Thursday, December 31, 2020

New Year's Eve Plans

 I pretty much plan on going home at 1pm today from work, do some baking with my daughter and then be a couch potato until midnight! I can't think of a better way to celebrate the incoming New Year! In my warm cozy house with my family! 






Weigh In Day - Mission Accomplished!

I was very nervous about hopping on that scale this morning! But I knew I had to so I could see if my plan worked and IT DID! I maintained and I am still at 251.2! Although it would have been nice to see a loss, I am still proud I maintained which was my goal!

Considering the amount of chocolate and goodies I had during my Christmas off days, I think I did very well! This time I am going to track what I eat today and tomorrow to get a general idea of how I do. I'd rather know then not, even if the calories consumed are a ridiculous amount. LOL!

I can now end this week knowing my mission was accomplished! Woohoo! 




Day 52 - I Did It!

 I did it, I got through the last of my 5 days! I ended up with 1400 calories yesterday! Like I said, it was a challenging week but I did it and now I know I can! A win all around!



Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Day 50 & 51: Let's Just Say It's Been A Challenging Week!

 Here's how my "on" days have measured up so far:

Saturday Ate 1558 Calories & Burned 2356 Caloires

Sunday Ate 1410 Caloires & Burned 2169 Calories

Monday Ate 1521 Calories & Burned 2903 Calories

Tuesday Ate 1372 Caloires & Burned 2520 Calories

At first I was thinking I wasn't having a great few days but looking at this I realize I have done pretty good! I have had a challenging time this week and I think a lot of it has to do with all the goodies laying around the house. It's been challenging, but I realize I have kept my nibbling to a minimum! Yes, my calories are up by a little bit, but considering the circumstances I would still call these days a win! 

This was supposed to be time for me to relax so I can't sweat the fact that my calorie burn was really low on a few of these days, either. I have today left and then I can weigh in tomorrow! I am nervous and just hope I have at least maintained and not gained! Fingers crossed! 




Sunday, December 27, 2020

Day 48 & 49 Challenges Of Being At Home

 I won't lie, it has been challenging being at home and sticking to my plan, BUT, I have stuck to it! I had just under 1600 calories on Saturday, a little bit higher then I would have liked as my goal is to stick between 1200-1500 calories a day. I am under 1400 today which is better! I almost changed my plan on Saturday to an every other day plan like I was going to do on vacation, but didn't want to change what I have planned ahead for and I wanted to stick to my commitment of doing this right and how I planned in the first place! I have not been very active the last couple of days, but that was the plan. LOL! 

So here is to 3 more successful days and hopefully, if nothing else, I will maintain and not gain come Thursday!




Day 46 & 47 Merry Christmas!

 I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my family and the treats I was able to enjoy on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day! I made this a true free day and didn't write down anything I ate! We had a wonderful Christmas and now I am home through Tuesday to spend time relaxing at home with my family!






Thursday, December 24, 2020

Weigh In Day

 This morning was my big weigh in day! I was at 251.2. That is down another 1.4 pounds! Woohoo!! It's not my goal to get into the 240's but I guess it wasn't meant to be just yet! The most important thing is I'm down!! And considering the weight I have dropped since I started this whole journey, I really can't complain! I have now lost 21 pounds! Now if that's not success so far, I don't know what is! 




Day 45 - Busy, Busy, Busy, Busy

 I had quite the busy and long day yesterday! Was at my shop from 8am - 7pm! Everyone was grabbing their last minute gifts so my day flew by. I ate out all day but still managed to stay around 1200 calories! All in all, I handled the last day of this "on" period well! 




Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Day 44 - At Home & Running Errands

Yesterday went better then I expected. I figured being home on my day off from work would be challenging, but I was busy running last minute errands for Christmas for stocking stuffers, going to lunch with my hubby and working on things around the house. So I did well yesterday! We watched Santa Clause 3 and Polar Express last night. My tendency to want to snack during that much TV time has definitely improved. I make sure I have my water on the side table and sip at that while watching movies and that seems to help any thoughts of grabbing a snack I may have. Plus a reminder that my "off day" is coming right up helps, too! 

