Colleen Counting Calories

Day 12:21

2009-02-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

You guessed it!! Y.O.G.A. - I know, I need to mix it up!

Saturday - I'm doing some cardio on the tread!

Day 11:21

2009-02-21T15:28:00.001-08:00

Yoga. I know! It's quick, it's easy (ier), it's a good stretching exercise.

Day 10:21

2009-02-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

Missed. FAIL.

Well, not quite fail. I did a TON of walking around that day on photo shoots, etc. I was physically exhausted from my day.

Does that count?

Day 9:21

2009-02-21T15:26:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. My 'part-time' job started and I am a busy fool.

These will be quick, but to the point!

Day 9, Yoga.

Day 8:21

2009-02-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

Late work out once more. Yoga Flow. Low impact, but a good stretch.

I'm headed to bed.

Night.

Day 7:21

2009-02-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

Seven Days. I'm 30% there. To me, that sounds better than 1/3 for some reason. Don't ask me to explain it.

Again, it's almost 11:00pm and I've yet to work out. I really need to readjust my workout schedule, but it's been a busy day and I really had no time. Apparently, I have time for excuses though. *sigh*

Fixing to head to my room for another Biggest Loser Cardio workout.

Tomorrow - I think a walk is in order!! I'll verify workout in the morning :D

Goodnight.

Day 6:21

2009-02-14T14:48:00.001-08:00

Biggest Loser, Cardio, Saturday night for 35 minutes. DIFFICULT. Me. Out of shape. and i was tired!!!

Day 5:21

2009-02-13T21:47:00.001-08:00

So you checked but didn't see a blog, right? That's because I wrote it late last night AFTER I got through with my workout.

Yes, I did it!! Again, Jeff, the witness.

Yoga. Interesting. Definitely trying - I hurt like heck! Some of those moves are just not for this body ... YET! But I'll get there.

Anyway today is another late workout later tonight I think. This time, cardio dvd. The Biggest Loser. I know - I think it will be fun!

The hardest part part of having guests in town is trying to find time to exercise. No fault on the guest whatsoever, just pure time management on mine! :D

I should get up early and get going. But, that likely never happens! ha! Changes in the future, maybe :P

Day 6 post later tonight or tomorrow morning :D

C

Day 4:21

2009-02-12T06:45:00.000-08:00

Good morning readers! Last night's late workout got me motivated to 'take care of business' first thing this morning.

I woke up to a BEAUTIFUL day outside. The pluses of being laid off are the opportunity to enjoy the days a lot more. Not a cloud in the sky today and temperatures were chilly - but I LOVE that.

I threw on my workout pants and a jacket and went on a brisk 30 minute walk around my neighborhood. There's a surprising number of cars in driveways at 8:30 in the morning. Are they stay-at-homes? laid off? unemployed? I was curious.

I also got to walk by and check on the progress out the progress on the elementary school that's being built across the street. I thought it would be ready in the Fall of 2009 but Jeff's telling me 2010. Let's just see who's right! :P

Off to do some weights and my abs. Today I think I'll do:

Standing Squats (with 10lbs) 3 x 12
Lunges 20 down, 20 back - for the record I absolutely hate lunges.
Calf raises x 30

Day 3:21

2009-02-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Aha! You were doubting me weren't you!? You didn't see a post and you thought - FAIL! But, here it is with one hour to spare in Day 3 and I did it! I had a moment of doubt that I wasn't going to, but I psyched myself out and I got off of my butt and on the tread at 10:45PM. If there are doubters, ask Jeff - he witnessed!

I know it may have not been the best workout, but it was a workout and I'm sweating, so there.

Here are the stats:

16:00 minutes walked on treadmill
0.941 miles walked
116.9 calories burned
3.5 speed for 10:00 minutes, 3.8 speed for 5:00 minutes
2.5 incline
Workout clothes: Jeans and a tshirt!! I know...

I'm off to do my usual ab routine:
50 regular crunches
30 side crunches (each side)
30 scissors

One thing I need to work on is my diet. While it's not the worst, it's not exactly great either. Bad decisions. But one thing at a time. I'm going to focus on my diet more next week.

What I am going to change for the remainder of this week is my water intake. I'm awful at it. I like water, I do - but I probably consume most of it at night. Not during the day like I should. So for the remainder of this week, I'm going to make sure I consume at least 32 oz a day. 1/2 the recommended, but a good start for me. Next week, I'll up it from there.

I know some of you are shaking your head, but seriously, it's a start! back off! :P

Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'm going to try to do something OTHER than the treadmill for cardio - it's getting old.

And am I the only one who noticed my decline in minutes walked from day to day? tsk, tsk.

Weights tomorrow!

Day 2:21

2009-02-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

Whew! Are we sure it's not day 20 yet? I'm already exhausted!

