Randoms

I have a confession to make. I haven't exercised in over a week now and before that it was very irregular. Granted, I have been sick this week, so I do view that as a valid excuse. But now that I am starting to feel better, I need to get with it! Today is supposed to be almost 40* outside so I really want to make an effort to get outside and take a walk. I love these sunny, warm winter days. It will be nice to get some fresh air. I don't want to overdo it though, because I have had problems in the past when I exercise when I'm sick, especially with it has to do with my respiratory system.

I know this might sound weird, but I'm actually kind of glad that I got sick (not the sick part!). Maybe what I should say is that I feel like I am listening to my body more. I am eating when I'm hungry, and not when I am _____ (insert emotion here). I have been drinking a lot of milk lately and that does wonders to satisfy me when I am a little hungry, plus it keeps me fuller longer in the morning. Also ladies, don't forget to get enough calcium in because our bones need it! It has also been a huge boost to see the weight falling off. I am at an all time low right now, so I am really excited about that! I haven't been tracking all week because I just haven't been eating that much, but now I kind of regret it because I would like to see how much I need to be eating to lose like this. I am not starving myself, but I am definitely not eating all of the points that WW says that I should be eating everyday. It seems like if I eat my daily points I don't lose very quickly. Is this normal? I wonder how accurate the allowed points are considering everyone has a different body type? I'm not complaining though, WW is really working for me!!

My mom just told me that another one of my aunts and my grandma have decided to follow WW now too. I hope they can all stick with it, I kind of wish we were a lot closer because then I would have some more people around for support. All of my immediate family lives in different states. :(

I made an appointment to go to the Doctor on Friday about my blood pressure. I'm embarrassed that I have high blood pressure and I don't know if it is because of my weight, which I am sure is a large part of it, or if it is due to my family history. I haven't been to this doctor in over a year and she just automatically refilled my prescription the last time, but it's almost out again, so I must go! The thing is, I have periodically watched my blood pressure and the medicine hasn't really been helping all that much (I have more pre-hypertension). BUT, since I am so embarrassed at being 23 with high blood pressure, I haven't said anything to the Dr. and keep thinking if I lose weight and exercise that it will go down by itself, but it hasn't so far. I am going to let her know about it this time. I have written down the readings a while back and am going to do so again and show it to her. This is something that really scares me as I don't want to have a stroke. I am way too young to have high blood pressure. I had asked her for help in the past with losing weight and she ran tests, but beyond that she told me it was up to me and recommended I go to a nutritionist, but my insurance wouldn't cover that anyways. At that time I was just searching for help and her attitude that maybe I wasn't trying hard enough really discouraged me and of course I gained more weight. But, in essence, she was right. I am losing weight now and thanks to the book by Governor Huckabee, I am looking at weight loss in a different way now. I will be happy to get on the scale in the office and see how much weight I lost since the last time I was there! Sorry for rambling on and on today and if you've taken the time to read through this whole post, Great job! :)

I'm back!!

I know today isn't my official weigh in day, but when I stepped on the scale this morning I was delighted to see that I am back to EXACTLY my lowest weight!!! Now If I can just keep it off and keep going!

I have been addicted to soup lately as I explained in my last post. I don't know if it's just because I've been sick or what? Anyone have any good WW soup recipes to share?

I had the BEST chicken noodle soup at Subway today! I believe it is only 1 pt. too. It only cost $1.17. I got a bowl of that and 1% milk for lunch. Yummy! I'm excited to try out the other soups there too, they all look low in points.

Weigh in day

I lost 1.2 pounds this week! I'm really happy about that as it is over my 1lb. a week goal. I have been sick since Sunday, so I'm hoping I can keep this weight off once I start feeling better. I have been eating soup since Monday for lunch and suppers. Nothing else has sounded good. I have realized how much snacking I do throughout the day though! I haven't been hungry or tempted to eat and have cut out my snacking almost completely. So, now that I am aware, I'm going to try to work on that. I am less than a pound from my lowest weight again, so that gives me some inspiration! I am getting close to my 20 lb. goal!! My husband told me that he has a surprise for my 25 lb. goal. I usually only have goals for every 10 lbs. lost so I'm really excited to find out what it is!!

