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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Leavin...on a jet plane!

I am 24 hours away from my fabulous trip to Virginia and then on to Texas. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it! I have to work all day today but then I am headed home to take Remy to the kennel, clean the house, finish packing, and head to bed early! My flight leaves at 6:45am and I am not sure I will be able to sleep. For one, I always find it weird sleeping in my bed without Remy. Second, I am so excited to see Shane and celebrate his graduation and his family. Thirdly, I can't wait to see all of my family back home in Texas!

In other news, word of me getting another promotion at work (before even starting the one I just got) is increasing. My boss increasingly mentions me moving up and my place in the department. I am so excited! Yesterday I interviewed a guy to replace my old position and he was great! I think that we have such an amazing team and I would love to keep working with them in a full-time managerial capacity! I only wish the job was in Texas. That is what makes this so hard...I want to move back to Texas and be close to family and friends and yet I love my job and I love being in an organization that has total faith in me, my ability, and my visions for the future. dilemma... Grant it, nothing is certain and I may not get the job or I may find the absolutely perfect job in Texas that makes me want to run as fast as I can from Denver. Time will tell, though I am not good at the wait and see...

Thursday, December 8, 2011

le sigh...

So I am back to the old game of hippity hoppity on the scale. Before you say anything, yes I know all of the "don't weigh every day, your bound to fluctuate" "Its water weight" blah blah blah. Yes I K-N-O-W this information, but do I listen? Obviously, not! Instead of listening to this nagging voice in the back of my head telling me to put the scale away except for weigh in days twice a week, I am frustrated by the ups and downs that I see on a daily basis. Why is this? I honestly have no idea. I have this compulsive need to weigh myself (probably comes from 24 years of being overweight...psh but who's counting?). I know that everyone thinks that I look amazing and need to stop trying to loose weight; however, I would REALLY like to get to 130 before I just worry about not gaining it back. Why 130? Well, this would put me fairly close to the middle of "normal" on the BMI chart. Where I am now, depending on whether today is a hippity or a hoppity I am normal or overweight. I DO NOT want to be over weight any longer. It is as simple as that. I am not obsessed with the number, my looks, or the art of loosing weight. I AM obsessed with not being "overweight".

Many of you may return with, "So get your slightly-overweight-depending-on-the-day ass off the couch and exercise!". Eureka, because I haven't heard THAT before! While exercising seems like a no brainer, I have hit several obstacles. 1) There is snow and ice EVERYWHERE 2) My membership at the DU gym has been cancelled because I am not a "full-time" student (even though I am) 3) I can not afford a different gym, or even DU's gym 4) My apartment is not conducive to high movement exercise videos 5) I hate exercising...While number 5 may not technically count as a good excuse, it is one I use often. I know that I should break out the Wii and at least do some step aerobics or something each night, but I just hate it so much! Though, my ready for bed at 8pm mentality is probably screaming that I have plenty of time to do what I need to do...Goal for tonight...Wii...

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

A reprieve from the cold!!!

Today at 8am when I was feeding Trinity, walking Remy, mucking stalls, and breaking ice off of water buckets I was pleased to note that it was 25 degrees and felt A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Now this is funny for several reasons! 1) It is below freezing and we still have 6 inches of snow, but I was in a long sleeve t-shirt and over jacket and happy! 2) It was the same temperature in TX last night and EVERYONE'S facebook page talks about how cold they are! 3) Our high is 40 today, which means snow melt!

In other news I have officially lost all of my Italy weight plus some, which is super exciting! Apparently when Weight Watchers took 3 points away from me they know what they were doing! Another funny thing to note, is that so far I have used 7 exclamation points in the same amount of sentences...apparently I am very emphatic about my excitement this morning! Oh well, off I go...

Monday, December 5, 2011

So Much...

So sorry that I haven't posted in almost a week! Things have been going really really well! I found out that I got a promotion at work, which means I will be making more money and have the opportunity to work more hours.  Plus, there is a very high probability for a full time promotion come March or so!

In other news, we have Snow...Snow...Snow...oh and did I mention that it snowed? Yes? Well, it is worth mentioning again, because it snowed! Yes, about every two days we get a fabulous 4 inches of snow, which has made my commute a blessing and thrill! <--Note sarcasm! The snow has been gorgeous and a lot of fun for the dog, however, breaking ice off of water troughs and driving has not been as enjoyable!

Also, I am almost back down to my lowest pre-Italy weight, just in time to head to Virginia and Texas for the holidays! I am not too worried about Texas, as everyone else is in weight loss mode and we should do alright;  however, the trip to Virginia may put me over the edge. That doesn't matter though, because I am going to see Shane for 7 whole days! This will be our longest visit (I think) since I moved in May 2010! We have so much stuff planned, yet we have a lot of downtime. I am not totally sure when Shane will have to work and not, so I am just being flexible. I know that Thursday is his graduation (YAY SHANE!) from Police Academy and we are going to go have pictures taken. Then his parents are treating us to dinner to celebrate, finally we are going back to his house to open Christmas gifts. Saturday his mom is having a Pampered Chef party and I will get to meet my Director for the first time! Besides that, I am not sure we really have anything planned other than just enjoying our time together! On the 21st I fly out to Texas to see the family, which I am SUPER excited about. This holiday season is going to be amazing, I can feel it!


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Back Stateside!

Italy was possibly the greatest week of my life. There is so much to tell and so many pictures to share. We began in Milan and did Milan in 5 hours (haha, consisting of pizza, The Last Supper, and The Duomo). Then we hopped a train to Florence. This was probably my favorite city. It was so historic and cute and laid back! We took several tours in florence and saw so many things. We had an amazing tour guide on our first day for the Best of Florence Walking Tour. He gave us so much insight into the history, the art, the politics, and more! I loved it. After 2 days in Florence we went to a day long Cooking School! We started the day with a tour of the Central Market in town and learned about all of the delicious foods and oils local to the area. Then we went to the school and made a delicious 5 course meal (and ate it of course). That evening we took the train to Rome. Rome was an amazing city full of history, however, it was definitely a CITY with millions of people! Regardless of that it was spectacular! We took several different tours there as well, however, my favorite was the Angels and Demons tour. We went around the city and saw all of the different churches and sites that were referenced in the book! All along the way the tour guide told the story in such a captivating manner! Once I get the time to upload all of my pictures I will post a few here...

So, how did my waisteline fair during this 10 day eating, drinking, eating, drinking fest? I am only up 4 pounds! I was up more than that when I went to visit Shane for a long weekend! My sister and mom and I were talking and I think that it is the fact that everything is so fresh and that they don't use preservatives in the food OR the wine. So, I am doing a fresh start starting today (3 days of raw green veggies and unlimited protein) then I will be jumping right back on the Weight Watcher wagon. I only have 15 days until I leave for Virginia, hard to believe. I figure the holidays will be alot of this eating bad, correcting my weight, eating bad, correcting my weight...oh well...

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Staying the same

So I haven't written in a while because I have been totally nutty! I am so excited about leaving for Italy in a few days and I am so busy in the next two days! I have been writing papers like a crazy person. I feel really good about how I am finishing the semester though. I think that my papers are really well-written. I am very proud of the stuff that I have turned out. I had a pampered chef party this past weekend (ehh...) and I have another one tomorrow. I hope that the one tomorrow goes better than the last one. I am really excited that 15 people have RSVPed, however, they are all grad students so I don't know if they will be able to buy anything. If not then I don't know what I am going to do...I want the business to work, but so far it isn't going very well.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

I'm Normal!

Okay, stop laughing...

Please stop laughing?

Okay, so in reality this picture was taken a few days ago, but I forgot to post it. Therefore, I am posting it now!


Okay, So I know that I am at the VERY high end of normal...but I am normal none-the-less right?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Chugging Along...8 days...

Oh my gosh, I have so much to do in 8 days! The list includes:


  1. 2 Pampered Chef Parties
  2. Certificate Program Capstone Paper
  3. Certificate Program Final Presentation
  4. Large Leadership Group Paper
  5. Leadership Group Presentation
  6. Leadership Style Reflection Paper
  7. Professional Development Reflection Paper
  8. PACK for 10 days in Italy!


I am feeling slightly overwhelmed at this point, but I am doing okay. I almost have my capstone paper done and I am slowly working on my group paper and my capstone paper right now. I am also starting up my Pampered Chef business and it is going really well. I am not feeling super overwhelmed, I guess I am just slightly above whelmed. Is that a real thing? I think that there should be a "whelmed trajectory". This would range from completely underwhelmed to completely overwhelmed with many stops in between. Hmm...chew on that for a bit.

