New Year, New Ebony/Jenny Craig Update

Jenny/Vacation


So I actually got my Jenny food, but by the time I got it, I had eaten every "bad" thing that I was going to eat. I am also in a house in which I am expected to cook my moms favorites like everyday! So needless to say I have been totally of plan. I have been eating foods that I would not normally eat, but "hey it's vacation!" What has been happening though is that I have not been overeating and I have not been eating just to eat. Those are two things that I used to do. For example we had just finished eating lunch one day, went to the mall, saw some of my Godchildren, ate some ice cream at an impromptu birthday party at Baskin-Robbins (I had a small). Now all of this took less than an hour and a half. Derek said he wanted to go to this great sushi place that we had been to and I said "But WE JUST ATE!" My husband said he was proud of me because the old Ebony would have just gone along and ate a roll...or two. I have made better decisions, not the best, but they are getting better. So for that I give myself a "go me."


New Year's

I think I am the opposite of most people. I don't do New Year's Resolutions. This year I am going to be the same way...sort of. Instead of resolutions I am going to make promises to myself. So here are my New Year's Promises.

I Ebony Promise to do the following to ensure a healthier, fitter me in 2009:

1) I will work out at least 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes.
2) I will eat 5-6 small meals a day.
3) I will eat no more than 1600 calories in a day.
4) I will log my food and exercise on sparkpeople.com everyday.
5) I will log my weight (loss or gain) every Monday.
6) I will sleep at least 7 hours a night.
7) I will not allow work functions to be a reason o go off plan.
8) I will not celebrate with food.
9) I will not allow stress to get in my way.
10) I will not make excuses!

I am so FRUSTRATED!!!

So I had my vacation all planned out. I was supposed to get off the plan at 3 and head home drop my stuff and go strait to Jenny Craig and pick up my food. Great plan right? WRONG. So for the first time since I cam remember we have like a foot of snow! So this means that some people don't want to work. I understand you don't feel safe you go home I get that. What I don't get is why I gave you my number when I made my appointment and you don't call me to tell me you are closed so I am out here in the cold and snow and you are closed! I go back on Saturday to make an appointment for today I get there and they are CLOSED!!! This is so not helping me. The healthy places are closed so all that's left are Fast food and the large chain restaurants who's salads are like 100 calories!!! So I made my husband slide down the hill to the grocery store so I can get veggies and stuff. However I cannot lie and say I have eaten on plan the last couple days. Sour Jolly Ranchers are really good...so are turtle brownies. My excuse of course is that there are no Jenny brownies or lemon cakes available to me. I have made every effort to get them, but the center was closed. That is what I am telling myself. Well I am about to go out yet again to see if they are open. If they are I am just going to buy the stuff and weigh in later at whatever the next appointment I make is...No weigh in yet, no scale, you will know as soon as I do.

Luv, Hugs, and Smooches!!!

Friday Check-In (Week 8)/Check out Miss Diana

In doing my regular checks of my favorite blogs this post hit home. Diana's Body Journey: Free days or no free days, that is the question. Read it and think about what you need to do or can do to stay on track yet not feel deprived of foods that you love. Personally I do the same even on Jenny. I ate what I wanted on Halloween, and Thanksgiving and still managed to lose 17 pound in 2 months. I am sure I will do the same on Christmas and I know I am going to have at least one glass of Tres Donnes Moscato D'Asti on New Years. Yes you read it right! With Me, Jenny, and your support I have lost 17 pounds in 8 weeks! I found my XBOX "game" Yourself Fitness and have been using that this week as my workouts. Unfortunately I haven't been using it much the past couple days because I am sick. The first time in over two years!!! I feel horrible. But anyway. I am going to go to bed now. Just make sure you check out Diana's post. I think you will like it.

On another note I got an A in my economics course!!!

Thank you!!!

So I am doing my normal somewhat daily blog checks and was surprised to see that I had been nominated for my first and second blog award! I am super excited and even more grateful. I have won prizes in the past, but never awards. This means even more to me because it comes from peers who are walking the journey with me. I am dang near at a loss for words.

I screamed so loudly when I saw it my husband told me I was messing with his PTSD. Which is funny because sound is not his trigger. We have only come across one place that has water the color of his trigger and have since avoided that place like the plague. Unfortunately outside of the pond it has the most beautiful flowers. "Your messing with my PTSD" has now become our "OMG you scared the mess out of me" or "You are really irritating me" But I digress back to happy thoughts.

Big thank you's to Confessions of a Wayward Diet Goddess for the Marie Antoinette Award

and Diana for the Fabulous Award

Now its time to pay it forward.

S0 here are the rules for the Marie Antoinette Award:
Please put the logo in your blog
Place a link from the person, from whom you received the award
Nominate at least 7 or more (See Below)
Put the links of those on your blog
Leave a message on their blog to let them know

The Fabulous Award Rules:

1. You have to pass it on to 5 fabulous blogs. (See Below)
2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions.

• My Family
• MAC Eye Shadow
• Dior Lip Gloss
• Fragrances (too many to list)
• Shopping

3. Make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them.

So below I have listed some blogs that I pay particular attention to for one reason or another. Most of you have been nominated for on or the other, but I don't think you have both. In no particular order.

Skye

Da Diva

Diet Goddess

Scale Junkie

Andrea

Amanda

Donna

HeatherMarie

Sylvia

Diana

You are looking at a new Sparkpeople Co-Leader!!!

So I go the email this morning from spark people. I am a co-leader for the Jenny team on spark people. I am SO excited about this opportunity. I hope I am able to lead the team well. I dropped the weight that I gained from thanksgiving and hope to get my workouts back on track this week. Sorry so short, but I am in the middle of an NCIS marathon and can't seem to break my focus...I'll probably post more Monday or Tuesday.

Luv, Hugs, and Smooches!!!

OMG!!!

So I was once again perusing the articles on sparkpeople and found this tidbit.

From Wallet To Waistline: The Hidden Costs of Super Sizing, was issued by the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity (NANA), a coalition of over 225 national, state and local health organizations. The report compares the price, calories, and saturated fat in differently sized foods from fast-food chains, convenience stores, ice cream parlors, coffee shops, and movie theaters. Among the findings:

• Upgrading from a 3-ounce Minibon to a Classic Cinnabon costs only 24% more, yet delivers 123% more calories. The larger size also provides almost three-quarters of a day's worth of artery-clogging saturated fat.
• Switching from 7-Eleven's Gulp to a Double Gulp costs 42% more, but provides 300% more calories. Those 37 extra cents deliver 450 extra calories-more than you'd get in a McDonald's Quarter Pounder.
• It costs 8 cents more to purchase a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese, small French fries, and small Coke (890 calories) separately than to buy the Quarter Pounder with Cheese large Extra Value Meal, which comes with a large fries and large Coke (1,380 calories). "McDonald's actually charges customers more to buy a smaller, lower-calorie meal," Wootan said.
• Moving from a small to a medium bag of movie theater popcorn costs about 71 cents-and 500 calories. A 23% increase in price provides 125% more calories and two days' worth of saturated fat. (And that's unbuttered popcorn!) According to the report, the practice of "bundling"—turning a fast-food sandwich into a "value meal" by adding sides like fries and a soft drink-is responsible for some of the largest increases in calorie content. And fountain drinks proved to be especially bad health bargains. They cost the least to upgrade and deliver the biggest calorie boosts (and they provide some of the highest profit margins for retailers).

That's why consumers should decline to take advantage of "more-for-less" marketing practices, even if it may seem cost-ineffective, says Polk. "It's penny-wise and pound-foolish to order more food than you really want, just because it seems like a bargain," she says. "Let restaurateurs and retailers know that you want reasonable portions at reasonable prices. After all, restaurants pride themselves on responding to customer demand."

Tweety Plate Plan Totally Failed

So yeah, my big eat on JC all day only one plate of food deal. That one that I was so proud of didn't work out. Lets start with Wednesday. I worked from 8 to 6:15 only to get home at 6:30 to start cooking. I cooked until 3:30 (yes AM) and got up at 8 to continue cooking. Why so long you ask. I am a scratch cooker meaning that I don't use mixes and remember that gumbo I was talking about...there is a fine line between a dark roux and a burned roux low and slow will always work out. So in the midst of all that cooking I forgot to eat. I don't know what it is, but cooking does NOT make me hungry it has the reverse effect and when I am done RAVENOUS!!!