Okay, enough whining. It's been particularly gross outside these past few mornings, so I had to opt for the treadmill again. I decided to only do 20 minutes this morning, because I'm going to spend the rest of my time doing my situps and today I'm incorporating some free weights. Here's the plan for today:

22:00 minutes walked on treadmill
3.5 mph - speed
2.5 incline
1.223 miles walked
153.0 calories burned

50 regular crunches
30 (each side) side crunches
30 scissors

3 reps x 12 biceps
3 reps x 12 triceps (kickbacks)
3 reps x 12 pulls (not sure what this is called, I'll figure it out)
3 reps x 12 shoulder press

Day 1:21

2009-02-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

And so it began today. Day 1 of my 21 day 'experiment' if you will. Since it's pretty gross outside today, I decided to stay indoors and use the treadmill. I thought about running, but with all the toxic foods still in my system from the weekend, I knew a brisk walk would be difficult enough to muster. Plus, I don't want to burn myself out on day 1 and hate every minute of the next three weeks.

So I decided to do a brisk walk. And there was definitely sweating involved. My stats were the following:

32:00 minutes on treadmill
3.5mph speed
2.5 incline
1.682 miles walked
212 calories

Now I'm headed to the living room to use my exercise ball and do some crunches (I'm hurting just thinking about it)

Here's the plan:

50 basic crunches
30 (each side) side crunches
30 scissors

I know it's not much, but it's a start, and trust me, I'll be hurting afterwards.

21 Days

2009-02-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

*Duplicate post from Blog of Eternal Stench*

This year I waylaid the New Year's Resolutions, at least out loud. They're still there, more often than not in the deep dark recesses of my brain where only my subconscience lurks and sends a subtle reminder at times. I recently posted a "25 Things About Colleen" post on Facebook that has got me thinking. Number 4 on the list was:

I want to complete either a triathalon, marathon or something along those lines before I get too old.

The goal is grand, I realize that. But the goal isn't what has provoked me to write about this. It's the action to get to the goal. That's great I want to do a triathalon or a marathon or "something along those lines" - but what am I going to DO to get there. Oh right? That minor achievement. Of course, in this case, it's not so minor.

After this weekends follies, my blood pressure is resting probably in the range of 165/110 if I had to take a guess after the amount of junk and salt I ate. So I'm ready to purge. I realize I'm a yo-yo at this, but if I want to reach my goal, I need to treat my body right.

Therefore, I've decided to undertake a mission. It's going to be hard, I realize. I'm not going to want to do it (at all, some days), but I'm going to try my damndest. For the next 21 days, I'm going to do at least 45 minutes of exercise daily. Whether it be running on the treadmill, taking a walk outside, doing my yoga dvd's or strength traing. Why 21 days?

That's where it starts. At least, that's what the experts are saying. Research shows that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Well, Research, I'll be your guinea pig. I've been googling for the past hour and have found some success stories where people get addicted to exercise, like running. Can you believe that?! I know. I'm a doubter too. But, I'm going to see what happens. And I'm going to document it here: Ye-ole-faithful-guilty-conscience-website that I started on a whim and have regreted ever since (not really).

Can I do it? Am I mentally prepared? I hope so.

If you want to track some other awesome progress, check out my cousin Emily's site. She's training for a triatholon (go Em!) and is already in fantastic shape. I'm trying to catch up.

On Track

2009-01-29T09:33:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday - and I'm proud to report that I've worked out 3 out of the 4 days this week. Of course, when you have time on your hands, that makes things a bit more easy.

On Monday, I went to my gym to do the PUMP class. It was pretty cool - although, I must admit the instructor was a little on the rude, "I don't care, you're not a regular" side of things. Plus there was another new girl there that you could tell was uncomfortable and she wasn't making it easy on her either. But I put that aside, and moved on to a pretty awesome workout. Albeit, I was super sore on Tuesday, but that simply mean that I was working it!

On Tuesday, there wasn't any cool classes to go to, so I opted to run on the treadmill. I did 30 minutes in which I walked 2.5 minutes then ran 2.5 minutes. Then I gave myself a 3 minute cool down. I think I burned somewhere in the vicinity of 250 calories.

Today, I opted for the treadmill again and did 33 minutes like before. This time I increased the incline to 3.0 (on Tuesday I had it on 2.5) and my calorie burn was 292.4 and overall mileage was 1.860.

I'm feeling good. I want to make this a habit, not something I'm doing just to fill in time. Which is what it seems like at the moment. I'm hoping to see some good results, if I keep this up, in about 2 weeks.

It also seems that since I"m not at work anymore, I'm drinking less Diet Coke and more water. Which can only mean good things.

Well off to lunch. Salad!

Reporting in

2009-01-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

After Thursday's deluge of sodium, I've been paying closer attention to the labels. Friday's totals equaled 708mg while Saturday ended in 2,029mg. As you can see, the numbers fluctuate since I've yet to 'figure' this one out. It's quite possibly the most difficult thing to track!

In every other category (calories, fat, carbs, fiber) I'm doing pretty good. My carbs could always be a bit lower, but I'm more concerned about my sodium at this point.

One thing at a time, I'll deal with that when I get the others under control.

Daily Journal

2009-01-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

I purchased a small (and portable) journal to mark down my eating habits. After a doctor's visit two weeks ago, I've been prescribed to get back on my low sodium diet and to drop at least 4lbs by my next visit which is in 2 weeks.

While I was conscience of my caloric intake today, I didn't think of much else. Which proved to be a bittersweet thing actually, because I got to see my actual sodium intakes. The results are horrifying. It's no wonder my blood pressure is not doing well right now.

