Set Points and Makeovers

Sorry about the radio silence. The last couple of weeks have been mildly frustrating. I've been bouncing back and forth between 205 and 205 for two weeks now. The funny thing is when I lost weight for the first time 3 years ago I spent 6 weeks stuck at 205. I know that my body has set points when I lose weight, places I plateau for awhile. But I didn't think it would be the exact same point, I wonder if it will hold true for the next one? It will be interesting to see if I get stuck at 195 like I did last time, won't it?

Anywho, this last week we celebrated my husband's and my son's birthdays. We went out to lunch at a Brazilian Steak House (you know, the place where they bring around the meat on the swords. Combine that with the amazing salad bar and it makes a great low-carb place to eat out.) Afterward we were waling around the outdoor mall in downtown Salt Lake when I saw this little store called Betty Paige. Their window display had these adorable 1950's style dressed and skirts. My husband encouraged me to try some on so I went in and basically got one of everything that was in my size. The styles were all Marilyn Monroe-esque. Cinched at the waist and curvy through the bust and hips. In the dressing room trying on that first dress I had a revelation.

I've hated shopping my whole life. Clothes never seem to fit me like they do other people. Pants are tight in the hips and gap hugely at the waist. Dresses strain across my bust and hips and bag around my stomach. I'll get to the point where I have one outfit left in my closet before I go out and go shopping. Part of me has always attributed this to my being over-weight, that's natural right?

But then I stood in the dressing room and pulled on a dress that was specifically designed for a woman with an hourglass figure. And it fit like the proverbial glove. Curvy through the hips and bust and narrow at the waist. I stared at myself in the mirror and felt like I was bathed in the light of a blinding epiphany. Yes I was still overweight, but here was a dress that was designed to look good on a woman with my body shape. And it did!

Then I tried on 6 more outfits, each one that fit great and looked great on me! And I started to see how other women could love shopping. So then I spent way too much on that very first dress (thanks honey) and then died my mousy brown hair black to match. If my weight loss has stalled this week, at least I'm having fun!

Weigh-In Apr 2

Sorry about the hiatus guys. I had one gnarly case of strep throat that lasted for 10 days. (That's right, I said gnarly.) While I was sick I didn't follow my low-carb rules. Heck while I was sick I didn't even follow my personal hygiene rules. I mostly laid on the couch and moaned...a lot. And when I was hungry I ate whatever sounded good to me. So you can understand that I was a little apprehensive when I stepped back onto the scale this week. Then let out a huge sigh of relief when it said 207. Only 2 lbs up, I will totally take it. Thank you weight loss fairies for not blowing me up 8 lbs in addition to a horrible week of mucous and moaning.

So onward to better and less germy things! Please-oh-please. Kicked off my eating again yesterday and also started the weight lifting again. Instead of moving on to the next month I went back to week one and added heavier weights.

I've been reading a lot lately about goals and I usually tend to have vague, pie-in-the-sky goals. I want to be better about setting concrete goals that I can see and my husband can graph (he's mad about graphs, engineer you know). So I'm setting a new short term goal. I'm leaving for Arizona in exactly a month. In Arizona May is swimsuit season, unlike Utah which will still be yo-yoing back and forth between gorgeous days and blizzards. So I'm making a goal to be 195 when I leave for Az. That's 12 lbs or 3 lbs a week, which I know is on the high side. But here goes nothing.

All right, lurkers, I know you're out there. What's your short term goal? It doesn't have to be weight related, just throw it out there...in print for the world to see. Then go drink some water.

Ugh

Sorry guys, I am so sick right now. I'll be back when I can drag myself out of bed again.

Whoosh

Today I am watching 6 kids under the age of 8, answering phones for 9 hours for the company I work for, and making a homemade cupcake cake for the cub scout cake auction tomorrow. Yeah, I'm a little busy. But I wanted to drop in a show you guys a menu for a typical low carb day for me. You might be a little overwhelmed when going low carb for the first time wondering what you will possibly eat. The most common questions I get asked if, "Yeah, but what do you eat?!" (By the way an apology to my vegetarian friends for asking this same questions in that same puzzled voice).

So here's what I ate yesterday (keep in mind I'm in an early phase of my low carb eating so there's still a few foods I'm not allowed to eat):

Breakfast:
3 egg omelet with onion, peppers, garlic, mushroom, and cheddar cheese

Snack:
Low carb yogurt and sliced strawberries with whipped cream

Lunch:
Grilled Tilapia with lemon and butter, roasted asparagus and mashed caulifower

Snack:
Pistachios and a string cheese

Dinner:
Chicken Fajita salad (grilled chicken, onions, and peppers over a green salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and ranch dressing)

Dessert:
Sugar-free Jello with whipped cream, or an Atkins bar (the caramel nut chew one tastes just like a snickers)

I know I owe you guys a picture (do you know how hard it is to take a picture of yourself?) so I'll have the hubby take one tomorrow and get it up on Monday.

And for you ladies who are pumping iron with me:

Day 17

Forward Step Lunges
Deadlifts
Towel Squats
Uni Heel Raises
Torso Twists

Day 18

Combo Bicep Curls
Bent Over Kickbacks
Seated Flyes
Kneeling One Arm Rows
Single Arm Front Lifts
Abs

Day 19

Forward Lunges
Side Leg Lifts
Plie Squats
Uni Heel Raises
Reverse Leg Lifts

Day 20

Crunches
Forward Curls*
Standing Kickbacks*
Side Raises*
Lateral Drops*
Push Ups
Standing Bent Over Rows

Weigh-In Mar 19

Another Monday comes around again. Seems like the weeks are going by really fast and at the same time (with 4 weeks left until we move) extremely slowly! But onward we go. This morning I was 205. Yay! 20 lbs lost to date.

Funny thing with me, when I'm doing well I tend to get discouraged and sabotage my weight loss. Isn't that weird? I think I get upset about how much further I have to go instead of being excited about what I've done. Does anyone else get this way? I'm trying to be positive though (and not celebrate my weight loss with jelly beans).

