"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

I had an extreme craving again for pancakes this morning, but time did not allow for such a craving so I opted for the usual oats with cocoa. (I will be making those pancakes tomorrow!) Never will I get tired of eating in the morning, or lunch, or dinner. Ever. 

BREAKFAST

1/2 cup oats

1 medium gala apple

1 tbsp cocoa

A nice glob of yogurt

I took a nice mini trip to the store today, mainly to get some produce. Who would have thought I'd come home with more than apples and bananas? Picked up some plump oranges and nectarines this time around. The last time I had a nectarine was most likely over 5 years ago I'd bet! Why don't I eat these tasty suckers on the regular? But like I have said before, most of the produce in the store is poor quality so I stick with what I know. Romaine lettuce is my new choice of lettuce, I've always been an iceberg girl. (Terrible, I know.) Iceberg lacks so much flavor! Romaine is a nice combination between iceberg and a more leafy lettuce. Never will I be making my salads from iceberg out of choice again.

LUNCH

Bed of Romaine lettuce and celery

1 small apple

1 Morning Star Chick'n Patty

Topped with yogurt and cinnamon, of course!

Yay for something different! So yummy, but I wish I added in walnuts. This was much more appealing to the taste buds than it sounds, trust me. First time trying the Morning Star Chick'n patty and I haven't been disappointed with a product from them yet. Honestly, I was almost convinced it was indeed chicken. Haha. The breading was nice and crispy, not soggy at all. I've been trying like crazy to get rid of my quart of yogurt before it expires so I figured why not use it as dressing?  

SNACK

1 nectarine

1/8 cup walnuts

3 tbsp. frozen light cool whip (I'm being naughty and using cool whip for "dessert" fruits.)

DINNER

Don't you love my "dishware"? ;)

1 big ladle of my Moms chilli

1 Arnold Thin with 1/2 laughing cow cheese wedge

FINALLY STARTED A WORK OUT CHALLENGE PLAN!

This is an ab challenge based off of Oh She Glow's Whittle My Middle II and 10 Minute Solution Yoga's Ab work out. Also use shape and womens health mag as references. Just as Whittle My Middle I will be doing this exercise 5 times a week for 30days and may add in the 10 Minute Solution buns and thighs work out every now and then. I did the work out today and it was a bit challenging, but my goal is to improve and tone up my tummy either way. 

Front plank: 60-90 seconds. 

Side plank: 60 seconds.

Torso twists: 10-20 reps.

Plank ups: 10-20 reps. (I'm determined to finish the challenge able to lift my legs)

Low boat extension: 20

Rock N Raise: 20

Double crunch: 30. 

(10 forward, 10 left side, 10 right side)

Side leg lifts: 20.

Rock N Raise: 20. (2 reps of 10) 

Double crunch: 30.

Hyper back extension: 20. (2 reps of 10) 

Bridge pose extension: 10-20.

Sliding mermaid: 20.

Butterfly stretch: 60-90 seconds.

"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools."

Saturday update

BREAKFAST

3/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup Bear Naked apple cinnamon granola

1 small apple

Extra cinnamon is always a must

SNACK

While watching the Penguins play Matt made some popcorn so I decided to have about a cup. It was Orville's microwave butter popcorn.

LUNCH

Later after watching Indian Jones Matt and I were really hungry and we invited his sister along. We decided to go to IHOP. I have only been there a few times and was never very impressed...until today! I never had their pancakes and decided I would go all out. I had multi-gran and nut pancakes with apple comote and whipped cream. Mmmm, mmmm, mmm. Best pancakes ever. The pancake alone was good, much better than the usual buttermilk pancake. I ate 3 of the 4 and had absolutely no regrets. I probably would have eaten all  if I could. ;p

DINNER

When I came home there was Little Caesars pizza calling my name. Would I dare say no to Little Caesars? No way. They recently opened up a shop right in town so expect to see it more often on the blog. Normally I am not much of a pizza person, but who can resist a delicious $5 medium pizza and crazy bread? If you don't have one of these in your town I am sorry. I ate a slice cold and heated up a crazy bread stick. My cousin stayed over and we played Guitar Hero for awhile and somehow I managed to eat another slice...opps.

