MCDONALD’S LEAVES A BAD TASTE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

When it comes to eating healthy and trying to lose weight, one of the last places you would want to choose is McDonald’s. They may have salads and a few snacks that you can get, but that is about it when it comes to anything on their menu being healthy for you.

Most of us have eaten at McDonald’s at least once, but most more than that. Sure some think that their food is tasty and let’s face it, it makes a quick meal on the go. You don’t stop and think about what it is that you are actually putting into your mouth. Just that it tastes good and hell one Quarter Pounder never hurt anyone, right!?!

I know that I myself have eaten my fair share of food from McDonald’s in the past. Even as recent as this past Monday. My son and I were out and he wanted to buy me lunch. I caved and went to McDonald’s with him. I won’t lie either, as we pulled up to the drive thru, my mouth was watering. Oh the thought of sinking my teeth into (of all things) a Quarter Pounder…mmmm. Well I didn’t get the Quarter Pounder,  I opted for some nuggets and a small fry and let me tell you……….it SUCKED!!! After not eating at McDonald’s for over eight months, I can honestly say that it was the worst lunch that I’ve ever had! It took all I had that day to force those nuggets and fries down. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from it.

I can not tell you that I will never eat at McDonald’s again. But I can tell you that if I do, it will definitely be a salad and nothing else. I thought I was missing out on something great by not having food like that since I started my weight loss journey. I know better now. The only thing I was missing was the bad taste it leaves in your mouth and all of the fat!! Which I can do without both.

I do find it funny that there are people out there that are blaming places like McDonald’s for making them and their kids fat. Um….HELLO….McDonald’s DID NOT force you to stop there once, twice, three times a day to eat. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that McDonald’s food in nothing but FAT!!! It’s called people being too damn lazy to go home and actually cook a meal. Yet it is easier to blame someone else for their laziness!!

Have you ever stopped and thought about the calories and fat that are actually in the food that is served at places like McDonald’s? Take at look at some of the nutrition labels for their food and if your mouth does not drop and it does not make you stop and go OMG, then there is truly something wrong with you. And I would hope that, that something is you have a wonderful metabolism and have never had to worry a day in your life about what you eat or losing weight.

With there being so many other places to choose from to get a healthier meal, it does still surprise me that most people would still opt for McDonald’s or places that sell similar foods. But then again, as I’ve said it is so much easier in today’s world to blame the fast food restaurants for people being fat, than it is to face the facts that some people are just lazy.

I know I will continue to choose healthier places when I eat out and McDonald’s…..well they can keep their food.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

15 Pound Weight Loss

I finally did it!! I finally reached that 15 pound weight loss. As of today, I’ve lost 15.2 pounds. I’ve busted my butt for that too. What a great way to start June!!

Next is to reach the 20 pound weight loss goal. I seem to do better when I focus on only 5 pounds to lose at a time. If I focus on more than that, then I seem to fall from everything and get discouraged. The 5 pounds seems to work and that’s what I’m sticking to.

I also have set longer weight loss goals and rewards to go along with them. Losing 15, was the book I’ve been wanting, “Fifty Shades Of Grey”. Lose 5 more pounds and I get a night out with hubby . It goes something like this….


15 pounds lost…..book
20 pounds lost…..night out with hubby
25 pounds lost…..get my nosed pierced
30 pounds lost…..might be a good time for some clothes
35 pounds lost…..massage here I come
40 pounds lost…..get tattoo finished
45 pounds lost…..still thinking on this one
50 pounds lost…..might need clothes again
55 pounds lost…..thinking…
60 pounds lost…..get tattoo with friend
65 pounds lost…..thinking….
70 pounds lost…..more clothes will be needed
75 pounds lost…..weight loss goal reached….I know hubby will surprise me with
                              something good here!!


I know I can do this and with not only my hubby supporting me, I also got my son, whom made me feel really good last night when he said that he was proud of me for sticking to this losing weight and eating healthy thing…..gotta love them when they say things like that to you. Makes this mom proud that she has a son like she does!!

