Day 29: Ruby

One of my favorite shows on TV is called Ruby. The show is on Style Network on Sunday nights and it chronicles the weight loss journey of Ruby Gettinger. Ruby started out weighing over 700 pounds, and the show has documented the last couple of years of her life as she has dropped approximately 400 pounds.

Each season depicts Ruby's triumphs and struggles as she deals with what caused her to balloon to her original weight and figures out strategies for taking off those pounds. Ruby seems to live life a little more with each pound she loses.

Her vibrant personality and hilarious sayings combine with her charismatic charm make the show a joy to watch. And Ruby also has a strong support group of friends who help her stay motivated on her journey.

Last week's episode involved a therapy session. Ruby's therapist encouraged her to think of 5 changes she could make in her life to boost her weight loss and live healthier.

Ruby did things like getting rid of diet sodas, changing out the big chair she sat in for a smaller one, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

I was so inspired by that idea of getting rid of 5 hindrances, that I thought it would be nice to bring that challenge to the blog.

So over the next week I am going to be thinking of 5 changes I can make to help me live healthier. And I want all of you to do the same. And next Wednesday we'll discuss what changes we're going to make to enhance our weight loss.

If you want to learn more about Ruby, CLICK HERE.

Day 28: Weekly Weigh-In

What a day! As a child did you ever read that book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Well today I would like to inform you that you can officially call me Alexander.

I just want to go back home and crawl into bed and pretend today never happened. In order to prevent myself from writing a novel about my day so far (it's only 1:30pm, by the way), I will provide you with a bullet list of several of the items that have happened so far today.

• migraine
• no migraine medicine
• new migraine prescription is not covered by insurance
• new migraine prescription costs $333.17
• no migraine medicine
• IRS
• trying to send a fax to the IRS
• busy signal when faxing the IRS
• approximately 25 failed attempts to fax the IRS
• paper jam
• cannot locate paper jam
• still cannot locate paper jam
• paper jam never existed in the first place.
• rock in my shoe
• auditor
• work computer freaked out and closed the program I was working in, subsequently deleting the invoice I was creating.
  

Things have gotten a little brighter since then. I managed to get some samples from the doctor while they work out the mess with my insurance. I assume my fax finally went through to the IRS so my tax return can be processed correctly now. We powered off the printer and turned it back on and now it's printing fine. The auditor came and did what he needed to do with no problems. And I retyped the invoice.

But geesh! What a crazy day so far! I'm trying to be more positive. A lot of the mishaps from today have already taken care of themselves. I just need to push through it and wait for tomorrow.

On top of all of that, the thing that I have been fearing the most from my Weight Watchers experience finally happened: I gained!

This Week: +1.8lbs.
Total: -6.4lbs.

I can't really explain the weight gain. I wasn't able to workout as much or as strenuously as I normally do. But I still worked out a little. I didn't eat horribly, except for Sunday night (less than 24 hours before my weigh-in). I had to weigh with shoes on because I wasn't wearing socks and they don't allow you to weigh in barefoot. I was wearing layers during my weigh-in. There are a lot of contributing factors here, and I'm not really sure what to blame the gain on.

I know I stuck to my plan pretty well and tried pretty hard this week, so I'll just chalk it up to my body changing and adapting a little bit. I can't let it discourage me. If I continue to gain, though, I may need to think about adjusting my foods or changing up my workout routine.

It's a little scary to have gained weight this week since I'm getting ready to go on a week-long vacation tomorrow. But that gives me all the more motivation to not slack off while I'm traveling.

I have to continue to track my points and get my exercise in. That way I can stay on plan and not have another weight gain when I go back to my meeting.

That's about all I have in me today. I'm not feeling particularly inspirational or whimsical about life at this moment.

But tomorrow is a new day, Adam and I are going to Tennessee to spend some time with his family. And I'm getting to meet some of his high school friends. I'm really looking forward to getting away for awhile. I know it's going to be a great trip!

And please come back tomorrow because I have a really good discussion topic/assignment to share with everyone!

Hope you're all having a better day than I.....

Day 27: Champion Chow

I love popcorn. This is obvious given the fact that in 27 days this is my second blog on the subject.

To me, it is the perfect snack. It's salty and filling and easy to munch on as you watch TV or a movie or whatever else you happen to be doing while you're snacking.

I consider myself a little bit of a popcorn snob, though. I do not like most microwave popcorn. Occasionally I'll have a little of the microwave stuff if I'm craving popcorn and I don't have another option, but to me it just tastes stale and fake. This is a direct result of growing up in my father's household. We were always taught that nothing is better than stove-top popcorn. All popcorn is great, but any old popcorn does not compare to the wonder of popcorn prepared on a stove. And I'm not talking Jiffy Pop, people!

I mean putting oil and seeds in pan and turning the burner on high as you stand by and listen to the chorus of kernels serenading you with their "pop.......pop....poppoppoppoppop....pop..pop" song. Stove top popcorn is a beautiful thing, indeed.

Unfortunately, stove top popcorn is not the healthiest option when it comes to losing weight. Although, I have made it with olive oil before, which made it a little more nutritious (and it tasted great!).

Yesterday I bought an air popper (at the suggestion of my wonderful role model, Aunt Janine). I bought one called a PopLite. It's just a generic Wal-Mart one that cost about $20.

I tried it out last night and it made really good popcorn. It was a little dry, but I imagine I can figure out a way to spruce it up a little...maybe adding some light butter or margarine to it (that would NOT be at the suggestion of my Aunt Janine since she hates that stuff).

The problem I ran into last night was that my popper's instruction manual said that you should place 1/2 cup of kernels into the machine. You're not supposed to over fill it, and you're not supposed to under fill it, or you may end up with a lot of unpopped kernels. So I popped the half cup of seeds and wound up eating the entire batch of popcorn! Woops.

I just need to remember to portion it out. Maybe I can eat half of the popcorn as my evening snack and then take the rest of it to work the next day to eat with my lunch.

I like the popper, though. I think it will be a welcome new addition to my kitchen, and I'm looking forward to many more evening time popcorn snacks!

I love mixing it up and adding different flavors to my popcorn, too. I'll just go for regular margarine and salt sometimes. Other times I'll put a little seasoned salt instead of the regular salt. I've used garlic powder and Parmesan cheese before. And I've even used brown sugar and cinnamon for a little bit of a sweet and salty flavor. And I've recently discovered the wonder of spray margarine. You use a lot less and it sticks to the popcorn really well.

Day 26: White Chili

I used to have a membership at Curves gym. I never really benefitted from their workout program, though, because it's way too low-impact for a young person who needs to lose a considerable amount of weight. One thing I did gain, though, was I was able to attend a weight loss class there led by an instructor. I learned a lot of information about foods and I picked up the habit of journaling my foods and exercise each day. I have found that when I journal my foods I'm much more accountable to myself and more successful with my eating.

As a part of the weight loss class I was given a Curves guidebook that had our food journaling pages in it, as well as some eating plans and a comprehensive view of their Curves diet. I'm not doing that plan anymore, but I still consult the book regularly because it has a few delicious recipes.

This white chili is a great treat, and I wanted to make sure to share it before the weather got too warm out. It is so flavorful and just a little spicy. And it's savory and fulfilling. You won't be hungry after you eat it. I hate beans, so I leave them out and add a little more chicken, but you can change it up however you want.

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
4 oz. chopped green chiles, drained
1 tsp. powdered cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
2/3 c. cooked white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
8 oz. cooked chicken breast, cubed (about 2 cups)
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a soup pot until tender. Add Jalapeno, chiles, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and salt, and saute another minute. Stir in chicken broth, beans, and chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro and cheese and serve.

Makes 3 (1 1/3 cup) servings.

Per Serving: Calories: 300, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Protein: 25g, Carbohydrates: 19g, Fiber: 4g, Cholesterol: 13mg, Sodium: 647mg

Points Value: 6

Day 25: Zumbalicious!

Today a bunch of the ladies in my family got together to participate in a Zumba class and enjoy a healthy meal. It was so much fun!

Our Zumba instructor was an incredible ball of energy. She made the class a lot of fun, and I surprised myself with how well I was able to keep up. I think the hard work I've been doing as far as my exercise has really paid off! It was really encouraging to me as we approached the end of the class that I was still alive. The class kicked my butt, but I wasn't as tired and as out of breath as I thought I would be.

I'm looking forward to many more Zumba classes in the future.

