What I know now

So my week of the Cabbage Soup thing is over. All I have to say is, "I am so glad I do not have to eat like that all the time."

I made a big pot of cabbage soup on Monday and had some every. single. day. Sometimes 3-4 times a day. Even for breakfast.

The soup was good, don't get me wrong about that and I will probably make some more to have in the fridge to take to work for lunches, but when you have the same thing every day, all day long it really gets old. Fast.

There were a lot of veggie trays, stir fry, steamed veggies, fruit bowls, fruit smoothies, fruit juice... All things I like, but when I was helping in the cafeteria and they were serving chicken with the Hawiian haystacks and it was a meatless day, I really wanted to eat it.

But then I remembered the number on the scale had moved down by 2 and that the veggies, fruit and soup in my bag were better for me and going to help me more than the chicken, noodles, and donut would.

So, what I learned was this:
*I really do like veggies and fruit and can fill up on them. I probably don't eat them in the right proportions to the rest of my food. I should eat more of them and less of the rest. So my portions of them will be bigger from now on.

*I also do not drink enough water on a daily basis. I thought I did, but then I had to measure it for this week. Not enough by a long shot. Just getting that much water in me helped immensly. I now have a measured water bottle and my goal is to get no less than 64 oz. of water a day.

*We had Hawaiian haystacks for lunch today and I skipped the cream of chicken sauce and filled my plate with a little rice and a ton of veggies and I liked it just fine.

*I did what I set out to do:
-Cleanse the holiday food from my system
-Get back to pre-holiday weight or close to it
-Jump start the losing process
-Get my head back in the game

I'll post my weekly weight in the morning when I weigh in.

Update

I haven't written for a while, but just to post and update . . .

I'm in phase three of the hcg diet and doing fine. You're not supposed to let your weight go more than two pounds over the weight you were on the day of your last shot. So far so good for me. It is hard not to indulge though. For these three weeks while my body sets its new base weight I need to eat proteins and and veggies with no starch and low sugar. After these three weeks, then you slowly add those things like bread, high-sugar fruit and pasta back in.

I am going to do one more short round of the hcg diet though. I'll start again Valentines weekend. I planned it that way so that Valentines day would be a load day. I find myself cheating a bit more now that I decided to do another round. Bad writer! Bad bad bad! But what can I say? I miss toast with grape jelly! I only had one piece!

So I'm sticking at about 150, give or take a few ounces. I hope to get down to 140 after the next round. Let me tell you, it felt good to wear a pencil skirt to church today and dang, I looked good! Woo hoo!

I can never go back!

Sunday dinner today was a culinary experiment that turned out pretty dang good. I’ve got so I just log on to one of my favorite “healthy recipe” websites, type in a short list of the meat and veggies I have in the kitchen, click enter, and through the miracle of the WWW, up pops 25 or 30 nutritious dishes to choose from that are based on the ingredients I have on hand. Today I made roasted pork tenderloin, and something that can be best described as the carrot’s answer to creamy tomato soup. I also whipped up some kind of low cal, low fat, creamy-cauliflower dish. The soup turned out like nothing I’d ever seen before but it was pretty tasty. The whole meal totaled to about 400 calories, which is not bad for what is traditionally the biggest, richest, meal of the week.

The other night, I tried on a few leather jackets that I’d had stashed in the closet for several years, and would you believe that they all fit? I also slipped into three more pairs of dress slacks that I’d previously outgrown and they fit as well. I still have a good ways to go to get into most of my suits, dress shirts, and spot coats, but it won’t be long until I can wear them all.

I stayed up until 2:30am that same night reading my old journals. I found that back in 2000, I weighed 340 lbs. A few months later I was down to 280 but I was only there for a short time. Sadly it was another failed attempted at crash dieting that ended with me getting heavier than ever. The good news is, what I am doing now is not a diet! My healthy habits had a beginning but they have no end. I do catch myself once in a while craving some of the massive quantities of junk food that I used to eat, and I think briefly that “when this is over, I’m going to get me a bunch of that”, but then I snap out of the destructive reverie and remind myself that this is not a diet. There is no looking forward to a time when I can go back to eating the way the “old me” once did. Sure I’ll indulge in a small amount of some of those kinds of foods, but I can never go back to the way things were.

Slow and Steady . . . BOO

Okay. Yeah, yeah. Slow and steady wins the race. BOO on that.

I've definitely been slow this week. And having a challenging time. For example, my calories were probably around 2000 yesterday, instead of 1400. I know. Bad Shanna. And no, they weren't good calories. Not really bad calories, but not good, either. Yesterday I weighted 197.2 and today I weighed 197.6.

It's still a loss. But not as much as I like to see. Also, getting on the scale everyday has been lame. My weight has been all over. I went from 198.4 to 198.8 to 198.0 to 198.6 . . . it's been all over the range of 198, but hasn't been a real weight loss. Until yesterday and then I weighed 197.2. Go figure.

I've also noticed that when I get hormonal that my weight loss really changes for a couple of weeks. So I'm going to wait until next week to see what happens.

I did go to taekwondo this week--just once--and it killed me! Over the past month and a half since I've been I was sick for two weeks and didn't do ANY exercise. I've lost any kind of stamina I once had. This is why you can't stop. You take two years to build the stamina and then you can lose it in say TWO MONTHS. Sheesh.

Official weigh in--197.6. I haven't even lost a pound from last week. Sigh. BUT, it is still a weight loss, right? Again. I'll be good this week and see what the scale says next Sunday.

Ran a mile without stopping!

Wow…it’s late. Let me just say that today was a good one. Along with a nice walk, I ran for almost a mile without stopping. Oh, and I ate perfectly. Hope you had a great day too and I promise I’ll write more tomorrow.

Good Night.

9lbs down

So I decided to post my monthly weight loss tonight since tomorrow I get that chocolate birthday cake and who knows what it will do to me? :) But as of January 1st I have lost 9 pounds and have made it back into the 170's. Okay so 179.6, but it has been awhile since I have seen that number and it was a happy dance moment. Leptin has been going good. I have not had a problem with eating just 3 meals a day. I think it helps me cut the calories back as well. I didn't do great with Leptin today because I had some of the kid's lemonade while at the mall because I was thirsty and had left my water bottle in the car. And then tonight we had a Mrs. America party for my girls and their friends with cupcakes and ice cream, and I will admit to licking both frosting and ice cream off my fingers as I served it. Not too much of a bad of a thing, but kinda going against the whole no food between meals or after dinner thing. Next week I am going to add uping my water intake into the equation, but I am going to let myself splurge a little on my birthday, so I hope that doesn't kill me too much.

Need a Boost

I'm feeling a bit disheartened today.

I've been watching my caloric intake and my fat intake, and I've been exercising. I've been taking my thyroid medication, drinking my water, and doing everything else we all know we're supposed to do in order to lose weight.

And yet, today I weighed in at 278.8, which is more than I weighed a week ago. Last week I weighed 277.2.

I keep giving myself pep talks. "Tristi, this is awesome! You started this thing at 284.5, and so you've lost some weight! Good for you!"

I also remind myself that muscle weighs more than fat, and since I'm doing strength training, it's natural that I would see a difference in how the weight comes off.

My husband and kids are telling me I look skinnier than ever, which isn't true because they've all seen me much skinnier, but their support is awesome.

Today I'm just having a hard time supporting myself.

When you're as overweight as I am, there are times when it seems like a hopeless battle. A thinner woman can lose five pounds and it shows up immediately. A larger woman has to lose quite a bit before those around her start to notice. There are days when it would be so easy to just quit trying.

But I'm not going to quit trying. I'm committed to this battle until the end. I want to go clothes shopping and have to buy all new clothes because nothing I own fits, and I want to buy really cute clothes and feel like a million dollars in them. I want to stop being the fattest person there when I go somewhere. I want to look as sassy on the outside as I feel on the inside. I want to be healthy and have energy.

So I'm definitely not giving up.

I'm just having a moment. Don't worry - I'll snap out of it.

Sometimes less is more...

Not much time to post today but sometimes less is more…as in more pounds lost. Last week I weighed in at 312.9 and today I weigh 307.1! That’s down 5.8 lbs! It’s also the biggest loss I’ve posted since my first week. Sweet!

Well, I’m off for a little exercise. Catch you tomorrow.

The belt-holes never lie.

Huh…that’s odd. I went to cinch my belt an extra hole this morning and there were no holes left to cinch. Is that cool or what? I’ve had lots of “pay days” since I started my quest for a better, healthier life, but having to punch 3 more holes in my belt is by far one of the best. Belt leather without holes is very tangible evidence that my huge gut is finally in full retreat.

