Why Wait??

OK...so I thought I was going to wait until New Years but I decided that, that was a crutch. I just need to start now. I have been battling some sort of cold (sinus) thing so haven't been up to working out but I am starting to feel better. On Saturday, my trainer Tammye, is doing an Weekend Warrior Holiday Blitz. I figure it is a good time to start. Friday I am going to do my assessment; I am trying to convince Travis to do it with me.

Starting weight, before picture, measurements and a timed challenge. I am going to do 10 exercises each 100 times and time myself. After 30 days I am going to do it again and see if my results got faster. The plan that I am following is 5-6 workouts per week, 3 strength and 3 at home. My trainer has taught me so much and so many of the exercises we do are using only your body weight and don't require tons of equipment. Thankfully my little home gym is getting pretty equipped. I would like some TRX bands and maybe a sandbag for Christmas though. I am going to try and do 2 of my strength workouts at home. It also has days of cardio which I am dreading but if I am going to do the half marathon I need to get training now.

The diet that I am planning to follow is a 1400 calorie diet. It is pretty clean eating, reducing processed foods and starchy carbs. I have a grocery list that goes along with the plan, so I am going shopping tomorrow, and doing the assessment tomorrow. Starting Saturday.

Blog Slacker

Wow!! I have really been slacking on my blog. Not really sure why I think that I have just been motivated to do different things with my time. However, I am going to try and get back at it again. I have had some hard months and it is time to make this all happen. This time of year seems so hard. It starts out with Halloween and then Hudson's birthday, Thanksgiving, my birthday, my grandpa's birthday, christmas parties, christmas, and new years. Not a good time to be losing weight. I am just being realistic...and not trying to gain any more for the next few weeks and then start at it hard with the new year. I promise to start blogging regularly about what I am doing at that point.

I will be blogging my food journal, weight, pictures, and some exercise stuff. I am getting excited about it. I am sticking with Tammye my trainer and I think Travis might join a gym on his own and work out in the mornings before work. I also traded another fitness trainer some CPR lessons for a subscription to her blog which has lots of recipes, workout videos, etc. I think it will help me with my at home workouts.

I recently added a kettle bell to my home gym arsenal. I have asked for TRX bands for Christmas. I should be set to do some home workouts and continue with Tammye 1-2 times per week. However, I know that my issues are not with working out. I do love it when I go, finding time to do it at home can be challenging. My biggest issues are with diet though so I am going to start going to the Weight Watcher meetings in January.

I have a big big challenge ahead of me. If you remember one of my posts was about a friend of mine, Win Apel, he had ran a marathon in every state and every continent...well he passed away the day before my birthday (Nov 28th) due to complications with his brain tumor. He was an inspiration to me through this journey and I am going to run in a half marathon, April 28th to honor him. It is the country music marathon in Nashville. Anyone want to join me? The middle of May will be the two year anniversary to me starting this blog and I figure it is a good way to celebrate and hopefully keep me motivated.

More to come very soon!

Ass Chew

So I have been really bad about my blog. I think it is because I am so addicted to Pinterest that I don't care about it as much any more. I have a new love and addiction. However, I know I need to keep it up better. Recently I have been gone out of town..more to come about that and I just havent gotten around to posting. However I have a list of posts that are coming soon.

A few weeks ago I had admitted to not blogging because I was not doing well and sticking to plan; I had admitted that I had gained about five pounds. Well.......

The phone rang and it was my friend Tracy. I have practically known her since I was born and she is truly like an older sister. Oddly we even share birthdays. She was one of my first friends to win the blog award. Well, let me just tell you that she deserves the award. She calls me up and says, "I am so mad at you". Then she went on to give me an ass chewing about how I haven't blogged and how I need to get back on track, etc.

Some people might be mad at this approach but I actually was really glad to hear it. I know that it means that she cares. I know that she is trying to help and sometimes it is just what a person needs to hear. However, it has to be from the right person and at the right time. Someone else could say this and I would be totally offended.

Then this week we have had some out of town, unexpected guests...did I mention that they were Tracy's parents?? So, I haven't updated. But this is my promise to be better. Stay posted for lots of stuff coming soon.

Pinterest

So I joined Pinterest. If you don't know what it is...it is a virtual bulletin board. People share their ideas such as decorating, recipes, style, crafts, kids activities, etc; if you like something then you can pin it to your board. I have found some great recipes there and been able to improvise them a little to keep them lower calorie. I have really enjoyed scanning the ideas and seeing other people's creativity. I'll post some recipes soon or you can just follow me there.

I leave for Boise in just a couple of days. Thankfully I have lost about half of what I had gained. I am weighing around 173 these days. Not where I want to be but maybe I can lose another pound before I leave. I just have to keep reminding myself that this journey is life long and that I just need to keep working at it. Making good decisions about what I eat, is so important to my success.

Sorry I have been out of touch lately. I have been so busy. With two trips to Idaho and CPR classes and my kids, etc..it has been crazy around here. More to come soon. :)

Edamame

My new favorite snack. Edamame. I personally like it cold but lots of people eat it hot. Either way it is good. I buy the bags of lightly salted edamame in the freezer section and just defrost. Then I mix up a little marinade and soak for a few minutes and enjoy. I personally like the pods. They take a little more work but are totally worth it.

Marinade

2 TBSP Soy sauce

2 TBSP Rice Vinegar

1 TBSP Honey

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp ginger (fresh would be best)

Joining the Gym

I think I am going to join the gym. They just built a new National Fitness Center in Maryville and I think that I would utilize it. Over the past year working out with Tammye I have gotten into the habit of working out and I enjoy it. Now that I am not working during the day I can actually have the luxury of going to the gym. So here is the scoop of why I am making this decision; and trust me it was a hard one to make.

1) When I go to the gym in the evenings, it leaves Travis with the kids at night for several hours because of the driving, workout, chatting with friends, driving. I am also away from home about one night a week for CPR class and usually one other night I have some sort of meeting, group activity or social planned. This means that 2-4 times a week I am not home at night.

2) Because I go to a private gym for my training we don't have a gym membership which means that I am the only one that gets to workout. Travis needs to workout too and would like to get back into a workout regime. I have been selfish about my goals and not concerned about his.

3) The gym that I go do does not have childcare. This makes it impossible for me to workout during the day unless I hire a babysitter which costs $25 which makes my one hour workout cost $30 instead of $5.

4) Joining the gym gives me an immediate workout partner...Travis.

5) I just cancelled my bodybugg membership and my weight watcher memberships. I know how to lose weight I just need to do it. This should allow me to be able to hopefully still workout with Tammye on Wednesdays and attend Weekend Warrior.

The bad part about all of this is that I won't be able to see Tammye as much. I have loved my time with her and she has been the best trainer that a girl could ask for. I have been working out with her for just over a year and I have gotten so much stronger! I still plan to workout with her but maybe not quite as often. I can only hope that I can put to use all of the things that she has taught me. If I could do both, I totally would. I am her #1 fan and hope that I can be a true testament of her hard work and dedication to me.

Hopefully I can even send her some new clients. I really do love my workout girls and I know that the current situation is probably absolutely the best for me but I am going to have to sacrifice my own desires for my family. Hopefully as the kids get older this might get easier.

