Yummy Snack

About those recipes... just discovered this one. Remember my addiction to cinnamon toast? Well this tastes like it! But healthier (obviously... )


Take two delicious Wasa Crispn' Light crackerbreads (found in the cracker aisle of your local Stop & Shop) and cover them with Peanut Butter & Co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl (1 tbsp should suffice for both crackers)... and wa-la! A cinnamon toasty tasting snack that weighs in at 120 calories, 5.5 grams of fat, and 5 grams of sugar (if you want the rest of the nutrition facts, look them up yourself.)
Enjoy!

The Final Weigh-In

While that is technically tomorrow morning at around 6 am, I highly doubt it will change much from what I was today. Which is 148.5. Which is what I've been for the last week. Good news is, I dropped to that last Saturday and I haven't gained anything back. So it looks like I'm losing real weight and I'm at least keeping it off (for now).

Vacation is going to be a whole separate adventure... trying to enjoy myself without going berserk. Maybe I'll work out. Only time will tell.

In any case, thank you for following along on my journey. At some point I will get around to posting those recipes I promised. And who knows, maybe I'll even keep the blog up AFTER vacation, you know, when I'm trying to lose all the weight I gained while ON it. Again, only time will tell.

In about 54 hours I will be on a beach. *Sigh*

Hello, Tracy.

So I'm pretty excited. I told everyone not to worry when I was vascillating, and then two days in a row (Saturday and Sunday) I weighed 148.5! I know it's not a huge jump, but it's a steady decrease. And then, get this, both Saturday AND Sunday I was at BBQs. Oh wait, wait, wait... back up. Friday we taped a 101 hot dog show and I was literally surrounded by hot dogs. (Quite literally, see below.)
But did I eat one? No. I wanted one really, really badly. But I figured, in that suit, it was essentially cannibalism. So the next day, at my first BBQ, of COURSE there were hot dogs... and hamburgers. But I held strong. I only had venison, which is a super lean meat and quite delicious! (Thanks, York.) I also made cookies, but they were healthified and I only had two. Then Sunday was obviously Father's Day. Steve's mom, Sheri, went balls to the wall. There was so much food and it was so good! I had a ton, including filet mignon, ribs, baked beans... plus a cookie and a cannoli. But that all counted as both lunch and dinner. Plus, I somehow withstood the temptation of cherry pie and ice cream (and another 4 cookies and cannoli).

Yesterday I didn't bother weighing in, because I knew there was no need for that (come on, I'm not a sadist). But today, dun dun dun... 148.5! Right back on track. So I am pretty pleased. I am 5 days from the beach, and not at my goal of 142, but still. That was the lowest of my low and will probably take some time. I DO feel like I am doing this in a healthy way, and making positive lifestyle changes. I've lost 14 1/2 pounds since mid-April, people. Not too shabby.

And honestly, the best best best part is that clothes that were NOT fitting me before are fitting me now! And I mean it's a marked difference. I went to try and find a bathing suit over Memorial Day weekend, and nothing was working. It was so frustrating (because bathing suits are expensive!) and you want it to fit perfectly if you're going to pay that much. Deciding that I was almost out of time, I went back this Sunday morning to just suck it up and buy one. And it was like I was a different person. Not only was everything fitting me, it was looking pretty good! So I ended up buying not one, but TWO. Gasp. And now I'm an entirely new level of excited for this vacation. The trick is going to be making my family eat well while we're there!

FIVE DAYS UNTIL OBX.

Quick Check In

Sorry for being a slacker, but things have been going really well! Two days in a row I weighed 149. Hurray! (This morning I didn't, I weighed 151, but again... not worried.)

Best part is, Saturday I had a cheat day. A real, honest-to-goodness cheat day... I had half of a small BBQ chicken pizza. It was glorious. I didn't feel guilty. I worked out. And the next day, my weight didn't change. While I figured that my lunch alone was around 900 calories, I made sure to keep my entire day under 1200 (the exercise gave me some breathing room).

In any case, I still feel proud. That was my first cheat day in about 2 weeks and my clothes are fitting much better, everything is a bit looser. I am going to New York tonight for an awards show, so it is going to be tough to eat well and not drink excessively, but I will manage. 14 days til OBX!

