Okay if that's how you wanna play it.

So I did my measurements last night because I realized it was already the 25th. Almost everything has stayed the same. No more loss. (:-|) I guess I should be happy that I haven't put on inches. Well I did put on 1 inch on my calves, but I think that's all muscle. Does anybody have any suggestions about how to lose weight in your calves while not building man legs? My weigh in this morning was much more satisfying than previous ones. Down 1.4 pounds from yesterday. I think it had to do with my workout yesterday. I did the elliptical....for 20 minutes straight. That's my new record! After that I did the bike for 40 minutes at level 9 which is a level increased from what I'm used to. I think changing up my workout routine is really going to help me with this plateau. Plus I've been eating way more fiber. I think maybe I'll dig out my tae bo tapes and see what I can do. I would take a class at the gym but they all start after I would be done with my workout. Coming into work early and leaving early is good for working out on my own but I'm not able to do any group exercise unless I'm willing to wait 2 to 3 hours for the class. Things to ponder.

Grrr

My weight keeps inching up every morning. It's very discouraging. But I'm going to get through this. I just have to tough it out. I need to change up my routine. I need to watch what I eat. I say that because last night after the gym I ask hubby, you want Chinese? Sure. Enough said. I probably ate 2000 calories for dinner alone. Le sigh. I'm tired, and it's hard.....but I know I can do this! Snap out of it woman! You've lost so much already....you can take off all the weight! YEAH!

Plateaued

I've reached my first plateau in my weight loss. Hubby says it's because I'm putting on muscle and still losing weight. I think it's because I haven't been working out hard enough. According to a fitness website I was reading you need to burn 3500 calories + the amount of calories you take in daily to burn 1 pound of fat. Yesterday I did the bike for 50 minutes and burned 400 calories. Then I did weight machines which burned about 350 calories. How in the world am I going to make it to 3500 + 1500 when I can only do 750 calories at a time?! It's all right, I'll be fine. Just feeling a little discouraged is all.

I've started to add more fiber to my diet. I bought some fiber one yogurt and cereal bars from the grocery store this morning. The yogurt has 5g of fiber and the bars have 9g. That should hold me for a couple of days until I find more fiber-ish options. I've also decided to cut my caloric intake down to 1500 calories a day. At my current point value I have 39 a day, this change will cut me down to about 30 a day. Which is fine with me since I hardly ate all my points anyways. I just want to see the scale start falling instead of rising. I need a little something to rebuild my confidence.

Yeah...

So I've been in a funky mood for blogging/logging food lately. Saturday I had a fasting day for purposes of faith. I ate dinner that day, which was chicken and spinach quesadilla from El Chico's. Then on Sunday I ate a salad for lunch from Lonestar. I tried their steak and protabello mushroom half salad. It was so good and very filling. Then for dinner we went to eat at Barnhill's. I can't believe I ate that much. Two plates! Mostly cabbage, some green beans, some black eyed peas, some dressing, some broccoli cheese rice casserole, and baked chicken. Anyways, I didn't count points, or calories, I'm getting a little burned out on that whole thing. I'm just going to try and eat healthy and keep working out for awhile. And I did work out on Sunday. I worked my butt off. New weight posted. Down 1.4 pounds from last week. Wooo!

Blogging is getting hard

With all the financial planning I've been trying to do most of my time is devoted to researching those kind of matters instead of everything else that I'd like to do, like blog. But I'm doing all right. Yesterday was another one of those busy days at work, so I got a bit of a workout there. Then I went to the gym and exercised on the bike for 40 minutes. 312 calories burned. I wonder how long I would have to peddle to burn my daily calorie allowance. After the bike I did my oblique exercise and then I worked out my arms. I was pooped after all that. So when I got home I just heated up some leftovers for dinner.

Yesterday I ate:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, raisin bran, and half carton of 2% milk (7.5 pts)

Mid-day that wasn't really mid snack - Yoplait light fat free strawberry yogurt (2 pts)

Lunch - Grilled Chicken Caesar salad from Mcalister's with ranch (OMG 18!!! pts)

Mid-afternoon snack - Cheddar sunchips (4 pts)

Dinner - Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce (4.6 pts)

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, raisin bran, Strawberry yogurt, half carton of 2% milk (9 1/2 pts)

Lunch - 11 oz. Chopped steak from Logan's, Broccoli, and 1 1/2 rolls (25 1/2)

Mid-afternoon snack - 2/3 of an order of French Fries from Podnuh's and 4 or 5 slices of brisket off my husband's plate (I don't know and I don't want to know)

Dinner - Grilled chicken tenders from Crackerbarrel, green beans, and pinto beans, and one corn bread (Ditto)

