Hello, friends! I guess the three small changes thing didn't work this first week! AAUUGGHH!!!! I weighed myself two days ago and I was still 170. I thought to myself, "Okay...I'm sure I can lose a pound in two days...I'll just be careful! Well, I think I was careful...actually, yes...I WAS careful...oh dear!!! I got on the scale this morning and it said 174!! I figured it was a fluke(REALLY?!?!) and if I got on later in the day it would be back to 170. As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that workin' for ya?" The reason I'm blogging so late at night is that I didn't know how to write that IT DIDN'T WORK! That's okay, though...at least I've only lost a week. That's not much. I can turn this around. My hubs-the eternal jokester-commented, "Well, I guess you can rename the blog 1.1 pounds a week instead! GRRRRR!
Although I'm writing the positive changes I make, I'm not writing about the negative things I'm doing or not working on changing. I wasn't going to focus on the negatives-I was going to only talk about the good things.Well, maybe a couple confessions of my sins might be in order....
I love wine. I have anywhere from one to three glasses a night before bed about 3-4 times a week. It really stimulates my appetite and before I used to eat alot after I had a drink or two. I felt the appetite stimulation this week, but, knowing how hard I was trying with everything else I fought off the urge to eat. But now I'm wondering if all those empty calories in the wine itself are stalling my possible weight loss. I will have to rethink my wine drinking.
I love real half and half in my coffee (and I LOVE coffee)!!!! Hubs just headed out to the store and I asked him to get my some fat-free half and half. I know I'll be bummed out for awhile, but I just have to suck it up and deal with it. BECAUSE NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS THIN FEELS!!!! I would imagine that includes half & half, but I'm just not sure about that!!! That quote really helped me lose a ton of weight back in 2003. (31 pounds in 10 weeks) My Aunt Joann actually picked up a magnet with the saying on it and it stared me in the face every time I went to the fridge!! Hmmmm.... where IS that magnet???
So, I come to you in shame, tail between my legs, sad that I cannot say my small steps worked....please don't give up on me...please keep reading! It inspires me so much to see there are followers and people leaving comments...We can help each other!!! And...I PROMISE.....PICTURES WILL BE UPLOADED TOMORROW!!!! I'm headed to church tomorrow to pray that the devil will not try to sabotage my weight loss....more about that tomorrow....Goodnight!!!!!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Pain is Just Weakness Leaving the Body....
SMALL CHANGES FOR FEBRUARY 4TH
.....OW, OW, OW....My buns hurt, my thighs hurt, my arms hurt... Hubs was proud of me for doing the buns workout, but quite annoyed with my "OWs" every time I took a step! "Pain is just weakness leaving the body," he reminds me, and that quote really does make me feel better even if it...OW...hurts to think about it!
"Did you stretch before and after?" he asks me.
"Well, uh...no..." I say back. "I only had ten minutes!"
"There's your problem right there," he tells me. "You have to make time to stretch! It is worth taking a few extra minutes before and after."
He goes on to tell me I have to get the blood flowing to the muscles to warm them up, loosen them up, and get things moving. He said it also helps prevent injury. Stretching after helps to increase your flexibility while your muscles are still warm. I mean, I know this...I've heard this...why don't I practice this?? I'm going to count this as one of my changes...to go from not listening to the experts and jumping right into a workout without stretching...
INSTEAD...I will be stretching before AND after each workout I complete until it becomes a habit!
I ran home between visits and ate lunch instead of eating out. (I think this one is slowly becoming a habit).
When I got home about 4:00 and it was too early for dinner, I decided to have a snack. We have english muffins so I put one in and normally I would have put margarine and jelly or just the margarine on it. I figured I probably really wouldn't miss the margarine so...
INSTEAD I just put the jelly on it and tried it that way. I'm not going to lie...I missed the margarine! So I might not be doing that one anymore, but at least I gave it a shot!
See you tomorrow...it's weigh in day!!!!!!!
