Adorable Blog Award!

Kelty from one of my fave blogs, Biggie to Smalls, gave me the Adorable Blog Award! Yay, thanks! My blog loves being called adorable...

The Rules:

• Thank the person who gave you the award, with a link to their blog
• Tell us 10 things about yourself
• Nominate other bloggers and let them know about the award

I've done a couple of awards, so to change it up, I'll make this one a random list of my favorite things...

1. Favorite Vacation Spot: Vegas or anywhere tropical
2. Favorite Food: Sushi (Gotta love that it's low cal too, double points for that)
3. Favorite Color: Blue, sometimes pink
4. Favorite TV Show: Grey's Anatomy (altho it's getting a little
5. Favorite Reality Star: Bethenny Frankel (she says the funniest, most honest things, I love it)
6. Favorite Author: Nicholas Sparks (every girl's romantic dreams- The Notebook, duh)
7. Favorite Pet Animal: Dog
8. Favorite Other Animal: Dolphin
9. Favorite Jewelry: Rings
10. Favorite Sport: Baseball to watch on TV, Volleyball to actually play

Other bloggers I'd like to give The Adorable Blog Award to:
Spoonful of Me
A Journey to Thin
Myra's Journey
Twelve in Twelve
Forgive & Forget the Fat
Attitude of Gratitude: I'm grateful to have gotten another award! Thanks again Kelty!

This week's Weigh In

This week I lost 2.2 lbs, making my weight 181.0.

I'm proud of that because that included going away for the weekend and eating foods that I normally don't and having a couple drinks, but everything in moderation. I'm happy I can continue this new lifestyle no matter where I am or what I'm doing.

The week's workouts included one run/ walk, a workout DVD and the old standby; the elliptical.

I'm definitely not going to meet this month's goal of losing 10 lbs, but I have stayed on track and made a conscious effort all month, so I'm not going to get down about it.
Attitude of Gratitude: All I have to do is lose 1 more lb and I will have lost 70 lbs!

NSV: Eating healthy when out & about

This has been such a fun weekend. I spent the weekend with a group of old friends from college who I hadn't seen in years and it was so much fun. We basically just picked up where we left off. It was so nice to be able to do that.

But we did go out for pretty much every meal and went to a bar. I was very good tho, ordering healthy and eating in moderation. Yay me. It didn't even bothered me to do it. I really do feel like I'm at a point where it's just a lifestyle change rather than a diet. I don't write down what I eat or count calories; I just eat well.

It was kind of funny/ ironic because one of my friends has always been overweight. I've always seen her just be the same size. But all weekend, she was talking about how she is usually on a diet and doesn't eat carbs and that this weekend was her free weekend to eat whatever she wanted. But she ordered mac n cheese, pasta meals, ate lots of pizza, breadsticks, cinnasticks, and drank lots of soda.

I'm not judging because I've done the same thing before, like my birthday weekend, but it just made me think about how I have come a long way. I don't talk about my diet with people (other than you guys and my family because I live with them), I just do what I need to do.

So this weekend, I watched what I ate, but never said anything about it. I just ordered salads or fish and veggies or when we had pizza, I just had 2 slices and a breadstick. When one friend made chocolate chip muffins, I had one. I had a couple glasses of wine. Everything in moderation, no big deal.

Attitude of Gratitude: I'm grateful to have made such great friends and still keep in touch with them.

*Sunday is usually my WI day, but since I usually weigh myself in the morning and didn't get a chance to today, I will do it tomorrow morning. I think it's going to be a good one so check back tomorrow!

Did ya know?

Apparently a new way to burn an extra 100 calories a day is to... are you ready for this?... to take a cold shower.

According to the Dukan Diet (which I am NOT on, but my sister bought the book), taking 2 minutes in the shower and keeping the water temperature at 77 degrees is the equivalent of walking for 2 miles. How do you know the water is 77 degrees? Take a thermometer in with you, of course.

How absurd! This diet is like the torture diet. Just when you think the food part of it is bad enough, he recommends taking cold showers. He also suggests eating 4-5 ice cubes a day.

The theory behind this is that your body has to use more energy to warm itself back up, so you will burn calories. I have heard this also when people say to drink cold water (which I do), so I am sure it is scientifically accurate. But seriously, is a cold shower worth 100 calories? I'm thinking no...

