Temptations

I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by the temptations around me lately. Partly, I think, because it is almost that time of the month and temptations always look yummy during this time.

My sisters' visit started out fine but now I guess she getting tired of the healthy food we have in the house. Last night I got home from class and the first thing she asked me was to go and get ice cream cones. I LOVE ice cream and it is something I have been allowing myself every once in a while. But, we had ice cream the first day she was here and that was less than a week ago. Ice cream twice a week is not going to help my weight loss journey! So I told her that they all could go and get ice cream but I had to weigh in tomorrow and it wasn't a good idea to eat ice cream late. So she had the ice cream that we had in the freezer. So, all of them had ice cream last night around me...that sucked! But instead of eating the ice cream I really wanted, I ate my dinner and then got on the stationary bike.

My sister and I are going to hang out and shop and do dinner tonight, just the 2 of us. Emily is excited. This is really the first time we've actually got to get out of the house and do something because of my busy schedule during the week. So, Emily asked me last night if I wanted to drive to work tomorrow instead of walking so that when she comes to campus today to visit we could just leave straight from there. I know she's excited about getting out of the house but I feel like she was tempting me not to walk today. I stood my ground and told her no and that I wanted to walk. So she will have to just wait an extra 30 minutes before we go out tonight.

At work this week we had a little birthday party for a co worker and everyone brought in snacks for the party complete with cheesy bread and dipping oil, fruit, rice cakes, wheatables, blue cheese stuffed olives and birthday cake. I brought my lunch into the party and ate that first so I was pretty full. I ate a few wheatables with my left hummus from my lunch. I had 2 olives and some fruit. So I did pretty well there but because I've been craving things I had some birthday cake. I was served a little larger piece than I probably should have eaten but it was yummy. Then of course after the party was over there is all this leftover food around for days and days. So I've been snacking a little everyday.

This week I didn't seem to walk quite as much as I had been in the past weeks. I've been feeling tired a lot of days and with a little less than normal energy. (Because I am about to start.) So, I've had to push myself to walk as much as I have. I liked riding the stationary bike last night in front of the TV. The bike is great exercise and watching TV makes the time go by faster. Plus, after next week I won't have my night class that I've been attending Tues/Thurs anymore and I can walk to and from work everyday. Plus I will be switching my water aerobics from lunch time on Mon-Wed to Tu/Th evenings so I can walk during lunch time again. All of those changes are really going to boost my exercise each week! :)

So like I reported last Friday, I didn't lose any weight last week. I weighed myself this morning and I lost 4 lbs! YAY! I attached a picture I took of myself yesterday. I think my body is partly making up for my swelling and retained water last week. So my total weight loss so far is 41 1/2 lbs. I'm gonna keep going and chugging along. I long feel good! I want more and more. The weight loss is almost like a drug. ha ha More later in the week! :) Until next time...

New things and realizations...

Well my sister made it right on time Saturday night. I don't think she's used to having all these good for you foods in the house. She's asked for us to get real Pepsi for her to drink (we only have diet soda, diet tea, fruit2O water, etc... She's also asked that we buy some foods for her that she likes.

My sister has never been heavier in my life than she is today. She eats a lot of snacks. I think she eats mostly when she's bored. Last night the food was 5 minutes from being done and she wanted a snack. I made her wait. I am hoping with all of my fingers and toes crossed that our healthy lifestyle will rub off on her. But so far its not looking hopefully. Of course it is still early in her trip.

Before she came she had also mentioned trying to stop smoking while she was here. I am really hoping so. She goes outside to smoke a lot! She said she smokes about a pack a day. Cigarette's are soo much more expensive in NY than TX. She already knows that we are not going to buy cigarette's for her. So we'll also see what happens with that.

It will be interesting to see if just a slight change in what she is eating will help her lose weight. She has no interest to go walking for fun... My lifestyle really has changed soo much...more than I realize sometimes. I used to be like that. Just veg out and eat whatever I wanted and however much I wanted. I feel soo much better now with only 38 lbs off. I can only imagine how I'll keep feeling as the weight melts away. I continue to get comments from coworkers asking how much I've lost. When I don't lose anything and just maintain for one week, I tend to get a little down on myself. When I get good comments from others that helps me feel better.

This weekend I've been studying for my Nutrition exam. I am learning soo much! It's soo interesting! I would suggest to anyone to take this class! Wish me luck on my exam!

What a week! But Today is a New Day!!

I've had a very off week this week! I had trouble balancing my life and activity! This past weekend I spent most of my time moving a friend and then ate some fast food on both Sunday and Tuesday. I didn't over indulge but fast food is loaded with fat and salt! Since then I have felt very sluggish this week and didn't feel well for about 2 days after. My body didn't like what I ate so much.