Today's intakes are as follows:
Calories 1155
Fat 20g
Sodium 6060mg (no, I did not stutter)
Carbs 103g

After doing some perusing online, I've decided to follow the recommended values below:
Calories 1400
Fat 65g
Fiber 25g
Sodium 2400mg
Carb 130g
Protein 46g
And at least 64oz of water a day!

I'm off to drink more water - I need to flush out all that salt I consumed today (yowza!).

Gym

2008-08-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

Stared last week. I've gone 3 times now. Trying to go 3xweek for the first two weeks. Today I did the eliptical for 38minutes and burned 402 calories. I don't think I even consumed that much at dinner.

I'm actually enjoying the workouts.

More posts in the near foreseeable future.

Improv

2008-07-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Something is wrong with our treadmill. Yes, the one we bought back in January. I'm not sure exactly what, but Jeff's the troubleshooter so I'm waiting till he gets home to figure that one out.

It was actually a pity, for once, that it didn't work because I had a ton of pent up energy today and I was ready to get it out of my system. I was totally energized by the Mamma Mia! movie I watched yesterday. It sounds dorky, yes, but I was like, if a bunch of 50+ year old women can run around and sing and dance, why can't a 20-something year old?!?

It always upsets me when I see older women that are in better shape than I am. I think, "Jesus, Colleen, what are you doing sitting here making excuses for. You think you look a certain way, that you aren't 'that bad', but look at yourself, LOOK. You could stand to tone up, get more energy, ENJOY YOUR 20's, cause there's not a lot more left to them!"

So, with that in mind, I took matters into my own hands. I blasted, I mean BLASTED my Mamma Mia! soundtrack on my computer and did my improv aerobics in the living room. It felt great when I was done - 30 minutes (maybe 25) and I kept my arms moving the entire time. Not that it's vain, but it sure does help to have a mirror in front of you, now I can see why all those workout rooms have them. I kept looking at my arms and thinking "oh how the mighty have fallen" which gave me the encouragement to keep going.

I liked the improv dance. As corny as it sounds, and assuredly looked, it felt good, it wasn't boring and I was SUPER SWEATY when I was done, so I know it worked something!

This may give me more excuses to buy '80's or '90's dance grooves from iTunes!

Here We Go Again...

2008-07-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

.... we joined a gym. Spectrum. No contract (my wishes). Let's see how it goes.

Avoiding Emotional Eating (AEE)

2008-07-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

When tragedy/conflict/happiness or any other emotion befalls someone, often times they'll turn to their comfort outlet. I will say that I'm an emotional eater. It doesn't get crazy out of control, but the things I've consumed in the past haven't exactly been healthy.

I went to a family gathering tonight to reminisce about my Uncle Danny. My cousin's old work, Macaroni Grill, catered the event and provided some delicious looking pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiches. I wanted the pasta, I'm not going to lie, and part of me was trying to 'justify' eating that crap. I put a sandwich on my plate and put some salad and then i added one spoonful of two different pastas to my plate. Just to give a taste. As we always hear, it's not what you eat, it's how much you eat. Moderation is the key.

I think I did pretty good. Tomorrow morning, I'm aiming to get on the treadmill before I have to get ready for the memorial service. Worout needs to become a standard part of my life. I 've worked out twice this week so far, so it's time to get in another workout for sure.

Rough Waters

2008-07-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

Today is a bad day. I'm running off of 4.5 hours of sleep. I also found out my uncle passed away this morning at age 54.

I think most of the family is still in shock. I think part of me is still in shock.

Instead of binge eating for comfort, I'm trying to take the lessons learned. Our body is what's keeping us here, in the now. Once the body goes, the brain goes and then we go.

We must nourish our bodies, not infest it with grease, cholesterol and fats. I'm keeping this in mind today.

To respect my uncle is to respect me. my health. my way of life.

Day One

2008-07-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

I did well today. I did have some peanut butter on my apples at lunch, but I didn't over do it. I've snacked on a few things I shouldn't have (i.e. 2 saltine crackers), I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but I have to cut out the mindless grabbing. I must think about everything I consume.

I just finished 20 minutes on my treadmill. A good start to the first day back at it. 3 minutes walking, 2 minutes running. 1.2 miles total, 183 calories burned.

Dinner is consisting of 1 serving lunch meat, 1 string cheese and vegetables (cauliflower, carrots and whatever else I can snack on).

I glimpsed at that swimsuit image again (makes me want to gag). When did I lose definition in my knees? The answer, probably a lot longer than I thought.

Weight: 167.3 lbs

You've completely fallen off the wagon...

2008-07-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

...you saw those pics of you in your bathing suit. That's your motivation. Tomorrow, you're back on it. Tune the bad stuff out. The doubters. The antagonists. It's time. Past time. Tomorrow is a new day.

The Dreaded Short Season

2008-05-19T16:24:00.001-07:00

It's here. Short season. For some it's a warm welcome after long, cold winters, but to the rest of us, it's another reminder that we must shed more pounds.

I remember as a teenager and even in to college that short shorts were it. That's what you wore (unless of course you were wearing athletic shorts) and if you wore anything longer than you were either old or out of style. Therefore, I stuck to capris.

But, lo and behold, two summers ago, hello bermuda shors, my new best friend. Long and to the knee, you provide the appropriate coverage to someone of my....ahem....stature. :) I'm so glad you came to visit.

