AmyM's Quest for a Better Bikini Body!

[lovinaz]

I veered a little off course yesterday, I have to get re-focused. I indulged in some trail mix, but at least it was a small amount, not 900 calories worth like in the past... I made it to the gym, and it felt really good! No gym today, DD starts tap back up (Dairy Queen alert!) and no gym tomorrow since I will be at the ND. I will be able to go on Thu and Fri though, to get my 3x a week in. I'm just so glad I have the energy to go. Last week was rough! Yesterday I drank 100oz water; 16oz Diet Green Tea; 24oz Crystal Light:

6:45am: Egg Beaters (½c) w/Red Peppers, Cheese (2tbsp) & Spinach
10:45am: FF Cottage Cheese (3/4c); Strawberries (1c); Soy Crisps (30)
1:30pm: Turkey-Spinach-Pepper Jack-Mustard on Oat Bran; Cucumber
4:00pm: Low Carb Yogurt (4oz); Pear; Trail Mix (1/4c)
7:15pm: Ground Turkey Taco Meat (1/2c); Spinach (2c); Red Pepper (2tbsp); Shredded Cheddar (2tbsp); Low Fat Sour Cream (3tbsp); SF Jello
WORKOUT: Weights (30min); Treadmill (35min)
RESISTED: More Trail Mix; Cheez-Its, Goldfish; Ice Cream
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tracey, I am not doing low carb. I am just trying to get all the crap (sugar, etc) out of my system. I agree with you though, I have been bad about "just a taste" nibbles these past couple days. I told myself this morning that I was not going to do that anymore. I know this plan the ND has me on actually works, so I need to stick with it if I want to see results!

CJK, when the kids are with us, so are s'mores. But since it was just adults, there was not a tempting marshamallow in sight! It was much easier that way, believe me!

 

[traceycooper]

Hope all goes well with the doc tomorrow, let us know how you get on!
Well done for getting back to the gym, i'm trying to go 3 times a week too
Glad your energy has come back, its horrible when your energy levels are low!

 

[Jane E.]

Your camping trip sounds like a blast! Whats a quad? I'm assuming some sort of ATV. Great job on the weightloss!

 

[CJK]

Okay......between the water, green tea & crystal lite, do you find that you need to go to the restroom a lot??? You're my water idol!!! Way to go!

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

Glad you had a good camping trip. Your plan for the gym is great, keep up the good work!

 

[lovinaz]

Well, I survived the 2 weeks! Unfortunately I have been getting a little lax the past couple days, I really need to get back in the right mindset if I want to succeed. I'm sure the ND will point out the error of my ways this afternoon... I was SO MAD yesterday. DS managed to break his brand new (rental) cello! He only had it 2 weeks! And of course DH didn't sign up for the damage waiver. What the heck was he thinking, that we had a mature, responsible 10 year old?!?!? So who knows how much it is going to cost to repair. It is broken in 2 places. I know it was an accident because DS was crying for about 20 minutes, saying that he was going to have to quit orchestra. Of course I didn't help matters by screaming at him about taking care of his stuff and doesn't he realize how much this is going to cost, etc, etc. I felt like an @$$ when he came out of his room later and emptied his wallet (all $14 of it) and had a note saying he loves us and he was sorry... Then of course DH comes home and he was WAY more calm about it than I was. He even took the cello back to the store and signed another rental contract for a different cello (yes, this time with the damage waiver!). I know DS was relieved that he didn't get both of us all fired up and I eventually calmed down and things were back to normal... Yesterday I drank 80oz water; 16oz Green Tea w/Splenda; 20oz Crystal Light:

