If Scales could Talk

Portion Control

2010-01-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

People are getting bigger. That's no secret. Here's something that's not as well-known: our food is getting bigger too. A LOT bigger.

From 1977 to 1997, hamburgers expanded by 23%; a plate of Mexican food got 27% bigger; soft drinks increased by 52%; snacks (potato chips, pretzels, crackers) grew 60%. We're now entering the second generation of overeaters who can't believe that a fast food soft drink used to come in 10 ounce cups. There's actually a frozen entrée that proudly sells itself as "1 Pound of Food," as if its total mass was a benefit.

Are they serious? This is getting ridiculous!

Well, no more... The first step to diet renewal is to regain some control over what goes on your plate. During your Fast Break, you started tracking food and calories to get a clear picture of what your current diet looks like. This week, you're going to focus on Food Portions. With careful measurement, you'll learn exactly how many servings you're eating, then reduce portions until they're more in line with recommended serving sizes.

This will be the habit that can cut the most calories the quickest. You could literally lose weight by doing nothing more than eating single servings of your favorite foods instead of the culinary pile of calories you're normally faced with.

Do you ever feel obligated to finish everything on your plate, even if you're not hungry? You're probably a member of the Clean Plate Club. Formed with good intentions, this concept can cause more harm than good in this time of absurd portions. The American Institute for Cancer Research found that 67% of Americans eat everything on their plates, regardless of size. Problem is, a typical dinner plate holds three serving of spaghetti, not just one. A better strategy is to find ways to put less on your plate to begin with.

Here are some other Portion Control tips:

Use smaller plates and bowls. There's a proven link between the perceived size of food and appetite.

Order an appetizer as an entree. Remember to stay away from fried foods though.

Order from the lunch menu at dinnertime.

Leftovers are okay. Ask the server to wrap up half your meal before bringing it out.

Order smaller sizes such as a half-order of pasta or a "petite" cut of meat. Even so, portions may still be hefty. It's not unusual for a "smaller" portion of meat to be an 8-ounce serving.

Pay attention to what you're eating. You'll eat more if you're mindlessly grazing or staring at the TV.

Learn to read food labels, but be careful. Serving sizes can be misleading (for example, a can of cola is technically two servings.)

A Quick Note:
As you cut down portions, you may feel a little hungry at first. To offset this temporary hunger without eating more:

Drink more water

Eat fiber-loaded foods

Eat low-calorie foods first

Eat slowly, put the fork down between bites

Still Here

2010-01-12T06:18:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm still here like a hair in a biscuit. =) I ended uptaking the weekend off from cardio one because I was exhuasted, two I was busy helping hubby redecorate ourbathroom, and three I just needed a break. It worked! Yesterday was weigh in & I'm down almost a pound. I get so frustrated that I can't lose weight as quick as others but I guess I should be thankful that I don't gain as quick as others either. I always think I do but I found my old name on sparkpeople and found that in Jan 2007I was 204 pounds ... I'm only 206 now so not so bad, not good either when I think about the over all weight but not bad when I think it could be 20+ pounds per year that some people gain.

Anywho, I did my bootcamp videosyesterday which were great toning for the backside then I did 80 throughout my day with walking, dancing, and kickboxing with my son. It felt great but I hated that I broke it up throughout the day. Oh well, at least I worked out right?!

I guess that's all forr ight now ... I haven't been sleeping much so I'm pretty tired but have to go get school started, chores done, exercise in ... lots of stuff. Thanks for listning.

ouchie

2010-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

OMGosh, I hurt so bad that I'm almost in tears. I did my yoga this morning, well actually only 20 minutes of it. I was sore but not in pain. I did my bootcamp challenges (see below) and felt ok but shoulders were sore then I did 40 min. of kickboxing. Just a couple min. into it I began wondering if I would be able to finish it. I did, but not without PAIN. I'm not just sore ... I'm actually in pain in my lower back. I don't know if I pulled something or what's going on but I know that I'm gonna have to take some motrin and a long steaming hot shower. I hope I wake up feeling better tomorrow cause right now I don't want to do anything else.

Ok ... read next paragraph with caution or just skip over.
Poopie Pump!
Well, we've lived in this house since the end of 2004 ... we have a septic tank & that bad boy has never been pumped until today. Whoa, that sucker was full ... ewww. The guy who did the pumping thought I would like to see how full it was ... ha, I wasn't interested at all but I guess I had to look to make for sure he did his job or what not. That stupid thing had the whole house smelly for a good hour. Even my candles couldn't cut that stink. The only good thing about it is at least it wasn't over flowing like the neighbors was doing a year or so back. I wish they would just put us on city sewer, I mean we do live in the city limits.

Cardio for the week thus far

Sunday = Kickboxing (Turbo Jam) 20 min burned 314
Walk 15 min/mile 30 min burned 225
Walk 17 min/mile 30 min burned 200
Jump Start Cardio 10 min burned 167

Monday = Walk 13 min/mile 65 min burned 543

Tuesday = Yoga 20 min burned 79
Kickboxing (Turbo Jam) 40 min burned 629

Food for the Day

Breakfast = 396

Dannon Activia Peach Yogurt, 4 oz., 1 serving
Egg substitute, liquid (Egg Beaters), 0.5 cup
Granny smith apple - 1 med. apple, 1 serving
Kraft Free American Cheese Singles, 1 slice
Regular Coffee, 4 cup (8 fl oz)
Cream substitute, Coffee-mate fat free, 4 tbsp
Bread, wheat (including toast), 1 slice

Lunch = 410

Vegetable Beef Soup, 1 cup
Bread, wheat (including toast), 1 slice
Ham, extra lean, (5% fat), 1 slice (6-1/4" x 4" x 1/16")
Precious Reduced Fat String Cheese, 1 oz
Granny smith apple - 1 med. apple, 1 serving

Dinner = 405

Cornbread, 0.6 piece
Cheddar or Colby Cheese, Low Fat, 2 oz
Vegetarian Chili RECIPE, 1 serving
Onions, raw, 4 slice, medium (1/8" thick)
Sour Cream, reduced fat, 2 tbsp

Snack = 153

Hummus, 0.3 cup
Baby Carrots, raw, 5 large
Total = 1,364 calories

Boot Camp Challenges

Bonus move;
Starting Position
Start facing wall, arms-length away, feet slightly apart, legs straight with weight on toes. Place hands on wall with pointer fingers and thumbs forming a triangle. Keep arms in line with shoulders/chest (not above or below this region).

Action
INHALE: Bend elbows about 90 degrees and lower body toward the wall without touching it.

EXHALE: Straighten arms and return to starting position to complete one rep.

Special Instructions
The further your feet are away from the wall, the more difficult this exercise will be. Also be sure not to lock knees or elbows.

Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps, Shoulders

Marching to my own beat!

2010-01-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

Breakfast= 371
Dannon Activia Peach Yogurt, 4 oz., 1 serving
Granny smith apple - 1 med. apple, 1 serving
Kraft Free American Cheese Singles, 1 slice
Bread, wheat (including toast), 1 slice
Regular Coffee, 2 cup (8 fl oz)
Cream substitute, Coffee-mate fat free, 2 tbsp
Egg substitute, liquid (Egg Beaters), 0.5 cup

Lunch= 494
Bean With Ham Soup, 1 cup (8 fl oz)
Bread, wheat (including toast), 1 slice
Roast Beef - Slice, 0.75 oz
Oranges, 1 cup, sections
Precious Stringsters String Cheese, 1 serving

Dinner = 404

Vegetable Beef Soup, 2 cup
Side Salad, 1 serving
Kraft Light Done Right Italian Salad Dressing, 2 tbsp

Snack = 141

Baby Carrots, raw, 5 large
Athenos Roasted Garlic Hummus, 2 tbsp
California Navel Orange - medium orange (131g), 1 serving

Daily Total = 1,409 calories

Cardio for the week thus far

Sunday = Kickboxing (includes Turbo Jam) 20 min burned 314
Walk 15 min/mile 30 min burned 225
Walk 17 min/mile 30 min burned 200
Jump Start Cardio 10 min burned 167

Monday = Walk 13 min/mile 65 min burned 543

I am in a Alabama takes it off group & our weigh in days are set for Monday so I had to weigh in this morning. I wasn't expecting to see a loss although I was praying to the scale Gods to see something cause well, obviously I have been working my flipping tail off. I was happy to see another loss. 6 oz in 2 days which not puts my at 207 pounds. I'm on cloud nine with my progress & I actually feel stronger already. I didn't think I would make it through my 5 mile walk but I did. I'm super tired at the moment but I did it & that's what counts!

In my Body Bootcamp challenge we had a video to complete which I did ... my booty is burning though. Also we had to complete 30 min. of our own cardio ... which I did!

Bonus Challenge for Monday (optional) is to eat at least 3 servings of fruit. Fresh, frozen and canned fruits are low in calories, high in fiber and nutrients, and can help satisfy a sweet tooth without doing as much damage as a dessert. As you can tell from my food log ... I did this challenge with no problem at all. Yah for me!

The Scary Truth

2010-01-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

waist= 40
hips = 45.25
thighs = 25.50
neck = 15
calves = 17
upper arms = 14.75
body fat = 43.6%

<-- Jan 2, 2010
End of month goal is to be anywhere between 199.6-203.6. That's 1-2 pounds gone per week.

Today I have completed 20 min of kickboxing (turbojam), 2 mile 15 min walk, the 10 min. boot camp video posted yesterday, and a 30 min walk with the honey. That's a lot of calories burned today. Hoping, praying, keeping my fingers crossed that this is what it takes for my body to get the point ... I don't want to be fat anymore.

Food Plan

2010-01-03T07:14:00.001-08:00

Breakfast = 346

Dannon Activia Peach Yogurt, 4 oz., 1 serving
Egg substitute, liquid (Egg Beaters), 0.5 cup
Granny smith apple - 1 med. apple, 1 serving
Kraft Free American Cheese Singles, 1 slice
Bread, wheat (including toast), 1 slice

Lunch = 429

Milk, nonfat, 1 cup
Peanut Butter, smooth style, 1.5 tbsp
Apples, fresh, 1 small (2-1/2" dia) (approx 4 per lb)
Bread, reduced-calorie, wheat, 2 slice
Peanut Butter, smooth style, 0.5 tbsp

Dinner = 396

Cheddar or Colby Cheese, Low Fat, 2 oz
Portobello Burgers RECIPE, 2 serving
Cucumber (with peel), 1 cup slices
Yellow Mustard, 1 tsp or 1 packet
Nature's Own Whitewheat Hamburger Bun, 1 serving
Kraft Light Done Right Ranch Salad Dressing, 1 tbsp

Snack = 298

Oranges, 2 cup, sections
Baby Carrots, raw, 5 large
Athenos Roasted Garlic Hummus, 4 tbsp

Daily Total = 1,469

Bootcamp Day 1

2010-01-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

So I joined www.SparkPeople.com the other day * signed up for their Body Bootcamp challenge. This video is what's scheduled for tomorrow but I'm weird & did it today & then will do it again tomorrow. OMLord ... this sucker had me sweating like a stuffed pig. Maybe it had something to do with the 20 min. workout I did before this one but whatever the case ... it's a great short workout. I'm really hoping I will see some great results this month and all the way til I hit my goal weight. I'm pumped this year! This is my year to see the new me.

GOOD NEWS ... the scale showed a loss this week. I'm down 5 pounds from Thanksgiving & 2 of those pounds are just from last Monday ... whoo hoo.

No resolutions, just goals!

2010-01-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

In the past I have made new years resolutions to lose weight but it never seems to last for more than a month or two. This year I'm not making losing weight a resolution, I'm making losing weight a lifestyle change. I can't just diet until I reach my goal and hope to keep the weight off, it doesn't work like that. I now know that getting in shape & living healthfully is more than the latest diet craze in a magazine that promises to lose weight so quick that its like a dream come true. If something sounds to good to be true it's probably because it is. I've learned from past experiences ... diets in the magazines don't work!

This year I'm not making one big goal ... big goals never work for me because I can't seem to focus on long term. So, I'm making weekly and monthly goals where I can see the end in sight.

January Goals
1. Practice yoga 2-3 times a week
2. Do some form of heart pumping cardio 5-6 times a week
3. Drink 8-8 oz glasses of water daily
4. Try a new recipe 2x a month
5. Get in no less than 2 fruits & 2 veggies a day
6. Reach 205 pounds by months end (1 lb a week)
7. Start & Finish the Spark book.

What's my plan of action to reach the goals I have set forth? Every Monday, Wednesday, & Friday I will get up at 6:30 in the morning and practice yoga with or without my hubby. When my son has completed his school work for the day (usually around 10 am) together we will do a TaeBo, Biggest Loser, or walk video that is 30 minutes long. After dinner every night I will take a 30+ min walk with hubby. Should energy present itsself throughout the course of the day I will step away from the computer and exercise. While exercising I will chug my water so I will have an easier time of drinking my 8 glasses. I will come to SP every morning to plan out my nutrition taking into account that I must have 2 fruits & 2 veggies. I believe I should be able to lose 1 pound a week by counting calories & exercising regularly. My calorie range is 1200-1600 a day! Finally, the Spark book ... I will take 30 min. or more a day to read it. Still waiting for it to get here but believe it will be here sometime this coming week as I've already received shipping notice.

At the end of the month I will copy my January goals & state my progress. I will tweak any part of my plan that didn't work and add anything to it that will benifit me in the next month. I'm ready, willing, and able to get my life back & only I can make it happen. I'm the only one standing in my way of reaching my new life & I'm refusing to stand in my way anymore.

My Road Map Blessings

2009-12-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

Like many people in the world with weight problems for far to long I have been kidding myself. What am I kidding myself about exactly? Just how big I actually am! I think there are two categories that people have about themselves and mostly neither is what is really there. I believe we either see ourselves way bigger than we actually are or we see ourselves as smaller then what we really are. I'm in the latter category. Ya see, I hold my weight very well & more times then not when my weight is revealed people think I'm lying ... I can't possibly weigh as much as I state I do. Well, I do!

Some of this "not seeing how much I weigh" thinking is probably due to my wonderful husband who only sees the beauty in me, never the baggage that clings on for dear life. I AM as big as the scale says I am and the realization came at Thanksgiving this year. I went to spend it with out of state family. My mother has always been on the small side (5'2, and about 120 pounds) frustrating to no end for me cause I've always been on the big side (5'6, and averaging 180). When my mother opened the door I was shocked by her larger, unkept body. My first thought was "who is this person standing before me?" & then ... I'm not proud of this next thought ... "ha, I'm finally smaller than you are!" Ya see, with my mom's always smaller size she has always made me feel inferior to her, not possibly as good as she was cause size was what really mattered & I never measured up cause compared with her I was fat! After seeing my mother I must say I felt like a million bucks, I paraded around like a glamorous movie star. Ha, reality smacked me in the face when pictures were developed. What I saw was horrifying. Why was I pretending to look differently then I actually did? I have no earthly idea.

So today, I head to my bathroom where the pretending will come to an end. I remove all the clothing that hang in front of my full length mirror and peel away the clothing from my body. It's time I take a good long hard look at who is staring back at me. I'm not immediately repulsed by my body like I thought I would be. I think this comes from the positive force of my husband who refuses to let me speak about myself in a negative light. Instead of any negative thoughts in the privacy of my room I look for all the positives I have to offer. Starting from the top I notice my hair that radiantly shines in the light, my eyes that sparkle like the happiest child on Christmas morning, my broad shoulders ... well, they could be less bulky I think to myself but then I say, why should they be? Genetics can be a good or bad thing & all in all my genetics aren't bad. I come from strong German stock so having a strong muscular body is part of it & the shoulders are part of who I am. I continue to travel down my body with self-acceptance on the brain. My full chest is bigger then I would like but what most women pray God to have. Sure I have a few stretch marks here & there but in the end I am a mother of two ... shouldn't the marks be there? I glance further down to see my protruding abdomen ... good gravy, this sight with all it's lines & hills could easily be mistaken as a road map to no wheresville. I force myself to find self-acceptance, to accept & own every inch of me - my history, my body, and yes ... my genetics!

Yes, my body has a road map but if I follow them, they tell the story of my life. A life that I would not change even if having a fit celebrity body for life was promised. Some of the lines are from growing as a child. Most of us have them, it's natural! Many are from my 2 children are my whole life & they put those road maps there while I carried them, gave birth to them. I have a c-section scar from each. Now I'm beginning to see that those many roads are nothing more than lines of blessing. I couldn't have the lines without the blessing or the blessing without the lines. As I pass my road map of blessings I see my legs that are larger then I would like them to be but then I think of my genetics. My athletic build will never leave me with skinny arms or legs ... their strong and muscular as my ancestors left for me. For the moment my body isn't at it's peak but with every punch I throw and leg I kick I become a stronger woman on the outside and by accepting who I am, road maps and all ... I'm becoming a stronger woman on the inside. I love the sound of that!

Weights or Cardio

2009-12-11T05:08:00.000-08:00

Question: I read that weight training is a lot more effective at burning fat than cardio, and if you could only do one of the two, you should weight train. Is this true?

Answer: Weight training is important for a couple of reasons. First, the more muscle you have, the higher your base metabolism will be and the more calories you will burn even at rest. But the actual numbers involved in a whole day of "extra" calorie burning due to extra muscle are relatively small compared to the number of calories you can burn during an hour of cardio exercise. The second reason is more important. Whenever you lose weight, you will lose some muscle along with the fat. If you don't exercise and do some strength training, up to 30% of the weight you lose can come from muscle loss, and that isn't likely to be healthy over the long haul. Good strength and muscle tone are essential for functional living and health. You can hold your muscle loss down to 3-5% of total weight loss with moderate strength training. Likewise, strength training helps to preserve bone density, balance, and many other important things. So, strength train each muscle group at least twice a week--this really only takes about 30-45 minutes per workout. Better yet, try circuit training, where you lift weights without resting between sets. This method meets both cardio and strength requirements because you keep your heart rate elevated throughout your workout, increasing the amount of calories you burn per workout. After you've met your 2 strength sessions per week, focus on cardio if your goal is weight loss. You need the cardio for the calorie burning, and also to build and maintain your cardiovascular fitness.

Stay the Course

2009-12-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

So you're well on your way to achieving your weight-loss goals. Feels good, right? Those changes you're implementing in your life? They've got to be PERMANENT, baby. You might get into a size 8, or have a six-pack to show off, but that doesn't mean you can cheat, get lazy, or stop counting your calories.
Keep in mind, all this work — mental and physical — is helping you look at your life in new ways, with deeper insight and understanding. The bottom line is this: You can never go back to your old way of life if you want to maintain your new physique. You're on the wagon, my friend. As with any kind of recovery, just because you're rehabilitated doesn't mean you don't have to be vigilant to guard against a relapse.
All that soul-searching and honest examination has to continue. All those behavior modifications and healthy, life-affirming habits you learned have to stay in place every day for the rest of your life.
I know, it sucks and it's hard. Whatever. It's the truth. The good news is that it will get easier. You'll get accustomed to how awesome it feels to treat yourself well, not to mention how awesome you'll feel every time you look in the mirror or catch your reflection in a store window! Eventually, behaviors and choices you've had to think through will become gut instinct.
You can do this. Remember, you're doing it right now.

When t o Eat!

2009-11-17T06:40:00.000-08:00

Q: Is it better to eat a meal before or after a workout?

A: Both. Here's what I like to do: have my breakfast at 9 a.m., work out from 10:30 to 12, and eat by 1 p.m. Here's why:
Back in the old days, people thought they should train on an empty stomach in order to burn more fat, but that has turned out to be FALSE. In fact, your body needs some glucose (blood sugar) for fuel in addition to what it can use from fat stores when you're working out. If you don't have any blood sugar available, your body will eat the muscles' glycogen, or stored glucose. Low blood sugar will also make you tired and sluggish during your training session. For these reasons, I suggest you eat something 45 minutes to an hour before training — you'll have more energy and endurance to work harder, burn more calories, and improve your muscle tone.
After training, during a period known as the golden hour (45 to 60 minutes after a workout), muscles absorb the most nutrients, and glycogen is replaced the most efficiently. You don't have to have a huge meal — just a little something that contains both protein and carbs will give the best results.

Tone Your Abs and Legs With These Hard-Core Moves

2009-11-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

We all have a trouble zone that makes us crazy when we're trying on new clothes. Were you ever dying to fit into a pair of cool new jeans, but they wouldn't budge past the middle of your thighs? We've all been there, right? Or ever had the dreaded "muffin top" — where your middle is hanging over the waistband? Not cute. Trust me, some heart-pumping cardio is going to make a world of difference in helping you burn off the fat. And doing these three killer moves will really help you sculpt those skinny-jean trouble zones even more!

If you're a beginner, try to do 12 reps and 3 sets of each move along with cardio intervals. Or if you're advanced, try 20 reps and 3 sets to go along with cardio intervals.

Donkey Kick
Start on your hands and knees, with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists in line with your shoulders. Keep your back and neck straight and look forward. Shift your weight to your left leg.

With your hands still firmly planted on the ground, kick your right leg up and back behind you until it is straight. Keep your foot flexed so that your toes are pointing toward the floor. Slowly bring your right knee back to the ground. Repeat all the reps on the same side, then switch to the opposite side and repeat. Keep checking your form to make sure your shoulders are always in line with your wrists.

