Day 40

I ate Birthday Cake and it was good!  My dad, Charlene and I went to Birmingham to spend Carly's 18th birthday with her.  It was fun.  And of course after all this time trying to get rid of excess water.....I start flushing water out of my system on the 4 hour drive.  That made for an interesting drive.

I did pretty good other than the cake.  I ate a little bit of the fried onion and a roll at dinner that I shouldn't have eaten, but now I am back on track and doing good today so far.  We are home and things are back to normal. 

I  bought me a new Ipod to listen to while I walk.  I loaded some music and I'm listening to Styx while I am typing.  I may write more later, I'm not sure how the evening will go.  I think I should have a new low weight to post in the morning!!!!  FINALLY!!!  The Ipod has a pedometer on it, so it will be fun to track my steps, miles and calories burned while I walk.

Linda

Day 38

Whew!  It's been a day. I really need to see some progress here.  It's been 3 weeks with no weight loss.  Today I was almost back to my lowest weight but I missed it by 1/2 pound.  Maybe tomorrow, but I won't hold my breath.

I didn't post last night because I worked and was tired when I got home.  I just wasn't up to writting, and don't know that I am tonight. I had an okay day yesterday, but I tried to eat less at lunch and dinner and was hungry when I got home so I ate a salad that I wish I had not eaten.  

I walked 2 miles both yesterday and today. Tonight my feet hurt pretty badly.  I will take some advil so that I can sleep.  My legs still feel swolen from the knee down, and my hands feel tight.

I drank lots of water, I'm not measuring because I HAVE to have ice.  I drank at least 8 glasses of water.  I had only one cup of coffee today. 

Breakfast- Egg salad sandwich

Lunch- Turkey on whole wheat with a little mayo, lettuce, and tomoato

Snack- VitaTops (100 cal)

Dinner- small steak
             Steamed Veggies
             1/4 cup of mashed potatoes
             Salad  (lettuce, tomato, onion w/ one serving of blue cheese dressing)

Snack- sherbert 1/2 cup

Day 36

I still have no drop in weight today. I read online about water retention and it seems I am doing all I can to retain water.  I am not drinking enough water.  I am on a diet, drinking coffee morning and evening, and I am not exercising until recently.  Put all this together and you get water retention.  So now I have a new game plan.  I am walking at least every other day (hopefully everyday), I will only drink one cup of coffee in the morning, and I will drink more water.  I guess we will see what happens over the next week.

I know that God taught me a lot of lessons about patience when we were going through our adoption process.  It was a long, hard process to go through.  Those lesson are helping me now. I know my eating plan is a good one.  I am eating a very healthy balanced diet.  I am not leaving out any of the food groups and I am getting enough fat and non-white carbs without over doing.  I am eating veggies, whole grains, lean meats, fruit (not enough some days) and a little milk.  I am even working in tuna once in awhile.

If I continue and become consistant with my walking, I am sure I will have a good weight loss soon, or at least begin moving down the scale again.  I hope my new friends at TOPS will also help out, and allow me to be a help to them also.

Breakfast - Egg Salad Sandwich on a whole wheat sandwich round

Lunch- Turkey sandwich on whole wheat with a little mayo, lettuce and tomato  (no added salt)

Dinner - Baked Chicken in Jerk Chicken Marinade
              Steamed Veggies (fresh broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
               1/8 cup mashed potatoes

Snack- haven't had one yet but maybe sherbert.

Hanging in there,

Linda

Day 35

Well, I went to TOPS tonight and signed up.  I think it will be good to get involved with other people who are trying to eat right and/or loose weight.  It is a small group of 12 people so it will be like a family.  I gave some of them my blog address and a couple of girls were going to friend me on facebook, it will be nice to have someone to reach out to during the week if I need to and hopefully I can help them too.  This is more like what I had in mind when I started the blog.  So TOPS girls, if you are here welcome!!!

