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

[ZerasPride]

I haven't had a chance to post to my journal all weekend. Boy has it been busy!

I've stayed on plan and exercised each day. As a matter of fact, I did two separate ab work outs today. The first one was part of super body sculpt and it was only 15 minutes long and the second was a full 30 minute ab sculpt workout. Boy does working out with the Firm make me feel powerful! I actually feel like I could pick up a small car and move it from one place to another! Okay, that's a bit much, but I do feel powerful!!!

I won't be too lazy and will report Saturday's meals and exercise:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal, 2 small sausage patties and 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese
S: can't remember of I had a snack
L: bologna sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and mayo
S: popcorn and a diet soda
D: sloppy joe (no bread) and 15 cherries for dessert

Exercise: I did Firm super cardio sculpt for my workout.

That's a wrap for Saturday!

wilderness - thanks for the support and encouragement. Isn't it wonderful to lose shoe sizes? I've gone from a 9 to a 8 or 7-1/2 depending on the brand.

Lisa - thanks for checking on me. I hope you had a great weekend. Take care!

Tracy - this was a great weekend! The weather was absolutely beautiful. This afternoon I was lazy though and took a long afternoon nap. I felt a bit guilty because I was thinking I should be out enjoying the weather. Oh well. I hope your garage sale was profitable. Thanks for asking about the challenge. It's going well. Even though today is my usual weigh in day, I wasn't even tempted to get on the scale. There is a sort of freeing feeling not being tied to it but I understand what you are saying about needing to tweak what you are doing and needing the scale to gauge it. I'm hoping to be down at least 5 pounds when I weigh in August. That would be put me at 73 pounds lost and would make me a happy camper.

 

[ZerasPride]

July 11, 2004 (Sunday) Day 225 on the Beach

I had a lovely Sunday. I was able to take a much needed nap in the middle of the day and even got in two work outs!

Here's today's menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal, 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese and 3 slices of bacon
S: no morning snack
L: bologna sandwich on whole wheat bread with mayo, lettuce and tomato and a diet soda plus 15 cherries
S: no afternoon snack
D: shrimp alfredo over whole wheat linguine and 2 sugar free creamsicles

Boy this sounds like an awful lot of food to me. Since I'm not weighing myself I can't tell if I'm stuck at a weight, losing or gaining. I know I have to watch the whole grains and will definitely try to do a better job with the upcoming week.

Exercise and Water Gauge: I did the ab portion of super body sculpt which was short (15 minutes) then in the afternoon I did BSS1 ab scuplt which is 30 minutes long. Since I'm too lazy to do my goal thingy today, I'll report on my water level which was about a 4.0, which is good for a weekend.

That's a wrap for Sunday!

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, your menu from Sunday doesn't sound like that much food to me. I guess it would depend on the portion sizes.

Glad to hear your wedding ring story had a happy ending! I would have been on pins and needles looking for my rings!

Hope your day is a good one!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Lisa!
How are your abs feeling today? I hope that some of the soreness has gone away.

Hasn't this weather been crazy the past couple of days? After we got caught in that rainstorm, we came home and DH went to his mom's house that is three streets away and it had only sprinkled there! We got drenched! Right now, it's , but we're supposed to get t-storms later. Guess I shouldn't complain though... before you know it, we'll be talking about snow.

I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday!

Take care,
Tracy

 

[Castillo Mom]

Hi Lisa! I was reading your entry for Sunday and that pasta you had sounds delish! I still haven't tried the recipe for Alfredo sauce I saw on Food Network but one of these I'll take the time to do it. It actually doesn't look time consuming to make at all.

So you've been staying away from the scale? Not a bad idea, I should follow suit. I weigh every morning and haven't been able to break the habit. I feel like it helps me stay aware of any fluctuations in weight, but that can be a bad thing too.

Hope you're having a great day!


Love,

Lisa

 

[ZerasPride]

July 12, 2004 (Monday) Day 226 on the Beach

I'm feeling much better today than I was yesterday. Some days you have to fake it until you make it and other days this way of life or way of eating seems effortless. Today is an effortless day (so far) but yesterday was hard.

I called to accept an invitation to an anniversary party that a friend of mine is having next month and I talked to her mom. She told me that she "heard" I looked good and couldn't wait to see me. I started making excuses and told her I didn't look all that good. I got off the phone with mixed emotions. I was thinking that (1) word was spreading that I was losing weight to people I haven't seen in years; and (2) what if I disappoint people? what if I can't live up to what they expect of the new thin me? what if I can't live up to my own expectations? And finally what if I come this far and then backslide and gain all this weight back? These are legitimate questions that I can't ignore. But I don't have to let them cause me to become so afraid that I start undoing all my hard work.

