Amelia's mom...Race To The Skinny Jeans

No Time For Negativity

2010-02-24T17:32:00.002-05:00

OK this is the deal. I realize that when I started this blog, I said that I was looking forward to the accountability, but I was not expecting people to be so nasty. I realize that a lot of you have been super supportive, but I will not stand for people bringing my daughter into this. Very few of you know me personally, so I am just words on a screen to you, but make no mistake, I am flesh and blood, and I have feelings. The comments on my blog just kept getting more and more ridiculous, and frankly I am just done with all of the negativity. I am not giving up on me, but I am choosing to surround myself with people that care about and support me. People that encourage me and build me up. This will be my last post, but I am continuing with my weight loss goals. Thanks to those of you that have truly been supportive, and good luck to those of you that are struggling with weight loss.

Decisions Decisions...

2010-01-08T21:30:00.001-05:00

Well, it has been a rough couple of weeks. In the past, going to work was a no brainer. I have held a steady job in one form or another since I was 16. Now, going back to work is the worst thing I can think of. How do you put a price on the peace of mind that your child is safe and well cared for? Why would I pay someone to do the job that I want to do and I already do for free? I have been struggling with these thoughts for a while now, and even though I have been submitting my resume and putting myself out there, I am nauseated by the thought of someone else caring for my daughter. I know it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted, but Eddie and I have been trying to make some life altering decisions, and this is the first time since Amelia was born that we have reached such a major crossroads. Normally we are full speed ahead…no stopping, no slowing down, but now, with a baby under foot, everything has changed. Decisions that would have been no problem in the past now leave us gut wrenched, running for the Pepto! The things people don’t tell you about parenthood! Who would think that such a little person can change you so profoundly?

I have decided to take a hiatus from boot camp for a while, because that reality is that I have been spending too much money in gas just going back and forth, and while there is definite value in the knowledge Marilyn has, I could no longer justify the money spent each week when we are struggling so much just to pay our basic bills. I do plan to stay on track with eating and exercise, I am just going to enlist the support of my husband, and we will get up in the mornings and go for a walk, or do some exercise here. I got an awesome workout set for Christmas. It has a balance ball, a medicine ball, and resistance bands. I will just have to break out the palliates DVD and get to work. I am happy to report that I lost 5 pounds last week as of Tuesday (for those of you that are keeping track, the math doesn’t add up because I gained 3 pounds over the week of Christmas. So, I went from 393 to 385 to 388, and then to 383…I have been on a bit of a roller coaster) I am almost out of the 380’s, and I am looking forward to the 370’s. I was down to 374 when I got pregnant with Amelia, so I Am almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight…woohoo!

Food Today:
Breakfast: Cheerios with 2% milk
Lunch: Turkey and Swiss on wheat with Mayo with Olive Oil (a much better alternative than light mayo)
Snack: 100 calorie yogurt pretzels
Dinner: Veggie Omelet with a side of grapes and a tangerine

I also have a favor to ask. Could each of you please post a low calorie, low fat recipe that I can make for under 10 dollars. I am finding it difficult to maintain a food budget, and I could really use some advice. Something that would also provide leftovers would be ideal. I hope this post finds you well. Have a terrific weekend. XOXOXOXO

2010-01-08T20:58:00.001-05:00

Christmas, Catch-Up, And Thoughts On The New Year

2009-12-28T10:16:00.002-05:00

Amelia had a wonderful first Christmas. I hope all of you were blessed this Christmas with the company of loved ones and the spirit of our savior. I would like to first start by apologizing. I made a comment on my last blog at a time when I was feeling beat up, stressed out, and overwhelmed. I am very grateful for those of you who are rooting for me.

Honestly, my blog was the last thing on my mind over the past couple of weeks. We are currently in transition. I am not at liberty to discuss any details at this time as my blog is so public, but I will let you all know what is going on when the time is right. Until then, I am just going to keep my chin up and stay positive.

I know that I did not post on my weigh day last week, but I did weigh in. I lost 8 pounds. I am down to 385…good bye 390’s…it’s about time. I guess running myself ragged before Christmas paid off on the scale, but now I think I have a sinus infection. I have another weigh day tomorrow as well.

I have resolved to the fact that nothing is perfect, and all I can do is all I can do. I did set a goal to loose 100 pounds in 1 year, but I guess I didn’t realize how hard the journey would be with so much outside criticism. I will be the first to admit that things have not gone as planned so far. I would also like to say that I appreciate all of the helpful suggestions that many of you have given, but I am not in a place financially to do anything more than I am doing right now.

I will be posting a new poll about a kickball date soon, just let me start feeling better first. I am really looking forward to it. Marilyn found a perfect park for kickball…especially for those of us with children. It’s in Westchase, and I will get the address out once we nail down a date.

I hope this post finds all of you well. I wish you all health and prosperity in the New Year. I think 2010 is going to be a great year. My New Year’s resolution is to keep my life centered on God. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Philippians 4:13. I am going to take some more Tylenol now. Have a terrific week.

Re-Boot Camp

2009-12-16T21:49:00.000-05:00

I have pressed Ctrl Alt Delete, and I have rebooted my life. Over the past weekend, I feel back into some bad habits eating junk, so suffice to say that I was disappointed yesterday when I stepped on the scale. I didn’t lose anything, and then when I was a boot camp on Tues, I learned that starting next week we will not have boot camp for 2 weeks…not good!

I did buckle down and go grocery shopping yesterday, and the closest thing to a snack in my house now, is a rice cake. I got a bunch of frozen and fresh fruits and veggies and some chicken and lean beef. I am not going to give up. I have let too many things stand in my way in the past, and I am not going to quit this time. As I said before, this is a marathon. It is going to be a long and hard road. I have some bad habits to break. I am doing the best that I can right now, and I know that I will be successful.

I am sorry that I have not addressed kickball lately. I think it will be best to postpone kickball until January. I am super busy for the rest of the month with family gatherings and such as I am sure all of you are also. I will put up another poll after the first of the year to see when is best for everyone.

I have boot camp again tomorrow, and I am actually looking forward to it. I have found that when I am feeling stressed and life gets hectic, it really helps to do something physical. In the words of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde “people that exercise are happy because exercise releases endorphins and happy people just don’t kill people” I am not feeling particularly homicidal, so I guess she’s right.

I hope you all are doing well. I am so sorry that my posts have been so infrequent lately, but Amelia is growing up before my eyes and I have been just enjoying being a mommy. She is starting to stand all by herself without holding on to anything. She is learning and growing so quickly, and I don’t want to miss anything. Have a great rest of the week.

My Goal Is Back In Focus

2009-12-09T18:52:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was weigh day, and I stayed the same. No weight lost this week, and I am completely disappointed. I am sick of being in the 390’s so I have decided to really buckle down with my eating. I need to make some changes, and I plan on putting more fresh foods in the hose as soon as we can make it grocery shopping. Eddie doesn’t get paid until Friday, so I am going to make that a priority. It has been a hectic month, but failure is not an option. I am rededicating myself to my goal. I have not made weight loss a priority for a few weeks now, and I need to regroup.

I am doing well with exercise. I did go to boot camp yesterday, and I will be going tomorrow. I enjoy my workouts, and I have noticed a huge improvement with my endurance while I have been playing with Amelia. It is such a great feeling knowing that I can keep up with her. That is something I was worried about before she was born.

I am taking my little munchkin to urgent care tonight when Eddie gets home from work. She has a runny nose and thick mucus in her throat. I have been trying to keep her nose clear with the aspirator today, but she is completely miserable. This is a first for me. The most I have dealt with as far as her not feeling well has been a fever due to a reaction to vaccines, but this runny nose stuff is no fun at all. She can barely suck her bottle without choking, and her eyes are all water. I just want her to feel better.

My food today:
Breakfast: Cheerios with 2% milk
Lunch: Peanut Butter sandwich on wheat, 2% cottage cheese, sugar free Jell-o, and pineapple
Dinner: Pork tenderloin and corn

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Only 2 more days to the weekend. I am going to go for now. I need to start getting ready to take the baby to the doctor. I will post more soon.

My Week At A Glance

2009-12-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

It has been a busy week getting ready for the Holi-Daze! Let me catch you up on what has been going on. Starting on last Thursday, Eddie had an impromptu visit to the ENT doctor, so I didn’t make it to boot camp, I swear after this ordeal is over, I am going to insure his ears…kind of like J-Lo insured her butt right lol! Friday and Saturday is a blur. I think we were home for 2 and a half seconds on Friday and Saturday. Here are some of the things that we did over the weekend (in no particular order): Picked up the Christmas pictures and discovered that there was a huge mix up and I wound up with copyright released pictures of someone else’s underage children on my picture CD! I made a trip back to the portrait studio were I spent what felt like forever making sure that Amelia’s pictures were not on anyone else’s order. They weren’t…thank God, but I was more than annoyed about the situation. We got Amelia’s Christmas ornament engraved and attempted to pick up her stocking, but that was screwed up too, so I am still waiting for that to be corrected. We went to Wal-Mart to find some Christmas lights, but they had a horrible selection. I did score a sweet deal on picture frames though. I got a set of 13 picture frames for 13 dollars, and I have already put them to good use. My hallway is now wall papered in Amelia. God help me when we have another child. I don’t know where I will find room for more pictures. Boot camp was canceled on Friday due to the nasty weather, and on Saturday evening we went to church. I also found out that my uncle passed away this weekend. He lived in Kentucky and was suffering with cancer, and although I don’t have the resources to make the trip for the funeral, I spent a lot of time trying to help my dad find a cheap flight and car rental with no success. He is going to end up driving I guess. That’s just all of the stuff that I can remember off the top of my head.

Yesterday was cleaning day. Holiday cleaning is like an Olympic event in my house. It requires strength of mind and body as well as endurance that would rival any gold medalist. I am pleased to announce however that we made it through the day without any causalities. Amelia was such a good sport. She spent most of the day in her crib since we don’t have a pack and play or a play yard, but she did a pretty good job of keeping herself entertained.

I was back at boot camp bright and early this morning (in the rain no less), and I was happy to be there. I love it when my days have structure. I am usually very organized, and am happiest when things go as planned. I can be a bit spontaneous at times, but for everyday stuff, I prefer to have a pretty strict schedule. I have boot camp again tomorrow, and of course it is weigh day again.

I hope everyone has a great week. We have some Christmas shopping to do this week and we still need to get our Christmas tree (that is one tradition that I plan on keeping forever…there is nothing like a real tree for Christmas). It is already shaping up to be another busy week again this week, but busy is good. Busy burns calories. Happy Monday to you, I will post more soon!

Another Successful Weigh Day

2009-12-01T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today was weigh day, and despite Thanksgiving, I lost 2 pounds. I am so happy that I am going in the right direction again. I have been dreading my weigh ins for the past couple of weeks, but I was pleasantly surprised today, and I plan on keeping this positive momentum going for next week also.

I am so happy to be back at boot camp. Yesterday we did the 12 min walk run test, and I improved on my record by 1/3 of a lap. Today I pushed myself a little harder than I should have and ended up getting dizzy and light headed. I was doing crunches and had a hard time regulating my breathing. I nearly hyperventilated. I made a full recovery in time to finish the rest of my work out though.

My food today was good.
Breakfast: Cheerios with 2% milk
Lunch: Meatballs with Prego Traditional heart smart sauce
Snack: Peach and strawberry yogurt smoothie
Dinner: Grilled chicken and strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I am cracking up right now because we are watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I swear Clarke Griswald could be one of my relatives. I love this time of the year. Christmas movies are the best. I also love A Christmas Story! I have to find out when that is coming on. I am going to go and watch the rest of the movie. Have a good night

Stuffed Like A Turkey

2009-11-29T14:20:00.001-05:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful thanksgiving. I did pretty well with eating. I did have a 2nd helping of green bean casserole, but my mom made it with 98% fat free soup, so it wasn’t such a bad choice. Some of the other holiday fare consisted of sweet potatoes, stuffing (I only had like 2 bites), ham, corn, potato salad (my mom makes the best potato salad), baked beans, and of course pumpkin pie, but I shared a piece with Eddie instead of eating the whole thing myself.

Yesterday was so great. The workout video was a success, and now we just have to figure out how to edit it. I ended up working out for almost 2 hours yesterday morning. I have boot camp again tomorrow morning, and I am looking forward to getting back to my regular routine.

Please take a look at my poll, and vote if you are planning on joining us for kickball. I was looking at the first Saturday in December, but figured I would ask you guys to find out the most convenient date for the majority due to the holidays.

Happy Sunday. I hope everyone has a great week. I am going to run for now as I think I hear my munchkin waking up from her nap. She is going to be expecting lunch, so I better get busy!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

So, yesterday was my weigh day, and I gained 2 pounds. I have to admit that I just wasn’t focused last week. I am back on track now, but Aunt Flo is visiting…so that is no fun. I have lower back pain and sever cramps…yuck!!

