Be prepared...

When I finally decided to start lose weight, I had dreams and aspirations of looking hot in a bikini again. Or being able to wear the schmedium sized shirts and not worry if my belly showed, because I'd be thin and the muffin top wouldnt be protruding from the waist band of my pants.

Well, that isnt necessarily true...

a little inspiration for you...

Today is a big day for me. You know why? Transformers 3 comes out and I get to go with one of my good  buddies to see it! Its something more than a movie to me. I don't share this story with a lot of people because its really personal to me. There are a few that have heard it... but, I'm willing to share it all with you today.

Let me rewind a few years...

To count, or not to count...that is the question

I find that there are alot of helpful tools out there to help us count calories, find out how much we should be consuming, how much we burned off by doing activities, how much of it was fat, carbs or vegetables... the list goes on and on. I'm sure we could find a calculator to tell us how many calories we expended walking to the fridge, keeping it open and staring at food if we wanted to. Hell, even the WebMD tool that I posted a few days ago has a calorie count for sex, vigorous sex, etc. It even suggested to me after I had put in my calories that day that if I had vigorous sex for 25 minutes, I could burn some additional calories. Way to look out for my sex life, WebMD!

Mental headgames or just a commercial?

Ok, so if you havent seen the commercial for Yoplait that they recently pulled from the commercial line up, I'll attach it for you here.

Roasted Garlic Herb Chicken

Roasted Garlic Herb Chicken

Couples only?

Ahh... young love. You meet your honey for a nice romantic dinner. You order the appetizer, the dessert... all the while you revel in the wonder of your partner. Fast forward a few months and this dinner has become a normal twice a week thing... and both of you have put on a few pounds. Its "love weight", "the relationship 20", whatever you want to call it.

Well, Damn

I started out with great intentions today. The best intentions aren't always the greatest plans. My intention was to get up and go for a walk today, come home, clean up and put the most awesome post together for your reading pleasure. So, well... yeah. That didn't happen.

What did happen is this... After moving around and exercising the last week or so, my legs weren't so cooperative last night. Frankly, they hurt. The only thing that felt better was when I was stretching. It was like a nasty case of restless leg syndrome but with pain. YUCK!

I finally got tired enough to sleep and passed out around 10. Mind you, we have 7 (yes 7) windows in our bedroom. I slept until 10:30 this morning, which is an amazing feat because its brighter than the surface of the sun in the bedroom by about 5:30.

I must have been really exhausted and didn't realize how much I had been pushing myself.

How much motivation have I had today? Well.... I've had a few cups of coffee. I made some oatmeal. And, its now 2:15 in the afternoon and I'm still typing this out. The amount of motivation today is overwhelming. 

There will be days you have no motivation to do anything. Hell, I don't even want to cook dinner tonight. But, its ok. I am not going to kick myself because I didn't go out for a walk this morning. There will be obstacles and other things that stop you from meeting your goals. I know I did a whole post about it before. However, its ok to rest once in a while. If you get lackadaisical and it becomes something where you're making excuses ALL THE TIME, then you'd probably want to reevaluate your outlook.

But, for one day its not a bad thing. It helps your muscles repair and get ready for the next bout of exercising. So, today I am just going to watch what I eat a little closer and try to go a little further tomorrow.

I slept away my inspirational message for today. I 'll leave you with a tool to use to help assist in your weight loss goals.

Webmd has a weight loss section on their website. Its very cut and dry, easy to use and to be honest, has a lot of good tools to give you ideas. You enter in your weight, height and sex. It asks you a series of questions and then tells you how many calories you should be shooting for each day. You can log your progress, your foods consumed each day, your exercise each day (it even has sex listed as an exercise) and will chart your progress each week. The really cool thing I thought was a great feature is that it will chart what you ate for the day and show you how much of it was protein, carbs and fats.

If you want to check it out, I've posted the link here.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner/default.htm

Patience

I was talking to a friend on the phone the other day. This is how the conversation went.

