Pages

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Weigh-in: June 30, 2013



This is my first post in five days and I wish I had better news to share.  First, let me say my absence was due to having a super busy week at work with a couple of late days that zapped my energy and brain.  Unfortunately, most of July should be equally as busy.   Except for the third week of July, which will be a week of long off-site meeting days, I will try to post more often.  Okay, back to the reason for this post…the weigh-in.  

Previous weight: 383 lbs
Current weight:  382 lbs
I lost one pound this week.  I won’t cry over these results, but I’m still disappointed, especially because I was down 3lbs when I had weighed in on Wednesday morning.   I also failed my challenge for this week.  If you recall, the challenge this week had two components.  The first part of the challenge was to only dine out (or have take-out) once between Tuesday night and Sunday morning.  The other part of the challenge dealt with cooking one meal for my husband.  I only completed 50% of this challenge.  Which part do you think it was?   I didn’t cook for my husband.  I helped him prepare several meals, but I didn’t cook up any magic on my own.  I will cook for him this week though.  We ate at home every night except for Thursday.  Thursday, we went out for Mexican.  That alone did not account for my minimal loss this week.  I would blame that on big portions this week, the chili dogs I ate yesterday and these:

I know I slacked off this week and I really don’t want to continue this way.  I need to be stronger and I need to stop snacking.  I can do both.  Even with the barbecue on July 4th, this will be a better week. It has to be. 
The sun is shining and is supposed to stick around all week.  I hope do get outside and do some walking this week if my knee will allow it.  I’ll do what I can.
How was your week?  Any plans for Independence Day?

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

It worked well last week



Last week, after eating poorly after pigging out the first few days I challenged myself to refrain from eating out the rest of the week.  I succeeded and was able to lose the weight gained during the first part of the week plus a couple of extra pounds.   The challenge wasn’t as difficult as I had thought it would be, but that doesn’t mean it was easy by any means.  My husband and I have been eating take-out or dining out more times per week than we prepare meals at home, for years. 

My eating for the first few days of this week haven’t matched last week’s poor choices, but I have had a few things that I wish I hadn’t, including a couple of sweet treats.  While it hasn’t been a lot, I feel that it could lead to more.  I feel like I relaxed a bit and let a little of this or a little of that sneak into my diet.  I have decided that cutting out everything that I want to stop eating all at once aka going cold turkey is probably not going to work for me.  This doesn’t mean that I am giving myself permission to eat whatever I like.  I only mean that I plan to eat less and less of the certain food types until I am 95% or more compliant. 

Back to this week….I have had take-out once already and it wasn’t worth it.  Before my lazy habits take over and ruin this week, I will challenge myself again.  Working to win a challenge or meet a goal seems to motivate me as long as the goal isn’t too far of a stretch or too far in the distance.  The challenge this week will be to not eat out more than once between now and Sunday.  So like last week, at least four of the remaining days in this week I need to only eat meals prepared at home.  It may not sound like much of a challenge to most of you and someday it won’t to me either, but right now it does.  If I make it the whole five days, that is even better.

Last week, I prepared my own lunches and a couple of my dinners.  My husband did the rest of the cooking and has been doing most of it this week.  Even tonight, he’s attempting Broccoli & Beef.  A second component to my challenge this week will to cook at least one dinner for my husband.  Do I sound like a bad wife?  I often wonder what kind of woman doesn’t cook meals for her husband regularly.  I do my part around here, don’t worry.    

Well that’s about all I have for you today.  Have a nice evening.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Weigh-in: June 23, 2013



After swallowing a stupid pill last Sunday and eating back most of the weight I had lost the prior week, I posted Tuesday night and declared that I would not eat out the rest of the week.  You already know that I made it three days in a row.  Did I finish what I started and not eat out for the fourth and final day?


Yesterday was easier than I thought it would be.  I had weighed myself in the morning and was still teetering between possibly showing a weight gain this morning or a goose egg.  Therefore, I simply knew that I had to make it through the day without eating out.  For breakfast, I had an egg scramble that included bacon, red and green bell peppers and mushrooms.  I also had a cup of sliced strawberries.  Lunch was simple and contained cucumbers, carrots, black olives, ham and a Honeycrisp apple.   Dinner had a starch and dairy, but I am okay with it, since I am easing into this.  I had a baked Yukon Gold potato with LF sour cream, cheddar and green onions.  I also had some sautéed shrimp (mmmm) and opted for spinach on the side rather than the corn on the cob like my husband was eating.  I finished the night with a Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa k-cup. 

Eating only meals prepared at home the last four days is a record in this household.  It’s sad, but true.  Was it enough to help me lose the weight I had gained back during the first couple of days of the week?  Yes, it was. 

