Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 cup skim milk
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            water (16.9 oz)

Dinner- 1 small bowl of cheeseburger hamburger
             helper w/ lite sour cream and mexican cheese
             water (16.9 oz)

Again today I skipped lunch because I was just so busy I forgot and I am fixing dinner alittle early today.  Other than that eating was good.

I just finished my walking and I did 1.8 miles in 24 minutes around my neighborhood.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 51 oz.
2. Sugar- stayed within limits
3. Fruit- none
4. Vegetables- none
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 1.8 mil/24 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Thats two days that I've not eating any veggies I'm going to have to make sure I start getting my veggies in again.  I can also tell a difference in my bodily functions since I haven't been drinking as much water, now I can see why they say drinking water helps you lose weight because it helps to flush it out of your body.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 cup milk
                  water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 lowfat mozzarella stick
            1/4 cup mixed nuts
            1/2 cup grapes
            water (16.9 oz)

Dinner- 2 slices chicken, 1 slice cheese and
             honey mustard on 2 slices whole wheat
             bread
             water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 1/2 cup bran cereal
            1 cup skim milk
As you can see I skipped lunch today, not for any certain reason I was just so busy I forgot to eat.  I might have a snack after while though since I didn't eat as much today.  I ended up eating a bowl of cereal for a snack which wasn't bad except for the carbs.

I just got through doing my walking which was 2 miles around the neighborhood in 30 minutes.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 51 oz.
2. Sugar- stayed within limits
3. Fruit- 1 servings today
4. Vegetables- none
5. Carbs- too much
6. Exercise- 2 mil/30 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- 2 fries from Wendy's

I also wanted to revise something that I put on my food and exercise journal from yesterday.  On my weekly goals I listed that I had eaten no fast food but I totally caught myself in a lie, but I promise it wasn't intentional.  I did have two bites of pizza last night from Little Caesars so I went back and edited that.  This may seem like not a big deal to some of you but if I start slipping and leaving things off my food list then I become not accountable for that food and I don't want that to happen.  In this case honesty is definitely the best policy.

Versatile Blogger Award

 

I received this wonderful award from http://pjsandcocoaontheporch.blogspot.com/ and I just want to say thank you so much.  On her site she had listed the definition for the versatile blogger and I thought it would be cool to post that here.

The Versatile Blogger
1. Capable of doing many things competently.
2. Having varied uses or serving many functions
3. Variable or inconstant; changeable: a versatile temperament.
4. Capable of moving freely in all directions

As for the rules of this blog award they are as follows:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs.
4. Let your nominees know about their award.

Now for my seven things about myself:
1.  I'm in school taking photography and I only have 3 more semesters until I graduate.
2.  I only have one brother who is younger than me.
3.  I use to be a hairdresser.
4.  I have lived in the same neighborhood since I was about 6 years old.
5.  I am a cat person.
6.  I suffered for bulimia for over 10 years of my life.
7.  I love the beach.

And here are my nominees:
1.  http://haveyougainedweight.blogspot.com/
2.  http://katie-fttw.blogspot.com/
3.  http://halfof360.blogspot.com/
4.  http://mymindoverfatter.blogspot.com/
5.  http://unveilingthediva.blogspot.com/
6.  http://debwillbethin.blogspot.com/
7.  http://last-weight-loss-journey.blogspot.com/
8.  http://polarspage.blogspot.com/
9.  http://onmywaytohealth-kaye.blogspot.com/
10.  http://alltheweigh2009.blogspot.com/

I'm only doing 10 nominees because 15 is alot but you can nominee as many or few as you want.  Congratulations and I can't wait to read the seven things you have to tell about yourself.

Walking isn't really exercise

Thats what my husband has said to me numerous times, "Walking isn't really exercise."  Now I have to admit that he jogs as his form of exercise but to tell me that my walking isn't exericse is wrong. 

I decided to check it out and see what the difference is in jogging and walking.  I can walk 4 mph so that means for a thirty minute walk I burn 269 calories.  If my husband jogs for thirty minutes he burns 325 calories.  I walk 5 days a week at least and he only jogs 3 days a week.  So 269 calories times 5 equals 1345 calories for me and 325 calories times 3 equals 975 calories for him.  That means that each week I burn 470 calories more than him exercising so how can he say that my walking isn't exercise. 

Then I decided to check out the benefits of walking and the benefits of jogging to see how they differ.