Friend: Well, maybe if my lunch plans fall through, we can go grab a sandwich for lunch
Me:      I'm gross. My hair isn't done and I'm fat.
Friend: Take a shower.
Me:      I did and the fat didn't wash off. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.

Attitude

When I was a toddler, I was a little hard headed. Independent. And I new exactly what I wanted. Big surprise, right? Well, my family refers to it as "Missy-do". My family nickname is Missy so when I would want to do something on my own, I would tell them, "Missy-do", so I could do it (at 3). Whether that be feeding myself, dressing myself... whatever. I wanted to do it myself! Not a lot has changed since then, people will tell you. Its kind of funny that my one and a half year old niece now is suffering from a case of "Missy-do" according to my sister. She eats what she wants to eat, she thinks the silverware rack in the dishwasher is her purse and will grab it, blow kisses and yell "day" (have a nice day). I have a feeling this one is going to be a little hard headed. 

Its an Investment

Everyone that knows me knows that I'm thrifty. I love shopping at Goodwill, Savers... Any thrift store. I love being able to purchase something out of season for .50. Or, buying shoes that still have the price tags on them that were over a hundred dollars that I bought for $3.00. Don't get me wrong, I do see value in certain things, such as Victorias Secret and Coach. Its like the mother ship is calling me home. I thought people were nuts to spend hundreds of dollars on a purse. Then, I got one when we went to the Coach outlet store in Vegas about 6 years ago. I'm rough on my purses and that bad boy still looks new. Same idea with Victorias Secret. I was large enough for a while that I wasnt able to wear VS. Then, the first time I was... it was like a new me hatched. I can spend money on a bra with VS that will last for a while, or spend 18 bucks on one at Target that falls apart after a few months. If I would have continued to purchase purses at Target or Kohls at 25-35 bucks a piece over the last 6 years, I would have more than paid for my Coach purse and a trip to VS.

Father's Day Salsa, Chicken and Pineapple Whips!

Face it, we all have a daddy but having a father is something different. And, my father is definitely different. He often jokes that he pissed The Man off upstairs by his shenanigans when he was younger. Which is why when he and my mom were pregnant the first time, he was hoping for a boy. Well, he got me. Then, when they were pregnant again, he said... its my boy! And proceeded to have twins. Girls. When he and my stepmom were pregnant, he said... this is it. This is finally my boy! And my youngest sister was born. The man just can't catch a break, even the dogs are girls.

Obstacles

You get everything all set up and ready to go, your vitamins, your protein shakes, salad fixins' and a bunch of healthy produce to munch on at work. You brought your work out clothes with you so you can hit the gym after work. You're psyched! Then, in a move straight out of Office Space, you get dumped a project. One that will require you to be there at work considerably later than you intended. . . Or, you get up that morning for a run to find you have a stuffy nose, sore throat and are coughing. Its happened to everyone, myself included.

Cheating

You've done great eating healthy stuff all day. You brought to work with you exactly what you should eat, didn't deviate from it at all. Then, on the way home you get an intense craving for a Snickers. Then the internal fight starts. Should you get one? Is it worth it? Do I really want it?

I've read a lot of weight loss blogs that pretty much tell you to abstain from any type of trigger food. Well, I'll be the first to tell you not to. If you do, the next thing you know you're eating an entire bag of Mini Snickers, putting you further back from your goal than you intended.

There are people that recommend having a cheat DAY. As in eat great and healthy, watch what you eat (really watch it, not just watching it as it goes in your mouth) then, take a day and bomb it. I don't recommend doing that either.

There is a happy medium.

I don't believe in denying yourself something you want. If you do, the craving becomes so intense that you will inevitably get it and probably eat too much of it. I don't believe in having a day that you can eat freely (like a goat in an overgrown pasture). I believe that you should be able to eat ONE thing during the week that deviates from your meal plans. Whether that be a Snickers, ordering the cheese enchiladas instead of the grilled chicken fajitas, or ordering french fries with your veggie burger instead of getting a side salad.

