A Great Week

I wrote this blog a couple of weeks ago. Due to Blogger errors, I haven't been able to get it posted until today.  I chose to go ahead an post it anyway.

I had a really great week this week.  Starting on Tuesday, I worked out everyday after work.  I really enjoy Curves.  A couple of times I was finishing up the work out and realized that I wasn't ready to be done working out.   I do have more energy since I've been working out.  I come home from the work out and do things around the house.  I used to just come in and drop onto a bed or chair.  Plus when I weighed on Monday night I was 3 # lighter.  YEA FOR ME!!!

I have actually managed to keep my calories below 2100 as well.  I am writing down what I eat and the calorie count.  I actually write what I will eat for breakfast, morning snack, lunch and mid afternoon snack in the morning.  I then pack my lunch bag with those things.  That way I already know what I am going to eat how many calories I have for dinner.  I had an oops though, I had to flavor some peanuts at work. and popped about 1/4 of a handful in my mouth with out thinking.   I am sure I didn't eat a 1/4 of them but to be safe I counted the calories for 1/4 and took out the granola bar I was going to eat after my work out.  I also have to watch the peanut butter tasting.  That is one of the pitfalls of working in a food plant.  As a Quality Supervisor, I need to taste the food now and again.  I am trying to leave a couple hundred calories free each day to account for those.

Dinner is working okay for now.  The kids are cooking and I watch the starchy foods.  I do try to have 1/2 plate salad, 1/4 meat, 1/4 starch.  We seem to be doing that just fine.  I usually figure out what the calorie count is before I sit down to eat. 

Wednesday night I actually was able to work a slice of cake into the plan.  Okay it was only about 1/2 an inch thick and it did bring me right up to the 2100 calories but it didn't take me over. I found that I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.

Thursday night my guilty pleasure was a fruit bar by Edy's.  It only has 45 calories and is a nice cool treat.  In this Southern heat cool treats are almost a necessity.

Another success I had this week was Dinner out with my husband.  But truthfully the success is only because I apparently have shrunk my stomach.  I had a few bites of appetizers and my salad and was getting full.  I only ate about 6 bites of my steak and 6 fries.  I brought the steak home for Lunch today and gave the fries to the kids.  Now I usually have to bring home some of my steak when we eat at the Longhorn, but I also usually eat a whole appetizer myself and a salad and most of the fries before I get full.

Weekends are harder for me.  Mostly because they are not as structured.  We don't eat on any sort of schedule and often pick at food all day.  Today my day started with my husband asking me to ride to Valdosta with him.  I got up, got dressed, and made us some breakfast.  I made us both English muffins with peanut butter and a protein shake except the skim milk had gone bad so I ended up dumping the shake down the sink.  On the way home I needed something more and I know my husband was needing something as well.  While he filled up, I hit the convience store.  After reviewing the calorie counts and nutritional facts I ended up getting us Rice Krispie treats.  150 calories for the size we got and 1 gram of protein.  Not much protein but it was better than chips, candy, or cookies which were really empty calories.  I washed it down with water. 

Sometimes we have to choose the better of 2 bad choices.  But that is what this journey is all about.  Making Better Choices.

Hanging in There

I am doing great.  I am managing to keep my calories between 1500 and 2100.  I have worked out everyday after work and I am feeling much better.  This is definitely working.  I have had people tell me that I am looking thinner.  That is great incentive to keep it up.

My kids are doing a pretty good job of supporting me.  Even if they want me to try the cake or dessert they just made.  They forget I am not eating that stuff on a regular basis.  My husband has been very supportive as well.  I am feeling like this is doable.  There is a lot of support at Curves as well. I really do enjoy the work out.  I am feeling very blessed in this endeavor.

One of my best coaches is my daughter Arianna.  She has been working on her weight as well.  She has found things that work well for her and tried a lot of the foods already.  We are trying not to just substitute the diet foods for normal foods.  It has to be about permanent changes and that is going to take time.

I am still trying to eat more protein and less starches.  I am struggling a little bit with that.  I have resorted to adding protein shakes to my breakfast.  It fills me up a little better in the morning.  I am also trying to eat fewer starches at night.  That way I am burning off the carbs during the day and not storing while I sleep.

The Curves work outs are great but I am going to have to step it up a little more.  I can feel that it is not going to be enough before too long.  I wanted to buy a treadmill this month but that is waiting due to our daughter's visit.  Hopefully I can squeeze it out next month.  There just isn't any good place to walk near by.

When I started this journey, I weighed 317#.  Last Monday, when I weighed in for the weight loss challenge at work, I weighed 304.6#.  It is going to take a couple of years to get where I want to be.
It is a start and that is good enough for now.