Weight Loss Journey: The Test Results Are In

I saw the Nutritionist last week and I did not get the results I had hoped for.  She said my logs looked good, I was doing everything right, and I just needed to work harder.  Lower my calories and burn more at the gym.  Let me tell you, I was really mad when I left.  I was depressed and pissed off.  I went to Taco Bell to drown my sorrows in Cheesy Frito Burritos.  After talking to my Mom and my husband, I calmed a bit but decided to make that day a cheat day and had pizza (Chicken and Spinach) for dinner.

I spent Friday thinking about what I needed to do.  I got a call from my doctor and she wanted me to come in to have some blood work done to check my vitamin levels.  I decided I was going to follow the nutritionist's advice for 4 weeks.  I would cut my calories to 2000 a day and change up my work outs to see what the results would be.  This requires planning and strategy.  I spent Friday evening writing up options for meals and making a shopping list.

Since Easter was Sunday, we did our weekly shopping on Saturday morning.  Do you have Cash & Carry where you are?  If so, check them out.  I find their produce selection to be top notch.  I can get my salad mix for $6 and it will last 2 weeks.  I also get mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, broccoli slaw, grape tomatoes, potatoes, diced ham and feta cheese.  It saves me money and helps with meal prep.  I spent a few hours Sunday night cutting veggies and weighing everything out.

Planning gives me the chance to try out a few new recipes too.  This week I made Zoodles with Shrimp and One Pot Chili Pasta (see recipes below).  I have to thank my husband for being so patient and open minded on weeks like this.  Let's just say I have been a little crazy about this and analyzing things even more than usual.  He was not a huge fan of the Pasta Chili.  He hates tomatoes, but he ate it anyway.  He did like the Zoodles and Shrimp.  I was surprised how much like pasta it actually felt.

I try to eat 4 times a day.  Breakfast, Pre-Workout Snack, Lunch Post-Workout and Dinner.  This week I have added in a few more supplements.  A ProBiotic, a calcium chew, a milder iron supplement, a chewy daily vitamin and a pre-workout energy mix.  This is in addition to my B12, D3 and Alpha Lipoic Acid.  They are working because some of my blood work has come back and my Vitamin D Levels went from 15 to 38 (normal is 20-80) and my B12 levels went from 230 to 588 (normal 200-914).  My Ferritin levels, which measure your bodies ability to hold onto iron, have went from 22 to 32 in a year.  Normal range for that is 11-307.  

Along with those good results have come some questionable ones.  My TSH or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone came back at 3.24 which is right in the middle of the 0.34 to 5.60 range.  However, my T3 which is part of the thyroid system came back at 82 which is lower than the 87-178 range.  Also my urine test showed more protein that normal.  My number was 147 and the range should be less than 29.  This is the test that worries me.  It shows kidney damage and possible kidney disease.

As of right now, I feel like I am fighting with my body.  According to the doctors and all my research, I am doing everything right.  I am eating very healthy, keeping active, keeping low carb, getting plenty of water and taking all my vitamins.  This week I have been keeping under 2000 calories a day and working out.  On Monday morning I was 397.6 but Friday morning I was 399.6.  Can you see why I am super frustrated?  I have been working hard, cutting and I gained weight.  Needless to say, I am waiting to hear from my doctor to see what to do.  I was in tears all Friday morning.  My Mom finally calmed me down and told me I should stop dieting for a week because me being so stressed and upset just isn't worth it.  I am so happy with my progress and how I feel but I am also so depressed.  

If you have made it this far down the blog, THANK YOU!  I sometimes just need to get this shit written out so I can process it.  I will keep you all updated on my progress and what is in store for my health.

Weight Loss Journey: 2015 - The Year of Me

I hope you all had a great Christmas.  This past month, I have taken a bit of a break from blogging.  Christmas time is always very hectic for us.  Between multiple family, work and friend get-togethers, we still had to work and keep the house up.  Adulting is hard.

My oldest nephew Logan.  One of the rare photos that isn't blurred.  Kids move fast.

I have been bouncing between 405 and 415 for more than a month.  It seems my body is comfortable at this weight and activity level.  I am fine with that.  I can buy clothes at a store, not just online.  I am really active and flexible.  I am happy, healthy and hopeful.  However, I would like to lose 50 to 100 more pounds.  But I have to remember the number on the scale means nothing if I am miserable.

I have always lived my life trying to do as much as I can for others.  My family, my husband, my friends.  But 2015 was the year of Me.  It was the year I came out of my depression and started enjoying life again.  I didn't even know how depressed I was.  2015 wasn't all about my weight loss.  100 lbs is no small feat, but the year was also about self awareness, self love and self confidence.  In short, I feel incredible.

Me and my nephew Landon, using my selfie stick

I have met so many people in the last year that have lifted me up and supported me.  I have made friends locally and across the US in what I call my "Fat Chat".  I have also had family and friends send me messages and tell me personally how great I am doing.  It makes me incredibly proud of myself.  My blog has gotten so many more followers and I am thankful for each and every person who reads this.  Recently my blog was shared on a weight loss website, across Facebook and Twitter.  It's amazing.  I hope I inspire some of you to get healthier.  I know I am inspired by you all.

This is Christmas 2014 and Christmas 2015.

I am not one for New Years resolutions so I am just going to state a few things for 2016:
#1-I want to continue eating healthy and tracking my calories.
#2-I want to continue my exercise habits by working out at least 3 days a week.
#3-I want to strengthen my relationship with Roger.
#4-I want to continue to save money for our futures.
#5-I want to be a better friend by making more time to visit people.
#6-More craft and food blogs, less weight loss blogs.

What are your hopes for 2016?  Will you be joining me on my journey?

Weight Loss Journey: The Good, the Bad and the Gain

I have been mulling over this blog for a week now.  In fact, I wasn't going to write about it at all.  Just ignore it and maybe it will go away.  But that is how I got to be over 500 lbs in the first place.  And after talking to my sister, she convinced me that this blog needs to be truthful and genuine.  She is absolutely right.  So I must say that I have gained back some weight.  About 7 pounds actually.  Here is where I could list my excuses, but for me, they are not excuses, they are mistakes.  And mistakes can be corrected and learned from.

Two weeks ago I opened an email with the subject line "Invoice and Receipt for Payment".  Thinking nothing of it I downloaded the contents.  Mistake #1.  The email turned out to be a Ransomware Virus that corrupted my computer along with my work and personal flash drives that were plugged in.  I lost every document and photo on all three devices.  I had a friend come over to see if he could save anything but he wasn't able to.  He had to wipe my computer and reload windows.  Thank goodness that it didn't touch anything in my accounting program.

