Day 3 Of Not Smoking.

Yesterday I hit my lowest weight yet, 164.5 lbs. I really can't wait to see the 150s. I think that will be a huge milestone for me.
Three days ago, on Sept. 4 2012, Dan and I quit smoking. I hope Dan sticks with it, but I feel confident I will, mostly because I'm doing it for me this time.
So far so good. I'm just grateful I have my food under control and if it wasn't for the strictness of Atkins, I think I'd be in a world of trouble.
So my total Atkins loss in about 95 days is 28.5 lbs. the grand total since surgery is 168.5 lbs. I'm ready to make THAT number go up.

Goals

Well it's been a while since I've blogged and I've reached a few goals. I started Atkins 79 days ago and I'm down 28 lbs.
I reached my first goal which was to beat my lowest weight since gaining after surgery. My lowest was 172.5 and I have beat it.
My second goal was to lose half my body weight which would have put me at 166.5 and I've beaten that. Today I weigh 165 lbs. I have 104 days to lose 10 lbs and reach my final goal of weighing 155 lbs. at that point I will start adding carbs back into my diet.

No Scale Today.

I'm refusing to get on my scale today. I was up all night and all I did was eat. I made sure to eat low carb, but I know I went over my 20 carb limit.
Today is another day. Will be strict with my carbs.

Finding Success At Last.

It's been a while since my last post. For the past 58 day's I've been on The Atkins Diet. I am still on the Induction Phase, but I'm enjoying the foods I'm eating. I'm trying to be creative with my cooking.
I decided to go on Atkins because I've had success in the past.... before the gastric bypass, and I figured the rules of surgery are similar because you can't have sugar with either food plan. Atkins is definitely stricter, but if gives me a head start kicking carbs, sugar and decreasing my appetite. I'm now back to eating smaller portions like I use to.
Since starting Atkins 58 days ago, I've lost 25lbs. I started at 193 lbs. I had really gained with my out of control eating, bad habits and with all the traveling, losing wasn't easy. I am now down to my lowest weight since the surgery.... 168 lbs.
My goal is to get to 155lbs. I still have 130 days to reach it. I think it's very do-able.
Some time in the future, I will start to increase my carb intake. Adding low carb breads, berries, nuts and higher carb meals. I'm on a 20g of carb plan right now, but I'm hoping to add 5g a week till I reach about 40g-50g.
I really think this lifestyle is sustainable long term, especially since I'm not to have sugar anyway. At some point, I hope to just go back to eating the way I'm suppose to post-op, while eating low glycemic carbs.
Since I began to follow this food plan, I have energy I could have only dreamed of. During the school year, it was normal for me to get up at 7am, make the kids' lunches, then go back to bed for 3 or 4 hours and wake up at 11am. I was always so tired. I assumed that as summer began, I would just be able to sleep in everyday. Somehow I found myself getting up at 7am and staying up when I didn't have to get up early at all. I found it odd, then it clicked.... Atkins. I also was taking Melatonin to help me sleep, with the occasional Tylenol PM when needed. I am now able to get to sleep early and stay asleep all night long. It is truly amazing.
Well, I'm going to log off now. I'm going to back a low carb cheesecake. I'm will not be denied LOL. I've sweets to much.

Another Good Day.

Well I started off eating a few small powdered doughnuts, but all was not lost. I took my vitamins,drank my water and stuck to my plan.
I have 1 hour left to do my eating so I plan to drink another bottle of water then have 2 sugar free cookies and candies as a treat. After 8pm, it's just water for me.
Tonight I also got signed up at the gym. So after I attend the Ladies Expo, I'm going to hit the gym and shock my body but good.

Checking In

Just had a boiled egg and a yogurt. When I was getting it together, I was thinking, what else? Well I thought about it and realized I don't need anything else. Remember the rule that says no more then 8oz, but ideally 6oz. I don't need a lot of food. I just need a little more often.
Will soon be working on my next bottle of water. (After my 30 mins.)

I like what I see.

Down 5.5 lbs with only 19.5 to go. I weighed in at 184.5.
I'm not letting myself think " well you were lower then that not long ago". I could easily go there and get discouraged, but I'm choosing to stay focused on losing the 25 lbs. it's a small enough number but a difficult enough goal to reach.

Why Following The Rules Pays Off.

