New Haircut, New Me

How amazing it is to feel like a completely different person just because I got ten inches cut off from my hair. I found a salon that advertised free highlights or color if you purchased a haircut and deep conditioning treatment. For my length (just below the chin), they charged $69 + tip. I thought, "What a deal!." Other salons in the area were charging $150-$250! They were a fairly new salon, and so they were offering great deals. I love my new hairstyle. It's so cute, that I just might post a pic of myself on this blog (with my face blurred or taken out). LOL.

I didn't eat much yesterday. The trip to the salon took up a lot of my day, so I wasn't really around food.

Breakfast:  1 small bagel, 2 TBS. nonfat cream cheese, 2 slices bacon

Lunch:  Campbell's Select Harvest Chicken Tortilla Soup, 5 saltines, 1 WW piece of cake

Snack:  14 almonds

Dinner:  Baja Fresh Mahi Mahi Baja Salad

I admit that I was hungry during the day, and I couldn't snack much. My twins were wanting MY food the entire time I ate, so they were eating my food. I worked out to "Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2" yesterday at 6 a.m.

Today's Menu

Breakfast: 2 corn tortillas, 1/3 cup cheese, 1 oz. roast beef

Snack:  7 almonds

Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 1 cheese square, 1 oz. roast beef

Snack:  7 almonds

Dinner:  shrimp and snowpeas stirfry and 1/2 cup rice

Dessert:  1 WW piece of cake

Workout

Jillian Michaels "Boost Metabolism" with friend S.

Dr. Oz's Rule #1 For Losing Weight:  7 Colorful Fruits and Vegetables a Day

Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, fruits and vegetables maintain your health and keep you young. Stock your diet with blueberries, spinach, broccoli, raspberries, strawberries, melon, carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes and peppers!

I hope you're having a happy and healthy day!

Forcing to Eat Breakfast

Do you ever have those days when you're not too hungry? I had one yesterday. For most of the day I wasn't hungry. No, I'm not lying. LOL.

Breakfast:  2 corn tortillas, 1/3 cup lowfat cheese, 2 oz. lean roast beef
Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 1/6 cup lowfat cheese, 2 pieces of bacon
Snack:  14 almonds
Dinner:  3 oz. chicken drumsticks with no skin, 1/2 cup potatos
Dessert:  1 bag of lowfat popcorn, 1 WW cake piece

I didn't even eat enough of my calories for the day! I was still full this morning when I woke up at 6 a.m. I didn't mean to wake up so early; Twin Girl usually wakes me up around this time, so my internal clock woke me up. I got in a super early "Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2" workout, drank plenty of water, and forced myself to eat 1 small wheat bagel with 2 TBS. fat free strawberry cream cheese. I wasn't hungry, but I knew I'd forget to eat breakfast if I didn't do it before I got the twins ready for the day. We're going to my mom's house today. My sis is babysitting while I go get my new fabulous haircut.

And now... a little wisdom from Dr. Oz:

"People who eat breakfast every day are thinner," he says. "Jump start your metabolism with breakfast—don't miss it!"

I hope you're having a happy and healthy day!

Once a Week... Do or Don't?

I have decided to change my weight loss rewards a little bit. I desperately need a haircut. My hair is down to my butt, and it isn't quite as full as it used to be before I had the twins. No, I'm not pulling my hair out when I'm having a bad day. LOL. It just got thinner as soon as I gave birth. Wierd, but true. It's also a lot more frizzy than it used to be. Oh, what we do to ourselves for the sake of motherhood! So I've decided to get my hair cut and get some highlights in the front this Friday. I'm VERY excited. It will be a nice day of pampering for me. If you'd like to see what I plan to reward myself for pounds lost, please look to the right column of my blog.

I was very happy about my 1.5 pounds loss. I was so happy that I decided to reward myself with... food. Actually, I don't look at it that way. I eat pretty healthy for breakfast and lunch, and I eat whatever I want for dinner and dessert on Tuesdays. Trainers and nutrionists would probably tell me that I would lose even more weight if I just stuck to my healthy meals throughout my entire journey, but I would be totally miserable. I don't want that for myself. Besides, I've been working out 6 days a week. I figured that if I have Tuesday night fun to look forward to, then I will be very very good Wednesday-Monday. It has worked for three weeks so far. I'll change it if it stops working for me. Once a week.. do you eat your favorite foods? Do or don't?

Yesterday I went to Krav Maga again. It was AWESOME! I learned how to get out of a situation if somebody puts me in a headlock going forward. I thought I would injure myself when my friend H and I took turns "falling" to the floor after the attacks, but I didn't. I do however have a little soreness in my neck, but it's nothing major. I have carrying Twin Girl this morning, and I noticed that my arms are starting to tone up. I can actually see a difference in my triceps and biceps. I love/hate those push-ups! I looked into Tae Kwon Do classes, and a Grand Master (9th level Black Belt) quoted me for $79 a month for lessons up to five days a week. I still don't know if that's what I want to do or continue with Krav Maga. Either one would give me a great workout, self confidence, security, and survival skills.

Today's Menu

Breakfast:  2 corn tortillas, 1/3 cup lowfat cheese, 2 oz. lean roast beef

Snack:  7 almonds

Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 1 WW cheese square, 1 hard boil egg

Snack:  14 almonds

Dinner:  2 baked chicken drumsticks without skin, 1/2 cup fried potatos in Pam spray

Dessert:  1 WW cake, 3 Clementines
Workout: Jillian Michaels "Trouble Zones"

I'll see you all here tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's a little tip I read from the Dr. Oz website.

