Shedding the Baby Weight, 2 years later

Weekly Weigh In ~~ Month 1

Mary — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:47:13 +0000

Well its officially been 4 weeks since I’ve started this journey. I’m down 3.2 pounds for the week for a total of (drumroll please. . . .) 12.6 pounds!! I’m super excited for a big loss this week and admittedly a little surprised. I managed to stay strict with my eating during the week but had a few treats this weekend. Friday night I had 2 pieces of pepperoni pizza (and a big salad) for dinner at a Halloween party. Saturday I had a little popcorn at Disney on Ice (the buttery, movie theater, bad for you kind). And yesterday I had 2 pieces of Halloween candy. I think the one thing that has helped keep my metabolism up in spite of the occasional treats is working out on the exercise bike. I’ve only missed 2 nights in 4 weeks (the 2 nights we were in Toledo) and its really paying off. I generally do 30 minutes a night and usually get up to 7 miles and 200 calories burned (Sean says its really more than that because they base the numbers off a normal sized person and I’m definitely not ‘normal’). I’ve been known to do over 30 minutes to meet the miles/calories but generally if its cutting it close I speed up at the end . Still feeling like the momentum is strong and excited to enter month 2 which will contain challenges such as not eating the Halloween candy my kiddos collected last night and of course Turkey Day and the kick off of the holiday season.

Weekly Weigh In

Mary — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:17:43 +0000

Another solid week, lost 2.4 pounds for a grand total of 9.4 pounds in 3 weeks. I am especially excited because so far I haven’t hit the ‘this really sucks and I want to quit and gorge’ wall that hit me at week 3 last time. Trying to stay strong and keep the momentum going. I”m proud to have a sizeable loss this week considering that I went to Toledo this weekend. Trips up North with my family usually mean homemade breakfasts by my Dad, lots of going out to eat, and yummy treats like MacQueens caramel apples and donuts. I did some indulging, mainly in the form of my absolute favorite Everything Bagel with cream cheese and turkey at Barry’s Bagels. But I skipped the donuts and caramel apples, ordered a club sandwich no mayo and soup instead of a patty melt and fries at Dinos Diner, had a grilled chicken salad for dinner at Bar Louie, and by a stroke of luck my Dad was out of white bread and pancake mix so breakfast was scrambled eggs and pumpernickel toast. Eggs aren’t my favorite so toast it was, much more sensible than pancakes drowning in delicious Mrs. Butterworths syrup. Onwards to Week 4!

Surviving Take Out at Work

Mary — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:25:30 +0000

Since I’ve started back on the wagon I’ve been really good about packing my lunch and avoiding take out. Before I was eating out 3-4 days a week mostly subway (it’s in the same parking lot), but also Chipotle, Panda Express, Wendys, and pizza. Today we actually had time to sit down for lunch and I really wanted Panda Express, my absolute favorite. I contemplated and hopped online to check out my choices and come up with a good compromise. Instead of my usual chow mein with orange chicken (a whopping 1200 calories and 52 grams of fat, no wonder I’m overweight) I ordered half white rice half steamed veggies with mushroom chicken and black pepper chicken. Even though everything was off the ‘wok smart’ menu, my meal still had 760 calories and 33 grams of fat. I opted to only eat half, leaving me with a semi healthy and super delicious meal. Plus I have leftovers for tomorrow!

Sure the golden delicious deep fried orange chicken tastes better but my ‘wok smart’ options cured the craving and will help me get into my skinny jeans. Weekly weigh in tomorrow and I’m cautiously optimistic!!

Weekly Weigh In

Mary — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:31:28 +0000

Week 2, Officially down 2.4 pounds for the week for a grand total of 7 pounds. Still going strong with the exercise bike. I have worked my way from resistance level 1-2 at the beginning to 35 minutes at level 4 tonight which is a definite improvement. Also not feeling like I’m going to die by the end which is progress. Doing well on the eating part (aside from a mid week dinner out at PF Changs tonight but my Dad was in town so it was a special treat). I did skip afternoon and evening snacks to compensate. Heading into week 3 with a positive attitude, from past experience week 3 and 4 is when it gets hard b/c the water weight is now gone and its time to work on the ‘real’ stuff.

I’ve also started a competition with my buddy Michele as we both need motivation, me to lose weight and her to kick start her 1/2 Marathon training for a race in January. Loving having some buddies to share the journey with, definite accountability! Ok, off to bed, working on getting there earlier these days to accommodate my new crazy work schedule.

New feature: recipes

Mary — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:16:06 +0000

Thought I’d keep a log of some of the new recipes I come up with along the way. Tonight I was inspired to make some White Chicken Chili after hearing my friend Angie talk about it last week. It’s healthy, full of protein and fiber (thanks to the beans), and down right delicious. Even my red meat loving hubby ate 2 bowls (although he said ‘real’ chili is better). I read several recipes online, taking the best parts of them all. So without further adieu, heres my version:

I chopped one medium onion and sauteed it with a dash of red pepper flakes in a little canola oil.

