Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Oh My... The Holidays...
I have been so incredibly busy... I have also not been eating right at all. Losing weight is hard and even more challenging I think, when you're a foodie like me! My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving... I think I need to change that... Anyway, I want to put it out there that I have gained 10lbs back! No I'm not happy about it, and that's going to have to change. I typically don't believe in New Years resolutions, but I really want things to change. I refuse to be the definition of insanity! I will not keep doing the same thing hoping for a different result. The comforting part in all of this is that I know I can take it off much easier than I ever thought I could have before. I'm not going to give myself a pass to eat whatever the heck I want but I'm going to enjoy the holidays and get back on it 100% in the New Year. The holiday's aren't just hard for me, they're hard on everyone. So if you're trying to lose weight right now, don't fret about what you can eat or feel guilty for indulging, just give yourself a break and get back on it! In the New Year eating out is only going to happen twice a month. It will help me lose more on my waist line and put more back in my wallet. I'm going to start making easier meals and only one meal for the family not a few meals for everyone. Changes will be happening here very soon and I can't wait!
Friday, October 3, 2014
Weight Loss Methods - Just Keepin' It Real
This time last year I was nearly 300lbs... Not a happy time in my life at all. Somehow I managed to sustain that nasty weight through the holidays. When I would eat I thought my face was going to explode, I just felt the weight everywhere! I was getting really desperate. Desperate for complete transformation right away! I stopped wanting to take pictures and was manipulating my face just to appear thinner than I really was! Life pretty much sucked! Prior to that I started looking into diet pills, quick fixes, and fad diets...
I want to put a disclaimer out there... No, I haven't done all of these nor do I ever want to, but I know people who have (some of them very very close to me).
Diet Pills
I started taking Metabolife when I was right out of High School; they did nothing for me except give me the gitters even if I split them in half!
Later on in life after I was married, I started taking Quick Slim. Yeah, I took nearly a whole bottle and guess what??? I didn't lose not a pound! I'll admit that the side effects weren't that bad.
A friend of mine tried Ali and suffered a pretty nasty side effect: anal seepage... Yeah, I'll pass!
Another friend of mine tried another pill called Zantrax and his blood pressure spiked supper high! I like my blood pressure where it is thank you!
Then I see all these people selling monthly products that are EXPENSIVE I might add... They may help someone lose weight but it will not help sustain the weight. Oftentimes when people get to where they want and stop taking those pills they gain their weight back if not more.
Take note of this: IF you find something out there that promises quick lasting results and it's in the shape of a pill (powder or patch), they are lying! There is only one way to effectively lose and sustain weight loss. More on that later...
Plexus, Ace, Advocare...
I know people who have taken these supplements for a really long time and they look exactly the same... However the people who are successful are not just taking the supplements... You can't just take these supplements, do nothing else, and expect to lose weight successfully and keep it off! These are some of the things I thought about doing, but the monthly cost is just way too much and you still have to buy food!
Gym Membership
They seem realistic enough... But unless you were into exercise before, you probably aren't going to be one that wants to work out all the time now. Those of us who don't like to workout are at a financial disadvantage when we sign up for a gym membership and that is exactly what they're looking. They look for "go getters" like us that will buy into a contract or pay out $50 or more dollars because it's easy money! Don't fall into that scheme... You can exercise at home for not very much, especially if you've already got the minimal equipment necessary. Most of the time you've already got the equipment in household goods and a smart phone or your Internet...
Fad Diets
I'm not going to go into this too much, but I did try one and I wasn't very successful... I tried The 17 Day Diet. This plan is not the most sound plan because you don't eat enough if any protein in the first phase of the plan. I was so hungry... ALL THE TIME! Honestly, this diet just made me more of a ravenous angry lunatic! There are definitely shorter terms to describe me during that time... Rhymes with "itch!" Anyhow, then I knew people who tried the Eat for Your Blood Type. I've never understood how someone could eat helpings of mac-n-cheese and lose weight... But okay... This is probably the nastiest fad diet... The Baby Food Diet. I'll just stop right there. FAD DIETS ARE JUST THAT... FAD DIETS... If it sounds too goo to be true it usually is!
Weight Watchers and All those other places...
