Day 76 - NSV

I've had a couple of non-scale victories before, but I am even more excited about the one that happened today. I have a wedding to go to tomorrow and I went to Torrid today to buy an outfit. (I am a strictly tshirt and jeans girl) So, I go and pick out a couple of things and go to try them on. Then....they were all tooooooooo big!!! I was like what?!?! So the sales associate went and got smaller shirts and handed them to me. Then I tried them on and they fit #gasp! I am so excited!!! I got an awesome(and pretty I might add) outfit and a boost to my weight loss motivation too! WHOO HOO! So yeah, shortest blog ever, but I had to share the awesome news!!! :-D 

 

*Originally posted on 3-16-2012

Day 71 - Newer Me VS My Old Jeans

I cannot believe I am at 71 days! :-) It has gone by so fast. I've had a minor set back, but I am not letting that break my stride. Well, it sorta does, but not mentally, lol. I was putting my nephew in his car seat on Friday and ended up having a muscle spasm in my back pinching a nerve at the same time. I could barely walk that day and now I am getting around, but I can't stand for too long or it hurts really bad. I can feel the other muscles in my back straining to make up for those that can't handle it right now. I know it's getting better slowly but surely right now. 

In good news last saturday I weighed in at 307lbs. Yesterday, I weighed at 304.4lbs!!! I am so close to the 2's and am getting anxious to get there, but I know that it will happen soon enough. I took a photo of myself with my old jeans in front of me and you can definitely tell the difference. 

Me and my old pants: 

Day 66 - Bittersweet

Yesterday was a very bittersweet day. My dad, who passed away on May 13, 2009, would have turned 60 years old. I still miss my dad like crazy every day. Three weeks before my dad died, my brothers and I took him to the emergency room. His blood tests at the doctor's office that day came back and showed he was in danger of possibly bleeding to death if he accidently cut himself. After more testing at the hospital in the next few days we found out that my father was in stage four liver cancer (a blow as he had just beat colon cancer four years earlier) and was so weak that he was not going to be able to make it. The day he died changed my life and I'm sure I'll never be the same. But I know that I'll be stronger because of it. 

Towards the end of his life my dad (a heavy set man for most of his adult life) started eating healthy. He went from close to 400lbs to 200lbs. He never got an accurate weigh in at doctor's visits when he was his heaviest. He couldn't really do much exercise because his back and knees were in terrible condition because of his weight. 

But when I really think about it my true motivator for healthy eating is my dad. He was able to change his weight even when he couldn't exercise just by eating better. I have his will power and his stubborness (is that a word?) and I wouldn't change it for anything. 

Yesterday I had the urge to do something I have never done... ride my bike to my brother and sister-in-law's house. Probably because I wanted to keep my mind off the fact that it was my dad's birthday and I couldn't celebrate it with him coupled with it was a gorgeous day weather wise. 

So I started off riding my bike towards their house. Then I got to a road that had no sidewalks. Because I have no balance and am afraid of riding my bike on the road (I usually yell at the bike riders that ride on the road, from within my car of course and they can't hear me, lol and I get over to a different lane to be sure that I won't hit them.) and I started walking. Well I thought I could take a shortcut, but that didn't work, and went a different way taking me even longer (great for the exercise). So 1 hour and 21 minutes later, I finally reached their house a tired and sweaty girl. I mapped my route on SP and found that I walked/rode a total of 3.41 miles! 

I didn't map it out before because I knew I would chicken out if I did. But it was great feeling to be able to walk/ride that far! I felt I celebrated my dad's birthday in a great way to him and to myself. 

And on another note I'm down to 307.6lbs!!!! 

Here's to my dad! A good man who was taken from us too soon! 
 

The route I took! 

Day 60 - Water

60 Days!!!! 2 full months of being on a journey for a healthier me!!!! Whoo! I am still so excited to see where this will lead me as I continue down this road. Lately I have been having some trouble with drinking enough water. It's the only type of liquid I consume, I haven't even been drinking Vitamin Water Zero lately, just water, but I know I'm still not getting enough. Normally I wouldn't have to force myself to drink it, but now I have to make sure I do. So the water thing is reminding me of day 1 again and forcing me to drink water again..... 

