The Final Day

I know, I haven't been posting in awhile. I'm not sure where the month + went. I was disappointed with just a 15lb loss and before I realized it was an awesome accomplishment, I was sooo far off track that it was extremely difficult to get back on board. I'd be good through breakfast and lunch. Then I just wouldn't care what I ate at night. I wish I had that mindset in June back. Perhaps the excitement of a possible win had me going.

My co-worker/teammate didn't reach the 10lb goal we needed. So we won't get our t-shirts saying how awesome we are for surviving the challenge, nor will I be able to write and submit the essay I've been planning in my head since day 10. Which means no ipad.

The final weigh in deadline is today. I am down 13lbs.

10 weeks, 13lbs. MEH! Not good enough. I did go from a 26 to a 22/24. But again, not good enough. So instead of beating myself up, I'm just going to stop typing now.

Day 53- 16.4lbs down

Slowly but surely, the original 15 came off and then some. I'm still not happy with the past month of cheats and attempts gone wrong but atleast I'm down again.

Last night was interesting. I was able to eat something even though it was recommended that I consume clear. I had a banana and peanut butter sandwhich. Two slices of wheat bread, flax peanut butter and a small banana. I also had 1/2 cup of skim milk. I was good! It coated my stomach well and the bleh feeling went away.

I'm not sure what I'm eating for dinner but as of now I had...

Breakfast-

• 1 egg
• Mushroom
• LF Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 BL Chicken Breast
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 1 avocado
• VERY little ranch
• A cup of ginger ale.

Dinner-

• Not a clue!

Day 52- Stomach Bugs SUCK!!

So last night I heated up the leftover Stuffing Pie and made some smashed cauliflower. Well... Within two bites of the pie I started feeling ill so I stopped eating. I then proceeded to be ill for the rest of the night only to wake up and spend 2 hours in the bathroom. TMI I know but we've all been there so get over it! I feel like crap. I still do! I'm obviously a bit dehydrated so I'm drinking water and plain hot tea. I've also taken two Pepto Pills only to find out I feel even worse. I'm so glad I get to leave an hour early because I am not doing so well.

On the 'up' side of things. I'm down 6.6lbs since Monday. Yep I gained a few back before then. I'm not at my 15lb loss again but I'm at 13. Good stuff. Still feel horrible and I just want to sleep!

I'm not sure what happened with the Pie because I wrapped it very well and when I made it the first time around, it was perfect and tasted very good. Even this time around it smelled and tasted good. A lil bland but I remember putting salt and pepper on it the first time. I'm not sure what happened but I learned my lesson.

Anyone have any good freeze ahead meals that are low carb that won't give me food poisoning? *sigh*

Breakfast-

• 1 egg
• Mushrooms
• A very little bit of LF cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• I brought in some chicken, broccoli and an avocado but honestly. I start dry heaving when I think about food. So lunch will consist of a gingerale, yes I see the carbs but tea isn't even calming my stomach. Ugh.

Dinner-

• Stuffing Pie!!! HAHAHAHA Just kidding! No idea. I need some broth. Hubby has a meeting tonight so who knows what I'll have.

Bed... Oh bed. Where are you?


Update: So my pals on one of my message boards confirmed for me that it wasn't Food Poisoning, but a horrible stomach bug that apparently is going around.

Day 51

WHY can't I get back on the bandwagon and stick to it!? :( Where was the mindset I had last month, where everything bad wasn't even an option! Now I'm back to "Ehh I'll start tomorrow" UGH!! I'm not getting bored... Last month I was in the zone. Now I feel like I wasted a month on crap!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Light Shredded Cheese
• Mushrooms
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Same as yesterday but with an avocado

Snack-

• Babybel

Dinner-

• Leftover squares of the stuffing pie I made awhile ago from the freezer.
• Mashed Cauliflower (Like potatoes)

Day 50

Looking back at the wasted time and all the cheating I've done. I easily fell back into old habits and I want to kick my own arse. I can't believe it's been 50 days since writing this blog and all I have to show for it is still 10lbs gone, approximately 2 sizes and several inches faded away.

Yesterday I tried on a pair of shorts that didn't fit me last year and they fit! With tons of room to spare. But that's still not good enough for me.

I've decided to stick with Atkins for the time being and adding fruit and whole wheat bread when I'm feeling the need for it. I've also bought low fat cheese in hopes of starting the Insulin Resistance Diet but otherwise it's basically Atkins. I never crave fruit as bad as that sounds but we'll see what happens. I'm still trying to find what's right for me.

15lbs gone in June, 15lbs should of been gone in July. Now it's almost August and I feel like a big fat failure. SIGH!!

Breakfast- (Same thing everyday)

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• LF mexican shredded cheese
• Low Sugar Ketchup- This is disgusting btw. lol

Lunch- This will be my normal lunch for the week.

• BL Chicken Breast (Grilled on George Foreman)
• Steamed Broccoli
• Pat of Butter
• Light Peppercorn Ranch

Snack-

• Light Babybel Cheese

Dinner-

• Parmesan Herb Chicken
• Veggies

Day 46

Last nights dinner was awesomeee. I have to do some shopping tonight so I think I'm going to pick up another steak. I have enough mash leftover for tonights meal and voila! :) Happy People!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• 1 slice Cheddar
• Mushrooms
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Same as yesterday;
• Grilled Chicken
• Broccoli
• Almost out of Ranch!

Dinner-

• Probably steak and mashed cauliflower again :)

Day 45

I'm still drooling over last nights dinner. Yum! We have more than enough Cauliflower mash (Mock Mashed Potatoes!!)for atleast two full dinners. It goes a long way. I weighed in this morning and I'm down 2.4 pounds. Still not at the weight I was last week but almost! If I keep it up, I'll be back there by Sunday/Monday. :)

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• 1 slice of yellow cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Same as yesterday and the day before. I know.. Sooo boring. But it's good!

Snack-

• Babybel

Dinner-

• I took some skirt steak out and I'm going to season that up and cook on my george foreman grill with some leftover mashed cauliflower.

