Are We Interested in This Blog in the New Year?

Okay folks, the new year is almost here. It's time to make those resolutions. I'm sure most of us are going to resolve to lose weight in the new year. If you are interested in continuing this blog, please post a comment.

Anybody Out There?

I don't think anyone has posted for over a year.

Do you think that we should start posting on this blog again?

So I'm not the only one who has neglected this blog...

I was feeling guilty and thinking I had disappeared on everyone, but it looks like all of the posters have been busy lately. Despite my lack of posts, I have been working at losing weight and I've almost lost 5 pounds. We started a Biggest Loser contest at school, so now I have some extra incentive. I'm still following the Abs Diet and using Sparkpeople.com. I absolutely love that site-it is full of wonderful resources.

I hope that everyone is doing well. I'll try to put up some posts in the next couple of days and possibly post a recipe or two.

MB

I know, I have been terrible about posting! The rain and fog have lifted in my little town as of today, and I went for what I hope is the first of many spring bike rides. I got a super-cute basket for my bike on the Ebay--it's a Nantucket-style weave with a wooden bottom. So, my bike looks adorable and I need to get out there a lot. Holding steady on the weight, but since my last baby, my tummy area is not tight. :( I need to work on this!

WHERE IS EVERYONE?

Okay folks, where are you? I know, I've been bad about posting also.

Since my last post, I have not lost a pound. I've been trying to be so good, but the pounds just won't come off. I think now that daylights savings time and spring weather is here, I will start walking more. I need to get my butt in gear and start exercising. I don't want to end up with bad joints and flabby muscles for the remainder of my life.

Preppy Engineer seems to be doing a good job. What about the rest of us?

I weighed this morning and I lost another pound. I was hoping that I would be further along in my weight loss, but I'm going to be patient. If I could lose 5-7 pounds by Easter, I would be proud. I hope I can do that. I'm going to try very hard and not mess up. If I lose the weight, I'm going on a shopping spree in the LL Bean catalogue and order some chino capris. I'm tired of keeping mine belted tight so that they don't fall off. I think I deserve them.

I noticed that we have added another follower. Welcome!

Weight Watchers Week 6

I weighed this morning and I have lost another two pounds. That makes a grand total of 12.5 pounds. I have a long way to go but that is a super start. I still need to add some exercise. I really am going to work on that this week. I have continued to eat out quite a bit but with planning. I just have to work everything in to my daily points. I had a cupcake this week but I accounted for it. And the saga continues...

I weighed this morning and I have lost 2 pounds in the past two weeks. In a way, I was dissappointed, but it could have been worse. I could have stayed the same. My mother and I were going to stay at church and eat afterwards tomorrow, but she and her friend are having second thoughts. We decided to go to a restaurant and eat. That will be good. I was afraid that if I stayed and ate a church, I would mess up my diet. I like going out to lunch after church, even if it is just to Wendy's.

Weight Watchers Week 5

I lost 2.5 pounds this week. I was able to get back on track. I gained 3 pounds on my trip to Charleston so I was glad to get rid of most of it this week. It is going slowly but if I can keep this up and still live my life eventually I will get there!

Well, I'm holding steady, weight-wise. I'm doing pretty well with my eating and have been real busy with just ordinary stuff...I don't have much new to report but wanted to check in. I have a migraine today and that makes it hard to come up with anything interesting to say...I will try to do better soon! Hope all of you are doing great with your dieting efforts.

I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a week, but there's been nothing really to post. Friday, I got out the tape measure and measured the key areas of my body. I had shrunk! I was excited.

Since I was a little smaller, I decided to do what I call "shopping in my closet". I took out seven of my favorite wool skirts from Talbots and Pendleton. I tried them on. The results: four of them I can wear, two of them I can almost wear, and one was a definite "NO WAY". The one I couldn't wear went back into the closet. I feel like I have some new clothes to wear. I need to pick out tops to wear with them. I'm going to wear the four definites this week and then see about the almosts next week. When I say I can almost wear, I mean that they fit okay, but I would like for them to be a little looser.

Yesterday, I splurged a little bit at the bingo fundraiser. I ate lots of ham, baked beans that had been made with brown sugar, a roll with butter, a 3/4" square brownie and a 3/4" raspberry bar cookie. I worked hard while I was there, so I feel that I burned off the extra calories. Afterwards, I went to Barnes and Noble and parked a good distance away.

Everyone needs to post an update. If you haven't been as successful as you would like, you have a support team here to motivate you along.

