Been awhile....and I am back to blog! (150 lbs)

Yes..I have lost weight and it's been pretty permanent. I have been watching my sodium (kinda), eating in moderation and exercising everyday for 30 minutes. In fact..I don't really think about the whole diet thing....I am just keeping busy geocaching and having a good time. I hope to get to 135 lbs...so in time I will be there.

Until then...

Wii fit or Jillian Michaels (161 lbs)

Last week I purchased the Jillian Michaels wii workout...wow! She works me out! Today is the first day of my "Accountability Challenge" with my bible study. Basically..I am in charge of keeping track of everyone's daily goals. Whether it be diet, exercise, doing chores, reading....whatever they need help with.

Mine is keeping my sodium intake below 2300 mg a day.
Working out 30 minutes a day.
To not pass judgment.

I am going along nice and slow on this weightloss. I am not so impatient this time around..I want this to be the end of my chubby days.

Until then....

Motivated to keep going! (162.5 lbs)

Wow....I am going strong. I can't give up now. Just bought another wii workout deal..so I will try that out today. I also am into geocaching...which gets me out there and exercising.

Anywho....I will write more later.

Bye

Going strong! (163.5 lbs)

Never thought I would be happy to see 163 on the scale...but I guess I learned not to take things for granted. Especially last week when I evacuated from the OC fires. How scary that was.

Been on the wii fit 30 minutes a day. My piggy bank turned gold...40 hours accumulated. I love this device. It has made me WANT to exercise which isn't normal for me. ha ha. AND....I have noticed how great I feel...it keeps me from being grumpy. And if I am grumpy.....I know I didn't exercise yet..so I hope on the wii fit...and I feel 100% better. It's my "lexapro".

So..I will keep crack-a-lackin and keep you posted!

Cya

166.5 lbs (Changing my lifestyle)

Well....I have to say...I have all new respect for my health when I am sick. I have had the stomach flu since Thursday. Actually....I kinda felt bad since last Monday but it really hit me hard on Thursday. And I was out til today!

6am this morning..I woke up and I felt a relief that I finally felt 100%. Wow! It felt great to feel great! I am deciding right now and then..I need accountability.

The one thing I have an issue with is anxiety. I get really anxious over everything and it doesn't take much to set me off. So I decided to try lexapro. It's an SSRI for depression/anxiety. It worked great...but it really put on the pounds. I wasn't sure this was a side effect until I read other people complaining about the same thing.

I finally weaned myself off this drug, and I know my anxiety is gonna come back...but I did some research and I am going to take all measures to keep me afloat.

I know back when I did the low carb diet..I felt great. But I believe my esteem was raised from a few things.

1. Protein keeps your blood sugar levels stable.
2. I avoided sugar, so I felt healthy.
3. I also did 1 hour of yoga a day which kept me calm.
4. I was also 120 lbs, and so I felt good because I looked and felt better.

Back then..I didn't feel I needed any "medication" because all these 4 things worked.

So this morning..I had an epiphany. I am gonna change my lifestyle! Gee..what a concept.

The funny thing is....I used to really like the actress Rene Zellweger. Especially had respect that she could gain alot of weight for the Bridget Jones movie and lose it for the Chicago movie. Wow!

I have read her articles and she always mentions that exercise keeps her sane. I never really took this into account for anything and read on. But this morning..as I was reading an old magazine...I was flipping pages and saw a picture of her and on the bottom of the photo it said, once again, "exercise keeps me sane".

SO...maybe exercise does something for you! ha ha. I never really took exercise seriously because I never noticed the results. I did Yoga to keep me sane...gee...yoga is a form of exercise. DUH!

SO...here is my new lifestyle:
1. To eat less than 2300 mg of sodium a day.
2. To exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
3. To not talk bad about people--as that just creates it's own anxiety. It's like creating my own instant bad karma.

Will keep posting as I go along!

Getting there....(170 lbs)

Well...I think I did okay on sodium intake. It was that dang pizza at the end of the day..I only had one piece though....and I was watching my salt all day..so I was right at my 2300 mgs. Today....I want to continue to do the same as I don't like being this big. I already gave away all my "real fat" clothes..and so I am limited to what I can wear right now. Yuck!

Anywho.....will keep you posted!