I was just thinking how every belt I own has a disheartening story to tell, a story of bulging pressure and great expansion. Like reading the rings of a tree, you can look at my belt to study how my use of each overstretched hole slowly progressed from one belt-hole to the next. You can plainly see how my midsection has bloated over time. And now, finally, my belt-holes are telling the same story, only in reverse…and this version has a much happier ending.

Tomorrow is Friday, and that means weigh-in day for me. I’m excited because this is the healthiest week I’ve had since Christmas. I’ve been exercising like a track star, budgeting and counting my calories, and even getting more sleep, so I’m expecting some great weight loss numbers in the morning. I hope the good numbers turn out to be true, but even if I only lose another 3 or 4 lbs this week, I won’t be disheartened because no matter what the scales say…the belt-holes never lie.

Calories

If fewer calories are good, then even fewer calories must be better, right?

I was eating very moderately today, and decided to chart my calories. I've never charted calories before. I've been watching sodium levels, and for the last month I've been watching fat, but today I started watching calories, and it was very interesting.

I learned online that for my height and body structure, if I want to lose weight, I should consume less than 2,200 calories per day. I didn't know how that translated into what I was actually doing. I knew that it wouldn't allow for fast food meals very often, for instance, but to translate that into daily living? I was clueless.

I watched what I ate today and counted the calories and fat. I'm a little hungry right now, but nothing scandalous. I was prepared to just go to sleep and not worry about it. When I'm tired enough, I'll choose sleep over eating.

But then I got to wondering. How many calories do we need to survive and still function, with mental reasoning intact, etc? We discussed a week ago that we do need some fat in our diets in order to stay healthy - after all, the brain is made of fat - so I got to thinking, and I just looked it up online.

For a woman of my height, a diet of 1500 calories a day would be the minimum for full function.

Hmmm. So while it's good to be watching calories, we don't want to be too hasty to get rid of them. I don't know about you, but if I'm losing my ability to think and function in a healthy way, that's no way I want to live.

I pulled up my eating chart and added it up. I've had 1200 calories today. Hey, that's awesome on the not-pigging-out scale, but it looks like I should go have a little snack. Never thought I'd be encouraging myself to go snack. Of course, tomorrow I'll do the math before bedtime. :)

I want that cake!!!

Not to be vain, but there is something I am really good at. Something I am so good at that I get asked at least once a week to do it. For the past three weeks my daughters soccer schedule has occupied my time and kept me from doing the thing that I do really well. And it has been a good thing because unfortunately the the thing I am so good at is.....MAKING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!
I have the recipe down pat, friends and family are always asking me to make them, and when you make a batch of cookies you have to try them right? Especially when they are golden brown and perfect. That is the point I am at right now. The pleading eyes have begged and begged and I broke down and made the stinking cookies. I can smell them baking in the oven, their little chunks of chocolate calling out to me "eat us" "chocolate is of the earth" "just one won't hurt". It is tormenting.
I am typing this blog in the hopes that I can resist. In the hopes that I won't have to sign on tomorrow and tell you all that I just couldn't do it. I am on day three of Leptin. It is going well. I am not hungry. I had a great dinner. I won't be starving if I don't eat a cookie. I have been off sugar, except for once a week when I let myself have one small treat, for three weeks. Since January 1st I have lost seven pounds. And you might say, why can't I count a cookie tonight as my weekly treat? Because Sunday my mom is making me a birthday dinner and I know cake is going to be involved. I need to save myself for that cake. And if I break down on cookies tonight I will not be able to justify that cake. And so I suffer, but at least now I have a place to type out my sufferings! Thanks for the support. I hope tomorrow I can say--the cake is mine! Until then my tall glass of ice water and I will console ourselves and think skinny, healthy thoughts!!!

Feeling the Burn

The one thing I don't like about the Wii Fit is the fact that there's not an exercise to really work the upper body. There are the arm stands, etc, in the yoga section, and there's the advanced rhythm boxing, but I'm not strong enough for arm stands and I'm not coordinated enough for advanced rhythm boxing. Truly, nothing reduces me to frustration quicker than trying to keep up with, "left, right, block, right, right, left, left, right, left, block, left." I have to call my eleven-year-old son in to finish the round for me. It's pretty humiliating.

About a year ago, I picked up the Gold's Gym resistance tubing workout. It's got these cool rubber stretchy bands and comes with a DVD. I had never given it a try until today - and boy, lemme tell ya. I'm feeling the burn in my arms right now. I didn't make it all the way through the DVD workout - not even close - but I totally feel like I did what I went there to do. My upper body has been worked.

On the Body for Life plan, you alternate which days you exercise what. So my poor little arms will get a break while I do aerobics tomorrow and lower body the day after that. Another bout with aerobics, and then ... the arms come around again on the cycle. I plan to go a little further on the DVD each time until I can do the full workout. I want to get rid of the saggy, baggy bags of skin that dangle underneath and I want some actual definition to my arms. I don't know how long it will be before I'll start seeing some difference, but I'm game. I'm a little sore, but I'm game.

Off leash for the day!

Sorry for flying under the radar yesterday by not making a blog post. I left for Orem early Tuesday morning for a very significant meeting with the BSA, from there I ended up spending the night at my kid sisters house where time just slipped away from me. Little Sis even reminded me mid-afternoon that I could use her computer to make my post and yet I still didn’t “get ‘er done”. The good news is that even though I was “off leash” for the day, I still ate like a genuine champ. Sis fixed us a scrumptious salad for lunch, a bowl of sliced apples for a late afternoon snack, and when we went for dinner at the world famous Santaqueen Drive-In, I ordered a double cheeseburger, large fries, and a thick candy bar shake! Or at least I actually thought of order all of that…okay, the shake part anyway, but when it came time to order, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Instead, I had a grilled chicken salad with triple tomatoes and an ice water…awesome!

It’s obvious to me that I am becoming a changed man, not just physically but mentally as well. It seemed last night that “the new me” repelled the unhealthy food with the same stubbornness that “the old me” utilized to attract me to it. Now, of course I’ll eat junk food again…my life can never be totally void of milk shakes, but I hope to always indulge as a part of a plan, and never an impulse. I still have a long ways to go before I am in perfect control, for example, my last nutritional relapse was as recent as twelve days ago but last night at the drive-in was very encouraging.

All-in-all yesterday was a fine success, the prognosis for today looks splendid as well and I hope yours does too.

I took all my size 14 jeans to the DI today. It was scary, but I refuse to keep them.

A dream come true

Today, for the first time in fourteen years, I bought a pair of size 10 jeans. Not only did I just buy them, but they actually fit too! Since my first child was born, I've worn size 14.

Last fall, I went shopping with my sisters and all the size 14 jeans were too tight. I cried. I didn't want to go bigger. I felt hopeless as I'd tried every other diet out there with no lasting results. It wasn't that I wasn't willing to try, it was that nothing worked.

Then I heard about the hcg diet. I tried it. I've just finished my second stint and so far, I've lost 27 pounds. That may not seem like much, but it was a lot to me. To me, it's huge. I come from a family of skinny people and for many years, I was the fattest one. Not that I compared myself, but, well, you know, I did.

So, now I am down to 148. Most people would not admit all this but I want to give hope to those out there who are struggling. There is a way. It works. I have developed great eating habits and I feel wonderful. And let me just say, pulling on those size 10 jeans was just plain orgasmic. All I have to say is . . . YOU GO GIRL!!

First day

Today was my first day on the Cabbage Soup diet. I was worried about being hungry, being light headed from being hungry, wanting what the others in the office are eating. I wasn't worried about wanting cookies, cakes etc. because I spent last year weaning myself from sugar, but I still sometimes want something other than what I have.

Today I could have all the soup, fruit, juice and water that I wanted. And I did. And I wasn't hungry because every time I started to think I wanted to eat, I had an orange, or a glass of fresh juice, or a cup of herbal tea, or some water. Then I had peaches, applesauce, cucumbers and an orange for lunch. And a couple handfuls of popcorn the secretary sat in front of me before I remembered I wasn't going to have it today. Woops.

The soup was wonderful. The recipe makes a large pot full. The kids ate it and loved it and I still have a large bowl full in the fridge. I will divide it into my individual portion bowls and then just stick them in my lunch bag to take to work. I won't even have to think about what to take because it is already done. Yay!!

This is my new favorite beverage, especially with a bit of coconut milk added.

And what about these? Functional and cute.

