Okkkkkaaaaay!!! I am feeling great! Not only did I make time yesterday morning to do my 10 minute upper body circuit, but a friend and I went for a good 45 minute walk in the early afternoon!! It was awesome. Chilly outside, but the walking felt good and I just love knowing I got that in with very little effort on my part. Zoe was getting pretty fussy at home while I was trying to cram in lunch, but she wanted to go outside SO badly I knew there would be no laying her down for nap in her crib. She snoozed in the stroller, as did my friend's little one. We have agreed to make this a Tuesday/Thursday activity at least through the rest of spring.
I am kind of cramming all the info into one little paragraph because I waited too long to type this and I am being tugged on and whined at from all angles right now!! It's very, very cold outside this morning so the kids are a little upset with me for cancelling our zoo plans. Anyway, I really like this cereal diet. Once again, no hunger issues yesterday...I did have another Lean Cuisine for lunch, but I'm going to not do that today. I know those have a lot of sodium in them. On that note, however, I drank 120 ounces of water yesterday! Whew.
No plans of leaving the house on this chilly, possibly rainy day...planning to do some deep cleaning, possible rearranging, and definitely diving into my Bible study for the week. Let's all pray for sunshine and butterflies this weekend!!
xoxo
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Week Six: Day Four
Good morning!
Yesterday was a great day. I am feeling much better now that I'm eating some variety and "regular" foods. I like having structure back, too. Hooray!
FOOD AND DRINK: Yeehaw for water. I drank SO much water yesterday. I have been researching the best amount to drink for weight loss and have come across three different opinions. VERY different. One resource said 8 glasses of water plus one additional glass per 25 pounds of weight loss desired. Another said 1 ounce of water for half of your current weight. A third (crazy) site recommended drinking 1 ounce of water per pound of weight you currently are carrying!! 220 ounces of water? Sorry...I don't even know if there is enough time in the day to not only drink that, but to be in the bathroom as well!! Ha, ha. So, I am shooting for about 100 ounces per day. My cup says it holds 24 ounces, but I'm not sure where that "measurement line" is, so I just try to fill it 5 times a day. Good times. The Special K diet really seems to be good for me! I haven't been hungry at all, I enjoy the cereal, I am really enjoying the fruit...all around happy with it so far. I realize it's only been one day, but I'm thinking positive! I'll treat every day as if it's day one!! For lunch I had a Lean Cuisine (I got enough points to win the "free" lunch bag!) and a spinach and cheese sandwich on a 100-calorie Whole Grain Deli Flat.
EXERCISE: I got on the neighbor's trampoline yesterday with the kids and jumped HARD for about 20-30 minutes! It was awesome!! Heart rate up, check. Heavy breathing, check. Sore legs, check. I have instructed Shaun that we MUST invest in one of these - soon!!! The kids and I were playing a game where they tried to remain standing while I tried to knock them over with just bouncing. It was hilarious and fun and quite the work out! Which was necessary because I just could not find the time to do the 10-minute video I was supposed to do. Who can't find 10 measly minutes in their day?!?!? Me, that's who. Crazy, yes. True? Yes. The boys are apparently no longer napping, there was tons of laundry to do because we are trying to get the kids out of pull-ups at night, the dishes needed to be washed and put away...add to all of this the beautiful weather outside requiring me to be outdoors with the crazies who keep escaping from the back yard! Anyway, I recognize this is an excuse, but I truly did try to make up for it by jumping hard and making it a point to be actively playing. A good friend and I are planning a walk today, but I am still going to do my upper and lower body circuits this morning before taking the kids to school.
TIPS/ISSUES: As I stated above, I really like this meal plan. The cereals are good, 3/4 cup didn't look like much at first but it really is. I had the fruit and yogurt yesterday and Vanilla Almond this morning. Mmmm. Once again, I think my biggest hurdle is exercising, but I am truly making the effort and I WILL, WILL, WILL do 20 minutes of video today. Anything extra will be simply that...extra. And helpful! I am going to "hide" my scale until I have completed 10 days of this Special K plan. I will report my pounds lost at that point, so Saturday, April 2. Then, my official "billing" weigh date will come after 15 days of the Right Size smoothie plan...so, Sunday, April 17. I will take pictures this day, too. I am planning to do the cabbage soup plan again at that point...but I am getting WAY ahead of myself. Today, I had my bowl of cereal, and I will have lunch and a bowl of cereal for dinner. It's gonna be awesome. :)
xoxo
Yesterday was a great day. I am feeling much better now that I'm eating some variety and "regular" foods. I like having structure back, too. Hooray!
FOOD AND DRINK: Yeehaw for water. I drank SO much water yesterday. I have been researching the best amount to drink for weight loss and have come across three different opinions. VERY different. One resource said 8 glasses of water plus one additional glass per 25 pounds of weight loss desired. Another said 1 ounce of water for half of your current weight. A third (crazy) site recommended drinking 1 ounce of water per pound of weight you currently are carrying!! 220 ounces of water? Sorry...I don't even know if there is enough time in the day to not only drink that, but to be in the bathroom as well!! Ha, ha. So, I am shooting for about 100 ounces per day. My cup says it holds 24 ounces, but I'm not sure where that "measurement line" is, so I just try to fill it 5 times a day. Good times. The Special K diet really seems to be good for me! I haven't been hungry at all, I enjoy the cereal, I am really enjoying the fruit...all around happy with it so far. I realize it's only been one day, but I'm thinking positive! I'll treat every day as if it's day one!! For lunch I had a Lean Cuisine (I got enough points to win the "free" lunch bag!) and a spinach and cheese sandwich on a 100-calorie Whole Grain Deli Flat.
EXERCISE: I got on the neighbor's trampoline yesterday with the kids and jumped HARD for about 20-30 minutes! It was awesome!! Heart rate up, check. Heavy breathing, check. Sore legs, check. I have instructed Shaun that we MUST invest in one of these - soon!!! The kids and I were playing a game where they tried to remain standing while I tried to knock them over with just bouncing. It was hilarious and fun and quite the work out! Which was necessary because I just could not find the time to do the 10-minute video I was supposed to do. Who can't find 10 measly minutes in their day?!?!? Me, that's who. Crazy, yes. True? Yes. The boys are apparently no longer napping, there was tons of laundry to do because we are trying to get the kids out of pull-ups at night, the dishes needed to be washed and put away...add to all of this the beautiful weather outside requiring me to be outdoors with the crazies who keep escaping from the back yard! Anyway, I recognize this is an excuse, but I truly did try to make up for it by jumping hard and making it a point to be actively playing. A good friend and I are planning a walk today, but I am still going to do my upper and lower body circuits this morning before taking the kids to school.
TIPS/ISSUES: As I stated above, I really like this meal plan. The cereals are good, 3/4 cup didn't look like much at first but it really is. I had the fruit and yogurt yesterday and Vanilla Almond this morning. Mmmm. Once again, I think my biggest hurdle is exercising, but I am truly making the effort and I WILL, WILL, WILL do 20 minutes of video today. Anything extra will be simply that...extra. And helpful! I am going to "hide" my scale until I have completed 10 days of this Special K plan. I will report my pounds lost at that point, so Saturday, April 2. Then, my official "billing" weigh date will come after 15 days of the Right Size smoothie plan...so, Sunday, April 17. I will take pictures this day, too. I am planning to do the cabbage soup plan again at that point...but I am getting WAY ahead of myself. Today, I had my bowl of cereal, and I will have lunch and a bowl of cereal for dinner. It's gonna be awesome. :)
xoxo
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Week Six: Day Three
Good morning!!
I have read all of the comments and even received some outside of the blog. Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate the input. I have a couple of diets to check out later (if I manage to get another quiet minute today!). I do want to say one quick thing...regarding Weight Watchers. I absolutely intend to head that way. I know it works. It works well! It is a lifestyle as opposed to a quick fix diet. I realize all of these things and I am actually very excited to get on board! That having been said, I hoped this blog would be about more than just my own personal weight loss. YES, I want to lose the weight. YES, I want to do it in a healthy way. However, I think it could be beneficial to others to read about these other diet options. Maybe even by focusing on food in different ways, I will learn to not obsess over just putting it in my mouth. This blog (and I!) are a work in progress, but I really do want it to be more than just bragging about my immense weight loss. Ha, ha. :)
So, last night was nice. I made spaghetti with turkey burger and we had a little picnic outside. I still drank only water, and I actually felt quite stuffed afterwards without having to go to an extreme. This week's plan is to have a bowl of Special K cereal (I stocked up a month or so ago when there was a HUGE sale!) for breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be a "normal" meal...I will likely count calories and try to stay around the 500 range. Two snacks a day of Special K bars and healthy chips. Plus, I can eat fruit anytime. Yummy! I am going to incorporate a tip from a friend to make my lunch plate 1/2 veggies, 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch. I am thinking I will do this for at least 10 days.
