I Love My Soda....

I was really busy this past weekend, but it was great! I had the usual dinner out with the hubby and was able to use my new IPhone app again to make a good meal decision. (LOL) Then on Saturday I spent the day with my sister and neice at the mall. We walked all day long! So much so, that when we finally got back to my house I could barely sit down because my legs hurt so bad. That tells me that I haven't been doing enough walking on a daily basis or else I wouldn't have been hurting like that. Shame on me! I think I've been so focused on doing other cardio type excersizes that I have neglected to simply do enough walking. So that's now on my daily "To Do" list. I want to try and get in at least 30 minutes to an hour of just walking in my daily routine. And also, something else I have been struggling with over the past week is drinking my water. For some reason I have craved Pop (Soda, Coke, whatever you want to call it) everyday! I am trying so hard not to give in to this but OMG I love my soda! I know how good water is for the body and I understand all that. But it's just so BLAH. Now I'm finding that getting through 8 or more glasses a day is like torture. When I first started making all these changes to my diet it was alot easier. I think because I was so excited and ready to make the needed changes. But now it seems to be getting harder and harder. I'm not buying soda's to keep in my home so that helps. But then whenever I'm out, their constantly on my mind. I would LOVE to just pull into a drive thru whenever I feel like it and grab one. But I know that once I tell myself "I'll do it just this once" then my old habits will right back. So everyone please pray for my strength!!!!! If I can get over my addiction to sodas then the rest will be so much easier....

IPhone Apps

So I found another amazing IPhone App that I'm in LOVE with. It's called IFitness. It's the best fitness app out there right now. It has over 230 different individual exercises to choose from. For each exercise you’ll see a picture, a description, and, for most, a video as well. You can even choose exercises based on muscle group. This app is great for everyone from the beginner who’s looking for an easy-to-follow workout, to the advanced body builder who wants a custom way to track progress. Isn't that awesome!

Weekend Temptation

I love the weekends but it's always the toughest time of the week for temptation. We usually go out on Friday and Saturday night for dinner and on Sunday we go out to lunch after church. When I'm at home, I'm in "my safe zone". Because I only keep foods in the house that follow along the guidelines of what I want to be eating. But then when you go out, you don't ever know what the nutritional value is of the meal you may be eating. I know alot of resturants offer lower calorie meals now and they even put the nutrional info right on the menu, but not everyone does it. Then I remembered reading a fellow bloggers page yesterday that said he was basically feeling the same way and wondering what the nutrional value was of something he wanted to eat. So he pulled out his IPhone and googled the information, and there it was! He's basically going thru the same things we all are with his journey and he's also trying to get his blog out there, so you should check it out. Here's his link in case you want to show him some love:

http://brendanlosesweight.blogspot.com/

So anyways, then I checked the Apps on my IPhone and I found a free app called "Restaurant Nutrition." It's got the nutritional info for over 115 restaurants and over 19,000 food items. It also helps you track your calories, carbs, protein, fat and more! It's perfect and just what I needed to help me make better choices when going out. So Thanks Brendan for giving me the idea! I was able to eat dinner out with my hubby tonight at Longhorn Steak House without stressing and knew exactly how many calories I was eating. And it was FANTASTIC!!!!!

Better A Busy Bee Than A Lazy Daisy

Sorry I haven't posted for the past couple of days. School has been out for the past week here and my sister needed a baby sitter for my 6 year old niece. So I volunteered to keep her. The first day she comes in with her little "Snack Bag" full of goodies for the week and as I'm putting them away I see the enemy. Girl Scout Samoa Cookies!!!! Their my absolute favorite. I mean I seriously look forward to seeing the Girl Scouts set up in front of Walmart every year so that I can get my stash of Somoa's. I put them away and told myself "their just cookies, you can do this". But I swear every day I have just tried to ignore the fact that they were even there. I mean I didn't even pull them out to give to her because I didn't even want to look at them. LOL. Then finally yesterday we went on a picnick to the park with a bunch of other kids so I threw them in the bag. Then once they had all finished eating I took them out and opened the box and just walked away from the table. I seriously didn't even want to look at them. That's how much I love those damn things. But other than that little dilema she has kept me very active this week so far! We went to the Aquatic center on Monday to swim, then we had 3 scavenger hunts and a water balloon fight on Tuesday and then the park visit on Wednesday. We played tennis and rode bikes for a couple of hours. So I've deffinately been able to get in some extra excersize. I guess it's better to be a busy bee then to be a lazy Daisy.