I am going to break out my Windsor Pilates DVD today while the baby is napping. Since there has been no boot camp this week, I have been pretty bummed. I did walk around the mall and Wal-mart for 5 hours yesterday, so I got in a bunch of cardio.

Just a reminder…we are shooting the exercise video Saturday morning. This is a perfect opportunity to work off Thanksgiving dinner. Please join us at 8 am at Baybridge Park (10017 Bridgeton Dr, Tampa, FL) in Westchase. I hope to see many of you there. The class will be filmed, and could be on Good Morning America at a later date. Marilyn has kindly agreed to offer this special class at no charge, so please come and join us.

So far I have only had breakfast (Total raisin bran), but I think it will be a peanut butter sandwich, cottage cheese, and jello for lunch, and I am not sure about dinner yet.

I hope all of you are doing well. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and while I am not planning on being restrictive as far as the types of foods I eat, I do plan on exercising portion control. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy spending time with your family. This is Amelia’s 1st Thanksgiving, and I am so grateful for her. Since becoming a mommy, I really understand the meaning of being thankful. I wish many blessings to you and your family this holiday season.

Just Another Day In Paradise

2009-11-21T23:50:00.001-05:00

OK, so I know that it seems like I have dropped off of the face of the earth, but rest assured that I am still here and I am still on track. I have just been super busy and a bit stressed financially. It makes me wonder what happened to the days of trading livestock for goods and services. I guess those were simpler times…before APR’s and Interest only loans…if only we could go back. Of course, I don’t have any live stock to trade (with the exception of 2 domestic house cats) so I guess I would be in the same boat as I am now!!

I received the sad news that boot camp is canceled next week due to thanksgiving, but I am planning on doing some walking and sit-ups and stuff on my own, so I will hopefully not fall too far behind. We are however shooting the exercise video on Saturday the 28th, so if any of you that are local would like to join us, please feel free to come and enjoy a class at no charge. Just be aware that the class will be filmed and could end up on national television lol!

My grandfather is out of the hospital, but we still don’t know what the problem was. He is feeling a bit under the weather still, and isn’t quite back to himself yet. Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughts and prayers.

My food was pretty good today…
Breakfast: Total raisin bran with 2% milk
Lunch: leftover pork tenderloin with rice and broccoli
Dinner: 2 scrambled eggs, 2 sausage links, fruit, and a cup of oatmeal

I hope everyone is having a terrific weekend…so far mine has been pretty uneventful (just doing some laundry). I am going to call it a night. Have a happy Sunday.

Get Well Soon

2009-11-18T22:34:00.001-05:00

I know that I didn’t post yesterday, but I wasn’t feeling well still, and my grandfather went to the hospital by ambulance yesterday. I still don’t know what’s wrong, but they have narrowed it to either the flu or food poisoning, but he is an 84 year old war veteran, so if he says he needs to go to the hospital, it’s not good. He has to be there another night because his blood sugar is still high. I hope he gets released tomorrow.

I didn’t make it to boot camp yesterday. I was not feeling well at all, and I totally overslept. I rested a lot yesterday, but I didn’t forget to weigh. I lost a pound last week, so that makes a total of 21 pounds. I am hoping for a better result this week.

I took Amelia to the playground today. I walked there and back, so I got in about a mile and a half walk. She totally loves to swing. It was so much fun. I would have posted sooner today, but my cable has been out all day…why not the last 3 days have been crappy…I must be on a streak (I hope it’s finally over)!

My food today:
Breakfast: Total raisin bran with 2% milk
Dinner: Lean pork tenderloin, mashed sweet potatoes, rice, and steamed broccoli
(Dinner was so good. It was my first shot at the pork tenderloin, and it was fabulous if I do say so myself)

Amelia has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning, and she has to get another flu shot. I hate it when she has to get shots…it’s no fun for wither of us. She makes this horrible sad face with this quivery lip, and I just want to cry. I hope everyone has a good rest of the week. I hope to make it for a walk tomorrow, but it all depends on what happens with my papaw. I will be back soon with an update! Goodnight for now.

Under The Weather.

2009-11-16T22:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend was super busy, and I am feeling totally worn down. Friday, we had family holiday pictures (Amelia looked adorable). Saturday, was my cousins wedding in Merritt Island (driving for 4 hours with a 7 month old in the car is not my idea of a fun time), and the Sunday I was out with Amelia and my mom all day. Getting a 16 pound baby in and out of the car all day is no joke, so by the time I picked Eddie up from work I was completely exhausted. You can imagine my enthusiasm when I realized that we still had grocery shopping to do. We got some more frozen veggies, chicken, and a lean pork tenderloin. We finally got home around 10:00, and I proceeded to put all of the groceries away. Have I mentioned how much I hate grocery shopping!! I finally made it to bed around midnight after falling asleep on the couch for a while.

I woke up this morning for boot camp with a sore throat. I attributed it to post nasal drip, and went anyway, but I just haven’t felt right all day. Today was the first day in 7 months that I didn’t feel 100 percent, and it was a rude awakening. Mommies do not get sick days.

My food for today was pretty good. Raisin bran with 2% milk for breakfast. A turkey and Swiss sandwich on wheat with light mayo and some pistachios for lunch, sugar free jello and cottage cheese for a snack, and a grilled chicken salad with strawberries, walnuts, and blue cheese crumbles topped with balsamic vinaigrette for dinner.

Tomorrow is weigh day, and I hope I am feeling better by the morning, because tomorrow is also another day of boot camp. I am not going to get to go on Thursday because my daughter has a doctor’s appointment, so I really want to get a good work out in tomorrow. That’s it for now; I am going to hit the hay and try to sleep off this funk. I hope everyone had a great Monday. I will be back tomorrow with an update on the scale.

The Price Of Gas...

2009-11-12T23:34:00.001-05:00

Yesterday totally sucked! We had a long day of doctor’s appointments. Eddie is still seeing his ENT doctor and Audiologist about once a month or so, and the mapping for his Cochlear Implant takes at least an hour. We were out of the house from noon until 9:30 pm. I was exhausted when we got home and so was Amelia. She was asleep for about an hour and then woke up for a bottle. I guess being captive in her car seat for most of the day caused a gas build up because she was awake again at a quarter till 2 in the morning wailing like a wild woman. I was finally able to get a burp out of her 45 minutes later and she fell asleep almost immediately after that. I wasn’t sure what was wrong at first because she hasn’t been gassy in a while. I was getting so frustrated because she just kept screaming. I will be so glad when she can tell me what the problem is.

I was a zombie when I woke up this morning at 7 am for boot camp. I almost hit the snooze and went back to dreamland, but I knew I would regret it, so I sucked it up and got out of bed. We did some weight and band work and some cardio. It was 59 degrees this morning, and I ran out of the house in Capri’s…I was so tired that I didn’t realize I was freezing until about 10 minutes into my work out.

When I got home from boot camp, I made the bed, washed and sterilized the bottles, got some laundry done, and straightened up the bathroom, living room and kitchen. My mom and her friend, Monica, came over today to help me make some headbands for the baby. They are so cute. We have a few more to do, but we made some good progress today.

Disclaimer: I need to go grocery shopping, so my food intake was well below par today. All I had was a salad and 3 bread sticks. We were going to have tuna for dinner, but I took 2 bites and almost hurled. Eddie didn’t like it either. It was terrible. I think it was because of the low fat mayo that I bought…it should be called low flavor mayonnaise.

That’s it for tonight. I am going to try and get a good night’s sleep tonight because we are taking holiday pictures tomorrow, and I don’t want to have luggage under my eyes. I hope everyone is having a terrific week. We are traveling to the East coast for a wedding on Saturday, so if you don’t hear from me over the weekend, don’t worry. I will be back with an update on Monday. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

This Post Is Brought To You By The Number 20

2009-11-10T12:29:00.003-05:00

My scale earned some much needed brownie points this morning. She said that I had lost 4 pounds this week…now that is what I am talking about! I almost picked her up off the floor and gave her a hug. I was so excited…that means I have lost a total of 20 pounds. I just have to do that 4 more times, and I will have lost 100 pounds. It doesn’t sound impossible when you say it like that right?

Well, I ended up having half of a Publix sandwich yesterday for dinner. It was a BLT with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on whole grain bread. It was so good, and a nice switch from chicken and broccoli.

Wow…two days in a row. I came home from my workout with the bed made and the dishwasher going. A girl could get used to this kind of treatment! I am so thankful that Eddie has taken it upon himself to show me how much he supports me. It is a nice reminder that I am in a loving relationship and can rely on him even if I don’t need to. I am blessed beyond words.

I am reluctantly adjusting to these AM workouts. It is tough for me to roll out of my comfy bed all snuggled up next to my honey knowing what is in store for me at boot camp. We did A LOT of cardio today. We did some football drills and this crazy circuit that almost killed me. We started with 1 push up, then 2 sit-ups, a sprint, and a tricep dip. We continued with 2 push ups, 4 sit-ups, a sprint, and 2 tricep dips then 3 push ups 8 sit ups a sprint and 3 tricep dips. This torture continued until we reached 10 pushups. All I have to say is holy crap! I was barely awake, and I had to run. I have heard of sleep walking…but never sleep running!

That’s it for today. I was going to wait to post later this evening, but I couldn’t contain my excitement. I am going to go shout from the roof tops now…I LOST 4 POUNDS THIS WEEK!!

The Early Bird Gets The....ZZZZZZZ

2009-11-09T18:34:00.004-05:00

Today was my first morning boot camp session, and it threw my entire day out of whack. I do have to say that the awesomeness of my husband never ceases to amaze me. He knows how much I hate getting up early, and for me to drag my butt out of bed and go exercise first thing in the morning shows true commitment on my part…trust me. When I got home from boot camp, the dishwasher was loaded, the bed was made, and the living room was straightened up. So, all I had to do all day was play with the baby…and find the missing cordless phone. One of our phones has been misplaced for 2 days, so finally I had my mom call and I followed the ring until I found the phone hiding in the couch cushions. Amelia was laughing hysterically at me as if to say “ha ha I hid it and you can’t find it”. She is a mess. I was super tired today for the rest of the day, but Amelia only took a 30 min nap, so no nap for me!!

Tomorrow is weigh day, and I am anxious and excited. I am hoping that all of my hard work will finally pay off on the scale tomorrow!! We shall see.

Food today
Breakfast: Leftover strawberry chicken salad
Snack: Whole wheat toast with 2 tbs apple butter
Lunch: Broccoli and rice
Snack: Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bar
Dinner…Not sure yet (If I eat chicken and broccoli one more time I am going to scream)

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Eddie worked on Sunday, so my days are kind of screwed up…I hate shift bids!! Have a good evening. I will be back tomorrow with an update on the welfare of my scale!!

The Great E-steak

2009-11-06T20:49:00.002-05:00

So much has happened since I last posted! The New York Yankees have clinched their 27th world championship. It was an amazing game, and the win was well deserved. The Yanks had chemistry this year, and even though it has been 9 long years, we are finally back where we belong…on top!

Eddie and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary yesterday. I spent the day cleaning up and doing laundry…such is the life of an everyday house wife lol! Amelia took a really long nap yesterday, so I was very productive! We had 8:00 dinner reservations at The Rusty Pelican in Tampa. That is where we held our wedding reception, and we return every year for a super special anniversary dinner. The difference this year is that instead of a reservation for 2, it was a reservation for 3. Amelia joined us, and we were so excited to show her “where mommy and daddy got married” We snuck into the Grand Ballroom, where we danced the night away 4 years ago, and Eddie took his daughter for a little spin around the dance floor. Eddie and I were both so emotional yesterday. It was surreal having a baby with us. Sometimes I still can’t believe that she is real. We wanted a baby so badly, and once that became a reality, we were completely awe-inspired. Our daughter completes us on a level that I didn’t know existed. Having her with us made it the best anniversary ever. Dinner was the main event, and it was delicious. We started with raisin walnut bread and then a caesar salad prepared tableside. When our entrees arrived I was almost giddy…let me explain. I have not had a steak in over a year. I didn’t eat it while I was pregnant because you are not supposed to eat under cooked meat, and I like my steak medium. After the baby arrived, there was not an occasion that warranted a steak until now. I am a bit of a steak snob, and refuse to settle for a cut of meat that has not been aged. I know that probably sounds gross to you, but once you go aged, you never go back! I had an 8 ounce Ribeye and a loaded baked potato. Eddie had Veal Oscar with asparagus and a crab meat cream sauce and a loaded baked potato. We did indulge in some dessert…Crème’ brulee and Tiramisu…delicious! Our dinner was fabulous and although it was a calorie fest, I don’t regret it. I made a decision about what went into my mouth which is an improvement from mindlessly eating crap and feeling unsatisfied.

