May 20, 2010

Back to counting points...

It is now almost one year since I started Weight Watchers. My current weight is seven pounds over my lowest weight with them. I feel pretty good about that, and feel that I can push through whatever this barrier is and begin making progress again. I feel like I have been on a plateau for months (eight to be exact).

My breakfast is one egg on a multi-grain 100 calorie English muffin (2 Points), lunch is a turkey sandwich on an Arnold sandwich thin with mustard and lettuce (2 Points), snack is celery and cucumbers with Italian dressing (1 point). Dinner has been a small portion of meat, broccoli and salad (15 points). I have also switched my night time snack from butter lovers popcorn to the 100 calorie bag (1 point).

I have set my alarm the past three mornings for 5:45 am and have gotten out for at least 2 miles each morning. I also went out yesterday after work for another 3.

April 20, 2010

I had a really nice weekend at the beach with my sister. We walked the beach, ate right and had a great time. It will be great when the house is fixed up, what a wonderful place to spend some time.

A woman that I don't know has given me new motivation. I used to see her walking about a year ago, now I see her jogging/walking. Looks like she has lost about 30 pounds, and appears to feel great. I really want to walk each day at least thirty minutes..... Don't think that's too much to expect of myself!!

April 3, 2010

Wow that week went really quickly.

Dan is gone for a weekend of work in Jacksonville. He left early yesterday morning and will return late tomorrow. Dustin is at work, so it is just me and the animals (one extra, my sisters dog is "visiting" for a few days.

I've been busy cleaning the back porch today in hopes of eating a birthday dinner with Dustin and his girl friend out there tonight.

Still on Atkins so my dinner will consist of steak, salad, yellow squash and zucchini. I bought a really small cake for Dustin and Taylor and I will be making an Atkins cheese cake for my own dessert.

March 26, 2010

Went out for dinner last night with family and realized that we have not eaten out since in-laws were here in January. Couple of things... we are trying to pinch pennies and it is much easier to control what you eat when you do so at home. Really enjoyed the meal out though!

March 22, 2010

What a great weekend. Went to the beach on Saturday and didn't feel the need to pack a lot of food for myself. In the past I always made sure that I not only had a lunch packed but also a lot of snacks. This trip I had water, diet soda and three strips of bacon for myself. (Lunch and snacks were packed for my husband). He went fishing, I went for a two and a half mile walk, then sat and read a book.

March 21, 2010

Happy Birthday to my sister...

I was talking with a co-worker the other day at work. She has been motivated by me and has been changing her life style for about eight months. A few days before our talk she had indulged in a lemon filled donut, and then immediately started beating herself up over it. While we were talking she realized that she's not "on a diet", but simply making life style changes. Have to remember that it's not like being addicted to drugs or alcohol, with food addictions it is possible to "fall off the wagon" and climb right back on.

March 17, 2010

Did much better yesterday. Went for a walk as soon as I got home and ended up in front of two other women who were walking. Of course I couldn't let them pass me, and they were walking fairly quickly. Not only that, but they were on the street and I was on the sidewalk. In the cul-de-sacs they had a lot less ground to cover. I think that I did 3 miles in 45 minutes, which for me is pretty quick!!

March 16, 2010

Yesterday was not a good day. When I got home I'm not sure exactly what I was feeling, but it felt like HUNGRY to me. I had a nutty bar and some goldfish. I should have just put on my walking shoes, and gone out for a walk. Hopefully today will be better....

March 15, 2010

A beautiful weekend for outdoor activities. On Saturday I went on a 2.5 mile walk at the beach. Yesterday I went back to an old neighborhood (where I used to roller blade years ago) and found out that the loop is 3.1 miles.

Have decided for the time being to stay with Atkins and see if I can get the weight loss jump started somehow...

March 12, 2010

It's only 10 am and two people have told me that it looks like I am losing weight. The scale hasn't changed in the past two weeks, or much over the past month, but I guess all that matters truly is how I am looking and feeling. I need to stay on track with the new life style and stop thinking about all the foods I feel I am missing.

March 11, 2010

Yesterday was a very rough day for some reason. When I got home I thought I was starving. I busied myself until dinner time, and then did have a baked potato with my pork chop. That seemed to satisfy me for the night, make me think though if maybe it is time to switch back to Weight Watchers for a bigger variety...

