Farm Market

146. I know its only a pound, but I finally broke through again. There is only one way this scale is moving from now on...and that is DOWN! I visited the farmers market yesterday and let me tell you, if you haven't been to a farm market before and you live anywhere near Lansing, MI, you should check this one out. I think they have 2 more this year. I'll try to find out and post it. It has been a LONG time since I had been to a real farm market, probably a good 20 years. I remember going with my frind Stephanie's family one time. I really thought it was cool then! This time though...WOW. That's all I have to say. There were so many vendors and the people watching (my fave) was phenominal. Of course fruits and veggies are a little more but you are helping the local farmers so who cares! There were veggies there that I had never heard of. I know, I have my own garden in my yard, but I needed veggies for the day and they just happened to have some yummy zuchinni and green beans. Saved my life! If you have a local farm market, give it a try. You might be surprised what you find there!

Any way. Like I said 146 and cruising. I wish there was a cruise button on this body. That would be great! LOL

5K?

HA! The scale is moving again....in the RIGHT direction this time! This morning I was down to 147.5. I was so glad to see that. The downer for the day, I was walking into work when I realized I forgot to put my belt on AND I wore my fat jeans. This ought to make for an interesting day.  My confession for yesterday....popcorn...before I left work. And then hubby let me cave into a Peppermint Patty at bedtime. I know, I know, stop scolding! They were soooo good though. Today's splurge....NOTHING! Today I will hit the stairs as usual and move this scale down. I have also decided (and hopefully my high school track coach doesn't read this) that I am going to start training for a 5k that is run at my sons school for charity. This takes place in October. I have printed out the plan from my friends blog for the Couch to 5K plan. Her blog is http://cglifestylechange.blogspot.com/. You should check it out. It seems like I might get somewhere with this! But I'm not going to call it training, I'm going to call it getting off my butt at home and trying to get in shape! That's what comes after you lose the weight.. I know, I always thought the tight abs showed up on their own too! Not so! LOL

Loser!

Day 2 of r3 of c1. So far so good. No weight change on day 1-that is normal though. I could feel the change again after yesterday. My body cleansing itself again. The hydrating of itself. The acne is starting to fade again....there wasn't much but after not having any for a few weeks, I was ready for it to leave again! Wondering what today will hold. I know the stairs will be used as usual. Yesterday was floor 4 to 7 to 1 to 5 to 4. Todays goal is 4 to 7 to 1 to 6 to 1 to 4. Let's see if it works out or not. Batteling a little headache today with the weather changes going on outside so hopefully that won't hinder my walk. I'm learning to look forward to those darn stairs now. I actually (and don't tell anyone this) kind of missed them this weekend!! I KNOW....WHO MISSES STAIRS! I DO! LOL. So again, onward, upward and downward. Let's see that scale TRY to stay still.....HA I am a loser baby...In the BEST sense of the word!

Bikini!!!

Today starts the cycle over. This weekend reekd total havoc on my diet. Luckily, I can say that I only gained 2 pounds. But still. TOTALLY NOT HAPPY! I did, however, wear a bikini this weekend!!!! First time since before having my son almost 7 years ago! So cool! And I had my first double take. Girls, you know what I'm talking about. You're walking down the street and the car drives by, and the dirver looks and then cranks his neck to look again. It doesn't matter how old he is, it still makes you feel good to see it happen again! Boosted my self esteem for the moment. Heck, even hubby was a little proud of that! LOL

Anyway, back to the reason for my post today (besides not posting all weekend). Today starts the beginning of cycle 1 again. And this time I mean business. Pullin thsoe belts on tight...boogity boogity boogity...lets get losing girl!I am just under 3 weeks until NASCAR, and I feel so good. I can't wait. What's even better is that I set so many goals so far, and blew right through them! I am focused and giving it my all again. So after I post this, I will change the weight on the tracker to reflect my weight today (which is hard bc that means it is going up) BUT now I know what I need to do. 4 pounds this week would be awesome, get me to 145. I will not feel bad if I don't hit it though. LOOK OUT BELOW 135 ....here I come!!!!!

Walking on Sunshine

147 today!!!! Yippee! 12 to go! Yesterday, besides having to take the elevator for training, I used the stairs the rest of the day. I even did a round on lunch; 4th to 7th, 7th to 1st, 1st to 6th, 6th to 1st, 1st to 4th....and dead! But it felt so good to accomplish that! Today is another day to use those stairs. I won't have then this weekend so I'm not sure what to do about that. I'll find something though. Camping again, hopefully I don't sabotage my success this week. Dinner was so cycle 1 last night. Chicken breast with TONS of spices, boiled carrots and string beans (beans from the garden!). The only non c1 was the little bit of mashed potatoes that I had. But it really wasn't much of a helping. And I still lost a pound!

