Oh Happy Day

Well, I am extremely pleased to report both my end-of-month results and my end-of-year-results. Hold onto your seat!

DECEMBER END-OF-MONTH RESULTS:

Weight Lost: 4.6 lbs.

Inches Lost: 4.25 inches

Chest: 1/2 inch lost

Waist: 1 inch lost

Abs: 1 inch lost

Hips: 1/2 inch lost

Thigh: 3/4 inch lost

Arm: 1/2 inch lost

2007 END OF YEAR RESULTS

Weight Lost: 38 Pounds

Inches Lost: 28.34

Chest: 4.5 inches lost

Waist: 5.1 inches lost

Abs: 7.24 inches lost

Hips: 6 inches lost

Thigh: 3.5 inches lost

Arm: 2 inches lost

And now, for your entertainment (and for mine!)...before and after photos. The photos of me in the red top were taken at the start of the program on January 1, 2007 and the blue top were taken today. Sorry they're a little out of order. I can't seem to get this darned Blogger system to line them up as I would like.

So now I would like to make some end-of-year comments about this entire experience. First of all, to say I am happy about the results I have gotten this year would be an understatement. I am ecstatic! This is the first time I have EVER been able to stick to a program and really see it through to the point of getting serious results. The thing I am most happy about is that, in the big picture, all I really changed was cutting back on calories. I've always been an avid exerciser (although those before photos don't really show it with all the extra weight I was carrying) so that wasn't a change. I didn't give up ANY foods (and if you have read my blog, you know that is true). I regularly ate all the junk I love: ice cream, pizza, chocolate, cheese, cookies, etc. The only difference was, I ate these things in portions that fit into my daily calorie allotment, or I ate as much as I wanted of them on splurge days. The key is, though, I didn't give them up. And that's why I have been able to stick with this program.

I also was not on the program every single day of the year. I took three week-long vacations this year in which I did not follow the program at all (I have a rule - no dieting or formal exercise on vacations and I eat as much as I want). In addition to that, I would estimate there were about 5-6 other weeks of the year I was pretty much off the wagon (for various reasons). So to get the results I did with a compliance rate of about 70% for the year just astounds me!

Above all, I am just so happy about my December results. To actually have such a good weight loss during Christmas season, when normally I gain weight at this time of year, plus to lose inches on every measurement was truly a triumph!!!! If you could see me now, you would see that I am just beaming!!!

My goal for this coming year is to continue on the program as I have been. I am not so much concerned with the number on the scale, as far as a goal is concerned although I have a rough figure in mind. I am more concened with size. I am currently a size 12 and my final goal is an 8/10 (closer to an 8), to fit comfortably into my wedding gown and to be more fit than I was when I got married. I know I can reach this goal in 2008 and I hope you will follow along with me.

To all who are reading this, a very happy and healthy New Year and may you accomplish all the goals you set for yourself in 2008!

Satisfying Sunday

Sunday's Goals
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1200

Sunday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength, Cardio & Swimming

Calories: 1240

Well, this is my last day before my monthly (and annual!) weigh-in and measurements! My calories were only 40 calories over my allotment, although once again my food choices weren't perfectly healthy all day (that's okay...they don't need to be on this program). For breakfast I had an egg, cheese and vegetarian "bacon" sandwich on a slice of Tuscan Pane bread (422). For lunch I had pasta with marinara sauce and grated cheese (326) and then I just couldn't resist...I had another piece of that heavenly fudge truffle cheesecake (450) followed by one miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (42). That was it for the calories so again, I had to skip dinner.

Speaking of the Fudge Truffle Cheesecake, my friend Carol sometimes sends me recipes that she has tried and that she thinks are outstanding. She gets her recipes on the AllRecipes web site. This particular cheesecake is truly to die for, so I am posting the recipe link here. I made this cheesecake for Christmas but there was a lot left over (it's a very large cheesecake and it's very rich so you can only eat a small piece at a time), so that's why I've been chipping away at it this week.

For my workout today I went to the gym again. I did 30 minutes of cardio, alternating between the elliptical machine, walking & running around the track and rebounding. Afterwards, I did about 50 minutes of strength training (free weights and Nautilus) and then I went to the pool. The pool was PERFECT today! I checked the thermometer and it was something like 90 degrees. I slid right into that pool today with no hesitation. It was wonderful. And as always, I ended my gym visit with a nice soak in the hot jacuzzi....ahhhhhhhhhh....I will sleep well tonight!

Snacky Saturday

Saturday's Goals

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1200

Saturday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1280

I was feeling run down today so I opted not to exercise. I was pretty close to being on track with my calorie allotment, although I didn't eat that healthy today. For breakfast I had (gasp!) a slice of chocolate cheesecake that I made for Christmas (400). For lunch I had a grilled cheese sandwich which I made on my new panini grill (420). And then I did some baking today and against my better judgment ended up eating 2 moderately small (but outrageously delicious) chocolate chip cookies (260) and a few broken pieces of orange-almond biscotti (200). That meant no more calories for dinner so I skipped dinner. Thank goodness tomorrow is my last 1200 calorie day. I can't take it anymore!

I am confident I am going to have a positive result on the December 31 weigh-in and measurement taking. This one is particularly important to me because not only is it my monthly weigh-in and measurement-taking, it's my end-of-year weigh-in and measurement taking too - the 1 year anniversary of my starting this program, so I want to be able to record the most positive results I can get.

Like I said, I will actually be happy with ANY progress this month, since it is the holidays, but wouldn't it be great if I got some really good results?

The Hungry Hippo

Friday's Goals

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1200

Friday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1278

Boy, I can't wait until these 1200-calorie days are over! They are killing me! Of course, I realize it's the price I am paying for going off the wagon at Christmas, and I still maintain that it was worth it. Still, 1200 calories is WAY TOO LOW for me. I struggle to come up with meals that will fit into that calorie level.

At any rate, I did pretty well today with the calories even though I went over a little. I had 2 clementines first thing in the morning (100) followed by a slice of Tuscan Pane bread, toasted, with 2 tbs of PB2 mixed with 1 tbs regular peanut butter and a tiny bit of jelly (274). For lunch I made an eggplant parmesan pizza using the Tuscan Pane bread as the crust. It turned out really well! (456). For dinner I only had 300-some calories left so I made a scrambled egg sandwich with vegetarian "sausage" and a little cheese. I grilled it on my new Krups panini grill that Mom and Dad gave me for Christmas (that thing is AWESOME! It makes toasty-brown ridges on the bread like waffle french fries!) (388)

I also had 3 miniature candy canes today (60).

For my workout, I rebounded while watching one of Tracie Long's workouts (Core Cardio).

All in all, a successful day on the program.