Crossover Lunge
Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Step your left foot diagonally forward and across the right foot. If you were standing in the middle of a clock facing the number 12, you would bring your left foot across the body and place it on the 1. Slowly lower your right knee until the left leg is parallel to the floor

Then, using the left leg, exhale and push yourself back into your first step. Repeat the same motion with the right leg, only this time bring your right leg forward and place it on the number 11.

Pike Crunch
From a kneeling position, place your abdomen on a body ball and roll the body along the ball until your ankles rest on the top of the ball. Your shoulders should be aligned directly over your hands.

Contracting your abdominal muscles, exhale and pull the ball forward using your legs.
As your glutes rise, keep your upper body stable so that your shoulders stay aligned with your hands.

In the finished position, your toes should be resting on the ball. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Find the Strength to Stop Emotional Eating

2009-11-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Emotional eating can be a big problem when you're trying to lose weight. You have a sucky week (or month!), and suddenly that pint of ice cream seems like the solution to your problem, right? WRONG! That's the old you. The new, empowered, and strong you can push through tough or trying times, knowing that things can and will get better.

Stop letting your emotions sabotage your weight loss. Establish healthy patterns of behavior and invest in your physical and emotional well-being. Here's some good advice from me to you when it comes to emotional eating when your having "one of those days":

I've been there! Emotional eating was my specialty and can still creep in if I am not careful — like last week!

I have found that a good, hard workout definitely helps. For some reason, accomplishing something physically difficult gives me the stamina and focus to get through the emotional difficulties. It has taught me to "buck up," push through it, and get over it. I'm not perfect in this area, but I have made progress.

There are times, though, when I am emotionally spent and what I really need is rest. You know your body — just listen to it. And remember, this is a lifelong commitment — today is just one day in your journey. Tomorrow is a new day and another step forward.

Telling it like it is

2009-11-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

Listen, getting in shape is all about setting goals. Losing weight, building muscle, and getting rid of the unhealthy eating habits take guts and perseverance. You're dealing with something big here. When you decide what you want, make it specific and concrete. For example, don't just say that you want to lose weight. Ask yourself some questions: How much weight? And is weight really the most important thing? Or is it more important that you climb your front steps with ease or lower your body-fat ratio? Think hard about what you want, and use your journal to keep track. Once you've figured out where you want to go, here's how you're going to get there:

Learn how to make decisions you can stick with. Remember, you're not just going on a diet, you're establishing a pattern of health that will enhance the quality of your life. Think big, but choose small, attainable goals — lose five pounds to start or fit into pants one size smaller — and build on those goals as you reach each one.

Allow yourself room for setbacks. One setback is only one setback — it's not the end of the world, nor is it the end of your journey toward a better you. You don't have to give up. Just get back on the bandwagon and keep going.

Walk the line between self-denial and self-indulgence. It's the middle ground between the two that will offer you the best foundation for building your new life. Maintain your discipline by allowing yourself little pleasures every now and again.

Understand that there are no mistakes. The things you used to think of as mistakes are now just learning experiences, so don't waste time beating yourself up. You'll encounter small failures — everyone does. But you'll achieve success too. Just remember, every pound you gain can be lost.
Keep in mind that faith in yourself and your work is what will keep you striving for the best. Now, get in the zone and push as hard as you can!

Controversial Queen

2009-11-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

Well, as some of you may already know I'm certified in fitness & nutrition. I was an assistant aerobics instructor for 2 years & then went on to teach for a couple of years. I've helped more people lose weight then I can count on my hands ... shoot I'd have to break out all of my old paper work to even give an accurate count.

So today I'm playing on FB when a friend posts that she will be going on a high protein diet to lose weight. Whenever I hear high protein, low carb plans I start worrying about peoples health because this is a very unhealthy way to go when trying to lose weight. I know that there are people out there who say this is the healthiest diet ever but the truth is (remember I studied this) it's no where close to being healthy. I understand wanting to get the weight off as quick as possible but what we all need to remember (myself included) is the weight didn't show up in a month or two and it won't come off that quick in a healthy manner either.

So with the plethora of information out there on ways to lose weight naturally how do you know which way is the best? It's actually easier then you think. No food is off limits ... only the quantity of food is off limits. Think back to the caveman times ... they weren't fatties, now were they? Nope! What did they eat? They ate plants, fruits, and animals. Any diet plan that tells us we can't have food from a certain group can't be healthy for our bodies. Think about the food pyramid ... it's not as outdated as some people would lead us to believe.

Maybe you already eat healthy, I know I sure do. It's sad when I can go to a dietitian and have her tell me I eat cleaner than any other client she has and if she's being honest, healthier then she eats too. Sometimes the foods we eat isn't what's causing the weight gain but the problem lies in the amount of food that's being taken in.

Here's an example of what I used to eat in the course of a day when I was in my 20's and trying to lose weight

Breakfast: slim fast shake
Lunch: slim fast shake
Dinner: garden salad, & a frozen dinner

Doesn't look horribly bad but let me tell ya ... I was always so darn hungry and miserable that once I reached my goal weight I stopped drinking my food. I was hungry cause I never let my caloric intake go above 1000 calories a day. Great news was I lost weight, bad news was my metabolism was so screwed up it didn't know whether to crap or go blind.

I got wise in 2000 when I started studying for my fitness & nutrition certificate. I learned how to eat properly and I learned that anything under 1200 calories a day was the worst thing I could ever do to lose weight.

Here's an example of how I ate while in school:

Breakfast: 3 egg beaters, 1 slice whole wheat toast, and potatoes
Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup fruit
Lunch: 6 inch sub sandwich and one serving of baked chips
Snack: lettuce wrap: 2 oz turkey, string cheese rolled in lettuce leaf, 1cup berries
Dinner: 1 serving pasta with grilled chicken, 1 dinner roll
Snack: 1 serving sugar free gelatin, 1 tbsp whip cream

I still eat pretty much the same way. Here's a look at what I ate just yesterday;

b:egg beaters sprinkled with ground beef & cheese, apple
s: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup pears
l: grilled chicken Caesar salad, 1 cup berries
s: mocha protein shake
d: 4 oz grilled salmon, 1 cup asparagus, tomato/cucumber salad
s: lettuce wrap: 2 oz deli meat, string cheese rolled in a romaine lettuce leaf

Sometimes eating still doesn't keep the weight off so you have to look at your fitness routine. A good rule of thumb is 30-45 minutes 3-5 times a week of heart pumping aerobics and 2-3 days of weight training to build up your muscles. The stronger your muscles the more fat your body can burn. Did you know that muscle can burn 30 extra calories a day while fat can only burn 3-5? Now what would you rather have on your body? I'll take muscle please! =)

Okay, you do all of this & you still can't lose weight ... what do you do? Take your happy self to the doctor for test to be run. Most times we find that we have a thyroid problem as I did but don't let that news make you think that you can never be a healthy size again. You can, you just have to be more vigilant in your quest to lose weight & take back your life. Look for an endocrinologist in your area, you'll be amazed at what you will find out.

The following is why I'm the controversial queen ... I let a few FB people know why high protein diets like Atkins is bad for your health. Protein isn't bad so please don't get me wrong. Too much of any one thing is bad for your health. God gave us a rainbow of goodies to choose from so why stick with only one color? Of course the discussion was taken out of the spirit it was intended & I was basically told that Atkins is the healthiest diet there is out there cause after all ... it helps you lose weight fast which keeps you motivated to keep losing. Oh, let me not forget that it drops your cholesterol (not mine) along with other things that people claim to be great.

The following conditions may result from too much protein in the diet: The Atkins Diet

Heart disease, Kidney damage, Constipation, Tumors and cancerous growths, Biochemical imbalances in the tissues (over acidity), Arthritis, and Bone-loss (osteoporosis). These are some really scary conditions. I do have one final question for people who think Atkins is the best thing since sliced bread. If this diet is the "be all end all" then why is it that when Atkins died, he died obese?

Someone to Watch Over Me

2009-11-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

To chase down big goals like losing 50 pounds or more, you've got to make some major lifestyle changes. Some shifts are easier than others. For instance, trading your chips for air-popped popcorn might be a little easier than getting up at the crack of dawn to exercise every day. For that kind of change, you might need a little extra support.

To help keep your feet firmly on the path to successful weight loss and fitness, find someone to look up to — someone whom you trust to educate you about health and fitness, give you advice and answers when you're feeling lost, and stimulate your sense of possibility and potential.

My role model was a Jazzercise instructor that I met while my husband was stationed in Hawaii. I had just delivered my 2nd child by c-section less than a year earlier & I was way out of shape. She encouraged me to take baby steps instead of giving up on myself. Within a couple months I was already 30 pounds lighter and close to my half way mark. We we sent to NY before I could get all my weight off but as luck/Army would have it Lori (the instructor) followed soon after. I was in every class and soon became her assistant then on to get certified myself. So Lori not only encouraged me to get healthy but I ended up encouraging others to get healthy too.

The easiest way to get instant support is to hire a personal trainer, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to get the support you need. Look for a sponsor in a local support group or a trusted friend who has been there, done that — basically, anyone you respect who has the knowledge you need and the ability to challenge you and keep you moving toward your goal.

Well, what are you waiting for? This is the only life/body you have ... find your buddy so you can make it a healthy one.

Still pushing the Butter

2009-11-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

That's right I'm still here & still trying to lose weight. If nothing else I'm consistant at trying huh. Halloween has come & gone & I'm no more worse fort he wear. I did have some of the kids candy but surprisingly enough this year I didn't feel guilty foreating any of it. I didn't feel the need to hide out in the bedroom with the door lock snecking little candy bars or other little goodies. I ate it all in the open. Believe it or not ... no one said a word to me about it.

I was going to weight in on Monday but TOM had other plans for me. He knows I will never weigh in when he is around to ruin my good spirits. It's ok though, I probably wouldn't hav eliked what I saw anyway. I have been sticking with my exercise program although I have fallen short most days on getting in my 10,000 my steps. I've been averaging anywhere from 5,000-7,000 a day. Not horrible but I do need to get back into my 10,000 steps before I can go to bed mode. I think what's been keeping me from getting all my steps is not walking in the morning or the evening with the hubby. I'm not going to blame it on him either. It's all on me. He will come home & ask me if I want to goforawalk & I will tell him I'm to tired to do it. I'm not really, I'm just being a lazy couch potato.

I've been trying different workouts the last couple of weeks. Last week was Masala Bhangra and Kim Kardashian step workout ... this week has been Chris Freytag's walking toning workout. Below is an example of one oft he workouts. I know it must be doing something cause when the workout is over my muscles are twitching like crazy. Talk about muscle fatigue ... it's good fatigue though! =)

Tune in to your own Channel

2009-11-02T05:49:00.000-08:00

Think you'll never look like actress Angelina Jolie? You won't. Believe me — Angelina Jolie doesn't even look like Angelina Jolie in real life! Face it: We're bombarded with images of ideal beauty everywhere — on television, in movies, in magazines, you name it. When we compare ourselves with these unattainable, airbrushed images of perfection, we're always going to come up short. No wonder we pick ourselves apart and get depressed!

The only way out of this trap of negativity is to let go of unrealistic notions of what you should look like. While exercise and diet are key components to healthy living, accepting and loving your body — working with it rather than against it — are important, too.

Take a good, hard look at where your negative feelings about yourself are coming from. Determine what the source is — whether it's the media, judgment from family or friends, or maybe a bad relationship; you have to identify it first before you can begin to let it go. Looking for perfect? Forget perfect — it's boring! Embrace your perceived imperfections (c'mon, they make you unique) and love who you are. It's the only way to move forward.

Move it to Lose it

2009-10-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

Know someone who's getting amazing results from an insanely low-calorie diet? It may be tempting to severely restrict your calories in hopes of a drastic weight loss, but don't even think about it! Truth is, very few people can maintain one of those crazy kinds of diets for more than a couple weeks. And to make things worse, most people on near-starvation diets gain back all the weight (and more) just a few months later.

In weight-loss terms, fat is energy and the best way to lose it is to use it. You have to do it with diet and exercise. If you diet without exercise, the majority of your weight loss will be from muscle. The minute you stray from your diet, the weight will come right back on.

The only way to lose it for good is to get moving! Exercise not only helps you burn calories, it also helps build, strengthen, and maintain lean muscle. Exercise has another benefit called afterburn. A great cardio routine keeps burning fat not just during your workout but for hours afterward. Not bad, eh?

The rule of the game is increasing your intensity. The exercise afterburn is also referred to as "excess post-exercise oxygen consumption." It represents the calories used up to return the body back to its pre-exercise state, or resting level, which can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 48 hours, depending on the intensity and duration of the workout. What's more, if you do resistance-training workouts in the morning and your cardio at night, you will reap the benefits of a twice-a-day afterburn without overtraining your muscles.

Doing any type of physical activity is healthier than sitting on the couch downing a bag of chips. And activities like bowling and golf do burn calories — but not enough. To see dramatic weight loss, you must do heart-pumping cardio. Cardio is any activity that is rhythmic, continuous, requires the movement of large muscles, and raises your heart rate. While bowling and golf get you moving, the action is stop-and-go. There's no reason to give up those activities, just be aware that you must still put in time on the treadmill (or doing some other cardio activity) as well.

Are You Watching Out for Your Kids?

2009-10-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

I hate to break it you, but there are so many toxins in our environment nowadays that our kids are exposed to chemicals and endocrine disruptors on a daily basis. I know — scary, right? Luckily, they have YOU to help do something about it. Now, you can't change everything, but as parents, you do have a great deal of power over what your kids put in their mouths and on their skin. You probably know you need to feed them the best quality food you can afford, but what about the quality of the clothes, toys, and diapers you buy for them? Here are four important steps that you can take to help clean up their environment.

Clothing and bedding: Make sure your kids' pajamas, bedding, pillows, and mattresses do not contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a class of flame-retardant chemicals. They pose potential health risks to children — they've been linked to thyroid disruption, learning and memory problems, hearing damage, decreased sperm counts in later years, and birth defects. Choose organic bedding and clothing that's free of these chemicals, and your body, your kids' bodies, and the planet will be much happier.

Toys: The phthalates DEHP and DINP are added to plastics to make them flexible. But they pose a health risk to you and your children because they are endocrine disruptors. Many manufacturers and stores have pledged to remove phthalates from their toys, but if the recalls on toys from China tell us anything, it's that we can't be 100 percent sure about the products we buy. Instead, choose unpainted wood and organic fabric toys.

Bottles and diapers: Don't put endocrine disruptors directly into babies' mouths or on their bottoms. Instead, use glass bottles and unbleached diapers, such as Seventh Generation chlorine-free diapers or gDiapers.

Lice shampoo: You don't want to pour toxic pesticides on children's heads. Adopt a "no nits" policy and do regular screenings: Use a lice comb and get the nits out before they develop into lice. If your children do get lice, find a gentle anti-lice shampoo with natural ingredients, and prevent recurrences by sprinkling a few drops of tea tree essential oil on their heads every day.

Setting Daily Goals

2009-10-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Your first step on the road to total health and your best life is simple: You can't achieve success if you are not moving toward something, so before you do anything else, you have to establish both short- and long-term goals. Need some motivation? Here are examples of what they want to accomplish today:

Make NO EXCUSES!
Stay on track
To work harder than yesterday...I was a little easy on myself yesterday
NO BAD SNACKS TODAY!
PUSH it on the elliptical
No cheating — chocolate is a killer when it's sitting right in front of you
Check out a martial arts course, Krav Maga, tonight
Plan dinner (because it's a busy night and when it gets busy what is not thought of is...dinner)
Not to procrastinate with my circuit exercises
Drink water instead of soda
What short-term goal can you commit to right now that will help you reach your larger goals?

Find the Middle Ground

2009-10-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

What's your favorite treat? Come on, now — if you could eat your way out of a room filled with one kind of food, what would it be? Cake? Chocolate? Cheese? Ice cream? When you know that you can never stop at just one bite of ice cream, it's tempting to swear off that food forever — especially now that you're focused on improving your health, diet, and physique. But as many of us have found out from experience, labeling something "forbidden" makes it all the more appealing!

A critical step in renouncing the destructive all-or-nothing mind-set is knowing how to walk the line between self-denial and self-indulgence. It's the middle ground that offers the best foundation on which to build your new life. Denying yourself little pleasures such as an occasional glass of wine or a chocolate truffle will only make you feel deprived, frustrated, and ultimately hopeless about maintaining your discipline. A temptation is a lot less powerful if it isn't totally forbidden. This is where moderation comes in.

There is room for all foods, no matter how "bad" they are; it's just a matter of being conscious of and careful about how often and how much. It's fine to have a piece of cake now and then — just not every day, and not the whole cake.

Masala Bhangra Workout

2009-10-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Dance your way to fitness!
The Masala Bhangra Workout® is derived from two Indian words:

• Masala, which means ‘spicy’ in Hindi, and

• Bhangra, which is a traditional folk dance from the northern state of Punjab, India

The Masala Bhangra Workout® is an exercise dance routine that modernizes the high-energy folk dance of Bhangra by blending traditional Bhangra dance steps and the exhilaration of Bollywood (Hindi film) moves, seen recently in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire! This unique dance mixes cardiovascular with fun, and is suitable for participants of all ages and fitness levels.

Yup, it's me again

2009-10-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sticking to my workout plan and well, my food is as good as I can feasibly do at this time. I'm tired of trying to lose weight so I'm just going to do everything I know is good/right for my body & hope for the best. I've logged in over 10,000 steps a day for the last week and my food choices have been pretty darn good exceptfor Monday night when I had a piece of cake. It was really good but I ate it to late at night & it kept me up most of the night with heart burn, indigestion, and making me feel like I was going to throw up all night long. I learned an important lesson ... don't eat sweets so close to bed time & even better then that just skip it as often as possible. I feel better when that crud isn't in my body anyway.

Cardio: 1.5 mile walk with hubby
20 min. latin dance
20 min indian dance ... next entry will have a clip of the workout. Best dance workout I have found in a long time. Check it out!!!

Food: egg beaters w/cream, 3 cups coffee
cup of oatmeal, 2 waters
2 pickles, 2 cups water
2 cups 15 bean soup w/ turkey sausage, 4 cups water

Gee, whadda ya know

2009-10-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Weigh in day & I have gained all my weight back despite getting back into cardio and eating all the right things. I friggin want to give up. ha ha ha ya know I'm not really giving up. I never give up.

Cardio: I have completed my 20 min salsa dancing ... dang it's so much fun to get my groove on. I was sweating like crazy by the end of the workout. Oh, almost forgot, I also got up at 7 & went for a neighborhood walk with the hubby this morning. It was a lot chilly but well worth getting out there & burning some butter.

Breakfast: 2 egg beaters mixed with heavy cream, 2 slices of whole wheat bread, serving of mayo, cup of coffee, 2 cups of water
Lunch: 2 egg beaters w/heavy cream, 2 slices whole wheat bread, 1 serving mayo, 2 cups of water
Snack: protein bar, 4 cups of water, fiber supplement
Dinner: Vegetable beef soup, 2 cups of water, herbal tea

On Track!

2009-10-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

So I've been busted my hump today to get my cardio in ... and my 10,000 steps a day that I have made a must do each day. I log on to see this was supposed to be my rest day.Whoops!!! When it comes to cardio I just don't know how to rest. I usually take one day off which is usually Sunday but even with that I still take a 1.5-2 mile walk. Oh well, can 2 days off really make that much difference.

I got on the scale this morning to see no weight loss as of yet but I 'm not gonna freak out cause it could be a number of things. Mostly I think it could be muscle cause although I have been doing cardio I have really let my weight training suffer.

Cardio: 660 calories burned
30 min BL circuit, 30min Latin Dance

Food: 1186 calories in
B: Lucky charms with milk
L: Turkey on wheat, lettuce, tomato, can of pears
S: string cheese, baby carrots
D: Taco salad, with sour cream

Notes:
I'm having one heck of a time eating as much as the plan says I should be eating. The more I exercise the less I want to eat. No matter how hard I tell myself to eat something or exercise a little less ... it's just not working. I can't force myself to eat and I can't stop myself from exercising. Yes, I'm still a workout nut. I've always loved it!

Checkin' In

2009-10-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yep! I'm still here trying to shed this stupid weight & yes I have another plan to try cause all the protein was making me feel ill. I'm now trying Jillian Michaels approach that isn't just about exercise although I know I have to get more then a few walks in each week. Her program focuses on the kind of eating as well. I know, those of you who know me know I don't really eat poorly so I wasn't sure what her program could bring to the table. It's basically eating organic.

Her philosophy is this; if it doesn't have a mother & it doesn't come from the ground then don't eat it. Not really a major problem there. I should go to a farmers market & get as much fresh veggies as I can instead of getting it from the store ... no problem there either as we do this when ever we drive by the side of the road stands. The high protein diet left me feeling tired, run down and really like I couldn't have much of anything. I couldn't eat many things that the rest of the family were so I didn't feel like I was part of them. =(

I missed my fruit & most of my veggies. I still have to stay away from some of them the majority of the time. The starchy ones, but I can still have them, just once or twice a week instead of daily. I can deal with this.

So, this morning ... bright & early (6 am) hubby & I did our 25 min. 1.5 mile walk around the neighborhood. It was nice cause all the kids we're sleeping (fall break around here), the soldier were off doing their PT and everyone else I guess was still sleeping. We had a nice breeze ... so nice that when we came home we decided to open the house up & get some fresh air blowing through. Love this time of year. Yes, I love the summer but I don't like the bill that goes along with it. The fall is just perfect ... light t-shirt, light workout pants & very little sweat. It's wonderful!

