The search is on....

One day at a time. Funny... it seems one day turns into another, turns into another and before I know it four months have passed, I haven't lost a pound and I am absolutely no further ahead that I was on August 3, 2010.

BUT - today is a new day. As in my last post, life is pretty sweet. I have a great job, a beautiful daughter, an incredible boyfriend and enough photography work to keep me hoping.

With all of these great blessings comes one drawback: I have NO time. I want to go to yoga, but don't have the hour or two I need to myself to go. Not an excuse, pure fact. I work 40 hours, TBP (www.thebaggageproject.com) takes up a great deal of time, I have regular photoshoots, a child and a boyfriend that I want to spend time with too.

Anyone out there have tips on how the heck I fit in a little ME time so I can get some activity in and not feel like a giant, walking lard ass?

Here's what I can commit to: This post took me 3 1/2 minutes to put up. I am pretty sure I can fit that in everyday. If I do that, maybe I will get some followers who are in the same boat as me. If I find people I can connect with maybe I will feel inspired to MAKE the time I need.

Who knows... all I can do is try. I am so sick and tired of being overweight. One day I will feel good again. The search is on for the best possible way to get there.

Yeah. I quit. But I'm here now.

OK OK OK I'm back. I've probably lost the followers I once had, but I thought I would give this another shot.

I'm not telling you what I ate today.

Ok fine. I'll tell you.

I had a sausage on a tea biscuit for brekkie and a yogourt with berries to help sustain me.

I had about 12 rice crackers with a small (individual portion) of tuna packed in olive oil -LUNCH.

I had a caeser salad later cause I was starving.

I drank a coke zero and a coffee.

I had two slices of a frozen cheese pizza with some chicken on to make sure I didn't get hungry five mins later. I had a little dip on the side too. tut tut.

I also had some baklava.

I had one bottle of alo and I am working on my first bottle of water.

I feel bloated, nauseous on and off, and hot as heck.

Pretty crappy diet day, but all in all, about a gazillion times better than everyday up until now.

Tomorrow's a new day. Here's hoping.

Fun Fun Ouch!

So, I managed to make it to my second running class, although I felt sick to my stomach just thinking about going tonight. But, I was there and ready to work.

Tonight's work out was something out of my worst nightmares. We ran around a block... 400m x 400m. But on alternating sides of that block we had to full out sprint. Uh huh. I did it, but I almost tossed my cookies all over someone's front lawn. Thanks to my new running pal Lana who kept pushing me to go further, faster and harder. I managed to make it through that only to find myself inside doing a little plyometric training to top it all off. Let me tell you.... my abs hurt, my legs hurt, my back hurts and my lungs hurt. But I feel so awesome at the same time.

Today's food intake went as follows: Breakfast was 1/2 bar, a yogourt and a cup of tea. Lunch was 2 pieces of weight watchers bread, 5 strips of chicken bacon, and 2 eggs over easy and a cup of tea. Snack was 1/3 of a bar (and one mini egg that Nevaeh said was so delicious cause it had caramel in the middle, so I had to try it) and a cup of tea. Dinner was carbalicious! I had a bowl of miniwheats as I wasn't sure I could handle much more before heading to the Y.

I came home and drank some more water, which is likely the second bottle today, so not so good on the H2O front.

I am feeling a little like I am catching something as my throat is a bit sore and that, so I think I will take it pretty easy tomorrow and get some more fruit and veg in.

That said, did any of you watch Oprah today? She had this author but the name of Geneen Roth on there today and they were discussing her new book Women Food and God. According to everything that I have heard this book is supposed to be changing lives. I felt so inspired watching her that I immediately went out and bought it.... (keep in mind, that's kind of a big deal since I'm kinda broke...lol)

Once I get started reading it I will certainly post my thoughts... in fact anyone else interested in reading, or already doing so, feel free to post your thoughts here.

Here's the link incase anyone wants to purchase or read more:

http://www.amazon.ca/Women-Food-God-Unexpected-Everything/dp/1416543074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273714322&sr=8-1

Thanks again everyone for your continued support!

Standby...

Running girl...

So, I went to my first learn to run class yesterday and I LOVE it.... despite the pain.

Yesterday was my first week, but the classes second week. We started with a lap of the YMCA yard and then headed out for a 3 km run. According to the instructor I ran 80% of that 3km. The first half I managed to run straight through. After the run we went into the Y and did some core, triceps and leg work. My abs are really tender today and my legs are aching. But I'm going back!

My plan is to run Monday, Wednesday with the class, and Friday on my own. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I plan on walking. And then Sunday will be a day off.