Only about 2% of the people using Weight Watchers are successful because of it... The reason I think that is because one can't possibly gauge how many points 2 cups of Orange Chicken is... I don't think that it is realistic. If you give me 12 points for the day plus a few cheat points I'm going to use them up plus some... I tried it for 3 months and lost nothing but my mind with all the counting. I don't want to count carbs, calories, or anything else, I just want to lose weight!
Weight Loss Surgery
It has helped a lot of people... With that said the people it has helped are the ones who made their surgery work for them. They ate the right foods and took their vitamins like they were supposed to. This is also something that I contemplated... My husband was adamant that I not do this. He had good reason for his opinions on it though. In 2009 my mother did the Gastric Bypass. During this surgery they were also taking out her gallbladder and in the process the surgeon accidentally brushed up against her pancreas. She was in the hospital for over a month. My mom almost died. Death is a very serious possibility during weight loss surgery. She has since recovered from all that and has been pretty successful in keeping the weight off! However, there are also people I know who have lost weight but still need to lose a lot of weight but probably won't. Now in the medical world they've come out with other weight loss surgeries that are supposed to help and sometimes they are made successful. However, I don't recommend weight-loss surgery if you can avoid it.
Eating
So after really thinking about trying all of the above, it came down to eating... Could it be that all I needed to do was eat less? I can get with that... Well, as an emotional eater, this was not going to be easy. I'd get mad, I'd eat. I'd get sad, I'd eat. I'd be happy, I'd eat. You get the picture. I did learn to cut back and do portion control for about a 15 days and then I was done. Yeah, I'd lost about 5 pounds but I felt more deprived than anything.
Eating Healthy(ish)
So I knew what some of the healthy food were so I'd buy those. I'd even cook them. However, it's not 100% about what you eat, it's about how you make the meal and what you add to it. Goodness, I could turn a half of a small baked potato into 1500 calories easy! Oh and salads... I love it when people are like, "I'm just eating salad and I haven't lost any weight!" Yeah, it's probably because you're a lot like I was... A salad meant: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, olives, some peas, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, croutons, cheese, and dressing, oh and a little more dressing on the side just in case. Obviously some salads will vary, but you get the drift. That is not "just" a salad, that is 3 meals and where the heck is the protein? That is not eating healthy!
In Review and Getting Real
So go ahead take diet pills and/or the monthly supplements but know that they don't work miracles. Join a gym if it makes you feel better. Heck even try out a fad diet, it's called "Fad" for a reason; they don't last. You can even pay a monthly membership fee for health programs. Better yet go under the knife and have them make your stomach smaller or put foreign objects around it to make it smaller... None of that will ever work if you don't change one vital organ...
Your Brain (mindset)
You have to decide to change your mind. You also have to give the battle up to God. Decide that you alone cannot do it. With God in the front seat you can do anything! All of those things that I thought about trying or did try would have aided me in my weight loss efforts if I would have embraced a different mindset. I am NOT perfect by any means, but I try daily to focus on what is important, what my goals are, and what I'm putting into my mouth. Sure I have cheat days even cheat weekends, but I know and understand the consequences of those bad habits and can move forward! NONE of the above is going to work if you don't make a choice to get your mind right about what you're putting into your body (food). None of these options are a miracle drug, program, or surgery; they are just weight loss aids. Don't get caught up in the "quick" or "rapid" get caught up in looking at food differently. Look at all food as carbs, calories, and sugars... Is it really worth it?
This is harsh, I know, but I know from experience that you've got to put everything into weight loss; you've got to give it your all or the weight will kill you. I know because the weight almost killed me. I needed realness to get my butt in gear and my head in the game, so I'm giving you the same dose that I got! Now it's your turn!
You can be a new you too!
I want to put a disclaimer out there... No, I haven't done all of these nor do I ever want to, but I know people who have (some of them very very close to me).
Diet Pills
I started taking Metabolife when I was right out of High School; they did nothing for me except give me the gitters even if I split them in half!
Later on in life after I was married, I started taking Quick Slim. Yeah, I took nearly a whole bottle and guess what??? I didn't lose not a pound! I'll admit that the side effects weren't that bad.
A friend of mine tried Ali and suffered a pretty nasty side effect: anal seepage... Yeah, I'll pass!
Another friend of mine tried another pill called Zantrax and his blood pressure spiked supper high! I like my blood pressure where it is thank you!
Then I see all these people selling monthly products that are EXPENSIVE I might add... They may help someone lose weight but it will not help sustain the weight. Oftentimes when people get to where they want and stop taking those pills they gain their weight back if not more.
