Choices, choices ???...

Today I was faces with a couple of choices I wasn't prepared for. I had to go back into town this after noon to take my son to a meeting. He was going to be served dinner but, the rest of us that were hanging around till he was done were not getting dinner and I did not pack anything to take with us. So......as you may have guessed that leaves eating out! I was feeling really cheep and not wanting everyone to load up on fast food so we went to Taco Bell. They got two things each from the value menu ($.99 & under) and I got one thing and a side of lettuce. Well, I chose a small nacho that was new on the menu.......bad choice! it was loaded with calories, fat and sodium! I would have been better off just having a regular burrito or even better yet, calorie wise, a taco. I was not prepared and was not thinking when I ordered it.......and to top it off it wasn't even that good! As the evening went on we attended the missionary report meeting and when it was all over guess what.......all my kids are hungry again, of course! I did not want to go home and cook at 9:30pm so once again.......fast food! This time they wanted McDonalds and I said "O.k......one thing from the....you guessed it....value menu! " They all chose a chicken sandwich without mayo and I chose a yogurt fruit parfait. This turned out to be the better of the two things I was thinking of choosing, the other one was the grilled shicken snack wrap. I looked these up and was shocked at the sodium content of the snack wrap..... 800 mg!!!! in that little thing!!!
The yogurt parfait had only 160 calories and 85mg of sodium. :)


So, after all this I made a bad choice at Taco Bell and a good one at McDonalds. Calorie count was still within my days count but I think I could have made a better choice at Taco Bell.

Because I retain so much water I have been looking at the sodium content of foods a bit closer and not just the calories and fat.

It's a new Spring Day...

It is a rainy spring day but a good day! I have been really discouraged with myself. Since my birthday I have been having a gain every week. I got off track with all the "birthday celebrating" after my birthday. Everyone wanted to take me out to eat and I did it and I planned on eating healthy but ......one thing led to another and then a really huge cream puff took over my brain and I don't remember much after that!
Now it is a new month and I had a loss this week. One pound but, I think I am headed back in the right direction.

Wonderful Birthday....

I had a wonderful Birthday! I slept in for and hour or so in the morning. When I got out of the shower the kids were all doing their school work and the house was quiet and in order......wow....things always go a bit better when Dad is home and no one was expecting it. My hubby took me into town for lunch.....we went to Mucho Gusto's. This was a great little Mexican restaraunt and the food was sooooo good. I got a tostada and a strawberry mango smoothie. The smoothie wasn't much of a smoothie it was more like a slushy.......no fruit in it at all.....but it was good. We ate outside and both of us had a nice lunch......we hope to go back there sometime. After lunch he took me shopping....I got some much needed new makeup and some jeans that fit and aren't falling off of me.
The kids were all glad to see me when we got back they all had things for me. My oldest son(15) that is still home made me a nice card with a poem in it about how much he loves me. I cried. :) My youngest son(13) made me a card with a coupon for house work help next time I am too tired. And he made me a large coupon for a lunch date. My daughter(8) made me a necklace and earrings and gave me some dark chocolates and a beautiful card she made....she is very creative like me!
After all that we were off to the TEST! I was really nervous to start but it went really well....I had a great testing partner. It was very physically challenging as usual but I didn't get hurt and I think I did well. I will get official results on Monday. When we got home we had ice cream to celebrate my birthday....no cake just ice cream with a piece of waffle cone on it and whipped cream on top. Yummmmmmy! I had 2 big scoops!
I did great on my eating and felt really good yesterday, and drank lots of water! Today I did not do as good....it's never good when you get so busy you forget to eat and then you think you're starving. And I had ice cream again today!

Weigh-in Day...

Weigh-in day today.......I didn't want to weigh today because I have been so depressed about retaining water. Well, I did it and I was very shocked! I lost .6 of a pound. Not a big loss by any means but, certainly not a gain!!!
I so appreciated the comment left by Connie. She has helped me to remember to rejoice in any amount of loss. She is right....I may not be down to what I wanted by my birthday but I am down 32 pounds since last year at this time. Last year at this time I wasn't even thinking that losing weight was ever going to be in my future...I was feeling like I was stuck at where I was and I was never going to make any progress. Then something happened in me around May and I decided I was worth giving it a try.....and here I am down 32 pound so far! Connie thank you for helping me to see the positive side of things!!
So about tomorrow....it's my birthday and I had planned on taking it easy till the evening when I have my test....maybe practicing a bit at home first, but not doing much. Well, my husband just told me he took the day off and was planning on taking me out to lunch (since we can't go to dinner because I will be testing at that time and don't want to eat much before it).....I wonder where to go??....where would be fun for me???.......where would be healthy for me???? I don't know....it makes me nervous.
Hoping to have fun tomorrow and not be too uptight. (I am a bit tonight)
Hope everyone is having a great week!!