Benefits of walking:
It reduces your risk of dying from heart disease or stroke
It lowers your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes
It lowers high blood pressure (hypertension)
It protects against falling and bone fractures in older adults
It may help protect against certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer
It increases the number of calories your body uses, which helps to control your weight
It helps control joint swelling and pain from arthritis.
Helps keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy
Reduces anxiety and depression, boosting your mood
Helps you handle stress
Helps you feel more energetic
Helps you sleep better
Reduce high cholesterol
Reduce body fat
Help with overall flexibility

Benefits of jogging:
Improves mood
Improves cardiovascular health
Helps with weight loss
Tones muscles
Improves sleep
Reduces risk of stroke
Reduces risk of heart attack
Lowers blood pressure
Helps prevent ageing
Helps to build strong bones
Strengthen muscles
Stress relief
Creates endorphins
Improves your stamina and energy levels
Clears your mind

Looking at both of these lists it looks like to me that walking and jogging have alot of benefits in common.  Jogging is something I am trying to work up to but when you weigh 230 lbs thats alot of weight to be jogging with.  I know jogging is probably alittle better for you then walking but at least I'm doing some form of exercise and not just laying around doing nothing. 

What do you think about this, do you see walking as a good form of exercise or do you agree with my husband?  Don't be afraid to tell me the truth because I want to know if there is a real reason why he would be saying this or if because he is a runner he just doesn't think walking is good enough.

Photography Photos

I got a chance to take some more photos today and I thought I would share some of them with all of you.  Any feedback would be appreciated since I'm just in my first semester of photography.  Just click on any of the pictures to make them bigger.  I took all of these pictures on the campus where I go to school.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 banana
                 1 cup skim milk

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            water (16.9 oz)

Lunch- 4 oz chicken breast, 1 slice cheese and
           honey mustard on 2 slices whole wheat
           bread
           water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 lowfat mozzarella stick

Dinner- 6 oz roasted chicken breast
             2 cups roasted yellow squash, zucchini
             and onions
             water (16.9 oz)

I forgot to list that I also had a peppermint patty today and I have to tell you that never in my life has a peppermint patty tasted so creamy and sweet, it was so yummy, but I will not be making this a regular occurance.  I also got my family pizzas for dinner tonight and I can proudly say that I did have two little bites and then I ate the dinner you see listed above.  So overall my eating was pretty good today but I do need to still increase my water intake.
I don't think I'm going to walk today because I feel like I'm getting sick.  My throat is hurting, I'm nauseous to my stomach and I just don't feel good in general.  I'm going to keep taking medicine and hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 51 oz.
2. Sugar- at alittle more than I should have
3. Fruit- 1 servings today
4. Vegetables- plenty at dinner
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- sick
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- 2 bites of pizza

Goals, Challenges and Weigh In Updates

I'm using this post to list all my personal challenges and other blogger challenges in one place so I can keep up with them. I know it seems like I have taken on alot but its keeping me motivated and keeping me busy so I don't think about food so much. So here it goes with all my challenges and updates will be in red.

Weight loss goals (2 lbs a week):
October 5, 2010- 229 lbs  (I weigh 230.6 so not to far off this goal.)
November 2, 2010- 221 lbs
November 30, 2010- 213 lbs (34 lb loss for Thanksgiving, thats a lot to be thankful for)
December 28, 2010- 205 lbs (42 lb loss for Christmas would make it a very merry Christmas)
January 25, 2011- 197 lbs
February 22, 2011- 189 lbs (under 200 for valentines how sweet that would be)
March 22, 2011- 181 lbs
April 19, 2011- 173 lbs
May 17, 2011- 165 lbs (it would be nice to celebrate our 5 year anniversary with me at this weight)
June 14, 2011- 157 lbs
July 12, 2011- 149 lbs ( 2 days before my birthday what a wonderful birthday present to myself)
August 9, 2011- 141 lbs (this would be the smallest I have ever been)

Recommended Daily Allowances:
(not really a challenge but something I need to keep an eye on)
Calories: 1760 to lose 2 lbs a week
              2260 to lose 1 lb a week
Fat: 64 grams
Fiber: 25 grams
Carbohydrates: 300 grams
Sugar: 40 grams
Protein: 50 grams
Sodium: 2400 milligrams

Exercise:

As you can see I have a new ticker on the right side of my screen now and it starts at 0 and goes to 160. I have challenged myself to walk a 160 miles by New Years.

(I have walked 42 miles so far in this challenge.)

Weight Loss Contest:

Stephanie from http://unveilingthediva.blogspot.com/  is hosting a weight loss contest where you have to post a picture of yourself weighing in each Friday and at the end of 6 weeks she is giving a prize to the winner.  My beginning weight was 237 lbs.

