Saturday Session is once again tardy

So my two goals from last week were pretty simple.  They were...

1. Stay on track, keep my eye on the prize.

I did a decent enough job with this one.  I didn't see a gain this week, but I also didn't see a loss.  I maintained, which is okay with me for this week because I already told all of you that I ate more than usual and had a few glasses of wine.  I didn't really track this last week, which was probably why I didn't see the big deal in eating just one small oreo truffle.  I am going to carry over the tracking piece into next week's SS because I think I have somehow told myself that I can do this without tracking and I think that is a mistake.

2. Relax.

I actually did pretty well with this one.  I know some of you may be thinking, how hard can it be to just relax?  Well for me it can be a big problem. I tend to over-plan and over-think everything and then I just stress myself out.  I can honestly say that this is one of the first holiday's in awhile that I have just enjoyed and not thought about making everything perfect.

New Goals...

1. Track my food all week. 

This means every morsel.  I want to get back on the tracking wagon because I really, really think that it helps me and I know that I eat more than I should when I am not diligent about writing everything that I eat down.  So, having said that I am going to be a tracking machine this week and see if my weigh-in proves that this method is indeed neccesary for me.

2. Set some major goals and challenges for the New Year.

This upcoming SS happens to land on the first day of the New Year, so to kick off the New Year with a big bang I am going to reveal my major goals for the year, some challenges that I am kind of afraid of, but willing to tackle and some of my hopes and aspirations for this journey in the new year.  I hope you all will take some time to reflect on your journey so far and take some notes on where you would like to be in the New Year.  Let's make 2011 healthier and happier than ever!! :)

Posts that are yet to come this week include: the Hate-Loss challenge, a fashion related post, a post about the website Etsy, a review of the game Just Dance 2 for the Wii and a new SS post!  Make it a great week everyone!

Satunday Session

I hope everyone had a happy holiday weekend.  Over here in Minnesota we were snow free (yea!) this weekend and we made it to almost all of our holiday events. On friday Ron and I braved Mall of America to finish our Christmas shopping (we only have two people left) out of probably 20 people so we did pretty good.


Yesterday we had our family Christmas party with my extended family on my mom's side.  I love this holiday party. It includes about 40-50 of us getting together at my cousins house and we have an appetizer and dessert contest.  It is so much fun and everyone really tries to make a fabulous dish.  This year I made.... 


To Die For Dip:
2 - 8 oz. Pkgs. Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 – Can (~15oz.) Whole Corn (drained)
1 – Can (~4 oz.) Chopped Olives
1 – Packet of Dry Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix
Chopped Pickled Jalapenos to your tolerance
1 red pepper chopped
1 can black beans


Mix all ingredients together and serve cold or warm in a crock pot with fritos or tortilla chips.


AND...


Double Chocolate Kiss Cookies

I added chocolate chips to the dough and made my own vanilla buttercream frosting.


So, how did it go?  I WON 1st place for the cookies!!!  People loved them.  I have to admit, I didn't eat one.  I didn't eat much besides fruit and veggies at the party and one meatball and a little dip.  It went pretty well considering how much temptation was there.


Last night I had another Christmas party to go to and I went to it and there was another table of food and tons of libations and I only ate two things.  Success in my eyes.  I also worked out on Saturday for the first time (biking) and my ankle did really well.  I am so excited to get back into my routine though.


Today, I had a holiday concert to go to but was unable to go due to a family emergency.  Everything is fine now, but I am happy that I was able to be there for my family.


The rest of my week goes, something like this...


Sunday- Finish wrapping presents, clean my house, finish making truffles
Monday- Work, Ornament exchange at lunch, working out, preparing house for Girl's Night Christmas 
Tuesday- Work, Girl's Night Christmas with ornament exchange
Wednesday- Work, Work Holiday party, get ankle checked out, work out
Thursday- Work, finish last minute holiday stuff
Friday- Christmas Eve (my favorite day of the year!!) go to church, dinner with family, open presents, go to sleep and wait for Santa :)
Saturday-Christmas breakfast with Ron, open presents, go to Ron's mom's house for dinner/presents
Sunday-Stay in Pajama's all day and watch movies and relax (probably work out)


I am kind of tired just looking at this list.  That is a lot of things to get done, but it will be worth it to spend time with family!


SS Update...

1. Attend an hour long fitness class 6 days this week.

So, my sprained ankle slowed me down, but it didn't completely deter me from getting any activity in (thanks to everyone who gave me ideas about other activities I could do), but I definitely didn't get this accomplished they way I thought I would.  Does that mean I am going to quit and just consider it a loss?  No way!  I am determined to keep going.  I know that I have a long way to go still and this was just a small bump in the road. 

2. Get all of my holiday decorations out and Christmas presents wrapped.

This is a work in progress.  I still have wrapping to do, but my decorating is pretty much done, so it isn't like I have been totally slacking :)

New Goals... 

