Confession Time

Ok so...first things first...last week...I lied to you...I lied to me. This is sad.

After the first awesome week on Weight Watchers, well...the second week was NOT awesome. I ate pretty much whatever I wanted all that week and lied to you guys when I said I got on the scale and it hadn't moved.

The truth is...I didn't even get on the scale because I was too afraid of the damage I KNEW I had done.

However, I have been 100% good this week...I faced the scale and it hasn't changed since two weeks ago. So I really must have done some damage that week I was balls out eating.

I did take all of my measurements this morning and will take them again one month from now. I do know I have lost 3 inches in my waist since I started this journey. That's something.

So this is the start of the new week. I will admit that I was angry with myself and got a pumpkin spice latte on the way in, but all of my healthy food is here for the rest of the day. I WILL stay on track!!!

I heart Weight Watchers!

You guys you guys! I weighed in this morning and am down 2.8 for a total of....10.8 (since July)!! I finally hit and crossed the 10-pound mark!!!

Something huge...I NEVER, EVER look at myself in the mirror unclothed, right? Well...I did today for the first time in forever. No, I'm not ready for Playboy just yet, but the big news is...I didn't HATE myself!!! For the first time in a long time I felt somewhat comfortable in my own skin. Guys, this is huge for me. Huge!

I am really liking Weight Watchers...I like that I am never starving. I like that I can eat "normal" foods that are actually good for me and still lose weight. This is working! My goals for next week are:

- work out at least 5 days/week
- drink at least 80 oz of water/day
- stay within my points
- lose 2 lbs

Rededication to Fitness

Since I rededicated to the eating portion of being healthy (by joining Weight Watchers online) I feel it's time to rededicate to my working out.

For a while I was doing Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD 5 days per week and by the end of 3 weeks I was up to doing Level 2 without breaks. Then I took a break...only a much longer break than I intended ;)

Now I'm back and I'm going to do it and the Kettlenetics workout together. I think I will do the strength/toning from Kettlenetics in the morning and Shred after work. I seem to not be able to do too much cardio first thing in the morning...I just run out of steam and only do things 50%.

I did discover that by having a serving of edamame as my late afternoon snack that I can really power through a workout. I bought 8 servings of it at Sam's this past weekend. It's just steamed soybeans in the pod with some salt, but they are great for munching...99 cals and 8g protein.

Weight Watchers so far

Well I can't say I was good about sticking to my points this weekend, but I didn't go TOO nuts. I gotta say, I can't believe everything I'm going to be eating today and still be within my points range! Lookie:

Breakfast (3 pts) 8am
1 c skim milk - 2 pts
3/4 c Kellogg's Special K Low Carb Lifestyle Cereal - 1 pt

Mid-Morning Snack (3 pts) 10am
Fiber One Oats & Apple Bar - 2 pts
15 oz V8 Low Sodium - 1 pt

Lunch (5 pts) 12pm
Santa Fe Whole Grain Tortilla - 1 pt
3.25 oz Tuna Salad - 3 pts
1 c Progresso Light Beef Pot Roast Soup - 1pt

Early Afternoon Snack (2 pts) 2pm
1/2 oz dry-roasted almonds - 2 pts
3 oz baby carrots - 0 pts
1 small cucumber - 0 pts

Late Afternoon Snack (3 pts) 4pm
6 oz Chobani Bluberry Greek Yogurt - 3 pts

Dinner (4 pts) 6pm
Parmesan Turkey Meatloaf - 4 pts
1 c steamed broccoli - 0 pts

PM Snack (1 pt) 8pm
3/4 c edamame in pods - 1 pt

All of that for 21 of my 22 points total! Amazing. I did forget how much planning and measuring it all takes, but I think it will be worth it.

Changing It Up

So I've been doing Jenny Craig since early July this time around and I've lost 9 lbs or so. I have lost a LOT of inches and am back in a pair of jeans I hadn't been able to wear since last November. I've made working out at least 3 times per week a habit. These are all great things.

But I think I'm stuck. I think I've hit that dreaded plateau and I want to bust it wide open so I'm thinking of changing it up.

I have done extreme stuff in the past like Atkins and Michael Thurmond's 6-week Body Makeover...both had good success, but then the pounds started to creep back on like they like to do.

I think I would like to give South Beach a try...not strict South Beach, but maybe just trying to get in more healthy choices and good fats. Right now I'm pretty bad about getting in veggies. I love broccoli and well...broccoli. I need to branch out and start being open to trying new things.

