Awe, the trouble with cravings...

I've still been reading the Bible Cure book and it has enlightened me to the simple missteps I've taken that have resulted in my dimpled lard ass. This guide is wonderful because it doesn't have uber strict rules about what I can and can't eat, nor does it condemn me for being over weight. Instead the book talks about why I gained weight and the simple changes I can make to find the beautiful healthy woman I lost. Just to give you an example of how the book breaks it down:

"Men should have about 4 oz of protein with each meal and 1 oz of protein with each snack. A woman should have 3 oz of protein with each meal and 3/4 oz of protein with each snack. Simply choose a 4 oz piece of chicken breast, turkey breast, fish or lean red meat and balance this with all the salad, vegetables and fruits that you want." (Don Colbert, M.D. 36)

It makes perfect sense and it helped me recognize what I've been doing wrong for the last 15 years of my life. My meals used to consist of meat (a big chuck), potatoes or pasta, a vegetable, bread, milk/soda/water, and dessert. It had been like that since I was a child. My mom was a good cook but everything was fried, broiled and topped with a creamy sauce. The vegetable part of the meal was not that healthy either. It could have been a boiled potato, broccoli, or creamy green bean casserole instead of a steamed or fresh serving of greens. So you see, I was programed as a child to rely on unhealthy food and cooking techniques.
Half of my battle is won, I know what I was doing wrong and how to fix it.

Another great part of the book is the explanation of the glycemic index and how to use it to balance blood sugar and insulin levels so that your body does not trap the fat in storage. It also instructs you on how to raise your metabolism in easy to follow steps that are sure to stick with you for the rest of your life. So instead of thinking about this as a diet, I'm going to think about it as a life style change.

Now onto a slightly less optimistic topic... Last night around 9pm I was starving. My body was craving a salty, carby, delicious snack and what should come on TV but the newest creation of Taco Bell, the bacon club chalupa. I literally salivated at the thought (Pavlov at his finest!) Let me include a picture of this beautiful delicacy: So as I'm hinting to James that I'm hungry and we should go get one, he tells me no I don't need it (keep in mind that he is losing weight as well). So instead I go for a string cheese and a nice glass of relax. It was not exactly what I wanted but it worked to stave of hunger. I know the wine was not the best choice but it was better than a taco :)



As of this morning I am down 5.2 lbs from my post vacation weight. Oh, lets not forget the lovely, plump princess Cali. She has lost about 2 lbs and now has a hanging sack of skin and fur I lovingly refer to as her utters. I've cut way back on her and Remy's food and it has made a big difference. As a treat I'm giving them tuna for dinner. All of her hard work deserves a reward... a healthy reward!

Why does it have to be so HOT?

Working out and staying fit becomes much more difficult when it is 100+ degrees outside. I am still working on the brick walk; I have the crushed stone laid and I am leveling it so I can cover it in sand. This process would not be taking so long if I wasn't dyeing of heat stroke! It is 9:30am and 90 gosh darn degrees... it just isn't right... people were not meant to live in the dessert unless they were banished from the beach :(

I'm still eating Subway for lunch and dinner and trying to watch what I'm snacking on. It's hard to eat healthy when I still have junk food laying around from our trip to the beach. My theory was to eat all the junk food and then not buy anymore but I'm now pondering just tossing it (which is what I should have done in the first place). Instead of having chips with my Subway, I should have a side salad or fruit. I know what healthy food choices I should make, so why is it so hard to make them?

I started reading a book called The Bible's Cure for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain and it has given me a lot of insight both spiritually and physically as to why I make the unhealthy choice to eat crap. I think this whole process is going to be less about learning how to eat right (let's face it, I know how to eat right so reading 1 million books about it won't help) and more about doing it. Forget the excuses why I can't get thin... its time for hard work and results!

I'm Back!!!