.....OW, OW, OW....My buns hurt, my thighs hurt, my arms hurt... Hubs was proud of me for doing the buns workout, but quite annoyed with my "OWs" every time I took a step! "Pain is just weakness leaving the body," he reminds me, and that quote really does make me feel better even if it...OW...hurts to think about it!
"Did you stretch before and after?" he asks me.
"Well, uh...no..." I say back. "I only had ten minutes!"
"There's your problem right there," he tells me. "You have to make time to stretch! It is worth taking a few extra minutes before and after."
He goes on to tell me I have to get the blood flowing to the muscles to warm them up, loosen them up, and get things moving. He said it also helps prevent injury. Stretching after helps to increase your flexibility while your muscles are still warm. I mean, I know this...I've heard this...why don't I practice this?? I'm going to count this as one of my changes...to go from not listening to the experts and jumping right into a workout without stretching...
INSTEAD...I will be stretching before AND after each workout I complete until it becomes a habit!
I ran home between visits and ate lunch instead of eating out. (I think this one is slowly becoming a habit).
When I got home about 4:00 and it was too early for dinner, I decided to have a snack. We have english muffins so I put one in and normally I would have put margarine and jelly or just the margarine on it. I figured I probably really wouldn't miss the margarine so...
INSTEAD I just put the jelly on it and tried it that way. I'm not going to lie...I missed the margarine! So I might not be doing that one anymore, but at least I gave it a shot!
See you tomorrow...it's weigh in day!!!!!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Bootylicious Buns 2
SMALL CHANGES FOR FEBRUARY 3RD
"Bootylicious Buns 2" ...Yes, it was on cable...NO, not THAT kind of cable! It was my choice of 10 minute workout shows! Our cable provider, Insight, has ON DEMAND Excercise TV. I love it! You pick what you want, do what you feel like, and never get bored with the same old workout DVD. (Of course, I NEVER got bored with my workout DVDs because I.....well.....never put them in the DVD player)! And 10 minutes is SO DOABLE! NO EXCUSES!!! Even for 10 minutes, though, it's rough...I didn't know I had such a large vocabulary of bad words! The great thing about it is, too, that you can watch the clock tick down in the upper left corner of the screen...that is what got me through! So, I would have sat on my butt and watch a news show before I showered for the day.....
INSTEAD I worked my buns, thighs, and even my ARMS...they ALL hurt today! How did arms get into that mix? I must say, though...it feels GOOD to hurt!
I had a million and one visits so I was BUSY. Haven't stopped at the grocery store in a while so I haven't gotten fruit for the house. I need to do that soon so I can cut up some fruit and take it with me. I was feeling a hunger pang as I headed to my first visit around 8am. Normally I would have pulled into McDonald's. Sausage biscuit-$1.06......
INSTEAD, I steered my car AWAY from the magnetic field that pulls me into the drive through and pulled into the Kroger parking lot. After heading to the EXPENSIVE prepackaged fruit, I headed to the salad bar to make my OWN expensive, prepackaged fruit. Not having any idea how much it would cost, I chose some strawberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe. It cost me $2.05(about a dollar less than if I didn't do it myself) and it was YUMMY! Once again, it steadied me and made me feel satisfied for awhile. And....if you have not had pineapple in a while.....I FORGOT HOW GOOD IT IS!!!! I don't know if it's the time of year or what, but it was SOOOOO juicy, sweet, and delicious!!! Next time I'm heading in for ALL pineapple!!!
I packed a lunch again(not a habit yet, but working on it) Sandwich and celery. PS-Celery is blecky without cream cheese.
I said I was going to talk about how all of this made me feel. Well, I'm feeling really good about sticking to it for five days. Pathetic, but that's big for me! I must admit, too, that even though I joked about the magnetic pull of the drive-thru to my car, I am feeling the habit break every so slightly. Before I felt like it was my only option. Now I am making myself find other options, therefore swaying myself away from the "not-so-good" choices. If I feel this way only after five days, maybe there is something to all of this! I hope so!
AND...I SWEAR...(oh, yes, we know you swear...especially during a workout video)...PICTURES ARE COMING!!! I'm still trying to decide how much flab and cellulite to show! How's that for a teaser ad? (It will be like a car accident...you want to turn away, but you just can't)!!!
