Half a year!!

6 months and 53 pounds are gone forever!!!

Weigh In 6-20

Today is the 5 month mark.  5 whole months since i started this craziness!!!   It's amazing!!  I never in my whole life would have thought i would have accomplished as much as i have in 5 short months!

So today, I did my weigh in!   I lost another 2.2lbs!!  Victory!!  I haven't quite hit my 50lbs yet. But for sure next week!!

The cruditis in my chest is finally breaking up, so it won't be long before i can hit the gym again!  When that time comes, watch out!!!  Game on!!!

I'm proud of my 2.2lbs especially knowing that it would not have been that had i given into the potato mess on Saturday.

If i hadn't figured this out sooner, then now would be the time that i would be saying, WOW I'm actually doing this!!!

Being stuck in sodium h*ll and coming out alive!!

     This weekend was hard. It was Russ's Grandmas 85th birthday party.  K, lets just say, his family LOVES to eat!!  They don't care, cause they could eat a truck load of cheeseburgers and not gain a pound.   So they served lunch, and I look at the spread.  There is 3 HUGE Dutch ovens of Dutch Oven Potatoes (Sodium H*ll). I can just imagine how much salt was used in the creation of those bad boys.   SO i get up to the table while loading up the kids plates. and see they have  Potatoes with steak, Potatoes with ham, and potatoes with hamburger & sausage.   Welll... I just died!!

     Thank goodness at the end of the table was a lonely bowl of green salad and a platter of fresh fruit.  So when i went to load up my plate I headed for the salad. Of course I got some flack from Uncle who created the ewwwy gooey goodness.  Like he was offended that i wasn't eating his heart attack in a pot!!   I had 2 heaping servings of salad with Full Fat Dressing and a nice little fruit salad and went on my merry way!!   I sat at the table watching everyone else enjoy their feast trying not to stare.

     After the meal, it was pointed out that they had set up an ice cream sundae bar over in the corner beside the mountain of a thousand different cupcakes.   The sundae bar had every topping known to man!! I asked Russ's aunt to help the kids with their dessert so i didn't have to go and look at the sugar. Of course my children returned with enough sugar to keep them fastened to the ceiling for at least the remainder of the week.  

    But I was pleased with my decision of sticking to my guns.   Of course I starved the whole rest of the day.. but it was worth it :)

When you feel like you've been hit by a truck

It is so hard to stay on track when you are feeling well. But when you are so sick you can barely function it's hard to stick to your guns.


I have been feeling like crud this week.  My chest is filled with glue, and my throat has sharp daggers in it.  So, the only thing I REALLY want to eat is Ice Cream. 

A whole 50 gallon bucket of it!!

I have stayed away from the ice cream though!  Woot!!  But the Sonic Ice cubes are not safe!!!  Thank goodness they won't stick to my hips when this is all said and done :)

I lost my voice yesterday.  The kids LOVE that i can't yell at them.   I can yell, but the volume of noise that comes out of my mouth is equivalent to my normal speaking voice.  They think it's pretty cool.  But I think It's SO annoying!!

The hubs took pitty on me and made me homemade chicken noodle soup.  I can't eat store bought soup, you know how much sodium is in that stuff??    So he was sweet :)

Next week is a new week right?  That's what they say anyway :P

Weight Watchers The FREE way

"This was written by  PHAT Girl On a Diet    She has a lot of great info on her page. She has done a lot of research on how to do Weight Watchers for FREE.   How to calculate how many points you get, and how much points are worth.   I thought it was handy, so i decided to share!"

I wanted to post some information about how to do Weight Watchers at home for FREE. Now, the program that I do is their OLD program. It calculates the points by using the calories, fat and dietary fiber of foods. The NEW Points Plus system is what they just released, and it calculates the points by the Carbs Fat and Protein I believe. Keep in mind that ALL of the recipes and meals I post are under the OLD Weight Watchers plan!

