Day 29

Well, I've not been that good about posting all of my food, but I'm still on track.  I got out the scale yesterday, and I've lost a total of 10 pounds!  I'm so excited!  It's so nice to know that my efforts are working.  Yesterday we also had a health scare for Billy.  He woke me up at 5:50 with chest pains.  Well, his mom and dad both passed away from heart issues, so we went to the hospital.  I was exhausted and worried, so I got a coke.  The first sip tasted heavenly!  But honestly, after that 1st sip it just wasn't exciting.  I kept thinking that it tasted bad and I wished I had gotten water.  Thankfully, Billy was ok, just a pulled cartilage in his ribs.  The doctor said it would hurt, but it's harmless.

We tried a new dish tonight.  I fixed spaghetti squash!  It was good, but a little bland.  Next time we've got to try it with more seasonings and added flavor.

We've also decided that we're going to walk on Saturday for the Easter Seals.  It's a 2 mile walk.  To prepare, we've been walking around the neighborhood 2 times on our evening walks.  It's so good to know that we're getting better at this.

Day 23

Well, we're back from our road trip and funeral.  The weather was beautiful, the beach amazing, the family great, and the funeral sad.  The diet I've been working with such dedication simply wasn't conducive to a 1200 mile road trip, so I took a little break from it.  And I'm SO glad I did.  We ate in 5-star restaurants, and I would have just cried if I couldn't have enjoyed the very delicious foods they made.  According to the scale, I weigh 279.6 pounds, so I didn't gain any of the weight I lost back, but tomorrow's a new day and it's back on the diet.

Oh, and if you ever get to Santa Cruz, the Dream Inn was right on the beach and very dreamy!

Day 14

I haven't blogged in a while because things kind of went sideways for a while.  My allergies kicked in...in a major way!  I couldn't breathe, I felt horrible.  Billy's best friend was hospitalized for being suicidal and we were worried about him.  Just as I was getting better, we got some bad news.  My mother-in-law, Rita, committed suicide.  It's been horrible and we're all reeling from the news. 

I've done well on the diet, with the exception of 3 days.  One day I had a tiny slice of pizza and 2 bites of apple pie.  When I was really sick, I had 2 slices of pizza, and yesterday, Billy wanted pizza again.  Since it was his mom, I agreed and forced myself to eat more pizza.

Exercise has been another issue.  The night we found out about Rita, there was no way, we were constantly on the phone with family, the next night, Billy went to the hospital to visit his friend.  I'm not comfortable taking the kids for a walk by myself when it's pitch black out.  Hopefully with daylight savings time, we'll be able to walk better in the evenings.

Today I ate:
almonds for breakfast
chicken and veggies for lunch
more chicken and veggies for dinner.

Days 8 & 9

Well, I forgot to post yesterday, so I'll just post for both days today.  Yesterday I went to the store and got a few more goodies to try.  I got feta cheese which was delish!  It tasted kind of like Parmesan cheese, but more moist.  I also got Wasa crackers.  They're low carb, but really high in fiber and they have a great crunch when I need that.

Today was also a fundraiser for school, so we went to dinner at Sammy's Wood-fired Pizza.  I just love their pizzas, and I had a tiny slice of a Hawaiian pizza, really dry chicken, grilled asparagus (totally yum), and 2 bites of an apple pie.  We had fun their with almost 1/2 the class and raised some money for student government.

So...today I ate:
4 3" celery stalks with 1 tsp cashew butter
1/2 small bell pepper with fat free cream cheese
3 oz extra lean ground beef with tons of veggies mixed in
2 cup salad with 1 tbsp vinaigrette 
1 chicken breast from Sammy's Wood-fired Pizza
4 stalks roasted asparagus
1 small slice of Hawaiian pizza
2 bites apple pie

today I exercised:
I walked with Billy and the dogs.

yesterday I ate:
1 cup bell peppers and celery stalks
1 tsp cashew butter
1 tsp fat free cream cheese
3 oz extra lean ground beef with tons of veggies mixed in
2 cups salad with 1 tbsp vinaigrette and a tbsp feta cheese
1 Wasa cracker with fat free cream cheese
2 cups salad
1 cup ground turkey with taco seasoning and onions mixed in
1 tbsp salsa

yesterday I exercised:
I walked with Billy and the dogs in the RAIN!  How's that for dedication?

Tonight's Recipe for Chicken in a Basalmic Vinegar Sauce

Ok, I'm really loving the veggies lately, so tonight I made chicken in a balsamic vinegar sauce with TONS of veggies.  It was really easy.

preheat the oven to 350
chicken breasts (enough to feed the family)
1 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cups chicken stock
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
1 onion, chopped small, I used purple...so pretty
2 celery stalks, chopped small
1/2 zucchini, chopped small
8 cloves garlic, chopped small
handful of frozen sliced shitaki mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil

I put the olive oil in a pan and heated it up; add chicken breasts, and brown on each side, set aside in a baking dish; add all of the veggies into the pan and saute them until they're mostly cooked; pour veggies over chicken in baking dish; in the pan, add the balsamic vinegar and chicken stock, simmer until it reduces; pour reduced sauce over chicken and veggies, cover with foil and bake until a meat thermometer reads 160

It was so very yummy!  Billy poured some of the veggies and sauce over his mashed potatoes and just LOVED IT.  Even the 4 year old was asking for 3rds!

