Boo on this "Holiday"

I have been over weight a large majority of my life. I have many weakness as well as many strengths. So, it is only right that I asknowledge both sides of myself. The holidays are the biggest struggle for me. Special occassions, dinners, going out to eat, birthdays and holidays are my biggest challenges. I eat so well when I am home, alone, just me! But, when I go out temptation is much harder to over come. Last night I wanted to feel "festive". My husband and I didnt go out for Halloween because we have a new little family member which is fine, we enjoy staying home together. But, I LOVE halloween its my favorite holiday so I made hot cocoa loaded with milk and dark chocolate. I definitely did not feel great about this decision. Then tonight I found myself cuddled up on the couch with my daughter watching a shrek halloween movie and eating dark chocolate chips. I definitely associate food with Holidays and happy feelings and this is something I want to change. I didn't even think of choosing a healthier option like hot apple cider or tea and I was genuinely dissapointed in myself. And tomorrow will be even harder. I want to take my baby girl trick or treating because its her first Halloween as a big girl. But, honestly who am I going to give all the candy to? My plan is to give it to my sister and husband and not allow ANY of it in the house, maybe few suckers or chewing gum. Well, anyway just needed to get this all out! I want to overcome these obstacles and be a better me and not pass down these eating habbits and holiday traditions with my children.

Food Journal

Breakfast

Special K cereal with chopped up banana's and vanilla soymilk

Snack

granola bar with peanuts

Lunch

Grilled chicken salad with cucumbers and feta cheese and ranch dressing (blech! high cal but tasted good)

Yoplait yogurt chocolate mousse

Dinner

Two bowls of Kale soup with Kale (obviously), carrots, cannelini beans, broth, chicken and turkey sausage

two peices of some kind of coffee cake! (SO ANGRY!)

Snack

1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips

Carrots & Cucumbers with hummus

I can do better tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Good News!

Today has been a great day for me! So, here goes! When I went into the hospital October 19 I weighed 299lbs. One week after giving birth I weighed 282 lbs. I got on the wii fitness board to play some games and do some fitness tests. I weighed myself, with full clothes on, and weighed 264lbs! I was so excited and I'm really hoping that was an accurate weight. I'm going to weigh again in the morning. Before weighing myself I did notice my swelling in my abdomen had gone down, my clothes were fitting a bit better and I didn't look quite so pregnant. I was really pleased with my changing appearance and glad my weight is going down. This was definitely the success I needed to motivate me to continue eating healthy. And I haven't even started exercising yet! I don't feel like I have quite so far to go and now my weight lost goal actually seems attainable. I wanted to lose 20lbs by my birthday but I'm already there. So, I've got to set another goal! I've lost 35 lbs and now I've got to lose even more!

Food Journal

Breakfast

Special K cereal with strawberries and vanilla soy milk

Lunch

Salad with grilled chicked, avacado, feta cheese and light asian sesame dressing

peach drinkable yogurt

Dinner

Baked  Catfish in olive oil coated with light Italian bread crumbs, lemon juice and pepper

Asparagus with sea salt

Corn on the cob

Zero calories

Snack

Banana bread

TBA (possibly carrots or veggies w/ hummus)

Hanging in there

Today has been pretty good day! Still dying to start exercising but not trying to over do it. I want to take time to let my body heal so I can come back strong. I've eaten really well and tried some recipes I absolutely loved. Made a simple miso-style soup and a simple no sugar added, delicous home made banana ice cream. Pretty excited to be trying all the new recipes and successfully creating healthy food options. I will post both recipes! I also made a banana bread...which isn't the best choice but I did substitute some of the sugar with an extra banana and instead of using shortening I used apple sauce. It turned out okay but needless to say I'm not going to be gorging myself on it, I will probably wrap some of it up and give it away. Well, gonna post a few recipes and journal my food! A good but not that interesting day!

This one is for the Miso soup, I added mushrooms to it, YUM!

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/on-hand-ingredients-recipes/spinach-tofu-soup 

Here is the recipe for banana ice cream it ROCKED!

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/stepbystep-instructions-for-oneingredient-ice-cream-097170

Oh, in case you feel a bit risque here is the banana recipe ;)

http://www.datsplat.com/egg-free-banana-bread-recipe-yummy/

Food Journal

Breakfast

Special K cereal with chopped up strawberries and vanilla soy milk

Snack

low fat blue berry yogurt

Lunch

Tofu miso soup (two bowls)

Snack

Cheddar rice cake

Dinner

Mozzarella stuffed large portabello mushrooms

Salad with no sugar vinegrette

Sm serving of home made baked apples w/ no sugar caramel syrup (it rocks! no sugar, calories and only 1 carb!) a little butter and cinnamon

Dessert

banana ice cream with small peice of banana bread

Snack

edamames with sea salt

P.S. After reading this I just realized I have eaten vegetarian all day unintentionally. The banana bread was egg-free. Pretty cool, didn't even try. I do love vegetables!

Success Tastes....DELICIOUS!

