HELP! I Need an Intervention!!

I want to snack this weekend--and snack. I'm so happy to be off for a couple of days I just want to EAT!!

HELP! I need an intervention!!!!!!

Hi again

So I disappeared for a while. I just wasn't really in a good frame of mind but I am back and have a revamped program for myself.

I am no longer counting calories. My problem is not that I don't know how to eat (I got a B.S. in Community Health). My problem is self-control. I like eating and I like it a lot. But I also want to be skinny.

So here is my new program. 1.Small portions at all meals and no seconds. 2.No treats until Sunday (the Sunday treat being reasonable). I started with a prayer and all last week I worked at it. If I wanted a treat I said "no but I can have one on Sunday". If I wanted seconds I said "no". The self control was totally a result of prayer. I am still praying. I still have to say no to myself but so far I have been able to say no and that is something I haven't been able to do for a long time.

First weeks weight loss on the new program. 3 pounds.

Hooray!!

Playing Catch-Up

I missed my Sunday weigh in because I haven't been feeling too well. Allergies have got me down and I haven't been doing much of anything. I did weigh myself on Saturday and I was on the lower half of my fluctuating weight, so that is good, especially since I weighed myself in the later afternoon instead of morning. I also found another pair of jeans I can comfortable fit into, so now I've got two pairs of jeans and my yoga pants. I also wore a white button down shirt on Sunday that my mom bought for me this past summer which didn't fit when she gave it to me. So those things are happy!

As for diet, I am still working on not gorging myself as meals, and doing pretty well with it. I have slid back into the chocolate chip habit, though. Things have been so stressful lately that I keep finding my hand in the bag of chocolate chips.

Hopefully my allergy meds will kick in soon, enough to get me some sleep and next week I can start exercising. I sent out an email to a bunch of friends to see if any of them are interested in starting an exercise group and I've gotten quiet a few responses. So hopefully I will soon have people to exercise with me.

I'm Back and He's Married

Yep, my son is married. What an amazing experience. Watching him kneel across the altar at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and gaze with so much love into the eyes of his eternal companion was absolutely breathtaking. I've never seen him smile so big or be so happy. Truly a "parent payday."

And, I didn't worry about dieting. In fact, we found the greatest, most delicious restaurant ever in Provo--my new favorite restaurant. It's on Center Street in Orem, but actually in Provo at the Riverwoods (I think) shopping area close to Provo Canyon. It's called Tucano's. It's a Brazilian buffet and the food is spectacular. They have an all-you-can-eat buffet with cold sides on one side and hot side dishes on the other. So many salads. Then a waiter comes by with meat on a skewer and you let him know if you'd like a piece of bacon-wrapped turkey, garlic sirloin, tenderloin, chicken wings, BBQ chicken, pork, etc. I stuffed myself so much that I was literally sick when I left the restaurant, but what a glorious sick feeling. And the lemonade is to die for. So good. I could easily have kept to the South Beach diet while I was there, but I didn't want to and I'm not a bit sorry. We plan to go to this restaurant every time we're in Provo. The lemonade alone is worth it!

We also ate at Olive Garden--my next most favorite restaurant. I had the pasta stuffed with portobello mushrooms. I also ate a few bread sticks and loaded up with salad.

On the day of the wedding, we had a catered luncheon with croissant sandwiches, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, deviled eggs, and spinach artichoke dip. Since we stood in line for a full two hours at the reception, I didn't eat too much but I did eat cake and cookies. Again, not a bit sorry. (I think my feet may have recovered from wearing high heels all day).

We then went to Chuck-a-Rama the day we left to stuff the kids for the ride home. I enjoyed whatever I felt like eating, including some delicious frozen drinks.

The result? I gained 5 pounds. But, I went right back on South Beach when I got home and I've already lost 2 pounds. So I'm up 3 pounds, but it was such an incredible weekend, I'm not sorry. I know I can take it back off. I've still lost 27 pounds and I fit into my dress.

My goal: stay on South Beach Phase 1 this week. Phase 2 next week. Lose 9 pounds.

While we were on one of our many last-minute shopping sprees before the wedding, I put on a pair of pants I hadn't worn for a few months and they were big. In fact, big enough that I could remove them without unbuttoning or unzipping them--yay. Love to put on pants that a few months ago cut off my breathing and circulation and now are too big.

Sorry I've been AWOL for the last little bit--too much to do for the wedding and I still have the open house in a few weeks. I'll be better about posting. I love to read your posts. You guys are awesome and together we will reach our goals!!

3 REAL workouts in 3 days

I know that every little bit helps and just moving your body, going on a walk, or whatev is a great thing. But I always feel so proud of myself when I do a workout that's challenging. On Friday, I ran, and then on Saturday and Sunday, hubby and I went on bike rides. I did about 9 1/2 miles on each of those two days.

The bad thing is that in the last 3 days, I've gained weight. I had stayed pretty steady, but now all the sudden I work out and I gain. Waaah! I'm pretty sure it has to do with water retention, or that I'm building muscle, or /somethin'/. Yes??

I'm going to keep at it, though. I didn't get it in yet, but I'm going to do a weight workout today. I'm just trying to decide if I want to go to the gym or work out at home. I have all the stuff I need, and even though they have free babysitting, it's just a pain to go over there still. And I need my kids to do some serious homework tonight. They do have one machine I really need that I don't have here - the assisted pull-up machine. Love. It. Maybe I'll just do a leg workout here today, and then go to the gym tomorrow and do upper body and stuff then . . .

Decisions, decisions. :o)

Hello hello!

For the last four days I've been on a plateau. Each morning I've weighed the same, so what they tell you to do is have an "apple day." You have to eat 6 medium sized apples throughout the day and have a four ounce steak for dinner. It get's you off your plateau, so I'm trying it.

I had my appoint today and my body is carrying a whole liter more of water in my cells then last week! Yeah! Finally! I've been so dehydrated. That sea salt really works! lol I also lost 2 inches around my upper waist and 2 inches around the lower part of my waist, and, an inch on my arms, but I didn't lose anywhere else really. But it's happening, slowly and surely. I wore a skirt to church yesterday that I haven't worn in the last couple of years. I looked so cute up there teaching gospel doctrine! lol

Anyway, off on another week. I sure miss pizza, and pop corn and all the yucky fattening food. Can't wait to have a bit when I'm through with this thing! lol Who knows though, they say after doing this diet completely, your tastes change a bit and those foods just don't taste good to you anymore. Let's hope!

Sleep-MUST GET SLEEP!!

Sleep is where weight loss really occurs for me. I went into this weekend weighing 202, which means from last Sunday to Friday I had gone from 202.4 to 202. How lame is that? So this weekend I stuck to my diet really well--I didn't do too much snacking and kept within my calorie range. Just like I've been doing ALL week long.

And today I weighed in at 200.6. The only difference? Sleep. I'm the kind of person who needs around 9 hours of sleep. If I'm getting that much sleep regularly I don't get sick--and I guess I would lose weight faster. Argh. How can I get enough sleep during the weekdays? I'm not sure, but I'm going to have to if I really want to lose weight.

Has anyone else noticed if sleep makes a difference for them? I read in the Reader's Digest a few years ago what a difference sleep makes for weight loss--which is why people who have sleep apnea often can't lose weight and even gain weight.

So my goal for this week is to continue staying in the calorie range I've set up for myself, continue exercising, AND get to bed at 8 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I can't on Tuesday and Thursday because of Taekwondo. Hopefully if I get to bed at 8 then I'll be asleep at nine. We'll see.

So ... Whassup?

It was awesome to see so many of you at the UVU conference yesterday. And I must say, we did notice a bit of slimness taking place in Rob. Very svelte. He says he'll be better about posting more often. I guess we'll see ... we can but hope.

So, how are you all doing on the challenge I gave you? Are you game? Are you rarin' to go? Are you pumped? Motivated? I sure hope so ... 'cause I need to borrow some!

