Thursday, April 21, 2011

March 1- April 21

Today was my assessment from my 8 weeks of Body Back. The journey began on March 1. I weighed in at 288 lbs. I couldn't do 1 sit up, I couldn't do 1 push up. I could not run an entire 1/2 mile. I couldn't do a plank for more than 16 seconds.

After 8 weeks of training my body, 8 weeks of healthy eating, 8 weeks of positive encouragement -- the results are in:
269.5 - down 18.5 lbs.
8 inches lost (that's 2 inches from each: chest, stomach, hips and thigh)
20 sit ups in 1 minute
2 push ups in 1 minute
31 squats in 1 minute
31 bicep curls in 1 minute
44 second plank hold
9 second side plank hold (this was not an improvement, if I had led w/ my right arm, I'd have done much better, whoops)
and for the last result:
6.43 minute 1/2 mile run -- shaved a 1.11 minute off of my original time from 8 weeks ago!!! And I ran the whole thing w/ a sprint at the finish!

I'd say, I'm making strides! My next 8 weeks technically begins on Tuesday, however, I'm going to keep up the work in between. With Easter coming this weekend, I have to devise a plan to make it through and stay on target. I dropped 5.5 lbs in the last week and 2 days. I don't want to lose this momentum.

Maegan just asked me about how much I had lost... and I explained, I lost more than baby Cait weighs. WOW!

Oh by the way... I'm saying it again... I'm 269.5, which means, I am smaller than I was before I got pregnant with Wils, and before I got pregnant with Wils I was smaller than I was at my wedding. This is a HUGE mile stone.

I'm already thinking of my goals for next session. I'd like to continue the weight loss -- I'd love to see the 250's -- Just thinking that I can get there is SO exciting for me. I don't remember the last time I weighed in the 250's!!! It is going to require work, but I can do it!!! I also want to lose inches again. I'm hoping for another 8 inches minimum! My final goal is to continue with positive thinking!

One of my goals from the first 8 weeks was to gain confidence. I can say, without a doubt, I have gained that confidence. With my role as President of the Children's Heart Foundation, Virginia Chapter, I need to be able to do public speaking. My weight has ALWAYS been an issue where public speaking is concerned. I don't enjoy getting in front of people because I feel like they are judging me rather than listening to what I have to say. The weight has made me feel as though I'm less important that thinner speakers. Obviously we all know that isn't true. I just needed a boost in confidence! This class is definitely boosting my confidence.

So, did I finis last in the run today? Yes, I did. Am I sad about that? NO, I'm not. I'm beyond proud that I was able to run an entire 1/2 mile with out having to stop and walk a little bit. I am stoked that I was able to shave over a minute off of my original time. Amazing! I need to keep up the running, because I would really love to run the entire 3 miles at the fun run for the Congenital Heart Walk. I KNOW it is possible!

I give God 100% of the glory in this victory, because He created this body! He made me. He knew that I could do this! I just needed to believe I could do it! and as Rachel always says, "I CAN. I WILL!"

All of this is bittersweet this morning, as my sister in law is fighting for her life. Her fight reminds me of my need to continue on this path. Prayers for her healing are much appreciated. She is younger than I am and has two beautiful little girls that need her in this world. Please lift her up, and lift up my brother as he is trying to be her helpmate, care for his girls and hold down a job that is less than caring about his situation.

I thank all of you for reading my blog and following my journey. Your positive encouragement has been exactly what I have needed.

Here is my food journal from yesterday:
Breakfast
English muffin melt (w/ 2 slices of tomato and a sprinkling of pepper jack cheese)
Snack
hummus, pita/carrots
Lunch
turkey wrap w/ spinach, onions, tomato, colby jack 2% chz
Snack
chocolate raspberry fruit thin cookie (about 44 calories)
Dinner
baked chicken
dried tomato and garlic pesto penne

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Food Journal

Awesome Body Back class this morning... I'll blog about it tomorrow. I'm too tired to do it now. BUT I didn't want to shut my eyes w/o posting today's food journal.

