PLATEAU CRISIS! Lingering on the scale...

Guys, you know I am the scale addict of the year. So I get on the scale every single day and the past month I am sitting at 181-183. Early mornings its at 179 but thats rare. I am doing everything right. I am working out diligently, I am eating right, I am getting a substantial work out in every opportunity I can get and Lord knows I am drinking ample amounts of water so whats with the dormant phase of 181-183 on the scale? I am so over it! What can I do to get the scale to continue to go down? I am doing everything right. What the hell is going on? What do you guys suggest, any advice would do me good right now because 20% of me feels like giving up while the other 80% knows that this is only a small bump and I will get over it. Can someone tell me what you did to get over the plateau?
**edit**
as you guys can see, I have lost atleast a pound every week for the past 3 weeks but I want to lose more like 3-4 lbs a week, any suggestions?

Its just me complaining ....

I've been having severe migraines
They get so bad that I need to stay in a dark room
secluded from the rest of the world
because of the stupid migraines!
I didn't work out this week at all
Well, I worked out once this week
but
It doesnt count because I didnt give it my all.
I've been eating right
I am very disciplined when it comes to my diet.
My husband encouraged me to stop counting calories
He also encouraged me to stop getting on the scale so much.
He said my food obsession was getting creepy LOL!

He said food was starting to take over my life.
Hey, how else am I supposed to have a lifestyle change
If I can't talk about it and live it every second of the day?

I still am eating small meals but um...
I might start counting calories again because
I don't want to consume too many or too little
The fear of gaining weight is so real, It scares me!
My 8 month old baby learned 2 new words.
Her first word was Da-Da
Her 2nd new word was SHUT UP and
She tells me to SHUT UP allll dayyy long!
Its gotten annoying, I cant wait to teach her not to use the word.
Right now, its useless to try and tell her not to say it, she just giggles
OK, I am done complaining. I am down 1 lb (as I stated earlier)
YAY ME!!!!
My next weeks goal is to be 175, wish me luck

Last week 182
This week 181

Lastnights Feast!!

1 chicken breast........................... 110 calories
2 cups spinach w/ garlic and onions.....60 calories
1 cup of GOYA yellow spanish rice......140 calories

As you can see, I placed the fork across the plate so you could see just how small my plate truly is. I saw the camera sitting on the bar in my kitchen, so i hurriedly and took the pic, sorry I didn't fancy up the plate for presentation purposes but you get the point, right. This whole meal (tasty too) was only 310 calories, and I even had a 60 calorie sugar free cup of chocolate pudding for dessert. YUM!
I haven't been working out as diligently as I used to. I still go to the gym frequently but when I get in there, my energy and drive isn't all there. I think I need a pick me up, or maybe a drastic change on the scale to whip me into shape. I was telling you guys that the scale was at 179 for about a week constantly - well - now its back to being 183 and I am soooo jacked up and mad about that. All of this work, and I can't even crack the 170's for good! I keep tipping the scale in the 170's and then I am right back into the 180's again *sighs and shrugs shoulders*

I won't give up, though. I will keep on keeping on and get this weight off! I know if anyone can commit to something and stick to it, it is ME!

My goal this week is to totally eliminate sugar for the week and only eat foods that naturally have sugar in them such as fruits and whatever else naturally with sugar in it (cant think of anything else). Well, that is all for now. Stay tuned