TODAY

BREAKFAST

 

Eggs:

1 egg

1 egg white

Tomato, onion, pepper

1 medium/large apple sprinkled with cinnamon

LUNCH

Again, my parents made a ton of sauerkraut and I hate seeing so much of it go to waste. No one ever eats the hot dogs it seems, so I had 2 with sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard in Arnold Thins.

DINNER

Sammie:

Arnold Thins spread with 1/2 Laughing Cow cheese wedge

Lots of iceberg lettuce, tomato, and onion

I also have an obsession with ground black pepper

1 cup Amy's black bean and veggie soup 

This was my first time trying Amy's soup and I really enjoyed it. Personally the flavor was that of chili and re-fried beans mixed with veggies. The consistency was creamy, not watery like most canned soups. Amy's brand just may become a new favorite.

Currently I am working on an exercise plan with Shape.com and from various blogs I have been reading. I am not sure how much my body can handle so this is difficult. I will be starting out simple, so you won't be impressed when I begin recording them. In all honesty too I am thinking of saving for an elliptical or treadmill, any recommendations? In general do you have any recommendations for work out beginners?

Weight loss story!

Finally...I worked hard putting together my weight loss story to share with you. Here it is! =] Phew!  

As a kid I was always active and my parents tried to incorporate nutritious meals and options. I never played team sports, but was always actively playing them with friends and neighbor-hood kids. I loved basketball, cheerleading, dancing, gymnastics, biking, swimming, you name it. Sometimes I even felt a little embarrassed when people claimed they wanted to "fatten me up".

Around the age of 12 or 13 I began to turn to food out of boredom and the stress of growing up. I heard many times that the weight would eventually catch up to me and sure enough it did around 15 or 16. At first I thought the weight gain was natural for my age, but I quickly learned I had a slight addiction to food. Being active in after school activities had me restoring to a ton of fast food. My weight in my senior year averaged around 148. Going from a size 4 to a size 6 the next year and so on was putting a major damper on my confidence.

After graduating high school I started a new job. Everyone at my new job ate even worse than I did and I got sucked in. Day in and day out I ate McDonalds, Dairy Queen, pizza, chips, sweets...You name it, I ate it. Food became completely mindless to me. I got to a point where I'd be literally sick from eating so much. There were times I knew I needed to quit, but I didn't know how to go about it aside from crash dieting. I bought a scale and weighed myself to be 151 as my highest weight to my knowledge. Yikes! Yes, I was officially over weight and felt disgusting.

About a year into my job a few people quit and the staffing at work was quite different. This time around I found myself working with someone who is very health conscious and I was inspired more than ever.

When I began watching what I consumed in June 2008 I weighed around 148. First and fore most I cut down on fast food and cut soda out of my diet completely. As bad as diets are, I started off with The Special K Challenge and within 2 weeks I quickly saw the weight coming off. But, after so long I realized this diet led to a lot of binge eating. I felt starved! Luckily internet is a useful tool. I searched day in and day out about eating better and finally had a decent concept.

Around August I was weighing in around 136 and a few people began noticing. Although people noticed and asked what I was doing I sort of denied I was trying to lose weight out of embarrassment. Losing 10 pounds made me proud and kept me motivated.

In September I began a food journal and also started counting calories. Many people don't like counting calories, but it has been a major part of my weight loss. Around this time is when I realized I needed to incorporate more fitness into my life to help me lose the extra weight. Yoga has been a life saver considering I have never been fond of exercise.

By October I lost 5 more pounds. 130! I originally thought I would be happy at this weight, but I decided to push for 10 more. The problem with this month is that I neglected to treat myself to some of the things I enjoy most, which again led to some binge eating.

November was the time I reached below 130. 125 was more of my weight average. I stepped up to working out 2 times a day and making more of my own meals, rather than resorting to prepackaged meals for every meal. My body looked and felt better than I have felt in years! My confidence was boosting, but with all of the weight loss comes a wardrobe loss. Bummer.