Wii Fit--I need it! (172 lbs)

I know! I gained some weight and I haven't journaled in awhile. Well...I bought the wii fit 5 weeks ago and have been on it for 30 minutes daily ever since. I also noticed that I eat way too much salt..so I am on a kick to lower my sodium as well.

I am starting today to be strict. No more than 2300 mg of sodium a day for me...that is a promise. I will keep you updated on my progress! I am tired of being a chubster!

Talk soon!

Been awhile....(162 lbs)

Sorry..it's been awhile. Yikes. Since then..I have realized that I am definitely gluten intolerant. It's not a HUGE deal if I eat gluten. The side effects I notice is definite water retention. I will gain 5 lbs instantly and I can definitely feel it. When I didn't know this...it made me irritable...but it helps to know what's going on with your body.

So..there are times I will cheat and have gluten..in which I did over the weekend. And I gained the infamous 5 lbs..not sure why 5 lbs..but that's the magic number. But..the next day..I thought I would have this rice bowl..which had a little soy in it. Wasn't sure if a little soy sauce would create an issue..well it did. I believe soy sauce is the biggest culprit. When I think back in the day....any time I had soy sauce..I would bloat up significantly. Soy sauce contains wheat. I wonder if it's a mix of soy and wheat that gets me. I know my daughter gets eczema whenever she eats soy. Hmm...something to think about.

Anywho...I have been slack-a-lackin on eating less. I was doing 20 mins of exercise for awhile and doing pretty good..but I slack-a-lack'd on that too. Stupid...since I can totally tell the difference. So I am back on it again.

Well..I will write more often....it motivates me. Even if no one is reading this. ha ha.

Until then....

It's been awhile! (160 lbs)

Hi there. It's been awhile..my apologies. I really wasn't sure if anyone was reading my posts quite yet and my weight was fluctuating up and down. I stopped eating gluten and was very excited that I was losing weight. But then it stopped. I noticed ways to eat gluten free and it wasn't all healthy. Kinda like when I was eating low carb. When I stuck to the basic foods..I lost weight. BUT...when I found out cheats....the weight stopped.

SO...I am on track again. I have been exercising 20 minutes a day for the past 3 weeks. Been eating healthier..way healthier. Got into geocaching..which is fun for the whole family. :)

I have also noticed something and I wanted to do an experiment. Maybe I am just sensitive...but I live in a nice city..but the moms can be pretty snotty. I am not kidding either. I am starting to really hate it here at times. I decided to experiment. My theory is...if I get back into my size 5 jeans...I bet the snotty moms will be nice to me. BUT....I don't care to make friends. I am just tired of the stuck up attitudes around here. SIGH.

Well..wish me luck. I am 100% into this "experiment" . Will keep you posted on how it all goes.

See ya!

Hi! Back to the routine! (159 lbs)

Okay....sorry I haven't been bloggin'. Busy going everywhere..but now that the holidays and other stuff is done.....I am back on track.

So...I have stayed gluten free no problem. Portion control is, of course, a challenge. Especially if I am drinking wine. That's the biggest problem..since it makes me crave and then I eat before going to bed. So...my husband and I thought of a plan. No eating after dinner.....when drinking wine. If we should do so...then no wine night the next planned night. Since we enjoy our wine....we don't want to ruin the next time...so we have been doing good so far. I have lost the 5 lbs that I gained from overeating...and so has he.

Too bad chocolate and peanut brittle are not gluten free. Ha! But the majority of the candy is gone now...so that's good.

Anywho....chat later!

Finally (158.5 lbs)

Okay.....so we got a Wii the other day and I have been playing with it since! So now I am sore! So exercise plus I have been busy running around yesterday so I didn't eat as much as I normally do....got the weightloss going again.

But again..since I feel that I should start taking care of myself before I end up on medication for high blood pressure or cholesterol....I really haven't had the wants to "cheat"...even with the lack of weightloss lately. I just don't want to. I feel better eating this way. I don't have the emotional ups and downs and my energy levels are great!

Anywho.....until then..

No weight loss...but keeping on this! (160 lbs)

I don't understand the lack of weightloss. I am frustrated..but I want to continue this journey because I do feel 100% better. I am not sure if it makes you smart of not..but I do feel more alert these days.

