Awwww...Man!

   Well, I had reached one of my major goals. I got to 250 pounds! I was soooo excited. Never would I have imagined this possible.
   One week later, I weigh again, and I have gained exactly 1 pound. Not fair. But the cookies were very much worth it!
   Next Monday, I will be in the 240's though! I'm back to eating my good healthy foods. I got out of that for a little bit. So I've stocked up on avocados and other delicious things. I'm even putting mushrooms into my food now!!!

Avocad-oooooo

   Guess what? I like avocados now. They used to really creep me out, but then I found myself licking my fingers when I would put them on my sandwich. So I branched out a bit, and now have been making an avocado dip to go with my cauliflower bread. I got some good suggestions on other things to do with them, and look forward to trying them out!

August

   So, I know it has been a while since I last really posted. I've been caught up in other things. As far as weight loss, well, I haven't done very good this week. I have lost about 42 pounds though! Well, here are my most recent pictures:

   So, I am rather happy at the changes so far. My face looks longer. Those pants are quite comfy now. Soon, they will be too big! I just FEEL so much lighter and happier. Seeing the changes is really nice.

That is me celebrating getting to wear that shirt, and on the day that they officially announce who the 12th Doctor is. I got that shirt for Christmas, but could not squeeze into it. I hoped for the day that I would be able to put it on, and not feel like I am suffocating. I just threw it on today, to wear while they did the announcement, and found myself crying for joy. It doesn't even stretch now!

That is Just. So. COOL!

Some other big news, I was able to stop taking my medicine for High Blood Pressure. Yup. That is normal now! Another amazingly wonderful thing to happen!

A Happy Mistake

 

 Okay, okay, I know it doesn't look like much. Plus, I didn't take the best photo. What you see in it is a green gooey paste-like thing, with yellow things in it. What it really is, is a delicious accident! I spent a lot of time cooking today. A couple of the things I made were, the starts of Delicious Egg White Salad, and the start of a mayo substitute, which is made of mashed-up avocado and Light Mozzarella Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Laughing Cow cheese. I had made these, then put them in the fridge.
   Then I was thinking of what to have for dinner. I was going to do something with my turkey bacon, until I saw it had expired a month ago. So I decided to go for the Egg White Salad. It calls for a little bit of mayo, which I went for.

   I was all out...

   So, I turned to my Avocado mixture. I spooned in some of my cooked Egg Beaters (which I cooked, diced up, then put in the fridge for later) with some of the mixture. I'm not a fan of mustard, but I added some of that in too. I was then going to stir in some veggies, but alas, I was out. What? Time to go shopping, I know. So, I just went with what I had.

   WOW

   It was sooooooo good! I figure it will taste better with some veggies thrown in, but now I have a new favorite. I am so full too!
   Now it is your turn to try it!

I am on a Roll!

   Can I get a Woot Woot!  Oh, yeah. When I stepped on the scale last Sunday ('cause today is Wednesday), I was Gobsmacked. It said 258.4. And I was like, Say what?!? Me? I am in the 250's! So now, my birthday is at the end of this month, and I can actually believe that I can reach my goal of getting down to 250 pounds by then. It's possible! Oh, and here are the pictures, although I think my face looks a little scary in them.

 My eyes can open wider!

   And those pants! I didn't really want to wear the for the picture, since it was over 100 degrees outside, but they help with the comparison. Can you believe, when I started out, they were too tight. Now they are actually comfortable!
   I can see that my belly still needs work, but I can easily tell it is getting smaller. I am noticing now that shoes that had been snug now fit fine. Yes, I have noticed even my toes getting slimmer!
   Yesterday I put on a shirt I got lat year, but didn't really wear because it was too snug. Well, guess what. It. Was. LOOSE! Loose I say!
   I'm noticing that my fingers are getting slimmer. They actually look longer to me. It's easier to walk around and move. So I am thinking, if this is just after 35 pounds gone, well, just you wait! In another couple of months, my life will be even better!
   In fact, I am starting to think about what kind of awesome Fairy costume could I wear this Halloween?
   Did you know, healthier foods are beginning to taste better, while unhealthy ones are getting blah.  I caved and had a snack-sized Oreo McFlurry the other day. I really didn't want to, but I was curious at the same time. It tasted okay, but afterwards, I was like, eh. I don't need any more. So, now I know!    
   Same thing with popcorn at the movies. Eh, I can do without. Last night I had a chocolate chip cookie from Subway. Normally I can eat 3 or 4 of those without blinking.

 ...Or coming up for air.