Get Real with Yourself!!

2009-10-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

It's easy to let the media — and the world — dictate how you think you should look and feel. It's time to stop and get real!

Your first step on the road to total health and your best life is simple: You can't achieve success if you're not moving toward something, so before you do anything else, you have to establish a long-term goal. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. It's easy to say to yourself that you want to look like an action hero or a supermodel. It's a little bit different to arrive at an ultimate goal that's both ambitious and attainable.

What's attainable, you ask? In our day-to-day lives we're bombarded with images of supposed perfection and beauty all the time; it's easy to let the media and the world at large dictate how you feel you should look and consequently how you feel about how you do look. That's got to stop. You know those articles about how to get Jessica Biel's tush, Kelly Ripa's arms, Matthew McConaughey's rock-hard abs? Forget them! Even Cameron Diaz doesn't look like Cameron Diaz. Most of the photos we see in magazines are shot after hours of hair and makeup sessions, then airbrushed to perfection. Trying to live up to these impossible standards will lead you down the road to poor self-image, self-loathing, and disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

Find Your True Shape
So what is a realistic expectation of an ideal you? Below are three basic body types — identify the one that best applies to your body. It's important to understand your shape and what you can and can't expect from it.

The apple shape. The apple tends to store fat in his or her upper body, so if a person is carrying extra weight, it's usually around the belly. Fat stored in the upper body can lead to cardiovascular disease, so it's important for apples to be health conscious. Apples have evolved to store fat in this way to adapt to long periods of famine.

The pear shape. Pears are almost always women and hold the majority of their fat in the lower body: hips, butt, saddlebags. This shape has evolved because fat stored in these areas aids in fertility. This type of fat isn't as much of a health risk as abdominal fat, but it can be harder to lose!

The proportionate shape. Lucky proportionates have fat cells distributed equally throughout their entire body. When they gain weight, they gain it everywhere. When they lose weight, it comes off evenly.

After identifying your shape as one of the three basic types, you need to establish a realistic weight for your specific build.

Now that you've got an honest idea of what your shape can look like and what your goal weight should be, visualize it! Imagine in great detail how you'll look and feel, the many ways in which your life will be different and, yes, better. Use your blog/journal every day so you're inspired to work through your issues and toward your goals, rather than avoid your problems and stay in neutral.

Meditate on your daily goals every morning to give purpose to your day. And every night before you go to sleep, think about your vision of the ultimate you — strong, healthy, and happy. Reaffirm your belief in yourself and your goals, and you'll find yourself taking the active steps needed to achieve them.

Weigh In Day

2009-10-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

Monday's & Friday's are my new weigh in day. I can see how wellI do all week and then over the weekend I have to stay on track to see my progress come Monday. Anyway, this morning's weigh in I was hoping for more but I'll take it. 206. That means this week, without any real exercise I have lost 1.6 pounds. I know I need to get in my exercise but I just don't feel like I have the energy for it most days or hubby & I will say lets go for a walk ... we will get side tracked with errands or something to do with the kids. I'm noticing he needs the exercise to. He's getting a belly on him and he seemsto be winded more than usual. For the last yr and a few months (retirement) he hasn't done any type of cardio except for our neighborhood walks. It's not good for him just like it's not good for me. He's still eating crap ... he's getting away with it for now but I'd say in a couple more years his naturally skinny body is gonna give him the finger! Maybe he will see my good example like the kids and start eating better and not put off our walks.

Food for today & it's pretty much the same everyday. It's boring but it keeps me from having to think about what I'll be having. The numbers to the side are not WW points but net carbs. I'm trying to watch how many & what kind of carbs I take in. My body isn't doing well with certain carbs & milk is out of the question. Everytime I drink it I feel horrible & my stomach has me doubled over. I stopped drinking it & now I feel fine. Sucks cause I love the way milk taste.

B- coffee (1), 3 egg beaters (3), cream (0), cheese (1)
S- pickle (1), protein shake (1)
L- protein bar (3)
S- string cheese (1), ham slice (0)
D- idk (yet have 6 pts to use tho)
S- snack bar (3)

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Calculator

Weigh In

2009-10-03T05:52:00.000-07:00

I was s oscaredto see the number on the scale but I know that putting it off isn't good for me either. I needed to know where I stood so I know where I have to get too. So the verdict ... 207.6! Not nearly where I thought I was. I was truly expecting to see 215-220! I'm guessing my clothes felt tight because TOM was here & I was having one heck of a time with my bowel movements. I know this is TMI but in the week we were gone I only had 2 BM's. Not good huh!

Ok so on to my food choices for the day.

B- 3 egg beaters, 1 oz cheese, salsa, coffee
S- string cheese wrapped in ham slice
L- protein shake
S- protein bar
D- chicken, steamed broccoli with cheese, 2 cup garden salad, ranch dressing

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Calculator

Vacation pounds

2009-10-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have no idea what I weigh ... I was to scared to check the scale this morning but I have no doubt that being on vacation for 7 days & only having take out that I gained major weight. Sure I walked a ton, I avereraged 17000 steps a day ... some more, some less. I just know how I look in pictures & I also feel like my clothes are tighter then when I left. I'm really upset about my weight so I'm going drastic with my food intake until I lose at least 30 pounds. I'm going to be watching ever carb amount that I take in. It seems my body doesn't handle carbs well at all so I'll just have to watch what carbs I do eat.

Guess what I learned on vacation? I'm no longer 5'6 but 5'4. How the heck does that happen? Now I have even more weigh to lose since I'm shorter. That just sucks rotten eggs! Oh well, means my weight range is now 106-140 pounds. My original goal was 145 so I guess I'm really only dropping my goal by 5 pounds I know I can do it. I'm sick to death of being a chunky monkey.

B- egg frittata

S- string cheese wraped with a slice of ham

L- protein bar

S- protein shake

D- baked chicken,brocooli with cheese

Hungry Girl

2009-09-17T08:55:00.001-07:00

We love cheeseburgers but, unfortunately, they don't always love us back. Check out our fast food findings, a brand-new and DELICIOUS cheeseburger-inspired recipe, plus our ROCKIN' recipe round-up! Read and chew...

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Fast food restaurants... take twenty paces, turn, and DRAW!

Winner! Wendy's Jr. Cheeseburger

PER SERVING (one burger): 270 calories, 11g fat, 700mg sodium, 26g carbs, 1g fiber, 6g sugars, 15g protein -- POINTS® value 6*
Need a cheesy fast food burger? This is a quick and easy way to satisfy your need without totally blowing a whole day's worth of calories in one sitting. Pair it with a side salad topped with fat-free French dressing for a total of just 370 calories and 12g fat (POINTS® value 8*) for the whole meal. Well done, you!

Loser! McDonald's Angus Third Pounders

PER SERVING (one burger): 750 - 790 calories, 39 - 40g fat, 1,170 - 2,070mg sodium, 59 - 63g carbs, 4g fiber, 8 - 13g sugars, 40 - 45g protein -- POINTS® value 17 - 18*
What happened, McDonald's? You were on a health kick for a while there, but then you dropped these Angus burgers on us. People, these are to be avoided like, well, the cheese demons they are!

SHOCKER! Hardee's 2/3 Pound Monster Thickburger

PER SERVING (one burger): 1,420 calories, 108g fat, 2,770mg sodium, 46g carbs, 2g fiber, 9g sugars, 60g protein -- POINTS® value 37*
Folks, COME ON. Sure, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are the unapologetic bad boys of fast food, but this burger is just WRONG on so many levels. One bun, TWO beef patties, THREE cheese slices, FOUR bacon strips... and probably about FIVE straight days of running on the treadmill to counteract it.

HG's Crispy Cheeseburger Pizza

PER SERVING (entire pizza): 226 calories, 4.5g fat, 1,207mg sodium, 33g carbs, 15g fiber, 9g sugars, 27.5g protein -- POINTS® value 4*

Make our quirky, burger-style pizza in the comfort of your own kitchen. It has fewer calories than ONE SLICE of CPK's version...

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Morningstar Farms or Boca), thawed
1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber Large Tortilla
1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. chopped onion
3 tbsp. shredded lettuce
2 tbsp. chopped tomato
Optional toppings: hamburger dill pickle chips, additional ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small dish, combine ketchup, mayo, and mustard, and mix until uniform. Add soy crumbles and toss to coat. Set aside.

Lightly spray a medium-large skillet with nonstick spray and bring to medium heat on the stove. Lay tortilla flat in the skillet and cook until slightly crispy, a few minutes on each side.

Transfer tortilla to a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Scoop soy crumble mixture into the center of the tortilla and spread it out evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border around it. Evenly sprinkle with cheese and onion.

Bake in the oven for 11 - 13 minutes, until tortilla border browns and cheese melts.

Top with lettuce and tomato. If you like, add pickles and a squiggle of ketchup. Cut into slices and EAT!

MAKES 1 SERVING

HG Heads Up! We know this one's a bit high in sodium. You can save about 300mg sodium if you use no-salt-added ketchup, like the kind by Heinz.

Flippin' Burgers with HG!

A bevy of burger recipes (most of 'em meatless!) for your every craving...

Awesome Whopper Stopper - The original burger swap. A MUST-CHEW cheeseburger!

Chili-rific Cheeseburger - Forget those Carl's Jr. commercials with an obscene amount of chili dripping from a ginormous burger. Ours is way lower in fat and calories -- and marginally less messy.

The Cheeseburger Chomp - Get unconventional with your burger fix... Chop it and then wrap it up in a tortilla!

Outside-In Cheeseburger Patty - A patty with creamy delicious cheese INSIDE it? Where do we sign up?

Island Insanity Burger - One look at the picture and you'll fall into a full-on food fantasy...

Burger Specials! - Cheeseburger Quesadilla... Big Bad Burger Wrap... BLC Wraps... All three of these tasty burger recipes can be found in Hungry Girl 200 Under 200. By the way, BLC stands for Bacon, Lettuce, CHEESEBURGER!

CHEW ON THIS:
Tomorrow, September 18th, is National Cheeseburger Day. No matter how you take your burger, we've got you covered with our BRAND-NEW Crispy Cheeseburger Pizza and our recipe round-up!

Motivated MORE THAN EVER!!!

2009-09-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Tip: Remember that variety is the spice of life-and good for your body, too! To get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs, eat a variety of foods.

I don't know what clicked inside my brain but I'm so motivated to get this weight off that it isn't even funny. I feel just like I did when I lost all my weight before. I'm setting my alarm clock for 7 but my body is waking up at 6am saying get that workout in. So I am!!! I won't say I'm not super sore cause my whole body aches but I figure a little ache won't kill me & it's my fault for letting myself go anyway so I deserve the aches.

I started taking my vitamin B sup. at the first of the week & then 2 days ago started adding a fiber sup. to help me feel full longer. It's working! I haven't taken my multi vitamin since it made me so sick. I know deep down that I got sick cause I took it on an empty stomach but I'm tellin' ya ... I smell that pill & want to throw up.

Ok, so it feels like I switch up my diet every couple of weeks or so & I know I should stick with one but honestly I'm just trying to find something that works for me. What is working for me may not work for others. I'm a numbers cruncher so if I keep track of (weight watchers) points then I start obsessing over it ... I end up getting stressed out over it & quit. I've tried Atkins which caused me to obsess over the net carbs. I ended up not eating my allotted 20 net carbs a day cause I feared going over that number. I've tried the Wendie plan but it's a lot like the WW plan ... numbers... So I'm back to Sli m Fast! They have a site online that's completely free to use. You can log in your water, food, cardio ... it does all the nutrition for you so no numbers for me. It keeps track of my cardio & how much I have burned ... it even prompts me to do strength workouts. Of course I don't need the animation to show me how to do it but it's great for those just starting out. I weigh in once a week ... they track it for me ... they graph my progress and if I want to know how much I can reasonably expect to lose by a certain date it tells me that too.

I was on Slim Fast about 3-5 years ago & I stopped using it even though I was losing weight. It seemed so different back then, maybe it was just me, who knows. Seems like it was just powder to make shakes with & then eating a sensible dinner and fruit in between meals. I know I was down to 180 while on the program cause believe it or not ... I found my old account. How terrible I felt seeing I'm 25 heavier. Guess it could be worse though right? Anyway, on Slim Fast program here is what my typical day looks like. The calorie count seems to be coming in right about 1200 a day.

B= meal bar
S= cup grapes
L= shake, half ham cheese sandwich with lettuce & mustard,1 cup cantaloupe
S= cauliflower with dressing, apple
D= baked lemon chicken, 1 cup steamed broccoli, 1 small baked potato
S= 2 cups mixed fruit bowl (strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes)

Cardio today was a 40 min. power walk this morning, 40 min Pilate's this afternoon, and a 20 min high intensity dance routine. I've already downed my 8 cups of water for the day plus some so all is well on my end. How's your diet going?

Steps: 11589/10000

<--- BIZNATCH (145 LBS.)

In other news ... actually just more motivation. I got a call from a friend tonight. We are always battling our weight and the biotch always seems to weigh less than me but I'm always so darn nice about the whole thing. Anyway, she calls me tonight gloating how she's lost 30 pounds so I congratulate her on a job well done. Biznatch says yeah I'm skinnier and hotter than you now. WTF was up with that? Didn't I just congratulate her? Why did she have to go and say chit like that? I tell ya what that was a bigger kick in the pants to finally get this weight off. Next time that BIZNATCH sees me her ars is gonna be bigger than mine. I'm not worried about her looks cause I think I'm prettier then her so called 28 year old ars. he he he The girl is 32 & still telling people she is 28. Girl looks older than I do & I'll be 37 on the 25th of this month.

Super Excited

2009-09-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

205.8 is my morning weigh in. Last weigh in was 211. I haven't weighed in for a couple of weeks & really didn't think I had lost anything so this was a much needed shock. Now I really wanna keep moving my jelly bum.

This morning at 6am I got up & did a 45 min pilates sculpt video. OUCH ... my inner thighs feel like there on fire. Won't be long till hubby will be up & I will be out the door for my morning walk.

I'll come back when I have decided what my food will be for the day. Probably a couple of protien shakes and a whole lot of fresh fruit & raw veggies. I want this weight off ASAP!!! I was thinking I would only be about 4 pounds lighter by the time my birthday got here but now I know I have a great c hance of making it to 200 or less by then. I still have 16 days to lose! =D

b: 1 c grapes, shake
s: 1 c grapes, slice canteloupe, 3 strawberries
l: protien bar, 1 c milk
s: 10 carrots
d: ?
s: 1 cup grapes, apple

A weak moment ...

2009-09-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

OMG, for future reference; never take vitamins on an empty stomach.

I got up this morning feeling fabulous. I popped in my yoga booty ballet dvd in at 6:30. I was determinned to start out my morning on a positive note. When my routine was over I woke up the hubby so we could head out for our morning walk. 1.5miles ...feeling great. Come in and pop a multi vitamin, a B-12 vitamin, and another one for my stiff joints ... within minutes I start feeling a little strange which moved in to feeling light headed & queezy. I laid down for a bit to feel better but I only felt worse so I got up. Within a minute I was running to the bathroom and leaving part of my stomach in the toilet. I feel so weak right now but I did stick to my planned breakfast. =)

b: shake
s: baby carrots
b: shake, bread, ham, cheese, mustard,canteloupe
s: pineapple
d: turkey burger, steamed squash, canteloupe
s: roast beef, string cheese

cardio: 1.5 mile walk, 60 min yoga

Weight Loss Train

2009-09-07T11:28:00.000-07:00

This week should be very slow which means I have all the tme in the world to concentrate on my diet & workout plan. I'm hoping to lose a good 5 pounds by the time my birthday gets here which in on the 25th of this month. I also have a 20 pound goal that I want to reach by Thanksgiving. I will be seeing friends from high school & don't want to be this heavy. Wish me luck!

I'm still having a lot of problems losing weight. I should have lost a lot of weight ... a lot for me being 2-3 pounds. It's not happening. I'm only losing a ounce here or there. Anyway, I dropped into GNC yesterday for something to pump up my metabolism & the lady suggested I get back into taking a multi vitamin, a B-12 complex, and replace 2 meals a day with aprotein shake. So that's what I'm doing this week & I'm hoping by Friday I will see some sort of weight loss. If I don't then it's back to the doc cause there must be something wrong with my body why I just can't lose much of anything. I'm so jealous of you ladies who can lose 5+ pounds a week simply by eating right.

I'm getting back into my yoga/pilates program too. I noticed that when I do yoga/pilates a few times a week that I may not see a loss on the scale I would feel my clothing getting loser so I will be happy with that.

Did you know that for me to be in a healthy weight range (BMI)I have to be lower then I used to be? When I was teaching aerobics a healthy weight range ... at the top end of the chart was 154. Well, I made it to 150 and felt very comfortable there. Now the charts say I should be at 149 ... top of scale to have a healthy BMI. I thought the older you got the heavier you could be because the older you get the heavier your bones are. Oh well ... guess my new goal is lower then it once was. Instead of 149 I'm going for 145. No reason to hang on the border of being considered over weight.

B: shake
S: 10 baby carrots
L: shake, 1 slice wheat bead, slice cheese, 1 slice deli ham, 1 tsp mustard, 1 c canteloupe
S: 1 c pineapple
D: 2 c chili
S: slice roast beef, string cheese

10 Tips to help keep you motivated

2009-09-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

1. Pick an exercise that you enjoy. If you don’t like the exercise you are doing, its more likely that you won’t stick with it.

2. Set realistic goals. Unrealistic goals can cause you to give up to soon. Pick a goal such as losing 5Ibs in one month or running a 5k.

3. Monitor your progress. Keeping a journal to see your improvements can be a great encouragement.

4. Exercise at the same time everyday. Having a set schedule makes it easier to be consistent with your workouts.

5. Read about exercise and fitness. Educating yourself about health and fitness can help you find new ways to stay fit and encourage you to want to workout more.

6. Reward yourself after you have reached a goal. Buy yourself something nice, a new pair of jeans, a purse or an ice cream cone. Whatever Makes you happy.

7. Change your workout routine regularly. Changing your workout routine regularly will help eliminate boredom.

8. Get a workout buddy. Workout with a friend or spouse or take your dog for a walk in the park. Working out will be more enjoyable and time will fly by fast.

9. Don’t punish yourself for getting off track and missing a workout. Its not the end of the world, just start back the next day.

10. Don’t over train. Pushing yourself too hard can lead to over training. It takes time to achieve your goals. Over training can actually slow down your progress, so slow down and enjoy your
workouts.

New Puppy

2009-09-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Isn't she just precious? She's already sold too. A lady a t my church asked if she could have one and I said ok. She confirmed with me today that she still wants it. =)

Side tracked

2009-09-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

My goodness ... I'm like a blond who gets side tracked with shiny objects. he he he I got side tracked this week! First was my boy chihuahua going into surgery to have his cherry eyes removed. It wasn't a very long surgery ... doesn't seem to have been painful either. Thank you Lord. Anyway, I come home to see my mama chihuahua has gone into labor so I patiently sit by her side from 12:30 til about 5 when the baby actually comes into this world. Well, mama wasn't able to eat through the cord so we had to make the decision t o cut it ourselves which made us worry like crazy about infection since we didn't have iodine on hand. Anyway, mama's milk hadn't dropped so baby didn't have anything to eat for at least 10 hours. Then when we thought the baby would starve to death mama's milk dropped & baby has been sucking pretty much non stop. Only one baby but what a beautiful baby she is.

I have good news ... I have gotten at least 10,000 steps in everyday for almost 2 weeks now. I didn't on Sunday but ever other day I did. Food hasn't been great this week but not horribly out of control either. I'm trying to stay as busy as I can ... our trip to Disney is at the end of this month.

Re-weigh in

2009-08-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy this morning despite my lack of sleep. I just couldn't get over my weight gain yesterday so I decided to re-weigh myself this morning. So glad I did. The scale was lower. 211.2! Still higher then I want it to be but at least I can see the numbers decreasing which makes it easier to stay the course.

Food: 19/22 points

I just can't seem to get my points in the last couple of days. I'm not hungry at all & trying to force myself to eat isn't working out to well.

b= protien bar (4), ff milk (2), apple (1), 2 c water
l= pita (1), hummus (1), carrots (0), lettuce (0), 2 c water , strawberries (0)
d= chicken alfredo (7), peas (1), 4 c water
s= ww fudge bar (1), coffee (1)

water: 8 cups
cardio: 1.5 mile walk, 30 min step
steps: 10,439

Notes: I think I may have twisted my knee this morning. We were doing the neighborhood walk this morning & I turned back (while still walking forward) to see what a noise was. I felt a shooting pain right under my knee cap. It's been hurting ever since. Doesn't matter if I'm sitting still or up walking on it. It's a dull ache. I'll pop a motrin and see how it feels in the morning. I'm hoping I can get some sleep tonight. Hubby is working 3rd shift and comes in around 1:15 am. He can't sleep so he wakes me up for matress dancing. I told him if he ever does it again I'm gonna wake him up at 6 in the morning. The little brat started laughing at me ... so I woke him up this morning at 6 so he could start the day just like me. He didn't want to get up but I didn't last night either. =) He ended up sleeping this afternoon but I swear ... he better not wake me up for that chit again. I need my sleep too.

What went wrong?

