progress has been up and down. i mean, i know its only been a matter of days since day one, but sometimes i forget how much you actually have to pay attention to do what you want to do. i feel like i've been tripping over my own feet, getting in my own way, and it's making me feel like a rookie.
one thing that i think will be a huge help; i just got the livestrong.com MyPlate app for my blackberry. now i can put in my info from anywhere instead of trying to remember to get on the computer at the end of the day. i'm on my phone all the time, so it should help keep tracking my foods on the front burner of my brain. i KNOW that for me tracking is absolutely key. tracking, more than anything else is what helped me lose 30+ lbs last time. so its kind of an obvious priority. dont know why it took me this long to figure that out.
with the start of the fall semester, another struggle is making sure i have healthy, easy to prepare (or heat up) meals for school nights. on mondays i only have one class, and don't have to leave till 5 so i have been trying to plan on cooking several nights worth of meals on monday nights. tuesdays and thursdays i'm on campus from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. here is where the pre-made meals come in. by the time i get home from school, i am starving. so i need to have something to eat right away, and that something needs to be healthy and filling enough that i dont feel the need to graze later while watching tv and doing homework.
tonight i made some baaaaaaangin sesame chicken. i used a weight watchers recipe and modified it slightly. it wasnt exactly takeout style, but it was so freaking good. especially with some white rice and green beans. YUM!
here's to relearning old lessons!
see ya'll on saturday
9.25.2010
and the verdict is.......
334.2
alright.
i can work with that.
my goals for the last 100 days of 2010 are:
-track every day
-get at least 30 mins of activity per day
-take my vitamins every day
-every week before i weigh in, stick one motivational, inspirational or moving quote to my scale.
time to get busy folks.
yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!
alright.
i can work with that.
my goals for the last 100 days of 2010 are:
-track every day
-get at least 30 mins of activity per day
-take my vitamins every day
-every week before i weigh in, stick one motivational, inspirational or moving quote to my scale.
time to get busy folks.
yeaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!
9.24.2010
getting ready...
oh man. tomorrow's the day.
THE frigging day!
part of my preparations are taking inventory of my pantry and fridge, to start plotting out meals, and jotting down a list of necessaries.
another part of that is cleaning. i don't know about anyone else, but when my house is a clutter hole, i always get just a little bit lazy. having clothes piled in my bedroom, towels everywhere in the bathroom, and the kitchen in shambles makes me just want to escape with a bag of cheetos in front of the tv.
so today, is a cleaning day. a laundry day. a dishes day. as much as i hate it, i know it will help me, and that's really all the reasoning i need.
one of the things i've been planning to do is keep a body log. i want to post or privately journal every day about how my body feels. i want to be able to track the correlations between what i eat and what i do, the effects it has on my body, and vice versa. i think by recording it, i might be able to see patterns from month to month so that i can proactively prepare for when my hardest days will hit.
i'm also taking inspiration from the people doing the Hot 100 challenge. i'm not actually participating in the challenge, but i will be doing a personal challenge for myself. the idea is that you start with 3 or more goals that you challenge yourself to stick with every week, for the last 100 days of 2010. tomorrow i will be stating my goals as well as my first (or billionth first) official weigh-in.
to be honest, i'm scared. but also freaking excited.
its been a long time since i've gotten excited about doing something for myself.
THE frigging day!
part of my preparations are taking inventory of my pantry and fridge, to start plotting out meals, and jotting down a list of necessaries.
another part of that is cleaning. i don't know about anyone else, but when my house is a clutter hole, i always get just a little bit lazy. having clothes piled in my bedroom, towels everywhere in the bathroom, and the kitchen in shambles makes me just want to escape with a bag of cheetos in front of the tv.
so today, is a cleaning day. a laundry day. a dishes day. as much as i hate it, i know it will help me, and that's really all the reasoning i need.
one of the things i've been planning to do is keep a body log. i want to post or privately journal every day about how my body feels. i want to be able to track the correlations between what i eat and what i do, the effects it has on my body, and vice versa. i think by recording it, i might be able to see patterns from month to month so that i can proactively prepare for when my hardest days will hit.
i'm also taking inspiration from the people doing the Hot 100 challenge. i'm not actually participating in the challenge, but i will be doing a personal challenge for myself. the idea is that you start with 3 or more goals that you challenge yourself to stick with every week, for the last 100 days of 2010. tomorrow i will be stating my goals as well as my first (or billionth first) official weigh-in.
to be honest, i'm scared. but also freaking excited.
its been a long time since i've gotten excited about doing something for myself.
