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Well, Ireland was amazing, and unforgetable. We enjoyed every place we went to the fullest and I still made healthy food choices, but tried everything and didn't feel guilty. Still tyring to get back into the swing of things, but here are a "few" of my pictures, and I am happy to say that I really did feel happy to have my picture taken the whole time! I ended up gaining 4 lbs over the two weeks, but it was really pretty artificial. I have since (in the last week) lost 3 of them, maybe more (haven't weighed in for a couple of days). I blame eating out and sodium. Just trying to lose a few more and try to tone!
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2033534875652.2123354.1162562513&l=139dc063e5

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2033707959979.2123360.1162562513&l=7bc2c5a441

 

MFP Post, My Success Story

Well, part of what keeps me going is browsing the Message Boards on MFP, and I love seeing the before and after pictures. So I knew from early on that I would post my own pictures when it came time, so here it is:

Well, I am happy to say it is time for me to post a success story, so here it goes.

My name is Autumn, and I am a 31 year old housewife and mother of a 5 year old and a 3 year old. I have been happily married for 7 ½ years to my perfect match but have been unhappy with my weight for more than 80% of my adult life. Between August 2010 and February 2011, I believe I was close to the heaviest I have been (save being pregnant). I was about 180-185lbs, but I was too afraid of the scale to weigh myself. They say ignorance is bliss, but the denial was a huge part of the problem. Something had to change. The first pic is me in September 2010 for a family picture, I was so disappointed in how fat I looked that I actually scheduled a re-shoot and then wore a corset to minimize myself in on the re-dos. They still weren’t pretty. The second is me at my friend’s wedding in October. I was again wearing a corset/girdle to hold myself into the dress.

 

So for the last 8 ½ weeks I have been on a mission to create the very best me. I had a trip coming up and didn’t want to be camera shy because of how heavy I look in pictures. So I set a goal of losing 10 lbs in 2 months. I created a blog (http://otm25.blogspot.com/) and posted a link on Facebook, listing my starting weight of 177.9lbs. I knew that once it was out there, on the pages of all 283 of my FB friends (frenemies and ex boyfriends included), I would really be accountable. I also started a Biggest Loser Competition with some close mommy friends to give myself additional motivation. One of my friends suggested MyFitnessPal.com and I immediately signed up. I dutifully logged everything that passed my lips including vitamins, breath mints and even the occasional splurge! I lost 4 lbs the first week and knew that I was addicted. I have since urged everyone I know to sign up, and I personally claim responsibility for at least 7 new members who have in turn lost a ton of weight and told their friends!

So here I am. 18 lbs lighter at 159 lbs and 5’9. I have lost 10.17% of my body weight and finished 2^nd in my Biggest Loser Competition. I have lost a total of 5 inches from my waist and hips, and fit comfortably in a size 10 jean. I feel healthier and stronger than I ever have, and look forward to my daily exercise which I had dreaded in the beginning. I feel absolutely in control of my weight and my life. The first shot is a couple of weeks ago at the end of March, the following is me today.

 

The biggest surprise was how easy it was. I have been overweight most of my adult life and despite saying that I had to lose weight, felt completely powerless. This site gave me the tools to educate myself on nutrition, provided motivation with every before and after pic, and basically gave me the power to make the right choices. I started out not really understanding the science behind it, and ended up eating way less net calories than was healthy. After scouring the message boards and learning what I could, I chose to keep my net calories between 1200 and 1500, and am still consistently losing at least a pound a week, not to mention several inches. I never deprived myself, and can’t remember feeling hungry. If I wanted a cocktail or a Cadbury Crème Egg (my favorite seasonal treat) I just rationed out my calories. I have never gone over my net calories, but if I do, I will know that I am allowed a splurge and that it is no excuse to spiral out of control again. I know myself, and if I were to deprive myself of anything I would not stick with this.

So I am heading to Ireland this week for the big vacation that prompted my weight loss. I will keep my phone with me and continue to log my foods, but not deprive myself at all. I have learned portion sizes which have helped tremendously with the stomach aches I used to have every day after dinner, running to the bathroom. I am lucky that my husband never thought I needed to lose weight, but he is lucky that I have gained confidence with every pound that I have lost. My kids have learned a lot in these past two months about nutrition and exercise, and I sincerely hope that they way that I live and the example I set in this “after stage” will be an efficient tool for them to use in their lives so they won’t struggle with their weight as I had.

So I am not “done” but almost. I lost the 10 lbs I had set out to lose only 4 weeks into my journey, and then continued to lose another 8 lbs the next 4 ½ weeks. Now that I have the tools, I will continue to live this new healthy lifestyle, possibly down to a toned 155 lbs. Then I plan to go into maintenance mode. This is my new life and I love every minute of it. I love the way my clothes fit, I never shy from the camera, and I have gained so much confidence.  I hope my story will help as many of you as fellow MFPers have helped to motivate me. Thank you.

Thursday 4-7, Snowing in April, welcome to Northern Nevada!



My paper beads: Oriental Trading
Catalog and Blue Sparkle Nail Polish



Last night was super fun. Had breakfast sandwiches for dinner, and “J” came home around 6:30 and reheated a pizza. Then he watched the kids while I hosted MNI Craft Night. We had 8 moms show up and my friend “E” taught us to make paper beads with magazines, toothpicks and nail polish, they turned out beautiful! We had so much fun chatting and snacking we kept it all going until the last guest left at 12:00am! I was a little tired today, but it was totally worth it.