I lost 4 pounds! YAY! I was afraid that I was stuck. I have been working so hard. I was afraid that I would be disappointed this morning, but I wasn't. If I can stay focused for 2 more weeks, maybe I can lose 4 more pounds. I can really tell it in my clothes.

Portion size

As a treat, today I stopped in at Panera in Green Hills to pick up lunch...I was running some errands and I wanted half of a turkey sandwich to eat on the drive home. The drive home is one and a half hours, and I'd planned for the baby to nap the whole time...peaceful drive, quiet lunch, who could ask for anything more?. They somehow messed up my order and gave me a whole sandwich. It.was.huge. Maybe my 9-inch plates are really helping me adjust portion size, but I ate half of that sandwich and wow, that was a lot of food. I put the other half in the fridge, and the chips in the pantry when I got home. It seems like restaurants give you so much, and it is hard to resist, though.

We have 14 followers and an average of about 20 visitors a day. I think that is pretty good for a new blog.

I think everyone is doing good with their new eating plans. I am sticking with mine. I have been on South Beach since December 29 and I have really stuck with it. The scales don't show it, but the tape measure and my clothes do. I am so glad that my clothes are fitting better.

Keep up the good work.

Your 5 Eat-Right Rules

I was looking through an older issue of Prevention Magazine, and I came across these five guidelines. They really go along with the methods that I am using to lose weight, so I thought I would post them.

Your 5 Eat-Right Rules (Prevention Magazine, May 2008)

Rule 1-Stick To 1,500 Calories A Day
If you weigh more than 200 pounds, increase your daily intake to 1,700 calories by ading a single 200 calorie snack or two 100-calorie snacks, or by increasing your protein serving at lunch and dinner to 4 ounces (see rule 3).

Rule 2-Eat Every 4 Hours
Going longer can send your blood sugar and energy levels plummeting and leave you more vulnerable to making poor eating choices. Each day you'll have a 400 calorie breakfast, 300 calorie lunch, and 500 calorie dinner, plus a 100- and 200-calorie snack.

Rule 3-Have 3 Ounces of Protein for Lunch and Dinner
Eat up to 4 ounces if you're on a 1,700-calorie plan.

Rule 4-Watch Snacks
Instead of grabbing a bagel or pastry midmorning or hitting the vending machines around 3 pm, schedule healthy snacks for these high-hunger times. You can eat them between any meals or after dinner.

Rule 5-Drink Often
Many people mistake thirst for hunger, and staying hydrated helps keep your metabolism in high gear. Choose naturally calorie-free beverages such as water, sparkling water, herbal or black tea, and coffee; limit caffeinated drinks-no more than two a day.

I'm going to really work at applying these five rules this week and see if it can help me stay focused, especially on the weekends. I can usually do well during the week, but weekends are hard for me. My sparkpeople account will be really helpful with keeping the meal calorie guidelines in rule #2.

I'm also going to step up my workouts this week. I love the Wii Fit, but I don't think that I burn enough calories on it. My plan is for 3 days a week to do about 10 minutes of yoga on the Wii Fit, 20 minutes on the treadmill (using C25K program), and some strength training on Wii Fit. On other days, I will just do Wii Fit aerobic and balance activities, along with the yoga and strength training. Unfortunately, I may have hindered my workout regime this morning when I took a little spill down the steps at church. For more info on this embarrassing moment in my life, read here. I didn't really hurt myself, but I am awfully sore. I hope that I can get out of bed in the morning to work out!

I have a great lowfat soup recipe that I'm going to share later in the week. Very yummy and filling!

I think my weight gain may have been hormonal (I hope). I have not weighed since Saturday. I tried on a skirt that was previously rather snug and it just did fit. I think I might try to wear it Monday with something that doesn't have to be tucked in. My camel corduroys are also fitting looser.

In the most recent issue of Food & Wine there was a recipe for Waldorf Chicken Salad. I sounded yummy. I sort of tweaked it for my convenience. I use spring mix lettuce, Boar's Head sliced smoked chicken from the deli, chopped fuji apple, red grape halves, chopped walnuts and Ken's Light Blue Cheese salad dressing. I have eaten it for three nights and am kind of sad that it is gone. I love salads. I could live on them year round. I try to be careful of my choice of toppings. Lean meats, low fat cheese, grape tomatoes, and light salad dressings that are lower in sugar. I rarely eat iceberg lettuce. I try to stick to romaine and spring mix. I found something the other day called Baby Ruby Reds. It is a mix of baby spinach and baby butter lettuce. That is my new favorite.