9.21.2010
countdown to the re-start...
i'm setting my re-start date for saturday.
there are people out there who will say that you should just start right away, but i'm preparing myself. i'm making sure i have everything i need on hand so that i don't start stumbling right off the block.
i'm motivating myself, reminding myself what i'm really doing here and what my goals are.
i'm reminding myself that i am doing this for *me* and my health. i'm not doing this so i can wear skinny jeans.
i'm doing this so that i can climb the stairs to class without dying.
i'm doing this so i don't have to carry 100 lbs of dead weight.
i'm doing this for my heart. i'm doing this for my knees. i'm doing this for my feet. for my back.
i'm doing this for my future children.
i brought my scale home (it was living in the boyfriend's bathroom), so that i can start day one bright and early.
3 days and counting....
here we go, let's bring back an old favorite:
goals folks, let's achieve em.
bring it.
there are people out there who will say that you should just start right away, but i'm preparing myself. i'm making sure i have everything i need on hand so that i don't start stumbling right off the block.
i'm motivating myself, reminding myself what i'm really doing here and what my goals are.
i'm reminding myself that i am doing this for *me* and my health. i'm not doing this so i can wear skinny jeans.
i'm doing this so that i can climb the stairs to class without dying.
i'm doing this so i don't have to carry 100 lbs of dead weight.
i'm doing this for my heart. i'm doing this for my knees. i'm doing this for my feet. for my back.
i'm doing this for my future children.
i brought my scale home (it was living in the boyfriend's bathroom), so that i can start day one bright and early.
3 days and counting....
here we go, let's bring back an old favorite:
goals folks, let's achieve em.
bring it.
9.11.2010
by way of review...
for myself and for anyone just starting or just trying to start over again...
weight loss 101
the basics-
-eat healthier.
duh.
-eat balanced.
i try to balance my intake depending on what activities i plan on doing afterward. for example: i eat a higher protien diet usually, but i try to eat the most protien for my morning meal because thats when i need to be able to stay full and focused until i get a chance to eat lunch. for my midday meal i eat more carbs (but healthy carbs) because i need the energy as my body starts to wind down for the evening. by dinnertime i eat my smallest meal of the day. since i usually plan on sleeping only a few hours after i eat, i dont need a ton of protien, nor do i need the carbs for energy. i load up on veggies to fill me up and generally divide my plate into quarters. i make two quarters of the plate vegetables, another quarter of protiens, and the last quarter is a carbohydrate.
-track what you eat.
however you do it, do it, and do it consistently. personally, i have found past success in simply tracking calories. i give myself a goal of about 1900-2000 calories per day. no one can ever eat *exactly* 2000 calories a day, but giving yourself a goal can give you an idea of what to eat and when you should eat it.
-get active.
pretty much self-explanatory here. taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away, taking time out of your day to be more active. i'm planning on hitting up the gym on campus once the weather gets cooler.
-be self-aware.
this is a big one for me. what caught me up the last time was not keeping track of how i was feeling emotionally. i put a lot of stock into numbers and it just kind of left the emotional part of me hurting. sometimes writing regularly in a journal, in addition to blogging, can help me keep an eye on when im feeling vulnerable or insecure.
-drink water.
yea yea, sometimes this isnt always conscious. i've gone days in a row without drinking any water. those usually arent my best days. i try to keep a bottle of water within reach most of the time, which makes it the first thing i reach for when i'm thirsty.
