DAY 26, December 30, 2008

My how time has flew!  We started this on the 5th of December, I'm delighted to report my weight is down 9 pounds since then.  I'm so happy we started, or should I say I joined in the game.  Had I not my weight probably would have been the plus side instead of the minus.  I'm thinking I will be making my goal and that my friends is exciting!

OK now for that exercise thing.  Triathalon? Nah, I think I'll go climb a mountain tomorrow.  Pikes Peak sounds good, afterall they need someone to go up and set off those darn late night fireworks....

DAY 13, December 17, 2008

The ease of the first week is over and I realize if there is to be progress I must start exercising.  This morning I got up and decided to do a Triathalon before breakfast.  It's been a long time since I did one.  Actually come to think of it, I've never done one.  I really surprised myself because it wasn't that hard, running is just  walking really fast and cycling, well cycling is easy but the swimming did me in.  We've had cold sub zero temps here in Colorado and the water was frozen over.  Having to break the ice as I swam was really tiring.  Just the same I finished well before breakfast in a great time of 3 hours, 3 minutes and 59 seconds.  Not bad for a old lady. 

Since I worked so hard I decided to treat myself to pancakes with ice cream and chocolate sauce for breakfast.  Now I want a beer.

 

Day 11, December 15, 2008

Whew! Weekend is over and I'm down another pound!  What a victory that is considering the party on Saturday night.  I took the other kk's advice and ate the goodies without the tortilla.  I did have a few chips with guacamole but not many.  We left before the beautiful cake was even cut, so that saved me great temptation!  The weather has been really cold.  I mean really, really cold.  At least the sun came out today so I will go for a walk.  Off to make a nice hot bowl of oatmeal now.  Later...

 

Day 8, December 12, 2008

Today is one week working on the Bloggers Butt Begone system.  There is a big smile on my face because last week I shed 7 pounds!  Yippee!  Of course I realize the weeks to come will not see that kind of weight loss, but what a cool way to start.  My jeans feel comfortable now. 

Ok I now have something in common with Oprah, we both weigh the same.  :)  I haven't seen it yet, but they were talking on the radio about Oprah's new cover and how she comes out about putting on the pounds, again.  I so identify with her (except I'm $750 million poorer). 

This week will be a toughie.  Tomorrow is step son's birthday party.  So far I have managed to survive a party last night by only eating the veggies (thank yo

u hostess for being so thoughtful to provide us with a healthy alternative).  The birthday theme tomorrow will be Mexican, so I will anvoid the Margarita's (which don't really tempt me) but the chips and guacamole will be a different story.  I did photograph my scale this a.m.  It's such a silly thing to do but so visual, now that process is fully present in my mind when hunger or tempation stikes.  It's keeping me accountable.

Day 6, December 10, 2008

My how time passes when you are busy!  My intention is to post each but oh well, everyone day should work.  The scale is reflecting very happily at me.  I'm not going tell yet, as I plan to weigh in here only on Fridays, but it's really good, I promise!  Yesterday I brilliantly avoided lunch at the Board (which was my favorite Colorado Mountain pizza from Beau Jo's).  I planned ahead, packing a nice, fresh crunchy salad, yogurt and NS Bar with a diet Pepsi.  It was hard to ignore the pizza aroma, but ignore I did.  I looked at that greasy cheese covered pizzed and thought of my friend the scale.  haha no pizza for me!  This morning I was rewarded... :)

Today I have tons of work to do, but no social engagements. Tomorrow will be another rough day with meetings, appointments and a birthday part at night.  I must make a plan to stay on track!

 

I'm really enjoying tabulating my calories and exercise online on Calorie King.  I can even access it from my iPhone.  Ok so I'm a freaky geek. Keeping track I find I have to remind myself to add certain nutrients and more water each day.  When the CK calculates exercise I get to eat more. So far I'm ignoring that part.  I don't feel faint or sick or starving so I'm Ok there. 

 

I really haven't done any sort of exercise yet other than walking.  Each day we walk around the neighborhood or to the grocery store for about 45 minutes.  It feels good to get out even yesterday in the bitter cold.  It's really the only way to get rid of Blogger's Butt, that cursed condition I have acquired!

 

Bloggers Butt Begone is my mantra!

 

 

Day 4 - December 8, 2008

The time is passing quickly by and I have yet to actually exercise.  I don't mean to be a slacker, but there is so much else intervening.  Yesterday I ended up with a nasty headache, probably my body screaming for caffeine!  It basically rendered me useless, I couldn't even sit at the computer comfortably.  Today it's better, but the telephone is a ringing...

 

I'm staying on the diet plan, my caloric count is within goal, so for this part of the diet all is well.  Tonight I have photography class which is not over until 9 p.m. so still no time to excercise. Oh well. There's always tomorrow.

 

Day 3 - December 7, 2008

FYI I record my consumption at Calorie King.  As I previously stated, my plan is to cut calories to 1300 a day, while eating a balanced variety of foods.  I love the Calorie King platform because I can log in to a dashboard and see my consumption. It has a very helpful data base of foods and their nutritional value.  All I have to do is click and it adds the food to my daily chart.  The system does the same for exercise.  Using this tool, I realize the actual size of a portion.   The value of this is huge.  No more justifying.  I now measure each portion so I don't cheat myself!

