Lisa's Journal (Life on the "Beach" - Part 2 all the way to goal!)

[ZerasPride]

February 17, 2004 (Tuesday) Day 79 on the Beach

I hate when I don't work out. I planned on doing my ab sculpt video but I didn't. I felt it all day too. I convinced myself I would work out before 24 came on (9:00 pm) but I didn't. I felt a bit sluggish all day, between the water retention and not working out. A yucky feeling hung over me all day. I think I should do some type exercise each day because I do enjoy the "high" feeling it gives you and when I do my FIRM work outs that "high" or positive feeling sticks with me all day. Just a personal observation. I am also trying to commit to no dessert this week or at least no sugar free ice cream. It's hard though. I don't think it's stalling me but I know it's not helping me. I wake up in the mornings with a slightly bloated feeling - like my body had to work all night to process the ice cream - even though I only have a 1/2 cup.

Oh well, the ice cream is out for now. I can either have a cup of tea, 1 litre of water (which is what I had tonight), a cup of hot chocolate or my favorite old standby, a sf fudgesicle.

I have a slight funny or at least I thought it was a cute little story. Sunday at our place of worship and I saw someone coming down the aisle out the corner of my eye and they stopped by me. Now I don't mind worshipping with others but I don't want someone else's husband sitting next me at the meeting, plus it was my DH's seat. I looked over to politely smile at the svelte gentlemen and was momentarily shocked to see it was DH! Like I said, I only saw a figure out the corner of my eye but I am so used to the way DH USED to be built, I sometimes forget his physique is slimmer now. I whispered to DH what happened and he just rolled his eyes and shook his head at me like I was a nut! It was cute though and he did smile so I think he thought it was cute too.

Menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat flakes with 1% milk and 2 small sausage patties
S: 7 whole almonds
L: taco salad from Taco Bell (definitely was NOT filling)
S: Dannon light and fit yogurt (peach)
D: buffalo chicken tenders (3) and homemade cole slaw

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I already mentioned no exercise today. Water was a 6.0. I didn't drink as much at work as I normally would like to but more than made up for it at home with the 1 litre before bed, plus I keep a full glass on the night stand to sip at night. DH said I shouldn't be surprised if I float away someday!

That's a wrap for Tuesday!

Beth - thanks for stopping by. TOM is the worst! But we just have to be extra strong and a little bit tougher on ourselves so we don't give in to temptation around that time. Okay, now I have to believe it .

Laurie - I appreciate your checking on me. I hope all is well with you. I can't take credit for losing 35 pounds though and I hope I didn't make the mistake of saying that in a previous post. I have only lost 32.5 pounds but I am getting there. When I do, I will definitely grab my 35 pound clippie. It's been a while since I've had a new one.

Macia - that's one of my favorite "diet" tag lines too and it's so true! Absolutely nothing can possibly taste as good as being thin will feel! My size 18 low riders are my testament to that fact!

 

[septbride2002]

Sorry you have been feeling yucky lately. I know how that feels. I am still amazed at your progress and workout routine!

~Amanda

 

[famfab5]

Hi Lisa,

Just wanted you to know I consider you my Guru! It has been so helpful to follow your journal from the beginning and pattern my meals and such by yours. You have done so well and really "by the book." You have taken alot of the guess work and questions out by keeping such a detailed journal. A huge, gigantic, enormous...Thank you from Me to You!

Have a wonderful day,

E.

 

[marsh0013]

lisa, that story about your dh is absolutely adorable! i wouldn't be surprised if he accidentally had the same reaction if the roles were reversed .

and that's quite a challenge, eliminating the sf ice cream. but i have no doubt that you'll be able to do it. having other alternatives like you said will definitely fill that void , plus, i'm sure it will have a positive effect on your weight loss.

i totally understand what you mean about that "workout high". that's definitely a motivating factor to actually do the workout, because you know how great it makes you feel! hope you got to your workout on wed and it felt great

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, I LOVE the story about your DH! It's funny how our guys will roll their eyes at us, but secretly they LOVE the compliments!