I need to post a progress pic but my photographer is at a sleepover with grandma today. I'll try to get it up tomorrow or by Wednesday at the latest. And for those of you who are getting more buff by the day, here's the next 2 days of the routine:

Day 15

Reverse Lunges
Standing Leg Curls
Plie Squats
Bi Heel Raises

Day 16

Seated Bicep Curls
1 Arm Extensions
Seated Forward Presses
Standing Bent Over Rows
Upright Rows

Ham Cups

I've discovered one of the best, simplest, yummiest low-carb recipes ever! And the best part is it only has 2 ingredients. Seriously people when I say simple I mean 15 minutes from fridge to plate. To be truthful I wasn't the one who actually found it, my 8 year old did. (That's right, so simple an 8 year old can make it!) She was given an assignment to cook and serve a meal for the family. So she went through her Kids Can Cook recipe book looking for something low-carb her mommy and daddy could eat. She chose Ham Cups so we made them and they were so yummy we've made them 4 or 5 times since.

These are great if you're:
1. In a hurry
2. Have kids (they're super fun to eat finger food)
3. On a diet
4. On a budget
5. Not in the mood to cook (ding ding ding)

Here's how it goes. Get out a muffin pan and spray it. Take a piece of deli ham and push it into each cup so it makes a cute little ham cup. Then take an egg and crack it into the ham cup. I find the easiest way to do this (especially for kids) is to crack it into a measuring cup and pour it into the ham cup. Now pop it into a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on if you like your yolks runny or solid, I like them somewhere in between). Take them out and let them cool for a minute and then pop them onto a plate. Voila! All done. No really, that's it. Sometimes if I want to get fancy I put a little slice of cheese under the egg before I bake it.

Something magical happens to that egg while it is baking. I love the flavor of eggs but I HATE the texture. It seems to be that eggs are alternately slimy or rubbery. But these eggs are melt-in-your mouth smooth and delicious. The best part? Depending on what ham you use these have 0 carbs. Woo-Hoo!

And for you ladies who are pumping iron with me, here are the next 2 days of the routine.

Day 12

Forward curls
Bent Over Kickbacks
Bench Presses
Standing Bent Over Rows
Military Presses
Traditional Crunches

Day 13

Reverse Leg Lifts
Torso Twists
Traditional Crunches
Towel Squats *
Side Leg Lifts *
Forward Lunges *
Deadlifts
Plie Squats

Days 10 & 11

How's it going? Anyone trying the routine? Is someone out there sore today, I mean besides me?

Day 10
Biceps - Combo curls
Triceps - Standing Kickbacks
Chest - Chest flys
Back - Kneeling 1 Arm Rows
Shoulders - single arm forward lifts
Abs - Pelvic Tilts

Day 11
Legs- Walking Lunges
Back legs - Deadlifts
Legs/Butt - Towel Squats
Calves - Heel raises
Abs - Torso Twists

Weigh-In Mar 12

206.5 this morning. Not quite the 205 I was hoping for but still down 2 lbs from last week. Once I hit 205 that will be 20 lbs lost and I'll post another progress picture.

I missed my Friday post. We're buying a house right now and suddenly there's not enough time in the day.But I'm back now with days 8 & 9 of the weight lifting routine.

Day 8
Biceps - Seated 1 arm curls
Triceps - Bent Over Kickbacks
Chest- Seated Forward Press
Back - Standing, Bent-Over Rows
Shoulders - Upright rows
Abs- Crunches

Day 9
Legs - reverse lunges
Back Legs- Standing leg curls
Legs/Butt - towel squats
Calves - Heel raises
Abs - reverse leg lifts

Days 5 & 6

Sorry for posting this late. Here are days 5 and 6 of the weight lifting routine.

Day 5
Biceps - Supinated Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - 1 Arm Extensions - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Chest flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Kneeling 1 arm rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Reverse Flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - Traditional Crunches

Day 6
Abs - Reverse leg lifts
Obligues - Torso Twists
Legs/Butt - Towel Squats
Waist - Lateral Drops
Legs/Butt - Forward Lunges
Legs/Butt - Deadlifts
Inner Thigh - Plie Squats

Why Women Should Lift Weights

Step back Jazzercise and take a seat Zumba! Women everywhere are realizing the amazing benefits of weight lifting. The best part? No expensive gym membership required. All you need is a cheap pair of hand weights you can purchase at Wal-Mart. If you're new to lifting, or new to exercising, start with a set of 3 lb weights and a set of 5 lb weights. If you are already exercising you might want to go with 5's and 8's.

Here's some of the benefits of weight lifting.

1) Increase Your Metabolic Rate - Strength training increases your metabolic rate by increasing the calories you burn on a daily basis. The more calories you burn, the more chance you have to drop body fat. With more muscle you burn more calories even when you're doing nothing at all!

2) Increase your bone density, your lean muscle mass, your balance, and your ability to heal.

3) Reduce your risk for coronary disease and diabetes.

4) My favorite? You need to lose less weight! You will lose more inches and need to lose less weight to get into those skinny jeans!

Worried about bulking up?
DON'T!!! It is testosterone that helps men to bulk up and women simply do not have enough of this hormone to bulk up like they do. Trust me, I have PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and one of the symptoms is excess testosterone production. If I don't bulk up while lifting a woman with normal hormone levels won't come close. You'll just build nice lean muscle.

So whose ready for days 3 & 4 of the routine? I am feeling the burn for sure today!

Day 3
Biceps - Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - 2 arm overhead extensions - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Chest flies - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Standing Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Military Press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - Torso Twists

Day 4
Legs/Butt - Squats - 1 set 20-30 reps
Back Legs - Standing Leg Curls - 3 sets 12-15 reps
Inner Thighs - Plie Squats - 3 sets 12-15 reps
Calves - Heel raises - 3 sets 20-25 reps
Abs - Pelvic Tilts

Google the individual moves but feel free to let me know if you can't find info on any of the moves. Just start! Every great change starts with one decision, one moment. This could be yours! So go buy some weights and drink some water. Then come back Friday for a new low-carb recipe.

Weigh-In Mar 5

All right amigos, we are back on track now! Scale was at 208.5 this morning. Three pounds down this week, so I've now lost all the weight I gained on my anniversary and even a little more! I'm getting really excited now because a huge milestone for me is starting to peak it's head up over the horizon. When I hit 205 that will be my first twenty pounds lost, and 203 will be 10% lost. Once I hit 205 I'll post another progress picture. And of course the big 199 isn't too, too far away, right?

