Taking a little break....

Wow... so goals? Out the window... Diet? Same.... Sanity? Yup, that's gone too. 

This holiday season has just been dragging at me. So much stress. And you know what my comfort object is? Sugar. *Sigh* This is not, I repeat, NOT me quitting my diet. This is just me taking a small break, where I do not stress out about the number of carbs I'm eating, because frankly, I do not need another thing to think about right now. 

Please do not get me wrong. The diet I follow is not hard, at all. I just use more brain power making sure I make good choices. I do not have that brain power to spare right now. 

So. I will be back on the 1st. I will still keep my fat ass off the scale (Laura, I'm looking at you on this!) and will report back, refreshed and better than ever. I will have my exercise plan in hand, and I'll be back on my diet. I'm looking forward to 2015, guys, and I hope you are too!

As always, I thank my wonderfully supportive ladies for being the awesome people they are!

Let's just call this "Sadly failed Saturday," shall we?

Oh man, oh man!! Have I just really failed all my goals this week or what? I totally meant to post on Wednesday, but I had to take my mom shopping and that literally took ALL DAY. So I then meant to do it Thursday (my birthday), but I had to take my mom out again. That, too, took ALL DAY. I don't even know what happened to Friday. But I need to get my ass back on track (in more ways than one).

So, let's just cut to the chase, shall we? Because, frankly, I'm at a loss for this whole week, and I need to get my shit together and form a better plan. One that I can be more consistent with.

Blog: 2 times to get back into the swing of things. (Fail!)
Vlog: Film 3 videos, and post at least twice a week. (Fail! But in my defense, I usually do these on my days off... so I'm going to work on some tomorrow... but I only posted once last week.)
Book: *New Goal: Start a new book and get at least 6 chapters read. (Fail!! Will get on it this week)
Diet: No more cheating, back on track. Track with MFP at least 4 days this week. (I have decided to remove this from my goals. I will come up with something else though, for this area. What could I do instead?)
Fitness: Try to get 8000 steps a day, even on my off days. (Failed...again. I'm starting to think these goals are not good for me lol.)

Weight: Unknown. I started a new challenge, and can't weigh til the 1st of January. I'M DYING and it's only day 6. Ugh!

What are some goals that you work on? 

31 Days to Insanity

Image from this site

So... I might have mentioned before... I weigh myself every day. Sometimes twice or even three times a day. It's a sickness. I'm even aware of it. But it's something that I always feel compelled to do. It's been driving me crazy here lately. I usually do it to measure my progress, and see if I might need to change things. 

Here's the thing though... I have been in the 160's since July. I'm not really sure what's up with that, but I stalled out, and then it took forever for the scale to slowly move down... then up... then down... grrrr.... so frustrating! 

And the thing about the scale that's killing me? I think when I see that I've been stalled for a few days, I just get frustrated and cheat on my diet (i.e. I eat a massive amount of carbs). Then I gain a few pounds of water weight, and then I drop down again... and the cycle starts again. 

Why am I telling you this?? Because Laura, one of my bestest best friends, instigated a challenge this month. No scale. None. Hide it, get rid of it, loan it to a friend... but absolutely no weighing til January 1st. 

I'm seriously freaking the fuck out.

But I will do this. Why? Because I'm becoming way too obsessed with this number that is only one small definition of who I am. So. Here is my weight, and measurements, and then I'm done until the first of January. I can do this. That little machine has no power over me.

12/1/14
Weight: 167.2
Bust: 39
Waist: 32.5
Arms:10
Hips: 40.5
Thighs: Right- 20.25  Left- 20.25

Alright. So this is what I have going on right now. So far, since I started measuring, I have lost 22.25 inches off my total body. That's pretty freaking impressive. I never thought I would be at this point. Hell, I never thought I would try and stay with a diet this long. Figured I would be back to being fat and unhappy and trying to think up a New Year's Resolution I might stick with. Well, dammit, I stuck with this one. 

Now I'm going to hide my scale. Are you brave enough to do the same?

Weigh In Wednesday (Two Days Late)

Hey guys!

Hope everyone (that celebrates) had a fantastic Thanksgiving! I know I did! I love making plans.... because then I break them, and wonder why I tried in the first place... lol. But at least I kept it in mind! And honestly, I didn't do too bad. I had turkey and deviled eggs, stuffing (regular, just a little bit), roasted potatoes (just a little), real potato salad (mom made me feel bad, and I had a moment of weakness), and green bean casserole (not terrible carb-wise). All in all, I could have definitely made better choices, but you know what? I decided that it would only be one day, and I got right back on plan today. 

That is the amazing thing about knowing what you want to do with your goals... you can keep yourself in check just a bit better.

As for goals:

Blog: 2 times to get back into the swing of things. (I did this, but also missed my Wednesday update... but dang it, I wasn't home hardly at all that day.)
Vlog: Film 3 videos, and post at least twice a week. You can check out my YouTube channel here! (I did better! I actually filmed 5 videos, but lost one... figured out my mistake, so I won't do that again. I think I only posted 1 though. I know I can do better this week.)
Book: I really miss reading! I need to start a new book. (Not only did I get halfway through the book, I finished it!! I think I had it finished by Sunday actually! Jason and I had a rare day where we just sat and read in quiet. Loved it! *New Goal: Start a new book and get at least 6 chapters read.