So I stood by my one plat and one bowl and only had a few bites of everything...but my body decided that it needed so additional water and I am retaining like crazy...Two a days are in my future. Alas it was all worth it I will slave in the kitchen and make sure single soldiers feel like they are with family any day. The two pounds I gained, however, I can do without. As well as the fact that I had to work today...I almost fell asleep at my desk. Well people I am going to go back to the NCIS marathon that Derek and I are watching. Hopefully you did better than I yesterday and if not we can get back on track together. Happy Losing!

Luv, Hugs and Smooches!!!

I am dragging today/Thanksgiving Plan/X-Weighted Family

Let me preface by saying I am tired, so there are probably lots of errors in spelling, grammar and/or punctuation.

As I type this I am watching my DVR'd episode of X-Weighted. Both husband and wife are trying to lose 60 pounds in 6 months...I hope the wife knows that men lose fat a heck of a lot faster than men do and doesn't get discouraged. I'll fill you in at the end of the post. Anyhoo, So today I woke up excited, happy, jovial etc...and then 10AM hit and BAM!!! Exhaustion. It very well could be the effects of "TOM," but regardless I am soooooo tired. I ate right today, but I couldn't finish my workout I just felt so weak. I am also trying to prepare for the monstrosity that is thanksgiving. All I can say is OMG!!! I have to make EVERYTHING!!! STRESSED, I AM. I have my two day plan mapped out for cooking so I should be OK. Now the eating part is a whole different story. I have to cook and there is an expectation of certain foods that are a must for Thanksgiving with my family. We are having the following:

(By the way we are Seahawks fans who live in Cowboy country I have especially picked out a seahawk blue and green outfit that I have specifically reserved for this day)

Appetizers for the game (3:00 - 4:30):
My Queso dip (has beef in it)
Derek's Clam Dip (REALLY GOOD)
Jalapeno poppers
Chips
Salsa
Veggie Platter

So my plan for this time is to consume the veggies and I can have 13 chips 7 with salsa 3 with Queso 3 with Clam Dip at 1tsp per chip. I can say no to the poppers, but I am savoring every last chip. I figure this way I am getting the stuff that I want and know I can't say no to with out over indulging.

Dinner (4:30-6:00)
Turkey
Gumbo - (I know it is not your typical Thanksgiving staple, but its a tradition in my family)
Dressing
Greens
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
California Blend Veggies topped with Melted Cheddar (I am making my own without the cheese)
Corn
Cornbread
"Candied" Sweet Potatoes - A healthy recipe that uses roasted apples, 1/3 the sugar, 1/4 the butter
Buttermilk Biscuits
Green Bean Casserole (Derek is making this one, I don't like mushrooms and won't eat this
Cranberry Sauce

So my plan for this is that I have a Tweety Bird children's plate that I have been using for dinner . I am going to use this plate and my Tweety soup cup (gumbo) for thanksgiving. I get one plate of food and that's it! (Breaking news the husband is down 16 pounds in 5 weeks and the wife is down 14. The husband is ecstatic... the wife is in tears.) I have to figure out what ratio of each item I want such that I feel that I have gotten everything I wanted with out going over board. I get to have seconds of the following items: Turkey (no skin no gravy), Cali blend no cheese, the sweet potatoes and apples, maybe the greens too they are REALLY good and its still a veggie right? Even if they are cooked with Smoked pork? AAAAAAHHHHH! Anyway the gaol is one small plate and if I am still hungry only the healthy stuff.

BREAKING NEWS!!! At the 3 month weigh in Anthony (husband) has lost 36lbs Marichu (wife) lost 32...Marichu is not happy with her loss. This lady is crazy!!! She is unhappy because she didn't lose as much as she thought she should have. I wish you were watching this with me this woman is really unhappy with her success and is now upset because her husband has found activities that make him happy and she hasn't found anything she likes. They are not supporting each other at all and now that the weight is coming off their true issues are coming out. She is saying that if he continues his workouts that she will leave him! WOW!!!

Dessert (Before 8:00)

Pecan Pie
Red Velvet Cake
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Cinnamon Ice Cream

I get half slices and half scoops of each so in essence I am getting one dessert.

FYI If Jenny had her way I would be eating the Jenny Turkey and Gravy meal with two servings of Cali blend Veggies and a Jenny Lemon Cake with a cup of milk...I am strong, but not that strong, I mean gumbo people, GUMBO. I am however abstaining from all of the alcohol that will be flowing er um except for one glass of my favorite wine. Trust me when I say we are a military family, in a home that will be filled with single soldiers. Undoubtedly the soldiers will not think let me bring a pie or some soda or maybe some chips, but should I bring a 24 pack of beer or a fifth of liquor or maybe the new shooters...That will make for a very interesting game of Trivial Pursuit though, maybe I can actually win this time (the sports always get me).

Okay so now we are at the final challenge and weigh in!!!

When they started Anthony (6'0" tall) completed the fitness challenge in 3 minutes 25 seconds, Weighed in at 347lbs and measured Chest 54", Waist 62" Hip 60". Now Anthony completed the fitness challenge in 2minutes 18 seconds,Weighed in at 284 lbs and measured Chest 48", Waist 53" Hip 53". He knocked 1 minute and 7 seconds off of his time, lost 22" and 63 pounds.

When they started Marichu (5'0" tall) completed the fitness challenge in 3 minutes 39 seconds, Weighed in at 245 lbs and measured Chest 47", Waist 44", Hip 58". Now Marichu completed the fitness challenge in 2 minutes 25 seconds, Weighed in at 179 lbs and measured Chest 40", Waist 35", Hip 48". She knocked 1 minute 14 seconds off of her time, lost 26" and 66 pounds.

Now if Marichu doesn't feel successful, I don't know what will make her happy. This is like the first time I've ever seen a woman weigh less and lose more than a man...YOU GO MARICHU!!!
The best part is that one of their children said that while she does miss the takeout and junk food they used to eat she likes apples way more!

Goodnight folks and have a pleasant tomorrow. I am going to go catch some ZZZZZZs

Luv, Hugs and Smooches!!!

No Squats for me

SO I totally forgot to post yesterday and I haven't made a single post all week. I was close to having to do squats until Derek (the husband) asked me if I posted yet. Thank God for that! I have had such a busy week at work what with my manager being on vacay. Today I had a MAJOR stress release session at the gym. A half hour on lower body (Leg Press, Walking Lunges, Lying Leg Curls etc), the coups de gras was the hour I spent on the elliptical. The skinny girl, ahem, the young lady that was a size 00, told me that she wished she could keep up with me. We have a workout scheduled for Tuesday, I am going to get her toned up and able to do heavy resistance cardio in no time. As for my weigh in I did well down another pound and a half. JC is great, I am glad they slowly ween you off to teach you how to control portions in the real world. Lord knows there will not be such a thing as a portion size on Thanksgiving. TTFN

Luv, Hugs & Smooches!!!

Go Me, Go Me, Go Me...

So I am singing the "Go Me" song I am also doing the cabbage patch dance. Yes full on Dorkdom, but I don't care I am 11.4lbs, 7.5" and 2.3% less fat than I was a month ago! I still haven't found the cord for my camera or else I would upload some pictures. I just wanted to do a quick post about my stats.

Luv Hugs and Smooches!

The 10% Solution

In my quest for motivation and staying on track I was perusing some articles on Sparkpeople.com (You can find me under EbonyTWWhite) I found this article which to me goes more in depth about the JC lose just 10% commercial. Any way here it is. Enjoy!

The 10% Solution

Are you a weight loss failure?

Before you answer that question, let’s talk about what failure means.

A recent study found that, in the nonsensical weight loss world, most failure has more to do with failing to meet faulty expectations than with failing to lose weight. This may not seem like a big difference, but in reality, it’s HUGE.

In other words, you may be experiencing success, but still feel like you’re failing. So, we must find a way to use our expectations to motivate rather than to berate.

According to the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the average "Dream" weight loss is 38% of the dieter’s current weight. Also:

• a 31% weight loss would make the average dieter "Happy"
• a 25% weight loss would be "Acceptable".

And most disturbing of all,

• a 15.7% weight loss would be "Disappointing".

So the 200-pound woman who loses 30 pounds would actually be disappointed in her results!

No wonder there are so many frustrated dieters out there. They may be frustrated even when their programs are working!

The 10% Solution

To bring expectations more in line with reality, many health professionals are beginning to suggest setting a 10% weight loss goal instead. Losing just 10% of your current weight can boost your energy and performance, lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, lower your cholesterol, and build some much-needed momentum. On top of that, 10% may be a better goal than 15%, 25% or even 38% for many reasons:

10% is Under Your Control

In all frankness, you can’t do a darned thing about that 38% weight loss goal you might have—not one thing—until you first deal with the 10% you have right in front of you. In other words, you can’t lose 80 pounds in a short amount of time, but you might be able to lose 15. The key is to focus on the 10% you can do something about right now and go from there.