Take note of this: IF you find something out there that promises quick lasting results and it's in the shape of a pill (powder or patch), they are lying! There is only one way to effectively lose and sustain weight loss. More on that later...
Plexus, Ace, Advocare...
I know people who have taken these supplements for a really long time and they look exactly the same... However the people who are successful are not just taking the supplements... You can't just take these supplements, do nothing else, and expect to lose weight successfully and keep it off! These are some of the things I thought about doing, but the monthly cost is just way too much and you still have to buy food!
Gym Membership
They seem realistic enough... But unless you were into exercise before, you probably aren't going to be one that wants to work out all the time now. Those of us who don't like to workout are at a financial disadvantage when we sign up for a gym membership and that is exactly what they're looking. They look for "go getters" like us that will buy into a contract or pay out $50 or more dollars because it's easy money! Don't fall into that scheme... You can exercise at home for not very much, especially if you've already got the minimal equipment necessary. Most of the time you've already got the equipment in household goods and a smart phone or your Internet...
Fad Diets
I'm not going to go into this too much, but I did try one and I wasn't very successful... I tried The 17 Day Diet. This plan is not the most sound plan because you don't eat enough if any protein in the first phase of the plan. I was so hungry... ALL THE TIME! Honestly, this diet just made me more of a ravenous angry lunatic! There are definitely shorter terms to describe me during that time... Rhymes with "itch!" Anyhow, then I knew people who tried the Eat for Your Blood Type. I've never understood how someone could eat helpings of mac-n-cheese and lose weight... But okay... This is probably the nastiest fad diet... The Baby Food Diet. I'll just stop right there. FAD DIETS ARE JUST THAT... FAD DIETS... If it sounds too goo to be true it usually is!
Weight Watchers and All those other places...
Only about 2% of the people using Weight Watchers are successful because of it... The reason I think that is because one can't possibly gauge how many points 2 cups of Orange Chicken is... I don't think that it is realistic. If you give me 12 points for the day plus a few cheat points I'm going to use them up plus some... I tried it for 3 months and lost nothing but my mind with all the counting. I don't want to count carbs, calories, or anything else, I just want to lose weight!
Weight Loss Surgery
It has helped a lot of people... With that said the people it has helped are the ones who made their surgery work for them. They ate the right foods and took their vitamins like they were supposed to. This is also something that I contemplated... My husband was adamant that I not do this. He had good reason for his opinions on it though. In 2009 my mother did the Gastric Bypass. During this surgery they were also taking out her gallbladder and in the process the surgeon accidentally brushed up against her pancreas. She was in the hospital for over a month. My mom almost died. Death is a very serious possibility during weight loss surgery. She has since recovered from all that and has been pretty successful in keeping the weight off! However, there are also people I know who have lost weight but still need to lose a lot of weight but probably won't. Now in the medical world they've come out with other weight loss surgeries that are supposed to help and sometimes they are made successful. However, I don't recommend weight-loss surgery if you can avoid it.
Eating
So after really thinking about trying all of the above, it came down to eating... Could it be that all I needed to do was eat less? I can get with that... Well, as an emotional eater, this was not going to be easy. I'd get mad, I'd eat. I'd get sad, I'd eat. I'd be happy, I'd eat. You get the picture. I did learn to cut back and do portion control for about a 15 days and then I was done. Yeah, I'd lost about 5 pounds but I felt more deprived than anything.
Eating Healthy(ish)
So I knew what some of the healthy food were so I'd buy those. I'd even cook them. However, it's not 100% about what you eat, it's about how you make the meal and what you add to it. Goodness, I could turn a half of a small baked potato into 1500 calories easy! Oh and salads... I love it when people are like, "I'm just eating salad and I haven't lost any weight!" Yeah, it's probably because you're a lot like I was... A salad meant: lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers, olives, some peas, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, croutons, cheese, and dressing, oh and a little more dressing on the side just in case. Obviously some salads will vary, but you get the drift. That is not "just" a salad, that is 3 meals and where the heck is the protein? That is not eating healthy!
In Review and Getting Real
So go ahead take diet pills and/or the monthly supplements but know that they don't work miracles. Join a gym if it makes you feel better. Heck even try out a fad diet, it's called "Fad" for a reason; they don't last. You can even pay a monthly membership fee for health programs. Better yet go under the knife and have them make your stomach smaller or put foreign objects around it to make it smaller... None of that will ever work if you don't change one vital organ...
