Making positive changes in a negative world

Here it is 11 days later and I feel like I've made some great progress in my battle.

I've made some changes in how I'm viewing this lifestyle change.  I'm eating differently.  I've adopted a meal plan I found on a website that seems to be just the key I need to get off this addictive cycle.

I'm staying away from sugar(even artificial sweeteners), flour and wheat.  I've been reading packages and I'm amazed at just how many foods contain sugar. Sugar goes by many names so I had to print out the list so I'd know what to look for on the packages.  I'm not eating anything that has any type of flour.  My "bread" is brown rice cakes.  Not bad if I eat a banana with it or scrambled eggs on top.  Giving up wheat has been the easiest part for me, I gave up bread before and survived!!

My breakfasts have consisted of cottage cheese, brown rice cake and a banana or poached eggs instead of the cottage cheese.  Tomorrow I'm going to try slow cooking oatmeal with fruit I pureed.

Lunch has been a salad I put together at a local grocery store. I get lettuce and add beets, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, yellow peppers, feta cheese ( 1 oz or less).  I get canned chicken and use about 2.5 oz and mix in a tablespoon of mayo.  I add fruits like mixed berries and watermelon or pineapple and I then  have a well balanced meal for lunch.  I have enjoyed this every weekday for the last week and am not bored with it. 

Dinner is a protein like chicken or a pork chop and a veggie and cottage cheese.  My nightly treat is an Atkins bar, my favorite is the Mudslide bar.  

I'm experimenting with cooked brown rice.  I used organic vegetable broth in place of the water.  I was happy that Whole Foods had organic broths that did not contain sugar.

I couldn't believe that broth has sugar added to it.  Ketchup is hard to find without sugar.  I did find unsweetened ketchup.  It did taste pretty good tonight with my turkey burger.

I'm continuing with my 3 times a week workouts.  I found out today that my foot pain is a stress fracture :-( 

I guess I'll be back in my fancy boot for a while. However, I can still workout!!!

My world changed for me on Easter Sunday so I've had a lot more positives happening.  I am blessed with a Husband who loves me right now at this weight.  He loves me no matter what.  I'm a happy woman who has friends and family who keep cheering me on.  

My wish is that EVERYONE could have their own cheerleading team of family and friends.

I'm cheering YOU on too...so let's keep this going in a positive direction!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Minnesota Wild Hockey Game 2009

Moving my body and my mind

I feel a shift in how I am viewing food.  I'm no longer thinking of what I want to eat that is high in fat, sugar or salt, but what benefits it will give my body.  I'm reaching for proteins and vegetables.  Don't get me wrong I still crave sweets and other junk foods.  I just don't think of them in terms of eating as much as I can.  My changing body has my mind changing with it.  After a workout I find my body famished and I try to eat protein in the form of a protein shake or eggs.  The rest of the day my body sends signals that it needs more than the calories I'm giving it.  This is my bodies signal to give it more fuel.  I'm doing better at picking things that will be used as fuel for my body and not junk that will not help my body.

My trainer has noticed how much strength I have now compared to 3 weeks ago.  I've gone from 90# leg presses to 110# leg presses.  I'm impressed as well when I get on the stationary bike and see the level going up.  I started at level 3 when I first got on a bike.  I'd maintained a level 6-8 in the last 3 weeks, until yesterday.  I found that 6, 7 and 8 felt too easy.  I was pedaling very fast and it felt like no resistance was being applied.  So I bumped it up to level 10 and liked how that felt.  So the pounds may not be dropping off, but the muscles have begun to make my shape change.  My arms are becoming more defined and my waistline is reappearing.  I just wish this butt would start shrinking. 

I'm happy and content with my life how it is now.  I've become more confident in my ability to keep moving forward and reach my goals.  The key is to just MOVE.  

Are you doing enough moving?  The stairs rather than the elevator?  The evening walk after dinner instead of watching tv? Chasing a toddler while playing tag?  Playing fetch with the dog?   (I might have to get a dog that actually plays fetch).

My Mother Betty, I miss her every day!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU MOTHER'S OR MOTHER'S TO BE!!!

