Day 53: Helpful Websites

Are you looking for some great websites to help you on your diet journey?  No.  Okay.
Seriously, here are a few websites that I find useful:

• Lose It: Love this site!  This is a great tool for weight loss.  You can keep a daily food log, track your exercise and even get community support.   A daily food log is vital to successful weight loss.  People who keep track of their daily calories lose more weight and keep it off longer than people who don't. Makes sense, right? This site also keeps a graph of your weight loss and you can win "badges" for your successes.  (Also an app)
• My Fitness Pal:  Very similar to Lose It.  Helps you track your progress with logs, calorie listings, etc.  You can also easily connect with friends through Facebook and email.  (Also an app)

• Hungry Girl:  This website is also one of my favorites.  It has recipes, tips, links, just about everything you might need on your weight loss journey.  This is the website I turned to when I was looking for the exact calories on the Cheesecake Factory's Skinnylicious menu.  Oh, and in case you're interested, there's also a "Hungry Girl" tv show on the Food Network.

• Weight Watchers:  This, of course, is a classic.  It has recipes, tips and success stories.  I enjoy reading about how others were able to drop the pounds.  Weight Watchers also has an online only program, which is great for those who are unable to get to meetings.  Now, the Weight Watchers program has never really worked for me, but I do look at their website and I get their monthly magazine as well.  (Also an app)

• Spark People:  Another online diet community website.  This site encourages you to adopt a healthy lifestyle for long term weight loss and maintenance.  Great tools, recipes and even videos with easy to follow tips.

• Livestrong: Despite Lance Armstrong's fall from grace, the people behind LiveStrong are still going strong. This site has the usual, nutrition, calorie tracker and eating tips ... but it also has tips to help you set up an exercise routine, learn stretching exercises, 

Day 52: Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that I did not cheat on my diet yesterday!  We had quite a spread at work - lots of turkey, stuffing and all the sides. 

I did go into the break room to take some pictures of all the goodies, but that was all.  Surprisingly, I wasn't even tempted.  I guess it's not that surprising though, Thanksgiving food has never been my weak point.  Sure, I like turkey and mashed potatoes, but it's never something I would order at a restaurant.  Now if there was a holiday where burgers were on the menu ... I might have to figure out a way to sleep through it!  

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and didn't get too stuffed!  Now, it's time to start thinking about how to deal with all those Christmas goodies.  Now that's tempting for me!

Day 51: Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am lucky this year that I have to work, so the turkey and all the trimmings won't be tempting me.  We do have a caterer at work, but the food will be in the break room, so I just have to avoid that area.  Thanksgiving has never really been a big deal to me.  I'm not much of a turkey and stuffing kind of gal.  And pumpkin pie is for the birds - get it - for the birds!  Ha!  

If you are tempted by the turkey, here are some tips we talked about in this week's class to help you avoid eating on Thanksgiving.  They are also good tips for those of you on real food to avoid overeating this Thanksgiving.

• Go for a walk.  While everyone else is getting seconds, get up and walk around the block.  You won't be tempted and you'll get some exercise in.
• Go for a run.  There are more and more Thanksgiving fun runs like the "Turkey Trot" in the Bay Area. In Sacramento there's the "Run to Feed the Hungry".  Get out of bed and go for a run to start your day and you'll be less likely to stuff yourself after that healthy start.
• Eat ahead of time.  Eat something healthy, or if you're avoiding food like me - drink a shake before you sit down with the family.
• Don't do dishes.  It's a good excuse to avoid cleaning duty.  Doing the dishes can put you at risk of picking at leftovers.  It's best to just get out of it this year.
• Sit away from the food.  If you're at a party with appetizers - sit as far away from the food as possible.  You can even move that bowl of candy/peanuts/etc. away from you.  I've actually done this at work when people bring in snacks.  Out of sight, out of mind.
• Get your family 'on board'.  This is important no matter what the day.  If you have the support of your family, they won't (or shouldn't!) be tempting you with food.  They'll work with you, not against you.
• Keep a cup/glass in your hand.  If you're walking around with a glass of water or a cup of tea you will looking like you're joining in on the food festivities, without the calories.  This is also a good mental trick for your own sanity.  Just keep sipping on that water/tea and you will be less likely to feel like you're missing out.

No matter what, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving this year.  If you're dieting and you eat too much, don't feel guilty.  Just pick yourself back up and get right back on track!

yeahwallpaper.com

Day 50: Already???

It's hard to believe I've hit the 50 day mark already.  I'm down almost 30 pounds in 50 days.   Wow - that's more than 1/2 a pound a day!!! (.6 to be exact)  When I think of it that way, it's a huge weight loss in a really short amount of time.

I am so excited today about how far I've come in the past 50 days.  I am dropping weight at an almost insane speed and I still feel great.  For the most part, I'm not tired or hungry.  Sure, there are times where I don't feel great - but isn't that the case for everyone.  Overall I would say I feel better now than I did before I started the modified fast.

I do still crave "real" food, but I think that would be the same for just about anyone who is in my position.  As I mentioned in Monday's post, I did have some real food this week, but I am going to try even harder to avoid doing that again.  This diet is tough enough to stick to as it is ... I don't want to be on it any longer than I have to.

I also am thinking about trying to drop my goal weight a bit.  I have heard from people who have been on the program before that I should plan on gaining back about 10-15 pounds pretty quickly once I begin eating normally again.  I figure if I shoot for 165-170 instead of 175-180 I might be able to reach my ultimate goal and keep it there.  If I can stay around 180 ... I would be thrilled!

