Phase 2 - Day 12

Wohoo! After only 19 days, I've lost 9.8 lbs which pretty much takes care of the 10lbs I had gained through December and January. Gee, if I'd known that it would take such a short amount of time, I should have started earlier. And the true kicker that I'm choosing not to focus on, but it did cross my mind, is that if I hadn't gained back the 10 lbs to begin with, I'd be even closer to my goal. Oh well, I wasn't losing it in the healthiest way toward the end of last year anyway. I feel better equipped now to continue on and go all the way. Yesterday I ate out at both lunch and dinner. I didn't choose the healthiest of foods, but I did choose based on caloric content. I've noticed in a big way that when you choose the healthier foods, you can have a lot more food than when you choose the not so healthy foods. I was concerned that I'd get the munchies because it wasn't a lot of food, but I was kept too busy running errands, etc. to get the munchies. Today, I've already worked out, so I'm going to get some other things done, like clean out the fridge so there's room for all that healthy food! :o) I've noticed that I'm actually spending less by eating healthy. I always hear reports that people don't choose to buy the healthy food because it's so much more expensive. For the last 2 weeks, I've been $50 under budget each week. I've decided that, yes, the healthy food is more expensive, but if you make a menu and a list and everyone is eating the proper portions of the food, you're not buying as much food and in the end spend less. Hope that made sense. :o) Ok, I'm done chitter-chatting (as my 7yo says). Until tomorrow!

Phase 2 - Day 11

Wow, time can sure fly by! Ok, I really need to make a concerted effort to keep this updated. A new goal for myself. :o) About halfway through phase 2. I'm still sticking to it with no cheating and for the most part no cravings and I no longer feel ravenously hungry. I really like Curves improved eating plan as I can be as lazy or creative as I want. Easiest: I choose a meal that's already in the menus in the book. Easier: I choose exchanges from the list for that meal. Easy: I choose my own foods according to the carb/cal/pro/fat amounts and try to stay as close as possible. It's all very easy cheesy and once you figure out a meal and write it down, it's there to use later. I've been weighed and measured weekly and have gone up a tad in my waist and abs which we believe is due to bloating since I've lost weight. We'll see if it goes back down next week and if not, I may add some more ab work. On the other hand in 2 weeks, I've lost 0.9% body fat. Yippee!!! Better get the kiddos out the door.

Phase 2 - Day 5

Oopsie! My SIL reminded me that I haven't been blogging. So here's today report. I've been good. I went out to eat for lunch and researched before deciding where to eat. I cannot say enough kudos about Red Robin...their website allows you to customize a meal and find out the nutritional info of your choices. I ended up having a garden burger w/american cheese on a lettuce bun with a side of apple slices for a total of 387 calories! Yippee!!! Eat at Red Robin!!!! :o) Off to visit and then to bed!

Phase 2 - Day 2

Mellow day. I worked out in the morning and then in the afternoon had a 90 minute massage. The rest of the day was spent working on puzzles. I did miss one snack in there. Other than that, right on track. :o) Until tomorrow!

Phase 2 - Day 1

Today was a lazy day. The kiddos and I played the "new" games and started a couple of puzzles. They watched some movies and went to the park. I took B to get her hair done and she decided after learning the price (since she was buying) to also have her hair colored. She decided on high and low-lights and they look great! She's growing up so fast!!!! In a month she'll be 13, I still think I'm too young to have a teenager...right? :o) Stuck to the plan, almost didn't drink enough water, but managed to make it! Bonus for today was that my splurges last night didn't cost me anything on the scale today. I was exactly the same as yesterday. :o) Until tomorrow!

Phase 1 - Day 7

I'm posting this a day late...sorry! My last day of phase 1 consisted of working out, then coming home and trying to decide what to wear out with HHT. In this process, I realized that I'd want to do my hair and then I realized that my bangs were resembling a sheepdog and at that moment, I decided to get a haircut. I had time after all. When I walked in there was really no one in line and it was a color sale month, so what the heck, let's get it colored. I really like it, but it was shocking (and still is whenever I pass by a mirror). I feel like I must have had a Marilyn Monroe moment...it's platinum, baby! HHT LOVED it! He said he felt like he was out with another woman. I won't think about that too much and just enjoy the fact that "I" was the other woman. LOL We saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was a touching, heartfelt movie. We both really enjoyed it. Then he took my to a Thai place called Tigers Garden in downtown Vanc. We ordered the appetizer sampler and I tried tofu (not really my thing) and had one each of an egg roll, wonton, and chicken satay. That was my splurge and after perusing the menu, I decided on the Garlic Shrimp w/steamed veggies. After we finished, we went to Goodwill (all dressed up, it was fun!) and picked up some new puzzles and board games to play with the kids the next day. We were then going to a nice hotel bar, but it was packed and he told me that he had purchased some sugar-free drink mixes earlier, so I suggested we go back home, tell B that she was still babysitting and not let the other 3 know we were home. Note to self: this plan is only good in theory. Kids have a parent radar that is near-impossible to fly under. Anyway, we did sit in our room and play a new game while enjoying a sugar-free mixed beverage. After tucking the kiddos in, we overtook the movie room and watched A Private Function which was an 80s Brit-Com. That was our evening. It was fun and I was really proud that I indulged moderately and made good choices!

