Final Stats on September

So last time I blogged I was set to get on the scale the next day. When I did I'd only lost 2/10 of a pound in the past week. I was even more disappointed than I was with my first week's results. Combine that with the fact that I was the only one still blogging and you get a real lack of motivation. However, I did honor my commitment to "eat like mom for a month", and I believe my sisters did as well. We made it through with minimal cheating.

Today it's been nine days since my last trip to the scale, and I'm feeling much better this time. In the last nine days alone I've lost 5.0 pounds and that brings me up to a total 8.6 pounds lost in the month of September! I do think it's a little strange that I lost more in the last nine days than in the rest of the month, but I'm still thrilled with the results. I've lost an average 2.25 pounds per week and that's a healthy rate to lose it at.

As for what's next, I plan to relax just a little. I have a vacation coming up, and I refuse to make myself miserable. However, I've learned some lessons this month that will definitely stick.

1. When you're eating better, you don't really need a microwave.
The only thing I used a microwave for was instant oatmeal.

2. I really do like fresh fruits and vegetables.
It wasn't that I didn't like them as a kid. I just haven't been spending my money on them because I was convinced that I got more for my money with the frozen and processed foods. I got more of something all right.

3. Shop the perimeter no the isles.
While I can't afford to go organic- and I maybe I never will- I can definitely choose more natural foods by avoiding the isles. I've heard that "whole foods" easier for your body to process. I think it's probably true.

4. It's ok to treat yourself. Just pick your treats wisely.
This was probably the most important lesson I learned. I don't think I would have made it without Sugar Free Russel Stover's and No Sugar Added Dilly bars from DQ.

I'm sorry I lost steam on the blogging, but I'm glad I at least finished the month on the plan. This month has imparted on me a need for breakfast, a new take on lunch, and inspiration to cook dinner. And if I haven't said it before, thanks Mom.

Days 18-21: Busy Weekend!

I've been really busy over the weekend and finding the time to blog just didn't happen. I'm going to do my best to remember and say something about each day.

Friday:
Friday was a work free day for me, and I spent most of it hanging out with my mom. We packed a very tasty meal to take with us to the football game. Bonner Spring had Homecoming Friday night and it was a blast! We stomped Lansing! And let me tell you, anyone who was at the Lansing game last year got a taste of sweet revenge.

As far as the food goes, I made these awesome wraps. I used large leaf romaine lettuce instead of tortillas and I stuffed them with sauteed chicken, bell peppers, asparagus, shredded cheese and three cheese ranch. We also packed some cut up watermelon and cheese. Dad and Donnie hit the concession stand... We ran out of space for "man food".

Saturday:
Donnie and I finally used our tickets for Schlitterbaun on Saturday. Before we went to the park we hit IHOP for a tasty omelet. We won't talk about Donnie's meal choice *eye roll*. I love water parks, and this one even has one of it's pools heated, so it was a fun day. I even managed to avoid the Dipin' Dots!

Saturday night we went to Callypso's, a crab leg buffet, with some friends. For the most part I behaved myself and stuck to the crab legs and prime rib, but I did have a crab cake. Also, there were some garlic shrimp that didn't look breaded but definitely were. Once they were on my plate I couldn't help it.

Sunday:
Sunday felt like it was non-stop. Sunday's usually do though. I did a little shopping after Church and lunch. Then Donnie and I went to help a friend take apart her entertainment center to move and ended up not getting home until after 11.

Today:
Today I've been good so far. I'm hopeful for good results when I step on the scale tomorrow, but I did eat a crab cake so serves me right if they're not. I'm kidding of course. Today is a two job day and I'm currently in between, so I'm getting this out of the way now. I've pretty much given up on seeing any more posts from Caitlin or Morgan. It's no biggie though. I'm not sure what's for dinner yet, but it probably won't be anything spectacular. Say a little prayer for my scale. :)

Day 17: Running Late

By the time I got home last night, Aiden was asleep in my office, so I chose to put this off until this morning. Yesterday was super crazy. I went to work, got off early, went to the bank, had lunch at Chipotle with Caitlin, got home and had a couple hours before I had to leave for my babysitting job for the evening. I was really good food wise. I even ate my breakfast!

As of last night, though, I started feeling kind of like I'm the only one who really wants to do this. Caitlin and Morgan are still eating right - and I'm glad - but neither of them have posted in a week. I'll keep posting as close to daily as possible, at least through the end of September, but I think it's a lot less interesting if it's just me. Oh well. I'll post again tonight.

