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Weight Loss Journal Writing

January 26, 2012 By 1 Comment
weight loss tracker week 10

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As many of you know I am on a quest… a quest to lose weight and be healthier.  This is not a New Years resolution but something I have been working on for 6 months now.  I feel like this time is different.  I am working hard at making real life changes.  The first thing that I am doing differently is journaling.  Weight Watchers suggests that you do it, nutritionists suggest that you do it, even many counselors are having people journal for weight loss.  I am now a huge fan.  Journal writing is working for me for many reasons.

  1. Getting it Out:  Let’s face it, none of us who are over weight are fat because we want to be.   Many times it is not even because of anything more than dealing with our demons.  We all have them.  We all have reasons for emotional eating.  It is not usually that we are so hungry we just cannot stop.  It is often that we are eating to feel better.  We then overeat and from that point we are filled with worse emotional baggage than we started with.  I have found that stopping myself in my tracks and writing in my journal has helped a lot.  I can look back and see what my triggers are and I can get whatever is “eating” me, out of my head.
  2. Planning:  Writing in a journal has offered me the opportunity to really plan.  I do not mean that I am planning meal by meal.  It is so much more than that.  I have been able to plan social eating.  I have been able to review in my head and on paper different techniques for avoiding picking, overeating and even plan for meals.  In my journal two days before Thanksgiving I did something I still find to be quite silly.  I drew a picture of a plate and put how much space each item at dinner should occupy on my plate.  I know that it seems quite silly but it worked and I continued to lose weight over Thanksgiving.  I also found that my weight loss slowed over Christmas week.  My journal was also not touched that week.  Since there was no plan, I was not able to be successful.
  3. Track Weight Loss:  In the front of my journal I have dates and weights.  It is a quick way to track how I am doing.  I am also able to go back and reference how I was feeling emotionally during peeks and valleys.  I even track my period in relation to weight loss.  This enables me to look at the whole picture and not get stressed.  In tracking my weight I have determined that I gain up to 7 pounds the week before my cycle begins.  This has enabled me to remain calm even though the scale is moving in the wrong direction.

All in all I believe in the power of the journal.  I have filled three one subject notebooks front to back over the past 6 months.  I have found this to be a positive way to assure that I stick to eating healthy and that I am emotionally happier.   If you do not journal I would very much suggest that you try it as part of your weight loss journey as well!

Becca

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Happy New Year: Weight Watchers Ice Cream

January 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Along with so many others I struggle with my weight.  For the past 6 months I have been working very hard to shed all of this extra weight that I have put on.  I have lost a total of 66 pound since I had my son in July.  I have found that calorie counting is an effective, simple way to go.  A few days before Christmas I received the best package of all from MomSelect and Weight Watchers.  In a box, in a cooler, packed on dry ice was the most wonderful thing of all!  It was a cooler full of Weight Watchers Ice Cream Treats!

I know that many of you have to be wondering how they were not only taste wise but also calorie wise.  These great treats varied in calories. They were the perfect way to end the day.  It is how I reward myself when I am trying to lose weight.  If I have a good day and stay under my target calories I will treat myself to a treat.  To be honest I have been buying these Weight Watchers treats for the past 6 months while I have been trying to lose weight.  I was super excited to see new flavors in my box of treats.  I know that you are dying to know what I tried and what I thought so here it is.

The first ones that I tried were the Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Bars.  I know that it is a mouthful to say but the name is well worth the taste.  It had sweet, chocolate and was big enough to last through the pleasure.  The only thing that I noticed is that it is a little too artificial tasting for me.  I am not saying that I did not eat them.  I am also not saying that I would not buy them to eat again.  The dark chocolate was just enough to give you that chocolate fix while you are watching your calorie intake.  These Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Bars only have 110 calories and are so worth it!

The next ice cream bars I indulged in were the Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Ice cream Bars.  These were by far my favorite of the bunch.  They have a creamy caramel taste and are again covered in my favorite thing… Chocolate!  The biggest trouble with these is that the kids also LOVED them!  This meant that it was not long before they were gone.  I have been back to the store to get more of the Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Bars.  They are only 120 calories and well worth it!  I highly recommend these treats!