I spent the next 2 days reloading all my programs.  I was so involved in it that I skipped the gym.  Mistake #2.  Instead of taking my lunch break and going to the gym to relieve some stress, I sat at my desk and ate junk.  I went to the gas station a few doors down and got chips, candy and soda.  Mistake #3.  This was an old behavior that I thought I was over but those old habits die hard.  Have I mentioned I don't handle stress very well?

I worked 17 hours overtime in those 2 weeks.  My "at home" meals suffered too. Mistake #4.  I didn't plan ahead and waited way too long to eat some days.  This meant that I didn't make dinner most nights and either ate out or I threw something together.  I had pizza, Chinese, fast food and other comfort food.  I also didn't log my food consistently.  Eating like crap and being stressed about work made me feel like crap.  That in turn made me not want to do anything.  In short, I was lazy and lackadaisical.

On Thanksgiving, I wrapped the Christmas presents while I watched the Macy's parade.  We went to a friend's house for dinner and had a wonderful time.  There was no stress.  By Saturday, I had pulled myself out of my funk.  I took a trip alone to St. Helens, OR and finished my Christmas shopping.  Then, after I got home, Roger and I went to Fred Meyer to shop for boots.  I ended up getting them at Payless.  I got two pair for a little over $50.  I weighed myself again this morning, December 1st, and I was back to 410.  Which means I am 7 lbs from my 100 lb goal.  While this is a set back, it's not going to stop me.

Weight Loss Journey: My 10 Tips For Weight Loss

I have been at this for almost a year now and have had great personal success.  I can't even complain.  It has been relatively easy for me to make these changes.  Yes, there have been struggles and set backs but I have never let it completely take me down.  In no way have I or my journey been perfect.  I just want to encourage people while I am changing my life.

I have had many people ask me for help and want me to tell them how they too can be successful.  I honestly can't give advice.  There is no magic formula, no pill, shake, meal plan or hypnosis that will work.  You can want to lose weight, and try, but if you are not in it wholeheartedly, you won't succeed.  Losing weight is basically a math problem.  You have to burn more calories than you intake.

Here is what I did:
#1 - Made a mental change.  A switch flipped in my head.  Your brain, stomach and heart all have to agree on this change.  They may fight at times but as long as you stay strong, they will all come together.

#2 - Deleted soda and all other sweet drinks from my life.  I was drinking about a liter of Diet Coke per day, along with at least 1 coffee drink.  A Venti quad shot white chocolate peppermint mocha has 660 calories.  Not to mention the amount of sugar and fat.  While I haven't given up coffee completely, I have changed the way I drink it.  The same goes for soda.  I still have the occasional Diet Coke.  But I limit it to one.

#3 - Kept a food journal.  I use MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat.  You can customize your settings or it can help you find ones right for you.  It has an extensive library of foods.  You can even input recipes and exercise.  I keep track of EVERYTHING that I eat.  You can't think,"Oh, it's just a mini-snickers or a small bag of chips".  It all counts.

#4 - Stopped eating fast food.  There is an occasional trip thru the drive thru but mostly I avoid it all together.  There are too many temptations and hidden calories.

#5 - Also dropped 90% of the dairy and carbs from my diet.  I will still eat small amounts of each but mostly, they are both out of my life.  Both made me feel sluggish and lethargic.  If you feel like that a lot, take a look at your plate.

#6 - Meal Prep.  I think meal prep is probably the most important part of this.  I have talked about it a few times.  Take a few moments on the weekend, sit down and make your weekly menu.  Plan breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.  Then go get groceries.  Prep your meats and your veggies when you get home.  If your food is readily available, you will be less tempted to stray from your plan.

#7 - I took it easy on myself.  Not every day is perfect.  You won't eat great all the time but that doesn't mean you ruined it.  I've heard the analogy that if you got a flat tire, you wouldn't slash the other three.  You fix the tire and get back on the road.  I took it one step at a time.  Got my food schedule down and then added exercise, then personal reflection.  Don't jump in the pool with your clothes on.  Take it easy.

#8 - I found support.  Not only are all my friends and family on Facebook and huge support system but I have joined some chat groups and websites where there are people on the same journey as me.  We can commiserate and cheer each other on from opposite sides of the oceans.

#9 - Took my mental temperature.  Throughout this entire process, I have been checking in with myself, mentally.  As you are changing your outward appearance, you inner self is also changing.  You have to adjust to your clothes fitting differently, your self image changing and your self esteem changing.  I hated looking at myself in the mirror and taking photos before.  I now love it.  Although I am not to my goal weight yet, I have such a different view of my body as a whole.  I am healthier than I have been since my teens.

#10 - I got up and got out.  After I got my food in check, I started moving.  At first, I just started walking.  I could only go a few minutes without stopping.  Now, I can do 10 straight minutes without having to stop, due to the pain in my foot.  I am far stronger that I was.

I hope some of these tips helped.  No every person loses weight the same so what works for me, may not work for you.  Tread your own weight loss path.  But never give up.

Weight Loss Journey: Struggling

Ugh!  I have written and rewritten this blog several times over the last month.  A few things have happened this month and I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about them.  Usually my blog is all about positivity and encouragement.  Let me tell you, this month, it has not been so easy.  I have been really struggling.  No only with my weight loss but with my emotions and my self control.  I again chose not to weigh myself until November 1st.  So, at the time I am writing this part, I have not weighed in.

I had a falling out with a friend of 13 years.  I think I finally just opened my eyes and listened to everyone who was telling me he was a bad person to be around.  I saw through the lies and decided I didn't need his negativity anymore.  I can't save him from himself.  There was no fight or screaming match, I just stopped talking to him and blocked him on all social media.  I did make a new friend through him that I am happy is a part of my life now.  A positive, uplifting person with no agenda.

Early in October I was working a lot on Fabric Pumpkins for my sister to sell for me at her craft fairs.  We made 75 total and they are now all gone.  (I did keep 2 for myself).  The extra time I needed for them took away from me making dinner every night and I got off track a bit.  My own fault for not planning accordingly.  In fact one night I was up for 26 hours and ate an entire pizza to myself.  Not one of my proudest moments.

On the 10th, I got a new tattoo.  I actually got my star covered with a cow.  If you have known me for a while, you know cows are my favorite animal.  Well, while it was healing, I didn't wear my FitBit because that's the wrist I wear it on.  I think that really hindered me.  It allowed me to do things without thinking and assume that I had burned more calories than I had.

The day after we went to a party.  It was a reunion of sorts for our family owned shop.  It was filled with faces that I hadn't seen in so long and it was such a great time.  My only mistake was not sitting down all night.  I am not used to standing so much and I really paid for it the next day.  Not only was I hungover, but my knees and ankles hurt so badly.  We went to the World of Speed Museum in Portland with out Car Club.  I'm afraid I was no fun.  I had to keep sitting and really felt like crap.