(I have lost 6.4 lbs in the last 3 weeks on this challenge.)

Here is what my scale said this morning.

Hot 100 Challenge:

Steve from http://logmyloss.com/  is hosting the Hot 100 Challenge. The Hot 100 is a challenge focused on the last 100 days of 2010 beginning September 23, 2010. Here are my goals:

#1....This was my own personal challenge anyway so I'm adding it as my first goal here.....walk 160 miles by New Years.

(I have walked 42 miles so far.)

#2....Continue to eat healthy and exercise so I can lose 20 lbs by New Years. Beginning weight 235.4 lbs.

(I have lost 4.8 lbs so far.)

#3....Make it through the holiday season without falling back into old eating patterns.
(Haven't had to worry about this yet but I have a Halloween party coming up soon and all the kids trick or treat candy.)

Weekly Goals (9/29/10-10/5/10):
(my own personal goals)

1. Water- My goal has been to drink 128 oz of water a day but I still have not managed to accomplish this so that is my first goal this week.

(Have been averaging about 51 to 68 oz a day so I'm changing this goal to 85 oz of water a day.)
2. Sugar- I posted yesterday about my sugar intake and how I was eating more than I should be and I got alot of feedback from fellow bloggers. Their recommendation was to watch the sugar content in the processed foods I eat so that is my next goal. I hope this next week to greatly reduce how much sugar I'm eating.

(I have done really good or at least I think so on watching my sugar intake.)
3. Fruits- I love fruits especially sweet fruits like bananas, apples and grapes but I have learned that fruits have alot of natural sugar in them so you do need to watch how much you eat so my goal this next week is to keep my fruit intake to a maximum of 1-2 servings per day.

(I have managed to keep my fruits to 1-2 servings per day.)
4. Vegetables- I have always been a vegetable eater but I have had to learn to replace some of my carbs like macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes with vegetables instead. I am learning to try new vegetables that I've never had before to add some variety into my eating and vegetables really are good for you and help to fill you up. So my next goal for this week is to try at least one new vegetable and make sure I get my daily servings of veggies in.

(I think I had one day where I didn't get all my veggies in and I tried 2 new vegetables acorn squash and zucchini.)
5. Carbohydrates- This is probably one of my favorite types of foods, I mean who doesn't love macaroni and cheese and pasta dishes and breads but if you aren't careful these types of food can put alot of weight on you. So this next week I plan on really watching my intake of carbs.

(I'm still doing pretty good at watching my carbs I think I'm staying under my goal of 300 grams a day.)
6. Exercise- I have been doing really good at exercise but I am adding that as one of my goals so that I make sure I continue to get all of my exercise in. I am challenging myself to walk 5-6 days this week and at least 12 miles.

(I only missed one day of walking this last week and with my workout tonight I will have in 12 miles.)
7. Soda- I have mainly been drinking water but I have been sneaking in a couple diet sodas a week and I want to set a goal to not drink any sodas this next week.

(I did drink one diet soda but not intentionally I just couldn't get anything else to drink but one isn't going to kill me.)
8. Fast Food- I try to pick the healthiest thing when I get fast food but like a friend pointed out to me no fast food is healthy. I'm only picking out the least unhealthy thing on the menu so this is definitely something I need to give up. So my last goal is to completely avoid fast food this next week.
(I have had no fast food this last week at all.)

Gettin Sexy Challenge:

Katie from http://katie-fttw.blogspot.com/  is hosting this challenge for the month of October. As part of the challenge I have to come up with a goal that will make me feel sexier by the end of October. So here are my goals and I'm choosing more than one because they all kind of go together. Beginning weight for this challenge: 232.6 lbs

1. Exercise: I'm going to walk 50 miles.
(I have in 12.1 miles so far.)

2. Food: I'm giving up soda and fast food.
(Only had one diet soda this last week and no fast food.)
3. Weight: I'm going to lose 10 lbs.
(I have lost 2 lbs so far.)

I Refuse to Blow it Over the Holidays Challenge:

This challenge is being hosted by Erika at http://wwwfatlikeme.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html  . Its just a personal challenge not to overeat during the holidays. You just keep track of how much weight you have lost from the first day of fall until after New Years. My beginning weight was 235.4 lbs.
(I have lost 4.8 lbs so far in this challenge.)

