Day 39

Holy cow, today was a monumental day! I jogged for a total of 27.5 minutes and I did a whole 15 minute stretch all at once! I don't think I've done that in my whole life ever before!!! I think as long as I don't keep looking at the timer on the treadmill I can push myself to go farther than I ever thought I could go. I am so proud of myself today. :) Today's workout stats are as follows : 27.5 minutes jogging out of 50 total, 6.9 miles (damn!) and 408 calories (I'm sure it was really more than that). Woohoo! I can't wait for weigh-day tomorrow. Hopefully I will have hit the 10 pound mark and I can go get myself some Katy Perry CDs. A little reward for all my hard work would feel nice right about now. Not that 10 pounds lost wouldn't be a reward in itself though. :)

Still going strong in the diet department as well. Here is what I ate today:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-s.f. pink lemonade
-leftover broccoli slaw
-1/2 cheese stick

DINNER:
-grilled chicken breast w/buffalo sauce
-ranch slaw
-sweet potato oven fries

Day 38

We made it to story time this morning! The last 2 times we missed it but we were finally able to get our act together in the morning and make it there on time. The bad part was that it was the last one until June. :( I found out there is one at Barnes and Noble as well but it's at 7 pm on Fridays. We'll see about that one but it would be cutting it awful close to bedtime. We had lunch with Mom today as well. Felt nice to get out of the house and do something. When we got back I did my workout while Emelia napped. I pushed myself today and went up to level 4.5 during the walking which is equivalent to a mile in 13 minutes 20 seconds. I went a total of 3.75 miles today but only burned 418 calories. I would have thought it would be more. Oh well. Still managed to do my 20 minutes of jogging. I don't think it will be too much longer before I can bump it up to 24 minutes done in 8, 3 minute sessions. Maybe another week or two is all. :)

The diet went well today. I feel so proud of myself for not caving in to any cravings. I'm feeling good about what I've been eating and I don't feel deprived. Sure, I'm missing eating carbs but I have been able to resist thus far. I'm really amazing myself these days! Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-strawberries w/Splenda

LUNCH:
-chicken Caesar salad (from La Madeleine)
-cup of tomato-basil soup with Swiss cheese & 1 crouton on top

DINNER:
-antipasto salad w/romaine, tomatoes, red onions, roasted red peppers, artichokes, pepperoncinis, salami, pepperoni, provolone & Italian dressing
-s.f. pink lemonade

I have not eaten it yet but I think I will end the night with a s.f. chocolate mousse pudding. Sounds tasty!

Day 37

Nothing new or exciting to report today. Just another normal Tuesday. Got back on the treadmill again today. I put in my normal 20 minutes of jogging out of 50. I went 3.69 miles and burned 408 calories. The jogging doesn't seem to be hurting my legs as much as before but boy, was my hip hurting! Hope that starts to get better in a hurry. For a brief second I thought I might have to cut my workout short. Egad! But I posed through. :)

The diet is still going strong. Here's what I ate today:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-lo-carb tortilla w/salami, swiss, mustard & mayo
-s.f. raspberry lemonade

DINNER:
-pork chop w/peach-ginger glaze (I used s.f. peach jam)
-broccoli slaw
-1/2 small risotto cake

Wow, this is really a short post. What a dull day. :/ Tomorrow we're off to story time, lunch with Mom and possibly a bang trim for Emelia. Hopefully I'll have more to report.

Day 36

Got back on the bandwagon today. I worked out for the first time in 5 days. Finally! I was starting to feel guilty for not getting back to it sooner. I managed to pick up right where I left off. I jogged for 20 minutes out of my 50 minute workout, went 3.65 miles and burned 408 calories. My left hip was hurting pretty bad towards the end and still hurts a little but I experienced the same thing when I first started walking. I think the pain will go away soon. It feels good to be back in the saddle again!

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist today. She was impressed with my dieting and exercising. I'm down 12 pounds from my last visit back in January. :) She said the diet, exercise and Metformin should all help to lower my testosterone levels and that another baby could be possible. :) Just have to get rid of another 41 pounds before we start trying. That's my goal anyway. Speaking of which, I finally came up with the rewards I want when I lose 30 & 40 pounds. I want a new pair of nice sunglasses at 30 pounds and a new hairdo/makeover at 40 pounds. Better go back and edit my post so I'll remember these!

