I Did It, I Really Did It!!!

Oh hi!  Sorry I haven't been by in a while.  Busy, busy this week!  I took Saturday and Sunday off from running, so I had nothing to report.  However on Monday I got hubby to drive the kids to karate so that I could go for a run and I made it to 28 minutes AGAIN!!!!  Sweet!  I probably could have made 30 if I pushed really hard because I felt good. However 28 minutes was Couch to 5k Week 8 Day 2's goal so I was happy to have made the 28 again and save the 30 for day 3.

Tuesday I was a bad girl.  I have been really wanting a good burger and fries so my mom and I took the kids for dinner at a local favorite.  Soooooo yummy and totally worth the extra calories.  Then it was home to catch a hockey game.

Wednesday was here and I decided I was going to run again.  I accomplished a feat that night that I never thought possible.  I ran for 30 minutes.  If you had told me five months ago that I would be able to run for 30 minutes straight I would have fallen on the floor laughing my ass off!  I did it though!  I did, I did!!!!  That officially completes the Couch to 5k program time-wise.  However, it was still only about two miles.  So now I keep going until I get to 3 miles! That's my plan, we'll see how long it takes to get there.

Sometimes I Impress Myself

I finally made it to 25 minutes (running) again on Wednesday.  It took 2 1/2 weeks to get there but I finally got there.  That officially wrapped up Couch to 5k, Week 7 Day 3. 

Tonight, aka Friday, aka two days later, I really did not want to run.  I am PMSing and I want to eat everything.  I guess it's the one time of the month that I do want the bad stuff.  I was so tempted to stop at McDonald's and get fries instead of going for a run, but I didn't.  I got to my mom's and I still didn't want to run.  I didn't have my iPod, a good excuse I thought, but my mom said "go run".  So I dragged my ass and got changed, put on my runners and headed downstairs.

My shins screamed from the beginning.  I told myself "just 15 minutes" when I had already been running for 11.  By the time I checked the treadmill timer again I had been running for 21.  Well then, I can make it to 25 again, right?  Yup! Not only did I make it to 25 minutes, but I kept going and made it to 28 minutes.  That means I have successfully completed Week 8, Day 1 also!!!

Revelation

I realized something last night. I have mentioned a couple of times not to deny yourself "treats" or you'll snap and binge. You want a chocolate bar, have 1/2. Share the rest with someone else or put it in a Ziploc for next time. If you want chips, eat chips, just measure out ONE serving, or better yet, a 1/2 serving! What I realized though is that I don't even have the "want" for the most part anymore. I think I need a snack and I have calories available, well, I'll have a bowl of chips. Nope, don't want that, have and I have something like celery instead! I'm not sure how that happened!!!

I really felt good on my run last night and I thought I was going to be able to make my 25 minute goal finally.  Nope, never mind, a pain in my side had me return to walking after 20 minutes.  Darn!  I was so there in my head!  I blame that second turkey taco wrap I had at dinner.  There's always next time!

Speaking of turkey tacos. . .I used ground turkey for tacos last night and it was delicious.  We use wraps for our soft tacos so we can make them pretty stuffed with meat and veggies.  Honestly, I am in love with ground turkey and I am not even a turkey fan.  Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, I have a little and I'm done with it.  I have used ground turkey before, but I have to remember to use it more often as it was a great substitute for ground beef.

After you cook the ground turkey add taco seasoning and water, simmer until water is absorbed/evaporated.

It's Okay to Cheat (Only on Food Though)

I have been absent for a week, so sorry.  As usual, not a lot to say so nothing to post.

I hit 178 this week.  I don't remember being 178 since I had my thirteen year-old son!  Some of my co-workers are telling me not to lose anymore, but I'm happy to lose as long as I can start shaping too.  I still have to work on a shaping plan but it will come.

I haven't been able to do a 25 minute run for two weeks.  I just can't make it.  It's frustrating, but I'm going to keep trying.  I know I will get there again eventually.