 

 
I know this seems like alot of goals and challenges but they all kind of fit together I just want to be able to update all of them on the same day to make it easier for me to remember.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                  1 banana
                  1 cup skim milk

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            water (16.9 oz)

Lunch- 2 slices chicken, 1 slice cheese and honey
            mustard on 2 slices whole wheat bread
            water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 lowfat mozzarella stick

Dinner- 1 roasted chicken breast
             1 small cucumber
             1 cup roasted broccoli
             water (16.9 oz)

I think my eating was ok today.  I was suppose to have more for dinner but my roasted yellow squash, zucchini and onions isn't done yet but I'm glad its not because I'm stuffed on what I have eaten already.

While I was walking I left my squash, zucchini mixture in the oven sweating with the oven off and boy if it didn't look yummy when I got back, I know what I'm having for dinner tomorrow night.

I really need to go exercise but its already 6:15 and I still have stuff cooking in the oven and I just don't think I have time to go.  I know I need to go though because tomorrow is weigh in day.  Ok I guess I'm going I really need this workout.  Well that little voice talked me into going for my walk and I just finished it.  I did 2.1 miles around the neighborhood in 28 minutes.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 51 oz.
2. Sugar- stayed within limits
3. Fruit- 1 servings today
4. Vegetables- plenty at dinner
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- walked 2.1 mil/28 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Questionnaire

I thought for fun I would post a questionnaire just to get to know some of you better.

1.  What was your highest weight, what do you weigh right now and what is your goal weight?

2.  What is your #1 motivation for losing weight?

3.  Have you always been overweight?

4.  When you want to give up what inspires you to keep going?

5.  What is the #1 thing you look forward to when you hit your goal weight?

6.  Do you have support on your weight loss journey?

7.  What is your favorite exercise?

8.  What is the most important thing you have learned on your weight loss journey?

9.  What is one thing you have given up that you miss the most?

10.  What is your strategy for losing weight?

You can answer all of the questions or any of them you want to.  I look forward to learning something new about each one of you.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 banana
                 1 cup skim milk

Lunch- 5 oz chicken, 1 slice cheese and honey
            mustard on 2 slices whole wheat bread
            diet dr pepper (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            1 lowfat mozzarella stick
            water (16.9 oz)

Dinner- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
             1 banana
             1 cup skim milk
             water (16.9 oz)

Eating wasn't to bad today.  As you can see I broke my no soda challenge for the week and honestly I thought I had a good excuse.  We have 3 drink machines at school in the building I'm in and I forgot to take my water this morning so I got really thirsty.  So here I go to the first drink machine to get some flavored water I wanted to try and low and behold it wouldn't take my change.  So off to the second machine I go to just get a bottle of plain water and wouldn't you know it, it took my change but no water.  And of course with my luck the third drink machine doesn't even sell water so I had to get a diet soda.  Now I could say that was a good excuse for breaking my challenge but it wasn't because right down the hall was a water fountain but my mind did not even remind me of that.  I guess one diet soda in the last week or so isn't going to kill me. 

I just finished with my walk, 2 miles in 30 minutes around the neighborhood.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 34 oz.
2. Sugar- stayed within limits
3. Fruit- 2 servings today
4. Vegetables- none
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 2 mil/30 min.
7. Soda- 16.9 oz
8. Fast food- none

Overwhelmed

Sometimes I feel like I'm so on top of things and then for some reason I get behind and I become overwhelmed.  Thats how I am feeling right now, like there are never enough hours in the day.  I've noticed even my blogging has slowed down over the last few days because honestly I just haven't had time to post much.  I'm the type of person who likes routines and normalcy.  When something happens and throws a wrench into my plans I just loose all sense of direction in my life.  I'm sure most of you have read that this weekend someone went to an ATM in Canada and withdrew all my money.  Well that money was suppose to pay my bills and buy groceries and now I have had to put all that on hold until I get my money back, which the bank said today would be 1-2 days so thats good.  But it seems like my world has been turned upside down right now.  I do things a certain way, at the beginning of the month I pay all my bills at one time and I grocery shop for the month well here it is the 5th and I've done none of that.  I don't know why I have such a problem with dealing with bumps in the road.  Thank God it hasn't effected my eating or exercise but in every other area of my life it has.  It seems like I can never get ahead on anything I'm always struggling to catch up.  Between cleaning house, running errands, appointments, school activities, college, homework, eating right and exercise I'm overloaded.  I guess this is just my OCD kicking in again and feeling like I have to accomplish everything on the millions of lists I make.  And even when I do get things accomplished its never quite good enough.  I'm hoping once I get my money back in my account and then next Friday is the last day for one of my classes maybe some of this stress will ease up.  I have such a huge headache right now because I know how much I have to do this next week.  Probably the best thing to do is look at this just like I look at my weight loss journey, I need to just take life one day at a time and quit thinking about how much I have to do tomorrow or next week. 