On the weightloss front (since that is why I started this blog, I officially weighed in on the Slimgenics scale this morning at my lowest weight ever! I am so happy and excited. I only have 5 pounds to loose to be at my official goal weight and 10 to be at a level where I would be very comfortable and happy. Since starting with the Weight Watchers PointsPlus system, I have noticed that I am not eating enough points. I eat a lot of lean protein, fruits, and veggies due to my conditioning through Slimgenics, but I am now noticing that I need to eat more to achieve my point levels for the day. I am finding myself HAVING to eat a dessert or something higher in fat to reach my goal level. I don't mind if I am a few points low, but for example, last night I had ten points left! EEK! I don't know what I am going to do when I have 39 points instead of 29...that will be extremely hard to do on a normal day. Obviously, it will not be hard on special occasions or when I am eating out...strange. Maybe I will make beef tomorrow?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Success!

I weighed-in this morning on my own scale and I am back to approximately my last weight on Slimgenics! I am so happy. I was home with family, ate at real restaurants, and enjoyed my food AND I lost 2.5 pounds! I am very happy about this fact. I am also happy about the fact that there are only 9 days until the end of the quarter AND Italy!!! I am NOT happy that there are only 9 days until all of my papers are due. Actually, I have one due Friday, two due next Wednesday, and a Presentation next Wednesday and next Thursday! STRESSFUL!

Plus, I have a Pampered Chef party scheduled for Saturday and Wednesday! Woohoo! I am glad I had a relaxing morning and spent a good amount of time with Trinity and Remy, because each night this week and all day Sunday will be busy busy busy!

Monday, November 7, 2011

My new way to Maintain

So, I love the Slimgenics program, as you all know. It really helped me to get over the weight loss hurdle and reach a point where I am happy. I am now done with the weight loss "phase" but I am not done with my weight loss. My problem with the Slimgenics program is that I do not feel as though I have the level of support during my maintenance phase as I did during the weight loss phase. I think that the counselors still care, but the program is designed for weight loss and gets a bit complicated for maintenance. Therefore, I  made the decision this past weekend to spend the money to join Weight Watchers to help me with my last bit of weight loss and then to keep me going through maintenance. I tried it out over the weekend while I was visiting my family and I really enjoyed it! I am still trying to stick closely to the Slimgenics idea of increased protein and veggies and moderate fruit and starch, but I am not sticking only to that. I like that I have the freedom on WW to eat what I want, go out to eat, and learn moderation as well. I was home with my family, had a cocktail party, and ate out, but I think I actually lost weight! I will do an official weigh-in in the morning (since by the time my flight landed today I had already eaten) and I will let you know how it goes!

I am also going to go do an official weigh-in at Slimgenics tomorrow. I am going to keep going to my once a week meetings for a while. I don't know why since I don't really find them all that helpful. I guess I feel like since I spent the money I should use the service. I don't know.

On another note, I am so excited for Italy! I helped Mom to get her clothes together this weekend and then I helped her to pack and that made it all so real! I have been planning this trip since May and I can't believe it is less than 2 weeks away. I have so many cute clothes and I am really excited about picking out my outfits and getting myself packed! Thank God I have such wonderful neighbors that are willing to help me out and take care of Trinity and Kieren for me. If only Remy wasn't such a looney toon... oh well...I love her anyways! Trinity is doing so well, however she is fat and muddy! Everytime it dries and I can get in her stall and clean it and clean her it snows again...We are supposed to get snow again tonight...oh Colorado, how I love yet loath you...


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Do You Like Free Stuff?

So, I have recently started a new business opportunity! I am so excited to start sharing it and helping others to discover how amazing this opportunity really is! I have become a Pampered Chef Consultant! I know what many of you are thinking...oh geez another home-buy program. I thought the same thing, but I LOVE it. I can do as much or as little as I want and I have found that I absolutely LOVE the products and the training and talking to people about the business! I also love that I can involve my friends near and far in the opportunity by having them host "catalog parties". Most importantly, I love that I get to use and own several amazing kitchen products that I would have never gotten elsewhere! If you happen to read my blog and would like more information about hosting a Pampered Chef Party in the Denver area then PLEASE leave a comment here or send me an email. If you do not live in Denver but you like the idea of getting amazing kitchen stuff free, at half price, or discounted up to 30% then contact me about hosting a Catalog Party. If you have a non-profit or a group that needs to host a fundraiser, what better way then a fun and interactive cooking show in which your organization receives up to 15% of the sales as a donation!?!

The concepts couldn't be easier. You host the party, I do the work, you get a ton of free stuff! For catalog parties, you don't even need to find a time to get your friends together. You simply take the catalog everywhere you go, talk to people about the amazing products, great benefits, and amazing warranties and BAM they place an order. After you have collected all of your orders you send them to me and I send you anything you want for FREE, half price, or up to 30% off.

My blog wont let me attach the awesome fliers, but I will send you all the information you need if you comment here! Make sure to include your contact information!


Thursday, October 27, 2011

My Astute Observations...

So, while visiting Virginia this past weekend I made an astute observation about current fashion in America (or at least in the preppy south...). I am living at a never ending Horse Show...

What? You may ask...for years, it was normal to go to a horse show and see girls walking around in skin tight leggings (riding pants) with knee high flat boots (riding boots) with a long sleeve shirt and vest or a long sleeve shirt and fitted quilt jacket of blazer. What did I see people wearing at the pumpkin patch you may ask...leggings with mid calf or knee high boots, a long sleeve shirt, and a vest. While years ago this was simply practical since it made the transition for relaxed to show dress easy...now it is fashionable? Now, don't get me wrong, I have partaken in this craze of what I will deem "Horse Show Chic" and I actually very much enjoy the style; however, I was slightly taken aback several times when I had Las Colinas Fall Classic, Glen Rose Spring Awakening, and San Antonio Christmas Final flashbacks!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Fall in Colorado!

Well, I was going to go back to the center today and weigh-in to see how I was doing on getting back on track. Instead, I woke up to a true Colorado fall day...





My scale at home said I was down about a pound from yesterday, which verifies my thought that my weight gain was 70% water retention and 30% actual gain. Hopefully I will be back down to where I want to be by the end of the week. I will do an official weigh-in on Friday and then again on Saturday. Then next weekend I am in TX with my wonderful family! I can't wait to see everybody!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Monday, October 24, 2011

An Amazing Weekend!

I had an amazing weekend! I enjoyed my trip to Virginia so much. It was a much needed break from the struggles and headaches amassed in school and work and living alone. Shane and I went to an apple orchard and picked our own amazing Pink Lady Apples, drank homemade Apple Cider, and ate delicious Apple Donuts and Peach BBQ (Do I need to say my diet was out the window for the weekend?).



Saturday night Shane and I went to the Melting Pot for dinner. Is there a better place to throw your diet for a loop? I think not...We started with amazing cocktails and then proceeded through the full 4-course menu complete with Beer Pairings. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We then had after dinner coffee drinks. It was a fabulous overall evening.

Sunday, Shane and I had a relaxing morning and ran a few errands. We then took a slow drive down the parkway and hiked back to a beautiful waterfall. The end of the weekend was a small birthday celebration at the house including a bonfire, Buffalo Burgers, Enchilada Soup, and Red Velvet Cupcakes! YUMMY!






We shall see the diet damage tomorrow morning...please pray for me!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Mentally Preparing to be Bad

So I have been using today to mentally prepare to be bad this weekend! I know that is crazy, but I do not want to be concerned about my food this weekend. I know I will retain water, I know I will gain a few pounds, I know I will be disappointed Tuesday morning. By mentally preparing myself for this I think that I will be better able to handle the number come Tuesday morning. I have kind of flushed my body today to help prepare for the sodium intake. YAY PARSLEY! hahaha. I will be at the airport for around 7 hours today so I will be forced to eat airport food. There is no subway (my fall back) at the Denver airport, so I have done my research and chosen Quiznos.

Friday should not be too bad. I am making Shane breakfast and lunch out of my Hungry-girl recipes so I know that they are healthy and fairly well balanced. We are also going out to Sushi for dinner, so that should be moderately healthy if I make good choices, eat sashimi, and ditch most of the rice. I know I will have a drink or two, but I should be okay since I am eating fish most of the day!

Saturday...all bets are off...I am making a very healthy Oatmeal for breakfast; however, for lunch, we are attending the Apple Festival at Carter Mountain Orchard. This is one of my favorite parts about visiting Virginia in the fall! This orchard makes the BEST Apple Cider Donuts, BBQ sandwich with homemade Peach BBQ sauce, and KILLER sides. So yeah, after the orchard we are heading to Charlottesville for the afternoon, which should equal a fair amount of walking (let's be hopeful...). For dinner, we are heading to my favorite restaraunt in the world...MELTING POT! ahhh...I dream about the goodness that is Melting Pot...Mix that with a bottle or so of wine, chocolates, etc...yeah chalk up several days worth of calories!