Pulled another shirt out of the closet today that hasn't been worn in years. Although it still doesn't look the greatest, I'm wearing it anyway. OK, its a tank top that I'm wearing UNDER another shirt. Point is, no tugging on it either! LOL! Today is going to be a GREAT day. Another day to shoot the pounds down!

Clothes

So, here we are again. And while I know there is no ACTUAL weight change (because the scale said so, no matter how I lean.) there has been a change in inches. I know this because of the shirt I put on today (and because my belt says so). It's one of those shirts that you are pulling down all day if your belly doesn't actually fit but you still want to wear it. Well, there was pulling-pulling over my head, pulling when I got out of the car. BUT walking the blocks to work and up the stairs (no elevator today is the goal) there was no shifting!!! I can't believe it. I'll post a picture in a while. Hehe.

Like I said, no elevator today. I already walked from floor 1 to floor 4 when I got here. It was a last minute decision. Today's trick, no elevator. Let's see how it goes. Hopefully that doesn't make me stay on floor 4 all day! LOL! I so have this. Well at least thats what my biggest cheerleader told me the other day. And I do. I have this. 13 pounds seems like a lot BUT I've lost 17 already! Over half. Start was 165 current is 148. I've got this.

Change My Approach

I feel like when I am writing these entries, that I am repeating myself. This will be the day, this will be the day....it's NEVER day. I should change my approach. This IS the year! This IS the day! This IS the moment, that I take control of me and my life, and make myself into who I want to be! This is the moment of my life that I can decide. Do I want to stay unhappy and dislike what and who I am? No way! Do I want to change for my kids? Yes, I want to be around for them. Do I want to change for my hubby? Yes, I want to grow old with him and be able to share our golden days. Do I want to do this for my parents and siblings and neices and nephews and everyone that surrounds me? Of course! Not only physically, but mentally. But more important than that, I want to do this for me. I want to feel good in my skin. I want to know I can get up and chase my kids around the backyard. I want to know that I can fall asleep WANTING to wake up the next morning. I want to feel sexier for my husband. I want to be here for my family as a whole. I want to spend time with my friends and not feel insecure! This is the moment! This IS the moment...not this will be. If I say it that way, it will never happen. THIS IS IT! I have to do this to save myself from defeat. I know that sounds dramatized, but its true. So today is the day I take that step. Will someone walk with me?

Misconceptions

Some people have wondered why I am doing this. Why do I spend my time eating right, and trying to lose weight. I think that there are a couple misconceptions that I need to clear up. First, I am doing this for me! Not for anyone else. Ok well maybe for my family too. I really think that had I not started this wehn I did, that I would never had tried to get healthy again. I want to be able to be around to see my kids grow up (which who knows maybe I would've lived a long time) but I want to be able to enjoy the time I have with them. Second, much to the dismay of most people in the world, I was considered very over weight-not obese but was climbing quickly in the direction. For those who do not believe that ask your doctor what the ideal weight for yourself is. It might surprise you.

For almost a year now, I have been standing in shock of the scale read at my last annual visit. 169.  Yup that's right, 169. I said to my doctor "I've been walking and trying to eat right. What am I doing wrong?" You know what she told me? (Of course you don't haha.) She said that walking is good, but if you want to walk to lose weight, you have to walk a LLLLLOOOONNNNGGGG way to burn off the calories of an apple. OR she suggested that I start actually watching what I eat. It wasn't so much what I was eating, it was the portion size and the lack of excersize to burn off the extra calories associated with processed foods. I tried and tried to figure out what that all meant. It wasn't until I found this book, that I completely understood what went wrong. It has made me be more aware that my stomach is saying "Stop putting food in, I am full." instead of my brain saying "Yum let's have some more....more....more." It has made me more aware of the food labels and the contents. I don't think my mom ever fed my family a lot of anything that had words we couldn't pronounce easily.  The lifestyle has changed at my house. At least for the most part. I am still trying to reach my husband and get him to change too. He has a little. And my kids still don't like a lot of veggies, but what they get is healthier.

I am getting so close to the end of my goal, that I need to start setting a new goal. That's how I get through things like this. Working out is hard for me. I don't like to wake up early, I don't like to do anything when I get home. So for now, I will use my lunch time to walk those HORRENDOUS stairs. Then when that gets to easy (ha ha) I will move onto more. Heck, I may even add a little Jillian soon. All I know is that I have worked to get my weight down, now I need to start working to tone it.