By the way - EXERCISE!!! I have still been doing the 30-day body makeover dvd. Another friend told me I need at least 20 minutes for it to be meaningful. I had been alternating M/W/F - 10 minute cardio, Tu/Th/Sa - 10 minute upper body & 10 minute lower body. I will continue my TTS routines, but will have to add something in on MWF. I was doing 50 crunches, but I think I would like to do those every day and add in another 10 minutes of cardio something. Maybe even some fast walking in the evenings. The exercise is great. Even after just (almost) 2 weeks the videos have gotten easier - no less sweat inducing, but a little easier! Zoe and I visited a sweet friend yesterday and she exclaimed how easy it was to get her arms around me for a hug! :)
Today we have Bible study in the morning and plan to head out to the park this afternoon. I have already had my bowl of cereal with strawberries this morning and I am feeing good!! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I will talk to you tomorrow!!
xoxo
I have read all of the comments and even received some outside of the blog. Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate the input. I have a couple of diets to check out later (if I manage to get another quiet minute today!). I do want to say one quick thing...regarding Weight Watchers. I absolutely intend to head that way. I know it works. It works well! It is a lifestyle as opposed to a quick fix diet. I realize all of these things and I am actually very excited to get on board! That having been said, I hoped this blog would be about more than just my own personal weight loss. YES, I want to lose the weight. YES, I want to do it in a healthy way. However, I think it could be beneficial to others to read about these other diet options. Maybe even by focusing on food in different ways, I will learn to not obsess over just putting it in my mouth. This blog (and I!) are a work in progress, but I really do want it to be more than just bragging about my immense weight loss. Ha, ha. :)
So, last night was nice. I made spaghetti with turkey burger and we had a little picnic outside. I still drank only water, and I actually felt quite stuffed afterwards without having to go to an extreme. This week's plan is to have a bowl of Special K cereal (I stocked up a month or so ago when there was a HUGE sale!) for breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be a "normal" meal...I will likely count calories and try to stay around the 500 range. Two snacks a day of Special K bars and healthy chips. Plus, I can eat fruit anytime. Yummy! I am going to incorporate a tip from a friend to make my lunch plate 1/2 veggies, 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch. I am thinking I will do this for at least 10 days.
By the way - EXERCISE!!! I have still been doing the 30-day body makeover dvd. Another friend told me I need at least 20 minutes for it to be meaningful. I had been alternating M/W/F - 10 minute cardio, Tu/Th/Sa - 10 minute upper body & 10 minute lower body. I will continue my TTS routines, but will have to add something in on MWF. I was doing 50 crunches, but I think I would like to do those every day and add in another 10 minutes of cardio something. Maybe even some fast walking in the evenings. The exercise is great. Even after just (almost) 2 weeks the videos have gotten easier - no less sweat inducing, but a little easier! Zoe and I visited a sweet friend yesterday and she exclaimed how easy it was to get her arms around me for a hug! :)
Today we have Bible study in the morning and plan to head out to the park this afternoon. I have already had my bowl of cereal with strawberries this morning and I am feeing good!! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I will talk to you tomorrow!!
xoxo
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Week Six: Day Two
Okay. I'm hitting a reset button tonight. I'm planning to start blogging in the mornings to get my day started off well...I will be typing positive affirmations about the day ahead and letting you know how the previous day went. I promise to get back to blogging every day. It is quite obvious to me now - I NEED IT.
Atkins has not been working for me. Unfortunately, as I touched on a bit, it is allowing me to still obsess about food and eat and eat and eat - as long as there are no carbs in what I am scarfing, I have been just going to town. Then, I start to feel guilty. This is no way to feel. I should feel empowered! I have lost almost 20 pounds! I should feel beautiful! Friends and family have been noticing my weight loss! I got a lovely manicure and my hair is super cute. Know how I've been feeling the past couple days? Lousy. Unattractive. Tired. "HUNGRY". I have been super quick to get angry, yelling. It's just not a good look for me! I thought I left this girl behind!! I have been watching a new show on A & E called Heavy and it has reminded me that there is so much more to dieting than just watching what you eat. It is a mental game, as well. You have to search for the "meaning" behind your food addiction and treat it. Otherwise, the weight may get lost, but it will likely find it's way back again. This all boils down to the devil. Seriously. He finds a moment of weakness and attacks! Ugh. I just wish he would leave me alone!
So, I am declaring this evening an official reset. I am going to eat dinner with my family and not count calories or carbs or anything. I'm going to enjoy my favorite tv night and I will begin with the Special K cereal diet in the morning. I am prepared with boxes of cereal and skim milk and fruit and the snack bars. I intend to blog every morning about the day's plans, and I will also tell you how the day before went! As of now I am planning Special K diet for 1 week, then I am starting the Right Size smoothies. If you haven't heard of these, I will give more details next week.
Thank you for reading and continuing to follow my journey. I realize these moments could occur again, but I am not planning a regular "reset" night. I will just take life as it comes and intend to move forward with weight LOSS.
Good night!
Atkins has not been working for me. Unfortunately, as I touched on a bit, it is allowing me to still obsess about food and eat and eat and eat - as long as there are no carbs in what I am scarfing, I have been just going to town. Then, I start to feel guilty. This is no way to feel. I should feel empowered! I have lost almost 20 pounds! I should feel beautiful! Friends and family have been noticing my weight loss! I got a lovely manicure and my hair is super cute. Know how I've been feeling the past couple days? Lousy. Unattractive. Tired. "HUNGRY". I have been super quick to get angry, yelling. It's just not a good look for me! I thought I left this girl behind!! I have been watching a new show on A & E called Heavy and it has reminded me that there is so much more to dieting than just watching what you eat. It is a mental game, as well. You have to search for the "meaning" behind your food addiction and treat it. Otherwise, the weight may get lost, but it will likely find it's way back again. This all boils down to the devil. Seriously. He finds a moment of weakness and attacks! Ugh. I just wish he would leave me alone!
So, I am declaring this evening an official reset. I am going to eat dinner with my family and not count calories or carbs or anything. I'm going to enjoy my favorite tv night and I will begin with the Special K cereal diet in the morning. I am prepared with boxes of cereal and skim milk and fruit and the snack bars. I intend to blog every morning about the day's plans, and I will also tell you how the day before went! As of now I am planning Special K diet for 1 week, then I am starting the Right Size smoothies. If you haven't heard of these, I will give more details next week.
Thank you for reading and continuing to follow my journey. I realize these moments could occur again, but I am not planning a regular "reset" night. I will just take life as it comes and intend to move forward with weight LOSS.
Good night!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Week Five: Day Six
This has been quite a week!! AKA, Spring Break. Yeehaw. A whole new meaning when you are the mom of four little ones. Their school is out, but the fun stuff around town is too crowded to attend! Poor kids. Poor mom!
Anyway, the diet has been going well. Atkins isn't too hard, it just gets a little boring when you don't take time to make a recipe or two. Because of the Spring Break and I was trying to think of things to keep the kids entertained (even though it turns out the most fun is just playing in dirt out back!), I really just stuck with meat, cheese, and spinach leaves. Yum. Oh, and eggs...lots and lots of eggs.
I did encounter one evening this week where I went a little astray. I'm not afraid to admit! Friday night we went to some friends' house with the kids and had a nice little "dinner party". They have two kids and the mom and I hang out very often, so we decided it would be nice for the daddies to join! Thankfully, my friend is super considerate and sweet, so she made steaks and veggie kabobs for dinner. I brought a little appetizer of bacon wrapped artichoke hearts (from one of my new cookbooks!), so I definitely was able to eat on plan. The "astray" part is alcohol. I know any drinking is only going to result in slower weight loss (or worse, none at all!), but I think we can all relate to needing a nice evening winding down with a few beverages. I made a conscious decision to have a few drinks. Due to my diet over the past few weeks and only having water for as long, it didn't take many for me to wind down! Anyway, I drank 40 ounces of water when we got home before bed, and I have had extra water today. So...on the food and drink front - there is my confession. I have not had one "bad" carb to EAT, but I did have some "beer margaritas" last night.
EXERCISE: The DVD is getting a little easier!! A very little. Ha, ha. In addition to my plan of 10-20 minutes a day following the 30-day body makeover, we did some major playing this week!! On Thursday we went to the zoo. This involves a lot of walking and maneuvering and chasing on a regular basis, add in the fact that it is Spring Break week and we got a 70+ degree sunny day...well, let's just say it was pretty darn busy and there was a mental workout going on just keeping track! Luckily, I was with a friend, so she was able to help during the many bathroom breaks I had to take various kids on. Whew. Now, the even better "extra exercise" activity was Friday morning at a fun little place called Bounce U. Inflatables galore including a very tall slide which Zoe found to be the best thing EVER. This meant I got to carry her 28 pound self up the steps over and over and over. I was sweating! We were there for an hour and forty-five minutes and I'm pretty sure my heart rate was at a higher level for most of that time! Good times.
TIPS/ISSUES: As I mentioned above, I definitely think it is important to create unique recipes when doing Atkins. Especially when you love food like I love food! So, I would say my only issue is boredom right now. I plan to try a couple of things this next week, and I promise to include recipes when things are tasty!! Speaking of...see below for the Bacon Wrapped Artichoke Hearts Recipe. Also see below for more "cures" for the boredom...
Artichoke Hearts Wrapped in Bacon
from Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook
1/2 pound thinly sliced bacon
2 14-ounce cans of artichoke hearts, drained and halved, or one 10 1/2 ounce
package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved
Slice bacon in half, broil for 3-4 minutes, then allow to cool completely. Once bacon is cool enough to handle, wrap each artichoke fully and secure with a toothpick, broiled side in. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
Thursday evening I used the payments I have received for my first 18.5 pounds for this...
It doesn't even look like my hand!!! Beautiful nails compliments of Silky Nails. Love!!
Then, my sweet husband did some side work today and gave me the money to get my hair done...
BEFORE AFTER
Anyway, the diet has been going well. Atkins isn't too hard, it just gets a little boring when you don't take time to make a recipe or two. Because of the Spring Break and I was trying to think of things to keep the kids entertained (even though it turns out the most fun is just playing in dirt out back!), I really just stuck with meat, cheese, and spinach leaves. Yum. Oh, and eggs...lots and lots of eggs.