So have you set your weight loss goals? How about rewards? I’d like to know what yours are.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Even the cat was panting…

So today I decided to go down the road for my walk and I knew it would be a workout, but holy cow!

All down hill from here.

Ok, so it wasn’t the going down part that got me, but the coming back up all of the hills. Driving it every day seems like nothing, but let me tell you, walking it….those hills are killers.
 

First hill to climb back up

Poor thing, traffic scared her so bad, I had to carry her.

But I am so close to reaching that 15 pound weight loss and I am bound and determined to reach it one way or another. Keeping my fingers crossed for when I step on that scale tomorrow morning, that I have finally reached it.

Second hill

Third hill

Seriously though, going the other directions on the road we live on was really a workout. I wanted to go more, but my hubby said no. And let me tell you, I am so thankful that he did. I don’t know if I could of went more then worked my way back up all of the hills to get back home.

Third hill still going but I can see home at the top of it.

One last little climb up the driveway and I'm home!!!

I really don’t know who was panting more, me or the cat. Yes, the poor thing was panting. I can say though that I am glad I did it and know now that I can do it.

We shall see what tomorrow will bring. Fingers crossed and hoping like hell!!!


Today’s challenge….walked 1 mile, with almost half of it being uphill.


Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

For the love of Subway….

Jared

What would I do without Subway? Probably never eat out again…ok, that’s a lie. But I am proud that now when we do decide to get a bite to eat outside of home, I do usually opt for Subway.

Hey if it worked for Jared and helped him lose weight, it can’t be all that bad…ha. Besides, I really do like their subs and when you ask them to pile on more veggies, they never argue! And veggies are good for you….yum

I happen to like their Italian BMT and have to say that it’s my all time favorite there. What’s your favorite sub from Subway?

I’ve also noticed that instead of devouring a whole 12”, I am completely satisfied and full with just a 6” now. You know that could be taken really bad there, but I’ll let it be and your mind can go with it….hahaha

That is one of the joys though, that I have found while losing weight here. I no longer feel the need to eat, eat and eat. I am finding that I really am full on less and satisfied at that. Never thought I would be one to say that. I still love food, just learning to love it in a different way.


Today’s challenge….choosing Subway for dinner over the many other places we could of went to.


Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Oh my…..

Well after a wonderful weekend, even though I ended up getting too much sun which made me sick and put me down for a day; I am back and loving it!!

Here’s the run down of my weekend till today…..enjoy…ha

Saturday, we got a lot of work done in our foyer that we have been renovating. All was good, till I spilled about ¾ of a can of polyurethane. Oops!! My bad!! At least there was enough still in the can to finish the last board…haha. Spent the rest of the evening with friends, cooking on the grill and playing cards.

Sunday, hubby and I went to “The Blessing Of The Bikes” with two other couples. It was really nice. Once all of the bikers got there, we ate a small lunch, then they came around and blessed us and our bikes and for the other drivers to see us. Then A nice ride followed to get ice cream. I know, I know, should of skipped the ice cream, but I was good and only got a baby cone and nothing else on it. And yes it was damn good!!! This is the day I got too much sun, but it was well worth it all!!!

All the bikes lined up and waiting to get blessed

Monday, well now that’s another story. The sun got to me and I was in pain and sick all damn day. I didn’t do much of anything, besides laundry, once my hubby got home to help me carry the baskets. Yes, my arms hurt that bad, that I couldn’t even lift a basket of clothing.

Today….oh my…I feel a hell of a lot better!! Was able to get up and move without pain today and get some things done! And now that I am done with this, I get to go and spend the evening with my hubby!!

Sunburn is looking a lot better!!

So yep, had a wonderful weekend, even though I got sick. And yet I still lost weight!! I really am glad that my Coconut Palm Sugar finally came in and I am back on track of losing weight!!!


