Happy Chinese New Year!!

Hello everyone! February 3rd was the start of the Chinese New Year. I read my Chinese horoscope (I'm a dog, imagine that) and it said that if I start an exercise regimen within the first week of the new year then I would be more likely to stick with it. So I started yesterday. I did cardio via my stepper. I went for 15 minutes and that was enough. The video I have is supposed to be for beginner beginners, but I felt it was more fast paced than it should have been. I know how stupid that sounds since cardio is usually not slow paced, but I thought it would give me more time to learn the steps before killing me. I'll stick with it and before ya know it I'll have a job teaching step aerobic classes. You can stop laughing now. :)
So, I wanted to share how my eating has been this week so far. I don't know if it's the snow and the stress of driving in it, but I have been so hungry. I have been wanting to eat everything in sight. I have not, though. I have restrained myself, but a feeling of unsatisfaction has been with me night and day. I don't know what to do about this feeling. I am not sure what will satisfy me. Today, I have decided to not count my calories and have a free day.  I have not overeaten at all, but I am about to bake browines so I am in the danger zone now. Hopefully I can just eat one. Although one browine is only a 2x2 sqaure. I am thinking that maybe I am having sugar withdrawls because I have been trying to cut refined sugar out of my diet. This has been a really hard process, but I am plugging along. I am hoping that one day all of this torture will be worth it. I will be healthier and happier.I have some tips that have worked for me that I want to share. Also, I have a few things that I want to try. I will promise to try all of these things and report back to you. I think that having a variety of options available helps to curb cravings. Dr. Oz and other experts believe sugar is killing us more than fat. They say that sugar causes problems with high blood pressure, cholesterol, and insulin resistance which causes diabetes. So there are a bunch of sugar substances out there that you should not eat. For those of you that are interested you can visit http://www.doctoroz.com/challenge/sugar-detox   and look at the hidden sugars area. I have found that cutting all these things out are impossible. The main reason why is because the Atkins shakes and bars have become a staple of mine and they contain some sugar substances like maltose. I have to be to work by 5 am and you are supposed to eat within thirty minutes of waking up. When I get to work, I drink an Atkins Milk Chocolate Delight shake. These are really good. They contain 160 calories, 10g of fat, 15g of protein, and 1g of sugar. I don't like the strawberry or vanilla, but the dark chocolate ones are good too. There is a mocha one, but I haven't tried it because I don't like coffee. The trick to these shakes I think is the high  protein content, plus they are very convenient for an early morning breakfast. I think the liquid helps to fill me up, too. Plus I drink a bottle of water right after. So by 5:30 am I am done with my breakfast. Then about 8:30 I have a light snack. I usually eat a piece of fruit like an apple or orange. I also eat some string cheese or I have a wedge of laughing cow cheeese on some multi grain wasa bread. You can get wasa bread at Wal Mart and it is like a big crunchy cracker. At 11:30 I have lunch. I eat whatever I want that is within 400 calories. By the time I get home I have half of my calories left and can have a good afternoon snack around 3:00 pm to help me fight hunger until dinner. My afternoon snack is usually about 250 calories and most of the time I have some nuts and half of a protein bar by Atkins. The protein bars are actually good. I can stomach them. My favorite is one the double chocolate caramel bar. However, there are other Atkins bars that are not protein bars. So make sure the protein content is at least 9g. If you want to try the bars for free you can join right now at www.Atkins.com and they will send you three free bars to try. Also, special K protein powder for water is good. The only flavor I like is the pink lemonade. I put the whole thing in one bottle of water. It is really sweet, so if you don't like the sweet you could use a half of a packet. The trick to this protein powder is to put in the water at least an hour before you want to drink it. It doesn't dissolve into the water instantly so letting it sit for a bit ensures you won't be drinking chunks of protein powder which is gross. If anyone has tried the Special K shakes can you let me know how they are?A couple of things I want to try are 100% pure coconut water (sold in health stores like GNC), Rocco's 88 calorie brownies, and psyllium tablets. I hear that vita coco is the best with nothing added, but coconut water replenishes electrolytes and has less fat and sugar than energy drinks like gatorade. Coconut water helps to detoxify the body, but coconut water is said to speed up metabolism which burns more fat and therefore aids in weight loss. See my previous post about the brownies. Psyllium tablets should be taken with a whole glass of water and is basically the same type of fiber found in broccoli and other vegetables. The tablet acts as a natural appetite suppressant and expands in the stomach like regular fiber causing the stomach to slow down the digestive process. If you have any tips that work for you or tips you want to try, please share with me. Like I said, I think it takes a variety of things working together to help aid weight loss. Thanks for reading!! Wish me luck in the coming week and pray for my safety if I have to continue to drive on icy streets.  I weigh in on Monday and I will let you know how that goes. Talk to you soon,
Tracie