 Diet: No more cheating, back on track. Track with MFP at least 4 days this week.(I have decided to remove this from my goals. As I said last week, I just don't keep up with it like I should. I will come up with something else though, for this area)
Fitness: Try to get 8000 steps a day, even on my off days. (Failed... On my days off, it's either been really way to cold to move around, or I've been extremely busy. I will try better this week.)

Wednesday Weigh-In: 165.8 

While I'm not happy at all with this weight, I am not truly at fault for this. First of all, it was before Thanksgiving, and I didn't cheat once. Second, I hurt my back really bad at work on Saturday, and had to take a steroid. It made my weight change within 2 days. Also made me sick as hell, so I quit taking it. I'm sure the weight will even out again soon. 

So, what with my one day of Thanksgiving madness out of the way, I'm hoping to be better behaved for the rest of the week. We will see what happens to my weight then.

Hope you all have a great week!

P.S. Guess what I found at my Dollar Tree?? So excited!

Really? So close already?

Image from ruthtobias.com (yes, I believe that is bacon on the turkey, and that is okay with me)

Is it just me... or did you know that the end of the year is like RIGHT THERE? Did it sneak up on anyone else, or am I the only oblivious person out here? 

Like, Thanksgiving is in 2 days..... did you just hear me? TWO DAYS!!! 

This is the time of year that we need to be extremely diligent with our diets. My plan? Well, since I'm following a low carb/high fat diet, I will enjoy the hell out of some turkey. Then I am making alternative side dishes so I can enjoy, like cauliflower faux-tatoes, some coconut flour pop-overs, cauliflower faux-tato salad, and SF cheesecake fluff. I will still be making all my fully carby stuff for the rest of the family to enjoy, but I will not give in to temptation. I don't want to be side tracked, and I sure as hell don't want to be fat anymore. So I will stick with it, and make it through. I learned my lesson at Easter (of course, I wasn't lchf then, but still).

So what are you going to do? What is your plan? If you go into the holidays with a plan, you stand a better chance of sticking with your goals. Just saying.... 

I Could Eat This Every Day

Oh my gosh! I could seriously eat this every day! What am I talking about? TACO SALAD of course! Why? This is a super versatile meal, that you can change at any time. You can make it with almost any meat, and you can keep several of the ingredients on hand (you probably already do!) How do I make mine?

The meat is usually seasoned hamburger, but I'll do chicken or pork if I have it on hand. Then I toss in lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, salsa and avocado. You could add onions, cilantro, peppers... the list is literally endless... you can do as much or as little as you want. I absolutely love this meal!

What about you? What could you eat every day?

Weigh In Wednesday

Hey there everyone! Can you believe that I'm actually sticking with the blog (so far lol). I'm excited! I love seeing myself stick with something, especially with what happened this weekend (more below). The holidays seem to be more and more stressful for me every year, and it doesn't help that my ex-husband has decided to pull some douchey shit with me, and it's got me just a basket full of crazy right now. 

So, I will stay accountable, I will stay connected, and I will get through this.

On to the goals!

Blog: 2 times to get back into the swing of things. (I did 3... if you count the Wednesday update. Super happy!)
Vlog: Film 3 videos, and post at least twice a week. Seems like Monday's and Thursdays are good days. You can check out my YouTube channel here! (Ugh... not so good here... didn't film or post anything this week! I started one video, and it just wasn't working out. I'm hoping next week will be better.)
Book: I really miss reading! I need to start a new book. (Started a book! How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying). It's the latest in a long running series by author Kerrelyn Sparks. I'm about 88 pages in.) *New Goal: Get half-way through my book by next Wednesday.
Diet: No more cheating, back on track. Track with MFP at least 4 days this week. (Failed.... I might actually take this off my goals, because I just find tracking sooo tedious. I know what I need to eat (and what I don't). I will debate on this, this week.
Fitness: Try to find some good core exercises that won't hurt the hell out of my back. I'm going to wait until after the first of the year to do anything very hard core... so I will stock pile, try things out, find out what works, and get ready for the 1st of Jan. (Still looking up lots of stuff. Some of it looks pretty hard, but I can progress up too it.) *New Goal: Try to get 8000 steps a day, even on my off days. 

Wednesday Weigh-In: 164 
I cheated this weekend.... like the whole freaking weekend. I need to stop doing this, because I'm just making it harder on myself. I had burgers with buns, fries, cookies, junk at work.... oh the humanity! 

But I'm back on track, and I hope to drop that number to one lower than last week. :) Here's hoping!

Hope you all have a great week!

Coffee or Tea? (Or both??)

