Day #120, #121, #122, & #123: Goals, Goals, Goals!

I started off the month of April vowing that it would be my best month yet...I'm pretty sure that I can say that it was a great month. Obviously no months seem to be as exciting as they were in the beginning but it was a good solid month of effort.

Thanks for all of the responses to my last post- I think somewhere in the mix I began to confuse this blog as needing to be some sort of informational site about health/weightloss/fitness instead of it just be a journal of my own personal weight loss- no wonder I was feeling so much pressure! I never have set out for this to be anything but my little journal and if it happens to help or be interesting to someone else along the way- great!

I'm a few days behind but I wanted to look at the goals I set for myself in April and evaluate how I did as well as set some new ones for the month of May!

Tiffany's Goal Key:
***Goal Achieved!
**Almost There!
*WOMP WOMP!

Goal 1: Track food for 1 month. * WOMP WOMP! This goal has seriously appeared on every one of my monthly goals and I can just never make it happen...mostly because I just don't really care about writing down my food intake right now. I don't think I've ever made it longer than 2 weeks with this goal, but to tell you the truth it doesn't really seem to be affecting my weight loss so I'm just gonna leave it alone for now. I'm thinking that there will come a point when the weight is coming off a bit slower and I'll have to be more strategic in what I eat and journaling will probably play a bigger role in my journey at that time. No more beating this dead horse! lol

Goal 2: Put in 4.5 hours of Cardio each week. **Almost There! I've done pretty well with this- seriously April and May will be two of my busiest months this year so I'm keeping things realistic while not completely throwing everything out the door. If there is one thing that I can say confidently right now, it is that I don't slack in the exercise department.

Goal 3: Weigh no more than 305lbs on April 30th. ***Goal Achieved! I weighed in on April 30th (and again on Sunday) at 303 :)

Goal 4: Try 2 new recipes this month. *WOMP WOMP! While I didn't get around to trying any new meal recipes this month, from my previous post you can see that I have been trying some new things. I'm hoping that as the summer comes I'll have some more time to try out some fun, healthy, and delicious meals!

Goal 5: Do at least 1 out of the box workout this month. *WOMP WOMP! Honestly, it was all I could do just to make it to the gym this month- no time for craziness :)

Goal 6: Learn to eat out in a way that is healthy and controlled. ***Goal Achieved! I'll be writing more about this in the future but for now I can confidently say I've grown leaps and bounds in this area!

Overall, April was a good month. I lost 11 pounds and honestly just kept on trekkin'- there's not much more to do than that right?

And now...my goals for the month of May!

This month will undoubtedly be one of my craziest months yet- in the next 4 weeks I am:
- Coordinating 15 senior citizen home repair projects.
- Organizing a Girls Weekend and enjoying it too!
- Beginning a new women's weekly small group.
- Coordinating 300 people in a community service day.
- Having my BFF come and visit from FL!

See? Craziness. But I love it all :)

I'm gonna keep it short and simple with my goals this month because I want to keep the main the thing the main thing- which is weight loss!

Goal 1) Weigh no more than 290lbs on May 31st. It honestly seems completely crazy for me to even write a 2 at the beginning of my weight...oh goodness! :)

Goal 2) Do 5 45min cardio sessions each week (3.75 hours).

Goal 3) Do 30 mins of strength training each week.

Goal 4) Create 1 new healthy meal option (that includes VEGGIES!)

Goal 5) Navigate eating healthily and continuing exercise while my BFF is here.

See- short n' sweet :)

What are your goals for the month of May?

Day #118 & #119: Apology Accepted?

So...

No surprise- my life has been insanely busy lately. I hate that I'm not able to dedicate as much time to blogging or reading blogs recently. And truthfully, the perfectionist inside of me is always switching back and forth between feeling incredibly guilty and questioning whether I should even continue blogging.

