Jan. 17 - Another Little Victory

I've written before about celebrating the little victories. I have one that I'd like to post today!

According to my BMI, as of today, I am no longer obese! I am merely overweight!!!! I know, it sounds kind of silly to celebrate being overweight, but I want to enjoy each step towards my goal. I refuse to be one of those people who is not happy until I get to my goal. I want to embrace this process and learn from it!

I've done lots of plotting and planning today. This week I am going to start working out for real. I have been giving it some half hearted effort but I want to go all the way with it. I've been searching around for inspiration and will start tomorrow. I'm going to start out doing body-weight exercises and cardio.

Then next month, assuming I am gainfully employed by then, I will use my tax return and pay for a full year's membership at a nearby gym. If it's paid for I am cutting out one of my most oft-used excuses (I don't have the money). The other excuse (I don't have time)will be out the window since they have classes from 6:15 in the morning until 7:30 at night. I can't wait! I am going to spend the rest of this month learning some of the movements and increasing my cardiovascular endurance so I don't feel like an idiot when I start at the gym. (and that polishes off excuse #3!)


Today's eats:
M1: ww toast w/ natural pb, apple
M2: 2 tacos filled w. bbq beef, lettuce and tomato
M3: hm iced latte
M4: thin crust pizza w/ chicken, mushroom and onion
M5: apple

Some reader questions:
Q: How do you put the ovoo on the popcorn so the parmesan sticks?
A: I spray it on with a spritzer bottle. I put the popcorn in a big Tupperware container with lid. Once I have sprayed the ovoo and sprinkled the parmesan on top, I put the lid on and shake it up.
Q: How do you do the bbq beef in the crockpot?
A: I will post the recipe below
Q: Could you do sucralose as a toxin of the day!
A: Definitely - look for it tomorrow!

Crockpot BBQ Beef

Beef Roast ( I used chuck shoulder roast)

1 cup of crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup of white vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

garlic powder and onion powder to taste

1/2 tsp dry mustard

You can also use a low or no sugar bottled bbq sauce for this

Spritz the inside of the crockpot with ovoo spray for easier cleanup. Put roast in crock pot. Mix all ingredients except roast in a bowl, then pour over the roast. Cook this in the crock pot on low for 8-9 hours for best results. If you don't have all day, you can cook it on high for 4 - 4 1/2 hours. When done, take the roast out and shred it using two forks. Return the roast to the sauce and stir well.

You can eat this on whole wheat buns or just as a protein serving. It also makes great taco, pita or wrap filling. Yesterday I topped a ww pita with it, then added mushrooms, hot peppers and onions and topped with cheese for a yummy gourmet pita pizza. Leftovers can also be mixed with pinto beans, jalapenos, chili powder and tomato juice for a spicy sweet chili.

Have a great day! Hope your weekend went well!

Jan. 7: Little Victories

It's really important to celebrate the little victories. An entire year of little victories can lead to a whole pile of pounds lost and health gained. Too often we beat ourselves up for the mistakes we make and not often enough do we congratulate ourselves on the things we do right.

I wanted to take some time today to reflect on some clean eating victories I have had over the past month and a half:

* I haven't had even a sip of Diet Coke since Nov. 30
* I didn't use the holidays as an excuse to eat with abandon
* I lost one pound the week of Christmas
* I lost one pound the week of New Year's
* My "cheat" meals are getting healthier every time
* I don't crave sugar anymore
* I have started working out again
* I no longer enjoy eating out - I prefer my homemade clean food
* I have not caved to emotional eating during a very stressful time in my personal life
* I am able to limit myself to a couple of bites of a cookie or other unhealthy treat without feeling deprived
* I carry a water bottle around with my constantly

I feel like clean eating is now my habit, where before going through the drive thru was my habit. I love the health and vibrancy I get from eating clean. All of these baby steps over the past 5 weeks have led to a weight loss of 13 pounds. I feel more motivated than ever to keep it up. I now celebrate saying "No thank you" when someone offers me a bite of something that isn't good for me. I celebrate getting through a bad day without reaching for the Oreos. A cheat has gone from a triple cheese burger, fries and a Frosty to a slice of thin crust chicken and veggie pizza.

Make sure to look at the little picture on your journey too. Celebrate every single one of those little victories that you achieve on your way to a healthier self.

I have had kind of a rotten week personally this week. I have had financial issues, arguments with my daughter, problems with my ex and trouble with my business. I feel a sense of accomplishment that I have not caved to emotional eating throughout this week. My food hasn't been perfect. In fact, strangely I have to force myself to eat, which has never happened before. So I have had less food than scheduled and the intake of fruits and veggies has been low. I also have to work on getting my water consumption up and this week's workouts have gone by the wayside.

All of that aside, I lost 2 pounds and I ate clean, so I'm claiming this week as a victory.

Today's food (don't expect a lot -I had a meeting that ran late and the microwave melted a baggie on my Brussels sprouts )

m1: whole wheat toast, natural peanut butter ( in the car on the way to meeting)
m2: chicken breast, apple
m3: trail mix
m4: tostada w/refried beans and chicken or beef, veggies, jalapeno relish
m5: popcorn or fruit

Cheers to all of our little victories!

Daisy