Hubs just arrived home last night so I guess he'll be my photographer. Oh dear!!!! Hall of Shame...here I come!
"Bootylicious Buns 2" ...Yes, it was on cable...NO, not THAT kind of cable! It was my choice of 10 minute workout shows! Our cable provider, Insight, has ON DEMAND Excercise TV. I love it! You pick what you want, do what you feel like, and never get bored with the same old workout DVD. (Of course, I NEVER got bored with my workout DVDs because I.....well.....never put them in the DVD player)! And 10 minutes is SO DOABLE! NO EXCUSES!!! Even for 10 minutes, though, it's rough...I didn't know I had such a large vocabulary of bad words! The great thing about it is, too, that you can watch the clock tick down in the upper left corner of the screen...that is what got me through! So, I would have sat on my butt and watch a news show before I showered for the day.....
INSTEAD I worked my buns, thighs, and even my ARMS...they ALL hurt today! How did arms get into that mix? I must say, though...it feels GOOD to hurt!
I had a million and one visits so I was BUSY. Haven't stopped at the grocery store in a while so I haven't gotten fruit for the house. I need to do that soon so I can cut up some fruit and take it with me. I was feeling a hunger pang as I headed to my first visit around 8am. Normally I would have pulled into McDonald's. Sausage biscuit-$1.06......
INSTEAD, I steered my car AWAY from the magnetic field that pulls me into the drive through and pulled into the Kroger parking lot. After heading to the EXPENSIVE prepackaged fruit, I headed to the salad bar to make my OWN expensive, prepackaged fruit. Not having any idea how much it would cost, I chose some strawberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe. It cost me $2.05(about a dollar less than if I didn't do it myself) and it was YUMMY! Once again, it steadied me and made me feel satisfied for awhile. And....if you have not had pineapple in a while.....I FORGOT HOW GOOD IT IS!!!! I don't know if it's the time of year or what, but it was SOOOOO juicy, sweet, and delicious!!! Next time I'm heading in for ALL pineapple!!!
I packed a lunch again(not a habit yet, but working on it) Sandwich and celery. PS-Celery is blecky without cream cheese.
I said I was going to talk about how all of this made me feel. Well, I'm feeling really good about sticking to it for five days. Pathetic, but that's big for me! I must admit, too, that even though I joked about the magnetic pull of the drive-thru to my car, I am feeling the habit break every so slightly. Before I felt like it was my only option. Now I am making myself find other options, therefore swaying myself away from the "not-so-good" choices. If I feel this way only after five days, maybe there is something to all of this! I hope so!
AND...I SWEAR...(oh, yes, we know you swear...especially during a workout video)...PICTURES ARE COMING!!! I'm still trying to decide how much flab and cellulite to show! How's that for a teaser ad? (It will be like a car accident...you want to turn away, but you just can't)!!!
Hubs just arrived home last night so I guess he'll be my photographer. Oh dear!!!! Hall of Shame...here I come!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A better way to spend $5.00...
SMALL STEPS FOR FEBRUARY 2ND
I felt hungry later in the day and I normally would have pulled through the drive thru.
INSTEAD I stopped at Kroger. I headed right for the fruit although I did not really feel like fruit. They have GREAT fresh, prepackaged stuff(I didn't bring my knife and cutting board), but it can be expensive. I wanted strawberries, but I chose cantaloupe because it was only $1.09. On my way out I saw a bag of fresh granola. I read some of the ingredients and it was made with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, and it had oats, flax, sunflower seeds, and more yummy goodness. I was intrigued so I bought it. My bill went from $1.09 to 5.08...oh well! It's certainly better than the $5.04 that I would spend at the McDonald's drive-thru on a fish sandwich, small fries, and a caramel sundae.