Your Brain (mindset)
You have to decide to change your mind. You also have to give the battle up to God. Decide that you alone cannot do it. With God in the front seat you can do anything! All of those things that I thought about trying or did try would have aided me in my weight loss efforts if I would have embraced a different mindset. I am NOT perfect by any means, but I try daily to focus on what is important, what my goals are, and what I'm putting into my mouth. Sure I have cheat days even cheat weekends, but I know and understand the consequences of those bad habits and can move forward! NONE of the above is going to work if you don't make a choice to get your mind right about what you're putting into your body (food). None of these options are a miracle drug, program, or surgery; they are just weight loss aids. Don't get caught up in the "quick" or "rapid" get caught up in looking at food differently. Look at all food as carbs, calories, and sugars... Is it really worth it?
This is harsh, I know, but I know from experience that you've got to put everything into weight loss; you've got to give it your all or the weight will kill you. I know because the weight almost killed me. I needed realness to get my butt in gear and my head in the game, so I'm giving you the same dose that I got! Now it's your turn!
You can be a new you too!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Feeling Fabulous!
My goodness, I can't believe that it's already October 1st! That is crazy how time flies! There is so much that has gone on since the last time that I got on here to update you all on how the weight loss journey is going! I won't bore you with all that though!
So rewind for those who are just now jumping on here to check out this crazy weight loss blog...
My husband and I were not liking the way we were looking or feeling and he said that we were going to make a complete lifestyle change... I know that I personally started the journey in the 290 range, on a very big day I was the heaviest at 292! I couldn't stand myself and felt so disgusting that I was about to do something drastic in terms of surgery. My husband didn't support that, for me anyway! We got our income taxes in and on February 10, 2014 we started changing our lives! It's the best decision we've ever made! He was right, I didn't need no surgery to get healthy. If any surgery was going to help it would have needed to be a brain surgery...
Anyway, today as we've established is October 1, 2014 and I am nearly 65lbs down from where I started! It feels great! I'm looking and feeling much better and what's great is the compliments!
The pictures shown here are my transformation since starting! The last picture there doesn't seem to be much of a difference; however, my back fat under my sports bra is slimming down and my tummy area is getting a little flatter!
So rewind for those who are just now jumping on here to check out this crazy weight loss blog...
My husband and I were not liking the way we were looking or feeling and he said that we were going to make a complete lifestyle change... I know that I personally started the journey in the 290 range, on a very big day I was the heaviest at 292! I couldn't stand myself and felt so disgusting that I was about to do something drastic in terms of surgery. My husband didn't support that, for me anyway! We got our income taxes in and on February 10, 2014 we started changing our lives! It's the best decision we've ever made! He was right, I didn't need no surgery to get healthy. If any surgery was going to help it would have needed to be a brain surgery...
Anyway, today as we've established is October 1, 2014 and I am nearly 65lbs down from where I started! It feels great! I'm looking and feeling much better and what's great is the compliments!
The pictures shown here are my transformation since starting! The last picture there doesn't seem to be much of a difference; however, my back fat under my sports bra is slimming down and my tummy area is getting a little flatter!
I'm working toward my next goal of 220!!! And I'm nearly there! I'm really looking forward to 200! But even more than that 180! I know that I can do this and I refuse to let the holidays make me mess up my goal! I'm nearly to my goal of 150, just 77.6 more pounds to lose! I GOT THIS!
You can be a new you too!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Cruising, Hospital, Cheating...
It's been so crazy! The long and short of that last few months... Went on a cruise and gained weight... Came home and my husband went into the hospital not even a week after coming home from the cruise. We were in the hospital for about a week, I gained weight... Then when we finally got back to eating right it was a little too easy to eat unhealthy snacks... I've finally shed the weight from all of that and I'm now at 235! My next goal is 220! So my plan is not to cheat on my plan as often and not to buy crap that will make it easy for me to cheat! I want to reach this goal sooner than later. After I reach the 220 mark, the new goal will be 200lbs! That will make my weight loss nearly 100lbs down!
Just wanted to quickly catch everyone up with me, my life, and my journey! Thanks for reading!
You can be a new you too!
Just wanted to quickly catch everyone up with me, my life, and my journey! Thanks for reading!
You can be a new you too!
