Time to do this right!

I've been browsing various  weight loss and fitness blogs and have become very inspired; so much so that upon awakening this morning, I was determined that I was going to do this thing the right way.

 I got out of bed and searched through my drawer to find an old bikini(that I had no business looking at let alone putting on) and decided that I would take some before photos.  I immediately uploaded them to my comp and let me tell you, there is nothing like a photo to put things into perspective.  I know that I am overweight but dayum!


I think that I have been plagued with a bout of reverse anorexia.(if such a thing does exist)  I look at myself and see myself thinner than I really am. ( I'm serious, I really do).  It isn't until I look in the mirror or at a photo that the "Ugly Truth" sets in.   Case in point,  I bought a swimsuit dress, cover up thing... similar to this: Of course I will never wear it out anywhere, (Well I did wear it a few times to drop off and pick up the kid but I never got out of the car.) Anyway, I usually wear it around the house to lounge in and when I look down at myself, It doesn't look too bad, I don't look overly fat or anything like that.  Sure, I have a little tummy bulge but nothing that I haven't seen on anyone else..... as a matter of fact, I actually kind of like the way this looks on me.

  Now, fast forward to the beginning of this month, I'm taking a road trip and want to be able to drive in comfort. This dress is extremely comfortable and  it keeps me cool so I figure ...why not wear this dress? I put it on and decide to look in the mirror( mind you, I've never looked at myself in the mirror while wearing this dress before) and I couldn't believe what I saw, I looked like a stuffed sausage..... so of course that wasn't going to get it and I quickly changed my outfit.  Prior to that, I thought that I looked perfectly fine. (which translates to thinner than I really am)

Anyway, back to those bikini shots.  My gosh, I have a lot of work ahead of me...I mean a whollllllle lot of work!  I know that diet is 95 percent of weight-loss and I really need to figure out a doable way to incorporate good, healthy, tasteful, clean eating into my diet.  I currently have the mindset that I do not want to cut out anything from my diet.  Moderation is the key.  I sometimes get the kind of cravings where I want what I want.  It doesn't happen all that often but you know how it is when you cannot be satiated until you get what you want. I just cannot deny myself and maybe that's part of the problem as to why I'm the weight that I am.

I really don't eat a lot (I know you're thinking they all say that, admit it..that's what you're thinking aren't you?)  But in my case it's true.  Some people crave candy, chocolate or sweets, and I do get a sugar craving once in a while but my weakness as of late has been Flaming hot Cheetos,  I love them and could eat an entire bag in 1 or 2 days.  I once attended a nutrition seminar and I can remember the nutritionist saying that that particular kind of Cheetos is actually the worst for your body.  I'm  proud to say that I haven't purchased any flaming hots in about two weeks so that's good.

I guess I will do some more research on nutrition although I'm  pretty sure I know just about everything that I should or should not be eating.  I just have to put it into action.

  I see a lot of people have had success on Weight Watchers but I wonder if you will have to be on  the WW program  for the rest of your life to maintain or keep the weight off.  I don't want to follow any particular program and then when I start to eat "normally" again (not meaning unhealthy or large portions but in a normal manner, not cutting out any particular food or food groups) I gain the weight back.  That's my dilemma but i'm working on a plan.


Getting it right and tight,

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Tzatziki Sauce...Love this stuff!

Classic Tzatziki 

A traditional Greek dip and gyro condiment, tzatziki also makes a tasty topping for sandwiches and even hamburgers. Serve with pita wedges or crudités.


Yield

14 servings (serving size: 2 tablespoons)

Ingredients

1 cup grated seeded peeled cucumber
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation

Place cucumber on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes.
Combine cucumber, yogurt, and remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

                                              Tzatziki sauce used as a condiment for my grilled

                                       chicken breast Sandwich.  I probably should have

                                       taken a photo of the sandwich uncovered.  It was

                                       delicious and the "kid" who is  an extremely picky

                                       eater, Loved it too!  

Nutritional Information

Calories:9 (0.0% from fat)Fat:0.0g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein:0.8g
Carbohydrate:1.8g
Fiber:0.1g
Cholesterol:0.0mg
Iron:0.0mg
Sodium:72mg
Calcium:24mg




Getting it right and tight,

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It's Not Enough That....

I'm overweight but do I have to be Apple shaped too? Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with the "Ideal" Shape. I tend to gain most of my weight in my belly and waist area as opposed to the hips, thighs and butt as is most desirable.  Add to that the fact that I am no longer in my 20's then I may as well kiss my hour-glass dreams goodbye!