I have stuck at my low carb diet today, eating half a bar and a yogourt for breakfast, a weight watchers cookie for snack, a roast beef sandwich on weight watchers bread for lunch, and a hamburger/asparagus/mushroom/onion/cheese mix up for dinner. I haven't had as much water as I have in recent days, but I have still drank some.

Here's to another great day tomorrow and a great run. Here's hoping I don't have another bought of weezy lungs (like I did last night) and hoping that my legs carry me all the way through the run.

Stand-by.

Yay me!

So, that last post was from yesterday and just got posted today as the video thing didn't work. I am going to try the video thing again, but I am not holding my breath.

I MADE IT TO THE GYM! That's right folks, yours truly dragged my jiggly behind to the YMCA (no need to sing) and got on the treadmill. I walked for 48 mins, burned 338 calories, walked 4.5 kilometres, at a level 5 at a pace of 3.6 miles per hour.

And... to add to my delight, I am not tired. I changed up what I ate today and I didn't have to afternoon "lazies" and feel great right now!

And.... to put the icing on the "proud-of-me" cake, I also drank 1 full litre of water and have just filled up my second one to drink throughout the night.

Breakfast today was 1/2 of an Oh Yeah! bar, and a fat free, no sugar added, no aspartame, Blue Menu raspberry yogourt and water (flavoured with PC no sugar flavour crystals - tangerine/grapefruit...tastes a little like that McDonald's orange drink they used to have).

Lunch today was 1 piece of weight watchers multigrain bread, toasted with a little butter, and 1 individual serving can of yellowfin and olive oil tuna on top. 1 apple cut in to quarters with some natural peanut butter on it (about 1 1/2 tbsp) and water.

Then I went back to work, then to the gym, now at home.

Snack while making dinner (to avoid getting to that starving stage) 1/2 cup of celery and cucumber with a teeny bit of lemon poppyseed dressing.

Dinner tonight will be fresh salad (cucumber, onion, orange pepper and celery with a little dill and garlic cheddar cheese, olive oil and aged white wine vinegar), chicken thighs baked in the oven with Amo's secret garlic marinade.

That will be it for the evening. I am going to try and get the rest of this water into me and stay away from all that late night snacking.

OOooooooo..... I almost forgot! I also signed up for a learn to run program at the YMCA (again... no singing required) that will keep me busy 2 nights per week. Start Monday so stay tuned for exciting updates. Measurements and what-not tomorrow..... eeek!

Standby x

I am so tired. I don't know why, but I feel as though the life gets sucked out of me every afternoon around three. As I mention in the video clip below, I am hoping to change this with exercise. My plan is to work out in the mornings so that I might have more energy in the afternoons. In the past exercise has boosted my energy levels, self confidence, and weight loss motivation to new heights. I hope that is the case this time.

Today's food intake:

Breakfast: 2 pieces multigrain weight watchers bread with a little butter and a little bit of natural peanut butter. I made a coffee at home with sweetener and cream.
Snack: One blue menu fat free no sugar added yogourt.
Lunch: 15-20 crackers 7 8-10 crispers, 1 mini can tuna, and 2 hard boiled eggs. One delicious cup of tea.
Dinner: 6-7 oz left over chicken schnitzel, and about 1 cup of vegetable rice. One serving of cheese. One bottle of water with crystal light equivalent mix.
Snack: Skinny Cow ice cream (150 calories)
Snack: Yogourt drink - BAD CHOICE!!!! 150 calories!!!!

Exercise today: Nothing

Check out the video below for tomorrow's plan!

x

Feeling really tired....

Last night, after supper, I took my PGX, some kelp (to help my hair grow), and my furosemide. Furosemide is a diuretic medication that I was originally prescribed for my intracranial hypertension, was taken off of once I had a shunt put in, and then was put back on when my blood pressure was high. I have not had to take it in quite a while as my blood pressure had returned to normal and all was well. That said, my doctor said I could still take it if I found that I had a lot pf "puffiness". For years, my hands have swollen up, and often times my face looks "puffy" (a term my mum uses). Last night I was feeling a little on the puffy side so I took the diuretic hoping that I would feel better. And I did.

Then just before I went to bed I started feeling nauseous. I was ok a short time later, but then woke up rather queasy again this morning and have been so on and off all day. I am feeling really tired and weak today and thankful that  it's raining and I don't have to force myself to go for a walk. In all honesty, I would be perfectly happy curling up on the couch with a good book and a cuddle from my Vaeh.