Today was a new day, and I got back to it today without even so much as a hesitation. Breakfast was 2 packs of oatmeal, Lunch: a grilled chicken breast and broccoli, and dinner: Grilled chicken over rice and another side of broccoli. I also had a berry (blueberry and strawberry) yogurt smoothie today as my snack. All in all, I think it was a pretty successful day. We are going for a walk as soon as I publish this post. I am hoping to work off some of the calories that I accumulated yesterday. It is finally the weekend. I hope you enjoy it. I hear my sneakers calling, so I am going to run for now…pun intended!

Wacky Workout Wednesday

2009-11-04T21:06:00.002-05:00

I stumbled out of bed at 6:30 am after having about 2 ½ minutes of sleep last night. Amelia woke me up 4 times. Her teeth were hurting I think. She bounced back and forth from my bed to her crib all night long. The last time she woke up, I went to change her diaper. Well, we have a lot of noisy crap in our house, one of which happens to be Amelia’s baby monitor. If there is no movement in her crib for 20 seconds, an alarm goes off. I forgot to turn the monitor off, and the alarm began to sound. I ran to shut off the monitor in the midst of changing her diaper as to not wake my husband, and she peed everywhere. After having a sleepless night and having to pee myself, I was at my wits end. I called for my husband to come and stand by her as she was on her changing table so that I could go and pee before I made a bigger mess. When I got back to the nursery, my husband had a diaper on her, so I figured he had cleaned her up and had taken care of it. It wasn’t until I got her back into bed with me that I realized that she was still covered in pee…I was completely PO’d…pardon the pun. We finally got out of the house this morning and I met my mom. I actually had a pretty productive day. We managed to find the perfect Christmas dress for Amelia, and we went to Sam’s Club to load up on some frozen fruit and veggies. I got blueberries and broccoli.

Today was Boot Camp, and it was my last evening session. I am so going to miss all of the friends I have made…tear! I did get an amazing workout tonight. We had a fantastic warm-up, and I was able to use 10 pound weight during the strength training portion of the class. I was so impressed with myself. That is a 5 pound increase, so I must be getting stronger. Don’t get me wrong, my muscles are not at the point of breaking through my clothes like the incredible hulk, (don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry) but 10 pounds is a considerable mile stone for me. I also ran up and down the hill 3 times today, and it was easier than I remembered. We also had an awesome cool down and stretch. I think that was my favorite part because I was exhausted!

My food today…
Breakfast: 2 egg beaters, 2 turkey sausage links 1 tomato slice and a cup of plain oatmeal with 2% milk and Splenda
Lunch: Michelina’s Lean Gourmet (it was the last one) ½ cup unsalted peanuts
Snack: ½ cup fresh pineapple
Dinner: 6” veggie patty sub with light mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, and black olives
Snack: ½ cup unsalted peanuts

The Yankees are kicking some Philly butt, so I want to finish the game, and tomorrow is my 4th Wedding Anniversary, so I will be taking a little break tomorrow. I have given myself permission to have a nice dinner and possibly a little dessert. I will be back on Friday with a full report. Only 2 days left until the weekend. Have a great rest of the week.

The Tides Of Change

2009-11-03T23:22:00.002-05:00

Today was my weigh day, and I gained a pound. It really sucks, but obviously I need to make a change. Please spare me the lectures. I know I know you have already told me. I plan to write down a schedule for myself so that I know exactly when I should be eating. I am also going to incorporate more fruits, veggies, and dairy into my meal plan. Failure is not an option! My daughter is counting on me to be the best me that I can be, and I cannot let her down. I feel like junk, but I own the numbers on the scale...no matter how frustrating it is. I have no one to blame but myself! OK, I am done complaining…time to move on.

I went a walk today (my regular 3 mile walk) and it was good. I made it in 62 min. There is a portion of the route that is kind of uneven where I have busted my butt several times, so I try to take it slow and steady during that partof my walk/run. I picked up the pace on my last mile and made it in 16 min. That is my best time so far. A small victory for today, but I will take it after my run in with the scale.

My food today
Breakfast: 2 packs of lower sugar apple cinnamon oatmeal and 2 tangerines
Lunch: Healthy Choice chicken pasta alfredo with pineapple in pineapple juice, a cup of sugar free jello, and ½ cup of 2% cottage cheese
Snack Another tangerine
Dinner: Grilled chicken sandwich with light mayo, lettuce, tomato and a side of steamed mixed veggies.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I have boot camp again tomorrow…I will let you know how it goes.

A Rude Awakening!

2009-11-02T21:52:00.002-05:00

Today started with our obnoxious alarm. Because my husband is hearing impaired, we have the sonic boom alarm clock…lucky me. Not only does it make the most ungodly sound that you have ever heard, but is also vibrates the bed, and is connected to the lamp so that the light flashes on and off (what a way to start the day right). I reluctantly rolled out of bed and got ready to take my husband to work. After I dropped Eddie off, Amelia, my baby brother, and I headed out to look at Christmas dresses. Corey (my brother) had no idea that was the plan. I guess that’s what he gets for agreeing to hang out before he asks what we are doing. He was a good sport though. Amelia loves her uncle Corey. Unfortunately, I didn’t find quite what I was looking for. I want to hurry up and get a dress for the baby so I can get pictures taken in time for my Christmas cards…the search continues.

As you are aware, I had boot camp tonight. We did some abs and arms and a lot of cardio. We had our cardio test today to see how far we could get in 12 min. I made it 3 laps. 5 laps is a mile. I also met Joyce. She has joined me at boot camp after reading about it in my blog. I was so happy to meet her. She is a total sweetheart. Wednesday will be my last class in the evening because my husband’s schedule is changing due to a shift bid…ugh. I am going to have to start going to the 8:30 am class, but maybe the switch will be good so that I can get my metabolism going first thing in the morning.

We have nailed down a few dates for a couple of upcoming events. We will be shooting the workout video on November 28th. I hope to have it ready to upload by the following week. We also have a date for kickball. We are planning a family day at the park that day, so please pack a picnic and join us for kick ball and some family fun. The date is December 3rd. The time and location is to be announced. We are looking at somewhere either in Carrollwood or Westchase. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for a park with a softball/kickball field and playground for younger children.

My food for today consisted of the following
Breakfast: Egg white sandwich on whole grain flat bread
Lunch: Grilled chicken sandwich with light mayo, lettuce and tomato
Snack: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter
Dinner: 96% lean beef burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup and mustard on a wheat bun and a side of steamed broccoli

The Yankees are loosing, but they are up by 2 games, so I’m not too worried. I want them to win the series in NY anyway. I will be back to post tomorrow as it is my weigh day. I hope everyone has a great week.

A Dedication To My Daughter

2009-10-31T16:00:00.003-04:00

First I would like to say happy Halloween. In the spirit of celebration, we visited a local pumpkin patch to pick the prettiest pumpkin for our princess. In addition to having a farmer’s market and corn mazes, they had all sorts of animals to feed. We saw ponies, and llamas, sheep, goats, and a turkey. Also among the barnyard bunch were pigs, rabbits, chickens, a peacock, an ostrich, and a dear. Amelia was so funny. She looked completely flabbergasted. It is amazing to get to see the world new again through your child’s eyes. It is such a gift and a blessing to be a mommy. I know we have our share of blah days now and then, but these awesome days are beyond compare. We found the perfect pumpkin and brought it home to carve. This was the first year that we attempted a Jack-o-lantern stencil, and it came out pretty good if I do say so myself. It is super spooktacular!

We were up until after midnight carving our fingers to the bone and enjoying the eve of our daughter’s first Halloween, and although I was sill sleepy when the alarm sounded at 6 am, I took some advice and “SUCKED IT UP BUTTERCUP” (I plan on using that term on a regular basis now). I donned my new sneakers, made a few adjustments to my work out play list on my I-pod, grabbed a box of yogurt raisins and a bottle of water to go, and we headed out the door. Did I mention what an amazing and supportive husband I have? He woke up with me at 6 am (on a Saturday none the less) and got the baby ready and packed the diaper bag. In the car on the way to the race, I popped open my box of raisins and took a mouthful. I quickly realized that they were covered in ants (note to self…we need ant baits for the kitchen pantry…yuck). I guess the added protein was OK on my meal plan, but I was completely nauseated about the fact that I had just eaten live ants, so we stopped and got a plain croissant. We finally arrived at the race site, and met up with Marilyn, her husband Craig, Sophie, and another girl in my boot camp named Morgan. We chatted until it was race time. The “GO” horn sounded before I knew it, and we were off. Marilyn walked/jogged with me for almost the first mile, and I saw Phil (the GMA producer) jogging while I was on my race route. He cheered and shouted for me. I also met Ann, a fellow blogger. She was super sweet. I finally made it to the turn around, and I chugged some water. I was on my way back to the finish line. Previous to the race, I set 2 goals for myself. I wanted to finish the race in under an hour, and I did not want to finish last. I was chugging along at a pretty good pace, on target with my goals when I realized that my right shoe was untied. I had a short debate within my head as to weather or not to stop and tie it. Of course, the mommy in me won, and I stopped to tie my shoe. I was disappointed that I fell behind, but I said a little prayer that God would give me continued strength and endurance, and I pressed on. I reached the last intersection before the finish line, and I began to pick up the pace. I was jogging along, and people in cars along the race route were honking and cheering from open windows. I saw the last turn on our route, and Marilyn was running toward me. She helped me push myself to the final turn where I saw my husband and daughter waiting. I realized I was on the home stretch, and we (Marilyn and I) did several sprints to the end. When I finally arrived at the finish line, I was met with people cheering and clapping. I had done it. I met my goals…both of them. My official time was 59:27 and I finished 2nd to last. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and tears began to stream down my face. I scoped up my baby girl and showered her with hugs and kisses. We commenced with more pictures and a light snack. I had about 2 bites of a slice of veggie pizza and a granny smith green apple. I soaked in the moment. I was on top of the world.

A bit fatigued, we headed for breakfast. I had 2 egg beaters, 3 turkey sausage links, a tomato slice, and ½ of a fruit and yogurt parfait. It was delicious, and the protein was just what I need to help my muscles feel fully recovered. When we got home, I responded to a few emails, and laid down for a nap. I am headed off for a shower in a bit and then the evening Halloween festivities begin. We are taking Amelia to my grandfather’s church for a fall festival and we are taking her to see some family while she is all dressed up as the cutest lady bug ever! That’s all for now. I hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend and a Happy and Safe Halloween.

A Blah Kind Of Day

2009-10-30T00:31:00.001-04:00

Today was just another day. Amelia was extra cranky today. I finally saw that illusive tooth that I have only been able to feel up until now. It is super cute! She has been a total mommy’s girl today, so I was not able to get much done around the house with the exception of some laundry during her nap.

A few things are going on that I wanted to tell you about. First, Saturday, In addition to being Amelia’s first Halloween, marks the date of my 1st ever 5K race. I am so excited. I am picking up my packet and some other information about the race tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it. A fellow blogger is also going to be there, so I hope to hook up with her at some point during or after the race.

The other important thing that is coming up is metabolic testing. This is a service that my personal trainer offers. She uses a rented hospital quality machine that tells you exactly how many calories you burn. This is not exclusive to her boot campers, so if you are local and would like to sign up, please fill out the form located on her website. The date is set for Nov 7th from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. Maybe I will see some of you there.

I didn’t do my regular walk tonight for a couple of reasons. 1; I switched it up a bit because I am trying to build my endurance and recovery time for Saturday, and 2; it was getting late, and I really wanted to catch the Yankee game. My workout tonight was amazing though. We have a loop of parking spaces near our house with a little field in the middle. The pace was to walk 1 loop, Jump rope 20 times, walk again, and then run. We did 3 sets and were panting and sweating our butts off. Eddie said that I need to quit hanging out with Sophie because I am turning into a drill sergeant too.

We just had a major meltdown here with a poopy, sleeping baby that I had to wake up to change because her dad didn’t have the foresight to do it before put her in bed and a cat with an injured foot, so that’s it for tonight…I am out!

Slow And Steady Wins The Race.

2009-10-28T21:08:00.001-04:00

I feel as if I need to refocus on my goal. I would first like to say thanks to everyone for your continued support and encouragement. For those of you that have just joined my blog, the objective is to loose 100 pounds in 1 year. I have lost 17 pounds in the past 8 weeks and 2 days (58 days). Suffice to say, I am right on target for my goal. I have lost an average of 2 pounds a week thus far, and I plan to continue modifying my food and exercise regimen on a continuous and gradual basis. I am definitely more than 100 pounds overweight, but that is my intermediate goal. My short term goal is an average of 2 pounds per week. I want to gradually ease into my new lifestyle as I have tried “diets” in the past with varied levels of success. The one thing that these diets had in common was that they all ended in failure. In the past, I tried strict meal plans with large amounts of exercise, and I quickly burned out (usually within the 1st 3 months). I felt deprived and unhappy with my diets and threw in the towel. I realize that some changes still need to be made in my current meal plan, but for now, I am happy with my progress. I am working closely with my trainer and she is aware of my choices. While she does not endorse every morsel that I place in my mouth, she is also happy with my progress so far. I have already drastically overhauled my eating habits and more changes are yet to come. I have also done a complete 180 when it comes to exercise. In fact, today during boot camp, we ran and walked in intervals, and Marilyn had to speed up to catch me when I was running. She said “Wow, look at you go, I can’t believe how fast you are running!” That was a huge boost to my ego, and the added confidence that I needed headed into the 5K on Saturday. I would like to say publicly (as I have said everything else I suppose) I welcome suggestions with open arms, and encourage those of you who are willing, to email your daily meals for the following week. This will help me to know what is working for people that have already achieved success. I am not an expert obviously, or I wouldn’t be in the predicament of weighing 396 pounds. I am still learning, just as many of you are. I would also like to say that I am going to reach my goal, and while I do want to loose 100 pounds in a year, my main focus is getting healthy. I feel that if I make the changes necessary to live a healthy lifestyle, the weight loss will be a natural bi-product.