Tasty yes, but still very stupid!

The “getting fit” paydays just keep on coming! Today I had the opportunity to help an elderly couple move out of their apartment. As usual, there were only a few able bodied guys on hand to make the move, but now that I am feeling so dang fit and spry, I didn’t even care that I would be doing most of the heavy stuff. Trip after trip I hauled stuff out to the trailer and hardly broke into a sweat. I didn’t even curse under my breath about the long set of stairs! (We really big people hate stairs, mostly because they go up and down, oh…and also because of gravity!)

I’ve said this before, but one of the coolest things about our bodies is that we don’t have to be considered slim to feel better. Once we reward our bodies with better food and regular exercise, our bodies are very quick to reward us by letting us feel better. And have you noticed the opposite is also true? One bad food binge and the gluttony sucks the life right out of you for several days.

Why I lived the way I used to live was just so freaking stupid (tasty yes, but still very stupid), and the only thing dumber would be for me to revert back to my old ways. A good friend of mine used to say, “Why do we do the things we do when we know the things we know?” I guess it goes back to what I said a few weeks ago. It does not matter what you know, it’s how you feel about what you know that dictates your actions. A doctor that smokes knows all about the ill effects, but the good doctor must not feel very strong about those ill effects or he/she would be ex-smokers already. The bottom line is, if I’m going to change, I’ve got to feel the need for change right to my very core. Looking back, that’s exactly what happened to me the night I cried out into cyberspace for your help. I’d been on enough diets to know a lot about getting healthy, but it was not until I felt super passionate about it, and was willing to swallow my pride, that I was able to begin making the needed changes. Once in a while I forget, and that’s why I sometimes "fall off the wagon" for a few days, but then I remember my blog, and those of you who are pulling for me, and I have no choice but get passionate all over again because I can’t allow myself to break my promises to you. You are the reason I’ve been able to keep on keeping on!


In the words of Little Cesar’s Pizza, (who, by the way, has nearly gone out of business since I quit eating there) “Thank you! Thank you!

Before and after

As much as I hate to show the before pic, I will. I have my pride after all. K, I'm not wearing makeup here because, hello, I haven't put any on.


Also the pick in the sweater is the before. I couldn't get the dang things to go where I wanted. Those boobs are due to a great bra! LOL

PS. Really hard to take a pic of yourself and not chop off your head!

Oh well. Excuses, excuses.

The end and the beginning!

Hey guys. That leptin diet sounds interesting but I think I like the hcg diet better. That could be because I've done it twice with amazing results. I'm all done with the twenty three days and am starting off phase three at 148. I feel so good! So thin! That is the best part! I love how I look. I'm going to go the rest of the way just eating the phase three part which is basically no starch and sugar, but I can eat as much as I want including healthy fats.

The first time I did it, I wasn't as committed. This time, I'm die hard! I'm going to make this work. I refuse to grow old feeling like crap. The worst part is I've lost my boobs. I mean, dang! I never thought I'd be one to consider a boob job, buy hey, my mind wanders there sometimes. We'll see. I want to see about getting fit and strong before I do anything drastic! =)

Good luck with all your goals!

Go, Leptin, Go!

Thanks Sabine for posting that info. about the Leptin diet. I've been talking to my husband about it and doing some research and I think I'm going to try it. I've read a bunch of testimonials from people who thought they couldn't go so long between meals, but after a few days of strict willpower, they don't have cravings in between meals - some of them even said they don't even think about food throughout the day anymore.

And trying to follow BFL, I've had to think about food all day long, what with planning the meal, making the meal, and cleaning up the meal. Once you do that six times, there's rarely an hour that goes by that I'm not thinking about food.

I was looking at the different books on the subject, trying to decide if I wanted to buy one. The problem is, there are several and I'm not sure which one to go with. I don't want to buy 6 books on Leptin and then decide it's not working for me. :-) There's the "Fat Resistance Diet" and the "Rosedale Diet" and then a couple books by the Byron Richards dude that are just about how the body works in general without as much diet and meal-planning advice, etc. I'm assuming since you called it the "Leptin Diet" instead of one of the others, that that's what you're going off of?

Anyway, just wondering. I think I'm going to start implementing the Leptin Rules right away, too. So we can compare notes on how it's going. :o)

Portion Control, and How It Varies

We all know that portion control is important in weight loss. It's true that we've become accustomed to eating more than we need. We eat until we're full, and that feeling of fullness comes from the food pushing our stomachs outward, which causes them to stretch. If we consistently eat until we're full, we continually stretch our stomachs outward, and it will take more and more food to achieve that feeling of full.

Instead, if we eat until we're satisfied, we're giving our bodies what they need. If we get hungry again in an hour, that's okay.

My chiropractor said something interesting once. He said, "You know how you're going along, and you get to that point in the meal where you kind of sigh, and then you go in for the kill again? That little sigh is your body's way of telling you it's satisfied. Stop and save the rest of your meal for later." I've tried that, and you know, he's right.

When I'm doing my normal daily routines, I've found that I get along quite happily on smaller portions. I don't need as much food. But I've also discovered something else. When I'm out doing the book signing/promoting/teaching thing, and I'm "on display," that tends to burn through my reserves more quickly and I find myself getting very, very hungry. I tend to eat a lot more at writers' conferences, book signing events, etc. than I do at home. I used to think that was a bad thing. We're all trying to watch what we eat, and eating more can't be good, right? Not so. When we're "on display," be it through book signings or standing in front of a class or presenting a paper or any other occasion which calls on us to be front and center, with all eyes on us, we are burning energy. We've got our nervous energy going on, which shoots our adrenaline up, and the longer we're teaching or performing, the more gets burned up. So afterward, we feel drained and we're starving. If we feel the need for a double cheeseburger, it's going into a system that's already revving and is more able to process it. If we eat the double cheeseburger when our system is not kicked into high gear, that's when it will do the most damage.

So, I've learned that if I find myself needing to eat more on certain occasions, that's fine. Our bodies know what they need and if we really listen to our bodies, they'll tell us.

YAHOO!!! Below 200!!!

Melissa said never to round up, so I'm not going to. I weighed myself today and I weigh 198.4. I'm now officially below that stupid 200 mark that I couldn't seem to get rid of for MONTHS. And I've lost my weight that I gained on my trip to San Diego!

YAY!! So I've lost 2.2 pounds. I really shouldn't lose more than 2 pounds a week, but I'm totally okay with that. Supposedly three pounds is probably in the okay range, but high. After that, if I'm losing more, I'm losing muscle mass (again, doesn't apply to HCG).

As long as I'm losing, I stay motivated enough to stay on my diet. Even when my husband brings home FAST FOOD--I don't eat it, but have something else instead. Although it does make me grumpy!

Haven't talked to my older brother about how his thing is going. I think he has lost 25 pounds so far. Not sure though. He's hoping he'll level out to losing about five pounds a week. I have no idea if that means he'll lose muscle mass or not because he is eating so much protein.

I also have a friend who decided that she would just exercise to lose weight. She has gotten down to 194 on just exercise alone--she is the same height as me etc, but she has dropped in sizes like crazy. At 194 I'm still in a size 16, pretty solidly. At 194 for her, right now she is almost in a size 12.

If only I didn't DESPISE exercise the way I do!! ;)

Leptin Anyone?

So the no sugar thing has been going okay. I had a coke last night, but migraines and cramps will do that to you. I don't feel like I fell off the wagon, so that is good. But I think I need to step up and add something else to the lifestyle change--remember baby steps? I can't do the no this, no that, only eat this, drink 30 cups of tea, etc... diets. But My sister has been having some success lately with Leptin and I think I can do it. Has anyone here tried it?

There are 5 rules...
1. Don't eat after dinner.
2. Eat 3 meals a day allowing 5-6 hours between meals (No Snacking).
3. Reduce Carbohydrates (But do not cut them out you need a 50/50 ratio).
4. Don't eat huge meals.
5. Have a high protein breakfast.

Other than that it is mostly just sensible eating. With my school schedule I could do this. I am going to try it out this week. I'll let you know how it goes. But if anyone has tried it I would love to hear what you thought. And if you haven't but are interested in knowing more. Check this out....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwdxTRAH_Gs

Like a train wreck

Ok, I have been derailed and the results are not pretty. My foot is not healing the way it should. Homework and school have become overwhelming and suddenly at work I have so much to do that I cannot keep up. As a result I went back to eating whatever is in front of me with no regard what-so-ever as to content of said food.

