tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-250947482024-03-07T19:47:00.700-05:00From FLAB to FIRM: Nancy's Weight Loss ChallengeI'm 44, overweight, out of shape and TIRED OF IT!!! It's time to get off my rear, quit whining and moaning and DO SOMETHING!!
Join me as I attempt to rid my body of excess poundage and become the thin, attractive, athletic - and SEXY!!! - woman I know I am beneath all these layers of FAT.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-18055262488200388252010-01-24T00:42:00.002-05:002010-01-24T00:55:42.067-05:00New Year, New Diet<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: verdana;">OK, here we go again - hopefully with better results this time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: verdana;">Tomorrow (officially, because the menu plan starts on Monday), I'm starting yet another diet. This one seems like it should be pretty easy to follow, and it gives you options so if you don't like something you can switch it out. So, I'm going to give it a go. Also, I have these 20-minute exercise DVD's that are supposed to be for women who are time-crunched. Some of the reviews at Collage Video say they're too easy. As soon as I read that, I thought, those are for me!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: verdana;">I'm hoping I can lose at least 60-70 pounds by October - my best friend, whom I've known since we were 12 and 13 years old, is getting married and she's asked me to be one of her bridesmaids! I know I won't be able to lose all the weight I need to, but I'm hoping to lose a good portion of it by the wedding. That gives me nine months. I'll have to lose between 6-7 pounds a month to reach that goal. That's not impossible - it's less than 2 pounds a week. In fact, I'd say it's very doable.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204); font-family: verdana;">So, I'm off to bed to gear up for a grocery shopping trip tomorrow - going to buy all sorts of healthy food!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-20049408097875806672009-12-28T15:49:00.003-05:002010-01-12T22:13:05.956-05:00Okay, so Quiznos is not a Diet Food...<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >...but it is so yummy! My boss buys us lunch each Monday, and today it was Quiznos.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" ></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >I've got to figure out how I'm going to incorporate Free Lunch Mondays into the eating plan, come next week. *think, think*</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-11913554001365952832009-12-26T20:48:00.004-05:002009-12-26T21:43:25.914-05:00New Year, New Challenges = New (and Better) Me!<span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Well, once again here I am at the end of a year, no better off - and no more closer to being fit - than I was 365 days ago. But I'm out of excuses now. I know how to eat, I know I need to exercise, but I just don't do it. Why? I don't know, except to say that I get frustrated at my lack of progress when I do it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">My wonky back has been well documented here, and it's only getting worse. Probably because my weight isn't coming down. But you try exercising when it's painful to put on your socks. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">But as I said, I'm out of excuses. I'm having a very difficult time finding any clothes to fit me, not to mention look good, and frankly I'm tired of wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts all year round because I'm ashamed to show my arms and legs. I hate the way I feel. But you want to know a huge chunk of my motivation? My best friend's wedding!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Yes, my best friend Lori is getting married in October 2010. Lori's not a small girl herself, but she is much smaller than I am. Thankfully, her choices of bridesmaids represent a wide range of body types, from very thin to very, ahem, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">full-figured</span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">. I'd prefer to be one of the bridesmaids on the thinner side, or at least in the middle. And yes, I know a wedding is all about the bride, but dammit I want to be a hot bridesmaid!!! And I want a date for the wedding!!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">My main motivation is, however, my health, which has been fairly good to this point. Aside from my thyroid, my hormonal issues and my back, overall I'm pretty healthy for a fat girl in her mid-40's. But I know things can change fairly quickly and I want to try to prevent that from happening. So, losing weight is not a New Year's resolution, or even a goal...it's a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">priority</span><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Here's the plan - For the first month, I'm going to follow a 30-day jump start diet, followed by a clean-eating way of life (notice I didn't say "diet" - I believe this must become a way of life for me). I am going to be trying new recipes and experimenting with new foods and ways of cooking. I'm also going to start exercising (seriously, I am...okay now, y'all can stop laughing). I have to take it slow at first, because I am the definition of couch potato, but I am going to do it. I have to.