Just popping in

Just popping in for a few seconds... I have been very sick! Started getting sick last week and Friday night while at my Christmas party, it got worse! I slept all day Sunday (while the best boyfriend ever took care of Caleb) then tried to work Monday but made it to only 9:30 am (Casey came to the rescue again when he picked up Caleb for me so I could go home and rest more).

I feel better today and plan on being back at the gym tomorrow. I am not expecting any kind of loss this week because I haven't been the best at watching what I am eating. I have had no energy to cook, go grocery shopping or anything so I have been eating whatever Casey stops and gets for me... Not the best but hey when you are sick calories don't count, right?! I wish...

I will update ya tomorrow on how the Christmas party went (my dress) and how week 5 weigh in goes!

Hope y'all are doing well and I hope all of you are staying healthy! Remember your Vitamin C people!!!

Week 4 Results

Happy Thursday Y'all...!

This morning Casey weighed 1st, before I tell you his weight let me tell you a little story about this boy. Casey has been eating my cooking for dinner the past couple of weeks, he hasn't made it to the gym, he has gone out drinking with his buddies, last night he had a milkshake at the movies and then ate chick-fil-a before bed. With all that being said, Casey lost 3.8 pounds this week. All the women in the world please say it with me... GUYS SUCK! He wasn't even trying and he lost almost 4 pounds?! I am super proud of him, but I made sure he knew how much he sucked... ugh!

Now on to my turn to weigh in. Last week I was at a 13 pound loss since November 8th. For the past 7 days, I have been 98% perfect on my eating (slipped up a little here and there but all over a great week). I have made it to the gym 6 out of 7 of the days and while there, I have busted my ass with cardio and weight training. I get on the scale and lose 2.6 pounds, for a total of 15.6 pounds. Don't get me wrong, I am WAY proud of myself for my loss... just seeing Casey's loss really ticked me off. I hate sounding like I am not proud of him, because I am very proud of him... I just hate that guys lose weight way easier than girls do.

All that matters though is, I lost 2.6 more pounds this week and I fit into my dress for the Christmas party tomorrow! If I continue to lose like I have been, a steady couple pounds each week, hopefully I will be able to hit my goal of losing 11 more pounds by January 1, 2013. Christmas is going to be hard, but I am bound and determined!

Guess what zipped...

You should know by now that this Friday is my work Christmas party... evening gowns for the ladies and suits and ties for the guys! Casey and I even have a hotel room at the Omni hotel, where the party is being held! My sweet friend, Mandy, gave me a dress to wear on my cruise back in September. However, it wouldn't zip up all the way. I was bummed out and just wore a dress in my closet. Well, when I got wind about how fancy this party is I was bound and determined to wear this dress. I started 4 weeks ago on a mission to get it to zip up. The zipper goes all the way from the top of my butt to almost the middle of my shoulder blades. I was able to zip it up maybe half way 4 weeks ago. With every passing week, it went up a little bit more. Last week, Casey helped me zip it and it was so close but yet so far away. He told me that I probably would need to go buy a new dress. I still had 1 week and like I said earlier... I was bound and determined!!!

Last night I put the dress on and with the help of Casey, it zipped up all the way! I was so excited... I danced around the house while Caleb and Casey both kept telling me how pretty I looked. I did not want to take it off. I am so proud of myself... I did not measure myself 4 weeks ago, but having that dress zip up last night tells me that I have lost a good amount of inches! I still have some work to do, I know. I have 3 whole days before the party and I am going to eat perfectly and work my booty off. And, every night I am going to put the dress on and wear it while watching TV for a bit so that maybe it will stretch out and not be SO tight. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! I cant wait to wear it into the party with my red high heels... eek!

I am oh so excited! I cant seem to wipe this smile off my face... Oh and something else I cant seem to control, Casey! The past week or so, Casey has paid me more compliments than ever before. He cant seem to take his eyes (and hands) off me. Every time I walk by, he compliments me on my flat my stomach is getting. When I am standing in the kitchen cooking dinner, he comes up behind me and puts his arms around my waist. When I sit on the couch, he makes me scoot all the over to him so he can snuggle with me. I know he loves me no matter what size I am, but the way he has been acting since I have lost the 14 pounds... I am loving it!

Black Running Shorts

I fit back into my black Nike running shorts!!!!! I have not worn these shorts since before my knee surgery, I am thinking the last time I wore them was this time last year. I didn't wear them for the 1st part of the year because of my knee and I couldn't go to the gym. I didn't wear them the 2nd part of the year because well, they didn't fit. Actually, I lied. I wore them once in July (I think) and they were so tight and I was so embarrassed at the gym and I never wore them again. This morning, I grabbed what I thought were my gray running shorts and put them in my workout bag. When I got to the gym, I realized they were my black ones and fear set in. I wasn't going to let a pair of shorts stop me from working out, so I put them on and much to my surprise... THEY FIT!!! It was a happy moment which called for a happy dance which I did in the locker room (no one else was in there, but knowing me I would have done the dance with 500 hundred people watching)!

I don't know why it took me SO long to really get in a grove that would work, that would give me the results I want, and that would be easy enough for me to continue. I really thought my life without DC3 (diet coke, carbs and cheese) would be super sucky, but really its been the best thing ever! I love not being bloated (except for that glorious week of each month), I love being able to fit into old clothes, I love having my energy level back, I love not getting headaches... I just love this new lifestyle change!