Riding High on the Wagon

Thursday's Goals
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1200

Thursday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1300

I went a bit over on my calories today, but I am not too worried about it, considering how low my calorie level is set for the next few days. For breakfast I had a shake (300). For lunch I had a large slice of Tuscan Pane bread topped with 2 veggie burgers, a heaping pile of sauteed veggies, cheddar and a little ketchup (580) and then broiled toasty brown (yum!). I had a small piece of chocolate cheesecake (from Christmas) afterwards - I just HAD to have it (320). No calories left after that, but later on I had a pear (60), and a couple miniature candy canes (40) to take the edge off my hunger.

I went to the gym yesterday and did 30 minutes of cardio (elliptical machine alternated with walking and running around the track) and 50 minutes of strength training. I had also planned to swim a bit, but once again, the pool was too cold and I just couldn't bring myself to get into the pool. So I ended my gym visit with a nice soak in the HOT jacuzzi. Ahhhhhhhhhhh...heaven.

My Program is now On-Line!

Over the past couple of months, I have been getting an increasing number of questions about my program - from friends, co-workers and others. People want to know how I am dropping all this weight and getting into shape. I've been explaining it to people, but I realized after exlaining it to the 3rd or 4th person that it's kinda of time consuming to go through all the details. I decided, therefore, to create a special web site just for the program. This site explains exactly how the program works.

If you're interested in checking it out you can find it here:

The Sassy Program

I've also added a permanent link to the program on the right side of this blog.

Gingerbread Men

Just wanted to show you the tasty little gingerbread men I made a week or so ago. I thought they turned out really cute.

You'll notice they are sitting atop the chocolate-dipped Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's I made.

Back in the Game

Well, it's been a few days since I wrote and you can probably guess why. CHRISTMAS! Yes, despite all my plotting and planning, I was sabotaged by Christmas. It started last week after the holiday party at work and kinda spiralled downward from there. I didn't keep track of calories. I overate. I haven't worked out in a few days - mostly due to exhaustion from running around so much.

The good news is, today I am back on the program and am not really beating myself up over it. To counteract some of the damage I undoubtedly have done to my progress this month, I am going very low cal for 5 days. I am allocating myself 1200 a day until New Years Eve. Hopefully that (combined with steady exercise this week) will be enough to take me to the break-even point when I weigh in and do measuements end of month.

Honestly, if I can make it through December with no weight gain, I will be very happy. If I make it through December with any weight loss (or inch loss), no matter how small, I will be ecstatic. It just doesn't ever happen for me, so it will be a real testiment to my discipline this month. Even though I went of the wagon over the past week, I really was on track pretty much the rest of the month, so I am giving myself credit for that. And to be honest, I don't regret one delicious morsel I ate over the past week! It was worth it!

Today I was diligent my calories. I had a shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I had 2 small slices of spinach & ricotta pizza (that I made a few days ago) (600). For dinner I had a large slice of toasted Tuscan Pane bread spread with a mixture of 2 tbs of PB2 mixed with 1 tbs of regular peanut butter and a smidgen of jam (300).

I intended to exercise today. I was going to go to the gym. I even packed my gym bag and everything. First, though, I wanted to stop at a couple stores to get some after-Christmas sales on wrapping paper and stuff, and it ended up to be a 2 hour excursion, after which I just realized I was feeling really run down. I think the holiday exhaustion just really crept up on me, so I went home and lied down on the couch and took a nap the rest of the day. I will go to the gym tomorrow and get back on track with my workouts. It will be much more enjoyable if I am energetic and well rested.

Anyway, to anyone who is reading this.....happy holidays and if you have fitness and/or weight loss goals this year, I wish you the greatest success!

Popping In

The last couple of days have been very busy and I haven't had a chance to do my usual posting. So here I am with a quick report.

On Wednesday I was great with my exercise (I did WHFN's Lean) and good with my diet until after work, at which time I went off the wagon with my diet and had a major candy indulgence. I simply could not stop myself. Unfortunately, this month I cannot rectify that by switching calorie values around because my entire month is already tightly scheduled to accommodate holiday social events. So I will have to live with the results of the "off the wagon" day.

Yesterday (Thursday) was a splurge day so I didn't have to monitor the diet. I did The Firm's Maximum Body Sculpting for my workout. We had our holiday party at work which I ran, so I was running around from the time I got into work until the time I got home and collapsed from exhaustion. This was a party for about 50 people with catering, set-up, decorations, music AND entertainment (we had karaoke which went over great and was a huge hit! Even my boss who is a nice guy but not someone I would describe as playful or fun, got up and sang!) I didn't sit down for one minute yesterday. Needless to say, I am skipping the workout today because I feel like I've been hit by a Mack truck.

I have a dietary challenge today as an additional holiday event got scheduled in. I am meeting a friend for lunch (my ex-boss) - this just got scheduled last week so it's not something I have planned in my calorie allowance. I'll probably have to go over my calorie allowance for today because there's no way can eat lunch out and have my entire day total up to 1400 or 1500. Oh well, like I said...my goal for December is to have ANY positive result...even the smallest result. If I can get through December and LOSE weight or INCHES, I consider that to be an amazing accomplishment (since I usually gain 5 pounds in December and God knows how many inches).

Tantalizing Tuesday

Tuesday's Goals

Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1400

Tuesday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1415

Today was a good day on the program. The chocolate-dipped Candy Cane Joe-Joes were calling my name and I felt a "going off the wagon" impulse coming on, so instead of throwing my program to the wind of Christmas compulsion, I made the decision to answer my urges and make the Joe-Joes my breakfast and lunch and incorporate them into my calorie allotment for the day. I had 6 of them and BOY were they GOOOOOOD (600). I know...not a healthy choice (and not particularly filling either), but one that kept me on schedule with my calorie allotment nonetheless and satisfied my craving. I had a pretty large dinner - a breaded tilapia sandwich (with 2 pieces of fish) on a flour tortilla with cheddar and mustard (540) and a small side of the pasta with brussel sprouts and nuts from the other night, sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese (275). So my diet wasn't a total health disaster after all.

For my workout today I did Tracie Long Training's Finding Your Core which I really enjoyed. I didn't feel like working out today - I actually still felt sore from my gym workout on Sunday (I must have overdone it on the Nautilus machines) but I stuck to my plan and did my workout anyway, so I am pleased with myself!

Mahhhhvelous Monday

Monday's Goals

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1400

Monday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1443

Another good day on the program. Hey, considering it is December, I am pretty happy with my compliance rate...almost 2/3 of the month is over and I've only fallen off the wagon a couple days. Most Decembers I am off the wagon the entire month (and then some!)

For my workout I did GForce 2 (rebounding).