I had an awesome (planned) cheat day this week.  I had been wanting something deep-fried so I figured it was time to celebrate reaching my goal.  We had chicken wings and fries (so yummy) from Montana's!  I still weighed everything since it was takeout and I always weigh my food at home for accuracy.  Even if I know I'm going over on my calories, I like to keep track.  As I have mentioned before, once in a while you need to cheat. You need to indulge your craving so that you don't snap and fall totally off the food wagon.

 

Valentine's day was this week too, of coarse.  I ate a cupcake!  Red Velvet!  Yum!  I'm usually well behaved at work but I decided to give in to it this time.  Seeing as the 178 was reached after the wings and cupcake, it wasn't really a bad week at all!

 

Some Advice You Didn't Ask For

LOL!  My "Boobs" post got more views then any others in the last month.  I didn't mean to be misleading, it really was about boobs!

Anyhow. . .

I received an inbox message from a new member on Calorie Count asking for advice.  I know I have said some of this before but here is my take on losing weight. . .

Everything in moderation! You want chocolate, have chocolate. . .just eat 1/2 of the chocolate bar (put the rest in a Ziploc bag for the next time, or give it to someone else if you think you can't ignore that it's waiting there). You want chips, eat chips. . .just take one small bowl. The best thing I own is a digital kitchen scale, then I can measure just one serving.  Moderation is key, if you deprive yourself you will eventually snap and binge. This way you can factor a little "cheat" into your day and not feel guilty!
 

So, you had a bad day. . .

If you have a bad day it is not the end, just try not to let one bad day turn into two bad days, or worse, three, four, or five. You have to get back up the next day and have a good day, then two, three, four, and so on. I let myself be bad once a week, and truthfully most of my "bad" days aren't really that bad anymore because being "good" is so natural now.

Boobs

Now that I have your attention. . .

You want to know the most discouraging thing about this weight loss?  My boobs!!!  Where the hell have my boobs gone?!?  My C-cup used to runneth over, but now the shape of the bra cup only helps them look full and round.  Dear Body, I have lots of excess fat around my mid-section.  Why couldn't you take that away instead?!?

I shared that thought on Calorie Count today and it became a top report!  It was how I was honestly feeling, so I just shared it.  I have these saggy boobs that barely fill my bra cup, never mind how bid they sag when I'm not wearing a bra.

I've been feeling a bit lazy the last few days.  I shouldn't feel lazy though, I should feel inspired.  I'm not.  My get-up-and-go has got-up-and-left!  I went so far as to order pizza for dinner and actually plan not to run tonight!  Hopefully the weekend will bring a renewed source of energy, but I know in my heart that it's just a slump, and when I do get out of it, all will be good again.  I'll be back, soon, I promise!

FORTY-FIVE!!!

I did it! I did it! I have lost 45 pounds! What can I say that I haven't already said??? Nothing at all!

 

I may have met my original goal but I'm not ready to stop.  It took just under seven months to get this far which I don't feel was a very long time at all.  I'm going to keep doing what I have been doing and see if it takes me any further.  Another twenty pounds would be great.  As I said in a previous post, this has been a journey and I am not done with it yet!

One of my fabulous co-workers gave me flowers on Friday.  What a sweetie!  She gave me a note saying that she was proud of me (for my weight loss).  I am equally as proud of her as she has lost 55 pounds herself!  It was truly unexpected and completely appreciated, what a wonderful surprise to start the day with!

 

 

 

Breaking Even

Okay, so I didn't skip my weigh-in this morning, I was brave. Nothing lost, nothing gained, thank goodness. I guess this will remind me that I need to make sure that the good days will always balance the bad days even when I am done with the overall loss. For now, I plan to continue on the current journey of far more good days though!

I ran for 25 minutes again on Saturday. The three day break between runs seemed to make a difference in my ability to do 25 minutes straight. I won't be able to run again until Tuesday, which is a two day break. However, I did work out on the glider Sunday so hopefully the recovery time is still sufficient as I would like to do 25 minutes again. We will see.