Does anyone else feel overwhelmed and what do you do when you feel this way?  I'm just scared that feeling overwhelmed like this I might start slipping on my eating or exercising and I don't want to do that.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 cup skim milk
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup dried fruit

Lunch- 4 oz chicken breast, 1 slice cheese and
            honey mustard on 2 slices whole wheat bread
            water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts

Dinner- 1 cup roasted yellow squash
            1 cup roasted broccoli
            1 cup roasted brussel sprouts
            water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 banana
Eating was good today.

I just got done walking I did 2 miles in 28 minutes around my neighborhood.  My son and my husband went with me and both of them were jogging some of it so I jogged alittle to, maybe .3 miles, not much but its a start.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 51 oz.
2. Sugar- stayed within limits
3. Fruit- 2 servings today
4. Vegetables- lots for dinner
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 2 mil/28 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1.5 oz raisins
                 1 cup skim milk
                 water (16.9 oz)

Lunch- 2 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese and honey
            mustard on 2 slices whole wheat bread
            water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 cup grapes

Dinner- 5 oz roasted chicken breast
            1 cup roasted broccoli
            1 cup roasted brussel sprouts
            1 cup roasted yellow squash
            1/2 cup corn
             water (16.9 oz)

My eating was pretty good today and I really loved my dinner.  I could have honestly went without eating the chicken it was my least favorite thing on the plate.  I also bought an acorn squash and roasted it but it took longer than I thought it was going to so it wasn't ready to eat for dinner tonight.  I did taste alittle bite of it and it tasted alot like yellow squash.  I guess its paying off to try vegetables I've never eaten before because I'm adding new things to my list of healthy foods.

I"ve never done this before but I took a picture of my dinner tonight just so you could see how yummy it looked. 

(click to enlarge)

I might start doing this more often just to add some color to my food and exercise journal because its just kind of boring reading over what I ate and did today.

I've decided to take a break from my walking tonight but I will be back at it tomorrow.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:

1. Water- 51 oz.

2. Sugar- stayed within limits
3. Fruit- 2 servings today
4. Vegetables- lots for dinner
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- day off
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 2 packs instant oatmeal
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            1/4 cup dried fruit

Dinner- 1 cup roasted broccoli
            1 cup roasted yellow squash
            1 cup pinto beans
            1 small baked potato w/ butter and
            brown sugar
            water (16.9 oz)

Eating wasn't so good today, way to much sugar but with the day I've had I deserve it.  I know not an excuse to overeat on something but I'm forgiving myself for today.

I did exercise on our hike in the mountains, 1.8 miles/1 hour.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:

1. Water- 34 oz.
2. Sugar- to much
3. Fruit- 1 servings today
4. Vegetables- lots for dinner
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 1.8 mil/ 1 hour
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Stressful day

This is going to be very brief because today has been such a sucky day.  First off I have a photography assignment due tomorrow that I have been trying to complete all weekend and I just haven't had much luck finding the kind of pictures I need to take.  Secondly, my husband and myself got up this morning to go to the mountains and he decides his breakfast is 2 honeybuns and then he stops by Hardees and gets a egg & cheese biscuit and a biscuit & gravy.  Now if thats not bad enough to eat all of that in front of me then he precedes to ask me numerous times if I want any.  Then on the way home he suggests we stop at Bojangles and get something and I said that I'm not eating fast food this month I've already told you that many times..  Thirdly, we argued all the way to the mountains and all the way home.  And lastly, I come home to find out that someone had cleaned out my checking account.  I live in North Carolina and someone used my debt card in Canada and they also had my pin number.  Now if thats not strange enough my mom called to tell me just last night that someone had cleaned out their account to.  So you can say this has been a pretty shitty day and if all that doesn't cause me to overeat then nothing will.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 2 packs instant oatmeal
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts

Lunch- 2 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese and honey
           mustard on 2 slices whole wheat bread
           1 cup grapes          
           water (16.9 oz)

Dinner- 1 bowl of pinto beans
             water (16.9 oz)

Well I definitely didn't overeat again today and it wasn't the healthiest eating day but I just wasn't that hungry.  I have so many other things on my mind that eating is kind of a passing thought.  I guess thats a good thing but I do need to increase how much water I'm drinking and I didn't have my veggies today. 