What would you give up to be back into some clothes you haven't worn in a while?!

Rejoice! Week 3 results

Oh happy day, oh happy day, OH HAPPY DAY (I am singing that just so ya know)!!! If you can't tell, I am in a GREAT mood this wonderful Thursday morning! Today marks 3 weeks since I have started my DC3 life style change. I have had my weak moments, but over all I have never felt better before. Would you like to know what my results are for this week?

This past week I lost 2.2 pounds for a total of 13.0 pounds since November 8th, 2012! So, sing with me... OH HAPPY DAY!!! I still have another 20-25 pounds that I want to lose, but 13 pounds is a GREAT start. I am really trying NOT to get caught up with the number on the scale, but more so how my clothes are fitting me. Lets just say, I am starting to wear some clothes that I haven't been able to wear in awhile. I can really tell a difference in my stomach, it is much flatter then it has been in a while. Casey even stopped me the other night and commented on my stomach being flatter. It made my day (I just LOVE him)!

Today is down home dinner at work (where they cater in lunch for us) and we will be having brisket tacos from one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. I told myself that if I lost weight this week, I would eat with everyone else. After seeing that 2.2 pound loss, I got to thinking... I really don't want to have to re-lose that weight just because I had brisket tacos (and the fixins). So I have decided NOT to take part in down home this week, after all its just food.

I hope y'all have a wonderful day, I know I will...

Back Workout

My company Christmas party is in 11 days...11 days, the dress I have in my closet looks amazing on me (now that I have lost some of my belly fat) BUT, it wont zip all the way closed in the back. I have been working so hard on my belly and my legs and now that I have 11 days left, I realize that my back is the problem...

I am not defeated, I have 11 days to work on the problem! 11 days of eating 110% perfectly. 11 days of making myself get up and workout even if I don't want to. 11 days of kicking butt and taking names!!! Here goes nothing... I am going to wear that dress to the party because I really do NOT want to buy another one. (I am kind of a penny pincher, specially for things like this... a dress I am only going to wear once for a couple of hours).

I searched the Internet high and low and found a great picture that listed back workouts (picture below). I printed it out and took it to the gym with me today. I have to say, I worked muscles I haven't worked in awhile and I am kind of sore. I finished up at the gym with some sprints (as much as I can sprint with a bum knee) on the elliptical and then met with my friend Melissa who is helping me write out a menu*.

*I will blog about my menu later, basically I have been struggling with finding good recipes that are actually good for you and taste good. I am stumped, so I have asked Melissa to help me out. So very thankful she is helping...

I think I can... I know I can...

I am back from holiday break!! I started the break off really strong but ended it very badly. Last night, I was so disappointed in myself. I literally laid on the couch with Casey and complained about my headache (from diet coke withdrawals) and about how bloated I was. YUCK!

Thanksgiving Day I hit a new all time low on the scale (with doing the DC3 method). I was so happy!! Then Thanksgiving night came and I kept my promise to myself of eating in moderation and having 1 piece of dessert, I had a cookie. It wasn't until AFTER dinner when we left did it all go down hill... Casey stopped at the gas station and I asked him to get me a diet coke. I told him "its Thanksgiving, I can have 1 and be okay..." Man I wish he hadn't fallen for that lie. I was okay that night, but the next morning was a different story. I am not going to blame it all on the diet coke but... it was all the diet cokes fault! HA-HA! Seriously, I woke up craving foods that I haven't craved in almost 3 weeks. And everything I ate only left me wanting more. It wasn't pretty. By Sunday morning, I was up 2 pounds from Thanksgiving morning... and I still had to go to my sisters house for Thanksgiving dinner. Lets just say that wasn't very pretty either.

This morning I forgot to weigh in. I am not sure if I really forgot or if I was to scared that I just stayed far away from the scale as possible. Might be the latter one, but who is keeping track?! Today has been GREAT. I am back on a schedule, I have limited food choices, and I went to the gym and went hardcore for an hour. Thursday marks 3 weeks of DC3 and I promise myself that I will be smaller than I was last Thursday. I think I can, I think I can... wait, I know I can, I know I can!!

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving break!

Bike Workout

Yesterday I met with a friend, Melissa, up at the gym and she showed me a new kick butt workout on the bike. After completing the workout, I was dripping with sweat... and it was only 15 minutes long. So this morning, I decided that when Casey woke up for work I would wake up with him and take my booty to the gym! I need to work for that piece of pie I am going to eat tomorrow...

 

The workout on the bike is as follows:

 

1. Warm up for 3-5 minutes on a resistance of 2

 

2. Then bump it up to a resistance of 4 and go for 1 minute while keep your RPMs between 60-70.

 

3. Keep the resistance at 4 and go really fast (pushing through your heels) and make sure to get your RPMs up over 100... and keep them there for 30 seconds.

 

4. Repeat the 1 minute intervals and the 30 second intervals until you have completed 15 minutes.

 

5. Cool down with 3-5 minutes on a resistance of 2

 

 

(That is a cup of water, not diet coke... just for all you wondering! 2 weeks without a diet coke!!)