Update

July 2008

Well, Sorry I haven't posted as much. It hasn't necessarily been a busy week, more like a semi-lazy one due to being sick. I went to the gym 4 times this week because I had a chest cold. I would have liked to have gone more but my chest was hurting sooo bad, and I also didn't want to spread my nasty chest cold in the gym so I stayed home and ate extra light. As I told you guys, I am finally in the 170's but thats only in the mornings. When I first wake up, I weigh 179.8 but throughout the day, I weigh 181-184....depends on what I ate I guess. I told you guys I am a scale addict and that is putting it nicely LOL. I have since cut back on getting on the scale as much as I used to. I was up to getting on the scale at least 12x a day but I am now down to about 4-5x daily ha ha... I am slowly recovering from my scale addiction and trust me, it isn't easy.
I have some new neighbors who always talk about that program called the P90X . Its supposed to make you lose mega weight in 90 days and promise results that are groundbreaking. They swear by it, and she lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks on it. I thought I would research it and see if it was for me, but its too much work and you need too much equipment so I decided I will stick to the elliptical I was in bed lastnight trying to get some sleep and my husband was up watching that show called MANswers . I usually tune the show out because it is sexist to say the least but lastnight they brought up a topic that sparked my interest. They said you can get fit without lifting a finger or without going to the gym. Sounds good, huh. Well after several commercials and laying there anxiously waiting for the crazy show to get to the point, I finally found out how. They said just think about yourself being in the gym and think of that nice body and eating right and your body will manifest your thoughts - then you will become what you think of. Sounds ridiculous but its worth a try so I will think that I am ultra thin with lean thighs and no cellulite and we will see what happens.

Well I am rambling so I will leave you with this quote that I happen to love. Hey, I made it up myself so feel free to use it anytime you like:)

"Paint the picture of your life, live it, and make it a masterpiece"!

I Cheated

Guess what everybody. I am so disgusted with my choices
I gave into temptation, the fat girl inside just couldn't say no.
I feel so bad, but it was sooo good!
Actually, it taste like old grease and grade F beef, but ...

I just ate a whopper w/cheese = 670 calories
and I ate a medium sized french fry along with it = 360 calories
Thats a total of 1300 calories of which most was from fat
I'm going to work on the elliptical tonight for a whole hour
That should burn 650-700 calories easily...
Hey, we all cheat sometimes. I blame my husband!
Hes the one who got off work early and said he wants Burger King!
He sent me to the store to get it, it smelled so good that I had to have some
but unfortunately, I am regretting it to the fullest right now.
Don't worry you guys, I am not going to cheat like this forever,
This was just a small episode, and I am too determined to win.
This morning I got on the scale and it said 179 so I have to stay in the 170's
because I've never been in the 170's

Well that is all for now

Before and After

CLICK PIC FOR LARGENESS:)

The pic on the left is from 7/2008 :::::200 lbs
The pic on the right is from 2/2009:::183 lbs

Hungry, the Weight Watchers Guy - I want one!!!

Have you guys seen that commercial with the little orange guy named Hungry by Weight Watchers. Its with their momentum program. I just LOVEEE that guy! I want one so bad... they really need to get those out on the shelves. I'd buy one for SURE! It has to be the best commercial and song on TV right now.....why else would I actually google it to hear it and then do a screen shot just to post his lovable pic? I am going to the craft store and buy the parts I need to make one of these little guys. Once I am finished, I will post him on this page. I want to make several of them. I am going to keep the little guys in the following places in my home:

• refrigerator
• pantry
• cabinets
• passenger seat of my car
• on my keyring
• where I keep my plates
• the Freezer
• put him in the cart when I grocery shop

I should lose weight if I make this little annimated lovable guy a part of my life. He is a constant reminder that I need to stop eating unnecessary things that make me gain weight, but instead...eat sensibly. Well, thats all I have for now on Mr. Hungry. Gosh I love that guy!

VIDEO! I'm getting in these jeans

Valentines day Blues!

Well, it is that time of the year when our significant others buys us Godiva Chocolates
and all types of yummy treats to show their love and affection. Unfortunately, I am unable to indulge this year, my waist line and blood pressure is more important that a temporary high on chocolate. I used my husbands car tonight to go and cheat and buy some tempting snacks but when I got to the store, I felt guilty and I immediately thought "I am going to regret this in the morning so why even put myself through this". I bought some pistachos and peanuts with whole grain chips instead. YAY for me... I didn't even engorge myself in the snacks when I got home. I ate a few of each item and then put it away. I am so proud of myself for the amount of self control and restraint I have been practicing since starting this diet. Its amazing what the human mind is capable of once you commit to it. Anywho.. back to my husbands car. I swear I smelled some chocolate in his car. I looked in the back seat and saw a bag on the floor (I think). I didn't peek so maybe I was just hallucinating and hoping for some chocolate on the 14th. What was it? Was it for me? Gosh the thin girl inside me sure hope it isn't valentines day chocolates... maybe it was something related to work because I didn't look too hard but it sure did smell and look pretty nice. I will keep you guys posted on that.

