2018 Happy New Year

A lot can happen in a year.  Let's hope I lose another 50 lbs.  Eat less, move more!

Merry Christmas 50 lbs loss

Merry Christmas and the gift I give myself today is weight loss.  50 lbs loss so far since June.

Yep, 219.4 is today's weight and let me tell ya, after yo-yo-ing between 220 to 223 this past week and eating food I had no idea how to even put in myfitnesspal app at the work Christmas party yesterday, I was amazed I had lost some.  To ensure I didn't gain too much, I did 14K steps yesterday, almost 6K by 9am.  Slow work day in the morning.  Dinner was at 7 and I am currently still fasting (over 12 hours).  Guess it really worked. 

From here on out I'll be able to control what I stuff in my mouth more since there will be no more "parties" to attend.  Just a dinner tonight at the in-laws and I'm done.

For the new year, I'm wanting to follow the same exercise routine every day.
30 air squats
30 push-ups
10 to 20 minutes elliptical
and...swimming.  I really want to add this to my routine.
But most importantly, lawn care.  My poor yard needs some serious loving, and what a great workout, ya know?
And I'm dropping my daily caloric intake to 1600.

Plus, I'm feeling a bit empowered.  Folks have been asking me "how" and I've been explaining that you don't have to kill yourself to lose weight, just find what works for you.  Remember, it took forever to put it on, it's going to take forever to take if off.  Eat less bad food, eat more good food.  Watching calories seems to help LOTS so that I don't overeat.  But most importantly, it's not a diet.  It's a lifestyle change.  Diets aren't meant to last after all.  Lady at work wanted me to join her in a KETO diet, but I told her I couldn't.  Lifestyle change.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season, that you find peace & avoid drama and snow storms.

Eat less, Move more....Merry Christmas.

confusion

Woke up yesterday to 220.6 , woke up this morning to 223.4 which blew my mind because I didn't go over 1600 calories yesterday.     Weighed before my shower tonight and came in at 222.1.   Yeah, I don't get it either. Must be PMS water weight.  I had a blueberry fritter as part of my breakfast this morning, thanks Mike.  I'm starting to think that some bad fat might be good for me.  Weird.  Can only wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Eat less, move more.

221.4 Happy Dance

So I was off by a day but woke up to 221.4 lbs.  See, Eat Less, Move More does work.  Pushing for 220 for tomorrow.  YES!  And I'm not even hungry.

1427 calories, give or take a few

1427 That's how many calories I ingested today per myfitnesspal app.  What's amazing is I had 2 slices of cheesecake for breakfast.  Yummy chocolate chips, thick cream cheese, so fattening.  350 calories a slice. This was after I had done my 10 minutes on my elliptical and was around 10:30 am.

I didn't eat again until 1:30.  Chicken Piccata by Michelangelo's.  I actually ate the serving size recommended when creating 3 servings from the family size meal, about 300 calories.  Tomorrow I will eat the final serving for lunch or breakfast, who knows.  I left out my usual orzo pasta because it turns out to be too many calories.

I also did another 10 minutes on my elliptical.   And I had sex.  I've read that sex burns about 69 calories (yeah, I rolled my eyes when I saw the amount but it makes it easier to remember.)   Any who, I list it as a cardio.

Dinner was at 6pm.  Pot roast with baby carrots & little purple potatoes (no gravy).   About 400 calories.

Then I had a tiny little bite of peanut butter fudgy brownies.  My husband said I had burnt them, so I had to taste some to placate him that while the upper crust was hard, the inside was soft and nummy.  He's a picky eater.  The one thing in my marriage that causes me stress, trying to feed a grown man who never knows what he wants to eat & then trying to fix it the right way so he won't waste food.  After 15 years, I've got a handle on it, but it still irritates me.  Lucky for me it's winter so I can use my oven again and baked meals are my favorite.  Probably because I don't like to cook.  Love to eat though.

So I didn't get a full 11K on my steps today but that's ok since I didn't eat my full calorie count.  Tomorrow when I step on the scales, I hope to see 221, since I didn't see that today.

Eat less, Move more!  - Aloha

Self Sabotage

So, I woke up this morning with an extra pound.  😖  It happens especially when you start your day with a slice of cheesecake and end it with a beef gyro from Arbys (damn fries.)  My thought process was that I could eat the cheesecake early and burn it off.  Probably would have if it hadn't been for lunch at Ihop (damn crepes).   Since I never eat at Arby's and I love gyro's, I gave into temptation.
In the end, I went over my daily calorie allotment of 1710 and consumed 2300, give or take a few. 

Guess no more eating out for me.  Unless I starve myself all day.  It's for the best until I learn to control my eating habits.  Just couldn't see bringing home 2 crepes or not finishing the gyro even tho it would have made a great lunch for today.  So much for mindful eating.

Read an article that discussed Self Sabotage and it said to ask yourself "why are you afraid of success?"  I still can't answer that question.  Never been one for major introspection, just roll with punches as they land kind of girl.  Stubbornness would be the only answer I can come up with.  Mad at myself for getting fat and pissed that I have to lose it in order to be happy and avoid a future hip replacement surgery.

