Monday Again: New Territory!

Monday afternoon naps did not go as planned yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to post my normal update. I have hit a new low, and I couldn't feel higher!

For the first time in years, I weigh less than 240!!! I honestly can't remember even being on the 230's on my way up in weight; I remember being about 225, and then I was nearly 250 before I knew it. At the time, I was in a financial mess and was about to lose my house, so the stress eating attributed to the rapid weight gain, and I avoided the scale like the plague, on top of all the other things going wrong. It feels great to be here and also to know that I won't be here for long!

We are celebrating some at different restaurants this month (including Cinzetti's!), so I might take 3-4 weeks to lose this 10 pounds, but I am really looking forward to being in the 220's again. I should hopefully be down another pants size by then too! I'm working on firming up my tummy with ab exercises and core strengthening, but I haven't been as consistent as I would like.

The weather is gorgeous out this week (very unseasonable for July in Missouri!), so we will be out enjoying it as much as possible. That might inspire me to do some extra exercising while it is so nice. Have a great week!

Week: 11 Weight: 240 Size: 16 Pounds to Goal: 55 Pounds Lost: 38!!

Stress Eating

This week I have discovered the main secret to my weight gain: stress eating!! We are still waiting on word from my husband's interview a couple of weeks ago, and I found that waiting and not knowing whether to start packing or to get things cleaned for summer is super-stressful!

There were a couple of days that I ate whatever I could get my hands on, even though I had eaten all the items on my plan for the day. I just think of something, like a handful of chocolate chips, or a spoonful of peanut butter, and I can't get my mind off it when I'm under that much stress. This is why we do not have sweets in the house right now, and when I do, I don't open them until I'm ready for them to be gone.

I bought some chocolate melts to make a special dessert for my dad's birthday last week, and as soon as I opened them, they were gone. I still had a week until I needed to make the dessert! So I had to go back to the store and replace the entire bag that I had eaten.

I am a little afraid that when I reach my goal weight, whether that is sooner, based on my average loss, or later, as I had originally planned, that I will not be able to control these urges. I wish that the counseling at Slim4Life addressed this psychological aspect of my current weight problem, instead of just telling me to "eat this, not that." Maybe they do address it, and I just haven't asked the right questions. I'll need to keep this in mind the next time I go in.

Knowing that, I am not too upset about my low weight loss this past week. I plan to do better this week, and we'll hopefully find out (today!) whether we'll be moving or not. I still feel great and love wearing dresses and skirts that I haven't been able to wear for a couple of years!

Week: 9 Weight: 242 Size: 16 Pounds to Goal: 57 Pounds Lost: 36!

Week 8, Day 52

I can't believe I haven't even been back on Slim4Life's plan, and I've already lost so much weight! Not to brag or anything (it was definitely not this easy last time around), but I'm right on track for their weight loss goals (an average of 4+ pounds per week), let alone my personal conservative goal of 2 pounds per week.

I know that I can do a better job of staying on plan, unlike last week, where I was off-plan 4 out of 7 days, but I also know in the back of my mind that I can cheat because I'm still nursing and burning a ton of calories each day because of it. I'm sure as soon as I stop, I'll be slowing down, which is another reason I want to nurse as long as possible!

I think it would be great to make it to my goal weight (another 60 pounds) before I stop nursing, and then go back to my original S4L plan, which has tighter restrictions. If I keep on the same average loss I've had so far, I should do that in 15 weeks, which would be the beginning of October. My goal is to nurse them until at least 1 year, which would be the end of October, so there's a little wiggle room.

For today, I'll celebrate another small loss and work on setting myself up for a good week!

Week: 8 Weight: 245 Size: 16 Pounds to Goal: 60 Pounds Lost: 33!

"Monday" Update: Week 7, Day 45

I know today's not Monday, but we have been so busy this week I haven't had a chance to even check my email, let alone write!

Monday, our family packed up and drove 2 hours away for a wonderful opportunity for my hubby to interview for a great promotion! If he gets it, we'll have anywhere from a 25-75% raise!! We don't mind moving, either, because we have family in that town and there's a lot of fun stuff to do, especially outdoors.

I did get to weigh in before we left and took photos that morning before we left, and I am thrilled to announce my great news: I've lost over 30 pounds and am at my lowest weight since I started Slim4Life!!!! I have finally broken into the 240's again, and as of Monday morning, I am lower than before I got pregnant! Yippee!!

I still have a lot of work to do to firm up my stomach muscles, which I'm researching and actively thinking about, and I want to work on toning my arms and legs up, but I feel great about the progress I've made so far and am optimistic about keeping going!

One of my favorite things about our trip Monday was getting to walk around the mall with my boys, which we've never done together, and going in a store I have shopped at before, when I was about 230. I haven't been shopping since the boys were born, and even before then, I was huge, so the maternity store was the only place I could fit anything. It's been several years since I stopped in that store, and I was pleased when I walked out to think that I could be wearing their clothes (theoretically; they're very pricey!) in a few months!!

I should be able to shop at "normal" clothing stores as I get closer to my goal weight. I've been almost exclusively shopping (and even worked at) a plus-size women's retailer since we got married, and even though I don't care for much of the skimpy stylings of the other stores, it's nice to know I'll have options.