This month has been, truly, very hard for me. I got sick a few weeks ago and haven't been able to pull myself out of it. I went to the doctor the other day and he told me I have a sinus infection, and so he put me on antibiotics and proclaimed me good for the writers' conference. Then as I was walking into the building to register for the conference, I had this weird, freaky lung-seizing-up-thing that was unpleasant, and had to sit down for a while, and then came home and got a huge headache and ended up having to take some headache medicine with some Coke, which I had vowed not to do because if Rob can give it up, so can I, and I'd been clean for a whole week, but headache medicine doesn't work for me unless I kick it with Coke, and the headache finally went away and I watched the results show for Dancing with the Stars online, but today I still feel rotten and I haven't exercised in like, days, because I feel terrible, and now I've broken my string of no Coke, and I'm feeling fat and sick and like a loser, only not in the weight loss way, but in a non-successful way.

I have done longer run-on sentences than that, but I figured you got the message. :)

At any rate, my goals for the rest of September have been blown to bits, and it's frustrating because I had every intention of smokin' it out of the water, and it didn't happen. It's so easy to gain weight, and so hard to lose it, ya know? Hard not to feel depressed by that sometimes.

But, again, I'm not giving up! First I'm gonna get better, and then I'm gonna try again. This is not going to beat me.

The Importance of Being Earnest

I don't know what it was, but I think I hit the tipping point yesterday. It's been coming on for a while, but last night, I just had one of those "I've HAD it! Something has GOT to change" moments.

And I decided I had to write down a plan for the next day. Not just say, "I'm really going to do it this time. Really. Honest."

So I broke out my old BFL spreadsheets from before and made a new blank one. And I wrote in a plan. I was going to run for 20 minutes at noon. Eat some oatmeal with raisins and a couple eggs at 9. Etc.

And I did so much better today! I actually ran for the first time in forever.

Another thing I'm so proud of myself for - I didn't push myself to the point of pain and death and agony. Usually I feel like I have to push myself just as much my first day back as I did after months of training last spring or whatever. I definitely ran hard, basically doing 1 3/4 miles in 22 minutes. A few months ago, I could do closer to 2 1/4. But I gave myself a break and I felt amazing.

My new scale came, by the way. It seriously rocks. It's the easiest scale ever to use just to take a quick weight check, and it also does all the nifty metabolism and fat % stuff, too, if you want to take a little longer. So I recorded my weight. It was a little scary. I'm about where I was when I "started" on here, though, so it's not too bad. But even though my weight is the same, I know for a fact that my measurements are worse because I can't even get this one pair of pants /on/ that I was wearing frequently a couple months ago. :'(

So, I need to be earnest about this thing if I want to change for the better. And I am.

Game On. ;o)

(P.S. Where is everyone? Hardly anyone is posting and even less are commenting. Come on, guys! Let's do this thing.) :o)

Thanks to you all

Hey guys! It was SO great seeing you all yesterday! I loved every minute and thanks so much for making my day with all your compliments and praise. I really love you guys. I feel so blessed to have found you.

So, get this. I weighed myself before the conference yesterday and I was 163.4. This morning, I weighed 161.3! Woo Hoo! I could NOT believe it. I don't know if it was the stress of not sleeping the night before, or the green tea I'd had that morning, but I was surprised. I don't usually drink green tea. I don't love it, but that was the only thing I'd done differently.

Also, it was much easier sticking to the diet and not cheating with all of you knowing I was on the HCG diet. Normally, at conferences such as these, it's super hard to not cheat. And I'm especially triggered by smell, so let me tell you, it's hard! But your support helped me stay on track there and after. Thank you so much!

I've also decided to try green tea again today to see if it makes a difference in tomorrow's weight. Who knows? Maybe it will. It's VERY unusual to lose two pounds in one day like this, but I'll take it!

A Disappointing Week

I weighed in yesterday and lost another 0.5 pounds. I know it's going in the right direction, but I always hope for a bigger number. Of course, I haven't been very consistent with eating the way I should, and exercise has been nonexistent. I guess if I want bigger results, I've got to make a bigger effort.

Failing Miserably

Ok, I have a cold. A whopping nasty sore throat, coughing, stuffy head, fever, achy muscles cold. And I have done absolutely nothing. I took a 4 hour nap today while the kids were at school. I feel awful. I will probably lose weight from this, albeit not a very fun way.

Pep talk

I just have to post! I am so excited! I am down again! I woke up this morning, weighed myself and I'm 163.2! On Aug 31 I started the HCG diet at 175. I did screw timing up a bit with cheating on food, but now, I am strict and on track. It feels so good to have loose fitting clothes. I really see a difference in my face. I look in the mirror and can't believe it!

You guys, if you're struggling, do this diet! It has been wonderful and there are no side affects to the shots. It still bothers me to give them to myself, but it doesn't stop me. You can buy the stuff yourself and mix it. For under a hundred bucks you can get all your supplies. You don't have to go through a doctor. That's what my friend is doing. She gave this site you can go to.

http://www.happilythinnerafter.com

Seriously, if you want to finally get it off and keep it off, it's worth a try. This diet was even on the news yesterday! It works. You don't have to keep hitting your head against the wall going up and down with weight. I was so discouraged, thinking I'd never be able to lose weight. I felt hopeless and that I should just accept myself the way I was. But I didn't feel good the way I was. My clothes were tight, my face was fat, and I didn't feel good in my own skin. Now, I feel great. I still have about twenty pounds to go, but I'll get there. Slowly but surely.

My Goal for the Rest of the Month

I've been thinking about the challenge Tristi sent out about our goals for the rest of the month. At first, I was thinking of just reapplying myself to my original goals, since I've been slacking off a bit. But then I had a better idea.

I'm going to aim for writing at least 500 words a day, six days a week, for what's left of this month. I've discovered in the past that when I am at the keyboard writing, I am less likely to want to snack on anything, because I really enjoy what I am doing, as opposed to sitting at the computer, typing medical reports, when there are so many other things I would rather be doing. I think this is in the same category as listening to more of the music that I like, more often. I want to get back to more of what feeds my soul and makes me happy, instead of feeding my face because I am not happy.

I'll keep pushing ahead on my original goals too.

Tristi's Challenge and My Goals

Okay. So ironically enough I've lost weight this week, but I haven't exercised as much. I started coming down with a cold on Tuesday so I didn't go to taekwondo and my husband was on a business trip from Wednesday to Sunday so I had the car. Believe me--I did NOT bike when the car was so convenient!!

BUT, my weight is now at 202.4, which means I've lost 1.6 pounds this week. Which is really perfect. I want to be in the 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week.

I think that I may not be eating enough calories on the days that I'm exercising which may account for the non-weight loss last week--or maybe I gained some muscle.

So my goals?

1. Measure myself--not just worrying about pounds, but inches and start tracking my measurements every two weeks.

2. Increase my calorie intake on the days I exercise and increasing the frequency of eating. So I need to get some stuff to have a midmorning snack that I can eat in-between classes. Other than that I'm pretty good.

3. Control my weekend eating--and stay within the calorie range I've set out for myself.

4. Continue exercising.

I think those are pretty good goals for now!

Oh and I keep seeing advertisements for the whole acai berry and colon cleanse thing as a way to lose weight. I know that it is most likely not true, but man it is tempting to try--but WAY expensive. I think anyway. Their 'free' trial isn't a free trial at all. Anyway. Anyone out there trying that diet? I'd be really interested to see if someone trustworthy is trying that diet!

Jeans

I tried on some blue jeans the other day. I got them on and then tried to walk around in them. Nope. Didn't happen. I promptly unbuttoned them, stuck my feet under my couch and started doing sit ups. Nothing prompts exercise for me like a good reminder that most of my pants don't fit still.

My weight remains unchanged. My diet has been pretty good. I haven't eaten too much junk food and I didn't eat a lot of junk at the birthday party I went to yesterday. I am still doing well with not overeating at dinner and the other day when my husband suggested ice cream, I actually didn't feel like having any. That is a first.

