Happy New Year!

You know, I don't normally make New Year's resolutions...for one, I don't like to commit (what if I change my mind?!?); I also believe that you can make a fresh start anytime - like May 14, 2008, for example. But, since all the cool kids are doing it (i.e. diet bloggers everywhere), I decided to join in.

1. Meet with a nutritionist (I believe I can do this through my health plan) and go over my food intake, which leads to:
2. Track my food intake and keep daily calories to 800 - 1000, with emphasis on protein and fiber (unless the nutritionist recommends otherwise).
3. "Shake It Thursdays" - this means that I will drink my NutriMed 420 shakes and have my favorite 300 calorie garden veggie pita from Pita Pit for lunch, for a total intake on this day only of approx. 620 calories. Thursdays are my crazy busy days - I work from 9 to 6, then go to a meeting at 7:30, and I finally make it home for the night around 9 pm. It's just easier to not have to mess with trying to eat full meals on this day.
4. I will not eat baked goods - I have too many opportunities at work (hellooo, cakelady!) with receptions, open houses and fundraisers, and if I just mentally know that these are not an option, then there will be no opportunity for overindulgence.
5. Get back to taking a multi-vitamin every day.
6. Increase my exercise, which won't be hard at this point, seeing as I have not been doing my Wii Fit or riding my bike lately, which also leads to:
7. Choosing a tiny bit of exercise (walking) over a great parking space.
8. Read "Refuse to Regain" this month - even though I'm not at my goal weight, I don't want to go backwards at this point...which also leads to:
9. Get to my goal weight by my birthday (June 2) - oh, and finally figure out what my goal weight is...150? 130? I really don't know right now.
10. There is no #10...9 is enough!

See ya in 2009!!!

I Fought the Pie and the Pie Lost...

...can you tell that I've been checking out the oldies on iTunes? More on that in a minute, but first, PIE. Specifically pumpkin pie. Cold, yummy, leftover-from-Christmas pumpkin pie. Pie that I have not eaten since my one piece after our Christmas dinner. It was easy to not have pie on Friday morning, considering that I was still pretty full from everything I ate on Thursday. But Saturday night rolled around, and the pie started calling my name, and while I admit I contemplated having a piece for a split-second, I chose an apple instead. Victory is mine! Yes, at this point I'll claim anything! I think Linda from Fat Don't Wrinkle (so true!) said it best in this post - I'm not binging, but I am indulging. And quite frankly, I'm getting sick of it. I am actually ready to get back to my healthy eating...could it be that the six-plus months I spent eating well have actually influenced my mindset? Please let it be true! Anyway, I've been back on the stick for a couple of days now and feel much better. Coincidence? I think not!

So on to iTunes...I've downloaded some songs - mostly really old stuff from the 70's, (Boogie Fever, anybody?) but I liked a couple of Gwen Stefani songs that I heard on the radio so decided to get them. On "Holla Back Girl" I had the option to choose the "clean" or "explicit" version - well, I figured that when I heard the song on the radio, there was nothing in it that offended me, so I chose "explicit" - um...hello? Back in the day, you bought a record album. Period. There were no options - but I guess for the most part, there was no need for them. Oh, how the times have changed! Yeah, so I'm a bit embarrassed to play this song out loud...let's just say that her sh!t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S. And I'm in a pickle. Do I spend another 99 cents to get the clean version? Or live with the sh!t?

12/26/03 - 12/26/08 ~~A Milestone~~

Five years ago today I decided to make a major change in my life. It wasn't easy, not by any means. I had a lot of help, both professional and through support groups. And, 1,827 days later, here I am, celebrating five years!

I liken that journey to the one I've been on since May - I started with professional help, and, with the support of my family, friends and this wonderful online blogging community, I'm making another life change. As with the first one, I'm hoping that this fit and healthy lifestyle will stick around for good.

The most important thing for me to remember is "one day at a time." Just for today, I can do this. Not going to worry about tomorrow; not going to fret about yesterday.

One day at a time.

Merry Christmas!

This picture is amazing to me for many reasons. For one, it's the first time in years (possibly a decade, I kid you not!) that I like a Christmas picture of me. I'm not trying to hide most of my body under a throw, or behind a kid...it's just me, and while there is room for improvement, I look good. There, I said it. :)

The other reason that the picture looks so amazing is that I am holding my very own iPod Touch! Jeff totally surprised me with this gift - I have never owned any kind of iPod or MP3 player of my own (tried to use a Zen or Zune that the younger son had "outgrown," with little success). I have to say that this is fairly simple to operate, although I'm still fumbling my way around it. Since I have a plan to start doing some major exercise soon, I'm looking forward to using this to motivate and/or distract me with music. More details on the exercise plan in another post, I promise.

