3.2

Weight Loss this month (yes, it's been that long since I've blogged): 3.2 pounds
Weight Loss to date: 14.8 pounds

For those of you who worried that I had fallen off the wagon, not to fear! I haven't. I've just been busy. My weight loss is not what I had hoped for so far, but at least I am losing and not gaining. I think to really lose the weight I want to in the time I want to, I'm going to have to step up the exercising. I am exercising at least three times a week, but I think it is now time to up it up to 5 days a week. And now that report cards and conferences are over, I have no other excuse!

Not that I don't have any motivation. The designer jeans are still looming out there. And so is my closet full of clothes that has been stationary for the past year and a half. And then there's Elizabeth...yesterday when I was tired from a long week of work and was very close to wimping out of Tae-Bo, she nearly had a meltdown that we were NOT going to do Tae-Bo. So I got off my sorry butt, and worked out with her. She might just be better than I am at some of the moves.

So my goal for this week is to workout five days this week and to track my food in my food journal (I'm still on Weight Watchers, but I've been lazy and have been keeping track of my points in my head. Not the best when it's late at night and I'm trying to figure out if I have enough points for a Skinny Cow.)

My recipe for the week has become our new favorite. If you love jambalaya, you'll love this one. Enjoy!

Shrimp Jambalaya

2 tbsp. margarine
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup chopped, cooked lean ham
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups uncooked minute rice
1 1/2 cups fat-free low sodium beef broth
28 oz. can low-sodium chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp. chopped parsley, fresh or dried
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 lb shelled, deveined, medium-sized shrimp

1. One half hour before assembling recipe, melt margarine in slow cooker set on high. Add onions, peppers, celery, ham, and garlic. Cook 30 minutes.
2. Add rice. Cover and cook 15 minutes
3. Add broth, tomatoes, 2 tbsp. parsley, and remaining seasonings. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
4. Add shrimp. Cook on high 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Makes 8 servings. 3 points per serving.

Accountable

I don't want to write this post tonight. I have put it off for the past 12 hours. I have been very good this week. I stayed within my points. I resisted the donuts from Henry's on Friday in the lounge, as well as other goodies throughout the week. I exercised HARD for 3 days. And yet, when I got on the scale this morning, I was 1.2 up from last week. I don't know how this is possible, and I don't know why. But I am, and as much as I didn't want to admit this to all of you who read my blog and keep me accountable, I must remain true to the commitment I made 2 months ago. I will blog about my weight loss, good or bad, every Saturday. So here I am.

I'm not going to get upset about it. I know from previous weight losses that this happens every now and then. My body will plateau for a while and then suddenly I will lose again. I just need to remain consistent and steadfast. I still want to lose another ten pounds before my son's first birthday, and I will passionately work towards that this month.

In an effort to spice up my blogs (no pun intended), I thought I might share a recipe a week that has helped me in my weight loss. Most of my recipes will be crock-pot recipes (since that is how I am cooking lately), but all of them will be yummy, I promise. This week's recipe is for Chicken Tortilla Soup (only 6 points per serving!)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cans of black beans, undrained
2 cans of Rotel tomatoes
1 cup salsa
1 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies, undrained
1 14 1/2 oz. can of tomato sauce
Baked tortilla chips
2 cups grated fat-free cheese

Combine all ingredients except chips and cheese in large slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 8 hours. Just before serving, remove chicken breast and slice into bite-sized pieces. Stir into soup. To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bow. lade soup over ships. Top with cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

2.6

Weight loss this week: 2.6
Weight loss to date: 11.6
Okay, okay. So you probably thought I fell off the wagon since I haven't blogged for two weeks. Not to fear. I didn't quit. I just had a rough two weeks beginning with my birthday and ending with Valentine's Day. However, looking back, I think I did okay. I indulged, for sure, but I didn't over do it. And over 2 weeks I lost 2.6 pounds. Not too shabby!
So now all of the sweets are out of the house, and I'm back to my Healthy Choice Fudge Bars (1 point) and Skinny Cows (2 points) for dessert. My short term goal is to lose another 10 pounds before my son's first birthday on April 4th. I have six weeks to do so. Let's see if I can do it!

2.0

Well, I lost another 2.0 pounds last week, but I'm sure after this weekend's birthday celebrations I have gained it back. I feel as if I've stepped on a slippery slope and am slowly falling off the path I have so successfully cleared for the last month. It is a lack of self-control, basically, that leads me down this slippery slope. It has to stop today. February 3rd. My birthday has come and gone, and now it is time to get back to business. No more cupcakes, no more frosting. This is it. Today I am back on track.

Now, if I could just get my husband to eat the last cupcake in the refrigerator.....

1.4

Weight Loss this week: 1.4
Weight Loss to date: 7.4
This week was filled with some pitfalls, but I was able to navigate them successfully. I made it through my mom's birthday celebrations, and I only got to exercise twice this week. I've come down with a sinus infection, so hopefully a round of antibiotics and no afternoon appointments will improve my exercise schedule this week.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is a way of life, not a diet. Pitfalls are going to come, and I cannot give up everything because I had a piece of cake. That's why I like Weight Watchers. It allows me to live, and still account for what I'm eating. The weight loss may be slow, but it will be permanent.
Only 24.2 pounds to go!