Friday, May 16, 2014
Don't Deprive
This has been such an incredible journey and I'm not even near my goal; I'm just -47.6 (loss so far) closer. Every day that goes by is an accomplishment even if the scale doesn't say so. I don't always eat exactly what I'm supposed to, but I know that the next day is a new opportunity to do better. Something you may know about me is that I love karaoke and when I sing I like to have a few drinks. Those few drinks turn into carbohydrates really quickly. I'm aware of this, but I also know that I can accept the small consequences of those few drinks. I don't mind a little weight gain here and there, what's important is that I know the possibility of weight gain. Unexpected weight gain is the worst. I also love french fries and french fries are not on my plan, I don't have to gorge myself to be satisfied anymore. I have a small handful every once in a while and then the craving is gone. I'll let you know something though... Some of your favorite foods will not taste the same as a matter of fact you might down right hate the flavor. For example, I used to love fried calamari strips, not anymore. I can really taste the oil and the oily texture just grosses me out. I haven't had a soda in what seems like forever, but every so often I find myself wanting a sip of whatever my son gets, can you say YUCK! So nasty, my taste buds pick up on all the stuff that makes up a cola or orange soda and there is no way that I'd ever drink that again. Anyway, my main point is that I don't deprive myself or I know I'll go overboard... That brings me to my next subject... I'm going on a cruise here soon and although I'm excited, I'm also really worried about all my choices. I know that I can have fun and not gorge myself to death and I've even said that I know I might gain some weight. It's in the knowing that I might gain some weight that scares me. I am a foodie at heart and I love to try different things. We've looked at the menus on the ship we'll be on and I think that we can do this and still be successful. I mean look how far I've come
If I can do this, you can do this! Make the choice now and don't wait, it's not worth the "weight"!
You too can be a new you,
Adrian
Monday, May 5, 2014
Easter, Birthday, Food, and Updates!
I've never admitted to being the best blogger... My lack of postings makes that evident.
Anyway, I've made it to under 250 and I've stayed that way and I'm not planning on going back. The month of April was rough in terms of eating... I cheated a lot, but knew when too much was too much. Easter fell on my son's birthday this year, but the worst part was the food at Easter and after, not the birthday food. I don't deprive myself per say, but I give myself 15-20 minutes of distraction and if the want for something isn't quenched then I'll have a bite or a taste. That doesn't happen all the time; I can count on one hand how often that has happened. Well, the Easter candy was calling my name and quite honestly I could have sworn that it screamed my name a few times! I needed that chocolate bad! A few chocolates wouldn't have been so bad, but I over indulged and paid the price on my scale a few days later. I only gained about 2lbs, but when you've worked so hard for something, it isn't hard to beat yourself up over a few pounds. On top of chocolate, I like to have a few beers and depending on the night and situation, I've been known to shoot back a few shots! If you don't know this already, drinking is not going to help you get into that cute swimsuit you've been eyeing in time for summer. It just isn't. So even with all that I've managed to lose 43lbs and keep it off successfully!
I started off at 290 and I'm currently at 247 and I've lost nearly 4 sizes. I started at a 26 in most jeans and I'm now down to an 18 in most brands; there are still a few that don't fit and yes, it makes me mad! Anyway I know many of you on Facebook have been asking for some pics of where I started and where I am and here it is. Mind you I still have another pic or two to take, but this is me at about 255 or so (still a significant loss)! I'll post another comparison picture in the coming month or so... I'm hoping before I go on vacation.
If I can do it, you can do it! Put your heart in it and try and see yourself in new lenses!
You can be a new you too!
Blessings,
Adrian
Anyway, I've made it to under 250 and I've stayed that way and I'm not planning on going back. The month of April was rough in terms of eating... I cheated a lot, but knew when too much was too much. Easter fell on my son's birthday this year, but the worst part was the food at Easter and after, not the birthday food. I don't deprive myself per say, but I give myself 15-20 minutes of distraction and if the want for something isn't quenched then I'll have a bite or a taste. That doesn't happen all the time; I can count on one hand how often that has happened. Well, the Easter candy was calling my name and quite honestly I could have sworn that it screamed my name a few times! I needed that chocolate bad! A few chocolates wouldn't have been so bad, but I over indulged and paid the price on my scale a few days later. I only gained about 2lbs, but when you've worked so hard for something, it isn't hard to beat yourself up over a few pounds. On top of chocolate, I like to have a few beers and depending on the night and situation, I've been known to shoot back a few shots! If you don't know this already, drinking is not going to help you get into that cute swimsuit you've been eyeing in time for summer. It just isn't. So even with all that I've managed to lose 43lbs and keep it off successfully!