-wear clothes that are comfortable AND fit you well.
clothes that are too tight or too loose can mess with your self esteem. when your clothes fit well, no matter if you plan on losing weight, you feel better. when your clothes fit you can also better guage any fluctuations in your weight or body. whenever i wear clothes, especially jeans, that are way too big, i dont always notice big, or little gains.
-don't label foods as "bad".
you know the second you tell yourself you can't have something you want it even more. so why not let yourself have some. key word here: some. don't eat a whole pan of brownies. eat one brownie. satisfy your craving, and move on. if having large amounts of tempting foods around makes you feel like bingeing, put them in containers that you can't see through. sometimes when i can't see the food, i forget about it. or, give it away. i'm an avid baker, and i love making things that may not always be friendly to my weight loss. so what i do is keep a small portion of whatever i make for myself, and split the rest up between family and friends. trust me, you'll be less tempted, and your friends will LOVE you.
i'm sure there are a metric ton of tips and tricks for weight loss, but these are the ones that work for me.
what are your tried and true tips?
weight loss 101
the basics-
-eat healthier.
duh.
-eat balanced.
i try to balance my intake depending on what activities i plan on doing afterward. for example: i eat a higher protien diet usually, but i try to eat the most protien for my morning meal because thats when i need to be able to stay full and focused until i get a chance to eat lunch. for my midday meal i eat more carbs (but healthy carbs) because i need the energy as my body starts to wind down for the evening. by dinnertime i eat my smallest meal of the day. since i usually plan on sleeping only a few hours after i eat, i dont need a ton of protien, nor do i need the carbs for energy. i load up on veggies to fill me up and generally divide my plate into quarters. i make two quarters of the plate vegetables, another quarter of protiens, and the last quarter is a carbohydrate.
-track what you eat.
however you do it, do it, and do it consistently. personally, i have found past success in simply tracking calories. i give myself a goal of about 1900-2000 calories per day. no one can ever eat *exactly* 2000 calories a day, but giving yourself a goal can give you an idea of what to eat and when you should eat it.
-get active.
pretty much self-explanatory here. taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking farther away, taking time out of your day to be more active. i'm planning on hitting up the gym on campus once the weather gets cooler.
-be self-aware.
this is a big one for me. what caught me up the last time was not keeping track of how i was feeling emotionally. i put a lot of stock into numbers and it just kind of left the emotional part of me hurting. sometimes writing regularly in a journal, in addition to blogging, can help me keep an eye on when im feeling vulnerable or insecure.
-drink water.
yea yea, sometimes this isnt always conscious. i've gone days in a row without drinking any water. those usually arent my best days. i try to keep a bottle of water within reach most of the time, which makes it the first thing i reach for when i'm thirsty.
-wear clothes that are comfortable AND fit you well.
clothes that are too tight or too loose can mess with your self esteem. when your clothes fit well, no matter if you plan on losing weight, you feel better. when your clothes fit you can also better guage any fluctuations in your weight or body. whenever i wear clothes, especially jeans, that are way too big, i dont always notice big, or little gains.
-don't label foods as "bad".
you know the second you tell yourself you can't have something you want it even more. so why not let yourself have some. key word here: some. don't eat a whole pan of brownies. eat one brownie. satisfy your craving, and move on. if having large amounts of tempting foods around makes you feel like bingeing, put them in containers that you can't see through. sometimes when i can't see the food, i forget about it. or, give it away. i'm an avid baker, and i love making things that may not always be friendly to my weight loss. so what i do is keep a small portion of whatever i make for myself, and split the rest up between family and friends. trust me, you'll be less tempted, and your friends will LOVE you.
i'm sure there are a metric ton of tips and tricks for weight loss, but these are the ones that work for me.
what are your tried and true tips?
