Whew... Deep Breath...

I'm so excited and yet so nervous to be starting the dieting/exercise thing again. Three years ago I promised myself that I would never find myself here; overweight, tired, lazy, and ultimately miserable. Then I got pregnant with beautiful beautiful Kaydence. I did well during the pregnancy eating healthy, walking, staying active. I gained my 30 pounds leaving me at the time of delivery at 182 pounds. I didn't change anything. Not my eating, not my activity level and everything I picked up and read promised that the weight would come off naturally, especially since I was breastfeeding. Two years and twenty additional pounds later I hate to look in the mirror most mornings. I'm not sure when I gave up. It just happened.

So why now? What motivates me now to do this, and to actually see it through? I'm not entirely sure. It's a mixture of things I suppose. Emotionally and physically I think I'm at the lowest I have ever been and anything to get me feeling better is worth it. I have a pretty sedentary job and am usually excited to finally get moving at 5:00 pm, yet by the time I get through rush hour traffic and am finally home all I want to do is sit on the couch in front of the T.V. I'm trying to be a good mom and feel like I'm failing miserably because I just don't have the energy. That's probably one of my biggest motivators. I want to be able to dance, run, & play with my daughter. I want to be a better partner for my husband. I haven't felt sexy in ages. My family has a long history of cancer, high BP, high cholesterol, and heart disease and I don't want to follow those same paths. It's gone beyond me wanting to change my lifestyle & physique. I need to.

THE PLAN:
I don't work well without a plan. If it's unorganized I just fail to follow through. So I found myfreediet.com and they planned out a well balanced menu for me. I'm going to go grocery shopping tonight. As for exercise I will be setting the alarm clock an hour early (Lord help me) to go for a run and in the evenings pop in the old strength training video after Kaydence goes to bed. I've been doing good with the water, but I'd like to continue along that path. I usually drink about 96 oz of water during the day at work (three 32 oz bottles full, I pee a LOT). Along the way I'm looking for charity walks and races to help me feel good about myself and doing my part in the community.

MY GOALS:
80 pound weight loss overall. I'd like to get into the best shape of my life and never look back. Every 20 lbs I've got reward systems in place. First 20, a mani & pedicure. Second 20, a mini shopping spree. Third 20, a new hairstyle (my hubby has always loved short hair and since the weight gain I've grown it out to hide the cheeks & chin). Fourth and finally my husband has set aside $1000 for me to go shopping for new clothes.

Tomorrow is a new day. It is the start of a very long journey. Fingers are crossed... Exhale

Those look like good goals.

Those look like rewards worth working for.

And I am sure that baby Kaydence is providing great motivation for you to get yourself healthier.

So I wish you great success on your weight-loss journey. Remember, the weight will not come off as swiftly as you would like for it to. It took a while to gain the weight, it will take a while to lose it.

Just take it all a day at a time, keep your eyes firmly on your goals, and enjoy that baby of yours.

Thanks Jo for the encouragement! I've got a nine month plan, which is about 2 lbs a week. I figure slow and steady is the only way I'm going to get it off and keep it off.

Last night as hubby and I were talking he asked what he could do to help keep me motivated. My reply? Lie through your teeth. Even if after a week or two I don't look any better tell me I do. I get frustrated so easily when it all doesn't just melt away.

So: Day one, mid-day progress report:
I woke up at 5:30 and took my multivitamin. Made myself lunch for work. I popped in an aerobics DVD and worked my butt off for the next 45 minutes. I haven't eaten breakfast for quite some time, so after my shower and getting ready for work I had to almost literally choke it down. I loved everything I ate, but after working out and not being super hungry it was a little hard.

Headed off to work. We are all getting mail certified so in class they were handing out candy bars for rewards. I got six of them and "donated" them to everyone else. I'm so proud of myself. I just polished off my midday snack of a pear. It was a little soft but for the most part yummy. Finished one 32oz bottle of water.

I already feel a million times better. It's probably just knowing that I'm doing something good for myself and my family - but my energy level is already up for the day. :D Hooray!

YES!! I have sidestepped yet more temptations this afternoon. After yet another meeting they had brought in Jimmy Johns and Quizno's sandwiches and chips. I managed to sit back and wait a little longer to go and enjoy my own salad, 1/2 a turkey sandwich, and soup. I'm SO full. It's amazing how much more food you can eat when you eat healthy! I'm shooting at 1500 cals. a day and I can barely eat everything on my daily menu! But I find it digests easier so I find myself hungry more quickly. Thank goodness for built in snacks and freebies!8-|

Feeling a little water-logged now. Finished off 64 oz of water today and 16 oz of tea. ICK. I would love a nap right now. *SIGH*

Well, I made it through the day yesterday. I had my snack at about 2:30 and realized just how much I really HATE pretzels. I just wanted to fall asleep at my desk toward the end of the day. I'm not used to getting up this early. On my way home I listened to one of my favorite CD's and went shopping for fall clothes for Kaydence. It was a fantastic pick me up!

Talked to my mom and my sisters on the phone last night, told them all of my plans and goals. I love them all so much, they are super supportive. Ate a yummy dinner of Cod with Lemon Pepper, Broccoli, & an itty bitty baked potatoe. Played with Kaydence and then after she went to bed did a strength routine. About an hour later collapsed into bed.

This morning, I'm feeling a little sore but determined. It's the good pain. The pain that lets me know my stubborn body fat is fighting to hang on and that I'm giving it a run for its money. But.... Ouchie!:c( Well, off to another day.

OH THE PAIN!! :lift: But it's so good :)

Have done well today. I only got in about 20 min. of cardio this morning, but at least I did something. We're all super frustrated here at the job b/c once again our receptionist called in sick. It's at least once a week. Today I am already handling another person's workload who had scheduled time off, and now I am up here answering phones as well. I don't understand why it is so hard to come into work and answer a phone call. X-( It just lets us all down as a team.

Hubbster is sick with a major head cold. I was feeling a little sniffly yesterday, I'm better today. I'm just praying I don't get it as well.

Anyhow, yesterday I did really well. I'm on the low calorie/low cholesterol/low fat diet. I consumed 1341.32 calories, 22.83% protein, 67.49% good carbs, and 13.81% fats. HOORAY!

Here is where I am so far today:

Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin Bagel with a little bit of cream cheese and a cup of hot tea.

Snack: Lowfat Cottage Cheese & Med Peach

Lunch: Salad with tomato & red onion, half of a Tuna sandwich on whole wheat, two carrots and one piece of celery. I was supposed to have two pieces of celery according to the menu, but I really can't eat that much at one given time. I'm in the process of drinking my second cup of hot tea.

I've had probably about 40oz of water so far today. I'm feeling more energized this afternoon. I think today will be a good day!

welldone on starting a new plan and journal!
you're going to do great!
Love Daisy.
p.s. Kadence - what a lovely name!!!

Thanks Daisy!

I'm excited this time about losing the weight because I KNOW I CAN! Gooo Me! (And everyone else, cuz you can too :D)

My middle name is Kay, and my husband and I are both music fanatics. I sing, he listens. :laugh: We were looking for names that started with my middle name, just playing with the idea when it came up in a search. Since her name meant "musical/melodic" it just fit. And it sounds so pretty when you say it!

I agree, what a beautiful name.

I love your goals, and the rewards you have in place. You sound so determined to make this happen. That is fantastic. I know you can do it.

What an awesome hubby to ask how he can help, and what a great answer you gave. Maybe I need to try that one on my hubby? Although he is awesomely supportive himself.

Have a fantabulous weekend.

Hi mommy! Thanks for stopping by my journal! It sounds like you have terrific goals and a great plan to help you meet them. :up: Your cals look great, you are exercising, and GO YOU on the water!!! The water is always tough to squeeze in.


Soooo, the 30 pounds didn't melt off post-baby? :O This is one of my fears (we are thinking about kids lately...). I have decided that this is one of those myths that current mothers are hardwired to tell not-yet-mothers to get them to become mothers and continue the species! :rofl: Kidding, of course! :D

Keep up the great work!

THANK YOU ALL FOR STOPPING BY! :o

Your support really means a lot! After reading all of your journals you inspire me to try my best. I suppose it's one of those situations where we all feed off of each other's energy.

Ivoryrose - if your only fear is of the weight, trust me when I say that it is well worth it! She has completed me beyond anything I could have imagined! The weight can come and go, but children, especially your own, are irreplaceable. 8-| I'm such a sap when it comes to her!

Do you stretch before and after your workouts? If you don't you might want to think of doing it because if you don't your muscles will tighten up and you'll be in lots of pain. Just a quick 5 or 10 min routine before you start your workout will do you well.

Here's an interesting fact. If you want something to munch on, go for the celery. Since there's so few calories in it, you actually BURN calories eating it since it takes more than what's in it to actually digest it!

Finally put up an avatar. it means "Prepare for Bright Future". I thought it was fitting.

Potty training a two year old is about the most stressful, emotional event I can think of in my lifetime. You go from the highest highs to a very frustrating low. Last night Kaydence was upstairs playing in her room, I was downstairs. A few minutes later she comes down whimpering, holding her foot out for me. I grab her foot and notice something balled up at the bottom of her pajama leg. I got a handful of poop is what I got! Yuck. It was stuck to the bottom of her foot too, so all down my steps I was scrubbing poop out of the carpet last night. X-( I know she's just learning and it's going to take a little time but can I just say for the record: :c(

Okay, muscles are still yelling at me this morning...but I will ignore them and keep pushing onward. I know I'm only three days in but could not help from stepping on the scale this morning. 7.5 lbs down!! I know most of it's water weight, and I really am trying hard to keep my weight loss slow - but it's reassuring when you first get started to see the numbers drop.

Yesterday I only consumed 1376.17 calories. 28.49% protein, 59.42% carbs, & 13.08% fats. I didn't do my weights last night, but they say to rest one day in between. Which meant after Kaydence went to bed I found myself bored and wanting to munch. I took a tiny sip of orange juice and that calmed it down a bit. Came upstairs to talk to hubby who was on the computer and absentmindedly grabbed at some crackers. Noticed before I ate any and handed them to him. So I went to bed too. Gosh that was tough. I kept trying to remind myself that tonight I get a small Healthy Choice ice cream bar. But I did it, and after weigh in this morning, my eyes are back on that ball.

Carla: I actually do stretch, but you know how it is when you haven't used something in so long and then you do again? And I actually like a little pain. It lets me know I had a great workout, that the places I wanted to work, worked. And I actually did know that about celery, I just don't like it. My grandmother puts celery in absolutely EVERYTHING which has caused some of my distaste toward it. I eat it, but can't eat lots of it.