 

Saturday’s challenge….added about ¼ mile to the walk, which I jogged.

Sunday’s challenge….again keeping my balance on the back of the bike…haha

Monday’s challenge…oops…I couldn’t of done anything even if I wanted to cos of the pain and being sick.

Today’s challenge…power walked almost 2 miles, damn rain!! Jogged about ¾ mile of it.

Yep, you get wet when you get caught in the rain....haha

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

More Tips

Well seeing as I am beat and the good ole brain does not seem to want to function properly, I think I’ll just give ya some more tips to help in losing weight.

• Do not skip breakfast. Doing so can tend to make you eat fewer calories throughout the rest of the day.

• If you work outside of your home, make lunch and take it with you. Doing so will most likely be more healthy for you, have less calories and oh yeah, cost less too.

• If you have a big lunch, do not have a big dinner that same day. If you eat more than you should at one meal, cut back on the other.

• Eat SLOWLY! Savor your food and you’ll see that you will be satisfied with less food.

• Drink a glass of water before you eat a meal. It will help you feel full.

• Drink another glass of water at the end of your meal. It will help you when you are wanting seconds of your meal.

• Only eat when you are seated at the table, it will help you do less snacking.

• Do not eat right out of the bag or box. Measure your food and you’ll see that less is more than enough.

• Do not focus on the foods that you can not have. Instead focus on what you can have more of, fruits, veggies, etc.

• Make sure you are getting enough sleep. You are more likely to give into cravings if you are tired.

Today’s challenge: Jogged a little more than I did yesterday.

They say “no pain, no gain”, right? But damn they never said the pain was gonna hurt this bad!! I feel like my shins have been beat to hell and back.

Who came up with the bright idea to change things up and do more here? Oh yeah, that was me…der. What the hell was I thinking!?!




 Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Keep Your Supplies Stocked


I am to be losing weight, not gaining it!! The scale has not been my friend for the past week or so. And it’s taken me till now to realize what the hell is going on.

As I said before, I love my sweet tea, but know that regular sugar is not all that good for me and that is why I started using the Coconut Palm Sugar. But, I’ve been out of it for a little over a week now. I forgot to order it before I ran out and now I am paying for it, while I patiently wait for it to be delivered.

I should of known better than to let that happen. I mean der….I make sure to keep my fresh fruits and veggies in stock here. I also make sure that there are other healthy snacks on hand here at home, just in case the fruit and veggies get tiresome. But for some reason, I failed to remember to order more of the sugar that is good for me and is helping me lose weight!!

Tip…make not only mental notes, but put an actual note where you will see it so that you will remember to order things like the Coconut Palm Sugar when you are getting low on it. That does not sound all that hard, so why is it hard for me to remember something that is so beneficial for me in losing weight?

It is important to keep your healthy food supply in stock at all times. That way it will help you from straying from your diet. If you have healthy food choices on hand, you will be less likely to choose those unhealthy foods.

It really is that simple. Keep healthy food in stock. Make healthy food choices. And you will lose weight. Oh and be sure to add some exercise in there somewhere!

well at least the bike and mower look good in the back ground!!

Saturday's Challenge....10 squats, while holding a 35 pound push bar off of a pick-up....that damn thing was heavy too....ugh!!

 Today’s Challenge….leg lifts for a minute…those damn things hurt!!


Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Some Tips For Losing Weight



…Don’t start a diet if you are under a lot of stress.

…Don’t shop for groceries if you have not eaten yet, you’ll    

 end up buying more unhealthy foods on impulse.

…Don’t skip meals. If you get too hungry, you’re more likely to 

 make unhealthy choices.

…Make sure you are eating enough though. Not having the proper 

 calorie intake can slow down your metabolism.

…Cut down on your food portions, not cut them out completely. 

 This way you can still have those foods you crave.

…Having a slipup is ok. Just make sure you choice healthier  

 foods for your next meal.