I did encounter one evening this week where I went a little astray. I'm not afraid to admit! Friday night we went to some friends' house with the kids and had a nice little "dinner party". They have two kids and the mom and I hang out very often, so we decided it would be nice for the daddies to join! Thankfully, my friend is super considerate and sweet, so she made steaks and veggie kabobs for dinner. I brought a little appetizer of bacon wrapped artichoke hearts (from one of my new cookbooks!), so I definitely was able to eat on plan. The "astray" part is alcohol. I know any drinking is only going to result in slower weight loss (or worse, none at all!), but I think we can all relate to needing a nice evening winding down with a few beverages. I made a conscious decision to have a few drinks. Due to my diet over the past few weeks and only having water for as long, it didn't take many for me to wind down! Anyway, I drank 40 ounces of water when we got home before bed, and I have had extra water today. So...on the food and drink front - there is my confession. I have not had one "bad" carb to EAT, but I did have some "beer margaritas" last night.
EXERCISE: The DVD is getting a little easier!! A very little. Ha, ha. In addition to my plan of 10-20 minutes a day following the 30-day body makeover, we did some major playing this week!! On Thursday we went to the zoo. This involves a lot of walking and maneuvering and chasing on a regular basis, add in the fact that it is Spring Break week and we got a 70+ degree sunny day...well, let's just say it was pretty darn busy and there was a mental workout going on just keeping track! Luckily, I was with a friend, so she was able to help during the many bathroom breaks I had to take various kids on. Whew. Now, the even better "extra exercise" activity was Friday morning at a fun little place called Bounce U. Inflatables galore including a very tall slide which Zoe found to be the best thing EVER. This meant I got to carry her 28 pound self up the steps over and over and over. I was sweating! We were there for an hour and forty-five minutes and I'm pretty sure my heart rate was at a higher level for most of that time! Good times.
TIPS/ISSUES: As I mentioned above, I definitely think it is important to create unique recipes when doing Atkins. Especially when you love food like I love food! So, I would say my only issue is boredom right now. I plan to try a couple of things this next week, and I promise to include recipes when things are tasty!! Speaking of...see below for the Bacon Wrapped Artichoke Hearts Recipe. Also see below for more "cures" for the boredom...
Artichoke Hearts Wrapped in Bacon
from Dr. Atkins' Quick and Easy New Diet Cookbook
1/2 pound thinly sliced bacon
2 14-ounce cans of artichoke hearts, drained and halved, or one 10 1/2 ounce
package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved
Slice bacon in half, broil for 3-4 minutes, then allow to cool completely. Once bacon is cool enough to handle, wrap each artichoke fully and secure with a toothpick, broiled side in. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until bacon is crispy.
Thursday evening I used the payments I have received for my first 18.5 pounds for this...
It doesn't even look like my hand!!! Beautiful nails compliments of Silky Nails. Love!!
Then, my sweet husband did some side work today and gave me the money to get my hair done...
BEFORE AFTER
Tiffany at The Loft Salon did an incredible job!! For some reason, I really don't feel like the picture is doing it justice...there are so many levels of color and streaks and it is just beautiful!! Plus, the cut is just perfect. If you ever need a recommendation in Nashville for hair cut/color/whatever, call her!!
So, tonight I'm feeling super girly and dolled up and loving it. I'm hoping to at least be at (or past!) the 20 pound mark Monday morning.
Good night!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Week Five: Day Three
I'm sorry I haven't been blogging every day. I have had a hard time with this Atkins!! It has always been easy for me to do in the past, but I also have always gone about it with the same "sick" mind of just eating constantly, making sure it's only protein and veggies. This time, however, I have been doing so much healing and working so hard at NOT eating just to pass the time. I get paranoid about eating anything, but then I get nervous I am not eating enough!! I am going to finish out this week just doing what I'm doing (details below), and I will make a decision (if necessary) on Monday when I see the numbers on the scale. I really, really wanted this blog to show several different dieting options and how they work and offer up tips for others thinking about trying those options. I will think more on Monday. Or not. :) I'm sure some loss of pounds would entice me to keep up with the Atkins for at least a couple more weeks!!
On the exercise front, I have been doing pretty well there. My routine is laid out as follows: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 10 minute lower body circuit, 10 minute upper body circuit. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - 10 minute cardio, 50 crunches. The 10 minute routines are all on the 30-day Body Makeover DVD from Gold's Gym. Let me tell you - I realize it's only the first few days, but these little 10 minutes are TOUGH!! :) Now the weather is clearing up, I am definitely going to be walking a lot more as well. Sundays I would like to have a goal of walking 2 miles. I will up this as it gets easier, but I'm going to start small.
FOOD: I have even cut out coffee at this point, so I literally only drink water. Cold water, through a straw, a minimum of 80 ounces a day. On the food front, I have been eating scrambled eggs with cheese and sausage every morning. Heavy, right? I'm totally fine with my breakfast. It fills me up, tastes good, does the job. Moving on to the rest of my day...this is when the "fear" sets in. I have been eating salads with protein (chicken or ground beef is what I have an abundance of this week in the house), very little dressing, snacking on cheese cubes or Almond Accents (soooo good). For dinner last night I made soup for the kids and Shaun and I split a grilled chicken salad with caesar dressing. Shaun got all the croutons. :) FYI - I made this salad. The way I typed it sounded kind of like I ordered it from somewhere! Heaven forbid! Ha, ha, ha. In all seriousness, I am quite proud of my family...we have all been fast food free for this entire dieting process!! Shaun even had to go to a Burger King with his co-worker and didn't eat anything. He said the smell wasn't even appealing anymore. Yay! This coming from a family that was all about convenience food. At least once a week. The kids don't even ask about "Old MacDonald's" when we drive by those golden arches anymore. Major progress.
Exercise I talked about above and I think I divulged all my "issues", as well! I am looking forward to seeing how I end this week and moving forward from there. I did discover Atkins shakes and bars. This may be a good way for me to not have to think so much about how much or when I am eating. We'll see...they aren't exactly cheap!
Good night (day)!!
On the exercise front, I have been doing pretty well there. My routine is laid out as follows: Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 10 minute lower body circuit, 10 minute upper body circuit. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday - 10 minute cardio, 50 crunches. The 10 minute routines are all on the 30-day Body Makeover DVD from Gold's Gym. Let me tell you - I realize it's only the first few days, but these little 10 minutes are TOUGH!! :) Now the weather is clearing up, I am definitely going to be walking a lot more as well. Sundays I would like to have a goal of walking 2 miles. I will up this as it gets easier, but I'm going to start small.
FOOD: I have even cut out coffee at this point, so I literally only drink water. Cold water, through a straw, a minimum of 80 ounces a day. On the food front, I have been eating scrambled eggs with cheese and sausage every morning. Heavy, right? I'm totally fine with my breakfast. It fills me up, tastes good, does the job. Moving on to the rest of my day...this is when the "fear" sets in. I have been eating salads with protein (chicken or ground beef is what I have an abundance of this week in the house), very little dressing, snacking on cheese cubes or Almond Accents (soooo good). For dinner last night I made soup for the kids and Shaun and I split a grilled chicken salad with caesar dressing. Shaun got all the croutons. :) FYI - I made this salad. The way I typed it sounded kind of like I ordered it from somewhere! Heaven forbid! Ha, ha, ha. In all seriousness, I am quite proud of my family...we have all been fast food free for this entire dieting process!! Shaun even had to go to a Burger King with his co-worker and didn't eat anything. He said the smell wasn't even appealing anymore. Yay! This coming from a family that was all about convenience food. At least once a week. The kids don't even ask about "Old MacDonald's" when we drive by those golden arches anymore. Major progress.
Exercise I talked about above and I think I divulged all my "issues", as well! I am looking forward to seeing how I end this week and moving forward from there. I did discover Atkins shakes and bars. This may be a good way for me to not have to think so much about how much or when I am eating. We'll see...they aren't exactly cheap!
Good night (day)!!
Monday, March 14, 2011
FOUR WEEKS DOWN!!!
Hooray, hooray!! I am feeling fired up and super motivated today! I am embarking on a 30-day makeover after my quite successful past four weeks. Woo-hoo!!
WEEK TWO: DAY ONE
WEEK THREE: DAY ONE
Oops - I guess I didn't take a picture that morning! Sorry!!
WEEK FOUR: DAY ONE
So...here it is...picture time. :P
WEEK ONE: DAY ONE
WEEK TWO: DAY ONE
WEEK THREE: DAY ONE
Oops - I guess I didn't take a picture that morning! Sorry!!
WEEK FOUR: DAY ONE
FINAL!
DAY ONE: FOUR WEEKS LATER:
So far, it's mostly my face, neck, and ankles. Sorry I didn't get a picture of my ankles. The ridiculous part is that I always have thin ankles...they just get even skinnier.
Anyway! I wanna do a little recap of the last four weeks...
For the first week I did the cabbage soup diet. http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/ I lost 7.5 pounds and really didn't have many issues making it through each day. There is always a "better day" coming up to look forward to and the soup really is good! I will plan to do this once again after my next 30 days is up, for sure.
The next three weeks were Slim Fast! I followed the 3-2-1 Plan of 3 snacks per day, 2 Slim Fast shakes or bars, and 1 "sensible" meal. The first week I ate the meal at dinner. No big issues just a lot of hunger during the day and then a hard time of stopping once the allotted 500-calories were done at night. Second week the meal was at lunch. This was my absolute favorite! I highly recommend doing the plan this way. I wasn't too hungry by lunch time and I was still feeling happy at dinner. Third week I ate breakfast as my meal and this was just downright awful. I wasn't able to do it the full week...made it 5 days and then switched things up a little bit over the weekend. It was just too hard to be excited about eating a balanced breakfast (like, vegetables at 7:30 am?) that early in the morning and my stomach had long forgotten about the food by 3 pm.
