Tip of the day...

We all know the things that can make us successful in a weight loss journey.  Eat right, exercise, et cetera.  But how about a tip that made a huge difference in my life that you might not think is important ?

GET ORGANIZED!

With summer winding down, I know a lot of you have kids.  Even if you don't, fall brings on its own set of challenges.  There never seems to be enough time in the day.  When we are rushed and unorganized we tend to make bad choices.  Disorganization also leads to stress and stress leads to lots of things - like the body holding on to fat. 

Let me give you an example.  Let's say that you're having a crazy day at work.  You rush out the door anxious to get home and tackle the night's responsibilities.  Now what are you going to do for dinner?  Who knows??  That pizza place down the road is calling your name and it's quick and easy, right?  Bad, bad, bad.  Now imagine the same scenario, except you knew last night exactly what you were going to have tonight and threw everything in the crockpot this morning, turned it on low, and now all you have to do is come home and dish out a delicious, healthy meal.  Good, good, good!

Every night before I go to bed, this is what I do -

• Lay out the clothes I'm going to wear tomorrow.
• Pack my gym bag with workout clothes and anything else I need for working out - such as a DVD.
• Take out of the freezer what I'm having for dinner the next day and put it in the fridge. 
• Get out what I'm having for breakfast the next morning - like putting the dry oatmeal in a bowl and sticking the bowl and a spoon in the microwave.
• Pack my lunch for the next day.

Does this sound like a lot of effort?  It's not once you get used to it.  I am not a morning person.  So having the oatmeal all ready where I just have to throw in some water and start the microwave makes my life so much easier.  Then there is no chance of 1) skipping breakfast and finding myself starving and making a bad food choice halfway through the morning or 2) Stopping at McDonald's for a greasy, nasty breakfast sandwich on the way in to work.

You'll be amazed at how much easier the mornings go!  Your outfit is laid out, so you just throw on the clothes, grab your workout bag, throw your lunch in the bag and head out the door.  Easy peasy. 

And as far as dinner goes, crockpot recipes are a life saver.  And there are a TON of websites with easy and quick recipes.  But even if you're not using a crockpot, just having the chicken breast thawing during the day and some rice in the rice cooker - it makes life so much easier when you get home! 

I have also found that this type of organization saves precious minutes!  So I have time to cut the dogs' nails or load the dishwasher or sew that damn button back on my shirt.  Also, I like to do my second workout of the day when I get home.  This way I don't have to make a choice between working out and getting stuff done - I can do both!  Because it's too freaking easy to make EXCUSES to not work out.  Having time to get everything done and still get a good night's sleep is worth it's weight in GOLD!  And you'll go to bed feeling accomplished and not guilty. 

Try this for a week and let me know how it goes!!

Climbing mountains...

Both figuratively and literally!  We camped out this weekend and climbed both Cascade and Porter Mountains - 2 of the high peaks of the Adirondacks.  What a great time!!  

I haven't climbed a true mountain in a year and I was shocked at how easy it was.  Well, maybe easy isn't the correct term, but my heart rate stayed really low and I could easily dash up steep pitches like this:

Here are DH, the dogs and I at the top of Cascade Mountain:

And then one more of me at the top of Porter Mountain, the second one we climbed:

I'll tell you what, it feels great to be so active and to not have a day like this exhaust me.   

No-no-notorious...

I hope there are some other 80's peeps reading that remember Duran Duran so that my title makes sense  LOL

Anyway, I wanted to talk about my run yesterday and celebrating minor victories.  I was not motivated at all to run yesterday.  I did a lot of kettlebell work on Wednesday evening and my hamstrings and glutes were SORE, plus I just wasn't feeling it.  However, I didn't give myself an option and got changed and headed out the door.  It was my lunch hour and I always leave my work building and walk a short distance to the end of the road and then start my run.  

As I was walking that short distance I hear someone yelling at me from a car stopped at the red light.  I looked over and there was this woman who I had never seen before waving and yelling at me.  I pulled out one of my headphones and went over towards her.  She told me that she had just been telling her friend about me earlier that day.  She said that she had seen me running "all over the City" since last summer and how awesome I look.  She then said "I so want to be you!!"  She indicated that she had tried Weight Watchers several times and always lost and then regained, but had said to her friend - "If that woman can do it, so can I!!"  I gave her some encouraging words as the light was turning green and they took off. 

It was surprising and flattering.  I mean, I run the same or fairly same route 3 times per week, but I never think that people in cars really notice or pay attention to my running as I am in my own little world.  I do see a lot of the same walkers and we do the head nod thing, but I don't think about people driving by. 

Last May when I started running outside I was about 70 pounds heavier, so I can see that if someone was paying attention they would have noticed.

I don't know if it was because I was flying high from the compliment or what, but I ended up having a GREAT run.  I felt like I was totally in the groove and ran 6 miles easily.  If I had more time I would have run more.  It was awesome. 

THEN at the end of the run, I went inside and weren't they having CAKE right there at the security desk.  They tried to convince me that because I had just run, I could have a piece of cake, but I said NOPE.  I mentally celebrated my self control and headed upstairs to change and have the healthy lunch I packed. 

This journey is NOT a journey of 1000 perfect steps.  It's a journey of making the right choices, one at a time.  If you can string enough of these single right choices together you have a recipe for success.  

I wish that woman in the car luck on her road to getting healthy - one choice at a time!! 

My dinner last night...

How about a recipe today, guys?  I made a Zucchini Casserole last night with fresh zucchini from our garden.  It was SO GOOD!

Thanks to my mother for the recipe - which I modified a little to keep the calories lower...