For breakfast I had a 390 calorie breakfast of one sausage and one biscuit from Tim's. (The only reason being that I was on the road heading to a shoot and was starving). I also ordered a large tea with 2 milk and 2 sweetener, but I could only drink half (38 calories for whole cup).

Lunch was an individual can of yellowfin tuna in olive oil = 130 calories and approximately 30 wholegrain vegetable thins crackers = 200 calories.

I have been trying to drink all of my water, but this is rather difficult. I am 500ml in with a litre to go. If the water isn't ice cold, I simply can't do it. So, I have added some Crystal Light mix which makes my water intake  a little easier.

Supper... I cannot decide. It's just Nevaeh and I and I have about 750 calories left. I think I would like some wholewheat pasta with veg and chicken. This will certainly make Nevaeh happy as she loves all three. I think a stop at the grocery store will be in order on the way home.

P.S. Followers... keep your eyes peeled for an exciting new addition. I am hoping to add some video footage of weigh-ins, measurements, and work outs once my brother, Dustin Widger, and I start our daily work out regime.

Stand-by

x

Blogging.... yep, I skipped it.

Ok Ok Ok.... So, I skipped a few days. I got fed up with dieting after the scale said I had gained 3 lbs after I stuck to the diet better that week than the first week when I had lost 6 lbs.

That said, here I am again. I have Amo's support now too as he is also back on track and eating healthy. He came home tonight with some fat free yogourt, weight watchers bread, and some special 1 point weight watchers cookies for a little treat.

I realize that it is extremely important that I incorporate exercise into my program. I have asked my brother if he will be my trainer as he is studying to become a personal trainer one day. I am hoping that he will be able to meet with me once a week to adjust my program to make sure that I am on track. As a side note, I am also hoping that he will be interested in videotaping some of our work out sessions and measurements so that I might be able to post them as well.

I will not be writing down what I ate today, but I will begin again tomorrow. I am hoping to keep my caloric intake under 1500 calories per day. We will see how that goes.....

Stand by.... x

Not feeling like much...

Still feeling blah with the whole weight loss saga. Went and picked up some PGX today which helps regulate blood sugar levels and decrease cravings.

Breakfast/Brunch: Went out for brunch with my Vaeh and my Amo. Had 2 sausages, 3 pieces bacon, and 2 eggs. No fries. No fried bread. yay me. One coffee.

Snack: 3 piece no-sugar-added chocolate.

Lunch/Dinner: PLate with celery and natural peanut butter, cucumber, 3 small pieces kalbasa, 3 pieces of cheese, half of an apple. Coffee.

Dinner/Snack: Carrots, peppers, and cucumber and sourcream/onion soup mix dip and natural peanut butter.

Later: Tea.

That's it that's all. No exercise today, though I had really good intentions.

x

I don't feel any lighter.... and I have stuck at this completely!

So, I am feeling a little discouraged. I step on the scale and it says that I am heavier... how is that possible? I have stuck at this every step of the way. That said, the same thing happened last time I was on this diet. In fact, every time I have gone on a diet and lost a lot the first week, the following week I have either been up or stayed the same. Still.... it's discouraging for sure.

Breakfast this morning was the same as every other this week, a mini protein bar and a coffee.

Lunch was late and I was starving so I kind of made myself a protein platter. In some strange way I am kind of embarrassed to write down what my lunch plate included, as I know it won't make any sense to anyone else. On my plate there was 2 fried eggs, 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese, 1 serving of marble cheese, 4 green queen olives, 4 thin slices of kalbasa, 4 this (loonie size) pieces of salami, and water.

My snack... which wasn't long after lunch, was half of a protein snack bar, 1 teaspoon of natural peanut butter and a cup of tea.

And then I headed to the grocery store. I thought I would cook a nice supper for us. Pesto pasta (none for me though), homemade guacamole, garlic shrimp, lemon herb salmon, and some lettuce. So I ate mine, minus the pasta and drank some water and headed out. Not 5 minutes out of the door and I was starving!

When I got home I had another snack... just a mini protein bar though and a cup of chai tea.

I'm not hungry now, but I feel bloated. I sincerely hope that I am down this week... otherwise I will be very very disappointed.

Here's to a healthy happy tomorrow.

x

Another day another meal...

Quick blog again tonight folks.... I'm simply tired and sore. Yesterday's run left my legs, abs, ankles, and back throbbing today. 

Breakfast: Mini energy bar. I ordered a tim's 2 cream 2 sweetener, but only drank 1/4 of it.

Lunch: Chicken strips (yes I am allowed these on occasion) and salad with ranch dressing.

water

Snack: Half an energy bar and a cup of tea.