Breakfast
eggwhite and veggie omelet with salsa and pepper jack chz

snack
Kix cereal (1/2 cup)
celery w/ pb

Lunch
Turkey Wrap (w/ spinach, lettuce, onions and tomoto on whole wheat tortilla)

snack
100 cal pack almonds/walnuts

Dinner
thin sliced chicken breast
pesto penne (no pine nuts)

tons of water

Monday, April 18, 2011

Stayed up TOO late

OK, I'm just going to journal tomorrow... It's too late to start now! It's been a good day, but I'm tired and have blisters! OUCH!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

It's the Weekend

Wow, what a weekend. It has been crazy, and when things gets crazy, my plans get jacked up and well, I don't do so well. However, I do much better than I used to, and that is a victory! So, Friday started off with middle of the night wakings from my son, screaming that his ear was hurting. I know my boy. He doesn't lie about ear pain. We had a 9am appointment w/ Dr. Mapp. That meant my schedule and planning were OFF! I chose to eat Grapes, cottage cheese, walnuts/almonds for breakfast. Found out that Wils did in fact have an ear infection, but also allergies and was sounding asthmatic. So, we were at the dr. for a while doing a breathing treatment which seemed to help. Then off to Martin's to buy some soft foods for my BFF who had her wisdom teeth taken out and a special treat... gerbera daisies, and to get his prescript filled. They took too long and I had to get home without the meds.

Once Cait was up from her nap, we piled in the car and headed to my BFF's house to drop off her goodies. When we were done I had to go get Wils' prescrition, which is right beside my parent's house. We decided just to stop there until time to get Maegan. I popped us some popcorn (and sprinkled mine w/ parm... S1 I believe) Soon it was time to get Maegan from school. We had not eaten lunch at this point. We got home and Wils fell fast asleep. I fed the girls and got Cait down for a nap, and then I made myself a veggie quesadilla loaded with mushrooms, onions, peppers, spinach and garlic, and just a tablespoon of cheddar cheese (to be able to call it a quesadilla). And then I had 2 Hershey Kisses.

I woke Cait and Wils up shortly before Matt was to get home. I fed Wils and fed Cait. We were rushing to get ourselves to CMoR to meet up with friends. The kids had a ball playing at CMoR. We adults had a great time as well and we ended up shutting the place down at 7:30.

We decided we needed to go have dinner, so we went to Mexico. I was VERY worried that I would NOT be able to resist the chips and salsa. No sooner did my tukus hit the seat then slapped down in front me was the chip basket and salsa. I moved the chips closer to my friend and further from me. I even moved the salsa jar over as well... if I could smell it, then I would want it on a chip. Cait was hungry and fussing, so I grabbed a chip. Broke it into little pieces and fed her. I made it through the ENTIRE meal without so much as ONE chip! I was quite impressed!

I had to look the menu over forever before deciding what I would order. I had planned my dinner for Red Robin for girls night out... and obviously by closing down CMoR, I missed that boat! So, now I had to completely change my train of thought. I knew Cait and Mia would eat beans. The older kids wanted a taco and they wanted MacnChz (why I don't know, they did not really eat either item???) I knew Matt would get enchiladas poblanas. He was so cute, asking me if I thought that it would be a healthy choice (corn tortillas, not fried, stuffed with chicken topped w/ mole poblano sauce and white cheese) I told him he could do worse, but it wasn't the best option. And I continued on my quest for just the right thing. Then I read the description of the Camerones Yucatecas -- grilled shrimp and veggies over Mexican white rice, served w/ guacamole salad. My meal did not disappoint. Cait even helped me eat my veggies and rice (squash, zucchini, onions, peppers and tomatoes) -- there were no tortillas.The shrimp were grilled to perfection, and it was probably the best Mexian meal I've ever eaten. I had a difficult time limiting myself on the rice, it def. could not have been healthy! I finally put my plate on the other side of the table with a napkin in it so I'd stop eating it. I left the restaurant NOT feeling sick and bloated and ready to pop! I felt nicely satisfied and comfortable in my clothes. It was a good feeling and a VICTORY for me! My friends apologized profusely for the chips being on the table, but I told them it was fine, I was looking forward to my dinner and the chips would only ruin it... and I know that is true.