Reset not tilt

It may seem like I had to reset my mind, well I did.  It wasn't quite on tilt, but it was stuck on wrong thinking.
I was always thinking about food and eating in unhealthy ways.  I didn't get that food was to help my body work better and more efficiently.  I lived to eat!  I didn't understand the concept of eating to live.  I ate very unhealthy foods and didn't listen to my body when it told me it didn't like what I fed it.
I'm listening and learning.  I'm feeling much better now that veggies are my focus along with protein.  I'm working out 3 days a week and if I can sneak in a few more workouts I'm doing it. 
The best part is I'm back to losing weight and feeling very good.  I'd just like the joint pain to go away.  Arthritis sucks!!  It's part of aging for me so I'm just doing what I can to ease the discomfort and living my life.
I've opted to do a modified Atkins eating plan.
I'm also keeping my calories under 1400.  It seems to be working and I do not feel deprived.  Time will tell, but I can do this.
I know, I said that before......Do  you feel like you have to keep doing Do Overs in your life too?

Big and Beautiful is not all it's cracked up to be: Vacation

Big and Beautiful is not all it's cracked up to be: Vacation: "Vacation.....that time of year when we say 'No dieting because I want to enjoy the foods'. I did just that. I enjoyed the foods ..."

Vacation

Vacation.....that time of year when we say "No dieting because I want to enjoy the foods".  I did just that.  I enjoyed the foods and must say that I only put back on 2 pounds. Granted it's the same 2 pounds I keep re-losing every week.  

I enjoyed the drinking and new foods.  I wanted to try out the gym, but my husband kept reminding me we were on vacation.  Every morning I wanted to slip in to get on the scale some gymrat was in there running on a treadmill or doing yoga. :sigh: I did get in a water aerobics class while in the pool our second to last day.

Believe it or not I missed my gym time. I know, what's wrong with me??  I missed the adrenaline rush of lifting weights and feeling my muscles getting shakey.  

I HAD to go to the gym today.  I did a 40 minute workout and it felt great!!

I already have my 2 training appointments scheduled for this week.  Tomorrow I get back on the eating better bandwagon.  I'm more determined than ever to finally get this done. 

Why is it so easy to make the excuse "I'm on vacation" to justify eating whatever I want when on vacation?  Does the fat take a vacation from expanding on my body?  NO so why should I take a vacation from being vigilant and continuing my fight to lose this excess weight?  Interesting question.  I need to find MY answer and then follow thru and be strong.

Next vacation won't be until next year so I have lots of time to get back on track and stay on task.

What do yo do about your vacation "splurging"?

Enjoying my Jamaican vacation

Magazine's for REAL women?

I just got done torturing myself with the latest Lucky magazine.  Lots of clothing ideas and accessorizing happening this summer.   

But then it hit me.... What do us REAL women wear?  All these models are 5'8" and wear a size 0.  Ummm Hello what size do most of the women in the USA wear?  14, yes a size 14 is the average size.  

So where are the magazines with the size 14 models in them to show us what the clothes will look like?

I am so sick of being fed the lie that only a 20-something size 0 with perfect proportions is accepted.  

I look at the models now and think, oh how much airbrushing did they need to do to make her look like she needs to be fed?   I think so much of what we see has been "retouched" and isn't normal that I view magazines as cartoons.

9/26/09 my 50th birthday party.  I so want to be a model cause I love the spotlight :-)

I even look at the "articles" as advertisements too.  Why bother to read them when some company is paying them to write it to make a point to buy their products?  

I'd just like to see a magazine with larger women modeling and showing the rest of the world what the normal person is wearing in fashionable clothing.  Because, quite frankly, I asked the model in the magazine "Hey what do 51 year old women wear?" Certainly not the short shorts I saw one model wearing.  I don't wear short shorts I wear capri's because no one really wants to see my jiggly thighs as I'm walking thru the mall. Nor do they want to see my jiggly "muffin top" showing with that short cropped top the other model was wearing.   No Caftans or MuuMuu's for me, but gosh how about giving us more than Lane Bryant's catalog to see what REAL women look like it the newest fashions.

Anyone want to start a REAL sized woman magazine and modeling agency?  I'd love to be a model.........

Big and Beautiful is not all it's cracked up to be: Training for the rest of my life

Big and Beautiful is not all it's cracked up to be: Training for the rest of my life: "Yesterday I did it again. I fired my trainer, well not really fired as in I said You're fired. More like, Look Dude your not fulfillin..."