Total pounds lost (for those of you who hate math): 18.5 pounds!!!
For those who pledged in the beginning here is the $ breakdown...
$1 - $18.50
$0.50 - $9.25
$0.40 - $7.40
My sons each pledged a nickel, so I will be collecting $0.92 from their piggy banks this morning! Ha, ha, ha.
Starting today I will be eating based on the Atkins diet plan and working out every day between 10 and 40 minutes. I have one video called The 30-day Body Makeover from Gold's Gym, and I will be alternating between a couple of Denise Austin's "Hit the Spot" videos. Abs and Buns.
Thank you everyone for helping me say goodbye (for good!) to those 18 pounds!!
DAY ONE: FOUR WEEKS LATER:
Anyway! I wanna do a little recap of the last four weeks...
For the first week I did the cabbage soup diet. http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/ I lost 7.5 pounds and really didn't have many issues making it through each day. There is always a "better day" coming up to look forward to and the soup really is good! I will plan to do this once again after my next 30 days is up, for sure.
The next three weeks were Slim Fast! I followed the 3-2-1 Plan of 3 snacks per day, 2 Slim Fast shakes or bars, and 1 "sensible" meal. The first week I ate the meal at dinner. No big issues just a lot of hunger during the day and then a hard time of stopping once the allotted 500-calories were done at night. Second week the meal was at lunch. This was my absolute favorite! I highly recommend doing the plan this way. I wasn't too hungry by lunch time and I was still feeling happy at dinner. Third week I ate breakfast as my meal and this was just downright awful. I wasn't able to do it the full week...made it 5 days and then switched things up a little bit over the weekend. It was just too hard to be excited about eating a balanced breakfast (like, vegetables at 7:30 am?) that early in the morning and my stomach had long forgotten about the food by 3 pm.
Total pounds lost (for those of you who hate math): 18.5 pounds!!!
For those who pledged in the beginning here is the $ breakdown...
$1 - $18.50
$0.50 - $9.25
$0.40 - $7.40
My sons each pledged a nickel, so I will be collecting $0.92 from their piggy banks this morning! Ha, ha, ha.
Starting today I will be eating based on the Atkins diet plan and working out every day between 10 and 40 minutes. I have one video called The 30-day Body Makeover from Gold's Gym, and I will be alternating between a couple of Denise Austin's "Hit the Spot" videos. Abs and Buns.
Thank you everyone for helping me say goodbye (for good!) to those 18 pounds!!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Week Four: Day Five
Much better day!! Still hungry this afternoon, but I think that will be cured by my little change for Saturday and Sunday. Eating a 500-calorie breakfast, and trying to keep it healthy, is kind of hard!! Let me just get started...
FOOD AND DRINK: For breakfast this morning I had a scrambled egg with turkey sausage and a slice of cheese, a Just For One Green Giant broccoli cup, and a Lean Cuisine (Chicken Fettucini Alfredo). Yummmm, yes. BUT for breakfast? Kinda too much. Luckily, we had a pretty big day, so I didn't just lay around after filling my belly (way too early). I did stay on track all the rest of the day, too. 3 100-calorie snacks, 2 shakes, same ol' same ol'. :)
EXERCISE: Well, once again not really, but we went to the library today for a puppet show and then ate lunch outside in the courtyard by a fountain. This was time for the kids to run wild. It got a little annoying when they started throwing the fruit salad into the fountain. So, there wasn't a whole lot of sitting down for me, but it was a kind of small courtyard, so I can't really count any "exercise". Eah...Monday.
TIPS/ISSUES: I will reiterate I am not a fan of only eating breakfast. Saturday and Sunday I am going to "reverse the day". Start with a snack, then my 500 calorie meal, snack, shake, snack, shake. I'm hoping the afternoon hunger will be lessened. Regardless, I am SO looking forward to Monday!! No more shakes! No more counting calories! Woo-hoo!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! I have a lot on my plate, so I may not get around to writing, but I am planning to post pictures and one month results Monday morning.
Good night!!
FOOD AND DRINK: For breakfast this morning I had a scrambled egg with turkey sausage and a slice of cheese, a Just For One Green Giant broccoli cup, and a Lean Cuisine (Chicken Fettucini Alfredo). Yummmm, yes. BUT for breakfast? Kinda too much. Luckily, we had a pretty big day, so I didn't just lay around after filling my belly (way too early). I did stay on track all the rest of the day, too. 3 100-calorie snacks, 2 shakes, same ol' same ol'. :)
EXERCISE: Well, once again not really, but we went to the library today for a puppet show and then ate lunch outside in the courtyard by a fountain. This was time for the kids to run wild. It got a little annoying when they started throwing the fruit salad into the fountain. So, there wasn't a whole lot of sitting down for me, but it was a kind of small courtyard, so I can't really count any "exercise". Eah...Monday.
TIPS/ISSUES: I will reiterate I am not a fan of only eating breakfast. Saturday and Sunday I am going to "reverse the day". Start with a snack, then my 500 calorie meal, snack, shake, snack, shake. I'm hoping the afternoon hunger will be lessened. Regardless, I am SO looking forward to Monday!! No more shakes! No more counting calories! Woo-hoo!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! I have a lot on my plate, so I may not get around to writing, but I am planning to post pictures and one month results Monday morning.
Good night!!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Week Four: Day Four
I am really, really hungry and tired right now. I think I hate only eating breakfast. I mean, I know I hate it. Ugh. Planning tomorrow's breakfast is not exciting me at all, it's only making things worse. I made dinner for Shaun and the kids, and I'm hiding out in the kitchen (they are having living room picnic night!) while they eat and make all sorts of "mmmm" noises. Grrrr.
It's kind of been a strange couple of days for me. I have battled forms of depression in my past, and I get a little nervous when I start feeling this way. I'm so tired and my usual response to this would be to CHOW. Now that I don't have that outlet at my disposal, I am having to try other things. Basically yelling at my husband and kids. Nice, right? I've tried praying about it, but that is kind of hard when your heart just isn't in the right place. I know it has little to nothing to do with the dieting - it may be the wrong time of the month, it may be the weather, it may just be my brain. Anyway, this little venting paragraph is just to explain why there may be no "oomph" in my posting tonight, and a little bit why I didn't even bother posting last night.
FOOD AND DRINK: I have stuck to plan 100%. When I went grocery shopping on Monday I stocked up on 100-calorie yogurts, so I'm loving those. I did decide today I should probably reverse my day a little bit since I'm eating my meal at breakfast this week - start the day with a snack instead of ending the day with a snack. Unfortunately, our plans for tomorrow don't really make that possible for me, so I'll just have to suck it up another day. Truthfully, as I think about it right now (after a cup of coffee), I'm NOT feeling hunger. It's the restlessness that always gets my butt gravitating towards the kitchen in hopes of finding the answers at the bottom of a bowl or plate of something. I am looking forward to our plans tomorrow, so that's helping. I think I'm in a funk...this happens to everyone, right? As I said above, my typical response to these "funks" is eating. It makes sense that I would have a hard time with this being my first experience at NOT using food to "cure" it.
EXERCISE: Nope. BUT, I was telling a friend yesterday that I am trying to be conscious of tightening my stomach as I walk around the house and bend over to lift things from the floor. Basically really concentrating on keeping my core tight throughout the day. It's a small bit, but every bit helps! I'm resting up for my big DVD workouts to begin on Monday! Woohoo!
TIPS/ISSUES: I'm done talking about my "issues", don't worry. I am going to go ahead and say the best Slim Fast tip I have is to eat your 500-calorie meal at lunchtime! Also, drinking water through a straw is really, really easy. It's been kind of chilly the past few days and I have NOT felt like drinking cold water (the only way I'll drink it). Sucking it down through a straw has made it possible for me to power through these few cold days. That's all for tonight. Pray my attitude will be adjusted over night and tomorrow's post will be full of sunshine and smiles!
Good night!
It's kind of been a strange couple of days for me. I have battled forms of depression in my past, and I get a little nervous when I start feeling this way. I'm so tired and my usual response to this would be to CHOW. Now that I don't have that outlet at my disposal, I am having to try other things. Basically yelling at my husband and kids. Nice, right? I've tried praying about it, but that is kind of hard when your heart just isn't in the right place. I know it has little to nothing to do with the dieting - it may be the wrong time of the month, it may be the weather, it may just be my brain. Anyway, this little venting paragraph is just to explain why there may be no "oomph" in my posting tonight, and a little bit why I didn't even bother posting last night.
FOOD AND DRINK: I have stuck to plan 100%. When I went grocery shopping on Monday I stocked up on 100-calorie yogurts, so I'm loving those. I did decide today I should probably reverse my day a little bit since I'm eating my meal at breakfast this week - start the day with a snack instead of ending the day with a snack. Unfortunately, our plans for tomorrow don't really make that possible for me, so I'll just have to suck it up another day. Truthfully, as I think about it right now (after a cup of coffee), I'm NOT feeling hunger. It's the restlessness that always gets my butt gravitating towards the kitchen in hopes of finding the answers at the bottom of a bowl or plate of something. I am looking forward to our plans tomorrow, so that's helping. I think I'm in a funk...this happens to everyone, right? As I said above, my typical response to these "funks" is eating. It makes sense that I would have a hard time with this being my first experience at NOT using food to "cure" it.
EXERCISE: Nope. BUT, I was telling a friend yesterday that I am trying to be conscious of tightening my stomach as I walk around the house and bend over to lift things from the floor. Basically really concentrating on keeping my core tight throughout the day. It's a small bit, but every bit helps! I'm resting up for my big DVD workouts to begin on Monday! Woohoo!