9.09.2010
a full day, a perfect day...
perfect days are so rare, and so wonderful....like a rainbow, the longer it sticks around the brighter it makes your day.
today was one of those days. there was no rainbow, but babydolls, i didnt need one.
i got a solid 8 hours of sleep last night. woke up early enough to not only shower and pick out a cute outfit, but to eat a healthy breakfast, pack a healthy lunch, and put a healthy dinner in the crock pot. i also left the house early enough to make it on campus 20 minutes early, and get a great parking spot.
at this point i was braced for the other shoe to drop right on my head. but it didnt. it kept on being amazing.
home to a hot meal, and now relaxing on the couch with some criminal minds. ready to enjoy my weekend.
lets see if this rainbow can keep on shining. i'm taking it one day at a time.
today was one of those days. there was no rainbow, but babydolls, i didnt need one.
i got a solid 8 hours of sleep last night. woke up early enough to not only shower and pick out a cute outfit, but to eat a healthy breakfast, pack a healthy lunch, and put a healthy dinner in the crock pot. i also left the house early enough to make it on campus 20 minutes early, and get a great parking spot.
at this point i was braced for the other shoe to drop right on my head. but it didnt. it kept on being amazing.
home to a hot meal, and now relaxing on the couch with some criminal minds. ready to enjoy my weekend.
lets see if this rainbow can keep on shining. i'm taking it one day at a time.
9.08.2010
blogger? its me, erin....
it has been a lonnnnng time...
but you know, i think i needed some time away. not that i don't love you all (cause i do), but because i gotta take care of me sometimes in ways that don't involve baring my soul (and fat ass) to the web community at large.
i've had a whirlwind couple of months this summer, some days were amazing, some exhausting, frustrating, pick your adjective, i felt it.
you ready?
i got....ENGAGED!!! oh yes, the most romantic, completely spontaneous proposal story ever (which by the way, we wont be able to share with our families...if you know what i mean *wink*) i don't have any pretty sparkly bling pics for you as of yet because the proposal came before the ring lol so right now i'm just wearing my claddagh ring on my left hand, which on its own has a lot more meaning to the both of us than a diamond.
along with all the happy, theres been some not so happy. i gained maybe 15 lbs of what i previously lost, back. i think a combination of more time at home (as opposed to being at school for most of the day) which gave me more time to snack and make bad food choices and not being as active like i was during the semester let me pack on the pounds again.
i'm not going to make any rousing motivational speeches, i'm just here to say i'm back. i'm going to make an effort to blog here at least once a week, because it does help a lot to keep me focused and help me get things out on "paper" to help me work through the rough spots. no more trying to muscle through and do it on my own with no support. this time i'm asking for help when i need it.
as all great starts go, i've got a fridge and pantry stocked with healthy eats, a sweet little lunchbox to carry my healthy lunch to school, and a stack of great recipes to keep me full and fired up this winter.
i took a couple steps back, but heres to taking the first step forward once again.
but you know, i think i needed some time away. not that i don't love you all (cause i do), but because i gotta take care of me sometimes in ways that don't involve baring my soul (and fat ass) to the web community at large.
i've had a whirlwind couple of months this summer, some days were amazing, some exhausting, frustrating, pick your adjective, i felt it.
you ready?
i got....ENGAGED!!! oh yes, the most romantic, completely spontaneous proposal story ever (which by the way, we wont be able to share with our families...if you know what i mean *wink*) i don't have any pretty sparkly bling pics for you as of yet because the proposal came before the ring lol so right now i'm just wearing my claddagh ring on my left hand, which on its own has a lot more meaning to the both of us than a diamond.
along with all the happy, theres been some not so happy. i gained maybe 15 lbs of what i previously lost, back. i think a combination of more time at home (as opposed to being at school for most of the day) which gave me more time to snack and make bad food choices and not being as active like i was during the semester let me pack on the pounds again.
i'm not going to make any rousing motivational speeches, i'm just here to say i'm back. i'm going to make an effort to blog here at least once a week, because it does help a lot to keep me focused and help me get things out on "paper" to help me work through the rough spots. no more trying to muscle through and do it on my own with no support. this time i'm asking for help when i need it.
as all great starts go, i've got a fridge and pantry stocked with healthy eats, a sweet little lunchbox to carry my healthy lunch to school, and a stack of great recipes to keep me full and fired up this winter.
i took a couple steps back, but heres to taking the first step forward once again.
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