We are working on paying off debt (which is why this promotion would be HUGE for us), but I do have some plans to use some of my "blow" money on a conservative wardrobe when I reach my goal. I'll most likely be spending the majority of it at consignment shops, but I'm really looking forward to getting fitted for and buying quality (new) undergarments, especially ones that aren't for nursing, when this is all over.

We will be playing the waiting game for at least another week, but by next Friday, we should know if we'll be signing another lease here or looking two hours away. Wish us luck!

Week: 7 Weight: 247 Size: 18 Pounds to Goal: 62 Pounds Lost: 31!!!

One-third of the way to my goal weight in only 7 weeks!!

Week 6, Day 38

It's time again for a another Monday update! While I didn't do as well this past week as I'd hoped, I'm still on track for my November goal, and I still lost weight.

I had a realization this past week: my body has been at or well above 250 for over 3 years now, which means that my metabolism is probably set at thinking 250 is pretty good. If When I make it to my goal, that will be a completely new level for my body to work at that it hasn't had to deal with for almost 15 years! I should be that much more excited to break through this barrier and keep whittling away at my weight.

I've got a tiny goal of making it to the 240's before summer's official start, June 21st. As of this morning, that's only about 5 more pounds, which should be completely doable. I've got Fathers' Day this weekend, which will probably be a meal off-plan, but the rest of the 2 weeks should be fine. I can also almost fit into all of my summer bottoms that I've set out. I can wear them all, I just don't feel great about how I look in all of them. My body just isn't shaped the way it used to be...

I'll keep you posted!

Week: 6 Weight: 254 Size: 18 Pounds to Goal: 69 Pounds Lost: 24!

Monday At Last: Week 5, Day 31

It's another Monday, and another weigh-in! After a great taco salad off-plan last night (we were with family and it was an impromptu meal), I am still down since 2 weeks ago and thrilled! I gained 1 pound over Thursday, but the delicious shredded cheese, Dorito's, and sour cream were so worth it! I am still way ahead of my goal of 2 pounds per week, since this is only my 5th week back on S4L and I've lost 22 pounds already. I know it won't always go like this, but I'm milking nursing (no pun intended...) for all it's worth.

The great thing about going off-plan this time around is that it is so easy for me to just jump back in. Yeah, I have a meal here or there that are off, whether it's by a little or a lot, but the next meal, not the next day, next Monday, or whatever "milestone" I think is a good place to start, is when I get back on track! This is a totally different mindset than the last time I went through the program.

I think seeing such great results so far is also making it easier to want to get back to it as well. When I know I can burn off that extra pound that I've earned, it's much more motivating to want to eat well at the next meal. During my last experience with S4L, it was so difficult to even lose 1 pound at some points, and it took months to get where I am now. I'm not generally hungry, I know what to expect, and I have some favorite recipes to fall back on now that are really working in my favor.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, even though I may have had a tiny setback, I have to look at the big picture and enjoy what I've accomplished so far. I have a long way to go, but there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel, and I can't wait to reach it!

Week: 5 Weight: 256 Size: 18 Pounds to Goal: 71 Pounds Lost: 22!!

A Milestone

Sorry to have missed the Monday post. With it being Memorial Day, S4L was closed, and I didn't get to weigh in at my normal time of day until Wednesday. I lost 0.6 pounds last week, so it wasn't too exciting. The good news, though, is that while I was out of town Friday and Saturday, I was completely off plan, and managed to get back down quickly after coming home. I'll have current pics and a weight update this Monday. I'll probably post our menus for the last 2 weeks then too...

It is hard to believe, but I have finally made it down to my first pregnancy checkup weight! I have yet to post about my pregnancy weight gain and all the fun we had staying off-plan and eating what we wanted, but as of yesterday morning, I am officially down to what I weighed at my 8-week appointment!

While it's not my absolute lowest since starting Slim4Life (249 the week before I found out), I am proud that I've finally managed to lose all of that. I still don't look as slim as I did, since I'm convinced I lost a ton of muscle tone over the last year, but as I lose more weight and get out more this summer, I hope to gain some of that back, while I'm burning the fat that replaced it. Here's a photo of me the week of our appointment, and a photo of me 2 days ago in my (gasp!) bathing suit:

April 15, 2013; Weight: 255 8 weeks pregnant

May 29, 2014; Weight: 255 7 months post-partum, but it was totally worth this little cutie and his brother!

Day 17: Monday, Three Weeks In

I know it's not Monday, but yesterday was so busy, I didn't even have time to think about posting.

I am thrilled to reveal that I've already lost 18 pounds! And I'm partway to one of my short-term goals of being able to wear my summer clothes. I had a pair of capris that I bought for our honeymoon 3 years ago, and I am able to wear them again! Yippee!

Week: 3 Weight: 260 Size: 18 Pounds to Goal: 75

Our kitty thinks you need to see how she looks as well...

Week 2 Menu

This week we've been a little more experimental with our menu, and it has definitely paid off!

Monday:
melba toast breaded chicken with broccoli and salad; just as good as last week! This is going to be a new staple of my diet...