I haven't been able to walk as much as I typically do because I didn't go to work on Monday or Tuesday (I normally walk to and from work) and it's rained a lot this week (not so fun to walk in). I also had to miss water aerobics one day this week. Life has been working against me this week! I weighed in this morning and gained 1/2 a pound since last Friday. I've noticed that my feet have been swelling a lot more lately and they were still a little swollen this morning from yesterday. So I am assuming that the slight gain is from retained water.

Well Today is a NEW DAY! I get to start all over! I plan to follow the WW plan more closely than I did last week. I am going to try not to eat out. I'm going to walk as much as I normally do, and go to water aerobics all 3 days this week.

My new challenge this week is that my sister is flying in from Texas tomorrow to stay for the summer. I need to challenge myself to keep exercising as much as I need to even though she is here. I also need to keep eating the same even though I am cooking for 1 more person. She is also overweight and I hope will jump right on the band wagon with us and want to eat healthy and exercise but I can't force her to or expect her to. I hope my lifestyle will encourage her. Well, I will let you know what happens in my next post. Wish me luck this week! :)

Food Choices...Smart Choices

I have been on the go all weekend! Ugh! It's hard to eat well when you are doing soo much! Saturday I had to eat lunch in-between errands. When you need to eat fast food because you are not home to make something Subway is always a healthy option. So we got a footlong sub to split and a bag of chips to share. For dinner I was able to cook. I make a yummy pizza with pre-made whole wheat crust and turkey sausage and turkey pepperoni and WW shredded mozzerella cheese. It was very tasty.

Yesterday I had chicken salad I made with light miracle whip on a whole wheat wrap for lunch. Last night I went to concert in Canandagua and they don't allow you to bring in any food or drink. So we had to eat there. I chose a BBQ chicken sandwich (instead of Pulled Pork). Then later I had a plain soft pretzel (no salt) and then allowed myself to have a small ice cream. I stayed within my points for the day. :)

Also, at the concert I was soo proud of myself! At CMAC there are a lot hills and a lot of walking. I was able to walk up and down those hills without getting winded! YAY! I really am getting in great shape! Also, I was soo busy I didn't have time to just work out but I did dance all night at the concert...Great Exercise!

Making smart choices are a key to doing well on your weight loss journey! Gotta get going again. Still so much to do... having Turkey burgers on the grill tonight! :)

Nutrition 101

I am an Undergraduate student at Syracuse University and I am taking 2 classes this summer. An Online Social Media class, which of course we can thank for this blog, :) and also Nutrition during the 1st Summer Session. Nutrition will count as 1 of my Humanities credits for my degree in Information Systems Management. So, anyway...I am taking Nutrition not only for this credit but also because I am interested in becoming healthier and understanding what I need to do to achieve my goal of being healthier.

Last night in class we learned about Weight Management and Obesity. I am actually also going to take a class in the Fall on this same topic and look forward to expanding more on the topic because class was very interesting last night. I learned so much during the 2 1/2 hours of class. She talked about so much I couldn't write fast enough but got some great take away points!

She explained how when someone wants to lose weight, its best not to make too drastic of changes. It's best to make slow gradual changes for the best success. Changes like, instead of eating out everyday during your lunch, eat out maybe only once a week? Or changing the size of your plate, so when you serve yourself dinner your plate will look more full even though it might be a smaller portion. It's like tricking your brain. She also told us about a topic called mindless eating which was soo interesting. She said that in a survey they asked someone in France when they would stop eating during a meal and they answered...when they were full or when the food no longer tasted good. They asked the same question of someone in Chicago and they answered...when the people I am eating with are done eating or when my plate it empty! Interesting isn't it?!

She also explained the best (healthiest) way to lose weight is slowly. No more than 2 lbs a week. You should reduce your calories intake by about 250 calories per day and then along with that increase you physical activity by just as much. She suggested that for weight management you should do about 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. But if you are trying to lose weight you should do about 90 minutes of exercise a day. She also said that it is beneficial for weight loss if you spread out your protein intake. Most people, me included, tend to eat minimal portions of proteins at breakfast and lunch and then a large portion at dinner. That is going to be my small goal this week, the try to eat more protein through out the day! :)

We also were given the formula to figure out our body mass index (BMI). Boy was that scary. I knew I was way above a healthy weight recommendation but it is always scary to see it in plan black and white. I am going to try not to dwell on the fact that I am morbidly obese...because I did already know that. I need to remember it's not news to me. I am working towards becoming healthier and I am doing it at a good pace and a healthy way.