My goal to reach 50 pounds by the new year might be a little off base, but I think I could reach 45 pounds.  That's 34 days from now and if I lose .5 pounds (which is slightly less than I have been averaging) I should lost 17 pounds by January 1.  Factoring in a bad week (or two!) ... I figure 15 pounds (or 3 pounds a week) might be more realistic.

Week Seven

Considering yesterday's little indiscretion ... this week was amazing!  I reached my goal (for the week) by getting below 230 pounds!!

Today's Weigh in:
-3.6 pounds

Total Lost:
29

Current Weight:
229.4

Next week's goal:  30 pounds total weight loss!  I should be able to reach that easily.  Set easy goals and you won't be disappointed :-)

Day 48: I Cheated (Sort of)

Today was tough.  My sister and nephews came to town to visit and since I have no food in the house, we had to go out to eat.  First stop Gotts (formerly Taylor's Refresher) - delicious burgers.  I was very good and had a diet Coke mixed with my chocolate meal replacement.  Yay!

Dinner was a bit more difficult.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory, home of millions of choices and even more desserts!

I was going to stick to my diet, but then my sister pointed out the restaurants new "Skinnylicious" menu.  It included small plates & appetizers under 490 calories and entrees under 590.  I checked out the menu and did a little Googling and discovered the Lettuce Wrap Tacos - three tacos for 250 calories.  So, I decided to join the family in actually eating dinner and ordered.

Cheesecake Factory Lettuce Wrap Tacos

Here's the description:

Butter Lettuce Leaves Filled with Grilled Chicken and your Choice of:

ASIAN
Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Cucumber, Cilantro and Rice Noodles with Spicy Cashew Sauce

MEXICAN
Avocado, Tomato, Onion, Cilantro, Roasted Corn Salsa and Crema

I ended up with the Mexican version, but I omitted the Corn Salsa and Crema (no use going crazy here!).  They were pretty good - basically just lettuce, chicken and avocado.  It was a nice break, a bit of real food, but still very low calorie.  I was still slightly under my 800 calories for the day, so I am not counting it as a 'real' cheat.  

The big question now, can I stay on the diet?  When you're on a modified fast, you're not supposed to eat real food.  The reason - once you start eating real food many people have trouble going back to the fast.  It can also play games with your mind and you end up craving food - and again - have trouble sticking to the diet.  Hopefully this won't be the case for me!

Day 47: Back to Basics Update

I have been doing pretty well on this whole back to the basics routine this week.  I haven't had a diet soda or Crystal Light all week.  I also have been drinking my tea black - no added sweetener.   I don't know that I can do this all the time, sometimes you just need a bit of sweetener!  However, I can tell you that I have not been as hungry as I was last week.  It's been a good, non-scientific, study of sorts.  Too much fake-sugar does in fact make me hungrier.  I may still have the occasional diet soda, but I'll try to stick to water or tea for the most part!

Day 46: Measurements

Today's Measurements:

Bust: 41"

Waist: 37"

Hips: 48"

Thigh: 26"

Arm: 12.25"

Neck: 16"

November 10:

Bust: 41"

Arm: 12.5"

Waist:  37.5"

Hips: 49"

Thigh: 26.5" 

Neck: 16"

Starting Measurements:

October 9:  

258 Pounds

Bust:   43 1/2"

Arm:   14"

Waist: 39"

Hips:   50"

Thigh:  27"

Day 45: Too Big for My Britches

Okay, I'm not really too big for my britches, but my britches are getting too big for me!  Yippee!
I put on my favorite Eileen Fisher pants today only to realize, they're way too big now.  These pants were a bit baggy to begin with - style wise, not fit - but now I could just pull them down with a quick tug!

Courtesy EileenFisher.com

These pants are beautiful and comfortable.  I hate that they don't fit me anymore!  Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I look nothing like the woman above in the pants!

However, there is a funny part to this story.  I was showing off to one of my co-workers "Look at my pants - they're too big - aren't I great", etc., etc. :-)   So she says to me, you need to take them off and burn them!  I had to laugh, really, burn them.  I'm sure that would be fun and ritualistic, but come on, I'm not made of money.  

Shows the difference between someone who's got money ... and someone who doesn't!  I figure I can get more wear out of all of my clothes by taking them to the tailor and having them altered.  Most of my pants are too big in the waist right now, so some of my favorites will be altered and the rest will be donated, not burned!

Day 44: Holiday Fitness Help

Looking for some inspiration?  Check out my friend Jennifer Rumple.  She lost 145 pounds on NBC's "The Biggest Loser" a few years ago ... taking home the "At Home" prize.

Jen has kept most of the weight off, despite some injuries that have sidelined her exercise.  Now Jen is sharing some of her top tips with Hopeforwomenmag.com.  The article is called "Jennifer Rumple's Holiday Fitness Help".

Here are some of Jen's tips from Hopeforwomenmag.com:  

1. Plan a high calorie meal, and eat healthy the rest of the time.
2. Know your “slippery slopes”. 
3. Realize that eating sugar and artificial sweeteners will only make you crave sugar more. 
4. If you “have to have it”, eat a small portion. 
5. If the party is at your house, make healthier swaps in your recipes. 
6. Pull out old pictures of yourself when you were in shape, or hang a piece of clothing that you want to fit into where you will see it every day.
7. Don’t starve yourself all day before a party.

For more details go to: http://hopeforwomenmag.com/hope-tv/health-wellness/jennifer-rumples-holiday-fitness-help.  You can also get more tips from the Fall/Winter issue.