Then there was an entire week where I was so tired.  We had "fend for yourself" dinners 3 nights that week.  I also went to the store a few times and bought candy bars and other snacks.  Found out a few days later that it was PMS which strangely made me feel better.  I also only went to the gym twice that week.  I felt like I was eating like crap and I was spiraling.  I did grab the reins and reeled it in by the end of the month so I am anxious to see where my loss is.

The results:  So I didn't lose any weight this month.  Well, actually 0.2 lbs.  While I am disappointed in myself, I really can't rely fully on the scale.  I have come so far in the last 10 1/2 months.  I did take my measurements this month.  I lost 2 inches off my stomach, 2 inches off my arms, 1 inch off my bust and 3 inches off my thighs.  So, while I need to buckle down to meet my 100 lb goal by December 9th, I am happy with my changes.

Weight Loss Journey: A Month Without a Scale

On September 1st, I weighed myself, took my measurements and hid my scale in the bottom of my hope chest, vowing not to take it out again until October 1st.  Things were getting too obsessive for me.  I was weighing myself daily and little set backs were causing me way too much mental anguish.  I decided to let myself relax this month and see what happened.

What happened was a much happier Kristy and still a 7 lb weight loss.  I am now 93 lbs down and not one bit miserable.  I let go of the obsessive thoughts.  I let go of always having to know what i was going to eat.  I became more spontaneous and enjoyed eating again.  I still kept track of my food, but not every day and I still went to the gym at least 3 times a week.

Guess what?  I ate out, I ate fast food, I drank and I had chocolate cake.  And I didn't fail.  I lived life and that's what this is about.  "Even if you stumble, you're still moving forward."  I made smart choices, had smaller portions and didn't deprive my cravings.  Guys, I am a changed woman!  I'm never looking back.

Weight Loss Journey: Nephew Adventures, Gym Etiquette and Meal Prep

A few weekends ago we had my nephew Logan over.  He is almost 5 and really energetic.  We decided to surprise him and take him to the beach on Saturday.  He had so much fun playing in the sand and at the playground we found.  He and I even walked through the Battery at Fort Columbia.  My only problem was he kept running off from me and it was freaking me out.  I am not up to 5 year old speed yet.

At the park, I decided to see if my skills were still up to par.  Nope!  I realized I could not hang for any more than a few seconds.  So I set a goal for myself to be able to do Monkey Bars again at some point.  I did climb the large toy in the center of the playground.  And while I was too afraid to do much else, it felt great to be up there.  I also clocked in 8 flights of stairs on my FitBit by going up and down.  If you think, because you are a Mom, you don't have time for a workout, you are wrong.  Just get out there and play with the kids.  Plus, swinging is so much fun!

I have been at Planet Fitness for 4 months now and have made a few observations I would like to share.  These are not be being judgmental, just things I see:
#1 - Get off your phone while you are working out.  Leave your phone in your locker and enjoy your workout.  I see people sitting on machines, texting or even talking.  It's rude to other people in the gym and there is no way you are focusing on your workout.
#2 - Light gray yoga pants are not a smart choice.  Just an observation but when you sweat, that color yoga pants changes color.  I felt bad for one woman.  It looked like she had wet herself.
#3 -  Make friends.  If, like me, you go to the gym at a certain time every day, it is likely that you see some of the same people.  Say hi, smile, be friendly.  You are both there for the same reason.

Through this journey I have spent many Sundays meal prepping.  Honestly, the biggest plus is that I can sleep in a bit.  My most recent set of prep included roasted vegetables (carrots, zucchini and broccoli), boiled chicken and quinoa.  I prefer to eat this kind of food for breakfast, having a morning snack at 11 and then lunch at 2:30 after my workout.  This particular week, my 11 am snack was the Kale Power Salad that I have talked about before and my 2:30 salad of greens, ground turkey and feta.  After the first day, I decided to modify the base meal and have a hot breakfast.

Here is exactly what was in each day's meal:
1.25 cups Roasted Vegetables, 1 cup boiled chicken thighs, 1 cup cooked quinoa (480 calories)
Day 1:  No Modification
Day 2:  Add 2 over easy eggs (add 147 calories)
Day 3:  Add 1 cup chicken stock (add 80 calories)
Day 4:  Add 1/2 cup egg substitute (add 62 calories)
Day 5:  Add 1/4 cup egg substitute and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (add 101 calories)
It was so good, healthy and filling.

From July 15th to August 15th, I only lost 6 lbs.  It was a rough month.  My weight loss has definitely slowed down.  In fact, I had not gained but I hadn't lost in over 2 weeks.  I did some research online, asked my fellow Blog to Lose ladies and contacted my nutritionist.  It turns out I haven't been eating enough.  I had been sticking to about 1800 calories and burning about 3800 in a day.  Well, that had slowed my metabolism and put my body into starvation mode.  So after talking to a few people, I upped my calories to 2300 to 2500 as my target.  After 2 days, I lost 3 lbs in 3 days.    I had just reset my body and my total loss is 87 lbs.  I am just 13 lbs from my 100 lb goal and 16 lbs from being under 400 lbs.

Weight Loss Journey: Back to the Doctor and FitBit Fun

For the last few weeks, since I started doing treadmill workouts, my hip has been really bothering me.   It doesn't bother me while I'm on the treadmill, just after I get back to work and sit for a little bit.   It gets even worse after I get home and try to relax and watch tv.  Another problem I am having is that my foot begins to cramp/hurt after walking for around 5 minutes.  I have been pushing through it but It was a bit concerning.  I also, secretly, wanted to weigh in  and get my A1C checked again.

82 lbs down

Back in December when I first had my A1C checked, it was 6.9 and in February is was 6.2.  Now it is down to 5.7 which is the lowest number they consider to be pre-diabetic.  I am really happy to have dropped it so much but that doesn't mean I can let up.  I now have to maintain a good A1C so I can stay healthy and off medication.  I am currently down 82 lbs which is a little over 16% of my beginning body weight.  Being a numbers geek and Accounting major, makes me work everything down to percentages and number crunching.  I want to lose 50% of my beginning weight.  I am 33% there, 1/3rd of the way, in 7 1/2 months.  I know it will get tougher as I lose more.  But I am well on my way to a happier healthier me.

Back to my doctor visit.  Apparently my hip problem is called Bursitis and I just have to deal with it.  My foot is a ligament that is being stretched and doesn't like it.  I also just have to deal with that.  So here I am dealing with stuff.  I found some stretches for both problems but they don't seem to be working yet.  I took three days off from the gym this week to see if I could maybe rest up a bit.  When I went back on Monday, I wasn't in hip pain but the foot pain persisted.  After coming back to work, the hip did bother me but not as much as before.  It wasn't until I got home and had been relaxing for a bit that the pain returned with a vengeance.  However, I did do squats yesterday so that may have been part of it.

