Monday, March 30, 2009

Yo-Yo-Yogurt

I have never really been a fan of yogurt. It's the texture! Grosses me out. I used to have to take Fat Free Cool Whip and mix it in with the yogurt to change the texture of it so I could choke it down. I am actually now getting to the point I can eat this yogurt...the Yoplait Light by itself. (I'm growing up.)

If you are not a fan of yogurt or don't eat one a day I want you to join me in taking the Yo-Yo-Yogurt Challenge! Find a low fat yogurt and eat one per day for 30 days. Yogurt has great health benefits. It is an excellent source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B 12. When yogurt is compared to milk, yogurt contains more calcium and protein because of the added cultures in the yogurt. Yogurt can also be known to burn stomach fat. After two babies, I can use all the stomach fat burning tricks I can find! SO.....lets get our yogurt in!

Yo-Yo-Yogurt Challenge starts on April 1st. (No...it's not a April Fools joke people!) Let me know if you're gonna try it!





Wednesday, March 25, 2009

I've lost it

I lost a little .2 to be exact. I will take it!

Today in our meeting, we talked about special occasions. I had made it known I was going to enjoy my birthday and I did. We went to Charleston's and it was delish. I always WANT the chicken fried steak but never get it. I asked Kate (skinny little thing who can eat chicken fried steak for breakfast and not gain weight......sorry off track here) if she would share it with me, and she did. It was so GOOD! I enjoyed it, but didn't stuff myself. I didn't have to take a Tums before bed (that's a big deal) and I didn't feel sick!!

I also ate out on Sunday with my family for my Nana's 85th birthday. We went to Olive Garden, I love that place!!! DJ and I shared there as well. I am trying hard to enjoy the moment but not go overboard. Someone wise (Shelley) told me "It's your birthDAY not birthWEEK, enjoy your day and move on!"...and there you have it.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

This message will spontaneously combust after you read it....

Well not really. I haven't posted much on here because I don't know if anyone out there cares. And NO, this is not a feeble attempt to get people to post comments....well maybe a little. I just have been in a slump and not feeling very motivated to write about weight, weight loss, or anything really. I could write about chocolate, but that's not in the spirit of the blog. I digress.

I weigh tomorrow. Had the birthday and then skipped last weeks weigh in....knowing from past experiences, it ain't gonna be great. I'll let you know.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

It's my Birthday!

FYI - On your birthday you get double your age in points!!! I turn 33 today so I get
66 points!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Q & A

My good friend Mandy found this article and sent it to me, thanks Mandy!


Q. Is it true that lifting weights causes women to bulk up?


A. While on a weight lifting program, the right hormones (testosterone) are necessary in order to bulk up. Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so in most cases, they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, since muscle takes up less room than fat, women tend to lose inches when they strength train. So in addition to the physical benefits (increased metabolism, decreased risk of osteoporosis, increased strength), strength training will help you slim down too! Women, in fact, are more likely to tone up from strength training rather than bulk up. Research shows that women can add up to 30% lean muscle and end up looking thinner, feeling stronger and being firmer.Our society and pop culture seem to associate weight training with oversized muscles, but that’s just one avenue, which is extremely difficult for most people (including men) to achieve.Women with an intense fear of becoming large (likely due to these images and myths) as a result of weight training are at a disadvantage when it comes to their health. The problem most women run into isn’t building too much muscle, but not building enough. This sets them up for increased risk of osteoporosis later in life, as well as a reduction in muscle mass of about 2-5% per year, which has an adverse affect on metabolism (and can result in weight gain).

Written by Nicole Nichols, B.S. & Certified Fitness Instructor

Friday, March 13, 2009

Request & Dedication

Wow, it's Friday again?

Whewwwww busy week.

This week's request and dedication goes to my dear friend Sarah. Sarah's husband and I grew up together and have known each other since we were about 4, and Sarah and I have been friends since college.

She called about 6 years ago and said, "What would you think if we joined WW together?" I knew I needed to, and having a friend there would be cool. I said yes. The following Saturday, we walked in together and joined. We would meet each Saturday morning for our meetings. It was fun because we had our little row, and other friends would join us. We celebrated together and mourned gains together. We bonded.

When I found out I was pregnant I was thrilled, but didn't really want to tell Sarah. I knew that meant having to stop going to WW with her, but more importantly I knew she and her husband desperately wanted to become pregnant. It was hard but I told her. About 1 month after I told her my news she told me some news! She too was pregnant! How wonderful!!! Lily was born June 17th, and Brenna came July 24 (I think, I always mess up her birthday!) What a blessing, God is good.

Thank you Sarah for making that call. For encouraging me to do something to make myself better. I love you....you rock!!!!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Shake it off....

Gained .8 yesterday. (Insert image of me sticking my tongue out at the scale!)

I have gone up on all my weights in my weight lifting class, and I must be losing inches (probably should measure again) because my pants in the hiptal region (I make up words) is shrinking and I can totally tell. It is still frustrating....but I am trying to remember back in the day (pre-Addy) when I started lifting and lost about 3 dress sizes but the scale barley moved. That is what I am trying to focus on.

