Lulu201's Healthy Living Log (comments welcome!)

[lulu201]

OK, here I go!

My history: I've had to watch my weight since 6th grade and have had varying degrees of success. There have been times when I've been able to lose pounds on my own, more times when I've lost it at WW, and other times when I've just strugged unbelieveably! (Lots of those, lol) Anyway, I'm 5'8" and have fluctuated between 148 and 201 during the last 11 years. Right now I'm at 190, having lost 10 pounds this summer. There is a STRONG history of diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis in my family, and while I don't have any signs of any of these at this moment (I'm 41), I've got regular hip and back pain (tendinitis and degenerative disc disease) and feel like I've got to look over my shoulder to ward off these other health problems.

I'm tired of feeling self conscious about my weight. I'd like to walk confidently on the beach, move with ease while I'm teaching
(I'm an active preschool music/piano teacher), have fun with my teen age DD, and live a long life with my loving DH. I want to look smashing on our cruise this fall and amazing at my 25th (!) high school reunion next June.

I'm also tired of the constant yo-yoing. I want to find a plan for life that works for me, without paying someone else to tell me what I already know. I want to be inwardly motivated and strong, but know that I can really use a little help from my friends
(I hope these boards will help with that). I plan on exercising at least five times a week, counting points, and making low carb food choices (I'm a classic carb addict, I've found out along the way).

In this log I'll keep track of my food choices and struggles and my exercise accomplishments. Since it's only 7 a.m. and I haven't exercised or eaten much, guess I'll have to re-visit tonight, but at least the plan is written now and the journey to wellness has begun. . .

 

[Auntmeme]

Great job starting your journal. I need to do that. I emailed you cause I also am from bucks. I am a few inches shorter but at the same weight. When I had my son 2 years ago I went over 200 and have not lost it all yet. I seem to get stuck when I don't plan and I need to exercise more, finding the time is so hard. But I also want to look great for our october trip and my 20th reunion in November.

Your motivation is going to be my motivation. So let's take it day by day and have a great week

 

[Castillo Mom]

I'm so happy to see that you started a journal Lulu! Old habits are difficult to change, I've experienced that myself. This board is great for motivation. Different people are on different plans but all have the same goal, weight loss with resultant better health. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[lulu201]

Tuesday, 8/20
Well, I'm at the end of day one. Here's my report!

Exercise:
**Walked my little dog twice around the street in my development.
**Rode my bike for 20 minutes this a.m. and hope to ride again tonight. Out of all my exercise this is my favorite--it makes me feel like I'm 10 years old!
**Walked on my treadmill to the WW audiotape I have for 55 minutes. I thought I'd never get to the end!

I was going to lift weights, but I was just too tuckered out. Tomorrow I want to do the 30 minute WW walk--hopefully I'll have enough energy left to do the weights.

Food:

Breakfast:
Coffee with some kind of vanilla soy milk my DH got at the store. The soy milk has fewer carbs than my regular 2%. As you may have heard, I love my coffee!


OK, I also had one slice of high-fiber toast with 1 TBS peanut butter and a cup and a half of berries.

Lunch:
Salad with ham and cheese, olives, and dressing

Snack #1
Plum

Snack #2
Cheesestick and 12 small olives (I love those olives almost as much as I love my coffee!)

Dinner:
Chicken and broccoli over pasta in an alfredo sauce

Dessert:
SKINNY COW FUDGE BAR! YUMMY (This is my reward for having made it through the day without a carb binge)

As I look this over, I know that I should NOT have had that pasta--too many carbs--but I tried to go easy on the portion size and eat more chicken instead.

So, that completes Journal, Day #1.

Thank you, MeMe and Castillo Mom, for posting. Your kind words and encouragement--hey, just your understanding of this struggle--mean a lot to me.

We're all in it together, and we will succeed!!!

 

[lulu201]

Wednesday, 8/20 (Oops posted the wrong date yesterday!)