I did well on my diet today. I decided at lunch that my new favorite vegetable is jicama. I mean, I've had it before but it's like a new discovery. So tasty and refreshing. Dammit, why didn't I buy any at the store tonight? Anyway, here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-leftover chicken salad
-veggies w/ranch (carrots, celery, jicama, green pepper,orange pepper & sugar-snap peas)
-s.f. cherry pomegranate

DINNER:
-leftover mushroom ragu
-1 slice leftover beef tenderloin
-leftover caponata

Day 35

Today was a very nice day. We went to a craft show at Oak Alley Plantation. It was pretty hot and humid out but all together it was nice to get out as a family. Got some new hair bows for Emelia. I think/hope she finally has one to match every outfit. Didn't get a chance to get back to my exercise today as anticipated but I will definitely be back at it tomorrow. I've got a doctor's appointment at 1 pm so I will either wake up early and workout or do it when I get back while Emelia naps.

Despite the fact that we were surrounded by typical fair food at the craft show, I managed to stick to my diet. Here is what I ate today:

LUNCH:
-diet Coke
-chicken kabob

DINNER:
-s.f. raspberry lemonade
-chicken salad on lo-carb tortilla
-baby carrots, celery sticks, jicama, orange & green bell peppers, sugar snap peas & cucumber w/ranch dressing

Day 34: Cheat Day

As you can tell from the title of this post, I cheated a little on my diet today. I made a special birthday dinner for Mom and in order for me to partake in the meal I needed to consume some carbs. It wasn't too much so I don't think it set me back any. I just hope that I can keep off the 5 pounds I lost while being sick. I'm really starting to miss my workouts. I'm not sure if tomorrow is going to work out in my favor so my goal is to get back on the bandwagon on Monday. I hope I wont have a setback and that I will still be able to do 20 minutes of jogging.

Here's what I ate today:

BREAKFAST:
-cantaloupe
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt

LUNCH:
-3 leftover turkey meatballs w/tomato sauce & mozzarella
-leftover zucchini

DINNER:
-s.f. raspberry lemonade
-bruschetta w/caponata, baby arugula & burrata cheese
-beef tenderloin w/rosemary red wine sauce, risotto cake w/mushroom ragu & sauteed broccolini
-vanilla panna cotta w/strawberry-fig compote & almond tuiles

Day 31, 32, 33

No, I haven't given up on my journey after only one month's worth of effort. For all of you out there in cyber land (hahaha) wondering where I've been, I've been sick. :( Some sort of a gastro thing got me. My tummy's been in knots and just churning away and well, the other end hasn't been very nice either. I'm feeling mostly better but not 100%. I feel bad because I haven't been able to workout these past 3 days and I'm not sure if tomorrow will be any better. I'm going to try to get back on the bandwagon by Sunday or Monday at the latest. The good thing about being sick is that it payed of for today's new "weigh-day". I lost another 5 pounds, putting me at a grand total of 9 pounds lost so far! Woohoo! Let's just hope I can keep it off and it doesn't come creeping back when I start eating more regularly. Speaking of eating, I tried my hardest to stick to the diet while I was sick. Yesterday however, I gave in and had some Top Ramen because that's all that sounded good. Snap peas and carrots just didn't sound like the most appetizing thing with a queasy tummy. Anyway, here's what I've been eating the last few days:

WEDNESDAY:

BREAKFAST:
-1 1/2 s.f. fiber plus cran-raspberry applesauce cups

LUNCH:
-ham & swiss on a lo-carb wrap w/mayo & mustard

DINNER:
-egg salad on a lo-carb wrap

THURSDAY:

BREAKFAST:
-s.f. cherry pomegranate drink

DINNER:
-chicken flavored Top Ramen
-s.f. raspberry lemonade

FRIDAY:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple
-s.f. pink lemonade

SNACK:
-strawberries w/Splenda

DINNER:
-4 turkey meatballs w/tomato sauce & mozzarella
-zucchini sauteed w/garlic & oregano

Day 30

I've been walking/exercising for a whole month now. Can you believe it? I can't. That went by really quick. I'm seeing more and more how doable this can be. It's just become part of my daily routine. Lately I do my workout while Emelia is napping. I have just enough time to complete my workout and have a shower and she's awake. It works out well. Today I jogged 20 minutes out of my 50 minute workout. I went 3.67 miles and burned 411 calories. While I was jogging it seemed like my legs didn't hurt as bad as last week. Maybe it wont be long before I am able to kick up the jogging to 3 minute intervals or more. I plan to at least keep it at 2.5 minutes for the rest of the week though. Grandpa said I got an A++ for today's workout. :) He seems to be impressed. I think everyone is, and they're proud of me. Everyone's encouragement is really helping me persevere.