Sunday, we get a free breakfast from the hotel. I should be able to make good choices of eggs and whole wheat toast. We will then proceed to get lunch to go and head to the Blue Ridge Parkway for some leaf peeping and water fall hikes. This should be a fairly effective exercise day. I know of at least 2 short hikes that we are going to take. I don't know the plan for Sunday night yet, but, hopefully, I should be able to make good choices...Here's to hoping...

I leave Lynchburg EARLY Monday morning, so the plan is to do three Very High Protein shakes for three days to flush my system and jump start it back in to action. I know after a weekend like the one described abvoe, that will be the LAST thing I want, but I know it is what I will need. Therefore, I will do it...

2 weeks later it is off to a fun-filled weekend in Texas.

2 weeks later it is off to Italy.

My goal for all of these trips is to come back NOT weighing more than 140. This gives me about 4 pounds of wiggle room...hmmm...

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Doing Good!

So, I have been a very good girl this week! I have followed my Balance plan and I have been making good choices! I am very happy with where I stand at the moment. I am back down below 136, which is good. I would like to be able to be below 135 consistently, but it is what it is...

I leave to go see Shane in Virginia this weekend! I am so excited to see him and his family and get away for a while. I am going back to Sweet Briar to visit some old friends and I am going to RELAX. I love the fall weather.leaves on the east coast more than anywhere else, so that is also plus! Overall, I am doing well and everything is chugging along as it should!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Insanity

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...

I sabotaged myself again this weekend. I don't know if I would say I expected different results since I know what eating a lot of bad for me food will do...but I do keep doing it over and over even when I know it is wrong. Saturday night our newest neighbor had a Mexican (my BIGGEST weakness) BBQ to welcome himself to the community. The food was AMAZING and I enjoyed it...too much. I felt like crap afterwards and was so upset with myself! Well, Sunday I jumped right back on to plan and was a good girl. I started today with a Very High Protein shake to jump start my metabolism. I was only up 1/4 pound from Friday so that isn't horrible, but I TOTALLY screwed up my "Maybe I will be almost at 130 by the time I leave for VA in 4 days" plan...oh well.

So now I am back on plan. I am focused and I want to do really well for the next 4 days. I know that my weekend in VA will probably not be the most dietetic, so I want to be in a good place/frame of mind when I get there!

Here's to hoping!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Weekly Realizations

1.) My legs do not run together when I walk

2.) My once "skinny" jeans are now my "super comfy, lounge around, I don't want to get dressed up but need to look nice-ish" jeans

3.) I enjoy grocery shopping, especially in the produce aisle

4.) Cooking is fun when you can play around and adapt them to be healthy!

5.) I enjoy clothes shopping

6.) I can adapt recipes to be healthy

7.) I can eat too many M&Ms, because I know how to correct for it and move on

8.) Sweets and Carbs are not the devil, in moderation

9.) I eat at night when I am not hungry

10.) My body really does tell me what it wants and how much it wants, if I will listen!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Baffling

I think that my body was not getting enough food.

I am going to discuss this with my counselor on Saturday morning when I go in. This morning I saw ANOTHER huge drop on my scale. Since adding 2 servings of Dairy and moving to some of the higher calorie snacks my body is dropping weight like there is no tomorrow. At this rate I MIGHT actually hit my goal by the time I leave for Virginia. Now, that is a huge stretch I realize since I leave in exactly one week, but it has been done, just saying...I wasn't going to weigh-in tomorrow but I kind of want to just to see my drop; however, I think I wills sleep in as planed and go Saturday! HA

Saturday I am also going to the Aveda Institute to get my hair cut and colored. I am thinking that I am going to go a caramelly color with highlights and lowlights to give my hair volume and life; however, I am not sure of the cut. I don't want to go too short, but I do want a change. Any ideas on either?

Saturday I am also getting a new pair of Ugg boots! My amazing aunt bought me a pair last year for Christmas; however, they were the wrong size and I already had that style. Well, I waited too long to take them back and the store didn't have any others. So, they gave me a gift card and told me to come back this fall when all the new styles came out. I am so excited to go shopping for free!

Sunday I am going to get a bunch of homework done and start packing for my trip! YA!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

My Body Loves Balance!

I checked in at the center this morning and I had lost 1.25 pounds since Monday! WHAT? I know CRAZY stuff. Apparently my body needed the jump start and a little variety boost. I also had my balance class today and learned how we are going to slowly introduce calories back in to my diet. Geez, it seems crazy how many calories my Max is (1700?). Considering I was gaining weight before that means I was eating over 1700 calories a day...WOW! Right now I am eating around 1,000 so I will slowly add calories back, probably staying around the 1300-1500 mark for a regular day and then having the extras for any special occasions and stuff. The big thing over the next 4 weeks will be to learn how to choose the RIGHT calories and not eat 1400 WRONG calories. This is all pretty common sense seeming, though obviously not since I was 40 pounds over weight...

Anyways, I am very excited to have some extra dairy this week, extra starch next week, and extra protein the following! It all seems so within my grasp now. I think my mental break weekend and now adding back foods has been good for my mind, body, and soul!

The "official" final stats are:

Weight: 31.75lbs lost
Waist: 6 inches lost
Hips: 4 inches lost
Thigh: 2 3/4 inches lost
Arm: 1/2 inch lost

Total inches lost: 17 3/4

They even gave me a pretty ribbon that was 17 3/4 inches long with my weight loss and everything on it! I can't believe those stats...I look in the mirror and I get it...but not really...


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Inspiration from another blog


SO, yesterday I replaced one of my meals with a VHP (Very High Protein) shake from Slimgenics. This was easier than the last time because, since I am in Balance, I can have an extra dairy serving. So, I used Greek Yogurt as my extra serving. Therefore, I basically still got 3 full meals of protein. It was nice to say the least! Yesterday, I also transitioned from 3 "supergenic" snacks to 1 "supergenic" snack and 1 "regular" snack. A protein bar has never tasted so great! I was so sick of pudding, chili, and smoothies! I also got my milk serving back! Anyways, I felt great last night and even made a kick ass chicken enchilada soup! Then, this morning when I weighed, I saw the lowest number I have ever seen on my scale! YAY! Now, I don't report those numbers and I don't count them, because I want my results to be "official" on the Slimgenics scale. That awesome result gave me the kick in the ass I needed to push through though! Today is/will be a perfectly on plan day! My food?:

Breakfast: 1oz. Light Swiss Cheese, Strawberry Smoothie Protein Mix, 12 frozen strawberries, Orange Extract
Morning Snack: Wasa Cracker with 1oz. light swiss cheese
Lunch: Mixed Greens Salad, 2 hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, FF Sundried Tomato Dressing, Sugar-Free Vanilla Skim Milk Latte
Afternoon Snack: Slimgenics Crunch Os
Dinner: Whiting Fish Fillet with homemade salsa
Dessert: Apple with cinnamon and sugar

YAY! Another thing that I have noticed is that my tastes have changed dramatically! Foods that I NEVER liked before this diet are some of my favorites now! For example, apples baked with cinnamon and sugar. Baked apples used to give me nightmares; however, now I make them myself and love them (the idea of restaurant baked apples and fruit pies still give me the heeby jeebies). I also now like Eggplant, Squash, Zucchini, and CHOCOLATE. Yes you read that right, I used to not be a huge chocolate fan, but it is growing on me now!

