Moving on up?

Well, usually silence signifies that I'm not doing so well.. But actually, I've been doing really well this week. My plan was just to eat as many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as possible.. So that I'm too full to eat anything else. I'm trying to stay away from processed stuff. Here's what my meals have looked like:

Breakfast: Banana, fat-free yogurt (Yoplait Key Lime Pie is the best!)
Snack: Apple
Lunch: Grilled chicken, black beans and salsa on a whole wheat wrap. A small salad with cucumbers, bell peppers and fat-free dressing.
Snack: Low fat string cheese or hummus with a few whole wheat crackers
Dinner: Chicken and two vegetables, sometimes another small salad.

I think it's working because these are foods I like anyway. I'd eat that wrap any day. I'm trying to stay away from "diet food".

But exercise is a horse of a different color. That's where I usually lack motivation until I get into a routine. I bought two workout dvd's I thought I would like. Right now they are still in the plastic. Sad, I know. But yesterday after work I finally decided I wanted to exercise. But my dad was home. I can't be jiggling around to a Tae Bo dvd with anyone watching. TRUST ME. So I decided to go on a walk instead. :) I walked briskly for an hour on the trails that go behind the neighborhood.

It felt good! There were a surprising number of people running in the evening. I wanted to go longer but it gets dark super early. Every time I heard a rustling in the bushes, I thought a rabid animal was going to jump out and attack me. So maybe I'll stick to walking in the daylight.

Well, I'd love to stay and chat.. But I have to go get ready for my walk. As Rachel would say.. Chao!

P.S. I almost forgot! I weighed myself this morning and I'm down about 8 lbs. since I last checked. :)

Michelle is The Biggest Loser!

I LOVE Michelle and I'm so happy she won! She looked gorgeous at the finale. :) She's such an inspiration to me. Watch the final moments here!

Winter Weight

Winter is the season of fresh baked cookies and hot chocolate- not the season of carrot sticks and Tae Bo. It's hard for me to get motivated to be healthy when it's freezing cold and dark at 6:00 p.m. Alas, my "I'll start tomorrow" mentality has gotten me nowhere. So I decided to start today.. again. I went to the grocery store last night to buy all my staples to help keep me on track. I know my downfall is when I don't have the right go-to foods to fall back on. That's when I want to go to fast food because it's quick and easy.

And because you know you can't visit this page without reading my attempts at humorous blogging.. I had a funny experience at Bi-Lo last night.

My cashier looked and sounded EXACTLY like the clearly Southern & gay Daniel from Shear Genius on Bravo. For your visual pleasure:

His supervisor was handing him some change he had evidently asked for before I got in line. Picture a saucy Southern black woman.

****

Supervisor: That should be 20 dollas.

(Cashier starts counting change)

Supervisor: Don't count yo' money in front of a customer! Ring her up first THEN count it!

Cashier: Geeeeez... Sorryyyyy. (To me:) Is she still staring at me?

Me: Yeah, a bit.

Cashier: Gah! I hate when she does that. Ooh! Do you like this cranberry juice?

Me: Yeah, it's my favorite kind.

Cashier: I been lookin' for a good cranberry juice. (Holding up a roll of nickels.) How much is this?

Me: Two dollars.

Cashier: Really? (Counting his change.) $18, $19, $20, $21..... Gah! She's such an iiiidiot! And IIII'm gonna be the one who gets in trouble for being $1 over. Ooh! You got coupons! Honey, you saved $7.84 today! That's fabulous!

****
I just wish you could have heard it with the accents and everything. Call me if you want a little rendition.

So anyhoo... I had my oatmeal for breakfast... Even though my boss offered to get everyone Chick-fil-a... Chick-fil-a?!?! My weakness. Sigh. Somehow I resisted. Then I had grapes for a mid-morning snack. Turkey on whole wheat with mustard for lunch and a cheese stick. Just had a pear for an afternoon snack... Why is it when people know you're dieting they purposely try to tempt you? "Oh come ooooon... It's just one cookie! It won't kill you!" I read an article one time in Prevention magazine about how women do that subconsciously (or maybe not so subconsciously) because they want to look better than their friends/peers. Not gonna work today, ladies!! And tonight I will be having pizza for dinner... It's a Thursday night ritual after Sam's gymnastics! I'm sorry, but I will never be the type of person to completely cut out foods. Clearly, I have an issue with moderation--but I know that's key.