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">My goals for 2010 are:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">By March 31 - rid my body of 25 pounds</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">By June 30 - 50 pounds</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">By September 30 75 pounds</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">By October 15 (or Lori's wedding day, whichever is first) - 80 pounds</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">By December 31 - 100 pounds.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Yes, I want to lose 100 pounds in 12 months. I realize this looks rather ambitious, and perhaps it is - my biggest weight loss to date was 30 pounds, and that took me nine months to do, although I didn't exercise. So if I only lose 80-90 I won't beat myself up.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">There it is. I'm going to do my darndest to stick to it. I will post here periodically on my progress., including photos! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone. May it be a happy - and healthy - 2010 for all of us!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-16418741017744590962009-05-03T00:51:00.002-04:002009-05-03T00:56:04.306-04:00Do Over<span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Well, this week sucked. I got really off track early and couldn't seem to get back on track no matter how hard I tried. So I am going to do Week 2 over, starting tomorrow, or rather, later today. I don't have to go grocery shopping because I really didn't eat the food I was supposed to. *blushes with embarrassment*</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So, I'm off to bed to begin Week 2 anew...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-59804413249126141532009-04-26T20:00:00.004-04:002009-04-26T20:18:52.962-04:00So Disappointing<span style="color:#cc33cc;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">So I weighed myself today...I didn't lose anything. <em>Not. One. Damn. Pound.</em> I am so disappointed! I stood in the shower this morning and cried. Why? Why did I not lose anything, not even half a pound? I stuck to the food plan almost religiously (I ate chicken breast instead of fish and had to swap out a couple of lunches because I don't have access to a refrigerator or microwave at work), and I know those few jelly beans I ate couldn't have caused me not to lose anything.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">After I (somewhat) recovered, I came up with a few theories - </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">1. Lack of exercise. I didn't do as much exercise as the program recommends, mostly because I have a bad ankle and it was hurting me. When I did exercise, I used a stationary bike. I don't have access to a treadmill and the weather was kind of crappy last week to go outside and walk. Plus I find walking to be so incredibly boring, so it takes a bit for me to get motivated to do it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">2. My metabolism. I am hypothyroid, and also I'm prematurely menopausal (I'm 44 and I went through natural menopause at 30). With all my f-ed up hormones, it's probably not surprising I didn't lose weight.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">3. My diet. Before I began this program, I would say I was a 50/50 eater - half the time I ate healthy, and half the time I ate crap. But I never consumed huge amounts of anything. So could it be possible that my caloric intake was not much above the 1,500 I'm consuming now? If that's the case, I'm not going to lose weight, because the whole idea is that in order to lose weight you're supposed to use up more calories than you take in. So I would have to use up more calories, ideally through exercise. But geez, I have over 100 pounds to lose. I can't exercise THAT much!! I mean, it takes like an hour of walking to work off 300 calories!! I'd need to walk 12 hours a week to burn off one stinking pound!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">I don't know what the answer is, but for now I'm going to follow the plan for another week, and see what happens next Sunday. My mom said maybe my body is just adjusting to the different food. I'm not sure about that. I hope I lose at least three pounds this week, because otherwise, I don't know what else to do.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-60837612106575277662009-04-25T23:15:00.003-04:002009-04-25T23:37:42.335-04:00Okay, So Here's the Deal...<span style="color:#cc33cc;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I had just about given up on trying to do anything...I mean, I haven't been successful to this point, so why not just be fat and happy, right?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">But then I went shopping for spring clothes and NOTHING fits me! Literally! I have to wear shirts I bought 3-4 years ago because I cannot find a shirt that isn't too small. The deal-breaker was a beautiful cardigan sweater I bought at Lane Bryant. Since I gained some weight over the last year I've been wearing a 22/24 in tops at LB. Unfortunately that size sweater did not fit! I ordered the next size up - 26/28 - and was all set to wear it for Easter, and the night before I tried it on and...<em>it didn't fit!! </em>It was too small - it showed every bulge across my back, the buttons gaped open all the way down the front and the sleeves were too tight.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">On top of that, I am going to a Detroit Tigers game with the people I work with next month. Since the player whose name is on my Tigers t-shirt was traded - Ivan Rodriguez - I decided to get a new Tigers shirt. So I waddle on over to JCPenney's team apparel shop and buy 2 Tigers shirts without player names, in a men's XXL. <em>They're </em>too small!! As a matter of fact, as I sit here typing, I'm wearing a men's XXXL t-shirt, and it's really not all too big.