So I've realized something about myself. No matter what I've accompished or how far I've come I'm never satisfied. People tell me how great I'm doing and all I can think about is how much further I need to go. I need to step back and realize what I've done and pat myself on the back. I'm way to hard on myself, and I always have been. Stepped on the scale today +2 I abot freaked. Guess I should have seen it coming, its been really hard to find time to work out with this messed up schedule I'm on right now. Guess I'm just gonna have to try that much harder because failure is not an option.
So give credit where credit is due and step up my game. I got this, had a minor set back but still well on my way.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Give your self some credit...
Friday, February 3, 2012
You can only lead others where you yourself are prepared to go...
So the new job has been taking up quite a bit of time. Sorry haven't written in a while. Still going good with my weight loss. I'm not losing weight as fast since I have little to no time for the gym, but its still gradually coming off. Just have to make sure that I keep up my good eating habits and once my work schedule changes you better believe I will be hitting that gym extra hard.
For those that don't know my new job is in a call center. Just going to work every day gives me so much motivation to keep on the path that I am. There are so many people that work in call centers that just don't care about their selves. Its almost sad, you see these gigantic people eating horrible things. It makes me want to reach out and help them, offer my advice or support. Maybe if they had the knowledge and knew what they were doing to their bodies, that it's never to late to make a new start, maybe they would change. But how do you offer up your help? Its hard with out coming across, rude or mean. So I just kinda let everyone know what I've done and what I'm still doing. Hopefully that lets them know that I'm someone that they can talk to if they need help.
At my current weight I have gotten down to 152. So I'm getting there. Think I may go get some weights and yoga in before my shift starts at 3:30.
For those that don't know my new job is in a call center. Just going to work every day gives me so much motivation to keep on the path that I am. There are so many people that work in call centers that just don't care about their selves. Its almost sad, you see these gigantic people eating horrible things. It makes me want to reach out and help them, offer my advice or support. Maybe if they had the knowledge and knew what they were doing to their bodies, that it's never to late to make a new start, maybe they would change. But how do you offer up your help? Its hard with out coming across, rude or mean. So I just kinda let everyone know what I've done and what I'm still doing. Hopefully that lets them know that I'm someone that they can talk to if they need help.
At my current weight I have gotten down to 152. So I'm getting there. Think I may go get some weights and yoga in before my shift starts at 3:30.
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Loop Hole
So my one weakness...definitely chocolate brownies.So I found this recipe by Doctor Oz. Brownies made with black beans. They are amazing, you would never know they were made with beans if I didn't tell you. And only about 100 calories per brownie, unlike the normal sugary brownie which is 250-300. So if like me you don't want to have to go with out brownies, you should really check these out, OMG... they're good!
Ingredients
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, mix all brownie ingredients (except chips) together. Chop on high, until smooth. Clean off sides and blend for another 20 seconds. Add the chips and stir well. Spread into the 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Frosting
Ingredients
6 oz. fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp semisweet mini chocolate chips, melted
Directions
With a whisk attachment on an electric beater, blend all ingredients until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled brownies. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the 2 tbsp of chips with a 2-second spray of nonstick cooking oil. Using a spoon, swirl the chocolate on top. Allow it to set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy. Don't forget to have seconds!
If you try them let me know what you think, I loved them.
Midnight Brownies
BrowniesIngredients
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup egg whites
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a food processor, mix all brownie ingredients (except chips) together. Chop on high, until smooth. Clean off sides and blend for another 20 seconds. Add the chips and stir well. Spread into the 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Frosting
Ingredients
6 oz. fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp semisweet mini chocolate chips, melted
Directions
With a whisk attachment on an electric beater, blend all ingredients until light and fluffy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled brownies. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the 2 tbsp of chips with a 2-second spray of nonstick cooking oil. Using a spoon, swirl the chocolate on top. Allow it to set in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy. Don't forget to have seconds!
If you try them let me know what you think, I loved them.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The dreaded question
"How much weight have you lost so far?" This is such a hard question for me to answer. Not because I'm embarrassed of my weight or anything. Its because I have lost the same 10, 15, 20 pounds more then once.
I get down to my goal weight and the I get comfortable. I stop working out so much, start eating a cookie here a piece of cake there and before you know it, BAM I'm right back where I started at.
Everyone always talks about how hard it is to lose weight, not for me. Losing the weight is the easy part, takes a lot of dedication and discipline but I can handle that. Its the maintenance that I have trouble with. Ive been struggling with this since I can remember, I'd say since I was 15 or 16 I have always been worried about my weight. In order for me to be fit and healthy its something that I am going to have to keep up on for the rest of my life, I cant stop or I go right back to where I was.
This time I'm not going back, I'm gonna lose these last 16 pounds and keep them off. I know its not going to be easy and at times I'm gonna want to give up, but I'm not going to. Currently am still at 156.0, I would like to get to at least 140 but wont object to getting down to 135. Time to step up the gym time and kick this fat in the but! WHO'S WITH ME???
I get down to my goal weight and the I get comfortable. I stop working out so much, start eating a cookie here a piece of cake there and before you know it, BAM I'm right back where I started at.
Everyone always talks about how hard it is to lose weight, not for me. Losing the weight is the easy part, takes a lot of dedication and discipline but I can handle that. Its the maintenance that I have trouble with. Ive been struggling with this since I can remember, I'd say since I was 15 or 16 I have always been worried about my weight. In order for me to be fit and healthy its something that I am going to have to keep up on for the rest of my life, I cant stop or I go right back to where I was.
This time I'm not going back, I'm gonna lose these last 16 pounds and keep them off. I know its not going to be easy and at times I'm gonna want to give up, but I'm not going to. Currently am still at 156.0, I would like to get to at least 140 but wont object to getting down to 135. Time to step up the gym time and kick this fat in the but! WHO'S WITH ME???
Friday, January 13, 2012
Whos your body idol?
I cant believe how well I'm doing. Down another pound this morning. It has been a long time since I've been able to stick with my diet and exercise routine. I am so extremely proud of my self... so far. Whats really making it easy for me is "my fitness pal" its an app for your phone, lets you keep a journal of everything you've eaten and how much calories. Really helps keep me on track because it is so easy to use.
I was thinking that we all need a goal... where we want to get. You don't want to set a goal that is to big, its discouraging and you'll probably give up before you get there. I do make a big goal but also helps me to make a few short term goals as well. Like lose 2 pounds this week, eat more veggies or go to the gym 3 times this week. That way when you reach that goal you feel proud of yourself and you keep going to reach that one BIG goal.
My short term goal for this week is to go to the gym 3 times, 2 down one more to go! Long term goal of course is to be my ideal weight and look fab. Another thing that keeps me motivated...my body idol, well I actually have 2. Kate Beckinsdale and Britney Spears. Both look amazing and I would kill for their bodies. Having pictures of my body idols around helps to remind me what im working towards.
I was thinking that we all need a goal... where we want to get. You don't want to set a goal that is to big, its discouraging and you'll probably give up before you get there. I do make a big goal but also helps me to make a few short term goals as well. Like lose 2 pounds this week, eat more veggies or go to the gym 3 times this week. That way when you reach that goal you feel proud of yourself and you keep going to reach that one BIG goal.
My short term goal for this week is to go to the gym 3 times, 2 down one more to go! Long term goal of course is to be my ideal weight and look fab. Another thing that keeps me motivated...my body idol, well I actually have 2. Kate Beckinsdale and Britney Spears. Both look amazing and I would kill for their bodies. Having pictures of my body idols around helps to remind me what im working towards.
Don't get the wrong idea though and think I have been perfect in this weight-loss journey. Ive slipped up a few times, just last night I gave in to temptation and indulged on some homemade mac and cheese. I was upset with myself afterwards but cant beat myself up about it. we're all gonna slip up once in a while. The important thing is that we keep moving forward. One mistake doesn't ruin everything that you've done thus far.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Constant Battle
I don’t know about all of you guys but, to me the most difficult time to remain on my diet is nighttime.
Sometimes I’ve been busy all day long and then I finally get a few moments at night to rest. That’s the moment when I’m like “Ooooh I just would looove to eat this or that!” My mind starts to race and I can just see images of food flashing through my brain.
All these thoughts start coming. Then to make matters worse, somebody on T.V. starts talking about food! (Like I don’t already have enough to battle with my own desires !)
Not that I don’t like hearing about food. Actually I love eating it, smelling it, touching it
. The thing is, I need to be careful to only be thinking about food once in a while- definitely not when I’m trying to focus on losing weight.
Here’s an illustration of what ends up happening inside my head:
On the one side I hear myself saying
(the bad me)- “Oh there’s no problem with eating just a little more of this…Just a little teensie bit more” I say.
Then I catch myself and find that I’m going down the wrong thinking pattern and I say:
(the good me)
- “No Crystal, you can’t eat that! If you add up all of these little bits here and there that will end up becoming one BIG chunk of calories and you won’t achieve your weight loss goals. Stop Crystal. Stop! You’ve already eaten all the calories for this day.”
So you’d think that by this time I would have convinced myself to NOT eat outside the amount that I should, right?
Well…think again because somehow I manage to come back with another thought:
(the bad me)
- “Oh but you deserve to eat a little more. You’re tired and need to rest.”
It’s truly amazing how we can set ourselves up for failure when we aren’t determined to change a habit.
The whole notion of “deserving to eat” is based upon a false precept that overeating is some kind of reward for all the hard work in other areas of our lives
The fact is that when this internal battle starts going on, I stop everything I’m doing and focus on destroying all the excuses and so-called reasons for overeating. If I don’t consciously stop and redirect my thoughts, the wrong thinking patterns end up winning and take over my will power.
This tug of war is a constant battle that seems to never end. In order to be a winner in this battle I really have to stop and regroup my thoughts. And believe me, when I’ve done this it HAS worked.
Sometimes I’ve been busy all day long and then I finally get a few moments at night to rest. That’s the moment when I’m like “Ooooh I just would looove to eat this or that!” My mind starts to race and I can just see images of food flashing through my brain.
All these thoughts start coming. Then to make matters worse, somebody on T.V. starts talking about food! (Like I don’t already have enough to battle with my own desires !)
Not that I don’t like hearing about food. Actually I love eating it, smelling it, touching it
. The thing is, I need to be careful to only be thinking about food once in a while- definitely not when I’m trying to focus on losing weight.Here’s an illustration of what ends up happening inside my head:
On the one side I hear myself saying
(the bad me)- “Oh there’s no problem with eating just a little more of this…Just a little teensie bit more” I say.
Then I catch myself and find that I’m going down the wrong thinking pattern and I say:
(the good me)
- “No Crystal, you can’t eat that! If you add up all of these little bits here and there that will end up becoming one BIG chunk of calories and you won’t achieve your weight loss goals. Stop Crystal. Stop! You’ve already eaten all the calories for this day.”
So you’d think that by this time I would have convinced myself to NOT eat outside the amount that I should, right?
Well…think again because somehow I manage to come back with another thought:
(the bad me)
- “Oh but you deserve to eat a little more. You’re tired and need to rest.”
It’s truly amazing how we can set ourselves up for failure when we aren’t determined to change a habit.
The whole notion of “deserving to eat” is based upon a false precept that overeating is some kind of reward for all the hard work in other areas of our lives
The fact is that when this internal battle starts going on, I stop everything I’m doing and focus on destroying all the excuses and so-called reasons for overeating. If I don’t consciously stop and redirect my thoughts, the wrong thinking patterns end up winning and take over my will power.
This tug of war is a constant battle that seems to never end. In order to be a winner in this battle I really have to stop and regroup my thoughts. And believe me, when I’ve done this it HAS worked.
Friday, January 6, 2012
It's youre life... live it.
My journey started in August of 2007. I just woke up one day and realized that I had become someone that I didn't like. I was overweight, a smoker, drank to much and I couldn't run to save my life. All my life I had always been so obsessed with being healthy and exercising. I couldn't believe I let myself get to where I was. So that day I decided to make a change.
First I quit smoking and drinking cold turkey, it was the only way that I could do it. I started eating better, more fruits, veggies and cut out fast food all together. Like I said I couldn't run so I started walking more. Eventually I got to where I could jog and now have started to run. Mind you I cant go as long or hard as Id like but I'll get there. Got a pair of 10 pound dumbbells and used them every night. Slowly the weight just started to fall off and I was feeling better then ever. I went from 204 pounds down to 150 in less then a year. I'm still not where I want to be but I know I'll get there. My goal is to be between 135 and 140.
So that's where I am currently at. I have kind of hit a plateau and am having a hell of a time getting any more weight off. And thanks to the holidays and all the goodies that everyone gave me ( thank you guys they were delicious) I have added a couple extra pounds. So am amping up my running and really taking note of what I eat. I find for me I do best when I keep a food journal of everything I eat. I know I wont eat that cookie that looks so yummy because I don't want to see that on my list. Also having support of friends and family helps to keep me motivated.
Of course I want to look great but that is not the only reason I have decided to make the changes that I have. I want to live a long time and want to feel great. I don't want to worry about pills and doctors when I'm 50. I plan on enjoying my life and I think that being healthy is the only way to do that. And with that being said I'm off to run.
First I quit smoking and drinking cold turkey, it was the only way that I could do it. I started eating better, more fruits, veggies and cut out fast food all together. Like I said I couldn't run so I started walking more. Eventually I got to where I could jog and now have started to run. Mind you I cant go as long or hard as Id like but I'll get there. Got a pair of 10 pound dumbbells and used them every night. Slowly the weight just started to fall off and I was feeling better then ever. I went from 204 pounds down to 150 in less then a year. I'm still not where I want to be but I know I'll get there. My goal is to be between 135 and 140.
So that's where I am currently at. I have kind of hit a plateau and am having a hell of a time getting any more weight off. And thanks to the holidays and all the goodies that everyone gave me ( thank you guys they were delicious) I have added a couple extra pounds. So am amping up my running and really taking note of what I eat. I find for me I do best when I keep a food journal of everything I eat. I know I wont eat that cookie that looks so yummy because I don't want to see that on my list. Also having support of friends and family helps to keep me motivated.
Of course I want to look great but that is not the only reason I have decided to make the changes that I have. I want to live a long time and want to feel great. I don't want to worry about pills and doctors when I'm 50. I plan on enjoying my life and I think that being healthy is the only way to do that. And with that being said I'm off to run.
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