I don't understand it because I come from a family of pear shaped women. My mother says "Oh, you got that from your dad's side" as she walks past me with her badonkadonk. Hell yeah, I'm jealous!. I would love to have a big butt as opposed to a big gut, I mean who wouldn't?

It's no secret that people who are apple shaped are more prone to having obesity related health problems. Oh great, one more thing that we apples have to deal with!  The fact that abdominal (visceral) fat, which surrounds your internal organs, can greatly impair their normal physiology means that it is imperative that we work hard in losing the weight.  So what's an apple shaped gal to do?

Thank God I don't have any medical problems from being overweight so I don't need to take any medication, but we all know that losing belly fat is 10 times harder than  losing in other areas, at least for me it is. If only spot reduction actually worked ~sigh~. Truth be told, If I had a flat stomach... (well, it doesn't even need to be flat, just significantly smaller) I'd be good!

Just one more thing before I go...I mentioned that I ended up doing p90x Legs and Back yesterday. Well, based on my recollections of my previous attempts at completing the p90x program, I fully expected to wake up to soreness in my quads and hammies (hamstrings). I was surprised that neither one of those muscle groups were sore but rather my gluteus, I've never felt a soreness there before. now either I'm doing something right or I'm doing something wrong. I won't complain because I could always use a bigger derriere.

So what are you, an apple or a pear and how has it been losing weight for you?


Getting it right and tight,
 

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Help! I'm Really Needing One of These Right About Now

What is it that I need you ask?  A Swift Kick In the behind is what I need. I'm at it again, instead of getting up and getting my workout over and done with I keep putting it off.  first I need to check  my social networking sites, then I need to eat breakfast, Oh now I need to wait 2 hours to digest the food, but I really need to do laundry.  I'll just do double tomorrow to make it up.  When will this stop?

I know that you have to do things consistently for a few weeks in order for it to become a habit but I am just ready for it to kick in already.  This back and forth with me has got to stop. Is it two weeks before  it becomes second nature?   Right now I do not love working out (at one point I did relish going to the gym and actually enjoyed lifting weights.  Cardio, on the other hand is something that I probably will never enjoy and unfortunately its what I need the most  being as heavy as I am.)

 How do I get to the point of at least not minding cardio? I know I'll never be a lover, but can I at least get to the point where its "Eh, I must do it and I don't mind doing it."   I was up at 3:a.m. this morning ( who knows why), went back to sleep and woke back up at 5:15 am.  I thought about getting dressed and going to the track to walk for an hour  but  of course, I talked myself out of it and ended up laying back down.

Now, one thing that I do know about myself is that I'm a morning person.   If I don't get it done in the morning, then 9 times out of 10, it won't get done.  So..I am currently bent over and I welcome any and all kicks to my butt to get me in gear!

Udpate:   Thank you so much Nicole for you  words of encouragement.  Your comment got me to thinking. I realized that If I want to see the results, I need to put in the work.  I have been singing this same, sad weight loss song for the past 10 years and guess what?  The weight hasn't magically disappeared.  I am in worse shape now than I was initially when I realized that I needed to lose weight and have been steadily increasing in weight year by year.  I have got to stop it with these excuses.  I know I'm long winded but I said all of that to say this:  I did It!  I completed p90x leg and back  today!.  Yes, my legs are like limp noodles but I finished.

  

One more thing.  I have been subbing the pull ups with different free weight exercises. I have  bands but I don't think they are effective enough.  I saw a few pull-up bars (the kind that don't need to be mounted with screws) in Wal-Mart but I really don't think that the moldings in my doorway will hold up.  I can't do a pull-up anyway but I really want that bar!

Getting it right,

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Week1 Day 3 ( should be day 4)

I'm so proud of myself for getting up and getting it moving for the third day . (this really should be day 4 for me but I took the weekend off)
Anyway, I don't know what to blame, my head or my body, but whichever one is at fault was on it today. I so didn't feel like doing anything and managed to talk myself out of it with excuses for a few hours until my willpower took over and I said "I WILL WORK OUT TODAY!"

I did P90x Shoulders and arms and while I did take breaks due to shoulder pain, I powered through and even managed to do 1 round of the bonus round. I probably could have completed the second round and have no idea why I did not except laziness set in.