Your body becomes used to the number of calories you consume each day. If you are repeatedly eating exactly the same thing or a small variation of it equating to the same calories, your body will find a way to effectively burn it- meaning you hit the plateau that no one likes. So if you're eating healthy and working out day after day and you're not seeing a difference... Eat ONE thing that you're craving off your diet plan. Get that ice cream cone. Eat that piece of candy. Order the milkshake. Just one thing. It will jolt your metabolism into thinking again. I used this analogy when I was explaining this to a client the other day. If I filled my gas tank up every time when I got to E, my car would run the same way. But, what happened if I filled it up at 3/4 of a tank. Or, 1/2 of a tank? In theory, the car would be surprised thinking that it still had so many more gallons left before the next fill up, what the hell is this?

I will go for a few days and will eat completely healthy, avoid dessert (no, really I do...as hard as it is to believe) and exercise. Then, just randomly will eat something outside my comfort zone- say a donut for breakfast if someone brings them to the office or a few cookies. I don't go into a cookie coma or anything, but I also don't deny myself.

For anyone that has lost weight themselves by working hard and making the right food choices, they can tell you they still did have bad food in their house. For example, I have a candy dish on my coffee table. Right now, its filled with spice drops. You know, those delicious sugar coated gum drops. High fructose corn syrup be damned, I still like them. Now, if I didn't buy them and put them on the coffee table, the next time I bought them I don't know how much self control I would have. But, since I have them, accessible to me at any time... I don't want them as much as you'd think. Maybe its reverse psychology on yourself. If its there, you don't want it as much as if you didn't have it where you could focus on your want for it. Make sense?

So, those cravings you have for something bad just might be the puzzle piece helping you get to your goal. There is a difference between having one cookie and 74 of them. Remember that. There's nothing wrong with one cookie now and then. But, having 74 cookies now AND then... there is a problem. Capice?

The Scale

There are fewer things that most women dread more than stepping on the scale. Every time you go to the Dr, those magic words come out, "can you please step on the scale" immediately proceeded by the removal of anything that could add any extra weight... purse, shoes, spare change in our pockets. Even going to the bathroom before you get pulled back to see the Dr in hopes that might shed a little. Then the moment of reckoning comes. BAH! Then, there is the reasoning with yourself. Well, I weighed myself naked at home... they dont do that here. Give me a pound for the clothes and shoes... 

To be or not to be.... a vegetarian

I tried being a full on vegetarian. Then, I smelled fresh cooked bacon and it was game over. My sister and I discussed the real possibility of bacon scented candles. Subsequently, the likeliness that someone (perhaps one of us) would eat the wax. Given those possibilities, I gave in and ate the bacon.

Choosing what you eat makes a huge impact on your overall health. I had attempted to be a vegetarian...I went all out too. I went to Whole Foods and purchased the Eziekel Breads- Eziekel Foods for Life (if you've never tried them, they are delicious- just make sure to keep them in the freezer until use because they are made from sprouted wheat, the bread will mold over on the counter within a day or so). I bought the Tofutti Cream Cheese. I bought only soy milk,  rice dream ice cream, the organic frozen dinners made with soy cheeze (yeah, I laughed at that one too).  I really, really tried. My naturopath m.d. had recommended a vegetarian diet for me due to the obscene amount of sinus/upper respiratory infections I was getting. I tried, really hard... I spent alot of money on those things too. I felt a thousand percent better... but then, after doing bloodwork and other tests again, she said I wasnt getting enough protein and to introduce some of it back into my lifestyle. My choices included chicken, pork and fish/shellfish. I omitted beef completely from my diet.