…Dieting alone isn’t enough. You also need to add some form of 

 exercise.

…A little exercise everyday is better than longer workouts a 

 couple times a week.

…For a healthier weight loss, you should not lose more than 1 to 

 2 ½ pounds per week.

…To lose the weight for good, know that you must change your 

 eating habits and let your old ones go.



Today’s challenge….To go to a “Family Fun Night“ and eat

healthy!!! I am glad to say that I did this.I stayed within my points for the day,even with all of the goodies that were there!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Makin’ A List


Keep on keeping motivated. Get your a$$ in gear. You can do it. These are some of the things that I keep telling myself (well the more polite things any how ..ha).

It can get tough every day, finding a new challenge to do here. This is only day seven and I’m running thin on ideas already. This damn rain does not help matters either.

Stuck in the house, can’t go outside….thought we got past the cabin fever issues!?!

On a good note…the scale, my friend, said I lost weight again today….woo-hoo for me!!

Hubby’s on vacation this week….lovely…not really….it’s turkey season, so it’s hunting in the morning and him working on house stuff the rest of the day. And where am I, in the office trying to catch up on about a million things. Would that count as a challenge, getting things done that you have been putting off???

Think of things that you know you can do but would not normally do. And there you go, you got a list of challenges that you could probably make do with for the rest of the month. Now, why the hell didn’t I think of that?

Guess that is my goal for tomorrow….make a list of things that I know I can do, but just don’t normally do and then duh….DO THEM!!!!

And while we are at it….get off of you’re a$$ and join me already!!!


Today’s challenge….Did a  new yoga pose on the Wii Fit Plus, the Grounded V and wow, it‘s hard and hurts like hell…..I decided no pic of this one….camera was not set at a very good angle….was bad…bad I tell you!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

My Wonderful Supporter


Only the third day in May and I was wanting to slack on doing the challenge already. The humidity was high here today and made me miserable and lazy. Not good things to be when trying to lose weight, now is it? Yet, I did my morning routine and got my exercise done…note that the humidity was not up yet at that time.

On with the rest of my day. By the time my hubby came home it was so stinking hot out. I tried to talk him into letting me take a lazy day and fib on the challenge. Yes, I am admitting that I did ask him that. But what kind of weight loss supporter would he be if he actually said yes? You would think him being my husband, he would of said yes, but nope not my husband. He actually told me no….can you believe that one….ha

So we went for our normal walk and then some. We walked to the spring to get a drink and then up through a four-wheeler path, which added about another quarter of a mile to our normal one mile walk. And let me tell you, those damn paths are not easy to walk on either. Talk about having to keep your balance and walking through some rough spots. But it was all good and by the time we got back home, I was actually feeling pretty good. Sweaty, but good. So you see, having someone there to really support you when you are trying to lose weight, really does pay off.

Hubby getting a drink at the spring

My turn

 

heading down the four-wheeler path

and yet another hill

Now let me tell you, that was not the end of my challenge for today. After we got back, my hubby asked me if I could help him cut some boards. We are redoing our foyer and everything is being done here by hand, by us. Now I am thinking okay, a few boards and we’ll be done….ha….he kicked my butt! Guess that was a lesson to learn for asking him to take a lazy day. Oh hell NO!! I will not make that mistake again.

Cleaning up the mess

Yup....had to push the wheel barrel, and up a slight hill too...ha

Dumping the mess

And he got the easy part of burning it....nice...

All I know now is that I am one very tired chick here and if that damn scale does not show a minus tomorrow, everyone will be able to hear me scream!!!


Today’s challenge…..added a quarter mile to my walk and got my butt kicked helping hubby….lol


Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Mother Nature $uck$



Well guess I was all too happy yesterday about the nice weather and Mother Nature just had to come crashing down on me this morning. I’m not talking about Mother Nature’s work outside, I’m talking about that ever so loving Mother Nature that hits most of us women once a month. Yes, I am going there (so men, you may want to skip this part…haha).

