Weight watchers

So, I jumped in the deep end finally.  I joined weight watchers online. I know I will not be one to follow up with weekly meetings and public weigh ins.... I'm hard enough on myself, I don't need the public eye watching.  So I track what I eat and check before I eat EVERYTHING. I have to trust myself because if I don't then what the hell am I paying for??

It has been three weeks and I have dropped 10 pounds. TEN FRIGGIN POUNDS!!!!!!! I have tried the eat healthy way, the fad diet, the starve myself diet, the smoothie diet, the I don't even care anymore diet, the see food diet and NOTHING has worked like this.

I love the points program and the fact that I can eat ANYTHING I want. I had a snickers and I still lost 3 pounds that week! I had a three scoop cup of ice cream my first week and I lost 5.6 pounds that week! I mean COME ON!!!!!! Who wouldn't do this???? I paid for the three months and lemmie tell you it has already paid off in three weeks. Ten pounds and losing. And I feel phenomenal.

Day 32: Yes, I have lost weight!

I stumbled across this article today about Crystal Renn.  She is a size 12 supermodel who started out like the rest of them, too skinny unhealthy and told they're perfect by societies standards.

She changed that real fast. Turned herself into what is beautiful by realities standards...(click here for the article)

This article was called "Yes, I have lost weight" and it goes through a multitude of photos from the beginning of her career all the way to where she is today.  It was very interesting the way they spun the "I have lost weight."  She didn't literally lose weight, she lost the concept of weight.  Something we all should do!  What I have said all along, the number on the scale is BULL SHIT!  Are you healthy? That's what's important!  I started all this not because of the number I saw on the scale, I hardly EVER step on the scale.... I started this because I had no energy, I felt frumpy, I had issues sleeping.....
I had already drastically cut back on my alcohol intake, quit smoking, started taking vitamins and was using exercise and my Yogi tea as a way to relieve stress... but I guess I also turned to eating WHATEVER I wanted.
That is not the way to be either.  So I changed my mindset.  My little sister had posted yesterday a quote:

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."

                          -Norman Vincent Peale


That is exactly what I have been doing and it has been working!  I feel healthy now, mind, body, and soul.  Life is great.  And it's not because of anything anyone said or did.  I didn't get a promotion, I actually got shipped to a very chaotic store which is very stressful.  I didn't win the lottery. Nothing spectacular happened in my life. I just started being grateful to be me. I look in the mirror and I like what I see because of me. I did this, and to feel good about myself BECAUSE of myself is the best feeling.  You should try it.
They say in the past people thought that mirrors had the ability to show you your soul..... so what does that say when you see something ugly looking back? Change your thoughts, and change your world. 








Anywho... life in the new house is still a mishmash so I haven't had time to cook any new spectacular meals.... I have eggs and spinach every morning.  Next weeks vacation, I WILL be back on track!




Catch ya later alligator!
LB

Past 5 days!

So I have fallen off the face of the earth since March 31st.  What a BUSY past 5 days!  I'll catch you up..... Saturday my boss let me out of work a little bit early.  I came home, put on bum my clothes, and immediately started packing up things.  First all the food and such, then onto the dishes and cupboards, then the bathroom, some of the bedrooms, etc.... Chris came home with more boxes and newspapers for packing.  We were both nonstop until about 7:30.  We decided to pack up his truck and bring the boxes to the new house.  It takes so much less time to unpack a truck then it does to load one up!
By then we were done and starvinggggggg!  We grabbed some sandwiches and called it a night.
Sunday we had tickets to the Harlem Globetrotters at the Dunk for 2pm so we didn't really have all that much time in the morning.   We went to Stop and Shop and picked up some more empty boxes and met a verrrry interesting character.  I'm going to have to side note here with how this encounter went........... Skip if you get offended easy.

