Shrink for Good

The challenge starts TODAY and will run 7 weeks until October 17, 2009.
The details: After today, we will weigh-in on Wednesdays, as usual. Each week, after you weigh-in, we encourage you to go out and BUY NON-PERISHABLE FOOD products (think canned goods, etc… preferably HEALTHY!) in an amount equaling the amount of weight you lost.
1 pound = 16 ounces

At the end of 7 weeks, you will hopefully have a nice stack of non-perishable food items! You are going to donate these food items that you are going to WORK SO HARD for to your local food bank!
YOU = Focus on healthy eating, exercise, and well-being.
LOG your starting weight today. (or when you jump into this challenge if you are reading this later!)
WEIGH-IN on Wednesdays with us.
COLLECT non-perishable items in the amount of weight lost for the next 7 weeks. Photos encouraged, but not mandatory. ;o)
DONATE your food collection at the end of this challenge.

Off the Wagon

Recall how I said I was on the border of falling either way, and I was scared if I fell the wrong way ... I fell to the wrong side. I fell but I haven't completely let go of the wagon. I am holding on for dear life to a rope attached to that wagon and trying with all my might to get back in.

I've been going through some personal issues and this past week I let them get to me. I let them take control but today I decided that I'm the one in control of my life. There is just no way that I am going back ... to my old weight, to my old life ... there is just no way.

Mojo's

So many excused are floating in my brain as to why I can just skip one day or maybe two on the menu plan.

1. Going to Shakey's tonight for a Fundraiser and for sure I am eating mojo's drenched in ketchup.
2. I'm not going to weigh myself this weekend.
3. Going to Vegas for the weekend.
4. The pain on my knee is keeping me from the gym

With all these excuses I am terrified that if I fall back, it is going to take me a long time to get back where I am now. I just can't do this to myself again.

Well not completly to the T

There are issues going on at home that have my brain pre occupied. I've been feeling a bit down and those feelings normally tend to make me over eat. I look towards food for comfort. Oh eating some creamy pasta sure comforts me.

I didn't go that over board, the only thing I ate off the menu was mango with chili powder - 1/2 pound to be exact. BUT the problem is that I did want to throw the eating plan out the window and was so waiting to hear the Elote Man. Thank God, the Elote Man didn't pass by my block, or I think I would of bought two. I'm worried that I may stray off the plan and it would take a while to get back on it. I can feel that I am just about at that spot where I can start sabotaging myself again.

Food Plan

The trainer I have been seeing on Saturday mornings has me (and the rest of the group) on a eating plan. We are going on the third week and I am just about sick of it. BUT this week I will follow it to a T*. I didn't follow it for dinner, and the scale showed a one pound gain.

Here's the Menu
Need to eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours

Breakfast
Regular Oat meal cooked with water
add: raisins, blue berries, strawberries or black berries
1 egg egg (cooked anyway you want)

Snack
Fat Free Yogurt (Yoplait is the bets)
1 medium fruit

Lunch
Option 1
Green Salad
Lettuce and all the veggies you want
Cooked chicken breast no skin (size deck of cards)
No creamy dressings

Option 2
Subway
6" Turkey on Wheat
No cheese/No Mayo

Snack
Option 1
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 banana
1 glass of milk (soy or fat free)

Option 2
Small bowl of fruit salad of
grape fruit
orange
cantaloupe

Dinner
Grilled chicken or salmon (size of a deck of card)
1 cup veggies
1 small salad

*Well sort of to the T. I eat a whole banana for the 2nd snack, drink the milk with dinner and I either have chicken or subway for dinner.

two piece

The first picture was taken May 2008, the second July 2009.
I so want to see a difference, but maybe it's just my imagination. I've been working my butt off this past month, and hopefully when I take a new picture in a couple of weeks we can see the difference.

No Camera / No Pictures

There were days that taking a daily picture felt like a burden and took the fun out of the site and now that I want to take daily pictures again, I don't have a camera. My daughter took the camera on her European vacation, she will be returning shortly and then I will be able to post pictures.

There so much that I'm excited about in my weight loss journey that I believe pictures would tell a better story.

I'm out of the 200 (finally!) forever.
Signed up at a gym.
Seeing a personal trainer on Saturdays

Hiking

My first hiking adventure. A few times I thought my heart was going to explode at how loud I could hear it pounding in my ears. A lot of times I wanted to turn around and go back down, okay maybe 3 times I seriously thought about it. If it wasn't that I went with a friend, I would have done it.