One time a month I truly hate being a woman! Bloat, cramp, heating pad, repeat. Why I’ve never gotten use to this monthly occurrence, is beyond me (* insert sarcasm here*)! It plays havoc with you and let me tell you that good old scale does me no favors either this time of the month. Ugh….really another weight gain! How does one gain 2 pounds of extra weight over night then magically lose them again. Makes no sense to me.

So yes, I do really think that being a woman sucks once a month and that Mother Nature needs to find another form of entertainment and kindly leave me alone!!

MEN…..you can pick up here again…haha

Okay, I’m done venting about that now.

So yesterday I said that I was making May the month “To Make It Count”. I’ve decided that every day this month I am going to challenge myself with something different. Whether it be something big or small, it has to challenge me and be something that I don’t usually do in my normal routine.

My weight loss has come to yet another stand still and I can not handle that any longer. Yeah, yeah, I know, if I would not of spent a good part of last month not exercising and not eating right, I would most likely be over this hurdle and would of lost more weight.

I actually did two challenges today. One was getting in my exercise this morning. When Mother Nature does her calling, I usually am not up for anything. But this morning, I remembered what I said about making it count and got my a$$ in gear and did it. Then for my walk early, I walked backwards for about 100 yards. Oh my, let me tell you that made my legs burn in places I did not think they could burn. Also made me work up a good sweat and we all knowing that will help with the weight loss.

So hubby has agreed to help me every day this month with a different challenge. Bring it on baby, I can handle it. If I repeat that enough, I just might believe it….haha. Actually I am a little scared cos my husband goes at full speed and never stops!! Then again, if you look at his picture, you’ll see there isn’t much to him. So it’s a bit easier for him to go like that. But I am up for the challenge. I know that he will push me just enough, but not to where it’ll hurt me. I will lose this weight one way or another.

So, are you up for this challenge too? Would love to hear what you do to challenge yourself everyday!!

Please do not mind the outfit....haha

Today’s challenge…..walked 100 yards backwards.


Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Finally A Walk

Starting out for our walk

                                                    
What a beautiful day it turned out to be for the first day of May. I  actually got to go for a walk this afternoon and I don’t think that the “cabin fever” will come to full surface now. Which is a relief cos I was not getting anywhere near excited only bummy with the crappy weather. So it is time to kick it into high gear and make the most out of May.

Me and Jem, the cat that should of been a dog

                                                    


I’ve decided that I’ve spent enough of this year already not staying on track completely with the whole weight loss. And have declared May to be the month of “making it count”. There will be no days to be lazy (except for Sunday’s which is just a walking day). I will exercise one way or another every day. No more of “I don’t feel like it”, “It won’t hurt if I miss one day”, or “I can eat that and be okay”. NO, NO, NO MORE OF THAT!!!

Just a little steep

Long a$$ hill

I mean come on who am I kidding but myself thinking that I can skip a day here and there (or more) and still lose weight. Dah, didn’t I already go over the fact that there is not a miracle pill out there to make all of this extra weight disappear? So how is taking a day or two off from getting the exercise that is needed helping me achieve my weight loss goal? It’s not and deep down I know that, which is probably why I usually end up feeling like sh!t when I do things like that.

Going down the other side

As you can see I had two followers today

I’m sure I am not alone in having days like that, but they do not do me or anyone else any good who is trying to lose weight. This is where I am so thankful for my hubby. He gives me that little push when I need it and just like today, all I had to do was ask if he’d go for a walk with me. Like that is really the first thing he

wants to do when he gets home from work, but he does it for me.

                                 

Willow (on my right) has never went with me before today

Heading back home

So yes, I am so glad that I finally got to get back out there and go for another walk. I never thought the day would come that I would hear myself saying “I actually like to walk”. Isn’t it funny how we change as we get older? But I really do enjoy going for that walk each night with my husband. It not only gives us some quality time together, but I get to do a form of exercising and have fun doing it. And never once think that I am only walking to help me lose weight.

