FamFab5 is Counting Down to May Land and Sea and Her SZ 8's!!!

[famfab5]

Hi Everyone,

Thought is would be fun and encouraging to get it all down in writing...

We are going on our first family trip EVER in May. We are staying at Pop Century for 9 days! The whole family is beyond excited about this trip.

I really want to be healthy and comfortable this trip. I would like to make it through this vacation without worrying about how I look or how my clothes are fitting. Most of all I want to walk around in a bathing suit without feeling self-conscious. We do not have large water parks where we are from so BB and TL are tops on the children's lists. I can't wait to experience the slides with them!!

I have done WW with some success but I am VERY tired of counting points and the extreme feelings of hunger ALL the time...

A friend suggested the South Beach Diet which I dismissed as a "fad" diet on the name alone. BUT when I saw her after several weeks I was amazed and bought the book. I read it through in a few hours! It really spoke to me...

SO, I have been doing the SBD since Thursday when I read the book and started Phase 1 yesterday.

I feel great-no deprivation here!! If anything, I am feeling a little full. I am finding it difficult to eat all required because I am so used to "portion control and low fat" lifestyle that has been ingrained in me since I was a young child.

I am happy to report today that I am finally within my healthy BMI range for my height. I am so pleased by this. I purchased a new digital scale last night because my old one fluctuates widely.
I was shocked when I stepped on it this morning! YIPPEE!! I still have about 15 or so lbs to go to where I would like to be.

Here is my brief history and health report...lol

Age-34
Height- 5'7" (used to be 5'8", what happened to the other inch)
BMI-24.9
Weight as of this morning- 159
Married 13 years with three beautiful children (2,7,9)

Well, that is it in a nutshell...lol Comments are welcome and appreciated! This is the first time writing about my health goals. I think it will help! I really do hope I can do this before May...what do you think??!!

Thanks,

E.

 

[DavidandDenise]

E.~ Welcome to journaling! I think you will find it to be very motivational. I think your goal is very obtainable if you stick to your program and exercise. Good luck on your journey and remember we are all here for you. Let us know if you have an specific questions or concerns. Have a great day!

 

[famfab5]

DavidandDenise- thanks for the welcome!

Here is what I had today...

B-two organic eggs fried in olive oil spread with two slices Can.Bacon, glass of veggie juice
S-7 almonds
L-romaine, turkey, cheese rollups with grey poupon (is this allowed?)
S-20 peanuts, leftover mocha cream
D-steak, cottage cheese, cherry tom., veggie juice, sugar free jello

Did I eat too much today, I feel like I did but it is late and I am kind of hungry!


Thanks,

E.

 

[famfab5]

There are alot of journals here...lol I don't expect many will read it but it will be a good way for me to get it all down as a record. If people read it than that is wonderful...

A little history...

My husband works two jobs so I can be home with the children. I homeschool my two older children as well as serving on several committees for local non-profits. My daughter attends the State Performing Arts School and often performs the children's parts in the Company Ballets. That requires me to drive an hour each way 4-6 times a week.

In short...LOL Like a great number of woman today, I am very busy and tend to take care of everyone else but myself! My weight just sort of crept up on me Until one day two years after my yougest child was born I tried to put on my largest pair of pants and couldn't button them. What Happened??!! Where did it come from??!!

It came from lack of exercise, fast carbs on the road (bagels, sandwiches, juice, and my biggest downfall sweets) I strive to make sure my children eat healthy but for me...anything goes!

So when we started planning this trip which is the most extravagant thing our family has ever done! It scared me a little to know I was overweight and I just knew I wouldn't feel good about myself in shorts and t-shirts let alone a BATHING SUIT in front of hundreds of people. It was the last straw...

I knew we would not be able to do this again for a very long time if ever! (having a ballerina in the family is very expensive..lol) and well, we have to think about college for three children. So this is it! and darn it, I am not going to look puffy, pudgy and uncomfortable in all the pictures!

So....

Here I am on day three and I feel fine! I've lost 2 lbs! and I can see this will need to be a way of life for me which is fine. I need to start taking care of ME too.

Have a wonderful day,

E.