It's not a diet, it's just following the rules of surgery.
So I did well with my rules today. Not perfect, but pretty close.
I ate most of a 5.5oz can of tuna salad. I probably ate 4oz and tossed the rest. The if-y part was I was hungry again within an hour so I had a cheese stick. A little while later I was hungry one again so I had my half burger left over from the night before. There was ketchup and relish on it, which both contain sugar. Not perfect, but close.
For dinner I had a tortilla with grilled chicken breast, fried mushrooms and onions, a little shredded cheese and lettuce.
A few hours later I was hungry again so I had a slice of meat pie.
So, not much sugar happening.
Later on, I went shopping and bought myself sugar free cookies and chocolates. At the same time, I bought the family lots of junk food. They have some really yummy looking muffins that look like coffee cakes. So good I can almost taste them.
After shopping, I took the kids for ice-cream. I asked if the had anything sugar free. Since they didn't, I didn't have any.
Later in the evening.... well after 8pm, I was tempted to have one of those yummy looking muffins. I decided to look at the product info and decided the nearly 500 calories weren't worth it.
As I got ready for bed tonight, I hopped on the scale which is completely unofficial, but I was down to 185.5. So I'm hoping for good news tomorrow.
I'll be honest, I'm really hungry right now, but I know the rules and I also know I won't starve.
Reaching my goal will taste much better then any sugary food ever could.

Got To Start Somewhere.

So my goal is to lose 25 lbs. starting at 190 lbs. Today I'm down 2, leaving me 23 lbs to go. I'm weighing in at 188 lbs.
Going to follow my rules of surgery.
Last night I didn't eat anything after 8pm and this morning I have taken my vitamins. I'm also starting my day with a cup of green tea.

Enough!

Okay, I've been eating like a pig and it's got to stop! I'm weighing in at 190 lbs. I now have 25 lbs to lose and I'm going to do it by following the basic rules that were given to me after surgery.
No more then 3g of added sugar. No drinking 30 mins after eating. Chew chew chew. Eat no more the 1C or 8oz at a meal. Three meals and 3 snacks. Eight glasses of water. Stay away from bread. Take my vitamins. NO EATING AFTER 8PM!!!! Breakfast is no earlier then 6am unless the day's schedule dictates it to be earlier. And lastly, as soon as Dan is done hooking up the gym, join and go regularly. Till then P90X 10 minute trainer daily.

April Yo-yo Continues.

Food has been so bad. Lots of bread and portions way out of control.
I started taking Raspberry Keytones recommended by Dr. Oz. It's suppose to trick your cells into thinking their thin. The results were amazing on TV. I guess we'll see.
Today's weight was 189.

Still Playing The Game.

Well, after another few days of up and down, I'm back to 186 lbs. I want to be at 170 by the first day of summer.
Seems being at work with Dan hasn't helped me any. It's the croissant at Timmy's and the chocolate bars from the store. As of today, no more.

Just eat my breakfast. Made an omelette, with veggies, bacon and cheese ( from 1 egg). Also had a yogurt and a plum. That should hold me for a while.

Playing Yo-yo Again.

Seems I've had a brain fart this past week. Yesterday I was up to 187.5 lbs. I've started back to work which always seems to help. This morning I was down a bit to 186.
Hope tomorrow is better.

Another Glorious Spring Day.

A spring day that feels like summer. It's 82* and the sun is shining. The only reason I know it's spring is because the robins are crapping all over the vehicles.
I didn't weigh myself right away this morning. I weighed in a few hours after eating a breakfast of a slice of cheese, two rice cakes with peanutbutter and a juice box. I was 183.5 lbs but I'm sure had I weighed first thing I'd have been 183 lbs, possibly less.
Besides breakfast, I've had a bowl of shrimp with cocktail sauce, a sandwich and a SF pudding.

First Day of Spring.

What a glorious day. For the past 8 days, the temps here have reached into the 70s. Unheard of for March. Today is the first day of spring and temps will soar to reach 80. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and I'm back to the weight I was before I left Mexico.
Today I weighed in at 183 lbs. I feel energized and pumped to lose the last of this weight.
I'm setting a new goal to reach 170 by the first day of summer. For the first time in a long time I feel I can really do this.

Back From Mexico~Damage Control.

We actually landed home 2 days ago. I hopped on the scale yesterday and I was 189.5 lbs.
I figured much of that would be water weight. Today I'm weighing in at 186 lbs. today is Monday, what a perfect day to get back to the swing of things.
Mexico was fun. I think I did well on a whole.

It's The Night Before.

Well it's not all bad. I'm the same weight tonight as I was this morning. Hopefully I'll be down a bit tomorrow.

I got all my work done today. All but the last minute packing is done. I'm also doing a load of laundry and will probably have another small load in the morning.
I'm ready to go.

Vacation Starts Tomorrow Night.

