Life has been pretty hectic so far lately. Some friends came over last Friday and brought amazing, greasy, fatty, high calorie pizza with garlic knots. Now. I watched what I ate, and I decided that for that day, I would bump up my calories to maintain weight instead of lose, and I did a great job! All weekend my boyfriend was here, Tuesday I had school, and today I got a break, but really need to study for my test tomorrow. Uh-oh.
Anyway, I weighed in today. 174.0, down 1.2lbs! I am pretty happy, especially since I had to bump up calories and have been trying to figure out what works for me, etc. If I keep up this rate of weight loss, I will definitely hit goal of being in the 160s in a few weeks. I have never in my adult life been in the 160s. We shall see how this goes. I am fighting this battle and I want to win the war.
Also, one of my goals for the next 20 days is to drink more water. Yesterday I drank 2.25L! That is 76oz, and really good for my weight. My goal is to drink at least 1.5L every day, and I hope to make this a habit for the rest of my life if I can.
Yesterday I went to another zumba class, and I have to say that it was fun, but I have been sick with allergies and did not eat enough before the workout, and I started to get dizzy and black out and my dad thinks I was hyperventilating when I talked to him about it this morning. I decided that no matter what, I am going to eat more before a workout and wait until I feel better. I have done this workout before and was perfectly fine, so I really feel like since my airways are kind of blocked with mucus and crap, that did not allow me to breathe enough and take in enough oxygen, plus low energy levels. If it happens again when I am not feeling sick, I will go to the doctor.
There is one thing that has kind of bothered me lately, and it is that I cannot seem to eat enough. Breakfast tends to fill me up, and I find it hard to get all my calories in for the day! Crazy. But it is kind of stressing me out. So for now I will continue to eat and try as hard as I can, and see if I get more of an appetite after I start feeling better.
Anyway, I think that is all for now.
Peace, love, and happiness.
Love,
Erica
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Waver.
In the past week I have been tracking my weight, and I have gone from 177.2 to 175.2. 2lbs down! I know this is a good thing, but for some reason I feel like I should be losing more. My confidence was wavering these past few days, and I was not sure if I could entirely trust the scale. But you know what, I think that my changes are making a difference. I feel better walking up the hill to my apartments, my skin looks better, my waist is getting a little thinner, and I think I can do this. I know that if I just keep this up I will see even more progress. With my current plan, there is not a way for me to gain weight when I am eating less calories than I burn. And when I do exercises and try to get activity in, it is a good thing for my body. So I know the plan works, many people have done it and I am eating a fairly balanced diet with a pretty consistent 1200-1300 calories a day.
I joined SparkPeople yesterday, and my username is PineappleThief. After watching success stories, it made me want to be a part and see what everyone on there does to lose weight and such. I think if I keep being active about my weight loss, I will feel more motivated and determined to succeed. I have about 8 more weeks before I go home for the holiday time, and I really want to help myself. I set a goal to get to 165 by November 13th, and I think I can do it. I am hoping of doing possibly better than that and getting to 160, but I do not want to feel discouraged if I don't. Either way, any weight loss is good as long as it is healthy weight loss!
It is kind of funny, but sometimes I feel like now that I am trying to be healthy, I have to force myself to get all the calories I need. Like I will eat around 900 calories and know that I need to eat up to 1200 to be on a healthy diet, and I really have to push myself. I drink a lot of hot tea, about a mug 2-3 times a day, and I think that fills me up really well. Like right now I am at 1149, and I cannot push myself to eat any more. And I dont want to push myself for fear that once I start, I wont be able to stop. So that is definitely something I did not expect to happen! And it has been like that for a while now. Even if someone made fresh chocolate cake or brownies with frosting or creme brulee,all of my faves, I could not do it. I feel too full for even a taste. It is strange, because I used to eat so much and still make room for dessert when there was physically no more room, and I would make myself sick. Weird!
I hope that I can hit goal kind of soon, because I want to go shopping! :3
Dream big and live it up!
Love,
Erica
I joined SparkPeople yesterday, and my username is PineappleThief. After watching success stories, it made me want to be a part and see what everyone on there does to lose weight and such. I think if I keep being active about my weight loss, I will feel more motivated and determined to succeed. I have about 8 more weeks before I go home for the holiday time, and I really want to help myself. I set a goal to get to 165 by November 13th, and I think I can do it. I am hoping of doing possibly better than that and getting to 160, but I do not want to feel discouraged if I don't. Either way, any weight loss is good as long as it is healthy weight loss!