Snack-

• SF Jello Cup

Day 44

So... Still thinking about my new plan. I'm definitely going to prep for the Insulin Resistance Diet this weekend. It seems the healthier option for me AND I was given the go to stick to it when I do become pregnant......... Wonder when that'll be ;)

So... Goodbye full fat food. That's alright. I think the only full fat food I'm in love with is bacon. OH and hot wings! But I cannot stand Turkey Bacon. It just tastes bleh to me. I don't eat a lot of bacon, it just happens to be in the Mashed Cauliflower (love) and a few other chicken dishes but I consume bacon maybe once every two or three weeks believe it or not and when I do, it's so minimal.

I went through ALL of my recipes in the past few days. All in word documents that I collected and reformatted them to make it easier for me to read when doing the recipes. The majority if not all are fine with a lower fat option so I don't have to reconfigure my lifestyle 100%. Just a bit to include more carbs and fruit. I don't consume a lot of fruit to begin with but darn it, if I want an apple with some peanut butter. I can have it! :)


Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• Mozzarella (Ran out of cheddar but that's alright)
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Same as yesterday!

Dinner-

• Steak
• Veggies

Update: The steak was perfect!!! But I wasn't in the mood for regular veggies so I made some mashed cauliflower. In a nut shell, I didn't have a recipe so I winged it.

• 1 bag frozen cauliflower
• 1 bar of cream cheese
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cups of Mozzarella (I ran out of Cheddar!)
• Salt and a lot of pepper.
• Precook the Cauliflower in the microwave with some water for 6 minutes.
• I took my slap chop thingie and minced it as much as possible. Drained.
• Melted Butter and Cream Cheese together and mixed all the ingredients.
• Baked at 350 for 25 minutes.
• It was still watery but so good after I let it sit for a bit! Hubby loved it!

Some pictures...

EEP!

This was May 8th 2010. We renewed our vowes. Obviously I cut some of my butt off!
24/26


Through the years...

2002/2003- 14/16 with my pal Daneen.

2002- 18
A lil drunk here.. JUST a little. :P


2002- 16


2001- 14/16 here with my sister

Day 43

Note: I'm having a hard time approving comments. I'm not ignoring you but I get an error!



Yea... I'm having a hard time jumping back on this bandwagon. I've looked over 4 different plants to consider. I think I'm leaning towards Insulin Resistance Diet. My doctor recommended that when I became pregnant because I needed a lower carb version. But I thought of doing a more modified version of IRD.

Perhaps less carbs, but still the lower fat options instead of full fat options. Instead of regular eggs, try and eating Egg Beaters. Not all the time because they're just too bleh for me!

So instead of 2 regular eggs every day, maybe an egg and an egg beater. Or Two egg Beaters one day and 2 eggs the next. I'd like to start eating 1 egg and an overload of veggies/mushrooms with some light cheese. I'll give that a shot tomorrow and see what happens.

I like the idea of the IR diet. In the back of the book, it gives you fast food options that are GOOD on this plan. All under a certain amount of fat/calories and especially carbs and proteins combined. Pretty neat.

But I can't do another big grocery shopping until this weekend so I'll continue doing Atkins for the remainder of the week and start over again. Wish me luck!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• cheddar
• mushrooms
• ketchup - I need to find a low carb option. They have the no sugar/low sugar carb option so I think I'll add that to my list of things to buy.

Lunch-

• 1 seasoned chicken breast
• Broccoli
• Pad of butter-
• TINY bit of ranch.
• See I'm cutting out the cheese because the chicken was phenominal. Love my George Foreman Grill and the way I spiced it, I don't need the addition of cheese.

Snack-

• BabyBel- Light

Dinner-

• Steak
• Veggies

Update: We ended up going to the mall for dinner. It was too late to cook steak and I had the chicken teriyaki stir fry with all veggies no rice. Yum!

Day 41

Yea... No comment. I did good in the beginning and crashed.

I'm thinking of stopping the extreme low carb and going on the Insulin Resistance Diet. It was recommended when I become pregnant but I don't know. I think I'll give IR a shot.

It's still a low carb diet just... healthier. I'm pairing the right carbs with proteins.

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65853

Day 40

Nothing witty to say today!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• It's a Farewell Lunch for one of my Partners so we of course ordered sandwiches, fruit, cookies and salads. I'm debunning grilled chicken, mozzarella and red peppers and eating some salad and a diet coke.

Dinner-

• Not sure!

Update: SIGH. I had some pizza. Not as much as I use to but DH and I split a DiGornio so it was just a few slices. Still a cheat.

Day 39... INCHES BEGONE! :D

Note: DH= Dear Husband.

When I started this plan I was a 4x shirt sometimes 3x but very rarely a 3x. 24/26 jeans & dress pants. There! You know my size *Gasp, has heart attack*

Last weekend, I went shopping (with my personal stylist, DH) for lighter and more summer like shirts because all of mine were 3/4 sleeves or longer and very warm. TOO warm for Summer. I couldn't find anything I liked in my 'size' but I found a 2x... So I figured, this looks nice, let me try it on. It won't fit but to humor myself... I also found a shirt that was a 3x to try on. It was cute on the hanger...

I tried the 3x on. TOO BIG!!!! It made me look very frumpy!
I tried the 2x on. I almost cried when it fit perfectly and was EXTREMELY flattering. I walked out of the dressing room to show DH and he said "What size was that?!" 2X!!!!! EEEEE!!!!!

I ran to the wall and grabbed two more shirts to try on in a 2x. Then when I walked back to the dressing room, I pulled a 2x off the manequin and tried those on as well! They all fit with room to spare. Could NOT believe it. Here I was, fitting into a 2x and frigin rocking it!

I walked out with my head held high and with the first shirt I tried on that fit because it was on sale. When the others are on sale, I'll go back and buy those. In a 2x of course!

This weekened I'm still hoping to pull out all my brand new with tags smaller clothing to try on. Wish me luck!

*Doing the cabbage patch with my bad self*

Someone asked for pictures. I'm not ready to post those yet but if you know me, then you know I have plenty of pics on FB. :) Soon enough I'll post pics.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Same as yesterday!

