9 lbs and counting

It's been 2.5 weeks since I started tracking every piece of food I put in my mouth, even drinks, and been working out as much as I can.  I have been at the gym from 30 mins to an hour and 30 minutes every night, unless I have been out hiking or playing softball.  On Ash Wednesday I gave up soda for the 40 days (which by the way its actually 46!) for Lent (its a Catholic thing).  The good thing is all I drink otherwise is water and Gatorade.  I am not a tea drinker or really any other treat drinks.  I even stopped drinking hot chocolate because it said the Swiss Miss was 120 calories.  BUT if i want I drink it - i just took it out of the routine.  That took about a week to get it out of the routine.  The soda was cold turkey and it's just the catholic guilt that has gotten me through a solid week so far. 

I had also talked to some people who said they have changed what they eat when.  They eat like a king for breakfast, queen for lunch and servant for dinner.  A few really good things for me is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE lunch.  So I eat what I want for lunch, with the calorie count in mind and as the weeks have passed I make slight adjustment.  A great thing is the combo deals all include a soda, so instead I don't do the combo and end up with just an entree and one side - not two that combos seem to give.  Then I just have water to drink.  I come home from work and work out, which makes it later in the night before I would be ready for dinner anyway, so at that point I eat some fruit, or some veggies and call it a night.  The other best part about this is that if I am eating out dinner I have filled my body over the day with other foods that at dinner I am not starving and I enjoy my food.  The leftovers become lunch the next day.  I go over on the calories some, but I am staying under 1,700 every day and more around the 1,100 to 1,300.  I will say once a week I get to that 1,700, but I do it consciously and enjoy it.  I am still working out and trying to burn 300 - 500 calories 3 days a week and 200 - 300 the rest.

Livestrong.com My Plate has become a great tool for me at this point.  I am down 9 lbs and hope to hit the 11 or 12 sometime next week.  The goal was 2 lbs a week, so I am still at that goal and not going to worry if the 3 lbs a week goes away and it gets to 2.  As long as I am losing that's all that matters at this point.  I am wondering when people will start noticing though - I have wondered about that.  I am betting around the 20lbs mark before anyone says anything.

I love having a goal and this is a great one!  More later!

Livestrong - tracking

So when I woke up a few weeks ago and was a weight I never wanted to be in my life I went straight to the gym and worked out for a solid hour.  I came home and decided it was time to track everything I eat to be honest with myself and figure out what needed to go and what could stay.  I found the livestrong.com My Plate application that is free and started instantly to figure out what to do.  I gave the goal of 2lbs a week, figuring I would at least be able to get a pound a week and go from there.  Well it's been a week and 3 days and I have lost 6 pounds.  Of course I lost that 4 days in, but I have been holding steady and working hard.  I am no longer taking a day off from working out - I work out at least 3 times a week for a solid hour or more, and the other 4 days are 30 minutes or more.  I work at a pace that gives me slight pain, and keep that consistency up.  The good news I am find is that I do not eat much sodium or foods with very much cholesterol.  I get plenty of protein, but need to work on the fat grams.  It's not too high, but being that I do not enjoy fish, chicken is my major source of protein.  I am going to cook up some tofu this weekend and see how that goes.  Maybe tofu tacos will be my new addiction - like turkey tacos are right now :o)


I'll keep you updated and give my little hints as I take a few more weeks to get this all figured out.  I will say I am getting obsessive about this - good thing I use my addictive personality for good haha!


O and tomorrow I will be fingerprinted so that I can teach the financial ed classes to some kids from the Kyrene School District.  Nice to know that they do a detailed background check on the people allowed to be around the kids on school property :O)  Here's hoping I pass - I don't remember any nights in the clink.  Here's hoping that wasn't a weird night I never remembered haha!

RODEO!

Started the day off with a 2 hour hike up into one of the preserves.  Then came home and started some cleaning - talked to the parents and have been enjoying the fabulous air breezing through the house.  I have just noticed the clock and realized I still need to shower and change to get over to Michelle and Dan's house so we can head to the rodeo.  Should be a blast!  More later.