I'm feelin pretty good

I feel like yesterday really got me back on track. I went to the gym after work, I rode the stationary bike for 25 minutes and my legs started to hurt so bad. I didn't push myself beyond that, I don't want another time off exercise. After I worked out I went home and fixed Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce for dinner. It took FOREVER! Well maybe it just seemed like forever because not only did I wait until 7 (because I had my legs propped up) to start cooking but I also started the three bean turkey chili for tonight's dinner. I browned that meat first so I practically cooked two meals last night. After that my feet and legs were screaming at me. I don't know what made it hurt the worst, exercising after having not for four days or retaining water and swelling or spending an hour in the kitchen on my feet. And for some odd reason today my abs and back have sore muscles. Explain that!

Anyways, I hope I have time to exercise before church tonight. But if I do I may be all sweaty because I may not have time to take a shower. Hmmm, might have to risk it. On an off topic I was shocked at how many points one container is of yoplait blueberry yogurt. It's 4 pts! And it's 99% fat free! I may have to look into that Fiber One yogurt.

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, raisin bran, half a carton of 2% milk (7 1/2 pts)

Lunch - 8" Sausage pizza from subway (whoppin 19 pts)

Mid-afternoon snack - TCBY small cup of soft serve White Chocolate Mousse yogurt (4 pts)

Dinner - Three bean Turkey chili 2 bowls (6 1/4 pts)

I do apologize

For the past several days I've been the world's worst at posting. Being sick is no excuse but it's all I got. I was sick, and hubby was out of town visiting his dad so I was a little depressed. Not to mention the eating...yes it was bad. Very, very bad. I ate a potato from Mcalister's for lunch on Saturday, spud max...the worst one for you. Then for dinner I ate pizza. Then Sunday for lunch I ate pizza, Sunday for dinner I ate pizza. There's still pizza in the fridge. I felt so guilty, but guilt isn't going to get me anywhere but into a shame spiral which will cause more depression. No more guilt I tell you. I have to get over it and move on. So today is me getting back on track. Healthy point counting eating and the gym after work. Oh that's another thing I haven't gone to work or the gym since last Thursday. I didn't even work out then I just used the steam room. But I'm moving on! Even with ALL this my Monday weigh in was still nice to me. I broke 300! 298.8. That's even with my monthly curse coming to visit.

I've been seeing a lot of people posting about their WW meetings and such, I feel like I'm missing out myself. I don't have that accountability of getting up infront of a group of people with the same goal as me and getting up on that scale. But does it make me stronger in the end if the only person I'm accountable to on the scale is me? Won't that help me more in my maintenance stage? I just wish that I had a close friend who was going through the same thing that I am. My boss/friend Debbie is trying to lose weight, but she's a tiny short 130. She always says that when she's around me it makes her want to be good, but I'm not sure how to feel about that. We occassionaly make it to the gym at the same time, but we don't work out together. It's not anything like a support buddy who tries to push you. If anything I'm always the one pushing her. I would invest in a trainer but so far I've heard that they aren't worth the money. Oh what to do, what to do.

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - (I was STARVING this morning) Scrambled eggs, sausage patty, raisin bran, whole carton of 2% milk (11 pts)

Mid-day snack - Cheddar Sunchips (3 pts)

Lunch - Roasted chicken breast on 6 inch wheat with mayo spinach and provolone cheese (9 pts) sour cream and onion Sunchips (5 pts)

Mid-afternoon snack - Curves 90 calorie mini bag of butter popcorn (1 pt)

Dinner - Spaghetti squash with meat sauce (5 pts)

Ugh

I have one word to say type: Laryngitis.

The coughing continues

Well I actually came to work today, loaded to the teeth with chloraseptic and cough drops and my prescription cough medicine. Take that whatever you are rattling around in my chest! Yesterday was not a good day. I did rather well with my food until hubby got home, and I guess he didn't want to cook so he suggested pizza. Oh sweet Lord my mouth started watering at the thought. I was in a weakened state and didn't feel like arguing...not to mention I wanted it just as much as he did. So last night we ate deep dish pizza, with double sausage, mushrooms, garlic parmesan sauce instead of marinara, and extra provolone cheese on top. It was sooooooo good. So you know it had to be bad for me. I probably ate my whole days worth of points just during dinner! But that's enough of that, I'm back on track today. I plan on visiting the steam room at my gym and maybe...MAYBE going for a swim, if my lungs will allow it.