Day 16: Uneventful

The highlight of my day was the steak Donnie grilled for dinner. We're really taking advantage of the last bit of grilling season, and I'm loving it. For dinner tonight, I only had to prepare a salad.

As far as the rest of my day goes, the title says it all. I spent most of my day reading; and while one day I may start a blog for book reviews, this isn't it. I also attempted to teach a seven-year-old boy to knit this evening because he showed interest. He was just starting to get the concept of casting on when he got bored and gave up. He assures me he wants to try again tomorrow.

Well, I'm off to bed. Sorry I wasn't more interesting today. Tomorrow I have two jobs and Donnie will be dealing with my third, so maybe I'll have more to say tomorrow night.

Days 14 & 15: Back to the Scales

Before we get to the all important update, I suppose I should say a few words about yesterday. Pretty decent day. It was very uneventful as I had the day off from my main job. However I behaved very well anticipating my step on the scales this morning. Donnie and I had Chipotle for dinner. It's pretty much our favorite place that doesn't break the bank. I managed to turn my favorite burrito into a very tasty, starch free, bowl. I even spoiled myself and got the guacamole! It was so good I barely missed the rice and tortilla.

On to today. This morning I found out that I've lost 2.8 lbs. this week for a total of 3.4 lbs lost. I'm a whole lot happier with my results this week. In the past I've lost weight a lot faster at the beginning of a diet, but those diets never lasted this long without big slip-ups. I have a feeling that this is more of a permanent change. While I can't see my results in the mirror yet, I can definitely feel a change in my energy level. I feel healthier, and right now, I can't see giving that feeling up.

My sisters and I keep joking about what we're going to eat on October 1. So far, it looks like the menu will take all of October and undo all of September's work! But I'm pretty sure we're just joking. I may, however, have to indulge in a little pasta when the time comes... maybe I'll get the whole grain kind.

Days 12 & 13: Topeka

So yesterday got a little crazy with all that I had to do and by the time I got the seven-year-old I was exhausted. It was a great day. Amber and I had a lot of fun at Dream Dinners. Donnie and I will be eating well. I even have a few meals that work for September!

Today Donnie and I went to visit with his family in Topeka for his mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Donna! It was a lot of fun and I even took on a church potluck with success. My in-laws were wonderful and brought a few dishes with me in mind. I even got some sugar free pudding! Our niece Callie was an absolute joy, too. Oh! I also need to congratulate my brother-in-law and his wife... It seems they've sold their house!

So overall, I've had a great weekend. I've stayed on track with my food choices and I got to spend a lot of time with some of my favorite people.

Day 11: STEAK!

As you probably guessed, I had steak for dinner this evening. I absolutely love it when Donnie grills. I get a home cooked meal without having to cook! I had planned to make some asparagus to go with it, but the asparagus I bought from Walmart on Tuesday had already spoiled. I guess that'll teach me to buy discounted produce.

I slept in again today, and unfortunately skipped breakfast. I really have to get better about that. I think part of my problem is that I don't really like oatmeal. I never have. As a kid I would only eat the apples and cinnamon kind and let me tell you; the Lower Sugar version isn't as good. Plus that's the box I took to work. I have banana bread at home and I can barely stand it after a few days.

Tomorrow I'm going to a Dream Dinners session, and it should be a lot of fun. My friend, Amber, is coming with me. I hope she has a good time... tomorrow has kind have turned into a Meghen-centric day and that makes me a little uneasy. I'm usually the type to go shopping with people and not buy a thing.

Well, I'm off to bed. Buenas noches!

Days 9 & 10: Doh!

I completely spaced my blog yesterday... I don't have a good excuse or anything. I didn't even have to work. I guess it was just a lazy day, and there really wasn't anything cool to write about. I did make a really tasty quiche, though. It had hamburger, cheese, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions in it. Donnie found this great site with tons of ground beef low-carb recipes.
Click here if you're interested.

Today has gone really well. I don't have the sugar cravings nearly as bad as I did at first. I was pretty sure that my sweet tooth would be my downfall in this whole plan. Also, TODAY IS DAY 10!!! Mom said that it gets a lot easier after the first ten days. Congrats, mis hermanas! We made it! We're officially 1/3 of the way through September. If we can make it this far, I know we can finish out the month. Personally, I can't see going back to my old ways. I haven't had this much energy in a long time. I even got motivated enough to take on my laundry piles yesterday. Granted, I'm not done yet, but I've made a decent dent.