Dinner: Homemade hamburber (no bun), 1 slice of tomato, oven roasted asparagus, red, orange and yellow pepper and onion. The veg was yummy! I drizzled a little olive oil over them then tossed around in some sea salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Topped with some low fat sourcream.

Dessert: Strawberries with splenda and cream.

water

tea

advil

Now to bed..... oh and I exercised today... sort of... does sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning all the floors on my hands and knees count as exercise???

Now to figure out when I am exercising tomorrow... ugh.

x

Quick Wrap up

Ok, quick entry tonight folks.... it's cuddle time with my one and only, so I gotta get this done.

Great day!

Breakfast: Mini energy bar

drywalled all morning

Lunch: homemade hamburger with mustard, no bun or anything else.

water
water
water
water
Run - 4km
water

Snack: energy snack bar

Later snack: a little salami/kelbasa  (I have no idea how to spell that and my legs are too tired to check the wrapper in the fridge) and olives.

Dinner: Heavenly chicken salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, fried onions, avocado, a little mozzarella cheese, and pesto chicken (cooked by above mentioned one and only). I only ate half of mine... STUFFED!

water & advil

Snuggle time....

x

Another ok day...

So, I started my day with a mini protein bar...

Then I nibbled...

a little chicken, a little meat, a little cheese, a little tea, a half a protein bar, 2 nectarines, and a diet coke.

Then it was dinner time. My one and only, best boyfriend ever, made me homemade hamburgers.
I ate one large homemade patty with mozzarella and sundried tomato inside with green beans, butter and salt. I had a little mayo and a little mustard on my burger and a glass of red wine to wash it all down.

Now... I'm stuffed.

Tonight will be filled with cuddles, a movie and a crystal lite. That's it that's all.

x

WOOOOHOOOO!

I am down down down! ALMOST 6 LBS!!!! I can hardly believe it!

Yahoooooooooooo!
And that, my friends, is all the motivation I need to get through another week.

x

Ugh...

I'm hungry. It's 9:12 p.m. and I just want something to eat and I have horrible breath. I know, you probably don't want to know but it's a factor in my weight loss.

This low carb diet has one MAJOR drawback.... bad breath. I haven't quite gotten back into the habit of chewing gum all the time and my mouth tastes like something's dying in there.  When this happens, I only get more hungry.

Since I can't have anything to eat given the late hour and the fact that I have absolutely nothing to distract me I thought that I would blog.

Done. I have made it through another 4 minutes without raiding the cupboards. Yay me.

x

Day's end...

I am not sure why, but I always find myself shocked when things don't go as planned.
Lunch ended up being postponed until 1:30p.m. so I was starving. Instead of coming home and ramming my whole head into the cupboard and eating everything I could my hands on, I cooked a little.
I made a very delicious cheese and salsa omelet.

Snack time was a large steeped tea with 2 cream and 2 sweetener and a protein snack bar.

Snack #2: A large coffee 2 cream and 2 sweetener....(thanks honey)

Supper.... thank heavens there was something quick and easy hiding in the freezer otherwise disaster was imminent. I made some fish lightly dusted with bread crumbs and some buttery brussel sprouts.

And that's it folks. Nothing exciting today, but one more day without carbs. Tomorrow morning is the big weigh-in so stand by for another update.

x

Already a little lighter!

I woke up this morning, hungry of course, but feeling a little lighter. I ran downstairs and jumped on the scale. Now, I know that this is kind of cheating since I am not supposed to weigh-in until tomorrow... but I AM ALREADY DOWN 3 LBS!!!! This, alone, was motivation!

Last night's supper was 2 bratwurst sausages (no bun or anything) boiled, then browned in a little olive oil on the stove, 1 whole sauteed green pepper and onion, and 1/4 cup of corn. I put a little light sour cream, butter and salt on the veg for some added flavour. This was followed by a late night cup of tea from Tim's (thanks to my honey...x) with 2 cream and 2 sweetner.

Breakfast this morning: you guessed it, my mini protein bar and a large coffee 2 cream 2 sweetner.

Lunch: planning on a cheese omelet, some beets and a cup of tea.

x

So far so good.

Today started off well. I ate my very yummy protein bar (same as yesterday) without coffee.... not by choice. I left the house after a little cajoling with Miss Vaeh, dropped her off at school and was all ready to make my Timmies run when I suddenly realized.... I had no idea where my wallet was. So, needless to say,  I suffered caffeine free until 11:20 when I ran out of the office and headed home for a fix.