I am still wavering between 11 and 13 lbs lost.  I don't know why I am at a stand still.  It is getting to be depressing but today I have had an amazingly positive attitude about it.  I know that if I stay strong and continue my eating plan, eventually I will start dropping again.  And, I know I am eating healthy which was my goal in the first place, so it should be a win/win.

Charlene is excited about the way she is starting to look and feel.  I can tell by the way she carries herself.  She is much more self confident.  I can tell she feels pretty.  It makes me happy.


Breakfast- 1 cup cereal / dry (every time I decide to eat cereal we are out of milk)

Lunch - Smart Choice Steamer basil chicken

Dinner- Kashi Pizza and salad

Snack- Skinny Cow icecream sandwich/ pickle

I have not been listing my drinks but since I started my eating plan I have only had water, tea, lemonade, or coffee.  (tea and lemonade with splenda)

Day 34

Another day, and I am still here. It has been a pretty good day.  I began walking today and walked 2 miles. I have decided I am going to try going to TOPS (take off pounds sensibly).  It is a support group for weight loss.  It's not expensive, only $26 a year to join and a $5 fee per month.  I have been in the past and lost 50lbs.  It is not a diet program, but rather a support group. Years ago you earned a charm bracelett and charms for weight loss and exercise.  They meet once a week at the library in Braselton, I am going tomorrow night after work.

Breakfast- 1 cup cereal w/milk

Lunch- hamburger patty / salad

Dinner- 3/4 cup whole wheat pasta with meat sauce
             salad
             asparagus

Haven't yet decided if I will eat a snack, it may be sherbert (1/2 cup)

Linda

Day 33

I was back up again today.  It's a little depressing when I am eating so little.  I have to make time to walk. 

Breakfast- 3/4 cup Honey bunches of oats, dry.
                  One slice of whole wheat toast

Lunch- Kashi Chicken Florintine - yuk

Dinner- hamburger on whole wheat sandwich round w/ lettuce and tomoato

Snack- skinny cow ice cream sandwich

Not too many calories but too many carbs today.

Linda

Day 32

I can't wait to see where I will be when I post "Day 365".  Today has been a very nice day.  Geoff and I spent a lot of time together and he has been super sweet.  He said he would start following my blog and he is proud of my effort so far.  While we were talking he said I should find a support group to help out.  I told him that is what the blog is for, but maybe I will look into it.  I guess he is starting to be able to tell a difference in how I am feeling both emotionally and physically.  It meant a lot to me for Geoff to be happy for me.

Geoff and I went to eat dinner and I decided to eat a desert.  I am not calling it cheating because I traded out snacks for it and made a thoughful decision to order the desert.  I don't feel bad about it because I know it is not going to effect my attitude or my long term goal.  I no longer feel that anything is "dangerous" to eat.  I feel under control.

Breakfast - egg sandwich and a pickle

Lunch- Chic-fil-a sandwich on a whole wheat bun

Dinner- Taco Salad with Shredded chicken
              Flan

Linda

Day 31

Day 31 and I've lost a total of 13 lbs.  I guess that will have to do, I was hoping for 20 the first month.  I am feeling much better than I did a month ago.  I am  not nearly as depressed and tired.  Some of my pants are getting loose and I am back in some jeans that I had put in the top of the closet.  My shirts are getting looser again.  Some of them had started getting too small.

I am doing pretty well with my eating.  I bought some Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches and some rainbow sherbert to have for an evening snack instead of the yogurt I've been eating.  Just a switch for a break and to keep things interesting.  I have also found some really good frozen meals with whole grains and low fat to take for my lunch at work.  It's amazing how much better the "healthy" frozen food is than it was a few years ago.

I am very proud to say that I walked past the Girl Scouts selling cookies at Walmart!  Those of you who have been reading my blog know that I LOVE Girl Scout cookies.  I have started many diets at the first  of the year, only to blow it all when the cookies go on sale.  I WILL NOT EAT THEM THIS YEAR....if you have some stay away from me.  LOL  I really am okay with them being on sale; I have resolved in my mind that I will not eat them.