Image from news.softpedia.com

There are so many people who prefer coffee over tea, and vice versa. But personally? I think they both have a place in your diet, hell, just in your life. Forget diet. If you want to see how awesome it is, you can check here, here, here, and here. So we know that tea and coffee is awesome. Which is my favorite? 

Actually, both. They both have their place in my life. In the morning, I love to have a cup of coffee before work. Gives me the boost of energy I need at 4 am (who wouldn't need a boost of energy at 4am? Seriously). And then I drink tea and water through out the rest of the day. Honestly, more tea than water... but tea is made from water, so.........

When I have my coffee, I drink it with heavy whipping cream and sugar free syrup. I wouldn't drink it if it actually tasted like coffee, eww gross. My tea, I drink iced with splenda in it. Please, I know what you might say... Splenda is bad, blah blah blah... no worse than that Diet Coke you are chugging... Sorry. 

So which do you prefer? How do you drink it? Hot, cold, or somewhere in between? Do you doctor it up with syrups and creams, or are you a purist when it comes to your drink?

What Happened to the Journey?

Hey guys... so I don't know if you have really noticed or not, but I haven't posted lately about my progress to Mordor with Frodo and Sam. There is a perfectly valid reason for this. First, I got a new phone, so I forgot to write down what my old one tracked (it had a pedometer in it). Second, the new phone died after a month, so that was a months worth of steps that I lost. Third, While I was waiting for a new phone, I used the old phone again, and now it has crashed, losing that week or so that it tracked. Fourth, I forget to sit down and write it down every day (this one is all me). 

So, I'm currently in a holding patteren. I haven't given up though. I am going to probably sit down and figure out what I can this weekend. But you know, with all though lost days, it's going to be inaccurate. Oh well... I'll do what I can!

Thanks!!

Weigh In Wednesday and More...

Hey guys! So, last week I set goals.... did I accomplish them? No... not really. UGH! But at least I set them, and I am aware of them... and I will be doing something to change that. I do have a few excuses (to make me not feel so bad lol).

So, here's my last weeks goals:
Blog: 2 times to get back into the swing of things. Maybe a recipe once a week? But I want to post on Wednesday's... Maybe a weigh in Wednesday like Desiree over at Finding the Skinny Geek Within? (So here it is, Wednesday... At least I got half my goal done.)
Vlog: Film 3 videos, and post at least twice a week. Seems like Monday's and Thursdays are good days. You can check out my YouTube channel here! (I started filming 2 different videos, but the final products were awful... and I just won't share those... because I want to share things people can actually make and eat. I didn't post anything either, because the other phone that I was using while my new one was in transit has crashed along with a few saved videos. So starting from scratch, again.)
Book: I really miss reading! I need to start a new book (I have several to choose from) (So... I started P.C. Cast's book Goddess of the Sea... but I was reading it on my old phone... which I just mentioned has crashed... so now I've lost all progress on that. I'll have to start again.)
Diet: No more cheating, back on track. Track with MFP at least 4 days this week (I only had one cheat, and it wasn't like I had a choice... I was at work (Kitchen) where we were making steak fingers, mashed potatoes and some disgusting veggy... So I ended up eating the steak fingers and a tiny bit of mashed potatoes... but luckily I kept the rest of my day good, so I didn't blow it. And as for tracking, I tracked 1 full day, and am tracking today... I need to do better with this.)
Fitness: Try to find some good core exercises that won't hurt the hell out of my back. I'm going to wait until after the first of the year to do anything very hard core... so I will stock pile, try things out, find out what works, and get ready for the 1st of Jan. (So I found a couple of good yoga tutorials and an awesome website that makes "fan-based" type work outs... I love it... I can't wait to get started after the first of the year.... Yes, I'm going to wait.)

So let's talk about Weigh In Wednesday... Last week I weighed in at 167. This week, I'm so excited, because I weighed in at 162.6!! I'm exactly 20 lbs down from when I started doing LCHF (low carb/high fat). It works faster for some... this took me 6 months... but who cares? It's fraking gone, and never coming back! 

Also, I'm only 1.4 lbs away from losing a grand total of 30 lbs since the first of the year!! I never actually thought I would make it this far...I figured I would start, but then when I got bored, or didn't get INSTANT results, I would give up like I always used to. But I stuck with it, and BAM!! How awesome! I couldn't have done it without all the friends I've made online this year!

Temptation, Thy Name Is.....

Bitch. Your name is BITCH. That's all I have to say to you. Ugh! Why, Temptation??? Why?! Why must you rear your ugly head, when all I want to do is be good, and be successful? But there you are... seductive, tantalizing, taunting... (shit, I could write a romance novel lol). 

So, as you may or may not know, Halloween was just a few days ago. And temptation (along with a severe dose of stress) kicked into high gear and whooped my ass. As it stands, I still have a massive quantity of Halloween candy at my house, but I only gave in the one day. I bought so much for trick-or-treaters... that didn't even show up. The nerve. But, what's a girl to do? First? Give in and have several pieces... because stress and temptation are two sides to an evil coin. But second? I gave a ton of it away to a coworker whose kids didn't get to do much trick-or-treating due to her youngest getting sick. Next? Push it on hubby... what?? He's not the one on a diet (no matter how much he should be). Also? Give to the kids (sparingly... don't want anyone throwing up). 

