Friday, June 29, 2007

Nearly Recovered!

2.25 pounds of trip weight and period puff are gone!

I've been eating between 1800 - 2000 calories a day and working out.

6/26/07 Elliptical - 33:41 min, 2.72 mi, 300.0 cal, 4088 strides
6/28/07 Elliptical - 48:00 min, 4.03 mi, 462.0 cal, 6208 strides

I was 154.25 this morning, the same weight I was June first! Looks Like
I will break even this month. Hopefully things will continue turn
around, and I will get back under 150 by the end of July. :)


-= Mental Health =-

An article recently featured on WebMD talked about how being "good" can be bad for your weight loss.

Food should not be an ethical dilemma. Eating a piece of cake won't land you in dieter's prison, but dwelling in the good/bad mentality will make it harder for you to lose weight.

No carbs. No desserts. No food after 6 PM... people often set "rules" like these when trying to lose weight. But ironically, they're the very things that hinder success!

Setting diet rules creates an all-or-nothing mentality: You can't have or do something, and if you do, you've failed. Seeing yourself as a failure makes it easy to just give up entirely!

Dieters tend polarize foods as 'good or bad,' and then pass judgment on themselves based on what they eat. When you eat a 'bad' food, you're bad. Those negative emotions then spur you to eat more!

Rather than beating yourself up remind yourself that sometimes it's okay to splurge. As long as your next choice is a healthy one, you are back on track. :)

I have a sweet tooth. Cutting out sweets would make me feel deprived.
So allow yourself your favorite treat, in small amounts.

Chocolate
  • Adora calcium disks
  • Bite size or fun sized candy bars
  • Dove Promises
  • Hershey's Kisses
Ice Cream
  • Skinny Cow Ice Cream sandwich
  • 60 calories each Dove miniatures
Weight Watchers snack cakes....

You get the idea! ;)

Giving yourself permission to indulge will help evaporate guilt and quell the desire to overdo it.

When stress cravings strike, the first thing you should do is think or say out loud, 'Am I actually hungry, or would doing something relaxing like calling a friend or listening to music
make me feel better?' If you are honest with yourself, odds are food won't be the answer. Work to develop healthier coping strategies. And to prepare for future stress. Try making a list of your favorite food-free ways to unwind. I honestly have a text file called "Happy List.txt" at work, and when I feel stressed, I open it and read all the things that I am thankful for, and it makes me feel better. :)

But let's say your happy list is not around, and you start eating ice cream with a spoon driectly out of the containter... well here is a way to stop mid-binge.

Once you realize you are over-eating try popping a piece of gum. You could also try brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash. It sounds simple, but it provides an opportunity to think about whether you really want to continue eating.

I find that once I am "minty fresh," I don't want to dirty up my mouth again. Crazy but it works for me. :)

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Period + Trip = Not Good :(

Last Sunday I was in a car at this time riding down to Urban, IL for work.

I worked there Monday and Tuesday from 5 AM to 6 PM in the Hospital supporting the nursing staff.

Wednesday was another travel day, driving the 4 hours back to Wisconsin, then flying out to
Philadelphia! Thursday and Friday I worked at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Then yesterday, I finally got to fly home!!

It's been a busy week. I did not take time to really "exercise" because I was running around hospitals and through airports, etc... The majority of my meals this week were in hospital cafeterias. It was so hard to eat healthy. On top of all that - my period started at 12:45 AM (EDT) Friday Morning. AGH!

I hope this doesn't sound too whiny or that I am making excuses... but I just feel so over whelmed by it all.

I was 156.50 this morning... Last time I posted my weight here it was 153.50. That's three pounds this trip and my period added to me. Which isn't really that bad. Nearly typical for this time of the month.

I'll get to work on burning it off again, but it feels like I never get anywhere. There is always something that comes along and throws a wrench in my works.

I will be able to eat healthy this week and get back into my usual routine!

I just need to remind myself that even though I gained three pounds since the 15th, I still have over 130+ pounds that I have kept off for good. It's just these last 10 keep finding a way to come back! ;)

Cheers,

Jess

Friday, June 15, 2007

Tough Times Ahead

I was sick on Monday and Tuesday with that same recurring throat aliment. I feel a painful tightness or a “catch” when I swallow, speak, yawn, or even turn my head the wrong way. Last month it was diagnosed as GERD, but after a month of a restricted diet, and taking medication… It’s still there!! So my doctor sent me to a specialist.

The specialist x-rayed me eating barium-laced pudding and cookies. (Fun, fun...) But they still don’t know what’s wrong! Argh! On the plus side though, they did conclude that what is wrong with me is not GERD! Yeah! Spicy food here I come!! Oh! And I CAN EAT CHOCOLATE AGAIN!!!! Hallelujah!

Even with the “Welcome back chocolate” celebration I had, I am down another quarter pound. I was 153.50 pounds this morning! That’s 3/4 pounds gone in June so far! :-D But now things are going to get tough!

This Saturday is a big Family Reunion POTLUCK. You know, Grandma’s extra special homemade baked beans, potato salad, “Death by Chocolate”… Too much food that tastes way too good. It is going to be hard!

After the Potluck, Aaron and I are going on a “dinner-and-a-movie” date because I’m going on another week long business trip starting Sunday.

Next week I will be eating every meal at a restaurant. (Plus, the stress of traveling, and working 13+ hours in a healthcare setting...)

Last business trip I was able to come back the same weight as I left! Hopefully I will be just as successful this trip. I will be vigilant with my meals, and make time to do something healthy no matter how “tired” I am.


AM Weight 153.50

Elliptical
==================================
47:39 min, 4.05 mi, 470.1 cal, 6436 strides

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

My New "Toy"

As you may remember, I was in Physical Therapy for my tailbone a few months ago. I had been using a stationary bike for the majority of my exercise… but with my broken bootie, I couldn’t use it!

My therapist recommended I try swimming, or an elliptical trainer for aerobic exercise because of my bad tailbone, and “crunchy knees.”

I have very sensitive skin, so spending hours each week in a pool was not a viable option… and I did not want to join a gym, just to stand in line waiting for the ONE piece of equipment I can comfortably use… So we decided to save up to buy a really good elliptical trainer for our home.

While we researched machines and saved up, I gained about 7 pounds with my restricted exercise regimen. I did a lot of weight training, but no cardio. I gained about 1 ½ pounds each month. I’m pretty sure most of it was muscle, and tried not to get alarmed as my weight climbed.

Memorial Day Weekend we drove down to Loves Park, IL to shop for an elliptical trainer! I fell in love with the Precor EFX 5.21i. Precor invented the elliptical trainer, and had over 250 patients on their machine, and wow, could I feel a difference!





It was delivered and assembled on 5/31/07, and I’ve used it nearly every day since then! :)

I’ve dropped half a pound, and WOW, does that feels so good! ;-)


TODAY'S STATS
=====================================

AM Weight - 153.75

Exercise - Elliptical Trainer, Heart Rate Program
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48:00 min, 447.7 cal, 5638 Strides, 3.93mi


Breakfast
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
110 Fat Free Yogurt
55 ¼ c. All-Bran Buds

AM Snack
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
180 Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars

Lunch
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
240 2 slices 12 Grain - Whole Grain Bread
80 4 slices Natural Turkey Lunchmeat
35 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Cheese
10 Lettuce

PM Snack
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
140 Banana


700 total calories so far today.


I haven’t heard anything back from People yet.

Cheers!

Jess