Long time no post

I know I kinda fell off the wagon a bit on posting.  I just don't like how blogger switched the layout of everything.  Still don't.

I have still been trucking a long.  I see my last post I talked about how I was 177.  Well I have been yo yo'ing all around.  Despite me still working out religiously (about 6 days a week) Adding a grueling Body Attack to the mix.  Watching what I eat (no bad me hasn't been logging food but I swear I have been good)   I have been stuck in the low 180's.  I know I am horrible with tracking food and taking my vitamins.  SO....I noticed my friend talking about something called Body by Vi shakes.  It is from a company called Visalus.  It is touted the shake that tastes like a cake.  I have always been iffy on meal replacement stuff.  You things like SlimFast and whey protein mixes.  They just scare me and seem like they wouldn't be very tasty.  So I got a sample from my friends sister and I tried.  Dude, it does taste like a cake.  Doing more searches online I found the recipes that use this shake are endless.   Who don't like eating strawberry cheesecake for breakfast and it being healthy for you?  YUM!  So I signed up.  I started my shakes.  I was only going to replace 1 meal cuz really, I didn't think I could do 2.  Surprisingly it wasn't too hard to do 2.  So now I am doing 2.  I always do a shake for breakfast but I do switch up my 2nd shake with lunch or dinner.  The first week on the shakes, I lost 2.7 pounds.  Now I have been perusing a support group and see people losing 7+ pounds the first week but that is their first week of food editing ( my new term  as it isn't a diet but an edit) and we all know that the first week is usually the biggest loss.  I have been food editing for 2 years so my loss wasn't that great, but still 2.7# after gaining for the last few weeks is AWESOME.   I am trying to get down as much as I can as my family is doing this biggest loser thing.  I have 2 weeks till final weigh in.

On the shakes I have more energy.  I don't have to remember my vitamins cuz they are in the shake.  The flavors are endless which is one of the downsides to most meal replacements shakes, you are stuck with the same 2-3 flavors.  Visalus has recipes..ones I have tried are Snickers, ButterFinger, OrangeJulius (not my fave) White chocolate Caramel Cappicino (yum), Strawberry Cheesecake (one of my faves) Girl Scout Samoya cookie, Cookies and Cream, Peanut Butter cup and Almond Joy.  But there is soooooo many more.  I tried one day to not have shakes cuz it was my splurge day but I felt awful.  I guess I will have to go easy on splurge.  I have even got dh having shakes.   The Shakes are pretty reasonable in cost.  A little over $100 for 2 bags that should last you a month.  Cost per shake is about $2 (slightly more depending what you mix it with, I do half almond milk and half skim milk) but you can do just water.

So I am going to try and keep posting and see where I go with this Body By Vi Shakes.  I am trying to lose 10# to start cuz I want the I Lost it Shirt.  I also would like to get down to at least 170 before I go in for my varicose vein treatment, because there is a few of my usual workouts that I am going to have to give up for a little bit (Body Attack, the squats and lunges and probably the back track in Body Pump.

Oh I also want to mention my bff and I are going to be doing the color run this summer.  how exciting.  We will probably run and walk it.

Weigh In 7/22/12 BRING IT

So I set this goal that I want to reach 170 by Aug 2nd.  That was last week when I weighed in at 177.  This weeks weigh in and I am at 174.8  that is 2.9 pounds lost this week.  I am so HAPPY.  I still have 10 days till my goal.  Will I reach it I don't know.  but I am really happy with that number.  Even more so since I haven't tallied my points for 2 weeks.   Two days ago I started Green Coffee Extract.  We will see where that takes me.  I also only got to the gym 2 days and didn't do elliptical all week.  so a 2.9 loss is GREAT (though I did set up a garage sale and that was lifting and stairs.  Also kept me busy and not eating)

This week I will only get 2 days of pump in.  maybe some elliptical and i think Sam and I will head to the beach a day or 2.

Also my sister informs me that I now weigh less than her.  I never thought that would happen.  ;)

I need to loose as much as i can cuz we are going to IL Aug 2nd and as we all know there are no points in Dekalb. :)

Green Coffee Extract

I stumbled on this by accident.  I went to msnbc to look for info on the CO shooting at Batman movie and saw a link to Dr. Oz and talking about Green Coffee Extract.  Now I am not a fan of Dr. Oz.  The man contradicts himself a lot.  What is bad for you one day is good for you the next and vise versa.  So I went with what he said and looked up more information on it.  From what I seen and results from reviews on the shopping sites, this looks promising.  Basically what it does is prevent the release of glucose in the blood stream and with that the body uses energy from the fat instead.  It also may aid in heating up the body which will melt the fat.   From the Dr. Oz video, he tested it on 2 women.  The women didn't change anything in their life style.  One women lost 2# and one lost 6#.  in FIVE DAYS....I have seen on some of the reviews where one person lost 1# a day.  So I guess we will see what happens to me.  I also have been taking other vitamins,  Cinnamon for curbing the sugar eating, K2 for my varicose veins, CLA for metabolism, a pill for my hair and skin,  B12 for metabolism.  Add to that Phase 2 for minimizing the carbs.  I just started GCE today.  so i don't think i will have any instant result on Sunday.  But I have been doing great this week food and fitness wise so we shall see what is up with my loss.  I have 12 days, I want to be as close to 170 as i can

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients: 

4 tbsp crumbled bacon (I used the stuff from the salad dressing aisle)

2tsp minced garlic

1pkg ranch mix

1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken (better than 98% fat free b/c sodium is low too and it's already a salty dish)

1c fat free sour cream

1/2c skim milk

12oz whole wheat pasta (I used Rotini, but rigatoni or ziti would work well) (don't need to be whole wheat all the same points) 

18oz boneless/skinless breasts (i put a couple of breasts in slow cooker with some broth and garlic) 

Directions:

1. Combine bacon, garlic, ranch mix, soup, sour cream, and milk in saucepan until a thick sauce.
2. Bake chicken until done and then slice into strips (or cheat and use Tyson LOL)
3. Cook pasta as directed.  *Instructions say to top pasta with chicken then sauce, but I just mixed it all together first and I liked it better that way.  

