i am still here

I've still been working out, I've REALLY relaxed in my diet but I've been exercising when I can and accepting other forms of exercise, like playing in the pool.  We've been having a lot of fun this summer and I've even lost a couple pounds.  I'm happy maintaining.  It's been effortless so far.  The biggest thing I think I can contribute to my success was a little idea my MIL shared with me.  She told me to keep track of my weight in a little notebook and what I did for exercise that day.  I write in it everyday-even if I gained and even if I didn't exercise at all.  But being able to go back and look at everything I've done for the last 6 months has made such a difference.  On days I just want to pig out, I look at all the miles I've cycled, it's got to be in the hundreds, and how far I've come, I don't want to give up.  It's been a good reminder and motivator for me to stay healthy.  It's so much better to diet in the summer when produce is so much cheaper, everyone should start their resolutions in June instead of January.

It's been a while

Things are still going really well.  I'm losing weight these days at a snails pace but I must admit I haven't been trying real hard.  I lost 40 pounds!!!!  I've kept it off for 10 days!  I'd like to lose just another 3-4 pounds so that I can maintain at 125 instead of 127.  I know there isn't much of a difference, but for me, mentally-there is.  I work out about every other day and eat really healthily for breakfast and lunch.  Dinners are usually normal and then no snacks after unless something special is going on.  So-things are good...I'm really happy.

A good week

Hello all...
I got a bike computer for Mother's Day and I LOVE it. It has helped me so much get my cycling back in gear. I have cycled a little over 17 miles between yesterday and today and I really challenged myself. It was just the something extra I've been needing. I'm down 39 pounds and can not wait to hit 40. I'd like to maintain around 125 which is just a few pounds away and is very exciting for me. I am starting to see a little definition in my abs...seriously...I wish I could show it off, but alas that whole modesty and integrity thing has guided my judgment, so no rockin' ab pictures. ;) One other breakthrough I have had is in regards to junk food. When I am faced with junk food or a splurge situation I always want to go for the most calorie laden, rich foods so that I can really feel like the splurge is worth it because who knows the next time I'll get to eat junk, I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's how my brain worked. I always feel awful afterwards...too much grease upsets my stomach, too many carbs make me feel lethargic and just an all-around yucky feeling. So---I have realized I don't have to eat like it's my last chance for saturated fat. There will always be another birthday party, another game night where snacks will be available. Eat a little of something that tastes good and stick to the fruit and veggie plates. Just thought I'd share.

We're going out of town for the next few days which usually spells disaster for me but I'm hoping to at least maintain my current weight and not gain anything while we're gone.
Until next time...

Level Two

So, I tried level two of the 30 Day Shred and I have to say it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The only thing that was really difficult is she leaves what I thought were the hardest moves for circuit three, which was tough. I thought I was through the hardest part and then it got a lot harder. I felt good though. I realized I'd been doing level one for way too long and needed a better challenge. You don't have to be perfect at level one to get level two. She introduces something called a "plank jack" which is my new best friend and worst enemy. The exercise is tough but really works my weakest area.

Posting from the scale. Today I am thankful for an uneven bathroom floor. I usually have to move the scale around on the floor to find a level spot and then either take the weight I come up with most often or an average of all of them. Today...one of my weights was 129.6!!!!! I had an average of 130.0!!!!! I really need to keep up the momentum to peel off just a couple more pounds so that I'm totally out of the 130's. I want to be able to maintain and go up and down a few pounds without being in the 130s. Happy day!

Remember Hilda?

Remember on Annadotes, after Lucy was born and I realized I had someone else's bum? Well the same thing is happening again, only in an awesome way. I went to J.Crew yesterday and tried on a pair of jeans...I could not believe they fit me. Here's the proof.



After my birthday indulgence yesterday, the scale is a little whack-a-doo this morning but I'm off to a good start today. And now, I have these pictures to help me stay motivated. I'm sorry if you're sick of looking at my backside, but I can't promise this won't be the last time.