I had candy at my Mom's at Christmas, I will admit to a couple of donuts in the office and I did eat the chocolate turtles one of the counselors put in my thank-you for helping me out bag. And Mr. Scale has the proof.

But that is ok because I see it and am going to do something about it.

Starting today I am back on track, but I think I need to do something a bit extreme to jumpstart the process because I had hit a platue.

So here is my plan- I am going to try the Cabbage Soup Diet 7 day plan. Maybe. Unless I get too hungry to think straight. Then I will add more veggies and fruit.

Most of the weight I will lose will be water weight, but I know that and am ok with it. I just need to get myself back in the habit of paying attention to what is going in my mouth and why. I need to cleanse all of the sugar I have ingested out of my system.

And I need to feel in charge again.

Progress is Mine!

First off, welcome to Sabine, our newest blogger. I've known her since I was a teenager, and she's seen me at every stage of my weight journey ... oh, hold on. I don't think she ever saw me at my skinniest, which was when I got married. I shall take care of that right now:

Okay, now she's seen me in all my stages. :) But now I can't get Blogger to let me rearrange elements on the sidebar, so she has to just sort of dangle up there at the top until I figure it out. :)

Moving into the message for today ...

I've been paying a lot more attention to my fat intake. For so long, I've been living on autopilot, just moving from task to task to task. That's how weight creeps on, when we're not looking. We've talked a bit in the past how hard it's been for me to shift my focus onto myself. When you have four children who are home schooled and you work full-time from home, it gets hard to find those minutes to think about yourself. I'm working on it, though, I really am!

I mentioned that my blood pressure has gone down a lot already, and that's awesome. But perhaps the most measurable progress is in my weight.

Are you ready?

Can I say it?

I'm now at 277.5, which is a total loss so far of 7 pounds. 7 pounds for Tristi! Go, Tristi! Go, Tristi!

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiii A Snow Day

Wooooo hooooooo. We're snowed in. Can't get into or out of our driveway. It's 1/8 mile long and we've been stuck before and my brother-in-law had to pull us out with his tractor. Unfortunately, this tractor that he also uses to plow out our driveway is not working at the moment so we really don't want to get stuck. We're homebound until 1) someone else can plow our driveway, 2) the snow melts enough to drive on it, or 3) it's spring.

Since we're all home, my daughter decided to set up a profile for me on a Wii game, "Your Personal Coach." It's fun but a little weird working out to a cartoon. I've been working out with Gilad on FitTv, you know, a real person. But, this Wii game is supposed to be a workout specifically made to meet your own personal goals. I'm going to do it for a few weeks and see how that goes. I'll miss Gilad and his funky pronunciation of abdomen.

I've been on Phase 2 of the South Beach diet which is super easy for me. Fruits, vegetables, lean meat, cereal, wheat pasta, cheese, etc. I can even have popcorn on this phase. I have cheated by drinking hot chocolate, but decided that snow days=hot chocolate.

Kaizen

Hi everyone! I am new to this blog so I thought I would share briefly who I am and why I need this blog! I am a 33 (almost 34) year old stay at home mother of three. My passions are reading (everything and anything), writing (I am working on a novel), movies, music, and plays(watching and listening to the last three not participating in :)). I recently went back to school after a ten year break, am a member of my church's activities committee and a bona fide soccer mom (seeing as all three kids play soccer and the oldest just started traveling to out of state tournaments). So all in all I consider myself to be a pretty busy lady.

Unfortunately staying busy doesn't always coincide with staying fit. Ten years ago when I got married I was 5'9" and 150 pounds. Today I am still 5'9" but on January 1st of this year I realized that I had added 38 pounds over that time. In addition to that, last year I added something else not fun and very much weight related to my scale...type two diabetes.

2010 is my year to reclaim my health. To lose the weight, or gain the muscle. And to be able to run that 8 minute mile with my 9 year old without having to stop after the first lap because I can hardly breath.

The Japanese have a word "Kaizen" which literally means improvement. They use this mostly in business, but my sister taught me to apply it to every facet of life. It kind of reminds me of baby steps. We need to spend time everyday improving ourselves. I have tried to diet so many times without success that I just want to give up, but this year I am trying to baby step myself to improvement. So for this month I am simply cutting out all sugar, but once a week allowing myself a small guilty pleasure.

I started the year at 188.7 pounds. As of today I am 182.3. So I would call the cut back on sugar a great way to start losing the weight! Thanks for letting me share my story, and good luck to everyone striving to regain their health this year. We can do it!

Fast food at home

I just created a new favorite. I bought some shredded barbecued chicken last night (it was on sale). For lunch I was in a hurry, as usual, so I warmed it up and stuffed some into a pita pocket with a bunch of shredded cabbage. It was so good I'd like to make myself another one, but I will resist. I'm about to have my dessert of two clementines.

Pita pocket, 90 calories, 0 grams fat, 1 gram fiber.
Curly's pulled barbecue chicken, 1/4 cup, 100 calories, 3.5 grams fat, 1 gram fiber.
Small handful of shredded cabbage, calories so low it doesn't even hit the radar, all fiber.

Ten down!

Tomorrow is my last shot on the hcg diet. I only did the short, 23 day stint this time. It made it much easier. As of today I have lost ten pounds. I feel so good. I now wear a size twelve and even some of those jeans have a bit of room. It feels so good.

For the next three days after the last shot, I have to continue with the 500 cal. diet as the hcg is still in your system. After that, for the next three weeks, you can eat as much as you want but no starches or sugars. If I stick to that, I'll keep losing slowly while my body resets its base weight. I am bound and determined to stick to the rules this time. I really want to make this work, to make it stick.

I don't want to grow old feeling like crap, always tired, always hungry, always guilty. I have learned to master my hunger, cravings and habits. This diet forces your spirit to prevail over your body. It's hard. I won't lie, but the results are so rewarding. I can't even describe how good I feel. I haven't been 150 pounds for over ten years. I still can't believe my scale. My goal is to be between 140-145.

I want to start running again if my foot will let me. I want to be the kind of mom who likes to be active, who has energy until the day I die. Wish me luck!

Crock Pot Recipes

Here's a couple of recipes I use in my crockpot:

Chicken Enchiladas

Corn tortillas
chicken (canned or boiled and cut up)
green taco sauce--2 bottles
olives--1 can
cheese--1 cup or so
1/8 onion (chopped)

Layer toritllas on bottom of crockpot. I use about 10-12. Next add chicken (half of a large can or half a breast), one bottle of green taco sauce, 1/2 of your chopped onions, 1/2 can of olives, 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.

Cook on low for 2-3 hours or on high for 1 hour or so.

I serve it with brown rice.

Italian Chicken

4-6 frozen, skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of Italian (dry) salad dressing

Put chicken in crockpot, empty packet of Italian dressing all over the breasts.

Cook on low about 6 hours. Super easy.

Serve with brown rice and steamed broccoli.

My kids love both of these recipes and they're both really easy (which is why I make them).

I also use my crockpot to cook ribs, roast, potatoes. I had to get a second, larger crockpot so I could do the roast and potatoes at the same time. We loooooove the ribs cooked in the crockpot and can feed a bunch of people. Just add bbq sauce to the ribs about halfway through the cooking time. Mmmmmmmm. Wish I could do that tonight, but alas, we're having a blizzard as I type this.

Bad News and Good News

The bad news is that I'm sick again ... the air pollution hit me really hard last week and the sinuses are very unhappy with me.

The good news is that I went to the doctor yesterday (yes, that is good news - keep reading) and they took my blood pressure. It's down appreciably. Yay! I've been watching my fat intake more closely and I think those triglycerides are noticing the difference. This is not to say that I've been perfect, by any means, but I think it shows that everything we do can add up to a positive result.

Now that I've assured you that I'm not dead ... I'm going back to bed.

New Reasons to Succeed

As if I didn't already want to lose weight and get healthy ...

I just agreed to go on a book tour in April, hitting Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and a town in California ... but I can't remember which one. I'm sure it's cool, though. Aren't most towns in California cool?

At any rate, I want to get in better shape because touring is exhausting. I'm also thinking about my poor behind in an airplane seat. It was all right the last time I flew, but it could be a little bit better, you know? I figure that I can shave off a bit of girth between now and then and just increase my comfort level by that much.

I've been watching my fat intake this last week and I'm surprised that it's actually not a terrible thing to eat less than 50 g. of fat. Of course, you get that in one fast food meal, but if you're cooking at home, it's easy to keep that fat intake low. Of course, there's the trick - cooking at home. I haven't been doing a whole lot of meal preparation lately, but that's going to change - I'm working on more recipes for my cookbook, which is always awesome incentive to cook. :)

Now I just need to go buy more batteries for my Wii.

