Happy Hump Day!

If I’m happy you all know that must mean I lost more weight! I dropped another 1.3 pounds and only 3.6 pounds away from my goal. Woooooo hoooooooo!!!!

Knowing that I slacked off and still lost weight makes me really happy because now I am confident I will be able to maintain my weight when I reach my goal weight.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato-Eggplant Sauce and Chicken
(and a little feta!) = 6.5 points

Optimistic

I’m several weeks into my diet and had a bit of a difficult week last week. It was harder to stay on track, I ate a lot of cookies, I had at least one adult beverage several times throughout the week and then totally blew it over the weekend. I drank a little more excessively than I have since I started the diet and I ate a lot. I actually had to take Saturday off from exercising because I was a tad hung over. It was just like old times! But, I got back in the saddle on Monday and buckled down for one hour of Pilates and another hour at the gym in the evening. I even had a staring contest with a plate of cookies and brownies and won. Today was another good day - walked for an hour during lunch and stayed well within my points.

Even with my over indulgence through the week and into the weekend I’m still optimistic that I will have at least maintained or lost a little bit of weight. And if I haven’t, I’ll be ok with that too.

If you try the best you can, If you try the best you can, The best you can is good enough.




Oven “Fried” Chicken - 4 points
(the coating is made with Bran flakes!)



Smashed Cauliflower - 0 points



Green Beans - 0 points

No More 'Case of the Mondays'

I’ve been told by a colleague that I must not be a real dieter because I’ve been weighing myself on Monday evenings. She tells me “Don’t you know you have to weigh yourself in the morning??! And why would you pick Monday after cheating on the weekends?” I admit, I have been a bit stressed out due to my weigh-in being Monday. I have a tendency to eat a little less healthy and work out a little less. So after some deliberation I decided to change my weigh in day to Wednesday morning. This seems more realistic for me and quite honestly I need the two extra days this week to work off the gorge fest I had last week. Please stay tuned to see how I’m doing on Wednesday.

In the meantime, pictures of dinner from tonight.

Chinese Corn Soup - 1 point



Hunan Pork with brown rice - 6 points

Simple Changes

Now that I've been on a diet for 7 weeks, I've had to make some recent food changes in order to continue to lose weight and reach my goal. My first change was switching from flour tortillas to white corn tortillas. This is definitely one I'm not used to and miss the warm, soft, flour tortillas of my past. I haven't been out to eat at a Mexican restaurant since I started the diet and so the temptation only resides when I cook at home. And I'm sure the minute I walk into a Mexican restaurant, I will falter and order the flour instead of corn. And not regret it one bit.

My next change was using spray olive oil instead of the real thing. I've also switched margarine/butter for "I Can't Believe it's Not Butter" butter spray. So far both changes have been easy to maintain and I haven't noticed a difference with how the food tastes. I'm sure others would argue this point but they are both zero points so I am happy.

My most recent change was with breakfast. I eat breakfast every single day and my breakfast of choice has always been cereal. For the past few weeks I either would eat Special K or Special K Low Fat Granola. Both are 2 points for 1 cup and ¾ cup, respectively. But I noticed that I would feel hungry within an hour. A friend recommended I try Kashi Go Lean. I started eating the cereal this week and I already notice that I stay full longer and can wait until lunch without a snack. 3/4 c is one point and it goes a long way because of the high amount of fiber. The box didn't lie!

In addition to the vodka (2 points) and half a cookie (2 points) I had last night here are pictures of dinner:


Pan Roasted Sirloin Steak - 6 points


Creamy Corn - 2 points


Sauteed Mushrooms with garlic and butter spray-
zero points

Manic Monday!

After the last week’s weigh in, I was really dreading this week’s. In order to overcome the weight gain I pushed myself harder than I have in the last 6 weeks. I worked out every day since Tuesday. Interval training on the elliptical followed by weight lifting, 30 Day Shred on non-gym days, Pilates, cardio boxing, as well as a 3.5 hour bike ride around Coronado on Saturday and 4 hours of walking at Disneyland Sunday.  I paid close attention to portion control and ended up with 10 ‘extra points’ remaining at the end of the week. It was definitely not an easy week but all of my hard work paid off because I lost another two pounds!! I’m just a mere 4.9 pounds away from my goal! I feel much better being back on track and am 4.9 pounds away from my goal. Yay!

