He was right!

Okay I am going to say this once- My husband was right...

This morning I woke up and weighed myself. I was down .8! Wahoooo!!! I guess I just needed to eat more.  I have been trying to up my calorie intake but keep my fat consumption down. I am snacking more too, which seems to help! 

I feel bad that I haven't been posting as frequently this week- it has been kind of crazy for me. I have had a lot of homework for school (I'm in University) and my friend is getting married this weekend. I am a bridesmaid! The wedding is about 300 miles away, so it will take a little planning on my part. My biggest goal is to not compromise my progress while celebrating with her!

Best of luck friends,

Xoxo,

Suzie

FYI- I Got a C in Chemistry

In highschool I worked really hard to get great grades. I studied  hard, handed my homework in on time, and always did extra credit. Yes, I was that kid.  I was flying through highschool when all of a sudden I hit Chemistry. I did everything I could -but to no avail. I spent every ounce of free time on that class but still no "A's", not even a "B", just a big fat "C". The only "C" I ever earned, and I use that term loosely. The problem with Chemistry was that I just couldn't wrap my head around it: the relationships between things, how some change while others don't, etc. Even though I really wanted to - I just couldn't succeed as well as I had hoped.

That being said, this is what my weekend looked like...

Friday, I learned  that I'm not so good with understanding Body Chemistry either. I kept listening to body, trying to figure out what to do but to no avail, yet again. First, I tried eating less calories and working out less. This resulted in, well, nothing. No weight gain, but no weight loss either. My husband told me I am in starvation mode and have to eat more to loose. After doing much research, I hesitantly agreed with him.

Now, what kind of Mind...well I won't use that word but I will give you a hint- add a certain "f" word at the end of Mind and you get it . Seriously though! Want to weigh less? Then eat less....But don't eat to much less or else you will just stay where you are: fat and frustrated. MUHAHAHAHA 

Begrudgingly I up my calorie intake while keeping my work outs the same, after all what you burn decreases your consumption. The first morning after doing this I gain .4lbs. REALLY?! My husband assures me that my body just has to adjust it's metabolism again. So, I decided to give it another go. After weighing myself the next day, I gained .6. UGH

My point in sharing this stuff is the importance of perseverance. We might not always see the number going down on the scale, but it's about changing your lifestyle. As people who struggle with weight, we have to understand that this is a war with our bodies.  There will be times when we do things correctly but do not see any result. When that happens, we need to stay strong and stay the course. I am hoping that if I stick to it, I will see the results I want to :)

Best of Luck,
xoxox
Suzie

Temptation is Everywhere

     I had to share this! Yesterday, I was tested. ---AND I triumphed!!

    Yesterday, I had to take my car to the dealership for scheduled maintenance. I knew that it was going to be tough because the appointment was in prime snacking time- late afternoon. So, knowing that I would want to snack, I made low carb cheese crisps and brought a bottle of water.

    When I got to the dealership, there was only one seat left in the waiting room. The only seat was positioned in front of a vending machine with tons of chocolates-- my weakness. Next to that, right in front of me, was the box of free donuts. Now, it wasn't so hard to not get something out of the vending machine because I didn't bring any money. But the donuts... oh the doughnuts. I looked at them and literally felt my mouth salivating. I had to tell myself in my head that this is why I struggle. Each doughnut is another pound. It's setting me back. My husband was with me , so I told him that I was struggling. He reinforced what I had been thinking.

     It was weird because I knew that I wasn't going to actually eat one. But it was the thought that it was there that was tough. I haven't had to "say no" to food because I have rid my house of food I can't eat. This was good practice for me, but boy it was hard. It's important to put yourself in the line of fire because we can't always be in a safe diet bubble. Losing weight is more than just a diet, it's a lifestyle. You have to know that you will be tempted and that you can walk away.

Jillian is Kicking my....you know what!

