Day 28 - Weight Loss Seminar (14/16)

No gym today, but I kept my calories on track.  Jamie said he was gonna put me through another workout tomorrow...woowee...i'm scared!  When I got home today, he was waiting for me with a boatload of information he had researched about my true calorie needs and such.  Boy oh boy did I get lectured for a good hour or so ... I'm glad he's excited about helping me though :)  According to all the research and calculations he did, I was eating about 200 to 300 less calories than I should've been.  Sounds like good news to me.  I'm going to try to work in some more food here and there, so I won't feel so hungry all the time.  It's a process...this whole dang weight loss thing is a loooooooooong, haaaaaaaaaaard process ... some people call it a journey ... I can see why, and I must say that the first mile of the journey seems to be the hardest...once I catch my stride, I hope it will be smoothe sailing!

Bagel Sammich Recipe

Click This:  Bagel Yum Yum's

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Day 27 - Pooped Puppy (14/16)

Jamie took me down to the gym and punished me for complaining about my lack of weightloss this month.  I called him at lunch today and went on and on about how I wasn't losing weight, so he worked up a new workout for me that whipped my booty.  I'm currently typing this under the influence of ibuprofen...I can't be held accountable for what I might say.  It was seriously tough though.  I managed to keep my calories down today.  It was under 1300 before I stuffed some Snyder's pretzels in my face a few minutes ago.  Regardless, I still kept it under my limit.  I found a website that has some healthy recipes that sounded good, so I might try to link it on here at some point.  Let me just type out the workout I did for future reference.

Elliptical for 20 minutes starting on level 12 and decreasing only if needed.
The following is done 3 to 4 times through:
20 Leg Press with a Shoulder Press
20 Lat Pulldowns
20 Box Jumps
20 Bench Press
20 Leg Lowers

Thanks to Jamie for whipping my whiney butt into shape ... or starting the process of whipping it into shape :)

Random goofy picture of me and Jamie:

Day 26 - Guilty Pleasures (14/16)

I do pretty good with food all day until I get home.  We've just been having regular ole chow at the house...like tacos, hotdogs, sloppy joes...etc.  Unfortunately, all that stuff is high calorie and not that great for me.  We have been using ground turkey instead of beef.  I think I'm going to drive myself nuts with this weightloss effort.  Grrrr...it's just not fair!!! Boo Hissssssss!

I did make it to the gym last night and will be back tomorrow.  I wrestled with the idea of going tonight ... but I'm still warming up to this whole exercise thing...baby steps....

Day 25 - Bad Habits Die Hard (14/16)

The good news is that I still have not had a soda since December 10th, and I really don't crave them that much...The bad news is that Jamie and I have slowly been backsliding when it comes to our eating out.  We went out Thursday last week for lunch ... Friday for dinner ... Saturday for dinner ... Sunday for Breakfast and Dinner.  We really need to reign that in again.  I've been asked to go out with my coworkers for lunch today, and I'm torn on whether I should or not.  It'll probably be a last minute decision.  Anywho, I brought soup and a sandwich in my lunch everyday last week, and I think the sodium was causing me to retain water.  By Friday I felt like I was going to explode, and my rings/clothes were SO tight.  So this introduces a new dilemma ... What do I bring for lunch??  I really want to watch the sodium intake. 

I only made it to the gym twice last week, and I feel like a total loser.  I've made a lot of changes this month, but the gym is the one I think I'm struggling with the most.  My main issue is just feeling exhausted when I get home from work.  I really don't know why I'm so tired ... all I do is sit at a desk all day.  I probably need more sleep on a consistant basis.  Lately I've been up until 11 or 12, and I get up at 6:45 ish.  I want to have energy, but maybe that is just part of getting in shape.  I had good intentions on going to the gym on Friday, but Jamie said he would go with me ... AND I fell asleep waiting for him to wake up ... I woke up at 11 pm ish.  SEE!!  All I ever want to do is sleep :(  Altogether, this was a Lazy McFatterson weekend.  My pants are just as tight as they were on day 1.  I'm going to have to get more serious if I want results in a few months.