I had the sentence all typed that I wasn't going to walk tonight because my husband and  myself are going to the mountains tomorrow to do some hiking and take some pictures but thats really not a good excuse to get out of exercise tonight is it?  I guess I'm going walking here in a few minutes....boy do I hate that little voice telling me to get up off my lazy butt and go walk.  I'll let you know how far I walked when I get back.  I just got back from my walk and I did 2.1 miles in 29 minutes around my neighborhood.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 51 oz
2. Sugar- had alittle
3. Fruit- 1 servings today
4. Vegetables- none
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 2.1 mil/29 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Photography Photos

I have a project due for my photography class next Friday so I went out this morning looking for pictures to take.  Of course I found way more things to take photos of for my own personal use then for my project and I just thought I would share a few of them here.  I know this is a weight loss blog and my pictures have nothing to do with weight loss but loving photography is part of what makes who I am.  I'm really thinking about starting a photography blog though just so I have a place to post my pictures where I don't have to clog up my weight loss blog with them and it would be a good way to see how I am improving over time.  Anyways here are some of the pictures I took today and if you would like to see any of them bigger just click on them.

Goals, Challenges and Weigh Ins

I've decided to change my weigh in day from Tuesday to Friday.  You have probably noticed that I have alot of challenges going on and its seems like I have to report on each one of them a different day so I'm going to tie everything together.  So my official weigh in day will be on Fridays now.

I'm using this post to list all my personal challenges and other blogger challenges in one place so I can keep up with them.  I know it seems like I have taken on alot but its keeping me motivated and keeping me busy so I don't think about food so much.  So here it goes with all my challenges.

Weight loss goals (2 lbs a week):
October 5, 2010- 229 lbs
November 2, 2010- 221 lbs
November 30, 2010- 213 lbs (34 lb loss for Thanksgiving, thats a lot to be thankful for)
December 28, 2010- 205 lbs (42 lb loss for Christmas would make it a very merry Christmas)
January 25, 2011- 197 lbs
February 22, 2011- 189 lbs (under 200 for valentines how sweet that would be)
March 22, 2011- 181 lbs
April 19, 2011- 173 lbs
May 17, 2011- 165 lbs (it would be nice to celebrate our 5 year anniversary with me at this weight)
June 14, 2011- 157 lbs
July 12, 2011- 149 lbs ( 2 days before my birthday what a wonderful birthday present to myself)
August 9, 2011- 141 lbs (this would be the smallest I have ever been)

Recommended Daily Allowances:
(not really a challenge but something I need to keep an eye on)
Calories: 1760 to lose 2 lbs a week
2260 to lose 1 lb a week
Fat: 64 grams
Fiber: 25 grams
Carbohydrates: 300 grams
Sugar: 40 grams
Protein: 50 grams
Sodium: 2400 milligrams

Exercise:

As you can see I have a new ticker on the right side of my screen now and it starts at 0 and goes to 160.  I have challenged myself to walk a 160 miles by New Years.

I have walked 32 miles so far in this challenge.

 

Weight Loss Contest:

Stephanie from http://unveilingthediva.blogspot.com/ is hosting a weight loss contest where you have to post a picture of yourself weighing in each Friday and at the end of 6 weeks she is giving a prize to the winner.  I have lost 5.4 lbs in the last 2 weeks on this challenge.

Hot 100 Challenge:

Steve from http://logmyloss.com/ is hosting the Hot 100 Challenge.  The Hot 100 is a challenge focused on the last 100 days of 2010 beginning September 23, 2010.  Here are my goals:

#1....This was my own personal challenge anyway so I'm adding it as my first goal here.....walk 160 miles by New Years.

#2....Continue to eat healthy and exercise so I can lose 20 lbs by New Years.  Beginning weight 235.4 lbs.

#3....Make it through the holiday season without falling back into old eating patterns.

Weekly Goals (9/29/10-10/5/10):

(my own personal goals)

1. Water- My goal has been to drink 128 oz of water a day but I still have not managed to accomplish this so that is my first goal this week.

2. Sugar- I posted yesterday about my sugar intake and how I was eating more than I should be and I got alot of feedback from fellow bloggers. Their recommendation was to watch the sugar content in the processed foods I eat so that is my next goal. I hope this next week to greatly reduce how much sugar I'm eating.