Gluttony: One of the 7 deadly sins

I don't know what has been going on with me lately but I have seriously been gluttonous. I have totally been binging on sugar & snacks. I wake up every morning telling myself that today will be a new today....START today. I make it until like noon. Then I start hitting the snacks. The problem is that we shouldn't even have these snacks in the house but I do have them for my kids. I try to give them to them sparingly but I have to admit that I do have them. Travis is the worst. He starts seeing Halloween candy in August and starts throwing in bags of snickers to the shopping cart.

Oh, how I have sinned. In the last week I have had peanut butter crackers, mini Snickers, fruit snacks, pudding cups, cheese-its, trail mix, cookies and even a pop tart. You would think that right now I would be more motivated than ever. I am headed to Idaho in two weeks to sing at my cousins wedding. I am going to be standing in front of all those people. Have I mentioned that most of my family resemble super models? I feel like I am self sabotaging; yet I don't know why. I truly don't.

So yet another day begins and I will say this is a new day. Confession: I weighed and yesterday I saw 178, this is 10 pounds higher than my lowest weight this year. It is disgusting that I have let this happen. Maybe I can get good and shed 5 before the wedding. I must start now. I can't tell you how embarrassing it is to have a weight loss blog and be gaining weight. That is why I haven't been blogging. I know I need to go back to my accountability.

It is sad that it can take a month to get the weight off, yet it seems to come back in just days.

Dieting & Budgeting

There are lots of gimmick diets out there. Quit eating this and start eating that. Abstain for this, eat so much of that. They are not a lifestyle that you can maintain. While visiting Idaho I was having a conversation about diets and had to defend weight watchers though. I don't think it is a gimmick and this is why.

Do you balance your check book? Do you check your accounts regularly? Do you think that this is a gimmick to maintain a lifestyle of fiscal responsibility? Do you have a budget or plan for big expenses? Most people do. So what is my point?

Well, weight watchers is a lot like budgeting. It allows you to eat anything you want but to keep in check. It encourages you to write down what you eat just like most keep track of what they spend. It gives you a budget of what to eat allowing you to eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables more regularly while it discourages your from eating foods full of sugar and fats. It lets you budget more foods if they have more fiber because fiber is kind of like a coupon. It encourages you to create this way of eating as a lifestyle and it can be a lifestyle.

Nothing on weight watchers is extreme and it has been proven year after year that out of all the weight loss programs it is most effective in the long term. I agree that it has to be a lifestyle change but most of us can not make huge changes in our life with out a guide. Putting your money in envelopes for different items is kind of like putting your weight watcher points in check. The flex points and activity points are also like financial budgeting. The flex points allows you to spend food more for the special occasion. It is the rainy day fund so that you are prepared. Activity points are like a savings account. It is a way for you to make points and save them for later.

I agree that a lifestyle change is essential but just like having a plan or a budget to live with in your means I think that weight watchers is the best plan out there to help you budget your foods and teach you to live with in your food needs.

A great trip

We had a really great trip to Idaho. We celebrated my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, we got family pictures taken, floated the dry bed, explored grand teton national park, went swimming/watersliding at the Jackson Hole Rec Center, Hiked in Yellowstone, etc...

I did do some exercise. Here is the real exercise that I did..and it's not much.
1) 3 mile bike ride
2) 1 hour zumba
3) Short strenous hike (328 stairs)
4) Swam 150 meters fast

Other than that it was just lots of walking, bowling, party set-up and daily activities. I had planned to do more but the time just got away from us.

I definitely did not drink enough water on this trip. Mostly because I love ice cold water and I had no access to ice for 90% of trip. We ate out a few too many times. Rigby, Idaho is famous for a little pizza pocket called the "Bambino", needless to say we had them a couple times. There were lots of yummy baked goods too.

I SCREWED UP! I didn't mean to but I have came home heavy. Back on the bandwagon I must go! I saw this picture and it made me gag. My cousin in law recently blogged about a new term "Bleg". It is when you but runs into your leg and has no definition. Think cankle but for your butt/thigh area. I have some serious bleg going on! Must get control.

1 step forward, 2 steps back

Sadly I am here to report that I have gained a lot of weight! This evening I weighed 175. I feel like this entire year has been me taking one step forward and two steps back. Why can't I seem to keep going forward. The food portion of this is killing me. I love yummy food and I am totally addicted to carbs. I just can't seem to kick it. I think I have lost my way though. I have not been telling myself that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels".

I did some self awareness during our trip and what I have discovered is that I have a lot of stress about my self worth, value and....I am not sure why. I think it is in my subconscious but it is there. I spend a lot of time focusing on how I look and how I look makes me feel a certain way. I am trying to take some steps to help correct this behavior.

One thing I am doing is similar to self hypnosis. I know it sounds crazy but really what it is...is stating your goals and stating how you feel and how you want to feel and listening to it every day. People that write their goals, say their goals, etc..meet their goals. I am going to try and rally Travis too. I need his help and support.

On Vacation

Didn't want you all to think I have forgotten about you. We are on vacation to Idaho till Sept 11th. It was my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary and we have enjoyed getting to spend time with family and celebrate. We are headed to Jackson Hole, Wyoming and to Yellowstone National Park for the weekend.

I have been trying to do some exercise everyday but there is lots of tempting foods to eat. I have been drinking green smoothies for breakfast. I'll be sure to have a post all about them soon.

NASCAR

I had lost another pound last week and finally saw 167. Sadly, I don't think I am there any longer. Saturday we were wined and dined by Fed Ex at the Bristol Nascar Race. I swear all they did was feed us. While I didn't eat all of this stuff, this is what they had for us.

1PM Chicken Tenders, Fruit & Chips

3PM Hotdogs, Chicken Wings

6PM Ribs, Beef tips, scalloped potatoes, macaroni salad, rolls

7PM Apple carmel cheese cake

9PM Nachos, little wieners, and pretzels

All day: M&Ms, Peanuts, Open alcohol bar and unlimited soda/water

Um..that sums that up. I literally felt sick from eating when we left. Other than the day being a total diet sabotage; it was an amazing day and experience. Let me start this by saying that I am not a NASCAR fan, I have never watched a race on TV and have really had no interest in attending a race. Yet, Travis had gotten these tickets from Fed Ex and I knew that it would be a once in a life time experience and I am ALL ABOUT THOSE!

We arrived at Fed Ex at 12:30 and got on a coach bus which had a police escort to the race track. It was great. We went through all the traffic, every red light, and arrived in style. As soon as we got there we were greeted by golf carts that picked us up and took us up to the suite. When we arrived at the suite we were given a gift bag. It was filled with a large fed ex replica car and a small hot wheels style Bristol race track car. It also had a fed ex hat and drawstring backpack.

We had some lunch and then we were greeted by Cory. Cory was our personal escort. Only 6 of us there had VIP hot passes and he was our guide for the day. We got back on our golf cart and went down to the track. There we met the crew, saw the race car up close, walked the track and got an insiders view of the hauler. The hauler is not a typical semi. It has a small kitchen, a living room and tons of parts, pieces and technology. That is the one thing that I found so interesting. When you think of NASCAR the first thought is a bunch of rednecks but what I found is that the Fed Ex team has a team of engineers, scientists and business men to create what happens on race night.

