Hey Mama Welcome to the 60's!

So the whole only weighing yourself once a month has been pretty easy this last three weeks since the battery in my scale died. I had a kind of bad 4th of July week in which I had a Pepsi at the Real Soccer Game, a handful of Red Vines on the boat, and an Oreo cookie here and there. Needless to say I wasn't looking forward to getting a new battery after that! But I was still a lot less than I had been and I needed a new swimsuit. My cute step mother-in-law, who is not much older than me, and has divine taste in clothes told me to come over and look through her old ones as she had about 10 extra ones. So I went and found a cute tankini that I looked good in (for the first time in years I was excited to see myself in a swimsuit.
Since the swimsuit experience had gone well I decided to use their scale to check my weight, because I knew from experience it was right on par with my scale. And I had to step on three times just to make sure....I'm in the 60's for the first time in years. I weighed in tonight, fully clothed and in the late afternoon mind you, at 165 so I have lost a total of 34 pounds since February!!! I am so excited. I couldn't help but think of the Hairspray song "Hey Mama Welcome to the 60's". Sixteen more pounds to go to hit that 50 pound mark I was hoping for. Here is hoping the next month goes as well as the last!

Almost there!

The title of this post may be a little deceiving. I am still 25 pounds away from my goal, but I am only 1 pound away from my half way mark. My second month of primal went well, but there were a few more hang ups than the first month. Mainly a series of birthday parties with designer cakes that just kept begging to be tested until the last party when I finally gave in and went for it. I'll admit, it was tasty. But after the taste factor went away, eating a whole piece of chocolate cake after 2 months no sugar took its toll on my stomach. I think remembering that gut wrenching feeling will be helpful in the future to refraining from at least so much indulgence. So the big weigh in for the month put me at another five pounds gone away! 24 pounds in 4 months. If I can keep this rate up I will hit my goal by October.
I've found a lot of fun recipes for being primal. The family favorite is Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi, which thanks to Costco we can get the wild caught stuff. If you want to try it, just soak your Mahi Mahi in a dish of milk (if you are non dairy use coconut milk) then dip it in fine ground macadamia nuts (I ground mine in my 10$ Black and Decker coffee grinder that I bought at Target to grind my flax seed. Hint...Hazelnuts are too hard to do in this, but macadamia nuts are just fine.) Salt and Pepper and bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes. So easy and so good.
I am still in summer school and just got a part time job, so my grand plans for a workout routine that involves more than walking up and down the stairs at school is still in the idea process, but hopefully by next month that will be a reality. Until then, I'm still feeling great. For the most part being primal has been the easiest and most fulfilling "diet" ever. I can see this being a lifestyle change for good.

Cauliflower Again?

Okay so it is not just for mashing! I have now tried what is called cauliflower rice and it is yummy! I made it by shredding a head of cauliflower on a cheese grater. Then I used it in replace of rice in my stuffed peppers. It is amazing how this one vegetable can be a substitute for so many of the grains I used to use. It is more amazing that my family thinks it is much more flavorful and says they would rather have it this way always. The peppers were divine and I can't wait to try it just as a rice side substitute. I love CAULIFLOWER!

Cauliflower!!!

Okay, so going primal has been pretty easy, but there are somethings I was not willing to give up. First up Spaghetti sauce. I knew I could do without the noodles, but not my meaty goodness (which now that I am making it fresh from my homemade bottled tomatoes is to die for). But what was I supposed to put it over? It was a sauce. My answer was Cauliflower. And it was a success, everyone loved it. So I have been sick this past week and wanted some comfort food. Shepard's Pie has always done that for me. At least the ground beef, mashed potatoes version. I know the real stuff is made with lamb, but I grew up calling this Shepard's Pie and so it is. Anyhow, being primal doesn't allow for the starchiness of potatoes, so what was I to do? My meat went fine with a few herbs, some beef broth, and fresh veggies added, but I needed a creamy white topping to make it perfect. So I used mashed cauliflower instead. I topped off my meat, put a pat of butter on top and 40 minutes latter had one of the best versions of Shepard's Pie I'd ever tasted. I can't wait to discover what else I can pair with this wonder vegetable! I didn't even think I liked it that much a month ago. Now it is a staple in my house!!!

