I find it funny, and just a little disturbing, that I avoided "counting calories" for so long. My reasons don't make a lick of sense to me now. I mean, how can "I don't need to count calories", "The food I eat doesn't have that many calories in it" or "I don't eat enough to have to count calories" or even "I don't have time to count calories" - how can any of these excuses have made their way to my brain?!! Thank goodness I came to my senses when I did, because heaven only know how much more weight I would've gained!
All that to say that I'm rather enjoying this "new" diet. It's really nice to look at my notebook at the end of the day and see that I haven't gone over my allotted calories, or that I still have room for a little treat. What I once considered a burden (because I'd never tried it...) has actually given me a ton of freedom! At this point, I'm allowed 1700 calories a day. This may seem like a lot, but it allows me to lose approximately 2 pounds per week. Of course, this will adjust as my weight continues to go down, but for now it's perfect. I'm learning the ropes and finding that I really do enjoy fresh veggies and fruit. I'm working more proteins and good grains into my diet and trying to make this a change for a lifetime - not just until I lose the weight.
I'm also allowing myself one "free" day per week. At first, I ate whatever I wanted to on that day, without thought about calorie content; however, I now try to be more reasonable about it. For example, if we go out to eat, I try to make that my free day. But instead of ordering the smothered chicken with fries and a caesar salad, I will order the roasted chicken with fries and a garden salad. I know, fries are bad. But I LOVE fries, and if I allow myself to have them once a week then I don't crave them all the time. Hopefully, someday down the road, I won't need to order them, but for now...
As for the progress I've made since beginning this "new" diet? Well, I started the year at 230 pounds and on February 1 I weighed in at 222 pounds. When I weighed myself a week and a half ago, I was at 218, so hopefully next week will be less than that. This means I've lost 12 pounds this year! And all that from counting some simple little calories.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Happy New Year!
Wow. It's 2011. There's so much I hope to accomplish this year. I'm not one for making "resolutions" - I like to set goals. My goals for this year?
- Lose weight and get healthy! This means exercise and eating more whole foods and way less processed crap.
- Get organized! I'm giving myself an entire year to get there. This also includes de-cluttering and de-piling! (And cleaning my basement...)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The "New" Plan
So, I'm on Day 4 of my "new" diet plan. I say "new" rather facetiously because it's not really new at all. I'm just doing what I should've been doing from Day 1 - 3 years ago... I started counting calories and attempting to exercise regularly every day. What a novel thought! It's interesting that everything I read points me in this direction. All the experts say that the best way to lose weight and keep it off - healthily, I might add - is to eat right and exercise regularly. Most of them don't recommend trying any of the fad diets at all. So, here I go. Trying what has worked for years.
I'm amazed at how calorie-illiterate I am. For example, I made a very yummy breakfast pizza yesterday - crescent roll crust, eggs, bacon, potatoes and cheese - 428 calories per piece! I wouldn't have guessed there were that many calories in it. But I'm learning - fast, I might add. I found a very helpful website:
http://www.livestrong.com/
This site is awesome! I started by answering a few questions about losing weight and then it gave me my daily caloric allowance to help me lose 2 pounds a week. I'm able to track everything I eat and my exercise. It also lets me input my own recipes and gives me the caloric content per serving - which is wonderful, because I'm all about cooking from scratch! I am then able to track my progress and see what I need to add to my diet - such as more protein, etc. and I can see where I need to cut back - such as sodium, carbs, etc.
Another thing I really like about the website, is that it calculates how many calories I can have when I don't get any exercise so that I can still lose weight. This means that when I don't exercise, I have to eat a lot less! Just another good reason to exercise.
I really want to be successful at this. I don't need to look model-thin, but I do want to be healthy. And I don't believe that being 70 pounds over-weight is healthy at all. So, here I go!
I'm amazed at how calorie-illiterate I am. For example, I made a very yummy breakfast pizza yesterday - crescent roll crust, eggs, bacon, potatoes and cheese - 428 calories per piece! I wouldn't have guessed there were that many calories in it. But I'm learning - fast, I might add. I found a very helpful website:
http://www.livestrong.com/
This site is awesome! I started by answering a few questions about losing weight and then it gave me my daily caloric allowance to help me lose 2 pounds a week. I'm able to track everything I eat and my exercise. It also lets me input my own recipes and gives me the caloric content per serving - which is wonderful, because I'm all about cooking from scratch! I am then able to track my progress and see what I need to add to my diet - such as more protein, etc. and I can see where I need to cut back - such as sodium, carbs, etc.