10% is Realistic

Research is showing that a lump 38% dream weight loss simply doesn’t happen for most people. In reality, it’s less of a goal and more of a pipe dream. But research is also showing that 10% can happen for just about anyone. Does this mean you’re doomed no matter what you try and you should give up on the bigger goal? Nope. Simply lose that first 10%, regroup and reset your goals, and then pursue another 10% based on your new weight. The added benefit to this approach is that each 10% will get smaller and smaller!

10% is More Effective

Not only are gradual goals healthier in the long run, but they’re also more powerful in reaching your ultimate goals. You’ll be much more successful by setting and reaching a series of 10% goals than riding a wild weight loss roller coaster in pursuit of a huge goal all at once. One of the great weight loss ironies is that you’ll be more likely to lose that big number by ignoring it for now in favor of the smaller 10% goal.Traditionally, weight loss programs have encouraged impatience and coconut-cream-pie-in-the-sky expectations. This approach also results in feelings of failure. Let’s try to turn it around and use the 10% strategy to do it right this time.

The Diet Extremist

Thank you to everyone who sent words of encouragement about me previous post. I realize that I made a huge deal about eating Halloween candy which resulted in me "only" losing one pound. It was still a pound. So I was reading through my Jenny Craig "styleprofile" and really read the part about the mind. I say really read because at the time I just answered the questions and signed up for the service. Anyway, It has four kinds of dieters The Self-Sacrificer, The Weight Pessimist, The Lifestyle Moderate, and me The Diet Extremist. So what they say is that I need to master moderation and stop being so hard on myself when I slip up. While others may have focused on the one pound (and maybe the post made it seem that way too), I was focused on the candy that I ate. In my head although was only about 300 or so calories worth of candy it might as well been all of the candy in the world and I felt bad because I fell of the wagon. I just need to look at it as a temporary setback refocus and continue on my path. Thank you again for your words of encouragement. They really helped me to stay focused and on plan for this week (So far). Friday I have my milestone consultation, I'll tell you all about it, probably Saturday.

As always,

Luv, hugs and Smooches

I'm a loser, but not as much as I wanted to be

So I weighed in on Friday, but I only lost a pound. I feel good because I lost, but I averaged 4 pounds a week the last couple of weeks so I am a little down. I suppose it might be my little binge on Halloween candy last Friday and Saturday. So I am now resolved to work extra hard and stay on plan and do all my exercises...At least until thanksgiving. Until next time folks.

As always,

Luv, Hugs, and Smooches!!!

Kinda like a myspace survey but not really!

Just in case you didn't know I am a myspace fiend. Only to stay in contact with people from back home. Well, and the occasional new friend I never have and never will meet but they want to add me and their page looks cool. Anyhoo...my favorite things are the surveys and my friends responses and responding to them so I suppose we can call this the bloggers version. The lovely Diana (Diana's Body Journey) posted this on her blog and I thought I'd give it a go...You know with the whole post or 60 squats per day deal I am totally a taker. So here are my answers to some questions.

I am obsessed with: Procedural Series(CSI {all of them}, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Cold Case etc.)

Cant live without: my faith, my husband, my mom and the Taylor side of my family. Without them I don't know what I'd do.

Am petrified of: Spiders!!! You have not seen a more hilarious reaction to an insect until you see me and a spider.

Am proud of: the woman I have become. With my circumstances growing up people say I shouldn't be a successful as I am. I take it as a challenge and make sure I exceed expectations.

Really need to: Have a spa day. Bliss spa is like 3 hours from here. I think I might make that trip for my b-day.

Don't get why: there is still racism and prejudice in the 21st century.

Think alternative medicine is: Great.

Relax by: Reading, surfing the 'net, lifting.

Am excited about: life! I am excited about whatever the future holds in store for me.

My worst vice is: Sour Candies and Comfort food.

Family is: what I live for.

Friends don't understand why: I don't lash out. I am a very even tempered person that is slow to anger. Don't get confused though when I am angry you don't want to be around me...not good.

Attitude to exercise is: I hate starting to work out, but 10 minutes in I don't want to stop. It's like a drug you ate doing it, but it feels really good after and you want more.

Relationship with my body: she and I have our good days and bad days. Sometimes I like it others I just want to go get lipo...but that's what the diet and exercise is for right?

If you like the survey feel free to swipe it. I look forward to seeing what your responses are.

GO VOTE!!!

As I am typing on my tiny cellphone keyboard I am standing in line to make history. I don't care who you are voting for either way history is made! We have the potential to have our first black president or our first woman vice-president. All I keep thinking is WOW America has come really far! Let me tell you though, I am having to go through some things to do this yall. 1. I am missing a few hours of work...no big deal. 2. THE PERSON STANDING BEHIND ME FORGOT TO SHOWER THIS MORNING. 3. There is a lady trying to "subliminally" change people's vote. She is trying to swing folks in the direction I am going, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Excuse me will I ask her to stop..........OK I'm back. She had a fit, but understands where I am coming from. If you try to sway someone in line you are in essence representing the candidate and you could be turning this voter away from voting for our candidate with your tacktics...yes I know I spelled it wrong, but I am merging tacky and tactics together. Sigh...It is all worth it in the end though. My voice will be heard. Make sure yours is too, or else you can't complain about what will or won't happen in the next 2-4 years (depending on whether it's state or federal decisions).


As always,

Luv, hugs and smooches!!!!

Update: I forgot to tell yall I walked there and back. I was a little frustrated on the walk there, but I had that Kanye smile on the way back. I swear my neighbors now think I am crazy.

I'm Slimming down!

I always equate important moments good or bad to music. Usually I will "remix" a song. When I got on the scale yesterday, Mary J. Blige's voice popped in my head to the tune of I'm going down singing "I'm slimming dowwwn, I'm slimming dowwwwn, even with food aroooooound, baby! I am slimming riight dowwwn!" I know, I know, I'm a goofball. Anyway, I wanted to post and let you know I'm and dropping weight, staying on plan, working out etc. This time, I feel like I will be able to stay on track at least with diet because you get a call from a Jenny representative every week and they ask you how you are doing. I don't want to give someone, bad news and hey I love praise so its a win-win situation. I get told I am doing well and the rep gets to log that their client is doing well which makes them look and feel good. Shot out to Ernesto! I am so in love with the program. It is everything I need. Someone checking up on me helping me o make good choices and answering my questions and food that tastes really good! OBKB I am about to hit the gym so I will talk to yall later. Oh I will probably post again in a few days about my trip to the physical therapists...Oh so fun...not! As always,

Luv, Hugs and Smooches!!!

Alright Jenny!!!

So today was my weigh in day for Jenny Craig. I lost 3.8 pounds!!! So far I hate to say it, Jenny Craig blows Nutrisystem out of the water! There is absolutely no comparison in terms of taste, appearance, packaging etc. Except for the fact that I am sooooooo happy we have a deep freezer. Unlike the high sodium uber processed food that is nutrisystem Jenny Craig is made up of mostly perishables with a few shelf stable foods. And their shelf stable foods are things that wold be shelf stable even not on a diet such as cereals, chips, trail mix, cookies etc. I have never been so happy to be helling out my money to a weight loss program. As we say in my circle of friends Jenny Craig is tha bizness. Ok so enough about that. The one negative is that If you don't have an ice chest or cooler handy that you can carry around with you (my job does not have a fridge) you are out of luck. That, however, is the only thing bad with this plan so far. I haven't bothered tracking what I eat everyday with this plan because I haven't really eaten anything that I would score less than a 4 out of 5. That is also to say though, that I WILL NOT consume any Jenny Craig Food that contains mushrooms. I HATE HATE HATE mushrooms. Anyway yall it is time for bed until next time.

Luv, Hugs, and Smooches!!!

Hello Beautiful People...The kid is back

So today is Saturday and yes it has been like a whole month since my last post, but this is the journey I suppose. Trying to find time for me has been difficult and I am not even a mother yet! I feel like in doing all of the things I am "supposed" to do not only as a person, wife, ahem...military wife (please believe after they hit a certain rank you two become the package) are stressing me out. What stress equates to for me is salty and sour snacking. I have been trying to do the right thing and not eat emotionally. I find that when I don't, emotionally eat that is, when I do get around to making comfort foods I go WAAAAAYYYY over board. Am I the only on with that problem? I don't think so. So this is what I have done. We have a lot of food in our house that would be considered "junk" that I can't live without so to speak. We also have like a million sandwich baggies. So now as soon as I buy the product I split it into serving sizes and put them away. I am not allowing myself to eat in the kitchen, too much easy access to that which tempts me. So when I crave my treat I grab a baggy, indulge and have to wait 30 minutes before I get up and go back in the kitchen to throw the trash away. I find that if I do this, the craving is satisfied and I am less likely to overeat. So I guess that's is my tip for the day.

