im not losing or shaking....

Im eating. Ack. It has been a really rough few days. Difficult life situations and poor food choices. I have not wanted to exercise, let alone make healthy choices, ditto goes for keeping my house or anything else that I normally do. Ok, it is time for me to get a grip and do what is right for me. One of you wrote how much better you felt when you ate right and ran...well, I know how great I feel when I eat less during the day and workout, not just emotionally, but physically I feel so much better, which then leads to physically feeling good as well. I am going to take Julie's advice and go one meal at a time. I will try to get in here and let you all know how it went. I feel inspired by all your thoughts...I started off so stong, then WHAM-O life did a drive by! Ouch. I do have to say on the good side, for the wrong choices I did make, I did not go way overboard, I am proud of that fact.
Thanks everyone,
Tina

The Sugar Monster

It is a well know fact in my family, that if I eat too much sugar, I grow horns and steam comes out of my nose. It has been that way for many years. I am not sick (thank God) - I have checked with a doctor - but too much sugar gets me way down after a while. So, today was one of those days. I baked enough Christmas cookies to kill a small group of carol singers. Really, I made like 5 different kinds of cookies, and had to sample each one at least once if not three times. At 4pm, I could tell the sugar monster was on her way to wreak havoc on the poor innocent bystanders that happen to be involved in my evening plans (poor fools didn't see what hit 'em). By 5pm I was officially not a fun person to be around. By 6, I was downright nasty. It is now 11pm and I don't want to talk about it anymore.

No, really, I know that I need to make sure I get lots of fresh veggies, meats, cheeses, fresh fruit, and some good grain bread and drink my weight in water. Let's be honest... it is called "SELF CONTROLL". A cookie here and there is fine, but sugar all day long, for several days in a row is just straight-up stupid. I am still waiting for that "first day". I know it is around the bend... any second now.... all right, here it comes.... I can see it.... it will get here soon.... I can do this.

need a cheer?

So I've been struggling much like Julie and Emily (bitbythebug), but I"m still really desiring to do the best I can. I have some motivation now, which I think might help. I start student teaching at Everett High the 31st of Jan, and I need to get some new clothes to look professional in. So my goal is to go down a size in the next month, which is really reasonable I think. So if I can do that, I know that y'all can meet your goals as well.
Today I had rice crispies for breakfast (nonfat milk of course) and the light combo at Taco time which is like 5 points weightwatchers and a nonfat sugar free latte for a snack. So i'm aiming for a healthy dinner.
We can do this ladies, we can't give up, its our lives we are fighting for here! :)

Christmas crazies and nothing in the cupboards!

I found this print at Art.com, it is titled: "Crazy Christmas Dream" by artist Green Sorsdahl Phase
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I am officially not eating right and I am attributing it to the Christmas Crazies and being so busy that I haven't shopped in so long, all I have to eat in the cupboards are pistachios, tomato soup, English muffins, and hamburger. Yucky. I really don't know what I ate today and in what combination! I did mail out my Christmas cards, though and went shopping at Walmart from 9 till 11 PM so I am wiped out! I got some food, but Kid food...Nothing I will want tomorrow....I just don't know what I want and what I need. It is so much easier to shop for the children. I guess I did buy some turkey. I can have a sandwich tomorrow for lunch. Thanks for all the support, guys. And thanks for pouring forth your hearts. This is a great outlet for me, even if I am not soaring right now. I am giving myself some grace because of the holidays.

Just one day...

I am having a really hard time just starting. Why is just getting that one day down is darn hard! Really, when you think about it, it's just one day, right? Taking the first step of eating well the WHOLE day, and doing something good for my physical well-being seems so impossible to do. Yet, once that first day is done, it is easy!

I am find myself talking myself out of eating well, or going for a run and I can't figure out why. I always feel better when I eat well and go for a walk or a run, and I know that if I just go and do it, it gets easier to do the next day... yet I won't do it!

In the Bible, this guy named Paul talks in circles about not doing what we want to do, and doing what we don't want to do. That we know what we should do, and we know when we are not doing what we should do, but we keep on doing what we don't want to do, because we want to. How we know what we want the end result to be, but we do things that keep us from our goals because it is more comfortable to be just as we are. If we don't change, then it won't be hard, and we can just go on as we are... Because it really isn't that bad, is it? But it is bad! To work for something and achieve a goal is a truly wonderful thing, and the biggest thing standing in the way is me.

Wow, my head hurts.

So, it I am still striving to get that first day down so that the next day will follow the path that has been paved. This really is a day-by-day sort of thing. Until next time....

rougher day, wanna eat

I hate it that my emotions rule my food choices....having a bad day, emotionally....want to make good choices.

Breakfast: a little larger than normal bowl of cereal, not bad, not great.
Didnt' workout, instead I clean the house...it gets a sweat up so I figure it counts, right?

Lunch: pizza, 2 slices of a medium, not bad!

Dinner: patty melt and french fries, water (2 glasses)
Dessert: pudding (2)
More water.

Ok, it wasn't horrible, but it could have been better. The house looks sparkly clean and I am happy about that. Had a good night out with a friend of mine...walked around at Country Village, does shivering burn many calories? That's it for today, tomorrow is a new day with a whole new opportunity to make some great choices.