Attitude of Gratitude: I am visiting some old friends that I haven't seen in a while this week, so that should be really fun!

Pain and drama

Why do guys have to play games?
Why do relationship issues suck so much?
Why am I feeling so bad now?
Why am I right back where I started when for months I thought I was over it?
Why do I still want him so much?
Why did he go on and on about how he wanted me and then the second I start thinking maybe it's a good idea, he starts having doubts?
Why can't I stop staring at my phone?
Why does this hurt so much?!

Sorry, but I literally can't think of anything other than this crap.

Attitude of Gratitude: This is hard right now. Maybe I will use the power of positive thinking (a la The Secret) and say wishfully, I am grateful that this guy wants me just as much as I want him and we are going to be together happily ever after.

A.M.A.P. Goals

AMAP = As Much As Possible. I think instead of giving myself a random number for what I want to lose each month, I think I will have a goal of AMAP because I don't really know how much my body can lose on a weekly basis as I continue to go down.

Since I am in the 180's, maybe seeing a 2lb a week loss is not realistic. So if that's not realistic, neither is losing 10 lbs in a month anymore.

I wanted to lose 10 lbs this month, but that's not going to happen. And I haven't been eating unhealthy (other than some cake), still been working out. So as long as I am still working hard and trying every day to do what I can to lose weight, I'm going to be happy even if the weight comes off slower.

My goals are just to eat healthy, and work out every day that I can. And improve during my workouts. I think that is important- to keep pushing myself during workouts, getting my heart rate up, burning as many calories as I can. And of course, all of this will obviously translate into losing weight.

Moral of the story... "Go in there an do the best you can. That's all you can do." -Tiger Woods (not that I am a fan of his at all... he lost me with the Elin thing)

Attitude of Gratitude: I'm starting to have a "whatever will be, will be" kind of attitude in general these days, which is good. Better than stressing.

Signs that I am healthy

Your comments about that cake were so funny. Most of you thought it looked awesome, some thought it looked like too much. I agree with both sides...

Want to hear the crazy thing about that cake tho? It gave me such a bad stomach ache! And I know it was strictly from the cake because I also had a small piece today and my stomach immediately felt bad. Or it could have also been from the (awesome) strawberry Oreos because I had a few of those yesterday and got a stomach ache. I don't think my body is used to that much sugar and fat. I guess I really have been eating very healthy for a long time, so that amount of sugar has a noticeable effect on me. I figured I could eat it and work it into my daily points, but since it gives me a stomach ache, I will not be having any more!

In other news, I'm not going to get fully into it, but I have been feeling really emotional lately, dealing with old feelings, new feelings, relationship stuff, and just feeling conflicted, sometimes hurt, confused, etc. And... my point? I have not been eating in an attempt not to deal with it! Victory. I vent, cry, write, but not eat. Like today, I had a small piece of cake (small!), got that stomach ache, and actually haven't eaten since and was running errands and didn't even eat lunch (which never happens lol). Before, I would be wanting to snack all day long. I've come a long way.

Attitude of Gratitude: I'm grateful to see these random signs that show me that I actually am healthier now, both physically and emotionally.

Weigh In

This week, I lost 1.5 lbs, bringing me to 183.2. Not bad. I'm happy with that. I miss my regular 2lb loss weeks, but maybe I just need to work a little harder at this stage of the game.

As far as that cake... I did have some, but you really have to see it to believe it...

Attitude of Gratitude: Good weekend with a loss. Not too shabby.

This weekend's (ridiculous) cake

Since it's my sister's birthday, she gets to decide dinner and her cake for tomorrow. Dinner will be at a teppan grill, which is nice because it is fun and also healthy. The cake? Not so much.

Her cake is going to be... white confetti cake with butter cream frosting. With strawberries and crumbled Oreos on the sides and a Rocky Road type of concoction on top; mini marshmallows, crumbled ice cream cone, peanuts, and hot fudge.

Yep, that's what she came up with! Oh and she wants to make brownies too, like for during the day or something. And you guys thought I might be exaggerating about her love of junk food...

Anyway, I've already lost some weight this week and do not want to screw it up with this absurd cake so I will have a teeny tiny piece and that's it.

