The dreaded plateau....

Yikes - has it really been almost 2 months since I blogged last? Told myself to blog the next time I had a 10 lb weight loss; lets just say I thought it would be much sooner than this.

The biggest set back was my relapse on cutting out soda in the evenings. I know it's terrible for you in general but I'm not going to be unrealistic in saying I'm quitting drinking Diet Pepsi because that's just not going to happen. It keeps me up at night and getting more sleep is SO NECESSARY! Once I got back on track there it seemed to be much easier.

Another weakness of mine that I don't like to admit is alcohol... I enjoy beer; plain and simple. Empty calories suck and the next day I feel guilty. I'm also going to be realistic in the sense that I'm not stopping drinking - I do need to cut back though. :)

View of the mountains in Colorado - trip out to see my very good friend Mandy! Beer.... yum....

Summer time is approaching and JB and I will be planting quite the garden; so pumped for that. The veggies that have been available at my local store just haven't had the flavor that makes you "want" to have a salad with every meal. No flavor, super expensive, and not worth the effort it takes to make the salad frankly. I cannot wait for some fresh tomatoes and zucchini; neither can my bank account. 

I've been feeling pretty good lately, getting stronger, believing that I can actually do this. :) Training for the mini sprint triathlon (1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike, 1.5 mile run) next month may kill me. I'm realizing now how far 10 miles is; good lord what was I thinking. Wish me luck on that one people... I'm going to need it. 

 First "race"... I'm freaking out...

One final thing... My brother Bob and sister in law Heidi are the new parents of a fantastically beautiful completely kissable baby boy; Nolan Andrew Boone. He is the man! I've been trying to visit them as much as possible lately since they are going back to Ohio soon. When Aunt Katie comes over it sometimes turns into romper room very quickly; my thoughts are this is a great source of exercise so I should keep it up indefinitely. :) 

Love this little man!

GO TIGERS!

Weight loss since last post: 11.1

Total weight loss: 31.1

How many points is a bowl of shut the hell up???

So two months in... and still pumped as ever to keep it up. I thought by now I would be back stopping for fast food 4 times a week because it's just easier... but in fact I'm still doing pretty good. 

I'm sure I'm driving JB CRAZY talking about Weight Watcher Points, foods that I bought, and workout routines. I'm waiting for him to ask me "How many points is a bowl of shut the hell up?" He is being awesome along w/ everyone else. I was worried about people asking me how things were going and not being able to have good news. It's a good motivator. If you ask me and I give you the death stare... just walk away would be my words of advice.... just walk away. :) I won't make this blog about my relationship... but check out the awesome plant I got for Valentine's Day!!!!

What I am finding is the most important thing is............. BREAKFAST! I have never been much for breakfast. Not that I don't like breakfast foods, just not fond of eating right away in the morning. So all those doctors and nutritional specialists were right? Breakfast is a good thing? Who woulda thought? Eating breakfast has helped me not make bad choices at lunch because I'm not starving like I used to be. Eating a boiled egg along w/ some yogurt and berries curbs the appetite until lunch so I only want a sandwich or salad. Two months ago I'd be running down to the cafeteria and grabbing anything I could not to be so hungry. (I will admit that I had nachos today and they were fantastic :)  

Pinterest has been a real asset in learning some new workout routines, awesome calorie friendly recipes, and success stories that I could read for days. I plan on being one of those about a year from now. :)

New favorite snack that isn't 250 calories a serving - POP CHIPS! More specifically... Sour Cream and Onion Pop Chips. 22 chips for 3 points (Weight Watcher speak) is FANTASTIC! Pair these w/ some hummus and I have my new favorite snack.

Another great thing I am eating for dinner that has a lot of protein and low in points (3 per) is these awesome chicken sausages. Very flavor full and filling. I don't eat it w/ a bun or anything - simply dip in mustard. I'm a big fan. That w/ some b-sprouts and mushrooms and I have a 3 point dinner. Lets be honest... I'll have 2 sausages to make it 6. :)

I can finally tell that I've lost a few pounds so that is helping me keep on track. First few weeks were hard; you see pounds come off on the scale but I didn't look or feel any different; that has changed now! ON MY WAY!

Thank you everyone for the kind words about my blog. I'll try and post more often but been pretty busy! Last weekend went up to JB's parents farm and loaded wood for 2 days. Best workout ever - don't tell him though or he will want me to go back and do more. hehehe ;)

ON MY WAY!!!!

Weight loss since last post: 11.4

Total weight loss: 20 LBS!!!! (seriously... I can't believe it myself!)

It's been too long!

Wow... it has been a LONG time since my last post. I'll try to not let that happen again.

I have to say I have been more successful in these first few weeks than I though I would be. Cut out about 75% of my soda consumption which in my world is HUGE. I'm to the point now that if it's not the kind of soda I like, I will pass it up all together and go for the water. I know this sounds like no big deal, but it's a big change for me. I've noticed that I don't snack as much and that is a very good thing. :)

Besides going to the gym a few times a week, I've been doing some Jillian tapes at home (she is a bi*ch but gives a great workout) as well as doing some yoga in front of the television. I can feel my muscles getting stronger as it's easier to balance on some of the moves and can hold the poses longer. My most hated and loved exercise these days are planks. For those of you who know them... you know how great they are for an entire body workout, but you also know how much they hurt. :) I force myself to do them for 60 seconds each 5 times a day. I spread them out few in morning and few in evening. I hate them... but I do love them too.

Found my new favorite place last weekend. Jeremy, Bob and myself went w/ the kids to Kensington Metropark! I vow that this will be my new hangout when... I don't know... it's not 1000 degrees below zero. All the trails, water, and bike paths... I am IN! I know there are parks closer but I really liked this park and the birds were eating right out of the kids hands. I wanted nothing to do w/ that as I am not the biggest fan of birds; they freak me out a little bit actually. Carter kept saying "their feet feel weird"! It was so cute. That is Autumn below while a feathery creature eats out of her hand.

We started a Biggest Loser challenge at work this past week and it will go into April. We are in teams of 4 (purely for moral support) and you go by % lost. I'm hoping to do well in this challenge and stay focused. I need all the help I can get. Also there is money involved and when it comes to money I stay somewhat competitive.

Also, this week started the new session of the "Butts and Guts" exercise class at NSF. Let me tell you... this class was 4 days ago now and I still feel it in my hamstrings EVERY time I get up or walk up and down stairs. I know that if it hurts it is doing some good... but DAM! I am SO SORE! I hae a feeling that I will be sore still when I go to this weeks class; promise I will go though.

Until next time......

Progress since last post: -7.2 (been a while since I have posted)
Total: -8.6