SO here's what I have decided to do. I really like what Karen over at Adipose Diet has been doing with weekly goals... it's simple, but each week, you can look back and see how you did. And you know, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (or something like that). So, without further ado!


Blog: 2 times to get back into the swing of things. Maybe a recipe once a week? But I want to post on Wednesday's... Maybe a weigh in Wednesday like Desiree over at Finding the Skinny Geek Within?
Vlog: Film 3 videos, and post at least twice a week. Seems like Monday's and Thursdays are good days. You can check out my YouTube channel here!
Book: I really miss reading! I need to start a new book (I have several to choose from)
Diet: No more cheating, back on track. Track with MFP at least 4 days this week
Fitness: Try to find some good core exercises that won't hurt the hell out of my back. I'm going to wait until after the first of the year to do anything very hard core... so I will stock pile, try things out, find out what works, and get ready for the 1st of Jan.

Wednesday Weigh-In: 167 (just in case I decide to keep this up).

What's a Girl to Do?

Good morning guys!

If you have been with me since the beginning (if you have, thank you so much!) then you know that I have been through a constant struggle with exercise. I could walk around town, I could exercise in my living room, I could go to the high school track and walk/job and flip a tire (didn't know they had that until the other day!) or many other things. But I don't, I haven't and it bothers me. I've lost close to 30 lbs. I should be feeling good enough to start doing something. 

Ain't that the truth??

Want to know a secret? I'm so lazy. Oh my good gracious, am I lazy! I have so many friends (Karen and Desiree are my two biggest inspirations as far as working out goes) that bust their ass as often as they can, and are getting out there and DOING IT! What do I do? I cheer them on! I love these ladies, and I want them to be happy and succeed in their efforts. Then what do I do? I sit in front of the TV and be lazy. 

Why am I telling you this? Won't this affect the way you view me? Well, first of all, I seriously hope not! But I'm hoping to hear how you get motivated! I will say this... I'm motivated to do something up to the point of actually doing it lol. I need to know, what is that OOMPH! that gets you off the couch and doing something? 

I would like to be at my goal weight by my anniversary which is in March... I only have about 20 lbs(ish) more to lose, And I think this will help... but I need a push. Tell me what makes you get up and do something.

Long time no see....

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while... I had planned to post twice a week, but you know how plans go. See, I've been getting my shit straight. It's harder than you would think. I'm also working more on my YouTube Channel, and that takes more time than I realized. 

So let's shoot straight for a few minutes. I was getting super frustrated because I had stalled. I mean STALLED. I stayed within the same 4 lbs for 2 months. I hate that! But in searching for the reason why, and talking with all my smart friends, I discovered something. I needed to check what the hell I was eating. I hadn't been tracking in months, I mean, why would I need to? I'm eating low carb. Pretty much a no brainer, right? No. 

Unfortunately, while I was eating low carb, I was also eating toooooo much! Usually you don't need to track your calories, but most would recommend tracking your food for the sake of keeping an eye on your Macros (Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates). One of my big problems was dry roasted peanuts. They are only 3 net carbs in them (Total Carbs minus Fiber or Sugar Alcohols). However, that's for a 1 oz serving. I was grabbing a bowl, and eating probably 4 or 5 servings, or more. Yikes!

Also, I was nibbling everything at work. I mean, what's to say that these are bad: a little cornbread here, you know, just a pinch, or a few crumbs of cake (from every pan) or a small tiny amount of potatoes..... you get the idea. However, when you take a small portion (lets say enough for a bite) from each pan, and you are cutting 6 pans for the patients, then guess what? You've had 6 bites or about 1 piece. Not to mention all the other things nibbled through out 8 hours. Oh yeah, and eating two meals there on top of it all. So I cut that shit out too. I still eat the two meals, but I don't nibble anymore. It's sooo hard too lol... 

So, as you might remember (unless you are a new reader, in which case, here is the post) I decided after Easter to get my ass in gear for reals. From Jan 1 to Easter, I piddly-farted around and only lost about 7 lbs or so. In 4 months?? Unacceptable. Easter was the turning point. I started walking at work, I started really cutting out crap foods. I lost a few inches, but not really any weight... but that's ok. Then I started eating Low Carb/High Fat. Why am I retelling you all this? It's mostly for me. It's been a long journey. Where am I at today?

This is actually right after I started eating Low Carb/HighFat

Well, I no longer really count Jan 1 as my starting date, even though I did lose a few pounds. I'm counting Easter (well, 4/22 which was a few days later) as my starting date. What has happened since then? I've lost 25 1/4" off my whole body, and I've lost 20 lbs. :) I still have a ways to go, but with you guys cheering me on, I can't go wrong! Thank you all!

Ch-Ch-Ch-CHIA!