Day 21 - Highs and Lows (14/16)

I went about 200 Calories over my limit today.  I just can't seem to stay consistent with the number.  A lot of days I'm close to my limit but generally stay just below it.  Yesterday I somehow managed to only have 900 calories, and then when livestrong subtracted out my 'calories burned' from my workout, it ended up being like 400.  AHHH!  But today I'm at 1700 ish and am not going to the gym ... I'm going Mon, Wed, and Fri for the time being ... until I get more in the habit and get my body more conditioned ... Part of my high calorie count today was because we went and had sushi at lunch, so I had to guess at the calories...I may have overestimated...but I just don't know...I mean...It's mostly rice...ya know...Anyway, I'll just keep trying to keep the calories down and mostly eat at home...oh AND exercise....sheesh...I think that is the hardest part...I don't like pain :(

Day 20 - I have butt muscles?!? (14/16)

OH MY GAH!  I was at the gym for over an hour, and I was not fiddle fartin' around.  I was actually moving the whole time, and now my booty muscles are sooooore...OWIE!  Jamie helped me put a workout together based on stuff he showed me on Monday.  He's my Helpy Helperton :)  Anywho, I did the workout and 30 minutes of cardio, which consisted of the elliptical, treadmill, and bike.  It wasn't my plan to use all three, but for some reason I just could not stay on one machine for more than 10 minutes.  My calves started cramping up and such.  I should probably stretch beforehand, but don't kid yourself ... HA ... That'll never happen.  I am not a stretchy type person.  I was trying to logon to livestrong.com, but I can't get in for some reason.  I have some things I NEED to record...LIKE NOW!!

Jamie and I were checking out 24 hour gyms in our area for when we move.  There seems to be a really nice one up in Woodstock.  It has 3 stinkin' pools, a giant hot tub, and a rock wall...oh...and that worky outy type stuff too.  They have Zumba classes too, which is something I might like to try eventually.  Our lease is up at the end of April, but at this point, I have no clue where we might end up moving.  It's all up in the air until March-ish.

I'm going to lie on the couch like a blob of Jell-O now ... cuz that's what I feel like for sure!

Day 19 - Jabba (14/16)

Feeling kinda blobby today...blah.  I'm going to the gym tomorrow and Friday.  I figure that I better get dedicated to 3 days before I try 5.  We had burritos for dinner ... Jamie cooked ... used ground turkey.  They were good :) I went like 200 calories over my limit, but I'm not going to panic.  I'm so sleepy. GOODNIGHT!

*Side Note*

I'm feeling really bad about myself today :( My pants are still too tight...kinda makes ya feel hopeless...like it will never change...or it will never change enough to make me happy. I wish this wasn't so hard. SIGH

Day 18 - Slacker! (14/16)

I became a big ole slacker at the end of last week. It all started Wednesday after my workout. I told Jamie about what a hard time I'd had just trying to make it on the treadmill (walking). He said my muscles were probably just tired and that I should take Thursday off. This apparently translated to GAME OVER for the week in my mind. I had good intentions on Friday, but when I got home Jamie had that "I need Mexican food" gleam in his eye. So, we went out to dinner, and I stuffed myself ...which I might add did not take as much food this time. Anyhoot, when I got home I didn't want to do anything be lie on the couch and grumble about how my stomach hurt. And just forget Saturday and Sunday...sheesh...working out on those days is just not going to happen anytime soon. Maybe 5 days a week was a bit ambitious to start with. I DID make it 3 days last week, which is better than nothing at all ... right?!?! RIGHT! Let's not even talk about the food sins I committed between Friday and Sunday...EEK! Last night I created a youtube channel called "TheFluffyNuggets" for Jamie and I to Vlog on ... We'll see if that happens since I couldn't get my first video to load. I will have to investigate to figure out what was going wrong. I got lazy altogether last Thursday through Sunday ... I didn't track my calories or blog one bit, but today I'm back to it. This morning I made myself my usual 2 packets of oatmeal, and it proved to be too much. I'm going to have to scale it back to 1 I think ... it may just be this Hazelnut Latte flavor that is the problem ... it's a bit overwhelming. Well, let's get back on track and stay there! Jamie is going to work out a strength training routine for me today, and I will continue to work on my cardio. My goal is to go at least 3 times this week ... anything more will just be icing on the cake. FIN!

