Tomorrow's the Big Day!

Happy New Year's Eve friends!

I'm not sure if I was retaining water or if it's just a result of my good choices lately but...I lost the 5lbs that I had gained on Sunday!!!

As you know my regular weigh in days are on Sundays (and I'll be weighing in again on Sunday) but I had to weigh in today because it is the final day of The Biggest Loser Challenge Round #1.

My Stats for this Challenge:

Start Date: November 8

End Date: December 31

Start Weight: 352

End Weight: 338

For a total loss of: 14lbs

You can see (on the right) that my goal was to lose 20lbs during this first round so I fell 6lbs short. I had decided that if I had lost 20lbs during the challenge that I would give myself one "free day" of eating whatever I want; but I didn't lose the 20lbs so- NO FREE DAY. Oh well- worst things could happen :)

To tell you the truth I really wasn't being all that serious for the first part of the challenge and combined with Christmas and only working out 3 times- I'll take the 14lb loss! I won't know if I won the challenge until Monday- keep your fingers crossed for me- the winner takes home $220 and a gold medal :) I guess I'd be satisfied with the silver or bronze medal too...this time!

Alright and now let's talk about some Janurary Goals (psst...I'll be sharing my 2010 goals tomorrow!)

Goal #1: Weigh no more than 325lbs on January 31st (A loss of at least 13lbs) I know that this might sound unrealistic but being that I weighw what I do I know that it is not difficult when I put forth the effort to be losing at least 3-5lbs per week.

Reward: Free Day!

Goal #2: Walk 5x's a week for 1 month. For this I will be using the indoor walking program "Walking Away the Pounds" which should have me walking approximately 10-18 miles per week. I know it's that much for some of you frequent 5K'ers but I'm literally coming from not excercising at all so I'm taking small steps. Committing to excercising 5 days a week is a huge commitment for me but I know that it is necessary.

Reward: Get a pedicure :)

Goal #3: Do 2 Strength Training Workouts a week for 1 month.

Reward: The Beck Diet Solution Book. I've heard some good things about this book and am definitely interested in learning more about the cognitive aspect of weight loss.

Goal #4: Track POINTS for a full week. I can't lie- I have a hard time tracking my PTS for a full day let alone a full week! I do really good with breakfast and lunch- but only because I pretty much eat the same thing every day for both meals, but dinner man- it kills me everytime! So I just need to buckle down and be a stickler about getting the POINTS value for everything that goes in my mouth.

Reward: I can buy a health magazine for every week that I successfully track. I luuurrvve reading magazines so this is definitely a big motivator for me!

Goal #5: Try 3 new healthy recipes this month.

1st- Brussel Sprouts- never had em before and you all rave about them so I'm gotta at least try em!

2nd- TBA

3rd- TBA

Reward: Yummy food :)

So there you have it folks! January is going to be a great month! Heck- this is going to be a fantastic year- full of hardwork yes,- but fantastic!

p.s. Tonight I am having a New Year's Eve part-ay at mi casa! Gotta tell you that I'm a little nervous about what kind of choices there will be as far as food goes- even though it's at my place we are doing it pot luck style- I guess I'll just be the one making sure there are lots of healthy options :)

Happy New Years Eve! Be safe and don't get too crazy!

My 10 Things...

My rockstar gal pal JewliaGoulia tagged me in a fun activity that is going around the blogosphere where if you are "tagged" you are supposed to share ten things in your life that make you happy.

And of course I'm all about fun...and activities....and happiness- so here we go (in no particular order)....

-10 Things That Make Me Happy-

#1- Coffee

As I've talked about on this blog before I seriously LOVE coffee- I have crossed over from even just drinking it for pleasure to actually not being able to function all too well without it (I know, I know, that's not good) but I love everything about it: the way it smells, tastes, even looks- hence my friends and I taking a picture of our Starbucks drinks last summer- nerds! :) But seriously- I have anywhere from 5-10 meetings with people each week and if it is up to me they will happen over coffee! Indeed, coffee is one thing that makes me happy :)

# 2- The Office

I freaking love this show. I remember my bff tried to get me to watch it the first few times I thought it was so stupid and just didn't get why everyone loved it so much until one day after I got my wisdom teeth out and I decided to give it one more shot and watched an entire season, then another, then another and well, needless to say I've seen every episode! To me The Office is kind of like the show Friends, it doesn't matter what episode you happen to catch it is always funny, you always love the characters, and it is just great writing! The Office is a perfect representation of my humor and it makes me happy fo sho.

#3- Planning & Organizing This is a picture of this week in my planner- let me just tell you that an unorganized Tiffany is NOT a happy or functional Tiffany. I don't why this is or where it came from but I am crazy anal about being organized and planned. I mean, there are situations where I'm completely go with the flow but I really do love having my week, house, goals, blog, room, and just life in general in order. Obviously things rarely go as planned but at least I know how they were supposed to go, right? :)

#4- My Friends

My family has never been incredibly stable or healthy so my friends have always played a pretty major role in my life; I am undoubtebly closer to my friends than I am to most of my family members. They are pretty amazing human beings and I love them.

#5- My Job

I currently work bi-vocationally as an Accounting Assistant and an Outreach Pastor. My Accounting job pays the bills and my other job is definitely my calling. I recently moved to the Burgh to help start a church and very few things make me happier than feeding and clothing the homeless, community service projects, and just loving on people which is what I get to do as an outreach pastor. I love it! The picture above is a little girl who just got her face painted at a Fall Festival we put on @ a local coffee shop- isn't she cute?