Here is a report from my FitBit on my work out from July 27th.  My average heartbeat is 128 bpm with half my time in a cardio zone and the other half in the fat burn zone.  My resting heart rate is around 70 bpm.  I burned an average of 15 calories a minute with a total of 504 calories burned.  I love all the information I get form this little device.  Below you can see other parts of my Dashboard.  You can see my sleep, my short term weight loss goal, my total calories burned, my active minutes, my distance, my floors and a badge I earned.  I don't understand how the floors are calculated.  I don't do many stairs and sometimes it says I have done six floors.  I just disregard that one.

Weight Loss Journey: More Zaycon, Father's Day and Eating Mistakes

BACON

Yes, I just opened my weight loss blog with bacon.  I'm evil like that!  You've heard me talk numerous times about Zaycon and their products.  We recently split a box of bacon and a box of boneless skinless chicken breast with my Mom.  The bacon came in 12 - 3 lb packs and we paid $3.49/lb.  It is really fantastic bacon.  Our first package I thought was a little salty but the second package didn't seem that way.  The Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast we got for $1.69/lb, which is a phenomenal price.  If you'd like to order, here is our referral link: zayconfresh.com/refer/zf361074 .  You can go there and check out what they have in your area.  I promise, you won't be disappointed.

The chicken comes in a large box, separated into 4 -10 lb bags.  The breasts are connected.  I quickly trim them and put 2 breasts per bag.  Each breast half weighs, on average, about a lb.

I want to warn you about reading labels.  I had bought some ground turkey, thinking, it must be better for me than ground beef.  After reading the labels, I found that the turkey have more calories and fat per serving than the 93/7 Zaycon Ground Beef.  I did find some 99% fat free ground turkey.  It's a bit expensive, $5.99/lb, but it works really well on salads.  I put about 4 ounces on a salad so it lasts 4 days.

For Father's Day, we went and hung out with my Dad at the river.  It was such a gorgeous day.  We had a BBQ and I brought this really yummy dessert.  I had frozen a bunch of strawberries after we got a flat earlier in the month.  I took 4 cups of those and put them in a greased 10x13 cake pan.  Then I sprinkled a box of yellow cake mix over the top of them.  After that, I shredded a frozen stick of butter over the entire thing.  I put it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350, then took it out and made sure all the cake mix was moist.  I baked it for another 30 minutes and it came out golden brown and delicious.  For 8 servings, its 428 calories each.

A few Fridays back, I woke up with a killer headache so I decided to stay home from work.  I got up early anyway and cleaned the house up.  Around 11, Roger texted me and suggested I take my Suburban in to Les Schwab to have it checked out.  After 2 hours, and a walk over to Fred Meyer, The conclusion was that I needed a new front hub and my tires were separating.  The tires are under warranty at Wal-Mart so my next trip was to them.  I dropped off my vehicle and walked around the store for an hour before I went back to the Tire Lube Express.  The guy came out and told me he couldn't find any leak in my tires.  Well, that wasn't why I brought it in so I sent him back to check out the real problem I brought it in for.  Turns out my tires were out of balance.  They fixed it, at no cost but I was there for 2 hours.  So my final stop for the day was to our friend Al's Auto.  He quickly changed my hub and did an oil change.  I was so grateful not to have to sit around much longer.  He had it all done in an hour.

Now that the long part of the story is over, I can tell you what I did wrong.  My first mistake was that I hadn't ate breakfast.  So I had a bag of popcorn at Les Schwab.  While at Fred Meyer, I grabbed 2 bags of chips.  I was tempted by the candy bars at the check out but I restrained.  If I had been smart, I would have just walked over to the Grocery section and grabbed something healthy, but I wasn't.  I ate one bag at Les Schwab and then didn't touch the other until I was at Al's, 3 hours later.  I also had a Diet Coke and a Diet Pepsi.  Again, I should have made smarter choices, but these things happen.  I guess my point is, don't let slip ups get you down.

I have been doing really well though.  I am eating good, sleeping better and feeling better.  I am able to do things at the gym that I wasn't able to do before.  My FitBit is awesome.  I find myself trying to beat my previous days or set a new record.  My cousin called me a few days ago to ask me how I had changed things and what I had done.  She needs to lower her blood sugars.  I explained what I had done but I told her, in the end, it's all a mind game.  And I am serious about that.  It's all in your head.  I have a constant inner dialogue about not eating a certain way, pushing 2 more minutes on the stationary bike, 3 more reps, or get off your butt and clean up from dinner.  Anyone who has tried to lose weight can tell you that once it clicked, it was easy.  You can think you are ready a million times but when you are truly ready, you will know it and feel it.

Weight Loss Journey: Goodbye April

I have been a little lax on my blogging this week.  Nothing too exciting is happening.  I am just working more and going to the gym every week day.  I have been working on the Annual All High School Car Show that is May 9th.  Me, Roger and about 5 other people put it on.  It's a lot of work and I complain about it the entire time but the day of the show when that one kid thanks you for what you've done, it makes it all worth while.

Well my work schedule changed AGAIN so I am now working 8 am to 5 pm.   I am so used to getting off at 3:30 that it has been a tough adjustment.  At home it's not too bad.  We are eating dinner a little bit later which actually eliminates my evening snack.  I also now force myself to take a lunch hour.  I use the opportunity to go to the gym.  I've made it through 2 full weeks.  According to My Fitness Pal, I burned 3,169 calories last week.  I am really loving it.  It gives me a break from work, I am meeting some really cool people and I am feeling good.  One thing I don't like very much is that after my workout, my hands shake for about 30 minutes.  I have to come back to work and have a snack to calm it down.  Surprisingly WebMD said it was nothing to worry about.

I ran across this the other day:  "Diet" is not a verb, it is a noun.  The verb is "eat".  I don't diet, I eat.  Diet is what I eat.  I can't cheat on a diet.  If I eat something that was not on my plan, I didn't cheat.  I just didn't follow my plan.  If my plan isn't achieving what I intended or I can't follow my plan, I need a new plan.  It really helped me this last weekend when we were out of town.  We took an impromptu trip down the coast to Astoria, OR and Long Beach, WA.  Our first stop was Costco where we dropped way too much money, then to the fish market for oysters and clams and finally to the beach.

