Diet Challenge | Week Five Update

Happy Monday... no really, it's a HAPPY Monday!!  But before we get started... need to do a big Happy Birthday shout out to my amazing hubby, Murray!

Okay, enough talking about other people, let's bring the focus back to me ;)  I am SUPER pumped to report that this morning's weigh-in was successful and I lost another 4-lbs for a new weight loss total of 17.5-lbs.  I can't even express how happy it makes me to be down FOUR pounds in one week.  As I have said before, I am not expecting major drops and am happy with not gaining but seeing all the hard work that I am putting in, paying off, brings a GIANT smile to my face and makes me want to keep going!

My newest Fitbit badge!

WINS for the week:

1. First 'Eat Out' Meal - Yep, it was bound to happen, the dreaded restaurant meal.  However, if you read my blog post from last week, you will know that I did it with flying colours!  I planned it all before leaving the house and stayed totally on plan for the meal and didn't feel the least bit guilty with my choices!
2. Steppin' Up - Killed it with the steps this past week.  I did close to, or over, 12,000 a day and made sure to get two walks in each day.  Not sure if I will ever increase my step goal beyond the 10,000 but am more than happy to knock it out of the park every chance I get.  

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Making Cupcakes - I happen to be the cupcake queen of my family so for most occasions, I am asked to make some version of cupcakes.  Saturday was my niece's 5th birthday and, of course, I made cupcakes.  Usually my routine is to fill the cupcake wrappers and leave enough batter in the bowl for me to enjoy a super yummy, and horribly fattening, batter snack.  Add on top of that, the licks and tastes of icing and sprinkles and whatever else goes into making them look pretty and it's basically an all-out schmorgishboard (no idea how to spell that).  Not only did I not eat any batter, but I didn't even have a lick of the icing!  WOOHOO!
2. Birthday Party - Same day, different challenge!  My niece's birthday party was on Saturday and it ran right into when I would be having lunch (late, as usual) so instead of being tempted by snacks, I just brought along my salad and ate it instead.  WIN!!

This upcoming week is loaded with challenges so I am going to have to do some MAJOR planning to stay on plan, as much as humanly possible.  We have a baseball tournament this coming weekend, out of town, so that means staying in a hotel ALL WEEKEND long.  I plan to bring snacks (fruit and whatnot) to fill in the gaps and eat at Subway as much as possible.  There is also a gym at the hotel (I know, I actually checked... who am I?!) and I will be bringing gym clothes to work out each day in hopes that any extra calories I do eat are burned off!  Fingers crossed that next week's weigh-in, is at worst, a stand still!  My goal is for NO GAINS!

Restaurant Eating | How to Successfully Plan

It can be very stressful when you are in the middle of a diet-plan and a friend asks you to go out for dinner or a family event pops up.   My son's 9th birthday was on Monday and his favourite restaurant of life is Buffalo Wild Wings.

Restaurant food is high in calorie, high in fat and oh-so-tempting... but you don't want to trigger those guilty feelings that throw you off your plan or start a downhill slide back to the beginning.  So, how do you add in a visit to a restaurant without throwing in the towel on your diet?  Here's how I handled it...

1. Figure out which restaurant you will be dining at.  If you have the choice, pick somewhere that you know serves healthy foods but if you don't, don't worry... you can still make it work for you. (Our restaurant was Buffalo Wild Wings... home of the deep fried everything!)
2. Go to the restaurants website and search for the nutritional information section.  If you can't find it, you can always google for it or call the restaurant and ask them to fax/email you a copy.  Almost every restaurant has their ingredients and nutritional information available for their customers. (I had to google for the nutritional info but was able to find it fairly easily... although it was the American version, a lot of the dishes carried over to the Canadian menu)
3. Determine how many calories/grams of fat/sugar (whatever you are counting) you are okay with eating for that meal and then search for items that fit within that limit.  I tend to stick to the appetizer section because the 'meals' are smaller.  If it's ever possible, try to go for lunches so you can get even smaller portions... makes eating seem less daunting when you can order a 'full' sized plate and it still isn't HUGE! (I opted to stay below 500 calories which is still more than I normally have for lunch but figured I could just swap my dinner and lunch around and not worry too much)
4. When you are at the restaurant, drink WATER... don't waste your calories on alcohol or soda because it's not worth it.  Even diet soda is full of sugar (the fake kind which is actually worse for you) and it will make you bloated and crave more of it in the future.  Keep your glass full and keep sipping!  
5. Don't look at the menu because you will be tempted by other choices... order what you planned and don't veer off course. 
6. Once everyone is done their meal, pay up and head out... maybe to a coffee shop to continue your visit (less tempting than the dessert menu) or perhaps for a walk! (If you do indulge, just remember you need to work off those extra calories!)