Here’s the breakdown: 47 days; -10.1 pounds.

Keep Breathing

I normally have a positive attitude about my dieting experience so I apologize for being a bit down. 95% of the time I'm enthusiastic about it. I get excited when people ask if I've lost weight. I tell them about my diet and share my blog. But, the other 5% I don't like is stressing out about not losing any weight (or gaining it) and and passing up happy hour or drinks because I'm stressed out about having gained weight. Which lead to my breakdown yesterday. These weren't alligator tears, I'm really disappointed in myself for gaining weight. I'm scared that I'll gain more weight or that I'll gain all of the weight back. I felt that the 9 pounds I'd lost in 31 days was wasted on 0.9 pounds gained in one week. This fear comes from knowing that I'm pushing myself now, but how will I maintain my weight and reintroduce my social life? I'm passing up social activities in order to work out. I'm restraining myself from enjoying an adult beverage most nights. I'm denying myself things I enjoy and I really want it to pay off in the end.

Once my melter stopped, I got on the ellipitcal for 30 minutes. About halfway through my workout, Exit Music (For a Film) came on. This song is from Romeo and Juliet, but the lyrics resonated with me. "Breathe, keep breathing. Don't lose your nerve. Breathe, keep breathing..." All I need to do is take a deep breath, move forward and realize that losing 8.1 pounds in 37 days is no small feat. Sometimes I just need to be reminded of that.


Last night's dinner:

Honey-Balsamic Chicken - 4 points
WW recipe


Roasted Brocolli with Smashed Garlic - 0 points
skinnytaste.com recipe


Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes - 3 points
WW recipe

The Realities of Dieting

When I started this diet I realized there would be a week when I wouldn’t lose weight or perhaps that I would gain weight. Since I have lost weight almost every week, I knew this time would come before I was ready for it and that I would be really disappointed. And that time is now.

I gained almost a pound back and have to assess what I can do better so that I can reach my goal. I am still happy that I’ve lost a little more than 8 pounds in just over a month. I can see the difference and I can definitely feel the difference with my clothes. Those are all very important things to keep in mind before I beat myself up. The reality is I went out more last week, which included eating out and drinking. I went over my points 4 days, with only 0.5 extra points remaining. I missed a day or two in the gym and when I used the 30 Day Shred DVD, I skipped a few intervals.

This week will be tough. But I’m ready.

The Newest Weight Watchers Spokesperson

I feel like I’ve become the newest WW spokesperson because within the last two weeks, 4 friends/coworkers joined Weight Watchers due to my success with the plan. Each person asked me how the plan worked, if I went to meetings, how much it costs, and how the points system works. In the event that anyone is reading this cares to know here are the details.

I joined the on-line Momentum program with Weight Watchers and when I signed up, it was approximately $60 for 3 months and $18 thereafter. I chose the on-line only program because I didn’t want to go to meetings. I was just ready to get some structure with my diet and figured if I needed more help, I would then go to a meeting as needed. I haven’t attended one yet and haven’t felt like I needed the extra support.

Weight Watchers assigns a number to every food based on the fat, fiber and calories. I’m allowed 20 points a day with 35 extra points to use throughout the week. It’s important to use all of your points each day in order to lose weight because your body won’t burn the fat if you don’t consume enough food. The points system has helped me make better choices with what I’m eating and to realize how much I should actually eat.

Since every food has a point value I track all of my food using the Plan Manager, either online or on my iPhone. Just about any food item is listed and you can create recipes to calculate points. In addition, with the online program you can search for recipes (which are surprisingly good) and I also create favorites for foods that I tend to eat a lot of. You can also calculate point values online if you have the nutritional information on the foods you eat. When I’m eating out, I hop on my iPhone and search for items that are similar so I know what the best choice that is within my point range. Of course, eating out can be tricky because you don’t know how your food is really prepared so I typically leave a little room for cushion but upping my serving size.