TIPS/ISSUES: I'm done talking about my "issues", don't worry. I am going to go ahead and say the best Slim Fast tip I have is to eat your 500-calorie meal at lunchtime! Also, drinking water through a straw is really, really easy. It's been kind of chilly the past few days and I have NOT felt like drinking cold water (the only way I'll drink it). Sucking it down through a straw has made it possible for me to power through these few cold days. That's all for tonight. Pray my attitude will be adjusted over night and tomorrow's post will be full of sunshine and smiles!
Good night!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Week Four: Day Two
Hello, hello! I am fighting some sleepiness in order to watch my favorite lineup on tv...Tuesday nights are the best. Whew!
FOOD AND DRINK: I'm not going to keep detailing everything. I ate three 100-calorie snacks today and 2 shakes. Drank all my water. Breakfast consisted of a tortilla with cheese, lunch meat, and 2 scrambled eggs...oh, and a banana. Mmmm. As I reflect on my day, I really wasn't hungry. A good friend came over with her son for the afternoon, so maybe I was just too busy gabbing. What I do like about eating breakfast as my one full meal is that it's over and done with and I really don't need to think about food (for myself) at all during the rest of the day. I bought some 100-calorie yogurts today...all sorts of chocolate and caramel and mousse and "temptations". Crazy! It's almost fun being on a diet these days! :)
EXERCISE: Unless you will let me count the fast-paced grocery shopping I did (twice!) today...yeah, none. Boo!! I took Zoe to the Monkey's Treehouse today to meet up with a friend and see "Safari Greg" perform. Chasing Zoe around there was better than sitting...but, still, my answer is none.
FOOD AND DRINK: I'm not going to keep detailing everything. I ate three 100-calorie snacks today and 2 shakes. Drank all my water. Breakfast consisted of a tortilla with cheese, lunch meat, and 2 scrambled eggs...oh, and a banana. Mmmm. As I reflect on my day, I really wasn't hungry. A good friend came over with her son for the afternoon, so maybe I was just too busy gabbing. What I do like about eating breakfast as my one full meal is that it's over and done with and I really don't need to think about food (for myself) at all during the rest of the day. I bought some 100-calorie yogurts today...all sorts of chocolate and caramel and mousse and "temptations". Crazy! It's almost fun being on a diet these days! :)
EXERCISE: Unless you will let me count the fast-paced grocery shopping I did (twice!) today...yeah, none. Boo!! I took Zoe to the Monkey's Treehouse today to meet up with a friend and see "Safari Greg" perform. Chasing Zoe around there was better than sitting...but, still, my answer is none.
If only we had a chaffeur...this would have been me, as well. :)
TIPS/ISSUES: I guess I just need to start really focusing on getting some exercise mixed in! I would like to blame the weather, and it really has been nasty, but I do own a jacket and sweatpants...no reason I can't get out there in the evening. Nothing bad is going to happen if mama steps out (once daddy's home, of course) for 30 minutes! Oh, one more "issue" I had today...I decided to make tacos for the family this evening! Only thing harder to smell and not eat than pizza....tacos. Mmmmmmmm.
Good night!!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Week Four: Day One
Well, at the end of another week and embarking on my final week before the "billing" weigh in...I have lost a total of 15 pounds!!! I was so, so happy to see the number on the scale this morning. Yay! That means I lost 4 pounds last week by doing the meal at lunch as opposed to just 3.5 the week before doing the meal at dinner. Interesting. Obviously I realize a half a pound difference could be coincidental. We'll see what this week brings!
FOOD AND DRINK: So, eating breakfast is not quite as exciting as I thought it would be. Turns out, after three weeks of dieting, 500 calories for breakfast is kind of a lot! This could also have something to do with the fact that we ran out of bread last night, so toast wasn't an option. Just be warned, you might be grossed out by what I ate. Ha, ha. So, this morning, I got up and made everyone else breakfast, then got to work on my own. Scrambled eggs (2 = 140 cals), 1/4 a cup of cheese (90 cals) - little note here: 1/4 a cup of cheese is a lot for 2 scrambled eggs! I actually ended up discarding a little - this totalled just 230 calories, so I made a Lean Cuisine meal. Ha, ha, ha. It was 260 calories, salisbury steak and macaroni and cheese. Awesome at lunch or dinner...a little weird at 7:45 in the morning. So, I stayed pretty full for a while. I did have a morning snack of a cup of yogurt, but my heart wasn't really in it. Lunch and Dinner were shakes, afternoon snack was a banana, and I just finished up pistachios for evening snack. I have a slight confession to make. Jack and Henry wanted to eat pistachios with me, so I counted out my 30 and then just gave them each a small handful. Well, they started flicking them off the table, so I grabbed what was left of their small pile and added them to my own bowl!! Gasp!! I think I probably ate 40 pistachios instead of the "allotted" 30. Please don't be mad.
EXERCISE: Ooooh...I didn't even want to put this category today! Nada. Except constant falling to my knees in desperate prayer for the kids to CALM DOWN. It was a rough day. No simultaneous napping, a very very whiny baby girl, some crazy maniac boys...and all mama wanted to do was run right to the kitchen and drown my frustrations in the chicken fingers I made (from scratch) last night.
TIPS/ISSUES: I jumped right to the category because I did NOT eat any chicken fingers. I didn't sneak any bites of the pizza I made for Conner this afternoon. Nope! I resisted all kinds of temptations today and was all set to pat myself on the back. Then the pistachio incident occurred. I realize it wasn't that big of an infraction, but I am still upset with myself a little bit. Like, how can I resist all these yummy, cheesy (big weakness) foods and then "cheat" with nuts?!? How boring!! Ha, ha. Well, now that the confession has been made to the important people (trust me, God and I have already discussed), I feel better and will move on. I will go drink an extra glass of water before bed and hope all the added salt and calories will be washed away!!
By the way, I did post a super cute photo album on Facebook today of my awesome kiddos. The only activity I could think of to do on this cold day was let them get "dressed up" and do a photo shoot! They had a lot of fun and the pictures turned out great. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=279446&id=509288588&l=dfc21999b3
Good night!
FOOD AND DRINK: So, eating breakfast is not quite as exciting as I thought it would be. Turns out, after three weeks of dieting, 500 calories for breakfast is kind of a lot! This could also have something to do with the fact that we ran out of bread last night, so toast wasn't an option. Just be warned, you might be grossed out by what I ate. Ha, ha. So, this morning, I got up and made everyone else breakfast, then got to work on my own. Scrambled eggs (2 = 140 cals), 1/4 a cup of cheese (90 cals) - little note here: 1/4 a cup of cheese is a lot for 2 scrambled eggs! I actually ended up discarding a little - this totalled just 230 calories, so I made a Lean Cuisine meal. Ha, ha, ha. It was 260 calories, salisbury steak and macaroni and cheese. Awesome at lunch or dinner...a little weird at 7:45 in the morning. So, I stayed pretty full for a while. I did have a morning snack of a cup of yogurt, but my heart wasn't really in it. Lunch and Dinner were shakes, afternoon snack was a banana, and I just finished up pistachios for evening snack. I have a slight confession to make. Jack and Henry wanted to eat pistachios with me, so I counted out my 30 and then just gave them each a small handful. Well, they started flicking them off the table, so I grabbed what was left of their small pile and added them to my own bowl!! Gasp!! I think I probably ate 40 pistachios instead of the "allotted" 30. Please don't be mad.
EXERCISE: Ooooh...I didn't even want to put this category today! Nada. Except constant falling to my knees in desperate prayer for the kids to CALM DOWN. It was a rough day. No simultaneous napping, a very very whiny baby girl, some crazy maniac boys...and all mama wanted to do was run right to the kitchen and drown my frustrations in the chicken fingers I made (from scratch) last night.
TIPS/ISSUES: I jumped right to the category because I did NOT eat any chicken fingers. I didn't sneak any bites of the pizza I made for Conner this afternoon. Nope! I resisted all kinds of temptations today and was all set to pat myself on the back. Then the pistachio incident occurred. I realize it wasn't that big of an infraction, but I am still upset with myself a little bit. Like, how can I resist all these yummy, cheesy (big weakness) foods and then "cheat" with nuts?!? How boring!! Ha, ha. Well, now that the confession has been made to the important people (trust me, God and I have already discussed), I feel better and will move on. I will go drink an extra glass of water before bed and hope all the added salt and calories will be washed away!!
By the way, I did post a super cute photo album on Facebook today of my awesome kiddos. The only activity I could think of to do on this cold day was let them get "dressed up" and do a photo shoot! They had a lot of fun and the pictures turned out great. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=279446&id=509288588&l=dfc21999b3
Good night!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Week Three: Day Seven
I am so excited for week four to start tomorrow!! I am also very excited to get to "week double digits", but I'll settle for finishing out my first month. Woo-hoo!!
FOOD AND DRINK: Shakey-shake for breakfast and dinner, banana at church for morning snack, yogurt this afternoon, and I'm still debating on my evening snack. Kind of itching for some popcorn since I missed out last night! Today's lunch was yum-yum-yummy. Bowl of Select Harvest chicken noodle soup (220 cals), tortilla (120 cals), 1/4 cup of cheese melted on tortilla (90 cals), 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of turkey under the melted cheese on tortilla (60 cals), lettuce on lunchmeat under melted cheese on tortilla all rolled up and eaten at the slowest pace possible to really, really relish the taste...well, the lettuce didn't have any calories, but it could have had 10 and I still would have been under (at) 500 calories!! It was so good. Oh, I am still thinking about it...something about melted cheese totally makes me feel like I'm being "bad". Dieting bad, anyway. Ha, ha, ha. Drank all my water. Rock on.