For those of you who've been reading for awhile know that in January and February I was pretty consistent with going to the gym in the evenings. But now my husband is getting ready for a big plant shut-down and also studying for a professional engineering exam. Which in other words means that I'm basically a single mom for the duration. So I've been struggling with getting to the gym. So today I'm starting a weight lifting routine I can do at home, it only takes about 10-15 minutes, and all I need is hand weights. Maybe some of you would like to do it with me? This is a 6 day a week program (I'll be taking Sunday off).

Day 1
Biceps - Forward Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Triceps - Backward raises - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Chest - Bench Press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Back - Kneeling 1 arm rows - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Shoulders - Side raises - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
Abs - traditional crunches

Day 2
Legs, front - Forward lunges - 1 set of 20-30 reps
Legs, back - Deadlifts - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Legs/Butt - Towels squats - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Calves - Heel raises - 3 sets of 20-25 reps
Abs - Reverse Leg lifts

I do each exercise once (12-15 reps) and then move on to the next one, and do that three times. So you do each exercise for 12-15 reps, three times. You want to choose a weight that you can finish all the reps in good form but one that provides a challenge. Too heavy and you can strain your muscles and too light you won't get an effective exercise. We could be here forever if I tried to explain each weight lifting move so feel free to google the individual moves if you're unsure of how to do them. In weight lifting proper form is key, and you also want to keep control of the movement in both directions.

Feel free to post if you have a question about the routine. I'll be back Wednesday with days 3 & 4. Drink lost of water this week!

Dr Seuss and Roasted Vegetables

Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss! My kids are at our table happily coloring their Dr Seuss activity books. Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? The man was a genius! I'd rather read his books over and over to my kids then any others. As I was compiling my kids packets I came across this quote by Dr Seuss:

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!"

What a beautiful sentiment! How much easier would our lives be if we focused more on being "you"? If we stopped trying to be like the mom next door (whose 14 month old is potty trained and always has her hair and makeup done), or the 18 year old at the gym (whose running for an hour at a 10 incline and never sweats a drop), or the lady at the grocery store (who has her coupons perfectly organized and paid $12 for her cart of groceries)? Today you are you, tomorrow you will be you, in 10 years you will be you. You are the only person you will be with every day of your entire life. How much easier would that life be if we love that person, huh? I propose that we all stop trying to be someone else and start trying to be the best "you" you can be! "There is no one alive who is Youer than you!"

Anyway, so on a low-carb diet you eat a lot of vegetables. I mean A LOT of vegetables! SO after a while you start looking for different ways to cook them (a little desperately). Right now my favorite method is roasting. Roasting vegetables gives them a deep, nutty flavor that is fantastic. Also, since I'm not a big fan of mushy anything, it gives them a slight crispiness.

What can you roast? Anything you want! Right now my favorites are broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. Asparagus is especially tasty when roasted. Here's how you do it:

Roasted Asparagus

Wash your bunch of asparagus and then trim the stems. Here's how you know where to trim an asparagus. Grab the top of the asparagus with one hand and the bottom with the other. Gently bend the asparagus until it naturally breaks. Do 2 that way and then use a knife to cut the bunch at the same point. This ensure that you get only the tender part.

Spread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or butter. Toss to make sure they are all coated. You can use a lot of oil or just a little, it's up to you. Sometimes I just spray them with an oil spray. Then season with salt and pepper, and pop into a 375 degree oven. Check them after 10 minutes (or when you can smell them cooking) I like to leave them in a little longer until they are brown and crunchy on the edges.

Use the same basic concept to roast any veggies. Last week I did a broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and red onion mixture. It was divine! To jazz it up you could also sprinkle some grated parmesan onto the veggies before or after roasting.

Check back in Monday for weigh-in!

Weigh-In Feb 27

I'm down to 211.5 today, so down 3.5 lbs from last week. I think I would have been down more except that I fell off the wagon this week. We went out to dinner Friday night with David's company and I was prepared to follow my diet until I got there and we didn't get to order, it was a pre-ordered meal. So I thought I would just go with the flow, pop off the diet for one night and then get back on track. So I did (and by the way the creme brulee was amazing!) But then on Saturday I had crazy carb cravings and ended up eating pizza for dinner. Then on Sunday I ate a whole bag of my favorite Easter jelly beans.

:Hangs head in shame:

It's amazing now to see and feel my reaction to sugar. Not only physically, the blood sugar spikes and headaches. But also the cravings they trigger, for foods I haven't craved in weeks. I'm eager to get back on the plan this week. Though I desperately need to go shopping first. My fridge contains mostly condiments right now. One thing I've learned doing this is that I always need to keep food available that I can eat. One of the best parts of low-carb is that you can eat whenever you're hungry.

So onward we go. I'm hoping to lose the rest of my anniversary weight this week, and then hoping to hit my 20 lbs weight loss goal the next week. Now go drink some water and check back Wednesday.

Denial and Comfort

All right I'm back. I'm still in total denial that my anniversary vacation is over. You know how it feels when you look forward to something for so long, and enjoy it so much? It's so anti-climatic to come back down to earth. So in response I did pretty much nothing this week except work through 2 seasons of the X-Files on Hulu.

However I DID restart my low-carb diet and it's going great. It feels comfortable to me now, easy and second nature. It's so nice to be on a diet where I don't feel deprived and frustrated all the time. So while my productivity is at a low this week, my weight loss is full steam ahead.

So this week I want to share with you one of my new favorite low-carb snacks. This is what I make in the evenings if I feel hungry at all.

Deli Roll Ups

Thin slices of your favorite lunch meet
Dill pickles
Cream Cheese

Yup that's it! I like to layer a slice of turkey, ham, and salami then spread a little bit of cream cheese down the center. Take a pickle and quarter it lengthwise and lay one on top of the cheese. Then roll it all together. Use whatever meat you want to. You don't need much of the cream cheese (remember if you're counting carbs that while cream cheese is low in carbs it still has some). My kids think these are so much fun to eat. Last night I was feeling lazy so I made myself a salad and 3 of these to go on the side. Super yummy.

Tonight my husband's company is taking us out to eat. Luckily we're going to a steak house, one of the easiest restaurants to go low-carb at. Looking forward to a nice low-carb evening with my hubby.

Check back in Monday for weigh-in! I'm really hoping to have lost the weight I gained on my trip.

