Weekends ROCK!

The weight has been coming off very slowly.  I stick to the diet religiously from Monday thru Thursday but pretty much cheat on the weekends.  Probably why I'm loosing so slowly. However, because I "cheat" each weekend, I never really feel like I'm depriving myself. I think a lot of people get discouraged because they miss eating certain foods.  I, on the other hand look forward to it.  When Monday rolls around I fast until dinner. I know this sounds like a strange way to loose weight but it seems to work for me.  Don't get me wrong. I don't binge or anything. I just allow myself to eat whatever, as long as I don't over eat.  So far I've dropped one size and I feel happy about that. I'd like to loose another pant size before the wedding. That is my goal. I think everyone in my family is using the wedding as their goal too.  This is a big event for us. First wedding on my side. 

Do size 10 Jeans Count?

Well I wanted to get into a size 10. That was my first goal and I am happy to say I made it. However, a size 10 jean does not mean a size 10 pair of slacks or dress.  It just means that I was able to zip-up my old jeans. But, I'm happy about that.  I've lost about 7 lbs so far. I am suppose to weigh in on friday. I'm scared because I haven't lost anything in almost 2 weeks.  I suppose I should be positive and be satisfied that I didn't gain any weight either.  Thursday I start my hunt for a Mother-of-the-Bride dress.  I'll need to locate that girdle and pair of support hose!  I honestly HATE shopping. I wish someone would tell my husband how lucky he is to be married to me!  I am beginning to get sick of low-fat food. I am beginning to DESPISE salads.  I want a piece of fried fish loaded with tartar sauce. Oh, and french fries smoothered in vinegar and ketchup.  Why does all the yummy stuff have to be so bad for you?  And why  does all the healthy stuff soon begin to taste like cardboard!?  I hope this is a passing phase or else I am going to be in trouble. I feel my will-power slowly slipping away.  I need to re-focus. My daughter's wedding is in 6 months and at the rate I loose weight, that does not give me much time! 

Pass me the bowl of M&M's please.................

All in all things have been okay, but dieting is really really tough.  Weekends are brutal. Yummy food is everywhere.  I had every intention of sticking to my guns this weekend, but I blew it on Sunday! And I wonder why it takes me FOVEVER to lose weight!!!!  I am down about 7 lbs. I won't complain too much because I am happy. My hubby wanted to get on board with me and guess what? He lost 5 lbs in 2 days! I could scream................  Two days?! Five lbs takes me more than  5 weeks! Something just not fair about that. Anyway, today is Monday and I will be back on track.  Had some water weight issues this past week so I may hold off weighing myself for another day or two. 
For dinner, I made an altered version of my stuffed peppers. I cut red peppers lengthwise and tried a combination of ground turkey and ground chicken. I  sauted the meat in 1 Tbsp oil and some water and then seasoned it with garlic salt, onions and green peppers. I then added the packaged brown gravy, and mixed in some cooked basmati rice. It was actually bettter tasting than the original recipe. Eating and preparing healthy low-fat foods is not my problem. It's the WEEKENDS! My problem is when I have no control over what I make.  My confession......yesterday I munched on tortilla chips, dip, cream cheese spread, and M&M's. Then I topped it off with the low-fat strawberry Angel-food cake I made!  I could hardly move. I was so full! Not to mention...mad at myself.  It seems the only way I can make up for the guilt is to fast a meal or two the day after I pig-out. It appears to work both psychologically and physically. So, I guess I won't be eating until tonight!

Cake , Ice Cream and Hormones

I did pretty well last week sticking to my diet. Friday was weigh-in day and I gained a half pound! I was ticked off and felt like eating macaroni and meatballs after the bad news....BUT, I knew better. I've been through this a dozen times. Every time I diet my body goes into shock. I know that sounds pathetic because it's not like I'm starving myself. But nonetheless, it tells my brain to hold onto water so I can maintain the weight. Usually a week will go by and then I pee it all out. So I cheated and weighted myself again today. I dropped 2 more pounds. Now that may not seem like a lot to you, especially you guys, but that's 8 sticks of butter! I am pretty happy about that.
Today I ate an enormous salad. I put a half cup of fat free cottage cheese on it for protein. I actually felt kind of sick soon after I ate it. Maybe it was a little too much fiber and sometimes fiber can be rough on the stomach. But I felt better after I digested it. I'll confess, for supper I ate a small piece of cake. It was a birthday cake. At the very least, I stayed within my daily caloric intake. I am craving sugar and will for another day or so. It happens every month. So, I'll eat the sugar or I will run down anyone who crosses my path. I think sugar is the prudent choice, don't you? In conclusion, I continued my sugar binge with some low fat ice cream and caramel rice cakes but managed not to over eat. Tomorrow I will concentrate on eating healthier foods. Hope you all did well!