At Costco, we did like we normally do and had Sausage Dogs.  I decided to only have one and I am so glad I did because those things are packed with 570 calories each.  At the fish market we each got a crab cocktail which is about 2 or 3 ozs of crab meat.  It was so good, freshly caught and cooked that day.  Then at the beach, Roger really wanted Ice Cream so I had a small one scoop of Mocha Almond Fudge.  It was the perfect size and I didn't feel sick or guilty afterward.  Of course, I didn't bother to look up calories for anything the rest of the day either.  On our way home, we stopped by PJ's Pizza in Cathlamet.  There used to be one in Centralia that we went to all the time and when they closed we found out there was one in Cathlamet so we were on a mission to find out if they were the same.  Oh yes indeed they were.  The best chicken wings and pizza.  Yum Yum!

I have really been focusing on drinking a lot of water too.  In fact, I have been drinking only water except for 2 cups of coffee and one soda in the last 2 weeks.  I decided to look up how much water you should drink in a day.  There was a website that gave a calculation.  You take your current weight and times it by .66 and that is how many ounces you are supposed to drink.  So for me, 450 x .66 is 297 ounces plus 12 ounces for the 30 minutes of exercise I do a day is a total of 309 ounces.  that is nearly 2.5 gallons a day.  There is no way that I could EVER drink that much water and still get anything done.  I would be in the bathroom every 10 minutes.  I settled on shooting for 128 ounces a day, which is a gallon.  So far, it hasn't been a problem.  I stole a sports bottle from my brother-in-law the last time I was over and it holds 27 ounces.  I have 2 of them before the gym, 1 at the gym and 1 after.  Then when I get home, I drink at least 2 glasses of water.  I haven't noticed a huge difference but, I was only drinking tea and water anyway.

When I weighed in this morning, I had dropped below the 450 mark.  It was something I had been shooting for.  My total weight loss is now at 54 lbs.  I haven't been losing as rapidly as I would like but I know the first few weeks at the gym would be an adjustment.  I am entering into my third week now.  I met a very nice lady in her 60s yesterday who encouraged me to try the elliptical.  She said it was her best option because of her knees.  Thanks Rosie, and Happy Birthday!

Weight Loss Journey: A Break-Up, A Visitor and A New Page

It's a really sad day for me and I hate to even talk about this but I have to.  After last night, I am sad to report that we are breaking up.  We have been together for so long but it's time that we parted ways.  I wanted you all to hear it from me.  He has caused me too many stomach aches lately.  Cheese and I are over.  He has been my favorite for so long but apparently my stomach says he isn't allowed to come around anymore.  I may be able to sneak him in small doses but cheese quesadillas, nachos, or anything covered in an ooey gooey delicious layer of cheese is out.  (Pardon me while I wipe my drool and tears away.)

Now back to my normal ramblings.

I was super excited to have my nephew come stay with us last weekend.  It was the first time he has come to our house.  We picked Logan up Friday evening and drove south.  We told him we lived pretty far away but a 4 year old has no concept of time or distance.  When we got to our house, he had to run around, meet our animals, check out each room and then say he was hungry.  We don't have traditional kid food in our house so I was going to make chicken nuggets out of chicken breast and panko.  The whole concept kinda blew his mind.  He kept running to the microwave to ask if they were done yet.

Later that night he told me about a video he watched on his tablet for banana ice cream.  Well, I had watched the same video and had put bananas in the freezer a few weeks ago so we made Banana "Ice Cream".  It takes just 2 ingredients:  frozen bananas and almond milk.  All you do is put the frozen bananas in the food processor and add almond milk until you get the consistency you want.  I probably added about 1/3 of a cup of the almond milk.  It was really creamy and he and Roger loved it.  You could fold in whatever you wanted, like chocolate chips or nuts.

Saturday we made Carrot Cake Cupcakes for Easter and Roger made Kitty Cat shaped pancakes.  We let him choose what he wanted for lunch and he wanted pizza so we ordered Pizza Hut.  I did what I said and just ordered wings for myself and I was much more satisfied.  He ate his pizza and then we painted on some canvases.  He really enjoyed that.

The most exciting part came around 2:00 when a strange woman knocked on our door telling us that our fence was on fire.  It turns out that our neighbors had been burning their garbage and left it unattended.  Well the other trash they had piled against our fence caught fire and in turn caught our fence on fire.  Roger went back with a hose but it wasn't working so we called the Fire Department.  Logan was so excited to see the firemen and they even let him sit in the truck and gave him a cool hat.  There wasn't a ton of damage to our fence but it will need replaced soon.

We took him home Sunday where he hunted for Easter Eggs with his brother.  Then we went to my Aunt Shelly's house to have Easter with the family.  After Shelly's we went to my Dad's place.  It was a ton of time in the car but seeing family was worth it.  We finally got home around 8pm.  Since we don't have kids, we just go where we're told for holidays.

I weighed in Sunday before leaving for Easter and I was down another 4 lbs.  A total of 47.  I am 3 lbs from my 2015 goal of 50 lbs.  Once I reach that, I will set another goal.  My schedule will be changing at work soon so I will have an hour lunch.  This is a good opportunity for me to join the Planet Fitness gym that is just a few miles from my work.  It is giving me major anxiety but I need to get out of my comfort zone a bit.  I signed up Thursday April 9th, exactly 4 months from my diagnosis.  The last 4 months have been really good for me.  I have a completely new attitude.

March Goals Week 3

After posting my last blog, my cousin commented that the weight I lost is equivalent to her almost 4 year old son.  Putting it in those terms are crazy to me.  I lost a 4 year old.  Today I am wearing jeans that actually zip and button.  I can't tell you the last time I wore jeans that zipped.  I have been wearing stretchy pull on jeans for a while now.  I always try to look put together when I leave my house.  I am not one of those people who will wear their pajamas out in public.  My logic behind it is that I am already fat, why give someone more ammo to look down on me.

I have really been giving a peek into how my brain works.  I hope that it helps someone else reading this know that they aren't the only ones feeling or thinking this way.  Lately I have caught myself saying can't pretty frequently, like, "Oh, I can't eat that".  I feel like this is a really bad thing to say.  No one is telling me I can't have something.  I'm not even telling myself that.  I am choosing to change how I eat.  I have been consciously trying to replace can't in my vocabulary.  Nobody cares what you can't do, they want to know what you can or are going to do.

I went to the doctor on Tuesday and it turns out, the pain I was having is from Acid Reflux.  More specifically, Dyspepsia.  So, another new prescription and a list of foods to try to avoid.  The funny thing is, peppermint was on that list.  All week long I had been drinking peppermint herbal tea to calm my stomach.  I did get a high five from the doctor on my weight loss so that felt good.  She is pretty positive about my progress.  All my vitals and stuff were good, my blood pressure was excellent as well as my pulse and oxygen levels.

I did a seated YouTube exercise video Tuesday while editing photos and downloading content off my phone.  I made it through the entire 25 minutes with no problem.  I feel like I have been kicking ass at life lately.  My house is clean, I am organized, I am on my way to a healthier life, both mentally and physically.  I have crossed quite a few projects off my "Wanna-Do" list.  I even got photos hung back up in my house.