We do have a few leftover yummy brownies in the fridge that we made for the party yesterday, but I've only succombed to eating one of those and not the whole pan.

I'm realizing that even though my diet is tons better than it used to be, I've got to get moving more. Finding the time and making it a priority is still really hard for me. There are things I really just rather do-like the dishes. I never thought I'd ever say that.

Anyway, I'm still here, still the same size, and still trying.

September, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

It's true. September hasn't seen much of anything from me as far as fitness, weight loss, and feeling better about myself goes. But I've put some thought into Tristi's challenge, and here are some things I can commit to for the next 13 days.

1 - I will do some kind of formal exercise for at least 20 minutes every day but Sunday.

This might be something as intense as running sprints, something moderate like going on a bike ride, swimming laps, or lifting weights, or something easy like taking a walk around the neighborhood. I'll try to shoot for something more on the moderate or even intense end of the spectrum several days a week, but the minimum is just to get into the habit of doing /something/ every day.

2 - I will only eat sweets at one sitting each day. Instead of having a "free day" each week, I've decided to have a "free hour" each day.

It's sad that this would be a great improvement, but right now, promising myself I can pig out on a free day isn't enough to curb the cravings at the moment. Six days of clean eating is too long-term, sadly enough. But if I can ask myself, "Do I really want to eat this ice cream sandwich right now? Because if I do, I can't have dessert when I go out with DH tonight, or I can't eat a handful of cookies or a bowl of ice cream tonight when we sit down to watch our show," I think it will either keep me from eating the ice cream sandwich in that moment, or it will keep me honest that night when I sit down to watch TV, so I don't reach for a midnight snack because I know I just ate that ice cream sandwich a few hours ago.

And . . . that's it. I have a few other goals I'm going to make, but these are the only two that have to do with my physical fitness. I think I'll even make myself a little chore chart and use the stickers I bought for the kids' charts to help keep myself on track. Maybe if the kids see me marking stuff off on my own chart, they'll be more motivated to get the stuff on their charts done, too. Yes? Or is this wishful thinking? LOL.

Thanks Tristi for inspiring me to push myself a little more, while giving myself permission to do it in a way that's realistic for where I am right now in my life. I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

Shhhhhh...I have been cheating!

Yes, I have been cheating; but it was NOT my fault! Do I sound like one of your children? "It wasn't my fault, it was hers"...as I point to the person standing next to me. I had a house guest from PA and she stayed for one week. Of course I had to take her to some of the best eating places to be found in Utah. Unfortunately, we kept going back to Iceberg, one of my favorite places for milkshakes, but only 3 times!! :) I think I lost my mind when my friend was here. I threw caution to the wind and the word "Diet" out the door.

Here I am now, heavier than before and wanting to beat myself up. I know it is hard to diet when you have a guest in your home. It also is hard to eat healthy foods when you are off site seeing. The grilled chicken salad at Cafe Rio isn't that bad, right? Um, yes it is and I would only be fooling myself otherwise.

So, thank goodness for brand new days and fresh starts. Instead of living this rule:
" I ONLY EAT IN THREE PLACES: HERE. THERE. AND EVERYWHERE.
--Daniel L. Worona"


I will be following this advice instead:
"If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution. ~Author Unknown

Stress has been my good friend the past year. Until I resolve some things within my own soul, this whole "losing weight" thing will never work.

So, this saying is hanging up on my fridge, "Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us. ~Peter De Vries


Keep up the good work everyone!

wohoo!

Okay, I know I just blogged last night and no one else has even had TIME to blog yet, but I am super excited. I got all my stuff out and ready last night to go biking this morning, and got up and biked 5.3 miles. Now if only I can keep going the rest of the day!

My month goals

So, it was too unrealistic for me to be able to continue excercising at 5 Every morning. Especially now that I am watching a friend's very infantilized child while she is moving and fixing up her house to move. I can't get anything done for 9 hours because her child cannot be put down. I don't know how her husband, who is the one at home with him, gets anything done.

However. I am recommitting to exercise for the rest of this month. I WILL go biking/swimming twice a week. I WILL do my exercise ball exercises once a week. I WILL use the Wii at least once a week. And as soon as I finish getting all my produce put up, I will go back on my diet. Stinks when you have fresh produce that you have always believed is super healthy but you just can't eat it on your diet. But I am canning, I canned peaches with splenda and have been drying herbs and freezing zucchini and will have produce later in the year when I don't have access to fresh produce any longer.

Good luck everyone!

Accountability

Ok, Tristi threw down the gauntlet and I am going to pick it up.

What I was afraid would happen has happened for me. Work has picked up and I am not in the halls as much as before or as much as I should be. So movement and stair climbing has decreased. After school there is soccer practice to drive to and pick up from, class for me, errands around town, home work, house work, and you know how it goes. Not much left over for the exercise.

Plus I had some big homework projects that kept me up late, so I haven't been getting the sleep I need.

Then I was invited to be a vendor at an upscale boutique the weekend before Thanksgiving. So I have been spending all my extra time when not doing the above stuff to paint bracelets so I will have at least 100 to take with me.

My pants felt a bit snugger today than they did last week. I refuse, absolutely refuse to let the scale go up more than a couple of pounds. And I really want to get to the next zero number down. So, goal for the rest of the month:

*Exercise to the 10 minute exercise DVD 5 days a week. It doesn't matter what routine I choose, just so long as I do one.
*Walk the halls at the school, going up and down the stairs at least 2 times a day. 4 is preferable, but I will settle for 2 times a day everyday that school is in session the rest of this month.
*Go back to my menues for supper so that I don't just make something fast when I remember the kids want to eat.

What the ... And a Challenge

I'm not even going to discuss what happened when I got on the Wii Balance Board today. I'll have you know, I've been pretty good lately. I'm cutting back on portion sizes, I'm cutting back on sugary drinks ... although, I'm not as good as Rob on that one yet ... and I'm cutting back on sweet treats. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. The Balance Board, however, is refusing to acknowledge this fact.

I'm not giving up, however.

Well, we've been going at this blog for a little while now, and I have to say, I'm really impressed with all of you. You're great!! And as a reward, I'm going to issue a challenge.

I'd like each of you to sit down and come up with a realistic plan, that you can stick with, for the rest of the month. You can allow for snacks or whatever else you feel you need to keep it real, but it should also stretch you just a little bit. Write that all down and post it somewhere in your house where you'll see it often. On October 1st, send me an e-mail and tell me if you accomplished the goals you set on that plan, and you will win a prize! Um ... I don't know what the prize is, because I just thought of this challenge, but I'll get back to you. No, it won't be something to eat. :)

You don't have to post your plan here, unless you'd really like to, but I'm going to post mine now because I need the accountability.

My goals are:

1. Kick the Coke habit. This will be hard because some days, it's the only thing that keeps me awake. (Adrenals are shot.) Anyway, I'm gonna do it.

2. Exercise every day but Sundays for the rest of the month.

3. Continue to watch the portions and the food choices.

Note - these are behavior goals, not weight-loss goals. If I were to say, "I'll lose four pounds," and then I get a lot of water weight or something, that's not really my fault and I can't punish myself for something I didn't do. However, I can reward myself for consistent, positive behavior.

And there you have it - Tristi's plan for the rest of the month. I can do it!! And you can too!!

Low Carb Diet, Low-tech Stair Master

I am down another 1.5 pounds, for a total of 8.5 since I started blogging here.

It's been a scary week. My whole plan was turned on its ear and I didn't know whether I would gain or lose. I went with my husband to see the diabetes specialist. George isn't on insulin yet, but he is on two different medications to control his blood sugar levels. We wanted to know if there was anything else he could be doing to reverse or stop the damage that has already been done. The doctor handed us one page of instructions for a special diet to keep the blood sugar levels steady. It's 30 carbs each at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and 15 carbs each for three snacks a day.