Did well on the diet today. My belly has been hurting me today so I didn't have too much to eat for lunch. Hope it stops soon...Mom's been having tummy troubles for over 2 weeks now. Here's what I ate today:

BREAKFAST:
-1 apple
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt

LUNCH:
-s.f. cherry pomegranate drink
-leftover taco meat w/cheese & salsa
-1 cheese stick

DINNER:
-basa en papilotte w/carrots, leeks & red bell pepper
-1 small spoonful of brown rice
-peas

Day 29: Another one bites the dust!

Ya, that's right baby! Another pound down! That brings me up to a grand total of 4 pounds lost. I know, it's been slow going, but I'm still losing. Gotta be happy about that. :) I have, however, decided to change weigh day to Friday instead of Monday. Weekends are a little tough...we usually go out to eat and there may be more carbs involved than I'd like. I think I'd show more results weighing in on Fridays. So this week I will have 2 weigh-ins. Hopefully the scale will budge by then and I wont get discouraged.

Today I did my usual workout. I accomplished 20 minutes of jogging out of 50 minutes total. I went a total of 3.68 miles. I burned 408 calories according to the treadmill. I found a website that I believe may be more accurate at calculating calories burned. It takes into account your weight when determining how many calories were expended. According to the website I actually burned more like 535 calories, which would put me in line to lose 1 lb per week by burning roughly 3500 calories. Now hopefully the diet will help me lose more!

Did really well on the diet today. Loving me some spinach & strawberry salad and broiled tomatoes with pesto! Who knew veggies could be so good? I've been craving those dang pickled beets too! Anyway, here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-strawberry spinach salad w/pecans

DINNER:
-s.f. raspberry drink
-2 poached eggs w/mushrooms & cheese
-1 broiled tomato w/pesto
-asparagus w/margarine
-3 slices bacon

Day 28: Four weeks down

Not too much to talk about today other than the fact that I have completed my fourth week of exercising. So proud of myself. :) Today I walked 3.67 miles in 50 minutes, 20 minutes of which I jogged. My legs were hurting a lot from jogging yesterday but I managed to push through. I also burned 405 calories. Not too shabby. Tomorrow is weigh day so wish me luck that I lost something. Hopefully more than 1 pound but if that's all it was, at least it would mean I'm still losing. I'm feeling really good and I'm motivated to continue so I need to remember that that is what is important. Anywhoo, like I said, not much to report today. I stuck to the diet. Here's what I ate:

BRUNCH:
-s.f. pink lemonade
-lo-carb wrap w/turkey, swiss, tomato, pickle & mayo

DINNER:
-BBQ split chicken breast
-2 slices oven roasted potato
-spinach salad w/strawberries & pecans

Day 27: Date Night

Today was a very nice day. Did my workout this afternoon and really pushed myself. I jogged for a total of 20.5 minutes out of 50. I went farther than I've gone before at a total of 3.7 miles. I only burned 405 calories according to the machine but I'm still not sure if that thing is right. Anyway, Corey saw me doing my jogging and he was impressed. He told me to keep it up. I think he's proud of me. :) After my workout I had a shower while Emelia napped. When I was done she was awake and the three of us spent time as a family in our room, playing and rough-housing, and giggling and having a good ole time. I like it when it's just the 3 of us...the way it's supposed to be. :) We took Emelia to the park. She had lots of fun swinging and practicing her steps on one of the jungle gym set-ups they have. We took Emelia home and then Corey and I had date night. We tried out a sushi restaurant and it turned out to be really good. I think I managed to stick to my diet pretty well. Had a bit of rice in the sushi but it's pretty healthy for you so I'm not too worried. We also saw the movie "Paul". It was funny and not at all what I expected. All together it was a really good day. :)

Here's what I ate today:

BRUNCH:
-lo-carb tortilla w/turkey, cheddar, mayo & pickles
-s.f. pink lemonade

DINNER:
-cucumber salad w/soy-ginger dressing (Yummy! Must try to replicate this!)
-3 pieces of Lacy roll (w/crab, cucumber, cream cheese & tempura shrimp)
-3 pieces of spicy tuna & cucumber roll
-2 pieces crispy dynamite roll (w/tuna, yellowtail & crunchy tempura bits)
-beef, onion & rice bowl (only a few bites)

Day 26: Happy Birthday Mom!

