Weekly Recap

Well I haven't been keeping track of my intake for the last couple of days but I can say they haven't been stellar - not horrible, but I could have done better. Tueday I did pretty good except for some M&M's. Then came Wedneday, I did good during the day, but I had a Taco Bell Taco Salad for dinner, with extra sour cream. Then Bobby left to get a milkshake and I had him stop at Sonic and get me an order of their new Cheesecake Bites. There were only 3, but I'm sure 3 pieces of fried cheescake took me off the charts for the evening. Oh and I had 2 handfuls of Crunch N Munch at work. Thursday wasn't good either ... I started off with 2 breakfast lean pockets (they are much smaller than regular, but still), 2 PB cookies , about 20 M&M's, I then had to go pick Brayden up from school because it was sleeting and snowing. I had a Swiss Cake Roll & an apple for lunch and then I made cookies. I ate 4 of those. We had breakfast for dinner which for me consisted of 1 biscuit loaded with homemade sausage gravy and about 3 eggs. I topped all that off with a big glass of chocolate mik. Oh and I had one last cookie before bedtime. So, that brings us to today....I'm at home again because of the weather. I've had a big bowl of Honey Smacks. The plan is to have soup for lunch and an apple for a snack and nothing else until dinner. Dinner will be Mushroom Alfredo Tortellini, but if I only eat one portion that's only 200 calories. So I'm putting the past few days behind me and starting again.


BTW, I didn't have electrolysis, I had laser removal done. I went for 3 sessions and should have gone for about 4 more. It lessened it, but it's not completely gone.

I Woke Up In The Morgue

I was surfing the television the other night and I came across a show called "I Woke up In The Morgue". Did anyone else get the privilege of seeing this show? I tell you what it was some scary stuff! These people had a condition called catalepsy. Basically, they would just pass out and have no signs of life but they could feel and hear everything that was going on around them. One lady got taken to a morgue THREE different times because they thought she was dead!!! I would FREAK out. This lady was completely conscious of where she was and what was going on and one day was out for THREE days closed in a dark room with dead bodies. It is amazing the kinds of conditions people can have that we don't even know about. I told my husband I wonder how many people were embalmed or buried alive because of this condition. This is SO scary to me! The thought of it! Yikes!!

Thursday Stats 11/30/06

Well I didn't eat so well today but I definitely went down LOTS of calories from the past couple of days (especially since I was home again today with Baylee!!) and I plan on keeping it up!! I need to go back and look at your old post about calories and do some research to decide what is a good amount of calories for me. I am still having a hard time with the water and exercise. One thing at a time though. Let me tackle this food demon first! I am REALLY trying to do it without any kind of pill!

Here are my stats:


2 pop tarts - 400 calories
Baked cheetos - 130 calories
Frozen pepporoni pizza 2 slices - 400
24 oz whole milk - 439
1 can dr. pepper - 150
Hamburger Helper - 175
1694 Calorie Total

Exercise - None but some house cleaning!! (Which is better than past days!!)
Water - 16 ounces

Fatville or Bust!! 11-29-06

That is definitely the way I am heading! I don't have much to say about the way I ate today. It is just a shame.

Mexican for lunch
KFC for dinner
No Exercise
No Water

I am going nowhere but fatter and doing that fast!!!

What is my problem? I tell you one thing I think it is. My house is an absolute WRECK. It is so bad I don't even like going into the kitchen so it is just easier to eat out!! Then at lunch I am so ready to get out of the office it is not funny. WHY do I have to eat the way I do!!! WHY!!!! So I am hoping tomorrow will be better. Like I said I am going to continue to be honest on here everyday in hopes that it will help. To be honest it has some because the thought of seeing everythingI have eaten in writing makes me not want to eat for the rest of my life!! HAHA!

*SIDE NOTE*
How did your electrolysis ever go? You know I got it done once without alot of difference. Mine is worse than yours though and would take FOREVER to do that way. I made a consultation to get the laser hair removal done. I go one December 15th for my consult. It cost $50 for that visit but that will be applied towards my cost of treatment if I decide to do it. I don't know how much the treatments will cost yet. This is one thing that I am really, really, really self conscious about - probably even more so than the weight. I REALLY hope this will be an answer to my prayers. I don't know that it is permenant and I might have to go back a couple of times a year but if it is not too expensive it will be better than having to shave once - sometimes twice a day!! I will keep you updated!