One month down--Eleven to go

Well January has come and is now gone. The good news is that I have lost a total of 8 pounds this month and I am looking forward to February. February poses some hurdles for me though. Two wonderful days occur during this month. The Chocolate Holiday (Valentine's Day) and my anniversary (Feb. 18). I am going to request anything but chocolate for Valentine's Day and when Dave (my husband) doesn't buy me any I will be sad and will probably forget that I forbid him to buy it. However, now that I am not eating a lot of fatty foods, my skin is getting so much clearer. So there are worse things than having no chocolate. :) I had a goal to lose 8 pounds and I did it!! I did it by just calorie counting and watching portions. Sounds grueling, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't so bad. What I learned this past month is that moderation really is the key. You can have foods you love, but just not a lot of it. For instance, I have been eating chocolate but only dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa). I have been eating Dove dark chocolate and I only eat two pieces every other day. Two pieces is only 84 calories. It helps with the cravings for sweets and doesn't bust my calorie bank. Okay, I have to go off topic here for one minute...I just saw this segment on Dr. Oz about brownies that are only 88 calories per serving and very little fat and sugar. Did anyone else see Rocco DiSpirito make these brownies? The recipe is on www.doctoroz.com if anyone is interested. I will make them and report back to you. Anyway they are made with black beans, cocoa powder, espresso powder, whole wheat pastry flour, and a bit of sugar.  Sounds funky, huh? But if I can have a 88 calorie brownie...I'll try it!! Okay that was my Dr. Oz plug of the day ( I love Dr. Oz). Back to moderation....so I do occaisionally still eat things I love, but that are bad for me. For instance I had Frito Pie and Olive Garden on Friday, which was my free day.  I allow myself one day a week without counting calories (my anniversary will be one of those days because I really want to go to that Bonefish Grill), but I don't go crazy. I still eat small portions, but I feel like I am in control of the food instead of the food controlling me. However, today I feel like the food is controlling me. I have been starving all day. I think it's the weather. I have eaten like normal, but for some reason want to snack. So I had some pistachios (85 calories) and some salad greens with a tsp of sunflower seeds and a bit of light ranch dressing (a total of  114 calories). Just a 200 calorie snack, but I feel satisfied without the need to reach for more. Plus I drank a lot of water. Water helps tremendously, but I still have days where I feel hungry all day. I just don't succumb to the pressure.  I find something to occupy my mind and keep me busy and that helps a lot too. So this month I will continue on my current eating plan and work in more exercise. I am still doing abs every day and every day I still cramp like mad, but if I ever do get in shape I will remember the pain and never go back to being out of shape, rest assured. February will be all about getting an exercise routine together. Any suggestions anyone? I am going to use that aerobic stepper even if I can't walk for days afterward!! :)  Well,  pray for me and wish me luck!! 