Posting from the scale: a birthday MIRACLE! 130.8 this morning! Happy Birthday to me!

blech

Last week was a tough, tough week. I think I got a little ahead of myself. I was really on a roll and then I rolled right into a brick wall. I struggled a lot last week. This week is a new week...I'm still very resolved to keep going. I'm not giving up. I just feel like I lost a little ground. Oh well...pick myself back up and all that, right?

Hello Plateau...

I've been on a roll the last couple weeks and I have finally hit another plateau. I knew this day would come-I did eat a lot of Chinese food last night...mmm...it was so good. I got back on track today and am happy about that-I just want to lose a few more pounds before maintaining. I feel like my arsenal of plateau busting tricks is empty. I can not cut out any more calories. I can not be any stricter with my diet. I could work out harder...I've been a little lax since last week. I was thinking maybe I'd start up The Shred again for a few days and see if that works. I don't think I'll lose those three pounds before my birthday--maybe 130? Anyway...that's all for now.

Victory!

Whose legs are those??? Oh, they're mine. >:) That's my emoticon for a devilish grin. We went to the Gap today so I could try on jeans. To me, Gap Jeans are the gold-standard of sizing. Because they don't stretch as much they tend to fit a little smaller so if you're an 8 at the Gap, you might be a 10 at other places. One of my goals going into this weight loss project was to fit into a Gap size 4 and to be a comfortable 6 everywhere else. So, today-we went to the Gap. I figured I would be a size 8 but took the 10s, 8s and 6s into the dressing room with me. I wasn't there to buy---hello---ever heard of Plato's? Anyway, I tried on the 8s first and they really fit great but I knew if I lost any more weight they'd be too big too fast, you know? So, I tried on the 6s and lo and behold they actually fit really well. I was SHOCKED when I slipped my leg into them so easily. I had Tony take a picture to document the event. I felt like Sister Skinny at the end of her journey. Watching that video always makes me cry, btw. I didn't know when he was actually taking it which is why I cropped out my head...I looked really silly.

The last time I fit into a size 6 from the Gap was back then:

8-23-03

Emotionally Detached

I'm continuing to make progress everyday. I had a mini-breakthrough on Thursday night. I had one of those MRIs I love so much. I was really cranky when it was over. I used to deal with my crankiness or bad days with french fries or ice cream, because I deserved it, right? After the MRI I was really wanting a treat, or rather something to make me feel better. I couldn't think of any food I would feel better after eating, especially at 10:00pm. So I just went home, was crabby with my husband, and then read my book and went to bed. Luckily by morning I felt better. No need for food to make me feel better. I was able to disassociate my feelings with the need for food. Yeah! My birthday is in 11 days...think I can lose three pounds by then? I don't know-I don't want to push it but it would be so awesome.

THANK YOU

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It was so nice all day yesterday to read all your words of congratulations and encouragement. To answer a few questions, I do have an end goal in mind...and hope to just maintain at that point. I am nervous about the maintenance stage, but like I've said before this feels much more like a life change than a diet, so it might not be so bad. The key for me has been exercise and moderation.

After all the sugar on Sunday, my body was a little freaked out yesterday---like, "what happened? I thought sugar was back and now you cut us off again." I had a really good day yesterday. I went out to lunch with two of my best, best girls and had that Fuji Apple salad at Panera. I love those apple chips. I was able to exercise and I just made a normal dinner and had a normal size portion. This morning I weighed 134.4. I haven't weighed 134 since these pictures were taken back in 2005 and I don't remember feeling like this back then.

The moment we've all been waiting for...

Start at the beginning and follow me on my journey. My original goal was to lose 20 pounds by today and I've lost more than 30. I've lost almost 20% of my body weight.

This change in my life has gone so much differently than I expected, and happily so. I have kept a few of my closest friends and family in the loop because I knew I would need the encouragement when times got tough. Yesterday was a total sugar fest so I need to get back on the wagon today.