Attitude of Gratitude: We went out for frozen yogurt tonight at this new place in town, and I have so missed guilt free frozen yogurt, so thumbs up for that.

Harder going these days

Getting back on track after being off for a little bit is hard. It feels like work. Before, it felt normal and no big deal. Now it is so blaaah.

First, how the hell did I ever do the elliptical for 90 minutes??? How? Last week, I did it only for 30 mins every day, and took 2 days off. So now getting back on the elliptical is really bleh. It has been hard doing 45 minutes. It seems like I just count the minutes and can't get into a groove like I usually do.

And then with eating, I am still being good, but want to cheat and eat munchies way more than before.

This month has been so challenging in terms of staying on course. I don't know why this is. Maybe because I am getting lower and it's not coming off as easily.

Yesterday, I just wanted to eat all day. It was the first day of TOM, so maybe that was why. I stayed within my points, but still felt like I just craved carbs all day. I am not falling off the wagon or going to give up, but it just feels like harder work than usual these days. Let's hope it passes.

Attitude of Gratitude: I have been talking with my ex boyfriend and I don't know, but maybe things are looking up. Can on again off and again relationships ever work?

Karma

Remember how I said I was doing the Dukan Diet for a few days because my sister was going to do it? Well now after graduating, she is back home and was (or is, I'm not sure) planning on doing the Dukan Diet again (zero carbs).

Well, the first day home, my dad went grocery shopping and came back with Cheetos. My sister made some comments about how that was mean of him to buy those foods since he should know she can't eat them. And then later in the day, he was eating them and offered some to her, and she gave him such a dirty look and said no in a really shitty way. Because obviously she is bitter that he is eating the foods she wants to eat but can't (or has told herself she wasn't going to).

I just find this so funny and ironic, because she is so much worse! It's been better lately, but when I am dieting, she goes on and on about good foods and eats all day long, whatever fatty junk food she wants. And inserts all the oohs and ahhs and yums to let me know how good it is. I have moved past it, but in the beginning, when I was first losing weight and still had so many cravings, it was a huge problem for me! So much so that I felt like she was trying to sabotage me and I didn't look forward to being around her.

But now she is getting to see how much it can affect you. Not that she will put the two together, I'm sure. But about 5 minutes after the Cheetos incident, she was looking for something to eat, and then said how there's no point doing this diet since this weekend is her birthday and she will just be eating bad then. And then got out chips and dip. And later had an ice cream sandwich. And then made potatoes with cheese melted on top.

So maybe she'll go back on the diet after this weekend, who knows. Frankly, she doesn't need to lose weight at all, and if I had her metabolism, I wouldn't diet either. I have to admit tho, that I enjoyed seeing her on the other side of it for a minute.

Attitude of Gratitude: I put on an old pair of sweats that used to be snug or fitted and they are mega loose now, all droopy in the legs and butt. Nice.

Back on track

Getting back on track is always harder after you take a few days off. Not that that is stopping me, but I'm just sayin.

I have eaten well today and am going back to just eating healthy; lean proteins, veggies, fruits, pudding for a dessert. I really don't eat many carbs lately, but I am not not eating them. Saying I am going completely carb-free just makes me crazy wanting them even more, so I'm just good with having things in moderation. No crazy Dukan Diet.

My workout today was 60 minutes on the elliptical, some squats and arm weights.

Attitude of Gratitude: We accepted an offer on our house, so we will be moving in less than 60 days! This is a gooooood thing! Now I can start planning more for the future and get my life off of "hold".

I must confess

I have definitely had a bad eating weekend. I was ok Saturday, but did have cake, a couple drinks and sweet potato fries at a restaurant. On Sunday, I don't even know; I had candy, cake, chicken alfredo. And then today I had a bagel and cream cheese, a big bacon cheeseburger and fries, and ice cream. (I ate more than all that, but just picked out the bad foods to illustrate just how poorly I ate :))

I know I said I was pressured to eat cake, which I did feel, but everything else was all me! I could have ordered healthy things at restaurants but chose not to.

Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. Stupid!

Tomorrow I am back on the wagon. I had my little meltdown food splurge, felt guilty (and maybe a little happy somewhere in there too) and am now going back to being good. Why is it that one little bad food choice can cause a downward spiral of bad food choices?