Then we all went over to Aunt Cindy's house for a delicious and healthy meal. I got to try the Weight Watchers lemon cakes, which are really good! I'm going to have to try some of those.

I feel like I had a pretty good week...I didn't really blow it with my food at all. I used some of my extra weekly points, but not all of them. And I kept pretty good track of my eating.

The one thing I wish I had more time for this week was exercise. I wasn't able to get as much in as I had planned, but that's okay. I still worked out 3 times this week. Next week I'll step it up a little since I'll be out of town and my eating probably won't be as nutritious as it normally would when I'm in control of everything.

I hope everyone else had a good week, and I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone about the progress they're making!

Day 24: Questions

I'm drawing a little bit of a blank today as I think about what I want to write. Some days the daily blog thing is a little difficult. There's only so much I can write on health and this lifestyle change I'm going through right now. I don't want to bore anyone (including myself).

So I wanted to see if any of my readers out there have suggestions about topics they'd like me to cover.

It doesn't necessarily have to be about weight loss or health....just anything in general. I'm open to suggestions and recommendations. I'm just getting a little bored with the daily grind, I think.

Right now, in the daily blogs my week looks like this:

Monday - Champion Chow (healthy and delicious foods I find and eat regularly)

Tuesday - Weekly Weigh-In (where I discuss my weigh-in results and the progress I've made so far)

Wednesday - Discussion Topic (I start the conversation on a certain topic and everyone else shares their thoughts)

Thursday - Fitness (what I'm doing as far as challenging myself and my readers)

Friday - Survival Strategies (how you can survive some of the more difficult obstacles with healthy living)

Saturday - My Week in Review (where I discuss how I've done over the past week and how I can improve for the future)

Sunday - A healthy, favorite recipe of mine.

I don't have to stick with these particular themes, though. And I'd love to spice it up a little by adding in some of the things my readers want to hear about and discuss.

Like I said, maybe every single day doesn't need to be about weight loss and fitness...maybe you'd like to hear about the latest hair styles or how to build a replica of the New York City skyline out of used staples and gum wrappers. I don't know. That's the problem, you see. I'm getting bored so I know my readers must be getting bored, too.

Please chime in and let me know what you want to hear and I'll try and figure out a way to make it happen.

I can't say enough how much I appreciate all of you taking the time to come and visit this site whenever you can. Knowing that people are reading about my progress has really helped me to stay on track with what I'm trying to accomplish.

Day 23: New Challenges

Believe it or not, April is almost here. And with the new month come some new fitness challenges.

I hope anybody and everybody will join me in as many of these challenges as they can, so we can help motivate and share our successes with each other.

My challenges in March helped me to stick with my exercise regimen because I knew I was pushing toward a goal, so hopefully that same stickwithitness* will apply as I continue to challenge myself to go above and beyond what I've done in the past.

ONGOING CHALLENGES

There are a couple of challenges I started this month that will continue into April. The Great Outdoors Challenge was intended to last for the entire spring. The Conquer the Couch Potato Challenge on the other hand, was supposed to only last through March, but I have failed royally at it. So I would like to extend this challenge into April and see if I can actually do it.

The Great Outdoors Challenge
Spring is here and I am sick of being in the house! I think I need to spend some time being active outside. With this 3 day per week challenge for the entire Spring, I want to look at the weather forecast, make note of the predicted High for that day, and spend that many minutes outside, doing something active. This may be going for a walk with a friend, riding a bike (which may be difficult considering that I don't have one), or taking my iPod as my companion and enjoying the scenery in my neighborhood. This outside time may or may not coincide with my daily workout routine. I just want to get more fresh air.

The Conquer the Couch Potato Challenge
Nobody enjoys commercial breaks unless it's the Super Bowl, right? So why not make the most out of those 3 minute breaks between segments of your favorite show and incorporate some movement? I want to challenge myself, and whoever else wants to participate, to get up and move during commercial breaks. This challenge was supposed to last through the month of March, but since I didn't succeed at it, I am extending it to April...with a little bit of a modification. I started out wanting to get up and move any time a commercial came on, any time I was watching TV, but I think that's an unrealistic goal to expect myself to get up for every single commercial break as I'm watching TV throughout the evening, especially considering that most days I've already gotten in my workout for the day before I ever sit down to watch TV in the evening. I would like to modify this challenge to say that for 1 hour of TV watching every day, I will get up and exercise during the commercial breaks. If I'm watching an hour long television show, I will get about 20 minutes of commercial break exercise time in. I am going to get up and do something to get my heart rate going. It may be that I do some jumping jacks, or take a flight of stairs a couple of times...or even go downstairs and get the laundry. I'm going to get up and make use of those couple of minutes of commercials.

Walk to Jog Challenge
My mom and I are still following our walk-to-jog plan we started over 3 weeks ago. It's a 12-week program to transition from walking to jogging. Next week is the week we begin to incorporate a little bit of light jogging into our workouts. It's not to late to join us! If you're interested in participating or you want to see the plan we're doing, just let me know and I'll direct you to the information. Note: it may take us more than 12 weeks to complete this plan as this week is totally kicking our butts! Next week Weight Watchers is supposed to be launching a Walking Challenge, too, so we may participate in that along with our walk to jog program! I'll pass along that information as soon as I get it.

NEW CHALLENGES

The Park and Walk Challenge
For the month of April, I would like to incorporate some more walking to my normal routine. So I plan to park at the BACK of the parking lot and walk to the door as often as possible. This does not mean I'm going to park at the back every single time. If it's raining, for example, or if I'm running late, I'm going to make an exception for myself. But as a general rule, I will use the month of April to park far away from my destination and walk. Yes, even in the huge parking lots like Wal-Mart. I can't wait to see how much additional distance I track during the month just by enforcing a little bit of a good habit every day.

100 miles Challenge
Because I'll be getting so much additional distance with my Park and Walk Challenge, I would like to also challenge myself to walk a total of 100 miles for the month of April. That sounds like a lot, but let me explain: the average sedentary person takes about 1,000-3,000 steps in a day. For most people a mile is right around 2,000 steps, which means a sedentary person (a desk worker like most of us) walks only about half a mile to a mile and a half every day. I want to strive for more, though. It seems that most health guidelines recommend walking 10,000 steps per day. So I want to reach at least 10,000 steps a day for most days in April...which is 5 miles. I've figured that if I can log 10,000 steps (5 miles) a day for 20 days in April, I will have easily reached the 100 mile marker for the month!

So will you join me in one or more of these challenges? It would be great to get a bunch of people on board to share our struggles and successes! Comment below to let me know which challenges you're going to participate in for April!



*Yes, I did make up this word. And I'm proud of it!

Day 22: The Travel Bug

Last night Adam and I took a little trip to Chicago. We were transporting my brother and his girlfriend to a concert, so we just decided to make the most out of the trip and have a little fun.

We started out at Navy Pier and took advantage of Ben & Jerry's customer appreciation day. We got a free (small) ice cream cone to enjoy. We were going to spend some time at Navy Pier, but it was virtually empty. I guess things don't start to liven up around there until sometime in April. It was a ghost town.

So we decided to leave Navy Pier and head toward Michigan Avenue to walk to our dinner destination. From Navy Pier to Giordano's it was a good 1.5 mile walk each way, so we got in some good exercise.

It was pretty cold out, so I think we were moving a little faster than we might have otherwise.

We arrived at Giordano's Pizza, which I had never had the pleasure of enjoying before. It. Was. Delicious. I could not believe how tasty this pizza was. From the gooey cheese, to the savory sausage, to the crust which had an uncanny flavor resemblance to chicken pot pie...I was in heaven. I ate my one slice and that was plenty (more on that later). The best part about the pizza was that I didn't feel a single ounce of guilt or shame as I enjoyed my slice. I knew we were going there, and I planned accordingly with my points. I used a few of my weekly points allowance, but that's okay. It was a special trip, and I'm not going to do that every day. I was happy that I was able to enjoy the slice I had prepared for, and then stop. I felt like I could have eaten more, but I was satisfied.

I'm trying really hard to learn the difference between being full and being satisfied. It's a difficult one to learn if you've spent your whole life thinking that those two terms are synonymous. I consider it a small achievement to have recognized that signal that I had enough and to stop.

After dinner, we completed our walk and returned to the car to pick up the kids at the concert.