Enough is Enough

I was putting my jeans on (praise God for lycra) and I saw my back-side in the mirror. I just had to laugh. It really is funny how you look at yourself each day and don't see the change, and then WHAM! It is like the Fat-Fairy came in for a visit one night while I was sleeping, and whacked me with a stick of summer sausage.

So, enough is enough. Today was not the greatest eating day. I have been feeling kinda yucky, so the only thing that sounds good are crackers and toast. So, that is what I have been eating: crackers, toast, an apple, some chocolate (not the best choice with a rebellious tummy) and a banana. I did however walk 6 miles, which felt great. It was about 27 deg. and so beautiful this morning - a very nice walk indeed.

I have a Maid of Honor dress to fit into come this may, so here goes nothing. really, enough is enough.

12/15 Tina

Ok...busy day, party in martial arts (potluck, of course), meeting friends for lunch...and going out to dinner with different friends, yikes. Hard day for the calorie conscious. I really want to go and have a patty melt with grilled onions and french fries...I will let you know what happens.

Breakfast: banana
Workout: 20 minute dance tape
Lunch/potluck food: rice about 2 cups worth...I did not eat the cake, I am very PROUD! :) Satsuma, fortune cookie.
Snack: craisins
Dinner:(I was GOOD!) I had a terriyaki chicken salad...woo hoo! Bread on the side and 4 french fries
Snack: pudding (ok, 2)
Enjoy the comic!
Tina sitting here in her pink slippers....

Lacking in Logging

I haven't logged on in a few days, mostly because on Tuesday, I set myself up for failure by skipping breakfast (unintentionally, I simply ran out of time.) So, by the time I got home from volunteering in Riley's co-op class, I was ravenous. Especially so since I had watched my calories so diligently the day before! So, I ate more than I should have for the whole day.

Yesterday was a bit better. What I am really proud of yesterday, was that I went to dinner with my mother in law and I chose a low-point meal. We were at Red Robin, and you all know how easy it is to choose badly there, well, I knew from weight watchers that the ensinada chicken platter was only 7 points, so that's what I ate!

I will be home all day today, so my challenge will be to not snack. Here it goes!

Jules

Weds 12/14 Tina's on a mission

Good morning!
So far so good....
Pre workout snack: banana
Workout: The Firm 30 minute total body workout (step and weights)
Breakfast: strawberry yogurt with granola

Does going to Costco today count as more exercise?

Whew, survived Costco...forgot about all the pitfalls if one is watching her calories! But all I had was a mini cornbread muffin with honey.

Lunch: tuna fish and wasa crackers and two lemon cookies
Snack: Clementine
Dinner: Salad, craisins, lettuce, sunflower seeds, bell pepper, carrots, dressing
Got a headache went to bed.

12/13 Tina's journal for today

Ok, here we go:
Breakfast was light because I knew I was going out for lunch, so I had a satsuma and then about an hour later I ate a banana.

Lunch: (here is the good part, ready?) THAI FOOD! Oh, that was a nice lunch, went to Thai on Broadway (introduced to me by Miss Julie P!) and met a friend there, good company and good food. Had the special, pad thai, chicken rama and rice, I split the meal with my daughter....what a nice way to save money and calories!

Dinner: Bean soup and a salad (spinach, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, craisins, croutons, bell pepper, carrots, light honey mustard dressing).

Snack: popcorn and a root beer

Exercise for today, 30 minutes of pilates.
You go girls! I feel so inspired right now and ready to meet this challenge again. I will tell you all that I had lost 35 pounds about 2 1/2 years ago, I am up about 12 pounds right now from that point, I want to get back down to where I was. I need to do this for my health, I had diabetes with my last pregnancy and my blood counts are fine, but a bit high within the normal range. Thanks for sharing it is really encouraging!

Have a great day all!
Tina

Welcome All!

I am so pleased that so many of you have decided to be apart of this blog! Don't be overwhelmed, just because it is the holidays. If you need to start Jan 2nd, then do so. In my world, there is no "down time" when it comes to possible indulgence. I can find reason to over do any time of the year! So welcome, and if you have any friends you want to invite to join the blog, be my guest. I will make you all administrators so that you can go into the settings under the Members tab and invite anyone you think would benefit. Also, feel free to share ideas, strategies and recipes along with journal entries. And no entry is too long. Blog away! You have a welcome audience here.

Love, Mom2the5rs (AKA Julie)

Just so you know..

First off, thanks for letting join you all in this journey of healthy living. I have been fighting my weight since I was a kid, so it is good to have others to team with.

I won't torture you with my diet history, but I have lost about 60 pounds since 2001, and I have about 25 more to go. I have gained back 20... So I need to loose that and about 5 more to be comfortable. That won't make me skinny, but I don't want that. I want to be healthy. I am truly happy with who I am, so that is a blessing (being thinner didn't make me happy). I just want to be healthy and live the best physical life I can.