It didn't sound too bad until we got home and tried putting it into practice. One slice of whole grain bread is 20 carbs. A medium banana is 27. One cup of milk is 13 carbs. Here we have been trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables and whole grains into our diet, and the doctor tells us to severely restrict them. This means, to get enough calories to sustain life, we need to increase our protein and fat intake. It seems a lot like the Atkins diet without the drastic first stage.

(Notice I am saying "we" and "us" here? To be supportive, I am eating the same foods, in nearly the same amounts, as George is. If we do it together, I can be sure he measures everything and checks the carb count.)

In other news, I had quite a good workout yesterday on my low-tech Stair Master (regular stairs). We elevated our bed enough to fit the #10 size cans underneath and transferred what had been stacked in a corner of my office upstairs. This meant grabbing a couple of cans (and dang that wheat is heavy), power walking from the office, through the living room and kitchen, hiking up the stairs, and piling the cans in the bedroom and hallway. I lost count how many trips up and down I took, but I lapped George twice. Then in the cool-down phase I did a lot of kneeling and stretching and pushing to get the cans under the bed. I haven't done a workout that hard for a long time (gauging by the amount of sweat that was pouring off my body). It felt pretty good, actually.

Breakfast of Champions

Let's just say, that's not what I'm eating right now. I know it's terrible. I know it isn't good for me. I know it's not going to start my day off on a healthy foot. Nevertheless, it's what's for breakfast.

chocolate cake.

and cheese crackers.

I did have a bite of a baked apple, does that count for anything?

Back on track

Yea! I'm back on track! Now that I've started eating correctly for this diet and have stopped cheating (I'm more committed than ever) I have lost four pounds since Monday! At my appt. (on Monday) I weighed 169. This morning I am 165! and I'm never hungry!

Also, I still, after three and a half weeks, have zero side affects from the HCG. I'm telling you this as I feel it's important for you to know. I feel great, energetic, happy and dang, I'm lookin' good!

The thing I love about the HCG diet is that it only dissolves "abnormal" fat. NONE of the normal fat that we have and need. Just the yucky stuff is attacked like the unwanted fat around your heart, organs, belly, thighs etc....

I have now met so many people who do this diet. I'm amazed and every single one loved/loves it. I am so glad I found it too. It is so worth it!

Gaining

All this time I've been supposedly trying to lose weight since the debut of this site, I've maintained my weight, and at one point was even down a pound. But I weighed myself this morning and I've gained. :o( I wasn't surprised, though, because when I looked in the mirror last night, I was shocked at how big I looked. Ugh! One of these days I'm gonna get fed up and really change some things.

My nice scale that does body fat and other stuff is broken, but it consistently only weighs about a pound off from the other scale, so I'm pretty sure the gain is real and not just because I'm using a different scale.

So I went online and bought a new scale off of Amazon. If you anyone is in the market for a scale that is total whiz-bang and has mostly good reviews, the one I bought is on a major sale. It's the Omron Full Body Sensor Body Fat and Body Composition Monitor In addition to weight and body fat, this thing does a bunch of other readings like resting metabolism, BMI, skeletal muscle %, etc. It's $75, but that's $35 less than MSRP, and you can get free super saver shipping. I'm just sayin'. :o)

So, I'm off to do a workout. Wish me luck. :-P

Biking in the Wind

Today was windy. Windy and rainy. And I observed something about the wind--it followed me. Or it blew against me the whole way. Kind of like the whole theory, "Smoke follows beauty" kind of thing? Only this was more the theory of, "Wind is against those who are in BAD SHAPE." Or maybe the wind is just trying to help me. Yeah. It was a friendly wind. Just like the needle-like points of the rain being driven into my skin on the way home. Friendly rain . . . friendly wind!

I biked three times last week and went to taekwondo twice. So the exercise was good, but I didn't lose any weight. Maybe I gained some muscle? At least that is what I'm telling myself. We'll see how this week goes. I'm staying steady at 204. And this weekend I didn't do so well on calories AGAIN. Luckily, we didn't have a three day weekend! I'll have to find a way to get control over the weekends, however, and I'm echoing Melissa's complaint . . . How do people have the willpower to say NO!!?

(Especially when your students bring in donuts!!!)

Not great news.

Today's report isn't too fabulous but it's my own dang fault. On the HCG diet, you can't cheat or you just won't lose weight.

Well, it was Peach Days this last weekend and then we had a family party on Sunday and, well, you know the rest. I did pretty good most of the time, but how do people have the will power to say NO?

Bry took me to a movie on Friday night and as soon as I walked in the theater, CABAM! the overwhelming smell of popcorn knocked me down and let me just say, I LOVE popcorn. I can't NOT eat popcorn at the movies. We did get it unbuttered and I only had a bit, but it was still cheating.

So, the results are this . . . I lost only 2 lbs (and remember, you lose about a pound a day on this diet) and the place where I lost the most inches was my boobs! ARGGG!

So this week I am vowing to have a will of steel! I bought a George Foreman grill too. It's so dang fast and the food tastes great with it! Hopefully that will help! lol

Anyway, off to a new week!

Dang It, We're Awesome

I just wanted to tell everyone how awesome you all are. It's not easy sticking to an eating plan or exercise plan. Life gets so busy and hectic and, yet, everyone is still working through it. Yay for us!!

I haven't been exercising, unless you can call running through the house screaming at the sewing machine exercise :). Fortunately, I finished those *&%^$#$%* bridesmaids' dresses today. Woo hoo.

Now, I'm in a mad dash to get everything, and everyone, else ready to go to the wedding next week so I probably won't got to my exercise DVDs, especially because I also need to homeschool. And, I have a son who is barfing--now, wouldn't it be nice if we all came down with the stomach flu for the wedding? Shh, pretend I didn't say that!

I did try on my 80s dress and it fit. Woo hooooooo! Of course, my kids won't let me wear it to the wedding (I ended up buying another dress) but the fact that I can zip it up makes me feel all happy and fuzzy inside. I still have 7 more pounds to get to my goal weight. My total weight loss since I started is 29 lbs.

I'm so proud of all of you!!

Tristi (Again)

I know I talked a lot yesterday and I'm not trying to make this all about me, but I lost another 1.1 pounds, bringing me to 6.1, and that is so rare and unusual, I had to say something.

Monday Morning Weigh In

Weight today is 176.4 for a loss of 0.4 this past week.

Not as much as I would like, but ok considering I spent 2 days driving 1.5 hours to training, 6 hours sitting at training and then driving 1.5 hours home and then spent the rest of those days either sitting in class or shutteling children from place to place. Then one more day driving the same 1.5 hours to a soccer game, sitting through said soccer game and then home. Not a lot of walking/exercising/movement this past week.

I did spend 15 minutes on the treadmill one day before kids needed mom's taxi service. And I didn't change out of the exercise clothes to drive the taxi either.

Down a Size!

I am officially down a pants size! That is happy:) I can wear one of my pre-pregnancy jeans without having to unbutton them halfway through the day. I can zip and button the jeans that are a size smaller than these, but then my innards start feeling all claustrophobic and demand to be given a little more room to roam.

My weight is staying stagnant. I weighed myself this morning and there's really no change. I'm still in the 136 to 138 range. So I guess if I go by the lesser weight, I've lost a total of 4 pounds since starting this whole thing.

I am getting better and better at portion control as far as meals go. Controlling my snacking is getting better a little more slowly.

Exercise remains illusive. But tomorrow we are going to the zoo and it is huge. There will be lots of exercising since we'll be walking all day and I know I'll end up carrying a kid or two at some point.

We'll see how much more exercise I'm able to squeeze in.

Note to Bloggers

Some of you have lost weight before starting this blog, and I think that weight loss should be honored, too. Please pop me a note at tristipinkston@gmail.com and tell me your total weight loss, from before you started the blog as well as since, and let's get all that added to the ticker.

Tristi, Checking In

I haven't been around much this week - I got pretty sick on Tuesday night and I've been clawing myself up out of the abyss. I didn't weigh during that time because it would have showed a loss, and then I would have put it back on when I got well, and then that would be depressed me. And depression isn't what we're after. So, essentially my report is this:

1. I'm feeling much better. No, it wasn't the swine flu.

2. I didn't exercise much this week. I did on Monday and Tuesday, and then the Beast of Death chased me down, and I haven't since then. The Wii thinks I'm a lazy slacker.

