ChubBeGone

          Joining the challenge so far….    

Sissy

Sherrie

“Saucywench”

Kristina

myself

These are the girls who are joining the Couch to 5 K challenge… No pressure guys! Just a little shout out and encouragement booster to all of us, trust me I NEED it! I was going to skip out on this last chance Saturday to get in a little jog/walk and I re-read all of your comments so Im going to suck it up and get out there! 25 minutes of my day, i think i can handle it!! I’m officially making a true start date and extending the ‘roll call’ for anyone else who wants to sign up..Week one will officially begin Monday May 5, Cinco de Mayo! So finish up that margarita and lace up your tennis shoes!!

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Ok, who’s with me?! A group of ladies from Asheville are joining together, beginning THIS week…to gradually work up a steady jog. This will be a 9 week program with the final day ending in a 5K challenge. I think it would be fun if some of us in the weightwatchen community to find out about 5K races in our own areas and join this challenge together. Let me know if you are interested and Ill help keep in touch with those who ’sign up’ and we can continue to motivate each other.

Challenge #2…my own personal struggle and challenge: The “No eating or drinking anything with calories after 8pm” Challenge!! Come on…I KNOW some of you wish to join this challenge as well! anyone, anyone?

Finally…I feel like i am making some progress! I am almost to the 10 pound mark which is my very first goal I didn’t realize it would take this long, but hey, I only have myself to blame for that and I really think everyone needs that first burst of progress to keep themselves going and for me this is IT. I must share a delicious snack for you italian and greek lovers out there:

1 slice double fiber bread toasted, 1 tablespoon bruschetta (mine is from Sam’s) and 1 tablespoon of feta cheese…for a total of drumroll please…..1.5 points!!

Ok so I was seriously just planning on making healthy dinners this week for my husband, daughter and I so tonight I made an asian-inspired meal of honey sesame chicken lettuce wraps, edamame, hot and sour soup and veggie spring rolls.  I thought Chris would be like “Oh yay.  This looks so ‘yummy’”  In his usual sarcastic way.  But to my surprise he went on and on about how it was one of the best…better than PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, etc.  yay!!  

So here is the easy secret….buy the Honey Sesame mix in the grocery store and mix according to directions but add 4-5 packets of splenda instead of the 1/4 cup sugar.  This was just a guess but it turned out great.  I used Iceberg lettuce for the wraps and it was the perfect compliment to the chicken since the chicken was a little more on the salty/seasoned side (the way i like it)    I bought Health is Wealth spring rolls…which are only 2 points for FOUR rolls.  Edamame is only about 1-2 points for 1/2 cup and the hot and sour soup is 1 or 2…i use egg whites in place of the egg.   Seriously, this was an easy and Yummy yummy meal!!!  

It is so beautiful here today!  The tulips have bloomed and the sun is out….my goal is to walk for at least 30 minutes around the neighborhood or lake today (which is drained for some reason) and make it to the Y for some weights.  Has anyone been watching Biggest Loser?  I can only watch it between American Idol, due to my husband’s addiction, but WOW have you seen this girl Ally?  99 pound loss, thats amazing! 

A special thanks to kristi who has helped me tremendously with setting up the ‘widgets’ for my blog.  Maybe the first time ever that a Razorback and a Longhorn can work together for the better of mankind :)  Below is my menu for the day:

Wednesday, April 9th 2008

Breakfast:  1 cup fiber one, 1 cup skim milk  5

Lunch:  turkey reuben with cheese, tomato, double fiber bread and mustard, celery and bell pepper and dip  5

Snack: Laughing cow light and celery  1

Dinner: Oven baked Parmesan chicken  shared with Adalyn (4.5), green beans, ½ sweet potato (1.5)  6

Weekly menu       Daily points target:  26

Monday

Breakfast: 1 cup fiber one cereal, ½ cup milk, 1 slice high fiber bread and butter:   4.5 points

Lunch:  6 piece chick fil A strips, fries, diet coke:  15.5

Dinner:  99% ffree ground turkey, spaghetti sauce, veggies, cheese, ½ high fiber toasted flatoutwrap:  7 Wine: 4                                                  31

Tuesday

Breakfast:  ½ fiberone bar, 1 slice ‘healthy hemp’ bread and 1 tsp light butter:  2.5