Another thing I really like about the website, is that it calculates how many calories I can have when I don't get any exercise so that I can still lose weight. This means that when I don't exercise, I have to eat a lot less! Just another good reason to exercise.
I really want to be successful at this. I don't need to look model-thin, but I do want to be healthy. And I don't believe that being 70 pounds over-weight is healthy at all. So, here I go!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
UGH!!!
Ok, this is getting bad - how many times can I go around this circle before I find a way out?! I gain weight, I lose weight, I gain weight, I lose weight - round and round I go. I'm getting very dizzy! This has got to be the last time around the circle, because I'm so done with it already...
Setting new goals. Right now.
On black Friday I'm purchasing a new scale, my old one is dead and unreliable. (I've totally allowed it to lie to me....if I lean far enough forward on it - I weigh less...) So it's a digital scale for me. No more lies.
30 minutes of exercise a day. Starting now. This will be my daily goal. It's just got to happen, no way around it. I've slacked so much off since my 30 day challenge a couple months ago, it's not even funny... All progress made during that time is gone...
No more excuses. Plain and simple. How is it that I think that extra helping isn't going to do any damage? I mean, come on already!
Blog on a regular basis. It may not be daily, but it will be regular. I find that it's much easier for me to succeed when I know that people may actually read this. I think they call that accountability?
My 20-year class reunion is starting to loom large on the horizon. What can I accomplish in 8 months? I'm going to find out!
Setting new goals. Right now.
On black Friday I'm purchasing a new scale, my old one is dead and unreliable. (I've totally allowed it to lie to me....if I lean far enough forward on it - I weigh less...) So it's a digital scale for me. No more lies.
30 minutes of exercise a day. Starting now. This will be my daily goal. It's just got to happen, no way around it. I've slacked so much off since my 30 day challenge a couple months ago, it's not even funny... All progress made during that time is gone...
No more excuses. Plain and simple. How is it that I think that extra helping isn't going to do any damage? I mean, come on already!
Blog on a regular basis. It may not be daily, but it will be regular. I find that it's much easier for me to succeed when I know that people may actually read this. I think they call that accountability?
My 20-year class reunion is starting to loom large on the horizon. What can I accomplish in 8 months? I'm going to find out!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Boot Camp
Ever heard of Jillian Michael? Well, I've had a virtual introduction - via her "30 Day Shred". Holy Cow!!! That's all I can say. Who knew that in 20 minutes a person could feel like laying down and packing it in? I foolishly thought that my 30 days of exercise had somehow prepared me for this - HA! Literally 5 minutes into the workout I was panting like a dog and felt like my arms and legs were going to give out on me. It's insane...
For those of you who have never tried this workout, it's basically a 20 minute circuit. You have a 2-minute warm-up, then three 6-minute circuits. Each circuit is 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs, with a 2-minute cool down at the end. There are 3 separate workouts - Level 1, 2 and 3, each more intense than the other. I obviously am starting at Level 1, however, at this rate, I'm pretty sure I'll reach Level 3 before the end of 30 days. I borrowed this dvd from a friend, and after reading the jacket thought, "20 minutes, I can easily do that for 30 days!" Oh my. I know I can, but my body is screaming at me, and I'm dripping sweat as I type this. I had to write all this down before it fades from my memory...like that's going to happen...
Anyway, I've decided to make "30 Day Shred" my next 30 day challenge. Starting today. I think I'll call this "Boot Camp" because it certainly feels like it. I found out today that I've been doing cheater push-ups the wrong way! I've never been able to do a true push-up, so I've always done them with my knees on the floor. However, I've also always stuck my butt in the air, and that isn't correct. You're supposed to keep your body straight, just as if you were doing a true push-up, only with your knees on the ground. Oh my word! They are HARD! I only got 4 - how sad is that?!
I am seriously out of shape, and last month was only the warm-up. I am determined to get healthy and fit. That doesn't necessarily mean that I want to be a size 6, but I do want to be able to do jumping jacks without my stomach coming up and hitting me in the double chin... There's way too much flesh moving voluntarily during this workout. When Jillian says, "keep your abs tight", I swear I'm holding them in as tightly as I can - and I can still feel things jiggling...
I've got 30 days. They'll go by quickly. And at the end, I can measure myself again. I think the results will speak for themselves.
Join me!!!