3. The Smart Ones entrees seem to be helping. I'm eating a little more regularly, the meals are fairly well-balanced, and it's nice to have something on hand that I can pull out and eat within just a few minutes. I don't much care for the Beef Lo Mein, the Chicken Parmigana, or the Sesame Chicken, but the rest are all pretty good. I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the view is quite lovely.

I've gone through and read all the posts that were put up since I dropped away - you guys are doing so awesome. Can I just say that? I'm encouraged by your success and motivated to keep up my end. (Okay, that could be taken literally, too - get my end up off my chair and exercise!!) Thank you all for sharing your experiences and being brave enough to put them on this blog. I know you're inspiring to me and you're inspiring to a lot of other people as well - keep up the good work.

And tomorrow, I'll keep up my good work, too. I laugh in the face of flu.

Balance Ball!

All right, so I did a 15-minute balance ball workout today. Huzzah!

And honestly, that is some difficult stuff. Especially the crunches. Trying to crunch while also trying to balance on the ball really got the abs good.

I also ate part of a peach this afternoon and ordered a side salad when I went out for dinner with DH tonight.

Not all of my choices were good, but DH and I split a chicken sandwich instead of a burger and I didn't eat as many fries as usual because of the salad. So, there you go.

I'll weigh in again one of these days. But for now, that's my update. I feel proud of myself for doing something good for myself today, even if I didn't do an amazing workout and stick to a super great diet without a single cheat. :o)

Less Chocolate, More Music

This morning I weighed in and I've lost another 2.5 pounds. That's nice to see after being stuck in a rut last week.

I think a huge factor is that I no longer have a bag of chocolate at my desk to piece on all day long. The problem was, because I was unhappy with my job (medical transcription), the chocolate made it more enjoyable to sit and type reports all day. I needed to replace it with something. So I decided to listen to more music. When I was younger I had music playing all the time, everything from pop to classical. But with marriage and children, what I like was pushed aside more and more.

I've discovered YouTube playlists. I can have Mozart playing continuously while I transcribe medical reports. And some of those piano concertos are so fast, I find myself typing faster to keep up. I've tried other forms of music, but Mozart just works best. It seems to fill the gaping hole I'm not stuffing chocolate into anymore. (I haven't totally given up chocolate. I've just put it lower on my priority list.)

Ring Update: I can actually get my wedding ring on my finger, with a little pushing, but it's still an uncomfortable fit. Maybe by next week.

Priorities

This is what I've realized it's all about for me. I want to exercise, but every time I get ready to do it I turn around and see a kitchen sink full of dishes, kids that need lunch or a nap, or mile high stacks of laundry, and I feel like I can't take the time to exercise until everything else that is screaming at me to be done is done.

I'm not very good at starting something and then putting it down before it is finished. The transition from one thing to the next is very hard for me, so saying I'll do laundry for half and hour and then exercise, doesn't work for me. My mind can't stop thinking about the laundry until it is finished.

I really need an exercising buddy. Someone to get over to my house and say, let's exercise right now. While I honestly want to exercise and I really do enjoy it, the actual exercising is falling on my priority list. I've got so much going on that I haven't had time to sit and breathe. I had three extra kids here today when I wasn't expecting any of them.

I guess in a way I am more active than usual because I am running around the house after the kids. I've never lived in a house with stairs or a basement and so I feel the burn every time I go up and down them and sometimes I will purposely leave something upstairs so that I have to make the extra trip to get it. For right now, that's all I can think of to do until life either calms down or someone knocks on my door and offers to exercise with me.

Not an easy road

I have been thinking a lot about how difficult it is to change. This is hard no doubt about it. But I have faith that it can be done. Not so that I will be slender in three months but so that I will change those habits that are making me unhappy.

I don't like that I use food to ease my anxiety or boredom (no there is no huge issue in my life. I am an average Joe). I recognize that it took me over a decade to get here. I am not going to change old habits over night but I can change.

I don't believe we are on this earth to be perfect right now. I think we are here to learn and change and get better.

So here I go. Another week of thinking up and moving up.

Good luck to you all with your changes.

Temptation

I made the mistake last night of throwing a deli pizza in the oven for dinner. I'd been in a hurry all day and it seemed the easiest thing to do. Well, by the time it was done, I was starving! So yes, I had THREE pieces. Granted, they weren't huge but . . . . At least there were veggies on it!

I weighed myself this morning though and I still lost 8 ounces yesterday! Woo hoo! I love that. I've been walking on my treadmill each morning and while I do that, I watch "Angel" reruns. Don't ask. I love that show. Don't know why. I actually record it as it's on at four in the morning! lol There are some weird people out there! lol (I'm one of them!)

So, off to another day. I have my critique group tonight so I look forward to that. Can't wait until after my workout so I can soak in the tub. Nirvana

Feeling Guilty

Okay, so I guess I'll come here and just tell you all what a loser I am. Really, every time I see this blog in my blog list, I cringe, just knowing that my pictures are on here and my gung-ho "here we go"ness is all over this blog, and here I am, sitting on my - well, you know - eating junk food.

I don't know what the problem is.

Okay, I do. The problem is that I just don't /want/ to exercise. I don't /want/ to eat a healthy snack. I just /want/ to sit down with a good book and eat a few doughnuts.

When it comes to the point in the day when I'm supposed to be working out, I consider the options for a second and decide I just Don't. Want. To. Do. It. I'll try to talk myself out of the temptation to eat a candy bar, but in the end, I just decide I want to eat it. Period. So I do.

I think despite all this, I've lost a couple pounds, but, really, it's incidental.

Ideas? Pep talks? Shameful scathing recriminations? Lay it on me. 'Cuz I need something; I just don't know what. ;o)

Checking in

Sorry I've been gone lately. I've been writing like a mad man, and I haven't wanted to break for blogging.

The stats are these:

Weight: As of yesterday I was down to 230. That's six pounds since we started! And, even better, I've been able to do it without significantly altering my lifestyle. It's essentially been a matter of portion control, and a lack of sugary drinks. Here's what I especially like about this: I feel like I'm learning how to eat better overall. For example, a week ago I ate a very large meal--about normal for things I used to eat--and it completely made me sick. So, I feel that, once I've lost the weight, I'll be able to maintain it. So, yippee.

Writing: As of yesterday, after seven writing days, I'm 38,000 words into this new book. I'm mucho pleased.

Woo Hoo!

I just got home from my weekly appointment and let me just say . . . GOOD NEWS! I have lost 5 pounds! And not only that, but 4 inches from my lower belly, 3 inches from upper belly, 1 inch from chest, 1 inch from neck, 1 inch from the arms, 1 inch from the thighs and 1.5 inches from the hips!

The amazing thing was that I thought for sure I'd have to explain why I hadn't done well this week. You see, we went camping for the weekend and hello, who could resisting camping food? You know, things like potato chips, (which I never normally buy) dutch oven and last but not least, s'mores! So I did fudge a bit over the weekend. Then, two mornings ago, the syringe slipped from my hands when I was putting the cap back on. The needle bent all the way down and slid across the dirty camper floor. Needless to say, I missed an injection.

Also, the computer print out said I had more fluid in my cells which was good. I learned an interesting thing today. Did you know you can't over do it with sea salt? That's plain old sea salt, not iodized sea salt. You will not have a heart attack when using it and if anything, your blood pressure will come down. It's the way it's made in the ocean. It's good for you! So, that is what I have been using and I guess it's working. I'm going to throw all my other salt away.

