Well, here goes, this is entry numero uno...

Today is a bogus day for starting a weight loss journal. I thought I would be smart so I went to the store on my way to school and bought a package of rice cakes...no wait, they're corn cakes, and a box of pop tarts. I thought to myself that those are really healthy good for you snacks...now it's about 2:30 and I feel like crappie b/c I've consumed about 500 calories and a million grams of sugar, lol! But seriously, I've been good...I've only been drinking water today! My best friend told me yesterday that I could probably lose a lot of weight if I cut out drinking juice and tea...that a lot of my calories come from that, and I agree. But do I really want to only drink water? Realistically, I know I can't eliminate cranberry juice from my entire diet, it's just too tasty. It's not worth being skinny if I can't enjoy a refreshing beverage from time to time, but I do see some sense in cutting a lot of those juices out.

What are my goals? To look good in a bathing suit this summer, a two piece, to be able to sit up in a two piece and not worry about my stomach hanging out over it. I want to walk past a store w/clothes in the front and be able to picture those clothes on my body, not on some other really thin girl. I want to be able to throw on sweatpants and a t-shirt and look cute, not frumpy. And most of all, I want to be comfortable when I'm close with my boyfriend, and not feel self-conscious and want to "turn the lights out"...if you know what I mean. He doesn't do anything to make me feel bad, in fact, he tries to make me see how beautiful I am. And I believe him to an extent, I do...but even if he's happy with my body (and I totally believe he is) it only matters that I'm unhappy, b/c when the day is done and he goes home, I still have to look at myself in the mirror, or present myself to others and prove that I'm confident and not ashamed of what I am.

Right now, I weigh about 125-127lbs, and I hope by summer time to be down to at least 115-118...that's my goal. It's about 10lbs, more or less, and I'm not being too critical about numbers, it's just that I think that's what I want to look like. I've never been that light--It might not work if I keep doing weights like I am, and like I want to continue doing. Even so, being toned would look fabulous...and I'm so looking forward to it. Thanks for reading!!!

Me

Angelene,

Your goal of 10 pounds is very doable! Good Luck!

Juice was a hard thing for me to cut down on, too. I just don't like drinking water much. One easy way is to buy powder add-water drinks like Crystal Light, which are only a few calories a glass, or carbonated sugar-free flavored water. I also drink milk, which isn't low in calories but it is good for me.
Try just cutting down by one glass a day.. when you feel like drinking some juice, have water instead, just once, and work from there. :)

Thanks guys for the advice! Here's day number two!!

Well, I started out today with a good start, I had a bowl of apple cinnamon oatmeal, mmm! Then I took a shower and since it was a nice day and I was feeling ambitious, I straightened my hair instead of letting it curl. Wasn't such a good move b/c I forget about how badly I need to get my hair trimmed and the ends are so scraggly I just put it up anyway. :)

Well, for lunch I had a single sized portion of my very own homemade lowfat vegan eggplant parmesean, which was good. Then off to school, where I've consumed two poptarts and 7, count them, SEVEN caramel corn cakes. How am I going to cut this crap out of my daily diet? Well, I'm eating those things instead of bagels, which I used to eat two a day. Bagels, the ultimate fake out food...you think they're so healthy and then you realize that one everything bagel has like 800 calories. You guys really think that I can lose 10-15 lbs by June/July? I hope that I can...it's hard at school with limited choices of what to eat.

I checked out Crystal Light...I don't know about those artificial sweetners...I've heard they do a number on IBS (i'm a very severe sufferer) so I might just stick to the water. I'm getting a lot a day, I have a Brita Fill'n'Go bottle and I drink maybe 3 of those a day. And more when I work out...Hey I'm on day 14 now of my 21 Day Challenge. So far I feel great and I look great. My hips are slimming down and my belly isn't as pronounced!! Yay me!!! I owe it all to this board!!

Okay, I'll check in again soon! Thanks for replying, keep it up, b/c it keeps me motivated!!

Me

Angelene,

I have a friend that has IBS and I agree, stay away from those artificial sweetners. I think they really upset my friend as well. On top of that, they just are not good for you! Stick to splenda if you need a sweetner.

