Exciting Weekend!

We got a puppy on Saturday!! We were told he is a St. Bernard, Huskie, Australian Shepherd mix, but he looks like a lab. LOL. He is so cute, but he will be big! We name him Bear. It took Arielle a day, but she has warmed up to him. She wanted him to lay down with her at bedtime. He did for a couple minutes, it was adorable!


Here are the best buds : )

I did ok this weekend, but I know I did not drink enough water. That will be my goal for next weekend, to drink more water. I find it so much easier to drink water at work for some reason. I made good choices on food, with the exception of Friday night’s 3 pieces of pizza… ooops. I also did not work out this weekend, but will start back up again tonight. Hopefully my weigh-in tomorrow will go well…

Weighing in...

First, I’d like to thank my sister Amber for this great suggestion. After reading my post below, she suggested that I weigh in only once a week as your weight fluctuates each day and you will see the bigger payoff if you only weigh once per week. I think she has something there.



Seeing the bigger number each week will help to motivate me and make me look forward to weighing in, rather than having it as routine every morning after my shower and maybe be disappointed and run the risk of ruining my choices for the day.


She suggested weighing in on Tuesdays, “because Mondays are bad enough already and if I don’t see what I want I don’t want to add that to Mondays”. She is exactly right.


So, I will be switching up my routine to only weigh in once per week on Tuesdays.


Amber, thank you again for the suggestion, support and loads of encouragement! I love you.

Frustration- Trying to Stay Positive

So, drinking a soda yesterday was a mistake! I GAINED .6 lbs back! What the heck? I even worked out last night. I think that since I let my guard down, for lack of better words, I did not make the right choices in foods yesterday causing me to gain weight.

So, NO MORE SODAS! That’s it! I do not need them if they are going to hinder my weight loss efforts.

I am really trying to stay positive today and focus on my eating today, but it’s really hard after seeing the scale go up!

I need to tell myself to focus on the future instead of dwelling on the past.

I hope everyone has a Fantastic Friday and a Wonderful Weekend! Let’s keep focused and have good updates on Monday! : )

9 days is not so bad...

Yup, after 9 days, I broke down and got a Dr Pepper this morning. Our coffee at work has been really gross lately and I just could NOT drink it this morning so I gave in. That’s ok, I figure I haven’t had one in 9 days and since I am drinking it first thing in the morning, I will have all day to burn the extra calories…



I finished my 30 day shred workout last night- I made it through the entire workout this time and felt great afterwards! Yes, I was tired but I was really happy with myself for accomplishing that. I just have to take it one day at a time. As long as I am seeing results, I know that will be easy. I am down another .6 lbs today- that much closer to my goal!


Oh, yesterday I bought a pizza lean cuisine hoping it was good, and it was GREAT! I couldn’t believe it; I had always heard horror stories about the frozen pizzas in the microwave, but I was pleasantly surprised! I also bought the Kroger brand Chewy Granola Bars- the peanut butter and chocolate chip kind. YUMM-O! It only has 100 calories as well! What a yummy snack. Finding good tasting meals and snacks makes it that much easier to stay on track.


Well, hi ho, hi ho, off to work I go! Have a wonderful day!

(Insert Clever Title Here)

I’m sleepy today so I couldn’t come up with a clever title, so that is what you got. Ha Ha.



Good thing is, the scale is still going down. I know one day it will stay the same, but I will not let that get me discouraged. This morning, I ate a chicken biscuit from McDonald’s and had a huge glass of water. Hopefully that didn’t set me off too badly.


I plan to go to Kroger today during lunch to stock up on some healthy snacks. I have been neglecting to snack and I know that is an important part of a healthy lifestyle so I don’t crave bad things when I am overly hungry. I know for sure that I am going to buy some avocados- I have been eating them at dinner a lot lately and they are SO good! I also plan on getting some bananas and fiber or protein bars. Any other healthy snack ideas that are easy to keep at work?

What an awesome feeling!

 So, I DID IT! I finally started working out!! I did my 30 day shred DVD from Jillian Michael's. I could only last 15 of the 20 minutes, but at least I did something! Hopefully tomorrow i can do the full 20 minutes.

I really thought that I would just go to my room and read after Arielle went to sleep like I always do, but I made myself get up and do the workout video- I was able to on Jimmy's xbox since i couldn't find the cords for the other bedroom.

