Some THINGS That I've Done From 11/09 - 4/10

Come along with me on my journey of discovery.......it began during the HOLIDAY SEASON

THANKSGIVING 2009

Chocolate Pecan Pie 

LOTS of  WHIPPED CREAM

NOVEMBER 2009

I weighed about 180 here. At this time I was eating what ever I wanted. My sister said at one point I thought you wanted to lose weight. As most people I didn't want to here that. even if I did want to lose weight I wasn't ready to at that point. I have come to realize when you are ready you are ready!

December 2009

We took a trip to Ohio where I am from......I was never so sick in my life. I had a horrible sinus infection that came around Thanksgiving and was still with me till January. I knew I needed to make some changes in my diet. Even though I knew that I just kept eating the "holiday treats". I noticed that  there seemed to be special occasions  ALL the TIME.  Everything seems to revolve around food. Food and desserts are what added to my "happiness" right?  Well......I am going to a birthday party.... Well it is Thanksgiving...it is Christmas its my BIRTHDAY and on and on till it seemed like I was eating SWEETS ALL THE TIME!!!!

DECEMBER 2009

Making Christmas cutout cookies our "Family Tradition"

JANUARY 2010 NEW YEAR'S DAY 

I gained about 5 pounds over the Christmas Holiday!   When I got back home I weighed 185. 

I had watched Dr. Oz and saw so many success stories of people leading healthier lives, eating better and exercising. I thought if these people can do it I can too. It really inspired me!  I was so sick of having no energy, being tired all the time and kind of down and sad.  Looking in the mirror I thought this isn't me! I knew from past experience that I was happier when I was exercising. I wanted me to come out again.

I needed to do something. My husband and I talked and we decided we would give the Wii Active a try so he bought it. I started exercising again around the first week in January. It had been about a year since I exercised! WOW.... I was sore. I always hated to do SQUATS they hurt too much. I was so sore in the beginning I could barely walk. But as I kept up the exercising I got stronger and soon I wasn't that sore anymore. So give it a good couple of weeks and don't give up! I actually liked doing squats. I was exercising 5-6 times a week. The first month doing the Wii Active I lost 10 pounds.

JANUARY 2010

JANUARY 2010

FEBRUARY 20, 2010

 I was down 15 pounds at this point weighing 165. People kind of noticed.......not too much though. 

One of my favorite things to eat is Steel Cut Oats Oatmeal. I put raisins, walnuts and soymilk in it. It was like a treat to me. 

At this point I was eating smaller portions and eating more often throughout the day. I would make a protein Smoothie in the mornings usually after I exercised. I didn't like eating before I exercised. (just a preference not something that is good or bad). Some more things that I ate at this time were  Fruits and veggies and brown rice, Hummus, Salads with spinach or romaine lettuce, yogurt, cottage cheese,fish, chicken, ground turkey. 

 I began to cut some things out of my diet and only allow myself to have those things one night a week on my "TREAT DAYS". That is what kept me going. I would look forward to eating the things I didn't normally eat. Like butter,cheese, ice cream (desserts), white bread, pizza etc. 

Side note *I never count calories, and keep in mind I am still nursing, so results may very :)

        

                                                                  FEBRUARY

                                                               

  I really had to plan my "TREAT DAYS" like if some ones birthday was coming up and I knew that we would be celebrating I had to not eat the "treats" at a family get together. Or if I would rather go out to eat one night and I knew we were going to have a family get together with Brandon's family I had to choose one or the other days to eat my "treats". It is very difficult at first when you start eating "different" or healthier. People will try to get you to eat things and you try to be polite. But I couldn't worry too much about offending people. This was my body and I was trying to make it healthier. Now this may seem a little ridiculous to some....but this is what I chose to do. I made the rules and I TRIED to follow them :) Well some times I did break them........like on my birthday WEEK 

                                          MARCH 9TH 2010 MY 34TH BIRTHDAY 

Tony Robins has a saying "Nothing TASTES as GOOD as being HEALTHY FEELS" So true I ate so much on my birthday I felt sick!!!! I told Brandon never to "let" me do that again :(

 I did get bored with the the Wii Active by itself. So I also started to lift weights, I tried doing TAE BO (not good for me) I hurt too bad it made my TMJD hurt worse. I guess I am getting OLD because I used to be able to do it, too high impact? I don't know. So I did pilates, I LOVE pilates it seems to work well and it is pretty much NO impact. So I would just mix these up through out the week. It seemed to help me not get bored :)                                                                                  

March 15th

Apparently I have become a "CARROT HUGGER"

APRIL 1st this is what I posted in my notes on Facebook

Some things I eat:

Clementine oranges,

Gala Apples,Strawberries,
Bananas,
Papaya,
Fresh pineapple,
Frozen Blueberries,
Frozen strawberries,
raisins,

Sweet yellow tomatoes (miniture),
Avocados,
Sweet potatoes,
onions,
jalapenos,
cilantro,
baby bella mushrooms,
Baby cucumbers,
tomatoes,
romaine lettuce,


Carrot juice,

Activia Yogurt,
cottage cheese 2% skim milk (daisy brand,)

chicken,
Ground Turkey,
eggs,
Soymilk,

I bought bison patties today to see if my body can handle that better than beef we'll see???,


GoLean crunch cereal,
Grape nuts cereal,
Steel Cut oats (irish oatmeal),
Flaxseed waffles,
Walnuts,
Hummus,
brown rice,



Olive oil,
whole wheat pitas,
soy protein no sugar added,
simply staceys's pita chips with sea salt,
whole wheat spaghetti noodles,
spaghetti sauce,

dark chocolate (dip strawberries in for a treat),

*I don't normally eat cheese,corn,potatoes,white bread,sugar,cow's milk,butter or margarine, 

I allow myself one treat day a week where I may eat some things that I normally don't eat like ice cream or cheese or pizza. 

Have you ever seen the movie FOOD INC.? Well I watched it and it really opened my eyes. It took me a while but I began to make some more changes in what I ate!

http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

 I am not a vegetarian but I definitely eat less meat especially red meat. partly because my body doesn't handle it very well and  there is a lot of junk that is put into meat, and partly because I can't afford to buy the meat that I am willing to eat.  I  don't eat ham anymore I just think it is gross. I don't know maybe in my mind I think I will be what I eat and I don't want to be a pig any more???? Not quite sure.

 I would love to buy all  organic fruits and veggies, but I can't it is too expensive. I look forward to the farmers market!  I try to buy foods that don't have a lot of sugar in them. I look at labels constantly. 

If you don't read labels you need to!!! You would be surprised how many foods have HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP in them! In order to eat the way I feel I should I have to actually COOK! Which I am not the biggest fan of.    

Ok gotta go to bed.... more later :)