195.2

Woo hoo!!! That's all I can say. The scale junkie in me keeps climbing on, and today was a HUGE surprise. I didn't expect to be down another pound - not at all. But hooray for me! And the timing couldn't be more perfect either, because I'm leaving tomorrow for a 10 day trip to Florida.

I haven't mentioned it up until now because I needed to stay focused on losing what I could before I left. I am nervous, but I am also completely committed to this weight loss, and have no intention of letting this trip stop me in my tracks. My plan is to continue eating my 1350 calories, and to get in as much exercise as I can. I have the great BIG advantage of having my drill sergeant with me, so she'll bust my chops if I don't walk or swim or get some other type of activity. The other nice thing is that she'll do it with me, so I won't be alone. Yay. That's all I can say. YAY!!!

The hardest part about going out of town, not just this time but for the past several years, has been figuring out what clothes I have to take with me. It pretty much forces me to clean out my closet and see what fits by trying on everything. THAT'S painful. I totally despise trying on clothes. The saving grace, if there is one, is that I'm am not looking at a three-way mirror in a department store. And then I make three piles: too big; just right; next size down. It's rewarding and depressing at the same time, but a necessary step. The only thing more depressing is thought of having to strut around a beach or pool in my swimming tent. You know, my gigantic swimsuit? Praise God for terry cloth cover-ups! lol.

Alright, so you probably won't hear from me tomorrow or Thursday, but I'll try to post on Friday. I'll be going through scale withdrawals. Seriously. I can't get on my scale again until the day after Easter. And I NEED that number, which is almost two weeks from now, to be lower than 195. I don't care if it's only two pounds. I need to keep losing. If travelling from one state to another is the sole reason for me to "fall off the wagon," then what's the point of this whole program? So, yea. I have to be like glue while I'm gone, and really stick to it.

Please offer up a little prayer for me. I am pretty confident, but every prayer helps. :) And until I come back, I'll say a prayer for you all too. God is good. He's stuck by me this far, and I trust Him. Woot! I'm over and out.

196.4

Greetings friends! If you noticed my number, you already know how happy I am to see it pop under to 196. I had sincerely hoped to get to 194.5 by the last day of March, but obviously that wasn't meant to be. But that's okay - I am pretty pleased with my results so far, so I am certainly not going to complain.

One of my commenters asked what I was eating everyday. I can say that there are some things that are my "staples" but otherwise I am only limited by my taste buds. I eat between 1200 and 1400 calories a day, with a target of 1350. I also try to eat 4 servings of veggies, 3 servings of fruit, and 80-90g of protein. Like I said, there are only a couple of things that I do every day.

During the week I jump start my metabolism every morning at 7:00 with a protein bar or low fat yogurt. I eat the citrus or almond bars from Herbalife. I like the taste, they're only 130 calories and have 10g of protein. After that, I get in at least one protein shake per day. They have an average of 24-29 grams of protein and at least one serving of fruit, depending on how I make them. And they're really filling, so I can eat them as a snack or meal replacement. Either way works and they're only about 200 calories. If I'm hungrier than normal after dinner, I'll eat one then. Completely satisfying.

I generally have at least one 3-4 oz. chicken breast every day. I marinate them, bake them and keep them in a baggie in the fridge for quick and easy snacks or meals. Then I wrap them in leaf lettuce, "flatout" bread, or a low fat tortilla. I add spinach leaves, tomato or salsa, a little shredded cheese and some light mayo or fat free sour cream. These odd little sandwiches are typically between 150 and 200 calories each. I switch up the chicken with tuna salad or egg salad made with light mayo, onion and celery every couple of weeks. All of them make great little quick sandwiches. My dinners are not a whole lot different. I don't want to cook two meals - one for family members and another for me. So I keep mine easy. I will often have soup and fat free crackers, or my homemade chili as my dinner meal. I also heat up chicken or white fish and add a big serving of veggies. My favorite are the "Steamers" brand. Throw them in the microwave for 7 minutes, 45 calories per serving . . . super!!! Baked veggies with a spray of extra virgin oil are also really good. And then of course I have my wonderful grilled fat free cheese sandwich. Yum!