Day 13 - Wake Up! (14/16)

My leggies are so tired...not really sore...but tired. I would not have argued if I were told to stay in bed til noon today, but I'm capable of sleeping til noon almost any given day. I guess it's just my nature to be a night owl and NOT a morning person. Unfortunately, most jobs begin at 8 am like mine...snooooooooore...I wonder if this exercise stuff will eventually give me more energy...it's supposed to. Last night I did more treadmill and elliptical. I haven't really started changing it up yet. I really want to try to get my cardio up to par, but I guess I'm going to add some squats and pushups and such. That can be next week's goal...I already have one for this week. So far I've made it everyday this week, but it's only Wednesday. It's tough, but I'm trying! Each time I get on the treadmill I try to jog a little bit ... even if it's just 1 minute or 2 minutes. I know I'll work myself back up to where I used to be and beyond, but it's going to be slow going probably. The treadmill has never been this challenging in my life. The food is going okay. Livestrong.com tells me that I'm taking in a lot of sugar, but I guess that is from the oatmeal and the fruit because the drinks and puddings I eat are generally sugar free. I don't want to get too drastic with my diet. I want it to be realistic and something I can live with.

Day 12 - Queue the World's Smallest Violin (14/16)

Man! I have had such a headache and been so sleepy all day! I keep nodding off at my desk...well, more like head bobbing. I've been keeping my livestrong.com account up to date with my food and exercise entries, and I've been trying to post on here almost everyday. Now...if only getting to the gym were just a click away...sigh. The gym thing is such a struggle for me. I'd much rather lie on the couch, eat my dinner, watch American Idol, and pass out. JEN'S A SLEEPY GIRL!! I always stay up later than I really should. I seem to find something every night that I want to keep watching or playing with on the internet. DARN YOU "OPERATION REPO" and FARMVILLE!!! If I were as diligent with my weight loss as I am with my Farmville, then I'd be a FOX! But alas...I am not...YET! I'm not giving up yet. It is just slow going at the moment since I've been out of the game for several months. Cardio used to be a breeze to me, but now I struggle to complete 30 minutes...and I am REALLY trying. I bet I could run faster if I had someone stand behind me with a caddle prod. GET ALONG LITTLE JENNY!! YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAW!!!!

Day 11 - Gym Week (14/16)

This week my goal is to go to the gym for 30 mintues EVERYDAY. My plan is to try to go right after work, so I don't have a chance to get lazy on the couch. If I get it over with before 6 o'clock, then I won't miss a bit of American Idol, Supernatural, or Vampire Diaries...right? RIGHT! The hardest part is making myself go. It's all well and good to say it, but it is quite another task to DO IT. Today marks the one month anniversary that Soda and I have been separated. If I can do that, then I can do the gym thing for sure. I'm learning to make habits of things. I can't say I haven't considered having a soda in the past month. I was even tempted this past weekend at the movie theater. BUT, I didn't get my typical bucket-o-cola...I thought about how hard I'd worked to get this far, and I just said no. I did NOT say no to a tasty snack at the theater. Yes, those gummi sharks and M&M's never had a chance. I guess the calories I saved by not drinking a coke were made up for. Oh well ... I still gotta have some fun ... right?!?! DON'T JUDGE ME!!! AHHHHHH! hehehe... We DID end up going out with friends to dinner on Friday night, but we DID make it an entire week without eating out up until that point...so some kudos are deserved. I ate a greek gyro and some fries, and I DID NOT count how many calories beforehand. I made my zuchinni pasta on Saturday night, and the only thing we ate yesterday was a Digiorno pizza (which was not very tasty). The weekend was a little bit more junky than the week, but not to the extreme that it had been. I guess the gyro, fries, and pizza were my only sins ... oh ... and the movie candy. It's a process...I'm working on it...At least I'm starting to feel better about things. I just CANNOT give up and go back to my old ways!

