Baked Goods and Cinderella

I felt better today, but not completely back to normal so I took it easy again.

Well, kind of.

I mopped my kitchen floor, the bathroom floor, wrestled with children, baked...twice, and did 3 loads of laundry. No wonder I'm so tired. I was a busy girl.

I had bananas that were practically dead and begging to be put out of their misery on my counter, so this morning I made Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread. It turned out so delicious. The best bananas for baking are the ones that are practically disintegrated they're so ripe (which would be the state of the bananas I used today). So I made 4 mini loaves (I love mini loaves, they're so cute and you can trick your mind that you're having a lot by having multiple slices for the same calories as one full sized loaf slice). I had to take a picture because I love the way the marbled looks and I'm still all proud of the epiphany about how to do it that I had.

I'm also working on a Gingerbread Sleigh Project. I made gingerbread dough after the kids went to bed and did a single sleigh cutout to see how well it'll put together before I do an assembly line sort of thing. So I made a ka-ton (it's a word, I just made it up) of gingerbread dough, rolled out some and shoved the rest in the fridge for another night. I already designed and cut out the sleigh pieces (I geeked out on that yesterday). I set my shapes on the dough, got a sharp knife, and cut them out. In retrospect, I'm going to bake the dough about halfway next time and cut it out then. The cookies had some expansion, which I didn't even think about (I did mention I was tired) so I can negate that from the final shape by cutting it out after it's expanded but not fully cooked yet.

As you can see, I got distracted and let the cookies get a little more "done" than I had wanted. My husband keeps telling me he'll eat them (he's weird and likes his cookies a little on the burnt side anyway). Normally I'd fret, but this was just an experiment which makes me extra glad I did it as such, because I'd already do things different in the baking process. I'm assured the dough is delicious and tastes like gingerbread (I haven't had any since I don't eat after 8pm). So tomorrow I'll make the "glue" and frost that bad boy together and see how it turns out.

Naturally, my mixer went nuts and spewed dough all over my freshly mopped floor. I didn't have a clean floor for even a freaking hour so after I got all the dishes washed (I cannot stand having dirty dishes in my sink) I got on my hands and knees with a washrag and cleaned my floor again. I felt like Cinderella. Except I already have my "prince". Do you suppose she ever mopped the floors after she "lived happily ever after"?

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 156

Total Pounds Lost - 54.9

Meals:
Breakfast - FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade almond milk
Morning Snack - (early lunch)
Lunch - Chicken Salad w/ ranch
Mid-Afternoon Snack - Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread
Dinner - Mc Donalds Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/out mayo

Never Been More Glad...

I realized yesterday just in how much better shape I am in.

Everyday Mr. Grumpbutt and I leave the apartment about a half an hour before we have to pick 3ft up at school. We go on a 1.5 mile power walk that puts us in front of 3ft's classroom about 5 - 7 minutes before the boy is going to be let out. That way I can get some extra exercise in and Mr. Grumpybutt really loves going for the walks.

Well, yesterday I decided to shake things up a bit and take a different route. Spatial distances are not my thing, obviously, as the route I decided to take was A LOT longer than the one I usually do. I'd figured they'd be about the same and left at the normal time. I realized at 11:20 when I wasn't even halfway to 3ft's school yet that, Oh. My. God, I had a long way to go still. 3ft would've been devastated if I wasn't waiting outside with the rest of the parents to pick him up.

I couldn't let that happen.

So Mr. Grumpybutt and I ran the rest of the way. Mr. Grumpybutt thought this was particularly fun if the giggles coming out of the stroller were any indication. I got to 3ft's school with TWO MINUTES to spare. I was there long enough to just catch my breath and adjust Mr. Grumpybutt in his chair when 3ft came bounding out of the classroom. All I can say is thank god that kid walks slow and gets distracted so I had an easy walk home.

4 months ago that would not have even been possible. Well, I probably wouldn't have been in that position to begin with because honestly exercise was something to seriously be avoided. But had I gotten the notion to go on a forced march, there would've been NO WAY I'd have made it to get 3ft on time. His poor little dejected face would've been waiting for me in the office when I strolled up huffing and puffing.

Just one more benefit my healthy living has done for me. I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to.

--Previous Day Tracking --

Exercise -45 minute power walk, 20 minutes of Wii Fit Strength Training and Yoga, and 20 minutes of jogging around the apartment.

Healthy Lifestyle - Day 112

Only Water - Day 107

Total Pounds Lost - 41.7

Meals:
Breakfast - bowl of FiberOne Honey Clusters w/ homemade Almond Milk
Morning Snack - FiberOne Granola Bar
Lunch - Red Lobster 1/2 entree of Wood Grilled Scallops, Shrimp, and Chicken w/ rice pilaf and broccoli.
Mid-Afternoon Snack -Cinnamon Sugar Cookie S'more
Dinner - Oven Roasted Chicken and vegetables

Total Day Calories - 1119 (approximately)

I'm Ba-ack!