It is unfortunate that when I started my journey, my Body Mass Index (BMI) was considered to be OBESE at a 30.9 reading for my weight of 197. Calculate your Body Mass Index here. I am now at a managable OVERWEIGHT index.

My number is now 29.0 for my weight of 185.

I was 183 at my last weigh in but somehow the scale crept up 2 lbs? (shrugging shoulders). I will not worry about it because I know its water weight due to Ant Flow being in town.... when she leaves, its going to be so fun to get on the scale and see the wonderful treat she leaves me in the form of digital numbers!!!
Well, I am blue because I can't eat chocolate but I can eat those sugar free chocolate pudding cups which are only 60 calories and so kind to my waist line. OK thats all for now, this blog was sooo random but I just wanted to get a few things off my chest in regards to the valentines day blues for not being able to eat chocolates.

EMERGENCY! I fell at the gym:(

I usually go to the gym at 7pm when all of the healthy military personnel are at home but today my hubby got off work early so I decided to go to the gym a little earlier so I could spend more time with my family and BOY was that a BAD IDEA! OMG I didn't know it was sooo many skinny, healthy, vibrant girls on this base! I felt like one of the contestants on the biggest loser in the cardio room. I stuck out like a sore thumb. They were all fit and small while I was huffing and puffing as I worked out on the elliptical. I went to wipe sweat off my forehead and when I put the towel back on the handle, it fell and got stuck in the pedal and I tripped and fell on one knee but I caught myself. The skinny girls started laughing but I just got back up and kept going. One of the guys came over and asked if I was alright and then all of these people started coming out of nowhere to see what was the commotion all about. I was just 10 minutes into my work out but since I had garnered so much attention, I decided to leave. I went home and I didn't even bother telling my husband about my great fall. Shoo... he reads my blog, he will find out about it when you guys find out. I just didn't want to talk about it. Anyway, I ate a healthy dinner tonight and tried to push it out of my mind.

baked chicken
edemame soybeans (i eat them everyday)
mixed vegetables
2 fork fulls of pasta

I almost don't even want to go to that particular gym again. I will just go to the gym on the other military base instead of the base I live on because I don't think I can face those people again. It was so humiliating.... why me? WHY!!!!!!!

The Scale addict!!

This is how my scale looks, its a healthometer and it tells me how much I am up and down, and it keeps track of my weight. Pretty nifty, huh. Guess what - I have a confession. I am addicted to weighing myself. I weigh myself atleast 5-10 times a day. Its starting to become an obsession!! At first, I had it under control. I was weighing myself once a week and everything was all good. Then, I went and got a scale for the downstairs bathroom so that I could have a scale on both levels of the house without walking too far to get to it. I weigh myself after I use the bathroom in the morning because I don't want my morning tinkle to add a few oz's to the scale - thats crazy huh?
I weigh myself after breakfast
I weigh myself before I leave the house
I weigh myself when I get home
I weigh myself before the gym
I weigh myself after the gym
I weigh myself at the spur of the moment
I weigh myself right before bed
I weigh myself during the nightly trips to the bathroom
I weigh myself EVERY trip to the bathroom

Well, my husband said hes going to take the scales to work and give them back to me on friday. Theres a scale at the gym, but I doubt I will weigh myself on it because its in the locker room and I don't want the other girls to see me get on it and watch me move the manual thingy-ma-jig to 150+lbs
I hope he follows through and takes it to work. I really need to back away and stop weighing myself. My weight fluctuates between 3-5 lbs lost and gained throughout the day. In the morning is my favorite time to weigh in. It usually has me at 182-185 which is great...well thats all for now...there, I admitted it. I have an addiction. Its not that bad, or is it? Well, I will talk to you later:)

What I usually eat during my diet

First of all, I usually eat every 3 hours. This is how a typical day goes for me from 7am until 7pm. I get my cardio and gym work out from 530-630pm and then I go home and eat dinner. Here is my day at a glance. This is the diet that has been working wonders for me:)