How Can We Satisfy Sudden Food Cravings in a Healthy Way?

Dr. Oz answers...

"There will be times when you can't always control your hormone levels—when ghrelin (the hormone that signals hunger) outslugs your leptin (the hormone that signals fullness), and you feel hungrier than a lion on a bug-only diet. One of the ways is to develop a list of emergency foods to satisfy you when cravings get the best of you—things like V8, a handful of nuts, pieces of fruit, cut-up vegetables, or even a little guacamole."

Have a happy and healthy day!

Slowly But Steady

"In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure."   -Bill Cosby


This morning I weighed myself, and... I lost...1.5 pounds! That's pretty good for me, since I ate out twice not knowing how many points my dinner was, started my period yesterday, retaining water, and I ate whatever dinner I wanted last Tuesday. Life is full of obstacles when it comes to losing weight. Some obstacles are harder than others. My hardest obstacle:  portion control. I weigh, count out, and measure my food now, and it is a lot of work for every meal. The "up side" is that it's working! My husband thinks it's funny whenever I break out my food scale, but I don't care. It's helping me. Otherwise I would be eating the huge portions I have been eating for the past 5 years. I also sometimes use a smaller plate or even a bowl to trick my mind into thinking that I'm getting a lot of food. I eat slower now too. Eating slower is a struggle for me, since my twins are always wanting some of my food or wanting to sit in my lap when I'm eating. Sometimes to avoid that problem I eat when they're busy playing or napping.

Today I'm going for another free session of Krav Maga. A rise in home invasions in my city has really inspired me to learn about how to fight my way out of an attack. I may sound a little paranoid, but I'm always with my twins, and I want to be prepared to protect my family. I'm also thinking of getting licensed to possess a concealed weapon (gun). A good friend of the family teaches courses on guns, shooting, and gun safety. I think it's a "right" I'd like to practice. Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting a super duper tough butt-kicking workout today with my friend H. She rocks.

Today is Tuesday; therefore I will eat healthy stuff during the day and eat whatever I want tonight. On the menu for dinner is Thai. I can't wait!

I hope you're having a healthy and happy day!

Girl's NIght Out

How was your weekend? Mine was great!

Last Friday I went out with my mom, sister, and my sister's friend for dinner and a concert of some type. I'd rather not say which it was because it would DEFINITELY tell where I'm from. I want to remain as anonymous as possible when it comes to my weight loss journey. I know, I'm a chicken. I had a lot of fun, and I even ate sensibily. For dinner I had a grilled chicken caesar salad with dressing on the side. Thank goodness the chef remembered to put it on the side because it was REALLY creamy. One trick I learned from my friend, C, was to dip my fork into the dressing before spearing into my salad for a bite. That tricks my tongue that I have a lot of dressing on my salad. It works! Have you ever tried it? Around 11 p.m., right after the concert, I dropped off my mom and headed home. Only... I forgot to take my nightly medications! One of my medications needed to be taken with food. I brought it with me for dinner, but with all the fun I was having I forgot to take it. I was driving home, and the "naughty" inside me said, "Why don't you stop by Taco Bell or somewhere and pick up a little food to take with the medicine?" Bad, bad, bad! I didn't. I went straight home, ate a "Skinny Cow Fudge Bar," (1 pt.) and took my medicine. It must have worked because I didn't have an upset stomach in the middle of the night or this morning. Yay for me!

I had a pretty busy Saturday. I finally got to do Jillian Michaels's "Boost Your Metabolism" DVD. OH. MY. GOSH. It kicked my butt. It wasn't fast paced like cardio, but it was nonstop and every move was with a purpose. I had a hard time keeping up, and I thought I should've been able to do better. Oh well... all I have is time to get better, right? Later that night me and my family got to go to a baptism and ate at a new Greek restaurant. It's probably the best Greek restaurant I have ever been to. Their hummus was extraordinary! No, I just tasted a tiny bit. I had a Pomegranite Chicken Salad. It was delicious.


Saturday's Food
Breakfast:  1/4 cup white rice, 4 oz. oriental beef stir fry (last day it would've been good)
Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  4 oz. chicken marsala and 2 oz. penne
Snack:  7 almonds
Dinner:  Pomegranate Chicken and Spinach Salad (Greek food is sooo yummy!)

Thank you for your kind comments on my last post. My husband and I did listen to the Dave Ramsey CD's. If you haven't heard them, you should. He gives some common sense advice, and I think we'll be using them to help out our situation. We've finally figured out what we need to do. More on that later.

Sunday's Food
Breakfast:  2 corn tortillas, 2 oz. lean roast beef, 1/6 cup shredded lowfat cheese
Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 1 oz. lean roast beef, 1/6 cup shredded lowfat cheese
Snack:  7 almonds, 1 Western Bagel and 2 TBS. fat free strawberry cream cheese
Dinner:  3 oz. salmon and 2 cups fresh green beans (sooo yummy when they're fresh)
Dessert:  1 WW cake
Sunday was great! We went to church, relaxed, went for a walk with the double stroller, and spent time as a family. I was reminded that I have so much to be grateful for. My family is healthy, the twins are developing into wonderful little individuals, my husband's work is going well, I have family and friends who love and support us. We won't be in our home forever, but that is material. Family is forever.