I feel very proud of myself right now. It may not seem like that big of an accomplishment for most, but for me, just doing something is exciting!

My goal is to eventually be doing some form of exercise 30-45 minutes per day. 

Does anyone know if doing 15 minute intervals would be worth it, or should i do all 30-45 at one time? I have a feeling that I would be able to stick with doing smaller intervals a few times a day rather than the entire thing at once. I don't know. I'm rambling now. Guess it's time for me to wind down and go to sleep.

Still moving along...

Well, down another .6 lbs! It’s really easy to stick with this “diet” when I see results. I am just afraid that once I start plateau-ing that I will want to give up and reach for the junk food… ugh. I pray that I stay strong and stay on the right path to the healthy life.



I was going to start my 30 day shred video last night but could not find the right hookups for my dvd player, so I stretched really well instead. Hey, it’s better than nothing in my opinion.


I find it really weird that I have not craved soda or sweets and I used to eat/drink them EVERY DAY! It’s funny that once you cut it out, you really don’t want it. It feels great to say that I haven’t had a soda in over a week and no candy bars, etc as well.


Once again, I must praise eating off of a child size plate! It is working wonders in helping to control portion size. Granted, last night I went back for seconds of asparagus, but I figured it was ok since it was a healthy vegetable : ).


Things that I will NOT give up:


- Ranch dressing- I will eat all the salad in t he world, but I will NOT give up Ranch Dressing!


- Tea with sugar at dinner time


- Morning coffee- 1 cup


That’s all I have this morning. Have a wonderful Tuesday and stay strong if you are trying to build a healthier lifestyle like me!

 

Week 1 Complete- 3lbs GONE!

Not bad for 1 week!! I just have to keep this momentum and I know I can reach my goal in a healthy manner.


In my opinion, I had many challenges this past week and I passed most of them with flying colors and am so proud of myself! I did not have even ONE soda last week, which is a very big achievement for me. I also started using a smaller plate (Thank you Shayne) which really helped. I was not overstuffed, but content.


This weekend I felt full of energy and was able to play with my daughter more, which is definite motivation to keep going.


Oh yeah, and I tightened my bra one clasp this morning because it was too big on the last clasp! : ) My pants are also fitting looser, so I am beginning to tell in the way my clothing fits that this is working.


Thank you all so much for all of the encouragement that you continually give me! It helps more than you know to realize how many people are cheering for me.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday as mine is off to a great start (after the HOUR traffic I sat in this morning).

Weekend

Weekends are so hard for me as I'm not going at a busy pace, i get to lounge around and that makes me want to eat bad foods. Well, i have done really well in my opinion. Yesterday was my nephew's birthday party and i only had a little sliver of cake! 

Today i have done well; i have had a turkey sandwich on wheat bread and a half of a banana. I feel great and i feel like i have more energy too!

I finally got around to taking my before pictures! So, without further ado:

                                                                 

I think i will update these every 5-10lbs. This is such an eye opener to see these pictures and see just how big I really am. Ugh, how did I let myself go this much?

Well, tonight is steaks and I plan on eating on a much smaller plate than usual so I control my portion size. I really hope I can stick to it.

SWEET Success

SO incredibly proud of myself for this!! Every time there is a birthday in our office, someone brings a cake. Really hard for someone on a diet. Well, today happened to be one of those days… I RESISTED!!! Even with being offered it and encouraged to eat it… It was really hard, but I just kept thinking of my goal!



It feels really great to be able to say NO to something like pineapple upside down cake!!!


Woo Hoo to sweet victory!

UPDATE: it is a lady's birthday in our office next week, but she is on vacation, so they brought ANOTHER cake- Chocolate this time! Pure torture, let me tell you! BUT, i resisted yet again. I CAN do this!!!!!

~Dana

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Well, I am down another .4lbs which is great! I know it could have been more if I had made a little better choices yesterday, but I'll definitely take it.