I had a shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I had leftover pasta with brussel sprouts and nuts (from yesterday) (533). For dinner I had a breaded tilapia sandwich on a flour tortilla with cheddar and mustard (410).

Usually every Christmas I make chocolate covered pretzels but I was feeling creative on Saturday and decided to make chocolate-covered Oreos instead - only instead of Oreos I used Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's (my new favorite cookie) and also, mixed a little mint extract in the melted chocolate to give them an extra minty taste and then sprinkled them with colorful non-pareils (very pretty)! So I had 2 of those cookies today as a treat. Mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmm good! (200) They remind me a little of the Girlscout Thin Mints, only better (if you can imagine that). They do have a lot of calories, though! I was very proud of myself for limiting myself to 2 because I really wanted to eat a pile of them. That's the problem with goodies like this - when you're on a low-cal day and have to really limit the quantity, it can be a real challenge.

Sunday Success

Sunday's Goals

Exercise: Choice

Calories: 1400

Sunday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength and cardio

Calories: 1395

After falling a little off the wagon on Saturday, I was back on track today with my program. I went to the gym today and did 30 minutes of cardio (alternating among the elliptical machine, walking/running and rebounding) followed by 40 minutes of strength training (free weights and Nautilus machines). I was going to end my workout with a swim, but the pool was too cold for my taste, so I skipped the pool and went straight to the nice, hot jacuzzi. Ahhhhhhhhhh.....just what the doctor ordered!

I had a shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I made a grilled veggie burger sandwich on whole wheat bread with fried onions, mustard and ketchup (460). For dinner I made breaded tilapia with a side that recipe from Orangette's blog that I mentioned before - Pasta with Hashed Brussel Sprouts and Pine Nuts (substituting walnuts for the pine nuts), sprinkled with parmesan cheese (605). I also had 2 mini candy canes today (30).

All in all, a very good day.

Dropping in...

Just popping in to say hi. I've been busy the last couple days with Christmas stuff....wrapping, baking, running around. I admit that today and yesterday I haven't been super diligent with counting calories but I am hoping that the excess of frenetic activity will compensate.

I thought I would post a recent photo - me at a size 12! And look - I'm wearing a form-fitting top and jeans (no more need to hide beneath baggy clothes).

Thursday

Thursday's Goals

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1500

Thursday's Goals

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1560

Thursday was a rest day which was a good thing because I was feeling like I needed an exercise break anyway.

My diet wasn't the healthiest on Thursday, but I stayed pretty close to my calorie allotment. I had a shake for breakfast (300). I had a vegetarian pizza "burger" for lunch (500) followed by a bunch of candy (640). That didn't leave me much for dinner so I had a pear just to tide me over (120).

Wednesday Splurge

Wednesday's Goals
Exercise: Strength

Calories: 3000

Wednesday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength
Calories: 3000 (estimate)

Yeah! Splurge day...the most wonderful day of week! I didn't even eat real food for breakfast or lunch...I ate the things I have been avoiding the past week...like cookies and M&M's - you know, those holiday goodies that beckon to you from every corner at every minute of the day during December. I was so good in maintaining control on my non-splurge days with this stuff, so I really enjoyed them yesterday. They tasted EXTRA good!

I had planned to eat a real lunch - I even prepared one and brought it to work, but the sweets killed my appetite, so I decided not to force lunch down just for the sake of eating real food.

For dinner I met my brother at an Italian restaurant. I had stuffed eggplant with a side of spaghetti, a salad with bleu cheese dressing and lemon gelato for dessert. It was really good and I was very full after dinner (a rare, but good feeling!)

For my workout yesterday I did FitPrime's Strong Bear, one of my favorites. All in all, a very good day.

And now....I just looked at my calendar and I have 7 low-cal days in a row!!!! :( Just the way things panned out when I plugged in all my various social/eating occasions in the month. Oh well, I'll survive.

Tuesday Temptations

Tuesday's Goals

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1400

Tuesday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1405

I have to say - I am really proud of myself for how I have been handling December so far. As I mentioned the other day, every year December is the bane of my existence and always the undoing of any dietary progress. Every day this month someone at work has brought in delicious goodies, setting me up for the potential for a dietary downward spiral...it's either holiday treats, or someone's birthday, luncheon leftovers, bagels and cream cheese - you name it - but every day it seems there are some kind of high-calorie goodies in the kitchen at work. So far, I have really been disciplined in controlling myself with this stuff. Today is an example. It was a co-worker's birthday so we had a birthday cake. Since it's one of my low-cal days, it was either eat a real lunch or have a piece of cake (my calorie allowance today would not accommodate both), so I opted for the real lunch. I figured as much as I would love the cake, for the same calories the real lunch would fill me up better than a tiny piece of birthday cake which would send me into a sugar crash and leave me hungry. I just keep telling myself, "no need to have this stuff today...tomorrow is my splurge day". And that is the key to my success on this program - the fact that there's always a splurge day around the corner is what makes this program tolerable.

For breakfast I had my usual shake (300). For lunch I had a "grilled" (baked) cheese sandwich on TJ's Tuscan Pane bread with a bowl of that homemade butternut squash soup I made on Sunday (642). For dinner I had vegetarian pizza "burger" on Tuscan Pane with fried onions (413) followed by a couple hard candies (50).

For my workout today I did a rebounding workout - GForce 2. All in all, a very successful day.

Munchy Monday

Monday's Goals

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1500

Monday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1516

Today was another good day on the program, although my diet was a little unusual. I did Jari Love's Ripped 1000 for my workout, plus I did a bit of housework this morning which was a bit of extra activity.

I had a shake for breakfast (300). Then, during the day I had a series of snacks instead of a regular lunch. I was just in one of those munchy moods I had some fantastic cookies - Trader Joe's has a new holiday version of their "Joe-Joes" (which are like Oreos). These are chocolate cookies with a peppermint filling that has pieces of candy cane in it! MAJOR YUM! (446). I also had a large pear (134) and some corn chips (194). For dinner I had pasta with marinara sauce chocked full with vegetables and some grated cheese on top (442).

I am telling you...I could have EASILY eaten the whole package of those candy cane Joe-Joe's. I am so proud of myself for the self control I have developed.

On the Run

Sunday's Goals

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1400

Sunday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1400

I did really well today. Despite it being a rest day, I did a lot of running around. I spent the early morning into the early afternoon running errands, shopping, cleaning and cooking. The rest of the day and evening I did some research and studying, so I got to sit down for awhile.

For breakfast I had a shake (300). For lunch I had a slice of pizza (400). For dinner I made a couple of my favorites - butternut squash soup (120) and my favorite salad I told you about last week with the pears, cheese and walnuts with oil vinegret (580).