Life is good. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!

Excited

So, my "reveal," is in a couple days and I have to say, I'm pretty excited. I'm going to work on writing all my feelings and such tomorrow so I just have to put up my pictures and it'll be ready to go on Monday morning. I've lost 31 pounds and am happily staring into the lower half of the 130s. Oh...and I fit into a size 8!

It's working

My Cardio-only week is paying off. I've been trying a variation of slow burning cardio and HIIT in order to just take off fat and so far so good! I am going away this weekend and am nervous but I can handle it!

U Turn

I read this today, it made me feel good.

"Stop beating yourself up!

That’s why almost all diets fail. Slip up? Make a YOU-turn. In other words, get back on your plan right away. If you’re driving with a GPS and make a wrong turn, it doesn’t berate you. All it says, very politely, is “at the next available moment, make an authorized U-turn.” That’s the kind of mentality you should have. What kills healthy eating isn’t the occasional dessert; it’s the cascade of behavior that happens after the initial indulgence. You’re going to make wrong turns. When you do, just steer yourself back."

Oh man, confessional time

I seriously fell off the wagon this weekend. And the wagon ended up plowing into Monday as well. I think my down fall was not planning well enough and not following through with what I had committed to do. On Friday, I went to a girl's night get-together and told myself to eat one small plate of food. I did have a really light dinner beforehand in anticipation...but after seeing that really good dip my friend made, which is essentially bad fat and bad carbs mixed together...I couldn't keep myself away from it. And did I mention I made brownies to take? I did mix in some flax meal and added some chopped walnuts, but it doesn't really matter when you eat 4! Then on Saturday I did really well for breakfast and lunch but then we had family over for dinner and I ate my fair share of junk and two healthy helping of dessert. Sunday was really fine...I indulged in some coleslaw but other than that the day was pretty good. Monday I was gone all day and not in the mood to make dinner so we stopped on the way home for a hot and ready. Throw in some sugary soda calories and that explains the 2-3lb weight gain over the weekend. I know, I'm obsessed with the scale but that's an issue I'll address some other time. Last week I saw 139 on the scale...it was probably a fluke but I was so excited, then I battled 141 and 140 all week, I was 140 on Friday, and then I've steadily climbed up since then. I am thinking that Jillian Michael's may be causing me to gain muscle weight-which is good, but I don't think I'm ready for toning yet, I'm really interested in burning fat. So, for the rest of this week I'm doing a cardio only experiment. I'm going to do low-intensity cardio for longer periods of time (90 minutes) and we'll see what happens. I'll report back maybe Monday. We're going away this weekend but to my in-laws. They'll have healthy choices for me there. Thank goodness.

Experiment

Image by masonmasteka via Flickr

Scale-less=not going to happen. I'm just too close to the "reveal." I'm too dependent on it. I tried to go this morning without it but then it made me feel like I could cheat on the diet...like, "I'm not weighing in so I can eat this half a bagel, right?" It's not the mentality I want to have right now. I really need the momentum I've built up to keep me going for the next 10-15 pounds. I'll go down to weighing myself only every few days or once a week when I'm to the maintenance stage.

A Scale-less Experiment

I am giving up my scale for two weeks. I am motivated by this post from my friend Teri on her blog, A Foodie Stays Fit. It really got me thinking. I weigh myself every day and I let the number dictate how I feel. I weigh myself first thing in the morning, that's when you're supposed to be the lightest right? So, I lay in bed after waking, thinking..."what is the highest number the scale can say that I can be happy with?" I want to think about how strong I've become, how my endurance has improved and have that make me happy instead of a number. I feel like I'm taking a risk because there are only three weeks until my "reveal." What if I don't listen to my body well enough or what if going without the scale stresses me out and I gain weight? I hoping it will have the opposite effect, that I will be less stressed without the scale and just feel better. I won't get to my "goal weight" by 4/5, but I never intended to do that. I had wanted to lose 20 pounds by then and it looks like I'll hit 30. So, I'll let you know how it goes.

