Wouldn't it be nice...

...if all food was low calorie, low fat, and tasted fantastic? It's so unfair.

I open the cabinet and a bag of sour cream & onion potato chips literally fell on me. There is something in a bag in the fridge so I opened it up to figure out what it could be. Ice cream. Plain vanilla ice cream. Nothing has sounded so good. And conversation heart candies? Why do they suddenly seem like the most delectable treat known to man? Maybe because there are 6 boxes on my kitchen table? Ugh.

Although I have *mostly* avoided the junk being thrown in my face, I haven't steered clear completely. It's hard. And I hate it. And I'm kind of dreading the scale this week.

What are your food weaknesses? Or are you like me and when craving something sweet or salty or just plain bad, average or even not so good things suddenly seem like the only possible thing that could satisfy you?

Stepping on the Scale: Week 2

This was a rough week. Even though I had my menu planned out, it was nearly impossible to stick to it. My baby turned 1 and planning his party (and all of the leftover food) really took it's toll on me.

I didn't track my calories a couple of days, I had a cupcake among other snacks, I didn't get enough sleep, and I definitely didn't exercise.

Starting weight: 181 lbs
Last week's weight: 175 lbs
Today's weight: 174 lbs
Weight loss this week: 1 lb
Total weight loss: 7 lbs

Stepping on the Scale: Week 1

Starting weight: 181 lbs
Today's weight: 175 lbs
Weight loss this week: 6 lbs
Total weight loss: 6 lbs

Woohoo!! I am stoked to have my dedication to eating well this week pay off. Those 6 lbs are motivation all on their own.

It's All About Planning

Planning meals. Planning time to exercise. Planning to get enough sleep.

So much of losing weight and keeping it off relies on planning. I suck at planning. It's the truth. I'm a procrastinator and a wing it kind of girl. While I really am looking forward to a slimmer, healthier me, I'm also hoping that this journey also helps me grow into someone who does things when and how they are supposed to be done.

Before I made my grocery list this week, I made a dinner menu. I scoured sparkpeople.com and the WeightWatchers One Pot Cookbook my husband brought home from the library for me. I was in search of low calorie, easy meals that we could both enjoy.

My dinner menu for the week:

Monday - Slow cooker french dip sandwiches, green beans (Not the best choice, but the frozen pot roast had to be used! I only had one small sandwich and went light on the cheese.)
Tuesday - Tilapia, brown rice, zucchini
Wednesday - Reuben Casserole (WW One Pot Cookbook), salad
Thursday - Vegetarian chili (sparkrecipes.com)
Friday - Slow cooker French Country-style chicken stew (WW One Pot Cookbook), brown rice

Breakfasts and lunches are much easier. I don't vary them much (oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, fruit, frozen meals, light sandwiches, and/or salads).

Tracking my calorie intake on a daily basis is key as well. I have done it everyday and have pretty much stayed within my calorie range give or take a few calories.

For the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to stepping on the scale tomorrow morning.

Day 4

Days 1, 2, & 3 were a breeze. Day 4 was a bit of a struggle. Today is my mom's birthday and yesterday I took her out to lunch to celebrate. I can honestly say that the regular menu wasn't a problem. I went directly to the salads and picked a spinach salad with grilled shrimp. It was delicious and filling and I felt good about it.

But then that dessert menu was screaming at me. We were at Applebee's. Have you had the Blondie? OMG. It is possibly one of the best dessert items ever created on any chain restaurant menu. Seriously. I'm salivating just typing about it.

I skipped it. Somehow, I pulled my willpower out of my back pocket and slapped that menu away. We paid the bill and went on our way.

After dinner last night, I had a yogurt I had thrown in the freezer for dessert. I thought I would be let down by the yogurt while I thought about the blondie. Not even a little bit. It was perfect. Cold & creamy & sweet. Just what I needed. (Note to self: Add lots of yogurt to the grocery list.)

Today, Day 5, is going to be a good day.

Chunky Monkey, Redux

I'm starting over. The blog. The weigh ins. My attitude. All of it. When I started the first attempt at this blog, I was about 3/4 of the way through a weight loss contest. I was the moderator and, for some reason, that took the intensity level way down for me. I think I subconsciously felt that I couldn't do too well because if I happened to win, it would look fishy. That's silly, I know.

This time, I'm not in charge. I'm in it to win it. Or at least come in 2nd or 3rd...all cash prizes. :)

The new beginning should start with a weigh in, right?

Of course, I was so excited to buy a new scale for this competition. Unfortunately, that sucker just proved to me that I can no longer live in the dream land my old scale provided me. It was only off by a few pounds, but we all know every darn pound counts, right?


Stepping on the Scale: Starting Weight, Redux

Starting weight: 181.0


And so it begins...again.