The Yankees are on, and I am missing an already disappointing game. Although I am probably not missing much by the sounds of my husband’s angry tone, I am excited that the they are finally back in the World Series and want to catch the game incase their place in this post season is short lived. I hope everyone is well. Only 2 more days to the weekend. Have a great rest of the week.

Weight, Say That Again...

2009-10-28T12:01:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not blogging last night, but we were having some technical difficulties. I am so glad that my husband knows a thing or two about computers. It is like having a mechanic in the house J. I did weigh yesterday, and that darn scale almost met her demise. She said that I gained a pound!! I refused to take that for an answer, so I got on the scale again this morning, and I was back down to 396. That’s more like it! I didn’t lose any this week, but I didn’t gain either. After the weekend I had, I am pretty happy with that.

My Oblique muscles are killing me. We did some crazy exercise using a resistance band that, I’m sure, Marilyn dreamed up while trying to figure out new and unique ways to torture us. The way you do it is hold the handle of one (or both) sides of the resistance band while stepping with one foot in the middle of the band (if you can picture it. It is so hard to explain exercise in type, so I will make sure that we do this one on the video) The foot that is stepping on the band is back slightly further than your other foot, Then while holding the handle(s) you move your arms (without bending your elbows of course) from hip level on the side that you are stepping on the band and you twist using your oblique muscles to bring your arms to shoulder level on the other side. It sounds complicated, but it’s actually pretty easy until you do about 10 of them, and then you are hoping the end is near. I still feel it 2 days later. It hurts (in a good way) to laugh. We have a potential date to shoot the exercise video. It will be November 14th, so give me about a week to get it uploaded after that.

I did really well on eating yesterday.
Breakfast: 2 packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal
Snack: Whole wheat bagel with cream cheese
Lunch: Healthy Choice chicken and pasta in pesto sauce, broccoli and carrots, and cherry crisp
Snack: Cup of yogurt
Dinner: Grilled chicken salad with ranch dressing and a biscuit

I have boot camp again tonight, so I guess that means 2 posts today!! The Yankees are playing tonight also, so it might be a late post. This is a monumental occasion. They are finally back in the World Series for the first time in 6 years! I will post more later. Let’s Go Yankees!!

Might As Well Jump!

2009-10-26T23:06:00.001-04:00

Well, today was awesome (if I had to choose 1 word to describe it). I met my mom for a late lunch at Bob Evans (for those of you that don’t know it, suffice to say that their buttermilk biscuits are heavenly). I avoided the biscuits and stuck with a side salad. Marilyn (my personal trainer) taught me a cool trick about salad dressing. If you dip your fork in the dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on the salad, you use way less, and it is totally satisfying. My mom has jumped on the wagon with me and has lost somewhere near 16 pounds. She is doing great. She experimented with a recipe for flourless brownies that she brought for me to sample. They weren’t half bad. Once we perfect it, I will be sure to pass it along. It was perfect with the exception of the sweetness level. It could have been a lot sweeter, so we have to work on that. She said that it didn’t take any time to make, so I am looking forward to the next batch.

As you know, Today was boot camp, and it was also the last day of week 8 on my new program. My endurance has gone through the roof (the credit goes to Marilyn I’m sure). In class today, I shocked everyone. I jumped rope. I didn’t skip rope. I full on (Rocky VI) jumped rope. I lasted for a while too. For those of you that don’t think you can do it, I am living proof. Some people just stopped their own exercise and stared. I am sure it was a sight. Although I’m sure I didn’t look it, I felt like a star athlete training for the Olympics (I hope you all enjoy these fantasies I dream up in my head). I giggled like a giddy school girl on the inside. The truth is. I was so proud of myself! Phil (the produce for GMA that came to my house to set up for the live interview) just happened by the park where we workout. I am sure that was a total coincidence. I bet he is a super double agent sent by ABC to spy on me, and he was shocked to see me there. I was dripping sweat, with a big smile on my face (as if to say, Ha, I told you I would be here). I hope he comes on Wednesday too; I will make him jump rope with me!

My food today consisted of the following:
Breakfast: Peanut butter sandwich on Wheat
Lunch: Healthy Choice Penne Pasta with tomato basil sauce and a side salad with ranch dressing
Dinner: Chicken Caesar Sandwich on 3 cheese bread
I went grocery shopping after boot camp, and was too tired to make dinner, so we stopped at Panera.

Tomorrow is day 1 of week 9, and it is also my weigh day. Aunt Flo has been visiting this week, so I am hoping to at least hold steady at 396…we shall see. If she knows what’s good for her, she will be just as sweet as she was last week! I am going to go for now, I had some workout tonight, and I have a headache from the weight of my sports bra on my shoulder ( I hope I loose some weight in my boobs soon) I am going to take some Advil and call it a night. I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I will talk to you tomorrow!

PS. The Yankees made it to the World Series…it’s about time!

Confection Affection!!

2009-10-26T00:12:00.002-04:00

My crazy confection weekend has finally come to a close. I must say, I did pretty well considering my love for cake, cookies and treats of all kinds. The first party was on Saturday, and I ate 2 hot dogs…1 was turkey, and 1 was all beef topped with organic condiments. There were 2 cakes at this party. 1 was chocolate with chocolate frosting, and 1 was marble with butter cream frosting. It is amazing that I know this without having tasted either of these cakes. I am like a wine connoisseur that can tell the flavors of the wine just by the smell. I can tell the contents of a cake just by the sight…sad, I know! I resisted the temptation and steered clear of the cake…both of them. I was so proud of me. After the party, we had a late lunch with a friend at Ruby Tuesday’s. I ate a spinach and mushroom quiche with broccoli and a salad…I was starved, so I ate a little more than I should have I suspect, but I tried to make some decent choices. That was it for Saturday. Sadly, the Yankees got rained out, so nothing major happened for the rest of the day.

Sunday dawned, and my day started with a shower, and then it was off to church. The message today was about God’s promise and I was so blessed by the word. After church, we headed to the 2nd birthday party of the weekend. I was famished as all I had eaten was a turkey and cheddar luchable. I really have to work on this no breakfast thing, I know. I was in a hurry to get to church OK! I did end up having a couple of bites of cake…like 3 or 4 small bites, and Eddie ate the rest. I was almost glad I did, because I was able to prove to myself that I do have self control, and food is not my master. For lunch, I ate a buffalo chicken sandwich from Subway with sun chips and water. When we got home from the party, we were all beat, so all three of us piled in the bed and took a nap. It was just what I needed after a long and exhausting weekend.

I do have a confession to make. I did not walk on Friday. My daughter has been so miserable with her teeth, and she fell asleep. I just didn’t have the heart to wake her up. I didn’t get in any real exercise this weekend either, so I am really looking forward to getting back to boot camp tomorrow. I hope everyone has a great week. I will post more soon. Goodnight and sleep tight!

Let Them Eat Cake...

2009-10-23T16:42:00.003-04:00

I am sorry that I didn’t post last night. Here is my official excuse: The dog ate my keyboard! Amelia is teething, and I can feel that the tops of her bottom front teeth have broken through her gums. She is completely miserable and so am I. She looks so pitiful. I have tried Baby Ora-gel, and she hates it. I have tried Tylenol, and that doesn’t seem to help. The only thing that has provided any temporary relief is Luigi’s Italian Ice. Wow, imagine that, a popsicle makes her feel better…what am I going to do with this kid?

Other than the teething trouble, things are good. We are finally getting caught up on some bills (thanks to the help of my amazing grandfather), My eye Dr. gave me a new pair of trial contact lenses…thank goodness, and I received an awesome new pair of sneakers from the New Balance Store in Carollwood off of Dale Mabry (shameless plug). I am a total convert. I used to be a hardcore Nike fan, but my new RUNNING shoes are super comfy and supportive. Did you notice I said RUNNING shoes? OK, I just wanted to be sure!

Well, it is finally Friday, and the weekend is upon us. I have church and 2 birthday parties this weekend. There is no rest for the weary. I am tired just thinking about it. I am curious how I am going to cope with all of that birthday cake. Cake is like a drug to me. I might consider buying it on the black market if it were ever outlawed, so you see my dilemma. I am not an emotional wreck. I don’t eat my feelings (although I know people who do, and it a serious problem) I just like cake…and pizza and ice cream for that matter. I just had to get that off of my chest. I have been getting some emails from people that seem to think that I have some deep seeded psychological issues, and I just wanted to assure everyone that is not the case. If I did, trust me, I would seek professional help.

I am going for another walk tonight. I went for one last night too. This is just a public service announcement…I am not going to get into the details, just take my word for it. DO NOT….and I repeat DO NOT run, walk, or do exercise of any kind on a full stomach! I am sure you already knew that, but me, being the person I am, had to find out the hard way. Suffice to say, I am having dinner AFTER my walk tonight.

My meals today consisted of the following:
No breakfast (I know, shame on me)
Lunch: Michelina's Lean Gourmet Chicken Cheese and Rice, 4 oz pineapple in pineapple juice, 1 cup sugar free Jell-o
Snack: Sliced Apple with peanut butter
Dinner: Wheat pasta with 96% lean ground beef, and Heart Smart Traditional Prego Pasta Sauce.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I am going to be super busy, so if you don’t hear from me on Saturday or Sunday, don’t panic. I will back with a full report on Monday. I know I sound like a broken record, but don’t forget about kickball. That’s all for now XOXOXO

Sleepless in South Florida

2009-10-22T00:28:00.001-04:00

I was up at 6:30 am to take my husband to work. We only have 1 vehicle, so I have to take him to work on the days that I go to boot camp. I HATE getting up early, but I am determined to whatever it takes at this point. My little pumpkin woke up smiling, so that made the morning a little better. When I got home, I answered some emails and chatted with a few people, paid some bills, and fed the baby. I had a pretty laid back morning.

I took a break from the computer in the afternoon…my husband thinks I’m an addict, but I can quit any time I want…I swear. I snuggled up with my daughter and took a much needed nap. It was some nice quite time with the otherwise quite energetic rug rat. She is all over the place now, and she is starting to try and climb…let the stress and worry begin. Who am I kidding, the worry started from the 1st day I found out I was pregnant!

My day started to fall apart from there, I got Amelia ready, and I got myself ready to go pick Eddie up from work and head to boot camp. Sounds pretty simple right…WRONG! I was in the bathroom when the nightmare began. I was trying to get my contacts in. they were stuck to the inside of the lid, and wouldn’t you know it…I dropped the stupid lid. I have still not been able to find my contacts…they must have vanished into thin air. By the time I gave up the search party, Amelia was screaming for a bottle, and I was running 15 min late. I made a bottle and headed out the door. I was happy to be on the road until I looked down at the dash and realized I was on E. I was on the verge of throwing in the towel. I stopped to get gas (10 dollars used to fill my tank. What happened to those days?), and finally made it to Eddie’s work…15 min late. He had a frustrating day dealing with Sallie Mae about his student loans, so he was none too happy to be stranded at work for an additional 15 min. I made it to boot camp. Amazingly, I was only about 5 min late. I rushed to join the class, but I don’t think I pushed myself as hard as I could have because I was still peeved from the chaos of getting there, and I hate working out in my glasses.

Although I was aggravated, I must have still gotten a pretty good workout because I am completely aware of my abs tonight. I wouldn’t say I am sore, but it feels like I had a work out. After boot camp, I was talking to Marilyn (my trainer) because some of you have reached out and have been asking what kind of exercises I do. Marilyn has offered to do a series of short exercise videos with me that I will upload to you tube and post a link were you can download them at no charge. I will keep you updated with the details. It may take a few weeks, but I thought that would be better than trying to explain it in writing.

My meals today consisted of the following:
Breakfast: Peanut butter sandwich on wheat
Lunch: Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccini (Michelina’s lean gourmet) ½ cup 2% cottage cheese, 4 oz pineapple chunks (in pineapple juice) and a cup of sugar free jello
Dinner: 12” tuna sub from subway on Honey Oat bread
I know I did not get enough calories in today because I took a nap, Se La Vi…tomorrow is another day.