Dinner-

• Steak
• Veggies

Day 38

I can't believe I'm on Day 38. It's been going by TOO fast and I still believe I should be a lot lower than what the scale is telling me. After a few days of cheating, I regret them more than ever before realizing that holy crap, it's almost 40 days! I'll be weighing in next week to see if I brought myself down so, we'll see what happens!!


Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1 Parmesan BL Chicken
• Green Beans
• Avocado
• Ranch

Dinner-

• Steak!
• Veggies

Update:

I ended up making a chicken, avocado quesadilla with a LC Tortilla. So much for eating just one or two a week........ I also made DH a LC Cheese Quesadilla. He loved it!

Day 37

I'm still drooling over last nights dinner. I ended up buying LC Tortillas again, no regrets because I was craving quesadillas. I'm also thinking about eventually upping my carbs from 15-20 to 30 carbs per day. That will allow me to add heartier veggies or even SOME fruit. I have to figure out a menu but for now, I'll eat what I can. Spent quite a bit on groceries over the weekend so I'm good for the week+. Except I'm almost out of avocados and I'd like to get some more before the sale ends on Thursday!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Cheese
• Mushrooms
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Parmesan Chicken
• Green Beans
• Avocado
• Ranch

Dinner-

• Not sure yet. I took out two steaks so I'll probably cook those up.

Update:

I had TGIFridays Frozen Hot Wings with some sour cream. No veggies but they were still good!!

Day 36

I'm back on the wagon today. I regret cheating but hubby said 'atleast you got it out of your system... but it's a hard way to learn a lesson' :P
Bleh.


Breakfast-

• 2 eggs
• Mushrooms
• Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1 Parmesan Chicken Breast - so good!!!
• 1 avocado
• Ranch

Dinner-
Not sure!

Update:
Dinner ended up being a LC Tortilla quesadilla. With a small piece of the Parmesan Chicken Breast, cheese and an avocado with some mushrooms. OHH SO GOOD!

Day 35

UGH! I cheated sooo bad yesterday. I'm not even going to tell you what I ate. :(
Today I just made a quesadilla on a LC Tortilla with cheese, mushrooms and an avocado. Love my baby George Foreman!

Back to the drawing board come tomorrow!!

Day 10000! (32)

I forgot what day I was on. Either way yesterday was a complete month. 7th to the 7th from when I started my challenge and I am down 15.4lbs! *dances happily* I've been sick since 4th of July so my eating habits were questionable at best. I'm not eating as much as I should be and I've been drinking gingerale to sooth my throat. That and I had a hamburger bun last night. I'm still down and apparently it broke my stall! WOO! But I'm back on board!

I've also been measuring my cheese intake. Apparently I'm eating more than 4 recommended ounces per day, more like 6-7 ounces so I plan on cutting that down.

Breakfast-

• 1 egg (ran out)
• Mushrooms
• Cheddar
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• BL Seasoned Chicken Breast
• Cheddar
• Steamed Broccoli
• Ranch

Dinner-

• Not sure. We're going to a ball game with my department tonight so I'm going to do my best about not eating the buns!!

Day 26 and 27

The last few days have been a blur. I've been busy and because it's a holiday weekend, I'm lacking the motivation to write everything out all nicey nice. Sorry! I didn't cheat though :)

Friday-
For breakfast and dinner I had the normal breakfast routine. I had a photoshoot and I was too tired to want to eat anything else.
2 eggs, mushrooms, cheddar, ketchup.

Saturday-
Breakfast/Lunch-

• 2 eggs, mushrooms, ketchup
• SF Jello Cup
• Slice of Cheese

Dinner-

• Burgers on the Foreman Grill and some veggies

Day 25

I posted a little blurb and vented a bit. I'm definitely losing inches but the scale just isn't moving. It's getting discouraging, until I put on an outfit I wore when this first started and SAW the difference in pictures. AHHH Much better!! :) Motivation is definitely there again.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, Scrambled
• Mushrooms
• Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 BL Seasoned Chicken Breast
• Steamed Cauliflower/Broccoli
• Avocado
• Cheddar Cheese
• Ranch

Dinner-

• No clue! Maybe heading to the mall again for some Teriyaki Chicken, just veggies.

Update: Last night, I didn't finish my dinner. So I had it tonight. It wasn't much, just a few bites left but I'm pretty good. I have a feeling come 8 or 9pm, I'm going to be hungry again though. If that's the case, I have SF Jello in the fridge.

Scale Stall, but losing inches

So we started a weight loss challenge in my company, over 3000 people are on this! = too much competition LOL!

I have a teammate and we've been steadily losing. I'm down over 11lbs since the 7th of this month. Not bad, but I apparently 'stalled' But I'm losing inches! So technically it's not a stall, just a scale stall.

I haven't been working out. I'd like to start walking again, slowly and work myself up but I have this fear of getting hurt again so I'm hesitant. According to some pro's, people tend to lose inches even though the scale isn't moving...

People are noticing the loss as well so that's always good!I've been extremely dedicated/and great on my plan so I guess I expected more of a loss. And when I have to do weekly weigh-ins (private weigh-ins) it gets a bit discouraging.

I wish we measured ourselves in the beginning because I took a before picture, wearing the same outfit I'm wearing now and took another and holy crap, there's a definite difference. So I guess I should be happy with that.

Day 24

I'm lost without my mushrooms. I did a bit of shopping last night, got 4 packages of mushrooms and FORGOT TO COOK THEM! Ugh my eggs were nekkid without my mushrooms. :(

I'm still in a stall but I'm losing inches. In fact, I'm going to try on smaller clothing this weekend and see what fits and or how far I am from making them fit! Not seeing the scale move for a few days really sucks but I'm feeling thinner so that's always a good thing!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled
• Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 Seasoned BL Chicken
• Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower
• Cheese
• Avocado
• Ranch

Dinner-

• Steak!
• Cauliflower, Potato type bake.
• Steamed Broccoli and Cauliflower

Dinner was great, but I couldn't finish. I had 1/2 steak with DH, Skipped the Steamed Vegges because I was stuffed and ate a small half of an avocado.