Tuesday:
leftover Mexican ground turkey taco salad with green pepper and romaine and tortilla bits; I did a good job of seasoning the meat, so that you couldn't even tell it was turkey

Wednesday:
shredded chicken stuffed mushrooms with celery; this was outstanding! I based it loosely on this recipe, using shredded boiled chicken breasts instead of ground chicken. I mashed up the melba toast, added a lot of dill (my new favorite herb!), Miracle Whip Light, egg white, and some garlic and onion powder. There was a lot of chicken, so the giant white mushrooms from Costco were a good investment, and even with 4 of them, they were overflowing. It was a little bit dry after baking, so perhaps a little olive oil or a little more Miracle Whip next time, but definitely a keeper!

Thursday:
sage chicken with green onions and mushrooms, and a rice cake for dessert; this may be my new favorite chicken recipe ever! My hubby made it, based on this recipe, and it was soooo yummy! I think all it was was sage and minced garlic, but it had so much flavor! It will be hard to top this.

Friday:
shrimp stir-fry with green onion and green pepper, with brown rice; should be tasty, although with less ginger this time

Saturday:
We'll be out of town this evening, so I don't really know what we're having for dinner. I will try my best to stay on plan, because I've done so well so far, and don't want to sabotage myself.

Sunday:
ground beef burgers with green onion and mushrooms; should be yummy, cooked on our George Foreman grill

Day 10: Monday Again

It's another Monday, which means a weight loss update! I look forward to this day of the week, unlike many other people, because I get to see how my hard work and sacrifice is paying off.

Even after having Mothers' Day lunch (mostly) off-plan, I still managed to lose 1 lb since last Thursday, and this week (since Monday), I've lost 5 more pounds! I can tell my stomach fat is getting a little less prevalent, and my jeans fit a little better than they were. I've got a looooong way to go, but I feel like I'm off to a good start.

I told my husband last week some time that the thing that makes staying on Slim4Life's plan this time is that I know what to expect. Last time, I had so many expectations that were not met when I signed up, it made me very resentful and made me feel like I was tricked by not knowing exactly what I was getting into. This time, I already know what foods are allowed, what the portions are, and many of the little tricks that I felt like weren't communicated until after they were causing me to keep the weight on. I know it's hard to stay on the plan, and I've had to change my habits quite a bit from before, but what I was doing before was not working.

I had a wonderful first "real" Mothers' Day (I celebrated while I was pregnant last year) and got to enjoy a couple of treats, like pasta, banana, and ice cream, but now it's back to work! I'm ready to be able to fit into my summer shorts and pants again! 5K training again tomorrow!

Week: 2 Weight: 265 Size: 20 Pounds to Goal: 80

Week 1 Menu

I would like to keep a record of some of our favorite meals while on plan, so I don't have to remember every little thing about what was good and what wasn't.

Here is our menu for this past week:

Saturday:
shrimp with broccoli, cauliflower, and brown rice--steamed everything; it was a little bland, but filling

Sunday:
tilapia with broccoli, spinach salad and bread--I already reviewed the fish this week; still not a fan

Monday:
chicken fajitas with pepper, green onion and tortilla--I added a little salsa and it was pretty tasty, although half of a 6" tortilla doesn't go very far...

Tuesday:
tilapia leftovers from Sunday

Wednesday:
shrimp with pepper and green onion stir-fry, brown rice--without the sweet and sour or teriyaki sauce, it was a little off on flavor, but we tried lots of different spices; I think less ginger and more garlic would be better

Thursday:
grilled chicken open-faced sandwich with grilled mushrooms and spinach salad--probably the best meal all week! I used Pam to grill the mushrooms and added a touch of garlic. It was pretty tasty!

Friday:
ground turkey with Mexican seasoning (no salt), spinach, and green onion, tortilla--should be good as well

Saturday:
melba toast breaded chicken breasts with broccoli and cauliflower, with Miracle Whip Light as the glue for the crumbs; I don't know what I would do without Miracle Whip on this plan...

Sunday:
Costco pre-cooked turkey breast with spinach salad and broccoli, rice; checks off all the requirements, although probably not the most delicious

We may have some leftovers from the ground turkey for tonight's dinner that I can eat for lunch next week. I also enjoy tuna salad sandwiches with cucumber slices for lunch once a week. Tuna, ground turkey, and ground beef are restricted proteins, so I have to watch when and often I have them.

I've been eating the Costco pre-cooked turkey breast with my spinach and cucumber salads for lunch this week, and it's pretty good. We sliced it into pre-measured servings, so it's very easy to throw together. I added some dill to it today, which kicked it up a notch! Morton Light Salt goes on nearly everything, in every meal, even breakfast.

For breakfast each day, I eat 1 hard-boiled egg, 1/2 c of oatmeal mixed with 1 c skim milk, and 1/4 c of Costco frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries). I was adding 1 tsp honey, which is not on plan, until I was able to get to the store and buy some Splenda. It is filling and pretty tasty every day.

Once I am done nursing the twins, I will be back on my original plan, which will change some of these things, but for now, we're finding what works for us. I'm down over 10 lbs for my first week, so I'm happy with my progress so far! I'll have new pics for Monday!

Day 3

Monday is here, and so are new pics! I had a great weekend with my hubby, and we got a lot of our meals prepped and the meat pre-cooked for the week, to make eating on-plan so much easier.

We had tilapia last night, which, not to discount my hubby's cooking, was about the most bland protein I could have. I'm just not a fish person. Never have been, probably never will be, unless I find the right kind cooked the right way. That was not it. I appreciate his effort, but, aside from leftovers tomorrow night, I don't mind not eating that again. I am proud of myself for trying it, though.