People are starting not to even recognize me which is a bit scary in and of itself. Saturday my sister and I took to the kiddos to the movies and afterwards we got separated. I saw my sister in the distance and wondered why she looked directly at me but kept walking in the opposite direction. When we finally met up with each other she said she looked dead at me but didn't recognize me from a distance. She said she was so used to me being large she thought I was someone else! A coworker said something similar to me this morning. She said she saw me down the hall talking to another coworker but it wasn't until I turned around and she saw my face that she realized it was me. She said I looked that different.

While these compliments are flattering, I have to admit that sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and have to think who is that staring back at me? The feeling only lasts a second or two but it's scary to see your reflection in the mirror but it doesn't really look like you but it is you. I guess this makes absolutley no sense but these are feelings that I was feeling yesterday and remnants of those feelings remain today.

However today, I feel more ready to deal with them. I have lost about 70 pounds and many, many inches. I do look different. I look better, healthier and younger. I don't have to be afraid of the changes and as far as other people, they will talk one way or the other. You can't stop people from talking about you. I can't control anyone else. I can only try and control my actions, feelings and emotions. I will not allow myself to sabatoge my current efforts because of fear of the unknown. I don't want to go back to being 282.5 pounds or even heavier. I want to be at a healthy weight for me! I like fitting nicely into an airline seat, wearing smaller sized clothes, running up the 17 stairs effortlessly in my condo and tackling the 2 flights of stairs in my office building instead of taking an elevator. I also walk to the bus stop in the morning (about 1-1/2 blocks) instead of driving my car because I would be too tired to do so in the past.

I like the new me and she is here to stay!

B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal and 2 small sausage patties
S: 15 cherries
L: tuna salad with 9 whole wheat crackers and a plum
S: Dannon light and fit peach yogurt
D: philly cheesesteak wrap with mushrooms, provolone & american cheeses and onions and 1 sugar free creamsicle for dessert

Exercise: I did Firm cardio sculpt blaster for my work out this morning.

The stay off the scale challenge is going well but I would like to know what I weigh. Instead I'm hopig to measure tonight. I tried on my button down blouse and it is less tight every time I put it on so I know I'm making progress. Also, I can almost wrap a regular bath towel all the way around my body. I don't think I've been able to do that since I was a kid. These little indicators help keep me going.

Status of daily goals:
1) Exercise - Firm cardio sculpt blaster
2) Drink my water (80 to 120 ounces per day) - I drank somewhere between 80-90 ounces of water today;
3) Watch my portion sizes and the grains I eat (breakfast like a king, lunch like a price and dinner like a pauper) I made philly cheesesteaks for dinner and made sure to stop when I had had enough and gave the rest to DH;
4) Positive self-talk - I've been focusing on the journey ahead and how far I have come, my goal is to refuse to let my mind wallow in a muck of fear today;
5) Stay away from the (bad for me) desserts - I had 2 of the 20 calorie each sugar free creamsicles for dessert which is well within the amount I'm allowed.

That's a wrap for Monday!

Tracy - you mentioned that bad four letter word! Shouldn't the DIS filter have blanked that word out! Don't say the "s" word!!!We've got a long way to go before that white stuff hits the ground and depresses us! It's nice and steamy out now so I hope you're having a good Tuesday.

Lisa - thanks for stopping by! You have gotta try the alfredo recipe. Let me know if you want me to email it to you. It's so easy and delicious. When I made it two weeks ago, my little sis was over and she eats like a bird. She got one taste of the sauce and she and my son were almost fighting over it. It's very yummy! I wish you could have joined us in our scale challenge but I can understand needing to know what you weigh. I just got tired of the scale controling me. Now I feel a bit more in control and think I'll be able to weigh once per week. Keep up the good work. I keep meaning to ask you how is Induction going?

 

[CruisingCA2005]

I look better, healthier and younger.

You've got the right idea! Keep up the good work!

 

[DoeWDW]

Lisa, you are such an inspiration to me. The most weight I've ever lost is 25 pounds, and I remember how "different" I felt. I truly cannot imagine how you must feel, but you are facing your feelings with such honesty - feeling them, acknowledging them but not letting them stop you. I can relate to that and there are areas of my life where I feel fearful - I'll try to take a lesson from your book and face those fears. You've helped me today!! Thank you!!

 

[septbride2002]

I had a teacher once tell me that as a women who weas not use to compliments when she received them she would brush them off, or make an excuse to why she didn't deserve them. Even though the compliment made her feel good she would automatically make an excuse as to why she didn't deserve it. Once she realized it was that kind of talk that was holding her back from succeeding she had to force herself to quit. At first she just concentrated on saying "Thank you" and after awhile it just go easier and the compliments helped motivate her instead of holding her back.