As soon as we cross the border into the States, our vacation will officially begin.
Today's weight is a little up. I'm at 183 which to me is still not bad considering where I came from. I've also gone down in inches which means I'll be able to fit in my shorts.

Almost There!

Guess eating all day really does help. Today I'm weighing in at 180.5. Wouldn't it be nice to get below 180?
I think I'm actually going to make a lunch for myself today. It seems to really help.
Just 3 days left till we leave.

Another Good Day

First of all, I've managed to drink all my water today. I also had a coffee with 2 creams.
Went to work, and as always, all I did was eat, but for some reason I usually end up losing weight. I ate a sandwich on a tortilla, a salad with dressing, a cheese stick, a yogurt, a plum, a nectarine and shrimp with cocktail sauce. Lots of good food, just a lot of it.
Once I got home, I had 6 oz of spaghetti and a slice of garlic and cheese bread.
I'm still hoping and praying I get these 2.5 lbs off before Tuesday.

Only 4 Days Left.

Today is starting out very good. I'm down to 182.5 and I'm off to work soon. I have to go in and catch up on some paper work. Seems when I'm there I lose weight so hope the trend holds. I'll be stopping at the store first and picking up some fruit. I have none here and I'm missing it.

Was a Good Day......

It was a good day until I came home to the monster burgers that Dan cooked. I ate 2/3 of what Bry termed a sky burger. I also had a few fries.
Besides that, I ate a can of Italian tuna salad and my breakfast I already mentioned.
Didn't do so well with water. Every time I tried to grab a bottle I'd get busy doing something and forget.
Haven't been exercising either. Just don't have the time right now trying to get everything in order before we leave.
Just about all packed up. A few last minute odds and ends is all that's left and I have lists made out for that.

Good News

After a day of feeling like crap, today I seem to be feeling better. My weight is down to 183 lbs. Would really be nice to reach 180 before we leave.
This morning I've had a tortilla with lunch meat at 150 calories and a box of raisins.

6 Days Till Mexico.

We now have something going on everyday till we leave. Time will hopefully fly by quickly.
Yesterday I had a small cheat day. I ate most of a chocolate bar, 2 cookies and a small bowl of chips. Other then the junk, I also ate a small plate of spaghetti and a piece of garlic toast and cheese.
As a result, today's weight is 184.5 lbs.
I must be paying for all the sugar and carbs because today I feel like I have a hangover. I'm so tired and just plain old exhausted.
Today so far I've had a tortilla with 2 sliced of lunch meat and lettuce, a banana and a nectarine. I'm about to go make a salad and get my water and crystal light ready.

Just 8 Days Till Mexico.

This morning I was 184 lbs. Down this time from all that water. A pleasant surprise. I'd still like to hit the 180 mark.
Breakfast was Holy Crap cereal. I had a Timmies and mad haystacks and probably ate the equivalent of 4. I need to start on my water.
Since eating the cookies, I'll eat a little lunch a bit later.

Finishing Off The Day.

This morning I was at 185 lbs which is up 1/2 a pound from before. Besides the food from my lost posting, I also had Holy Crap cereal for breakfast and filo shrimp (6) and a salad with light Italian dressing from the Meadows. As to my water, I have had 8 bottles/ glasses of water equal to about 16 cups, and 2 decaf teas. I'm floating. Hoping for a loss tomorrow but last time I drank so much water I was up a couple of pounds. Guess we'll find out tomorrow.

Sticking To My Guns .... Mostly.

I'm confessing to eating 2 square pieces of chicken pizza with very thick crust and 1/3 of a sausage with the bun. No alcohol for me. I must be on my 5th or 6th bottle of water.

Temptation Is Calling.

Just got back from the movies. I caved and had a hotdog. Not bad in the grand scheme of things but I should have resisted.
Now we're at the liquor store and temptation is calling again. Dan asked me twice if I wanted anything and I do but I'm holding strong. NO ALCOHOL till I'm in Mexico. If we go out tonight I'll drink my water and crystal light.

10 Days Till Mexico

Today I'm back to eating anything. I'm up half a pound this morning but I figure it's because I'm back to regular food.
Going to work hard on things today. I've had a boiled egg on toast and a yogurt for breakfast and I've been drinking my water.
We're going to the movies and I'll be passing on the popcorn and pop. I'll stick to my water instead.

Lunch Time Again.

First I'll start by correcting my previous post. Instead of tuna I had 4oz of salmon that was mixed with lite mayo, and 6 crackers.
For lunch I had 4oz of potato and soup mush with 2oz of a new soup Dan made and 2oz of grapes. That was a big meal totaling 8oz. I did some reading and I'm suppose to have 1 1/2 cups of food per meal or 1 cup chewed food. I think I was in those limits.

