I love Weight Watchers!!

So far, Weight Watchers has been just what I needed! I cannot say enough how much I appreciate the fact that it helps me make good food choices. I was looking at the Applebee's restaurant guide on my mobile app and my favorite selections (Dynamite Shrimp and Hot Wings) were 20 points and 19 points respectively. I get 30 points per day! I had 7 points left for the day and I saw that a garden salad was only 6 points. That would be my choice! Now, I would NEVER choose a garden salad over chicken wings on my own. Never ever. It's really really what I needed. I knew it would be, too! Good investment of money. I am back on track!!

A Christmas Gift to Myself

Every year at Christmas my grandmother gives me money to spend on myself. It is expressly for that purpose and she's adamant about it. So this year, I spent my Christmas money to sign up for Weight Watchers. My mom had great success with it and I'm drawn to the POINTSPLUS system that encourages you to eat healthier foods.
To be honest, I COMPLETELY lost focus while being home. I'm not afraid to admit it because I know that I'm in this for the long haul and slip ups are going to happen. That's why I signed up for Weight Watchers: I know that I cannot do this alone. I hated counting calories, but the POINTS systems is much more appealing. I love their program from what I've heard, and it's extra motivation because I'm spending almost $20 a month to do it! I don't want that money to go to waste.
 There's a quote from the Weight Watcher's website that I wanted to share:
"Be mentally ready. I'm convinced that you have to want to do it for yourself, mostly by yourself and have a clear reason why. If you have not psyched yourself up for a weight-loss marathon, you might initially — and briefly — sprint, but not cross the finish line." -Gail
I understood that this was a marathon, but I guess I didn't truly let it sink in. I wanted fast results while putting in half hearted effort. Yes, I ran, but as soon as I came home I stopped. If I was all in, I would have run every other day like I wanted to originally. Another thing is my "clear reason why". What is mine? Well, I'm tired of being overweight for one. I want to be a good role model for my son. I want to look great for my husband-to me, that's part of fulfilling my vows to him. I want to love him well, and part of that is trying to look my best. And last but not least, I struggle with an anxiety disorder and major depression. If there is any area of my life that I can take control of to try to help my depression, I'll do it. This is a very manageable area that will have great effects on my depression level.
Thanks for reading!

Losing focus

For the past week I've been losing focus. I came home to visit and have only worked out once. I also haven't been counting calories. Today I popped on the Biggest Loser and kind of reminded myself what I'm doing. I don't have that much weight to lose compared to them, but I won't lose any weight if my focus isn't there. Hopefully I'll be getting some things for christmas that will help me towards my weight loss goal. This has been a wake up call for me.
Another big thing is living in denial. When you live in denial you think food is less calories than it actually is and that you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight. When you see clearly and strip away the lies, you can proceed to live a healthy life. That's what I hope to do.

Up and Down

I jogged 40 minutes again yesterday with a 30 second break halfway through. I really had to push myself, I wanted to give up so badly, but I didn't! I kept thinking about the people who read this and I want to show them how someone can put their mind to something and accomplish it.
I also weighed myself and I've lost about a pound. Which is great, but the number keeps going up and down between 178.2 and 177.6. It's like stuck or something! I need to break out of this somehow.
I don't know if I can run today because I stepped on something last night and now it's lodged in my foot. I can't get it out! I think it's a small piece of hard plastic. Ouch...

2 miles is nothin!

I can't believe it, but two miles is not hard for me anymore. I jogged it today and I was barely out of breath. The first time I jogged two miles, I was staggering afterwards and was pouring sweat. It's incredible how your endurance goes up! The only reasons I didn't do more were because the track was so crowded and I felt nauseous from the hot sauce that was in my lunch!

Oh no...

I overshot my calorie limit by hundreds yesterday...I am not happy with myself, especially since I put so much hard work into my workouts. I really have to be committed to this, and I feel like sometimes I'm not because I make such bad decisions. I need to figure out what's going on.

Great Endurance!!

I jogged 40 minutes today! Longest I've ever jogged! My endurance has skyrocketed since I started jogging for the second time.
I just want to say to those reading that I have never EVER been in shape in my life. I also have asthma, so don't think you can't do something just because you have limitations. I was thinking while I was jogging about that guy who has no arms or legs, just a little foot. He plays soccer! We shouldn't let something even debilitating deny us of the chance to have what we really desire.

Hmmmm....

So I weighed myself today and I GAINED back that half pound I lost. I'm so confused because I can really tell a difference in my body. Maybe I'm just gaining muscle? Also, someone told me that since I don't have alot to lose it will come off slowly. I want to lose about 35-40 pounds, but I guess that's nothing compared to those on the Biggest Loser. I guess that's why I've been disappointed with the scale. It's just not reflecting the work I'm putting in.
Another thing is that when I exercise, myFitnessPal gives me more calories to eat. Maybe I would do better by ignoring that and sticking to my regular calorie limit.