Tracie

The Midweek Blues

Alright, so let me just start by saying I have not exercised at all this week. I am kind of mad at myself because I know exercising is part of the equation to losing weight. So why am I so mathematically challenged? I don't know!! Why can't I just make the committment and stick to it? I know I can start slowly. I know I can build myself up, but for some reason all I have in my head is the need to go full force ahead. I am going to walk my neighborhood tomorrow because the weather will be nicer. But here's the stupid thing (WARNING: You are about to enter my mind...a place where few have gone before), I am scared to walk in my neighborhood. Why? I have no idea. I have this overwhelming fear of being raped or mugged. Is this a true fear or just an excuse to hold me back? I know it's probably deep down just an excuse. And I have lots of them like I have no time, the kids need help with homework, I must go to WalMart for something (isn't that exercise), or I am too tired. I know that exercising will help me to have more energy and I just need to do it. The one thing I have been doing is abdominal exercises. I have been doing my crunches, laterals, and even exercising the lower abs. Let me just say this is so painful. When I am finished I have charleyhorses in my lower abdomen. I can't fully stand up for 5 minutes and the cramping is so intense. So if anyone out there is starting ab exercises and you haven't used those muscles in awhile or ever (like me)...it HURTS!!  Why doesn't anyone ever tell us this? Probably because we wouldn't buy all those ab products, that's why!! But here's the thing...you can torture yourself without spending money. Remember that at 2 a.m. while sitting on the couch eating cheetos and that ab roller thing  is looking really good. So on the food front...so far this week I have been really good. I am staying at or under my calorie amount and I feel this week (foodwise) is off to a good start. I made a great chicken salad with only one tablespoon of mayo. I have been eating it on multigrain wasa bread. So yummy. However, I weighed on Monday and I have gained 2 pounds. I am just hoping it was because of my monthly visitor that stopped by on Sunday. I am praying that on this coming Monday I have a lower number. If not I may be forced to walk to the scary streets of my neighborhood!! Pray for me and wish me luck!!

Tracie

Twenty-three days and I'm still alive!

On exactly January 1st of 2011, I decided to finally get myself together and lose weight. No, I did not make a New Year's resolution because I don't believe in them. However, losing weight has always been a project of mine. I have always been...heavy (trying to use the least negative word here) due to a childhood that I had no control over. I don't blame my mother or my father for anything that happened, but I internalized every bad feeling I had. I started binging when I was 7, joined Weight Watchers at 13, hooked on laxatives and dexatrim by 16, and tried every fad diet in between. By the age of 19, I was married and found myself in a very toxic relationship. A few years after being married, I gave up on myself completely. I let negative feelings and thoughts take over my entire existence. I lived that way for many years until my son was born and gave me life. The journey back to myself has been a long one. Very scary at times and joyful at others, but it's not over yet. So, I have decided to come clean, here, in public. What do I want to accomplish? I want to be able to rant, share my successes and failures, and hopefully get some advice from people who have been where I am. I will be brutally honest with myself because honestly, I can't afford therapy. I need a way to hold myself accoutable and to get rid of all the negativity. I am so hard on myself that I when I do fail, I can't breathe for days. I give up entirely and eat everything in the kitchen that contains chocolate or is high in trans fats. Then I berate myself for days following my out of control binge. I have to take control of my life in this way, because in many ways it's the last hurdle on my journey. I have been eating to comfort myself since I was 7, so these habits are hard to break, but I know now that I am worth it. On January 1st I started trying to change my habits by following the simple rules to weight loss...eating healthy, eating the bad things in moderation, counting calories, and exercising. I downloaded a nifty calorie counting app on my iPhone and was on my way. I have logged in every day since I got the app and have faithfully counted my calories for 21 days now. Technically, I started on January 3rd, which was the first Monday of the new year. According to the app I need to consume 1610 calories a day. I have been under most days, except the one day I ate a whole sleeve of Ritz crackers while watching a movie. Did you know a whole sleeve of Ritz crackers has 500 calories? Wow. I was stunned. So no more eating in front of the television for me. What did I do? I just forgave myself, gave myself a positive pep talk, and moved on. That was a major breakthrough for me. Maybe the fact that I had no chocolate in the house helped too. Anyway, I have lost 7 pounds in 15 days. My next weigh-in is tomorrow morning. I haven't done too well this past week so I just hope to have lost one pound. I was under in calories for the week, but I have just been making bad choices. So I will just hope for the best and do better next week. My goal is to eventually lose 160 pounds. I currently weigh 305.8 pounds. I started at 313. The one thing I have not been able to do consistently is exercise and that will be my project for next week. I am going to do step aerobics if it kills me! I am determined! I can't let that $25 step I bought off of Craigslist go to waste, now can I? Wish me luck!