First Food Friday

Welcome to Food Friday. This is where you get to see everything I have eaten for the past week.

This week is just Tuesday through Thursday – since I just started.

Breakfast: ¾ cup Honey Nut Cheerios, ½ cup 2% Milk, medium Banana. 280 Calories

Snack #1: Cutie California Clementine. 40 Calories

Lunch: Ham and Cheddar Cheese on a Kaiser Roll with a side of Carrots and Celery. 465 Calories

Snack #2: Yoplait Light. 100 Calories

Dinner: Skillet Lasagna (2 servings). 673 Calories

Snack #3: Gourmet Mixed Nuts. 170 Calories

Day Total: 1,728   ~I went over by 200 calories this day.

Breakfast: ¾ cup Honey Nut Cheerios, ½ cup 2% Milk. 171 Calories

Snack #1: Medium Banana. 109 Calories

Lunch: 2 Taco Bell Fresco Crunchy Tacos. 300 Calories

Snack #2: Rocky Road Bar and Clementine. 220 Calories

Dinner: Healthy Choice Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken. 320 Calories

Snack #3: Yoplait Light. 100 Calories

Day Total: 1,210

Breakfast: 1 cup of Apple Dappers Cereal and ½ cup 2 Milk. 171 Calories

Snack #1: 1 cup carrots, 1 cup celery and 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Cheese. 105 Calories

Lunch: Progresso Split Pea Soup, Baby herb salad with cheddar cheese and light raspberry vinaigrette, Yoplait light. 480 Calories

Snack #2: Oreo Cakester. 120 Calories

Dinner: ½ serving of Hungry Girl Chicken Cordon Bleu and Oven Roasted Potatoes. 246 Calories

Snack #3: Monster Cookie. 207 Calories

Day Total: 1,329

Before you say it – Yes, I know I need to get off of the prepackaged food. One step at a time.

What did you eat this week?

Gotta Love Water Weight and Biggest Loser

I love Water Weight. I don’t love gaining it, but I LOVE losing it. I stepped on the scale this morning and I am down to 182 pounds. Seven pounds in about 3 days. It was all water – I must of really packed in the sodium during the past few weeks. It is a good feeling, but I can’t get too cocky about the loss. I won’t even register it as an actual loss until Monday – we will see.

Did you hear that Biggest Loser started again Tuesday night? I must have been living under a rock because I completely missed it, but with the wonderful and great world that is HULU I was able to catch what I missed. It looks like it will be a good one – not 100% what color I am going for. I like Brown…maybe black…maybe purple – we will see how I feel after next week.

One thing I do have to say is I love Jillian’s hair!!! I so which my hair was that thick and long.

So here is to my third day back on track. I am having a blast – can’t wait for Food Friday – it has kept me so accountable!

Not a New Year's Resolution!

As I said on my SparkPeople Vlog last night: Me being back is not a product of some kind of New Year’s Resolution. Not that losing weight is Resolution or that Resolutions are bad – it is just not my reason. If it was the 3^rd week of February I would be back due to the past two weeks I have had.

I have felt like poo! Sluggish, unhealthy, too old feeling – poo. Could it be because I have not posted here since September? Could it be that since then I have been on a free for all in the food department? If it was fried and smothered it was on my plate. It finally caught up to me and I have felt awful the past two weeks.

On Thursday, December 30^th I made the decision that is enough is enough – as soon as I got home it was back to work on myself. I have no excuse – I can’t blame stress, hormones or even JAG – I have tried, but he just laughs. I stepped on my friend the scale yesterday and it said…

189

Yeap…that is three pounds less then my start weight – no wonder I feel like poo!

I just dug through pictures from vacation and I could post so many where I believe I look like poo, but I don’t think that is not productive. 2011 is the year of productive StrawberryTart!

So, I am here and I am back on SparkPeople full time – that means I track my food and I VLOG. I hope to keep you updated here with my daily achievements and struggles – we will see what evolves.