I haven't stepped on the scale since my weigh in, so tomorrow's # might not make me very happy. Maybe I won't weigh myself until next Sunday weigh day....  I actually think that is a really good idea. Because I'm sure it won't be pretty and I don't want it to make me upset at myself to the point where I might say 'screw it' and eat bad the rest of the week. It'll be a struggle not to weigh myself but maybe this week will be my test week of doing that. (The last 2 weeks of weighing myself daily have made me nuts anyway.)

Attitude of Gratitude: It was a really good weekend with the family!

Weigh In

For the first half of the week, I weighed 187 every. single. day. And was getting mega frustrated. Especially after having a gain last week, and then to gain even more. I wasn't a happy camper because I was doing everything right.

Then on Wednesday and Thursday, I did the all protein Dukan diet and dropped a couple pounds thankfully. Friday and Saturday were back to normal eating days- healthy, but not overly strict.

My workouts this week were also shorter, and included weight training. I will write about what I've been doing exercise-wise soon. I think adding weights and being consistent about that will be good.

Anyway, this week I lost 1.8 lbs! Yay! Bringing me to 184.7.

This next week, I will be eating healthy, writing down what I eat, staying within my points, and working out.

Atitude of Gratitude: Onward and downward!

Oh, the unavoidable cake.

We've all been there. Cake is an unavoidable part of so many occasions. And it's kind of rude to not have some cake at a friend's birthday, right?

I don't mind the occasional piece of cake. Everything in moderation is the key to long term weight loss, and depriving yourself only makes you want things more and ultimately resent the fact that you're eating healthy and not having that piece of cake.

Altho, for the calories, there are so many other things I would rather eat than cake...

This weekend is my sister's graduation, and we're ordering a cake. My mom is going to get it today (Saturday), so we can have it both Saturday and Sunday. (And then she is coming home, so we will basically have it around til it's done). And then the next weekend is my sister's birthday, so we'll be having cake again. (And again, having it around until it's gone.)

So I casually made the comment, "Oh man, cake two weekends in a row.." to my mom. And she flew off the handle! She went off about how of course we are having cake for these occasions and that I can't eat perfect all the time and I need to learn how to incorporate things like that into my diet and how I can't be so strict for the rest of my life, yada yada.

Yes, I agree and I get it. But at the same time, I was a little annoyed that she came at me like that. I have really good motivation going lately, and I really want to lose this weight so I can get to the maintenance phase. I would like to get as close to my goal as possible by the time we move. 1) Because I have lots of time to focus on it right now, and 2) so when I start over in a new place, I can be close to where I want to be weight-wise.

It's an added temptation which I don't always welcome and/or love, but of course I will be having cake this weekend and next. I'll just have small pieces and (hopefully) not go overboard. Do you all ever feel like this when you have little control over what you'll be eating?

Now this cake would be worth every calorie... (I just found this pic online and stared at it for awhile)

Attitude of Gratitude: Should be a fun weekend.

Dukan Diet (Days 1 & 2 & there isn't going to be a 3)

I've done the Dukan Diet for the last two days and I am happy to say that I am down 2 lbs since I started!

It hasn't been too bad. But just the act of telling yourself you can't have something, in my case, makes me want it. The first day, I wanted a rice cake so bad. (Seriously craving a rice cake, and can't have it?) And also pudding with whipped cream, which I have all the time and truly miss. I also miss vegetables and fruit.

So here's the run down. Wednesday, I ate:
  Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with ham
  Lunch: Tuna and hard boiled egg
  Snack: rolled up deli turkey with Grey Poupon
  Snack: Hard boiled egg
  Dinner: Pork chop
  Dessert: Jello

Thursday:
  Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with ham
  Lunch: Chicken with Grey Poupon
  Snack: Jello
  Snack: Hard boiled egg and turkey
  Dinner: Plain old burger with seasoning and mustard (2)

There's really not much to snack on, as you can see. Eggs would get old after awhile.

So far today, I've eaten all protein, with the exception of a rice cake and pudding. Haha, I just had to.