1.6

Weight loss this week: 1.6
Weight loss to date: 6.0
OK. So I learned a few things this week, about myself and about weight loss.
#1: Only weigh yourself once a week. I made the mistake of weighing myself before Saturday, and when I didn't get the results I was expecting, I was frustrated. The next day I weighed myself and found that I had lost a pound. That was a good day, but I know better than to open the package before Christmas.
#2: Sometimes you need to change it up. I was getting bored (already) with the same routine everyday. So I changed my food choices (still healthy, just different), and that helped me stay on track.
and #3: Use multiple measures when tracking your progress. Several of you commented that my weight loss should not be solely defined by a number. (Thanks Hilary and Jenny!) There are so many other benefits that go along with weight loss. Keeping up with my kids, preventing type 2 diabetes, fitting into old clothes (that seem to be the only clothes I want ro wear!), and simply being healthier.
I don't want to become solely focused on a number to define me. First and foremost, I know that I am a child of God and that whether I am a size 2 or a size 14, God loves me unconditionally. I do, however, know that my body is a temple of God and I do need to take good care of it. I want to be around to see my kids grow up, and since I am at risk of developing diabetes because of my gestational diabetes, I need to get this weight off and be healthier in order to do that.
And I will!

Frustrated

OK. I'm frustrated. I've been working my butt off, sticking to my Weight Watchers plan, doing my exercise, being good. And nothing. Well, actually, not nothing. I gained a pound.

How is this possible?

I'm frustrated, and I want to give up. But more than that, I'm frustrated with this extra weight I'm lugging around, and that is my inspiration to stick with it. I know that this weight will not come off immediately. I know that I will not wake up tomorrow morning and look like Jennifer Aniston. I know that this is going to take work, and that work requires perseverance and patience. I know these things. I just needed to reiterate them this morning before I start my day again.

Thanks for listening to me vent.

2.8

Weight loss this week: 2.8 pounds
Weight loss to date: 4.4 pounds

I feel a bit like Bridget Jones here.

So my week went well. I found that preparing food the night before for the next day really helped me stay on track and made me less stressed throughout the day. Knowing that I eat when I'm stressed, this strategy has helped me take control of my situation and really stick to my weight loss plan.

I ran three days this week (with my new jog stroller, which I love!) and then did a Tae-Bo (yes, I admit it...I still own a Tae-Bo video from the 90's) workout on Friday. That last workout was the best. Elizabeth joined me and did her best to keep up. She looked hilarious trying to do all of the kickboxing moves she saw on the TV. A bit like how Phoebe runs on "Friends." It made the workout so much more enjoyable for me, plus now I have an exercise partner. Who knew!

Knowing that I would have to blog about this also helped me stay on track. Thank you to all of you who are reading my blog and have left encouraging remarks. I truly value them!

I've made a new long term goal to purchase a pair of designer jeans when I have reached my 31.6 pounds, which is now only 27.2 pounds away!

Here's to another great week!

1.6

This post was meant to be posted yesterday.

Well, after two days, I've lost that extra 1.6 pounds. Now I have an even 30 pounds to lose.

What I've learned so far: I eat when I am bored, frustrated, or mad. Surprise, surprise. Eating is my comfort. So, how do I solve this? When I have free time and am bored, I need to find something productive to do, like scrapbooking or blogging or running. When I am frustrated or mad, I need to journal about my feelings and drink a glass of water.

Goal for the week: When I am feeling the need to eat when I am not hungry, I will identify the feeling and find a non-eating activity to do instead of eating.

Starting Today

Today I start my weight loss. I don't say diet because it is so much more than that that is going to need to take place in order for me to reach my goal. My goal is to lose 30 pounds. Actually, 31.6. I am carrying around 31.6 extra pounds and I feel...gross. That's the only word to describe it. I don't fit into any of the clothes I own, and I look like I'm still pregnant even though I gave birth 9 months ago. I kept putting it off, blaming my nursing or the holidays. But now it is time to get down to business. No more excuses. I have done this before and I can do it again.

So here's my plan.

Food: I'll be following the Weight Watchers food plan, writing down everything I eat and tracking my points daily. I've tried so many other "diets," and Weight Watchers really is the only one that works for me because it reteaches me everytime how to eat healthy and maintain the weight loss. (You might be thinking, "Well if it teaches you how to maintain the weight loss, why do you have to go on it again?" That would be the subject of another blog.)

Exercise: I got a new double jog stroller for Christmas. I will be putting it together today and my goal is to jog 4 times a week. Once I go back to work, my plan is to run as soon as I get home from work with the kids in the jog stroller. I have no mileage goals, just time. One hour, four times a week.

Accountability: I will be blogging about my weight loss every Saturday morning, and I will file all of those blogs under the title "My Weight Loss Story." I also will be talking to my dad on a daily basis, as he is doing the same thing.

So there's my plan. I know it will work because as I said earlier, I've done it before. It's not going to be easy, but things like this never are. But now that I've put this out there, I feel like I'm one step into this journey of mine.