No fried Shrimp for me!

Today I feel tired and it was tough to get out of bed. The Lyme meds are starting to work because they actually make you feel worse before you feel better. Although I have no desire to cook, I'll make a quick buffalo pizza for the kids. I may have a piece for dinner or just eat another bowl of chicken soup. I'll see how I'm feeling. It's a good idea to have canned soup (without MSG ) on hand. It's a quick, nutritious, low cal meal and quite satisfying. Another good tip is to have fresh or canned fruit available at all times. Make sure the canned fruit is packed in fruit juice, not syrup. And don't drink the juice! It's too high in sugars and too much sugar makes you crave more sugar. The other day I felt like having something sweet and nothing was going to change my mind. So, I decided to cut up an apple and dip it in fat free caramel. Ok, so I know it was sugary, but at least it was a much better choice than eating the red velvet cake I had displayed in my cake dish. I know I can only change so much. That is a reality. However, I CAN try to make better choices. I was proud of myself yesterday, so allow me to brag while I can. I took my dad out for his birthday. He chose Chinese. One of my favorites! Of course I love the fried shrimp and battered chicken..but I made a choice to have the steamed vegetables with brown sauce on the side. I also had about 1/2 cup of white rice instead of the fried rice. Now let me add that I struggled with this decision for about 10 minutes before ordering! The waitress then dropped a bowl of fried wontons on our table and they began whispering. I decided to just have a taste instead of eating the whole bowl! Fried foods are a weakness for me, so I really felt I accomplished something. I felt satisfied in my belly even though my head felt differently at the time. But I will say, that when evening came, I was proud of myself. One day at a time. Self control is a process. A really hard process.

On the Road Again.....

I am back on track, and I feel much better. Weekdays are easy for me because I have control over what I cook and what is in my fridge. It's the weekends that kill me. It's pretty hard to eat out and eat low calorie healthy foods. But I LOVE the dining out experience and I know I won't give that up. I'm too old to suffer like that. I just have to learn to better navigate the menus. Today I made a giant pot of peppery chicken soup. Hopefully it will stay in my house more than two days. My kids and husband love soup. I do too. It's a true comfort food, especially on cold evenings like tonight. Today is Valentine's Day and my husband was wise in buying me flowers and not chocolates. I will try not to sneak any of my daughter's candy! I figured out that my will-power purely depends on how I feel when I wake up. I just don't get it. What makes one day so different from the next? Now granted, I know some "hormonal" days beg for chocolate and it can be a bad thing if I don't get it! But what about all the other days? Some mornings I feel so positive and borderline enthusiastic about losing weight. And then other days, I could give a rats rump. I think if I could figure out that mystery then maybe, just maybe, I could stick to my diet better. Happy Valentine's Day!

Weekends are WAAAAY too Hard!

Well, what can I say? I have no excuse. I did ok during the weekend after my pigfest on Superbowl Sunday. I didn't loose any weight but I didnt gain any either.  It was disappointing.  So to top it all off, I blew it again this weekend!  It was my husband's birthday and I made one of his favorite home-cooked German dishes called Ruladen. It took me 6 hours to prepare. And then I accompanied it with 2 types of spaetzla, 2 kinds of gravy, dumplings and some spinach.  For dessert I made a banana cream pie instead of the traditional birthday cake.  EVERYTHING was SUPER FATTENENING!!!  Butter, cream, sour cream, bacon fat, beef fat.......I could feel my arteries clogging with every tasty bite.  And then the following day my son invited our family friends over for a game night.  Pizzas and CHIPS and CHIPS and cakes and pie and more junk food....I was out of control.  Why do I do this? Why can't I just say no? I feel like crap today. I am all swelled up with water. No doubt way too much sodium.  I'll have to fast a couple of meals again to purge myself of all the rubbage I have floating around in my body.  I truly hope you all did better than I did.  I am mad at myself and feel it's hard to stay positive right now.