Monday, May 1, 2017

Week 1 results

Happy to say I am down 10 pounds.  This is very motivating and it is definitely helpful to see .  I am going to push even harder so I can continue to see results.  Will be following up later with my exercise plan and menu for the week.

Friday, April 28, 2017

Day 3-4

I weighed myself again this morning and I am down 4 pounds since yesterday; this brings my total up to 7 pounds, so far. I am beyond excited and motivated that I am actually seeing a difference.  It shows me that I must do my part in order for this to work.  I am capable of being disciplined and following a healthier eating plan. 

Now, I must admit that I did have moments where I wanted nothing more than a whopper from Burger King. I kept seeing the commercials and yearned to taste one. I just keep revisiting the feeling that I had at the white party I mentioned earlier, and I am quickly brought back to reality.

In an effort to not be obsessive, I will not weigh myself again until Friday or Saturday.  In the beginning, I feel it is necessary for me to weigh myself so I can determine if the plan is working or if I need to make adjustments. Since I am aware that it is working, at this time, there is no need to weigh in everyday. After week 1, I will determine how often I should conduct weigh-ins.

Menu:

Breakfast: Shake
Snack: Carrots
Lunch: Chicken and broccoli
Snack: orange
Dinner: Shake
Snack (if hungry at night): a few sliced pickles
1 gallon of water

Day 4:
Down a total of 8.4 pounds.  I know I didn't keep my word about not weighing myself, but I had to.  I plan to weigh myself again on Saturday and then on Monday to obtain week 1 results. I have also been exercising daily.  I walk a little over a mile at work everyday, just to clear my head.  I also do the elliptical or treadmill for an hour.  Recently I added weights and squats.  My goal is to eventually get a trainer or join a gym soon.

Breakfast: Shake
Snack: Carrots
Lunch: Turkey burger patty with shredded cheese on top and broccoli
Snack: Cheese bites and grapes
Dinner: Cauliflower Pizza

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Day 2

I know this is water weight, but I am down 3 pounds this morning.  I will take the weight loss any way I can get it at this point. 

What I ate:
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Snack: 2 boiled eggs
Lunch: Baked Chicken with broccoli
Dinner: Shake
Snack: carrots and celery
1 gallon of water

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Day 1

So, I have decided to start off eating really light.  My meals consist of protein shakes and fruits./veggies and protein.  Day 1 was a success and I am feeling motivated to keep going.  I am doing this with a friend, so we are keeping each other on track and providing one another with updates.

Day 1:
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Snack: 2 boiled eggs
Lunch: Chicken breast and broccoli
Dinner: Protein Shake
Snack: celery and carrots
1 gallon of water

I am constantly reminding myself that it is about nourishment and not taste.  It is difficult to reprogram my thinking when it comes to food, but it is necessary if I want to be successful.  I want to, of course, lose weight for health reasons; but, I also want to drop some pounds in order to look better in my clothing.  Vain...maybe, but true!  I want to feel confident again.  I have noticed that with this weight gain my confidence has decreased significantly.  I know the way I feel about myself shouldn't be based upon my weight, but unfortunately it is.  Like I stated earlier, I am working on my mental health as well; so, this will definitely be addressed during this process.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Starting over...for the 100th time

I know it has been a while since I have written here, but I am sure you can guess what that means.  I have failed miserably with my weight loss goals and here I am again, for the 100th time, attempting to get it right.  Fall down seven times, stand up 8.  That is what I keep telling myself in order to stay focused.  It doesn't matter how many times I fall, as long as I continue to get up and keep fighting.

As I have stated previously, I have a vey unhealthy relationship with food. Instead of using food as nourishment, I use it to make me feel better.  I would definitely classify myself as an emotional eater and would be remiss to not admit that I have a bit of a food addiction. I know that I have to tackle this part of the problem, in order to finally be successful.  I can exercise and eat healthy until I am blue in the face, but if I don't implement strategies to deal with the underlying issues I will continue to live this vicious cycle of gaining and losing weight.

So, here I am again. What exactly does that mean, this time around? I am going to implement healthier eating and a strenuous exercise program into my plan. I actually plan to get a trainer to help me target certain areas and to ensure I am achieving a total body work out during my gym sessions. I also plan to really get to the bottom of my emotional eating and attempt to find other ways to cope.  I will be putting forth effort into my mental, as well as, physical health. 

Also, I wanted to share an experience that I had this past weekend that finally made me realize I must get it together.  This experience was the catalyst for my willingness to try and be successful this time around.  I went to an all-white party with a group of ladies this past weekend.  Now, leading up to the white party I felt happy, confident and proud of my outfit.  But, as the event drew nearer I started to realize that my outfit didn't look so good on me.  You see, I am the type of person to wear a lot of dark colors because I feel as though it helps hide my problem areas and allows me a sense of comfort.  As I started to get my outfit together, I realized that with white there is no hiding or covering up problem areas.  It leaves you very exposed.  And I started to panic and did everything I could to get out of attending this party.  But, I had paid a pretty penny for my ticket and couldn't fathom throwing that money away.  So, I decided I am the reason I am in this situation and I need to deal with it.  So, as I met with the other ladies and started to see how great they looked in their outfits and nice their bodies were, I felt horrible! I felt like a beached whale and more uncomfortable than I had ever felt in my life. 

