Holy toledo! In one week! You rock!! What did you do?
I want to know what DeneCarter, JnEsWDWMom, and Dance did! I need motivation! (Can we call you three the BIGGEST LOSERS?????)
Yep, you can call me a big loser... I actually went to an audition for that show last year. It was held in a restaurant of all places (Dave & Buster's) in Dallas. Guess I wasn't what they were looking for... that's okay though.
Basically, I've been doing things to boost my metabolism in a healthy way.
1) I eat three smallish meals a day plus at least 4 snacks (sometimes 5). I start eating at 4 am (when my dogs want to be fed)... usually Carb Control yogurt with a few pecans or something similar... go back to bed. Go through my day and eat a snack before bed (10:30 last night).
2) I changed the quality of what I eat... lots of lean protein (salmon filets, tuna steaks, rotisserie chicken breast, ground turkey for burritos (premade patty from Costco is perfect serving size for one), boiled eggs), lots of fresh veggies (asparagus, spring mix salad, spinach, onion, bell pepper, carrots, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, edamame (also a good source of protein), avacado (okay, technically a fruit)), fresh fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, precut fruit from Costco), healthier "carbs" (9 grain bread, oatmeal, Raisin Bran, Grapenuts), 3 dairy a day (Carb control yogurt, lower fat cheeses, 2% milk), nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts).
3) I changed the way I cook... nothing is fried, rarely even use olive oil... mostly saute in non-stick pans, use rotisserie when possible. I never add "salt" to anything... if there is some salt in the seasoning blend (like Emeril's Essence) that is okay... just not too much. Reduced (but not eliminated) high sodium foods like pickles, mustard, etc. To replace the flavor from the fat, I use spicey seasonings for flavor.
4) I drink at least 5-6 liters of water a day... about a gallon and a half... 2 of those are during my workout. I'm lucky because I'm not a soda, tea, coffee, or alcohol drinker... nothing to miss.
5) I lift weights every day... just small amounts, but I'm building up my muscle which not only takes up less room than fat, but it also burns more calories... even at rest. (And I think the girls are a little perkier, too.)
6) I get a lot of low-impact cardio every day... was 75 minutes, then 90 per day... February goal is 100 minutes minimum per day... usually just walking on the treadmill before/after the weights. I've recently started Yoga twice a week. I usually spend around 3 hours a day at the gym between the treadmill, the weights, potty breaks, exercise and food journals, and socializing. I know VERY FEW people could spend this much time at the gym... I'm very "lucky" in that I no longer have a long commute AND I have a newly emptied nest. Plus the hunky trainer makes a great incentive.
7) I've decided I want to be more like I was "before"... active and a part of the world (not hiding out in my house). I've finally made peace with all the demons of my past and forgiven everyone (including my husband and myself) for the things they/we did to hurt or sabatoge me in the past 20+ years.
I
totally understand that what I'm doing is not possible (or even plausible) for most peeps... it was just a fortuitous confluence of events that has me on this path. I also understand that as I lose weight, the number of lbs lost per week will also decrease... it is a percentages thing.
My dad (and I think a few of my peeps) was concerned about the speed of my loss until I explained exactly what I was doing. I've also discussed it with my trainer, the health teacher, and two other science teachers I work closely with.
Everything I am doing is "healthy". I'm not starving myself (eating better than I was actually... and no meal replacements like shakes or bars), I don't use any type of drug (I take vitamins, but no OTC or prescription metabolism boosters or appetite suppresants), I don't do any strenuous or dangerous exercises. Lots of people my size end up getting gastric bypass surgery... and then have to follow a very restrictive diet and have medical issues follow them throughout their lives. I'm losing weight at about the same rate as someone who has had gastric bypass... but I DIDN'T have major surgery, and I don't have to spend weeks drinking my food or eating tiny amounts or having a lot of the "issues" that go along with trying to eat. Plus, I'm exercising and toning. I worked with a woman who had a lap-band... had a lot of problems with it... when she dropped weight, she looked wiped out and saggy.
I FEEL better than I have in YEARS. I don't feel like I'm deprived at all... I love the food I'm eating (years of Food Network helps). I sleep great... no more backaches. Clothes are fitting better (my earrings even fit differently). And I'm enjoying the physical and social aspects of the YMCA... meeting up with lots of old friends, making new friends (and yes, crushing on the trainer).
ANYWAY, sorry for the book... but just felt I needed to 'splain.
Love to all the peeps!
I think there is a theme here...teenagers who put on their head phones, lock themselves in their rooms, and pretend that the rest of us don't exist. Mo only comes out when she wants me to buy her something!
Spent every last bit of her birthday money on it, but she is happy. She is currrently holed up in her room playing with her fake dog
....maybe she'll quit asking for a real one now...
I have to go look for my recipes.
And about the Swiss chocolate, OMG, yep, my husband is in the Army and we can buy imported foods at our commissary, so sometimes, well most of the time; I splurge on one new "treat" from a different country.*** A LESSON LEARNED ---Just because it looks like chocolate and smells like chocolate, if it's written in chinese, it tastes NOTHING like chocolate 
I have heard of putting dogs on ADHD medicine! Like all poodles!
So cool, drive beautifully with no weird creaking noises. And I have a CD player and automatic windows now!
She is prettier in real life than she is in her pics!
Thank you for the compliment. I really enjoyed meeting you face to face today, even though I felt like I had known you already. ALready looking forward to getting together agin for some social time and recipes.
yes I have heard that it means that but I usually use it when I'm referring to sitting down somewhere. Wow, the mental images of actually popping a squat on a bridge...