***Sidenote on the granola......It had a cute picture of a jazz musician on it so I turned it over to see if it was made in New Orleans. GUESS WHAT!!??!! It is made RIGHT HERE in Covington, Kentucky...right down the street! It is called McCabe's Granola and it is made by McCabe's Foods, LLC......YUMMY DELICIOUS! Nice to know I'm supporting a local small business!!! I just looked it up on the web and it's a good story. http://www.mccabesgranola.com/ Check it out!!! They have four flavors and I happened to choose the Delta Blueberry (Oh...I get it...the blues...jazz..cool!) but I can't wait to try the other flavors!
I packed my lunch again.
I concentrated on squeezing my butt and thighs when I walked.
****As for these last two changes, I also did these yesterday...so do they count as new changes??? Or is it a change if I've already done it before? Hmmmm.... okay..how about this....Until it is a HABIT, I am going to use it as one of my small changes. I believe I've heard it takes two weeks of repetitive action to form a new habit. Until I feel like it's a habit, I will use it unless I try something NEW that day. How does that sound?
Have a GREAT day, everyone!!!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
I would like to thank the Academy....
Just kidding...I want to thank everyone who has sent me nice emails and also those who have joined as followers! That is awesome and totally inspiring to me! Thanks, everyone!
Today was pretty easy to get my three small changes in...I guess because it's a weekday and I was pretty busy!
SMALL STEPS FOR FEBRUARY 1ST
Normally on a day like today I get up, watch some kind of news show (either Fox and Friends or Today), have a couple cups of coffee, plan out my day, and take care of my dogs. Well, I'll be adding one more thing to that list-packing a lunch!
INSTEAD of no planning on my part for lunch I actually made a turkey sandwich and 7 pieces of celery with cream cheese. I packed it in a cooler with an ice pack and off I went. I kind of ate everything in bits and pieces between visits. It felt wonderful to keep my blood sugar steady by always having something next to me to munch on in the car. It made for a much less frantic time when I would feel my blood sugar dropping and I had nothing with me. I felt much more stable than I usually do.
I was peeking through a Reader's Digest(I LOVE that magazine) and I came across an article talking about health tips from around the world. I found a blurb (is that a word?) about Rooibos Tea. I found it online:
Sip some rooibos tea-South Africa (Compliments of Reader's Digest online)
Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea, and because it's naturally sweet, it needs no sugar. Ditching your daily Frappuccino for a cup of rooibos—Starbucks now sells it—could save you thousands of calories per month. "Tea-drinking cultures generally have lower rates of obesity," says Dr. Pescatore. "That may be from special compounds, such as catechins, that certain teas contain, or it may simply be that we often think we're hungry when we're really dehydrated."
Is it legal to copy and paste from an article online? Eek...if it's not...I apologize and claim ignorance to the copy and paste police!!!!
I normally would have walked into Starbuck's and ordered a yummy Pkie's Place roast coffee.
INSTEAD I walked into Starbuck's and ordered a cup of rooibos tea...and completely butchered the pronounciation! I had everyone in the place correcting me. Thank God there were only three people there! I didn't really enjoy it, probably because I'm not really a tea drinker, but someone who is a tea drinker might LOVE it. Now that I think about it, though, I slept through the night last night, whereas I usually wake up about 3-4 am which may be caused by the caffeine I sometimes drink during the day and early evening. hmmmm.......
I am a pet sitter. So I do alot of doggy walks each day. Normally I just stroll along with the dog and, unless the dog is extremely vivacious, I would not really pay attention to how fast or slow we go.
INSTEAD I concentrated on squeezing my butt and thighs with each step I took. That has to count for something, right?
Today was pretty easy to get my three small changes in...I guess because it's a weekday and I was pretty busy!
SMALL STEPS FOR FEBRUARY 1ST
Normally on a day like today I get up, watch some kind of news show (either Fox and Friends or Today), have a couple cups of coffee, plan out my day, and take care of my dogs. Well, I'll be adding one more thing to that list-packing a lunch!
INSTEAD of no planning on my part for lunch I actually made a turkey sandwich and 7 pieces of celery with cream cheese. I packed it in a cooler with an ice pack and off I went. I kind of ate everything in bits and pieces between visits. It felt wonderful to keep my blood sugar steady by always having something next to me to munch on in the car. It made for a much less frantic time when I would feel my blood sugar dropping and I had nothing with me. I felt much more stable than I usually do.