Please don’t forget to send me an email (Stacypie3279@aol.com) if you would like to join us for kick ball. Once we have enough people, we will nail down a time and place. All fitness levels are welcome. It is 1 am here, so I am going to hit the sack. Goodnight and sweet dreams!

Where Do I Begin...

2009-10-20T21:45:00.002-04:00

I guess at the beginning would be good…Today was my weigh day. I grumbled as I made my way to the bathroom. I peed before I stepped on the scale. Everyone knows that you always weigh on an empty bladder, and never with wet hair. Ever ounce counts! My little sweet scale told me that I weigh 396 pounds. I was shocked. That means I have lost 3 pounds this week and 17 in total. I’m not going to read too much into it though because I have a feeling that she is just buttering me up for the holidays.

My GMA interview aired a little after 8 am today. I was a bit nervous being live, but I made it through. How did I do? We had oatmeal for breakfast and leftovers for lunch. I made a strawberry chicken salad (the ingredients can be found on a previous post). I answered a bunch of emails today, and I made almost 200 new friends on Facebook and Myspace. I feel so blessed to have so much support and encouragement. I read every single comment, and was touched by so many of you. One email in particular was from a 15 year old girl. She also has a blog, and she blogged about me today. I was stunned by her talent and maturity. I hope she is representative of the future of our country.

We are all in this together. We have a tough road ahead of us, but we can do it. We will do it. I have no doubt. For those of you not on a weight loss journey, I am sure you are on some kind of journey. We all meet challenges at some point, but the principals are all the same…Stay Focused, Stay Positive, and Never Give Up.

Grilled chicken and broccoli was on the menu for dinner. It was delish. I like broccoli for a couple of reasons. I like the taste of it steamed, and you can have it in larger portions with little negative impact. I am all about more bang for your buck. I am a mom on a budget after all. I will be going for a walk tonight, but first, the Yankees. We are in game 4 of the ALCS against the Los Angeles Angels. The yanks lead by 1 game, but to win they need the best of 7. Speaking of games, I am still taking names for kickball. I really want to get something nailed down, so please let me know if you are interested. I hope there are no extra innings tonight. I didn’t get much sleep last night because Amelia was up with a fever from her shots yesterday, and I was anxious about today. I hope everyone is having a great week. Tomorrow is boot camp, so I will post more soon. Good night for now.

ABC...Easy As 123...

2009-10-19T21:02:00.002-04:00

I just realized that I never told you when my segment on Good Morning America is going to run. That was a pretty big oversight on my part. I am really sorry. It will run in the 8 o’clock hour tomorrow, October 20th. I am really looking forward to the interview. In addition to the footage that has already been filmed, I am going live via satellite on the show tomorrow. ABC has also sent me a video camera to film a video diary of my progress that will be aired on a periodic basis. I am sure that I will find out more details about that as time goes on. I had a jam packed day today. Amelia had 2 doctor’s appointments today (she had to get shots again...yuck). She had her regular check up and her first eye exam. She read the eye chart perfectly…lol. I also had an eye exam, and then went to Boot Camp this evening. While I was running up a hill, I twisted my ankle a bit. I shook it off and sat for a while. While my ankle was resting, I did some bicep curls with 12 pound weights. We ran some crazy obstacle course today, and my suspicions were confirmed. Marilyn’s daughter, Sophie is a drill sergeant! She worked out with me today, and when it was time to climb the hill for the second time, she said…and I quote “Let’s try to do it 4 times this time since we did it 3 last times.” My first reaction was to say “Where is the camera? Am I getting punked?” I quickly found out that there was no practical joke involved, and ran my butt up the hill…4 times. It was easy for Sophie; she is 10, and probably weighs about as much as my right leg! I could not disappoint her though (she is a total doll) so I sucked it up and hiked my butt up and down that hill. I am in the midst of cooking diner (Strawberry Chicken Salad), and the Yankees lost tonight. Suffice to say, my husband is in a less than desirable mood. I swear that the world could stop spinning, and it wouldn’t matter as long as the Yankees were winning! I am going to hit the road for tonight, because I have to finish dinner and make my house presentable for ABC for the 2nd time this week. I hope I get an offer for a maid out of this deal…here’s hoping. Have a good evening.

Crisp Fall Air…Spring In My Step!

2009-10-17T22:38:00.001-04:00

Thursday was a lot of fun, but it was such a long day. The camera crew was here for 9 hours. From 9 am until 6pm. I was completely wrecked after they left. I am totally dumbfounded as to how families can endure making reality shows. It was like a TV set in my living room. Furniture was rearranged and there was camera equipment everywhere. It was complete chaos! Friday was not much better. I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a train. I think because I stood a lot for the interview, and there was very little time for rest. Amelia slept, well, like a baby. She took 2 naps while the camera guys were here. It was business as usual for her. I guess she is accustomed to the camera, because her dad and I always have the camera in her face like the paparazzi. We did have to run a few errands yesterday, and Eddie had a doctor’s appointment, so while we were out, we took Amelia to the Yankee gift shop at Legends Field for the first time. We have been going there for the past 10 years for birthday and Christmas gifts. Marie is the lady that runs the store, and we have known her since we have been going there. She has seen us go from dating to engaged to married to pregnant. Just our luck, yesterday was her day off…we will try and see her again soon. I woke up feeling much better today, and the weather was perfect! The high was 74 degrees. That is my kind of weather! We went for a walk this evening, and it was 66 degrees. As most of you already know, I am going to participate in The Great West Chase on Oct 31st, so I have tried to kick it up a notch. We walked along Bayshore, and there are light posts about every 50 yards, so my pace was to walk 2 light posts and run 1. By the time it was time to turn around and head back, I had gone .2 miles farther than normal. On the way back to the car, something truly amazing happened. When it came time for me to run, I sprinted. Eddie said that it looked like I was running for my life away from a pack of wild dogs! It was an out of body experience. I felt like my body was inhabited by Carl Lewis! I think I might have been able to take him at that moment. My husband, almost a full 200 pounds lighter than me, had to run to catch up with me! When he finally reached me, he was cheering and clapping. He said that seeing that made him believe that anything is possible. He just kept telling me that I am amazing. Truthfully, I feel amazing. When I put the pedal to the medal and I was running as fast as I could, I felt totally free! I felt like I was out running the fat! I felt unstoppable! The hubs sacrificed half of the Yankee game in order to walk with me (and that’s something because they finally made it to the ALCS), so I am going to go and watch the end of the game with him. I will post more soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Good Morning America...

2009-10-15T15:11:00.002-04:00

Good morning...well afternoon I guess. I am so sorry that I didn't have a chance to update my blog yesterday. I was busy getting my house clean for the interview. It is going very well by the way. I was so nervous, but I was assured by the camera crew that "the camera loves me"! I had boot camp last night, and we played Marilyn's version of a "game" It was like dodge ball without the throwing. Basically we had to start at a middle point, squat to pick up a ball, and run back to our base and squat to place the ball on the ground. Once all the balls were gone from the middle, we had to run to the other team’s base and steal balls from them. I have a pretty competitive spirit, so I really pushed myself. I got really tired, and I got a stitch in my side. I had a really good workout despite the fact my first instinct was skip boot camp yesterday to get ready for the interview. I shook that thought out of me head, tied up my sneakers, and hit the bricks. It was a little warm yesterday for outdoor activity. I just can’t wait for some cooler weather to come upon us. Winter will be bitter sweet because I will get some relief from the heat, but that means no water aerobics for a few months. I will increase my walking at that point, and I am sure that Marilyn has some big things in store for me now that my blog is going national...again bitter sweet!! I have a few more hours of shooting, so I am going to say goodbye for now. I will post more soon. Please don't forget to email me about your interest in kickball if you haven't already.

A Stay Of Execution...For Now!

2009-10-13T21:27:00.004-04:00

Today was a good day. It started with my appointment with my scale. As you know, we haven’t been on the greatest terms lately. I think that she sensed that she was pushing her luck, so she told me I weighed 399 pounds. I lost 1 pound, but after last week, I will take it. Losing a pound is better than gaining a pound any day (unless you are Paris Hilton, that girl needs to eat a sandwich)! I am so happy that I am finally going in the right direction on the scale. I did a 45 min water aerobic routine this evening. They FINALLY got the pool cleaned. I was worried that that pool would be frozen over before I had a chance to get back in it! It was a terrific workout. I swam for a while, did some ab work, leg work, and I worked on my arms using these really cool under water dumb bells. They are light as a feather out of the water, but once you get them under the water, they work like a charm. I have some pretty exciting news. I got a call this morning from ABC Action News - Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. It seems that since my story was featured in the St. Pete Times, it has been picked up on the news wire. I am doing an interview on Thursday. I’m not sure when the story is going to run, but I will keep you updated. I was completely dumbfounded. I can’t believe that this has become so news worthy. I am a mom and a wife and I am trying to get to a healthy weight for my family. I am so amazed that my little blog has stirred up so much attention. My main motivation for starting a blog was to gain accountability, and, well, I guess there is no turning back now. I am so excited to share my story. I hope that I am able to inspire more people to get fit and healthy. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity, and I appreciate all of you that have already joined me on this journey. I always look forward to your emails and comments. I am still collecting names for kickball, so if you are interested please email me at Stacypie3279@aol.com. I have boot camp tomorrow, so I will be sure to post an update tomorrow evening. I told Marilyn about my interview, and she said that means that we have to bump up the exercise (Note to self…don’t tell Marilyn about any more interviews) I need to give my daughter a bath, so I am going to bid you all a good night.

Fe Fi Fo Fired...I Am So Stinkin' Tired

2009-10-12T21:54:00.004-04:00

I reluctantly went to boot camp today. I was searching for an excuse not to go (I had some pretty convincing ones all planned out) because I am so tired, but I received some awesome and encouraging emails today from some of my email subscribers, so I got off my butt and went. I am so glad I did, because I had a terrific work out. I ran a lot today. I do it now just because I can. I am not sure how it looks to everyone else, but it feels amazing to me, and I guess that's all that matters. I did these really cool one-legged squats today where I was on my tip toe on one leg and flat footed on the other leg. The tip toe leg supported 20% of my weight, and the flat foot leg supported the other 80%...That's 320 pounds...I just realized how unbelievable that is. Anyway, it was a great exercise and took so much pressure off of my knees. I also did 100 crunches holding an 8 pound ball for leverage. I feel like I ate a jar of Vick's Vapor Rub after I work out. I feel like I can breathe so much easier, and my recovery time after exercise is getting so much better. The best is yet to come, and it will only get better from here. I would like to take a moment to say hello to all of my new email subscribers and say thank you for joining me on my journey. It really helps me stay focused when I feel like all of you are counting on me. I don't want to let you guys down. Thanks so much for keeping me accountable. I am determined to reach my goals, but I am human and I do get distracted or feel unmotivated sometimes, and I am so glad that I can rely on you guys to keep me on track. Please check out the videos in my video bar. I have some stuff on there of my daughter, Amelia, and a video from a vacation in NY in 2004. It is pretty sad that I needed a video of the Hershey store in Time's Square. I guess I should have realized there was a problem way back then. My weigh day is tomorrow. Please cross your fingers and say a prayer for me. I need to see some results this week...and the scale better take me seriously. If she doesn’t tell me what I want to here, she is going to be sleeping with the fishes! I am going to call it a night for now, but I will give you an update regarding the outcome of my date with the scale tomorrow. I hope everyone is having a good week so far. Nighty Night.

Walk This Way...

2009-10-10T00:07:00.003-04:00

I went for a walk this morning and quickly remembered why I usually wait to walk after the sun goes down. I started at 10:30, and I didn’t make it back to my car until 12:30. Of course, me being me, it could not be just a normal, simple, little walk. It was 95 degrees outside, and the sun was blaring, so my brilliant idea was to cut down a “nature trail”. I use this term loosely because the only nature I encountered was trees and mud and mosquitoes the size of pterodactyls. I was hot and sweaty, and by the time we emerged from “nature”, we still had about 2 more miles to go. I felt like I was on Survivor Island. I began to imagine oases and mirages. I was completely out of water when an angel from God appeared in a TECO truck. He stopped, and cool air wafted out of his open window. He asked “Do yall’ need anything?” I replied “Do you have any water?” He said “no”, but pointed to this giant blue pipe sticking out of the ground “That pipe has drinking water. I can open it up for you.” He offered, and I gratefully accepted. My face felt swollen, and I began to see spots in front of my eyes, so I knew I had to get cool and fast. When he opened the valve to flush the system, it looked like someone opened a fire hydrant on a NY city street. I waited for a few moments to get rid of the stagnate water. He then lowered the pressure and I filled my cup and I got myself wet. It was a shock to the system because the water was so cool, but it was just what I needed to make it back to my car. I wiped off the baby with a cool, wet cloth and made sure she had plenty of water. She drank 8 oz during the course of our walk. I was worried that was too much, so I gave her some Pedialyte when we got home. She was no worse for ware! I finally made it back home to the air conditioning and my comfy couch. I was toast for the rest of the day. I slept through most of the Yankee game…which was awesome by the way. I am super tired so I am going to hit the sack! I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Don't Call It A Come Back...