I Must Be Insane

I am attempting to lose weight in the midst of all of these holidays. What oh what is a girl to do? Any weight loss suggestions??

Tiff's 11/28/06

Sound I have decided I am working really hard to make each day be seperate (except for Sat & Sun - I haven't decided if I will do those seperate or together). So in saying that here is my post from yesterday 11/28/06.

I BLEW it. Baylee and I weren't feeling well yesterday and stayed home. Needless to say, I ate everything I could get my hands on. I could lie about what I ate but the purpose of this is to be honest and to help me understand why I am FAT! This is why:

I ate:

3 pieces of ham w/cheese
2 frozen burritos
Pop-tarts - lost count 2, 3, 4 or 5 WHO KNOWS!
Cheese sticks from sonic
Tots from Sonic with Chili and Cheese
6 or so onion rings from sonic
20 oz Dr. Pepper
1 Red Pop Faygo drinks
2 cups of milk
1/2 of a Peach Faygo drink

OH MY!!! I mean that is THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of calories!!!

NO EXERCISE AND NO WATER!!!

THAT is why I am fat. When I am stressed, bored and ESPECIALLY sitting at home I EAT EAT EAT like a little (or rather large) pig. I don't understand! I mean it was like I couldn't stop! This is why I need help from some kind of pill. That is about the only thing I can do to make myself stop eating!!! In high school I had gained some weight and took a diet pill for about a month and after that I pretty much kept what I ate down to a minimum. (I guess after my stomach shrank down.) Anyway, I have GOT to do better. I am SO glad I have this to be able to put all of this down in writing so I can't say, "I don't know what is wrong with me. I don't eat that much!!" UGH!

Morning Update

Those recipes looks yummy, especially the dip one. What could we eat with it? I wonder if celery would be good with it. It's pretty much tasteless anyway. Chips would be ok I guess, but only a handful.

I've already stumbled this morning, I ate 10 M&M's - that's 40 calories. I needed a chocolate fix.

I did bring my gym bag today though, and I'm headed there today as soon as I leave work. I haven't figured out what's for dinner yet. I really need to grocery shopping. I have about 10 recipes that are really good, low calorie recipes that both Bobby and Brayden like. I'll try to post them soon. I used them last time I was counting calories.

Good luck today! We can do this!

Useful Information Found on 11/27/06

Came across these links today and thought I would share:

Links

You told me about the www.hungry-girl.com website. I came across this one today that seemed interesting. http://www.aimeesadventures.com

Quiz

What kind of dieter are you?

http://www.thedietchannel.com/dietquiz/home-quiz.php?submit=Take+the+Test%21

Recipes

#1 Layered Dip
(ww recipe – don’t know the points - Found on net - haven't tried yet)
1 brick FF cream cheese spread out in galss pie pan (probably could use most any pan but this is what I used). Over the top of the cream cheese pour one can of FF (99% FF) Hormel Chili w/Beans. Sprinkle 1/2-1/3 cup FF shredded cheddar cheese over top and bake @ 350 for 5-10 minutes (or until obviously hot/bubbly). YUM

#2 Chicken/Cheesy Rice Soup
POINTS® value 4Servings 6Ingredients 32 1/4 oz Campbell's Chicken Soup With Rice 7 oz Green Giant Canned Mexicorn, With Peppers 1/2 cup fat-free skim milk 6 oz Kraft 2% Milk Singles Pepperjack Cheese 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper Instructions Heat soup (with 3 cans of water) and corn in pan. Add milk and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add cheese until melted through.

Weight Loss Myths

1. “Lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” Or any other gimmick that pledges massive weight loss at breakneck speed. “It’s not healthy, and it’s not true,” Wilbert says. Permanent weight loss requires lifestyle change, not a quick fix, he adds.

2. Fat is bad for you. “Dieticians forwarded that one to people for years,” says registered dietician and nutrition teacher Rick Hall. Now they know better. The truth is that some fats are unhealthy, and some are good – indeed, necessary – for your health. (Hence the term, “essential fatty acids”!)

3. Carbohydrates are bad for you. First it was fat, now carbohydrates are the bad guy. Wilbert explains that this trendy idea is just too broad. When trying to lose weight, make a distinction between unhealthy carbohydrates, such as white sugar, and complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables and whole grains, which provide vital vitamins, and fiber to aid digestion.

