Week 7 Weigh In

So, I guess I lost my mind!  I thought yesterday when I weighed that I was over a pound where I was last week and I was freaking out.  All I really had to do was ask Michelle what my weight was last week and I wouldn't have had to freak out all day yesterday, but that would have been too easy.  So, I thought for sure I was going to have to add $2 to the pot!  I get on the scale this morning and I sigh.  Great!  I gained weight.  Michelle tells me that I actually lost 1.6 pounds!  I had the number in my head all wrong!  LOL!  I've lost a total of 22 pounds now since the challenge has started.  I haven't always been good about my eating, but this is a lifestyle change and you can't eat healthy every day of your life!  What fun is that!  You just need to make sure the good days are more than the bad and if you really fall off the wagon, pick yourself back up.  I've had a tendency in the past that if I have a bad day or a bad few days, I just give up and think that I can't do it and just keep up the bad habits instead of changing back to the good ones.  During this challenge, I've had bad days, but the next day I start all over again with my HEALTHY eating habits!

Week 6 Weigh In

Wow was I surprised when I weighed in this week!  I thought I had lost a little more than usual....and I lost 4.6 pounds!  I was super pumped about it!  I've been pretty much following the same schedule.  M, W, F is Body Step with Kristina, Tues. & Thurs. is 30 minutes of running, Abs & Sculpt class with Katie.  Saturdays have been running lately, but I should be back at Body Combat with Hiromi on Saturday.  Sundays are running.  I did the St. Pat's 5K last weekend.  Only the 2nd 5K I ever did and I finished in 32:41.  I was super happy with that!  Now, my big half marathon at the end of May!

Recipes

I haven't shared any good recipes for a while, so I thought I would share a couple that I tried recently.  Here is a great recipe for Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas  and here is a good recipe for Crockpot Tortilla Soup (scroll down a couple of recipes to get to it).  I also have a great version for a healthier jambalaya.  If anyone would like it, let me know and I can scan it in and post it.  Also, if anyone has some great healthy recipes that you would like to share, I would love to have them!

Week 5 Weigh In

Well, we're already halfway to the finish of our Key Largo Weight Loss Challenge!  I'm pretty pumped about how I been doing with my weight.  I lost another 1.8 pounds this week.  I was really worried about my weight loss this week.  We had my daughter's third birthday party and I ate pasta and cake for just about the entire weekend.  I guess since I've been exercising and eating right the rest of the days, I was lucky enough to still lose.  I'm doing the St. Pat's 5K run with my running group this weekend.  After that, my group will be finished, but I will not.  After that, I will be preparing to run the Go Girl Half Marathon the end of May!  Pretty scary to think about running 13.1 miles!!!!

Week 4 Weigh In

So, I was super worried about gaining weight by being in Vegas for 5 days, but I did great!  I lost 1.4 pounds and was super happy about that.  I went running twice while I was there.  I also watched what I ate most of the time and didn't drink much alcohol.  I always tried to load up on a salad first with dressing on the side or I would get balsamic vinegar, if they had it.  I would just concentrate more on picking healthy options while I ate.  In the past on vacation, I would just eat whatever I want telling myself I was on vacation!  I let it all go for one meal.  The couple we went with picked an Italian restaurant for the night of their wedding, so I indulged a bit, but I have NEVER gone on vacation before and lost weight!  Woohoooooo!

Week 3 Weigh In & Worries

Well, I'm still trucking along with my weight loss.  I lost another 1.8 pounds and was happy about that.  Now, why I'm worried.  I'm typing this from Las Vegas and will be here until Monday.  I am really worried about my diet while I'm here.  We don't even have a fridge in the room to stock it with some healthy food.  I went running 3.25 miles this morning on the strip, so that made me feel a bit better.  I know we'll do a lot of walking while we are here, as well.  I just don't want to gain weight.  I'm going to try really hard, but I've already indulged a bit.  It's so hard when you're on vacation! :(

Ups and Downs

This weekend was filled with ups and downs.  Let's start with the positive!  When I was with my running group Saturday morning, one of my fellow runners told me I was an inspiration to her!  What a great compliment!  Made me feel awesome!  After running, I went to Body Combat with Hiromi.  Now, the downs....I went to a bachelorette party Saturday night and ate and drank whatever I want.  Not one of my finer moments.  In fact, I was not feeling that great the next morning.  I'm sure it was a combo of the junk and alcohol I put in my body, but Sunday, I followed my diet to a T.  For supper, I took some chicken breasts, pounded them out and rolled ham and Laughing Cow cheese wedge up in them.  I then put a light coating of Italian bread crumbs and put them in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes.  They were delicious!

Week 2 Weigh In

Before my Body Step class this morning, I had a date with the scale and luckily it went really well.  I lost 3.2 pounds!!  I had a really hard afternoon, though.  I felt like I could eat my arm off!  I ate some Oikos Greek yogurt with blueberries, but it didn't seem to stop my hunger.  I kept drinking more water, but that didn't seem to help, either.  Good thing there was not a cheeseburger and fries in sight; I may have scarfed them up!  I went running with my group this evening for a little over 2.5 miles.  So, today had it's ups and downs, but I'm still going in the right direction!