So here's to drinking......water! And more of it! 

Day 56 - Chili Recipe!

I was watching the Food Network, which is never a good idea, lol, but they were making chili and of course it made me hungry for chili. I've made chili in the past, but I decided to make it a healthy one this time. Here's the recipe: 

 

Minutes to Prepare: 10 
Minutes to Cook: 40 
Number of Servings: 8 

Tips 
Let the chili sit for five minutes after cooking, and be careful when eating, it will be hot! 


Ingredients 

1lb Ground Turkey Breast 93% Fat Free 
1/4 Medium Onion 
2t Minced Garlic 
2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1c Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth 
1 6oz can Tomato Paste 
1c No Salt Added Tomato Sauce 
1 15oz can Peeled Whole Tomatoes No Salt Added 
1T Dried Parsley Flakes 
1T Dried Oregano Leaves 
4T Chili Powder 
1 Small Pinch Cinnamon 
1 Small Pinch Unsweetened Cocoa Powder 
1t Salt
1t Black Pepper

Directions 
Put the olive oil in a pot to start heating. 
Finely chop the onion and place it and the garlic in the pot along with the ground turkey. Let it brown and fully cook. 
Once the meat is done add the juice from the whole tomato and then individually smash each tomato in your hand into the pot. 
Then add the chicken broth, tomato paste, tomato sauce, parsley flakes, oregano leaves, chili powder, cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt and black pepper. 
Mix together thoroughly and let the chili simmer at a medium low heat for 30 minutes. 


Serve with crackers and/or cheese and enjoy! :-) 
Serving Size: Makes 8 1-Cup Servings 
Number of Servings: 8 


It was super yummy and I was surprised by the taste. :-) But in other news I've lost a total of 34.8lbs since Jan. 1, 2012! I'm officially down to 310.2lbs. It's getting there slowly but surely!


For nutrition facts check out the recipe here.

Day 54 - Discouraged No More!

I feel so discouraged today. I am still eating within my calorie range which is from 1700-2050, and I've actually lowered it from the one SparkPeople gave me since I've been losing weight. However, I gained a pound! I know, I know, it's one pound and I really shouldn't be making a big deal out of this, but I am on the road to a fitter me. That one extra pound I gained back feels like I'm driving in reverse and picked it up after I've already kicked it out of the car. 

Today I drive forward and I will be kicking it back out of the car! I know I can do this! I've been through losing 33lbs already and I know it's possible! 

I haven't been exercising every day like I should and I haven't been going to the gym either. I used the excuse of letting my tattoos heal, but I know in the end that was really just another excuse to not work out. My gym buddy has been busy and I feel really intimidated going to the gym alone. But no more! Today I AM going to the gym, alone or with my gym buddy! No more excuses! After going to the gym a couple of weeks ago and losing the 4lbs in 2 days I should have known to keep going. BUT that's okay, because I'm still fighting and I WILL lose this extra pound that crept back AND many more pounds to come!

Day 50!

Day 50 is here and I'm still doing this!!!! I'm still super excited because I'm still eating right and exercising, and I've only really cheated once since I started and that was at the beginning. 

Friday I had a jewelry party to go to for my sister in law and I wanted to look nice.

Previously when I went clothes shopping, I had to shop at Woman Within online. They were one of the only places online really that I knew about to shop. But since I've lost a total of 33lbs now (officially at 312lbs!!!!) I am able to shop at places like Torrid and Lane Bryant. So I can actually go into the store and try on clothes and not look dumb when they don't fit. So before when I shopped on line I would get a size 34 in jeans, and Friday when I went shopping I found that I am down to a size 26! Of course right now that is still not enough for me, I eventually want to fit in normal sized clothing!! But I am incredibly excited that I was able to shop in a store rather than online for once in a long, long time! I also got a few new shirts and am down to a 4X in shirts rather than the 6X I was in. 

Things are definitely looking up in my weight loss journey and I cannot wait for more milestones to cross. :-) 

*Original Post Date 02-19-2012