On another note, I weighed again yesterday and I GAINED a pound! I know it's only 1 little pound, but a pound is a pound to me! And I don't understand why. I mean I've been eating the same, drinking my water, and I have excersized more in the past 2 weeks than I ever have. A friend told me that it could be because I am putting on muscle now. But I thought that was just an old wives tale or something. I have been using weights alot though. I have 4 pound ankle weights for when I'm riding my bike, and then some 10 pound weights to use for working on my arms. Does anyone know if this is true or not? I really want to know if that could be why or not. I'm not gonna let this get me down though. I know I will keep losing as long as I just stay focused..... :)

Ahhh.... Carbs!

I am finding it really hard not to eat Carbs. Does anyone else have this problem? Why do they have to be so darn good? It's like all of my favorite foods are freakin Carbs. I love Pasta and Bread, and Cereal, and so on.....I've been trying to do the "low carb" thing on top of doing weight watchers. The Weight Watchers Point System is great and really easy to follow and stick to. But I thought if I tried to cut my Carbs too, then I would really lose some weight. But I think now I just need to focus on getting my points in correctly and not try so hard to be perfect. I guess I'm just worried because I feel like every meal I eat includes Carbs. And I know there has got to be some great meals that I would like that don't have to involve Pasta or Bread. But I am having trouble finding meals like this. Any suggestions? I need some serious help! I think I'm actually addicted to Carbs?!

Hiking is Fun

My husband told me Thursday night that his job is wanting to transfer him to another location. It would be a great promotion for him, going from an Assistant Manager, to being a Branch Service Manager. He would get a decent pay raise and receive quarterly bonuses. The only problem is that the new shop is over an hour away. Which in turn means, we have to move. UGH. We just moved into the house we're currently in back in October. But we knew this move was only temporary as we are living with our friends to help out. (Long story~ but my hubby's best friend was shot 7 times last year. 5 times in the head. So he was in the hospital for about 10 months then released in October. we moved in to help out with the kids, taking care of Zach, etc.) So we knew that this wouldn't be long term. But the plan was to stay here with them until August when their new handicap house should be finished by. I talked it over with our friend and she told us that she thought we should go for it. We had already made up our minds that this was something that we had to do. But we just wanted to make sure that they would be okay if we were'nt still living under the same roof. I mean even if we do move a little further away from them, it will still be within driving distance for me to come and help out. And I still want to help out. I have seen our friend suffer so much this past year. And I absolutely love seeing the little miracles we get to experience with him each day. So I plan to continue working with him several days a week. But for now, we've got to get in gear and find a new home. (Watch out Craig's List, here I come!) We don't have to rush too bad because my husband said he could do the hour plus drive for awhile. But I wanted to go check out the potential cities we might be moving to right away. So we headed out this morning into the North Georgia Mountains. It is breath takingly beautiful up there, I must admit. But the thought of moving out to the boondocks kind of scares me. But I think the change will be good. We've been through so much heartache since last year, so I think it's time for a change. We took a long drive through the mountains and stopped once for a quick hike. Which then turned into a long hike. I've never been one to volunteer to go hiking. UHH UHH Not me! That's too much damn excersize! LOL. But this time it was different. I wasn't panting so hard I thought I would faint. Or complaining so much that I had to worry that my husband might push me off a cliff to put me out of my misery. I actually ENJOYED it!!!! ALOT! And when I told my husband that I thought hiking was fun, he started laughing because he thought I was totally kidding. Then I said, "No, for real. I'm loving it". So then he asked me if I was feeling alright and felt my head! Silly man.... Hiking is fun! And great excersize! :)

Friend or Frenemie?