I started off at 290 and I'm currently at 247 and I've lost nearly 4 sizes. I started at a 26 in most jeans and I'm now down to an 18 in most brands; there are still a few that don't fit and yes, it makes me mad! Anyway I know many of you on Facebook have been asking for some pics of where I started and where I am and here it is. Mind you I still have another pic or two to take, but this is me at about 255 or so (still a significant loss)! I'll post another comparison picture in the coming month or so... I'm hoping before I go on vacation.
You can be a new you too!
Blessings,
Adrian
Monday, March 17, 2014
Family Vacation (Pt 3)
Greater San Antonio -
Day Three
The night before we
planned out what we wanted to do, but didn't really take into consideration
what we were going to do for lunch and dinner... This can hinder lifestyle
change big time if you're not prepared! On to the good stuff! We spent our
morning touring The Alamo (Our 6yr old loves soldiers and it wasn't as boring
as he thought it was going to be). By the time we left The Alamo grounds it was
nearly noon so it was time to stop for lunch before our lunch turned into
dinner which is not a good thing. We bought tickets to this museum/saloon and
decided that we would just eat there... We had one choice and like I've said
numerous times now, it was the better choice.
Buckhorn Saloon & Museum
- Water w/ Lemon
- Fish Oil and an appetite suppressant
- The appetite suppressant helps a lot when you know you
won't have many opportunities to actually sit down and eat something
decent for most of the day.
- A Chef Salad (we both ordered the same thing and
because it was pre-made, we had to take off the finely shredded cheese!
That was hard! However, the salad was pretty good and super filling as it
was probably all of our veggies for the day in one bowl!
We didn't intend on
staying in San Antonio all day, but we were having a really great time with our
kiddos! The rest of the day we went to the Tomb Rider 3D and because our
daughter is walking and sitting up on her own she got to ride too so no one was
left out! She rode with Daddy and our son rode with me. After that we went into
Ripley's Haunted House, then the Guinness Book of World Records (interactive
family attraction), then we had to re-park the car so we could stay longer and
not pay such a hefty fee... After a 10 or 15 minute walk we resumed with going
to Ripley's Wax Museum, then the Ripley's 4D Movie Theater, and lastly Ripley's
Believe It or Not Museum! Whew! Needless to say it was again a lot of walking
and moving and we still had to walk back to the car (see time frame above). We
didn't officially get out of San Antonio until 9 something at night! And no, I
haven't forgotten about dinner!
In the Car
ASAP
- Water
- Protein Bar
After eating the protein
bar, we decided to hold off on dinner, especially since the kids had snacked on
a pretzel and were already sound asleep in the back of the car. While my
husband was driving back home, I was busy looking up menus of restaurants and
fast food places. Yes, I said fast food. Out of all the choices, McDonald's was
the better choice.
McDonalds
- Water
- Grilled Classic Chicken Wrap (Not too bad, but if ever
ordered again, we would have them 86 the ranch!)
We drove a little
longer, but we just couldn't keep driving, so we stayed the night at Super 8 in
Temple, TX.
Breakfast- Day Three
I will admit that
breakfast is a lot easier to do at home! There wasn't too many places to choose
from in terms of breakfast so we stopped at Dennys. We will probably never do
that again and if we do, we will order our food completely differently! And for
sure we probably won't stop at that particular location again. Here was our
order and we shared this.
Dennys
- Make your own skillet - red skinned potatoes,
jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, spinach, pico de gallo, zucchini, yellow
squash, avocado, and 2 eggs over medium.
- This is just not healthy! We would have been better
off ordering off the A La Carte menu, there was just too much oil and
stuff on it. This would be great made at home though!
From there it only took
us an hour or so to get to my husband's grandparent's house and because we'd
just eaten we shared a protein bar for a snack before having an early dinner.
We went to his parent's house to eat dinner, this is what we had:
Easy Dinner
- Water w/ Lemon
- 2 cups of salad per person
- 2 cups of mixed veggies per person (English cucumber,
tomato, onion, celery, green bell pepper, and white button mushrooms
- 1 grilled sirloin hamburger patty per person
Here is the amazing
thing... When I left I was still in between 266.6 and 267.4 and because we
consistently chose to make the better choice, we both came back thinner! As of
this morning, I am 264lbs! I haven't been under 265 in what feels like forever!