Okay. I am never without either fresh cut veggies or fresh fruit. I reach for the veggies before the fruit, and usually have 2 measured tablespoons of dip, like ranch. If I haven't had enough veggies, I substitute with V8. Other things I keep on hand are almonds. I eat those as a snack when I'm feeling what I refer to as "desperate hunger." You know, when you're really hungry and have to have something quick. Just a handful or two does the trick. I also keep rice cakes and english muffins on hand. They're a great snack with a little peanut butter. Cooked ham, deli roast beef and turkey are also good on english muffins. Add a handful of pretzels and it is really filling.

The great thing about counting calories as the means for losing weight is that you get to eat whatever you want. You just have to count the calories. Subway without dressing, for a 6 inch sub, is only 350 calories. Yogurt from McDonald's is 60. You can eat what you want, literally. But when you hit your calorie limit, you're done. Period. So you learn to spread your calories out over the course of the day, and you find you start to choose foods with lower calories or higher protein. For example, an Oreo is 56 calories. I can have 4 Oreos or I can have two rice cakes with either peanut butter or tuna salad. No brainer for me.

I don't really eat the 100 calorie snacks. I just think they're a tease for real food and they aren't filling. I'd rather have a little sugar-free pudding cup for 60 calories than two little muffins in a 100 calorie snack package. Or I can have a whole plate of veggies with a little dip for 150. It all comes down to what I choose. And I like that freedom.

Other tidbits: if you're eating a salad, keep the dressing on the side. Dip your fork in the dressing and THEN stab your salad. There is NO difference in the taste, you use 1/3 the amount of dressing and cut out 2/3 of the calories. The only other thing I would add it that if you decide to eat pre-made dinners like Lean Cuisine, watch out for the sodium. It causes water retention and will sabotage your weight loss. Cool beans.

Alright -- this has been VERY lengthy. I have learned lots of tricks along the way to help me. But that's the story I have today. The food story. That's what I know so far, anyway. Feel free to share anything you think will make the journey smoother for all of us. :)

And until the next time, God bless and God love ya.

197

Solid number. It's been ages since I've had a solid number dead on. I've been watching it all week of course, and had hoped it would pop over to show me a 196 number, but I also know it's coming. And quickly. I've had a spectacular food weekend. Not so great on the exercise, but my eating is just great. I've only had a few days here and there in these last few months when I've struggled with the food. I am really grateful for that.

My struggles since the beginning of this journey always take me by surprise. I am not sure why. Its easy to figure out what the struggles are going to be. I mean, helloooo! I don't LOVE exercise, and I'm going to have cravings for foods that aren't good for me. Duh! Why the surprise then? I have NO idea. So there. I just don't know. Oh well. Who says I need an answer?

Frankly, I would rather like the answer to a different question -- which is why it is that the two alternative exercise choices I have grown to love are the ones that make their top athletes squish into teeny, tiny little outfits? Swimming and skating. Oh yea, I know. I could put on hockey gear instead of a little skating dress, but then I wouldn't be Dorothy Hamel would I? And the swimming suit? Well, let's just say that top swimmers may be wearing tiny little speedo suits, but in my case there are pool covers smaller than the one I've been putting on. They had to use a LOT of sparkles to decorate my suit. Haha. And at some point I intend to fit into one of those puny little ones. We shall see . . . not whether I do . . . but rather, how long it will take until I do. Yea!

So tomorrow is the day of rest, but I've had two in a row, so I need to get busy. Didn't feel very well Friday. I actually had a fever. And then came a headache. I hate that!!! So no skating. No swimming. No walking. But I felt 100x better today. I just didn't get to the exercise part of the day. So sad, isn't it? I thought you'd think so. lol. Tomorrow I need to get a move on. Thankfully I get to start it with church. That way I get all my prayers in right away in the morning. Hah! So, I will check in with you again. Maybe I will just offer up my prayers for all of you tomorrow, and put everything else aside. Good idea. And a pleasant way to sign off, don't you think? Me too. Peace.

197.8

My weight loss has been such a great change in my life that I couldn't, even if I wanted to, focus on anything unpleasant right now. It's only been a few months and that huge starting blog number, 224.5, seems far, far away already. So here's the thing: if you'd really like to lose some weight, I want to tell you to stop waiting. Be done with putting it off. There's always a party, or a vacation, or a special dinner. There is always a reason to start a diet next week instead of today. But listen. Next week comes and goes and you will still be in the same place. WORK with me. I have 50 more pounds to lose. I want to lose them by this fall. And you can be losing right along with me.