Food Fridays will start this Friday. Similar to What I Wore Wednesday, Food Fridays  is where I will document everything I have eaten during the past week (Fri thru Thurs night). I will be accountable to report not only a picture for everything, but also the nutritional standing.

Also, this week I am back on Couch to 5k! yeah ---- that should be YAY YAY YAY! I have 5k in my sights for April and I so so want to do it – we will see.

So, there you have it – am I back and the next time you see me I hope there will be less of me! We will see.

SW = 192

Restart Weight: 189

LW = 135 (long time ago)

GW = 150

UGW = 142

I weigh in every Monday – so if you just want to see if I am actually walking the walking then Monday’s are the day to check back.

I am getting no sponsorship from SparkPeople, I just believe that it is the most wonderful free support I have ever had. I welcome you to join me or even just go watch Vlogs if you want  - that is fine.

Click Here to Visit My Sparkpeople Page.

Click Here to go to SparkPeople Main Page.

My Battle

With the Camera. You thought it was something more dramatic, huh?

I have learned the past few days that I am not alone, but at the same time I my issues are in my head.

Take for instance this picture. From a photographic stand point it is perfect.

Taken by a talented man with a very handsome man by my side, but if I had it my way it would look like this.

I know...bad zoom job.

I know it is irritating for most that I am like this and I am trying my hardest to get over it. This issue (problem…defect) came to ahead Monday night when I received part of my bridal portraits – wish I could show you, but you know have to keep it a surprise. Again, perfect photography, perfect location, lighting…everything. Everything, but me or so I feel. I automatically started picked myself apart. Why do I do this? – no clue.

When I look in a mirror I don’t do it. I feel great, but when someone lays down a picture in front of me I cringe. The past two days I have been looking for things on self love and self esteem, but I don’t think that is it. It isn’t that easy to lump it into one condition or area of focus. I love myself, but I don’t love my body. I think I am pretty Awesome on most days – not trying to be big headed. I believe I have talents that are unique to me and try my hardest not to compare the talents God has given me to the talents he has given others.

During last week’s sermon Jay Bakker asked “Are you being who God created you to be in all your unique-ness?” I would say “Definitely! But on the inside.” I love the women I have become. I just don’t love the body I have become it in. Does that make sense?

I hear you…Well get off your chubby butt and do something about it. The question I pose to myself is – Now matter what weight I am will I always call myself fat?

To get over my issue with the camera – I have signed on (meaning I am doing it-I didn’t sign anything) to do What I Wore Wednesday and link with Pleated Poppy. I have been sitting on it for 3 weeks now, so today I started. I posted just one picture, but it’s a step in the right direction, right?

Here it is

And here is the entry at StrawberryTart!. Read it here.  

Thank you. Thank you for readying. Thank you for listening to my mental babbling.

Cravings!

Lately I am not craving fried foods-I know shocking, but the craving I am having is much worse. It could be considered my reward that I will receive on October 30^th.

It is this

My four tier strawberry and white cake butter cream frosted wedding cake. Hmmmmm….give me a minute.

All I have to say is that when we went to our tasting at Chic Cakes I was in Heaven! Chelsea can definitely make some awesome tasting cakes. I couldn’t decide on strawberry or white, so I did both. Each tier is different. I am so excited and I crave this cake daily. Hopefully there will be some left so I can have it for days after the weeding.

Confessions of a Carb-a-holic

Urgh! This is a HUGE problem for me! Since I have been back in the swing of monitoring and logged everything I eat I have noticed I get most of my calories from carbs and I am lacking big time in the protein department.

Let’s look at carbs first. Here are my pie (hmmm pie) charts for the last two days.

Tuesday

Wednesday

See all those carbs? It’s crazy…last night (or almost every night) I craved bread. I allowed myself one slice of whole-wheat bread, but I could have eaten an entire cake (more about that tomorrow).