 

Weight Watchers Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Ice Cream Bars were not a disappointment either.  Even though I am not fond of strawberry ice cream, these ice cream bars did not let me down in anyway.  Just as the others these were a wonderful way to end the day!  They have only 100 calories which make them the best bet yet calorie wise.  I think that it is again important to mention that the kids LOVED these ice cream bars and that I was lucky to get one at all!  If you like chocolate and you like strawberries you will love these treats.

 

I was so excited to see the Snack Sized Chocolate Fudge Bars in my cooler.  I love the giant chocolate fudge bars but do not always feel like I have been good enough to justify 100 + calories.  These Snack Sized Chocolate Fudge Bars are delicious and are only 45 calories each.  This means that if you have had too many calories in a day but really need a fix you can indulge.  It also means that when you CRAVE chocolate, you can have 2 and still not be over doing your calorie intake.  These also hide well in the freezer due to their compact size.  I was able to have some before the kids found them!

 

 

These were another delicious option for those days that you are a little short on calories.  These Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars are only 80 calories but do not lack in flavor at all.  They have some extra chocolate shell and are creamy and delicious.  Not only did I have to fight the kids for these ones but I had to fight Rob as well.  I only wish I had a lock for my freezer.  It may be worth the investment.

 

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Enhanced by ZemantaI would like to thank Mom Select and Weight Watchers for this wonderful opportunity.  I feel that Weight Watchers has hit the nail on the head with these wonderful new treats.  Not only do I enjoy them for their taste but they are a great treat when you are trying to lose weight.  I was amazed at how much the kids enjoyed them as well.  I think that it is important to teach them that it is alright to have a treat but that overdoing it is just not necessary.  The fact is that they have a genetic disposition to be overweight.  It is my goal to try and teach them to eat the right foods and enjoy a treat or two a day.  These is no need to over do.  Happy weight loss in the new year!
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Weight Loss: The Power of Small Goals

October 26, 2011 By 3 Comments

Well now that I have had a baby I have been back on the wagon.  In 10 weeks I have lost a total of  17.4 pounds and I could not be happier.  As many of you know I

day 1 of 30 - 135 lbs

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have struggled with my weight my entire life.  Some of the struggle is emotional, some of the struggle is physical… all of it is hard.  This time I am having more success losing weight than ever before.  I feel like it is melting off of me.  There are some things that I am doing differently this time that I feel are contributing to my weight loss success.

  • Goals:  I know that this sounds simple and old school, but it is working.  I have set a large goal for myself that I will lose 32.8 pounds by December 31st.  Because I often find big goals to be overwhelming I decided to switch it up a bit.  I have established several small goals along the way.  One small weight loss goal was to lose 2 pounds by the time I was off to a wedding.  Another small goal is to lose 1 pound by the time I went away for the weekend.  I keep choosing small events in my life and set a small goal to achieve.  Some small goals I have achieved and some I have not been able to.  I just start fresh each couple days to couple weeks with a new small goal.  Eventually my small goals should add up to my big goal.  So far I am still on track to being able to achieve that goal.
  • Calorie Counting:  While this is an old technique I am finding that it is working.  I roughly count my calories each day.  I aim for 1200 calories.  Some days I am over and some days I am not.  It is a rough estimate.  I have been trying to reduce my carbs. based on my pre-diabetic status.  So far the 1200 calorie goal is going well.
  • Substituting:  In addition to counting calories I have been thinking of ways to enjoy foods without eating unhealthy choices.  I have been putting Humus on my chicken wraps for lunch instead of mayonnaise.  I also have been skipping salad dressing and tasting the natural flavor of veggies.  I have been putting artichokes, olives, apples and many new and different flavors into my salad and am really enjoying it.  In addition I have eliminated butter from my diet.  I do use butter spray and olive oil from time to time but I avoid too much of any of these.
  • Walking:  While I have not been great about exercise I am really trying to incorporate it more into my weight loss plan.  I have been trying to take the kids out for a walk at least twice a week in order get moving but I know there could be more.  I am sure that increasing this will be a goal in the next few weeks but for now walking 2 days a week is reasonable.  The best thing is that the kids enjoy it
  • Weight Loss Journal:  I know that Weight Watchers encourages using a journal.  For years I have resisted it but the truth is that I have found it to be quite helpful.  Please do not confuse journal writing with tracking calories. Every few days I sit in a quiet room, alone, and write in a journal.  I try to get a hold on my emotions, anxieties, failures and successes.  I have found that getting all of these things out of my head have been helpful.  I am an emotional eater and needed to figure out another way to channel my emotions.  I write until I have nothing else to say.

