60 Day Challenge to lose 20

[Jane E.]

My challenge is to lose 20lbs in 60 days. We have a family reunion in mid March, and I would love to be wearing a smaller size - not just dress size - SHOE size too - do feet gain weight? Mine must have - last time I wore heels my feet were killing me all night long. I'm hoping if I lose 20 that my feet will lose enough to feel comfortable in my shoes again. (I hate upsizing my shoes!) Even my tennis shoes are uncomfortable.

Meals:
Today I drank a 16oz smoothie for breakfast - avocado, tangerine, strawberry, blueberry, cherry tomatoes and ginger.

Snack: Lemon ginger tea

Lunch:
small drink of blended pineapple, fresh squeezed oj and ginger -
wrap with red leaf lettuce, cucumber, parsley, walnuts, blue cheese, balsamic dressing -
2 crackers and slice of hot pepper cheese

Dinner:
salad wrap and tomato veggie soup
Dessert plate with 2 strawberries, 4 blueberries, 3 pecans, craisins and 12 choc chips

18 minute workout

 

[BabyTigger99]

Looking at your food choices, it doesn't looking like you are eating a whole lot. Starving your body will show a temporary quick loss, but in the end, your body will end up holding onto everything you are eating, and your metabolism will slow down!

 

[Jane E.]

I can still feel that workout from yesterday. This morning I did a 16 minute bike ride.

breakfast: peach, banana, oj, yogurt smoothie (w/honey and cinnamon)
lunch: leftover homemade soup and salad wrap
snack: fresh squeezed oj, fruit, nut and cheese plate

BabyTigger99, I checked out your journal link - wow, what an inspiration you are. Thanks for posting on my journal. You are right, currently the food I'm eating is limited. I'm temporarily limiting my food choices to help break a terrible sugar habit. Its also giving me a chance to explore some vegetarian options. Congrats on your weight loss - you've done an amazing job!

 

[Jane E.]

For the past year, I've been incorporating herbs into our diet daily. I wish I knew why I can't grow cilantro. I love cilantro but only in small amounts. I can never use up the bunch that I buy at the grocery store, but every time I buy some to grow it dies within a week or two. I even asked a vendor at the farmers' market if there was a key to growing cilantro - he stated that it was one of the easiest herbs to grow. On the positive side, my basil and mints have been doing very well.

continuing from yesterday:
dinner - salad wrap, baby potatoes with butter and garlic, dessert plate with pineapple, berries, pecans and choc chips

Lemon ginger tea - even dh is enjoying the tea.

I started making smoothies about 2 years ago after seeing Dr. Oz explain the benefits of drinking them. I thought that I'd incorporate one breakfast smoothie per week. I was surprised the day after our smoothie breakfast when I fixed dh his normal fare and he asked where his smoothie was. Since then we've been drinking them 5X per week - I never expected dh to love them so much. Breakfast has been covered - evenings not so much... I've started an evening routine of tea - like I've done with our smoothies for breakfast.

Today:
b: avocado, pineapple, blueberry, peach, mint smoothie
l: oatmeal with peaches, apples, blueberry, cinnamon, honey - topped with honey cinnamon yogurt, pecans and 1 tsp of brown sugar

exercise: 25 minute walk

 

[Jane E.]

What a beautiful weekend. Saturday late afternoon dh and I did a nature walk - leisurely pace but did include over 100 steps for observation tower and also gift shop (which was closed but I wanted to do more steps). We walked a total of 70 minutes. Some of our walk was on part of the lake which is under water in the summer but due to low rain in the winter its exposed. The place was covered with birds - starlings were darting in and out - also some some gorgeous roseate spoonbills - the sky was cloudy but we stayed out and watched what was sunset somewhere - just not where we were. We did see the sky turn colors - just no sun.

Today we did an urban walk - we drove to a nearby town - parked at the town center and walked for 60 minutes. This was a slow paced walk - we checked out restaurant menus, looked in store windows, and walked along a small lake. Everyone was friendly - lots of walkers, bike riders and people with dogs.