Pound for Pound Challenge

I have pledged to lose 10 lbs. by April 1st for the pound for pound challenge (there's a link on the right). That's 1 lb. a week. Just another source of inspiration to get this weight off and also do something for a good cause!

Today has gone really well for me food wise. I am really hungry right now, waiting for my husband to get home so we can go get some Subway. One of my hardest challenges is to not snack when I get really hungry. I have done really well so far. I plan on having the Chicken Teriyaki sub, which is one of my favorites that I don't get a lot because it's kind of messy! Only 7 pts. Well worth it.

Weigh in Day

I am on goal with my weight loss this week. I lost exactly 1 lb. Granted, I'm still 2 lbs. above my lowest weight but I am getting there again! I feel like I am slowly getting back on track. It's amazing how much damage can be done by eating carelessly just a couple of times! I finally got some flax seed oil and have started taking 2 tsp. of that a day. I haven't been very faithful about exercise, so it is my goal to improve upon that this week. Here are my goals:

1. Get more exercise: At least 3 times, 30 minutes.
2. Take flax seed oil daily
3. Stay on points and track everything!!

Weigh in Day

I didn't get the "huge loss" that I was hoping for. I guess I can't expect the weight I gained over the holidays to fall off as fast as I gained it. I did have a loss of 1.2 lbs. however. So, as far as my weight loss goals go, I am on track for one pound lost a week. I just wish that I was at my lowest weight. I'm getting a little discouraged. I have been hungry all day long and can't seem to satisfy my hunger. I don't think I ate a good enough breakfast this morning. I had a bowl of special K cereal and a clementine. Doesn't do a lot to keep you full! I have been wanting to snack and have been trying to have things that are at least healthy. I need to track my points so I know how many weekly points I'm using today. I really need some strategy to get myself back on track. I may be a little more stressed now as I am back in school and feel like I am constantly busy. I desperately need to get back on track!!!

Ramen-Beef Stir Fry

I just wanted to share a really good recipe I came across in my Betty Crocker cookbook. Based on their nutritional information it is 6 points per serving.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin
2 cups water
1 pkg. (3 oz) Oriental-flavor ramen noodle soup mix
1 bag (14 to 16 oz) fresh stir-fry vegetables
1/4 cup stir-fry sauce

1. Cut beef into thin strips. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook beef in skillet 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Remove beef from skillet.

2. In same skillet, heat water to boiling. Break block of noodles from soup mix into water; stir until slightly softened. Stir in vegetables. Heat to boiling. Boil 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. Stir in contents of seasoning packet from soup mix, stir fry sauce and beef. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until hot.

Being Healthy at Work

Work seems to be the worst place to try to be healthy. The break rooms are filled with machines featuring cookies, candy, ice cream, chips and other unhealthy snacks. Needless to say, these are the things that my co-workers constantly bring back to their desks to eat. I admit, once in a while I am one of those people too. Lately I have been keeping fruit and healthy snacks in my desk. I have clementines, grapes, cherry tomatoes, and other things that are easy to eat as a snack. I keep a 32 oz. bottle of water on my desk at all times to drink throughout the day. A lot of people have been noticing my healthy eating habits lately and it makes me feel good but also holds me accountable!! Yesterday I brought a single slice of homemade ham and pineapple pizza and a side salad with fat free Italian dressing with me for lunch. Two of my co-workers sat down to eat with me and commented on how healthy I am eating with my little side salad. One of them said that I am one of the most organized and determined people they know and they were really proud of me. While I don't feel like I am so organized and determined, it's nice to see that it at least appears that way and helps me stay accountable when I know that others are watching what I'm eating too! Every year in January, there is a company wide weight loss challenge. You can join teams of 3 and then an HR person has to weigh you every week. They never reveal weights, just percentages lost. I was thinking about joining, but I am not comfortable having someone at work weigh me. Maybe I'm stupid. I thought seriously about it, but the team I wanted to join was all filled up. The winners get $50 gift cards. Besides that, a lot of people are trying their best to be a lot healthier, so that helps me too. My aunt in another state is going to start WW, so we are going to keep in touch once a week to catch up on how our diets are going. It's kind of nice to have a network of people to encourage me, this blog included! I have to work out for the next 4 days straight to meet my workout goal because my schedule hasn't allowed me to workout since Wednesday as we had guests at our house. I have still not gotten to the store to get some flax seed oil. Maybe today!