Makes 6 servings

400 calories     5.5g of fat     9 WW+ points 

Weigh In 6-24-12

I am up again.  gained 1.1 pounds.  Weight Watchers says that it is ok, gaining here and there is ok.  in the past I have been ok with gains.  This time I don't like it.  probably cuz i don't understand why.  All the other gains I got it.  But this time i didn't get it.  I was working out like mad (well not mad but daily.  I was tracking my points except the cake...i don't know what the points were on that but my Fitness points would have taken care of that and even if they didn't i had the 49 weekly.  but yet still I gained.   At least I am at a point where it frustrates me to go forward and not at the beginning where you get frustrated and quit.

On a good note, my dog groomer says she notices that I am a lot happier lately.  So i guess the loss isn't only physical.

In hopes to pick me up i ordered new workout shoes.  I hope they fit, i had to order online but i got the same size i have now and they are the same brand name.  I love skechers.

Still kicking around if i want to try step.  maybe i need to add a little more cardio to the mix.  I still need to check out classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I heard though that Christine is teaching W.F on Thursday so maybe i will head back to the pool.

Just a little Bump

I have hit a frump.  The scale is NOT my friend.  I been working out.  Watching what I eat.  Even if I did miss something on my pointing, my fitness points would take care of that.  I earn about 50 of those a week.  But yet the scale is telling me lies.  And no they aren't sweet.  I even changed the battery to see if it would say something else.  I just am in a frump.  It don't help that I go to change my cloths or try on something in the store and see my flabby body.  I am ok when clothed but naked...ugh.  The loose skin and giggle is bugging me.  I can't do anything about that.  Dh won't even discuss plastic surgery until I hit goal.  Except his goal and my goal are two different things.  He wants me to be 110.  I keep telling him that I will never be that.  I have had 3 kids.  My body type isn't like that.  I have Buska Thighs, I would be happy with 140-150.  if I hit that...then have plastic surgery that will take off probably another 10-15 pounds..  So that means I have 40pound to go.  (not 60 like he says)  But that is if the scale starts to move.  I think though I want to look and make an appointment for a consultation with a surgeon to just see what we are looking at and the cost.  Dh says if I get there he will totally pay for it.  I so don't know why I am in this frump.  I mean seriously.  I went into Kohls the other day looking for a exercise bra. No luck so I bought a dress instead.  I love the dress.  I LOVE IT.  The best thing is it is a Large.  not an XL and not an XXL.  But I just want smaller boobs.  I don't know how women do it.  You know the ones that get implants to be BIG.  Why?  I don't want to go uber small but a D would be good.  Just so i can go in the store and buy a bra off the rack and not have to special order and hope it fits.    I am also upset cuz my sister bought me a Victoria Secret bra as a gift and I was so excited but it don't fit right.  I hate my boobs.  I hate my belly.  I hate my butt and thighs.  I did finally get through the squat track without stopping.  I am proud of that.  Anyway, I am just in a frump this week.   Here is hoping Sunday weigh in the scale is good to me and that next week i feel better.  Maybe i should start taking that St. Johns wart too

Weigh In Day 5-27-12 SEVENTY POUNDS

I did it.  I am now at 70 pound loss.  I lost 1.8 pounds this week and am currently at 181 (Even) i didn't get to under 180 yet, but I am close.  Today was suppose to be splurge day but I really don't have anything to splurge ON.  I can't make brownies out of eggs, no cookies that are screaming EAT ME.  I guess i could have mac and cheese later if that hit.  maybe I will wait till tomorrow and splurge on Chinese with my Niece.

My wrists are looking so skinny.  I wish my legs would start to look like that.  but they are still flabby and gross.  I know they are smaller cuz my pants size keeps going down but they are still yucky looking.  My belly looks like a deflated balloon.

I am still doing Pump 3x a week.  Tuesday workout is still up in the air.  I do elliptical when ever I find a moment.  Yesterday I did elliptical while dh slept and watched Revenge on the Ipad.  that way he can't hear it. but right now it is rough cuz i can't put my hair up due to the keratin complex treatment that I had done.  but tomorrow at 2:30 I can put it up out of my face.  :)

What is hard for me is to not be judgmental.  I don't mean to be.  I know when i was larger I had the thinking of "I am ok, I feel good, I don't let this weight stop me"  But now that I am lighter, I think "i feel so much better, I am loving cloths shopping. I can do so much more"  I want others to feel like I feel like I feel.  I feel bad that people think they need to settle or they need to diet.  Diets is a failure.  Every time someone says "Oh you are doing the Weight Watcher Diet"  I have to correct them.  It isn't a diet.  it is a life style change.  I am not dieting.  I am eating a lot of the foods i always did but I am just making them lighter but using light cheese, low fat butter.  and such.  I am still having pizza, I am still having taco,  I am still having most the things I use to, just now in moderation.  I am conscious of what I am eating and making a better choice.  Some days it is hard and some days it is soooooo simple.  If I want something over points, i workout to earn it.  It is a balance.  Just take it one day at a time and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish