Wednesday, April 28, 2010

183(-31.5lbs)



I finally hit my 30 pound weight loss milestone this week, thanks in no part to myself. I have had a really difficult couple weeks emotionally. Usually, this is when I turn to food for comfort, but I have found that I just do not get the same cravings. I did have some pizza last weekend, and it was wonderful. I got chicken and veggie pizza from this wonderful place out in Katy when I was dog-sitting at my Mom's, called Mazzei's. It was actually not salty at all and I asked them to use as little cheese as possible, so I did not feel as guilty, or as yucky, after eating it twice on Sunday. I have, however, been drinking entirely too much wine. I try to limit my intake to one glass every other day, and on days that I have training at the gym, it is pretty easy, but with my depressed mood the last 2 weeks, I have having 2-3 glasses every night. I know this is completely dumb because alcohol is a depressant, and it just leaves me feeling worse off the next day, so no wine tonight! I am going to go running outside and enjoy this nice weather while it lasts. I am also running/walking a 5k this Saturday, so I want to gauge how far I can run in one clip. My goal is to run at least the first mile.

I am back to my regular diet and though I am very bored with it, I am continuing to try new things.

Yesterday I baked some chicken that I had marinated with just about every dried herb I own. I topped it with some baby bella mushrooms and cherry tomatoes, and a little bit of crumbled up Melba toast, which is one of my allowed starch products. I was a bit disappointed because it really seemed to lack flavor, so I will probably put some of my honey Dijon dressing on it next time I eat it. I was more successful with some ground veal that I got last week. You have to be careful with ground meats, because the variance in fat from one cut of meat to the next is crazy. Many people buy ground turkey and think that it is better for them, but unless you are getting ground turkey BREAST, you are wrong.

Here are the nutritional values for Jennie O turkey(4 oz portions):
Ground turkey BREAST:120 calories, 1.5g fat, 26g protein
Ground turkey:220 calories, 17g fat, 20g protein
93% Lean Ground BEEF: 170 calories, 8g fat, 23g protein

So basically, ground turkey meat(which includes dark meat) is worse for you than some ground BEEF! The same goes for ground chicken, so watch your labels when you shop.

Anyway, back to the veal; I am pretty sure that it was not super high in fat, but there was not any nutritional info and it did not specify if it was lean or "extra lean". I would not purchase this product again, but this time, I decided to make a meatloaf. I put in mushrooms, onions, a package of the QWLC mushroom soup dry mix for seasoning, a little water and some Melba toast. It was really good! It tasted like it had a little more fat in it than the ground turkey breast I usually cook with, but it was very flavorful. I do not even like meatloaf, but the texture was dense and the mushroom soup added a lot of flavor without adding too much salt. I will be making this again, but I really want to find ground veal that has more info on the package. The research I did online puts the nutritional facts close to the 93%lean ground beef.

I also read on a Weight Watchers email that cooking with salt causes meats to loose their natural juices and dries them out. Yet another reason to not cook with salt. On my plan, I am only allowed 1/2 tsp of Morton's light salt each day and I am not allowed to cook with it. I use it to sprinkle on my veggies and main dish, and it is more than enough to season my food for the entire day.

I am finally fitting into my pink and black goal dress that I posted a picture of at the start of this journey, and will be wearing it to a friend's wedding this weekend. I feel soooooo good in it and do not even have to wear any Spanx or anything! Amazing! I also ordered the red dressed pictured. It has not shipped yet, but I am very excited to try something strapless. My breast have been too big to really wear anything strapless, but they are not anymore and I have enjoyed being comfortable in a strapless bra again. Oh the things I will be able to buy now!!!

Well, off to get changed so I can go running - hoping I do not pass out!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

187.5(-27 lbs)




I have been busy again and have not posted in a while - sorry!

I have still been on a constant "cheating" run. I have been eating out almost EVERYDAY. While I try to make healthy choices, and NEVER eat fast food, it is still prohibiting faster weight loss. I am tending towards my favorite Asian fare(Sushi, Vietnamese) and have even splurged on a couple of my favorite sandwiches at Spec's deli. I will admit that the Asian food has been delightful, but the sandwiches were a let down. They did not offer enough flavor in relation to the calories. For me, if I am going to go off "plan" then it better be GREAT. I had some amazing food at my Mom's wine party that was completely worth the lack of weight loss, but most of the food I have eaten, especially the Mexican food, has not thrilled me in the least.

I did have a margarita(two actually) at Taylor's b-day brunch, but considering I was only able to fit in one complete meal for 4 days straight, I rationalized that I need the calories. HA! I did lose weight, but only because I was lacking in my calorie intake. Not healthy, but also not intentional.

I was very hungry, moody and tired the last two weeks(that time), but now I am back to normal and I can tell that I am not as hungry and am also not making excuses for why I can go off "plan". I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought Brocciflower. It is a cross of broccoli and cauliflower and basically looks like green cauliflower. I will be streaming it tonight and will report back next time.

The Avon Walk went well and I completed 39.3 miles and raised all the money(thanks to you all). I am now training for a 5k. Sarah and I have registered for the Relay for Life 5k on May 1st. It is a run/walk and we are not going to be competing for time, but I am going to try to run as much of it as possible and really push myself.

Now that I have been in the gym regularly and doing weight training, i feel like i enjoy running more and i am more balanced, even when walking in heels(maybe I won't fall as often- HAHA!). I am also beginning to like my arms again and I can really see a difference in my face, neck and collarbone area.

I am definitely starting to come to the realization that I am smaller, but I still feel big most days. Sarah gave me some pajama pants to wear while we were lying around her house last week and I looked at them and said "those are way to small. they will never fit me." I truly believed it, but Sarah insisted they would and sure enough, I put them on and realized, "wow, I have lost weight." Sounds strange, I know........

I am fitting into a few size 12 pants, but my 14's are all too big. I would love to be in an 8 eventually. I think I will be set if I can lose another 30 pounds,for a total of 57-60 pounds. My original goal was 70 pounds, but I still think that I am going to be happier with my body shape at around 150 pounds. I have ALWAYS weighed more than I look like I weigh. I know this and have had MANY others tell me this. According to my trainers, I have an unusually high natural muscle mass, so when I work out, it will cause me to be a little heavier on the scale, but the metabolistic benefits, as well as my overall health will more than make up for the extra numbers on the scale.

I have committed to cutting out wine again for this week and only having a glass on special occasions. I know this will help me to get to my goal, and I am confident I will be able to maintain once I get there.

Thank you again for all your encouraging words and prayer! Love you all!

Makenzi