So far this is how I am finding success in this chapter of my weight loss journey.  If you are interested please join me.  You can visit me on facebook at Becca’s Belly Busters.  I would love the company!

Becca

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Weight Loss: Calorie Counting Application

April 7, 2011 By 5 Comments

The world is so full of apps these days.  There are apps for IPhones and apps for DROID phones. There are apps to say where you are, there are apps to play games, there are apps to tune your guitar.  This week I discovered an application on the DROID that could be helpful rather than time wasting!  There are phone applications that will help you with your diet!

We all know how hard it is to track calories in and calories out through out the day!  We get to work or out with the kids and forget about recording our food intake.  Now there is a solution to keeping track that involves no paper and no pencil and the best part is that it is a free app!  You just cannot beat free!

“Myfitnesspal” is a DROID application that does it all as far as weight loss.  Once you begin using this application you are asked to input your weight, height, how much weight you would like to lose, and how fast you would like to lose it.  They then advise you how many calories you should eat each day in order to reach your goal, in the amount of time you stated.  Each day you can input your current weight and see the pounds melt away.

The best part of the “Myfitnesspal” application for the DROID is that it scans the bar codes of the foods you are eating and inputs all of the caloric information for you.  You simply take a picture of the bar code with your phones camera and you are on your way.  The “Myfitnesspal” application does the rest!  It is like a free version of Weight Watchers all in the palm of your hand.  The only down side I can see is that this DROID application eliminated your excuses!

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Weight Loss: Feeling Defeated

September 9, 2010 By 12 Comments
Weightloss pyramid.
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Well I know that I have not posted my progress in the weight loss area recently.  That is because there has not been progress.  I have actually had a summer of regression!  I hate to have to admit it but it is the truth.  I have GAINED 26 of my 36 lost pounds back.  I am back to feeling depressed, tired, and worst of all FAT!  So now is the time to do something!  I have been thinking about going back to weight watchers but have decided that I was doing well with my own program.  My own program also is free!   I have spent the past few weeks thinking of a way to keep my motivation up.  A way to assure that I stick to the journey of losing weight.  I know that there are a few things I need to do in order to be successful.

  • Rember why I began this weight loss journey:  I think that it is important for me to look back at my earlier posts and see why I decided to lose weight in the first place.
  • Evaluate my portions:  I think that examining how much I am eating will be a great first step in getting back into the weight loss groove.
  • Get active:  This is one thing that I know helps a great deal.  Getting out and getting moving is a vital component to any weight loss diet.
  • Stop drinking Soda:  I know that this sounds silly to those who know me.  I ONLY drink Diet Coke.  The trouble is the carbonation.  It expands your stomach which means you have to eat more to feel full.  The trouble is that I find it to be quite addicting.
  • Get family on board:  When I began my weight loss journey I somehow was able to get our extended family on board.  It was nice that Sunday dinners were always healthy and that we were there to support one another.  Getting everyone involved again is an important step for MY success.  I need people to talk to and to remind me that I am doing well.  It is just the type of person I am!
  • Make a Shopping List:  I know that I do better when I make a list of specific foods I need to buy at the grocery store.  This technique helps me to avoid things such as ice cream and other sweets as well.  I also need to remember not to go to the store hungry!  That always presents a problem.

In my head I know that there are the first steps to a healthier life.  I need to get my head into it before I will be a success.  I did go for a walk yesterday which was quite helpful!  I am thinking about a hike this weekend which should kick off eating healthier.  Who can exercise and then eat badly?