#6- Blogging

Does this not happen to you all the time? I'll see something yummy or make a new discovery in this journey and I'll automatically think, "Oh! I need to blog about this!" LOL. Truthfully I had some serious doubts about starting this blog; in fact, I had been reading many of your blogs for months before I decided to finally start my own. The reason I was so hesitant wasn't because I didn't like blogging or didn't want to commit to it (I have been blogging now through my other blog for over a year now). It was just that I really didn't want to let anyone down and make all of this fuss about what I'm going to do and then just not do it- but boy am I glad I did. I have met some great people in the few weeks that I've been blogging and it makes me feel not so alone on this journey! Blogging my thoughts and reading yours as well have become a highlight of my day :)

#7- Deep Conversations

I know, I know, I sound like a cheesy personals add but it's true- there are very few things in life that I enjoy more than having deep conversations- or perhaps just any conversation that is meaningful. I am just as much a listener as I am a talker and I get so much satisfaction from talking with people about what's going on in their lives, my life, current events, politics, passions, relationships, faith, philosophy, you name it! People feel that they are close to people through different avenues- gifts, physical touch, etc. and how I feel close to people is by spending time talking about life together :)

#8- My Grandma

My grandma really is my hero. She is the person who raised me and truly loves me unconditionally- I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am in life without her. She definitely is one that makes me smile :)

#9- Games, Games, Games

I am a game fanatic! I love card games, board games, group games, if it's a game- chances are I'm gonna love it (and have to play it a million times!) I don't know what it is about playing games but I get very easily addictive...and competitive :) LOL For example, tomorrow night we are having a NYE party at our house and you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be plenty of catch phrase and mafia for an entire night of fun! LOL

#10- Jesus

My life would not be happy at all without Him. He is my best friend, Savior, and everything really. Before I met Him I was was living my life without any real purpose, I was selfish, and I had aboslutely no hope or joy- I have all of that now and I couldn't love my life more and I know that has everything to do with my relationship with Christ.

The End :)

Solo Dos Dias!

I have got to tell yinz (that's Pittsburgh-ese) that I cannot WAIT until Friday because that will be Day #1 of Project 365!

Today I wanted to lay a quick outline for what you all can expect to see for the next 365 days on this blog and will be unveiled on Friday...

1. Progress Pics: I will be taking and posting pics of myself after every 20lbs that I lose- I can't say that I'm completely looking forward to this but I know that I'll be happy that I did on Day #365!



2. Measurements: That's a fun activity for New Year's Eve right? lol I'll be taking all of my measurements on Thursday and posting them for the world to see on Friday- I'll be updating them every ]month]



3. Goals: Every month I will have a different set of goals that I would like to achieve- these will include goals for weight loss, nutrition, fitness, and other NSV (non-scale victories!) And of course...rewards! I will be writing a post about my January goals tomorrow as well as the goals that I have for the year! Exciting, right? :)



4. Weigh- Ins: Like most of you, I will be weighing in once a week- on Sundays due to that being the weigh-in day for The Biggest Loser Challenge competition that I am in and will be continuing throughout 2010. At first I didn't really ilke the idea of weighing in on a Sunday (being that the weekends are the hardest time to be good) but it just gives me the extra motivation to not let loose on the weekends.

Well there you have it! This is going to be a year that I will not only remember for the rest of my life but that will change the rest of my life- it is a little scary because I realize now more than ever the consequences of not following through but failure is not an option.

I have a REQUEST for all of you...

During my journey this year I am asking that you make this promise to me: That you will not enable me, coddle me, or tell me that it's okay when you see me not living up to my fullest potential in this journey.

I know when we read each other's blogs and we hear about someone going to a party and "not knowing what happened" until they eat tons of things they never should have and are feeling regretful and bad about themselves that we are all tempted to leave them a comment saying, "It's okay- everyone makes mistakes, you can just try harder next time because tomorrow's another day." But I'm not going to be leaving those kind of comments anymore and I have got to ask you to not write them to me either (not that any of you have thus far!).

And here's why- I am fighting for my life here. I know that sounds dramatic, but it is very very true. This isn't a joke to me and it is certainly not a hobby- I am going to get myself out of this mess this year and having your encouragement and support is going to be so crucial and needed on this journey; however, the real support that we can give eachother doesn't come in the form of allowing someone to consistantly live in a way that is unhealthy for them- it comes by us being there when we want to give up, see the scale not moving, or do make a bad choice and we tell eachother what no one else in our life does tell us...That we can do this and that if we ever want to see change then we have got to make the decision to change because NO ONE can or is going to make these changes for us!

And believe me, I know that I am going to make mistakes on this journey and that I will feel bad about them and definitely blog about it- and I'm not asking for verbal abuse- HAHA- but I do need bloggy friends that will remind me of my goals and will tell me that continually "messing up" isn't going to help me achieve them.

I will make a promise to you all too (if you want!) that I will be there to support you when you do "slip up" by helping you get back on track and reminding you of your strength- not by enabeling you :)

Anyone in for that kind of a support system? :)

Nothin but LOVE!

The big O :)

Good morning lovelies!

So...oatmeal- can we talk about it for a minute- I could use some major help with this!

Up until yesterday my breakfast's have been consisting of either: honey nut cheerios w/skim milk or an egg on a whole wheat english muffin and of course my morning cup of joe, which usually puts me around 4-6 POINTS.

Well on Thursday when I found out that I was in danger of losing The Biggest Loser Challenge, my roomate, who I just recently found out used to be a personal trainer- don't ask me why I didn't know this- told me that if I really wanted to lose weight I should be eating oatmeal for breakfast.

Now I wasn't all that suprised to hear this since I've seen a variety of amazing oatmeal creations on many of your blogs, so I decided what the heck, I'd give it a try on Monday morning so I went out and bought this:

Well, I'm on day 2 of eating oatmeal for beakfast, and this morning I actually was plugging my nose and gagging trying to eat it! I'm not even kidding! It's not that I think it really tastes all that bad but there is just something about the texture that makes it nearly unbearable...bleh! See what I mean?

But I am not willing to give up on oatmeal just yet- I think it did curb the hunger that I usually feel around 10:30 or so and I've read that it really helps kick start your metabolism. PLUS- although I'm not ready to completely share until my official weigh in on Thursday- the scale is moving :) !

So I need your help! How can I make this not taste like something that I regurgitated? I'm already eating the flavored kind (maple & brown suger), but what else can I add to make it better? I have been reading about the Oatmeal Cookie- has anyone tried it out? (FYI- the only thing I can't add to my oatmeal is bananas- I'm allergic!)

Let the recipe sharing begin!

Mr. D-Bag.

Hello Friends-

I first wanted to mention that I will resume doing my wonderfully "themed days" (ex-Motivation Monday, Tip Tuesday, etc. -I KNOW-nerd!) on Day #1 of Project 365...which is coming oh so soon-and I couldn't be more excited! Just didn't want you to think I was slackin!

I would also like to thank all of my wonderful bloggy friends for your kind and encouraging words on yesterday's post- I never realized just much we are really able to support one another on this journey- but I definitely felt the love and support from you all! No worries- this day has gone AMAZINGLY thus far and the scale better watch out on Thursday (the end of the Biggest Loser Challenge and weigh in) and on Sunday (my weekly weigh in)!

Just to prove that I am still hardcore, check the lunch (now I'm no TJ :) but I still think it looks pretty good!) However- there was something seriously wrong with those tomatoes- bleh!

Alright- and now onto the subject of today's post- the world's biggest douche bag. I know that some find that term gross and offensive- but today's interaction was nothing but those things. It's actually surprisingly difficult for me to even share this but I think it's important for my growth, identification with the issue, being able to move past it, and it might even help someone else.

Here's what happened...as I've said before I work in an office of about 20 people, of which I am one of only 3 girls, and at least 75% of the people in our office weight 250lbs +. There is this one employee who is around 50 years old, a male, grossly overweight, single, is always talking arrogantly about how he is going to lose 100lbs and how he could do it with no effort if he really wanted to, and then will seriously eat half a dozen donuts any time someone brings them into the office- oh, and did I mention he is a douche bag?? Ok-haha last time I will use that term- scouts honor! But seriously- he always has a snarky and sarcastic comeback to literally anything anyone says and at times I really do feel sad for him because I know he is extremely unhappy with his life which causes him to be such a dirt bag but any and all sympathy I felt for him was completely lost today.

As I was sitting at my desk talking with the other girl who's desk is by mine in the office, in comes Mr. D.B. (better? lol) with a 32oz. soda from Five Guys and he starts chattin' it up with us telling us that he ate a huge cheeseburger and fries for lunch yada, yada, yada and I just said, "Was that on your diet?" To which he replied..."Pot (points at me), kettle (points to himself), black."

If I knew I wouldn't have lost my job I'm not kidding when I say that I was mad enough that I could have punched him right in the face. I never ever ever get mad or angry- it's really just not in my nature- but I could feel my heart beat literally in my face I was so infuriated! To tell you the truth, I'm not even quite sure what kind of a face I made when he said that.

After convincing myself not to go and kick him in the crotch I found myself asking..."Would this make anyone else this mad?" "Would other people just accept this kind of treatment along with the fat suit?" "Is this the kind of situation that obese people face often?" You see, I don't face these kind of situations-like EVER. I truly cannot remember 1 other time in my adult life that I have felt directly insulted about my weight to my face like this. And really- who cares about him- he's a jerk and has nothing to do with who I am- and really not in the bigger picture here.

I guess the thing that I'm really struggeling with that was brought out from this situation is that I really don't identify myself as a "fat girl." Even typing that term just feels...wrong. And like that term could NEVER be applied to me. The thing that bothered me about him saying that wasn't that it was rude, not his place, inconsiderate, etc. It was that, "how dare he say that I am overweight." Because I still think deep down I really just don't see myself that way.

Is that a problem? I mean I guess as long as I am losing the weight is al that matters, right? This is truly an interesting phenomenon to me.

Something that I believe is going to be key for me in this journey is finding the balance between mainting the confidence level, love, and repsect for myself that I already have while being realistic about the situation I am truly in. Now that's a homework assignment! lol

No need to worry friends- I have already forgiven him (not just for his sake but even more for my own) and moved on. As you can see, a yummy "refresh" Tazo tea from Starbucks didn't hurt either :)

Ahhhhh ok- all better! My evening shall be spent catching up on reading all of your blogs (the Holidays definitely kept me busy) and with my new friend Leslie Sansone (see last post)- I'll be sure to give you all a review of the DVD manana!

But really, I'd like to know your thoughts... I had reason to be angry, right?

Sucker-punch on a Sunday.

I've read about it on other blogs. Heard that it would happen sooner or later. Never actually thought it would happen to me and DEF didn't think it would suck this bad. I actually had to fight with myself to even write about this honestly- but I know that when I am dishonest and cheat (particularly in this journey) I only cheat myself. So here is the big fat ugly truth for the day...


I gained.



Like- a lot.


As I stepped on the scale on Sunday for my weekly weigh in I was truly expecting to see something between a 0 to 1lbs loss but that is defintely NOT what was there. I gained 5 friggin pounds. How does that even happen in one week? As I look back over my food log this week there were defintely a few food decisions that I made that weren't amazing, but 5lbs!?!? C'mon! Seriously?

I know that in the long run this isn't that monumental of a challenge and it isn't going to trip me up in the slightest, but it really does suck! Especially because I thought I did relatively well this weekend (all holiday things considered) and because my Biggest Loser Challenge ends in 4 days and if you read my last post you KNOW how determined I was (and really still am) to win.


Lame.

But you know what? Oh well. Even though I am not celebrating a weight loss victory today- I am celebrating 3 other non-scale victories that are seriously just as important:

1. I without a doubt consumed less than 1/2 of the food and calories this holiday weekend than I would have before I decided to change. I seriously used to just eat mindlessly with absolutely no idea, care or concern what I was putting in my body. This weekend- I cared and ate according to plan.


