My My My!!!

As some of you know, I took a vacation and gained upwards of 10 lbs within 2 weeks. All of that hard work and dedication came to a screeching halt once I arrived in America ( I live in Japan at the moment). My sis in law, mom, and family cooked the most delightful foods and deserts that a tongue palette could ever taste! I know I ate atleast 4000 calories every single day I was home, and if you do the math... my weight gain calculates to that. I told everyone that I am on a diet but they still cooked foods and insisted I eat them, they still fed me the wonderful calories that my body craved, and they still had their homes smelling of sweet, mouth watering soul foods that I grew up on and haven't tasted since 2005. Sure, I am an adult, I can make my own decisions...and I guess I made the wrong ones......heres the break down!

3500 calories = 1 pound
I was there for 2 weeks
2 weeks = 14 pounds
I gained = 10 lbs in 2 weeks

So, If I were supposed to gain 14 lbs, I guess that means that my metabolism must have burnt off the other 4 lbs of misery I would have gained if it weren't for my metabolism working in my corner. Nevertheless, I will quit the whining and feeling sorry for myself....
On the brighter side, as soon as I got back, I lost all of the weight right away. I lost 10 lbs in about 2 weeks (give or take a few days). I then lost 1 more pound the following week after my successful 10 lb loss, and then another pound this week so give it up for me you guys! A standing ovation for losing a total of 12 lbs since I got back from america, the beautiful!
To those of you who read my blog, I love u guys and keep rooting for me... I need ALLLL of the support that i can get. Much love
Michelle

Bad News!

Hey Guys,
I went on vacation to America from Japan (my current residence is Japan) and this vacation caused me to fall off track COMPLETELY!! I have done the following:

• ate 2 large Pizza Hut Pizzas in 2 days
• ate over 3000 calories in a days time
• started smoking cigarettes again
• stopped drinking 8 bottles of water a day
• haven't worked out since I've been back
• sleeping schedule is all messed up
• late night binge eating

And thats just to name a few. I had got down to 173 on my vacation, but then I started eating good food that my mom and sister in law cooked and now I am up to a whopping 186 lbs. That is a 13 lb gain within 2-3 weeks! I am so devastated with my hard work gone down the drain only because I went on a vacation! I need all the support and motivation I can get during this trying time. I want so bad to be able to get back on track and stop smoking cigs... I haven't smoked cigs in YEARS and now I am back to smoking...gee - I am so mad. Well, thats my update and hopefully you guys can whip me back into shape and get me back on track! SMoocHeS!

Diligence and persistence

I have been beating myself up in the gym. I work out until I have burned a total of 600 calories or more. I won't leave until I have atleast 600 calories burnt off my waist line. I have gotten to the point where I am comfortable in my skin and i feel confident enough to walk around the gym without a frumpy sweater and huge pants. My transformation is breath taking, its a huge undertaking and I can't believe someone like me - a once lazy, sedentary, fried food and french fry loving woman such as myself has turned to a healthy lifestyle.



Here is a rundown of my diet today:

Breakfast - 1/2 cup scrambled eggs w/green pepper and onion

1 bananna

1 piece of toast



Snack 1/4 cup walnuts

1 smoothie w/ bananna, strawberries, and rasperries/yogurt



Lunch 1 cup butternut squash soup

1/2 grapefruit (ruby red)



Dinner baked beans

cereal bar (fiber one)

TOTAL CALORIES!!! 1445



I had lots and lots of water and I went to the gym twice today for a total of 840 calories burned in ONE DAY!! I have been busy with getting ready for a big trip from Japan to america and I am sorry I havent had the time to update my blog but once I am back home in Japan, i will update more frequently. Thank you for all the support and kindness!! I appreciate it:)

Going Good and Back on Track

So, lately I know I've been sort of the blogger you don't want to be around. Ha Ha, I was just down in the dumps from the slow weight loss but I am indeed back on track. I just lost 1.8 lbs, you guys and that is HUGE for the slump I've been in lately.