EXERCISE: Yeah, sorry...none today. Unless you count the usual, wrangling four kids into the car and then into church and their various "nursery" rooms. We did take the stairs...necessary because my LOUD children voice their LOUD opinions about how they want to park "up high!!". So, we park in the upstairs parking lot and parade all through the "adult hallways", down the stairs, and then through the "kids' hallways". It's awesome. I'm sure people just love when the Jeffries' crew arrives. :) We did a fun activity this afternoon to kill the boredom...here's some pictures of the mess we made!!
None of this required any exercise, but it was fun and I'm sufficiently sleepy. So it's like I worked out! Only different. Ha!
TIPS/ISSUES: Super excited about breakfast tomorrow morning! Even MORE excited to weigh in the morning!!! I am feeling really confident and lighter today, so hopefully it will show in the scale. I haven't tried on any of my "goal pants", but I do have several pairs I am ready to donate. I can see quite a change in my face already...don't worry, pictures will be posted on Monday, March 14. I have a picture from the day I started and I plan to put on the same outfit to show my first month change!! I will also be taking a second picture to mark the start of my "30 day Body Makeover". I have decided on doing the workout DVD every day and the diet will be Atkins. I'm going to follow their online plan. In the past, when I have decided to "do Atkins", it has just meant me eating tons of meat and cheese and avoiding any carbs. After reading that there is an actual PLAN, I decided to try again! I've always had great success and I like that my calories aren't so limited, so the working out won't leave me all hungry and angry. :)
In case you are wondering, I am definitely open to your comments and/or suggestions about my choice for next month. It's why I put it on here a week early...I am always open to changing my mind!
Good night!!
FOOD AND DRINK: Shakey-shake for breakfast and dinner, banana at church for morning snack, yogurt this afternoon, and I'm still debating on my evening snack. Kind of itching for some popcorn since I missed out last night! Today's lunch was yum-yum-yummy. Bowl of Select Harvest chicken noodle soup (220 cals), tortilla (120 cals), 1/4 cup of cheese melted on tortilla (90 cals), 2 slices of ham and 2 slices of turkey under the melted cheese on tortilla (60 cals), lettuce on lunchmeat under melted cheese on tortilla all rolled up and eaten at the slowest pace possible to really, really relish the taste...well, the lettuce didn't have any calories, but it could have had 10 and I still would have been under (at) 500 calories!! It was so good. Oh, I am still thinking about it...something about melted cheese totally makes me feel like I'm being "bad". Dieting bad, anyway. Ha, ha, ha. Drank all my water. Rock on.
EXERCISE: Yeah, sorry...none today. Unless you count the usual, wrangling four kids into the car and then into church and their various "nursery" rooms. We did take the stairs...necessary because my LOUD children voice their LOUD opinions about how they want to park "up high!!". So, we park in the upstairs parking lot and parade all through the "adult hallways", down the stairs, and then through the "kids' hallways". It's awesome. I'm sure people just love when the Jeffries' crew arrives. :) We did a fun activity this afternoon to kill the boredom...here's some pictures of the mess we made!!
Food coloring, water, and envelopes. They turned out kinda cool!
Mmmm...all I gave her was the empty food coloring containers! She still got some in her mouth...and managed to decorate a paper towel! Crafty girl, huh?
None of this required any exercise, but it was fun and I'm sufficiently sleepy. So it's like I worked out! Only different. Ha!
TIPS/ISSUES: Super excited about breakfast tomorrow morning! Even MORE excited to weigh in the morning!!! I am feeling really confident and lighter today, so hopefully it will show in the scale. I haven't tried on any of my "goal pants", but I do have several pairs I am ready to donate. I can see quite a change in my face already...don't worry, pictures will be posted on Monday, March 14. I have a picture from the day I started and I plan to put on the same outfit to show my first month change!! I will also be taking a second picture to mark the start of my "30 day Body Makeover". I have decided on doing the workout DVD every day and the diet will be Atkins. I'm going to follow their online plan. In the past, when I have decided to "do Atkins", it has just meant me eating tons of meat and cheese and avoiding any carbs. After reading that there is an actual PLAN, I decided to try again! I've always had great success and I like that my calories aren't so limited, so the working out won't leave me all hungry and angry. :)
In case you are wondering, I am definitely open to your comments and/or suggestions about my choice for next month. It's why I put it on here a week early...I am always open to changing my mind!
Good night!!
Week Three: Day Six (written on day seven)
Sorry I didn't write last night!! We had a new tradition "Family Movie Night", where we watched a movie through our projector on the wall! Very excited for the kids and really fun for us parents, too. When the movie was over and the kids were in bed, I was too tired to recall my day. Ha, ha!
FOOD and DRINK: Shake for breakfast, Meal bar for dinner, yogurt for morning snack (tried Weight Watchers, not as filling as Yoplait light), pistachios for afternoon snack, and I was all geared up to have a bag of 100-calorie popcorn for late snack with the kids and their popcorn for movie night, but the timing didn't fit so I just ate a SF snack bar. I got all my water in for the day, too. For lunch I made a can of chicken noodle soup (140 cals), added in another 4 ounces of cut up chicken (110 cals), and a lean cuisine meal (250 cals). It was delicious!
EXERCISE: I am trying to think back to yesterday! It was a very, very rainy day, so I ran to Michael's (store) in the morning and purchased some things for a fun rainy day activity! I bought white kids' t-shirts and glow-in-the-dark puffy paint. We let the kids decorate their own shirts and then set them out to dry. (future note: they wore them to church today! so cute)
Now, this is not exercise, but running around the table to try to keep them from decorating the floor and chairs kind of felt like working out! Ha, ha. In the afternoon I took Jack and Zoe to the grocery store for a couple of things...we walked the entire store a couple times because I forgot to bring my list and kept remembering things randomly. That's really all I did that even comes close to burning extra calories.
TIPS/ISSUES: I am really looking forward to eating breakfast next week! I still enjoy eating lunch and creating 500-calorie meals and not feeling hungry even throughout each evening, BUT I am excited to see if I have more energy through the whole day if I eat earlier. I am also planning to compare the pounds lost. I think the middle part of my day this week has been SO all about "what am I going to eat for lunch?", that it's still a little bit like the way I used to think about food. Just obsessing. This way, I can plan my breakfast at night while I'm distracting myself from the kids' and Shaun eating dinner, then just eat it in the morning and not have to think about actual food for the rest of the day. Looks good to me on paper, anyway! I do feel my mind shifting a bit and focusing less on food and more on other things. Like rainy day activities! :)
I will write more this evening.
Good night (day)!
FOOD and DRINK: Shake for breakfast, Meal bar for dinner, yogurt for morning snack (tried Weight Watchers, not as filling as Yoplait light), pistachios for afternoon snack, and I was all geared up to have a bag of 100-calorie popcorn for late snack with the kids and their popcorn for movie night, but the timing didn't fit so I just ate a SF snack bar. I got all my water in for the day, too. For lunch I made a can of chicken noodle soup (140 cals), added in another 4 ounces of cut up chicken (110 cals), and a lean cuisine meal (250 cals). It was delicious!
EXERCISE: I am trying to think back to yesterday! It was a very, very rainy day, so I ran to Michael's (store) in the morning and purchased some things for a fun rainy day activity! I bought white kids' t-shirts and glow-in-the-dark puffy paint. We let the kids decorate their own shirts and then set them out to dry. (future note: they wore them to church today! so cute)
TIPS/ISSUES: I am really looking forward to eating breakfast next week! I still enjoy eating lunch and creating 500-calorie meals and not feeling hungry even throughout each evening, BUT I am excited to see if I have more energy through the whole day if I eat earlier. I am also planning to compare the pounds lost. I think the middle part of my day this week has been SO all about "what am I going to eat for lunch?", that it's still a little bit like the way I used to think about food. Just obsessing. This way, I can plan my breakfast at night while I'm distracting myself from the kids' and Shaun eating dinner, then just eat it in the morning and not have to think about actual food for the rest of the day. Looks good to me on paper, anyway! I do feel my mind shifting a bit and focusing less on food and more on other things. Like rainy day activities! :)
I will write more this evening.
Good night (day)!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Week Three: Day Five
Hello, hello!! I have had a very long day. No hunger issues, just some kiddo issues. It happens, right?
FOOD and DRINK: Is anyone as tired of reading the same stuff every day as I am writing it?! Shake for breakfast and dinner, YOGURT for morning snack (Yoplait Light Blueberry Pie...oh so good), 30 pistachios for afternoon snack, and I just finished a Peanut Butter Crunch Time Slim Fast bar. For lunch I made a can of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup (140 cals), 2/3 of a sub roll (140 cals), and 3 Lean Cuisine Egg Rolls (200 cals). I honestly have not been hungry today. I don't know if it was the yogurt? Ha, ha. I'm sure that helped this morning, but that wouldn't really make sense for tonight, right? It was really, really good. Yummy and different! Hooray!
EXERCISE: The weather was gorgeous today. Kind of on the chilly side, but still nice enough to be outside all day! Side note: I used to run on the hot side constantly - never wearing a coat, flip flops even in winter - and nowadays I am always cold! Wearing sweatshirts around the house, wanting to have socks on all the time. I figured it was all the water I'm drinking, but I'm also sort of hopeful it just means my personal extra layer is melting away! Anyway, back to the category. The kids and I played in the yard, played at the park, back to the yard some more, over to the neighbors house, racing around our driveway (boys on tricycles, me pushing Zoe in the car stroller)...it was a fun time. I am fully worn out!!