So, all in all. It has been a great week for weight loss. I asked the doctor about claims that this diet isn't safe. He said it's all hype. It's perfectly safe. I tend to agree so far. I have had no negative side affects except for a thinner neck and from all I've researched and studied, it has great, healthy results. (in case any of you out there want to give it a try)

"Hello, Pants, Nice to See You Again"

by Rebecca

I can't even remember my last post because I seem to have fallen into the "wedding planning vat" and can't get out. I never knew how much there was to do in getting ready for a wedding, and this is my son--can't imagine when it's a daughter. Whew! Things seem to be coming along (if they'd stop making changes that'd help). I've been sewing dresses, calling to make plans, making reservations, finding addresses, figuring out the Open House, etc. It's a bit mind-boggling.

At this point, I've lost 29 lbs. I still have 7 lbs to go to meet my goal weight and think I may try for a few more after that just to cushion myself in case I gain some back. I've been able to pull clothes, even pants, out of my closet that I haven't seen in ages. My kids tell me not to wear them because they're all outdated now, but I reply that the fact that I can wear them again completely overshadows their fashionability.

After so many years trying to lose that baby weight, I'm really excited to have found a way that works for me. Since it isn't too radically different from how I was eating before, I think I can stick with it. Mostly, I've cut out the nightly bowls of ice cream, Oreos (we had two bags of Oreos the other day and I was sorely tempted to eat some but I refrained), brownies, and other junk food. I have replaced the junk food with sugar-free fudgesicles and ice cream bars so I don't feel deprived.

I exercise about 45 minutes a day to my DVDs, but have knocked that back to 30 minutes because I have so many things to do at the moment (sometimes I even count painting or other physical projects in place of my regular exercise).

I'm still hoping to reach my goal before my son's wedding, but since it's now less than 3 weeks away I'm not sure I can lose another 7 lbs. However, any more weight I can lose will be good and as long as I can fit into the dress my daughters talked me into buying I'll be happy.

Saturday Weigh-In

I weighed in on Saturday and on SATURDAY MORNING I was at 204 exactly coming to a total weight loss of six pounds. However . . . this weekend has NOT been good for me! I've snacked and I made snickerdoodles and I snacked. Sigh. So for my next week weigh-in I'm really hoping that I'll still be at 204.

However, most days I did pretty good as far as food goes. As far as keeping my food under control--I seem to be doing okay with food during the weekdays. Now I need to work on controlling the food on the weekends.

Exercise? I'm jealous of those with a wii, but I did bike three times last week and made it to taekwondo once. Hopefully this week I'll bike everyday (that I'm in school) and make it to taekwondo twice.

Wii Really Like It!

Grandma Ruthe got on the Wii today and is reporting a weight loss of 6.4 pounds. She claims she doesn't believe it, but I say, run with it!

The main reason for that? According to Wii, since I started the program, I've lost 5 pounds. If Grandma Ruthe can't believe her loss, then that means I can't believe mine, so I'm encouraging her to be a believer. Believe, Grandma!! Believe!

One more week, one more pound

So this is a pretty small accomplishment compared to how everyone else is doing, but I have one more week down and have lost one more pound.

Very excited about the description of the EA Sports Active. Continuing my workouts on the Wii Fit and thinking about splurging on the Sports Active.

Okay but Life will Get Better

By Chrisine

Finally faced the scale and I'm down three pounds, surprise. School starts tomorrow and with it a fresh schedule. I'm planning on taking my middleschooler to school and heading straight to the gym. I'll start writing at nine and with an hour break where I'll go walking I'll write until three. Hope I can get through my WIP.

I also may be going to Israel in November and I've got to be in good enough shape to walk ALOT and ride a horse without squishing the poor creature. We'll see.

Weighing in

Scale today= 177.8 for a loss of another 0.6 oz.

Food consumption last weeks was good- I think I pretty much have that one down. It is easier when I am home all day than when I have to go to work because of the hours. I get up at 5 and am work by 7:30. Lunch has to be by 11:30 and then home by 3, then all the kid stuff and schedules and my work. That means I have to eat breakfast by 6 in order to be dressed and at work on time. I hate eating that soon after gettting up. I would prefer another hour, but it is what it is.

Exercise on the other hand, not so good. Again, no time in the morning because if I exercise for 30 minutes then hit the shower, there is no time for breakfast. And no time for the kids to use the shower before we have to leave. These past 2 weeks, after work have been spent running from one thing to another getting all the going back to school and a routine things done.

But now stuff has been bought, marching band is in session, soccer has a set schedule and piano lessons have started. I should be able to make myself a schedule so that I am sure to be on the treadmill after work.

I have a big issue with how I look when I leave the house. I never wear sweats, pajama pants, sloppy clothes. When I was a little girl we always changed to go to town if we were wearing shorts or cleaning clothes. So that has been an issue for me. I hate changing to exercise clothes just to change again to go run errands or whatever. I keep telling myself that no one is going to care if I pick my daughter up from soccer in my exercise clothes. Right?

Thing to work on this week-
* actually exercising
* picking up child even if I am in exercise clothes
(* look into the soccer carpool)

Well..let's see how I am doing

Not a lot to say today. I didn't have the best week of eating healthy or exercising. I am ready to change things up a bit. I am off track from teaching for 4 weeks. I am bound and determined to hit things hard and see some good results by the time I go back to school on October 5th.

Yesterday, as me and my kids were wandering Sams Club eating all of the samples, I noticed something interesting. There in front of me was a Wii Active being demonstrated. I have been wanting to get the Wii Fit for a long time and kept hesitating about spending the money. The thing that intrigued me about the Wii Active is that it has a "Personal Trainer" with the program. Here is a little blurb about it:

Developed by EA Canada - EA Sports (2009) - Miscellaneous Sim - Rated Everyone

EA Sports Active is a fitness simulation, very much in the vein of Nintendo's Wii Fit, that aims to get gamers off of the couch and into a calorie-burning exercise regimen. The game offers more than 20 different activities, broken down into upper-body, lower-body, and cardio exercises, and players can customize their particular routine to meet their own preferences and personal fitness goals. Those looking for more guidance can choose the "30 Day Challenge," a month-long, trainer-driven series of 20-minute workout circuits that keep track of intensity, calories burned, and overall progress. The circuits are designed to offer a different combination of activities from each of the three disciplines, so gamers may go for a run one day, and then follow it up with bicep curls, shoulder presses, or cardio boxing the next. EA Sports Active comes with a resistance band to increase the intensity of some exercises, and the included leg strap is specially designed to hold a Nunchuk in order to keep track of lower body movement. Players can also get more out of their exercises if they make use of the Wii Balance Board, and two gamers can engage in a little friendly competition with side-by-side workouts.

I have chosen to do the 30 day challenge. The fun and exciting thing is that both of my kids (11 and 7 years old) are also training with me. To them, it is just another Wii game, to me it is called "Support". I know that this is going to be a turning point for me. I enjoyed my first workout and it really did feel just like I was playing a Wii game, but I was just sweating a lot more than I usually do. The only thing I would like to invest in is the "Wii Balance Board." I hopefully will have great things to report a week from now. Good news from last week, I did not gain any weight!!..............

UPDATE: I weighed myself this morning and I did lose last week: 1.5 pounds!! Not a huge weight loss, but better than not losing anything at all. I am happy! :)

A Milestone

I have this cute blue and green plaid shirt that's just been hanging in the closet because it was too small. It buttons down the front and there was a gap of about an inch. This morning as I was getting dressed I tried it on AND IT BUTTONED! So I wore it to church.

I think my next challenge is going to be my diamond wedding ring. I haven't been able to wear it without my finger turning purple for several years now. I suppose I could get it sized up, but in my heart that would be admitting defeat and saying that I will never lose this weight. I've just substituted rings with a cubic zirconium that look similar, which I find at Walmart. I've gone through several because after a while the finish rubs off and they turn my finger green. I'm hoping 10 or 15 pounds from now, I'll be able to wear my beautiful ring with colorful clothes instead of a colorful finger.

-3.5

This morning's scale weigh in said I've lost 3.5 lbs. I hope it's true. My eating habits have been going ok, but not great. I've been working really hard not to eat to the point that my body feels full. Usually I eat and eat and eat until I know I'm full. I know this is bad, but I hate eating and then twenty minutes later being hungry again. So I'm trying to watch this and if I do get hungry again, I try to eat a small healthy snack (like watermelon).