Staying Primal

Well it has been one month since I went primal and for the most part I stuck to it. Yes, I messed up once or twice. I had a bite of my daughter's noodles when we went to Panda Express. I had one piece of milk chocolate at Easter, but I tried even on my mess ups to only let them be really little. And when I did my monthly weigh in I was down 11 pounds since April 1st! Wahoo. It worked, and with relative ease. I never went hungry. I ate as much as I wanted when I wanted it, just sticking with vegetables, fruits, and proteins and staying away from sugar, starch, and grains. So, that puts me at a grand total of 19 pounds since Feb 2. One thing for sure with this last month over the 8 pounds I lost the first two month when I just started cutting back...I don't have to go hungry, my posture has improved, and I have had so much more energy. I totally made it through finals week without a Coke! I have been finding some really good substitutes that even my kids like, to stay away from grains. On the menu for tonight is homemade marinara with grass fed beef over cauliflower (instead of pasta). My whole family loves it. I also want to start adding a little walking and a few WOW's (work out of the week from the primal blog...marks' daily apple). Here is to hoping at the end of this month you will still be seeing less of me!

Going Primal

Okay so it has been awhile. What with school, soccer, homework, housework, when is a girl supposed to lose any weight? I realized just how bad it had gotten when I stepped on the scale the morning of my 35th birthday to see it top off at 199. I knew right then I was never going to let it see that 200 mark. EVER! So I did what I felt I could do at the time. I cut back to three cokes a week instead of everyday. I tried walking a bit more when I could. I stopped having after dinner snacks. And it worked--a bit. I went from 199 at the first of Feb to 191 at the first of April. Not terrible, but I felt like it was a half hearted effort. Especially when my husband at lost 29 pounds in those same two months by going Primal.
I was skeptical at first. I got the whole no sugar thing, I really did. But no grains? No starch? No beans? What was up with that? Well I promised to give it a month. And here I am on day 17, and I can't tell you how much I've lost (another one of my husbands rules for me I have to give it a month before I weigh myself) but I can tell you, my energy levels have rapidly increased. I've gotten several comments from people that I am looking better, I feel better, and a couple of days ago I wore a shirt that hasn't been out of my closet in months because the arms were too tight, and there was room to spare!
So I guess finishing out the month being primal won't be so bad. It may be the lifestyle change I was looking for. Its not that hard, it requires a little planning, but I have not gone hungry once, which is good. Plus since most fast food places don't have a ton of options for me, I am saving some money as well.
On May 1st I'll stop on that scale and see what it tells me. Until then. I'm Primal!

It was like having a lemon ripped from my chest!

No, really it was. I know I have been a major slacker. I am not proud to say that I have no weight loss to report over the last few months, especially since I started the year with a bang. But I just started not feeling good, and got so tired all the time, and was having trouble sleeping. And so when I first started to notice my chest getting a little flabby, I just got depressed and thought "I am fatter than ever." Luckily I didn't hold that belief for long, especially when the area just below my bra line started to ache all the time, and I went to the doctor.
Turns out I had a tumor the size of a lemon that had been growing more inside than out (hence how it got so big I didn't notice) and it had been pushing against my lungs (hence the lack of oxygen that effected pretty much everything). So it is now out and luckily benign and I can really say it has taken a weight off my chest!
So I guess that means I am back. With no more excuses I need to start eating right, working out, and avoiding all those things I know are bad for me. One of those is to cut down on Coke since I really got re-addicted because I was using it to help me get through the days. I am not going to lie and say I will never drink it again, but I am going to try to go down to a couple times a week instead of daily and go from there.
I will check in next week hopefully a pound or two lighter and feeling better, both physically and emotionally.

Time is wasting away!

4 weeks, 28 days, just under a month. What do all these things have in common? They each represent how long until I find myself sitting on a plane to go to Germany. They also represent the number of days I have to kick my diet and exercise plan into full gear. I did so well in January I just don't know what happened. But I need to go to that plan again. SO I am going back on Leptin, cutting out the sugar, and I need to figure out a way to add exercise to the equation this time. I don't want to spend my two weeks in Germany huffing and puffing, I need to do this, and I need to do it now! Thanks for letting me rant, sometimes it helps to just say it on the blog.

Weight Loss? What's That?