Well, I'm off to babysit for the evening. I will not eat popcorn... I will not eat popcorn...

Day 8: Progress Report!

So if you read yesterday's post you know that today was my next date with the scale. The results were slightly anticlimactic: 0.6 lbs. lost so far. I'm going in the right direction at least, but I think I'm going to have to work a little harder. Granted, I haven't broken a single rule yet. I have however eaten something whenever I felt hungry. I think I'm going to take things a step further now.

Starting now I will be cutting out soda. Even Diet. Diet soda may be calorie free, but every study I've seen shows that you lose more weight if you lose the carbonated beverages. I'm also going to try to stick to leaner meats. I think I may have had a little too much salami in the past week. Instead of going for cheese every time I feel hungry I'm going to reach for veggies first and fruits second. Fruits are great, but I struggle more with getting my vegetables in so I'm making them a priority. Here's to more success next week.

Oh! I also need to congratulate Caitlin and Morgan on making it through week one of September and Sustenance! Twenty-two days to go! We're gonna make it!

Day 7: Disappointing Dinner

So I bought these wonderful looking chicken grillers. They were bacon wrapped and supposedly stuffed with four-cheeses... I just wish I'd known that it would be mostly blue cheese. Donnie thoroughly enjoyed his meal, which is good because he grilled it. I mostly ate salad. Good thing my appetite has gotten smaller.

Tomorrow I get on the scale again and I'm really excited to find out the results of my first week's effort. Hopefully my sisters will be posting pounds lost as well. I think a little hard evidence of our success will be good for all of us.

I had another really good day overall! I ate what I was supposed to and I'm getting pretty good about eating breakfast. However, I made the mistake of falling asleep after work this afternoon, so I was really grumpy this evening... sorry, Donnie. On a random note: we watched Finding Nemo this evening with a 7-year-old who can quote the whole thing... I used to like that movie.

Day 6: First Restaurant Meal

No, not ever, just so far this month. Donnie and I went to IHOP for lunch today, and I did really well. It turns out that my favorite item on the menu follows all the rules! I had the spinach and mushroom omelet. The only thing was that I had to substitute fresh fruit for the pancakes. I think my stomach is getting used to smaller meals because I was barely able to finish the omelet and I can usually eat the pancakes too.

Donnie was really sweet today... he decided we needed to stop at Russel Stover's for some sugar free chocolate this afternoon. I'm more amazed every day at how supportive he is. However, I had to make him eat his curly fries in the other room while I ate my chopped salad. The smell of fried potatoes is still just too much for me to resist.

Another wonderful find: DQ makes sugar free Dilly Bars. I may just survive this month!

Day 5: Still going strong!

So I made it through the camp-out! I was even able to help the kids get set up with smores yet not eat any. I was a lot of fun over all. The only down side was that I got soaked in the middle of the night by a leaking tent. Luckily none of the girls in my tent got wet and I was able to take refuge on a couch.

As far as food goes today, I just wasn't very hungry. I think this was partly due to exhaustion. I stuck to the rules just fine, but I didn't really eat set meals. Donnie and I didn't even eat the same dinner. Actually, Donnie ate cereal and it was the first time since the month began that he ate anything I couldn't in front of me. He's been really sweet about this.

I've decided that my least favorite part of this process is explaining over and over again my dietary choices. I guess I'm just not as pumped about this plan as I was when I hatched it.

Day 4: Going Camping

Tonight Donnie and I are going to help with a Youth Group camp-out. It should be a lot of fun, but the traditional camping fare will pose some temptation issues... I love smores. :( So even though i bought a couple bags of chips for this event; I'll be bringing a small cooler of food for myself. I will not eat smores... I will not eat smores...

As for the rest of my day, I've been doing well. However, I noticed at the grocery store that my desire to purchase a candy bar from the evil impulse section was compounded by the fact that I couldn't eat one. I almost never buy impulse items because I know they're a waste of money. Today, for some reason, that one good decision was harder than usual.

Well, a-camping-I-will-go... in the drizzle... :(

Day 3: NOT A DIET!

I keep having to remind myself that I'm not on a diet. Every diet I ever tried failed, and I refuse to fail at this, so i have to remember that this time is different. I've battled my weight my whole life, and I can honestly say that this is the first time I've actually felt like I was going to win.

