Day 243: Choose your own...(adventure)

Howdy ladies & gents.

Well, I am coming off a low.  I am only down a net of 24# from the get go.  Yes, it is 24#s less than I was 243 days ago, but I have to RE-LOSE 6#s that I lost already.  It happens, it is reality and so I will talk about it.  I gained weight, I ate terrible and didn't exercise to combat it...so here I am again, at 24#s down.

My BFF from high school, Dana, (not to be confused with my sister, Dana, whom I will mention later) and I have started talking and are coming up with a fab plan!  She has completed 2 FULL IRONMANS!  She is amazing to me!  She is now going to coach me as I do my first 100 mile bike ride, my first marathon and my first triathlon in prep for my first IRONMAN!  I will will do the first this in 2011, and do the IRONMAN in 2012.  I am excited for the venture.  However, before any of that, I need to lose the rest of my weight!  As we chatted we discussed that the weight coming off will be first priority, as I train.

So, she (fit as can be, as you can imagine) wants to lose 10#s. She isn't overweight, but would just like to be a little more slim.  So, her and I have developed an accountability plan.  We are both different leading different lives.  She is married with no children.  She has a full time job, and is a student getting her Master's degree.  I am married with kids and have a stay at home mom job.  So for us to do an identical menu is unrealistic.  We are doing what works best for us...individually.  There is not ONE DIET that is perfect for everyone.  We are all different and need to find what food works for each of us.  However, what we are doing is...keeping one another accountable.  We have to start the day with answering certain questions, such as the following:

Will get closer to goal weight today (not further from) by:

Food:

breakfast,

lunch,

dinner,

snacks,

# of glasses of water,

Today's mantra:

Today's exercise:

We have to answer the questions.  We also have to record our food intake and caloric output each day on our online tracker (I use MyPlate, she uses FitDay)

We have a goal of losing 1 # a week for 10 weeks.  This is my short term goal...Of course my long term goal is to continue on like this until I have complete it all.  :o)

I suggest you find a friend and do the same thing.  Make sure you are a good match.  That you will hold each other accountable and won't let each other fail.

Join us on our quest...

Weight: 188...(for the LAST TIME)

Will get closer to goal weight today (not further from) by:

Food:

breakfast,

lunch,

dinner,

snacks,

# of glasses of water,

Today's mantra:

Today's exercise:

Day 238: Bad Heidi!

Well, I refused to weigh in this week, because I KNOW what the scale would do.  I was SO UTTERLY HORRIBLE this past week.  So after I started feeling better, I just went NUTS.  I binged, I ate donuts, fast food, ice cream...everything!  I feel sick just thinking about it.  A friend of mine who is in incredible shape now who I will refer to as "Fun Fact" sent me her "then" photos.  It was so awesome to see her transformation.  She was beautiful when she was bigger, but she is stunning now.  She did it all the right way, exercise and eating well.  I think seeing her pictures made me wake up.  I am not sure why I let myself have such a nasty week of eating, but I did.  It doesn't get easier, it is still hard to be tempted by food.  I am still tempted, but it is just making the choice and remembering that the donut will only taste good for a second but takes an hour of exercise to burn (at least).  Clearly it isn't worth it.  I have highs and lows and today is a new day!  So again I will get back up and get back in the groove!

Day 228: Unhealthy BUT looking fabulous

First of all.  I do apologize for the giant absence!  I have been pretty sick with a belly ache for 4 weeks.  It has been getting worse and worse, until last week it landed me in the hospital for 2 days.  I have ulcers and some areas of my stomach lining are eroding.  I had a biopsy done but not sure what the outcome is.  I have been avoiding gluten since then.  We shall see...  I have NO appetite, and when I do eat, I regret it.

So "dieting" is not happening right now.  I am just trying to get through.  Exercise is on the back burner too, until I can figure this out.  I have only been eating like 300 calories a day, and even that is a struggle.  I have been drinking Vemma Next and will continue to do that to get my nutrients in.  (If you have questions about this product let me know)

I will continue to figure my guts out...

On a better note... It has taken years to feel good about how I look.  However, I feel pretty!  I even feel normal, like I don't look fat anymore.  This weekend only fed into that.  Sally had her wedding reception this week, and I haven NEVER gotten so many compliments in a 48 hour period in my life.  Not even on my wedding day!  It felt so good, to feel so good about my self.  Thanks for all the compliments.  Here is a recent photo of my body and positive self image!  I finally look on the outside how I feel I look on the inside!  It feels so good!  I looked in the mirror last night, and smiled!