Menus:
Friday -
d: chicken frontega panini w/a cup of veggie soup
s: lemon ginger tea

Saturday-
b: oatmeal with cooked apple, peach, blueberries, honey and cinnamon - topped with fresh blueberries, pecans, honey cinnamon yogurt and 1 tsp brown sugar

l: salad wrap
d: butter garlic baby red potatoes
d: dessert platter with tangerines, berries, pecans and choc chips
s: lemon ginger tea

Sunday -
b: avocado berry, mint smoothie
l: 3 fajitas with rice, black beans, chicken, onions, peppers, avocado, pico, guacamole, salsa and hot sauce

 

[Jane E.]

Today I made orange/strawberry infused water. I got the idea from a B&B. Love the look of the fruit in the glass pitcher.

from last night -
platter with fruit, nuts and ghirardelli choc chips
ginger lemon tea

Today-
b: grapefruit, avocado, tangerine, mixed berries, spearmint smoothie
l: salad wrap (used fresh basil from our garden), garlic red potatoes, handful of granola as I was letting it cool down (the house smells wonderful when I bake this), 6 pecans and a dozen choc chips

28 minute bike ride

 

[BabyTigger99]

Just make sure that you aren't limiting yourself too much that it causes you to go off the deep end, food-wise, someday!! Good to see the exercise. So many people only think about changing food, but forget about exercise.

 

[Jane E.]

I've completed one week. Stats for week 1:

workout minutes: 235
pounds lost: 5

Ds brought me three overripe tomatoes that his roommate had bought and never used. That gave me an unexpected opportunity to make tomato soup. He also brought over a full package of mushrooms that I am not touching!

from yesterday:
d: raw veggies & homemade potato chips with southwest dip using sour cream and spices, steamed carrots with cinnamon, maple syrup and dash of butter

d: homemade apple blueberry granola crisp with cinnamon honey yogurt

which brings me to today:
b: avocado, grapefruit, 4 different berries, tangerine smoothie
l: salad wrap, homemade tomato soup with sauted onions, peppers, celery - also added a couple of basil leaves plus spices - pureed everything, 4 pecans and 12 choc chips

Thanks for the reminder, BabyTigger - Unfortunately, I'm good at going off the deep end- especially if ice cream is involved. Adding in the dips, choc chips, nuts is helping.

18 minute weight workout

 

[BabyTigger99]

One other thing I noticed, try and look for ways to get some protein in there, especially with the exercising. It will help you stay full longer, and give you way more energy for your workouts.

 

[Jane E.]

I bought some strawberries at the produce market yesterday. Today I cleaned a whole quart - used half and froze the rest - same with the blueberries. I still have a whole quart of fresh strawberries to tackle tomorrow.

from yesterday:
dinner: fajita with black beans, rice, chicken, onions, peppers, hot sauce and rest of the homemade tomato soup

Today starts week 2:
breakfast: smoothie with fresh mango, strawberries, blueberries, romaine lettuce, cucumber and parsley

lunch: tangerine, granola with leftover cooked fruit from the other day, fresh strawberries and honey cinnamon yogurt, 4 pecans and 18 mini choc chips

BabyTigger99, thank you - hope this week is going better for you - you've done a great job keeping up with your hectic schedule.

 

[Jane E.]

Today is orange and grapefruit juicing day - I'm sure my house will smell like an orange grove by the time I'm finished - 10lbs of oranges and not sure how many grapefruit - already finished freezing the rest of the berries.

Yesterday, I did a 20 minute cardio workout with walking, jogging and jumping jacks.

dinner: wrap with rice, beans, romaine, green onions, orange peppers, tomato
dessert: pecans with mini choc chips

Went out early today and did 40 minutes of walking at a park. The county made a huge hill out of all the leftover dirt from creating retention ponds - I got a good uphill/downhill workout in. My legs will feel it tomorrow.

breakfast: smoothie with mango, banana, strawberries, romaine, tomatoes and a splash of lime juice

lunch: tangerine, granola topped with banana, honey cinnamon yogurt and sunflower seeds - then finished with pecans and choc chips

 

[Jane E.]