Anyway yall...Just wanted to check in with you. My weigh ins are going to be on Friday's now and that may be my only day to post and it may not, but I contractually obligated myself to post at least once a week and If I don't I have to do 100 squats (I hate them) a day the next week as a reminder to post. So either there will be a post or I will have thighs and glutes of steel. I just find that I do so much better on this journey when I blog.

Smooches and thank you for your support.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

So today had to be the worst work day I have ever had. I can't go into it due to HIPPA law, but t was just bad. OMG!!! I wish I could talk about it. I know yall would freak out. Anyway the god thing about it is that I didn't cheat at all. I pack everything I am going to eat for the day in my gym bag with a bunch of those frozen block thingys and that's all I had. I only keep enough money on me for my daily gift (aka cheat), a bottle of water for my crystal light. Which I didn't even have. So I am still on track and on plan. Oh, Saturday got canceled because of hurricane Ike. Hopefully it doesn't do any damage to any of the gulf states. Okeetay, well I am emotionally drained and swear I smell cookies baking...I am officially losing it! I am going to go to bed early and start tomorrow fresh...Pray for me.

Yay!!!!

I have lost 5 whole pounds yall!!! I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I gotta go workout, but I will update this later tonight. Just wanted to get my check-in done early.

Love, Hugs, and Smooches!!!

Today is the day

You know how I am with my Sunday starts...So today is the day I start with NS. No need to say what I ate, because you've seen my NS line up before. My only setback will occur next week. I totally forgot that my church is going to Six Flags on Saturday...But I will be eating breakfast on the way down and I have a bar for lunch so all I'll need is a salad which hopefully won't be a problem. I start Hip hop abs again tomorrow morning which will be refreshing. I miss my morning Shaun T. He makes my day brighter. So anyhoo people I'll be talking to you Tuesday for the first weigh-in.

Love, Hugs and Kisses,

Ebony

So today is the day

Today marks the start of me starting over. I have decided to go back on NS temporarily to get me in the swing of eating right. I will then do LAWL for a couple of weeks to use up the rest of the bars I have...Yup I started with a flush from LAWL and we will see how this run goes. Oh by the way, for those of you that care, I got a B in International Business!!! So next class to tackle is Econ...PRAY FOR ME!!! Work is work, but it is getting better everyday. I LOVE what I do, but it is quite stressful. I digress, no workouts till this coming Monday. OK so here is the rundown for the day.

B - 2 oz. Chicken
S - LAWL bar
L - 2 oz. Chicken, 3 C Lettuce, .5 Cucumber, 4 oz. Lite Italian Dressing
D - 2 oz. Chicken, 3 C Lettuce, .5 Cucumber, 4 oz. Lite Italian Dressing
S - LAWL bar
Sip Fast Forward throughout the day
Total Calories: 1183

This week is the UNdiet week

So I am EXTREMELY stressed out right now, between school, work, and a few things that are happening with family back home there is no way I can commit to a diet this week. I am going to start the diet and exercise on Monday when I have adjusted to this new schedule. Hopefully I have not disappointed any of you, but life is CRAZY right now.

I am a sucky, sucky person.

I am so sorry. I haven't posted anything in like a month. Alas, life has gotten in the way. Between the vacation, work, school ( I started Grad School August 1st) and my wifely duties, I haven't made this blog, or myself for that matter, a priority. I am going to try to change that right now. I have been promoted (woohoo only there 2 months), and while for most that would mean more difficulty in life this may ease things up a bit. I had fallen off my workout schedule and now can restart. Well, errr, as soon as they find someone to take my position. I am so used to waking up at 6 now that I should and I emphasize SHOULD be able to workout every morning. My new job is 9-5, so I figure I'd get up at 7 work out and get ready for work and still have time to eat a great breakfast. N-E-Who I just thought I'd give you an update. I will start working out and such as soon as they find my replacement. Until then I am working both jobs...AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!! Hopefully its just for a week.

Love hugs and smooches,

Ebony

I got up SO early

So because I am working now, I feel I have to workout in the morning to get a good start to my day. I don't know if that is what did it or if I encountered something I am allergic to, but I have the biggest headache ever. I am prone to migraines, but haven't had one in like 6 months...The pain is indescribable. I had planned on going to the gym when I got home, but I had to make my migraine remedy and shut myself in the house. I just woke up and remembered I said I would check in...so there.

The rundown:

Workout -HHA Fat burning Cardio

Breakfast - Total Raisin Bran, Apple, Yogurt
Snack - Grapes and Cheese
Lunch - Cruex de te platter and chips
Dinner - Roast and Veggies
Snack - Jello Sugar Free Pudding

Total Calories: 1585

Day 1 Redeaux

OK so I was supposed to get this done yesterday, but I was way to tired from the trip back home. So here we go with the stats and pics today. Like I said in an earlier post I gained weight, but who doesn't gain on vacation when grandmothers come into play? So, that's my only excuse gram White's cooking and baking. Anyway...I am going to start the 9 week workout program tomorrow. I am excited, hopefully it works. I took pictures, but for some reason they aren't loading...I'll keep trying to upload but until then, here are the stats.


Size: 14
Weight: 215
Body fat percentage: 40.5%
Neck: 15.5"
Chest: 44"
Waist: 39.5"
Hips: 44"
Right Mid-thigh: 23"
Left Mid-thigh: 24.5"
Right Upper Arm: 14.5"
Left Upper Arm: 14.5"

On Vacation Finally got online....

So I've been on vacation up to Northern Maine for the past little bit. We are visiting my husbands family up here. We have been having a great time so far. I can honestly say that in our almost 6 years of being together This is the best trip yet! So anyhow this IS a weight loss blog, but his grandmother is a cook that you don't say no to so...yes the rumors are true I have gained!!! Not too much just about 5 or 6 pounds so far, but we still have a few days left here. I haven't been able to get a good workout in because we don't have a gym here and we are in the country (BUGS!!!). I get back on Friday and will be starting the plan all over again. I found a workout regimen on Muscle and Fitness Hers that I am going to try. My diet at home has been pretty good so I am going to stick with that. The other thing I notice is that the more I blog about it the better I do. So I will stop the blogging when ever I feel like it and start doing it everyday when I get back home. The few readers I have keep me accountable...so lets keep that going. I do owe you a picture...I'll post that on Saturday as Day 1...again. Well I am off to eat lunch...Turkey some salad and probably so fiddle heads (a Maine thing, kind of like greens...sort of) OK people love you lots talk to to you Saturday.

I'm down

Not in spirit, but in pounds. I didn't really get in good workouts like I wanted to, but I ate real food and still lost weight. I am now amped to include workouts and see what happens. I lost about a pound a week this go round so maybe I can lose two pounds per week in the next 8 week cycle. I think the major thing that I have learned in the past couple weeks is to stay focused. I allowed myself to get lazy. I was really excited and aggressive the first 8 weeks and then it got kind of blah. Life got in the way and I dropped the ball. I still did well in terms of what I ate, but failed to complete exercises. Its like my client said "you can eat right all day long Ebony, but you have to move more too." He is so right. I have been doing what I should do in the nutrition area, but that's not enough. So I am going to start implementing a goal system. For every 10 pounds that I lose I am going to reward myself with a clothing item. For every 15 workouts (roughly every two weeks) I am going to rewards my self with foot/hair/spa treatments. I think that that will workout for me. OK well I am off to the gym now. So here is the rundown...

Start
Size: 14/16
Weight: 227
Body fat percentage: 58.7%
Neck: 16"
Chest: 44"
Waist: 46"
Hips: 47.5"
Right Mid-thigh: 24"
Left Mid-thigh: 26"
Right Upper Arm: 15.5"
Left Upper Arm: 15"

Today
Size: 14
Weight: 207
Body fat percentage: 38.3
Neck: 15.5"
Chest: 43.5"
Waist: 37.5"
Hips: 44"
Right Mid-thigh: 23.5"
Left Mid-thigh: 23.5"
Right Upper Arm: 15"
Left Upper Arm: 14.5"

So I am down one size, 20lbs, 20.4% body fat, and a total of 17" Woohoo!!!