Today was my mother-in-law's birthday. We spent the day shopping at Sam's Club, Walmart and Albertson's. That alone probably would have been enough of a workout since it took us the better part of four hours. But I came home and jumped on the treadmill as well. I'm not entirely sure how well I did on my workout today because I accidentally pulled the kill switch! I lost all the information on how far I'd gone, timing, calories, etc. I think I was at about 35 minutes so I did another 15 to make it to about 50 minutes. I think I went about 3.5 miles and burned somewhere around 400 calories. It was about my normal workout. I wasn't able to push to do 5 minutes of jogging at once but I still managed to do 2. I think I jogged for about a total of 16 minutes. Still pretty good I think. :) My legs hurt so much today. :( Hope I sleep well tonight.

I did well on my diet today. One tiny "slip up" if you want to call it that. I had said initially that I didn't want to drink any sodas but I was so thirsty at Walmart that I gave in and got one. The reason I'm not going to beat myself up about it is that it was a diet, caffeine-free Coke. No calories, carbs, not even the caffeine that gets my heart racing and making me feel crappy. I still don't plan on making a habit of consuming too much soda. Even the diet stuff can't be that good for me. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-mushroom & cheese frittata
-s.f. pink lemonade

LUNCH:
-Greek salad w/feta dressing, tomatoes & artichoke hearts
-tabbouleh
-gyro meat
-1 dolma
-1 bite falafel
-diet, caffeine-free Coke

DINNER:
-taco salad w/ground beef, iceberg, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, sour cream & a few crushed tortilla chips

Day 25: Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day to anyone out there in cyber land! Today was a great day! I pushed myself even farther than ever before. Today I jogged for a total of 17 minutes out of 50! That's more than double what I've been doing this week. I was proud of myself for pushing for a 2 minute stretch but I was ecstatic when I managed to push through a whole 5 minutes without stopping!!! I'm not sure I've ever jogged 5 minutes straight in my life. It felt so good afterwards. Maybe I'm starting to feel what's known as a "runner's high". Who knows, maybe one day I'll be jogging the whole session. All tolled I did 50 minutes/3.62 miles/415 calories (which I think is probably more). I can't believe how far I've come in so little time. I'm doing great and it's giving me so much incentive to continue. New, sexy, skinny me here I come! :)

As far as the diet goes, I still did well. Mom brought home a piece of gooey butter cake and it's tormenting me from the counter as is the one leftover cinnamon bun, but alas, I have resisted. Here's what I did eat today:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-strawberries w/Splenda

LUNCH:
-lo-carb wrap w/turkey, swiss, pickles & mayo
-S.f. pink lemonade

DINNER:
-steak fajita (meat only) w/grilled onions, salsa, cheese, queso & sour cream
-few bites refried beans
-few bites rice

Day 24

Today started off crummy. Emelia didn't wake up until 11 am so we missed story time. :( I like going to it with her but I didn't want to wake her up just for that. If she was still sleeping I figured she must be needing it. Maybe she's going through another growth spurt or cutting some more 2 year molars. Anyway, that sucked. Then I spent the rest of the day in a pissy mood because I'm feeling like Cinderella. I spent the day running around cleaning up and doing chores and I still feel like I've accomplished nothing. :( Hopefully it added to my daily total of calories burned. I worked out today on the treadmill. I did 50 minutes with 8 minutes jogging in 1 minute intervals every 5 minutes. I stepped it up even more today, doing part of my routine at a 4.5 speed which translates to a mile in 13 mins 20 secs. That was kicking my butt today. At least I managed to burn more calories than yesterday...414, or so the machine says. I think it was probably more. My legs are hurting today! And boy was my heart pumping!

Despite my bad mood today I still managed not to give in to temptation and I stuck with my diet. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-strawberries w/Splenda

LUNCH:
-lo-carb tortilla w/turkey, swiss, pickles & mayo
-s.f. raspberry lemonade

DINNER:
-corned beef (Ya, we're a day early, so what?)
-cabbage w/margarine & vinegar
-carrots

Day 23

Jogging is hard. :S I remember why I never did it before. I managed to squeak out 8 minutes of jogging in 1 minute bursts every 5 minutes today. My calves HURT! Gonna keep it up all week though. That's this week's mini-goal. Today I went farther than ever....3.4 miles in 50 minutes. I only burned 401 calories according to the treadmill but I think that's because I took the incline completely down to nothing while I was jogging. I'm sure I made up the difference with my extra energy I expended jogging. I walked at a 4.3 pace again today which translates to 13 mins 57 secs/mile. Not too shabby! I am so pleased with myself for pushing myself. It's not something I've ever really done in any aspect of my life before I'm sad to admit. Things have usually come easy and I haven't really had to work hard and push myself for anything. Now is the time sista! One more step on this journey of mine. :)