I have to admit...it's very difficult to avoid salt. It's everywhere. It's not so bad if you are home....as long as you eat fresh foods, rice, etc. I think...not sure...but I think the only thing keeping me from losing weight is still portion control. I have been eating 3-4 meals a day these days. And....here I thought...if they are healthy meals.....that should be okay. Well....I suppose it is if I want to maintain this weight...as I haven't been gaining any..and I have been eating alot. But I am going to have to cut my portions down alot.

I didn't realize that salt (like sugar) is a HUGE appetite stimulant. That alone keeps me from wanting to grab the salt shaker. I have been using Mrs. Dash-sodium free salt on my food.

Well....hopefully my next post will show something more exciting!

Until then....

Too much salt! (159.5 lbs)

My friend who has her son on a gluten/casein free diet told me about how you start to figure out what to avoid when you do the "elimination" diet. So....I have been gluten free for 3 weeks now and gee...no more weight loss! So frustrating..but then I realized the hidden gluten in hair gels and other foods that I thought were okay. THEN..I thought I was ingesting too much dairy. Well..I found another culprit! Salt! Oh my goodness...I took a good look back on my usual dietary intake on sodium..and it was HIGH! I think I ate more than the daily requirement.

I think I started looking at that because I still felt bloaty and tingly at times..even when I was eating gluten free. And after I cut out most of my dairy. Yesterday I took note of that and ate a low sodium diet and I felt 100% better. I stayed gluten free of course. I researched sodium..and it's just as much an appetite stimulant as sugar.

So I am on my next venture to continue to eat healthier. Now mind you....I did do a cheat the other day. Ballooned up 4lbs. I was frustrated with the lack of weight loss...and then I realized the salt deal..so I am back down from those 4 lbs. So wish me luck that my future blogs will reflect a lower weight!

Until then!

Back on Track (159.5 lbs)

Well..I immediately did damage control when I realized that too much dairy in my diet can cause the same effect as gluten. I don't think I will do a gluten/casein free diet just yet. I only notice it when I have more than 1 cup's worth of milk at one time. If I put some in my coffee...it's no biggy.

Oh...and I had the rest of the shrimp, veggies and rice that I made the other day in which I thought it was the oil in it that was giving me problems. Well....it wasn't. I definitely blame that hair gel that I accidentally ingested. Who would think they would be eating their own hair gel? Gross, I know. But you don't think about it when you are just pulling your hair back in a ponytail and then handling your food. It only took that to give me the reaction. Crazy.

Well...I am trying to put my daughter on the same diet because she tends to be overly emotional..and I know I can be that way. And if diet has cured me..it is worth a try. The good thing is...I am getting her to eat healthier. Plus...her belly still looks like a toddler's. And I believe it's bloatiness. It's enough to have to watch your own diet..but to take away the yummy stuff from a kid? So I am going to try my best and allow her to have the yummy foods in moderation and see how that works. Thankfully....it's not life threatening when she eats these foods. She's not going to escape it at school or at family gatherings.

Anywho.....I am determined. I haven't had any gluten (except the hidden ones) since realizing that I had a gluten issue. I was at a birthday party and I had no cravings for the pizza or cake. What motivates me is knowing that if I ate that..I would feel horrible afterwards. I stuck with the cheese, veggies and fruit.

Until then....

That's it! I'm going full force (160 lbs)

Okay..so now I am gaining weight again. UGH! I had some gluten free cereal with milk this morning...and immediately felt agitated and tingly. Okay...so now I have to avoid dairy too? Well...maybe not. I looked at my food diary and the first week I had coffee in the morning with my usual small amount of milk and splenda. Then I just ate rice, veggies, fruit and corn chips.

This week however...I started getting a bit creative and been having more food. So I have been having cereal or chocolate milk, etc. And now that I am looking at my food diary..too much milk seems to bloat me up. Nothing new there...but from what I am told...you really start to see what gives you reactions when you eliminate foods and you still get reactions with other foods.

So now I know. So after this morning's saga...I have only eaten fruit, veggies and a small amount of cheese. No issue..I feel great. And I stepped on the scale (not that I should have done that in the middle of the day)...but I did...and I am the same weight as I was this morning..which tells me that hopefully I will be down tomorrow.