Everyone came home and went straight to bed, it had been a long day and the morning would bring SOCCER at 8:30 a.m. I got up Saturday morning and started hustling to get everything ready for soccer. Thankfully, kids had their uniforms and gear at the front door and needed minimal help. Meanwhile, I'm making breakfast for everyone, packing the cooler with snacks (berries, granola bars, my fruit/nut mix, crackers, fruit thins and water) Cait wakes up with croup! I knew I could not take her to the field, so I sent Matt and Wils on to the field and called my mom to see if Cait could chill with her since I missed Wils' game last week and he scored 3 goals, I had to be there for the game! I fixed myself an eng. muffin w/ veg. sausage and chz and then threw the girls in their seats and dropped Cait off with Gammy, picked up PopPop and off we went to sit in the rain.

It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it! Wils scored a goal, and my heart soared! So proud of my baby! Then we moseyed on over to Maegan's field and waited for her team to show. We were soaked to the bone at this point, and freezing. Wils was "starving" after having a juice box and goldfish from his post game team snack... so he downed an entire container of blueberries (gotta put that on my shopping list for tomorrow), then he and Mia ate granola bars. They didn't see the strawberries in the bag, or I'm sure they'd have devoured them as well. At this point, I was getting hungry, so I got out my little neatly packed in a ziplock baggie, single serving size of fruit and nuts mixed together. Maegan had a stellar first have, driving for that goal, but she never quite connected. She truly displayed some great skill with ball control. Very proud of that little girl. She can be a beast on that field... and she's not afraid to get in there and play hard, fall hard, and have fun! At the half, I kissed her, told her I was proud of her, but I needed to get her siblings home. Wils was shivering and I knew he needed out of the weather ASAP.

When I got to Mom's house, Cait was fast asleep, so we made ourselves comfortable for a while. We fixed the kids lunch and I drank some hot tea to try and heat back up. Mom and I dried the kids clothes and wrapped them in warm blankets (me, I was still in soaked clothing). Maegan and Matt joined us not long after, and we dried their clothes and wrapped them in warm clothes.

Meanwhile, on Friday night, our family had a family emergency. My brother, who's wife had been hospitalized earlier in the week to have her gastric bypass surgery procedure reversed, had begun having complications after being home just 24 hours. She was rushed back to the hospital. On Saturday, I thought my sister and I should work out something to help out with our nieces. We decided a cousin party was in order. A cousin SLUMBER party!

Once all the clothes were dry and Cait was awake, we headed home to get geared up for the "Cousin Slumber Party" at my sister's house. We decided we would make dinner together and let the kids watch a movie until they fell asleep. I ate some cottage cheese for lunch, and then later in the day had crackers and string cheese. We'd decided on grilled chicken for dinner along w/ a pasta salad that came recommended by River City Nutrition. I also decided I'd make a strawberry spinach salad. Well, I forgot to set out the chicken, so it ended up being a salad night. The pasta salad was AMAZING! The strawberry spinach salad was good as well. AND, I had a box of Trader Joes Roasted Red Pepper Tomato soup, so I took that along. Dinner was so yummy I kept sneaking bites of the pasta salad... FINALLY I had to make myself stay out of the kitchen because I knew I was probably over the 1 cup serving! My sister brought up making brownies. I guess she read the look of panic on my face because she said, "The kids are fine, it's late, let's just not do it!" I was so relieved. I was feeling weak and knew I did not want to be faced with the tempting smell of brownies!

After dinner, I challenged the kids to join me in push ups. The kids think this is so much fun. We laughed and did our push ups and laughed more. Then it was time for baths and bed! We got them scrubbed up, and put them in my nephew's room with a movie. 5 children in the bed, one in a sleeping bag on the floor and Cait in her packnplay in the playroom. We adults sat down to watch Due Date (hilarious, btw). My nephew ended up coming in the room with us and falling asleep on the floor. Matt and I stayed the night, even though we had another early morning awaiting us!

6:45 Cait wakes up crying and coughing. She was burning up with fever. Not five minutes later, Mia wakes up screaming that her ear hurts. I place a call into the ped. and get a 9 am appointment. Maegan is supposed to sing at church at 10:30! I packed us up and we headed home. While Matt did breakfast, I got a quick shampoo in, semi dried my hair, and buckled Cait and Mia into the van and took off to the ped. I DID grab fruit and nuts mix as I headed out the door.