Stumbling Saturday

I fell a little off the wagon on Saturday, I don't think too bad. First, I woke up feeling like I definitely needed a break from working out. All those days of exercise in a row finally took their toll. My body felt run down. Plus, I knew that we were going to be walking all day (went on an outing) so I figured that would be enough exercise.

As for the diet, my calorie allotment was 2230. Because we were out all day and eating at restaurants and so forth, I couldn't exactly count calories. I think I went over but since the allotment was that high, if I did go over, I don't think it was by that much and I don't think much damage will be done with all the walking we did.

Fantabulous Friday

Friday's Goals

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 3000

Friday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 3000

I was feeling a little worn out Friday morning like I needed a break from exercise, so I decided to do a workout that was not as strenous as my usual ones. I pulled out one I had not done in awhile: The Bar Method: Designer Sculpting. It was just the right intensity for my worn-out self - more of a floor work/pilates type workout without tons of physical exertion. I didn't want to skip working out yesterday because I definitely am going to have a rest day on Sunday (because I will be out all day on Saturday for a day trip and I know I will want to rest Sunday) and I really try as hard as I can to stick to 6 days a week of exercise with one rest day whenever possible. So I was happy with myself for doing something on Friday.

Friday was my splurge day and it was probably one of the most enjoyable splurge days I've had in awhile. First of all, I've been dreaming of homemade chocolate chip cookies for the past month or two. I used to bake cookies pretty regularly but now that I am on this program, I don't bake them as often because I can't eat many of them (tons of calories in each cookie). But yesterday I made an exception AND I calculated the calories for the whole recipe so that I can calculate the calories for each cookie for upcoming days when I want to have one. As always I relied on The Best Recipe Cookbook for the recipe and I was not disappointed. The BEST chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten - no lie. I ate several with a glass of skim milk and I never tasted anything so good.

I had another outrageously delicious eating experience yesterday. I met some former co-workers at The Fountain Restaurant at The Four Seasons for lunch which, of course, is a very upscale, gourmet dining affair. It was a 4 course meal. I can't remember the exact names or descriptions of what I ate but the appetizer was snapper with a potato thingie on the side and a gourmet sauce. Then I had a ceasar salad-type thing. The main course was a crab cake - one of the best I've ever eaten (the only better one I have had was at Le Bec Fin). It was topped with this fried pierogie-type thing and wilted spinach and served with a creamy sauce. For dessert I had creme brulee (my favorite) and a cup of hot chocolate. Oh, and I had a whiskey sour as my cocktail.

Sounds like a ton of food, but it's gourmet stuff so the portions were small. It was just right!

I didn't eat dinner - I wasn't even hungry and figured it was pretty likely I had already maxed out my 3000 calorie allowance.

On the way home I stopped at Steinmart to check out men's clothing. Hubby started a new job this past week and he realized he needs more formal clothes (his new company has a formal dress code, so no more Dockers and polo shirts, sadly). Anyway, I was pleased to see that Steinmart was having a really good sale. Almost everything was 30-50% off. That's the good thing about this horrible economy - the retailers are really slashing prices this holiday season. So in addition to getting some clothes for hubby, I picked up a couple pairs of jeans for myself (I think they wound up being $11 or something each after the sale and a 20% discount coupon I had). Anyway, here's the fun part. I didn't even try them on. I saw them, I liked them, knew that the style would be flattering for my figure and I grabbed them in size 12 and paid for them. I have NEVER bought jeans without trying them on - EVER.

Why did I not try them on? First of all, I was too tired, but also...I knew that if they were too small (which was likely because although I am a 12 now, jeans are almost always a different story) they wouldn't be for much longer.

I went home and tried them on and was able to get them both on and zipped, although they are to tight too wear comfortably. That's okay...they are tucked in my closet and hopefully next month I can wear them. Aside from them, I only have 1 pair of jeans now that fit me appropriately. The fun thing is, when I tried them on and spun around to check out my ass in the mirror, I felt like a teenager again looking at myself in my Sergio Valente designer jeans (they definitely were as tight as my Sergios were, that's for sure!). Of course, my butt is not that small (and I don't expect it ever to be again), but I FELT like I looked like a teenager again. My butt seemed more compact and perky than it has been in recent years. Hubby was standing there when I tried them on and he was nodding approvingly and teasing me in his Austin Powers voice, "yeah, baby!" He knows how excited I get when I try on new things that are in smaller sizes.

So that was my day. A pretty darned good one, I would say.

Causing Concern to Others

Thursday's Goals

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1500

Thursday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1493

I had a very successful day on the program. I am really happy that so far, December is going smoothly and I am not spinning into my usual December Downward Spiral. For my workout I did WHFN's Steamin' Cardioand rebounded through a lot of it.

My calories were right on track. I had a shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I had pierogies with shrimp, broccoli and a little butter (525). I had a couple pieces of peppermint/chocolate candy after lunch (110). For dinner I had pasta with marinara sauce sauteed with peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms - sprinkled with parmesan cheese (538). After dinner I had 1 hard candy (20) to take the edge off my sweet tooth (I ALWAYS get a severe sweet tooth after eating tomato pasta sauce).

I have a funny thing to talk about today. One of the other directors at my office, who is probably the person I am closest with at work, has commented on how thin I look fairly frequently. Yesterday she came upon me in the kitchen and immediately said, "you are getting REALLY skinny!!!!" but with a concerned look on her face, as though I am on the path to anorexia. "Why, thank you!" I replied. "I love to hear that!" "You aren't trying to lose MORE weight are you???" The look on her face was so serious and concerned that I almost busted out laughing. If I wasn't so shy about revealing my actual weight, I think I would have done so just to allay her fears. So instead I replied, "Marie, I'm a size 12 - and my goal is to be size 8/10...there's no need to worry."

As a point of reference, here is a recent photo showing how I currently look.

Just the idea that someone may see me as on the path to anorexia really cracks me up. I don't mean to imply that anorexia is funny - it certainly is not. It's a devastating illness. It just cracks me up because I am nowhere NEAR on the path to anorexia. I am still "overweight" on the medical charts, I eat every calorie alloted to myself (and sometimes more!!) I never resist eating as much as I can in my program. I plot and plan for my splurge day and when it comes, I don't hold back - I SPLURGE! Yes, I am food focused and maybe a little eating disordered, but my disorder is not anorexia. I have no desire to be any smaller than a size 8.