      Okay, okay, let me catch my breath....Jillian Michaels (the notorious Biggest loser fitness coach) is kicking my butt...virtually. Let me tell you why/how.

      After realizing that I needed more than just a good walk, I began exploring other options to supplement my activity. I tried to go the gym, but seeing how I have never successfully worked out in my life...that didn't much work. I sort of looked like a kid pretending to wear mom's heels. I didn't try to kid myself, I don't know what the heck I am doing.

     Then I looked into getting a personal trainer. Sure this would work, I thought. I thought correctly but my wallet just can't do it. I am a full-time student/housewife. Needless to say, my husband and I are not exactly rolling in it. After crunching numbers, we quickly realized that it just couldn't happen.

    Well, that's frustrating! I then discovered a Biggest Loser game for the Kinect. We were both hesitant as to whether it could do the job or not. So instead of rushing out and loosing a bunch of money, we tried the demo. I'm not sure if you can picture this but there I was, sweat rolling down my face, cussing out the virtual trainer. After the workout, I flopped down on the couch. My husband asked me what I thought. All I said was, "It kicked my ass...I want it!"

    Today was my first day doing the workout. I am feeling it now. I highly recommend this game for someone who's in a similar situation- learning how to workout, overweight, or just out of practice. I don't see someone who works out daily and is trim really enjoying it or getting what they need from it. I hope to use it for about 6 months or so and then hopefully move to the gym. 

       So, that's how Jillian, we are on a first name basis, came to whip me into shape...I can see this is the beginning of a beautiful love/hate relationship. God, She's Good.

xoxo
Suzie

The Weekend!! A test to my commitment...

Today at about noon, I will be picking my husband up from work and heading to my hometown. We live about 350 miles away or so, a good 6 1/2 hour drive. We plan on visiting with family tonight, picking up a bridesmaid dress tomorrow morning (hopefully it fits), going to a Bachelorette party tomorrow evening, and then coming home Sunday morning. It is going to be very busy!! I am a little nervous about this trip because we are notoriously bad for eating crappy food on travel.  There have been times in the past when we have been on a good solid role and completely broke on travel. 

I feel confident that we will be able to stick to the diet because I am thinking ahead this time!!! This is how:

1)We are packing our lunch and snacks to eat in the car. This way we are not in the situation - We are wicked hungry and just want to find something resembling food...

2) I have agreed to be a D.D. . By choosing to be the DD, I will not be tempted to drink any alcoholic drinks. We all know how high in calories these are, plus it dehydrates your body!

3)Packing a simple breakfast. We are bringing protein powder to mix with water or milk for an easy breakfast on travel. My parents always have cereal or bagels, not exactly friendly to my low carb lifestyle.

4) Bring a bread alternative. We will be packing a lowcarb wrap for lunches with my parents. This way we will be able to join them for a lunch that meets our needs.

5)Telling the people around us that we are making healthier choices. I plan on telling my parents that we are low carbing so that we can have a dinner option for us. Also, I called the restaurant the the Bachelorette party had to figure out a head of time what would be okay for me to eat...or if I should eat ahead of time.

When you travel, the key is truly to think ahead. Consider what things are points of struggle for you and take steps to make sure they don't happen ahead of time. The last thing you want to do is try and figure this out with a bunch of hungry people around you! And you certainly don't want to break your progress!!!

I will let you know how it goes! Wish me luck. :)

xoxo
Suzie

Whew, Today was a Doosy

I woke up this morning to a slight annoyance. Apparently, my scale wasn't weighing correctly because the battery was going. My husband replaced the battery and put it down for me try. The end result was that I actually weighed 301.8. I was so annoyed. My husband reassured me that that just means that my initial weight was higher and I am still making progress. Even though he was right, I was still very frustrated! I think part of my frustration is that I want to see more progress then what I am... I know I need to be patient, but I am just so over being like this. 