Weigh-In Time

My official weigh-in is on Sundays--I'm now at 200.6, but I'm pretty much counting it as 201. So I've lost 2 pounds this week. Yay! I was so mad that I gained three pounds over Christmas break.

Although it does feel a little sad to be celebrating 201. Oh well. Gotta take the successes where you can right?

My older brother is doing this 'ketosis' diet thing, where you force your body into a state of ketosis which then uses your fat stores as energy. He lost 15 pounds in seven days. I told him to keep me informed on how the rest of it goes. I'm curious to see how it will work out for him. According to him it's kind of like Atkin's gone crazy, but also like HCG as it was never intended to be a lifestyle change. You eat protein--a lot of it. And green veggies for the most part--no corn, carrots, no veggies that tend to be high in sugar. And you eat NO SUGAR. And I'm not just talking about processed sugar here; I'm talking about fruit too. Anything that lists sugar as an ingredient is also out. Potatoes are out too as they are too starchy. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be a limitation--he can eat as many calories as he wants. Hmmm . . . not sure what I think about it, but I figure I'll see how it works out for him.

On the other hand, hopefully he'll take a multi-vitamin. Can you imagine not eating fruit?

I thought it might be interesting to post about what my brother is doing too. I'll keep you guys informed. As far as I'm concerned I just want to continue keeping my calories under control and implementing exercise again. I have NOT been exercising. I want to make sure I make it to taekwondo at least once.

This past week I did a really good job of sticking to the 1400 calories a day. I went really low one day--didn't even hit 1200 but that was because I was at work until late, and I didn't feel like fixing anything big when I got home, so I had a bowl of cereal and went to bed. It happens. This weekend was a bit problematic--it always seems to be. I think I've gone over, but haven't tracked my caloric intake too well. That's also something I need to work on. The weekends.

It's great reading about how everyone else seems to be progressing. Congratulations you guys!

Yes it's me!

Yes, it's me...the diet drop out. I gained weight in the holiday months and was not very happy with myself. I decided to hop onto the HCG bandwagon and see how it's works for me. With the theory that my metabolism will be re-set, I needed to try this.

I have been on the Phase 1 of the diet, where I eat only raw, whole foods. I won't start the HCG until phase 1 is over. In the past week I have lost 7 pounds. I am excited to be trying something different, though right now I wish that I were somewhere else. My kids made a chocolate cake tonight and I snuck a bite. I am feeling so GUILTY here!

I know that this plan will not be easy, but I have seen so many friends and ward members using this plan and losing tons of weight. So Melissa, thanks for your initial pep talk and I am sure that we will be talking soon.

After I lose the weight that I want, I will be heading back to my weight watchers plan of monitoring points of the food I eat. I also hope that I will learn to like eating the whole, natural foods. Getting back to nature can't be a bad thing.

Home made Veggie Pizza

Dr. Oz's Homemade Veggie Pizza*

1/2 8" whole wheat pizza crust
2 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetables sauteed in 1 tsp olive oil
1 TBSP each sliced olives, sun dried tomatoes
2 TBSP shredded mozzarella cheese
herbs to taste

Bake at 250* F for 10-15 minutes


This recipe is for 1 serving, adjust for you family sized pizza

Carrot Muffins

4 oz pureed carrots (can cook and make your own or use baby food)
1/3 cup raw honey
2 eggs
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
*Optional 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Icing-
1/4 cup fat-free cream cheese
1/2 tsp raw honey

Preheat oven to 350* F. Coat 12- cup muffin pan with cooking spray or fill with paper cupcake liners

Whisk pureed carrots, honey, eggs, and oil in bowl

Whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, salt, and cloves in large bowl. Make well in center and add carrot mixture, stirring just until blended. Add shredded carrots and nuts and stir.

Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to rack and cool 10 minutes. Remove muffins from pan to rack and cool completely.

Stir cream cheese and honey in bowl until smooth. Spread a scant tsp on center of each muffin.

Servings:12 per serving- 169 cal, 4 g pro, 21 g carb, 8 g fat, 1 g st fat, 30 mg chol, 254 mg sodium

Chicken Fajita Salad

3 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast
1/2 cup canned no salt added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup diced avocado
2 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups mixed greens
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 Tbsp vinaigrette dressing

Heat skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray over medium high heat. Add chicken breast and cook, turning once, about 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set on cutting board

Combine beans, avocado, onion, cilantro, and mixed greens in medium bowl; toss.

Whisk lime juice, garlic, cumin, and dressing in small bowl. Slice chicken into thin slices.

Toss salad with dressing and top with chicken.

Servings:1 Per Serving: 360 cal, 30 g pro, 30 g carb, 12 g fiber, 14 g fat, 2 g st fat, 49 mg chol, 464 mg sodium

Onward and Upward (and Downward)

I posted last week that I was at 170 pounds, which was true when I weighed in that morning. The next day I stepped on the scale and it said 173! Stupid scale. But this morning it was back down to 170.

I found another way to fit exercise into my life this past week. My office used to be on the main floor of our house. A month or so ago we moved my computer and desk upstairs. Everything else, like the kitchen and bathroom, are downstairs. So I'm making more trips up and down the stairs than I used to during the day. I decided to try an extra run up and down the stairs every time I had to go downstairs for anything. I added an incentive of one piece of candy (Hershey Hugs) for every extra stair run. (I was keeping them in a kitchen drawer instead of on my desk.) You know, if you go full speed up and down stairs many, many times a day, you get pretty tired by the end of the day. I think I'll try to keeping doing a few extra stair runs all at once, just once a day.

Something I noticed as I was writing down everything I ate. If I got rid of all the things I shouldn't really be eating right now, like chocolate or soda, I wouldn't be eating enough calories to be healthy. I know I need to get rid of the bad food and incorporate the good food. I've just got to figure out a way to do it that doesn't make me hate life.

My Progress

by Rebecca Talley

I started Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet a week ago. I stayed on it pretty well, though I did have a few bites of a flour tortilla on Tueday and some cereal yesterday. All in all, I did pretty well on it and plan to keep on it for another week. Then I'll move to Phase 2 which is really easy for me because it allows me to add in fruit, pasta, and cereal.

I have not snacked on sugary things, a big change from December. I do allow myself a Weight Watchers ice cream bar each night after dinner as a reward. Generally, the bars are about 130-150 calories. Enough of a sweet treat but not one that destroys my day's worth of eating. I also snack on whole almonds and drink as much water as I can manage (2-4 quarts).

I exercised M-Th for 60 minutes per day with Gilad on FitTV. I didn't exercise on Friday because I took my daughter into the oral surgeon to have her wisdom teeth removed. But, Saturday I helped my husband dig the Yukon out of the snow for an hour or so and then helped stack 60 bales of hay into our trailer so I decided I'd count that as my exercise.

Weigh-in today: I lost 3 lbs.

I'm hoping to lose another 3 lbs by the weigh-in next week.

Oh, and I love the background! Looks very Valentiney!

Taco Soup

1 TBSP olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes in juice
2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 package (10 oz) frozen corn
Sea salt
Ground pepper
1 cup crushed tortilla chips, plus more for serving
1 TBSP fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and chili powder until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper.

Bring soup to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Add tortilla chips; cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup with lime wedges and if desired more chips.

277 calories per serving, 6.3 g fat, 0.8 g sat fat, 12.8 g protein, 46.3 g carb, 8.3 g fiber

Victory over the enemy

You may be asking, "What or who is the enemy?" After Tristi's post, we know fat isn't the enemy. So what is? I'll answer that question.

We are! Our bodies are naturally lazy and crave what is not healthy. But why? Because that is part of being human. Ever heard the phrase, "I never said it would be easy, only worth it?" Well, that's my theory. We are meant to over come the desires and cravings of our bodies, to master them. It's not easy.

This week, I can honestly say, I HAVE PREVAILED! And believe me, it was hard. It was that time where I am always hungry, retain water and feel ornery from morning til night. But as I weighed myself this morning, all that sacrifice was worth it. I am down to 155.6. That means, in one week, I lost five pounds.

My old "tight" jeans are actually baggy! Yeah baby! I love this diet. It takes a bit of discipline, but is well worth it. I feel so good.

I also measured myself, which I do once a week and have lost several inches all over. That feels good too. I've learned something in my studies. Your body develops a base weight. It stays there for a variety of reasons, mostly hormonal. It doesn't matter what you do, you will probably not get past it. If you do, you will bounce back. The hcg actually helps you change that hormonally stuck weight and resets your base weight so it won't come back. I LOVE that.