5K, baby!!

I jogged three miles today!!! That's a 5K! I can't believe I did that. I've been jogging 2.5 miles for a little while and today I just decided that I would push myself beyond what I was comfortable with. And I did it in 38 minutes, which was only two minutes longer than the pace I usually jog. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!

Out of the Rut

I jogged 29 minutes today!! And walked 10 minutes. That's about 40 minutes of cardio...and I was pushing my baby in the jogging stroller! Amazing. I'm so glad to be out of my rut! All I did differently was take four 5-second breaks and push myself harder. I kept telling myself good things like "I can do it" and "I did this last week so I can do it now". Its a good motivator that I'm back on my game.

Hitting a Wall....

For the last few workouts I've been jogging 30 minutes, which is phenomenal for me. However, Sunday I only jogged 19 minutes, so I decided to rest yesterday because I was too sore. Today STUNK. I did 11 minutes on the elliptical and jogged 6 minutes. It's like I keep hitting this wall where everything is hard all of a sudden. I don't know what it is, it may be the depression kicking in again. I think that may be it, and I don't know what to do about it. I think it's also fear and laziness. I need to figure out what's goping on. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I just have to keep on trying.
BTW my calories are right on track :)

It's Working!!!!!!

I weighed myself today and I lost another pound, on top of the half pound I lost last weekend. And Thanksgiving was in there too! Huge success!! I'm using myFitnessPal.com right now, and my goal is 1.5 to 2 pounds per week, and I lost 1.6 this week. I'm right on track. I just can't believe I still lost weight AND ate my Thanksgiving dinner. Moderation, people!!

Still Going

I jogged 30 minutes today!!! I've never done that before! It's so exciting to see how my body is progressing and how my endurance is going up. After I get down closer to my goal, I might try training for long distance running, just to give myself a new focus. I also hope to do P90X this new year and really keep myself from plateauing. It's crazy!! I have never been in shape in my life, and now I'm well on my way.
Hope to do a weigh in later on. I'll let you know what the scale says. :D

Thanksgiving dinner

I'm done my thanksgiving dinner, and I must say I did pretty good! I didn't stuff myself. The scale will tell....

Thankful

Ok so here's a first for me....jogging at 4:30 am! I woke up around 3:30 and had so much energy. I was thinking about my weight loss and how today was Thanksgiving, and I figured that if any day this week is a day I jog, today's the most important. Lots of calories in that dinner!!
I've also been thinking lately how thankful I am to God that I have the ability to work out the way I do. So many people in this world wake up everyday and have to deal with debilitating conditions, and I don't. I really am thankful that I have two legs that run and a heart that beats well. It's a gift that I want to use to the fullest.

Exercise

Oh, I forgot to mention that I totally ROCKED today in my workout! I walked for 14 minutes and jogged for 27!! I pushed myself very hard and it definitely payed off.

Yum!!

I made baked chicken meatballs tonight. They are lower in calories and fat than regular meatballs...and they were GOOD!! Oh, they were excellent. I never knew that eating healthy could be so interesting, fun, and yummy! I've definitely got my eye out for more recipes like this one.

Little bit of loss, keep going strong

I lost a little over half a pound between Friday and Sunday. It sort of makes up for my gain the other day.
I'm saying no to foods that are too high in calories. It feels good to take charge of what I eat! I just keep thinking that all food goes to waste but it doesn't have to go into me. It is rough though because im eating a good deal less than I'm used to, but I'm getting used to it slowly.
Ever since climbing that mountain Saturday I have been inspired to really step up my workouts. I'm not sure how though. I'm still in the preparing stages where that is concerned.

Climbing Mountains

Oh my gosh, yesterday was so incredible!! My husband and I climbed a mountain! Like, an actual mountain! I burned over 1000 calories doing it, too!!!
Now, the old me would have taken that as a sign that I can then eat whatever I want . But I decided to really reign it in and my net calories for the day was pretty low! I'm sore today and I have a painful blister on the back of my ankle, but I feel amazing!!!!!!!!

Ugh....

Today was a baaaad day. First thing in the morning I weighed myself, and after all that working out I GAINED two ounces. I was so discouraged I just left the gym without doing my workout.
I came home to regroup and decided to use the myFitnessPal app instead of the sparkpeople app because I felt like it was more accurate calorie wise.
Then I blew my calorie limit today. I had pizza tonight...yeah. Hard to say no! But not only that, I also had soda and some sugar. Ugh. I'm like 300 or so calories over my limit today and I didn't work out.
I need to rethink the way I see food. Not just about the taste but that it's fuel for my body. If I put bad fuel in, it will run crappy.
Heard a quote that I liked: "All food will go to waste, but that doesn't mean it has to travel through me!" food does not have to go through me. I have total control over that.
Tomorrow will be better :)

My Lunch Today

I had a hard time deciding what to have for lunch but amazingly this is what I chose! Thinking about adding a peanut bitter and jelly sandwich for protein.