I started this program Jan 2. I have lost almost 30 pounds!!! You can do the same thing. June 1st and July 1st are going to come no matter what. But if you start counting calories today, you might be 30 pounds lighter when they do -- assuming that's what you want to lose. If it's less, it's going to happen sooner, and then YAY you! Okay. So let's do this thing. Don't wait until Monday. Just count your calories over the weekend. See where you are. It's easier than you think. Honestly. Here are two GREAT websites for keeping track: http://caloriecount.about.com and http://www.myfitnesspal.com. It may seem like a hassle, but it IS effective. Weight watchers uses points, but the reason it's effective is because it's tracking what you eat. You have to keep a journal. That's what works. And it will work for you. I promise!!! My friend D. started just the exercise part with me and has lost 15+. That could be you . . . . . .

Okay now that you've had your lecture we can move on. Hehehe.

I had two great workouts today and yesterday. One on the ice and one in the pool. Not getting any closer to Vegas, but I'm getting great exercise! And I am genuninely lovin' it. I'll be pretty sad when the ice comes out at the rink next month. BUT, it goes back in again in June and will be a fabulous place to go this summer. Plus, I'll get in more walks when the weather warms up again. You know. In July. Hah! In the meantime, I'll keep eating right. The sandwich up in the corner is about the most JUVENILE sandwich I've had in ages and it was sooooo good! The only thing that might be better is if I put a little butter spray on it and grilled it. Either way, we're talking t.a.s.t.y.! It's a little higher in calories than I'd like (425), but oh, so, worth it!

Alrighty dighty. That's the report for today. God love ya for tuning in. You're my life line. My skinny life. Haha. Have a happy Friday. Blessings!

198.4

Another one bites the dust!!! I suppose you're wondering how I know that - since I'm only suppose to get on the scale every few days or so. Yes, I know that optimally I should get on the scale only one time per week. But here's the lowdown people: I've been a very naughty girl, and it's time to 'fess up. Did I mention to you that I'm a scale junkie? Yea, I thought I did. And it's really, really true. Beyond what is reasonable and normal, I'm afaid. It's a genuine addiction. And true to that addiction, I have been getting on the scale almost everyday.

Okay so I'm not talking about hopping on the scale two or three times a day. I'm just talking about my complete and utter inability to start my day without seeing that little black digital number. Don't tell me I'm crazy. I already know that!!! But you know what? I know I'm not alone. I know it just as sure as I know that I'll get right back on again tomorrow. I think there are many, many people out there who do the same thing. And they probably check those numbers more times in a day than my measly ONCE.

I have considered this curious little addiction of mine more times than you can imagine. I have turned myself inside out trying to find the little magnet that puuuullllllls me to get on. What is it about a scale "fix" that I can't avoid? It's not like its a pleasant experience. More often than not it's disappointing or depressing. More often than not I have some sense of what the number is going to be. In fact, I once read an article about how the scale really only confirms what we already know about our weight -- that there are no surprises on that little bugger. But we continue to submit to the whim. Let's "just see." MmmHmmm. You know it's true. Yes you do!

And stranger still is that it doesn't matter whether I'm fat or skinny or somewhere in between. It's there waiting for me every morning. Calling my name. Taunting me. And I WANT to get on. Maybe that is where the problem begins. I don't know. What I DO know, however, is that I don't see myself giving up this last sad, sad little addiction anytime soon. But I'm thinking that it's partly ingrained in my system, routine and life. I've been doing it since I was probably 18. It's the gauge that tells me what I look like. Not literally, I know. But for sure in every other sense.

Puleeeaaaase don't tell me to stop this. That's part of my confession here. I can't and know myself well enough to know that I won't. I just thought I'd better get all of my cards out on the table. It felt like I had a secret and I wanted you to know the WHOLE story. So there it is. The whole sha-bang. So if absolution is what I need, feel free to sock it to me. In the meantime . . . you know I'll just keep working. Like my hour in the pool tonight -- good times. lol.

Well I'm going to sleep a whole lot better just knowing you know me a little bit better than you did 10 minutes ago. Hah! And that's what I need. Sleep. So I'm over and out! G'night!

199.5

Greetings!!! As you can see, I had a major victory this weekend by managing to maintain the weight I have worked so long and hard to reach. I am so very happy about this, I am sure I don't even have to tell you. And let me just say that it was a truly, truly crazy weekend. Super fun, but busyyyyy.