Blab blab blab...okay got to get on with my day. Have a great Saturday everyone. If the sun comes out today we plan on going to the apple orchard to pick apples! FUN!

euuuw! pooy pj's - thats a good enough form of contraceptive to me then! lol

well done on the work outs and eating, your looking like your doing well so far!
celery is a 'negative calory' food - because of the digestion energy vs. energy obtained thing...and personally I HATE it! lol. I'd rather go hungry! However...there are many other neg. cal. foods. just google it. I know carrot sticks are one, as are many other raw veggies and fruit! hooray - no more horrid celery!
take care, Dais x

congratulations on the big loss...:dn :dn :dn ....7.5lbs is amazing....and a big motivation for you to keep going....you are doing so great and we ll be here cheering you evry step of the way.

Hi guys! Thanks for stopping by for a read!

Today was fantastic! Got up, cleaned house, did cardio workout, made breakfast. Kaydence woke up during my cardio workout and did the kickboxing with me (afterward wanting to do more yelling "Mommy, c'mon" as I'm dying!). We played outside until lunch and then afterward went out to the apple orchard as a family despite how misty and miserable it was outside. We're going again tomorrow to actually take a wagon ride around the orchard. We danced outside to the fiddles and guitars they were playing and then went in for hot apple cider & hubby and Kaydence had snacks. Thus far I've been stronger about staying away from the snacking stuff then hub. has been for me! :laugh: We were looking at all of the stuff and he kept asking, "Are you sure you don't want _______". It was pretty funny.

Anyhow, I did good with the food & calories today. Stayed around 1370's (I'll post exact # tomorrow). Didn't do so well with the water. I never do on the weekends at home. Our water just isn't as good as the purified super cold water at work.

Daisy: You think poopie in PJ's is good birth control? It's not nearly as effective as the "poop as an art medium" stage we went through a year ago. I was washing sheets, bed frames, and walls at least three times a day for a month!

Egypt: Thanks for the encouragement! I love that you are all here for me, and I want you all to know I'm here for you!!!!

Talk to you all soon!

-Momma D-

Oh no no no no no! What a rough rough weekend. Saturday was SO difficult but I made it through. 1370.52 calories taken in, cardio in the AM and weights in the PM. Sunday was the hard part.

Joe and I got into an argument over money and responsibility and where we're living... blah blah blah. We generally only argue once every few months, and it's been building up for a while now. We talked, worked out our feelings, and decided to spend the afternoon apart to cool off. Then made up later. :D

Kaydence and I went to the apple orchard (again) because it was such a BEAUTIFUL day. We went on a hay ride where I nibbled on what was some heavily buttered popcorn, (mostly b/c she insisted on feeding me - it was very cute). We played, got our faces painted, got some apples and I bought an apple pie for her and daddy.

We were outside playing on the haystack when it all went wrong. I noticed that they had pony rides and we were going to go over there when the temper tantrum erupted. Not just crying. Throwing herself on the ground, pounding fists, wailing at the top of her lungs bursts of screaming tears. I tried to do time out on a bench, diversion, ANYTHING to get it to stop. Nope, she wasn't having it. I had to walk about half a mile to the car carrying my screaming child. People mostly stared, but I got a few consoling looks from mothers who have been there. I had to put her down three times because she was kicking, pushing, & screaming so hard. We lost a shoe in the fight. I spanked her tiny behind when we got to the car and again when we got home (as she was still screaming when we got to the house). Then took her upstairs for a nap. Then I just broke down crying for the second time that day.

I wanted to eat that whole pie! I took three bites. The rest of the afternoon that was all I could think about. Pie pie pie, cakes, cookies. Anything to fill that void. I had three glasses of orange juice instead. I stuck to the rest of the diet though, and tried to cut back calories in a few other places. I'm guessing I probably had around 1500 cal. yesterday. Not bad but I still feel guilty.

I talked to my mom later. My grandmother who is struggling with breast cancer isn't fairing so well. My stepmother just had a baby Saturday morning and when G-ma came up to visit she had to use a wheelchair because she was too weak to walk. She's lost all of her hair, eyelashes, & eyebrows. I just wanted to run to my mom and let her hold me. So I cried some more.

I apologized to Kaydence later and she apologized to me. Then I did my cardio in the evening, which was fun because she did it with me. Woke up this morning and worked out with Denise Austin on Lifetime. I REALLY prefer the videos I have. They don't stop a million times for commercials. I also don't like the calm and soothing approach to my exercise routines. Give me someone who will lay down the law and force me to work off that tush!

Today is a new day, and all is going well. Back on track and ready to go!

-Momma D-

*YAWN* I'm so tired this morning! I stayed up entirely too late last night to watch Law & Order: SVU. It's just soooo good. So I slept through the alarm. A little too late to do the AM workout routine, and I didn't do my evening one yesterday. Feeling a little guilty. But I'm still working out and moving on a daily basis, even if it isn't as often as I'd like.

Beginning of day 6 and the scale is creeping back up again! I don't get it!!! Now it's at 204.5?? What happened? I'm watching what I eat, how many calories I take in, I'm working out HARD (or at least I'm sweaty and out of breath by the end and my muscles burn). :( I'm a little frustrated. Does it help if you only check once a week? What am I doing wrong?

Yesterday I had 1410.50 calories. A little higher than usual, but still plenty below my 1500 max. 32.94% was from protein, 49.33% from carbs, and 18.33% from fat. I have to say that I'm getting a little bored from this menu plan they have. I do really like salads and fish, but not at every meal. I'll have to look into some other menu choices with balanced, low fat/low chol/low cal options. I used to have a great book, but brought it to work with me once to share with some clients and never got it back. Maybe I should look for the book again.

Alright, late start, so I have to go fix lunch. Talk to you all soon.

Hiya,
yes, don't weigh yourself daily. Weight fluctuates because of many different things. Plus, you havent been going long, its going to take a while before you see results! so just keep going as you are, and you can't not loose!
This is why I'll only weigh myself every 2 weeks or so - its soul crushing to do a daily weigh in. before you know it, your scale becomes your alter that you spend far too much time praying to and depending on.
No matter what it reads - you are becoming healthier, and closer to the pounds falling off.
chin up! x

Thanks Daisy! In my head I know everything you said is true, it's just so hard in the beginning when you've finally reached the point that you disgust yourself and want to do something about it - and then make changes and a week later you're still the same person looking back in the mirror only now your craving anything fatty and sugary and muscles are all in pain. :laugh: I guess I just need to keep in mind my avatar. "Preparing for Bright Future" It shall become my mantra.

Breakfast was kinda yucky. I was supposed to have a banana and some oatmeal. I ate the banana, but I bought this new kind of oatmeal and I really don't like it. It's Kashi's whole grain with vanilla. It's kind of crunchy, and I guess that is an interesting texture for oatmeal when I'm so used to quaker. The combined creamy and crunchy is only good (IMHO) with yogurt & granola.

Alright, off to another day of work work work.

oh tell me about it!
I diet for a day and expect to be down a dress size! :). trouble is we all know it doesn't work like that. patience patience patience!!! I have to drill that into my head all the time!
I think the best idea is to get into your new routine, so it becomes a way of life- and then forget about it and enjoy your life. if diet is always on the brain, its no wonder you eagarly awaiting the reward. there's nothing to wait for - you are loosing weight! this second! and thats all you can ask for :)
Your doing great, and are always acheiving.
welldone!

Hi mommy! EVERY time I become angelic and get moving with a big increase in my exercise routine -- I hold water for a little while. It kicks my motivation right in the goodies, but if I can keep going, I eventually start losing again. Plus, then it's *real* weight that doesn't come back on so easy when you eat a little too much at holiday dinner. It sounds like you are doing well with exercise and diet ... you only had three bites of pie???!!! :O And it was sitting right there in the house for you to smell??? GO YOU!!!! :cheer: What a testament to your determination. Keep up the great work!

Okay, I would just like to say for the record that I really truly do NOT like my job. It isn't challenging in the least and I feel as though my brain is slowly deteriorating. I'd love to go back to school, but I don't know where on earth I would come up with that sort of money. I really would love to teach. Aside from being a mother, it's the only thing I've been absolutely certain about. Each day that I stuff yet another envelope or have yet another job that I've done fifty times explained to me in detail I wish my way out of here.

There... now that "that" is off my chest....

Yesterday was okay. I didn't exercise. Feel a little guilty about that, but even God rested on the seventh day. Still, I ate healthy. I had some YUMMY meat free tacos for dinner (I was very nervous about eating them) and I haven't added up cal. yet, but I'm pretty sure that I came in at around 1400. Hubby needs to get rid of the rest of that pie though! It's SO tempting just sitting there all uneaten!

I realized for the first time last night just how strongly I'm addicted to food. Especially the fatty sugary stuff. I can't really explain the feelings and emotions that come from this, but I imagine a lot of you have been there and know what I'm talking about. It's like I know it's not good for me, and I don't want to eat it, but everything else in my body wills me toward those things. So I end up in conflict with myself. On the plus side of this though, since I've started this particular diet something within myself has changed. I'm getting better at controlling those urges, and I'm starting to eat what I need because I really do need to, not because I strongly desire or even want to.

This morning I had whole wheat toast with Jelly, one cup of cottage cheese (cottage cheese for breakfast?? would never have crossed my mind before), and a cup o' tea. For lunch I have yogurt & a pear. I did kickboxing aerobics this morning with some lower body strength exercises. After a lazy day yesterday it took a lot to get my butt out of bed & just do it.

Off to read some journals. ~o)

Oh yeah! Ivory thanks for popping in. I really appreciate the support and encouragement. Maybe I am retaining a little more water. Even if that isn't the case, I'll continue to believe it to keep my spirits up :laugh: I've also decided to throw out my scale! I'm going to start measuring my success by my body and the way I feel when I look in the mirror. So I'm going to change my main goal to reflect dress size, so I don't get so focused on the "weight" aspect. But I'll continue to do the mini goals focusing on small amounts of weight loss. Hope that works for me!!

Hiya Mommy,

How you doing today?? Well, LOL I already know because I just finished reading your whole journal. Know something??? We're alot alike! Sounds like you can get away with checking your email at work LOL So can I...atleast when I am in the office not out in meetings.