If you go to school, I'm assuming college (?), try taking something to snack on when you get the munchies. It will be hard in the beginning to not want what your friends are snacking on, and you may give in once or twice, but it will get easier as time passes.

Okay, guys, I don't know what to do.

My period is like, 3 days late....I'm cramping but nothings going on! I'm terrified even though I don't know if I should be, and this increase in stress is making me overeat. I feel like a cow. And then I have this complex that if I'm pregnant, what's the point of worrying about losing weight? That's the least of my worries if I'm pregnant!!! Okay, so my chances are slim...I'm on the pill and I had sex once with a condom...but there's that teeny chance, and the stress is probably making my period even later. I know this is like, a weight loss journal, but I'm just going crazy...I was crying this morning, and I didn't want to come to school, but of course today I have to hand in a short story and I don't think it's very good. I'm being very hard on myself b/c I feel like my life is over...it will be over if I find out that I'm pregnant. And I'm mad b/c I had raisin bran the other day and now my IBS is killing me like you would not believe...I've got this stabbing pain on my right side and I can't tell if it's cramps (god I wish it were) or the IBS. I'm going crazy here guys.

So far today all I ate was a bowl of frosted flakes. I went to this website yesterday www.cyberdiet.com (http://www.cyberdiet.com) and you put in all you ate in the day and it calculates your calories and stuff...it's pretty cool.

Okay guys, I'm going to jet to class. Pray for me...let me not be pregnant, I'm too young and stupid to be pregnant. :(

Okay guys, false alarm, but man have I learned my lesson.

Back to the task at hand. Dieting/losing weight...hmm...I've been really good to myself lately, you guys would be so proud! I'm eating right, exercising either once or twice a day. Sunday I did my tape twice, oh, yesterday I didn't do it b/c I was out sort of late meeting my roommate for next year! Yay, I'm moving back on campus! She's a real sweetheart--I can't wait to move back on campus so that I can start eating better...going to an acutal gym instead of relying on just videos!!! The gym here at school is really nice, usually I do the treadmill for 30 minutes and then weight machines. If I can tone up enough I might even venture down to the free weight area and pump some iron w/all the guys that are there...but my skinny little arms aren't in quite the right condition. I'd still be too embarrassed!

Okay, so I'm definitely seeing changes in my body, my waistline is much slimmer. From the front I'm still sort of wide looking, but from the side I'm practically invisible, which rocks!! I'm working mostly on my butt lately--well, the video does my entire body, but then I do leg raises and such to tone my butt--b/c I feel that's the area I'm most concerned about for summer/bathing suit time. My stomach I can easily get in shape by continuing to do what I"m doing--my videos, crunches, etc.

Any advice to get my butt firmer? Right now I'm just doing this one where I'm on my hands and knees and I raise my legs up behind me at a 90 degree angle, you know what I mean? I do 5 sets of 8, and I totally feel the burn, but I'd love to do something different to vary my routine.

Thanks for reading!!

Angelene...Congrats on your alarm being false...at least you are smart enough to know whether you are ready to be a mother or not...some people are in denial about that and do it even when they aren't ready.

Sounds like you are doing really good on the diet thing. Maybe you could try squats or lunges for your butt? Just an idea. :)

J.

Hi all! Sorry I've been slacking off with writing, been sort of busy lately--and actually for 2 days I couldn't get onto the site for some reason.

I feel like I'm making some progress overall, but that I might have hit a plateau, is that how you spell it? Well, for the first time this year, I hit the track around the lake and ran for a bit--it was so beautiful outside!! Sunny, chilly but nice, maybe 55 degrees or so. Very nice, and very very healthy for me. I just got an inhaler for my asthma that's been plaguing me for a little over a year--it helps so much! I finally got off my ass to see a dr about it and now I can breathe when I run or do taebo!

I lost (technically) 1 pound...I'm down to 126. But more so, I can see that when I'm sitting or standing a big difference in my appearance, and it makes me feel so good!!

I'll keep posting, see you later!

Me