In the beginning of December I dropped below 125 and now range between 120-123. Unfortunately, I am not very happy with this month due to my insane holiday food binging and lack of exercise. On the bright side I am much more knowledgeable now than ever about nutrition. I discovered the world of food blogs this month and they have been immensely helpful in my journey! People now tell me how thin I am and even though at times I still get slightly embarrassed discussing my weight I am more open to say "thank you" and share what I did with them if they ask. In the new year I will be keeping up with my journey to become more nutritionally aware as well as becoming physically fit. A work out plan is on its way. 120 is a healthy weight and I plan to stick with it, but toning up is in order.

Now, here you have it in pictures...

Younger days:

 

Freshman year:

Still very thin around 14 years old. Most likely a size 3. 

Sophomore year of high school:

 

A size 4 and happy with it. 

Junior year:

This is when you begin to see my weight gain. 

Senior year:

 

This was nearing 148. You can really see the weight in my face. 

Summer 2008:

 

I assume I was weighing in over 150 at this point, my highest weight. I tried to convince myself that having on a wet t-shirt made me look heavier. 

August 2009:

 

I was finally losing weight instead of gaining. 136 pounds. 

October 2009:

Ranging around 127. I was finally confident enough to wear a costume like that!

December 2009:

 

Finally at a happy weight of 120-123(minus my holiday pounds). Now it's just about toning. =]

"Great ability develops and reveals itself increasingly with every new assignment."

BREAKFAST

Medium banana

Kashi pumpkin pie bar

This was my first time trying the Kashi bars and I did like it, but most of the reviews I read said this one did tastse like pumpkin pie and to me it wasn't close. I am very picky with my food textures and this was a good medium between crunchy and chewy. Like I said, I do like it, but next time I will be trying a different flavor. 

LUNCH

My Mom made a ton of sauerkraut with kielbasa, smoked sausage, pork, and hot dogs so of course I had to have something. I chose to have smoked sausage of half an Arnold Thin with sauerkraut to top it off. I made veggies my main concern in my simple salad with 1 tbsp. balsamic dressing. My lunches and/or dinners will most likely contain sauerkraut ingredients for the next few days. 

DINNER 

I was basically starving by the time I ate dinner, but yet again I kept it easy. After not getting much sleep and getting up in the morning for work I can't say that I feel like doing much of anything. Tomorrow I will be sleeping waaaaay in. =D Anyway...

1/2 cup oats

1 medium banana

1 small apple

Dollop of yogurt 

Cocoa and cinnamon

Can I eat this everyday for every meal? Haha. 

My bed will be seeing me earlier than usual tonight. *Yawn*

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things."

NEW YEAR'S EVE

BREAKFAST

1/3 cup Quakers Oatmeal

1/3 cup Dannon Light and Fit yogurt

1 small apple

Lots of cinnamon

This was my first time trying the oatmeal and yogurt combo and I must say I liked it a lot. The yogurt gave my oatmeal a creamy texture without being too creamy. Generally I like my oats more on the sticky side. Yogurt and oats for the win.

LUNCH

Toasted Arnold Thin with original Laughing Cow Cheese

1 small apple that isn't pictured 

The laughing cow cheese was purchased the other day and I couldn't wait to try it. Why haven' I tried this cheese sooner? It's the perfect cross between cream cheese and soft cheese. I do prefer my cheese to have a stronger flavor, but I was still very satisfied and will continue to purchase them. I tried to keep my lunch very light because I knew lots of New Year's celebration was in store.

FESTIVITY

It was great to finally go out for New Year's! Yes, I live with my parents and they are indeed protective and I can't blame them one bit. Well, lets say eating more than you drink on New Year's is not such a good idea. I haven't binged like this in a LONG time. In all honesty I am rather embarrassed about how much I actually did eat and knowing that people acknowledged it as well. Get ready for some of the things I ate: Hot dogs and sauerkraut, bun included, bbq little smokies, cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, tortilla chips with yummy spicy guac, pie....yuck. Hanging out in the kitchen where all the food is while drinking is a terrible idea. In the new year social eating is one thing I need to tackle.