Yummy Tuna Noodle Casserole

I'm still rolling on.  Tomorrow will be weigh-in day again, so I'll definitely have to post tomorrow.  I'll keep this one short and sweet!  I made a really great Tuna Noodle Casserole tonight.  If you're following Weight Watchers, it is only 4 points per serving!  Here is a link to the recipe:  Whole-Wheat Tuna Noodle Casserole

Cold...blah!

Oh course I have to catch a cold!  I've had it for the past few days, but still continue to chug along.  I've been doing all my normal workouts, but I can tell I just don't quite have that extra energy to really get into it.  On a better note, I made some really yummy chicken last night.  I took 4 oz. chicken breasts and slip them open and stuffed them with one triangle of Laughing Cow French Onion cheese, mushrooms and spinach.  I then rolled them in a light covering of Italian bread crumbs and baked them for 40 minutes on 350 degrees.  They were super good!

Gave In

Well, today I gave in on some food that wasn't the best for me, but I'll pick myself up and just do better tomorrow.  I indulged in a fish plank and chicken plank from Long John Silvers.  I don't even want to look at the nutritional info to see how bad it really was.  Other than that, I'm doing well with my exercise.  I'm still chugging away at Body Step every M,W,F morning, Abs & Sculpt on Tues, Thurs, Body Combat on Sat.  I also meet with a running group every M,W and Sat.

Weighing In

So, today was weigh-in day.  It's crazy when you step on that scale because even if you know you lost weight, you're still scared about what it's going to say!  Well.....I lost 7.5 pounds!  I was super pumped!  Now, I know I won't do this every week, but it was great to see that number!  Changing my diet was a dramatic shock to my system, but it's amazing how eating good makes you feel.  I just feel so much better.  I think I even had a lighter step about me in Body Step this morning! ;)  I also ran with my running group this evening for about 2 miles.  Eating better hasn't been as hard as I thought.  I still indulge, but I just have a small amount if I'm craving something.  I'm also trying old dishes, but in a new way to make them healthier.

Valentine's Day

So today, I was determined not to blow my nutrition too much.  I started off the day by taking the Abs & Core class and the Sculpt class this morning at the gym.  I do that class every Tuesday and Thursday morning.  It is a really great class. Katie, the instructor, is great at showing everyone different ways to do something so that any fitness level can participate.  Also, with the sculpt class, you can use weights ranging from 3 to 20 lbs., so anyone can do it.  We decided to stay in for dinner tonight.  It's not always fun going out with a 3-year-old, anyways.  I got out the indoor grill and made 4 oz. filet mignon, and 4 oz. lobster tails.  I grabbed a Ziploc Zip n' Steam bag (which are a total must, they steam anything in a flash!) and threw in some asparagus with some Mrs. Dash seasoning.  For dessert, I made a strawberry cake.  I took one cake mix with a can of Diet 7UP, mixed and baked.  You don't add anything else to it to cut down on the calories.  I topped it with a light layer of fat-free Cool Whip and chopped up some strawberries on top!  YUM!

Feeling Accomplished!

I usually take Sundays off as far as exercise, but I thought I may not make it to the gym tomorrow or Tuesday if we get snow.  I decided that I would run a 5K to see how my time would be.  I've only ran one 5K and that was last year at the St. Pat's 5K here in Columbia and that will be the next one I will be running again.  When I ran today, I beat my time from last year by 6 minutes!  I was so excited, especially since my subdivision that I ran in is VERY hilly, so my time for this year's 5K should really blow last year out of the water.  When I first start running, I feel good.  A little ways in, I start thinking about reasons why I should stop, but somehow I find the strength to keep going.  Once I've been running for a while, I actually start to feel pretty good!

Cold, cold, cold!!!

The first thing that was cold was my version of ice cream I made last night.  I mixed fresh strawberries with fat free Cool Whip and put it in the freezer.  It was really good and satisfied my "ice cream fix" that I needed.  The next thing that is cold is this weather!  I went running this morning for 2.25 miles and it was 17 degrees outside!  After that, I did Body Combat with Hiromi at the gym.  She is a little firecracker!  If you haven't tried her class, you should.  Nothing like taking out some stress with some punching and kicking!  We're headed out for dinner tonight.  We are going to try Geisha Sushi in downtown Columbia.  I definitely need a sushi fix!

Chicken Fried Rice

So, today went fairly well.  I'm following Weight Watchers points system and I still have 4 points to use on a snack this evening because that is the worst time for me, usually.  It seems like after supper, I am just wanting to eat.  I try to keep a cup of water with me and drink that if I feel the urge to eat.  I also like to pop a piece of sugar-free gum.  I made a really yummy recipe for dinner tonight that you may want to try.  You can find it here:  Chicken Fried Rice.  My whole family enjoyed it, but I'm lucky.  My husband and little girl will eat just about anything.  For my exercise today, I did the Body Step class at Key Largo this morning.  Kristina is the instructor and she is very motivational!  I am totally dreading running in the morning!  It is suppose to be super cold!

Why I'm Doing This

I am a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom of a gorgeous daughter and a wonderful husband!  I have been athletic my whole life, but over the years have let myself go.  I'm tired of being out of shape and overweight and want to regain control of my body.  Key Largo Fitness & Tanning in Columbia, MO created a weight loss challenge.  I love to compete against others when trying to attain a goal, so I thought this would be perfect for me.  I definitely need to get in shape.  I have signed up for the Go Girl half marathon at the end of May, so some of this weight needs to come off.  I hope that I can inspire others to lose weight and obtain a healthier lifestyle!