Today I decided to give myself another try, and despite my TOM, I hopped on the Wii to see where I was. To my complete surprise, I had lost 3.3 lbs since Tuesday. I had a feeling that I was retaining water, and now here is proof. So my timing was bad for the Biggest Loser Competition, but the great news is that I reached my second goal and am under 160 lbs! I have lost 18 lbs. in the last 8 ½ weeks! So happy, but decided to continue to go and I reset my goal to go down to 155, which is only 4.8 lbs away. I am still feeling really good, honestly much better than I did on Tuesday. Not that I was sad to lose BL, but because I was disappointed to be heading the wrong direction! BTW, I have to say I am so proud of our BL group, we are all losers!

So the Rugrats were supposed to have a park day today, but as the day has turned out snowy, we moved the event to the mall to walk and let the kids play. So we did a quick 1 ½ laps, let the kids play, then we headed to the food court. After lunch we let the kids visit the Easter Bunny. “P” and “V” were thrilled and hugged the bunny like crazy. I heard both kids tell the EB that he was the best bunny in the whole wide world. Super-cute. Then we did another lap to McDonald’s where the kids and I got a cone, yum!

Funny honorable mention today: When “P” spun the wheel at the mall earlier, she got the goody bag and chose a paper pad. She and the kids started coloring and she came up to me with this picture ------------------->
 She explained it was the treasure map to the Easter Bunny. She then traced the way to the Bunny and then told me that the thing that I had assumed was a sign, was actually the shovel. You know, so she could dig up the bunny. It was a buried treasure map! Just thought that sounded really morbid and funny.  

Anyway, I bid farewell to the friends I wouldn’t be seeing until after Ireland, and then we headed home in a blizzard. Then at half way home, it was cloudy, but certainly not as extreme as the south of town! Now we are home, the kids fell asleep in the car so I transferred them to bed and I am going to relax this afternoon, then pick up where I left off packing. Trying to empty the fridge so we may go out to dinner, we will see!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-07.

Wednesday 4-6, Shopping and getting it done!

Last night was great. “J” ended up working super late, so the kids and I fended for ourselves, “P” had a PB&H Pita, “V” had a Ham and Cheese Sandwich, and I had Whole Wheat Penne with garden Veggie Ragu. Then my brother Uncle “T” came over to babysit at 6pm, he had leftover burritos. He and I ended up hanging out with the kids until bedtime, and then we both watched Netflix until “J” finally came home from work at 8:15pm, so Uncle “T” babysat and we met some friends for a drink. It was really nice to just hang out. A night well spent, and Uncle “T” loved hanging out and watching TV.

Eagle Creek Pack-It folder.
Makes family travel much easier!  

So today was our busy day. “V” and I dropped “P” off at preschool then hit the Thrift stores. We met up with my good friend “F” and her kids at the second thrift store, fun to browse with a friend. Found a few good finds, including a super cute hunter green shirt from Ann Taylor for $5. A little steep for a thrift store find, but maybe my favorite shirt I have tried on in a while! Yay! Then we left to pick-up “P” and ate our sack lunch in the car on the way to St. Vincent’s thrift store. The great find there was an Eagle Creek Pack Pack-It Folder. I have two for “P” and I, and was looking for one for “V.” So I found it in the bottom of this box full of lunch bags. I guess they didn’t know what it was, they charged me 50 cents, and it was new with tags,  Score!

Now I am home packing, laundering my thrift store finds and blogging while the kids watch Aladdin. I am hoping to get some more done in the way of packing, but getting easily distracted on the internet. The upside to that is that I just downloaded Adele’s Rolling in the Deep, which I love. So now I have packing music right? “J” is in Vegas for work, so I am planning to eat leftovers, he won’t be home until after 6. Then he will watch the kids while installing the trellis and I am having Moms Night In Craft Night at 7pm. Looking forward to hanging with my favorite mommies and hanging out before we leave for the big trip!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-06.

Tuesday, 4-5, Final Weigh-In for Biggest Loser

Yesterday ended up pretty good. Ate a good dinner, and went to Ross to buy a new dress for our trip. I ended up finding some great clearance dresses, one for $10 and another for $5.50. Super cute, and both size 10s! Then I came home and packed like crazy. I collected the toys we have bought for the trip and gift wrapped them to make it more exciting and started trying to fit all of our stuff into suitcases. So far it is looking pretty good, but we will see.

I am sore from my Calisthenics yesterday, my thighs and abs feel like they really got a workout. So that is good. Slept like a rock last night.

Now onto the Final Weigh-In.

Well, I didn’t go out with a bang as I had hoped to. Today was the final weigh-in for our Biggest Loser competition and I ended up gaining .4lbs, which isn’t even half a pound, but still disappointing. I had a feeling this might happen, my TOM started today so it could very well be water retention. So I admit defeat in the competition, but certainly do not feel defeated. I have lost a total of 9.07% of my body weight, and am fitting into a size 10, much too small for a size 12. Honestly, I fulfilled my first goal of 10 lbs in only 4 weeks, then went on to lose another 5 lbs! In addition, for the last 4 weeks I have been keeping measurements of my neck, waist and hips, and I have lost .25” from my neck, 2” from my waist and 2.5” from my hips, a total of 5”! So my progress is still showing, if not on the scale. I feel healthier and thinner than I have been in a very long time; so really, I have succeeded!  I have more energy and stamina, and am actually helpful in many of our projects around the house. And for every pound I have dropped, I have picked up some confidence, feeling pretty good 15 lbs lighter! I have to say, mission accomplished!

Congrats to my fellow losers, all of the results are not in yet, but I can say that I have officially lost the equivalent of 10 dozen eggs, can’t believe I used to carry all of that weight around!