 

It's fairly easy to diet when I am  in control. The hardest part right now is going to friends/family for dinner. Last night my brother had a very nice dinner party. His girlfriend is an amazing cook.  Thankfully she is a vegetarian and makes fabulous salads and veggies in addition to the meat dish she serves for everyone else.  OF course they top it off with desert.  Last night I excused myself to hold my grandson (6 weeks old) and sat in the living room so I didn't have to watch the devouring of desert. :)  Out of sight, out of mind helps.

 

BTW I intent to weigh in and record once a week.  I did enjoy a nice drop in weight since we have started. It feels really good not to be bloated.

 

Today will be an exercise day. If the weather is as nice as yesterday I might take my bike off the wall. :) Let's see how the knee holds up.  If it's not warm enough, I'll go for a nice long walk. 

 

DAY 2 ~ December 6, 2008

Oh what a night!  It was very restless which is typical when I have an emotional mind dump-type blog as I did this one last night.  I tossed and turned and second guessed myself for sending that scale photo to Flickr, good grief!  Well it's done and over and there for the world to see. I did it and I am glad I did it.  

 

This morning after reading all the awesome comments of support my decision is confirmed.  Thanks everyone for being there and starting this new adventure in health.  I appreciate the support and plan to reciprocate. You can count on that!

 

Breakfast ~ The NutriSystem that haunts my pantry will provide this morning's selection.  I choose the pancake mix and created a (don't laugh) Bundt Cake recipe

from it by using unsweetened apple sause, 1 egg and some cinnamon.  Two minutes in the microwave and out comes a yummy single serving bundt cake.  I should have photographed it for it's simple beauty!  Actually I am not a pancake person, but this recipe makes it paletable.  The NutriSystem site has a nice forum where gung ho members share their creations.  It's come in quite handy at times.

FYI if anyone is thinking I indulged in the Pure ($48 a can at Williams Sonoma) Vermont Maple Syrup, think again!  No there's still a few drizzles left in the Cary's Sugar Free bottle (which by the way is a heck of alot cheaper!).  I Pure stuff will probably get opened on a very special holiday...not today.

December 5, 2008

This challenge came at a very good time for me, since I woke up last Monday deciding to start my New Year's Resolution early.  I went cold turkey cutting out all the crap, even switching my beloved Chai to brewed Chai with a smidgen of 2% milk!  For some wonderful reason the first few days were a breeze.  Amazing what a good mindset will do. 

 

The Plan

My goal is to lose 20 pounds by February 1, 2009.  Counting calories is the most effective route for me, as I can incorporate "normal" food into my life as necessary.  Coincidentally, I have at least a month's worth of Nutra System left over from last year, when I was on the program.  Three months of that eating regime left me with an adversion to it, or anything that I constantly ate with it, like salads and yogurt.  That adversion seems to have passed, but I don't want to end up falling off the wagon due to sheer boredom again.  So, I will continue to reduce the NS stock in my pantry while combining low calorie, high value foods to my diet.  The objective is to incorporate good eating habits into my lifestyle, rather than the all off or all on attitude that seems to be part of my make up. 

 

Exercise

There's that word, it should have started with an "f" it's so bad.  Not really, I actually enjoy movement, I just don't enjoy it enough to put it first.  Because of this attitude, I just never get around to it. So, the plan is to get up and move. Perhaps just making myself exercise first before I do anything else will work.  This month has been the first time since July that I've actually started to feel "normal" again after my surgery.  Who ever would have thought a simple little bone surgery could have screwed up my mobility so bad for so long.  I will never be "perfect" again, but losing weight will certainly help more than just my appearance.  Both my head and body will benefit.

 

On Publically Posting my Weight

It took me all day to decide if I wanted to join the others in publically posting my weight.  I have never, not ever shared that number with anyone other than a Weight Watcher Weigh-In Lady.  Not my husband, kids, best friend, or anyone has known.  Of course who do I think I'm kidding?  The number is just a number. It will change.

 

The fact is, I feel that by sharing I will recieve nothing but support and encouragement (aside from the trash talking).  Of course too, there's the "transparency" of our lives now, it's all out there for the world to see.  Quite frankly few will actually give a damn.

 

Thank you are in order

This part is huge. I mean really huge.  This group beginning with Jay Thompson is dynamic.  Jay came up with the idea because Steve was gouding him to lose weight.  I for one think it is brilliant and viral and just what some of us really need, the inspiration, support and motivation to start.  Together we are openly committing to do something good for both ourselves and a worth charity.  How cool is that?  Thx. Jay.

 

Next I want to thank the ladies who had the courage to go public with your weigh.  If you can do it so can I.  Thank you ladies for being bold.  I am excitied to find you and follow in your footsteps!  Chris, Midori & Teri, thank you!

 

With newly found strength and determination I do believe I am going to change things this time.  Tonight after a family outing with my Grandsons, I enjoyed snapping pictures of them devouring their McDonalds Happy Meals.  Yes, the aroma of hamburgers and fries was tempting after my day of 1200 calories.