HYC check in

I have been getting in more exercise this week. Everyday I have been trying to do something......mostly walking when I hurt so much but I did do 90 minutes at class on Monday, not my best but I was practicing. I have a test this Friday and need to be at my best for it. I am pretty nervous about it because it is at 8:30 pm and I am used to doing class at 10:00 am. There is a big difference in how I feel at these times of the day. I am praying to be in good physical condition at 8:30 Friday night. Oh....and I didn't mention.....it is also my birthday Friday.....what a fun birthday to be looking forward to. Well, I guess I won't be over eating on my birthday or I won't be able to move. I think I will drink some coffee though before I go. I survived the last one and it was at 7:30 p.m. and I really had a great time and it was the most challenging for me so far. This test is a significant one and very important to me. I was put on the spot Monday in class and I blew it! I have to be better on Friday.

I have been drinking a lot of water but I am still retaining fluids more than usual. I am drinking a half gallon of measured water...is that enough?? I'm not sure? What else makes you retain water? I never use table salt to salt things and I stay away from fast food most of the time and processed foods. Do carbs and sugar make you retain water? I have had a weakness to sweets lately. I had a fruit filled danish last night and a half of a truffle. I had planned on doing the hot tea thing when I was wanting something late at night but I forgot and messed up the plan. And speaking of last night...I really messed up on my food intake too. I did good all day and then when I got home my hubby had to work on the electricity to fix a switch. Well, I got really hungry and could not fix dinner yet so I got a couple of wheat thins....then a couple more and some cheese to go with them....and then some more cheese and a few more wheat thins and a small glass of mango juice. All in all I ate about 2 ounces of cheese and about 20 wheat thins and 4oz of mango juice over a couple of hours time. That in it's self could have been ok for dinner but it was just a snack and then we ended up eating pizza at 9:30 pm. I had 2 pieces of pizza and a hand full of baby carrots. Then after that is when I ended up eating the danish. I could have made better choices first of all with the snack and then I was not prepared for the electricity to be out most of the evening.

Things will be better today and I will move past my bad choices and not dwell on them but, I do need to work on being prepared or at least be able to improvise without blowing it. Think healthy...what will be a good choice for me??? Think, think, think before I eat!

I have been laking motivation and really pressuring myself.....which backfires everytime!!! I wanted to be down 40 lbs down by my birthday this week and that is not happening!

Hope everyone is doing good this week!

Today was a challenge for me. I hurt all over and my reaction to it is to want to eat to "ease the pain"......comfort eat! I know in my head that it doesn't work that way but my body is telling me different. I didn't cave in too much...I did have coffee and a doughnut after a healthy low calorie lunch though. I did not get in any exercise today....I could barely move. I hope tomorrow will be better.
I have just begun this journey to healthy living and have so far to go....

Weigh-in Day...

I'm feeling a bit better today and not so bloated. I have been drinking more water and getting some exercise. I worked out for an hour on Wednesday and was going to do more but, I got too tired and never went back on the floor after getting a drink. I took a 30 minute walk today with my dog.....she about pulled me over a couple of times.

I can't believe it...I got on the scale today after seriously considering skipping weigh-in today....because of the bloating. Well, I stayed the same......I thought I was going to gain soooo much this week. February has been a really bad month for me. Every time I think I am going to get busy losing weight by a certain date (a couple I had set in my mind for March) I really do bad!! I think it is the pressure I put on myself or something.....it's a never ending battle in myself. Maybe if I just go back to my original plan of just losing 5 lbs. at a time with no time limit. Maybe that would get me back on a losing track!?! I'm stuck and getting frustrated with myself. I need a pick-me-up!

from good to BAD...

Friday was such a good day. Saturday I felt terrible all day and felt like I could not get enough to eat. I had a headache all day and hurt everywhere... nothing helped. Sunday came too quickly! I napped after church. On Monday I woke up my feet did not fit in my shoes!!! I can't even make a fist with my hands.....I am retaining so much water!!!! I do not even want to attempt to get on the scale. My week was going so good but then I let things get outta whack and here I am all puffy. Trying to drink lots of water and eat healthy things (having a hard time keeping to it though). I need a pick-me-up!!

I did have something interesting to share.....I did something I never thought I would ever do this last week.....I worked at and attended a ROCK Concert......a CHRISTIAN ROCK CONCERT!!! It was exciting!!!
What have you done lately that is exciting and different??



These guys are reaching the youth of our nation with their music and a word from God!

good Friday...

I had a great day today! I got up and exercised for 45 minutes to start my day. I drank water and made mostly healthy food choices....I did eat an oatmeal raisin cookie when I was really hungry today....it was the only thing I could find in the car to eat and I hadn't eaten in 4 hours. I do feel good about it though because I didn't stop at a fast food drive in on my way home and it did have grains and fruit in it.....no chocolate.