Mia was diagnosed with a double ear infection, but otherwise, healthy as could be. Cait's ears were home free, but she's definitely got croup. We headed straight back to the house, and pulled up just as Matt and the kids were buckling up! They jumped into my car, I ran in the house to get Mia a church outfit and to get myself some breakfast. (Eng. muffin, chz, veg. sausage)

After the service they were having an Easter Egg Hunt for the children. I REALLY did not want our kids to participate, but they knew about it and were so excited, so we let them stay for it. Bad idea to go with them to the fellowship hall... there were breakfast items in there. It had been 2 hours since I'd eaten and I was hungry! I grabbed a muffin that looked innocent enough. I broke it in half (it was a regular muffin, not a gigantic one that you get from a bakery) I ate a bite of the half and then gave it to Caity. But then went for another one, and took a bite out of that one -- but then tossed it. I did resist the coffee cakes and donuts. Soon after, the Egg Hunt began. My kids all got candy! UGH!!! :( Wils pretty much ate all of his already. Not sure what Maegan did with hers. Mia's is hidden and will be thrown away as soon as she forgets about it!

After church, picked up Mia's prescription and we came home. My sister brought over Pizza for lunch (we still have my nieces). I ate one piece of cheese pizza (no crust) and half of a breadstick (smallest one). I had more pasta salad for snack. The kids played outside while my sister and I worked on some organizing. I took out the garbage and recycling (Matt always does it, but I just felt like doing it myself, today).

My brother came to take the girls to visit their mom and three of my four were sleeping, Matt was sleeping and my sister and I were just chilling. I decided to turn on music (always fun with this crew, we all love to dance) -- the music got everyone to wake up, dancing ensued. But, then I decided I wanted my sister to time me on sit ups and push ups... 22 sit ups in 1 minute. 12 push ups in 1 minute. Then I asked her to time me on the plank. This was so much fun, because the kids became my biggest cheerleaders. While doing the situps, they were screaming, "You can do 1 more, YOU CAN! Come on, just one more! You still have time!" During the plank, I asked them to tell me when I hit 30 seconds. Once I hit 30 my nephew said, "YOU DID IT, you are at 30! FORTY, you made it to FORTY!" Then when I dropped, he said, "You dropped RIGHT AT 50!!!!!!" He was so impressed that then he and Wils wanted to be timed doing the plank (both for over 1 minute, but not great form, lol). My yoga mat has never seen so much action in such a short amount of time! Even Mia got in on it!

Around 7:30, I realized I had not eaten dinner! (the kids ate dinner earlier) -- I asked Matt what he was in the mood for and he said "Sushi" so I hopped over to Tokyo Sushi and picked up 3 rolls and 2 salads. We shared the food and now it is 10:30 and everyone is snoozing and the lights are all out. PEACE! Oh yes, I must confess... I had 2 Hershey Kisses again today!

Tomorrow should be a much more relaxed day, and I do plan to sneak in a grocery run at some point! I need fresh fruits, ASAP! :) I have to make my week plan tomorrow, and I hope to get in a jog at some point. Loving this beautiful weather! Hoping the pollen has turned a corner, as my throat is just about to kill me!

Hope you had a much less hectic, but equally as fun weekend!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

100's Class... I survived!

So, today I survived 100's class. Got pretty dizzy at one point... very thankful for Kim who was along beside me and kept me focused! That was one TOUGH class! I still am not so great at push ups which really annoys me!