WHAT EVER!

Whoever said that taking the stairs would GET easier.....is a LIAR!! I still feel about 100 years old when I get to the top. That aside, I'm glad that I can do the stairs, especially on a rainy day like yesterday. I am feeling a lot better now that I've started over.  While I haven't lost any more weight since yesterdays weigh in, I can start to feel the change again. Its all good. I feel more awake again. I feel like I can get those last few pounds. I feel alive again. A friend commented to me today that she has never seen me so happy. I agree with that statement. I have always been happy with my family but not with myself. I am happy. YAY!

I want to throw a question out there and I really want to get replies. Do you consider the 17 Day Diet a "diet" or a "lifestyle change"? If you haven't read the book, go to http://www.amazon.com/17-Day-Diet-Doctors-Designed/dp/1451648650/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310488025&sr=8-1#_  and read the excerpt from it and then give me a comment back. I'm really interested to see what people think. Everyone reading this blog should know by now what I think.

17 Day Diet and NASCAR!

So, not only did I drop the pounds I gained over the weekend, I also got myself to 150 again! WOO HOO! Not sure if it was all the sweating that I did yesterday...gosh it was (is) hot or the fact that I stuck to it! And that cauliflower pizza was a great way for me to eat my veggies with out eating them raw! It was really a no brainer on that.  So r2c1d2 I am down 3 pounds again. So this is good.

I have to tell you about my excericise for yesterday. There was no Jillian involved BUT I have my own personal trainer working with me. And he's free! Ok, so it may not be his actual profession....ok so maybe its just my 6 year old. BUT he forced me into walking all over the place yesterday. His response when I asked him why..."Because mom, walking is good. It makes your diet work better!" What? He's actually been paying attention to more than the food part! How awesome. So we walked to the store and got him ice cream. We walked up and down the street following his rc truck. We walked to the back of our .63 acre yard and back. We walked up and down the stairs. I WAS WIPED!

Today, I took the stairs from ground floor up to fourth. Meaning 8 flights of 14 stairs each. Hopefully I have enough ambition at lunch to walk the stairs again for a few minutes. I have 15 pounds to lose yet. And a HUGE NASCAR race in August that I want to feel good at and enjoy! So here's to NASCAR and stair walking!

Cauliflower Pizza Recipe with Pics

  These 2 yummy pctures are my first attempt at cauliflower pizza crust. I topped with chicken, feta, onions and mozz cheese. YUMMY!!!

So I bet I should put the recipe on here.

1 c. cooked riced cauliflower-

dried as much as possible (I use paper towels and squeezed as much water out as possible.)

1 egg

1 c. mozzerella cheese

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Heat oven to 450. Combine cauliflower, eg, mozz cheese and herbs. Spray cookie sheet (or spray aluminum foil on cookie sheet). Press mixture into pan. Bake until brown and then if you can flip it and back another 5 minutes or so. Top with sauce and toppings. Place under broiler until cheese is melted. Voila!

Cycle 3 Day 7

Cycle 3....again I hate you. I know this is not your fault but I'm going to blame you first. Then I'm gonna take a look at me and realize that it is my fault. Cycle 3 has made it to easy for me to get lose on my eating habits again. I see that I can eat a serving of bread, I eat it, but then later I eat it again. I guess its time for me to leave the book open again and to find a way to remind myself that I need to be disciplined. I am not saying that I have ballooned out of control, I'm just saying that I haven't lost anything on cycle 3 yet and I am on day 7.

I was not able to excerise this morning as I wanted too. We had a little bit of a strange night compared to normal. But, I have made myself a promise that I will, I will, I will workout tomorrow. I HAVE TOO. Today I took the stairs to floor 3 and rode the elevator to 4. On lunch I will be walking the stairs again. Although, I'm not sure how anyone can do that for 17 minutes, as my friend can, but I will try. It is quite a workout. And then maybe I will see that scale move again.

What kills me is that I am so close to the 140s, that I ache for that scale to move. Just a pound down would be nice, just so I can say I'm 149 and not 150-151 (whatever the scale wants me to be lately).  Today, as a treat to myself, I am taking myself shopping and buying a pair of jeans. And yes, unfortunatley, they will probably be from the juniors section, because for some reason I think I am still a junior. LOL

Workout...of my snooze button urge!