March 9, 2010

Was very lucky at work today, lunch was brought in from McAllister's Deli. I was able to have some great salad with ranch dressing and some turkey and cheese (taken out of a sandwich).
Still feeling very frustrated with weight not coming off, but am happy that I don't really feel that I am dieting, (never feel really hungry), and the weight is remaining constant.

My husband had a weekend job, selling ice cream at the Gasporilla Arts Festival. It was nice having a weekend to myself, and for him to have a little money coming in. I was also very thankful that he didn't bring any of the ice cream home (it is homemade and delicious).

March 8, 2010

Well..
Got on the scale this morning and there were no changes in a week. I am really starting to feel very frustrated and thinking a lot about many of the foods that I've been missing. I had a very lengthy discussion with my son on who has the best french fries, and I would have loved to gone to "Sonny's" (the french fries I choose as my favorites). I did refrain, and have continued to be very diligent in following the Induction Phase of Atkins weight loss program. Hopefully something great will happen soon...

March 2, 2010

Stayed off the scale today!! Really don't want to get on it until next Monday.

Kenny (our service dog in training) had his weekend with a potential client. The weekend before the couple had Kentaye, a big golden Retriever, and this past they had Kenny, the Yellow Lab I fondly refer to as the "midgedor". He's very short, midget like. Anyway, the service dog that the couple had for ten years was a big Golden, so Kenny was doomed from the start. The school had sent home an evaluation sheet both weekends, and apparently Kentaye did everything with flying colors. Kenny on the other hand would do nothing.

Not to worry, the school realizes that Kenny is their star pupil and they have other plans for him. There's a woman with Multiple Sclerosis, not yet in a wheelchair, but who's forced to use a walker, that they feel could really use Kenny's help. We'll see...

March 1, 2010

Two months into the new year, and I reviewed my New Year's resolutions.
I have not been writing daily on my blog, I have not been walking daily and I have yet to finish Dr. Phil's Weight Loss Challenge. We have settled on a Church and have been going regularly.

Even with my poor showing on the resolution list, I don't feel all that badly. My diet is still going very well ( I held myself off the scale the last few days and did get on this morning... up seven pounds from my Weight Watcher all time low, but four pounds down from my last posted blog talking about weight) I am really going to try and refrain from weighing again until next Monday. My exercising hasn't been daily, but it has been pretty regular. No excuse for not finishing the book, I guess I just need to extend my deadline. I will now give myself until March 31, 2010.

February 27, 2010

Went for a quick 30 minute walk this morning, it's supposed to be cold and rainy all day. My Garmin was unable to locate satellites for some reason, but I probably walked a little less than two miles. Better than nothing.
I brought home some chocolates from work the other day, of course they are my favorites. I don't know why I do that to myself. The temptation was almost too much. I told a friend at work that they were for my son, and that right now I am "highly motivated" so it would be no problem. That was almost a huge mistake. So far I haven't eaten any, and I think that I will be all right, but the first night was crazy.

February 25, 2010

Well... Scales aren't really showing me anything, but someone did say yesterday that it looked like I was losing weight. Were they just being kind? I hope not. I do feel pretty good, I have been following the Atkins program, and have been exercising. I really wish that I could keep myself off the scale everyday.

February 23, 2010

I have been feeling very frustrated lately and therefore haven't been writing. I have been very careful with everything that I eat and have been exercising regularly and am not losing any weight. When I get on the scale the range can be anywhere from zero to five pounds. Just when it looks like I am back on track (five pound weight loss), the next day it shows that I've gained three back. The next day I might have the additional two back. It's worse that a plateau, because I feel that everything is beginning to move in the right direction again and then the weight is back!!

On a side note, this weekend was beautiful finally. We took the dogs for a walk at a park on Saturday, about three and a half miles. We saw four deer and an armadillo. On Sunday we went for a bike ride on a trail. We ended up with a total of twelve miles on the bikes, and I felt great.

February 17, 2010

Was trying to think of something new to talk about, and found myself on the Internet, aimlessly eating. When I realized that I wasn't even aware of what I was eating, what it tasted like, or if I was even enjoying it, I found my topic. Never a good idea to eat while reading, watching TV, or doing anything other than thinking about the food that you are consuming. Take your time with a meal or snack and truly enjoy it. You will probably eat less and feel much more satisfied.

My husband does a lot of the cooking, and I notice him eating through the whole process of preparing a meal. I don't think that he is aware that he does it, but by the time the meal is ready, he's not really hungry, but still eats because the rest of us are.