Sorry to hear that you are bored with your job. What is it that you do? I am a Program Coordinator for a home based childcare liscensing center. I love my job but it can get a bit redundant. I found that it can also really stress me out which causes me to eat like a hog :)

I am so proud of you for ignoring that pie...there would be no 3 bites for me, try 3 quaters of the damned pie LMAO

I got a kick of Kaydences hissy fit at the orchard. Only for the fact that I can see the sympathetic looks from the other moms. Dontcha just love the looks from non-parents or parents who say there kids are angels....

My kids are older now so hissy fits consist of slamming bedroom doors and cranking the music. My daugther is the queen of eye rolls *grin*

Love your journal, LOVE your dedication. I am defiantly going to start hanging out in your journal...you'll keep me going for sure!

As for weighing in everyday...i definatly feel its a no-no. I love teh numbers and the losses keep me going but i find when you weight in everyday you get tied to the numbers nad your emotions go just as up and down as the numbers will...JMHO. I weigh in on mondays cause it keeps me pushing through the weekend.

I'll check back in soon..
Shannon

Hey Diana,

I just tried out that website that you mentioned in your very first post... myfreediet.com

I think I am in heaven LOL I don't think that it can get any more idiot proof that that!! How do you like it???

I am in the process of printing out the various substituion pages...I am SO going grocery shopping tonight!!

Shan

Hey Shan!

I really like it. It get's a little boring, but it allows for substitutions and there are lots of freebies so you can get super creative about how you prepare the stuff. And the lunches are pretty portable so they work great for work. I make them the night before or early in the morning. AND they give you dessert every night.

I like it so much because it's like you said, it doesn't get any more idiot proof. Good luck, hope you like it!

Idiot proof is so a neccesity for me LOL

I need portable things for work that are quick and easy to make or else I just don't bother. Trying to get two kids out the door in the morning and all the pets taken care of just gets to be too much.

I think I would really benefit if I went to bed earlier but I am just so awake at night. My kids arent in bed until 9ish and I need to veg for a while. Its atleast 1130pm at the earliest before I am hitting the hay....

What are considered freebies?? Is that veggies? I couldnt get the link to work.

Shan

Shan,

Free Foods Are The Following:
Water (tap or mineral) – the best
Club soda
Broth (bouillon)
Fat-free butter substitutes or non stick cooking sprays)
Fat-free cream cheese
Fat-free mayonnaise
Fat-free sour cream
Fat-free salad dressings
Flavoring extracts
Herbs, spices and seasoning blends
Hot sauces
Sodium-reduces soy sauce
Catsup
BBQ sauce
Mustard
Pickles
Horseradish
Taco sauce
Salsa
Lemons and limes
Vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
Low sugar jelly and jam
Sugar free Jell-O
Sugar-free gum
Regular or herbal teas
Sugar-free Popsicles
All vegetables
Light whipped topping (2 tablespoons

OK, Now I am finally posting totals for yesterday.

Total Calories: 1354.56
Total from Pro: 24.79%
Total Carbs.: 66.31%
Total from Fat: 11.63%
Total Water: 96 oz

Thanks for the free food listing.
You calories are awesome. Which meal plan are you on? My plan has me eating 1300 calories a day.
I think the hugest downfall I have experienced is that I dont often eat enough calories. I do not eat breakfast, rarely do lunch, snack late afternoon, do a half hearted not the healthiest dinner and sometimes snack at night...BLECK...not good..bad shan LOL

1300 calories seem like so much to me. I have used fitday to figure out what i usually eat and I float around the 800-1100 range..depends how much I snack...

BUT with that being said....I'm so going to kcik some calorie butt LOL

Do you know how to convert ml into ozs?? I'm sure I can google it somewhere :)

Never mind about the conversion...found it online.

So far today I have drank 50oz of water....no wonder i keep using the bathroom...

Shan,
I am on the low fat/low cholesterol diet. (My fat is still fairly high most days, but I think it must be good fats b/c I can't think of anything really BAD that I've eaten). It is supposed to be around 1500 calories a day, but I can never quite get that high. Maybe if I try more apples during the day :laugh:

I didn't eat much before either, but what I did eat was REALLY not good for me. I think I would have suffered clogged arteries before I turned 30 if I stayed on that same path!

Run run run to the potty! Flush all of those yucky toxins out ;)

I am the same with you...never have really eaten ALOT but I know that it hasn't been good. I am told I should watch the movie "supersize me" and it'll turn me off McDonald's forever. I love Greasy burgers and fries....well not today I dont because my tummy is too full of water LOL

I am on the convience plan because of how busy my life style is. Seems to be pretty close to the low fat plan.

It'll be interesting to see how I do tomorrow. I'm excited to try this out and see the results on Monday. I have done fairly well so far this week with the exception of not eating breakfast and not drinking enough water.

I'm definatly headed to the potty LOL and to refill my water along the way =)

Shan

Yesterday was not a great day. Let's just say I stayed under 2000 calories, but I don't want to analyze how far off I was from my goal. I had a few (like 7) miniature Hershey's chocolates (4 special dark & 3 Mr. Goodbars), a BIG bite of pie, more meat than I intended, and a little bit of fried potatoes (hubby ate them for dinner). So lets just say last night continuing into this morning I am feeling more than a little guilty. I'm running low on groceries, but I'm going to make it a much healthier day.

Now for the icky, disturbing part of my journal. Into that cest pool of emotional trauma. (It's a deep pool, so we'll only touch the surface today) I have never been what I have thought of as a small woman. In my elementary school years I would eat and eat. I was a little bit of a pudge. Not fat, but not small either. In middle school & early high school I really started to slim down. But because my family had seen me eat myself into oblivion very early in life they were always cautioning me on what and how much I ate. I would look in the mirror and literally still see that little girl. Chubby and unhappy. As a freshman in high school I was 125 lbs and wore a 5/6. I look back now and think how amazing that is. But at the time I felt as though I was huge. You see, my two younger sisters never wore anything above a size 0 jean. Now one struggles to maintain the 5/6 and the other a 7/8. At sixteen I started birth control and gained 50 pounds. I switched to a different form of BC and lost 25 lbs of that a year later.

Enter the story of Kaydence, and now I feel larger than ever. So last night I had this dream that I went on a Christmas shopping trip with a large group of people, and within the group was a good friend of mine from late elementary, middle & high school. I haven't seen him for nearly 6 years now. So I yelled toward him, and when he turned to look at me he was horrified. He laughed, made fun, and essentially humiliated me. And then he went to the back of the bus we were riding so he wouldn't have to look at or talk to me. Then we were in the store Xmas shopping and every time I'd run to grab something from a sale bin somebody would always come in and take it first. I was out of breath and ended up racing through the crowded stores to the plus size womens where I was the only one. Dream fades.

:( Not exactly the way I wanted to start my day. I'm ready to lose the weight but I have so many fears. Like I'm scared that I won't lose anything, or that I will and then I'll gain it all back, that I'll get halfway to my goal and not be able to push through and finish what I've started. I'd really like some guidance and encouragement today if anyone has anything inspirational I'd love to hear. Maybe somebody has a great success story to share.

I feel so miserable right now. I've got to go plan the rest of my day though. Cheerio's and grapefruit for breakfast. Chicken & Broccoli with rice for lunch. Fish, green beans and I'm not sure what for dinner. Here I go.

Your in control MD!
Just need to believe it!
Maybe your dream was just a exprssion of you anxiety? I wouldn't wory - freams are dreams - sometimes they are bad, but at least they aren't real!

You will loose weight, and you are determined...just give yourself enough time! I think coming here was a great step - I joined a couple of monhs ago, and Im already nearly at my goal weight. Not to mention happier and healthier. You will be too!

keep going!!!
xx

Hey girl,

I agree, what a totally crappy way to start your day. Sounds totally and utterly frustrating! First off I am sending you big hugs and lots of support and complete understanding. I have had these type of wacky dreams more then once.

As for last night...who cares??!!?? This is going to be such a HUGE lifelong journey...we are bound to mess up many times. As long as you pick yourself up, FORGET ABOUT IT and start anew today all will be ok. The way I look at it, there are going to be birthday parties, BBQ's, special dinners out, movies etc where I just slip up. I cannot eat absolutly perfect for the rest of my life. Things happen and you just deal with it and move on.

If you are anything like me you probably thought..."I'll have one bar" then once you had one its like "Well I already had one so I can have a couple more" then dinner rolls around and your like "well I already ate crappy so I can have this pie" LOL I just get into the snow ball affect and it all spirals into one out of control day!

The main thing is that you came back here. You didn't say to hell with it you just got up, started a new day and went for it. I have been on DT since February and I have came and went MANY MANY times. Always full of excuses and ways to talk myself out of the things I need to do. I feel the same ways you do. What if I don't lose, what if i plateua, what if I gain it all back plus more.

From what I can tell from others on here it doesnt get easier...its a constant battle but one defiantly worth fighting.

You should pop into peoples journal like CFJ, his name is Fagan and I just love the things he has to say, his support is awesome. He has reached goal so is now in maintenance. I know there are a few others on here that have met goal (just can't think of names off the top of my head...) they could definatly help you out.

I guess my best advice is just to keep coming back here and let us lean on each other and keep each other strong!!

Big hugs
Shannon

Shan & Daisy thank you both so much for stopping by and showing love & support! I know I'm just starting, and that this is often the hardest part. I'm going to stick with it, put yesterday behind me, and move forward.

Shan- I really can't tell you how glad I am we've met on here! It's as though you've known me for ages! I did come back, I still have all of the resolve in the world, and I will do this! I won't let one day dictate my future. I'm in control of today, tomorrow, and any other day. And you're absolutely right, life changes isn't about never eating another indulgent food, it's about being conscious of what you put in your body and making an effort to do what is best for it on a daily basis.

It's funny that you mention popping into peoples journals, I'm such a lurker on here, but I'm not really sure what to say to many people. I am SO amazed and inspired by Fagan though! What incredible achievements he's made!

I got out the door for work kind of late, so I had an apple and yogurt for breakfast, an apple for a snack (went to the apple orchard, we have lots of apples), I'm going to subway for a chicken sub (I looked up the nutritional values online so I know what I can have for how much), an apple for an afternoon snack (do I see a trend?), and then for dinner I'm going to make the chicken & broccoli with brown rice and a salad. Mmmm Yum!

Just a quick pop in!! I had to check in on your day and see if my morning post made your day a little easier!!

I know what you mean about meeting on here. I am glad that we are able to help each other!! I know that your support will help me along the many bumpy roads to come!

I don't tend to lurk too much..lol..my mouth is just too big to stay shut. I don't visit too many journals but I like to stay in touch with the ones I have started frequenting. Sometimes things just get so busy I can't find time to pop in here but that is soon changing...