Let’s start with what I did WELL yesterday:


- Drank 60 oz water


- Walked more around the office instead of taking shortcuts and walked at a quicker pace


- Stretched a few times throughout the day – it really woke me up and made me feel energized


- Ate a full sautéed zucchini- or 2, it was SO good (used smart balance butter and olive oil)


Things NOT so well:


- Ate too many French fries at dinner


- Ate breaded buffalo chunks in my salad at lunch


- Did not workout AT ALL


Ok, so it seems as though the weight I have lost thus far came off of my BOOBS!! I’m not kidding- in the shower this morning they are looking smaller… that is NOT where I want to be losing weight! Lol! Anyone else have this problem? My weight always comes off my butt and boobs first! Then, my face (which is GREAT) and the rest of my trouble spots. Why can’t it be backwards?????






I will post updated pictures this weekend. I need opinions please: How often do you want to see updated pictures? After 5 pounds lost, every week, every 2 weeks, etc. Any ideas?


Thanks for the input! Please pray that I do well this weekend- the weekends are always more difficult for me!

Have a fantastic Friday!

New You 2011 Blog Hop!

I have just joined a Weight Loss Blog Hop!! Hopefully I can find other ideas for effective weight loss!


 
Welcome to New You 2011! If you're new, no worries, just jump right in!! This is a link-up for weight loss support and encouragement! Just make a blog post or comment below with the following:




- Weight Goal:


- Last week's weight:


- This week's weight:


- And tell us about what you are doing to reach your goals/how your week has been/ any setbacks, etc?!










Also we've decided to do a question of the week!! This week is:






What's your food weakness?
 
 
Here's my stats:
Weight Goal: 170
Starting Weight: 222
Current Weight: 220.8
 
I shared what I am doing in my previous post. The only thing I am lacking right now is EXERCISE!!! I just cannot get myself motivated to do it, although I know it will help tremendously!
 
 
Ok, so on to my food weakness: Mexican food and Dr Pepper! I just can't seem to pass up chips and salsa and cheese enchiladas!!
 
 
We'd love it if you linked up below the blog post your write!! Also we'd love if you grabbed the new you button and helped spread the word! Have a great week!!

Good morning everyone and thank you for all of the support and advice you have given me already!

I’m having trouble deciding what sort of “diet” to go on. Previously, when I had lost 30lbs before my wedding 3 years ago, I limited my calories to 1200-1400 and was eating lots of vegetables and fruit and snacking as well. I also worked out on my elliptical for 20-30 minutes almost every day.  But then I have also heard great things about weight watcher, so I’m unsure.

Here are the basics of what I *think* I will be doing: (in no particular order)

Limit soda intake to 2 per week if absolutely necessary

Eat more vegetables and fruit

Drink AT LEAST 40 ounces of water per day

Only eat wheat grains (spaghetti, bread, etc)

Limit portion sizes- and NO seconds (big problem for me, especially with my mom’s cooking J )

I will be adding to this list periodically as I’m sure I will run in to things that I plan on doing!

Instead of calling this a “diet”, I prefer to call this my NEW way of life! Because, if I lose this weight and then go back to the old way of eating I will just gain it back like I did before and then all of my efforts were useless!

Current weight- 221 (lost 1 pound yesterday!)

Goal- 170

Current pant size- 20 (WOWZA that is depressing!)

Goal pant size- 12 to 14

So far today I have drank 20-24 ounces of water and I will a spaghetti lean cuisine and a baby spinach salad for lunch!

Does anyone have any recipes for quick, cheap, and healthy meals? I am horrible at cooking so make it easy : ) thank you in advance!

Also, would any of you like to share your exercise or daily routine?

Well, that’s it for me today. Have a fantastic day!

~Dana~

This is IT!!!

My New Year’s Resolution, like most people, is to lose weight and get healthy!

Well, I have tried everything to get motivated and stay motivated - to no avail. So, I thought I would try my hand at blogging through my journey of weight loss. I figured this would keep me in check and hold me accountable. Especially if I have some followers… I NEED to lose this weight, because the sad truth is that I am OBESE. I never thought I would say those words about myself seeing as I was under 120lbs until I stopped playing softball when I was 18. After that, I have steadily gained weight each year. Some years more than others, depending on my stress levels. Truth be told, I am a major STRESS eater and I am trying to find other ways of dealing with stress as well.

here is a picture of me at Halloween 2010

and here is the most recent picture of me Christmas Eve 2010

So begins my journey- starting weight 220lbs. Goal weight loss- 50 lbs. There, it's in writing!!! Ugh. Scary to think about that. Any advice or comments are greatly appreciated and needed!

Thank you for joining me in my journey of weight loss!