Weigh-In Feb 20

I picked my new quote hoping it would sink in but it's not really helping at all. I'm terribly sad that my anniversary week is over because it was soooo much fun! I've been a mom for almost 9 years now, and I love it. There's no job I'd rather be doing. But it was wonderful to take 5 days and to just be Amy. To sleep when I was tired, and eat when I was hungry, and only do what I wanted to do. It was precious time and was such a wonderful break for me and David.

But now it's Monday again, sadly, and life must press on! Like I said last week I didn't follow my low-carb diet during my vacation. So my weigh-in today was 215, up 6 pounds from last week. And for once I don't regret a single pound, every single one was worth it. But now I'm back on the wagon and hoping to see that weight fall back off again. I'm excited this week because my husband is coming on board the low carb train with me which makes cooking much simpler.

Check back in Wednesday for some photos of my lovely trip. Now go drink some water!

Weigh-In Feb. 13th

Progress continues! I lost a little more than 3 lbs this week and I also lost 3 inches. I'm still very excited about my low-carb diet and it's been surprisingly easy to stay on it. The only time I've been tempted to jump off the wagon was today when I became too stressed. Yesterday on the way home from Granna's house our car (our only car) died on the drive home. Today we found out it's going to cost $1600 and a whole week to repair it. Then today my 6 year old had some dental work he had to be sedated for, and tomorrow I'm scheduled for a out-patient procedure myself. This all is happening 2 days before my husband and I are scheduled to leave for 5 days. So stress levels were up today and the apple crisp in my fridge started to seem more and more appealing. Funny how we have those triggers built into us, isn't it?

Valentine's Day is this week but there's a more important date for me this week. Wednesday is my 10th anniversary. My goal was to be under 200 lbs by my anniversary and I'm a little disappointed that I didn't make it but so excited that I found something that's working for me. I'm even more excited that when we get back my husband wants to go on this diet with me and train for a 5K in April. These kind of things are so much easier when someone is doing it with you.

So we're leaving on Wednesday and I can guarantee you that I will not be following my low-carb regimen this week. After all you only have a 10th anniversary once, right? So I'll be back to post and weigh in next Monday. Hopefully I won't gain too much but I plan to relax and have fun this week. Hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day.

Spinach Quiche

This has been my favorite low-carb recipe so far. It is rich and hearty and has so much flavor in it. Even my kids devour this. If you're not low-carbing you can switch the cream out for milk. Use any cheese you'd like, mozzarella would reduce the fat content if that's a concern for you. Pepper Jack would spice it up if you like a little heat.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

4 strips bacon
1/2 Cup green onion, chopped
6 1/2 Ounce-weights frozen chopped spinach
4 large eggs
1 Cup heavy cream
1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon ground pepper
sprinkle of parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until desired crispiness. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onions to hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. Coarsely chop bacon.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, cream, cheese, bacon, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Pour into prepared pie pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.
Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The serving size in the recipe is 1/4 of the quiche, but my kids usually share that serving between all three of them. This is really good the next day too.

Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

Sugar Tolerance

Today I had to do a glucose tolerance test. I'm sure a lot of the women here will understand what I'm talking about. You fast for 8 hours, then drink something that tastes similar to orange crush, then fast 2 more hours and have your blood drawn. I've had this test done 7 or 8 times in the last 10 years. It's never really bothered me, I drank my weird orange soda thing and moved on. No big deal.

But this time I have been off sugar for almost 2 weeks, and I'm used to eating every 3 hours or so. So I went to chug my orange glucose drink and almost gagged. It was so disgustingly sweet! Cloyingly so, like drinking straight syrup. That was the first moment I realized that this diet has changed my tastes. I got the whole drink down finally and within 10 minutes I had a raging headache, in a few more I felt dizzy and weak. I felt horrible! That is how I used to feel after I ate all the time, man I do not miss that feeling at all.

I read recently that people who try to quit smoking aren't afraid of never smoking again, they're really afraid of always wanting to smoke. Of never getting rid of the cravings. I totally understand that, it's how I felt when I used to diet. I could deny myself those foods I craved but I always craved them. That's what I am loving about this diet. I am never hungry anymore and I have literally no sugar cravings.

Anyway, hopefully my weight loss isn't de-railed this week by the sudden influx of carbs. I have just one week left until my anniversary and I would love to be under 210 for it! Check back on Friday for a delicious low-carb recipe.

Weigh-In Feb 6

It's Monday again which means I have an appointment with my scale. But not just any scale, my brand new, shiny scale I got for my birthday. That's right I used my birthday money to buy myself a new scale that tracks weight loss and calculates body fat percentage. I know that makes me a little strange, but what are you going to do?

This morning, after one week on my low-carb regimen, I stepped onto my new shiny scale for the verdict. Last week I was 217.5 and this week I was 212.5! Five whole pounds this week. So happy! Not only did I lose 5 lbs this week but I re-measured myself this morning and I also lost almost 6 inches!

I'm loving this new diet. I almost never feel hungry anymore and I don't crave sugar at all. For the first time in years my blood sugar is stable, I don't have sugar crashes or the dizzy spells I had gotten used to. I'm eating more vegetables than I ever have before and food tastes so much better to me. Overall I'm just so happy that something is finally working for me.

I'm starting to think that I might actually get under 200 lbs again. Hopes been hard to come by the last couple of years where it came to my health. This week I'm also going in for testing to find the cause of our recurrent miscarriages. Wish me luck. And tune in later this week for some of the yummy recipes I've been making this week.

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash

Let me start out by apologizing for the lack of post on Wednesday. Me and dental work to no mix well, especially without very strong pain meds. I'm starting to feel better now though so onward.

The low-carb diet is going great! I can't believe how easy it's been to stay on the plan. I've been eating very yummy food, I haven't been hungry in between meals, and my energy levels have been very high. I'm losing weight too, can't wait for weigh-in on Monday to see how much.

Until then let me share a super yummy recipe I made last night. (I really need to photograph my food, I'll try better this week). This is a recipe adapted from one on the Atkins website.

Cheesy Cauliflower Mash with Onions

2 c cauliflower florets
2 tbs EVOO
3/4 c chopped onion
2 tbs cream or milk
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 ts salt
1/2 t pepper

Steam or boil cauliflower florets until soft and then mash.
Saute onions in oil until opaque.
Combine cauliflower, onions, and cream or milk. Mix until well combined. I used a handblender to get is smoother like mashed potatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste, then add the cheese and stir til melted. Tip: If you use a sharper cheese you can use less and get the same flavor.