Apparently a ton of you are doing Weight Watchers so maybe I'll look into doing the online version...maybe ;) Sheesh I joined WW online okay? Happy now??? ;)

Anyway, I think I will finish up the rest of my Jenny food this week and Monday will be Day 1 of not necessarily a diet, but a way of eating that is better for me. I will still log my food and do my own weekly weigh-ins. I think I'm going to like this!

Smoothie Time!

So, I haven't made this in a while, but it was my go-to breakfast for a long time. I think I might have to resurrect it!

It is delicious, surprisingly filling and perfect for breakfast. It's full of calcium, protein, good fats, omega-3s, antioxidants and fiber:

1/2 c plain, nonfat greek yogurt (I use Chobani or Fage 0%)
1/2 c skim milk
1/2 c frozen blueberries
2 tbsp ground flax seed*
1 tbsp natural almond butter
dash almond extract
1 packet Truvia (or similar non-calorie, non-artificial sweetener)

And what's so nice is that it's really versatile...you can just use it as a starting point and tweak it however you like. You could use soy milk vs regular, mixed berries vs blueberries...peanut butter vs almond...add in 1/2 banana and on and on and on.

Oh and I got this great personal mixer since making a smoothie for one in our regular blender was too much cleanup for my mornings:

Nutritional info (as made above):
Calories 293, Total Fat 12.5g, Sat Fat 0.5g, Sodium 112.5, Carbs 26, Fiber 9g, Sugar 16g, Protein 23g

*if you buy ground flax seed be sure to store in your refrigerator after opening

Black Bean Turkey Chili

This is loosely modified from a recipe I got on Allrecipes.com. If it's too spicy you can easily knock down the spice factor.

* 1 (20 oz) package ground turkey (or 1 lb LEAN ground beef)
* 1 onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
* 1 (7 oz) can diced green chiles, drained
* 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tbsp chili powder
* 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1/2 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
* 1 (15-16 oz) can diced tomatoes (no salt added), drained
* 2 (15-16 16 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* salt to taste

In a 3-qt. saucepan, combine turkey, onion, red pepper, green chiles, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, oregano, marjoram, red pepper flakes and cinnamon.

Cook mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink.

Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Stir in beans and cilantro. Continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes.

My thoughts on The Biggest Loser

I used to be very against this show. I used to feel that it was mean to invite all the people to come to the show and then eliminate those who lost the least body fat percentage each week.

I still do not like that aspect of the show, but I do think it is great for motivation for people watching at home. I know it's not realistic the way they lose at that rate. I know they are on super-restrictive, extremely low-calorie diets and work out ridiculous hours daily, but it does show that these people are not lost causes. You can always choose to better yourself. It is never too late.

And what about Abby (was that her name?)...the lady who lost her entire family in a car accident??? I cannot even imagine. At all. She amazes me. But really, they all amaze me. It cannot be easy to get on national television to confront your personal demons and the reasons for why and how you got to be where you are. I commend these people and hope ALL of them have great success no matter how long they get to be on the show.

Kettlenetics! - Changing up the routine

Ok so y'know I love and have been doing the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD for almost 2 months now. I still can't get to Level 3, but anyway...

I figured it was time to change things up so I ordered the Kettlenetics Slim & Tone Body System from QVC.



I got it on Monday evening and Tuesday I went through the KB Elements DVD to familiarize myself with the basic movements. The next morning I was already sore just from LEARNING haha. Wednesday morning I tried the Flowmotion Basics DVD and while I couldn't go at the same pace as Michelle, I was still able to perform all the moves and LOVED doing it. Those 20 minutes FLEW by.

But guess what...Thursday morning and even through to today I am so so sore...like hurts to sit on the toilet sore haha. My hamstrings, shoulders, glutes and quads act like I've never used them before so obviously I am using them in totally new ways. This is good! I think it's smart to change things up so I plan to continue working my way through the rest of the DVDs and will rotate them in with the 30 Day Shred DVD and maybe I'll REALLY start to see some changes.