Here are some links that will help you get started on the OLD Weight Watchers plan which has been proven to be successful in the past. If you want to do their NEW Points Plus program, I would suggest joining Weight Watchers either online or at your local branch to get all of the information. There isn't much online about the new program just yet.

Step One:

How many points do I get?

Visit the following link to calculate how many points you get in a day. It calculates your points by using your weight, age, sex and activity level through out the day.

http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/ww-points-allowed/

Step Two:

Review and Save a Generic Foods Point List.

Once you start, you will begin to remember the points value of the foods you eat all the time but it is nice to have a website to be able to reference.

I use:

 http://quiddity.cc/rachel/diet/wwfoods.htm

 and

 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/weight-watchers-points-list.html

Step Three:

Be prepared for eating out!

One of the things I love about Weight Watchers is you can still eat out at your favorite restaurants and not deprive yourself. You just have to be sure you are accountable for what you are stuffing in your PHAT face! There are a ton of websites that provide the point values for all of your restaurant favorites.

http://www.dietfacts.com/list.asp

and

http://www.dwlz.com/restaurants.html

Step Four:

Build your meal plan for the week.

I have been building my menu for the week in advance and it has made it so much easier. It is easier to do the grocery shopping, budget, find new recipes and make sure you have enough points for the by one get one free day at your local frozen yogurt place! LOL

If you dont like the recipes or meal ideas on my page, find your own at:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/12/top-20-skinny-recipes-for-2010.html

http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew

http://www.angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/

http://ww-recipes.net/category/recipes-by-category/chicken-recipes/

Step Five:

When in doubt, Calculate it!

I have a Weight Watchers points calculator with me at ALL times. It makes it a breeze to go into the grocery store and calculate the points values of foods before you buy them. I actually take a magic marker with me too and I'll write the points value right on the box of the stuff I am for sure buying!

You can download apps on your phone for free that are points calculators:

Iphone users:  search: My Food Calculator

(The free one is the OLD WW program, the 99cent one is the Points Plus)

Android: search: WWDiary

Or just search Points Calculator! Keep in mind the calculators that have the calories/fat/fiber is for the OLD program and the ones with the carbs is for the NEW points plus program.

If you dont have a smart phone, you can use this website:

http://www.calculatorcat.com/free_calculators/weight_watchers_calculator.phtml

Step Six:

Write it down!!

In order to be successful you HAVE to write down what you eat! It makes it easier to track your daily points and if you have a bad weigh in one week you can look back and see what you ate that week and change some things around. Just a simple note pad will do, Word Doc or search: WWDiary on Androids or Food Log on Iphones.

Step Seven:

Exercise earns EXTRA points!

Every time you exercise, you earn extra points for the day!

Use this site to figure out how many points you earn based on the activity level and duration:

http://www.meganandjack.com/points_calculator.htm

Step Eight:

You get 35 EXTRA WEEKLY points.. to use whenever, where ever!  

Thats right, you get an extra 35 points to spread out through the week. Use it for the Birthday party you have to go to this weekend, the business lunch you are going to that doesnt really have any healthy options or the pizza that is being served at the super bowl party you're heading to! Remember though, They need TRACKED because once they are gone, they are GONE!

Step Nine:

Follow the plan!

I used to go to the meetings at Weight Watchers and one of the biggest things they tell you is EAT ALL YOUR POINTS FOR THE DAY! Its a big one! Your body NEEDS those calories. That is why you get the number you get. If you dont eat all of your points you may not lose weight. I had that happen to me - I ate about 2/3 of my points for the day and I didnt lose anything at all. As soon as I started eating all of my points, I started losing again.

Step Ten:

Use your head!

Always eat breakfast!

Try to do at least 20-30mins of activity each day.

Drink at least 8 -10 servings of water each day.

Eat three meals and 2 small snacks or 5 small meals each day.

Dont skip breakfast and lunch to have a 30point dinner, PHATSO!

Eat filling foods! Try to avoid filling up on processed, enriched foods. Instead of eating 100 calorie packs of Doritos or Oreos, try a piece of fruit  or some snacky- type veggies instead.