One more day until my weekly weigh-in! For Tuesday night, I've requested that we go out to one of the yummy Thai restaurants we've been to before.

Today's Menu:
Breakfast:  2 corn tortillas, 2 oz. lean chicken, 1/6 cup cheese, salsa
Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 2 slices of bacon, 1/6 cup cheese
Snack:  7 almonds
Dinner:  2 oz. linguine carbonara with 2 oz. pancetta

Workout:  J.M.'s "Boost Your Metabolism" and "30 Day Shred"
I may be killing myself today, but weigh-in is tomorrow.

I hope your weekend was happy and healthy!

Some Sad News

My husband and I have been praying about some major decisions we have to make as a family. Today we've decided to file for bankrupcy. It wasn't supposed to go this way. We were supposed to raise our family in our current house and watch our twins grow up with the kids in our neighboring church. The "up side" is that we'll have a fresh start. There is a chance we might be able to rent out the exact model of our house that's at the street just behind us. To do this, we'd have to move quickly. We worked very hard to make a nice home for us here. We put down new carpet, travertine, and wood floors. Now we have to say "goodbye" to it. I need to remember that "home" is where your family is. As long as we're together, we'll be okay. Heavenly Father will take care of us. There are so many reasons why bankrupcy is the best option for us, I know. We are very upside-down on our current home and some land we invested in five years ago. We are also upside-down on our only car. We've cut down a lot of spending, but my husband is the only one working now. For me to go back to work isn't an option as the twins are barely 19 months old and no one in my family can watch them during the day. I just pray that everything will turn out okay.

Last night, I made Oriental Steak Stir Fry. It was delicious. It tasted just like my mom's recipe but without all the fat because I chose a leaner meat. It's definitely something I will make again. I think I'm going to start posting the recipes I like here, so you can try it too! I also did Cardio Bootcamp for one hour yesterday.

In a few minutes, I will be doing Turbo Jam Cardio Party for one hour.

I've had leftovers of the Oriental Steak Stiry Fry and 1/4 cup of rice today. As you can see, I don't eat "breakfast food" at breakfast. LOL.

I hope you're having a happy and healthy day.

Makes Sense to Me

Have you ever tried to explain one of the reasons why you're having a hard time losing weight (despite working out and watching what you're eating) to somebody and later felt like all they heard were excuses? It happens to me from time to time with my husband who has traditional beliefs about how people gain weight. My main reason? Stress. I eat and overeat and snack when I'm stressed. I just finished reading an article in the January/February 2010 edition of Weight Watchers Magazine. I'm not currently enrolled in their program, but I'm using the tools I learned from there from when I WAS successful losing 45 pounds. Dr. Mimi Guarneri, founder of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego, states,

"When you're under stress, your body produces cortisol, which is associated with diabetes, insulin resistance, and weight gain in the belly- all risk factors for heart disease."

How to fight it? The doctor suggests that we find ways to relieve stress. I've been fighting my stress with exercise lately. I can feel the difference for sure. I'm no longer irritated all the time. I don't get upset at everything so quickly. Big proof of this is when my stepkids came over for the weekend two weeks ago. I wasn't as stressed as I normally have been. I've also been getting a little bit more sleep (well... not the past couple of nights, thanks to Twin Girl), but more sleep in general. I also make sure that I have time to sit and veg out on some TV. It relaxes me after a long day with the twins and everything else I do to keep a home. My regular physician diagnosed me with this "cortisol" problem last summer. I've been put on 3 different meds to maintain a nice level, and I've started losing weight. The weight loss is due to being on meds, working out 5-6 times a week for at least one hour, eating right, and getting sleep. I hope you can figure out what you need to do to reach your goals. I'm no way near my goal weight, but I feel better where I'm at today than two weeks ago. Thank you for reading my blog and supporting my efforts.

Yesterday, I went to my mom's for the day and shopped at an Asian market. I was so proud of myself because there were so many snacks and food that I used to eat a lot of leisurely. Did I buy any? I bought a package of peanuts and a bottle of water. That's it. The rest of my purchases were for healthy meals for me and my family. I really feel good about that. We came home around 7 p.m., and I quickly made shrimp tacos. They were very yummy and quite healthy too! I found some yellow corn tortillas with half the fat and calories than the white bleached ones. I know... tortillas again. They're cheap, a lot come in a package, and I'm not sick of eating them with cheese yet! Dr. Oz did say that if you like something and it works, why change it just because you can? I'm sure I will change out the menu when I get sick of it. The problem is my husband. He's more of a foodie than I am, and he doesn't like to eat the same thing too much. He doesn't even like eating leftovers unless it's absolutely necessary (meaning I haven't grocery shopped). I know. He's spoiled.

Today I've had:
*2 corn tortillas, 1/3 cup WW cheese, 1 oz. lean roast beef

Later I'll have:
Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 1/3 cup WW cheese
Snack:  7 almonds
Dinner:  oriental beef stir fry with peppers and 1/2 cup white rice
Dessert:  1 WW lemon creme cake (These are yummy!)

Have a happy and healthy day!

Thank You!

Thank you, Miss Haneefa, for my first blog award!

1. Copy this image and display it on your blog.
2. List 10 things that make you happy.
3. Try to do at least one of them today.
4. Pass this along to 10 bloggers that brighten your day.

Ten Things That Make Me Happy
1.  cuddling with my twins
2.  watching movies with my hubby
3.  going to church with my family
4.  serving others
5.  working out
6.  saving money
7.  find great deals on clothes/shoes
8.  popcorn
9.  hanging out with my mom and sisters
10.  making a new friend

Ten Blogs That Brighten My Day
Hollie's Weight Loss Blog
Amberly's Weight Loss Journey
Eat. Sleep. Get Fit.
Endurance Isn't Physical
Black Girl Gets Fit
The Token Fat Girl
Chasing Christina
Just a Girl
One Step Closer
Chasing Christina


I woke up at 3:30 a.m. today. Twin Girl decided that she wanted to sleep with Mommy. I know that's not good parenting, but I can't help it when I am exhausted. The same thing happened yesterday. I really need to get to bed by 10:00 p.m. every night. If you're a mom, you know that isn't easy. The best time to get anything done is when the kids are asleep. I had a lot to do last night since the twins went to bed at 8 p.m.

*finish laundry
*grocery shop
*pack my lunch
*pack the twins' lunch and dinner
*pack the twins' bag for tomorrow
*dishes and clean the kitchen
*pack my workout clothes

It took me 3 hours to get all this done, and I couldn't help but watch Anakin turn into Darth Vader. I went to bed at 11 p.m. I have decided to work on these goals even though the week is half over. Of course, these are on top of my health and weight loss goals for the week.

*Go to bed by 10 p.m.
*Read my book:  The Lost Symbol.

Health Goals:
*Drink more water.
*Work out at least 1 hr 5 days a week.
*Lose 1-2 pounds weekly.

Have I mentioned that my hubby is also trying to lose weight? He says he wants to lose 30 pounds. He swims it off. I mean that. It literally just comes off of him quickly. It's not fair. It's not fair that men can burn it off faster than women do. Enough of my pity party.

Last night, I treated myself with a great dinner. I've decided to eat what I want for dinner and even a dessert following on the day that I weigh myself. That's every Tuesday. I don't feel guilty at all. I figured that I need to let myself have a treat, so I don't completely give up on this journey. I did this for the past two weeks, and I still lost weight.

So far today I have been on track. I had a small bagel with lowfat cream cheese and two slices of bacon. I had tons of water during and after my kickboxing workout. I'm at my mom's house for the day, and I brought my DVD with me. I forgot to pack my workout clothes, of course. No problem though because I just borrowed a T-shirt and shorts from my mom's closet. I feel great about today. I'm not feeling the hunger that usually comes at me like a ton of bricks every day.

Have a happy and healthy day!

A Little at a Time

I was scared to go on my scale this morning. Why? It could be because of
*my mom's birthday dinner last Tuesday
*late night dinner after Krav Maga class on Wednesday
*Saturday night's "date night" extravaganza with  a delicious apple tart and caramel drizzled vanilla ice cream

The outcome? 2 pounds lost! Woohoo! I was shocked. I'm so happy. I can even admit I feel "lighter" somehow. I worked out 6 out of 7 days last week!

Monday: cardio bootcamp 1 hr.
Tuesday:  free weights for 1 hr.
Wednesday:  Krav Maga 1 hr. and free weights 1 hr.
Thursday:  body sculpt 1 hr.
Friday:  Bosu 1 hr.
Saturday:  30 min. treadmill and 30 min. elliptical
Sunday:  rest!!!

I'm enjoying working out. I even wake up excited to see how much I can push myself and "feel" it come off as I work out. I hope this feeling stays with me throughout this journey. I just purchased Jillian Michaels' 3 set DVD yesterday. I can't wait to get them in the mail because I know they're gonna kick my butt. This blog has really helped me stay accountable. One of the best parts is... it's FREE! I did some serious thinking and praying lately. I've changed my goal weight to 120 pounds. Why the change? I checked my BMI, and it would be at a healthier (not on the cusp) range if I lost an extra five pounds. I know it'll be a harder challenge, but I think I'm up to it. I also checked my fat ratio. At 163 pounds, it was at 50%. That's right. I double and triple checked. It's crazy. Today? It's 42% . It's still bad, but I lost 8% body fat in two weeks. That's quite an accomplishment for me. At 163 pounds, I was considered obese. I never knew that. I've now lost 7 pounds. I'm now under the "overweight" range. I can't look back anymore. I have my husband and my twins to look forward to every day. You can do it too.

What kinds of workouts do you do? How do you stay motivated?

Have a happy and healthy day!

Hmmm... Dessert!

I didn't intend to work out on Saturday, but I did! It felt great! I actually went to our clubhouse and went on the treadmill for 30 minutes and on the elliptical for another 30 minutes. I just put on my ipod and there I went. There's nothing like "old school" LL Cool J and The Black Eyed Peas to get you moving and forgetting the amount of time you had to be on the machines. I wished I had my ipod earlier in life. It's so much better than my old CD walkman. I could switch songs, shuffle albums... it was fun!

Here are all the food I ate this weekend!