2. I have begun the beginning phase of introducing exercise into my life (more about this below).


3. I am moving past my first "setback" more determined than ever and loving myself just as much- not derailed at all.

So I guess all there's left to do for the next 4 days of The Biggest Loser Challenge is to eat grilled chicken salads for lunch and dinner, drink a million gallons of water, and do my new Leslie Sansone indoor walking dvd's for at least an hour every day- oh the joy of being competitive...and needing the money! And hey- maybe the twig girl who is threatening to beat me just completely let loose this weekend and gained all her weight back!!! Uh oh- this is bringing out a not so nice side of me! lol

Speaking of Leslie Sansone...has anyone ever used any of her DVD's? At this point in my journey I am really thinking that a lot of walking combined with some ab and leg excercises is really going to be my best bet- at least for about a month or so- and since Pittsburgh is turning into Antartica, my outdoor walking is probably not going to be a reality for very much longer. Well for Christmas a friend of mine got me this new Leslie Sansone DVD and I'm definitely eager to use it- but I am a little skeptical about whether it will be hard enough to raise my heart rate high enough.


Has anyone had any experience with these DVD's? Love em? Hate em? Tell me!


But I can guarantee no one is as excited about them as she appears to be...

Peace and Love-

Just a little "healthy" competition... :)

This is the face of a woman on the ledge! :)

Alright so check it- I haven't talked about it too much since beginning this blog, but you may have noticed on the right side of the page a section titled "Biggest Loser Challenge #1." This challenge consists of about 20 people who are mostly my friend's family members and some of our random mutual friends who are all in competition to see who can lose the highest % of body weight in 8 weeks (Nov 8th-Dec 31st).

The rules are simple: We all weigh in every Sunday and put our loss/gain on a spreadsheet for all to see (we don't include our actual weight- just the loss/gain amount). Everyone pays in $20 to be a part of the Challenge and whoever has lost the highest % of body weight at the end of the Challenge gets the $ (which is $220) (oh and a gold medal! haha).

Now even though this is my first time joining the challenge and I wasn't really trying all that hard I have been pretty much killing the competition according to our spreadsheet and was SO freakin' excited because I have plans for that $$$! :)

WELL- last night I found out through the moderator of the Challenge that there is one girl who might be beating me because while she has only lost 10lbs (and I've lost 14lbs) she only weighs like 160lbs and well... I don't :) So now... IT IS ON!

This has lit a fire under my butt like no other- no seriously! I really haven't been pushing myself too hard for this challenge because I thought that I would win with little effort (b/c I thought I was winning!) But now- watch out little twiggy girl- because I have a SERIOUS competitive side to me- and she is going down :)

I hope...Could this possibly come at a worse time than Christmas weekend? Oh well- there is no rest for those who could really use the $ and the bragging rights! haha Ok so this means that I have 8 days to lose at least 8lbs if I even want to have a chance at winning.

Now I know I may be receiving some frownie face comments on this and I am a firm believer that if this is a lifestyle change- and it is- that trying to deprive myself or working out like a fiend probably isn't going to work for very long- but it will have to work for the next 8 days! haha

To show you just how serious I am about winning this Challenge, the picture above is me when I was actually out this morning in 18 degree snowy weather walking on Christmas Eve! Now for some people that may not be a big deal but I haven't exercised more than once in this entire 8 weeks (I'll post the reason for that later) but it's crunch time now baby!

Alright friends- have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Eve!

And cheers to some healthy competition!

Tip Tuesday!

Every Tuesday I am going to share a little tip that I have recently discovered that is helping me lose weight! Today's topic...LUNCH.

I'm guessing like most of you, I work full-time in an office and get 1 hour for lunch everyday. Now prior to Nov. 8th (the day I began this journey) I would usually go out for lunch and grab something from a local deli or Wendy's- I did this at least 4 out of the 5 days a week I work. Then I would come back to work, sit at my desk for another 4 hours, and drink Coke. Obviously this is an equation for fatness. And poorness. Everytime I went out I would easily spend $6 which when multiplied by the 4 times a week I would go out= $24 which you all know in the process of a year would equal= $1,272 just for a lousy deli sandwhich or chicken nuggets? That is just stupid.

So for the last 2 months I have been doing something I truly never thought I would actually be able to stick to-(but I have)-which leads me to Tip #1 for losing weight: Bring Your Lunch to Work! Now I realize that for some that is hard because of your location or job and for others you work at home which I think is 10x's harder because you have a fully stocked refridgerator just calling your name but the principle is the same here...you must prepare and plan for success!

Here's what I do:

- I am realistic with myself in knowing that if I have to make a healthy low-POINT lunch every day before I go to work...well- it's just not going to happen. Some of you might be able to spare an extra 15-20 minutes in the morning but I'm not leaving any room for failure so...

- Every Saturday or Sunday I decide what it is that I'de like to eat for lunch the next week and I just make a ton of it (well, enough for lunch for 4-5 days). Some of my usual meals are: Cranberry Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Salad (can you tell I like Chicken?lol), and Shrimp Pasta (Recipes soon to come!). Now some of you are probably thinking, "YOU EAT THE SAME THING FOR 5 DAYS?" Well...yes :) I am a creature of habit and it is just much more time efficient for me to just make a lot of a good meal on one day and eat it for the rest of the week. If you just don't think you can eat the same thing all week then make enough for 2 days worth!

I find this helpful because it leaves me absolutely no excuse to not have a healthy lunch every day- PLUS- once I calculate the POINTS for that meal I'm done with calculating lunch POINTS for the rest of the week! ....I don't know if that's lazy or genius...lol. Not to mention I have the absolute hardest time making healthy choices when I go out to eat (not just because of the lack of nutritional information provided but because everything looks so dang good and everyone else is eating whatever they want) that it is just best for my waistline and my wallet if I eat out as little as possible...which isn't very little at all actually...but that's another post!