Stuck to the diet well again today. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-spinach & feta frittata
-s.f. cherry pomegranate drink

LUNCH:
-leftover chicken w/cheddar & bacon
-s.f. fiber added berry applesauce

DINNER:
-basa w/pesto
-small spoon of brown rice
-asparagus
-peas

Day 22: Weigh Day

I am pleased to announce a successful weigh day. I lost 2 pounds last week bringing my total to 3 pounds lost so far. Yay me!!! I'm averaging 1 pound per week which is pretty good. It's going to be slow and steady but that's the way to do it. Hopefully I will be able to keep it off that way.

More big news today. I did my workout as usual but today I mixed it up a little. Starting at the 15 minute mark I jogged for a minute every 5 minutes. I jogged a total of 6 minutes out of my 50 minute workout. I know, 1 minute at a time doesn't seem like very much to the average Joe, but for me that was really pushing myself. I'm pretty proud for it. I think I'll try it every day this week. It helps break the workout up a little more too. Oh, and I also stepped up my pace to 4.3 instead of 4. In 50 minutes I did 3.27 miles and 415 calories. Woohoo!

I did well on my diet today despite the fact that Grandpa brought home 8 giant cinnamon buns that look SOOOO tempting. I've managed to resist thus far. Hopefully they will be gone by the morning. I found myself craving vegetables again today. At dinner time Corey and I were fighting over the last of the Caesar salad! Wow, maybe I'm wearing off on him now too! Anyway, here's what I ate today:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-leftover pork chop
-leftover green beans

DINNER:
-steak
-small spoonful of corn
-Caesar salad

Day 21: I made it!

I made it, I made it!!! I reached my goal to complete 3 weeks of walking everyday. That was what I was trying to achieve in order for it to become habit. I think it has actually become habitual already. It's something I now incorporate into my everyday regime no matter what, whether it be outside or on the treadmill. I've definitely turned over a new leaf. I am so proud of myself so far. :) My next goal will be another 3 weeks. If the first 3 were so doable so I'm sure the next 3 will be as well. Now I'm just worried about tomorrow, weigh day. I hope I lost more than the 1 pound from last week. I've been doing well on my diet. Just completed 2 weeks. I haven't cheated once. Here's what I ate today:

BRUNCH:
-mushroom & cheddar frittata
-sugar-snap peas
-s.f. raspberry lemonade

DINNER:
-chicken w/lemon thyme sauce
-Brussels sprouts w/pancetta
-green beans

Day 20

Not too much to report today. Did my time on the treadmill. I did 50 mins/3.18 miles/414 calories. I only did a 2 % incline because I was feeling crampy when I got on the treadmill. Still did pretty good. I think as long as I burn over 400 calories I'll be happy. I did well on my diet again despite the fact that Paula Deen tempted me with her evil ways AGAIN! Today she made a pink lemonade cake. Don't know why, perhaps it's the sugar deprivation, but that just sounded so yummy. Here's what I did eat today:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt (why don't they make the peach or blueberry anymore???)
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-chicken tenders w/bacon & melted cheddar cheese
-green beans

DINNER:
-s.f. pink lemonade
-2 turkey burger patties w/chipotle mayo, tomato, pickles & red onion
-sweet potato oven fries

Day 19

It was such a nice day today, not too hot, not too cold, that I decided to go for my walk outside with Emelia. I could tell that the treadmill is working me much harder because that walk wasn't nearly as hard as it used to be. We were going to count squirrels today but I got distracted by a phone call from Corey. We thought we saw a bunny and got all excited but it turned out to be only a cat. :/ I think I'll go back to the treadmill tomorrow. Maybe it wont hurt so much since I kind of took it easy today.