Just learn to smile and say, "Thanks!" and don't let that negative talk into your head.

Lisa - look at how far you have come! You are not going to backslide - and even if you do, you now have the tools necessary to get back into control.

~Amanda

 

[septbride2002]

I had a teacher once tell me that as a women who weas not use to compliments when she received them she would brush them off, or make an excuse to why she didn't deserve them. Even though the compliment made her feel good she would automatically make an excuse as to why she didn't deserve it. Once she realized it was that kind of talk that was holding her back from succeeding she had to force herself to quit. At first she just concentrated on saying "Thank you" and after awhile it just go easier and the compliments helped motivate her instead of holding her back.

Just learn to smile and say, "Thanks!" and don't let that negative talk into your head.

Lisa - look at how far you have come! You are not going to backslide - and even if you do, you now have the tools necessary to get back into control.

~Amanda

 

[ZerasPride]

July 13, 2004 (Tuesday) Day 227 on the Beach

I don't have much time left this afternoon but wanted to get my menu down so here it is:

B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat flakes cereal, 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese and 2 small sausage patties
S: 15 cherries
L: tuna salad with 9 whole wheat crackers and a sugar free jello
S: Dannon light and fit peach yogurt (4 oz.)
D: beef stroganoff over long grain converted rice with 1 sugar free creamsicle for dessert

Execise: I did Firm super body sculpt (upper and lower body portions) for my work out this morning.

That's a wrap for Tuesday!

CruisingCA2005 - thanks for stopping by and giving me some encouragement!

Doe - It is so flattering to think that I'm an inspiration to you because you are one to me! Your positive attitude is something I try to imitate and don't always succeed in doing. If I have helped you any way with all my ramblings, then that makes me so happy!!!

Amanda - I'm working on just saying "thank you" when someone compliments me. It's not easy but I try not to follow it up with a negative comment. Getting compliments is something I'm just not used to. I'm working on it. Thanks for the support and vote of confidence!!!

 

[ZerasPride]

July 14, 2004 (Wednesday) Day 228 on the Beach

Since I'm not weighing myself these days, I'm trying find other ways to mark my progress. I have several markers I want to put down. First, I have this beautiful button down velour blouse I got from the Disney store a couple of years ago that I have never been able to fit. It's a size XXL and has these cute glass Mickey head shaped buttons down the front. Although it fit in the sleeves it was always too tight across my chest and stomach. I longed for the day this top would fit. It was a $78 top I got for $12. I forgot I had it. I went to put it on last night and I was swimming in it. It is at least 2 sizes too big. It was a bittersweet moment. I was thrilled that it had outgrown me but I was sad that I won't get to wear it. I'm determined to go through my closet and get rid of most things that are too big for me. This top will NOT be one of the things I give away. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it, but I'm keeping it.

My second marker is a teeshirt my Dad gave me last summer after a vacation to the islands. It's a size Large. I could barely get the top over my head but it wouldn't go over my shoulders at all. I was desparate for a top to wear the other day and grabbed it to put on. I fully expected it to be very very tight but it wasn't! It fit perfectly fine!!!! I haven't been able to wear a size large top in so many years that I know it was before my son was born and he is almost 18. I love wearing this teeshirt now.

My third marker is that I have lost 3 inches from the last time I measued just 2 weeks ago. These markers help me to appreciate that even though I'm not stepping on the scale several times a day and seeing my weight, I am making progress! Saturday one of my sisters and I are going shopping for a new suit for me. I need something versatile (preferably in black or red) that I can wear to worship, an anniversary party next month and a convention at the end of this month. It would be nice to fit into a 14 but I know suits can run small and I might need a 16. I'll report back on what I end up buying. I'm so excited about it!

Here is today's menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal and 2 small sausage patties
S: 15 cherries (that sounds like a lot but there really don't seem to be very many in my container)
L: tuna salad and 9 whole wheat crackers with a plum
S: Dannon light and fit strawberry 4 oz. yogurt
D: lean hamburger casserole with whole wheat noodles, green peppers, onions, fresh mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup with a sugar free creamsicle for dessert

Exercise: I did the ab portion of Firm super body sculpt this evening. This makes 7 straight days of working out for me. I'm going to see how many consecutive days I can exercise.