My exercising still hasn't really taken off, although I did hike the Hill Cumorah yesterday instead of driving up it. I'm trying to find a definite time to exercise each day and I don't think that will work. I think I'm just going to have to squeeze it in whenever I can.

The Good and the Bad

So here's this weeks result. My eating hasn't been terribly great but my exercise has been going fabulously. I walk 4 times a week. I strap my 23lb baby to my body. Put my 44lb boy in the stroller. Put LDS General Conference on my MP3 player and walk for an hour up and back down some pretty steep hills. By the time I am done I am exhausted but I really love it. My kids seem to like it too.

My only problems are these. I am not losing weight and I feel guilty taking one whole hour to myself. Sam seems to be o.k. with it although towards the end he gets really bored. Max loves it but he is 8 months old and loves to just be out in the world. I know that if I want to lose weight I will have to make even bigger changes in my eating but temptation is currently too hard to fight.

Here's hoping next week will be better on the eating front.

What's for Dinner- Drink edition

I have a weakness for a good, sweet fruity drink. Something like a good brisa or lemonaide, or better yet a strawberry or raspberry lemonaide. These are great on those hot days of summer, sitting on the front porch watching kids playing in the sprinkler with the neighbor kids while chatting with their parents.

Oh wait, that was Mayberry where everything was black and white and moms were always skinny, in heels and pearls and the house was perfect and so was life. Not like my house at all. No, at my house mom can no longer wear heels after a nasty foot break and the resulting screws to hold it together. And the running through the sprinkler usually results in cut grass and mud being tracked through the house. And the porch is littered with scooters, soccer balls and unwound hoses and assorted other things.

But I do have a couple of recipes for a brisa and a fruit lemonaide that use no sugar and are one of the best I have ever tasted. Try them out this weekend.

Brisa de Mora Negra ("Breeze of Blackberry" smoothie)
3 cups ice cubes
1 (13 0z) can coconut milk (find in the Asian food aisle at store)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
1 banana
Honey to taste

Whip it all up in a blender or using a stick blender, pour into glass, turn the sprinkler on, sit back and enjoy.


Raspberry/Strawberry Lemonaide
1 (12 oz) can frozen pineapple juice concentrate
4 lemons juiced
6 cups water
Frozen berries

Blend with 6 cups ice cubes and enjoy.

I make this for the family all the time. I use a gallon sized pitcher, one with a plunger in the lid for mixing (think Pampered Chef). After I have juiced the lemons, I will slice another one and put the slices in the bottom of the pitcher before I add the fruit. Fresh strawberries are the absolute best in this lemonaide. I don't always blend the ice, sometimes I just throw it in to keep the drink cool.

This is the absolute best cool drink I have ever had. Really. And it tastes like lemon, not pineapple at all.

Oh, I need to go make me some now because now I am thirsty and hear my front porch calling.

I found another way to tolerate veggies

One of the lifestyle changes I'm trying to make is to eat more fruits and vegetables. The fruit I can deal with. It tastes good. All I have to do is remember to buy it, then remember to eat it before it goes bad.

Vegetables are another story. To borrow one of Rob's favorite words, bleh. I like peas, carrots, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams--anything with a higher sugar or starch content--because they taste good. But broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, or any kind of leafy greens are just gross. I have to add a lot of cheese or poppyseed dressing or something to mask the flavor before I can gag them down.

So today I gathered my courage and tried a recipe I found in an old book by Barbara Barrington Jones. She calls it her power salad. I tweaked it a little bit and it turned out amazingly well. In the book she just gives the ingredients but not specific amounts. I measured as I went along and here's what I came up with.

2 cups finely chopped cabbage (original calls for red, but I only had green)
2 cups finely chopped cauliflower
2 cups finely chopped broccoli
1-1/2 cups chopped mushroom
1 cup finely chopped carrot (original calls for grated)
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper (original calls for red, I had yellow)
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup Italian dressing

Mix the two dressings together, pour over combined veggies, and mix well. (The original recipe calls for light ranch and light Italian, but I used regular to increase the chances I might actually want to eat this concoction.)

I ate about 1-1/2 cups of this salad for lunch with about an ounce of cheddar cheese. It wasn't half bad. The taste was reminiscent of pizza. Of course, if I was given a choice of this salad or pizza, I would pick the pizza. But since I am trying to make more conscientious, healthy choices, this is something that I don't mind eating, and I will be eating more of it. I have to. There's a huge salad bowl full of it in my refrigerator.

Teaching Tristi to Eat

My relationship with food has always been a strange one. It started back in my childhood (no, really, it did ... I'm not going all Jerry Springer on you) Relationships between my parents were strained and finances were tools. If we had groceries in the house, I knew my parents were getting along. That's as far as I'll go down that road - no need to break out the skeletons - but basically, when I have food in the house, I feel secure. If I have a little treat tucked away somewhere, I feel like everything's okay.

So there's that end of the spectrum.

On the other end, I'm screamingly busy. I'm the extremely lucky mother of four amazing children and I home school them. I'm also blessed to be working as the senior editor for Valor Publishing. I'm also an author and so I'm writing. From the time I get up in the morning until the time I go to bed in the ... usually early morning ... I'm on the go. I'm constantly moving from computer to dishwasher to laundry room to school table to computer ... you get the picture. While the kids are eating breakfast, I'm checking my e-mail for whatever might be going on that day. While they're eating lunch, I'm usually trying to accomplish something I couldn't do with them running around. And then around 4:00 in the afternoon, I realize I haven't eaten anything. I grab whatever I can find, and then the bulk of my meal consumption takes place between nine pm and midnight.

Um ... yeah .... I know that's bad. You did see my before picture, right? I'm in full recognition of the unhealthiness of this situation. I'm also sodium sensitive, which means that I need to consume around 1000 mg. of sodium a day, whereas the average person eats 6000 mg. And my thyroid doesn't work ... and my adrenals are gone ... you get the picture.

Okay, so.

I have a plan.

First off, a comment (and apology) to Shanna. :) It's true that frozen meals do have a lot of sodium, but then I started thinking about the things I tend to grab when I'm about to faint from hunger. When I'm in my groove and I'm preparing my own meals, I eat around 1000 mg. of sodium per day, but when I'm crazy busy and life is skittering friskily all around me, sometimes the only thing I eat all day is a combo meal (coming in around 1600 mg.) So I did a little investigating and I've come up with a plan.

Breakfast: 1 egg (hard-boiled or scrambled) with either a little low-sugar cereal or another grain

Lunch: One Healthy Choice frozen entree - these cost $2.00 at Wal-mart for a food weight of 11.25 oz, which is a pretty decent size. On the average, they contain 16g of protein, between 260-350 calories, and between 5-8g fat. They do also contain around 600 mg. of sodium, but I've decided that's not as bad as what I've been doing.

Dinner: Another Healthy Choice entree.

Snacks: Fruits, vegetables, salads, a slice of cheese here and there, nuts, and my protein drink.

I went to Walmart last night and bought enough frozen meals to last me an entire month. Hence, the experiment begins. Questions to be answered:

1. Will Tristi learn how to eat regularly?

2. Does the fact that Tristi's food is pre-measured, is low-fat and low-calorie, and is very, very easy to make, increase her odds of actually eating?

3. Will the fact that Tristi is turning from empty calories and seeking out nutritious snacks do anything to impact her weight?

4. Does the fact that each entree comes with a little dessert keep Tristi from going overboard in the sweet department?

These are the questions that will be answered over the course of the next month. I shall check in and let you know how it all goes.

HCG update

I'm leaving to go camping but I thought I should post before I left! Today is my second day of eating only 500 calories. It hasn't been bad really, but by the time it's time to eat, I'm starving. The hCG seems to be working though as I have lost two pounds already but I had gained three on the binge part the first three days.