Who remembers "the pottery that grows?" I've wanted one for years! The elephant one especially (my love for elephants is a little scary lol). But I have recently been reading that Chia seeds are amazing little dudes with lots to offer! I am really not the best at explaining how amazing these are, so check it out here. 

So why am I telling you this? I am trying to find ways to incorporate Chia seeds into my diet. I really have to. You don't understand. I bought 2 lbs at Sam's Club. They must be used! lol Did I mention a little goes a long way? Most recipes only call for like... a tablespoon or two. 

I am currently playing with different versions of Chia Pudding. It's pretty basic really. You take some coconut (or almond) milk, cocoa powder, sweetener, Chia (of course) and some vanilla and mix. If you want exact portions, let me know, and I will post the actual recipe. I'm also looking at some Chia crackers... I haven't tried them yet, so idk how it will turn out. 

So what about you? Have you tried Chia? What are your thoughts?

Let me know in the comments below!

2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back

Anyone remember that song? I can't remember the rest, but that is exactly what is going on at the moment. After my last slide (and the one before) I recommitted hardcore, and actually broke my stall, I think. However, while I was at a friends house, circumstances way beyond my control became a great learning experience. 

See, I may have mentioned, I live in Oklahoma. The water from the tap SUCKS here. In my own home, sometimes it smells like bleach, sometimes like sulfur. Always nasty though. So we have filtered water. That's just what you do. So anyway, we go to a friends house, we were running late, so I didn't have a drink with me (I usually take tea). I have also been stricken with allergies for the last few weeks, so my throat is sore and I've been coughing a lot. 

Needless to say, I needed to drink something. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Water (so strongly smelling of bleach that I actually checked under the counter to make sure there wasn't a spill) and Pepsi, my arch-nemesis. *SIGH* Ya'll, I went for the Pepsi. We were there for several hours, so I actually had 3 altogether. I'm not proud, but I'm also not trying to make excuses either. It happened, and now I have to move on.

But what that did to me the next day (yesterday) is that it made me crave crap! I ended up not being prepared with my diet, and decided to eat a bunch of crud. Potatoes being the worst of it. I don't know how this will affect me, scale wise, but I am aware of it, and I need to proceed with caution. 

The next few days will be a battle, but I'm prepared to face it. But as I said, I've learned from this experience! No matter what I do, I need to have my own drink with me, that way I won't be stuck in this situation again! Lesson Learned!

I hope you all have a good Monday! Let's crush this week, shall we? Take it, and make it our own!

Slide..... Again?!

So... here we go again... another story about how my fraking willpower is non-existent. I have no clue what is going on with me guys! I start my week out smooth, and then just *BLAM* Hand me some damn carbs. I will say that this time, I didn't gain (Shocked? ME TOO!). However, I will never lose weight if I keep cheating. I started over again today. Only one slip up, but not a full on slide into carb evil.

Here's to accountability!

Middle Earth Update

So, I wasn't intending on writing anything today, since I had just posted a few days ago, but I thought "what the hell, I want to share my progress" lol. So here we go!

Strider (aka Aragorn) scouts ahead and finds an elf-stone on The Last Bridge. He believes it is a token of safety. Company crosses the River Hoarwell/Mitheithel.

I have officially reached the Last Bridge. I have 100 miles to go before I reach Rivendell, which I hope to achieve in September. 

So far, since May 1st, I have walked 358.1 miles. Isn't that just freaking astounding??? I can't even believe it! Thank you so much for coming along with me!

Weeeeee!

Did I just slide into bad habits for a few days? Yes. Did I regret it? Hell yes. 

Here's the scoop: Last Saturday, after eating LCHF all day, my hubby and I went to go eat sushi. I love sushi. I knew I had been good all day, so I could splurge my carbs on some yummy yummy deliciousness. And I did. And it was amazing. Sushi is just.... just..... mmmmmmmmmm

But then, on Sunday, after being good for the whole morning into afternoon, I had to go to a function for my daughter. It took a long time. So long, in fact, that my dear sweet hubby decided to order pizza for delivery for dinner. I was tired that day (worked from 5am to 1:30pm) and he says "I didn't know what to do, so I ordered. What are you going to eat for dinner?" I understand. He was being thoughtful for himself and the kids, and for me so I didn't have to cook. And being brain dead like I was... I said "Duh... pizza." yeah... duh.

On Monday, I was feeling sick (carbs do not sit well with me anymore), and I wasn't in a caring mood. I ate some corn bread that I had made for the facility, and I was eating this cheesecake stuff. I actually thought that was LCHF approved, because when I last made it, it was just cream cheese, heavy whipping cream and splenda... but NO! Whoever had made it had done half splenda, half powdered sugar. So, I had been unknowingly shoveling sugar in my face for hours... on top of the corn bread. I didn't care though... I was tired. For dinner, it was red beans and rice. Yes, I ate that too. 