You know it's amazing to have a friend who really has your back in all you do in your life. Especially when your faced with challenges such as a family illness, financial problems, boyfriend or spouse issues, etc... And being able to have the support of friends and family when your trying to make real life changes, (Such as when your dieting) are really important. I have found that since I started this journey, I do have a few key support people. My awesome husband, my sisters, my niece and my friend Tanya. But there is this one person who has really just shocked the crap out of me. I figured she would have my back too, but I think I was mistaken. She's made a few little smart alec comments that just left me speechless. Like for example, I used to be a huge Soda drinker. And I have dropped them like cold Turkey. I haven't had one in over a month now! I am drinking only water now and the occasional Sweet Tea on "Cheat Days". Well this one day a family friend asked me how I was doing on my diet. And I told her about how I had quit drinking all the Soda and have totally changed the way I eat. I guess I was sorta bragging because I am really proud of myself ya know? And then my "so called friend" says, "Yeah, we'll see how long this lasts". ??? And then another time someone commented on how great my skin is looking these days and said it's probably because of all the water I'm drinking. Then my "friend" once again said something smart about how it's just a ton of makeup.??? I know that I tend to take things the wrong way sometimes. But who doesn't? And I think that alot of it comes from being heavy all my life. I guess maybe I just always "assume" that people are talking about me because I'm a fattie. When they very well may not be talking about me at all. But I've got to be honest here, she is killing me with the negativity! I mean at least once a week or more, someone is complimenting me on how great I'm doing, or telling me to keep up the great work. And whenever she is in my presence, she always finds something negative to say. And I'm also wondering if it is because she is a big girl too. And maybe she's worried that I might actually do it this time. I've asked her to do this with me. I mean I would LOVE to have someone to excersize with or just to go out to lunch with someone else who is watching what their eating. But she just acts like this is just a temporary phase that I'm going to grow out of. And I'm not. Like I've said before, I'm not even really looking at this as a diet, but as a "Life Style Change". And I'm changing for good this time. No going back to my Chubee Chick ways. Am I wrong to feel a little hurt by the negativitiy? Or am I just being too darn sensitive? Because I'm really feeling like she's turning into a frenemie instead of being my friend. :(

Thunder Thighs

I've been trying several different types of excersize to see what works best for me. So far, I am totally into the bike riding. I love how free I feel when I'm out on my bike, wind blowing thru my hair, and no thoughts running thru my brain other than hoping I don't crash into a tree. (My bike has no brakes....)

But I have decided this week to try and focus on excersizes that will "target" my Thunder Thighs. That's one of the parts I hate the most on my body. I'm guessing that the bike riding will be good for my thighs too. But I've been working them so hard over the past few days that that now I feel like I rode a Donkey across the Dessert. So I think I'm gonna take the night off tonight and let them "heal" for a minute. But I PROMISE I will get right back at it tomorrow!    :)


P.S.~ This is my Dream bike that I'm saving for. I love Hello Kitty so it's PERRRFECT! But quite pricey too....

                                                           

Stop and smell the Roses

The hubby and I had a really great talk last night. Mostly about things that we're working on changing in our lives and about how we are really working on just being the best people we can be. We try to volunteer as much as possible and always lend a helping hand to those in need. We try to live and be as selfless as possible. Doing as much for others as possible and always putting others before ourselves. But anyways, it was just one of those moments in life that I realized how lucky I am. And how grateful I should always be.