Will I fall off the wagon again? Probably. But I feel good about today. :)

Whole(some) Foods

Did you ever just crave something healthy to eat? Trust me, it doesn't happen to me as often as it should. But today I just felt like I needed vitamins or something. There's a Whole Foods next to my work, so I went there for lunch. I sampled the plethora of organic fare at the hot bar.

I had spicy tofu curry, which was really good actually. And I'm not a big tofu fan. But it's been awhile since I had a curry, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I also had red pepper couscous and some kind of chicken with tomatoes and olives. The chicken tasted like it had been stewed for hours and was delish.

It was warm today, so I sat at a table outside and enjoyed myself. But I tried to cover the trashy tabloid magazine I was reading with my hand. I feel like I should be reading Hemingway or Tolstoy to fit in with the hipsters at Whole Foods. But oh well. Who says organic tofu curry and Brangelina don't go together?

My Pretty New Hair

At least, I think so anyway. Sam asked where I got the WIG! But oh well.

I was super anxious about having to get someone new to cut my hair. Tam-Tam (not her real name for those of you who are wondering) just knows how to work with my thick, straw-hair. But seeing as how driving to Georgia for a haircut is not economical, I had to pick a new place.

I was skeptical, but Maggie talked me into going to her girl here in Summerville. I always bring a picture because I'm so terrible at describing what I want. I knew I wanted highlights though. I was only slightly embarrassed that my photo was of Kelly Pickler in People magazine (Crying during a performance, no less). But whaddaya gonna do?

I have to say, Christy did a great job and I could now walk the red carpet with the best of them at the CMT Music Awards. It's my Kelly Pickler wig, and I like it.

(Sorry, Tam-Tam! I still heart you.)

I could make a habit of this..

Today I went walking on the beach after work. It was a bit chilly, yes.. But I had my trusty pink sweater so I was good to go. I don't know if it's because it was cool or what, but there was not a SOUL on the beach.. Which was kinda nice.

Now, I am no environmentalist by any means, but who litters at the beach? Seriously. I saw the waves lapping at a plastic coffee cup lid. I thought about passing it by but guiltily bent down to pick it up. I walked along some more and came upon part of a cardboard Pepsi case. Again, I stopped and picked it up. I'm gathering quite the collection when I see something else ahead of me. I'm sorry to report that I just had to draw the line at a washed up diaper. I'll leave that for some other do gooder.

After walking for an hour, writing something in the sand, and finding a huge seashell, I finally went home--Sandy and happy. The drive was just the same.. but somehow didn't seem as bad. :)

Rants & Raves

First the ranting.

We moved into our townhouse about two weeks ago. Each building has four homes and eight parking spots. Two spots per home, right? Well, the problem here is that at least two of our neighbors have 3 cars. You pretty much have to fight for a parking spot. Well, last night when I got home, my dad was in one spot & someone else was in our other spot. So I parked on the other side of that car. I went to leave this morning and noticed I must have irritated someone by parking there. They parked their giant SUV behind my car, trying to blocking me in. Dear neighbor, did you notice that I drive a Honda Civic, which is roughly the width of a John Deere riding lawn mower? I was still able to maneuver my car out of the spot with two inches to spare, despite your efforts. It was actually kind of fun. So, nice try. But if you prefer, next time I could knock on your door when I'm leaving for work at 6:00 a.m. and ask you to move your car. It's not my problem your family owns three obnoxious SUV's. How many of you LIVE in there anyway?

Okay, moving on. I would take Atlanta's traffic over Charleston's any day. Where did these people learn to drive? I'm assuming the state of South Carolina actually requires that you pass a driving test before obtaining a license? More than once I have sat gridlocked in traffic, finally making my way to the scene of an accident.. Only to find that it is indeed on the OTHER side of the interstate. Were you ALL just stopping to take a gander? Seriously? If there is by chance an accident on my side, do you think they sensibly clear the lanes as quickly as possible in an effort to keep traffic moving? No, of course not. The car stays in the middle lane and the police cars pile up behind them, closing at least one lane and backing up traffic for miles. We only have three lanes to work with here in the first place, people. Shutting down 1/3 of them is not ideal.


This brings me to my next traffic gripe: merging. I implore the residents of South Carolina to read the following very carefully.



Dictionary results for: merge
Pronunciation verb, merged, merg·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1. to cause to combine or coalesce; unite.
2. to combine, blend, or unite gradually so as to blur the individuality or individual identity of: They voted to merge the two branch offices into a single unit.



