A Little Bit of Everything

I have been living in a whirlwind for the past few days, therefore blogging has been put on the back burner somewhat. I have been reading, but I have had no time or energy for writing. This weekend has been interesting in the food/diet/exercise department. I have made some poor decisions, and needless to say I have been SCARED OF THE SCALE! I am trying not to be too hard on myself because while I made some poor decisions they could have been much worse when it really comes down to it. I also made some very healthy and wise decisions over the weekend. For example...

I said no to these in the break room Friday morning at work.

And I said no to these lovely treats today at the grocery store.

But I did cheat today and eat this.

(Yes, this is non-fat yogurt, but I filled that baby up and I even put M&Ms on it. There is nothing better than cold M&Ms. I am not quite sure how many calories this was, but it was A LOT. I do not think I want to know. It tasted delightful, and really, if I am going to cheat at all I could have chosen much worse treats to satisfy my cravings.  Side note: I did not eat it all, so that was good)  :)

This weekend was filled with dinner's out, but I ate very well both times. I also had a wonderful meal tonight for the Giants/Niners game. (my boyfriend spoils me, and makes the most amazing food)

What the boys ate...

Pork Baby back ribs. 

What my friend and I ate... (she is also trying to make healthy choices)

Mixed veggies and blacked chicken with Mango Salsa! It was to die for!!!!

I also got an excellent work out in today with the chatty Jillian Michael's. Her work outs rock, but she talks way too much. This video kicked my butt! I literally fell asleep afterwards due to exhaustion.  This was my choice for today... 50 minutes of pure hell!!!!

After writing this post I guess I did not do too bad after all. The one thing I neglected was the scale. I felt heavy and I just could not make myself get on it. I will let you all know what it reads tomorrow morning. I am a little nervous. But one thing I have been thinking about over this past week is that this has got to be about more than the number. It has got to be about my health, my life, and my well-being. 

Here is a picture of my last weigh in, so it will be interesting to see what tomorrow holds for me. But I want to really focus on creating a healthy life-style and making healthy decisions. This is more than just losing weight.

Here is where I was on Friday...

Not to shabby.

Goals for this week:

* Work Out HARD at least 4 times this week.

* Document all of my eating to help keep myself on track.

* 140 by the next weigh in

This post has been a little bit of everything, and a little all-over-the-place. Thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting! Here's to a new week!

Allison

Back in the Gym (144.8)

I FINALLY went back to the gym today. It kicked my bootie, but it was worth it. I needed to sweat a little. I meant to take a "Proof I went to the Gym Picture," but I left my camera in the car, so I took a sweaty picture of me when I got back in my car after the track and sauna. Here you go...

Yep, that's me!  Nasty, sweaty, and tired after a 2.5 mile run and 15 minutes sweating it out in the sauna. After the gym I headed to one of my favorite places - PANERA BREAD! I met my wonderful friend Alicia there for dinner. She is also trying to lose weight, so it helps to have someone to talk to about the woes and thrills of the infamous "weight loss journey." Having accountability is key for me! I ate a delicious cafe classic salad with grilled chicken. It was delish!!!

Doesn't it look delightful????  :)

I did lose a little today, so that was encouraging! I also did well with the rest of my eating for the day, however I did have a fight with this little guy...

This bowl of evilness sits on my co-worker's desk. I loath it and love it all in one. I did a few pieces of this today, but I did not binge. Don't get me wrong; I thought about binging. I thought about stealing every last little drop of candy in that bowl and savoring every moment of it. But the awesome part is that I didn't. I only ate a few pieces throughout the day. I am hoping to stay away from it tomorrow completely. I bought some sugar free candy and gum to keep in my desk. I am hoping this will keep me from indulging in the chocolaty deliciousness of snickers, milk way, and twix!  We will see.  

I hope everyone had a great Tuesday. I will check in tomorrow.

Allison

Here's the "Skinny" on My Weekend

This weekend was very eventful. Friday Night was J's birthday so we went out to dinner and to see a local band with some of our good friends. I was a little nervous about it considering historically the weekends are where I gain the most weight. Over all, I did rather well. I ate half of a very large grilled chicken salad with vinaigrette dressing. I had one glass of wine with dinner, and one light beer later. I was surprised at the self control I had. Here are a few pics from the festivities...

We had loads of fun, but boy was a tired and ready to get home to bed. Saturday was a pretty relaxing day. We ventured out for the NC State vs Wake Forest basketball game with some friends, but the rest of the day was spent on the couch relaxing. One of my Saturday weaknesses was none other than Welch's Fruit Snacks.

 I crave these, and I keep them in the house so I will not be tempted to eat other junk that I REALLY want. Saturday was interesting though. I ate a TON of these. I could not get enough. But that was pretty much all I ate. Needless to say, my stomach was torn up. I know, I know... this was not healthy! I mean, they are Fat Free people, and very few calories, and made with "real" fruit... but still!  I was just in a snack food mood. I could not make myself eat a meal, and this lasted up until Sunday evening. I finally ate a lean Pork tenderloin and some mixed veggies. It was delicious. Now, when I weighed in on Sunday I was down to 143.8, but as of this morning I was back up to 145.0. :(   Overall, I am proud of my weekend. 

