Not a sprint

This week was a good week for us! In total we lost 5 pounds - and no one gained anything!

I know when you start a weight-loss routine, you want to see big numbers, fast. Biggest Loser seems to be all about that - but I'm not.

For most of us, we aren't talking about losing 5 pounds. Each of us wants to lose much more than that. When we embarked on this journey, we started a marathon. Not a sprint.

Studies (and those pesky doctors!) show that the key to life-long weight loss and maintenance is slow and steady loss - at 1-2 pounds a week.

Anything more than that, and I worry.

Remember the week I lost 3 pounds? Gained one back the following week - just sayin'!

Sure, I'd like to up my weight loss to two pounds a week for a bit - to get back on track with the overall goal, but I'm not stressing over it. A pound a week is healthy and maintainable - and that's what this is all about!

Operation Muffin Top.

One of my running friends Taolo told me today that she was beginning "Operation Muffin Top." She made a list of things she was no longer doing: dinner after 8pm, no ice cream, no double bacon BLT's... basically it was a list of what she was giving up. I laughed out loud.

Taolo runs marathons. She's probably 5'4" and weighs around 115-120lbs. She's thin, she runs, but lately apparently she has been indulging a little too much. I doubt if I saw her today I would notice the difference but this new kick of hers is getting me thinking.

I also want to get rid of my muffin top. And that gross overhang that happens under your arms/top of your chest when you have tank tops on.

In that vein here are the strides I took this past week:
-Had no soda even though I was dying too.
-Drank only 1 beer all week. (This is huge, since I normally drink at least 10)
-If I got a fancy coffee I did non-fat. Only did it once.
-Walked away from a 6-pack of chocolate frosted donuts despite that they were calling my name outloud.
-Included non-running workouts this week: Yoga, an hour at the batting cages, etc.

Of course this past week has also been that awesome time of the month. So I'm craving everything in sight and am cramping an miserable. Not to mention after my hour at the batting cages my back is super sore. Josh and I couldn't figure out why we were sore all day yesterday. Oh yeah, its because we are old.

So in honor of Taolo I shall join her in "Operation Muffin Top." Just makes me laugh saying it.

I just wanted some flavor!

I spent most of last week trying to cook tasty, healthy meals and had a a lot of fun doing it. But I was really looking forward to Date Night on Friday so that I could take a rest from the forced creativity and try new foods that could inspire me for more dishes. I told Kevin I wanted something "ethnic" mainly because I was craving "exotic" flavors that I don't normally use to cook.

Apparently, he wasn't feeling the same cravings. After a drawn-out hunt for a restaurant, we finally ended up at some bar and grill. Bratty Natty reared her ugly head and, though I should be more grateful since Kevin was paying, I was pissed that he won the "what should we eat for dinner." In my defense, I cooked him dinner all week - at my expense. I don't think it's asking too much to take my desires into consideration.

Anyway, I was too tired to fight and starving so I gave in and we ate at "Harpo's," a cool patio bar and grill that would have been fine with me last summer, but just upset me this time. I looked at the menu and pretty much started crying.

It was your usual bar and grill food: nachos, burgers, chicken tenders and dinner salads. There was nothing exotic and nothing healthy. Maybe I'm just bored with the usual food at places like that, or maybe my taste buds are maturing, but nothing on the menu looked appetizing. Nothing. I had saved almost 1000 calories for that meal and I was going to waste it on a patty melt? No, thank you.

I've decided (and I know this is hardly a food revelation) that restaurants have us "addicted" to grease. They take food - normal, yummy food - fry it, and tell us it's tasty. For some reason we believe them. But, after several months of no fried foods, I am over it. Potato cut up and dripping with grease? It's just gross to me now. I tried one of Kevin's fries. It tasted familiar, but was so close to the roasted potatoes I'd made a couple of nights before that it just wasn't worth it. Plus, it was boring. There was nothing creative about it. No hint of rosemary or taste of basil to be had.

I ordered a chicken taco salad, no sour cream and skipped the (FRIED) taco shell that it came in. I asked for extra salsa and it came with jalapenos. At least it had some flavor. But it's a food I serve myself at least once a week at home. Sigh.