 

[marsh0013]

looks like you're doing a great job so far! and it really is important to think about yourself and put you first sometimes. i knwo that's hard with a family, but you are important too . congratulations for realizing that and going out and doing something about it! keep up the great work and i'm sur eyou will reach your goals

 

[famfab5]

Well, I did super yesterday...but the scale shows a gain today! I know, I know, I shouldn't get ON the scale everyday but I can't seem to help it now that I have a shiny new digital one...

I had to fight the urge to do what I've always done in the past which is to either strictly reduce my calories as "punishment" or start eating bad stuff again because "what's the point, I'll just be pudgy forever." This time though, I am really going to stay on the diet and see what happens.

Surprisingly, I started my TOM early, not sure if it has anything to do with the diet or not. But it could explain why I've been such an awful bear this week. Carb detox + TOM=Cranky Mom!

I also wanted to add that my children do not know I am on any kind of "diet." I am really trying to bring my children up with a healthy view of food. My mom was a slave to food and calories and an obsessive need to be a size 4-she still is...LOL. It was heck as a kid though and most especially as a teen.

Here is what I had yesterday...

B-coffee w/ fat free 1/2 1/2, 2 fried eggs in olive oil spray, 2 slices canadian bacon, veggie juice cocktail 8 oz.
S-7 almonds
L-ham and cheese lettuce wraps with brown mustard, veggie juice cocktail
S-cottage cheese
S-cheese stick (this got me through the drive home from ballet school when we usually stop for a bagels and cream cheese)
D-sauted chicken in olive oil with garlic, peppers, onions and mushrooms, provolone cheese.
S-few almonds

Looking back I think I had too much cheese and nuts! What should I cut out or is this o.k?

Good things-

No cravings, no feelings of deprivation, sleeping well, energy level is rising.

Bad things-

I think my beloved coffee is a trigger for me. I am hoping it's not!

Have a wonderful day,

E.

 

[DavidandDenise]

Hello! You are doing great--don't worry about the scale, especially daily! I don't really know SBD so I can't vouch for your cheese and nuts, but I say do what's right for you. You didn't feel hungry, so you're doing something right! Make sure you don't feel too full. I'm excited for you and your journey and I think the Disney trip is well within you reach. Remember, you own the food, the food does not own you! Have a wonderful day! Oh, and eating the cheese on the way home was definitely a step in the right direction. If you can divert cravings by eating a healthy snack, you're doing well!

 

[JCJRSmith]

I think you are doing fine. It will take time for your body to adjust and not everyone loses the same way on South Beach. Don't be a slave to the scale, either. If you feel better and look better you are doing this right.

You don't mention if you are drinking water. Water is essential on any weight loss plan. If you don't like plain water, Fruit 2 O is pretty good (flavored water sweetened with Splenda) or any of the 0 calorie flavored carbonated stuff that is available.

Keep up the good work.

 

[ZerasPride]

I agree with Jerry (our resident SBD guru) about the water. That helps a lot. Are you exercising? I don't recall reading you had started working out. That can help too.

I also agree it's a good idea not to weigh yourself too often. I was driving myself crazy the first few weeks weighing myself everyday. Now I limited it to once a week. It's hard but I don't have that stress from wondering what I weigh from day to day.

There are a lot of journals on this board and it makes for fun reading. You can develop friendships with the people who keep regular journals and that's nice. I usually read people's journals but if I am in a hurry I don't always have time to post and let them know I was there and checked on them. I usually look at how many "views" my journal has. I think a lot of people lurk or just like to read but don't always have time to post so you shouldn't feel your journal is insignicant in any way if you don't have a lot of posters to it. I look at my journal as my record of my weight loss journey and I am always happy when someone can stop by and say hi.

You are doing so well - keep up the great work!

 

[famfab5]

Thanks everyone for posting with great advice and encouragement!

I have been drinking ALOT of water which is why I am pretty much living in the bathroom! I actually am only wearing elastic waist running pants at home because it is soooo much easier. My exercise is running to the bathroom

Actually, I do Pilates on a regular basis. I love it! I feel really great and full of strength when I am finished a session. I have a complete set that targets different parts of the body as well as a very difficult cardio session. I had pneumonia for much of January into the first of February so I am slowly getting back into exercising. It is amazing how much "firmness" I lost in just a month but I expect it won't take very long to get where I was before I was ill. Our family has had a tough winter illness wise this year which is another reason we are soooo looking forward to this vacation!