Day 23

So I'm STILL stalled. It's becoming a PIA! I'm not sure what to change. Perhaps I'm done with induction and I should be moving on and adding more carbs. Maybe I'm not eating enough carbs. That could be it.

DH is heading to Desert Moon in Danbury Mall to get me a LC burrito. YAY! It's 17 carbs but I plan on splitting it in half because they're normally ginormous. I look forward to devouring it.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled
• Mushrooms
• Cheddar
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• LC burrito!!!
• Chicken, sauteed & seasoned red & green peppers, onions, monterey jack & cheddar cheese with our roasted poblano cream dressing. Served in a 12" whole wheat tortilla

Dinner-

• No idea yet! I have to go shopping tonight so we'll see what we find.

Update-

The burrito was delicious. I ended up having a small piece of left over Alice Spring's Chicken and an avocado for dinner. Yummeh.

Day 22

So this is my 3rd week and I'm retaining water... It sucks. I weighed in this morning and I'm up a few pounds. So I'm going to see what the day brings and weigh in again tomorrow. Folks on the Atkins FB pages tell me I'm retaining water and losing inches (which is true) so I'm believing them and TRYING not to get discouraged. Still stinks though!!

3rd week in, I've resisted all things GOOD but bad for the plan ;) I'm proud of myself for that. Sitting on the couch I noticed that my love handles weren't so...... handled? That my chins went down to one and a half chins instead of 3 that my ankles and feet actually looked skinnier if that was possible. But then Sunday hit and BAM I'm bloated, my ankles and face were both swollen. It could be this horrible heat too. I've been pounding back water like crazy so I'm not sure what the deal is. Perhaps it is the heat and the 100+ degree weather we'll be receiving today that is making me so puffy. SIGH.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled
• Mushrooms
• Cheddar
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 Seasoned BL Chicken Breast
• Steamed Cauliflower/Broccoli
• A little bit of cheese
• Ranch

Snack-

• Babybel Cheese

Dinner-

• Alice Spring's Chicken
• Leftover Cauliflower bake/potato thing
• Steamed Cauliflower/Broccoli

Day 20 & 21

Oops forgot to blog yesterday!!

Saturday I prepped a few dinners for stuffing pie and alice springs chicken. Lots of cooking in the kitchen!

Saturday

Breakfast-

• No Breakfast, woke up late.

Lunch-

• 1 LC Tortilla
• Sliced Avocado
• 1 Cup Mushrooms
• Shredded Cheddar

I ended up going with my favorite dish ever but realized... Hubby brought down our baby George Foreman grill so I made a quesadilla!! OHHHH It was delicious!!!

Dinner-

• I made Stuffing Pie. It was really really really good!

Sunday

Breakfast-

• Nada.

Lunch-

• A piece of Stuffing Pie
• Veggies

Dinner-

• Alice Spring's Chicken
• Steamed Veggies

Update-

I made the Alice Spring's Chicken and it came out fantastic! But I wasn't hungry, at all! So I have dinner for tonight. :)

Day 19

Ok... I'm determined to be good through the weekend again. I have my menu figured out, meat thawing out and that's it! Everything should be golden!!!

Breakfast-
3 eggs (there was an extra egg)
Mushrooms
Cheese
Ketchup

Lunch-
We're having pizza at work for the FIFA championships or whatever it's called so I'm planning on a slice of veggie, toppings only and probably a sausage topping only! I wish they ordered salad too. OH and my co-worker made these cheese stuffed meatballs. So I'll try those too.

Dinner-
Either the Alice Spring's Chicken or the Stuffing Pie. Both new recipes to me and both look delicious!

Update1: Lunch! I had 3 slices of pizza, 2 sausage and 1 eggplant, toppings only and SALAD! I'm so happy they ordered salad! I watched my teammate eat 2 pieces of pizza and she enjoyed it but praised me for being good LOL :)

Day 18- 11.2lbs down

Last night kind of upset me because I really didn't want to eat another tortilla but I knew eating chicken and mushrooms would of left me unsatisfied. The tortilla is still very low carb but isn't recommended too often. At least I didn't cheat!

I came into work this morning and saw that my teammate/co worker had Dunkin Donuts... Which meant she had regular food and coffee with sugar. I had a meeting, came back to see her eating a glazed donut! I immediately said WTF? You don't want to win the IPad do ya? Of course she does she says.

I can't help but be frustrated. I'm doing so well and I was hoping to be able to do this together. I told her that I weighed in this morning again and lost. So we talked about her not cheating anymore because I want us to win!! Honestly, she's my motivation to continue but if she doesn't do it with me. We won't win. :(

BTW I'm down 11.2lbs.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs scrambled
• Mushrooms
• Cheddar
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1 Seasoned Chicken Breast
• Green Beans
• Cheddar
• Ranch

Dinner-
I'm not sure because hubby has school, yay he's done! He made a guitar in his wood working class! I'm so proud. <3 <3
I have to go pick up a few more things at the grocery store including mushrooms. S&S $1.79 for 8oz! I might get some hot wings.

Update:
I hate it when you have your heart set on something and the store doesn't have them... I didn't end up getting my wings because they ran out! They're redoing the small S&S in Darien and the shelves are bone dry! So I got some Aidelles Portobello Mushroom Chicken Sausage. I got my veggies and my protein in :)

I also ended up pounding back a giant bottle of Poland Springs. Perhaps from all the salt.

Day 17

Last nights meal was REALLY good!! I made a MIM for the first time (Muffin in a Minute) It was horrible. I didn't make it with the vanilla or the Splenda since it was for dinner and instead made it with Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Seasoning Salt. It was very bland and spongey. Hubby liked it, but I'll try another version of Flaxmeal before I make it again lol.

But the side dish was phenominal!!! OHHHHHH So good! It tasted just like a loaded baked potato!! The steak came out well but I didn't make a side dish of veggies. I wouldn't of finished it anyway. I was stuffed for the rest of the night, no snacks either.

Breakfast-

• Same as yesterday. I'm loving the mushrooms everyday!