Dukan diet over. Eating healthy normal diet, still kickin. Altho it's good to know if I hit a plateau or want a for sure loss, an all protein diet is sure to do the trick!
Attitude of Gratitude: Blogger is back. I was sad without it yesterday!

Diet good enough for a princess

*For some reason, when Blogger went unavailable is deleted this post, along with the comments, so I'm just posting it again...*

My sister has been talking recently about The Dukan Diet, which is apparently what Kate Middleton and her family did to lose weight before the big wedding. It hasn't been confirmed, but they say it's all the buzz over in Europe. Dawn, you're my Europe gal; have you heard of this?

It is REALLY strict! You eat only protein for a designated amount of days (depending on your weight and goals). For me, this would be 5 days. Then, you eat only protein and vegetables for the second phase. For me, this would be 136 days. What??!?! Four months of no carbs or fruit!? No wonder you lose weight.

I bet this diet is more for people with less weight to lose. It doesn't seem like a good long-term way to eat. My sister, who is already thin, would do phase 1 for 2 days and phase 2 for 45 days. Sounds a little different than my numbers huh?

Well, my sister is going to do it for a few days, so I think I will too for moral support and to get myself over this little plateau (of the scale being stuck at 187).

*I know diets don't work, and this is definitely not going to be a long term thing. Doing this diet long term is nutso. I am just curious what it will do to change up the routine.

So much for the honeymoon phase

If I see the number 187 on the scale one more time I am going to throw it across the room. But then I'd have to buy a new scale and would be even more upset... What a dilemma.

Back in April, I wrote about how after doing this whole weight loss journey for about 8 months, I was still in the "honeymoon phase" of weight loss. Why? Because all my work was paying off. Now? Not so much. I am here to tell you today that the honeymoon phase is officially over!

I guess I have hit a plateau. This is what I was worried about. I have had steady weight losses every week, averaging 2 lbs a week, and now nothing. Nothing! A small gain, even!

This week, I'm doing shorter, more intense workouts. Also tracking what I eat and eating my daily points. And drinking tons of water. Anything else?

Have you hit a plateau? What did you do to push yourself out of it? I would LOVE any and all advice!

Shorter workouts this week

I need to do something different this week because last week didn't go so well and I'm thinking that I may be hitting a plateau.

So first, I will be working out less. I have been doing 90 minutes on the elliptical or 60 if I run or do a DVD. But now I will be doing some strength training and then 30 minutes on the elliptical or the C25k. I will be trying to make the cardio more high intensity and in the "fat burning" zone. I need to finally get a heart rate monitor so I can better keep track of that as well as my calories burned. (If anyone has tips or reviews on certain ones, feel free to let me know! I think I know what I want, just haven't pulled the trigger yet.)

I have been reading the 5-Factor Fitness book, written by the guy who trained Halle Berry and Jessica Simpson and started following his fitness plan today (which is the strength training stuff). I might also follow his eating plan too, but I'm not sure yet. If you guys are interested, I'll do a little book/diet review on here.

The other thing I am doing is writing down everything I eat and counting the points of it. I am actually in a habit of eating less than my daily points and am actually finding it hard to eat all my 30 points for the day, which I know sounds absurd and maybe annoying. WW says that you really should eat all the 30 pts tho, so I don't know. Calories in - calories out?

Attitude of Gratitude: My sister is home and we're having a good time together.

Weigh In

This week has been frustrating since the scale hasn't moved at all- or I should say, the scale hasn't moved down at all. I gained .2 lbs this week. I hate having a gain when I have been being good. If I had cheated and/or didn't work out, I'd be totally fine with a small gain. Because it would have been justified. I am usually a believer that the scale doesn't lie. But this week, I just don't know.

What I do know is that I did have some M&Ms earlier in the week, but even so, I don't think I went over my points for the day. Also yesterday, I went out to lunch and had a roast beef manhattan without the mashed potatoes and only ate half, but it was still a "bad" meal.

I have also stopped tracking and writing down what I eat because on the whole, I typically eat well and haven't been overeating. But now that I've gained, I will go back to tracking.

I'm very conflicted on the workout front. This week, I've done the elliptical, a workout DVD, running outside, lifted weights... so you would think that is varied enough for my body not to get bored or used to it.

Goals for this week- Strict eating, tracking points. Work out every day, do C25k, but maybe make the workouts shorter and more intense.