Second annoyance for the day? The Stove in my home is shot! It broke out of no where and is going to take a couple of days  to be fixed. This made dinner really difficult because I had bought frozen veggies for steaming. Luckily, we do have a George Foreman which is great for grilling chicken. It just seemed like it was a test to see how we would respond to problems. Normally, my husband and I would have gone out to get dinner. Instead we went to the grocery store and got salad stuff. The salad was great, by the way. 

I guess in some ways today was really important in proving my commitment to my new lifestyle. Even though I felt frustrated and slightly overwhelmed, I still took 2 walks and made great healthy choices. This was really a circumstance where I could have easily reverted back to my old behavior. Honestly, I even though I felt frustrated it never came into consciousnesses that I could just go eat out. I have tried to loose weight in the past but always failed. For some reason this time feels different. I feel 100 percent committed to this, a feeling I have never felt before.

I hope you all stick out your journey. It might be hard right now, but it will get easier and you will be better for it! I urge you to wear your journey on your sleeve! I find that having this blog and having a twitter, helps me to feel more supported. Whether or not people actually read this or care, it's knowing that it is out there keeps me honest with my behavior. Ultimately, people who have a weight problem, like me, are fighting a host of problems: a food addiction, genetics, and changing your body's chemistry/metabolism. 

Good Luck Friends!

xoxo

Suzie

Tuesday's Love

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead !This documentary is a riveting story about Joe Cross, a man suffering from obesity and an auto immune disease. Fed up with taking multiple prescriptions, he embarks on a juicing journey for 60 days. In his journey, he drinks juice made from micro-nutrient rich food.  He ends up loosing more than 70 pounds, going off his medicines, and inspiring many others along the way.  I found this documentary to be very motivating. I am learning that losing weight is much more than controlling what we eat but changing your lifestyle. If you are looking for an inspiring story to help keep you motivated in journey. Check it out! Love, love, love!

xoxo
Suzie

Pleasant Surprise!

This morning started just as any other- The alarm goes off and I poke my husband groggily saying, "Snooze it! Please..." After two sets of "snooze"ing, I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom. Just as any other morning, I stepped on the scale...and so a number. I was a little confused and stepped  off it, rubbing my eyes. I stepped back on it again, getting the same number. I tried a third time just to make sure.  The scale read 301.6 :) YAY. I am attributing  the 1+ loss in a day to two main factors. The first thing being that I am finally off my monthly gift and I recently stopped taking a medication that has been known to make you gain weight. I am hoping I continue to loose a little bit at a time! Hopefully tomorrow is 301. :D

.6 down! Little Victories, my friends!

In two days I have lost .6 pounds! That means that as of today I am 303 even!!! I am so excited to see the number slowly going down! I hope to be under 300 by the end of July. I think this is a more than attainable goal. 

Anyway, my total weight loss as of two weeks low carbing is  3 pounds! I know that might not seem like a big feet to some, but I am ecstatic! Go ME!!! 

To my fellow low carbers- Great work, keep it up!!!!

xoxo
Suzie

Three Pounds, Baby!

So, I always weigh myself first thing in the morning after I go to the bathroom. I haven't weighed in a while and thought I might as well get on today. I stepped on the scale and saw that it said "303.2". YAY! That means that I have lost "3.6" pounds. That might not seem like a bunch, but it's progress.

This morning I am eating an orange with a little bit of Sesame Seed Treat on the side. I love oranges! They are a great fresh summer treat.

Today, we are going to go take a walk and visit an apartment community. I am hoping that we like the place that we see!!!

Happy Saturday :)
xoxo
Suzie

Breakfast

The first meal of the day! Start your day off right! Blah, blah, blah...

Let me be honest, I make my breakfast in a sleepy stupor. I probably should have a more complicated breakfast, but frankly I don't trust my cooking skills this early in the morning.

Anyway, today's breakfast... A turkey sausage and cheese egg scramble. A.k.a. omelette flip gone wrong.

xoxo
Suzie