Okay so here I am checking in. Not much to tell you because first off I haven't done very much. I've been kicking along this past week being good sometimes, being a little bad sometimes, and my weight hasn't changed at all. I think that 176 was a fluke because the day before and the day after I was 178 and have not changed. The one good thing I have to report is I am now on day 15 of my push up challenge. My arms are starting to feel it. I keep getting worried that I will have to split my push ups in half, because each day I feel like the last one for that day is going to kill me, but then the next day comes and I am able to do just one more. Unfortunately that is the only exercise I have been regular at. I still do squats while brushing teeth and doing the dishes, and leg lifts while I am doing homework, but no cardio. I need to get started on that so I can be in good enough shape for when I go to Germany. I don't want to be hiking and huffing and puffing at the same time. 57 days to go, guess I better get started! So here is to another week. I have a New Moon Party to go to on Saturday so that will be my treat night. I think it is easier if I know which night I am going to want to cheat so that I can be especially good the rest of the nights in the week.

Push Ups Again

So I failed horribly at my February Push Up Challenge. I think I did two days. I was so embarrassed that I didn't ask anyone else if they did it. Did you? Good for you. As for me. I took March to restart and so I am up to 8 push ups as of yesterday. My arms are starting to feel it. So I hope to continue. Oh and I lost another pound so I am at 176! So In addition to water this week I am pushing it up, at least just a little. Hopefully those flabby arms will be waving Goodbye sooner than later!

Curse You, you sweet little girl scouts! And your cookies too!

Do I really need to say more? I was doing good this week until my husband came home from his business trip with boxes of Thin Mints, Samoans, and Short Breads that he bought form the cute little girl scouts in front of the Walmart he stopped at while n Minnesota. There is something about Thin Mints that is damaging to my taste buds. Once I try one, I just can't seem to stop until they are all gone. So don't go changing my weight yet, because I bet I gained last weeks pound back and some! Oh well, they are gone now. I just hope I don't get any knocks on my door, and can steer clear of stores until the cookie season comes to a close!

Weekly Weigh In

How does life get so crazy? I finished my detox last night, if nothing else it sure made me feel better. This morning I weighed in at 177.5 so that is down 11 pounds since New Years. It is hard because on one hand I would love to just lose the weight really quick, but on the other hand, I just want to make this a lifestyle and so I find myself avoiding extreme things that I know I will never be able to stick to. I think the detox was good in helping me realize I don't drink enough water, so this week will be devoted to bringing the amount of water I drink up. Good Luck to everyone on their weight loss.

Coming Back.

After a few hard week, I am back, two pounds heavier, but surviving that pit. Got over feeling like I messed up, and now I am restarting. This weeks goal....Cut out that sugar and keep to the three meals a day. I am also doing a detox from the Good Earth. I'll let you know how that goes. Mostly it is a lot of fiber so we will see. Anyways...Good Luck to everyone this week, and thanks for all the support.

There was an old lady who swallowed a.....

So just because yesterday was my birthday, I felt it gave me the right to be a little bad. Breakfast started out good with a tropical fruit protein shake. Lunch was at Red Lobster and I had a small bowl of clam chowder and a salad. Not too bad, but then I through an Italian Cream Soda into the equation. Dinner came and it was Pasta in cream Sauce and Parmesan crusted Halibut with a green salad. I drank water so still no snacking occurred. THEN we went to the movie where I had a piece of Chocolate Godiva Cheesecake and a large coke...ouch. I felt like the biggest pig and woke up this morning two pounds heavier to prove it. The good thing? I got my day two push ups and sit ups in, but I will be working hard this week to get back to my 178. Isn't it insane how one day of guilty pleasure can give you a weeks worth of work? I have to remember, guilty pleasures are okay once and a while, just not all in one day!!

Pushup Challenge

Back in September a friend of mine who is one of those people who has a body like Jennifer Gardner's on Alias. You know, the type of people who if I wasn't against certain clothing styles for modesty reasons, would be allowed to wear them because they could actually get away with it? You know, the yoga instructor type? Yeah that one. Well, her sons school's football team was doing this challenge and so she started it. I did great for 28 days and then life happened, but I want to try it again and if anyone wants to join please feel free.

The goal? Starting today Monday February 1st--do one push up. Tomorrow do two. Wednesday do three. You get the point you add a pushup everyday. If you can't do military go for girl ones. It took me 17 days the first time to get one full military pushup in. Don't skip ahead if it seems too easy. It gets tough quick enough.

And for those of you who really want a challenge, I am going to do this with sit ups as well. It is a great way to get in a little extra exercise in.

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.

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!!!

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

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!