Debating whether I should have my ricotta cream tonight...don't really feel like it. Can I say again, how AMAZED I am at not craving sweets or bagels or donuts.

I read another post today about how some people don't lose weight once they get to phase 2. Freaked me out a little. It's not like I have much time to get where I want to be....thinking about staying on phase 1 for longer than the two weeks if I find it really works for me. I'll wait till the end of next week to see the results. Can't believe the week is almost over...I am sooo proud of myself!


I think I have rambled enough tonight...don't you?!!

I will post what I had today though-

B-coffee w/ fat free 1/2 1/2, two eggs, canadian bacon 2 slices, veggie juice
S-7 almonds
L-skipped lunch-I know, not a good idea but I wasn't hungry and deli meat didn't sound so good to me.
S-cheese stick
D-two eggs, canadian bacon and a piece of chicken from last night with some organic baby spinach.

Thursdays are my challenging days because we spend a great deal of it at the ballet school and on the road. Although, looking back on what I am eating, I am missing alot of veggies so I will try and incorporate more into my daily plan. I need to go shopping though!

Have a great night and I will try to stay off the darn scale in the morning!

E.

 

[famfab5]

I can't quite believe it has been 5 days since I started SBD. It's been the easiest diet I've ever done. I've actually really enjoyed myself this week. I also love the fact I've eaten with a purpose this week instead of haphazardly eating as I go along with whatever I could grab on the go.

Having my TOM early has put a damper on my ability to see the scale budge but I am looking forward to continuing with phase 1 and seeing how the scale moves next week.

The weekend is going to be a challenge. My husband has been against this WOE from the start. He believes you only live once and food is here for enjoyment so "have at it!" He is also a good 20lbs overweight himself but won't admit it.

That's all for now. I will check in tonight with what I've eaten. Going to try and do Pilates this afternoon while ds is napping. Today is library day too so I am going to look for a few LC cookbooks while I am there.

Have a great day,

E.

 

[marsh0013]

e, i hate it when tom shows up early! although, mine's being a pain right now and is going to show up late (whenever it decides to show up at all!). too bad we can't pick when it comes, that way we can at least be prepared. well, i guess we can with birth control, but i don't really feel like dealing with that. ok, i'm rambling.

i'm so glad this "diet" is working out so well for you! it's great to find something that you truly enjoy and that will help you to be healthier. great job

 

[famfab5]

Hi,

marsh0013-

Thanks for checking in on me and for the encouragement!!! My friend is going through what you are now, never knowing when she is going to start and can go months without having one. Very frustrating for her, they seem to think it is thyroid related though. Has yours been checked? Easily fixed if so...



Today was a VERY long day. I had soooo much energy, I did tons of stuff around the house I have been meaning to get to. Feels great though but I am ready for bed now around 10:00 instead of being up till the wee hours. Could it be my body is working as it should....hmmmmmm?

You know what is challenging? Doing SBD with nothing in the house for groceries. It was really cold here today and my youngest is coughing AGAIN so I stayed home instead of shopping and library. I had to be extremely creative with my dinner today. The children find what I am eating to be kind of "odd."

Children: "Mum, why aren't you using bread for your sandwich?"

Me: "Because it is yummy rolled in romaine lettuce, very crunchy"

Children: "Mum, why aren't you having flapjacks with us tonight?"

Me: "So there will be more for you and Mum wants canned salmon...yum!"

So here is the daily list:

B-omelet with baby spinach, julia tomatoes and provolone
S-10 almonds
L-ham, cheese wrapped in romaine with brown mustard
S-mocha ricotta cheese (o.k. I DID crave chocolate today)
D-canned salmon sauteed in olive oil, garlic with baby spinach (actually, it was all I could find and I thought it was going to be yucky but it was really good)
S-sugar free lime jello


Have a Wonderful evening...

E.

 

[famfab5]

Here's the setup...

