Here we go again…  I’m stillllllll holding steady, even given the holidays we are in the midst of!!    To me – that’s success.  I have not been eating a whole lot, because I believe my stomach has shrunk – I’m just not ABLE to eat as much as I used to.  That’s a good thing.  I’m still hitting the gym pretty hard and have roped my neighbor into joining me on the days I have the trainer.  They basically kick our collective asses and we pay them for it.  As a result, we are generally unable to walk or lift anything for a day or two afterward…. It’s all good pain and we get to grow all that fun mitochondria that helps to burn energy while sitting on those same asses mentioned before.  In the end, it’s a winning situation – despite the pain and sweat.  (and I like to type mitochondria)

I’ve begun keeping a daily diary of what I eat, including the massive amounts of water I intake, down to the single cookie I shoved in my mouth like a starving wolf faced with a sweet little baby chipmunk….yummy…. and gross at the same time.  Basically – whole thing, shoved into my moufff, no chewing, 100% swallow.  Yeah baby….  The diary has definitely helped guilt me into only eating when appropriate and to only eat appropriate foods.  On the other hand, it does NOT help me when I forget to eat, or when I run out of time to actually prepare something that may not cause twenty new saddle bags on my already-burdened hips.

Additionally, I’ve cut the Coke out about 50% of the time.  Today is Friday and I believe I’ve only had 2 this week.  THAT, in and of itself, is a major step forward for me.  I tend to consume one 20-oz Coke a day and that’s a couple hundred Calories I don’t have to eat good, healthy food with.  So, while it is a moving target, I’m making progress.

I still have to get through next week, with Christmas, and the week after with New Years (this will be a challenge as I plan on getting all drunkerd up and sloshy over that particular holiday), so wish me luck.  I’m planning on hitting the gym hard EVERY day between now and then just because I feel so much better when I do, and I’m really liking the results I’ve seen thus far.  Smooches – ciao!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh…………..

Seriously – it’s quite aggravating and I mentally understand it but cannot emotionally detach myself.  I just love Coke.  Original Coke, no diet, no zero, no caffeine free.  Good, old fashioned, original Coke – okay, minus the actual cocaine, but with 100% calories, sugar and caffeine. 

This is not helping my diet efforts.  However, since I don’t really eat a LOT of junk, I allow myself this indiscretion.  Yesterday, twice.  I’ve begun keeping a food diary so I can review my intake and compare it with what I should be eating.  YES, I understand that this is pretty much a trial run and that I don’t eat enough of the good stuff and too much of the bad stuff. 

For instance:  yesterday’s total intake was this – 6 fig newtons, 1 blueberry Activia yogurt, 2 – 20oz bottles of water, tuna salad in a spinach wrap, 20 oz Coke, 1 small biscuit, 2/3 of a chicken breast, 1& 1/2 cups of spaghetti with alfredo sauce, 20 oz Coke, and another 12 oz of water. 

While this combination of food was yummy to my tummy, it was not nutritionally balanced.  While I may have consumed enough protein, there is a severe lack of fruits and vegetables….. 

TIP – it can be especially helpful to keep a food diary and track your food intake.  It allows for a comparison to nutritional guidelines and lets you know just how bad your diet may be for your efforts to lose, and can enable you to make adjustments where necessary to maximize your intake.

It’s almost Thanksgiving folks, and I’m flat lined right now.  I’m not mad, and I’m certainly going to eat me some turkey and all the fixin’s with the Pash clan, but I will definitely be hitting the gymand getting some great day-after exercise.  Enjoy yourselves, try not to over-indulge, and if your family’s making you crazy, leave.  Hard enough to do, but honestly, it’s possible.  Traditionally, I check out a movie or something.

Ciao!! 

Not really, but at some point, this may apply…..