Okay blog followers, I know it has been WAY too long since my last post and I don't have a really good reason, but here's what I've got:

1. I was really busy with my new job. I am so blessed to find a teaching job as a new teacher and at a wonderful school to boot. Please don't think I'm complaining about my job, it just took time to adjust and now I wake up everyday excited for the new school year and everything I'm going to teach to my students.
2. My masters classes were demanding. I'm usually one of those people that everyone hates because I can pass a class with minimal effort but I don't want to be that way anymore. I really LOVE the classes I'm taking and I find myself putting in a lot of effort and time.
3. I'm LAZY!
4. I procrastinate... I even procrastinate about not procrastinating :(
5. My life is being pulled in 11 different directions; some good, some bad, but all necessary.
6. Last but not least, I'm not dedicated to myself and my goals.

Now that I've presented my argument for weight lose failure I'm going to give you my plan and catch you up on what I've been doing this summer.

I'm going to do something active everyday. Be it working on the house/yard or jogging at the park, I'm going to find the active person I used to be and test my limits. I was just talking to James today and I told him that I missed the old me; the one who played flag football at the park, partook in random tennis matches, surfed all summer, fished every weekend... where is that strong, unique woman? My guess is she is smothered under an ever increasing layer of blubber and I'm bound and determined to rescue her at all costs. I will NOT be the woman who dies from a heart attach and 35 because I'm morbidly obese. I will be the woman who hikes the Pacific Crest Trail before I'm 35.
James and I are also working on a diet. We both love Subway so we are ordering the $35.00 platter at the beginning of the week so we have lunch and dinner at our fingertips; no cheating, no excuses. Also, I've been working on the Biggest Loser diet book and the food is GREAT!!! I plan to mix those recipes into my new eating habits.

As for what I've been up to, I've been out of school for two weeks. The first week was spent cleaning, organizing, and assembling my classroom for next year (It was a lot of work but super fun). We also had the boys (JP and Phoenix) down for that first week and half of the second; they kept me pretty active. We also went to the Discovery Science Center which I recommend for all kids 13 and younger (or adults with a secret inner child dying to get out!) The second week was spend in beautiful Morro Bay. There the boys and I swam in the pool, swam in the ocean, dug up sand crabs (GROSS!), walked on the beach, visited Hearst Castle, tried the skate part, and most excitingly, I taught them how to surf. So as you can see, I stayed very active on our trip which would naturally lead to the assumption that I lost a lot of weight, but that is where you and I would both be wrong. You see, in order to loose weight, you CANNOT eat Mexican everyday and gorge on double desserts... I know it surprised me too!

In my defense, after I ate the second piece of Olallieberrie cake, I did forty sit ups. This was the beginning of my routine of ab improvement. I am going to do sit ups and push up every night. Right now I'm starting with 15 push ups (Man style not Girlie style) and 10 sit ups in each position (one for upper, lower, obliques, and so on) then I'm going to add one more rep a day. I think I should be able to lose 10 lbs by September (if I can control my eating when we go to visit Chris).

Oh, by the way, here is my new bikini pic!!!

A Few Good Workouts

The Freemotion has been delivered and installed :) I just completed my first workout and it was a doozy. 10 minutes on the easiest trail and I burned 154 calories. It started off nice and easy with a 7% incline at 4mph. Slowly it continued to go up and up and UP!!! By the time I go to 31% incline I thought my legs would literally fall off. I was sweating like a pig, panting like a dog, and whatever other figurative animal device you want to throw in. So, as I'm sitting here typing this blog, I'm mopping up the sweat and pounding a water bottle.

The good news is that this machine is sure to be my key to success. It shows no mercy. Every time I felt like the incline or speed was too much, I would lower them. the Freemotion didn't like my work ethic and it bumped it right back up after 10 seconds. It is pretty much like having Jillian Michaels in my living room screaming at me to get my fat ass to work! I LOVE IT! I think this is exactly what I needed. After a week of two-a-days, I'm sure to shed some major body fat :)

In other weight loss news. . . Cali attempted to work out on the machine but only got as far as standing on the belt and sniffing. She claims that she is optimistic about working out at least two to three times a week but there will be none of the incline nonsense. I type this about her as she is eating her second breakfast besides me. . . some cats are so stubborn.