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, about a week and a half ago I just decided I'd had enough. I made a shopping list, went shopping last weekend, weighed myself on Sunday (a number which shall remain known only to me and God, at least for now) and on Monday I changed the way I now eat. I'm not saying "diet" because it sounds like deprivation to me. And I've done quite well so far - I've not had any candy, chocolate or other "bad" foods, aside from about 12 Jelly Belly's. I'm eating a lot of fruit, I've discovered Greek yogurt (it's so yummy, but too rich to eat like regular yogurt, with fruit and such) and I'm actually eating vegetables, too.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc33cc;">I am actually amazed at how easy it has been for me. On Thursday, I thought, I haven't had any candy or cookies or chips or any of that kind of stuff in four days, and I don't really miss it. But temptation still exists - the hardest thing for me has been not really snacking at night, and keeping my paws out of the candy bowls at work. I just make sure I have my snacks planned out ahead of time so I'm not tempted to grab the first thing I see.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#cc33cc;"></span></div><br /><span style="color:#cc33cc;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Tomorrow morning is my first weigh-in since I started and hopefully I will have lost some weight. I'll post the results tomorrow evening. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-70978009182254050502009-02-27T22:41:00.003-05:002009-02-28T20:02:23.427-05:00Diet, interrupted<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">Sometimes life interferes with the best laid plans.<br /><br />So it goes with my fitness/weight loss plans. The last month and a half has been difficult for me. On January 24 my dad fell and broke his hip. He had surgery the next day and was in hospital for a week, then transferred to an in-patient rehab facility. So, since January 31, my life has been work and visiting my dad. No time to really cook anything healthy, because I work 50 miles away from where the rehab facility is located.<br /><br />Then, on January 30, I got into a car accident. I'm fine, but my car was damaged and had to be fixed. Usually when my car needs repairs, I borrow my mom's car, but with my dad in the rehab facility, she was going to see him every day and obviously needed her car. So I had to rent - for a week. I'd never rented a car before and didn't realize how expensive it is!!<br /><br />Right when this happened, my hours at work got cut. I went from working 30 hours a week, to 22, to 18. Just when I needed the money most - my car insurance doesn't have rental coverage, so I had to pay out-of-pocket.<br /><br />And wait...there's more. Last week I had flu. Ugh. I was so sick for two solid days. The first day I slept almost all day, getting out of bed only to go to the bathroom to puke and poop.<br /><br />Now for the good news - my dad is coming home tomorrow, my car is fixed, and this week my work hours were back up to 30. :) Things are looking up.<br /><br />Which means...I'm recommitting myself to my program - again! In fact, I bought some new exercise DVD's last week end and I'm considering buying a new bike - my first in 30 years - to tool around the neighborhood once the weather breaks.<br /><br />And I will TRY to post here more often! Things seem to be settling down and returning to normal, for the most part, so I'm going to have more time to concentrate on myself and do what I need to do to get healthy.<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-16872017220797751352009-01-15T20:19:00.002-05:002009-01-15T20:32:29.721-05:00Another thought...<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maybe if I start posting what I eat, I'll be more accountable. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">So starting tomorrow, I'm going to do just that. Actually, that's really how this blog got started - my best friend Lori and I were both trying to lose weight, and we started blogs as sort of online food diaries to let each other know what we were eating and how we were doing. So I guess I'm kind of going back to my roots. LOL</span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-3633996979044390382009-01-15T19:35:00.003-05:002009-01-15T20:05:10.063-05:00A couple of weeks in<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Or should I say, it was the best of intentions, and it was the worst of times. LOL </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Yeah, not going too well for me at the moment. I just can't seem to pick up any momentum. I'm doing the same thing I've done in the past - breakfast starts out really well, lunch is okay, the rest of the work day is fine, then dinner and the evening happens...and I start snacking. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">It's not how much I eat, it's what I eat. I mean, I have a container of plain low-fat yogurt in the fridge and frozen berries in the freezer so I could make a really yummy parfait, but instead I grab the mini Hershey bars or the Jelly Bellys. And the thing is, I'd really much rather have the yogurt. Why do I not take the time to do that for myself?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I crave comfort foods. Yogurt is not a comfort food, at least not for me. Chocolate is a comfort food. I watched Oprah's web cast with Bob Greene on Monday night and they said usually if you're an emotional eater (which I know I am) it's because something is lacking in your life. Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's lacking in my life - love. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">True confession time here - I have never been in love. I've been in lust, and I've been in like, but I've never been in love. I mean, I have a family and friends that love me, but I'm talking about the kind of love between a woman and a man. Friends and family just aren't a subsitute for that. So I try to fill the void with comfort foods - creamy, rich, mostly chocolatey, gooey foods that some people may say are better than sex. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Oprah and Bob also had you draw a circle and divide it into pie-pieces, with each representing an area of your life - family, work, relationships, etc. Then you had to put a + or a - in each pie piece, depending on whether that area was currently working for you. Mine were all negatives. *sigh* No wonder I can't lose weight! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So, what I need to do is find something to take the place of those comfort foods that I tend to reach for. What I should do is exercise, but sometimes when a chocolate craving hits at 10:45 and I'm going to bed at 11, it just isn't practical.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I think I'll go make a yogurt parfait...:)</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-77133813230916192972008-12-29T12:38:00.005-05:002008-12-29T15:01:22.022-05:00Sugar, Sugar Everywhere<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >One of our holiday traditions is making about 1,324,987 kinds of cookies. Okay, maybe not quite that many - more like half a dozen - but at this time a year it certainly seems like it. The problem is, they're all good, yummy, tempting and not exactly what a fat girl trying to lose weight should be eating.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >I've actually been pretty good with the cookies this year - I'm enjoying them, but not eating too many. It's not just the cookies, however - there's fudge, too, and we all got chocolate candy in our stockings (I admit, part of that is my fault, but Ghiradelli comes out with </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >pecan pie </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >and </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >peppermint bark</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" > flavored squares this time of year and I can't resist). Plus, there's the chocolate cheesecake my sister made for Christmas Eve dinner and the trifle - with homemade custard - she made for Christmas Day dinner (no, my sister's name is not Martha). </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >The same thing happens every year between Christmas and New Year's - this is the point where I get sugared-out. I seriously think if I eat one more cookie I'm going to go into a diabetic coma. But then my mom says to me yesterday, "You're not eating any of the butter nut balls. I left the powdered sugar off just for you." Guilt! She and my father do this all the time! <br /><br />My dad has a major sweet tooth and has a frequent shopper card from Entenmann's. He knows I like their crumb cake, so he buys it for me -without me asking him to, by the way - then gets angry when I don't eat it. No matter how many times I tell my family that I am trying to stay away from stuff like that, as best I can, they keep pushing it on me, then make me feel like a bad daughter when I don't eat it. And the kicker is, last month my dad said to me, "You'd better start losing some of that weight." WHAT?!?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-family:verdana;" >I've already informed my mother that I'm going to start eating healthy and clean (I'm not calling it a diet - it's a lifestyle) after the new year and to not be offended when I turn down her fried chicken. But asking my dad not to buy baked goods is an exercise in futility. I'll just give them back to my mom. My dad will be none the wiser. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-83575247977092983642008-12-26T22:51:00.003-05:002008-12-26T23:11:41.509-05:00Reality Bites<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:verdana;">Okay, I know it's been for-freaking-ever since I posted. I mean, I was only in Traverse City for four days, but I haven't posted in three months. Ugh. I have fallen so far off the fitness wagon that I can't even see it anymore. But now that it's post-Christmas and New Year's is just around the corner, it's time to re-commit to my programme and get back on track.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">My renewed vigor didn't come out of the blue - it had an impetus. I was Christmas shopping at Nordstrom and had to go to the ladies room. If you've ever been in the bathrooms at Nordstrom you know they're very posh - there are two rooms, basically, a "lounge" area with upholstered chairs and a sofa, and a "stall room" with the toilets. At the far end of the stall room, there is a full-length mirror. I walked into the stall room and saw my full-length image from about a 15-foot distance. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">It stopped me dead in my tracks. I walked out of the house that morning feeling kind of cute. I was wearing a gray and white long sleeve t-shirt, a black hooded sweatshirt, jeans and Crocs. My reflection, however, looked anything but cute. I looked like a</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;" > tired, overweight, middle-aged mom.