Overall, it was a wonderful evening. The pizza gave me some serious stomach cramps on the drive home, though. For some reason I've been having issues with bread products lately. I don't know if my body is not used to it anymore, so it explodes in my stomach, or if, like my mother, insists, I have a gluten allergy like she does. Only time will tell, I guess. I'm not ready to completely give up on gluten yet, but I may have to give it a try for a while and see if it helps with the bloating I experience when I eat breads and pasta.

I would consider our trip last night a food success! I planned ahead, knew what I was going to get, and then we got in a nice, long walk on top of everything else.

I'm a little nervous, though, because Adam and I are leaving for a week-long trip to Tennessee next week and I am afraid I might not be able to stay on plan.

I would love to open up the discussion today for everyone to share their troubles and triumphs with traveling.

What slip-ups do you find you commit while you're on a vacation?
What do you do to help maintain your goals and stay on mission?

Please share in the comments below! I need some advice and a reality check!

Day 21: Weekly Weigh-In

My third week on Weight Watchers was kind of a bad one. I just got lazy toward the end of the week, and even lazier during the weekend.

I have trouble tracking my foods if I know I'm making poor choices, and so it's easier for me to stay off track if I'm not writing it down.

I think keeping track of my foods helps me to stay accountable to myself, and to my iPhone, as far as what I'm consuming in a typical day.

But I'm back with the program now. This is a new week. I'm going to make myself track everything I'm eating. That way if I do eat something bad, I'll be able to make up for it by making better choices with my other foods and exercise.

This Week's Results: -1.4lbs.
Total Weight Loss: -8.2lbs.

If I can manage to lose another 1.8lbs by next week, I'll get another sticker! Yippee!

I'm glad I didn't gain this week; I was afraid I might. But I think all of the exercise I did earlier in the week helped to compensate a little for all the eating I did on Friday and Saturday.

I went to the grocery store last night to pick up some healthy foods so I can stay on plan. As I wandered over to the bread aisle, though, the aroma of the bakery really got me.

I've never been too crazy about baked goods. I enjoy breads and cakes just like any other person, but when it comes to cravings, I tend to crave fried things.

But as I was walking through the bakery section of the store, the allure of that sweet fragrance in the air was calling me. I really thought I might rip open a box of donuts and start shoving them in my mouth!

I had to hurry up and make my selections quickly so I could get away from those smells because they were making me crazy.

I've never really experienced that before with breads, but I just thought it was funny. It did cause me to make an unexpected purchase, though. I bought a package of Fiber One Apple Cinnamon Bun Muffins (4 points each), so I'll let you know how those are.

Do you have any similar grocery store experiences? How do you curb those cravings when they come?

Day 20: Champion Chow

Have you tried Kraft Light salad dressings? They taste great and contain about half the calories and fat of their "normal" counterparts.

I live by Kraft Light Toasted Asian Sesame. The flavor is divine. It's a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, sesame, teriyaki...basically all of the Asian flavors you love in one convenient bottle.

Of course I love to use it on salads, but this dressing is so versatile that it has many other uses as well.

I always use it as a dip for veggies like carrots, celery or chopped bell peppers. A two-tablespoon serving of the dressing only has 1 point.

I've also been known to use it as a flavoring agent in stir-fry. Cook some shrimp in a skillet, then add some frozen vegetables and a couple tablespoons of the dressing and you've got a delicious stir fry to go on top of a little brown rice.

Or if you want to try something new and different, CLICK HERE for a chicken recipe that uses this dressing.

If I still haven't sold you on Light Asian Toasted Sesame, fear not. Kraft offers plenty of other options in their Light or Free products. Just browse the shelves of your grocery store to find a flavor you like and then search around online for some recipes to make with it, or get creative and make your own recipe (then post it on this site to share with everyone!).

Day 19: Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

They may sound a little strange, but these little gems are absolutely delicious. This recipe comes straight from Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 (200 Recipes Under 200 Calories). I've mentioned it before, but it's worth repeating: I would highly recommend all of the Hungry Girl cookbooks. There is a new one coming out late this month as well. The recipes are delicious and guilt-free. You won't be disappointed.

I made these cupcakes for my family and they ate them up...even the people who weren't trying to watch their weight. One word of caution, though, the frosting tends to harden a little after one or two days, so you may not want to make a huge batch, because they probably won't last longer than 48 hours or so.

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

(makes 12 servings)

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

2c. Moist-Style Yellow Cake Mix (half of an 18.25 oz. box)

1 large Banana, mashed

1/2 c. Baby Food Pureed Bananas (yes, seriously)

1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

Ingredients for Frosting:

3/4 c. Cool Whip Free, thawed

1/4 c. Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter, room temperature

Optional Topping:

12 Slices Banana

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a small mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and Cool Whip Free, stirring until mixed well. Refrigerate until cupcakes are ready to be frosted.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix with baking powder and 1 cup water until mixed well. Add baby food and stir thoroughly. Mix in mashed bananas.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute cake mixture among the cups.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Once cupcakes have cooled completely, spread frosting evenly over the cupcake tops. Top each cupcake with a slice of banana, if you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information:

143 Calories, 3.75g Fat, 193mg Sodium, 25g Carbs, 0.5g Fiber, 13g Sugars, 2g Protein

Points Value: 3

Day 18: YUCK!

I dread writing blogs like this one. It's like I'm dishing out all of my secrets for the world to see and judge me. I absolutely hate signing on to write a blog and tell all of my readers that I did horribly today.

I didn't exercise, and I gorged myself. Right now I feel like my stomach has a knot in it from all of the undigested carbs I have floating around in there, and I'm really wishing I would have just gotten off of my keister for a little while to move around today.

I can specifically point out the wrong turns I took today which led me to my downfall:
1. I woke up late so I decided to skip breakfast, which led me to....
2. I told myself I could eat a big lunch because I hadn't eaten anything all day, but then.....
3. We didn't eat lunch until 3:30, so by that time I thought I was absolutely starving, which caused me to......
4. Overeat by a long shot for my lunch. And eating so late also made me......
5. Feel hungry again around 8:30pm, which is usually evening snack time. Because of all of the empty carbs I had for lunch, I felt hungry for.....
6. JUNK FOOD.

I ate too much and I didn't eat the right things. And the foods I had made me sluggish and tired, rather than energized and satisfied. I am glad that I at least know the triggers that led my astray today, so that I can prevent them in the future.

I think I put too much pressure on myself to be an example. I hate feeling like I'm disappointing people when I have a bad day like today. But I need to realize that the world doesn't rest on my shoulders. All of my readers aren't going to go out and order a large pizza and a bucket o' chicken just because I failed today. I'm not that important.

I just need to understand that there are going to be some bad days and I need to have integrity with my blog. I can't get on here and lie to my readers about how well I'm doing if I've done poorly that day. There are going to be bad days; nobody's perfect. I just need to do my best to make sure those bad days are infrequent and that I learn from them, so I can teach myself how to prevent certain triggers when they arise.

I appreciate everyone who stops by and reads what I have to say on my little blog. I know some days are better than others, and I'm not always the most exciting person. But I am so thankful for the accountability I have with my readers who I know will be checking up on me. I love that it keeps me grounded on days like today when I totally blow it.

So I want to thank you for reading....and if you have any topics you'd like me to cover in the future, please let me know! I'll do whatever research I need to do so I can make it happen.

Tune in tomorrow for a delicious and guilt-free cupcake recipe!

Day 17: Chicago Report

I'm writing a short blog today because I've been out of town and I'm exhausted!

Last night Adam took me to Chicago to see needtobreathe, one of our favorite bands. He also surprised me (sort of) with a meet and greet with the band. I've been listening to these guys for years, so it was great to finally get the chance to tell them how much I love their music.

I don't have much to say in terms of health and the weight loss topic, but I do think that standing on high heels for 6+ hours should be considered exercise.

Today we went to Humiston Woods, a conservation area around where Adam lives and hiked on the trails for about 2 hours. I may have ruined my shoes, but we got some good exercise. The trails were so soft and wet that we had a really difficult time navigating, and we had to go off the beaten path, quite literally, several times. But it was really good exercise. We both felt the burn. We're really tired tonight.

Sorry for the off-topic report, but come back tomorrow. I'll be back on task. Thanks for reading!

Day 16: She Keeps Going....and Going.....and Going.........

Walking is a new favorite hobby of mine. I have grown to love strapping on my sneakers and heading out for a long walk. Sometimes I get bored with the same old scenery, though, so I try to change up my walking locations frequently.