Sometimes I tend to lose sight though. I turn into the person who wants it all and wants it all right now (whatever 'it all' even is)! I forget to "Stop and smell the Roses". And while I am busy planning our next step, I miss what is happening right here and now. I forget to slow down and appreciate all of the wonderful blessings I have at this very moment.
But life sat me down last night and reminded me of my blessings. I am married to the most amazing man! I'm not just saying that. He really is the greatest thing since sliced bread. LOL. And I truly believe that we are Soulmates. I will not sit here and tell you that I don't deserve him, I do. I have gone through enough to know that he is exactly what I never knew I always needed. But there are days I need to be reminded of that. And tell him, so I did. And then he reminded me that God knew what he was doing when he brought us together, into each others lives for a reason.

I am also surrounded by some truly great friends, and I have 3 wonderful sisters who I adore, and a neice who is one of my closest confidants. I no longer have my Mother or Father (RIP Mom and Dad) But I still have lots of other people in my life who I love and who love me. And that's a blessing in itself! Some people have no family or friends. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without any of them.

So basically we've decided that we need to slow down a bit. And remember to take time to notice the little things and enjoy what each day of life brings us. After all, life is a marathon, but not a race.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Blogger Friends!!!!!
The hubby bought me the New 32 Gig IPhone! I've never had one before and I absolutely LOVE it! I hope you all have a wonderful day full of Love and Happiness!
                                                            

Big Girl Clothes

I went shopping today to try and get some new things for Spring. It's been pretty warm here the past few days. And all I really have is sweaters and then my old work blouses. I used to work in a Healthcare office and we wore business casual clothing. But now I have the luxury of working from home. So now I'm usually in Old Navy Pajama Pants and a T Shirt all day. We moved from Florida back to Georgia this past June and when we moved I threw out a ton of clothes. Now of course I'm regreting throwing away so much. But I needed to update my wardrobe anyways. So I went to a few of my favorite stores this afternoon (Ross, TJ Max, Marshalls, and Target) but I didn't find a thing! All I wanted to get was a few key pieces that I could mix and match. Just simple tees that I could layer and maybe throw on a light weight scarf with. Or some thin Spring Sweaters and maybe a little jacket. But what I found was that everything either seems to look too "young" for me, or like something my grandmother would wear! And the shirts are made way too long for my 5 foot 3 inch self. So then they look like dresses on me instead of shirts. And I already have a hard time finding short enough jeans for me so that they don't drag the ground. I know that Lane Bryant would have some awesome stuff but their so pricey! And I don't really have a LB Budget right this moment. I'm sooo depressed now. I really wanted a few new things to wear to help me feel better about myself. But so much for that. In a way though I'm glad that I'm feeling this way because it's made me determined as hell to stick to my goals. And eventually I won't have to be shopping for big girl clothes anymore and it will be so much easier to find things. But for now, does anyone have any other ideas where I could find some cute & fashionable Spring Stuff in Plus size? (That won't break the bank). Thanks for any ideas....

Movie Theater Popcorn

I'm going to the movies tonight with some friends and I am debating on whether or not I should get Popcorn. I absolutely LOVE movie theater Popcorn. But I also like it totally smothered in butter. Which of course I know is horrible for me. But I don't know how bad just the plain Popcorn is by itself with no butter? Does anyone have any ideas about how much fat/calories is in it? Because I would rather have some plain then none at all. Anyways I don't even know why I'm obsessng about it. I guess I'm just trying to justify eating some. LOL!!!!

10 Health Benefits Of Cinnamon

I found this article on http://www.healthdiaries.com/ and thought it was really interesting, so of course I had to share. After reading it I think I need to add a little Cinnamon to my own diet.....


Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.
Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.
In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.
In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.
It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.
In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.
When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.
One study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.
Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.
It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium

Setting up for Success

I am trying to take this whole weightloss journey in baby steps. I'm scared if I rush into it head first like all the other times I have tried that I will fail like before. So I am trying to set myself up for success by planning all my meals ahead of time and by making sure that I have all the neccessary foods and tools at home. This way I can't use the excuse that I didn't have any healthy snacks so I "had" to have that bag of chips or that handful of cookies. I figure that taking
small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change should work for me. Because before I would just jump right in and say I'm never eating this again or I'm never gonna do that again. But I always end up going back to my old ways. And I don't want to do that this time. That's why I'm so "leery" of saying that I'm on a diet. Because this is way more than just a diet. This is a total lifestyle change for me. If I approach the changes gradually and with commitment, I think I will be able to grow into these changes and eating healthier will eventually come more naturally. I went out yesterday and bought some arm and ankle weights. I'm going to use them when I go walking or bike riding. I bought a Brita Water Pitcher that Filters tap water, that way I can't "run out of water" and grab a can of soda. And I also got a Pedometer and a Diet Journal. I hope that by journaling all my daily meals and snacks I will be able to look at what I have eaten that day and decide where, if any, I am making mistakes. And then learn from those mistakes. I'm a long way from where I want to be yet. But 10 pounds is a good start and I'm excited to go back in a year from now and reflect on what I have accomplished. So hopefully my little plan for success will work for me. :)

Walk Away

For the past week the hubby and I have been trying to figure out what to do for Superbowl Sunday. We had been invited to a couple of parties, but ultimately we decided to just stay home and have our own small get together. I enjoy  going to games alot but as far as watching a game on t.v., I just CANNOT get into it. And I have really, really tried. I want to be the cool chick that knows all the players names and understands all the plays. But for the life of me I just can't!!!! I was more excited today at the thought of having my "cheat day" and about all the good food we were having. I know, how pathetic.
We had buffalo wings in Medium and Lemon Pepper. (Which is My FAVE)  several types of dips and chips, Coctail weenies and the other usual stuff. I know I have earned this cheat day so I shouldn't feel quilty about it. But I do.
And all I had was 5 wings and some celery. And I tried to eat alot of celery to try and fill up on it. But then I moved on to the desserts. BAHAHAHA. We had made those Peanut Butter filled Ritz crackers that you dip in milk chocolate. YUMMM! So, I had one. But just one! It was like heaven in my mouth for real. But I knew it was time to just walk away from the food or else I was probably going to eat too much. So I walked away like I was being told to.......
Imagine this, a policeman saying: "Big girl, walk away from the food table".
"Drop your fork and give it up". (hee hee). AHHH me and my crazy imagination. But I must say that overall I am pretty proud of myself. I didn't overeat and I ate just enough to fill me up while I watched everyone else pig out like it was their jobs. Gotta Love Superbowl Sundays...... :P

Interesting....

A new display is currently at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. It looks at diet fads and books through the decades. Click to read more about it here.... http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2011-01-19-dietposters19_ST_N.htm

Thought this was cute, Had to share.....

Changing Me

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” -- Helen Keller
I just love this quote..... Isn't it funny that we have to hit rock bottom before we wake up and realize that we even have a problem. I have tried so many "diets" before that I've lost count. And I have never really reached any type of real goal with any of them. So now I am just focusing on changing my daily habits rather than "dieting" alone. I drink water instead of Soda and Tea. I snack on Fruits and veggies rather than chips or candy. I eat my meat grilled instead of fried. It seems simple enough but it's harder said than done.  I love a good greasy Cheeseburger with Fries. And it's hard to make myself "want" a Turkey Sandwich on Whole Grain bread instead of that burger. But I am doing it. With each day that passes now I realize that I am getting stronger and stronger. And I even feel healthier already. I take several vitamins in the morning and I'm drinking water religously. So I have so much more energy to get through my day. And I love that my previous haters are now my best motivators. They give me more strength and ambition than I have ever had before in my life. I guess I just had to hit rock bottom to see that I needed to change. While the changes I have made and are still making aren't easy, they are worth it. Because I see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I know that with fierce dedication I CAN do this. I WILL do this. I MUST do this. For me.