6:15am: Egg Beaters (½c) w/Red Peppers, Cheese (2tbsp) & Spinach
8:30am: FF Cottage Cheese (3/4c); Strawberries (1c)
11:30am: Spinach (2c); Diced Chicken Breast (3oz); Shredded Cheddar (2tbsp); Garbanzo Beans (1/4c); Italian Dressing (2tbsp); Red Pepper (2tbsp); Soy Crisps (20)
2:30pm: Low Carb Yogurt (4oz); Pear
6:45pm: Beef Roast (3oz); Oat Bran Bread-n-SF Strawberry Preserves; Soy Nuts (1c); SF Jello
9:00pm: Honey Nut Cheerios (1/3c); Peanut Butter (1tbsp) (must have been post cello stress)
WORKOUT: None
RESISTED: Dairy Queen, Peanuts, Cheez-Its, Cheetos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tracey, my goal is to get to the gym 5x a week - 3 days during the week and both Sat and Sun. It might get a little tricky now that soccer is starting, but hopefully I will be able to squeeze everything in!

Jane, a quad is an ATV. I think it is called a quad since it has 4 wheels (compared to the 3 wheeled ones that I don't think are made anymore due to safety reasons).

CJK, yes I have to go to the restroom all the time. I have just gotten used to it. I am like a little kid, I go before I leave the house and usually right when I get back. If I pass a restroom while out and about, I will always go...

Kate, there is absolutely NO reason I shouldn't be able to get the the gym as scheduled this week, so don't let me make any excuses!

 

[CACruisin']

Glad your camping trip went well and you are getting back on track this week. I hope all goes well with the ND and she starts putting some things back on the "approved" list for you too.

Don't beat yourself up too much about the cello incident. We have all done it. His writing the note let's you know he was truly sorry too. You can give him a big hug later today "just because".

 

[kmp1191]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that yells at my kids...and then feels like a schmuck afterwards!! (did you give him his $14 back??)
Let us know what the ND says...

still getting caught up on the rest of your journal....sounds like you had a good weekend!

marie

 

[Jane E.]

Sorry to hear about the cello. It never ceases to amaze me
1. what kids break
2. how they break it
3. how they always choose the most expensive thing to break
Glad to hear that things are back to normal.

Great job resisting the Dairy Queen!

 

[CJK]

Great job resisting Dairy Queen!!! That's a weakness of mine!!

Don't beat yourself over the cello incident. I'm sure there's barely a parent who hasn't been there. Sounds like you've got a great son there. Coming down to give you the note and money was so sweet. You've obviously done a great job raising him.

Have you been to the gym as scheduled this week???

 

[lovinaz]

The ND said I was doing great. She said to keep chugging along as I have been, sticking with 1-3 complex carbs per day, heavy on the veggies. I asked if I could have melon, grapes, etc and she said that those types of fruit can really cause bloating in some people and if I want to take that risk, I can go ahead and eat them. But since there are so many other choices of fruits out there, I am not going to stress about it. I'd rather look good in my bikini than eat a banana! Like she said, it is all up to me. I can have a glass of wine once or twice a week, but shouldn't have one everyday (which I don't anyway). Everything in moderation. Now that I've gotten all the sugar out of my system, I really don't crave junk as much. She said I need to experiment with stuff and if I notice something bloats me up, I will know to only indulge occasionally. Like my precious Chai Latte. That will have to be a monthly treat instead of every weekend, but I am OK with that. I am determined to stick to the plan she gave me and get back down to where I want to be.

She also said that her colleague went to a seminar about post-tubal symptoms and there were hundreds of women who experienced the exact same problems as me! They said it was caused by poor circulation to the ovaries, so even if the hormone levels are fine, the circulation problems can cause menopause-type symptoms. The cure - DEAL WITH IT... Yesterday I drank 80oz of water and 16oz Crystal Light:

6:15am: Chocolate Oatmeal
8:30am: FF Cottage Cheese; Strawberries
11:30am: Spinach Salad (w/chicken, garbanzo beans, cheese, red pepper, LF dressing); Soy Crisps (20); Cucumber
2:30pm: Egg Whites (3); Pear
6:45pm: Shake-n-Bake Pork Chop; Broccoli; Stuffing (1/4c); SF Jello w/Soy Whip
8:00pm: 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
WORKOUT: None
RESISTED: More stuffing, Cheez-Its; Soy Crisps
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anna, I am so glad DH was more calm about it. I thought he would be more upset than me, but he didn't even act concerned. I just hate it when I get so mad, but DS was told time and time again that he needed to be extremely careful with that cello, and obviously he was not...

