Weight Loss: Week 13

i am a little over 3 months into my weight loss journey. in some ways it has flown by b/c we are so busy around here, but in other ways i feel like i've been doing this forever. i can say that it has actually been pretty fun for me. i've loved finding new ways to cook, bake, snack, exercise & eat. and its been fun to weigh in each week & see how much weight i have lost. most of my clothes are too big so i've been able to use some birthday money to get a few new things. and that is super fun! i can't tell too much difference in my body, when i see myself undressed, but Ben says he can definitely see a change. and so that is comforting.

my favorite thing about this experience is that i can literally eat whatever i want. i know that sounds too good to be true, like something you would hear on any weight loss infomercial on tv. but its true. i have just learned how to count the calories in my portions & exercise to burn some of it off. i eat: yogurt mountain, pizza at small group, mexican, italian, chocolate, bbq & anything else that sounds yummy. i can make a recipe, enter on my app or website & figure out exactly how many calories are in each serving. i also have a couple apps on my iphone that tell me how many calories are in specific foods from certain restaurants. its really been a lot easier than i expected.

i use the LoseIt & MyFitnessPal apps. you can also use the websites for free. they have been life savers for me. i use both of them, every single day. its so easy. i just eat breakfast, log my calories. eat lunch, log my calories. eat dinner, log my calories. snack, log my calories. and when i exercise, i log calories burned. sometimes i do forget & have to log my calories at the end of the day, but it still works out the same. now that i've been doing this for 3 months, i have a pretty good idea about calories vs portion control. and i eat a lot of the same food through out the week, so i remember the calories.

i have lost 24 lbs thus far. i have 6 lbs to go before i reach my first goal: 30 lbs. then i'm going to set another goal for 25 lbs. once i reach that, i'll take it 5 lbs at a time. i'm confident i can do this. it will take time, but it can & will be done! my goal is for all of 2010 to be spent working on my weight loss & exercise. that way, by Christmas (hurry, please) i'll be in so much better shape & ready for the new year!

i am not nearly brave enough to post my starting weight, maybe after i drop several more pounds i'll have the gumption for that. but i do plan to start logging my inches lost. a friend asked me to post before & after pics of myself. which is a pretty good idea. but i don't know how many i have of just me, full length. ha! in fact, i don't have any!! but i'll see if i can come up with something! i think if you see me in person, you might be able to tell some difference.

foods i eat:

* special k cereals, very calorie friendly & yummy. my faves are red berries & cinnamon pecan

* healthy choice frozen meals. i eat a lot of these for lunches. i can buy them in bulk at costco. and i can always find coupons for them on coupons.com or target.com

* weight watchers desserts. i like these b/c they are good & there is a lot of variety.

* minute maid frozen lemonade. so yumm. and only 100 calories each serving

* crystal light. or the kroger/target brand. i drink this when i get bored with water. ha!

* coke zero, cherry coke zero or diet coke. if i have a hankering for soda or caffeine, this is my go to

* coffee. i buy the fat free or sugar free creamers. it really helps to cut down calories

* pasta. i cook with organic sauce or tomatoes, & whole wheat noodles. i use reduced fat cheeses & as any veggies as i can. i several yummy recipes for these types of dishes

* i try to buy the 100 calorie packs of snacks. when i can. but if i can't, i just look at the nutrition label on the box & count up the calories

* salad. i love to keep it around the house for lunch or a quick dinner.

* bread. i buy the sandwich rounds. they are 100 calories each. or the wheat tortillas for a wrap.

for all of my recipes, i just try to buy the most calorie friendly options. i allow myself the most splurge around dinner time.

for exercise:

* zumba, twice per week. there are so many different class options in Memphis that i have plenty to choose from.

* walking or jogging around my apartment complex at night after my kids are in bed. i feel pretty safe here, so this isn't a problem.

* wii fit. i haven't done as much of this lately b/c i got burned out on it. i was doing it every day for about an hour. for a total of 8 weeks. i still do it, but maybe 3 times per week.

* walking the green line at Shelby Farms. i take my kids & we walk about 2 miles. great exercise & fun. i burn great calories doing this.

* zoo. we just got a membership. walking around the zoo for 2 hours, pushing a stroller, burns about 6oo+ calories!