This is my motivation to get in shape for the week. I want to be able to hike back to this lake without falling behind everyone. Without feeling like I'm an old lady. Without complaining that the hike is too long or hard!

I finally bought a new scale!

I finally made it to the store to buy a new scale and I've successfully completed my weigh in. New weight is 216.2lbs which is 3.8lbs lighter. It isn't good enough to win the competition but I'm still pretty happy. There are still alot of changes I can make in my lifestyle so I might as well start now.

I bought a secret weapon two days ago and I'm waiting for it to get delivered. What is it you ask? Well, it's only the best workout machine ever! It is a Freemotion Incline Trainer. I can use it like a regular treadmill for running and walking or boost it to 40% incline to train for backpacking. It even goes down to -5% incline. Yup, it's pretty much awesome!

:)

So I still haven't made it to the store for a new scale but I figure I'll get there tomorrow. Work has been a crazy whirlwind of excitement, disappointment, stress, and bliss. Who knew you could feel so many emotions in 10 hours. Teaching has been great for my diet/ competition because I don't have time to eat or sit down. I literally drink a few sips of coffee on my way to work at 6:30, eat lunch at 12:15 (which lately has only consisted of clementines, string cheese, apple sauce, and water), then I grub when I get off at 4:00pm. I know it isn't good to eat so little but the thought of eating or drinking anything during class never once crosses my mind. I don't even get a moment to sit at my desk in the comfortable black chair. . . Nonetheless, I love my class and I can't wait to see them every morning.

The competition has really taken its toll on Cali. She refuses to eat her food opting instead for kitten food and James caught her puking earlier. Could these be the signs of some strange feline eating disorder?

Another Day, Another Burger

Loyal followers I am sorry that I have neglected you for so long. My life has been turned upside down, spun around a few times, shaken, and poured into a blender… but in a good way. I start my new job tomorrow and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve met my students, rearranged my classroom, read the hand book and recommended books, and watched the videos. All that is left is to take the first step!
The completion is still on and all the competitors are going strong. There have been a few instances of sabotage (mostly by me). The best sabotage was at Kristal’s karaoke birthday party. Eli and I bought her a double Dutch chocolate cake. Kristal didn’t eat any but Eli said he would have a slice if I did. I put one bite in my mouth, waited for him to start chewing his and then spit mine back out. Gross I know but totally worth the look on his face!
I’m hoping to start a vigorous work out schedule now that I get off work at 3:30pm instead of 6:00pm. I’d like to run an obstacle/ fitness course Kristal and I discovered last Tuesday at least 3 times a week. Also, I’m planning on doing Pilates and ab workouts here at home. I know I should start this sooner rather than later so I’ll make a promise to all of you to kick it off on Tuesday. Why not Monday you ask? Because I’ll be lucky if I can make it home and into bed without being totally exhausted from my first day! I know it isn’t physically demanding but the mental strain and the nerves have plum tuckered me out.
I’ve continued to be pretty good with my eating by including a lot of fruits and veggies every day, but I’ve lapsed a few times. Today I had Red Robin for lunch. I know I should have opted for a salad or chicken but I had a delicious Santa Fe Burger with Fries and a Root Beer. I make up for the abundance of calories, I parked on the other side of the mall and James and I walked to and from the restaurant. We also went to my classroom and rearranged all 40 desks and chairs so I think the burger was pretty much negated. To work off the fries we walked around the block with the dog (for all of you who are saying the block only burned off 2 fries… I know but don’t crush my sense of self preservation!)
I’m planning on doing a second weigh in within the next few days. Conviniently my scale died about 5 days ago and I haven’t made it to the store for a new one yet. I’ll post my new measurements, body fat %, and BMI when I get the new scale.
Cali is still being lazy and she does not like being rationed in the food department. She has torn open one bag of cat litter to show her displeasure. Also, I caught her with her head and half her body inside the food bag yesterday!!! It must be nice to be a cat.
Thanks to all of those how read this blog and a special thank you to Candice for keeping me motivated to write!