Lunch was 2 eggs over medium, some beets and a little old cheddar. This was followed by my protein snack bar and a lovely cup of tea to warm me up.

I have been a little hungry this afternoon, but freezing my way through the last two hours has stopped me from starving to death. My hands are practically quivering with cold as I type this entry..... bbbbbrrrrrr.rr......

Tonight's dinner will likely be sausage and cabbage. Our fridge is a little empty as we have been far to busy to go shopping....lol

Thanks again for all of your support. Looking forward to weighing in on Saturday morning.

x

OK For REAL this time....

Ok.. I got completely side tracked! I was working and then went on a mega junk binge last night. That said, I have stuck to my diet all day today. I am back on the low low low carb diet that I was on before and although I am hungry and really tired to day, I know what I have to look forward to.

My plan is pretty simple. I eat a small amount of carbs once a day. No sugar in any form, no white pasta, white rice, white bread, and no bananas. I eat lots of healthy green veg, lots of protein, and a little fruit.

I will be eating a mini oh yeah bar in the mornings (the equivalent to 1/3 of a large bar that you can buy at GNC) and if I am totally desperate I will have another mini bar later in the day. They are really delicious and helped me stay on track last time. I will be drinking lots of water (crystal lite is ok too) and eating as much veg as possible.

I also looked into some cycling classes at the YMCA in Belleville. My plan is to try and get to those twice a week and Yoga once... I will just have to see how scheduling goes for that.

Today's Consumption:
Breakfast: 1 mini bar & 1 mandarine orange
Lunch: 2 egg omelette with onion and old cheddar cheese.
Snack: 1 oh yeah snack bar
Dinner: 1 medium piece of chicken in Amo's special orange/paprika marinade (cooked on the BBQ) with garlic asparagus  (with a little butter and sour cream)
Beverages today: roughly half a can of Coke ZERO, 3/4 of a can of Sugar-free Fresca, 1 cup of carbonated mineral water with a squirt of lemon.

It is about 530 now and I am feeling hungry already. That said I know that the hungry feeling will only last about four days and then it stops. Something happens with how the body produces or doesn't produce ketones and you no longer get "hungry".

I have a meeting tonight at Tim Horton's and will likely have a tea with cream and sweetener while I am there. After that I will head home and guzzle back some water.

I am looking forward to feeling healthy and happy again. Climbing the stairs bothered me a bit this morning heading into work, and trying on my size 12's and not being able to get them done up also bothered me. My old "fatter" jeans (meaning my size 33 Jacobs') do not come close to doing up right now, so I am anxious to get back into those and then back out of them and into smaller jeans.

Thanks to all my blog followers, friends and family for sticking with me and supporting me. I am really not sure what I would do without you.

Cheers and wish me luck!

x

I back flipped off of the wagon...

Imagine me. I'm on a wagon. The name of the wagon is DIET. Late afternoon rolls around and I get this crazy look on my face and back flip right off of the wagon into a pile of taters and chocolate chip cookies. Well... that's exactly what I did.

I came home from a long day with a bag of groceries. In the bag there is healthy snacks, stuff to make musli and a grab and go supper (chicken, taters and broccoli salad). As I walk into the kitchen the first thing that I notice is the mess....then I noticed the cookies.

Amo decided to make chocolate chip cookies today. He tells me that he made them for Nevaeh, which is most definitely a very sweet and thoughtful gesture, but it does not help me at all with my plan. Not to mention he decided to procrastinate and leave the clean up till later. Of course this frustrated me as I am not very good at leaving a mess until "later".... I simply cannot relax... or blog. ;o)

So, as I cleaned up, feeling a little frustrated, I ate 2 cookies and then for supper I really splurged. I ate taters, chicken (with lots of chicken skin) and a little broccoli salad. I know. I know. I know. Big mistake. I am an emotional eater. A little emotion plus a lot of PMS and disaster is guaranteed.

That said, tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow will be better.

Ugh.

x

last night.....and today

So, yep... I cheated last night. I ate my pita and a samosa with sour cream, and a little popcorn mid afternoon (cause I was STARVING!). It was delicious! I enjoyed it! And today is a new day!

This morning started off well. My yogourt is all gone (disappointing) so I ate 2 pieces of 12 grain toast without the crust and butter only. I drank a large chai tea with 2 cream and 2 sweetner and then headed out.

Lunch consisted of a delicious foot long whole wheat veggie sub with mayo and tonnes of veggies and a crystal lite. I am heading out for a little 4 block walk in a couple of hours to do some shooting and then home for supper.