Another protein I'm not fond of that I had to try this weekend was plain Greek yogurt. I know I can't just have eggs, chicken, and turkey all the time, so I'm trying to branch out to these other options. Since I can only have ground meat every other day, I figured I would try the new yogurt option. I have sampled it before at Costco and remember not caring for it (I have an issue with regular yogurt's texture sometimes), but I thought I could make myself like it if I had just a little more and it was one of few options. It tastes like thick sour cream to me, but not as sweet. I'm glad we just bought 1 6 oz package to try, instead of the big 30 oz or whatever Costco has. If I do have it again, I'll have to add some Splenda and fruit. That might not trigger my gag reflex as easily...

I weighed in this morning and am thrilled to say that even though we went out to eat Saturday (where I overate a little), and pigged out Wednesday through Friday last week before I got back on plan, I am down 8 pounds since Wednesday! Yippee!! Turns out the water intake is not hindering my weight loss. We are celebrating this success and Cinco de Mayo tonight by cooking chicken fajitas with bell pepper and green onions.

I also found some great recipes on Pinterest that are from another weight loss plan (slimgenics), but many of the recipes incorporate ingredients that I can have. It gives us another resource for finding some variety for our meal planning. I'm excited to try these ground chicken stuffed mushrooms next week!

Week: 1 Weight: 270 Size: 20 Pounds to Goal: 85

Day 1--again

S4L Plan #4
Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 starch, 1 fruit, 8 oz milk
Lunch: 1 protein, 1 starch, 1 fruit, 2 veggies
Dinner: 1 protein, 1 starch, 1 fruit, 2 veggies
Other: 1 fat, 1 protein drink

Menu
Breakfast: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1/2 c oatmeal, 1/4 c raspberries, 8 oz milk
Lunch: 5 oz chicken breast, 1 c brown rice, apple, 1/2 c broccoli, 1/2 bell pepper/mushrooms
Dinner: 5 oz shrimp w/ lemon, 1 slice 45 cal bread, 1 c strawberries, 1/2 c broccoli, 1/2 c cauliflower
Other: 1 T Miracle Whip Light, 1 S4L protein drink, 2 c unsweetened tea, 16 oz Crystal Light

I wouldn't call today a resounding success, although I didn't purposely eat off-plan. We went out for a scheduled meal at 54th Street with my parents, and I did try to do the responsible thing. I ordered the grilled chicken with wild rice and mushrooms, which came with seasonal veggies, and I did ask for no cheese, which is such a waste to me... I didn't have to eat all the rice, but it was so tasty, I couldn't resist. I am sure that everything had more salt on it than I need, but I ate it anyway. It was delicious, and not something I would normally have even considered ordering there.

I did weigh in this morning, just because of all the overeating we've done over the last couple of days. I wanted to have an accurate measure of my weight for starting out, and even though it was a slightly different time of day, I was surprisingly down 3.6 pounds since Wednesday! Yippee!

I am going to have a difficult time with the water intake. No, not drinking enough. Drinking too much. Way too much. Since I've had the boys, I've been worried about my milk supply diminishing due to dehydration, so to be safe, I automatically forced myself to start drinking a gallon of water a day. That's 128 oz. Then, just to be safe, I added an extra 28 oz to that, just because. I know there was a reason at some point, I just can't remember why now. Now, on days that I work out (which I would like to be every day, in some fashion), I drink an additional 28 oz, so that what I sweat out can be replenished.

Well, with S4L, I was told before that I drank too much water with 100 oz. I'm sure they would go ballistic if they knew how much I was drinking now. I go through it, though. I get thirsty, surprisingly, even with all of that liquid flowing into my body. Fortunately, I have figured out a way to keep up my fluid intake and still make them happy with the 80-ish oz rule: I can have my 80 oz, and then the rest I just have to add something to my water to "change the electrolytes" (their words, not mine). So, I can add lemon to a glass. And Crystal Light. And I can have tea (which must have Splenda--yick!). And my protein drink. With all these additional drinks, I should be able to maintain my regular fluid consumption and still be on plan. We'll see.

I don't plan to post every day, but I did want to get these thoughts out. I plan on posting our menu for the week pretty regularly, and then I can comment on what I liked and what I didn't, so I can use those recipes and meals for later reference. We're in this for the long haul, and I hate to use the same meal plans over and over.

Last Hurrah

It is a shame that I will be starting my new lifestyle of healthy eating on the S4L plan tomorrow, since I just discovered my favorite thing (almost) ever: Zio's tomato florentine soup is the most delicious thing I've had in ages, and it is definitely not on plan.

My hubby and I were there celebrating his birthday yesterday (like many other days this week...), and after our delicious celebration Wednesday night of pizza and tater tots (we're trying to clean out the freezer!) and S.H.I.E.L.D., I was looking for something a little lighter. Their lunch menu has many great choices on it, and even though I probably should have chosen a salad, I picked the manicotti, which also came with house salad or a soup. My brain was in "celebrate" mode, so I picked the soup that was pictured, and it was so good!! I considered cancelling the manicotti for the unlimited soup and salad lunch, but didn't want to make our server mad, so I just savored ever drop of the most delicious soup I've ever had.