2009-10-07T20:18:00.003-04:00

Well, despite the fact I was disappointed about that stupid, annoying pound, I dragged my butt to boot camp tonight. I am so glad I did. I used this minor setback to fuel the fire of determination that is burning inside of me. I decided that I was going to dig in and push hard. What I found when I got to that point was surprising. I found a fountain of strength and energy that was buried under the fat way, deep down inside, and I RAN. I actually ran. It felt awesome. I could only run for about 25 seconds at a time, but the important thing here is that I ran. I was tired and hot and sweaty and gross, but I felt amazing. Also, my husband bought me a “you’re doing great” gift. I was so surprised. When he came to pick me up from boot camp, he presented me with an awesome nail kit with lotion and oil and a buffing block (the Dead Sea stuff that they sell in the kiosk in the middle of the mall). He is the greatest. He always knows just how to make me feel better. I am so excited about this week. I am going to follow my meal plan more closely and make sure I am getting enough meals in the day (no more skipping breakfast) to keep my metabolism going. I am in hopes that will be enough to finally get the scale moving in the right direction! I hope everyone has had a good week so far…only 2 more days to the weekend. Please don't forget to let me know if you are interested in kick ball so that we can get something set into stone. The Yankees are in the playoffs and the game is on TV, so I am going to go watch them dominate the Twins...Let's go Yankees!

This Was Not Part Of The Plan.

2009-10-06T22:19:00.002-04:00

I anxiously stepped on the scale this morning. My scale talks in a female robotic voice. I waited with baited breath, a moment passed, and she blurted out "your weight is 400 pounds." It was if she was mocking me. My first reaction was to open my bedroom window and toss the lying Jezebel into the pond behind my house. I had a feeling that sneaky little pound was stalking me, but I vow to get rid of him, plus a couple of his annoying little friends this week. In addition, I plan on filing a restraing order so that they can't come back. I didn't walk tonight because I have a very early morning tomorrow. I have boot camp tomorrow afternoon though, so I am sort of grateful for the rest. I plan on walking my normal 3 miles on Thurs and Friday at the least. Well, that's it for tonight. I am going to bed after a frustrating day!

Working Hard...

2009-10-05T21:28:00.002-04:00

I went to boot camp today, and Marilyn is kicking it up a notch. I guess that's why she calls it Kick It Up Boot Camp. The first 2 weeks she was so sweet and gentle. I guess that is your grace period. I didn't hear "Stacy, you may not want to do this" or "Stacy, you may want to modify this exercise this way" once today! Today, I met the full on, in your face, get your butt moving and don't look back Marilyn, and I kind of like her. I need a kick in the butt once in a while. Let's face facts, I am 399 pounds. Obviously, something went awry with my self motivation techniques at some point. I work very well under pressure, and I truly believe that I can do anything. I have no mental blocks to hold me back. In my opinion, that is the hardest part of the battle...getting mentally tough. I heard a saying once that pain is just weakness leaving the body. Well, I got rid of a lot of weakness today. The workout today focused mainly on arms and abs. According to Marilyn, everything should be a ab workout...Yippee!! The most consistent thing that I hear during my hour long sessions is "Keep your abs tight and your shoulders back". I feel like I'm in charm school. She might as well walk around with a wooden ruler and whack people while reciting the phrase "No Slouching"!! I am kidding of course, Marilyn is the best, and she has been a tremendous help. I have learned so much in the 3 short weeks that I have been attending her classes. I am looking forward to seeing what she has in store for me as I begin to shed the pounds. As I become more agile and flexible, I am looking forward to more difficulty. One of my long term goals is to be able to run. I am not talking a cute little trophy wife jog. I am talking a full out, pedal to the metal, hide and go seek (not it) kind of run. I know that sounds insane, but whoever said I was completely normal? Another thing I want to be able to do at some point is a military style push up (not some girly, sissy, knees bent, I might break a nail kind of push up). I would like to request something from my faithful readers. I don't know how possible it would be, but I would like to organize a kickball or softball game (Kickball requires less equipment), and I would like for you to participate. Please email me if you are interested at Stacypie3279@aol.com so that we can figure out a date, time, and location. I am going to call it a night for now. I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I don't want to hear about anybody with a "case of the Monday's" Good night for now...sleep tight!

Life...

2009-10-04T22:56:00.003-04:00

It is so hard to stay focused when life is happening all around you. I didn't walk yesterday or today because we have been busy trying to get the house clean and back in order. We spent all day cleaning yesterday, but I did manage to make a delicious dinner. I cooked chicken, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, celery, carrots, chopped garlic, and onion in the crock pot. Once the chicken was cooked through, I took the chicken and vegetables out of the crock pot and cooked some brown rice in the stock. Once the rice was tender, I put the chicken and veggies back in. It was so good, and it was just the ticket after a long day of work. Of course, laundry spilled over into today. Laundry in never completely done with an infant in the house. I just had to get out of the house today, so we did some grocery shopping and went to the mall to pick up my daughter's Halloween costume. She is going to be a lady bug...too cute. I got a deal on her costume at Children's Place in Brandon Mall. The Halloween gear was 30% off, so I was happy about that. We had another great dinner tonight. I made a strawberry, chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I used a bag of spring mix salad greens; I added some chopped Romaine hearts, sliced strawberries, chopped walnuts, grilled chicken breast, and gorgonzola cheese. I made the vinaigrette with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 3/4 cup EVOO, 1/2 Tbs salt, 1/2 Tbs pepper, and 2 Tbs Splenda. I whisked that all together until the salt and Splenda were dissolved, and then drizzled the mixture over the salad. It was literally the 1st salad that I have ever made at home that I actually enjoyed. I even have enough for lunch tomorrow...I am looking forward to it! I have boot camp tomorrow, and it is the beginning of a new class. I am really excited about that, and I hope to see some of you there. I think I am going to call it a night. I will post more soon. Sweet dreams!

Success...

2009-10-02T20:04:00.003-04:00

My daughter slept in her own bed all night last night and for her nap this afternoon. Here’s hoping for another successful night tonight. I took the night off because I am feeling a little worn out. It has been a rough few nights and it is going to take a really good night's sleep for me to be all caught up. I will be back at it tomorrow. My poll has ended, and the popular vote for chucking the weight loss program in the past is lack of motivation. I have totally been there. When I was younger, I was defiant about losing weight. I didn't feel it was necessary for me to conform to society's standards. As I got older, that translated into lack of motivation because I was just so used to being lazy and fat! I really started to be concerned about my weight when I got engaged. I had a vision of myself walking down the aisle looking like the Michelin Man, so I joined a gym and got my bohunkus on the tread mill. I was on a low carb diet as well, and that seemed to work, because with the combination of diet and exercise I lost 50 pounds. Once the honeymoon was over, however, I quickly gained back all the weight I lost plus a few. I got comfortable again, and life kind of got in the way and I just gave up. I was complacent in this holding pattern until my husband and I started talking about having a baby, so when we stared trying, I got back on the wagon. I chose a low fat and low calorie diet because I realized that low carb could not be a lifestyle change for me. I just can't live without bread or pasta forever. Once I got pregnant, the "diet" and exercise was out the window again because I miscarried previous to getting pregnant with my daughter and I was terrified that it was because of something I did, so I sat with my feet up for the first 6 months. By the time I felt comfortable enough to go for walks again I was 7 months pregnant. For those of you that have ever been pregnant, walking is the last thing on your mind in the last trimester. I waddled like a duck, and my bladder was the size of a flattened penny, so walking was out. I had this sensational idea that I would get out and walk with the baby once she was born, but when she got here I found out that things didn’t fit in neat little boxes of time anymore. I felt like my entire day was consumed by just trying to keep her fed. I was having trouble breast feeding so the schedule was as follows: offer her the breast, give her bottle, try to pump. By the time I finished, it was time to sterilize the breast pump and start all over. I was an emotional wreck because I had my heart set on breast feeding, and that just didn't happen. I was physically and emotionally exhausted for the first 3 months of her life. People kept telling me that things would get easier, but the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to be the headlamp of an oncoming train. We finally got over the hump of 2 am and 4 am feedings and the colic...oh the colic, and by the time she was 4 1/2 months old, I decided to get my life back in order. I was terrified the first time I stepped on the scale. I swore to myself that I would never be back to 400, but low and behold...413. I weighed 1 pound less than I did before we started trying to conceive. I was back to square 1. That was a huge blow to my morale, but I came to the conclusion that nobody could change my life except for me, and I had a brand new reason to stick to it this time. So, here I am, well on my way to getting healthy. I guess my whole point to this long and drawn out story is that you have to find your own source for motivation. It helps me to see my daughter while I am eating and working out. She is a constant reminder why I am doing what I am doing. Thanks for listening to my story. I hope everyone has a terrific weekend! I will post more soon, but until then, I bid you good night.

Sleepless in New Tampa

2009-10-02T00:14:00.003-04:00

Exhaustion has reached a new level! We are in the process of transitioning my 5 1/2 month old daughter from our bed to her crib. It has only been 3 days, but I am tired. She has done pretty well getting to sleep in her crib, but by 2 am she is screaming her head off. I thought the sleep depravation was over when we got through the colic stage, but I guess it was just beginning. I went to boot camp yesterday, and boy did I get a workout. I climbed up and down a hill 8 times and when I say hill, I don't mean a slight incline, Think San Francisco! I did 100 sit-ups, jump rope, 50 crunches and some arm and leg work. Not to mention, we played tag twice. I had so much fun. I felt like a kid at recess!! I will be hanging from the monkey bars with my munchkin in no time, so if you see me at the playground, I am won't be hanging there because I have some mental instability, it will simply because I CAN!! We went for another 3 mile walk today. I made it in 72 min. I know that wasn't as good as my previous time, but we had a cranky baby on our hands, and I had a serious chaffing situation (let's just say that I found out that I had a hole in my pants about 20 min too late). One of my friends on Facebook posted some info on the Inaugural Florida Half-a-thon and 5k Race at Fort Desoto on March 21, 2010. I think I am going to register, and I will do my best to be in running shape by then (well, at least jogging shape). Marilyn told me about another 5k in Westchase on the morning on 10/31/09. I think I am going to register for that as well just because I have never participated in a 5k, and I want to get some practice in. I found out that a 5k in not the same as 5 miles. I’m sure that you all probably already knew that, but I didn't, and when I found out that it was only 3.1 miles, I breathed a sigh of relief. If I had to go much further than 3 miles at this point, I think my ankles would go on strike! It has been a long couple of days, so I am going to see if I can finally get some sleep. Nighty Night!

Weight until you hear this!!

2009-09-29T18:17:00.002-04:00

I weighed myself today. I am holding steady at 399. I am a little disappointed because I really worked out hard this week. I’m still holding out hope that I have actually lost more because I’m still feeling a little bloated. I can’t really feel that bad though, because I have lost a total of 14 pounds for the month. The experts say that healthy weight loss is 2 pounds a week; so technically, I am ahead of the game I guess. I spoke to the leasing office, and the pool is supposed to be cleaned today, so I hope to be back in the water by tomorrow. I cooked a pork shoulder in my crock pot for dinner last night. It was pretty good, and I pulled the rest of it off the bone for leftovers. I am really on a budget right now, so I have been trying to prepare a large quantity when I cook so that we will have leftovers for a few days. This week's menu is new and exciting. I am making chicken and vegetables in the crock pot and I am going to serve that over brown rice. My mom also picked some smoked salmon up for me at Sam's Club, and I am thinking about what to serve that with. What goes with salmon? I have never really eaten it before let alone served it as a meal in my home. This has been such a learning process. I am looking forward to boot camp tomorrow. We walked 3 miles yesterday, and we did it in 65 min. I am totally impressed with my time. My sessions with Marilyn have really been paying off because on my walk yesterday, I didn't feel as fatigued as I would normally. She showed me the correct posture to use while I walk, and I think that little tip has really helped me find my center of balance and take some pressure off of my lower back. It is a little tricky trying to walk with your shoulders back at first, especially if it feels like you are smuggling watermelons in your bra! I am getting the hang of it though, and I am starting to feel really healthy. I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I am going for another walk this evening…another 3 miles. If I walked 3 miles, 4 days a week, for 1 year (624 miles), I wonder where I could walk to. Just a reminder, today is the last day left to vote on my poll, so if you haven’t already, please share your opinions! I am going to run for now (figuratively not literally) I will post more soon. Have a good evening.

Aunt Flow Came For A Visit...