But also going down a size and losing close to 11 lbs has made short shopping a bit more on the tolerable side. I've already cracked out my two pairs and bought another pair yesterday. Hopefully I'll drop a few more pounds this month and next and then I'll feel even better!

Bring it shorts, I know how to handle you now!

I'm Back!

2008-05-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Weighed in this morning, SHOCKED about the outcome. I didn't gain back as much as I had thought, which was a great feeling - now, I can't dwindle this good luck. Time to be serious. Here's my stats:

Current Weight: 163.8lbs
Left to Lose: 18.8 lbs
Current Size: Did I mention I'm down to a size 12

Confessions of a Two Week Binge

2008-05-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

binge - noun - binged, bing·ing. Informal.
1. a period or bout, usually brief, of excessive indulgence, as in eating, drinking alcoholic beverages, etc.; spree.

Disregard my prior email in which I confess that I was back on track and responsible for my own actions. Instead, I must confess, things haven't been on the up and up on the diet front. I'm currently trying to pull myself back together, but am struggling to overcome the past few weeks.

Though, I've learned the timeless lesson that pounds are sure gained a lot easier than they are lost. I did hop on the scale this morning - and that did give me some motivation to make it through the day. But already I've gone over my points limits. *shame*

Hopefully tomorrow I'll wean a little bit more out of my diet and then we'll get back to the happy place we were 2 weeks ago.

*slap, slap*

Why did I do that?

2008-05-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Jeff and I went to Austin to celebrate our friend Ellen's 28th birthday that was on April 29th and to also celebrate their move to Austin. They had a bbq in a local park that is close to their current digs. It was such a nice day - perfect for the outdoors.

However, my willpower was not in check today, kind of like it hasn't been in check all week. Ellen's dad grilled up some fabulous hamburgers and hot dogs. I ate a hamburger. Probably not the best choice, but that's not what has me kicking myself. It's what came afterwards.

After a rowdy game of sand volleyball, we came back to the picnic site and busted into a box of Krispy Kreme donuts that Ellen's dad had brought. Everyone went after those things like a pack of starving dogs, and I was no different. I think I downed mine in 3 seconds flat. As soon as I swallowed my last bite, I felt guilty. I wanted to smack myself for eating that thing. Before I ate it I didn't even stop to think of the ramifications.

What an idiot!

Avoiding...

2008-04-29T19:11:00.001-07:00

Dear ColleenCountingCalories.blogspot.com,

I know you are there...waiting for me to post something positive and enlightening on your face. But guess what ColleenCountingCalories.blogspot.com? I don't have anything positive and enlightening to tell. I know you're secretly smirking at me, the voices in your head telling you "I knew she couldn't do it" - Do you want me to tell you that I had wedding cake and cookies over the weekend? DO YOU!?! I didn't think so! The other weight loss blogs would be ashamed of us and I'm not telling you the stats because I'm sparing your integrity. But I'll be back ColleenCountingCalories.blogspot.com, oh yes, I will be back. Next week in fact. So prepare yourself.

Yours in weight loss,

Colleen

2008-04-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

Alright! I had a 2.3 lb loss this week! I'm so excited!!! There was some exercise early on in the week - but I wasn't perfect over the weekend. Though I think my "not perfect" is so much better than my "not perfect" of several months ago. I'm making healthier decisions in general and if I am a glutton on the weekend, a majority of the stuffing is done on low-cal/low-fat foods.

The results:

weight: 164.0 lbs

left to lose: 19.0 lbs

total % of body fat lost: 6.12%

Keep On, Keepin' On

2008-04-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I were supposed to ride this afternoon when we got home, but due to him working late and after I did some chores around the house it was getting late. But I had to keep on moving. It's been awhile (2 weeks) since I last hopped on the treadmill, but I psyched myself up and got on. Not so bad, actually. I enjoyed it. I just kept thinking about the results and thought "This will be worth it. The pain, the sweat, will be worth it." I kept thinking about the article from my previous post and kept thinking "Life style change, Life style change, Life style change."

I'll be honest, I chant a lot during my workouts. Not so much outloud - okay, when no one is around, I do - but it helps me get through!

Kopy Kat

2008-04-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is not an original post. For those of you who are not familiar with my Mom's blog, she had a great post yesetrday that I would like to share:

"A while back, I read the most enlightening item on the Nutrisystem blogs, from a man who had been on Nutrisystem for a while and was so successful, he writes in the blogs to encourage others.

His wisdom on that day, and my need to hear it, coincided in perfect harmony! He simply asked, "what are we rushing to?" Why are we hurrying through each day on our search to lose weight to get to some wonderful goal? And then what? Would we just return to the same old habits and eating styles that got us so heavy and unhealthy in the first place? What's the rush? We should be enjoying learning our new eating styles, learning about what works for us and what doesn't. Finding recipes that were low fat and low carb, that taste good, spend time being prepared for each day and not rushing around eating whatever came to our hand."

I like the message here - a lot. I think we all go on these "diets" instead of a life change. Go at your own pace. Stop watching the numbers and wishing away the pounds so quickly. Take your time and LEARN something - probably something you missed the last few times around.

My cousin Em also made a good point on her blog, but I'll let you check that out.

What can I say? We are a bloggin' family!