After finishing the hcg diet the first time. I didn't stick to a strick diet like I was supposed to do for the first three weeks after. I went back to my old way of eating. I didn't lose any more (which I was supposed to do if I ate healthier) but I did maintain that ending weight for three months. That means it worked! I started at 175 back then, and ended at 158. This time, I started at 160 and hope to get to about 140-145. Somewhere in there. I also plan on doing better immediately after which is vital to setting your new base weight. So, there it is.

Good to all of you in your endeavors!

That's Phat!

Actually, our topic for tonight is fat. Not the "I feel so fat" kind, but the actual substance known as fat, as found in food.

As part of my quest to understand the mysteries of the triglyceride, I've been doing some research into the world of fats.

Some fat is necessary for health. According to Wikipedia, you can't digest vitamins A, D, E, and K without it. Fat aids in brain function, maintains healthy skin and hair, protects the vital organs from injury, helps maintain body temperature, and proper cell function. Fat can also act as a buffer against some types of diseases.

So, see, it's not entirely evil. From personal experience, I know how much it aids in brain health - when I'm really stressed and trying to figure something out, my first inclination is to eat something fattening, and it always helps. It also helps me with mood stabilization. When my grandmother died, I really struggled. She and I were close and I missed her so much. They didn't serve the traditional ham and potatoes at her funeral meal. Instead, they served a buffet of several different types of salad, and while it was nice for a change, I needed a fattening meal to help balance out the intense emotions I was feeling. We stopped and got me a cheeseburger on the way home, and I felt much better afterward. This is probably why fattening food is so addicting - it does help you feel better in certain situations. The term "comfort food" doesn't just apply to food that tastes good, but to food that literally comforts you, which is pretty nearly always high in fat. So, see, there's a logical basis behind why we crave fat when we're upset.

On the other hand, too much fat ... well, we know what too much fat does to a person. In addition to the things it does to our overall body shape, it puts us in danger of heart disease and some types of cancer. Unsaturated fats, though, such as found in avocados, olive oil, and nuts, can help lower cholesterol in your body.

Now here's another interesting thing about fat. If you're looking to cut calories, you'll want to note this. Fat has 9 calories per gram, which is more than twice the calories you'll find in a carb or a protein. Fat, carbs, and proteins are the three sources from which we get energy. So if you're cutting calories but want energy, head toward the carbs and the protein over the fat. You'll get more bang for your calorie.

Ever since I became a mother, I've pretty much been living my life on autopilot. It's pretty normal for a woman's focus to shift from herself onto her children once she has them - it's part of nature's way and Heavenly Father's plan to see to it that the little ones have what they need. But what we forget is that we're His little ones, too, and we still need to take care of ourselves. I don't know about you, but I would never feed my children the way I feed myself. There are days when I forget to eat all day, then I run out to do errands, feel faint, run through a drive-through and get a sandwich, fries, and soda (coming in at 1,040 calories, 36 g. fat, 50 g. cholesterol, and 1,480 mg. sodium) and then don't eat another thing for twenty-four more hours. How many of us would feed our children that way? Of course we wouldn't. That's insane. But I do it to myself all the time.

But times ... they are a changin'. For the last few days, I've been paying a lot more attention to what I eat. I went to the grocery store yesterday and bought a few different types of things, and I'm actually enjoying eating them. Yesterday I made myself a snack of a slice of whole grain bread wrapped around mushrooms and wheat grass sprouts, and I actually enjoyed the different tastes and textures. This afternoon I made myself a salad with lots of cucumbers for moisture and left off the dressing, and found the radishes rather appealing.

But how do I quantify my progress? How do I know when I've done what I needed to do? I can't get another blood test for a little while - it takes time for things to show up in the body, and I'm the type of person who needs to be able to chart what I'm doing and to know if I'm in range.

So I did a little further research. Just how much fat is a person supposed to eat, anyway? What are the parameters involved?

According to ask.com, your fat intake should be 20% to 30% of your diet, as much of that in the unsaturated fat category as possible. If you're living a diet of between 1200 and 1500 calories per day, you should be getting between 240 and 450 calories from fat = 26 to 50 grams of fat per day.

That helps me out a lot, to have a target range to shoot for. I know they say you shouldn't try to diet with a long string of numbers, but I need the numbers to help me know where my range should be. After I've seen it, then I can live it a little more intuitively, but I have to be able to see it first.

So, there's the story about fat. It's something we all need, but we don't need as much of it as we often consume.

My goals for this week continue along the same veins, but now with more concrete facts - I'm going to work on getting my fat intake down, increasing the fruits and vegetables, and getting back into the groove with exercise. I'm actually a little excited to weigh in tomorrow - I've been a mostly good girl this weekend and I think it will show.

Dumb Vacation

The title says it all--I gained three pounds. PFFT.

I'm focusing right now on just getting my diet under control.

I'll let you know how I do next week.

Broccoli Cheddar Scramble

1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen, thawed broccoli
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
3/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add broccoli, muchrooms, and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add egg whites and cook 2-3 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle cheese on top of eggs to melt. Cover and let stand a few seconds.

Servings: 1 Per serving: 211 cal. 31 g pro. 10 g carb, 4 g fiber, 6 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 20 mg chol, 555 mg sodium

The Best of Intentions ...

First of all, I wish to call your attention to my weight on the sidebar. Yes, that is accurate. :)

Secondly, I went to a party tonight. (Shout-out to all the Storymakers - you rock!) Anyway, my plan had been to eat the casserole I brought and to have some salad on the side, and leave it at that. But then I got caught up in a conversation with someone (you know who you are) and by the time we got to the food tables, my dish was gone. So I made do with what was left (not a lot at that point) and I don't even want to think about how much fat I consumed. It was all very delicious, and I thank everyone for bringing it, but when your goal is to lower your triglycerides, well, there wasn't a whole lot of lowering going on tonight.

But:

1. I exercised for thirty minutes.

2. I drank more water than usual - still didn't hit my goal, but I drank more.

3. I had a healthy breakfast and lunch.

4. Remembered my medication (although, some people at the party tonight might disagree)

So overall, I did well today, with plans to do even better tomorrow.

Hope your Sunday is peaceful.

I'm dying! I can't take it anymore! That's why I'm here on the computer instead of in the kitchen with everyone else.

My husband made this fabulous smelling stew with sweet potatoes, onions, potatoes and the best roast you've ever tasted. It just falls apart. He also made corn bread. That was the kicker. I LOVE bread--any kind. So I had to run away and hide in my room. You cannot cheat on the hcg diet or it will put you three days behind.

This is the hard part of this diet. If I couldn't smell it, I'd be fine. What I get to eat is no where near as tasty as everything the rest of the fam. eats, but I only have two and a half weeks to go. I've lost almost five pounds in the week I've been on it. That is always nice.

So, off I go to feel deprived and do more edits. Wish me luck!

Triglycerides

As part of my plan to change my current situation, I'm doing some research into the facts and figures I was given at my health assessment. One of the things that leaped out at me is the fact that my triglyceride count is too high. I'd like to share with you the things I've researched on that - it will help me remember and it might be of benefit to you.

Triglycerides - basically, this is the term for fat in your blood. The medical websites say that when you consume fat or calories, and you don't burn them off by exercising, they get converted into triglycerides in your body. They then get carried off to your fat cells for storage. Then, when you expend energy, your fat cells release them to help maintain that energy.

(See picture) The top figure shows a rat on a healthy diet. The bottom picture shows a rat after consuming a diet high in triglycerides. It's pretty obvious, eh?

When you have too many triglycerides in your body, you are putting yourself at risk for coronary artery disease. Your ideal levels are less than 150 mg. Mine are at 403 mg. Yikes. Yep, that puts me in the high range, although thankfully, not in the very high range. It's best if you have this test done while fasting.

Ways to lower your triglycerides - You guessed it. Diet and exercise. You start by eating less fat, and then you burn it off through exercise. To get rid of the triglycerides already stored in your fat cells, you would exercise a little more.

It seems that humans, as a general rule, are always trying to find ways around that whole diet and exercise thing. You can do a Google search and find scads of pages of programs that say, "You don't have to exercise at all! Just eat one pill of eye of newt daily and watch the pounds melt away." It's true that there are certain vitamins and nutrients that help weight loss, and there are certain drugs that will do it too, but for a truly healthy lifestyle, we must watch what we eat and we must exercise. There is no way around that. If I had my way, I'd live on Arby's and Wendy's, never exercise, and have the body of a supermodel. Not gonna happen - that's not how our bodies were designed.

