Day 73 - Quickie

I have to work in just a little bit... but I wanted to get on here and post a picture. Actually two, but one you've already seen. I'm a big fan of pictures that SPAN the weightless journey, rather than one before and one after kinda thing. Those are very inspiring too. But I wanna see what it was like in between the beginning and the end. So... here's a "during" photo. It's from yesterday. I thought since I was wearing the same shirt yesterday as I was in a before picture, it'd be good to show the differences. Anyway, it's only after like 30ish pounds... So it isn't a mind-blowing difference. But I can see little differences!

November/December 2011 - Between 220-225 pounds

Yesterday - Around 194 pounds!

Like I said, not mind-blowing... but I like during pictures. And I can't wait until there IS a huge, crazy difference.

Hope everyone is staying on track and being good to themselves!!

Here's to hard work and determination,

-E

Day 40 - I'm A Big Baby Today...

I feel like I never have super exciting, uplifting news anymore! I am getting sick and I'm being a big, whiny baby about it. I think it's just a cold... Or maybe my sinuses acting up. But I've got horrible post nasal drip and my throat is killing me and my body is all achy and my nose is doing some weird stuffy/runny combination thing. And I slept for like 11 hours last night and could probably sleep for 11 more.

I only have like 10 minutes before I need to blow dry my hair and get dressed for work at 1. 1-10. Talk about the worst shift in the entire world. Second to third shift I guess, which also really sucks.

I am going to do some changing around of my page again! I see other people's pages and get inspired to do things similarly. Jewlz280 (and I know a lot of other people also) made me really want to dedicate a page to goals, pictures, and weigh ins. I keep track of my measurements biweekly also. I think maybe I should throw those in somewhere also. It just seems like a good idea. For people who don't necessarily follow my blog regularly or those who are seeing it for the first time.

So that's something I'm going to do tomorrow after work, I think.

I am so dehydrated right now. My throat's dry and my lips are cracked and ready to fall off. I hate feeling like this! I've been drinking water by the gallon, but it never seems to help any. I'm also super constipated (AH! TMI alert). And so I'm eating bf's Fiber One cereal in hopes that helps. I don't wanna take a laxative.. because I know those are really rough on your system. But if this doesn't let up soon, I might have to budge on that.

I had a yummy egg white omelet this morning. And since I work such a stupid shift I'll probably have a meal bar around "lunch time" and eat something healthy for dinner at work. Maybe a salad with lots of veggies and jalapeno tuna again. I need something spicy to open my nasal passages up. hah Totally taking one of my Nature Valley crunchy granola bars to work to munch on between lunch and dinner too. Those things are so good. I like the maple flavored ones.

Okay... I have to start making myself beautiful now. Hope everyone is having an incredible day! Tomorrow I plan to go comment insane on some people's blogs I've been admiring from afar. haha I just don't have the time right now!

Here's to hard work and determination,

-E

Allllsooo!! Everyone who reads this should go check out my dear blogger buddie Sophie's blog "Diet Riot" off to the left under my blog roll and give her some love. She's going through some tough stuff and I think it would be nice to surprise her with some supportive, cheery comments for when she returns (: Thanks everyone!

Day 17 - And Without Further Ado...

Hello everyone!

As promised, I will be attaching all sorts of photos to this post (some awesome, some NOT). I have to control myself a little bit though. Going back through all my pictures, I ended up with like 16 I wanted to post. Which is just crazy. But I'll post enough to let you see how insane my weight has fluctuated the past 4-5 years.

But I'm going to talk first!

I only work Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon every week because of classes. But they are always long shifts (9-10 hours) and by the end of the day I am usually freakin beat. Today I worked early. I'm kind of the designated opener in my little corner of the store. Which suits me, because even though I'm not much of a morning person, I love having my evenings to myself. I also find I can control my eating habits better if I am up early.

The past few days have been really great on the nutrition front. I have been eating a lot of Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine meals.  Most of the time I pick ones that are lower in calories, then add things like veggies or fruit or low-fat dairy to them. They aren't very satisfying alone usually, but I can tack on some healthy sides and I'm good to go. Snacking has been minimal, and when I DO snack, it's always something like apples or almonds or a 100 cal pack. OH! And string cheese. Low fat, of course. But YUM.