Last Day Of The Pouch Test.

Well it's good news this morning. I'm down to 184.5 lbs.
I had a few grapes this morning while making the kids lunches, and now I sitting down with a bowl of soup that I've decided not to eat. It's just to salty for me. Instead I think I'll have some tuna and crackers.
We're down to 11 days till vacation. I would love to get the 4.5 lbs off before we go. I'm going to continue weighing and measuring my food and making smart choices.

Puréed Lunch Time.

Just had 4oz of the mashed potato and soup concoction and a yogurt. Again, weighing my food.

Day 4 Of the Pouch Test

Well it's purée day. I just had 2 tsp of cottage cheese and 4oz of the content of Dan's soup all mushed up mixed with mashed potatoes. I made sure to measure. If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right.
Today's weight is 186 lbs.
Plan on cleaning today since I have nothing else going on.
Will concentrate on drinking water between my meals and will continue to weigh and measure my food.
Just 12 days left till we leave for vacation. I can't decide if time is flying or if it's standing still.

Day Three- So far so good.

Been out shopping all day which took my mind off of being hungry. So far I had a protein shake for breakfast, a bottle of water and a can of soup when I got home. I also drank half a coffee. I'll drink the other half later.
For tomorrow I have cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and yogurt. I'll have to dig out my book to see what else I can eat. I'll also mush up all the good stuff from the soup Dan made the other day. I've been straining it for the past 3 days.
I hope this pays off with both weight loss and shrinking my pouch.

13 Days To Go.

Well I now have less then two weeks till we leave for Mexico. Today's weight is 186.5 lbs and today is the last day of liquids. (Thank God). Tomorrow I'll be on purée.
I don't feel to bad not having eaten food in two days. I am a bit hungry, so I just eat soup. The rules do say it must be liquid because right after surgery nothing solid can pass by the new opening, so I have to strain all soups. No lovely pieces of rice or noodles for me to chew on lol.

I'm still fighting this nasty cold. It's been a week now and it went from sneezing constantly to a stuffy nose and cough. I just can't seem to shake it. I have a couple of weeks to let it clear, but I don't recall ever having a cold this long. So far it seems Bry and I have been the only ones hit and I seem to be much worse then she was. I just hope nobody else comes down with it especially so close to our vacation. Unfortunately this cold hasn't affected my appetite one bit.
I have noticed my cravings are gone sine my period ended. That was brutal! I started eating like crazy about a week and a half before it started and didn't stop till it was gone.
Busy day today. I'm taking Bry for her HPV shot then to do some trip shopping. I didn't sleep well last night so I'm pretty tired. I'm heading back to bed for an hour before I start my day of liquids. Will have to plan for drinking while I'm out. I'd also like to plan for tomorrow's purée day. Mashed potatoes seem heavenly right now.

14 Days Till Mexico

After falling off the wagon for the past few days I decided to do the 5 day pouch test.
The pouch test is designed to simulate post-op recovery and the shrinking of the pouch. The first 3 days are a liquid diet, followed by a day of puréed food then a day of soft foods.
Today is day 2 for me. I made it known this is what I'm doing. It helps keep me accountable and Dan has been very supportive.
I'm doing this for two reasons. First, I need to shrinks pouch and get back my portion control, and second, to kick start my weight loss. Time is running out. I need to be down to at least 180 lbs before we go away do I'll fit into my shorts the whole trip.
Today's weight is 187 which is down 2.5 from yesterday.
I've been drinking protein shakes, soup, coffee, water with Crystal Light, and I had 2 sugar free puddings. Today will be much the same.

20 Days Breakfast and Lunch

First of all I'll start by proclaiming a miracle. I'm down 1/2 a pound to 187.5 Considering the amount of junk yesterday it's a truly amazing feat.
I ended up caving again this morning. I had a cupcake but I decided all was not lost, after all, normal people do eat cupcakes too. So I'm limiting it to the one and moving on.

I also figured out why the heavy cravings and why I've been so tired. I started my period. My first period in 6 months. That would do it.

BREAKFAST- cupcake, green grapes 2 red plums.
LUNCH- shrimp and cocktail sauce and a cheese stick.

I'll probably have more fruit as the day goes on.

A New Day and a New Beginning.

20 days left till we leave for Mexico.
Let's start by finishing off yesterday. I didn't have the heart to blog lat night. I blew healthy out of the water. I think I had a total of 4 granola bars and countless cupcakes. I just couldn't stp myself.
I just got out of bed and I've already had visions of eating junk. I'm not going to do it!!!!