Don't freak- I don't want to quit blogging but it's just that I feel like I'm just not the blogger I used to be- that my topics aren't as interesting and that since I can't be the dedicated fully committed blogger that I once was (when I was able to blog and read blogs pretty much all day at work), that I'm a disappointment to those who have been reading my blog since the beginning as well as to all the new readers who I just haven't had the chance to get to know the way that I was able to a few months ago.

Not sure why I'm even writing all of this but it's important for me to stay honest throughout this journey and the last thing that I would ever to with you all is feel like I'm being fake; and I'm not- I guess I'm just saying that I haven't just forgotten about blogging and I'm certainly still pursuing my goal of losing 100lbs this year- just been super busy.

I'm going to move forward with the plan that I put in place last month of blogging every other day and reading blogs the day's in between. If there has been one thing being on this journey to health has taught me it is that you prioritize that which is important to you and the truth is- this blog is important to me so I need to make it a bit more of a priority.

So there. I'm not going to harp on this anymore- just wanted to say "sorry" and that I'm still super thankful and dedicated to this amazing community.

And now on to some very cool business- I'm pumped that it's the end of the month because that means it's time to evaluate how I did on my April goals, do my monthly measurements, and set new goals for the month ahead so I'll be sharing all that good stuff in the next few days!

Cross your fingers with me because on Sunday I weighed in at 305lbs and that is what my goal for the end of April is so I'm hoping that when I weigh in tomorrow (since it's the final day of April), that I won't have gained anything. Secretly, I'm thinking that I've lost some weight- my body is changing big time and it's becoming more and more noticeable to me. VERY exciting!

And now, I'm off to watch some Survivor and catch up on your blogs!

You'll hear from me tomorrow friends :)

Day #115, #116, & #117: Mixin' it up!

I really am a creature of habit. I have absolutely no problem eating the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day...well I've never tried it really, but I do eat the same things A LOT.

Lately, however- I have been trying quite a few new products that I flippin' LOVE so I figured I'd share with you all!

First New Love: Naked Juice- Green Machine!Now I've tried many of the other Naked Juice brands drinks that are more fruit based but the "Green Monster" has always been the one flavor that I've shied away from- primarily because when reading the ingredients list I came across words like: blue green algae, spinach, broccoli, and garlic... I was a bit skeptical about how appetizing this drink would actually be. Can you blame me? Well...to my utter shock and suprise- this drink is fabulous! Despite it's vegetablly (you like that word?? lol) contents, it doesn't taste like veggies at all- the taste is really more like kiwi and apples- YUM! Now, I should provide a word of caution- this drink really works better as a meal replacement (at least in my opinion) and definitely not something to do everyday, but it's something I like to work into my diet if, for example I know I'll be having a heavy dinner so I'll have a Naked juice for lunch. If you drink the entire bottle of this flavor naked juice the nutrition facts will look something like: 260 calories, 0g fat, 30mg sodium, 880g potassium, 64 carbs, 2g fiber, 50g sugar (ouch!), and 2g protein. Like I said, maybe not good for the everyday, but certainly not a horrible choice either! In fact, each bottle of Naked juice contains at least a pound of fruit in every bottle! Saweeet!

Second New Love: Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk!Ok, so no doubt if you've been reading weight loss blogs for any amount of time you've probably heard of this stuff and up until last week I hadn't gotten around to giving it a shot, but now I can say that all of the fuss is indeed true- this stuff= AMAZING. First off- don't be confused- this isn't non fat milk or even soy milk, it's almond milk; meaning it is a milk substitute made from ground almonds! And unlike animal milk, almond milk contains no cholesterol or lactose, and is completely vegan. This miracle milk has only 40 calories per serving as compared to the 90-100 calories per serving that I was getting with non-fat milk. And to top it all off- this stuff taste SO good. I've been using it with my cereal (Special K Vanilla Almond), as well as in my oatmeal (High Fiber Maple and Brown Sugar) and it is just so much creamier than regular milk. Seriously, I would have a hard time believing that anyone who tries this stuff wouldn't like it- PLUS it's cheaper than regular milk- I picked up a carton the other day for $2.80 or so!

