summerglamgirl

Hi everyone,

I am just here to report once you get a handle on your eating habits you will be on the road to weightloss.  How?  Well that is not the easy part.  What worked for me maybe different then you, but here is what worked for me and is still working right now…

1)  Start viewing food as a fuel source not a tastebud tantalizer!  I like food that tastes good just like the next gal, but I did things slowly.  Morning:  unsweetened oatmeal, raisans, and vanilla.  (not the tastiest but it is filling and it can be topped with toasted flax seed which is great for your health too and filling as well)

Lunch:  1 slice of whole wheat bread peanut butter (unsweetened)

Snack: cottage cheese  Dinner:  I love dinner! ;o

I usually have a cup of steamed veggies (variety)

a lean protein (chicken, fish or veggie burger) for fat I always cut up some avocado (it helps reduce my cravings for fatty foods) Plus, I throw in tons of lettuce and arugula.  Sometimes I add a bit of dressing (be careful here) or light sour cream.  I also can add a small amount of carbs because I exercise right before.  So I will have tortilla shells about 2.  Sometimes I will eat a very thin cut pizza (Palermos in the frozen section) 1 serving, and add to a salad.  It only has 300-something cals and has a lot of protein if you get the supreme one.

2) As far as how I handle cravings:  Well lately I honestly haven’t had any because I think I have done a great job training by body over the last 5 months.  However, before I would always have a bag of barbeque popped chips on hand.  Very flavorful! & 18 chips = 120 calories and not fried so better for you.   They come in bags that contain 3 servings so even if you eat the whole thing (binge) you are only getting 360 calories.  Nice!!  I am not perfect therefore, there have been times that I have eaten bad foods for a couple days straight.

My advice to myself and anyone else as soon as you get your share of a bad food- stop right there don’t continue with eating other foods just  because you gave into one.  I believe sometimes hormonally we need these other foods on occasion but we need to then immediately get back on track afterward. 

3) Catch yourself if you find yourself reaching for food anytime you are stressed (this is a bigee).  Don’t ever allow yourself to eat when you are feeling a pinch of stress.  Wait until you have a better handle and can make better judgement calls. 

4) Workouts are important - because you are putting so much work into yourself I believe you are a bit more careful with the eating.  Workouts are also like a brush and can paint your body the shades you want it!  Good luck everyone!  Just wanted to share some of my personal ideas! Hope someone finds it useful.

Hey everyone,

I am estatic right now!! For the first time in a long time I am wearing a skirt and couldn’t be prouder of my toned legs!!  I actually haven’t wore skirts in the past 5 years!!!

I feel great - I haven’t hit my goal weight yet, but I am relaxed at this point I know all the patterns of my body already –I have been documenting them since January.  I always gain during a certain time of the month and maintain during a couple weeks then drop the weight during another time of the month.  So as long as I keep eating right, and exercising and changing things up on my body I will continue to get in better and better shape!  I also want to point out and thank everyone on this site for helping me realize that I have been guilty of emotional eating! I didn’t even know it. Just like the first time I got on a scale and it said 169, I thought it was broken!  It wasn’t until after I seen a picture of me (actually my before that I have posted) that I realized how much weight I had gained!  Well getting back to topic because I now know that my overeating was linked to emotions I can and have changed that factor!!

I am thrilled right now.  Size 5 clothes are even being pulled out as they fit too snug right now, but very soon they will ease right on!!  I am elated.  Now I will get a little tan going on and its all good.

I have been on a mission since my last post here where I moved on after a binge.  The best thing I ever did- quickly walking away from it and preventing further damage!  I am now down another pound this week and working toward more!  I am within 3 pounds to my posted goal of 135 and once I reach it I will be setting a lower goal of 130.  It is great right now for me since last Tuesday I have been eating right and seeing food as nutrients and fuel - the right way.  Don’t get me wrong those nutrients and fuel still taste good though!! I am really motivated right now perhaps it is because I am so close to my goal or perhaps I just have built up a liking for the new habits I have been forming over the past few months, whatever the case I am on cloud 9!!

It is astounding to feel the sense of control that starts to come as you advance in your progress. I went to a breakfast buffet for Father’s Day and did not get tempted one bit to eat any deserts or other “goodies” like homefries or potato salad that I would not have been able to resist just a couple of months ago. I just desired healthy foods. It was nice to make a few trips up to the buffet tables and pick different healthy options.  Of course it depends on what buffet you go to - this one was great!

I have really started focusing on my abs and it is great as the flab decreases you can see all the work that is being done.  I have been doing lots of reps and working all the different muscle groups it feels great!  I am also loving all the cardio I do and have been reaching new heights lately! It is so nice to stick to a plan and suceed and feel good doing it!  I am so happy I stuck it out and made it this far!  I wish everyone continued success in their personal endevours and my advice is stick with it through good days and bad days - ups and downs it will be worth it.