Snore

I was 150 this morning. I was 150 on Friday! It is now WEDNESDAY. And all I've done since then is peak and valley (I made that into a verb).

Frustrating. Obviously.

The last few mornings I haven't even felt skinny. I've felt full and not in the mood to get on the scale... even when I made sure I had exceptionally light dinners! And my instincts were right, I was as high as 151.5 two days ago. So even though I've been eating meticulously since Friday, instead of losing weight I've plateaued/gained.

SNORE.

I did exercise today. I mean, I had to do something. So I did three on demand workouts (which may or may not have included fitness belly dancing -- I love Exercise TV.) AND, and this is exciting, I downloaded the, "My Fitness Pal" App. Very cool, if you have an iPhone I highly recommend it. I can input everything I eat and it helps me count calories. I've been on a 1200 calorie diet, and I've tried to stay just under that (obviously), but today my fitness pal yelled at me. Apparently I am not eating enough calories and there's a chance it will slow down my metabolism or send my body into starvation mode. So I have to eat more. Fine. 17 days until OBX.

149.5, BUT...

I think I've hit the plateau. I was losing about 1/2 pound steadily almost every day. Then I was 149.5 for a few days, and then I went up (I'm not worried, you're bound to fluctuate.)

I was so excited when I got under 150 that I actually sang and jumped around (it was: boom boom boom, everybody say WAY-O!) But not losing any weight since then is a source of immediate frustration. So it looks like I have a few options. A.) Work out more (or just work out period.) B.) Eat less. C.) Both.

Steve and I talked briefly about Fat Smashing. Another 10 day journey, revisiting the origins of this blog. I think it's a good idea. It's not a long-term solution by any means. Though, I actually feel comfortable with the idea of being able to "maintain" anything I lose because of all these new recipes I've found (which I will get around to posting at some point.) So this is more of a jump-start. A way to help push us past this frustrating plateau. And I'm going to start working out as well. I used the Jillian Michaels DVD once. I should probably get some more use out of that.

Ultimately, I want to be 142, but my goal is to be 144 by June 24th. So it looks like Option C is the way to go. Once we decide on an official date to start, I will bring out the trumpets and make the announcement, re-inviting those who tried the fat smash diet the first time around to join us again. Or newbies. Anybody who needs a jump-start. 19 days til OBX.

BOOM

I weighed in this morning at 150. Considering my disaster weight was 163 (I'm OK saying that now because it's in my rearview mirror), and that I was said disaster weight on April 11th (which is less than 2 months ago), that's a hell of a job.

Plus, the last time I weighed 150 was September 15th. That's 261 days ago.

I feel SO GOOD. I have to keep saying that in case I ever get back into such a serious slump that I forget how good this feels. In case I forget why I'm constantly struggling against my weight. For THIS feeling. This is why.

I lost another 1/2 pound (from yesterday), but I feel like being under 150 is a completely different world. So while I'm so excited to finally be back here, I can't wait to keep going. My ultimate goal all along has been 142, since I started this damn diet blog that's almost a year in the making. Except now I only have 22 days until OBX... I feel like I may have to ressurect that Jillians Michaels DVD.

It's Working!

I feel great. I lost another pound! I am now down 12 1/2 lbs from disaster weight. I keep looking at myself in the mirror and wondering why this has taken me so long. But I can't dwell on the past, I just have to concentrate on doing it.

I still have 8 1/2 lbs to go, but I am going. And the best part is, it's rubbing off on other parts of my life. I'm being super clean and organized, I'm getting sleep and waking up early, I'm doing things that I've been putting off.

And I'm getting obsessed with finding healthy recipes. Most of my free time is split between reading, looking for vacation possibilities, and researching recipes. SO! If anyone feels inclined to share a few of their favorites, I will start posting ones that I have found both healthy and delicious. Keep on keeping on.

Nike was onto something...

After that last post, I got so disgusted with myself... something in my mind just clicked. I guess you reach a low point and ultimately make a decision: I'm going to do it. Just do it. That's all there is to it. How quickly you see results is going to be a result of how hard you push yourself: how much you exercise and how much you eat.

Since that last post I've been doing really well. Steve and I made some rules that seem to be working. Among other things, they include: No soda, at least one side of fruit AND veggies a day, no bread, and only including meat in one meal per day. We've gotten pretty creative with what we've been eating, tried some new things, and overall, we both feel a lot better. I've lost 4 1/2 pounds (down 11 1/2 from disaster weight) and finally feel like I'm making progress. Yay.