Attitude of Gratitude: I fit into a pair of size 12 jeans that I haven't worn since college and they actually look good.

Unofficially Pissed

So here's a riddle. What does working out for over an hour 7 days a week and eating well get me this week? Apparently a 1.1 lb gain! Yeah!!

My weigh in is tomorrow so I can't officially be pissed, but today the scale says 187.4, which is 1.1 lbs higher than last week. GRR!!!

C25k still a b*tch

Yep, I said it. I'm not really one to swear too much, but man this C25k thing (and by that, I mean running in general) sucks! It was warmer today so I did Week 2 Day 4... yeah there are typically only 3 days per week, but I am doing week 2 over again because running for 90 seconds is still hard.

I did the whole thing and was so beat when I got home. I just laid on the floor with the fan on high for like 15 minutes.

And I usually do somewhat high intensity on the elliptical for 90 minutes! Shouldn't that make me more in shape than I feel when I run?? Today I just did the C25k for 30 minutes and was done with my workout. I debated doing some time on the elliptical but was so tired and over it so I didn't.

I read a lot of blogs with people who run all the time, and I don't know how you do it! I don't know when I will ever be able to run a whole mile without stopping. It just feels sooo far off. So you guys are my heros!

Attitude of Gratitude: Finally warmer weather, hopefully it sticks around!

Stylish Blogger Award

ThunderThighs (love the name!) gave me a Stylish Blogger Award! Thanks!

The rules:
1. Post a link back to the person who gave it to me. (Just Call Me Thunder Thighs)

2. Give it to other blogs that I L.O.V.E. and stop by their blogs to let them know (they are in no particular order BTW, and if you click on them you'll be taken away to their wonderful blogs)

3. Tell 7 things about yourself.

The bloggers I would like to pass the award on to are...

• A New Dawn for Me
• Confessions of a Compulsive Dieter and Emotional Eater
• Try, Try Again
• Recreation
• Diaries of a Fat Girl
• Spoonful of Me
• Size 16 is Fat
• Twelve in Twelve

Ok, so here goes. 7 things about me...

1. I love music and will listen to pretty much anything if it has good lyrics, even embarrassing teeny bopper stuff. (I really like Miley Cyrus' latest album)
2. I have thick wavy hair, but always straighten it. Unless I am having a lazy, do-nothing day and then I love to just put it up in a bun or ponytail.
3. I love reality shows. If I could only watch on genre of TV, it would be reality. I'm a sucker for Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, Bethenny Frankel, you name it.
4. I prefer to spend my money on experiences rather than things.
5. I have been on and off with the same guy for over 8 years now, and even now that we are off and I have been feeling like it is completely over, a part of me still wonders if we are meant to be, especially since he seems to think so. I'm very conflicted about it.
6. I love blogging but feel like I run out of things to talk about and worry that my blog might get boring.
7. Speaking of boring, I am the most boring shoe person ever. When I'm not forced to wear heels and such because of a job, I wear flip flops, uggs, or sneakers. That's it.

Eat more to lose weight? I'm confused.

I have read in several different threads on the Weight Watchers website about eating more points, or using up activity points and the weekly points allowance to help LOSE weight. Huh? I don't get it.

I know all about how if you skip meals, your body holds on to fat because it thinks its starving. But if I eat my daily points, or sometimes just below it, my body isn't starving...

Losing weight is a numbers game. Eat fewer calories than you burn and you lose weight. Right?

I know there are other variables, but wouldn't eating more make you lose LESS weight? Someone said something about eating more points to help push you out of a plateau, which I am curious about.

Right now I have been losing weight by eating my daily points and not using activity points or weekly points. Some days I even eat below my daily points. Also working out every day on the elliptical, with sometimes a C25k or a DVD workout. I kinda think if I ate more, I wouldn't lose as much...

Anyone got any info on this? Maybe from your own experience? I know I'm doing fine as I am and I'm not worried or complaining about anything, just curious what everyone's take on this might be.

Attitude of Gratitude: I went shopping and very easily found my mom a good Mother's Day gift. I love when those things can be stress and hassle free.