Marie, I don't snap that often, but when I do, I usually feel pretty bad about it afterwards. So far DS is the one who always gets the verbal lashing. DD is so sensitive and so well behaved, she has been exempt so far (ask me again in 6 years). And yes, I gave the poor kid his $14 back!

Jane, I went to the grocery store instead of DQ. I did get some soy nuts that I overindulged in, but that is better than ice cream! I just had a really bad feeling that DS was going to break the cello, and I guess I was just hoping he'd prove me wrong. Nope...

CJK, I plan on going to the gym today and tomorrow (as well as Sat and Sun). NO EXCUSES! Thanks for keeping me on track! I told DS that he was going to have to work off some of the money it will cost to repair it. He said he could vacuum. DH doesn't think he should have to do anything, but I will find an extra chore for him. He needs to learn that there are consequences, even for accidents. Hopefully it will teach him to be a little more careful and responsible.

 

[Jane E.]

I'm glad you figured out what in the heck was wrong. You're not the only one dealing with those symptoms. I can bet that probably each woman thought she was the only one dealing with it. I'm glad your ND's colleague had attended that seminar. Now, at least, you know whats causing the problems.

Thanks for mentioning the fruits that cause bloating. I may start avoiding those for awhile too. Every little bit helps. Way to go with exchanging soy nuts for ice cream!

 

[kmp1191]

Amy...I'm *glad* ( ) that the side-effects you have are common. It's hell worring about your health!! The "deal with it" cure sucks, but at least you know it's common.

You are doing so great on your diet!! You really are an inspiration!
There are times that I want/need to go to someone to get my butt in gear, but then something else comes up....or money is short...and I put me on the back burner again.

Anyway, keep it up girl....the bikini is gonna look great on ya!!!

marie

 

[lovinaz]

Weigh in today was 137!!!!!!! I was so shocked, I got on the scale several times. Remember at this time last year I was stuck at 137 for 4+ months and I hated that number? Now I'm excited to see it. Funny how things change... If I can lose 1lb per week, I will be in pretty good shape by the time we leave for Mexico. This is proof that my new eating plan is actually working and makes me more motivated than ever to stick with it! And another awesome thing happened - I found out I might be going to Greece in October for work! Keep your fingers crossed, that would be AWESOME! Yesterday I drank 100oz water; 16oz Green Tea w/Splenda; 24oz Crystal Light:

6:15am: Egg Beaters (½c) w/Red Peppers, Cheese (2tbsp) & Spinach
8:30am: FF Cottage Cheese (3/4c); Blueberries (3/4c)
11:30am: Spinach Salad (w/chicken, garbanzos, red pepper, cheese, LF dressing); Soy Crisps (20); Fiber Candies (2)
2:30pm: Low Carb Yogurt (4oz); Pear
5:00pm: Cucumber w/Hummus; Soy Nuts (3/4c)
7:00pm: Wheat Spaghetti (1/2c); Parmesan Cheese (2tbsp); SF Jello w/Soy Whip
WORKOUT: Elliptical (35min)
RESISTED: Goldfish, Trail Mix, PB, Cereal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane, it was nice to hear that there was a whole seminar on my problem. It kinda stinks there is nothing you can do about it, but at least I know I am not going Try avoiding bananas, melon and grapes for a while. Also starchy veggies like carrots, corn and peas. The ND said that even though they are good for you, some people's body can't handle that much starch.

Marie, I think the fact that I paid the ND quite a bit of $$ helped me stick to the plan. I know, I'm such an engineer... And the fact that she obviously knows what she is talking about and that I am finally seeing the scale move in the RIGHT direction keeps me going. I don't want to get in that bad place anymore. I want to start eating to live and stop living to eat. I also want to teach my kids that at an early age (especially DD - DS is such a string bean I don't think it matters!)