 

Remember, just because it is a holiday doesn't mean that you cant make time to workout or you cant watch what you eat. Holiday is an excuse to see family and friends, not an excuse to gain weight! Stay on track and stay focused, I know I am going to!!

 

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

Back on track with H2O

Yesterday, I was excellent with my eating and my drinking water. The scale was proof of it this morning when I weighed myself. I was back down to what I was BEFORE my Friday binge day (ugh), plus down another 1/2 pound. I am also back on the right track today, have been drinking tons of water and have stayed away from the dreaded DC3.

Lets talk about water for a second, shall we?! I really never thought that drinking water would help you lose weight, I mean the more water you have in your belly the heavier you are... right? Wrong! Water is SO important when trying to lose weight. It helps keep you full throughout the day, so you stay away from snacking and eating those fatty foods (where as sodas leave you craving the sugar rush). It helps flush out your system by breaking up the food and making it easier for you to pass in the bathroom. Plus on top of that it is also really good for your skin and hair. I have never really been that BIG on drinking water, but over the past week and half, I have really learned to just deal with it and make sure I get my intake quota met every day. I would have to say, it is one big factor in why I have been so successful this time around.

Are you wondering what your intake quota of water is? My doctor told me it is plain and simple, you take your weight and divide that by 2. So a 100 pound person should be drinking at least 50 ounces of water a day. That doesn't include soda, coffee, tea, etc... that is plain and simple water. If you don't want to give up your sodas (or other drink) maybe do what my trainer does, Lo usually meets her quota and then has a diet coke later on in the day.

Challenge: Try going a whole day and making sure your quota is meet! Then go another, and another, and another....

Carbs, they are so not worth it!

If you read my blog on Friday, you will know that I had kind of a bad day with food. Well, Friday night was no different. For some reason, I was craving Mexican food... not like a normal craving, but like one that no matter what I did, I couldn't shut it up. So, we went and had Mexican food. I ate chips and had brisket tacos with rice and refried beans. It was so uh-mazing... until Saturday morning! 

Saturday morning I woke up bloated, constipated again, and up 2 pounds on the scale. I am so mad at myself for working so hard for almost 2 weeks and then throwing it away on a meal that (in the end) was not even worth it. You better believe I wont be making that mistake again anytime soon. Yes, I know that there will be times when I am going to have carbs and cheese, but I need to really watch my intake (a lot more then I did on Friday) and I also need to make sure I get my work out in. 

Casey kept telling me that its a new day and I can learn from my mistake and do better today. He is so right, if anything, I am going to learn from this and it will just make me stronger (and smaller) in the end. I ate perfect yesterday and got in a lot of walking. Today I am still up 2 pounds on the scale, but I am armed with the right food and a lot of water (and some cardio). Here goes nothing...

A quote to live life by when you make a mistake...

Happy Friday Y'all

Today started off great, with a tall Vanilla Bean Frap. from Starbucks!!! It was so yummy and also my cheat for the week. That means the rest of the weekend I must be on my best behavior...

Didn't make it to the gym today so I will make sure I go tomorrow and Sunday... that will be easy since I really don't have much planned and Caleb is at his Daddy's. Actually he is the reason I didn't go to the gym today, he had a Thanksgiving Fest at school. It was fun being able to go and have a meal with my baby boy (who let me know he is NOT a baby, he is a BIG BOY!).

Anyways, hope y'all have a great weekend and I will talk to y'all on Monday!!!

Week 1 Results of DC3

Today marks the end of my week 1 of my DC3 lifestyle change. You ready to hear the results...??

In one week, I have more energy then I have had in a LONG time. In one week, I have gone to the bathroom (sorry if that is TMI) more then I have in the past month. In one week, I have lost 7.0 pounds and haven't felt bloated once (even though Aunt Flow came to visit).

Honestly, I have never felt better before!! A few people have asked me if I miss the carbs, cheese and the diet cokes... honestly, I haven't really had many cravings. The 1st couple days I had horrible head aches from the lack of diet coke, but once I got past those I have been fine. I have a great support team with friends and family calling, texting, emailing, Facebooking, etc. and I have Casey at home helping me out.

This week I will be fine, I really don't have much planned so I will be able to really control what I eat and when I go and workout. Next week however, it will be a little bit more hectic with Thanksgiving. I will tackle that when it gets closer though.

I have decided to set a goal for myself that has nothing to do with the number on the scale (wanting to lose a certain number by a certain day). I have decided that I want to lose a dress size by my companies Christmas party which is on December 7th. This is very doable, so I am going to do it. I will keep ya posted.

Hope y'all have a great day and remember, each day is a new day! Learn from your mistakes and become a better person!

Good vs. Bad

Good vs. Bad is something we deal with everyday of our lives, the choices you make, the choices others around you are making, the food you eat, the things you drink, the people you have in your life... the list could go on and on. It is very simple, choose the Good and you will do fine. Heck, if only it were that easy. Nowadays, the Bad looks so Good and is usually so much easier and takes less time. I have been there before plenty of times, McDonald's drive thru takes a total of maybe 5 minutes and me going home to cook dinner would take way more time then that plus I have to clean up when I am done. But, that is how I became overweight in the 1st place... choosing the Bad over the Good almost always. In my journey the past couple years, I have begin putting the Good before the Bad, which is how I lost my weight. There are times that I choose the Bad, but then I pay for it later (on the scale or in my clothes).