Part of me feels bad. I never wanted to change my eating so much that it affected Kevin and made it difficult for me to enjoy a night out. But after cooking things with real flavor I just can't justify asking Kevin to spend his money on such gross foods.

Whose idea was it, anyway, to take wonderful foods, slap them together, fry them and call it dinner? With a side of fries?

A few of this week's meals

A culinary experiment now dubbed "Yin Yang eggs" ... I made 'em twice this week. The first time, like this, but I scrambled them after the photo. They second time I "fried" them (really just put a lid on the skillet and let them steam themselves. I left the yolk runny the second time and just LOVED the rich yolk taste. I added a bowl of Quaker Oats High Fiber Cinnamon Swirl oatmeal both days, but will be switched back to reduced-sugar instant oatmeal (subtract 50 calories!). 265 calories, 35 carbs, 7 fat grams, 16 grams of protein


Monday's dinner was a grilled lemon pepper fish fillet, cooked green beans and carrots, red pepper "chips" (just chopped red pepper) and salsa, 2/3 cup of milk, and a bowl of fruit for dessert. Oh, and a side of Legal Ethics, of course! 399 calories, 63 carbs, 4 fat grams, 30 grams of protein


I wasn't feeling very creative for last night's dinner, but I'm pretty pleased with the final result. I challenged myself to do a creative take on buffalo wings (super low-cal themselves!) so I made buffalo drumsticks, cream of celery "risotto" and cheese bread (next time I need a bleu cheese element, but I didn't have any in the fridge). 350 calories, 59 carbs, 5 fat grams, 16 grams of protein



This morning's breakfast: A main dish of Legal Ethics (exam tomorrow!), 1 cup egg substitute, green onions, 1/8 cup reduced fat cheese, 1 tbsp Hormel Bacon bits, 2 slices of Wonder Lite wheat bread and a tsp sugar-free preserves. 278 calories, 22 carbs, 3 fat grams, 33 protein

Other meals this week included:
- Pork chops served on a bed of steamed cabbage and raisins
- Tomato Lima Bean Parmigiana from my new bean cookbook (recipe still needs work, and I revamping the leftovers for lunch today)
- Pulled pork tenderloin made from a recipe I got in Taste of Home magazine - SO GOOD!

Food changes

Something is off this week ... I've been limiting my calories to 1300 for months, but lately it's not working for me! In fact, I have exceeded my daily calorie allowance every day this week. No bueno.

Thank goodness for my calorie tracker! Thanks to the daily journal I keep online, I can study my eating habits and see if there are any applicable changes that could possibly be the culprit. And I found a suspect!

This past week I shifted to a new oatmeal for breakfast. Previously, I ate reduced-sugar instant oatmeal (can't stand the "real" stuff - sorry oatmeal snobs). Last time I was at the grocery store I found a high-fiber instant oatmeal and thought I'd give it a swirl. Fiber keeps you fuller longer, right? It has 50 more calories but I figured the trade off would be worth it. Time to go back to the reduced sugar.

Also, I ate a REAL egg a couple of times this week. I've been having a hard time getting the right amount of fat so I figured shifting to one real egg a day would work (eggs are our friends again). I will say, eating a yolk in my eggs was pretty wonderful - so rich and yummy. No idea I missed it that much.

Weigh/Measurement Day.

So the last 7 weeks I've been in medical limbo. Several tests and procedures later I am happy to announce that I don't have cancer. My last biopsy stated that I was the stage directly prior to actual cancer but they cut it out so hopefully we took care of it. Of course with the advent of a procedure that burns out 1/5 of my cervix I was sort of out of commission... and a little depressed. I wasn't allowed to work out for two weeks, didn't actually work out for 3. And then of course, I'd eat my feelings. Not to mention since I work for a beer company I drink a lot. So my weight went up a tad. I'm not proud of it.

My clothes still fit. I still wear a 10. Just not looking as good as I used to when we started this business and I didn't take it seriously. So today I took my measurements (as recommended by rockstar Natalie) and weighed myself for the first time in months. Ugh. It's gross, really.