Exhausted

I am about to take a nap, but I wanted to check in before I did. The diet is going well, work is good. I have to get up at 6AM to get ready and I am not a morning person. So um yeah...I need sleep. I think I am going to post my list of dinners on Saturday...I have a lot of them. Anyhoo...TTYL.

Its me again

Hey everyone!

Yes I am alive however my laptop cord broke. No charge, no post. So here I am with good news. I got a job!!!! So you should no longer here about me being miserable because I am bored. I am excited about this job. It is challenging and fulfilling. I should stay in it for a while...at least until I am done with, second surprise, Grad School!!! Yes, I start on August 1st. I am so happy. The only issue is with work and school I have to figure out how to get my workouts in. I am still losing, but not nearly as fast as I was initially. I suppose that is to be expected though. When I got on the scale this morning I was 211 (down 19). My goal was to be 200 by Saturday, but its all good. As long as my scale keeps going down I am good. My next challenge is going to be a vacation to Maine in the next couple weeks. That's going to be hard. Mayo laced Lobster rolls are only $4.00! I am going to try my best to resist. Anyhoo, I just wanted to jump in with a quick update. I'll do it again on Thursday...As long as my computer is charged up.

Smooches!

Its Official

I am a sucky blogger. Good news is I am losing weight. I am finding it harder and harder to blog, but I think I need to now more than ever. I am dealing with so much in my life right now. I think that not just for mysel, but for others now is a good time to blog. I am going through a rough patch right now. I want to work so bad, but I am having a tough time finding a job. I find myself wanting to emotionally eat. I kinda have been, but its been "healthy" stuff. Weight Watchers Ice Cream bars, 90 calorie fruit snacks, chips and salsa etc. Whats odd though is that I have not been working out, but I have been eating more and losing weight So then I start to think I have something wrong with me. I don't know. Its like I am depressed. I have my good days and my bad days. Hell sometimes I don't even feel like getting out of bed. Today I am making myself go to the gym. I don't want to, but I feel like I have to for my sanity. I'll holla back later. FYI so you know how crazy I am going this post took me 2 hours to make.

Day 1 Part Deux

So today I woke up feeling much like I did on my first day. Great!!! So maybe I can make this work for the next two months or 20 lbs. Whichever comes first. I am going to get right back in the swing of things. What's the old saying? It doesn't matter if you fall down 7 times, what matters is that you pick yourself up 8. So here I am dusting off my knees as I get back on the trail to go from fat to fabulous. Oh and you will get comparison photos on Saturday.

So here we go:

Exercise: Rockin' Body - Party Express and Hard Core Abs
Food: B - Nature Valley Apple Spice Bar, Fruit, yogurt
L - Cobb Salad
MS - Fruit, Cottage Cheese
D - Beef and Veggie Stir fry with Rice
ES - Quaker Sweet and Salty Toffee Bar

Total Calories: 1523

Is there such a thing as a Foodaholic?

If so, that is definitely me. For the past oh two weeks or so I have been on this food binge...BUT I still worked out. I have been eating almost everything I wanted. The only things that I have not consumed are my husbands fried turkey, my homemade macaroni and cheese, and my greens. I have kept myself from eating that heart attack on a platter. I am so glad I've been working out though, because I only gained like 3 lbs. So the question is, do I go back on NS or keep eating the way I've been eating. The answer neither. From June 2nd to June 29th I will be eating real food, but I am going to schedule it like I did when I was on NS.

I am going to weigh and measure everything and plan at least a week ahead. I am going to stick to my fabulous Beachbody workouts. Rockin' body is the current flavor of the month. However, in addition to that I will workout at the gym 3 times a week. My reason for this is because on NS I could figure out how to eat 1200-1400 calories a day. Where on "real food" I am somewhere between 1400-1600. What's more is that every Saturday OR Sunday I am going to have a "cheat meal" for dinner. That day calories are not to exceed 2000 for the day (I'm hoping no more than 1800). So we'll see if me getting to eat what I want once a week kills the binges and if the extra workouts help as well.

No workout today of course as its Sunday and I am way to embarrassed to say what I ate today. I totally promise I will check in tomorrow. Smooches!

I am soooo excited

So I have been eating real food for a few days now. Tomorrow is the moment of truth. I have been a little distracted from posting lately too. Trying to get a job will do that. I am back though. I will probably end up posting 3-4 times a week now. Basically every other day Monday, Wednesday, Friday and of course I have to post every Saturday with the weigh in. I am still eating between 1300 and 1500 calories. Which is actually harder to do than I thought it would be. Unless you are purchasing raw food (meat, fruit veggies unprocessed), calories are high! Like cereal bars and cereal itself and pretty much all carbs out there pasta, bread etc. High calories for the amount of food you get to consume. I digress. I'll be checking in bright and early tomorrow with the real food results.

The rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning cardio

Food: B - Fiber One Bar, yogurt, Fruit
L - 4 oz. Steak, Salad (2C Lettuce, 1 Roma Tomato, 2T Red Onion, 2T Blue Cheese, 2T Balsamic Vinaigrette), 1 Slice Bread
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - 6 oz Chicken seasoned with Lemon Pepper, 1C Green Beans, 1/2C Peas with Pasta and Alfredo Sauce
ES - Weight Watchers Giant Cookies and Cream Bar
Total Calories: 1440

I QUIT!!!

No my good people, I am not quitting my diet and exercise regimen. I am quitting NutriSystem though. I still have one month of NS food left. So I figured I can try to eat real food for a while and see how I do. Still maintaining caloric intake and portion control. The way I look at it, I am not going to stay on NS forever so I need to figure out how to eat right. If it doesn't workout and I start gaining again then I will jump right back on the NS bandwagon. So that means I will not be posting until the evening which doesn't really matter too much. I think As long as I keep doing what I am doing I should be OK...we'll see how this works out.

Smooches!!!

"I feel like a smoker trying to quit"

Okay so the other day I was sitting on the couch and got this urge to eat sweets. I was not hungry, I just wanted sugar. I reached for my gum. Ever since I started losing the weight I have chewed gum when I wanted to eat, but knew I wasn't hungry. OK, so like I was saying the other day I'm on the couch and I say to my husband "I feel like a smoker trying to quit." In my mind, I said to myself, "That's because you are." I realize that this food thing is can be an addiction issue. All my life I have just eaten...a lot. However, I was so active in high school that it really didn't matter.

I wasn't the smallest chick in the class, but I wasn't the "fat friend" until college. I was a size 13 in June of 2000 and some how between then and October 5th, 2003 (My wedding day) I had ballooned up to a size 18/20. i think it was the lack of activity totally. In school I was a cheerleader, on the track team and a dancer. In college all of that stopped, but I kept eating the same. Not to mention my senior year in college my husband deployed to Iraq! So I had thesis', finals, and worried about Derek. Then he came home and had to turn right around and go back for another 19 months. LOTS of stress eating took place. Candy, SOUR candy was my thing! However, I managed to drop down to a size 16 his last deployment. I digress, gum is the new candy in my life! So I will keep on chewing my 5 calorie gum, losing the weight and feeling F-A-B-Ulous!


Here is the rundown:


Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn 2
Food: B - SB Peanut Butter Bar, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Tomato Corn Chowder, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Pot Roast, Salad, Veggies
ES - NS Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Total Calories: 1390

I'm a Scale Whore!!!

OK So this morning I get on the scale and I am proud to say I'm dropping pounds! I don't know what it is, but I am such a scale whore. I am on that bad boy like at least 4 times a day. I know that is not good, I know the body fluctuates daily. I know this, but I still feel the need to step on. I think on the days that I am a little heavier than I like I push that workout just a little harder. I am going to work on my scale addiction this week. I don't know how well I'll do, but I'll work on it none the less. Maybe I'll just weigh in twice a day instead of 4+ times a day.

Saturday Weigh In:
Size: 14
Weight: 212
Body fat percentage: 39.7%
Neck: 15.5"
Chest: 43"
Waist: 41.5"
Hips: 45"
Right Mid-thigh: 24"
Left Mid-thigh: 24"
Right Upper Arm: 14.5"
Left Upper Arm: 14.5"

The Rundown:
Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn 2
Food: B - SB Peanut Butter Bar, Fruit Yogurt
L - Cheesy Home style Potatoes, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - Hearty Beef Stew, Salad, Veggies
ES - NutriChocolates
Total Calories: 1400

Discovery Health

I am a big Crime show watcher so my TV is normally on TRUtv or A&E. Lately though I have been watching Discovery Health. They have a couple of great shows that are really motivating.