This makes 4 servings at 4 net carbs a serving. If you're not doing low-carb you can make it lower fat by using milk instead of cream and using less or low-fat cheese. This only took like 10 minutes to make.

Dental Day

Sorry, I had a whole post planned about the wisdom (or lack thereof) to weighing yourself every day. But today I had a root canal and I'm feeling woozy and sore. So it will have to wait for Friday. So, do you weigh yourself every day, why or why not? I'll tell you my opinion on Friday.

Weigh-In Jan 30

A new comic strip to commemorate the new decade in my life. :-)

Well, thanks to everyone who listened to my ranting on Friday. Everyone has their up days and their down days, and Friday was a big down day for me. It's important to me to keep this blog very real, I want everyone to see the successes and failures. That's how we learn. And I tend to process things out loud, so it was very cathartic. Now I'm doing much better. I took Friday off and spent the day at the museum with my kids, and spent Saturday looking at houses with my family. Saturday we had a birthday dinner with my husband's family (French Dip Sadnwhiches, sooo yummy!) and then a family dinner on Sunday with my family. Three days of no exercising, no dieting, and no worrying.

It was just what the doctor ordered. I woke up this morning refreshed and ready to go. I did my shred, ate breakfast, worked, school with the kids. A good morning. And not to shabby on the scale either. I was 217.5 this morning, only up half a pound from last week. Considering the number of birthday dinners I've had this week, that's pretty impressive.

I'm making a change to my diet this week, I've been focusing on eating whole foods and portion control. This week I'll be focusing on carbs. I've been slowly reducing my carbohydrate intake over the last 2 months. Being hypothyroid and PCOS there is a very good chance I am insulin-resistant and possibly pre-diabetic. Several doctors have suggested I go a low carb-high protein route to lose weight. So I'll be focusing on lean proteins and getting the majority of my carbs from lots and lots of vegetables this week. It's all trial and error to find what works for you. Are you not a fan of low-carb diets? Maybe you believe some of these common myths?

If anyone has any good low-carb recipes I'd love to see them. I'll be heading to the library myself this week to check out some cookbooks. Check back in Wednesday and drink your water.

Sackcloth and Ashes

I'm not going to lie to you guys, I am thoroughly depressed today. Not because I'm 30 now, strangely enough that doesn't really bother me at all. I had a quiet birthday yesterday. Kids and I played games together, I worked out, then I made myself a nice birthday dinner. I chose to cook instead of going out so I wouldn't compromise my weight loss. My menu was chicken cordon bleu (the skinny version found here), homemade bruschetta (yummy), and a mixed green salad. Then instead of a traditional fat-laden birthday cake I made angel food cake with a pineapple topping. I was so proud of myself for sticking with my exercising and my healthy eating even on my birthday! Until I woke up this morning and found out that my birthday dinner had given me the gift of 4 lbs back! That's right I was 221 this morning. :head desk::head desk:head desk:

So now instead of being down 8 hard won lbs in 7 weeks, I am down 4. And then, riding on a wave of what must have been complete insanity, I decided to try on my anniversary dress. You know the one here, to see how it was fitting now after 7 weeks of exercise and healthy eating. Yeah, I couldn't even button it. Now feeling a little desperate to give some validation to all the hard work I pulled out my tape measure. I mean if you're not losing weight you're losing inches right? Isn't that what they say? All my measurements are exactly the same. :head wall: :head wall::head wall:

So now after all the hard work what can I say? At least I haven't gained weight?! It's moments like these that I want to punch the face of every doctor/trainer/nutritionist who've told me that losing weight is about burning more calories that you eat. Once again I defy the laws of the universe.

I'm so frustrated and angry and sad today so I'm taking the day off. I had a leftover chicken for breakfast and I didn't exercise. Instead I'm packing my kids up and heading to the children's museum. Going to spend time with people who just love me.

Come back Monday for weigh-in...it should be interesting.

Xena Warrior Princess/Limp Noodle

Today is one day until my 30th birthday and 3 weeks until my 10th anniversary. I'm starting to feel a little old. Not old like in, "I'll never be in my 20's again" hysterical sobbing. But old like I should probably stop thinking about myself as a newlywed with young kids. The fact of the matter is that my oldest is turning 9 this year, I've been married for a third of my life, and I'm not a child anymore. Do you ever think about the generations shifting? Just a few short years ago I was the child, my parents were the adults, and their parents were the grandparents. Now my kids are the children, I'm the adult, and my parents are the grandchildren. Somehow I've shifted into the middle part of my life, and it feels strange. And good...in a strange way. How did you feel when you turned 30? Was it a hard transition for you?

I celebrated my newly found introspection by graduating myself to level 3 of my 30 Day Shred (read about it here). I have to admit I experienced a little trepidation as I pushed play. And I wasn't disappointed, after about 3 minutes (read: the warm-up) I contemplated going back to level 2 and staying there for 3 or 4 more months. Jillian Michael's is a CRAZY woman. But then half-way through walking push-ups I started to feel...strong. I felt this crazy compulsion come over me and I was grunting and sweating like a amazon. For 15 minutes I had this picture of me in my head like I was Xena Warrior Princess and I could do anything. I could feel my muscles moving and burning and it felt good. So now I'm thinking, heck yeah I can do this! Then I sat down to do the cool down at the end and suddenly I metamorphed from Xena into limp noodle Amy. Wow, 20 minutes later my legs are still shaking. I wonder if Amazon-Amy will come back tomorrow? (Wow that kind of sounds like a stripper name, doesn't it?)

Anyway, on that note. I promised you a progress picture today so I'll post one. It's not the best picture ever (note to self: have husband take pictures night before so 8 year old doesn't have to) and I don't see much change despite the fact that I've lost 8 lbs so far. But here it is:

What do you think? Can you see any change? What do you guys do that makes you feel like Xena (or Superman)? Go drink some water and come back Friday for another new recipe!

Weigh-In Jan 23

Monday means I have a date with the scale. Monday also means, if you remember, that I take a small break from dieting and enjoy some less-healthy neaks. Which is why I'm typing around a bowl of spaghetti and garlic bread. And it tastes gooooood! I'm a firm believer in moderation in all things.