Chris and I walked in the back door and there was a truck driver standing in the back room.  He didn't say anything to us until Chris asked him if he needed assistance.  At that point the truck driver told us we shouldn't be walking in the back door but a quick "it's ok we work here" was enough to quiet him. He then left and we didn't think twice about him.
We get outside with our empty boxes and the truck driver walks over to us again and says he noticed the Harley Davidson sticker on Chris's truck and says Chris should be out riding on such beautiful day.  Chris goes into the story of his bike getting stolen etc etc etc.  Truck driver then goes into a story about how he had a bike stolen from him a ways back and he found out who the guy was.  The guy was in a 'club' so I guess he was bragging within earshot about stealing this guys bike.  Truck driver then says he sees the guy one night piss drunk and beats the.... out of him and brags to us, two people he JUST MET, about how the guy will never walk again.
And it doesn't stop here....... he then goes into story about how one day he was riding his bike with a date on the back and some young girl was tailing him all the way down 195.  He says this girl was 10 feet behind him regardless of his speed. So he lets her pass, then he jumps on her ass.... She takes the Wareham exit and so does and he passes her and waits... she stops to get gas and he jumps out and..... the story got very graffic here with him telling us he is very adept in martial arts and knows that he broke both her occipital lobes and every time she looks in a mirror she'll remember what happened when she tailed a biker.
ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!?????????? WTF!? We JUST met this guy and he's telling us this all because Chris has a Harley sticker on his truck.....  You can say I jumped in the car and closed the door before he even finished the story.  He then says if eh had a gun he would have pulled it out and shot her straight through her head....... I mean, WHAT THE HELL KIND OF PEOPLE IS HE!?  Mentally insane if you ask me!

End of side note........

So we then leave and go to Cardi's to buy a new bed frame.  I thought I was gonna get a new bed out of the deal but a bed frame will have to do for now.

The Harem Globetrotters were pretty entertaining. And we were out of there by 4:30.  That gave us enough time to swig by Sears and pick up our gas stove. So we got that and dropped it off at the new house, last night at old house!

Monday, wake up early, pick up UHaul at 9am and ready set go! Pack pack  pack, move move move, unpack unpack unpack, drive drive drive, pack pack pack, move move move, drive drive drive, unpack unpack, unpack..... that cycle went on until about 4:30.  Then we discovered an issue with the hot water heater so I had to shower at the old house when we went and did our final pack and grabbed the dogs.

First night in the new house was, m i s e r a b l e.  Fan was too loud, heat was too hot, road was way too loud, window too bright, Chris snoring, too hot, Toby had a seizure, cleaned up puke, piss, and crap.  Moved to spare bedroom upstairs, heard noises, imagination went wild, couldn't sleep til 4am, rooster! 5:30am, loud loUD LOUD road, back downstairs, more snoring, more heat, fan back on.... aw screw up I'm getting up.  Needless to say I was running on about an hour and a half of sleep yesterday.

But yesterday was better.  I bought black out curtains for the room, new cooler sheets and a cotton bed blanket, went grocery shopping so no more scrounging, Hoo Mee Chow Mein for dinner. Chris came home from work, we watched a movie, I put my ear plugs in and............ ahhhh morning. I slept straight through the night!

Now I'm waiting for the Dish Network guy to figure out how to get us reception out here in the middle of nowhere..... better him then me!


Well, notice I didn't really talk about food because I did not really eat that great.  Hard to do so when you let your cupboards run empty and have to live off of whatever you can find. :X

I'll get back on track ASAP.

Until then.....
LB

24,25,26....

Uneventful couple of days, I went to the gym on Wednesday after work and ran the elliptical at intervals for 45 minutes.  Came home to a subway veggie lovers sub on wheat bread.  

Thursday was just one of those days that started off bad and just got worse and worse.  I should had known my bangs were trying to tell me to go back to bed when they wouldn't cooperate...

Chris and I went out to eat Thursday.  The cupboards are so bare and I really didn't want to rummage through them to find something.  I cheated. I had shrimp scampi mac n cheese.... lucky for me I only ate 1/4 of the portion, mainly the shrimp because when I got home and looked up the nutrition facts oh.my.GOD.  NEVER DO THAT!  If you're going to go out to dinner do not look up the facts!  Now I have ingested a mediocre dish that was no where close to mac n cheese... it wasn't even worth it!  I knew I should have stuck with the herbed salmon with asparagus, broccoli, and tomato.

Oh well!

Friday...... Working tonight and I'm not hungry AT ALL.  Cup of tea in the morning.  I woke up feeling icky, sore throat, head ache, so I'm taking it easy today.  I'll probably just have salad tonight.

Moving this weekend so plenty of exercise to be had then!

Bom Dia.