Busyish

It's been kind of a busy week. It's been nice out, so we've been spending more time outside, which means less time inside doing chores...I guess that makes me feel busy. I've been feeling great, great, great. I broke through my second plateau. I was stuck stuck stuck at 145 for two weeks. It was a tough two weeks but I have finally broken through and am at 141. So that's 26 pounds people! Also, I have started incorporating Jillian Michael's back into my workouts. She is one tough cookie but sure helps me sweat. I was motivated by this blog post about shocking your body and doing something to change things up...I did, and I has really made a difference. I have moved away from the Zone dinners. I'm still in the Zone for breakfast and lunch but I got a little bored with the dinner recipes so I've been trying to focus on overall health and portion size. We have made a permanent switch to fat-free cheese and switched from sour cream to plain Greek Yogurt. I can't tell with the yogurt but I can with the cheese. Anywho-I just wanted to check it, I'm still here, and I'm still working out hard. I just might lose 30 pounds by Easter. I only have four pounds to go. That is crazy to me...crazy but exciting.

I need to settle on a "before" picture. I didn't take an "official" picture and I wish I had. Oh well. I'll find something.

Splurge....you're doin' it right.

We went to Five Guys Burgers and Fries last night. Oh. my. word. It was so so so good and such a good splurge. I guess my body needed a little garbage and grease because I FINALLY broke through 145. I was 144.6 this morning. I ordered the "little burger" and seriously-it was gone in seconds. I wish I had take a few minutes to savor it but it was so good. And, I ate fries, a lot of fries...I think I've written about my obsession with fries on Annadotes, but man, they were so so good. I am so glad there is not a location that doesn't require a highway. Otherwise, the diet would be out the window. I did workout yesterday when I wanted to take a nap, so that was a victory, yeah!.

CAN. NOT. STOP. EATING.

What is wrong with me? I can not control myself lately. All I want to do is sit and watch T.V. and EAT giant plates of unhealthy food. Granted, I've been sick today, so it must be a comfort thing, but all this week I've been much hungrier than normal. My gremlin or whatever that is Dr. Oz was talking about is telling me I'm still hungry. I have eaten off the diet a couple times and I'm feeling bad, bad, bad, bad. I'm trying to stay positive, I'm trying to remember that every endeavor encounters setbacks. I'm trying to look back and all my good progress, I've lost 22 pounds for heaven's sake! But, it's hard to keep things in perspective when it's just hard. I'm almost halfway to my goal and that feels good. Maybe I need a reward goal to look forward to, like a new Easter dress. That's a good idea...I'm going to go look at dresses, there was one at Land's End that I really really liked. Maybe I could think about considering fitting into a size 8 by Easter? Could that be doable? We'll see...something like this:



Oh, and the treadmill desk, YES, PLEASE!

Emotional Plateau

Image via Wikipedia

I feel like I've lost a little of the "drive," I had before. I've still been sticking to the diet but I've been "cheating" more than I should, eating more carbs (good ones) than neccessary and my cravings have returned, in FULL force. I'm so hungry for bad carbs it's not funny.

A HOT slice of thin crust pepperoni pizza
Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
Sourdough bread
Chocolate chip cookies
Cupcakes

My mouth is watering! I am down 22 pounds and happy with my progress. I'm hoping to see 144.something on the scale tomorrow. That would be very exciting. I bought some Mini-Eggs but I'm trying to forget about them. For some reason, I've just been tempted more lately...and "bad" things are looking really good.

Good and bad

Yesterday I was so out of it. Some thing was really off with my food, not enough fat or something. I was craving junk food soo bad! So we splurged and got pizza. I ate three slices(!) and salad dripping in ranch dressing. It was so good. However, I held up my end of the bargain and went to the gym this morning and did four miles on the treadmill. I'm feeling really good, still really committed and actually glad I had a little fun last night. Tonight I'm making zucchini lasagna for dinner. I weighed myself this morning and it wasn't too bad but I still feel pretty bloated from all the sodium. I learned this week at potassium helps your body get rid of the excess water retention from salt-so maybe I'll get some bananas when I go to the store.

