Thursday, September 15, 2016

Days 22 - 26

I'm just going to skip to what people really want to know and that's how much weight was lost...


I lost a total of  15.2 pounds! There's a long way to go still but I'm moving in the right direction. Now it's time to maintain for 10 days and then back to the strictness.


Friday, September 9, 2016

Days 19 - 21

Cast is totally annoying me
Total weight loss:12.7

This past week has been a roller coaster ride... I only walked Sunday, Monday, and one sad lap on  Thursday. 

Day 19:

I was totally out of it after surgery from being doped up on medication. Slept the whole day away! I did notice a 10 pound difference in the weight on my scale and the one at the hospital... I also have 2 scales at home and the one I don't regularly use is always 3 pounds lighter. My regular scale might be broken HAHA! I started using and will continue so my records remain consistent.

Day 20:

Yummy Pho
Not much better than the day before, just trying to get some food down. Pho for lunch and a sub for dinner... Squeezed out one lap around my neighborhood before I became too dizzy, but did get in a "Rock'n Body" workout earlier in the day.

Day 21:


My shadow since surgery
100% disappointed in the number on the scale and might be stretching this 26 days into 40 days. At this point I totally had 2 cupcakes today because I wanted them and it made me feel better after I hurt my arm twice.

Days 16 - 18



Day 16:
Veggie pizza w/ Cauliflower crust

Got on the scale that morning and was up a surprising 1.8 pounds, I wanted to scream! I hadn't been eating anything crazy but I haven't been taking drops... Nothing else has really changed.

Day 17:

Cajun shrimp w/ Cauliflower rice
No gain, no loss but I'm still wondering what is going on... I know between days 20 and 40 of my 40 day round I only lost a total of 5 additional pounds while dealing with a bunch of stalls. Maybe I've been incorporating some not so good things in that I think are good, not really sure.

Day 18:
Down almost 2 pounds, FINALLY! I did try two meal replacement shakes today since we were short staffed again and I didn't get a lunch break. I did Muscle Milk "genuine" flavor and Organic Protein "vanilla bean" flavor. Hands down, the Organic Protein was the best having the taste of a malt shake... Muscle Milk had a weird thickness and a Pepto-Bismol after taste. YUCK!




Randomly HUGE strawberry


Sorry I can't type much, I'm playing catch up on this blog after having surgery on my hand/wrist so I'm doing my best.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Days 14 & 15



Day 14:


It's weigh in time again, how exciting.. NOT! I just adore starting my Friday's with an anxiety attack, followed by a mini stroke! (J/P)

So I'm going to jump right on in and tell y'all that in 14 days I've lost 12.5 pounds... that's not too shabby, especially with some of the days I've had.

Today was another 9.5 hour day with no lunch break, all I a were a few grapes and strawberries. When I got home I decided that I wanted to try to make a cauliflower crust pizza. Had everything made, and went to cut the pizza but to my surprise the crust was stuck to the parchment paper. When I tell y'all I was mad, I mean it... I actually cried because I was so hungry and thinking about that darn pizza all day... BOO-HOO'D like a baby! After a few hours of feeling sorry for myself, my husband went and picked up a steak omelet for us from Waffle house.

Day 15:

To top off my bad ending to day 14, I woke up, weighed myself and saw a surprising GAIN on the scale... I just crawled back into bed because I couldn't even think about or deal with that fact at the moment... "Today is the day I help my baby sis move out of state, so it's not about me" I told myself! 

After helping pack a a truck and two cars, 4 of us made that 5.5-6 hour drive to PA and finally arrived around 5:30 in the evening. Now we just have to take another few hours to try to unload AND squeeze everything up the smallest 3 floors of steps I've ever seen in life! Due to my injury I wasn't able to assist in running up and down the step with too many items. I was manly in charge of making sure items were off the truck/ready to be taken up or pushed to the ramp of the truck for my dad and husband to carry. It took 4 HOURS of struggling with large items, removing a door, removing the door frame, and plenty of fluids!!! After the excitement of finishing I ate 2 fish fillets, YEP I said 2 and took the long drive back to VA getting home at 4am.

WHAT A DAY!

Friday, September 2, 2016

Days 13

Soooo... Today was kind of horrible!

I work in a 3 person office usually, but this Thursday and Friday one lady is on vacation and the other had to end up off because her daughter is giving birth. Guess what that means (3 - 2 = 1) the loneliest number EVER, it's just me and a fill in manager. I got to do everything alone, no conversation, no music, just quiet my whole 9.5 hour work day. OH and NO LUNCH because there was no one to cover me, I had the privilege of surviving off of 2 cliff bars from my purse! No potty breaks either until 5 pm when our front doors got locked, so I was not able to drink tons of water either.

When I finally got home I felt dead and gone... I just wanted something to eat and to lay down! I grabbed the fastest thing which was a pack of oatmeal and scarfed that down, it was enough. A few weeks ago if I hadn't eaten all day, I would've ended up pigging out when I got home to compensate for my missed meals. I didn't do any walking today, just got some needed rest.