Guess they needed a break

           

My hubby picked me flowers....so sweet

      







  









Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Hubby & I

END OF APRIL


I guess it is time for me to take this blog to a more personal level now and let you get to know me better. So pull up a seat as I take you along with me on my weight loss journey.

First of all I have to say that I am glad this is the last day of April. I have been sick for most of it and “cabin fever” is finally hit home here. We did not have much of a winter here, but yet it has been cold enough or raining (with a few days of snow fall), to make it hard to go for a walk.

Even though I have still been able to do my normal exercising and watching what I eat, I miss going for a walk in the evening with my husband and cat. Yeah, my one cat goes for a walk with me ( I think she was to be a dog, not a cat…haha).

You will come to find out that I am just a down to earth, country girl (with a lot of Red Neck in me..hehe). I am also a  smarta$$ by nature and like to joke around a lot and usually at my own expense. But I think that is the norm for people that are over-weight.

Let’s face it, we all have demons that we have to battle and usually those that are over-weight have a lot more of those demons to battle, especially when we are trying to lose weight.

I know for me, those demons started at a young age. From feeling rejected by my parents to being bullied in school to spending way too many years in bad relationships. I’ve spent most of my life trying to get other people’s approval and acceptance of me and for what? It has never been anyone else other than myself that needed to approve and accept me for me.

Trying to please others and living up to what I thought they expected of me is what led me to becoming over-weight in the first place. Bouts of depression and dealing with panic attacks all of the time was not a good life to live. Depression led to binge eating and over eating also. And the panic attacks, well they used to come quite often and make me a total mess and of course I would turn to food to comfort myself. Why? Mainly because I felt that there was no one to understand and accept me.

All of that has changed now, thanks to my husband. The depression is still there, just not as severe anymore. I have mostly good days and when I do start to feel down, he is there to help pick me back up again and makes me realize that things could always be worse. I don’t take panic attacks like I used to either. I still don’t know how my husband does it, but he some how knows when I am about to take one and can usually talk me right out of them. I am so thankful that he can do all of this with me. I know that he accepts me for me and does not expect me to be anything else.

Having him in my life and knowing all of the support that I get from him makes sticking to losing weight so much easier. Hard to believe that at one point in time, I actually believed all of those people that said I was fat, ugly, stupid, etc, etc, etc…..you get the picture there. I may not be the prettiest, skinniest and far from the smartest; but I AM ME and would not change that for anything, no matter what others think of me. Ok, I lied there, the fat has to go!! So yeah, one day I just may be the skinniest. Fingers crossed, scale in hand, watch out world, cos I refuse to let this weight hold me down anymore. I will lose weight once and for all and I truly hope that you will be along side me in my journey, to make it “our” journey.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!!

MY OTHER SECRET HELPERS:

Besides following Weight Watchers, I also finally found a few other things that are working for me. Now I can not promise that they will do the same for you, but I know what they have done for me so far while losing weight.

I love Pepsi and even though I gave it up, I was having a hard time getting away from my iced tea and yes it had to be sweet too, which only packed on more weight. I tried all of those artificial sweeteners, but could not handle the nasty after taste they left. I was told about 100% Coconut Palm Sugar, by Pure Palm, which looks like brown sugar but tastes like a mix of caramel and honey. So I bought it, tried it, and now am hooked on it. There is no after taste at all! And the best thing is I still get to drink my iced tea.

I also have been taking SafSlim, by Re-Body. Even though it is a dietary supplement that has a whipped creamy texture and actually tastes good too, I take it for the other benefits it does. It is a clinically researched solution for specifically reducing belly fat, plus has other benefits as well that have shown to help improve blood sugar levels and help cholesterol levels. It’s easy to use too, you take 1 Tbsp. twice daily before meals ( I do breakfast and dinner), either by the spoonful or mixed into cold beverages, shakes or yogurt. I take it right off of the spoon, I’ve never tried mixing it in anything they suggest. I have only tried the Delicious Berry Cream Fusion, but they also have Delicious Tangerine Cream Fusion.