So my goal: lower my triglycerides. I don't know how long I need to wait for my next blood test, if the changes will show up immediately or if they take time to appear. I'll ask my life coach that when we have our phone interview in February. In the meantime, I've started a diary to track what I'm eating and my exercise habits.

How'm I doing with my other goals?

1. Eat breakfast. I'm doing some better here. I'd say I'm eating breakfast about 50% of the time now. Still some room for improvement, certainly. But doing better than I was.

2. When I do eat fast food, getting a side salad instead of fries. I have eaten fast food twice since setting this goal, and each time, I just got a sandwich instead of a combo. So, not bad.

3. Eating before I leave home, so I'm not as tempted to eat fast food. I've been sick (big shocker there) so I haven't left the house as often. However, I must say that when I have left the house, I've been careful to eat first. I'm getting ready to go grocery shopping, and so right now I'm eating some oatmeal and two scrambled eggs. Good on me!

I shall continue to update, especially in regards to those pesky triglycerides. After I feel I've got my mind wrapped around those, I'll begin my next phase: cholesterol.

Creamy Corn Chowder

Creamy Corn Chowder

5-8 red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and diced
1 bay leaf, broken in half to release flavor
3-5 carrots, chopped
1 onion minced
2-4 stalks celery including leaves, chopped
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 bags (16 oz) frozen corn, or 2 cans (16 oz) unsweetened corn{read the label and be sure you get corn with no sugar}
1/2 cup healthy mayo (this is one kind)
Paprika and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, combine potatoes, bay leaf, onion, carrots, and celery. Cover with water and simmer until carrots are tender. Scoop 1 cup soup into small mixing bowl or blender and hand blend with 1/2 cup flour, salt and mayo until smooth. Stir back into pot and let simmer until thick. Add corn, taste and correct seasonings. Serve

Weekly menu

I thought I would share my weekly menu with you. I will post the recipe for the items marked with *

Saturday
Breakfast- Scrambled egg/hot sauce, 1 toast, ½ banana, 1 cup yogurt
Lunch- Corn Chowder*
Supper- Fruit juice smoothie

Sunday
Breakfast- 2 toast, fresh juice
Lunch- Meatloaf
Supper-Broccoli Cheddar Scramble*

Monday
Breakfast- 1 Whole wheat English muffin, 3 oz Canadian bacon, 1 apple, 8 oz milk
Snack-fresh juice smoothie
Lunch- Tuna sandwich, orange from cafeteria
Dinner- Stir fry

Tuesday
Breakfast- Oatmeal w/cinnamon and agave
Snack- orange
Lunch- Salad with left over stir fry meat
Dinner- Taco Soup*

Wednesday
Breakfast- egg, toast, milk
Snack- fresh juice smoothie
Lunch- Taco soup
Dinner- Miso soup

Thursday
Breakfast- Scrambled egg w/cheese, broccoli, tomato, green onion
Snack- triscit, cheese
Lunch- Chicken sandwich from cafeteria
Dinner- Chicken fajita salad*

Friday
Breakfast- Carrot muffin, fresh fruit juice*
Snack- Fresh juice smoothie
Lunch- chopped salad
Dinner- Homemade veggie pizza*

Progress report

Today
30 minutes on the treadmill
2.5 miles
Drank 48 oz water

Scale and I are not on speaking terms today.

I did it!

Last night was my first time in a gym in about a year (and that last time was a first time in about 15 years). I decided to start off with the cycling because I love riding my bike and I didn't know where anything else was (besides the treadmills and I didn't want to look like a wimp walking on one of those nasty things). After almost half an hour on the bike I was feeling pretty good, other than the fact that my legs felt like jelly. I had gotten a bike near a wall that was one huge mirror. I tell ya, that was incentive right there. I could see the rolls as I held on to the bike and I was determined to get rid of them.

After that I spied the weight equipment. Now if there ever was a place designed to intimidate women who need to exercise, it is the weights area. There are mostly men there, and they are men who look like they've been taking steroids ( I think one I saw actually has been), and the little pictures on the equipment that is supposed to help you know what to do, doesn't actually help.

I stood by one and looked over the diagram, trying to figure it out, and finally decided just to sit down and try it. Even if I was doing it wrong, I was at least trying and getting some exercise, right? I hadn't been at it for 30 seconds when an old, but buff man came up to me kind of timidly and asked if he could help me. It was awesome. He showed me exactly what I needed to do. Then I showed him what I affectionately call, "my Relief Society Arms" and pointed out that those areas were what I wanted to firm up. He smiled and showed me 6 other machines and taught me how to use each one. He told me to do more repetitions with less weight so I could firm and lose inches rather than gain muscle and muscle weight.

It was awesome. It was honestly my first great experience with a Clevelander. Normally, people here are not friendly at all. It was really great to meet someone who could be kind to a stranger.

I look forward to going back today. I think I'm going to try out the pool. . , .

Oh, the Humiliation! Part Two

The natives are in bed (mostly) and I believe I'm ready to proceed with my train of thought.

First of all, you will notice off to the right that I added a little something to the sidebar. That's right - I posted my current weight under my name. If any of you would like me to do that for you, I'd be more than happy to ... it'll keep me from being the Lone Ranger over there. But I did that for a very important reason ... I'm not doing well right now, and I intend to change that.

Folks, I weigh 284.5 pounds, according to the Wii Fit. According to the scale at the health assessment last night, I weigh 284.0, so I think I can trust the Wii's judgment - I've wondered how accurate it is, and that answers that question. (Of course, I was hoping the Wii was very, very wrong.) It is with no small measure (pun not intended) of trepidation that I post my weight on this blog. However, you're all my friends, and I trust that you're not all going to rush out and post it on your Facebook status. My last reason ... I've decided to show that if I can do it, anyone can.

My cholesterol: 199

Triglycerides: 403

Blood Pressure: 126/92

I'm not going to post my BMI. I do have some pride left. But basically what I'm saying here is, I'm not in the greatest of shape. I don't have anything terribly wrong with me right now, but I can see where I'm creating an environment where it so easily could happen.

So, here's the plan:

In working with the life coach, I'm going to establish goals to help me get these numbers where they should be. I'm going to set a date to go in and have these levels rechecked, and then I'm going to check 'em. Then we're going to see how I've done. I'm going to do some research into what kinds of goals are realistic - I'm not going to plan for my cholesterol to go down eighty points in the first week, obviously. I know that things take time, and progress is slow. But we're going to make progress.

I promise myself that.

Oh, the Humiliation!

My husband's employer has recently signed up with the Apple Program, an insane insurance thingy to help all their employees and spouses stay healthy. What happens, see, is they raised the price on our health insurance, and if we do their program, they'll lower it. Supposedly, it will be lowered to a little below where it was when they jacked up the price, so we will come out ahead. You'll note I said supposedly ... I'm a natural cynic about things like that.

Last night was the Night of Fun and Merriment. Spouses of employees went down to the workplace and got a health assessment so we'd know what we needed to do in order to "pass." I was weighed (I'm fatter than I thought I was) and I was pricked (my blood is exactly the color I thought it was - kind of a nice burgundy-red) and my blood pressure was taken (right about where it usually is, which isn't a terribly bad place to be. Especially considering that I was under stress at that moment.)

The upshot? Because of the fatness thereof, I get to call a life coach on the phone once a month and discuss my general fatness. I get to set goals and track them, and if I do all that, we'll save money on our health insurance.

In theory, I can't say this is a bad idea. We all could stand to be a little healthier. We could all eat better, exercise more, drink more water ... but to be told such things, by a stranger (translate: cute little blonde girl who has never had a fat cell in her life) and to have to meet with someone on the phone and tell them about your donut cravings and lack of desire to eat broccoli ... I don't know. In a way, it seems invasive. In a way, I'm thinking it's a good incentive. I don't actually know what I think.

However, I'm going to get a little more serious about this whole thing. I want the money-saving incentive. Even more than that, I'm flying across the country in May and I want to make sure that my hiney is comfortable in the seat, so I want to decrease its dimensions a bit. More on my plans to do this another day ... the natives are restless and it's bedtime.

Exercise, Again

Well, I may not have much in the way of self control when it comes to eating, but I finally am joining a gym. A friend is looking to sell her membership and it's pretty cheap. So we've set it up that I can have a two week trial membership while the paperwork goes through for me to take over her membership. I start today.