Off to make dinner...mroe in the morning.

Have a great night!
Shan

Well, I took some time yesterday to put together a food journal. I printed out this FANTASTIC food log (really, very awesome) all of the rules about my diet that I intend to follow, and I am working on putting all of the calories etc. together for counting purposes. I'm ready to rock it! I have renewed confidence.

Okay, yesterday, GREAT DAY!! I stuck to my guns and had 1332.25 Calories! Yay, Go Me!! And I didn't follow a menu, I did it all with my own choices. 11% was from fat, 27% from protein, and 61% from carbs. I did my weights workout routine last night (it's been a few days and MAN was it tough).

This morning I have had a cinnamon raisin bagel and a grapefruit. I am having a tuna lettuce wrap for lunch with 5 low salt crackers & an orange. Popcorn & granola bar are for snacks and this evening I am having spaghetti & chicken with a salad.

Okay, off to work work work.... Hi ho hi ho (hee hee)

*snort* just love the hi ho hi ho *grins*

Very proud of you girl. Sticking to it and all on your own devices. Believe it or not i still havent gotten any groceries (hang head) I am still eatting well though so that's a plus. My little guy was sick with a migraine last night so I couldn't sneak away. I will definatly get them over the weekend.

I missed breakfast this morning. That is definatly going to be my biggest killer. I MUST eat breakfast EVERY Day...

WTG with your exercise...what do you do for your weight training?? I am still trying to find more things to incorporate into my routine...

Shan

Shan,

I really am not fancy shmancy at all in my exercise routine. I have the Power 90 video and it is split into 2 sections, one is called Sweat and the other is Sculpt. Sculpt really goes back to the basics. Push ups, arm curls, lunges, squats. Sweat also goes back to basics with jumping jacks, stepping, etc. but incorporates some kickboxing cardio (which I LOVE) and at the beginning there is a segment called Power Yoga, which I'm not very good at, but I try. And at the end of sweat there is a targeted Abs workout, and is basically every variation on the standard crunch that there is.

I'm looking into more videos, so if anyone has any suggestions that would be great. Has anyone tried Turbo Jam? Saw an infomercial for that and it looked like it would be a pretty hip & fun workout. I've also been looking at the uh... striptease cardio.... :o you know, trying to up the sexy with the hubby.

*Sigh* More work......

Grins...i know all about your sighs...I am almost done for the day...WOOHOO I do extra long days during the week so I can head out of here earlier on fridays...

I do Walk the Walk by Leslie Saneson...I love love love it. I am so not a relegious person but this tape has really upbeat hymns in teh backround that really get me going! I also love plain old fashion TaeBo...have you tried it?? If you like kickboxing you'll get a kick out of this...I love it!

I dont thinK I am ready for squats and push ups yet...my ***** is just too big LOL I can't imagine it...not yet..

Shan

Yesterday was Grrrrrrreat! And I got yum yum yummy spaghetti for dinner (all in control though). I at SO slowly so I could enjoy every morsel of it! Ha ha. 1384 calories, 13% fats, 27% protein, & 53% carbs (kind of shooting off memory with percentages, but it's pretty accurate).

Shan, I'm not super religious either, but I LOVE to listen to christian radio. It's not your average hymn these days. I'm really looking at the TaeBo Elite. My stepsiter did Tae Bo and saw fantastic results. She lost like 50 lbs all together. I never remember her as being small or girly. She has become so feminine since she lost the weight. It's a little funny. Kick butt this weekend girl, you can do it!

I'm off for a long walk with Kaydence in the stroller. I'll check in later.

Momma D

Hi there! I just happened upon your journal, and wanted to say welcome and good luck on your journey towards a healthy life! Sounds like you are really motivated...(with the occasional self-doubts that we all have)...good job starting exercise...and don't give up on the yoga...i have many different yoga dvd's that i work with...and they are all a little different...some more slow moving, calming, and relaxing..some that will get you sweating your butt off and are hard to keep up with at times...others that are simply GREAT for stretching and toning as you lose weight...and some for strenght and stability...after doing yoga regularly for a month or so, at any size...your body will miss it when you don't do it...and it eventually feels really really good! :)
sorry...i tend to ramble....
Sounds like you have a terrific hubby that will help keep you motivated too...would he mind if you didn't do the apple pie type of stuff? I mean...if he wants it, maybe he can eat that sort of thing at work? or just..somewhere else? If you didn't feel the need to have unhealthy food in the house..it would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier for you! I know when I'm being good..making healthy choices...a lot of times i won't have ANY junk around...healthy treats only for kids lunches (they actually request that now, the teachers...they specifically specify NO unhealthy treats, cookies, candy, chips, pop, etc be brought to school)...and if I do want to treat them once in awhile i'll swing through McD's and get em a happy meal...or single serving treats at the store so that when i get home..they eat them and they are gone....
(just don't ask what i do when I"m not making healthy choices!) lolol
well, sorry to go on, just wanted to say welcome! And i look forward to reading about your future successes! :)

Aaargh, bad day yesterday, but not in a way I expected. I missed my calorie mark by about 100 calories. Hubby and I went out on what was supposed to be this great date night and turned out we ended up arguing for like 1/2 an hour. We were both justified in our arguments, but at the same time it was just a lot of misunderstanding. I'll say something and he'll think I said it to be vindictive or mean which I didn't at all, then he'll say something that really hurts my feelings deeply but he didn't think it was such a mean thing to say. We worked it all out and got over it fairly quickly, but what a downer. It happens every time we make a date. Everyone swears dates help out relationships...I don't believe them! :laugh:

So, anyway, I decided I'd wait until we got home to have dinner. Well it was 11:00 when we had picked up Kaydence from Gma's house. So we stopped at McDonalds and I got the Grilled Chicken Asian Salad. It was pretty yummy actually. And with dressing and all it was 330 calories (well, I didn't eat the almonds that came with it). So, I had 1110 calories (exactly) yesterday. 25.5% fat, 28.6% protein, and 60% carbs. Not bad, but definately not great.

Went for a long walk with Kaydence. Definately felt the burn in my legs from pushing her stroller up and then bracing it down all of the hills.

Lori: Thanks for popping in! My hubby is terriffic. Thing is, I bought HIM the pie. I really thought that I could say no, period. I won't be doing it again any time soon, but I don't want to spend my life avoiding those foods, just keeping it in perspective and learning to say no when they are there (take this last week at work for example, they brought in doughnuts, cake, and every sort of candy bar imaginable). Like now I have been looking at calories, fats, carbs, & protein ratios. I have NEVER done that in my life. Now I take an interest in getting the best possible things I can for my body. Minus a couple slipups I feel I'm doing fantastic. I am doing so much better now then I was prior to the diet. I don't mind that he has them, and for me it affirms my commitment to get & stay healthy when I can look at it and say no. I feel great achievement, pride, & success. Thanks for the Yoga advice. I'll stick to it and really try. It's just hard as hell right now to hold plank :laugh:

Have a great day all
Momma D

grrrr! I wrote a really long reply earlier, and then I got disconected!!!

Anyway! Im returning the journal visiting favour, and popping in to cheer you on :)

First off - I completely agree with the date thing! although I do believe that I am the worst girlfriend alive! lol. But dates just seem like an ideal war zone to me, especially if you drive there - ah yes, cars, and resurants! select your weapon!!!

secondly - your great! wow, your slip ups are wonderful! only 100 cal over!?!?! and you know you probably used them up fighting! lol

and finally - I heard stroller workouts are the new craze with the 'yummy mummy' brigade! sounds tough, and extra brownie points going out for being so very in vouge ;)

keep going!! dais x

Happy Monday MD!!

I enjoyed your story about your date. It is SOOO very true though. I have experienced the same thing many many times over. No matter how well things get planned out something always pops up to mar the moment. My sweetie and I are like you and your hubby. We fixed things really quickly and move on. Its a good way to be!

Congrats on your walk...I am so happy I no longer have strollers to push LOL I now just have to chase after two kids who think they own the road :)

Back soon, have a terrific monday morning.
Shan

OK, well yesterday I didn't plan out my menu, which just goes to show how much of a very bad idea it really is! I thought I was eating very healthily, but I didn't do great on calories. I kept the fat really low and it stayed pretty proportionate though. So here are my eating stats for yesterday:
1636.82 calories
12.72% fat
22.52% protein
69.39% carbs

I took a nice walk again yesterday, only this time without the stroller. The day before it was a legs walk, yesterday I did arm weights while walking back. Back?? You say. Well, I had to buy laundry detergent and syrup (and a water for the way back) and lifted happily along on the way back. I THOUGHT I WOULD DIE! What a workout. But it felt good. I also found what I will be wearing to my sister's wedding in November. Haven't bought it yet though. I don't want to lose inches in the next month and a half and then have it be too big, or not lose anything, buy too small and then not be able to fit it.

Thanks for popping in Shan, I hope your weekend was great! I'm taking lunch now but I'll check your journal later.

Awesome that you found your outfit for the wedding. What will it look like? Are you an attendant or just going? I love weddings...all the ppl I know are already married though :)

On the boats I work alot of weddings, they are so beautiful and I love being a part of making someone's day beautiful!

Congrats on the great walk. I am going to go and have one during my lunch hour...which means I really should go take lunch soon. More often then not I end up eatting on the run or at my desk.

Back later
Shan

PS dont worry too mcuh abotu what your daily percentages say. You really didn't do that bad!

Date night? whats a date night? (i'll have to look that up in the dictionary later!) Sounds like your doing AWESOME with your calorie intake...can you come to Michigan and help ME!!!!?????? lol...oh well, today has been a good day, I'll take my good day and run with it!
Yes...I will agree, depending on the time of day and my energy level...holding plank can be a pain! ;)

:wave:

Wow, that dream could be on the one hand discouraging/troubling, but on the other encouraging. Your dream demonstrates how badly you want to lose weight. And your plan is terrific for getting to that goal of yours! Sometimes I wish I had such a burning desire to motivate me. I think the biggest challenge is to avoid complacency ... that will suck the motivation out of you every time! As far as the date-night situation -- men are *actually* the ones who get PMS, didn't you know?? It's called Pain-in-the-ass Man Syndrome. Even wonderful husbands get it several times a year. My DH gets it quarterly. :rofl:

Since I've started this diet there really hasn't been much debate or looking back. If I want to make lifestyle changes then I need to look forward and not hang on to every want, desire, and addiction that the past held for me.