So here they are (I only did 5):
Arm: 12 inches
Thigh: 25 inches
Waist: 34 inches
Hip: 43 inches
Bust: 42 inches
Weight: 182.5

Wish me luck as I actually start to take this seriously. I need to catch up with Natalie!! :)

Weigh Day ...

Well, here we are - hoping to find ourselves another pound closer to our goal!

I weighed in at 169 today. But, I will not judge this week until I see next week's number. :-) I have added strength training to my routine and have been doing A LOT of muscle work this week.

Today was also Measurement Day for the month ... which is why I'm not too bummed about not losing any weight this week.

My Measurements:
Waist: 31.5 ... overall decrease of 8.5 inches
Hips: 42.5 ... overall decrease of 4.75
Thigh: 22 ... overall decrease of 6.5 inches
Calf: 15.5 ... overall decrease of 1.75
Upper Arm: 13 ... overall decrease of 2.5 inches
Push ups: TBD
Crunches: TBD

Last Month:
Waist: 33 inches
Hips: 43.5 inches
Thigh: 24.5 inches
Calf: 16 inches
Upper Arm: 13 inches
Push ups: 9
Crunches: 20

Starting Points:
Weight: 195 lbs
Waist: 40 inches
Hips: 47.25 inches
Thigh: 28.5 inches
Upper Arm: 15.5 inches
Calf: 17.25 inches
Push ups: 4
Crunches: 15

I have included a photo of myself taken when I was 14 ... 13 years ago, the last time I was this size. Please, don't judge the glasses.

Tomorrow is Measurement Day!

I have read a lot about why weight can be a misleading number. Turning fat into muscle can actually make you gain weight, right? Sure. But I still use my scale weekly and will continue to do so because when you start out weighing 195 pounds, you really do need to look at that number! I didn't want to turn all of my fat into muscle, I want it gone!

However, as we work to gain muscle and lose fat it can make a difference from one week to the next ... especially since our goal is to lose a pound each week.

So, besides tracking my weight, I measure myself with a tape measure each month. Tomorrow happens to be that day! Feel free to join me and write down your numbers.

Here is what I will be measuring:
Waist: I measure at my belly button so I can be consistent and leave my tummy relaxed (no sucking in!)
Hips: I measure at the roundest part of my butt.
Upper Arm: I measure right at the middle between my elbow and shoulder
Calf: The largest part
Thigh: Pick one, and measure the roundest part
Push ups: Do as many as you can in one minute; for a woman ages 20-29 doing 34-48 modified push ups is "good" any more is "excellent"
Crunches: Do as many as you can in one minute; for a woman younger than 35 doing 40 is "good" and 50 is "excellent"

Tape measures only cost a couple of dollars and can be purchased at a craft/sewing store. Sparkpeople.com has one you can print out, but I'd be afraid of paper cuts!

No no no

You know, I don't quite know how to take my last post.

Snack attack happen, I understand that, and I definitely don't advocate denying yourself food when you really want it. But my munchie binge last night was just weird and, I've decided, unacceptable. When I gave myself permission to snack, as long as the choices were healthy, it seemed to give my hand a freedom it's been wanting for a long time. My hands dug into every snack item in my house!

Bad, Hand!

Rather than compensate for what is clearly a bad study habit, shouldn't I work to break it? Shouldn't I work on curbing my snack cravings at 10 p.m.? Yes!

So I am going to try a compromise: Snacking is allowed, in moderation, during study times. But only before 9 p.m. (I usually go to bed after midnight so that's no eating 3 hours before bed). If I just can't fight the urge, I will chew gum and gulp water.

Keep on me, girls! This habit is worse than smoking and I need to break it!!!

Study time means strategy time

What is it about studying that gives me the munchies???

So far this evening, after a scrumptious dinner, I have still found the need to eat a bowl of cereal (Fiber One for it's benefits) and a bowl of popcorn. I am 134 calories over my limit ... and finals haven't even started yet!

Time for a plan of attack!

I am penning a grocery list as I type:
peppers
tomatoes
carrots
salsa
fruit
salad mix
tuna (salad with tuna is super flavorful and low-cal)

I think the best way to approach this, if I can't muster the will power to stop myself, will be to change up my routine a bit during finals.