So, I had broiled steak, asparagus and an apple for dinner. I like the way I'm eating. It feels incredibly good. Normally, eating only 500 cal. would put you into starvation mode but the hCG is burning up to 3500 calories of fat a day. So instead of burning the calories you eat, your fat melts away. That doesn't happen to normal dieters. No wonder I struggled for 14 years!! 1 lb is about 3500 calories so most people will lose about a pound a day.

I also walked on the treadmill for the last two days. On this diet you are only supposed to do moderate exercise so I don't push it. I go about a mile and a half all together, then I stretch and do a bit of yoga. So far, I feel really great.

Anyway, the shots aren't bad but the last two days they have stung a little. Hmm. So, see you all Monday night!! Bye and wish me luck. I'm going to be surrounded by dutch oven dinners, chips and all sorts of other wonderful goodies! Just great! I'll let you know how I did.

Dieting

My mom once went on a watermelon diet. Not the most nutritional thing to do, but she did it. I believe there was a dance coming up and that was her reasoning behind it. While I can't say watermelon is all I've been eating lately, I have consumed my fair share. I hope it will help me lose some of this extra weight.

Instead of cookies or fatty foods, I've been snacking on the watermelon. It's sweet, good, and quick. I'm not an apple person, I get tired of grapes quickly (my mom did a grape diet, too), and I don't eat bananas unless I have to. Most other fruit is just too expensive and right now while I can still get it on sale, watermelon is the best option for me.

I hope I can keep up the high fruit diet once fall and winter really hit.

Nothing lost, nothing gained.

As of my weigh in this morning, no loss, no gain. My weight is the same as last week. I am not surprised. Other than a couple of good workouts last week, my exercise has consisted of running upstairs with laundry and carrying groceries in from the car. My eating has only been so-so.

I've had this weird battle going on between hormone fluctuations and seasonal allergies. (I live half a block from a wheat field and three blocks from a grain elevator--and I'm allergic to wheat dust.) I've had the munchies, where I want to eat anything and everything, preferably chocolate. But then I haven't really had much of an appetite because of the allergies, and nothing really sounds good. I finally gave in last night and popped a bag of microwave kettle corn and ate the whole bag myself. So it was a binge, but it wasn't a bag full of candy, and at least it had a lot of fiber.

Thursday ...

My weight has been bouncing around like a bunny on cocaine. Apparently sneezing makes me gain weight, or something, because I'm having days where I think I'm doing pretty good and ... nothin'. There must be a delay in the revelation of results, because it's all making no sense to me.

However, and this is the real reason I'm checking in, I'm starting to feel myself slim out a little in the ribcage. I attribute this entirely to the Wii Fit - I haven't done a whole lot about my eating (or rather, lack of eating until late in the day) and so I consider this whole Wii experiment to be a success. I look forward to the time I spend exercising because it's like a game and you can adjust your workout to whatever it is you feel you need that day. I haven't missed one day since we got it, and that's huge (no pun intended) for me.

So as far as exercise goes, I'm feeling really good about myself. I'm still drinking Coke (sorry) and I'm still forgetting to eat (sorry) ... I'm averaging about one meal a day right now. I know, I know ... that's no way to take care of myself. That will be my next priority.

I know I have some profile information to update and a tracker to change ... soon, I promise. Very soon.

Getting the Ball Rolling. . . . Again

You probably don't read my other blog, so I'll inform you that my laptop died last week. We were able to save the hard drive and everything, but I had been using my laptop to play my exercise DVDs in the living room (no TV in the living room). It's a long story as to why I can't exercise anywhere else in the house, but there's just no way.

In place of my DVDs I've continued riding my bike when I can and I took a walk with the kids today. Also, I'm still working on the house, shaving off wallpaper, sanding, etc.

Today my husband surprised me with a new laptop (yay!) and so now I can not only write more easily, but I can exercise with my DVDs again!

This is desperately needed since I am not losing any weight yet. I can tell I've lost a couple inches though because my old jeans from before I lost weight last time are too big for me. I still can't comfortably fit in any other pair though. I've got three sizes in my dresser and two of the three are too small, the other is too big. I need one in between, but may wait a little longer.

Anyway, here are two pictures of me in full length glory--I hadn't posted my picture yet--with jeans that don't fit.

3rd day and going strong

I now know why they have you eat and eat and eat the first three days of the hCG diet. It's to make you hate, hate, hate food! I am so sick of eating, I could puke! (And just might!) I think I've gained 2 or 3 pounds. But I'm not sure since I didn't weigh myself. I didn't want to know. They say that's normal, but yuck! I feel terrible in my own body!

Today, I didn't even feel the shot go in when I gave it to myself! How cool is that? It's so easy. I never thought I'd be able to do that part, but, well, I guess I'm fabulous!

Still no negative side affects but I'm sure there will be because you're not supposed to wear any lotions, creams, hair dye, makeup, moisturizer or anything with a fat base that you're body can absorb. I'm going to be a vision of beauty. Ah, who cares? I'm gonna look great in my tight fittin' jeans!

Mmm....Biscuits and Gravy

Weight update:
As of yesterday, the scale told me I was down another pound and a half. I think the problem is that Monday is my official weigh-in day, and I diet really well all week until Sunday, when I eat pot roast and mashed potatoes. So, the Monday weigh-in is after I've ruined it all.

But anyway, the dieting is going fine. My wife, ever the temptress, made biscuits and gravy last night, knowing that it's my favorite food in the world (after fried chicken). I think she's still treating this weight loss like a competition, and she's playing dirty. Hey Erin--watch for the bag of caramels under your pillow! Turnabout is fair play.

Writing update:
Those of you who aren't writers might not be impressed by this, but: 4400 words on Monday, and 5900 words yesterday. I'm kicking this book's trash.

Don't Look at the Time Stamp

I need to go to bed. We start school one week from today and with back to school shopping, I simply had to take my kids to lunch. It's not good when you are afraid to step on the scale.

Well, today is another day- literally. So I'll go to bed and hopefully do better...today.

hCG update

Today was my first official day of giving myself the hCG shot. I got it ready and hesitated for only a moment. Then I stuck that blasted thing right in! It didn't even hurt. I am so proud of myself! Then when I was getting ready for the day, I decided it was time pluck the bushes above my eyes. Now THAT hurt! It hurt way more than the tiny needle in my thigh. Dang!

So, I have felt really good and have no noticeable side affects yet. I do NOT love the gorging thing though. I always feel too full. Yuck! It will be nice to not eat very much starting on Thurs.

So I have been doing some studying and the doctor who invented this diet seems to think obesity is a disease and that the overeating comes after, not before the weight gain. He claims this is as close to a cure as is possible so far with our medical advances. I've talked to a lot of people who have done this diet and love it. I am amazed. It's like, once you start, others come out of the woodwork who have done it too.

There is a lot of good info out there.

Here are a few sites to check out if you are so inclined.
http://www.hcgprotocol.com/vids.htm
http://amiehcg.blogspot.com/

Interesting

Wii Fit says I've lost 3.1 pounds. Now, I'm not sure if that was before the weight I put back on after what I thought I lost, or the weight I thought I lost but turned out to be a gain which was then lost, or what that was, exactly. But for now, I'm just accepting it. I'm not getting too hyperly excited, because who knows what the Fit will say next time. I'm cautiously pleased.

The Treadmill

My treadmill and I eyed each other suspiciously several times yesterday, but neither of us made the first move.

I almost just went swimming, but my allergies kicked in so bad yesterday! I can't imagine getting in the water with my sinuses plugged up like this. :o(

Guess I should just take Melissa's advice and walk for a bit. I almost did a couple times, but it's hard if I don't get it in first thing in the morning. Part of it is that BFL has me thinking I have to do all these things perfectly. I have to run in a fasted state, and I have to do HIIT (high intensity interval training) etc. etc. But in reality, wouldn't a nice brisk walk on the treadmill be better than nothing?

So, I'm going to do it today. For Reals. ;o)