Day 7 - Same Ole, Same Ole (14/16)

There is not much to update today. I've eaten the same meals as usual. I plan on going to the gym tonight. I didn't go last night because I was being lazy. I played on the computer and washed the dog instead...WAHOOO! I've not had that starving feeling like during previous diet attempts. Although, I do find myself constantly looking for a snack at the house. I'm not dying to have a snack, but it would make me happier...hehe. My pants are still cutting off the circulation to my lower body ...not literally... but, man, they are TIGHT. Week ONE is coming to a close. I'm hoping it will become second nature shortly...especially the gym part...

Day 6 - Kickin' it Old School (14/16)

I actually made it to the gym last night! Spent 30 minutes listening to my old N'SYNC cd on my MP3 player while on the elliptical since some Butt Face wouldn't get off the only functional treadmill. Seriously, the dude was STILL running when I left the gym. Anyhoot, it was not easy ... it used to be a breeze to go 30 minutes on the elliptical...hopefully it will be again sometime soon. Had a salad last night for dinner. I don't mind that so much since I don't have to cook. I may go to the gym tonight or tomorrow night or BOTH. Just depends on how I feel when I get home. I'm almost to the 1 month marker of my "no soda" quest. I had the urge today for the first time in a couple weeks because I was SO thirsty when I woke up. I chugged water instead. It's not quite as flavorful, but it also does not burn my stomach. The meal plan is pretty much the same for today and the rest of the week. I may cook some different things on the weekend. We are STILL not eating out. I'm hoping we can stick to that. We agreed that we could go ONCE a month. We shall see in time...

Day 5 - It's TOO SOON! (14/16)

It's too soon for me to be slipping up already. Jeez. The food situation is fine. I've been staying between 1300 - 1500 calories a day, BUT the gym situation is not great yet. Maybe I'm trying to do too much at once. I missed yesterday because I went home and planted myself on the couch and quickly fell asleep for the next 6 HOURS!!! I'll let it go this time since I know I was exhausted from lack of sleep the night before, BUT TODAY there are no excuses. I'm gonna carry my cubby bunny butt down to the gym, and hop on the elliptical for at least 20 minutes and the treadmill at least 10 minutes. I may only go 3 times this week, but my goal is to go everyday during the week and have weekends off. I think I COULD go everyday for the rest of this week, but I'm afraid of burning myself out with too much too soon. A couple months ago, I started the Couch to 5k program and injured myself within the first two weeks. I think I'll have to work my way up to that program. I DO NOT want another shin splint...OUCH! I guess nobody said that this wasn't going to be a struggle.

Day 4 - Counting Calories (14/16)

If I eat just what I've planned for the day, then I'll only be at 1100 calories...and that is a high estimate. I seriously am NOT trying to starve myself. Time for a list:

Instant Oatmeal
Apple
Turkey/Whole Wheat Sandwich
Carrots & Dip
Pudding Cup
Banana
Greek Salad (dinner) (**UPDATE** - I had a cheese quesadilla instead of a salad courtesy of my husband ... so that took me up to about 1300 calories for the day)

I have some stuff to snack on at home if need be. I definitely don't want to send my body into starvation mode because that'll just make things worse. I used the Live Strong website to track my calories. http://www.livestrong.com/profile/jendazzle83/ The "MyPlate" section lets you search for foods by type or brand name. Nice! I don't know how much I'll use this, but it is nice to have around for a reference.

I've been feeling really blobby all day. My clothes are super tight, and it makes me SO uncomfortable (physically and emotionally). We are just at the beginning, so it's too soon for my standard negative attituded. The plan is to head to the gym tonight. Although, I'm almost certain I'll need a nap first since I'm going on about 4.5 hours of sleep. The holiday got my sleep schedule all funked up.

DAY 1 - It's the new year (14/16)

It's day 1! We're going to head to the grocery store and buy healthy stuff! We're also going to the gym at some point since I'm off today. Here we go...I hope to report some sort of results in the next month or two.