For those of you who have never tried this workout, it's basically a 20 minute circuit. You have a 2-minute warm-up, then three 6-minute circuits. Each circuit is 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs, with a 2-minute cool down at the end. There are 3 separate workouts - Level 1, 2 and 3, each more intense than the other. I obviously am starting at Level 1, however, at this rate, I'm pretty sure I'll reach Level 3 before the end of 30 days. I borrowed this dvd from a friend, and after reading the jacket thought, "20 minutes, I can easily do that for 30 days!" Oh my. I know I can, but my body is screaming at me, and I'm dripping sweat as I type this. I had to write all this down before it fades from my memory...like that's going to happen...
Anyway, I've decided to make "30 Day Shred" my next 30 day challenge. Starting today. I think I'll call this "Boot Camp" because it certainly feels like it. I found out today that I've been doing cheater push-ups the wrong way! I've never been able to do a true push-up, so I've always done them with my knees on the floor. However, I've also always stuck my butt in the air, and that isn't correct. You're supposed to keep your body straight, just as if you were doing a true push-up, only with your knees on the ground. Oh my word! They are HARD! I only got 4 - how sad is that?!
I am seriously out of shape, and last month was only the warm-up. I am determined to get healthy and fit. That doesn't necessarily mean that I want to be a size 6, but I do want to be able to do jumping jacks without my stomach coming up and hitting me in the double chin... There's way too much flesh moving voluntarily during this workout. When Jillian says, "keep your abs tight", I swear I'm holding them in as tightly as I can - and I can still feel things jiggling...
I've got 30 days. They'll go by quickly. And at the end, I can measure myself again. I think the results will speak for themselves.
Join me!!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Day 30 - Success!!!
I can't believe I actually made my goal - - 30 consecutive days with 30 minutes of exercise per day! I did it!! My little old exercise bike is being used regularly, my abs are loving pilates (so is my back!) and my legs are getting stronger. Before I do anything else - here are the results of my challenge.
30 days ago, I weighed and measured myself:
Now, I'm so excited to reward myself. That haircut is going to feel like the best one ever, simply because I had to work for it and I was successful. It feels so good.
30 days ago, I weighed and measured myself:
- Weight: 225 pounds
- Waist: 44 inches
- Thighs: left 29 inches & right 29 inches
- Weight: 219 pounds
- Waist: 42.5 inches
- Thighs: left 28.5 inches & right 28.5 inches
Now, I'm so excited to reward myself. That haircut is going to feel like the best one ever, simply because I had to work for it and I was successful. It feels so good.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Days 17 - 25 Whew!
What happens to a blogger when she just doesn't take the time to write? At this point, the only answer I have to that one is - guilt... Or at least a somewhat guilty feeling. I would walk past my computer and think, "I really need to update my blog!" But then something else would grab my attention and by the time I thought of it again, well, let's just say it was usually an inconvenient time or when I was in the car. So, all that to say, I'm sorry that I haven't updated this blog in over a week. I hope that if there is actually anyone out there who reads this, that you will forgive me! Now, that's done so let's move on!
On to the 30 Day Challenge! Wow! 25 days of it, and I don't know about anyone else, but I'm still going strong! Only 5 days to go. Honestly, I think I'm going to come up with another challenge after this one is done - any ideas for me?
Here's what I accomplished in the past week...
Day 17: Pool
Day 18: Pool
Day 19: Pilates
Day 20: Walking
Day 21: Biking
Day 22: Pool
Day 23: Pilates & Exercise Bike
Day 24: Mowed lawn and did yard work - sweated like a pig!
Day 25: Pilates & Exercise Bike
And the best news - on Monday I stepped on that nasty scale (I just hate scales in general...) and it rewarded me with a 1 pound loss!! Woohoo! Down to 220 lbs - that's 5 pounds lost in 3 weeks - not bad!
On to the 30 Day Challenge! Wow! 25 days of it, and I don't know about anyone else, but I'm still going strong! Only 5 days to go. Honestly, I think I'm going to come up with another challenge after this one is done - any ideas for me?
Here's what I accomplished in the past week...
Day 17: Pool
Day 18: Pool
Day 19: Pilates
Day 20: Walking
Day 21: Biking
Day 22: Pool
Day 23: Pilates & Exercise Bike
Day 24: Mowed lawn and did yard work - sweated like a pig!
Day 25: Pilates & Exercise Bike
And the best news - on Monday I stepped on that nasty scale (I just hate scales in general...) and it rewarded me with a 1 pound loss!! Woohoo! Down to 220 lbs - that's 5 pounds lost in 3 weeks - not bad!
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