BREAKFAST 7am
2 boiled eggs
1 piece of toast
1/2 ruby red grapefruit
16.9 oz bottle of water w/powdered fiber

MORNING SNACK 10am
1 granola bar
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp peanut butter (spread on granola bar)
16.9 oz bottle of water w/powdered fiber

LUNCH 1pm
2 tbsp Peanut Butter
on cracked wheat bread (1 slice)
1 Banana
1 Chocolate Jello pudding cup (sugar free)
16.9 oz bottle of water w/powdered fiber

MIDDAY SNACK 330pm
Kashi 7 grain crackers (5 of them)
35 calorie lowfat laughing cow cheese
1 slice of turkey
1 cup Steamed corn
16.9 oz bottle of water w/powdered fiber

DINNER 7pm
1 skinless chicken breast (bone in)
1 cup of green beans
1 cup edemame soybeans
16.9 oz bottle of water w/powdered fiber

So, thats what I eat. Tell me if you decide to try this diet and if you think I should twerk it or change anything/add anything. I need all the advice I can get. Thanks

A Diet Divas Delight!!!

Yummmm, a sugar free chocolate delight! Jello sugar-free pudding is my new obsession! You can't even tell the difference. The texture is smooth, thick, velvety, very chocolaty, and it has only 60 calories, 1 gram of fat, and it has this stuff called sugar alcohol in it to make it sweet! You can't gain weight eating sugar alcohol!!
Whats sugar alcohol, you ask?
Sugar alcohols are like sugar in some ways, but they are not completely absorbed by the body which is awesome for our weight loss goals. Because of this, the blood sugar impact of sugar alcohols is less and they provide fewer calories per gram. Additionally, sugar alcohols don't promote tooth decay as sugars do, so are often used to sweeten chewing gum and of course, pudding. These sugar alcohols actually inhibits bacterial growth in the mouth and it doesn't convert to fat if you don't use it for energy, isn't that the best thing you've heard all day?!
Go out and buy you some sugar freejell-o pudding cups, my friends! My chocolate lovers, get the chocolate flavor! They are only .99 cents for 4 cups and it calms the chocolate cravings and keeps your weight loss journey on a smooth, bump free ride
YUMMMMMMMMM! I LOVE JELL-O!

Benefits of the Sauna (Shower)

I finally swallowed what little bit of fear I had of my physique and went into the sauna lastnight. I wore a bathing suit which covered my entire tummy area and it came with some booty shorts. You could still see my cellulite, rolls of fat, dimples in my thighs, and my arms resembled tree branches but I didn't mind. What was more important to me was getting in that sauna to sweat out the toxins which we accumulate through out our lives. It was a bunch of giggly, skinny, long blonde haired chics in there talking about skinny girl stuff. I almost got up and left but I knew I had to stay in there to sweat because a session in the sauna (20 mins) burns a total of 400 calories. I was so happy to see another heavier girl walk into the sauna. She looked sort of insecure when she saw the skinnys hurdled up and talking about nail polish and stuff - then she saw me in the corner and she looked so over joyed! She came and sat beside me, and we just exchanged diet secrets. I think I have a new gym/sauna friend YAY! She said shes going to meet me in the sauna every 2 days at 6pm...

Don't have access to a sauna? Well you can recreate this at home and burn almost the same amount of calories if you know how to adjust the heat on your hot water furnace. Just turn it up about 5 degrees. If you don't know how to adjust it, skip that part. Just turn on the shower to the hottest setting, put a towel under the door to avoid a draft, and sit on the toilet (naked) for 30-45 minutes. You should be able to burn about 250 calories! Hey, thats not too shabby for just sitting around, and you're doing something healthy for your skin at the same time.

