Check in # 5

Well, yesterday was the actual check in date, but I decided to change it to Saturdays. However, will tell you what I weighed yesterday as well as today, but before I do I want to tell you how much I weighed on Thursday. I woke up Thursday morning, fully aware that the next day would be weigh in day, and I just wanted a sneak peak at where I was considering that I had that little binging episode. So, I stepped on the scale and to my delight it read 182!!! I was sooooo excited!!! That day I ran (on the elipitcal) 3 miles in 28.5 minutes! I was soooo motivated. Then on Friday, completely expecting to have maintained the previous reading or at least have lost a half pound, instead it read 186lbs!!! WTF!!!!! I couldn't believe it I weighed myself three times back to back! What went wrong???? I don't know, but it really bummed me out. Then I snapped out of it and totally relaized that weight fluxuation are completely normal. May be I was retaining water or something...may be I was a little bloated-after all my TOM is only a week away....But may be just may be I turn some fat into muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. Either way I just had to calm down and not lose hope. I went to work, and continued with my dieting, but I did take off from the gym. I got home and in a desperate attempt of seeing the 182 reading, I stepped on the scale once again: it read 185lbs! I was thoroughly baffled. I have no explanations, other than life is fickle! So that brings us up to today-Saturday-I warily stepped on the scale with both eyes closed. After a few seconds, I open my eyes and peaked down at the number below. The scale read 184lbs...well at least it was better that 186lbs! I feel as though I've been on an emotional rollercoaster this week. I'm so glad it is over. Next week I know will be better!!! So until then, that's all for now.

BINGE

This week has been a struggle. It just started off all wrong, but I'm getting ahead of my self. As you may or may not know the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows occurred on July 21, 2007. I volunteered to take a co-worker's child to the Harry Potter Midnight Madness Party event. Before we got there My husband and I, decised it would be nice to treat the girl to a dinner at one of her favorite restaraunts --TGIF. This where it all started to get a bit sticky.....I looked on the menu and tried to order the most healthy thing possible. I wound up with Mahi Mahi---not bad...then I tried to order a low cal drink that wasn't a soda---I ended up getting a Strawberry Lemonade--which really turned out to be was a strawberry slurpy with a splash of lemonade---oh so yummy--but a completely questionable choice. So I didn't do so bad there.

Then it was on to the the Harry Potter Midnight Madness party!!! I did good up until around 11:30 pm. Both the girl and I got a little parched to say the least so I decided to indugle and we ordered some sort of Frappaccino like beverage. I did my best---I order a bluberry cream frappaccino thingy in the smallest size...which at starbucks is about 16oz. As I took the beverage I stared at it, and realized as a bought it to my lips that there are about a full days worth of calories in this single drink...and it's 11:30pm!! Night time is the worse time to take in a large amount of calories---there's no time to burn it, unless you work the night shift---I don't. I reasoned with my psyche that it is Okay to Splurge every once and while, but as I took each sip I could have sworn I felt a new dimple develop on my already luxouriously dimpled butt! I finished about half of the drink, and threw it away. So I saved myself somewhat from a huge set back.

Saturday was the MDA Live Ride---which we mamged to raise $1,100 for (thanks for all who helped out) I had gotten home around 1:30 am from the HP party and we had to up and running by 7am and out the door by 7:30am...needless to say there was no time for breakfast....We had a long day ahead of us. We drove about 150 miles to the MDA event destination...we arrived there around 1 o'clock in the afternoon...I had no snacks along the way. I was starving...once again I did my best with the meal the served. I chose a sic inch pre-made turkey sub. It was the best darn turkey sub I've ever had---though I knew why: REAL MAYONAISE!!! OMG!!! then they also gave us an ice cream bar!!! HAAGEN DAZ!!!! HOLY CRAP, I was in trouble...I ate about 1/4th of the ice cream bar which contained 290 calories! Then when we got home, for dinner I made my low fat chicken enchiladas which have about 110 cals per enchalada. Not too bad.

Your probably wondering where I slipped up....Well, Sunday was pretty uneventful I woke up so late my brunch was a bowl of Corn Flakes, and for dinner I had my subway usual--turkey. It was Monday that really screwed me up. My husband, the dear soul that he is, had to go on another overnite TDY. It was on this day that i could not stop my self from BINGING!!! I felt horrible--even while I was doing it!!! I couldn't stop it! I shovel handfuls of chex mix in to my mouth, and I ate two Fruit Bar back to back!!! I even started shoveling condy down my gullet!! Grant I was bingin on diet stuff---it was still bingin none the less. I felt powerless, and ashamed. Even though my "Binge" still did not exceed my caloric max for the day--it still made me feel utterly wretched!!! So for the rest of the week, I pumped it up it to high gear and regained my discipline. I 'm still working out--about everyother day, I'm trying to burn at leat 200 cals each trip to the gym I make. I feel nervouse about to tomorrows weigh in, but I know it's something that I have to do.