3. Fruits- I love fruits especially sweet fruits like bananas, apples and grapes but I have learned that fruits have alot of natural sugar in them so you do need to watch how much you eat so my goal this next week is to keep my fruit intake to a maximum of 1-2 servings per day.

4. Vegetables- I have always been a vegetable eater but I have had to learn to replace some of my carbs like macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes with vegetables instead. I am learning to try new vegetables that I've never had before to add some variety into my eating and vegetables really are good for you and help to fill you up. So my next goal for this week is to try at least one new vegetable and make sure I get my daily servings of veggies in.

5. Carbohydrates- This is probably one of my favorite types of foods, I mean who doesn't love macaroni and cheese and pasta dishes and breads but if you aren't careful these types of food can put alot of weight on you. So this next week I plan on really watching my intake of carbs.

6. Exercise- I have been doing really good at exercise but I am adding that as one of my goals so that I make sure I continue to get all of my exercise in. I am challenging myself to walk 5-6 days this week and at least 12 miles.

7. Soda- I have mainly been drinking water but I have been sneaking in a couple diet sodas a week and I want to set a goal to not drink any sodas this next week.

8. Fast Food- I try to pick the healthiest thing when I get fast food but like a friend pointed out to me no fast food is healthy. I'm only picking out the least unhealthy thing on the menu so this is definitely something I need to give up. So my last goal is to completely avoid fast food this next week.

Gettin Sexy Challenge:

Katie from http://katie-fttw.blogspot.com/ is hosting this challenge for the month of October. As part of the challenge I have to come up with a goal that will make me feel sexier by the end of October. So here are my goals and I'm choosing more than one because they all kind of go together.  Beginning weight for this challenge: 232.6 lbs


1. Exercise: I'm going to walk 50 miles.

2. Food: I'm giving up soda and fast food.

3. Weight: I'm going to lose 10 lbs.

I Refuse to Blow it Over the Holidays Challenge:
This challenge is being hosted by Erika at http://wwwfatlikeme.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html .  Its just a personal challenge not to overeat during the holidays.  You just keep track of how much weight you have lost from the first day of fall until after New Years.  My beginning weight was 235.4 lbs so I have lost 1.8 lbs so far in this challenge.

I know this seems like alot of goals and challenges but they all kind of fit together I just want to be able to update all of them on the same day to make it easier for me to remember.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 banana
                 1 cup skim milk
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts

Lunch- 2 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese and honey
            mustard on 2 slices whole wheat bread
            water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 apple

Dinner- 2 cups pinto beans

Snack- 1 granola bar

I know my eating wasn't the best today.  It wasn't that I overate I really didn't eat enough.  After dear hubby brought home fast food and I didn't have to fix dinner there really was nothing for me to eat but leftovers from last night.  I opened up the fridge to see what we had and all that was left was a greasy piece of meatloaf and my pot of pinto beans so I just ate a bowl of them.  I also haven't done good on my water today at all I've only drank 34 oz so far.  I finally gave in and had alittle sugar, I ate a granola bar but its ok.

I just walked 2.1 miles in 30 minutes around my neighborhood.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 34 oz
2. Sugar- had alittle
3. Fruit- 2 servings today
4. Vegetables- none
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 2.1 mil/30 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

It's Official

It's official "I want to kill my husband".....nah but not far from it.  He knows that I'm trying to lose weight and after he got off work he stopped by Wendy's and brought home 10 double stackers and 5 fries.  He walked in with two giant bags of food and the first words out of my mouth were "I know you didn't get me anything".  That may have sounded harsh but damn can he shove temptation in my face anymore than that.  So now my house smells like greasy burgers and fries and I have no idea what I'm going to eat for dinner.  Just venting alittle, sorry. 

Weight Loss Contest

Stephanie from http://unveilingthediva.blogspot.com/  is hosting a weight loss contest where you have to post a picture of yourself weighing in each Friday and at the end of 6 weeks she is giving a prize to the winner. Here is what my scale said this morning:

This isn't my official weigh in day thats not until Tuesday but I have lost 3.2 lbs since last Friday....yay for me....that's my biggest loss so far.  So thats a total of 5.8 lbs in two weeks for this challenge.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 banana
                 1 cup skim milk
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            water (16.9 oz)

Lunch- 2 slices turkey, 1 slice cheese and
            honey mustard on 2 slices whole wheat
            bread
            water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1 plum

Dinner- 2x2 inch piece meatloaf
            1 cup pinto beans
            1 cup broccoli
            1 cup yellow squash
            1 ear of corn
            water (16.9 oz)

Another good day of eating.  I have to say I made the best dinner tonight.  I made a pot of pinto beans and then I roasted broccoli, yellow squash and ears of corn in the oven.  I will never again boil any of these vegetables and I could have totally went without the meatloaf and not even missed it.  I meant to take a picture of my plate of food before I started to eat but before I knew it I had scarved it all down.