Along with doing everything else, I also use the Tummy Tuck Belt, which also has been proven to help reduce belly fat. You simply follow the 10 minute method twice per day. Which is putting the cream that comes with it on your belly, doing a 2 minute routine that they show you and then leave on for an additional 8 minutes. After the 10 minutes, you can take off the belt. You can use the Tummy Tuck Belt three ways, for an instant slimming look, use it and keep your current lifestyle or add exercise with it and burn up to 4 times more fat. I myself, use it while exercising in the morning then again when walking in the evening. Now, I haven’t seen dramatic results with this, but I have noticed that my belly is firmer and it also helps you keep your abs drawn in, which is a good thing to do to help tighten them up. Also the other day, while cuddling with my husband, as he ran his hand down my side, he says to me, “Your puffy spot is gone”. I got such a boost of confidence from that. Makes it all worth it when the one you love notices things like that!

Which leads me to my last secret helper, which is my husband, my biggest supporter in helping me lose weight. Again, you need at least one person that is really there to support you while you lose not only weight but all of the unwanted fat from your body. My husband told me last night that he has learned to watch what he says to me so he doesn’t make me get discouraged. That meant a lot to me to hear him say that and to know that he really is supporting me. I know that if this idiot of a woman can finally get it together and get on the right track to losing my fat, that you can too!!

EATING MY WAY THIN:

I love food and love cooking, and unfortunately both have gotten me where I am today, overweight! Yet there is a program out there that let’s me still have my love for food and lose weight while still eating all of the foods I enjoy. Yes, I still eat pasta, pizza and chocolate (my biggest weakness). I have learned to proportion what I eat and drink along with making healthier food choices.

If you don't have the knack for coming up with good healthy recipes on your own,
Paleo Recipe Book is a good book to start you out with. It takes you back to the way it use to be before they started adding all of the gunk to our foods.

I am by no means a spokes persons for Weight Watchers, but their program does indeed work. I myself follow more of their old program more than I do their newer one. Only because, I do not like their earn extra food points for doing certain exercises on their newer program. I do not see where that is beneficial for you in losing weight. For anyone that does not know about the Weight Watchers program, to make it simple, every food has a point value and you are given a certain number of points per day depending upon your age, weight, height and a few other factors.
But really, Weight Watchers does work. I know, I’ve lost 13 pounds since the beginning of this year. It is the most easiest plan that I have come across so far. This is where needing a food scale (along with a set of measuring cups and spoons) and food journal comes into play. Measuring all of your food may seem overwhelming at first, but it really opens your eyes up to the amount of extra food that you have been eating. It also helps you make healthier food choices.

You don’t have to join Weight Watchers to follow their plan. There are plenty of places on the internet to get the calculator and everything else you need to begin with their program. That’s what I did.

A food journal is also a great tool to get yourself on the right track. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, this is for your eyes only, so any old notebook will do the trick. Logging what you eat, when you eat it every day really plays an important role in losing weight. You eat it, you write it, you have to account for it. There is no point in trying to lie about what you eat in your journal, no one will know but you. But where is lying about what you ate going to get you, only more weight gain and not weight loss.

In my journal, I not only keep track of the foods that I eat and their point value but also the days exercise and my weight. I have found it easiest to start off in the morning and figure out what I am going to have for dinner, then I can go from there and know what I can or can not have for lunch.

I still love food and love cooking, but I look at it in a different way now. I enjoy trying new recipes and even coming up with new ones of my own (some though have not been that good…ugh). It is all about making the right food choices, proportion sizes, and learning the point value of each food. If I can follow this simple program, trust me you can too.