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, raisin bran, 2% milk (7 1/2 pts)

Sick again

The sore throat I had yesterday is full blown illness now. I barely have a voice and I'm coughing with a rattle in my chest. I stayed home from work and I'm not going to work out today. Yesterday when I tried to work out with my usual 50 minutes on the bike I could only do 10 minutes then 20 minutes then rest and another 20 minutes. I didn't even try to do weights. I just wanted to get home get dinner started, eat and go to bed.

*Groans*

Man does my mouth hurt. The dentist apparently did a number on me yesterday and I didn't even realize it was that bad. But now my jaw hurts where he shot me and my throat is sore, I keep coughing. Breakfast was tricky this morning since I couldn't open my mouth more than an inch. I hope this won't be lasting all day. Yesterday I didn't get a chance to go work out. After my dentist appointment at 3 it was 5:30 when I got out. Then my hubby was off work and at the chiropractor's. I waited there with him for my mouth to stop being numb. By then I was starving so we went to Red Lobster. I think yesterday was a "rest stop" day. One of those days that you take off for yourself to enjoy and you don't feel guilty about it later. And it can only last for one day. After we ate I went grocery shopping. So I feel like I got something good accomplished, even though I did play hooky from work. Today I am going to the gym for sure! My knee feels better, I'm off of caffeine and other than the occasional cough I feel great!

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, Raisin bran, 2 % milk, medium banana (9 1/2 pts)

Mid-day snack - handful of cheddar sunchips (2 pts)

Lunch - Subway chicken noodle soup (2 pts) Barely any of a chicken spinach salad with mozzarella (2 pts) Another handful of cheddar sunchips (2 pts)

Dinner - Roasted curry chicken quarter, steamed garlic squash, and spinach and tomato couscous (7 pts)

I just don't know

I over slept today, and I felt so crappy that I decided to play hooky from work. My knee feels better at least. I'm catching up on laundry and chores around the place. For some reason I let it all go to hell in a hand basket. I also have a dentist appointment at 3 so I may not be able to make it to the gym today either. After the dentist I need to go grocery shopping with hubby. We're in desperate need of meats and more veggies. I updated my weight. Down 3.5 pounds. Wooo!

Ugh

Last night I had a rather rough night. Not only was my knee hurting and requiring to be iced, but I also got sick! I don't know why but all of a sudden nausea swept over me and that's all she wrote. Worst part is I had already taken all my nightly medicine. :-/ I would consider most of the points from my dinner sub-tractable after I got sick. So yesterday I was actually under points. I would be more concerned with being sick if I hadn't already been taking antibiotics for a week. Plus I don't feel bad. The only thing that I can complain about is my knee.

I didn't get up until 1 this afternoon. Feel kinda groggy because hubby let me sleep for so long. Needless to say I haven't gotten anything done today. I think I talked my hubby into going grocery shopping for us so we can have baked chicken tonight. Mmmm.

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast/Lunch - 4 sugar free chocolate chip girl scout cookies (4 pts.) 1/2 cup All bran, 1/8 cup raisins, and 1 cup 2% milk (5 pts)

Ow

For some reason I woke up this morning and my right knee is hurting something awful. It's probably the way I slept. I knew I didn't hurt it yesterday working out. Hopefully I can work out the kink in my knee so I can go to the gym without any complaints.

I've made a decision about my weigh ins. I have decided that I will only use my morning weight to track my weight lose. I'm going to change the beginning weight less three pounds and take off three pounds on my current weight, I figured three because that's usually my water weight difference. Next Monday I will update for my weekly weight loss. And from now up I will update weekly on Monday. I'm keeping up with one of my March Goals. :D

Yesterday's workout was pretty awesome. I did 50 minutes on the stationary bike, it said I burned 377 calories. Booyah! After that I worked out my arms. Then did 2 sets of 10 obliques. I thought my hamstrings would be more sore now but they aren't sore at all.

Well I didn't make it to the gym. My knee actually hurt worse as I tried to move around on it. I'm putting cold on it right now. Hopefully I'll be able to do something at the gym after church. If I can even go to gym, my knee hurts that bad.

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - All Bran, raisins, cup of 2 % milk (5 pts)

Mid-day snack - Banana (2 pts)

Lunch - Chili (3 1/4 pts) Chicken mushroom spinach salad with ranch (8 pts)

Dinner - Pizza Hut Organic sausage pizza with mushroom (11 pt/slice) 2 slices, Small dinner salad (3 pts)

Socializing is Fun

Yesterday I did go to the gym. I had a couple of times when my heart felt like it was beating fast but I felt well enough to go. No more excuses right... I did the bike for about 40 minutes and then did 35 crunches on the ab machine with 50 pounds on it! While I was on the bike I had a small chat with two lovely ladies. One of them was a retired OB nurse and the other is a teacher who is about to retire. I could've done more reps but I was so hot and sweaty and I felt a little rushed to go meet my folks for dinner. I skipped working on my arms and just took a shower and went to Cracker Barrel for dinner. I got the grilled steak salad....it was soooo good. And I was completely full after that.