The skin is also an organ so treat it right. We need to release the metals, toxins, and impurities from the skin by sweating it. Saunas has been around for thousands of years and they still prove to be a great way to take care of your skin. Here are some tips I took from this site

• Improved blood circulation: The sauna increases and improves the rate of blood circulation and breathing.
• Weight loss: Sauna is similar to mild exercise, it burns about 300 calories per average session. Regular sauna treatments combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise will help you lose weight and stay fit and healthy.
• Skin cleansing: A profuse sauna-induced sweat followed by a shower cleanses your skin far more thoroughly than just taking a shower. It makes it soft and healthy with immediately noticeable effects.
• Body relaxation: Stress build-up creates tension in the body manifesting in various aches and pains. The heat and humidity of the sauna diffuses the pain and relaxes tired muscles. A sauna in the evening will leave tense muscles and sore limbs totally relaxed. Sauna also temporarily relieves arthritic pain.
• Mind relaxation: The sauna is essentially a place to relax. Regular sauna adepts all agree that it effectively helps relieve physical and mental fatigue and stress.

When I was bigger

I am sorry I don't have too many body shots of when I was 215 lbs. I was ashamed of my body so therefore, I don't have any full shots and whenever I saw a camera I held in my tummy but on this one above, I didn't hold it in because I am not an alcohol drinker and my friends talked me into having a margarita since I was moving to Japan from America.... "come on Michelle, one wont hurt" - yes I gave into peer pressure and compromised my beliefs. I was tipsy and I was caught slipping/not holding in the tum-gut. Those pants were a size 16/18 and the shirt was a 2x. I am currently in a size 13 pants and my shirts are an XL or large.









And thats all I have, honestly - that is all I have even though I owned at the time 3 digital cameras and a whole drawer full of disposable cameras that my husbands church sent us. There you have it - the perfect example of a persons life non existent on film due to a weight problem. There, I said it!

My meeting with the Fitness Coordinator

Me 1/2009 @ 188 lbs

Today I met with a fitness coordinator affiliated with the U.S. Military. My husband is in the Navy so I get a whole lot of benefits in regards to a better, healthier me. One of those benefits happen to be the free gym as well as a fitness coordinator. So, you're asking yourself right now 'what does a fitness coordinator do'? Well, shes the one who works in the gym that gives you a detailed rundown on what you should be eating in your diet to lose weight and shes the one who shows me how to use the gym equipment efficiently to lose weight. I learned how to use a few machines and thats IT....
Let me tell ya'll something..... she didn't teach me anything that I didn't already know. The diet she laid out for me was what I am already eating. As a matter of fact, I gave her quite a few pointers. Heres a few of the ideas she took from me, she was so excited to have my tips as her own and asked if she could share them with future clients, I said sure. I told her:

• Take an Omega 3 (fish oil) with 1 meal daily
  
• Eat sugar free 70 calorie Jello Pudding cups for chocolate cravings
• Use the powdered Fibersure Fiber powder in my water (5grams of fiber per serving)
• Eat Kashi 7 grain crackers with Laughing Cow cheese for a snack
• Eat edamame beans after my work out
• Drink Lemon Water to detoxify and get the digestion system moving(more on this later)
• Wear weights on my ankles when doing house work to get maximum calories burned
• Use frozen fruit and blend it with yogurt to get my milk and fruit for the day
  

She told me that I should apply for the open position to be a fitness coordinator. I was like 'yea right' and she told me its a no experience required position. To be honest, I think she was being sarcastic and trying to belittle me but whatever - I wasn't too offended..atleast I didn't show it. For those of you who were looking for some tips from the fitness coordinator, I am sorry to tell you that I left with one tip from her. That tip is:

• Always pair up a sugar, fruit, or carb with fiber in order to keep blood sugar levels normal

And thats all I got from her..... I am meeting with the dietitian next week, so I hope its better luck with her. I did learn how to use quite a few machines, but this food thing - I am still a baby in it and I am trying to become a diet food guru! Wish me luck

Black Beans! Our answer to weight loss!

