Taking The Weekend "Off"

Well, not really off, off...I am still following, loosely, my eating plan, but I am taking the weeked off from things. I have noticed a steady increase in my stress levels these past couple of weeks, and as my stress has increased, my moods have decreased. I think that I have shed more tears in this last week than I have in a very long time.

I spent so much time focusing on what was going wrong in my life, that I was missing the things that were going right.

My kids and my husband need me. I need to be able to focus on them and be positive. I need to be able to focus on my work. (I have a big project coming up...shhh it's secret) I just need to be able to feel like a normal human being...not like the royal screw up and failure that I have been made to feel like I was lately.

Tomorrow is Sunday. My husband is off, and we have some things to get done here at the house. But mostly, I just want to spend it with my family, curled up in bed, watching movies on the laptop.

Next week is a jammed packed on. Meetings Monday and possibly Tuesday. A big day on Wednesday,  just lots going on.

I need a vacation from life. Just for a few days.

It's all Greek to me...

When it comes to losing weight and eating better, I am learning. A lot. I have had pretty poor eating habits for most of my adult life. So, it is kinda like teaching an old dog new tricks.

I don't like change. So, it should be no suprise that the first time I heard to put greek yogurt in my chicken salad in place of mayo, I balked. Yogurt? Are you kidding me??

But, eventually, I did give in. I decided that there had to be something to all the "use yogurt, not mayo" claims I was seeing.

You want to know a secret? It is really good.

Now, I don't like plain yogurt, greek or not. It is too bitter. So I was really hesitant to slather my chicken with the stuff. But, the little voice in my head that said "this whole resisting change thing? This is why you are F.A.T"

I poached a chicken breast with some lemon zest and a bay leaf. It take about 10 minutes. Once it was done, I waited for it to cool enough to handle and shredded it with my fingers. I added some toasted pecans, purple grapes halved, celery, and about 1/2 c of plain, low fat Greek yougurt. You can as much as you want, depending on how moist you like your chicken salad. Then pop it in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to cool.

I also did this with my tuna salad. Use salt free tuna in water (I used two cans so I had enough for leftovers). Add as much (about 1/2 cup) of greek yogurt. Now, I am weird. I diced some onion and olives and added that. Add just a couple packets of Sugar in the Raw and pop it in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, measure out about a cup onto a fresh romanie leaf, serve with some pita chips (Garden of Eatin are just awsome)  and enjoy

Super easy, Semi Homemade Oatmeal Muffins

In light of my recent success at losing some weight...finally...I have decided it was time to get a little creative in the kitchen. I have been following Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolisim plan. I plan my meals (for the most part) each week, and have even gotten to try foods that I more than likely never would have tried before.

Today, I decided to try Oatmeal muffins. Now these are not part of the plan per se, but I have a certain allowance of fat and calories per day that I allow myself, and hey we all deserve a treat now and then.

I call these semi homemade because I didn't make the base...the oatmeal part...I used Jiffy it's 50 cents at Wal-mart. (But get two boxes for 12 muffins) but I did *modify* and add to the recipe to make them my own.

Ingredients:
Two boxes Jiffy Oatmeal Muffin mix
Chocolate Chips (I used 70%  Cacao Ghiridelli Chocolate chips)
2/3 cups Almond milk
2 eggs

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 400
Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with olive oil spray or use liners
Mix all the ingredients together
Fill the cups about 1/2 full
Bake for 13 to 17 minutes

Now, I am sure you are wondering why almond milk? Almond milk is one of my newest addictions (along with almond butter, which I sadly used up while making chocolate almond blondies) It only has about 70 calories and is super smooth and creamy and adds a great flavor. It is awsome in shakes, over cereal or just plain.

In this recipe, you cannot taste the almond milk, but I did notice they were more moist this time!

*I know, I know, I need pictures...I forgot. Next time, I promise!!*

Weigh In Wednesday

Well, it's that time of the week again...Weigh In Wendesday. ( Want to join in? Show support? Hop on over to Fat Girl to Thin to link up)

I wasn't all to hopeful going into this week. I am an emotional eater. And I have been under a tremendous amount of stress this week...so I expected, at the very least, a gain of a pound or so.