Lunch-

• Seasoned BL Chicken Breast
• Leftover Cauliflower/Potato thing from last nights dinner

Dinner-

• Alice Springs Chicken
• Leftover Cauliflower/Potato thing from last nights dinner
• I'm going to try for some additional steamed veggies tonight

Well dinner is out. I went into the fridge and the chicken was bad!! How the heck it was bad, I have no idea but I just bought it so I'm pretty upset. Oh well. Tonight is another chicken mushroom cheddar wrap. Tomorrow will be the Alice Springs Chicken.

Day 16

Last night I prepped the "Just like stuffed potatoes" recipe. I just need to bake it again but before it got too cold I took a bite and was in heaven. It tastes exactly like a flipping potato! Couldn't believe it. Although I made it full fat, this could easily be a low fat dish with FF cream cheese, turkey bacon and FF Shredded Cheese.

I can't wait to have it for dinner! The rest I'll freeze.

On a side note... I chopped my hair off on Saturday and it feels so good! 8+ inches gone! It also looks thicker thanks to the layers. Thank you Debbie! She's the hidden diamond in Stamford. If you want to find her, she's in the Marriott Barber Shop. Cuts go for $25-$30! That is such a huge bargain and she's phenominal.

Breakfast-

• Same as yesterday. I'm pretty easy when it comes to Bfast and Lunches.

Lunch-

• Same as yesterday...

Dinner-

• 1 thin larger piece of steak, broiled
• 1 cup Mixed Steamed Cauliflower/Broccoli
• If I have the time, I'm going to make 'Just like stuffed baked potatoes'

Day 15 - 9lbs down

Well I'm only down 3lbs from last week. A total of 9lbs in two weeks!

I think between me not eating much last night and gorging on peanuts through the week instead of cheating slowed my loss down but 9lbs in two weeks isn't that bad. I would of been happier if it was an even 10 though. Ahh well!!

This week I will be paying more attention to my meals and I plan on creating menu's to make life a bit easier.

Breakfast-

• 1/2 Slice of ham
• 1 cup Sauteed Mushrooms
• 2 Eggs
• 2 oz Mixed Shredded Cheese
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1 small seasoned chicken breast
• 2 oz Mixed Shredded Cheese
• 1 cup Canned Green Beans (Don't knock it)
• Ranch

Snack-

• 1 BabyBel cheese

Dinner-

• 1 thin larger piece of steak, broiled
• 1 cup Mixed Steamed Cauliflower/Broccoli
• If I have the time, I'm going to make 'Just like stuffed baked potatoes'

Update:

Dinner was a wash because DH picked me up late. I ended up eating a lunch I made *listed above* but added mushrooms and a low carb wrap. I had a few left and I didn't want to toss them so I ate one. I actually ate half of it. So I definitely got my veggies in! Tomorrow it will be the above dinner!

Day 14

I made it to two weeks and my 2nd weigh in for the work challenge is tomorrow. *Crossing fingers*

Last night I found out my Beloved Uncle passed away. He was only 61! I felt terrible and still do which really showed in todays meals. I ate once and only snacked a bit throughout the day. I'm just not in the mood to eat... I feel sick. :(

Breakfast/Brunch-

• 2 eggs scrambled
• 1 slice of ham, 1/2 inch thick
• Cheddar Cheese
• Ketchup

Snacks-
Throughout the day I had peanuts and I ate a chicken pattie. A recipe I was experimenting with. Pictures and recipe to come.

Day 13

Lucky number 13!! I've done well in the past 13 days. Other than the horrible rice incident and the few sips of Pepsi during the first week, otherwise I've been good! I think... Apparently Atkins changed the rules in 2002 and I'm use to the diet from before that. DOH! So we'll see what I lost come Monday morning. *Crossing Fingers*

Tomorrow we're going to a Fathers Day BBQ at Hubby's families house so my only request is a knife and fork so I can eliminate the bread. :)

Breakfast-

• Nada. I got my hair cut and we decided to run erands and ended up doing another bout of grocery shopping.

Lunch-

• 1 Seasoned chicken breast
• 1 LC Tortilla
• Ranch
• Peanuts

Dinner-
We went to his aunts house and she remembered I was low carbing so she made...

• Ham
• Mixed Veggies/Broccoli
• A Cold Garlic and Vinegar Broccoli
• Cold Shrimp
• Cheese and Pepperoni skewers

YUM!

Ranch Show Down!!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/supermarket-standoff-which-brand-makes-the-best-ranch-dressing-1559276/

Ken's is what I eat. I use to be a die hard fan of Wishbone until trying Ken's... This poll makes me want to try Kraft though.

Day 12

Well, after last nights rice incident, I'm back on the bandwagon at full steam ahead!! I have nothing witty to say, no vents, no raves. I'm not weighing in until Monday so we'll see what happens. My goal is to stay on this plan and be good through the weekend!! My fridge is stocked with goodness and well. It shouldn't be TOO hard! :)

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled with mushrooms.
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 BL Seasoned Chicken Breast
• Cheddar
• Ranch

Dinner-

• Stirfry Teriyaki Chicken with veggies only.

I love this meal, it's at the mall and it's soooo good!!!

Day 11

WOWSA! Day 11 is here! I've almost made it two weeks on Atkins and so far I'm feeling great. I read the other day that Chromium curbs cravings. I think that's why I'm able to resist on the delicious evil goodies that keep crossing my path. I find it much easier to say 'No... I don't want Taco Bell because I can always make... a wrap at home with LC Tortilla options' It feels good and I'm happy with myself for that. I haven't been able to stick to a diet without cheating after 3-4 days so to make it to Day 10 is amazing for me!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled with mushrooms
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 chicken breast
• Avocado
• Ranch
• **I forgot my veggies!!**

Dinner-

• I'm HOPING to make the Filet Mignon tonight.

NEW: I thought I was off when adding my calories and carb count. I missed Sunday! So I'm actually on Day 11. WOO!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled with mushrooms and cheese.

Lunch-

• We went to Applebee's and I had the Shrimp Parm Sirloin, side salad and veggies.

Dinner-

I realized I messed up my dinners. SUNDAY I had the grilled Double Down.

MONDAY I can't remember but I was still good. Ok no more screw ups. I promise!