I'm tired and mad at myself for eating three stupid munchkins, but I'm here to confess and write it all out. . .

Exercise:
**lifted 10 pound weights with DH's plan that he designed for me.
**rode my bike for 30 minutes.
**walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes.
**shopped!

My food:
**coffee and creamer--1
**strawberries/blueberries-1

**2 eggs and bacon--7
**1 oz. cheddar cheese--1
**plum--1

**lettuce--0
**olives--1
**tuna--3
**mayo--1
**dressing--2

**munchkins --4.5

**skinny cow --2

Total points for the day: 24.5
Hey, I guess that's not too bad, after all; I'm just so darned tired. . .

I should just call it a day and try to get a fresh outlook in the morning. 'Night

 

[lulu201]

Thursday, 8/21

Wow, the end of another day. I feel like I did much better today--no munchkins or pasta!

The exercise:

**long walk with McDuff
**biked around the development for 30 minutes.
**walked for 40 minutes, 2.5 miles, on treadmill. I set up this cute little "motivation station" around my treadmill with quotes, inspirational messages, etc. Also have found that the time that I exercise is a good time to pray and think about other people and things besides my big ole bottom!

The food:

**slice of toast with pb--4
**strawberries/blueberries--1
**coffee with vanilla soy milk--1

**ham and cheese roll up--4

**2 eggs with 1/2 oz. of cheese--5.5

**salad with tuna, olives, green pepper, dressing--7

and, of course,

**my skinny cow!--2

Total: 24.5 WW points

The attitude:

For the most part, today was a good day, though I have to admit my 41 year old body is a little achey from the exercise. I have a great sense of accomplishment, though, that I've set these few goals and have achieved them, even if it has only been for a few days. I look ahead and wonder if I'll really be able to lose the weight and keep it off--particularly after our WDW/Cruise trip in 6 weeks. I've lost and gained so many times. . .I hope that this time will really be different. I try to stop myself from thinking about it too much. Just want to take it day by day. . .

'Til tomorrow
"15 in 42"

 

[Auntmeme]

You had a great day, so much exercise I think your fat is slipping into my house at night and attaching to my big ole bottom

Where do you buy skinny cows? how many carbs?

You inspire me, thanks

 

[MsDisney]

I have a great sense of accomplishment, though, that I've set these few goals and have achieved them, even if it has only been for a few days. I look ahead and wonder if I'll really be able to lose the weight and keep it off--

Lulu...great job!!! Doesn't it feel great to exercise? I have spent so much of my life beating myself up for various things, now, at the end of each workout I find myself actually saying out loud, "good job, Karen". It's a very strange thing for me!!!

I am right about your weight (200) and have been as high as 212, and at that time I did a low-fat (high carbs...this was several years ago) diet and lost almost 40 pounds when I plateaued (sp?) and slowly it has crept back. So I only got to about 175 then. I have zero self-esteem and I was eating and drinking more and more it seemed because I figured "what the heck"! Vicious cycle! Now I've started Atkins (day 11 here) and I have been exercising everyday and I feel great! I don't want to lose this feeling again and my mini-goal is to be at 174 by my birthday on Dec. 6th (this would be the lowest I've been in a LONG time, and 1/2 of my goal).

I'll be here with you and have already drawn support from you and so many others here! I didn't have this before and I sure am glad to be in the company of so many inspirational and motivated people...and human, cuz everyone slips up, but that's what friends are for...to help get past that!

Anyway, I'm too disorganized to make a journal, maybe I'll try Monday...but I want you to know I'm pulling for you and I'll be here to help keep you motivated, and as meme said, your motivation will then be mine!

Karen

 

[lulu201]

August 22, Friday

Oh, MeMe, you are just too funny--my husband is beginning to wonder about me after hearing me laughing out loud at the computer screen!!! I'm telling you, though, if my big ole bottom is slipping out and over to your house at night, it's back home when I'm trying to get into my shorts in the morning!LOL It feels so good to laugh with someone going through the same stuff. . .