4. Lose weight by not eating. Uh…no. Starving deprives the body of the nutrients it needs for life and can lead to serious illness. Plus you lose muscle mass, not fat. Even if you do lose pounds, you gain them back almost immediately when you raid the fridge again.

5. Don’t eat after 6 p.m. “It’s not what time you eat, it’s what you eat!” insists Dare to Lose author, Shari Lieberman, Ph.D. “In Europe they eat at 10 o’clock at night and they’re half the size of Americans.”

6. Salad bars are healthy. Bacon, cheeses, fried chicken, oily dressings…The apparent allure of salad bars means they probably require as much of your considered attention as ordering at a fast food restaurant. “You have to choose the foods at a salad bar wisely,” Lieberman reminds people.

7. Diet sodas aid weight loss. This is one of Lieberman’s favorite pieces of diet-industry hype. “There isn’t a single study that shows diet sodas help you lose weight. There’s absolutely no data on that at all,” she claims.

8. You shouldn’t step on a scale. “It’s another misconception that dieticians have passed on,” says Hall. “I completely disagree with it.” He says checking your weight on a regular basis, say once or twice a week, is an obvious way to gauge your progress and alter your diet accordingly. However, Lieberman notes that scales in and of themselves, well, suck. She encourages people to keep track of hip, thigh and tummy inches, too.

9. You can lose weight with a pill. “You can’t replace healthy eating and exercise with a pill,” Hall warns. “Pills aren’t a new thing, they’ve been tried for decades…[with] horrible side effects.”

10. You have to join the gym. Actually, the most recent research indicates 30 to 60 minutes per day of moderate physical activity is all it takes to balance healthy food intake. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise, “just move your body!” exclaims Hall.

Yikes - Reality Check/11-27-06 Stats

I often think of overeating as someone that eats and eats all day. I may not necessarily do that but I kind of did a test run today of an average day of food to see how I did. Well lets just say - NOT SO GOOD!!

Breakfast: Weight Smart Oatmeal (added sugar, etc.) 250 Calories

Lunch: Dr. Pepper, fries, nuggets, sauce = 949

Two Meals equals: 1199

Dinner: I had fully planned to go home and cook but "life" happened and we decided to eat mexican. I don't know exact calories but by "questioned" at Calorie King I figure probably around 1000 to 1300 for ONE meal!! If I say 1300 - that leaves me with a grand total today of 2500!!! Yikes!!

Water: 2 glasses (16 oz. total) with crystal light on the go packet = 5 calories

When we started this whole thing in December 2005 my weight was 258. On May 10th my weigh in on here was 244 pounds. Both of these times I weighed in the nude first thing in the morning. Less than a week after Thanksgiving, one hour after dinner, fully dressed and close to bed time I just weighed in at - gulp - 265. That is 21 pounds!!! In six months!!! I should have been going the other way - not up but down!! So this gives me major motivation. I am so glad we have this site or I would have not been able to go back and find my weigh in info. That makes me want to work as hard as ever. I haven't walked today yet but even though it is late I am going to finish up this and one more post and put on my walking shoes!!!

Is Santa Real? To Tell or Not To Tell

Saturday my daughter Baylee (she is 8 and in the 3rd grade) tells me, "Momma, Madison told me her parents said there was not santa claus and that the gifts come from them." I think oh no here we go. So the answer I gave her was this, "Baylee, you are a big girl now. You can belive whatever you want but I will tell you like Nana told me when I was little. If I stop believing in Santa I don't get gifts from him anymore - only gifts from my family." She said, "Okay I believe." That was the end of the conversation.

My mom never told me there was not a Santa and I still get gifts from "santa" at her house. I just don't know if I should tell her or not. I think when you know it takes some of the fun out of Christmas. What age did you find out? Or when did your kids find out? If you have/or decide to tell them what will you say?

Monday 11/27/2006

Ok, so my first day back at it - WAS NOT very good. I'm blaming it on the fact that I had not gone grocery shopping yet. I picked up a few things on the way to work this morning, so I should be able to do a little better today though...