Cory, our escort was in charge of marketing and had an MBA from Vanderbilt. One of the things he does is place the sponsor stickers on the car. I guess there is a big strategy to it. :)

After our tour we went back up to the suite where we met the driver, Denny Hamlin, and he talked to us about racing and his day. Inside the car it can get anywhere from 140-200 degrees. He autographed our cars and we got professional pics taken with him. About an hour later we met Coach Gibbs the owner of the racing team. He is a retired NFL coach and has won 3 superbowls and had the ring to prove it. He also talked about racing and did autographs and professional pics.

From there we took our private golf cart back to the track. We watched all the driver's introductions and then joined our driver at his car for the National Anthem. We were lined up by the driver and watched the fireworks and jets fly by. Then we were off to the pits. There we were given a set of earplugs and a large set of ear muff headphones. These headphones had several different channels where you could listen to the drivers talking to their teams and then we had a small handheld TV where you could watch the camera's that are inside the cars.

We watched the first 125 laps from the pits. I was sitting right next to the crew chief. Inside the pits was intense! Watching the race that close and seeing the pit stops really was incredible. It took them about 15 seconds to round the track and about 15 seconds to change 4 tires and fill the car up with gas. When the tires come off they are almost 200 degrees. We finished the race in the suite and enjoyed watching the close finish.

It was an amazing experience and a fun day. It also was one of the first times that me and Travis had that much time together. We left at 9am and actually didn't get home till about 2:30am. A big thanks to our two babysitters that made this all happen. We go on date nights but never have we had more than 12 hours of just the two of us. This was bitter sweet. While we totally enjoyed our selves and had a great time...I could only think the entire day about how much my little boy would have loved it. He is obsessed with cars and this would have been his dream day. Maybe when he gets a little older we will have to take him!

Down a Solid 2

Yay! All my hard work this week paid off. I weigh exactly 168.0. I'll take it! Hoping to be at 164 by the time we go to Idaho. 2 weeks exactly until we leave! Then the goal is to be 155 in time for Brooke's wedding (the exact amount that I weighed when I got married). I'll have 4 weeks to lose 9 pounds. It will be a challenge but I am pretty motivated. Hopefully I'll be able to try on my wedding dress and it will fit :)

The last couple weeks I had fluctuated between 170-173 so I am very happy with this number.

I have already called several family members in Idaho and planned for my success. My in-laws have a trail on their property and I have asked my mother-in-law to walk with me in the mornings. I had my niece look for a zumba class that all of us girls can go to once. I wanna do a hike while we are in Yellowstone and go on a couple bike rides. I am going to enjoy the flat, wide open spaces while we are there.

I am just praying for good weather. Summer came very late to Idaho this year so I hope that means that it will stick around for a while. It would be so nice to enjoy the outdoors and have great weather. I am hoping that it is even warm enough to get in some tubes and float the dry bed by my in-laws house. My goal for the trip is to STAY THE SAME! I don't expect to lose weight while on vacation but it would be great NOT to gain any either.

Tomorrow Tammye has planned a Weekend Warrior so it is a great way to start off the week!

Just another day

Today we are doing chores. Yesterday I did laundry and changed all our beds, today I need to vacuum and just pick up. We have been doing lots of home improvement projects and painting. We are getting our fence professionally sprayed but in order to save money we are pressure washing it ourselves. The other day Travis helped my grandpa install his new computer and in return my grandpa offered to come over with some hoses and his pressure washer and help Travis knock it out. It is a big fence and has to be washed inside and out. I will just watch the kids and make dinner for the guys. Tomorrow we are going to Splash Country as a reward.

I love Splash Country. It is so fun to watch your kids love something! Hudson loves playing in the wave pool, floating the lazy river and going on every slide that his height will allow. He is so brave and will go on just about anything. He has so much fun. It is only open until Labor Day so we are making good use of our pass going this week and next. I am going to pack a cooler filled with healthy snacks so that I can stay on track and save a nickel. It is a pretty good workout too. Almost all of the slides move strictly due to gravity which means that you have to climb stairs or a hill to get to the beginning.

My plan is to go workout tonight. I love Wednesday night workouts. It is the advanced group and while I wouldn't necessarily consider me advanced, I can hang and it is so motivating to be working with such a strong group of ladies. It is a 75-90 minute workout with weights and cardio. The men are starting to pressure wash until 2:30 though and workout is at 5:30; I know that they won't be done....maybe my neighbor can come watch the kids for a bit. Tomorrow night I have a CPR class. Life happens.

Yesterday I was at Walmart and I saw these really cute white pants for only $5. I love white pants and all of mine are WAY too big now. I went over to look for a size 12 and all they had were 8,10, 14, & 16. I tried on the 10s just too see how far I had. I pulled them on but boy were they tight. If I bent over, I'd probably rip them out. Guess what though?? I bought them anyway. In hopes that they will fit like a glove when I come to Boise. Give me a little extra motivation.

Goal for today....drink lots of water! I was good yesterday but didn't drink enough water.

Chicken Prosciutto Rollatini

This was the yummiest dinner. It looked so elegant and had so many wonderful flavors. It was really easy to make and was delicious. It was low carbohydrate only having a few bread crumbs and I served it with baked asparagus. I have been finding tons of fun recipes on Skinny Gina and this was one of them.

Chicken Prosciutto Rollatini

Chicken cutlets or you can fillet a breast in half

1 lemon

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 C italian bread crumbs

1/4 C romano cheese or parmesan

Prosciutto

Mozzarella or Provolone Cheese

Red onion

Pepper

Rinse and dry your cutlets. Combine juice of one lemon with 1 TBSP of olive oil and set aside. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan together. Dip your cutlet into the lemon mixture and then into the breadcrumbs. Set on a clean surface such as a cutting board and put a small slice of prosciutto, a small slice of cheese and a chunk of onion in the middle. Roll up and put in baking dish with the seam side down. Sprinkle with black peper and spray with olive oil. Bake at 450 for 25 minutes. I couldn't find plain prosciutto but I found a little log of it with mozzarella in the deli. I just made thin slices of this and used it for my prosciutto and cheese.

Original found here

Back on the Straight & Narrow

Today was a perfect day when it comes to being on track. I made very wise choices, ate several times so I didn't get hungry and burned about 500 calories at my zufu class. It is really easy to make good choices when you are at home and you are prepared. I went back and looked at what I did in the beginning of my journey when I was successful. I put these ideas back in place. Today I made 6 snack baggies of carrots and divided out my ranch dressing in some little baby food tupperware, I counted out my almonds and bagged them. Having quick snacks is so important.

I am thinking about going to the Weight Watcher meetings. Some of my friends have had great success with this and it might just give me the accountability I am looking for. I know the statistics are better for success when you attend.