I can't believe how out of shape I am. There was a time when I could complete this workout no problem. I didn't have much trouble today save for pain in my left shoulder. I don't know what it is but whenever I do any type of shoulder work my left shoulder gives me hell. My right is just fine and I have no idea why that is. I'm sure that my form is correct and normally the pain isn't so great that I have to stop but this time it was. After each shoulder exercise, I had to stop to massage my shoulder before continuing on and that has never happened before. Any Idea why that is? I did do the stretching exercise but maybe that isn't enough. Maybe I need to look up some more shoulder stretches since I am just now getting back into it after a too many years to count long hiatus.

Anyway, I'm not only glad that my will power won out but also that I was able to finish the workout. I'm not done either, Oh no! I plan to add some form of cardio in a lame attempt to make up for the missed Saturday workout!

Getting it right,
 

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Meal Logging

I'm trying something new. Meal logging! We'll see how this works out, here goes!

Breakfast: 8:12 a.m.

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Lean Cuisine Steam Fresh Meals

I'm a fan of Lean Cuisine meals. I usually pop one in the microwave when I don't feel like cooking. Imagine my surprise when I was walking through the frozen food aisle at my local grocers and saw the new Lean Cuisine Steam Fresh meals. I grabbed one (Chicken Alfredo). It sat in the freezer for about two weeks before I tried it out (I'm also a fan of the steamfresh frozen veggies as well, beats boiling or steaming the old fashioned way).

Anyway. I decided to make this on the weekend for lunch and it was okay. I say okay because I have my favorite Lean Cuisine meals and while I absolutely love the Chicken Alfredo with broccoli, this had a different taste. I think it was the seasonings, but anyway, the kid and I shared this meal.

                            Sauce  looks a little watery (could be because the plate was big)

Nutrition Basics

Calories	280
Fat	7g
Fiber	4g
Protein	20g
Sodium	680mg
Carbohydrates	33g
Diet Exchange: 1 ½ Lean Meat 1 ½ Starch 1 ½ Vegetable ½ Skim Milk
Weight Watchers® Points® *	5

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And on the Seventh day....

Well, in this case the 6th ( and for me because I started midweek) the third....He rested. Yesterday turned into a rest day for me. I fully intended to do day 3 of p90x but my time, literally, got away from me. Today I will definitely workout though. It is just too hot for everything, Too hot outside PERIOD!! Hot inside (even with ac) hot in the car (even with ac)...just HOT!

I've been trying to get to the beach for a while now but because the kid has summer school, my hopes of getting there early enough to find parking at all (never-mind GOOD parking) is virtually nil. I refuse to take public transportation. Not that I'm too good for it but I just cannot see myself lugging a cooler and beach paraphernalia around on a bus or train, and don't even mention the 90 plus heat-wave going on.

I tried today but no one wanted to get up. The summer is winding down and I haven't been swimming yet. I didn't buy pool passes this year(regrettably) because we have been doing a lot of traveling but it would figure that during the hottest summer we've had yet, I didn't buy pool passes. Yes, I could pay as I go but let's see, 9 bucks a day times 4 or 3 on occasion, (every day or dayum near) is more than triple the little $150 plus I would've paid had I made the deadline before the season started. I may cave and buy it but I want my money's worth. I missed out on June and half of July and my pride won't let me purchase so close to the end of pool season, I'll feel cheated in some way. lol don't act like you all don't know what I'm talking about.  You know...YOU KNOW!

Anyway, I'll get to the beach eventually. Wish me luck!

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Week1 Day 2 Up and at 'Em in the early morn!

Today, I put on my Tennis shoes (yes, I said TENNIS SHOES, not sneakers haha) grabbed my water bottle, towel, and my ipod so I can crank my Michael Jackson tunes and I was up and on the track today by 6:01 A.M. That's right 6:01 A.M.

 I walked for an hour and jogged a bit, not much, but I did jog.   Ihad a protein shake and a Sausage McMuffin with egg for breakfast. (yes, that evil Saboteur strikes again lol)  No, but I know I can't blame her, It's up to me to say "no."  I'll just log it as a meal and see how I end up at the end of the day. I have already met my step count (8000 per day) and my moderate activity (45 minutes) all by 7 this morning.

I said a little prayer this morning and thanked God for giving me the willpower to get up and get moving this morning and asked him to continue to grant me grace and the strength to keep it going until I meet my goal...  It felt good. I may not even be done yet for today,We'll see.

I skipped the Plyometrics for p90X. I'm not ready. I live in a condo and I find myself stifling myself so as not to make too much noise and you know how that can be because Plyo is all jumping. When I attempted to do p90x previously, I would do the plyo on my rebounder(mini trampoline) and that worked out well. Maybe I'll dig it out later on but for now, I'm subbing with alternative forms of cardio and today it was walking!