Last Week: 181.6
This Week: 179.8
DOWN!!!!! 1.8 lbs

YES!!! (jumping up and down) I am officially in the 170's and theres no turning back to the 200's, 190's or 180's anymore. I am on a healthy voyage in life and it feels so good to finally see the 170's...this is something I haven't seen since my teenage years (im 29). Um, I can't complain at all. I have been eating a lot of citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, grapefruits, and I've been putting a product called TRUE LEMON in my water. Of course you know that lemon detoxifies your body as well as put your PH balance back on track. If your body isn't bagged down with toxins, it can lose weight more efficiently. Lemons also are blood sugar stabilizers that speed the metabolism and keep weight loss moving along so get some lemons in your diet and citrus:)

Sorry I haven't been putting up pics of what I eat lately, however, I have been eating pretty much the same diet. Heres a rundown of what I ate yesterday just to give you an idea as to how my diet is going

• Breakfast: 2 egg whites w/greenpeppers and onions scrambles and toast 135 cal
• SNACK: grapefruit and hummus w/pita bread - 160 cal
• Lunch: Tuna wrapped in Lettuce with boiled egg - 140 cal
• SNACK: whole wheat crackers w/laughing cow cheese and grapes- 220 cal
• SNACK: handfull of walnuts 200 calorie
• Dinner: chicken breast, black beans with salsa, brussel sprouts - 450 cal
• I was hungry snack: homemade (non microwave) popcorn - 100 cal
• TOTAL: 1405 calories for the day!!!

I hope you guys have been doing good. I am subscribed to so many blogs that I rarely get a chance to read everyones so if you really want me to check out a certain post, put it in the comments section and I will head on over to your blog and check it out. I am sorry if I haven't been by your blogs lately but I am so busy with my 9 month old baby and being a busy wife that sometimes my downtime (browsing online) is nonexistent. Ok, I am back on track and excited for whats to come. Next week my goal is to be atleast 177 so watch out world, here I come!

How to do the Liver Flush

What is a Liver Flush you ask, well I did a video on this a while ago so check it out, but if you are unable to view the video...here is some useful information on the liver flush:

One of your liver's main tasks is to regulate the metabolism of fat, and to remove excess fat from your body in the bile. Alcohol, chemicals in the home or workplace, medicinal drugs and excess waste products resulting from a poor diet (especially from processed foods) can all damage your liver. They cause excessive fat to build up within your liver, which impairs its ability to function. This means that your liver is no longer able to handle fats properly, allowing fat to start accumulating around your waistline or being deposited under your skin as cellulite SO FLUSH IT!!!!!

In some severe cases of excessively fatty livers and/or slow sluggish livers, it may be necessary to continue on the liver cleanse for several months to see good results. I've heard upto 6 months for optimal results. However some people see results much sooner than that.
Some people also opt to add another supplement to this regime in order to increase the bodys ablility to burn off fat stores such as Omega 3 supplements and Fish oil/flaxseed oil

Fatty degeneration of the liver is not a condition that often makes the headlines. Yet it affects more than 50 per cent of people The most common symptoms of this condition are difficulty in losing weight, a potbelly or 'spare tyre', cellulite and a high blood cholesterol reading (which can be detected through a simple blood test).

It's vital to look after your liver - it's the largest organ in your body and has many important functions. Everything that you eat, breathe or absorb through your skin must be refined and detoxified by your liver.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Lemon Juice (real lemons)
2 Grapefruit Juice(real grapefruits)
2 Oranges (real oranges)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 TBSP Epsom Salt
LOTS OF WATER

wisk the first 5 ingredients together to emulsify the ingredients, then add water gradually throughout the day and sip. This will cause you to go to the bathroom so make sure you can stay in all day. When I did this on 1/25/2009 I lost 4.2 lbs at my next weigh in so it works!

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!!!!!!!