Shan, I think that hubby and I are really just the laid back, couch potato, family time type. We just don't function well out in public just the two of us. :laugh: As a matter of fact, I don't think even when we dated we went "out" much for dates. We were perfectly happy and content to curl up on the couch with popcorn and a movie, play cards, go for a walk, or just look at the stars. We're romantic and close in our own little way, not everyone elses way.

Lori, SURE! I'll come to Michigan to be your personal dietician! It's a paid position correct?? And of course room for the baby?? Regretting that comment yet? :laugh: I'm just kidding. I really owe a lot of my success to those of you on DT that encourage and support me, and to those whom I've just browsed around their journals and found inspiration from.


Ivy, Not really sure if it is fact or fiction but I once heard it rumored that some scientists had proved men actually have PMS four times a month. :laugh: That's about right... four weeks a month.... all the time. Hit the nail on the head there didn't they??

We are so the same. We don;t go out too much and much prefer to be home snuggling infront of a movie or our favorite show. We like to go for family walks, play cards or board games, we sometimes play an online game against each other :)

I think its a nice way to be. Romance is what you make it and you need to do whatever works for you kwim??

Glad that you are so focused...you inspire me =)

Shan

Alrighty, today is starting a little rocky. I woke up late (8am which is when I'm supposed to be at work), so I ran around the house in a rush to get ready. Made a quick breakfast - a wheat bagel with small amount of cream cheese and fruit cocktail (with fresh fruit). Didn't have time to pack a lunch and don't really have the money to go and grab something :(. Work has been fairly busy this morning.

Yesterdays stats are pretty good:
1296.93 calories
15.81% fat
18.93% protein
58.77% carbs

This is what I plan on wearing to the wedding:
Keep in mind I'm not trying to dress for a funeral. I'm her personal attendant and so she would like me to dress similar to her bridesmaids. They have black dresses with a butter yellow ribbon at the waist.
I couldn't find pics of the two tops, but the first piece is a light yellow satin cami with two thin black lace v's at the top. The second is a black satin 3/4 victorian sleeve (you know, kind of poofy) button down shirt that ties around the waist (or to the back which I will probably do). These are the pants:

http://zoom.jcpenney.com//is/image/0900631b8101807fM.TIF?wid=250&hei=250&op_sharpen=1

I forgot to mention earlier, but last night as I was talking to aforementioned beloved Sis, I was telling her my goals for weight loss. I told her I'd really like to be able to wear a bikini by the end of June. She doesn't think I can do it. Thus has set the bar! This challenge is ON!

GREAT TROUSERS!
love them!

I've seen you around a lot lately and thought that I would vist. I say you TAKE YOUR SISTER DOWN! That sort of challenge cannot be ignored. Make her pity the day she challenged you.

You are kicking butt, by the way. Take Care.

CFJ
My Journal (http://www.diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55018)

http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/d/3;8;72;0;0/c/-181/t/-181/k/f0fe/weight.png
(http://www.TickerFactory.com/)

That sucks her saying she didn't think you could do it! Maybe she said it because she was intentionally trying to motivate you..just in a different way??? lol..YOU CAN DO IT! Doggone it...I wore a bikini for the first time in my LIFE this year! after 33 years! YOU CAN DO IT!

First off, LOVE LOVE LOVE the pants...totally my style, hip and cute!! The blouses sound adorable...if you ever find pics or anything similar share them!

As for your sister...kick her butt! All the more reason to kick into high gear and show off that bikini! I bet you can do it...I am so not girly so I dont know if I would wear one even if I did shrink drastically..HELLO Stretch marks LMAO Maybe a tankini...my daughter wears those and I love em...

Off to work, I'll log in when I get there!
Shan

ALRIGHT! It's a great day! I managed to pull myself out of bed at 5:30 this morning and get a fantastic cardio workout in. I also realized that I'm not doing as well with them as I could be. I find that I'm not so much tired as my feet are KILLING me. I have fairly high arches and the shoes I have don't offer nearly as much support as I need. So I end up having to stop to give my feet a rest! I will go and look for a decent pair of sneakers this weekend. (I love the word sneakers btw).

Yesterday I didn't get lunch, but I made up for it with dinner (WHICH WAS FANTASTIC). I had 4oz of sirloin steak, spaghetti, & a salad. Mmmmm...

1203.94 Calories
24.62% fat
20.48% protein
50.21% carbs

THANK YOU THANK YOU everyone for stopping by! I can't say how much all of your support means to me! I have every intention of taking up this challenge and proving to everyone that I can do this, and I can do it better than any of them expect!

Daisy: Thanks! I love the pants too, (they look FABO on my behind!) :laugh:

CFJ: I love looking in at your journal, but never know quite what to say! You are really inspirational! I even told my mom about your successes and she was stunned.

Lori: My sister is very supportive in her own way. I think her major concern is me losing the weight too quickly. Her fiance was always heavyset through school and lost more than 100 lbs very quickly. He now has a lot of excess skin because of it. She's mostly scared that sort of thing will happen. She just doesn't want to see me disappointed. Bless her heart. :lily:

Shan: Don't you know, you are my long lost twin (well almost)! :hug: Of course you love the pants! I love them! Hee hee hee.

Talk to you all soon. Have to get to work now!

Much Love
Momma D

Hey girl!!

Love the you came back and rocked your day yesterday! I wish I could pull my big ol' butt outta bed that early and exercise. I know I can't/don't because I go to bed so late...BLECK...see more excuses LOL

Question for ya...how do you measure out your portions?? Do you have a scale or what do you do?? I know portion control is a huge thing for me. I have always been a big eater and I need to learn how to feel satisfied on less food..

Would you believe that I love the word sneakers too....hehe, I don't know why but its just a neat word. I love the word swish too...I know, I'm wierd. I have worked with kids so long that i just love saying words that actually sound neat, watching their faces is adorable!!

Shan

oh, btw, got the big bosses coming in today so I may end up heading out and working from home...yay, lol, like i actually work! They are coming to go over the financials and luckily its not my territory so I can head out. ITs a crappy rainy day so I don't want to do site checks.

LOL I think my job may sound a little confusing. What I mean to be saying is I may get more time on here today if I work from home.

Shan

:caf: I am in such a crazy, happy, feel good kind of a mood today! Can't explain it! It's like this WHOOOSH kind of glee! (another FAB word Shan - I love words with expression!) I woke up early, but have so much more energy. It's great! I want to go dancing, but alas, I'm stuck here at my desk. Ho hum!

Have a great day at home Shan! Sounds like fun!

Hello there! You have such enthusiasm when you journal. I have seen a couple of your posts to people, and you are so encouraging. It looks like you are having a great start!
It looks like we have very similar goals. Within 10 pounds of start and goal weight. It's a long way to go, but it will be well worth it!

See you around!

FUN!! Not..not only do I not have access to all the files I need LOL I am glued to teh phone to keep getting updates from the office..bleckers!

Would you believe that I was gonna put down WHOOSH but couldn't figure otu how to spell it *grins* Sad I know but funny anyways...

I have days like that...like the day I discovered my freediet menu...which i hate LOL I choose conviences, thinking it meant things I could make fast...not, it meant things I could mircowave...all tv dinners. NOT for me, so I am improvising and waiting until my return to download a new menu and go from there. I am still doing ok, with the exception on the oreos I just ate LOL

We have open house at my kids school tonight...and book fair which means I will be bilked of all my hard earned money LOL My son decided that he needs a PDA to track his schedule and address/phone numbers. ERM, Hello, he's ten LOL I think someone forgot to tell him :)

Melsa, HI! Thanks for popping into my journal! You're right, we are very close in goals to one another. That should make for great support. I can't wait to get to know you better!

Shan, HA! Just another tidbit to further my theory! WTH needs a PDA at the age of 10? I would say it's time to get a good old fashioned planner! Ha ha ha. But that's just me! And since when do Oreo's have calories?? ;)

The silly thing Cody wanted is was quite cute. I offered up $10 each per child to buy somethng and he fronted the rest of the money so I can't complain. He must have really wanted it to spend 10 of his own allowance on it!

I ended up spending over 80 dollars...ERGH on books LOL I bought some for my own work collection and some for the kids Christmas on top of giving them some $$ to spend there last night. Cody now reads 500+ pages and loves his sci-fi dragon novels. I love that my kids read so I don't mind fostering it at all.

How is your day going?? I am feeling kindda tired. Its going to be a long day at the computer today and that drains me...

What a good mom! Kaydence loves reading too. She'll sit there and read to herself the books that we've read five thousand times and knows by heart. It's cute. Since she was about a year old she'd pretend to read the newspaper. Funny stuff.

My day is going fairly well. I only got in about half my cardio this morning. Kaydence was having nightmares so I had to go up and do the mommy thing. Also, I can't believe how incredibly bad my feet hurt when I work out! Ouch! Definately need to go shoe shopping this weekend.

Haven't done my totals yet for today. I'm a little bit busy at work. But I will post in a bit! Perk up hun, it'll be over before you know it!

9.43% fat
18.10% protein
75.09% carbs
1241.44 calories

Breakfast:
Bagel
Fruit Salad

Lunch:
Spaghetti Sauce
Spaghetti Noodles
Salad
Green Beans

Dinner:
Baked Sweet Potato
Flounder
Cranberry Sauce
Salad
Frozen Yogurt

Morning girl!

I got a nice smile over Kaydence reading the newspaper...how cute :)

I do my workouts with barefeet. I hate hate hate shoes period and so I will not put them on to workout..probably not the healthiest but oh well. I have high archs too and wide feet so finding comfie shoes for me has always been a pain...hence my love of sandals. It is getting frosty up this way and I am still wearing sandals LOL Gonna have to pull out shoes for my trip to NFLD next week though..

Wanna come and cook for me LOL I love your menu ....pls share any recipes or ideas!

Back soon

I LOOOOOVE cooking! I suppose that makes all of this a little easier. It's hard to find a multitude of ways to cook fish. LOL. I love spicy, so last night I cooked the flounder with crushed red peppers and hot sauce. VERY yummy. Also, my mom gave me this tip b/c I hate the...uh...fishy... taste of fish. So if you cook it with a bay leaf, it neutralizes a lot of that.

I have tons of recipes, but few that are super good for you! :laugh: Go figure. I do really like to cook with chicken. I also just like foods in their natural form. Fresh green beans sprinkled with a little bit of parmesan cheese is good. Chop up your favorite fruits and mix them in a bowl together. I love to look in the cupboard and think of new ways I can prepare what I have on hand. I once came up with a creation made of rice, peas, & pepperjack cheese! It turned out pretty well if I do say so myself.