 

[CACruisin']

Congrats on the scale going down!!! That is definitely good motivation to keep on plan!! Glad the ND had some good information about the other stuff too even if the "solution" is "deal". I would much rather know what is going on, good or bad, and go from there.

After watching the Olympics, Greece is definitely on my list of places I want to go. Much Mo' betta' if works pays for it . Will you be able to take some vacation time and be a tourist? I know work travel can be less than glamorous sometimes. You see the airport, hotel, and customer location and not much else. Will DH and/or the kids be able to come over for a bit too? Here's that the trip comes through and you can get a bit of time to see some sights (and those great beaches!) too.

 

[CJK]

What a successful day!!! Congrats on the weightloss! You're right - that's the proof right there that your eating plan is a good one.

Mexico and Greece in one year...........WOW! Keep up the FANTASTIC work and have a great weekend!!

 

[Jane E.]

Congrats on the weightloss!!! YOu're doing great. Does melon include watermelon, canteloupe & honeydew? I can do without canteloupe and honeydew but I lover plain ole watermelon!

I hope you get to go to Greece. What a great trip. You can't beat the Mediterranean for healthy foods.

 

[lovinaz]

I did really good yesterday. DS's cello got fixed, it was $176. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting (I was thinking more like $300). Today I have to go to the Team Parent meeting for DD's soccer team, so I won't be able to make it to my regular gym class. But I plan on either going to the gym for a cardio workout or doing one of my DVDs. NO EXCUSES! I am debating on whether or not to have a small Chai Latte, as a celebration for my weight loss. I guess I can have it and if the scale creeps back up tomorrow, I'll know why! I haven't had it in 3 weeks, so I think I will indulge. Everything in moderation, right? Yesterday I drank 100oz of water, 16oz Green Tea, 20oz Diet Green Tea:

6:15am: Chocolate Oatmeal
8:30am: FF Cottage Cheese (3/4c); Strawberries (1c)
11:30am: Spinach Salad (w/turkey taco meat, red pepper, cheese, LF sour cream); Soy Crisps (20)
2:30pm: Low Carb Yogurt (4oz); Pear
5:00pm: Cucumber w/Hummus
6:30pm: Turkey Burger (no cheese or bun); 2 Baked Fries; 3 SF Creme Savers
WORKOUT: Weights (30min); Treadmill (35min)
RESISTED: Wine, Bun w/Burger; More Fries
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anna, heck ya it's mo betta when work pays for it! I don't know how heavy the workload will be, so I am not sure how much "personal" time I'll have. I won't be able to extend the trip since I have 2 vacations coming up and I will only have 0.6 hours of vacation left after my cruise! DH is in the same boat. Maybe next time...

CJK, I am a travelaholic. This year we went on a Western Caribbean cruise, to Mexico, to Michigan, and we are going to Mexico and on an Eastern Caribbean cruise within the next couple months. Next year we are taking no major vacations, to build back up our vacation time AND funds... Actually, I am booking a WDW trip for Christmas break '07. We get 7 paid days off at Christmas time, so we will only have to use 1 day of vacation!

Jane, yes, those melons are on the "unapproved" list. Watermelon apparently has a lot of sugar. I love it, but rarely buy it. Like the ND said - if you don't get bloated from it, you are fine! I hope there is lots of hummus and feta in my future! My co-worker keeps saying things like "when we are in country" and "when we get there" so I am pretty confident the Greece trip will happen.

 

[traceycooper]

congratulations on the weight loss
Glad the trip to the doc went well & that the cello repairs didnt cost as much as you thought!!
Your doing an amazing job with your eating AND all that exercise!!
Well done

 

[CJK]

Fantastic job on all that exercise and healthy eating!! That's amazing!!! That's interesting to hear about watermelon. I must confess to eating at least two cups of it a day. Two cups equals 100 calories. I didn't think about the sugar. I hope you enjoy that latte and that it doesn't rear an ugly head on the scale. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!