I Can Do It!

I'm still on the diet. Well, I ended up traveling most of November, and I was not as good. Then I lost the weight I had gained during that time. Then there was Christmas. Now I am working on losing that again, but I am still down 30 lbs. Let me tell ya... don't go off of the diet if you can! It's a lot harder going back on it!

The other thing - Remove everything bad from your reach. The temptation is hard when you are trying to diet again. I think once I get back on the diet and see the results, it is so much easier for me to resist the temptation. I just need to get back into things.

Starting with working out. Ya know what? I am going to pull out a Leslie Sansone tape right now!

Yay!

Imagine holding 2 1/2 gallons of milk...

THAT IS HOW MUCH I HAVE LOST!

Yep, I lost 30 lbs. I cannot believe it. Wanna know what else I cannot believe? I did 4 miles of exercise yesterday... including jogging. Aliens must have done something to me.

The one thing I need to work on is changing up my food a bit more. Get more variety in there, more low point variety. Lots of flavor. I think I need to work more with the spices that I have as well.

Anyway, I am all excited. I gave my "fat" clothes away last night. I will never wear them again. Things that I bought before that never fit me are fitting me now - EVEN IN THE CHEST! Yes, the one place I never lost inches (and really have not lost that much) has become a bit smaller. I know some women want larger boobs, but honestly, they are the biggest pain in the butt. Ever try to buy DD bras for a decent price? Yea... not fun.

I did a 3 mile Walk & Abs workout yesterday. I still cannot believe that I am doing any exercising at all...

Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Pounds for Abs (Get Up and Get Started / High Calorie Burn)

I did both of these programs WITH the resitance belt. And you know what? It felt good!

I have been watching Celebrity Fit Club this season, too, and it has really inspired me. I am still finishing up the season finale (I had to record it), and it is neat to see the before and after pics of these people. I cannot wait to see my final loss picture...

One more thing that I think has helped me is the variation of food I have been trying. I want to mix things up a bit... have something other than cereal for breakfast. Now I have been having whole grain toast with apple butter. Sometimes I make eggs. I think I will prepare a batch of crepes later in the week. I have been preparing a ton of different dinners from the freezer cookbook that I have:

Dont PanicDinners in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead

I really, really love these meals. There are a lot of times that I really have to watch the timing of how long things cook... the book seems to be wrong on that quite a bit. Even so, most of the meals have been real tasty. I love having low point breakfasts and lunches, drinking a lot of water/iced tea during the day, and having really nice dinners.

I need to have more goals every week for exercise. So for this week, Monday through Sunday, I am going to work at having 10 miles of walking/exercising in. I am starting low this week to see if I can do it, then increase it as I go along. I did 10 miles last week but don't think I put in my best effort. Let's see what I can do this week...

One more thing before I go. I don't have a great photo of me right now, but here is something to show the difference in what I looked like before... and now after:

I still cannot believe I am working out. I now own my 4th Leslie Sansone DVD. The newest has to be my favorite:

Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds - Walk and Kick

I did it! I hit 25 lbs! Do you know what weighs 25 lbs?!

• 3 gallons of milk
• 5 sacks of potatoes
• 100 sticks on butter
• My nephew

I cannot even explain how happy I am right now!

I was wondering to myself this morning what has helped me lose more in the past few weeks. I felt like I was getting to a point where things were going slowly, then things have picked up again in the loss department. I noticed that I have definitely been drinking more water (I actually use the generic version of Crysal Light and drink WAY much more of that and MUCH less Diet Pepsi) and putting more exercise into my routine. I have not been putting in as much exercise as I would like, but honestly, anything is a heck of a lot more than what I was doing before.

Even though I feel like crap, I think I am going to have this permanent smile on my face all day!

224 to 199

I have a cold, and all I want to do is EAT! I have been trying to wait and drink water and iced tea, seeing if that will help. Nope! And I don't want healthy things... I want chocolate, cake, more chocolate, cheese nips, and apple pie. I have bought some chocolate, but I made sure to add it to my points balance. I just wish that I did not have to count anything "bad" during the times you are sick!

I lost more weight - Down 23.5 lbs now. Woo Hoo! I moved on to the next level in my 8 Minutes book (on the sidebar), and boy... do I feel them! I guess that is good. I have also tried the videos that I mentioned before (by Leslie Sansone), and they are sooo easy. Love them!

I need to go through the cookbooks today and find more recipes and calculate point values. I need more changes in what I am eating, especially side dishes. I found a recipe for Zucchini Fries and a Cauliflower mash that I need to try. It's hard when you don't like most vegetables. I do eat a lot of salads with spinach, mushrooms, and cucumbers, but I need something else. I think the variety will really help in keeping me going.

I hate to get up and move, which is probably a big reason that my ass is a hell of a lot larger than I would like it to be. However, this weight loss has motivated me. First, I started a walking program that I found on Family Circle's web site. It is really so easy to do, you just have to do it.