However, Thursday I didn't eat so well.  It wasn't a terrible day.  I only went over my calorie target by 100 but I ate the wrong stuff.  I had a Light Beef Bologna sandwich when I got home and then we had dinner with my Mom, Bruce, my sister Kari, Josh and my nephews Logan and Landon.  We went to a Mexican restaurant right next to my Mom's work .  I had saved about 1000 calories for the meal.  I had 750 but when I went home, a few hours later, I had a second bologna sandwich.  I can feel the difference in the type of food I ate.  When we got home last night, I had no energy to do anything and that led to sitting on the couch, watching tv and making that second sandwich.

I got up early on Friday morning and did a short 15 minute aerobic video before work.  I'm not really a morning person.  Sometimes it is hard enough to get to work by 7 am so I don't know if morning exercise will be my friend.  But, there isn't enough room anywhere but the living room to move around so unless I wanna interrupt my husband's night, morning it will have to be.  Saturday I did 20 minutes of a new resistant band routine.  It was fine but it didn't really challenge me so I won't do it again.

I can feel changes happening in my body.  I can tell right away when I have had too many carbs.  I get very lethargic.  My work is really paying off.  I weighed in on Sunday morning and am down a total on 43 lbs since December 9th.  My goal for 2015 was 50 lbs so I am sure I will get there.  My energy level has been down this week, especially Saturday.  I think PMS is creeping up on me.  My positive attitude has really improved my life as a whole though.  I didn't realize how unhappy and grumpy I was.  Finally making myself the focus is really helping.

I want to especially thank all of my Facebook friends and family for being so supportive.  With so many people in my corner, this change has been easy for me.  Even though the guys at work torture me with their junk food habits, I had been strong.  I know I have said it before, but this isn't a diet.  It is a lifestyle change.  I have made changes that are easily incorporated into everyday life.  I am still cooking regular dinners and eating out when it is necessary.  I guess what I am trying to say is that if you are struggling, know you are not alone and that you don't have to change your entire life just to lose some weight.

So, for my final week of March Goals, I am going to stay positive and get out of the house.  I am going to say 5 positive things that happened during the day before I go to bed and let the negative float away without wasting any of my time.  I am also going to do something after work 2 days this week.  Usually I race home and once I am home from work, I don't leave again.  This week I am going to either go for a walk, go shopping or hang out with friends after work.

Diabetic Journal Week 7

Wednesday February 25, 2015
I made this awesome mix last night and had it for breakfast this morning.  I am not sure exactly what to call it.  It's like a cold salad but if you heat it up, it's like a casserole.  Seems like all the best foods don't photograph very nicely.  I know it looks like a pile of stuff but I promise, it is so yummy.

Chicken, Quinoa and Avocado Salad
1 cup dry Quinoa
2 Avocados, cubed
Juice of 1 Lime
2 cups Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups low-fat Ricotta Cheese
1-1/2 cups boiled Chicken Breast, diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cook the Quinoa according to the package instructions and then spread on a plate and put in the refrigerator to cool.  After it is cooled completely, just mix all your ingredients together.  I let is sit over night and then heated up a serving for breakfast.  It was delicious and full of power foods.  It makes 4 heaping servings.  You could add it to some greens for even more nutritional value.
Each serving has 420 calories, 16 grams of fat, 42 carbs and 33 grams of protein.

While this journey is a very personal one and I am doing this strictly for myself and my health, all the support I have received from friends and family near and far has really kept me accountable.  Not only do I not want to disappoint myself, but I would hate to disappoint anyone else.  At times I may overshare but that is part of my charming personality.

Thursday February 26th, 2015:
I am a tad bit discouraged today.  I have hit a small plateau.  My weight hasn't changed at all in almost 2 weeks.  What this tells me is that it's time to put in some work.  The first 30 pounds came off fairly easily by just cutting out processed sugar and lowering my carb intake.  Now is the time to work on portion control and incorporating more exercise.  I had set a goal for myself to lose 50 lbs in 2015.  While that is a great goal, I think I need to set myself some smaller short-term goals that I can easily achieve.

So, for March, I am going to set one goal for myself each week.  Since the 1st is on Sunday, that will start my first week and my first goal.  I got the idea from the YouTube channel Mind Over Munch.  She has some great healthy recipes, workouts and home hacks.  She does an amazing trick with a Quest bar, making it into cereal.  I was sure it wouldn't work but it turned out so crunchy.  I bet you didn't realize that YouTube was more than cat videos.  There is actually a bevy of information on the site.  From recipes to workouts to tips and information on almost anything.

Friday February 27th, 2015:
My name is Kristy and I am an addict.  I am absolutely obsessed with food.  It is constantly on my mind.  I am always thinking about what my next meal will be or a new recipe to try or a way I can cut calories somewhere.  My biggest struggles are dinner.  Sometimes I get home and have no idea what I am going to make.  This leads to wanting to order in.  Pizza is one of my absolute favorite foods.  I haven't had it since January 1st.  Three days this week I came home without a plan for dinner.  All three days, I threw something together instead of ordering pizza.

This leads me to my first goal for the first week of March.  My goal for the week is to plan and make at least 5 of each meal.  Meaning 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners.  Weekends are the hardest part but we have no plans for that weekend so it should be fairly easy.  Last night I made our first batch of Overnight Oats.  These will be great for breakfasts.  While the chocolate one was really nasty, the blueberry flavor was awesome.  I will share the recipe in my next blog so I can post a picture with it.

Sunday March 1st, 2015
After the small disappointment earlier in the week, the weekend was spent with friends at parties.  Friday night my sister and I went to a Passion party at a friend's house.  I brought a veggie tray because I wasn't sure what food would be there.  Our hostess, Hollie, had chocolate dipped fruit, fruit kabobs, large and small wienies and cheese dip. I ate mostly fruit and vegetables but had some of the wienies too.  I also didn't drink, which was weird for me but not really that difficult.

Saturday night I went to a birthday party for another friend where I also didn't drink.  I packed an apple and a tangerine with me and got a 10 piece McNugget on the drive up, around 3:30 pm. I wasn't hungry the rest of the night so I felt good about the decision.  They all had pizza in the lounge area and I didn't go with them because as I talked about earlier, it is my trigger food.  So much so that I am going to be trying cauliflower pizza crust this week.  I am crossing my fingers.

I look forward to sharing my week with you.

Diabetic Journal Week 6

Monday February 16th, 2015:
What a weekend!  Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day, I know I did.  Saturday Roger and I headed to his work and he taught me how to torch and weld.  Together we created an art piece for our 10th Anniversary.  It was a really special moment.  We have been really disconnected lately.  I guess that sometimes happens when you have been married a while.  You get into a rut and just take your partner for granted.  We both decided we needed to make more of an effort and it has really changed both of our attitudes and moods.