I will definitely be going there for my birthday in November. I'll have 2 meals off plan to celebrate at my favorite restaurants, and Zio's is now #1 on my list! I found this copycat recipe online that I might try, if I can find a way to make it on plan.

So excited to start S4L again tomorrow! We planned our meals and are stocked up on groceries and purging the last of the non-plan items from our pantry. I'll let you know how it's going on Monday!

A Fresh Start

I've not been this excited about losing weight in a long time! I had my consultation with Slim4Life today about getting back on the program, and I'm feel so empowered and ready to get back on track!

I was a little nervous about how the diet would restrict what I've been doing to keep my nursing supply up, and also how it would combine with the food we receive through the generous Missouri WIC program, but Kara, as always, was so upbeat and encouraging, I feel confident that I'll be able to meet my goal by my birthday!

I'll be eating the same foods--mostly unprocessed fruits and veggies and lean proteins--but the plan I'm on is a little more lenient with the amount of servings and some of the serving sizes. I'll be skipping the first "induction" phase that is all meat and leafy greens, due to the amount of protein that gets passed through my milk and starting on my new plan this weekend. My hubby's birthday is this week and we're milking the free birthday meals at restaurants for all they're worth!

I'm so excited to kick-start this part of my journey, and to have an actual plan for losing weight. Obviously, what I've been doing thus far has been a total disaster. I'm thrilled to be getting back on the plan and having the weekly accountability and advice of the staff at S4L. I'm a little sad that when I weighed in today, I was the exact weight as the day I signed up for the program, so the 28 pounds I lost and the 4 months I spent on the program last time is almost a wash, but I would have been more miserable and weighed even more at the end of my pregnancy without that effort. I may not have even been able to get pregnant at that weight.

Suffice it to say, I am more ready than ever to lose this weight and keep it off for good, and now I have the tools and support to do it!

A New Me 4/29

It is almost officially a year and a half since I started Slim4Life and this weight loss journey. As of this morning, I am at exactly the same weight as when I started, 270 (according to our home scale). Granted, I've had two beautiful sons (who are 6 months old today!) since I started, and ballooned up to 310 with the pregnancy, but I am just sick of being unhappy with the way I look, being sore and tired all the time, and not being able to fit all the beautiful clothes in my closet.

I am very excited to be going back to S4L on Wednesday to discuss getting back on plan. I can't take any of the supplements while I'm nursing, but hopefully eating better will help me with my goals, and the regular accountability and advice of the counselors should be encouraging. I am basically on the same timeline as when I first started, with getting to my goal by my birthday (actually, I have an additional month). I don't have all the "weight loss weeks" in my plan still. I may have to purchase some to get me to my goal, but it'll be worth it when I get there.

6 months post-partum Weight: 270 Pounds to Goal: 45

"Monday" Update

I know, it's not Monday, but all the time I had devoted to updating yesterday was eaten up by a cleaning misfortune at our place. So here's my weekly update:

Since I weighed myself in the middle of the day instead of the beginning of the day last week, my weight may have been artificially inflated. Nonetheless, I added more stones to my jar to represent this new goal. As of yesterday morning, I was able to move 4 of them over!

I didn't get up in time to get pictures taken in the morning, but I will for next week for sure. I've made an appointment to go talk with Slim4Life next week so that I can get back on track with them, and get that support and accountability. I'm pretty excited to see what their suggestions are for someone breastfeeding 2 six-month-olds.

I'm planning to update on my 5K training progress later this week as well. Until then, here's some inspiration:

Wishful Thinking

What a beautiful dream that last post was...I did end up working out one day last weekend, but I hadn't worked out again until today, and I definitely wasn't pleased with what the scale said on Monday.

My 5K training is going slow, to say the least. If I had worked out Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday this week as I had planned, it might be going better. Unfortunately, sitting on the couch for 2 days catching up on the last season of Smash did not motivate me to do anything but eat and veg out. So now it's time for some serious rehab and catching up.

I weighed myself last night (I normally do it first thing in the morning) and was completely disgusted with myself for my behavior over the last week. I was up to 278, which, thankfully, is down to 273 this morning. I am still frustrated and motivated to see that number in the 250's by summer, so I came up with a new list of goals:

• I still want to be 225 by my birthday, November 24.
• That gives me just over 31 weeks to lose 53 pounds, instead of 44 (as of last night).
• That is almost 2 pounds per week.

• I am going back to Slim4Life in May. I will hopefully get to make an appointment for week after next to get started.

• I need to eat better. Period.

• I am going to train for my 5K 4 days a week, no matter what!
• Waiting 6 days in between trainings is not cutting it. I was so worn out today I could only do half of the workout for week 2; not good!

• I have a set of cropped pants and shorts I want to be able to wear by summertime hanging out in the open where I see them every day as motivation.

• I want to be out of the maternity clothes and sweats that I've been living in for the last year by June 21st. I am packing them all away on that day until my next pregnancy!

• I am going to get the boys outside every day for a walk, rain, snow, sleet, or shine, or, here in Missouri, 105 degrees with 98% humidity. The sunshine motivates me to be active, instead of sitting on the couch.

• On days that I'm not training, I would like to do one of our Zumba DVD's or pushups or something besides just walk. I want to make being active a lifestyle, not just something we do to meet a goal and then stop.