Shown: Southwest Street Tacos - 480 calories

Like I said, restaurant meals are going to happen... friends are going to ask... family events will come and go but you do not have to give up on your diet to participate.  Just make smart choices.

Planning is the key to success!

Diet Challenge | Week Four Results

First off, this post must start with a GIANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little man who is 9 years old today!  He brings me joy every single day and is inspiring me to become a healthy mom!!

Okay, onto week four's results... I weighed in this morning and was down 1lb for a new total weight loss of 13.5lbs!!  To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect on the scales this morning because yesterday was Steven's birthday party and while I know that I made really good food choices and got in all my steps, I still think my calories were higher than normal.  However, I cheered for myself when I saw the drop on the scale... at this point in my life, I have yo-yo'd enough to know that a loss is a loss, whether it's 5lbs or 0.5lbs, you celebrate the loss regardless.

Before I get into the WINS and CHALLENGES of the week, I wanted to talk about how I am feeling after a month of 'dieting' or a month into the new 'lifestyle'.

I am overwhelmed by my motivation and extremely proud of my success.  Having been on this journey before, I have never had the ability to stick with it for longer than a week or two.  The only two major successes I have had have been my two stints with Jenny Craig (losing 38lbs the first time and 90lbs the second... and then gaining it all back).  Knowing that I am doing this ON MY OWN this time... prepping the food, doing the exercise, being my own coach, is making me understand what it will take to be a healthy, happy person for the long run.  I am not even close to being where I want to be but I know that this time, it will stick and I will reach my goals.

WINS for the week:

1. Motivation - It has to be said that one of the major keys to my success the last month has been my motivation!  It's still at an all-time high and it's helping me get through each challenge as it presents itself!
2. Floors - Kicked it up a notch this weekend and nailed enough floors to get my next badge from Fitbit.  Yep, I did 25-floors in one day and for someone who lives in a townhouse and works in a one-level building, that's pretty impressive!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Baseball - I know, it's starting to sound like a broken record but seriously, it's every weekend!!  We had another double header this weekend and I was 'forced' to plan for 6-hours on the field.  I ended up grabbing another 6" from Subway because we didn't have good 'portable' meals but overall, I think I did well.  My water intake was a little low because there weren't any bathrooms nearby so I didn't want to be in an emergency situation.
2. Birthday Party Number One - Yep... we are in the middle of the birthday bonanza so the first party was yesterday.  I did the best I could for planning and prep and made sure I got all my steps in but there were some foods that I had to guesstimate the calorie count on... I only had a small amount of those to be safe but still, posed a big challenge.  Not to mention the dairy queen cupcakes... those were definitely a challenge - but I resisted!  Not worth the guilt!

Plans for the upcoming week include another birthday party, a birthday dinner and perhaps more baseball.  

Today marks the beginning of the second 28-days so I will be adding in some more exercise and also planning to decrease my calorie intake by 100 calories a day (from 1700 to 1600)... time to step it up a notch!

The Next 28 Days | Fit Girl's Guide

WOW, am I actually sitting here, typing out this post, and able to say that I have almost made it to the 28-day mark of my Diet Challenge? I can't believe how far I have come in such a short period of time.  Not only am I happy but I am getting healthy and feeling more fit!

So, what does the next 28-days look like?  Well, I have decided to step up the game just a little and join the Fit Girl's #28daychallenge (look up the hashtag on Instagram and you will see all sorts of amazing inspirational pictures).

I purchased the Fit Girl's Guide & The Jumpstart Journal to not only teach me how to become more fit but to also help me along the way... both with diet and fitness.  The book was great and I was able to power through it in an evening and the Jumpstart Journal is so much fun... I even grabbed the pencil crayons and coloured the cover page!

After reading the book, I printed out the exercise/fitness portion and am ready to start using that on Monday but I am still a little stuck on the menu/food planning portion.  While I would love to go into this full tilt, I found that a lot of the foods they suggest are just not to my liking (like avocado, sweet potato & mushrooms).  I am willing to give most things a whirl but I know that these things are not up my alley of likes so will need to tweek the recipes to get them to work for me.  If I can get these worked out by Monday, then I will definitely give the diet a whirl too.  However, I am feeling really good about my food choices thus far that I really don't think it is THAT big a deal if I follow my own diet plan (counting calories using the Fitbit App) and incorporate the new fitness aspect.  We shall see how that works out and if needed, perhaps I can add the full diet in for the THIRD 28-day cycle!

So, this weekends plans are to get some 'before' pictures taken (okay, not officially before but close enough) and to take my measurements.  I won't post any of that right away but at the end of this 28-day cycle, I will post a comparison photo to see what kind of change took place!