That is -26lbs since February 10th, 2014!
You can be a new you
too!
Blessings,
Adrian Graves
Family Vacation (Pt 2)
Theme Park Dining: Sea
World - Day Two
Our first fun trip was
to spend the day at Sea World! The last trip my husband and I had was before
kids and the trip was a nightmare! I can say that this trip was awesome and we
only had a few minor hiccups! It was so nice seeing our children smile and
laugh throughout the day! Anyway, we were aware that eating was probably going
to be an issue since many theme park places don't offer many healthy dining
choices. Sea World actually has a dining venue that offers healthier choices.
It's all about making the better choice and not beating yourself up because it
doesn't 100% fit in with your lifestyle change. We ordered 2 meals and split
them. Here is what we did at Sea World:
Sea World
- Water (Throughout the day)
- Turkey Wrap (All of their items are pre-made, but easy
to pull apart and it is still the better choice!)
- Too Much Wrap- Unfold your wrap and tear off the
excess tortilla or flat bread. This is what I did! Many places give you
more carbohydrates as a filler which also fills your tummy and breaks
down into sugar and stores itself into your thighs, butt, gut, and
wherever else it can try to hide! However your clothes and the way you
feel will always seek the extra fat out!
- 9 Grain Turkey Sandwich with a Pico type relish on the
side
- Too Much Bread- Deconstruct it by throwing away the
other piece and only have a half of a slice of bread (make sure it's
whole wheat or grain. NO WHITE BREAD! White bread is a weight loss killer
and not in a good way! So like I said we split this sandwich, basically
my husband and I split one piece of bread and had the meat and stuff that
came on it (Not a piece of bread per person to equal two pieces but one
piece split in half.
- Once we were leaving we each had a protein bar and more
water.
We walked Sea World at
least 4 times from 10:15 to about 5:30ish! That was about 6 1/2hours of walking
and only about 45 minutes of total sitting! That is something that I wouldn't
have been able to do in the past! It felt great! All that walking created an
appetite!
Restaurant #2
By the time we left we
were ready to eat! Seafood is a good choice for us most of the time because we
can get it grilled and don't have to consume all the extra fats and such. We
went to Sea Island Shrimp House and it was pretty good! Not a whole bunch of
healthier options, but again, we made to better decision.
Sea Island Shrimp House
- Water w/ Lemon
- Split a side salad (Just veggies and dressing on the
side see above)
- Entree #1: Diablo spiced grilled shrimp (5oz)
- Entree #2: Grilled Salmon between (4 and 5oz)
- Sides for Entree #1: Plain baked potato (we split the
potato and used a small packet of butter and seasoning) and steamed
zucchini and yellow squash w/ seasoning
Part 3 of Family Vacation will be posted next!
You can be a new you too!
Blessings,
Adrian Graves
Family Vacation (Pt 1)
Our son had spring break and like most families we decided to get out of town for a bit, but we had to let him recover from having the flu first. Having a kid with the flu and trying to stay on track with a serious food life change can be a little challenging. I'll admit, there were days that I didn't eat until dinner time and even worse some days I didn't even stop to drink water because I was so preoccupied with keeping him as well as possible. We weren't dealing with low-grade fevers... We're talking nearly 104.0! Dangerously high for anyone let alone a child. Anyway on Wednesday the 12th of March he had been fever free for 24 hours and we were set to leave on our short family vacation the very next day.
As some of you may know it can be difficult to eat well and travel (road trip). Many people want to snack the whole way to their destination and then pig out while they are away from home. I wasn't willing to pay the hefty consequences for doing that so I planned accordingly...
On the Road - Day One
In the car we had bottled water and our protein bars, not chips, or trail mix, or nuts, nothing like that. Many of the "healthy" items larger people buy for these type of occasions are not really that healthy and cause more weight gain.
Restaurant #1
When we were closer to our destination, San Antonio, (we actually stayed about 20 miles out, Universal City) we stopped to have dinner at Dennys. Yes, we still eat out. We make the better decision... Our better decision was to order one entree and split it. Here is our order at Dennys:
As some of you may know it can be difficult to eat well and travel (road trip). Many people want to snack the whole way to their destination and then pig out while they are away from home. I wasn't willing to pay the hefty consequences for doing that so I planned accordingly...