If you're SICK and TIRED of getting the same old boring weight loss advice... you know, like "Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water, jog, and blah blah blah", then...add a Fiber All Star - BLACK BEANS!!
Black beans are your answer to efficient weight loss and maintaining a healthy glow to your skin with its endless amounts of antioxidants as well as getting ample amounts of protein for the day. Black Beans also has soluble fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the stomach that forms a gel that slows down the metabolism of the bean's carbohydrates. Whats that got to do with me, you ask? Well if you slow down the metabolism strictly for the carbs in the beans, the fiber which the beans have will move the carbs right out of your body before you can snap your finger which means NO WEIGHT GAIN!!! We want to speed up our metabolism, so get that fiber in the form of black beans!! Fiber isn't absorbed in the body, so when it exits the body in the feces, it takes the bile acids with it along with lots and lots of fat. Black beans are leans, practically fat free, low on the glycemic index, and they are beneficial to replacing meat which is slower in digesting than beans.
When researchers analyzed different types of beans, they found that, the darker the bean's seed coat, the higher its level of antioxidant activity! If you want to lose weight without doing all of the walking, running, gym memberships, and headaches of counting calories...try eating lean beans, eggs, and lots of broccoli and califlower! I promise you will see results!

p.s if you team up your black beans with a cup of rice, the beans will keep the rice low on the glycemic index and keep your blood sugar normal which will prevent weight gain. If you ABSOLUTELY MUST have a carb, always pair it with a fiber rich food...and that is your tip for the day:)

Burning Fat 101

Chatan, Japan - SHURI CASTLE 2008

As women, we have hormonal factors working against us which prevents us from building too much muscle. Its called estrogen, and it ensures we have the right amount of muscle to accent our beautiful curves. I love that stuff!! Anyway, when you wear those stiletto heels, go for a brisk walk, run up the steps at home, or even work out, we get something called micro-tears in our muscles in all parts of our bodies. Even swinging your arms gives you micro-tears... Micro tears can be detrimental to losing weight efficiently! After taking that brisk walk in those stiletto heels from the department store to the car, the muscles start to recover when you sit down and take a rest . If you do not have enough protein in your system from your daily diet, the muscles will recover by filling in those micro tears by using its own mass. That can prevent you from building more muscle, and if you are not building more muscle then you are not burning more FAT!!!
Start snacking on peanuts, walnuts, edamame beans, even beef jerky in between meals! You can not afford to lose muscle mass (you wont build too much so don't worry) even if you don't weight train, cardio training is still a priority to get that protein. I can not stress how important it really truly is!!!

A lot of us choose to walk to lose weight which is fine. It gets you cardio, its a full body work out, fat burner, and it is amazing for your circulatory system. When you get home, please recover by eating a small amount of protein. 10 grams is usually the perfect amount. We usually say after an intensive workout
"I am sooo sore"
Well, you are sore because your muscles are asking for PROTEIN! It is the forgotten food so indulge, the only benefits in indulging in protein is fat loss and muscle gain!

Your metabolism is a FURNACE!!!

• Kashi 7 grain garlic and wheat crackers (120 calorie)
  
• Laughing cow 50% less fat swiss cheese (35 calorie)
  
• 1 slice of ham (15 calorie)
• half of ruby red grapefruit (37 calorie)
• bottle of 16.9 oz water and fiber sure powdered fiber (25 calorie)

• TOTAL CALORIES - 232 CALORIES

Every meal I eat, I try to have 300 calories per meal. I eat 5x a day and I eat 300 calories (or less) every meal. Think of your body as a smaller furnace. If you don't give the furnace any wood every 3 hours the fire will most likely smother out and stop burning...well if you keep giving the furnace wood (or oil whichever suits your metaphoric brain better) it will continue to burn and need more wood inserted into it so that the fire can stay alive. Well, thats how our bodies work. If you keep eating, your body will not mistake you for going into a famine. The reason why we store fat and our metabolisms slow down is because the body is preparing for a famine. If you give the body food constantly thoroughout the day, the body will say
"gee I sure am glad this famine is over so now we can burn up this food and get it out of here... I got tired of storing this stuff"
Think about that....
(more on this later)

Down on the SCALE!!

I didn't want to tell you guys my weight until my weigh in day which is on the Wednesday but I am so overjoyed that I can't hold it in... Guess how much weight I lost...Its colossal - its humongous - its amazing... its one of my most proudest achievements this year! Its 3.6 lbs lost since last Thursday! I am at 185 and I haven't been at 185 since I was 16 yrs old in the 11th grade at high school...that was over a decade ago, I am 29 years old! I am so proud of my accomplishment that I had to share earlier than weigh-in day so 2 pats on the back for me. If I can do it, so can YOU:)!!!