Check-In #4

It is Check in day again, and I am extremely happy to report that I weighed in at 183lbs!!! I've lost 3lbs!!! I'm soooo happy! I can't believe it!! Well, I'm not thaaaaaaat surprised, and I'll tell you why. On Tuesday afternoon I got sick....and I don't mean with a cough! I was worshipping the porcelin gods in a whole new way! I know it wasn't due to treatment effects---I've been eating really good...well good enough...I ate a 6 inch subway turkey sandwich on wheat for lunch (with pepper jack cheese, cucumbers, banana peppers, black olive and mustard) which is no different from what i always order, and I had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. So, all in all I ate healthy...but yet I still got sick...I did have a headache the ENTIRE previous weekend, so I think my body was fighting a bug, and it got flushed out of my system literally on Tuesday and Wednesday. So then I step on the scale today and found that I had lost three pounds!!! Like I said I wasn't too surprised, and you wouldn't be either had you been around Tuesday and Wednesday!!! LOL***

Anywho, Tuesday was our second game, and once again Arctic Storm was unable to taste victory. I sat out as I was obviously in no condition to be running around bases even with Immodium AD. We started off strong in the first half, and then the team just sort of fell apart in the second half! It was devasting---nobody was talking to eachother on the field!! Well at least we learned our lesson-- COMMUNICATION is key! Anyway, to all my other compratriots in the battle of the Bulge, Good luck and I hope for your success!!!

Muscular Dystrophy and Me

Please help us raise $5000 by July 21! Please donate to our cause:

Hello all!!! My husband and I have recently decided to champion a cause! We are participating in the House of Harley Davidson's Ride for MDA! The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary health agency -- a dedicated partnership between scientists and concerned citizens aimed at conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect more than a million Americans.MDA supports more research on neuromuscular diseases than any other private-sector organization in the world. MDA scientists are in the forefront of gene therapy research and have uncovered the genetic defects responsible for several forms of muscular dystrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), childhood spinal muscular atrophy, and several other neuromuscular conditions.The following is a link to my husband's and I donation page, please take time to visit and donate:Click here to support OUR kids, Jerry's kids!

Check in # 3

So, today is Check in Day, and I weigh in at 186 lbs. Wooo Hooo!!! I'm sooo happy! I lost a pound Yeah Me!!! The funny thing is I had to strong arm my scale into my victory. When I woke up, I blearily walked into my bathroom, and proceeded to get undressed. I then stepped on the scale, and quickly glanced down to find that it read 187lbs. WTF!!!There must have been some mistake!!! I busted my ass this week, dieting and exercising---EVERY DAY!!! Perhaps the atmosphere in the bathromm scewed the reading (it is after all a digital scale) So I open the bathroom door, took a deep breath, thoroughly exhaled, and stepped back on to the scale.....186lbs!!! I knew it! Damn micro- climates!!! So now I'm happy! 1 pound gone!!! wooo hoooo!
On another note, yesterday was Arctic Storm's (my kick ball team) very first game! We lost 3 to 1, but we all had a lot of fun. I can't wait until our next game!

Secrets of a Former Fat Girl

So, I just bought this book the other day, and I can't even begin to tell you how awesome it is!!! I love the sincerity of it! The author, Lisa Delaney, writes it just like it is! It's amazing to see such complete honesty. She doesn't pretty anything up as she reveals her story (her true life story) of her weight loss journey. While I wasn't technically considered over weight my entire life, I still can relate to her becuase it's not just about how she was physically, but also about how she viewed herself mentally. I don't want to come off as the woman's publicist, but I really do believe this is a fantastic book worth spreading the word about!! It makes sense, it's not patronizing, and it's completely doable! I wish all of you the best of luck in your battles with weight and self image. I'm hoping this book will just be another weapon in my arsenal against this war I'm waging with myself!

Here's what the critics are saying:

From Publishers Weekly: Despite her lack of medical credentials, "Former Fat Girl" Delaney (a freelance journalist currently writing for Health magazine) is convincing simply because she has not only lost weight but has kept it off. She has figured out how to go from size 16 to size 2 jeans and maintain a healthy, slim figure for decades. Instead of talking diets, Delaney focuses on motivation. It's essential to feel like you have control over your life; you have to believe you can change, she insists. After talking about the Jazzercise class that first gave her that "I can" feeling, Delaney offers some practical advice so readers can go beyond losing weight to realizing a better self-image. Keep your new eating/exercising regimen a secret, she advises, as family and friends may be surprisingly resistant to your changes. Be firm and exclude foods or situations you know you can't handle. Visualize the life you want for yourself. Even if her advice is not terribly new, Delaney mixes optimism and realism in such manageable proportions, she may give readers just the boost they need. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PROUD!