1 zucchini cut into bite sized pieces

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 can of mushroom, drained

1 pound of chicken sausage (you can use regular sausage or ground beef - I actually used 4 links of chicken sausage)

Shredded cheddar or mozarella cheese (I used 1 cup of Price Chopper fat free cheddar cheese)

garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a glass pan. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

This was so delish and very low calorie.  The whole casserole came to around 1400.  Since I divide my calories into a relatively small lunch and breakfast and then a heavier dinner, even eating 1/2 of this casserole only put me at 1300 calories for the day.  I even made a piece of garlic bread on 35 calorie per slice oatmeal bread - Country Kitchen makes this bread. 

Feeling good this week!

It's funny how emotions can change so rapidly from day to day and week to week.  I told you all about my complete meltdown last week.  I just really was in a state of self-doubt and fear.  This week I have swung to the complete opposite side of the pendulum. 

I feel totally and completely confident and in control this week.  I am looking at how far I've come and I'm in a place where I am totally sure that I can manage my eating and exercise in a healthy way and live as a thin and healthy person for the rest of my life. 

Last night was a potluck dinner for my work.  I ate mostly very healthy things - chicken, salad, fruit - but, once again, I ate WAY to much of that stuff  [SIGH!]  BUT, rather then let it throw me into a tirade of self-abuse and recriminations, like usual, I instead said to myself that today is a new day and one day eating too much, even several hudred calories too much, does not make me gain a ton of weight.  I knew yesterday was going to be a challenge, and I ran 6 miles at lunch.  It doesn't undo the damage, but it does mitigate it a little.  And as long as I get right back on track - which I am! - it will have very little effect on my overall efforts.

Feeling calm and in control is a really good feeling.  It's funny, every fall and spring at work they do a weight loss challenge.  I think I did it 2 or 3 times during this journey, once taking 3rd place and winning some money.  As we are nearing the end of the summer, flyers are going out with the start date.  People are picking their partners and talking about getting back on track after a summer of over-indulging.  I picked up a flyer and looked at it, and, without really thinking, considered joining.  Then I realized that I don't have any weight to lose.  Wait a minute?  I DON'T HAVE ANY WEIGHT TO LOSE!!

So my brain hasn't totally caught up.  BUT I am JUST starting to see myself as a thin person.  I also, for really the first time, am starting to see why other people admire me.  As I was stretching before going inside after my run yesterday, a colleague walked by me shaking her head.  I asked her "What?"  and she said "Your dedication - it's just remarkable!"  I didn't respond, but I thought "You know, it is pretty impressive..."  I then started to wonder if last year people saw me running and took bets on how long it would last.  You know, most people don't stick with things they start.

For anyone who is reading this who is in the midst of their journey, I want to tell you once again - YOU CAN DO IT!  Today is a new day!!  Did you fuck up and eat badly yesterday?  Did you mean to exercise and didn't?  START NOW.  I cannot tell you how worth it is!!!!!  Do you have a long way to go?  That's okay, I did too!  Don't think about how far you have to go, take it in steps!  Imagine seeing the relatives at Thanksgiving and being 20-30 pounds lighter then you are now!  It can be done if you start TODAY. 

I am the #1 Loser!

Have you guys ever heard the phrase "Coming in 2nd makes you the #1 loser"?  Well that  is me!  Yesterday Marc and I raced our 2nd 10K.  It was very hot and humid.  Lots of people were really struggling, including some very buff and young Fort Drum soldiers.  Since I run at lunch time, I am kind of used to running in the heat.  It was pretty intense, but I was not all that bothered.

At any rate, it was a pretty small race - only 70 racers (you could also bike and there were a lot of bikers).  But I was the 6th person to finish and was 2nd overall for women!  It was pretty exciting!  And pretty hard for me to believe!

Here I am after collecting my medal:

Marc took 1st place in his age group!

The race included a pancake breakfast for all runners afterwards.  Do you know how long it has been since I've eaten pancakes??!!  Let's just say that I took full advantage and, of course, felt guilty afterwards.

Some day - SOME DAY - I am going to be able to just eat like a normal person!!

   

An adjustment period...

Soooooooo..... after hitting my goal weight on Saturday, it's been quite a week.  The thought of increasing my calories - which will need to happen in order for me to maintain instead of continuing to lose - has been really sending me off the deep end.  On Tuesday, I ordered from a vending machine here at work what I THOUGHT was a raspberry flavored coffee.  Turns out that it was a MOCHA coffee.  As soon as I tasted it, I knew it was extremely sweetened, but I drank it anyway.  Then I had a complete MELTDOWN because I didn't know how many calories I just injested.  I seriously threw myself into a total panic.  It was really weird to have this happen now.  I never had these moments when I was like 250 pounds.  I'm not totally sure what that was about.

And I'm doubting whether 119 should be my goal.  I'm wondering if I should lose a few more pounds.  I want someone to tell me what my PERFECT weight is.  Logically and rationally I know there is no such thing, but I am a very concrete person and that's what I'm looking for.  I think that I look pretty good now, and I feel good, but how do I know I wouldn't look and feel better at 115?

On the other side of this, is people like Marc, my mother, and my sister-in-law indicating their fear that I will lose too much weight.  I'm definitely not anywhere near that, in my opinion.  I have a doctor's appointment at the end of this month, and I'm going to ask his opinion, but again, it's not like he can tell me what exact weight to be.  Plus, my weight can fluctuate greatly from day to day - 4 pounds or so. 

It's going to take me a while to get this figured out in my head, so I beg everyone for their patience while I do this!!