B - Weight Control Oatmeal, nothing added - 160
S - Graham Cracker with RF Peanut Butter - 148
S - South Beach Snack Bar - 100
L - Hawaiian Chicken Salad - 350 (guessing based on estimates from Calorie King)
S - Peanut Butter M&Ms - 240
D - 1.5 pieces of Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza - 570 / life happened at our house too :)
D - 1 piece of Pizza Hut Thin Hamburger Pizza - 210
S - Weight Watchers Carrot Cake - 80

Total Calories - 1858
Total Water - 24 oz
Total Exercise - NONE

THE "F" WORD

I’m feeling extra F** too! I got on the scale this morning and thought I was going to pass out. On my September 22nd post, I weighed 215. Today I’m at 225!! That’s 10 lbs in 2 months!! This madness has got to end. I’m going to start posting my stats again each day too. My goal right now is just to lose that darned 10 lbs. I told myself that I would never hit 220 again after I got under it…well you see how that went. I’m not throwing in the towel just because of the Holidays. I’m buckling down and doing this.

Round 1,963,165,567,987,135 of Weight Loss Attempts

So after the wonderful holiday I am feeling B-L-O-A-T-E-D and alot like the "F" word. You know REALLY **FAT**. I have got to do something. Enough is enough! Even if it is drinking at least HALF of the required water (4 glasses) and walking 30 minutes a day I am doing SOMETHING and I am doing it now. There is no excuse!!!

So I am super busy and super tired but as part of my dedication to this at least ONCE a day I will be logging on here and leaving at least ONE sentence about how my day was.

I know this isn't much and my husband is bound and determined that I will not lose weight by walking only 30 minutes a day I am bound and determined to prove him wrong!!

So here we go again!!

Back for The Hundreth Time

So I have said it over and over that I will get back on here and start blogging and I have failed miserably. Just like I have with alot of other things. (Keeping my house clean, diets, handling my money better, etc.) I have decided that I am going to start keeping my promises and finishing what I start. I might not blog everyday or even every week but I am going to make a good effort anyway!!

So how was everyone's holiday?

Mine was awesome!! I saw my dad for the first time in 5 or 6 years. His girlfriend was really nice and so were her kids. Her youngest calls my dad "dad" and that will take some time to get used to but I am okay with it. My daughter calls my husband dad and he is not her real dad. I suppose the only reason it bothers me is because it has been so long since he has been a dad in my life. Things have changed and I am okay with that. I am happy for him and I hope he continues to keep in touch with our family. I think this has been the best Thanksgiving that I have ever had!!

Meds Update Part II

I won’t get into all the ends and outs of my Dr. appointment, way too much to write, but I’ll give you the part that pertains to weight. First of all, she said that she did not believe that the Phentermine caused the murmur, but that it’s possible that it made the murmur, that was likely already there, more noticeable and pronounced. So if the Phentermine isn’t causing you any symptoms then I would continue taking it. I would if I could. Instead she put me on Wellbutrin. It’s actually a depression and anxiety medication, but one of the side effects is weight loss. Usually I dread the side effects of medication, but this one I like! She said that people taking it, that are not trying to lose weight, lose about 15 lbs a year and those that eat right and exercise while on it, can lose about 2 lbs per week. She also said that anyone that’s married and/or has kid’s experiences depression and anxiety at some point, so it will help with my stress level as well. She said it was great for emotional eaters…ME. I’ve been taking it for 3 days and I can really tell a difference. I don’t get hungry as often and I’ve noticed I haven’t been snacking between meals. I don’t even think about it. It’s strange. The best part of it is that I’m not all jittery and buzzed like I am when I’m taking the Phen. I’ll keep you posted.

Friday Baby!

So after you get the info on those Dr.'s you talked about a couple of post ago let me know!

Glad to know that (not that you have murmur) but about the meds because you know I have taken them, too. I have some left and was going to get back on but I think I will change my mind after reading that!!!

I missed the second half of biggest loser. Brian set the timer for one hour but that is okay! I am going to do some reading online and catch up. (*Note to Self* Call and get DVR hooked back up.)

This week I did "okay". Before I got sick I had made plans with a co-work to walk before work. We met up Wednesday morning and because of running late only got a small walk in. (We bring extra clothes, shoes, etc. so we can freshen up afterwards.) So then we got a good one in at lunch and had subway. I have decided that instead of trying to try them both at once I am going to work on just the exercise first. Make it a habit (at least 30 days or so) and then focus on what I drink and make that a habit and then focus on the food. It will take a while this way but like we always say ...... we didn't get like this over night so it is going to take just as long to lose it!!

