March 30th-I'm baaaaaccccckkkk!

Oh, what a month this has been! I have been working so hard to get my work life caught up so that I can focus more on me when I should be. I am not where I want to be with the work stuff, but so much further ahead than I was a few weeks ago. I have also had to deal with everyone else in my family being sick for about two weeks-making the need for my mommy hat and wife hat to be on even more than usual. As a result, I did not meet my goal of exercising like I wanted to, but I did stay on track with my diet. I am only down one more pound, but my clothes are definitely fitting better.

So, my accomplishments for the month so far:
1. I can wear a belt I could not wear in January.

2. I ran, yes, ran an entire 5K. Well, most people may not call it running, but I did it nonetheless.

3. I have really cut down on my sugar and fake sugar intake. This is a big deal for me.

4. I am drinking more water.

Here is my journal for the day:
Breakfast: Bowl of cereal shared with Luke. Not really sure of the portion.

Lunch: Ak-Mak crackers, hummus, laughing cow cheese, strawberries, yogurt, 2 point WW bar

Snack: Almonds

Dinner: 2 pieces homemade pizza with Weight Watchers cheese.

Dessert: Mint Choc Truffle. Gift from the hubby. Can not resist.

So, tomorrow, I will review the goals that I set at the beginning of the month. I am fairly confident I failed miserably, but I have to just move on. There will be new goals for April. And, it will go better!

So, keep bringing on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!

March 13th-the power of music

So, I am sitting on my computer on a Saturday night doing some work and listening to Radio Margaritaville. Ah, this music just puts me in a good place. But, I also just had an "a-ha" moment. This music takes me to the beach, my favorite place to be. Well, when you are at the beach, what do you have on? A bathingsuit! So, this music helps me stay focused on how I want to look in my suit. I have a mental picture of myself actually feeling comfortable in just a bathingsuit. No shorts on over it, no wrap around me, just the suit. WOW-that would be amazing and definitely a feeling I have never had. Even as a swimmer in high school, I never felt good in my suit. So, I guess what I need to do when I am home and struggling to make a good choice, I need to listen to some Buffett to keep me on track. Thanks Jimmy!

I do listen to music when I workout also and I will say that it is powerful there too. I listen to music I would never listen to any other time. Well, that is not entirely true. It is the same music that we play for the dance party at our annual New Years party. You know, pure dance-techno music that keeps you moving. And, when I am on the treadmill, keeps me distracted from the fact that I am running. And it works! I took 58 seconds off my 5K time today! I ran almost the whole thing. I am really excited about my progress on the treadmill.

I also feel like just maybe my body is starting to change. I have not really lost any more weight, but my jeans are maybe just a little looser and my back fat is definitely not as noticeable. These are good changes!

Journal for the day:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with unsweetened apple sauce, cheese stick
Lunch: Yogurt, crackers with almond butter, 1 point WW bar, fruit roll from Clif
Snack: Z-Bar from Clif
Dinner: Filet, small portion of pasta with sauce. Tried to make some mixed veggies, but they were not any good.

We definitely need a shopping trip around here. I struggled at lunch time and it was only because I was not prepared at home. Lesson learned.

So, bring on 2010, the year of motivating music because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK FAT IN!

March 10th-spring has sprung!

It was beautiful out here today. In the 70's, just a few clouds in the sky, Buffett playing on my stereo-not bad for a work day! I came home and the kids were outside playing and just having a ball. We had dinner (grilled chicken and veggies) and then I sat with my hubby and watched the kids play by themselves again outside while I enjoyed a glass of wine. Not a bad way to end the day. The warm weather just does something to me. It makes me want to make healthier choices and move more. I am ready for daylight savings time so that I can get some longer days in and be able to walk after dinner.

I have had two good days of eating. I actually got a Grilled Chicken sandwich value meal from McD's yesterday and had just a few fries. Those few fries made me feel so sick-just a reminder that my body does not want CRAP in it. A good reminder.

Today I started out the day with yogurt, berries and a little granola. So delicious and satisfying. The problem was that I was hungry by 10:30, so I needed to stop and get a protein bar. I need to plan a little better if I am going to eat several small meals during the day. Lunch was with a friend that is also on a journey to lose some weight, so we both made good choices. It is so important to surround yourself with others that if not on the journey with you, atleast support you and understand why you are doing what you are doing.