Speaking of resolve, I am totally happy that I am a month in and I have continued to keep my mind "right" to eat healthy.  The blog is helping to keep me focused and to be held accountable, I don't know if any of you are still reading (Elizabeth, I know you are there) but it helps just knowing I am going to account for each day to myself if no one else.

Breakfast-egg sandwich

Lunch-Lean Cuisine Steamers Basil Chicken (270 calories and whole wheat pasta) yummy

Snack- apple/ skinny cow icecream sandwich (140 calories)

Dinner- Buffalo Chicken Salad (Chili's) dressing on the side.

I am not bringing home any more of the spicy asian mix.  I have decided it is un-needed carbs and I can't stay out of it.  So if you are not dieting and you want a really good snack you can find it at publix with the nuts in the product section. 

I am also now stuck on Chick-fil-a's diet lemonade.  I stopped and brought one home after dinner.  They have only water, fresh squeezed lemons, and splenda.  A small has 15 calories, so I am estimating a large has 45 calories.  Ask for a nutrition form and you will find they have a lot of things you can add to a diet menu.

Linda

Day 29

I feel much better today. I was off work and slept in until 11:00.  It was very nice.  I seldom sleep that late, but I really needed to have some quiet time and just rest.  I woke up early, watched a little TV, fell back asleep, and watched a little more TV before getting up.  It was a very nice morning.  I spent the day doing almost nothing and enjoyed it.

Geoff and I had an eye doctor appointment and then ate dinner out at Ruby Tuesday's.  Then I came home and cooked ham biscuits for my brothers.  I did not eat one. 

I am starting to get rid of some of the water I've been retaining since last week, finally. And I feel a lot better.

Breakfast - egg sandwich

Lunch- veggie soup and hamburger patty

Dinner- chicken, broccoli, whole grain rice

snack- yogurt

Linda

Day 28

I am depressed.  I have been at the same weight for over a week and I am getting irritated with myself. It is too soon to be on a "plateu".  My moods are starting to be dictated by my lack of loosing another pound.  I am pressing on and fighting the good fight and hoping for a drop of a couple of lbs.  I am still retaining water.  My feet and legs have been feeling tight and achy.  Lesson learned.  No more drinking (not that I make it a habit anyway), but the drinks I had on Wednesday must have caused the swelling.

I have done really well the past couple of days, being back on my routine is definetly helping me stay focused.  Last evening I cooked spaghetti for my family and I stuck with my soup and salad.  I had some whole wheat pasta, but I didn't want to take a chance right now with that.

I could use a little encouragement right now if anyone is out there.

Breakfast - egg salad sandwich on a whole wheat sandwich round

Lunch- veggie soup (chicken, tomatoes, carrots, okra, onions, butter peas, green beans, squash)

Snack - small apple/ light yogurt

Dinner- Tuna melt on a whole wheat hamburger bun

day 27

No news today.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll see some more progress on the scale.  I'm doing okay but disappointed that I didn't loose any weight last week.  I feel like I wasted my time and was hungry for nothing.  I guess the bliss had to end at some point.  I have lost a total of 11 lbs....same, same, same.

Breakfast - Egg sandwich  (same as usual)

Lunch- Veggie Soup

Snack- Small Apple
             1/2 Cup spicy Asian trail mix

Dinner- Veggie Soup / about a cup of salad w/ blue cheese dressing

Linda

Day 26

Back to work today and back to my regular schedule.  There is a comfort in routine.  I like being home and it certianly makes it easier to stay on my eating plan. I really enjoyed seeing my friends at the managers meeting and catching up with them all, but I was ready to come home about the second day. If I had come home earlier I would have done much better with my meals.

I am back to where I was a week ago.  It's kind of depressing, but at least I didn't gain any real weight back while I was gone.  It was a totally wasted week. 

This morning I was determined to get my eating back to my plan and I did.  I was  good today, but it is easier when I am working because I don't want to snack.  I just don't really think about food when I am at work.  And now that I am dieting, I really eat to stay functional. If I don't eat, I can't think clearly at times.