Anyway, as I wipe drool and spaghetti sauce off of my keyboard, this morning I got on my scale and saw the beautiful number 217.0! I wish I took a picture of it for you guys but I was too busy squealing like a teenage girl and dancing around my bathroom in my birthday suit. I wish I could take full credit the 2.5 lbs lost this week but in the interest of full disclosure I'll let you know that yesterday I had some kind of stomach bug and spent the first 2 hours of the day on my toilet. Still, it's the weight I am today so I'm celebrating 8 pounds lost! Woo-hoo! If I lose 2 lbs this coming week I'll have lost 10 lbs. So I have my eye on that goal this week.

It's a big week for me for another reason. Actually a couple of reasons. First tomorrow David and I are going to meet with a specialist to see if we can figure out why we keep miscarrying. I'd be lying if I said I was excited about it. Don't get me wrong, I definitely want more children but this feels like I'm admitting that I'm broken somehow. It seems like this is the sort of thing you should be able to do with just your husband and not with 3 or 4 PHD's, you know? Anyway, that's tomorrow. Then on Thursday it is my birthday! And not just any birthday, it's the big 3-0! I thought I'd be upset about it but surprisingly I'm looking forward to it. I feel like my 30's are going to be so much more productive and happier then my 20's have been. I feel like I have a better idea of who I am and where I'm going and what I want to be.

So come back Wednesday, I'll be posting a progress picture and I'll also be moving to the 3rd level of my 30 day Shred. I'm sure that will be an entertaining post. Go drink some water!

The Cost of Eating Out

Our family resolution for 2011 was to not eat at McDonalds for one whole year, after seeing how much money and calories we had spent there in 2010. I was so proud of my children for rallying around the goal and refusing to eat there, even when mommy wasn't around to enforce it. When 2012 rolled around a couple weeks ago and our resolution was officially over I found myself reluctant to go back there. However when I was grocery shopping this week and was surrounded by three whining, hungry children I got desperate and sent my husband and them off to the golden arches with $15 in hand. Then I enjoyed 45 minutes of blissful solo grocery shopping. Ahhhhh.

When we met back up my husband gave me $5 back. I was thinking to myself that $10 to feed 4 people was pretty good, when my husband asked me how much our dinner the previous night had cost. We had made Roasted Honey-Orange Chicken with roasted potatoes and butternut squash. A whole roaster chicken cost us $4, a bag of potatoes cost us $2 (of which we only used 4 potatoes), and the squash had cost us $2. Other ingredients (honey, cumin, EVOO, salt, and pepper) we had in our pantry. I estimated that the meal had cost us about $6, had fed 5 of us, and then we had leftovers for lunch for me and David for 2 days. All of the sudden the $10 we had given McDonalds wasn't looking so good.

One of the most common excuses for not eating healthy is that was can't afford it (I know, I've used this one myself). I think the real reason is we can't afford to eat healthy AND unhealthy at the same time. We can't afford a bag of apples, if we also buy a $4 bag of chips. We can't afford to buy good lean ground beef if we're also buying $7 frozen pizza. We can't afford to buy whole wheat bread if we're also buying doughnuts. And we can't afford to make Honey Chicken with potatoes and squash if we're giving (insert favorite fast food restaurant name here) $10, $15, $20 for dinner 3 times a week.

My family each got a cheeseburger, a small fry, and an apple pie for dinner. according to McDonald's website that was 780 calories per person and 36 grams of fat. Our chicken dinner the night before was 396 calories per person and 13.2 grams of fat. So now our chicken dinner is not only cheaper but has half of the calories and a third of the fat of eating out! So why don't we cook more? We don't know how to cook? We aren't good a making grocery lists? We don't have the time to cook? Let me tell you what saved the dinner meal at my house. I added dinner prep to my morning routine. Now while the kids are eating breakfast I look at what I have planned for dinner, take meat out of the freezer if necessary, do chopping if the meal has a lot of vegetables, or stick it in the crock pot if that's the way we're going. Now at 5 when it's time to make dinner I not only know what I'm going to make, but the meat is thawed and we're ready to go.

So what's your excuse? After today you won't be able to say you don't know how to cook a good meal, because here comes the recipe for roasted chicken! This was originally a Cooking Light recipe that I've altered to fit my family better. Feel free to do the same.


Roast Chicken with Cumin, Honey, and Orange

1 (3-4 lbs) roasting chicken (this is one of the cheapest ways to buy chicken)
1/2 c honey
3 tbs orange zest
1.5 tbs ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 garlic cloves minced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Clean and rinse chicken, then starting at the neck carefully loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting your fingers between the skin and meat.
3.Combine all the other ingredients. Rub the mixture under the loosened skin over breast meat and drumsticks.
4. Place chicken, breast side up, in a pan or on broiler pan. I use a casserole dish. Rub skin with a small amount of olive or vegetable oil. Cover loosely with foil.
5. Bake for 40 minutes, then uncover it and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Discard skin for lower fat option. (Or eat it all before your kids can get there, like me)


Roasted Potatoes

1 small/med potato per person
A Little Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic salt, rosemary, steak seasoning, ect

Chop your potatoes into 1-2 inch cubes (these do not have to be perfect! Just roughly the same size) I like to soak my potatoes for awhile to remove some of the starchiness. I cut them up and let them soak while I'm getting the chicken ready. Then I spread them out on a foil-covered cookie sheet. And drizzle them with a little oil, then toss them to distribute the oil evenly. Then season them with whatever you want. I used Montreal Steak Seasoning and a little garlic salt. These are also really good with fresh rosemary and a little lemon juice, or even just salt and pepper. They're your potatoes, do what you want!

Roast them until a fork goes through one easily and they are golden brown. 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them they vary in time. I put mine in with the chicken when I took the foil off.

So how much money do you spend not eating at home each week? How much do you spend on groceries? Next time you hit that take-out window think about what that meal is actually costing you. Now, go drink some water and check in Monday for weigh-in!