So, I keep having these reoccurring thoughts of "When will I be able to eat normal again?" -- UM, yes, you see, THIS is normal... what I was doing before was killing me slowly. I have to keep reminding myself that THIS is how we should eat to care for our bodies. I love the foods I am eating, so that isn't a problem (though I did make a smoothie this week, and I REALLY hate yogurt, EVEN in a smoothie) -- I guess I'm thinking more of "special occasion" foods. Like when we go to the beach. I won't lie, this girl loves hush puppies. There is not another fried food I can think of that I actually miss eating. That said, Hush Puppies have always been a "once in a while" food... never did I eat them once a week or even once a month. I go to Chick Fil A and I have NO desire for waffle fries or the original sandwich... but I DO miss the chicken biscuit. I used to eat them about 3 times a week. I haven't had one in nearly 2 months now. Donuts. I love donuts... creme filled Krispy Kreme creme filled donuts -- Oh I can hear Rachel... WHY? Why would you punish yourself like that? -- The answer is easy... up until recently, I didn't realize it was punishment! Do I plan on having a donut at the beach over the summer. Yes, I do. BUT, I also plan to walk/jog the 1+mile to get it and then run/walk back to the house! I don't miss ice cream. I do miss chocolate, but I allow myself a piece here and there, not a whole serving, just enough to get a taste and move on. I do miss Frostings Cupcakes... but now that I know the calories, I'm missing them a whole lot less! I realize that my lifestyle is changing. I'm learning that food is not a reward, it's a way to fuel my body. If I put good pure fuel in, then my body will run more efficiently. If I fuel my body with fatty, refined, processed foods my body will be sluggish and less responsive. I CAN have those "once in a while" foods, but now I just have to think through it, rather than mindlessly eat. I have to ask WHY I want the food, and is it worth it, and will it cause me to spiral into a bad pattern. Some days are easier than others!

That said, today was a more difficult day for me... I was STARVING after class, and stayed pretty hungry most of the day, not to mention Thursday is a VERY busy day for our family, it's easy to make poor decisions... that is NOT an excuse.

Breakfast
6 whole wheat chzits
english muffin (high fiber/low cal)
veg. sausage patty
cheese

Snack
cottage cheese (1/2 cup serving)
1/2 cup multigrain cheerios

Lunch
W.W. tortilla
shrimp
spinach
tomato
onion
salsa

Snack
dried fruit and nuts (1 serving)
2 creme de menthe hershey kisses

Dinner
baby carrots w/ hummus
grilled chicken sandwich

Not a horrible day, but I could have made a few better choices!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Morning comes early

Thought I should post my journal before I sleep...
Breakfast
veggie and egg wrap w/ salsa
bite of banana (Cait wanted it)

Snack
salad & about 16 whole wheat cheezits

Lunch
ChickfilA Chargrilled Sandwich (no pickle)

Snack
Dried fruit/Nuts (170 cal)

Dinner
Black Bean Burger Wrap (spinach, onion, tomato)

64+ oz water

Monday, April 11, 2011

Food Journal

OK, so today I pretty much stuck to the "Plan" except for dinner.
Tonight, we had soccer and I did NOT feel like making 2 dinners, so I made one family meal we could all eat. I made BBQ turkey meatloaf muffins. One thing I know for certain... I've got to learn to make my OWN bbq sauce... everything has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it, and well, I'm not a fan of that in my diet or in the diet of my loved ones! That said, I did still use my bbq sauce. I adapted a recipe I found online, that apparently was originally shared in a Shape magazine years ago. I used 1.3 lbs of extra lean ground turkey breast, diced onion, diced red pepper, diced mushrooms, 2 egg whites, 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce, 1/3 cup of bread crumbs (you can use your own homemade from wheat bread or use store bought) -- the recipe also called for salt, pepper and worchestishire sauce, all of which I left out... and was not missed in the final product. You mix all of the above ingredients together in a bowl, preheat your oven to 350, spray a muffin tin w/ cooking spray, then scoop the mixture out buy ice cream scoop into the muffin tins. My recipe made exactly 12 muffins, and they shrunk up, so they were like large meatballs. I topped each one with a squirt of bbq sauce and then baked until they were done (about 20 minutes).

The verdict was... GREAT! All three of the big kids ate them, Dad ate them, Mom ate them, and the baby would have, but she'd already eaten her dinner at the soccer field. Best thing about these little muffins is that one is 150 calories (or less). No guilt! The diced mushrooms (this was NOT in the original recipe) help keep the meat from drying out and being a yucky texture. The peppers (not in the original recipe) and onions kick up the flavor just a bit. I would not add in the other 3 ingredients that were called for -- AT ALL, I think it would be salt overload and it just is not needed. These muffins will fill you up! Make some and I hope your family will enjoy them as well.

I am looking for little recipes such as this that will fit into a 1400 calorie diet, but will also work for the whole family. Things that are similar to foods we used to eat, but are healthier in nature. If you have recipes to share, I would appreciate them! I really prefer easy recipes without a lot of prep work, but that is because I don't have a big kitchen to spread out in and counters to spare. SO, I am looking for HIGH PROTEIN, LOW FAT, LOW CAL easy recipes where I can sneak in extra veggies without the kids realizing and still have lots of yummy flavor! My kids HATE mushrooms but had NO idea they were in their little muffins tonight!