One more day and I weigh in! I'm super excited and hopeful for some good results! But like always, I will remind myself that any loss no matter how small is a good loss! 



Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Day 42 & 43 - It Has Been A Long Week

I did fine both Sunday and Monday, but I am definitely ready for this 8 day period to be done! I am getting through and sticking to my guns and not going over my calorie limit. It's not like I am craving things it's just me thinking, I have 3 more days left? That seems so far away! LOL!

I am sure it is all that the holidays bring that makes this tougher. I know that once Christmas Eve is here I can enjoy the tastes of the season and enjoy family time. Work is really busy right now. I think it is a combination of both wanting to be done with the craziness of work and wanting to be home with my family that I am so looking forward to. So this week seems to be dragging. 

I know that it's not just about the food. I love hanging out with my family and the warmth and coziness of the season. The food is just a bonus. So after typing this, I am realizing it really is more the season then the just food. It's the whole magic of Christmas that I am looking forward to enjoying. 

I will be off from Christmas Day until Tuesday the 29th. So I don't have to be back at work until the 30th. That will be a nice break. I am also taking the Sunday off after New Years. This is the most I have taken off for the holidays in a long time. And I am looking forward to the family time most of all! 

I know with everything that has gone on this year, I will definitely enjoy the holidays! 



Sunday, December 20, 2020

Day 41 - Success!!

I am very proud of myself! I did great yesterday with all that baking! We baked 2 batches of chocolate chip cookies, 1 batch of peanut butter blossom cookies, a berry pie and a cheesecake and I think I ate no more then the equivalent of one cookie as taste testing only! 

I did however, put a bag of cookies aside for me to enjoy on Thursday! I know if I don't, they may be gone before I have a chance to enjoy them. LOL! 

It was a super fun day even without enjoying all the goodies! I had just under 1400 calories total yesterday which is amazing with all the sweet smells of the delicious goodies baking in the oven! 



Saturday, December 19, 2020

Day 40 - Shopping, Eating Dinner Out & A Drive To See The Christmas Lights!

 Yesterday was a busy but good day. Things are slowing down with online orders and my employee and I are finally feeling like we can breath. My family and I had to go grocery shopping for the holidays and our baking day today so we drove down to Rutland, VT, had a nice steak dinner, went shopping and enjoyed driving back and seeing all the Christmas lights. So all in all, a good day!

Today should be challenging as I am having a baking day with my kids and we are making quite a few goodies! But I will be on my best behavior knowing I can try all these goodies on Thursday! I am also briefly at work this morning and may have to return this afternoon if it gets busy. So stay tuned and wish me luck for success in getting through my day!




Thursday, December 17, 2020

Day 38 & 39 Let It Snow!

Yesterday was hectic! I was at the shop by myself and had to clean a stay over room for the motel. So I was definitely multi tasking! But a good day eating wise.
Today we woke up with snow! We were only supposed to get 3 inches but ended up with about 8!
I only had 3 online orders to fill and no customers! My friend Kellie came and helped me for a few hours at the shop, so a lot got caught up at the store! But with no customers came the thoughts of nibbling!! But I didn't give in!! 

6 more "on" days then Christmas Eve! I can't wait! I love the holidays! 

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Day 37 - Off Day Fun!

 I had a great day finishing up some decorating at my house yesterday. Then spent the afternoon on a mother/son night with my son Marcus. I did lose track of some of my calories yesterday, but it is my "free day" so I won't worry about it too much! 

Dinner and bowling.



Yummy nachos for dinner!


Bowling Fun!



My Holiday Plan!

I mentioned some of this in my prior post but figured it would be nice to outline my plan for the holidays! 

Here is my schedule and goals:

Christmas Eve - Hopefully weigh in with a loss to get me in the 240's

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day - Off Days

December 26-30 - On Days

New Years Eve - Hopefully weigh in and show that I've at least maintained from my weigh in on Christmas Eve!

New Years Eve & New Years Day - Off Days

1/2-1/9 - On Days

January 10 - Off Day & Weigh In Day. Hopefully be below my Christmas Eve weight! 