Perception

I remember going shopping for prom dresses with a couple of friends of mine in 11th grade. At this time I was around 150 which for being 5 feet 8 inches is well within the healthy weight range. I watched my friends trying on their size 0, 2, & 4 dresses and felt like a total cow in comparison to them. (Aw the curse of petite friends). When I tried on my size 10 dresses I cried in my fitting room and refused to come out. I wish I could go back and explain to my teenage self that 150 is a healthy (and slender) weight for a girl who is tall and (let's face it) well-endowed. I wish I knew then that my stick-thin friends would have killed to have my...hmmm...assets. I wish I could go back and hug her and give her the confidence in her own body. I wish I didn't spend half of my life feeling that way.

I think this is a problem all women face. How skinny is skinny enough? When you overhear women talking about losing 5, 10, 15 pounds and wonder where they would lose it from? Do you have a goal number in mind? If I was 120, 130, 150 then I'd be skinny. Is weight loss about a number or a feeling or a dress a size to you?

When I got married I was 160 and so disappointed that I didn't lose those 10 pounds I planned on before the big date. Here's a picture from my wedding almost 10 years ago.

And here's one from my first year of marriage.


At the time I felt grotesquely large, and now I look at that girl and think she looks healthy. Not too big, not too small. It makes me wonder if I got to be that size again would I still feel fat? Could I lose 60 lbs and still not be happy with me? Now what I want most is to be able to go hiking with my kids, to ride bikes in the summer, to fit comfortably in air plane seats, to run up a flight of stairs. When I can do all those things will I still be fat?

Our perception is definitely skewed when we look into the mirror. If we look at ourselves through the eyes of our family, our children, our friends would we still be too fat? Maybe what we need to change is not the number on the scale but the image in our minds?

The Glory of the Tens Place

So Monday is weigh-in day (it's also my eat like a normal person day which is why I'm writing this while eating enchilada casserole for breakfast). And today the scale was my friend showing a weight of 219.4! Woo-Hoo! That's right, one woman's- Holy Freaking Cow!-weight is another woman's WOO-HOO!

That puts me down 3 lbs for this week and 5.5 lbs total for 5 weeks. Maybe not where I was hoping to be but the weight is starting to come off which makes me very happy indeed. I passed another milestone this last week too...exercise is finally starting not to suck completely. I did my 35 minutes of cardio at the gym on Friday night and I felt strong and good work-out tired, not the exhausted and 'why the crud am I doing this to myself' tired I have been feeling.

Speaking of exercise have any of you tried Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred? I'm halfway through level 2 now and it's one of my favorite videos ever. It's a 20 minute workout which is great when you have kids (or a life) and it's intense. I used to workout with a friend who was in really good shape and by the end she was huffing and puffing as much as I was. Which was kind of depressing, you think it would get easier right? That's a subject for another post though. Anyway, the Shred combines 3 minutes of strength, 2 or cardio, and 1 of ab work into three circuits. If you're looking for a video to do in your home I would recommend this one. I used to work out to 80's step videos with leotard-clad women with high pony-tails and blue eye make up. LOL Do you guys remember those? Who invented leotards that snap in the crotch anyway?

It was glorious to see that scale tick down out of the 220's. I haven't seen teens on my scale in a long time. Makes me hopeful that that elusive hundreds place might not be too far behind.

Go drink a cup of water! No, I mean right now! Then check back in on Wednesday.

Home Cookin'

So I'm a firm believer that if you cook the majority of your food at home you can still eat your favorite types of food. Making a cheeseburger on your own grill is fun, more satisfying, and definitely healthier than hitting the drive-thru for a double bacon cheeseburger. When you cook your own food you control the quality and portion sizes of your meal.

But sadly cooking from scratch is becoming a lost art in America. But I'm here to tell you that with some basic knowledge you can whip up a restaurant quality meal with much healthier results. So today let me tell you how to make homemade mac n' cheese without the blue box.

So the other day I was staring at my fridge, it was the end of the shopping week so our larder was looking pretty bare. To be completely honest I was thinking about hitting Little Caesers (curse you $5 pizza!) But resolutions were still pretty strong in my brain so instead I pulled out a bunch of half-used items from my fridge and pantry. Half-empty bag of shredded mozzarella, quarter block of cheddar, half empty can of chicken stock, and a half-full box of elbow macaroni. So I decided to make homemade macaroni and cheese for dinner. Those pesky resolutions though reminded me that I didn't want a dish full of cheesy, creamy, fat-filled deliciousness. But I still wanted a lot of flavor so I decided to go for a chili-mac with a stock-based sauce.

First step: Cook your pasta. I was planning on baking it with the sauce so I went for al dente ( a little undercooked). Cook according to package and then drain and set aside. Use whole-wheat pasta to up the healthiness!

Second step: Make your sauce. Start with a roux. What's a roux you ask? It's mixing a fat and flour together to create a thickener for your sauce. In my case I went with 2 tbs of butter, melting it in a large skillet. Then adding 2 tbs flour and cooking it until it's a beautiful paste in the center of your pan (about a minute).

Then you add your liquid. I used chicken stock instead of milk to cut calories and fat. I added 2 cups of chicken stock, whisking the paste until it all dissolved into the stock. Bring that up to a low boil, constantly stirring until it thickens slightly.

Then I added a whole bunch of seasoning to make up for the fact that I wasn't putting in a ton of cheese and cream (sniffle). I added a tsp of chili powder, a half-teaspoon of cumin, a half-teaspoon of smoked paprika, and the salt and pepper to taste. Now my sauce is a lovely reddish-brown color and it's time to add the cheese.

Remove from the heat and then add the cheese of your choice. I went with a big handful of mozzarella (because it's naturally low-fat) and a small handful of shredded cheddar for flavor. If you use a sharper cheddar you need a lot less to get the flavor you want. Stir to combine and then add to your pasta.

At this point you could add a handful of broccoli or cauliflower to beef up the health index of your dish. Or add some cooked ground turkey to make it a more hearty entree. Or you can do what I did and dump it into a casserole pan and top it with some breadcrumbs mixed with a little butter and some shredded parmesan I found in the back of the fridge. Then I baked it at 350 for 15 minutes to brown the topping. Served alongside a salad it was healthy and yummy! What's your favorite home-cooked meal? Did anyone else make resolutions not to eat out as much in 2012?



Check back in Monday for weigh-in!