I was so proud of myself today with sticking to my diet. The phone call that I got from Corey earlier was some bad new and I was stressing. I pretty much immediately decided I didn't want to cook and called Mom to tell her I wanted to go out to dinner. That was probably not that great because I immediately thought of food. But I think I redeemed myself. We went to Applebee's and I was proud of myself for sticking to the diet. We also had to get a prescription at Walgreens and while we were there I was really wanting something sweet. I even looked at the sugar-free candy and was about to get some sugar-free Reeses peanut butter cups when I stopped myself. Even though they were very lo-carb, I told myself that the only reason I wanted them was because I was stressed and that it wasn't healthy for me to be drowning my feelings with food. Maybe I am an emotional eater after all. But I resisted. Wow, I'm so proud of myself right now. I'm not sure if I've ever made a conscious decision like that before. Kudos for me. :) Here's what I did eat today:

BREAKFAST:
-ham, artichoke & swiss frittata
-s.f. raspberry lemonade

LUNCH:
-leftover chicken breast w/BBQ sauce
-sugar-snap peas
-honey roasted peanuts (as a snack)

DINNER:
-chicken breast w/portabellos, roasted red peppers, onions, Dijon mustard sauce and melted cheese at Applebee's
-broccoli

Day 18

Why was today's workout so hard? My legs hurt so much. I still managed to do 50 minutes/3.2 miles/431 calories. I only walked at a 2% incline instead of my normal 3% however, and I did not use the free weights. I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too bad since I still did my workout and didn't wuss out completely. I've been really tired today too and a little congested/coughing. I better not be getting sick. That could be detrimental to my exercising. I really don't think that if I'm feeling crummy I'm going to want to do my walking. Took some Airborne just in case so we'll see. I seem to get sick a lot down here; 6 times last year!

Trying to find some good lo-carb recipes online. But not like crazy Atkins style ones. Just reasonable meals that are naturally low in carbohydrates. Today I saw a recipe to make bread using eggs and cream cheese. Okeeeee....weird! If I want bread that bad I'll just buy some lo-carb bread. Maybe I'll try looking at South Beach recipes. Maybe that's closer to what I am trying to achieve. I did well on my diet again today. That darned Paula Deen is making it difficult for me again! Today she made a caramel apple cheesecake. YUMMY! Is it bad that I do my workouts on the treadmill while watching Food Network??? Hehe. :) Anywhoo, here's what I ate today:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-leftover Greek salad
-leftover chicken breast
-s.f. cherry pomegranate drink

DINNER:
-grilled pork chop
-green beans
-sauteed apples w/cinnamon & Splenda

Day 17: Ash Wednesday

Today was Ash Wednesday so I figured part of this journey to a new me needed to include being a good example to my daughter so I took her to church. She was a little antsy but mostly did well during the service. I got ashes but Emelia didn't. I can't remember for certain but I'm figuring you have to have your first communion before you can receive the ashes. I felt like I did the right thing by taking her. I felt like a good Mom too today by taking her to story time. I found out there is a second group held at the same time and they read more books and do less songs and hand plays. I think Emelia liked this group better. I know I certainly did. :) All in all it was a good day. Did my treadmill-ing. I did 50 minutes/3.15 miles/435 calories and stuck it out to 45 minutes with the free weights. It was really humid today and boy I was sweating. It was another day that I really had to push through. Why is it that it hurts when you're doing it but then afterwards you feel so good and energized? Weird. Maybe it's only weird because it's not really something I've ever experienced before. Grandpa came home today and he was impressed with my work out and my perseverance thus far. :)

Diet went well today. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-egg salad in a lo-carb wrap
-baby carrots

DINNER:
-3 lamb chops
-Greek salad
-s.f. pink lemonade

Day 16: Happy Mardi Gras!

Happy Mardi Gras everyone! Why do I say "everyone" like someone is actually reading this??? Anywhoo, proud of myself by not stuffing my face full of junk as Mardi Gras tradition would dictate. I think for Lent I will just continue with my good eating and exercising habits. Maybe try and take Emelia to church on Sundays during the Lenten season as well. Nothing else exctiting going on today. Did my exercise but today seemed more difficult than usual. My legs were burning more than normal but I managed to push through, doing 50 mins/3.15 miles/452 calories and stuck with the free weights for 45 minutes. Did good on the diet too. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-mushroom & cheese frittata
-s.f. cherry pomegranate drink
-4 dried cherries

LUNCH:
-ham, cream cheese and pickle on lo-carb wrap
-a few honey roasted peanuts for a snack

DINNER:
-Chef's salad w/iceberg, turkey, ham, swiss, tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, hard boiled eggs, green olives, pickled beets, a few croutons & ranch dressing
-I think I'll have some blueberries too but I haven't eaten them yet

So I think I have officially turned over a new leaf. The other night at Joe's Crab Shack my favorite part of dinner was the broccoli with garlic butter and tonight I had the best pickled beets. I'm loving me some veggies! Holy cow! Don't know if that has ever happened before. Proud of me. :)

