September Update

I haven't really updated this in a while, so I figured it's about time. Last time I weighed myself I was at around 165, but I have been down to 162 at one point. I guess I'm just going to be losing at a turtle rate since it's been three months since I posted last, and I've only lost around 10 pounds since then. If I was consistent enough with THM to actually stick to it for more than a few days at a time :P, I know that I'd be further along than I am. But the good news is that I have LOST weight, even if it's not at the speed I'd like, and I have NOT gained weight!

So, I will just keep swimming and get back up after I fall (off the THM wagon). I know that eventually I will be where I want to be. It may take me two years, but I'm getting there. Slowly, but surely! It's easy to make excuses because my life is kind of stressful right now. I'm homeschooling two kids. I also have a six month old and three year old and a dog. It's not like I'm twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do. Food has always been my stress reliever, unless it's serious stress, like taking a test or making a huge life decision. Dealing with the bickering of children and getting them to do the work they're supposed to do: that's the stress that leads to eating unhealthy food.

My combat plan: always have something sweet (not sugar sweet, on plan healthy sweet) to enjoy at some point during the day. I need my chocolate! I love my soda (Zevia--a Stevia sweetened, not artificial alternative to sugar). I am thankful that I can still enjoy the foods I love, even if I need to tweak them a bit to make them healthier. I'm in this for the long haul!

Nearly Three Months in

I started this journey in April. It's been one month since I last posted, and sadly I've only dropped down to 172 pounds. I dipped down to 170, but it went back up. I guess I should be glad that the scale is going the right direction in general, I just wish it was going faster :(. I know exactly what I am doing wrong. It's frustrating because it seems like it should be so easy. But things happen. You find yourself driving home from the beach after eating only turkey and cheese for lunch, and you are starving, so that bag of kettle corn looks really enticing. And then you opt for a margarita with dinner and dinner might have been a crossover meal when you intended for it to be an E meal. But today is a new day, and yesterday's transgressions have no bearing on today. This morning I am eating an E breakfast: oatmeal, nonfat greek yogurt, sweetener, and cinnamon. I will plan the rest of my meals accordingly and not impulsively eat. I don't know if I'll get a work out in today. That's another thing I need to figure out. I don't like working out in the middle of the day. It disrupts the flow of things. I suppose that means if I want to work out, I am going to have to get up early, which I loathe. Working out at night just doesn't happen. I'm too exhausted from the day. So early morning it is. I guess that means running again. I can't very well too noisy aerobics on our creaky floors while everyone else is sleeping. I prefer running anyway.

Hopefully next time I post I will have made some serious progress.

Measurements

I meant to do this when I started my journey last month, but I couldn't find my measuring tape. Here are the numbers for my problem areas part way into THM.

Right thigh: 28"
Left thigh: 26.5"
Waist: 34"
Hips: 43"
Bust: 40.5"
Weight: 173.8 lbs.

It's funny that my hips are really only 5 inches bigger than they were at my thinnest when I got married 13 years ago. It explains why I'm nearly in the same size pants I was back then even though I'm 40 pounds heavier. The weight is definitely in my thighs and waist. I think I never wore smaller than a size 10 pants just because my hips and thighs are wide. Maybe this time that will be different!

Much Better

I have no idea what week I'm on now, but I'm down to 174 pounds which is great! I've even gotten too thin for one pair of pants I bought at Old Navy. I'm in size 14 now, but not for long. Even those are starting to get loose. I realized that the low carb wraps I was enjoying twice a day weren't really low carb enough, so I've switched to eating just eggs with cheese (and butter) or a muffin in a mug for breakfast (from the THM cookbook). For lunch if I feel like a sandwich I've been eating lettuce wraps  with cheese, turkey, mayo and mustard. Or I'll have leftovers from dinner. They have been just as satisfying. Occasionally I'll have a protein shake instead to mix it up. I have had Subway quite a bit recently just because I've been out during lunch time, but even that hasn't caused issues. Dinner has been mostly S meals, rich in meat. I've never been much of a meat eater, but to get the protein I need, I kind of have to. It's actually been good because I'm not tempted to overeat. It's easy to overeat carbs. The family is happy. I'm happy. I'm figuring this thing out.