I'm incorporating Air Squats & push ups (from my kitchen counter) into my daily.  The granny flab on my underarms is getting insane. 

Wonder if I could purchase that Thigh Master that Suzanne Sommers use to peddle.  Turns out that is the correct way to firm up the inner thighs, but doing on a yoga mat without a Thigh Master is better (or is it?).  I do them in my bed when I remember to.

I'm rambling.  It happens.  Tomorrow I'm planning on my usual work breakfast of 2 packets of oatmeal which is 230 calories (bring you own cinnamon), Starbucks Frappuccino light (100 calories), and a banana (110 calories).  Total calories is 440.

Lunch will be a 290 calorie Eat Smart meal.  With 2 Halo's (95 calories) and some pita chips & garlic hummus for snacks (240 calories).   I'll still have 645 calories to use for dinner.  Plan to make do with 500 and hopefully see 221 on Friday morning when I step onto the scale.  🤞

Thinking dinner will be baked ham (100 calories per 3 oz serving), just gotta figure out my veggie sides and try to avoid the starch.

Eat less, move more!

222.0

So even though my blog says I only lost 2 pounds, I actually have lost 3 pounds in 2 days.  I gained one back earlier in the week.  Even had 3 Jim n Nicks muffins which are 150 calories each.  But so yummy.  And no, they didn't cause the weight gain.

Folks are noticing that I'm losing weight, asking me what's my secret.  According to myfitnesspal I've lost 38 but it's closer to 50 since my highest weight was 270.   Anywho, I tell people that it's not a diet, but a lifestyle change.  I wake up, potty, weigh in and then hop on the elliptical for 10 minutes.  I don't go over 1710 calories a day.  When I do go over, I don't lose weight.  When I stay a few calories under, say 1680, I lose a pound.  If I go over, say 2010, I gain a pound back.  Simple math, even for me and numbers are not my friend.

So the key is eat less, move more.  Simple.  Kinda.  I've found you really gotta like doing the exercise.  I hate crunches, I hate weight lifting, but I love swimming & the elliptical.   I like deep fried fatty foods and sweets, so I avoid them or eat only one or even one bite.  Cure the need, don't gorge.  Eat like a parisian lady.  And even though I'm telling the people this, all I hear is "I'm going on this diet." 

One friend I spoke with I think I might have reached.  I went over several pieces of advice I've been learning about and MINDFUL EATING seem to resonate with her.  Told her, take a bite, put your fork down, chew, enjoy the taste, focus on that one bite.  Then do it each time.  Pay attention to when you're actually full.  I'm still working on mindful eating, I get 30 minutes for lunch at work for my 12 hour work day, so shovelling food is my thing.  But dinner is always an opportunity since I'm just sitting there watching Guys Grocery Games.  So I have been trying to practice what I preach.  In the end, ya gotta exercise, somehow, someway or starve yourself and enjoy the flab that comes with that.

While I still plan to incorporate weight lifting into my regimen, I'm currently fighting it.  Today I'm housecleaning, lots of upper body movement.  Maybe I'll earn a few muscles in the process.  I hate dusting, ugh!

Eat less, move more.

224.6 Donuts

So despite the fact that I spent the weekend consuming 2 donuts @ 310 calories each, and a 350 calorie Double Chocolate Muffin, I still dropped 2 pounds.  Maybe it's because I'm constantly trying to get steps in or using the elliptical twice a day now on my days off.  Either way, fat is getting burned!  Simple enough proof being I ate Thanksgiving Dinner and didn't gain.

I can finally see the weight loss in my body.  My hips are smaller and my "stone baby" aka diastasis recti is getting smaller.  Less football size.  Still doing sitting crunches = sucking in my gut while sitting.  Imagine what will happen when I finally start doing crunches.

Now if I could just find a decent pair of walking shoes, I might do a 5K.  Not to run (too hard on the knees) but I can power walk.

Eat less, move more.

Turkey Day 226.2

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate America's favorite stuff-your-face day.  I will be spending meal time with my in-laws. 

So I'm at 226.2 this morning despite the 2 snack size Snickers I had yesterday.  Kept my overall calories at 1600.  To aide in keeping the weight off today, I'll have small portions and no sweets for dinner later.  But I'm totally bringing home some sweets, mainly for the hubby, because he loves dessert.

Was thinking of making a zucchini corn dish but I feel it would go to waste at the family get together.  So if I make some I'll have some for dinner.  We'll see.  My fridge is a bit stuffed at the moment.  I'm trying to do the pantry challenge but I keep buying more food.

Eat less, move more.

227.8

I couldn't believe it this morning when I stepped on that scale.  Yesterday I was 229 and figured I would be the same today, nope, lost 2 pounds yesterday.  Killing it!

Still need to up my weight lifting (not a fan) but today I went hiking with my kid and that was fun.  Should have brought my dog but I think it would have been too cold for her little 13 lb body.