Today we did some more packing then headed to Pump It Up to meet up with “F” and “T.” We let the kids play and reflected on the last 8 weeks of Biggest Loser. We are all feeling so much better now, and looking better to if I do say so! We are officially Skinny Mamas!

Now we are home and I am looking forward to an evening out. We were planning to meet up with “J”s friends from work, but we just have too much to do. So since the sitter is booked, we are going to finish the stuff around the house when “J” gets home, have a late dinner and meet up with friends, should be nice! Even though the BL competition is over, I am still going to be watching my calories, it feels good to be healthy and eat right. Hope we can find a figure friendly restaurant!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-05.

Monday 4-4, Preparing for the final weigh-in tomorrow!

So last night was good. We watched The Secret of Kells with the kids. Probably would have been awesome for eight-year olds, but a little over my kids’ heads. “J” and I loved it. Awesome animation, great story, well done. So after the kids went down our neighbor came over to tell us about his trips to Ireland, offering some advice. It was great to get an insider’s view. Then we started the huge job of packing, and I am feeling pretty good. I will feel much better after I have worked through the loads of laundry I am doing, but still feel like we are pretty well set up. Then off to bed.

Woke up this morning and got the kids ready for school. I don’t know what was going on, but all of the kids were crazy today! I seriously was losing it, I hate disciplining other people’s kids, they sure don’t listen to me! It all makes me really happy that vacation is right around the corner.

Now we are home and I am blogging, catching up with emails and steaming an artichoke for lunch. Then I will be doing laundry and getting ready for the trip. I tried this new app called Virtuagym for workouts to do while I am in Ireland, and I tried it out today. It was the 20 minute circuit including squats and push-ups, they automatically make you wait 45 seconds between each workout, but I was anxious to do more work in less time and jogged in place during the pauses. Overall, my body feels good, and I hope to make time to do these a couple of times a week while we are gone. Hope this helps me continue my healthy lifestyle even when we are abroad! Wish me luck. Since I am cramming for Biggest Loser final weigh-in tomorrow, I am thinking of dancing later today. We'll see what kind of energy I have then.

I am going to try to get to Ross when "V" wakes up, just tried on some vacation clothes and decided I need a new dress for Easter. Everything I have fancy is short sleeves, maybe I could find a deal there. “J” took off part of the day for golfing, but when he gets home I am planning to do Tri-tip burritos with leftover rice. My mom makes them, they are super good. Just trying to keep up with healthy food for the final weigh-in for Biggest Loser tomorrow morning! Wish me luck; we are all doing so well!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-04.

Sunday 4-3, Big breakfast on a busy day

Last night was nice. “J” worked hard until nightfall on the trellis, digging holes and setting posts and cementing them. At dinner time he BBQd some Omaha Steaks, and I made steamed rice and broccoli mixed with laughing cow cheese, yum! For dessert I had some Angel Food cake with banana slices and Foam.

Then once the kids were down, we watched some Rick Steeve’s Ireland which made me even more excited for our trip and then the final two episodes of The Tudors. It was kind of sad to be done with the series. Looking for another series to get caught up in! Preferably one that is streaming, I hate waiting for discs!

So today we slept in, and then got up at about 8:30 so I could shower and “J” could spray paint the trellis. Then we got the kids ready and headed to our favorite breakfast at Uncle Vinny’s. I had the vegetarian omelet and substituted the potatoes for fruit and asked that my wheat toast be unbuttered. It was so much food and so filling. I was not surprised that it was right around 600 calories. The kids split the special, a huge breakfast sandwich for only $2, what a deal! Then “J” had the chorizo plate, looked delicious, he loved it. So with full bellies we headed to Sparks to pick up our custom framed map of St. Lucia and do a little shopping. I casually mentioned we needed to look for a few things at Wal-Mart and $150 later, we left. In our defense, we bought a lot of things that we had been talking about for a while. Nonetheless, it was a little shocking! Then we headed home to finish the day.

Now “J” and “P” are outside working on the trellis and grapevines and “V” is watching TV. I am deciding whether to exercise or take a nap, I am tired! I am planning dinner to be pitas stuffed with Beef Ball Tip, spinach, cheese and avocados, sounds good! I usually don’t skip meals, but our breakfast was so big and late I think that in lieu of lunch I am going to snack on my homemade hummus and carrots. That should hold me over until dinner at 5. Then we are going to watch this kid’s movie about Ireland, Secret of Kells. After the kids are down we will watch Amazing Race and then off to bed! Hope your weekend was as productive as ours!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-03.

Saturday 4-1, Busy Day!

Last night was really fun. We ended up eating Baked Ziti for dinner, and I treated myself to a Cadbury Crème Egg for dessert. Then the kids and “J” went to hang out at the park, and I ran off to Kohl’s to buy another thermal shirt for “J” for our trip. Got home and helped get the kids down, and made some homemade Hummus and carrots to snack on. Then our good friends “F” and “B” came over for cocktails and to hang out. We enjoyed the patio since the weather is so nice, and even brought out the hookah for a while. We had such a good time that we ended up hanging out until 1:30am! Yikes! Woke up tired this morning, but sooooo worth the grown-up time!

So this morning “J” and I slept in while “P” treated “V” to some cereal sans milk. At about 8:45 she finally walks in and says, “Mom and Dad? Is it milk time?” Too cute. So we got our act together and at 10:00 we headed to Minden to pick up a piece of fencing to use as a grapevine trellis by the gazebo. “J” found it on Craigslist, and despite having to drive to get it, it was a good deal. Then we did a little shopping and got some gas. We had lunch at Port of Subs, which is one of my favs. I used my “Fast Food Options” page (look to your right of this page) to help decide where we wanted to eat. I also installed this handy little app called Restaurant Nutrition which has an option to type in what food you want to eat and for how many calories, then it lists which restaurants have that. So cool! Love it!