I was peeking through a Reader's Digest(I LOVE that magazine) and I came across an article talking about health tips from around the world. I found a blurb (is that a word?) about Rooibos Tea. I found it online:
Sip some rooibos tea-South Africa (Compliments of Reader's Digest online)
Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea, and because it's naturally sweet, it needs no sugar. Ditching your daily Frappuccino for a cup of rooibos—Starbucks now sells it—could save you thousands of calories per month. "Tea-drinking cultures generally have lower rates of obesity," says Dr. Pescatore. "That may be from special compounds, such as catechins, that certain teas contain, or it may simply be that we often think we're hungry when we're really dehydrated."
Is it legal to copy and paste from an article online? Eek...if it's not...I apologize and claim ignorance to the copy and paste police!!!!
I normally would have walked into Starbuck's and ordered a yummy Pkie's Place roast coffee.
INSTEAD I walked into Starbuck's and ordered a cup of rooibos tea...and completely butchered the pronounciation! I had everyone in the place correcting me. Thank God there were only three people there! I didn't really enjoy it, probably because I'm not really a tea drinker, but someone who is a tea drinker might LOVE it. Now that I think about it, though, I slept through the night last night, whereas I usually wake up about 3-4 am which may be caused by the caffeine I sometimes drink during the day and early evening. hmmmm.......
I am a pet sitter. So I do alot of doggy walks each day. Normally I just stroll along with the dog and, unless the dog is extremely vivacious, I would not really pay attention to how fast or slow we go.
INSTEAD I concentrated on squeezing my butt and thighs with each step I took. That has to count for something, right?
Monday, February 1, 2010
I told you they were SMALL changes...
Well, we're going to be stretching it today to find those changes, but there are three of them. My sweet mom sent me and article from her Yahoo home page and one of the tips was to eat 4 grams of fiber with every meal. Here's the article. It's good. Also, if you are not a Dr. Oz watcher, allow me to recommend it to you. I tape it every day and I am nothing less than completely inspired after a Dr. Oz show. He's GREAT!
http://health.yahoo.com/featured/78/7-easy-ways-to-lose-weight-without-starving-or-breaking-a-sweat/
SMALL STEPS FOR JANUARY 31ST
(Our little Montana cowboy's birthday)...Happy 3rd birthday, sweet Hayden!
With my job I have to sometimes jump out of bed and head right out the door. That was me today. Usually I would skip grabbing something to eat, head out, and eat when I got back or eat on the road if I started to feel hungry.
INSTEAD I took five minutes and ate a bowl of Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt. Yummy. I felt more energetic and I wasn't rushing to quiet the hunger...I was preventing the hunger before it came. Hopefully, this woke up my body and took it out of the fasting mode, which, when you go too long, I hear, can mess up your metabolism.
When I came home to eat lunch today I thought about the four grams of fiber suggestion from the article. Normally, I would have probably thrown a frozen meal in the microwave and just had that by itself.
INSTEAD I heated up a Santa Fe Rice and Beans, chopped up half a head of Romaine, and put the meal on top of the lettuce to make a taco salad of sorts. Delish!
I normally would have a soda with my lunch and soda or wine with dinner.
INSTEAD, I chose water with lunch and milk with dinner.
I cannot wait to start posting pictures. It might be Wednesday before I can. But I at least want to do one a week. I guess I'll weigh in every Saturday since that is when I started. I'll try to post a picture every Saturday! See you tomorrow!
http://health.yahoo.com/featured/78/7-easy-ways-to-lose-weight-without-starving-or-breaking-a-sweat/
SMALL STEPS FOR JANUARY 31ST
(Our little Montana cowboy's birthday)...Happy 3rd birthday, sweet Hayden!
With my job I have to sometimes jump out of bed and head right out the door. That was me today. Usually I would skip grabbing something to eat, head out, and eat when I got back or eat on the road if I started to feel hungry.
