Seeking a Jumpstart

Tomorrow is a brand new month, and I feel the need to refresh, reawaken my weight loss journey.

I'd like to do something different, but I don't have a clue.

I made a search, but so far I haven't found anything that I haven't read before or am doing already.

Such as: Don't skip breakfast, eat more veggies and fruit, add more protein, pre-plan your meals, change your exercise routine...etc...etc.

I need to do something different. I don't want to go back to points counting because I know I won't last doing that. Help!

One tip I haven't done is to try new foods and go back to basics, as in, doing something that worked in the past. I will have to think about all this today. We'll see what I can come up with.


***
8:05 PM:
I made my decision! I will count WW's Points instead of calories, tomorrow.


Today was very, very close to being a binge, but knowing that I had to be accountable here, I made myself stop.  Total for the day: 1,825 calories.
Walked 1.95 miles.

What Would I Do Differently?

If I could start from scratch on being a mom again, I would...

Be more patient.
Photograph everything.
Scrapbook.
Play more with him.
Thank the Lord every single day for such a wonderful son!

I love this boy so much, and saying that I'm proud of him doesn't seem enough. I just hope that he knows how much I appreciate him. God Bless him always, please. Amen.

What A Day!

You have your crocodile hunters, your bounty hunters, head hunters, lol, and ghost hunters...
My son and I, are church hunters!
We love to search for church buildings, the older, the better.

There's this tall building, a steeple, that we always see from a distance, when we walk by the park.  DS always says, that we must explore that place some day soon, and I always tell him, whenever I feel like I can walk it, we will go. I was telling him that the church looks like the one I worked by, many years ago, 21 years ago, to be exact.

The weather was perfect for walking, so I told him, let's do it today.  We walked, and walked, and didn't realize how far it really was, yikes! lol!  The closer we got to it, the more familiar the neighborhood seemed.

Well, lo' and behold, when we finally reach it, it turns out that it's the same one. So, I showed him where I used to work all those years ago, the phone booth I used to call my mom on, on my lunch half-hour, and the diner a few blocks up ahead. It was a lot of fun:)

So, today I revisited, my past!  DS was worried that I had walked so much, and wanted us to take the bus back, but I told him I'd let him know if I really needed to.

So, my total walk for today, 3.75 miles! WOO-HOO! :D

St. Raphael's Church, at Greenpoint and Hunter's Point Avenues.  Perched on a hill, it is by far the tallest building in the area and can be seen all the way from Woodside and Long Island city. It was built in 1885 and replaced an earlier structure; the parish dates to 1867.


***
7:00 PM:
Total for the day, 1.386 calories.

It's A Breeze!

It sure looks like a nicer day today. It's 69 degrees at 5:56 a.m., when it's been 10 degrees higher this July.

So, I will be walking. I will grab my pedometer and my son, and go walking today.

Here's my plan...
Go to church (once a week)
Walk
Household chores
Wash
Cook
Read

Since I stopped the dairy snacks in the evening, I can feel the difference in my stomach. What a great feeling it is, not to wake up bloated:)

Well, I will post my total later on tonight.

Thursday Ramblings

I finished my book yesterday, "Pretend You Don't See Her" by M.H.Clark. I really liked it, especially the last few chapters when it picked up pace and I found myself excited about the next chapter, lol!
I still have 3 Mary Higgins Clark books left on my shelf, I'll probably continue with her.

I'm still waking up drowsy, I had about 6 1/2 hours of sleep last night, but, that's not new, so why do I wake up feeling like I had one hour? My eyes are also, giving me problems, blurry, sometimes headache. Time for an eye check up.

I don't know what I'm doing today, I just know that I "MUST" do an upper body workout.

I will post later throughout the day, again.

***

8:15 PM:
Didn't walk today, but did 22 minutes of upper body weights workout.
Total calories: 1,393.

It's Wednesday!

This is week 12 of my tracking challenge. I'd like to take this time to say, Thank "You" Lord, for your guidance back on track.

Of all these weeks, only "one" day, I went over my calorie range, and only by 100 calories, so I'm pretty proud of myself:)

Today I plan to walk with DS and hopefully do an upper body workout.
I'm a bit sleepy right now, I wake up sleepy/drowsy, like I don't get enough sleep.

I'm almost finished with my book, "Pretend You Don't See Her" by Mary H. Clark, I like it, maybe not a super-thriller, but it does have it's suspenseful moments. I thought I'd go to the library the next time around, find something a bit more exciting. Maybe one of Stephen King's latest, Stephen King Books.