I also am inspired by your comment about the smell of food often being better than its taste! There are so many times when I've smelled something and felt deprived, but when I think about it, often the smell promises more than the taste delivers! Very profound!!

You're on a roll, Lisa - keep it goin'!!

 

[ZerasPride]

February 18, 2004 (Wednesday) Day 80 on the Beach

Okay, now everyday I change my cheat free clippie and don't think about the number but I have been cheat free for 80 straight days! I just want to take a moment and reflect on that. I won't write my reflections down or I could be here all day but I will say that this is an accomplishment I never thought I could seriously achieve. When I first took up the 100 day cheat free challenge I had no intentions of being cheat free for 100 days. It was a nice goal to aspire to but wasn't one I was seriously working toward. I don't know what the next 20 days will hold but I am proud that I have made it this far.

I am also happy to report that with cutting out the ice cream and drinking literally a boat load of water each night before bed, I woke up this morning (Thursday) feeling very light on my feet and got on the scale (I know, I know, it's not weigh in day), I am so happy to report I am down 2 pounds from Sunday's weight!!!! Woohoo!!! I am just thrilled. This means I have officially left the 250's behind and hellooowwwww 240's. I haven't been in the 240's in years. I am also 1 pound from my 35 pound clippie. Yea me!

Menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat flakes with 1% milk, 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of lf cheddar cheese and 3 slices of bacon
S: 7 whole almonds
L: grilled cheeseburger and salad with lf ranch dressing
S: Dannon light and fit 60 calorie yogurt (strawberry)
D: crustless pizza and a diet soda (no dessert but I will drink 1 litre of water before bed)

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I did my FIRM cardio work out this morning and feel great! I love how working out and combining weights and cardio makes me feel so positive and powerful. Water level was an all time high of 8.0. I literally drank a ton of water to the point where I thought I was going to float away. I'm sure that has contributed to the 2 pound loss but TOM is just around the corner and I don't want no stinking water weight gain .

That's a wrap for Wednesday!

Doe, Marcia, Amanda and famfab5 (you make me want to blush, thanks for the compliment) - thanks for stopping by my journal. I normally like to respond to everyone individually but DH is waiting for me downstairs in the lobby of my office to take me home so I have it cut this short.

Thanks to each of you that post on my journal. It is more encouraging and inspiring than you will ever know! Every pound I lose, every temptation I overcome, I feel like my WISH buds are right there cheering me on. Your support means more than I could ever EVER express with mere words. Hugs and kisses to you all! If I can inspire or encourage you back even a little with my silly daily musings, then I am so happy.

 

[Strings]

Lisa,

Another 2 pounds down! Hello new clippie on Sunday. Lisa, I know you will have that 100 day clippie. You are after all the of that clippie. Keep up the great work.

Beth

 

[Castillo Mom]

You go girl! Another 2 pounds, wow! I've missed visiting your journal as often as I was but I'm glad to see that you're still walking the walk. How are your clothes fitting? Have you gone shopping at all? How's the trip planning going? Didn't you say you're taking your sister with you to WDW? I'm finishing up here at work but I wanted to stop by and say hello. Take care Lisa!

 

[wiskband]

Hey ZE.....
Checking in on ya....... you seem like you are doing great. Two more pounds will come quickly and you'll have that next clip in no time. You menu today sounded great! gotta try some of that crusless pizza! anyway good luck and keep up the good work!
renee

 

[lulu201]

HAPPINESS, HAPPINESS, ALL AROUND!!!!

Oh, my gosh, Lisa, you're doing so well. I'm so happy for you!
After reading your journal today, I'm feeling like I have to run downstairs and get my hands on my water bottle. I'm going to drink up a storm today!

Your posts RADIATE your good feelings about your lifestyle and yourself. Thank you for sharing all your thoughts in your journal.