We are having a fun Christmas - just the four of us as usual. Hope you all are as well!

To My Fellow Bloggers Who Have Dieted Successfully With Children In Their House...

...I salute and applaud you!

I am realizing now just how easy I've had it since I started my Weight Loss Journey last May. At the time, my younger son was living at home, but between school, his work schedule, and hanging out with his friends, he wasn't here for a lot of mealtimes. And that made my diet life easy - just how easy, I'm now realizing, after a week of both sons being home for the winter break. My god, they eat constantly! I know that they are decompressing after a semester away, and for Max, after living in the dorms and eating cafeteria food, it's nice to be able to go to the kitchen and forage any time he wants, but holy carp they are like bottomless pits! And I find myself eating right along with them! I made pumpkin bread and fudge, queso and chips, (turkey) chili dogs - all gone in (it seems) an instant. And that's not even counting the deep-fried extravaganza of last week...or the homemade canapes and desserts from our work fundraiser on Thursday. It's been bad. I've been making bad choices. Last night as everyone was eating yet again, I found myself snacking on some sharp cheddar cheese and TLC crackers, and even though it was more than one serving of cheese, it was probably the healthiest thing I've eaten in a few days!

Who am I, and where has the person who has been so diligent, so aware...so SANE for the past 6 months gone?!? I have got to get some control here before major damage is done.

I did go buy a huge raw veggie tray last night, and will make a taco salad for dinner tonight, which, while isn't the most healthy salad in the world, (I make it with lean ground beef, kidney beans, lettuce (dur), tomatoes, onions, grated cheddar cheese, white corn tortilla chips and light 1000 Island dressing) I can control the amount of cheese, chips and dressing on my portion. That's a start, anyway. And water. I drastically need to increase my water intake.

Tina Fey said it best: Blerg.

With Apologies to Clint Eastwood...

I have been busy with all things Christmas and haven't been able to blog, so here's a bit of a catch-up.

The Good: Our sons are home from college and have succeeded in making me laugh so hard I've cried many times already - ahhh, good times! Plus they've emptied all the trash, helped with the dishes, and the younger one is at the grocery store right now doing a "quick shop" for me (still have the massive Christmas breakfast and dinner shop ahead). Later this afternoon I plan on making a pot of split pea soup and some jalapeno cornbread, and putting up the Christmas tree (finally!). My Christmas cards and letters were mailed yesterday, fudge was made and distributed to my co-workers for last night's holiday dinner, and most of my gifts have been bought and wrapped. Interesting tidbit - although I have had a lot to accomplish on my "to do" list, I have done it without getting worn-out. Amazing how much extra energy I have now that I'm not carrying around an extra 50 pounds! Score + 1 for weight loss!

The Bad: I WAS down 55 pounds, but I feel like I've gained a few back - my stomach looks fatter than it did a month ago. (And no, I'm not going to weigh myself - what good could it do at this point?) Possible culprits include: a bit of stress eating (possible job change/relocation?), holiday goodies at work, spoon-licking of the aforementioned fudge, cold weather = not wanting to move/exercise, ran out of the raw veggies that I was eating on a daily basis so tending to snack on crackers and popcorn...at this point, I would just like to end the year with no gain. Score -1 for the current weight gain.

The Ugly: We had our work holiday dinner last night at a restaurant famous for their Chicken Fried Bacon, served with a side of cream gravy for dippin'. Fortunately, no one ordered it. However, deep-fried pickles, deep-fried corn nuggets, and deep-fried catfish nuggets WERE ordered. I only tried the corn nuggets, which were kind of like creamed corn, battered and deep fried. Oh, and served with ranch dressing for dippin'. And yes, they were good! Jeff and I made a pact right then and there to NEVER EVER order these on our own! I passed on the fried pickles (blech) and the fried catfish (double blech)...but did order the chicken fried steak for dinner - I mean, hey, when in Rome, right? I think I had a touch of Stockholm Syndrome. Anyway. That meal is over, although I'm sure it will live on my thighs in perpetuity. Score - a bazillion for eating like a crazy person.

That's it for now. Ta! (as my Aussie friend Mark would say)

Snow Update, Or How To Impress A South Texas Girl!

Oh yeah, there was no way I was going anywhere!

Bench - more snowy, still artsy.

The Sago palm is somewhere under all that snow - hope it survives!

Slightly different view of the backyard.

Now that's a snow-covered roof!

We Interrupt This Diet Blog To Bring You...SNOW IN SOUTH TEXAS!!!