3 days. Just 3 little days. And I gained 5lbs. REALLY!!??? 5 fucking lbs! *Spastic freak out ensued*

So... Tuesday morning, I wiped my tears, mentally slapped myself in the face and told myself to get my shit together. I started all over again with my LCHF eating. Made sure to not stray so much as an iota off my path. It was hard.... so hard to do again. This time, I got leg cramps and a little bit flu-y (is that even a word? It is now...). I didn't get that the first time round, although most do. It just really drove it home that I don't need to go through this again. 

Sure, we all slip up. We all have a little bit of what we aren't supposed to... but when you let it go for a few days, it's more than just a little slip up. It's the start of a full blown back slide. You can either let it happen, or take control. Thankfully, I didn't let my old self out of the trunk that I've stuffed the fat bitch into, and I took control. Who needs cheesecake and rice and junk? Not I!

So, it's been a week since that fateful sushi date. I've dropped the 5lbs I gained through stupidity, and hopefully I will continue my (slowly) ever downward decent in weight.

Thanks for being there to listen... if you stayed this long... it was a long post today lol, I would understand if you couldn't hang. :)

Waiting for my Woosh........

What the hell is a "woosh" you ask? Well, it's like this: Your fat cells start to lose weight, but they don't want to... so they start hoarding water, right (i.e. water weight)? And then after a while, you lose that too. Now, the thing is... this can happen several times over the course of your weight loss. 

Most people, when they start a low carb diet, or any diet really, they get a huge woosh of water weight off the top. Why is that? Well, if you go from eating fast food every day, with cokes and fries (you can possibly eat up to 2000 or more calories a day) and start eating whole foods, cut the soda and cut the rest of the junk, you will drop your calories and lose some quick weight. Most of the water is inflammation. Once you adjust to your new way of eating, your body kind of regulates, and the weight loss is more measured. 

As I have said, I have lost about 15 lbs (on low carb... a total of 23 since 1/1). I started doing a variation of low carb, there for a while, called Carb Night Solution. The idea is that your body could stall out on low carb (even though mine hadn't) and so you need to load up on carbs about 1 night a week (going from about 30g to about 300ish) and it's supposed to help you drop the pounds. I did this for a month. I lost nothing. In fact, I actually gained back about 2 lbs. So! I'm done with that!

I have been back to eating low carb/high fat, and even though it will take some time for those pesky carbs to work their way completely out of my system, I'm hoping for a woosh soon. Since I haven't seen any real weight loss in a while, it would be nice anyway! So, here's hoping!

I can't believe it!

So, I should have thought of this on Monday, but I didn't... so sue me (please don't, I'm broke). I have officially been on my LCHF (low carb/high fat) diet for 3 months. I have been trying to track the changes best I can... scale, measuring, etc. And while I have done a good job of it, seeing it sometimes takes a ton of effort. I KNOW I am looking better, because people are commenting on it. But sometimes I still feel like the shubbly person I was before. 

So today I was cleaning my room, and I found my corset that I wear during my visits to the Renaissance Fair that happens ever May. I have been feeling goofy all day, so I thought "What the hell?" Last time I wore it was the day before I started my diet. So this is a good solid indicator that I'm doing well!

*Please note, I would never EVER actually wear the corset with the grey shirt...

Needless to say, there have been some improvements. I showed this picture to my hubby and he just said "Yeah? That's what I've been telling you for weeks." OH. Well, shit... lol. Guess it's sunk in now! I still have about 30 lbs to go, but I'm excited to see the transformation on the way! I'm hoping to get there by my birthday, which is about 4 months away. That's only about 6.5 lbs a month... I might or might not make it. So long as my progress goes down, I'm happy. :)

Thanks to you all for your support! Hopefully I can support you as well as you have supported me. Thank you!

I Am Powerful!

Or at least, I have power once again lol. I have a new laptop cord! If the dog gets this one though, I think I will have to beat her.... I just don't know. Ok, not really... but it's super frustrating! I hadn't had my laptop back for very long (it had been broken for like.... 3 years) and a co-worker fixed it for me. So to have her munch the cord so soon after getting it back... UGH!! 

But I'm back now. I just wanted to say this, and that I will be posting more as a result of the cord. 

P.S.  I will probably be creating a new blog, that will go along with my Youtube channel. As soon as I do, I will let everyone (all 5 of you?) know!

Thanks so much!!!!

Still technologically disadvantaged but...

So, it's not been quite a month. If I had my laptop, it would be waaay more often. Damn dog. But in a (small) way, her chewing up my power cord was kinda good. See, it was plugged in to my computer. So when she chewed it, it shocked the shit out of herself (not the good part) and she hasn't gone near a cord since (that's the good part). I had lost so many phone cords, DVD cables, DS power cords to this dog, that she was bound to screw up at some point.

So I digress! For those of you that don't know... I started a YouTube Channel to show off my (spastic) culinary skills. I'm still following the LCHF lifestyle, and some people have asked me for recipes and such... so, that's why I started it. You can find my channel here.

I am still not as active as I would like to be. If it weren't for my job, I wouldn't get as much exercise as I do. I wear my phone as a pedometer at work (not the most accurate tracker but still) and I get anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 miles a day. So that's something! I walked a total of 99.4 miles for July. Pretty impressive!