On the exercise note, I am planning to do one more week of Slim Fast to try eating my 500 calorie meal at breakfast, then I will be starting a new work out DVD I got "30 Day Body Makeover!". I'm going to be doing a diet alongside, as well, but I haven't completely decided on which one to do...I will definitely be using the DVD every day. Fun!
TIPS/ISSUES: None! The Ziploc containers for the kids are going SO well!! They love having their own "tray" of food and being able to put the lid on anytime they feel done! At our usual dinner time of 5:30 this evening, they all sat outside at the picnic table and finished up what I put in their containers. Apples cut up, peanut butter, crackers, yogurt...all "snacky" stuff, but still good! I still made dinner as usual, but nobody wanted anything else to eat this evening, so I put dinner (mac n cheese, veggies, baked chicken) in their containers for tomorrow. Jack actually pulled his out around 7 tonight and ate some. I just love this system!! So, as far as the dieting goes, I still am a huge fan of eating the meal at lunchtime. I have had no problems with the shakes at breakfast and dinner. I'm kind of excited to switch it up to breakfast next week! I'm a little nervous about how hungry I may end up being by nighttime, but who knows? We'll see soon enough...
Good night!
FOOD and DRINK: Is anyone as tired of reading the same stuff every day as I am writing it?! Shake for breakfast and dinner, YOGURT for morning snack (Yoplait Light Blueberry Pie...oh so good), 30 pistachios for afternoon snack, and I just finished a Peanut Butter Crunch Time Slim Fast bar. For lunch I made a can of Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup (140 cals), 2/3 of a sub roll (140 cals), and 3 Lean Cuisine Egg Rolls (200 cals). I honestly have not been hungry today. I don't know if it was the yogurt? Ha, ha. I'm sure that helped this morning, but that wouldn't really make sense for tonight, right? It was really, really good. Yummy and different! Hooray!
EXERCISE: The weather was gorgeous today. Kind of on the chilly side, but still nice enough to be outside all day! Side note: I used to run on the hot side constantly - never wearing a coat, flip flops even in winter - and nowadays I am always cold! Wearing sweatshirts around the house, wanting to have socks on all the time. I figured it was all the water I'm drinking, but I'm also sort of hopeful it just means my personal extra layer is melting away! Anyway, back to the category. The kids and I played in the yard, played at the park, back to the yard some more, over to the neighbors house, racing around our driveway (boys on tricycles, me pushing Zoe in the car stroller)...it was a fun time. I am fully worn out!!
On the exercise note, I am planning to do one more week of Slim Fast to try eating my 500 calorie meal at breakfast, then I will be starting a new work out DVD I got "30 Day Body Makeover!". I'm going to be doing a diet alongside, as well, but I haven't completely decided on which one to do...I will definitely be using the DVD every day. Fun!
TIPS/ISSUES: None! The Ziploc containers for the kids are going SO well!! They love having their own "tray" of food and being able to put the lid on anytime they feel done! At our usual dinner time of 5:30 this evening, they all sat outside at the picnic table and finished up what I put in their containers. Apples cut up, peanut butter, crackers, yogurt...all "snacky" stuff, but still good! I still made dinner as usual, but nobody wanted anything else to eat this evening, so I put dinner (mac n cheese, veggies, baked chicken) in their containers for tomorrow. Jack actually pulled his out around 7 tonight and ate some. I just love this system!! So, as far as the dieting goes, I still am a huge fan of eating the meal at lunchtime. I have had no problems with the shakes at breakfast and dinner. I'm kind of excited to switch it up to breakfast next week! I'm a little nervous about how hungry I may end up being by nighttime, but who knows? We'll see soon enough...
Good night!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Week Three: Day Four
Cheers to a MUCH happier day! I forgot to mention yesterday a huge thank you to my dear friend, Erin, for her referral to http://stuffimakemyhusband.blogspot.com/! Great recipes!! I cannot wait to try the cauliflower pizza crust. I really, really appreciate all of the tips I get! Some come here and some on Facebook. Thank you very much.
FOOD AND DRINK: Shake for breakfast, Meal bar for dinner, snack bar for morning snack, snack bar for afternoon snack, and I just finished up 30 pistachios. At the grocery this evening I bought some 100-calorie yogurts, so I'm super excited to try those tomorrow! For lunch today I made a can of Progresso Light Beef Pot Roast soup (160 cals) and added one 4 ounce piece of chicken, shredded (110 cals) and 1/2 cup of macaroni noodles (210 cals). It was really, really yummy and quite filling. I felt like I was missing something, so I did round the meal out with a sugar free 10 calorie jello cup. Perfect! Had one cup of coffee this morning and water all the live-long day.
EXERCISE: The boys had daycare today, so Zoe and I did a little bit of shopping and then came home to play outside! We took a walk down the street, played in the yard, did some household chores. She took a nap that ended right before we needed to leave and pick up the boys at 3. After we got the boys, we met up with a friend and her two children at the park. We ended up staying until almost 6!!! Very fun and the kids ran off a lot of energy. I mean A LOT. I had to go to the grocery store this evening during their "dinner", so I didn't get a chance to take my own walk, but I am sufficiently worn out this evening so I must've done something right!
ISSUES/TIPS: Nothing really new to report today. I am loving my cup with the straw still. Makes water SO easy to drink. I have been looking a little longingly at Shaun's cup with ice and soda pop, but it's not an overwhelming craving. I have been thinking a lot lately about the kids' eating habits and how I can maybe alter them a little bit to make things easier on me when I don't have such a structure eating plan. I realize this may sound a little bit selfish, but I also would like for my kids to grow up with a healthier view of food than me. Last night they accidentally didn't eat their dinner until almost 7 o'clock. I really didn't think anything of it until this morning when they slept until 7 am!! Henry is regularly up by 5 and Jack usually comes out by 6...you can see why the 7 am sleeping in was very exciting to us. This led me to brainstorm some ways we can change our routine of eating meals in order to have them eating something substantial a little later in the evening. We have a routine of heading to bed between 8 and 8:30, so I have now decided we will do snack at our usual dinner time of 5:30 and I will plan to begin making dinner around 6:30 or 7:00. I am also planning to simplify our meals. I bought some Ziploc storage containers with compartments today and each child now has one that is their own. I filled these with "snacks" (today was leftover pizza, cheese cubes, and grapes; when that was eaten, I refilled with dry cereal and bananas) and instructed the boys that they are allowed to get those out of the fridge any time they want to snack during the day. I plan to put lighter snacks in these (the pizza was just because I had a couple leftover pieces, won't be typical snack food) so they will not feel so tempted to ask for a bowl of cereal as a "snack" or spaghetti and meatballs. Henry's favorite. :) Anyway, we shall see how these work out! I am hoping the food being in containers will also help to make it less appealing to me! Ha, ha.
I have a few pictures to post, but am a little too sleepy this evening to find the computer/camera cord. Sorry!! Tomorrow, for sure.
Good night!
FOOD AND DRINK: Shake for breakfast, Meal bar for dinner, snack bar for morning snack, snack bar for afternoon snack, and I just finished up 30 pistachios. At the grocery this evening I bought some 100-calorie yogurts, so I'm super excited to try those tomorrow! For lunch today I made a can of Progresso Light Beef Pot Roast soup (160 cals) and added one 4 ounce piece of chicken, shredded (110 cals) and 1/2 cup of macaroni noodles (210 cals). It was really, really yummy and quite filling. I felt like I was missing something, so I did round the meal out with a sugar free 10 calorie jello cup. Perfect! Had one cup of coffee this morning and water all the live-long day.
EXERCISE: The boys had daycare today, so Zoe and I did a little bit of shopping and then came home to play outside! We took a walk down the street, played in the yard, did some household chores. She took a nap that ended right before we needed to leave and pick up the boys at 3. After we got the boys, we met up with a friend and her two children at the park. We ended up staying until almost 6!!! Very fun and the kids ran off a lot of energy. I mean A LOT. I had to go to the grocery store this evening during their "dinner", so I didn't get a chance to take my own walk, but I am sufficiently worn out this evening so I must've done something right!
ISSUES/TIPS: Nothing really new to report today. I am loving my cup with the straw still. Makes water SO easy to drink. I have been looking a little longingly at Shaun's cup with ice and soda pop, but it's not an overwhelming craving. I have been thinking a lot lately about the kids' eating habits and how I can maybe alter them a little bit to make things easier on me when I don't have such a structure eating plan. I realize this may sound a little bit selfish, but I also would like for my kids to grow up with a healthier view of food than me. Last night they accidentally didn't eat their dinner until almost 7 o'clock. I really didn't think anything of it until this morning when they slept until 7 am!! Henry is regularly up by 5 and Jack usually comes out by 6...you can see why the 7 am sleeping in was very exciting to us. This led me to brainstorm some ways we can change our routine of eating meals in order to have them eating something substantial a little later in the evening. We have a routine of heading to bed between 8 and 8:30, so I have now decided we will do snack at our usual dinner time of 5:30 and I will plan to begin making dinner around 6:30 or 7:00. I am also planning to simplify our meals. I bought some Ziploc storage containers with compartments today and each child now has one that is their own. I filled these with "snacks" (today was leftover pizza, cheese cubes, and grapes; when that was eaten, I refilled with dry cereal and bananas) and instructed the boys that they are allowed to get those out of the fridge any time they want to snack during the day. I plan to put lighter snacks in these (the pizza was just because I had a couple leftover pieces, won't be typical snack food) so they will not feel so tempted to ask for a bowl of cereal as a "snack" or spaghetti and meatballs. Henry's favorite. :) Anyway, we shall see how these work out! I am hoping the food being in containers will also help to make it less appealing to me! Ha, ha.