Maybe I need to ask Santa for will power to get through the holidays! :)






Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Weigh In Day!

I am super excited! I am down another  3.2 pounds to 252.6 this morning! Down 19.6 since November 9! This new plan is working so well for me! My next free day is Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.  I'm taking 2 days since this is a big holiday and I know myself enough to know 1 day would set me up for failure! I will then have 5 days on then another 2 days off for New Years. I think this is the best plan to get through the holiday season. 

My goal is to have a loss at the end of this period and maintain during Christmas & New Years! 

I really am hoping to be in the 240's by Christmas!!

Day 36 - One More Day To Go!

Yesterday was a good day! I was definitely ready to have this on period done with as its been 9 days! Lol! 
I got through it just under 1200 calories!
So I am officially done with this period!!

Monday, December 14, 2020

Day 35 - Bouncing Back From A Stressful Couple Of Days

 Yesterday was even better then the day before as my stress level is way down! I ate pretty well and feel like things getting back on track! Busy days at work certainly help my days go smoother and I don't have time to think about eating! 

Here's to finishing this period strong! 




Sunday, December 13, 2020

Day 34 - Feeling Less Stressed!

 Yesterday was a much better day. My stress level was down and I was feeling good. Normally, it is my day off, but I had to go in for a few hours because I have an employee out right now. I was wide awake at 6:30am so I decided to put a pork roast for BBQ pulled pork in the crock pot then head to work. As you know from my previous post, I worked on my blog yesterday morning and then worked until after 1pm on online orders and finally headed home. 

We had a delicious dinner of Pulled Pork, Corn Bread, Baked Potato and Cole Slaw! So good! I stayed under 1500 calories yesterday! I woke up this morning refreshed and it was clear I got a good night sleep! 

Just 2 more days left of my 9 days and I will have my "off day"! Looking forward to a mother/son night with my son Marcus! We plan to go bowling, play in the arcade and have a nice dinner. All in all I think this on period has been going very well. I have worked hard not to give in to temptation and for that I continue to be proud! 

Until next time, I hope everyone has a happy Sunday! 




Saturday, December 12, 2020

Day 33 - Learning To Understand How Stress Triggers My Eating

Yesterday was a tough day for cravings. I am dealing with something at work right now regarding an employee. I can't go into detail, but it's been stressful. I woke up at 4:30am yesterday and couldn't go back to sleep because of my prior days events. Then I got more stressful news yesterday. I woke up at 6:00am this morning and again, couldn't go back to sleep. So I decided to just get up and come to work to work on my blogs. 

But even with all this stress I am most proud of the fact that I am not using food to deal with it. I have been really trying to focus on my triggers, understand them and figure out what I can do to get past that moment and not grab food. I was definitely feeling hungrier yesterday. But not stomach growling hungry, but a feeling in my stomach that made me want to grab something, anything. I can definitely see the correlation between stress and food. I have never been so aware of it before.  

I certainly think this is a huge step in my progress to finally getting the weight off for good! So to say the least, I didn't falter yesterday! I had 1200 calories, so I was right where I wanted to be. 

I will say that this is the first "on days" I have felt has dragged. I think it's because of the last 2 stressful days I've had. I have 9 on days this period instead of 8 and I am sure that is playing a little part in me thinking it's taking forever to get through this period. LOL!

But I am more determined then ever! :)





Friday, December 11, 2020

Day 32 - A Stressful Day

 I had a stressful day yesterday. Employee called out, lots of online orders and the shop was busy. Luckily my awesome other employee at least came in and cleaned the one room that needed done at the motel! So that helped tremendously. 

Through all the stress of the day, I stuck to my eating plan and didn't let the stress get to me enough to snack and eat what I shouldn't! 

So for that I am proud!



Thursday, December 10, 2020

Day 31 - Another Super Day!

Yesterday was another day that went quite smoothly! I was pretty busy at work filling online orders and that helped keep me focused! I am very happy and pleased that this new plan is working for me so well! I only feel I am making a sacrifice during breakfast and lunch and the sacrifice is small as far as I'm concerned. I enjoy my serving of scrambled eggs and my protein shake! So it's a win! 