Third New Love: Sam's Club Bruschetta!

No lie- this stuff is amazing. I probably use this at least once a day and sometimes twice. Tomatoe/garlic stuff is right up my alley and I love that it is premade and I can just scoop it onto stuff and it's already ready to go! Plus it's SO low calorie and is packed with tons of flavor! In fact, I even topped my breakfast sandwhich with it the other day...I'm all about keeping things SIMPLE and this is one of the most simple and usable grocery items in my fridge! Love it!

So folks, there you have it- 3 new items that will be making a regular appearance on my daily menu!

Have you all tried any of these products? What did you think? Any new "loves" of your own?


Peace out girl scouts!

Day #112, #113, & #114: I DO have clavicles!!! :)_

Hi Kiddos!

So first of all, it's weigh in day! I was pretty much anticipating a gain or at least a maintenance week after last week's B.I.G loss and turns out, I was right...

Last Week's Weight: 304
This Week's Weight: 305
Result: +1lb

I'm truthfully not very upset about the gain, like I said- big loss weeks are usually followed by...not so big loss weeks :)

Don't have a lot of time today so I figured I just share some highlights from the week:

* I had about 3 pretty killer workouts! I've consistently been able to do 30 minutes on the elliptical; I can't even tell you how suprised I still am by that; I remember when I first started working out, I thought it would be close to a year before I was able to do 30 minutes! It's definitely been one of my proudest accomplishments thus far- can't you see that twinkle in my eyes??? ;)
* So I can't go into a lot of details, but let's just say that I may or may not have a lil' crushypoo on a friend of mine and this week that "special friend" told me twice that he thought I looked great and could tell I've lost weight! I can't even tell you how great that made me feel.* So let's just say that bones are popping out of my body- in a GREAT way! It seems that anyone who has ever been overweight can sympathize with wondering if they even have a collar bone (aka- a clavicle bone) and lately mine has been making an appearance! Whoo hoo!

All of these things make for a smiley Tiffany! :)

Day #110 & #111: Grocery Store Diaries

Hey Kids!

So it's actually been awhile since I've shared exactly what it is that I'm eating and what "plan" I follow- and since I had a follower ask that I elaborate on the subject, I intend to do that with my next few posts...so be sure to stay tuned! :)

Well on the subject of food, yesterday I was in dire need of a trip to the grocery store and I decided that it was a prime opportunity to check out the grocery store that so so many swear by as being the healthy food mecca- Whole Foods. In case you have never been for a visit to Whole Foods, it's basically a pretty sweet grocery store entirely dedicated to organic foods. Well, I hadn't ever actually gotten a chance to go since beginning this journey and since I have some crazy affinity for grocery shopping, I was pretty much beside myself! I usually buy most of my groceries from the beloved Trader Joe's, but I'm always up for some change!

Look, I even took a picture of the outside of the store on my way in! lol
The verdict? Sorely disappointed!!!

Seriously!! Can you believe that I actually walked out of the store with nothing!?

First off, everything there is RIDICULOUSLY overpriced! Seriously, a small container of hummus that costs almost $5, an $2 advocado, $8 peanut butter? I mean, I know that it supposedly costs more because it is organic and sometimes gluten free, but I truthfully just don't really care enough about that stuff enough to cause me to pay double (or triple) the amount that I would pay anywhere else! I was literally in shock of how much more people are paying for the items there! At Trader Joes, I find that almost everything is reasonably priced, most of it even cheaper than what I find at the regular grocery store (which here in PA, happens to be Giant Eagle) lol. You still get cool, creative, healthy food at TJ's without paying a high status price.

Secondly, everytime I go to TJ's I am in awe of how nice all of the crew members are! Seriously, they are always so pleasant and helpful and the employees of Whole Foods were snobby and acted like you pretty much didn't exist. And maybe I'm being stupid but it seemed like even the customers were kind of...hoity toity...it was weird in general.

