  Those of you who have followed the blog from the beginning probably already know what I am about to report without even having to read on further.  Here's to those of you who haven't quite figured it out yet.

Week 8 = 2 pound weight gain
Week 8 % weight loss = 0
Total Weight loss = 14#
Total % Weight Loss = 5.12%

Yup, that sucks.  So what happened?  Well the weekend happened.  This weekend I went on a road trip all weekend long for the 4th of July.  I am not going to lie, it was WAY fun and totally worth it.  It just sucks to get the repercussions of not working out and relaxing on the eating habits.  But as said in the past, this is not the end.  Just because I gained weight this week doesn't mean I have to give up and stop.  Instead, it just reminds me that I can pick up the pace again and start posting the big numbers.  And that is the plan. 

Road Trip Downfalls:
     -  Not working out on a daily basis.  We did go hiking in the Tetons by Jackson Hole one day and we
        walked around Idaho Falls and Jackson Hole a little bit, but it didn't add up to my usual physical activity
        level.  Plus, there was a lot of sitting in the car.
     -  Not choosing the healthier option on the menu.  The tater tots @ Taco Maker, the loaded sweet potato
        @ Texas Roadhouse (yum!), drinking the whole bottle of Reed's Dairy Chocolate Milk (450 calories in
        one bottle), the side of sausage patties @ breakfast in Jackson, the regular serving of Aggie Ice Cream
        instead of the kiddie size (but admittedly, that was SO worth it!), getting the focacia bread and a
        Chicken Club Sandwich @ Firehouse and eating it ALL!  I could have definitely adjusted my choices 
        and serving sizes.
     -  Choosing unhealthy snacks for the trip.  I didn't really have anything healthy for snacking on the trip. 
        Vanilla flavored Tootsie Rolls, Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Bears, Gummy Worms, Sunflower Seeds, 
        and Chex Mix = lots of sugar and lots of salt!  Next time I need to be better about getting healthy
        snacks to munch on. 

Goal:  Total Weight Loss by July 20th (my birthday!) is 20 pounds. 

That means I need to lose at least 6 pounds in the next 2 weeks (14 days).  I feel that is very possible.  I am going to go back to the basics, which are:
          -  Work out daily for 60 or more minutes.  Lots of cardio people!
          -  Choose healthy options @ meal and snack time.  I already gave away my leftover milk chocolate
             covered cinnamon bears from my road trip. 
          - Drink LOTS of water!
          - Track calories EVERY DAY, I slacked off on that this weekend since I didn't have a computer
             handy, even though I could have used the app on my phone.  :( 
          - More sleep.  It's been shown that the more sleep you get @ night can help with weight loss and
             maintenance.  I think it's related to reducing stress. 

So I hope you all aren't too disappointed.  I'm sure you all knew this day was coming when I would report a bad week.  But if it makes you feel better, I am disappointed in myself.  But I can turn that disappointment into motivation easily.  I know I can do better than gaining weight, even with a road trip and holiday.  My birthday and another 3 day weekend holiday are coming up later this month.  I know it will go a lot better next time. 

GRATITUDE

First, weigh in time!

Week 7 Weight Loss = 1#
Total Weight Loss = 16#
Week 7 % Weight Loss = 0.3%
Total % Weight Loss = 5.84%

So this week was once again a lower weight loss week, which I am okay with.  As of Sunday when I peeked at the scale it was looking really really scary.  I was actually up on my weight from the week before.  That was no good, so I worked out a lot on Monday in hopes of just maintaining my weight.  Luckily I was able to drop an additional pound instead.  One of the greatest parts of today was that I actually had a double weigh in.  Which normally is not a good thing, but it is when you are getting paid money for one of them.  My work has a program called Healthy Lifestyles where we track our exercise.  The program also involves getting points for doctor visits, dentist visits, wearing your seat belt, and they have random challenges dealing with healthy eating/ exercise.  The points that you accumulate equal money at the end of the year.  So this year I got a lot of points for all of the exercise that I have been doing, then I got points for losing weight, improving my cholesterol, body fat %, BMI, and improving my blood sugars.   So ROCK ON for this competition.  Not only is it helping me get healthier, it's also helping me fatten my wallet. 

*Disclaimer paragraph:  The reason why I didn't lose very much weight during Week 7 is due to lack of exercise.  I did not work out on Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday.  Friday I just went for a short walk on my lunch break, so I really wouldn't count that either.  The reality was that I didn't find time to fit it into my schedule.  I had a lot of social activities going on and let my working out suffer.  So I still need to figure out how to do both some more.  Now onto what I wanted to write about.*

Gratitude.  It's always good to list things that you are grateful for.  It helps you realize what you already have, when in our world it is so easy to think you need more.  I work in a field where I encounter a lot of people with health problems that affect their lives.  Today I saw a child who was born with spina bifida and has problems with growing properly, developing, and he can't walk.  It was so sad to see his condition, but his attitude was AMAZING for a child so young with so many physical problems.  So, I have decided that even though I don't have a perfect body, I want to list 5 things about my body that I am grateful for.

1.  I have two feet that I can use on a daily basis, whenever I want.  They help me run, dance, jump, skip, zumba, etc, etc.  I can paint my toenails fun, funky colors.  They look great in almost every shoe out there.  And boy do I LOVE shoes! 

2.  My legs are strong.  They support a lot of weight on them on a daily basis but never seem to give out.  My legs do burn A LOT when I do hard activities (like a hike) but they get me to where I need to go and they help me burn a lot of calories through the activities I do.  I believe my legs are one of the greatest assets to my weight loss so far. 

3.  I have a healthy stomach that can tolerate a variety of foods.  I only have a few select foods that I can't eat without pain.  I can enjoy healthy foods that can nourish my body and provide the energy that I need for daily activities and exercise.  I don't have to have medications to help me utilize what I eat, I have a good stomach for that.  (I work with people on a daily basis who struggle finding foods that won't make their children sick.  In the hospital, I worked with people who's stomachs never worked properly, and they had to be fed by tubes, special formulas as adults, etc.)

4.  My arms and hands, I don't like how they look (yet!) but they work properly.  I use them ALL the time when I am talking.  I use them in the "women's only" weight room at the gym to do some of my favorite free weight exercises.  They help me look more graceful during zumba class or when I am doing a happy dance at work.  My arms carry my most precious belongings.  They help me hug and hold those I love and care for.  And I rarely ever have cold hands. 

5.  My neck.  My neck has got me through a lot during my 26 years of life.  It holds my big head (I had one of the biggest heads in my graduating class when we were measured for caps and gowns.  Big head = large brain) on straight during stressful situations.  It helps me keep my head up high when I don't succeed to my best abilities when it would be easier to just let my head hang down.   My neck supports my head when it wants to float above the clouds on a good day or when I am really happy and excited.

So even though I am trying to improve my body, I have truly been blessed with a wonderful body.  I am grateful that I have a body that I can use to it's full potential.  I am grateful that my body is endures pain and struggles to help me succeed in my weight loss adventures.  I want to treat my body with respect and allow it to be as beautiful as it should be.  Why are you grateful for your body?  I hope you all can find at least 5 or more reasons why you are grateful for your body.  Every body is beautiful in it's own way.  We need to embrace that.

Okay enough with the cheesiness, sorry. So it's onto Week 8.  Let's see what my body does for me this next week.  I'll check back in with you next Tuesday.  Good luck in all that you are doing and working on! 

The pictures in this post are some of my favorite advertisements from NIKE.