Uh-Oh

2008-04-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

I gained this week - .7 of a pound - though it's not really surprising after my weekend. I ate a lot of heavy foods. I didn't count my points (I've actually been slacking on that for the past few weeks). It had to catch up to me at some point.

The results:
weight: 166.3 lbs
left to lose: 21.3 lbs
total % of body fat lost: 4.81%

I've already entered my POINTS values online for today. When I get home, I'm on the treadmill first thing - no excuses!

*sigh*

What's Your Weakness?

2008-04-08T18:20:00.001-07:00

I watched tonight's episode of The Biggest Loser in which the contestants were shown each of their favorite plates and then a celebrity chef, Rocco DiSpirito, came and showed each of them how to cook that plate but a much healthier version.

I reflected on my own "weaknesses" in regards to food and here's a small list:

Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunch Original Ice Cream
On the rare occasion I could down a whole pint (2 cups) of this bad boy.
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 270
Total Fat: 15 g
Sodium: 120 mg
Total Carbs: 31 g
Fiber: <1>

Now instead of fattening ice cream I eat sugar free chocolate pudding or frozen lemonade. Each one is low in calories and fat and very delicious!

French Bread
Another bad weakness - I LOVE bread. And french bread has that nice crust and chewy inside that I love.
Serving Size: 1 slice, large
Calories: 277
Total Fat: 1.8 g
Sodium: 624 mg tsk, tsk - not good for someone with high blood pressure
Total Carbs: 54.2 g
Fiber: 2.3 g
Sugars: 2.5 g
Jeff and I switched to Nature's Own Sugar Free Honey Wheat bread. It tastes great and on the Weight Watchers plan you can have 2 slices for 1 point - that's great!

Colby Jack Cheese
I love cheese. Always have. It's carried over from my childhood. I could eat it all day and never get tired of it.
Serving Size: 1 oz
Calories: 110
Total Fat: 9 g
Sodium: 180 mg
As a rule, I try to stay away from cheese for the most part, but if I get the craving I have mozzerella string cheese.

Visit http://www.calorie-count.com/ and figure out what the nutritional value is of your favorite food. Chances are, it'll shock you! Make sure to share.

Not So Bad

2008-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Actually, the weigh in went well. I lost 1.6lbs!!!! Yahoo!!!

Here's my new numbers:
weight: 165.6 lbs
left to lose: 20.6 lbs
total % of body fat lost: 5.21%

Weekend Wandering

2008-04-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

I wandered off of my diet this weekend - to tell you the truth, I'm not sure what to expect on tomorrow's weigh in. I've exercised twice this weekend which is a plus, but confession time is here. Here is my list of weekend cheats, in order of consumption.

Friday afternoon: I was on the go, running errands. I needed something quick. I stopped at Bill Miller's and had a Turkey PoorBoy. Not the worst decision, but I doubt the bbq sauce (full of sugar) and the bread that it was on was "healthy". I followed this up with a 30 minute run on the treadmill.
Friday night: Salmon (not such a bad choice, right?) - but I indulged in a roll and a piece of carrot cake for a Rehersal Dinner that Jeff and I attended for a family friend. I took a sip of the champagne as well, but wasn't feeling it. No other alcohol was consumed.

Saturday morning: 3/4 cup of dry Fruit Loops. I estimated 4 points. That's not bad for a breakfast, but I wouldn't go so far to call it healthy.
Saturday lunch: The dreaded Mexican food. I consumed a few tortilla chips and salsa and I ordered a taco salad. I ate the beef, sour cream and guacamole, but only ate half of the whole thing. Still not a very wise decision on my part.
Saturday dinner: Leftover spaghetti made with Smart Noodles. But, I confess, I had some bread with it. Healthy bread, but a few pieces more than I shoul dof.

Sunday morning: After my 30 minute run on the treadmill, I made waffles!! What was I thinking!!?!? I had houseguests and we had talked about it the day before. I wanted to be a good hostess but I think I sabotaged myself.
Sunday lunch: Hamburger!!! I only ate half, but I had some onion rings *slapping forehead*. After judging what I ate during the weekend - I shouldn't of had this. THEN we had a slice of cake when we returned to the Knutson Ranch (Muy Seco Ranch). I kept it pretty small. But let's face it. Cake is cake.
Sunday dinner: Leftover weight watchers meal that I made the other day. 6 points. But I'm super full.

Not one damn salad in the whole weekend. Back on it in the morning. I'm dreading the scale, but I'll make sure to post an accurate figure.

*Dreading the morning weigh in*

Combos

2008-04-03T05:30:00.000-07:00

On my drive to work each day, I pass a number of unhealthy restaraunts. Mexican, Italian, BBQ, etc. You name it, I probably pass it on my 35 minute commute.

This morning I drove by a KFC/Taco Bell restaraunt. I thought on this for a while. They are probably the two most unhealthy places for anyone to eat. So why don't they just combine their efforts to fatten up America!? Duh! It all seems so logical. Not really.

I had this discussion with my coworkers yesterday. Everyone wants to solve obesity issues in America, but no one wants to take away the food causing the problem. While I know it would be against every human right to restrict someone from something they want, it has to be done to solve the problem. People won't eat it if it's not available, right? That's how I figure at least.