That's all I have to say about that.


Okay, moving on to brighter things. The house is really nice and I'm finally putting things together and unpacking. I'm doing my little Frenchy/Paris bathroom. It's cuuuute. And I love the brown color my dad painted my walls for me. I partially chose the color because of it's name: Old English Saddle. hehe Sounds inviting, right?


Work is crazy busy, but good. It's definitely more fast paced than I anticipated. But it makes the day go by quickly. And I'm super close to shopping and the beach. What more could I ask for?


I've enjoyed spending so much time with the kids and getting to know them better. Rachel is my little pal. Sam likes to tell me he is 'concentrating on his underwear'. Whatever that means.


Never a dull moment. And I guess I like it that way. :)

Thanks to my warden...

(A.K.A. Maggie) I've lost 6 lbs. since moving to Charleston! Dad says it's because Maggie doesn't let me eat... which isn't ENTIRELY true. :) She doesn't let me eat ice cream after dinner, which is a good thing.

We've been taking walks on the trail that goes behind the neighborhood. We figured it's probably almost 2 miles. Sometimes I pull Rachel behind us in her wagon. She sits in there like a queen with various drinks and snacks as I toil down the trail. At one point, she was laying down in the wagon with her arms behind her head. Must be nice. I suggested that she pull me instead, but she didn't like that idea very much.

Two scary things happen on the walking trail. One is the occasional snake sighting and the other is the duck-walks Maggie enforces. I'm not sure which is worse. It's a toss up at this point. But, oh well... The proof is in the pudding. (Mmm.. pudding..)

Speaking of which... I've cut down a lot on unnecessary snacking. If you're gonna pig out, you do it when you're alone and no one is watching. The only times I'm alone are when I'm in the bathroom (and even THAT'S questionable when the kids are around) and when I'm sleeping. So that's been a good deterrent. And fortunately I'm a fan of pretty much all fruits and vegetables--a healthier choice when I want a snack.

Another thing I've been better at is cutting down on my portion sizes. Fat people don't eat because they're hungry. You eat because it's like a drug and you feel like you need it. So I have to tell myself to stop when I'm full. I'm missing that sensor in my brain or something. Maybe it'll come back to me with a little training.

Oh and I have to do a shout out to Jennifer in case she reads this! YOU LOOK GREAT! :) You look so skinny in your baggy clothes. Keep it up!

The warden is calling... Visitation is over.

The Good News and the Bad News... About living in Charleston, SC

The Good News:
1. I get to drive over a cool bridge over the river on my way to work with a pretty view.
2. The beach.
3. I've spent more time in the sun the last four days playing with the kids than I have in the last four weeks. Maybe I'll be tan when everyone in Georgia sees me again.
4. The food. Yum.
5. Palm trees.
6. The license plates are cuter than in Georgia.
7. I found a cool radio station that plays stuff I used to listen to in high school (When I used to go to concerts.) like Incubus, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Eat World, etc.
8. Everything has a funny name. Actual examples: Hungryneck Blvd., Wigger's Law Firm, Chez J's La Perfect Hair Salon, and Kingdom Motors & Marine Consignment. (I'm not sure if they're promoting religion, automobiles, or used scuba gear.)
9. I live in Summerville and work in Mount Pleasant. They both sound like happy places.

The Bad News:
1. There's a heinous ramp I have to go on to get to said bridge. It's like making a sharp left turn on the highest ramp of Spaghetti Junction.
2. The Wal-Mart here is GHETTO. On my first visit, I heard an associate named "John-John" being paged to the front and there was a BIRD flying around in the store. There was also a major crisis in the little girl's section where Hannah Montana tank tops had been marked down to $1.00. Two moms were about to duke it out.
3. I hate people I don't know.

Ugh.....

Horrible cramps have taken over my day... Feel like I'm about to give birth to the chicken sandwich I had for lunch. Help... S.O.S.

Update

Well, since Tuesday I've lost 2.6 lbs. So I guess that's good.

Friday I went out to lunch with someone and still managed to do well. We went to Atlanta Bread Company. I checked the nutritional info online before I left. It's a good thing too... A panini I was eyeing had 810 calories and 35 grams of fat. How is that even possible? Anyway, I ended up getting the Half and Half: Half a roast turkey sandwich on low-carb multigrain bread with no mayo and no cheese & half of a Chopstix Chicken Salad. It was quite tasty. By my calculations online, it was about 400 calories total. Not too shabby. I even skipped the Diet Coke and the extra bread that came with the salad. AND I resisted when I was asked to split a chocolate croissant.