Breakfast - egg sandwich on a sandwich round

Lunch - Kashi  Sweet and Sour Chicken  (good and filling)

Snack - Apple, and 1/4 cup spicy asian trail mix (85 calories)

Dinner- Hambuger on sandwich round with a small salad w/ blue cheese dressing

It was a pretty good day.
Linda

Day 25

Hello, I'm back from my business trip and ready to get going again.  I have come to a stand still over the last few days because I could not eat on my plan for a few days.  Although I am happy to say that while I was gone I ate very little I shouldn't have.  There was candy in front of me all day every day and I didn't eat one piece.  I did however eat a piece of Birthday cake on day 3.  Birthday cake is a weakness for me!  I love it so much.  I asked for a small inside piece so there was not much frosting.  I had a few drinks the last night there too.  I gave away all my drink tickets the first day so that I wouldn't drink.  Then I ended up having a margarita one night and a few drinks at the awards dinner party.  Fail, but fun? Does that cancel  out? 

I also ate some potatoes at dinner and half of a whole wheat bagle at breakfast each morning.  The carbs caused me to retain water.  I am planing to make some soup for my lunches next week so that I will be going back to week 1 pretty much to get things moving again.  Not a bad week, but certianly not a good week.  I am up about 2 lbs, but I am sure it is water retention, so I am not terribly worried about it. 

Okay, I fessed up.  I wasn't looking forward to writing this post, but there it is.  Now to get back on track and eat on my original plan, and start walking TODAY!

Day 20

I made it though my travel day.  It was a strange day, but I went to bed hungry so I must have done alright. There wasn't much at the SuperBowl Party I could really eat on my diet.  I ate 2 chicken wing (without the skin or crust) with some carrots and celery, and the cold cuts off of my sandwich.  I avoided the desert table for day one, so I am happy about that.  We'll see how the rest of the meeting goes.  I am going out to eat dinner with some of the managers tonight so I should be able to find something other than salad to eat.  I would really like some solid food.  Chicken sounds good to me right now.

I will write more tomorrow.  It's a little difficult to blog in the media center.  No privacy. 

But all in all, so far so good.

Linda

Is it Day 18?

Hi all, if you are there.  I don't really feel like writting now, but since I am going away tomorrow for a few days I really should.  I was down 11 lbs. this morning!  Woot!  I have done well with my eating today. But as you will see, I am still skipping fruits and veggies during the day.  I seem to be keeping a good attitude.

I went to Walmart with Geoff today thinking we would get some lunch.  When we got there and I asked if he was hungry he said, "no, I already ate lunch."  I guess I was out of luck.  I almost got too hungry before we were done shopping.  I was wanting to eat everything in sight, but don't worry!  I didn't.

We went to Chick-fil-a and I got a diet lemonade and a chicken wrap.  All is well that ends well I guess.

I'll be out of town until Thursday afternoon.  I will do the best I can to stay on my eating plan. I may have to make a couple of adjustments, but I believe I can do it.  The goal is to come home at a lower weight than when I leave.

Breakfast -  2 eggs scrambled with turkey sausage in a whole wheat tortilla with salsa (I only ate 3/4)
                    coffee

Lunch- 1/2 Chicken Ceasar Wrap from Chick-fil-a
             diet lemonade

Dinner - Taco salad (homemade with lean and rinsed ground beef)
               diet lemonade

no snacks so far but I may eat a yogurt before bed tonight

Linda

Day 17

Hello all, welcome back.  Today was a good day.  I think I will begin posting my meals each day.  It will help me later if I need to know what I did during a good weight loss week or a slow week.  Also it might help one of you to plan meals if you are trying to loose weight also.

I am doing something lately that I am afraid will become dangerous.  I am not loosing as fast as I was in the beginning and that is expected.  But I find myself trying to leave off parts of my meal, or do without my snacks.  I feel like I might loose weight a little faster this way, but I run a larger risk of getting "out of control" and eating things I shouldn't eat.  I need to try to be more deligent about eating according to  my plan.