Updated:

Well it had to happen sooner or later. Atleast it wasn't Taco Bell though! We had chinese food last night, I had the chicken and broccoli and about 1/4 cup of chicken fried rice that was at the bottom of my food. Otherwise I woke up feeling crappy and very bloated. I hope this didn't put me too far behind. SIGH! But it was good and atleast it wasn't ice cream or Taco Bell...

Day 10

I got into the routine of adding to this blog every morning but I forgot to add todays menu!!
Well since it's now almost 6pm, I'll give you a rundown of the day.

Today was our work ice cream social that I helped arrange. With that I ordered an ice cream truck and had over 200 people show. I stood outside for an hour while watching everyone eat and enjoy their treats while I chewed my sugar free gum. I kept repeating to my friends 'Mmmm this gum is awesome!!!' My teammate had an ice cream and regretted it because she didn't enjoy it at all. I think she ended up getting one for later though. SIGH!! BUT I still resisted mine.

She lost 3lbs last week which is awesome but she kept saying "It's not your 6" Well... We'll get there! Stop eating ice cream! lol!!! We made the agreement that once we BOTH hit 30lbs less we'll treat ourselves to 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. I know, BADDD really bad. Honestly I feel that when we lose the 30lbs we won't want it. By then my cravings for anything like that should be gone. We'll see!

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs scrambled with cheddar.
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Baked seasoned chicken breast
• Avocado
• Ranch Dressing

Snack-

• Babybel Cheese!!

Dinner-

• Bacon wrapped Filet Mignon
• Veggies

Update: Well we got home late again so I had my vegetarian meal and loved every bite!! 1 LC Tortilla, avocado, mushrooms and put some cheddar on it, ranch and some peanuts to snack on. DELICIOUS!!

Day 9

Last night we went to Stew Leonards. I bought a few packs of BL Chicken $1.79lb, skirt steak $5.99lb, avocados (YAY!) and some mushrooms. I'm probably forgetting something too but it was enough. I hit the sales of course!
Afterwards we went to our friends, dropped off some prints and a CD and I got some baby time with a 2 month old. What a cutiepie!!! Love him!

I've stayed within the recommended carbs this past week+, not the healthiest option, but it's working. Yes it is a controversial diet but people are able to make it healthier by living on grilled chicken and veggies. That's how I use to do it... Last week was just an off week for us. I'm not sure why but I feel like I have to repeat myself.

I've seen my counter move up and I'm pretty sure it's the same folks viewing my blog, either ranting and shaking their head or smiling at the screen each day I update. I was never one to keep a food diary, I'd forget so I think with a few people watching and reading my blog, that's my motivation to be honest with myself about what I eat. It's amazing to see what you're eating on a regular basis while it's down on print. It's pretty discouraging but I think that's why I'm not cheating on this plan. I'd have to share my cheat and be embarrassed with the 'world' I don't want that. So the blog will stay up and open. I will continue to moderate and track the comments but atleast it'll stay up.

Please do the adult thing and don't bash me just because you disagree with my eating habits. It's rude and quite unnecessary.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, cheddar, mushrooms
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• Same thing as yesterday! I got home late and wasn't able to cook. But it looks like there's another meeting today so I might be able to debread a few sandwiches and eat the insides again.

Dinner-

• Filet Mignon wrapped in Bacon
• Steamed veggies.

Update:

We got home really late last night and I didn't feel like cooking. So while my chicken was, I grabbed a LC Tortilla, an avocado and some of the sautéed mushrooms from the day before and put it in a wrap, microwave for 30 seconds add some ranch dressing and WALA!! It didn’t need the chicken what so ever and the flavors blended together, was absolutely wonderful! I plan on having it again one of these days. A friend mentioned making a quesadilla out of it which also sounded great! I also had some peanuts and a SF jell-o cup afterwards.

Carb Count- 17.13
Calories- 1363

Day 8 - 6lbs down

Well I weighed in... I could get TMI here but I won't. Women everywhere will know what this means.

I'm stuck at 6lbs for the week. Which is great, don't get me wrong! But if the timing was better, I believe I would of lost 8lbs for the week........... Heh. Anywho! 6lbs is great!!

I am very proud of myself for resisting the urge to eat the ice cream sundae, the rolls, the delicious looking baked potatoes, the chocolate donuts, the soda in large quantities, and all the other junk food that my DH ate throughout the week. *grins* Love you hunny!!

So the week has taught me several things. The several sips of Pepsi wasn't worth it. That's about it. I've been pretty darn good! Just need to eat more veggies and less cheese.... Maybe. ;) My pal Mark lost 70+lbs eating RAW. Sorry Mark, but I don't like food uncooked and I like my meat and cheese. As if that wasn't obvious ;) I've been drinking a ton of water each day. I'm guessing atleast 100 ounces if not more. I've had limited diet soda and more water. Lemon water is your friend people!

My teammate didn't weigh in yet. I'm curious to what she lost though. It didn't sound like she stuck to it like I did but even if she lost a little bit that's great! I've submitted my weight loss for the week and I think they'll do it separately. I'm up against 3000 other people so if I happen to win A prize in this competition, I'd be very happy.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs w/ shredded cheddar, mushrooms
• Ketchup
• Big glass of water

Lunch-

• 1 Small Carb Balance Tortilla (7 carbs)
• A smear of cream cheese
• 1 Packet of Taco Bell Mild Sauce
• 1 Jell-O SF strawberry cup

OK so the above doesn't sound like the best option for me but I was stuck! I did a huge grocery shopping spree but bought no meat! I'm heading over to Stew Leonards tonight for some chicken and maybe a few steaks, then I'll get my protein in. I use to survive on tortillas, cream cheese and mild sauce. Love it!! It's very filling. They say not to eat TOO many tortillas in the first two weeks because it can stall you but I wasn't about to eat cream cheese and hot sauce by itself now...

Dinner-
I have no idea! I still have those bacon wrapped Filet Mignons but we have to drop off a CD to a friend/Client before she goes off to camp. What she doesn't know is that I have a few 8x10's I printed off for her. So we're heading over there around 7:30, which means I won't eat until 8:30... Which means I'll more than likely get yet ANOTHER salad from Stew Leonards!
I'm getting tired of salads...