For your meals, try to incorporate whole grains, lean proteins and green leafy veggies. You will be satisfied longer and get more vitamins and nutrients.  

Dont be afraid to try new things and have fun with it! Keeping new recipes in the rotation keeps things exciting! Dont be afraid to try something you think you may not like. You may be surprised!

Please please please please, if you have any questions, need anything at all - CONTACT ME! Write something on my wall, email me, whatever! I'm here to help you!! Dont be shy! Also, if you find recipes that arent on my page, post them! Sharing is caring!

I hope this helps everyone that needed the insight as to where to begin and how to move forward. Good luck to all!!

40lbs gone forever!!

Sunday, June 5, 2011 (originally posted on my family blog)

It's been 4 months since I got my shot of reality at the Dr.s Office that it was time to change my lifestyle. In the past 4 months I have made a drastic change. I often wonder why i didn't do it sooner!!
As of May 20, 2011 I had lost a total of 41 pounds!!  It has been a struggle EVERY single day!  But the accomplishments I have made are amazing.

Since I started, I have made many changes in my life.

I have stopped going out for Fast food.
I have stopped drinking soda.
I have replaced all of my pastas, rices, breads to whole grains.
I am eating a lot more white meat instead of red meat.  Which is a huge struggle, because we have always been big beef eaters.
I have started counting calories, which is HUGE in keeping myself accountable.
If I bite it, I write it!!
MyFitnessPal is my best friend!!

I have joined a gym.
I do my best to go to the gym as much as I can.
The days I don't go to the gym, I workout at home.
I spent a lot more time with my kids, going on walks, playing outside, etc.

So, without further adu..

Honestly, If I can do it.. SO CAN YOU!!!
I'm the biggest procrastinator on the earth. It took me forever to reach this point, but i'm so happy I finally got started!!

The Cardboard Diet

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (originally posted on my family blog)

It's been 2 months  since i started this crazy quest to a lighter ME!!!
Two months ago, i came here and was all freaked out by what my Dr had told me about my blood pressure, my weight, and my overall health.
She put me on Blood pressure pills, and that day, I immediately went on a Low Calorie, Low sodium diet. I changed EVERYTHING. I got my butt off the couch, and started shaking it. I started counting calories, and TOTALLY changed my eating habits.

With the blood pressure pills she put me on, and my other health issues, she referred me to an Internist. SO a couple of weeks ago i went to see him. I HATE new doctors. But this one was AMAZING!! The best experience EVER! He sat with me for 45minutes and talked about my health, my weight loss, my plan for weight loss, and then put together a game plan. He is impressed with my weight loss, and says that i'm doing everything right to shed this nasty weight. I just need to keep going with what i'm doing. That was VERY encouraging!!! :yay:

He ordered some blood work, and suggested I do an overnight oximetry test to see if i have sleep apnea. He was sure that i had Sleep Apnea, but he wanted to make sure. So the plan was for me to come back in a week to pick up the little machine, tape the thing on my finger before i went to sleep and let it do its thing, and then take it back the next day. It was MUCH easier then i thought it would be. When i went to take it back I also got my blood drawn.
He wanted to test my Thyroid, Cholesterol and also do a full blood count.

Four long days after the tests, i got the results back. The Overnight Oximetry test came back awesome! I don't know how, cause it was a REALLY rough night. But I don't have Sleep Apnea! YAY!!!

Thyroid and blood were normal also, but my Cholesterol was a problem. My triglycerides where almost 3 times the normal limit.  So his suggestion was to go on a Low Carb/Cholesterol diet and to recheck in a month when I go back for a check.

Lets stop and think about this for a second.
Low Carb
Low Cholesterol
Low Calorie
Low Sodium

I am Officially on the Cardboard Only Diet!!!
(My friend Becky says that that won't work, because cardboard has too much Fiber!) 

So, I'm now RE-learning everything I have learned in the last 2 months.

It's been a wild ride that i'm just going to keep on riding!!!