Looked into joining a gym but read the reviews on Gold's Gym which is near me, great gym, horrible business practices tho.  Apparently you can get in but if you sign a contract you're screwed trying to get out of it.  I'll keep looking.  Would like to take tai chi classes.  Anyone know of a good one near Marietta or Powder Springs, GA, let me know.

Eat less, move more!

Yogurt

So for the last 2 days I've indulged in eating Noosa blueberry yogurt for breakfast with 1/2 cup of actual blueberries added to it.  What I'm learning is that an hour later, I'm starving.  For 280 calories, it sure isn't filling.  So no more Noosa.  I'll stick with Activa and some oatmeal.  Also, my husband finally agreed to let me eat what I want instead of making "us" a dinner each night that I'm willing to cook.  YES!  No more Velveeta meals.  Goodbye bad carbs, hello wheat-gluten-free pasta.  I'm tired of my entire dinner being 6 oz or less.  More veggies please.  Even better, all veggie dinner.  Oooh, I'm so having Chicken Piccata tomorrow with some orzo.

I've been fighting the same pound for a week now.  I'm hopeful that it will go away tomorrow morning when I step on the scale.   My steps are over 10K daily, usually coming in around 12K.  I'm doing wall pushups still..baby steps.  I did ask my husband if we could install a pull up bar somewhere in the house.  He looked at me funny then grabbed my thigh and noticed I have muscle and said sure.  Hopefully that will happen soon.  I need to be able to stretch my entire length.  Might be compressing my disks from all my walking.

Eat less, move more!

231.8

I am so close to finally seeing the 220's, I can almost taste it.  While I have been lazy in getting into a weightlifting routine, knowing me, I just gotta find what works.  Did read about how I can take my time, build up to it, so that's what I'm doing. 

Now that I'm doing 10 minutes on my elliptical daily, it feels weird when I don't.  Tried last week on my day off and 2 hours later I found myself on the elliptical because my brain kept saying "you forgot something."  I use those 10 minutes as a meditation & reflection moment.  Once off, I'm ready to face the world.

My husband who is my biggest supporter is simply amazed at how well I'm sticking to it.  After 15 years, he knows I'm a quitter when it comes to things.  So he's quite the fan.  Now if I could just get him to actually listen to me when I speak.  He spoke for nearly 30 minutes the other night about some things and I faced him & heard his words, didn't interrupt or anything.  When I tried to voice a cute little incident that happened at work he was busy texting.  I stopped talking but he said "go on, " when I finished the story it was apparent he stopped listening after a minute & even forgot that I was speaking.  So I've decided while he has his good points, I'm not going to bother talking to him anymore unless we are in the car together.  This is nothing new, he's never really bothered to listen to me unless it's scary important & has a direct impact on him.  I've spent my entire life as an afterthought to other people, which is why I have no problem with this and use it to my advantage now that I'm older.

The work story for those who are interested:

I noticed a co-worker has a jar on his desk with candy in it.  Mainly a little Butterfinger.  Love those.  Noticed it in the morning and by the afternoon I needed to have a heart to heart with that candy bar.  So I went into his office, stared at the jar, saying nothing.  My co-worker says "hey, you ok?"  At which point I explain to him that I want the Butterfinger but not the zillion calories that come with it.  The other co-worker in the room chirps in about how it would be nice to have a man in a jar, and how it would be great to take him out of the jar on occasion when she needs something.  She went on & on about this and I looked at the first co-worker who is pushing 70 & an active church member & I said "The look on your face says "bitches be crazy."  At which point he laughs & says "I wasn't gonna say it."  So I said, "that's what I said it for you sweetie."  Now we are all laughing, good belly laughs too.  The end.

Eat less, move more.

Kettlebell

So I was at Walmart today with my husband.  He was pushing the cart so I could swing my arms while walking to get my steps in and as we meandered around (shopping part was done, this was just to get steps) I noticed the kettlebells.  Was thinking "hey, I wonder if I should get one to incorporate it into my weightlifting routine?"  Then I picked up the smallest one and realized...I seriously need to step up my game.  That bell was HEAVY.  No clue what the weight was, but I wasn't ready for it.

So tomorrow morning, before I hop on my elliptical for my 10 minutes, I'm gonna do at least 10 minutes of actual weightlifting exercises.  Sorry Coral Isle (FB game), this girl needs to get in shape.
And since I'm reading more and more of how if I want to truly make a dent in my weight loss, I need to lift weights.  Lean muscle burns fat = weight loss.

My weight hasn't changed but that's ok.  I have noticed my work pants are getting real loose again.  Time to go down another size, but I'm waiting to order since I heard that we might be getting a new style of uniform.

I also need to work on not being such a negative nelly about other people's bodies.  Now when I see someone who's more obese than me I think "fatty needs to drop the oreo's."  I don't know what that person's life is, who am I to judge.  And most importantly, I don't want to be a negative nelly.  I want to be happy.  Spreading good cheer to those around me, or atleast not giving a shit enough to even have a thought about them.