While the onions are cooking I rinsed and drained 3 cans of white beans (I had 2 cans great northern and 1 black eyed peas but you can use whatever you like). I mashed about 1/3 of the beans and left the rest whole.

When onions soft I added 1 lg container low sodium chicken broth, the beans, 2 4 ounce cans mild green chiles (if you like heat I’d sub one can for diced jalapenos, I kept it mild as I was trying to please the 4 year old crowd), and spices (salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and a little Italian seasoning).

Once that started to simmer I added a few cups of precooked shredded chicken from the freezer (simmer bone in chicken breasts in water/salt/pepper on stove 1-2 hours, cool, de-bone/skin, shred, use/freeze).

I simmered the whole thing about an hour and voila. I served garnished with a little cheese and sour cream (a LITTLE people, it’s a diet not a fast) which took the dish from a 7 to a 9. I served with some corn bread and even my littlest food critics ate it up (and yes I use snowman bowls year round, don’t call the fashion police)!

Still going strong with the diet and exercise, official weigh in Tuesday!!

Long Time No Post. . .Back on the Wagon

Mary — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:20:35 +0000

Yes, yes, its been nearly a year. I wish I could say that I continued the weight loss and I’m now a skinny sexy momma, but unfortunately that’s not the case. I fell off the wagon big time and am sad to say that I gained back every pound that I lost plus 5 more. I am really angry at myself for this as I was doing so well and worked hard to lose what I did. As of last week I am officially back on the wagon and determined to do it this time. My big motivation are my precious 2 4 year olds. They deserve to have a Mama that can keep up with them and participate in all of their activities. This summer we spent a day at Cedar Point (a super fun amusement park for you non locals) and had a blast. However, I was barely fitting into many of the rides, and was embarrassed more than once when the 15 year old ride operators had to help me buckle the seat belts b/c they were very very tight. I recently went on Cedar Points website and read that guests over 200 pounds may not be able to fit on certain rides. As the twins get bigger and can ride and do more stuff I want to be there with them experiencing it all. I want to be sitting next to them as they experience their first ‘big’ rollercoaster. I want to be able to run outside and kick a soccer ball with them without getting winded. I don’t want them to be embarrassed by their Mom when she has to squeeze into a too tight restaurant booth. And for myself I really really want to get back into those skinny jeans and feel good about my body for a change. Long story short I am finally fed up enough and ready to do something about it. I started officially last Monday and have been on track (officially losing 5 pounds in week 1) so I feel comfortable posting about it here. I can’t promise I’ll be a regular blogger but I’m going to try because its nice accountability (you know to my 2 readers) and its motivational to look back when I’m tempted to gorge.

My strategy, eat less and exercise more, simple enough, right. I have learned from my past dieting successes and failures that I need a concrete plan so that I don’t cheat and fall off the wagon. As far as exercise, I have committed to 30 minutes a day every day. We went out and bought an exercise bike and strategically placed it in front of the tv. Luckily the fall season has started and I’ve discovered Primetime on Demand so we are covered there. I also have WiiFit and Biggest Loser waiting in the wings for when I get bored of the bike. As far as food, I have a very concrete schedule. Breakfast: a protein bar. I know I know, processed food, sugar, blah blah blah. But its hard enough getting myself and 2 4 year olds out of the house on time in the morning for work/school and its much healthier than the poptart/toaster strudel I was eating. I have chosen toast/peanut butter as an alternative for the weekends. Lunch: Now that I’m working 4 days a week I am focusing on saving time and money by bringing in my lunch for the week on Monday. The last 2 weeks its been turkey sandwich on a wheat roll, pretzels and hummus, and an apples. Its boring but effective, and gets me through the sometimes crazy work week. Still trying to figure out the weekends as we are out and about and generally eating in a restaurant, which is a dangerous minefield. Last weekend we did a picnic at the Zoo which saved on calories and money. Afternoon snack: A Luna bar or handful of nuts. I need something with some protein to get me through the afternoon especially when I work until 8 at night, this by far is my hardest time of day, and one that I am still working on. I did find that if I ate a piece of cheese with lunch the afternoon cravings weren’t as bad so I may stick with that strategy for awhile. Dinner: a typical dinner including protein, veggie, and bread/pasta or fruit. Focusing on whole grains for the carb and right now meals that I can cook ahead and Sean can reheat (see working 4 days a week). We are also committing to not eating out during the week (fast food included). Evening snack: 100 calorie bag of popcorn. Its tasty, filling, satisfying, and whole grain.

So there you have it, my resolve and my plan which I’m sure will need tweaking along the way. Typing that out I think I need to add another veggie in there somewhere, probably at lunchtime. Stay tuned, this time I AM going to do it, and I WILL be under 200 pounds by roller coaster season next year!

