Weigh-in day

We had a pretty successful week. I ran 4 days, Neil ran 6. He has been running at night as well as in the morning. We only ate out once this week (Chili's on Thursday after grandparent's day) but we did order pizza on Friday night. The Easter dinner killed us, but I refuse to give up everything. We had HoneyBaked ham, deviled eggs, pineapple and cheese casserole, green beans, and parmesean mashed potatoes. I know I will be running all week to get rid of those things!

At weigh-in this morning, I was down 1.2 pounds from last Monday. I am fine with that, considering that we ate so much yesterday. I know we can do it. We are determined not to eat out as much, and cut down on carbs, while increasing our exercise. And making it through a long weekend without ONCE going through a fast-food drive-thru is a huge accomplishment for us!

Happy Monday, everyone!

Day 2 was Good!

Today, Neil and I got up again at 5 to go run. We had a good run, and it was so much easier today than yesterday!  With the full moon looking beautiful, the temperature just right, and running at a good pace, I had to tell myself to remember those feelings tomorrow morning when it is 5am and I don't want to get up!

I took a grilled chicken salad for lunch today, and had some crock pot chicken, baked beans, and canned no-sugar peaches for dinner. Not a bad day, and I feel good!

I have to say how proud I am of Neil...after running with me yesterday morning, he went back out and ran last night for about 45 minutes! He ran again this morning, and plans to go tonight as well. He is on board! Yay!!!

Back on the Wagon!

Here we are...all 435 pounds of us. Wow...chunky people! Granted, Neil is almost 6'5 and carries his weight well, but I am 5'4 and DON"T carry mine well. So after some health issues that made me stop my vigorous exercise back in January, we are back and ready to lose!

My focus is simple - to lose enough weight so that my summer clothes fit. We are going to Washington DC this summer for Nationals for dance, and I want to be able to wear my cute summer clothes. I weighed this morning exactly what I weighed on January 1st. Gross! At that weight, not only do my cute clothes NOT fit, but I am going to have to go shopping to buy all new clothes. Not happening.

So, this morning, Neil and I got up at 5 am and went for a 30 minute run (left us plenty of time to get back before the kids got up.) I am tired tonight, but feel good about myself. We also have eaten grilled chicken and salads for the past 2 days, along with fruits for snacks and Special K for breakfast.

The goal - 20 pounds by June 30th. 10 weeks, 2 pounds a week. Neil would like to lose 30, which is easy for him whe he tries. Wish us luck!!

Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!

How many of us remember that commercial? It seems that for those of us who grew up in the 80's this was a staple for our vocabulary. This is where I am right now...I have fallen OFF my wagon and I can't get up.

Last Sunday, I was stricken with the stomach bug. I know - good way to lose weight, right? NO!! I didn't eat for almost 24 hours, and once I felt better, I ate everything in site. Forget not eating out - I ate McD's, Qdoba, Hickory Tavern, and Bojangles all in the same week! I have not gotten on the scale all week, because I fear I am right back where I started.

So today, I went to the grocery store and got all fresh foods. I ran with my wonderful neighbor Julie tonight and it felt good. I will be taking my workout clothes to school tomorrow, along with a salad for lunch. I am going to TRY to get up from my fall. Wish me luck!

Week 3 Weigh-In... :-(

I knew it would happen at some point. I lost so much in the first 2 weeks that I knew I would have a stable week. This was it. I had pretty much maintained all week but I knew I hadn't lost. This morning I got on the scale and was up 0.8 from last week. I am going to try not to get discouraged, and just really work hard this week to continue at a loss.

So far, I am at -6.2 in 3 weeks. Since my goal was 2 pounds a week, I am still there. But I do have to make sure that this is a good week to keep it up!

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Happy Saturday!

1/19/11 Temptation strikes....

Well, the title says it all. Yesterday I had a dentist appointment. I would rather poke my eyes out with a dull fork than to go to the dentist. I had three, yes THREE cavities, that I have been putting off getting filled for quite some time. I finally did it yesterday, and HURT so badly afterwards! So, needless to say I didn't eat much. Som fat free yogurt, a cheese stick that I was able to mash up, and some turkey deli meat. I was starving but couldn't eat. But at least it is good for my weight loss, right? WRONG! I actually gained a half a pound from yesterday to today! I know, I know, I know...you aren't supposed to get on the scales every day. But as most of you know, I am a math person, and numbers don't lie!

So, because I starved myself last night, and because I was starving on my way home from work, I stopped and picked up Chinese for dinner. I didn't eat a ton, just enough to stop my hunger. And I am paying for it now. I guess 19 days of no fast food (is Chinese considered fast food?) has changed my digestive system. And let's just say that it is hating me right now!

I did spend 45 minutes running intervals on the treadmill, so hopefully that will counter what I ate. I guess I learned my lesson...3 days until weigh-in and I may be like the black team from Biggest Loser last night who gained weight.

1/17/11 Physical Scheduled...a month to go

Gotta love the long weekends. We spent all day Saturday looking at and buying new furniture. I had the forethought to know we were going to be out all day, and packed healthy snacks to take. I packed apples, low fat Cheez-its, and Teddy Grahams for Liam. This helped a lot, since we left at noon and were gone all day. We also spent all day yesterday rearranging and organizing...this is a workout in itself!

For those of you who read my bog on Saturday, I did decide to go out to eat. We went to eat Mexican with my parents, and I limited myself to only a few chips with salsa before the meal, instead of ordering queso like I normally would. I ate until I was satisfied, not stuffed, and I feel perfectly satisfied. I have not eaten a meal at a fast food restaurant in 17 days. It feels great. I am not only saving money, I am reducing my calorie intake. I also have no desire to. Now, don't get me wrong...when that Bojangles opens near our house it is going to be hard to resist. But when I see a McDonald's commercial on tv, it doesn't even phase me and I am not tempted in the least.

I have done pretty well this weekend. I made chicken casserole last night - a family favorite - but I use reduced fat sour cream, 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, and reduced fat ritz crackers. No one could tell the difference! I tutored for 2 hours at Starbucks today, and treated myself to a 140 calorie skinny iced vanilla latte. Very tasty!

Our new insurance requires us to have physicals by March 31st. Neil has had me put off scheduling them until he loses weight. I scheduled them today for February 18th...one month away. I figure if I lose about 9 more pounds by then  I will weigh what I did at my last physical. Neil needs to lose about 20, but he is on the treadmill as I type. Together we got our butts kicked by Jillian Michaels, and I spent 45 minutes on the treadmill earlier.

I am feeling good about myself, and loving our healthy choices that we are eating. I have also had several people contact me and tell me I motivated them...one being a former student/cheerleader of mine. I love that! It is such motivation to me to know that I am helping others in my journey as well!