It is kind of funny, but sometimes I feel like now that I am trying to be healthy, I have to force myself to get all the calories I need. Like I will eat around 900 calories and know that I need to eat up to 1200 to be on a healthy diet, and I really have to push myself. I drink a lot of hot tea, about a mug 2-3 times a day, and I think that fills me up really well. Like right now I am at 1149, and I cannot push myself to eat any more. And I dont want to push myself for fear that once I start, I wont be able to stop. So that is definitely something I did not expect to happen! And it has been like that for a while now. Even if someone made fresh chocolate cake or brownies with frosting or creme brulee,all of my faves, I could not do it. I feel too full for even a taste. It is strange, because I used to eat so much and still make room for dessert when there was physically no more room, and I would make myself sick. Weird!
I hope that I can hit goal kind of soon, because I want to go shopping! :3
Dream big and live it up!
Love,
Erica
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Changes.
I can definitely feel a big difference inside my body, I am getting less stomach aches for one thing! I used to get chronic stomach pains and gas pains, you name it. But recently, none of that! Also, I have been feeling really good as well, less headaches and less allergy issues, things of that nature. I think this diet is really helping me. I had no idea it would have this much of an impact in such a short amount of time, and it feels awesome. Also, my skin looks wonderful. I have had clear skin, but I have not had a single blemish problem in the past 2-3 weeks. Nothing! And my skin is not nearly as oily as it would get. You watch, though. Right after I hit publish, I will wake up with a zit or something. Haha. But really, my skin has less redness around my nose and forehead, and it looks a ton better, and feels smoother! I am so happy about this.
I have been trying to exercise more and get things done around my apartment. Yesterday I did some exercises like squats and lunges and different things to work my calves as well. I also was moving and dancing around my apartment, and some people on the street looked up at me through my window 4 stories up. Haha. But my legs feel really good and are looking better, too! My flatmate yesterday asked me if I was losing weight, because she said she thought I looked thinner. Score! I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and some workout shorts, and I guess I looked thin that way? No idea. But I feel really good. Also, my tighter jeans fit! They are a bit loose if anything, actually. This makes me happy, and a shirt that was a bit tight on me now fits as well. A super cute shirt, might I add.
So today I have been trying to eat more balanced and get more fruits and veggies into me. I had an orange, a banana, a fruit leather, a salad, a stir fry, etc. Amazingly enough, I had to struggle to consume around 1200 calories today. Veggies are more filling than I thought! Crazy. Today I also did half of my laundry, as I need to go get more money tomorrow to do the rest, and I vacuumed, changed my bed sheets, organized, took out trash, etc. Everything was really piling up, and it so needed to be done. Also kept me fairly busy all day.
Anyhow, I have been feeling super great, and I really want to keep this up! I am excited about what will happen in the future. We shall see! I did have a slight weight gain this morning, but I have been drinking a lot more water than I usually do, and I have been doing exercises for my muscles, so I have confidence that what I am doing is working and will continue to work.
Keep it up, don't give up!
Love,
Erica.
I have been trying to exercise more and get things done around my apartment. Yesterday I did some exercises like squats and lunges and different things to work my calves as well. I also was moving and dancing around my apartment, and some people on the street looked up at me through my window 4 stories up. Haha. But my legs feel really good and are looking better, too! My flatmate yesterday asked me if I was losing weight, because she said she thought I looked thinner. Score! I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and some workout shorts, and I guess I looked thin that way? No idea. But I feel really good. Also, my tighter jeans fit! They are a bit loose if anything, actually. This makes me happy, and a shirt that was a bit tight on me now fits as well. A super cute shirt, might I add.
So today I have been trying to eat more balanced and get more fruits and veggies into me. I had an orange, a banana, a fruit leather, a salad, a stir fry, etc. Amazingly enough, I had to struggle to consume around 1200 calories today. Veggies are more filling than I thought! Crazy. Today I also did half of my laundry, as I need to go get more money tomorrow to do the rest, and I vacuumed, changed my bed sheets, organized, took out trash, etc. Everything was really piling up, and it so needed to be done. Also kept me fairly busy all day.
Anyhow, I have been feeling super great, and I really want to keep this up! I am excited about what will happen in the future. We shall see! I did have a slight weight gain this morning, but I have been drinking a lot more water than I usually do, and I have been doing exercises for my muscles, so I have confidence that what I am doing is working and will continue to work.
Keep it up, don't give up!
Love,
Erica.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Groceries!
I have been so disappointed with the weather lately. Spring hast started here in New Zealand, but it is still so cold and wet and yuck. This Saturday was no exception. I was bummed about not being able to go with my boyfriend and to the park and such, BUT we did go to the organic grocery! It is called Huckleberry Farms and it is so cute and they have such nice stuff. I had to buy a couple of their jute bags because I forgot my bags at home and plastic bags being carried long distance hurt your arms/hands. But, I will list off the foods I got!