I have managed to Shred with Jillian the past two days also-she is so tough! But, I have also gotten a few compliments on how my body is looking, so even though the scale is not changing very much, maybe, just maybe, this crazy shred workout is actually doing something. Certainly kicks my butt, and arms, and legs, and on an on for the 20 minutes I am doing it!

We are definitely going to the beach this summer, so I have yet another motivation to work on this fat-dum, dum, dum...the BATHINGSUIT! Definitely still have a lot of work to do before I feel good in one of those.

So, bring on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!

March 8th-slacker

Man, I have really been slacking on the blog lately. But, it is not because I have been a slacker all around. I am really trying to get caught up on this data entry stuff I have to do for work and have had to prioritize my time. So, I have been keeping my journal-just not on here and I have been moving my body-but not as much as I should have been. I really need to get back on track, but I have only 24 hours in a day and something had to give. So, on that note, I may not be as consistent this month with blogging, but that does not mean that I am abandoning ship. I am still on this journey and still working to achieve some goals. As far as my March goals go, I am doing well.

Here is the journal for today:
Breakfast: Granola and yogurt
Lunch: Ak-Mak crackers, Almond butter, apple, Quaker Fiber Bar.
Dinner: Chicken and dumplings. Heavy on the veggies.
Dessert: Yogurt Parfait, 1 point WW bar.

I took a few walks today with my boys when I got home. Luke and I took about a 45 minute walk with me pushing him in his little car and then Cameron and I took a night walk for about 15 minutes and looked at the constellations. I love, love, love time with them one on one. It is so fun to see their personalities when they are not competing with each other for my attention.

So, I say to you 2010, keep bringing it on because I have a beach vacation coming up and you definitely can NOT tuck the fat into a bathingsuit! That is GOOD motivation!

March 5th-the sweet stuff

So, I am going to really try to eliminate sugar in its white form from my diet. This will NOT be easy for me and I don't expect to be successful all of the time, but I am going to try. I also am going to try and decrease my intake of Splenda. They (you know, the committee known as they) say that even the artificial sweeteners make you crave sweets. I think the effect of decreasing sugar will in turn increase my intake of what I should be eating and that will be the real bonus.

Today I had lunch at Whole Foods. LOVE that place. I just feel healthier walking in there. Anyway, I tried these apple chips from Bare Naked. The whole bag-6 servings-was 174 calories. And, you know what, I ate the entire bag over the course of the afternoon. No guilt. So delicious and really crunchy. Made with apples and cinnamon. That is it. Felt like I was indulging in a big bag of chips without the guilt or fat. I will definitely be buying them again. And, I visited their website-"http://www.barefruitsnacks.com/" and they have a ton of fruit that is made WITHOUT ADDED SUGAR! Hello-that is what I am talking about. I love dried fruit, so I am hoping that their other products are just as good. OK, enough of the advertising.

Here is the journal:
Breakfast: Scone and tea.
Lunch: Brown Rice Sushi, apple chips, almond butter and Ak-Mak crackers. DELISH!
Snack: Popcorn
Dinner: Shrimp with Chili Sauce, veggies. Blueberry bar.
Dessert: Couple bites of my mom's chocolate mousse. So good and very little sugar. Makes up for the scone I had for breakfast.

So, any of you trying to decrease your sugar intake? Decrease your intake of high GI foods? I am so excited for summer and lots of fresh produce. It has been sunny here for two days and it is so refreshing to actually get outside! Luke and I went for an hour walk to look for pinecones today. How cute is that?

So, bring on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!

March 4th-a tale of 2 days.

I apologize for not blogging yesterday. I am really trying to get caught up on some work stuff and be productive with my time. Easier said than done with the lure of Facebook, my blog, American Idol, etc. So, I decided that I did not have any brilliant insights yesterday and it would be okay to just wait a day. I have had a good week this week. By getting caught up on my paperwork, I am definitely decreasing the stress level, which, in turn, should help with the weight loss journey. It is not even that I eat when I am stressed-although old Lauren would have-but I think that our bodies just do not run as efficiently when we are stressed, tired, etc. I know that you all understand that. Think back to your college days if you don't remember that feeling of sluggishness. :)

Journal for yesterday:
Breakfast: Granola, skim milk
Lunch: Yogurt, protein bar, hummus, crackers, dried apples. This was eaten over the course of a few hours between clients.
Dinner: 2 slices WW pizza with Weight Watchers cheese and turkey pepperoni.
Dessert: Diet hot chocolate.