*drum roll please* I am DOWN!! I am at 225!! That is 5 pounds from last week!!

I am beyond excited. I have been trying extremely hard to stick to the master your metabolisim plan by Jillian Michaels. It is GREAT! The food is good, and super easy to eat.

I am going to work extra hard this next week. My goal is to weigh 220 pound, for the first time in years, by next week

Wish me luck

Happy Dance!!

I have been pretty down in the dumps lately. This whole weight loss thing, personal stuff, and professional stuff have really thrown me for a loop as of late. It seemed like the entire universe had a vendetta out for me.

Things are slowly turning around. I am doing my best to pick myself up by the "boot straps" and move forward. I have been rearranging my life, and taking things off of my plate that really don't need to be there right now.

I have also been way more aware of what I am eating. (Oh nachos from Burrito Loco how I miss thee) and it has sucked at times. But it has paid off.
I have not yet weighed myself..so I am not sure how much I have actually lost. But for the first time in forever I tried on an XL tee-shirt (you know the ones from the junior section). Usually when I put this shirt on it is way tight, like to the point where it only covers half of my stomach.

So today, I decided that I would try on my shirt that says "Rock On" ( I need a pick me up this morning) and ta-da! It actually FITS. The way it supposed to!!

I was so happy and so proud of myself this morning. What a great way to start my week!

Week-end Wrap Up

This week was my first week back on my "eating plan" I stuck to it...and I was surprised. Really, I have like zero will power it seems.

I have found myself eating foods that I actually enjoy (whole wheat toast and almond butter is one of my favorites.) And I discovered today that I can have dessert. We made Almond Chocolate Blondie Bars. (With whole wheat flour, almond butter, coconut milk, flax seed) I was really hesitant that it would turn out to be actually edible....but I was pleasantly surprised. The kids even liked them.

I had to miss the run today. My ankle is still shot, I knew that if I tried to run it, I would just risk hurting it more. So I passed. I am sad. But still determined to run that marathon in 2011.

I have been working on some new things for this blog, i am really hoping to get it up and going with more followers this week. :-)

It is NOT a diet!

I was talking to a friend today who asked me how my "diet" was going. I cringed. I think she thought it was because I wasn't doing all to well. Well, I have fallen off the wagon. But that is not why I cringed.

I hate the word diet. So many negative perceptions are associated with the word. When you hear the word diet, you think of plates full of nothing more than limp lettuce, boiled chicken, and water.

So, I am not on a diet. Instead, I am following a new eating plan.

My eating plan has me consuming roughly 1200 to 14oo hundred calories a day. Most of it is fresh fruits and veggies and organic. It is not a diet because I am not restricting myself in anyways. In fact, I have two recipes I will be trying out this weekend: One for almond chocolate blondies and one for...fudge brownies. I am eating foods that I love, just prepared a little differently.

I am a huge peanut butter and toast girl. So, I am eating 100% whole grain toast and almond butter. I have a weakness for crunch chips and dip. So I make my own pita chips and black bean dip, hummus, and guacamole. I have substitued my morning coffee for wonderful tea instead.

See? No restrictions. In fact, this way of eating is keeping me fuller longer since I am eating better foods.

I don't see it as a diet. I see it as a healthier, and actually pretty tasty, way of eating.

For the love of Pete!

Yesterday was grocery day. I stocked my fridge with all sorts of yummy healthy things. Fruits and veggies. Organic milk and yogurt. Snacks that are actually GOOD for me.

One of my goals for myself is to start eating organic as much as possible. I am following the Master Your Metabolisim plan from Jillian Michales and part of the plan is to remove as much of the toxic food items from your diet as possible.

While perusing the aisles of Wal-mart, I realized that two of things on my list were no where to be found. Almond butter and Quinoa. After asking a sales associate, who never heard of the things, I realized that I was going to have to go to a "real" grocery store...Read: more expensive.

After depositing the kids at home with my husband I trekked to the local grocery store. I seriously felt like a kid in a candy store when I hit the organic/health/gluten free section. 7 different kinds of hummus dip, Pita chips in 3 flavors, Steel cut oats (which I needed) and there! Sitting right next to it was Quinoa (which I now know is a type of oatmeal/oat/cereal).