On the Road - Day One
In the car we had bottled water and our protein bars, not chips, or trail mix, or nuts, nothing like that. Many of the "healthy" items larger people buy for these type of occasions are not really that healthy and cause more weight gain.
Restaurant #1
When we were closer to our destination, San Antonio, (we actually stayed about 20 miles out, Universal City) we stopped to have dinner at Dennys. Yes, we still eat out. We make the better decision... Our better decision was to order one entree and split it. Here is our order at Dennys:
Denny's
- Water w/ Lemon (It helps reduce your bill and fatten your wallet not your waist!)
- A side salad (we didn't split this as we need the veggies to help with other bodily functions and weight loss) w/o cheese or croutons and light/lite dressing on the side (It's better to order a vinaigrette or Italian instead of creamy dressings like Ranch, Blue Cheese, or Thousand Island)
- Dressing tip: Dip your fork first and then fork up some salad. You'll use less dressing which equals losing more weight in the end! Anyway to get closer to your goal!
- 8oz Steak split equally (about 4oz a per person, but since we had red meat on Wednesday that meant we couldn't have it again until Friday. It's good to switch it up anyway.)
- A choice of 2 sides: Steamed broccoli and Steamed yellow squash and zucchini (We split both sides into equal portions)
- Steamed or Sauteed? Always, Always go with steamed if you can! Many restaurants think that to sautee something means they have to drench it in butter and flavored oils. Also make sure that they don't add butter to their steamed veggies as some places add it to increase the flavor. You can have flavor w/o butter and oils.
Part 2 of Family Vacation will be posted next!
You can be a new you too!
Blessings,
Adrian Graves
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
LifeStyle Change
Wow! How bad am I at blogging?!?!? So, here it is! So after the holidays and all those yummy foods I weighed in at a whopping 290ish pounds - GROSS! Even though I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions, I made a big one for our family... The resolution was to eat more meals at home than we do out. Then I became involved in a biblical experiment if you will and that encouraged me to take the resolution farther. No fast food for 7 days. That turned into no fast food for 13 days and then we didn't have fast food for even longer. That was back in January when I was still weighing in at about 290.
My husband who is also over-weight was like we've got to get thinner and of course I was like "No duh!" Because I'm really encouraging him to become the spiritual leader and really the head of the household, I conceded and told him we would start a "diet" on Monday February 10, 2014. That meant no CHOCOLATE or SUSHI for Valentine's Day! Boo! I was nervous, but wanted to follow his direction. We have been doing our "diet" since that Monday and let me tell you, we feel fabulous!
My personal weight loss is -23 lbs (267) with little to no exercise! My husband is at a -34 lbs lost! I'm not going to push diet pills on you, or tell you "all you have to do is sprinkle this on your food" or drink some kind of magic weight loss elixir. What I will tell you is it has to do with eating the foods you were always meant to eat. What, you mean all I had to do this whole time was eat better? Yes, that is exactly what I'm telling you.
This is NOT a DIET! This IS a LIFESTYLE change!
The first three days weren't the worst and they are definitely a game changer in terms of changing perspective. Those days are cleanse days with a lot of meat, a lot of water, raw green veggies, and two oranges! The only supplements we take are Fish Oil and my husband likes to take Zantrax occasionally. When I said the first three days change your perspective on things, it really does. So for our Valentine's Day date we went to Cotton Patch. Typically I would have ordered Chips and Queso, a coke, and an Entree a piece. This time we ordered water with lemon, one side salad, and a baked potato (we quartered the potato). We started looking around at all the orders around us and were like "Wow, how did we ever eat that much before?" This lifestyle changes doesn't require you to starve like other diets. We were satisfied with sharing a side salad and a quarter of a LARGE baked potato (No sour cream, cheese, or bacon! Just chives and a little butter).
I'm proud to say that this is something that is attainable for everyone if you just put your mind to it. Finding recipes and making them work can be challenging, but there are so many ways to cook healthily! What is so awesome about this is that there has not been one single moment that I've been alone in this journey! I want to praise God for his faithfulness, my husband for being so awesome and encouraging, my friends, my friends from all the little church small groups I'm in, and my family. If I've forgotten anyone, thank your for your encouraging words and support!
You can be a new you too!
Blessings,
Adrian Graves
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