We have two weeks full of hard core studying and the only breaks are for the exams themselves. I only drive to school for the tests and spend the rest of the time at home, studying. So, instead of eating organized meals, I will deconstruct it all and eat my usual through out the day.

Add in a few short exercise breaks to get the blood flowing and I hope I can make it through the next 3 weeks on track! I don't have a lot of hope for this week, but maybe I can fix things for next!

Lessons at the half-way mark

If someone was to join us today, what would you tell them about tricks to success?

I've thought of ten things:
1. Set attainable, realistic goals
2. Take a before picture.
3. Buy a scale.
4. Gather a team of supporters
5. Be ready to be different
6. Track your calories.
7. Eat breakfast. Every day.
8. Don't make drastic changes.
9. Drink water. Lots of water.
10. Don't use food as a reward for "good behavior."

1. Set attainable, realistic goals:

Crazy workout plans and crash diets just don't garner garner success. Most times, when you are making drastic changes in your life, it is best to make them gradually. If your goal is to be healthier, then weight loss will be a side effect of that. But when your only goal is to lose a lot of weight, you aren't making life changes that will be permanent.

Setting small-term goals along your ultimate path will yield major motivation as you go along. Maybe it's fitting into your skinny jeans or being able to wear shorts without constantly tugging down the inseam. Maybe it's being able to run a 5k or just walk a mile. It doesn't matter. When you see yourself hit each goal, you feel invincible.

2. Take a before picture.
I wish I had done this. Instead, I took my "before" after losing 20 pounds. It's hard for me to see the changes in my body and I still see "Fatalie" when I look in the mirror. I wish I had a way to spot the changes at a glance.

3. Buy a scale.
When I was scale-less for a month, I floundered, lost, with no idea how I was doing. It's important not to become obsessed with the scale, but if you are trying to lose weight, there really is no other way to track it. You have to weigh yourself! Everything I've read says to do this routinely, but not obsessively. I weigh myself once a week because my plan is to lose a pound each week.

There was a long time in my life when I argued scales were monsters. I refused to weigh myself unless I was at the doctor. For years I didn't know how much I weighed. Which means I didn't know just how overweight I truly was. The scale isn't the enemy! When treated right, a scale is your teammate and will help you stay on track.

4. Gather a team of supporters.

Whether it's a blog group like 50n50 or something like Sparkpeople, Weight Watchers, or a church group, having supporters, cheerleaders and competitors is very important. Accountability is important and a network like the Ladies in Weighting provides that. When I don't lose my pound each week, I feel like I let my girls down and I work extra hard the next week to make up for it.

5. Be ready to be different.
This has been really hard for me. I was ready to be skinny and ready to be healthy, but I honestly wasn't ready to lose weight. For one thing, my mental image of myself isn't changing as it should. That holds me back at times when motivation is hard to find.

Also, bluntly put, losing weight isn't cheap. I'm not talking about buying low fat (often a trap, so be careful!), but losing weight means your clothes don't fit and that means you have to shop for more. Sure, you can thrift-store it, but is someone else's stretched out clothes really a good guide for your new size?

6. Track your calories.
This is the thing that annoys most people - mainly because it is a drastic change to your routine. But it truly is key! They average person burns 10 times their weight in calories (their RMR). If you weigh 200 pounds, you are probably burning 2000 a day (more if you're active!). To lose one pound, you need to burn 3500 calories. In order to do this in a week without adding exercise to your day, you need to limit calorie consumption to 1500 calories. The only way to know if you are doing this is to track those calories!

Working out doesn't mean you can skip this either.Working out increases your appetite and makes you think it's ok to eat more because you "worked it off." But if you aren't tracking, how do you know you aren't eating too much more?

Also, as you lose weight, your RMR lessens. You burn fewer calories in a day. This means your daily allotment decreases as you lose weight and you need to track as you lessen what you're allowed. Of course, as this happens you need to increase your exercise, I honestly just can't stress how important it is to know what you take in and what you are burning in order to plan your meals.