I was happy. I was going to bake it into a "crunch" and top my greek yogurt with it in the morning. Then I saw the price. $14.00! For a small bag of what is essentially an oatmeal...no wonder people opt for Mcdonalds.

I did find my almond butter...for $10.00. But I bought it anyways. Let me tell you. That is the best peanut butter I have ever eaten. So worth the $10.00.

Maybe more people would eat healthier if it was affordable. :/

Anyways, day one of my new eating plan is going great. I have stuck to it for the most part, and haven't had any hunger issues.

Maybe this will work after all!

Weigh In Wednesday

It's Weds. And that means weigh in day. I knew the scale wouldn't like me this week. Last week, I ate Mcdonalds once, and Burrito Loco Nachos (with extra sour cream) twice. I also had a few candy bars, and some nutty buddys as well.

What can I say? Last week was rough.

The last time I weighed myself I was sitting around 226. Today...229.

3 pounds.

Which puts me back to my starting weight.

But, I am recommited to losing this weight. My fridge is stocked full of healthy choices. and there is not a candy bar in sight.

Wanna join in?

Hop on over to FatGirl To Thin and join in.

Accountability is a good thing...trust me!

Giving myself permission

I realized today that I have gotten kind of off course when it comes to my weight-loss journey. When things got tough, it was so easy to just resort back to my old ways. Eating fried, fat-laden foods and not giving it a second thought. Downing soda like the world depended on it.

I noticed that as my eating habits nose dived, so did my moods. This past week I have found myself in probably one of the lowest moods that I have ever been in. Sure it is a culmination of a variety of different things, but I have noticed, the crappier I eat, the crappier I feel...direct correlation?

So, this weekend, I have given myself permission to let go of my failures and embrace them as learning experiences. I have accepted that I am not perfect, and that anyone who is even remotely human has days like I have had.

I also have given myself permission to start over.

I am back to square one...and that is ok. I have identified my issues and am working on developing habits to improve them.

i am working on new blog things, working on a Facebook page, and many other exciting things this week.

I am looking forward to starting again...

and succeeding this time.

All Love,
Melissa

Humilation Diet?

I was watching Good Morning America and they had a story on a website called "Tweet What You Eat". Then of course, their expert weighed in on whether a "humiliation diet" was really effective. The general verdict- it depends.

I am currently participating in a weight loss/diet/weigh-in thing over on Fat Girl To Thin. Each week we send in our weights, did we gain or loose? And some of us send in pictures.

Do I view this as a "humiliation" diet? No. And nor did I view "TWYE" as a humilation diet.

As most people battling weight issues now, support is the KEY to being successfull. Accountability goes a LONG way when it comes to shedding those unwanted pounds. Sometimes, we cannot find that accountability factor in real- life. I know that I really don't have a "in the flesh" support group, so the online support has been what has kept me going. Sure, it is kind of embarrassing when it is time to post my weight for the week and it has either stayed the same or gone back up. But, I get support from others who are in the same boat as me. And that is what I am looking for.

The dangers with a site such as TWYE are that sometimes people are not truthful about the calorie count or are engaging in diet habits that may not be healthy. It is REALLY important that when it comes to eating, you consult a nutritionist or dietician FIRST.

But as for the humiliation factor? If it helps me get healthier and feel better- then I am all for it!

New Month-New Perspective

Life is not always easy. Nor is it always fair. Sometimes we have to deal with things that we would rather not deal with. That is where I am. Right now.

But I am learning that I am stronger than I give myself credit for. I am learning that I can't change what has happened, but I can change how I think, and what I do, going forward.

I am ready to meet this new month with a positive outlook. I have taken the option for failure off of the table. The only option is success.

I will succeed.

In 20 days (or is it 18?) I will be running my very first 10k. I am excited. But more nervous. I am not expecting to place very well in this race, but it will be rewarding to atleast finish it.

I am down 5 pounds since starting my "diet" and am pretty dang proud of myself. Especially considering I am an emotional eater, and some of the things that I have had to deal with, would normally cause me to overeat, but I am learning to deal with those triggers.