    I let myself have just one. It was pretty good, I'll give it that, but my tummy hurt a little afterwards.  
   On my sub that I got from there, I got avocado, which I love to do. I can eat them when they are mingled with other things and I don't have to deal much with their weird texture. Some got on my fingers, so I licked it off, and thought, yum.
 
 Wait a minute...Yum? Yes, I liked it By It's Self.  Weeeeiiiirrd.

   I started a Biggest Looser competition with a bunch of friends this week. It goes for 8 weeks. Everyone who joins puts in $20 to the pot. Each week, the person with the lowest weight loss percentage wins $10 from the pot. Then at the end, the overall winner gets the rest.
    I did a couple of these last July. My friend Tina Brown even helped me learn about food. I did okay. Even won one of the weeks. With the first competition, I lost 21 pounds. The second one, I completely and totally fell off the wagon. By the time I started my weight loss this year, I had gained most of that back. So, I was at 296.4 last July, before starting that. And starting this year, I was at 292.6.
   See, I have this fear of falling off the wagon again. Letting my ADD come along, to where I will get bored and move onto something else. So I am hoping this with help keep my interest going.
   But, to be honest with you, I am having fun. This is just a blast, watching to see where I will slim down next.
Putting on clothes that actually fit now.
Or walking and being able to go farther.
I just don't see myself stopping anytime soon!

June is coming to an end

   It has been a while since I posted! I am still working hard at this. I've gone walking with friends by the river. Did you know that I can walk 4 miles, and not even know it?!?
   We went camping last week, and I had been really looking forward to it since this weight loss. I felt lighter, and it felt easier to do things. I did make healthy meals ahead of time, but didn't eat much of them. I ended up eating with everyone else. What I did do, was limit my servings, or cut things out. With S'mores, I just had the roasted marshmallows. With the Cowboy Chili, I had one spoonful instead of several. And I snacked on peanuts instead of cookies. Well...I actually did sneak some cookies. They were SO good! I did eat way less than usual though.
   Also with camping came the constant hiking to the bathroom, as well as heading over to the beach. I really looked forward to taking the trail down to the parking lot, then getting over the sand dune.

This is looking down the trail, and at the sand dune I then went over. Look at the tiny cars! And here is the route:

                    Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyWalk
               

Getting over the beach, and playing in the sand, that was pretty easy. Now, getting back to camp, that wasn't. I went back up the trail, and those sandy stairs are steep! Back at camp, I just collapsed. The next morning, I did it again with my husband and son. This time we walked along the road to the parking lot though. That was a little easier.
   I had figured that, with the extra food I had eaten while camping, then trying to get back on track the rest of the week (we went to Sunset Beach in the Monterey Bay peninsula for 3 days, 2 nights), that I'd be lucky to loose anything. So, I was rather surprised when, on Sunday, I saw that I had lost 3.8 pounds! This puts me at 31.8 pounds lost, in 2 and a half months!

"Potato" Soup

   I have started making this Mock-Potato soup, and I am telling you, it is one of my favorite things right now! If I had eaten it, THEN someone told me it was made with cauliflower instead of potatoes, I would not believe them.
   When I first started cooking this, I was very wary of it. I really don't like the smell of cauliflower. And cooking it on the stove made me smell it all the more. I also couldn't see how this was going to look like potato soup, much less taste like it. Now, this is really easy to make, and you can get the recipe here. It uses one fourth of a head of cauliflower per serving. And for the bacon bits, I microwaved some turkey bacon up really crispy like. I'm pretty sure the Laughing Cow cheese is what helped it taste so good too. I cooked up two servings, and stored one, about 1 and 1/3 cup worth, in the fridge for later.

   Here is what it looked like:

   So, I sat down at the table, and was afraid of that first bite. I asked my husband to wish me luck. I closed my eyes tight, and took that first bite. Then, I proceeded to gobble the rest down, having to remind myself that I am supposed to eat slowly. It was amazingly good, and I have had it 4 times now. I would say, whether you like cauliflower or not, you will like this! And so will your family!

Pumpkin Muffins!

   I just spent some more time in the kitchen. I have really been enjoying making more healthy foods. And tasty. Don't forget tasty! My newest creation is Peanut Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

The recipe is for bread, but I made muffins instead. That way, I could enter in the portions into MyFitnessPal when I entered in the recipe, and know how many calories per muffin. It's easier for a grab-and-go too, and to limit my portions.

Now, I also did substitutions, to help make it a little more healthy. Things like, changing the type of flour, eggs, oil. Using lower fat/sodium peanut butter and such. And I gotta tell ya, this was awesome! They are so good! And I was able to make 32 muffins. That should last me for a while! And I may even try to share. If anything, so that others can see how good these are!