Anyway...later in the day this same friend came into my office and said, "you know....we never get to hang out and talk anymore. We should go out to lunch sometime soon." I very enthusiastically replied that I'd love to and we decided we'll talk next week about planning a date. At first, I thought she was probably asking me to lunch because I've been pretty stressed at work lately and she's told me before that "everyone is afraid you're going to leave". Part of my stress has to do with the fact that the culture at this organization (specifically the CEO who is my boss) views administrative staff as red tape and a necessary and costly evil to keep the place running. He has no appreciation of the how the administration's good work impacts the outcome of the organization as a whole. This lack of respect and appreciation gets demonstrated in subtle (and sometimes very obvious) ways that I have been finding very wearing and demoralizing. My friend is one of the few people there that I am close enough to confidentially open up (and vent) to about these things. So anyway, I've been getting this feeling that she and another director I am friendly with have been conspiring to make me feel more appreciated. Last week she called me on the phone to confirm what my mailing address was. I told her, but asked her why she was asking and she replied, "never mind" as though it was some surprise. I haven't received any surprise in the mail yet, but I know she is cooking something.

Anyway, so when she invited me to lunch I assumed it was part of her "make Sassy feel appreciated so she'll stay" plan. But then I got to thinking more and I wondered....is she inviting me to lunch to observe to see if I have an eating disorder? Will she monitor me to see if I run to the bathroom after I eat my lunch? Is she going to watch to see how well I eat? Maybe she really is worried about me becoming anorexic. Again, the thought of that just makes me laugh. I'll have to make sure to eat well when she and I go to lunch so she won't worry so much.

I love her. She's just a great person. And you must understand that she's a therapist so being compassionate and caring is not only her nature, it's her job.

Another thing that happened yesterday was that one of our old security guards who left in August popped in to say hello. I love this guy so I gave him a big hug and he immediately exclamed, "wow - you've lost a LOT of weight!!!!"

It's funny because since August when he left I've probably only lost about 10 - 12 pounds, so it's not like he hasn't seen me since last December or something. Also, you know it's interesting - I didn't lose any weight in November but it seems like all of a sudden I am getting massive numbers of comments on how thin I look. My measurements haven't changed that much either in the last month or so, so I am not sure why this is happening. All of a sudden EVERYONE seems to be noticing and commenting.

I'm not complaining...it always makes me feel good and it keeps me motivated to know that my results are so noticeable. It's just curious to me because the weight has been coming off slowly over the past year but now, all of a sudden, it seems to be really noticeable.

Today should be interesting. I am off from work today (vacation day) and I am going to lunch at the Four Seasons with everyone from my last job. Needless to say, today is my splurge day. My old boss and I are still close...in fact, it's funny - we always got along great when I worked there but once I left, we became close friends. I think the removal of the professional "wall" allowed us to become closer. Anyway, I was so touched that he invited me to their annual "go out to a very fancy-shmancy place for lunch in December" (a tradition which I initiated four years ago when I worked there and which has continued on until today). I haven't seen most of these people since last December which is when I was at my all-time highest weight, so I will be curious to see their response when they see me.

Shake, Shake, Shake

Wednesday's Goals

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1400

Wednesday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1442

I had a good day on the program today. I tried a new workout this morning...Jari Love's Ripped & Chiseled. It was a toughie! Lots of reps (almost to the point of overkill - I had to intersperse a few rebounding "breaks" in there). It was a decent workout but not my favorite of hers. Ripped 1000 is my favorite Jari workout.

My diet was just about identical to yesterday. I had my usual shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I had a veggie burger on whole wheat bread with sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms, cheddar, mustard and ketchup (410). After lunch I had an orange (60) and 1 small package of Swedish Fish (60). For dinner I had more of the pasta from yesterday with the brussel sprouts and walnuts (612).

I thought I would write about my protein shakes today. You may wonder why the heck I have a protein shake almost every morning. Well, first of all this particular brand of protein powder I use (Whey Gourmet) is very tasty. Whey protein is derived from milk so shakes made with this form of protein taste awesome and don't have any weird aftertaste like some other types of protein powder. Because my shake contains frozen banana, it is also very creamy and tastes just like an ice cream milkshake you'd get at Friendly's! (it's that good) .

So reason number 1: it tastes really good.

Reason #2: It's very filling and only has 300 calories. It's hard to create substantial and filling breakfast for 300 calories that also has a good amount of protein in it and holds me over until lunch. Having a relatively low-cal breakfast frees up more calories for lunch and dinner which are the meals that I really like larger amounts of food.

Reason #3: My shakes are intensely chocolate (I add dark cocoa powder to them to make them really dark) and having a good, intense dose of chocolate in the morning seems to protect me from getting insane chocolate cravings later in the day (I am a serious chocoholic).

Reason #4: they are healthy! Aside from skim milk (calcium), the shake is loaded with protein plus I add a couple other ingredients that are really healthy - banana (a fruit!), dark cocoa powder (flavanols) and cinnamon (controls blood sugar).

Reason #5: It's quick and easy to prepare...no cooking. Just toss everything in the blender and voila! Ready in 30 seconds.

So aren't you glad I explained all this? I know you must have been on the edge of your seat wondering about my protein shake obsession. ;)

Terrific Tuesday

Tuesday's Goals
Exercise: Cardio
Calories: 1400

Tuesday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Cardio
Calories: 1432

This morning I did a rebounding workout - GForce 2. I wasn't really in the mood to work out this morning but I did it anyway.

For breakfast I had a shake (300). Last night I cooked a new recipe for dinner - Pasta with Hashed Brussel Sprouts and Pine Nuts - a recipe I got off of Orangette's blog which is a cooking blog I enjoy reading regularly. I didn't eat the pasta last night, though, because I didn't have many calories left so I let hubby enjoy it and I had oranges for dinner. But today I had a big bowl of the pasta for lunch and it was really yummy!!! (727). I should note that I substituted walnuts for pine nuts because although I had pine nuts in the cabinet, they were really old and they smelled rancid so I tossed them. Pine nuts are good but they are not a nut I cook with that often so they tend to sit around. The walnuts worked well in this recipe though.

For dinner I had a veggie burger on Tuscan Pane with fried onions and mushrooms, a little cheddar, ketchup and mustard (355). I also had a couple hard candies today (50).

Manageable Monday

Monday's Goals
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1500

Monday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1460

After such a full day of excitement yesterday, I must admit I wasn't really feeling up for the workout this morning. I wasn't my normal energetic self (dlv, I give you lots of credit for exercising regularly when you kids to take care of every day!) Anyway, I am proud to say that despite feeling run down, I dragged my butt into my workout room and forced myself to work out this morning, telling myself that it's December and I can't mess around this month. So I did Tom Holland's Total Body Workout, which, although tough, is only 45 minutes so it's manageable on less-than-energetic mornings.

For breakfast I had my usual shake (300). We had a party at work today and I had 2 slices of pizza and a cup of soda (1,000). For dinner I decided to go very light and had 3 navel oranges (160).