Sigh, my husband got mad today at someone and proceeded to open his mouth without thinking and it could have a impact on me.  I pray it doesn't, but we will see.  He seriously needs to learn to let shit go and shut the fuck up.  But I love him.  I do.  Some days, like today, I question why I love him.

On a good note, according to my Garmin Fitness app, I've dropped my BMI from 46 to 42.  Yeah me!

Eat less, move more, good night.

233.8

So you wanna lose weight?  Simple: exercise & eat less than your target daily caloric intake.  Mine is 1700 calories per day.  Yesterday I consumed about 1500.   I even had 5 pieces of dark chocolate with pistachios.  I did 10 minutes on my elliptical and I did 3 squat jacks with my 1 pound dumb bells.

I've lost 2 lbs in 2 days after spending the last 2 weeks trying my best to drop 3 lbs that I had gained back.  So 5 lbs in 2 weeks.  But that's a bit fast for me because I not trying to lose weight fast.  I need to replace my fat with muscle because I don't want that saggy skin when I reach my target goal.  Lady at work did the lap band, lost about 80 lbs in 3 months.  She went from looking her age (about late 30's) to 60-ish.  She still hasn't gotten the skin removal surgery after 10 years and still looks 60-ish.  She never did gain the weight back.  Granted I don't care what people think when they look at me, but I refuse to look old before my time.

BTW, if your every drained of energy and need a perk me up, ignore the coffee...do about 3 jumping jacks.  Yes, you read right, Jumping Jacks.  Turns out the exercises we learned in grade school are still beneficial today.  I just woke up so I apologize if I'm repeating myself.

Not weight loss related rant coming up, stop reading if you're not interested.

In the news is all about Hollywood women & sexual harassment.  I blame society.  If you teach your kid to be a jerk, they will end up acting like one in adulthood.  "OH NO, I would never do that"...but are you willing to walk away from the asshole in your life who treats you like shit?  Then you're teaching your kids it's ok to treat people like shit & your children to accept this behavior from them. 

I just as guilty as the next person, but with one caveat.  I raised my daughter to understand that all boys want is butt's & boobs.  Sadly, the boys that have come into her life keep proving that point over and over again.  No wonder she's still single even as an adult.

Until all humans put assholes in their place and complain, it will never end.  Since we need jobs, sexual harassment will endure as it always has.  The problem is this:  simple office flirtation vs. actual sexual harassment.  Some folks won't tolerate anything while others, like myself, don't mind if some dude/lady makes a lewd comment because it is a form of flattery even if it's sexist.  But then I give as good as I get.  My opinions only, ignore them if you wish. 

Eat less, move more and good luck.

236

Yep, dropped 2 lbs like a hot stone!  Sweet!!!!  I've been trying to find more fulfilling foods.  Breakfast on my days off from work is almond milk & some almond granola cluster flake cereal.  I ditched the box & saved the UPC for myfitnesspal.   Also found some blue cheese stuffed queen olives at ALDI that I'm in love with because it's only 20 calories each!  Been eating 2 a day whenever the hunger pains kick in but it's not meal time.

And, yea me...I'm doing 10 minutes on my elliptical now.  I realized the hip arthritis is from the cold, not the exercise.  Easy fix.  Ignore it.  After all, our brains tell us we are in pain and I rarely listen to what's going on in my head.  Bet that's the reason why I'm having so much trouble becoming 'aware.'

Plan to start back up on actual push ups instead of wall pushups. My intent is to move beyond 5 and add an extra one each day until I reach 50.  Want to add crunches too.

Friend at work told me about some arm exercises to help rid the granny flab I got going on.  Easy exercises that only take 30 seconds each because by the end of 30 seconds, arms are screaming.  Simply stretch arms out until you resemble the letter t and rotate forward 30 seconds, then backwards 30 seconds (like in grade school PE class.)  Then bend your arms in front like a boxer and try to touch your forearms together (or as I recall it from high school "you must, you must, you must increase your bust.")  Then with your arms still bent, reach up then back down.  Kinda like your lifting weights but with your hands in balled form and facing away.  Make sense?  Hope so.    I wonder if windmilling my arms will help?

Someday I will be doing jumping jacks again.  And hula hooping!  Maybe even light jogging?  Gotta get ready for the zombie apocalypse people.  After all, Trump did say "calm before the storm."  He probably means North Korea but I'm hoping for zombies.  (We call this sarcasm people.)

Tippy toes...baby steps.  I'm getting there folks.  Eat less, move more.

238.2

Finally, out of the 240's.  I swear those last few pounds kept bouncing back and forth.  So now, my goal is to get to the 220's.  I would love to be under 200 by the holidays but I'm not gonna kill myself trying to get there either.  30 years packing it on, 3 to lose it.  Not bad if I do say so myself.

Remember when I had to clean out a replacement fridge?  Well, today I had to drag the old one to the curb.  Our town has a yearly pickup for unwanted appliances.  I'm sure it will be gone before the garbage men pick up since the opportunistic scrap metal folks come around and collect first.  But hey, I dragged a fridge to the curb.  Pretty easy since it didn't have doors on it.  Mosquitoes ate me alive tho.  And my husband was going to ask our neighbour to do it.  Pfft!  I got muscles now!