We all have a choice, the only thing stopping you from losing weight is... well... yourself! One of the things I have given up the past couple of days (making a Good choice) is carbohydrates. Well, just like in life, Carbohydrates (carbs) have a Good side and a Bad side. I have searched the Internet high and low and found a couple of pictures that help break this down a bit more (see below). The way I see it, a Good carb is a whole wheat (according to the portion size, anything out of moderation becomes Bad) and vegetables. A Bad carb is well anything else... white bread, white pasta, desserts, flour, etc.

If you make yourself more aware of the Good and Bad on everything you eat and drink and then chose the Good, you will start to see results. You will start to see the number on the scale go down, you will start to feel better and have more energy, and you will start to feel your clothes fitting better (or even falling off).

We all have a choice, what choice will you make?

Baklava

Good morning everyone! It is Monday morning and I am chipper, what the heck is wrong with this picture? Honestly, the past couple days I have been in good spirits even when things were going wrong. I really think this has to do with giving up diet coke. They say (who are they anyways) that diet coke really takes a toll on your moods, and after giving it up for almost a week I am starting to believe them! I cant even being to tell you how great I feel...

Weekends are always hard for me, I am off my schedule and there are more distractions and opportunities to go out to eat. This weekend was no different. I went into this weekend knowing that I need to stay away from the carbs, diet coke and cheese. I also went into this weekend with a loving boyfriend who stood next to me and held my hand (and held the 3 evil things away from me). Have I mentioned how much I love that guy?!

So Saturday was our 8 months of dating, yes we celebrate... (barf now if you need to, I think its cute)! Let me back up some, 1st Friday was easy because we ate at home and went to be early. Saturday morning we woke up and went to cheer on my niece at her Volleyball tournament. Caleb and I stopped at Sonic to get him a chocolate milk and a breakfast burrito (I am out of food at home). I ended up getting a large water and a breakfast toaster sandwich, no cheese and then I threw the bread out the window for the birds to eat and I just had the bacon and egg. THEN between the Volleyball games, my family loaded up and went to Sonic AGAIN... I passed up food and drink this time, even though my brother in law was buying! 2 times at Sonic and 2 epic wins for me!

Now on to our date night... I was suppose to cook but when it got down to it, I really didn't feel like it. We decided to go to Fresco's (a local Mexican food place here) and Casey kept the chips right next to him (even though I didn't even feel the urge to have any). I ordered a un-sweet tea and the Home Style Fajitas... they came with chicken, steak and grilled veggies. I told the waiter no tortilla's and even sent the cheese back when it came out. Win again!

Baklava!!! After dinner we went to a Greek Festival. I have never been and it was free so we went. Casey had been raving about Baklava all throughout dinner so I googled it and realized I couldn't have it (carbs). But when we got there, I decided what the heck and got a small piece anyways. I mean, it was a small piece and you only live once so why the heck not. That was my one splurge for the week... and boy was it good! I copied a recipe and have added it to the bottom of this blog in case you ever want to make some.

I am on day 6 of no carbs, no diet coke and no cheese (I am going to call this DC3) and so far I have lost a total of 5.4 pounds!!

Happy Monday Y'all

Bye Bye Diet Cokes

For the past 3 days I have been living life without carbs, cheese and diet coke. These are three of my favorite things. I wont lie, the 1st night I had a headache from H-E double hockey sticks (needing my diet coke) and I ended up going to bed at 8pm. Yesterday I was okay on the diet coke part but then the carb and cheese part started to get to me. We had Thanksgiving Day at our office and the food all looked so yummy... I passed up rolls, passed up the green beans (because they were covered in cheese) and then the most important thing I passed up... the dessert table! There were 2 tables and both were covered with pies! I walked right past them and out the door. I have to say, I am very proud of myself.

It has been very tough to find foods that doesn't consist of carbs and cheese but I am doing good so far. I am making it a game, I love to win games. With that mind set along with my mind set of every day is a new day... I think I will go far.

If you see me all the time, please help keep me accountable. If you never see me but we talk (via email, facebook, text, etc) please send me a message checking up on me and giving me motivation. If you have never even met me but read my blog, leave a comment. And well, if you hate me and want me to fail (you know who you are) then keep hating and keep wanting me to fail because that is something that really fuels my fire!

After reading this, it has really helped me NOT want to drink anymore soda... hopefully it will help you too!

5K Results

This week has been kind of hectic but here I am... Let me catch you up to what has been happening in my life lately.

The 5k was this past Saturday and my goal was to finish in under and hour and to beat my very pregnant friend Kristy (she had her baby GIRL yesterday!). I walked with a group that consisted of 2 strollers (with 2 adorable little boys), 4 women (including me) and 3 dogs. We ended up having to stop a couple of times, which made the walk a bit longer then I anticipated. I crossed the finish line under an hour and before Kristy. My results are as follows... Hey, I wasn't last! My knee did really good the whole race and only after I stepped across the finish line, did it give out a bit. I went home and iced it and by that evening I was fine.