Compliments don't get old

I thought I might get tired of hearing people tell me I look good and I've lost weight, but I got to say, I really haven't. I don't always like it when the attention is on me, but it does feel good to have my weight loss being noticed. I have spent so much time (years...) being self-conscious and unhappy with how I looked so it is nice to actually feel good about myself now. I still have a ways to go to get to my goal, but I can say that I am actually happy with how I look right now.

By the way, I'm really not vain, I promise! My mom is the one who usually notices things like when certain clothes get baggy and will tell me that I look smaller and I love hearing it. Especially because it just reminds me that all my efforts and actions (which are not always easy!) are actually making a noticeable difference!

Of course I notice when my clothes fit different, but in general sometimes I don't see that I am losing when I look in the mirror on a week to week basis. I really wish I had started taking measurements from the beginning or kept a pair of my old jeans. (I take everything to Goodwill now- no holding on to fat clothes "just in case"!)

C25k: Haven't run yet this week, it is still too damn cold! Ugh its in the 40's in May. Something is not right about that. How are you doing Gen? Reading Erin's blog, Size 16 is fat, makes me scared about the coming weeks! I may repeat some weeks...

And thanks for all your comments on the fruit front! That's why I love blogging, so much support and helpful opinions. I think I'll change up my breakfast every once in a while, but not worry about it too much. Especially since I am still losing... For some reason tho, I am worried about a plateau.

PS- I have seen some comments from Chubby McGee and kinda miss that blog. Can someone tell her to add me? :)

Attitude of Gratitude: I found a cool new way to cook veggies. Like broccoli, I cut it up, saute it in a pan with some garlic, pine nuts and Creole seasoning and it is so good. Try it! I am doing the same thing with green beans tonight...

Too much fruit?

Every morning I have been having a fruit smoothie. I change it up with different fruits, but it's always a banana, usually an orange, maybe some frozen berries or peaches, a handful of spinach (which you can't taste), some yogurt and ice. For WW, it's only 1 pt. It's really good, easy to make and very healthy. I looove it!

But... I am starting to wonder if that is too much fruit. Some diet programs actually discourage you from eating a lot of fruit because it is still a carb, it has sugar, etc. And here I am eating probably 3 servings of fruit every morning before I work out. Do you think this is bad?

I might take this week and have Egg Beaters instead, and just see what happens. I like mixing the eggs with cheese or spinach or tomatoes or salsa.

Do you guys eat a lot of fruit? Especially since with WW, all fruits are 0 pts... but I still wonder if having 2-3 servings every single day might be counterproductive when I'm trying to be so strict. Or am I just overthinking things? (Hey, that happens...)

Attitude of Gratitude: I actually spoke with my ex and it wasn't bad. I never thought it'd be possible, but maybe we can be friends. We'll see.

April - 11.7 lbs lost

Last month (at 198.0), I said that my goal for April was to lose 10 lbs. Instead I lost 11.7! I am 186.3. Very proud of myself!

This was a very good workout month. I worked out 28 days out of 30. My mentality has been that if I don't have a concrete reason not to or some real time constraint, then I do it. Just gotta do it.

These little stickers kinda help because I'm like a first grader - I feel better when I get a sticker.

Also my eating was good this month. I stayed on track pretty much every day I think. In general, I have been giving food less thought. I don't write my food or track it anymore, sometimes I count it up in my head, but I just try to eat healthy and stay away from carbs and processed foods. (Of course there are also those days when it's a pain.)

My goal for May is to lose 10 lbs again. I'd say 8 just to be safe, but why be safe? Having another 10 lb goal will push me to keep working hard. I'll be happy with 8, but still going for 10. I'm worried a plateau might be coming honestly. But I will work out every day that I can, still do the C25k thing, and eat healthy. So I'll say it; by June 1st, I will be 176.3 or lower. Hopefully.

Attitude of Gratitude: Osama Bin Laden was killed by our troops! Proud to be an American!

Weigh In

So this whole week, the scale has hardly been moving at all. I was getting so frustrated because if I'm eating right and working out, especially if that working out involves running (which I hate), then I better be getting some results from it.

And I did! I lost 2 lbs this week, putting me at 186.3.

I'll do a little April wrap up post later today or tomorrow. I definitely met my goal, so yay for that!

What should my goal weight loss for May be?