Drumroll please....

Everything I'm doing is working!  I've lost 3 pounds!  I haven't taken my measurements because I don't want to have to do that every week, but I can see a difference in my stomach.  :)  Some nights when I go to bed I feel like I'm starving, but then when I wake up I'm fine.  My body is just getting used to not having as many calories.  I haven't had any "treatment effects" from the Alli, either.  In fact, I probably need to work at adding a little more healthy fat to my diet.  I think some of my meals are too low in fat.  (No wonder I have skinny girls!...but I refuse to make them something different than what Randy and I are eating!)  Exercise is going well.  I missed yesterday, but when I've been exercising 6 days a week, I figure I'm just fine.  I've been doing strength training on top of cardio 2 days a week.  I should probably try to do 3 days of it.  Anyway, so far so good!  Can't wait for more!

I AM alive!

I know, it feels like I haven't posted here in forever!  Last week, I was in Idaho, and today has just seemed crazy.  So...

Earlier this week, Randy and I had a really positive conversation about my weight & my efforts to lose it.  The good news up to this point is that I've been maintaining.  Which is really good news considering how much weight I put on last year!

I've redoubled my efforts the past few days.  I'm puting in at least 30 minutes or more of exercise each day.  My legs are actually sore!  I've also begun taking Alli.  It's definitely not something I would normally do or have ever done, but after reading about it, I feel like it's safe to take.  It basically stops your body from absorbing some of the fat that is ingested.  If I were to lose 5 pounds on my own, Alli would add an additional 2-3 pounds to that total.  The biggest thing really is that I am limited to 15 grams of fat or less each time I eat, or else I could face dire consequences (oily toots, greasy poo, etc).  I knew I already ate well (when I cook, but NOT when I eat out!), but I've actually been surprised at how little effort it has taken to eat 15 grams or less.  I haven't had to change any of my meals!  (Maybe that's why my girls can't gain weight?!)  The hard part has been snacking & making sure I don't overeat for fear of going over my fat grams.  Like right now, I ate dinner an hour ago & I'm starving!  I plan to go eat 2 of my Zonya recipe cookies & a glass of milk.  I think that will do me good.  The pills I have will last me about 40 days, and I hope to not need to buy them again after that.

Another thing I'm doing, which is helping me keep track of my fat grams, is using SparkPeople's website.  It's free and it does a lot of things.  Right now, I use it to track what I eat each day & also to track my exercise.  I'm really liking it.  So, that's where I'm at.  I expect to see some great results next week.  How are all of you doing?

Another Opt Out

Late last week and early this week, I was feeling good about things.  I even peeked early to see my weight had gone down from my last weigh-in.  HOWEVER...I have eaten out 4 times in the last 3 days.  The last two nights were with family who had come into town.  And Monday was just a crazy day of running around.  I have such a hard time eating well when I eat out.  Between that and the tons of salt that I know is in restaurant food, I'm not weighing myself this week.  No need to make myself feel bad over it.  I can do better, and I will.  This week, I've done well with my water.  There has only been one day (except fast Sunday) where I didn't easily drink 64+ ounces.  I'm going to keep working on all of it and keep getting at least some exercise in every day--after all, I have to make a habit of the exercise, even if my dear hubby thinks only spending 10-15 minutes on the elliptical is a waste.  :)

Despite...

...my weight being up 1/2 a pound this week, I'm feeling good. Sure, it's no fun to see the scale go up, but I feel like I've been reinforcing some good habits. Yesterday was probably my worst day of eating, so I wasn't surprised by the scale. I also didn't work out yesterday, but I have nearly every other day. I've been filling a 2-quart pitcher each morning to see how much water I'm drinking--and I was surprised at how well I do. It's good to have a reminder that I need to drink, though, because some days I could go for hours because I'm not downstairs or just don't think about it. So, I'm just going to keep on keepin' on. Increasing my good habits will be rewarded, even if it is slowly.

Feeling good

After a week and a half of what I hope was just crazy hormones, I'm finally feeling leveled out! Although my weight is up a pound from 2 weeks ago, I know that it is definitely down from what it would have been last week, so I'm satisfied. I also have worked out for 15-35 minutes each night for the last 3 nights. I'm feeling good about how things are going. I've been re-reading Zonya's Water With Lemon, and it's inspiring me again. I think it's also helping me to not feel guilty about what I eat. I've also come up with a plan for eating more fruits & veggies--because that's what I really struggle with. Zonya's Lickety-Split Meals is a recipe book that I use a lot. However, I haven't really delved into many of her "Salads and Sides" recipes. So, for my menu the coming 2 weeks, my meal planning is starting with a salad from her recipes, and then I'll add the other stuff. I'm trying to make the salad the main focus of our meals. I'll have to let you know how it works out.

Another week...

...not another weigh-in. Really, I did not weight myself today. I've had a tough week, and instead of feeling guilty when I step on the scale, I avoided it all together. And I don't feel bad about it either. I'm trying to get good habits in place, and that's all that matters to me right now. Anyway, that's my story.

Quick side note: Tiffany, I don't know if you are even alive (I really should call you, shouldn't I!), but I thought it would make you proud to know that the last 3 times I've had toast, I've eaten it dry. And it's not so bad! At least with an egg on top!

Quick update

So, I've lost a bit of weight. I was aiming a bit lower, but considering we ate out last night, I think I'm okay. At least I went down! I can do so much more, so I'm just glad I've seen some results this week. Now if I could get my 22 month old to stop being so cranky & me to stop being so tired! I need a break!!