Here is the journal for today:
Breakfast: Egg, turkey bacon and cheese sandwich on nine grain bread.
Lunch: Protein bar, yogurt covered raisins. Seriously, I was still full from breakfast.
Dinner: Filet, some shells and veggies.

I went to a jewelry party tonight and managed to not have any wine or snacks. And, these are my girls that I usually drink with, so that was not easy for me to turn down. I just really asked myself if I was hungry-no-and how I would feel if I did have the calories from the wine just because I was in that social setting. Nope, not worth it. A little Diet Coke was just fine. I also did not buy any jewelry because we are really trying to stay on track with our budget and it was just not in the budget for the month. And, you know how those parties are-you almost feel like by walking through the door, you should just hand over your debit card. I just could not do it with a clear conscience tonight. Small sacrifices will pay off in the future I hope! I did see a necklace that let me know the colors I want my house though-all these beachy blues, greens and yellows. I seriously live in the wrong state-10 hours from the nearest beach.

So, bring on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!

March 2nd-holy hamstrings batman!

WOW! I am really surprised that my legs are even holding me up after today. I made it to the gym and ran my 5K and then had to come home and do my Shred with Jillian, also known as Satan...I seriously could barely walk up the stairs to my bedroom to shower. My hamstrings are throbbing. But, I am really proud of myself. It was not easy to get through both things and I did it. I really felt great at the gym running-I think Jillian is making a difference, although I curse her for 20 minutes everyday and Day 2 of Level 2 of the Shred was atleast manageable. I have to admit though that it is a good feeling to be a little sore because of hard work and to be able to sit down at the end of the day and watch The Biggest Loser with absolutely no guilt!

Here is the journal:
Breakfast: Yogurt, blueberries, banana
Snack: yogurt covered raisins
Lunch: brown rice sushi, ak-mak crackers, hummus, apple chips
Dinner: Pork Chop, rotini with broccoli and a light cheese sauce
Dessert: Diet Hot Chocolate.

Total Calories: 1300ish. I did not measure the yogurt raisins, so I am taking an educated guess. That is before counting in the exercise, so I think that I am good for the day. I feel satisfied.

Alright, must continue working on one of my other goals-get caught up on paperwork so that I do not have to do work at night.

So, bring on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!

March 1st-one size does NOT fit all

Today it really hit me that one size does not fit all. I was talking to my friend Chelsea as I walked into Kroger to pick up a few things. I was telling her that I was being tortured as I walked down the Easter candy aisle by all of the chocolate deliciousness that was surrounding me. She told me that candy is not really a temptation for her. WHAT? Seriously? But, then I realized that there are probably things that are not a temptation for me that are for her. For example, donuts. I could take them or leave them. Pretty easy for me to say no too. If someone told me that I could never have another potato chip as long as I lived, I would miss them, but it would not be the end of the world. Now Fritos are another story...

The point is that because there is no one thing that is the almighty temptation for everyone out there, there can NOT, and I repeat, CANNOT be one diet that works for everyone. If there was, that food would just go away as people did not buy it. If there was, there would not be so many diets to choose from. It is why programs like Weight Watchers work-because you get to pick your foods and have what works for you. That is not to say that a program like Nutrisystem doesn't work-some people need to have their meals prepackaged and measured and that works for them. Not for me. Some people do well with appetite suppressants. Make you not hungry. That would not work for me. If it is lunch time and I should eat, I probably will have something, hungry or not. That is just how I roll.

I think that the ONLY way to succeed is to find what works for you. For me, it is definitely this system-journaling, blogging for accountability and exercising. But, that may not work for you. I think, as in all things, you have to be true to yourself to find success. What will work for you is not necessarily what will work for your buddy that you agreed to go on a diet with-the true question is whether you can both modify your plan to succeed and still support each other. I think that the overall themes are the same; we just get through the struggles a little differently.

Here is my journal:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, piece of WW toast
Lunch: Blueberries, yogurt, fiber bar
Snack: Weight Watchers bar, yogurt
Dinner: Taco salad with mixed greens, lean ground beef and taco sauce.
Snack: Yogurt covered raisins, string cheese.

Total Calories: 1297ish.

I also had tennis tonight and the coach ran us like crazy and I did Day 1 of Level 2 of Jillian's 30 day Shred. I am pooped!

But, I am excited that March 1st was a good day. I am excited to see what the month will bring. I am doing well so far on the goals for the month.

So, bring on 2010-the year of trimming the fat because I have determined that YOU CAN'T TUCK THE FAT IN!