Now the kids are down and “J” ran off to buy some 4X4s to mount the fencing, and some spray paint to make it match the gazebo. I am so lucky to have such a handy do-it-yourself kind of guy! Planning on Omaha Steaks, rice and broccoli tonight, then we will be finalizing our meal choices for the flight, watching a kids movie about Ireland with the kids, and continue to collect toys for our trip. Wish me luck; it’s a busy Saturday for us!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-02.

Friday 4-1, Oh, no!

I don't know what happened. I have been eating right and exercising religiously, and I was so close to my goal. I weighed in this morning before I took the kids to school and I have gained 5 lbs! I knew that I would plateau eventually, but I wasn't expecting a gain! I don't know if I can continue.

April Fool's! Just kidding, I only weigh myself on Tuesdays, so I am not sure if I am up or down, but I am probably good. Hope I didn't just jinx myself, lol!

Last night was fun; it was great visiting my parents and seeing my sister, brother and his girlfriend. We had spaghetti and meatballs with salad, and a super rich cake for dessert, yum. We played Catchphrase, which was super fun. It was so fun that we ended up staying well beyond bedtime, and arriving home at 10:00pm. We had to wake up the kids this morning for school.

So today started well. Got the kids up and took “P” to preschool, then “V” and I hit Kohl’s. I was on a mission for support. Sounds super dramatic, I was bra shopping. It wasn’t until I tried on the first bra that I realized what I had been missing. Support! Ended up finding one black and one beige minimize bra at buy one get one free. Too bad bras cost a fortune to begin with! But I am supported, and lifted and feel like I have lost even more weight. Then I wandered into the clearance section and found these really cool shirts that are supposed to keep you warm in the cold and cool in the heat. Thought it might be a good thing to layer in Ireland if it gets too cold, and at $8.50, a steal. Let’s just hope it works.

Now we are home and the kids are finishing lunch. As soon as they are done I am sending them upstairs to watch a movie before bedtime and I am hitting the Wii for JD2. Hoping to burn quite a bit, we are having friends over tonight for cocktails. Trying to plan meals around that, hopefully it works out. Cheers to the weekend!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-04-01.

Thursday 3-31, Walking in Sunshine!

So today was great. Got lots of exercise and got to catch up with my mommy friends. We got up early and got lots of stuff done around the house including getting our cell phones squared away for our big trip. Then at 11:00 we met up with our friends at the park at the Marina. Once everyone got there we headed around the Marina for a 2 mile walk. The older kids hopped on bicycles and the little ones rode in strollers. There were 4 of us mommies, and a total of 8 kids, which meant that we didn’t go quite as fast as I would have liked, but we did do about 3 mph. Then we stopped to have lunch and I treated myself to a piece of leftover pizza and a spinach/ asparagus salad. The kids played for a bit, and then we set off again, with an additional mom and two kids! We did the loop again, at almost exactly the same pace. But it was 4 miles, so we burned a lot of calories. The sun was warm and I was really sweaty, but it was still really nice to get some good exercise with good friends.

Now I am home and blogging while both kids nap. We are going to my mom’s house for dinner in Tahoe so I am hoping that “J” can get off work early. Guess we will see. My mom is also on MFP, so I am hoping that the dinner is figure friendly. Either way, I will be monitoring my portions! Good practice for Ireland.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-31.  

Teeny tiny stiches make for some
cute jeans that fit a slimmer me!

Side note: Found some super cute jeans at Ross last week, they fit perfectly on my thighs and are a perfect length except they are too loose around my waist. So today I sewed up little areas on each side, effectively "taking it in" about 1 1/2 inches. Who knows, maybe my new lifestyle will help me cultivate some sewing skills!

Wednesday 3-30, A little "Me" time

So last night went as planned “J” even came home early, except once we had finished the delicious Baked Ziti, (thanks to frozen feasts), we loaded up our kayak, Nemo and went to Costco.  Last year we bought Nemo (one of the last kayaks in the Reno store) and soon discovered it had multiple leaks, and we took on several pounds of water. We tried to return it, but all of the nearby Costcos had sold out by then. We kept the receipt and waited until then, even caulking the holes for a temporary fix. My good friend “F” saw they were in stock and told us. So we loaded up Nemo and traded her in for a new, more sea worthy kayak. It looks like this kayak will be named Belle; she is as yellow as the princess’s dress. It fits beautifully on “J”s new kayak rack; we can’t wait for warmer weather so we can take the maiden voyage! Really looking forward to getting lots of exercise with Belle this year, last summer my arms were pretty strong!

Today was totally luxurious, and in the first half, all about me. The kids had a field trip to the local PBS station, so “J” took off the first half of work to take them. I lounged in bed as they ate breakfast, then I came downstairs for some cereal. Side note: so happy to learn that Kashi Autumn Harvest doesn’t have any sodium, how exciting! Caught up on email, MFP and Facebook, then dressed for a walk/run, while the kids and “J” headed off to preschool. I started out walking at my usual 4 mph, then sprinted for about .25 of a mile, and alternated until I had circled the lap. According to imapmyrun, I had gone an average of 5 mph, not bad! So I came home, logged it then realized I hadn’t hit my calories burned goal on MFP. So I broke out JD2 and busted a couple moves. I was sweating by then! Off to the shower!

Loving my new do
and two feathers!