Here I am, my first real weekend trying to be good.  It’s a beautiful Saturday morning and I have tried my best to book up the weekend with fun activities to keep my mind off food and other things that generally induce that emotional eating we all try and deny.  So, to catch up, let’s run down Thursday and Friday, since I’ve been remiss:

Thursday – 45 min brisk walking, yogurt and blueberries for breakfast, some chicken salad and a flour tortilla for lunch (HUGE temptation of cookies and brownies – but I JUST SAID NO), and spaghetti and salad with a french roll for dinner – maybe a little more than I should have eaten, but it was darn good.  Drink-wise I actually behaved myself and did NOT have any Coke or tea during the day, but was forced into a Mountain Dew with dinner by my 12 year old….lol – okay, there wasn’t much force involved.

Friday – The day of my demise……  Started off good – 45 min brisk walk- a few strawberries and 2 small clementines (similar to tangerines for those of us lay-folk), went to Arby’s and tried to be good at lunch- a chicken salad wrap, curly fries and a sweet tea.  The wrap was NASTY, so I just ate the chicken and apple pieces out of the inside after wiping off most of the disgusting dressing, only a few of the fries, and did NOT refill the tea before leaving.  I felt that was a success.  I had about 5 peanut M&M’s back at work and lots of water.  My sweet, afore-mentioned 12 year old had made biscuits by the time I got home – ARGHHHHHH – so I had to eat one, or two…lol – 2, and they were YUMMY….hahaha.  And she had a friend over, so we decided to go to the movies.  Okay – here is where it gets messy – got to the wrong theater, so picked another movie – an hour later – hmmmm, let’s go eat – nothing remotely healthy is open – let’s hit the Harris Teeter (grocery store – in case ya didn’t know).  I got a pre-made salad with light ranch dressing and some gummy bears for the movie.  Oh yeah, and a Coke.  I’m not even going into the nastiness that the girls picked out….just believe that none of it was conducive to healthy eating.  Soooooo – the salad was gross.  I ate a few bites, tried the dressing – ewww… Threw it out.  Still hungry when we got to the movies, so I’m all in – #3 please – the nachos and medium drink combo.  Yeah, I ate about 1/2 the nachos, all the cheese, and took maybe 4 drinks of the Coke.  Not too bad with regard to will power, but I still feel a bit of a failure for the lack of substance…. Well, that was Friday. 

Let’s see how the rest of the weekend goes.  Wish me luck.  I’m hoping I’m too busy with the rest of living my life to get overly obsessed with my food intake, and that I make healthy decisions.  I’ll keep ya posted!

Okay, so here I am, contemplating the excitement of calorie counting and sore muscles, and I wonder if this isn’t the beginning of the same old cycle of weight gain and loss. Can I seriously lose the weight I need to lose and keep it off? I want to. I need to. I know I can do it if I set my mind to it… (sings – you can do it, put your mind into it) I just have to get over myself and get started. Well, guess what???? I did.

Sunday – 1 hour brisk walk, a nice salad for brunch but still drank about 3 Cokes in one sitting, some broccoli and egg salad for dinner with water

Monday – 45 min. brisk walk, yogurt & blueberries for b-fast, broccoli and egg salad with a tortilla for lunch and a couple of wheat thins and water, chicken chili w/a small piece of corn bread and some sweet tea

Tuesday – 45 min. brisk walk, yogurt, blueberries & a banana for b-fast, chicken quesadilla with one Coke for lunch, forgot to eat dinner…ugh…. Funky Fit with the amazing Queen Pash for an hour.

Wednesday – (so far) – 45 min. brisk walk, yogurt & blueberries for b-fast, will have chicken salad w/a tortilla for lunch and maybe a Coke.

There it is – I’m making an effort and my body is not dying, and I’m feeling pretty good – happen endorphins and all…..

Wish me luck, and please feel free to give me a hard time. Yes, I love Coke and need to cut it down to less than 1 day – empty calories and all. Yes, I need to remember to eat throughout the day and not forget dinner. I have my faults, but you’re here to help me with them and point out the obviousness of my retardation. Love ya! See ya soon….