Phase 1 - Day 6

Tonight was a tough one for me. Not too tough, but I really had to fight the justification voice shouting at me in my head. For those who are unaware, we have a potluck dinner at our house every Friday night before church. Anyway, lots of yummy food, but I stuck to the plan and only ate what was allowed. I didn't even take a small bite of a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Heck, I didn't even take a bite of fruit as it wasn't on the menu for me (but don't think Little Miss Justification (LMJ) was quiet about that one...she has reasons galore for why we could justify eating fruit LOL)! I cut it up and put it away and I'll be able to enjoy some tomorrow when I've alotted for it. Speaking of tomorrow...my last day on Phase 1 (well, this round anyway)! Yep, it is also Valentine's Day. Fortunately, my HHT is super supportive and has looked over the menu of wherever he's taking me and believes appropriate food can be chosen. LMJ was screaming that we've been so good, haven't budged from the plan at all, we deserve a night off. Now, she's not completely wrong, but as with most justifications, she's not completely right, either. Not knowing where we're going and not being able to do extensive nutritional research on the restaurant, I'm pretty sure I may go over on calories tomorrow, but I don't have to blow it. I will definitely go with veggies and salads instead of fries or mashed potatoes. I will portion my meat. I will make good choices and allow myself the freedom to do so without worrying if I'm going over my calorie limit. Now, I'm off to get my beauty sleep! :o) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Phase 1 - Day 5

Still going strong! I am amazed at how much better one can feel with just healthy eating. Even though my calories are pretty restricted this week, I'm able to function even better than I have for the last couple months, well, once I got over the hump that is. Even my workout this morning was different. I usually need to eat something before or I feel like I will pass out by the end, but today I kept going strong even though I hadn't eaten anything. It could be that I worked out earlier than usual, too. Anywhoo, I really need to get some laundry folded as we're having church here again tomorrow after 3 weeks off due to vacation and illness. It's amazing how messy a room can get if you don't stay on top of it. :o)

Phase 1 - Day 4

WooHoo! Over half way done with phase 1! It was even easier today as I was a lot less hungry feeling. HHT came home and spent some time with S and me during lunch (he had a late meeting tonight, and he's so wonderful that he will come home for a while during the day if he can on those late meeting nights, and I could probably write another whole blog on the wonderful merits of my HHT, so you get the picture...I'm pretty much hopelessly in love...anyway, back to the story)and we went for a mile walk, which wore out S and HHT and I were able to actually have a conversation with no interruptions (those with kids know that this is a rare treat LOL). Now that I'm through withdrawals and my brain is functioning at a greater capacity, I revamped the chore chart which wasn't working for us and came up with something a little different. Today was it's 1st run through and so far so good. I'm sitting here typing and the kids' bedrooms are clean, the toy room is clean and the kitchen is clean. A huge improvement and it makes my life a little less chaotic. Now I can move onto the living room! Tomorrow's plan is to workout 1st thing in the morning. YUCK! Not the working out, just the early morning. But, I suppose I should just get it over with and get on with the day. :o) Until tomorrow!

Phase 1 - Day 3

A little better today. Still hungry, but much more tolerable. I weighed and measured this morning and during the 30 days of the plan, I will be weighing and measuring every week. It wasn't pretty as I had gained some from the last time I weighed and measured in November, but I am still down from where I was a year ago, so like I said it was 2 steps forward and one step back. I haven't failed if I don't give up. :o) Ok, I'm off to bed as I had a chiropractic appointment today and my muscles are a little stiff in rebellion. I am able to sleep in tomorrow due to a late start so I am going to bed and read for a while. Until tomorrow!

Phase 1 - Day 1 & 2

Yep, I was supposed to post yesterday, but I chose to spend some quality time with HHT. I stuck to it, it helped to have my menu for the day pre-planned. Curves' new book is super easy to follow, so while I'm struggling with only 1200 calories a day, it's only for 7 days and there is really no brain needed so, yeah. Anyway, I'm really sleepy, and have gone to the bathroom enough for I think 10 people. But, 2 days down and only 5 to go. This plan is so easy, that I was even able to eat out for dinner tonight. I don't feel deprived as the meals I'm eating are quite tasty, but I do feel HUNGRY!!!! Watch out for the hungry blonde! Did I mention that I'm tired? I'm re-reading this and noticing that I'm barely coherent, so I'm going to cut this short and get the kiddos to bed so that I, too, can get to bed. Summary: 2 days of sticking to phase 1 with no cheating. Go me!

New Year, New Goals...

Ok, time to re-evaluate. I had a great time with HHT on our week vacation which took place exactly 1 year from last year's vacation/start of my 80 in 08 journey. I took the time to take stock of what did and didn't work. I went gungho at the beginning and then tapered off at the end. I'm hoping to make this year more of an endurance race rather than a sprint. So, I have put on some weight, but I'm most definitely not back to where I began. I'm looking at it as a 2 step forward, 1 step back kind of thing. I'm excited about the new nutrition class beginning at Curves. It's basically the same food plan I was following last year except that you only "diet" for 30 days and then take a 2-4 week break and start up again for another 30 days. I think it will be slower progress, but at this point I'll take any progress! :o) I realized that I've spent a year harping on the fact that the number on the scale is just a number and then went and based my reward system on that number. Duh, talk about setting myself up! Anywho, that was another part of my new goals for this year.

New goal recap:

Beginning on Sunday Feb. 8th will be 7 days of phase 1 followed by 23 days of phase 2.
I will walk or do some other form of aerobic exercise 6 days a week and continue to go to Curves 3 days a week.
I will begin blogging on a more consistent basis again (I know you all have missed me! LOL).
My reward system is as follows:
1 point each for breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks.
1 point for 64oz of water drank
1 point for exercise.
7 points a day possible.
Every 10 points is $1 earned for me to do with as I want (I have my eye on a ring I want) Bonus points awarded for weight loss and for having a perfect week.

That's it! Unless something spectacular happens between now and Sunday, you can expect to hear from me then!