I think that's probably enough for now. I know it seems like a lot, but it's really just about doing stuff, instead of choosing to procrastinate. That's how I've gotten where I am now. "I can lose weight later." "I need to wait until..." No more excuses. I'm tired of always doing the same thing, and wishing that I were successful. It's time to really make a change.

Training

So far, training for my 5K is going well. The C25K program is a 3 day per week system, although, for my own goals I'm doing it 4 days.

This first week, the workout is 20 minutes, jogging for 1 minute and walking for 90 seconds. I started Monday and got halfway through before my cheering section turned on me, so we had to make our way home.

Yesterday, the boys were SO good and let me get the whole workout in with not even a sign of fussiness, and they even sat there while I lifted weights for a few reps! It was perfect outside too, so we sat in the grass and played until they got sleepy. I miss nice weather and fresh air.

While I know the treadmill is nothing like running on the street, as a 5K will be, it felt great to sweat (and I sweat a lot) and know that I was doing something for myself.

I'm taking today off from working out, but we'll still go out for a walk this afternoon, and I'll do two more days of the same workout this weekend.

I was planning to do double of each week to take things easy, but at least these first couple of weeks I may go ahead and do as prescribed. It all depends on how my ankle feels, really, and today it's pretty stiff, since I just got up and haven't been on it yet. It'll loosen up by our walk.

Hopefully, all this will be worth it on Monday when I get on the scale again!

Weigh In

No pics today, but I am down another pound! I'm slightly off track for my goal of 1 pound every 5 days (by a half pound), but I think that will work itself out when I start training this week. I'm not worried about it yet.

We tried a new recipe yesterday for chicken enchilada soup, and with a few more veggies and a free afternoon, I think this could be a new staple! Here's a link to the recipe: chicken enchilada soup.

We used a package of chicken thighs I had in the freezer for a while instead of the rotisserie chicken, which gave me more than enough chicken broth when I boiled them. I ran out of celery so I just added some celery seed, and I'm terrible at picking out jalapeno peppers (I never know how hot they're going to be!), so I skipped that too. We needed the rest of our corn tortillas for fajitas with some friends later this week, so I used a few crunched Doritos instead of the fried tortillas. Saved some time and 1st degree burns that way too!

I'll be updating with how my 5K training is going later this week. Time to get the stroller out!

Weight Loss for a Cure

As I mentioned on Monday, I've been setting some more goals pertaining to my weight loss.

Yes, it is great to be healthy, and to be able to fit into my clothes again, and all that, but I can always find an excuse to push my deadline back, to put my ambitions on hold, due to birthdays, holidays, vacations: you name it, and it becomes an excuse. This time, I have decided to make an external commitment, one that I don't have any control over and can not move, as my guide. I've decided to train for and run a 5K race this summer.

I've always had a special heart for breast cancer awareness, since my grandma has been through breast cancer and beaten it twice. I have even volunteered for the Komen Race in Kansas City in the past. I've never considered running or even walking in this race due to a health condition, but I think this is just the thing I need to help keep me motivated.

I am going to try to stick to the "Couch to 5K" program, since I've literally been on the couch for the last several months. I'm giving myself two times as much time, to work up to it slowly and account for any setbacks due to my condition, so starting this week, I'll be training for a 5K!

Wish me luck and I hope to tell you about my workouts in the coming weeks.

Pics and Stones

A New Me: Take 2--Day 8! We are both on track for our weight loss goals after one week, and have no intention of stopping!

I've even made some sub-goals that I'll tell you about next time, but for today, I just want to bask in my successful week, despite being out of town and having an annoying cold last week.

Here are this week's new pics, as well as a reinstatement of the stones from my S4L days. I just love moving them from one cup to the other! Don't mind the hair; I woke up just for these before my hubby left for work and went straight back to bed...

Day: 8 Weight: 268 Pounds Lost: 1.5 Pounds to Goal: 43

One pound gone! Can't wait until their contents are switched!

A New Me: Take 2

I've decided it's about time to get serious about losing this weight. My hubby and I are both more than we want to be, so after some prayerful consideration this weekend, we are restarting our weight loss goals.

I will be posting some of our favorite recipes as well as my progress here. Today is day 2 (yesterday was pretty busy and I didn't get to post) of our new plan: a hearty breakfast of filling yet healthy foods, a light lunch, a sensible dinner, healthy snacks, and a taste of dessert each day, so that we don't feel like we're depriving ourselves. I made these fake Reese's eggs yesterday, which will be our first test of our wills. I already froze half the batch and we plan to eat a tiny piece each day, no more.

I feel like this will work. It will be hard, and I will be inclined to veer off the plan every once in a while, but it is doable. Especially with two little boys, I think this is better than a strict diet of no processed foods and struggling with meal planning constantly. I am giving myself until November 24 (my birthday) to lose 44.5 pounds. That is a pound every 5 1/2 days. By eating better, exercising more (which we're able to do now that it's nicer out), and nursing 2 babies, I think I can do this.

A Challenge

March is over halfway through (happy St. Patrick's Day, by the way!) and I've done nothing but gain weight this month. I'm almost as heavy today as I was when I first started Slim4Life, and I'm miserable.

I'm still wearing all of my maternity clothes (mainly sweats) because that's all that fits, and I have a wedding coming up this weekend that I have no idea what I'm going to wear. I'll probably look like I'm still pregnant in whatever I find in my closet that fits.