Other than the 5k, I have also gone 2 days without having diet cokes. Guess what, I am still alive!! I am trying to replace my diet cokes with a Spark drink instead. So far so good. Except for last night, I had a bad headache and I was so grabby... but I know those feelings of "withdrawal" will vanish if I keep this up. I also have been trying to really stay away from carbs and cheese. This is VERY hard for me but so far so good.

If you are interested in trying Spark or any of the Advocare supplements, go to here and Brittney will be more then happy to help you with all your goals... https://www.advocare.com/110611341/contactmember.aspx

My 1st 5k back

Tomorrow will be my 1st 5k back since my knee surgery... and don't worry, I will be walking this. It breaks my heart that I am not allowed to run anymore but I think walking is better then nothing at all. Heck, I will be lapping everyone on the couch and everyone who is still in bed.

 I will be walking this 5K with my very pregnant friend (who is due next Wednesday)... if she can do it, so can I!!! My goal is to finish under an hour...

Please say a prayer for my knee!!!

HOT PINK SHIRTS... I THINK YES!!!

Making time for myself

Being selfish seems so umm selfish (its the only word that I can think of). I am a single mom, I am a girlfriend, I am an employee, I am an aunt, I am a sister, I am a friend (I can go on and on) and I want to be the best at each one of those "jobs". I hate letting people down, I will go out of my way and end up making myself un-happy (sort to speak) if it means that I can put a smile on a face of one of my loved ones. I would like to think I am the type of person who would give you the shirt off their back and will give you my last dollar. All of this is good but when you think about it, at some point we all have to stop and become a little more selfish. If we gave everyone the shirt off our backs and gave everyone our last dollar... where would that leave us? Broke and naked somewhere and lets face it, that wouldn't be a pretty sight!

We (and by we I mean myself) need to become a bit more selfish. We need to stop and put ourselves 1st because if something were to happen to us, we wouldn't be able to take care of the people around us that we love so much. When I was losing my 100 pounds, I was very selfish. I stopped and made sure I prepared my meals and took time to workout (maybe a little to much some days). I did this knowing that I was taking care of myself and making myself healthier. Me being healthier meant more time to spend with Caleb and my nieces and it meant years added on to my life to spend with friends, bug my sister and find the man of my dreams (I was single back then). 

It wasn't until I hit my 100 pounds loss that quilt started to sit in and make me feel horrible for being selfish. I lost site of why being selfish is a good thing and I slowly started to fall back into old habits. Then my knee surgery happened and quilt came knocking (this time even louder). At this point I was so sucked in that I didn't even care to start digging myself back out. Now here I am so far down in the hole, knowing I need to get out and feeling like every time I take 2 steps forward something comes along and pushes me 3 steps back. I feel like no progress is being made. Heck, I ended up crying myself to sleep last night because I am so disappointed in myself for letting my weight get out of control.   

A good friend of mine text me this: Don't make anymore excuses to use as crutches! I understand that your knee holds you back, BUT it is what it is! Don't let it be an excuse to not exercise and eat good foods. Same goes for your relationship - cut food out as your entertainment and do something good for you instead of eating! Go on walks, find a hobby you can both do, limit the times you go out to eat and stick to it! Have ONE or NONE date nights each week that has food involved. Just find a different lifestyle. Not only will that benefit you but it will benefit Casey and Caleb too. And last by not least... just do it! Make it a part of your life. Each good decision you make adds up and soon it will just be how you live your daily life and you wont have to rely on motivation. You can do it  my friend!!!

So with all that being said - The next rule I am going to apply to my new lifestyle that I decided to take on is to be more selfish. To make better food choices that benefit me and not go with the popular vote. To take more time to head to the gym, if I cant make it on lunch then leave Caleb at school for 30-40 more minutes in the afternoon and fit in a workout (its not going to kill him or me). And to make mine and Casey's date life revolve more around us and not so much around food.

To much information

This blog is a blog about my weight loss journey, about my struggles, about my success, about my weight gain and about my weight loss. I hate those blogs that are all perfect, sunshine and rainbows... "I lose every single week and I never hit a bump in the road..." Bull Crap! This is life, everyone has bumps in the road... everyone!

Here is my most recent BUMP... I am going to warn you though, if you have a weak stomach you might just want to stop reading here.

Today's topic... poop! I don't know why it is so funny but it is. I mention the word poop and a smirk takes over my face and instantly all I can hear are farting noises in my head (maybe I am just a 10 year old boy). If you say the word poop in front of my 10 year old niece, she squirms and gets embarrassed. Why?! We all do it. We all fart. So why is this subject so funny and never talked about?

Normal people go to the bathroom 2-3 times a day, and usually its after a meal. Well if you didn't know this already, I am not a normal person and I don't differ on this subject. I have a very hard time going to the bathroom! I can go days without going and then when I do happen to go, its not normal at all. Its even worse when I am eating really healthy and working out (odd, right?!). I know I know go ahead and say it, I am full of crap! Haha! It has been bothering me so much, I think its one reason why my weight goes up and down so sporadically. So I am finally throwing in the towel and have scheduled an appointment to go see the doctor on November 6th.

As funny as this topic might be, it is also very serious... I found a guide and would like to share it with you. Hopefully you can learn something, I know I did!!!

Weight Watchers here I come... again!

Have I ever told you how much I love my job?! Well, I just fell in love with it just a little bit more... Next week I am signing up for Weight Watchers again and my wonderful employer is paying part of my monthly dues as well as my activation fee!!!