The week in review

Well I haven't been posting my calorie intaking, but have been counting them. I splurged a few times this week and had 2 1600 calorie days but that's still lower than what it would probably have been. I weighed in this morning at 214.9, so we are headed in the right direction. Now if I can just keep it up!

Meds Update

If I’ve already told you all this, I apologize… I don’t think I have though. As you know I was taking Phentermine several months ago and I also took it for 2 months in late ’05. Well I went to the doctor a few weeks ago because I was feeling exhausted, achy, unmotivated and I was having some chest pain too. She discovered that I had a heart murmur. They did a bunch of lab tests as well and everything came back normal. I had to go for and echocardiogram to determine the extent of the murmur. I go back this Friday to discuss. She told me to stop taking the Phen until we figured out what was going on. She didn’t say that the Phen caused the murmur, but I have my suspicions. I didn’t have a heart murmur before I took it (I had a complete check-up before I ever started it) but I do now that I’ve taken it for a little less than 3 months in total. 12 weeks is what the FDA approves. I liked taking it; I was never hungry and I had tons of energy. It was so easy to eat well. I’ve been thinking about other alternatives and then I stumbled upon an article in this week’s “Woman’s World”. It’s about diet pills and it compares the different ones. It also speaks to OTC options. It had some really good info, so I thought I’d share just a little of it here.

Phentermine – hits the brain’s appetite center and greatly reduces hunger, not the same as the killer Fen-Phen (although it did contain Phentermine, the Fen part was the deadly one), approved since 1959, approved for 12 weeks of use and should not be used by patients with heart or anxiety problems!!

Meridia – boost brains chemicals that extend satiety, approved since 1997, great if you struggle with portion control, doesn’t eliminate the urge to eat completely but that’s a good thing because it lets you develop skills to stay slim after you stop taking the meds, should not be used by patients with sleep or blood pressure problems.

Xenical – disables key enzymes and keeps 33% of fat calories from being absorbed, studies show people that took it lost 93% more weight than those that didn’t, approved since 1999, besides blocking fat calories; it gives you a stomach ache if you eat too much fatty food therefore encouraging you to avoid it which cuts calories even more, great if fatty foods are you’re weakness or if you have a health condition that keeps you from being able to take other diet pills.

Chromium Picollinate (OTC vitamin) – helps control a hormone that causes cravings and belly fat, the supplement most linked to lower levels of body fat, 400 mcg daily can eliminate intense sugar and carb cravings, especially beneficial for patients with big middles, up to 800 mcg daily is considered safe but check with your Dr. first

Calcium – (OTC vitamin) – stimulates the release of fat from cells, latest data shows that exercise burns 30% more fat in patients who get extra calcium, for maximum fat loss get 1200 mcg of calcium (from supplements or low fat dairy) and keep your total calories around 1200 a day.

So I guess I’ll add CP and Calcium to my shopping list.

Hey cuz...

I watched a show on Discovery Health last night called "YOU: The Owner's Manual". There is a book as well. It's by the 2 Dr's that are always on Oprah. Anyway, it was very interesting and very motivating. I'm going to go by the book today. It's not a diet book, it's just about living healthier and living longer. It's hard to explain everything that was in the show. I wish you could see it. Do you have the DH channel? They have a DVD set too (not the same show on DH, but probably better, it's twice as long as the show)

DVD http://shopping.discovery.com/product-59710.html

It explains how you can completely change your health in as little as 2 weeks. They follow the story of a lady that begin by drinking 4 6-packs of soda each day and ate high fat, high sugar foods. She didn't exercise either. After 10 weeks following the suggestions in the book, she had lost 20 lbs and looked 10 years younger.

The basics are that you only eat things that come from nature and only allow "treats" every now and then and in very small portions. You're not supposed to eat any foods where these words appear in the first 5 ingredients (sugar, high fructose, enriched, and 3 others that I can't think of. As for exercise, it's pretty mild. 30 minutes of walking each day, 60 minutes each week of cardio that makes you break a sweat and 30 minutes each week of weight lifting.

Once I've read the book, I'll comment on it more.

Walking

Well I read an article this weekend about walking. I was doing good...we had even joined the gym. So I am going to try something. I am going to walk AT LEAST 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks and not really change the way I eat and see how it helps. Just on the walking. Maybe if I do good on that I would be more motivated to eat better....