It's been a while since I checked in! I'm still going strong. I recently went to my annual doctor appointment and the scale read 114 lbs. The nurse said I had 20 BMI. Needless to say my OBGYN was very proud of me!
Phase 2 begins after Valentine's Day! The new rec center in Nolensville is opening and I am a new member. I'll be working on toning my muscles and specifically rebuilding my stomach muscles. My doctor said he had to repair my muscle wall during my last C-section. I use the elliptical for about 30 minutes and then I have a routine that I do using the machines. I also do sit-ups and lunges. It will be tough at first as it has been 4 years since I have worked out! I can do it though!
I wanted to post a before and after pic as some motivation for others.
Happy New Year! Well, I stayed on my simple plan even through the holidays! I did allow my self a few splurges, but definitely kept track and didn't go overboard! A little update on my goal and my stats. I started out at 140 lbs. on labor day and today I have lost a total of 25 lb. No special things to buy other than healthy low calorie food! I don't even take a multivitamin! (I probably should though.)
I've been trying out some new low cal. meals that I come up with on my own. If I'm going to eat, I want it to taste good! I went and checked out whole foods today. Not for the organic blah, blah, but to see what other meat options are out there. I recently came up with a low cal. lasagna recipe so I was looking for a low cal. sausage. I purchased spicy Italian chicken sausage. I will add this to my turkey breast meat to give the dish a little kick! Warm weather will be here before we know it...so now is the time to lose those extra pounds while we are still all covered up with clothes!
With the holidays coming up, we will have many parties and gatherings to attend; and of course there will be plenty of food loaded with calories. So, the big question is, when do I splurge and what do I splurge on? My rule of thumb for myself at a regular time of year is that until I reach my first goal which is 115 lbs. I stick to my simple plan no splurges! However, this is very difficult in the holiday season. I say if you are going to an event and you want to splurge, try to cut out a few more calories (not skipping meals) throughout your regular day. While at your event, take a small portion of the things you really want to try or a larger portion of the one thing you just love. Another way to make up for these extra calories is working out the next day and burning a few extra calories. You want to enjoy your event without going overboard. If your body isn't used to greasy and sugary foods, you won't feel very good physically after splurging a whole lot anyway! Get your gas pills/pepto/etc. ready!
On a lighter note, (no pun intended) here are a few more meals that I enjoy that are tasty and low cal.
Pizza
Ingredients:
store bought personal pan crust already cooked
olive oil spray
Italian grinder (seasoning)
turkey sausage links (refrigerated section)
mozzarella cheese
Directions: Spray crust and grind Italian seasoning.
Put cheese on (check label) The turkey sausage comes 2 links to a little pack. Cut and put on top of cheese. Follow baking instructions on crust. It is one of my favorites.
Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
bag salad
strawberries
low fat feta cheese
fat free raspberry dressing
crasins
Directions:
Be generous with your greens. But ready the labels for the remaining ingredients. I usually eat this at lunch time.
Happy Holidays Everyone!
So, you are probably wondering what in the world is this girl eating! Well, as promised here is a typical day for me. I'm a creature of habit and I know my boundaries when it comes to food, so I eat much of the same things. However, you are not limited to what I post, so long as you stay with in your calorie range. My range is 1300 calories a day. So I cut things out of my diet whenever I can!
I wake up at around 7:30 to 8:30 (depends on my kids)
I begin my day with whole grain blueberry waffles 180 calories for 2, a small amount of syrup. REAL blueberries on top and a small amount of Brummel and Brown spread. I am a Diet Coke girl, so I have this as well.
I usually get hungry for a snack around 9:30 AM or 10:00 AM.
I love white saltine crackers and peanut butter. I have 4 cracker sandwiches with a very thin spread of Real peanut butter on them. Remember it's the taste you crave not the amount you get to eat.
I usually eat my lunch around 12:00 PM.
I have a couple different things that I eat at this time. But, here is one for now. I get roasted honey turkey lunch meat put it on 2 pieces of honey wheat bread. I sprinkle a very small amount of 2% chedder cheese and heat it in the microwave for about 25 seconds. I add Baked Lays chips (Read the label it's about 12 chips for 120 calores.)
I have another snack later in the day.
I listen to my body and when I get hungry, I eat. I eat a Nutri Grain bar which is around 120 calories.
Dinner for me is usually early around 5:00.