So, in short- this girl will be sticking with Trader Joes! :)


What do you guys think? Are ya'll big Whole Foods fans? Any faithful TJ'ers out there?

Day #108 & #109: A Weird Weigh In

T'was a weird weigh-in indeed...but a FANTASTICALLY weird weigh-in!

Why was it weird do you ask? Well, since when does not going to the gym 1 time the whole week= a 7lb loss?!? MMmmmm hmmm.

Since I knew that I wouldn't be making it to the gym very much last week I was sure to weigh myself numerous times so that if the scale did start to creep up I would know to be extra careful with my food intake, and surely all week long the scale keep dipping lower and lower and lower.

Isn't it just a kicker that on the weeks that we push it SO hard in the gym we can see little or no improvement on the scale, but then a week comes where you aren't able to work out at all and then experience a humongously awesome loss like this!? Ahhh..I'm not even gonna try and figure this one out- but I should mention that I did eat pretty darn flawlessly all week. I'm just accepting it with joy :)

I really can't tell you how much I needed this weigh in- not because I haven't had one like it in a while, but because I was almost beginning to believe that my body was broken or something and that I was never going to weigh any less than 312- but this proved to me that my body IS cooperating and changing!

Last Week's Weigh In: 311lbs
This Week's Weigh In: 304lbs

Meaning...total pounds lost thus far= 48lbs!!!

Wowzer. I. am. HAPPY :) I cannot believe that I am only 2lbs away from losing 50lbs (my half way mark) and even CRAZIER is that I'm only 4lbs away from being under 300- which is something I still have a hard time believing will ever happen.

One foot in front of the other :)

Thanks for continuing to follow me along this journey!

Day: #103-#107: Updates from this week!

Whew!

WHAT.A.WEEK! As you all know I started my new job about 3 weeks ago and my first 2 weeks were spent in training so this was my first week on my own and daaaaaang was it busy! Like seriously- yesterday I sat down at my desk at 7:00 am and didn't even eat lunch till 3:30! I'm not complaining- it beats being bored any day, but wow- it was an adjustment and has definitely put a funk in my blogging!

But- I've definitely missed you all and I've missed blogging- no need to fear though- eating wise, I've done better this week than I have in a long time- mostly because I've been too tired or busy to eat though lol.

Here's some highlights from the past couple of days:

- Update #1: I gave brussels sprouts a second chance...and guess what??? I liked them! I know I'll probably get some flack because of this but the first time I tried them I bought them fresh and baked em in the oven and...I just wasn't impressed. So when I saw this baby at the grocery store the other day, you'll understand why I was a little wary:Especially because I knew that since they are cooked in "butter sauce" (wtf?!) lol I knew it probably wouldn't be very healthy. Well, as you can see on the box the serving portion is only 60 cals and guess what? They were DELICIOUS! Most of the advice that I had gotten about cooking them fresh said not to cook them to the point of "mushiness" but these were mushy and I really liked that compared to the crispy ones! They even made a few guest dinner appearances this week:So, to each his own but I'm definitely excited to be making brussels a part of my meal repetoire!

- Update #2: I walked at least 8 miles yesterday! Yea, seriously! Last night me and my team from church were passing out fliers in our community for our upcoming service this weekend and we started at 6:30 and didn't stop until 11:30pm! Lots of hills, steps, and just plain walking! Here's a pic my roomate snapped of me...can you tell I'm exhausted!?! :)
Hahaha yea- I'm dog tired today, but that's ok because I haven't been able to make it to the gym 1 time this week; and I do mean "I HAVEN'T been able to." My own personal gym rule is that if there is ANY way that I can go, then I go- and I've only broken that rule maybe 2 times in the past 3 1/2 months so I have just been making sure that my eating is spot on and I've probably done better in this past week nutrition wise than I have in a lonng time. Yay!

Alright, and I think that's about it for me- I promise not to go on a crazy 5 day no blogging haieatous again! lol

See you on Sunday for weigh in day! :)