Sheepishly poking my head back in...

So how's this for ridiculous:

I haven't posted for more than 6 weeks.
I missed my June weigh in
I have been to the gym twice in 4 weeks
I have made bread a way-too-big part of my diet

The good news is I'm still in my normal range for weight. The bad news is my energy is way down.

The good news is I am still very conscientious of it. The bad news I haven't written in my journal or posted for way too long.

The renovations are done - we just have yard work and the garage to complete. I should have more time to focus on my health. We purchased a trampoline today that will be my main source of activity for the next 4 months for sure - so I have NO excuses not to get in a great cardio & core workout!

I feel good about my maintenance - but need to worry about those last stubborn little pounds!!!

Day 2

Well I had a pretty good day yesterday! I am seeing the areas where I need to focus on (the little bites here and there are sneaking up on me) I counted everything I ate yesterday (which I don't HAVE to do, but I find the accountability good for me) and ended up with a net points of 24 (including using 3 APs) I went over because I had sunflower seeds at Emma's game last night, and a bowl of cereal, oh yeah, and 4 bites of Emma's blizzard....

So night time snacking has to be monitored as well.

Here's my plan for today: (Flex) CORE

B1: banana, coffee (1pt) CORE
B2: diced potatoes, egg whites, green onions, turkey bacon (3 pts) 1 PT CORE
L1: asparagus, fruit cocktail in water (1 pt) CORE
L2: black bean dip, carrots, cukes, 1 pita (4 pts) 2 PTS CORE
D: taco salad (6 pts) 1 PT for cheese CORE
SN: popcorn (2 pts) CORE; shredded wheat n bran, ff milk, blueberries (3 pts) CORE

Activity: 20 minute fast walk (1AP); softball (1AP)

I'm hoping my determination and positive outlook today will hold me through a very busy schedule, keeping me on plan!!!

Super Supper

I made this last night, just throwing stuff in... and man, were they TASTY! VE is the line of Epicure Selection spices - and I credit them for the extra burst of flavour! Totally core, or less than 3 pts for a good sized burger!

1 lb ex. lean ground beef
1 lb ex. lean ground turkey
1/3 cup quick rolled oats, crumbled
1/4 cup egg whites
1 tsp wortishire (sp) sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp olive oil
SPICES (measures are approximate!)
VE Chili garlic sea salt (1/4 tsp)
VE Herb and garlic sea salt (1/4 tsp)
VE French Onion dip (1 tsp)
VE Sundried tomato dip (1 tsp)
garlic powder (1 tsp)
Lemon Juice (1/2 tbsp)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 pkg of onion soup mix
Combine all together well, and form into approximately 8 med-large patties.

Deadly on the grill!!! Let me tell you, my family went crazy. (Even my fuss-puss kids!) Kenny thought there was bacon in them! They were fairly juicy (for extra lean burgers) and very, very yummy.

Serve with a slice of Fat Free swiss, and sauteed mushrooms & onions... well, I didn't miss the bun, that's for sure!

What's the deal with weekends?

Ok, so I know I'm not the first person in the weight loss world to take issues with weekends. I go in with the best intentions, and then BAM! Out of nowhere, I start rationalizing things. Ok, I spent an hour cleaning house, that's almost as good as going to the gym, right? I'll have a good lunch when I get home, but right now licorice and some baked cheetos will have to do. A little splurge on supper won't hurt, I'm on maintenance...

And by the end of the night, I'm feeling like a stuffed pork chop, all lazy and BLECH. I woke up so grouchy this morning... but why? Oh right. I treated my body like crap yesterday. Core food what? I don't think I had more than3 items that would be considered core yesterday. So today, this is what's up:

• I've already done 20 minutes of hard strength training & 20 mins of 15% @4.1 on the treadmill
• I am having a yummy breakfast of turkey bacon, eggs, possibly some ww WW toast, fruit salad and timmy's coffee (thanks for the coffee hon!)
• I am letting Emma-Leigh pick from my list of approved of clean eating meals. (Um yeah, that's always a fun conversation. No Emma, mcnuggets aren't on the list. No Emma, bologna is not on the list.)
• I'm hoping to wash my car (if it doesn't start to rain here)

I feel better already... and can't wait for my yummy yummy breakfast!

My story continues

So fast forward 15 months. I have lost 91 pounds, and have kept it off since reaching my 88 pound goal in November. I achieved lifetime membership, and have unwravelled a whole new world of challenges... maintenance.

I understood losing. Sacrifice and extra exercise, constant moderation and monitoring. Maintenance (even with all the warnings) seemed like a destination. Ease up on some of the vigilance... splurge on the odd thing here and there. The trouble with that is, it opens up tiny little wholes for my bad habits to creep in. So I am working on losing another 9 pounds, taking my sweet arse time with it, and trying to tone up some excess skin along the way. It's slow going. I've been playing with the same 5-6 pounds since Christmas, but I am committed to reaching 149.9 by September. That's less than 1.5 pounds a month. If it doesn't pick up soon, I may just go back to weight loss mode to get there. But I'll play it by ear for now.

When I look back at what I've lost over the last 14 months, it's actually much more about what I've gained:
* A lot more self confidence (must keep that in check now, some days!!!)
* Energy. I have much more to spare. I just can't sit in front of the TV like I used to!
* Better eating habits. In general!
* Smaller portion sizes (AKA reasonable portions!)
* The love of clean eating. I'm not perfect at it, but I'm working on it!
* A much better legacy to leave for my daughter.... there will be many posts on the struggles I face with this.

Ok, time for bed. I am struggling with getting enough sleep lately, so I'd best start the night time routine a little earlier from now on.