Go to any grocery store and you'll see the bakery overflowing into the sections right next to it. You know what I mean. Donuts are offered to you right before you head to the meat section. They stick them out in your path so you can grab them while you pass. It's sad, but it's a reality.

Stores and restaurants are going to have to start making over their products in order for us to "solve" obesity in the U.S. and combining fried chicken and designer-imposter mexican food is not a good start.

Monday Weigh In

2008-03-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

Quick recap, sorry, not much time.

Here's my new numbers:

weight: 167.2 lbs
left to lose: 22.2 lbs
total % of body fat lost: 4.29%

Weekend Food Recap

2008-03-30T17:44:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted much this past week - I must not let that happen again! Shame.

I hosted a bridal shower at my office on Friday. We catered sandwiches and turkey/swiss rollups from Costco and made salads for the side dishes. I had a small amount of the pasta salad that I made, 1/4 of the ham sandwich and 2 turkey/swiss rollups - oh and one deviled egg as well - that couldn't of been good - but I figured the rest of it wasn't going to hurt me. But then came cake time. I ended up halfing a regular size piece, but it was still pretty glutinous. I felt guilty afterwards - don't worry.

Then Saturday, I survived all the tempations that were at the Race for the Cure event. Free tacos from Taco Cabana, breakfast items from Whataburger and the topper, Starbucks! I stayed away from all the booths so I wouldn't break. I even declined a gourmet breakfast at Mad Hatter's with some coworkers after the race. I heard they had excellent cinnamon buns - glad I didn't make it in there. ha!

Saturday evening I had my parents over for dinner. My first dinner party in the new house. My Dad requested spaghetti - not the most diet-friendly meal. So I decided to make two courses. Spaghetti - with healthy noodles, lean ground beef and organic pasta sauce - for my Dad and Jeff and Broiled chicken breast and squash and zuchinni for myself and my Mom. And for dessert instead of dishing up the entire Key Lime pie, which is my Dad's favorite - I bought a single serving for each of the men and I bought a Weight Watchers dessert for my Mom and myself. It was perfect! It can be done! The ONLY thing I did have bad that night was later on, at the Rampage game, I ate some peanuts (super salty and high in fat).

All in all I'd say I did pretty good. There were probably some nibbles here and there that I should of avoided, but I did a 5k walk on Saturday morning and some pretty strenuous yard work this afternoon. Hopefully we'll see good results in the morning.

Exercise Woes

2008-03-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Why am I slacking on exercise? why? Colleen, you KNOW you must exercise to lose weight. You know it. Then why do you ignore it or talk yourself out of it so much!?!

I didn't run yesterday and I skipped it today. Around 9:15pm, I felt guilty and at least got my crunches and weights in, but I'm going off of day 5 of no cardio. Argh! I can't just sit idle and expect to have such fantastic results.

Jeff and I are going to try to get a bike ride in tomorrow night. This should be possible, since daylight savings started it's light until 8ish. I'm hoping to get home at a reasonable time to attempt a 20-miler (maybe). If this ends up getting scratched, I am SO on the treadmill.

I lost

2008-03-24T05:17:00.000-07:00

but I'm not happy.

Due to, let's just say "technical difficulties" this weekend (i.e. read the previous story) by system still has some, er, straightening out to do, if you will.

Therefore, I'm planning to weigh in again in the morning to gage a more accurate number.

But I did weigh in this morning. 2.9 lbs lost.

Here's my new numbers (they'll be updated tomorrow)

weight: 168.4 lbs
left to lose: 23.4 lbs
total % of body fat lost: 3.61%

I survived birthday cake...

2008-03-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

....but my will power was never really tested.

I'm in Houston for the Easter weekend. Jeff and I got an early start pulling out of SA around 8am. Before, we would totally of stopped for breakfast tacos and maybe an extremely fattening Starbucks coffee. But we planned ahead and took breakfast with us (bananas and granola bars and extra fruit for snacks). For lunch (Italian!) but I just had a HUGE salad and I think I hit my 64 oz. water quota by noon! Or it seemed as much!

We went to the 2-year-old birthday party around 3:00 pm and that's when it struck! Dear Lord, somebody shoot me. I had THE worst stomach cramps I have probably experienced in a long time. Nausea, upset stomach (I won't go into any more details) but it was AWFUL. I think something made me sick this morning and sitting in the hot sun probably didn't help. I coudln't even muster up any energy to go inside to say goodbye to everyone - I was SIIIIICK! Thank the Lord everything eventually calmed down. But I must of eaten a whole package of Saltine crackers. Not sure how that is on the 'ole Weight Watchers POINT system, but I hardly cared at the time.

By dinner I was about 85% and was able to consume 3/4 of a grilled chicken sandwich. But after that I was spent. I think I might of gone into the negatives on POINTS today! just kidding. But seriously, folks.

I hope tomorrow will be a better day! We're having chicken salad sandwiches for dinner. Not the most "traditional" of Easter meals, but I'm glad for this because I won't have all that ham/mashpotatoe/greenbeancasserol-ish tempation!

Happy Easter everyone!

Sneak Peek

2008-03-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am big on people not weighing themselves every day when they are trying to lose weight. But I broke my own rule this morning - I know, shame, shame, shame! But, man was it a NICE number!!! I'm keeping it under wraps until Monday - where hopefully I'll see that number again (and maybe less).