The Struggle Continues... To Get Better!

Normally a dieter’s blog would be recounting how easy it has been to get in shape or how energetic a person feels when they’ve stopped poisoning their bodies with all the tasty goodness that is junk food, but that’s not the case for me. I feel cranky, tired, miserable, and I keep getting cravings for everything I need to avoid (seriously, someone needs to do a study to see what kind of drugs are in burgers and fries because I’m having hardcore withdrawals!)

Things are off to a moderate start. I was super conscious of what I ate yesterday and I avoided the plethora of junk food lingering in the office. At one point I had my hand inside a cookie bag, fingers wrapped around a delicious, moist, vanilla cookie. . . I quickly jerked my hand out, moaned, scolded myself, and listened to all my of co-workers laugh at my self induced torture. To make things easier, one of them went to the store for healthy snacks; she came back with assorted fruit and cupcakes. CUPCAKES! What kind of cruel joke is that!!!

I’ve decided to stay away from sodas for the remainder of the completion and I’m going to limit the amount of fast food I eat (I say ‘limit’ because I know it is impossible to swear off all fast food with my crazy schedule). I’ve been keeping a lunch bag with healthy snacks like clementine’s, bananas, multigrain crackers, and low fat cheese with me so that when I do get a craving for a tasty treat I don’t resort to the crap I usually eat.

Also, I’m working on a strength training/ cardio plan. I need to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day which means I either need to wake up earlier or stay up really, really late. Hmmm . . . This is a hard decision; I really like my sleep but I’m more likely to get a workout in if I do it in the morning. Maybe I’ll just split them between morning and night so that some days I can sleep in and other days I’ll have a few extra hours in the evening with my husband.

Just for fun, let me describe to you my epic food battle yesterday. On the drive home from my 10 hour work day, I wanted to pick up a quick dinner; something sinfully fat and delicious. Instead I picked up my husband and we went to the mall for an interview outfit (which by the way was not the great experience it should have been because work close don’t fit size fat ass that well). Again, as we drove home past Arby’s, Chili’s, Olive Garden, Red Robin, Claim Jumper, Cold Stones, McDonalds, Hamburger Stand, and BJ’s (are you seeing why I put on 50lbs yet?!), I was tempted to stop and get dinner, dessert, and maybe a supersized soft drink, but I didn’t. Instead I opted for cooking dinner at home.

I grilled up a couple of tilapia fillets with lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes and paired that with boiled asparagus sautéed in a garlic butter sauce topped with a little Asiago cheese. Surprisingly, it was extremely delicious and filling. For dessert I had a bowl of Mint Chip frozen yogurt from Trader Joe’s and to tell you the truth, it might have been better that Baskin Robins Mint Chip. If I can just make it through the initial phase of cravings, withdraws, and temptations, I might just win this thing!!!

Oh, I almost forgot! Cali cut down on her portion size today; instead of the usual ¼ cup of food at breakfast and dinner (with the occasional snack in the middle of the day thanks to Dad) she ate 1/3 cup for the whole day. Remy also gave her some tips for tightening her abdomen . . . she should have a six pack in no time.

I wonder if I can figure out her BMI and body fat %??? I definitely need to take her measurements within the next few days so that I have proof that my newly founded cat diet/fitness routine works!

A Step in the Right Direction

I just got back from the grocery store where I made my first step towards being and feeling healthy. I bought tons of fresh fruits and veggies, chicken, whole grain pasta, and healthy, organic snacks. I must admit that Trader Joe's makes it pretty hard to not eat healthy so as long as I do my shopping there, I should be able to fight off temptation. . . as least most of the time.

Cali did her part today too. She cased me around the house for a few minutes, which might not sound like much but for Cali it is the equivalent of running a marathon, riding in the Tour de France, winning the Iron Man Competitions. . . I think you get the point. We are both one day closer to our weight loss goals!