I'm sweating, gonna shower, maybe watch Marvels Inhumans then probably go to Walmart to get some supplies since I really don't want to have to go anywhere tomorrow but Publix.  Besides after dark at Walmart brings out "those people."  You know the ones...they're all over the internet.  Hope I get lucky and spot one. *UPDATE: saw a lady dressed in red and looking like she was ready for a parade in Cuba..sweet.*  Little things like seeing someone letting their freak flag fly brings a smile to my face.  Then some brisket & zucchini for dinner.

One thing I am noticing with the workouts and weights...my hip hurts.  I don't want to go to the doctor and ask them if I'm harming myself but I'm starting to think I don't have a choice.  But before I give in to modern medical advice, I will learn yoga first to see if that helps.

Stretch people...stretch!

I'm trying to be more aware of my moments...it's really hard.  Eat less, move more.  Ta-ta.

Stretch

I keep forgetting the importance of stretching.  Today I am reminded with a weird pain in my right shoulder blade & right elbow.  That's what I get for missing 2 days of elliptical.  Think I'll go swimming today instead of weight lifting.  I've bounced back up to 242-243 but I seem to be maintaining right there.  Little bouts of self sabotage (Hello double stuff Oreo's.)  But I'm not binge eating, just craving something sweet.  2 cookies is 140 calories.  I can control that.

239

Yeah, finally made it back to the 230's.  It's been hard too.  Got a lady at work who keeps trying to give me bad foods.  Yesterday it was a cookie. I never thought there would be someone who was trying to sabotage me, just figured it would be me.  I've been skipping on the elliptical in the mornings due to it making a squeaking noise.  Will have to double down on my days off.

Eat less, move more.

two steps forward...

It's been a week.  I gained back 4 pounds and spent the week losing them again.  But I think I might have screwed up again.  Don't know why but I acted like I wasn't on a calorie restrictive diet today.  I went over by about 800 calories.  I really got to stop buying junk food. 

Got my breakfast & lunch ready for tomorrow.  I have 7 servings of veggies & fruits.  Suppose to get 9 servings a day (1/2 cup each).    Dinner tomorrow is steak & baked potato w/ broccoli.  I'll use a cream cheese instead of sour cream & cheddar & butter.  Plus, I plan to only eat 1/2 the potato.

Never did deep clean that bathroom.  Maybe next day off.  Did blow the leaves in the backyard & weed eat & blow the front yard.  So that helped.   Getting ready for the heavy storms coming from the south.  Hurricane Irma is on her way. 

244.5

Yep, told ya I would lose that water weight.  So for total weight lost I'm up to 15 lbs.  Most importantly, keeping it off.  

Today I want to push myself with exercise since I have the day off.  Plan to major spring clean my bathroom today.  It needs it.  Then I'll surface clean the rest of the house because it still looks good from last week.

Gonna get lots of squats, lunges and arm use today.  Happy Labor Day.

249 yeah

How weird is that?  I over-ate by almost 500 calories yesterday, yet I lost weight. Granted, just a few ounces, but still.

So today I made sure to get all my 9K steps in before I left work.  Sunday's can be slow so I took advantage of it and helped out another department by walking around and making sure our guests were content with their stations.   Plus I found it easier to walk long distances than shorter ones. Better for my hips, I think.

Came across this article called   10 Compelling Reasons To Try An Elimination Diet.  Being a logical thinking person, when I see something that makes sense and interest me, I pursue.  Never heard of this, but then I don't watch Dr. Oz.   So I think I might try this.

First I need to work on my vices.  Diet Coke will be the first since I think it will be easy since I've been increasing my water intake.  Next will be Mio for the water.  Then I'll move on to teas, juices, and raw fruit flavored water I make myself.  My short lived coffee addiction will come to an end.  I just started drinking it last year.  Now my iced frappes are bad.  Maybe I can find a healthier version. Like Golden Milk.

Also plan to cut back on red meat to once a week.  From now on, only grass fed steak Sundays' for me.  It took many years of watching Master Chef for my husband to finally understand how to cook a steak.  Not giving it up.  Only my hubby eats poorly when given the chance.  His choice.  Perhaps seeing my transformation from fat to fit will encourage him to cut back on bad foods and eat more good stuff.   He said he wants to get down to 175.  Sometimes I just wanna punch him in the face.  He weighs 185.  So he needs to lose 10 measly pounds. While I have loved his body since day 1, he has gotten a baby bump these last few years.  I just pat it and say "3 months" because that's how much of a bump he has.

I also want to have 2 vegetarian dinners or days.  3 fish days and 4 bean days.  9 servings a day of fruit or veggies (I prefer veggies.)

 Also think I might be gluten intolerant.  Just read 10 signs and I'm 6.  They recommend the Elimination Diet to properly test.  Another reason to do this.

Thank you google...found a healthy frappe.