2009-08-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

Guess it's gonna be one of those days where I just feel bad. I woke up with a bit of a sinus headache, this I can get past. I decided I would weigh myself cause I have been on track all week long & haven't weighed in 2 weeks. I shouldn't have weighed in cause I weigh more then I have in the last few months of doing nothing. I know it's only a 4 oz gain (currently 212) and I know chances of it being muscle is very good but darn it ... why won't the scale ever go down for me? I'm the only person I know of who does everything right & gains weight & do everything wrong & maintain weight.

Today is my high points day in ww & honestly I don't know if I want to eat that much, what's the point? Maybe I'll just eat the points up in fruits & veggies? IDK ... I'm just really frustrated right now. I'll add more to this entry later today. Maybe I'll be in better spirits and have more darn energy!

Food: 36 points

B= cream of wheat (4), coffee (1), 1 cup ff milk (2)
S= 1 cup strawberries halves (0), apple (1), 2 cups water
L= pita (1), hummus (2), 14 carrots (0), 2 lettuce leaves (0), nectarine (1)
D= baked chicken breast (5), cucumber/tomato salad (2), 4 cups water
S= ww fudge bar (1)

ww= 20 pts Why can't I eat this low on days I'm supposed to and on days where I need high points I can't? Uggg!! Maybe I'll eat more than the above plan. If I do I'll come back & change things around.

Water: 10 cups
Cardio: 1.5 mile neighborhood walk, 45 min dance
Steps: 10,326

Notes: I couldn't get myself to eat much of anything today. I just was not even a little bit hungry. Maybe mentally I wanted the weight to be gone who knows. I just know I was pretty much forcing myself to eat everything. I'm not even sure I should count the chicken cause honestly I didn't eat even half of the breast.

Sore Muscles

2009-08-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

The sore muscles are finally here. All I can say is OUCH!!! I'm proud of myself for getting in so many steps and I'm gonna have to make for sure that even though I'm sore today I still have to get in the steps. Starting off slow this morning so I'll really have to push myself after lunch.

Food: 23 points

b= coffee (1), ff milk (2), protien bar (5), 2 c water
s= apple (1), 2 c water
l= chef salad (6), orange (1), 2 c water
s= pita (1), hummus (1), 14 baby carrots (0), 2 c water
d= chicken curry (7), 2 c water
s= ww fudge bar (1)

ww= 26 <-- went over water: 10
cardio: 2 mile trail walk (big hills), 2 mile walk video

Steps: barely 10,000

Notes: I'm so tired today. Seems like no matter what I do I just don't have any energy. It can't be because of lack of water or food cause I'm doing fine with both. I do need to get in more steps tonight though ... not enough yet!

How to Make Sore Muscles Feel Good

Muscles can often feel sore after exercise or a long day at the mall. Use these simple tips to alleviate common muscle soreness.

Rest; This is the very best thing you can do for soreness. Try not to use the muscle in a strenuous fashion for 24-48 hours after exercise, especially if the soreness is due to a weight lifting routine.

Stretching; This will also help to get the lactic acid out of your muscles. Waiting a few hours after a strenuous workout before stretching is not best. Stretch after activity that caused the soreness to prevent becoming stiff.

Heat; After the first day of soreness, heat can be used to help blood flow to the muscle. This will help rebuilding take place and provide some soothing relief.

Proper diet; If your muscles are sore from intense activities such as weightlifting, your muscles are rebuilding themselves and need lots of protein. Aim to take in 1 gram of protein per day for every pound of lean body mass you have. For example, a 160lb. man at 20% body fat would want to take in approximately 130 grams of protein per day. This will speed up recovery times considerably, as well as prevent muscle loss from poor nutrition.

Tips:

An excellent source of protein would be chocolate milk, which can revitalize your body faster than most energy drinks after a long workout. It also provides sugar for your body which normal milk does not. No - milk contains plenty of sugar. Lactose is sugar, and your body readily uses it,unless you are lactose intolerant.

Saran Wrap. If you need to be moving around (cooking, cleaning, etc.) while using ice, saran wrap can help secure ice onto a muscle while you move.

5 gallon bucket. For soreness of the arms (like from baseball practice) a 5 gallon bucket filled with ice water will allow you to ice the whole arm at one time.

Sour cherry juice can also help your muscles feel better. Sour cherry juice is filled with antioxidants to help your working muscles during or after physical exercise. Sour cherry juice can be found at most health food stores.

Adding baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) to your bathwater is a home remedy that is very effective. Add 2-4 heaped tablespoons of soda to a full bathtub and stir a little to dissolve. Enjoy your bath. You should feel some relief immediately after you finish your bath.
Stretch while taking a shower. Use water which is slightly hotter than what you are used to. This increases blood flow around the muscle fibers with micro-tears.

If you do end up getting stiff from working out or some other physical activity where you have forgotten to stretch afterwards, massaging the stiff area will relieve you from the pain for a while.Then stretch and find another place of the muscle it hurts and massage there until the pain goes away.

You may want to consider a massage or sauna.

Some people believe that taking a shower with cold water for a few minutes,than with hot water for a few minutes, than finish with a cold shower again may relive sore muscles.

Workin my points

2009-08-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Morning started off great! Woke up at 7 and went for a morning walk with the hubby. It was a neighborhood walk with lots of big hills. My thighs felt like they were on fire but at least they weren't all itchy like they were yesterday.

Food: 28 points

B= coffee (1), egg beaters (1), cheddar cheese (2), roast beef (1), orange (1), 2 cups water
S= apple (1), 2 cups water
L= 2 cups water, chef salad (6), banana (2)
S= pita(1), 2 cups water, hummus (1)
D= 1/2 cornish hen (9), 1 cup mixed veggies(1), 2 cups water
S= 2 cups popcorn (1)

28 points, 3 fruits, 3 veggies

Water = 10 cups
cardio = 1.5 mile (hills) neighborhood walk, 2.3 mile nature trail (tons of BIG hills)
Steps = 11,200 at 3:30

End of day notes: I got really hungry during my big walk but it made my snack that more wonderful. I didn't time the walk but I made for sure I was breathing heavily. There were a couple times where my breath was slightly labored when I talked to hubby & kids. My feet are killing me, mainly my heels. I've been having a lot of problems with them lately. I'm hoping once I lose a bit of weight the pain will go with the weight.

Wendie Plan

2009-08-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Plan

This was copied from an EZ board on the Wendie Plan. I'm moving it here for the sake of simplicity for those looking for it.

" The Wendie Plan" in a nutshell...

What is the 'Wendie Plan'?

First of all, let it be known that the Wendie Plan is NOT something different than good old Weight Watchers. Most of the people who regularly visit here are following the WW plan. However, this does not mean that the Wendie Plan can not be easily adapted for people who are using Richard Simmons, and/or counting calories. I suppose even people following a plan such as Atkins could adapt this to their program, however I do not recommend it. The reason is simple. I do not recommend the Atkins program or any other low/no-carb program like that. Why? Because it is not (or SHOULD not) be a lifestyle change, and because it is very dangerous to your health. I cannot advocate any program that would put your health at risk.

The Wendie Plan is very simple. You follow a simple plan of eating. You eat your regular foods that you have on WW. You work within your point range. You drink the water, get some exercise, etc., etc., etc. What is different? You alternate the amount of points you use each day. What could be more simple?

Let us assume for a moment that your point range falls between 22-29 points per day. (This is based on the original 123 plan, not the "Winning Points" plan) WW says that you can eat up to 29 points every day, and still lose weight. Do you? Maybe. Maybe not. Ever notice that on some days you aren't very hungry and on other days you feel you could eat all the points in the universe? After doing extensive research, I have discovered several things that don't always ring true.

At this point, if you are someone who has been doing the program and losing a steady 2+ pounds per week, you don't have to read on any further. Your body is doing what it needs to for you to lose weight. If you are struggling to drop a pound, and no matter how hard you have tried the pounds won't shake loose? Read on...this is for you.

First of all, just because you eat within the points you have been assigned, drink all of your water, exercise at least 20 minutes every day, journal till the cows come home... does not mean that you will lose weight. I don't mean to depress you, but it is the truth. We have countless people here, myself included, who can attest to this. They try really hard, but week after week they are struggling to even lose part of a pound. I see it all the time. So... what are they doing wrong?

Oddly enough, they are doing one tiny little thing wrong. It is one tiny, insignificant thing, but it is keeping them from losing weight faster and at a steady rate. The secret to The Wendie Plan is simple. Alternate your points daily. At the start of your week, alternate the number of points you eat daily. Your rhythm of your week should look like this: low/high/low/very high/very low/high/med. high.

For example. If your range allows you to eat between 22-29 points per day:

Day 1 - 22 points
Day 2 - 28 points
Day 3 - 23 points
Day 4 - 36-39 points
Day 5 - 22 points
Day 6 - 29 points
Day 7 - 27 points

On the WW plan, 22-29 points per day, you will eat between 154 points (low end) 203 points (high end) during the course of the week. On the Wendie Plan, you will eat 190 points during the course of the week. Which falls towards the high end of the range, but not the highest. (Adjust the points to fit your current range).

We have already seen some amazing results using the Wendie Plan. I developed this plan out of sheer frustration. After being on WW for 17 months, and having lost no weight in the last 9 months of program, but being too stubborn to actually quit, I found myself pouring over 17 months of anally kept journals, trying to find the one key which would unlock my door to success. In the first 8 months I was successful. I lost 40 pounds. What happened then to impede my progress? I was still following the program in every way. I was doing everything right, but experiencing no weight loss. Why?

Why, indeed? The most interesting aspect of my journey came at the end of May, 2000. I weighed in on WW and had reached a 40 pound loss. I decided I was close enough to a 50 pound loss and I wanted to reach it by the 4th of July. That was a reachable goal. So I worked even harder. I dropped my points down to 25 per day, and began exercising more. Everyday I was outside walking through parks or in the fitness center hitting the treadmill. At the end of 5 weeks, I had a net gain of 1.2 pounds! Muscle? To some degree, yes. But, as I never began to look like Arnold Schwarztenager, I realized that something had gone terribly wrong. I had "shrunk" a bit, which was to be expected, but still, at the end of 5 weeks, I was heavier. I continued. I worked out everyday, and kept my points down. This has got to work, right? Not necessarily. At the end of the next 5 weeks, I was down exactly 1.2 pounds. So my net loss for the 10 weeks after Memorial Day was zero!

I continued to work very hard, and by September, I had played around with the same 3 pounds all summer. Up, down, up, down but never gone for good. In October, I celebrated 1 year of WW, by maintaining my 40 pound loss for four months! What was up with this?

I stopped attending WW meetings in October, because first, I was making no headway, and I became so depressed at Monday's weigh-ins that it took until Tuesday afternoon to snap back out of it; and second, I did not get the support I needed through WW. They simply had no answers as to why I was not losing weight even though I was working the program very conscientiously. At the last couple of weigh-ins, when I was going up a pound each week, I got the general impression that my leader felt that I was not really working the program. At that point, I walked out for good.

I tried several things between Halloween and Christmas to shake some pounds loose, but to no avail. I then went back to WW the day after Christmas. It is interesting to note what happened. First, I didn't start the program that first week. I weighed in on Tuesday, and then rather half-heatedly began the program on Friday. When I weighed in on Tuesday, I was down 3.5 pounds! I buckled down and worked very hard on program the next week. I measured everything, exercised, drank my water, and journaled every bite. The following Monday I weighed in and I had GAINED 2 pounds! What is up with that?

It didn't take very long for me to see that going to WW was not going to help me. My body was being incredibly stubborn and was not going to let me lose this weight. Do you see a pattern forming here?

In addition to having 17 months of journals, I also have kept a spreadsheet of my weight losses. I began pouring over my journals and comparing what I did on certain weeks to the amount of weight I lost at the end of that particular week. I made an astonishing discovery.

I have always been a moderate loser. Meaning, I usually lost about a pound a week. Other people may lose 3 pounds a week, but I usually lost a pound, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. But I was very consistent in losing. There were some weeks, however, when I did lose more than a pound per week. Interestingly, the weeks I had my biggest losses were weeks when I overate! The weeks were Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Christmas Day I ate 43 points! I lost 4.75 pounds that week! Upon further studies, I discovered something else. Every week that I overate one day, I had larger than average losses! How can that be?

It has long been thought that you have use 3500 calories less than you need in order to lose one pound. I simply don't believe it. I know it is mathematical, and mathematics was never my strongest subject, but science has always been an area in which I have excelled. I believe that our bodies are far more complicated than a simple mathematical formula can describe. The body is like a fireplace. If you build a fire, at first it takes awhile to warm up. You add more fuel and it burns more efficiently. The more fuel you add to it, the hotter it burns. Add less fuel, and it begins to cool down.

Our bodies were built for survival. If you go on a "diet" the body can become uncomfortable. This is especially true if you take so much food away from it that it feels as if it is going to starve. There is a lot of talk about not eating too little. Your body will go into "starvation mode" and you won't lose any weight. Well, to a point, this is true. Your body will lose weight if you starve it, but it won't want to, and it will take the weight from places you don't necessarily want to lose it from. That is why some people who lose a lot of weight look "gaunt", and is far more likely to hear comments like "have you been sick"? as opposed to "You look good!"

Why does "The Wendie Plan" work?

Your body has this wonderful little thermostat inside of it. It regulates everything you do. If you feed it lots of food, it turns the thermostat up and burns it as efficiently as possible. This is why you have been able to eat as much fast food before WW and didn't gain the amount of weight that you should have. Your body became more efficient and was able to burn off much of the excess amount of calories. Otherwise, with the amount of food we porked in pre-WW, we should have been gaining 2-3 pounds per day!

When you go on a "diet" where you dramatically decrease the amount of calories that you consume, your body thinks "Oh-oh, we're going to starve to death here" and immediately turns the thermostat down to conserve energy. After all, your body will do whatever it has to do to ensure that you stay alive. It doesn't know that you don't want to carry those extra pounds around. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to convince my body that I really do want to shed those extra pounds through talking to it.

That is where The Wendie Plan comes in. If I can't get my body to shed the extra pounds by talking to it, then I have to trick it in to letting them go! The Wendie Plan is the trick.
If you are on WW, or even just counting calories, and you stick with a set amount of calories per day, such as 1400 or say, 27 points per day, your body will adjust to that. It will become extremely efficient at using just the amount of calories (energy) that you are giving it. You may lose fairly well at first, but after the first week or so, you will find that your losses may slow ... way... down, and even stop. Isn't it nice to have such an energy efficient body? However, the body isn't extremely fast. If you give it the same amount of food every day, it will adjust itself. But if you change the points values daily you body never knows what's coming which makes plateaus at bay and weights loss continuous.

Guess I now know what I did wrong last year to constantly see the scale inch up instead of down ... my body was used to my 1200 calorie days and all the exercising in the world didn't change a thing. This time I'm being smart about how I lose. Not gonna kill myself with the cardio either. My body is getting to old for that crap.

What's up fatties?

2009-08-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

I say that in a loving tone ... ha ha ha.

<-- Me at the beginning of August. Maybe you can't tell but that's me in my fat girl state. Sure I know how to hide my chunky monkey butt in photos ... but it's still there. =)

Ok, so I got up this morning at 6am so hubby & I could get in a morning walk. WOW ... it was chilly. I almost went back in to bed but I didn't, I sucked up the cool morning air. By the end of the walk I was feeling good, all the blood was making me itchy but it's all good. 6,000 steps down, only 4,000 more to go. I'm making it my daily mission to reach no less than 10,000 steps a day.

Got home & I know I should have grabbed a water bottle but I didn't ... I grabbed a fish bowl coffee mug, downed the whole thing within minutes. So, now I need to decide what's on the menu for the day. I'm sticking with WW/WP* cause I know it works ... if I stick with it, which I am!

Food: 22 point day

B= 1/4 c egg beaters, string cheese, 1 slice deli ham, coffee, 2 cups water (4)

S= protien shake,2 cups water (3)

L= Protien bar w/ 1 cup ff milk, 2 cups water (6)

S= apple, orange, 14 baby carrots, 2 cups water (2)

D= sausage, onion, potatoes, 2 cups water (7)

Water: 10 cups

Exercise: 1.5 mile neighborhood walk w/hills, 1 mile walk video, 1 mile neighborhood walk (hills) 10,000+ steps =D

*ww/wp: weight watchers, Wendie Plan

http://www.webmilhouse.com/pointcalc.php <-- ww calculator

TOM's sweet exit

2009-08-23T15:58:00.001-07:00

<-- My bloated fat self on the 4th of July with my good friend from high school. Anyway, I was 11.6 then and that's what I still am. I guess I should be happy that I have maintained since then but darn it ... I'm tired of maintaining ... I want this weight off. I'm losing days before I make it t o Disney. If I don't lose weight quick then I know my hips are gonna be in pain from those seats that are made for normal size butts! =)

So TOM is gone so I'm back on track ... went for a walk with the hubby & daughter during church breaks. Tomorrow I'll be back to logging in my food, exercise & all that good jazz. Looking forward to getting back on track ... the walk made me remember how much I love to work out.

Plan of action for tomorrow is to get up early & walk with hubby then jet off to do all the errands before school starts. Once their done with their school work then DD & I will be doing the Yoga Booty Ballet video. She's still a bean pole but she's got a bit of a belly from sitting at the computer all summer long. Not good! I'm teaching her bad habits. Anyway, I'm not leaving my fast growing son out of the workout department, I just know yoga isn't his thang. So while DD & I are getting our yoga groove on he will be doing the Wii Fit program. Don't care which one he does as long as he's sweating his bum off for at least 30 minutes. he he he I'm such a mean mom. The boy keeps growing ... he's now taller than me at 5'7 ... a whole inch ... he wears a 36/30 jean which is the same size that DH wears. Yup he's gonna be a BIG guy! I don't mind him being a big guy but I want him to have muscle ... not flab.

Sidetracked by TOM

2009-08-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

OMG ... TOM came in & I can'r seem to eat. IDK, am I weird or something? Most women I know eat like a horse when TOM is here but for me I have no desire toeat anything at all. Of course the week after all I want is food & lots of it. I haven't been able to hit my points at all this week. I got close yesterday but only because I had a chocolate c overed frozen banana that was 4 points. How sad is that? Today I may hit my points ... only 23, so far it's notlooking good though. It's after 10 am & I've only had 1 point ... that's from a cup of coffee. I've felt so crummy that I haven't even exercised. I know I will feel better if I do but I can't motivate myself enough to get up. I guess for the week I'm just not gonna try cause I know I won't feel like eating which means I won't have the energy for exercise. When TOM leaves, I'm back on track.

Day #4

2009-08-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

My biggest food day of the week and I'm not scared to eat the points. This fatty is very very hungry. =D Today I can have between 36-39 points ... yeah baby! I want pancakes, cup cakes, any kinda cakes but I know if I have those things I won't really get to eat as much food cause those items come with huge points so I'm gonna play it smart & just eat right. I'm gonna work the points system ... not have it work me! Can you tell I'm more serious about losing this time? How long has it been that I'm still here on day 4 and going strong? S o long that I can't even remember.

Maybe I'm more motivated this time cause next month we're going to Disney. I do not want the rides to be painful. My gosh, I can't even believe I have gotten so big that some seats are actually a little to small for my over grown behind. Also, in November we're heading to MO and Ill to see family & friends. Some friends I hahven't seen since high school & looking at their pictures I know their small. I know I can't lose all the weight but I can be smaller then I am now & feel much better about myself.

Food:
B=2 eggs, 3 bacon, 2 toast, 1 slice tomato, coffee,
S= apple, v-8 juice,
L= protein bar, chocolate covered banana,
S= roast beef, string cheese,
D= green beans, baked chicken, mashed potatoes,
S= 100 calorie pack, 1 cup 2 % milk.

cal 1796, fat 78.2, fiber 20.7, protein 88.2, wp 35

Water: 9 cups thus far

Cardio: didn't have the energy for it today.

Wendie Plan #3

2009-08-13T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good day ... glad I was able to eat more cause dang was I hungry on Monday. Today I only get 23 points so I might be a cry baby about being hungry.

Food: coffee, protein shake, apple, protein bar, 14 carrots, ham w/ string cheese, sausage, potatoes, corn, string cheese.

1120 cal, 33 fat, 17 fiber, 50 protein, 23 wp

Water: 10
Cardio:25 min cardioke

Weigh In: 211.6

Notes: I was a little disappointed in where my weight is but after looking back over my journal I realize that I'm where I was a month ago so I guess I really shouldn't complain much cause it could be worse. I didn't gain!

Wendie Plan #2

2009-08-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today I get 28 points so I won't feel hungry like I did yesterday. I thought I would cave around 9 last night but I didn't.

Food: coffee, oatmeal with protein powder, apple, protein bar, ham & string cheese, 14 baby carrots, 2 boiled eggs, pork chops with taters & a chef salad dressing included, string cheese.

1350 cal, 46.5 fat, 20 fiber, 77 protein, 28 wp

Water:13
Cardio: cardioke 2x

Wendie Plan #1

2009-08-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

The Wendie Plan is basically a different way of using the Weight Watchers Plan. It's worked for me in the past so I'm going for it again. This time I don't care if I get tired of counting calories/points ... it's a must if I ever wantt o get healthy!

Food:
Shake, coffee, apple, protien bar, 14 carrots, 1 orange, cup of grapes,chicken salad with dressing & string cheese wrapped in ham.