Day 15: Weigh Day

As today's title suggests, today was weigh day. While I would like to boast a glowing report of multiple pounds lost, it seems I have only shed a single pound. Yep, 1 lb. :( I've been kinda bummed about it all day, but I've been trying to remind myself about all the other benefits of my new exercise and diet regime. Plus, I may have gained muscle too. Gotta keep reminding myself so I don't fall off the bandwagon. As the start of my third week, I am pleased to announce that I completed 50 minutes total (with warm up & cool down)/3.2 miles/450 calories, AND I used 1 lb free weights for 45 minutes. The sense of accomplishment I feel is doing great at keeping me motivated. :)

I decided today that as further incentive to continue my weight loss plan, I should have rewards to look forward to when I achieve certain goals. This is what I've come up with thus far:

10 lbs lost: Katy Perry CD
20 lbs lost: Spa Pedicure
30 lbs lost: ? ETA: New pair of nice sunglasses
40 lbs lost: ? ETA: New hairdo/makeover
50+ lbs lost: Start trying for 2nd baby!!! :)

It's kind of sad that I can't come up with something for 30 & 40 lbs. I'll have to think on it some more.

I did well on my diet today. Paula Deen made a chocolate cake with caramel filling, pecans and caramel frosting that looked SOOO good. That was rough watching but I managed to not give into any cravings. :) Here's what I did eat:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-1 apple

LUNCH:
-pepperoni & swiss on lo-carb tortilla w/mayo & mustard
-baby carrots

DINNER:
-grilled chicken breast w/bruschetta topping
-oven-roasted broccoli
-salad with cucumber & ranch
-s.f. pink lemonade

Day 13 & 14

Didn't get a chance to post yesterday. It was a busy day with my nephew's birthday party and then dinner afterwards. Managed to exercise and stick to my diet well both days! :) I did 45 minutes/3 miles/425 calories both on Saturday and Sunday. I'm proud of myself. I've completed 2 whole weeks of walking and 1 week of dieting now. I'm feeling great too. I really feel like I am doing something good for myself. I feel energized after my walks, especially on the treadmill. I think it may have something to do with the display showing how far I've gone and the calories I've burned, etc. I'm a results-oriented person and it just helps keeping me push forward. I wont stop doing the walks outside with Emelia because I know it's good for her too, but maybe I wont do them every day. Excited to start week 3 and see through to the end (and beyond) of my 21 day goal to prove to myself that I can do it. I'll have to come up with a new mini goal to work towards. Tomorrow is weigh day. Hope I lost something. If I didn't, I need to remind myself about all the other benefits that my efforts are giving me. Anyway, here's what I ate:

SATURDAY:

BREAKFAST:
-1 apple
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt

LUNCH:
-1/2 chicken Cobb salad w/ranch from Quizno's
-bowl of broccoli cheese soup

SNACK:
-honey roasted peanuts

DINNER:
-s.f. cherry limeade
-crudites: mini bell peppers, celery, carrots, cucumber, sugar snap peas
-1/2 ear corn-on-the-cob
-dry-rubbed ribs
-watermelon
-3 tiny bites of mint chocolate chip ice cream cake


SUNDAY:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-strawberries with Splenda

LUNCH:
-buffalo chicken salad w/ranch from Chili's
-1/4 small quesadilla
-s.f. raspberry lemonade

DINNER:
-crab stuffed shrimp from Joe's Crab Shack
-broccoli w/garlic butter
-coleslaw
-4 french fries

OK, so I'm not so proud about the few bites of ice cream cake, the quesadilla and the french fries but I guess I have to remind myself that I did really well at controlling myself and only having a little bit. It's all about moderation, right? Guess I did pretty well at moderating considering I would have normally had an entire piece of ice cream cake, the whole rest of Emelia's quesadilla and all the french fries. Baby steps, baby steps! Don't beat yourself up. OK, I need to keep telling myself these things. Oh ya, and I also need to remind myself it's not OK to keep slipping up. OK, enough with the inner monologue!

Day 12: New Shoes for Emelia

A little off topic, but I feel the need to include a little story today. :)

It was muggy out this morning and looking like it was going to rain so I didn't want to take a chance of getting caught in it so we didn't go on our walk. Instead, I had a few things I needed to get from Walmart. Of course, as soon as we went to get in the car it started to drizzle. By the time we got to Walmart it was more of a torrential downpour. We waited in the car until it cleared up enough to go into the store. Anyway, that's besides the point of the story. While we were there I saw that they had some new kids shoes out. Emelia needed some new running shoes so I thought I'd look. We picked out a pair and I started looking at the other shoes just for fun. I showed Emelia a pair of sandals and she just went crazy. "More, more, more", she kept saying over and over again. And it was all for this one pair of sandals. She was so excited about them! It was so cute I had to get them for her. Little Miss. Independent. Aww, my baby girl is growing up, picking out her own things. That little moment made me smile and brightened my day. Had to share.