I just found out that we have to attend a 2 year olds birthday party this weekend too! The good news is that it's mid afternoon - so I'll be able to ride out lunch and eat a snack at 3:00 before we go over there so that way I can avoid the temptation of cake. I hope no one thinks I'm rude for not eating eat, but I'm barely into this (almost two weeks) and I can't falter yet!

Papa John's

2008-03-19T18:11:00.001-07:00

I had a very unsatisfying lunch today. One of those "meal-in-a-box" things - you know what I'm talking about. I followed it up with a 1 POINT pudding pack, which was probably the highlight of my lunch. As I sat there chatting with a coworker, leftover Papa John's pizza made it's way into the breakroom (Side note: we have leftovers at work almost every day. 95% of the time it's sandwiches). Four boxes in total with a wide range in variety.

The email went out and the vultures descended. Then the peer pressure began - "Just take a bite - it's really good" ... "have you ever tried this kind? here try some." While I feel that most of them were all innocent, I held firm and resisted the temptation. I have to say that today it was not that hard. For starters, I don't really like Papa John's (but lets face it, pizza is pizza) and the best reason, I"m starting to feel results. So that kept my will power strong.

Redemption

2008-03-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't give myself time to make any excuses this evening. I got home, changed and got on the treadmill. Today's workout was actually nice. I think I was pumped with adrenaline so the time seemed to fly and I was able to keep up with the entire workout. 30 minutes/300 calories/1.791 miles can go by fast when you are having fun!

I also have been staying about .5 - 1.5 points under every day. This has actually been going well - I feel full so I'm not starving myself at least.

Excuses

2008-03-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

I talked myself out of working out last night. I didn't even do my 100-crunches. I felt super guilty this morning. Especially when I tried on my clothes and felt that awful "I hate the way this feels" feeling. No more excuses. I'm on the treadmill as soon as I get home tonight.

Just because I had one good week does not guarantee anything and is only a baby step towards my total weight loss goal! I just need to keep this in mind.

Results!

2008-03-17T05:12:00.001-07:00

It's working! It's really working! (Cue evil scientist music)

I hopped on the scale this morning and I'm down 3.4 lbs! Hot damn! I've lost 1.95% of my body weight in one week! yahoo!

This is great inspiration to keep me on it this week.

The weekend was fabulous! Camping was awesome - the weather really cooperated and we got in a really nice 4-mile hike on Saturday. My total activity points for the week were 18 - so I'm feeling pretty good about that.

Easter is coming this weekend and while I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous on how I'm going to survive, I think that this week's loss has given me a boost so I may just survive yet.

weight: 171.3 lbs
left to lose: 26.3 lbs

I'm quite proud of myself

2008-03-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

My first successful dine out of the week! Let's put aside the fact that I paid $8.63 for something I could of easily brought from home. Although eating at a salad bar was probably an "easy feat" for most, I tend to sneak some pasta's, meat, cheese and some sort of bread item onto my plate. But not today. I even had minimal dressing - I kept it to the standard serving size of 2tbsp. I know it's a pretty dorky thing to be proud of, but I'm feeling good about myself.

I leave for my camping trip in the morning. I'm bringing turkey hot dogs(1 pt each), bratwurst for the rest of the crew and Carb-Smart tortillas (1 pt each) and I've chopped up a bunch of different fruit to bring (strawberries, pineapple, blackberries, nectarines and bananas) so that if I get the "munchies" which are inevitable on any a good camping trip, that I can eat fruit instead of potato chips. I'm also going to pack the cooler with lots of water and some FiberOne granola bars (2 pt each) for the trail. I think I'm ready.

Today's Goal

2008-03-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

Make it through "Friday Lunch" at the office! Today shouldn't be that hard considering we are supposed to be going to Jason's Deli. But if plans change and somoene shouts out a burger joint, well than I'm not going. Plain and simple. I'm not going. It's okay Colleen to miss out on some things for the greater good of your effort. Just keep that in mind. Another restaurant and another Friday will be right around the corner!

Today's motto "STAY STRONG!"

No Pain, No Gain, right?

2008-03-12T17:54:00.001-07:00

Well I'm definitely feeling the pain, that's for sure. Please hear me when I say, I really, really, really did not want to work out today. Today was probably the longest day ever! Is it just me or did time seem to draaaag? I'm a little slow at work right now, so that doesn't help. And because Jeff is sick and doing lots of tossing and turning at night, I had a really bad nights sleep last night and the two nights prior. I was feeling the lost hours on my way home today when I started to nod off a bit. So when I walked into the door, the couch beckoned me forward. "Colleen," it called," lay your head on my shoulder...take a little napsy....no one will know." I almost gave in....almost.

Instead, I marched into my bedroom, changed into my workout clothes and hopped on the treadmill for my 30-minute workout. But, I hated almost every minute of it. I really had to push myself through it. Methodically counting the seconds until I decreased the MPH. I just kept thinking, eventually, these workouts will get better. They have to, right? Well anyway, it's done. And that's what matters. All I have left to do today is crunches.