Anyways, now for the real purpose of this post, as promised by the title. I was reading a fellow Slimgenic blogger's blog yesterday and came upon a post that really got me thinking. I have had this conversation with my mom and my sister both and this blogger put it really well. Diet's only work if you are ready for them to work! Here, I'll let her explain:

"One thing that has become abundantly clear to me in the last week: wanting to change is the majority of the battle with weight loss. It doesn’t matter which diet you choose if you aren’t ready to make the changes!
     I’ve had moderate success with other diets in the past, but SlimGenics has truly been something amazing for me. I mean, 60 lbs in less than 5 months? That’s INSANE. The difference? I think I finally got fed up enough with being overweight and prayed enough about it that I was ready to do what needed to be done to see these changes in my life.
     Does that mean that I didn’t want to be thin and healthy in the past? No, of course not. But wanting to be thin and wanting it bad enough to be willing to do the work, (I mean REALLY willing to do the work) are definitely two separate things.
     I’ve seen so many other people have major success on the SlimGenics diet, but then when I went to the SG message boards I also saw so many people really struggling. After reading some of their posts and what they were struggling with, I realized it sounded like me when I was doing weight watchers a year ago. Yeah, I wanted to lose weight, but it wasn’t a priority, I wasn’t ready like I was when I shelled out the money for SG, etc. etc. And I knew it then, but I would never have admitted it. I didn’t want to stop eating bacon. I didn’t want to stop eating cheese. And those things were overriding the fact that I wanted to be healthier and thinner.
     By late summer, I realized that I was ready, because I knew I wouldn’t have to give up those things forever, but it was worth it to give them up for the time it took to lose the weight.
     And it’s been worth every sacrifice because I WANT THIS!! I know now that I can finish strong and be where I want to be before it’s time for summer clothes again! "

I think that Angie hit the nail on the head! To that I want to add that everyone has to want it in their own way. For me it was the looming summer, knowing that I was living alone, knowing I had the means, and finally just DOING it. I had also "dieted" while living on my own; however, I never put my whole heart in to it. I tried the special K diet, but I didn't measure that 3/4 cup of cereal (so I probably ate 2 cups). I tried Slimfast; however, my "regular well balanced dinner" consisted of fast food (why not, all I had all day was a freaking shake!). I was never ready to fully commit. Once I was ready I took a deep look inside myself and asked what I really wanted out of this. I decided that I wanted encouragement, guidance, and support as well as the tools to make it on my own once I hit my goal weight. That wasn't too much to ask right? One morning I saw an ad on TV for Slimgenics, I looked it up online and booked a consultation. Now, some people may call me impulsive; however, I just rationalize things very differently and VERY quickly in my head. I don't like to "stop and think" about something because I have already thought about it and if I "stop and think" I will move on to other things. I must commit in the moment. This, to me, is different from being impulsive and just wanting something right then. I met with the center's manager and instantly clicked. I knew that this would be the program for me and that I was ready! And I was right! Have I spent more money than I should have? YES!, but I am happy with my decision.

I am not saying, by any stretch, that Slimgenics is a one size fits all. I think that a lifestyle and habit changing plan needs to be right for each person. For some that may be a plan where pre-portioned food is delivered to your door, for others it may be the ability to splurge or cheat every now and then, for me it was a rigorous training and counseling tool to teach me and reprogram my cravings. Whatever your goal or prescribed change, you must be ready for it. You must have reached that point in saying that "You know what? I deserve this! I deserve to look the way I want to look and I am ready to do whatever it takes to get there." Yes, losing weight may feel and can be restrictive, but it is about reprogramming your relationship with food as well as your thoughts about what you deserve. Do you deserve that pint of ice cream because of your promotion, or do you deserve to be healthy and achieve your dreams? The answer to that question is the start to many many more!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Mental Break

So this past weekend I took a much needed break from the diet front! I start Balance today so I figured I would take a weekend to relax and chill. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't head over and eat an entire Awesome Blossom (though I think that would BE awesome) followed by a gallon of ice cream. I did stay fairly to plan though I had some fun as well. I tried out a couple recipes that I have been eyeing for a long time. One of these was a kick ass easy to make guilt-free pumpkin bread. All you do is take one box of Duncan Moist Spice Cake mix and one can of 15oz. Libby's Pumpkin (not pie filling, pure pumpkin). I separated the mix into four miniature loaf pans and baked it. HOLY MOLY it was yummy. The bread was light and dense at the same time. It had the perfect amount of sweet and savory. I took three of the loafs to the three people that will be caring for Trinity while I am out of town and kept one for myself (another way to keep it guilt-free...don't keep it!). Once the bread cooled I cut it into 6 pieces (therefore it was only 1/24th of the recipe per slice. Since the "bread" was so dense the slices were plenty for a little snack. I baggied them up separately and placed them in the fridge. Each slice of my guilt-free pumpkin bread is only 94 calories (if you only eat one).

I also made some roasted tomato salsa! You see, the Student Life Division (that I work for at DU) planted a HUGE garden on our third floor patio this summer. Well Friday we had horrible winds and most of the tomato plants got blown over. Therefore, they had to harvest the tomatoes or lose them. I took about 1/4 of the tomatoes home and I made salsa! I brought about half back for the office and kept half at home for me!

I tried two other recipes that turned out to be amazing, but I can't talk about them here because I am making them for Shane as a surprise when I visit in a couple weeks!

One thing that I did finally get the courage to try were the Tofu Shirataki Noodle Substitutes. Hungry-Girl.com uses them in recipes all of the time. I am slightly scared of tofu so I was so nervous to try these, but I got up the courage and made the Hungry Girlfredo. These "noodles" are AMAZING! They are only 40 calories for a whole bag and super low carb and moderately high in protein. You must follow the instructions on drying them (they come packed in water), but I am serious when I tell you...you will NOT be able to tell the difference!!! CRAZY

So anyways, as I said, I took a mental break had an enjoyable food weekend and relaxed this weekend. It snowed Saturday morning which was a nice, but cold, surprise! So, I faced the music this morning and went in to the center to weigh-in. I caveat-ed my weigh-in by telling them I took a much needed break and that I wasn't going to be upset by what I saw on the scale. Low and Behold I only gained 1/2 a pound. Not too bad I should say! I am jumping right back on the Balance Train today and surging ahead. Hopefully I will drop a bit here and there but if not, whatever.

So, at my weigh-in I met with Jimmy, who is the manager and the guy who originally signed me up. He told me that we would take my after pictures on Wednesday and that he wanted to submit them to the marketing department for an official PHOTO SHOOT! He thinks that I have made a drastic improvement and that I should have an official Slimgenics Photo Shoot! AHHHHH! I am so excited!

Friday, October 7, 2011

The next phase...

So I went in today for my final weigh-in of my weight loss phase. I was the same as I was on Wednesday (SHOCKER!), but I was happy. I caved yesterday and had a cupcake, so I can't be too "woe is me" since I wasn't strictly on plan. I DID get a sneak peak in to the Balance phase which is extremely exciting. I am getting back dairy (milk or CHEESE!) and some fruits and veggies that I have really missed (Mango, Purple Grapes, Bananas). So, I am in a good place right now. I am happy with how I look and I am happy to be able to start eating some new food varieties!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

New Fact...

SO I learned something about myself today...I need to chew! You see, this morning I made an awesome, creamy, strawberry smoothie for breakfast. For a snack I had a Wasa cracker. For lunch I had blended Greek Yogurt with berries...now, it is 3:30 in the afternoon and everything chewy in site looks like I need to eat it. I think my smoothie and Greek Yogurt (while delicious, high in protein, and healthy) did not give my brain enough of a sense of eating. My body is nourished; however, my brain is searching, searching, searching for food.

Fact of the day: CHEW something at lunch!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy...

You guessed it...down 1 pound today. I know I should be more excited about this; however, I have been here before. I spoke with the manager of the center for about 20 minutes on the phone yesterday about adding weeks verses moving on. He thinks (and I agree) that it is time for me to just move on. I reached my original goal and I have become so fixated on getting below the 130 mark that I am probably stalling my weight loss. He believes that if I just move in to balance and add the variety that my stress will go down and I still may loose some weight. Additionally, there is nothing to say that one I hit the Maintenance phase I can't do a week of weight loss here and there to help me get a little lower. I am inclined to agree with him. I am going to finish this week out as strong as I can and just plan on really being good until all of my trips and seeing how it goes. I am happy where I am and this needs to NOT consume my life!

Monday, October 3, 2011

They confirmed it...

So my weigh-in today confirmed that I am up 1.25 pounds from my lowest weight and up .75 pounds from my weigh-in on Friday. I am so frustrated. I try and try. All I can think is that I may have had extra sodium in some hot sauce I used, but I used extra lemon and drank a bit of extra water to help flush it! My counselor was at a loss and I can tell that she was trying to be sympathetic. She is going to talk to the manager and see what we can do. She is hoping that I can possibly get a few extra weeks to get my weight down. This would mean that I am on weight loss until I leave for VA and then I would be in balance until I leave for Italy and then I would be DONE! YAY! It is all about maintenance from there...So we shall see.

To help jump start the weight loss some more I am going to keep working out. I had kind of let this goal slide because of the hours and time it takes to use the free gym at DU. Luckily, Netflix has a fairly good assortment of videos on instant streaming. My goal is now going to be a 30 minute video in the morning and 30 minutes on the Wii in the evenings at the VERY least...we'll see how that goes...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Whats a Girl To Do?

So...I finished the Nutribooster plateau breaker and ate on plan for the first time in five days. I did fairly well. I probably had too many veggies and I had some extra Fat Free Dressing and an extra Splenda. Well, I am up a half pound today...GRRRR

Maybe it was that I had 1/2 a potato instead of bread? Maybe it is the fact that I am finishing up my cycle. I don't know. I am getting in my lemon and my Apple Cider Vinegar. I am weighing my proteins and measuring my fruit and fat. I am taking my supplements and drinking my water and using my Mortons Lite Salt. I just don't know what to do any more. I will go and weigh in on Monday and hopefully get some advice. I am trying really hard not to be depressed about it and trying REALLY hard to be upbeat and say that I am happy where I am; however, I would really rather be down to least another 2-4 pounds at the least and be balanced and eating real food...

Le Sigh...

Friday, September 30, 2011

Womanhood

SO I started my monthly journey into the world of womanhood today...and it sucks.

I am moody, bitchy, tired, and I gained a half pound (although not bad seeing as though I was REALLY bad on Wednesday). On top of this I have to work tomorrow, my landlord is a crazy senile old broad who needs to get a boyfriend or get a job, and one of my coworkers needs to realize that the UNIVERSITY of Denver is not the MILITARY of Denver and does not operate as such...

Alright if I keep typing this may end bad for someone... Catch ya later...

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

WHY???!!!???

Ugh...SO I am on this plateau breaker and I was doing so well. I had my lunch packed and meals planned. I made a delicious ceviche and had it for lunch. When I got to work there was a staff appreciation event. I managed to get through the first 2 hours without eating anything. Then, I had to walk upstairs to speak with a few people and my bosses boss was pushing me to grab food. My plan was to take the food respectfully and then throw it out or pass it off to one of my other coworkers...what did I do? I ate it. It was mostly veggies and only a few starches but STILL...WHY!!!! Ugh I am so pissed at myself.

I was down this morning and on a role to get down further in the next 10 days...well that is probably shot right about now. I am so mad at myself and don't even know what to think. I was going to be religiously good for 10 days so that I could reach my goal and feel accomplished...GRRRR! Well, I will be drinking extra water and using extra lemon and hopefully flushing out this crap that is now in my body.

Here and There

So today was a good weigh-in day! I weighed in at 136, which is 1.25 pounds down from Monday and .75 pounds down from Saturday! YAY!

In other news, school is busy, work is busy, fellowship is busy...Getting the picture?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Update

So, I haven't blogged in a while. I wish I had an excuse, but I don't. My only excuse is that I stare at the blank screen and don't know what to type. I had a mini melt down today when I gained 1/2 pound over the weekend after following the plan as closely as I can. I have never been terribly anal about measuring my Fat Free Salad dressings or my Splenda or my Morton's Lite Salt so that could be the problem. I laid in bed this morning and almost didn't go in to the center to weigh-in because I was embarrassed. I finally snapped myself out of it and decided that I needed to buck up and deal with it. Paying for this program is counter productive if I only go in for counseling when things are going well. So I went in (cue the melt down...maybe meltdown is the wrong word to use here...maybe not...you decide). So I went in with the intention of saying screw it I am happy where I am and I want to move to the next phase. I mean I already hit my goal weight so this is all wiggle room anyways. Luckily I got one of my favorite counselors today and she talked me off the ledge. I paid for the weeks and I only have two left. She convinced me that the last 7 pounds was TOTALLY loosable in the next 2 weeks and gave me a plateau breaker to use to help the process along. This made me feel better and put me in a much more positive mood.

Well in all my complaining I forgot to tell you...I HIT 30 POUNDS! Yes, I am 30 pounds lighter than I was May 25, 2011. I am 63.75 pounds lighter than I was January 1, 2006 (my heaviest weight ever). That is more than my dog and cat combined. I know that this in its self is a wonderful accomplishment, but Nancy (my counselor this morning) was right. I will be so proud and so happy when I can say I hit my second goal weight and I stuck to it! So...here we go...12 days...

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Chugging Along


So today started off well! I spent some quality time with Trinity and Remy this morning as the sun rose; however, it was COLD! Then I weighed in at 137.5!! WOOHOO I am only .25 pounds away from my 30 pound milestone and only 7.5 pounds away from my final goal. Looking in the mirror this morning was the first time I saw my body and said "wow, I DO look good". I knew I was loosing weight and looked good, but today I finally noticed it for myself (we are always the last to compliment ourselves).

While this was all so very exciting, the rest of my goals aren't going so well. I have not been going to my workout classes. I did not enjoy Zumba and the Ab Blast is hard to get to since it starts 5 minutes after I get off work. The yoga class is awesome and I really enjoy it; however, Wednesdays are my late night so to get to campus 2 hours earlier just makes it a really long day. I know I am making excuses, which I swore I wouldn't do, but I am still loosing the weight. I think I may alter my workout goal to include 30 minutes on the Wii twice or three times a week. I think that this works better for me than the actual classes, though I love the classes...ugh the agony!

Until this week I was doing well on washing my face and wearing my mouth guard; however, for some reason that hasn't happened this week. I am still applying my makeup every morning though! Small steps. I stopped taking out my contacts every night because I was having more eye problems doing that then when I don't. So, I have changed to taking them out on Saturday and leaving them out until Monday. That way my eyes have time to breathe but I don't have to worry about the in and out pains throughout the week.

I have really been doing a lot of nutrition research and stuff to prepare me for life sans Slimgenics (though I still have their support for 18 more weeks). I will be off the weight loss plan in two weeks and started on the Balance phase. I don't really know what that means but I have heard rumor of cheese and free choice on veggies and fruits...can we say bananas, onions, and CHEESE! Within reason of course.

I have been scraping the bottom of my fridge lately waiting for today (Wednesday) because it is double coupon day at Sprouts. I am heading there after work today to pick up some protein, fruits, and veggies. Luckily, I have AWESOME neighbors that are taking care of the animals on Wednesdays for me since it is such a long day for me. It allows me to make my day a little longer (adding a grocery store run after class) and not worry about the kids at home! I don't know what I would do without my awesome neighbors. I really think I would be loosing it...

So, in other news, the job search feelers are beginning to go out, though there are no jobs posted yet for June starts. They probably will not be posted until Novemberish, but I want to be prepared when they do go up. Sweet Briar actually has a job posted that has been up for a while. I am considering applying for it as a back-up back-up plan. I love the school and LOVE the Co-Curricular (Student) Life Office; however, I don't love the town...so it would REALLY be a back-up. I think I may go talk to the head of the department when I am in town in October and just put my feelers in to the position. I would rather be in Dallas, but if nothing pans out there it is at least a school whose mission, vision, and goals I believe in!

Monday, September 19, 2011

GOAL 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, today I officially hit my first goal of 140 pounds! I am so excited! As most of you know, I lowered my goal to 130 several weeks ago to give me some wiggle room and peace of mind. I am so happy and so empowered!

8.75 pounds to go...
19 days to go...

Saturday, September 17, 2011

HOORAY!

To begin, I am sorry for not writing the last few days. I was put on "Detox Days" as a plateau breaker to help shove me under the 140 mark. This was the two most MISERABLE food days that I have ever had in my entire life. Here's the deal:

Breakfast: 1 whole grapefruit, 1 Supergenic snack (aka a pudding or drink bought from Slimgenics)
Snack: 2 cups of cucumbers soaked over night in raw apple cider vinegar
Lunch: 2 cups of lettuce, 6 oz. chicken, 1/4 cup fresh raw parsley
Snack: 1 Supergenic snack
Dinner: 2 cups of lettuce, 6oz. fish, 1/4 cup fresh raw parsley

Now, If you have never eaten large quantities of fresh raw parsley, DO NOT DO IT! It is possibly one of the worst tasting, most potent, awful things you will EVER put in your mouth. And NO, I am not being a drama queen. 

Well, after suffering the torturous eating habits for two days I am FINALLY below 140! I FINALLY have hit the elusive 130s!!! I could not be happier. This gives me all the more reason to stick to plan and enjoy the last three weeks of weight loss!

So, I have been trying to mentally prepare myself for the "Balance" phase in which I get to add back all the foods I have been missing. I have also been preparing myself for my new free lifestyle of maintenance and forever. My new favorite helper in this is Hungry Girl! I bought one of the first Hungry Girl books years ago (200 recipes under 200 calories). I loved everything I made out of that book. Well over the years I have forgotten it until she popped up on my radar again recently. There are amazing tips, tricks, and recipes that she provides on the site. She also has two new cookbooks out that I want called 300 recipes under 300 and Supermarket Survival Guide.

Anyways, I have 3 weeks left to get there...

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Same Ole Same Ole

SO, I went to weigh in this morning. I finally bit the bullet and decided that I needed to weigh in and get it over with. Good news is that I was the exact same as I was on Friday! Bad news is that I was the exact same as I was on Friday! Another whole week wasted...

