It has been too long…

Well….not gonna lie.  I have not put a post up in a very long time.  About a whole month actually.  I guess I have just been super busy and trying to focus on other things.  I don’t even know where to begin to be honest.  I guess I will just begin with weight loss and whatnot.  I started at 244 lbs. and I am currently at 229.6 lbs.  I have not lost much, but I have been working out 4 or more times a week for the past month.  I use the fitness room at my apartment and usually use the treadmill or elliptical for about 30 to 50 minutes.  I have noticed my figure is more toned even though I have not lost much in pounds.  The problem I have been having is that I do good all week and then the weekend comes around and I fail.  I get lazy sometimes and don’t want to cook or I just feel like I can’t have fun like everyone else unless I am out eating or drinking….Which to be honest really makes me angry I see all these skinny ass people, or people I know that go out and eat and drink all the time yet seems like they never gain weight.  I keep on telling myself that it will catch up to them as they get older, but it still doesn’t make me feel any better that I can’t do it every weekend.  It just seems to be hard to have fun on the weekends without someone involving me in food or drinking….so as a result I don’t go out or I rarely go out.  Even then I get depressed from it and end up eating out or something which I guess it’s not horrible because I am not really gaining back weight.  I have just been maintaining the weight for the most part.  So my goals now are to stop the weekend splurging and also to include even more fresh produce in my diet.  I just can’t seem to follow my diet or exercise routine on the weekend….If any one has any advice as to how to control yourself and have more fun on the weekend without ruining your goal of weight loss, please let me know.  I am determined to not splurge again this weekend.

 

The new STLBlues Jersey!!!
Decorated the Apartment for my boyfriends birthday.
Our new kitchen table that I painted
Cute owl mirror that I recently purchased

In other news last weekend was my boyfriend’s birthday and we went out to dinner twice and went out drinking one night so not horrible, but I did not really keep to my diet because I just felt too lazy to do so…..I need to stop that.   Also I just bought the new St. Louis Blues jersey and I LOVE IT!!!!!!! I have been a big hockey fan since I was a child especially a fan of the Blues and I finally bought a jersey and the new design is awesome.  Unless you love hockey I’m not sure you will understand just how excited I am.  Also I will be going to two preseason games and I am super excited about that also.  Usually everyone that has lived in St. Louis are big Cardinals fans, but not me.  I don’t really like baseball or football, but I absolutely love hockey.  I also have more respect for the sport of hockey compared to baseball or any other sport to be honest.  I have been quite busy lately…..I also purchased a table and chairs for our apartment and ended up painting it with a stain and turned out amazing and I am very happy with it.  The table and chairs were purchased for about 20$ and only took me a day to paint it all.  There is a lot of other stuff I could go on about that’s been going on, but I don’t want to make this post too long.  I will see you all in my next post and I promise to not go too long in between posts.  Hopefully, there are still some readers out there >_<

Handy Dandy

Whats up?!  I have been really busy and have not had time to type a post up and I am sorry about that.  Lately, I have been working on a few things in my spare time and what not.  Good news though, I have been maintaining my weight at 232 lbs. Overall a loss of 12 lbs.  I’m not gonna complain. Honestly I have just been too lazy to actually cook anything and on top of that I have been extremely bored with my diet.  This next Friday is grocery shopping day so I plan on gathering some new ideas for dinner mostly and try some new options for food.  I am the type of person that does not like eating the same thing over and over and over again.  I like to eat different meals so I don’t get too bored like I have the past two weeks.

Lately I have been really into thrift store shopping.  I ended up buying about 7 picture frames from my local thrift shop.  All various sizes and only 7$ for all of them.  I then purchased some spray paint in black(only 1$) and some glossy protectant spray paint and painted those and they turned out looking great.  Looks like I just bought them from the store myself.  I just can’t justify spending a lot of money on frames.  This is much cheaper.  I also spray painted some glass vases and bottles that I had.  I am not quite done with those yet.  The one big project I have been working on though is our ugly couch.  My boyfriend and I purchased a couch for 10$ at Goodwill when we moved into our apartment last year.  I got fed up with how ugly it was and decided to do a diy upholstery.  Just took some sheets and fabric along with upholstery tacks and my novice sewing skills and went to work.  Took me about a week to get it done just because it was so much work to do by myself.  It ended up looking pretty good considering it was a 10$ couch.  The only time I see myself ever splurging on furniture is when we actually have our own house otherwise I see it as a waste of money when we have much more important things to pay for.

I have also been working on some yarn art which I will post pictures of what I have done so far.  My boyfriend keeps telling me that I have been so handy and crafty lately.  I guess it’s a good thing because it keeps me busy and keeps my mind off of food.