* treadmill. i go to a local church that allows us to use it for free or i use the one at my MIL's house. i burn about 400 calories an hour doing this.

any activity such as cleaning or walking through the mall, i just log on my apps. and i get calorie credit!!

i try not to eat past 8pm but it doesn't always happen. i go for 1 helping of something, 95% of the time. i just make smarter choices. if i know we will be eating out that night & i want to eat good then i'll try to exercise a little extra that day so i can do that. i usually have plenty of calories left over at the end of the day. i don't deprive myself. if i come with 100 calories of my daily goal, i'm fine with that. i don't stress when i cut it close, i just allot for more work out time that week.

i plan on doing this type of thing for the rest of my life. i think its totally manageable & really easy. i look forward to getting the exercise. i love losing weight. and i feel 100% better. my self confidence is still not what it could be, but i'm getting there. i honestly have 0 complaints about all of it. i tried every single thing, in years past, to lose weight & keep it off. and NOTHING has worked like this. nothing. losing weight is possible. it just takes discipline & time. i will NEVER go back to my previous weight. not possible.

i hope this is encouraging to someone. it can be done. and i would be happy to answer any detailed questions. i am not Jillian Michaels, but i am working hard & eating better. if i can do this, anyone can do this. i even plan on sticking with it during my 3rd pregnancy (whenever that is) and when i nurse baby #3. its just a healthy way of life.

i'm off to take my kids to the park & enjoy some Yogurt Mountain later tonight with my sweet hubby!

What I Eat

this whole "trying really hard to eat right, exercise & count calories" thing has been fun. can you believe i said that?! ha! i have actually really enjoyed it. i look forward to my weekly weigh in, so that i can see how much progress i've made. and i don't mind exercising anymore, its become a habit, just something else i do in my daily routine. that is the most shocking part to me!!

when i first started this journey, i thought it would be a stressful, monotonous process. i knew i would hate it, grow tired of it quickly & maybe it just wouldn't work for me. but, i was wrong. i am discovering that i can eat the things i love & crave. i have the freedom to eat whatever i want, but i need to have a healthy balance.

so, a couple people have asked me what sort of things i am eating. it does change from day to day. we do a lot of eating out with ben's family, eating pizza at small group every sunday night, or lunches with people from church. but, when i am home, i do have a few staples i like to keep around the house.

i want to do a post soon about what exactly it is i've been doing, day in & day out, to drop the weight, but for now, i'll stick with a few of my current fave food items. and as i keep going down this road, i plan on sharing more & more recipes & foods that i have found that are healthy, yummy & friendly to calorie counting.

a few food faves:

Breakfast:

i LOVE this bread. i usually have 2 slices. sometimes i add some fat free cream cheese to it. its yummy & only 160 calories! my kids & hubby really love it too. it has become a grocery staple at our house. it's not the cheapest bread, so i usually look for a coupon or buy it at Costco.

special K cereals are great. there are so many varieties & they are calorie friendly. red berries is my current fave. i can usually find coupons for this too.

i am definitely my mother's daughter. i have come to love coffee. i drink it about 4 mornings a week. but, it can get crazy with the calories. so, i found the sugar free creamers & i love them. only 15 calories per tablespoon. which is great. this flavor is yummy.

Lunch:

this is a sandwich round. my MIL introduced me to them. they are great. multi-grain & VERY calorie friendly. each round has 2 slices & it is a total of 100 calories! love. so, if i'm craving a good turkey sandwich, this is the way to go, for me. i get these at Costco too, but Kroger does have them.

several days a week, i eat a Lean Cuisine, Smart Ones, or Healthy Choice frozen meal. don't get me wrong, some of them are terrible. really terrible. but i have found several that are pretty good. and its the perfect portion for lunch. i like this flavor a lot, but the Smart Ones version of it is even better. its really easy to find coupons for these, so when they are on sale, i use my coupons & stock up.

Dinner:

this is where i have the most variety. i have several recipes that i have learned how to make more calorie friendly. so, i'll share those soon. but when we're have what i call "simple supper" then i'll make myself & the hubs a yummy salad.

i like to fill my salad with lots of yummy veggies. i use, tomato, cucumber, red & green bell peppers & broccoli. i also toss in some cheese, croutons & salad finishers. (nuts, cranberries, apples, feta or blue cheese crumbles).

this is my favorite salad dressing. its not too heavy & it has a great flavor. but, it isn't the most calorie friendly. however, i usually have plenty of calories left at dinner time & so i can splurge on this dressing. its around 150-250 calories per serving, depending on how much you like to use. but, i think a little goes a long way. but, it is more calorie friendly than a ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Snacks:

it is important to snack during the day. it keeps your metabolism working & burning fat. but, you need to pick the right kind of snack. cake, doesn't count. unfortunately! ha!

i love cheese. so, string cheese is a good snack for me. most of them are around 80 calories per serving, which is great.

i love frozen fruit. so much. in fact, when i'm pregnant (i'm not, right now) i eat it by the pound! i usually buy a huge bag at Costco & it lasts me for a good long while. its a great snack option. i put a little in sandwich bags & pop it in the fridge at night so its thawed out the next morning. it's pretty calorie friendly & it tastes delish!