Have a good Friday, Lisa--
Erin

 

[ZerasPride]

February 19, 2004 (Thursday) Day 81 on the Beach

We had an employee meeting in the afternoon and I was really looking forward to the grilled chicken wraps they served the other day. I was going to put the filling from the wrap on top of a salad but instead they had pizza! That really threw me for a loop because I wasn't expecting it. I just picked the toppings off 3 slices (2 veggie and 1 meat lovers) and ate it with a salad. I turned my nose up at the freshly baked gourmet cookies and drank my diet cola instead.

I found out there are trace amounts of an evil substance in my beloved broccoli and low fat cheese sauce! I was stunned to read the ingredients in my kitchen as I was grilling chicken breasts for dinner. But there it was taunting me. The word "flour"! And as a secondary slap in the face, it also contains corn gluten, whatever the heck that is! I have learned such a valuable lesson. Be very careful of processed foods. I should just stop being lazy and make my own version of cheese sauce. I mean how hard can it be? I'm going to find out, that's for sure. Of course, I gave the entire package to my son for dinner and he was one happy camper.

I have a headache that will not go away. It started last night and just won't quit. I'm not real big on taking meds for every little ache but this sucker won't go away so I think I'm headed to my friendly neighborhood employee medicine cabinet and get some drugs to make the pounding stop!

Menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat flakes with 1% milk and 2 small sausage patties
S: 7 whole almonds
L: toppings off 3 slices of pizza (dang stupid meeting), a diet coke and salad with ranch dressing
S: 1 dannon light and fit strawberry yogurt (60 calories)
D: grilled chicken breast, 1/2 cup of long grain converted rice and 1 litre of water instead of dessert

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I did my FIRM ab sculpt work out and water was a 7.0. Very good.

That's a wrap for Thursday!

Beth - thanks for stopping by and encouraging me. I'm very happy with the 2 pounds loss and we'll see if it "stuck" with me and is still there when I weigh in on Sunday.

Lisa - My clothes are really loose. I can wear things that are 1 and even squeeze into things that are 2 sizes smaller. It is a great feeling to have all my "regular" clothes be too big and to be able to grab anything out my closet and know it will fit. I haven't done any shopping. We're too poor for me to buy clothes everytime I drop a size but a girlfriend has given me some nice designer stuff in sizes 18 and 20 that fit me fairly well so I'm pretty set for spring. The trip planning is coming along nicely. I'm just waiting for the air fare to go down below $300 per ticket. I've got my room booked at the Grand Floridian and I'm looking into a spa treatment or two for me and my little sis. It should be a fun time! I'm really getting excited. You have a trip coming up soon too don't you?

Renee - Hi! Thanks for stopping by! It's so encouraging to have all this support. Give that pizza a try, it's yummy! I hope you have a great weekend.

Erin - Thanks to you too for checking up on me. It helps to keep me accountable. I do appreciate it. I am feeling real good these days but I do have my low times too. I think that's one reason journal writing is so important. It lets you tell it like it is, whether that's positive (losing weight) or negative (finding out there's hidden yucky ingredients in the food you're eating). I try to consider this a process that will last my whole life. Thanks again for stopping by!

 

[marsh0013]

hey lisa, that stinks about the cheese sauce! not a good feeling when you find out something you thought was right on target was really deceiving you! but live and learn. i'm sure that a homemade sauce will taste even better!

you did a great job adapting when they didn't serve what you were expecting! too bad they got you looking forward to something though, and then as well as snatched it out from under your nose! but at least you could eat the pizza toppings. and avoid the evil cookies

hope that your head is feeling better. sometimes, you just have to resort to the drugs if it gets too bad, even if you're used to riding it out

hope you have a great day today

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, I hope those meds kick in soon and the pounding stops. That can really ruin an otherwise perfect day!

You are inspiring me to drink, drink, drink! I'm waiting for the Bloat Fairy to leave me alone but she seems intent on sticking around. I hope there's a Bloat Fairy Convention soon and all of them get lost!!