Hitting the hay! 4:45 comes way too early for me!

It's a new day!

Good Morning Blogging World, Friends, Followers, etc! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I know it looks like this is my second post of the day, however, the other post was from last night, but I fell asleep before I could publish it (Hubby took the computer for a little bit, and I was out cold before he gave it back).

Before I fell asleep last night, I decided I should check my email. What greeted me was quite a surprise. We had a homework challenge -- and I did NOT get it until after 10 p.m. just as I was falling asleep in my bed! SO, I did NOT get up and meet the challenge head on... Just being honest here!

What is the challenge? Oh, only 100 push ups and 500 crunches everyday, Sunday - Wednesday -- Well... I'm one day behind on that challenge, which means, today, is 200 push ups and 1000 crunches for me today. I've got 180 push ups to go and 900 crunches. The good thing is, the kids love doing them with me, so I have great company to keep me motivated to meet the goal!

We are also supposed to eat to the plan booklet ALL WEEK -- Weekdays are much easier for me to do that. SO, now I just have to get organized. Plan my meals and get started! I went to the grocery store as soon as I dropped Maegs off at school. I'm armed with fresh and frozen fruits and veggies, some shrimp, some salmon, brown rice, chicken, etc.

My nutritionist informed me that I need to try making smoothies. So, I bought yogurt to help me do just that.

Here is a helpful hint that I use at home, that may be helpful to some who read my blog. If you buy foods that are NOT prepackaged (ie: dried fruits, nuts, etc.) in single servings. Buy a bag of "snack bags" (zip lock) and then as soon as you get home from the store, figure out what the appropriate serving size is for said snacks and then immediately break them up into the appropriate serving size and place in the snack bags. Put them in the pantry (I like to use a rubbermade tub to hold them in), and then when you are hungry, you already have your snack measured out perfectly and you stand less of a chance of over eating! I use this trick for the kids, too! It just works so much better than letting them eat out of a box.

Another helpful hint, for those who aren't sure they are drinking enough water. Buy yourself a cup that has ounces marked on the sides (I actually use my hospital cups from when I had my babies)... I know I have to drink a minimum of Two full 32 oz cups of water in a day... more if I can fit it in! Seeing the oz go by helps me get all my water in and feel accomplished.

OK, I guess it's time for 20 more push ups and 100 more crunches for this morning! I hope these kids are ready! :)

WHOA!

I totally blew journaling this week! Not food journaling, just blogging in general. SO sorry about that! OK So, I have not a clue where I wrote down my food from Thursday, I just know that I ate "from the book" for that entire day, so I have no issues with what I ate.

Friday was a great day! I knew I'd be headed out on Friday night to a charity function, so I was VERY stingy with my calories. I did my usual breakfast (250 calories), and then for lunch we had Chick Fil A, I ate my salad as my snack in the afternoon and just had my sandwich for lunch. I decided I'd save up one snack and a meal for the charity event, which actually worked out perfectly, because I did not eat all of my food at one time, I actually ate 2 bite sized pieces of peanut chicken, 4 spiced shrimp with cocktail sauce, pineapple slices, roasted veggies, two thin slices of baguette and piece of thin sliced provalone early in the evening. I only drank water at the event. Later in the evening, after a little dancing and socializing, I got hungry again, and went back for more veggies (squash, red peppers and zucchini) and they had a tray of crackers w/ goat cheese and some kind of spicy chutney, so I ate one (they were small, about 1/2 dollar size). Then I got back on the dance floor and danced some more! It was a lot of fun, and I did not gorge myself on food. I went home feeling like I had a successful evening and not feeling guilty for my food choices!