7. Eat breakfast. Every day.
I actually credit breakfast as the reason I lost the first 10-15 pounds. Eating breakfast every day was the most major change I made in my life. I honestly rarely ate breakfast on weekdays. Coffee was all I had until I was ravenous at lunchtime. Basically, skipping that meal was starving my body. When I finally did feed it, my body hoarded all the calories, preparing itself for the next famine.

Nowadays, I make myself a pretty big breakfast of scrambled eggs with bacon bits and oatmeal or cereal. I average 240 calories, but am not starving at all when lunch rolls around. I don't engorge myself on bad things at lunch, and I'm generally more energized for the day.

8. Plan each meal.
Because I eat a significant breakfast and am faced with a limited budget and really bad food choices for lunch I find that packing my lunch each evening helps me plan the day. I put the foods into my calorie tracker on Sparkpeople.com and use the remaining calories form my daily budget to plan a suitable dinner. THEN, I use leftovers from that dinner for the next day's lunch (usually more than the amount I ate for dinner because lunch should actually be a more substantial meal than dinner - I know, mind-blowing - because we use the calories to finish out our day).

9. Drink water. Lots of water.
I hate water. But, I have noticed that when I consistently drink 8 glasses of water a day, I consistently lose weight. As much as it pains me to say this, drinking water is very important in all of this.

10. Don't use food as a reward for "good behavior."
Rewards are important. Just don't let them derail you! Just this week, I almost did it. I wanted a doughnut badly, so I almost let myself have one as a reward for losing 5 pounds in one week. Luckily, reason prevailed. I don't advocate depriving yourself of life's pleasures. If you want a doughnut, go get yourself a doughnut (deprivation will just make you bitter!). But make sure you put it in your calorie tracker and adjust your other meals accordingly.

Instead of using that doughnut as a reward, however, go buy a new shirt! Or get a pedicure! Buy yourself a yoga mat or something fun that will also add to your healthy habits. Sure food feels good in the moment, but that reward will only make you feel bad later - and derail the success you're celebrating. You should feel proud following a milestone, not guilty.

Shock and awe-some!

ARE U KIDDING? ARE YOU SURE?
That would be what I hollered at my super scale this morning when the numbers appeared. Clearly in disbelief, I stepped off, let it clear and stepped on again.

WOW! WHOA! FOR REAL?!?

The weight came up, but there was an E where my body fat% should be, so I stepped off and let it clear for a third measurement, hoping against hope that it would say the same thing a third time ...

Still an E in the bottom corner, but also still 168.8 in the big numbers across the screen! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Considering how disappointing the numbers have been the past few weeks, losing 5 pounds in one week seems shocking. But I'll definitely take it! I recreated my face and took a photo for your enjoyment ;-)

Each of the past few weeks I was honestly somewhat surprised when the scale didn't show any lose. Sure, there wasn't as much exercise, but there wasn't as much eating either. Looking back now, I think the issue was stress.

On the Biggest Loser, they always say stress makes you retain water and such and I'm taking that to heart. I bought a yoga mat last night and did some poses and slept better than I have in weeks. Sadie worked out with me - she also slept pretty soundly.

This has been a wonderful week for me, full of affirmation and motivation. Also, it means that I am more than half way down the path to reaching my goal!!! Technically I should weight 164 today, if I were officially on schedule, but since I was so behind the last few weeks (8.8 pounds behind last week), I am thrilled to be catching up!

I hope everyone has a good week, too.  Just don't let it stress you - because that might be what's holding you back!

Yoga-tta check this out!

Another gem from one of my many online subscriptions: Yoga positions for women - particularly a position or two to help relieve menstrual cramps! This one comes from Women's Health and is fabulous.

Check out the entire slideshow here!

Garland Pose: To relieve tummy troubles like cramps.

Half Lord of the Flies: Improves digestion and increase blood flow in the low belly.

She's my Cherry Pie

To celebrate Spring, the beautiful days we've been having, and my blossoming cherry tree, I invited a couple of friends over for a burger cookout this afternoon. I have a wonderful deck in front of the house that is right under the cherry tree and since the weather is perfect, I got really excited.