Saturday
Breakfast:  2 tortillas, 1 oz. deli lean roast beef, 1/6 cup cheese (4 pts)
Snack:  7 almonds (1 pt)
Lunch:  7 ounces of Shiratake noodles, 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce with 4 oz. lean ground turkey (4 pts)
Snack:  14 almonds (2 pts)
Dinner:  salmon caesar salad, 3 crab stuffed shrimp, 1/2 of apple tart and 1/2 scoop of ice cream (I think I overdid it here, but 1 hour later, my stomach felt okay... not too full.) We'll have to see what happens when I weigh in on Tuesday morning. That apple tart was delicious!
I heard about Shiratake noodles from the Raechel Ray show. I thought I would try them because it's low on carbs, no fat, and low on calories. We're talking under 25 calories for 9 ounces! The verdict? They don't taste like anything, so you definitely have to use a yummy but healthy sauce on them. They're quite gummy too. All in all, not bad. I bought a package for $2.99 plus tax for one meal. That's pretty good considering I would've spent almost $10 for lunch if I went out for it.

Sunday
Breakfast:  1 sweet wheat bagel, 1 oz. roast beef, 1 TBS lowfat cream cheese (4 pts)
Snack:  7 almonds (1 pt)
Lunch:  Turkey Swiss and Pear Wrap (5 pts)
Snack:  7 almonds (1pt)
Dinner:  1/2 cup spaghetti sauce, 4 oz. ground turkey, 2 oz. wheat pasta (7 pts)
Snack:  1 bag of light popcorn with white cheddar powder (2 pts)

Sundays are long days for me. We have church and don't even let me get started on how long it takes to get myself ready and the twins! I've been finding that the Weight Watchers cookbooks that I bought almost 7 years ago are pretty good. I think I only tried two recipes from them before, but now I'm enjoying going through and picking which ones are gonna be dinner for the following week. Being home and not working has definitely worked to my advantage when it comes to planning my meals. Now everyone can eat healthy and enjoy the meals too. Did I mention that I LOVE to plan things? Now I'm actually enjoying the "meal planning." My husband and I are total "foodies." Did I mention that? It's a lot easier now to cut back on eating out for health reasons because we've been "cutting back" on a lot of our expenses.

So far today, I've had

Breakfast:  1 bagel, 1/2 oz. cream cheese, 2 slices of bacon (4 pts)
Snack:  Weight Watchers lemon snack cake (1 pt)

I'm planning on having a lowfat gyro for lunch and dinner (each at 5.5 pts) and 14 almonds to snack on (2 pts). I weigh in tomorrow morning around 9:00 a.m. Wish me luck! I'm hoping for a 2 pound loss. It'll be interesting. Even one pound would be good. I can still se the replica of a pound of fat that I held once at a Weight Watchers meeting. It was pretty gross, but it made me feel better that I lost that small, yet yucky pound!

I hope you're doing well on your goals. Have a happy and healthy day!

Yay! Finally Some Good Sleep!

I finally got some good sleep last night! No one woke up with a leaking diaper and wet clothes. Do you know what a relief that is? That means I slept through the night too! Let me recap my day yesterday.

Breakfast:  2 corn tortillas, 2 oz. lean roast beef, 1/6 cup cheese
Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 2 oz. lean roast beef, 1/6 cup cheese
Dinner:  roasted chicken pannini with sweet peppers, fresh basil leaves, and balsamic vinegarette dressing
Liquids:  tons of water throughout the day, 2 cups country peach tea

I have finally learned how to get rid of that "I'm still hungry" feeling between my meals. Dr. Oz mentioned on his show yesterday that the brain can't decipher whether you're hungry or thirsty sometimes. He said to drink a glass of water if you feel hungry between your meals. The brain will be tricked into thinking it got what it needed. I've tried this, and it works! I've also learned to enjoy tea. I just choose the fruity herbal teas, and I have this as a "treat" at night. I use Splenda or another non-sugar sweetener. It's also kind of nice as a "wind down for the night" drink. Have you tried this trick before? Have you tried the handful of almonds trick yet? If you have a great tip for getting rid of that hungry feeling between your meals, please put it in my comments form. I'd love to hear your success with it.

So far, I've had

Breakfast:  2 corn tortillas, 1 oz. lean roast beef, 1/6 cup cheese.
I'm also working out with a bootcamp show I taped (after this post).

I'm planning to have:

Snack:  7 almonds
Lunch:  2 corn tortillas, 2 oz. lean roast beef, 1/6 cup cheese (This is the last of my corn tortillas. I bought some Western Bagels and lowfat cream cheese that I'll start having for breakfast this weekend.)
Snack:  7 almonds
Dinner:  2 oz. linguine with 1/4 oz. pancetta and lowfat cream sauce, 2 oz. roasted garlic ciabatta
liquids:  lots of water, peach tea
I'm planning on going to my clubhouse gym tomorrow while my hubby watches the twins for an hour.

As I mentioned before, I probably won't be able to post on Saturday or Sunday. Weekends are busier than weekdays for me. I know. It's quite the opposite around here. I guess that's the life of a SAHM of twins. I will post again on Monday and let you know how I did over the weekend.

Have a happy and healthy day!

Krav Maga Kicks Butt!