- 2 giant kumara, and not too much of an idea what I am going to do with them. Probably just bake them and add honey butter. Yum.
- 4 organic navel oranges. I love them.
- 4 organic carrots. One is gone from dinner last night. Mmm.
- 3 organic red skinned potatoes. Might make mashed potatoes or just broil them.
- About 2 1/2C organic couscous. It is DELICIOUS. I had never had couscous, but Shanti (Antishay on youtube) talked about it in her grocery haul vids, and I had to try it. So glad I did. Mmm.
- Organic bananas. They are delicious. I had one last night.
- 4 organic pink lady apples. I love pink lady, they are so good!
- 2 medium non-organic tomatoes. They didn't have organic, but I like tomatoes.
- Organic dried braeburn apple snacks. I put them in oatmeal or on salad or you can just eat them. Mmm!
- Organic tofu. Still debating what to do with it, need recipes!
- Fairtrade raisins
- Salad mix greens and also a bag of spinach leaves
- Organic almonds
- 2 organic brown medium onions
- Annies fiber fruit apricot leathers. I haven't tried these, but I love the strawberry ones!
- Organic golden sugar. I am running out of sugar.
- Organic dried cranberries
I did a pretty good job! Later I also got some bread and eggs near my apartment. But all in all I spent about $75NZD, so about $55USD! Not bad!
I made couscous last night with some chicken I had, curry spices, some garlic, carrots, and onion. I put way too much hot red pepper, but it was so yummy! I love couscous now. Yum. In Texas you don't really see a lot of couscous or falafel or anything, but I am always willing to try! I am so proud of myself for branching out so much, and I am really enjoying these new foods and recipes, and they are so tasty and low in calories! I am really enjoying this new change.
On that note, I definitely can tell I am losing weight. I feel better and less tired all the time, and I have been exercising in my room with crunches and lunges and other sorts of things. I am so feeling that, though. My ass is killing me! Haha. But I know it is good for me, and I am enjoying it.
Love your body, treat it right.
Love,
Erica.
- 2 giant kumara, and not too much of an idea what I am going to do with them. Probably just bake them and add honey butter. Yum.
- 4 organic navel oranges. I love them.
- 4 organic carrots. One is gone from dinner last night. Mmm.
- 3 organic red skinned potatoes. Might make mashed potatoes or just broil them.
- About 2 1/2C organic couscous. It is DELICIOUS. I had never had couscous, but Shanti (Antishay on youtube) talked about it in her grocery haul vids, and I had to try it. So glad I did. Mmm.
- Organic bananas. They are delicious. I had one last night.
- 4 organic pink lady apples. I love pink lady, they are so good!
- 2 medium non-organic tomatoes. They didn't have organic, but I like tomatoes.
- Organic dried braeburn apple snacks. I put them in oatmeal or on salad or you can just eat them. Mmm!
- Organic tofu. Still debating what to do with it, need recipes!
- Fairtrade raisins
- Salad mix greens and also a bag of spinach leaves
- Organic almonds
- 2 organic brown medium onions
- Annies fiber fruit apricot leathers. I haven't tried these, but I love the strawberry ones!
- Organic golden sugar. I am running out of sugar.
- Organic dried cranberries
I did a pretty good job! Later I also got some bread and eggs near my apartment. But all in all I spent about $75NZD, so about $55USD! Not bad!
I made couscous last night with some chicken I had, curry spices, some garlic, carrots, and onion. I put way too much hot red pepper, but it was so yummy! I love couscous now. Yum. In Texas you don't really see a lot of couscous or falafel or anything, but I am always willing to try! I am so proud of myself for branching out so much, and I am really enjoying these new foods and recipes, and they are so tasty and low in calories! I am really enjoying this new change.
On that note, I definitely can tell I am losing weight. I feel better and less tired all the time, and I have been exercising in my room with crunches and lunges and other sorts of things. I am so feeling that, though. My ass is killing me! Haha. But I know it is good for me, and I am enjoying it.
Love your body, treat it right.
Love,
Erica.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Resist.