Weekly Weigh In

Mary — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:10:02 +0000

Well despite a not so stellar week I managed a 3 pound weight loss yay! I was off to a good start this week but after 1 Biggest Loser Challenge and 1 33 minute workout I came down with a terrible cold. The congested, can’t breathe, can’t talk, need NyQuil for days on end type of cold. I am slowly getting better but still not 100% and therefore missed 2 workouts this week. The upside to having a cold is I can’t smell or taste anything so its been really easy to stay on the diet wagon. And going to bed at 9 p.m. means no late night snacking, probably why my weight is down this week (in spite of a little bit of movie theater popcorn last night and a burger from Five Guys). Hoping that I’m up to working out by Tuesday as with Thanksgiving coming up this week I’m gonna need a way to burn a few extra calories. Trying really hard to stay on the wagon!!

Popcorn

Mary — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 20:11:44 +0000

Just trying to keep posting to keep my motivation up, so far so good this week, I’ve completed 2 biggest loser workouts (in spite of having a cold, was a bit relieved that today was yoga vs. cardio, easier to do with a stuffed up nose) and stayed within my calorie budget. I did find a new product this week that makes me feel like I am getting a treat without being too awful, Olivio buttery spray which is a butter substitute made from olive oil. On the whole I am not a big fan of butter substitutes (aka margarine), aside from the controversial health stuff it just doesn’t taste very good and if I’m going to indulge I’d rather have butter. That said adding 2 tablespoons of melted butter (100 calories per tablespoon) to the 100 calorie pack of microwave popcorn doesn’t seem like the brightest idea when counting calories. But I just love that greasy popcorn feel and taste and have been missing it with just the boring popcorn bag. Enter in Olivio which has about 70 calories per tablespoon. But in their marketing genius they put it in a spray bottle and it takes a whopping 70 sprays to equal a tablespoon. I achieve that greasy butter popcorn feeling in about 10 sprays (15 if I am feeling naughty) which is roughly 7-10 calories, so I can feel like I’m being bad without really being bad. This stuff tastes pretty similar to butter (and is WAY tastier than the I can’t believe its not butter brand) and has made my precious dieting bedtime snack even better, its the little things in life.

Weekly Weigh In

Mary — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 14:16:43 +0000

Well this week was off to a great start and I managed a respectable 2 pound weight loss. I completed all 3 of my scheduled Biggest Loser workouts and stayed within my calorie budget during the week. Livi has become a great workout partner, she asks every day if we can exercise with Bob and completes almost the whole routine with me (although her form needs a little work). The weekend was a different story, there was a birthday party with cupcakes (I only had one, but still), a dinner out with the parents involving a margarita, a Cracker Barrel breakfast (love me some eggs in a basket and cheesy hashbrowns, bad bad) and greasy LaRosas pizza at the zoo. I didn’t totally go off the deep end though and managed to eat a salad for dinner Sunday night at Bob Evans, and went to bed hungry last night because I was out of calories and feeling guility about the hashbrowns. I actually headed into the weekend with a 3 pound weight loss so am a little relieved that all that bad food only accounted for 1 pound back on. I need to work on strategies for eating out and parties as with the upcoming holiday season there will be lots of both.

And in other news I have a new reason to want to lose weight. I debated about going public with this as we are in the very early stages but I gained so much support the first go around with infertility that I’ve decided to be open about the process again. Sometime in 2011 (probably mid to late in the year) Sean and I have decided to move forward with a frozen embryo transfer in an attempt to have another baby. We are in the money saving process now as we both decided that it would not be fair to Drew and Livi to go into debt and finance the treatment like we did the first go around. And what does this have to do with weight loss you ask? Well I do not want to be at this weight and get pregnant, both from a physical and emotional place. Physically there is more of a chance that there would be pregnancy complications if I’m overweight and having skirted the pre-eclampsia issue once I want to do everything I can to avoid it again. Emotionally I don’t know if I could recover from adding 30-50 pounds of pregnancy weight on top of the weight I am now so its best to get back to a good place before we start the process.

So there you have it, onwards to week two!

Operation Back on Track

Mary — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:43:26 +0000

Yes its been a long long time, and yes I’ve completely fallen off the wagon, it was a slippery slope, first no exercising, then eating in moderation without calorie counting, and then indulging in a few desserts, to now full out gorging and eating with reckless abandon. So I’m starting over (well not completely over because somehow I managed not to gain back ALL the weight I lost) and getting back on track. I know what works for me now its just a matter of doing it. So I restarted my Biggest Loser workouts and am restarting the calorie counting. Most importantly though I am restarting the blogging because the accountability factor is HUGE for me and even if no one is reading (which I’m sure no one is at this point) just knowing that I could be ‘found out’ is enough for me. And yes I know that the holidays are coming and that it is a treacherous minefield for the attempting to lose weight crowd (and I seriously debated waiting until January to start again) but I’ve got to do something because if I end up weighing more than when I started I’m afraid my self esteem will plunge even further and I won’t be able to dig myself out.

So there you have it, today is officially day 1 of Operation Back on Track!