20 pounds!

Well, I've lost twenty pounds. I am still in disbelief. I was a little worried over the weekend since we ate out for Valentine's Day and then stayed at Mom and Dad's all weekend. I managed to make good choices and control my portions and make good use of their treadmill...I think I did 4 miles while I was there. I did have some really really really good, really worth it toffee ice cream for dessert. It was so good. I was stoked to see the scale hadn't gone up. YEAH! I was hoping to hit 20 pounds at Easter at the big reveal but I'm going to have to set a new goal, I think 25, I have a month and a half left and I would say 30 but I just don't want to disappoint myself so 25 it is and I think it's doable.

One awesome victory was last night at Young Women's I had a couple people ask me how things were going and say they noticed the weight loss. I was starting to feel bad that people weren't noticing...I mean, 20 pounds? Come on-say something!

Wow

Last night we did our Valentine's Date night. Lu was with Grammi, so we went out. I was a little nervous about "splurging." I felt like a recovering alcoholic going into a bar. We went to Outback, one of my favorite restaurants. I had the hardest time deciding where to go because if I was going to cheat I really wanted it to be worth it. So...I ordered the 6oz Outback special and ate 4 oz of it. I didn't eat any of the loaf of bread and I had steamed veggies to go with it (which I could tell were covered in butter) and AUSSIE FRIES, of which I think I ate about half. I drank a lot of water and we went and walked around Home Goods afterward. I was fully expecting the scale to go up this morning and it DIDN'T!!! It was down! A tiny little bit but it was down. Another victory from last night was wearing my "skinny jeans." And by skinny jeans, I mean the ones I used to have to stuff myself into to wear and couldn't eat anything while I had them on or a seam might bust. I wore them comfortably last night for the first time since I bought them. Which was when I found out I was preggers with the Lu and wanted something a little roomier. So---I still have a little ways to go, but I've lost almost 20 pounds in 6 weeks! I don't expect to lose the next 20 that easily but I am ahead of my goal by over a month. I guess I need a new goal.

Update

I'm officially in the 140s!! 149 yesterday and today.

The Silent Partner

So this is my first post on Anna's fitnesss blog. It couldn't really be called Trim Down Together if I didn't contribute something. I likely won't be contributing as often as my skinnier half, but I thought I would a least say hello. Update on me: I won't be as generous with my info, at least not until it is really something to brag about. I have, thanks to all the work Anna has put in, lost about 15 lbs to date. To be fair, I haven't changed anything except my food intake. I will be adding exercise soon. I also have been a bigger cheater than Anna has. (I won't list my offenses as they have been many.) I will say that if you make a change, there are rewards and it does work.

This isn't my first foray in to weight loss. Shortly before I met Anna, I lost 70 lbs over 18 months. I was on the Atkins diet and working out 8-12 hours a week. What I didn't do, and what I am determined to do this time, is make a permanent change in my diet. I am acquainted with, and have been, the type of person who commits only to the short term fix of extreme exercise and crash diets. They can't be sustained and so they don't last. I turned 30 in the fall and I wanted to make some real change that will endure. I have confidence that the changes we are making will help me in that goal.

There are a lot of things that have gotten better in the last 6 weeks. I feel better, I don't have the energy highs and lows as much, and I am sleeping better. I have also stopped snoring as much. Part of the reason I am taking the change slower is that I want this to last. I'm thinking of this more as a long distance race. I want to set a pace of change I can maintain. I don't want to get burnt out. Right now, all I have done is committed to eat a high protein breakfast (quiche cups or boiled eggs) a good salad (no cheese or fatty dressing) with some protein for lunch and a snack of fruit in the afternoon. That's all I have done. No exercise. So give that some thought. I can echo Anna's sentiment that knowing what I am going to eat each day has made it so much easier. If I had to choose each day, I wouldn't have been able to. Most of the credit goes to Anna for all the work she puts in.