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Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed Cauliflower

1 cup mashed steamed cauliflower (steam first, then mash)
2 tablespoon of whatever you use for butter or margarine(optional)
1/4 cup shredded low-fat natural mozzarella cheese (or whatever low-fat cheese you prefer)


preheat oven to 400 degrees, stir together mashed cauliflower,spread,cheese, salt, and pepper into a small baking dish. Bke for about 15mins. or until heated through. Makes 2 servings.

This side dish really fools you! Great way to get your cauliflower in your diet!

Want to make it super quick?
Try the steam fresh veggies ( I absolutely love the garlic seasoned cauliflower)  Just pop it in the Microwave for 5 or 6 minutes. This cuts the time in half. Try it with Sharp cheddar cheese for a different spin. YUM!!

Getting it right and tight,

 

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Day 1

Today I started p90x and dare I say it.... My son started with me. I feel good because I was able to do some things that he wasn't able to do. He was laughing at me and saying"Aww Mom, you only did 7?" and here he could only do three... so take that! haha.


Needless to say we are both out of shape. He is more a skinny fat who needs to work on his strength more-so than losing weight. Anyway, I get heart palpitations at times (is that what its called when your heart skips a beat?) It has nothing to do with my weight( at least I don't think that it does) as I have had this for as long as I can remember, even when I was a child and thin, so I had to take a longer break than I normally would. We both decided to just do the first round with tentative plans of finishing up the second if we feel up to it.

I feel like like kicking myself in the butt literally for not sticking with my workouts. There was a time when I could not only complete both rounds but also do the bonus round as well as chalean's cardio Party3 right afterwards.

I now realize that this is something that you definitely have to keep up and make a habit else you lose all of the gains and strides that you've made.

I saw an advert on TV for Bally's in which you can print out a 7 day pass. I'm thinking about doing that next week to see if I can get up and make it there. I have a Bally's membership that I let lapse. if all goes well and I consistently make the trek to the gym, I may pay it up for a year and see how I do.


Reflections:

It feels good to be working out again

I should have never stopped

Baby steps because I don't want to burn out..AT ALL!

I really miss my heart rate monitor. I'm a "Now" kind of girl and I want things when I want it. On the one hand, I don't want to send my monitor in to have the batteries changed because it may take too long to come back and I have had too many problems with sending things in for repair(computers) but I'm still leary. On the other hand, the nearest AUTHORIZED repair shop is 4 hours away. Now I could make the drive, pay the tolls and wait while it's being repaired but in the end it will end up costing me more. Same day service(with 4 hours of travel) or 3 days on premises , shipping and return shipping costs and however long it takes for the post office to deliver it on top of the 3 day repair time. Hmmm decisions decisons. If anyone is reading and have experience with Polar heartrate monitors and battery changes let me know how the process worked out for you. Thanky!

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Help? I need a plan

I need a plan, a workout and nutritional plan. I know it seems simple but it really isn't, at least not for me.

I am motivated to workout. I frequent a site that is very motivational. I see women posting about their accomplishments as well as how they are getting up and working out and most are finished while I'm still in bed. Inspiring huh?

Well here is my problem, after reading those posts, I am so inspired and determined to get my work out on. I have the routine that I am going to do, I have my water, My fitband( to track my steps and calories burned) My weights ready and then....nothing. I put it off for an hour, which in turn turns into 2 then 3 and ...well, you get the picture. Before I know it, the day has gone by and I'm in bed not having done a dayum thing. This has been my routine as of late. What is wrong with me? It would be nice to blame it on the heat wave that is going on but honestly, I don't know. My body is so ready to lose this weight but my mind is wishy washy. I want to work out, I want to lose weight but I cannot seem to get off of my fat ass.

I need a plan (baby steps)

p90x 3 days a week for one week

I also need a meal plan. I know everything that I should be eating but I'm not good with the word "diet". I know that it is a lifestyle change but I'm not cool with cutting out anything. Im much more of a fan of doing things in moderation and not denying myself. My weakness I would say is food in general. I don't eat a lot ( which is also part of the problem.) Sometimes I eat breakfast then have nothing until late night, while other times, I skip breakfast and will eat nothing until dinner. I know that I should be eating at list 6 times a day every 2 or 3 hours but I'm just not doing it. I'm not a "sweets" person although I do have my occasional craving but I do love my pasta and not the whole wheat kind. Add to that, the fact that since its summer, I've been eating out at fast food joints and restaurants, having TV dinners(remember those?) because it is just too hot to cook. I need a plan and soon.