My current weight, as of today, is 167.4. Thats just shy of 24 lbs gone in 8 months. But! 10 of that took 5.5 months to lose, while I dicked around about getting serious. The other 14(ish) is since LCHF and that has only been 2.5 months. So either way, it's coming off slowly, but I'm ok with that. I'm averaging about 4-5lbs a month... but I could potentially meet my goal by the end of the year at that rate. So I'm happy. I'll just keep on keeping on.

When I get a power cord, I will update more often and possibly start doing recipes and such too. We will see!

Thanks for hanging with me!!

Milestones!

Hey guys! See? It didn't take a month this time! I have a couple of big milestones to reveal too.

But first, a small recap: I started my journey with the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans on January 1st, 2014. I was desperate because my weight had creeped up so much, I was worried it wouldn't stop. (I was 191.2 at the time)

I stopped drinking soda and cut way back on my candy consumption. It wasn't perfect, and if you want to read about it, skim to the past blog posts. Changes happened slowly, and I wasn't 100% commited like I should have been. But! Slowly I did lose some weight.

Then Easter happened. I ate way to much, made myself feel sick, and gained 5 lbs. Seriously? Over 4 months of work almost destroyed by one day? So I redoubled my efforts, cut the candy almost completely, started walking at work and lost the 5 lbs plus a little more. But I still wasn't happy.

So, May 19th, I started a low carb/high fat diet. I figured I would give it 3 weeks, and see how I liked it. I'd only lost 10 lbs in 5 and a half months doing it my way, so we would see what happened.

After 3 weeks I lost 6 lbs! It's slower than some on the diet, but dammit, it's over half of what I lost in 5 months. I was hooked. Then, I don't know what came over me, but I cheated just a little bit... then a little bit more. Never enough to really do damage, but enough to stall my weight loss.

So I quit cheating. I lose weight slowly already, I don't need to be working against myself too. It's been 7 weeks now, and I'm proud of my progress.

Now for my milestones!

First, I have officially lost a little more than 20 lbs since the first of the year!! Maybe if I hadn't dicked around those first 5 months, I would have lost more, but I'm extremely happy! I couldn't have done it without my lovely ladies cheering me on either! You know who you are ;)

Second, I've lost about 15 inches all over my body since Easter! I can't even believe it! That's a lot of area to lose!!

Third,  as of today (which is why I waited to post this), I am in the 160's!!! I weighed this morning and saw 169.8! I haven't been in the 160's in over 10 years, after I had my daughter and my weight slowly went up. I'm so excited!!!

And finally, but I think most importantly,  I SEE the changes in myself. It's been a long road, but it's so worth it. I can't wait to see where I end up from here!

Thanks so much guys, for all of your support! I love you all, you are truly my sisters!!

Really? Has it been a month already?

Sooo.... it's been a month. A month?! I knew it had been a while, but what the hell? Well... I am still without my computer for one... stupid dog. Also, again, using the phone is sooo time consuming! But, here I am, back again. Besides, as Karen has pointed out, she made my blog pretty awesome,  the least I can do is use it! Maybe this time, I can keep on track with it? (Candy, help me out, k?)

So! Where can I start? Well, last blog post, I mentioned I was starting a low carb, high fat diet (info here). Honestly, when I started it, I was only going to try it for 3 weeks, to see how I would do. Um... I'm hooked! I know this is so cliché,  but it isn't a diet so much as a permanent lifestyle change. I've met people who are still following this way of life 9 years later. It helps with so many health problems, it's amazing. So how have I done in a month? Well, I'm down 10.5 inches and 6.6 pounds. Say what?? Yeah. Needless to say, I love it. I don't feel like I'm denying myself anything either. Remember several months back when I had a whole post on the fact that I couldn't seem to give up candy? Thing of the past now. If (and this is a big if) I have a taste for some candy, I grab a serving of sugar free candy, and I'm set for days. I have no real "cravings" anymore for sweets. It's so crazy!

Let's see... another change is my sleep pattern. Got that all straightened out now! Guess what?  I'm getting about 8 hours of sleep now... instead of 4 here and 2 there. I love being off of night shift!

As for working in the kitchen, I wish they would utilize my culinary skills a bit more... I did go to school at one point for this shit... but I've been stuck on the serving line for weeks. Hopefully I will get my chance though. And one of the lower supervisors is a complete bitch who hates me... but oh well. She's not in charge often, so I'm not worried. I can deal with the glares, but I talk back when she starts trying to tear into me for dumb stuff. Lol suprised I haven't been written up for insubordination yet. ;)

Oh! By the way! On my path to Mount Doom through Middle Earth, I have reached a huge milestone! I have arrived at the Prancing Pony in Bree!! I now have Aragorn in my group! How exciting!!

Anyway my lovelies! I must go for now, but I will try to post again next week! I might need a reminder though ;)

Oops! It's been a while

Hey there! Sorry it's been a while, for anyone keeping track, I've had quite a few changes happen in the same week, and I'm trying to get mentally sorted lol.