I've been craving eggplant lately. I know, that's weird. I think I am going to Publix tomorrow night and get an eggplant and some squash. Saturday, I am going to roast both and eat until it's gone. Yum! I might cook some copycat Cracker Barrel grilled chicken tenders to go along with it.

I hope everyone keeps up the good work. It sounds like everyone has been extremely successful, except me. I'm not getting discouraged. I'm motivated to do better.

Well, today I am wearing the jeans that prompted me to get on the diet wagon, and they fit much better. They aren't 100%, but I don't have some really grotesque muffin top thing going on anymore. These jeans are not stretchy. I love stretchy jeans but it is very easy to gain weight and not notice with them, especially if they have a low rise.

Most of our snow is going away and it is warmer today so I walked 2 miles with the dogs...we were all glad to get outside for a bit.

Weight Watchers Week 2

Week 2 has been a great week from a food and nutrition stand point. I tracked my points, planned ahead and was able to eat out and enjoy my life. I vowed to get on the elliptical three times this week and I got on it ZERO times! This week I will pledge three times again and try harder. I stepped on the scale today and much to my surprise I lost 7.5 pounds!! Needless to say I was ecstatic! That makes a grand total of 10 pounds in two weeks. Yea for me!!

Hello fellow slimming-down preps! Tammy has graciously agreed to let me post here from time to time, so here I am! I’ll take just a sec to introduce myself, and then I’ll be on with some weight-loss information. I’ve been reading blogs since June and I started my own blog, The Pink Putter, in late July. This blogging world is really a special place and I am proud to be a part of it. Like TammyB and Hicktowndiva, I hope to provide tips, along with my struggles and successes on my quest for a healthier me. Now on to more important things…

I thought that I would begin with some random thoughts/information about my weight loss efforts…

I lost 50 pounds on Weight Watchers back in 2002, and I have gained almost all of it back in the last six years. My mother was diagnosed with cancer, it completely rocked my world and I totally fell off the WW wagon. I am still mad at myself for letting myself undo all of my hard work, and I think that this is part of the reason that I am struggling to lose it again. (Insert a Dr. Phil moment here.)

I’m not following any particular program or diet, I’m just making healthier choices, exercising, and drinking lots of water. I do like The Abs Diet, so I follow many of the principals/healthy ideas from that book.

My husband, Mr. P, is also working the healthier lifestyle with me. This helps enormously!

I’m using the Wii Fit right now for my exercise program, but I also have a treadmill and home gym that I can use. The Wii can give you “attitude” sometimes, which has provided some hilarity in our household as Mr. P and I do it. I love the yoga, hula hooping, and step aerobics.

My job as an assistant principal at a large elementary school keeps me very busy. I work long hours and often eat on the run. So I have to plan, plan, plan. Here are a few tips.

-I cook a couple of entrees on Saturday and Sunday, so that Mr. P and I just have to reheat meals during the week. This saves me $$ on Subway and calories at McDonald’s.

-On Mondays, I take in a large bag of staples for the week-yogurt, string cheese, 100 calorie packs, cans of V-8, some ham or turkey, and a couple of Lean Cuisines. This covers most of my snacks and a couple of lunches, so it’s less planning at night during the week. I usually just bring fruit and/or a lunch item daily. Luckily, I have a small refrigerator in my office to hold all this stuff. I can only imagine what my teachers think when they see me lugging a grocery bag in on Mondays.

-Most days, I get up at 5 am to work out. Getting home at 6:00 in the evening is early for me, it's usually 7:00 or later, so if I don't workout first thing in the morning, it doesn't get done.

-I’m using Sparkpeople.com for an online nutrition tracker. It’s free and easy to use, so check it out if you are interested. Thanks to Buford Betty for turning me on to this site.

-I allow myself one "cheat meal" a week. This tip came from The Abs Diet, and I think that it helps me stay on track the rest of the week. I usually try to log some extra Wii time on the day I eat my cheat meal.

Well, I’m going to go now. This has turned into a pretty long post-sorry about that!

I'm looking forward to sharing this experience!

Mary Beth

Downsizing my plates...

I bought the book, The 9-Inch "Diet" by Alex Bogusky...it's a fun/short read that talks about how plate sizes and portion sizes have increased in the US over the years. Since it's a relatively painless change, I bought a set of 9-inch luncheon plates to go with my Fiestaware, which I will swap out with my 10 1/2" dinner plates. We are going to be all about eating on 9-inch plates at my house. I got out a set of vintage Homer Laughlin luncheon plates for dinner last night and we will use those until Amazon sends me my new plates.