Okay, I will write again later. Time to make son's coffee:)

***

6:33 PM:
Today my heart just wasn't into walking, neither was my body.  I went to the library, but did not find any Stephen King book that interest me in large print. So, I just walked to the nearest supermarket and bought two small boxes of Ideal Sweetener. 
Total walk: 1.30 miles. Total calories: 1,465.

Tuesday Thoughts

Today I am feeling achy and sleepy, isn't there a Snow White dwarf called achy? :D

I plan to force myself out the door to walk. I want to create a routine for this fall, for when my son leaves in the mornings to school, I want to leave with him and walk, maybe around the park.

I don't want to still be home without being dressed when he leaves, I want to be there for him if he needs me. I remember when I was going to school, I didn't feel like my mom was around, ready for anything. And boy, were there days when I needed to feel secure.

Growing up with an alcoholic is devastating for a child, especially in the teen years. I want DS to know that he can always count on me.

But I digressed:)

Today's plans:
Walk
Bake my muffins.
Cook.
Clean up.
Read.

I "must" give up the Jello Rice puddings. I know it must be the dairy that's making me bloated, does lactose intolerant people get bloated after eating dairy? I'm going to check that out.

I just looked it up on webmd, and bloating was the first symptom on the list. 

I feel my stomach bigger, even though I have been on track for 76 days, my pants aren't even lose. I don't want to weigh myself on the 101th. day and find that I haven't lost any significant amount of  weight.

I still have cheese sticks and the YoCrunch in the fridge, I'll have to finish those before I can experiment on being dairy free, however, I will cut down from this day on. The last of the Jello puddings are finished. I know it's time to give up a certain food, when one or two servings are no longer enough.

Confession time:
I bought some 100 Calorie Pretzels yesterday. I'm keeping it downstairs so that they are out of easy reach. Up to two a day, I'm allowing myself, only as an evening snack. I was looking back at my DietPower food log, and I've been consuming an enormous amount of sodium,  3,000-7,000 mg. Very scary - and that's without the pretzels. I will be working on that from now on.

Well, that's about it for now. I will post my calories later on tonight.

***

Today's walk: 1.95 miles. Total calories for today, 1,418.

Monday's Accomplishments and Disappointments

I went to the mall with son, but couldn't find a nice pair of sneakers for myself.
Walked 2.9 miles total.
Did 17 min. upper body workout.
Cooked.
Washed several loads.
Wrote a letter to LaSalle Academy.

I threw away the four Soy-Delicious yogurts that I bought last month, yuck! I only tasted the vanilla sweetened with Agave, but the other flavor, blueberry, had expired, so I threw them out. Never again!

Image from: YoCrunch

I did buy six Light YoCrunch Cookies and Cream yogurts. I haven't tasted it yet, but it sure looked inviting. (I'm trying to find a rice pudding substitute, something that's not so addictive).

However, after buying the YoCrunch, I read the label's ingredients on their website, and found out that not only does it contain phenylalanine/aspartame, which they call it "sweet poison" - it also contains high fructose corn syrup: It's ridiculous!  I will not buy them again after I finish these.

What can a person buy that's a sweet substitute and healthy - besides fruit?  Like it or not, I'm going to have to get used to the idea of eating cereal with the Almond Breeze again as a snack.


 From now on, I have to be more conscious of my choices. Research it before going to the store and buying it. It's an expensive lesson to learn.


Total calories for today, (after my last snack) 1,270.

Sunday Intentions

Today we are headed to my Mom's. We see her bi-weekly, and bring her a few groceries of items that she can't find in her area.

It' looks like it's going to be another hot one, it's 83 degrees at 5:46 a.m.

I will look forward to the fall, although the last several years, there doesn't seem to be any other seasons except winter and summer.

I have mixed feelings about this coming fall. My dear son starts going to High School and will be commuting by train:(  Worry # 1.  Then the fact that he is farther from home in a place that he's not familiar with, with a bunch of teenagers...Worry # 2.  I know that he has to learn to take care of himself, but it just worries me sick.

So for now, I will not think about it, we have a whole month of vacation left, and I want to make the most of it.

When he was younger, we would go to Targets, and really enjoyed looking at everything, I would always buy him some kind of treat, and of course, I would spend money on myself that really wasn't necessary. We made a date for Monday, to go there again. This time, I need to buy myself some sneakers, and he has birthday money to spend, so it should be a lot of fun.

Well, I will post my total calories later tonight. God, thank "You" for this day. Amen.