My youngest son was up vomiting for most of the night about every 20 min. It was a very, very long night. Finally fell asleep with him sitting up on the couch with a bucket beside us. No fever just vomiting and today he was chipper as usual. So about 7:00a.m. I awoke to knocking at the door. It was my mother with two large handle bags from the wonderful bakery the next town over. I could have cried! She had brought all my favorites...lemon bars, date bars, chocolate pumpkin cookies, orange scones, blueberry turnovers and worst of all-a GIGANTIC heart shaped lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting and decorated with chocolate hearts. WHY DID SHE DO THIS WHEN SHE KNOWS I CAN'T HAVE IT???? She seemed truly chagrined when I said "thank you, the children will really love all these goodies but I'm not having any"

Later in the day, I brought the cake to a Valentine's party my friend was having for all our children. I am soooooo proud of myself for staying away from all that junk all day. Although, part of me really feels bad and sad about not having any. Does that make sense?

YIPPEE for me though to have will power for the first time! My favorite pants were loose today and my daughter said with a bit of a sigh in her voice "mummy, your losing your baby tummy" Didn't take into account how the children would feel about my becoming slimmer and not so "squooshy." Been this way for so long it will be odd for me too.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day,

E.

 

[JCJRSmith]

Now THAT is some will power. WTG.

Isn't amazing how the craving for sweets and other bad carbs have gone away? For example, I teach Information Technology classes (mostly Microsoft and Citrix networking stuff) to IT professionals for a living. Every morning we set out bagels and cream chesse for the students (staff can buy them for $.50). We also have fountain sodas, bottled juice, and coffee and tea, all free for staff and students. We put out cookies every afternoon and usually a veggie and cheese tray as well. In every classroom there is a HUGE basket of candy for the students.

In the last five years with this company I have put on about 40 pounds - and a lot of it was due to:
A.) an addiction to Mountain Dew
B.) grazing through the basket of candy while my students did labs.

For the first week on SBD I took the basket out of my room. Now, I have the basket full, and I don't even look at it. If I have Mountain Dew, it is Diet Mountain Dew, and I haven't had one of those in a week. My daily caffiene intake is usually a Diet Pepsi with lunch.

The changes are amazing, and they keep getting better and easier.

E - keep up the good work. Your will power with regards to the baked goods your mom gave you is inspiring. Good on ya!!!

 

[marsh0013]

e, you did such a wonderful job avoiding all that food! it's so hard when there is an abundance of goodies around, especially when it's brought over by a loved one!

aw, that is so cute about your little girl! she likes your tummy! but i think she'll get over it . even if she doesn't understand now, i'm sure she will when she gets a little older . congrats to you for becoming slimmer and less squishy

hope you had a great rest of the weekend, and maybe caught a nap to make up for the night up with ds

 

[Strings]

Hi E,

I just wanted to stop by and say WTG. You resisted all those sweets. What makes it even more impressive is how tired and stressed you were at the time. With willpower like that, you'll reach goal in no time.

Beth

 

[DavidandDenise]

Great job, E! You're an inspiration for all of us!

 

[ZerasPride]

Hi E,

Just checking up on you to see how you are doing. I see you are doing marvelous! Isn't it wonderful how the cravings virtually disappear and you can be around "goodies" and not feel overly tempted?

You are doing such a wonderful job. Please keep up the great work no matter what that mean old nasty scale monster says. We will not be defined by the number on the scale. Okay, I said it now I have to just believe it .

Take care and keep up the good work.

 

[septbride2002]

Holy Will Power Batman!

I've been out of town so I just no caught up with your journal. First off you are doing amazing! Congratulations your menus make me hungry! As for your husband - do what is right for you. Part of him is right food is an enjoyment of life but when you eat junky food all the time you really aren't enjoying them -- you are living off of them. There is a difference.

As for the goodies and cakes - isn't it a shame when people bring you that stuff knowing you can't have it. Makes you wonder why they do that. My Mom is a low carber and I was going to bring her a box of Ghiradelli's chocolates from WDW but then decided not to since she was doing so great on her diet and I knew this would be a downfall for her. When I told her about it she thanked me for not bringing home the chocolates. How strange! But you did what I never could have done - you resisted. Nice hardy pat on the back for you girl!

~Amanda