So...as of now my friends..I am going full force. I remember when I started the low carb diet..I stuck to the basics. Eggs and bacon for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch and meat and salad for dinner and the pounds were coming right off. But as soon as I started playing around with recipes and making low carb shakes, etc.....I was having issues. Dairy always stalled me..but I didn't think about it til now. So..I will have a little dairy..but not go overboard.

It's veggies, fruit, proteins, and rice for me! Oh..and wine! Can't forget the wine! ha ha.

Until then my friends!

Hair Gel causing the issue? (159.5 lbs)

Oh my goodness. Could it be the hair gel that is causing me to bloat? I bought some from Target on Tuesday and started using it on Wednesday. And now I have been gaining weight and feeling the bloatiness and irritability. UGH!

I ran upstairs this morning to blow dry my hair and I was just about to put the new hair gel on again....until something made my hand flip it around and read the ingredients! Oh my goodness...it has wheat and oat proteins in it. UGH! Could this be the culprit? I guess I will find out soon enough.

Until then.....

UPDATE: Okay....it's evening now and I had oil in my salad and nothing happened. I started to think about that hair gel...and there were more than a few times that I had touched my hair and then touched my food. Especially since I was working with seafood yesterday. Peeling the tails off the shrimps and then getting the crab meat out of the crab legs...so that makes so much sense that it was the hair gel and it was ingested. Sigh.....it's good to find an answer. I was really feeling bad yesterday. Bloaty, super hot and irritable beyond belief!

That's all!

Something's up! (159 lbs)

Okay....it's night time and I am 4 lbs up right now. How? I have no idea..but it couldn't possibly be anything but water weight. My fingers are swelling, my thighs are tingly, I am kinda irritable and hot (temperature wise). It's winter, it's supposed to rain and I am wearing tank top PJ's and might change into shorts instead of the pants that I am wearing. Weird! Something is definitely up.

The only culprit that I can pin down is oil. Canola and Olive oil. Not sure though. But I did try the Shangrila diet in the past and I would gain weight on it. As soon as I stopped it....the weight dropped off again. But why oil? I have to go research.

Until then....

I did it! (158.5 lbs)

Wow. So I was on a mini vacation this the last two 1/2 days. I brought my gluten notes but you never know with restaurants and what they put in stuff. I did manage to ask the waitress if they had any gluten free meals and she had to ask the chef. I think, just like the low carb diet, this gluten free diet will become more well known. I remember those days.....I had to order stevia and splenda online and gut everything at the restaurant. But then...the Atkin's came back in full force.

So I ate good and drank wine and still managed to lose weight. My husband had some beers at Seaworld and he came back 6 lbs heavier. I avoided the beer! I think this gluten thing is fairly common with alot of folks and they don't even know it. I am trying to get my little girl to eat gluten free stuff now. Trader Joe's has some great gluten free pastas, breads, pancakes and cereals. I think her temperament will be less "drama" without gluten. It's hard to avoid it though with kids since everything is gluten in what they eat..as far as convenience foods and happy meals go.

Anywho....I am anxiously awaiting on my Gluten Free diet for Dummies book.

Will keep you posted!

Gluten globbin....(159 lbs)

Wow...what a test. I defintely ate a hidden gluten. That reminds me of those hidden Mickey's at Disneyland. Okay..where am I going with that? Anywho......I felt REALLY tingly in the legs. My fingers were swelling too. Nice eh? So I was really happy to see no weight gain.

So wish me luck..going to San Diego for a couple days and I am going to be tested on how I can eat. I definitely know it's not right after the fact since I get swelled up minutes after. I also noticed that I get irritable. Fun!

Anywho.....talk to you later. If anyone is even reading this. Maybe I am just talking to myself. Oh well...at least I know the conversation will go good. ha ha.

Until then...

Gluten free baby! (159 lbs)

Wow...what a difference these past few days have been. My energy levels are way high. I went to bed after midnight but still woke up at 6:45am with no problem. I also haven't had any cravings. I thought eating basic with no sauces (I love sauces) would drive me crazy..but it hasn't. Food hasn't been on my mind at all (except on what not to eat. But as far as cravings and eating...it has not). AND I don't feel all swelled up.

I think I might be on to something!!! I am down 5 lbs since Tuesday.

The test is going out to eat. Wish me luck on that.

Until then my friends....