I will go through all of my old notes and see what I can come up with but I welcome any and all ideas.

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Turkey and Spinach Souffle

Turkey and Spinach Souffle

1 cup skim milk

3 tablespoons flour

1 small onion

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon papika

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or chile oil, etc)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 large eggs (separated), plus 3 additional large egg whites

3/4 cup finely chopped cooked turkey (ground turkey works well also)

1/2 cup finely chopped spinach (no need to cook it first, I just put the fresh spinach in a food processor and add it right in)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan over low heat, whisk the milk into the flour until well combined. Stick the whole cloves into the onion (no need to chop the onion, just cut off the ends and peel the skin off first). Add the onion and the bay leaf to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and discard the onion, cloves, and bay leaf. Still off of the heat, stir in the sage, paprika, red pepper sauce, salt, and nutmeg; set pan aside.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks until blended and uniform. Stir a small amount (about a heaping tablespoon) of the hot flour/milk mixture into the egg yolks, then pour the egg mixture into the saucepan along with the milk and flour. Stir in the turkey and spinach.

Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff, then gently fold them into the turkey-spinach mixture (make sure to FOLD them in, and don’t overmix or the souffle will “fall”).

Lightly spray a 1 1/2 quart dish with nonstick cooking spray; Pour the mixture into the dish and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes (or until puffy and golden). Serve immediately.

.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 138 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 17 g protein, 279 mg sodium, 118 mg cholesterol.


Getting it right,

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Confessional: This is my confession

I didn't do shyt today. The end! 'Tis all!

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Fitness Saboteur

Grandma is a diet Saboteur. I resolved today that I would lose this weight once and for all. I actually started exercising yesterday and I intend to take baby steps with this.

I want to eat healthier but I simply have no will power. I had a boiled egg and sliced turkey breast for breakfast and then in came Grandma with an Egg McMuffin and hash brown for breakfast. Needless to say, I had no will-power and ended up eating it.


Its okay, I logged that and it didn't do too much damage but for lunch Grandma comes back with fried chicken, fries, and biscuits (99 cent chicken day at the local chicken joint) so again, not having the power to withstand the temptation I again, gobbled it up so today, as far as my meals go..its basically a wrap .

I don't know what to do because when I talk to her about it I get, "Well you don't have to eat it you know, the kids can eat it" or whatever. ~sigh~ I am just going to have to resolve to be stronger and push past the temptation if I have any hopes of succeeding at this.

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This can't be life...can it?

Lately I have been really frustrated with my size. I want to be thin again. I just cannot seem to find my motivation. I want to lose this weight for me and no one else. My reasoning may be shallow in that I want to look and feel good about myself again but oh well.

I have been looking at before and afters to get some inspiration and also joining a few websites geared to fitness and weight loss. I'm also going to attempt to faithfully start blogging again.

I know since I'm out of my 20's it will be more difficult but I know that I can do this (she has said for 10 years now) I just need to stick with it.


Yesterday, I decided that I was going to start Insanity and there is most definitely truth in that name. I was insane to think that I could do it because I only managed to finish about 6 minutes of it and I was pooped and that was just the warm up lol. This was me That is definitely something that I will have to work up to. Haha. I ended up doing Hip Hop Abs and although I didn't find it challenging at all at least I was up and moving.

Now, I just need to get the battery changed in my Polar and It will be on and popping. I have realized that I am a visual person and I need to see my heart rate as I'm working out, I need to see progress on the scale(yeah I know bad) and I also need to see the results of others.

I'm also a competitive person in the sense that I don't want everyone to lose weight and leave me behind to be the big girl so that is always motivation for me. I have some family members that are getting back into fitness and I'll be damned if I'm left behind. I had been dragging my feet and trying to wait around for my son to start p90x but he is even more full of excuses than I am.

He's either too sleepy, or too hungry or he just got on the internet or I always come at the wrong time and a whole host of other reasons. I'm just going to have to go it alone. Honestly, My problem is not starting but sticking with it..

As of now, I have tentative plans to vacation in Florida in March and I am determined that I will be out of the 200s by then. I currently weight 231.8. I weighed myself this morning after I ate (I'll check again tomorrow before I eat for accuracy) so I am hoping to at least lose 32 pound by then .

My face is huge complete with double chin and all, my collarbones are non existent, and my belly looks as if I'm pregnant. This cannot be life!

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