X-Weighted - Is an hour long show that follows one person through 6 months of diet and exercise. As with most shows they delve into their personal lives to figure out the root of their eating issue or if there is an non supportive spouse they talk about that etc. Good stuff overall. It really makes me look forward to where I will be 4 and a half months from now.

Dr. Oz Files: Defeating Obesity - Dr. Oz going through the fight with 4 people

The Truth about Food - Kinda Self Explanatory

I lost It - Kind of along the same lines as x-weighted, but not as intense. This show follows people on their own weight loss path.

Blaine's Low Carb Kitchen - This show is really good for people who are on the low carb, Atkins/South Beach Diet. Blaine makes some really good recipes.

Just Cook This - Sam Zein cooks out of his kitchen at home. This is really cool because he is kinda quirky and makes some really simple dishes.

OK so enough of my TV junkie spiel. If you can catch any of these shows on Discovery Health I encourage you to do so.

The rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio

Food: B - NS Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Yogurt, Fruit
L- NS Vegetable Beef Soup, Salad, yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Pot Roast, Salad, Veggies
ES - Chocolate Crunch Bar
Total Calories: 1345

Nice day today

So I am just sitting here at home watching Oprah! Ha! I am not an everyday Oprah watcher, but Miss Tina Turner and Cher are on today! I had to watch it. I got up late again today but I worked out and got out of the house. So anyhoo. I almost forgot to log my info today. My bad...

The rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio 22

Food: B - NS Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Tomato Corn Chowder, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Green Pepper Steak, Salad, Veggies
ES - NS Carmel Popcorn
Total Calories: 1405

Today is soooooo Depressing..yet I feel great!

I woke up this morning to a storm. Not rain, a full on wind, thunder and lightning, flood rain STORM! This is CRAZY! I am not used to this. I couldn't log into million dollar body to WOWY. I had to wit for the power to come back on to work out. Insane right, I am waiting, WAITING for the power to come on so I can workout. I would have never done that in the past. That's how I know I am changing. Today I know this is truly a lifestyle change. This time last year I would have made every effort NOT to work out.


To give you a little deeper aspect. A few weeks ago I bought a Snickers bar that I "hid" from myself...last night my husband was talking about how he wants brownies, but knows I can't so he won't. Then he talks about how he wants a candy bar! I said "Oh I can help you out with that one." I brought him my Snickers bar. He said "how long have you had this, I am so proud of you." I almost cried. The thing is, snickers are my favorite I would normally have devoured that thing in no time. I haven't had a craving for it though and gave it to him without any hesitation. So YAY me!!!


OK here's the rundown:


Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn 2
Food: B - SB Cinnamon Raisin, Yogurt, Fruit
L - NS Black Bean and Rice, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Basil Chicken, Salad,Veggies
ES - LA Coconut Bar
Total Calories: 1405

Still not feeling great

I hate, Hate, HATE this time of the month. I feel so drained like I could sleep all day. I was up with cramps until 3:30AM and I slept until noontime. My cramps aren't as bad today, but they are definitely still there. I can't wait until this is over. OK, I'm going to go back to bed now...not to nap, but I just need to lay down. I'll probably end up asleep, but that's not my intention! ;o) I modified my food a little bit because I am not as active today...

Here's the rundown:

Hop Hip Abs: Ab Sculpt 2; Hips, Buns and Thighs

Food: L - NS Chocolate Drink, Fruit, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fiber One Cereal with milk
D - NS Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Salad
ES - Chocolate Popcorn, Triple Berry Blend
Total Calories: 1150 Calories

I HATE CRAMPS!!!

So I wake up this morning to the most excruciating pain ever! I haven't had cramps this bad in like 3 years. These are those I can't do anything cramps...I am laying ON my heating pad and if I have to go to another room it comes with me. So needless to say I pushed my way through a very painful workout. Well, partially. I started it and about a half hour in I had to stop. Normally, I can get rid of the cramps by downing about 4 Advil and drinking a cup of hot tea. NOPE, these jokers are super cramps. If a little bit of cold gets close to me I'm on my knees in pain. AHHHHHH!!!! So I am going to give you the rundown and continue laying down on my heating pad.

Here it is:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio 2
Food: B - Fiber One Carmel Bar, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Pasta Parmesan, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chili with Beans, Salad, Steamed Veggies
ES - Strawberry Shortcake Bar
Total Calories: 1410

Down 1

So it looks like I still lost 1lb with everything that I have eaten this week that's good. I just have to go hard next week. I am still losing inches so that's cool. Anyhoo I did my morning workout. I might go to the gym later with Derek...O I decided it would probably be more dramatic and easier if I publish photos once a month instead of every week. Here is the stats and rundown.

Stats:

Size: 14
Weight: 215
Body fat percentage: 40.4%
Neck: 15.5"
Chest: 43.5"
Waist: 43"
Hips: 45"
Right Mid-thigh: 24"
Left Mid-thigh: 24"
Right Upper Arm: 15"
Left Upper Arm: 14.5"

The rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Ab Sculpt 2

Food: B - Fiber One Chocolate Bar, Yogurt, Fruit
L - NS Chicken Noodle Soup, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Mashed Potatoes and Meatloaf
ES - NS Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
Total Calories: 1310

I "chose"...unfortunately

So as you may have noticed I haven't posted for a couple days. Yeah, see what had happened was... Well, I "chose" yesterday not to finish my workout and not to stay on plan. My excuse is that it is "that time" of the month when my cravings are on high. What is hilarious about the whole situation is what I ate. I ate my normal plan between 1300 and 1500 calories. Then, my body said it wanted sugar so what I ended up eating was a TON of Fiber One and Peanut butter, a fiber one bar and 8 fruit leathers...an extra 600-700 calories. So I don't know what to say. Today is a new day and we move on. The scale will show us the damage tomorrow. Okay Sugar Plums, I'll talk to you tomorrow!



The rundown:



Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio 2



Food: B - SB Peanut Butter Bar, Yogurt, Fruit

L - NS Chicken Salad, Salad, Yogurt

MS - Yogurt, Fruit

D - Three Cheese Pasta, Salad

ES - White Cheddar Chips



Total Calories - 1315

Blah!

Boring day today. Not much to do...I'll probably skim out (clean) the pool. Oh so fun stuff, NOT!

Here's the rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn 1

Food: B - SB Chocolate Bar, Yogurt, Fruit
L - NS Beans and Ham Soup, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chili with Beans, Salad, Veggies
ES - NS Sour Cream & Onion Soy Chips

Total Calories: 1360

Jittery

So today I am extremely energized! I worked out earlier today and my body feels like it still wants to workout. Crazy!!!! I am not going to though, because I don't want to over workout. Then I will go into starvation mode and my body will start burning muscle not fat. Bad deal...so I am resigned to sit contently and wait for my husband to come home....Ah the tedium. Anyhoo, here's what we've all been waiting for.

The rundown:

Excersice: Hip Hop Abs - Ab Sculpt 2

Food: B - NS Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal, Yogurt, Fruit
L - NS Hearty Minestrone Soup, Sald, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Hearty Beef Stew, Salad, Veggies
ES - NS Carmel Popcorn

Total Calories: 1340

Sorry so tardy, but Weigh In!!!

I have been so busy lately. I did yard work and ran errands and blah blah blah. I stayed on plan and did all my workouts. I even took pictures on Saturday for comparison. Unfortunately I couldn't find the same outfit. But we will be comparing inches a well so. Here we go:



Start 3/28/2008: Now 4/26/2008 :

Size: 16 Size: 14

Weight: 227 Weight: 216

Body fat percentage: 58.7% Body fat percentage: 40.6%

Neck: 16" Neck: 15.5"

Chest: 44" Chest: 44"

Waist: 46" Waist: 43"

Hips: 47.5" Hips: 45.75"

Right Mid-thigh: 24" Right Mid-thigh: 24.5"

Left Mid-thigh: 26" Left Mid-thigh: 24.75"

Right Upper Arm: 15.5" Right Upper Arm: 15"

Left Upper Arm: 15" Left Upper Arm: 14.5"

So I am down one size, 11lbs, 18.1% body fat, and a total of 7.5" Woohoo!!!