Weigh in Day

I wish I could say that I had a big loss today but I can't! I am so disappointed! Over the past few days I have been slowly losing the weight that I had gained over the holidays and was looking forward to my weigh in this morning only to find that I had gained 3.2 lbs from last week. That's up 4.2 from my lowest weight. The weird thing is I feel great! I feel smaller, I don't feel bloated, and I look smaller. My clothes feel looser too! I'm confused!? Maybe it's water weight and it will be off tomorrow. Who knows? If that's the case, I think I can be prepared for a huge loss next week! I have been doing great with my points and everything. I have been eating lots of fruits and veggies and getting all of my water in. I've been faithful in my exercising this week too! I worked out more than usual, actually. I guess I shouldn't be so focused on the number on the scale and think about the way that I feel. Eating different is making me feel wonderful and while I may have lost the battle with the scale this morning, I won't lose the war!!!

Back on Schedule

I feel like I am slowly starting to get back on track. We are back at work now and back on our regular schedules, which helps. I haven't met my "incorporate healthy oils into my diet" goal at all this week. I need to get to a health food store to try to find some healthy oils besides olive oil. I am thinking about trying flax seed oil after reading all about the benefits.

I have started reading The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program by DesMaisons. I don't know if I can consider myself a sugar addict or not, but I think the advice in the book will be helpful. Step 1 is to have protein for breakfast everyday. I already do that everyday so I have moved to step 2, which is to keep a journal of everything I eat with how I feel physically and emotionally. I am going to do this for about a week before moving to the next step. It'll be interesting to see if there are foods affecting the way that I feel, which I'm sure is probably the case.

I have to do my run/walk/bike exercise this morning and then I will have met my exercise goal for the week! It really does help to be more specific in my goals. I know I need to even create a schedule for which days I am going to do what exercises.

It seems like everybody is on the wagon for eating healthy right now. New Years Resolutions I'm sure! I want to make sure that I don't fall off the wagon come February like I used to! But, I have been faithful since October. I would really like to speed up my weight loss and I know what I need to do.

1. I need to stay OP and not use so many of my Weekly points.
2. I need to keep up with my exercise.
3. Don't let stress get me off track.
4. Realize that hunger is not going to kill me. I think sometimes I get so hungry that I eat things I shouldn't, even though I've been on track all day! This is a big one for me!

Well, just a few updates there. I'm enjoying my last week of being off of school and just having to work. Next week will bring more stress, so I need to learn to deal with that! I better get off to my exercise!

Happy New Year!

I love the beginning of a new year. It's a time for a new start and another try. Although I've been dieting since October, today still seems like I can make a fresh start. It's inspiring. Yesterday didn't go well at all eating wise. My husband and I went out for Swedish pancakes for breakfast and it seemed like that just led to more eating as the day went on. I gained 1 lb. yesterday at my weigh in, not bad for all that I had going on the past week! But, today is a new start!

I am going to come up with a list of 5 goals for each month this year (we'll call that my new year's resolution).

January:

1. Meet my 20 lb. goal by the end of January
2. Run/Walk/Bike for 30 minutes, 3 times a week
3. Core Exercise once a week (I'm starting this out slow due to the fact I was sore for 2 days and could barely walk after I did it the first time!)
4. Drink 6 cups of water daily
5. Find ways to incorporate healthy oils into my diet

This is a start for the year anyways, all things that I need to work on. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2009!