LB

Day 23. Body wrap! and creamy cilantro chicken

I went in for my body wrap today.... I walked into the spa and told them I had an appointment, they had it scheduled on the wrong day so they couldn't find me.  So then there was a scramble and mad dash to set up the room for me.  I chilled out in the relaxation room sipping on some lemon water while watching the staff run back and forth with the supplies for my wrap.  Then it was time.... the woman tells me to strip down and put on the disposable undergarments and she leaves to let me do so.... Now I don't know about you but I have never seen disposable under ware before, it took me about a minute to even figure out which way it went HOPING I put in on correctly.  In comes the esthetician.
First she prepares my skin with some lotion and then wipes it off with exfoliating gloves.  Then I had to stand so she could wrap me.  I must say it was a bit awkward but hey, why not?  The wrap was like an over sized soaked ace bandage.  She explained to me that it is presoaked in algae from Antarctica along with some other minerals from the arctic.  She wrapped my legs, butt, abdomen, and upper arms.  Then I laid on the heated bed and she wrapped me up like a cocoon.  First with the aluminum wrap then a blanket, then another blanket, and another, and another.  I was like a pig in a blanket!  I had to remain in my cocoon for 20 minutes during which I got a scalp massage... I think I fell asleep during this it was so relaxing.
20 minutes later it's time to unwrap.  She cut the wrap off of me and then rubbed me down with some cream that's supposed to restructure my skins surface and reactivate the elastin and whatever else my skin is made of.
All in all it was a nice little trip but I didn't see any major difference.  I took my measurements before hand and afterwards they were exactly the same.  That's probably why she told me I should schedule 5 more treatments t see any major results... no thanks, I'll pass.  I love the spa and I love getting pampered so the relaxation and treatment was a good take away.

I came home and did my ab moves. There's this one move where you lay on your back with your legs up in the air and your arms spread on the floor (like a T).  Then you revolve your legs to the left just about an inch above the ground and you rotate them back towards the ceiling then you rotate right.  THIS MOVE IS HARD! Last time I did it my abs were a little sore so I know it's doing something!  Hopefully it gets easier over time.
Dinner was hard to think up.  We're about to move so I don't want to go out and buy anymore groceries so I turned to my good friend supercook.com.  This website is awesome.  You put in what you have for groceries and it gives you recipes that match it.  It also gives you recipes that have almost all your ingredients and tells you what you're missing.
Tonight I discovered creamy cilantro chicken.  Check it out:

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 serrano peppers, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions

1. In a blender or large food processor, combine the garlic, serrano peppers, ginger, cilantro, lime zest, soy sauce, sugar and coconut milk. Process until smooth.
2. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag, and pour the liquid from the blender in with it. Seal, and refrigerate for about 1 hour, turning once after 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven's broiler. Place the chicken onto a broiling pan, and pour the marinade into a saucepan.
4. Broil the chicken for about 10 minutes on each side, until browned and the juices run clear. While the chicken is cooking, bring the marinade to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
5. Place chicken onto a serving plate, and pour the sauce over it to serve.

I decided to put it over pasta. It's really good!  I'm just not very familiar with broiling so this was a learning experience.

Here it is:

197 calories and 13 grams of fat. Yummy!  Off to search for some new stuff to try!


Catch ya later!
LB

day 22. Body wrap tomorrow!!

So it's almost like my Noom has read my mind.  I had no sooner set up my appointment at Tranquil Waters for my slimming body wrap that Noom gave me my four goals for the day.... Walk, log lunch, read an article and...... measure my waist.  I was going to take all my measurements before I went in for this body wrap anyways!
Now, you may be wondering why I would go in for a body wrap....  Think back to sophomore year in high school Anatomy.  What is the bodies largest organ????  The skin!  So I am going to do detoxify my body starting with my largest organ.  I have already done the internal cleanse with Jillian Michaels 14 day jump start.  Now it's time to suck out all the toxins my body is holding through my skin.  Also most body wraps promise to help you lose as little as 2 to as many as 10 inches after a body wrap session.  I was reading up on these body wraps yesterday because my first thought was it is all going to be water weight and bloat inches, but tranquil waters claims the only way to put the inches back on is by gaining weight.  Hey, the best way to find out what this is all about is by getting one myself!  Stay tuned for the results.... I'm choosing my torso, arms, and legs for the wrap.

Pretty exciting personal milestone was hit today so my love came home to spend some time with me before he went back into work.  We had breakfast courtesy of his culinary skills and now it's time to take the pooches for a walk!