I have decided I am going to make soup again after my trip.  It is easy to pack and take to work and I get my veggies in every day.  I am going to be out of town for a few days next week.  I leave on Sunday morning and get back on Thursday afternoon.  I will have a limited choice of foods and will need to choose wisely.  My plan is to weigh when I leave and try to come back at least a pound down.  Wish me luck!

Breakfast- Kashi Berry Crunch 1 cup with 2% milk  ( I only ate half of it)

Lunch- Smart Choice meal  Sweet and Sour Chicken with whole grain rice and broccoli

Dinner - Loco's House Salad with steak strips and blue cheese dressing

No Snacks  :(

Have a great night,

Linda

Day 16

I really don't have anything to post tonight.  It was a very quiet day.  I worked second shift, so I didn't eat much this evening.  I'll just post my meals.

Breakfast - 1 egg on a whole wheat sandwich thin

Lunch - veggie burger with lettuce and tomato and lightly spread mayo
             Whole wheat sandwich thin

Supper- Lean Cuisine meal  280 calories

Snack - Yogurt
              Pickle



That is all for today.  Have a good night.

Linda

Day 15

I have had an emotional day.  I seem to carry the problems of the people I care about and my brother who has had a rough year, had some bad news today.  I turned to food for comfort, but......I did not eat the food.  I just fed him!  We went for mexican at lunch and I ate a taco salad with shredded chicken.  I took half the sour cream and guacamole off , and added lots of salsa.  I watched him eat the chips and cheese dip and I didn't eat even one.  I wanted to, but once I made the decision not to eat it, I was okay with it. 

For dinner I had a Kashi veggie pizza.  It was very yummy.  I wasn't sure it would be.  It had broccoli on it and although I love broccoli, I wouldn't think about it being good on a pizza.  I was wrong.  Charlene even liked it.  Also, more good news, I ate the pizza after cooking salmon patties, biscuits, and gravy for Mike and Dad.  I really wanted to eat that too but I only tasted a tad of the gravy to see if I had seasoned it correctly. 

So....it was a good day.  Emotional, but good.  My brother loves me, I was able to be here for him and hopefully make a difference in his day.  And I stayed on my diet!  Woot!

Oh, and for breakfast I had a cup of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal.  The was my first cereal since I started my new eating plan and I dont' know how I feel about it.  The calories are okay, and the carbs didn't send me through a spike and crash cycle and cause me to get hungry.  I'll see what the scale says in the morning before I decide to eat cereal again, but I did buy some Kashi cereals for Charlene.  (who has lost 12 lbs and I am very happy for her and proud of her).

Oh and one other thing I am happy about tonight.  I have found out that there are people reading my blog who I don't know about....welcome Runelle!  It really makes me happy to know people are out there cheering me on and just so all of you know...you were there at the table with me today when I didn't eat the chips and queso, and when I didn't eat the biscuits!  The blog is definetly helping me stay on course.

Have a great night, say a prayer for my family, and God bless you all.

Linda

Day 14

Wow, I guess this concludes the first 2 weeks of my new eating plan.  I am down 9 lbs and doing really well.  I feel better.  I have more energy. And, my clothes are fitting better.  I can tell in small ways that I have lost weight.  I am sure it is not noticeable to anyone yet.  I will probably need to loose more like 25 to 30 lbs for people to start noticing in a real way.

I thought of something I really wanted to write in the blog as I was going to sleep last night.  I always replay the day in my head just before I go to sleep. I don't remember what it was.  I do however want to talk about how I weigh myself each day.  The official weight for each day is in the morning with my gown.  Before I have eaten or drank anything for the day.  Now that my first two weeks are over.  I will begin posting my loss once a week.  It can be a surprise for you to look forward to.

Today I ate the following:

Egg salad on a sandwich thin
Smart Choice frozen dinner 280 calories
Apple
Chicken salad on a sandwich thin and a tossed salad
yogurt

It was a good day.  I was not hungry.

Night all,

Linda