So excited, in fact, that I postponed studying for finals (two weeks away!!!) and baked a cherry pie instead.

Of course, you know me. It wasn't a regular cherry pie. It was a Hungry Girl low-cal, high fiber cherry pie! We haven't eaten it yet, and after seeing the finished product I have no idea how pretty it will be once served in slices, but who cares if it tastes half as good as it looks now?

I didn't have whip cream so I figure it's even less than the 90 calories Hungry Girl states. Also, since I don't have a blender or food processor, I put the Fiber One in a ziploc bag and hit it with the back end of a spoon. After ten minutes of that - and a lot of jumping around to 90s music - I'm pretty sure I burned the 90 calories!

YAY SPRING!!!

That girl's a 10!

I've found myself holding my jeans up from inside my pockets lately... and you know what that means!!!

I went shopping for a new size and can officially announce that I am a size 10!!!

I haven't been a size ten since middle school ... more than half my lifetime ago.

In a previous lifetime, I used to tell my boyfriend that we had to get married if I ever got down to a size 10 ... because it was my dream. Because I figured it was the best I could do. Because I wanted my wedding photos of me at my best. Because I figured my body was naturally meant to be a size 16 and anything lower than a 10 would be pushing it too much past it's natural state.

At the store today, I grabbed 5 pairs of pants and skirts in size ten, but they just looked so small that I grabbed a few size 12s, also. I first tried on a cute skirt that was all springy and lovely - and a size ten - and was just shocked when I was able to button and zip it! The next skirt fit too! But I was still nervous - there is more to being a size ten than the waist ... Gulping audibly, I grabbed a pair of Lee jeans ... and slowly stepped into them. Imagine my surprise when they slid right on!

All five 10s fit - the waist of each one felt so small in my hands that I'm still shocked! I didn't think it would be possible.

How cool is it that I moved down to a size 10 on April 10, 2010????

Downer of a weigh day, not in a good way

Another disappointing Weigh Day for several of us. Sigh.

My numbers were:
173.8 pounds, BMI: 29.2, Water: 45.6, Body Fat: 37.2 and Bone: 5.4

Compared to last week's:
Weight 173.5, BMI: 29.0, Water: 45.2, Body Fat: 36.7, Bone: 5.0

For my part, I know what I did wrong: I didn't exercise nearly as much as I have been. In all honesty, it's been a week since I last really hit the pavement in an effort to burn calories.

I have no one to blame but myself - let's face it.

More lessons learned

In the mornings, while I eat breakfast and get mentally ready for the day, I read a lot about health, fitness and weight loss. I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means, but I have really learned a lot the past 6 months.

One thing: as you lose weight, you burn less calories naturally. The guide I've read the most says to take your weight and multiply it by ten to get the number of calories you burn in a day. For me that would be 1738. Add more calories if you are pretty active. This gives you the number of calories you should be eating to maintain your current weight. Eat less to lose.

But the most interesting fact I've learned while reading up on all of this is that cardio work isn't enough. Many people think that the only way to lose weight is to do lots of cardio, but that just isn't the case. We've got to work on muscle building as well.

Myself, I am afraid of gaining muscle because I know it weighs more than fat and I'm afraid it will make me even bigger. But that's silly talk. Every mythbuster article I've read addresses that exact myth!

The more muscle we have, the more calories we burn. So, as we lose weight, we need to be working on increasing my muscle mass through strength training. This is also important because women lose muscle mass as they get older unless they work to fight the loss.

Nothing taxing, just relaxing

The weather has been fascinating in Kansas this past week, and with it my body has been going haywire. Kansas is well-known for severe thunderstorms and such, but what may be less well-known is the affect these storms can have on the body.



Honestly, I have no scientific data other than my own observations, but as amazing as thunderstorms are, they do a number on my body. Without fail, when the clouds come rolling across the plains, I am guaranteed to need serious bed rest. I get fatigued and feel aches in every joint, my head becomes my enemy and my stomach is hardly my friend either.

This week has been one of those weeks. I spent the day home sick because I've been fighting a fever since Sunday night. I slept most of the day and woke up outrageously sore - more than when I went to sleep last night - in every joint. I decided I needed to try some stretching.