</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Sigh.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">That's not what I want to look like. I looked heavier than I thought I was. My cute "pob" haircut made me look older than I am. I was not happy with how I looked. At all. It was quite a shock. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">So, the holiday feeding frenzy is nearly over, and a new year is almost upon us, bringing with it new hopes. I'm going to let myself enjoy the rest of the holiday season and then I'm getting serious. In fact, I will probably have next Friday off work, and I'm already planning a grocery shopping trip to get all kinds of natural, healthy foods for myself. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">And I'm growing my hair out. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-40880426264930556992008-09-18T23:05:00.002-04:002008-09-18T23:10:03.347-04:00Hitting the road...<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Traverse City for Red Wings Training Camp!! I'm kind of nervous because I'm driving alone - I've never driven that far by myself before, because the only time I drive that far is when I'm going on vacation and I don't go on vacation alone. But I'll be meeting lots of friends up there, so it's all good!<br /><br />Needless to say, the diet is getting suspended until Tuesday. I haven't been able to exercise at all because my ankle is still sore and now my left heel has started to hurt, like it used to when I had heel spurs. Ugh! I'm falling apart.<br /><br />But when I get back I'm really going to be getting on track again! I want to go to Toronto for Stevie's HOF induction in November 2009 and I don't want to go looking like this!<br /><br />I will blog about my adventures when I get back...maybe I'll get the chance to have coffee with Chris Chelios this time!<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-30033286154848097662008-09-06T00:30:00.003-04:002008-09-06T00:35:23.195-04:00Still Frustrated...<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">It's been a week since I sprained my ankle and I'm still limping. Not as badly as I had up until today, but it still hurts and I can't walk normally yet. So exercising is out. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I can at least get around, though, unlike last weekend where I just sat around with my foot elevated on pillows, avoiding walking unless I absolutely had to...like having to pee. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So my guess is, I won't be able to start exercising until sometime next week. That'll be two weeks without any exercise. The miniscule amount of momentum I built up before I sprained my ankle is gone. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Ow. </span><br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-31578784782377184122008-08-29T23:01:00.003-04:002008-08-29T23:08:16.349-04:00Whoops!<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Well, two weeks in and I'm doing so-so. I don't think I've lost any weight, though. I've done some exercising, but as of yesterday I was forced to lay off it for at least a week - I tripped on some uneven concrete and severely sprained my ankle. It's not very swollen but it's really sore and painful. I've been sitting with my leg on pillows most of the day today. I did get crutches but I can't figure out how to use them - I've never had to use crutches before in my life!<br /><br />So for the next several days I'm going to be kind of laying low. I'll still pay attention to what I'm eating and I can do some upper body workouts, but I won't be able to do much in the way of cardio and definitely no lower body workouts. <br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-15312990339545489482008-08-14T16:15:00.005-04:002008-08-14T16:38:10.442-04:00A New Way of Eating Begins Sunday<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I'm going grocery shopping on Saturday to get myself the foods I need to start my new eating programme. I'm not calling it a diet because the word "diet" generally carries a negative connotation and whatever I do to lose weight is going to be a lifestyle change. To me, a diet is something you go on for a finite period of time. I need to make long-term changes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">At this point, it's not just about my health, which of course is the main priority. I mean, I'm at an age where things will start creeping up on me. I don't want to get diabetes, heart disease, arthritis or any of the other things associated with being overweight. I already have a back problem that is exacerbated by my excess weight.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Frankly, I'm physically uncomfortable. I'm constantly hot, everything feels tight on me and I'm tired of sweating all the time. I haven't worn shorts in 25 years. I haven't worn short sleeved shirts in at least 10 years. My feet and ankles constantly swell and as a result I have trouble getting shoes to fit (thank God for Birkenstocks!). I have indentations in my shoulders from my bra straps and red welts on my sides under my arms from where the wires poke me. For all of you who want bigger boobs, I'm here to tell you it's not all it's cracked up to be. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So yes, I am doing this for my health. I want to be a healthy, vibrant woman who looks HOT (as in sexy, not as in dripping with sweat!). But I am also doing it for my own comfort. It would be nice to wear summer clothes and not have to wear jeans all the time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So, tomorrow evening I'm going to do my FIRM Power Yoga CD for the first time. I watched it and I think I can do it. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I have to remind myself not </span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">to </span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:verdana;" ><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">be so impatient to lose the weight. I mean, I'd like it to be gone ASAP, of course, but it's going to take time. This weight loss/health journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Slow and steady wins the race. Be the Tortoise! :)</span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-164189352402445202008-08-03T01:44:00.002-04:002008-08-03T01:55:54.310-04:00This is really embarrassing...<span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I know, I know...I've been AWOL for nearly a year...again. I so suck at this weight loss stuff. Part of it is my fault - hey, I'm not above admitting I'm a contributor to my weight issues. But truth be told, a lot of it has to do with my thyroid.<br /><br />I spent much of the last year in a lethargic stupor. The one word I can use to describe myself over the last twelve months is exhausted. I would wake up in the morning thinking about going to bed at night. I was taking 2-hour naps three to four evenings a week. And much of this lethargy was due to my thyroid. <br /><br />Not to mention my back issues...thankfully I found a sympathetic chiropractor who is working with me to get me on the road to movement.<br /><br />I am finally back on my thyroid meds, and my back is starting to feel a bit better, so I am feeling renewed determination. Of course, part of it is just that I feel so...mahoosive. <br /><br />So, here's the plan - Tosca Reno's Clean Eating program seems like a good one and I am going to give it a go. The whole gist of the program is that you eat food as close to its natural state as possible. In other words, minimally processed. Lots of good, healthy foods. I eat way too much processed stuff so this may initially be a shock to my system but once I start feeling better and seeing progress, it will get easier.<br /><br />As for fitness, since I haven't been able to do much, I am going to start slowly. I have The FIRM's Power Yoga CD, so I am going to do that until I get some flexibility back and build up some core strength. Once I achieve that, I will start working out with my FIRM CD's again.<br /><br />Hey, I'm 43...I'm not getting younger. I certainly don't feel, look - or act - my age, but I have been overweight to varying degrees most of my life and it is time to take control of my weight. I am in charge, but I don't want to be large anymore!<br /><br />Well, it's 2 AM, I'm tired and it's past time for bed. Grocery shopping awaits me later today. I'm going to buy healthy food. <br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-10722982135504385182007-08-06T14:44:00.000-04:002007-08-06T14:51:03.322-04:00Today's Food<span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">So far today I have just had breakfast and a snack. I'm not much of a lunch person when I'm not working or working at home.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Breakfast - </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">One onion bagel with 2 tbsp. margarine</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Coffee with sugar-free flavored powdered coffee cream (Coffee Mate Sugar Free Hazelnut)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Snack - </span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">About 1 cup of pita chips (Stacy's Pita Chips, Bare Naked flavor, which is lightly salted with sea salt)</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Water</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">That's it. I know, not much. And no protein. I need protein. Maybe I need to invest in some beef jerky. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I don't think I'll be doing any workouts today - my left hip is hurting so bad it's painful to walk. I slept hard on my left side so I think I messed it up with my crappy mattress. I'll give it a rest today and try a ball workout tomorrow.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">I'll post the rest of the day this evening. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-21620519057632311922007-08-06T00:25:00.000-04:002007-08-06T18:41:00.896-04:00Gotta do it!<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >Yeah, I know...it's been over a year. I so suck at this weight loss stuff. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >I'm trying, honestly I am, but I just can't seem to do it. Plus my back is seriously out and I can't go to a chiropractor because I am still out of work (for the most part - anyone want to buy some Avon?) and I have no money. Excuses? Sure, maybe they look that way, but YOU try exercising when just bending over to pick up your cat's food bowls causes you to need to sit down for a minute or two before continuing. Any kind of twisting, turning, bending or stooping is problematic.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >Anyway, I look like a walrus in a recent photo. Which is not something I aspire to look like. So, I need to figure something out here. Just what it is, I don't know at this point. I have one of those big exercise balls and supposedly they are good for people with bad backs, so I am going to try that workout and see how much I can do. I know if you can strengthen your core it will help your back, so that is my goal with the ball. Provided I can do it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >As for food, I need to do something fairly structured, because I notice if I don't I really have a tendency to stray...far. I don't do well with diets like South Beach, where you cannot eat certain food groups (i.e. bread) for extended periods of time. So I am going to look at The FIRM's 30 Day Diet (which can be extended indefinitely - it is just called the 30 Day Diet because there are 30 days' worth of meal plans), Bob Greene's Best Life Diet and Dr. Oz's YOU on a Diet, and see which one I think I can stick with the best. My biggest problem with diets is I don't like most vegetables, and I hate fish. Money is also an issue, as I don't have much to spend on "special" foods and will need to make due with whatever is in the house at present. Oh yeah, and copious amounts of chocolate usually aren't on the list of foods you can eat.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >So for the next couple of days I am going to do a little research to see what diet will be best for me and make honest attempts at exercising. I do not think I am going to do any of The FIRM's workouts right now because I am not sure my back can handle it. Plus I think I am far too fat for The FIRM...maybe when I lose 20-30 pounds I will start up with The FIRM again.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >Well, it is late and I am tired so I will sign off for tonight. I will start tracking my food in the morning, even though I will not be following a specific diet plan just yet.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-family:verdana;" >Good night, and sweet skinny dreams...</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1153854774155794352006-07-25T15:03:00.000-04:002006-07-25T15:15:13.176-04:00Not quite a size 8 yet...lol<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I am finally back after a long absence. It has been a really rough few months...I seriously fell "off the wagon" but I need to get back on track. I cannot do much in the way of exercise because my back problem came back with a venegance, so I'm trying some very gentle yoga and I'm going to try riding my exercise bike, too. I'm taking an herbal medication called Zyflamend, which is a combination of eight herbs that has been compared in effectiveness to presrciption drugs like Vioxx and Celebrex. Hopefully it works.<br /><br />Anyway, here is what I have had so far today -<br /><br />Breakfast:<br />Two slices of toast with margarine, coffee with sugar-free Coffee Mate<br /><br />Lunch:<br />One small apple, one ounce of shaved parmesan cheese; one handful (approx. 10) almonds, iced tea<br /><br />I'll post dinner and snackies later. Right now I'm planning on having spinach and cheese ravioli for dinner (no sauce, just sprinkled with grated parmesan and Italian herbs) and a spinach salad. I'll probably have baked Lays for a snack this evening.<br /><br />That's all for now...:)<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1145065247088753822006-04-14T21:35:00.000-04:002006-04-14T21:40:47.096-04:00Getting Serious<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Okay, I've been goofing around for too long...it's time for me to get serious here. My first excuse was that I didn't have the right food in the house. Then it was my birthday. Then it was my weekend vacation in Columbus. Now it's Easter. <br /><br />But Easter will be over Sunday. And then there will be no more excuses...no birthdays coming up on which to have a piece of cake (with the most frosting, of course), no parties or out-of-town weekends to use as reasons not to follow a healthy eating plan. <br /><br />I have leftover money from my weekend trip - I'm going to go to the grocery store and stock up on what I need to eat healthy. I'm going to follow The FIRM's 30-Day Diet as closely as possible, making subsitutions for foods I don't like or that may be inconvenient (such as cooking something for lunch, since I don't get lunches at work).<br /><br />No more excuses...if other people who are far heavier and far busier than I am can do it, then so can I. <br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1145063862262197972006-04-14T21:15:00.000-04:002006-04-14T21:17:42.273-04:00Another Thought of the Day<span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">And once again it is from Laura from The FIRM:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="onbody">"It IS important to focus on long term results, but is equally important to enjoy the journey in getting there. I know it is incredibly hard to change life-long habits, and to make choices that are very different than you are used to making; however, I also know that if you make one little positive adjustment in your thinking, you will be able to see your journey in a whole new, and wonderful, light.<br /><br />If you will take a minute to recognize the enormouos potential and power that are in your hands, and then you take the next minute to decide how you want to use them, you can do anything you want to accomplish. If you will acknowledge to yourself that every step you make in the right direction is worthwhile, and then congratulate yourself on making that step, you will gain confidence and pleasure throughout your entire journey.<br /><br />You know you will love it when you reach the end of your journey, but why wait to love that?? Love that you are on the journey. Love that you are living the journey. Love that you are able to make the journey. Most importantly love yourself for even thinking about the journey -- you chose to do this, ENJOY it!