So I'm going to keep going with this plan. See where it takes me. If I start to get stagnant again, I'm going to have to switch it up and try something a little more intense. But for now... party on. OBX in 26 days.

Week... what?

I don't even know. I obviously stopped keeping track. Just as I stopped working out. The last time I weighed in I was essentially where I was before -- about 7.5 lbs down from disaster weight. I just looked back at pictures from when I was 13 pounds lighter than I am now. It made me depressed. When does this song and dance stop?

2 Positive Thoughts

1 - If I lose 2 pounds every week for the next 6 weeks, I will be back to my target weight.

2 - If I do the Jillian Michaels 20-minute workout a few days a week, I will probably lose more than 2 pounds.

Just finished the "30-Day Shred" Level 1 circuit and I'm feeling pretty good. It was hard, but I didn't pass out. One of those where you can make the workout as hard as suits you. For instance, I skimped on the push ups, but I crushed the butt kicks... that kind of thing. So I'm feeling energized, optimistic, and ready to take on the world. Bring on Week 2!!

Week 1

I lost 2 pounds. 8 total. The 8 sounds great, the 2... well, not bad. To be honest, I didn't really do a whole lot. I worked out all of twice (and both of those were 10 minute on demand workouts) and my food intake was nothing to be proud of. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't upset with myself, but I didn't feel like, hey, I did a REALLY good job this week. I'm not proud, but I am satisfied.

Essentially, I did a good job getting into a routine. Every morning I had a bowl of Special K w/Strawberries cereal and skim milk. I had a healthy banana-blueberry muffin. (I should actually post that recipe, they're delicious and full of good stuff!) I had a Jazz Apple, a FiberPlus fiber bar, and then (some days) two packets of lower sugar apple cinnamon oatmeal. Some days I didn't even need the oatmeal.

When I came home, that's when things got tricky. See, I love cheese. So I bought my very-favorite-of-all-time-brie cause it was on sale at Whole Foods and had some of that pretty much every night. Some nights I made a tomato, spinach, and mozarella salad with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar and had some of that deliciousness. I also had smoothies, quinoa pilaf, some chicken and stir fry... all kinds of things. One night I had to go to the bar to watch the Flyers game and got soup and beer (ok and I had a few wings). Another night I went out for a date and got a chicken and goat cheese salad and mojitos. For the MOST part, I stayed away from really naughty things. So an overall 2 pounds is fair, I suppose.

Gotta vamp it up for week 2. My mother got me the Jillian Michaels workout DVD so I'm going to give that a shot. And Steve and I talked about really cutting back on food and only eating healthy stuff going forward (after Easter brunch, of course). So that's the plan. 63 days left.

Operation OBX

When I was little my family used to have a house in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. We went down every summer and I will forever cherish my memories from those weeks and weeks. This past September my mom and I went back there for the first time in 10 years. Just driving over the bridge with the windows down, taking in the smells, was like returning to a dream from my childhood. I love it there so much. Everything moves at a slower pace. If you walk around barefoot, no one looks twice. There are dogs EVERYWHERE. The air is just... cleaner. Every morning I sat on the beach with a book, listening to the ocean and watching dolphins swim past me. To me, it is a place of magic. I forgot how much I adored the Outer Banks, and decided I needed to go back. A lot.

This year, from June 26th-July 3rd, I am going back. One week of vacation surely will not be enough, but it's a start. That being said, I am writing all of this on a diet blog for a reason. DISASTER. Short and simple. Things have deteriorated since the fall in a spectacular fashion. I gained an embarrassing amount of weight, to the point where I'm not even comfortable telling anyone how much.

10 weeks. 70 days. And I am back in a bathing suit. Hence: Operation OBX. I have to get back to the point where I am not just comfortable, but proud. Winter is over - no more excuses.

After a few weeks of excessive partying and binge eating, I've eased back into the stop-being-a-pig process over the last few days. I've lost 6 pounds. Not by dieting per se, but just by eating better. That's sort of embarrasing in and of itself. 6 pounds just by not gorging myself? But what's done is done. And I can't go back, I can only go forward. And forward I shall go... into Operation OBX.