My Week has started off with a bang!!  I have drank about 6 bottles of water, along with some green tea, and a coke zero here or there. ;)  I had teriyaki grilled chicken and broccoli for lunch, and baked BBQ chicken with green peppers and onions for dinner. It was simple, yummy, and filling. 

Talk about portion control. After looking at this picture, my portion looks so small!!!  But I was satisfied, and that is what counts. While I wish I could change my ticker to 143, I am happy that I am gaining back my old willpower to fight through my cravings to binge and to quit. Now I am off to watch the new series Alcatraz!!! I have been waiting all season for this show!  Talk with you tomorrow, and hopefully I will have some great news!

Allison

I PASSED!!!!!!!

I passed the infamous number!!!!  This morning when I weighed in I could not believe that I saw 145.2!!! WOW.  :)  I was so excited I starting dancing in my bathroom. I have lost a lot of weight this week, which is great, but I know that it is my first true week. I know my body is being cleansed, rejuvenated, and energized. I also know that I should not always expect to lose weight like this. I have really stuck to a straight-laced, strict diet and exercise regiment this week, and all this has really helped. Here is a glimpse into my day, and into my diet...

* I wake up at 4:45 every work day. I try to get a Jillian Michael's video in at this time, but I am not always in the mood. :)
* I get ready, pack my lunch and head to work by 6:30.
* I work in a fast paced medical facility where I am on my feet and dealing with people, shipment, stock, and paperwork all day. I do have a desk, and I do sit at it from time-to-time, but for the majority of the day I am moving. I am very thankful for this, but it does wear me out at times.
* I snack around 11:00 each day on a piece of fruit, and then I usually eat a small salad with a lean protein at lunch around 1:00.
* I am normally out of my office by 4:00.
* I hit the gym up for a class or a 3 mile run around 4:30, and then I end with about 15 minutes in the sauna. This feels so refreshing after a long work day. My body feels relaxed and cleansed.
* I usually eat dinner around 6:30. It normally consists of lean chicken, pork, or beef accompanied by a green vegetable.
* I am in bed by 9:30 so I can be up and ready to do it all over again the next day.

What I did not include is the constant changes to this schedule. Every Monday is Girl's Night. We meet  at different restaurant or bar each Monday to discuss life's struggles and drama over a glass of wine. I do not usually make it to the gym on Monday's due to this. And it seems like every week I end up making commitments after work or the gym that make my schedule change. At times, this makes balancing my personal life, work life, and everything else in-between very difficult. I have noticed that this week has been on schedule for the most part. The only glitch has been the necessary house renovating tasks.  (that is a work out in and of itself)


I have not stuck to my work out schedule this week AT ALL. I have still lost weight, but exercise is so important to me. I make that a huge goal for next week - GET MY BUTT IN THE GYM!!!

I will try to check in tomorrow!

I hope you all have a lovely night.


Allison

The Infamous 146.6!!!!

This morning's weigh in was a great success. I guess home renovations really kicked my butt yesterday. Here are my morning weigh in results...

146.6

This number and I have had rounds before. I get to 146.6, and I either stay there, or I gain weight. Getting past this number will be a HUGE accomplishment. The next big number hurtle is 138. This is where I stayed all summer. The scale, nor my body would move!!!  This time I plan to make it past both numbers!!!

Allison

Calling all Followers!!

I have been having some blogging difficulty. When I re-vamped my blog and came back a few weeks ago my blog seemed to almost have a virus, so I had to pretty much start from scratch. All of the blogs that I follow are present and visible, but for some strange reason my "Followers" are not visible anymore. It says I have 4 followers, but it is more like 45 or something like that. I have had some say they are following, and my new posts appear on their blog roll, but for some reason they do not appear on my blog under my followers. It may sound a little vain, but I guess I like seeing who is with me along the way. That's not so bad, right? So, if any of you have any suggestions or brilliant ideas as to why they are not showing up would you please offer your advice.  It would be Oh so helpful!!!  It may mean that people need to re-follow me. I dunno.

On a side note... today has been very good except I did not work out again. :( We are renovating the house, so I have been slaving away on that after work today. My eating and water in take was excellent though. I have really cut down my calories to a healthy amount, and I have cut out most carbs and sugars. I have got to allow this body to sweat tomorrow, so the gym will be visited right after work tomorrow. I PROMISE!!! I will post pictures for accountability.


Allison

That Was Fast!

As I said yesterday I have decided to post my daily weigh-ins this week. To my surprise, this morning's weigh in was a success. A BIG success!!!!  I weighed myself about 4 times in a row to make sure it was real. Here goes...

