NSV #10 – I feel like myself again

Lately I’ve been feeling so happy, so content, so proud. It’s all due to my weight loss and finally feeling like I’m me again. I was discussing this with BFF and DRMK this weekend, and I realized that this is the first time in over 5 years that I’ve weighed this little. (Not that I weigh a little, but you know what I mean, this is my lightest weight in 5 years).

Not only do I feel and look better, but I have more pep in my step. More energy, more va-va-va-voom, if you will. I love how I move around in the world now. Plus, lots of people are noticing the weight loss because it’s finally becoming more dramatic, especially for those who haven’t seen me in 4-6 months.

I know I have quite a ways to go, but if I feel this good at this point, I can only imagine how great I’ll feel when I get to my goal, 100 pounds from now.

Read Full Post »

Get on the scale and get serious

I haven’t really been weighing myself recently because I wasn’t following the program very strictly as of late. Making stops at the grocery store for Ben & Jerry’s is certainly not on the SBD program, I’m sure.

But that was just a minor setback for me. Yesterday was a great eating day, and I feel good about myself. (I’ll write more about what I made for dinner later).

I weighed today, and while I’ve gained 3.4 lbs since the last time I weighed in, this isn’t too bad considering the other night’s indulgence.

I am now back on track and ready to get serious.

Read Full Post »

Feeling Good

After last night, I was determined to get up this morning and start my New Me project of working out and eating right.

I woke up late — 8:30 — but since there’s not schedule for me to follow right now, that wasn’t a big deal. I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and got changed into workout clothes.

I headed to the gym with a bottle of water and a fully charged iPod. When I got there I was really surprised to see so many people. I figured that most people would be at work, since it was close to 9:30, but I guess quite a few people have the whole week off.

Still, I was able to get my favorite elliptical machine, so I climbed up and started the “weightloss program.” I love this preset program because it has a variable mode that keeps me interested. The first set of 4 minutes is a lower incline, so I use the arm “pumpers” (not sure what you call those things), then the next set of 4 minutes is a higher incline and resistance (10 incline, 7 resistance), so I go backwards and don’t use the arm things. This alternates every 4 minutes until 28 minutes is done. Then comes the “cool down” mode, when I go backwards slowly, drinking water to truly cool down. Before I know it, 33 minutes is up, and I’m feeling great about myself.

Right after the gym I went to Safeway to stock up on some food and other things that had run low. $121.27 later, I had everything I need for the week, and then some. I bought some One a Day Women’s Weightloss multivitamins, Benefiber plus Calcium (I’ve found out the hard way, no pun intended, that I need this added fiber to help keep things running smoothly, again, no pun intended). I also found some SBD meal replacement bars. They were expensive — $2.39 each — but I know they’re going to come in handy on most mornings when I’m running late and don’t have time to eat a proper breakfast before leaving for work. They had the SBD frozen dinners on sale for 5 for $11, so I got some of those, as well as some yogurt. I also bought some fruit and veggies, Jenny-O Italian turkey sausage, and a roasted chicken. I bought a few other things, but I don’t want to bore you with my entire shopping list. I’m all set, I think, for the week. I may need to stop and get a few things from Trader Joe’s but that will be later in the week.

I feel so good about working out, and I want to continue to feel this way, so I’m determined to keep this up. I’m going to try to go almost every morning during this break, just to give my weight loss a jumpstart. Once school gets back in session, I’ll only be able to go on “A days, ” which is every other day. Still, not bad, especially if I go to yoga a few nights a week.

Things are looking much brighter than they did last night, and for that I’m so happy.

Read Full Post »

Weigh In Day

Today I weighed in, and I’ve lost 7.7 lbs this first week! This is more than I’ve ever lost on any diet in one week, and I’m really proud of myself for sticking to it.

The toughest thing for me has been the breakfasts. I used to have an English muffin with peanut butter, a banana, and a yogurt almost every morning. It was a great way to start the day. Well, except for those nasty carbs, I guess. This week I ate egg muffins (mini quiche without the crust), and they weren’t terrible, but I didn’t look forward to eating them. I have loved drinking the V-8 each morning, and since it has loads of potassium, I’ve got to make sure to have plenty of it on hand. Two of the days I just couldn’t think about eating any more eggs, so I had two portions of string cheese. It didn’t hold me as well, but I liked the way it tasted better. I do think it led to some digestion problems that I had later in the week, though. So, the new goal for this upcoming week is to find some other options for breakfast. BeachGirly mentioned Jenny-O sausage links — that might be a good option. To be honest, I can’t wait until I can have oatmeal for breakfast in Phase 2. I love oatmeal, and it seems like a better way for me to start my day.

Lunches and dinners have been a breeze. I’ve been careful to buy and prepare it ahead of time so there would be no excuse to get fast food or make some other unhealthy choice. I had fun buying the food and thinking of ways to make it, although I will say that I most of the dinners were fairly boring in preparation. I didn’t use a ton of spices or other fun ingredients that might’ve added a bit of pep to the dish. Again, something to work on for this next week.

All in all, I’ve really enjoyed SBD. I don’t think it’s expensive — in fact, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than the Dream Dinners I was doing before this. Veggies and “good for you foods” are more expensive than junk food, to be sure, but I think if you make them economically, it doesn’t have to break the bank. Plus, this is A LOT cheaper than Jenny Craig, and I like that it’s real food.

I am looking forward to Phase 2 when I’ll be able to incorporate more fruits and some whole grains back into my diet. Oh, and the occasional glass of wine. In fact, I was going to see if BeachGirly and CCLuv wanted to go to the wine bar not far from our houses to celebrate being in Phase 2 sometime the week after next. We’ll see.

I’m glad I made the decision to go on SB. It seems to be really working well for me, and I feel like it’s a program I can live with. No counting points, just eating the right combination of low glycemic foods and being mindful of the amount of carbs/sugars.

Read Full Post »