And now for my Cranberry Chicken Salad Recipe (6 servings):

2 Chicken Breasts, 1/4 Cup Craisins, 1/4 cup Celery, 1/4 Walnuts (optional), 6tbls Fat Free Mayo, Dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning to taste and...VIOLA! I most often eat this as a sandwhich with 2 pieces of whole weat break but it also works great with crackers or on top of a salad.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): 126.7 cals, 1.5 fat g, fiber .9g, Protein 18g, carbs 10g.

What about you guys? How do you navigate through lunch?

Mondays are for Motivation/ Weigh In!

Because I am an anal retentive organizer/planning freak, I have decided to assign a different topic to each day of the week! And Mondays are for... Motivation! I mean seriously, who couldn't use a little more motivation at the beginning of the week?

I'm gonna let you all in on a little secret- most days I don't feel like I need to lose weight. Not sure why or how this has happened but even though I've been overweight literally my whole life, it has not been until recently (aka- the last year) that I have been even in the least bit unhappy with my weight. Isn't this strange? And because being unhappy with the way you look or feel is what drives you to change- I've never been unhappy so I haven't changed. So I guess the question is...why have I never been unhappy with my weight until now? My only guesses are: I have an extremely supportive family that has never made any negative comments about my weight, it is only recently that I have had embaressing situations like not being able to fit into certain chairs or airplane seatbelts to make me realize just how bad the situation is, and I really do have a solid sense of who I am outside of the way I look.

All of that to say- I know it's always beneficial for anyone trying to lose weight to remind themselves of all of the reasons they want to and the way that it will make their lives better- and for me this is extra crucial because it's easy for me to forget that I need to lose weight. (If anyone has any suggestions as to why this is, feel free to play psychologist! lol) And that is why I am choosing to dedicate my Monday posts each week to a different reason why I am doing Project 365 to give me motivation for the rest of the week-some will be more serious while others are a big silly, but hey- motivation is motivation!

Reason #1 I want to lose 100lbs this year :BTW- (These are in no particular order of importance)....

I want to be able to fulfill my purpose here on this planet.

I have been a follower of Jesus now for about 9 years and I believe that everyone has a purpose- well a multiplicity of purposes actually- and just recently I have discovered one of mine and have been able to begin fulfiling it as the outreach pastor at a local church here in the 'Burgh. You see I just graduated in May from Bible college and couldn't wait to get out of the classroom and start putting into practice all that I had been learning- and it's been such a great adventure thus far!

However- a few weeks ago something happened that pretty much shook me to my core and was a the event that pretty much pushed me over the edge into starting this journey. For Halloween, my team and I put on a Fall Festival for our community at a local coffee shop (it was super cute!) and in order to get the word out we went around passing out flyers. Now if you have ever been to Pittsburgh you know that we have some intense hills around here and let me tell you that I just about DIED trying to hike these hills to pass out flyers. Seriously- I just wanted to burst into tears when I realized that I am leading this group and can barely get up the stinkin' hill!

I am losing 100lbs this year because I refuse to allow something like my weight to play ANY part in not allowing me to do what I know I was put on this Earth to do. From being a mother, a wife, a pastor, any of it- no way. I want to be able to lead teams on overseas trips without worrying about fitting in the plane seat or hiking crazy mountains.

There are always things that are going to get in your way in life- and some of them you can't control and just have to work around- but my weight IS something that I can control- and I'm not going to let it hold me back from anything anymore. I was put on this Earth to serve a purpose- and I'm going to do it to the very best of my ability.

And now...the Weigh In!

This week I am down...2 POUNDS! Whoo hoo! That brings me to: 338lbs- a total loss of 14lbs since Nov 8th!

And now, I leave you with a picture of me from last night before heading out to a Christmas party where we were having an "Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest!" Sadly- there were other sweaters at the party that were FAR more ugly! Gotta love it!

So what's YOUR reason for becoming healthy this week?

Things that make you say "Hmmm"...

Hello friends!



So I read a blog post yesterday that got me thinking...and I would like to know your thoughts on it as well!



The questions that I'm posing about it are these:

1. Do you find this encouraging or discouraging?


2. Do you believe this is accurate?


3. In what ways do you measure your success?

You can read the post here- I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

My favorite quote from the post is this..."Trust the effort you are putting into getting healthy."

Finally, I leave you with this little treasure I found yesterday at the grocery store...again...wtf?

The Day That Felt Like It Would Never Arrive...

Wow. So, it's been awhile since I've posted- like 6-ish months. 

Life has been good. Very busy & very blessed. 

There's a million things I could say and update on but since my original purpose in starting this blog just a bit shy of 4 years ago (ohmygoodnessI'mgettingoldquickly!) was to chronicle my weight loss journey, it's probably most important that I update that I've officially met my goal. Like, done losing weight goal, period, finished, dunzo goal. It's still kind of surreal after being in extreme weight loss mode these past 4 years to actually mentally grasp achieving my goal and not necessarily having to push myself as hard as I did when I was needing to lose 2lbs a week but this is a discussion for another time, for now- it's celebration time :) 

Here's how my "big goals" have evolved throughout this journey that I started at 352lbs...

- Originally, I just knew that I wanted to lose 100lbs; sure, I knew that I would probably need to lose more than that to actually be healthy, but 100lbs just seemed so insurmountable to me that I had a laser like focus on that number for quite awhile. Then I lost 100lbs. 

- After losing 100lbs I felt a little directionless, I wasn't sure that I could lose another 100lbs or even if I wanted to, so I set a "final goal weight" of weighing 180lbs, and in my mind, that was a lofty goal as I hadn't weighed anything under 200lbs since being a young adolescent. Then I met that goal. 