I was supposed to get up this morning and pop one of my workout dvds in (Jillian Michaels 30 day shred-great workout!). Last night I set the alarm for 30 minutes earlier than normal. I was siked. Gonna work off some of that extra skin and stuff! This morning the alarm went off. I looked at the clock and thought....am I some masochist getting up this early? I got up and sat on the edge of the bed for a second before hitting the snooze button. I laid back down and then it went off again. I showed that alarm clock. I walked right up to it and hit it again! Needless to say, Jillian and I did not have our date as planned. Tomorrow will be the day....I hope.

I've realized that in cycle 3 I really to ramp up the excerise though. I can feel the difference in my body adding more calories but not adding more excercise. As many of you know, excerise and Bethie do not get along well. Oh, we usually have a great relationship at the beginning, but then the pain sets in and I think "Well I better take abreak so I don't strain anything." Next thing you know, there's another dvd collecting dust. This all started before the diet. Pilates, taebo, chair dance (yes I tried this and got whiplash and threw my back out!), buns of steel, Walk yourself fit, and Jillian Michaels. To tell you the truth, Jillian is the only one I've stuck with long enough at any one point. I think this is because (and excuse my french) she scares the hell out of me! I feel like she is going to personally come through the television screen and rip me to shreds if I don't do what she says!

Tomorrow will be the day. I need to fight that snooze button urge and work at this. Wish me luck!

A New Day

Todays word is....PHEW!!!! So that 1.5 pounds that I beat myself up over yesterday is gone again. I want to say thank you to my friends for talking me through that...LOL. Anyway. I am back on track again. Todays lunch is going to be exciting for me. A sandwich!!! Can you believe it? A SANDWICH!! I'm not sure that the slivered ham I have on it is actually kosher for the diet but I figure the lettuce will help with that. Plus, since I'm back at work today, I get to have my diet green tea again! WHOOPIE!!!!

So I smacked myself around yesterday over the whole gain thing. But I'll tell you what, it opened my eyes to how focused i need to stay! I am so close to the goal, I can taste it. I wonder how many others stuggled this weekend. How did they fight the urge?

Today is a new day again....I need to take them one at a time. On a "lighter" note, I did wear a bathing suit this weekend and wasn't all that self concious! I also fit into my 9 shorts for a minute. I say a minute because, while they fit perfectly, I still have that baby roll left that slightly hangs over the top. Almost there!

Todays encouragement comes from all of the friends that said to me yesterday "Stop beating yourself up. 1.5 pounds is nothing compared to what you have lost!" And I say to that, it's also nothing compared to what I have gained....in a self esteem way!

Have It Your Way

So I am just asking "Will power, where were you yesterday?"  Yesterday was day 1 of cycle 3. Weighed in at 150 yesterday morning. Thanks to my will power (or lack thereof), I weighed in at 151.5 this morning!!! This is the first time in a long time that the scale went up. BUT I know why. And it's my own fault....wait, no, I will blame it on my will power. Its all that stupid things fault.....right?

Yesterday was a great day. We took our youngest to the Blue Angels Air Show....went with family and friends. It was a great time...except that since I finally was allowed to have bread, I took it a bit overboard. I had 2....yes 2....sandwiches! What the heck was I thinking. I wasn't, I was doing my old habit of midless eating. I did plenty of walking and drank plenty of water while at the show. I even had my carrots and celery. Then, when we got home, everyone else came home with us. It was a lot of fun. Once again, though, mindless eating. Another sandwich (I know this is soooo not like me lately), and then next thing I know there is a beer in my hand and chips (I HATE plain chips) in my mouth!!! I then proceeded to have a popsicle. Good grief. I am paying for it today. Between the SCREAMING headache and the scale going the wrong way, I'm pretty sure I've learned my lesson. Today is a do-over. I will still count yesterday as day 1, but today will go the way it is supposed to. Lots of veggies, watch my servings. I think today I will use the slogan from Burger King (who I miss dearly....I think) to restart myself. "Have it your way!" My way is the scale moving down.

Under Pressure..

This is the BIG holiday weekend that I have been waiting for....on this diet. I love celebrating Independence Day! Three day weekend and lots of fun, food and friends. But wait, lots of food can be dangerous. As can the beer that usually accompanies the festivities. I've got this though. This weekend I will be surrounded by plenty of people that are also on this "diet" so that should help keep me in check. But just to make sure, I have to go load up on veggies and water bottles.

Today is day 17 of cycle 2!! WOO HOO!!! I love that they end this on a "red meat" day. Plus that means that I won't have to be as restricted on the TYPES of food I eat. Like I said though, I will be surrounded by people on this diet, so I will do my best to eat with their cycle (if that makes sense). This weekend is full of pressures for those of us in the United States. And being a weekend, for everyone! I'm glad I will be under pressure. It will show me where my will power is. Mine better be with me!