I am not a food counter. I know in my heart when I am hungry and when I am not; my problem is not the kind of food I eat, it is how much I eat. It is a plain fact that I eat when I am board, not hungry, and I usually eat past the “full” feeling. I want to switch that around, and eat when I am hungry and stop when I am satisfied. I know that kind of paradigm shift works for me.

I promise not to write this much again - it a lot to read. But I just wanted to let you know that I will be honest about the kind of eating day I had. Whether or not I listened to that God-given voice inside of me telling me when I am need food and when I don’t. If I have been active or not, and if I am taking advantage of each day to be healthy.

baby steps

okay, so I'm doing pretty good. I have been doing drastic diets for the past 6 months, and I'm ready to make life changes that fit my reality. So I'm eating smaller portions and stop eating once I'm statisfied. Its been really freeing for me because I still choose to eat what I want, but stop before it gets out of hand (I'm a binger, so this behavior is a victory for me). I've also decided to only eat icecream when I'm out with friends and its a social thing, much like drinking. Icecream is my greatest binging item, so I'm just not going to buy it anymore.

okay, so yesterday I had a bowl of rice crisy's for breakfast. a hamburger and a third of an order of fries for lunch (i threw them away once I was satisfied!!) and was unable to have any thing else to eat until 9pm because I took a train to see a friend and they only fed you if you had reservations. So my friend wanted icecream, so i got a small burger and a blizard. Not the healthiest day, but I stuck to my plan. baby steps. :)
Thanks everybody for joining us, it is really inspiring!

Do we have to?????

Do we really want to start this right befor Christmas?? Isn't that a little to much pressure?? Can't we join the millions who are going to start their diet January 1st??? Why break with tradition??? Please? I have all my Christmas baking to do this week...!!!! oh ok...I know it will be easier if I don't add another 10lbs just for the sake of Christmas......But I am not gonna tell ya what I ate today.....I will let that go until tomarrow......WISH ME LUCK...or at least good commone sence....!!

Here I Am, There I GO

I am so glad to be asked to join this group. I've got to get back on the wagon. I have missed my WW meeting the past two weeks and as a result have only maintained.

Today started out good.
Breakfast: 1c. Cream of Wheat with Reduced cal margarine and Equal 3 pts
Snack: Orange 1 point
Lunch: Chicken 4 pts, banana 2 pts, then it just all fell apart.
Dinner was healthy but I ate too much of it. I made White beans and Ham one of my favorites and just ate too much.

Tomorrow is a new day and a chance to begin a new. I am glad for this group to stay accountable and pray for each other as we travel down the road to health.

Peace,

Tina's Food Journal and Greetings!

First, let me say HI to Julie and Mandy! So glad to be here! I am really excited and much in need of some accountability and motivation...so here goes, my first day (today's) food journal.

Breakfast: Kashi cinnamon harvest cereal w/ soy milk (YUM)
Snack: Satsuma (again YUM)
Lunch: can of Campbell's Vegetarian vegetable soup
Snack: another bowl of Kashi cinnamon harvest cereal w/soy milk (double yum)
Dinner: salad consisting of spinach, lettuce/cabbage blend, carrots, bell pepper, olives, green onion, light Honey Mustard dressing by Paul Newman, croutons
Snack: popcorn, root beer float (mini one)

I am doing WW points and I will have met my points with this menu for today of 20. I worked out for 35 minutes of step aerobics and drank up my giant jug of water, which is like a 1/2 gallon or something ridiculous. I can't stop running to the potty...hate that part! Brawny should make toilet paper. Ok, thanks for this forum! I want to do good and get to where my pants are loose again. Oh and for the record, at this point I am not weighing myself, I am going by feeling, I get very hung up on numbers and then I blow it. Trying something a little different here.

You ladies are great! Can't wait to see what you are up to. I will work on getting some of my favorite recipes out that are weight friendly!

Julie's Food Journal for Monday, Dec. 12th

This piece of artwork is titled "JOY". I felt joy today because I was honest with my eating and I did a good job controlling my desires and making wise choices.
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Breakfast: 1 fried(Pam) egg
1 English muffin with butter on one side, organic apricot jam on the other
1 cup of coffee with sugar free creamer
1 satsuma orange

Lunch: 1 Jack in the Box Chicken Bruschetta Ciabatta (without Mayo and with only bottom bun!)

Snack: 1 Satsuma Orange, 1 lowfat, tall, sugar free vanilla latte

Dinner: 1 Cream of asparagus soup from Trader Joes (200 cal.), 22 mini Rye toasts (110 cal.), 2 TBSP. Triple layer Humus (70 cal.)

Will not eat again after 8:30PM

Water Count: 4/ 8 oz. glasses as of 7:42 PM plus 2 more cups before bed (herbal tea)

Exercise: Well, my feet hurt because I was out shopping with my Mom all day, but other than that, no scheduled in exercise.

Double it and Halve it!

I was thinking of a strategy in making food choices: I will double my portions of veggies and fruit. I never take in enough of these items. I will cut in half the things I usually load up on, like meat and bread and pasta and taco chips. I will quarter the portions of sweets and treats and deep fried food, but not deny myself their taste.

getting started!

I am so stoked to start filling out this journal, tomorrow! hee hee! What a great idea jules!