Day 7

Home from my weekend away, and I really enjoyed myself and was able to stick to the diet!!!  It's been a week today and I find that I'm feeling pretty good.  I haven't had bread, rice, pasta, or potatoes in 7 days, and I survived!  I just have no interest right now in candy.  Billy just called and asked me if I wanted any Girl Scout cookies.  I told him to get some for the family, but I won't have any.  I don't feel deprived, I feel motivated!  It's such a good feeling to know that I'm able to say no.

Today I ate:
1/2 veggie omelet from IHOP (no cheese or tomatoes)
1/4 cup red bell pepper
3/4 cup spicy ground turkey
1/2 chicken breast in basalmic vinegar sauce with TONS of veggies...totally YUM!
1/2 cup green beans
lots of water

Today I exercised:
went for a walk with the dogs and my husband in the rain

Day 6

I was out of town this weekend, and despite it, I was able to maintain my diet.  It was a little harder, and I didn't get enough veggies eaten today, but that was the only hiccup in my diet this weekend.

Today I ate:
Chicken fajita omelet with onions
chicken marinated in white wine and lemon juice
a big salad with 2 tsp italian dressing
lots and lots of water

Today I exercised:
Billy and I walked 20 minutes to the restaurant and then 20 minutes back from the restaurant

Day 5

Yesterday was a good day, except for my allergies.  Spring has sprung in Las Vegas and it's killing my eyes.  The diet seems to be going good.  At school yesterday, the 2nd year students had a guest speaker and danishes provided.  The person who ordered was kind enough to order enough trays for our class too, and for the 3 hours of class, I was never tempted to get up and get one.  I just sat at my desk, drinking my water and enjoying my bell pepper strips with fat free cream cheese.  My classmates were so proud of me, and I am too!

Yesterday I ate:
8 almonds
8 cashews
3/4 cup spicy ground trukey
1 cup bell peppers and celery with fat free cream cheese
8 oz chicken breast with mushroom, onion, and basalmic vinegar sauce
1 cup broccoli
48 oz water
32 oz ice tea

Yesterday I exercised:
30 minutes of fast walking with Billy

Day 4

Today I had more blood work done.  Hopefully it'll show nothing abnormal and I can simply move forward with getting healthy.  I decided not to keep buying bottles of water, so I just bought a reusable water bottle.  It holds 16 ounces and it has a wide lid so I can put ice cubes in it.  That works good for me because I really dislike drinking warm water.  This afternoon I had to work with the scale for the research project I'm working, and according to it...I've lost another pound!!!  So part of me is wondering if its because of the new diet, if I've only lost water weight, or if its a fluke some how...I guess time will tell.

Today I've eaten:
8 almonds
3 cups Spicy Ground Turkey (1/2 for lunch, 1/2 for dinner)
     has ground turkey, onions, red peppers, zucchini, and garlic....Yum!
1 cup sliced bell peppers and celery with 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese


Today I exercised:
walked for 30 minutes with the kids and the dogs

Day 3

Today I went to the cardiologist to have the testing done to see if I have any heart issues.  Had a treadmill stress test and an echo cardiogram and the results were good.  I have NO health issues, but I do need to get into better shape and lose weight.  Apparently the abnormal EKG was just a scare, and the wake-up call I needed to finally get off the couch.

Today I ate:
15 almonds
4-egg egg salad
1 cup green bell peppers with 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese
8 oz chicken breast with mushroom, onion, and basalmic vinegar sauce
1 cup broccoli
48 oz water
32 oz ice tea

Today I exercised:
walked 30 minutes with kids, mom, Billy, and dogs

Day 2

It's day 2 and so far so good.  It was hard last night at dinner when everyone was having mac-n-cheese with their chicken and I was just having veggies with mine.  And after dinner, it was really hard not to get up and eat.  I wasn't hungry, but I'm so used to eating all evening.  Going for a walk last night was good.  After 20 minutes, though, of pulling the kids and keeping the dog from pulling me, I was ready to be done.  We're going to make it a nightly thing...eat dinner, clear the table, go for a walk.  Tonight we have cheerleading with the girls, so we may need to go walk around the community center. 

Today I ate:

15 almonds
1 cup red and green bell peppers sliced with 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese
2 cup iceberg lettuce with 1/4 cup diced bell pepper and 1 tbsp vinegrette
1/2 cup chicken salad
1 cup chicken
1 cup iceberg lettuce with 1/4 cup diced bell peppers and 1 tbsp homemade mayo
64 ounces water

Today's the day!

Today's the day it all starts.  Again.  I've started so many diets, only to crash and burn within a few weeks.  I've never lost more than 30 pounds at a time, and I've never been able to keep it off.  That has to change.

Last week at the doctor's I got a wake up call...an abnormal EKG.  It's time to make a change while I still can.  So I'm going to post everything here.  I'll post my food diary.  I'll post my exercise.  Most of all, I'll post my thoughts.  So when my journey is at an end, I'll have a record of what happened, and when, and how.

Today's the day it all starts, and this time it's going to work.

Today's diet included:

15 almonds
1/2 cup chicken salad
1 cup sliced red and green bell peppers with 1 tbsp fat free cream cheese
2 cups salad with 1 tbsp vinegrette
4 oz skinless chicken breast
1 cup cauliflower, roasted with seasoning and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup green beans
2 cups water
8 cups ice tea, unsweetened

Today's exercise included:

walking for 30 minutes with kids and dogs