1171 cal, 34.7 fat, 18 fiber, 64 protein, 24 wppoints

Water: 10 cups
Cardio: 25 min dance called cardioke by Billy Blanks Jr.

The Zigzag Diet Plan

2009-08-10T10:34:00.001-07:00

The Zigzag Diet Plan Okay. Let me hit you right between the eyes up front. The answer is so simple, yet I've NEVER in all my years of being in this business, heard ANYONE utter it. I claim it. Here it is:
You can't lose fat unless you're on a negative calorie balance diet
You can't gain muscle tissue unless you're on a positive calorie balanced diet
You can't lose fat and gain muscle unless you alternate periods of negative calorie balance with periods of positive calorie balance.
It doesn't matter if you're trying to lose total body weight, stay at the same total body weight or gain total body weight. The zigzag rule applies to everyone. All the time. The process if zigzagging is actually integrated into a more comprehensive plan which accounts for the factors noted earlier regarding personalizing and integrating your training efforts. There are five rules to the process, and they apply to everryone on Mother Earth, from cradle to grave: Rule One Always eat at least 5 meals a day (preferably 6 or 7). Two or three meals simply isn't often enough. Your blood sugar levels will be controlled (and thus your cravings), you'll get protein in small amounts throughout the day to support growth and recovery, and (most important) the enzymes that store fat will be produced in far smaller amounts, making your body far less capable of storing fat! Simply, by providing your body with a consistent and frequent supply of calories -- life-giving energy -- its need to store fat is significantly reduced. Conversely, when you eat infrequently, your body recognizes a "famine" situation, and the enzymes are produced in large quantities to "swoop down" on every calorie you consume in order to store it as fat in preparation for the "famine" to come. Rule Two Remember the 1-2-3 rule. In each of your 5 meals, approximately 1 part of the calories should come from fats, 2 parts from protein and 3 parts from carbohydrates. This is a guideline, not a hard-and-fast law. Just keep the fat intake down to a low level (do not eliminate fat, as some fat is essential for maintaining good health), consume enough protein to support growth and recovery, and carbohydrates commensurable to your energy output (carbos are your body's preferred energy fuel source). Remember that protein and carbohydrates both have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram. Rule Three When you sit down to eat, ask yourself, "What am I going to be doing for the next three hours of my life?" Then, if you're taking a nap, eat less than the average amount of carbos; if you're planning on being active, eat more than the average amount of carbos. For average between-meal activities, eat an average sized meal. Always keep your protein intake up to an appropriate level. This simple system ensures that you'll never put fat on from eating excess calories, or cannibalize your muscles from eating too little. Rule Four Another thing to remember whether you're trying to lose fat or adding lean muscle is to "zigzag" your caloric intake. For example, if you want to lose fat, reduce your calories during the week, but "pig out" on Friday night and Saturday. This will 1) readjust your BMR upwards, 2) support lean tissue building, and 3) give you a psychological "lift." Remember, in Rule One you learned that your fat storing enzymes were no longer a threat, so you CAN pig out once in awhile! In fact, if you want to put on lean muscle, you MUST! There is no way you can maximize lean muscle mass while on a calorie-restricted diet. Rule Five Your reduced intake of calories makes it almost impossible to get all of the nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and active. So, it's important to supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals and other carefully selected substances to ensure maximum progress toward your fitness, health and fat loss goals. Also, no matter how hard you try, no matter how good of a cook you are, or where you buy your food:
You can't always eat 5 or 6 times daily;
There are many instances where your body either requires or can make good use of certain nutrients in greater amounts than what can be derived from Mother Nature alone;
A perfectly balanced diet cannot be maintained during periods of contest preparation or periods where there is a purposeful caloric restriction imposed;
Periods of high-stress training require supernormal intake of many nutrients without a commensurable increase in caloric need;
Periods of high-stress training creates a situation in which various benefits can be derived from nutritional substances not normally found in food or biosynthesized in the body in sufficient or significant quantities but which are either man made or derived from botanical sources
Soil depletion, toxins in the food chain, overprocessing, overcooking, free radical formation in the body, and a host of other (sometimes medically related) factors all interact to make food less than totally nutritious.
Because man has been able to improve on Mother Nature's original work in many of life's arenas, there are some "superfoods" available which are plain and simply BETTER than the normal diet for serious fitness training. So, you MUST use nutritional supplements! Where Your Calories Come From
1 gram of fat equals 9 calories.
1 gram of protein equals 4 calories.
1 gram of carbohydrates equals 4 calories.
It's clear that you should reduce your consumption of fat in order to decrease your body fat level, because fat is a highly concentrated source of calories.
It's also clear that in order to gain muscle weight, you must reduce your consumption of fat in favor of more protein, because 1) fat can't become muscle, and 2) only protein can. Will Cutting Calories Result In Fat Loss? There are 3500 calories in one pound of fat. That means that by reducing your food by 500 calories per day, you should lose one pound of fat per week, right? WRONG! Actually, much of the weight you'll lose will come from muscle tissue, NOT fat! Why? Because your body tends to use ("excess") muscle tissue for needed energy before it reclaims fat deposits.
5#'s of fat next to 1 # of fat.The answer is to TAKE YOUR TIME with fat loss, and either preserve or build muscle tissue by integrating scientific weight training, mild aerobics, dietary manipulation, supplementation and other technologies into your lifestyle. Follow the rules above!
This poor soul actually lost 21 pounds of muscle and only 9 pounds of fat! He'll yo-yo back up to 200 in no time (within 1-2 years according to information compiled during the Congressional investigation into the fat loss industry). However, in doing so, he or she will be 35 percent body fat instead of their original 30 percent. Why? They never regained all of the lean tissue they lost as a result of their crash dieting earlier.
NEVER attempt to gain or lose "weight!" Instead, you should always strive to gain muscle and lose fat!

Down but not out!

2009-07-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm still around but have come down with a major sinus infection that has pretty much left me incapacitated. I kid you not. All I have been able to do this whole week in lay in a dark room and eat sinus meds along with migraine meds in hope for some kind of relief. It isn't coming so now I guess I have to actually go in and see the doctor. I'm so miserable that I can barely even manage to get a fulls nights sleep. Uggg, I'm ready for fall to get here cause my allergies are never as bad then as they are in the summer. Alabama, although I love living here just kills me in the allergy department. Where else in all of the US do you know of where mushrooms grow in the sun? Well, they do here ... I have tons in my sun laden front yard. My flowers/trees die without enough water but those mushrooms just gain more growing power. Who wants to have a mushroom stompin' party? he he he

Day 3 Detox

2009-07-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

My resolve to stay the corse is quickly fading as my hunger increases. I told myself last night that I could do at least 1 more day of only eating raw fruits & veggies. I was so hungry when I went to be though. No amount of water satisfied me and then this morning I woketo a growling belly. I could say it's dehydration cause the two feelsimilar but I doubt that it is. I checked my weight again this morning and as usual the weight loss has come a slow process. I lost 2 oz since yesterday which is still very good, just frustrated that it wasn't more of a loss since I feel like I'm sacrificing so much. I'm determined to stay on this mini detox for 1 more day to see if more weight will come off ... if it's a big number then I will do the 4th & final day, if it's a small number or nothing at all, well, I don't know ... have to see how hungry I am.

Exercise today will be a nice 2-3 mile (15 min mi) walk using 3 pound hand weights. My son says he's interested in doing it with me. This summer he has become interested in what he looks like with all the attention he's getting from girls. It's so cute! However, I'm keeping an eye on him to make for sure he doesn't do anything drastic to get the weight off. He seems to have a very good head on his shoulder & is a lot like me when it comes to food ... he gets to hungry to starve himself. Hope it always stays this way. I guess my best example is to not talk about my weight loss but just show them how to eat healthfully and exercise.

Day 2 Detox

2009-07-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

Day one didn't end as bad as I thought it might. I kept sipping my water & ate a few more slices of watermellon. This morning made it all worth it. The scale read two hundred eight pounds and six ounces. That a full 3 pounds down in just one day. I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting that much of aloss in one day but I was really hoping for it!

Anyway, this morning I almost caved in to a cup of coffee, poured it and just when I was about to drink it I realized that if I had the creamer & sugar sub. it would probably ruin all the good I didfor my body yesterday. I started thinking what it would taste like with honey as a sweetner .... ewww, in the end I just dumped out the cup of coffee and all it's caffine went down the drain. I made me some herbal tea & promised myself the end results would be so worth the loss of my caffine. The dietician has been telling me f or years to get off of it anyway. Now is the perfect time to do it.

To answer a question; Slim Seductions ... ok I do like this stuff cause it really curbes my desire to eat and when all your eating is certain fruits and drinking lemonade, well you want more food. Anyway, it was actually by accident that I got this product. I was on FaceBook and this company logo was on the side panel looking for women who wanted to lose weight. Well, I always want to lose weight so I clicked on it. The site said they would send me a free trial and I had 14 days to try it out. If I didn't like it, no harm no foul. I only had to pay for shipping & handling. Well when I got the trial ... it wasn't a trial at all. It was day 10 of a 14 day trial, they had my credit card info and would be taking out $75 for a six week supply & then if I didn't cancel my account they would send me another 6 weeks supply & bill my credit card. Well, I kept the first shipment to see if it was worth it but I canceled my account cause that's alot of money for something I'm not sure will work in the first place. Not to mention I wasn't told up front I would be sent a 6 week supply. Anyway, I'm sure you can do a search to order it. I'm just not sure how much I would trust the company.

Ok, I'm off of here for now. Think I'll check out the raw food web site left in my comments area yesterday. Thanks for that Jana.

Fruit Detox Update

2009-07-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Holy toledo ... this morning was fine, didn't feel hungry cause the lemonade was keeping me feeling full but about 1pm the belly starts growling begging me to feed it. I just grabbed a couple chunks of watermellon and strawberries ... then after an hour or so the belly started up again, I drank a POT of green tea. =) Hey, it worked. Now dinner will be the tricky part, the kids are having pizza, my favorite & I can't have it. Maybe it will be an early bedtime tonight. I sure hope tomorrow goes better than today has. I can'timagine what I will be feeling like come day 3 or 4. The magazine says 10 days is the perfect amount of time to spend on it but studies show the mini detox works just as well. Now I'm not saying 10 days is crazy but come on ... who in the world can not eat anything more than raw fruits & veggies for 10+ days? Ya have to give it up to the girls who just don't eat to stay thin. Not that I'm saying that's the way to go cause clearly it isn't but they have determination that I just can't seem to grab a hold of.

On a side note to all those who may be interested ... there are side effects besides being a little hungry and at times feeling a littlelight headed. The drink really cleans out the ole back end. =)

Weigh In

2009-07-13T04:34:00.000-07:00

I like Monday morning weigh in's because it always seems that I am more honest with my food choices over the weekend. I'll admit I was horrible this past weekend though cause I knew I was starting a program this morning so it seemed like I was doing the " this is the last time I'll have this in a while" thing. I know BAD!!! Anyhoo, as of this morning I am seriously getting back in the weight loss game. Last week I said I was but it didn't last more than 1 day of exercise and I ended up eating out with hubby several times throughout the week. I was reading First for Women magazine when I came upon this fruit detox cleanse that helped some people lose as much as 16 pounds in 4 days. I'm not gonna kid myself & think I can lose that much but I am gonna try for 5 pounds in 4 days.

So this is what the fruit detox consists of, a homemade lemonaide that I drink throughout the day for 4 days, if I get hungry I can drink herbal teas (must use maple syrup as a sweetner) and eat unlimited berries and certain water based veggies. I love hot teas and have founf in the past that it curbes my appetite so I think I should be able to do this detox. The article says you can stay on the program until you reach your weight loss of do mini detoxs 3-4 days every week until you get there. I think I'll be doing the mini cleanses. The woman in the article did 5 mini cleanses & ended up losing 7 pounds the first week & 5 there after. I can live with that!

My motivation to stick with the program this week is a trip to 6Flags this coming weekend. The last time we went my clothes were tighter then they are now & let me tell ya ... it was painful on a few of the rides. I don't want to have to squeeze into the seats this time, I want to enjoy the rides. I CAN do this! I did it before so I know it is possible to lose the weight again.

Homemade Lemonaide;

In 8 oz of water combine 3 TB of lemon juice, 3 TB maple syrup, and 1/10 of a tsp of cayanne pepper. Sip 6 cups throughout the day.

Author's Note: It doesn't smell anything like lemonaide to me and it doesn't taste all that great warm but if it's cold and your just sipping it ... it's not so bad. Be careful not to put to much cayanne pepper in it if you don't like spicy cause it is SPICY!!!

Fruits & Veggies;
If your gonna be on the cleanse for a week or more you can Citrus, berries, cucumbers, peppers, and leafy greens. If you get a headache or nausea as the normal side effect in the first 3 days, (This is because your body w ill be realeasing toxins very quickly) sip 3 cups of peppermint, raspberry chamomile, or slippery elm tea daily.

Weigh in:
Ok, so I guess if your still here I haven't bored you to tears and I will put in my weight. Two hundred eleven pounds and six ounces. Like writing it out will make a difference! =) Maybe I think hateres will be looking for a number to laugh at and not actually bother to read words ... yes I'm weird, I think about those sorts of things. I'm so totally embarrassed that I let myself go like this. My highest weight ever was 234 a year after I had my second child. I lost 80 pounds in a year and was able to maintain it for 2 years. Now 8 years later I'm almost back to where I started & I just can't do it. I won't ever be there again.

So, here's to a new day andagreat outlook on what I WILL accomplish! I do plan on weighing in everyday that I'm on this detox. I'm hoping the weight will be less and give me more motivation to stay on plan.

Thanks to all of my supporters.

Do over #3999?

2009-07-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

So yeah ... ummm ... I haven't been worried about my diet or exercise program in a long long time. I don't even know why. All I know is that I was sickto death of working my behind off with my food choices and all that cardio only to see the scale go up. I figured if it's gonna go up anyway I should just enjoy relaxing on the couch reading a good book and eating the foods I love. Yeah, well, that didn't work out so well either so now my brain is back to saying get off your lazy and start working out & eating healthy again. Even if I gain more weight at least I know I'm doing right by my body.

I'm not gonna give the number of where I'm at cause I'm so darned embarrassed by it. I'm almost at my highest weight and I had an excuse back then that I don't have now.

My plan of action is first to get back into exercising & that is tonight. I'll be walking most nights with one of my new friends. She's the preachers wife and just a blessing to be around. Food wise I'm going back to portion control making for sure I eat a lot more fruits & veggies. I'm taking an appitie suppressant called Slim Seductions. These little pills are amazing. This is day two using these babies and they do more then curb my want for food ... they make me crave water ... make me have a million bowel movements ... but the best part is my libido is going through the roof. =) You know hubby is happy about that side effect.

Where's the calories

2009-02-17T07:25:00.001-08:00

I kept active all day long for fear that hubby being home would cause me to eat more than I usually would. Well, the opposite thing actually happened; I didn't eat enough & by the time I realized I didn't have enough calories in ... it was to late! I ended the night with barely over 800 calories.

I walked 1.5 miles at 6:30 yesterday morning, another 1.5 miles after lunch at the local park, then last night after dinner hubby & I did a 1.5 mile walk. My step counter at 8 last night said I had 12, 579 steps ... I can live with that.

As for today ... I've completed a walk that was a little over 2 miles and out in the freezing cold. I don't know what I was thinking! Breakfast was bacon, eggs & coffe. As soon as hubby heads off to work I'll probably do some yoga. Lunch is a grilled chicken on top of a garden salad. Dinner ... haven't a clue yet. It's so cold, probably soup!

I'm keeping positive about Thursday's weigh in. Hoping I stay in ONDERLAND. I'm pretty sure I will since my clothes are finally feeling loser. I shirt I haven't wore since this time last year was wore over the weekend. In recent months I didn't wear it because it was tight in the arms & I would have to wear a tank under it so no one would recognize it was there because the buttons were about to pop off. Well, this weekend, not only did the buttons not bulge, no tank was worn under it & best news of all ... it was lose in the arms. My jeans still feel close to the same which is a downer but my shirts are fitting fine. Well, unless I don't put them in the dryer to shrink up a bit! Shinking clothes I can now deal with though.

Ok, I'm outa here ... gonna boil up s ome eggs for later snacks, prep the cake for daughter's birthday on Thursday. I'm making from scratch the german chocolate cake, triple chocolate icing, and the hardest part ... the flowers for the decorations. I'm hoping I can work through the smells!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

The morning started off perfect ... didn't get out of bed until 10am. Now this is a huge deal for me cause usually I'm up by 6am for one reason or another.

Anyway, we exchanged gifts with each other & the kids. We got them a small box of chocolates & a card ... hubby got a card & these matching rings. It says Mo Anam Cara meaning my soul mate in Irish. He got me a card, an out fit, & tons of tullips ... I'll have to take a pic of the & share.

We ended up going out f or lunch but I was good. We went to a mexican place ... I went easy on the chips & salsa then ordered a taco salad. I probably won't need to eat again until dinner. Dinner we are making together ... grilled steak ... steamed broccoli with cheese on top. No chocolates ... I'm so excited. I've never went without chocolate on Valentine's Day. It's actually kind of nice.

That's all for me ...

Friday WI

2009-02-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

I finally made it to ONEDERLAND!!!!

I'm super excited to say that after last weeks 1 pound gain I ended up losing enough to make up for last week plus some. I'm now 199.2 which puts me down by 2+ pounds. I'm so excited. This is not just a 2 pound loss for me. Ya see, I was so depressed by the gain last week that Friday night I had pizza & bread sticks from pizza hut, Saturday we went out to dinner and I ordered a hamburger with fries then Sunday after church we had family over for chili. Now chili isn't a bad thing alone but I had fritos in it, sour cream on top, plus I made cookies which I indulged in. I don't know how many I had cause I lost count after 5. I snacked on chips throughout the night to. By Monday I was over my pity party ... I've logged in no less than 6 miles a day all week long.

My cardio has been a mixture of walking in the neighborhood, walk videos, and yoga booty ballet. I'm still super sore, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going to be sore for the rest of my life.

This coming week I'm going t o be doing everything in my power to stay on track, exercise a good amount and then my weigh in will be Thursday ... my daughter's 12th birthday. Friday we are going out of town for a few days to celebrate daughter's birthday. We're taking her to Atlanta to Medieval Times, Aquarium, and the Zoo. She loves animals so this is the perfect gift for her.

I'm working towards a May 14th goal ... it's my 15th anniversary so I want to look good. Also in May I'm meeting a long time friend. She's a tooth pick (size 6) and I want to be smaller so I don't look like a beached whale next to her. I know I can't go from a 16 to a 6 in this short amount of time ... don't think I've ever been a size 6 even when I weighed 125. But any way, my goal is to be 175 and fit back into my size 12 jeans comfortably. I think this is an attainable goal ... it's close to 25 pounds in 3 months. Keeping my fingers crossed that I don't hit a plateau in this time & that the weight keeps falling off.

What did I do this past week to lose the 2+ pounds? I went back to carb control. I don't like doing it but it's the only thing that my body seems to work with. It's gonna be hard not to have a piece of birthday cake but I have already decided I will purchase the low carb ice cream so I don't feel left out. Hey, it's always better to have a plan of attack. Right?!

So that's what I've been up to. Have a great Valentine's weekend. I won't be having any chocolate. I told hubby he wouldn't live to see Sunday if he bought me anything to eat. We're not going out to dinner but staying in and preparing a low carb meal together. I got him a gift ... it's a ring ... I have one to. It says "My soul Mate" in Irish. It's sterling silver & it's beautiful. I'll have to get a pick of them tomorrow so I can share. We bought the kids a very small heart box of chocolates & a card. Sweet & simple.

Forgotten WI

2009-02-03T14:03:00.000-08:00

OMG, I can't believe I forgot to log in last Friday's WI ... it was an amazing WI. I'm so happy to let ya'll know that last Friday I weighed in at 201.4. Yup ... that's a 2.4 pound weight loss.

I can tell ya what I did different. I was having a pity party last Sunday so hubby took me to GNC to ask their advice. I know it seems weird but the 4 doctors I have gone to can't find anything wrong with me & my nutritionist was at a loss as to why I wasn't losing cause in her words I ate cleaner than she did. Anyway, the GNC rep suggested a 24 hour detox (Detoxatrim), then to substitute 2 meals a day with a shake (Lean Shake) and a metabolism booster (SlimQuick). The shakes last week I was only doing once a day then measured out each meal. Felt silly cause my eye ballin technique was still pretty accurate. Anyway ... Monday (of last week) was the day I did the detox ... let me just say this. This stuff is a trick to your mind. By this I mean it smells so wonderful that you think you will have no problem sticking to it at all. HA!!! This smells wonderful but taste like chit! Honestly ... I couldn't finish the stuff. I was afraid I would be hungry but I never was. I came to 150 calories, you drink tons of water and OMG ... my gosh I was in the bathroom ALOT!!!!!

Anyway, I don't know if I can say I lost weight because of the detox, or because of the pills. Whatever it was I'm staying on the straight & narrow this week. I've upped my cardio. ThinChicks is running a miles challenge this month & my goal is to walk no less than 10,000 steps a day. So far I have had no problems with this goal at all. Yesterday I walked 10,203 steps and already today I have walked 11,542 steps. I'm so proud of myself for getting in the activity. I was starting to let it slide when the weight wasn't coming off. Bad attitude but when exercise isn't keeping the weight off ... why bother?