So I ended up passing on going out to dinner Friday night. My fan club was disappointed (hahaha), but I I felt I needed to do a little weekend damage control before the catastrophe ever hit. That was good. Then on Saturday night when I did go out, I scanned the menu for something lo-cal. No way. Deep fried alligator cheeks? Super nachos? I don't think so!!! I ordered a hamburger with no bun, no fries and no chips. The dipsy doodle waitress brought the bun anyway, so of course I HAD to eat it. I totally justified it though- you would have loved it. I decided I needed something to soak up the 64 calorie beer I was drinking so I didn't get a buzz. lol. Then I nursed the beer for the rest of the night and ended up the designated driver. Perfect. No more calories. No worries.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any exercise this weekend either, but I did manage to eat well the rest of the weekend. One of my favorites has become my chicken taco. It's a lowfat tortilla with fat free sour cream, salsa, chicken, shredded cheese and spinach leaves. It is soooo good and you can eat it hot or cold. Marvy, I'm telling ya!

But the recipe aside . . . I was secretly hoping to drop even 1/2 pound over the weekend. That was a pipe dream. I am faced with hormones that want to do the jitterbug these days, and it completely messes with my weight loss plan, not to mention my psyche. I'm crying like a baby as I'm watching The Biggest Loser on T.V. I mean seriously. Can you spell "ridiculous"? Pull yourself together lady!!! Someone has to be eliminated for Pete's sake! Good gravy! The irony is almost too much, isn't it?

So this week I have keep on it, get to the gym, eat right, and shake off the extra water weight. And I'm distracted because I'm surrounded by water. Inside and out. No. Really. I have flooding around my house of biblical proportions. Water is NOT my friend this week. Gurgle. But I'm grateful for the victory of maintaining my weight from Friday. And I am grateful for the strength to continue to journey. God doesn't give us more than we can handle, and I strive to see in myself what He sees in me. And when I do, what confidence and strength I shall have then, eh? Yea. Biblical.

Alright so I'll be back tomorrow. And a big shout of congratulations goes out to my friend R., who I ran into over the weekend. He's lost 26 pounds of his own since the beginning of January by giving up the five C's: cola, chips, cookies, candy and cake . . . AND his beer. Woohoo for brandy, I guess!!!

And I'm out. Blessings and peaceful slumber to you all.

Gurgle, Gurgle

It is amazing to me what a HUGE role water plays in my weight loss journey. Of course anyone who has been on any weight loss program knows that you have to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day in order for the program to be effective. I'm not familiar with the mechanics of this. I have NO idea why this is true. I only know from personal experience that it's absolutely, unquestionably true.

Now I don't know if you read the comments on different days that I blog, but one from yesterday was really interesting. I was shocked to read it. And plenty irritated to boot. Here's the gist: I took a day off from exercising to let my muscles rest and repair because they were incredibly, unbelievably sore. My commenter indicated that generally water fills in and surrounds damaged or sore muscles in order to protect them from injury. Translation: a possible weight gain due to water weight. My response: No, no, no, no, no, no!!!! I need to avoid that scale like it's FAT itself that's going to seep into my body through my feet. I can't handle the disappointment of a gain. I JUST got to one-derland. I can't be jumping in and out like that. So I'm going to try and stay off the scale until Monday. Oh, and that makes water my newest fair-weather-friend.

Meanwhile, I got back in the pool tonight. Another thumbs up for water! It is truly a fantastic form of resistance exercise. It can also be a great cardio workout. Did you know, for example, that jogging in the water burns over 330 calories for just 30 minutes? It's probably pretty comparable to regular running, but it's soooo much easier on your joints, and on your body generally. And honestly, it's a lot more fun. So you tend to work longer and harder. Because you can. So I was in the water for about 55 minutes. My legs were all squishy and wobbly when I got out, so I knew it was a good work out. I was happy that I got some exercise. I woke up feeling pretty worn out again today, and wasn't sure I wanted to hit the treadmill. So getting in the pool was perfect.

Tomorrow I'm headed to the skating rink again. I'm looking forward to that too. Works all different muscles. I just have to remember to mummify my feet, or I am going to be saying hello to Mr. and Mrs. Blister again. Haha. But it will kick off a very busy weekend. I have mixed feelings about it because while it will be a fun weekend, I will be going out for dinner twice. Never good. There's no place like home for eating right! :) So please say a little prayer for me.

And I'll say one for all of you. For whatever you're needing or wanting in your life today. And I'll try to check in before the weekend's over - if nothing else to maintain a little balance and accountablility. Until then, be safe and be happy. :)