Sparkpeople recommends that I have between 60 to 136 grams of protein a day. Tuesday I hit 41 grams and yesterday I only got up to 31 grams. It’s not that I don’t know how to fix this; it’s that I really really really love carbs. I love carbs almost as much as I love sleep-ask JAG…he will tell you how many time I say “I love sleep.”

I guess this is my way of saying I am aware of it and I need to work on it and by tell you it means I have to come back later and tell you that my carbs and proteins are all in line.

As I was typing this post I got an email from sparkpeople entitled The Truth about Carbohydrates – I know it’s like they were reading my mind. Here is there simple advice.

How do you include carbohydrates in you diet in a safe, effective, and controlled way? The “Please KISS Me” (Please Keep It So Simple for Me) plan for carbohydrate control is a wonderful tool that only contains 3 simple rules:

RULE 1: Include the following in your diet:

• Fruits: 2-4 servings daily
• Vegetables: 3-5 servings daily
• Whole grain breads, muffins, bagels, rolls, pasta, noodles, crackers, cereal, and brown rice: 6-11 servings daily
• Legumes, beans and peas: 1-2 servings daily
• Low-fat and non-fat dairy products: 3 servings daily

RULE 2: Limit the following to less than 2 servings daily:

• Fruit Juice
• Refined and processed white flour products (bread, muffins, bagels, rolls, pasta, noodles, crackers, cereal)
• White rice
• French fries
• Fried vegetables

RULE 3: Eliminate the following from your diet or eat only on occasion:

• Sugary desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, candies
• Doughnuts and pastries
• Chips, cola and carbonated beverages
• Sugar, honey, syrup, jam, jelly, molasses

Here is a cute cartoon I found while searching for carb pics.

After post edit or thought: I really need to watch that fat too. I am in range, but dang!

What I'm Eating...I actually know..

What is this you ask?

This is what I ate yesterday. Why am I am showing it to you?

Because I stayed in my calorie range! Yay! Oh, I hear you judgy judgers (heehee) making comments about my fast food junk. All I have to say is one step at a time. Let me get back into tracking everyday, and then I will change another habit. Yesterday was busy, but today is a lot better. I also am aware about my protein...I am a carb junky. 

Last night I planned out my “menu” for today, packed it all up and have some great with it today!

haha...gold star for the first person to point out all the words I misspelled!

I got on the scale this morning I was down to 182.5, but that is not official until next Tuesday.

Wedding Day Ready!

Invitations are out

Cake is ordered

Dress is tailored

Everything is ready of October 30^th

Everything, but…

My Body

This picture was actually taken last week. When I got on the scale this morning I was at 184 pounds, so that a half a pound weight loss. It came to my attention yesterday-or pretty much slapped me right in the face-that I have 60 days until my wedding. I have goofed off enough! Time to get busy!

I would say I have to lose 20 pounds before then (2.5 pounds a week), but I cannot lose that much weight and still have my dress fit correctly. As I have told my fellow sparkpeople yesterday, I really just want to be comfortable in my body that day. I do not want to stand there thinking that people are figuring my BMI in their head-I know that won’t happen, but you know.

So I spent some time this morning making a list of what I need to do every week for the next 8 weeks to be Wedding Day Ready. I expect this list to grow as I find new things, but I really do not want to obsess over it.

1. I need to VLOG daily. This is video blogging on sparkpeople.com
2. Track every bite of food I eat.
3. Drink eight 8 oz glasses of water a day or more.
4. Get on the scale. Normally I would be against weighing myself daily, but I think I need to be aware everyday.
5. Plan what I am going to eat and eat it. This means get to the grocery store so I will have snacks and decent food.
6. Complete Bridal Bootcamp at least five days a week.
7. Complete some kind of cardio at least once a day.
8. Do things that help with stress – like not procrastinating so much!
9. Use sparkpeople friends and videos to stay motivated!
10. Measure once a week. Oh…measuring tape how I dislike you.

Oh and I need to blog here at least daily. I need to tell you all what is happening so that I can have some accountability. The posts maybe as small as this is what I ate today, this is how I worked out and this is how I feel about myself, but at least I will be here, right?

What is it Going to Take?

Ever ask yourself that? I did yesterday.

JAG and I felt like crap all weekend. Why you ask…our bodies are telling us “Enough with the crap you have been putting in me. I am going to rebel and see if you get the hint.” I feel like poo!

So what is going to take?  What will get me back on track? What do I need to do to realize this weight isn’t just going to drop off of me especially standing in line at a Pizza Buffet?

If you stumbled upon my blog today, I am sorry. I have no tips or advice for you today. I am lost. I have fallen of the wagon, rolled to the side of the road and cried because the wagon is five miles up the road and I have no clue how to get back on it.

JAG and I have found the good and the bad sides of losing weight together. When we are motivated we are AWESOME together, but when one of us falls off we grab the other and drag him or her to nearest deep fried eatery. We love food, we love each other and we love food. So we love to eat food together. Big downfall.

It kind of feels like two addicts, I want him to do well and I want to do well, but it harder then anything to get both of us back on the wagon lately. We are done justifying…that is a good thing, but at the same time we are in the “oh who cares” mood about our weight and that is not good at all. I need to do better to help him and he needs to do better to help me.

I have got to get motivated! I actually let Shelby take this picture of me and at the time I thought, “eh I am ok with myself like this…I don’t need to lose weight.” Then I got sick that afternoon from overeating pizza. That and trying on my now tailored wedding dress has led me to this post.

Hello, my name is StrawberryTart and I am a food addict. First step, right?

Note to Myself: I am so MAD at You!

Dear Not Ever Going to Be Skinny Tart –

184! Really? 184. You have got to be kidding me! You weighed in at 180 Friday night! You were so close to breaking into that 170 area. You could have done it, but you got an attitude thinking that you were doing so awesome and you deserve a little break. So where did you go? Huh? Go ahead…tell your readers! Yeap, Cheesecake Factory and you yanked JAG right off the wagon with you.

Shoving fattening food in your mouth didn’t end there did it? Saturday morning you just had to have the Cheese Danish at Starbucks…wonder how many calories that was. On Sunday you did better with toast for breakfast and lunch wasn’t too bad, but I soon as you proclaimed “I am an emotional eater” when the chicken fried chicken was placed before you for dinner I knew it was over.

I thought Monday morning when you woke up to find your engagement ring was tight on your fat swollen finger that you would get the hint, but I was so wrong! By 8 pm Monday night you were saying “Ah another piece of pizza.” Then, you fell into the trap of dessert pizza. I hope all that apple crumble goodness was worth it because you are now four pounds heavier!

Get Your Act Together!

Me

Dear Me –

I am fully aware of your disappointment and I am sorry. I after getting on the scale this morning I did put on a cute dress that shows my legs…I think they are getting thinner (maybe not from this angle, but still).

Then, in hopes of keeping myself inline I put on my 10 pound reward earrings from Funky Vintage Kitchen.

I proceed into my kitchen and decided I should not take leftover pizza for lunch. So I made a better decision.

I think that is my theme for today…I will make a better decision then yesterday and then things will get better.

Thank you for the tough love

StrawberryTart!-I will be SkinnyTart someday!

Your Hormones are Out of Wack

Not a Weight Related blog, but it is heath related.

This is the time during the month where I hear

“Since you have been dating JAG you have changed”

“You seem to have no time for your friends”

“Are you still alive?”

Let me tell you peeps that if JAG didn’t make me spend time with him I wouldn’t see during this week of the month either.

I am not talking about my menstrual cycle time of the month.

It seems like once a month around the same time I get in a really really bad funk. Like I don’t care if I eat bad, if I don’t exercise, if I don’t wash my face, it I don’t care if pay my bills, if I don’t care if feed my hamster. It is a calm self destructive week. I HATE it! I have been monitoring it for the past few months, so I know when it is coming.

It’s not depression, not something I want to treat with a pill.

My mom would say, “Your hormones are out of wack.” She uses that line for everything that I do that is not straight. It cracks me up, but maybe she is right.

So there…this is why there has been no SkinnyTart! Posts.

I guess this my way of saying…I am still here. I am still working to lose weight. I am not going to push everyone away this month!

Running…could I? Do you think I can do it?

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Kim, had a beautiful baby girl this morning. This is Kim, Jessie and I at Kim’s shower.

Yeap…that is the same Kim that about smacked with my flabby arms. I have been friends with them for 10 years.

What does Kim have to do with running?

Well you see Kim runs…A LOT. Hell she ran through her pregnancy…I give her big kudos for that. I remember last year asking her in my stupid way of asking dorky questions, “Kim can you teach me to run?”

Kim is so sweet; she would never tell me I am a dork. She said, “Yeah sure! You can do it.” Then I think proceeded to give me advice like buy good shoes and a good sports bra. Fact is I never asked her about it again because I was scared.

I am seriously scared to death of running…doesn’t that seem crazy?

Let me take you back to 1988. I was in the 5^th grade (I believe) and for a physical fitness test in elementary school we had to run for an allotted amount of time. So there is the entire 5^th grade class running in the field outside of the school. Where is Dana? I am standing next to the PE teacher holding my trusty get me out of all physical activity inhaler. I never had to do it…run that is.

Through the years I have grown out, somewhat, of physical activity induced asthma. I still carry an inhaler just in case I need it. Unfortunately, though, I have never learned to run. I mean…how to run and regulate my breathing at the same time.

It’s now 2010 and it’s time for me to face my fear. Therefore…TONIGHT I will start the couch to 5k program. Now I don’t have good shoes or a good bra, but I can at least start. Scared to death, but I have my inhaler and will have JAG there with me incase I pass completely out (overdramatic much?).

I will let you know how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully someday I will run marathons with Kim!

Kim in 2008 running the White Rock Lake Marathon

Before I forget…Tuesday are my weigh days…down 3 pounds this week…that is a total of 10 pounds so far! Woo!Hoo!

Motivation

You have to have it!

To get up the morning

To do laundry

To mow the lawn on a hot day

To exercise

To try something new

To change your life or lifestyle

I have to admit…I had it. I have lost it recently, but I am working as hard as I can to get it back.

One of the things I did was create a visual for myself. This hangs at my desk at work-the one place I need the motivation the most.

I titled it What Will Keep Me Going.

Here is what each thing means.

1. The quote “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference in weight loss success and weight loss failure.” I see this as have a can do attitude not a cannot.
2. Good Arms and Defined Shoulders: You all already know my obsession with this. No more FLABBY ARMS! I used to have defined arms (that’s me), the only picture is of Kelly Ripa…my dream arms. I seriously doubt I will ever look exactly like that.
3. A fortune cookie quote that is so so true and my goal is to get there. Or at least feel that way about my body…I love myself.
4. My 5 lb reward. Absolutely cute earrings from my friend April at Vintage Kitchen. I already bought my first pair (will have to post later).
5. 165 reward: I love Anthropologie, but they do not make clothes for big girls, so my reward will be to buy a dress like the one shown.
6. 150 reward: Another dress from Anthropologie, but a halter to show off those good shoulders!
7. No Longer being obese! Not that I think I am, but get out of that area on those lovely charts.
8. Show my daughter healthy habits: This is working on my legacy…making sure she knows what healthy is.
9. 170 reward…that skirt…I own it. I bought it, it still has tags and has been hanging in my closet for 2 years. It may not be a Sunday morning church outfit, but just to fit into it once would be wonderful!
10. Oh I need to repeat that statement over and over again!

So, this is one way I try to maintain my motivation. I am working on other ways as well and will share more tomorrow.

Here We Go!

You have no idea how long it has taken me to make myself type this blog entry. I have had my blog header made for some time now.

So Introduction Time!

You came here one of 3 ways (I think).

1. You know me from StrawberryTart! If so, welcome. This means that you are a friend, family or a random reader (who I love just as much as the other two).
2. You know me from Spark People! YAY! That is soooo Awesome!
3. You randomly came across me in a search or by hitting “next blog!”

No matter how you got here I welcome you! I know that you are here for one of three things.

1. You are NOSEY! Nosey Nosey…no worries I am the queen of nosey. Be nosey all you want. I am so going to tell you how much a weigh too! Ooohh! And post nasty before pics…aren’t you excited! Yoohoo!
2. You are here to support me in my journey! Ahhh I love you for that!
3. You have no clue, but you love my header! I know…me too!

Again, no matter what reason you are here, Welcome! Big Cyber Hug to you!

Now, about me in case you need a re-fresher course.

My name is Dana, otherwise known as StrawberryTart! In the blogging world. I have been blogging for two years now and I love it! It is the best, free therapy there is, at least for me. I plan on continuing with two blogs. In StrawberryTart! I will continue to give you my life and here at SkinnyTart! I will give you my weight loss journey.

Ah yes…the reason you are here…I am fat. Actually if you look at the charts and that dang Wii fit I am obese. Don’t you just love that word? Obese.

How did I get here?

I wish I could write out paragraphs about how this isn’t my fault, but it would all be a lie. I got myself to this point.

I am going to be lazy and share with you what I told the wonderful people at Spark People.

In 1977 I was born a healthy 10lb baby…I say that is the start of it all (I seriously know it’s not). I was never a small petite child like my sister. I would say it was elementary school when I caught up to my sister in clothing size even though she was three older then me. I was never considered to be the “fat kid” at school, but I was one of the tallest girls. I believe I got to my current height of 5 foot 4 inches (6 inches in good heals) when I was in junior high.

Looking back on pictures of Junior High and High School I could kick myself for thinking I was overweight. I spent many many years comparing myself to girls who did not have the same body structure as me and in turn began what I thought was “dieting” my freshman year in high school. If someone said it would make me thin I would do it: diet pills, diuretics or not eating at all.

When I was 18, I went to work for a major weight loss company. At the time I was 135 pounds and felt still that I needed to lose more weight. That didn’t happen. Actually, after going up and down I landed at 160 when I was 23. Then my world changed. After years and years of being obsessed with my weight I found my self pregnant. I took this as an excuse for an all out free for all and gained an unhealthy amount of weight during my pregnancy with my daughter. When I gave birth on September 13, 2001 I weighed 224 pounds. I thought for sure those 60 pounds would leave my body the moment I checked out of the hospital (stupid young girl).


During the past 8, almost nine years, my weight has fluctuated. When I was married I was about 170. Normally when people get divorced they lose weight, not me. My weight and calorie intake was such a priority for my x-husband that as soon as we split and had another free-for all and gained 20 pounds.

So here I am today, two years after my divorce weighing 192 pounds. During the past two years I have stopped smoking, but that is no excuse…I was this weight before I stopped smoking. I pretty much have just been maintaining.


My daily obstacles are all me! Me! Me! Me! I normally do not put my health first. Fast Food is easy when you have a schedule packed full. I even had a moment where I thought…I am happy with myself I am good at this size (trying to fool myself). Then last week my knees started hurting…I realized I hadn’t taken the stairs at work for the past month because it was so embarrassing to be that out of breath in front of my co-workers. I even un-tag pictures of myself on facebook because I can stand to look at myself, head shots only at this point.

So, there you have it. That is my story and my first post on this blog! Woohoo!


Again, Welcome! Come back tomorrow for the embarrassing before pics, measurements, and my weight as of today (intro was a few weeks ago).

Don’t worry…I am not embarrassed. I want this. I want you to read…I need your help!