What's cooking...

So, I was watching Steve Harvey the other day, and he had a guest on that had written a book about the "green diet" or something.  Basically, cutting out meat and being vegetarian.  There were 3 tiers... you could do Tier 1, basically having one meal without any meats, or Tier 2, having 2 meals without meats, or Tier 3, eating only vegetables or grains the whole day.  You are suppose to do the tier of your choice for I believe (don't quote me) it said 11 days... then maybe gobble a cheeseburger or steak... and start over again for 11 more days.  Totally doable. I pretty much am going to be a Tier 2, because I really don't eat breakfast anyway (I know, I know, mistake number one because breakfast gets your metabolism going right?) and I have lunch on my own, so it would be way easier to have a veggie lunch when I don't have to cook for 3 kids that would not appreciate the deliciousness of a good veggie meal.  So I thought I would share my meal plan this week... other than my lunches, which will be a variety of squash, green beans, and whatever I find, probably cooked and put over polenta.

Friday night... we are going for fried chicken salad.  The chicken I use is just the Tyson breaded chicken tenders, which I cook in the oven, and chop up over a bed of greens.
Saturday... this week we are lucky enough to have been invited to join my parents out for some Hideaway Pizza after my middle daughters basketball game!
Sunday... going for breakfast for dinner... scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, and of course, bacon.
Monday... my favorite, eggplant parmigiana and vermicelli.  I usually make my eggplant homemade, but I have some frozen trays purchased from Trader Joes that I am going to try out this time.
Tuesday... It's actually McTeacher night, which means it's a restaurant fundraiser night at, you guessed it, McDonalds... yippee.
Wednesday.... chili
Thursday... bean and chili burritos and taquitos
Friday... Muenster chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

So for a lot of my week, I could actually make it a Tier 3 diet, for me at least.  I could leave off the chicken on my salad, veggie pizza, no bacon on breakfast night, salad from McDonalds, chili... well, that just has beef... but I could just make a bean burrito without the leftover chili in it the following night... and well, I guess Friday, I have to have the chicken because well, it's just Muenster without the chicken... (this is a super good recipe... chicken baked with mushrooms and chicken broth and muenster cheese melted on top...)

Also I read in a fitness devotional, that if you don't like to exercise... uh me <--- ...="" 5="" add="" after="" again="" all="" and="" arm="" br="" can="" day="" doable="" each="" first="" flaps="" for="" get...="" help="" like="" month...="" my="" need="" next="" of="" on="" one="" over="" push="" pushups="" simple="" something="" start="" the="" then="" there="" they="" tightening="" to="" totally="" up="" with="">

Priorities

I need to prioritize my life.  I have always looked at it like, what is it that I have to give up to get something I want more.  That's my problem.  I want to be healthy, but I want butter brickle ice cream more.  I want to read my bible, but I want to sleep more.  I want to exercise, but I want to relax and do nothing more.  Doing what's right versus doing what feels good in the moment.  I guess if I look back at my last 40 years, I can say in all honesty, I like to do what feels good in the moment.  This is going to be a good challenge, changing my entire mindset, doing something I have never made a habit of doing.  Prioritizing what is right for me, and not giving in to the temptations that are lurking. I have never looked at things as a choice of what is better in the long run, I have always looked at the immediate here and now, instant gratification... that's me.  And that has got to change...

Mark 14:38  Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation.  The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak.

1 Corinthians 10:13 God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.

Purpose

Well, I am finally back to where I was before I had my 5 pound gain. I am cool with the gain, I know I was not paying as much attention to what I was consuming, made some bad choices, and enjoyed every minute. But hey, guess what, I am back on track, making some good choices, paying attention to what I am consuming, AND enjoying every minute. Do you pray? I pray a lot.. I say little prayers all day long sometimes. The other night, I was saying my prayers, and asking God to really give me the strength to stick to getting to my goal weight. God talked back. He told me He had a plan, that when I reached the weight that I needed to be, I would be lead to do something really special. He didn't say what it was. I suppose because what is the point of telling me something awesome, if I never get there to experience or fulfill it. In any case, this has been some motivation to me. Now I have a real purpose to doing what I am doing. Let me tell you, I am currently a stay at home mom. I feel blessed and lucky to be able to spend so much time with my kids. However, I am going crazy. I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom. I have tried to occupy any free time by cleaning, scrapbooking, blogging, shopping... I enjoy it, but it's not me. I can't wait until I reach this goal weight, just so I can set out on the mission God has for me. I know it is going to be something time consuming, I feel like He has hinted around at that. But I can't wait to have more to do than be a stay at home mom. I hope that doesn't sound bad, because I love my kids and family more than ANYTHING, but I need more for me too. The last thing I want to mention is Joyce Meyer. I love watching her. She is funny and inspiring and has this gift to talk to people about God and what he can do. Lately she has been talking about the fruit of the Spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self control. (A great guide in what you should teach your own children, might I add) In any case, she was saying the key to the fruit is Self Control, and went on to tell how that ties in to all the other fruit... but what really talked to me, since I am so focused on my diet right now, was the way she talked about self control on what you are eating. She said, if you think about a hot fudge sundae, you tell yourself you want one, you think about it all day, you WILL end up getting one that night. You have to have control over your thoughts. If you are not hungry, don't let yourself think about food, control it. If you are use to eating at night time, go to bed, read, crochet, find something to do besides watch tv, it is too easy to munch and watch tv. I am a night snacker, and that is the hardest time for me not to over indulge. I have started going to bed and reading, and at 9:30, my girl Joyce comes on, and after that it's the news, then I go to bed. A new routine. Find a purpose, other than wanting to be healthy, find a purpose of what you can do once you lose your weight. I know at my weight now, there is no way I could run, 50 pounds down the road, I could probably do a 5k... or at least train for one. Find a purpose.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can

OK, so I must be real here... For the last three weeks, I have drank more than I should have, (not compulsively, c'mon now...haha I went to two weddings, a concert, and had a parents night out, which without kids all were opportunities to over indulge) I don't get out much at all. In fact, these last three weeks I have gotten to do more things, without kids, then I have all year. So, these last three weeks, I have not done so well with my decision making when it comes to food. (I also should add there was a trip to the Tulsa State Fair, which we all know involves fried food) My first week on hiatus, I gained less than a pound, my second week, I lost 2.2 pounds and my third week... drum roll please... I gained a whopping 5 pounds. So now that I am back in the 220's, a place where I said I would never go again, how do I feel? A little disappointed, but I kind of expected it, just not that much of a gain. However, I am still super motivated, and know that I will be back on track this week. I can start excercising again and tracking my food, and things will be fine. I am thinking, i will be down 10 pounds by Halloween... you just wait and see.

I got this...

It's been quite some time since I blogged about my weight journey. Let me tell you, I have been doing weight watchers for 10 weeks now... it works. I love it. It's different this time for me though. I have never tried weight watchers before, but I seriously felt like I was ready to lose weight, and I guess i wanted some guidance. I have two kids now, and we don't want more. I want my body back. I started at weight watchers weighing 238 pounds. Today, week 10, I weighed in at 217 pounds. That is 21 pounds... GONE. I guess I am lucky because I really do like vegetables. I am not so much a fruit eater, but I have no problem with veggies. I could easily make a meal out of eggplant, acorn squash, broccoli with lemon pepper... yum. Seriously, i am paying weight watchers to tell me what I already know. Eat healthier. For whatever reason, this point system works for me though. I guess because I have a limit, and before I just ate whatever I wanted, but now I know that I can eat whatever i want, but if I eat my points up at breakfast, then to stick with the plan, I am going to starve the rest of the day~ so I make a healthier choice. I am pumped, I joined a challange, lose 40 pounds by Christmas, and I am one pound more than halfway there! Its going great, and I highly recommend doing some sort of program to anyone wanting to lose weight, who has tried, again and again on their own, but can't stick to it. You need support, as silly as it sounds, you really do, and it is so much more motivation to succeed!!!

7 months later.....

NOTHING accomplished. I am still at the same weight, which at least I can say I have maintained. In June I was lucky enough to become a stay at home mom, I am only working one sometimes two days a week at the office. This opened up enough time that I also joined a gym, that of course had a daycare so I can bring my son. I am currently doing an hour long water aerobics class twice a week. Since I started this aerobics in June, I have not lost any weight, which is frustrating. I feel as though I am eating better because now my son is eating regular food instead of baby food. This motivates me to cook more healthy, yet it doesn't seem to help me any. Someone told me to have my thyroid checked, that may be my next step. I almost joined weight watchers the other day, but I convinced myself that I didn't need to pay to have someone tell me how to eat. I don't know why I keep talking myself out of weight watchers because it has worked well for quite a few people I know. And the saga continues......

2010 and we begin again!

I have a new approach... I am not going to overwhelm myself by saying "I am going to lose 59 pounds!" It's just to much and too big of a goal. But to break it down, I am going to try to lose 5 pounds a month... not unreasonable, that is like a pound and a half a week, or a little more, but TOTALLY reasonable. If I do that for 10 out of the 12 months, I have reached my undercover goal. Not to mention that gives 2 months to pick up any slack that I need to do if I don't lose 5 pounds one of the months. Here we go again!!!