Another goal for me: be more aware of what I am eating.

February 15, 2010

Called my sister on Saturday afternoon to see if she wanted to join me on a walk. She (and three dogs), my husband and myself (with our two dogs), all went for a 3 mile walk. It was a great day for walking, chilly but sunny. During the walk I told my sister that we had gone back to our old Church and were going to be going there regularly again.
Later that evening, she called and asked if we were going to Church the next day, if so she would like to meet us there. It was great. "Valentine's Day" and the sermon was about love. Think she might be joining us there in the future.
I wanted to share with her the flax bread recipe and some of the ingredients, but forgot them at home. I have been eating it daily now and feel wonderful.

February 12, 2010

Had to wait until almost 6pm tonight to get a walk in. Was a very rainy, windy cold day. Took Kenny (the yellow lab that we are puppy raising for "Kids and Canines" an organization that trains dogs for service to people in wheelchairs) with me on the walk. He has a weekend with a prospective client at the end of this month and still needs a lot of work on ignoring distractions such as squirrels, other dogs and even birds. He did really well tonight though, we got past two other dogs and several squirrels without any major problems.
Atkins program is going great.

February 11, 2010

I keep forgetting the importance of drinking plenty of water each day. Sitting here at work today and I feel a headache coming on I realize that I had my two cups of coffee this morning and have had nothing else to drink all day.

Not only does it keep you hydrated, but gives you a feeling of being full. I must do a better job of making sure that I'm getting at least 64 ounces of water each day.

February 10, 2010

Another Atkins truth that I've discovered...

In the past when eating the Atkins way, I never limited myself to amounts of foods that I was eating if they had zero carbohydrates, for example, meat. Now the literature is saying that you should be getting four to six ounces of protein per meal. The excess may indeed be turned into glucose which could interfere with the "fat burning" process of Atkins.

Perhaps another way that I have been sabotaging myself!

February 9, 2010

Day 21 of Atkins Induction:

Found a great recipe (not sure if it would be so great if I hadn't had a piece of bread in over three weeks) for Flax Seed Bread. Believe it has only 1 net carbohydrate.

Melt one Tbs butter, add 4 Tbs milled flax seed (16 grams of fiber), one egg, one packet Splenda, 1 Tbs cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Mix well and microwave for one minute in a microwavable cereal bowl. Out comes a delicious "bread", that is great for people on Atkins, or those looking for a great way to get some extra fiber.

February 8, 2010

Was able to beat the rain on Friday, sort of. I walked about 2.5 miles before the rains came, and then later that evening I did the big block (.7 miles). I also walked both Saturday and Sunday.

We went to our "old" church this past Sunday, and pretty much forgot why we had left. It felt like going home. We had made so many wonderful friendships there over the years, that I'm glad we returned. The reasons that we left can so easily be overlooked and we can simply enjoy the feeling of belonging somewhere.

Food... I am now 19 days into the Induction phase of Atkins, and am feeling pretty good with myself. I'm still figuring things out about myself and my food "addictions". Years ago when I had quit smoking, all I could think about for weeks was cigarettes. It made me wonder what I had thought about as a smoker, because it wasn't all consuming thoughts of smoking. Now as I'm trying to "diet", or make these life changes, all I can think about is food. Right now I am able to avoid all those temptations, but they are definitely still there.

February 5, 2010

Can't believe it's Friday again. Time is flying.

Looks like rain today, hope it holds off until this afternoon. Walked about three miles yesterday, and did really well with the eating part of things. At work there were cinnamon pastries at breakfast, one of the things that I love, and I was able to refrain. That's one of the things that I do like with Atkins. The foods that you do eat keep you full longer and helps you resist temptation a little easier. I also went to the store after work and bought several different Atkins products. I've been having one of the shakes as a mid-morning snack, which I think taste really great. I also got some of the different Endulge bars. I have to be careful with those, the taste like candy bars (another of my problem foods), have to keep myself to only having one a day, so I usually try to wait until later in the evening before I endulge.

February 4, 2010

An argument in the house between ones husband and ones son is a great motivator for getting out and moving. Walked three miles last night in 45 minutes, which for me is pretty quick.

Have decided to stay with the Atkin's induction for a little while longer. Am still hearing conflicting reports on the coffee and net carb counts, so I will try to limit myself to two cups a day. That would be two of my 20 allowable carbohydrates.