Today has been a very good day! It was rainy and cold but even though I was inside all day I didn't spend time eating everything the refridgerator! The recipes I tried yesterday were pretty delicious so I'm going to post some pics of my cullinary brillance. I'm over exagerrating but I am proud of myself for taking the effort to cook.  I love home cooked meals, especially healthy ones and it makes me so happy to do that for my family! Anyway, I read in a magazine about this woman who lost 150 lbs from fitness hula hooping. I've heard from friends about how much fun it is and apparently you can burn up tp 300 calories in 30 minutes of exercising. Here is the link if you're interested.http://www.hoopnotica.com/.

So, I've decided I'm going to set a small achievable weight loss goal that I can meet and keep going. I wanted to be able to feel success, stay motivated and keep losing. So, I'm going to lose 20 lbs by my birthday (December 14, 2011). I know I can do it and I'm excited to see how much I can accomplish.

Pics of yesterday's Recipes!

                                                  Spinach, mushroom and zucchini quiche

Italian bread crumb crusted baked talapia!

Today's Food

Breakfast

2 egg omlet with spinach, mushroom, cheese & milk

Snack

Peanut granola bar

Lunch

Healthy Choice Meal; Lobster Ravioli

Low fat strawberry banana yogurt

Dinner

Shrimp, steak and feta cheese salad with half an avacado, shredded carrots, 5 cucumbers and mushrooms with sugar free Italian white balsamic dressing

Snack

Banana w/ two tbs of peanut butter

carrots with hummus

Feeling Positive & Cooking Healthy!

Today has been a good day so far! After journaling last night I got into some chocolate and well let's just say I am not proud of myself for it! I wanted to get down about it but then I realized I'm not perfect and that it doesn't cancel out the good food I ate! Being positive will get me further than beating myself up for my mistakes! So, I started today with a good frame of mind so I couldn't be happier. I actually took the time to plan the days meals early, which is something that helps me avoid making bad food chocies. Can't wait to share my food successes. Going to try a new talapia recipe for dinner and man OH man was Brunch excellent!!! I made a delicious frittata! I will post the recipe (which I substituted butter for EVOO).

Excellent Recipe: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,141187-238202,00.html

Breakfast

Honey nut bunches of oats
2 cups of milk

Snack

Light vanilla yogurt

Lunch-Brunch Style

4 small slices of Mushroom, Spinach and Zucchini Frittata
1 bottle of diet Ale8

Snack

Banana w/ peanut butter

Dinner

Italian Bread crumb baked talapia
Sauted green beans w/ lite soy sauce
sm. serving of green beans

Snack

Sliced Carrots of Cucumbers with Ranch dressing

Day One! Getting Started is NEVER Easy!!

Breakfast

2 packages of Instant Grits
1 low fat cherry vanilla yogurt

Lunch

2 slices of whole wheat bread w/ 2tbs of pimento cheese
1 FUZE drink (10 calorie drink)

Dinner

1 Serving of Viola Chicken and vegetable dinner
2 cups of fresh spinach, 4 slices of cucumber, shaved carrots
2 tbs of asian sesame salad dressing
1 glass of lite cranberry juice

Snack

1 Apple slices w/ 2 tbs of peanut butter

Mission Complete!

Wednesday October 19, 2011 at 8:29 am I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy 8lb 12 oz baby boy named Gabriel Anthony! He is almost a week old now and I am enjoying motherhood mroe than anything! I am so greatful to be able to walk again without so much back pain or go to the restroom a hundred times. But, through out my pregnancy I picked up some bad eating habbits again! Like having dessert too often and indulging in rich, decadent foods! After just 6 days postpartum my body still feel really swollen and is carrying a ton of water weight! I feel discouraged by how much weight I have to lose but I know I have to start somewhere! I've lost about 10-15lbs of water and baby/placenta but I still feel like nothing fits and that my belly bulges out like I'm still a few months pregnant! I know I have a hard journey a head of me to lose the baby weight and keep going. I'm having a hard time starting to eat healthy again! It will be a  few more weeks before I can really exercise again but I cann start walking soon. I know I have to start somewhere so TODAY was the day. I didn't eat perfectly good choice BUT I feel so proud of myself for getting started. I broke down and cried looking for something to wear and after trying on everything and everything looking awful I guess I felt mroe determined than even to lose the weight. I am going to be Blogging my food choices and exercise regime. I would appreciate feedback and support so thanks for hanging in there with me!

UPDATE :)

Well, we've got one more week until we meet our beautiful son Gabriel Anthony Ford! Had a bump in the road yesterday! Went for a regular check up and they said my blood pressure was high so they assumed I had preeclampsia. I was sent to the hospital to be monitored. And of course my blood pressure was down and my blood test and urine test was fine. Honestly, started to think I have whitecoat syndrome. Which in my case isn't a fear of doctors...it's just they irritate me and having to wait in the office for an hour is aggrevating. I don't know, I'm just not that patient and I'm so glad to be almost done with the constant Doctors visits. Anyway! So, I've almost reachedd the end of my pregnancy journey and the beginning of a whole new chapter!Motherhood of two sweet babies and the challenge to get back down to my pre-baby weight! and then keep on going from there!! Well,  I'm gonna post some big ol' pics of me about 37-38 weeks pregnant!