My favorite new technique while I'm walking is to set the timer on my phone for whatever amount of time I would consider the midpoint of my workout. For example, if I want to walk for an hour, I'll set my timer for 30 minutes. Then I'll just take off and keep walking until the timer tells me it's time to turn around. Then I'll just turn around and head back toward my starting point.

I like doing it this way because it allows me the opportunity to explore new paths I haven't seen before. I get bored going up and down the same streets day after day, and so if I can just set my timer and keep walking in the same direction until it beeps at me, then I'm bound to see something new.

On Tuesday I set my timer and headed down a road near my house. It was neat looking at all of the houses around there and passing a few other walkers and joggers. I ended up going about 3 miles in 58 minutes, which is pretty slow, but it was a very hilly area.

Yesterday I went for a long walk in the country by my parents' house. It was so relaxing and a really good workout. I didn't have my pedometer with me, but according to my sister, I managed to do about 4 miles in 65 minutes, which is a definite improvement over my time from the day before, but this was mostly flat terrain. But that's not bad at all, considering I really wasn't pushing myself very much. I felt like I was on the yellow brick road or something, though, because it was nothing but open field surrounding me and I was simply following the road wherever it might take me. I did almost get chased by a dog, but I'll save that story for another day.

I know there are some really good walking paths at a couple of parks here in Decatur. I'd love to try them out sometime if I can ever get someone to go with me. I'm a little chicken about walking in those places by myself because creatures or people could be lurking behind the trees, just waiting to jump out and get me.

I really need to get a good pedometer (I'm frustrated that I still haven't done it yet!) because I want to track how far I'm getting and see my progress over time. I think it would be great to look at the distance I've traveled over the last month or so, and see a measurable amount of miles I've walked. Maybe I'll pick one up this weekend.

Do you enjoy walking? What's your favorite type of exercise? Do you prefer working out alone or with a buddy?

My mom and I are going to start a teensy weensy bit of jogging in the next two weeks, so be prepared for a report on that! Next week we take our walking schedule from a 30 minute, moderate-paced walk to a 45 minute, fast walk. I feel good about this! I'm up to the challenge, but I know it's going to be difficult.

Day 15: Rewards!

For reaching my 5 pound milestone, I gave myself a little reward. I went and got a pedicure last night with a friend.

Actually, though, I would have gotten the pedicure anyway...we do it every 6 weeks or so. So I guess I really can't count it as my reward.

That's what I want to talk about today, though. A big part of the Weight Watchers program is celebrating your successes. I'd like to get a discussion going on how you plan to reward yourself when you accomplish your health, weight loss, or fitness goals.

I need to think of some non-food rewards to give myself when I reach a milestone. I don't think it counts if it's something I already had planned before I reached the milestone (like the pedicure), but obviously I can't afford to go out and spend $100 on every milestone I reach. So I need to think of a small way to commemorate my achievements. Something that will still make me feel good about what I've done, but won't break the bank.

I thought about putting $10 or $20 into my savings account each time I reach a milestone, and once I get to my goal, using that money to buy some new clothes. I don't know, though, I kind of think I'd rather see something tangible.

So, please weigh in on the topic...what do you do to reward yourself for your accomplishments? Do you have any ideas for me? I'm open to anything at this point, and looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.

Day 14: Weekly Weigh-In

As you can see, I am now the proud owner of a 5 pound sticker! Hooray. It's really silly, but a lot of the women at the Weight Watchers meetings get so excited about the stickers. It's like they live and breathe for that next sticker to put on their bookmark. I try to act like I'm cooler than that, but I'll probably be just as excited about the stickers after I've been going for awhile. Oh well.

My weigh-in results for this week: -2.8lbs.
Total since 3/1/10: -6.8lbs.

I feel pretty good with those results. There was a girl at the meeting last night who had lost 31lbs. in 7 weeks. I don't want to be judgmental, but in my mind, there must be something she's not doing correctly in the Weight Watchers plan. It just seems too fast. I don't know, though, maybe she just had a baby or something. That would make the weight come off faster, I think.

I'm just going to keep on trucking with this, at least for the next 14 weeks leading up to my sister's wedding. After that we may forgo the meetings, but stick to the plan on our own. We'll see.

I'm getting more used to eating well; some of my cravings have subsided, and when the cravings do come, I'm learning to satisfy myself with less.

I'm glad that healthier eating is becoming more habitual for me, though, because I have several little trips coming up where I'm going to have to exercise my skills. The true test will be how I can do in a situation where I have little control over what's available to eat and limited access to nutritional information. I'm excited for this challenge, though, and I'm looking forward to proving to myself that I can be reasonable with my food even if I'm out of town for the day or the week.

I did want to share one more little nugget with you: My mom and I were shopping at Walgreens last night and we found this. It is an Easter Bouquet of Tootsie Roll Pops!

The flavors include Lemon Lime, Purple Punch, Watermelon, Pineapple, and Tangerine.

I can't speak on the rest of them, but the lemon lime ones are delicious! These Tootsie Roll pops are a little flatter than the regulars, but they are a nice little way to add some variety to my daily Tootsie Pop routine.

Incidentally, if anyone ever sees a Banana Tootsie Roll Pop I'd love to try one! I can't find them anywhere around here, but the website says they're available. Anyway, though, if you're interested in getting a Tootsie Roll Pop Easter Bouquet, they are at Walgreens in the checkout lanes, and possibly with the Easter candy, too.

How are everyone else's health journeys going? I'd love to hear about your progress...just post a comment below.

Day 14: Champion Chow

Today I want to talk about yogurt. A lot of people shy away from eating it because it's a little weird. I get it. There are live cultures in there, and the consistency is strange, and the flavors don't taste that great.

But I have found a diamond in the rough when it comes to yogurt. Yoplait Light Yogurts are an everyday healthy-eating staple for me.

Each container only has 100 Calories and 0g of Fat, making it a 2 point food that also counts for a milk!

If you're not fond of the consistency of yogurt, Yoplait also makes a Light Thick & Creamy yogurt in a variety of flavors. The texture is more like a custard, and it's very delicious.

These aren't just your regular strawberry or blueberry yogurts (although they do offer those). The Yoplait Light and the Light Thick & Creamy come in flavors like Cherry Cobbler, Cinnamon Roll, and Banana Creme Pie. They really taste like the delicious goodies they're named after.

I have one with lunch every day, but sometimes I also stick one in the freezer for a few hours to have an ice cream like treat that's much healthier, and more flavorful.

My favorite flavor is the Thick & Creamy Cherry Cobbler. It is so good you won't believe you're eating something nutritious!

If you want to see a full list of their products and flavors, go to www.Yoplait.com.

Also, right now they're offering a $1 off the purchase of 8 of their Light products. They usually run about $0.50 - $0.60 each, so it's a pretty good deal.
CLICK HERE for a coupon!

What do you think of yogurt? Not a fan? Will you give these a try?

Day 13: Amazing Asian-Inspired Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The first time I made these lettuce wraps from The Biggest Loser Cookbook, I was blown away. They taste great, and you get a really big portion for minimal calories and fat. This recipe makes 4 2-wrap servings.

The original recipe calls for some hard-to-find ingredients (bamboo shoots, hoisin sauce, and sherry), so I just modified it to use what I had on hand. Here's how I make them:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz.) Water Chestnuts
1 Tbsp. Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter
2 tsp. Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Hot Sauce
2 packets Sugar Substitute (like Splenda)
1 Tbsp. Minced Garlic
1 c. Minced Onion
1 lb. Ground Chicken (or Turkey)
2 tsp. Fresh Ginger, Minced
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil (or Olive Oil)
8 Small Leaves Butter Lettuce (or any head of lettuce)
1 Whole Green Onion, Chopped
1 Small Cucumber, Seeded and Sliced into 1" Strips

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine water chestnuts, peanut butter, soy sauce, hot sauce, and Splenda. Mix well, set aside.

Mist a large, nonstick skillet with olive oil spray and set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until tender and just starting to brown. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken, ginger, and salt. Cook, breaking the meat into small chunks, for 3-4 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the reserved water chestnut mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, or until hot. Stir in the sesame oil. Remove the pan from the heat. Spoon the mixture, evenly divided, into the lettuce leaves. Set on a serving dish. Top with green onion and cucumber. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information: 191 Calories, 16g Protein, 22g Carbohydrates, 4g Fat (less than 1g Saturated Fat), 33mg Cholesterol, 5g Fiber, 637mg Sodium

Points Value: 3!