My children are almost 5 months old, which means that I'm carrying around nearly 25 pounds of "baby weight" that should be on its way out the door, yet I've gained 15 pounds since my gall bladder surgery in December. I'll admit, I'm not watching what I eat at all, I exercise very infrequently, and I don't get a full night's sleep ever, due to the frequent pumping sessions to feed my sons.

I thought that by breastfeeding 2 children I would be able to at least maintain my weight loss after their birth, if not lose weight. I am afraid of exercising too much, because I don't want it to affect my milk supply, but what I'm doing now is not working. I'm not really sure where to go from here. I'll have to start with changing my diet, at least, and hopefully that will start some downward movement.

The Best Date Ever

As I mentioned last week, I wanted to tell the story of how I shared with my hubby when we became pregnant. This is more relevant to this blog than you might think...

You might recall that while on Slim 4 Life I was not allowed to eat most of my favorite foods, such as pasta, most breads, bananas, sweets, and all cheese. This was such a trying period because of the dairy limitations, so as soon as we started trying to get pregnant, I told my husband the first thing I would do when I found out I was pregnant was go out and buy a big hunk of smoked cheese!

A few short weeks later, I saw the positive readings (I took 2 to be sure!) on a Saturday morning before my husband had to go to work. I was relieved to have the morning to myself to plan how I was going to tell him, so I couldn't wait until he was out of the car after I dropped him off. That was an excruciatingly long and awkward car ride! I finally got to drop him off, and, knowing that I was pregnant, I wanted to celebrate by eating something I hadn't had in a very long time: biscuits and gravy! I hopped across the street to the Big Biscuit and ordered a half size order (knowing that we would be eating well that afternoon). I think I was more nervous and excited than hungry, so I barely tasted the food, but the idea that I could eat what I wanted for a while satisfied me.

I only had a few hours to prepare for the day and the big announcement, so I had no time to waste. I had heard about a consignment sale in our area that week, and not knowing at all what we were expecting, I stopped to look more than anything, but found a cute jumper with a giraffe on it (our nursery theme) and drove home. I had been formulating how I wanted to tell my husband since before we started trying, but didn't know all the details of how to pull it all together. I got on the trusty Pinterest and found an idea I thought would work great.

Since it was the day before St. Patty's, there were all kinds of ideas pertaining to leprechauns and rainbows and pots of gold (much like today!). I ended up stumbling across this idea for a rainbow scavenger hunt. I had wanted to take him to all of the places where we had meaningful milestones in our relationship, and the colored paint chips would help to tie it all together. I had a short time to shower and dress in one of his favorite dresses, and put a special something under his pillow before I had to go to finish my preparations.

I stopped by the WalMart to pick up the paint chips and a delicious block of smoked gouda (his favorite!), because, where else can you buy cheese and paint at the same time? Then it was time to pick him up from work...

When I picked him up, he was very surprised to see me dressed up  and was curious about what the day's plans held. I had told him on the way to work that morning not to plan for anything after work, because I was planning a special surprise. He hadn't gotten to eat lunch yet, so we went to QuikTrip and picked up a hot dog and some gas, and then started on our date.

The first stop on our trip was the Subway across the street from his work. I directed him to drive there and gave him the yellow chip. Then I reminded him (as if he could forget!) why that place was so special to us: it was our first real date. We had gone there the day after his car had been stolen and I treated him to lunch, and we both stated our intentions of courtship to each other. He had no idea what else was in store for the day, but knew we weren't going to reenact our date because we had other places to go.

Next, was the Auditorium where I invited him to hear my choir perform Messiah the November before we started dating. I handed him the red chip and told him that this was the place that I first realized that I loved him. I could barely choke out the words, thinking about that intermission and how happy I was to see him there. I can't believe how much my life has changed since that night. We also had a wonderful time afterward, going out for shakes, where I inadvertently insulted him and made him fall in love with me at the same moment. He still teases me about that.

Then we moved on to the dam at Longview Lake, one of my favorite places to go. It's secluded and beautiful, and that was the night that I finally let on (after 9 years!) how I felt about this man. I handed him the blue chip and we sat in the car and stalled until it was time for our next stop by answering some questions I had printed off.

We finally got to leave after about an hour, and ended up at Cinzetti's, our favorite New Year's pasttime. I handed him the green chip and told him how much I enjoyed visiting this place with him, even when we were friends. Besides their AMAZING food, this was the place that I felt like more than his friend for the first time. He was so used to being shuttled off to other stops by now, that he started to get back in the car when I asked him, "Don't you want to eat?" We have only ever eaten there on New Year's Eve, so he was completely surprised and stoked that we were going to be going in.

Green chip at Cinzetti's

We had the most delicious meal, and although I was still so nervous, I enjoyed every last bite of pasta and sauces, and their delicate canolis and even a crepe! For the first time in weeks it felt great to eat something until I was full, and not worry about gaining weight!

Finally, we made our way home, after a wonderful and reminiscent date. When we got out of the car, I handed him the cheese and the orange chip, which he thought was nice, since we both love cheese, but he still had no clue. He just though it was another lovely part of our date.

We came inside and I had saved the last chip until we made our way into the bedroom, where we both lay on the covers, full and exhausted. My heart was pounding when I urged him to look at his pillow, where he found this:

I handed him the purple chip and told him he was going to be a daddy, and we both laughed and cried for the rest of the evening.

