What a whirlwind of change!!!

So, I was doing really well, then I went on vacation to Los Angeles (Hollywood), stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel (so many beautiful skinny young girls there....we felt so out of place), then we went to Universal Studios, then Big Bear, then Las Vegas, then back to Big Bear for a couple nights and then down to San Diego and stayed at the Paradise Point Hotel...it was beautiful but not conducive to dieting at all!  Then, two weeks later, I have a river trip planned so it is hard to get back into the swing of things and know that I will be gone for 10 days.  

Today, I went to see a Dietician.  She was very nice and she gave me some helpful advice.  She knew that she could give me a list of foods to eat but she said that I probably "knew what to do", but I needed to do more!!!  She asked me if I ate when I was stressed, and I told her absolutely ~ this is what she told me:

1.  Eat every four hours (a palm size amount of carb & protein)

2.  Drink only calorie free drinks ~ no sugar drinks ~ water, unsweetened ice tea, except milk

3.  Take a "One A Day Type" multivitamin with iron & calcium (1000 mg/day of calcium)

4.  Write down everything I eat.  If I do keep track, there is to be NO GUILT for poor choices, she said that food is a choice and that I will notice patterns

5.  Meals/Snacks should consist of at least carbs & protein combined (palm size), unlimited vegetables

6.  As my doctor said, 30 minutes a day of exercise 4 times a week

7.  Follow up with her in  30 days!

Hopefully, my insurance will allow me to see her again.  She was great!  The biggest thing she told me is that endorphins are my feel good hormones and that fatty foods and certain addictions could raise my endorphins and that I need to replace fatty foods with other things that could increase my feel good endorphins.  Some feel good activity examples that we came up were the following:

1.  exercise (believe it or not, I like exercising once I start)

2.  Being out in nature

3.  Being around animals

4.  Nurturing, gardening, taking care of living things

5.   Involved with meaningful work

6.  Working on Handcrafts

7.  Volunteering

8.  Involved with Faith

She said that to balance out the raising endorphins with balancing calories and exercise, you will naturally lose weight.  I believe it.

What are some other activities can you think of that will raise your endorphins that isn't listed?Of course, cuddling and physical interaction would definitely increase it as well!

A New Beginning

Well, here I go again! I am going to try and do the best I can do this week, but I know that I am leaving for vacation this Friday so it is going to be so difficult to stick with, but my simple goal is no soda on vacation! That will be easy enough for me, now if we don't stop at any Starbucks, but I will climb over that obstacle by just getting iced tea with a splash of lemonade, much better than a Rasberry Mocha Frappucino with whip cream!

I walked for the San Diego Blood Bank yesterday, 3 miles! And, Holly and I went for a walk this morning so that is good! She needs to learn now from her mom's example that you can lose weight if you try and try! Somehow, we just have to learn that our kids will be taught by our example.

Anyways, I better dry my hair, I want to stop by the store this morning before I go to work to get her some fruit for the day!

By the way, today on the scale with wet hair...yes of course that matters....228.5!

Okay Okay Okay!!!!!

I know...so it has been a while...but this is a long journey and yes, I detoured...I know...I know....but you know what, food taste so gosh darn good....and exercise, well, you know, it is just ....well....it is exercise.

I can really give myself a hard time about this or I can just say I will begin again....soon....maybe today....honestly, probably not, but tomorrow...YES!!!

Actually, we kind of started yesterday at the store....only fresh fruits and vegetables, lean cuisine's.

I really need to start drinking water. I have my doctor's appointment next month. I didn't reach my goal. I guess that just means I need to make a new goal and begin again!

This time, I am going to try to learn about blogging and finding out I can find others who are going through this so I can find some kind of support system....maybe, hopefully, that will help...maybe we can inspire one another!

Time to lose from the cruise!

Sigh, my weight is back up to 231.5. I went for a walk three times this past week; but I haven't been drinking my water...a little depressed over this, but I will just have to consider that this journey will have peaks and valleys and I will just have to keep going...the end result will be worth it!

Off on the Cruise....

Okay, so I stood on the scale today and wow, I am 228, I am now in the 220s out of the 230s and out of the 240s....I know I am on my "weigh" down the right side of the scale; however, in just a couple hours I will be boarding Carnival Spirit with all the food that one person can desire...I just hope that I will be able to accommodate the eating with some activity! If not, I will be working very hard on my return!

I haven't been walking either. I will have to start right back up when I get home!

Yay!!!!

Okay, so I slept in and didn't exercise this morning...and last night I went to sleep around 7, right after dinner...and I went to the doctor today for a cyst that is infected and I got home around 5:45. I didn't want to disappoint myself so I buckled up and got my workout clothes and went for a 30 minute walk with my daughter in the dark. I feel good that I was able to get out. My doctor confirmed that I have lost 3 lbs since my last visit around Dec. 18, so that is great considering that means that I lost weight during the holiday season, so that is a great sign!!! Imagine what I can do this month without all of the prime rib and mashed potatoes....but ohhhh that's right, I am leaving for an 8 day Mexican Riviera cruise next week...omg...I wonder how much I will gain....hopefully, we will have a lot of walking excursions or maybe even go swimming or something....we will see....

Anyways, just wanted to check in and report that I finally "moved" a little bit!

It's Monday!

Okay, so I didn't get up early and walk this morning. However, I did stay up until 2 a.m. to talk with my best friend who just lost her mother last week. Sometimes you have to make up your mind what your priorities are. I will be leaving work today early (1 instead of 2) to pick up my daughter from school, take her to the dentist and then to the oral surgeon to discuss removing her wisdom teeth.

So, after I do all that, I will make sure I walk. I found the best thing yesterday at the grocery store. You can buy cut up broccoli and carrots in a bag and then put them in the microwave for five minutes and voila...you have steamed vegetables...now that is great!

I hope to come back tonight and update my walk. I am kind of hesitant to go to the gym at this point, I just want to start out slow and steady. I know excuses...I will have to ponder that!