Things I ate today

Coffee w/ cream

Strawberry Yogurt

Apple with 1 TBSP Peanut Butter

Cheese Stick

1 fajita size low carb tortilla

low sodium turkey lunch meat

laughing cow cheese wedge

spinach & roasted red peppers

Nectarine

1/8 C Raw almonds

Chicken Prosciutto Rollatini

Baked Asparagus

Sugar free jell-o

Hi, I'm Cheryl...and I'm an addict

Oh...I love the white powder. I love the way it makes me feel....not cocaine, not meth...but flour and sugar. I seriously have a problem. I can't figure out why I can't find a good balance for my love of sugar. If I go totally carb free I don't seem to crave it but as soon as the powder touches my lips, I am sunk! I can't seem to stop myself. I can't just have one bite or a small taste. I keep coming back for more.

I tell myself, "don't do it" but then I do it anyway. That is why I think it truly is an addiction. The sad part is that I love to bake and cook. It is one of my favorite hobbies but I just can't have that stuff around. My kids have treats and snacks and I am continually catching myself eating goldfish, pretzels, fruit snacks, etc. I eat the crust off their PB&J sandwiches, I have a couple bites of the pancakes. It is all this crap that adds up and keeps me right where I am!

Any suggestions? I don't want to give it up entirely..because what kind of life is that? But how to reduce? That is the problem with food addiction. You don't have to have cigarettes to live, you don't have to gamble to live or drink alcohol to live. Technically you don't have to have sex to live but you know what you do have to have? FOOD! It's not like you can just give it up if you're addicted. Then again you don't have to refined sugar and flour to live. Just thinking out loud.

Dust of the Bicycle

Last night I decided to dust of the bicycle and go for a ride. Anyone that knows where we live or who has been to Tennessee knows that cycling is not easy here. There are lots and lots of hills even in the neighborhoods so it is never really just leisure riding. I left at 8:30 so I didn't have a lot of time. I didn't go far; I was only able to do about 2.5 miles before it started getting too dark. I did those in about 16 minutes and burned 100 calories. I figure it was better than nothing. It felt good to be outside and pumping my legs. Fall is a great time of year here so hopefully when the weather cools a little we will be able to go on some family bike rides. We have a trailer where we can pull the kids behind us.

When we are in Idaho, I am hoping to go on some rides and take advantage of their flat terrain.

3 weeks, 7 weeks

3 weeks exactly until we leave for East Idaho to see my husband's family and enjoy a vacation. We are planning to take the kids to Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole, WY which are both close to his parents house. Then after we get home I will have 4 weeks until I will fly back to Idaho to sing in my cousin's wedding and to see my mom and lots of fun friends. Only I will be going to Boise with the kids. Trav doesn't have enough vacation time to take two trips to Idaho within a month. I am a little scared to have both kids on the plane with just me but I will just pray that it goes alright.

I am kind of freaking out cause it has been a long time since I have seen a lot of these people. I really want to be able to wear a cute dress to my cousins wedding. Her colors are watermelon & orange! Orange is seriously my best color :)

I don't want to set a bunch of unrealistic goals either. I am just shooting for 2 pounds a week. Every week! Even during vacation. I am at 170 on the dot....right now. I talked to my trainer last night and we are trying to come up with a game plan. She gave me 5 compound movements that I can do in my home gym 2-3 days a week and then I will workout with her and the girls 1-2 times per week. I am also trying to convince her to call me while I do my 20 minutes of cardio intervals, 2 mornings a week and then I will continue to take my high intensity zufu class on Tuesday days.

I wish I could be with her more. It is just hard with the kids. Travis watches them a lot at night and I don't have a ton of options in the day. Wish I could find someone that lived by the gym that could just watch them for an hour or so while I went. I'll post a weigh in next Thursday...please hold me accountable to this!

Crab Cakes

I made crab cakes for the first time and they were pretty easy. They were a little juicy and didn't want to stay in perfect patties real good but they held up pretty good. This is another high protein meal. They were really tasty too. I served them with steamed artichokes.

Crab Cakes

1-1.5 pounds crab meat

1/3 C panko bread crumbs

1 Lg egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tsp lemon

1.5 TBSP mayonaise

2 TBSP chopped chives

1 TBSP chopped flat parsley

salt/pepper

olive oil spray

I just put all of the ingredients in my kitchen aid and mixed it up good. Then put the mixture in a 1/3 C measuring cup and packed it in. Heat skillet and spray with olive oil spray. Empty packed measuring cup into skillet and smash with a spatula. Cover and cook for a few minutes, then flip and cook the other side until brown.

Spinach Cheese Chicken Roll Ups

I made the best recipe last week. It looked like a chef made it but it was actually really easy and delicious. It is low calorie and low carbohydrate. I served it with a side of whole wheat spaghetti and marinara.

Spinach Cheese Chicken Roll-Ups

Chicken Cutlets (very thin chicken breasts)

6 TBSP Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

6 oz Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese reduced fat

Box of Frozen Spinach

3 Eggs (split)

Italian Bread Crumbs

Marinara Sauce (I used my spaghetti sauce with no meat)

Fresh Mozzarella

Olive oil spray

Mix the Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, spinach and one egg in a bowl. Put mixture inside chicken breast and roll up. Dip entire chicken roll up in 2 beaten eggs and then roll in breadcrumbs. Cook at 400 for 25 minutes. Cover Chicken with marinara sauce on each roll up. Add thin slice of fresh mozzarella on each and put back in oven till sauce is warm and cheese is melted.

This recipe is 5 WW Points, approx 200 calories, 7 gr fat, 24 gr protein, 7 gr carbs. Makes approx 8 servings.

Original recipe found here

Size 8

I am contemplating going to my cousin Brooke's wedding in Oct. It will be in Boise. While we will just be getting back from East Idaho in September to celebrate Travis's parents 50th anniversary; it might be a little hard to make it. I would like to though because it has been a long time since I have been to Boise and I have lots of friends and family there. The hardest part would be how to take my kids with me. 2 kids on a plane with one adult sounds pretty scary.

My mom lives in Boise though and it has been about a year since she has seen them. I also have tons of friends that have never seen my kids. I haven't visited since I had Hudson. We have made several trips to Idaho Falls but not to Boise. So..I feel like I need to take them and also for the reason that they could see all their DeLuca cousins. To add to it, my cousin Brooke has asked me to sing at her wedding and my cousin Kelsey is having her baby shower (for her twins) a couple days before the wedding.

(Here is Brooke and I; July 2010...I have lost a lot since then but still have a ways to go)

We all know that I have not made my goal of being 150 in time for our Labor Day trip. Could I do it in time for the wedding? I have a little extra motivation. Have you seen my family? They all look like a bunch of super models. All of my cousin's wives are beautiful, Brooke and Kelsey are beautiful, even their moms are beautiful. It is hard being the only chubby one! Maybe I can do it. It would be hard. Maybe I don't deserve to go unless I weight that much?

My friend Liz came and visited a year ago and gave me a pair of size 8 capris. I am dying to fit into them. I am going to hang them up and look at them every day! Is it possible. My hips and butt are the biggest problem. That is where I will have to lose if I am going to fit into them.

Getting the fire again

So I would be lying if I said that everything diet wise has been great the last month. It just hasn't. I have just been caught in a funk and not motivated by anything. I would look at foods and tell myself, "don't eat that", "you will feel guilty if you eat that", "that isn't even real food" and then still eat the stupid fruit snacks. Why? I don't have an answer. I wish that I did.