***

8:09 PM:
Total for the day: 1,495 calories.

Saturday Wrap-Up

The day went just as planned, I did "nothing at all!" LOL!

Actually, I spent the day reading and watching movies. Tomorrow is back to normal, I'll be visiting my mom during the day, and then the dreadful wake-up time of the wee hours in the morning for DH and myself. Oh, well, it was nice while it lasted!

Total calories: 1,370.

Ten Years Already???

Today my DH and DS are going to the beach/amusement park. I don't want to go for a several reasons, I don't swim, I can't go walking on the sand like I used to, or go on the rides with them, (I don't want to risk a physical setback) and I just can't take the heat.

Another heatwave is expected today. I have a day all for myself, but no plans yet.

Today I celebrate 10 years of alcohol-sobriety! And to say that I'm grateful to God doesn't seem enough.

When I started out, I never thought I could do it. I kept telling myself to hold on for just one more day. I went to the library and took out books on sobriety, read message boards and articles online, every thing I could think of. I was very determined.

As of today, I still think about drinking, I sometimes dream that I am, and when I wake up, I feel so happy and relieved that it was just a dream.

I guess that is something that I will always have to deal with.
And having said all that, that battle is much more easier for me, than my battle with binge eating and sugar addiction.

I still think that someday I will conquer my food battles too. For now, this is how I might spend my day...

My Friday - So Far...

 

I went to church with DS, shopped at the supermarket for my mom's groceries, and now I plan to wash several loads of clothes.

Total miles walked for today, 2.7.

I just had the Vegetarian Tuna for lunch.  I don't know how to explain the flavor. It doesn't taste like tuna, but it's not a bad taste. I cut it in little pieces, mixed a Tb. of light mayo in it, and put it in 2 slices of Weight Watchers whole wheat bread.

Although it wasn't bad, I don't think it's worth the money I paid for it, $5.49, and another thing, the nutritional info is confusing, it says that a serving is 3 pieces, and serving per container is 3, yet, it comes in a 6.5 oz. whole, square piece.  Not flaky at all like the real tuna, just one solid frozen piece.  What I did was, cut it in 3, and wrapped it individually in plastic wrap, and put it back in the freezer. I defrosted one of the  pieces overnight, and that's the one I used today.

Well, live and learn:)  I'm sure there are thousands of food finds out there, just waiting to be discovered by me.

Gotta go. Until later:)

***

7:53 PM:
I had a "not so healthy" dinner of two light hot dogs with light bread, I don't eat meat often, but I had the craving. :D

 I figure, as long as I have the calories, I don't have to feel guilty. Woo- Hoo!

Total calories for the day, 1,453.

My Two Food Finds

It's so good to be home.

First off, I got the weights workout out of the way this morning. Did 17 min. of "I Want Those Arms".

Image from: Lustful Vegetarian

Then it was off to walk.  I did 2.3 miles.

Along the way, I went inside Foodtown supermarket to buy some Red Oval Stoneground Wheat Crackers, and came upon a new food find.

Vegetarian Tuna, I've been googling this for years and all I've found is recipes for mock tuna salad using tofu.  I don't know how it taste, but I found this blog, Lustful Vegetarian and she liked it. So, that's hopeful:)

Image from: Wegmans

I also bought some Mousse Temptation, Chocolate Mint by Jello.

Image from: Product Wiki

I am a sucker for chocolate mint, when I was a little girl, my weakness was Junior Mints.  Today, I can't indulge in sweets without bingeing, so I eat my chocolate mint in the form of Viactiv Chocolate Mint Soft Chews Calcium.  But now that I've found the Mousse, I'm hoping that it will not be a binge trigger. It is sugar free.

Okay, time to clean up. Until later.

***

8:00 PM:
I have to say, I am soooo "dis-appointed" with the Mousse chocolate mint puddings above.  Not only didn't it taste minty, (very vague mint taste) but, it wasn't chocolatey tasting either. A big ...

Total calories for the day, 1,389.

A New Day

This bright, new day... complete with 24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitudes.

~ Author Unknown

Today will be much of the same as this whole week, but I find it helpful and motivating to post my plans.

Walk

Weights workout

Cook

House chores

Wash a few loads

Read

I will post again later as the day progresses.

St. Teresa Church

This has got to be a milestone for me. Today DS and I walked 3.26 miles.
It is so hot and humid, that we kept going inside air conditioned stores.

I was worried towards the end, that I over did it, but somehow, I made it home. I'm exhausted.