80 days....well, 81 now.....truly amazing, Lisa, but you've done it one day at a time and that's how we have to continue. Day by day, step by step, pound by pound.

Best wishes for a happy scale visit on Sunday!!

 

[Castillo Mom]

Ooh, a spa treatment. Why didn't I think of that? That sounds wonderful Lisa and what a nice treat for your sister.

I hear you about the expense of buying clothes every time you drop a size. I'm keeping the shopping to minimum myself but it's fun taking out those too tight fitting outfits from the back of the closet to find that they fit or are too big.

Whoa, that's a lot of water you've been taking in! That continues to be a problem area for me.

Yes, my trip is in August, only 6 months away. In preparation, I finally decided on the Firm tapes which I'm picking up this weekend at Costco. But this time I'm making sure I keep my eye on it until I get home (remember my Pilates DVD?)!

I'll check in with you Monday Lisa. Have a good weekend!

 

[septbride2002]

You did a lot better job with the pizza then I would have done. Way to go! How was the ab scuplt ? That is the one tape that I am kind of afraid of.

For cheese sauce and broccoli this is what I do. I take about a cup of cooked broccoli and cut up two slices of American Cheese - put it in the microvave for 30 to 45 seconds and then stir it around. Really yummy! Not sure if you can do that on S. Beach or not.

~Amanda

 

[ZerasPride]

February 20, 2004 (Friday) Day 82 on the Beach

I have been so busy this weekend that I haven't had time to post. First I want to say that I appreciate my WISH buddies stopping by my journal and I want to make it around to each of yours. It seems like the more weight I lose, the more energy I have and the busier my weekends get. I do appreciate the time you all take to stop by and see how I am doing. It is so uplifting and I want to be there for you too!

Here's a posting of Friday's menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat flakes with 1% milk, 2 scrambled eggs with 1 slice of lf sharp cheese and 3 slices of bacon
S: 7 whole almonds
L: sloppy joe fixings but no bread - I'll put it on a bed of lettuce instead with a spoonful of reduced calorie sour cream
S: Dannon light and fit 60 calorie yogurt (peach)
D: toppings off 3 slices of pizza (pepporoni, sauage, extra cheese, and double mushroom) and 3 or 4 buffalo wings with a diet vanilla pepsi (no dessert - 1 litre of water instead)

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I did my FIRM cardio video today. Water was a 6.0. Pretty good.

That's a wrap for Friday!

I'll post Sunday's thread separately.

 

[ZerasPride]

February 21, 2004 (Saturday) Day 83 on the Beach

Today was another busy day. I spent some time with one of my sisters and she did my hair and helped me arch my eyebrows so I could look glamorous! We didn't do a bad job actually. One brow is a little more arched than the other but considering I looked like Eddie Munster before we got started, I think it is a definite improvement!

Today's menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal with 1% milk, 2 small sausage patties and 2 scrambled eggs with 1 slice of lf cheddar cheese
S: no morning snack
L: grilled cheese
S: Dannon light and fit 60 calorie yogurt (strawberry)
D: 3 slices of pizza (toppings only - double mushroom, cheese, pepperoni and sausage) and 4 hot wing pieces with a diet vanilla Pepsi (no dessert - but 1 litre of water before bed)

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I did my FIRM body sculpt - upper body - workout early in the AM. Water is a 4.0. Not too bad for a weekend. I do get in the litre of water before bed so that helps alot. I am starting to miss my dessert. I did join the April 1 challenge on the main WISH board and I've committed to dessert once a week so I might have a little something tonight (Sunday) we'll see.

Weight loss:
I'll report it here today instead of waiting for tomorrow. I cheated and weighed myself on Thursday and had lost 2 pounds and it's holding so I'm happy about that. I am so pleased because I haven't been losing 2 pounds per week lately, it's been less and also because TOM is coming this week and I've been using heavy weights with my work out so I'm pleased as punch with this lose! I am also 1 pound away from my 35 pound clippie and hope to be able to grab it next week. I have also commited to losing 10 pounds on the April 1 challenge and now I have 8 pounds to go! Yea me!