Sunday Sundae

Sunday's Goals

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 2320

Sunday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Rest

Calories: 2329

I was really proud of myself today. We had a big day planned with our nieces and nephew that involved all kinds of activity plus a trip to Friendly's and still, I managed to track all my calories and stay within my calorie allotment. Of course, it helped that I had a higher-calorie day planned for today.

It was a rest day but I didn't exactly rest since I was very active all day entertaining the monkeys. For breakfast I had a shake (300). Anticipating the potential for diet downfall today, I spent some time in the morning preparing my dinner and lunch ahead of time so that I could best control the calories and accommodate the trip to Friendly's later for ice cream. For lunch I prepared myself a veggie burger on Tuscan Pane bread with fried onions, mushrooms and a little cheese (365). For dinner I prepared myself an eggplant parm pita pizza (564). At Friendly's I had a brownie sundae (my favorite) which I estimated at 1100. I'm pretty sure that is a generous estimate for the sundae.

Successful Saturday

Saturday's Goals

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 2320

Saturday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 2300

I was successful on the program today which wasn't that difficult considering my calorie allowance of 2320. For my workout I did Ripped 1000- one of the most thorough and tough workouts I own.

Saturday was the beginning of my December schedule so you'll be seeing some modified weekly calorie allotments. I don't usually have calorie allotments of 2320 but as I mentioned the other day, I rearranged my monthly calories to allow for the various social and holiday outings this month.

We had eating out plans on Saturday so I had a shake for breakfast (300). We had lunch with friends at a 50's themed diner restaurant (a particularly good one) and I had a vegetarian burger on foccacia with muenster cheese, garlic/pepper spread and a big side of french fries (plus a soda) - YUM!. I had to estimate all this of coure, so I guessed 700 for the burger, 700 for the fries and 200 for the soda (total 1600). I had another soda later (200) and a small snack in place of dinner (since I already used so many of my calories)...a few crackers and cheese (200). Hope I estimated well.

November "Results"

Well, I am here to post my November "results" if you can call them that! I didn't expect any big successes in November since I was on and off the wagon with the diet for the whole month. As it turns out, I gained a pound and lost 1/4 inches total (I lost 1/2 inch off my waist, but gained a 1/4 inch on my thigh). So basically, I'd call it a wash and evaluate it as no results in November.

Well, as bad as that sounds, I am not that unhappy about it considering how off the wagon I went a lot of the time. It could have been much worse! I could have gained a lot and really slid backwards.

As always, I try to look at things in the big picture instead of the small picture. In the big picture, I am at 11 months on the program (with, I'd estimate, 70% of that time on the wagon) and in that amount of time I've gone from a size 18 to a 12, lost about 35 pounds and about 25 inches. Sure, it could have been MORE if I was on the wagon the entire time, but you know what? I'd rather make slow, steady progress and enjoy myself a little than to make super quick progress and have to be ridgid 100% of the time. So that's my rationalization for today to make me cope with my lack of progress in November. See how the mind works?

Now December is really going to be a test. I have my month planned out, but there is a special tension underlying December - it's a frenetic time with lots of extra excitement, rushing around, eating opportunities at every corner. So I am really going to have to buckle down this month to be on the program. I would like to end December with some progress and not have it be another November.

Speaking of results, I credit exercise for my breaking even in November. Had I not been diligent with my exercise in November, I guarantee you I would gained a lot more weight and probably inches as well! Exercise saved me from really sliding backwards.

Skating Away

Thursday's Goals
Exercise: Cardio (skating)
Calories: 1500

Thursday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Cardio (skating)
Calories: 1545

I already wrote that yesterday I went skating. I skated for a solid hour. As always, lots of fun and best of all, it gets me out of the office for a couple hours.

I was on pretty much on track with calories yesterday. I had a shake for breakfast (300), an eggplant parmesan pita pizza for lunch (530). For dinner I had a breakfast sandwich....a slice of toasted Tuscan Pane bread topped with 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of vegetarian "bacon" and a little cheddar (415). Afterwards I had some Swedish fish (300) to settle my sweet tooth.

Catching up

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is, I've been completely on track with my exercise. Yesterday I did Cathe Friedrich's Push Pull. Today I went figure skating. And I am continuing to get compliments almost on a daily basis. Today ANOTHER person at work commented and said, "You are REALLY looking good lately!"

The bad news is I fell completely off the diet wagon yesterday. I don't know why. I was just HUNGRY and all I could think about was eating and I had absolutely no willpower to count or limit calories. I am not even going to tell you what I ate. Let's just say it was a lot and I didn't track a damned thing.

On the positive side of things, though, I am back on track and determined not to let this turn into a month long downward spiral. One thing that has been weighing on me in the back of my mind is how in the world I am going to manage December with all the social events (that involve eating) planned. The usual custom is that I go totally off the wagon in December, gain several pounds and then have to get back on track in January. Same story every single year. But this year I am not going there. I worked so hard to take off the weight I have - I don't want to slide backwards. But the fact is, I have about 9 social events on my calendar in December so I had to come up with a plan.

I decided the best way to deal with December is to plan the entire month out instead of going week by week. This way I can really figure out where I need to place the high calories days. Since there are so many of them in December (and they don't conveniently fall one-per-week) I need more calendar "space" to utilize in making my plan. Another thing I did was to shift some calories around to create a larger number of higher-calorie days. The end result, though, is that the calories all add up to 1800/day so no damage will be done.

Tantalizing Tuesday

Tuesday's Goals

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1400

Tuesday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1400

This morning I did GForce 2 - a rebounding workout. I have to admit that I am not a cardio person. I really don't enjoy it that much - I much prefer strength training. However, I do enjoy rebounding. Aside from skating, dancing and tennis, rebounding is really the only type of cardio exercise I truly enjoy or can even tolerate.

My calories were on track today, but it wasn't the healthiest eating day. I had a shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I had another breaded tilapia sandwich on Tuscan Pane bread with a little cheddar and mustard, plus a small amount of tortilla chips (425). I then proceeded to binge on candy which I estimate at 700 calories, so I skipped dinner. Bad girl!

I don't know what's up with me lately but I've been having these sugar urges almost daily. It must be the impending holidays. Well at least I am being conscious of the calories.

Marvelous Monday

Monday's Goals

Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1800

Monday's Accomplishment

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1803

I did a tough workout this morning - The Firm: Super Sculpting. Man! I forgot how tough this one is! Lots of lunges and also back work, which is great because a lot of workouts skimp on back work.