These quotes I decided to post sum it up in a nut shell... For me this journey is more mental than anything, fighting the urge to quit when when things get hard or I'm not seeing the results I want right away. I try to use this to learn new habits and break old ones which is not something that will happen immediately. I have to constantly remind and push myself to keep going, also lean on supportive family and friends when I really need help!

Oh gracious I almost forgot to say that I'm nearly out of drops... I've been using exactly what I'm supposed to and I think I have a day or two worth left in there. I guess I'll wing it when I run out since I have to stop taking them on Saturday anyway. WOOT WOOT for the 1/2 way point, only 13 more days to go this round, let's keep this momentum!



Days 11 & 12



Day 11:

I have to admit that I've been slacking when it comes to cooking this week. We didn't go grocery shopping Sunday which means no meal prepping for the week. It was my early day today so that again meant no lunch break and by the time I got home at 2:45 I was STARVING! Thank goodness I still had a third of that Martin's salad left over because I inhaled it... After I ate my late lunch and dinner a while later, I took my pup-pup Bella for a walk around the neighborhood. That girl struggled for that short walk! She tried to run onto a strangers porch to get to a dog that was barking at us, and then growled and tried to pull me in the direction of a lady that was taking a breather during her jog... Let's just say Bella and I had to have a little chat in the middle of the road. After one lap we went home and continued our walk once my husband arrived.

Day 12:

My day started out really crazy and with me running way behind for work... I got there RIGHT ON TIME which I hate. Had no chance to pack my lunch but was able to run to KFC and got a grilled chicken kid's meal with a drumstick, green beans, and sugarless apple sauce. It was great, I didn't even know that was on their menu! I haven't been getting in as much water as I should, normally ending my day at little above a half gallon. For dinner I decided on steak and scrambled eggs YUM! Of course my family ended the night with 2 laps around the neighborhood, that was enough for me. I was so ready to hit the bed!

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Days 9 & 10




Day 9:
Not too much excitement on day 9, except my husband talking me into eating at Captain George's. I agreed only if we ate strictly crab legs and nothing else. Needless to say, it was a horrible idea that had him apologizing at the end of the day. I continued with the walking and pushed for 3 miles and DID IT! There were so many people and families out there walking, on four wheelers, in golf carts, and with their pets which made it a great experience and not feel like working out.
My choice in shoes were terrible, I bought a cheap pair from the Nike outlet that rubbed the back of my heels for the first 2 miles until I couldn't take it anymore. I had to stop and change into some flimsy slides for the last mile, they weren't much better...
Day 10:
Today was particularly rough for me because I was very discouraged. It's been 2 days since I've seen any movement on the scale and 2 day since I've incorporated a little bit of cardio into my life. I'm not going to lie, I cried a little bit when I saw the exact same number on the scale these past few days... It's hard to keep my motivation when I'm not seeing results when it come to weight loss, it's easier for me to say "forget it" and just be comfortably uncomfortable eating foods that make me happy for the moment. Sad I know!
Unlike my younger self, I'm very open with my husband about my moods so he doesn't have to guess or get caught in the crossfire of a bad day. I let him know as soon as he walked in that I felt like quitting today, was really down, but still going to go walk at least 2 miles. He understood my frustrations, changed clothes, got the pup all harnessed and we went walking. For the whole 2 miles he cheered me on and had Bella getting pumped up for me which made me feel 10 times better.

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Days 7 & 8


Day 7:

I'd have to say that I had an average work day, low stress...  I do know that since I had an early 2pm Friday, my water intake was poor and I was cramping up by the evening. Treated myself to a movie alone, no super buttery popcorn that used to be a mandatory staple to any moving outing. I went and saw Bad Moms at 2:25 in the afternoon and had a blast by myself. Two thumbs up for that movie! The bad thing about an early day is that I don't get a lunch break at work, so I didn't end up eating until around 7pm for the first time that day. YIKES!


Day 8:

Early morning, we packed up the car with all our beach gear and headed to Buckroe in Hampton, VA. The original plan was Virginia Beach, but we realized between traffic, finding parking, and the super crowded beach that we'd probably leave more stressed out than relaxed. I'd have to say we made a smart choice, it was the perfect Saturday!

Oh yea... My progress! As of the end of day 7 I'm down 8.5 pounds and I was totally not expecting such a high number, maybe half that. I haven't been doing any type of exercise so far and I was doing 6 miles a day on my 40 day round and only lost 25 pounds total.

Started walking last night because of an ice cream compromise I made with my husband HAHA! I was being a total brat and demanded some "that's how I roll" from Cold Stone Creamery. He told me 1 small cup for 2 laps around our neighborhood. I reluctantly agreed, but only made it around 1 time with a few extra culdesacs thrown in for the heck of it... We also had Chipotle (my fave place) for dinner but I was good and had a very plain salad with chicken, corn, and green salsa.