Last night I was talking to Travis about all of this. As many of you know he struggles with chronic tendonitis in his hands which was caused by years of computer programming. He still hates to click a mouse. If we went to a doctor and they told me that we could cure this forever if for 3 months we would eat certain foods, do specific stretches and do special massages.... then I would do it all for him. I asked for his help last night. I feel like I have a disease that can be cured in 3-6 months and I need help. I am so close yet so far away.

My kids love snacks and I find myself eating their fun foods. I don't want to deprive them of everything they eat. They can easily burn off a popsicle or cookie. BUT I CAN'T. My trainer Tammye says that I should buy them snacks that I don't really crave & love. Allow myself a cheat but get the cheat somewhere and eat it there. Order a portion, eat it and leave. Don't bring tons of goodies and gallons of ice cream home. I think it's a good idea.

This week I hung out with one of my friends. She has a very good figure and after hanging out with her I can see why. Through out the day she snacked. She had some deli lunch meat and a cheese stick, a little later she had a handful of almonds, then a clementine orange. In the afternoon she had a cracker with a little peanut butter but for the most part she just grazed and ate pretty healthy. All the foods that she ate I love. That is the funny thing. I love healthy food! So why do I still crave the unhealthy stuff too.

This week my goal is to find balance and to get the fire burning again. I have asked Trav for help and I am getting motivated. I know that I can do this. I know that slow and steady wins the race but I have to at least be slow and steady! I have to get the needle moving in the right direction even if it is a slow process.

I also talked with several of my workout partners. They all pack a lunch daily and eat the same breakfast every day. I think I'll get myself a lunchbox (they are all on sale right now for back to school) and try this!

Making my Goals

I am not one to usually set goals and not make them. Especially when I tell people about them. It is embarrassing to tell people that you are going to do something and then have them watch you fail. That is the entire reason that I set up this blog; to hold me accountable to my goals. I have been pretty good about my goals so far but wow have I messed up recently.

I have 32 days until our Labor Day trip to Idaho. I really, really want to lose 12 pounds. A pound is 3500 calories. In order to do this, I will have to have a deficit of 1400 calories per day. This should be obtainable. I have the tools to do this. I know how to do this! My bodybugg tells me exactly how many calories I burn through out the day. I should be able to eat about 1300 calories a day (staying out of starvation mode) and burn 2700 per day.

I think I need to get back to being committed to shredding it with Jillian on the days I don't make it to the gym. I can't go carb free. It is just too hard and then I fail but I can watch my carbs a lot closer and commit to eating protein at each meal. My upcoming weeks are really busy with CPR and stuff so I will have to do some planning.

More details to come...

Not sure where to start

So about that 17 day diet? Or should I say 8 days? I just haven't wanted to blog because I am so mad at myself. I mean seriously...anyone should be able to do something for 17 damn days. Think of people that endure torture or who are sick and taking chemo, etc and I can't even give up carbs!

It was a downward spiral. I had two social events, I had a packed weekend where I hadn't prepared and planned exactly everything for the next week, Travis was harassing me about having no carbs and my energy was depleted. I almost felt like I got depression for a couple of days. Everyday at 2:00 I would get so tired that I just wanted to go to bed and cry. The good thing is that my kids both take naps around this time so somedays it was doable. Hudson hates taking naps so he kept telling me "get out of bed mom, its a beautiful day". It gave me sad memories of asking my own mom to get out of bed on the weekends when I would visit. My mom is a sleeper and when she doesn't feel well a little sleep can do her a lot of good. I hated it as a kid though. I felt bad telling Hudson that he just needed to watch a movie and let mommy sleep. We have also been doing tons of home improvement projects. We have spent countless hours in the hot sun; staining our deck, power washing, pruning, removing plants, washing windows, etc. It is so hard to come in from outside and want to eat a hot chicken breast!

So, now after a week of eating delicious carbs, what to do now? Try again? I am pretty sure that I gained a pound last week. Pretty upsetting. The clock is ticking! The family reunion is coming soon. I know that everyone will be surprised and happy for me just due to the amount that I have lost but I really wanted to be in the 150s. Well actually I wanted to be 150. Now I would settle for 159.

The rest of this week is pretty crazy too! We are in the middle of refinancing our house and the appraiser will be here tomorrow. The good part is that we are getting a 15 year loan and 3.7% interest! Woo hoo. It really pays to have good credit. I have to brag for just a quick minute that both Travis and I entered into the over 800 FICO score. This feels good to start getting our house paid off sooner. Anywho..this means that today and tomorrow I will be picking up the house (extra good). I also have my hip hop aerobics class today and the kids to tend to. Wednesday evening I also have a CPR class to teach since my employee is on a cruise this week. Boo. Thursday the kids and I are headed to splash country with our neighbor. Hudson loves it! He is such a dare devil and there are so many fun things to do there. Friday I have to get us all packed for a camping trip to Cumberland State Falls in Kentucky. Travis is getting off early on Friday and we plan to spend the weekend there.

While most of these activities are fun; they still all take a lot of work and planning. It just makes strict dieting very hard. I am not sure what to do. As I said before, I know my exercise is not really the problem. I work out more now than I have since I was in high school. It is just the little things that get to me. I swear that eat pretty healthy 90% of the time. You would think that I could correct that last 10% right? Why is it so hard?? Will I ever see my goal?

Why is it so hard?

I have had the craziest week this week. I have had something going on every day and almost every single night. I have been exhausted and not eating carbs has made me even more tired. I totally cracked Wed and binged on some carbs. It was like my body and mind were just craving them and I had to feed my addiction of flour/sugar. Have I mentioned how much I love both of those things? Now I am depressed, feeling guilty and those feelings lead to more eating and then the cycle continues. Will I ever reach my goal?

I'll be writing more but had to at least let you know that I have been totally failing the past couple of days. This is exactly why extreme dieting never works in the long run. You feel so deprived that then when you fall...you fall hard.

Damn it! I hope I don't gain weight this week.

One Week Down

1 week down...3.5 pounds down.

Not the 5 that I had hoped for but I will take it! I know I messed up a few times. I am still proud of that result though.

Day 7: Accelerate

I felt like today was a pretty good day. I didn't get in my my 45 minutes on the treadmill but I did eat pretty good and drink my water. I did have about 2 Cups of popcorn while we watched a movie last night but at least it has a low glycemic index. By the way, if you are looking for a good flick..watch Lincoln Lawyer. It is rated R but it should of been PG-13. Not sure why it was R.

Well, I've been doing the plan for a week. Lets hope that I can do as good of a job or better next week.

Breakfast

Mini muffin tin meatloaf

Berry Smoothie

Lunch

Raw Veggies (Broccoli, Carrots, Cucumber, Bell Pepper)

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ranch Dip

Dinner

Steamed Asparagus

Meatloaf

1 TBSP ketchup

Snack

2 C popcorn

Total WW Points for today was 25

Day 6: Accelerate

Honesty is the best policy, right? I can't tell you how badly I wanted to lie and tell you that everything I did and ate yesterday was perfect. It wasn't. Confession: I had a slice of zucchini bread. Don't ask my why I can't JUST SAY NO to the baked goods. Social gatherings are killing me. I am seriously reevaluating my schedule and going to try and do less. I can't worry about other people, I have to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize. Right, Jordan?

While I was disappointed that I did not stay right on plan and that I went over my weight watcher points by 5 I am still proud of my accomplishments. Compared to what I would of ate at a social gathering in the past, I did great! I also earned 40 activity points this week and have not used any of my flex points. This does not get me off the hook though. I didn't not drink enough water yesterday and I didn't fit in any exercise. Today I am vowing to 45 minutes on the treadmill to burn off my zucchini bread. I am not going to get too upset. I am just going to go eat my egg and smoothie and do good today. Tomorrow I have a weigh in and I want to see 4-5 pounds lost! I am officially 100% on plan with the 17 day plan...NOW!

Also..last night I tried to recreate an image, too bad I didn't have someone snap a picture. About 5 years ago I got down to 182 pounds and thought I was looking pretty good. I have a picture of me in a tank top and weight pants and I had it posted on my fridge as a goal photo. I thought I looked great at that time. Well, last night I put the exact same outfit on, put my make up on and tried to even do my hair similar to that photo (it is shorter now though). The shirt fit great and my pants were super baggy. I showed the pic to a few people and they all agreed that I looked skinnier now. I remember thinking that if I ever just got to that goal, I would be looking pretty good. Guess it's time to find a new picture :)

Breakfast

Egg with Salsa

Snack

1 slice zucchini bread

Lunch

Meatloaf

Dinner

Low carb pinwheels

Raw vegetables w/hummus

Whole grain chips & black bean/corn salsa

Total WW Points for today was 34

RECIPES

Low Carb Pinwheels

6 WW Points per tortilla which is about 6-8 pinwheels

Mission Carb balance soft taco tortillas

8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese

4 TBSP light sour cream

1 packet of hidden valley ranch dry

Spinach leaves

Healthy Choice low sodium turkey lunch meat

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and ranch packet. Spread on tortillas and layer spinach on half of the cream cheese. Lay 2-3 thin turkey slices on top of the spinach. Roll and refrigerate for at least one hour. Slice tortillas into 6-8 pinwheel sandwiches.

Day 5: Accelerate

I am not sure if today was a success or failure? It was definitely a success compared to my typical dinner party but kind of a failure when it comes to the 17 day plan. I was super busy this morning that I didn't eat enough and then tonight I had a few things I shouldn't have. Here is the break down. For my dinner party I served scalloped potatoes and homemade french bread and I totally abstained, this is a plus! My meatloaf does have some oatmeal in it so that had a few carbs and the tomato sauce. My neighbor brought broccoli cauliflower salad but I know the dressing had some sugar in it. My biggest boof of the day was eating a cookie. I had one when they were right out of the oven; I just couldn't resist trying one. However, tonight when I served them to my guests, I did not have any. I just enjoyed my cup of coffee.

Not a perfect day but not bad either. I am just going to be good tomorrow and forget about it!

Breakfast

Apple

Lunch

Taco Salad left overs

Snack

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie (homemade)

Dinner

Meatloaf

Green beans

Broccoli/Cauliflower Salad

After dinner snack

Coffee with FF half & half

Game Plan

Since we have family and friends in town we are hosting dinner tomorrow night and while I am enjoying my way of eating I am not so sure that everyone else would. Also several of the recipes I have never tried before and I hate making a new meal for guests. I prefer making something that I know I am good at. Usually for big groups I make pasta, mexican or a casserole just because it is so easy. As you all know, these are loaded with carbs and not an option. I had originally planned on making sesame fish but not everyone like fish and I am having a pretty big group (9 people). This means I needed a new game plan.

I have been racking my brain about what I could make that I could still enjoy some food but my guests would be happy too. I am also hosting a jewelry party on Friday night and need to supply some appetizers. I am trying to at least make one appetizer I can eat. :)

Plan for tomorrow...Meat, vegetable, potato, salad and homemade french bread. I can't eat the potato or bread but I can fill up on meat, veggies and salad. I am thinking about making meatloaf with extra lean ground beef. My recipe is tasty and low in carbohydrates. I think this will be good with everyone. I'll post recipes and more details tomorrow. Not sure about dessert either. Maybe I'll just do coffee and pull something out of my freezer. I know if I go to the effort to make it, I will want to sample it. Then again, my Kitchen Aid mixer just got here today and I am dying to give it a try.

Any ideas for appetizers? Maybe a veggie tray? So boring. Suggestions please!

Day 4: Accelerate

I am tired today! I don't know if it's due to the diet or just lack of sleep. Our dog coughed all night long last night. I took him to vet this morning and he has bronchitis. Taking him to the vet was not part of my planned day and it resulted in me having a small cheat. I had my smoothie this morning but then took Jack to the vet which took much longer than expected. Then I had to pick up the kids from my friends house and come home. I had my smoothie around 9AM and didn't get home till 1:30 for lunch. On my way to pick up the kids I had 8 animal crackers. Probably won't kill me but it wasn't on plan but seriously I was going to pass out if I didn't eat something.

I came home and the only quick thing I had to eat was my zucchini/broccoli salad, so I had that for my lunch. It wasn't much so even though it is 3:50 I have already planned my dinner and started making it. I am going to eat early tonight; around 4:30. I am going to workout at 5:30 and tonight is cardio/weight lifting circuits and I will need the energy. My friend Maggie from Nashville is meeting me tonight, so I am excited. A lot of times when I get home from working out, I don't feel like I eating so tonight I am going to try eating prior to workout instead of after.

My trainer really likes me to drink liquid protein (shake or glass of milk) post workout. It is not on the plan but as of right now I have only had 14WW points, including dinner and I know that is not enough. I am going to probably have my chocolate milk after my workout because I know that my muscles need to be replenished after a hard workout. Also since I am logging WW points I know that I haven't had much food today and I don't want to go into starvation mode.

Breakfast

Strawberry Smoothie

Snack

8 animal crackers

(this was not on plan but I was so hungry)

Lunch

Zucchini Ribbon/Broccoli Salad

Dinner

Taco Salad

Post Workout snack

1 C chocolate milk

Total WW Points today: 20

RECIPES

Taco Salad

6 WW Points

Lean Ground Turkey

Taco Seasoning

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Onion

Salsa

Fat Free Sour Creamy

Go Greek

The rage right now is Greek yogurt, it is every where! To be honest I am not sure what all the rage is about. Even though I am eating it because it is part of the 17 day plan, I don't really like it. If you have never tried it, it is very tart and a little sour. Kind of tastes like they mixed yogurt and sour cream together. I have tried all the flavors and just couldn't acquire the taste. Yet I don't mind the nonfat, plain greek in my morning smoothies. It still tastes a little tart but I use Truvia (stevia) to sweeten, along with my berries and it is delicious. It would probably be really great with a little pineapple (not on plan). Out of all the brands that I have tried, I prefer the Chobani...but this is just my opinion.