So, that's what I have been up to. I'll do my best to come back on Friday to tell ya how much I have lost this week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another 2+ pounds to be gone. I'm ready to be back in ONDERLAND!!!! =)

Tis a good day

2009-01-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

Yup, it's Friday ... weigh in day. Since the title says it's a good day you must know that I lost some weight. I did! Not as much as would have liked but more then I thought I would. Today's weigh in is 203.8 ... that's down from 204.6. Almost a pound ... I can live with that.

I got up bright & early this morning to get my workout in. I did a 45 minute walk. It felt so good to get moving. I still have tons of energy so I'll probably do a second workout like I did yesterday. I'm trying to bump up my cardio everyday so I'll have a better chance at seeing the scale drop quicker. As you know I was hoping to see it drop a pound a week but the scale Gods just don't want to work with me. I think their having more fun laughing at me being frustrated. Oh well. At least I can say I'm losing something so my efforts aren't for nothing. Right?

Nothing major going on around here today or even this weekend. I think we're taking the kids to see Ink Heart tonight & then bowling tomorrow. Nothing is ever set in stone around here cause what we may be interested in doing one minute we don't feel like doing the next. We're very spontaneous people. Of course this can be a good or bad thing depending on who you are and if we've made plans with you or not. =P Yes, I'll admit it, I've canceled a lot of plans that I've had with friends just because I didn't feel like doing what was planned out. I've gotten better at just telling people we'll see how I feel. I hate letting people down.

Anyway, hubby wanted to play the lottery ... I hate doing it because to me it's just a big ole waste of time & money. Time because we have to drive about 45 minutes to get to Florida then money for gas & of course he never gets less than $10 worth of numbers. We've been playing for about 5 years & we have only won money twice. The first time we won about $78 and then the last time was I think $8 ... see not worth the time. Hubby wants to play cause he wants to take me to all the places I have dreamed of going. Ireland & Germany being at the top of the list. So Wed. when he got home from work we headed for Florida ... no, we didn't win a darned dime. He was so sure we were going to win ... could feel it in his bones. I swear, the man tells me this same thing every single time he buys tickets. You think he would learn. Guess it's a guy thing.

Oh, I joined FaceBook yesterday. I kept getting invites to join ... got tired of being asked so I went for it. OMG, I don't know why I waited so long. I'm connecting with old friends from high school. It's funny to learn how much we have all changed yet to know we're pretty much still the same. I guess that's how life goes though.

Guess I should get back to the kids. Son is having one heck of a time with school this morning. Math ... percentages. He's usually amazing at math but for some reason his brain doesn't want to work with percentages today. Have a great weekend.

Computer Rant ...

2009-01-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'm having one heck of a time getting my computer to work for me. Hubby thinks it's in need of more RAM but I don't see how as I have most everything that didn't come with the computer on my plug in storage. I just don't get it. This thing runs slower than thick mud ... so hubby says well, lets go get some more RAM. We get to the store & he decided I should have an early Valentine's day gift. He out right buys me a new computer. This time it's a laptop ... nice one. Sony Vaio! Anyway this thing has 4 gb of RAM. Guess what? I'm having the same damned problem as before. I can't get web pages to open, AOL stops working ... it's so darned frustrating. I want to throw this computer in the garbage, make him take the laptop back to the store & just say I'm so done with computers altogether. I'm not kidding! I have a headache just from stressing over not getting pages to open. I tried to pay bills the other day & I couldn't get the sites to hardly open. 2 bills were late cause it took me days to get them to open. It pisses me off. I'm sure it's not the web sites I go to because my kids can go to them just fine. That's why we were thinking it was the computer ... now with a new one the same problems persist so it's either me & my damned luck or it's Vista! My kids laptops have Windows XP & so does the old desktop that's in my daughters room. Do any of you with Vista have this problem? Not that it really matters cause they don't sell computers with anything but Vista on them now & to buy the Windows XP software seems like a total waste of money after what I have already paid for the stupid laptop that's turned out to be no better than this desktop. Ya know I haven't added an entry here because I wasn't able to get the page to open up! Doesn't that just bite?!

Anyway ... diet/activity wise I'm still on track. I should be taking in more fruits & veggies but I haven't been in a mood to eat this week. I don't know what's going on with me. For breakfast today I had a piece of toast with 1/4 cup egg beaters and a cup of coffee, snack was an orange, lunch was 1 cup of chili with 1/2 serving of Frito's/cheese, snack was a nutrigrain bar ... that's it so far. Dinner will be chicken quesidillas but that sounds like crap right now.

I got up at 6:30 this morning to get my cardio out of the way. It was a 30 minute walk video. I'm thinking I should probably do something else today and make it a BIG calorie burn tomorrow since weigh in is on Friday. I really want it to be a good day but I'm thinking I will have lost only an ounce or two if that. I don't know what to do with myself. Seems like I'm damned if I do & I'm damned if I don't. Ever feel that way? If I exercise more I eat more thus I don't lose weight but gain ... if I exercise less I eat less but I barely lose anything at all. Uggg, I guess I'm just in a crabby mood today & can't seem to find anything to be happy about.

The 2009 New Year, New Resolve Challenge: Week 3

2009-01-18T15:28:00.000-08:00

By committing to this four-week New Year, New Resolve Challenge, you are pledging to look forward, not backward.

Last week, you bumped up your Filling Foods and your activity, and took the important step of reaching out for a little extra help. This week is all about fun, food and friends.

Week 3

Try a new recipe

If the habits you picked up in Week 1 of the challenge have taken hold, then you’re still planning your meals up to a week at a time. Good for you! The challenge in keeping this great habit going, though, is balancing routine (going for the same few meals that you know how to cook and that require staple ingredients), with variety (lemon chicken again?).

So, when you plan your next few meals, make room for something brand new in the line-up. Look at recipes; pick up a food magazine next time you’re out, or browse the internet. Or, if you’re feeling really brave, grab a cookbook, fan through it with your eyes closed, and vow to make whatever you land on. If it’s a high-calorie nightmare, think of ways to lighten it up.

Dance!

I'm not kidding – as long as you can push through the initial self-consciousness, dancing around your living room to the music you rocked out to as a teen will plaster a grin to your face like little else. You might pick a time when you know you’ll be alone in the house, or you might decide to get the whole house involved. (Those of you with teenage kids might get an extra kick out of watching them struggle between being embarrassed, and wanting to join you.)

Of course, if you want to kick it up to the next step, you could plan a night out at a club, or even a dance class. You might even want to ask a friend if they can recommend somewhere in your area. As well as the happiness factor, you’ll be burning calories while you grin and grind.

Find that you’re fine at the beginning of your tracking week, but your resolve peters out midweek and/or over the weekend? Give yourself a jolt of motivation and accountability by going to an extra Weight Watchers meeting or if your part of a weight loss group ask for help there. Meetings aren’t just about stepping on the scale and seeing how you’ve done; they help you connect to other people, the Plan, and yourself. By going to a different meeting, you’ll meet different people and maybe learn a new tip, or even just find knowledge in listening to a new person’s struggles and triumphs. If you belong to a weight loss group online then you can gather strength & motivation from them. We've all been at a cross roads before ... none of us are alone in this journey. They key is being brave enough to admit we need help to reach our goals.

Another one bites the Dust

2009-01-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Another pound that is. Weigh was today & I'm happy to tell you I'm now 204.6. That's down 6 oz since last Friday. I wish the weight could melt off of me as quick as it does others but it never has & I'm guessing never will. It's ok though! As slow as it comes off ... I can also take pleasure it knowing it comes back on almost as slowly. I'm keeping up with my cardio & am still indulging in my fruits & veggies like there will be no more tomorrow. I'm sure there may come a time where I balk at the sight of the fruit ... it always happens this way, but I'm hoping it becomes more of a habit that I continue to enjoy the wonderful taste.

As I peer out my window the day looks lovely but knowing that the wind chimes are chiming constantly makes me fully aware that the chill in the air would probably cut me to the bone. The fire place is all ablaze as I try to knock the chill from the air ... I'm now almost completely sure that the cold front has reared it's ugly head as it's nearly impossible to keep this drafty house warm. Global warming my pa toot! It hasn't been this chilly in years. We're not hitting record lows but it a good 10 degrees cooler then the 5 years I have lived here. It always amazes me how I can wear shorts one day and the next be bundled up tightly in a snow coat begging for warmth. Doesn't make sense to me. I moved to the south for the sun, the warmth of it ... I hate to be cold!

Today it like all the rest ... I'm paying bills, doing daily household chores, teaching the kids ... and making for sure I stay on the straight & narrow. My end of the month goal almost impossible to reach. I'll have to lose 2 pounds per week to reach the goal. I had thought I would be able to make it when I set the goal. I usually lose 3-5 pounds the first week that I'm back on plan but I suppose the older I get the less my body wants to play this game. My first week I only lost 2 lousy ounces. I'm still keeping the faith that if I bump up my activity just a bit more & eat a little more fruit that I can actually lose 2 pounds per week to reach my goal. I truly want to make it to ONDERLAND by February first. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Still on Course

2009-01-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm standing steady with my food & activity plan. I was very proud of myself yesterday. I went to see the movie our church put on for the community ... "Fireproof". It was a wonderful movie for any who are interested. I walked away feeling so lucky to be married to my husband. Anyway, as I was saying & so easily feel off track ... I was offered soda & popcorn. I decided to go with the bottled water that sat off to the side. I did grab a bag of popcorn but after opening it up and seeing all the butter & salt, I took one small handfull, wrapped up the bag and set it on the floor. So I did so good ... I was really proud that I didn't munch down a whole bag of popcorn. Even during the 10 minute intermission I didn't go back for a snack. Yeah me! Big accomplishment.

Last night I had a moment of weakness ... my body (mostly TOM) was screaming for chocolate. I knew I had M&M's in the freezer but hubby was right there reminding me of my 1.6 pounds that I lost & how I didn't want to unravel a week of hard work. I didn't want to but darn it ... my body was screaming very loudly for chocolate. Instead of the M&M's ... I went for 3 WW chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk. It was a total of 5 points but it's much better than the 20+ points I would have taken in had I gone for the M&M's. Another thing I can say I conquered over the weekend.

I didn't work out on Friday or Sunday but it's ok ... my body was feeling weak so I figured it needed a small break. I did work it pretty good last week & the scale did reflect that. Not to let myself down or get out of the habit I woke before 7 this morning to get in 20 minutes of pilates then a 15 minute walk. It felt great to get up & get the workout out of the way. Hubby e-mailed me asking if I wanted to go for an afternoon walk when he got home ... I shocked myself by saying sure instead of my usual "I've already worked out"!

Nothing much else for today ... just busying myself with reading & a few household chores until hubby makes it home from work. Have a great on plan day!

The 2009 New Year, New Resolve Challenge: Week 2

2009-01-09T05:18:00.001-08:00

This week borrows some wisdom from the new Weight Watchers Momentum™ plan, bumps your activity up, and encourages you to think about how you’re really doing.

Week 2

Befriend a Filling Food
Not all POINTS® values were created equal. Anyone who has spent their daily POINTS allowance on bagels and candy will tell you that. Weight Watchers’ new Momentum plan introduced the concept of Filling Foods; those foods that can help keep hunger at bay, and really stretch your POINTS values to help you keep on track.

What are Filling Foods?
People tend to eat the same volume of food each day 1— by filling their stomachs with food, they avoid feelings of hunger. Some foods — Filling Foods — help keep you full longer, and fill you up on fewer calories. By incorporating Filling Foods into your meals, you’ll learn to stretch your POINTS values and make better choices.

Filling foods include; Whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, potatoes and grains. Vegetables and fruits. Whole-grain cereals – without added sugar, nuts or dried fruit. Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs. Fat-free milk and milk products. Soups, made with Filling Foods.

Now look at the difference for 3 different meals. The left side will be just grabbing something while the right side is going for filling foods. Both use the same amount of points but when using filling foods you can eat a lot more food.

Your challenge this week, then, is to make sure you add at least two Filling Foods™ every day. This is easily done by simply increasing your intake of fruits and veggies, lean meat and whole grains. But look beyond additions, and think carefully about substitutions. Instead of sugary cereal, try shredded wheat cereal with cut-up strawberries or banana supplying the sweetness the sugar had provided. Instead of a popsicle, eat a handful of frozen grapes. And who needs to eat chicken breast day in, day out, when you can try duck breast or pheasant instead? Be bold!

By tracking faithfully — including charting your hunger patterns throughout the day — you will be able to see how much value these Filling Foods represent in terms of keeping you more satisfied, longer.

Go for the (extra) burn
How much activity did you get last week? Make a point this week of increasing that number by 5 minutes each day. If you already have a robust exercise routine, do something different this week — treadmill junkies, try a dance class. Gentle yoga stretchers, take a hot Bikram class. Maybe even give the forlorn, lonely rowing machine a little attention — it’s a great workout for your upper body as well as your legs, and you won't have to stand in line even as the January newbies crowd the gym floor.

The 8 Good Health Guidelines prescribe at least 30 minutes of activity a day on most days of the week (starting with 10 minutes if you’re sedentary now). Getting in more activity during the space of a week is not an unreachable target, and the health benefits are plentiful.

Ask for help, or just check in
If you’re struggling in any aspect of following the new years (get healthy) plan, it’s important that you sit back and really think about what it is that’s tripping you up. Keeping your anxieties general will often lead to an overly generalized reaction: Giving up.

But it’s not always possible to figure out where you’re going wrong by yourself. Sometimes it takes a third party to hear the evidence and realize what it is that’s going on. Let me be your resource for helping solve these problems, but have you also considered bringing in a confidante closer to home? After all, many of the roadblocks we meet are caused, even if unknowingly, by our friends and family.

We are sometimes reluctant to share our weight-loss journey with others; we might not want them to see just how hard we have to work at staying on Plan. But those people closest to you will often jump at the chance of helping a loved one succeed at something so important to them. Whatever is bothering or confusing you, reach out to someone who can give you, if not a solution, then at least a different perspective.

Ok, I'm off my soap box now. The good news is today is weigh in day & I LOST! Nothing major but more then just 2 oz like last week. I lost 1.6 pounds this week bringing the total to 1.8 pounds for the year. I'm 205.2 this morning & getting closer to ONDERLAND as I type. =D It feels good to be in control of my body once again. Have a great weekend ... don't over eat, grab a healthy filling food. See ya on Monday to weigh in again.

OMG ... I'm starving

2009-01-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

I don't know why but I have been so darned hungry all day long. Of course TOM is at least 2 weeks late. Nope not preggers, just don't have a regular system. It's sad that my 11 year old daughter is more regular then I am.
Anyway, instead of going for all the wrong foods I'm just picking a lot of high fiber foods today. Hoping it will hold me over than regular foods. I'm also drinking my water today. Anything to help me feel full.

I exercised again today ... it's becoming a habit for me again. At least I can say it's a good habit, right?! I did 10 minutes with Jillian Michael's ... jogging in place for 4 minutes then squats/upright rows for a couple of minutes and monkey bars ... I always hated doing it as a kid but it's fun the Jillian way. he he he I was sweating like a pig so I switched over the the regular Wii Fit game. I did a total of 35 minutes. It was a mixture of step, balance, and a few abdominal moves. I need to really focus on this gut of mine. It's toooo big!

Sherry left a comment in my last entry about Chinese recipes. I don't have recipes per say ... we just heat the wok up with seasame seed oil, saute' broccoli and mixed veggies then throw in small chunks of steak. When it's almost done we add low sodium soy sauce. Put it over a serving of rice & that's it. Sometimes we do the pasta but since it has a lot of carbs I'm trying to stay clear of it for now. All items are now being measured out one serving per each person because if we have extra's then we will all over indulge and since I'm trying to get my family healthy at the same time ... well, it's just easier this way!

I have a wonderful find to share with all of you. I love butter & the thought of having to give it up was killing me. We went shopping Sunday & something caught my eye as I walked past the butter isle ... fat free parkay spray. OMG, I scooped it up brought it home, typed in the calories, fat, & fiber to discover it's "ZERO" ww points!!!!! Yeah, I can have butter again. So I had butter on my pancakes this morning then again o my baked potato. My baked potato was my new recipe for the week. Yes, I've had baked potatoes before but never without some type of meat on it. This time I shredded spinach over it. WOW ... it was really good. Even the kids were eating it like crazy. Gotta love a meal that's kid approved! =)

Checking in

2009-01-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Still working my WW plan ... feeling pretty good about the foods that have been chosen for me but I have to tell ya ... hubby isn't to happy about all the ruffage that I'm taking in. he he he it's making me very gassy. =D I just sit back, laugh, and say pay backs a biotch! he he he

You'll see a lot of different things on my activity section. I did the WiiFit today & made for sure I kept track of all the things I did. I think I'll just use the low impact aerobics for everything except the yoga from here on out. I get lower activity points for it but I'd rather under estimate then over estimate.

Oh ... one last thing ... as some of you know I like to weigh in on Mondays so I do better with my food choices over the weekend. Well, good news ... I ended up losing 2 oz (206.6 now) over the weekend & that's with me not exercising on Saturday. It feels good to see the number come down on the scale but it's gonna feel like heaven to be in Onderland again.

Off to help hubby make dinner. We're opting out of Chinese take out & just making it ourselves. Healthier for us but not depriving ourselves of a meal that we love.

Working my Points

2009-01-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

Clicking on the picture will bring it up to a readable version. I don't know why Blogger makes these type of photos so darn hard to see on here.

I'm using the Flex points system with weight watchers cause right now I just don't feel I have the capacity to stick with core foods to lose this weight. I have a bunch of will power ... just not enough yet to stay away from all the things I love the most.

I do have to say that I jumped a major obstacle today. Sunday is when I make up my shopping list for the week that follows ... WW said I could have milky war bars 2 nights in a row plus a couple Hersey kisses with a meal on another day. Now I know me & chocolate ... I took it off my meal plan & didn't buy it. I was highly impressed with myself. I also know that TOM is coming in for a visit any day now & I just don't need that kind of temptation dangling in front of me.

I didn't work out yesterday but I fully intend to work out this afternoon. With church & shopping out of the way I can concentrate on the me part. I'm thinking Jillian is calling my name so that's gonna be a kick ars workout! I'm hoping for a good weigh in tomorrow. It's not a required weigh in or anything like that but I have to weigh in on Friday's with WW and for me personally I find since I have tendencies to eat poorly on the weekend if I know I have a weigh in on Monday morning I won't eat as bad because I do NOT want to see a huge increase.

I bought a new product while shopping today. Hubby has been telling me about it for a good year now but the though of paying $3.50 for nut butter just didn't do it for me. Well, I say it sitting on the shelf today & said well I am trying to get healthier right? So I bought it ... NUTELLA spread. It's supposed to be a better choice for peanut butter. By the time we got home I was starving ... I ate before we left but I guess it just didn't hold me over. So I grab a banana and a bit of Nutella ... OMG ... OMG ... this chit is so darned good I had to put the lid on it so I wouldn't over indulge. I made one critical error though ... I didn't check to see how many points the 2 tbsp serving had. "5" darned points! I was shocked! I now know I can have it every once in a while as a treat but not on a daily basis.

Ok, so that's all for me today. Just wanted to check in to keep myself accountable to myself & to all of you. I find I'm less likely to go over board if I know I have to come here & confess. Thanks ladies!

Defeating the Midnight Munchies

2009-01-04T05:59:00.001-08:00

You planned all your meals and tracked every second of the day. You're on the home straight — but what's this? It's late at night and you're in the throes of a snack attack! Here's how to deal.

The problem
Help, it’s midnight, I can’t sleep and I just want to snack. How can I stop the nighttime munchies?

The solution
Remember when you were a kid at bedtime, and you were afraid that as soon as the lights went off the monster lurking in the back of your closet was going to come out and get you? Now that you're an adult, you know that nighttime monsters don't really exist. Or do they?

Nighttime munchies are a scourge that has affected every dieter at one time or another — knowing how to successfully deal with late-night cravings is one of the keys to effective weight loss. No matter how good you have been during the day, something hits you at night, usually around 10 o’clock, and you must eat, NOW.

What are some strategies you can use to control your late-night snacking urges? Surprisingly, the best way to help avoid the nighttime munchies is to make sure you eat breakfast and lunch.

Establish regular meal times and patterns. Erratic schedules and skipping meals, especially breakfast, set you up to overeat later in the day. I liken breakfast to fuel for a car. While we are able to run without proper fuel for a while, at a certain point each of us would 'crash' and start scarfing down any food within sight. That's when nighttime snacking comes in.

It's also important to understand the difference between true, physical hunger and emotional hunger or boredom. The urge to late-night snack usually comes from the latter and not the former.

If you aren't physically hungry, then you may need to explore simple deterrents to eating. One of the best is brushing your teeth and using a strong mouthwash. That will make anything you eat afterward taste bad. You can also go on a short walk, call a friend, answer email, organize your desk or just sit alone quietly for 10 minutes. Usually if you wait a few minutes, this desire to eat may subside. Lastly, you may just be thirsty. Thirst is easily confused with hunger. Have a sugar-free beverage and call it a night.

However, if you are actually physically hungry, you should eat. Depriving yourself of food when you’re truly hungry can lead to binge eating later on, which is much, much worse than simply having a nighttime bowl of cereal.