A few weeks ago, back when I still had a little money, I ordered a yoga dvd off Amazon. I didn't want pilates or cardio yoga - I wanted stress relief and was excited to buy "Yoga for Stress Relief" by Barbara Benagh. Monday mornings are pretty relaxed for me and I thought a relaxing yoga routine would help me ease into my hard weeks. While I haven't managed to fit it into my routine yet, I did put it in the dvd player this afternoon and enjoyed a routine to relieve neck, upper back, and shoulder tension. All I had to do was lay on my back and lift my arms and twist a bit - nothing taxing and very relaxing.

The next month, I can already predict, will be full of stress. Finals start in two weeks and there are numerous money issues hitting me (like the fact that I have no money coming in for summer school, much less living expenses!). Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. Clearly I need yoga in my life. When I was in junior high I did a wake up routine every morning and really saw improvements in my attitude, appearance and abilities.

50n50 is about more than weight loss to me. It's about promoting a healthy lifestyle - and that includes stress management. Numerous studies show that law school causes depression in a majority of students. Honestly, going into it depressed means I'm guaranteed to have a hard time just maintaining the right attitude about things. As a lawyer, stress will be an everyday part of life and it's good that I get a handle on things now.

Since starting 50n50, I have re-prioritized many things in my life - meal planning and exercising to name a couple. But now it's time to prioritize stress management - even if it's stressful at first.

I need a plan of action, not reaction. I need to plan groceries before I get so deep into studying that I can't stop and end up eating fast food or pizza. I need to schedule down time - like a park afternoon or a tennis game. And I need to have things ready to start studying so that I am spending my time wisely reviewing, instead of teaching myself things I missed.

But right now, I need a shower before Biggest Loser and I need to rest. Man, my head is heavy!

Even my dog didn't want to go for a run!

I went for my first 6am run this morning. Even my dog looked pissed that we were running that early. She just wanted her post wake-up nap. I normally run right after I get home from work around 6pm, which means I don't eat until 7:30-8pm, sit down for homework at 8:30 and off to bed at 10. Cleaning the house, socializing, playing with the dog, gardening...nope, no time!

There just isn't enough hours in the day, so I have to change things up a bit. If I'm going to make working out a part of my life, I need to make sure it doesn't take up my life. I need time for the 3 H's...Homework, Housework and (soon-to-be) Husband. If I don't make time for the 3 H's, they get neglected and then I stop working out to catch up, then I just stop working out in general because once you stop it is hard to start again...it's a vicious cycle.

Starting now I am getting up 40 minutes earlier to add a 2-3 mile run at least 4 times a week. Then I can mix it up with long walks, bike rides or yoga on the weekends. Sounds like a good plan, right? I will have to figure something else out once it gets cold again, but I don't want to even think about that now. I'm too busy basking in the beautiful warm and sunny weather and enjoying an early morning jog, even if my dog isn't.

Glory! Glory!

This weekend Kevin and I were out getting last minute things for the party and stopped for a quick bite to eat at Foster's Grill in a suburb south of Kansas City. Foster's is home of the chargrilled something - basically fast food that isn't fast and what looked like tasty burgers.

After studying the menu, I decided on a veggie burger (a lot of sodium can be hiding in those by the way!), no side and a water with lemon. As we waited the 12 minutes for our food to be ready (yes, they tell you it will be twelve minutes), I watched fellow diners and took note of what they were eating.

I wasn't thinking about obesity, though there were examples of that on show. No, I just was looking at the decisions my fellow diners had made. The place was full - I'm pretty sure it was new - and everything smelled amazing. But watching people drink soda, eat at least 500 calories of french fries AND take huge bites of mayonnaise-covered burgers really just made me sad.

If people were more educated about the nutritional information in food, would they make the same choices? I saw it a lot of the first few episodes of this Biggest Loser season: They were always shocked by the number of calories in the food they ate. And to be honest, I've become pretty calorie-fascinated as I've progressed. "Can you believe there are that many calories in that little bag?" "There is only 60 calories in this, how awesome is that?!?"