First of all, I left 3rd shift! I am no longer working as a Patient Care Assistant,  as I had very different views of how patients should be treated. So, I stayed at the same facility but moved to the Dietary department.  In other words, I'm cooking for the patients and serving food. :) I'm already much happier. You would be surprised (or you might not) how boring 3rd shift is. I didn't really feel like I earned my paychecks. Show up, dink around on the interwebs, read, play cards and then you look up and its only 2 am...ugh.... soooo challenging right? Now though? I'm usually helping with lunch, then we work on dinner, there's serving, cooking, cleaning up, and done! The day moves so fast! And I get so much movement in too! I'm happy for the switch. :-)

Second change, because of the shift change, my sleep pattern has been thrown all out of wack. I'm trying to get it wrangled in, but my mind is stubborn (go figure). I'll get there though!

Third change, my husband's stupid dumbshit dog chewed the power cord to my laptop. It will be a while before I can replace it. That's one reason I haven't posted here lately, because doing so from my phone is super tedious. But! I'm doing this for me as much as you, dear friends, so I have to post something ;-).

Yet another change, I've changed my diet. I don't want to go into too much detail, because (again) it's tedious over the phone, but so far, it's awesome! Basically it's low carb, high fat (good fats... not bad ones). And in 3 days, I can already tell a difference. I'm excited to see what the next week brings!

Hopefully I'll see you soon!!

Getting there

I can't believe we are already a week into May! Where has the time flown? I haven't blogged as much as I wanted to though, before now, but that's ok... I'll catch up. After I walked my 5k, I took it easy for a few days, because my legs were killing me. I did step it up again though. Not too much else going on though... 

I was doing really good not to eat any candy... and then it happened. Twix. Twix happened. Was it delicious? Eh.... Was it worth it? Eh..... So why did I do it? I have no idea. I think it's because it's about TOM, and that's why I'm craving chocolate... cause I don't want it really.... Really! Don't look at me that way! I've gotten t that point. But right now? I'm craving it... grrr.

Other than that though, I walked 15.9 miles last week! For my walk to Mordor (15.9/1779), I hit Stock Road at the 14.5 mile mark. Woo! I'm on my way to camping with the Elves!

As for my weight, I had posted on the SJ Facebook page that I got down to 178.6 during my mid-week weigh in (cause it's an obsession)... I knew, that probably wouldn't last though, but that's ok! Because I knew that I could do it! So, when it came time for my actual weigh in? 179.6! One pound in 3 days, when usually I go up much more? I'll take it! I'm super excited to see what comes next!

Thanks to everyone in my Shrinking Jeans group though! Without them, I would never had started, I would be sitting on my couch, 191 pounds, miserable, and wishing I would think to do something. 12 pounds might not seem like much in 5 months, but if I hadn't joined this group, it wouldn't have been anything at all. I'm super grateful for all of them! 

Woo Hoo! Mayday!

I made it! Oh my gosh, I made it.... I walked a 5k... I can't believe it... I thought I was going to fall over. Wanna know what's worse? My dumbass had the car keys, so if for some reason I couldn't do it (like... I dunno, asthma problems, or got hit by a car) the hubs wouldn't be able to get to me easily! Geez!

BUT! I did it! And I didn't die either (bonus points for that one)! I realized something too, while I was walking... first of all... when I walk at work, I have to walk around the building 2 times to get about 3/4 of a mile, or 3 times for a mile. So I thought this task of a 5k would be pretty easy. But when I took off out my door, and walked halfway across town, and had just barely made it a mile, I thought two things... 1. Crap, this is really harder than I thought! and 2. Our town is too shittin' small! 

So I don't know if you can tell from these pictures, but on the left is the whole town, and on the right is my walk... I basically walked most of the town in 3.5 miles... Sad lol

So, I walked, and walked, and walked.... and eventually I made it. I actually walked a little bit further, because I'm a dingtard, and didn't know how far I should go, since the town is so small, so by the time I made it back to the house, it was actually 3.5 miles. :)

I'm going to recap a few things, for you, but mostly for me, because it's good to see where you've been... 

At the beginning of April, I was so close to giving up, as a matter of fact, I even blogged about it just 20 days ago. My my, how things can change! The day after easter, I started walking while at work during my breaks, one to two times a night, and upped my walking in general at work while on the unit. I made sure to get up and move around. I've been dancing at home, too. I haven't even had any candy in 2 days! So what was my final weigh in for April? 

April 1- 184.2
April 30-181

But honestly, I only started walking a week or so before the end of the month. I'm pretty pleased with that number. I also mentioned in the post where I almost quit that I had wanted to get in about 50 miles last month. Well? How about 57.5?? KABOOM! And the bestest part?? 31.5 of that was from when I started really committing the day after easter. That's 9 days. Ya heard me.... NINE. You know what that means? I can actually do this! Hot Damn!

I'm ready for what this next month will bring. I'm ready for my trip to Mordor and I'm ready to really kick some ass!