FYI, the deal through QVC is on 2 payments now through Monday so might be a good time to try it out for yourself. I'm loving it so far :)

(No) Pasta E Fagioli

You could always add elbow macaroni if you wanted. Trying to keep it relatively low-glycemic

1 tsp oil
1 lb lean ground beef
10 oz carrots, slivered (I just buy the "matchstick" kind that are already pre-slivered)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery heart, diced
28 oz diced canned tomatoes (no salt added)
1 can red kidney beans
1 can great northern beans
32 oz beef stock (low sodium)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp parsley
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
24 oz plain tomato sauce
Add salt to taste

Saute beef in oil in large 6+ quart pot until beef starts to brown

Add onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes

Drain and rinse beans and add to pot, along with all remaining ingredients (stock, spices, Tabasco, tomato sauce)

Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes

I'm back!

My girly weekend at the beach was great. We had so much quality time, which is huge seeing as how I only see her maybe twice a year these days.

We had SAID we were going to do South Beach food the whole time, but aside from some omelettes in the morning and some healthy chili other times, we pretty much ate what we wanted, which may or may not have included what seemed like at least 80 oz of havarti cheese ;)

I also didn't work out AT ALL! Bad Mandy. But I fixed that this morning. Not really looking forward to my weigh-in on Friday, but maybe I can undo some of the damage, right?

OH! While I was there we got in some shopping. I got the cutest little insulated lunch bag along with a gorgeous piece of crystalline pottery (a weakness of mine). I also got a nice, reusable shopping bag made by Rume(http://www.rumebags.com/) Totally worth checking out. They fold down to nothing (6"x3"x2")so easy to keep with you in your purse.

I missed you guys!!!

Girly Weekend and South Beach Diet

Today is my Friday woot!

One of my very best friends is in town from Phoenix and instead of having her stay all cramped up in our teeny suburban house, I'm whisking her away to my parents' at the beach after work. Lucky for me she loves my parents so it'll still be a vacation for her. Poor Ryan will just have to manage without me ;)

Sarah has struggled with her weight, much like me, but has found success in doing South Beach. She has lost 30 lbs and has KEPT it off over a year. I did "try" it once for about 3 weeks and lost 9 lbs, but I got lazy as it does take quite a bit of planning, which I wasn't good about at the time.

So the good news is, even though we'll be having plenty of wine and a good time, she actually said she'd be willing to cook and show me and my mom (who also struggles with weight and is Type II Diabetic) how to do some South Beach recipes. I'm hoping I don't get TOO off track. I am also taking my Jillian Michaels DVD with me for the early mornings and even if I don't get that in I can always ride the bike down the beach.

I'm hoping we can get in some good quality time and maybe watch some super-girly movie...something Ryan would NEVER agree to seeing haha. My poor dad will probably stay away from us the whole time. I'm sure we'll be quite annoying ;)

Any of you ever try South Beach?

Car Situation...advice?

Here's the situation...Ryan and I needed a new roof about a month ago. $4,200. Mom and dad got themselves a band new 2009 Honda Odyssey so they gave us their 2002 Chrysler Town & Country LXi to either keep or sell, which would obviously help with the roof seeing as Blue Book lists it for around $6,000.

We just paid off Ryan's car (2005 Hyundai Elantra) and it's in great shape. My car (2000 Honda Civic EX) has been paid off forever and is running great.

We are not struggling with the roof issue, but of course it would be awesome to sell the van and pocket some extra money, but...

Well, I just have a lot of options and a lot on my mind. Ryan and I know we're not getting any younger and I mean we don't even know if we can even have kids so we have discussed starting to try maybe this time next year. A van certainly would be nice to have...but it's an older one, y'know?

In the meantime, I have NEVER had a "new" car. My first car was a '91 Honda CRX that I got in '94 (when I was 16) and the car I am driving now I got in '04. Not that I even need a "new" car, but it would be nice to drive something no older than 2 yrs for once...and something that is nicer and more of an "adult" car y'know?

So I was thinking that my options are:

a) Sell the van for $6,000. Put the money in the bank and chill.
b) Sell my Honda for $3,500. The van will be my main ride.
c) Trade in both and put ~$10K toward a newer car for me

Decisions, decisions. Any thoughts/advice greatly appreciated.

The Trouble with Water

I have a problem with water.

Ok...not so much water, but being even thirsty enough to drink anything. My mom is the same way. I literally could go (and have gone) all day without so much as a sip of anything until dinner. The only time I get thirsty is:

1 - during/after a workout
2 - when it's hellahot outside
3 - if I am eating something super-salty (which is rare)

That's it.

The only way I actually get in my 64 oz of water per day is by giving into my OCD tendencies and setting a reminder in my Outlook at work to pop up every 15 minutes saying "drink!" Even though my water bottle is sitting RIGHT here by my desk it just never occurs to me to drink.