So I headed to my hair appointment to see my good friend Devlin of Devlin’s Rock Star Hair Studio, and got a cut. Long overdue! I normally go in every 4-5 weeks, but it had been over 6! So I got a great cut, he is so good! Then he put a couple feathers in my hair. They are a little more natural in tone than the previous one was, it looks super cool. The best news is that he is by far the cheapest in town; most places charge as high as $40 for feathers, he charges $7 for 3 feathers! Go see Devlin, and tell him I sent you!

While I was waiting for the kids to be done with the field trip, I popped into Marshalls and bought a quilt for “V”s big boy bed, and a couple of lightweight coats for me. I have to tell you, shopping is way more fun now that I like looking at myself in the mirror! Then the kids came and “J” and I ate at Viet Pho. Love their Vermicelli bowls, huge portions and pretty healthy! Then we parted ways and I took the kids to ballet. Now we are home, “V” is sleeping, “P” is watching a movie, and I am just about done blogging, and then I am taking a nap! Leftover Ziti and spinach salad for dinner, yum!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-30.

Tuesday 3-29, Weigh-In Day!

Today is weigh-in day, and I have consistently kept my net calories above 1200 this week, sometimes getting as high as 1550. But it continues to pay off, even though I am taking in a lot more calories. I am down another 1.1lbs, bringing my total weight loss to 15.2lbs, 9.34% of my initial weight! So happy that I took this on, and that I have seen such awesome results. Down to a size 10 jeans! I am really hoping to hit 160lbs before we leave for Ireland. Only 12 days to go!

Today we are going to Pump-It-Up for a play date, and then I am going to try to squeeze in some exercise, either at the Marina, Mall or here, on Just Dance 2. Then we will have naptime, yay! Then at 4:10 I am going in to get my teeth adjusted at the dentist, a little tweak from the work I had done last week. Then we will be enjoying the Baked Ziti that we made last night at Frozen Feasts. At 418 calories for a huge serving, it will be a good “splurge.”

Then we will hopefully have a quiet night in. I am hoping to watch the Amazing Race that we missed on Sunday, then get to the rest of Eat Pray Love and maybe some Tudors. Watching my snacks all the while!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-29.

Monday 3-28, Busiest Day!

So yesterday was so busy, I didn’t even have time to blog. Between preschool, lunch with daddy and our houseguests, shopping, entertaining our guests and frozen feasts, I didn’t really get to sit down until 9:30 last night! But here’s my update:

Sunday night our friends from Tahoe came to spend the night, and we ended up playing games and hanging out with another couple until about 11:00pm. Late night follow up to late night! The next morning I got up with the kids and worked at the preschool. I had left a note for”K” and “T” letting them know where we were, and they ended up texting to arrange plans for lunch. So after preschool I drove to “J”s work and picked him up to meet “K” and “T” at In n’ Out. I had my favorite, a hamburger Protein style, only 240 calories, and so good! Then I dropped “J” back off at work and took “K” shopping while her husband ran errands. We ended up home in time for the kids nap, and watched most of Eat Pray Love, such a good movie and true to the book. Then I got a call that my good friend “S” had a family emergency and needed help with frozen feasts that night. (With the Rugrats we prepare and freeze meals at “S”s house once a month).

So “K” and “T” headed home and my friend “F” and I stepped up to the plate, arriving about an hour early to help cook the meals. I walked the 1.25 miles to her house since I hadn’t gotten much exercise and I arranged for “F” to drive me home. So we cooked and gabbed all night, made Potato Soup, Baked Ziti, Quiche, and two Gourmet Pizzas from 5:45- 9:30pm. Phew! Then “S” and her sister drove 13 hours to Washington State after that to get to their family.

Despite eating at In N Out for lunch, I still managed to stay way below my calories for the day, and got to eat homemade chocolate chip cookies and goat cheese at Frozen Feasts. Didn’t go too over board because Weigh-In is Tuesday!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-28.

Sunday 3-27, Recovering from awesomeness.

Feeling pretty good in my new jeans!

  Well, last night was way too much fun. We started out at Rumbullions (we thought that the Ace’s stadium would be too windy since it is partially outdoors) and met everyone there. I was dressed in my new skinny jeans, and felt pretty good. When we walked in, everyone commented on them, and I was on top of the world. The best part is that we all looked so good! Every single person there had been losing weight and was looking amazing. I would go so far as to say that 2 months ago we would have been unrecognizable! Plus, I think the confidence levels were through the roof! So, we decided to go dancing. Unfortunately, our friend “K” and her husband “J” couldn’t get in because on the “no hat” policy, so they set off their own way. Bummer. But we secured the table and started ordering more cocktails, then hit the dance floor. We were there from about 9:30pm-12:30pm, and I am pretty sure we danced for about 90 minutes, easy. So we all had fun joking around and dancing the night away. “E” even treated us all to a “BJ” shot (amazingly only 84 calories) and we all did it the “right” way, no hands. Too much fun!

With my fellow Biggest Losers, "S" and "F"
 (forgot to break out the camera when "K" and
"T" were still there, sorry skinny mamas!) 

So at about 12:30, everyone was pretty pickled, save for a few sober husbands, so we headed home. “S”, “E”, and “J” and I decided to hit Del Taco on the way home, “S” and I quickly calculated food on MFP, and we each ended up with a chicken taco, which we both justified by how many calories we burned on the dance floor! It may have been my saving grace the next morning.

At Aura

So we woke up a little later than usual, about 9, and showered quickly and went to Uncle Vinny’s for breakfast (highly recommend). I had a breakfast sandwich which was just what I needed. I actually felt pretty good this morning in spite of the 6 cocktails consumed, I wonder if that is a good thing or a bad thing?