1. Stay on track, keep my eye on the prize.

Keep tracking my food, keep up on my activity, stay away from the holiday food.  Should be easy, right? :)

2. Relax.

This is often a struggle for me.  I am a go, go, go type of person.  I know that I stress out too much, it is something that I really need to work on.  I need to just relax and enjoy this season and my time with my family and friends.  Sometimes things don't go EXACTLY as planned, but usually everything turns out in the end.  I am going to really try to master the art of letting things be and just enjoying my life and living in the moment with the people I love.

Saturday Session

I am writing to you from a place that just got 18 inches of snow dumped on it.  A place that is known to be frigid and snowy.  A place that is very close to Canada, but today feels like it is bordering the North Pole or Antarctica.  I have lived here my entire life.  I love it here.  There is nowhere else I would rather be (except Italy <3)  I love having four full seasons to enjoy.  I am someone who hates weather when it is super hot and muggy.  I like being bundled up in the cold weather.  I am someone who strongly believes that you are only allowed to complain about one season.  You either like the heat or you like it when it is cooler.  I must say, I prefer a cool crisp autumn day to most any other day. As I said before (and I promise this will be the last time) I hate being hot! So if one must choose between being hot or cold I choose to be cold.  Having said that, this next statement is going to contradict everything that I just said, but here it goes... I HATE this bitterly cold, blizzard filled, snowed in day I wish that the blizzard didn't come today and ruin my three very fun plans that I had this weekend.

Okay, I feel much better and more prepared to move on with what this post is actually supposed to be about, which is not complaining about the weather (but seriously if you looked outside and what you were feasting your eyes on had ruined your wonderful and fabulous weekend filled with family, friends and cookie baking you may be upset too).  Just sayin'.


Last time I had a Saturday Session post it was about the topics listed below.

1. Attend an hour long fitness class 6 days this week.

I made these goals the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I actually rocked at this the entire next week.  After that I got engaged, had an interview and got stuck in a blizzard.  All excuses?  You betcha.  Do I need to work harder at this?  Definitely.  This week working out was not high on my priority list.  I am not even going to try and make more excuses than the ones that were previously listed.  I disappointed myself and I need to do better, so this will be another goal for me for two straight weeks, with an added twist.  I must attend will attend an hour long workout class 6 days a week for two consecutive weeks and I will also take a Spin class and the Mixx at least once each.  Why is this a big deal?  Because I have made plans to go to these classes at least 5 times before and when I get there I see very fit skinny people who look extremely coordinated and more capable of completing this class than me and I run away to my comfortable elliptical and watch music videos of fit celebrities and kick myself for being such a baby.  That may have been the longest run-on sentence.

2. Get all of my holiday decorations out and Christmas presents wrapped.

I realize now that I am looking at this goal that this may have been me taking the easy way out and posting something that brings me immense joy and not really something that is a goal that I was working towards.  However, I was very successful with this goal and my house is beautifully decorated and lovely. 

My festive wine rack withe the stockings hung.

Ron carefully decorating the tree.

Our tree!

New goals...

1. Attend a one hour workout class 12 times in the next 14 days.  Also attend a Spin class and the MIXX at least once.

This scares me.  I hope I can succeed at this.  I will feel amazing if I am able to accomplish this.

2. Get back on track.  

What I mean by this is I kind of stopped tracking my food.  I did alright most days, but then one day I ate two handfuls of M&M's.  It was a slippery slope and I am not falling for it anymore.  Tracking every day is essential for me and is something that I need to get back into.

I will post blizzard pictures tomorrow after we reconcile from our fight.  Have a great evening everyone. Hope you're staying on track with all of the holiday temptations.  It is hard, but it will be worth it when we are well ahead of the game when everyone just begins to make their new year's resolutions. :)

Permanent Weight Loss

WARNING: This is a long post, I apologize.  I promise they won't all be this long. :)

This afternoon I was browsing some sites online looking for some inspiration for meals,
workouts and just healthy living tips in general and I found an article that I really like on
  Eating Well website which is about tips for permanent weight loss.  This whole thing
that I am working on is not a diet.  A diet is often times  most of the time a temporary
thing.  This is a lifestyle change and is something that I want to be permanent.  A way of
 life, something that I do daily without even thinking about it because it is as habitual as
 brushing my teeth and taking a shower.  I know that this website often uses the word
diet, which is probably because for some people it is just that, but for me it is something
much different.

I read this article several times today to soak it all in and that is when I decided I wanted
 to blog about it and to discuss out loud where I think I fall for each of these steps.  My
 comments follow each step in the purple font.  Make sure you check out the full article
 on the website that is linked above.

Step 1. Make Sure You’re Ready for Change

Of course you want to lose weight—that’s why you are reading this—but in order to make a
 life plan you can stick with, you must be ready—truly ready—to make the commitment.
Losing weight will take some time and effort, and it will require you to make some sacrifices.
(If it were easy, everyone would be thin!) The first step is to make sure you’re ready to get
started. Read more.

The first thing that popped into my head when I read this was, "is anyone ever ready
 for this?"  I know that seems awfully pessimistic, but it is not supposed to sound that 
way.  What I mean is making changes in your life is hard, having willpower is hard, 
working out is hard, BUT being fat is really hard, so what it comes down to is 
choosing your "hard".  I have chosen the "hard" that is committing to change my 
eating habits and lifestyle (not being a lazy blob) to benefit my health. 

