Happy Friday!

Something to remember...
 

Focus, Food, and Breathing

I'm still focused on losing a few more pounds, but I've started working towards weening myself off the Medifast foods. I will start maintenance soon after I reach my goal weight (which at this time is still undecided) but I think my diet will stay low-carb and be sans bread for awhile. Bread is a trigger food for me so it will have to be something I have only on occasion. At least, that's my plan for now. I have a different attitude about food now that I've actually lost weight successfully. I like being thin too much to throw it all away just for the sake of eating :) Of course, I feel successful right now, but maintaining it will be an on-going quest.

Have you tried Tofu Shirataki Noodles? I tried them awhile back and I didn't like them at all. I may not have realized that you need to rinse them several times and then parboil before using them but that is key for getting them to taste good. I used them in my favorite kind of dish - add this and this and this, and wah-la, you have dinner. I first added a little olive oil to a pan, threw in some left over broccoli, veggie meatballs, and the drained noodles. Then spiced it up with a little seasoning and a Laughing Cow cheese triangle (queso flavor as it's my favorite). Once the cheese melts, it's ready. Then I sprinkled a little bit of grated parmesan cheese on top. Very good and filling.

Have I mentioned that my son will be leaving for China soon. *gasp*  I can hardly breathe when I say that. Not because I'm worried, only because China so freaking far away. He's taking a teaching position there and plans to stay for a year. So, I'll be saving and scrimping so I can go visit him. I raised him to be adventurous, so this is good. It just happened so suddenly...well, I've know he wanted to go for months now, but he leaves at the end of this month! I need to practice breathing...

I signed up for a charity bike ride for next month. It's Tour de Pink which is part of the Pink Ribbons Project, an organization that helps underserved women get mammograms and care they need. I rode this one in 2009 and am excited to ride it again. I don't have a road bike, but my hybrid should do fine for the 23 mile route. I was overweight back in 2009 so I'm excited to see how different the riding will be now that I'm 100+ lbs lighter! If you want to make a donation and help me reach my fundraising goal, please click here.

Hope your week is full of promise!
Tena

Friday Night Re-cap

First, let me say thanks to all of you for your congrats on my weightloss. You all have a special place in my heart. I've learned so much from this community and without blogging, I know my journey would not have been so successful. Your support has been truly a blessing.

Yesterday was mom's 78th birthday and to celebrate, we went out for dinner. She loves steak so we (me, mom and my son) went to a local steak place to eat. Dinner was great! I had the K-Bob with sauteed veggies and salad with balsamic dressing on the side.

I haven't eaten out much while dieting. It's just been easier to make sure my food was prepared the way I wanted it and to avoid temptation. But to never go out to eat is not practical since eating is a social event. Something I read on the Medifast boards some time ago has really stuck with me:

It's a people event with food, not a food event with people.

So, last night I focused on the people and food was secondary. And it made all the difference. I passed on the bread and enjoyed being in the company of family. 

Later at home, we had ice cream cake. I had a very small piece and really, it was enough. My inner brat wanted to stomp her feet, but I very sternly said "no" and moved on to a nice cup of cofffee. All in all, it was an evening of being in control and the little bit of cake didn't trigger me to feel like I needed more. I don't think all things in moderation will work for me, but the small portion of ice cream cake followed by coffee didn't stir up any old feelings. And best of all, no change on the scale this morning. I had gone for a bike ride and walked Sydney earlier that day to offset any additional calories. 

I do believe that we have to have a plan in order to maintain once we've lost weight. Especially those of us that are seasoned yo-yo dieters. I'm not finished losing yet, but I'm learning something about myself: I can be in control and mean it!

Have an awesome weekend. Take care!

Before and After (almost)

Have I mentioned that I lost some weight, haha? I had a couple of goals in mind when I started Medifast on September 2, 2011: 1. Lose enough weight to be out of the obese range, 2. Lose enough weight to be out  of the overweight range, 3. Be a healthy "normal" weight and maintain that weight. 

In order to get to a "normal" weight range I needed to weigh 158 according to the BMI charts. That would put me on high end of normal for my 5'7" frame. But I don't want to just be on the high end, I want to have a little room for those times when the scale dips up a few from a weekend of too much social living. Not to give myself room for bad eating habits, but just room for when my weight fluctuates a bit, I won't beat myself up. So, I still want to lose a few more pounds :)

September 2011 - Before - 251.6 lbs

June 2012 - Almost done - 155

I think I can lose another ten pounds and still feel good. The next phase for me will be strength training. I don't think there is much I can do about some of my saggy spots, but I want to try and replace some of my flabby with a little muscle. Being a certain size doesn't really matter to me, but my mid-section doesn't match my ever-thinning legs :)

I feel so much better having lost this weight! I want to tell everyone that is in a diet or wants to lose a few: It is a gift you must give yourself. Try to think of it this way - that you are giving yourself something (a body)  that will help you feel better and move more. Words can not really express what I'm trying to say. It's just a freedom that you may not have realized you were missing. Yeah, freedom.

You know, it takes a village, as they say, and I just want to say that all the support that I've received by blogging has been a key element to my success. On days when I felt myself wanting to give up, I'd read someone's blog and realize that I wasn't alone in this fight. We all have to do what works for us, but sometimes hearing how someone else is doing it, helps.



(The almost done picture isn't the best. It was taken by my mom and there is a shadow behind my head making my hair look bigger than it actually is, haha.)

Keeping Cool

Happy Tuesday! It seems we are having a slight break in the heat here in H-town thanks to a few rainy days. And they say it will be rainy here for a few more days. The much needed cool-off is feeling good, but apparently heat will move in again when the skies clear.