Then we ran some errands, heading to Costco, Ross, Old Navy, Michael’s and Raley’s. We confirmed that we will be able to return our kayak to Costco, yay! My grandmother heard about my weight loss via a cousin on Facebook and insisted on buying me some new jeans, so I went in search of those. I was cautious and initially and only brought one size 10 and five size 12s to the dressing room. Turns out I had to go back; all of the 12s are way too big! Yay! Officially in 10s! Found a cute pair of jeans originally $88, but they were on clearance at only $12. Once a bargain shopper, always a bargain shopper! Then I found some workout pants, my old pair literally fall off of me when I do Just Dance 2, and some leggings. Success!

Now the kids are down, and I think I convinced “J” to do Just Dance 2 with me. Then our South Lake friends are coming for dinner and Mexican train. Thinking BBq beef, spinach salad and roasted potatoes. Should be another fun night, but I am going to take it easy tonight for sure.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-27.

Saturday 3-26, Swimming!

Well last night was good, the Chicken Cacciatore was delish, and I enjoyed eating the regular linguini noodles. Since I had exercised, I even allowed myself dessert, a couple of mini-beligian chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s and a Chai Latte with Foam. Yummo!

The rest of the night was spent watching streaming Netflix, Freakonomics based on a book that I highly recommend. The movie was good, but kept cutting out (weather maybe?) so I read my dime store novel in between and finished that up. It was a good read, getting hooked on Sandra Brown!

By bedtime we were beat, plus I knew we had to be up early for a birthday party in the morning, I slept like a rock. At 8:00 we got up and ready for “P”s friend “L”s birthday party, which featured an indoor pool! So I tried on my suits and discovered that the one I had bought for my high school reunion (when I was at my skinniest) fits perfectly. Of course I showed it to “J” and he thought it was too low-cut. I thought, “Oh, well! It fits great and is flattering, I am wearing it!” So I did, and it was really fun. "V" is really getting a lot more comfortable in the water, and "P" has been for a while.  My fellow Biggest Loser friend “T” complimented me in my suit and it felt good. BTW, biggest loser friend “T” looked amazing, other moms were telling me how great she looked and were wondering how much weight she had lost, she looks like a new woman!

So everyone is down for a nap, and I am blogging, then hitting Just Dance 2. Just found out that Katy Perry’s Firework is a free download on there too! Yay, new song! Then we are having pizza for dinner, Winco for the kids and “J” and Tortilla Pizza for me. Then we are going to the Rugrat’s Couple’s Night Out at Duffy’s Ale House at the Ace’s Stadium. Planning to meet up with lots of friends there, and secured a babysitter so I am exercising so I can drink tonight! Can’t wait for tonight!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-26.

Friday 2/25, Snow Day!

Last night’s dinner was a good spread. I ended up eating 1 fish taco and a corn tortilla and mozzarella microwaved quesadilla. Then, although he had plans, “J” stayed home because of the crappy weather and we watched some T.V.



Yummy smelling Chicken Cacciatore!



Today I woke up to find that there was a 2 hour school delay, meaning that preschool was cancelled. So I stayed in bed late, which with young kids is until about 8:30am. As “J” was leaving the house, I told him to leave the shoveling to me, and go straight to the gym before work. So after a warm bowl of oatmeal, I geared up and shoveled the driveway. It took me 25 minutes, but really got me sweating. I came in and showered, then put some chicken, spaghetti sauce and veggies in the Crockpot for Chicken Cacciatore tonight. I will serve it with linguini and steamed broccoli. Just the thought is making me hungry! Then I made myself a new popcorn snack, sprinkled with Splenda and cinnamon. Yum!

Lunch was a quesadilla and banana for the kids, and a breakfast sandwich for me. Then I did a little bit of Just Dance and went back to my “junk-food” novel. Now I am smelling the Cacciatore and eagerly awaiting “J”s return. Looks like another quiet evening at home tonight, wish we had the next Tudors’ disk!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-25.

Thurday 3-24, Numb

Last night’s Fish Tacos were great; a huge hit with everyone, even the kids! After dinner, I ran out to run some errands and the kids and “J” watched Toy Story 2. I got home in time for bedtime then we were going to watch Glee, but found out that it was a rerun. So Tudors it was. Totally sucked into that one!

Today started out early, got up and out at 8am, dropped the kids off at “S”s house and went to the dentist to get my other fillings. Everything went really well, I love my dentist Dr. Sala. Only problem was I had to be given extra numbness in the middle of the appointment, so I am still half numb and feeling like a stroke patient. After my appointment I picked up the kids and headed to the Dinos and Dragons Exhibit at the May museum which was really cool. The kids all loved it, although “V” clung to me for a good while because he was scared of the Dinosaurs. It was over at 11:30, and “F” and I weren’t quite ready to go home, so we took our sack lunches to McDonald’s to let the kids play. Unfortunately I was still really numb, so I just ordered a Non-fat Sugar-free Vanilla latte (only 80 calories) to try to get some caffeine into my system to flush out the numbness. We were there for a couple of hours, and then each headed our separate ways.

Now I am home, and finally have enough feeling to eat my avocado sandwich without biting my tongue. “V” is snoozing and “P” is watching Aladdin again. So I am blogging, eating, and getting ready to boogie on Just Dance 2. It is dumping outside and I am half hoping that school is cancelled tomorrow. It would be nice to have a lazy day. Dinner plans tonight are leftover Quinoa Primavera and Fish Tacos. “J” is heading out (weather permitting) to get a drink with a friend tonight, so I am looking forward to a quiet night alone. Everyone stay warm, this one is supposed to be a big one!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-24.  