I don't know how long it will be before you hear from me again. I will check in when I get to -20 lbs.

TO

1 month

It's been a whole month! Only two more months until this blog is available to the public. It is great motivation to see that ticker at the top of annadotes. I thought I'd give you the numbers:

Days on the program: 33
Days I've worked out: 28
Meals I've splurged on: 3-Tony Packo's, Dinner party at my cousin's, and Mac and Cheese while we were sick.
Inches I've lost:
Bust: 2.5
Waist: 5
Hips: 3.25
Bum: 2
Thigh (widest part): 1.5

On days where my weight fluxuates (today!) it really helps to look at the measurements because even if I feel, "fat," I know I'm still making progress.

Pounds lost: 15!!! It was sixteen yesterday, but 15 again today.

I feel really good, but to be honest, I really didn't want to work out today. I've been sick and not sleeping well and I was just tired. I exercised anyway and I'm glad I did-I knew I would be.

A word about automation

This past weekend we were all sick, we're all still a little sick but at least functioning. Lucy seems to be the best of us. Being sick prompted major cravings for comfort food. I thought I couldn't live without cinnamon rolls...but I could. They still sound soooo good. However, I couldn't withstand temptation for a big plate of macaroni and cheese. My body has retained a little more than I would have liked and I spent the day Sunday, parked on the couch, hardly moving a muscle. It was frustrating (to say the least) to see a higher number on the scale, but I know it's just temporary. Here is where automation comes in. If I hadn't already had my meals planned for the next week and had some things prepared, it would have been so easy to give in and say, "well, I messed it up, I guess it's over." But when I know exactly what I'm going to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day, it's much easier to get back on the horse. Even if the horse weighs more than I want it to.

On a positive note, I made really low carb, low fat pizza last night and it turned out great.

Comfortable

15 pounds lost today! Can you believe it? I hardly can. I think what I have working for me this week are hormones and switching the order of my work out. I was doing cardio and then weights but I think it helps to do the weights first so that my muscles have to work a little harder during the cardio portion. I also upped my free weights on some sets from 5 lbs to 8lbs. This morning, I fit VERY comfortably into a size 10 and into a shirt I bought last spring that was a smidge too small, now, it's a smidge too big. I can't believe I'll be seeing the 140's soon. I didn't see 140 anything in all of 2009. So...good good day.

Good Week

Image via Wikipedia

It's still going great. It's actually, dare I say, easy. This is just our life now. I made Lasagna the other night with zucchini instead of noodles. It was awesome. It totally satisfied the comfort food notion, but it was guilt-free with homemade sauce, fat-free cottage cheese, fat-free mozzarella, and low fat ricotta. Tony took it to work the next day for lunch. When he got home he said, "I think that zucchini lasagna is better than regular lasagna." I think he's just forgotten what pasta tastes like. We've had the Pioneer Woman's lasagna and it is unforgettable.

Last night I made lettuce wraps, they were sooo good and so pretty. I put the link to the recipe on Annadotes.

Oh, and by the way, 153 this morning. GO ME!

Not so bad

This weekend wasn't as bad as I thought. I did indulge a little but it was totally manageable. Still maintaining 155 so far. And these, if you haven't had real sweets in three weeks, taste like a Samoa Girl Scout cookie...my fave.

Yesterday we splurged big time at Tony packo's. I was in pain by the time we left and am not even getting on the scale today. I really hope I didn't do too much damage, I'd really like to be at 154 by the end of the week.

156.4 this morning

I want to kill the scale. I think I've hit a plateau. I think I'm going to do my Shred DVD today instead of cycling and see if the change in work out helps, plus tomorrow I go to the gym instead of cycling so that should help too. Everything I read says to make sure you're eating enough (I am) and change up your workout, to increase the intensity. Will do.