Sugar free gum on the other hand also shows a carb count of 2, but is actually zero, because it is sugar alcohols and not sugar... yeah. That sometimes help control the appetite.

Fevruary 2, 2010

Weather was terrible yesterday, so no walking. I guess I could have gone to the gym, or done exercises at home... but didn't. Rainy gloomy day makes me very lethargic.
I did however stick with my eating plan, so all should be well.
Still haven't found out about the carbohydrates in coffee, so am still trying to restrict my intake.
Looks much better out today, so it's time to change into sneakers and get moving.

February 1, 2010

My New Years resolutions for this year were:

1. Find a Church and begin going regularly
2. Write on my blog daily
3. Walk daily (at least around the big block .7 miles)
4. Read Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight loss Challenge by 1/31/10

Not doing great with any of them, but not fully a bust either.
We have tried a couple of churches, but haven't settled on one yet. My daily writings have finally begun. My walking has been fairly good lately, but when I don't walk, I should be at least walking around the big block. I've started Dr. Phil's book, but haven't finished it.

January 31, 2010

Walked yesterday 3 miles around the campus of USF. Saturday was a nice day to do that, the campus was very quiet.
Was looking through the Atkins Comprehensive Carb Counter and was shocked to see that an eight ounce cup of coffee has one carb. All the other books I'd used in the past listed black coffee as zero... Another good reason to cut back on my coffee consumption. I do plan to do some further research though.
Day 12 of the Atkins Induction Phase and I'm unsure at this point how I plan to proceed. Weight seems to be holding steady at 11 pounds over my Weight Watcher low (maybe my coffee consumption was sabotaging me). I also wish that I could stay away from the scale for a week and then maybe I'd see some progress. Initially I'd set up to weigh only on Monday mornings... tomorrow is Monday.

January 30, 2010

Was able to walk 4 miles yesterday, which means that I still got 21 miles in for the week from Saturday through Friday.
Not sure if I'd be able to walk it all in one day! Good thing I still have nine months to train.
Scales aren't showing much. At this point I am 11 pounds heavier than my lowest with Weight Watchers. Not to be discouraged, because I feel pretty good.
I have been on Atkins Induction for 10 days and have been very good with it. I signed up for online support at Atkins.com and received three free Atkins bars. We'll see how it goes.
I need to post a before picture, so there will hopefully be a major difference.

January 29, 2010

TGIF
Am really looking forward to the weekend. Even though the week went quickly, I feel the need for some down time. Husband with no job is very stressful. We have been trying to stay positive, but this is such a terrible time to be out of work.

Did not walk yesterday... Had every good intention, but didn't make it. Sidewalks throughout the neighborhood are being replaced, and it makes it very difficult for walking. The day before we had driven out to go for a walk and I think I'll have to do the same today. Am leaving work early, so it should be a nice day to walk one of the trails.

January 28, 2010

Walked three miles yesterday and had pork chops and salad for dinner. Lunch was chicken and salad (luckily lunch at work was something I could eat).
Am thinking of trying to train for the Susan G. Koman 3 day walk for breast cancer. It will be held this year in St. Petersburg Halloween weekend. Three days twenty miles a day. I feel that if I were sixty pounds lighter it would be much easier for me to walk that many miles. I have nine months to lose the weight, raise the $2400 registration and monies needed to enter, and train for the walk. Worst case scenario... I walk for nine months, get into better shape, lose weight and don't raise enough money. Sounds like a winning proposition to me.
When I mention my plans to my husband, he pretty quickly changes the subject and also wants to know why I want to try something that difficult. (It's a goal)
When I tell my mother, her response is "you'll never be able to raise that much money". Probably true, but why not encourage the journey instead?

January 27, 2010

Finally...
Really had trouble logging in in for some reason.
Well, it was a tough Holiday season as far as dieting goes. I was too tempted by all the treats. After the holidays my in-laws came for two weeks, compounding the problems. I finally totally gave up and made some "crock pot candy" and proceeded to eat much more than I needed. All that being said, I have decided to go into a two week Atkins induction to try and kick start myself back on track. That was last Wednesday so I am seven days in and feeling pretty good. I have also started walking in earnest.
No weight watcher points to report right now, but am keeping below 20 daily carbohydrates by having eggs for breakfast and lunch. Dinner has been grilled chicken or pork chops with salad and broccoli.
I've been walking three to four miles daily for the past week!!