I did take pictures of the church we found exploring the neighborhood last week.

It's a beautiful church, and the pictures doesn't really do it justice, but here are a few.

We wanted to go in, but it was locked. Perhaps the next time.

Very productive day, though, activity-wise:)

***

PM Update:
Total for the day, 1,324.

Wednesday Ramblings

I am sitting here trying to think of something to write about, but I am so tired and sleepy, I can't think. I woke up at 3:00 a.m., thinking that DH was leaving at 3:30, the usual when the weather is hot, so I go brush my teeth, walking like a zombie, make some coffee and sit at the computer to wait until he gets up and dresses to go.

It seems "he" forgot to mention that today he was leaving at the regular time, 5:00 a.m.
So, rather than explode, rant and rage, I decided to get another cup of coffee and blog.

I plan to do my walking again, early. DS is supposed to come with me, but if he's not ready by 10:00 a.m., I'll go by myself before it gets too hot out.

Otherwise, we are planning to go to the church that we discovered about a week ago, and find out if the construction on the front of it, is finished.  It's a pretty long walk, so I will need to muster up all the energy I can.

So, I shall post again later to update on my day.

Rutty-Feeling

I'm feeling that feeling again, the falling into a rut feeling:(

I need to refresh my journey a bit. I'm not sure how, though. Should I change something I eat, a meal, my workout, start counting points instead of calories?  I just don't know.


If there's something I've learned from past experience is that this feeling could be a red flag. After all, it's been 70 days, meals and routine can get boring.

Perhaps today I will take a different walking route, and change what I eat for breakfast and snacks tomorrow.  I'll have to give this some more thought.

Changing the subject, I am very happy with the way the day went yesterday. I accomplished what I set out to do. Got my walking and workout early in the morning, that was the best part. I plan to do the same today.

To Do...
Walk
Upper body workout
Marinate Steaks for tomorrow
House cleaning
Read

I will post again later throughout the day:)

***

6:00 AM:
Just finished a Denise Austin, Upper Body workout. Now I'm off to shower, dress and walk:)

***

10:23 AM:
Walked 2.18 miles. YEA!

I went to the supermarket and bought some 2% reduced fat Cheese Sticks, and Wheat Crackers as a different snack, and Light Raisin English Muffins for the morning. So far, a real productive start:)

***

PM Update:

Total for today, 1,350 calories. Looking forward to another good day tomorrow.

Monday Plans

Someday I will get up in the morning with "get up and go" for now, I will just fake it:)

I'm feeling really achy. I definitely need to walk today, and I plan to grab my DS and take him with me. My aim this week is to walk five days, Monday through Friday.

I recently started on another book, "Pretend You Don't See Her" by Mary Higgins Clark, that takes care of my exercise for the mind.

My plans for the day...
Housework
Cook
Stick to my planned meals
Walk
Upper body workout
Read

I will post my total for the day, later on.
Happy Monday!

***

8:29 AM:

Did a 17 min. upper body workout of "I Want Those Arms". It feels good to get it out of the way early.

10:30 AM:
I am so thrilled with the way this morning is going. First, I got my upper body workout out of the way.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a spatula large enough to scrape DS off his bed, so I decided to go take a walk by myself, early before it rained. I was able to get 1.08 miles in before it started pouring. So this is why I am thrilled.:D

**********************

PM Update:
Total for today, 1,344 calories.

Progress Report

Today is day 68 of my tracking challenge, weight loss journey, and this blog.

Since this blog was created to document my progress, if any, that's what I'm going to do now.

As of nine weeks of counting my calories, I do feel a difference in my body. My clothes are fitting better-not lose yet-but definitely not tight. I noticed I actually that I have a waist-Yee-Pee!!! :D

Physically, although I still battle with stiffness, discomfort and pain from my back and sciatica, the latter has moved position. I don't know if that's good or bad, but also, the right side that used to grind in my back whenever I reached for something or twisted with movement, is not there anymore, that's a positive:)

I don't know how many pounds I've lost, but I know that I've lost some. I hope to weigh myself at the end of the 100 days. My last weigh in was in April, and the results were that I had 21 lbs. to lose. I've always been an extremely slow loser, which is why I decided to stop weighing myself, but in order to document progress, I will weigh myself at the end of this challenge, and with phase 2, the next 100, I might weigh-in after 50 days. It really depends on how my body feels and how well I've stuck to my program. Only time will tell.

As for today, I "will" do my upper body workout, I doubt that I will go outside to walk, since it's 6:35 a.m. and already 80 degrees.