155

155
155
155
155
155
155
!!!!

156.2 you are the death of me!

Grrr....I have YET to see 155 on the scale. 155.9 even, I don't care. I'm just REALLY tired of 156.2. I've lost eleven pounds so far, which feels really really great. I'm really happy that my clothes are not so tight and I'm feeling a lot better. The Zone diet is really a smart way to lose weight since you bypass the crazy cravings. We've definitely figured out it's much more of a life change than a diet. I'd really like to have lost 20 pounds before we go public. I'm still going. Oh, BTW, we tried a slim-fast snack. It was a free sample that came in the mail. It was so good. It was really high in carbs so you'd have to have it as a part of a more balanced snack, but for 50 calories it was a nice treat.

We made it!

We made it through another weekend! I did stick to my plan for the family party and I ate this super yummy homemade snicker dessert. Mmmm...sooo good. I didn't make it to 155. So...the goal is still in my sights, I'll let you know when I get there. I have lost THREE whole inches off my waist and that makes me feel fantastic.

Book Review: Somersize Desserts

Cover of Somersize Desserts

I've been waiting for the Zone cookbooks to come in at the library and it seems like it's taking forever. I guess we're not the only ones who made New Years Resolutions. Anyway, I was at the library the other day and I thought I'd go through the healthy cookbooks and see if there was anything I could, "Zoneify." I've heard myths of Zoneified Lasagna and Enchiladas. Anyway, I passed by this book on the shelf, Somersize Desserts by Suzanne Somers. My review, two thumbs down. The book is really just an advertisement for her sugar-replacement product called, "Somersweet." The recipes just exchange sugar for this Somersweet. All the butter, heavy cream, caramel sauce, whole milk ricotta are still called for. It's sad that these are the recipes proclaimed to help someone lose weight. Unless this Somersweet is cut with Ephedrine I don't think anyone is going to be losing weight eating these indulgent sweets. Granted, she does have some healthy smoothie type recipes, but really not enough to counter the cheesecake, creme brulee, and souffles the book is stocked with. Guilt-free? No, I think not. "Losing weight never tasted so good." She's got it half right.

Butter? Is that Butter I taste?

Tonight, I went to my monthly book club. I knew the host would have a lovely (and fattening) dessert prepared. I went into it a little unsure about how I would handle the situation...should I eat it? Should I ask for a small portion of whatever it is, etc? I was worried that in the face of temptation I would ate the whole thing. So...this scrumptious chocolate-chip coffee cake with a crumb topping was placed before me. I took a bite. It was so good I had almost forgotten about butter, but this certainly reminded me. I remembered the "three bite rule," someone had mentioned in a success story in Shape Magazine so I decided to try it. I had three, normal sized bites and enjoyed each morsel. Then I added it into my "Lose It," app where I keep track of all my calories and realized that a serving of coffee cake is really fattening. So, I added in my little three bite serving and was totally happy with what I had and what I gave up. I felt like I was being a little rude to the host by not finishing it, but I wasn't the only one and I'm glad I did. I'll definitely have to get the recipe.

TTOM

It's that time of the month. I'm going to stay off the scale for the next few days. The weight gain has been minimal but it's still discouraging to see the numbers going up and not down. I know it's temporary, and the nice thing is, that I haven't had the cravings for all the salty, starchy junk I usually do around this time. Still going strong.

A coincidence? I think not.

So the year I decide to get serious about losing weight is the year that Taco Bell pushes their Fresco menu with their "Drive Thru Diet" campaign. It's like it's pleading with me...don't leave us. See...we have healthy choices, we can still be friends, right? I did really good this week, I mean, really good. I wasn't tempted by the unfinished carton of ice cream that is in the freezer or eat after dinner any night this week. I have been working really hard and it's paying off. I was really worried going into the weekend that I would royally mess things up, but I didn't. I stayed the course, and I can tell you, Monday morning, it was worth it. I lost 7 pounds last week. I know a lot of it is water and that the weight loss will slow down a lot this week, so I set my goal for this week is to lose just two pounds (as it will be for every week from here on out) so I got on the scale this morning and I was already down another two pounds, so here I am at 157.8! That's almost ten pounds!!!! So, my new goal is to be at 155.9. If I could just see 155. I'm having some hormonal changes this week so I know my exercise and water intake will be critical but hopefully I can get through it okay.

Good things that happened last week: I didn't eat after dinner at all. (A big problem for me)
I worked out 6 days. (No exercising on Sunday...Sacrament meeting with a toddler is enough of a work out)
I turned down sour candy at the movies!?! Can you believe it!?
I ate taco bell on my diet. Let me repeat that. I ate Taco Bell on my diet. The fresco crunchy tacos are great, they fulfill my fast food craving and are a good mix of fat, carbs, and protien which is what this diet is all about...balance.

So to sum up, I kicked booty last week...I'm hoping this week will be just as good.

Bad things that happened: I am TOTALLY sick of salad. Already. I think it's the dressing. I'm going to put on low fat cottage cheese as the dressing today and see how that goes. I'm just getting tired of chewing lettuce.

One obstacle coming my way is my annual family Christmas party on Saturday. I know it's after Christmas but our family is huge and by huge I really mean gigantic. My Grandmother has over 100 great-grandchildren. I think the number is up to 107 or 108 and seriously, it seems like my cousins are multiplying by the day. Anyway-the food there is fantastic and I'm not going to deprive myself but I have come up with a plan. There is a pop table but I will bring my water bottle. I will eat a normal breakfast in the morning, which these days has been a peice of fruit, some almonds, and a boiled egg. I will have one plate of food, whatever I want, and one plate of dessert, whatever I want, and that's it. Then I'll have a peice of fruit and some almonds on the way home around normal dinner time and call it good for the day.

Until next time.

Almonds

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Almonds are a healthy addition to your balanced diet. They are a good source of fat, protein, trace minerals, vitamin e, etc. They are high in calcium and have shown in clinical studies to aid in weight loss as part of a healthy diet.

I can not stand raw almonds. I can choke them down if I have to, but they are not good. They have a bitter flavor and get stuck in my teeth-yuck. So, since I happen to have a bag of raw almonds here (donated by my MIL, an avid almond consumer) I've been trying to eat them. But, I just can't. For the first couple days of the diet I tried to chew them up quick and follow it with some water to wash it down but still, they are sick and I realized, if I'm not enjoying the food I'm eating, I'm not going to enjoy my diet and I'm not going to be able to stick to it. So, I roasted them myself!

I put about a half cup of almonds in a baggie with about a teaspoon of vegetable oil and then laid them out on a foil covered cookie sheet. I lightly salted them and baked for 10 minutes. They turned out great! I'm not feeling bad about the oil or the salt since they were just thinly coated and the salt makes them taste so much better and we have almost nothing processed on this diet so I'm not overly concerned with my sodium intake. They are great! So much easier to eat and much tastier. I also did some with cinnamon for a sweet treat. They are okay...they're good, but I do miss the sugar. I'm thinking I might just add a teaspoon of sugar next time and count it as an "unfavorable" carb. I've been consistently under my calorie allotment for the day so I think it's not a big deal and feeling like I'm getting a treat is worth it.

You can read more about almonds at the Almond Board of California's site.

Until next time.

New Year, New Us.

This year, Tony and I have started the Zone diet. Let's see...I woke up this morning at about 7:30, it is now 2:30, so it's been 7 hours and so far, so good. Last night I prepared our breakfasts and lunches. We're having a modified version of the South Beach Veggie Quiche Cups and for lunch we had a really good chicken and black bean salad with oregano dressing. The breakfast was alright, but the lunch was really great. All the flavors helped me not feel so hungry. I almost didn't finish it all. I did have a snack in the morning, but I wouldn't really call it a snack...

Ah, duty calls...

Until next time.