Saturday is our RUN like crazy day... we have to be on the soccer pitch by 8:15! I was so busy getting the kids fed and lining up my mom to take care of Cait (it was TOO cold for her to go to the games), that I nearly forgot to eat breakfast! I grabbed my left over slice of veggie pizza ( 1/4 of an 8 in. pizza) and shoved that in with 2 cups of water as I was running out the door. I totally forgot to grab a snack! (VERY BAD, as I knew I would not be home until nearly 1 to eat again!) Finished up with soccer and flew from Mechanicsville out to John Rolfe PKWY in the west end, to meet with my nutritionist (River City Nutrition, look it up!) -- learned that I need to be eating 1400 calories a day to lose weight. Trying to figure out how to fit our busy lifestyle in to a 1400 calorie meal plan is going to take some creativity, especially because I am not about eating food that is flavorless, it must taste good or why eat it? She also made me feel better about wanting a Reeses Peanut Butter Egg -- she told me to hold out on my craving and then on Easter, allow myself to have my egg, and savor it. I think I will! ;) I need to put one in the freezer the night before Easter (it has to be frozen, that's how I like it). She also said that is OK to plan one night a month for a "special." So now I can put something like "ice cream night" on the calendar and the kids and I can look forward to a date together to get a sweet treat -- and it doesn't have to break my plan, I can go to Sweet Frog (look it up) and get some frozen yogurt -- and still eat with in my plan. I can go to Ray's and get my cappuccino blended water ice! These are "sometimes" foods. Not something you eat everyday, or even once a week. Just sometimes. I like the idea of "scheduling" these events into our life. When I got to mom's house, I was starving, so I fixed myself a whole wheat bread round in the toaster then topped it with turkey and swiss. She was out of fruits and veggies, so I ate 1/2 a serving of sweet potato and beet chips (not a great choice). After that, mom and I went shopping. Of course, I did not take a snack! When I got home, I had some carrots and hummus and two triscuits to tide me over while I made myself dinner. I made a two egg white omelet with mushrooms, onions, spinach, red pepper, garlic and a sprinkling of parm.

Today was a busy day as well! I decided to go low on calories as we had 2 parties to attend today. Breakfast was a w.w. mini bagel w/ veggie sausage (190 cal.), snack was 100 cal nuts + 60 cal fruit cookie (Newton Fruit Thin) -(160 cal), lunch was Black Bean veggie burger on tortilla with spinach and onion, hummus and carrots (300 cal), then baby shower, I had 3 slices of red pepper, 2 baby carrots, 1 1/2 teaspoon spinach dip, 1 tablespoon of cheeseball w/ one small torn piece of hawaiian bread and a glass of water -- (I'd say this was about 150 calories), I did not eat at the birthday party. For dinner I made shrimp ettouffe from a mix ... as prepared 1 cup was 200 calories. I ate 1 -1/2 cups (300 calories)

Overall, this weekend was a rushed but VERY fun weekend! I felt great all weekend and did not feel the need for emotional eating.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Miss me yet?

Sorry to go so long between posts!

Tuesday... great body back class. We did circuits. It was not easy, AT ALL, and we did about 5 grazillion jumping jacks. By Wednesday morning, my muscles were screaming at me! My calves are so sore that Wednesday night, I could not even flex my feet! I had to a face a fear during class. I have a fear of jumping UP on things. It is a fear of failure and a fear of falling, combined. I can hop up on something with one foot, but to use two feet to jump, I have VERY little trust in my ability to do it safely. Not sure if it is because of my weight, or what... but my heart races and I start sweating and then I have this gigantic mental block keeping me from being able to lift my feet at the same time. I wasn't even jumping up high, it was maybe 3 inches off the ground. I see the people in biggest loser jumping 18 inches, and I can't even jump 3! It wasn't pretty, and it took a VERY long time, but I DID face the fear and jump up onto the step. It is definitely an area where I need much work!

Tuesday's eating:
Breakfast:
Banana
english muffin, cheese, sausage (veggie)
Snack:
crackers and cheese (I think this is S4 or 5 for the book)
Lunch:
L1 from book 1
a few Sun Chips (NOT a full serving, and these were made w/ flax and quinoa and other grains)
Snack:
Marathon Bread w/ PB (similar to one of the Snacks listed in the book1)
Dinner:
left over spaghetti (also similar to one of the dinners in book 2)

Wednesday was SUPER stressful. I shed lots of tears and had an all out screaming fest at one point. I nearly drove myself to Starbucks to get a Caramel Frapp -- I knew that wouldn't calm me down, but it sounded soothing at the time. I say nearly... because even though I was already out running errands, I managed to maintain my will power and NOT give in to the stress eating mentality! The day did not get much better and ended on a VERY sour note with the kids. Everyone (including me) was in tears at bedtime. My stress level was THROUGH the roof. When I think back on it, last night would have been a great night for a pedicure -- but that did not happen. My eating was GREAT on Wednesday, except for one point when making the kids dinner, I reached in and ate some whole wheat cheez-its -- I realized what I was doing and I pushed the box away without eating a whole serving. I stuck to the body back meal plan on Wednesday -- I don't have the book in front of me so I can't tell you the letters and numbers but here is what I ate!