I was going to attempt to do Jillian Michael's Body Revolution again (one of her 90 day programs), but I didn't get through the first month even. Instead, I just mix it up: a morning run one day, 30 Day Shred another day. This morning I did her Banish Fat, Boost Your Metabolism workout. I forgot how intense that was! It was good though. It's a 40 minute workout with a 5 minute warm up and cool down. My shoulders hurt though. I feel like I'm hitting a good stride. I've been really good at avoiding the bad carbs and sugars. I still can't get on the Stevia bandwagon and instead I sweeten my tea with Splenda (shh, don't tell). I also still drink diet sodas. Sorry, I like them. They are my one vice. Maybe I'll be good and give them up someday, but not today. Can't wait to see what the next month brings! Yay for summer!

Weeks 4 and 5

I am frustrated. It's been two weeks, and according to the scale this morning, I have lost no weight since last time I posted. I know it has gone down and then back up because I weighed myself in between this morning and the last time I posted and at one point I was down to 175, but it's no good when it goes back up :(. I guess I've been slacking off being disciplined in keeping the meals truly THM, and I've also been snacking in between. I need to go back to the book and keep track of my meals better. I am exercising more regularly, but exercise alone won't help me lose weight. I also need to make sure that I am not overeating. I need to listen to my body's cues and stop when I am full. Progress is happening, but it's ever so slow right now...

Week 3

Last week's weight: 179 lbs.
Today's weight: 177 lbs.
Pounds to lose: 42

This week was so much better than last! I still indulged a bit, but not like I had been. I also got the okay to start exercising again. Of course the minute I could, I caught a cold, so I have only exercised three times so far, but even that has been good. Now that I am eating in such a way that I lose weight without exercising, I don't feel bad on those days that exercise just doesn't happen, and with four kids, there are days that exercise just isn't going to happen.

This plan seems really doable, not just short term to lose weight, but long term as a lifestyle. The problem with other weight loss diets is that the food is just awful. You don't walk away feeling like what you ate is something you'd eat if you weren't trying to lose weight. I was hangry a lot. Now I'm not. And for the first time ever last night I ordered a protein style cheeseburger from In N Out. I don't eat hamburgers. That was a big deal. I usually order a grilled cheese, no onions which is just a carb fest with little protein. And while it wasn't as tasty to me as my grilled cheese, I was willing to part with it for something more satisfying. Bread doesn't satisfy. It just spikes my blood sugar and makes me hungrier. I'm not saying that I'll never eat bread again, but it was such a staple in my diet--it's no wonder losing weight was hard!

Week Two

Last week's weight: 180 pounds

Today's weight: 179 pounds

Pounds to lose: 44

I made some mistakes this week. I was gratuitously adding what I thought was sugar free creamer to my tea two or three hearty quarter cups (maybe a little less) at a time. I realized however the folly of my ways when I looked at the serving size (1 tablespoon) and that the sugar free creamer did in fact contain sugar. So, I think part of the reason I did not lose more than one pound this week was due to the extra sugar consumption :(. This morning I have tea with almond milk and Splenda. I know that THM discourages Splenda, but I don't really like the taste of Stevia at this point. Maybe that will come. 

The meals continue to be delicious. I just have to be careful with portion size. I exercised one time this week, but I question the wisdom of that. I am still recovering from child birth, and I think that set me back a bit. I really want to exercise, but I think I'll have to ease into it. 

And there were a few times that I gave into indulgence--having candy and sweets and chips I knew I shouldn't be eating. It is getting easier to resist it though, especially when I fill my tummy with protein rich foods. That is definitely what was lacking most in my diet before--protein. I filled my stomach with junk that just made me more hungry and more lethargic. This morning I had a turkey sausage patty, fried egg, and cheese wrapped in a low carb wrap. I feel full and satisfied. Before I would have had toast and been hungry twenty minutes later. 

This week I am looking forward to getting the okay from my doctor to exercise and also not going crazy with the creamer I now know is full of sugar!