Here is how they turned out:

Also, If you wanted to cut your calories even more, or don't like chocolate, you don't need to add the chocolate chips, or you can even substitute something else. It is delicious either way!

You can find the original recipe here. It can also be found on my Pinterest page.

2 Months! End Week 8

   I was again, so shocked when I stepped on the scale. For some reason, my MyFittnessPal tracker isn't showing it, but I lost 3.8 pounds last week, making it 27.6 pounds lost! I am now at 266.0. This just amazes and humbles me. I had thought that I couldn't do this. And, I had feared breaking through the 20 pound wall just a couple of weeks ago. I now have in my sight a 30 pound weight loss, possible by next week!
   For the past couple of weeks, I haven't had any Medifast. I've just made my own tasty meals. I think that I am one of those rare people that, Medifast just doesn't agree with my body. I did have a soup yesterday, and less than an hour later, it made me sick. And I look back at my journey so far, and see that I have lost more weight without the Medifast food, then with it. I think this is because my body was just rejecting it for some reason.
   Meanwhile, I will continue to learn how to eat healthy meals, that are also tasty. The internet is a wonderful place for this! I have SO many recipes I want to try!!

End Week Seven

   Yes, I skipped week 6. I think part of it was that I was a little disappointed with myself. I got to that 20 pound weight loss, but when I weighed myself last Sunday, I had GAINED 2 pounds! I mean, of course. I bounced off of the wall.
   So, this past week, I worked extra hard. When there was a box of doughnuts sitting on the table, I said to myself "510 calories" every time I walked past them. Throughout the week, it was not easy, but I kept going. I got to see the result of the this morning.
   When I stepped on my scale this morning, my jaw dropped. I had to step again to prove it was correct. I was now at 269.8. I am in the 260's. Some how, I had lost more than 5 pounds this past week. Now, I need to keep going, and stay down. Next step is to get into the 250's.
   Oh yeah, and I took that sledgehammer, and demolished that wall.

New pics! This time the picture from today is the first one, me in turquoise. I can see a little difference. I feel the change more than anything though!

End Week Five, my Brick Wall

   A month has gone by, and I feel so good! No, it still isn't easy, but I think I am learning to accept that, this is my life now. I have lost another 3 pounds, so I am down to 273.4. I now need to get new pictures! I can feel the difference sooooo much. I can feel it in how I walk, and how my arms swing at my side. I can feel it in my self esteem too. I feel lighter, knowing that, I can do this!
   You know how people say "If I can do this, so can you!" I have scoffed at that. Bfft. You know nothing about me! How do you know I can do it, just because you could. Well, get ready. Here I go. If I can do this, so can you. Uhg. Can you believe I just said that? I can't. And, it's only been a month, so I don't have too much proof. Give me another month to see.
   See, I have this curse, that I have had for years. See, I am very strong willed. I jump in feet first. If I am going to do something, I will do it NOW. Dieting is like that. I quickly learn what I need to do. I'm strong at the beginning. Then, the ADHD kicks in, and  I get distracted. And some how, this always happens when I loose 20 pounds. I don't know why! But it does! Then, I gain it all back, plus some.
   Yesterday when I weighed myself, I hit that 20 pound mark. (gasp!) And yes, I got scared. Can I keep going? After all, I'm learning that I can have the occasional cookie, or cupcake. Yet, I am still having fun. I'm still enjoying cooking healthier foods, learning new recipes, entering things into my Myfittnesspal app. I had Swedish pancakes for dinner last night. But, I calculated them, and learned that I could have 6 of them. And, instead of putting syrup on them, I used low-fat whip cream and strawberries. I tell you what, it was one hundred times better! And way more healthy too! In the future, I want to learn how to make them more healthy too. (My Father-in-law made them for mother's day). Like, can I use almond flour? Almond milk? Egg beaters? I will let you know when I try.
   So, today I am  holding my sledgehammer, and I am breaking down that wall! Next week, I plan to be dancing all over, when I see that I can do it. And you know what? So can you. Just ask me how!

End Week Four

   I made it! One month! And in that month, I am down 17.4 pounds! That really amazes me, truly. When I weigh in, I find I can look back on my week, and appreciate my will power more. I passed up chocolate chip cookies candy bars, as well as more. It is so very hard, but, every time I weigh myself, that strengthens me.
   So, this week, I went down another 2.4 pounds. This puts me at 276.2. I look forward to thinking about how, when we go camping next month, I could be in the 260's.

Week Four

   I don't know why, but this is a hard week for me. I want junk food SO bad. Since I can go shopping tomorrow for ingredients, I have found recipes that give me healthy, chocolate flavored, foods. I am learning about alternatives for higher calorie or fat foods.
   It is hard, too, with how expensive this can run. I recently completed a couple of paintings, that helped.