I recommend a rice cake with a little cashew butter on it or a small apple with a slice of low-fat cheese or a cup of yogurt or even a handful of mixed nuts. (Just don't eat the whole jar.)

If, after all this, you just can't stop the night munching and you're waking up in the middle of the night and snacking, you might be suffering from a rare eating disorder called night eating syndrome.

Night eating syndrome is characterized by overeating during the evening and waking at least three nights a week to eat. The evening overeating has to be at least 25 percent of the daily caloric intake after supper, and there has to be a minimum of three nighttime awakenings during the week. It's important to distinguish these awakenings from binges. The average caloric intake of a nighttime digestion is 280 calories, which is not a binge by any means.

If this describes you, then you should consult your physician. Treatments include a form of anti-depressant that works through serotonin, a neural transmitter, and cognitive behavior therapies.

Yes, nighttime monsters do exist, but it’s better face them rather than run screaming to the kitchen.

Here are some things you can do to stop the midnight snacking:

Make sure you eat a good breakfast and lunch.

If you feel like snacking, have a big glass of water first

Stay busy — a lot of nighttime eating is sparked by boredom.

There are some great novels and films out there.

Or, go for a nighttime ramble with the dog.

Keep calories/POINTS® value friendly snacks, like low-fat popcorn or rice cakes, handy for those times when you just have to treat yourself. To cure that crunch craving, try baby carrots.

My favorite trick to avoid night time noshing is simply to drink a big mug of herbal tea. I've recently picked this habit back up & not only am I back to NOT snacking at night .. I'm also back to sleeping straight through.

Real Resolutions

2009-01-03T06:57:00.001-08:00

How to choose a real resolution that you can stick with.

Ever since the Babylonians began celebrating the New Year 4,000 years ago and resolved to return something they borrowed from a neighbor the previous year, humans have made resolutions. And for 4,000 years, we haven’t been very good at keeping those resolutions. In fact, we can’t even agree that it was the Babylonians that actually started the tradition. So, with 2009 now up on us, lets break down why resolutions fail and how you can make a resolution this year that you can stick with.

Each year, millions of Americans resolve to lose weight, exercise more, make more money and quit or cut back on a vice (such as smoking or drinking). While these are reasonable and often necessary changes to make, we have a difficult time seeing the resolution through. Experts say this is because we bite off more than we can chew — expecting sweeping results in a short amount of time.

I believe that resolutions fail the overwhelming majority of the time because people initially set their goals too high or do not take the time to plan how they will accomplish their resolutions. It is not about the person. I believe that anyone can be successful in keeping their resolutions. They just need to put a little time and effort into planning and structuring their resolutions.

Given that Americans often expect too much in too little time, there is a process to planning a successful resolution — or any other kind of behavioral change, and it’s called the SMART theory.

SMART Theory

S-Specific: What exactly are you going to do? Make it clearly defined and simple.

M-Measurable: How long? How much? What are the milestones you’ll reach along the way?

A-Attainable: Make it reasonable. Don’t expect to lose 50 pounds in 3 months. How about 5 to 8 pounds a month for X amount of months? Or just to attend your meeting every week without fail?

R-Rewarding: You have to stop and reward yourself along the way. Small rewards for reaching modest milestones will keep you motivated and keep you positive.

T-Time-limited: Set an end date. That last thing you want to do is keep your resolution open ended, because you’ll have less focus. At the same time, make sure you give yourself enough time to attain your main goal.

With your new SMART thinking, coming up with a reasonable resolution should be fairly easy. And if you follow these rules, you’ll have a much better chance for success.

Staying positive is a critical aspect of keeping your resolution. We see negative mood states as being influenced by thoughts and behaviors. So, if the resolution appears to be slowly going awry, the key is to examine your thoughts and behaviors. We all have an inner critic that comments on the world around us, but we do not have to listen to it. Focus on the benefits of achieving your resolution versus the costs in working for it.

More good advice: Don’t go it alone. Clue your friends and family into what you’re doing. Not only will those people encourage you along the way, but you’ll also be publicly accountable for your resolution, giving you added incentive to see your resolution to fruition. With a positive attitude, you can adopt your new behavior for life.

We’re Americans. We’re a country of hope. We tend to be fairly optimistic, and that if we try this year, we can do better. With the new year, we get a clean slate and we can let go of last year’s baggage.

Now get to it.

The 2009 New Year, New Resolve Challenge: Week 1

2009-01-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

A brand new year is the perfect opportunity to dust off your resolve and climb back on the wagon. Whether you’re new to Weight Watchers as I am, or simply looking for a framework to help you recommit or stick to your plan, here's how to succeed.

With its cold weather, post-holiday anticlimax and, for many, uncomfortably snug pants, January is not the kindest month. Why, then, do so many of us also spend half the month beating ourselves up about what we ate and drank in December? Right here and now, we are officially declaring the holidays Behind Us, and instead are here to help you focus on your goals for 2009.

Your goal might be a sizeable one, or it might be just a few pounds away. Whichever camp you fall into, contemplating a whole year stretched ahead of you can feel overwhelming. So, instead of worrying about the next 12 months, how about something far more manageable ... four weeks of activities, ideas and motivation.

By committing to this four-week New Year, New Resolve Challenge, you are pledging to look forward, not backward. Each week you’ll have three key tasks that will focus on food, activity, and behavior. None of the tasks is overly challenging or hard to achieve; rather, each one is designed to help you stay mindful of the choices you make, and to find new ways of traveling along the road of your weight-loss journey without getting bored and succumbing to a detour.
Before you begin

Go to the Challenge Commitment page (at the top of entry), where you are encouraged to think about what you want to achieve overall. With the specific tasks I'm giving you this week, checking them off is the easy part. But what is it that you want to feel at the end of the four weeks? And how do you want to build on this momentum as we go into February and beyond? Only you can answer these questions, so I've deliberately left these spaces blank for you.

When you have printed, filled in and signed the Challenge Commitment and pinned it somewhere prominent, you are ready to start tackling Week 1.

Week 1

The three tasks for you to tackle during this first week of the Challenge will both encourage planning and prepping, and give you something to do immediately.

Remember – your three tasks are related to food, activity, and behavior.

Plan (and shop for) a week’s menu ... remember; “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Take it from me: standing in front of the fridge is no place to plan your next meal.

Instead, take some time at the beginning of your tracking week, or on a Saturday morning, or even a midweek evening — whenever works for you — to plan a week’s worth of meals. If you’re suffering from blank-page syndrome, check out a good cookbook from the library or any online site that has recipes.

If all these ideas are too overwhelming, start smaller: Buy a rotisserie chicken (or roast your own), and think of three ways to use leftovers. Even if it’s just with a big mixed salad and a whole wheat roll, you’ve got a super-fast dinner that will help you check off some of your daily veggies — and one night’s dinner. Swap ideas for stretching chicken leftovers with one of your friends.

Make your shopping list with items grouped by type — even by aisle, if you are that familiar with your grocery store. Not only will this help you get around the store (and away from temptation) more quickly, it will also show you at a glance if the make-up of your diet is a little out of whack — for example, if you have an over-reliance on packaged goods rather than fresh.

Add five minutes to your active life every day

This one’s the quick fix. Whether you’re an exercise newbie or have been working out for a while, the goal is the same: Once a day, when you’re moving enough to put the glow in your cheeks, go for five minutes longer than you normally do. Push yourself on the treadmill; walk another turn around the block; do one more Sun Salutation in your yoga practice. If you’ve taken a class at the gym that has a fixed start and end time, then do a quick five minutes on the elliptical afterwards. Better yet, instead of just standing around in line waiting for the class to start, look down upon your classmates from the vantage point of an exercise bike, knowing you’re getting a far better warm-up than they are.

Here's my latest secret ... I let my kids workout on the Wii before I do then I do everything in my power to out do their scores. This makes them work harder if I beat their scores but it makes me feel like a kid if I out do theirs.

If you truly are brand new to exercise, then your five minutes might already be more than you’re used to. If you vow to walk briskly for just five minutes, who knows? Maybe you’ll want to carry on when the time’s up. (Remember, talk with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.)

Take your measurements

What’s this got to do with planning? Think of taking your measurements now as an insurance policy against the disappointment of weight-loss plateaus later. Even when you follow a plan faithfully, you may find some maddening weeks that your good efforts are going unnoticed on the scale. So take out the tape measure instead and look at the numbers. What may look like a plateau on the scale might actually be a part of the process, and inches might be whittling without you realizing it. This goes double if you’ve recently started an exercise plan.

Different people lose weight in different ways — and from different places. So knowing your measurements along the way can teach you a lot about your body, and remind you that while it’s tempting to compare your success to others’, your body is going to do things in its own, sweet way.

The bare minimum to measure is chest, thighs, arms, hips, buttocks and waist. Also consider measuring your neck, wrists and ankles. It’s not always easy to figure out the best place to measure, but as long as you’re consistent each time you measure, the results will still read accurately. It’s great if you have someone you can trust to measure you — some measurements can be trickier to capture if you’re not sure you’re holding the tape straight. But even if you take the DIY approach, here are a few tips:

Measure yourself with as few clothes on as possible — preferably naked
Use a plastic tape measure — cloth ones can stretch out over time
Keep the tape measure taught, but not squeezing you. You’re only cheating yourself if you’re sucking your breath in for a smaller number!
As you measure, look straight ahead and don't slouch to look down at your reading. Place one finger on the end of the tape measure, pull it away from your body, then read.

Write each measurement down as you take it.

We can all do this, we just have to be willing to believe we are worth the effort & then stick with it.

Wii Sooooore

2009-01-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ouch is all I can really say right now. Hubby bought me a new game to go along with the Wii Fit. I thought Jillian would make a great addition to my fitness program because any of you who have ever watched Biggest Loser knows what a kick ars trainer she is ... I need that right now.

I tell ya ... the game is great but I'm paying for the workout I did last night & then this morning. My weight did go down though so I am a little thankful to see a smaller number showing. Anyway, the game is circuit training. You decide how long & strenuous a workout you want, program in your age, weight, height ... when your complete up pops a screen to tell you how well you did in each event & how many calories you burned. I'm burning about 250 calories for 30 minutes but I tell ya ... the way the sweat is rolling off of me it feels like it should be 400 or more calories gone. I'm not kidding. You will sweat your ars off ... literally. =)

So I have set up a 30 minute program both times I have been on it & this is how it went; for about 2.5 minutes I jogged ... then for 1-2 minutes you will have a talk to complete it could be anything from tire jumps, kick boxing, rowing a boat, throwing grenades, crossing monkey bars ... just lots of different things. After each task is complete you go back to jogging for 2.5 minutes. Now it may be longer or shorter times if you program your workout for a longer or shorter amount of time. After you finish your workout Jillian will unlock a diet/fitness tip. It's pretty cool information. This workout is not for the faint of hearts though ... if you want to quit easily ... this workout is NOT for you! My son did the 30 minute workout once & from his actions today I doubt he will ever workout to it again. He says she's evil! =) Anyway, to help you stay motivated is some rockin tunes.

I'm still working my WW points ... today was my weigh in day & I'm proud to say that even though I barely lost a thing from Monday's weigh in at least I can say I lost something ... 2 ounces. Better than gaining 2 oz.

Hungry Girl Movie Help

2009-01-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hungry Girl shares her favorite movie munching tips
Sometimes even the scariest horror films aren't nearly as frightening as the calorie and fat counts of some of the snacks you'll find at the theater. HG's got the 411 on what to chew and not to chew at the movies.

Popcorn shockerIf you're used to popcorn being a better-for-you option, you'll probably fall out of your chair when you find out the stats on the movie theater version.

A large size with butter packs in around 1,500 calories and 130 grams of fat. That's a POINTS® value around 40 and almost two days worth of POINTS values for many people — ouch! Opt for the smallest one, leave off the butter and it'll still set you back around 500 calories and 25 grams of fat (POINTS value around 11). It just doesn't seem worth it at all, especially since we're all used to munching on those mini bags that have a POINTS value of 1 to 2 each. Sneaking in your own microwave-popped bags is one potential solution, but we don't need to tell you that movie theaters frown on this. So chomp on your own popcorn at home or just skip it altogether, because movie theater popcorn + you = larger pants (sad, but likely true).

Beverage blunders

A movie theatre-size "small" soda (16 not-so-small ounces) clocks in at around 200 calories (POINTS value of 4). The scary slushy machine pumps out an equally offensive beverage; with around 220 calories in each same-size serving (also has a POINTS value of 4). Skip 'em — stick with water or diet soda, and save your calories for things you can actually chew.

Helpful food fact

Studies have shown that people eat more during sad movies than they do during upbeat funny ones. So arm yourself with guilt-free snacks if you're going to see a tearjerker!

King size mistakes

Watch out for those giant-size movie candies, people!
A 3 oz. bag of peanut M&Ms contains 470 calories and over 24 grams of fat (a POINTS value of 11). Who needs that?

Reese's Pieces 8 oz. Movie Size has 1,200 calories and 60 grams of fat (a POINTS value of 29). Zoinks!

Twizzlers 6oz. Movie Size contains 600 calories and 4 grams of fat (a POINTS value of 12). And you thought this low-fat treat was a good idea, right?

Movie Snack 911

While no movie candy is actually healthy, sweet and tart Lemonheads are fat-free, and only about 100 calories per ounce. Plus, their super-sour taste makes it hard for you to overindulge on these lemony snacks. So if you're all out of options and you find yourself at the snack counter desperate for a treat, grab a box.

Alternative options

But until movie theaters start selling healthier treats, you may need to resort to subtly bringing in your own. Here are some no-guilt snacks that can easily fit in your purse:Tootsie Pops and Blow Pops: With just 60 to 70 calories each, and hardly any fat at all (Blow Pops are fat free), these lollipops have a POINTS value of 1, and will keep your mouth happy and occupied for a long time. Yum!

Weight Watchers Fruities: These are a fantastic alternative to the higher-cal gummies found at the concession stand. They are, without a doubt, my favorite movie snack ever (and I'm not just saying that because I'm writing this column for WeightWatchers.com). With fewer than 70 calories in an entire pack (POINTS value 1), these chewy sugar-and fat-free fruit snacks take a long time to eat, so one pack can easily last an hour or two. The catch is you need to go to Weight Watchers locations to buy them, but you don't need to be a member to purchase them.

Apple Slices: Apples aren't boring — cut up a pretty Fuji apple, squirt some lemon juice on it (to keep it from getting brown) and toss those slices into a zip-top bag. You'll have a delicious and completely healthy snack that has fewer than 100 calories and a POINTS value of 1. I'm obsessed with Fuji apples. Mmmmm!

More About Hungry Girl Learn how Hungry Girl came to be—and more!
Hungry Girl, aka Lisa Lillien, distributes her tips, tricks and takes on new food products through her daily emails and Web site. Check out Hungry-Girl.com

Holiday Pounds, Banished and Vanished!

2008-12-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

Don't dwell on your indiscretion if you ate and drank too much over the holidays. With a few simple changes, you can lose those holiday pounds in no time.

Feeling blue about overeating on a few occasions the past few weeks? It's time to jump back on the horse and gallop toward a new you! Here are some great ideas that will help you get back on track with your weight-loss plan.

Shovel, rake, or mow your way to a slimmer you. No matter what season it is, there's always some yard work to be done. Take advantage of a snowfall and tackle your driveway or sidewalk several times that day. In the spring and summer, grab a manual lawn mower and trim your lawn. In autumn, rake the leaves in your front yard. Remember to use your arms and legs as much as possible and not your lower back so you don't injure yourself.

Get rid of the holiday goodies. We all stock up on extra sweets and goodies over the holidays for guests. But get rid of them as soon as the holidays are over so they don't tempt you! If you don't want to throw them out, drop them off at your local food bank, or take them to work to share them around. How about a nice new year gift basket of sweets for your children's teachers or caretakers? (Obviously, only untouched, unopened packages apply.)

Map out your meals. Spend a few minutes each morning planning out your meals and snacks for the day. The key is to prepare for when hunger strikes. This way, you won't default for the chips, but will grab the crudités instead.

Turn the music up. When you're ready to clean up the holiday mess, turn on music and move your body! Add a few dance steps to your kitchen sweep or while vacuuming the carpets. When cleaning the bathroom, alternate among the bath/shower, sink and toilet, to make it more interesting and to keep yourself moving. Add some toning to your dance routine with lunges and squats.

Finish with fresh fruit. Instead of the sweetness of chocolate, or a heavy, high-calorie dessert, finish off your meal with fresh fruit. It's just as sweet, and guaranteed to satisfy.

Play outdoors as much as possible. Any time of year lends itself to outdoor activity, and not just the ordinary kind. Grab your kids and go inline skating. Take advantage of a snowfall and go sledding on the biggest hill in town. Or pick up a softball bat and some mits and start a game. Soon enough you'll be running around like a kid, having a great time while burning calories.

Skip the wine when you dine. Instead of having a glass of wine with dinner, opt instead for mineral water with a splash of cranberry juice or grape juice for some sweetness. If you really enjoy a glass of wine in the evening, trying having one every other night, or treating yourself once or twice a week.

Work your water intake. Encourage yourself to drink your 6 to 8 glasses of water a day by buying yourself a refillable water bottle and keep it filled while at work or on the go. In no time, this will become second nature, and you'll feel fuller more often.

Fill up on fiber. Try adding more fiber-rich foods to your diet, like whole grains and leafy vegetables. Foods full of fiber tend to have fewer calories and keep you fuller longer. This is another easy way to get your recommended 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. You'll probably even discover some fiber-rich foods you love!

Join the gym sensation. Throughout the year, gyms everywhere are offering promotions for memberships. Take a walk-through of your local gym and see if what they have interests you. You may like the classes they are offering, or you may feel inspired by all those working out around you. Remember, if you decide to join a gym, you can start off slowly and work your way up!

Day 1

2008-12-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Today ... well so far ... the food has gone very well. Breakfast was different then what I'm used to but it was good. I would usually just grab a bowl of cereal hot or cold & make it last until lunch. I was starved by lunch time but it's my own fault. I saved the yogurt from breakfast for later in the morning but later in the morning I was shopping for fresh veggies. By the time I got home it was time for lunch. We didn't have any hunnus made so I wait for hubby to make some ... boy was it ever worth the wait. It was even better then I remembered ... maybe I was just that darned hungry. I still have to convince him to make some guacamole dip so I will have it for my snack later today.

I worked out today which makes 2 days in a row. I'm very proud of myself. I did 32 minutes of cardio then 12 min of yoga. All on the Wii Fit! WOW ... I was really pouring with sweat. I'm really into the boxing & stepping. Maybe cause it's my favorites to do when I break out my workout videos. Who knows. All I know is right now I'm having fun working out again ... when I stopped working out before it was because it felt like a chore.

Need to work on my water. I've only had one glass & it's a little after 3. NOT GOOD!

Well, that's all for me today. Have an appointment with Brinks. We've had a few burglaries in the area so we're gonna break down & have a system put in.

Weight Watchers or BUST

2008-12-29T14:39:00.000-08:00

Thanks Dutch for reminding me about Weight Watchers. I was with them at the beginning of last year & did end up losing a little weight but I hit a plateau and gave up. After checking the mail & seeing a WW flier I realized someone was trying to tell me something. First Dutch ... then the flier ... on top of this was me wanting something, some way to lose weight but do it healthfully. I'm just to old to try another fad diet that sheds the pounds quickly but packs it on even quicker. I want life time results & I know weight watchers won't let me down as long as I don't give up on the plan.

Food choices today were just crap but I'll end the night with renewed commitment to get healthy. I'll also end my night with a little time on the Wii Fit. Hey ... a girls gotta get in her activity so I'm gonna make it a fun one. My weigh in's are set up for every Friday morning so I'll have to come back & let ya'll know how well I did. I get 26 points a day plus 35 flex points a week. I'm gonna do my best not to use the flex points or activity points that often. Take out will be for special occasions only ... I could stand to save a little money anyway. Not only that, I'll be helping my sons waist line as well. Now if that isn't added motivation to prepare meals at home then I don't know what is. =)

Monday morning Blues

2008-12-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

I was thinking I would jump back on the ban wagon this morning but now that it's here the thought of monitoring everything that goes into my mouth seems like a major chore. One that I'm not sure I want to under take yet again. I haven't had breakfast yet so I haven't started the day off poorly ... I can still get my head into the game, right?

Why does saying your on a diet make you feel so crappy? Maybe I just won't use that word this time. I'm not on a diet ... I'm on a journey to be a healthier me. I'm not going to say I won't eat cake & ice cream cause I'm only human ... I love sweets! I can say I will eat them in moderation ... and refuse to over indulge in all the diet no-no foods. I can fill up on delicious fruits & veggies and save the deserts for special occasions. Sounds like a plan huh?!

I didn't weigh in this morning ... I just didn't think I could handle the number that the scale might show me. I know that I was 204 about a week ago ... that's what the Wii Fit told me anyway. I'd call it a damn liar but then I'd just have that thumb pointing back at me saying I was the only liar in the room.

I think what I'm gonna do is really watch my portions this week & then next week I'm gonna go a little further with it. I'm gonna break out my fat loss code book. It seemed to really help me with my food choices last time. I don't know why I didn't just stick with it. All of the family was feeling better. The foods are amazing ... the portions are plentiful ... my skin was looking radiant. Now if that's not enough to make me get back on track then I don't know what is.