Well the center decided to put me on a plateau breaker for Thursday and Friday just to give my system a little "umph". The problem? Thursday I am leading a training at a Frozen Yogurt shop for my new interns (I tried to schedule it for the on campus conference room or coffee shop but my supervisor REALLY wanted to go off campus...I am trying to find another cute spot since it will be cold I may be able to talk him into an off campus coffee shop). Friday we are having ANOTHER party at my community to eat all of the food that we had left over from the last party...ugh. I don't know how I am going to get out of this one. Since I will be on the plateau breaker there are no substitutes so I HAVE to stick to the plan. Especially since I have 24 days to loose 11 pounds (HA HA).

You see, here is my predicament. My original goal is only 1 pound away. I wanted to lower it since I had all of these extra weeks. Well, since then I have yet to get to my ORIGINAL goal. This is frustrating (to say the least). I at least want to loose 6 pounds in the next 24 days so that I can have that 5 pound cushion under my goal to moderate and NEVER be above my original goal ever again. I know people say you can still loose after the weight loss phase while they are "balancing" your new diet, but I would like to be at my goal before that so maybe I can loose a bit more? I go back on Friday to discuss how my first day of the plateau breaker went and then I will go back Monday. Hopefully this metabolic kick in the ass will help me get past Thursday and Friday and have an awesome last 20 days. Heres to hoping...

BY THE WAY:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY DEAREST!
I Love You More Than The Most

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A TRUE test

So, today was my first day of class for the FINAL year of school (for a long time at least). After 18 years of school I only have 1 more to go. The next 4 weeks will be a true test of strength for my new positive outlook on life. You see, I am taking a required course called Research Methods and Statistics: Educational Research Methods (redundant....uh yes, but that is a different rant all together). The course is being split taught between a professor (the last 5 weeks) and a PhD candidate (the first 5 weeks). The PhD candidate is the worst speaker and teacher I have ever seen. After 4 hours in his class I was so tired, bored, and depressed. He simply read us the whole syllabus and then read us 35 power point slides...I couldn't do that myself from the comfort of my own couch?

So, for the next 4 weeks I will truly be tested to see if I can keep a positive outlook on life and this situation!

In weight loss news, I still have not weighed in. I will go to the center in the morning and pray that I am at least the same if not down from where I was almost a week ago. I wish I could focus! BUT that is my goal. 3 weeks of perfect eating and focused goal achieving...

Monday, September 12, 2011

...crap!

I had a bad weekend of going off track. When it is just me in my normal routine I do GREAT! My biggest problem is that I live in a little community of 7 apartment on a small horse farm in Aurora and we are all really close friends. Saturday we unloaded about 200 bales of Hay and then one of the guys went to Del Taco and got us all burritos. I tried really hard to wiggle my way out of it saying I had food marinating and in the crock pot, I was on the diet and didn't want to go off, and so many other excuses. When he showed up with the burritos though I gave in and had it...I was so mad at myself. Then Sunday was the owner of the property's birthday party and I tried to just have small things and did good, but then I went back again and again knowing it was wrong! I have NO will power when it comes to this type of stuff (thus being almost 40 pounds over weight...). I don't understand. I am so strong in other areas; however, when it comes to food something takes over and I can't control myself!

I was so embarassed by my weight gain from the weekend I didn't go in to the center today. I wanted to give myself a couple days to get back on track. I HATE when I screw up like this...I wish I had an excuse other than my lack of will power when it comes to food...

Saturday, September 10, 2011

New Favorite...

Okay, so I have a new all time favorite grocery store!

I was talking to my counselor at SG yesterday about the fact that I was getting into a rut with my food. Since I am so close to goal I am only allowed to eat Supergenic thermosnacks. While these are delicious, there is a limited number of them. So, I have had to get creative, but lately, that creativity is floundering... Anyways, she mentioned that I go to Sprouts Farmers Market. This isn't a normal farmers market where local farmers set up a booth (it is more like a grocery store that sells local, healthy, and organic stuff). I was really nervous going in because I just KNEW that this place was going to be super expensive (like Central Market and Whole Foods). Guess what? SO CHEAP!

I found a lot of 50 calorie bread options (a cinnamon raisin bread and a honey whole wheat is what I purchased). Some amazing 100 calorie flatbreads, and some huge 100 calorie burrito tortillas. There is also a ginormous selection of calorie free/fat free salad dressing (I bought a bacon ranch, honey mustard, Asian, and sesame ginger). PLUS I found a calorie free caramel dip and marshmallow fluff. I bought them both (I don't know if it is on plan but it seemed legit and only had 50mg sodium and nothing else...way less than the salad dressings I am allowed to have...). I used the caramel last night with my apples and it is so potent. I think I barely used a teaspoon of this stuff for a whole apple. It is great! You get the amazing taste of caramel without the sugar and fat! I am going to use the marshmallow fluff tonight with my Banana Creme ice cream that I am making to add another layer of flavor and texture. I will ask Monday when I weigh-in if this stuff is allowed, but I don't see why not... This place also had a great selection of salt free spice mixtures so I picked up 3 different spice mixtures, some minced onions, onion powder, and vanilla extract. I also found a no sodium Vegetable bouillon that I am going to use to crockpot some chicken.

Anyways, they also have an amazing meat section. I couldn't use the area to its full potential right now, but I am dreaming of using it when I finish the weight loss phase. There was Venison, Elk, Wild Boar, Bison, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, and any fish you could dream of! I bought some beautiful sashimi grade Ahi tuna for dinner tonight, some ground bison for burgers and chili, and a huge 3lb thing of boneless skinless chicken breast, and two dozen eggs.

The produce section is also to die for. There was produce I had never heard of! I was talking to Shane while I was shopping and had him googling stuff! I ended up buying some Watermelon, Pineapple, Peaches, and limes for fruit (I had some great strawberries and blueberries and apples at home still). Then for veggies I bought an herb salad mixture (lettuce, dill, cilantro, other stuff I can't remember), cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, Green Onions, eggplant (I'm gonna try to like it!), and mushrooms.

I got all of this...and some stuff I am probably forgetting, for $130! That seems ridiculously cheap to me, especially considering the salad dressings and seasonings and processed breads I bought since those are usually pretty pricey! I don't know if I am way out in left field here, but the prices seemed awesome to me!

GOOD NEWS TEXAS FOLK: There is a Sprouts in Austin (several locations including in Round Rock), Carrollton, Cedar Hills, Coppell, Dallas (Forest and Marsh Ln?), Flower Mound, Fort Worth (1-20 and Hulen), Frisco, Plano, Richardson, and Southlake.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Back on Track

So I weighed in this morning still a little high, but I WAS down 3.5 pounds from Monday. I am slowly shedding the water weight and extra poundage gained from the fun filled weekend with my parental units. The counselors are so positive and such a great help. We discussed recipes, variety in diet, and ways to help make the whole process more enjoyable and not so stale. I only have 29 days of weight loss left before I begin learning how to eat like a real person again! PHEW!

Last night's Zumba class left a lot to be desired...I thought that it would be more interactive and fun. Instead it was an "instructor" dancing up front and 35 of us trying to figure out what she was doing. I believe that SHE got a wonderful workout...the other 35 of us...not so much. I thought that the class would have a more instructive component to help us get the most of the dance moves and workout. I am going to give the class another couple chances before I completely give up on it.

I have begun all of my pre-Italy and fall quarter planning and it is going to be a BUSY quarter/semester! Shane was slated to come see me in October for my birthday, but he is starting a new job and will be in training and unable to get the time off. So, instead, he is buying me a plane ticket to come see him and his parent's are going to pay to board Remy as my birthday present! I was really excited for him to meet all my new friends/neighbors, but whatcha gonna do...we will have fun in Virginia (and I'll get to wear my new dress Mom bought me last time I was home ;-)  ). Then, also for my birthday, Mom is flying me home to do some Italy prep work and to spend some time with the family. THEN, we will be going to Italy! Then, Shane's family is going to fly me out for Shane's graduation from Police Academy. Then, I will be going home for Family Christmas/Christmas! Like I said...busy...


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A Yoga Morning

I feel so great today! I woke up at 5am to take care of the animals and make my food for the day. Then I hit the 7am Power Yoga class at the DU gym. I feel so great! I love waking up to a good stretch and workout. I'm glad that I feel energized today since I will be busy busy busy at work. Today started with a lot of e-mail answering. I will then be heading to a course on how to edit our website. Then I have a meeting about a training I am conducting for the interns that I will be supervising. THEN I will be heading to work where we will be running crazy making sure everything is set up for Orientation events. Finally, I will be making an appearance at the Transfer Student Picnic at "Wash Park". Phew...

Tomorrow is my first day of ZUMBA!

My next weigh-in is not until Friday morning...keep your fingers crossed!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Results are in...

+4.25 pounds...

Yes, this means I did NOT earn the extra two weeks and I have 14.5 pounds to loose in just 4.5 short weeks...