OK so the rundown for today:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs -Fat Burning Cardio 2

Food:

B - Nutrigrain bar, yogurt, fruit

L - NS Chicken Salad, Salad yogurt

MS- Yogurt and Fruit

D - Hearty Beef Stew, Salad, Veggies

ES - NutriChocolates

Total Calories: 1390

Two-a-day today

So today I did two separate workouts. I am in a situation where I know that I am likely to eat off plan. So I decided that I should step up the workouts to accommodate that. An LT in my husbands brigade is having a farewell at a BBQ spot that is supposed to be the best. We'll see, I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. I will do my best not to overeat, but what I eat may be high in calories so hopefully the two workouts work. I guess we'll see at weigh in. Oh and I am going to do a full comparison from when I started to Saturday so we can see the full rundown of what I lost in this first cycle. Hugs and smooches.

The deal for today:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn (Morning)
Elliptical - 30 min, Stair step 5 min, Lat Pulls (3x15), Machine Row (3x15) (Afternoon)

Food: B - Fiber One Chocolate bar, yogurt, fruit
L - NS Yogurt Drink, Salad with Chicken
MS - Yogurt and Fruit
D - BBQ
ES - Chocolate Carmel Popcorn

Total Calories: Less than 1800 (I hope!)

Finally!

Okay so finally I did the workout I was "supposed" to do. I had to force myself, but I did it. I really am tired with the Fat Burning Cardio workout though. If I were to change anything about this initial workout it would be the amount of times you have to do Ab Sculpt and Fat burning cardio. I mean for the first two weeks all you do is the two workouts. AHHH!!! I'm cool now. This is my last week of this particular monotony. Next week I start part two. Any bids on how long before I start complaining on that one? The important thing is that I keep working out, right?

Here is the rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio/Hips, Buns, & Thighs

Food: B - NS Nutrifrosted Crunch, Yogurt, Fruit
L - NS Black Bean Tortilla Soup (+++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - Basil Chicken, Salad, Schwan's Herb Garlic Veggies
ES - White Cheddar Soy Chips

Total Calories: 1415

Thank God for the Dance Series

I don't know whats going on, but all of the sudden I am just BORED doing the same 5 workouts. I happened to buy the Hip Hop Abs Dance Series a couple of weeks back. I did the Cardio Groove workout today. It was fun, more important though is that it was something different. I am extremely proud of the fact that I have found another exercise to do on the days that I am bored, but the boredom concerns me. I've only been doing this for three weeks and already I'm bored. Maybe its because I am a dancer. That could be it. I have literally memorized the Ab Sculpt and Fat Burning Cardio workouts. Each 8 count is etched in my brain. I like a lot of change, so I am so happy I own most of the beachbody catalog. I can always replace one workout with another. If you are having the same problem I encourage you. Do not to just sit the day out. Find another workout for you to do. Your body will love you for it!

Here's the rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs Dance Series: Cardio Groove

Food: B - Quaker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Vegetarian Sloppy Joe's (++++), Yogurt, Salad
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - Hearty Beef Stew, Salad, Schwan's Broccoli and Cheese
ES - NS Chocolate Carmel Bar

Total Calories 1410

Bored

Okay so today I had what I'll call a minor setback. I am getting bored with my workouts. I stopped about a quarter of the way through. However, I am going to the gym to do elliptical for an hour. I am so glad I have a bunch of different workout tapes. I guess a month straight of it has gotten to me. So off to the gym, but before I go...

The rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs: Total Body Burn (10 min), Elliptical 60 min

Food : B - SB Peanut Butter Bar, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Chocolate Raspberry Bar, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Veggie Fajita and a slice of bread, Salad, Mixed Veggies
ES - NS Sour Cream and Onion Chips

Calories: 1420

Weigh in!

Hey there now! I am on track! Here is the rundown.

Size: 14
Weight: 216
Body fat percentage: 41.6%
Neck: 16"
Chest: 44"
Waist: 43.5"
Hips: 45.75"
Right Mid-thigh: 24"
Left Mid-thigh: 24.75"
Right Upper Arm: 15.5"
Left Upper Arm: 15"

Quick Check In

Short one today.

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn

Food: B - NS Chocolate Chip Bar, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS New Orleans Rice, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Three Cheese Chicken Pasta, Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS White Cheddar Chips

Calories: 1390

Sleepy

I struggled to get out of bed this morning. I normally do my workout around 7 or 8AM. I will probably get around to it around 2. I had so much to do today and getting a late start put a damper on some things. Well here's the rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio/Ab Sculpt

Food: B - Fiber One Peanut Butter Bar, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Tomato Corn Chowder, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chicken Florentine, Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS Mint Chocolate Bar

Total Calories: 1310

WOW its Wednesday

Hump day is here and I woke up super early. We went to sleep at our regular time 9:30 but I woke up 2 hours early. Don't comment, yes I am 26 and yes I go to bed extra early. That's what DVR is for. I need my sleep. 'Nuff said. I can normally go back to sleep when I wake up early, but not today. I guess something important must be happening today.

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio/Hips, Buns and Thighs

Food: B - NS Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Vegetable Beef Soup, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Pizza, Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS Chocolate Carmel Bar
Total Calories: 1410

Happy Tuesday!

This morning was great. I woke up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. I am so glad I made myself workout yesterday. Today I got to do a new workout from Hip Hop Abs, Total Body Burn. Let me tell you this work out was fun, but it is what it says, a total body burn. I tell you what. I hadn't really sweat during fat burning cardio or ab sculpt, but with Total Body Burn...I was SOAKED. It worked EVERYTHING. I feel it in my arms, back, abs, glutes. It was good, and a nice change of pace seeing as the program has you rotate between the same two workouts for the first couple weeks. Nothing else really scheduled today. I'm going to get started on the housewife duties, Laundry and dishes. Smooches y'all.

Here's the rundown:

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs - Total Body Burn

Food: B - Fiber One Carmel & Oat Bar, Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Basil Chicken, Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS White Cheddar Chips
Total Calories: 1390

Just keep pushing play

Okay, so I am not sure i any of you have had "one of those days." Well, today is that day for me. I didn't want to get out of bed. I had a great weekend. One of my best girlfriends and her family came up for the weekend. We had a great time. I think it was so much excitement that my body couldn't handle it. This morning the alarm went off and the snooze button was hit...A LOT. By the time I got up it was almost 9:30. I at breakfast and then procrastinated about working out. I just kind of watched all of the stuff that was in my DVR. Listened to the radio...you know everything but workout. I had to work out though. I knew I needed to, but I didn't want to. I figured I would just half-a** it. I popped that DVD in and all of the sudden I was in workout mode. So for those of you who are like me and just workout at home. Just keep putting that DVD in and pressing play. Even if you don't feel like working out that day, you will get it in and feel good about it.

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs: Fat Burning Cardio/Ab Sculpt

Food: B - NS NutriFrosted Crunch(+++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Black Beans and Rice (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Veggie Fajita (+++), Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS Chocolate Crunch Bar
Total Calories: 1405

It's Sunday

Here's the rundown.

Exercise: None -its a rest day
Food: B - NS Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Chicken Cacciatore (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Pizza (++++), Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS Popcorn
Total Calories: 1410

No Pictures today

Hey! No pictures today. I did do measurements though. Here is the rundown.



Size: 14
Weight: 217.6
Body fat percentage:
Neck: 16"
Chest: 44.5"
Waist: 44"
Hips: 46"
Right Mid-thigh: 24"
Left Mid-thigh: 24.75"
Right Upper Arm: 15.5"
Left Upper Arm: 15"

Kristin is Coming!

This is going to be another short one. MY friend Kristin is on her way over. I haven't seen her in forever. She is more important than posting a long blog today. I will tell you all about it later. So here's the rundown.

Exercise: Hip Hop Abs: Fat Burning Cardio & Ab Sculpt
Food: B - NS Peanut Butter Bar (++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Minestrone Soup (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chili with Beans (++++), Salad, Broccoli
ES - NS Zesty Her Mix
Total Calories: 1410

Busy Day

I woke up and went to church! It was lovely! I'm so late I'll just give you what you are waiting for.

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Ab Sculpt

Food: B - NS Chocolate Chip Granola Bar (+++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Chicken Noodle Soup (+++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chicken Florentine (++++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS NutriChocolates (++++)

Total Calories: 1390

Eh

I didn't want to work out today. I really didn't. Have you ever had one of those mornings? I woke up and really wanted to push snooze and sleep for 4 more hours. But I didn't! I got my tail up and worked out. I didn't go full out, but I did it. I dunno, I don't feel bad, but I didn't want to get out of bed. Maybe its because I am nerous. I have a job interview today. I am scared and excited. AAAAAHHHHH!!!! Okay, I got it out. Maybe that'll do it.

