It's been awhile..

         Well it's been about 9 months since the last time I blogged. Around February I started eating what I want and not tracking consistently. I would track sometimes but was not faithful but any means. However, I was not closely watching what I was eating but I was still watching. I stayed withing a 10 pound range in my weight. Unfortunately I have not lost anything since January. If I have lost it is what I have put on. I slacked off on my blogging because I did not want others to see that I wasn't doing what I was supposed. I know, I know that was the entire point of the blog..accountability! Well this time around I hope to stick with my blogging and not slack off because I am not doing like I should be.

         A few weeks ago I told myself this was unacceptable! I want to loose the weight and get healthier and I know what I need to do I was just being too lazy to do it. I started halfway tracking again for a few weeks. My sister told me she was starting weight watchers which was my push to go full force. The only time I get really competitive with weight loss is when it's with my family. I can't let them beat me ;) The first week I lost about 3 pounds and that was all the motivation I needed! I am happy to say that I am beginning to track and exercise more regularly. 

My first challenge:

     Saturday (10-29-11) morning there was a 5k run in Vacherie. That wasn't really the challenge. The challenge was that it was going over the Veteran's Memorial Bridge!!!

  Being that I decided Friday night (10-28-11) that I was doing this race I had not trained one bit! I actually just picked back up on my running during the week. I would run every now and then throughout the year but I had not been consistent. I have to admit that I actually LOVED doing the bridge run! We started further back than what the picture above shows. I ran from the start until probably about half way up the bridge. I walked from that point until I got to the top where it was flat. After I reached the flat surface I ran down the bridge and all the way to the finish line! I did the race in 42:22 coming out 3rd in my age division! There were about 45 people who did the run and I finished 32nd. This definitely has sparked my love for running again. I was running about 2 miles at a time but now I know that I can do 3 so its time to start pushing myself again. 

      This weekend I decided to buy a body bugg and I am so excited about it!!! The body bugg is used on the biggest loser and I have a few friends who have one. The people I know who have one absolutely LOVE them!! It counts your calories burned throughout the day. You log in your calories consumed and it tells you how many you have burned compared to how many consumed. I will try the body bugg with weightwatchers for awhile. If it gets to be too much to track both with weight watchers and the body bugg I will go with the one I find works the most effective. Im excited to get it in and update you with how I like it and how effective it is. 

 

Sorry I have not updated in a week. School just started and I have been trying to stay on track of school work before it piles up on me. Last week I completely forgot Tuesday that my meeting was the next day. Normally I try to eat light on the day before my meetings, but since I forgot about my meeting I ate pretty bad the night before. Therefore it affected my weigh in and I gained .6 that week. But I did not let that get me down, I got right back on track. I have been slacking with calculating my points lately, I have been guessing on most days. This week I got back to tracking everything. My aunt started weightwatchers last week so she had me over for dinner to try out some things she had cooked from the weightwatchers recipes. She gave me some things to take home to try throughout the week and they have been amazing! This week I lost 4.2 lbs for a total of 18 lbs! However, it gets even better. I had lost weight before I started weightwatchers, Im not sure how I did it but I did, and now I am at a total of 27 lbs lost!!! :) I am so excited and so motivated. 

 I have some amazing friends that have been working out with me everyday. It keeps me so motivated and it's such a sweet time to hang out and not only work out but to encourage each other and talk about the Lord. Thanks so much for all of the encouragement and compliments they really do motivate me :)

Holiday update

  Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. It's been a crazy month since the last time I posted. Last time I updated I had lost 4.2 for a total of 9, well now I am at a loss of 14.4 :) I'm going to try to break it down by weeks but I don't know how good my memory will be, well see. hah

The week of December 8 I lost 3lbs for a total of 12. I reached my 5% goal and could not have been happier! That was the first time I saw a 1 at the beginning of my weight in years. I actually cried at the meeting when I saw the number. I was so happy and couldn't believe that that was MY weight and I had accomplished that. It felt so good! Amanda treated me to Izzo's as my treat. I also bought a new pair of jeans, a size down :)

 The following week, the week of December 15 I was in Mobile for the week at a friend's house. I went grocery shopping and planned my meals out, but we still ate out a few times. Also, I went from working out every day of the week to about 2 times that week I was there. I was gone for a little over a week (Dec. 11- Dec. 21) so that was a big difference for me. It was a very lazy week and I pretty much just lounged around the entire week. Needless to say I gained 3 lbs that week, which was exactly what I lost the week before. 