How completely scary! Guess what I'm wearing on my feet today? Flip flops! And the temp was 42* this morning. I won't wear shoes at all if I can get away with it. But my aerobics aren't exactly low impact so the one time I tried without shoes I suffered dearly.

ok, it gets wierder by the day how similar we are LOL Here the temp is 6* not sure what that is in *F but its chilly in *C...lol I have on my Croc's...goes with my pant suit! I think my tootsies would fall off if I wore them to NFLD. Last time we drove across in the late fall it was gorgeous til we hit a snowstorm in Nova Scotia...not making that mistake again!

I can't say that i dislike cooking, I just don't like it..doesn't make much sense. Its just not something I have alot of patience for. Unfortunatly patience for things that could be done fast, isn't my strong suit. I do love eating that *grins*

Anytime you find a rocking recipe you wanna share with me feel free to email me at shan_beetle@yahoo.ca I can check that email from here :)

Happy Friday!! It is friday in the states too right ;) Just kidding!

Hope you are having a dynomite day. I cheated a bit this morning and had a TIm Horton's hot chocolate...YUMMY...definatly a guilty pleasure.

If we don't meet up here today just wanted to wish you a fantabulous weekend! I will definatly pop in and out a few times over the long weekend. Can't stay away too long :)

Shan <-- the evil twin

Thank GOD it's payday! I really need to get groceries, my healthy choices stock is getting very low making it even more difficult to come up with ideas for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Yesterday I did it, but let me tell you - WAS NOT EASY!

:laugh: Evil twin?? Ha ha ha! I know you can't stay away too long, I'm addictive :D LOL

Here's the stats

Breakfast:
Bagel
Cream Cheese
Orange
Milk

Lunch:
Not a darn thing :( Was SO busy at work

Dinner:
fat free shredded cheese
Pinto bean - boiled
Salsa - Chunky medium, Pace
Tortilla - corn, soft, 7" diam.
Carrots
Dressing
Frozen Yogurt

Daily Totals:
Calories - 1259.88
Fat - 19.67%
Protein - 22.59%
Carbs - 63.93%

I think we are smart *****'s MD...our humour is very similar, that could be a scarey thing!

Its payday here too. I don't know about your family but here both of our paydays fall on the same day which sucks! I wish one of us was one week and one the next...that would be so much easier.

We are down to the nitty gritty food wise too. I am trying to avoid buying too much that will go bad since we leave next friday. Even my kids are complaining though...you know its bad when your 10 year old is begging for osme fruit...eek!

Shan

Yesterday was a great day! I didn't count calories, but I'm pretty positive I stayed within goal if not slightly under. We cleaned house all day, and I do mean scrubbed from top to bottom (we're trying to get ready for the puppy). I went to the store and bought all of this great puppy stuff. Her pet bed is HUGE and a soft pink courduroy (sp?) on one side, and pink blue and brown stripes on the other. It has cedar chips in it which make it just smell wonderful. (I love the smell of clean wood). And the best part? The cover is removable so I can wash it!! Kaydence is determined to make it her next big pillow. We converted our front closet into Nanaja's new bedroom. It's a modestly deep closet making it slightly bigger than a large kennel, but small enough that it maintains the purpose of a kennel.

Bought a new workout tape (and I do mean VHS tape - ha ha how old). It is FRICKING AWESOME!! Once I get the hang of it, this tape will be even better! It's called Crunch Dance Party. 45 minutes of dancing. What's not to love? It does Latin dancing first, then hip hop dance, and then throws in some good ol' 70's retro dancing. Works the abs, the butt, the arms, gets cardio up and the time goes by so quickly. Really LOVE this tape. Wish I had it on DVD though, it's such a pain to switch from cable to VCR and then back again.

Realized yesterday that even if I work hard all day, do my workout, I still feel guilty about sitting back and relaxing in front of the TV. I wonder why that is? That will be an emotion to explore.

Alrighty, off to the grocery store (finally - been meaning to do it for two days now). TTFN

Momma D

Sooooo, didya get stocked up with healthy yummy foodage? The tape sounds great! I need something new to inspire me in the exercise dept -- maybe I will go on ebay and amazon to see if someone has a supercheap copy. The TV in the basement has only a VCR hooked up so the VHS version is fine with me. Thanks for the tip and enjoy your new workout!

Getting a new puppy huh? How exciting! A friend of mine took her new pup to obedience training at one of the big box pet stores and it helped a lot. Pup seems to be leash trained and almost potty trained now. Bonus feature, she says it's great that she has a reason that she HAS to get out for a walk every day, rain or shine.

Enjoy what is left of your weekend! :wave:

WHAT A BUSY MONDAY!! HOLY COW!

I did get tons of groceries on Sunday morning. Lots of good 4 you yummies! Nearly finished cleaning the whole house. :laugh: Go figure, 48 hours and all I have to show is a NEARLY clean house. Didn't get to bed until super late and then I just could not get my body to shut down. Was up at three AM. Fell back asleep and woke up too late to do my video X-( . Will have to work super hard tonight. Made it within my calorie range Sunday, below it on Saturday. Today forgot my SBD frozen pizza in the freezer so I made a run to the Quick Trip down the road! Holy Mother of Lord Jesus! NOTHING in there that looks like it could be good for you has any nutritional value. I bought a Turkey and Sandwich on Rye that looked to be good and healthy, until after I'm finished eating it and see 1165mg of Sodium! You've got to be kidding me! I haven't really been monitoring my salt intake mind you, but considering tomorrow is my official weigh in day, I don't want to be retaining tons of water. So let me just say unofficially that I weighed in this morning at 200lbs. That's 10lbs gone so far!! :ex: Happy Dance!!

I'm not going to post all of my stuff from the weekend, but trust that I did it! :D

Ivy, thanks for popping in! Actually, I bought the video from the Dollar Tree so it only cost me $1!! Can you believe it?? We'll be taking Nanaja to puppy training classes, which I'm pretty excited about. Just all around excited I guess :laugh:

Alright, off to more work.... ho hum.

Momma D

WOO HOO! It is official! 200 lbs! :dance: :dn :mus:
That is the halfway mark to goal #1!! I'm hoping I'll be at my first goal by my sisters wedding so we can go and get mani's and pedi's together. OMG I'm just so excited! 10 lbs in three weeks. Not as slow as it should be, but the last two weeks have been a slow and steady 2-2.5 lbs/week. That's exactly what I want.

On that note, haven't done totals for yesterday yet, but will post them later this morning. Gotta go make lunch and workout. TTFN!

Momma D

WOW! congratulation! Enjoy every second of your success!
x

Yesterday:

1379 calories
20.54% fat
25.92% protein
57.09% carbs

Wow, great day! Definately a turn for the better after buying more groceries :laugh: Woke up and did my dance video this morning. Man my butt burns!! Feeling a little overwhelmed today b/c a coworker is gone and didn't leave much direction to some jobs sitting on my desk. Grrr.

Thanks for stopping by Dais! I'm happy, but I'm not going to "celebrate" until my 1/4 of the way goal. Which coincides with my sisters wedding, so maybe I'll treat myself to a small piece of cake then.

TTFN!
Momma D

Not much to tell about my evening or morning today. Feeling good still. Hubby is doing really well with the compliments!! Ha ha. Gosh I love that man! We were laughing this morning about me strutting around in a bikini this June! SO excited for that moment. OH! I did try this AMAZING salmon recipe last night! It's called Maple Salmon. Mmmmm it was so good! Here is the link to the website I got it from:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/maple-salmon/detail.aspx
I did make some modifications. I used light soy sauce and added some crushed red peppers. Also put in about 2x the minced garlic. Wasn't strong at all.

Okay, totals from yesterday:

1329.94 Calories
20.71% Fat
22.12% Protein
64.36% Carbs

NO NO NO NO NO!! It's SNOWING!! :snow: :c( :snow:

It has been a good day so far. People at work are starting to kid around about the "weird healthy food" that I eat. Which really isn't THAT weird in my opinion. For lunch I had pineapple, mango, & papaya on cottage cheese and they thought that was the weirdest thing ever. Ha ha ha.

Had carrots for an afternoon snack. Any ideas on making that a little more... well... a little less blah? I like the crunch in carrots, and I like them for a little bit in the beginning... but then it gets... you know... CARROTY! :laugh: :dc

Alright, on my way home in a bit so will chat more tomorrow! Have a good night everyone!

Momma D

drizzle honey on the carrots and grill them on a really high heat! crispy crunchy sweet! just go easy on the honey ;)
x

Hey girl!

Glad that you are so kicking some butt!! I am sooo proud of you.

I had no idea that you were getting a new puppy. Tell me all the details. LOVE LOVE LOVE puppies...our newest one is only about 16 weeks old now and just a darling. We now have three.

I feel for you with the snow. We are supposed to be getting some this coming weekend. BLECK...perfect traveling weather.

Glad to see u are doing great

Big hugs
Shan

Whew! What a morning! Kaydence came in to spend about an hour and a half with me at work. She did really well until about the last 20 minutes b/c it was getting very close to naptime. She sat and colored at my desk (and on my desk) :laugh: , we watched some Noggin on the PC, and she got to go down and see our production department. They love her! (Of course!!)

I only got to eat about half of my breakfast. Grrrr. Had meetings this morning, was helping a coworker go through some crap product, and then surprise surprise Kaydence turns up to enjoy my morning! I did wake up early and get my workout in. It's getting a little easier, which I'm not entirely convinced is a good thing. I mean, isn't cardio supposed to be difficult??

My totals for yesterday:

1545 calories (a little over my 1500 max, but it was all good for you stuff)
17.14% Fat
30.50% Protein
50.73% Carbs

Shan: We are SOOOO excited about the puppy! We are getting a female boxer pup! She's super cute! We want to see how she's going to interact with Kaydence first before we bring her home, but from everything the breeder has said she sounds like a total sweetheart & definately a cuddler.

Also very excited about me kicking butt! Hi-YA ugly fat! :blackeye:

I will post pics of Kaydence and the puppy next week hopefully. Maybe I'll sneak in one or two of me with them! Ha ha ha.

Buh bye for now!
Momma D

You know, I have always had the worst of luck on Friday the 13th. Really. But somehow I feel that today is going to be different. My spirits are high and I feel like nothing can get me down. After work today I am going to my MIL's house to pick up the puppy carrier, then heading home to pick up my little pumpkin-head, & we are off into the sunset!! I'm a little worried about how well I will do travelling and finding good, healthy things to eat. My family is very much about comfort foods, but my sister is trying to lose a little bit of weight for the wedding next month, so I think there will be healthier choices there.