Status of daily goals:
1) Exercise - Firm super body sculpt (ab portion only)
2) Drink my water (80 to 120 ounces per day) - I drank somewhere between 80-90 ounces of water today;
3) Watch my portion sizes and the grains I eat (breakfast like a king, lunch like a price and dinner like a pauper) I love my beef stroganoff but I was careful to have only 1/2 cup of the rice and stop before I felt full;
4) Positive self-talk - I'm working on accepting people's compliments without thinking something negative afterwards;
5) Stay away from the (bad for me) desserts - I had 1 of the 20 calorie each sugar free creamsicles for dessert, sometimes I feel like a second one and I have it but I try to limit it to just 1.

That's a wrap for Wednesday!

 

[ZerasPride]

July 15, 2004 (Thursday) Day 229 on the Beach

Here is today's menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat flakes and 2 small sausage patties
S: 15 cherries
L: leftover beef stroganoff over 1/2 cup of long grain converted rice and a plum
S: Dannon light and fit 4 oz. peach yogurt
D: leftover hamburger veggie casserole with 1 or 2 sf creamsicles for dessert

Exercise: I did Firm cardio sculpt blaster this morning, plus I did the ab portion of my Firm super body sculpt last night on my "rest day". This makes 8 straight days of execise for me!

Status of daily goals:
1) Exercise - Firm cardio sculpt blaster;
2) Drink my water (80 to 120 ounces per day) - I drank somewhere between 80-90 ounces of water today;
3) Watch my portion sizes and the grains I eat (breakfast like a king, lunch like a price and dinner like a pauper) ate leftovers for dinner and it tasted so good I found myself wanting to overeat just because of how it tasted in my mouth - I managed to put the fork down before I overate. As a matter of fact, I stopped eating before I was full, just to see if I could do it;
4) Positive self-talk - It's tough when you feel all eyes are on you and they probably are not! Anyway, I keep telling myself I'm doing this for me and not anyone else;
5) Stay away from the (bad for me) desserts - I had 2 of the 20 calorie each sugar free creamsicles for dessert, I was still a bit hungry after my small dinner.

That's a wrap for Thursday!

 

[sm4987]

Hello Lisa. I haven't read your journal in a while but it sounds as if you are doing terrific.

I was laughing at the positive self talk thing. I feel like eyes are on me too and it makes me extremely self conscious. It is nerve racking. You know you are doing well, but your imagination sometimes gets away from you.

Great going fellow SBD buddy!!!

 

[ZerasPride]

I typed a big long post and hit submit and it didn't go through! I'm not a happy camper right now. I'll come back and reconstruct it after lunch.

 

[ZerasPride]

July 16, 2004 (Friday) Day 230 on the Beach

I'm not retyping everything from before but the abridge version of Friday is that I stayed OP and worked out with Firm super body sculpt.

July 17, 2004 (Saturday) Day 231 on the Beach

I went shopping over the weekend and had a blast! When I started off with South Beach 8-1/2 months ago, I was wearing a size 26/28 pants and XXL and XXXL shirts. Saturday, I came home from the mall with a skirt that I'm wearing today from a "regular" women's store in an XL and at another regular women's store I bought a peach short sleeved top in a large! I couldn't believe it!!!! I had picked up both a L and an XL and was so surprised when the L fit perfectly! I also bought a beautiful black designer suit in a size 16. It fits likes a gloove so I'm really going to try to step up my exercise routines because I want to wear this suit in 2 weeks and have it fit a bit more comfortably. I picked up a size 14/16 teeshirt at LB and a pair of size 14 jeans!!!! We have dressed down day on Friday at work and I can't wait to wear them! So I may not be weighing myself right now but I'm pleased with what I am wearing!!!!

Today's menu:
B: egg, cheese and bacon sandwich on ww toast with strawberry fruit spread abd 1/2 glass of 1% milk
L: late breakfast so no lunch
S: 1 nectarine
D: Arby's chicken salad wrap with a bottle of water and 16 cherreis for dessert

Exercise: Firm super cadio sculpt work out for my exercise.

July 18, 2004 (Sunday) Day 232 on the Beach

I wore my new black skirt this morning to worship and got a lot of compliments on it. I even managed to do 2 work outs today, making today 11 straight days of exercise for me.

Here's today's menu:
B: egg, cheese and bacon sandwich on ww toast with strawberry fruit spread and 1/2 glass of 1% milk
S: 15 cherries
L: fried fish (in canola oil) and homemade coleslaw sweetend with splenda
S: no afternoon snack
D: shrimp alfredo over ww linguine and 1 sugar free creamsicle for dessert

Exercise: Today is "Super Ab Sunday" so I did Firm super body sculpt (ab portion only) in the morning and Firm BSS1 ab sculpt in the evening.

I'm too lazy to do my goals for today. I didn't drink near enough water this weekend.

That's a wrap for the weekend!