 Then I was home for 5 days (Christmas included in those 5 days). That was tough but I was determined to do better before I left for my next trip to Nashville. I closely watched what I ate and exercised everyday knowing I was going to be gone another week with no exercise. While in Nashville we had to walk everywhere we went so that helped out a lot. I didn't have food on me to constantly munch on so it was pretty much just my meals I ate. I lost what I gained the week before and a little more. I lost 3.8 lbs for a total of 12.8. 
 Our room was on the 23 floor so one day a few friends and myself decided to take the stairs to see if we could make it. I made it to either the 10th or 11th floor and then took the elevator. The next day I took the stairs to go down twice that day. My calf muscles were sore for days after, but it felt good to have been able to do that. It was harder than I expected it to be.

 Coming off of all of my vacations I was so happy to be back at home and able to go grocery shopping and not have to eat out. I was also so excited to be able to exercise everyday. I lost 1.6 this week for a total of 14.4 lbs. It's amazing the difference I can feel. I finally was able to notice the loss when I looked at a picture this weekend. I have been able to feel a difference but I couldn't so much see it. Now that I can see it I am motivated to keep going stronger. The new pair of jeans that I told yall about at the beginning of this message are now getting loose on me. I was able to take them off the other night without unbuttoning them. Now if that is not motivation I don't know what is! Im already down one size and about to be down another, I'm so excited!  

  I have been running about 5 days a week. I want to run the Crescent City Classic again this year. Last year when I did it I ran every other mile for a total of 3 miles. My goal this year is to run the entire 6.2 miles! I am so excited about this and I am right on track with the training schedule. 

 Sorry for the delay in updates. Now that I am all caught up I can go back to my weekly updates. Thanks for all of the encouragement and support that yall give me. When I get accountability, encouragement, compliments, etc from people I get excited and it keeps me going stronger. I love you guys so much! 

Week 7

   So I do not have a lot of time to type something out, sorry! This week has been crazy busy. However I did loose 4.2 pounds for a total of 9 pounds!!!!! I am so thrilled!!!! Oh my goodness this is so exciting for me. I am only a pound away from my 5% weight loss. Once I get there my roommate is treating me to one of my most favorite places to eat, Izzo's :) :) :)  I actually could have cheated a week ago when my sister offered to bring me Izzo's home from Baton Rouge, but didn't take the offer because I didn't want to reward myself before I had accomplished my goal.

  We started a completely new program this week called POINTSPLUS and  everything is different. I will tell yall more about it next week. This program just started this Monday so once I have about a week under my belt I will let yall know how things are going. Sorry I don't have time to say much more but I promise next week I will talk about some of my accomplishments/struggles from this week. Sorry for all of the :) and ! but if you can't tell I am SUPER EXCITED about my accomplishments this week. 

P.s. That's -4.2 coming off of Thanksgiving week. Guess planning ahead for about 2 or 3 weeks really does help out ;)

Week 5 and 6

So I kind of slacked last week, sorry about that guys! 

Week 5.. -1.8 for a total loss of 6lbs. This was such an exciting week for me. One of the biggest changes that I made was cooking rather than eating smart ones for almost every meal. I was so excited to see this number and so encouraged to try even harder the next week. 

Week 6.. +1.2. This was the dreaded day that I was hoping to never see for a long time, a plus :( Even though I was so encouraged by last weeks weight loss I slipped, A LOT. I didn't really track, and I ate more candy than I should have. It was tough to see that number this morning but it was definitely a wake up call. 

I noticed at one point this past week when I was eating junk that I wasn't thinking healthy, I was thinking diet. I was thinking as I ate the junk "Oh I'll just count it into my points and that will be good and plus I have the extra 35 points for the week." Until, the last time I ate the junk I reminded myself this is not just about weight loss, its about keeping my body healthy and glorifying the Lord. Once I reminded myself of that I became guilty of everything I had eaten. I didn't beat myself up over it, I just picked up from where I was and continued positively. Another big factor was my lack of exercise. I notice that when I do not exercise I eat poorly. This is an encouragement to exercise daily, or at least 4-5 a week. It helps me to make healthier food decisions. It's so sweet to be constantly reminded that I am doing this for the Lord and for my health. It is sweet to see the Lord work in every single aspect of my life, even what I am putting into my body.

 

Something else I reminded myself of this week was what my highest weight was. I have loss 6 pounds since I started weight watchers but 17 total pounds. Before I had started weight watchers I had somehow lost the 11 pounds. I think a large portion of that was when I had gotten sick the week before and couldn't eat for 3 days. And what I did try to eat or drink did not stay down. However, I lost a total of 17 pounds and that is something to be so proud of, and believe me I am very proud!!! :) I was wondering how I felt so good loosing only 6 pounds but when I realized that I lost 17 it all made sense. This has definitely encouraged me to continue this journey to being healthy. 