I wanted nothing more than to go home and hide in my room, as I tend to do, when I am feeling fat.  But, I decided to use this moment as motivation.  I keep thinking back to how I felt that night and I don't ever want to revisit that feeling again.  I was so uncomfortable and insecure and it took everything in me not to burst out in tears.  Again, I had to remind myself that I am the one who created this problem and it will be up to me to fix it.

So, here we are yet again for the 100th time.  Although I have been here many times before, I truly feel different this time around.  But, talk is cheap.  I will be updating with my progress weekly, and that will include successes and any failures.  Wish me luck!

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Week 1 Diary

The eating plan I am on consists of protein, carbs (good carbs) and a limited amount of fat.  I am to absolutely avoid: rice, pasta, bread, chips, potatoes, bananas, melons etc.  Basically, all the foods I love.  The break down of the meals are as follows:

Breakfast...3-5 oz of protein and a good carb (fruit, veggies, etc)
Snack option
Lunch...same as breakfast
Snack option
Dinner...same as breakfast
Snack option (as needed)

Day 1:
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Snack: Greek Yogurt Plain (80 calories)
Lunch: Salmon  and Broccolli/Cauiflower
Snack: 12 grapes
Dinner: Salmon and Broccoli/Cauliflower
Snack (4-6 pork rinds)
Liquid: Water, Flavored Water and Diet 0 Calorie Green Tea

Day 2:
Breakfast: Cottage cheese and 12 grapes
Snack: Greek Yogurt Plain (80 calories)
Lunch: Salmon and Broccoli/Carrots
Snack: Protein Shake
Dinner: Salmon and Broccoli/Carrots
Snack: 6 pork rinds

Day 2 Reflection:  An issue that I normally have is becoming bored with the meal plan, but I don't see that being the case this time around.  I am really exploring different recipe ideas and food options to ensure that boredom doesn't creep in.  Since I will be eating Salmon this first week, I am looking into chicken and steak for week 2.  Also, since pizza is my absolute favorite food and I would normally splurge on the weekend; I have found a low-carb healthy alternative that I plan to try.  Cauliflower pizza is the substitute and from what I have seen, it doesn't seem difficult to make. 

Day 3:
Breakfast: Protein Shake and Grapes
Snack: Greek Yogurt Plain
Lunch: Salmon and Broccolli/Carrots
Snack: String Cheese
Dinner: Salmon and grapes (ran out of veggies and grapes are on the good carbs list)
Late night Snack: Carrots/String Chees/4-6 pork rinds I was really hungry for some reason

Day 4:
Breakfast: Protein Shake and Grapes
Snack: Greek Yogurt Plain
Snack: 50 calorie jalapeno sting cheese
Lunch:
Dinner: Steak and Veggies

So, moment of transparency.  I went out Friday night and I did drink, which is what I planned on doing. My drink of choice was rum and diet coke.  My downfall was later in the evening on my way home I stopped by taco bell and had a taco supreme and an order of nachos.  Now, this is less than what I would normally eat, but I allowed myself to fall back into my old habits.  I knew what I was doing and despite my end goal I decided to eat the wrong thing anyway.  A little thing I like to call self-sabotage.  I recognized it, acknowledged it and have decided to move forward.  I have realized there will be many setbacks during this journey, but I will not allow them to deter me from the goal, which is a healthier me.

Day 5:
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Lunch: Steak
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: 2 chicken wings and a salad


Day 6:
Breakfast: Protein Shake
Lunch: Light protein snacks
Dinner: Protein Breakfast Casserole

Day 7 and beyond is when it gets tricky.  I have company in town for the next 7 days and it will be a challenge to stay 100% on track.  I do plan to continue to be very active and somewhat strict with my diet, while allowing for slight indulging.  Will keep you posted.  One last thing, my official weigh in will be Monday, October 24th at the doctor's office.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Frustrations...

I find myself getting frustrated because of my unrealistic expectation to lose weight quickly.  I know it took a while for me to get to this size, but now that I am ready to get healthy I want the weight to fall off daily.  Unrealistic, I know.  I am just trying to remain patient.  I just can't allow myself to stay at this weight or gain more.  I say this all the time, but I am beyond ready to be healthy.  Honestly, I am truly tired of being overweight.  It is just too exhausting to walk around with all this extra weight.  I will have to find a way to not obsess to the point of expecting fast results, but also obsess enough to stay on track. I will find my balance and I will be successful.  At this point, I have no other choice.