OK, so all was not lost as far as the walking. I managed to get the treadmill set up and turned on with a little SOS call to Mom. Ya, I know, we've had a treadmill all this time, what's been the excuse fatty? :P So I managed to get a walk in while Emelia napped. I think I actually do better on the treadmill than I do outside. I walked 3 miles in 45 minutes and burned 411 calories. YAY ME! I think I know what I will be doing this summer when it's too hot and humid to go walking outside. :)

Diet went well again today. I almost slipped up and had a Dorito but I told myself it wasn't worth it. I know, what excellent self control! :) Here's what I did eat:

BREAKFAST:
-spinach and feta frittata
-s.f. pink lemonade

LUNCH:
-cucumber slices
-salami & swiss on lo-carb tortilla w/mustard & mayo

DINNER:
-2 bratwurst w/mustard
-red cabbage salad

Tomorrow is my nephew's birthday and we're invited over for dinner. Hope I can control myself with the carbs. Wish me luck!

Day 11: Where have all the squirrels gone?

Yep, that's what I am wondering...where are all the squirrels? Don't they know I am trying to make these walks educational for my daughter? Today we only counted 5 of them suckers. Last week we were at 19 one day! I know, pretty lame, all I've got to talk about is missing squirrels today.

Well, I guess I could talk about how I am feeling like a much better mother already. I feel like it's good for me to be showing my daughter that I am trying to get healthy even though she probably doesn't understand. I am spending more time with her, taking her out into the fresh air. I've been more consistent in doing her physical therapy. I'm enjoying our time together more as well. For a while there I was kind of in a funk. I felt somewhat bored/burdened (not sure what the right words are exactly) taking care of her day in and day out, doing the same routine everyday. But I guess I've come to accept it more, that that is what my job as a stay -at-home-mom entails. I've got a new outlook now and I am trying to make the most of it. I've decided to get off the couch and move! That alone has inspired me to change my attitude and be a better mother. We do so much more together and she is just blossoming. I guess I am too. :)I am grateful to have this time with her as I know many other mothers are not as blessed by getting to stay home.

Did well on my diet again. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-strawberries with Splenda
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt

LUNCH:
-leftover grilled chicken
-carrots
-cucumber
-ranch dressing (to dip the veggies in)
-s.f. pink lemonade w/soda water

DINNER:
-2 fish tacos w/cilantro lime mayo, cabbage, pico de gallo & salsa verde
-small amount of black beans
-1 apple

Day 10

Walked again today. 10 days...almost half way there! Whoohoo! Changed it up a little bit. We walked in a figure 8 with Boone as the center. Took 45 minutes instead of 40 and we got to see a little bit different scenery. Today wasn't such a great day for squirrel counting with Emelia. We only saw 3. :/ Maybe they're smart enough to know not to go outside at noon when the sun is at it's highest! At first walking was giving me more energy during the day but not today. I was so tired. Had a nice 2 hour nap while Emelia slept. :) Wish I knew why I was so tired all the time during the day, but yet I can't sleep well at night. Seems like I don't really have energy until the evenings. I guess I'm just a night owl! Never been a morning person. Yuck! Did well on my diet today. Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-1 piece ham, artichoke & Swiss frittata

LUNCH:
-1 apple
-1 cheese stick
-cucumber slices

DINNER:
-chicken Caesar salad
-s.f. pink lemonade
-ETA: I also had 1 s.f. milk chocolate mousse pudding

Day 9

What a lovely day for walking! It was so nice out today. :) I think it was in the low 60's when Emelia and I set out for our walk this morning. Hope it stays like this for a while. Not too much to say today. I made some frittatas to stick in the freezer for me to have as a quick breakfast. I made mushroom & cheddar, spinach & feta and ham, artichoke & Swiss. Should last a couple of weeks. I did well on my diet today. I should hope so...it was only day 2! Here's what I ate:

BREAKFAST:
-lo-carb strawberry yogurt
-sliced strawberries with Splenda

LUNCH:
-lo-carb wrap w/turkey, cheddar, tomatoes and mayo
-cucumber slices

DINNER:
-pork chop
-baked sweet potato w/cinnamon Splenda
-salad of green beans, cherry tomatoes, feta & balsamic vinaigrette