I am finding it easier and easier to make good choices.  I am also finding that my tastes are changing.  Sunday we went out to breakfast like we always do.  I had steak, eggs, tomato slices and toast.  Then, we headed up to my sister's to see my nephews.  We didn't get to see her but spent about 3 hours with the boys and Josh.  They always make me happier.  My Dad even stopped by.  We don't see each other very much because we live a few hours apart.

After we left there house though, I was so hungry.  Roger wanted Jack In The Box so we stopped.  I got a grilled chicken sandwich with no sauces and without even thinking ordered a large fry and large Iced Tea.  I guess old habits don't ever completely die.  I ended up eating maybe 5 fries.  They just didn't taste the same.  So I ate my sandwich and was satisfied with it.  Before, a single sandwich would have never done that.  That night we went out with some friends for Chinese.  I ordered something called Three Ingredients.  It was scallops, shrimp and chicken with the normal Chinese vegetables.  It was really good.  I could have ate the entire plate but forced myself to stop and take the rest home.

Wednesday February 18th, 2015:
The weather in Washington has been so beautiful.  It seems like Spring is coming early.  Not sure what that means for our Summer but I will take it for now.  I have been doing sitting exercises at my desk this week.  While it may not seem like much, it is a lot more than I was doing.  I found a video series on YouTube called Launchpad from LiveExercise.  I am hoping that while having to sit all day, it will at least get me moving.  I did find a couple parts harder that others.  It at least got my heart beating a little faster and got me breathing.

Thursday February 19th, 2015:
I've talked on this blog before about my Mom's awesome lasagna.  I've also talked about my husband's annoyance when I mess with a good recipe.  Well I have been craving it something fierce so I decided to change it up a little without telling him.  Instead of all ground beef, I mixed 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork.  I also switched out the regular full fat cream cheese for a low fat onion and chive cream cheese.  It was seriously good.  A serving was 671 calories, 38 grams of fat and 27 carbs.  While it's a little high on fat, it was well worth it.

It sort of feels weird to me to analyze everything I eat.  I used to eat whatever and whenever I wanted.  I have actually proven to myself how much willpower I have.  After eating one piece of lasagna last night, I really wanted more but I forced myself to sit for at least 30 minutes and if I still wanted more then I would have some.  Sure enough, after 30 minutes, I was good.  About 2 hours later I made myself some plain popcorn and had a yogurt.  The popcorn provides some great fiber while the yogurt satisfies my sweet tooth.  I found a 100 calorie Greek yogurt by Yoplait with less that 10 carbs.

Tonight for dinner I made T-Bone steaks with roasted broccoli and baked potatoes.  This was the first time I have had a baked potato in a very long time.  I chose the smallest one in the bag and ate it plain but 2 hours after dinner my blood sugar was 144.  The nutritionist I saw said that a regular blood sugar after eating should be less than 180 but it kind of freaked me out.  I haven't been that high in a while.  I have been consistently between 80 and 120.  How often do others check their blood sugar?  I have been checking once or twice a day.

Sunday February 22nd, 2015:
I am nursing a little hangover this morning but I had such a good time.  We went out with some friends in Elma to sing Karaoke.  It's been a while and I have really missed it.  We had our normal Sunday breakfast routine but I wasn't able to eat much.  Roger just kept giggling at me and saying "I told you so".  Later in the day, while watching the Daytona 500, I was able to eat some popcorn and then even later I made some Roasted Broccoli and I felt pretty good after that.  Drank about a half gallon of water and some herbal tea throughout the day so around 3 I was feeling pretty normal.  There is a big change in the snacking habits at our house.  Plain popcorn and broccoli were never around before.  It was cookies and chips or crackers.

Friday night after work I tried out a Yoga program that I had on the DVR.  It was much harder than I anticipated.  My balance is terrible.  I have been looking on Amazon for some Yoga videos for obese people.  Roger has back problems and I heard yoga can help you become more flexible so I am hoping we can try it together.  I did have him do my Launchpad exercise video with me and he was a good sport.  I am also looking at some resistance bands to make my chair work outs a little more challenging.

Tuesday February 24th, 2015
Today was a weak day.  I had a long day at work and on my way home, I stopped at Starbucks.  I had a free drink on my card so I ordered a Venti White Mocha Frappucino.  Ya know what though?  I took maybe 5 drinks from it and was done.  It was a combination of knowing I didn't want to feel sick after drinking it and not wanting to derail just because I had a bad day.  Win for Kristy!!

Diabetic Journal - Week 4 & 5

Wednesday February 4th, 2015:
Yesterday I went in for some routine blood tests.  My results were online this morning and I have lowered my A1C from 6.9 to 6.2 and raised my iron level from a 9 to a 22.  While the iron level is still low, it is a great improvement.  Small things like this give me great encouragement to keep at it.  I also did my first real work out yesterday.  It was nothing too strenuous but I felt really good after.

Monday February 9th, 2015:
Last week had some pretty drastic ups and downs.  While the first set of test results were good, the second set was not.  I am extremely vitamin deficient.  My levels of Vitamin D, B-12, Iron and Calcium are so low that I am going to be on prescriptions.  I will even need to take shots for the B-12 and Vitamin D.   I also have extremely high levels of protein in my urine which can mean many things but the main concern is Kidney Disease.  I will have to do a 24 hour collection.

I unfortunately got this news about an hour before Roger and I left to go on a 3 day trip to the beach to celebrate our 10th Anniversary.  I tried to put it out of my mind but I thought about it a lot.  We did have a really good time though.  We got up close and personal with some deer, gambled, played at the arcade, took a walk, and went swimming.  The swimming thing was such a huge deal because Roger hadn't been able to go in water for the last 3 years or so while he dealt with a wound on his leg that just wouldn't heal.

I ate pretty well on vacation but did indulge in a doughnut when we left town.  It was the first sugary thing I had ate in 2 months.  It wasn't as good as I remembered.  We went to the grocery store on the first day so we could make sure I had some healthy snacking options.  I don't know about you, but when I am on vacation, I kinda want to splurge.  I was pretty proud of myself and even lost 2 lbs over the week.

Tuesday February 10th, 2015:
The struggle is real everyone.  I had such an intense sugar craving today.  The worst I have had since I started.  I went to Safeway to buy about 6 things that we needed and they have these clearance carts in the back of the store near the milk and eggs.  I got the milk and was headed towards the eggs when I zeroed in on them.  They were filled with the bags of mini candies like York mini patties which are my favorite.  I passed them, with my eyes glued, but then snapped out of my trance and realized I had forgotten the eggs.  I had to pass the carts 2 more times to get the eggs and head back the way I was.  Then, at the checkout counter, the king size candy bars were buy 2, get 2 free.  It literally took me white knuckling the cart not to grab them and throw them on the conveyor belt.  Once I was out of the store I sat in my car and just breathed really deep and patted myself on the back for not buying them.  How is that for a glimpse inside a food addicts mind?