Friday, August 26, 2016

Days 5 & 6

Day 5:


Omar, Bella Blue, ME!
Still dealing with my BIG cookie craving... I've eaten a few cookies every day thus far and it doesn't seem to be affecting me yet. I know I can't continue eating them so it is my goal tomorrow to stay focused and drink water every time I have an urge to get a cookie, I know I can do it! The egg craving at night has continued for myself and my husband, that's been our dinner for the past 2 nights and I don't mind. Omar (that's my husband) has started eating a bit more food than me since he's been running and hitting the gym. As are most wives, I was right and told him to do so from the start lol...

Crockpot Chicken
Mentally I am feeling okay, I'm not as discouraged as I thought I would be when I posted my first video. I still haven't incorporated any type of exercise, but I'm okay with that for now because I think I need to focus on one task at a time.

Oh yea.. tonight in bed I did eat a few soft mints before going to sleep, the first time around I didn't have this problem with sweets! I bought some strawberries and put Truvia on them which seems to help.


Day 6: 

Meatballs, Broccoli, Water
I'm quite surprised by the new energy I've had these last two days, my coworker says that I can't seem to sit still. My office is very slow pace and some times we don't have any work for a 3 hour span. It really gets quite boring, will lead to snacking, and getting tired. On day 5 I figured, I'll just dance to the music and walk around. I know any one walking past the cameras got a good laugh!

1 Thumb up for these days
I been drinking a cup of sugarless coffee with one small cream each morning to hold me over until lunch because I have found that my stomach makes a lot of noise in the morning even when I'm not hungry... EMBARRASSING! So glad we have 2 Keurigs at work so I don't have to make a whole pot.

Proud to announce I made it through the day without eating a single cookie!!! There were several moments I had to tell myself "NO" (even out loud) to snap myself back on track, but I did it.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Days 3 & 4

So, I've had an epiphany! 

I wasn't working the first time I did this whole "healthy lifestyle" thing, I didn't have the stress of work and fitting everything (meal prep or exercising) into an already hectic schedule... Day 4 I didn't want the buffalo chicken I had already prepped so I went ahead and made eggs with a very low sodium salsa instead which hit the spot and made me very happy! Of course since I was having that, my husband wanted it too but complained when he found out I used 3 egg white and 1 whole egg. He told me I should have given him 4 whole eggs and the extra yolks I didn't want in mine HAHA. I'm starting to suspect that some one else (my hubby) is starting to get cranky from his decrease in junk food.


The "cookie cabinet" at my office...
These first two days off loading I have had some major sweet cravings and I did indulge in 1 cookie each day which I ate VERY SLOW because I knew I couldn't afford one, let alone a second! I thought to myself, Heather get it together, what did you do on your successful round when you had a craving? Most of the time I would go for a walk in the neighborhood or even take a nap to occupy my mind since I wasn't really hungry. The only thing I can really do now is walk around my office when we're not busy...


Meal wise, I try to prepare a few days worth during the weekend so I don't slack during the week. I don't prepare too much so it won't spoil before we have a chance to eat it. With my water intake, I've been trying to get back up to the gallon a day I used to get in but it's hard and I'm getting bored with not having flavor. Today I added Mio into my 1/2 gallon (not sure if that's allowed) and that seemed to help a bit.

 I almost forgot to mention the horrible cramps I've now started getting in my right leg only at night when I'm trying to sleep. Not quite understanding it since I have been drinking more water than I was. It eventually goes away, it's still annoying though. 

I'll be posting my progress weekly on each Saturday since that's the day of the week that I started. Hope the rest of you ladies and gentlemen trying to get fit and healthy are continuing to do well.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Day 1 & 2


I must admit that I'm not going into this with as much optimism or positivity as I should. The last two failed attempts were a bit discouraging, I just didn't have the motivation like I did the first time around.

My motivation... These past few months I've heard stories of people loved ones and friends that are my again (early 30's) passing away from heart attacks or strokes, that's just plain frightening! Who's to say I couldn't be next?

Today my husband told me that he is in this with me, which made me very happy. My first round was done with him eating whatever he wanted around me like ice cream, candy bars, bread, and pasta... You name it and he probably ate it! So this time around I will have a buddy and be doubling the recipes, not to mention he will not be using drops. Also, my husband in in great shape already running an average of 10-15 miles daily and going to the gym (overachiever) lol.

We pigged out this weekend a little bit HA!







Thursday, August 18, 2016

Bigger is NOT always better

I'm back and BIGGER than EVER! I'm too old to keep starting over, so I'm trying to get it right this time around.

Stress and just life in general got the upper hand, so I'm trying to take my life, WEIGHT, and eating habits back. I want to feel 100% every day like I was before, I want to see my skin glow and hair shine from the good food I am eating.

Let's get this cracking! I'll post before pics and weight in a little bit, have a great day ALL!