Yesterday went really well except for a tiny tiny slip. I ate some Black Pepper Jack Doritos. Not a whole lot. Just some. They were so yummy. I didn't count them in my daily totals which I realize is cheating a tiny bit - BUT I did do fantastic on calories yesterday.

Here's the stats:
1397.5
12.16%
24.48%
64.91%

Make it a great one!!
Momma D

:( Oh, how sad I am nobody came to visit my journal over the weekend! I had to go digging for it!! Hee hee hee :laugh:

What a FANTASTIC weekend!! We got our pup and she is the CUTEST thing on four legs! She is a beautiful brindle color, has the sweetest disposition, and has just added to the joy and love in our family.

Had such a good time with my mom and sisters. It was really nice to be just the girls again (throughout a lot of my childhood my mother was a single mom). Friday we all got to my sisters house at around 11:00. Kaydence wasn't sleepy in the least (after only an hour nap during the day, and an hour in the car) so we went to WalMart and got groceries for breakfast. We were all having such a good time and laughing so hard that even college students were looking at us like we were insane. The cashier really questioned my mom about the beer she was buying asking if it was really for her, suspecting she would pass it on to us (although most of us are already legally allowed to drink). It was a good laugh. Saw my bio. father on Saturday for about fifteen minutes. He got to meet Kaydence for the first time, and I got to meet my new baby sister. She is so cute. Went and saw the wedding reception venue. It's really going to be a gorgeous wedding. Then my mom & two of my sisters had to head back home, so my remaining sis & I went to the mall, met up with her fiance' for a min., then walked around for a bit.

Went to pick up the dog. How SCARY! We went through this little speck of a village that looked like it came right out of a horror film. Onto this little run down farm 1 1/2 miles from "town". Both my sister and I were terrified to get out of the car!! :help: Dog threw up after 10 minutes in the car. My sister and I were gagging and laughing hysterically. My stomach muscles hurt so bad yesterday.

We left early Sunday morning and got back home at 11:00 AM. Took a much welcomed nap in the afternoon. It was good to be home. Can't wait to go back next month though.

I'm not so sure I did all that well with healthy eating this weekend. I should add up all of the calories and things to hold myself accountable. But I'm super scared to do such. I do know though, that this morning when I stepped on the scale I'm down three pounds from last Tuesday! Yipee!!!

Have a great day everyone! Even though it is Monday..... *sigh*

Ugh! Just did my totals for Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Need to shape it up this week, SERIOUSLY! Way too much fatty food.

Friday-----------Saturday-------Sunday
1400 cal.--------1498 cal.-------1640 cal.
16.85% fat------32.56% fat-----35.82% fat (<----yuck yuck yuck)
27.39% pro------25.12% pro-----18.44% pro
52.47% carb-----47.54% carb----52.26% carb

:( Better day today! I promise!!

So so so tired!! I think after all of the excitement, driving, puppy care, etc. I am just so exhausted. It's not even 3:00 and I could take a nap for hours.

Meant to post earlier in here something really exciting that happened this weekend. I couldn't get my panties to stay up!! It was pretty embarassing actually. My sister and I were walking around and I kept having to reach and grab them. :laugh:

Have done well today. I had a yogurt and granola for breakfast, soup crackers & an orange for lunch. Not sure what is for dinner yet, but working on it.

MD

197.5 lbs this morning! Hooray!

Went to bed early last night. Mmmm. My bed was so nice and comfy. Our puppy is quickly learning to go potty outside. She does really well in the rest of the house, but for some reason she has decided that my throw rug in the kitchen is for pooping on. She only pees outside though, so that is FANTASTIC! :laugh: I have the strange feeling that by the end of next month she will be sleeping in our bed though. When it first started out my darling husband and I decided she'd be sleeping downstairs in her own little "room", but in the last two days she has gradually moved upstairs via said darling husband. He said we would move her bed to his game room (the extra bedroom upstairs) but this morning she was sleeping on the floor by the foot of our bed. Tisk tisk. :laugh:

Yesterday was a good day. Finally getting back on track.

1429 calories
19.82% fat
25.21% protein
59.17% carbs

Have a great day everyone!
Momma D

Wow, beginning to feel as though I'm talking to myself in my journal.

I'm feeling frustrated today. I'm not sure why, as the pounds have steadily been creeping off of me. In my mind I'm envisioning never meeting my goal. Being 190+ pounds for the rest of my life. Like no matter how hard I work at eating right, or working out that it will always be there. I've been slacking off on the workouts lately too. Maybe that's why I'm feeling this way. I'm just SO tired lately. I have little time in my day to work out except for in the morning. And even then my body is just craving sleep. I'm not sure what to do at this point to re-energize. Go to bed between 8:30 & 9:00 with Kaydence? Even then I think I would still be lethargic, and I don't have any time to just unwind. Not sure what the answer is here.

Had a new cereal this morning. I actually really like it. It's Kashi's organic flakes with strawberries & raspberries. I was a little nervous after the Kashi oatmeal experience, but it was good.

Here are my stats from yesterday

1396.5 calories
17.65% fat
17.13% protein
64.93% carbs

Not bad actually.

Momma D

Stressful night last night. Took the puppy to the vet. She has roundworms, so we started her on treatment for that. Poor thing. She passed probably 2 cups of roundworms by the end of the night. Gross. No wonder she wasn't as rambunctious as most boxers. After that she was feeling much much better. Did good with calories again yesterday. Actually, I was really winging it and ended up doing very well.

1271 calories
15.19% fat
26.18% protein
54.53% carbs

Still sad. Feel stuck in a hole that's filling in on me. Help

Hi there!

Just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone. I feel the same way. Its been a crummy day for me, and it seems that encouragement is hard to come by today. But, I hope things have settled down a bit for you. Enjoy those panties falling down. That means you can shop for new ones. Wearing new sexy panties makes me feel great! Congrats on your weight loss! You are doing great!

See you around!

Well, last night was definately my night of binging. I don't think I'll be doing that again any time soon. It was just such a hard hard day for me. Somebody brought in these HUGE Starbucks cookies. I just became fixated on it. I split one in half with a coworker as a snack. I started thinking about dinner and was just CRAVING a hamburger and mashed potatoes with bacon, cheese, & onion in them. So I got to cooking when I got home, my husband begging and pleading with me. But it was like I had a one track mind, and it was all smelling so good. I ate one plateful, with a large helping of mashed potatoes, a med. hamburger patty, and a large serving of corn. I was so full, felt sick from all of the grease, guilty for all of the calories, and my tummy was stretching out again so I was doubled over in pain. :-&

Still feel guilty today, but I'm bound and determined to make up for it and get back on track. I want to lose the weight. I want to be sexy again, or maybe just feel that way for the first time (since everyone always thought I was before, but I never thought of myself that way). I woke up and worked out for an hour and a half this morning. Feel good about that. 45 minutes of cardio, a half hour of strength training, and 15 min. of stretching.

Lord, please help me to stay focused and resist temptation.

Thanks for stoping by Melissa! It really meant a lot.

Buh bye for now
Momma D

Him Mommydyanna-

You are having a stretch of troubles, aren't you. Sorry the poor puppy is sick, and hope that situation clears up. A sick pet is always a concern.

But your binge last night really didn't amount to very much, and you got right back on track today. Just look on it as a learning experience that is past.

Stay strong this weekend. Weekends are always a problem for me.

Keep smiling -

hello mommy, you're not a lone. sorry to hear about the puppy. hopefully he feels better soon. i see you count % of carbs, protein, and fat eaten each day. how do u do that? just wondering
thanks

Hey my little friend!

I hate that you are having such a hard time and I was stuck on the rock. Glad that I came back...just in time I hope!

Girl, we all have temptation days and who really cares?? As long as it comes in short quick bursts it'll all be okay. Your potatoes sound quite yummy to my hungry tummy LOL

How is the puppy coming along?? Its first thing Monday morning and you are no where to be seen...come back girl!

I'll check back in later
HUGS
Shan

OMG! Where do the problems end? Okay, will try to make a very long story short here, but we'll see. At the end of May hubby quit his job because it was creating a long list of health problems and we decided it would be better to be a little short on cash for a while then to lose him all together. He has been looking for work but still hasn't found anything (job economy here is VERY dry). I was in a car accident about two months ago and totalled my car and our second car was reposessed last night. My stress levels are through the roof today. I've been crying all morning.

I do have a couple bits of good news though:

A) This weekend I put on a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in a while. I was almost to the point where I couldn't wear them anymore they fit so snug. I not only could close them easily, but I had extra room! Hooray!

B) The scale has been fluctuating for me the last couple weeks between 200 & 197.5. It is now fluctuating between 197.5 & 195.5!! Hooray Again!

C) My commitment was re-affirmed this morning when my mom sent pictures from last weekend. It's been ages since I've taken a picture - and after seeing these I really desire even more to be healthy, in shape, & slim!

Thanks everyone for your support! I did have a good healthy weekend.

Momof2 - I add up all of the fat grams, carb grams, and protein grams for the day. 1 g of fat = 10 calories, 1 g of carbs/protein = 4.99 calories. Then I find the percentages from the total calories taken in for the day. I try to stay around 20-25% protein, less than 20% fat, and 50% carbs.

Shan! Hooray you're back! I've missed you and thought about you daily! How was your week on "the rock"? Puppy is doing SO much better. She has so much energy.

Better get to work since I came in late. I'll pop in later.

Momma D

OMG!! I am sending you HUGE hugs. Girl, when it rain it pours...I know that first hand! Take a deep breath and push forward. In my young, eventful life I have learned that God (or whoever is up there watching down) only gives us what we can handle. I truely believe that. If I ever told you my life story you would be amazed at the crap I have been through. BUT i always come through shining.

What are your alternatives for a vehicle?? Don't you have quite a commute to and from work?? Financial problems always suck the life outta ya eh?? I know how hard that can be. My sweetie is only employed on a seasonal basis and it is often really really tough this time of year! We'll see what happens this year.

Congratuations on the Jeans!! and on the new lower numbers. Keep trucking along and before you know it you'll be out of the 90's all together.

Don't you hate photos?? I always hate the way I look and they give me more resolve to keep going.

BIG HUGS
SHan

OK, I have updated my profile and now have pics! Woo....er....Hoo!