One Week

Starting weight (4/1): 184 lbs.
Today's weight (4/8): 180 lbs.
Pounds left to lose: 45

It's been one week since starting THM, and I'm down 4 pounds! It wasn't the easiest week. I had low points--including yesterday when I indulged in too many cheddar potato chips, but that didn't break the camel's back. I just hopped back on the train this morning.

I've been encouraged by how I've felt after eating the meals. I understand why the S meals are called S meals--I feel very satisfied after eating. I did find myself hungrier earlier after eating an E meal, but maybe I didn't add enough protein. The kids have enjoyed the meals too. It makes it so much easier to eat a certain way when your family is on board. Like I said, the meals are not gross nor do they taste like something is missing (flavor, substance). They are filling and taste good. My son even wants to eat all my desserts. My husband appreciates that so much meat and eggs are in the meals. It's new to me to eat this way. I never cared much for meat growing up. It was easier to just call myself a vegetarian because I preferred meatless dishes over meaty ones. Even now I find it hard to indulge in really meaty meals. Maybe that's a good thing. I certainly won't be overeating. The problem with my vegetarian diet though was that I ate too many carbs and not enough protein. I was pretty active in high school and college (I took up running), but I don't have the time to run 5 miles three times a week right now (I would love to get back to that!). I can't be overly friendly with carbohydrates at this point in life with four kids and homeschooling two of them.

I don't think I will lose another four pounds this week. That is a very lofty goal and not likely to happen. I think I lost four pounds only because I cut out sugar (except for my weak moments) and drastically changed what I was putting into my body. I have to say I feel a lot better eating food that is good for me and not just filling my body with junk.

Day 1

Today's weight: 184 pounds

Goal weight: 135 pounds

Pounds to go: 49

Breakfast - S

Fried egg, cheese, and sausage patty rolled in a low-carb wrap

Lunch - E

Sprouted bread sandwich with turkey, lettuce, tomato, mustard and thin layer of mayo. 2 strawberries with cottage cheese.

Snack - FP

Strawberry Big Boy (shake)

Dinner - S

Ham, green salad with red bell peppers, cheese, and blue cheese dressing

The hardest part: not my having my usual chai latte first thing in the morning instead substituting it with a sugar free version :(.

The best part: I didn't crave the after dinner sweets like I usually do even when I was getting the kids something sweet to eat.

New Beginnings

I haven't blogged since last summer. That's because I got pregnant and had my fourth and final baby. Weight loss wasn't on my radar. Well, now my little girl is three weeks old, and I'm ready to start eating healthy again. Several friends have used the Trim Healthy Mama plan and had lots of success. There are also countless people who have used it that I don't know who have had success. What makes it different is that it's not a diet per se. It's a healthy way of viewing food and a plan for life. Sugar is bad, but that's a given. Carbs aren't bad though, neither is fat. It's about eating everything in balance. I started the plan yesterday. The first day without sugar was hard, but I felt satisfied having eaten a good dinner. It's usually after dinner that I crave the sugary sweets. I bought the books back in the fall, but I didn't start implementing them during the pregnancy because I didn't really feel like giving up my favorites (chai latte with milk and sugar, candy, desserts, etc.). Anyway, now I have no excuse. There is a section for pregnant and nursing mamas, but after some complications following my baby's birth, she's just on formula. I don't need the extra calories for her, so I'm jumping in with both feet.

This blog might be rather boring at times. I will add pictures to document my progress and blog about my victories and falls (hopefully those won't be many). I will be including what I'm eating and my weight loss. After reading about this plan and looking at all the recipes, this is completely doable which is why it doesn't scare me or make me worried about being hungry all the time. I'm not eating cardboard and plain chicken breast. It's flavorful food that leaves my stomach and brain satisfied.

What I look forward to most is finally kicking this baby weight to the curb. All of my other plans in the past have failed because I got sick of the food and lack of variety. I was also hungry or rather hangry all the time ;). You can THM any meal with this plan though. If you want to visit their website, it's www.trimhealthymama.com.

I don't have a goal date really, but if things go the way I hope they do, I'll be at my goal weight (135 pounds) by October. Let's go!