That's a wrap for Saturday!

Marcia - thanks for stopping by! Yes it can be very discouraging to find out something you enjoyed eating has hidden bad stuff in it. Oh well, we live and learn. Take care!

Doe - thanks to you too for stopping by! I read on your journal from time to time how down you can get but you never show it when you post to someone else's journal. You are always one of many rays of sunshine I experience when WIShers post to my thread! Thanks so much for being here!

Lisa - Oh, I am so excited you are starting the FIRM! The work out tapes are wonderful! You will love the results you get and the energy level that will stay with you through your day. You of all people can use that boost as busy as your schedule is. I can't wait until you get them (and hold on to them this time ) and start using them. Please keep me posted on your progress. I hope you have a wondeful trip in August. Too bad we are not going to be there at the same time.

Amanda - you are just a doll and a lifesaver! I was going to try some complicated recipe (okay I'm exaggerating a little) to make my own cheese sauce and here you come with something simple that sounds delicious. Yes, I am definitely going to give your method a try. I can have low fat cheese and we keep lf sharp cheddar slices in the house so now I can have my beloved broccoli and cheese! A million thanks to you! I don't mean to be overdramatic with this broccoli thing but it's one of the only veggies I like and I didn't want to have to cut it out of my diet. Thanks again! Oh, about the ab sculpt. I love it! It is intense and I only use it once or twice a week but it's awesome! Let me know when you give it a try and what you think about it. I couldn't do the entire 25 minute video when I first started but now I can get through it without too much of a problem.

 

[R_Judy]

Lisa - Your dedication blows my mind. 83 cheat free days is incredible. You are so diligent on your exercize too. No wonder those pounds keep falling off. You're not giving them anything to hang on to.

 

[marsh0013]

hey lisa, congrats on those 2 pounds!!! and then you'll have that 35 pound clippie real soon too! oooh, how exciting! so glad that all of your hard work is paying off so well, i'm so so happy for you

hope you have another great day today

 

[ZerasPride]

February 22, 2004 (Sunday) Day 84 on the Beach

Had a busy day today but managed to take it easy in the afternoon and early evening. Not too much going on. I did have someone pay me the nicest compliment. She asked me if I had shrunk over the weekend because I looked so much smaller! That was very encouraging. DH once again thanked me profusely for starting us on SBD. He is looking so good and both our energy levels are through the roof! It's like a second honeymoon and we're just loving it!

Menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal with 1% milk, 3 slices of bacon and 2 scrambled eggs with 1 slice of lf cheddar cheese
S: no snacks today
L: 1 hot dog with 1 slice of ww bread and popcorn with a diet vanilla pepsi
D: beef stroganoff over long grain converted rice (no dessert but 1 litre of water before bed)

I have noticed from this posting that we have slacked off with the veggies lately. I'm going to work to fix that.

Exercise/Water Gauge:
I did my FIRM ab sculpt workout this afternoon which I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it because I was feeling a bit sore from adding the heavy weights to my work out but felt fine enough in the afternoon to do it. I'm trying to stay focused to meet my goal for the April 1st challenge on the main board. It's exciting. Any of my WISH buddies reading my journal, you should consider joining us! Water level was a 5.0. Pretty good for a weekend.

That's a wrap for Sunday!

RJudy - thanks for stopping by my journal! It has not been too hard to stay focused and on plan. I started out with 137 pounds to lose and I am determined to make it happen. I have my good days and I have my bad days, for sure. I figure there are so many things in life you can't control, not other people and certainly not what the scale says but I can control what I put in my mouth and when and how I work out. I have this motto at work that I have shared with some of my SBD buddies - Cheating is a choice and I chose not to cheat! Thanks for the encouragement. The support on WISH is very important to me!

Marcia - You are always so supportive of me and I appreciate it more than I can say! I hope to be able to grab that clippie next week. We'll see. You have a great week too!