I have been having to resist weighing myself constantly. It is so hard! Now that I have a scale, I want to check my weight all the time and see if I am losing at all. It is difficult. I know if I keep looking I will become obsessed with the numbers on the scale, and that is not what I want this lifestyle transition to be all about. So I am having to resist the temptation of weighing myself all the time, and instead focusing on my calories and foods that I am eating. By the way, I made a really tasty lunch today! I have been trying to incorporate more greens into my diet, so I chucked this scrambled eggs combo together:
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 med tomato, chopped
1C baby spinach, chopped coarsely
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
Pinch of salt and pepper
Splash of milk
Taco sauce of salsa
Whisk eggs together until thoroughly mixed. Splash a little milk into mix, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Sautee onions on a lightly oiled pan until translucent, pour in egg mixture.
Cook in pan until eggs are halfway cooked. Add in spinach and finish cooking eggs.
Remove from pan and plate eggs. Add chopped tomato on top.
Drizzle taco sauce or salsa over eggs.
Eat!
It was really good and really pretty. Only 172 calories and I was full! I had it with a mug of green tea. Yum.
Anyway, my boyfriend and I are going to try to get out to a park this weekend and have a picnic if weather permits! I hope so, I am really excited. Afterwards we will stop by an organic store that is over in that area and I can pick up a lot of stuff!!! I cant wait. I have had so much more energy lately, I feel like I can do anything I want! This eating healthy thing makes me feel so much better.
I hope yall enjoy the rest of your week. Treat your body well and your body will treat you well!
Love,
Erica.
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 med tomato, chopped
1C baby spinach, chopped coarsely
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
Pinch of salt and pepper
Splash of milk
Taco sauce of salsa
Whisk eggs together until thoroughly mixed. Splash a little milk into mix, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Sautee onions on a lightly oiled pan until translucent, pour in egg mixture.
Cook in pan until eggs are halfway cooked. Add in spinach and finish cooking eggs.
Remove from pan and plate eggs. Add chopped tomato on top.
Drizzle taco sauce or salsa over eggs.
Eat!
It was really good and really pretty. Only 172 calories and I was full! I had it with a mug of green tea. Yum.
Anyway, my boyfriend and I are going to try to get out to a park this weekend and have a picnic if weather permits! I hope so, I am really excited. Afterwards we will stop by an organic store that is over in that area and I can pick up a lot of stuff!!! I cant wait. I have had so much more energy lately, I feel like I can do anything I want! This eating healthy thing makes me feel so much better.
I hope yall enjoy the rest of your week. Treat your body well and your body will treat you well!
Love,
Erica.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Morning Weigh-In.
Yesterday I finally got a scale! I am so glad, because now I will be able to track my progress more accurately, and I think if I can see the actual progress being made, then it will help to keep me motivated to do more. I am sure my weight when I started this plan was above 180. Now, after 10 days of calorie counting, I weighed myself this morning. 177.2! I am so happy. My goal for mid-November is 160, and I really think I can do it! I used a calorie calculator online, I don't remember where, but it said how many calories to eat to lose a certain amount and when you should lose it by. Hopefully by March I will be 140lbs! I really want to keep at it, and it is not as hard as I thought it would be. If I keep posting here on the blog and keep myself actively thinking about it, then I think I will be perfectly fine. Go me!!!
Also, for dinner I ate out with my boyfriend again and I stayed in my calorie range. That is the nice thing about Indian, you can dish as much curry and such as you want onto your plate. So when I finished, I put my knife and fork down and realized that I actually am full. We had a cup of chai for dessert, and it was fab. Very yummy dinner!!! I have been trying really hard, and I am proud of myself for not splurging.
Tomorrow is a busy day, and I have been having trouble falling asleep, so I hope after eating a good meal and some tea and some unwinding that everything will be good! I got some black tea from Trade Aid to mix it up a bit instead of just my green tea, and I walked a fair bit today. I had a lot of energy today and I that makes me so happy. I have just been so lethargic and bleh. But it isnt too difficult and I really believe I can make these changes even during the holiday season if I bake stuff myself and spend time with my amazing family!
Keep positive, no matter what! You can do it.
Love,
Erica.
Also, for dinner I ate out with my boyfriend again and I stayed in my calorie range. That is the nice thing about Indian, you can dish as much curry and such as you want onto your plate. So when I finished, I put my knife and fork down and realized that I actually am full. We had a cup of chai for dessert, and it was fab. Very yummy dinner!!! I have been trying really hard, and I am proud of myself for not splurging.
Tomorrow is a busy day, and I have been having trouble falling asleep, so I hope after eating a good meal and some tea and some unwinding that everything will be good! I got some black tea from Trade Aid to mix it up a bit instead of just my green tea, and I walked a fair bit today. I had a lot of energy today and I that makes me so happy. I have just been so lethargic and bleh. But it isnt too difficult and I really believe I can make these changes even during the holiday season if I bake stuff myself and spend time with my amazing family!
Keep positive, no matter what! You can do it.