It goes without saying that with dieting comes exercise. I exercise at least 6 days a week, sometimes fitting it in twice a day. I take Pilates Monday/Wednesday during my lunch break. I switch out going to the gym or working out using the 30 Day Shred DVD. At the gym, I do at least 20 minutes of cardio and another 30 of weights. The 30 Day Shred DVD forces me to do 3 intervals of 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. On days that I can’t workout in the evening, I go on walks during my lunch break.

That’s the gist of my plan and I hope it inspires more people to join my newest obsession - a healthier lifestyle. It’s worked well for me and I still eat food that tastes good and consume a few tasty adult beverages throughout the week. Let’s face it, diets are never fun but how can you not consider a diet that allows you to drink and indulge on occasion?

Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda

I try not to dwell on what I should have done, but I do have a few things I regret. The biggest regret I have is that I should have started this diet and exercise plan sooner. I tried a few times and was never really ready or fully motivated. I thought I could take short cuts and still lose weight, but when I realized that half of the clothes in my closet didn’t fit, I knew I had to do something. And I’m so glad I did because I feel better, I stand up taller, and all of my clothes fit SO much better! No more unbuttoning that top button just to feel comfortable!

I also wish I wouldn’t have stepped on the scale yesterday and taking a peek only to second guess how far I’ve really come. I’m a little concerned that even once I hit my goal weight, that I’ll want to lose more weight. I’ve seen people like this, they get skinnier and skinnier because they never see how they actually look. And no matter how often you compliment how great they look, they still keep shrinking.

Which comes to my third regret - not taking before and after pictures! Isn’t this the standard for all dieters? Yes, because this is what keeps you from thinking you need to lose more weight. So, I scoured through recent pics and I found a picture of me about two weeks before I started the diet and the picture on the right is me just a few days ago. Not to toot my own horn, but I can definitely see that my face is a little thinner and my belly is still there but definitely getting smaller. Yay for progress!



Melinda - February 26, 2010                                                 Melinda - April 6, 2010

31 Days: 9 pounds, 6 to go

I officially completed my one month mark on Weight Watchers yesterday and I’ve lost a total of 9 pounds! I can’t believe it! I’m definitely on the right track with an average of -1.8 pounds a week but I’m a little bit nervous about the last 6 pounds. As they say...the last 5 are the hardest to lose!

While I find Weight Watchers to be one of the more realistic diets, the last month hasn’t been easy. There are days when I just want to “phone it in” and eat/drink whatever I want and skip the gym. But, that crazy conscience of mine pushes me to stay focused because I’m determined to reach my goal weight. So, to stay motivated, I treat myself with a drink here or there on a weekday, I indulge in a little bit of fried food, I eat a lot of Golden Spoon and I take at least one day off a week from doing any form of exercise. Eat healthy, exercise, take a day off and repeat.

And, as always, more pictures of food....

Bistek (Filipino Steak with onions) with brown rice, approximately 7 points



Ensaladang Talong (Eggplant Salad), zero points

Relationships and Dieting

In most relationships, one or both parties get a little comfortable after a few months of dating and begin to gain weight.  That wasn't really the case with me, because when I started this relationship I knew I needed to lose weight.  I have been lucky in the fact that, while Nico doesn't need to diet, he's been more than happy to go to the gym with me and help with making healthier dinners. 

Nico wasn't a firm believer that I needed Weight Watchers to lose weight. Just cut back, work out more, he said.  Ha.  Those things didn't work!  I knew I needed a plan in place for me in order to stay in check so I went forward and brought him along with me.  Which in turn, he has lost more weight than me in the past 4 weeks!  And he tries not to rub it in my face too much..except for the two beers he enjoyed during dinner last night and then the cookie he ate right in front of me.

We do have a few disagreements on what to eat or how to cook it.  Our latest disagreement was using coconut oil (4 points per tablespoon!) versus spray olive oil (ZERO POINTS!).  But, overall he is supportive of my diet and healthier lifestyle and most nights we can agree on what we are having for dinner and the ingredients we might need to swap to make it a little healthier.

After the gym last night, Nico cooked Filipino Chicken Curry, modified by using light coconut milk instead of the creamy, delicious, full of fat variety.  The end result was 6 points for the curry and another 3 for the Jasmine rice.  And, I would have only saved 1 point if we would have used spray olive oil, so he won this one.