Wednesday
Breakfast
Veggie Omelet
Snack
Crackers and Cheese
Lunch
2 fresco chicken tacos (Taco Bell)
Snack
pb on marathon bread (equivalent of Einst. Bro's Power Bagel w/ PB)
Dinner
Turkey Wrap (used Chicken, as I'm out of turkey)

Both days I was able to get in all of my water plus some. I kept reaching for the water while I was stressing yesterday. Here is hoping today is a better day. I worked it hard in class this morning. I have to register my boy for Kindergarten today! I just cannot believe it is time already! He's growing up so fast!

Today I am also going to look into getting a storage unit, and we will begin moving things out of our house, hopefully, this weekend! I am SO READY to get into a larger home, where we FIT and aren't stacked on top of each other! Where all of our bedrooms are on the same floor. That will at least help with SOME of the stress! Hoping for a nice healthy eating day. I think I may start with the french toast recipe in my book... not sure though. I'll make a plan in just a few!

I need to make tomorrow's plan today, so that I plan for the event that I am attending tomorrow night. I think I will be bypassing any alcohol, as I would really like to have a successful next two weeks in regards to weight loss! Hoping that tomorrow morning I can head out on a little run/walk around the neighborhood before the rain starts. I've also got to get organized for Saturday morning Soccer!!! Must say, I am REALLY looking forward to tomorrow night... a date with my husband at Party with a Purpose... I pray for some good music, so I can add dancing to my list of exercising this week. I can dance all night, and that keeps me away from food tables and keeps me drinking LOTS of water! I have not had a soda in nearly 2 months! Yahoo!!!!!!!

Have a GREAT day! I'll check in later w/ my food journal for the day! Much love! xo

Monday, April 4, 2011

I'm not on hiatus!

I'm sorry I haven't updated in days. I've been busy! Friday, I can't even remember what I did, and I left my food journal at my mom's house for both Friday and Saturday. I PRAY she did not toss them! Saturday was a crazy day. First day of soccer for my son, and first day of 4th season for my oldest daughter. My husband is coaching both teams. Both teams had great games. So proud of all of those little children! Afterward, we came home and started cleaning our bedroom. We didn't get finished, but we did put a dent in it. My room becomes the catchall for things that don't have a designated home. This has to change, as it stresses me out. And it is a lot my fault. Saturday evening was the VCU game... such a sad ending. I was so very disappointed, not in our team, just that we didn't advance. I am completely proud of the boys! I had a Frostings Cupcake that evening... not because of being upset with the game, but because I actually wanted a cupcake. It was the hummingbird cupcake and I picked one with very little icing (in comparison to the others that were piled high).

Oh my here I got distracted while writing and now it's less than 5 hours until I have to be at body back... so here are Sunday/Monday food journals!

Sunday
Breakfast
Omelet w/ veggies (spinach, mushroom, onion, garlic) and parm
Snack
fruit thin cookie (by Newton) -- 1/3 serving
Lunch
small w.w. bagel w/ v. sausage & colby chz
Snack
Whole Wheat cheeze its (1/2 serving)
nuts
Dinner
turkey burger (no bun) topped w/ spinach, mushrooms, garlic, feta and a greek salad (homemade so I controlled the ingredients, no olives, no tomatoes, less than 2 tbsp of salad dressing

Monday
Breakfast
w.w. bagel w/ veggies sausage and colby chz
Lunch
chickfila grilled chick sandwich
salad w/ ff honey mustard
Snack
cocoa roasted nuts
Dinner
spaghetti (1/2 cup)
snack
another spoonfull of spaghetti after soccer practice and 6 chz its

drank A ton of water!