My weigh in last night was much more satisfying, 306.9. I do honestly believe that eating sunflower seeds after working out was making me retain fluid for my weigh in. This morning it was 3 pounds less, so I'm happy with the way my body is dealing with my water weight...for now. I'm starting to feel a little worn down with my will power. I just feel so, blah all the time. I know I've lost 20 pounds which is so wonderful, I mean I never thought I would be this close to the 200's ever again. But, I just wish I saw faster results. I know it's a long and slow process that takes SO much hard work...but geez. I think once I've reached 299 I'll have a renewed vitality in my will power. Nothing better to help you with your resolve than to actually reach a goal! Maybe I've been feeling this way because I've had babies on the brain. I want to have a baby so badly...and I still have a year+ to wait just from weight loss. I need to pick myself out of this slump.

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Half a bottle of orange juice, scrambled eggs, single serving size of Special K (They were out of raisin bran), half carton of 2% milk (9 1/2 pts.)

Mid-day snack - Banana (2 pts.)

Lunch - Chinese Beef and Broccoli with steamed rice (I think it could be 9 pts.)

Mid-afternoon snack - Cheddar Sunchips (3 pts)

Dinner - 2 bowls of Gina's Three Bean crock pot chili (6 1/4 pts.) Dessert I had 1/2 a serving of Sugar free fudge dipped vanilla wafers (1 1/2 pts.)

That wasn't so bad..

My session with the trainer was much easier than I thought it would be. There was no weighing, no measuring. He just showed me the basics on how to work the stationary bike and elliptical, which I've already been doing so... And then he explained to me the importance of stretching before and after exercise whenever possible. The only new thing that I did was work my obliques. I'm not quite sure if my description is going to do it justice, but the device that he showed me to work my obliques was a metal stand with two bars, one was the base on the floor and the other was about a 45 degree angle from the base and had padding at the top and feet plates. I get on the obtuse side of the angle and put my legs flat against the padding and my feet on the plates, then I lean forward so my body makes a 90 degree angle and go back up to 180. It's crazy, I kept thinking I could fall and break my face! Then he had me turn to the side so my hip was against the pads and I did the same thing but sideways. That really worked my love handles. The soreness that I'm feeling now is mainly in the love handles and in my quads, for some reason I kept using my legs as a way of coming back up instead of using my back muscles? That's still a little confusing... But good thing is I know I worked out my butt...and I didn't even have to get on the stair stepper. Thank God! After that I got on the bike and did maybe 30 minutes. Then I did some more obliques.

My weigh in last night was only .1 pound less than the night before. Disappointing... This morning I was down .5 from the previous morning. Eh, I hope it'll be better tomorrow. Last night I was feeling so odd. My heart kept feeling like it would skip a beat every 4 or 5 beats. I think it could be that I'm off caffeine, but when I go out to lunch and get an unsweet tea...that has caffeine! I never really thought about it before because the tea we make at home is decaf. I think I'm going to stick strictly with my water bottle, even when I do go out for lunch. If I'm not feeling 100% this afternoon when I go to work out...I'll just have to skip today and have a rest day. I am not going to push myself too hard again!

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Half a bottle of orange juice, scrambled eggs, single serving size of raisin bran, half carton of 2% milk (9 1/2 pts.)

Mid-day snack - Banana (2 pts.)

Lunch - Captain D's low cal fish with broccoli and green beans and the bread (Darn their bread...11 pts.)

Mid-afternoon snack - Cheddar Sunchips (4 pts.)

Dinner - Grilled Steak salad from Cracker Barrel with Ranch (14 pts.)

I knew this would happen

My three days of debauchery finally caught up with me. This morning my weight shot up 2.6 pounds from yesterday morning. Plus my nightly weigh in was higher too. Although I thought it would have shown up sooner. It could also be that my heavy weigh is water weight because I found out the sunflower seeds that I was eating were loaded with sodium. I mean like the whole package had 1300 mg! It's still a major dose even cut in a 1/3. That's one thing I would like to warn everyone about if they are also watching their sodium, which they would be if they're being good dieters. Do not buy Frito Lay's sunflower seeds! My husband researched it and apparently David's has the least amount of sodium that he could find. We'll see how I do tonight with my weigh in.