Here goes... as I have said, my motivation is just as strong now as it was when I started.  Being past that 21-day hump really gives me hope that there are many brighter days ahead!

Recipe | Chicken, Peppers & Rice

Being on a diet means a lot of the same old foods... you get used to the routine and it is hard to find new recipes that work, not only for the calorie count, but also for the entire family to enjoy.  This past week, I saw a post on Pinterest that showed a picture of chicken with peppers, served over rice and I thought, 'Hey, that has to be low in calories... let's give it a go'.  So here is how I made an amazing 450 calorie dinner.

Chicken, Peppers & Rice

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 each of red, yellow and orange peppers

1/2 lrg white onion

2 cups of brown Minute Rice

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Soy Sauce

Medium dash of Mrs. Dash (original)

Red Pepper Flakes to taste (depends on your desired heat)

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

1. In a large pan, dice onion and saute in olive oil
2. Cut up chicken into small pieces and toss into pan
3. Add in minced garlic and cook until chicken is cooked through
4. Season mixture with Mrs. Dash, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce
5. Prepare rice as directed on box.  I use the max serving (6 people) 
6. Add peppers into the pan with chicken and onion and cook until the peppers are the desired tenderness (generally 10 - 15 mins)
7. Once cooked, add rice to pan and mix everything together
8. Let simmer for another 5 minutes and add any additional seasonings you feel it needs.  I sometimes add an extra dash of Worcestershire Sauce or some more red pepper flakes.
9. Serve it up

This makes 4 servings and each servings is approximately 450 calories (depending on how big your chicken chunks are and just how much seasoning you used!)

Super tasty and very easy to make... something the whole family will love!

Diet Challenge | Week Three Results

They say that it takes 21-days to form a habit that will last... don't ask me who 'they' are but that's what I have always read and yesterday was day 21 of the Diet Challenge!  I can tell that new habits have already taken root just by the simple fact that I spent 6+ hours on the ball field yesterday and didn't cheat on the diet... even when the fellow parents I was sitting with decided a trip to the Chip Truck was necessary...  THREE TIMES!  Legit almost died!

Picture Source

Week three is now in the books, a thing of the past, and I am happy to say that I have lost another 1.5 lbs for a new weight loss total of 12.5 lbs.  As I have said for the last two weeks, the losses will slow down and settle at a more 'normal' range and I am thinking we are there... losing between 1-2 lbs per week is what I am hoping for!!

WINS for the week:

1. Baseball - I already mentioned my big win on the field yesterday (both the team won and I did!) but I think that was a HUGE sign of how far I have come.  Not going to say that I didn't spend some time researching which fast food restaurant had the lowest calorie foods, but I didn't cave and that is the most important thing.  We went home, had what was on the menu and went to bed completely satisfied with another awesome day under our belts.
2. Steps - Another amazing week when it comes to my fitness goals.  I increased my step count to 10,000 (the most I have ever tried for) and beat that by a mile most days.  It helped that Murray was also wearing a Fitbit so we did a Workweek Hustle Challenge (kicked his butt)... we are too competitive for our own good!

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Baseball - Do I sound like a broken record yet?  My biggest challenge for the week was by far Sunday on the field.  Just the smell of those Chip Truck fries was enough to make me want to dive off the edge and into a bucket of greasy goodness.  However, I planned ahead and brought a sandwich, fruit and other snacks so was able to fight off the desire.
2. Mental Cravings - There were a couple of nights this week that I felt as though I needed to eat out... I craved junk food like McDonalds or my standard Malteasers.  I don't even think I was hungry when I was having these cravings so honestly think they were more mental than anything... like my mind was in sugar overload withdrawal.  Again, I didn't cave but it did take some serious self-reasoning to keep myself on track.

Overall, a great week!  I did end up eating at Subway on Friday night while the boys were at the WWE event but again, like last time, I only had a 6" sub and water so don't really consider that 'eating out'.  Still haven't had any pop or candy or junk food of any kind so I do really feel like I have made some positive steps towards healthy habits.

The next two weeks are going to be a bit more of a challenge and take a lot of planning on my part because it is basically a BIRTHDAY BONANZA up in our house.  Steven's 9th birthday is on the 18th and Murray's birthday is on the 25th... sandwich my niece Emma's in on the 23rd and you have the birthday trifecta!  Here's hoping that some good pre-planning and smart choices leads to another positive win on the scale next week!!

Summer No Buy | One Month Update

WOW, where is the summer going?  I know that everyone says that but seriously, it's almost mid-July and once August hits, I start craving all things fall.  While I am talking about summer though, it is hot as blazes out this week and I've mentioned before that I do NOT do extreme weather... at all!  UGH... time for a good ole thunderstorm to break the humidity... please?!?!

Anyways, on to the 'No Buy' update...