 

 I'm willing to paint for funds for food...I color too...

So, wish me luck, as I experiment with new recipes. I'm starting to have more courage in the kitchen. I'm ready to try almond flour, and agave nectar.

The Purple Dress

 

   This is my inspiration dress. You can't really tell from my pic, but it is a dark purple, size 18. I saw it at the store last year, and said, I want to be able to wear that someday! So we got it. This was when I had been trying to loose weight last year. Now, I still hangs on the wall, beckoning to me. So, I am renewing my goal for it. I will wear this dress this year. Right now, I can barely squeeze into a size 24. But I have been loosing inches. That size 24 isn't too snug anymore. So, here it is, on the hanger. Hopefully soon, I will be posting a picture of it not on the hanger, but on me!

End Week Three

   This really felt like a rough week for me. I was craving junk food and chocolate like nobody's business! Luckily, I was able to distract myself, working on a painting for a friend. There were times I wanted to cry though, because I wanted junk food. I told myself to just hold out until Sunday, when I would weigh myself again. Then hopefully that would help recharge my resolve.
   Well, I lost another 2.6 pounds! So, in 3 weeks, I have lost 15 pounds. I'm now at 278.6. I gotta tell you, that feels good. I had so much energy today too, feeling so good, knowing that I can do this. Now, I know there will be other rough days. I'm hoping I can keep going though!
   So, here are my most recent pics. I can actually see a difference! Purple shirt is 3 weeks ago, before I started. Blue shirt is today.

 

   Now, I gotta say, when I look at myself in the mirror, I don't look like this. I feel prettier. I don't like how the camera flattens me out. On a good note, those pants? 3 weeks ago, I hated wearing them. They were uncomfortable, and I felt like I was being smothered. Today, they were still just a little snug, but felt so much better! It's getting to where they actually fit. Just in time for when it is 90 degrees plus out here. So now I need to get Capri's?

Favorite Meals Part 1 - Turkey Burgers

   It's starting to feel like my body is adjusting to being off of soy. I feel SO much better. I am so thankful that I was able to swap food with someone a few nights ago, so that I can still be on Medifast until my next order comes.
   Now, I normally do not cook, as I have said. But now I have had a new drive. And there are some foods out there that are a must! So, I am going to talk about the first one I tried. The "My Big Skinny Greek Turkey Burger. I was a little apprehensive to try it. I've had turkey burgers before, and they were kind of bland. This recipe made two, thick, burgers. And, I was in love with just one bite. It was full of flavor, and even juicy! I knew right away it was something I'd make over and over. It was 277 calories, 1 carb, 3 grams fat, 59 grams protein, and 408 mg sodium-as told by MyFittnessPal app. Yes, it really filled me up, and this was on my second day of the diet. So it was so wonderful to me!
Another turkey burger thing I went with was the All American A1 Stuffed Turkey Burger. My first try on this didn't go so well. I don't think I cooked it long enough. And I know that next time, I may go with less cheese in the middle. That kind of overwhelmed me. It was good though. I haven't made it again, but I'm thinking that I know now what I am going to have for dinner tonight! And, I have it as 414 calories, 3 carbs, 19 grams fat, 46 grams protein, and 24 mg sodium. So, much higher in calories and fat, but good on the sodium.
   See, I'm one of those people that I learn by doing. When I make a mistake, then I know what NOT to do next time. So, I kind of expect my first go to be not perfect.
 

Week Three

   Week three is almost over. I left off my last post saying how I had a decision to make. Luckily, my Health Coach was there for me.
   So, on Sunday, I tested it out, to see if I was allergic to soy. I ate very healthily, but didn't have soy. I felt fantastic! No pain, I held onto my food, and my legs didn't bother me as I fell asleep. So now I wondered, could I do just 3 Medifast meals. I really didn't want to give them up. I knew I'd have a tough time getting all of my vitamins and such otherwise. Monday morning, I had a Medifast oatmeal. Right away, I was in pain, and my body got rid of the food. That sealed it for me.
   As I said though, Candy was there for me. She had been talking to other coaches and such, working at finding alternatives for me. She found a list, albeit a small one, of Medifast meals that are soy free, or only contain a trace. See, when you look at the ingredients, look for "soy protein isolate." That is what I was having a reaction too. Now, there are some foods that don't have that, but have "soy lecithin." Candy learned that, people who had a reaction to soy, didn't have a reaction to that. So of course, I gave it a test. I had some eggs for lunch, then a dark chocolate shake for snack. Guess what? I was fine! And quite happy. And I filled out my next months order.
   I have been doing the "three x three" thing this week. It means I have been consuming more calories and such. I make sure to use the MyFittnessPal app on my phone to keep track of everything!