My VitaMix arrived yesterday! I ordered it earlier this week - it arrived much quicker than I expected. Its big and powerful - loved using it today.

continuing from yesterday's post
dinner: salad wrap, steamed carrots, black pepper crackers and sw dip
dessert: 5 pecans and 18 mini choc chips

today:
breakfast: my first smoothie using the VitaMix - I combined
mango, banana, tomato, 2 celery stalks, romaine, one slice of starfruit and fresh squeezed (from yesterday) oj

lunch: cherries; granola with honey, yogurt and one sliced banana; 3 pecans and 18 mini choc chips

 

[Jane E.]

from last evening:
dinner: 2 fajitas with rice, beans, chicken, onion, peppers, pico, guacamole
3 walnuts and 18 mini choc chips

breakfast: 3 cherries, granola with yogurt and banana, fresh oj

lunch: leftover beans and rice fajita, side of beans/rice, oj, 2 pecans and 18 mini choc chips

 

[Jane E.]

Right after lunch on Saturday I ended up feeling nauseous. At that point, I drank a soda & took some charcoal caps, and within a couple of hours I was feeling better - I think the oj with my meal was too much.

Dinner: 2 slices of supreme pizza

Sunday:
12 min bike ride

breakfast: fruit smoothie

lunch: chopped salad with: apples, celery, romaine, sunflower seeds, craisins, raisins, basil - dressed it with blended yogurt, Miracle Whip, curry, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper - 3 pecans and 18 mini choc chips

dinner: 4 layer bean dip with black pepper crackers and 8 baked potato chips
dessert: homemade strawberry frozen yogurt - delicious! served 'em up in martini glasses

Monday:

40 minute walk

breakfast: fruit smoothie with mango, pineapple, blueberries, tomato

lunch: 4 layer bean dip with orange pepper slices, black pepper crackers and 5 baked potato chips - then consumed a chocolate mint yogurt smoothie

 

[Jane E.]

End of week 2:
Lost: 1lb
total for two weeks - 6lbs
workout minutes for week: 127min

Last night dh and I went out for dinner downtown. We ordered 3 appetizers -chicken satay, mussels and pasta. I split the chicken and pasta with him. The we split a choc expresso tort with raspberry sauce and berries. I love Monday nights downtown - mellow, quiet. Afterwards, we went on a 15 minute evening downtown walk.

Today I got in a weight workout - 20 minutes.

breakfast: smoothie with peach, banana, romaine, blueberries, cucumber, tomatoes, one slice of starfruit, a little oj and grapefruit juice

Today I will be making lime infused water.

 

[momof2minnies]

Jane-great job on the weight loss-keep up the good work


Linda

 

[Jane E.]

Thanks, Linda -

I've been having trouble getting onto this board - it seems to take forever to load - yesterday tried several times - today I'm getting on early to see if that helps

dinner last night - chicken pasta with veggies, choc chips, ginger lime infused water

breakfast: multi berrie smoothie with pomegranites, mint, grapefruit and lime - 2 slices whole grain toast

 

[Jane E.]

yesterday for lunch - veggie wrap
dinner: grilled chicken, red poatoes, veggies, 1 scoop choc icecream

30 minute sunset walk -

today -
breakfast: berry & pomegranate smoothie - bowl of oatmeal with peaches, blueberries and pecans

 

[momof2minnies]

Jane so glad you said that about the boards-thought it was our computer.Takes forever!!!!

Keep it up-you are doing great!

Linda

 

[Jane E.]

We found a new park - its about 15 minutes from my house - got to try it out this weekend. They do disc golf there - I'd never seen that before.

Saturday 60 minute walk
Sunday 30 minute walk
today 20 minute bike ride

Friday - pizza
Saturday -
b: oatmeal with peaches, blueberries and yogurt
l: leftover pizza
d: oriental salad and a margarita - ice cream

b: fruit bowl with pecans
l: chicken wrap with onions, peppers, jack cheese, fries with dill dip and a pina coloda
d: we got in chicken paninis for the pro bowl

Thanks for the encouragement, Linda. I thought it was MY computer! If I get on here way before or after lunch - its much better.