Hungry...

I am in a snacking mood today. This is where it gets tough. What will i go for? A second cupcake or some baby carrots? Definitely gonna have to eat those carrots because I just really want to make progress. I'm also just pacing myself, you know? I want this change to be realistic. Yes, I'll have that cupcake if it's in my calorie range for the day. If its not, forget about it. I don't want to only eat salads for two weeks straight and then feel so deprived and discouraged that I give up and go back to my old ways! I will have my treats- only now it's in moderation.
It's raining today. I was going to take off exercising for the day but watching The Biggest Loser really got me wanting to get off the couch. So I went to the gym and worked out instead. I did some strength training and 30 minutes of cardio (jogged 20 minutes straight, mind you!). It's been a good day.

The Biggest Loser

I've been watching The Biggest Loser tonight. It's crazy because a lot of weight comes off at first for them, but then it slows down dramatically.
I've also been struggling with my concept of food. I think of it mostly as a taste and not as fuel. I need to totally change my mindset when it comes to eating.
Also, I need some variety in my workouts. So far all I've been doing is jogging and walking, but my body will get used to it quick. Maybe I should look up some good cardio workouts.

Fruits and Veggies

I just went to the store to pick up some snacks and I chose organic baby carrots, seedless grapes and bananas. I can't WAIT to go on Weight Watchers and have all those foods be "free"! Oh, and I also picked up the latest Weight Watchers magazine. :p

Getting Prepared

I've been cruising on the SparkPeople website for a little bit today. I took a quiz that tells you how prepared you are to changing your lifestyle, whether it be weight loss or an unfavorable habit. Out of 5 stages, I'm at stage 3, which is preparation. I agree with that! I definitely am preparing to make this change. I'm approaching it more well-roundedly this time. I'm exploring my options, pacing myself with my exercise, and trying to find the reason I failed last time. Was I just not committed enough? I don't think that's the whole story.
I read an article today that really stuck out to me. It said that the average dieter's "dream" weight loss goal is 38% of their body weight, and when they lose less than that then they feel like a failure! So that 15 pounds you lost is failure, even though you lowered your risk for multiple health problems, have more energy, are eating healthier...that's not failure. I think this is part of what happened to me last time. I wasn't losing weight as fast as I wanted and I felt like I would never get there. I was looking at the whole mountain instead of looking at the ledge right above me.
This article said to take your weight loss in 10% chunks. For me, that would mean to focus on losing 18 pounds at first. Then, once I reached that goal, (which would make me feel great and motivated to keep going) take 10% of that and make that my new goal. That would mean my goal would then be 16.2 pounds. Once I reached THAT goal, I would reach 145 pounds! only 5 to 10 pounds left! This breaks it up into very doable chunks and it keeps you motivated. You feel like you can actually do it!
Oh, and by the way....I looked this all up AFTER I burned 244 calories at the track. :)

Yay!

I baked 24 cupcakes for an event tonight (red velvet...with cream cheese frosting...) and I really really wanted one. BUT I told myself that I would have one at the event tonight and had an apple instead! Yay for me!! And it's not too bad because I love apples :)

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Katie, and I am starting a weight loss blog. Why? To keep myself motivated, to document the struggles I have, and to help others on their way!
When I had my son this January, I developed hypothyroidism. That is when your thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones, and one of the big symptoms is weight gain. When I got married in August of 2009 I weighed 137 pounds. I weighed 162 at my heaviest while pregnant. Within 7 months after I gave birth, I shot up to 191. I thought the scale was broken! I have always carried my weight deceptively well, so I thought there was no way I could possibly weigh that much. This was before I found out about my condition, so I started exercising and cutting back on my calories and lost about 15 pounds! Then i got a yearly blood test done and found out that my thyroid was not functioning well. I went on medication right away.
I was losing weight for about two months. Then I just...stopped. I stopped exercising, stopped counting my calories, stopped losing weight. I've been diagnosed with major depression disorder and so I struggle with depression every day. This makes staying motivated really difficult.
This lasted for about a month and a half. The medicine kept me from gaining too much weight back, but I did go back up to 181. I just got tired of it and decided to jump back on the wagon! I downloaded the SparkPeople app for my phone and started from there. I entered my age, weight and height, included my weight loss goals and presto! I had a customized weight loss plan right on my phone. I have been with it for about 5 days now and have already lost 2 pounds! I am right on goal.
I had a bit of a revelation the other day. I truly realized for the first time that there is no quick fix for permanent weight loss. That's why I named this blog "Lose It for Good". That's what I'm out to do. I want to be healthier and the right weight for my body. I want to be more athletic and I also want to set a good example for my son. I'm not really looking for a quick fix. I know that it will probably take me a year or more to get to goal. But I am willing to do it. Hope you enjoy my blog!