 

 

 

St. Louis Blues Logo Yarn Art.
Unfinished Yarn Art.
Pillow that I made.
Our couch before I was finished.
The Finished Couch

….Motivation

Hey everyone…. So lately I have been extremely unmotivated and just honestly depressed.  I have been struggling a lot lately to eat healthy and exercise.  I have been extremely down on myself.  I am very disappointed in myself because I was doing good for about a few weeks I had lost almost 12 lbs.  I then was dealing with an infection and had to take an antibiotic for a week which just really messed up the routine I had going.  The antibiotic’s side effects made me feel horribly tired and sick.  As a result I just kind of ate whatever I wanted and whenever which was a huge mistake and I am mad at myself for gaining back the weight I had lost.  This has made me feel super unmotivated.  I just feel horrible because I am basically starting over again it feels like and I am having a hard time forgiving myself and getting back into a healthier diet.  I guess I just need to let it all go and just start being healthy again, but it is very difficult for me right now.  I wont go into details of my life and what I deal with personally, but lets just say that I feel worn down and I feel like I will never reach my goals.  I think what I need to do is just start eating healthy again and not think about it too much.  I just need to do it.  No excuses or stupid reasons not to.  I just need to get off my lazy butt and get back into it.  I am going to weigh myself today and take measurements and begin my routine again.  The only thing that seems to help motivate me is reading other weight loss blogs.  Even though I gained back what I lost I am going to forgive myself and start again and this time I wont gain back the weight I have lost.  There is really no excuse other than laziness.  Hopefully soon I will be feeling more positive, but for now I just have to do it and deal with it.  I can only go up from here right?

Friday Night

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Hello everyone!!  This picture is of the wonderful dinner that I made Friday night.  It is basically a healthy version of chicken and broccoli alfredo and its so yummy.  The Recipe will be below if you are interested in trying it.  It is very simple to make and a healthier alternative if you are craving some pasta.

Healthy Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

(Serving Size is half of the whole recipe)-550 Calories per serving

I just made the recipe for two and measured it out equally in half.

    Ingredients:

4 oz. of fettuccine(or any pasta you wish, try for the healthier pasta though)

2 Skinless boneless chicken breast

Garlic Salt

1/2 cup of Chicken Broth

1/4 cup of skim milk

1 tablespoon of flour

1 tablespoon of cream cheese(optional I left it out-less calories)

Salt

Pepper

4 cups of Broccoli

1/4 cup of reduced fat or 2% Mozzarella Cheese

1.  The first thing you want to do is cut up your chicken into tiny strips or however you prefer and cook them through while adding salt, pepper, and garlic salt for taste.

2.  While that is cooking begin to boil your pasta according to directions on the box and begin to boil your broccoli if it is frozen, if it is not frozen just make sure to cook according to your preference.

3.  While the broccoli, chicken, and pasta is cooking take the skim milk, flour, the optional cream cheese, and a bit of pepper in a blender to create a slurry.

4.  Once the chicken is done cooking keep on medium heat and add the 1/2 cup of chicken broth, along with the slurry and stir.

5.  Add the Broccoli and pasta after draining to the chicken and slurry/broth and season according to your taste with salt, pepper, and garlic salt and mix together.

6.  After everything looks mixed well add 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top, let melt a bit and stir together.  Measure servings out and Enjoy!!!!

*Tip*-Use greek yogurt plain instead of cream cheese for a healthier version, also you can keep the slurry out of the recipe for a more healthier version.  As long as you use seasoning and the mozz. cheese along with the chicken broth it will taste just as good.

Happy Birthday America!!!

Hello everyone!!! How was everyone’s holiday?? So far mine has been alright.  Actually stayed at home last night with the boyfriend and grilled up some dinner.  We had bbq chicken drumsticks, corn on the cob, hot dogs, mac n cheese, and for dessert yummy chocolate ooey gooey butter cake cookies.  If you have not already heard I have been extremely out of it because of the antibiotic I have been taking, but recently have been feeling more like myself.  Tuesday morning is the last day I have to take my antibiotic which I am definitely looking forward to.  Hopefully the infection I have doesn’t return, but in 2 weeks I will be visiting the doctor again regardless.  The infection I am talking about is acute cystitis.  If you are a woman you know what I am talking about.  These infections suck and they are very easy to get.  I have been dealing with them for the last 2 years and usually I just self medicate because they never get painful ever.  I just usually get a weird urge to pee all the time and it only last for few hours as long as I drink tons of water and take cranberry pills.  More recently though I woke up with very painful uti symptoms which has never happened.  As a result I decided to visit the walgreens healthcare clinic and they gave me an antibiotic to hopefully cure any serious infection I have.  I don’t know for sure if this is what I have, but it must be since the medicine has gotten rid of the painful symptoms I was having.  All of this kind of sucks because I have no health insurance right now and my boyfriend and I don’t feel the need to get it yet even though we could afford it most likely.  So yes I will have to visit a free clinic such as planned parenthood to get any real treatment.  In the meantime I will make it a goal to drink at least 8 glasses or more of water a day and take cranberry pills also.  I hope the infection doesn’t return.  Honestly I think becoming more healthy overall will help a woman to prevent uti’s and any related infections.  I also stress if you have uti’s to always stay clean and dry down there.  Hopefully this does not gross out anyone, but hey I have not yet met one woman who hasn’t dealt with the pains of uti’s and bladder infections.  They suck.

On another note starting on Monday I will get back to dieting and losing weight.  The doctor at the Walgreens clinic told me to just relax while on my antibiotic since my body is trying to fight an infection.  Let’s just say I am more than looking forward to getting back to my normal routine and my normal self.  This antibiotic has been making me extremely sleepy, lazy, and depressed.  Which are normal side effects apparently.  I miss my normal self and miss being healthy and working towards my weight loss goal. I will not however let this set me back again.  My goal is to lose 40 lbs by October 9th.  I really think I can do this and I am really looking forward to this journey. Sorry if I seem out of it.  My mind is still cloudy from the medicine and what not.  Hopefully later I will be watching some fireworks with the boyfriend and his family.  Hope everyone has a fun weekend! See you in my next post!!

Wednesday??

Hello everyone….not feeling too good lately and have not been losing weight this week or so.  This is because I am sick and currently taking an antibiotic for an infection I have.  The antibiotic is pretty much making me feel more than hung over so I pretty much lay around all day.  Going to be honest this sucks……I hate not accomplishing anything and pretty much being useless, but it is only the first day of taking this antibiotic, so we will see.  Hopefully this infection goes away though and does not return, regardless I will have to visit another doctor to possibly treat another bacterial infection that is causing the one I am being treated for now.  With all this in mind I also do not have health insurance at the moment so lets just say all of this isn’t horribly expensive, but it is expensive enough.  Thank god I have my boyfriend to help me through this.  Wish me luck everyone I would greatly appreciate it.

Just Keep Going

What’s up everyone?! Its been about 2 weeks since my last post, seems longer though.  I am going to be honest I have not been sticking to my diet as planned.  There have been a few days in between where I have slipped up, kind of.  One of those was a trip to Buffalo Wild Wings with my boyfriend and his sister and son for her birthday.  I believe she turned 33 not too sure, probably should know that…..oops.  Regardless it was fun and I actually ordered a salad, but took quite a few bites of chocolate fudge cake and ice cream that we all shared.  It was delicious.  There were also 2 other times where I hadn’t had time to eat all day and was out and about so that resulted in fast-food.  I still didn’t eat quite as much though as I used to whenever I did eat out those times and I ordered healthier alternatives both times.  I am not eating perfectly, but still making more healthy choices and for the most part sticking to my diet and portion sizes.  If you are wondering how much weight I have lost so far, it’s not much of a difference since last time.  I have only lost 12.2 lbs so far now, a 1.4 lb. difference from my last update.  At least I am not gaining weight, right? I promise my next post will be much more exciting!!!

Short Update Here

Hello everyone!!! Just a quick update here.  My boyfriend and I have been doing wonderful and we are getting more healthy everyday.  I have lost 5.8 lbs total since starting my weight loss again.  Since my heaviest weight I have lost 10.8 lbs though.  I am very happy with my progress so far.  Basically focusing on eating more healthy and working out at least every other day and taking a break if my body feels too worn out.  It is so weird though, this week I have been craving salads and other veggies.  I at least eat a salad every other day lately and they are very delicious.  My boyfriend has also lost 7.2 lbs in the last few weeks and I am very proud of him for sticking with it everyday so far.  Neither of us has even craved fast food or anything like that lately.  I am so very happy with our progress and I am looking forward to sharing more accomplishments on here.  For all my readers out there I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read my posts and what not.  I appreciate all the support, comments, and likes.  See you all in my next post!!!!

Hey!!!

Have not had time to put a proper post here so sorry if this seems short or pretty much all over the place.  Currently doing great with my diet have not had any junk food all week and have been eating between 1300 and 1600 calories.  So far I have lost about 5.5 lbs as of today, June 7th, 2014 since May 21st, 2014.  My boyfriend has also lost about 5 lbs since joining me about a week ago which is not surprising since he is a bit heavier than me.  So in total since my heaviest weight I have lost 8.5 lbs, but as stated before only 5.5 lbs. since starting my diet and exercise again about 2 weeks ago.  I am very proud of the progress I am making and how much easier it seems to be the longer I go without unhealthy food. Since tonight was Friday and I had not had time to eat all day my boyfriend and I decided to get pizza and salad for dinner along with a few drinks.  I actually ended up only eating 4 pieces of pizza and half of the salad we got along with two drinks for the whole day and felt so full that I didn’t want to eat like that for a long time.  I actually missed my healthier diet today.  I believe I have crossed over the line or whatever and I now feel more in control than ever of my eating.  Sure I don’t eat a perfect diet, but my diet is so much better than it was just by simply cutting out all junk food and fast food everyday and drinking more water.  I also want to stress portion control.  That and drinking water is probably the most important to get into the habit of doing.  I also keep track of all the calories I eat and I have been doing that for a while now and I am already in the habit of doing that thankfully.  It was hard at first but with each passing day it is getting so easy.  I have tried to lose weight before, but this time around it feels different. Controlling my diet seems much easier and so does exercise.  I also just want to say how extremely proud I am of my boyfriend for sticking to his diet with me and consistently losing weight so far.  He is the most wonderful man I have ever met.  He is such a good and caring person and he works very hard everyday.  I don’t think he knows how happy he makes me and how happy I am that he has joined me with dieting and weight loss.