Last night I went to my friend's Krav Maga class. I met another friend there too. H (my friend) has really transformed her body into a lean fighting machine. I know if I took classes 3-4 times a week like she has for almost a year that my body would probably be amazing too. I could probably eat basically what I wanted also! The only drawback for me is that money is tight right now; I'm a stay-at-home-mom with no form of extra income; and no one can watch the twins during the class times. I have a HUGE fear of letting anyone but my husband, mom, or sisters watch the twins. The cost is $100 a month. I have always wanted to learn how to defend myself in case of anything, and Krav Maga was right up in that alley. They teach you anything from fighting someone with a weapon to kicking a guy in the groin to get away from them. It's awesome. I just can't afford it. Maybe I'll call around and see if I could compare prices with other martial arts disciplines/classes. I think it's worth the time.

So Krav Maga kicked my butt. I learned how to punch the right way. I learned how to make fists the right way. I learned how to stand like a fighter. I also learned how to kick someone in the groin and mean it. It was awesome. I sweat the entire time. It hurt the entire time. It felt great. It felt so good that I was exhausted and wanted to throw up right after. I haven't felt that tired in a long time (from a workout I mean).

This is what I ate yesterday.
Breakfast: 2 tortillas, 1/6 cup cheese, 2 oz. deli sliced roast beef
Lunch:  2 tortillas, 1/6 cup cheese, 2 oz. deli sliced roast beef, Olive Garden house salad, 1 serving of Zupa Toscana (Did I overdo it?)
Snack:  14 almonds
Dinner:  steak salad with cheese and 1/2 cup Spanish rice

I was starving right after Krav Maga. I didn't have dinner yet, but I was still full from my HUGE lunch before I went to the class. I may have overdone it at lunch, but I totally burned it off at the class. If you have Krav Maga in your area, give it a try. You might enjoy punching and kicking things so much that you'll forget you're exercising. Well, I'm off to do a Bosu workout for one hour and maybe dance for 30 minutes. So far I've had


Breakfast: 2 tortillas, 1/6 cup cheese, 2 oz. deli sliced roast beef

(will have lunch 30 minutes after 7 almonds) Lunch: 2 tortillas, 1/6 cup cheese, 2 oz. deli sliced roast beef

By the way, I finally put a picture of me here. I hope it motivates me every day to kick butt on my workouts and eat right.

Have a happy and healthy day!

No More Buffets for a While... A Long While

Yesterday was my mom's 59th birthday. She looks great for her age. We're blessed with great genes. Wrinkles don't come along until you're in your 40's. Lucky for me, I've still got a few years until that happens.  For a very long time I always thought my mom was 38. She never got older than that. I don't know why. I'm looking forward to my birthday this year. It's February 25. I have a lot to celebrate. I'm feeling confident that I'll be at least another 5 pounds lighter by then.

Last night we went to an Asian buffet. Let me just tell you it took a LOT of will power to stay away from white rice and noodles. I salovated at the sight of fried rice. I had some pot stickers, shrimp, crab, and LOTS of sauteed green beans. Actually, I ate about 2 cups of green beans BEFORE I touched the rest of stuff on my plate. Did I mention how difficult it is to eat with the twins? I have to remind myself to get a separate plate for them. Otherwise, I don't see what I've put in my mouth. It's very easy to overeat too because you're doing too many things to pay attention to your eating.

I found a healthy breakfast that I like! It's quite filling, and it's only 5 points!
2 corn tortillas:  2 points
2 oz. light roast beef deli slices:  2 points
1/6 cup of cheddar cheese:  1 point

I'm planning on having the same for lunch.
2 corn tortillas: 2 points
2 oz. light roast beef deli slices: 2 points
1/6 cup of cheddar cheese: 1 point

I'm trying out a new class tonight. It's called "Krav Maga." It's an Israeli self defense course. I'm not planning on taking future classes. I just wanted to see what my friend is so excited about. She loves it so much that she became an instructor. I think it's great that she found something that keeps her mind and body in shape that she loves.
 
I'm at my mom's house again, so I don't have my workout equipment. I saw that my old weights are still here, so I think I'm going to go and do some toning and strengthening exercises for 30 minutes. I'm sure Krav Maga is going to kick my butt tonight. I expect it to. I'm excited, but I'm also a little scared. I hope I don't hurt myself. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments. It means a lot to me. I hope you're having a happy and healthy day!

Buh-bye 5 Pounds!

This morning was a little crazy. Twin Girl woke up at 4 a.m. because she was soaking wet. Her diaper leaked... again. I hate it when that happens because for sure I would have to change my clothes too from having to carry her down the stairs to change her. I felt so bad for her because she was so upset. I couldn't bring her back into the nursery while Twin Boy was still asleep. For sure she would've woken him up by her crying. So what did I do? We slept on the couch after one episode of "Yo Gabba Gabba." She LOVES that show.

3 hours later...

I weigh myself.

158 pounds.

I lost 5 pounds this week! That's the most I've lost in a long time. I'm so happy and proud of myself. All the hours of working out this week was worth it. Starting this blog so far has been a positive experience for me. I'm glad I started it. Thank you for reading my posts and helping me be accountable.

Today I had 2 corn tortillas, 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese, and fat-free turkey slices. Doing good so far! I'm running errands today, so I'll have to find a healthy choice for lunch. Wish me luck! By the way, I bought a 30 pack of corn tortillas. That's why I'm eating it almost everyday. It has 3 grams of fiber for every 2 tortillas, so it fills me up.

Have a happy and healthy day!