Sigh. Oh, how I miss France and our daily breakfasts of chocolate croissants. I swear, the French should be huge.. Not the willowy waifs that they are.

Here comes the weekend!

Woman Cannot Live on Diet Coke Alone

Don't you think that would be a good book title? I should trademark that... And by the way, yes, that is my original artwork. Cézanne and his rotting fruit have nothing on me. (Our rivalry goes way back.)

Anyhoo--I know I always say I need to get back on track.. But this time I'm really, really going to try. Well, starting tomorrow. My first goal is to lose 10 lbs. (Thanks Mom). Sandra has promised to be my partner in crime and I'm going to hold her to that.

Just as an update: I'm feeling almost 100% better from the accident. My bruises are mostly gone and my neck and back don't hurt nearly as much as they did. I'm only taking muscle relaxers/pain pills as needed instead of every day. I'm sure my co-workers are grateful for that.

I'm heeeere

Okay, so I've obviously not been doing well on my diet. I don't have a great excuse or anything. I just got caught up being busy with work and school. I think I eat more when I get stressed out. (Well, okay, I know I do.)

On a different note, my dad and I were in a car accident yesterday. We were on I-20 outside of Augusta and passed a car in a ditch that must have lost control. Obviously, it had just happened. We were in the midst of a bad storm. We could barely see a few feet in front of us with the rain. I called 911 to report the accident. As soon as I closed my phone, the same thing happened to us. The truck hydroplaned and did a 360 on the interstate before we crashed into a concrete culvert, went over it, and did another half turn in the grass. I don't remember screaming.. But my dad said the only lasting injury he's going to have will be his eardrums from my screams. What can I say? As for my injuries.. I'm basically fine. I have huge bruises on both hips from being tossed around (We may or may not have been airborne for a moment there), and maybe a pulled muscle or two in my neck and back. I hit my head a couple times but amazingly didn't get hurt. I was wearing my sunglasses and when we finally stopped, they were in three pieces. I really liked those sunglasses too. Our luggage that was in the back was all strewn about. My hair dryer took a beating and is in a couple pieces too.

It's kind of true how they say "your life flashes before your eyes". It's not like I had memories of my life or anything. But when I thought we were going to flip over, I was thinking... "Is this how it ends? Will it all be over in a second? Is that what happens to people and they don't even see it coming?" It was surreal. I don't know any other way to describe it.

It is, in fact, strikingly similar to what happened to my sister, Eileen when she got into her accident last year. After I wondered if I was about to die, I thought, "Oh crap, they're going to take us to that hospital in Augusta that they took Eileen to." Now, I have nothing against the good people of Augusta. I'm sure they are pleasant, golf-loving folks. But after being stuck there for days with someone you love in the hospital, you start to resent a place. When your local hangouts become Wal-Mart and the Howard Johnson across the street, it's time to leave. So yes, I suppose it's only fitting that our accident was just outside the city limits. Perhaps I have angered Augusta in my resentment towards it.

We are fortunate that we walked away from the accident with only scrapes and bruises. As we got back on the interstate and began driving towards home again, we saw at least 8 or 9 other cars in the same predicament. My dad wonders if a tornado touched down or something. We were only going about 40 miles in the slow lane when it happened. Who knows? I just hope everyone else we saw is okay.

I feel like I got into a fight with the school bully... and lost. They definitely walked away with my lunch money on this one. I'm just tired and sore. My dad's driving me up to the doctor pretty soon and hopefully they will bestow me with some blessed muscle relaxers. My diet is still a struggle and so are other areas of my life. But we continue on. Anyone know where a girl can get a pair of fabulous sunglasses?

Thanks Mom & Maggie..

..for politely telling me to get over it. :) I'm in better spirits today. I just got back from lunch and all is well.

I just tried this new yogurt because I had a coupon.. Dannon Light & Fit 0% Plus Strawberry Yogurt. Normally, I get Yoplait.. but it's expensive. But this was really good! It was 60 calories and 0 fat for one cup. It has nice chunks of strawberries--almost like a dessert.

Okay, well that's all of my enlightening news for now. I'll check in soon!