2009-09-27T19:24:00.003-04:00

The past few days have been a little slow going. I finally got over the muscle soreness from exercising only to be faced with a visit from dear Aunt Flow. It seems like all of the cramps and bloating have been so much worse since the baby was born. I am looking forward to the week though. I don't have boot camp on Monday because it is a Jewish holiday, but I plan on making up for that on my own by walking and hopefully doing some water aerobics. Marilyn also has me keeping a food journal so that she can give me some expert feed back on things that I can modify in order to maximize my losing potential. I haven't been able to get in the pool for the past week because our community pool maintenance leaves something to be desired to say the least. Our pool has been the color of a margarita this week, so as you can imagine, I passed up the aqua time because I was both disgusted and suddenly craving a frosty margarita among some other pool side drinks that I can think of. I am going to have a talk with the office manager tomorrow and hopefully find out when I can expect the pool to be cleaned, but until then, I am going to stick to walking. On Friday, I beat my time. I still walked 2.5 miles, but I did it in 52 minutes instead of an hour. I was quite impressed with myself. My daughter seems to be really enjoying the scenery on our walks, and I am in hopes that I am laying the groundwork for these things to start becoming habits for my whole family. I also have an update, I am pleased to tell you that my husband now has some clean underwear, so if you see him on the street, don't forget to congratulate him! I still need to go grocery shopping and I am hoping to find a good deal on a lean pork roast and some boneless skinless chicken breast. I also have been looking for smoked salmon this week, so if anyone knows where I can find it at a reasonable price, please let me know. I plan on loading up on fruits and veggies this week as well. I love watermelon because it is so juicy and delicious and really helps me curb my sweet craving. I am going to run for now. I hope everyone has a good week. Tomorrow is a new beginning, and Tuesday is my weigh day, so stay tuned!

Kick It Up...More Like Kick My Butt.

2009-09-24T18:10:00.003-04:00

I had "boot Camp" last night, and I did what felt like a million sit-ups on the exercise ball. In actuality, it was probably only 50, but then again, I do have a flare for the mellow dramatic. My abs feel like I have been run over by a school bus, and my upper thighs are sore from those pesky squats that seem to be one of Marilyn's favorite exercises...lucky me! I feel good though, so I think I am going to go for another walk tonight. For those of you in or near Tampa, Bayshore is an excellent place to walk. It is lit at night and it’s right on the water. They even have fitness stations set up for you overachievers out there!! I know that you probably detect a hint of sarcasm, but that's only because I have no hope of crossing those darn monkey bars at this point in my journey. Just give me a few months, and I will be flying through the air with the greatest of ease, a daring young girl as if on a flying trapeze. Just a reminder, there is less than a week left to vote on the new poll listed above. Please also don't hesitate to leave your comments. I welcome all comments including constructive criticism. I am off to do some more laundry before my walk; I think my darling husband is out of clean drawers. Trying to balance my life as a mom and a wife and still have time left for me is a tough business. Who knew that all moms were super heroes, there is no other explanation as to how we are able to get everything done! Good bye for now, I am off (super hero cape swoosh)!

Drumroll Please...

2009-09-23T00:49:00.005-04:00

Today (Meaning Sept 22...I am on Stacy time, and in my world, anything before 6am counts as the previous day) was my weigh day. I lost 1 pound this week. Not my greatest achievement, but the awesome part of this 1 measly pound is that it took me down to 399 pounds. I have officially retired from the 400 club!! Go me! I walked for an hour today...2.5 miles to be exact. My legs were sore from the personal training evaluation yesterday, but I pushed through it and accomplished my goal. I am tired, and I feel a little beat up, and although you can't really make it out through the many layers of fat still hanging off my body, there is a fire burning inside of me. I am so motivated. I am blessed to have such a wonderful support system around me. My husband is behind me all the way and has committed to do anything to help me reach my goal. My mom is one of my biggest cheerleaders, and then, there are all of you. You may not realize how much it has touched my life to receive and encouraging email or virtual "pat on the back", and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you, so, Thank You! I am completely exhausted, and I have another day of "boot camp" tomorrow, so I am going to call it a night.

And 1...And 2...And Don't Forget To Breathe

2009-09-21T21:25:00.005-04:00

I can barely contain my excitement. I had my appointment today with the owner and founder of Kick It Up Boot Camp. I had a blast. First, let me say that Marilyn is super nice. I totally expected the same "personal" training experience that I have received in the past from large fitness facilities. They should call it mass quantity training at those places because there is nothing personal about it. For the most part in the past, I was defeated before I even got started. At traditional fitness centers, I usually exceeded all of the weight limits on most of the gym equipment. I used it anyway, but I was terrified every time I stepped foot on the treadmill that a red light was going to drop from the ceiling and my machine was going to say "Tilt...Tilt...Tilt" like when you try and cheat on a pinball game. I'm sorry, I am rambling. I have to say that Marilyn is the real deal. She is very knowledgeable and super enthusiastic. The work out routine that she gave me was super fun and totally unique. I was pleasantly surprised. I also have some exciting news for you all. I must say, it would be in your benefit to subscribe to my blog if you haven't already. I was able to negotiate an awesome discount for all of my email subscribers that live in, or are willing to commute to the Tampa Bay Area. All you have to do is enter your name and email address in the fields provided at the top right hand corner of my blog where it says "subscribe for blog updates" , and I will send you an email with the details of the discount, and the promotion code. If you are not interested, but know someone that might be, please feel free to forward this information to them. By clicking on the "share" icon at the top right of my blog, or below each post, you can send an email directly from my blog. Trust me; this is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Marilyn holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Georgia and graduated with honors from Florida International University in Miami with a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology. To say the least, the woman knows what she is doing. I start class on Monday, and will be attending her 5 Pm class on Mon and Wed. She has also suggested that I walk 1 hour a day, 4 days a week, and fit in water aerobics whenever I can. I can feel the weight melting away just thinking about it. I had a Tuna sub on wheat from Subway for dinner. I was a little too tired to cook after my fitness evaluation. I hope you all take advantage of Marilyn's offer. She has been very generous. If you do not live in the Tampa Bay Area, I apologize, but if you will send me a quick email with your city and state (subject line Amelia’s Mom), I will do my best to negotiate an awesome deal in your area. My email address is Stacypie3279@aol.com. I am pooped, so that's all for now. Goodnight.

Healthy Can Taste Good

2009-09-19T15:53:00.008-04:00

I don't know if any of you can relate, but I have been a little frightened of green vegetables most of my life. My comfort zone in the veggie area has been green beans and iceberg lettuce. When I went to the whole foods store, I branched out and bought zucchini and asparagus. I was so proud of myself. I came up with a totally delish way to incorporate the zucchini. I made a pasta bake with whole wheat pasta, extra lean ground beef, heart healthy traditional pasta sauce by Prego, garlic, onion, Mozzarella cheese, and sauteed zucchini. It was so delicious and totally full of flavor. I served that dish with grilled asparagus and a caesar salad with light dressing. I got 3 servings of veggies in 1 meal. That is progress. I am still working on bumping up the exercise, but I got an amazing offer from the owner of Kick It Up Boot Camp. She is going to give me a personal training session and help me get on an intensive workout program. I am really looking forward to it. My appointment is on Monday, so I will be sure to let you know how it goes. I am going swimming tonight. I am really looking forward to that. I have to run for now, the baby needs more formula, so I am off to the store.

The Results Are In!

2009-09-16T23:51:00.003-04:00

Based on the results of my poll, out of the 174 people that voted a jaw dropping 67% have tried and failed to lose weight more than 10 times (myself included). Obesity is an epidemic, and this statistic is only proof. I have a couple of theories as to why it is so easy to be fat in this day and age. While I, in no way, support shirking personal responsibility, I believe that there are some things in our society that contribute to obesity. These are my observations:
1. The rise of the fast food chain - In the forties and fifties, there was a mailbox on every corner. It seems like they have now been replaced by McDonald's. I recently heard a statistic that people get fatter in poor economic times. I'm not suggesting that you blame Obama for the spare tire you have hanging around your mid-section, but when you have more month than money, the dollar menu is pretty appealing. It's cheap, it tastes pretty good, and there is something for the whole family. Not to mention, no messy cleanup! Who can beat that right?
2. The technological revolution - What ever happened to going outside to play? When I was a kid and I got into trouble (hard to imagine I know) restriction meant not being able to go outside and play with my friends. I almost didn't survive. Nowadays, kids are more connected than Bill Gates. They have I-pods, cell phones, video games, and laptop computers. They are like miniature high-level executives. They make "friends" online, they can literally sit for hours playing video games, and when they are not sitting on their butts, they can be seen in some social settings Heelin' around on skate shoes, texting the person next to them like a praying mantis on crack! It is like an entire generation of fat introverts with little to no social skills. The part that really kills me is that peers and popular trends totally encourage this lifestyle. It's almost like it is cool to be a fat, lazy, pod person that is afraid of daylight.
3. Weight loss fads - There is no substitution for hard work, and if you are anything like me, when it comes to weight loss, you had to find that out the hard way. Don't believe the hype. There is no magic pill, or vibrating belt that will single handedly help you shed hundreds of pounds while you sleep leaving you looking toned and svelte in the morning. A proper, well balanced diet and exercise is the only way to go. The food pyramid has stood the test of time for a reason.
Before I get off of my soap box, I have a question regarding something I saw today. My family and I went to the Whole Foods Marketplace in Tampa to pick up some organic veggies, and while I was sitting outside feeding my daughter a bottle, this woman comes high-tailing it around the corner sucking down a cigarette. I was sure that she was headed to target since they are upstairs, but wouldn't you know it, she grabbed a cart, mulled over the outside plants while finishing the remainder or her cancer laden smoke stick, and headed into the health food store. I have to admit that I was a little stunned. Not that she was smoking so much, but that she was shopping at a whole food's store after puffing on a cigarette like a locomotive smoke stack. I thought to myself "that seems a little ironic". Does anyone else find this odd?
OK I am going to step down from my podium now. It is way past my bedtime, but before I go, I would like to mention that I am going to start walking again as the weather gets cooler. We will probably start with 2 days a week. Please don't hesitate to email me if you would like to join us for a walk or if you would just like to be held accountable with your own program. I will post more soon. Goodbye for now, and good night.

They Love Me...They Really Love Me!

2009-09-15T22:22:00.003-04:00

If you haven't had a chance already, please take a moment to add your email address the upper right had portion of my blog where it says "subscribe for blog updates" so that you can be notified by email when I update my blog. All I can say is WOW! Since my journey began on September 1st, I have shed 13 pounds. I use the term "shed" because right now I am a big, fat, lumpy Caterpillar, but one day soon, this frumpy exterior will be gone, and I will be a nimble and delicate butterfly. I would like to take a moment to thank all of my supporters. A story about me ran in the St. Pete times, online, and in the TBT today. The outpouring of support that I received was staggering, and I would like to truly thank you all from the bottom of my heart. As for all of the Negative Neds that responded to my article, I would like to say that I had a happy childhood with loving parents that shaped me into a positive, stable minded individual. The upshot of that is you cannot hurt me, or cut me down, or make me feel like less of a person because I am self-confident and courageous and I do not need your approval. Your words mean less than nothing to me, but this is America, and people have the right to express their opinions. I hope you use those powers for good too...like voting in the next election! Today was my grandfather's 84th birthday. I went with my family to celebrate with him at Cracker Barrel. Not exactly a dieter's best friend...I know. This was a big test for me because I have not really been out to eat since starting my new program. I am proud, however, to announce that I stuck to a grilled chicken salad, and none of those delicious butter biscuits! Go me. You have no idea how huge that is for me. I totally resisted the temptation. I don't plan on depriving myself, I just look at it like I am saving up for something really good! Well, I would like to wish everyone a good night. Today has been pretty overwhelming with the huge response that I have received. My head is spinning...hopefully that burns calories!! If you know someone that might be inspired by my blog, please feel free to share it with them. You can email them by clicking on the "share" icon on the top right corner of my blog. You can also use this icon to share my blog on your favorite social network. You can also email or bookmark individual posts by utilizing the link below each post.

Stress is a 4 Letter word!

2009-09-14T04:11:00.005-04:00

If you haven't had a chance already, please take a moment to add your email address the upper right had portion of my blog where it says "subscribe for blog updates" so that you can be notified by email when I update my blog. I am really sorry that I have been falling behind on my posts. I have been so preoccupied lately due to financial stress. My husband has been out of work for the past couple of weeks. He had Cochlear Implant surgery, and has needed to take the past couple of weeks to go though a rehabilitation process. No excuses though...moving forward. The menu for this week is shaping up. I went grocery shopping yesterday, and scored on turkey burgers, pre-made salad kits, fresh fruit, and grilled chicken breasts. I am a busy mom, so I do take a few short cuts with the pre-made salad kits and pre-cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts. Those things are great to have on hand to throw together a last min meal. I have been slacking on the exercise for the past week, and I hope it doesn't show up on the scale tomorrow. I am not going to beat myself up about it though, I am just going to work harder next week. I am going to bed now after a long night of baby sitting my nephews. If you know someone that might be inspired by my blog, please feel free to share it with them. You can email them by clicking on the "share" icon on the top right corner of my blog. You can also use this icon to share my blog on your favorite social network. You can also email or bookmark individual posts by utilizing the link below each post.