If you try and wait until hubby gets home, you probably wont be as successful in staying on your simple plan. I feed the kids and cook a variety of meals but here is one for now. I get chicken breast tenders, frozen steamable vegitables, 90 sec. basmati rice, and chow Mein noodles. I can prep this whole meal in about 10 minutes. This is key when you are hungry and time is limited. I put the veggies in the microwave for 4 min 30 sec. I cut 2 to 3 chicken tenders into chunks and season generously with salt and pepper. Eating healthy doesn't mean bland. I have my large skillet preheated to medium high. I spray my pan with PAM no calories in this. I then sear and cook my chicken until it is almost cooked through. I get sauces from the international section (read the label) and add this to coat my chicken. Then I reduce my heat and add my cooked veggies. I let that meld together. I cook my rice and then... EAT!
I allow myself one more snack if I need it! This is key, if you are not hungry don't eat it. This could be 97% fat free popcorn. Great snack if you want a larger serving!
So, there you have it! One of my many days in a nut shell! I'll share more of my snack and meal ideas in the next post!
So there may be a few of you still out there who truly want to make a life change! If your like me sometimes we get caught up in the # on the scale. Well, let's not forget about inches. Sometimes when my number read the same on the scale I was still steadily losing inches. Here are my stats: October 13-waist 32 in. hips 37 in.
October 22-waist 30 in. hips 36 in.
November 7-waist 29.5 in hips 33.5
I went from above a size 10 to a size 4. I really haven't been doing my simple plan that long either.
So, I'm sure some of you are a little concerned by how much I cut my calorie intake. But, remember I am trying to lose weight! Not maintain and definitely not gain! I assure you I will never go hungry!! I've always been an eater. So let me give you a little bit of insight of how I shop when I go to the grocery to help prepare me for the week.
I always start in the produce. I do 50% or more of my shopping here. I eat bell peppers, bagged salad, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, green beans, to name a few. I then head to the bread section. I purchase white hot dog buns and honey wheat bread. Check the calories. there isn't much difference in white and wheat. I then head to the meat department. I get chicken breast tenders usually two packs for about 5 days. Then I also pick up ground turkey breast. I grab 97% fat free turkey hot dogs and 2% shredded cheddar. I get regular mozzarella it's a lower fat cheese. I then go to the breakfast isle. I get whole grain cereal bars. I grab baked chips and pita chips. Careful with these. Only eat the serving listed on the label. I eat peanut butter and I also get white crackers. I pick up basmati 90 sec. rice and some of the other types too. While I'm in the international section I pick up peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce and sweet and sour sauce. These are delicious, but use them appropriately! (READ THE LABEL) I then head to the frozen food section. I stock up on frozen steamable vegetables usually 4 to 5 packs for 5 days. I get fat free milk and low-fat frozen yogurt. This is not an exhaustive list but this is the basics I get to make all my meals and snacks!
In the next post I'll show you what a typical day and week of meals looks like for me! Oh, and by the way...I haven't added any exercise or weight training to my simple plan yet. That's in the next phase! You can do this too!
As I mentioned in my last post I have been on my simple plan since September 2. I say that this is "simple" because there are no extra things to follow such as points or a specific diet like Atkin's where you cut out food groups. There are also not any supplements or pills with my plan. Based on my ideal weight and height, I determined the amount of calories per day that I can consume TO LOSE WEIGHT. I cut my calories to 1300 a day. Don't panic! I know this doesn't sound like much, but there are some days that I have unused calories. You must begin by cutting out all traditional desserts and sugary foods for the most part. You will immediately begin to feel better just from doing that! This will take some will power especially if you have others in the house that aren't dieting. This wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be. I just stay focused on my goal and I substitute something I can eat in the evening. It is vital that you begin reading all nutrition labels. I don't look at fat, However it goes hand in hand with calories. Here is a list of other foods that should be cut from your diet. Don't panic we will be adding yummy things in their place.
-red meat (bacon, hamburger, steak etc.)
-"real soft drinks" (Coke, Pepsi etc.)
-pasta
-most bread
-sugary drinks
Scared yet? Don't be! I am never overly hungry and my energy level has improved dramatically even with less sleep due to my 2 youngest. An added bonus is that I have more money in my pocket as well! In my next post I will explain more in depth about how I prepare weekly to make this weight loss plan simple!
Hopefully, you have been doing some soul searching and deciding if you are ready to make life changes and begin simply losing weight! I wanted to share my stats with you as a motivator. I started my weight loss plan on September 2. I weighed 140 lb. by September 18 I was down 135 lb. By September 30 I was 133 lb. On October 13 I was 130 lb. and on October 22 I was 125 lb. You can start to see the pattern of how my body loses weight. Needless to say I feel so much better and have a lot more energy to take care of my babies and create and paint for my antique booth! I am by no means finished losing my goal weight is about 115 lb right now. Belly fat is hard to lose and one of the most dangerous to have. I promise I will begin explaining my weight loss plan in the next few days!
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