Wedded Bliss!

OMG OMG OMG my wedding ring fits! I haven't been able to get it over my knuckles for several years......I think my diet and not having swollen joints from not eating gluten/grains made this possible. I tried it on on a whim.....just in time for Rob to come home. Keep in mind I am retaining water right now so my fingers are swollen. Tears of JOY

Current Progress Pictures...

4 Weeks! 9" and 17# lost!....excuse the dirty mirror LOL!
Face Before

Face Progress:
Progress Picture Front (don't have a before for the front)
Rear Before:
Rear Progress
Side Before
Side Progress

Yummy Italian Dressing Recipe

Mix together:

1 teaspoon red bell pepper, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 packet Splenda
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch ground oregano

Mix (in a jar, cruet or with a whisk) with:

1/4 cup vinegar (I like garlic red wine vinegar)
3 tablespoons water

Then add:

1/2 cup oil and mix well.

Losing the weight!

I weighed in at 230.6 the day Rob left! I have already dropped my BMI 2 points from a 39 to a 37! It feels great! My goal is about a 25, I think if I hit 150 then I will see how I feel/look at that point and perhaps keep that as my goal if not then tweak when I get there. But I have a long long ways to go, that's my 'ultimate'. 150 would be on the borderline of a 'healthy' BMI for me. But I don't know if that's okay. Although I was at 165 when I got married 7 years ago and still had some to lose. We shall see. My short term goal for when Rob comes home (April 20th) is to lose about 20-25# from the day he left so be at 205-210# which would put me at about 34.1-34.9 for my BMI

Tilapia Dinner

So today was an ultimate test of my diet. My friend Debra went to McDonalds for lunch, she got an extra fry for everyone to share at work....normally I would have dove right in and probably would have eaten the whole thing but instead I just sat there with the fries right in front of me and enjoyed my healthy lunch. She is trying to gain weight....wouldn't that be nice to have THAT problem? She's been sick lately.

Breakfast:

1 Egg w/1 T Heavy Cream in Micro

3/4 cup of Rice Chex Cereal Plain (worked out great as I am a 'car' muncher), I MUST have something to munch on in the car.

Lunch:

3 & 1/2 oz Chicken

2 cups lettuce

2 T low carb ranch dressing

1/2 granny smith apple

1 cup of Broccolli

Dinner:
1 Tilapia Fillet grilled with a mix of seasonings
1 cup of steamed broccoli
1 small orange
2 cups of lettuce with about 2 T of Sharp Cheese

Yummy Dinner

So I Learned something new today...Thanks MIKA!  That when they are asking for serving sizes, such as broccoli you want the 'cooked' size not the frozen size....so I am allowed 1 cup of broccoli, so it's the 'cooked' amount should equal 1 cup....which is good to know as it shrinks down quite a bit!
Dinner:: 2 cups lettuce, hard to see but 3 & 1/2 oz of cooked/grilled chicken in the salad, with 2 T low carb Blue Cheese dressing.
1 cup of Broccoli
1 Small Orange

Weight Loss Menu

So here goes nothing!  I have done my 3 days of 'protein' and now am onto the Weight Loss Menu portion of my diet.
Breakfast 1 Protein
Lunch 1 Protein, 2 cups lettuce, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable
Dinner 1 Protein, 2 Cups Lettuce, 1 fruit, 1 vegetable
Snacks: 100 calorie protein snacks

Getting Back on Track

So to get back on track I am 're-doing' my 3 'initial' protein days so for today and the next 3 days I will be eating pretty much nothing but protein as often as needed, to get my body back into weight loss mode (since I cheated and ate Chinese on friday night).

Breakfast - 4 eggs fried in EVOO
Snack -2 cheese sticks
Lunch -Hamburger meat with season salt worchester sauce, pepper, garlic & onion.....and sharp cheese on top!

Snack: 3 turkey roll ups (97% fat free turkey) w/low fat veggie cream cheese on it)

1/2 cup Sugar Free Strawberry Banana Jello

Stay tuned....more to come.

Fresh Start

Wow have I been absent from my blog the past year or so.....no wonder when I stepped on the scale earlier last week I about had a heart attack.  I'm going back to what I know works.....Low carb!  I lost 65# + in 2004 and I know I can do it again.  I think my blog helps keep me accountable, which is why I didn't really post on it so much lately as I haven't really been accountable for much of anything.....weight....exercise....keeping a clean house etc.  My honey had to go out of town for a business trip/training, he won't be back for 4 weeks.  Which means I have 4 weeks to get my butt in gear, and get in a routine with my diet, exercise, house cleaning etc.....I'm hoping that I surprise him with a 10# weight loss by the time he gets back, I'd be happier with more, but want to keep it safe.  Also want to surprise him with a clean house, and an fitter/leaner/exercised wife.  We shall see how it happens.  Right now I am planning on following the Lean for Life diet, as well as Gluten Free.  I have discovered that I am sensitive to gluten, more so than I had previously thought, but when I eat it, I bloat up, gas up and just generally have an uncomfortable belly.  Also I think Potatoes affect me as well as we had a baked potato last night for dinner and blech I feel so bloated today.  ARGH!  So here goes nothing!  Wish me luck!

Yep, I'm still alive!

Goodness, it has been a while since I last posted.  I thought of just wiping everything and starting over, but I have some pretty awesome posts and motivational things on this blog, so I decided that I will just start over, but keep the posts!  My life has changed quite a bit this last year, I lost my 'full' time job and had to find a new one (owner retired and closed his location) I do like my new job, and it's still working with animals.  I dabbled in selling Park Lane Jewelry for a while, but because of my introverted personality and anxiety issues, I decided it wasn't for me at this time.  I am still battling the battle of the bulge and I would love NOTHING more than to get rid of it.  I am sick of splitting my scrub pants because of my thunder thighs, sick of being a chunky monkey, sick of being out of shape, sick of not having any energy....so 2012 it is!  I am going to watch what I eat portion wise, and try to drink more water than I normally do....I am a Diet Coke addict!  I drink AT LEAST a 2 liter per day...and would like to exchange that for water.  My goal by the end of 2012, is to lost at least 50#, which is about 1# a week, which isn't 'out of range' if I focus right.

My husband just recently had a couple of surgeries and the Dr really lectured him on his weight as well so we are definitely both going to be on this journey.  Stay tuned for updates, have to go finish 'FLYing' as we have company coming over tomorrow.  Have a great night!

My starting weight 233.4#  My 'goal' is 150# (we will see how I feel/look when I get there), but for now I am working to about 175#  I haven't been under 200# in a LONG LONG time (about 6 or 7 years for longer than about 2 days lol), so I am super psyched for this goal and I KNOW I can do it!