Confidence

You know that girl. The one that walks in the room that has her head held high, looks like she is spit-shined to a "t",  fully manicured, hair coiffed into the perfect resting spot. The one that looks like her clothes were made specifically for HER. Then there is another girl on the other side of the room that is fidgety, keeps playing with her hair, biting her fingernails, constantly looking down hoping no one will talk with her.

I used to be the second girl, all the time. It was hard to be confident when you are putting on your size 2x shirts and trying to feel sexy. I've learned that confidence is a state of mind though. You can't buy it. Its not what you wear, its not how you do your hair or if you have your toes done or not. Confidence is something that just eeks out of you when you know and accept who you are and how you look.

Spicy Friday; its getting HOT, HOT, HOT!

I have a confession to make.  I have a Ph. D. in Smartassery. What's that you ask? Its the art of being a smartass and everything it encompasses. For instance, I could go over to the neighbors house right now with my grown up pants on and explain that their radio is loud enough for me to hear the words whilst I was in the shower... or, in true Ph.D fashion, I could tell them I thoroughly enjoyed their blaring rendition of "The Real Slim Shady" and ask if there are any dance accompaniments but that hands down, "Its about to get Crunk in here" is their Pièce de résistance (inserting a french laugh and putting a finger mustache over my mouth for added effect).  What does this have to do with today's post you wonder? Nothing, but I got your attention, didn't I. 

Jeans and Dresses and Shoes, Oh my!

When I was overweight, I hated clothes shopping. I would go out and look for clothes, ultimately ending up in the section of clothes that inevitably were neon colored shirts and shorts with Pooh, Tigger and other random characters on it. What the #u@k. Seriously?  There is just something wrong on a cosmic level if my niece and I were able to buy the same shirt. Just sayin. Like being overweight isnt enough of a "hey look at me" to add a fluorescent green shirt with winnie the pooh on it so when we're walking down the street, we can stand out like monkeys in a baboon cage.

When I started really losing weight, I had to go look for more work clothes. I was getting to the point my pants actually fell off instead of unbuttoning them.  But, the frugal part of me looked at these price tags on the clothes and had a big problem spending $40 on a shirt. Or, $70 on pants. Especially since I knew I wanted to lose more and those clothes wouldnt be in my closet that long.  It was just like money down the drain.

Shop Smarter

Ok, so I'll be the first to admit that I still by crap at the grocery store. I have a nasty sweet tooth. There is never a shortage of sweets in the house. I also love hot and spicy foods. By that account, there is never a shortage of hot sauce either. My brother in law asked me when he was over once how many bottles of hot sauce I had. I pulled them all out of the fridge and at that time- 6. This did not include the home made salsa that I frequently have.

The Hike

In 2007, I was working for a now defunct, local bank. I was working with a close friend of mine at the time- she happened to be my direct manager. An opportunity presented itself within the bank (since they were a sponsor) to do a hike. The Joanne Woods March for Mammaries. It was a charity that I wanted to be a part of since they donated every single penny that the hikers raised to The Breast Cancer Fund of Central Arizona. There wasnt any administration fees, overhead, etc. They had the sponsors cover the food and drinks at the "B'rest Stops". There were two options, a 4 mile hike (that was pretty much straight up) or the other hike, which was 15.4 miles long. My friend and I said, "Psha, we'll do the 15 mile hike". We signed up back in October and the hike was scheduled the first week of March. PLENTY of time to train (mind you, I was still about 180lbs then).

Addiction

When people think of addiction; they tend to think of alcoholism...drugs...but I'm addicted to food. Yes, I said it. The first step in going the right direction is admitting you have a problem. My sisters and I both could seriously be eating dinner and be hyping ourselves up on what's for breakfast the next day. We all LOVE food. When I was more than 250+lbs, it took a bit for me to admit there was a problem. I was too busy planning my next hit, by hit...  I mean burrito.