I have been wondering about the health benefits to greek yogurt and so I started reading. What I found is that both American yogurt and Greek yogurt have a lot of the same nutritional benefits. The only big difference is that the greek yogurt packs a little more protein and a few less carbs. It is thicker in consistency because the way that the whey is strained out during the process. Greek yogurty is more expensive; if you are on a budget you can just pick which you like the best!

One thing to be aware of though is sugar. For example, Yoplait yogurt has 27g of sugar in it (more than 5 teaspoons)...you can almost have a soda for that amount. Don't be fooled into thinking that those yummy yoplaits are good for you...they taste like dessert for a reason. Whether you eat american or greek yogurt, try to find a variety that is higher in protein and less in sugar. You can always do the plain and add a little vanilla and truvia to sweeten it up. Yogurt can be a great light treat and give you all those added healthy probiotics. I try to eat it at least once a day for good digestive health.

I also read something very interesting regarding Greek yogurt and the environment; thought I would share for my green friends.

Greek yogurt is not better for the environment than American-style yogurt, for one simple reason: It requires much more milk to make. For American-style yogurt, the ratio of milk to final yogurt product is about 1:1 (sometimes more like 1.3:1, since many manufacturers add in a little bit of condensed skim milk to improve the texture and protein content), while for Greek yogurt it's often as high as 4:1. Considering that dairy farms take quite a toll on the environment and produce a large amount of greenhouse gases (a recent United Nations study found that 3 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions come from milk production, including shipping) the environmental difference between Greek and American yogurt is fairly significant.

There's another problem, too: What to do with the whey that's left over from the Greek yogurt straining process? Rolf Carlson, vice president of sourcing and development at the yogurt manufacturer Stonyfield Farm explained that there are two kinds of whey: Sweet whey can be used as a food additive, but acid whey isn't as useful. Many major yogurt manufacturers give their acid whey to farmers to be used as animal feed or fertilizer, but according to Carlson, farmers must be careful when applying it to cropland, since whey runoff can pollute waterways (PDF). "It can affect the microbiology of the water," says Carlson. Some good news: Both Stonyfield Farm and the Greek yogurt company Chobani told me they are in the process building pricey anaerobic digesters to convert their waste whey into energy to power the factories.

Day 3: Accelerate

I am still feeling good today! I thought my energy would be depleted by now but so far, so good. I guess I have enough fat stores to keep me going. :) I have been really good and have not cheated at all. I am logging everything.

It is 3:15PM and for the first time since I started this diet I am feeling hungry. Not quite sure what to do about it. I am going to workout at 5:30 and hate to go there feeling sluggish. This also means though that we won't be eating until I get home which will be around 7:30. That is the next 4 hours without food. I'm going to try and drink some water but I think I may need a little snack. Hmm. I think I am going to have an apple. You're not supposed to have fruit after 2:30 on this plan but since I am going to workout I think I need the carbs.

Breakfast

Strawberry Smoothie

1 C Coffee

2 TBSP Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2

Snack

String Cheese Stick

Orange

Lunch

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

Left Over Salmon Dijon

Pre-workout Snack

Apple

Dinner

Eggplant Parmesan

7 WW Points

Steamed Ribbon Zucchini w/marinara sauce

Total WW Points was: 25

RECIPES

Zucchini Ribbon Salad

3 WW Points

1 Lg Zucchini sliced thin with vegetable peeler

(steamed or sauteed with garlic, italian seasoning and olive oil spray)

1-2 stalks raw broccoli

1/4 C feta cheese crumbled

1/2-1 C cherry tomatoes

1/8 C Zesty Italian Dressing

Eggplant Parmesan

6 WW Points

1 Lg Eggplant

4 Egg whites

1/2 C shredded parmesan

1 bottle marinara sauce <10gr carbs

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut into ¼ inch slices. In a shallow dish, beat egg whites and 4 tablespoons of water until foamy. Dip eggplant slices into egg whites, then into fat-free Parmesan cheese, pressing cheese into eggplant. Place eggplant on prepared baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable spray and sprinkle with garlic powder. Spray vegetable cooking spray over eggplant slices. Back 30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning eggplant over after 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Cover with 1 cup of low-carb marinara sauce. Bake for 20 minutes, or until eggplant is piping hot and sauce is bubbly. Makes 2 very large servings.

Did he say high school?

I have some very close family friends, Peggy & Roy, that are here visiting TN this week. They are some of my grandparents dearest friends and were our neighbors for years when we lived in California. I grew up with their daughters and one of them, Tracy Sise, was a blog award winner. I have literally known these people since I was born and think of them like a second set of parents. While growing up if my grandparents were ever out of town, I stayed with them. I knew where their hide-a-key was and their house was like my second home.

Today my grandparents and them were headed to the lake and it was so hot that I quickly found a babysitter for the baby, then got Hudson and I packed for a day of swimming. Even after all of my weight loss I still hate wearing a swim suit in front of people so I was kind of dreading it. I had seen them in March right after I had Reese and I had seen them last October when Tracy was visiting but it had been about 9 months. As you all know that past 9 months have been pretty slow when it comes to weight loss but I have continued to lose.

Well, today was a good day. As soon as I saw Peggy & Roy they both just kept saying "Wow!" and commenting on how great I looked and how much weight I had lost. This was just what I needed. At one time, Roy even said that he thought I looked like I did when I was in high school and how he couldn't believe how much weight I had lost in my face. Did he say high school? He obviously doesn't remember exactly what I looked like in high school...but hey...I'll TAKE it!

It felt really really good today and it is keeping me going! They are all coming over for dinner on Thursday so I am excited to put on a cute outfit and get fixed up. I guess that even though I don't notice all the small changes, other people can. It just got me that more excited to lose the 20 pounds by labor day. I am really excited to show every one the product of all my hard work. I know that I am no super model but 100 pounds is a lot and I love that every day I am feeling better about my body and more confident.

Can't wait to say hello to 150! Here I come! :)

Day 2: Accelerate

Today was a little bit challenging because around 10AM my grandparents invited us to go out on the boat. It was too early to eat lunch and it is really hard to pack a hot meal on the boat. I just filled up my Nalgene bottle with water and packed a couple pieces of string cheese and an apple. My grandpa had some salami and I had two small slices. This was not on the plan but I know that it wasn't many calories and it was no carbohydrate. I also spent a lot of time in the water, playing with Hudson and treading water. Not a huge workout but I at least feel like I got a little exercise. I am still feeling good and have energy. I haven't drank enough water yet but I will get some in tonight. I am hoping to make it to my 6PM workout; we will see how the day turns out.

Breakfast

Blackberry Smoothie

1 C coffee

2 TBSP fat free 1/2 & 1/2

Snack

Apple

2 String Cheese stick

2 pieces of salami

Lunch

Left-over Oven Roasted Chicken

Greenbeans

Dinner

Salmon Dijon

Steamed Brocoli

Total WW Points was: 27

RECIPES

Salmon Dijon

5 WW Points

4-4oz salmon pieces

1 C fat free sour cream

2 tsp dried dill

2 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP diced green onion

1.5 TBSP dijon mustard

Coat salmon pieces with sauce and bake until opaque or about 20 minutes.