This morning I made a snack run to the grocery store so I could stock up at work. I've decided that I'm going to make a bigger effort to snack regularly. I bought two bags of Sunchips (cheddar and sour cream and onion flavors), a box of 10 mini bags of Curves brand butter flavor popcorn, and a big bag of David's Ranch sunflower seeds. Oh, and my hubby bought me a bundle of bananas to bring to work for my mid-day snack. I love bananas! I also bought a bottle of smart water for my workout this afternoon. My tiny pink jug, that I keep for a back up if I drink my big blue jug before the end of work, sprung a leak yesterday! Very sad, but I'll get over it. I'll just keep refilling the smart water bottle and use that for my back up.

I'm kinda nervous about my first trainer session today. He's gonna weigh me and measure me. :-\ I'm just not comfortable enough with my body around males as I would be with females. I don't know why, maybe it's a modesty thing, or maybe I don't want to feel unattractive to them? Who knows!

Today I've Eaten:
Breakfast - Half a bottle of orange juice, scrambled eggs, single serving size of raisin bran, half carton of 2% milk (9 1/2 pts.)

Mid-day snack - Banana (2 pts.)

Lunch - Grilled Salmon Caesar salad from Logan's with ranch and unsweet tea. (No idea, there is no nutritional info for Logan's anywhere!)

Mid-afternoon snack - David's Ranch sunflower seeds (3 pts.)

Dinner - Turkey meatloaf with sauteed zucchini and pureed cauliflower (14 pts.)

Brrrrr...It's cold

Yesterday my day at the gym went well. I did 40 minutes on the stationary bike, random hill program set at level 9 out of 20. I decided to do the bike for twice as long and refrain from the treadmill so that I can read my book. It's quite difficult to read while you're walking fast on a treadmill.

The book that I'm reading right now is called "You Are Not What You Weigh" by Lisa Bevere. It's mainly about a spiritual way to be happy with your body image. The last chapter that I was reading was quite interesting. She said that when we look at today's society's view on the perfect woman, the image of this woman is an idol that we worship. We hold ourselves to her standards, so we want to be like her which is...idolizing. Hello!! It made perfect sense to me, but that's all I'm going to say about that.

Back to the workout. After the bike I did leg weight machines, and abs. And then, just for funsies, I did the elliptical for 5 minutes straight without stopping. FIVE minutes! That's like a new record for me! I was so proud of myself. I had planned on doing 10 but I started burning bad and got winded, so 5 was long enough. Also last night I talked to the front desk at my gym about setting up a free training session. You get 6, I think, free sessions when you sign up. I wanted to have a female trainer to work out with but all of them work in the morning. The latest one that stays leaves at 1 in the afternoon! So I had to schedule a dude. I hope he doesn't mind training fat chicks. My first appointment is tomorrow at 4. I'm a little nervous. I hope he doesn't push me too hard. Or let me rephrase that, I hope I don't push myself too hard in an attempt to impress the trainer or because I'm stubborn and won't stop or because I want to seem in better shape than I am. Wish me good luck!

Today I've eatten:
Breakfast - Half a bottle of orange juice, scrambled eggs, single serving size of raisin bran, half carton of 2% milk (9 1/2 pts.)

Mid-day snack - Large-ish Banana (3 pts.)

Lunch - Cup of cheddar broccoli soup from McAlister's (I know I know), Grilled Chicken Caesar salad with ranch, and unsweet tea with sweet 'n' low (Don't know, I'd guess 10-12 maybe)

Mid-evening snack - Frito Lays Ranch sunflower seeds (1/3 of a small bag, say 1 1/2 pts.)

Dinner - Two chicken breast sandwiches on honey wheat bread, with lettuce, 2% milk cheese, and FF mayo (To be added later)

Ugh...

As mentioned in my previous post, I pigged out on my birthday. But not only on that day, I also ate cookie cake, and other things, for two days after it. So there's about two and a half days were I wasn't on my diet. And I didn't work out because my husband got me sick with bronchitis, and you can all imagine working out when it's hard to breath. I've been taking antibiotics so I'm feeling better. Sunday was my first true day back on track. We went to church in the morning, which was a first for us but it won't be a last. And after that we went to the gym. I felt rather accomplished that day. I have however gained 2 to 3 pounds back as punishment for my days of leisure. I intend to lose them by the end of the week if I can. For some reason I seem to be gaining less and less water weight throughout my day. My morning weights are heavier but my evening weights are about the same every night. I wonder why...

Oh I almost forgot! I've posted my February measurements on the side bar. I must say I'm rather proud of the results. A total lose of around 11 inches. I lost FOUR inches off my waist!!! I was just tickled pink when I saw that. Now if I could just get more inches off my hips...