Before I forget.  Went 6 minutes on my elliptical. Baby steps. Tomorrow I'll try for 10 and throw in some planks after my weights.  I can feel myself getting stronger and my hip is hurting less and less.

It was a good day and I still have 200+ calories left over.  Time for rest and practicing something new, meditation, hopefully my ADD brain will let me focus.  Night.



.

250 grrrr

So I woke up to a 2 lb addition on my scale weight and I took it in stride.   Then I realized what day it was and that I haven't had a cheat day in a while.  So I went to Martins and got me a large steak & egg biscuit (700 calories) because the place is dead @ 5:25 am on a Saturday, food in under 5 minutes.  Divine but gone too fast.   I was reading my Kindle while eating it, so *poof,* barely remember tasting it.  Kept me full until lunch, 5 hours later.

Then I ate my lunch @ 11am, Ready Pac Caesar Chicken Salad. (240 calories) That still would have been fine, but I also ate my other breakfast around 2pm which was a turkey sandwich (180 calories).

Then to add to my gluttony, I had a Screaming Sicilian Mambo Italiano Stromboli..sigh...700 calories, for dinner.  I didn't even look at the box before I cooked it.

I refuse to go back to being lazy.

Lastly, a small cinnamon cake (240 calories) which I should have eaten with my morning frappe and probably would have gone another 2 weeks without going to Martins.

Good news, I've exercised every day for 4 day in a row.  That's great for me.  I want to up it to daily and add some meditation, yoga & a tiny bit of HIIT to my routine.  I'm comfortable at 5 minutes on the elliptical, so I'm planning to increase that to 10 minutes in the next few days.

Tomorrow will be better, plan to keep it at 1500 calories for the day.  I will not give in to what I know is bad for me.   Today should last me a while in the self pity department.

What can I say...some days just suck.  Eat less, move more.

247.2

So for the last week I've been bouncing around 249-252.  Today I was 247.2..and the best part is I'm currently suffering from water weight due to being a female so in a few days that will go away and I hope to be down to 245.

Dieting is proving pretty easy in the sense of I'm able to avoid overeating (smaller portions helps), not crave sweets and avoid bad foods my co workers try to offer me (chips, cakes, etc.)  That's hard too because someone is always baking something and bringing us the leftovers.  Or celebrating something (this week, co-worker's wife is due any day now..so blue cake.)

The last few days I've been taking advantage of down time at work and getting in more than 10K steps.  All morning I can go off for about 7 minutes and just walk and walk.  Problem I'm noticing is my work issued boots are in need of replacement and I should switch to sneakers.  My boots are a men's 7 because I have flintstone feet (square) so I have to wear wide.  Women's shoes are not offered in wide.  Might have to buy my own.  Anyone know of some good wide width walking shoes that can handle 247.2 pounds...lemme know.  Regular shoes go smoosh after a week.  Then I have to put in inserts for any kind of comfort.  I'm a womens 8 USA.

Watching my calories like a hawk and been paying attention to sugar and fiber grams.  Turns out Marie Callender's turkey pot pies are on the good list along with Lean Pockets.  Just 2 grams of fiber and only 3 grams of sugar.  I know, sugar is suppose to be lower, but I need something I can take to work and eat in about 10 minutes.  These work.

It's funny, I use to take a backpack to work along with a little lunch sack.  Then eat everything.  Now I just take my backpack and whatever I'm eating has to fit in it along with all my drinks.  Still indulging in 240 calories of Private Selection Hazelnut Frappuccino.  That's my line.  Gotta have some coffee now that I've become a coffee drinker in my 40's.  I'll switch to hot coffee once it gets cold around here (GA), maybe next year if it's anything like last winter.

Motivation is still an issue, but I'm practicing mindfulness.  That's where you actually pay attention to what you're doing and what's going on around you and if it's not to you liking you question it so you can make changes if wanted or needed.  It's hard too.  I've been a robot for so long, letting life pass me by that paying attention is like going back to being 5 and wondering what everything is again.

I did my monthly measurements.  My biceps lost 1/2 inch.  Nothing else changed but I know my bum is smaller and so is my waist because my size 46 work pants are way too big now.

Did 10 minutes total today on the elliptical.  Yeah me!  I also used the blower to remove leaves off the deck and had planned to weed eat the lawn (lawn mower died, very small yard tho) but Hurricane Harvey rains are headed this way and I can hear the drops on the leaves outside.  Opportunity lost.  Damn.  Maybe some gardening instead.

Oh I tried a dragon fruit finally.  Wasn't impressed, put it in my smoothie instead.  Oh well.

Eat less, move more.  Get healthy!

ZERO

My darling husband recorded a Dr. Oz episode he thought might interest me now that I'm trying to get fit.  The show featured  David Zinczenko who is the creator of the Zero Sugar Diet.  I'm going to cut to the chase and give ya the basics.

1. Your processed foods should have no added sugars.
2. ALL of your foods should have more fiber than actual sugar.  So 8 grams fiber w/ 4 grams of sugar.  Or a balance.  4 grams fiber w/ 4 grams of sugar.