One last thing. One of the weight watchers members that went to the same meetings as I did passed away last week. Please keep her family in your prayers. She was such a sweet and happy lady!

Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Here's a new recipe I found on the Weight Watchers website and decided to give it a try. Man oh man was that a great decision! I absolutely LOVED it :) So I wanted to share it with everyone just in case yall ever wanted to try it out. I used bell peppers instead of yellow peppers and tony's instead of the red pepper and also forgot the basil. It has 6 servings, which will be great to keep for throughout the week. After I ate lunch I portioned the rest of it out that way throughout the week all I have to do is grab a bag and warm it up.     I will try to share with yall when I come across great recipes that I really enjoy!    Course: main meals POINTS® Value:    5 Servings:  6 Preparation Time:  15 min Cooking Time:  25 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy   Spicy sausage, red wine and fire-roasted tomatoes come together in this ragout-like sauce. Truly hearty and satisfying. Ingredients 1/2 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, Italian-style, casings removed    2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin    2 medium yellow pepper(s), cut into 2-inch long thin strips    1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced    1/2 cup(s) red wine    1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic    28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted recommended    1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste    1/4 tsp table salt    8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fusilli    1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped    Instructions Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat with back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove to a plate. Heat oil in same skillet. Add yellow peppers and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lightly colored and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and garlic; cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt and browned sausage; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is heated through, about 10 minutes. While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sauce and basil; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving. Notes The sauce is also good spooned over rice. Toss in some fennel seeds for even greater flavor.

Week 4

-.8 for a total loss of 4.2 :)
I get so nervous/excited when I wake up on Wednesday "weigh in" mornings. I'm so excited to see the progress but so nervous at the same time. When I weighed in today I couldn't see the scale and she took a little longer to write the number so I got really nervous for a minute, but thankfully it turned out good. 
   The beginning of my week was a little rough. I was staying in my point range but I felt as if I were not eating well. I was saving points and eating some unhealthier things and after a few days I was starting to feel it. It's funny that even though I was eating my points, if it wasn't healthy it was making me feel different. I love the way a change of food and exercise can make you feel. Those days I was eating like that were also days that I was not exercising. Once I started exercising was when I started to truly feel guilty. It's amazing how much food and exercise go together. When I am exercising I crave healthier foods, when I'm not exercising I crave unhealthier foods. I love the feeling of craving healthy food. I tried onions and bell peppers in my salad for the first time this week and loved it! Well I didn't love the onions, I liked the onions but I loved the bell peppers. Now I am trying to game plan for thanksgiving. I know what I normally eat can not be eaten this year. I am so thankful that we have been talking about it in the meetings. By time thanksgiving day comes I will have thought about what I will eat on that day for about three weeks. Hopefully I'll stick to my game plan ;)
   I have been LOVING exercise! I kind of slacked at the end of the week last week, but on Saturday it was on. Saturday and Sunday I did the Biggest Loser bootcamp DVD. Man oh man I am still sore from it. It was much harder when I added the second part (week 3) to it that I had not been doing. On Monday I went to Jenee's bootcamp class at the rec at school. Well that just added to the soreness, but I love her class so much. She is so encouraging and so energetic. She's not one of those instructors who yell at you, she is super sweet which is why I think I am so motivated to work harder in her class. 
I also bought a bike this week :) My roomate Amanda has been having one for a few months now and we  have been talking about me getting one so that we can go on bike rides together. Well Santa came a little early this year and I got my bike this week ;) We rode our bikes to campus and then went pay our water bill and then back to the house and then later to the gym. haha We were so excited that day and just wanted to ride everywhere. The plan is to ride our bikes to the gym everyday, workout, and then ride home. We also want to go to the St. Tammany trace more often and ride along the trace for a few hours. I will probably bring my bike home on the weekends so my mom and I can ride together on Saturday mornings. I am so excited about this new fun way of exercise. 
  The most exciting phone call this week was when my mom called a few days ago. She went to the doctor and the doctor told her that she HAS to change her eating habits and get some weight off. I am so thrilled about this because I have been begging my mom to start weight watchers with me since I have started. I ask her to exercise with me when I am home but she always rejects. Well she totally has a new attitude on things and I am excited to start and continue this life journey with my mom. She is not doing weight watchers, she is doing something else the doctor suggested, but just being on this journey to healthiness together is exciting.