Supper will consist of: ????? I have no idea... standby.

x

Great start to another day

So, I was up bright and early this morning and ate my yogourt with cranberry granola.... very yummy and just 230 calories. And Amo, being the sweetheart that he is, ran out and grabbed a large timmies (2cream, 2 sweetner). Once that I was done my sister showed up for a visit and we decided to head out for a walk. Forty minutes later, and a whole lot of chasing after bike riding Nevaeh, we were home again.

Lunch: 2 egg omelette with red peppers, green peppers, onion, real bacon bits, and a little cheese and one piece of toast with butter. One bottle of crystal lite.

Dinner plans: Well.... Amo had to take his parents to the airport today... so he is going to make a little pit stop on the way home. There is a little place in Whitby, just off of the 401 called Pita Deli, and oh my, they make the BEST pitas imaginable! So, dinner will be a garlic chicken pita. This consists of shaved chicken breast, fattoush salad, garlic sauce, and I'm not sure what else.... all wrapped in a delicious pita. I can't wait! I only get a pita like this every 3-4 months and salivate at the mere thought of it! I know, probably not the best diet food, but it simply has to be done. Other than that, nothing else today!

Late night entry.....

Ok, I'm tired... exhausted actually, but figured I better write a quick entry explaining what I ate today.

Lunch: Chicken, mushroom, onion, and green pepper leftovers. Strawberries with a little splenda and a bit of cream. 1 bottle of crystal lite.

Supper: Foot long VEGGIE sub.

Snack: NONE. 1 bottle of water.


Today's Accomplishment: I didn't get chips with my sub, I didn't order a drink while we were out and stuck to water, I didn't eat an of the chinese food that Amo's mum sent over for us at 1030 tonight... :( Smelled so good, and I am so very hungry. 


Today's Exercise: 1.5 hours bowling, 1 hour insulation and vapour barrier-ing in the basement. 

And on that note.... I am off to watch a little telly and I am off to bed.

Starving Tuesday.....

So, I woke up at 7:15 this morning, got dressed, made Vaeh's lunch and breakfast, and then scarfed down a quick vanilla and cranberry granola yogourt. Now.... I AM STARVING!!!! My tummy is growling. I am sure that my co-workers at the Intel can hear it echoing through the newsroom. I have no snacks with me, and lunch is another hour or so away. What the heck am I going to do? Pre-T.J.shrinks I would have run out the door to Timmies and grabbed a snack and a coffee. Now, I just sit here gurgling, growling, groaning.

What lesson have I learned? The importance of an emergency banana!!!

Again, I didn't exactly stick to my morning diet plan, but I did stay ON TRACK and I EXERCISED to boot! 

Lunch: 1 pc leftover veal from last night along with leftover cucumber salad. I bottle crystal lite. Coffee (at home) with a little cream and sweetner.

Supper: Chicken, green pepper, onion, and mushroom in a light cream sauce with 1/4 cup of whole wheat pasta and some squash (squash was delicious!). 1/2 c of cucumber salad. 

(Recipe for squash: Cut butternut squash in half. Remove seeds and rinse. Place cut side down in a shallow pan of water. Place in over for approximately 30 mins @ 375 degrees. Remove squash from oven. Drain water and flip sqaush over. Fill each squash half with one tsp of butter/margarine, 1 tsp of brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Return to oven for 15-20 mins. (Times are approximate). Enjoy!)

Dessert: Strawberries with 2 tsp of raw sugar and a little cream. 

Not a bad day overall. I skipped the double cream coffees all day at Tim's, the mid afternoon chocolate craving, and the wine at dinner. I didn't find myself starving at any point during the day, though I did find myself constantly thinking about food and reminding myself that whatever I ate I had to blog about later. 

I think my biggest challenge today will be when Amo comes home from soccer later on tonight. He won't eat before he plays, so he makes up for it when he comes home. Watching him eat at my most difficult time of day may be challenging, but I am prepared and have asked him to bring me a tea home that I can sip away on while he chows down. 

All in all, pretty successful day... Here's to tomorrow! 

TODAY'S ACCOMPLISHMENT:

I took Nevaeh out for ice cream today and did not order anything at all! I also skipped my usual 2-3 Timmies coffees today and my glass of wine with dinner. Yay! 

EXERCISE:

Took Nevaeh around 2 blocks on her bike while I walked followed by one hour of gardening (digging up weeds, trimming hedges, etc). 