Start your journal right now and list what you have eaten so far today. You’ll be thankful you did and will realize that losing weight has never been so easy.

                  LAZY WAY TO FITNESS:

I’ll be the first to admit that I am lazy and would rather curl up on the couch and just watch television then to get up and do some form of exercise. But going on 40, with a teenage son and a loving husband has made me want to take better care of myself.

It’s funny how once we get older and have a family that our focus goes towards taking care of them and we forget about taking care of ourselves. Well, that was my excuse for many years, but now this idiot of a woman has had enough of that and I am bound and determined to lose this extra weight once and for all that has somehow appeared on my body.

I used to cringe at the thought of doing any form of exercise. I can laugh at that now, but not long ago I made every excuse there was not to have to exercise. I thought I had to almost kill myself with doing the so called right form of exercise to be able to lose weight, only to find out now that is not true at all.

I used to love dancing and have come to love doing Zumba. Zumba fir the Wii was one of the things that I specifically asked for at Christmas. I love it!! And let me tell you, I have never once felt as though I am exercising while doing it. It’s become a part of my daily routine, which has changed since starting my weight loss journey here.

Yes, I have changed my routine and now take the time to focus on taking care of me and not just taking care of my family. I have found that by taking the time for me first thing in the morning is really a wonderful thing. Even on the weekends, my family supports what I now call “Me Time”. I not only am able to get in the exercise that I need, but it makes me feel good about myself and keeps me motivated all day long.

There are other forms of exercise on the Wii that I enjoy and not one of them feel like you are doing exercise at all. Yoga on the Wii Fit Plus is another one of my favorites. I have also come to enjoy the treadmill and the Bow flex. This is where the good music list comes in at. When I am listening to my ipod, the time flies right by and before I know it, I’ve gotten in 30 or more minutes of exercise that wasn’t bad at all.

I have also started walking in the evenings with my husband and son. A good walking partner makes this so easy and you don’t even realize how far you’ve walked when you aren’t focusing on it. I enjoy taking lots of photos and walking let’s you see nature at it’s best. There are many programs out there that will reward you for keeping track of your steps, such as “Walk With Walgreens”, which we have joined. And hey who doesn’t like to get free stuff now and then.

Keep changing it up. You body and muscles will get use to you doing the same thing every day and it won’t do you a bit of good. I like doing Zumba one day and then Yoga the next, with attempting the treadmill and or Bow flex at least once a week.

So you see there are many ways to make exercising and losing weight fun. Take the time each and every day to put yourself first and take some “Me Time” and focus on you. After all, you deserve it!

Hi, thanks for visiting my site. When it comes to weight loss, I was one of the biggest idiots out there. I kept waiting for that miracle pill to make me lose weight, unfortunately nothing like that exists. Yet, I have found out that by doing some simple changes in my life, I am finally losing weight and enjoying it also. I was like millions of other people out there and have tried just about every diet method from diet pills, Slimfast, and yes even the cabbage soup diet. Only to be disappointed, frustrated and most of all HUNGRY!

My breaking point came when I finally convinced my husband and son to get a family picture taken last year for Christmas. I about cried when we got the pictures back (ok, I did cry). Looking at them, I was like who the hell is this fat woman in between my guys!!! That did it for me, I hated the way I looked next to my family and no longer even looked like me. So I made a vow to myself to get fit and lose this weight once and for all. It’s not always easy, but I refuse to be the fat one here.

I want to share with you everything that I am doing to lose the weight all while having fun and still eating the foods that I enjoy. Yep, you read that right; I still eat all of the foods that I enjoy. I refuse to use the word “diet”, only because this idiot is not on a diet. I am on my way to a healthier, thinner, better me! Join me here and be part of my motivation to help this idiot lose weight once and for all and I’ll be yours in return.

Today starts the rest of your life to becoming a healthier, thinner, better person. Trust me, if this idiot can finally lose weight, you can too!!