I originally announced my no buy at the beginning of June but technically started it on my birthday (May 21).  We are sitting at 6-weeks and I am thrilled to say that I am holding strong.  Other than a couple of purchases (two) from Nine Zero Lacquer, I have not purchased a single, unnecessary, beauty item.

Let me explain Nine Zero Lacquer so you don't think that I am cheating...  Nine Zero is a nail polish brand made by my friend Jess and up until I closed down my YouTube channel, I was one of her swatchers.  That means that I have every single polish that she has made since her companies inception and when I started my no buy, I decided that the Nine Zero polishes would be an exception to the rule.  Thankfully, I have only ordered twice and don't anticipate another order until her fall collection releases.

So, how am I feeling after 6-weeks of not buying all the things?  It feels amazing!  I didn't think that it would be an easy task but as time has gone on, it just keeps getting easier.  In my original post (linked here), I mentioned that I was using 'wish lists' on websites so that when my no buy was over, I would remember the items I had wanted and be able to purchase them (if the need was still there) and I can honestly say, it has been weeks since I have added anything to a wish list.  I just don't have the desire to buy things anymore... I love my collection and am using the things I have.  Novelty, I know!

Even though this no buy is scheduled to be a 'summer' challenge, at this point, I can't see myself going back to my old ways... I don't want to.  It's been incredibly eye opening to see the abundance of THINGS that I have and wasn't using because I had so many NEW things coming in... ALL THE TIME!

This makes me SOOOOOO happy!  YAY... that was the point of this journey and we have already succeeded!  WHOOP WHOOP!!!

Spotlight | Kristin Gehm

Have you ever had one of those people come into your life that makes you feel like a better person for just having known them?   One of my best friends, who I met through YouTube, is Kristin Gehm and she has inspired me to be the best person I can be and for that, I am truly grateful to her, each and every day.

Picture Source

Kristin has two channels, one devoted to makeup and all things beauty and the other is a vlog channel, where she takes viewers around with her as she lives her life.  While I absolutely love her makeup channel and watch each video she posts, her vlog channel is where I feel most connected.

As I look at my current journey, weight loss and becoming more healthy, I have found that going back and re-watching Kristin's videos has inspired me to plan ahead.  For my entire life I have been a procrastinator... I hate not having plans in place but I also do everything at the last possible minute.  With dieting, I think one of the most important aspects is planning.  Want to be successful?  Be ready!

Kristin has a fantastic routine of planning her meals for the week as well as prepping her snacks for work lunches.  Taking these two simple tasks and incorporating them into my routine has been a major turning point for me in this whole lifestyle change.  Do I like taking time out of my day on Sunday to do this?  No.  However, I know that I don't do mornings and refuse to get up earlier than I have to so the Sunday prep is 100% necessary if I want to succeed.

While I don't think Kristin intended to inspire anyone with these simple steps, I hope that she knows that by watching her videos, people do indeed become a better version of themselves.

THANK YOU so much, Kristin... I appreciate your friendship and your willingness to open your home up to the masses and show us how you do you!  Both you and Bob are blessings to all of us who watch you!

Diet Challenge | Week Two Results

Another week has come and gone and the results are in... I am happy to say that I am down another 3.5 lbs for a two-week total of 11 lbs lost!  WAHOO!   I wasn't expecting such a big loss this week because of how much I lost last week but I will not complain.  It has now been two weeks since I have eaten out (other than a trip to Subway which I only had a 6" sub) or had any pop... which was a slight addiction that snuck up on me.

WINS for the week:

1. Planning - Still making a menu for family dinners and ensuring that I have all of my fruit and veggies for the week prepped and ready for easy to grab lunches.  Honestly, this takes about 30 - 45 mins on the weekends and saves so much time in the morning... also makes it easy to have healthy options for lunch.
2. Steps - I participated in a 'Workweek Hustle' this week and there were 8 of us working to have the most steps from Monday - Friday and I came 4th.   I hoped to win but the leader killed it and was a ton of steps ahead of me.  However, I was so motivated to put in a good showing that I did over 10,000 steps a day (my goal was 8,500).

CHALLENGES for the week:

1. Period - Oh the joys of being a woman... not only do we lose weight slower than men but we get that one week a month of bloating, water retention and cravings.  
2. Canada Day BBQ - Yep, week two and we hit a long weekend which means a family BBQ and no option of planning my meal.  However, I knew ahead of time what the menu was so was able to plan for some additional calories and do some extra steps during the day to compensate. 

All-in-all, a great week.  I felt like I kicked butt on my goals and am still feeling very VERY motivated.  Being over 1/5 of the way to my '50 by Christmas' goal is so thrilling... yes, I know that the losses will slow but for now, I am taking it as I can get it!!