I had to actually accept there was a problem and as much as I wanted to be proud to be who I was, I knew I wasnt myself at that weight. I couldnt enjoy any of the things that I wanted. I kept thinking in my mind I was still the skinny person that used to do all the sports in high school, then I'd try. The fluff on the outside of me inhibited me from being active. Kind of like the kid in the heavy winter gear in "A Christmas Story" that gets all dressed up and then has to pee.

Recipes, recipes, recipes...

Ok, well the big part about losing weight is knowing what to eat right? Well, it also includes knowing HOW to healthfully prepare your meal as well. A lot of these meals that I make are, frankly...residing in a big empty space...otherwise known as my head.

I cook to my taste and not everyone has the same taste. Luckily, Dave knows better and eats what I make otherwise hes back to being a bachelor and eating macaroni and cheese out of the pan he cooked it in (I still laugh at that). So far, he hasnt said anything I've made in the last few years was inedible, nor has he turned away from anything. There have been trials and errors, of course. But, most of the things we make on a normal basis get tweaked here and there based off the ingredients in the house.

I am going to try to compile a few things and place them under a new forthcoming "recipes" tab.

What is your favorite healthy recipe?

make the best of it

Dieting isnt really so much of a diet, its more of a lifestyle change. Hell, if I used the word diet in my normal vernacular, I'd have been on a diet and starving for the last 7 years! I know I've used that term here in previous posts, but if you tell yourself you're on a diet it sounds like you are denying yourself certain foods. You can still eat great stuff and not deny yourself, just remember its in moderation. If you want a slice of that cake someone brought in from work, take the smallest piece. Take a few bites. If its not that great, toss it. The temptation is out of the way and you've participated in the obligatory office celebration. Win Win. I remember when I worked in the construction department at this bank, everyone would bring in food, it seemed; at least once a week. I didnt eat alot of it, because I didnt want to waste calories on stuff that didnt look that appealing to begin with. But, one day, someone brought in this cake from AJ's ( if you dont know what AJ's is, its a gourmet supermarket here in town). It was their orange dreamsicle cake. I had seen it there when I was walking through the store once and thought it looked so divine. But, I didnt have 40 bucks to drop on a cake so I was safe... until the cake appeared at work. Its like it heard me and followed me into the office. Well, I tried to tell myself I didnt need it. I tried to tell myself it wasnt going to be good (...basically a bunch of inner dialog on how sexy the cake looked). So, what I did was wait until everyone else got their slice of it. If there was any left, I said to myself I'd grab a piece. Well, time went by and there was still cake left. So I walked over, cut the smallest piece I could-as in-it was transparent-didnt hold its shape-crumbs on a plate type slice. And you know what? It was good. But, just that little bit satisfied me because I had made a barter with myself before I had it. I didnt need to go home and devour a box of cupcakes because I had a mental process I followed through with and got what I was 'craving'.

A day at a time...

When David and I first moved in together, he was giving me a ration of crap for how many clothes I had. He jokingly offered some to the neighbor, my sisters, everyone he talked to. I tried explaining to him that I honestly had less than most girls, but obviously its more than him. Then, I tried explaining to him that a girl isnt the same size every day. That some days, I could wear my size 2 pants and some days, well...I needed the 6's. The quizzical look on his face was as if I was trying to explain how to create a rip in the time/space continuum. I just smiled and said it was so I could look pretty. Much easier. 


The moral to that story? I am glad that I kept those clothes. Otherwise I'd be naked. For those of you that dont know, I've been sick for the last two months. As such, I was put on a very, very high dosage of steroids. Yeah, those things that make you rage like the Hulk and cry at telephone commercials... while you are shoving your face with food. Get angry? Go eat a cookie. Sad? Get some ice cream. Frustrated? Well, that deserves a brownie. I wasnt that bad, I actually did eat mostly healthy...but, I did gain weight. Not alot, but according to the Dr, I've gained 8lbs since November (I'm just going to round and say 10lbs. Its easier mathematically for this pollock). I'm now off of the steroids and the antibiotics. And feel a hundred percent better.