21 Days Lunch

Dan took me out to Caldwell Grants. Although I eat both my salad and Dan's, I think I did ok.
LUNCH- 2 side salads and a grilled veggie sandwich.

Valentines Day and 21 Days To Go.

No chocolate heart candies for me today. I've got work to do.
Just got up and weighed in. I'm down a pound at 188 lbs. a small loss but I'll take it.
Didn't start out the best. I had a small piece of polish sausage while making the kids lunches, and I had a chocolate granola bar at 130 calories. I've got 2 plums to round it off and I'm calling that breakfast.
I think I'm going with tuna on Triskets for lunch.
Since my house is pretty clean and the laundry is done, I think I may go back to bed for a bit.
Will work on my water today.

22 Days Dinner and Snacks.

DINNER- mashed sweet potato, 1/2 pork loin, peas, giant meatball and a tiny bit of mashed potatoes.
SNACK- a piece of polish sausage.

Still not doing well with my water. I think I over ate today. Foods weren't bad but amounts a bit to much. Since I knew this, I went to the arena intending to have a hot chocolate and a chocolate bar. I mean hey, I blew it today anyway right? NO! It wasn't that bad. So I had just a coffee and left it at that.
I'm getting a bit hungry now but it's already after 10 pm so I'm done for the day!!!
Hope for a loss in the morning.

22 Days Lunch

LUNCH- millet, corn, giant meatball in gravy sauce.

22 Days Till Mexico.

I guess it's fair to say I'm a bit disappointed today. After having such a good day yesterday I'd have though I'd have lost something but no, I'm still 189 lbs.
I know it was only one day but from experience, one good day at the beginning usually drops me a pound or two of water weight.
Last night Dan and I were hungry, but I stuck to my guns and didn't eat. I was very proud of myself which adds to my disappointment today.
This morning I caught myself eating a few chips that had been left out on the counter. I quickly tossed them in the trash.
BREAKFAST- cheese stick and green grapes.
I'll probably eat a little something else in a while.
I'm spending my day doing laundry and cleaning the house. It needs it very badly.
I know our trip is still 3 weeks away, but I've already started packing. I need to see what supplies I still need to buy, or if anyone needs clothes since the kids have grown since summer.
I'm so concerned about Bry-Anne. She'll be 14 soon and I know she weighs over 150 lbs. I've cut out the unhealthy snacks, and rarely keep junk in the house. ( They had chips on the weekend). We've been keeping the takeout to a minimum and I've been watching her portions but still she's gaining. She was hiding food in her room, but for a few months now I haven't found anything.
Not sure how to help her.

23 Days Dinner And Snacks.

DINNER- salad, Italian dressing and 4 samosas @ 30 calories each.
SNACKS- 2 plumbs and a nectarine.

Tomorrow I'd like to do better with drinking my water.

23 Days at Lunch

Ok as promised....
LUNCH- salad, packaged cooked chicken breast, low fat shredded cheese and FF Italian dressing.

23 Days Till Mexico.

Well as always I'm guilty of wishfully thinking. After my last post I had Chinese food and there was no food scale in sight.
I guess I'm going to have to take a different approach. I've decided to blog my food, thoughts and feelings right here.
I think a big problem with getting control of my food is alcohol. Every time I drink my weight goes up. No surprise there, but it plays with my head and undermines my efforts.
Last night I was at it again. So here I am way up at 189lbs with time running out.
Today is a new day. As I said I'm going to log my food.
BREAKFAST- scrambled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 5 grapes and a yogurt.
More to come.

I'm in a State of Depression.

I've been playing yoyo with my weight since coming back from Mexico in November. I'm up and down and up again.
Right now I'm up to 192 lbs which is the highest I've been pot vacations.
As of right now, I have 25 days till we leave once again for Mexico. I just can't seem to get a handle on my food cravings, poor choices and portion sizes.
At the 50 day mark, I started to eat clean and got down to 182 but about a week ago all hell broke loose and the lion was once again out of his cage.
As of this moment it ends! The next foods that enter this mouth will be sugar free, low calorie, healthy, weighed and measured. If I can gain 10 lbs in a week, I can get it off again in 25 days.
I really need to fit into my shorts considering there's always a weight gain when I get home from vacation.

Been a While

Another vacation and back to weight loss struggles. November we went away to Mexico and I gained a few pounds. I've been trying to get back down ever since. In March we're going back and I have to get this weight off so I can fit into my shorts. Okay, it's not quite that bad but if I tell myself it is, maybe the sense of urgency will help.