Well, I didn't even know it was a dream, but it looks like it's finally coming true. Did you know that THIS is part of the Healthcare Bill that just passed? Do you hear the angels singing? Can I get an AMEN?!?

Here is an excerpt to the awesomeness!

Calorie Data to Be Posted at Most Chains
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
Published: March 23, 2010

Buried deep in the health care legislation that President Obama signed on Tuesday is a new requirement that will affect any American who walks into a McDonald’s, Starbucks or Burger King. Every big restaurant chain in the nation will now be required to put calorie information on their menus and drive-through signs.

In other words, as soon as 2011 it will be impossible to chomp down on a Big Mac without knowing that it contains over 500 calories, more than a quarter of the Agriculture Department’s 2,000-calorie daily guideline.

The legislation also requires labels on food items in vending machines, meaning that anybody tempted by a king-size Snickers bar will know up front that it packs 440 calories.

New member

Wow ... I am a terrible hostess.

Let's all give a big welcome to our new member, BEN!

Ben is Tara's husband and would like us to be tracking his progress along with hers. He aims to be 220 pounds by April 2011.

All together now:

WELCOME, BEN!

Making it right with date night

I know you're wondering how well I abstained yesterday - and I give myself a B-.

By midnight, when I still wasn't half finished but beginning to doze, I hit up a serving of hot tamales - purely to keep me awake! I read somewhere that for long road trips and stuff cinnamon candy is good to keep you from dozing.

Overall, my daily intake was:
1,472 calories 246 carbs 19 fat 72 protein

It would have been a lot worse had I not stopped myself in the early afternoon. I know me. I would have probably eaten then entire box of candy by the time I finished my paper!

Generally, I eat 1300 calories or less. On Friday and Saturday, however, I allow myself 1500. Not tonight! Since I "splurged" yesterday, I am not giving myself and extras today.

I know what you're thinking: Isn't Friday date night? Yes, however, the new house is near a couple of places dedicated to healthy eating. If I can convince Kevin to go to one of those for dinner, and keep my meal under 600 calories then I will be fine.

If I can't convince Kevin to try a healthy place, I recently found out that he loves Boston Market. So, I just gave their website a visit and checked out the nutritional information. They have several options that are beneath 550 calories!

I'm thinking beef brisket, steamed veggies and fresh fruit salad ... that's only 400 calories! I could also add green beans for another 60 calories! And here I thought I wouldn't be able to have a beer. Pshaw!

Just in time!

And here is where I apply the lessons that I am learning!

I found myself falling into my usual stressed-out habit: eating candy while on deadline!

But I caught myself just in time!

Today I ate a small box of nerds and a small packet of conversation hearts ... found in an evil candy bowl at school. Then, when I got home, I opened a box of hot tamales and ate 4 pieces before I stopped myself.

I sat down at the calorie counter and entered in each of the sins: 140 empty calories!

So, I raided the refrigerator and pulled out every snack food I could find and made myself a snack tray of celery, red pepper, apple slices and oranges.



I looked things up and my tray is a total of 200 calories. While only 20 hot tamales is 150 calories! Look at the difference in satisfaction! Not to mention vitamins and such. Phew. Good thing I caught myself in time!



Plus, doesn't this just look tasty????

Sunflower state

Since yesterday was Kevin's birthday, and I recently saw a cake design I really wanted to try, I busted out the skills and made him a birthday cake.

As we all know, I'm obsessed with the Devil's Food Cake mix + canned pumpkin recipe for muffins. This time I decided to make it in cake form.

Thank goodness for the icing ... the rounds didn't hold up all that well, but once it was on the cake stand and decorated, you could never tell.

I am not a fan of Peeps - in fact I think think they are really gross, but turned upside down, they really do make cute petals.

Calorie-wise, the cake itself is 181 calories a serving if you cut it into 12 pieces and don't use icing. However, the Peeps make it really easy to divide the cake into 20 servings!

Running all of the ingredients through my handy-dandy recipe calculator, I'm proud to announce a cake that is only 213 calories and 5.7 grams of fat a serving!

I can have my cake and eat it too! YAY!