Love,
Erica.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Feeling good!
I have really been getting into this whole health thing that I have been on for the past week or so. I have been a bit lethargic lately because I have been having some issues, but I am really doing a lot of research and having fun with this! I went to the library today and got a couple of books. One is In Defence of Food by Michael Pollan, and the other is YOU: The Owners Manual. I have read You: On a Diet and I used to have it, and I really enjoyed it. Mainly my focus is to live a healthier lifestyle and make healthy choices for a longer life.
I want to lose weight, and that is a big part of it of course, but health is my main objective. My dad had a heart attack 8 years ago right before he turned 50, and heart disease is big all through his family. All of his siblings have something wrong with their hearts. My uncle on my moms side also had a heart attack. My mom has diabetes (she is ~160lbs, 5 foot 7, not a big woman) and my dad is pre-diabetic (~212lbs, now 199lbs, 6 feet). They have been concerned with their health, and seeing this makes me want to really do well for myself. My brother also lost a lot of weight in the last few years. He is 19, and went from a size XXL to a size M. He has always been good looking, but he is now very handsome. Seeing how my brother did this for himself motivates me. He was a lot more radical with his regiment, working out constantly and taking protein powder and such, and I just don't have the ability to do that with my schooling and everything. I feel like I can make some great life changing habits, though.
Contrary to what I thought when I first started counting my calories, it is actually not that terrible! I can eat whenever I want (just not 3 hours before bed!) and there are so many good foods to choose from. I make grocery lists and have some foods on a list on my computer that are good for the body and things to definitely look for. Some of which is apples, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, oranges, strawberries, carrots, celery, cucumbers, garlic, onions, potatoes, spinach, squash, tomatoes, turnips, and yams. I also drink green tea and a lot of water. Yogurt is a part of my diet for most days, because I have always suffered from digestive troubles, and I find a feel a lot better and things work a lot better with natural probiotic yogurt. I am also eating whole grain foods and making my own pasta sauces with veggies and herbs instead of grabbing a jar of Bertolli or whatever is cheap. It is just simple changes like these, and counting my calories. I also plan on becoming more active, but as of right now I don't really have a way to do that. I figure it is good to go at this gradually. Start by making food changes, then slowly incorporate more activity. Hopefully by the time I see my parents mid-November, there will be some progress and things will be great! I really want to try to pass on these sorts of habits to my parents. They are pretty healthy, but we definitely eat out a lot and need more home cooking. I love them so much and really want them to be healthy and be around as long as possible!
Be healthy, be happy!
Love,
Erica.
I want to lose weight, and that is a big part of it of course, but health is my main objective. My dad had a heart attack 8 years ago right before he turned 50, and heart disease is big all through his family. All of his siblings have something wrong with their hearts. My uncle on my moms side also had a heart attack. My mom has diabetes (she is ~160lbs, 5 foot 7, not a big woman) and my dad is pre-diabetic (~212lbs, now 199lbs, 6 feet). They have been concerned with their health, and seeing this makes me want to really do well for myself. My brother also lost a lot of weight in the last few years. He is 19, and went from a size XXL to a size M. He has always been good looking, but he is now very handsome. Seeing how my brother did this for himself motivates me. He was a lot more radical with his regiment, working out constantly and taking protein powder and such, and I just don't have the ability to do that with my schooling and everything. I feel like I can make some great life changing habits, though.
Contrary to what I thought when I first started counting my calories, it is actually not that terrible! I can eat whenever I want (just not 3 hours before bed!) and there are so many good foods to choose from. I make grocery lists and have some foods on a list on my computer that are good for the body and things to definitely look for. Some of which is apples, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, oranges, strawberries, carrots, celery, cucumbers, garlic, onions, potatoes, spinach, squash, tomatoes, turnips, and yams. I also drink green tea and a lot of water. Yogurt is a part of my diet for most days, because I have always suffered from digestive troubles, and I find a feel a lot better and things work a lot better with natural probiotic yogurt. I am also eating whole grain foods and making my own pasta sauces with veggies and herbs instead of grabbing a jar of Bertolli or whatever is cheap. It is just simple changes like these, and counting my calories. I also plan on becoming more active, but as of right now I don't really have a way to do that. I figure it is good to go at this gradually. Start by making food changes, then slowly incorporate more activity. Hopefully by the time I see my parents mid-November, there will be some progress and things will be great! I really want to try to pass on these sorts of habits to my parents. They are pretty healthy, but we definitely eat out a lot and need more home cooking. I love them so much and really want them to be healthy and be around as long as possible!
Be healthy, be happy!
Love,
Erica.
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