Here is hoping for another smooth day! 





Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Day 28 - 30 - I Seem To Be In Sweet Success Mode!

Pretty amazing to think I have done this plan for 30 days now! All in all, I think the plan has really worked well for me. The last 3 days have gone well after my free day. I did for the first time go over my calorie limit and had over 1600 calories on Monday, I try not to exceed 1500 calories and try to stay in the 1200's. But yesterday I was diligent and stuck to my proper calories. So all in all, the plan still continues to go well!  I have gotten pretty comfortable with this new eating plan. 

I did switch back to protein shakes for lunch and that has helped with my hunger in the afternoons. I've also have gone down to one serving of scrambled eggs from 2 servings. I seem to be quite satisfied with that. So everyday during my on days I have an order of scrambled eggs for breakfast (which is about 2 eggs) and a protein shake for lunch! I then have a pretty normal dinner. That keeps me around 1200 calories a day. 

My next "Free Day" is next Tuesday. I have a mother/son night planned with my son Marcus, so that should be a lot of fun and I won't have the worry about what I can eat. Because eating out can be challenging on my on days. But I do make it work when we do go out! 





Sunday, December 6, 2020

Thoughts On Getting Through Summer & Vacations

 I was looking back at my prior posts and I can clearly see where my weakest areas are. I tend to gain weight every summer and especially when on vacation. So how do I stop repeating history and beat those moments that seem to sabotage my weight goals the most??

A couple of thoughts I had was to stick to this plan through summer, but change it to accommodate our busy activities including vacation. If I can get through summer without gaining I will be golden! That will be my goal from the months of May through August! I will also use my vacation plan for our February vacation! 

Here are some thoughts:

Summer general rule: 6 days on 1 day off OR 5 days on per week with 2 days off (Saturday & Tuesday being my off days). I could possiblly still lose weight with these options. Smaller amount, but still lose. 

Vacation: 2 Days On Then 1 Day Off OR 1 Day On Then 1 Day Off. These ideas would seem to be an equal balance to maintain my weight. 

These are just some thoughts I wanted to jot down. I hope to come up with a permanent plan by February 2021 before my possible vacation to San Francisco if Covid doesn't interfere with us going! 


FOR






Day 27 - Weigh In & Free Day!

 Had a great day yesterday! Weighed in and am down another 3 pounds to 255.8! Woohoo! I am ecstatic about that! I am down a total of 16.4 pounds! Not too shabby with Thanksgiving thrown into the mix! I am really loving how this plan is working for me!


Yesterday was also my free day and I had a planned Mother/Daughter shopping day with my daughter Morgan. We had a great time! I enjoyed my favorite McDonalds breakfast of a Sausage Egg McMuffin meal, a chocolate chip cookie for snack, Applebees for lunch, which consisted of a steak fajita bowl, KFC for dinner and a Panera Bread bear claw for dessert! So yummy! 

I have to say, I'm looking forward to getting back on track today and seeing if I can get into the 240's by Christmas!


Day 26 - All is good!

 Just a quick check in, had a good day on Dec. 4th! I was pretty busy at work so that kept me pretty occupied! 


Friday, December 4, 2020

Day 25 - Busy Day, Means Less Thoughts Of Snacking!

I was pretty busy at work yesterday. So my mind was busy on work and not thinking about snacking. All in all, another smooth day!

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Day 22-24 - Smooth Sailing

Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday went pretty smoothly. My hunger is under control again. It seems the further I get into  my 8 days the easier it is. So that is a positive sign. My carbs have been higher some days so I can add some fiber into my diet and allow my self pasta or rice once a week. I am trying to stick to healthy carbs for the most part. But also allowing myself pasta or rice at least once a week. I don't think either of those foods are entirely unhealthy. Sweet and salty snacks is what I really try to stay away from for the most part. Everything in moderation, I always say!  I'm trying to see if I can eat a bit normally and still drop the weight as long as I stay within my calorie range each day. So fingers crossed that I still have about a 2lb loss on Saturday! If not, I will go back to cutting my carbs back.