Dessert:

i don't have dessert every day. but, i do have it often. and the Weight Watcher's line of dessert is pretty much the only kind i ever have. Skinny Cow is good too. i love this flavor. it is only 60 calories per bar & it seriously tastes like home made strawberry ice cream. crazy crazy good.

when i need a chocolate fix, this is my go to dessert. man alive, this is good. after my kids go to bed, i sit on the couch with the hubs, watch TV and enjoy a little chocolate. perfect end to my day. i have also found coupons for the Weight Watchers desserts on coupons.com. i must admit that they aren't the cheapest thing to buy. BUT, its totally worth it to me. all of the flavors are great & it feels good to reward myself for working so hard during the day to eat right!

so, there we go. a few things i eat. to be honest, this process has NOT been a burden. i don't feel deprived of things that i love. and i definitely feel better. eating a ton of processed, fatty foods makes you feel gunky, funky and yuck. if we go out to eat & i'm craving pasta, i get it. but i watch my portions, try to pick the healthier pasta, ask for whole wheat noodles & then i come home & exercise to counter my calories. trust me: if i can do this then anyone, and i mean anyone can do it too!! hopefully, i've been a little helpful.

happy eating!

Lose It!

one of my New Year's Resolutions is to get healthier. all the way around. part of that for me, is eating better, feeling better about my body, losing some weight & exercising. i'm determined. i'm not being silly & thinking i can drop 50lbs by May but i'm setting realistic healthy goals for myself & if (and when) i achieve them, i'll set a new goal. and i'll keep going until i feel like i'm at a healthy weight & size.

my sister, Katie, suggested i get the Lose It app for my iphone. i got it last night & i've really enjoyed it, so far. it is so helpful in counting calories & keeping up with what you've eaten. you can also use the Lose it website, if you don't have the iphone. it does all the same stuff.

basically, you enter your current weight and then the weight you would like to be. you also enter your gender, birthday & height. then it gives you the option of losing a certain amount each week. the options are:
.5 lbs
1 lb
1.5lbs
2lbs

after you pick one, it gives you the amount of calories you can have each day in order to reach your goal. for example, i want to lose 30 lbs. (to start out, once i reach this, i'll set a new goal).
so i chose to aim for 1.5lbs per week. the Lose It app told me that i can have 1,996 calories per day & i should be able to reach my goal by June 8, 2011. not too shabby!

you can enter the foods you eat by calorie, or search for foods in the database of the app. it records your daily calorie intake. then, if you work out, you enter the amount of calories you burned & it will add these calories to your total, allowing you to eat more. for example if you have 400 calories left for the day but you worked out & burned 250 calories, you now have 650 calories left to consume for the day. you can use this to break even with your goal, or beat it for each day! if you don't know how many calories you burned, you can look it up on the app. i love this option b/c if i go out to eat, i can enter in my amount of calories & still keep up with it. i think this will really come in handy for me! once i get to my goal weight, i won't freak out as much over calorie intake b/c i'll have a better idea of what & how much i can eat. which is really my goal.

i've also started working out on our Wii Fit. and i really like it! i highly recommend it to someone who can't leave their house, everyday, to work out. i needed something i could do within the comfort, convenience & privacy of my own home. i plan on getting the Zumba game this week & i'm excited to start that too!

i know that i'll never be a size 4 & i'll always struggle with my weight. i've come to terms with that. its really hard, but its just the way it is, for me. but i can be healthier & feel better about my body. i want to be in a healthier place when i get pregnant with baby #3. i'm tired of being embarrassed by the way i look, so i'm working hard to do something about it!

here are a few pics of how the app works, (the website is the same way). i found these pics using google.





if you are like me & you need a motivator or some accountability then i would say to get this app.
you can do it!!!!

i'm going to weigh myself every Tuesday morning to see my progress from the previous week! i'm not brave enough to post my weight on here right now but i'll post about my week & how much i've lost total! i'm excited!

here's to feeling better & being healthier!!!