Previous weight:  385 lbs
Current weight:   383 lbs

While I am happy to see a loss this week, I am hoping that I learned a lesson as well.  That being, slacking off on weigh-in day or early in the week and gaining weight that you have to then re-lose before showing a loss, is not fun.  I would rather make forward progress.  I did make forward progress this week by losing two pounds, but if I hadn’t pigged out earlier in the week, I could have been further along.  To say this will never happen again is probably not realistic, but I don’t want to do it anytime soon.  This old habit of mine needs to go.

The weather this weekend has mostly been dry.  I am thankful since the forecast shows for rain the rest of the week.  I had wanted to do something outdoors, so I went over to my sister’s and played with my nephew.  My husband and I usually tag team.  He played first by pushing my nephew on the swing and then playing pirates.  After my husband was tired out, he tagged me in.  My nephew had me racing back and forth across their lawn.  By racing, I mean I walked as fast as I could without falling down.  We would each hit a plastic tee ball from the stand, then we would race to go pick up the balls and come back.  I made a deal that he had to retrieve the ball I hit and I would retrieve his.  We did this for quite a while.  After he won several times, he told me I was slow.  Duh.  I told him I was moving as fast as I could with my sore knee.  You know what this four-year old did then?  He let me win a race.  I told him not to do that, but then he did it a second time.  After the second time, I had another talk with him and told him that I am trying my best and I wanted him to always try his best.  I thanked him (with kisses and hugs) for letting me be a winner too, but told him to run his fastest.  He tired me out, but it was nice to get some activity. 

Hope you enjoyed your weekend.   Now, let’s make this a great week!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Three days might be a record



Three days in a row with no take-out or dining out has to be some sort of record for me.  While yesterday was the third day of eating only foods prepared at home, it wasn’t the best planned or nutritionally sound day. 

First, let me share what I ate.  My husband prepared a huge four egg omelet, with spinach, one strip of bacon and Swiss cheese.  I also had a another piece of bacon on the side and half of an avocado.  Since breakfast was a bit late and large, I didn’t feel hungry at lunch time.  Later in the afternoon, I had less than an ounce of ham and a cookie.  I know, I know.  For dinner, I had a chicken stir fry with a ton of broccoli and carrots, over a half of cup of rice.  Then in the evening, I had two more cookies.

It wasn’t my best food day this week, but it didn’t include pizza delivery or McDonalds like other Friday night’s might have.  The cookies were in the house because my sister had brought them over Thursday night.  They’re gone now, so today will be cookie-free.  Yesterday, I just didn’t put in the effort to make sure I was making healthy food choices.  I realize this and today will be different.  We would normally eat out on the weekend, maybe even for breakfast, but I am determined not to do that today.   I guess we’ll know how determined by tomorrow morning.  I’m not going to lie, today will be tough.  Cravings and thoughts of food are attacking my resolve by the hour. 

There isn’t much on the plan for today.  I might work a couple of hours of overtime, maybe some cleaning and if the knee is up for it, maybe a walk outside.  I hear the sun might be out tomorrow.  I’ll believe it when I see it.  I’ve told you that not much happens around here, right?  I wasn’t kidding.
What are your plans for this weekend?  Will it include anything out of the normal routine?

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Thursday, 6-20-2013



Ugly commute today as it has been raining all day.  No end in sight for the foreseeable future.   I wish it would have held off for one more day though.  We have a contractor coming over this afternoon; actually he should be here any minute, to talk about expanding our patio in the backyard and building a cover.  We have no idea how much that will cost and are hoping the quotes are in our ballpark.  I would love to have a covered patio so we can barbecue in the rain or snow. 

Work was busy today and I sat at my desk too long without getting up for breaks.  Not good.  For the last few weeks, my lower back and butt have been hurting if I sit for too long.  Not sure if it is a pinched nerve or just the weight, but the butt starts to hurt and then rising to stand is painful.  I need to take more breaks I suppose.   As I mentioned yesterday, I will be working from home tomorrow.  For that reason, coming home on Thursday afternoon and knowing that I don’t have to return to the office until Tuesday, feels so good.

Okay, let’s talk about food.  I did well again today.  Well, it’s not over yet, so maybe this is premature.  Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, watermelon and 2 strips of bacon.  Tomorrow’s breakfast will be different, in case you are starting to think I eat the same thing every day.  I had some almonds for a mid-morning snack.  Lunch, was similar to yesterday, cucumbers, olives, ham and watermelon.  Dinner will be baked chicken, corn and either a potato or beans.  I’ll either have a salad or cook some spinach.  I normally wouldn’t want to have a starch and corn. 

After stepping on the scale and seeing a gain on Tuesday, I promised myself that I would finish this week off strong no matter what.  Staying on track, for four days in a row isn’t something I’ve done in a while.  I’ll be honest, it’s getting tougher.  I have been thinking of the foods that made me this way and starting to have cravings for some of them.  I knew this would happen, so I am not surprised.  I will fight through this.  It will get tougher before it becomes easier.  I may or may not end up with a loss this week, but I will not end up with a gain.