On the other hand, I know that most of this is water weight and I will be able to flush most of it within the week. I was supposed to start another plateau breaker this week, but since I went so far off plan over the weekend they want me to stabilize my eating for a week before adding any other kind of deviations. I am finishing a "Flush and Omit" today, which means that for the past two days I have eaten no starch and only one serving of fruit. In addition I have been drinking extra water with fresh lemon and adding raw, unfiltered, Apple Cider Vinegar to my daily routine. I will weigh in again on Friday and hope to be back down the 4.25 pounds if not a little more. I hate that I did not earn the two weeks and that I will now have wasted a full week to correct for one weekend, but I had a blast and I enjoyed myself.

I honestly can not wait until I get in to the maintenance section and have learned how to have weekends like I just had, correct my weight, and move on. Like I said before, it might be a good thing that I didn't earn the two free weeks. If I had I would have JUST finished balance when I left for Italy. This way I am able to have two solid weeks of maintenance before Italy. See, I can find the silver lining...I CAN!


Monday, September 5, 2011

Horribly Awesome Weekend

Well, I can kiss those two free weeks goodbye. Mom and Dada were here and it was amazing. We laughed, joked, and generally had an amazing weekend. It all started Friday with a great dinner at BJs. Saturday, mom and I went shopping and spent some one on one time together. The night there was a BBQ in my community and it was so good! The theme was Mexican and everyone brought covered dishes. I tried to moderate, but I am not used to eating cheese and grease and sweets. I didnt think that I ate too much, but all of a sudden I was SICK! I had eaten myself sick...I am so embarrassed!!!! Sunday, we went to Taste of Denver, which is like the state fair. It was awesome! I did pretty good there. Then we went to dinner and I tried to make the best choices that I could. Even so, I KNOW that Saturday and Sunday killed me and I will weigh-in WAY up tomorrow...I could kick myself. I am going to workout tonight and hopefully that will lead to being even? Doubtful...

Today is a new day! I began the Omit and Flush process, which helps to clean out my system and get my metabolism back on track. I have five weeks left and HAD 10.25 pounds to loose...this may change tomorrow...

For now, I am at work...Orientation week at DU started today...

Friday, September 2, 2011

Special Guest: Jeff Arnold

So this post has good news, better news, and best news! Imagine that? So, the good news is: I was contacted yesterday by a Slimgenics representative that follows my blog about featuring one of the Slimgenics success stories, so today you will be seeing a short video that Jeff put together about his journey through weight loss. The Better news is that I lost another 1.25 pounds today! Meaning I only have 10.25 to go! The BEST news is, that Jeff has not only allowed me to show his video, but he has also agreed to be a guest blogger and share a little more about how loosing weight has changed his entire life (not just his physical appearance).

So, without further ado...



Hi Lauren! Thank you for the opportunity to be a guest on your blog, and talk about my new life with your blog readers. Like what you are currently doing, I also lost weight through the SlimGenics program. In fact, quite a bit of it… 110 pounds. I reached my goal 15 months ago, and I have maintained my new weight ever since.
    You know, it’s funny, but I don’t even really think about having lost the weight anymore. That may sound odd, but what I have found is that although that was a huge part of giving myself a new life, it was only the beginning. I learned so much through their program, that I enjoy all aspects of my life in a whole new way. I mean, when you are in an overweight body, it is difficult to comprehend how “the other half” lives. But, I am part of that other half now, and it is amazing.
    Oh, let me count the ways… I am a fitness junkie these days. I enjoy healthy foods, and REFUSE to ever put fast food or other garbage like that in this new body. I have energy to play with my two sons. It put a spark back in my marriage (my wife actually did the program too and lost 45 pounds.) I am confident. I mean truly confident. If I could do this, I can do anything, and I really believe that now. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about what’s happening on television, but I can tell you lots about the scenery as I’m running on the Big Dry Creek Trail, and what it’s like to come up the hill at Standley Lake. It’s amazing. I take pride in how I dress now. I look people in the eye when I talk to them, and don’t feel a need to withdraw. I feel young. I feel like a teenager, and I don’t even think I felt like that when I was one. I have never been this healthy. I could go on forever, but the bottom line is that I have an amazing life now, and I am so thankful that I was able to make these changes. I am thankful for my experience with SlimGenics, and as you have mentioned – I am thankful for the opportunity to inspire others with my experience. I have had many people start to turn their lives around, and they have thanked me for the inspiration. Man, I would have never seen that one coming… Not in a million years.  
    As far as I’m concerned, health and wellness are so critical in our lives, and I encourage you and any of your blog readers to embrace it and drink it all in. It really is awesome!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Powering Through

Okay...so not weighing myself EVERY morning (and lets be serious, every chance I get) is giving me all kinds of anxiety. I am going for an official weigh-in tomorrow and I don't like not knowing what I am getting myself in to... I think that I have been good (except for a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte yesterday...I am not supposed to have milk but I was craving one so bad that I figured it would be fine. I forgot to only order a tall until she handed it to me, so I was only going to drink half...lets guess how that worked out?). Anyways, I have been using a lot of lemon in my water, eating grapefruit, varying my different proteins, etc., so I should have good news to report tomorrow...pray I have good news!

In other news, I got my new air conditioner yesterday! I finally caved and sent back the TWO broken evaporative coolers (swamp coolers) for a full refund. The company was so irritating and I finally decided that I had gone through enough pain. I forked out a few extra dollars and got a real air conditioner. I was pretty crafty/handy (read cheap) in constructing a tall table to sit the compressor on. All of the reviews said it should be positioned above head height for maximum cooling. So, I turned Remy's old kennel on its end, placed plywood on the top, covered it in a neutral sheet, and VOILA! a stand for my A/C!

So, I turned it on last night and let me tell you, I have not been so cool/comfortable in my own apartment...ever! In college our dorms were always hot, in my first apartment it was too expensive to run the air (it would TRIPLE my electric bill), and then I bought those crappy swamp coolers. Now, paradise! I can keep my windows closed, thereby reducing the amount of dust/sand wafting into my apartment from the nearby horse arena AND I can stay cool and not humid!

It is the small victories...

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Relief

So, I weighed in this morning and was down 1.5 pounds! What a relief! I am always so pissy when they write off my lack of weightloss as "water weight" but apparently they were right this time because I am back on track. I now have 11.5 to loose in 5.5 weeks, meaning I still have just over 2 pounds per week to loose. The good thing is, that this weekend is Labor Day weekend and if I manage to loose 1/2 a pound (which I don't know if I will since Mom and Dad will be here) I earn another 2 free weeks. This will make me feel much better! If I earn those two weeks, I will be finishing my "Balance" phase right before Italy. That would make me nervous seeing as though I would be on my own with no counselor or guidance for the first 12 days of my maintenance phase, but we are getting ahead of ourselves as I have to earn those two free weeks first...

Monday, August 29, 2011

Weekly review of goals

1.) Sticking to my diet religiously in order to loose the 14.25 pounds that I want to loose and reach my goal! Well, I did stick to my diet religiously (despite my intense desire to eat the Thin Mint cookies). If anything I overate on green veggies (but those are free). Unfortunately, I weighed in this morning and was at the same weight I was Friday (13pounds to go...). It is so frustrating! I try and try and try and NOTHING!  I seriously almost had another break down in the office this morning, but I sucked it up, said I would be perfect today, drink extra water, and use extra lemon and weigh in again tomorrow...{sigh}


2.) Work out three times a week at the gym. Tuesdays I will do a 30 minute Ab Blast. Wednesday morning I will do an hour of Power Yoga. Thursday afternoon I will do an hour of Zumba. Work out classes don't start until September 12 so I haven't been able to do this goal yet, but I did do an hour of power yoga on Wednesday. I always feel SO good afterwards!


3.) Walk Remy (my dog) for fifteen minutes down the Highline Canal at least 4 times a week (hopefully on those days that I don't work out). Remy and I went for a stroll once, but I did not hold up my three times a week :-( (it was only a half week though right?) This weekend though, I did get an amazing sale on some ShapeUp! tennis shoes. Now, when I walk Remy I will be getting double the exercise! I have heard nothing but good things about these shoes so for less than $30 I could not turn them down.


4.) Work Trinity (my horse) four mornings a week and ride three evenings a week. As I said in a previous post, Trinity lost a shoe so I wasn't able to keep up her workout routine. I did work her 3 mornings, but I don't like riding her without a shoe. 


5.) Wash my face, exfoliate, and moisturize twice a day. SUCCESS!

6.) Take the time to put on my make-up correctly every weekday morning. SUCCESS!