Regarding my daily POINTS, today I've actually come up 1.5 points shy of my 23 point goal. That's weird because I feel like I've eaten a lot today. When I think back on it though, I've eaten a ton of fruits and veggies today that are all low point foods. So it makes sense. Here's my screen capture for the day. On to tomorrow!

Challenges Come Early

2008-03-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today was an interesting day. Day #2 of my diet and I was faced with cake and breakfast tacos right off the bat. There was some, okay a lot of, peer pressure, but I held strong. I think all the pressure was a bit of motivation for me. This may be mean, but to me it was like, "fine, eat the cake, but guess who's going to be regretting it tomorrow? you are. not me." So it actually helped me get through it.

For exercise, today is a weight training day. Yes, we have a weight set, but I needed to start a little smaller and build my way towards that. So I stopped at Academy on the way home and bought 2-5lb dumbells, 2-10lb dumbells and a 10lb medicine ball. I also saw a domestic dispute in the parking lot - which was interesting.

After consuming the last of my 23 daily POINTS (I did not go over by a single point) I proceeded to do some tricep exercises and some chest exercises with the medicine ball, which was actually a lot of fun. I can't wait till I can actually start feeling stronger. It's sad to see how weak you've become regarding muscle strength. This is something I need to work on and have failed doing so in the past. Not this time. Goodbye arm fat.

Tomorrow, I'm going to do some research on arm exercises (both with the medicine ball and the dumbells) so that I can keep a constant routine. Otherwise, I sit there struggling with what to do.

I'm off to a great start!

2008-03-10T18:08:00.001-07:00

Today has been a good day. I've eaten everything I need for the day and have remained 1/2 point under my daily totals. Here's a screen capture:

I've also managed to earn 2 activity points due to a 30 minute workout on the treadmill when I came home. I did a weight loss program that the treadmill had that burned a little over 300 calories and I traversed a total of 1.786 miles. All in all, I feel pretty good. The only thing I've yet to get in is my daily crunches, but I'm going to work on that as soon as I finish with this post.

My one concern of the day is that I was constantly thinking about this diet. Constantly. Which put food at the forefront of my mind, which caused either actual or psychological hunger. Not sure.

I'm optimistic about tomorrow. More later.

Preparation is Key!

2008-03-09T16:19:00.001-07:00

I think one of my biggest downfalls is time - there just is never enough. One of my biggest reasons for slacking on salads was because I didn't have enough time in the mornings to chop up everything. So instead I'd grab a frozen meal, which can be good POINTS-wise, but they are all high in sodium, which is something I have to watch since I have HBP.

I spent about an hour chopping everything up and prepping some meals for the week. I also decided to cook a whole bag of frozen chicken, that way all I have to do is defrost it or reheat it for dinners and lunches. In addition, I'll be pre-weighing everything and determining the points values for each. It just makes it easier to add up later on. Hopefully, this will all remedy my "I don't have time to make anything" excuse that I seem to have too often.

The Purpose and the Facts

2008-03-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start my own fitness blog for several reasons:
1. I need to be held accountable in some way, shape, form and fashion. This is a start.
2. I think that if I bare the hard facts to everyone I will be more determined to correct the problem.
3. I like talking about things (suprise!) and this provides a great outlet.

On January 1st, 2008 I started my weight loss journey with over half of America (I'm guessing). I did well, for the first month and dropped 6.8lbs, but then I started to slack. I started to incorporate less healthy items back in to my routine because "I had earned it"... good reason, huh? yeah right. But the good times are now over my friends. I've hit my breaking point (again.) and I'm fed up with everything.

I need to stop listening to coworkers and allow myself to cheat. I need to stop staring at my treadmill and get my ass on it. I need to dust off the weight set and start building some muscle and I need to learn how to make better food choices because you know what? It feels good to be healthy.

And aside from feeling good, I've got other issues that are triggering this. I visited my obgyn back in January and we discussed pregnancy. I have high blood pressure. I'm 28 years old and I've had it since I was 21. I'm going to be a high-risk pregnancy. So what did she say is going to be a major issue? My weight. I need to lose a decent amount now so that I'm able to put on the healthy weight later on and still maintain the average amount. To add to my health problems, I've recently had some back issues. An old injury that has recently come back to haunt me. After an MRI (the longest I've ever sat still in my entire life - 20 minutes!) the verdict was given: A slipped disk! Another medical condition that is affected by weight. So this has all been a rather sad wake up call for me.

I do not consider myself obese in anyway, but I am overweight and out of shape and that needs to stop. I am a firm believer that if you remain active and in shape in your life that you age more "gracefully" if you will than those that do not. I want to be able to do many activities when I am older and I need to correct the issue now before it becomes where.

So tomorrow, I embark on my most serious journey. I hope you'll come back for a visit and to add some motivating words! It always helps.

Here are the hard facts, please reserve judgement:
Current weight: 174.7 (I'd like to say I'm surprised, but after all the crap I ate last week and over the weekend, I'm actually "surprised" it's not more)
Goal weight: 145
Pounds that I need to lose: 29.7 (revised)
8Current dress size: 14 (I told myself 5 years ago I'd never wear this size again, and yet, here I am)
Medications: 2 for HBP
Current Mood: Angry at myself, determined to lose some weight
Goals for the week: 3-4 days of exercise (and journal about it online), 100 sit ups every night, stay under POINTS every day, not going over once.