Don't forget to stretch!

Alright, ready to go!

P.S. I went and indulged in a little retail therapy yesterday and it's pretty awesome to buy pants in a smaller size that I'm used to!  I didn't buy too many because this is just the start!  Tons of other really cute stuff though.... I Love New Your and Company.....

I'll be back tomorrow to either rave or rant about my wrap!

:) LB

day 21. Week 3 begins....

Ok.  Let's do this. Gym Tuesday, Thursday.  Walking Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. I need to see some major change this week! Last week was wasted on maintaining.... I don't want status quo I want change!
I'm adding an ab workout I found on pinterest.

Check 'em out.


New fav spring/summer drink: Raspberry seltzer water with lime juice and a little splenda..... So refreshing and has just the tang I'm looking for :) Talk about a yummy no cal drink.

I think I'm going to get a body wrap Tuesday.


That's all I got to say bout that.
LB.

Day 20. Little Side Note!

So the whole point to this 60 day thing is to change the way I live.  To think healthy and to be healthy.  I have started making very healthy choices as opposed to the unhealthy alternative.  Last night at work I chose tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella for dinner.  I didn't even desire anything else.  I had about one quarter my mozzarella and just ate the rest of my tomatoes.  I love tomatoes. Campanelli tomatoes to be exact.  Right between Tomato on the Vine and cherry tomato size.  Perfect.  I chowed down on a whole container and you know what, I don't feel guilty!  I actually walked past a strawberry shortcake (if you remember my LOVE for those) and thought to myself "Hm, I have my tomatoes upstairs, I'm good." And it was only until I was enjoying my tomatoes that I realized, IT WORKED!  I have accomplished my goal of changing a portion of my lifestyle and making better food choices if definitely a BIG part.  The worst part of what I actually ate was the mozzarella and even that wasn't bad. We need dairy in our lives.  Unless we all remember to take our calcium and vitamin D in la mañana then yes, cheese and dairy is ok to cut out. But like the majority of us who remember to take their vitamins half way through their morning commute, actually eating dairy is OK! Just don't splurge.
Now weight, weight is a completely different story.  Since I started this twenty days ago my weigh has dropped and gone up and dropped and gone up and DROPPED and gone up.  I can't rely on the number I see on the scale and nor should anyone! It's just a number, just like age!  You're only as young as you feel?  Well, you're only as healthy as you feel too!  Inches are my new best friend because I'm telling you, I went from the third notch on my size large belt to needing to buy a smaller belt...... and that's JUST three weeks worth of trying. I am now down to a medium sized belt.... Noooot baaaad....

Next judge is me looking in the mirror.  I am SO pleased! My belly has slimmed down and my butt has firmed up. I can say for the first time in about three years am happy to see me in a mirror, or in a picture, or in the reflection off a window.  My boyfriend is wonderful and has from the very start always said I look beautiful so I have never felt pressure to look a certain way.  I just knew I was unhappy where I was.
Marilyn Monroe has always been a role model of mine. (All you haters can just exit now)  She spoke to her true self and was never self conscious of being the size she was.  She WAS the perfect size! Well here goes the truth:

Marilyn Monroe, one of any Americans lifetimes sexiest figures, was 5'5" and a size...........TWELVE!!!!! 12! She was what our society today calls............. PLUS size! Plus size is EVIL! Shun the nonbeliever shunnnnnnnnnnn!     And no one can argue, she was sexy as hell. Our dear ol' Norma Jean should have paved a path for healthy woman but society went and flipped its self upside down and backwards and turned the perfect woman into a size -0 with her hair and teeth falling out.

Well guess what, I'm not fooled! I was a size 12 and now I'm a size 10 and I would be friggin thrilled to eat whatever those size -0 chicks have left on their plates. I LOVE LEFTOVERS!

ALWAYS remember when you go to put on your jeans in the morning.....

Hell yea to women who KNOW how to be sexy...  As for you little skinny minnys just remember the number one important thing, look in the mirror and ask yourselves "How long would I survive at the end of the world?"  

:)

Us thick chicks have the muscle, the fat (yes, a little fat is good!), and the brains to figure out a route and a plan; Skinny chicks will be dead after 30 days (they're already used to starving) 

Survival isn't about being skinny. It's about being healthy.