A Little Nervous

I will be weighing myself tomorrow morning. I'm a little nervous. I lost 6 pounds the first week during the time I was really serious about losing weight. That was 7 years ago. It should be interesting now that I'm 7 years older, busier, sleep-deprived, at risk for diabetes and high cholesterol. I admit that I have a lot of challenges against my hopes of being healthy, but I know what I'm doing (eating better, working out) is A WHOLE LOT BETTER than nothing at all. "Nothing at all" was me a week ago tomorrow.

I ate pretty good for dinner. I had some chicken and rice. I stayed within my points goal of 22. I probably could've eaten more this week, but I wanted to be conservative and see how many pounds I could lose this first week.

All in all, I feel great! I had a little headache today, but I think it's just my neck. I've been in two car accidents in my life that have messed up my neck and back. I have chronic neck and shoulder pain. I've been to chiropractors, and the only technique that worked for me was NUCCA. It's a specialized chiropractic practice that doesn't involve the "popping" you normally experience with other chiros. It's just a small adjustment of your atlas (small bone at the base of your skull). It's amazing. I should probably go back and get an adjustment. Anyway, my neck and shoulders hurt any time I have to do crunches. And I've been doing so many this week! I was hoping I could put pilates into my workout, but my neck would never stand a chance.

I won't be working out tomorrow. It's my mom's birthday tomorrow, and we're all going to a buffet. Scary. I think I'll be going to the salad bar and seafood section. I indulged only once this week. That was Saturday's brownie and ice cream. Did I forget to mention that? I was at a friend's house for dinner, and I felt bad saying "no." I need to get better at that.

I'll see you all tomorrow. Good night.

No More Apologies

I have figured out after just one week that I'm bad at posting during the weekend. I have decided that I won't post at all or even attempt to on the weekends. It's too hard. I have the twins, family, possibly a date night, church, etc. So I won't.

I will tell you this. Even though my stepkids were here and stressed me out the last two hours of their visit, I did GREAT! It could be because I hardly saw much of them. They were either outside or in their rooms playing with all of the Christmas presents they received from my side of the family.

I ate really healthy. I didn't go over my points, and I wasn't hungry! I don't remember how long it took me to stop feeling hungry when I was successful with Weight Watchers. I know this time that the hunger came for 3 days and so did my headaches. I think it was because I was eating so much sugar and carbs the days before I started this challenge.

So far today, I've eaten:
2 corn tortillas
1 egg yolk and 2 egg whites
7 almonds
tons of water

I plan on having 4.5 oz. of chicken with 2 tortillas, 2 Tbsp. light sour cream, salsa, and sugar free punch for lunch.
Dinner (with 7 almonds 30 min. before) will be chicken stir-fry and a SMALL portion of white rice. I'm planning on eating more veggies than rice. It keeps me fuller!

GREAT TIP:  I'm readng Dr. Oz's You on a Diet, and he suggests that eating a handful of nuts or a slice of whole grain bread 30 min. before having lunch or dinner will keep you "full" enough to where you don't gorge yourself at your meal. That's a problem I've had in the past. Have you ever heard yourself or anyone else say, "I'm starving! I can't wait to eat." right before lunch or dinner? I know I have! That's me!  Dr. Oz is a genius! It totally makes sense.

I was so excited to work out today that I worked out for 2 hours! I know every day will not be like this, but I just wanted to share that with you. I did a workout inspired by an Indian dance. I DVR'd it from FitTV. I love that network. After one hour of that, I did an "Allstar workout" from FitTV again (one sculpting).

I feel great! One of the perks of blogging about this challenge is that it's free! I didn't have to pay money for a meeting or membership where others track my progress. I'm in charge, and you hold me accountable. Thank you for reading about me.

I weight myself tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!
Have a healthy day!

So Far Not Bad

So my stepkids are here for the weekend. I'm feeling okay right now. They just really stress me out. I'm doing good as far as not stressing out right now.

So far I've had:

1 1/2 eggs (2 egg whites and 1 yolk), 1 flour tortilla, and salsa.

I'm planning on having a bean burrito.
-1/2 cup fat free refried beans
-2 corn tortillas
-salsa

I'll get back tonight. I hope you're having a healthy day!

Great Day and Night!

So today went great!

I worked out doing the Tae-Bo Cardio. I think it's about 45 minutes.

I ate 20 points today. I should eat the last two points, but I'm full. I think I was too frugal with my points the whole day, so I ended up being too full when I tried to eat the rest of my points. That's a learning experience, I guess. For dinner I had Shredded Pork tostadas. No, the corn tortillas were not fried. I wish! It was pretty good. Very filling. I had two servings. I think the 1/2 cup of fat-free refried beans filled me up.

It might be pretty stressful for the next couple of days. Hubby brought his children here for the weekend. I get very stressed out when they're here. I will do my best to stay focused, and let you know how it goes tomorrow night.

I hope you're doing well on your goals!

Feeling Great

I had a great day yesterday.

45 minutes of bootcamp on Fit TV. Done.
20 points eating healthy food. Done. I know I went under the 22, but it's okay.
30 minute walk with double jogging stroller. Done.

I forgot to mention that during the holidays I (like most people, I'm sure) binged on sugar. I lived and breathed sugar from Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. I guess a headache for 3 days straight was my punishment right after I started eating healthy just four days ago. The good news? I don't have a headache today. My thighs and buns hurt a bunch from bootcamp yesterday, but I'm feeling good overall. Today I'm working out with a Bosu ball. It's that funny looking half-ball thing that makes you use your core muscles when you work out. It's pretty fun once you get the hang of balancing on top of it. Wish me luck!