Lunch:  leftover ground turkey and veggies with sauce, high fiber tortilla cheese:  5.5

Snack:  cottage cheese  2

Dinner:  boca patty, 3, ½ lcow cheese, 0.5, spinach pancake 1.5    miscellaneous                                                                       23.5

Wednesday

Breakfast:  ½ cup cottage cheese, ½ fiberone bar  3Lunch:  turkey reuben with cheese, grape tomatoes, double fiber bread and mustard,  ~ 12 soy crisps 5.5

Snack: Laughing cow light and celery  1

Dinner:  salmon shared with Adalyn (4.5), green beans, ½ sweet potato (1.5)  6 misc: 10     26.5

Thursday

Breakfast  English muffin and butter  3

Lunch:  morning star corndog  3 spinach pancake 3 bites of adalyn’s chicken 1.5   7.5

Snack: celery and laughing cow light 1

Dinner:  Lean Cuisine   6  Dark chocolate  2    19

Friday

Breakfast:  toast and butter 2

Lunch:  spinach pancakes 3.5 wrap, pizza wrap  3.5  =7

Snack:  ½ cup fiber 1 cereal, ½ cup skim milk   2

Dinner:  ???

Well…its official, i seriously need to start losing some weight now!  Here is a link to the article in Asheville Citizen times about our team for Asheville’s Lighten Up 4 Life contest.   http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880330002

I will admit…I have been struggling with staying on track but the Zumba classes I have been taking are definitely helping, I think im addicted!  What a release after a long day of motherhood!  I began this weight loss journey (AGAIN) in January and have lost maaaaaybe 7 pounds, Im really ready to hit that 179 mark…anyone else stuck trying to lose those first 10 pounds?  I have been on a medication for the past 5 1/2 months to help with some anxiety, a little depression…and i feel ready to come of of it and use exercise and other hobbies or activities to keep up my motivation and positivity.  Does anyone on here have any experience at all with difficulty losing weight while on a medication or advice for coming OFF of a medication?  Im ready to be medication free and use only natural means to address any future anxiety or feelings of “Im out of control!”

Does anyone else feel this way?  You start out your week GREAT, sticking with your points and working out and then Friday hits…and it all goes out the window!  I get so aggravated with myself and wonder why the blogging and having a weight loss buddy is not enough motivation!!  Anyone else out there strugging with a plateau and motivation?

That should sum up the entire post.  ok, bye.  No seriously, where do I even start with my frustrations and disappointments?  I am supposed to journal my journey and inspire others not depress them!  This might be where the rest of you come in to share your similar frustrations..if you have them.  I joined that weight loss team for our town’s biggest loser contest and I’m finding out that I am not doing well with self discipline in eating out situations.  i mean seriously i am not.  I keep thinking it is not a big deal to eat this fried chicken breast with bernaise sauce and german potatoes  because it wont make a difference anyway, Im only in town for a little while and who knows when I can go to Wiedekehr’s again, yadda yadda…when I so so want to order the salad and small bowl of onion soup as my treat.  And acutally think of that little bowl of swiss onion soup as my treat and not the big ol chicken with the delicious buttery herby mayonaissey sauce as my ‘treat’.  Will someone please tell me their secret to success in this specific area of dining out.  How to dine out, be happy and enjoy the experience without bernaise sauce and bread, etc.

On a slightly more positive note I have done 2 days of 20 minutes on the treadmill while slightly inclined.  The sweat pouring from my head makes me feel like I ave done something!! There is that instant feeling of euphoria following a sweaty workout that reassures you, me, that we can keep it up if we take it day at a time instead of looking so far into the future of our little size 8, 10 or 12 size goal.  I’m trying so hard to think in small increments at this point…10 pound goals will be that for me and its enough to make you push for it  but not sooo much that you cannot see it in the near future.  BUT you can see 10 pound losses reoccurring within the following months…ultimately leading to your healthy goal weight.  So who is with me?  Lets do this.

English muffin with butter 2.5

1/2 boca chicken patty with pizza sauce 1.5

1 cup butternut squash soup 1

Leftover chicken cordon bleu 5

1/2 fiber one oats and chocolate bar (oh my gosh, this is SOO good!) 1

1 cup Campbell’s select tomato bisque 1

5 oz salmon 5

corn 1

2.5 glasses wine 5

Health smart chocolate frozen bar 0

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