Updated:
Around lunch time, there was a meeting that let out and they left two huge platters of sandwiches and pastries. I ignored the pastries and proceeded to debread two sandwiches and ate the insides which consisted of roastbeef, turkey and cheese. Just a few slices of each. It definitely held me over!

Dinner consisted of a grilled Double Down from KFC. It was actually quite gross. Not the greasy mess people think it is because it is grilled, but it was just dry. I bet the fried version was better tasting if you're like me and enjoy KFC that is.
I won't get it again because it was just too dry. There was one slice of bacon, the breasts were extremely thin and there was this spicy sauce that wasn't too bad but... I ended up going home, adding more cheese and a low carb wrap to make it taste better. I paid 5 bucks for that thing, I wasn't about to toss it! So I made it taste better. Heh.

Carb Count- 13.83
Calories- 1363

Day 6

WOW! I can't believe I've made it this far without diving into a full on cheatfest.
I admit that I took several sips of Pepsi but bought myself a bottle of Coke Zero to tide me over and the cravings. Mind you.. The amount of Pepsi I've drank equals 5 grams of carbs but also that in sugar so while it's not a GREAT cheat. It's better than a piece of bread or worse.. ice cream!

Breakfast-
Ditto yesterday!

• 2 eggs scrambled, mushrooms and cheddar.

Linner- (Lunch/Dinner)
I really wanted Mexican food and I figured while a wrap isn't the best option, we went to On the Border in Orange anyway in hopes of a whole wheat option.. I was determined to eat there IF they had WW wraps. We waited, I asked the hostess.. She went in back to ask and said nope we don't. We left.. WE ACTUALLY LEFT!! Felt good too because I'd normally stay and cheat but then I'd feel guilty.

Instead we went to Texas Road House and I pushed the delicious rolls and cinnamon butter towards DH. I ordered the sirloin/rib combo. No sauce on the ribs because it's loaded with sugar! I also got the green beans which were gross so I ate some of DH's broccoli. I also had the chopped salad, no croutons, no egg and ranch on the side. I also ate about 25 peanuts which *thank you Alina! :)* is equivalent to under 4 grams of carbs.

Later when we got home, we watched a few movies and I ate the rest of my leftovers. Still no cheats. Even though DH went to the ice cream parlor and got himself a hot fudge sundae. EVIL MAN! I resisted temptation and didn't even ask for a bite!

Tomorrow is technically Day 7 and if I can go without any kind of cheating, then I've completed a task that hasn't happened in oh... 10 years!!! Wow... I think I can do this. Wait. I KNOW I can do this!

OH! And as a prop to myself and all my accomplishments... Eat it haters!

Carb Count- 16.07
Calories- 2868

Day 5 and a vent.

I ran across an article about a woman who lost a great amount of weight and she blogged every day. So I'm doing the same thing. It worked for her, why not me?

Part of me is wondering if I should make this blog private... I have a few viewers, one subscriber *HI ALINA!* but otherwise, the blog is for me. The other day I started receiving off comments under inappropriate names. I don't get it... You're a grown person and you want to act like a 3rd grader? Really now? Keep em coming because I believe in Karma.

Friends have said don't give in to the negativity but it's hard. Yesterday made me want to run to McDonalds for a large fry, but I didn't. Instead I devoured some Hot Wings and an Aidelles Chicken Portobello Sausage! It curbed the craving for fries and I was able to stick to my eating plan. Sure, it had a lot of salt. Sure it had a lot of fat but hey, it's working and it's better than eating a giant sandwich WITH Bread and a large fry. Sure there are better alternatives but at that time, at that moment and with the way I was feeling. This was good.

Judge all you want, if something is working for me then I'll keep at it. This weekend I plan on doing a pretty descent size shopping trip to the grocery store(s) stock piling fresher, leaner and healthier alternatives to make ME feel better about the way I'm eating. I'm only here writing to my viewers so they can get some ideas. Soon I'll start taking pictures of my creations... Did you know you can make a pizza crust out of cauliflower? Crazy right?

Well that's about it.

Breakfast-

• 2 scrambled eggs with cheddar and mushrooms.

Lunch-

• Today's volunteer day at work and no one's around, just a few of us admins so we're ordering pizza. Well THEY'RE ordering pizza. I'm having what's called 'The Sinful Salad' it has grilled chicken, gorgonzola and bacon. YUM!! Planet Pizza guys... Seriously. Best salad ever!

Dinner-

• Not sure. Depending on what time DH gets home. I bought two bacon wrapped filet mignons last night and we'll probably have those or we'll head to the mall and get chicken teriyaki stir fry, all veggies no rice. Yum!

Updated: DH didn't get home until really late and I decided to just chow on some protein.... Aidelles sausage that is. Yep, no veggies again but that and tons of water.

Carb Count- 11.30
Calories- 2417

Day 4

So I told myself I'd be honest with everyone who views this blog... Last night I had two sips of Pepsi, for a reason I'm still wondering over. I immediately drank two huge sips of water feeling seriously guilty. Bleh. I told my husband to get rid of the flipping soda!!

BUT without hesitation, I jumped on the scale again. I knowww they tell you to weigh in weekly and not every day but I couldn't help it. I don't care if it's water weight.

But 6lbs is 6lbs. Yep that's right! I am down 6lbs since Monday! People say you'll gain it back but really? Will I? Even if I gained a pound or two back, I'm happy with the weight loss I've accomplished. I just need to keep going!!


Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, scrambled
• Shredded Cheddar
• About 8 pieces of sliced mushrooms. Last night I made an entire container of sliced mushrooms (8oz) in the oven, sprayed some PAM and baked them for 20 minutes at 350.
• That's a good way for people to get their veggies in and mushrooms will definitely remain on my grocery list from now on.

Lunch- Ditto yesterday!

• Baked seasoned chicken, about half a chicken breast w/ Shredded Cheese
• 1/2 cup Birds Eye Broccoli & Cauliflower.