(Thanks for the big hugs Shan! I really needed it!)

Hi there! Been awhile since i've checked your journal, sounds like your doing fabulous despite your sick puppy and your financial concerns! Good job on fitting into the pants! That is awesome! You did something VERY hard for most people to do, too...you picked yourself up after your one bad night of eating and got right back to it! I have a HUGE problem with doing that myself, so KUDOS to you girlie! Your doing awesome!

Amazing! It's been just over a month since I've started this journey and I'm down an amazing 13.5 pounds. I can't believe I'm doing it - really doing it! This mornings official weigh in was 196.5!

Still haven't figured out what we're going to do. Things progressively got worse yesterday. I was in bed at 10:30 but fell asleep on the couch around 9:00. I really just can't handle much more. I'm trying to look at the few positives left. New puppy feeling better, my gorgeous daughter, loving husband, my DT friends & journal, and the weight loss - heck just the daily eating well is a confidence boost for me.

Thanks Lori for stopping by! I really appreciate your kind words of support & encouragement.

Talk to you all soon!
Momma D

Hey girl!

Keep your head up. You are definatly on the right road with looking at all the positives you have going for yourself! I am extremely proud of you for sticking to this without letting yourself fall back into your old ways even under all this stress!!

You will succeed and things will get better.

I am out of the office at a luncheon for most of the day and have to conduct an interview this morning so I can't say that I will be around alot. Know that I am thinking about you though....

Shan <--- off to check out your pictures.

Thanks for checking in Shan!

Alright, just did totals for yesterday. Came in a bit short of goal, but wasn't really feeling up to the task of eating.

1168 calories
15.72% fat
34.30% protein
54.96% carbs

Have a fantabulous day everyone!

Hi! Thanks for dropping by my journal. You are doing so great. You and I have close to the same stats. I was 216 now 181 (was down to 154 oops!) and goal of 118 which is where I feel my best. Keep up the great work. You can do it.

I just learned something FANTABULOUS! I have been so worked up and anxious whenever my fat percentages for the day have gone over 20%, thinking that I'm supposed to keep this very low (which is good for my cholesterol mind you) but anyhow, listen to this.

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDRs) set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies are:

10-35% Protein
20-35% Fat
45-65% Carbs

Which means that I have been going even lower than that for my fats, and have (all but one day with fats) stayed below that 35% line. And only gone over my Carbs limit twice! Protein has always been pretty steady and within those parameters! It makes me feel so much better about listening to what my body is saying, because there are just those moments in the beginning where you aren't sure if you are needing something or just wanting it.

Thanks for coming by Sunymiss! Yes, it does look like we are pretty close! I hope to see more of you around (or less really :laugh:). Don't worry, you get back to that 151 and then keep right on going. You gonna have such a strong community behind you! Have a great one!

Momma D

that's great!! it's always nice to find out you've been doing better then u thought. keep up the good work and it will keep coming off.
later

Hey MD...
I liked the info you provided. Very helpful and motivating! It's great that you have actually been doing better than you thought. Good news is always great.

Its biggest loser night tonight and ANTM so I hope I get soem TV time. Had a bit of a rough night last night that will carry out over the next few days. I'll post on it in my journal when I have a sec.

Take care
Shan

Just trying to breathe this week. It's been long and hard. I did good yesterday with food and calories. Went and bought groceries last night b/c sister in law came over to help out. Totally broke now, and didn't get very much, but I'll make it work somehow.

1366 calories
21.81% fat
28.01% protein
51.58% carbs

Today is going well. I think I may actually end up being a little short of goal, but we'll see.

Momof2 & Shan, thanks for stopping by! Shan - I'm so sorry it's not going well. I'll pop by your journal and check things out there.

TTFN
Momma D

Thanks for caring MD. I was working on writting the long post while juggling work calls and such. I am totally zonked and feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders today!

I know all about being broke...BLECK..went and bought tons of food 2 days ago and we'll have loads to last us atleast a month.

Hope ur well
HUGS
Shan

Just wanted to stop by and introduce myself, i'm momof2's sister Darcy. She got me started in this site, and have had good communications from everyone involved. Keep up the good work, we will all get there in time!! Look forward to chatting with you more.

Darcy,

Thanks for stopping by and introducing yourself! Yes, I know we'll all get there in time - but it does get easier I promise. The eating healthier is becoming more and more natural for me and the weight just keeps coming off. I don't know if you read at the beginning of my journal or not - but my avatar means "looking toward a brighter future" and because I come to DT every day during the week I focus on that mantra daily.

Can't wait to get to know you better.

Momma D

Oh Shan, I do care so much. When does your dad come home? How is he reacting to all of this? Have you gotten some rest? Looks like it has been a really horrible week for us both. Take it one day at a time.

Meant to ask you, was it completely awesome to be able to have some fresh fruit & veggies again? I remember you saying you didn't get any on the rock.

HUGE HUGS & PRAYERS to you and your family,
Momma D

MommyD, thanks for stopping by my journal! I'll have to go check out your pics. That is AWESOME news about your fat intake and you were right on listening to your bod! Keep up the great work. :cheer:

HAVE to do a happy dance!! :dance: :dc :dance: :jn :dance:

I know it isn't weigh in day, but I'm going to update anyway - cuz I'm SOOOO excited and happy! After only a one pound loss this last week, this morning I weighed in at 193.5!! That is 16.5 pounds just GONE! yes, Yes, YES!!

We are also getting a car from my parents this weekend so we'll have something to drive around in. Hooray!

Thanks for stopping by Ivory!

Momma D

WOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! :cheers: :cheer: :dc :dn

I am dancing with you -- let's have a party!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Ivy!

I also meant to post this earlier, my mom sent it to me. Not sure how true it is, but take it how you'd like:

This makes sense.... the Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea
with their meals..not cold water... maybe it is time we adopt their
drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain...

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is
applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a
meal.

However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have
just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and
be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line
the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is
best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Busy busy day. Sorry for not posting sooner. Will be back later though!

Have a good one everybody!

Hey mommyd,

CHEERS TO YOU!!!! :up: :cheer: :cheers:
That's an awesome loss!! I hope this week I'll loose some. Even 1 lb would be great. I've been watching my calorie intake and my percentages are all within range (except for sodium) but just need the exercise factor. But got in 40 minutes of the Biggest Loser DVD last night, man it was rough, sweated big time, but made it through!! Have a great weekend!!

Bad, bad, bad, bad me! :( I'm not sure when it happened, how it happened, or how to fix it, but somewhere in this last week one foot fell off the wagon and now I'm hanging on tight, but can't manage to pull myself back up. Any ideas?

I think it has a lot to do with all of the stress of these last couple weeks, and it just makes me want to eat away all of the pain and disappointment.

I don't want to give up, I want to kick butt and lose all of this extra weight. I'm just running low on energy. :(

So, now for the "let's be honest" part. 196.00 lbs this morning (official weigh in day). Damn.

hang in there girl. as long as u are fighting to keep losing weight you'll do it. that means u haven't given up and that's good. just one day at a time. rest up and then when you're feeling better get back into it. u can do it.
niki

Dang girl can you please stop banging into me....

!!PUSHES YOU BACK ON THE WAGON!!

Now hurry up and pull me back on too....

It looks like we have been flopping around together banging on the side of this damn wagon for long enough!

Let's pull up our sleeves and pour all that we have into this journey. It is SOOO easy to fall off and I know know know that my fall has to do with not being on here as much as i should.

I know its awful to put so much focus on my DT friends but everyone does such a good job of keeping me motivated, accountable and focused..

Come back to me MD and let's do this together!!!

HUGS
Shan

PS...if the hugs don't work it'll be a kick in the butt next...

Hey girl,

You hang in there!!! Take a couple good deep breaths, brush off the past and start fresh!! We all have (will have) our bad days/weeks, but that's what this is for...... to help keep each other motivated and supported!!!

Just keep on pluggin' and you'll do it!!!! :D

Hey MD...its wednesday and you aren't at work!??!

HELLO?? HELLO?? Only an echo *sigh*

Come back and play with me LOL

Girl, it took years and years for us to get this way...its not going to fly off over night...we can and we WILL do this!!

BIG HUGS
Shan

Hey MD! Where you at? Just wondering how you are feeling today. I'm feeling pretty strong today so if you need some extra strength I've got it here for ya!

Hi guys! Thanks for worrying about me! It lets me know you are all rooting for me.

My "boss/supervisor/co-worker" went in for knee replacement surgery on Monday, so we (myself and two other co-workers) are very busy trying to keep up with her stuff and all of ours. She'll be gone for at least a month and didn't do a great job keeping us up to speed.

I'll pop in tonight and post a longer, more updated..... umm... update :D

sounds good, can't wait to see how things are going with u.
later

Okay, so maybe not last night, but definately this morning. In the last oh... two weeks, I've neglected my calorie counting, but have been trying devilishly hard to make good choices. I've won some, I've lost some. But I'm trying to get myself to a point where I can get back on the ball. Things are seriously hard in our home right now.

Hubby may be getting custody of his son. Apparently his ex gf has decided that she wants to achieve all of these goals, and his autism makes it nearly impossible for her to do that, so she's been hinting at he and I taking over custody, which would make us happier than you can possibly imagine.

I'm frustrated with the scale, not because it isn't going down, but because it has been so inconsistent. Yesterday morning it dropped to 194.5, and today it is 194. Which is fantastic, I'm just wondering what the sudden change was. Salt? Or maybe just with my stress levels coming down. Who knows.

I was very sad because I didn't get to do trick-or-treating with Kaydence. While hubby has been working for our landlord to catch up with rent, she has been staying with a family member clear on the other side of the city, over an hour from our house. I'd been in the car for three days and would have been there very late anyhow, so I missed it. Makes me feel pretty shameful I guess.

Work has been mind-boggling busy and beat-your-head-in frustrating. Enough said there really.

I'm going to work on getting better, really truly. And I vow to check in here at least twice a day! Talk to you all soon.

Momma D

Our bodies just do funny things sometimes. That's why you gotta be careful when you weigh in daily, cause you will see fluctuations sometimes. I weigh in daily too. Some peopel say you should, some say you shouldn't. All I know is that it works for me.

Hey MD...how is your week going! Sounds like we have both had a hectic few weeks. Doesn't suck when someone in the office is away and you have to take on their work too?? I know all about that! My boss takes like 6 weeks of vacation per year which literally doubles my work BLECK!

How was your weekend???

Do not be ashamed about not being able to do the trick or treating things. IN the life of a child that is a pr