Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Goal Acheived!!!


Yeah, it's like that.

Yup. I reached my first goal...losing 15 pounds. I did it. It doesn't mean I'm going to stop. I gained 30 pounds total going to grad school. So, do I want to lose 15 more? Not sure. But I know I can. And that confidence is a powerful feeling. And, hopefully, you're all celebrating with me.

What's good about losing 15 pounds? My favorite dresses I bought a year ago fit me again. How do I know? I spent my time tonight trying them all on instead of doing homework. Yup. I was a girlie girl!

I'm going to keep this diet plan up for now. I'll most likely stick with it the full semester. I don't see any reason not to. I'm seeing results. It's safe. I can deal with the food. And most importantly, I'm not hungry. Sure, I'd give my right arm for a bag of Mini-Eggs, but I'm not tempted enough to actually eat them. Although, I am looking forward to eating pizza again. And a lobster when my mom comes to visit. For now, I'll stick to the plan and stay on the diet and continue to reap the rewards of winning!

 2/25/13

hot cereal and mixed berries
 blood orange
 veggie stew with beef and fiesta blend veggies
mushroom risotto, broccoli and cauliflower













 2/26/13

cereal, peaches and coffee
 carrots
 cheese ravioli, broccoli, and cauliflower
 snackin' while I work
pasta fagioli and fiesta blend veggies













 2/27/13

cereal and peaches
 pasta fagioli, broccoli and cauliflower
mushroom risotto and corn

Sunday, February 24, 2013

I'm in love...

I'm in love with the fact that I'm seeing numbers on the scale that I haven't seen in AGES! I'm in love with the fact that my jeans fit again...that my sheet cake is back to being a muffin top! I'm in love with the idea that my pretty bras fit again...and my pretty underpants too! I'm in love with the fact that this weight loss, while not without its challenges, has been fairly painless, that it has a strict and easy path to follow. I'm in love with the fact that I was able to go to the gym a couple times this weekend! I'm in love with the fact that I was able to see friends this weekend. I'm in love with the fact that I've been able to do homework and check items off my to do list! I'm in love with the fact that I was able to lean on my friends when I needed support this weekend. What can I say? My life is good and it keeps getting better. I'm a truly lucky girl!

 2/22/13

cereal and peaches
 mushroom risotto with corn and broccoli
 apple snack!












 cheese ravioli, broccoli and my homework...













 2/23/13

cheese ravioli, cauliflower, yellow squash
 5 bean casserole, broccoli, turnip greens and hot sauce
mmm, chocolate! I ate a peanut butter bar while watching UFC too. I gave into the peer pressure of all my friends eating chocolate and pizza and caramel corn in front of me. Luckily, I stayed 'in the box' since I anticipated the temptation and brought a treat I was allowed to have!








 And there's that peanut butter bar from last night!
 I was sooooooo hungry, so all you get is a picture of the empty box, some remaining corn and one last bit of broccoli.
steak tips with taters and mixed veggies

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Trust your gut

Tonight, I give myself permission NOT to do homework. I give myself permission to go to bed before 1am. I give myself permission. Whatever I've accomplished today, it's good enough. Whatever I've left undone, it's alright. It will be there tomorrow.

Why is it that I need to give myself permission? Why is it that I need to tell you about it? I don't know about you, but I hold myself to impossible standards. So impossible, that even I can not live up to them. And when I don't live up to them, I beat myself up. I compare myself to other people. I wonder why they seem to be able to do it all and I struggle to finish half of what needs to be done...Does it matter? Does it matter that they have different abilities than me? Does it matter that they seem to need different amounts sleep than I do?

Does it matter? I think it does. I think it does matter...but not how you think it matters. I think it matters that I compare myself to others. I think it matters that somehow, from somewhere those thoughts come into my head. I think it matters that I allow myself the negative self talk. I think it does matter.

Here's something I learned recently: trust your gut. Yeah, I know. Big, giant revelation. See here's the thing. If I can remember the times when I didn't speak up, or couldn't articulate persuasively, but was definitely on to something, it will help me have the courage to speak up when I'm less sure. It's all about keeping that kernel of belief close so that it's right there when you need it. Close, so that you can find it when you need it and use it to give you strength when you don't feel like you have any.

That said, my last weigh-in went very well! I lost 3 pounds by my scale and 4 by theirs. That makes a total weight loss of 13 pounds by my scale and 12.6 pounds by their scale!

 2/14/13

whole grain cereal with peaches and raspberries
 5 bean casserole and mixed veggies
steak strips and corn








 2/15/13

whole grain cereal and fruit cup

salad - with apples, mango, broccoli and cucumbers







This day was rough...I didn't really get to eat all day, and then when I got home, I had to have 2 entrees! I had ravioli and the mushroom risotto.

 2/16/13

whole grain cereal and mango
 5 bean casserole, mixed veggies and turnip greens
 fruit
 veggie and fruit platters with hummus
 honey graham bar
pasta fagioli








 2/17/13

I'm pretty sure I had cereal for breakfast and an apple for a snack
 ravioli--cold. I don't recommend it
and mango
sooooo, we had this challenge, to use the HMR chicken soup. I don't recommend it either. I added mixed veggies and a savory chicken entree







 2/18/13

5 bean casserole with broccoli and corn

I also had a veggie stew w/ beef and cauliflower
 fresh berries and vanilla shake
 my first time trying "fake" sweetener so I can drink some black tea!

it's actually darjeeling in the tin, not English Breakfast
navel orange








 2/19/13

veggie stew w/ beef, cauliflower and an orange
 whole grain cereal with peaches
pasta fagioli, broccoli, and corn








 2/20/13
raspberries
 whole grain cereal and peaches
 chicken pasta parmesean, broccoli, corn, and an orange
 carrots
 mushroom risotto and mixed veggies
HMR peanut butter bar








 2/21/13
whole grain cereal and mangos
 carrots
steak strips, broccoli, corn, blood orange

for dinner, I had pasta fagioli and cauliflower