INSTEAD I took five minutes and ate a bowl of Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt. Yummy. I felt more energetic and I wasn't rushing to quiet the hunger...I was preventing the hunger before it came. Hopefully, this woke up my body and took it out of the fasting mode, which, when you go too long, I hear, can mess up your metabolism.
When I came home to eat lunch today I thought about the four grams of fiber suggestion from the article. Normally, I would have probably thrown a frozen meal in the microwave and just had that by itself.
INSTEAD I heated up a Santa Fe Rice and Beans, chopped up half a head of Romaine, and put the meal on top of the lettuce to make a taco salad of sorts. Delish!
I normally would have a soda with my lunch and soda or wine with dinner.
INSTEAD, I chose water with lunch and milk with dinner.
I cannot wait to start posting pictures. It might be Wednesday before I can. But I at least want to do one a week. I guess I'll weigh in every Saturday since that is when I started. I'll try to post a picture every Saturday! See you tomorrow!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Small Steps to the Big Finish Line
I have been thinking and thinking, but I cannot come up with a fun "catch phrase" to use for the small changes I make each day to reach the final goal. For now I'm going to call it, "Small Steps to the Big Finish Line." I don't really like it, but other ideas are swirling in my head. When the right one hits me, I'll know it, and I guess you'll l know it, too!
SMALL STEPS FOR JANUARY 30TH
(MY BEST GIRL'S BIRTHDAY) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MADDIE!
INSTEAD I cooked two egg whites and skipped the cheese and the mayo. Thought about using one slice of bread but, gosh, I just love my carbs!
I ended up at the drive-thru last night with a raging hunger headache(poor planning on my part). I normally would have ordered a double cheeseburger and a caramel sundae.
INSTEAD I ordered a grilled chicken wrap and a fruit and yogurt parfait. It wasn't half bad!
I needed to be somewhere at 2pm. As I was writing this blog I looked at the clock and it was 1pm. I hadn't showered or gotten ready. Usually I would just go and start to get ready about 45 minutes to an hour before I had to be somewhere.
INSTEAD I took the first 15 minutes of that time and turned on Excercise TV On Demand and found a 13 minute yoga class. I did it and THEN showered.
I'm pretty proud of myself. And the thing I really like about this is that I don't think I'll look at food as forbidden. I'll just make the small changes and pray that the math works. I think it probably will. Three small changes a day equals 21 small changes a week. And that's 840 changes in the 40 weeks. That's quite a few changes!
Have a great day, everyone!
Alot of times my breakfast of choice is an egg sandwich. I will take two pieces of bread, put some mayo and a slice of cheese on it, and one or two eggs, depending on how hungry I am.
SMALL STEPS FOR JANUARY 30TH
(MY BEST GIRL'S BIRTHDAY) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MADDIE!
INSTEAD I cooked two egg whites and skipped the cheese and the mayo. Thought about using one slice of bread but, gosh, I just love my carbs!
I ended up at the drive-thru last night with a raging hunger headache(poor planning on my part). I normally would have ordered a double cheeseburger and a caramel sundae.
INSTEAD I ordered a grilled chicken wrap and a fruit and yogurt parfait. It wasn't half bad!
I needed to be somewhere at 2pm. As I was writing this blog I looked at the clock and it was 1pm. I hadn't showered or gotten ready. Usually I would just go and start to get ready about 45 minutes to an hour before I had to be somewhere.
INSTEAD I took the first 15 minutes of that time and turned on Excercise TV On Demand and found a 13 minute yoga class. I did it and THEN showered.
I'm pretty proud of myself. And the thing I really like about this is that I don't think I'll look at food as forbidden. I'll just make the small changes and pray that the math works. I think it probably will. Three small changes a day equals 21 small changes a week. And that's 840 changes in the 40 weeks. That's quite a few changes!
Have a great day, everyone!
Alot of times my breakfast of choice is an egg sandwich. I will take two pieces of bread, put some mayo and a slice of cheese on it, and one or two eggs, depending on how hungry I am.
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