Well, I am back in action.  After being on a seriouly good role last week and hitting my lowest weight in  5 years (139) and then sabotaging myself on Saturday by having an eat whatever you want day, which snowballed into Monday.  Well, I am now reporting that I am eating right again and exercising and chipping away at this weight. I am super motivated again thanks to a wonderful network of people and my inner motivations! I have to reach the best weight of my life and look the best too!  It’s time!  I am looking forward to it.

Hey,

Well Saturday after shopping for the perfect potted hanging flowers for a few hours in the blistering sun- I got hungry after passing one of my favorite Mexican restaurants… So I decided to make Saturday my “eat anything I want day.”  A few people have mentioned it on this site and in my exercise books as well.  Big mistake because since then I have no will power and I wasn’t able to exercise on Sunday or today so I feel even worse.  I had finally just made it into the 130’s (139 to be exact) and I was so happy now I have taken a step back again. I dare not even get on the scale again–ohh, I have to later I can’t stand the suspense no matter how bad the news!  I know I can get back on track if I just start exercising and drinking my water and eating small low carb meals again.  I am pmsing too so that is probably at the root of this as well.  I just had to put my struggle out there.  I need to get back on the bandwagon and I guess for now I cannot have eat whatever you want days anymore!

I finally made it to the 130’s.  OHH YA! Yes, I am at the bottom of the 130’s, but nonetheless there!!!  It feels unbelievable - somedays earlier on, I would think wow I am so far from where I want to be - will I get there? Then this voice called determination would kick in and tell me, “Yes, you will because this is what you really want and you will not be happy nor stop until you get it because this is the type of person you are.”  So yes, I am 4 pounds away from my original goal.  The weight loss has slowed up some, but to compensate me while I wait I sure fit alot of clothes I hadn’t in a long time mostly all my size 7s now…  I haven’t been this weight since after I had my son.  That is right during the pregnancy I ate well and exercised and lost most of the weight albeit 4-5 pounds of it then gained when I took extra calorie intake due to breast feeding for granted. Then stress entered my life in great abundance through life changing events… the rest tells itself.  Anyway, I am back to the weight I left off at during that very blessed time in my life almost 5 years ago.  I know I will lose these last 4 pounds and then from there I will decide if I want to go to 130.  When I was at my best I fluctuated between 130-135.  At 5′6 that should be fine when I was in the 120’s people told me I looked too skinny.  I just wanted to share the feeling of freedom I have right now…It is funny to think how before I would hate when my weight would creep up to 139 from 135…  Now I am so happy to be 139… 

The smells, all the people, the Big Yellow M decor and all the excitement.You know you have come a long way when you can walk into a McDonalds and smell the fries being deepfried and the cheeseburgers cooking and not order one item off the menu for yourself - not even their salad!!!  That is empowerment - no struggling no loss of control.  One year ago today that would not have been the case.  I could barely drive by McDonalds on my way to work without pulling into the drive thru - afterall it was a secret no on in my family knew I was stopping there (and they knew I was subconcious about my weight just not actually working on it at the time). 

That is the power of making a decision to change your lifestyle.  Now I am not saying I will never order a cheeseburger deluxe meal again from a menu with coleslaw and fries - just that I will do it on my own terms when I want to.  I just like being in control not the food.  We often write about when we have given in to food cravings, but don’t always share how far we have come to this point.  That is just as important as improving on our current faults… MMM MMM MMM - now that tastes good!  Have a great day everyone - I am.

I often wonder which one is better. I always assumed cardio training was better because the heart rate is higher, but then always wondered why the other one is labeled FAT burning zone?  I did a little research and this is what I found:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Fat-Burning-Zone-Vs.-Cardio-Training-Zone&id=306481 

I found the article interesting and informative.  Hope it helps you too.

I am work right now contemplating whether or not I will go to the gym or not tonight… I have been eating right all day and did a few minutes of jump roping already today, but I really need to get a good work out in.  Yesterday, I didn’t make it to the gym so now I am having a hard time pushing myself to go!  Here I am bored and procrastinating at work. I hope I can push myself! 

I was feeling low yesterday after a smaller the normal binge, so I decided to take a bikini pic to check my progress from 2 months ago.  Well it was quite considerable in my opinion more then I thought.  It did make me feel better.  This pic came with ups and downs, but definitely hard work.  I am still not where I want to be today I weigh in at about 141, but I don’t count my weight until the Saturday weigh in… My goal is 135 so I am about 6 pounds away at this moment… I may decide to go to 130 because I have been there before and looked good, but I will have to make that decision when I reach 135.  This time I have more muscle so 130 maybe too small I’ll just have to see.  I do have alot more ab work… My husband says overall I have lost alot of weight and the top of my abs looks good. That motivates me to want to look better then what I do now… I will show him I can have fully defined abs… I love pilates!!!  Okay, anyone else almost at your goal but find you  sabotage yourself more now???  Hit me up if you are going through that I would appreciate the support.