My To Do list...

Wash a few loads of clothes
Clean up
Cook
Workout
Read my book

I will post my total later on.

***

7:23 PM:

Total for the day, 1,402 calories.
No upper body workout:(

Saturday Wrap-Up

An uneventful day today.
Went to the mall to do some early back to school-clothes shopping for DS. I walked 1.28 miles there.  No upper body workout, I plan to do them tomorrow for sure.

Total calories for today, 1,390.

It's Friday!

A new day, new opportunities to better myself.  I feel good today-mentally, physically is another story. But, I will go walking with DS later on.

Will update on m day later.

***

6:12 PM:
What a stifling day this is.  When DS and I left this morning at 11:00 a.m., it was 83 degrees, but it felt like 90 walking in the sun.

We walked to two parks, but just couldn't find a bench under a shade. We ended up walking inside a supermarket and Rite Aid, to cool off. :D

Total miles for me again, 2.7.  Food-wise, I'm doing well, eating all my planned out meals.

Confession Time:  I just couldn't resist buying some Light Gourmet Bagels, they are the Stop'n Shop brand and they are delicious. 110 calories. I had stopped buying them last year because I was going crazy with them, eating bagels two and sometimes three times a day. A very expensive habit.

But it's been a while, and I feel much more disciplined this time around. If it becomes a problem, then I will stop buying them.

Since it's too early to post my total for the day, I will be back in a little while.

8:08 PM:
Total for the day, 1,240 calories.

I Have Learned From Yesterday!

I was feeling pretty bummed when I woke up a little while ago, until I read a message from a sparkpeople friend, this is what she wrote to me...

Always remember, we are not "on" or "off" anything, we're transforming ourselves and evolving with each and every day, through the ups and through the downs. If not for the "downs" we could not fully appreciate the sweetness and achievement with "ups." Keep up the fantastic work. Vicki 

She is a dear. Woke me up from the pity party.

So, I plan to go make son's coffee, take a shower and dress for church in a little while. Then I'm going to the supermarket to buy some Jello, sugar free Rice Pudding.  Yes! That is correct! LOL!

I have felt lost at night, for the last few days, I just don't feel like having cereal, and because I can't find anything else that will satisfy my sweet tooth without triggering me to binge, I am going back to what I know have helped me before. So, what's a little lactose intolerance, anyway? :D

I finally finished, "A Stranger is Watching" by Mary Higgins Clark. I loved it. It kept me interested throughout the whole story, and I love her style of writing, it's like watching a movie in my mind. On to my next book.

Well, I will be back later to report that I walked, worked out and ate within my range! I've put it out there, now I have to go through with it.

Until later.

***

7:00 PM Update:
I'm happy to report that I did all that I set out to do.  Walked 2.7 miles with DS, stocked up on Jello pudding, LOL! Did a 12 minute-segment of "I Want Those Arms" and my total is, 1,174 calories.  WOOO_HOOOO! 

Wet Wednesday (Expected)

Been up since 3:30 a.m. since DH left. Still feeling run down. Once again, I need to walk, my body is too stiff and achy.

It supposed to rain though, so I'm not sure when I'm walking.

I hit another milestone yesterday, nine weeks down!  Wow-wee! Thank "You" Lord.

So, without further ado, (lol!) here's my To Do list...

1. Wash
2. Cook
3. Clean up
4. Upper body workout
5. Walk
6. Buy: Hair-color, and hair conditioner

I'll add more to it, if necessary.

I'm off to make son's coffee and perhaps have a second cup for myself.
I will post my total later on.

***

8:08 PM:
God forgive me, but I'm glad this day is over, only because I came very close to losing it, binge-wise. I just couldn't stop munching.

I know now, for sure, that I "must" keep busy, and preferably, get out of the house when I'm feeling this way.

Yesterday made nine weeks on track, and it scares me that even after all this time, I can easily lose control. Well, almost did. I guess this is something that I will always have to deal with.

Tomorrow is back to walking, and getting into the upper body routine again.

Total for the day, 1,701 calories.

Rainy Tuesday

Today we all went on a practice commute to the new high school that my son's attending this September.

He'll have to take two trains, thank God that it's just a few stops each. We will be doing this several more times during the summer, until we feel confident that he knows how to get there, safely. I don't even want to think about it, makes me sick with worry:(  But, it has to be done.

Of course, MTA being MTA, had a problem with a signal light and the train schedule suddenly changed. LOL!