Friday

I weighed in this morning.. I'm down another 1.4 lbs. So total so far that's 9.4 lbs. lost. I'm not really in a cheerful, posting mood.. But I promised an update.

Ya know, I wasn't going to elaborate but this is MY blog so I can do whatever I want, I guess. :) I'm just feeling kind of stressed out and worn down. The semester is coming to a close and I've had so much homework lately. I've been waking up with really bad headaches every morning.. Probably because I haven't been getting enough sleep at night. I know I should go to bed earlier.. But I'm staying up to do homework! It's a vicious cycle.. I'm having a hard time fitting everything in.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Update: As much as I wanted to stuff my face with fries... I had a stupid salad with grilled chicken for lunch. I guess I'm so used to using food as a way to relieve stress... And now that I can't do that.. I have nowhere for the stress to go! I have too much on my plate.. And sadly, not in the food sense.

Two things..

First of all.. I'm sooo excited that Ali won The Biggest Loser! She's the first woman to ever win the show. Yay, Ali! She gives me hope! That girl lost like over 47% of her total body weight. If she can do it, I can too. :)

Secondly, I registered with the Glamour website for their Body by Glamour program. I've seen them talk about it in the magazine forever, so I decided to join. It lets you track your progress and log meals and workouts. There are food and workout plans to choose from if you want. I've never really been a calorie counter, but it's worth a shot. You can calculate your BMI and see where you need to be. There seem to be a lot of tools all in one place. Plus, it's free. Can't beat that. So I figured I'd try it for a couple weeks. It also has a feature where you can be "buddies" with other people on Body by Glamour. You can send messages to eachother and track each other's progress. If anyone is already doing this or plans to, let me know! I need all the help I can get!

Well, tomorrow's weigh in day.... I promise to post no matter what! I *think* I was down 4 lbs. since my 3 lb. gain after Vegas. So that would make it total 7 lbs. lost?? I don't know. See, this is why I need to use that tracker thing. I'll check in tomorrow! :)

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Maggie asked me why I haven't posted lately, so here I am. I believe there was a "missy" somewhere in that email too. I haven't posted because I haven't done very well the last week. If I'm AWOL, that's usually a good indicator that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be. Honestly, I didn't even weigh myself Friday. I was under the somewhat delusional impression that no news is good news.

Battling your weight is such a struggle. I think that even if/when I'm skinny, it will still be a constant battle. It's like an eating disorder. I don't think you're ever "cured", you just learn how to deal with it better. I don't have that thing in my brain that tells me to stop eating after one serving like a normal person would.

I had the best of intentions this week, I really did. I'd start the day out with Special K and skim milk and an apple or orange. Then for lunch I brought a Lean Cuisine to work and maybe had another piece of fruit & yogurt. I drink water throughout the day. And if I have a Diet Coke at all, I try to limit it to one. And then I get home from work and start snacking like there's no tomorrow. My dad cooks healthy dinners, so that's always fine. But I just start snacking like crazy when I'm home and no one is watching. I don't know what my deal is. Maybe I need to have a snack after lunch @ work so I'm not starving by the time I get home. Because I get home at like 4:30 but I know dinner won't be ready until around 6:30 and I'd be dying by then. Any suggestions are welcome.

So today my dad calls me and says he's working late after all and I'll have to fend for myself for dinner. I went to Kroger on my way home from work. I was already tired and annoyed because I had to stay late. Shopping while you're exhausted and hungry is such a bad idea. I decided to buy one of those frozen Bertolli dinners because they're good and I had a coupon. Plus, I first saw them on an episode of Top Chef with Rocco Dispirito and I think he's hot. The winning contestant's dinner is actually sold by Bertolli now. So anyway.. the pasta made me think of Rocco and that cheered me up a little. (More on Rocco to come.)

I think when you shop while weary you buy things you wouldn't normally because you just want to get out of there. So I get to the checkout and my cart consists of: 1 Bertolli Mediterranean Garlic Shrimp Penne frozen dinner (340 calories and 11g of fat for half the bag. Not horrible.), a quart of skim milk for my cereal tomorrow, romaine lettuce, three different kinds of cheese, and a bottle of Arbor Mist. It crossed my mind that the cashier might consider me to be some kind of dairy crazed lush. But I wanted a little cheese for my salad and couldn't decide which kind. In my drained mental state, I just grabbed them all. I know cheese products will not go to waste in this household.

This is a little off topic, but I actually have quite a history with cheese. In preparation for our high school career day, they gave us a list of professions and told us to circle the three that interested us most. First, I chose acting because I really was interested in it at the time. The other two choices I made to be a smart alec.. "Porcelain Casting" and "Cheese Making". Little did I know that by "porcelain" they actually meant TOILETS. I had to listen to a guy explain how he makes his "commodes" for half an hour. Seriously, who let that kid sign his dad up? Then I moved on to cheese making. This consisted of sitting by myself in a dark back room in the library and watching a slide show on the glory of cheese making. Apparently, there were no kids with parents who were resident cheese makers at the time. So yeah, me and cheese go way back.

Now back to Rocco. He is such a cutie: I also like him because he recently lost weight himself and has made two appearances on The Biggest Loser this season. I love The Biggest Loser! Go Ali! :) Sometimes I wish I could sign up myself and let Bob just kick my butt and take the guess work out of it all.

Well, I guess that's about all for now. If y'all notice I'm not posting... Harass me about it until I do. I'm off to choose between various cheeses... Here's to getting back on track.

Friday Weigh In

Well... So much for walking in Vegas. As of this morning I was up 3 lbs. But I'm really not all that discouraged. It did take me a few days to get back into my routine even since I got home. But I've been doing really well the last couple days. I know it'll work if I stick with it!

There's left over Easter candy laying around all over the place at work. I will shamefully admit I ate three Hershey's kisses yesterday. Three kisses never killed anyone, right? Actually, it's rather amazing I stopped at three.

I just wanted to share some ways I've found to substitute things. I go to Starbucks every Sunday with my Dad. Normally I get a Grande Java Chip Frappuccino with no whipped cream (Hey, I was doing one thing right at least.) That drink has 340 calories and 8 grams of fat! So I started getting a Grande Skinny Iced Mocha for 80 calories and no fat. They're pretty tasty! It think you can get just about anything made "skinny" at Starubucks which just means they use non-fat milk and no whipped cream. You don't even miss it. (Besides, it's kinda fun to order.. Like you're in the know with the Starbucks lingo!)

There are also some cool new 100 calorie brownies from Little Debbie. They really satisfy the chocolate craving. I also have 100 calorie Nutter Butter Chewy Granola Bars that are pretty good. If anyone else knows of some low calorie snacks, let me know! Snacking is definitely my weakness!

Well, I guess that's about all for now. Here's to a better weigh in next Friday. :)

Back from Las Vegas

I'm baaaaack! Las Vegas was so much fun. Eating 100% healthy was impossible. We did a lot of walking but I know I didn't do as well as I should have. I've been afraid to weigh myself! So I think I'm going to wait until my usual Friday.

While in Vegas I did have to visit Lenotre at the Paris Hotel & Casino. They hands down have the best pastries in the world! I took some pictures:


BEFORE:


AFTER:


Don't worry, I didn't eat them both by myself. We went to the Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur. Eating a cornish game hen with my fingers was interesting. We saw Cirque du Soleil's Ka at the MGM. There's an assortment of weirdos in Vegas. It didn't help that it was St. Patrick's Day and everyone was going willy nilly. All things considered we had a really good time.

The hardest thing has just been trying to get back into some sort of routine. I'm going to the grocery store tonight to buy more bottled water, fruit, & yogurt. Today hasn't been horrible although I kind of skipped breakfast. So here's to hoping that I'll get back to normal.

Pizza is evil.

Why did someone have to bring pizza to work for everyone today?? I'm not even entertaining the idea of having any.. Because I know one slice will lead to another which will lead to another. But I can SMELL it. Good grief. Have a heart, people. Woman on a diet here!

I'm going on my lunch in a few minutes, thank goodness. I'll probably get a Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-a and a side salad. (6 points total for those of you following WW.) I need to get away from the scent of pizza wafting through the air.

Besides the pizza debacle.. I did weigh in this morning. And my official total for the week is indeed 6 lbs. lost. Woohoo! I'm happy with that. Not too shabby for my first week back on track.

I'm going out of town Saturday and will be gone for a week. I am going to do my best to follow the 90/10 rule (90 percent healthy foods and 10 percent fun foods)! Hopefully, all the potential walking around I'll be doing will ward off any unwanted lbs. I'll keep you posted!

UPDATE: Anyone who knows me will tell you that I frequently spill food on my ample chest. (It's big. It's there. Whaddaya gonna do?) Today's lunch was no exception. A rebellious cherry tomato catapulted itself from my fork down my chest. But its journey didn't end there. He continued his defiant descent down my lap. So not only do I have salad dressing stains on my chest, but also down both legs. How is one tiny cherry tomato capable of wreaking so much havoc? I was scrubbing furiously at myself in my car with my Tide To Go Pen. So now I just have big, wet blotches everywhere. When is this day over?

(In case you were wondering, 30 lbs. is my first goal!)

My crowd demands it..

So here is my second post! Thankfully, today is my day off. I just got out of the shower and I'm enjoying a nice bowl of Curves cereal with skim milk. Must go to the store today to restock on fruit, yogurt, & the like.

The last couple days have gone really well actually. At work, we're selling candy for Relay for Life. I'm proud to report that I haven't so much as sniffed a Hershey bar. Don't get me wrong.. There is temptation around every corner. It seems like I can't even sit in the kitchen and enjoy my Lean Cuisine on my lunch break without someone plopping down with greasy bags of lovely smelling food. I think if I can break through that first wave of temptation and get fully back into my routine, it will be easier. Yesterday when everyone was digging into the M&M's for their 2:30 chocolate fix, I had a 100 calorie pack of mini chocolate cupcakes. Now when I say mini, that does indeed mean mini. (More like mini muffin tops reminiscent of a Sienfeld episode.) But they served their purpose.

And now for a bit of good news. As of this morning, I'm down 6 lbs! I'm going to make Fridays my official weigh in day. But I couldn't wait that long. Thank you for everyone's wonderful comments and support. It definitely helps keep me going!

Introduction

I am assuming that most people reading this blog (if anyone does at all) will already know me.. But for the sake of an introduction--Here goes:

My name is Liz and I am 24 years old. If you were to look at my baby pictures you might say I was adorable with my silly grin and little tuft of hair sticking up. As I grew older, my hair grew long and bright blonde. I was a happy, content child that was athletic and constantly played outside. I should have grown up to be thin and beautiful.

Alas, for some unknown reason, around the age of 9, I started to get greedy with food. I began sneaking into the kitchen and stuffing whatever I could into my mouth until my cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's. I remember going on a family vacation to the beach one summer and noticing my belly stuck out more than other girls my age. That solidified the fact that there would be no more bikinis on my frame for the next 15 years.

Before I knew it, I was a swarthy middle schooler. In the 8th grade I wore the same size as my mom. How did things spiral out of control? I don't really know. I was always envious of other girls who seemed to be effortlessly thin. Curse my Eastern European genes. Water retention and hair growth was about all they had done for me.

Mom, you'll probably deny this story.. But I remember when I was about 13 you told me we were going shopping. When we arrived at the shopping center, I happily bounded out of the car only to stop dead in my tracks when I realized we were at a weight loss center. I was forced to sit through a humiliating consultation. As I was sitting there with tears streaming down my face and not even listening to the consultant, I remember thinking, "I'm fat. I'm fat and everyone knows it." I guess everyone has those vain moments when they lie to themselves and think, "I don't look that bad." My little rose colored glasses had been smashed to bits and I discovered, I really did look that bad.

I've been on every diet known to man. I gave up carbs for 6 months once. I lost about 30 lbs. Then I gained it all back the first time I had a piece of bread. I ate tuna fish twice a day for a month. (Not the most pleasant month of my life.) I've taken all sorts of pills and supplements. Deep down, I think everyone knows that the only way you're truly going to lose weight and be able to maintain it is through diet and exercise. About a year ago I lost around 50 lbs. doing this. I lost my motivation and gave up. Sadly, I've gained it all back.

So here I am. A young woman with her whole life ahead of her. And yet up until now I had just become resigned to the fact that I would never be thin, pretty, or truly happy. But I have begun to feel so uncomfortable in my own skin that I realize I have to do something about it. It's not just about being thin anymore (Although you better believe I want to be able to wear saucy clothes), it's also about my health. Fortunately, I haven't really experienced any health problems because of my weight yet. My blood pressure and cholesterol were just fine at my last check up. But major health problems will be inevitable down the road. I want to be able to have a family and be happy and healthy.

My love affair with food has been a long one. For many years, the two most important men in my life have been Ben & Jerry. That all ends now. Hopefully, this blog will provide me with some accountability. Welcome to my adventures in dieting.