Months ago I started an exercise group with a few girls as Church and when it got to Christmas time no one came because "Christmas trees and babies don't mix." This little piece of information to me was bewildering since we all had Christmas trees in our homes and we all had kids and babies in our home. Plus, we'd been sending the kids down to the basement to play while we exercised, so I don't see the problem.

Anyway, I decided to go with a gym membership. I'll let y'all know how it works out!

Am Not!!

I am not a wimp or a baby.

I had my surgery a month ago. The dr. told me I could start walking on the treadmill 2 weeks ago and running on it last week. But there were days that I could barely walk. In fact, some days I would look at my kids and say, "I feel like someone beat the bottom of my foot with a baseball bat."

This week my ankle and tendon up my shin hurt so bad I wanted to cry. In fact yesterday it hurt so bad I said that if I didn't have a follow up scheduled for today, I would make one.

And I still hadn't gotten on the treadmill. And I felt like a baby and a wimp. Or just lazy.

I saw the doctor today and told him about the beating with a bat feeling. He just said, "Hmmm." Then he looked at my foot and said "What's this? Is this tender?" Oh ya, it was tender.

"Well, you have a stitch trying to come out here. It is one from inside, it should have dissolved, but didn't and now it has abscessed. I'm going to have to pull it out, but you will feel better after." Then he gets out the tweezers.

Insert a sharp hissing intake of breath sound here. Or two or three.

Then he tells me that my tendons should not be so sore still. But since he had to split them to get to the screw, it could just be taking them longer to heal. He'll see me in two weeks and if they aren't better he'll do an x-ray.

But the good news today is this, I came home and walked 1 mile on the treadmill.

It took me 20 minutes at about 3.4 mph and my foot feels like fire now, but I did it.

Rebooting

I'm holding at 170, which is slightly up from before the holidays. All in all, I'm glad I didn't gain more than that.

So, here we go with the new year. My new goal is to lose 2 pounds a week. If I do that consistently until mid-April, I will be down 30 pounds by the LDS Storymakers writers conference. I will have to buy new clothes for the occasion (or just pull out some of my old, smaller clothes) because what fits me now is going to be much too big.

To do this, I've got to get back to what works for me.
1. Write down everything I eat.
2. Drink enough water.
3. No bag full of snacks at my desk while I work.
4. Increase exercise.
5. Blog regularly for accountability.

Update

Today is my second day on the hcg diet, but officially my fourth. The first two days were load days in which I gained 4 pounds. I think I've explained before that you have to eat as much fat on those first two days as you can.

Anyway, I started out at 160, went to 164 on the load days, then went back to 160 on the first day of actual dieting and today, the fourth day, I weight 158.6. Woo hoo! I am supposed to lose about a pound a day. I love this diet. It's so easy compared to any others I've tried. I'm doing it with one of my dearest friends. We started out at the same weight. Hope I win! he he

So, I'll keep you posted of my progress. I'm only doing a short stint of 23 days this time. I should lose 15 to 20 pounds in that time period. We'll see. Wish me luck.

Ready . . . Set . . . Crawl!

Okay, so I'm not feeling overly confident in the start I've had so far on my triathlon training.

But in the past 8 days, I've done one 20-minute run, an upper body workout, and an 800-meter swim. And I've eaten a lot of sweets. Like, a really lot. But not as much as I was eating before I started, er, training.

I also found out some amazing news. The swim portion of the tri I'm signed up for is only 300 meters! Hallelujah! I can do 750 just fine, but not at anything over a snail's pace. The shorter the swim, the less behind the pack I'll be. ;o)

One good reason to train hard on the swim, though, is that your start time is determined by your swim speed. The slower I am on the swim, the closer to the back of the pack I'll be. And already starting out at the back from the beginning just doesn't sound fun. LOL!

The kids are back in school on Monday, and hopefully I'll find some small amount of willpower to get myself back on track once we're back on a schedule. Wish me luck!!

Overheard

Convo with my 15 year old son yesterday:

"Mom, last night everyone was talking about what their resolutions were going to be. When they asked me I just said, 'I'm Mormon so I guess my resolutions have to be- Read the Book of Mormon, Lose weight.'"

I laughed. Silly boy.

Happy New Year!

Yep, it's January 1st, the day when everyone in the world makes goals to lose weight. And tomorrow is January 2nd, the day when everyone in the world decides that they can't do it, or that they'll start the following Monday, or that they'll just have this one last binge and then they'll be good forever and ever. I can't tell you how many times I've eaten a fast food meal, telling myself that it's the last one I'll ever have, and that I'd better enjoy it while I can. Sound familiar?

I've decided that this year, I'm going to set some goals I actually can do. I'm not going to tell myself that I'm going to lose fifty pounds by the end of the year, or that I'll never eat another Arby's sandwich again (those are a particular favorite of mine) or that I've had my last candy bar. Those are not realistic goals. When we shoot higher than we can reach, we're setting ourselves up for failure. However, we should reach a little, or else we'll never grow. It's finding the balance that is so important.

So, here are my goals for the first three months of the new year:

1. Eat breakfast. I enjoy having a little oatmeal and a scrambled egg together. It's a good balance on the Body-for-Life plan, and it's quick to make. I've learned the secret of making oatmeal so it's not glue, and this is something I can reasonably accomplish every morning.

2. When I do eat fast food, I'm going to get a side salad instead of fries.

3. I'm going to make more of an effort to eat before I leave home, so I'm not as tempted to eat fast food while I'm out.

After I've mastered these, I'll add three more. I think this is a doable start for me.

How about you? What doable goals have you set? Are they too hard to reach? Or are they so easy, you're not requiring yourself to learn and grow?

Happy New Year

Comfort food. I spent one week eating it. We went to New Mexico to my parent's house for Christmas and I got to eat my mother's cooking again. Let me tell you, that first morning when I took a bite of biscuts and gravey and then a big bite of Bread and Butter Pickles, I cried. Seriously. Tears running down my cheeks crying. It has been almost 10 years since I was allowed to visit my parents and the love in that breakfast was overwhelming to me.

And I broke the no sugar thing and ate my mom's praline candy. All of it. By myself. And the raisin pie she made just for me. And the butterscotch one. But I shared the chocolate pie.

And I had fun and enjoyed myself and had no stress. And we made plans to move me away from the abuse and horribleness that encompasses my life as soon as I get the health insurance needed to make the separation feasible.

And I felt good the entire time.

Then we left and with each mile that brought me closer to Utah, I got sicker and sicker and the anxiety welled up and I felt horrible. My head hurt, my stomach hurt, my heart was pounding. My kids started complaining about how horrible they felt and my one son that started smoking in Iraq and hadn't had an urge the entire time we were gone, started craving and needed a nicotine patch.

After all of that indulgence, I was afraid to step on the scale the first morning back. I was pleasantly surprised to find it read only 2 lbs more than it had before we left. I usually fluctuate 2-3 lbs up and down due to my hydration levels and that sort of thing, so I was happy.

My foot is healing and feeling pretty good so I can start back on the treadmill now. My son moved his Marine gear so I can get to it, so I will start a new routine on there. I am also toying with some new recipies and food ideas. I'll share as soon as they solidify in my mind.

I do have one question. Has anyone seen or heard anything about the new Sketcher Shape up shoes? They are ugly and pricey, but if they work like I have heard, I can deal with ugly.

I'm Still Here

by Rebecca Talley

Yep, I disappeared. What with all the Christmas stuff and trying to finish my current manuscript, I kinda got lost. But, I'm baaaaaack!

For the last two weeks, I haven't been very good with my eating nor have I really exercised. I did try out the Wii exercise thingy we got, but I haven't been doing my regular 30-60 minute exercising. And, I've been eating goodies. I'm sure I've gained weight, but haven't had the courage to get on the scale. I've decided it's very hard to keep on my eating and exercising plans when all of my kids, and my husband, are home.

However, starting next Monday, when everyone goes back to school and work, I will be exercising with Gilad each morning on FitTV, doing Phase 1 of the South Beach diet, and working like a madwoman on my manuscript. Oh, and cleaning my house after two weeks of abandon (at least I've kept up on laundry so we have clean underwear--that's something, right?).

Goals for January:

Exercise 5 times a week, 30-60 minutes.
Phase 1 for two weeks--hopefully losing 5 pounds--then Phase 2.
Finish my maunscript and get it submitted.
Clean my house.

Big Weight Loss Goal:

Lose 15 lbs by LDStorymakers Conference in April.

I just stepped on the scale. Gained 3 pounds--not as bad as I'd feard, but not super great either. So off I go . . . .