I will meet with people I work with on a daily basis and see around the offices (we have like 7 buildings). Hopefully this will help me stay accountable and on track with my eating. The group meets every Friday over lunch and I will start going next Friday (October 26th)... this Friday is Kristy's baby shower at work and since I am kind of the one planning it, I guess I kinda need to be there!

I am really excited about starting weight watchers again. I feel like I have a higher success rate when I am part of a team. When I was losing before, I was always training and always at 24 hour fitness. Now that I have had to scale back on working out, and I am struggling with food... what is better than to join a club that will help me with that?!

I will keep you posted about my 1st weigh in and every weigh in after that... even though I am trying to not focus so much on the number on the scale but instead the size of my jeans and how all my clothes fit.

Like I have said a few blogs back, I am doing this re-start different than all the others... because if you want different results than do different things. Weight Watchers, here I come!

Race Blanket

2010-2011 was a GREAT year. That was the year I really was focused on losing weight and over that year I fell in LOVE with running. Since I fell in love with running, I started doing 5k's and even did a 10k. Man those were the days, now its all just a memory (stupid knee surgery).

I have always wanted to make a blanket out of all my race shirts and finally with the help of Pinterest, I have started to do just that!!! I am about 50% done right now and hoping to be 100% done by this weekend. Its a big job for a single mom who works 40 hours and has something to do almost every night, BUT I am willing to take on the task.

It was hard to start because it meant I had to cut up my favorite 16 shirts... some of which I wear as sleep shirts and some I still wear in every day life. I wont lie, I did cry a little inside as I started cutting. Once you start cutting, there is no turning back. With each shirt I cut, I told Casey the story behind that run... that is really when all the emotions surfaced. Remembering certain runs with great friends like BB - when she ran circles around me, literally. Ashlie - When I was suppose to make us tutus and didn't. Julie F. - when we ran with all those good looking firefighters. Julie A. and Elizabeth - when we ran my very last run together and we showed up late but did it anyways. Sarah R. - when I spent the night with her in Houston and then drove to Austin just to run and drove home muddy. Kristy and Sarah T. - when we weren't allowed to push our strollers in the race and they took one for the team and let me run while they pushed Caleb around TTU. Aunt Dee and Patricia - both of their 1st 5K's the weekend of Mother's Day! Michelle - when we did the night run except for it was bright as day outside and then we ran into my step dad. Kristy, Christy and Nancy - when we all dressed up in camo and kicked some butt at the warrior dash (my last time). And my all time favorite was when I was finishing up my 10k and at mile marker 6 my amazing trainer who has always believed in me and never let me give up (Lo) was standing there waiting to run it in with me. Yes, I am crying right now in case you are wondering. All those girls I just listed (plus a lot more) always (and still do) believe in me and they are part of the reason I stayed motivated. With every run I did I just got better and better...

Fun fact: The blanket starts off with a shirt that was a XL and a race time of over 52 minutes!! The blanket ends with a shirt that is a M and a race time of less than 33 minutes! Over the course of 1 year I was able to go down 3 sizes in my shirt and almost 20 minutes in time. Man what I wouldn't give to run just one more race, but that would just leave me wanting to do just one more...

Here is a picture of my shirts all sewed together. I am working on the back of the blanket and then have to finish it up with the binding. I will write again when its complete.

Oh and guess what... maybe I cant run a 5k anymore but I have been talked into walking one! My wonderful job is paying our fees for the Trick or Trot run on November 3rd and a lot of my co-workers are running and/or walking in it. So I have decided to do it too! It might take me an hour (or more) to finish it but at least I will be finishing it and not sitting on the couch... Say a prayer for my knee!

Fall is here - Pumpkin everything please!

Happy Fall Y'all... I know its been Fall for a couple weeks now but I am just now getting in the mood. Today was the 1st pumpkin flavored food I have had since... well last Fall and with this cooler weather, I have decided I am ready to get happy about this season. Don't get me wrong, I love Fall but I also love Summer and was very sad to see it go...

Yesterday we celebrated all the October birthdays in our office, we had breakfast on each floor and then had a dessert to follow. By the time breakfast was delivered to our floor, I had already eaten my oatmeal so I really didn't have a problem saying no. All I could hear were the pumpkin cookie calling my name. I decided that I was going to have 1 cookie all day long and be fine with that... old Jordan would have eaten the whole plate before anyone even had a chance to claim one. Nope, not this new improved Jordan. I replaced my morning snack (dried bananas) with a pumpkin cookie and went on with my day. It wasn't until this afternoon when I went to get my afternoon snack (fiber bar) that the cookies were yelling "JORDAN" even louder... I told myself NO and went back to my desk. Then it all went down hill... I went into the kitchen to get 3 cookies for Caleb (every day I take him an afternoon snack to eat on the way home since he eats lunch so early). I put those 3 cookies in a baggie and took them back to my desk... all I heard was "Jordan, eat me... JOR-DAN... Jordy... HELLO JJJJJOOOOORRRDDAAANNN!!!" And then I caved... I ate another cookie! Now Caleb has 2 cookies to eat on the way home and I am NOT eating anymore, I promise! I will NOT be that Mother who takes food away from my child. 2 cookies is enough for the kid, he didn't need 3 anyways... so... really I was helping him out. HAHA!