I'm actually glad this happened though, it was an opportunity for him to seek other options in case of an emergency. The whole trip took 75 min. when it should've taken about 25. So, I'm pretty pooped. Distance for today according to my pedometer, 1.28 miles.

Total calories, 1,410.

Well, I'm off to do the dishes, and read my book before bedtime.
Until tomorrow.

Need Some Energy Today!

I am feeling very run down this morning. Neck and shoulders hurt and feel stiff. Lower back is tender to the touch of the back of the chair or the mattress. :(

Sitting down all day will make it worse, so somehow I will have to muster up the energy to go out and walk. I'm hoping that son will walk with me instead of sitting in front of the computer today.

To do...
Clean up
Defrost meat for tomorrow.
Bake? Depending on weather.
Walk.
Cook.

Perhaps another cup of coffee will perk me up. Until later.

***

5:08 PM:
Well, as planned, I dragged myself out the door with son in tow.
It was nice walking with him, he's definitely not a baby anymore, not interested in the park or sprinklers, lol!

We went exploring the neighborhoods, and found this beautiful church, enormous. Construction men were working on the front of the church, so we plan to go back in the very near future and go in.

My total walk for today, 2.87 miles. Not bad for a tired, back-pained, sciatica-stricken mom, eh?

Well, I will write my total for the day, in a couple of hours. Until then:)

***

PM Update: Total calories, 1,291.

My Body Has Gone Mental!

Just when I decide to up my calories, "it" decides it's not that hungry after all. LOL!

I even had an extra snack yesterday, just to eat over 1,200 calories. Whenever I give myself permission to do something, it goes the other way. I would make a great subject for a psychologist or psychiatrist, whichever one applies. :D

Anyway, I'm just going with the flow from now on. Play it by ear.


To Do...

Upper body workout.
Wash.
Cook.
Household tasks.
computer time. (hopefully in that order).

I will post my total later.

***

PM Update: 
I accomplished all I set out to do from the list above, except for the cooking, DH cooked hamburgers, I had my veggie Chik pattie with salad:) 
Total calories: 1,352.

My Body, the Nag!

Yesterday, after 59 days of being totally on track, was my first major struggle with food.  I really do believe that my body was craving "something" whether it was sleep, more nutrients, or both.

I'm in no rush to lose these regained pounds anymore. So, I am taking it easy this summer, every now and then, that diet mentality pops up, and it's getting more frequent. So, I have to be careful not to fall into that again.

When I started tracking, my plan was to stick to 1,400 to 1,600 calories a day, but instead I've been eating way under 1,400 calories.


I'm changing my meals around too. I plan to eat a more filling breakfast, and instead of the sugar free puddings, I'm switching to cereal with almond breeze, or oatmeal.

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! :p

I'm off to see my mom.  I will post my total for the day, later.

***

Total for the day, 1,303 calories. Made up for of yesterday.

Sleep Deprivation

Yes, a repeat of yesterday, sleep-wise. But there's nothing I can do until husband's shift goes back to normal.

I'm very achy today, body really hurts. It doesn't help either that I'm crampy, which probably is another culprit of yesterday's ravenous day. This too shall pass.

I'm not sure what my plans will be for today, I'm hoping to muster up the energy to take a walk. I'm just tired and sleepy and wish I can take a nap:(

I'll write my total later in the day.

*************************
6:43 PM:
What a battle I had today with cravings. Non-stop cravings. I don't know if it's tiredness, or something else. I went walking to Stop'n Shop, 2.25 miles worth, definitely a milestone. But the food, especially the snacks were horrible, too many sugar free rice puddings. Six in all. Very embarrassing, but that's what this blog is all about, accountability.

Total for today, 1,578 calories. That's the most I've had in many weeks.
Thank goodness that tomorrow I'll be out of the house, going to shop for my mom, than spend some time with her.

OIY....Can't Sleep!

I've waken (woken?) up several times during the night, finally noises (again) woke me up at 2 and I couldn't go back to sleep. I am a "light" sleeper, I don't know if that's a curse or a blessing.

Husband left at 3:00-ish a.m., I locked up, made some coffee and here I am.

I heard the weather man say that it was going to be about 10 degrees cooler, we shall see:)

Son and I plan to go to my favorite church this morning. I haven't gone since Nov., when I hurt my back, I had to stop going, it's a long walk, and there are'nt any nearby buses in the area.  I think, hopefully, fingers crossed, that I am ready to walk there today. If I could walk to FoodTown, I'm sure I can do this, I think it's about the same distance, only the opposite direction.