This helps greatly since I'm keeping my calories under 1700 a day without issue now.  Not bad for a few weeks.  I've shrunk my stomach.  I can't gorge anymore without bloating so I've been avoiding doing that.  I broke my habit of eating when bored.  So now I can focus on more things like sugars/fibers/fat calories.  Might have to upgrade myfitnesspal app.  

One thing that works for me is that I like fresh foods.  I like vegetables more than fruits and veggies are lower in calories than most fruits.  Mainly I like the fact that steak isn't as fatty as they claim but I'm limiting it to once a week.

I'm learning so much by finally taking the time to invest in myself.  You should try it.

I may go swimming today but I really want to try that 'sweat my ass off while I do deep cleaning around the house' exercise today.  Hey, I lost a pound that way and my fridge is still spotless.

12 lbs

Yep.  As of this morning I weighed in at 248.  I couldn't believe it, had to look twice and do some math.  However, as much as I want to "hurrah" this victory...I know some of it is water weight.

See what had happened was...my fridge died on Wednesday night.  I kept a spare in the garage so on Thursday hubby and I made the switch.  Sounds simple right?

1. Old fridge too big for door.  Remove fridge doors and shimmy the fridge out on the 5th try.  Working that core people!

2. Newer fridge has been sitting for 7 years in a corner, alone and afraid.  So sad.  But we plugged that puppy in and it works.  Thousand bucks saved right there.  Did I mention mold?  Yeah, not much but enough to grab the bleach.  Washed that modern convenience 3 times.  Bleach, soap, vinegar.  It didn't stink, so that was a +.  Worked my upper arms and did lots and lots of squats.

3. Newer fridge won't fit in the door.  Not a chance in hell.  Roll around to front door, using my legs, somewhat lifting said fridge over that door plate in the floor.  Again, working that core.

4.  Washing every single drawer, grate, cubby in the damn thing.  Arms.

5.  Sweat, sweat, sweat...did I mention it's humid in my neck of the woods?  Had to clean said newer fridge in the garage with only a little fan because the mosquito population in my yard is biblical.   Plan to do some serious yard work once winter comes and that energy sucking humidity is banished for a few months.  I wanna be mosquito free in 2018.  Goals, gotta have goals.

6.  I don't collect stuff but should Walking Dead become a reality, I'm good for a while.  My pantry is full.  So is my freezer and fridge.  I mention this since everything had to be moved from one fridge to coolers...then back into the newer fridge.    Again...arms, squats.

* Had a fun game going on called "Why didn't I take a photo?" where we got to guess where the racks and draws went.  Good times people, good times.

7.  Hubby worries me about the water line.  Avoid trip to Home Depot by figuring out the old hose works with the newer stuff.

8. A whole day without ice.  A WHOLE DAY.  I'd never survive prison.

Today my legs & arms hurt.  Owie.

So if you wanna work out without working out....clean your fridge like something died in there.  Like that moth did under the butter dish.  Or the gnat gathering in spilled blood in the back behind the veggie bin.  You know you see it.

Eat less...move more.

Calories

So I'm all about calories now.  I can have 1700 a day.  If I exercise then I can have more, but I'm trying to stay focused on the 1700.  This week I have done well and have lost 3 lbs.  More importantly, I've kept off 3 lbs.  Goodbye 260's...I hope I never get to back to you.

Once I get the hang of the calories, I'll delve deeper and focus on FAT calories.  One step at a time though.  Right now I'm trying to figure out how all these food blogs say making your own overnight oatmeal is better than store bought, but the calories don't match.  1/2 cup overnight oats is around 250.  1/2 cup of instant oaks (banana cream) is 160.  I suck at math but even I can figure this one out.
Must be the milk.

Still working on motivation.   For example, I should be at the pool right now.  But I'm sitting here instead eating some overnight oats about to watch another episode of Alone (I like learning things).  I know the pool water is cold from recent rains but I have an aquatic center I can go to as well (for free) that has a heated pool.

Darn, just realized I need to go to Walmart and get some store bought waffles cos my husband doesn't like belgian waffles on the waffle maker.  Sigh.  I really hate shopping.

Control

Today was about control.  Can I control myself not to eat out of boredom but only out of actual hunger?  Turns out I can.  Knew I had it in me.  (Fist Pump)

So I got up, got on the elliptical, did 5 minutes before my hip started hurting.  Also got in some wall pushups and squats w/dumbbells.  About 15 reps each.  I'm not up to sets yet.

I was careful with my food and didn't go over my 1700 allotment of calories.  Mostly though, I got 3600+ extra steps today in addition to my daily goal.  That was more due to the weather being so windy, cool and just nice.  Plus it started out a slow day at work so I had time to talk a walk around the building several times today.

Now my goal is to get more than 5 hours of sleep so I can do it again even better tomorrow.   Plus I want to go swimming tomorrow night.

Can't wait to weigh myself in the morning.   Always remember, you're responsible for your own happiness so eat less...move more.  Later.