I got to thinking, seriously there has to be away to enjoy the Fall and still eat the foods... so I went to my new best friend, Pinterest and found a pumpkin cookie recipe that is probably as healthy as you are going to get when making pumpkin cookies... here ya go!

1 cup of almond meal

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 egg

1 cup of cooked and mashed yam, pumpkin, or butternut squash

¼ cup coconut milk

2-4 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400. In a mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.  In another small mixing bowl whisk together the egg, coconut milk, and maple syrup.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the mashed yam, pumpkin, or squash to the dough and mix well.  Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil or organic grass fed butter and scoop about one heaping tablespoon per cookie onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.  Makes approximately 15 cookies.

Looks easy but its not...

Okay followers... I found this workout on Pinterest the other day and I thought it looked "easy"... I mean I knew it was probably going to be somewhat of a challenge but seriously not that much of one. Well, yesterday Carly and I were working out and really focusing on our abs so I decided to work this into our workout. I demonstrated it for Carly and soon figured out that it was going to be harder than I had thought. My original plan was to hold this position for 30 seconds, which quickly got bumped back down to three 10 second holds!

It really targets your lower abdomen area (what us women call our pouch). So here is a goal for you the next time you are at the gym... Give it a try! I am going to continue to work it into mine and Carly's daily workouts here and there for 2 main reasons. 1. I want my pouch to go away and 2. I want to be able to hold that position for 30 seconds... if not more!!!

The S'More inccident

This weekend my promise to myself was to cheat in a healthier way, which I did on Friday at lunch time. That meant for the rest of the weekend (my toughest challenge), I had to eat healthy without cheating. Friday night was all good in the hood. Casey came over and we went to the store and bought stuff to cook a recipe from Weight Watchers, 3 bean chili. It actually turned into more of a stew and it made enough to last us all weekend (actually I am having the last bowl for lunch today).

*** Recipe Below ***

Saturday is when my "weakness" set in. I have been craving a s'more for a very long time now, but haven't had one in FOR-EVER! Well, we were watching the Sandlot and my craving came knocking... dang tree house scene. Then on top of that, it was COLD and I have a fireplace... that just made the craving even worse. THEN I get on FB and my friend Mandy had a picture of a s'more she was eating while we she was out camping this weekend, the craving got even worse. And if all that wasn't enough, it seemed like EVERYTHING on Pinterest was s'more themed that night. After a long debate with myself and with Casey, I was about to cave and go to the dang store and buy me some graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows... but something in me just said to go to sleep and get over my craving. The next morning, I woke up and was so super proud of myself. I had overcome the s'more craving and the sense of pride I had felt way better then a s'more could have tasted.

Getting stronger ever single day!!! Here is to a healthy week of eating clean and to at least 4 days at the gym, if not 5.

Recipe for my 3 bean chili (stew):
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 bell peppers diced
1 can of drained black beans
1 can of drained kidney beans
1 can of drained red beans
1/2 small onion diced
1 pound of turkey meat browned
Let sit in crockpot for a couple of hours (until veggies are soft, you can cook these in with the meat to help the process).

Different kind of cheat

When I lost my 101 pounds, every week I allowed myself to have 1 cheat meal. It was anything from stuffing my face at a Mexican food place or eating a sundae for dinner. I have tried doing that this time around but it has been horrible for me afterwards. It always leaves me wanting more and since I cant run (or workout hardcore like I use to could) it ain't good.

I have decided I am going to have to change the way I cheat...! Casey and I went to lunch today and he gave me to options. 1. Chuys (amazingly good Mexican restaurant) OR 2. Terra's (Mediterranean buffet). I chose #2 because I knew I would be able to really control myself and the cheat I would allow myself wouldn't be that bad of one. I ended up starting the lunch off with a salad with lite dressing and feta cheese. Then I had some chicken, potatoes chunks, roasted cauliflower and (my cheat) small portion of rice, 2 pieces of flat pita bread and a small side of pasta. Let me tell you what, it was so yummy but all those carbs after going almost a week without any carbs was a lot! I am still bloated but I don't have that gross greasy feeling that I would have had if I cheated at Chuys.

So with that being said, I have decided that this time around (since I am really trying to go about this differently) to change the way I cheat. After all, if you want different results then you need to change something in your routine... Change #1 and many more to come!

Please say a prayer for me this weekend, they are my weakness! I also seem to slip up and go off the deep end. I plan on working out at least 1 time this weekend and not cheating at all.

Chuy's

Terra's*

Which one do you think would be healthier!!!

*that is not exactly what I had.

Here we go again...

Hola! Casey and I made it back from our cruise, Caleb's birthday party is over, and life as I know it is back to normal... thank goodness! Bad news, I didn't wear the purple shorts on to the boat. I am okay with that though, my knee injury  has been more of set back then I thought and I wasn't doing that great on my eating plan so I kinda expected it.

While on the cruise, Casey and I had time to talk about our goals and what we want to really happen with our lives. We both want to lose weight and be healthier for whatever lies ahead of us. So I found a great site on Pinterest that has over 100 meals that are non-processed and I started making a calendar of what we would eat. When we got home, that very next day I went grocery shopping. I only bought 1 thing that was processed and that was cheese because lets face it, I am a rat and so is my kid. You only live once so I am not giving up cheese (or diet cokes for that matter)... just got to eat it in smaller portions!