Today I'm giving my upper body a rest, the walk will be my workout.

I woke up hungry today, at 4:30 a.m., I will shower, and then have something to eat while I put some makeup on.

Wish me luck, self:D

I will post later and share whether it was a success or an ordeal:)

***

3:39 PM:
Well, I am happy to say, that the walk was successful! YAY! :D

And what surprised me was that the distance was even less than what I've been walking lately, 1.58 miles. Isn't that something?  All this time I thought that this would be my longest walk yet. Wow!  This means that I will be able to go weekly again:)

It's been a real struggle food-wise, though, I have been a bottomless pit all day. I guess sleep deprivation is the reason.  But, I'm hanging in there, just nibbling on little things like pickles, and sugar free gelatin in between meals.

In other news: I am really enjoying my book, "A Stranger is Watching" it is a real page turner. I am so glad that I don't remember it.

Well, I'm hoping to walk again tomorrow, and maybe an upper body workout to boot.

I will write my total in later on.

***

7:00 PM:

Total: 1,443 calories

OH-MY-GOSHHHH...

8 Weeks down! "EIGHT WEEKS!"

I can't believe that I'm actually doing this! I'm so proud of myself, lol!

I did it before, stayed on plan and stopped eating sweets for one year. I'm going to give it another shot.

I plan to do it in 100 day-phases, until, hopefully, with the Lord's help and guidance, I will make it to one year.

In other news:
It's another horrid, hot day, same as yesterday. I plan to stay indoors, hopefully do another upper body workout later on.

Well, I will post my total calories tonight.

***

PM: Update: Today's total, 1,268 calories. Did a 12 min. upper body workout.

Hot Day Ahead of Us

Another heatwave is expected today-100 degrees!

I've decided I'm staying indoors today and just doing my upper body workout. I didn't get much sleep last night, about 3-4 hours tops.

DH left for work around 11:30-ish pm, and I just can't fall asleep again. I went to the computer for about half an hour, and then put on the TV, watched George Lopez with the subtitles on, then gave sleep a try.

As long as there's a heatwave, husband has to leave early. Just another reason to hate the heat!

I do plan to stay busy today...
1. Call Amex people.
2. Wash son's and my clothes.
3. Make sofrito and freeze it.
4. Bake muffins for son.
5. Do upper body workout.

Well, I will write a little later again.

PS: It's 6:15 a.m. and already 80 degrees:(

***

6:21 PM:
It's pretty horrid out there! It reached 102 degrees in Central Park, a little while ago.

I did everything in my To Do list, except the sofrito, will do that tomorrow, (another hot one).

I did a Denise Austin, upper body, weights workout, 14 min.

After my last snack, total will be 1,348 calories. Signing off early!

Morning Walk & a Food Find

I just got back from walking outside, oh my gosh!!!! It is "HOT" out there! It's 89 degrees, but walking in the sun feels like 99.

I went on a search for my Jello sugar free Rice pudding. I just can't give them up, lactose intolerant or not. They have been my salvation and the reason why I haven't been craving sweets since I've started on this journey.

I've looked in four supermarkets, and they are all out. So I went on the opposite direction of where I've gone already, to two more supermarkets.

Associated didn't have it, finally I found four packs left on the shelf at Foodtown, so I bought them all. I also found a new sweetener, Sun Crystals. It's made from real sugar cane and the Stevia plant, and contains 5 calories per packet. Now, that sounds like a good amount of calories, however, I don't know how many packets it may take for my taste buds.

Image from: Sun Crystals

I plan to use it in a little while when I make my lunch. I hope it taste good.

Today's walk: 1.72 miles.

***

2:38 PM:
Guess what? My taste buds are okay with just 1 packet of Sun Crystals:) The box states that 1 packet is equal to 2 tsp. of sugar. With Ideal, which is my main sweetener, I use 1.5 packets, with Wheylow sweetener, the one I replaced with Ideal, I used to use 2.5 packets. So, I am thrilled that I only need one with this one.

Now, the bad news is, that I'm allergic to the plain Stevia tabs, "Sweet Leaf", but since this one is mixed, I'm hoping that it will not affect me. Only time will tell.

No weights workout today, my neck feels very stiff. I'm listening to my body.

***

Total for today: 1,258 calories.

Fourth of July!

I hear it's going to be a "hot" one, today. So, I am going to go out for a walk as early as I can. Sunday, the stores open a little later and the street will be pretty empty, so I'll have to wait until I see the streets busier.

I'm enjoying the book, "A Stranger is Watching" very suspenseful, just the way I like 'em:) I had read it many years ago, I'm talking, at least 25 years, and I also saw the movie based on it, but I really don't remember the details. So, I'm enjoying it as I read along.

Well, I shall post later on. Happy Fourth, America!

***

5:43 PM:

I did what I set out to do this morning, walk. It felt so good to walk after having such an inactive day yesterday.

I've noticed that when I start walking, I could barely hobble to the end of the block, but as I continue to walk, my sciatica seems to loosen up a bit. The more activity, the less discomfort. The back is of course another story, but I'm working on it. I honestly believe that whatever amount of weight I have lost so far, has helped me physically.

I don't plan to weigh myself until the end of my 100 days challenge. Today is day 54...woo-hoo! LOL!

Anyway, I walked 1.71 miles.

I received via mail some Weight Watchers coupons, so I decided to stop by the supermarket and use a couple of them, the yogurt and the "Just for One" Broccoli & Cheese Sauce trays-which has been reduced from 60 calories to 40. So, I have a few more snack choices for the evenings.

I will come back a little later to post my total calories for the day.

***

PM: Update: Total for today, 1,313 calories.

Saturday Wrap-Up

It's been an inactive day today, as days go. Yet, productive.

Did a lot of computer stuff, backed up my files, arraigned my documents and picture files.

I didn't go out walking, but I did my-old faithful, Tamilee Webb's "I Want Those Arms" workout. I've had it for years, and I still think it's the best upper body workout, out of all the other videos and dvds that I own. Second best, Denise Austin's "Arms and Bust".

I had my last snack of the day, making my total calories, 1,137. Lower than my range, but I was actually too busy to be hungry, woo-hoo!

Well, I'm off to relax and watch some TV. Until tomorrow.

Friday Wrap-Up

It was another beautiful morning. I took my regular walk, 1.41 miles. Did 14 min. of Denise's "Arms & Bust" workout. Now I'm eating the last snack of the day, (before 7 PM) when I figuratively close the kitchen.

So, my total for the day is 1,274 calories.

I've decided to put my latest book, "The 9th. Judgment" on the back burner. Although, I'm not even sure if I'll ever read it. I just don't like stories about children being murdered.  No, I'm not giving the plot away, this info is written on the cover of the book:)

I've decided on "A Stranger is Watching" by M.H. Clark.

Well, until tomorrow. Thank "You" Lord, for another good day.

Friday Plans

I've been enjoying these last few days. Cool and breezy in the morning, I wish summer could always be this way.

Today is more of the same, I plan to wash son's bed sheets, and take them to the laundromat, I air dry the clothes at home, but things like sheets and blankets, I take there. That's my opportunity to walk, while I wait for the sheets to dry.

Then I must make myself do the upper body workout. Yesterday I spent too many hours at the computer, changing my blog around when I could've been working out. Today I will do better:)

The boys will be at the beach, and I will have the day for myself.

So far the book is suspenseful, however, I don't really like books that have children as victims.

Well, that's all for now, I will write again later.

A Time for Renewal

In honor of the first of July, I have moved to a new location, here. :) I feel the need to refocus, and changing something, even as trivial as a new blog address, gives me that jump start I need psychologically.

When I start feeling like I'm in a rut, I change things around:)

***

PM Update: Total calories for the day, 1,178. Walked 1.44 miles.
No weights.

A Spanking New Month!

From: Daily Word for Weight Loss book.

Recharged

I am recharged and ready

for this day!

Yesterday made 50 days of tracking, so I'm halfway through my goal. I do feel a difference in my body, slimmer over all, but my stomach area still feels big to me, my pants fit better, though, I have no problem pulling them up anymore, lol!  But they are not loose yet. I need to document this journey in details for future reference.

I'm planning to weigh myself, the day after the 100th. day, that's Aug. 20th. I haven't weighed myself since April.

I did take before pictures when I was 16 days into this journey, so it should be interesting to see the progress I've made.

It's a brand new month, and like the message above says, I am recharged! I don't have any "planned" events coming up, so I can continue to concentrate on my goals. Walking, toning my arms, and tracking my food everyday.

Yesterday, I took out my old Tamilee Webb and Denise Austin's upper body workout videos,  I recorded them together in one dvd disc, for easier access, so I'm raring to go:)

In other news, I started a new book, James Patterson & Maxine Paetro's "The 9th. Judgment". Looks like a promising thriller.

Well, today's plans...

Walk outside

Upper body workout

House chores

Cook

I will post again later.