Day Two...and now I have back up

My phone rang at just after nine this morning... it was Amo. "What are you doing today?" He never asks me that. So, I told him I wasn't sure. Then he wanted to make sure I was having a nice healthy breakfast this morning.... what the heck?! He never asks me! LOL

Apparently some of the Price Chopper blog followers were shocked that I had gained 27lbs since I met him and asked him about it.... LOL as much as I wish I could blame it on Amo, I can't it's my own fault. I just got a little too comfortable. ;o)

That phone call this morning has set me up for a great day! I am eating a vanilla yogourt with cranberry granola on top, a healthy 230 calorie breakfast. I will be heading out for a walk this afternoon.... and not just around the block. ;o)

Lunch plan: Cucumber salad and tuna.

Supper plan: Left over veal and some salad.

Day ONE ENDS....

Sometimes  I wonder why I bother planning... lunch was a chicken caesar and a piece of garlic bread from Goody's after three hours of hard work framing the basement followed by another two hours of the same.
Supper.... well.... I pulled out veal instead of steak....duh. So, Amo said he would make veal parmesan and cucumber salad. SOOOOOoooooo Yummy!

RECIPE 1: Veal Parm 
Veal
Bread Crumbs 
Eggs
Milk 
Mozzarella Cheese
Spaghetti (whole wheat) 
Spaghetti Sauce 
Parmesan Cheese


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat 2 eggs with about 2 tablespoons of milk in a dish. In another dish place bread crumbs (about 1 cup to start). Dip veal in eggs then bread crumbs and place on baking sheet.  Place in oven for 15 minutes (or so) until cooked through. 


Warm spaghetti sauce in a pot over medium heat while veal is in the oven. 


Cook spaghetti as per box instructions. 


Once veal is cooked, spoon sauce over pieces of meat and then cover with mozzarella cheese. Return meat to oven and place on broil for about 5 minutes. Remove from oven once cheese is melted. 


In a pasta dish, place a desired amount of pasta, spoon desired amount of sauce over spaghetti, and top with cooked veal. 


Enjoy! 


RECIPE 2: Cucumber Salad
Cucumber 
Sun-dried tomatoes (the kind that come in the jar packed in oil) 
Roasted red peppers (again, the kind that come in the jar) 
Oregano 
Sea Salt
Olive Oil

Peel and slice cucumber. Cut into quarters. Place in salad bowl. Use a couple of spoon fulls of the tomatoes and the same for the peppers (Amo insists that he cooks by taste not by measurements.... so it's hard to say how much he used of each....lol). Be sure to use a teaspoon or so of the oil from the tomatoes for added flavour. Drizzle mixture with Olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and a little oregano.  If you'd like a little zing to this salad, Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar.


Enjoy!

And now, I will sign off for the night so that I can go and enjoy a little fruit salad for dessert.  Here's to another delicious day tomorrow.

TODAY'S ACCOMPLISHMENT: 
I didn't eat any of Nevaeh's Easter chocolate that she nibbled on while we watched T.V. (YAY!!!!) 


EXERCISE:
We went for a little walk right after dinner with Nevaeh. Nevaeh rode her bike and we walked behind her around our little block. 
Does working in the basement framing count????

Day one begins...

I wok up this morning with the intention of having 2 pieces of 12 grain toast with a bit of honey.... but no. We have no bread. So, I toyed with the idea of cinnamon toast crunch and thought better of it. Eating that would defeat the idea of knowing what I am eating. I am certain that I could hardly pronounce many of the ingredients in such a delicious cereal.

Faced with these obstacles I chose to make blueberry pancakes. Now I know, not diet food, but I knew what was in them because I made them myself. I ate 2 with a little Fosterholm maple syrup (which I highly recommend!) and one cup of 100% pure orange juice.

Since this project is about balance, and I chose such a calorie rich breakfast, I plan on having a chickpea salad for lunch and bbq'd steak and roasted green peppers for supper.... I would say that would make for a pretty good diet day.

Standby to see if I stick to my plan.

x

Back ONline

Phew! After I was left computerless for a couple of very stressful days, I am finally back online. A special thanks goes out to my guardian angel that helped me when my old macbook died.

That said, I was obviously super stressed and OVERATE! I know.... there should be no excuse and I should have stayed on track, but I just couldn't get it together. If I told you everything I ate in the last 2 days I think you might be tempted to verbally assault me for my weakness and complete lack of willpower.

It is for that reason that I will NOT be writing a food journal covering the last 48 hours. I would be lying if I said I thought that that was the right thing to do. I should probably disclose my dirty little diet secrets for the web to see, but I can't. I can't tell you how I sat with my grandmother on her nursing home bed today and ate easter eggs and chips. I can't tell you how I pigged out on Greek Oasis chicken souvlaki, salad, potatoes, and rice.... followed by a greek custard smothered in baklava...... to tell you all that would simply be embarrassing.