Wednesday 3-23, Dancing the afternoon away!

So last night was good, a little too good. Bowling was fun, but I didn’t bowl. “F” and I cheered everyone on because my neck was killing me. Must’ve slept on it wrong or something. I did however; spend a lot of time at the bar. Ended up having 5 Skinny B*tches and laughing so hard my stomach is sore today!  This MNO was long overdue. So we ended up out until 11:00, then my designated driver “S” drove me home.

I woke up with my neck hurting even more! Two ibuprofen certainly helped. I drove “P” to preschool and “V” and I ran errands. Goodwill, Winco, and Ross rounded us out, and I ended up with two pair of cute skinny jeans, they are high enough on my waist that I won’t be showing my crack all day, but still a flattering style. And at $13.99 a total steal. Plus the skinny part means I can wear them with my cute boots!

Then we picked up “P” and ate sack lunches in the car on the way to St. Vincent’s Thrift Store. Here I found that they were having their 10 books for $1 sale, so I stocked up on books to read and leave in Ireland. Score! Plus, “P” found the elusive Aladdin VHS, so she was super happy! Then we went to ballet and found that the girls are really making progress both with their tapping and their “bluebird” dance. I can’t wait for the recital in June.

Now we are home, and I had a small snack of Bagel Thins and Laughing Cow Garlic spread, only 145 calories total. “V” is sleeping and “P” is upstairs watching her new movie, so I did a quick 50 minutes doing Just Dance non-stop shuffle. It’s definitely my favorite workout, save maybe walking with the girls. Just because it is so much easier to walk when you get to socialize, I barely realize I am getting exercise!

Tonight I am planning on  Fish Tacos with homemade guacamole, making me hungry already! Then once the kids are down, we will probably watch last night’s Glee and maybe an episode of the Tudors. Looking forward to laying low tonight after way too much fun last night!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-23.

Tuesday 3-22, Weigh-In Day!

I know it's not my best pic, but I am
noticing a big difference in my
clothes, I love wearing this top now!

Well, another weigh-in day, and I have to tell you, this one made me nervous. Prior to this week I had been cautiously counting my calories, making sure to stay between 1200 and 1500 calories. However, I neglected my “exercise calories.” Then I read this post, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/174065-starvation-mode-is-real-and-ugly and started to worry. The last thing that I want is to screw up my body when I am trying to get healthy. So I upped my calories to ensure that I get over 1200 net calories. And the verdict is: Success! Lost another 1.8 lbs and feeling great! That brings my total weight loss to 14.1 lbs.  Now I am feeling much more confident about doing this the right way, for long-term results, Yippee!

So I started the day off early, as I always do on Weigh-In day. Up at 7:30 and on the Wii board, then breakfast. “V” had his 3 year doctor’s appointment this morning, so we got up and went to that at 10:15. Good news is that he is a genius (well, I think so) and that he is steadily gaining weight! My proud moment was that everyone complemented his behavior and demeanor, it helped that he was right after a “hellcat” patient.  

Then we met up with my weight-loss mommy friends for lunch at the mall, then to do some laps. I was planning to go to Tacos del Mar, and had even placed my order, until I heard that they didn’t have Whole Wheat tortillas. Then I cancelled my order and left. That may seem a little extreme, but it wasn’t worth 50 extra calories to go flour! I stand by my decision to go to McDonald's, where I knew I could get something for less than 300 calories. The 2 ½ mile walk was great, and I even ran into a friend from high school who said she had been watching my progress on FB and was inspired by me and my friend Lady M to join MFP! Yay! Glad I can help out!

Now we are home, and “V” is crabby and sore from his shot, what a trooper. So both kids are down, and I am debating what to have for dinner. We ended up having steak breakfast burritos last night; I will probably make Quinoa Primavera for dinner tonight. Then I am off to MNO Bowling at GSR, I have already planned my cocktails into today’s calories!

On a side note:

Congrats to all of my Biggest Loser buddies, we are getting so close to the end! We are all making so much progress, it is so encouraging! Loving that we are all doing this together, and that no matter who wins the free lunch, we are all going to be winners. But I am still planning to kick all of your skinny hinnies. You are going down.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-22.

Monday 3-21, Guests are gone, now time to clean!

Well, my company is gone, and I sacrificed very little in the way of my diet this weekend. I count that as a success. Last night we headed to Claim Jumper and again, although I did my homework and knew what I was going to order, the menu was different when I got there! Luckily, I discreetly checked MFP under the table, and made a choice that way. Ended up with The Chicken Citrus Salad, but the nutritional menu was confusing, I couldn’t be sure if that included dressing or not. I played it safe and just didn’t go overboard on anything. I even tried a few calamaris that the in-laws ordered. It wasn’t the best I have ever had, but pretty good.

It was at Claim Jumper that I had another NSV. Ran into my ex who works there as a server. It has been several years since I have seen him, and I am proud to say he didn’t recognize me at first. I am not sure if this means I am so skinny he didn’t recognize me, or my hair is much longer, but either way, I felt good and I knew I looked good, and I was ever so grateful that I ran into him well into my weight loss journey. Cuz 5 weeks ago, it was not the prettiest picture. Either way, he was the one who broke my heart a lifetime ago, and it felt good to look good and to be in a good place. Uncharacteristically, he was modest, which leads me to believe that things have not turned out like he had thought. Not that I wish him ill will, but I am happy to be where I am at and not where he is at.