Last night my Husband had his monthly over-nighter TDY to Louisville, KY. So, when I came home from work yesterday, I didn’t have to rush to get dinner prepared or do anything for that matter (which is why I secretly enjoy this particular TDY). I do miss him; don’t get me wrong, it’s always a struggle to get to sleep when he’s not by my side in our big comfy bed. But anyway, instead of rushing to get dinner ready, I grabbed a bag of pretzels, plopped down on the couch and channel surfed.

I came across the Style channel. I’m into fashion, so why not? Well, surprisingly on this channel last night was the program “The Biggest Loser!” I decided to watch as one of the previous winners was considering joining my Kick Ball team (Artic Storm.) The programs’ theme song “Proud” got me thinking right away. I continued to watch, as I munched on tiny twist pretzels (ever mindful of how many I’m shoveling into my face,)the show focused on two family’s that were each in the restaurant business. As I watched them struggle, I kept thinking about what little I really am doing. It’s just not enough to diet and eat right. One of the heavier set women proved that after three months on her own, while maintaining a healthy diet, she didn’t lose a pound---BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T EXERCISE!

Oh man, it was like a slap in the face. What the hell! I’m doing all this hard work dieting, counting calories, and fat grams---and I’m just managing to maintain my weight. Which is NOT what I want to do! I want to LOSE weight! Every day I step on the scale (I know I’m not supposed too, but I can’t help it) and it tells me from one day to the next 185lbs to 187lbs back to 185lbs. I quickly closed the bag of pretzels and really started to pay close attention to the show.

The message was loud and clear: GET OFF YOUR BUTT!!! I watched as a 15 yr old girl who’s starting weight was somewhere around 249lbs, lose 64lbs! She didn’t by means of Diet, blood, sweat and tears! Okay, may be not blood—but you get my point. They played back to back episodes of the program so I got to see it from start to finish. The girls dad lost 82lbs! It was just amazing! I cried all night! But I digress…..the lyrics of that song stayed with me even after the program was over. I then flipped the channel to Discovery Health and the watched Big Medicine. As the program ran, I cleaned my house during the commercial breaks, and folded laundry throughout the program. I couldn’t sit still. I kept hearing the words. That program made me cry to too! Finally, I went to bed---before I did though I checked my weight 187.8lbs (hey it’s my TOM too) I went to bed…with the help of Simply Sleep and my allergy meds, and woke up energized! So much so that Today I went to the gym and RAN 2 MILES in 19 min and 22 seconds (on the elliptical of course). I burned 200 calories!

Apparently To lose 1 pound, you must burn 3500 excess calories (500 calories per day over the course of a week). One-half to one pound per week slow weight loss promotes long-term loss of body fat. If you reduce your calorie intake by 300 calories a day and increase your activity to burn 200 extra calories per day, you can expect a steady weight loss of approximately one pound per week. So, If I keep this up I know I can make my weight loss goals become a reality!

The Biggest Loser Theme Song : "Proud"
by Heather Small

I look into the window of my mind

Reflections of the fears I know I've left behind

I step out of the ordinaryI can feel my soul ascendingI am on my way

Can't stop me now

And you can do the same

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

It's never too late to try

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

You could be so many peopleIf you make that break for freedom

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

Still so many answers I don't know

Realise that to question is how we grow

So I step out of the ordinary

I can feel my soul ascendingI am on my way

Can't stop me now

And you can do the same
What have you done today to make you feel proud?

It's never too late to try

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

You could be so many people

If you make that break for freedom

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

We need a changeDo it todayI can feel my spirit rising

We need a changeSo do it today

'Cause I can see a clear horizon

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

So what have you done today to make you feel proud?

'Cause you could be so many people

If you make that break for freedom

So what have you done today to make you feel proud?

What have you done today to make you feel proud?

What have you done today

You could be so many people?

Just make that break for freedom

So what have you done today to make you feel proud?

Check-in # 2

Well, this morning I woke up with a sense of dread and forboding! It is check-in day, and I just know that the damage from this past 4th of July Holiday is going to be bad! The week started really good, I was eating good, and I even worked out---sooo much so that my body was sore through to thursday. Then Wednesday happened! 4th of July!!! My husband once again presented me with an offer I just could not refuse: "Want to get Cold Stone?" "NO!!!!!!! Well, maybe....okay, sure!" And thus began my downfall!!!! I stopped recordinng what I was eating, because I was shoveling junk down my gullet from that moment on! Buffallo chicken Sandwiches, a handful of bake cheetos, 90 calorie pack pudding, weigh watchers creamsicles! I was a snacking machine for two days straight!!! So, now it's Friday check-in day, and to my horror I have gained two pounds!! That's eight sticks of butter!! Oh well! Sometimes we stumble, the important thing is to get back up, dust your self off and continue on.