I have a few pictures to post, but am a little too sleepy this evening to find the computer/camera cord. Sorry!! Tomorrow, for sure.
Good night!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Week Three: Day Three
I'm just going to warn you, I'm feeling quite grumpy today.
FOOD AND DRINK: Shake for breakfast, Meal bar for dinner, Slim Fast snack bar for morning snack, 30 pistachios for afternoon snack, and I'm just waiting to finish typing this for my evening snack of another SF snack bar. For lunch I made a salad using one-half a bag of Sweet Butter Lettuce (10 cals), one 4 ounce piece of chicken (110 cals), 1/8 cup of cheese (45 cals), 3 Tbsp of Italian Vinaigrette Dressing (120 cals), and three Lean Cuisine egg rolls (200 cals). Total = 485 calories. Water all day!!
EXERCISE: It was absolutely beautiful outside today, so the kids and I took a little walk around the neighborhood. Nothing strenuous or too far, but it was nice and I did have to chase the crazies a couple of times who got too overzealous on their trikes!
TIPS/ISSUES: I am not sure if my grumpiness is at all related to boredom or hunger? I have felt this way all day! Even things that usually bring me great joy - Wednesdays being Bible study, all the kids napped at the same time today, beautiful weather outside - these all just couldn't bring me up out of my funk. I totally just felt like vegging out on the couch and eating everything I could get my hands on today!!! Maybe the three week/three day slump? I've prayed about it a lot this evening and I'm even ignoring the television tonight in exchange for working on next week's Bible study. Maybe that will do it. I was faced with several yummy foods I have a slight weakness for today...of course, the spread at church being number one. Then, I reheated the leftover pizza for the kids' lunch today. Dinner for the kids and Shaun was one of those Homestyle Bakes meals - Cheesy Ham and Hash Browns. Is there even one word in that "title" that doesn't make your mouth water? Ha, ha. Then, Henry wanted ketchup on his plate and there is just something about the smell of ketchup...ooooooh, I needed some. I was strong, though, no worries! Didn't even have a little taste! It is getting easier and I'm feeling less hungry at any point during the day. That's why the grumpiness and quick to frustration of today just frustrated me all the more!!
Prayers, please, from my sweet readers that tomorrow will be a better, happier day!
Good night!
FOOD AND DRINK: Shake for breakfast, Meal bar for dinner, Slim Fast snack bar for morning snack, 30 pistachios for afternoon snack, and I'm just waiting to finish typing this for my evening snack of another SF snack bar. For lunch I made a salad using one-half a bag of Sweet Butter Lettuce (10 cals), one 4 ounce piece of chicken (110 cals), 1/8 cup of cheese (45 cals), 3 Tbsp of Italian Vinaigrette Dressing (120 cals), and three Lean Cuisine egg rolls (200 cals). Total = 485 calories. Water all day!!
EXERCISE: It was absolutely beautiful outside today, so the kids and I took a little walk around the neighborhood. Nothing strenuous or too far, but it was nice and I did have to chase the crazies a couple of times who got too overzealous on their trikes!
TIPS/ISSUES: I am not sure if my grumpiness is at all related to boredom or hunger? I have felt this way all day! Even things that usually bring me great joy - Wednesdays being Bible study, all the kids napped at the same time today, beautiful weather outside - these all just couldn't bring me up out of my funk. I totally just felt like vegging out on the couch and eating everything I could get my hands on today!!! Maybe the three week/three day slump? I've prayed about it a lot this evening and I'm even ignoring the television tonight in exchange for working on next week's Bible study. Maybe that will do it. I was faced with several yummy foods I have a slight weakness for today...of course, the spread at church being number one. Then, I reheated the leftover pizza for the kids' lunch today. Dinner for the kids and Shaun was one of those Homestyle Bakes meals - Cheesy Ham and Hash Browns. Is there even one word in that "title" that doesn't make your mouth water? Ha, ha. Then, Henry wanted ketchup on his plate and there is just something about the smell of ketchup...ooooooh, I needed some. I was strong, though, no worries! Didn't even have a little taste! It is getting easier and I'm feeling less hungry at any point during the day. That's why the grumpiness and quick to frustration of today just frustrated me all the more!!
Prayers, please, from my sweet readers that tomorrow will be a better, happier day!
Good night!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Week Three: Day Two
Another good day!
DIET/BEVERAGES: I'm combining the two categories because I really intend for the beverage category to only have ONE item listed for a loooong time. Water. Again today, I was successful with this. I even bought a reusable cup with lid and straw (have you seen these?? so cute!) - insulated, too! So, I think I may have even drank "too much" water today. If my frequency in the "potty" is an indicator, then yes I have. Ha, ha. Okay, food-wise, stuck to it! Shake for breakfast and dinner, Slim Fast snack bar for morning snack (got a new flavor today! Mmmmm...chocolatey vanilla blitz!), an orange for afternoon snack, and I've got my pistachios waiting for 8:30. For lunch today I made an entire bag of Chicken Taco salad. Oh, yum. The calorie count said 3.5 servings per bag, 110 calories per serving. This is 385 calories, in case you are sleepy when reading this, so I made up the other 115 calories with some tortilla chips we had leftover in the pantry. Delicious? Yes. Filling? For a minute! Something about the protein and veggies just doesn't seem to leave me satisfied for long. Nine tortilla chips wasn't really as helpful in the starch department as I thought it could be. Ha. Anyway, I still made it through the afternoon not hungry...maybe a slight tummy grumbling, but I seriously am blaming that on the awesome pizza I made for my family tonight!
EXERCISE: I jumped right to this category now because I want to address the way I dealt with the pizza staring in my face this evening. First, let me just set the scene appropriately. I baked some chicken and then shredded it with my fabulous Pampered Chef Salad Choppers (yes, they cut chicken, not just lettuce!). Tomato and Basil pasta sauce, pepper jack cheese for layer one (only on Shaun's side), chicken for layer two, sharp cheddar cheese for layer three, then topped the whole thing with mozzarella! OMG, right? The smell was ridiculously tempting and the sight just about sent me over the edge. For those who may not know me, pizza is my weakness. Sigh. Is that enough suspense? Are you dying to know if I fell "off the wagon"?? NOPE! I served up 5 plates, put on my tennis shoes, and took a 25 minute walk. Thank you, thank you. ;)
TIPS/ISSUES: Even though the salad didn't quite keep me feeling full until dinnertime, I still really enjoy the meal at lunch variation. I was considering trying meal at breakfast next week? Would anyone like to know how that works? I am cool with one more week of Slim Fast, then one week of cabbage soup diet again before alternating with....well, I haven't 100% decided just yet. Getting ahead of myself! I will say, buying that reusable cup/glass was a great investment! Ha, ha...not much investment at $4.00. You get my drift. Drinking from a straw is super easy and fast, and I have definitely not felt thirsty at all today. Plus, did I mention I got one with red dots? Cute!
Good night!
DIET/BEVERAGES: I'm combining the two categories because I really intend for the beverage category to only have ONE item listed for a loooong time. Water. Again today, I was successful with this. I even bought a reusable cup with lid and straw (have you seen these?? so cute!) - insulated, too! So, I think I may have even drank "too much" water today. If my frequency in the "potty" is an indicator, then yes I have. Ha, ha. Okay, food-wise, stuck to it! Shake for breakfast and dinner, Slim Fast snack bar for morning snack (got a new flavor today! Mmmmm...chocolatey vanilla blitz!), an orange for afternoon snack, and I've got my pistachios waiting for 8:30. For lunch today I made an entire bag of Chicken Taco salad. Oh, yum. The calorie count said 3.5 servings per bag, 110 calories per serving. This is 385 calories, in case you are sleepy when reading this, so I made up the other 115 calories with some tortilla chips we had leftover in the pantry. Delicious? Yes. Filling? For a minute! Something about the protein and veggies just doesn't seem to leave me satisfied for long. Nine tortilla chips wasn't really as helpful in the starch department as I thought it could be. Ha. Anyway, I still made it through the afternoon not hungry...maybe a slight tummy grumbling, but I seriously am blaming that on the awesome pizza I made for my family tonight!
EXERCISE: I jumped right to this category now because I want to address the way I dealt with the pizza staring in my face this evening. First, let me just set the scene appropriately. I baked some chicken and then shredded it with my fabulous Pampered Chef Salad Choppers (yes, they cut chicken, not just lettuce!). Tomato and Basil pasta sauce, pepper jack cheese for layer one (only on Shaun's side), chicken for layer two, sharp cheddar cheese for layer three, then topped the whole thing with mozzarella! OMG, right? The smell was ridiculously tempting and the sight just about sent me over the edge. For those who may not know me, pizza is my weakness. Sigh. Is that enough suspense? Are you dying to know if I fell "off the wagon"?? NOPE! I served up 5 plates, put on my tennis shoes, and took a 25 minute walk. Thank you, thank you. ;)
TIPS/ISSUES: Even though the salad didn't quite keep me feeling full until dinnertime, I still really enjoy the meal at lunch variation. I was considering trying meal at breakfast next week? Would anyone like to know how that works? I am cool with one more week of Slim Fast, then one week of cabbage soup diet again before alternating with....well, I haven't 100% decided just yet. Getting ahead of myself! I will say, buying that reusable cup/glass was a great investment! Ha, ha...not much investment at $4.00. You get my drift. Drinking from a straw is super easy and fast, and I have definitely not felt thirsty at all today. Plus, did I mention I got one with red dots? Cute!
Good night!
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