I took my kids to a movie and then to get one of them their driving permit and the other one to get a haircut. My youngest had a party to go to but it got cancelled. We had a fun day though. I took my son to get a haircut at the mall...my sister works there. So, while we were waiting for his "cool orange streak" to get colored she trimmed my hair and curled it for me.....bouncy curls. :)
(check out the picture.....the curls are starting to loose their bounce by the time I took the picture)

Weigh-in Day...

I gained .2 of a pound this week. Not a big gain but, the third gain in a row! I haven't been as dedicated lately to making healthy choices, I have been letting the busyness of life get in the way. I am going to focus on me more and do things to take care of me in the middle of this busyness of life. That is one of my goals...to take care of me, I deserve it.

I found myself indulging a bit too much and too often in things I used to do like...eating chips....eating cookies and candy and coffee cake this week. When I checked into the HYC on tuesday it really helped me get back on track and to realize what I was doing was not good.

I deserve the gain that I had this week and hope to have a loss next week! I have already boosted up my activity.

I hope everyone is doing good this week and if not now is a good time to turn it around...don't wait till the next meal or tomorrow...start now! :)

what do I say ????......

I checked into the HYC last night....it is so good to see all the people working so hard on being healthy. I have not given up, I have just been extremely busy. I thought I would have more time to post after the holidays and being sick but I guess I was wrong. I miss being on here....blogging has helped to keep me accountable and to give me inspiration and motivation. I have been lacking in both of these since I have not been on here as much.

In the last week I have had 4 people notice that I have lost some weight. This is always a hard subject for me because I have tried to not let people know that I am trying to eat healthy. This was purely a personal decision based on my past with family and friends trying to tell me what I should and shouldn't eat and with people telling me what I can and can't eat instead of just leaving it up to me. I have had much better success doing it this way because if I want to have a piece of cake or some pizza I can choose to have it and not have others telling me "you can't eat that....you're on a diet!!" (like I didn't know). Now those people are starting to notice that I have lost some weight and I'm not prepared with what to say to them. Most of the time I have been able to just put them off and say things like "oh, no I don't know what you are talking about but thank you anyway" when they ask if I've been loosing weight. I don't want to lie but I need to have the power to make my own choices. It is getting harder because people are no longer asking but plain out noticing and saying things like "you have lost alot of weight...you look good" well, how do I respond?? I told someone this week "you just haven't seen me in a while".......I am at a loss for words.....I know I can't keep it a secret as I continue to lose but what do I say???

I haven't been as motivated lately. I have not been making as good of choices this week and I have not been exercising this week either. I worked all week for our church garage sale unpacking and organizing things for about 5 hours a day. I don't have a job outside of my home so this was quite different for me and it really opened my eyes to how you have to be prepared with your food so you can have healthy things around you. It gave me a new respect for those of you that are at work all day. I said I didn't exercise but I was moving all day while I was unpacking and organizing items for the sale, and cleaning up. Oh, and I guess I did go to class once last week on Wednesday.....I forgot about that.

All the compliments that I have gotten this week really make me want to work harder. I hope I can make use of this new motivation!!

Wow, it's been awhile...

I can't believe it has been soooo long since I've posted. I have not given up on myself or any of you, I have just been busy with Christmas, then I got really sick on Christmas day I could not even talk and spent the day sleeping. I recovered from that and then got something else right after and was sick for another week. Well, I'm all better now.....mostly, a cough here and there but, mostly better.

I have been doing my weigh-ins and as you can see they have been all over the place. I have been trying to make healthy choices still. I did get a bit overwhelmed with food at the holidays but I was still in control of my choices....some good...... some not so good! But I never felt bad about the choices I made. I allowed myself to eat things I wanted and then moved on without over doing the bad foods...just had to have a bit to get the urge out of my brain. That way I don't feel deprived and then really overdue the unhealthy foods. I even had some of the nacho chips and cream cheese that I talked about being a bad habit that I have dropped. I had some, and it was good but, I didn't eat the amount that I used to and I don't feel the need to have it all the time now. My feelings about food are changing....I can tell.

I lost 2.8 lbs. this week.....by the way I got a new digital scale, it is much easier to get my weight with this one. I'm not used to the tenths of a pound yet, I'm so used to whole numbers or guessing halves. I also got a new badge a couple of weeks ago if you didn't notice. I added the 30 pounds lost badge by the end of the year....I was so excited......then the next week I gained and put me back up but now I am back down and planning on going down even more this year!

I have been getting in some activity and doing class 2 days a week. My biggest struggle is getting in my water and eating enough veggies and eating more throughout the day, not skipping meals (then I get really hungry and want to eat everything).

One of my goals is to give myself more time to get on my blog.....me time....this is what helps me....all of you that inspire me!