…and for those of you who haven’t passed out from the shock, let me catch you up.

Well, I didn’t realize it’s been over two months since I last posted an update on my progress with the epiphany. I didn’t forget, I’ve just been so into it, and other things in my life, that I sort of let it slide.

But…I didn’t let the life changes slide. So, let’s do a fast catch up. Hang on to your seats.

I have officially been on my life changing epiphany since the middle of June which (counts on fingers, subtracts some toes, and does the hokey pokey) makes it about five months now. And in the past five months, I’ve lost…

Are you ready? (drum roll please)

… a total of 76 pounds, 3 - 4 pants sizes (depends on the pants), 3 shirt sizes, and 3 bra sizes (in circumference, not cups)!

Can you say halfway to my goal? *does a booty shake*

How am I doing it? I eat approximately 1200 calories a day. As promised, I lost the first 20 pounds on the strict food plan, then chose to eat whatever I wanted as long as I adhered to the calorie count. I eat four to five small meals a day and I drink at least a gallon of water.

But my biggest crowning glory is the fact that I exercise every day -- so far 162 of them to be exact (yes I’m crazy, I keep count). And something weird happened. I stopped wishing the exercise video was over before it even really began -- which, let me tell you, made the video seem to last forever -- and started just enjoying the workout. It’s over before I know it and I’m a little sad when I’m done. Freak, right? I actually look forward to and like working out.

I really can’t believe the difference the 76 pound loss makes. Gone is the double chin and I have a collar bone! I had no idea. I can run after my three-year old son, three-feet-of-fun, and not get winded. And I feel prettier, sexier, and a whole lot healthier.

Now that I’ve gotten caught up with my progress I’ll for sure blog on Sundays as they are still weigh in days. Talk to you all next week!

Competitive Spirit

Break out the ranch dip and celery, I’m celebrating!

I’ve worked out everyday for the past seven days without fail. My chart is beautifully covered with fabulous checkmarks and I plan on indulging my hardworking self with a much deserved treat -- a pedicure. My toes curl in ecstasy just thinking about it.

Want to know the real key to my success?

Competition.

Nothing beats good old fashioned competition as the ultimate power in motivation. I can suffer anything for the thrill of a victory.

My best friend and I are highly competitive -- she’s more so, but I digress -- and she has been hugely instrumental to my success. You see, along with my charts and checkmarks for exercising everyday, my friend and I are keeping a running total of the days we do it in a row. If we miss a day then we have to start back over at one -- the only exceptions to this rule are injuries and illnesses and in that case you can’t count the days you didn’t actually do something but you don’t have start over either.

On the evenings when I was too tired or just didn’t want to do anything, I’d think about how far she’d get ahead of me if I had to start all over. Without fail, I’d lace up my sneakers and force myself to do the assigned workout for that day. Thinking about her passing me up gave me the oomph to get started that a future reward didn’t -- and I’ve found, once I’ve started, it’s not so bad. So now, when we whine about having to workout, we rub each other’s noses in the fact of how far ahead we’ll be if the other misses the day. Hey, what are friends for?

So raise the water glass and let’s make a toast to competition. May the best girl win -- she’d say it’s her but hey, I was the one with the epiphany. However, in this I’d gladly take a tie so we can both win.

It's Complicated

One vital bit of information: no one, save for you readers and those who live with me, knows that I’ve become dedicated to getting fit and healthy. I’m so tired of hearing, “Oh, you’re going on another diet?” or, “Sure you’re dedicated. You were ‘dedicated’ to the last one too.”

And this, I’ve found, complicates things.

It was my friend’s birthday yesterday and a bunch of us took her out to lunch. It was the first time I’ve gone out to eat since I started waddling down the ‘healthy way’ path over two weeks ago. I wouldn’t have even gone except I felt really guilty about ‘being too sick’ for her birthday party. But…I wasn’t sure I could say no to the cake. For me, cake is like kryptonite.

Naturally she chose our favorite gourmet burger restaurant -- you know the kind with burgers as big as your head and french fries the size of your thumbs. Luckily for me, they had salads. Yum, right? So, as I stared longingly at the monster-heart-attack-on-a-plate pictures in the menu, I ordered a grilled chicken salad while everyone else greedily ordered greasy delicious goodness.

This presented a new challenge in the willpower adventure. Up until now, I’ve cooked, so that means everybody at home eats the same thing as I do. The only willpower required is making sure to cook something healthy. At the restaurant, no one ordered a salad but me. Now for the real test of my willpower -- watching them eat what I really wanted. And now for the newly discovered complication of not telling anyone of my epiphany -- the sharing offers.

Be proud.

Not only did I not steal the food off their plates, but I said no thank you when they offered me bites.

Small victory? Maybe. But each small victory gets me closer to my goal. I didn’t get to savor a burger and fries, but I sure savored my willpower on the way home.