How do people drive in this stuff?!?

My artsy shot of our bench...

I call this one "Sago Palm in Snow"

Can you spot my dog in this picture?

Birdhouse - hope the birdies have flown (more) south for the winter!

I Am That Person...

I am that person - the one in front of you, possibly, at Starbucks today, quizzing the barista on calorie counts of their Christmas-y drinks. Yes, my order took a couple of minutes longer than the person who just steps up to the counter and orders their steamy hot beverage the normal way, but hey - I am trying to keep what weight I have lost off (not to mention trying to lose more) and this is what it takes.

You can tell that I rarely go to Starbucks, but Jeff wanted a new travel coffee mug for Christmas (and has promised to get rid of 90% of all the other old travel mugs cluttering up the cabinet, which makes this a gift for me as well), so there I was. The barista was really patient, and I ended up ordering a "Skinny Sugar-Free Cinnamon Dolce Latte - No Whip" which was tasty, but when I got home and looked up the nutrition info, it still had about 90 calories, which goes against my "no beverage calories" rule, but oh well. The calories were "good calories" - i.e. they came from the skim milk, otherwise known as "skinny" - I have learned so much about the Starbucks vernacular today!

I'm also the person at Chili's who tortures our waitperson, as Jeff would have you believe, by ordering the Quesadilla Explosion salad without the cheese or tortilla strips, but with the seasoning that they use on the tortilla strips sprinkled directly on the salad...oh, and dressing on the side. Although I've confused the waiter sometimes, they always get it right and I get a salad that I enjoy and can feel good about eating. It's a win-win situation (or win-win-win as Michael Scott would say).

If you would have asked me a year ago if I would take the time and draw attention to myself by quizzing waiters and ordering my meal exactly how I wanted it, I would have said "nah, not gonna bother with all of that." But I've come to realize that keeping this weight off is all up to me - and I don't want to see it creep back on because I've gotten lax on counting my calories. So, I am that person...and I make no apologies.

Sicky McSickerson

I have not felt well since last Wednesday - a lovely combo of a cold, headache and tummy troubles...everything but fever. Not fun. And it's hard to eat healthy when you feel like crap. Although the worst thing I did was eat more egg noodles than I normally would have for Saturday dinner. But still, I feel bloated and blech-y. Must.get.over.this.soon.

Pomegranate...Who Knew???

I've seen pomegranates in the stores lately and finally decided to try one, and I have to say, YUM! Tangy, juicy, slightly sweet, with an occasional hint of orange (don't ask me why) - and full of anti-oxidants! I went to this site to find out how to open it and release the seeds, which is the part that you actually eat. Weird, I know...

Anyway, if you have never had one, or it's been a long time since, try a pomegranate soon! They are only in season from September through January, so the clock is ticking...

It's All About the Portion Control...

Alternate title: When Will I Ever Learn?!?

I count calories. I plan my meals. So when I knew I would be eating dinner Saturday night at a local BBQ joint, I ate nothing all day so that I could have the BBQ and still be in good standing, calorie-wise. Sounds like a winning plan, no? Sigh. The following story is rated "R" for Really Bad Idea.

The night started out good. I was wearing my cute new smaller-sized clothes. I felt great. The weather was damp and cold, and we rushed into the restaurant to meet a bunch of friends and spend some time together celebrating a birthday.

What looked good on the menu that cold evening? Mmmmm, baked potato topped with BBQ. I haven't had a baked potato in a long time, much less BBQ! So I ordered it and let me just tell you, it was huge. Like, Texas-sized. Did it even occur to me to oh, I don't know...split it with my husband? Of course not! I dug right in, and kept digging, and digging...I swear, just the BBQ alone was more than enough, but I had to have the potato as well. It was not pretty. I actually felt more full after that meal than I did after Thanksgiving! Some small modicum of sanity finally kicked in and I didn't finish the potato, but it wasn't for lack of trying, I assure you.

I had instant regret. Well, not instant. I guess that would have been if I'd changed my order before the mother-of-all-potatoes appeared before me. But geez, what is wrong with me?!? I KNOW what a normal portion looks like. I do this on a daily basis. I also know that I can't save all of my calories for one meal - that would be too much food (unless it was a really decadent dessert...but I digress). I get really frustrated with myself that even though I have lost all this weight, I still don't get it. I mean, I know that snacking on cookies, fudge, pie, etc. all day is bad for my diet, and I can usually control myself. But to get such a huge portion and not think "oh hey, this is too much for one meal so I better divide it up and only eat a normal amount" - it just makes me wonder if I will ever get it.