My lovely friend Cortny mixing up our "jello chugs". I had my first jello shot!

Let me tell you a bit about Cortny...she is a wonderful free spirited person. She's a vegetarian, recycles, and love whole foods and Trader Joe's. Oh and she also loves yoga. She just may be a foodie's best friend, when she isn't drinking of course. ;) We had a nice discussion about food, nutrition, and exercise last night. When she found out I've never been to Trader Joe's she immediately opted to make a trip with me soon. Exercise is really our downfall...we discovered we like and dislike the same things about it and are thinking of becoming work out buddies to stay motivated. Yay.

I also had my first jager bomb. ;) Indeed, I was pretty excited about it after hearing a lot about them.

Awe. Matt and myself. (Yes, that's another jager bomb.) 

Over-all I really enjoyed bringing in the new year with my boyfriend, our friends, and our friends friends. It's always a good time with them. A lot of fun, but nothing too crazy. 

 On to the resolutions...

Now I really don't like making resolutions, I prefer to say "things I would like to do or improve".

• Drive! - It's true everyone...I do not have my driver's license. Why you ask? I am past the blaming my parents for making me wait to drive, now I am procrastinating. Part of me is terrified to drive. I know I need to get over the fear of driving, because it's something I need to do to function.
• Enroll in college. - Again, procrastination. I AM enrolling this fall for paralegal studies. I changed my mind a few times on my major and I finally have my mind set. Originally I wanted to go for theatre, but I feel being a paralegal is much more stable in times of economic turmoil.
• Eat less processed food. - I find it difficult to make a lot of food because: A) I am not experienced in the kitchen. B) It isn't easy making meals for one. C) I don't want things to go to waste. 
• Learn more about exercise and utilize it by making a workout plan. - I have never been fond of exercise and I don't know if I ever will be. I hate sweating, as bad as that sounds. It's not that I'm lazy, I just don't like the feeling of pushing myself physically. There has to be something out there I can get into! I do like yoga, but I need to incorporate it more. I've lost the weight I wanted to, now it's time to tone up.
• Read more. - Simple, I need to read more! Technology can be such a time waster.
• Save money. - With school coming and possibly a car of my own I need to crack down on my spending. I must realize and education is more important than petty things I don't need.
• Be more social and outgoing. - When I was younger I would talk to anyone and everyone about anything, but lately I have been more on the reserved side. Being outgoing will benefit in many ways, especially career wise. Also, I think me being more on the reserved side has made me boring. I'm not looking to be crazy and loud, but I need to let loose.
  
• Recycle. - Over the past year or two I have been talking about it, but I haven't made the steps. I posed it to my parents and they feel it's more of a hassle than anything unfortunately. Even if I recycled myself it's more of a contribution than I currently am making.
• Explore new hobbies. - Sometimes I need an outlet, but I don't have much to turn to. It's time to look for new hobbies! 
• Show more appreciation. - I know I don't praise people enough for the wonderful things they do and I must. 
• Strengthen relationships. - In general with my parents, boyfriends, friends, etc. I have a need to feel closer to people lately.
  

Simple enough. This isn't nearly close to what I would liek to accomplish, but I like to have ideas and won't beat myself up over not accomplishing something. This past year I accomplished my weight loss goal and then some. I am very proud of myself! =] I will have to post my weight loss story soon. Off to my New Year's Day post.

"Touch passion when it comes your way...it’s rare enough as it is. Don’t walk away when it calls you by name."

Today was an odd day of eating...I basically rolled out of bed and went to get Chinese with some friend, which I was disappointed with. I ordered chicken and broccoli without sauce, but I received it with a reminiscence of brownish liquid. Hmmm. I had the lunch special so I managed to eat all of the broccoli, carrots, and chicken. I also had around 1/4 cup of white rice. The local Chinese restaurant we went to didn't have very many options at all. Tofu, brown rice, and steamed veggies was my original option. I may have still been half asleep because it didn't cross my mind to take a photo, sorry.