3 pounds

I finally went swimming Friday.  Exceeded my steps by 1500.  Doing good.  Lost 3 lbs.  Figure it's water weight loss.

Yet today I went over my calorie count by 783.  Self sabotage.  Why do I keep doing this to myself?
Starting to think that perhaps the "change in perception" isn't such a bad idea after all.   I have a co-worker who practices it non-stop.  She blocks negativity like Captain America with that shield he's got.

Gotta figure out what's stopping me from accepting this life choice I've made.  Fit by 50.  I want that so much, for so many reasons.  I'm a logical, calculating and creative minded person, I should be able make sense of this confusion.

Intentions is to drink 8 oz of water before every meal and FOCUS on what I'm putting in my body.   Something has to change.  I'm killing myself with calories and I'm not going out like that dagnabit!

I will try better tomorrow.  I'm gonna eat less and move more.  G'day.

Cheesecake

Cheesecake is evil. It lures you and tempts you with the knowledge that it will be delicious.  And dammit...it was.  Shot my calorie intake totally off chart.  Hopefully I will go swimming tomorrow.

Frustration

Went to my HOA pool only to find it locked at 10:30 am.  2nd day in a row it's been locked when the sign clearly states 10am-8pm.   No one is there at 10:30.  I can exercise in peace.

Why this is a issue?  I'm having some body shaming issues.  My arms look like they belong on a 80 year old.   18" circumference on my biceps.  Mostly fat with some muscle.   Like 2 balloons on their way to deflation but hanging on cos the helium isn't quite spent.  Not to mention the lovely stretch marks that, thankfully, have faded but you can still see 'em up close.  Ugh.  Yes, I know, no one is really looking at me anymore than I'm looking at them, but still, I prefer privacy.  That and avoiding people who think I'm there to chat.  I hate chatting.  Here's a clue folks, if someone is actually swimming, they don't want to chat.

My swimsuit is a blouson tankini top with biker/swim shorts that are long enough to cover all of my thighs (other body shaming area).  It's cute on me, but I still look I'm about 7 months pregnant.

So my motivation is shot for the day.  I did do 5 minutes on my elliptical and some standing push ups and some weight lifting (2 lb dumbbells.)  Broke a sweat and got my heart rate up to 130 for a few minutes.

Really need to work on my motivation.  Also, I don't like to go outside when the sun is too bright, even with sunscreen lotion I still burn and it gives me a headache.  Excuses for sale, I got tons on discount.

That's where the apple cider vinegar comes into play.  After researching it, I found that I can consume no more than 2 TBSP a day, after that it has no additional benefits.  Right now I'm at 1 TBSP every other day while my body adjust to this new product.  Now if it were red wine vinegar...no problems. I could drink the stuff.  But this apple cider vinegar is a whole new experience.  Also, Welch's Refreshingly Simple Pineapple, Orange & Apple juice does a decent job of killing off about 80% of the taste and smell which makes it more palatable. Plus I drink it using a straw and can almost inhale it in one continuous sip.  

The research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1785201/ This is from the government so it must be true...maybe.  However, good research went into this article which is why I like it.  They rely on history and facts.  My favorite.  This other link is to Good HouseKeeping online for the flip side of the argument: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a44852/apple-cider-vinegar-health-benefits/.  

Do it, don't do it.  Beauty of personal choice.

I did read that traditional Japanese rice vinegar (Kurosu) from unpolished rice, inhibits the proliferation of human cancer cells. Again from the ncbi website. Pretty cool to learn that. I've got some in my cupboard for stir-fry dishes.  Time to amp up some stir-frys.

So breakfast was 80 calories of teriyaki beef jerky which is a 1 ounce serving. Wasn't that hungry this morning and I slept 8 1/2 hours.  Love having a week off from work.  Plus that 12 hours of fasting between meals is nice too. 

Lunch was a salad that I made.  I tracked the calories using a phone app called MyFitnessPal.    It said my salad was 756 calories.  WOW.  The avocado was 234 calories by itself.   I had baby arugula, cucumbers, corn, goat cheese, mango, tomato, fat free croutons and 130 calories from my White Balsamic & Honey Dressing by Private Selection/Kroger which is 2 TBSP that I dress my greens in.   Just enough to cover, but I couldn't really taste it.  Might have to go 3 TBSP.

Dinner will be interesting since my husband will be home in time and I have to figure out something for him that I can use for me as well.   Generally I just eat a smaller portion on a smaller plate but now that I'm counting calories, it will be a slight challenge.

That's it for today.   Remember, eat less...move more!

Determined

Hi, I'm Hyde and this blog is my journey to being fit by 50.  That gives me 3 years.  Join me in my highs and lows of weight loss, healthy eating habits and self discovery.

I'm not any kind of professional in the world of weight control.  But I have been on many diets and have learned much as to what I should be putting into my mouth.  Don't expect any special diets as I'm just a normal eater.  Plan to post only what I eat, exercise and discover and how that worked out for me.  And share some recipes along the way.

And remember:  eat less, move more!

Current weight: 267