I just finished walking 2.1 miles in 30 minutes.

Now for my goals that I set for the week:
1. Water- 85 oz
2. Sugar- not a problem today
3. Fruit- 2 servings today
4. Vegetables- at dinner
5. Carbs- stayed within limits
6. Exercise- 2.1 mil/ 30 min.
7. Soda- none
8. Fast food- none

Gettin Sexy Challenge Goals

Katie from http://katie-fttw.blogspot.com/ is hosting this challenge for the month of October.  As part of the challenge I have to come up with a goal that will make me feel sexier by the end of October.  So here are my goals and I'm choosing more than one because they all kind of go together.

1.  Exercise:  I'm going to walk 50 miles.

2.  Food:  I'm giving up soda and fast food.

3.  Weight:  I'm going to lose 10 lbs.

Beginning weight for this challenge: 232.6 lbs
So there ya go my three goals for the next month.  If you would like to be part of this challenge I think you have to sign up by tomorrow so you may want to go visit her blog today.  Good luck to everyone who is participating in this challenge.

Photography Photos

I bought a used Canon 20D camera a couple weeks ago but I haven't had much time to really try it out so I went out this morning and took some pictures.  I thought I would share some of them with you.  I know a few of my fellow bloggers are photographers so if you have any critique don't hold back.  I am always willing to get advice and tips.  This is my first class in photography this semester and I'm loving everything I'm learning.  All of these pictures were taken at the place where I got married, its called Christian Tours and it located in Denver, NC.  Just click on any of the images if you would like to see a bigger version.

Blog Hop Time Again

Hot 100 Challenge Goals Update

Steve from http://logmyloss.com/ is hosting the Hot 100 Challenge. The Hot 100 is a challenge focused on the last 100 days of 2010 beginning September 23, 2010. If you would like to join in on this challenge just visit the blog above before October 1, 2010 and sign up. You can also find all of the rules for participating in this challenge on his blog. One of the rules of participation is to set 3 realistic goals that you can try to accomplish before the New Year. Here are my goals:

#1....This was my own personal challenge anyway so I'm adding it as my first goal here.....walk 160 miles by New Years.

When this challenge started on September 23, 2010 I had already walked 17.8 miles of the 160 miles I needed to accomplish this goal by New Years.  In the last week I have completed another 10.2 miles so as of right now I only have 132 miles to go to make my goal.  I plan on walking at least 12 miles this next week so I know I can make this goal by New Years.

#2....Continue to eat healthy and exercise so I can lose 20 lbs by New Years.

Since I began this challenge last week I have lost 1.8 lbs and when I stepped on the scale this morning I was down another pound so I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to accomplish this goal in the next 13 weeks.

#3....Make it through the holiday season without falling back into old eating patterns.

The holiday season isn't here yet and its definitely going to be a challenge but I'm confident I can make it through without overeating.

So there you have it my update for the last week that wasn't so hard.  Only 13 more weeks in this challenge and remember if you want to join you need to visit Steve's blog by tomorrrow and sign up.  Good luck to everyone who is participating in this challenge. 

Update:  I  just visited Steve's blog and he only needs 7 more people to join to hit 100 participants so if any of you would like to join now is the time.  I would love to see him get 100 people in this challenge since it is called the Hot 100 Challenge.  Good luck to you all.

Food and Exercise Journal

Breakfast- 1 1/2 cups bran cereal
                 1 banana
                 1 cup skim milk
                 water (16.9 oz)

Snack- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
            water (16.9 oz)

Lunch- 2 egg omelet w/ 1/3 cup mexican cheese,
           mushrooms, onions and topped w/ salsa
           water (16.9 oz)

Dinner- 1 small bowl chicken pie
            water (16.9 oz)

My eating has been really good today and I haven't been hungry at all. 

I know I need to exercise but once again its raining here and I face the dreaded treadmill so I will let you know what happens with that.

Now for my goals that I set for the week: 
1.  Water- 85 oz
2.  Sugar- not a problem today
3.  Fruit- 1 serving today
4.  Vegetables- at lunch and dinner
5.  Carbs- stayed within limits
6.  Exercise-  day off
7.  Soda- none
8.  Fast food- none