Dinner-

• Stuffed chicken with a piece of laughing cow triangle cheese. Seasoned as usual.
• Mixed frozen Veggies
• Ranch because it's my life support system

Carb Count- 11.19
Calories- 1641

Day 3

So far, so good! I haven't cheated, I haven't even had the craving to cheat. Even though I watched my hubby eat yet another dessert pie from Burger King and a full size soda. Atleast I made him carry it into the house so I didn't have the urge to take a sip or force him to give me a bite.

As a growing photographer, I realized that weight loss is a necessity. Not only for the obvious health reasons but to be able to get those difficult shots that have you rolling on the ground or getting high or as low as possible. When you're on your feet, running after kids or keeping up with adults, the last thing I need is to have my back go out or have aching body parts. Shoots can last 1-5 hours! That takes a toll on a bigger gals body. But I've been a trooper and I think it's the joy of pushing my hobby into a business that urges me to continue and strive for a healthier form. AGAIN the IPad is helping with this! You know how great that would be for this business? Just saying..........

So my goal after today is to weigh in each week, but I weighed in today to see if this plan was working and I'm down...
2.8lbs!!!
All water weight for sure but who cares! I am down

TWO . EIGHT POUNDS!

Breakfast-

• 2 Eggs, scrambled via microwave
• Shredded Cheddar
• Ketchup

Lunch-

• 1/2 large chicken breast, BL, seasoned with Garlic Powder, seasoning salt, thyme and grated parmesan cheese (in a can of course) w/Shredded Cheddar
• Small side salad from Burger King
• Ranch Dressing

Dinner-

• Stuffed chicken with a piece of laughing cow triangle cheese. Seasoned as above.
• Mixed frozen Veggies
• Ranch because it's my life support system

Update!

I didn't make the stuffed chicken last night since DH *Dear Husband* didn't come home until 10pm! Poor thing...

I ended up making 4 pieces of Gortons frozen fish. Butter and Garlic Tilapia and some type of herb white fish.

I also made some Birds Eye Steam frozen cauliflower and broccoli. The Tiliapia was alright. The other fish was absolutely disgusting. Which was fine because the two small pieces of fish and veggies were enough to fill me. OH and ranch. :X

For SOME reason, I ended up making a Ball Park Hot Dog. I wasn't even hungry but I was bored and eyeing the candy that my loving husband just happened to leave hanging around the house and I was getting tempted so I kept myself even fuller by eating the hot dog. HEY Atleast it's low carb!! It worked. But I felt really full.

Carb Count- 15.80
Calories- 1006

Day 2

Well last night was a success because I did NOT cheat! We went to BK, I had 2 Buck Doubles; bunless, a side salad and a small diet coke. I also resisted hubby's evil Cinnabon cheesecake even after he offered a bite. When will that man learn? We headed over to our meeting which so happened to be at a coffee shop filled with delicious pastries. I resisted it all. I was happy. So. Day 1 down, millions to go!

I think I wrote this before that my breakfast and lunches will be pretty much the same each day and my goal is to write out my fully planned menu then adjust as I go.

Breakfast-

• 2 Eggs, scrambled via microwave
• Shredded Cheddar
• Ketchup
• Large glass of water

Lunch-

• 1/2 large chicken breast, BL, seasoned with Garlic Powder, seasoning salt, thyme and grated parmesan cheese (in a can of course) w/Shredded Cheddar
• 1 Avocado
• Ranch Dressing

Dinner-

• 1 Hamburger with cheese, small salad and veggies

I drink water throughout the day as well, my cup at work is 16 oz so as long as I fill that up 3-4 times a day I'm good to go, plus all the water I drink at home!

Updated: Dinner changed, we ended up going back to BK for the repeat of yesterdays dinner. It was really good but I got rid of the ketchup. Dinner was approximately 5 carbs. However, I did cook the burgers I took out and also cooked up a hot dog. I ate another small burger and a ball park frank. I also had a cup of Diet Coke.

Carb Count- 24.33
Calories- 2631

Day 1

I love cheese... You'll notice that it's in my menu's often. My breakfast and lunch menu's are pretty much the same each day. Dinner is difficult for me.

Breakfast-

• 2 eggs, shredded mild cheddar cheese (Just a pinch full)
• Ketchup (Just a bit) I know it's full of carbs and sugar but I only put a bit and don't use a lot!
• Large glass of water, 10 oz.

Lunch-

• 1/2 large chicken breast, boneless seasoned with Garlic Powder, seasoning salt, thyme and grated parmesan cheese (in a can of course)
• 1 avocado (also a lover of these.
• Unfortunately no veggies. I forgot to buy some. OH and I don't eat fresh veggies, I'm a can lover. Go on.. hate me and tell me how bad they are.
• Ranch Dressing.

Dinner-

This will be interesting. I have a meeting tonight so we've decided just to get a side salad from Burger King and a double cheeseburger without the bun.

Updated: Apparently Stew Leonards had an aweful batch of avocados so I've had less than a chicken breast with some cheddar for lunch.

Carb Count- 9.56
Calories- 1670

My Introduction

Hi! My name is Dee and I'm fluffy. REALLY fluffy. I'm 5'6" and a size 24. I'm pretty solid and haven't seen a gym in months due to a bad back and then a sprained ankle. Fate is telling me not to work out!! :P

I've been overweight all my life with a short time where I was 150lbs and a size 8 dress in the 8th grade. I'd like to get to that weight some day. One day! My average size was a 14/16 and that's where I was most happiest. My goal is to get there sooner than later.

So my company is having a weight loss challenge that will last approximately 10 weeks. My co-worker and I are teaming up (teams of two) and we found out we're within a pound of each other! Which is to our advantage I must say.

We both decided to do low carb which we're both pro's at NOT sticking to but together we can win!! OHHH and the prize? An IPad and $300 Nike Giftcard. They'll also be having weekly weigh challenges for other prizes. We're both pumped and ready to go. (Except I think she had a bowl of honey nut Cheerios this morning!!) :P

This blog will be my daily diary. I will list everything I eat, including my cheats but not my weight because that's embarrassing enough. :P

Wish me luck!!