Salt Water Flush

Let me begin by saying that this is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. Salt water flushing (SWF) is often used in conjunction with juice fasting or cleansing to stimulate bowel movements when you're not eating and solid foods. But I like to use it when I'm feeling run down, when I haven't been eating very healthy, and when I'm not having regular bowel movements. It's not healthy for waste to sit in your intestines for long periods of time, humans are meant to evacuate on a regular (aka daily) basis. The longer waste sits in your intestines the more is absorbed back into your system.

On that lovely mental picture here's the instructions.

Using a 1 liter water bottle and your teaspoon measure, mix a solution consisted of :

Sea Salt - 2 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon
And Pure Water – 1 quart of warm water


Mix a solution of sea salt and room temperature water.

And then here comes the fun part: Shake it well and move to the sink. I like to “pound it” – This is a challenge in itself, especially once it hits your empty stomach. Make sure your stomach is empty when you do this, first thing in the morning is best.

Most likely, you will feel full halfway through, but keep going! Stopping only makes you taste the salt, and will activate your gag reflex. While it is not required to drink the solution in one go, you will find that the taste is such that you will want to get it down as fast as possible.

Then go about your normal routine, but don't leave the house because in about 30-60 minutes you are going to need frequent access to one of these.


You're going to feel a rumble in your belly and your bowels, give it a while. Let it brew! Yeah, I know that is weird to think about, but you should let it build up. You are going to have 3-7 movements, possibly more. Generally speaking, you will end up pushing out what you put in. The entire liter of sea salt water will be expelled over the next hour along with the contents of your bowels. No picture of that, sorry. A word of warning while you wait for this moment. DO NOT FART!!! You will most certainly not pass only air – if you know what I mean...

The salt flush will not dehydrate you because it is indigestible and will pass straight through you. This is not a pleasant process but I always feel so much better after I do it. It clears up my skin and makes me more regular. Let me know if you try it, and what you thought about it.

Weigh-In Jan 9th

So Mondays are 'do or die' days so to speak. And the results for my first weigh-in (this time around) is...222.5! Yay! Down 2 lbs this week. Also down 2.5 lbs for the last 4 weeks but let's stick to this weeks stats, shall we? Now granted the weight loss this week might have been helped along by the fact that yesterday was fast Sunday (in my church we fast for 24 hours the first Sunday of the month and then donate the money we would have spent on food to help the needy) but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. So....happy dance!

Maybe there's a small chance I actually will fit into the dress I bought for my anniversary. 5 weeks and 2 days from now David and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary, and 1 month ago I bought a dress from my favorite dress site Shabby Apple, to wear. Of course being the neurotic woman I am I bought it one size small and assumed I could lose enough weight in 9 weeks to fit into it. (Why do women do things like that? You never see a man buying a too-small suit or pair of jeans as a "goal"). Anyway, want to see the dress? Head over to Shabby Apple and check it out. It's the PHD dress, and while you're there browse their super cute clothes, fall in love, become addicted, order something and get 15% off for clicking through my link...anyway. Still holding out hope for that dress.

So I took a new before picture this morning. I told myself that the more hideous a 'before' picture looks the better your 'after" picture looks, right? So in that spirit I opted for a prison-style shoot with no make-up, hair undone, in my exercise clothes. The vapid expression and vacant eyes are more a result of trying to coach my 8 year-old to take a picture that includes my head, feet, arms, and enough space to crop out my messy bedroom. That's a lot harder than you would think.



All right, let me tell you the things I hate about overweight pictures.

1. Double Chins

2. Arms that can't go straight down so they bow out like gorilla arms.

3. Cankles (need I say more...ewwww)

4. The way my feet are always a foot apart even when I think I'm standing with them together.

5. Double Chins...wait, did I say that already?

In other words this is the perfect before shot, don't you think? Today starts with triumph and the vague and misty idea that next week I might be under 220 lbs (aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) at weigh-in. I'm going to the doctor today to get my other health numbers, blood pressure, cholesterol, ect. to add to my progress chart. Because after all this is about getting healthy more than a certain number on the (%#@!) scale. I'll update those numbers when I get them.

I'll be back on Wednesday with a post on salt-water flushes, a lot of you had questions about them after Friday's post. And then make sure to check in on Friday for a yummy healthy recipe. Happy Monday everyone and drink some extra water today.

Never Say Never

Never thought I'd be posting on here again. It's been 2 and a half years since my last post but here I am fighting the same uphill battle. When I left last I was pregnant with my 4th child Maylee. She was born in a beautiful homebirth (read here). In the week after her birth I lost all 17 lbs I gained during my pregnancy. Then in the next 2 weeks I put back on those 17 lbs and 15 more to boot! I mean scientifically that's not even possible. If a pound is equivalent to 3500 calories I would have had to eat 100,000 EXTRA calories on top of my normal diet. Obviously there's something more nefarious at work here, right? RIGHT?! (she screams to the heavens).

SO here I am, 3 weeks away from my 30th birthday and 5 weeks away from my 10th anniversary and I'm exactly the same weight I was almost 3 years when I started this journey (225 lbs). No problem, right? I mean I lost 40 lbs last time, I can do it again! That's what I thought when I started trying to lose weigh 4 weeks ago (really wanted to be under 200 for my anniversary). And after 4 weeks of meal replacement shakes, and fresh veggies, and lots of grilled chicken, and exercising morning and night...where am I? I'm at 224.5. That's right I lost half of a pound!!!!

Sigh

Double Sigh

Deep Breath

I swear I'll never understand my body. I'm not asking for miracles. I'm not asking for a quick fix. I am totally willing to do it the hard way...all I want is for the hard way to work!

So I'm wondering what the next step is. Should I see another doctor? A nutritionist? An acupuncturist? Should I keep chugging along hoping things will change? I took measurements today because my husband swears I'm just gaining muscle and that's why I'm not losing weight. But eventually you have to lose weight, right? I don't want to be a 225 pound muscle woman! (ewwww...bad mental image)

What have you guys done to lose weight? I'm a purist at heart and never wanted to get involved with drugs or pre-packaged food systems or crazy phases of weird diets. But to be perfectly honest I'm feeling a little desperate to see the scale move. Today I'm going to do a salt water flush and clear out my plumbing, I always feel better afterwards and fresh foods always taste better. Weigh-in is on monday. I'll keep you all posted.

PS I tried to find a new "Before" picture to post but looking back through our photo album I found that I had cleverly posed a child in front of me in every single picture. LOL I'll take one this week and post it on Monday.