- When I hit 180lbs I realized that I still wasn't at the healthiest weight and for my own health could lose more (even though I was more than pleased with where I had come from) and decided that 160lbs was the lowest that anyone my height (5'10'') should be so that became my new goal that I was all but certain would be the end of it for me. And I reached 160lbs and I when I got there I realized that my body was still carrying around excess weight and that there was no reason that I couldn't be my absolute healthiest and so I decided to just keep losing until I was at a weight that was: 

1) Healthy. I didn't want to be underweight but I didn't want to be satisfied with carrying around excess weight just because I had already lost so much- I see no reason why I don't deserve to be my absolute healthiest that I can be. 
2) Maintainable: I've heard about the Biggest Loser contestants that end up gaining a lot of their weight back because in order to keep themselves at their lowest weight, it requires them to be in the gym for hours a day and I knew that wasn't what I wanted for myself. I started out on this journey because my life was being hindered, I didn't want it to continue being hindered and continue to be bound but just as a skinnier person. I want to be able to enjoy life and not be controlled by food or body image whether that is as a obese or thin person.  

So I kept losing and continued evaluating based on those 2 measurements and I finally found my healthy & happy weight range & final goal weight which turned out to be 140-145lbs. Of course, I prefer to be at 140lbs but having 5lbs of wiggle/fluctuation room is a natural & healthy thing in my opinion. I weighed in at 140lbs just 2 weeks ago making a total loss of 212lbs...pretty darn crazy & amazing. 

Here's a pic of me today at a happy & healthy 141lbs:

I'm still figuring out the interesting balance between being in weight-loss mode vs. maintenance mode as it is sometimes hard not to do a major pendulum swing between feeling guilty for having any carbs (as if I'm still in weight loss mode) vs. feeling like having a 300 calorie dessert everyday is perfectly fine (my screwed up version of maintenance mode). So, I'm still learning and living in God's grace as I do. 

I have a heck of a lot more to say in regards to revelations and lessons I've been learning in this part of my journey but alas, there's not enough time today but I did want to check in, share the good news and let you all know that the reason for my lack of posting wasn't because I had gained half my weight back and was too ashamed to write or that I had died or something as I am very much alive & so very thankful for the strength God has continually given me to finish this journey and enjoy life to it's fullest potential as His free, victorious & loved daughter. 

Making Nice w/an old Nemesis...

Everyone has a weakness- right?

Well mine is hands-down, no question, 100%...STARBUCKS.

Seriously- my relationship with Starbucks has been both long and very involved :) The amount of money that I've spent and the amount of pounds that I've gained at the evil hand of this place is probably unthinkable.

Don't believe me?

-During my senior year of highschool my mom would stop and take me to Starbucks at least 3 times a week before school to get my favorite drink: a Venti Caramel Frappuccino.

-During all 4 years of college I probably went to starbucks easily 4 times a week.

Crazy, right?

I'm not trying to get all psych 101 or anything but for me grabbing a drink at Starbucks has always represented freedom, normalcy, and...well fun. And while you may not believe me if I had to go through this journey thinking that I coud never again go to Starbucks I would tell you that I don't think it's possible but I would try and I would end up feeling crazy deprived which would lead me to drive to Starbucks at midnight and get the biggest most caramelly and fattening drink possible. No joke.

So the only logical thing to do was to find a way that I could still hang out with friends over coffee, not feel deprived, and make healthy choices that will help me reach my goal. Well, meet my 2 new bffs:

Hot Drink Bff- Grande Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

This new friend of mine is only 3ww POINTS and only 130 cals! And I'm even drinking one right now- it's yummy- I wouldn't lie!

(That's a Grande size w/no whip- I promise you won't even miss it! )

Cold BFF- Iced Passion Tea Lemonade

You can enjoy a grande iced passion tea lemonade for only 3 POINTS and 130 cals as well! (Oh and ask for a shot of sugar free raspberry syrup-it makes it that much more amazingly refreshing!)

And as you can find out on the Starbucks Nutrition Website, there are plenty of other options that allow you to indulge without the guilt!

And now....my old favorite:

The old (not so kind) BFF: Venti Caramel Frappuccinno

This sucker put me back (almost every other day) 11 POINTS, 500 Cals, and 16g of fat!

Can you say...WTF? That's 1/3 of the calories that I eat now on most days! For a drink! Ay Dios mio.

So let's drink (hee hee) to finding healthier alternatives to the things we enjoy while still being able to enjoy them!

Happy Friday!

Coincidence? I think not.

Morning friends!

*Warning:* This isn't going to be one of those warm and fuzzy posts and I'm really not the blow smoke up your butt kind of girl. I made a promise to myself when I started this blog that I was going to be 100% REAL and HONEST about what is taking place in my life because for me this is truth: If I am cheating and lying on this blog it will give me reason to cheat in real life. I'm not in this to fool anyone and especially not myself.

All that was said to preface what I see as a glorious victory that took place this morning after a not so glorious one that took place last night... :)

Yesterday my office had their annual Christmas dinner at a local bar called "Stinky's"- nice right? Now you need to know that the people in my office can EAT- no joke out of the 20 people that I work with I would say 14 of them are over 250lbs- so you KNOW that the potato skins, mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders, and french fries were abundant to say the least! On any given day there is an assortment of donuts, pumpkin pie, and cookies that is readily available for people to feast on all day and I seriously never give in to eating any of it- mostly because *gasp* I don't really like sweets!

However, last night was a different story. As we all sat down and the appetizers were being passed I took one of everything just like everyone else- in fact I was eating things I'm not even sure I wanted to eat- gross. My entree choice was horrible and I barely had any dessert but still- I had eaten mindlessly and allowed not being prepared and the pressure of not wanting to be the only one not shoving their face to allow me to make poor choices for myself and put others in control of what I ate.

But here's the glorious victorious-ness!

1. Victory #1: I analyzed the situation- thought about why I ate what I ate and how I could have avoided that pitfall and how I will do better next time. I refuse to beat myself up on this journey. Now if this was just a diet I was doing for 2 weeks then it's important that I am perfect and shouldn't make any mistakes- but this isn't a diet. This is my new way of life and I am actually thankful for opportunities like this that I can learn to do better from.I learned how to avoid the pressure of "group grazing!" which is something that I will be constantly faced with.



2. Victory #2: I did put half of my entree in a box right away and when offered dessert I decided to take it home in a box instead of eating there, which made for...



3. Victory #3: This morning I was running late for work, which usually means that I don't have time to make or sit down and eat my usual breakfast, and as I was getting ready I thought, "Oh..I could eat the rest of that chicken wrap and fries...or I could just have carrot cake for breakfast....". (If you're like me you can rationalize yourself into eating this horrible food simply because it is already prepared and you are running late). But as I looked at the food I asked myself this question..."Am I in control of this food or is it in control of me?" And you know what I did? I took control! And if you were to look in my refridgerator right now you would see 2 styrofoam boxes that have written on the top (to my roomates): "If you want it, eat it- if not it's getting thrown away tonight!" I totally could have eaten it (and most likely consumed closed to 1000 calories, but instead I just said no.

And I've gotta say that I don't think that it is purely coincidental that that on the day I start this blog that this happened- this could have totally derailed me- but it hasn't EVEN. ONE. BIT.

How about you guys? What are some "failures" that have turned into victories in your journey?

Peace Out Girl Scout-

Days #346-#353: Progress Pics Installment #3

Tonight I am finally getting around to posting my 3rd installment of progress pictures. I started out this weight loss journey at 352lbs but didn't take my first progress pic until 333lbs, my second at 312lbs, and my third at my current weight 284lbs. On to the progression....

That's enough for now- thankfully, I can see a change- maybe not in all the areas I would wish for but I will get there. 

Hello Friends!

Greetings!

Welcome to the Project 365 blog- a place where I can write about the triumphs, struggles, thoughts, mishaps, and moments of hilarity that I am sure to experience as I work to change my life in 2010!

Project 365- the deets:

• What is it? It encompasses my goal to change my life this year (365 days) by losing a ton of weight (100lbs specifically) and hence becoming a much healthier, well-balanced, in control person.



• Who? Well...ME! (And anyone else that would like to join!) Let's see...what to say....well I'm a recent college graduate, originally from Arizona, I just moved to Pittsburgh in May. I work bivocationally as an accounting assistant and an outreach pastor. I am an avid coffee drinker, movie watcher, conversationalist extraordinarre, The Office junkie, run of the mill 23 year old.



• Why? BECAUSE I HAVE TO. Why now? Because I have recently come to understand that life isn't going to slow down to a pace where one day it is just unbelievably easy for me to lose the weight I know that I need to- if I'm going to do this (and I AM) then there is no better time than now! No-really. I'm 23, I don't have a family to look after yet, while I don't have a ton of free time my life is flexible that I can make what is truly important to me a priority, and I've got breath in my lungs and 2 legs that work! 6 weeks ago I was at my heaviest weight of my life-352lbs- and if I have come to the realization that no one is going to do this for me or make me do it and it certainly isn't just going to magically change one day. The time is now!



• When? I've already begun losing actually! November 8th was the day that I joined in with a competition that some of my friends are doing that we call "The Biggest Loser Challenge" in which we see who can lose the biggest body % in 9 weeks- as of right now I think I have a good chance of winning (I've already lost 12lbs!). This 1st challenge ends December 31st and then Project 365 will officially begin on 01/01/10.



• How? Here's how I plan on losing the weight: I'm tracking POINTS using the Weight Watcher system, blogging for accountablity, reading blogs for inspiration, participating in The Biggest Loser Challenges for motivation (did I mention $$$ is involved? :), good ol' fashioned excercise (walking mostly to start) and the strengthe and endurance that I know is only going to come from God.

How's that sound? :)

I've gotta admit that I'd be lying if I said that I think this is going to be easy just because I have a plan and am motivated or even that I'm 100% sure that I believe right now that I can do this- but it's really not about what I want to do, how I feel, or what I believe.

It's about truly living my life to the fullest and I've told myself long enough that I can be morbidly obese (according to that dang BMI chart) and still live my life to the fullest but that's just not true anymore. Truly living doesn't entail not going to certain restaurants because their seats have arms on the chairs and it's uncomfortable, being the person that holds everyone's stuff at theme parks because I don't know if I'll fit on the roller coaster rides, absolutely dreading flying home because I have to use a seat belt extender on the airplane and feel bad for the person I'm crushing next to me.

We only have one life to live and I was to live mine. My weight will no longer be something that causes me to miss out on any opportunities. I can give a year for that.

I am so excited to make new friends on this journey (aka- you!) so feel free to introduce yourself, leave comments, questions, suggestions, compliments...haha jk! Alright-

Peace out girl scout.

Days #314 - #345: Update Time :)

Happy November & December!

After a much needed month long break from blogging I'm checking in to provide an update on where I currently find myself in this journey, where I'm going, & how I intend on getting there, as well as just to say hi :)

So why the blogging break? I've been living life. There were countless times where I would feel such pressure to write even if I had nothing to say or didn't want to and that's really not what this is about. Some bloggers have found writing health blogs to be their new ultimate passion and hobby and while I think that is FANTASTIC and am thankful for the great tips and stories they share, I've come to the realization that while losing weight is in my top 5 priorities in life, health blogging is not even on my top 10 list of priorities AND that it's ok.

I enjoy chronicling my journey and writing about my thoughts and goals (which I have been privately doing at Sparkpeople) and if someone else can read this and be inspired- then great- but if not, it's really just for me anyways. So now that I'm sure I've convinced anyone reading this that I'm narcissistic and don't care about anyone reading my blog (which is certainly NOT the case), I'm happy to say that I know I plan on posting once a week and sharing updates and other misc. happenings.

So, update time!