</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">"</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1144960752003426632006-04-13T16:27:00.000-04:002006-04-13T16:39:12.010-04:00Better day<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today was better than yesterday but for some reason I'm having a really hard time sticking to a healthy eating plan. My mind is set but I find myself doing what I call "mindless eating," which is when you eat something without even realizing what you are eating. Then you have an "Oh crap! I didn't want to eat <i>that!!!</i>" moment.<br /><br />But so far today:<br /><br />Breakfast - Southwestern Egg Scramble (my own recipe!! - Egg Beaters to equal 2 eggs, low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, salsa); coffee<br /><br />Lunch (yes, I actually ate lunch today) - A grilled cheese sandwich made with two slices whole grain bread, 1 tbsp margarine and two slices of low-fat American pasturized processed cheese food. <br /><br />Dinner will be homemade pizza, made with pizza sauce, low-fat mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, onions and mushrooms. I will probably have a yogurt and some fruit (either grapes or an apple...or both) for a snack this evening while watching the Wings game. <br /><br />No workout tonight - I twisted my ankle yesterday in the parking lot at work and while it's not swollen or bruised, it does hurt and I'm kind of limping. I'll see how it feels tomorrow and if it's still bugging me I'll do some upper body work.<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1144884285565922502006-04-12T19:16:00.000-04:002006-04-12T19:24:45.576-04:00Not a good day<span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Today was not good...I won't go into details but suffice it to say I won't get any awards for Sticking to My Diet. <br /><br />No pita chips today at the store in the building so I opted for Combos. Had to eat them early because of a conference call so after the call I was still hungry so down to the store I go again for...another bag of Combos. Dinner was spaghetti and sauce - not bad, unless you do what my mom did and put chunks of kielbasa in the sauce. <br /><br />But tomorrow is another day (thank you Scarlett O'Hara) so I'll just pick myself up, dust myself off and start all over again.<br /><br />BTW - Work = CRAP 'Nuff said. >:P<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1144695643538224982006-04-10T14:38:00.000-04:002006-04-10T15:00:43.596-04:00I'm BACK!<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm back from my mini-vacation to Columbus...I had an absolute BLAST!!! Best time I've had on vacation in a long time. Met some really cool, fun people and of course got to see the Wings...a lot! <br /><br />I did not stick to any sort of eating plan, other than the plan to just eat whatever I felt like. It was, after all, a vacation and my birthday celebration as well. Really, though, it turned out to not be so bad because we really only ate one "meal" a day. Although would not want to see what the calorie count on the Long Island Iced Tea I had on Friday night was...it was huge.<br /><br />Anyway, today is the day to get back on track. So far so good:<br /><br />Breakfast - Two slices of toast with margarine; coffee with fat free cream and Splenda<br /><br />Snack - French vanilla cappuccino from Tim Horton's<br /><br />That's all thus far today. We're having meatballs and gravy for dinner tonight. The meatballs are made with lean ground beef and the gravy is fat-free. I think we're having salad, too. I'll finish my food diary for today later on tonight.<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25094748.post-1144346494584623542006-04-06T13:51:00.000-04:002006-04-06T14:01:34.623-04:00A Good Birthday<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You know, despite giving myself a break for my birthday, I did pretty good:<br /><br />Breakfast - Two slices of toast with low-fat peanut butter and honey; coffee<br /><br />Lunch - A bag of pita chips (6g fat, 130 calories) and a 20 oz. bottle of Diet Rite (no calories)<br /><br />Dinner - Three manicotti (each about 4 in. long and 1 in. wide, filled with ground beef and various cheeses, topped with a homemade chunky tomato sauce); salad with Italian dressing; a 2 x 2 square of single-layer birthday cake (yellow cake with chocolate frosting); 6 oz. glass of red berry wine<br /><br />Snack - A (slightly smaller) piece of birthday cake<br /><br />I did not exercise, however; I'm not real happy with myself for not working out but to be honest, I forgot about it until around 10 PM and I wasn't going to do it then. So tonight I will <i>try</i> to get it in but I am going to be very busy this evening, as I am leaving for Columbus tomorrow morning. I have a short tape called Calorie Killer...if I have time I might try that one but it is, as the title suggests, a killer. If I can get through half of it I'll be happy.<br /><br />Today so far I've done well:<br /><br />Breakfast - Two slices of toast with margarine; coffee<br /><br />Snack - A cupcake from Lloryn<br /><br />Lunch - (coming up as soon as I post this) Pita chips and Diet Rite<br /><br />My mom's making chicken and rice for dinner tonight; I'll probably have that with a salad. Not sure of what kind of snack I'll have tonight.<br /><br />Anyway, that's it for now...got to get back to work.<br /></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0