Oh, I'll find out about the carbs in skinny cows tomorrow and let you know. I'm afraid to touch the package again tonight.

Karen, thank you for taking the time to respond to my journal. You've got to try it--it's a great helper for staying on track. I'll be looking for your journal on Monday! We'll help each other along the way. You're going to make that goal on Dec. 6th!

Guess I should talk about my day, though I must say, I have some rather mixed feelings. It all started OK. . .

The exercise:

**one walk for little Mick.
**30 minutes on the bike around the development. Like I said on the exercise thread, I think my neighbors think I'm the new patrol officer or something.
Here was the killer:
**55 minutes on the treadmill, 3.02 miles. Now, the walk itself wasn't bad, but my treadmill is in the un-airconditioned garage and by the time I was done, I thought I was going to die!

The food:

**strawberries, 1 cup--1
**coffee with vanilla soy milk--1

**ham and cheese roll up--4

--uh, oh, this is where things start to get a little scary--

At the Mall

**four chick-fil-a strips with honey barbeque sauce--5
**diet soda--0
**coffee with creamer a couple of hours later--1

And now things get really scary:

A trip to the Chinese Buffet!

**two cups of steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce--5
**1/2 cup crab meat with butter--2
**1/2 cup chicken and broccoli--1
**1/3 General Tso's chicken-- 6
**1/2 cup vegetable rice noodles--2?
**1 teeny tiny stuffed mushroom--1

And for dessert, OF COURSE, my good friend, the skinny cow--2

That put's my grand total for Friday at, gulp, 31!

Now, I'm trying to have some perspective on this. I know that I have points in the WW food bank, so I'm not REALLY over my points, but I'm not too proud of that General Tso's chicken. I do have to say, though, it sure was good. . .

Pointwise, now, I had 24 for the day and took 7 from the bank (I'm trying to follow the new flexpoint program mentioned on one of the other threads). So for the rest of the week that leaves me
with 27 left in the bank. Hey, that's pretty good! Now, though, I've got to go drink a quart of water to flush out all that sodium from eating Chinese!
If anybody reads this who follows the whole point thing, I don't use any activity towards food points. I don't want anything to slow me down(except for a little General Tso)!

Well, I'm going to sign off for another day. I'll check in again tomorrow.

 

[Auntmeme]

I also love that general, but the mall & the chinese buffet, yikes. You really didn't do too bad, you could have gone over the wall and who knows when we would have seen you I actually gulped when I saw chinese buffet.

I also lol alot reading these boards, so I burn alot of calories sitting on my big ole bottom.

You are an exercise queen but watch the no air garage, I don't want to have to do CPR, though I know how. 55 minutes WOW, I only had 30. You have given my a challenge for tomorrow, thanks!

And give that general the boot

 

[lulu201]

Sat., 8/23 Wow! What a beautiful day! Tomorrow is the last day of my first week on a strict plan, though I didn't start journaling until Tuesday. I'm going to do an official weigh-in on Monday.

Here's my report for the day:

Exercise:

**52 minutes spent biking around.
**2 walks for Mick
**32 minutes on the treadmill, 2 mi.
**weight lifting program with 10 lb. weights

Tomorrow is my DAY OF REST!!! Except for walking the dog and leisurely biking, I'm not doing a dang thing!

Food:

**slice of twelve grain bread (toast, actually) with pbutter--4
**coffee with soy milk--1

**Lulu's special tuna/olive salad--11.5

**7 oz. chicken breast--7
**broccoli--0
**cucumbers--0
**bit of butter--1

**slice of ham and 1/3 slice of cheese--2

**my yummy skinny cow--2

Total: 28.5

I'm happy with my food choices, but I messed up. I forgot that I had made an extra good salad at lunch--I didn't write any of this down until now--and accidently (hey, it was an ACCIDENT!) had more points than I thought. That means I have to draw another
4.5 from the bank. Total left in bank now: 22.5 (still a good amount)

At least I didn't overeat 'cause I had another date with General Tso. . .MeMe, if you're reading this, if I give the general the boot, do I have to break up with the KFC Colonel, and ditch my romance with the Burger King? Man, this healthy living is going to ruin my love life!
Please don't tell my DH about these other men in my life!!!