Wow, I thought that I have been doing really well this week, but as I look over this post I realize that I have not been as good as I though. Today starts a new week and I vow to complete each and every thing on this task list! My parents will be in town on Friday and I will even keep it up while they are here! I am so confidant that I am going to add two more goals:


7.) Take out my contacts every night SUCCESS!
8.) Wear my mouth guard every night SUCCESS!


So there you go...My first full week has begun...

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Ripples Out!

So this post has a backstory...and is kind of long...so stick with me!

During one of my classes this past summer quarter I was discussing my obsession with grades with a fellow classmate (a PhD student). She told me not to worry about grades and not to let it have such an effect on me. I responded that it did have an effect on me because it was judgement of my quality as a student. She sort of half laughed and said "I was just like you until this exact point in my Master's program". I looked at her in, I guess, an odd manner and she proceeded to tell me about her adviser. She had always worried about grades and other matters and really let them bother her. One day her adviser say her down and told her to imagine that life was like a lake and she was a rock thrown in to the middle of that lake. The ripples that are created represent each event that happens in life. "Look at those ripples" he told her. "Do any of them push the rock? Do any of them affect the rock? No, the ripples radiate out from the rock, but none of the ripples can change where the rock stands in the lake and what the rock is" She told me to think about this. No life event can rock who I am at the core or what I stand for. Interesting...

Last night I got a call that my parents are coming to visit next weekend for Labor Day. My mom has a remote office based in Denver and has to come up to do some training and stuff so my dad bought a ticket and they are going to stay the long weekend with me. I am SO excited. Yes, I saw them in Texas last weekend, but they haven't seen my new house, met my friends, seen the horse or dog, or really seen Denver so I am really excited that they are coming. Mom mentioned that they would get a hotel and I said No they could stay in my bed and I would stay on the couch! I have two evaporative coolers in my house (one doesn't evaporate...so is really just a high powered fan) and the Colorado nights are cool so it would be fine! I was back inside from talking to Mom no longer than 15 minutes and the fan motor on my cooler went out. I was SO upset. This cooler is a replacement the company sent when they evaporation mechanism on the first cooler went out! I have had it exactly a month...ONE MONTH! I went online to get the number and, you guessed it, they are only open Monday-Friday 5am-6pm PACIFIC time. So, I am without a cooler for the weekend. I can handle that, but I want my parents to stay with me and therefore I need a replacement ASAP.

I was extremely upset and moping around. I wanted to EAT! Luckily, I forcasted that this would eventually happen and I have nothing "snacky" in my house, the joys of living alone...This did not stop me from wondering around the kitchen and staring at the fridge and pantry. You see, I have this box of Thin Mints that my boyfriend bought when he was visiting in March (yay Girl Scout Cookies). Well, he forgot to take them home so I froze them for him as a sort of surprise for the next time he visits. I HATE Thin Mint Cookies (Yes, Crucify me now), but last night I was about ready to rip in to that box of disgusting minty cookies and eat myself in to a better mood. Instead, I put on my PJs and laid down on the couch to watch reruns of Greys Anatomy. I said f*** my nightly routine, I want to go to bed. Not 10 minutes later I found myself pacing the kitchen again. Finally, I remembered my friends story (see you knew it would come full circle eventually...). I thought, okay so my cooler broke for the second time in 3 months, am I really letting this throw me so out of whack?

So, I bucked up, I grabbed some green bell peppers for a snack, I washed my face, I exfoliated, I moisturized, I brushed my teeth, I put my mouth guard in, and I took my contacts out. Laying in bed last night I felt so good about myself! I slept great knowing that I did not let my routine suffer and I did not trash my diet for some cookies that I would not enjoy and did not need.

The morale of the story folks, is to always remember that your ripples go out, not in!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Healthy, but OVERLY decadent!

So, the other day I made a dessert to die for. It was extremely healthy, on plan, and felt sinful! Therefore, I thought I would share the recipe with you today! I hope you enjoy it!

1 peach
2 packet no calorie sweetener 
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 Vanilla Thermosnack (or just low fat vanilla pudding for those of you non-Slimgenic folk!)

I started by cutting the peach into 8 wedges. I placed these on a greesed baking sheet and sprinkled the sugar and cinnamon over the top. I then placed the peaches under the broiler for approximately 10 minutes. While these were broiling I made the vanilla thermosnack as directed and placed it in the fridge to set. When the peaches were done I put them in a bowl and then covered them with the pudding, letting the pudding "melt" around the peaches. Enjoy!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Day 1

My homepage is iGoogle and I have a inspirational quote/success tip that pops up each day. Todays quote was:


" It's never too late to become the 
person you might have been"
-George Elliot

I thought that this was extremely appropriate in regards to my new adventure that I am embarking upon!

So yesterday and half of today has gone off without a hitch. Yesterday, after my mini meltdown in the Slimgenics office, they challenged me to do a few things:
  • Eat a whole grapefruit each morning
  • Eat more meat (I will miss my eggs and Greek yogurt)
  • DO NOT weigh-in on my own scale in between weigh-in days
As most of you know I am a serious rule follower. If there is a rule then I have an inherent NEED to follow it. In the past they have suggested that I put my scale away; however, this time they said I have to put it away. So, last night I packed it away at the top of my closet so that I would not be tempted to weigh-in every time I went into the bathroom. This created a bit of anxiety this morning as I missed stepping on that scale and recording the number; however, it was also extremely liberating. I made it through eating the grapefruit (even though I am not a huge fan of grapefruit) and ate chicken for lunch and plan to eat chicken for dinner. Apparently, chicken has 54grams of protein while eggs only have 9...that is a SIGNIFICANT difference! I weigh-in tomorrow so we will see if there has been a change. Oh please let there have been a change!

Last night and this morning I did well on all of my other goals as well. I even took out my contacts and wore my mouth guard (I clench my jaw at night, resulting in headaches in the mornings). I haven't been doing either of these short tasks at night. I have been continuously waking up with headaches in the mornings, known why had the headaches, and yet did I take out my contacts or put in my mouth guard. Of course not, why would i do that? Unfortunately, Trinity threw a shoe last night, so my goal of working her won't get accomplished until next week. She is doing so great though. I will post pictures soon! 

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Background

So why do I need a new life direction?
This past weekend I spent an amazing 60 hours in Texas with my family. This trip really helped to open my eyes to a number of things. Since moving away from home (who am I kidding...since I was born) I have been letting not only my health, self-respect, and self-confidence slide, but I have also recessed in to a shell of privacy that I have had difficulty letting people in to. So far, since May, with the help of Slimgenics, I have lost 23 pounds in 12 weeks. Now, originally I was supposed to be a full 27.25 pounds down by this point. This realization really began to upset and depress me. I have worked so hard to get to where I am; however, it was not hard enough. Luckily, due to my diligence, I have earned an extra 7 weeks and lowered my goal another 10 pounds. This means that I have 7 weeks (including this week...and it is Wednesday) to loose 14.25 pounds. Now this seems harmless enough, but I have been stuck hovering, bouncing, yo-yoing around the 22-23lb lost mark for almost three weeks. I am tired, I am cranky, and I am ready to reach my goal!
When I got to work today I had several meetings and then a significant amount of down time. I began thinking of all the things that I did, or pledged to do this past weekend and decided that this time I would follow through. So far my list includes:

1.) Sticking to my diet religiously in order to loose the 14.25 pounds that I want to loose and reach my goal!
2.) Work out three times a week at the gym. Tuesdays I will do a 30 minute Ab Blast. Wednesday morning I will do an hour of Power Yoga. Thursday afternoon I will do an hour of Zumba.
3.) Walk Remy (my dog) for fifteen minutes down the Highline Canal at least 4 times a week (hopefully on those days that I don't work out).
4.) Work Trinity (my horse) four mornings a week and ride three evenings a week.
5.) Wash my face, exfoliate, and moisturize twice a day.
6.) Take the time to put on my make-up correctly every weekday morning.

I will come back to this list every Sunday night  to assess the completion of each goal as well add new goals. I think that taking this step to make a commitment to myself is important. My family is traveling to Italy in November and I want to look awesome, feel awesome, and be confident as I embark on the first test of my new life! This gives me 85 days to develop these new habits and become the person that I know I can be!


So why did I decide to start a blog? 
This is a question I have been asking myself as I have begun this process. I think that there are several reasons that I think a blog will be effective as I embark on the path to a new an improved life:

1.) My family and most of my close friends live far away and are my biggest support system. By blogging on a daily (or semi-daily) basis I will have a means to communicate to them about my process!
2.) Blogging will help me to stay accountable to myself and others. As sad as it is, I need someone to stay accountable to, and in the past I know that listing myself as the "accountability queen" is not only hilarious, it is down right ridiculous.
3.) Lately I have been following several people's blogs and they have inspired me. If I could be an inspiration to other people then I would consider that a success!