Time to shop....sort of.

Yesterday was my bosses last day, so he took the crew out for lunch. I tried to make the best of what was on the menu (and it was a c2 day). I had a burger on rye bread. While it tasted delicious, my tummy did not feel so delicious afterwards. I thought to myself  "Self, you may have thought you did good, but I bet the scale tells you differently in the morning."  But when I got on the scale today.....VICTORY! Down another pound. Now sitting at 150! YIPPEE! Those 140s that seemed so far away at the start are being stared down with my evilest looking eye. I CAN conquer you 140s. Just try to take me on! So far 15 pounds down and 15 to go!

The next step is buying new.......BRAS! WTH?  Sorry if this next paragraph is TMI. No, no, not the boobies! I remember now why gaining weight was ok at one point. My boobs were awesome! Now I will have to call them the incredible shrinking boobs. Well, I can live with that if I am healthy...I GUESS (sarcasm). I still have my......wait...where's my J-Lo butt! Ok, I could deal with the boobs but now your telling me my butt is leaving too? Well, I suppose I can handle that. But PLEASE take my arm fat and double chin too. Oh wait, you are diet! Thank you! So in other words, since I was thinking ahead YEARS ago (or just not wanting to come to terms with my weight) and saved all of my smaller clothes, my jeans should be fine. I did however let the hubby use my old bras for minnow catchers and sling shots (just joking) so I do need to go shop for more, oh and maybe some other undergarments. I can deal with that.

Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce!

I was so excited this morning when I looked at the scale and it said 150....and then my other foot settled onto the scale and still 151. Poop. BUT I must be close to 150...at least in my mind. So my thought on the pattern is bunk. Oh well. I will survive. I reminded myself that at the end of the last cycle, weight loss became stagnant and Saturday is day 17 on cycle 2.

Last night was another rendevous with the horseshoers. And now myself and a couple of the other girls walk while the guys are playing. We get about a mile in eachtime. My son standing at each end of the park as we walk by cheering us on. "I'll see you over there! Keep it up guys!" My friends daughter was not shy to say "My mom has lost 7 pounds." But when I asked "Isn't that great?" She responded with "I suppose." It's funny what excites us when we get older...weight loss! LOL

I also discovered today that what I thought I liked and disliked was not even right! My whole life I thought I loved peaches! So, I finally got some the other day, took a bite this morning and was not as excited as I thought I would be. But then again, I bought eggplant, even though I thought I hated it, and I loved it! Maybe it's because my body is cleansed of preservatives so now my tastebuds are completely changed. Unfortunately though, my taste for chocolate has not changed! :-)

A new recipe, that really isn't a recipe, and I have not tried it yet. My friend and I were talking during our walk. How can we have ice cream with chocolate on it (see chocolate again!). What we decided is when we get vanilla yogurt next, we will put it in the freezer till it is scoopable like ice cream. Then take a little cocoa, sweetener and water to make the chocolate sauce. According to our calculations (sorry about the geek term) we should be well inside what is allowed for all cycles! YEAH!!!!

Linking up to others

So the point of my blog was originally for me to get my emotions out while struggling through this diet. Writing is my way of getting it out without yelling and screaming. LOL But I am noticing more and more that I am helping others as well. Which come to think of it was my original idea just expanded; help myself, help others. Makes sense. Because of that I want to draw attention to the blogs that I have started following. I know they are listed to the side here, but they all deserve recognition. First is Blah Blah Blah - this one is being written by my Step-son's mom, who is one of my closests friends. She is an RN who is struggling through this too. I know, but healthcare providers struggle too. The next is My adventure to a healthy lifestyle. Also written by friend. It is tracking her and her husbands challenges through the diet. They have conquered amazing feats together and this diet is adding another one to that list. Third is Healthy in a Small Town. This is written by a longtime friend of mine. Its all about eating healthy and on a budget. Tons of recipes that may or may not be good for the cycle you are on, but will be down the road. Go ahead and check these out! And if you find any others that have helped you or that you enjoy reading, please let me know! These are all helpful to me to keep my chin up. Its good to know there are others in this world who are like us, choosing to change our lives. Good luck!

A Pattern for cycle 2?

Ok, I was just looking through my stats for cycle 2. I would like some feedback PLEASE! I've noticed this simple pattern. Every 3rd day I'm down another pound. If this is correct then tomorrow I will post that I am at 150. Lets see what happens! Anyone else on cycle 2 seeing a pattern or is it just me over analyzing?