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Weight Loss: How To Be Successful

May 13, 2010 By 5 Comments
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I have been working on this weight loss journey for over 5 months now.  I have lost a total of 36 pounds!   With every pound I lose I feel a little bit more confident that I will continue to be successful.  Many people entering into a weight loss journey wonder how they can be successful.  I have just a few tips for those of you who wondering what the keys to success are.

  1. BELIEVE: I know it sounds simple but if you believe you can do it… you will.  I also think that you have to believe that you are worth it!  This is a tough step for many people who are trying to lose weight.  I wake up every morning and remind myself that I can do it.  I believe in myself.
  2. COUNT: This can mean a great number of things but for success it is important to discuss calorie counting.  Calorie counting is important.  It is vital in order lose weight that you burn more calories than you take in.  There are a few great sights with activity calculators that help to make this task easier.  Fitness Partner has a great activity calculator.  It is extremely easy to use.  All you need to do is enter your weight and the duration you plan to exercise into the calculator and a printable list of calories burned per activity will appear.  CaloriesPerHour.com also has an easy and wonderful calculator.
  3. MOVE: I know it stinks when you first start your weight loss journey but exercise is a vital part of success.  The more you move the more you lose.  In the beginning you may be able to lose without moving but the longer you are invested in losing weight the more necessary exercise becomes.  So get out there and walk if nothing else.  Do it alone, with friends or with the dog.  Just get out there and move.
  4. NEW: On this weight loss journey to a new you it is important to remember that you need to focus on new.  No I am not talking about clothing, although that is needed also.  The thing that needs to be new is your food.  It is important to switch it up some.  Studies have shown that people who eat the same breakfast every day become unmotivated.
  5. SUPPORT: It is important that you find some support.  This can be a family member, a friend, or even a stranger.  Yes I know that a stranger sounds unlikely but in situations such as Weight Watchers meetings many people find that there are people they relate to.  It is also nice to have someone removed from your life helping you with your journey.

I am still hoping to reach my first big goal… Lose  pounds by the time the kids are out of school.  I figure if the people on the biggest loser could lose 100 pounds in 17 weeks I can certainly lose another 14 pounds is 7 weeks.  It is an average of 2 pounds a week so I will have to work really hard.  I just have to believe, move, remember new, count my calories and most of all remember all of the wonderful support I have!

Becca

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Weight Loss: Week 5

February 8, 2010 By 6 Comments
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On Saturday I completed 5 weeks of my weight loss journey.  I am happy to report that I lost another 2.8 pounds.  That made a total loss of 20.2 pounds in 5 weeks.  I am so excited about my continued success.  Weight is something I have struggled with my ENTIRE life.  It is something I have never been able to let go of.

Many people who are successful say that you have to loose weight by letting go of your past.  I have thought about my head a lot this week.  Time and time again I thought about excuses.  I am full of excuses and have been for MANY years.  The thing that got me thinking about these excuses was watching The Biggest Loser last week.  A woman, Miggy, had her appendix removed and the very next day walked 14 miles!  All I was thinking while watching was that I would have used that surgery as an excuse.  I would have given up.  I guess that is what got me thinking.  In the past I have used so many things as excuses.

As a child and teenager I was a dancer.  I LOVED TO DANCE!  I took classes 6 days a week.  It made me so happy.  I was fit and truely enjoyed it.  I still miss it to this day.  When I was 14 I hurt my knee and never danced again.  My parents took a conservative approach in treating it.  I stopped dancing and did nothing physical for a year.  In that year betweem 14 and 15 I gained over 100 pounds.  My weight has been an issue for me ever since.  I also spent years using my knee as an excuse.

When I was pregnant with Abigail my pelvis separated.  I cannot begin to tell you the pain.  I spent about a month in the hospital and could not walk without crutches for about 6 months!  After a lot of time if healed but is arthritic.  For years I used my pelvis as an excuse.

Two years ago I shattered the first three metatarsals in my foot.  It still hurts to this day but has become another excuse.  I cannot walk right.  I am forever in pain.  It is swollen and ugly.  It is still just another excuse.

If this woman Miggy could walk 14 miles after surgery, why do I use excuses.  I am pretty sure that I am not alone in my excuse using.  I think that we all do it.  This week I am going to try and eliminate my excuses.  They have been holding me back.  They have made my body and mind unhealthy.  They have to go.  What excuses do you use?  How will you overcome them?

Becca

Please do not forget to join my facebook group Becca’s Belly Busters.

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Weight Loss: Week 4

January 30, 2010 By 5 Comments
5
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So here we are.  I have put in 4 whole weeks and actually not cheated at all.  I am so happy with my progress.  I have stayed committed and made achievable mini goals.  I am oing to go and get my hair cut in the next week or so.  I am thinking that I may even do highlights.  That was my reward for loosing 5% of weight.  I have lost a total of 17.4 pounds in just 4 weeks.  My goal for February is to loose 10 pounds.  I think that it is a little ambitious but it is a goal and if I do not meet it I can always try again.

Success is wonderful.  It has helped me to believe that I can accomplish things.  It is something that I am really enjoying!  I am hoping that by the summer I can be 50 pounds thinner.  I think that it is a realistic goal.  One that I can achieve and it will make it much easier to have the fun I want to have this summer.  Swimming in my sister in laws pool will be a great exercise.  I think that I will be there every morning if she will let me.  A quick swim then off to my day!  We will see how I am going by that point.

All in all I am still enjoying this weight loss journey.  It has given me some confidence that I have been lacking for quite some time!  Weight is something that has always held me back.  I am breaking free from the weight and all of the things that have made me this way!  Weight is not just about eating.  It is about all of the demons in your head.  I think that I have shut those demons up for the first time in my life and it is liberating.

Don’t forget to join Becca’s Belly Busters on facebook.  I would love some more company!

Becca

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GoWear Fit: Is It Worth It?

January 29, 2010 By 12 Comments

I stumbled across the GoWear Fit and was completely lost.  I have never heard of it… Have you?  I am wondering if it is all worth it.  I did some research and discovered some very interesting things about it.

  1. You wear a band on your arm and by measuring all different things going on in your body it can tell you how many calories you are actually burning all day and night.
  2. It calculates the amount of calories you are taking in.
  3. You down load all of the information onto your computer and you are on your way.

According to GoWear Fit there are 3,500 calories in a pound of body fat.  So in order to loose a pound you have to burn 3,500 calories more then you consume!  Although this sounds like a lot even writing this post is burning calories!  The GoWear Fit system is a little price.  The cheapest I found it for was $179.  I would love to try it and give a review.  Perhaps the GoWear Fit gods will read this and let me try one out.  I think that this would be a great tool for my weight loss journey.

Do any of you have a GoWear Fit?  I am interested in hearing how it all works.

GoWear Fit

Becca

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Weight Loss: Week 3 Weigh-In

January 25, 2010 By 1 Comment
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On Saturday I finished week three on my weight watchers, weight loss journey.  I lost 1.8 pounds this past week for a total weight loss of 13.0 pounds!  I am just so proud of myself.  It has had ups and downs this week but I am still working hard to become a healthier, thinner person.

Because I have so much to loose I do not notice a difference quite yet.   I know soon it will start to look like I have actually lost weight.  For now I am just trying to concentrate on how wonderful I have been doing.  I am a few days into week 4 and still plugging away!  I am little the little engine.  I started three weeks ago saying, “I think I can” and now I know that I have to power to make positive changes.

So, I am hoping for a larger loss this week.  This is not because I am selfish but because I had gotten my “friend” on Friday and it is typical that I gain 5 pounds of water when ever my “friend” pays a visit.  So I figure I could end this month with a total loss of 15+ pounds.

As many of you know my entire extended family have been working on this together.  It has been nice.  I started a private group just for us on facebook and supporting one another is really working.  In the past 3 weeks the the 6 of us have lost over 60 pounds!  We have lost a child!  Well you know in a matter of speaking!

Rob has been making so super delicious meals.  I am hoping to start to take pictures of our dinners and post recipes so that you can all share in loosing weight and eating great too!  It is out of this world and has made it all tolerable.

As I plug ahead I think of all I have done well in the past three weeks.  I hope to et better about water this week.  I think that each week that is my goal and each week I do not meet that goal.   Perhaps this week will be the one.  May all of your weight loss dreams come true!  I will write again soon!

Becca

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