This got me more motivated, and I went and bought a pedometer from Weight Watchers. It's great - it keeps track of your points (all day and/or activity) and your distance, all based on your weight and stride. There is even a stop watch on there.

So I started my walking, bringing my ipod along. I really started getting into it. Even now I hate getting up to start the walk, but once I am going, I love it. I had to stop bringing my dog with me since there are so many trees in the area, and she must stop at all of them. By going alone, I actually pick up the pace a lot more.

Then I went to the book store and bought 2 books:

8 Minutes in the Morning to a Flat Belly: Lose Up to 6 Inches in Less than 4 Weeks--Guaranteed!

This book has been wonderful but only for the exercise. I am really not into his way of eating. It only takes 8 minutes every morning to do 2 repetitions of 4 different exercises. Every other day is an ab workout, and the other days are for upper arms and lower body.

The second book is Ok:

Leslie Sansone's Eat Smart, Walk Strong: The Secrets to Effortless Weight Loss

Hopefully, I will be able to get to running when I am in better shape, and who knows, I might even join the gym later this winter. However, I am sure as heck going to need one hell of a sports bra. I seem to be losing inches everywhere BUT my chest!

Off to do my 8-minute workout for the day!

Obviously, my food choices are making this diet work for me. Here is what I do most days:

• Breakfast - Cereal and 1/2 cup of milk (Usually 3 points)
• Lunch - Lean Cuisine (I love the pizzas, and most everything is 6 points)
• Dinner - Mostly the rest of my points. I don't usually snack during the day (I try to drink a lot of Crystal Light). Lately, I have been very much into this book, which my sister told me about:
  
  
  

  Dont PanicDinners in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead
  There are a lot of low-point recipes in there or atleast you can work on making them that way. I am all about taking one day, making a bunch of meals, dividing them into portions that work for a single person like me, and freezing them to take out when I am ready. Not to mention, these meals are GREAT! Today I am going to make Beef Stroganoff, Honey Dijon Pork Loin, some Lemon Chicken thing, and Beef Taco Pitas.
• Snacks - I love the 100 calorie packs. I know you could probably do them on your own by buying a large box, but then... I would eat the large box! Another thing that is great is Pringles. 15 of them are 1 point. Just don't have too many because your digestive system may not be able to handle it!
  

A few things that I have found to be great on points:

• Ham Steak - I have found some that are 3 points each!
• Couscous - Goes with everything, and 1 cup is 3 points
• Crystal Light - No points, and I have been drinking this to get my water intake
• Pringles - As mentioned before
• Pasta - 2 cups are only 7 points, and then I get my carb fix in!
• Laughing Cow cheese - I love the spreadable cheese for sandwiches. You get the cheese AND mayo in at once for only 1 point
• Weight Watchers bread - 2 slices for 1 point
• Spray Butter - basically no points
• Kraft Light Done Right salad dressing - I must have flavor on my salad, and fat free dressings are gross. This stuff tastes like normal dressing.

Today I hit a major goal in my weight loss... I lost 10% of my body weight. I got to thinking of how incredibly proud I am of myself and how far I have come. Then I thought that I should start an online journal to keep track of everything - Something to keep me going, keep me focused, and keep me positive.

I am not sure who I am going to tell about this site. I really love it when people tell me that I look great, that what I have done is fabulous. It honestly helps more than anyone would think. At the same time, it is embarrassing to tell people that you weigh over 200 lbs. and that you started at 224. It's not that people couldn't notice or anything, just speaking those numbers is a hard thing to do. Actually, I have not uttered them to anyone but myself (and the dog, but does she count?!)

My friend Ferd finally got me thinking. I went to visit him in Dallas and saw what an incredible transformation he had when doing the WW program. I actually got him started - He kept going, I didn't. Then he took this photo:

Me & Ferd

I just wanted to die. I had 50 chins, and my arms were the size of... tree trunks! I had been unhappy with my weight for quite a few years, but this was ridiculous. When I was younger, I was sooooo thin. I looked good. I could fit into clothes. I had guys hitting on me constantly. Now? I have to go and pray that Lane Bryant has nice clothes or that I can get some Plus Size jeans that are short enough at Wal Mart, and guys?! Please.

So I started WW again in June, this time doing it all online. I have been to the meetings. When the weather stopped being so hot, I started to walk. Now I walk all over the place if I can, even bought a pedometer. I started doing 8 minute workouts every day, mostly for my abs but for other parts of my body, too. I write down everything I eat. My shirts are baggy, and I have had to buy smaller jeans. I have started buying new makeup to make myself look better, I get my hair dyed every 6 weeks, and I have so much more energy.

I just have to keep going. Keep motivated. Some weeks I don't lose much, but I will have to say this - I have lost EVERY SINGLE week! I finally got smart and took my measurements so I can compare them, too.

This place is going to be for me to keep track of the good things I am doing and remind myself of the bad habits that I need to get rid of (like eating at night when I am bored... even if they are healthy or low in points!) Welcome for the ride!

Here is what I looked like when I started in June... and me now:

Before & Now