Sheree - thanks for stopping by and encouraging me. Hopefully, one day I'll get to the point where the looks I get from people won't make me feel self-conscious.

 

[ZerasPride]

July 19, 2004 (Monday) Day 233 on the Beach

Not too much going on today. I'm just trying to say focused, stay off the scale and really concentrate on my work outs in the hopes that I can wear my new black suit next Sunday.

Here is today's menu:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal and 3 slices of bacon
S: 9 whole almonds
L: leftover crustless pizza, a salad with ranch dressing and a peach
S: too full from lunch for an afternoon snack
D: breakfast for dinner (3 slices of bacon and 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese and 2 slices of ww toast with strawberry simply fruit spread )

Exercise: I did Firm super cardio sculpt for my work out this morning. Today makes 12 days straight that I have exercised.

Status of daily goals:
1) Exercise - Firm super cardio sculpt;
2) Drink my water (80 to 120 ounces per day) - I drank somewhere between 80-100 ounces of water today;
3) Watch my portion sizes and the grains I eat (breakfast like a king, lunch like a price and dinner like a pauper) had breakfast food for dinner and ate most of it but did leave a little on my plate;
4) Positive self-talk - had a pretty good day today so didn't need a lot of extra pep talking;
5) Stay away from the (bad for me) desserts - No dessert tonight.

That's a wrap for Monday!

 

[septbride2002]

How is the stay of the scale challenge going Lisa?

~Amanda

 

[ZerasPride]

July 20, 2004 (Tuesday) Day 234 on the Beach

The stay off the scale challenge is tough but people have been giving me so many compliments, I must be losing weight. Just today, someone came up to me and said that it looked like I dropped a lot of weight in a short period of time. I told her that I have been on my program for 8-1/2 months. She said that she has really noticed it the past few weeks especially. Somone else at work told me I don't even look like the same person. I do here that a lot and see it in the mirror too. It's so weird to be almost startled because the face and body reflected back from the mirror is so different from what you were used to seeing before.

I tried on that button down white blouse from Target that always seemed to tight on me and DH agreed that I can wear it now. I want it to be a tad bit looser on me but I know I'll be wearing it next week. That's exciting. I'm also wearing my new size 14 jeans to work for dress down Friday. I'm looking forward to that. So there is lots going on that the scale can't tell me and I'm focusing on that.

Here is my menu for today:
B: 1/2 bowl of whole wheat cereal and 3 slices of bacon
S: 10 whole small almonds
L: tuna salad with 8 whole wheat crackers and a nectarine
S: Dannon light and fit peach yogurt
D: beef stroganoff over 1/2 cup of long grain converted rice and 1 sugar free creamsicle for dessert

Exercise: I did Firm super body sculpt (upper and lower) this morning. Today makes 13 straight days of exercise for me.

Status of daily goals:
1) Exercise - Firm super body sculpt (upper and lower);
2) Drink my water (80 to 120 ounces per day) - I drank somewhere between 80-100 ounces of water today;
3) Watch my portion sizes and the grains I eat (breakfast like a king, lunch like a price and dinner like a pauper) I made my yummy beef stroganoff and even though it was late when we ate dinner, I did not overstuff myself and I made sure to stop eating before I had finished all the food on my plate;
4) Positive self-talk - I'm dealing with some anxious feelings about how I look and the compliments I'm getting, I keep telling myself this is for me and the compliments are nice but I don't have to let them make me scared and feel like I can't complete my journey to goal because I'm afraid of letting people down or feel like I don't deserve it - I do deserve it!;
5) Stay away from the (bad for me) desserts - No dessert tonight again. I ate dinner pretty late and was full.

That's a wrap for Tuesday!

Amanda - the challenge is going well. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know right this minute what I weigh but I've been getting so many compliments and fitting into clothes that were too tight and uncomfortable so I know I'm making progress. I think I have cured myself of wanting/needing to weigh everyday and that was my goal with this exercise. The scale only tells part of the story and I hated letting it dictate to me whether I was a "good" girl or a "bad" girl by what it said or didn't say. I am beginning to feel that I can weigh once per week and just use the scale as one of many indicators of my progress. Anyway, thanks for asking!!!

 

[septbride2002]

Lisa your menu never ceases to amaze me! You are just kicking butt girl! What are these Creamsicles you speak of and where can I get some! I need to find some sugar free candy to keep at work. The girl next to me has Hershey's Kisses at her desk and I find myself having one or two a day. I need to break this - but now I seem to crave something sweet in the afternoon. I will say that after I have my snack in the afternoon I don't crave stuff at home in the evenings anymore.

You are doing awesome girl - don't forget that!

~Amanda