Then we had a relaxing evening watching Amazing Race, and got to bed around 11:30. This morning, my in-laws took off before I was even out of bed, but thankfully stayed long enough to say goodbye to the kids this time. I got up around 7:30am and I got the kids ready for school and the drive was way slippery. I had to stay in 4 wheel drive up until the freeway. A little treacherous. School went well, and then we headed back home. Thankfully our skating rink had transformed back into a street. I got the kids fed and started in on the guest room, collecting laundry and picking up. I got inspired and ended up vacuuming the whole upstairs and then taking vinegar to every mirror in the house. Vigorously. I ended up working up a sweat, so I logged it as exercise. This is certainly not something I do daily. So I have two loads of laundry in, and just put the kids down. So I am thinking about dancing a little, then planning for dinner. I am probably going to do leftover steak with Quinoa Primavera. We’ll see.

On a side note, I would like to welcome my dear friend “F” to MFP; I have been watching your progress in amazement, and am so happy that you are seeing such quick results. You may be the Biggest Loser yet!!! So happy for you skinny mama!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-21.

Sunday 3-20, Snowed in

Well, we ended up having a nice dinner at home. All of the food turned out very good, “J”s steaks were amazing, and probably about 12oz each. Of course I ate just one meat portion, about 1/3 of my steak. The pesto fingerling potatoes were really good, maybe my new favorite side dish. And for dessert, this time I blended ¼ of the strawberries and poured it on top, it really moistened it up, yum! Then later, after the kids had gone to bed, all of the adults indulged in some Sekt, a German Champagne, and I finally got to use the crystal flutes I have been collecting. They were pretty, and held the 100ml serving size perfectly. It was very good, and well worth the 79 calories.

This morning we got off to a late start, but since we are just hanging around the house, I guess it doesn’t matter. Had some yogurt toast for breakfast, and while everyone else polished off leftover pizza for lunch, I made tuna sandwiches for “J”s mom and I. Pretty good. The weather is crazy snowy, but I am hoping that we may be able to venture out for dinner tonight. I am getting a little stir crazy with houseguests and two kids. We’ll see.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-20.

Saturday 3-19 Around the world!

My in-laws rolled in at about 3:30 yesterday, and despite “J”s greatest efforts to get home early, he didn’t get home until 6:00pm, a half an hour late. So hungry and trying to stay close to home during the crappy weather, we ate at our local Bully’s. I tried to prep my menu before we got there, but then once we got there, I realized the on-line menu was incomplete. There was my favorite from years ago, The Piazza Chicken sandwich. So I asked “J” if he minded me entering my food at the dinner table, and chose that instead. So tasty, and not too bad calorie-wise. In fact, I splurged on a couple of SBs too! Much to my dismay, our evening was then filled with March Madness. Then we hit the hay around 10pm.

This morning started early with Vaughn climbing into bed at about 7am. Again I was disappointed to see that snow was actively falling, and there was no chance of a morning walk. Bummer. So “J” and his dad headed to Raley’s to pick-up coffees, donuts, and some wine barrels. I know, they are all totally random things, but all very necessary. While they were out and my MIL was busy with the kids, I jumped on the Wii, and did a 34 minutes fitness routine. When I found that I had only burned 134 calories, I did the expert bike ride for another twenty minutes. Total 200 calories burned. So I joined everyone at breakfast and ate Puffins while everyone ate donuts, and treated myself to a post-workout chocolate milk. Yum!

Then we headed to the mall for a Kidgets Event, “Around the World” crafts, favors and Polynesian dancers, fun! We met up with lots of friends there as well. So it got late and we hit up the Food Court, I went to McDonald’s for their Honey Mustard Snack Wrap and side salad, a total of 310 cals. Not bad, and tasty. Wish more of those food court vendors would make their nutrition facts available, I would have more options!

  

On our way home from the mall we hit up Raley’s for some steaks for dinner. Unfortunately, weather prevents us from heading to Tahoe to see my sister “C”s play, so we had to make alternate dinner plans. So we will have Steaks, Fingerling Pesto Potato Salad, steamed broccoli with Pugliese bread, with Angel Food Cake and Strawberries with Whipped Cream, sounds good to me!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-19.

Friday, 3-18, There's a storm a brewing!

So last night turned out pretty good. We went to our traditional Mexican dinner for St. Patrick’s Day at Hacienda last night (don’t ask me why, we just have been doing it since “P” was born). It was really good. My NSV for the day was that I passed on all chips and salsa (which is big for me) and only ate my entrée which was grilled red snapper tacos. Delish! As we were at the table, I was weighing my options, and when it came down to it, I would much rather have black beans and rice than chips and salsa. It was great.

Today was a busy day. We dropped off “P” at preschool then “V” and I went shopping for groceries, my in-laws are en route to our house from Vegas. So we wrapped that up and headed home. After we had unloaded the groceries, (“V” is a very good helper) we did Just Dance for 40 minutes. After that I hit the shower and “V” watched Sesame Street. Then we picked up “P” and headed to the South of town for a Rugrats event. We were an hour early, so we wasted some time at Wal-Mart before hand, and I found a really cute necklace and bracelet. I was glad I had some birthday money on me! Then we headed to U-Swirl where we had a pretty good turnout. I was still being cautious of calories, so I ended up weighing my frozen yogurt before putting on toppings, so I could make sure to track it right. It was a great treat!

Now we are home, and awaiting the arrival of “J”s parents.We always joke that they bring bad weather with them, and it looks like this trip is no exception, there’s a storm a brewing! I just got a call that they are in Fallon, so the fun is about to begin.  Here’s to hoping that I can calorically behave this weekend, we will probably eat out quite a bit!  

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/otm25?date=2011-03-18.