I hope you're doing well on your goals!

Oops! I Did it Again!

Okay... I need to get consistent on blogging EVERY DAY.

Yesterday was great!
Breakfast:  I had a slice of toast with Brommel and Brown spread. 2.5 pts.
Lunch:  tuna (soaked in water) with 1 Tbsp. real mayo and rommaine leaves (actually pretty good and filling):  4 pts.
Dinner:  4.5 oz. baked chicken and 2 oz. fried potatoes:  7.5 pts.
Snack:  2 flour tortillas with 1 Tbsp. Brommel and Brown:  8 pts.

In the morning I worked out with my friend, S. We did the "Biggest Loser" body sculpting workout. It was fun having a workout partner. We're getting together again next week. Today I am planning on Tae-Bo. It's always been a great one to go back to when I want to lose the weight.

I made my 22 points allowance yesterday! I am very sore, but I am very happy and pleased with myself!

On the menu today:
Breakfast:  a slice of toast with Brommel and Brown spread. 2.5 pts.
Lunch:  2 drumsticks without the skin, green beans:  2 pts.
Dinner:  4.5 oz.stirfry chicken with veggies and 3/4 cup white rice:  9 pts.

I'll let you know how it goes. I hope you're doing well on your goal!

Oops!

Okay, how bad is it that I already forgot to post when I've only started three days ago? I'm sorry. I am. Well, let me tell you about yesterday then.

I was bad. Very bad.

I had two sodas, fried Chinese chicken, fried rice, bbq pork, peanut butter fudge, a super cheesy grilled cheese sandwich, white rice, and a carnita sopa. A carnita sopa is like a thick corn tortilla with meat on top. It was good. Very good.

So today... I worked out for 45 minutes. I did "Turbo Jam." I had fun doing it and trying to avoid my crying toddlers at the same time. Maybe if I am consistent about working out while they're playing they'll get used to it and stop asking me to carry them the entire time. They were good and played with each other during the last 15 minutes (which was sadly the cooling down part). Maybe it'll go better tomorrow. I did work up a sweat and my heart was racing. Yay for me!

I have decided to do "Weight Watchers" on my own. If you haven't heard of this, ask anyone who has joined WW in the past. It's easy to follow the program. It's just hard to stay on it when you don't actually go to the meetings. I don't want to spend money at live meetings and/or the online meetings. Hopefully, it'll work this time. I've tried it in the past, but I think I'm more determined about getting healthy this time around. My daily points goal is 22.

What I've eaten today so far:
1 slice of toast:  2
1 Tbsp. Brommel and Brown spread:  1
2 oz. wheat spaghetti:  3
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce with meat: 5

I'm doing pretty good today. I've already downed 2 glasses of water, and I feel great.

I hope you're doing well on your goal!

First Day

I think I'm running on about 4 hours of sleep today. I was silly and went to bed last night around 11:30 p.m. Twin Girl woke me up at 1:30 a.m. She kept waking up throughout the night even when I was laying next to her. To make matters worse, Twin Boy also was waking up through the night. I'm thinking they'll be really tired today and sleep better tonight. Let's hope, anyway! This morning I had a piece of bread and water. I didn't plan that. For lunch, I had a taco salad (boiled chicken, rommaine, dressing, cheese, flour tortilla) and a diet caffeine-free Pepsi. You're probably saying, "Why bother with that type of Pepsi?." Well... we have four more cans left over, so I might as well finish it. Other than being sleepy, I'm feeling pretty good about my goal. I just have to remind myself that all I need to lose this month is five pounds. I'm planning on a brothy soup for dinner. I think I'm doing good. Tomorrow I'll be walking the twins around the mall while I window shop and return/exchange Christmas presents. It should be fun! I hope you're doing great on your goal!

I'm giving up soda until August starting Tuesday! I'm going to drink 6 glasses of water a day.

It's me!

This blogger promises to:

*write every day about how good or bad she was at making her weight and health goal.

*be honest about how hard or easy it has been.

*never give up.

My Goal: get to 125 pounds by August 2010 (losing 38 pounds)

I know that seems so far away and probably isn't pushing me hard enough, but come on now. I take care of everything in my house. I have 18 month old twins who need me constantly and who haven't been sleeping through the night. What's up with that anyway? They slept through the night from 3 months- 16 months. I don't know what happened. Working out is going to be interesting too. I'm thinking that I might have to do it with the twins playing near me... in the same room... That'll be interesting for sure.

I figured that I will need to lose 5-6 pounds a month.

I plan on working out 5 days a week. This could be anything from fast-paced walking, running, kickboxing, or weight training. Did I mention I'm doing this around my toddlers? Oh, except for the walking and running. I'll have to go to my clubhouse to do that. I don't have a treadmill at my house.

I know I can lose this weight because I've done it before. I joined Weight Watchers almost 7 years ago and lost 45 pounds in 5 months. This was before I met my husband. It'll be harder now with my lifestyle, but with my family and friends cheering me on I know anything is possible.

Day 1 starts tomorrow. I thought the new week is a great time to start!
I'm very excited to lose it. Wish me luck! I'll see you all tomorrow.