Thus began my journey into pregnancy. We started with a wonderful meal and have been enjoying the tastes of our favorites ever since. I went in to Slim4Life that Monday and told them I would need to put my account on hold, and the management was very happy to oblige.

One Week Already!

This week flew by! I meant to post on Friday, but the weekend was over before I knew it.

Our boys have made it to the 4 month checkpoint! Which means that I am 4 months out of pregnancy and need to seriously start doing something to get rid of this baby weight before my metabolism gets stuck here.

I have decided to break my weight loss down into 2 main goals, so that I have a realistic and attainable deadline for reaching my "ideal" weight (set by me, not some chart).

My first goal is my birthday, November 24. This gives me a little less than 9 months to lose nearly 45 pounds. If I were strictly doing Slim 4 Life, I think that would be a very easy feat (except for the strict diet!), but I'm currently nursing exclusively, which makes the diet and supplements out of the question. I'm going to have to do it the old-fashioned way, by eating better and exercising. Hopefully nursing 2 hungry boys will help speed the process, but I don't want to constrict my diet so much that it affects them.

I will be going back on Slim 4 Life, although it will be a modified plan, after the boys start solid foods and don't depend on me for all of their nutrition. I've already talked with the wonderful manager at our local branch and discussed how that might work, although I don't have any details at this time. I am excited to have some accountability and advice from them again.

I suppose that is the update from me for this week. With a rough start to last week (lots of rich foods and sweets!), I broke even by making some good choices this weekend. We plan to do a better job of choosing healthy meal options and having more fruits and veggies with our meals, instead of the carb-heavy entrées we've been eating. I'll be posting some fun recipes along the way!

Make sure when you set goals for yourself, whether they be fitness, business, spiritual, or anything else, always make them attainable and measurable, and have a reliable and assertive accountability partner. Otherwise, you're setting yourself up for failure. Good luck!

18 weeks post-partum: 268 pounds

Monday, Monday

After a very productive weekend, I am feeling a bit tired today. Part of my purpose in continuing this blog is for accountability. Even if no person other than myself (and probably my husband) ever reads these posts, I know that by posting publicly, there is a bit of pressure to do well from my audience. Everyone wants to see success stories, not some low-life that continues to fail at following through with their hopes and dreams. We experience that too much in our own lives, why would we waste our time reading about other people who are in the exact same position? I normally post weekly progress pictures on Monday, but since I am so tired, I didn't get up in time to have my hubby take them this morning. I will try to get them done before we go to bed tonight, so I can post them either today or tomorrow.

Part of the reason I'm so tired today is because of the haunting images of one of my closest family members. To protect the innocent, they will remain anonymous. I was thinking the other night of our boys and how I want them to remember my family. I have such fond memories of holiday gatherings with all of my aunts and uncles, my many cousins, and my grand and great-grandparents. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without each one of these people, yet I can't shake the idea that my children will not have the wonderful experience that I was blessed to have. One of my family members is very obese. I have always been overweight (except a few years in high school where I made some very dumb decisions); everyone in my immediate family has been overweight. We were active (I have great numbers from blood work), we just didn't eat healthily or do much to overcome the weight problems. This one particular member has deteriorated so much over the past few years, I am afraid that they will reach retirement and continue to gain weight with nothing to keep them active, and we will eventually be calling a crane company to cart them out of the house, like the people you hear about on TV.

I am determined that I will not end up this way. I want nothing more than for this person to change their ways and be there for my sons, to be able to play and chase after them, that they have great memories of all the things they got to do together with, not just a memory of the person that we sometimes mention, because they are gone. If I have learned anything from this person, it is how I do not want to end up, and what I do not want for my family.

I am a fan of Dave Ramsey's teachings on finances, and one thing that he often says comes to mind in this case: change your family tree. I am determined to do this. Not just for me, but for my sons and any other children I may have. To change the way I live so that they can learn my healthy habits and not have to live with the ridicule and problems that come with obesity.

Here are the photos from today. My journey starts over here.

17 weeks post-partum; 268 pounds

A New Me...or, Rather, Two New "Me's"

I realize that it's been almost a year since my last update. It's not because I haven't wanted to write, it's that my life changed so much after March 4, 2013 that I couldn't even wrap my head around it to put into words. The most amazing thing happened: I am now a mother of beautiful twin boys!

We had been trying for a very short time, and all of a sudden, in the middle of March, our dream came true! I got the positive reading and praised God for making me a mother, then I spent the entire morning preparing a wonderful date for my husband, at the end of which I shared the good news with him. More about that later...

We were ecstatic about our little one's arrival, when we went to hear the heartbeat for the first time and the doctor told us he couldn't hear it. Immediately, I thought the worst, but the doctor assured us this happens frequently, especially when the placenta is in the front. He scheduled us for a sonogram and we found out that day that our dreams had been doubled! There is a pretty funny story behind that, which I'll have to share another day.

After a nearly full-term pregnancy, we are the proud parents of two charming, healthy, and lovable little men, hence two new mini-me's. Now I begin the journey once again to reaching my goal weight, after gaining over 50 pounds during my pregnancy. I hope you'll come along for the ride!

16 weeks post-partum; 265 pounds