I'm wondering what tips you have for keeping cool when doing outdoor activities. I take Sydney for a walk everyday and she gets hot, too. Any tips or products that you've found that are keeping you cool? Do share :)

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July!!

I love this holiday! I have the best memories of family cookouts and watching fireworks. Lighting sparklers and, back in the day, setting off a few Black Cats in our own backyard. Everything would be all American including bbq, apple pie, and watermelon and then end with a family squabble. But it was all good by the next weekend when the family would gather for the next edition of brotherly love.

This year, I'm celebrating my own independence. Since losing 95 lbs (from September 2011), I'm declaring independence from:

• being obese and overweight
• the inability to move
• lack of energy
• junk food
• plus size clothing
• loss of hope
• poor health

I think I have finally realized that being healthy is something I want for myself. I didn't lose weight (this time) for anyone else but me. Always before when I would starve myself it was for the approval of someone else. And when I still didn't meet up to their expectations I let it affect me in a self-destructive way - by eating. But doing it for me has made me see that I'm my own best friend. I just wish it didn't take me so long to figure this out.

So this holiday will still be about getting together with family, but the focus won't be on just the food. I hope to focus more on enjoying the people I'm with and celebrating the freedom we have as Americans.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Book Review

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I could see myself in it, page after page. Not in the same way exactly, but in ways that I could relate to my own feelings of having felt lost and then finding my way. Cheryl is an amazing writer and I look forward to reading more from her.


View all my reviews

Under clothes, nobody knows ;)

I've lost 70 lbs since September of 2011. Wow, when I think about that I can hardly believe it's true. I stuck with it and now I'm so close to the goal weight that I've set for myself, I can taste it, haha.

While losing weight is good for your health, losing weight in your 50's is not pretty. It's not for the faint of heart and the squeamish. It takes dedication and the ability to look beyond the saggy, jiggly parts of your body that you may not recognize as yours.

Every day I discover new things about being thinner that make me happy. Like putting on my shoes without having to hold my breath while reaching past my belly. There's still a little belly there, but it's not in the way anymore. And like walking all around campus at work and not feeling winded and sweaty. And riding my bike...it feels like I'm flying! So much less of me to pedal around.

But, yesterday, I felt very self-conscious. I didn't expect to feel that. I mean, I've been so self-conscious from being obese that I thought once I lost weight I'd feel totally confident. Maybe with time I'll adjust, but my new shape is making me feel like wearing baggy clothes. I've gone from size 24/26 pants and 3X tops to size 16 pants and size L/XL tops in six months. Over all, I like what I'm seeing, but now there are saggy parts of me that I've never seen before. It's time to start really working the arms and mid-section. There's not much I can do about the girls, but under clothes, nobody knows ;) If you know some great exercises for arms and abs, please share.

I'll try to post some progress pics soon. I don't take my own picture very well, but I'll give it a try.

Tempting

This is so tempting...but not sure I'm ready for it since I haven't been riding :)

Red Poppy Ride  and this  Poppy Festival

Happy Wednesday!







(c) Free nature photos

Beware the dog walker-er

As part of my "get-fit" regime, walking is an everyday thing. Specifically, walking my dog Sydney every day, rain or shine. She was getting a little hefty for her size, too, so it seemed like something that would pay-off for both of us. So, we started walking a couple of months ago and except for a couple of really bad rain days, we have been out in the neighborhood every day. And, for the most part, I love it and Sydney looks forward to it I know because when I get home from work, she starts the "I'm watching every move you make until we go" thing.

I've always prided myself in being a dog person. I'm pretty intuitive to their needs and have always felt in control of my dogs in the past. Sydney, however, is a different story. She was a street dog that my son rescued a few years ago. She was less than a year old, full of fleas and growled at everyone that came near her. Needless to say, I wasn't happy and wanted him to find her a home. He worked with her and eventually, she won me over. Now, I can't imagine her not being a part of my life. She is my sweet-pea.

Sydney is a mixed breed, we guess that she's got some Beagle in her and some lab, maybe. She weighs about 30 pounds. Whatever her mix is, she has some very strong personality traits. She's affectionate, smart, protective, and determined to be the leader of the pack. That last part is where we have some problems because I tend to be a softie until I realize I'm getting run over and have to remind her who is really in charge.

So, we started walking and with the retractable leash all the way out, I let her run here and there and pee on every clump of grass or bush or stick or whatever she felt needed a little pee. It always amazed me that she could pee so much. Sometimes, we would encounter other dogs and their walkers and Sydney would stop and stare and whine and lunge toward them. I thought this was normal until lately, her lunge started looking more like a marlin jumping out of the sea at the end of a fishing cable, twisting and flying into the air! And along with all the jumping crap was this fierce cujo-esque growling. Scary and embarrassing - all at the same time! What if she broke free? Would she fight the dog or bite it's owner? What if she pulled me down? What the crap?!  Then I thought, well, maybe it's just certain dogs. Nope, she started this behavior with every dog we came across. Even little tiny dogs. I had to either get control of this or stop walking her and I didn't want to stop walking her. She needs to walk as much as I do to get healthy.

I found this article "Behaviors to Avoid During the Walk" to be quite an eye-opener to what I'd been letting Sydney do on our daily walks. She was apparently marking out her territory and protecting it. I'm not letting her pee on everything on our walks and I take her to a certain spot and tell her "go potty" and she does. Walking isn't as much fun right now, but it wasn't fun seeing her turn into cujo, either. It will take time, but I think our walks will be more enjoyable when it becomes just a walk instead of a territorial marking fest.

Enjoy your weekend!