South Beach Diet

Hello everyone, it's time to update you on the "diet."  As you have already read I was previously trying to follow along with the meal plans on JillianMichaels.com, well that just wasn't for me.  While I still really look up to her, the food plan was a little to elaborate for me, and filled with way too many "hard to find" items at the grocery store. I miss Cub Foods!! Anyways, as I was sitting on the couch (lol) I remembered that I had bought a South Beach Diet cookbook for quick and easy recipes.  I am not sure what prompted the purchasing at the time because I have never tried this diet or had any idea of what it entailed.  So I snagged Kevin into going through this book with me.  The beginning of the book gave you a little snippet of what the diet was, and explaining the three different phases that the diet was made up of.  So of course since I am a Post-It lover, we went through the entire book and assigned each phase with a different color Post-It, so you could easy find recipes for the phase you are in.  The phases are listed on the recipe, you just can't see it from the outside of the book, just a convenience thing with the Post-Its!  The nice thing about this diet, is the recipes don't require you to have a five star rating in cooking.

Let me back track here, and give you a little bit more knowledge on how the diet works. Better yet, go take a look at the Wikipedia page for it.  Just enough info to spark your interest on it, or know that it's not for you.  The first phase is obviously the most challenging, and I have realized that it is not that bad.  I am not a meal planner at all, but I am slowly learning that it really helps me to make the right decisions.  Also, I have made sure that the only things that are in our cupboards are foods that are allowed in this phase, just makes things a lot easier.  One of the things I really like about this diet is that you don't have to focus on counting calories.  I know that is the staple of dieting to a point, but I think the is only one key of weight loss.  Obviously if you wanted to you could fill up your calories with candy bars all day, but your obviously not going to lose weight that way.  The next thing I really like is that you can eat when your hungry.  The diet does have you plan out 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, but if you get hungry, you eat, approved items of course.  Also, serving sizes are not stressed, eat until you are satisfied and then be done.  Remember though, eating until you are satisfied doesn't mean you have to unbutton your pants, or have a stomach ache in return! 

When you move on to phase 2, it is pretty much the same plan but you are slowly adding back in carbs and sugars, in moderation of course.  And phase 3 is basically the rest of your life, you have a little more food options.  Also, if you go on vacation for a week, and delight your taste buds, and see a larger number on the scale, you can go back to phase 1 and do a do-over to drop the weight again!  This diet is simple, and that's my kind of diet.   I am on day 3 of phase 1 and so far the scale is reading -2lbs, but I will do an official weigh-in after a week of it!

Over the weekend I managed to slam my foot into the corner of a table top that was on the floor, (for my puzzle.)   My foot managed to get pretty large, and I am finally able to start walking semi normally, so I am hoping to get exercise started again tomorrow.  And it would be kind of the state of WI to be not include the humidity in the heat!!

Anyways, thanks for reading, and check out the South Beach Diet and let me know what you think!

Success Stories

I am a person that really enjoys reading success stories.  Although sometimes they do more damage than good depending on my mood. :)  Just thought I would pass this WomensHealth Success Stories site along, I have been reading it for the past few days and I got a lot of out it.  Enjoy!  Don't forget to tell me what you think!

Options, Options, Options

So, I have hit the reset button and am off to the races again.  Had a fun time with my dog at the lake today.  The little bit of time we were playing in the sand really wears a person out!!  Good times though.  I always love getting a work out in with out having to go to the gym, or viewing it as a work out.  That is why I am thinking about purchasing a punching bag.  As I said in my previous post I would really like to get into some type of boxing, karate, or MMA.  This is the one I am thinking of purchasing, the price isn't bad, and I am sure it will be a good outlet for stress also.  LOL.  I am all about variety because I get too bored with things.  When it comes to food though, that is not the case.  I am not a huge cook and I would just prefer to stick with somewhat the same items so I don't have to run to the grocery store all the time.  On a side note, I am really wishing you could still purchase the original Tae Bo series!!  What are ways that you keep variety in your work out?  What activities do you do?

P.S.  Dark Chocolate...does it really help you stop at just one serving?

Time to hit the "RESET" button.

Oh Lord, where to even start!  I was doing decently well with all of this until the end of July.  I hate to say it, but this is pretty typical of me.  I am just going to warn you ahead of time that this blog post will most likely not be uplifting or inspirational at all.  My goal for this blog was always to be real and upfront with everything.  Honestly I was reading back from the start of this blog and as of right now I am feeling like I was delusional to think that I could actually be successful with all of this.  I hate feeling like that, and I hate giving up on myself.  But yet, I do it all the time.  I struggle constantly with motivation and staying positive still.  The gym was going well for maybe 2 weeks, if that.  My healthy eating lasted for maybe a month.  I just keep going back and forth with everything.  Right now I am attempting to have my own design business so I don't have a "job" to go to per say.  This has me feeling like I should spend every minute in the gym.  While I know that it isn't logical, it enters my mind constantly.  The funny thing is, even if I attempted that I know I would find some way to stop myself by at least day 3.  I find it really irritating to know all my faults that I have with dieting, and I know the way my mind works, but I can't figure out how to change that way of thinking and turn it into something good.  Just makes me want to pull my hair and scream!!  When I first started this blog I wanted to write a couple times of week, and I seem to have failed on that goal also.  I am just completely frustrated with everything.  I really miss training with a personal trainer.  But as of right now, that is just not feasible as they are a little expensive.  At some point I would like to try kick boxing or something like that...but I am kind of a chicken and would like to find someone to do it with me.  I haven't been back to the gym for awhile now and while that is depressing, I still can't manage to change it.  I always get into a cycle of not wanting to go to the gym (or not being able to motivate myself to get there), to be depressed that I didn't go, and then not being able to snap out of it and my whole day is shot.

My food choices haven't been the greatest either lately, I won't mention what was consumed.  The worst part of "falling off the wagon" is having to retrace your steps and lose the weight all over again.  I haven't weighed myself again since the last time, but I know I am not in the same place.  I am scared to get on the scale, for a couple of reasons.
1. I will be at the same weight that I was a couple of weeks ago.  Why is that bad?  Physically it wouldn't be, but mentally it screws me up.  In my mind I think, "well if I can eat all that and still stay the same whats the harm in eating it?"  But, we all know that my weight would not stay the same eating junk constantly.
2. My weight goes up.  Well for obvious reasons I get upset/depressed/frustrated, and I tend to deal with these emotions with food and laziness. Even though most nights I fall asleep thinking about what I need to do the next day to change all of this around.  Quite the vicious cycle if you ask me. 

I am always waiting for that "moment" that everyone talks about with weight loss. You know, when they saw a picture of themselves, or heard a picture, or couldn't participate in an event and everything just clicked in there head and BAM they lost all their weight.  Well, there have been plenty of things I didn't participate in, or felt really uncomfortable doing.  I listen to speakers all the time about weight loss, and motivation.  And Lord knows I have seen countless embarrassing pictures of myself that you would think give me that "ah ha!" moment.  For instance, I saw a picture of myself the other day and I instantly thought, "wow, I really do look obese."  I know I am obese by the "numbers and charts," but when you actually SEE yourself as obese and not just the "facts" I think it sinks in a little bit more.  So I thought that it was my turning point after that, well, I was wrong.  So I guess I am still searching for that moment.

As of right now I am trying to find the thing that is going to restart me, and keep me going until I can find my next source of motivation/strength. Say a prayer :)

P.S. Sorry this post was so doom and gloom, but I can't keep silent, it will drive me crazy!  Don't be shy, what's your story?