Week Two

   So, Sunday I was in high spirits. I had lost 9.6 pounds. Oh, one of the tools I use to help me is the MyFitnessPal app. It is so wonderful!
   At church, I couldn't wait to tell everyone. And, I had energy? Where did that come from? Could it be true? Eating healthy DOES help you feel better? I mean, I am consuming less than 700 calories a day on average. Before, I used to have WAY more calories. I felt like dancing!
   In this second week, I had a lot more energy, and was very happy. I was learning to cook more things, and experiment.
   Greg and I even got back to the gym. Now, when you start Medifast, the first 2-3 weeks, you need to not exercise, or really limit it. So, instead of doing 40 minutes on the elliptical, I did 20. We wend every weekday.
   I realized I was still having some health problems though. I'd have some stomach pain, sometimes severe enough that I couldn't stand up. And I started to notice that, I still had very loose bowls. My food would be gone almost immediately after eating it. Now, loose bowls can be a norm in the first week. In the second, it could be a problem. I also had times of dizziness. A couple of times, it made it to where I couldn't move. Plus, my legs were bothering me. Like they need to move. I made sure to drink lots and lots of water, but it didn't help.
   I began to do research, as well as seek help from my Health Coach, Candy. I saw that there was a chance I was allergic, or sensitive, to Soy. Most Medifast meals are made with soy. I decided to do an experiment, which I started at the beginning of my third week.
   When I weighed myself on Sunday, I was so disappointed too see I had only lost 1.8 pounds. I lost a couple of inches though. But I figured, I probably didn't loose much because I hadn't been able to absorb any of the nutrients. So, my body was holding onto what it could.
  Now I had some choices to make. I could stop Medifast, but I didn't want to. I was getting all of my vitamins, lots of protein and iron, and staying low on my carbs and sodium. I wondered if I could do 3 Medifast meals, and 3 of my own. I liked that idea. But, first I needed to do my test...

Week One

   The first week on Medifast. Whew was that hard! I knew I needed to stick to it. All the food was powdered, and I needed to mix them with water. On Medifast, you have 5 of their meals a day, plus one Lean and Green that you make yourself. Now, I am not a cook. At all. I burn water. So, I figured, Salad it is! Salad get boring though.
   I thought the food tasted okay. I wanted to cry at how tiny the portions were. How was such a small amount of food supposed to sustain me? In the first few days of Medifast, your body goes into a "What Is Going On?!?" faze, and so you become tired and weak. Greg said it was like I had the flu. In fact, I would sleep in-between meals, just so that I could make it.
   Oh, and now I was drinking between 10-14 cups of water a day! I am so glad the bathroom was near by.
   On Wednesday, I had my first real test. The women's group at church, called the Relief Society, had a Fondue and game night. We have special activities once a month. I had been looking forward to this for months! Why didn't I start my diet until afterwards?!? It smelled sooooo good. So, I made myself busy holding a newborn, then singing Karaoke.  And I was so amazed that I made it!
   By Saturday, my strength was picking up a little. But, then we had a birthday party for my niece, where there were doughnuts. One of my major weaknesses.  I wanted one soooo bad. Couldn't I just lick it? I just sat there and pouted. Lucky for me, though, my husband is a Celiac, and couldn't have any doughnuts either. So he felt my pain.
   So, in conclusion of this week, I felt I had done really well. I looked forward to when this supposed energy was to come. I had started searching the 'net, and found wonderful recipes for Lean and Green meals. I even started a Pinterest board to help document my meals. I learned wonderful tips on how to make the Medifast foods taste better. Like, soaking them for a few hours before cooking or blending them. WHAT a difference.
   And, when I weighed myself on Sunday, I was down to 283.0! I realized, this is SO worth it! I had lost an inch too.

Welcome to my journey!

So, as of today, I have been on my "diet" for almost 3 weeks. I started Sunday, April 7th, 2013. I weighed 292.6. Last year I had actually been successful at loosing 21 pounds, with the help of my friend Tina. But that was it. I then gained most of it back. A couple of years before that, I did a weight-loss class through Kaiser, and lost 20 pounds. I gained it all back, plus more.
Now, in high school and before, I was a thin little thing. I could wear size 5. But then depression came along, and I became addicted to food.
So, about a month or so ago, a friend told me about a friend who had become a health coach for Medifast. I had thought about it before, but knew it cost a lot. I started talking to the health coach (who funnily enough, goes by Candy), as well as praying and discussing things with my husband, Greg. I got the answer that I should do it.