I'm also a crazy dancing machine. Yesterday I spent another hour playing Just Dance 2 in my living room. I even drug bf off the couch to dance a few duets with me. haha It's really fun, and you definitely feel the burn after a while, especially if you really try to match what the person on the screen is doing. I was doing all kinds of arm motions and kicks and squats and hops. There's a mode in the game called "Just Sweat" where it keeps track of your songs and how much you moved around, then awards you "sweat points" at the end. According to the game's manufacturer, for every 4.2 sweat points, you burn 1 calorie. Naturally, this is an estimate and would vary enormously between people... But I earned like 2,500 of these "sweat points" which would supposedly equal like 595calories. Not sure I buy that. But I could believe 300, maybe? Not a bad workout, considering it's a super fun video game. Also, I look ridiculous playing it. (:

Alright... Enough chit-chatting. Let's see if I can master this photo stuff... I'll be adding then in chronological order, starting around age 18. Ok go! Also, it appears you can click on these to make them bigger... A few of them are really small?

Me, 18

Also about 18. This was my little sister's Halloween Costume. She's 6 years younger than me. I was just goofing off.

I think I was 19 in this one. NOT the most attractive. We were on vacation and I'd just woken up. But still on the slimmer side.

Definitely 19 here. Off taking pictures somewhere. I don't have a ton of full body shots. I had gained a little weight between the last picture and this one.

20 here. Putting on more weight, slowly.

Me at work... Laaaame. This is only 3 months later, but there's a pretty big weight difference!

Me, 20 still, another "picture taking" picture.

This was a little less than a year ago. When I first moved into my apartment. This is on here for good measure, to make sure you can all see how chunky I got. haha But not for much longer!

There's also almost an entire year unaccounted for... But I just stopped liking my picture taken. Sooo... ya know.

I was once a normal weight, and I will be there again! Enjoy, everyone!

Here's to hard work and determination,

-E

Day 11 - So this is weird...

So this is a kind of strange phenomenon I've been experiencing recently. Even when I eat very successfully through out the day, I still sometimes feel like I've messed up or failed in some way... Today in particular.

I had a terrible breakfast because I was running very, very late to work this morning. So, instead of making myself even more late and fixing my usual toast and coffee, I decided to buy one of those coffee energy drinks once I got to work. I know those are terrible for you, and are basically cancer and caffeine in a can, but I have to have my caffeine in the morning. So it was that or nothing. The Starbuck's Double Shot Mocha blah blah blah whatever was 200 calories for the can. Not too bad, considering the situation.

I drink gobs of water throughout the day and at lunch I had water, a 90-cal low fat cottage cheese cup, some steamed veggies and a Lean Cuisine beef and peppers meal. All together I figured it up to be around 380 calories. Now, that's ONLY 580 for the day. But when I got home, even though I was very well behaved all day and stayed very strictly to my diet, I felt bad. Like I failed at something and I should be disappointed in myself. I don't know what the heck is wrong with me... but I didn't let it derail me.

Dinner was a turkey sandwich on low cal whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, onion, dijon mustard and a tiny bit of co-jack cheese and a small shredded lettuce salad with no cal ranch dressing. And then a bowl of grapes and strawberries with some Reddi-Whip Lite Whipped Cream. I hate fruit. I'm more of a veggie kinda girl so anything to make the fruits more tolerable. All together that's still only like 550. And I'm pretty much done eating! I will have to have a snack or something though because 1,100 calories for the day just isn't enough. This is hard.

I still haven't worked exercise into my regime. I keep meaning to, but I stay pretty busy. I know that's an excuse. It's also really freakin' cold out right now. Another excuse, but I don't wanna go outside in 29 degree weather. Exxxxcuuuussseeesss.

What I really want to do is buy some exercise videos and do them when bf isn't in the apt. Hahah I don't think he'd laugh or really say anything, I'd just prefer it that way. (:

Here's my awesome attempt to incorporate fruit into my diet. It's fat free whipped topping! Only 15 calories a serving! haha And there are strawberries buried under there.

Oookay! I'm going to vegetate in front of the TV for a while now before bed. I had to work long shifts all weekend and I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet tonight. Might just pop myself some popcorn too. (: I have minibags. Not for their healthier benefits but because we have a tiny, apartment sized microwave and normal bags don't fit! haha

I'll talk to all you guys soon!

Here's to hard work and determination,

-E