Day 1: Accelerate

Well I feel pretty good so far. It is 5PM and I am getting ready to prep for dinner. I have not felt hungry at all but I have felt deprived. Since it is so restrictive; while I haven't been hungry my brain knows that something is wrong. I have had plenty of energy but we will see how that goes. Last night before we left the restaurant our waiter brought us a special gift from the chef to bring home. Every time I open the fridge it is staring at me but I am being strong. Travis said that he would eat it or take it to work. It is huge! I bet it is 4inches square.

Below is my menu for the day and then I posted the recipes to any foods that weren't obvious. We have continued to the stain some projects in our backyard so I definitely had my 64oz of water intake...it is hot outside. Hopefully I sweat some pounds off. Starting weight today is 170. I am very excited to weigh in next week. While I know that some of it will be water, I think having a good loss should keep me nice and motivated.

Breakfast

1 C coffee w/FF half & half

1/2 Strawberry Smoothie

1 egg scrambled

1 TBSP salsa

Snack

Apple

Lunch

Greek Salad

Snack

1oz String Cheese

Dinner

Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken

(this was really quite tasty)

Green beans w/season salt, onion & 1 TBSP butter

Total WW Points was: 24

RECIPES

Strawberry Smoothie

4 WW Points for full recipe

1 C sliced strawberries

1/2 C non fat plain greek yogurt

1 tsp truvia (stevia)

1/3 C milk

1/2 C ice cubes

Greek Salad

5 WW Points

1 C Spring Mix

3-4 brocolli florets chopped

1/4 cucumber

1-2 TBSP feta cheese crumbled

2 oz turkey

2 TBSP Kraft zesty italian dressing

Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken

9 WW Points

2 chicken breasts

1/2 C Ketchup (no high fructose corn syrup)

1 tsp chili powder

1 TBSP worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP agave nectar

Days 1-7 (17 day diet)

Here are my dinner plans for the week. I will be posting recipes for each dinner every day. The recipes will include the nutritional values as well as the Weight Watcher Points. Every day for breakfast I will pretty much be eating the same things. Fruit & greek yogurt or eggs with salsa; I am not a huge breakfast eater, so this will be challenging. I am going to try and make big dinners so that I can have left overs for lunch almost daily. On days when there is not enough then I will eat salads. I know that these first 7 days will be the hardest. No processed foods, no sugar, no flour!

After our anniversary date tonight we went to the store to get everything I need. As I ate dinner tonight I felt like a prisoner on death row eating my last meal. I know that it shouldn't be like this and I usually don't advocate such restrictive plans but as I have said, "desperate times, call for desperate measures and I have a desperate goal". When we are in Idaho, my very talented niece Candace is going to take our family pictures. I will be 150 pounds by then! Wish me luck..I start in the morning!

Sunday

Oven BBQ Chicken w/toss green salad

Monday

Salmon Dijon w/broccoli

Tuesday

Eggplant Parmesan w/asparagus

Wednesday

Taco Salad

Thursday

Sesame Fish w/ green beans

Friday

Creamy Southwest Chicken w/mashed cauliflower

Lucky 13

I know that I said no progress pics but this really isn't a progress pic. Tonight Travis and I went to celebrate our 13 year anniversary which is really tomorrow by going to Flemming's Restaurant. We had a gift card for $100 so it was nice to splurge and enjoy a yummy meal. The $100 didn't cover it all but it at least made it more edible. :) The funny thing is that after dinner we headed to Super Target to do some shopping. We spent quite a bit cause we hadn't been to the grocery store in forever. However, I looked at Travis and said "we got this entire overflowing cart of groceries and we could not of ate at Flemming's twice for the price we paid" Shows you that eating at home is healthier and way less expensive.

I can't believe that Travis and I have been married for 13 years. It has went so fast and I can't wait to see what the next 13 years have in store for us. Everyone says that marriage is hard...but I don't really think so. Honestly, I don't. If you are both committed to each other and communicate well then I think it can be easy. I have been so blessed to have Travis for a husband. We enjoy each other so much and he is my best friend. I love all my girlfriends but truly I would rather spend time with him and my kids than anyone else. We have tons in common and enjoy a lot of the same things which has made it easy. I love that we compliment each other...seems like my strengths are his weaknesses and visa versa. Travis is a wonderful man, father and husband and I don't think I could ask for a better one. We definitely are his number one priority above everything.

Thanks babe for all that you do! I love you more than anything and I don't take for granted all the sacrifices that you make for me and the kids. Love you. Happy Anniversary! May we cherish many more years and fun adventures together.

17 Day Diet

A couple of months ago I read the newest weight loss book, "The 17 Day Diet" by Dr. Mike Moreno. It was a quick and easy read and the concepts behind this plan made sense to me. The title sounds a whole lot easier than what it really is. At first I just thought, this is another fad and you can't diet for 17 days. However, as I read I found that this is really 3-cycles (17 days each) and that if you haven't achieved your weight loss goals then you repeat it again and again. No miracle here. This diet is not easy, it is a diet and not a pure lifestyle change. It eliminates several foods and that is why I see it more as a diet. I am sick of my plateau though and while my lifestyle changes seem to at least allow me not to GAIN weight it hasn't been working to well for me to LOSE weight. The 3 cycles of 17 days is 53 days and we leave for Idaho in about 58 days. I am going to do this and blog about the recipes that I am eating, how I feel and how it is working. I have a goal to meet and drastic changes call for drastic measures.

Here is how it works:

Cycle 1 (17 days)-ACCELERATE

This phase is a low carbohydrate diet that provides around 1200 calories. Eat unlimited lean meat and no-starch vegetables, two fat-free plain yogurts and two low-sugar fruits, a bit of oil, green tea, and 64 ounces of water a day. Typical for any low carb diet, fat-burning and fluid loss is favored during those days.

Cycle 2 (17 days)-ACTIVATE

This phase is calorie cycling (aka calorie shifting or calorie zigzagging), which means that the daily calorie intake cycles and recycles from low to high over the course of several days. The goal is to trick the metabolism to prevent it from slowing down. Two servings of whole grains are added to the above to raise the average calorie intake to 1500 a day. During these 17 days you will alternate days of ACCELERATE & ACTIVATE.

Cycle 3 (17 days)-ACHIEVE

This phase is the same as “Activate” except that lean meat is no longer unlimited and more grains and fruit are added, along with an optional serving of alcohol and a 100-calorie snack. In other words, the low carb diet is 'Out' and a balanced low-calorie diet is 'In' sans the processed food.

I will be doing my meal planning for the week on Saturday's, doing my grocery shopping on Saturdays and then starting my plan on Sunday (tomorrow). I will post all of my dinner recipes and try to take pictures.

This plan is going to be hard. Travis is on board to help me as he wants to see my achieve my goals as well. I have been loving my exercise and I feel like I have totally made it a habit. I rarely miss a workout and consistently workout 3-4 times a week. I need to focus on what I am eating. I really do think that this plan will work. I will be weighing tomorrow and then the fun begins. I am not super excited about this as I know it will be restrictive and limiting but I have a deadline and I have to meet it. I will still be plugging in the recipes to weight watchers and getting their point values too. I do think that the challenge will be fun and that it will be fun to document the process, recipes, and planning.