 

[Auntmeme]

You made me laugh so hard. You know with all those affairs you should be burning alot of calories

Your kicking my a-- with your exercise routine, how do you do it?

Not a bad day for your points, why was your tuna so many?

I'll exercise tomorrow so I'll check up to you. Onward to my cheat free day 3.

 

[lulu201]

Sunday, 8/24

Gee, today I really wanted to eat. I didn't. . .but I really wanted to. Not nutritional eating, but recreational. You know, munch through a bowl of popcorn or have a big, huge hot fudge sundae. . .I didn't, though, and that I can feel good about. One of the things that helped me was thinking about the people on this board. I thought of all of us trying our best and that gave me strength.

The exercise:

**two walks around the circle with Mickey.
**22 minutes on the bike with DD.
I think the rest today did me good. I'm looking forward to my date with my treadmill tomorrow a.m. I'm going to walk as early as I can make myself because it should be cool in the garage (I do put the door up, btw)

The food:

**1 and 1/2 cups of berries--1
**coffee and that vanilla soy milk--1
**more coffee with 1/2 oz. half and half at church--.5

**2 eggs and 3 slices of bacon--7

**more berries--1

**5.5 oz. of chicken--5.5
**grilled summer squash and mushrooms--2 (for olive oil)
**1 oz. cheddar cheese--3
**10 small olives--1

**s.c.--2

Total for Sunday: 24

I'm trying to finish all my eating, except for maybe a s.c. on nights I teach late, by 6 p.m. I end up drinking a lot at night and my stomach does tend to rumble, but I think it's better for me to try to break my habit of eating late. I'll have to bring my dinner to work with me and eat when I can.

Because MeMe asked what was in the tuna salad I had, I went back over it and found that I had made a mistake counting (thank you, MeMe!). Seems the salad (1 sm. can of tuna, 1 tsp. mayo, 2 servicings lite salad dressing, olives, 1/2 oz. of cheese over lettuce) came in at 9.5 points, not 11.5. I can give 2 points back to the bank; I've got 24.5 in there now.

Tried on a suit that I hadn't been able to wear last month AT ALL, and it fit rather nicely this afternoon. That made me smile. I don't know if other people can see that I'm losing weight (AGAIN), but I can.

DH said I'm looking five years younger! Now that's a man who knows how to get on my good side!


Tomorrow's my official weigh-in day, so I'm anxious to get the low-down on the week. Hope I can stay OP again tomorrow.

 

[Castillo Mom]

You crack me up Lulu! Come to think of it, I've been involved with those men! You're doing really well with the exercise. Don't get too overheated though, and remember to drink plenty of water to rehydrate. I'll check in with you tomorrow. Have fun on that treadmill!

 

[lulu201]

Monday, 8/25

I woke up this morning and remembered I had to get weighed in, and you know what? I was a little bit afraid. I'd been feeling so good about the hard work I'd done--the exercise, the food choices--that I knew if I didn't see a loss, I'd be all depressed and negative about it instead. I had to give myself a pep talk just so I could get on the scale! In fact, I kinda circled it, stepped gingerly upon it, and peeked down: and I saw that I'd lost 5 lbs. After a "thank you, God," I had to sit down!!!

What an ordeal! How can I let those numbers on that dumb scale have such power over me?!? They do, though, and that's a sad fact. I hope that I can get to a point where just having the good habits--water drinking, exercise, good food choices will be enough. Also, I know the bloat fairy is making a bee-line for my house even as I type, and an attack from him can easily add 2-3 pound in water retention.