Today I ran into an old friend: quesadillas. I didn't eat any, but as I was making and dicing one for 14-month-old Joshua, it smelled awesome! However, I was very proud of myself when I finished putting the leftovers in a baggie and I hadn't taken a single bite. Nobody would have known... Joshua certainly wasn't going to narc on me, so it gave me great satisfaction that I didn't cave.

Alright, here's some more photographic evidence. This is the wonderful dinner I made for Donnie and I tonight. The shrimp and scallop scampi was awesome, and I just love fresh sauteed asparagus! Granted I would have made dishes similar to this before - though I'll admit scampi is a first for me - but I always paired things things like this with outlandish helpings of pasta. I found out tonight that I don't have to carbo-load to feel full. I'm only three days into this, but I'm learning a lot. I suppose I knew some of it before, but I sure wasn't accepting it.

I find myself feeling a little guilty tonight because my mom had to get some really terrible news before I took this step. She's been worried about my sisters and I for years, and until now we all just blew it off saying, "Yeah, yeah, we'll lose the weight someday." The time is finally now, Mom. I'm sorry we waited so long.

Day 2

Made my first mistake today... I slept in because I had the day off and by the time I got up (12:45pm) I had no interest in breakfast. This is slightly ironic because I teased Morgan about the same mistake yesterday. However, I didn't eat anything I wasn't supposed to, so I guess things could be worse. Take a look at my lunch!


The grapes and tomatoes are pretty easy to guess, but those rectangles were thick slices of pepper-jack cheese and that off-white lump- for lack of a better term- was a very yummy crab-stuffed sole fillet. This time last week I would have had a Lean Pocket... I find myself thinking my lot in life has been improved by this new food plan!

I also, finally, worked up the courage to step on the scale today after avoiding it for about three months. It wasn't any prettier than it was then, but the good news is I've been hoovering within five pounds of the same weight for about a year now.The goal is to lose weight and the scale is a necessary evil that will tell me how successful I've been. As far as the numbers go; I won't be sharing them here. Well, at least not my weight. I will, of course let you all know how much I've lost.

My outlook isn't quite as good as it was yesterday, but the scale always does that to me, so I can pretty much guarantee that I'll feel better tomorrow.

The links I promised:
Caitlin: september-caitlin.blogspot.com
Morgan: mtinsley.blogspot.com

Day 1

The Back Story:
On June 15th of this year my mom (48) was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. On June 17th when she met with her doctor to discuss a treatment plan the doctor mentioned that if my sisters and I don't lose weight as well, we'll be facing the same issue. Truth is we've known for years that Mom was a border-line diabetic. We've also known that we'd end up there too if we didn't make serious changes. It took this diagnosis for my mom to commit to the changes necessary for her health. As for me, it took my mother's dose of reality to make me aware of my own: If I don't make some serious changes now, I'll be paying for them later. And seeing as I'm more overweight now than my mom ever has been, I doubt I have until I'm 48 to fix this.

The Plan: "Eat Like Mom for a Month"
Sounds simple, right? Well, yeah, it kind of is. The only problem will be self control, but it's a big one. I over eat, stress eat, and I've even been known to eat when I'm bored, all without thinking about it. Lucky for me this food plan is about quality and not quantity. There are only a few basic rules: No Sugar (except what's naturally found in fruits and veggies), No Starch, and No Liquid Calories. Protein and Fiber are a must.

I can't stress enough the fact that this is NOT a diet. This is a Lifestyle Change. My sisters and I have committed ourselves to Mom's strict Diabetic diet only for the month of September. However, psychologists claim that it takes 80 repetitions of anything to make a habit. The way I see it September has 30 day and 90 meals, so by the end of the month we should have formed a habit. With a little effort, I think this one month might change our lives forever.

About Today:
Well, I'm not even to lunch yet, but so far so good. I ate my Reduced Sugar Oatmeal for breakfast. And I've had some string cheese and beef jerky when I've felt hungry. I've never made it a week on a diet that left me hungry all the time, so I'm really glad that Mom gave us so many ideas for high-protein "hunger busters". It's also great that I can have all the fruits and vegetables I want.

I'm at work today, and I've already realized that being here will be my biggest challenge. It's not like they keep junk food in the house, but they have plenty of stuff I can't eat, and I'm welcome to eat it. The temptation isn't too strong, and supposedly the first ten days will be the hardest. I'll be praying for self control all month, I'm sure.

I'll post links to my sister's blogs as soon as they get them set up. Hopefully this evening, but it might have to wait until tomorrow.