Thursday February 12th, 2015:
Today is our Anniversary.  Roger and I have been married for 10 years.  It really doesn't seem like that long.  Like any marriage, we have had our struggles.  The first 2 years and the last 2 years have been pretty rough.  When they say marriage takes work, it really does.  For us, being a couple without kids, I think it is even harder.  We only have each other.  There are no kids to take the focus off one another.  It also causes us to get in a rut where we come home, eat dinner, watch TV and go to bed.  I think that's how we both gained so much weight.  We stopped doing things.  We are slowly working our way out of our rut though and I look forward to many more years together.

I got my test results back from my 24 hour urine catch and my protein levels were really high.  The doctor says that means my kidneys are damaged, most likely from the diabetes.  What happens is the elevated sugar levels damage the nerves in the organs.  The same thing can happen with high blood pressure.  The course of action is to take another prescription in hopes of not causing any more damage.  There is no way to reverse what has already happened.  The news really sent me into a depression spin.

Why is this happening?  What did I do wrong?  Why all at once?  They say you're never given more than you can handle so I guess I must be stronger than I think.  I stowed myself away in the bedroom last night and thought about all that is going on.  I kinda ruined our Anniversary plans by being in such a mood but I needed the time to process all of this.  I am not good at pretending to be happy.  Ask anyone who is around me a lot.  I wear my emotions on my sleeve.  My conclusion was that staying on the path I am on is the best way to handle this.  Losing weight will help with my diabetes and then everything can trickle from there.

Friday February 13th, 2015:
I woke up this morning in a much better mood.  I'm down another couple pounds and I just feel good.  The sunrise on the way to work was gorgeous.  I guess today I am just thankful.  I am thankful for my family, my friends, my job, and my life.  There are people much worse off than I am.  No more pity parties for me.  I am moving onward and upward.  Nothing can stop me!  Watch out world!

Diabetic Journal - Week 3

Tuesday January 27th, 2015:
I was much better at this journaling stuff the first week.  I feel pretty good lately.  My blood sugar was 113 for 4 out of 5 days.  Now that's what I call consistency.  I also finally got a scale and I have lost 23 pounds since December 9th.  I shared a recipe on the blog yesterday for some Caramel Apple Cupcakes.  I did try half of one with no caramel or frosting.  They were really tasty.  The cupcake alone is 78 calories, 17 carbs, 2 grams of fat and 10 grams of sugar.  Why does delicious food have to have so many carbs?

Sunday night I made Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers.  The filling was really good but we both realized that Bell Peppers are not something we actually like.  Cross that off the list of vegetables.  I really wanted to add some black beans to the recipe but that would have added a lot of carbs.  It is a delicate balance to have enough but not too many.  Yesterday I put a pork tenderloin in the Crock-Pot before work.  I love coming home to dinner already made.  I added some fresh green beans and it was delicious.  Now I have to figure out what to do with all the leftover shredded pork.

Today I was desperate for breakfast and lunch.  In fact, I came to work with no lunch.  I haven't been to the grocery store this week so the refrigerator is pretty bare.  I brought leftover Pepper Stuffing for breakfast but I am up in the air for lunch.  I have some fast food close to work.  I am going to have to learn what choices to make at which restaurants.  French fries are definitely out.

Wednesday January 28th, 2015:
While writing my entry yesterday, a light bulb went off.  Why don't I compile information from each of the fast food restaurants around?  That way when I have a day where I may not have another choice, I know what I should have.  The information is readily available on each restaurant's website and honestly some of it is quite shocking.  I will share my findings this week.

I ended up having a Bento for lunch which included grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, tempura vegetables, a California roll and some rice.  I didn't eat the rice or the tempura and I saved the California roll for a snack later in the day.  For dinner last tonight I took some of the leftover shredded pork and added some diced red potatoes and eggs for a quick hash.

Tonight we drove 75 miles north to have dinner with my Dad for his Birthday.  We went to a pizza parlor and I knew there was no way I could have pizza.  I ordered a Meatball appetizer and a Cobb Salad.  I should have just ordered the salad.  The meatballs came 6 to an order and drenched in sauce.  I ate the meatballs and then when my salad came, I couldn't eat anymore so I brought most of it home.  (I shared a few pieces with my nephew Landon.)  At least I have lunch for tomorrow.

Thursday January 29th, 2015:
Day 4 and I am still making my way through all that pork leftover from Monday.  This morning I put some on whole wheat low carb tortillas with a slice of cheese for breakfast.  It was REALLY good.  I am kinda mad at myself for not thinking of that sooner.  I found these La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Low Carb Tortillas with only 10 grams of carbs per tortilla.  I expected them to taste like cardboard but they had a nice flavor.

I went to the Nutritionist today and I got some real encouragement from her.  She assured me I was doing really well.  She does want me to try to get in more carbs.  I was making sure I was under 45, no matter how far, but she wants me to make sure I am between 40 and 50 per meal and under 15 per snack.  She gave me some really good tips about portion sizes and eating out.  I whined to her about having diabetes even though I am not really a sweets eater and she told me every body is different and every person has different genes.  I know she is right but I guess this actually was a blessing in disguise for me because now I know I have to get healthy.

Monday February 2nd, 2015:
I honestly can't believe it is February already.  January just flew by.  I posted my Fast Food Analysis on Sunday.  If you haven't already, check it out.  I had a really bad day Friday and early Saturday.  I was supposed to go have family time but I just couldn't.  Instead I went and hung out with a friend and some of his friends.  I just needed to be around people who didn't really know me so I could act like everything was ok.  I was proud of myself though because despite being in a really crappy mood, I ate really well.  We went to the grocery store to pick up some snacks and instead of junk food, I got lettuce and dressing for a salad.  I did however crunch up some Doritos to add crunch.

Yesterday was also the Super Bowl.  Even though my Hawks lost to the Patriots, it was still a great played game.  We just stayed home to watch it which meant that I wasn't surrounded by crappy food.  I made a beef and lamb burger mixture and Roger cooked them off.  The burgers were really good.   I also bought 2 rotisserie chickens at Safeway yesterday and deboned them so I could have chicken for my salads all week.  I'm not really into a lot of stuff on my salads.  Some protein and maybe tomatoes or avocado and that's it.

I am starting to compile information for an analysis on sit-down restaurants and what to eat there.  Do you have any suggestions for me?  Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook or email.