Breakfast: Oatmeal - easy and I love it
Snack - Carrots
Lunch - Lettuce, tomato, 1/2 avocado, 1 cup ground turkey and 1/4 cup black beans with low fat Cesar dressing (40 calories a tbsp).
Snack - Watermelon (yummy!)
Dinner - Grilled chicken breast, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/2 cup peas and a side salad.

I have been doing really good sticking to this, heck because its the only food I have in my house! I have had some slip ups like having a fun size twix bar at work, having 2 can diet cokes instead of 1, taking small bites of Caleb's grilled cheese sandwiches (the kid is addicted). But like my friend Jamie says, I am human and I will mess up but its how do after you mess up. You should know by now the weekends are the hardest for me, but hopefully with Casey on board we can really do good this weekend.

Oh and besides me working out at the gym on my lunch, I have also started talking Caleb to the park after work everyday... we walk there! I need to get his umbrella stroller out though because I want to walk more after he plays and he is worn out. We will try that out tonight.

Okay, I have re-started so many times its getting old for me and Lord knows it has to be getting old for you too... but this time I KNOW it different. I am not going to make any goals except for to stop putting myself down (calling myself fat, etc.), to get back up and try again if I have a bad day (instead of eating bad and saying F it), and to make sure every day I get some kind of workout in (the gym, walking, ab video at home). I am trying and even if I have to restart 100 more times, it means I am still alive and I still have that initial determination down deep inside (somewhere)!  

Momma Called the doctor and the doctor said...

So, the doctors verdict is in... My knee is perfectly fine for being only 5 months out of surgery (for the surgery I had). Happy to hear that but not very happy to hear him say I am pushing it to hard (HA)! He said to stay off the treadmill until my 1 year mark but that I can use the elliptical. He re-informed me that I am NOT allowed to squat, lunge, jump, or run. Yay me!

This being said, I really really REALLY REALLY need to get my meal plan in tact. I know what to do, I know what to eat, I know how to eat, I know when to eat, and I am a planner... so why is this so hard to stay on track and keep it up? Why am I struggling with this so much? I blame it on Casey. Haha just kidding... but seriously, it was SO much easier to lose the weight when I was single. Now I go out to eat a lot more (which after the cruise will stop), and Casey can eat a whole pizza and lose 10 pounds so its hard for me to be around that food and not eat it.

The battle continues! One day I swear I will get the hang of it... wonder if hypnosis would work? Haha.. really though...

Howdy!

Good morning y'all...

Man learning how to live with my messed up knee has been a roller coaster ride. The past couple of weeks I have fell a couple of times because my knee has just given out on me. I have been working out and really trying to rehab it and like a stubborn horse, it is resisting. I remember the good ole days where when I messed up with my food plan, all I had to do was go for a run and I was okay. Now if I mess up, there isnt much I can do about it. Dang my right knee...!

Losing weight is 80% your meal plan and 20% working out. With that being said, you cant live on a diet, cleanses are okay but you cant do those the rest of your life either... you have to change you lifestyle. Its hard, its painful, it cost money... I have been struggling so bad with changing my lifestyle for sure. I do really GREAT while I am at work, but the minute I get home or its the weekend, I just lose it. I have no one to blame but my ownself. I have plently of excuses I can give you BUT that is all they will be, excuses. Life gets in the way, things happen, plans change, but the best part of life is that each day you get a new start. If you messed up yesterday, start over the very next day. Why wait another week or until Monday?

My weight is something I am going to have to battle the REST of my days, but its a battle that I will fight. I may not win every little battle but I can promise you this, I am winning the war.

Oh on another note, I haven't been obsessed with the scale. I havent even weighed myself in about 3 weeks. I am just going off what my clothes are telling me. Right now they are saying that I probably wont be wearing my purple shorts on my cruise. That is okay, yes I am bummed, but with my knee in the shape it is and me trying to really get my diet in control, I am okay with that. I am not giving up on them just yet, I still have 2 weeks... I mean, they zip but just because they zip does NOT mean they fit.

Yall have a grand day!

"Keep Swimming" - Dory

I watched Nemo with Caleb the other day and Dory said "Keep Swimming" and it has stuck with me. Well this morning on the way into work, it popped back into my head and it reminded me that I have to keep pushing forward. Every day might not be good but something good happens everyday! Yesterday was a ROUGH day, but no matter how defeated I felt, no matter what the scale said and no matter if my pants fit me or not... Caleb ran into my arms at the daycare and embraced me and told me he loved me. He could careless if I was 300 pounds or 190 pounds. It made my day! I love that little boy so much, he really is my pride and joy and the reason I live. He is the reason I want to be healthy and lose this weight. So I am dusting off the defeat that I had weighing me down yesterday and I am going to keep swimming.

I went back through some pictures and found this one. It is from December 2009, just a couple months before starting my weight loss journey. I am going to use it as my reminder that I have come so far and I have conquered so much and I will not let my knee get in the way now. I might have gained back 30 pounds since hitting my 101 lost but I am still down 70 pounds. So with Caleb in my corner cheering me on, I am going to remember where I have come from and just keep swimming...