148.8  

This made me happy. I guess Whitney was right when she told me last night I would be back in the 140s in no time! :-)  I am at work already, and I have finished my first bottle of water. Now off to get some coffee with splenda and non fat creamer so my employees will not think I am a grouch.  I will check in later after my work out.

Allison

Weigh in... Day one... Short post

I think I am going to weigh in daily this week to help get myself back on track. Today was a pretty good day. Food wise I did very well, but I did not drink enough water, and I did not get a workout in. Here is my weigh in from this morning:

151.0 lbs

Not a pretty number, but I can only go down from here right. So here's to Monday, a new day and a new start. Tomorrow I will be getting in a great run and some much needed sauna time. I also will be getting in at least 6 bottles of water. I will check in tomorrow night.

Allison

First Week Blues...

You know that motivated, encouraged, determined feeling when you start over or start fresh. Yeah, I totally lost that feeling this past week. I woke up last Monday, weighed in and actually lost a ton of weight!  I was down from 153 to 147ish. Can we say WOW!!!!  I was overjoyed, but for some reason the motivation faded quickly, and the stress from the work week set in. I began eating poorly, and I did not visit the gym one time this week. When I began to eat poorly I lost my focus and determination. Needless to say, I feel GROSS! After a week of burgers, pizza, candy, cookies, popcorn, and nachos this body is really ready for some cleansing. I do regret my choices of this past week. That is all they were - poor choices. The way I feel tonight I think is enough motivation to get me back where I need to be, but I am taking it a day at a time. AND I am trying not to be too hard on myself, but I know I needed to do a little firm lecturing over my unhealthy choices of this past week. My goal still is to be down 20 by the end of May, and I know I can do it! No doubt. I am really learning how to love myself, and put myself first in all situations, including what I eat. Though I screwed up this past week, here are a few things I use to stay on track:

We keep a Monthly calendar where we write in our weight every day, but my "official" weigh in day is Monday. (I will post my starting weight tomorrow)

Look at that!!!  Under 150!  I am nervous to see my weight tomorrow!

These are some ways I keep from snacking at work. If I drink a ton of water with or without Crystal Light I find I feel full and do not want to snack. What are some things that you do?

On another note, I mentioned I am renovating and decorating my house. Here are a few of my latest little projects...

It may be hard to see, but This was a simple black shelf from home goods that I painted and aged with crackle paint. I LOVE LOVE it. I did another tonight. I will show them to you when they are completely done and hung.

These are nothing special... just a few projects we have been working on lately. Can you tell I am excited?!?!?  I will have to post some before pictures so you can see the BIG difference.

Alrighty, I am out!  I am ready to do well and feel good this week. I will talk to ya tomorrow.

Allison



2012... Goals, Goals, and more Goals!!!

A New Year, and I am ready for it. I have so many things to be thankful for. 2011 was a pretty good year, but I think I like even numbered years better.  :)  I am really looking forward to this year, and I am ready to enjoy and cherish every minute of it. I do have some goals I would like to accomplish this year, but it frightens me to make them public because I fear I will not accomplish them. But, then again, making them public means I will be held accountable for them. Here goes...

1. Reach my goal weight of 125 by the end of May 2012. 
 I will be doing this simply by healthy eating and 6 days of heavy exercise. I will also be weighing myself     daily, but posting it weekly (on Mondays). Of course, I will be Blogging!!  This is such a huge source of motivation for me.

2. Running in the Ultimate Runner Races this Summer.
This is a BIG race. It involves 4 small races, and ends with a 5k. My boyfriend is an amazing runner, and he did this last summer. Though it makes me a bit nervous, I want to train for this.

3. Finish the Renovations on the house.
We are currently renovating, and we have much work ahead of us. I will post pictures along the way. We hope to be finished by this time next year. 

4. Pay off debt. Organize my finances.

5. Stop being so hard on myself.
 I struggle with this daily. I NEVER do enough in my eyes, and it produces a lot of stress. I want to accept what I can and can't do, and love myself for who I am not matter what. I realize I am not perfect; that I have flaws; and that I will make mistakes. I want to forgive and love myself despite these imperfections.

6. Take better care of my health.
I am terrible about forgetting to go tot he doctor for regular physicals, check-ups etc.  My mother became very sick recently, and it really was an eye opener about the outcome of not taking care of yourself.

The good news is that I am super pumped about these goals, and I know they are all realistic and attainable. The bad news is that many of the goals are repeats. I can remember this time last year I made many of these my 2011 goals. I accomplished a few, I almost accomplished a few more, and I did not accomplish some of them at all. I am hopeful this year will be different. I have definitely changed for the better this past year. I have an amazing and supportive boyfriend who loves me dearly, and gives me more motivation and unconditional love than I have ever been shown. I know I can do this! I am strong and focused. I am determined to enjoy living this year, and I am excited to share it with you all. Let's enjoy the ride! 

In the meantime, here are a few Christmas/New Years pictures from this year... 

Until Next Time,
Allison