Keep on keeping on!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Mall Rat.....try Mall PIG!

I love the mall. And, I love mall food!


Check out the points on these yummy mall treats...



Auntie Anne's Pretzel - 1 original pretzel = 7 points

Dippin' Dots - 1/2 Cup Banana Split dots = 4 points

Great American Cookie Company - Cheesecake Brownie = 10 points

Taco Bell - Grilled Chicken Burrito = 11.5 points

Cinnabon's - Regular Cinnabon = 18 points

Charley's Steakery - Cheddar & Bacon Fries = 29.5 points

Sbarro's Pizza - 1 slice of Cheese pizza = 14 points

I try to stick with the 6 inch Subway Turkey sub for 5 points. That way I don't feel as guilty when I hit the Dippin' Dots stand.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Bitter Betty.

I started this blog so I could encourage others, and hopefully in doing so I would also encourage myself.

I have to say, I'm NOT too encouraged today.

I really get bitter at having to do all this sometimes. I get bitter that I have to pack a bag each night so I can go to the gym before work. I get bitter that some people just naturally don't have to worry about what they eat. I get bitter when I choose to overindulge. I get bitter when I choose NOT to overindulge. I get bitter that there's not a quick fix.

Poor me, right?

Sorry....just needed to rant a bit.

Off to make a low fat smoothie....and drink my sorrows away.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Satan in a Pan...

My mother in law made Heath Bar Brownies for dessert at lunch today.

This is the part where I tell you that I said, "No thank you, I wouldn't care for one"....and then I grabbed a banana.

But that didn't happen.

It was TASTY....all 8 points worth!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

OLD TRICK, but I still love it!

SODA CAKE

12 servings, 4 points per serving

Ingredients:

1Devil's Food cake mix
1 CAN of diet root beer


Instructions....
  • Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix and root beer in large bowl (do not add eggs, oil or water - the root beer replaces it!)
  • Beat for 2 min
  • Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray.
  • Pour mix into pan and bake for 31 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
  • Serve with fat free cool whip if desired.

Any combination of cake mix and soda will work....

Lemon cake mix/ 1 can Fresca
Chocolate Cake/1 can Diet Dr. Pepper
White cake/Diet Sprite
ENJOY!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Request & Dedication

Well there's no request here.... but it's Dedication Friday! I've decide to recognize people on Friday's who have helped me along my weight loss journey. Without them, I would not be surviving this journey.

Today's dedication is to my friend...Shelley.

(I had dinner with her last night, so she's fresh on my mind.)

I met Shelley almost 10 years ago (yeah, Shel, it's been that long!) I loved her, she was great! She is one of the funniest people I have ever met.....even more than me (so you KNOW she's funny!!) ; ) She caring and sincere and she tells it how it is! Don't ask her opinion if you don't want to hear it.

Shelley was overweight when I started WW, but she didn't join with me. She wasn't interested at all. I didn't push it, I just did my thing. When I was gone on maternity leave having Lily she, and our friend Becky, stopped by to see me in the hospital. She said, "Guess what? I joined WW today!" WHAT?????? I was so excited! Excited for her, but also excited to have another buddy on this journey with me.
Since joining, Shelley has lost over 100 pounds! YES, you read that right, one hundred pounds. She's a true inspiration. She is not far from her goal, and has never given up. Ever.

She has taught me so much about myself. To plan, to prepare for events/parties, to make exercise a part of your life, to have fun on trips but not go overboard.....the list goes on and on.

Shelley, I love you! Thank you for inspiring me, thank you for loving me, and thank you for being the kind of friend that that will eat carrots and cucumbers for lunch just so we can go get a chocolate dipped cone from McDonald's afterwards! That's true friendship!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Saw these tips online, and I believe everything I read online!

Seriously....I really did like these!!

Dr. Abby Aronowitzsays says, "People would be better served by incorporating the following tips:"

1) Incorporate Snacks Into Meals: Including "preferred foods" reduces cheating; satisfaction with control. If ice cream is your passion, try a scoop of all natural flavors on a whole grain toaster waffle for breakfast; 300 calories of fiber, calcium, sugar, protein and fat satisfies appetite.

2) Control The Process: Focusing on lifestyle changes instead of weight loss avoids drastic temporary measures. Yo-yo dieting can increase heart disease, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

3) Hunger And Satiety: Become more in touch with feelings of hunger and satiety. Leaving food on the plate because you've had "enough" can be a novel, life affirming experience.

4) Self Acceptance: Moderate lifestyle positively influences genetic blueprints permanently, instead of temporarily overriding set point, and watching weight bounce back. Not the body of your dreams, but your personal best. Offer respect -no insults!

5) Go Natural: A new generation of health food without transfats bears no resemblance to their cardboard or Styrofoam flavored ancestors. For specific recommendations of delicious "healthy junk food" please contact Dr. Aronowitz.