I am so jealous of you guys who find it so easy to get in all of you water. It's probably a bigger struggle for me than eating right or exercising. Weird, huh?

Wii EA Sports Active

So y'know I've been all about the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD for a solid month now. I figured it was time to change it up and I saw that EA Sports Active for Wii was on sale at Target this week ($49.99 vs. $59.99) so I ran out during my lunch break and snatched it up (good thing as there were only 2 left in my store!).

I tried it this morning instead of Jillian (no worries, I still love you!) and it's pretty flippin' cool! I would say the only drawbacks would be:

1 - the resistance band that comes with it is not much of a challenge, but I figure I can get my own for pretty cheap next time I'm out

2 - I think Jillian has spoiled me...she goes boom-boom-boom between moves so you get a LOT done in 25 minutes...EA Active takes a bit longer to transition between exercises so it just takes longer to get in a solid workout, but it can be done and the pace is great if you're not in a rush

3 - the game seems to have a hard time reading some of my moves on certain exercises. On the kick-ups running I was going nuts, but the game wasn't picking up my movements at all...I think I need to experiment with different positions of my Wii motion bar deal.

Overall it really is a great game. You can choose to do their preset workouts, their 30-day challenge or customize your own routines. I like that your calories burned is on constant display...makes you want to keep going :)

Weigh-in and travel nightmare

First of all I had my weekly weigh-in and I am down one more pound!

Then the bad news...on the way to the beach to see my parents...Ryan (hubby) and I are driving my parents' old van (2002 Chrysler Town & Country) cos it's roomier than either of our cars. ANYway...we were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic getting out of town and as SOON as it let up, the van starts rumbling and trembling terribly. We think it's a flat tire so I pull over. The right-front wheel is smoking. Apparently the brake calipers were stuck on the wheel.

So this is 6:30...and we are 30 minutes from home. We wait on AAA for 2 hours o_0...we get home $90 later we get the van to a mechanic and get Ryan's car and are finally back on the road by 10...at my parents' by 12:30am...exhausted!

Oh, did I mention I hadn't had anything to eat since 4pm until 9:45!!! Bad I know. AND, took us forever to get to sleep since we were so wired...BUT! I was up at 8am to do my workout!!!

AND, mom just got EA Active for her Wii so I hope to try that out later this afternoon.

Hope everyone's weekend is off to a better start than mine ;)

And so it begins...

I guess it's good to start with a "where I've been, where I am and where I'm going" type post, huh?

I had been skinny (to the point where I left school crying when a teacher accused me of being anorexic in high school) my whole life. When I got to college, due to an awesome eating plan and, well, probably some drinking, I did put on the expected freshman 15...

I didn't really start packing on the pounds until I got my first desk job right out of college in 2000. Between 2000 and 2004 I had put on 45 lbs (130 - 175). It was time to do something. So I did.

I went with that Michael Thurmond 6-week Body Makeover. I did it for 3 months and did lose 30 lbs. It was a good plan, but too extreme (like 0 sodium and crazy prepwork for your food). I was living alone at the time so wasn't so bad. I kept that off for 2 years and then slowly I started to regain 20 lbs back...this time my girlfriend and I decided to try Jenny Craig. It worked out really well. I lost the 20 in about 4 months. I kept it off and lost 10 more in time for my wedding.

So here we are. I have been married almost 2 years, and in that time I managed to almost regain back to 175. I was about to buy the next size jeans and I got fed up. So back to Jenny I went. I bought a membership back in 2006 so it just made sense and I was looking for a convenient way to get a jump start. I plan to stick with JC until I lose the first 15-20 lbs and then perhaps go it alone with portion control and logging my food.

For the first time in my life I have been sticking to exercising at least 5 days per week (sometimes 6!). I have to give credit to finding the right DVD for me. I do the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred. It's only 25 minutes so there are no excuses for NOT doing it. She has 3 levels on the DVD and so far I have only been able to make it through the first 2.

So far I'm only down 6 lbs (actually have weigh-in today at 5pm) in about a month and a half, but I have lost plenty of inches. I just want to keep up with being active as I think that is THE key I have been missing all these years in keeping it off. I am so determined this time.

So I have a blog

It's not much to look at yet, but here I am! On my way to losing weight, inches and feeling better all around. Wanna join me on my journey?