My diet was a little odd today but I stayed on target with the calories. I had the usual shake for breakfast (300). For lunch I had leftover breaded tilapia on TJ's Tuscan Pane bread (yum!!!!!) with a little cheddar and mustard (553). I had a pile of candy this afternoon (700) - boy it's amazing how many calories are in a moderately-sized pile of candy. It's no wonder I gained so much weight over the years casually snacking on candy like I used to. Anyway, that didn't leave me many calories for dinner so I had 2 pears (150) and some tortilla chips (100). I know, weird assortment of food. It's a wonder I don't have a stomach ache.

I've been having some interesting experiences lately with comments. I've noticed that lately when people ask about my weight loss and find out I am still actively pursuing further weight loss, they seem surprised and look a little worried, as though I might be going overboard. It's funny...the concerned looks make me smile because trust me, I am FAR from near anorexia and my goal size and weight are very reasonable for my height and within the recommended range on all the medical charts. When I tell people my size, they relax a little - they realize I am not that thin. If they knew the number I weigh, they most certainly would not be concerned. According to medical charts, I am still "overweight". I have to say, though, that at this point I don't think I am overweight (no matter what the charts say) and I certainly don't feel overweight anymore. I would put it this way...when I started this program I perceived my size as BAD. Now I perceive it as GOOD and I am working toward GREAT. (I've always been an A student). But I definitely do not want to go overboard.

I had a very pleasant shopping experience yesterday. I think I told you that my size 14 pants and jeans have gotten loose to the point of clearly not fitting. So I went out shopping to get a couple pairs of dress pants yesterday and I am happy to announce I am most certainly and officially a size 12 now. Boy, what a nice feeling! And get this...SOME medium tops fit me too! (not all, but some). You know I had to buy myself a medium top!

Actually I bought a really pretty red velvety-looking Christmas top recently that I plan to wear on Christmas and at the various holiday parties I am going to in December. And yes, it's a size medium! More incentive not to go off the wagon in December like I usually do every year.

Honestly, I seriously cannot remember the last time I wore a Medium or a size 12 but I can tell you it was YEARS ago. Really, if I think about it, it was about 7 years ago that I was at a size that felt reasonable for me.

Goals for the Week of November 26, 2007

Monday

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1800

Tuesday

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1400

Wednesday

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1500

Thursday

Exercise: Cardio (ice skating)

Calories: 1500

Friday

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1400

Saturday

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 3000

Sunday

Exercise: Choice

Calories: 2000

Sunday

Sunday's Goals
Exercise: Choice
Calories: 1400

Sunday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Pilates/Yoga
Calories: 1550

I had a good day on the program today. For my workout I did Crunch's Super Slimdown - Pilates Yoga Blend. I really enjoy this workout and it's great for days when I don't feel like doing a full-blown, exhausting workout.

For breakfast I had a shake (300). For lunch I had a slice of pizza (400). For dinner I made tilapa breaded with the usual (panko bread crumbs, parm cheese and regular breadcrumbs), a large amount of brocolli and a baked potato with butter (700). That was it for my calorie allowance but those darned pears were calling (actually SHOUTING) my name, so I indulged in a couple (150). I don't worry too much about going over on something like fruit, though. I doubt a couple pears will make or break any progress.

Sensational Saturday

Saturday's Goals
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1500

Saturday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Strength & Yoga
Calories: 1570

I had a really good day on the program, I am very happy to say. First of all, I did 2 workouts instead of one. First I did The Firm: Bootcamp 3-in-1 Mix which is a long, challenging strength workout. Afterwards, I really felt like doing some yoga, so I did Crunch Candlelight Yoga and I extended the shavasana (final relaxation) at the end. Perfect! In the evening, I also walked around the mall a little (for about an hour) so I definitely got my exercise in yesterday.

I went over by 70 calories but it was for a pear so I don't feel bad about that. I will explain about the pear in a minute. For breakfast I had a shake (300). For lunch I had an eggplant parmesan pita pizza (513). For dinner I had my favorite salad in the world - one I recently discovered through a recipe in The New Best Recipe Cookbook(my favorite cookbook in the world). It's arugula with roasted pears, walnuts and shaved parmesan (in strips) with an oil and vinegar dressing (680). I made a HUGE salad for those calories. I modified it a little last night...I used the pears unroasted (I discovered I actually prefer them this way in the salad and no butter has to be used) and I used low-fat feta cheese in place of the shaved parmesan - it was just as good and the low-fat feta has only 40 calories per ounce (which is really low for any cheese).

I am not a big salad person. I enjoy them once in a while (usually the fattening ones like ceasar or ones with blue cheese dressing) but generally salad is not something I love to eat or crave. However, I make an exception for this salad. It is OUT OF THIS WORLD. The combination of the sweet pears with the sharp cheese and the crunch of the bitter walnuts with the acidity of the vinegar in the dressing is just outrageously delicious.

And these pears!!!! I bought a different type this time - bosc pears (the ugly brown ones that seem unappealing when you look at them). Wow! Firm AND sweet at the same time. Delicious!

(Can you tell I am hungry right now?)

Fickle Friday

Friday's Goals
Exercise: Rest
Calories: 1400

Friday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Rest
Calories: ?

I am ashamed to report I went off the wagon yesterday and didn't keep track of my calories. I was doing fine...counting everything up until after dinner and then I had a meltdown. I was feeling a little run-down and under the weather and my willpower really sucked. That's no excuse but that's the reason. Oh well. I am back on the wagon today and I plan to really stay on track for the next 7 days since my December 1 check-in is coming up. I don't think I am going to have big losses for November since I was off the wagon for a good chunk of it.

My program buddy dlv reminded me that I need to pick out my next charm and yesterday I realized that that would probably be a good idea considering the motivation issues. So since travel is my greatest love above all other interests, I chose this charm for when I reach 40 pounds lost:

Isn't it cute?


It's hard to find charms! First of all, in most cases, I only like three-dimensional ones (not the flat ones). So that eliminates about 90% of what's out there. Then, trying to find ones that match up with my interests, are in 14K, in my price range and that I really like is very hard! But I certainly like this one a lot.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wednesday's Goals
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1400


Wednesday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Strength
Calories: 1400

Today is Thanksgiving and hurray! It's a splurge day. What could be better than splurging on good 'ole heavy, starchy, fatty, sugary American comfort food? When you're counting calories 6 days a week, NOTHING!

As for Wednesday, for my workout, I pulled out one of my old favorites, FitPrime's Strong Bear. Haven't done that one in awhile and forgot how great it is - probably one of my all-time favorite video workouts! A toughie with lots of inner thigh work. I am feeling it this morning.

For breakfast I had a shake (300). For lunch I had some pasta primavera (500). Afterwards I had sugar craving and had a handful of jelly beans (300). That left only 300 calories for dinner so I decided to have another shake (300). I didn't feel like cooking and there are not many things one can cook with 300 calories, so I decided to make it easy on myself. With all the extra time I had after "dinner" I decided to put up the Christmas decorations. This was the first year pulling out our "Insta-Tree"! (an artificial tree we bought last year, decorated and after Christmas put a sheet over it fully-decorated and put it in the garage until this year). Pulled it out, plugged it in and VOILA - Insta-Tree! So funny and ridiculous but I love it - it saved us about 2-3 hours of work! Hubby was rolling his eyes at me the whole time and laughing at me, but I know he was relieved to not have the entire house torn apart for an entire afternoon.

I must admit that Insta-Tree isn't anywhere near as pretty as my big, real, meticulously-decorated trees of years gone by, but that's okay. I just don't have the desire to go through all that hassle anymore so it's either Insta-Tree or nothing. Been there, done that.

Terrific Tuesday

Tuesday's Goals

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1800

Tuesday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1800

Tuesday was a successful day on the program. For my workout, I did WHFN's Fast Cheetah. I rebounded through some parts of it simply because I find rebounding more fun than some forms of floor aerobics.

For breakfast I had only a large cup of hot chocolate (200). I wanted to conserve calories since we were having a pizza party at lunch today and I really wanted to have 2 slices (because we always order from the most awesome pizza place)! So for lunch, I had 2 slices of pizza and some Coke (1000). For dinner, all I wanted was my favorite ice cream so that's what I had - Turkey Hill Chocolaty Moose Tracks with whipped cream - a nice large bowl! (600).

I got another compliment on Tuesday. I was in the copy room at work and a coworker came up to me and told me I looked really great and asked what I have been doing to lose so much weight. At first, I told her "counting calories and exercising a lot" which usually is enough for most people to hear (because when they hear exercise they scratch the idea right off their list), but she wanted to know more. As I told her more, she wanted to know every detail...exactly what I am doing. She was so inspired and excited about the program and thought it sounded very reasonable and easy to follow. She told me she's tried every diet under the sun and always falls off the wagon because she gets tired of the restrictions they require and giving up certain foods. I was telling her how this program is easier to stick with because:

1. You can eat whatever foods you want as long as you stay within your daily calories. You don't have to give up any foods (like most diets require). I still eat (as you know) ice cream, pizza, cookies, etc. It's not a health food diet.

2. You can't "screw up" - you can always switch calorie levels for a day if you go overboard one day and overeat (of course, you can't do this frequently as there are only so many high calorie days to be had, but the option is there for rare, desperate occasions).

3. You get to have a full splurge day every week where you eat as much as you want. You can easily plan dinners out using the splurge day so you don't have to worry about counting calories at a restaurant.

4. You get to have 1 -2 higher calorie days in each week where you eat a very satisfying amount of food.

The only challenges in this program are (in my opinion):

1. You really have to exercise regularly to encourge good results and body toning (although the weight loss can be attributed 85% to the diet). This isn't really a challenge for me because I love to exercise, but many people do not.

2. Weighing, measuring and counting calories is a pain. It's not hard to do, but it can be tedious and somewhat time consuming, and when you're really hungry it seems even more tedious.

3. The lower calorie days can be challenging.

4. Busy social weeks (when more than one dinner or party is planned) can be a challenge because once you've used the splurge day, you have to count calories for the other days. It's hard to count calories when you eat outside your home.

Taking everything into account and compared to other programs I have tried, this one is the easiest to follow, at least for me. It doesn't feel like torture. It doesn't feel like I am giving up that much. I don't feel deprived. I am seeing good results. Who can complain?

Manic Monday

Monday's Goals

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1500

Monday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calorioes: 1500

What a busy day it was. I did a tough workout in the morning - The Firm's Total Body Shaping Mix. This is a good one as it's nice and long and has some cardio intervals interspersed with the strength training. A very thorough workout.

For breakfast I had steel-cut Irish oatmeal again. This time I mixed in chopped Granny Smith apple and walnuts (plus the usual cinnamon and Whey Low) (385). For lunch I had a breaded tilapia sandwich on TJ's Tuscan Pane bread with a little cheese and mustard, baked in the oven until crispy (513). For dinner I had baked tortilla chips topped with black beans and Mexican cheese and sprinkled with fresh cilantro and chili powder (600). I had a major sweet tooth after this (I tend to get a sweet tooth after eating spicy foods, or tomato-based foods) so I had a glass of my virtually calorie-free limeade. It helped, but man did I have a major craving for some ice cream which, I am proud to say, I did not act on. I kept telling myself, "Thanksgiving is this week....save the calories!!!!"

Goals for Week of November 19th

Monday

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1500

Tuesday

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 1800

Wednesday

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1400

Thursday (Thanksgiving)

Exercise: Cardio

Calories: 3000

Friday

Exercise: Rest

Calories: 1400

Saturday
Exercise: Strength

Calories: 1500

Sunday

Exercise: Yoga

Calories: 1400

Successful Sunday

Sunday's Goals
Exercise: Rest
Calories: 1500

Sunday's Accomplishments
Exercise: Rest
Calories: 1503

No exercise today...it was a rest day (and a much needed one!). I had a clementine before breakfast (70) and then for breakfast I had a slice of Tuscan Pane bread with 2 eggs, vegetarian "bacon" and cheese (433). All I wanted for lunch was ice cream so that's what I had - my favorite light ice cream - Turkey Hill Chocolaty Moose Tracks topped with whipped cream (500). For dinner I made pasta primavera (pasta and vegetables) topped with some grated cheese (500).

Splurging is Sensational

Saturday's Goals

Exercise: Yoga & Swimming

Calories: 3000

Saturday's Accomplishments

Exercise: Strength

Calories: 3000

Since I skipped my workout on Friday (which was supposed to be a strength day), and since I didn't feel like driving to the gym for the yoga class and swimming, I decided to do a strength workout at home instead. I did Jari Love's Slim & Lean, a toughie! Jari tends to go overboard on rep-overkill, so when the reps for any particular exercise seem to be going on for far longer than is necessary for a good workout, I jump on the rebounder and do cardio until she moves on to the next exercise. This actually is better for me anyway, since I really prefer strength workouts that have cardio intervals built in. I feel like I'm getting a more well-rounded workout.

It was a splurge day so I ate whatever the heck I wanted and didn't count calories. I know I list 3000 as my calorie allotment, and I probably should count, but I don't bother. I figure the odds are against me eating more than 3000 calories, since it's a pretty astronomical amount. The "splurge" aspect of the day (i.e. eating what I want without counting calories) is a necessary element for me to stay on this program. The counting, weighing, measuring isn't really difficult, but it does get tedious after several days and it's really great to take a break from it once a week and just go with the flow and be like a normal person. The highlights of my splurge were delicious vegetable lasagna and a hearty slice of chocolate mousse cake. YUMMMMMMM!