 

I made my 100th post on the weekend.  That is also an accomplishment as I usually start a "diary", write for a few weeks, and then stop writing.  I am really glad that I have kept this blog as a "diary" of my journey because it serves a a great reminder of what it has taken to make it this far.  Sorry if I have bored you along the way!

Healthy Homemade Potato Chips

Healthy potato chips?  Not possible you say?  I'm here to tell you that it is!!!  Ha ha!  I sound like an infomercial!

I purchased a microwave chip maker (called a Chipster from Epicure) just before Christmas but I haven't tried it out until now.  It's super easy to use but does take some time as you can only make about 15 chips at a time and you have to cook them for four minutes.  I tried some with Epicure Poutine Seasoning for Chips, then some with just sea salt, but my favorite were the ones I made without seasoning.  I grabbed some chip dip from the fridge and ate them with that.  That way I could enjoy the guilty calories of the dip with some not-so-guilty calories from the potato chips.

 



I also purchased a ceramic slicer as the potato does need to be thinly sliced and the slicer makes fabulously thin slices.  It's probably not a necessity though.

 

Since I'm already gushing about this Epicure product that I love, I will tell you about another Epicure product that I am completely in love with.  The Silicone Baking Mat.  It's a non-stick mat for lining baking sheets.  You don't have to add any grease or oil to it.  I even used it for chicken wings which didn't stick at all!!!  I like it so much that I just ordered a second one.

 

It appears that Epicure only ships to Canada, but there are similar products available at various kitchen gadget stores in the US.  Creative Kitchen (my favorite) sells a Paderno silicone baking mat and a Kyocera Ceramic Slicer that appears to be super similar to the Epicure one.  Amazon.com also sells similar products (chip maker and baking mats).  Amazon.ca sells a similar chip maker and slicer set.  They also have a wide variety of baking mats.  Any items that can make cooking easier and snacking less fattening are almost certain to make me happy!

Little Big Bread

I am thrilled with my discovery of Little Big Bread! It's made from Organic whole sprouted grains and contains no oil. It is a vegan product, which is not important to me personally but it is definitely a plus for some. Two slices contain 110 calories and only a 1/2 gram of fat!* Best of all, I actually enjoy the taste. It is the only bread I have seen earn an "A" on Calorie Count. There may be others but this is the first for me.

Now hubby is not happy with the $4.67 price tag it carried at Walmart (Canada), but I'm very happy with the product. It is sold in Canada at many stores and in quite a few US states (click here to search for a location near you). I will certainly be checking the price out at other stores because I plan to make it a regular item on my shopping list (sorry hubby but I do the grocery shopping).

*The nutritional information on the package indicates 2 slices = 43 grams, upon weighing several two-slice servings, the actual weight is 48 grams.  The adjusted nutritional information is below.

Reflecting on this Journey

Sorry I have been absent for a bit, I haven't had much to say.  I am super close to my goal, just 1.4 pounds away, but I haven't been well behaved this week though so I am aiming for February 11th.

Since I am so close to my goal I have been considering making my blog public to my friends.  It is already "public" I know, but I have told no one, except my fellow Calorie Counters, about its existence.  As a result of this consideration I have gone back to re-read the entire journey.

Incredibly boring, YES, but I don't think I have realized that it was an incredibly emotional journey also.  I definitely see much sadness in my earlier (and not actually very long ago) posts.  While more recently they certainly have a more positive tone.  I actually forgot that I included some sort of exercise almost every day at the beginning.  Not a lot, so if you are just starting to read now then remember that even just a little bit helps, but I did lose weight previously with almost no exercise.  Exercise really did help elevate my mood this time though.

Sharing my blog is deeply personal and I hope that if I choose to that I will not come to regret it.  This really has been a journey, and I am nowhere near done yet.