Step 2. Set Goals

The next step on your weight-loss journey is to decide what kind of weight loss makes
sense for you. Weigh in, assess your eating habits and make a game plan. That will
 include long-term goals and more immediate goals too. Read more.

When I read this step I was very encouraged because this is one of the first things
 that I did.  When I sat down and made a list of my goals I became even more
 committed to this and even more driven to lose this weight that weighs me down.  
I have made some personal goals that I have not shared and I have made some
 goals that are outlined on the pages of this blog so that others can see what I am
 working towards. I do need to make some smaller goals and also some NON FOOD
 rewards that I can look forward to along this journey.  

Step 3. Track Yourself

Self-awareness is self-motivation: by keeping track of your behavior, you motivate
yourself to change because you become more accountable. Track yourself with a food
diary and exercise log—some of the most powerful tools for managing your weight.
Read more.

I am tracking my every step and every morsel that goes into my mouth.  I have
an exercise/weight lifting log as well as the wonderful resources at The Daily Plate
to help me track my calories and keep my sodium, fat and carbohydrate levels 
consistent.   

Step 4. Eat Mindfully

Healthy eating means getting a variety of foods in moderation—not making any food
forbidden, but not going overboard on those rich foods that were once
special-occasion indulgences. Eat mindfully by knowing the foods that make weight
loss easier, and understanding key healthy-eating principles. Read more.

I remember when I started a weight loss journey 4 years ago that I reward 
weight loss with food that I missed.  I am not doing that.  I am allowing myself 
anything that I want in moderation.  If I say NO fries all I will want is fries, fries, 
fries, BUT on that same note it is important to watch my daily intakes and still 
stay on track with my calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates.  I can't justify 
french fries today, a little bit of chinese tomorrow, mexican food this weekend.  
It is moderation AND frequency that matter. 

Step 5. Commit to Move More

Exercise makes weight loss much easier—but more important, people who move
more are more likely to keep the pounds off. No matter where you’re at now, you
can become “an exercise person.” Read more.

I can honestly say that this is the hardest part for me.  I have all the willpower
in the world to avoid cakes, fried food, etc, but when it comes to working out
I just plain don't LOVE it.  I have come to the realization that I LIKE working out, 
which is actually a huge step for me. As my brother in law Mike said today you 
will eventually love it once you see some more results and get used to working
out often.  I am sure he is right, but for now I LIKE the thought of doing it, but
I must say I LOVE how I feel afterwards. 

Step 6. Get Support

Losing weight is challenging—we can’t expect to do it alone. As you make your way
through losing weight, you’ll need to cultivate a network of friends, family, co-workers,
professionals and like-minded dieters.Read more.

I have told pretty much everyone I know about my plans (except for my Mom, but 
that will come as soon as results start to show up).  I have sent my sisters
subscriptions to my blog, I have told my co-workers, my boyfriend, other family
members, etc.  I want people to know that I am working towards something and
I want them to see how committed I am.  I also have paid for six personal training
and six nutrition classes with a registered dietician.

Step 7. Have a Long-Term Plan

As you reach your weight-loss goals, you’re ready for the final step: creating a long-term
strategy that will help your successes stick for good. Read more.

This one is definitely still a work in progress.  I am attending a conference this
weekend and have plans to tap into all of the resources that I can to make this 
a PERMANENT lifestyle and not something that will find me back at this same
terrible spot in years to come. I'm heading to the gym in building to get some
cardio in and then calling it a night.

The EatingWell Diet. Copyright 2007 by Eating Well, Inc. Published by The
Countryman Press, P.O. Box 748, Woodstock, VT 05091. 

Food journal

I use The Daily Plate to track all of my food to make sure that I stay within the same caloric, carbohydrate, protein, sodium and fiber levels throughout the week.  I love using it, it is super easy and convenient for me.  I track every single thing that enters my body and it is like a habit now.  I am not sure if I will always use it, because I have already gotten pretty good at number crunching, but right now it is holding me accountable and I like that.  So, some people have asked me what kind of things I eat and so I was going to write down my food intake for the day to give people an idea.

Breakfast
1/3 cup (dry) oatmeal
1 medium banana

Morning Snack
Apple
Sliced Cucumbers

Lunch
2 cups romaine lettuce
4 oz grilled chicken breast
1 Tbs Newman's own Lighten Up dressing
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 cup chopped peppers
10 reduced-fat wheat thins crackers
14 carrots
1 cup strawberries

Afternoon snack
Dannon Light and Fit Banana yogurt
20 reduced fat cheese-its

Dinner
Light Flat Out Wrap
1 Tbs Encino's all natural pizza sauce
1/2 cup rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese
Mrs. Dash hot and spicy seasoning
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced peppers

Evening snack
1 medium orange
1/2 cup sugar snap peas

I stay really full and satisfied from these food items and I eat every few hours to keep my metabolism going.  I will try and post some pictures of my delicious dinner tonight once I make it.  Keep up the great work everyone!