Hope you have a great week ... I know I'm gonna be putting my best foot forward as of now. I may not reach my goal before the new year gets here but I sure can have a great start to the end of the year goals that I want for 2009.

MIA

2008-12-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

WOW ... it's been a few days since I have made a post. It's not because I have fallen off the ban wagon and into a big home made apple pie. Lots of things have been going on around here. With the hussel & bussel of Christmas came a couple of family deaths. My granny has been sick for a little over a month so when my dad got the call last week to come say his final goodbyes we all knew it wouldn't be much longer ... Christmas Eve she passed away. Well, while family was saying their good-bys my granny's sister let everyone know that he son took his own life on Monday night. No one knows why ... I don't know if I ever knew him.

I'm not sad that my granny is gone ... I wasn't very close to her but I am sad for my dad and brother who were very close to her. I called them everyday this week to check in on them. My brother took it much harder then I expected & my dad took it far better then I thought. Both are doing well now ...

I've got a bug or something ... I just don't feel like eating much of anything, when I do eat I just wish I could throw it back up. Of course I don't cause my body is a funny thing ... it would rather burp & fart it out then puke it out. I can only remember one time that I have ever thrown up ... I wasn't even drunk. =}

Anyway ... Christmas morning went very well. I got new PSP software ... I'm still trying to figure it out but so far I think I like it better ... I also got a new digital zoom camera. I sooo needed a new camera. My old one just doesn't take nice photos. I have long since missed my zoom camera that got broke while hubby was in Egypt. Oh, I also got loads of make-up ... hubby did good. The kids seemed to get everything important to them & hubby as well. He got all of his gifts early cause he's a very ompatient man. he he he I got him 2 hand guns & a shotgun. He's into guns ... what can I say.

I talked to my mom ... she called me. Anyway, as always I just felt depressed/annoyed with the way the conversation went. She was going on and on and on about all the things she bought f or my neice (the neice that she stole from my brother). I'm sitting there thinking what 10 year old child needs a 42 inch plasma tv? Heck I don't even have a plasma tv, their too expensive. I don't think it's really the fact of what my neice got for Christmas but the fact that she didn't get my kids ... her grandkids a single thing ... not even a card or letter to let them know she was thinking about them. Shoot ... she didn't even ask to talk with them, I had to ask her if she wanted to say hello. She did of course but I was just so annoyed at all the things she does for her "(grand) daughter" but how my children are disreguarded. Oh well ... I don't expect anything less out of the woman.

So, my nerves have been shot but I'm still alive & kicking. I haven't been on the Wii Fit but I will be going back to it. Someone asked if it was hard ... it's not hard at all. Everything start with a short amount of time ... the skiing is only a minute long as well as hula hoop, and soccer ... I think the first jogging & step is only a minute or two. As you get stronger you have the option to go longer. The longest thing I found was the advanced step at 10 minutes. It's really boring but I have a plan for next time ... play my own music instead of keeping step to a voice that says 1-2-3-4 ... can you say boring?

So I'm off for the night ... didn't realize it was after 9pm. I'm pooped out. Have a great weekend.

Like a hair in a biscuit

2008-12-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still hanging in there ...

I bought hubby a Wii Fit for his birthdat on the 16th. He has been complaining of gaining weight & wanting to take it off but knowing he can't be all hooah because he's just to darned old for all that hard core stuff. Anyway, I have been trying to get him to do yoga with me but he's only interested in it if I will agree to do it in the buff. HELLO ... fat chick here ... he's lucky i9f he sees me in the buff when I step out of the shower. =P

So anyway ... he hasn't really gotten on the Wii ... but I sure have. I love the thing! I did 30 minutes of step & I'm telling ya I thought it was only about 10 minutes worth. Of course I was sweating like a PIG but it was so much fun. I did a little yoga, a little strength training and a little bit of balance stuff too ... this little machine is worth every penny. Hey ... even the kids are fitting over who's gonna go exercise now. What could be better then that?

So, with this new little machine comes a new attitude & desire to get this weight off. Now I have no illusions of reaching my end of the year goal weight but I'm determined to at least make it to 199 ... as of this morning I was 204. I can lose 2.5 pounds a week. The most important thing is I'm back to getting some formal type of cardio in. My nightly walks have fallen to the way side now that hubby is working the 3rd shift. It's his last night though ... Monday he starts his new job. I'm thinking the hours are 7-3 or 8-4. He won't find out until he shows up Monday. Since it's his first day & it's Christmas exodus around here we may not know what his regular schedule will look like unitl the new year.

Ok, so enough of my babbling ... I've made up a list (with the help of www.sparkpeople.com) of motivators ...

My Major Motivation Points below.

Personal Appearance: I want to:

•Look younger
•Wear a swim suit on the beach
•Stop avoiding mirrors
•Keep my thighs from rubbing
•Look better naked!
•Have my clothes fit better
Health & Fitness: I want to:
•Live longer
•Have more energy
•Climb stairs without being winded
•Feel and be stronger
•Bring down my cholesterol
Friends, Family and Social Life: I want to:
•Play and be active with my kids
•Do more active things with my spouse/siginicant other
•Knock ‘em dead at my reunion!
Everyday Signs and Situations: I want to:
•Be more confident in myself, with better self esteem
•Overcome shyness
•Fly, ride a roller coaster or go to a movie without feeling squashed or using a seatbelt extender
•Walk into a room without feeling like people are staring
•Relax around other people and be myself
•Have people ask if I have lost weight
•Prove to myself that I can do it.

Merry Christmas from Me!!!

2008-12-10T07:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.dancingsantacard.com/?santa=61759

That's my Story

2008-12-05T09:37:00.001-08:00

We all get heavier as we get older because there's a lot more information in our heads. So I'm not fat, I'm just really intelligent and my head couldn't hold any more so it started filling up the rest of me!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it !!!! Hope you are sticking to yours!

Where's the brownies?

2008-12-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

The kids are making brownies for their home economics project today. Darned things smell so darned good that I already know I won't be able to resists the things. Their chocolate chip something ... all I know is it's tons of chocolate & right now I have chocolate ont he brain.

Last night I ended up going for a neighborhood walk with daughter & hubby. It was really cold so hubby said we could turn around & go back home ... I said nope ... we're already out here so lets make the most of it. So we finished the big circle & we all felt better to get in our exercise.

Today ... I haven't eaten much of anything. A bowl of corn flakes for breakfast ... no lunch yet, although I am getting ready to have a late one. Maybe that will help with not eating much of the chocolate ... dinner, well I'm thinking it will be something quick & easy ... eggs, bacon, cheese on toast. It was hubby's idea so I can't take credit for it. He's working a double so he will just want something quick then he'll be out for the night.

As for exercise ... I'm planning on doing a walk video ... something from exercise on demand. I hope there are some good things to choose from today. I'm tired of all my videos & need something fun to keep my mind occupied. If I start thinking it's a workout ... I may just stop but if it's fun I know I'll finish it.

That's all for me. Hope everyone is staying on plan ... or at least doing their best.

Fluckin DIE - t Already!

2008-12-02T12:23:00.001-08:00

Are you hear expecting to see how the diet is going? he he he That's a funny one cause I have been all jacked up since Thanksgiving morning. I just don't know what to do with myself. It's like all my will power is gone ... actually I think I ate my will power over the weekend. I've even slacked off on my exercise again too ... I don't know what's up with that. I was starting to get back into the swing of things right before Thanksgiving but with hubby home everything went hay wire. He made a wonderful Thanksgiving breakfast ... then lunch ... then dinner. Friday we were out the door by 4 but not before we grabbed a couple of donuts. We stopped for breakfast ... made it home for lunch. Just left overs so not horrible. We were to tired to make dinner so we stopped in at Sonic while we were out shopping for bedroom furniture for son. We found a great buy! Anyway Saturday we went out to eat for lunch & dinner ... we were out shopping ... Sunday was a good start with a healthy breakfast but when we dropped off the kids at Sunday school we went for a coffee ... I didn't want the house special so I had a hot chocolate. They didn't have the fat free milk so it was either full fat or nothing at all. We went out for lunch & dinner again. My gosh ... we were in take out hell. We could have saved a bundle if we would have just stayed at home.

Yesterday we didn't go anywhere ... hubby had to work a double shift. I started my morning with a bowl of cereal ... then lunch was left over pizza ... dinner another bowl of cereal. I guess I wanted cereal! Nothing bad! My mouth hurt to bad ... I had to see the dentist around lunch time. I did manage to squeeze in a 1 mile walk video.

Today ... I had an egg cheese sandwich ... home made, nothing frozen. Lunch was 2 cereal bars, snack was a cereal bar & for dinner I'm making a chicken dish. I'm hoping to muster up the energy to get in a little workout. All I have been doing today is making tags ... that doesn't do anything but increase the size of my back end. I swear right now I don't want to back up cause I fear I'll hear ... beep ... beep ... beep. The scale? Ha ... I haven't shown my face since last Monday ... don't know if I will show my face again until the new year.

Thanksgiving Memories

2008-12-01T17:05:00.001-08:00

Checkin' In!

2008-11-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I can't seem to remember to do my check in's. Maybe it's because I've gotten so used to staying away from the scale. As crazy as it may sound ... staying away has been a HUGE save to my sanity. I'm so much happier not that I don't do daily weigh in's. Well, with the Christmas challenge ThinChicks is having I know I need to weigh in at least once a week so here it goes ...

last week 201.6 ... this week 200.8! Almost 1 pound ... I'm happy with this loss. I upped my cardio a couple times a week & still ate about the same. This week however I'm on slim fast. I'm not crazy about drinking shakes all day long but I figure with Thursday being Thanksgiving ... I need all the help I can get. =D

So ... I did a 25 minute walk this morning with honey ... probably do it again tonight when he gets home.

B= slim fast shake, banana, 4 cups coffee

L= slim fast shake, banana

S= 2 cereal bars (100 cal. a piece)

D= 1 cup dirty rice w/hamburger

Christmas Card Exchange

2008-11-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Every year I do a Christmas Card Exchange with all my online friends & I didn't want to stop the tradition just because AOL journals went under. A few of you have already sent me your e-mail but just in case the first entry was over looked I wanted to do a new entry on it.

The Christmas Card Exchange is really easy & a lot of fun. You e-mail me privately with your home mailing address ... I send you mine in return & we exchange Christmas cards this year.

I DO NOT share your addresses with anyone else and as soon as I use them I shred the list.

PLEASE ... do not leave your address in the comments section cause that's just to dangerous. If your interested in exchanging cards please send me an e-mail with your addy.

E-mail me!

Prayers Needed

2008-11-19T06:10:00.000-08:00

My grand mother has Cancer in her Neck, Breast, Hip Bones, Adrenal Glands, Spline & on her Lung.

(10-Tumors)

She just took her first Radiation treatment yesterday, which made her very sick. Dr. told us that without Kemo & Radiation she would have 3- months to live. With Kemo & Radiation she has 6-Months to a Year, God makes miracles, myself and the family are looking for one.

Keep her in you're prayers. Her name is Pauline.

Stay Hydrated When Exercising

2008-11-19T04:40:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Sweating 101.

Question #1: During one hour of vigorous exercise, how much does the average person sweat?

Answer: One quart! As you can see, exercise saps a lot of water from our bodies. Start paying attention to your fluid intake 2-3 hours before you are going to exercise. Drink 2-3 cups of water during that time, and then drink another cup immediately before you start exercising. Without this extra water, your muscles will become dehydrated. Muscle movement depends on how hydrated you are, so if they are dry, they will not work as well. As a result, your workout will not be as productive as you would like. Once you start exercising, keep drinking water frequently. A good rule of thumb is to drink one cup every 15-20 minutes. Keep a water bottle with you. Take breaks to head to the water cooler. Do what it takes you keep yourself hydrated. Even when you are done exercising, you need to keep replenishing your fluid levels. It's recommended you drink another 2-3 cups within two hours after you have finished. Then drink water regularly afterwards. Do your body a favor and replenish that quart of fluids your body is losing while you work out. Your muscles will thank you later.

Exercise Extra: Staying properly hydrated helps make your workouts more productive.

Mini Pumpkin Bites

2008-11-19T04:33:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup fat free whipped dessert
2 servings fat free vanilla pudding
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Dash ground cloves
Dash ground ginger
65 reduced fat vanilla wafers
Confectioners sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

Mix pudding, pumpkin and spices. Fold in whipped topping. Put mixture in a sandwich bag, and clip the corner. Put cookies on a cookie tray, and squeeze pumpkin mix onto them. Chill in refrigerator.Sprinkle with confectioners sugar before serving if so desired.

Enjoy!

Number of Servings: 65

Fun Family Fitness Tip

2008-11-19T04:28:00.000-08:00

Have you thought about how great it would be to include your family in your pursuit to exercise more regularly? Family exercise will improve the health of your loved ones, make exercise more fun, and at the same time develop stronger connections between all of you. With a little creativity, you can find a way to make it work for everyone.

FITNESS TIP

You may simply focus on educating each family member about the benefits of exercise--in a smart way. Bombarding everyone with statistics about heart disease, obesity, and blood pressure each morning as they come down to breakfast might not be the best option. Instead, hang up a "healthy living bulletin board" in your kitchen (or on the fridge door). Use it to post articles and other resources that will help get your point across without having to say much of anything. For example, if one child is an athlete, an article about a successful athlete who commits to exercise and good nutrition could go a long way. Or, post a story about a young person who had trouble focusing at school but started exercising and saw an amazing difference in their grades and ability to achieve goals. Most of all--make it fun for everyone! In the process, you'll teach your children about discipline, goal setting, and the importance of not only health, but also family connection.

My family used to always go on walks together but when I got out of the habit of taking a daily walk ... so did they. Last week my daughter & I started going again & then yesterday my son said if he could ride his bike he would like to go ... so we all went together just like old times. It was a great way to be together & all get healthy too.

Healthy Pumpkin Bread

2008-11-18T05:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Original Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 cup Ocean Spray Craisins Original Sweetened Dried Cranberries (or regular raisins), chopped
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine both types of flour, Splenda, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin pie spice (in other words, all dry ingredients except for the Craisins or raisins). In a medium bowl, mix together pumpkin, egg substitute, and vanilla extract (all the wet ingredients). Add this mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and stir until just blended. Slowly sprinkle chopped Craisins or raisins into the batter, making sure they don't all stick together, and mix to distribute them. Spoon batter into a large loaf pan (about 9" X 5") sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the top of the loaf is firm to the touch. (Bread may be moist inside. This doesn't mean it's undercooked.) Allow to cool, and then cut into 8 slices.

Enjoy! MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 (thick!) slice
Calories: 143
Fat: 0.5g
Sodium: 281mg
Carbs: 31g
Fiber: 4.5g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 5g
POINTS® value 2*

Hungry Girl Alternative! To make this bread into muffins, evenly distribute the batter among 8 cups of a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Cook for 35 minutes at 350 degrees, let cool, and enjoy!

Slim Down Fast Food

2008-11-18T05:12:00.000-08:00

We all know fast food isn't good for us, but sometimes it seems like there's no other option. Follow these rules, and you can drive through with a clear conscience!

11 Ways to Beef Up (the Nutrition in) Your Fast Food Meal

Look up nutrition info online before you go so you can plan your meal.
Say no to combo meals, even if you'll save a bit of money. They're inevitably larger and full of empty calories.

Say no when asked "Do you want fries with that?"

Get a baked potato, a fruit cup or some vegetables instead (check the kids menu). If you can't resist, get a small order and split them with a friend. Eat them one at a time to savor them.

Eat side dishes, like chili, soup, or baked potatoes, as a main course, or split appetizers among several people.

Order from the kids menu. The portions are smaller and there are usually healthy side dishes (fruit cups and carrot sticks) and drinks (milk or real fruit juice).

Drink water. Regular sodas can have as many as 400 calories!

Ask to order sauce on the side and nix the cheese. (It's just processed American cheese anyway, so you're not missing much in terms of flavor.)

Choose ketchup, mustard and salsa over mayo or creamy dressings.
Take off the top slice of bread or bun to save calories (at least 75)!

Nix anything "crispy," breaded or fried. Opt for grilled or roasted meats instead.
Avoid trendy or specialty menu items. They're likely to have high-calorie extras like bacon, cheese or creamy sauces. Stick to original or traditional hamburgers and other sandwiches.

1st Day of Change

2008-11-17T04:53:00.000-08:00

201.6

I figured I would be back in the 200's and I have no one to blame but myself for slacking off but I do have the power to change that number & that's exactly what I'm going to be doing starting this morning.

My goal for this week is to pick healthier choices ... lots more veggies, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, continue to walk with hubby through the neighborhood but also do my own workout that last 30+ minutes. My hope is come Friday morning I will be 200 or less.

Today's Food Plan:

Breakfast

1/4 c egg beaters

1 oz cheese

3 c coffee

1 english muffin

2.5 cups of water

Lunch

morning star burger

1 hamburger bun

no condiments!

2.5 cups of water

Dinner

chicken alfredo

2.5 cups water

Snack

Protein Shake

WTH Happened?

2008-11-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

Ok ... so I'm not a beached whale (yet) but wow have I put on the fat somewhere. I'll weigh in first thing tomorrow morning so I know exactly where I'm at but I'm sure I will be looking at the 200's ... AGAIN!!!!

I'm going to be posting what I eat and the activity I get in ... I have to keep myself accountable & unless I'm posting here it seems that I just go on about my merry way not concerning myself with my weight. I tell myself that as long as I can still fit in my clothes then I must be at least maintaining. Then again, I don't want to maintain this weight ... I want to be at my goal weight. Somehow around August I just took the I don't give a crap attitude. I was sick to death of watching every bite & step day in & day out. I tend to obsess over such things. It's not good ... but then again maybe keeping a closer eye on my progress would have kept me from looking the way I do today.

So ... per Rena's suggestion of wearing an outfit that we love now & then taking a pic when we lose 5-10 pounds here is mine. The suit fit me great, but the under shirt was a little snug. I didn't take the jacket off all morning for fear I would pop a button or that I would look down & see those undesirable gaps.

Currently I'm wearing a size 16 jean, XL shirts, 38DD bra (really too snug). I'm only walking about 1.5 miles a day 4-5 times a week and I'm not watching what I eat at all.

Food today: HUGE home made biscuit, with chicken gravy, tall glass of milk, & 4 cups of coffee for breakfast. Lunch ... we went to Chinese after church. I had lo mien noodles, sweet & sour chicken with the sauce, sugar biscuit, 2 glasses of tea. Snack was peanut brittle with a glass of milk. Dinner ... 2 burritos ... the frozen kind ... very unhealthy with a dollop of fat free sour cream. You'll notice no water. I haven't had more then 4 glasses a day in months. What's wrong with me?

Goal ... I want to be 2-5 pounds lighter by Thanksgiving. I want to be 10-15 pounds lighter by Christmas morning ... 15 pounds lighter by New Years day.

The Miracle of Toilet Paper

2008-11-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

Fresh from my shower, I stand in front of the mirror complaining to myhusband that my breasts are too small.

Instead of characteristically telling me it's not so, he uncharacteristically comes up with a suggestion. 'If you want your breasts to grow, then every day take a piece of toilet paper and rub it between themfor a few seconds.

'Willing to try anything, I fetch a piece of toilet paper and stand in front of the mirror, rubbing it between my breasts. 'How long will this take?' I asked. 'They will grow larger over a period of years,' my husband replies. I stopped.

'Do you really think rubbing a piece of toilet paper between my breasts every day will make my breasts larger over the years?

'Without missing a beat he says, 'Worked for your butt, didn't it?

'He's still alive, and with a great deal of therapy, he may even walk again although he will probably continue to take his meals through a straw.

Stupid, stupid man.

I'm like Doris Day!

2008-11-10T12:05:00.001-08:00

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Doris!

You are a Doris -- "I must help others."

Dorises are warm, concerned, nurturing, and sensitive to other people's needs.

How to Get Along with Me

* Tell me that you appreciate me. Be specific.

* Share fun times with me.

* Take an interest in my problems, though I will probably try to focus on yours.

* Let me know that I am important and special to you.

* Be gentle if you decide to criticize me.

In Intimate Relationships

* Reassure me that I am interesting to you.

* Reassure me often that you love me.

* Tell me I'm attractive and that you're glad to be seen with me.

What I Like About Being a Doris

* being able to relate easily to people and to make friends

* knowing what people need and being able to make their lives better

* being generous, caring, and warm

* being sensitive to and perceptive about others' feelings

* being enthusiastic and fun-loving, and having a good sense of humor

What's Hard About Being a Doris

* not being able to say no

* having low self-esteem

* feeling drained from overdoing for others

* not doing things I really like to do for myself for fear of being selfish

* criticizing myself for not feeling as loving as I think I should

* being upset that others don't tune in to me as much as I tume in to them

* working so hard to be tactful and considerate that I suppress my real feelings

Dorises as Children Often

* are very sensitive to disapproval and criticism

* try hard to please their parents by being helpful and understanding

* are outwardly compliant

* are popular or try to be popular with other children

* act coy, precocious, or dramatic in order to get attention

* are clowns and jokers (the more extroverted Dorises), or quiet and shy (the more introverted Dorises)

Dorises as Parents

* are good listeners, love their children unconditionally, and are warm and encouraging (or suffer guilt if they aren't)

* are often playful with their children

* wonder: "Am I doing it right?" "Am I giving enough?" "Have I caused irreparable damage?"

* can become fiercely protective

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy