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.