• My current weight is 284lbs which brings me to a total weight loss of 68lbs! I am super happy about this and I am 100% doing the best I've ever done since beginning this journey.
• I set a goal a few months ago to have lost 70lbs by the time I fly home for Christmas (Dec 21st) and now that I'm only 2lbs away from that goal- I'm hoping to say I'll be able to reach it!
• A few weeks ago I switched gyms and joined my local YMCA and love it. It's affordable, has a community feel, and is less than 5 minutes away from my house (compared to the 30ish minutes that I was driving EACH way to my other gym).
• Last Saturday I hit a rather large fitness milestone in my mind when I exercised on the elliptical for 45 minutes! I've been doing 30 minutes for a few months now and have always felt that I was pretty maxed out at that so when I was able to do 45 minutes (and even felt like I could have kept going!) I was pretty proud. I just remember the days when I could only do 10 minutes before feeling like my heart would beat out of my chest.
• As far as my eating, it has been SO much more clean, natural, and FRUIT and VEGGIE filled than normal, which leads me to believe that it has contributed to my recent weight loss. I've been sticking to 5 (sometimes 6) small meals every day and have had some amazing success with resisting temptation- I truly feel like I've hit that turning point where I've become a different person and I LOVE IT.

Finally, I'll leave you with a more recent pic of me and a good friend after one of the waaayyyy too many events that I've been putting on this Holiday season (haha) See you next week! :)

Days #288 - #313: 1 Year Ago...

Helloooo!!

(No worries- I haven't died and I didn't "fall off" the wagon- I simply have been livin' life!)

I can hardly believe that 1 year ago today I began this journey of healthy living and weight loss.

On November 8th, 2009 I stood on the scale and saw a # that horried and disgusted me: 352.

On November 8th, 2010 I stood on the scale and saw a very different #- one I'm proud of: 289.

I'm 63lbs down in a year and couldn't be happier :)

Right now I'm still trucking along toward reaching my goal of losing 75lbs by December 21st (the day I fly home for Christmas and see my family who remember me at 352lbs) and I'm only 12lbs away!!!

ANNNNDDD because I'm down another 20lbs it's time for me to post my next progress pic which will happen later this week.

During this last month that I've been MIA I've done a lot of rethinking and have made some major changes which I hope to be sharing with ya'll (along withe progress pic) very soon!

There is also no way that I could conclude this post without saying a BIG thank you to all of the bloggers who have been there through the thick and thin(ner) me :)

What Losing 180lbs Looks Like (New Progress Pictures!)

I'm excited to being sharing the next installment of progress pictures with ya'll today!  

They are actually a bit overdue as I try to post every time I lose 20lbs, but this time there is 32lbs in between today's pics and the previous ones. So without further adieu...

Photo on the Left: 204lbs & Photo on the Right: 172lbs

If you are interested in checking out every progress picture I've taken since the beginning of my weight loss journey (in 20lb increments), you can do so at my "My Progress" page. 

I always do like to compare the first pictures I ever took (which still were of me after I had already lost about 20lbs) with my current ones. So, here's what losing 180lbs looks like: 

When I look at these pictures I still have a hard time believing I actually ever looked like that. I mean, I was so big my body wouldn't even fit into the frame of the photo! However, I don't look at the girl in  my before photos and hate her- she was loved by many (most importantly by God) and had many people in her life that she loved. She was doing her best with what she had and the situations that life had handed her. More than anything I just feel sad when I look at her. Sad that she had allowed herself to become a victim of her circumstances, sad that she wasn't living in the freedom and victory that were available to her, and sad that she didn't seem to know what she was really capable of and deserved. 

But I know now.

 3 years later, I know that there is nothing I can't do through Christ's strength and grace. I know that nothing can dictate my present and future other than my own choices and God's sovereignty. I know that I am worth fighting for and that nothing is out of my reach. I know that I have nothing to fear in this journey except the power I have to chose to settle for less than my best, which means I have nothing to fear because I am hell-bent on finishing this race even stronger than I began. 

Question #1: What have you proven to yourself during your weight loss journey that you didn't know before you began? 

Question #2: This is a little random, but has anyone tried PB2? I read about it on a blog recently but wanted to get some more opinions- has anyone else tried this? 

Our Healthy Halloween Fun!

So, remember how it was just last week that D and I had the honest & frank conversation about how I needed him to support me in regards to healthy eating? 

Well, apparently old dogs can learn new tricks because when I got home from work last Wednesday, I arrived to find that he had planned & prepared a mini-Halloween party for the two of us that was composed of all HEALTHY Halloween treats! 

I mean, besides the fact that he's also Captain America, I'm pretty sure I have the greatest husband ever :) 

He started off our healthy Halloween dinner with these: 

Monster mouth caramel apples! (The teeth are made from sliced almonds!) 

Followed by the main course: 

Mummified Flatbread Pizza & Brussel Sprouts (btw- it's official, brussel sprouts are not for me and I promise it's not how they were prepared- I didn't hate them but the fact is they just have too much of a vegetable taste for me- bleck!)

And finally, dessert!

Frozen "carved" clementine shell filled with frozen greek yogurt and reduced sugar/fat chocolate sauce! 

I've gotta say, for not knowing all that much about healthy eating (except for what I've taught him) and not really caring about what he eats for himself at all, I was super duper impressed with his take on a healthy Halloween dinner but more importantly that he obviously had taken to heart our conversation the week before. I'm a blessed girl. 

Weigh In: 

• Previous Weigh In: 176lbs
• This Weeks Weigh In: 172lbs 
• Result: Loss of 4lbs! 

My goal this week is to continue to lose another 2lbs per week and I'll be glad to take more than that a week as I know I have some tough weeks ahead (the Holidays but we are also traveling to Spain in two weeks) but nothing is going to stop me from reaching my goal of 160lbs by Christmas! 

Question: Anyone have any good Holiday eating survival strategies to share?