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio and Ab Sculpt

Food: B - NS Granola (++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Black Beans and Rice (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Three Cheese Pasta with Chicken (++++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS Pretzels (++)
Total Calories: 1430

Step Up 3

I feel like I am staring in Step Up 3: Taking it to the House. I started my Hip Hop Abs two a days. So I am now doing a full hour. Boy thats strenuous. I feel really good after doing it though. I have been kind of down lately because I miss home. I am so used to being able to go over to a friends house or hangout with my mom. AAAAHHHH!!!! This too shall pass. I can alwaysgo back and visit. Thats what I have to keep telling myself. OK down to business so I can get off here and call my mom. (I know I am a big baby)



Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio and Ab Sculpt



Food: B - NS Nutri Frosted Crunch (+++++), Fruit, Yogurt

L - NS Tuna Salad (+++++), Salad, Yogurt

MS - Yogurt, Fruit

D - NS Hearty Beef Stew(++++), Broccoli, Salad

ES - NS Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar (++)Total Calories: 1430

Truly Blessed!

Good Morning!

I had a wonderful weekend. A truly blessed occasion. So much happened this weekend that touched my spirit and renewed my heart. Words cannot explain. I'm on my way out of the door so here is what we all came for:

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio

Food: B - NS Granola (+++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Fudge Graham Bar (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chicken and Noodles with gravy(++++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS Pretzels (++)
Total Calories: 1430

The big day

So unfortunatly for me I am ubber bloated! So my scale read 221!!!! EEEEk. I am going to say its all bloat. I have to make this one short because I am on my way out the door to a retreat. So down to business.

Workout: Hip Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio

Size: 14/16

Weight: 221

Body fat percentage: 48.2%

Neck: 15.25

Chest: 44"

Waist: 45.5"

Hips: 47"

Right Mid-thigh: 24.5"

Left Mid-thigh: 25.25"

Right Upper Arm: 15"

Left Upper Arm: 14.5"

Late Edition

I have been doing well on my diet and excercising everyday. I'm doing Hip Hop Abs and am on day 4 of that. It is really funny. Yeah, I know how is working out funny. He is hilarious! Its not even that he is trying to be funny its just that some things that "slip" out of his mouth such as "can you feel me or do you want me" and him practically screaming when one of the male cast members hits his hand which happens to be right above his tushy then saying "my friends are so crazy"...Just comedy. So I find myself doing in not just because its exercise, but also because its entertainment!

So this morning after my workout I showered got all made up and went to my weekly church meeting. Then the pampering began! First, I went to a local salon and got my hair done. Then, came home had lunch and went and got myself a pedicure! Yes, it felt fantastic. Let me tell you, not being able to have a pedi done for 4 months killed me. I warned the nail lady that she was about to earn her tip today. I tipped her VERY well (40%). Anyhoo now I am feeling great looking better and making it happen.

Okay so here's the rundown:

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Ab Sculpt
Food: B - NS Cranberry Granola Bar (+++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Beans and ham Soup (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chicken and Noodles with gravy(++++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS Pretzels (++)

Total Calories: 1390

NutriToots!!!

Okay so last night I got the NutriToots really bad last night. For those of you that don't know NutriToots are the gaseous substances that seep from your bowls caused by eating NutriSystem. I was sitting on the floor watching Hell's Kitchen last night and had a bad case of the NutriToots. So bad, that my husband swore he saw me lift off the ground! HAHAHAHA!!! Oh, and about Hell's Kitchen, I LOVE that show. I am a baby chef, and I am utterly afraid of Chef Gordon Ramsey! The way he has no problem just cussing folk out left and right. Its crazy! Personally I think Jason should have been nominated instead of Dominick. I mean the guy picked his toes right before starting to cook! That is so nasty!!! And don't get me started on Bobby, "the black Gordon Ramsey." He just urks my nerves! Arrogant [insert explative here]! So lets hope this season is as festive and entertaining as last.

Down to business!

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio
Food: B - NS NutriFrosted Crunch Cereal (+++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Chicken Salad (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS SouthWest Chicken(+++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS Zesty Herb Mix (++)
Total Calories: 1390

Another Day

Yesterday was spent unpacking. We have been here for a month+ and we still aren't done! Since I'm newly active I figured I can put a dent in it. I did, but there's still so much left to go. I have a TON of clothes! I will be having a garage sale for sure some time in the near future. So I am feeling good getting in shape. I really want to go for a walk outside, but the wind here in OK is so crazy. Even though I am a "Thick Mamdame" I feel like the wind is Calgon and is going to take me away! HA! Anyway lets get on with it.


So here is the rundown for the day:

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Fat Burning Cardio, Practice Dance
Food: B - NS Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal(++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS New Orleans Rice and Chicken (+++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Beef Tacos (+++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS Chocolate Carmel Bar (++++)
Total Calories: 1390

Hip Hop Abs

So today I woke up at 8AM for the first time in 3 months! I started the first workout on the Hip Hop Abs series. Not only is it fun abd entertaining, but you get the work out too. Shaun T is hilarious. So I suppose, its off to work! HA! I mean, time to do the house work. So here is the rundown for the day.

Excersice: Hip-Hop Abs - Ab sculpt
Food: B - NS Peanut Butter Bar (++++), Fruit, Yogurt
L - NS Black Beans and Rice (++++), Salad, Yogurt
MS - Yogurt, Fruit
D - NS Chicken Florentine (++++), Broccoli, Salad
ES - NS Sour Cream Soy Chips (+++)

Total Calories: 1400

Back on NutriSystem!

Ok so today is the first day that I get to eat "real" food. I have planned out my food for the whole week! I am prepared! So today, I was SO tired. Doing the Power 90 workout was my first worout in 3 months. I had to get up and go to church though! Gotta get the spirit filled. Church was good, I'm feeling good, today is a nice day. I had NS Chocolate Chip granola bar (+++++), yougurt and some fruit for breaskfast. I had The NS chocolate milk drink (+++) a peice of of meat and salad for lunch. I will have yogurt and fruit for a snack and NS Pasta Fagioli (+++) salad and broccoli for dinner. To end it all I will have NS Carmel Crunch Popcorn (+++++) for "dessert." No workout today, its a rest day. 1400 Calories total intake.

Until tomorrow,

Happy Weightloss, hugs, and smooches!

I actually feel good!

Okay so day two is here! I wokeup this morning feeling great. I usually am a little sluggish getting out of bed, but I popped right up. It was 9:30, but I didn't go to bed last night til 1ish. This "FastForward" 2 day diet is no joke though. (Maybe thats how I dropped 3lbs in a day) I tried to see if there was anything "extra" in that juice because I don't feel hungry. Nope just vitamins and such. It must be a mind over matter deal. Anywoo. I am off to the gym now.

I am commited, I am strong, I can do this.

I worked out today for 35 minutes. A mash up of different things, Yoga, Cardio, light Plyo, to this tape called Power 90 express. It was cool, I have a lot of energy!

I start today

So today marks the beginning of my journey. I am the serial dieter you hear about. I have "tried" it all. Weight Watchers, LA Weightloss, Atkins, Nutrisystem you name it, chances are I have done it. The problem is I don't stick to it. There are several excuses, "I don't like the food," "It's not enough food," "I don't have the time" etc. So today I woke up and thought, "Hell lets give it one last go". I am not going to diet at least I'm not going to call it that. Out of all of the diets I have tried Nutrisystem (NS) worked the best. So I am going to restart it for a while and kick up my workouts.

I have gained A LOT of weight over the past 3 months. Its half my fault for making bad food choises and half the fact that I tore my Achilles tendon on January 27, 2007. So I have ben in a cast for the past few months not being too active. The change starts now. Each day I am commited to talk about how I feel, what I ate, and what excesie I did and for how long. I may focus on the how I feel part the most though. That I think is the link between me and food...Emotion. When I am sad, I eat. When I am happy, I eat. When I am nervous, I EAT. Basically whatever the occasion I eat. So, the hope is that I get the emotion out on this blog and not use food to cope.


I am going to upload my starting photo front and side today and give my measurements. After today I will do this every Saturday and hopefully we will see some progress. So here we go.



AAAAh you can totaly see my legs are different sizes. Hopefully they even out!


Size: 14/16
Weight: 227
Body fat percentage (according to scale): 58.7% EEEEK!!!
Neck: 16"
Chest: 44"
Waist: 46"
Hips: 47.5"
Right Mid-thigh: 24"
Left Mid-thigh: 26"
Right Upper Arm: 15.5"
Left Upper Arm: 15"

Today and tomorrow I am using my left over "FastForward" from LAWL. So I wont be logging food. Its just the jumpstart juice, Chicken and green veggies.