So, here's the new deal:

Officially accepted WISH challenge on 8/17 at 192 (began journal on 8/19--had lost 2 pounds!)
First official weigh in on 8/25--187

First mini-goal: 185 by 9/1
Second mini-goal: 175 by 10/3

Big huge WISH goal: 158 by 12/31/03

Thank goodness for the people and support on this board. MeMe, Castillo Mom, and all you posters. . .I can't begin to tell you how your encouragement helps me to stay on track.

Today's a happy day. Now, let me get my sneakers, I gotta get on that treadmill before I get the urge for a donut!

 

[Auntmeme]

5 lbs you go girl, get that clippie

Great for you and fitting better into that suit, that's the best feeling. And your dh what a doll, next week you'll look 10 years younger

Have a great workout & stay focused. Whre are you a teacher?

 

[MsDisney]

Awesome job, Lulu!!! I don't know what to tell you about not letting the scale rule your life...but stoppit!!!

We hear it all the time, and it's SO true...as long as you are eating healthier and feeling better...and clothes are getting looser, it really doesn't matter WHAT the scale says! (this is easier said than done!)

Remember, it's about weight loss, but it's also about getting healther and even if the scale isn't cooperating, you KNOW you're doing well and getting healthier!!!

Go get your clippie! Where is it?

I will try to start my own journal of sorts today too...and I'm hoping for some PD that I can claim my 5lb clippie tomorrow!

Keep up the great work and enjoy wearing those clothes!!!

Karen

 

[Auntmeme]

Did you have a good day? I want to see your clippie and then you can tell me where to get one cause when I lose 2lbs this week that's where I'm heading

You need to tell me about the Atlantis deal? my dh is not interested in any excursions, I'm alittle disappointed so maybe we can head to the Atlantis.

 

[Castillo Mom]

Congratulations Lulu! I bet you feel great. Isn't it encouraging when you put on an outfit that didn't fit so well, or didn't fit at all and now it does? Cool!

Keep away from that donut, remember, it's poison and it doesn't taste good anyway.

 

[lulu201]

It's been almost impossible for me to get just a minute to myself to update this journal. . .finally, I can catch up!

First let me thank you MeMe, Karen, and Lisa, for your kind and supportive words. You sharing in my "weigh-in joy" yesterday made my whole day. When I read your words, I got quite choked up!

I've been teaching a lot the last couple of days, trying to reschedule students so that I can go away for a few days and still make some money! MeMe, my DH and I direct our own little music school. I teach piano, keyboard classes, Kindermusik in our studio; I also teach general music at two local preschools. We have some wonderful teachers who work with us. . .we love what we do. . .it's fulfilling and meaningful, BUT back to school is a crazy, chaotic time for us, and it seems that I often lose myself (and my intention for a healthy lifestyle) when Sept. comes. I've been so busy I haven't even had time to get my clippie!!!!!!!

OK, quickly now, because I have to get to choir practice at church:

8/25
Exercise: 30 min. bike, 60 min. (3.77 mi.) treadmill, 1 walk with Mickey

Food: Total points were 26.5/left in bank: 32.5
I'm going to skip the whole list--suffice it to say, as you know, girls, it began with coffee and ended with a skinny cow!

8/26
Exercise: 30 min. bike, 30 and 1/2 min. treadmill (hee, hee)--2 mi.

Food: b--5 points
s--coffee at a jazz workshop, 1
l--11.5 Mc.D. salad
s--more coffee, .5 (drinking way too much coffee today!)
d--ham/cheese rollup, 5 olives, fruit, cow--6

Total: 24/left in bank: 32.5

Happy about my eating today, but still wishing I was having a donut! As I rush out the door, I'll chant Lisa's words of wisdom:
Donuts are poison, donuts don't taste good, donuts are poison, donuts don't taste good, donuts are . . .