Day 12: Oy!

Well, my dinner last night went fine. I planned ahead, added up my points in advance, and knew exactly what I was going to order before I got to the restaurant. I ordered the Baked Chicken Pesto, which isn't as healthy as it sounds because it comes with pasta and alfredo sauce. However, I did order wheat noodles, and as soon as my dish came, I immediately divided it in half, knowing I was going to save the other portion for another meal. Even though I only ate half of my dinner, I still felt pretty full afterwards, though. I probably would have been satisfied, but not full, if I had eaten about a third of the food. Still, I felt okay with the choice I made, and glad that I didn't completely blow it.

And then this morning came. Adam was in town so we decided we would go to Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast/lunch. I looked around at the Points Values of several of their breakfast entrees and they were all ridiculously high. So then I determined that I would get something from the lunch menu. My mistake was that rather than deciding ahead of time what I wanted to get, I figured I would just look at the menu and use my iPhone application to figure up the points for what I wanted to order.

The fried shrimp was calling my name and I answered. I didn't go over my points allotment for the day, but I did spend more points on that meal than I should have. I think I let myself use more points because I knew I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I was figuring I could use the points values I would normally use for two meals. So I ate my food, saved the rest for later, and went on my merry way.

A few hours later, my mom and I were on our way back from Springfield and that shrimp started screaming again...only this time it wasn't a happy situation. My stomach has been upset for a few hours now, and I'm really paying the price for going overboard.

Like I said, I still haven't gone over my points for the day, and I still have several of my Flex points left, as well as all of my Activity Points for the week, but I think that eating two really heavy meals back to back took its toll on me. I need to learn to spread my big meals out a little. For example, if I eat a big dinner one night, maybe I should try to eat fairly light the next day.

I'm figuring out that even if I stay within my points, it's still possible to make poorer choices about what I'm putting into my body. I just have to get a handle on portion control and getting into the habit of eating healthier more often, and making those splurges the exception rather than the rule.

And now I'm left with figuring out how to plan a dinner with side dishes and hopefully a little treat later using the 7 points I have left for the day. Actually, I do have those extra points if I want to use them, and I might, but I don't want to use them just because they're there.

Kind of a disappointing day overall, but I'll chalk it up to learning new things and adjusting to a new way of life. I can't let that discourage me from aiming for my goal.

Day 11: Avoiding Restaurant Relapse

I love eating out. There's something gratifying about choosing anything you want from a menu and magically having someone set it in front of you. It tastes so good, and it's so easy to relax and enjoy your food and the company you're with.

When I've tried to follow a healthier diet in the past I've always fallen into what I call "Restaurant Relapse." I eat healthy all week, but then I go to a restaurant and order whatever I want to. I think I get caught up in the moment. I'm having fun with friends or family, enjoying good conversation. All the mixtures of food smell so good in the restaurant. And that picture on the menu of the triple cheeseburger with fries looks so much better than the grilled chicken with steamed vegetables. And so I give in to the temptations surrounding me and I order the unhealthier option, rather than staying true to my goals.

We're going out to eat tonight with my grandpa, and I'm wondering how I'm going to do. Nobody has decided at this point where we're going to eat, so I can't plan ahead. I have saved up all of my Extra Points for this week, so I am going to allow myself to splurge a little bit. I just want to avoid getting out of hand and having a calorie bonanza.

I've heard a few different techniques to help conquer Restaurant Relapse:

1. To-GO: Order your food and ask for a To-Go box as soon as you get your plate, then immediately scoop half of your food into the box and take it home for later.
2. Drink Water: A full glass of water just before going to the restaurant will help curb those impulse choices you make when you feel hungrier than you really are.
3. Eat a light snack: Before heading out to the restaurant, have some veggies and dip for the same reason as the aforementioned glass of water.
4. Avoid Filler Foods: Avoid eating items restaurants set out on the tables like bread or chips and salsa. These are just fillers that most people eat simply because it's sitting in front of them.
5. Plan your meal ahead of time. If you know where you're going to eat, do your research. Look at the restaurant's website to see what they have on their menu. If possible, seek out the nutritional content of the food you're planning to eat as well. If you go to the restaurant with your meal already selected, you don't even have to look at the menu and deal with temptation to make a poorer choice.

I admit I usually don't go through this entire routine every time I eat out. But I typically do try to do one or two of these items, and it helps me to stave off the temptation to order the Deep-Fried Grease Platter when I hit the restaurant.

Eating out is a part of normal life, and we have to learn to incorporate our healthy eating habits into dining at a restaurant. You can't just give up everything you're striving for just because someone else is preparing the food for you.

Does anyone else have some survival strategies for restaurant eating? What about some specific healthy meal options from restaurants?

Day 10: How's That Working Out For Ya?

Exactly one week ago I posted a blog with a few challenges for myself and some of my readers to follow. If you want a refresher, read it HERE.

My mom and I decided to do the Walk to Jog Challenge....and we're scared! In just two short weeks we'll be bringing jogging into the picture little by little and we're just not sure we're up to the challenge. But we're going to try out hardest, and we're going to stick with it, even if it takes us a little longer than 12 weeks to get to the point where we can jog for 20 minutes straight. Yikes!

As far as the other challenges, I have been doing great with my Great Outdoors Challenge. I have absolutely loved being outside in this beautiful weather.

The 30 Minutes and More Challenge is going well so far, too. Next week I'll need to increase my workout time to 35 minutes, but I've already exercised 3 times this week for over 30 minutes, so it really won't be such a huge transition.

The Conquer the Couch Potato Challenge has been a bit of a struggle for me. It's not that I don't want to do it....I just don't think of it while I'm absent-mindedly letting advertisers brainwash me to buy their new products. Man, it's so frustrating to have to tell you that I haven't consciously gotten up to move around one single time during a commercial break in the last week. I suck! And I would like to invite anyone who reads this blog to text or email me throughout the evenings of this month to remind me to get off my butt and move around if there's a commercial on. I figure if I'm watching an hour long TV show, that's an extra 20 minutes of movement I can get in for the day. If only I can remember to do it!

As I'm doing my walks, I'm realizing that I really need to get a pedometer. I would love to be able to gauge how much distance I'm walking and how I'm improving over time. I have a little cheap pedometer that came free with the purchase of a Nintendo DS game I bought awhile back. This pedometer only counts steps, though. It doesn't tell distance or calories burned or anything like that.

Can anyone recommend a good pedometer for me? I don't want to spend a fortune, but I would like to be able to see the steps I've walked for the day, along with the distance I've walked, and possibly the calories I've burned as well.

For my actual exercise walks, I'm thinking about downloading an iPhone app to monitor my distance and speed. I found one that looks pretty good called iTreadmill. Does anyone else with a Smart phone have an app for that?

I'd love to hear any recommendations or suggestions! How's everyone else's exercise regimen going?

Also a few quick notes on commenting:

1. If you leave a comment on the blog and you want to see what other people say in response to your comment, there is a little button at the bottom of the comments section that says "Subscribe by Email." If you click that and enter your email address, my blog will send you an email every time someone comments on that particular post. You can also do that if you're just generally interested in the topic for that day and you want to hear what others are saying.
2. If you do not want to leave a comment as "Anonymous," you can go to "Select Profile" then "Name/URL" and type in your name. Let me know if you have any questions. I understand it's kind of goofy.

And one more thing I have miserably failed to mention on here: my boyfriend is also doing a daily blog for every day of his 27th year
(I unashamedly ripped off his idea). I'd love if you would check it out,
and leave a comment or two letting him know you stopped by.
www.AdamGodfrey.com

Day 9: The Organic Debate

"Organic" seems to be a buzz word lately. I know a lot of people who put a lot of effort into eating organic, all-natural products. From produce, to meats, to peanut butter and milk, a lot of kitchen staples are available in organic varieties. I wonder if it's all worth it.

I try to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. I know that a real banana is healthier than a bag of banana chips, for example. But I'm just not entirely convinced yet that spending the extra money for "organic" bananas is worth the dent in my bank account.

I think it's important to try to buy local foods whenever possible. I think I will do more of my shopping at the farmer's market and the street side produce stands this year.

But I'm not ready or willing to spend the extra money on organic foods at the grocery store, or to give up some of the processed foods I love.