So, again, the plan for tomorrow is to get it together. I am going to blog (since I have a computer and can do that now) everything I eat, and the exercise I partake in. I will be strong, I will stick to the plan, and I will get healthy.

Thanks to all of those who have showed their support and will continue to follow along... without further delay.... T.J. Shrinks!

x

Let's start with the BIG stuff....

The numbers on the scale tell me that I have gained 27 lbs since I met the love of my life, Amedeo (aka Amo), a little less than nine months ago. Shit. That's three pounds of fat gained every single month! 


So, what I am going to do about it? I tried the low carb thing and just gained weight back again as soon as I went back to carbs. I tried paying money and going to meetings. I tried just cutting back, I tried cutting out, I tried, I tried, I tried. Now I am going to live.


My plan: to fall in love with food on a whole new level. I want to gain an appreciation for things moving past my lips and into my stomach. I want to know where they come from, what they are made of, how they were grown, and how they were harvested. I intend on eating as much local produce as possible, trying new things, and coming up with inventive new ways to tantalize my taste buds without tipping the scale.


For those of you who are already sick of reading, please rest assured, most of my other entries will not be as lengthy. In fact, you may, on occasion, simply see a number on the scale and a single word beside it:  F*#K.


So, here it goes.... let's see where the evening takes us. When the darkness creeps in, generally, the munchies aren't far behind in this house. I vow that I will not eat past seven o'clock tonight, so I may have to blog all night instead. ;o)


As a final note: I will be adding a "View From Here" photo at the end of each weekly weigh in. Here is what I look like, from my own perspective.


WEIGHT:
207.2 lbs


LBS TO GOAL:
47.2 lbs


FOOD EATEN:
Let's just say a lot....beginning tomorrow I will be posting every food item that passes my lips, including recipes whenever possible.


EXERCISE DONE:
Absolutely none. I have been a lazy git today. Besides a couple of jaunts up and down the flight of stairs at work today whilst running around town to get photos, I have not done a darn thing.


MOOD: Grumpy. Perhaps it's PMS.... or maybe it's the weather... yeah it must be the weather. ;o)

Yo Yo Yo

Up and down. Up and down. Thin and fat. Thin and fat. Yo yo up. Yo Yo down. I have had it, that is that.

I have battled with my weight for ELEVEN years. I am TWENTY-NINE. I quit figure skating at eighteen and it all went down hill from there. At first it was twenty pounds, twenty turned into forty, forty turned into sixty and before I new it I was ONE HUNDRED pounds OvErWeIgHt!

It took a while but lost it. In 2003, I weighed in at just under 160lbs. Then I quit dieting, quit thinking, quit watching and the scale caught up with me. By the time I got pregnant with my daughter I was up to 180lbs and nine months later I was around 230lbs.

Five years later I weighed the same. Sure I'd lost and gained, lost and gained. In fact, I had probably lost and regained more than one-hundred pounds over half a decade. But the truth was that I topped the scales at two-hundred and thirty pounds and I didn't have a baby to blame it on anymore.

Again, I got back on the wagon. I cut out carbs. I ate meat, meat, meat, and salad. I was doing pretty well and lost a whopping 50lbs in less than three months. I was down to 180lbs, and although that isn't skinny, I felt good. I was wearing a size 12 and no longer got out of breath going up the stairs. More importantly, I found my confidence again. I loved myself, I loved my life, and I appreciated and loved the skin that I lived in. I felt that I had finally gotten a handle on things.

A few months later I met the absolute love of my life. A man who made me melt every time he looked at me, a man who thought I was beautiful, sexy, and confident. A man who loves food as much as I do. I fell off the wagon. I let my appreciation of food get out of hand and found myself in tighter jeans and out of some. I watched as the numbers on the scale climbed and I felt a little less beautiful. I thought about my unhealthy choices and continued to stuff the food in.

Now, I sit here writing my first blog entry staring at the scale looming across the room. It is the thing of my nightmares and my absolute worst enemy. But I am vowing to change that. I want to make it my friend. A companion to keep me on the right track, to help me see the error in my ways and to make sure that I get to where I want to be.

So, here it goes.... My next entry will be my first weigh-in and will describe a little bit about my plan. Be warned I may post several times a day!! I am going to use my blog as a tool to overcome cravings, a way to vent my frustrations, and a place to hopefully inspire others to do what is best for their hearts, their minds and, of course, their bodies.

Cheers and wish me luck!

Tiffany