6) Enjoy Movement: Instead of sweating it out five times a week 'till you burn out and quit, try incorporating enjoyable activity once or twice a week forever. Not what experts recommend, but doable!

7) Cope Effectively: Healthy coping strategies can replace emotional eating.

8) No Diets; New Lifestyle: The two-part system of dieting to lose it, and subsequently trying to maintain the loss, ultimately fails most people. Create one reasonable lifestyle that will last forever.

...YEAH, what she said!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Put up or Shut up!

This term was brought to my attention at my WW meeting today.... and I needed to hear it!!

(Oh....on a side note, I lost 1.2 today!! YEAH!!)

I love my WW leader Karen. (I wish she had a blog, I'm working on her to start one!) I loved my old leader Heather too. The reason why they both are so great is because they're real. They have a real life, they make real choices, and they make real mistakes. They don't stand up there and tell you they do everything perfect. It's a struggle for them too. I love that!

Today in part of Karen's meeting she talked about needing to "Put up or shut up!" It was kind of up to us to determine how we could use that in our weight loss journey. For me, I took it as "Karyn you gotta put up the effort, you gotta give 100%, and quit spinning your tires, OR if you're NOT gonna do it, shut - the - heck - up!" It's been almost three years since I had Addy. My plan after I had her was to get to goal weight and become a WW leader. Over that 3 years I have lost 1, gained .6, lost 3, gained .6, lost 1, gained 1, etc, etc, etc.....SPINNING TIRES!

I'm done. I'm done spinning. I've rotated my tires and I'm ready to rock and roll baby!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

I survived the Great Hideout of '09!

(See previous post.)


Let me tell you something about myself....I have to have a plan. Without a plan I self destruct QUICKLY!

Here's how it all went down:

I weigh at WW on Wednesdays at noon. On Tuesday's I really try to watch my sodium and carb intake so I'm not all "swole up" when I weigh. (Yes, swole up is a technical term.) So I mentally prepared myself for today. I decided I was going to have the receptionist grab me a Jamba Juice for lunch when she went out to get the mail. (The Jamba Juice I choose is the Strawberries Nirvana, soy boost, only 4 points and it's SO FILLING!) "Oh look a chicken" sorry.

So I was ready to go. I got to work and ate my oatmeal.

Around 9:15 I see the sales guys in a twitter. I said "what's going on?" They responded with, "Dell is coming in for a meeting, we're going to need you to get us lunch. Hideaway would be great."

HOLD UP!

Hideaway?

Hideaway Pizza?

Hideaway is not in my plan. Breathe. Breathe. (I'm seeing visions of large, cheesy, pizzas dancing around in my head.) BREATHE KARYN!!!!

I grabbed the menu and read it front to back. (That didn't help the visions of cheesy pizzas! And YES, I did have a menu in my desk, don't ask!)

When it was time to order, I was ready. I made the call. I ordered 9 pizzas. Nine delicious, hot, amazing pizzas. I also ordered a large salad for the group, and a....................... MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD with no cheese and dressing on the side!


Yes, I was as shocked as you are, Hideaway serves salads! Who new?

I set up the pizza buffet for the boys (on the other side of the office), and I took my delicious MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD to my office. I ate it slowly and enjoyed every bite. It rocked. I didn't even have one bite of pizza, not one!

Whew! That was a close call. I was able to reframe my thinking and do what was right for me. The next step is to throw away the Hideaway menu from my desk.....uh....I'll tackle that another day.

Hideaway Hideout!

Hideaway Pizza has entered the building.

I will let you know if I make it out alive....

Monday, March 2, 2009

Carb Crash

Since the first of the year I've been doing great about eating breakfast. I will have fruit, oatmeal, cereal, sometimes a Jamba Juice. I have felt great the last few months and had tons of energy! This morning I wanted something different, so I decided to have some bread.


Just bread.


I wanted bread, so I had some dang it. I counted my 5 points, and it was good. REAL good.


But then something terrible happened. I didn't see it coming and then at around 9:50 am this happened.....



I physically crashed. It was bad. I sat there at my desk... my eyes were heavy. I wanted to lay down, I actually contemplated closing my office door and laying down! I felt terrible.

Mental note, no more bread for breakfast.

If you have been sluggish in the mornings....take a crash course in carb counting, and see if that makes a difference!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

And the Lord said, "Let there be doughnuts"...

And there were doughnuts.

We have doughnuts each week in bible class. I don't know who started it, but someone way back must have decided that we needed a treat for sitting through church service. Don't get me wrong doughnuts are good, but doughnuts aren't my favorite food ever!

This morning I really WANTED a doughnut. I was hungry and there was a a chocolate one that was staring at me. (I tried to look away but he kept making eye contact.) At that moment I had to decide, what is more important? What do I want more? Do I want to count the 6-7 points for a doughnut, or have chips and salsa at lunch!? I think all too often we pick a food just because it's there.

So that's my challenge to you this week. Don't eat things "just because!" Pick what sounds GOOD! Pick your favorite! Pick what you really want. Don't settle.

Chips and salsa sounded good, so that's what I picked....and it was so worth it!