Unfortunately, I don't have enough sunlight in my back yard to grow a garden, but I think I may buy one of those indoor lights and grow a few vegetables to save a little money.

What do you think about the organic issue? Is it worth the expense? Does "organic" really mean anything to you?

Day 8: Weekly Weigh-In

We Went to the Weight Watchers meeting last night. It was just as cheesy as the one last week, but I think my mom and I decided that we're going to stick with it at least until my sister's wedding in late June.

Weekly Weigh-In Wesults:
-4lbs.

I suppose I should be excited about losing 4 pounds, but I always get hung up on the numbers. Every time I hop on the scale I think about all of the possible variables that could have led to the number I'm seeing. Maybe I wore really heavy clothes last week, I think I ate a lot more today than I normally do, when was the last time I went to the bathroom? I never think my weight loss (or gain) is a legitimate number because there are so many other factors involved. But since they don't allow for naked, first thing in the morning weigh-ins at Weight Watchers, I guess I'm just going to have to look past all of that.

I think I've always had issues with this. Whether I'm seeing a loss or a gain, my mind battles the report of the scale, and I always end up thinking that the change in my weight isn't due to what I'm actually doing, but rather that it's a result of factors beyond my control (i.e. clothing, digestion, water weight, etc.). That makes it very difficult for me to ever stick with a weight-loss regimen because I never trust the results I see on the scale.

I do have one thing to look forward to: if I lose 1 more pound, I get a sticker at my next Weight Watchers meeting! I can hardly stand the anticipation of it all.

I want to know how you guys conquer your brain in the matter of weight loss. How do you get past that mind block that says, "This isn't real."

Day 7: Champion Chow

I've been doing the Weight Watchers plan for almost a full week now, and I've started to notice a couple of trends: 1.) I have a major starvation episode around mid-afternoon. Around 3:00 every day I start to feel like my stomach is a vast expanse within my body that is screaming for nourishment before I die. And 2.) After dinner, I crave something sweet.

Here are a couple of great foods that I've found to answer those problems:

The Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wheels

These little cheese wedges are incredible. They taste divine, and the texture is so creamy. They're delicious on crackers, vegetables, or even in recipes like THIS ONE. They come in 3 flavors right now: Creamy Swiss, Garlic & Herb (a personal favorite), and French Onion. This summer there will be 3 new flavors in the line as well: Blue Cheese; Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil; and Queso Fresco & Chipotle. Each wedge only has 35 calories and 2 grams of Fat, which makes them a 1 Point food! You can find them in any grocery store. At Kroger they're with the cream cheeses, I believe. At Wal-Mart they're near the Deli counter. They make for a filling and savory afternoon snack.

Sweet Treats

I have a major sweet tooth. Every night after dinner I crave something sweet to cleanse my palate. It doesn't matter how full I feel, I still want something sweet. These little gems do the trick without a lot of damage. Tootsie Pops and Blow pops may not be as nutritious as, say, 10 medium baby carrots, but they are still a guilt-free solution to sugar-cravers like me. They only have 1 point each, so they're a perfect way to cap off the evening. And who knew Tootsie Pops came in flavors like banana and lemon-lime?

And if you're craving that savory, intense chocolate rush, I would highly recommend the Hershey's Sugar-free miniatures. They're also only 1 point a piece and they satisfy the screaming chocolate fiend within so that you can enjoy the rest of your evening without feeling bloated and guilty for eating an entire gallon of ice cream with hot fudge. No, you don't want to fill up on these non-healthy foods several times a day, but I am learning that allowing myself one little treat every day helps me to stay on track without feeling overwhelmed by denying myself everything I love to eat.

Those are my Champion Chows for the day....do you have any guilt-free foods that help you stay on track?

Day 6: Recipe - Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

For those of you who don't know, Hungry Girl is a brand that provides low-calorie and low-fat (and delicious) recipes through their cookbooks and their website www.Hungry-Girl.com. I am a huge Hungry Girl fan. Their recipes may not offer the most nutrients (they use some processed foods), but they definitely offer a less-guilt alternative to some of my favorite dishes.

This is a Hungry Girl recipe I merged with my own recipe because I wanted to use the amazing slow cooker Adam got me for Christmas.

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup
Makes 4 (1 cup) servings

Ingredients:
3 c. Fat-Free Chicken Broth
4 oz. Lean Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast, Chopped
1 c. Canned Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
1/2 c. Canned Sweet Corn Kernels
1/2 c. Chopped Onions
1 Tbsp. Chopped Jalapeno Peppers
1 Tbsp. Lime Juice
1 Tbsp. Fajita Seasoning Mix
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Chili Powder
6 Baked Tortilla Chips, Crushed

Optional Toppings: Cilantro, Fat-Free Sour Cream, Fat-Free or Low-Fat Shredded Cheese

Directions:
Place everything except the tortilla chips in the slow cooker and cook on low all day. Ladel into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, cheese and sour cream.

Per Serving (1 Generous Cup): 101 Calories, 1g Fat, 650mg Sodium, 13g Carbs, 1.5g Fiber, 4g Sugars, 11g Protein

Total Points Value: 2

If you're interested in the Hungry Girl cookbooks (there are currently 3 of them, with an additional one coming this Spring), you can find them at Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, and many other places.

Day 5: What Works for You?

Flat Top Grill was delicious last night...it never disappoints. I had intended to take a picture to post on here today, but I got so caught up in enjoying it that I forgot. Here's what I put in my stir fry:

Zucchini - 0 points
Celery - 0 points
Asparagus - 0 points
Jicama - 0 points
1/2 c. Brown Rice - 3 points (although I think next time I'll spend a few more points, because that wasn't enough rice.)
1/2 chicken breast - 3 points
2 ladles of Asian Sesame Giner Sauce - 1 point
1 ladle of Red Hot Chili Sauce - 2 points
1 piece of their Roti bread - 3 points

So my Stir Fry istelf only cost 9 points for a huge portion (I estimated that I put about half a cup of each veggie in), and then their divine roti flat bread was an additional 3 points. My dinner cost me 12 points in all, which is pretty good, I think. It was very filling and healthy.

Then we went to the movies and I got my small popcorn with butter. It was delicious, but it upset my stomach later. And I was able to get a small cup for ice without paying for it, but it was only slightly larger than those Dixie paper cups they give you to rinse with at the dentist's office. Oh well.

And in case you were wondering, Alice in Wonderland was just okay to me. Johnny Depp gave a stupendous performance, as he always does, but I found the rest of the film to be a little boring. It didn't hold my attention and excite me like I had hoped it would. I almost wish there had been more colors in it, or something. It was all kind of gray. But I guess it wouldn't be a Tim Burton movie if it wasn't dark, right?

My topic for today stems from a conversation Adam and I had last night.

We all need to be careful not to try to do too much too soon, because then we will end up overwhelmed and discouraged. For some people, just starting out with making a goal of getting some kind of exercise every day, and working on making that a habit is what works for them because they know this is a goal they will be able to attain, rather than setting some lofty goal that they may not be able to reach. But for other people, setting short-term, tangible goals is the way to go because they know they are working toward a specific achievement, rather than just following a very broad goal of exercising every day, which could get boring and cumbersome with no end in sight.

I thought about it a little and then I explained that I think when I set broad goals like "work out 5 days a week," it's easy for me to get lost and bored. I think I just see it as infinite. I'm working out 5 days a week for what? Or I'm striving toward what achievement? Yes, the ultimate goal is to be healthy and fit, but "work out 5 days a week" doesn't offer short-term, tangible results.

I'm trying something different this time around. I want to break up my exercise into small, short-term goals or challenges for myself. That way I know that if I start out today, in 30 days I will have achieved this particular goal. Or in 12 weeks I will be able to do this thing that I've always wanted to do. I think knowing there is an end in sight will help me to stick with the program for the entire time period.

That may not work for some people, though.

Honestly I've never tried setting short term goals before, so I can't say without a doubt that it's the strategy that works for me. I'm just testing it out to see what I think. My biggest fear is that my goals will be too hard and I won't be able to accomplish them. But I know that I have to set the bar high for myself and really go beyond what I've done in the past if I want to get results.

So I want to know what works for you? Do you like working in short-term goals, or do you prefer to just strive toward a long-term goal of being healthier?

What are some techniques you use to keep yourself motivated with your exercise? How do you bring yourself to work out when you just aren't in the mood?

