Yummy

Here’s my lunch for today. ..A nice salad with oil and balsamic vinegar.

I bought a new app on my phone. “Couch to 5k”. I am going to try to go from being a couch potato to eventually running a 5k. I have a friend who wants to do the same thing. Yesterday, to get in to it, a friend and I went to a bike trail and walked 5 miles. The bike trail is 3 miles up and 3 miles back, but he stopped short a mile, because she had blisters on the back of her heels and I had one on each of the pads of my feet. It was a hot and humid day and we were thrilled to see this sign.

Have any of you started running after never doing it before? How did it go and any advice for me? 🙂

Still here…

I haven’t diverted from my diet. I’ve lost 4 lbs since I posted my weight after my hiatus and 8 lbs in a few weeks. I am trying something different though.  I am using MyFitnessPal to track my calories. I am trying to stay under 1200 calories a day and so far that’s working. It’s not coming off as quickly as when I did South Beach Diet, but It is coming off and I am able to eat things like cookies in moderation.  I am also feeling a little bit better about myself. 🙂 I even got my hair highlighted the other week. 🙂

Thank you for following my blog. It really motivates me to lose weight. 🙂

Still on the wagon…

I have a fulltime job now, working as a nurse in a group home. If I do not update as much as I used to, that is why.

Yesterday I had, yogurt with granola,  flank steak with peppers, caesar salad, and some healthy berry crackers, along with a fat free pudding.

Today, I’ve managed to have a fat free latte made with skim milk and splenda.  Getting ready for work and made myself shrimp scampi over a bead of lettuce, some wasa crackers, and humus, and yogurt with granola. It’s hard because I am not very hungry in the morning. 

Also I walked around the block twice.

I have lost 2 lbs since starting the lifestyle change and 6 lbs total since last week when I gave up soda again.

Anyway, just wanted to check in. 🙂

Another Reason For A Lifestyle Change

Today I went for a physical with a new doctor, because our insurance has changed. Upon listening to my heart, the doctor told me he heard a Soft Systolic Heart Murmur. Because of that and my brother dying of a heart attack last year, I am being sent for an echocardiogram in two weeks. I am having mixed feelings/emotions on that. Basically it’s one of two things. An Innocent Heart Murmur, which basically means there is no real abnormalities and concerns…or one that will require treatment, such as valve repair or replacement.

WTF?!? I am only 42 years old. However I have had a lot of years of poor eating habits and have spent most of my adult life as a smoker. Bad habits catch up to you, but I have 6 kids who need me. Basically I must change my lifestyle, if I want to live a long life.

Why? Because I need to….

Dinner

Dinner. Green beans, couscous, sirloin steak, and a cucumber salad.

Meal log

Breakfast: tomato feta spinach omelet.

Lunch: chicken caesar salad with 6 croutons made from French bread.

Dinner: grilled chicken, spinach, sweet potato.

Snacks: 7-artisan 3 cheese whole grain tostitos chips and 2 tbsps spinach artichoke hummus.

Low fat strawberry banana yogurt and babybell cheddar cheese.

2 Egg Spinach Tomato Feta Omelet

2 Egg Spinach Tomato Feta Omelet.

 

2 Eggs

1/2 cup spinach

3 slices of plum tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Seasalt and Pepper to taste.

 

Add oil to frying pan and heat on medium. Add garlic and cook till lightly brown. Add spinach and tomatoes and cook until it’s done. Put aside on a plate. Scramble two eggs and add to frying pan. Spread it out like you do to make an omelet. When it’s half way cooked, add the spinach, garlic, and tomato mixture in center of omelet. Add feta cheese on top. Cook as you do an omelet. After its done, put on plate and enjoy.

 

I don’t have any nutritional facts on this. It’s just what I made for brunch. It was really good. 🙂

Back after a long hiatus…

After a long hiatus, and around 15 lbs GAINED, I am back to the drawing board. Eating unhealthy foods is pleasing to my palette, however being fat sucks! It’s uncomfortable as hell. The fat wings(Rolls of fat under my armpits, make for a crappy sleep. It’s almost summertime and I refuse to be stuck wearing a tshirt over my bathing suit, which what we fail to realize is it still doesn’t hide the adipose tissue!

Here is my starting weight for this time around:

 

The scale doesn’t lie, however it’s not as bad a few days ago, when it said 215 lbs.

 

So…welcome to my journey, yet again. 🙂

Day 1.

 

Basement to gym. Beginning stages.

My 20 year old, Beth, has flown the nest. What I have been working on lately is turning the basement(Her old room) into a playroom/gym/family room. It is going to take a lot of work doing it, but I am determined. I am hoping that doing so, will light a fire under my ass to work out. Here are some before and during pictures.

The dark dreary purple my 20 year old painted the basement.(Before picture)

Some hideous graffiti my 18 yr old son drew and a chalkboard my daughter spray painted on the wall.

More graffiti, compliments of my 18 year old son. The darker color on the right side of the left wall, is the color the room will be.

This room, used to be my “Teen Cave” when I was 19. The most graffiti I did, was the following picture:

This graffiti I did 22 years ago, is less than an inch across and hidden on a rafter.

I am realizing that teenagers today are so much less respectful, than back when I was a teen. I wouldn’t have even THOUGHT about drawing on the walls..My dad would have kicked my ass!

Anyway, got 2.5 of the 4 walls done. I also have to move some stuff Beth left behind and clean the floor.

Here is the first picture I will put up, upon completion of the room.

This is my brother, Roger, who passed away November 29, 2013. He is my inspiration for working out and getting healthy. I made this picture with a quote from his facebook page.

I’d like some feedback on maybe some good motivational quotes to print out and put on the walls. Please reply in comments with some good ones you have come across. Thank you. 🙂

Limitations: I am just doing this all wrong.

I am finding the South Beach Diet works, *IF* you stick to it. However, I have had a hard time avoiding carbohydrates. And with that comes these overwhelming cravings where I blow the whole diet, so I am going to try something new. Instead of limiting myself following a strict diet, I am going to do my own thing. Not my normal own thing, like eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, but have some things in moderation to help avoid binge eating and to eat healthy foods.

Mind you, the weight won’t just fall off, but I think if I eat things like fruits, veggies, whole grains, chicken, lean cuts of red meats, and occasionally a small portion of something naughty, I should see results. As long as I exercise. I am such a lazy shit sometimes. In fact, most of the time lately. Changing habits should help and it takes 30 days to break a bad habit and start a new one. So here goes nothing..or well, hopefully something like adipose tissue loss. 😉

This morning I had an egg, three pieces of turkey sausage, and two pieces of whole grain toast with polaner sugar free fiber jam. I also had a cup of coffee and am currently drinking a glass of ice water.

I shouldn’t work on dieting…what I should work on is a whole lifestyle change.

What one piece of advice could you give, that has helped you lose weight?