I would  choose team Marilyn over team scrawny bitch ANYDAY!

Go team Marilyn! I love you!

LB

Day 19. Salmon Burgers

This morning can be described as plain old chaos.  Toby decided that while out for his morning pee he would jump through the fence and go exploring.  After discovering this I started the search.  Piggy, me, and an empty leash.  We walked all around the neighborhood, up, down, around, around, around again, and up, and down... Toby was no where.  If you have ever lost a dog you know what my emotional state was. :,(  I called the town animal shelter. I drove around and around and around.  I left a note on the door in case anyone brought him home... He has tags with his name, address, and our phone number.  Nobody called.  People like him when they meet him so I thought for sure he was scooped up and had a new home.  Two hours had gone by already.  There's only so many places he could have gone and I checked them all.
Don't worry he found his way home eventually. And as much as I wanted to rip his face off I couldn't even be mad because I was so relieved that he was home and safe. GOD I don't know how you people with children do it! I can't even tolerate not knowing where my dog is for 3 hours.

Look at that goofy bastard.  Who wouldn't love a face like that?

Good thing is I got my morning workout in and I was up early so I had plenty of time to prep dinner.  Fish Friday, what to eat?  I had to work at 2 so it had to be something I could eat now and Chris could have later.......  Google, gotta love that search engine.  Led me straight to salmon burgers with lime mayonnaise

ingredients

• 1
  pound fresh salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3/4
  cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 2
  green onions, thinly sliced
• 2
  tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 2
  teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1
  clove garlic, minced
• 2
  eggs, lightly beaten
• 2
  tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1
  tablespoon lemon juice
• 2
  tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1
  recipe Lime Mayonnaise
• Sandwich buns and leaf lettuce 
  
  
  Rinse salmon and pat dry; cut into 1-inch chunks. Place salmon in food processor; cover. Pulse 7 times to coarsely grind (do not overprocess); set aside. In bowl combine panko, green onions, cilantro, ginger, garlic, eggs, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Stir in salmon.
  
  

  Line a tray with parchment paper or foil. Divide salmon into four (2/3-cup) mounds on the tray. Shape into 1-inch-thick patties. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (mixture will be easier to handle after chilling).

  
  Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add salmon patties. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through (160 degrees F). Serve with Lime Mayonnaise on buns with lettuce.

  
  

  Lime Mayonaisse ingredients
  

  • 1/4
    cup mayonnaise
  • 2
    tablespoons red onion, minced
  • 2
    teaspoons lime juice

  directions
  

  In a bowl stir together mayonnaise, red onion, and lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  
  

  nutrition facts 

  (Salmon Burgers with Lime Mayonnaise)
• Servings Per Recipe 4,
 
• Calories 437,
 
• Protein (gm) 29,
 
• Carbohydrate (gm) 12,
 
• Fat, total (gm) 30,
 
• Cholesterol (mg) 173,
 
• Saturated fat (gm) 5,
 
• Monosaturated fat (gm) 10,
 
• Polyunsaturated fat (gm) 7,
 
• Dietary Fiber, total (gm) 1,
 
• Sugar, total (gm) 2,
 
• Vitamin A (IU) 437,
 
• Vitamin C (mg) 12,
 
• Thiamin (mg) 0,
 
• Riboflavin (mg) 0,
 
• Niacin (mg) 10,
 
• Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 1,
• Folate (µg) 52,
 
• Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 4,
 
• Sodium (mg) 544,
 
• Potassium (mg) 507,
 
• Calcium (DV %) 50,
 
• Iron (DV %) 1,
 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

This is the recipe I found.... the worst part of it is the mayonnaise, switch that to miracle whip, or cut it out all together and you're subtracting 90 calories and 10g fat, plus loads of cholesterol. Cut out the bun and there goes another 150 calories and 3g fat.  Grill the burger instead of 'fry' in oil and you got yourself a pretty decently healthy meal. 

In the meantime I grabbed a veggie sushi roll.... nothing but lettuce, carrots, rice wrap, and shrimp.  Good stuff and good for you!  I wasn't sure if my burger would be ready but I ended up having JUST enough time to cook one up and devour it walking out the door, it was GOOD.  I think Salmon is the new hamburg!


Unfortunately I am off to work.  Hopefully it will be less stressful than my morning...............

LB