I'm really interested to see what everyone's thoughts are on this. Please leave your comments below.

Day 4: Movie Night Survival Strategies

It's the weekend. It's time to relax and unwind and maybe even go out and have a little fun. What do you do when you've been so healthy all week, then the weekend shows up and you want to ease up a little bit on the diet, while still avoiding a 2-day binge of any junk food within a 3-mile radius.

A good way to plan for the weekend is to eat well during the week, knowing that you will allow yourself a few treats over the weekend. I'm thinking that planning to ease up a little on my healthy eating will prevent me from going completely crazy.

With the Weight Watchers program, I have 35 extra points to use at my discretion, guilt-free, throughout the week. I don't have to use the points if I don't want to, but I am allowed to use them and enjoy a "treat" if the opportunity presents itself. A lot of people use their points little by little throughout the week, while others choose to save them up for a special occasion. I like this idea because I can still allow myself to eat what I want once or twice during the week without the guilt and regret the next day.

Friday is my favorite day of the week because it's date night for my boyfriend and me. We live about an hour and a half away from each other, so we typically meet in Bloomington, which is the middle for both of us. Our date nights always involve dinner followed by some other activity. Tonight we're going to see Alice in Wonderland.

I love going to the movies. I am sucked in by the bright lights, all the people, the comfortable theater seats and the prospect of being entertained for a couple of hours. But nothing gets me into that movie theater more than the smell of that delicious, buttery popcorn.


It would be an understatement for me to say that movie theater popcorn is a guilty pleasure for me. A more appropriate term might be "an unquenchable craving from the deepest place in my being that screams for my attention as soon as I walk in the door." I. Love. Movie Theater Popcorn.

Unfortunately movie theater popcorn does not love me. My hips can tell you all about it.

According to the nutritional website TheDailyPlate.com, A large movie theater popcorn with butter has an estimated 1640 calories and 126 grams of fat. That adds up to 43 Weight Watchers Points, which is well over the total I am supposed to have for one day, and well over my Flex Points allowance as well.

But what am I supposed to do when the smell draws me in and I can't ignore those cravings?

Here's my answer:

I know that when I get to the theater I am going to want popcorn. And I want to enjoy my movie-watching experience with my favorite snack. I don't care what all those dieting websites say, sneaking in a Ziploc bag full of carrots and celery is not going to help me.

Knowing what I'm going to do ahead of time is going to help me to be prepared when my old friend Popcorn starts calling my name.

For the movie tonight, I am going to have a small popcorn (7 cups), with butter (who gets no butter at the movie theater, anyway?). This is an estimated 630 calories and 50 grams of fat, for 17 of my flex points.

However, because I am choosing the popcorn, I am going to limit myself on other things, like sugary soda. I will drink water, and I will avoid the candy counter.

The theater we're going to tonight offers unlimited refills on drinks and the really good ice. Fellow ice chewers will appreciate this sentiment. "The Good Ice" refers to ice pellets, ice nuggets, or Sonic Ice. There is no better ice consistency in the world for your chewing pleasure. It just fits so perfectly between your teeth and is just soft enough while still allowing for a little bit of crunch. In addition to its perfect texture, this ice also takes longer to melt. There really is no question when it comes to frozen water. "The Good Ice" is the way to go.


All of that to say, getting a cup of ice is almost as important (if not more) than getting popcorn at this particular theater.

I could go the cheap route and bring along my own bottle of water (don't tell), then try to coax the cashier into giving me a free cup of ice. Or I could see if they have a water spigot at the fountain where you get your drink, and again, see if the cashier will give me just a cup for water and ice without charging me. I'm guessing they probably won't do this (which is a shame, considering that I'm spending half a million dollars for the movie tickets and the popcorn, rather Adam is). If they don't allow either of those options, I will be forced to purchase a regular-priced drink and then only fill my cup with ice.

Then I'm left with this conundrum: Iis it worth it to pay $3.50 for a small cup of ice, or should I just go without and enjoy my bottled water sans those wonderful little frozen pellets?

The answer, of course, is even though they're robbing me blind, I'm going to get the ice.

And for dinner we're eating at Flat Top Grill, which is about as close to a heavenly feast as you can get. It's a create your own stir fry restaurant where you walk through a line and pile as many vegetables as you want into a bowl with some rice or noodles. Then you add meat and they cook it for you and bring it to your table. It is delicious. And it's healthy. I won't be able to add up my points until I get there and pick out what I'm going to have, but I figure my stir fry won't possibly be more than 10 points. I'll update you tomorrow on what my total ends up being.

I think overall, the best plan for going to the movies and trying to stay healthy is to eat better before you go, plan ahead, and make sure you allow yourself to have what you want, without overdoing it. There's no reason to get the Jumbo Mega Sized Bucket of popcorn for 25 cents more, even if the sixteen year old kid working the counter tells you it's a better deal. A small will satisfy you just fine, and you'll keep your quarter.

If you give in to your craving in one area, make yourself stay strict in another area, like soda.

It's kind of a common sense approach. But I know that I want to make healthy living a complete overhaul of my lifestyle, and not just a trendy diet that I'll stick with for 3 weeks. So I have to allow myself a little wiggle room. It's not practical or realistic to expect myself to eat only healthy foods every day for the rest of my life. But with a little preparation and planning I can enjoy some of the less-healthy foods I love, while staying on track with my plan.

Thanks for reading, and remember to let me know if you want to participate in any of the challenges from yesterday's blog!

Day 3: Bringing Exercise Into the Picture

Exercise is an essential component to healthy living. I wish it wasn't. Sometimes I hate dragging myself off the couch to get moving. But I realize it's a necessity, and I think if I can find some kind of exercise that I enjoy doing, it will be much easier for me to be motivated to do it.

For me, I get discouraged by the idea of forcing myself to come home from work, change clothes, and do a routine of exercises every day for the rest of my life. I get caught up in the "infinity" aspect of it all. The daily grind gets me down. If I could see a tangible end in sight, I might be more apt to stick to an exercise regimen for a period of time. I think setting short goals will help me to work consistently so that I can accomplish what I want to.

With that in mind, I've been doing a little bit of Internet research. I would love to hear your input on these ideas, and see if there is anyone who wants to join me in a few challenges I've found that piqued my interest. Or maybe you have a few ideas of your own!

I'm trying to decide between these first two plans. I can't implement both of them right now, so I think I would like to hear some input and see if anyone else wants to join me in either of these challenges, and then I'll make my decision.

Weight Watchers Ultimate Walking Challenge
The first plan I found is a very long-term one. It's a 48 week walking plan to train yourself to eventually walk a half-marathon (about 13.5 miles). The 48 weeks is broken into shorter, 8 week segments, and we could break it down even further than that if we wanted to. The plan consists of walking different distances at different speeds 6 days a week. The first day of the challenge is to walk 1/2 mile in 10 minutes, and the last day of the challenge is to walk a half-marathon distance. If we started this week, we would accomplish our goal sometime in late January 2011. To me, this challenge seems a little daunting since it lasts so long. It might be easy to get lost in the big scheme of what you're doing somewhere around week 16 or so when you're sick of the same old thing. On the other hand, it would be great to be able to build up to that goal of walking 13 miles. I can't imagine myself being able to do that right now.

Sweat 365 Walk to Run Challenge
The second challenge I found is a 12-week plan to transition from walking to jogging. This plan requires you to walk/jog every other day (3-4 days per week). The workouts start out around 30 minutes at the beginning of the program, and gradually build up to about an hour toward the end. I've never been able to jog for an extended period of time, so I think this would be a great way to challenge myself with something I never thought I would be able to do. I like that the challenge is long enough to expect to see some real results, but it's short enough that the proverbial finish line would still be in sight, even from the very first days of the program.

Next is a list of things I personally want to challenge myself to incorporate into my every day life. I'd love if you guys would join me in these, too!

The 30 Minutes and More Challenge
I want to challenge myself, starting this Saturday, March 6th, to workout for 30 minutes a day, for 5 days out of the week. Then beginning on Saturday, the 13th, I will increase the length of my workout by 5 minutes. I will continue increasing my workouts by 5 minutes each week so that by March 27th I will be ready for a 45 minute workout 5 days per week.

The Great Outdoors Challenge

Spring is here and I am sick of being in the house! I think I need to spend some time being active outside. With this 3 day per week challenge for the entire Spring, I want to look at the weather forecast for the day, make note of the predicted High for that day, and spend that many minutes outside, doing something active. This may be going for a walk with a friend, riding a bike (which may be difficult considering that I don't have one), or taking my iPod as my companion and enjoying the scenery in my neighborhood. This outside time may or may not coincide with my daily workout routine. I just want to get more fresh air.

The Conquer the Couch Potato Challenge
Nobody enjoys commercial breaks unless it's the Super Bowl, right? So why not make the most out of those 3 minute breaks between segments of your favorite show and incorporate some movement? I want to challenge myself, and whoever else wants to participate, to get up and move during commercial breaks. This challenge will last through the month of March. Any time I'm watching TV and a commercial comes on, I am going to get up and do something to get my heart rate going. It may be that I do some jumping jacks, or take a flight of stairs a couple of times...or even go downstairs and get the laundry. I'm going to get up and make use of those couple of minutes of commercials.

So what do you think of these challenges? Does anyone want to join me in one or all of them? Do you have any other fitness challenge ideas we could incorporate, either for this month or in the future? Let me know in the comments section.

Day 2: The Beginning

Thank you so much for visiting my site. I have been so encouraged by all of the emails I've received about this Daily Blog journey. I really think it's going to be a successful one. I just have to make sure I'm diligent and I can stay on track, and that will be much easier for me to do if I know there are people counting on me who are wanting to keep up with how I'm doing every single day.

I am going to set the initial goal of writing a blog entry every day, for 6 months straight. After that, we'll see what happens. Six months seems a little cumbersome to me, but I think that is a good amount of time for me to expect to get some tangible results. After the 6 months, maybe I'll decide I don't need to blog every single day. Or maybe I'll decide that writing is a major factor in my success and I'll decide to keep going. Either way, I can promise that you will see a blog post here, every day, at least until September 2, 2010.

Initially, I'm wanting to start out with a more structured approach to help me sort of get into the habit of writing every day. Here is what you will find when you come to the blog each day:

Tuesday - Weekly Weigh-In Results. No, I'm not going to broadcast my weight on here, but I will definitely share my progress. My Weight Watchers meetings are Monday evenings, so I will be sure to post how much I've lost (or gained...but hopefully not) in the past week when I write on Tuesdays.

Wednesday - On Wednesdays I will post a discussion topic so that everyone can join in and share some ideas, suggestions, or thoughts on whatever the topic is.

Thursday - I think on Thursdays I would like to talk about fitness and what I'm doing as far as exercise, as well as maybe some fitness goals I would like to accomplish. I found a strategical guide to train yourself to walk a half-marathon. That is really tempting me. I'm going to look into it some more. But Thursdays will be a day to talk about exercise regimen; what's working, what's not working, etc.

Friday - Friday is the beginning of the weekend and, if you're like me, the "It's The Weekend" excuse tends to show up on Thursday and doesn't leave until Tuesday. On Fridays each week, I want to write about some Survival Strategies to help us enjoy our weekend without going overboard and starting out the week feeling discouraged.

Sunday - On Sundays I would like to share a healthy recipe (that I've already tasted and approved). I love cooking and I have plenty of really tasty and healthful recipes in my millions of cookbooks.

For Mondays and Saturdays I really haven't figured out exactly what I want to talk about. I would love if you guys could suggest a few different ideas of things we could discuss and maybe come up with a theme for those days.

So that's the plan, at least for now. I might get sick of being so structured later on, and if I do, then I'll change it up....but for now, just to get myself into the swing of things, I'll follow my prescribed plan for each day.

Now, a few notes on the blog itself.

Commenting
This is a community and we're here to encourage each other and share our own struggles and triumphs along the way. Since we're all in this together (you can thank me later for getting that High School Musical song stuck in your head), it's important for everyone who comes here to have a voice as well. Commenting is really easy, and when you want to you just follow these steps:

1. Type your comment in the comment box at the bottom of the post.
2. In the box that says Select Profile, Highlight the choice that says Name/URL.
3. In the box that pops up, type your Name, but leave the URL blank (unless you have a personal website, in which case, feel free to share it). Then click Continue.
4. Click Preview if you want to see your comment first, or click Post Comment if you're happy with it.

That's all there is to it! And I really do hope everyone will have fun with this and enjoy sharing.

Additionally, if you have a Google, Yahoo, Twitter, OpenID, AIM, NetLog account, you can follow me by clicking the link to the right that says "Follow Me, Please!" My picture is under there. That way you never have to worry about forgetting to read the blog. You'll get a reminder each day when a new post is made.

If you don't have one of those accounts and you still want to receive a reminder, I can subscribe up to 10 people to receive emails directly from this site when I make a new post. If I end up with more than 10 people who are interested, I will personally send an email to anyone else who wants a reminder. Just send me your email address (either in the comments section, or email me directly at nicole_rena06@yahoo.com).

I think that's about all of the how-to stuff that I can think of. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I'm really excited about this!

The Unamed Weight Loss Daily Blog: Part 1

The issue of weight is a touchy one for most people I know. Countless multitudes of friends and family struggle with health and body image on a daily basis. I am among the many when it comes to these things. My weight has been a constant area of struggle for me since I was a teenager. I find that my biggest issue is that I lack discipline when it comes to sticking with a weight loss plan. I'd rather have a double cheeseburger and french fries "just this once" than to make a healthier selection and stay on track. Eventually "I'll splurge just this once" turns into weeks of eating badly followed by a resolution that "this will be the last time," and I'll eat healthy for a couple of weeks, until the cravings get loud enough and the cycle begins again.

I'm hoping to change that now. I plan to write a daily blog, detailing my weight loss journey, complete with struggles, high points, disappointments, and achievements, with plenty of tips and tricks I learn along the way. I'm hoping, too, that my readers will get involved by joining in the discussion and sharing their thoughts on the blog each day through the comments section at the bottom of each post. If we band together, we'll have a better shot at achieving success, to be sure. And hopefully we'll be able to encourage one another when one of us feels like giving up or giving in.

Let me start by telling you my story. As I said before, I've struggled with my weight and body image since adolescence. I have never been able to follow a healthy eating plan for more than a couple of months. I love fast food. I love fried food. I love sugar. That is not a great arsenal of weapons to bring along in the battle of the bulge. In college I lost 25 pounds by following the Atkins Diet for about 6 weeks. I promptly gained it all back (and much more) when I started eating carbs again. Since then I've been on a roller coaster of dieting, exercise, giving up, gaining weight, and ample amounts of frustration and disappointment.

Last fall I was approached by my Aunt Janine, who is undoubtedly the most driven and goal-oriented person I have ever met. If she wants to achieve something, nothing will ever stop her from getting there. Janine generously offered a few members of my family some free personal training to help us get healthy and lose weight. She helped us figure out what our daily calorie intake should be, she gave us helpful recipes and tips for eating right. And she also helped us to formulate fitness plans to achieve our goals. I had a lot of success with Janine at the beginning. I lost about 8 pounds in the first week, and continued to lost a total of about 12 pounds over the course of the first six weeks or so. Then the holidays came, the weather got bone chillingly cold, and I lost my motivation. It was easier for me to go to Burger King for lunch than it was for me to get up early and prepare my food before I left for work. It was easier to come home and curl up in bed for an evening nap than it was to change clothes and exercise. It was easier to give in to temptation than it was to get myself on track. And I really disappointed myself. I look back now and think about all the weight I could have lost had I just stuck with the plan. But now I find myself, back at square one, ready to begin again.

My mom and I decided to try Weight Watchers this time around. We figured the accountability of having to weigh-in in front of someone at every meeting would help us to stay disciplined throughout the week. I have to admit, I have my reservations. We attended our first meeting last night and it was pretty cheesy. There was a lot of show-and-tell and clapping, and stickers being passed out, and singing....that's all I'm going to say. But if I force myself to look past the hokey, I can see that the program really is beneficial for a lot of reasons.

So I hope with this blog to provide us all with a support system as we struggle with our weight issues, whether you're in the thick of it now (pun most definitely intended), or you've already lost weight and you're trying to maintain, or maybe you're not at a place right now where you want to even think about weight loss. Wherever you are in your life, I hope this blog will provide you with support, encouragement and maybe a little bit of education. And I hope that documenting my weight loss journey every single day will help me to stick with it and to be more disciplined.

Please comment below with suggestions for topics you'd like to see on the blog, or discuss with other readers.

Let's do this together and get healthier and look better!

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12