Time to take a breather...

2009-09-11T00:38:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to do all that i can to get my 30 min of exercise in everyday. I even talked my husband into going to the mall with me to walk around. That resulted in a new pair of shoes for me. That was one expensive walk!! Note to self...shopping is not a cheap source of cardio. We went swimming again yesterday, and I did what felt like a bazillion laps! I also did a basic water aerobic routine and some strength training using water weights. I was more lazy than usual today though. I took a 2 hour nap with the baby today. I was really tired from all of the extra energy I have been exerting. I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and a chicken, turkey bacon, pizza wrap for dinner...Yum! Who said healthy eating had to be boring. I also noticed, while gazing at my beautiful reflection in the mirror today, all of the water I have been drinking has paid off already. My skin is really hydrated, and looks so young and supple!! Whoever said beauty is only skin deep must not have drank a lot of water! I am off to bed for now, but I am hoping for an action packed weekend. I will keep you updated. TTFN (Ta Ta For Now)

The World is a Playground.

2009-09-08T23:46:00.003-04:00

I had a really good day today. It was my weigh in day, and it's official, I have lost 8 pounds. I am at 405 with a starting weight of 413. It didn't rain today, which is unheard of for Florida!! I was happy to get outside today. We took the munchkin to the park today and she went on the baby swings for the first time. We walked there and back, so I got a good 30 min of walking today. She had so much fun, and so did I. When we pushed her on the swing, it just seemed like she wanted to go higher and faster. I just know that she is going to have me walking the tight rope or swinging on a trapeze at some point. She just seems so daring. That is a good thing I guess, because I really want to be the type of mom that experiences things with her instead of sitting on the sidelines watching life pass me by. If she wants to ride roller coaster, we will ride, if the wants to roller skate, we will roll. If she wants to bungee jump, she's on her own!! I just want to live life to the fullest, and when my daughter looks back on her childhood, she can say that we really had fun. That is what being a kid is all about right? I hope everyone is having a good week as has been inspired to GOYAAM (Get Off Your A$$ and Move)!!

A Day In The Life.

2009-09-08T01:59:00.007-04:00

If you haven't had a chance already, please take a moment to add your email address the upper right had portion of my blog where it says "subscribe for blog updates" so that you can be notified by email when I update my blog. My darling daughter was super cranky last night, and did not go to slept until about 2:30 in the morning. Needless to say, I slept until about noon. I have been trying to catch up on laundry and housework for the past couple of days, so I didn't get out of the house until around 4:00. I had left over pasta with meat sauce for lunch since there was no time for breakfast. I used Barilla whole wheat pasta, 96% lean ground beef, and Prego heart smart traditional pasta sauce. That lovely dish was accompanied by a side salad with light ranch dressing. When we finally got out of the house, we headed to the beach. If you want a great workout, go to the beach and walk in sand. Wowzer...that was a hike! I had a lot of fun though. It was my daughter's 1st trip to the beach, and she absolutely loved it. We went in the water and walked on the beach. If you live in Fl, or are planning a trip, I strongly suggest visiting Pier 60 on Clearwater beach. We are talking a white sand beach with a play ground for the kiddos and an amazing seafood restaurant...not to mention the fishing pier that doubles as an amazing romantic date, because the sunsets are completely breathtaking. After the beach, we stopped at Publix and got some deli sandwiches for dinner. I had turkey and Swiss on a 5 grain bread and Lays Light potato chips...Delish! I hope everyone had a wonderful labor day, I sure did. I will be weighing in tomorrow, so stay tuned! If you know someone that might be inspired by my blog, please feel free to share it with them. You can email them by clicking on the "share" icon on the top right corner of my blog. You can also use this icon to share my blog on your favorite social network. You can also email or bookmark individual posts by utilizing the link below each post.

The Race Is On...

2009-09-06T23:00:00.002-04:00

OK, so I know I have been MIA for the past couple of days, but my computer has been on the fritz. I have good news though I have been sticking to my calorie range and exercise routine, and I have lost about 8 pounds so far. I am really focused and motivated. I have been meeting my goal of 8 glasses of water a day and 30 min of exercise a day. I tried on a smaller size today, and it fit in the waist, but not in the thighs. What can I say, I have good birthing hips. It was a small victory though, and me and the sales chick did the happy dance. I did manage to get 3 new pairs of pants for exercise purposes. I am going to be super chic walking around my neighborhood! I can't wait to break them in. I think I am going to start walking again in October when it starts to get cooler. I do live in Florida, so I want to wait until it doesn't feel like I am walking around in the Amazon. I am off to bed. I am totally exhausted. Nighty Night!!

And She's Off...

2009-09-02T16:29:00.002-04:00

My official starting weight is 413. The day stated off great. I got my 30 min of exercise today. I ate 2 packets of Honey Nut Quaker Oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, a Healthy Choice frozen meal, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, a cup of sugar free jello, and 2 slices of light wheat toast for lunch, a honey nut special k bar for a snack, and Grilled chicken wraps with lettuce, tomato, and light ranch dressing for dinner. I am allowed between 2180 and 2530 calories per day based on my weight. Yesterday, I had a total of 1690 calories. I did also get in my 8 glasses of water (Go Me!!). I had a splitting headache all day though...It's like I am a patient at a methadone clinic, and I am going through caffeine and sugar withdrawals!! I know it will get better, I just can't wait to see some results.

And She's Off...

2009-09-01T22:58:00.004-04:00

Goodbye Fat pants...

2009-08-31T23:19:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is the big day. September 1. I pigged out today. I had hamburgers and chicken nuggets for lunch. I had a peanut butter cup, and based on popular vote, I had stuffed chicken Parmesan, Caesar salad, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, and pasta for dinner. for desert, raspberry filled Krispy Kream doughnuts. I am so excited about tomorrow. I am finally getting rid of my excess baggage. I decided to go with a low calorie, low fat program. I came to my senses and realized that carbs are not evil, (in moderation at least) and this is something that I am going to have to be able to stick with for the rest of my life.The is not a diet people, this is a lifestyle change. I am also going to focus on low sugar and sodium since my mom has a history of stroke and diabetes, and I just want to steer clear of all of that. I am also going to focus on a fitness goal of at least 30 min of exercise a day. I found some really cool mommy and me exercises trough a google search. I am also going to try and incorporate a water aerobics regimen 3 times a week. If you are reading this, and have been inspired to get up and get moving, I strongly suggest that you get a buddy. Ask your spouse, sibling, parent, neighbor, mailman. Hell, I don't care if you have to take out an ad in the newspaper, just get some accountability. I believe that is the best 1st step until you start making new habits. My other recommendation is to set small goals in the areas of nutrition an fitness. My goals are to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and to exercise for at least 30 min a day. Well, tomorrow is the 1st day of the rest of my life. Please feel free to follow me on my journey, and if you are so inclined, join me.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall..

2009-08-26T01:03:00.003-04:00

I looked in the mirror at myself yesterday, and it was the first time that I can remember being completely disappointed with myself. I have always felt thin. I know that sounds crazy, but I just never saw myself as fat!! I was always "plus sizes" or "curvy", but now, I am just fat...I am not "voluptuous" or "pleasantly plump" I am FAT ladies and gentleman. The thing that really bothers me about being fat is that everyone as a collective whole finds it so easy to make fun of the fatty. If you make fun of a person with a different skin color, you're racists. If you make fun of a woman/man, you are sexist...it's like fat people don't even matter. It's like we are completely off the radar. I guess that is why I have spent my entire life trying to prove that I can be fat and still be beautiful, and smart, and successful. The funny thing is that the joke is on me. You can't be beautiful, or smart, or successful if you are dead. Now that I have a daughter, I realize that I need to be at a healthy weight so that I can be here for her, and that just won't happen if I continue on the path that I am on...you never see old fat people!!

My Last Meal...

2009-08-21T20:16:00.002-04:00

OK, so I know I'm not on death row or anything, but September 1 is coming fast, and I thought that I would ask my faithful readers what I should eat on 08/31/09. I love Italian food and Mexican food. I also love a good Burger now and again. So, what do you think? Pizza? Pasta? Cheeseburger and fries? Tacos? I want something fattening or deep fried (in true southern style). I am going to make this a momentous occasion because on Sept 1st, I am starting boot camp...or fat camp I guess would be more "fitting" in this case!! I am going to drink sweet tea and eat chocolate for sure, but what should I have for dinner?

Bathing Beauty

2009-08-19T21:13:00.003-04:00

I went swimming today. It's great because my daughter already loves the water. She is 4 months old, and she is already trying to kick. She got brave today and partially stuck her face in the water. I am gearing up for September 1!! I am so glad I decided to get back on the wagon! I know I am going to feel so much better once the weight starts falling off!! I am definitely not an expert on having a healthy lifestyle, but there are some great tips for weight loss, healthy eating, and fitness if you follow the links below. I am so glad that you decided to join me on my journey. I hope I can inspire more people to lose weight and make healthier choices!!

Feeling like Junk!!

2009-08-18T18:53:00.002-04:00

I have not really been focused on weight loss today because my daughter had a doctors appointment today, and had her 4 month shots. I am totally exhausted from the day, and so is she!! I will be more focused tomorrow. There is a good lesson her though. If you have 1 bad day, don't give up, just start fresh tomorrow.

Where will I find the time?

2009-08-17T18:12:00.004-04:00

I am really looking forward to starting my new meal plan, but I am concerned about a few things. I am generally a strong willed person, and I have successfully lost weight in the past, but now that I am a mom, and I have more responsibilities and less time, how will I ever fit cooking a well balanced meal into my schedule. I still feel like I am feeding my daughter every time I turn around. I have also has an increase in dishes and laundry since my little darling arrived. I know I have to make these changes now before my daughter gets old enough to be influenced by my eating habits, but it makes me wonder how moms that work outside of the home ever get anything done. I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water as it is. I must also incorporate exercise into my lifestyle because I just don't want my daughter to face the same challenges in life that I have had to. Being fat is tough. People automatically assume that you are stupid and lazy, and I am determined to prove that I am neither!!

Grocery Shopping!!

2009-08-16T22:39:00.002-04:00

I officially HATE grocery shopping. Why is it that an entire package of cookies is the Same price as 1 salad? I swear, it is so much cheaper to shop for junk and put crap into your body. People wonder why obesity is an epidemic!! I am determined to make this work. I will just have to tighten my belt... so to speak. I want to eat healthy food without feeling like Peter Rabbit!! Is it possible to have a meal that is low in fat and calories that still tastes good? I was reading some information about the Mediterranean Diet that promotes the celebration of food. Now, that's what I'm talking about! I want to celebrate chocolate, and cake, and pies and cookies, but I don't think that is what they had in mind!!

Decisions Decisions

2009-08-15T09:40:00.004-04:00

I spent most of the day yesterday scouring the Internet for the right meal plan for me. I have tried low carb diets in the past with some success, but it didn't last. I love bread and pasta, and I am not a huge meat eater. I was doing a low calorie program before I got pregnant, and that seemed to work pretty well, but with pregnancy cravings, that went out the window too. I found a couple of cool things so far, and I am weighing my options, but I am still holding out hope that there is a brownie diet that I just haven't stumbled across yet, or a birthday cake diet. If you eat birthday cake on your birthday it doesn't have any calories right? I guess that is the school of thought that got me into this position in the first place!! I know I am probably going to start with swimming and water aerobics because I just need to get my body used to moving again, and the water is totally low impact. The water is great because you can be fat without feeling fat...well until you see yourself in your bathing suit that is!! I will be back soon with a decision, but in the mean time, please "weigh" in with your opinions.

Here's the Skinny...

2009-08-14T18:05:00.001-04:00

I am so tired of being FAT!! I know that the "F word" is not politically correct. I know that maybe I should have said that I am Big boned or over weight...even Morbidly Obese, but the truth is, I am fat, and I have been for most of my life (with the exception of the first 5 years of course). Everyone needs a learning curve on how to get hand to mouth I suppose. I do not have an eating disorder, I am not laid up due to any sort of accident, I am FAT!! I am not ugly, or lazy, or smelly, I am just fat. I came to the realization that it is time to make a change, so here I am. We are going on a journey. The challenge: To lose 100 pounds in 1 year. I want to be able to shop at a "normal" clothing store at some point in my life. It is time to say good bye to the elastic waist band. I am in search of the elusive skinny jeans. I am sure that if I look hard enough, I will find them. My main reason for losing weight and getting healthy is that I love my family, and I want to be around for a long time to watch my daughter grow up and get married, and have a family of her own. If I look good in the process...well I guess that is something I am just going to have to live with. I am going to spend the next 2 weeks figuring out what plan I am going to go with. I will be back soon to let you know what I decided. My start date is September 1, 2009.