LUNCH

Sammie:

2 slices whole wheat bread

A bit of peppered turkey lunch meat

Lettuce, tomato

My side was a apple and yogurt salad 

DINNER

I was in the need of something on the lighter side after my previous meals today.

 

Dried cherry and walnut salad with strawberry vinaigrette (I'm head over heels for these cherries)

After work tonight I managed to get some groceries. After reading various food blogs I've decided to try a few things I haven't before: Amy's black bean and veggie soup, laughing cow cheese, ground turkey, and kashi pumpkin pie bars along with other things. Reading blogs has opened my eyes to many new foods and dishes along with providing tons of inspiration. I thank every one who continually blogs about their journey.

Almost forgot...last night I snuck in a cup of hot cocoa. I mixed together 2% milk, 1 tbsp. Hershey's cocoa, some Splenda and cinnamon all in my new mug. Even my stirring spoon is a cute santa.

I will be taking tonight to reflect on the year and make my 2010 resolutions. Good luck to everyone in the new year, I can't wait to see what you have in store.

"Optimism is the foundation of courage. "

BREAKFAST

I saw a lot of rave about cocoa oats, so I decided to try it today. I will be making more of this in the future. I've never added dried cherries to anything either, again I will be doing more of this.

1/2 cup Quaker Oats

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 tbsp. Hershey's unsweetened cocoa 
Cinnamon and a little Splenda to add some spark

Unfortunately I have to work a weird shift at work today. Not so much weird, but I don't like working shifts that make me stray from normal eating habits. I'll have to pack something quick I can eat in 15 minutes. Nothing is worse to me than being forced to eat in a 15 minute time frame, I prefer to take my time and savor it. 

 LUNCH 

I was a bit pressed for time so I grabbed the quickest thing from my house I could think of.

Cheese ravioli Lean Cuisine meal

1 small apple 

Odd thing about mentioning the 15 minute break thing today, I found out that we will no longer have 15 minutes breaks. When we work 6.5 hours we will get a half an hour for our break. I worked 3-9:15 today, not getting home until around a 9:45...a normal person eats within this time frame. I am by no means a morning person so I eat later and don't want to eat around 2 before I go in for my shift and the eat after 10 the next time I eat. The body needs food at least every 6 hours from what I hear and I personally feel the need to eat something within 4 or so most of the time. I am very frustrated with this. I did get a nice surprise from a co-worker today though. As I walked into our break room I noticed a gift bag with my name on it...I got a nice Christmas mug set with some yummy cocoa. I'll have to try the cocoa and take a picture of the mug soon.

DINNER 

"Taco salad":

Left over salad from my parents dinner 

1/2 cup Ortega fat-free refried beans

2 tbsp. salsa

Jalapenos

Chili powder to spice up the salad

8 reduced-fat Wheat Thins

DESSERT

1/2 Peanut butter and chocolate Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich

A few dried cherries (I think I'm hooked after trying them this morning)

A few of my friends stopped by my work tonight and invited me out for some Chinese tomorrow afternoon. I really haven't had to face Chinese with a group of friends since I've become health conscious, I've avoided it. I am thinking of getting steamed veggies and unbreaded chicken with sauce on the side, if at all. Cream cheese won-tons with duck sauce are my weakness, but I promise to myself that I will not touch them. 

In the past week or so I haven't followed a very healthy diet or exercised as much as I'd like, especially with me not feeling well. There is a noticeable difference to me in what I look and feel like from eating too much junk and not exercising. The pants are fitting a bit snugger it seems. ;p I do know that I will be getting back on track and then some. Like I said before, the holidays make me a bit weak just as they do with anyone. Good news is...I am stable enough to not let myself continue with the rut. 

Did I mention how cold it is here? Under 13 degrees! Brrrrrr! Hope everyone is staying nice and warm. =]