My celebration for today is that I lost 4 lbs this week! I weighed in this morning. I lost a little more because I exercised more this week and reduced my points I ate per day by 1. I believe at my weight that I am still losing a healthy amount of weight since I am twice the size of a normal person right now. :) I should ask my professor in my Nutrition class just to make sure. I'll try to remember to let you know what she says. Until next time...

If you fall off your horse, get right back on...

I am originally from Texas and a saying that was always said was "If you fall off your horse, get right back on!". This saying could pertain to several different things in life. When someone is dieting, you will not always eat perfectly everyday of your life! But because you have a little fall to temptation, it doesn't mean you can't get right back on track.

Last night we decided to eat out at Red Lobster for dinner. I did pretty well for dinner. I had steamed snow crab legs, a lobster tail, a baked potato with only a little sour cream, salad with my ranch dressing on the side. They had a special dinner platter that included Fried Shrimp (which is my absolute fav!) and shrimp scampi. So I asked to exchange my shrimp scampi for extra fried shrimp. I felt like that was a better choice than the shrimp swimming in butter. I also allowed myself to have one of their yummy cheddar biscuits (at 4 points a piece). So with that dinner alone I had already went over my points for the day. Then after dinner on the way home I wanted something sweet and I've been an ice cream-a-holic lately. So we stopped at an ice cream stand. The only sizes they had were large and humongous...I got the smallest size they had. So, I ended up using about 15 extra points yesterday after it was all said and done. Which is ok and that is why I am given the extra points. They are there for special occasions like last night.

So, this morning I decided to walk to work again. On days when I have class in the evening I usually drive my car so that I don't have to walk home late. But I've been getting out of class before it gets dark so I decided to walk that extra 3 miles (1 1/2 miles each way) today to help make up for the extra eating last night and will do the same on Thursday too! In this case I am looking at it as I got my reward before I worked for it. :) I'll earn it by the end of the week.

I have such great support around me! Everyone I work with is also trying to eat healthier for the most part and really encourage me and tell me how great I am looking. That helps me stay positive in my journey and helps me recognize what a change I am making in my life! I realized the other day that I really think I can do this this time and go all the way. I've lost as much as 75 lbs in the past but gained it all back plus some. This time, I am in a wonderful supportive relationship where we want the same things and encourage each other. We push each other to exercise and make good choices. I am also surrounded by wonderful supportive friends and coworkers, good influences. I really can do this this time and make this change permanent!

If you are going through the same weight loss journey I really would suggest the same for you. Surround yourself with support and get your spouse in on it too. Everyone could be healthier. Even if they are skinny and don't need to lose weight, they could still get more fit and eat healthier! A healthy lifestyle will help them to live a longer, healthier life. Good luck in your journey! Until next time! :)

Trying new things

I like to keep things interesting by trying new foods and new recipes. Food can get boring if you always eat the same things and don't switch it up every once in a while. Yesterday I tried two new things!

I made turkey burgers for dinner last night. I've had turkey burgers quite a few times since I started WW. I can actually say that I like Turkey burgers better than hamburgers now! Something that I learned in my Nutrition class is that Turkey burgers from a restaurant are a little healthier than a hamburger but not by much because they don't use the leanest turkey. Just something to think about if you find yourself eating out. I try to stick to Salads when I eat out.

So when I had my turkey burgers last night, I usually eat them on the WW rolls but the grocery store was out so we tried Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins. The where very tasty! I would definitely suggest trying them. Also, I couldn't decide what to eat with my turkey burger. I looked on weightwatchers.com and found a recipe for Spicy Potato Sticks (aka baked seasoned french fries). They were very good. I would suggest trying them!

For lunch yesterday I had Subway.I usually order whole wheat bread which is a very good choice but I decided I wanted to try something different yesterday so I tried the flat bread. I liked it and now have 2 options when I go to Subway. I do wish they still had wraps too.

I went to a drive in movie last night and brought my own snacks. Instead of getting the high calorie, high fat snacks from the snack bar there I brought light microwave popcorn and a drink. The difference in calories between light microwave popcorn and movie theater popcorn is amazing. Once you start eating healthier and eating less fat and oil you can start to taste the difference and the oil will kinda start grossing you out. Not to mention how your body will react to the high fat foods when you haven't eaten them in a while.

On a side note, its soo exciting when you put on clothes that you haven't worn in a while that have been tight since you bought them and they fit you well and are almost a little big. :) My little triumph for the weekend!

I hope I can get some exercise in today but it is raining out. Maybe I will turn on my Wii and dance for a while. A great aerobic workout!!