Another week 1 - Great # !!

Back on IP - and after one week of pretty much staying on track (there was a few cheats) I am back down to 181.8, a loss of -8.4lbs!! It truly is amazing, if you are ever in the need to shed a quick 5lbs IP is definitely the way to go! However.... I had a very had time over the weekend trying to stay on track, and even though I did, I did a lot of thinking about my lifestyle. I always kind of knew that I was not a salad every day type girl and I knew that IP wasn't a lifestyle change I wanted but it did help me loose the weight. So tonight when I go see my coach I think I am going to tell her that I am taking the summer off of IP. I need to figure out a healthy eating lifestyle I can do everyday. I'm thinking more along the lines of a low GI diet, with healthy carbs. My plan is not to loose (although that would be OK) over the summer but to maintain. A friend of mine was telling me about a book called "This is why your fat" by Jackie Warner, it seems like a great book and I'm considering getting it just for a few meal plan ideas.

I haven't chatted about Jacob for a while so I thought I would update you on a few things .... last night I went shopping for a few things for him that we need in our trailer. And as I walked through the "baby" department I realized there is nothing there for him anymore... I had to go to the "boys" department! It was a happy/ sad moment, my baby is no longer in that category. We are currently working very hard on potty training, he does really good IF you remember to ask him every hour or force him to go every hour. But he is not at the stage of telling me yet, which makes it hard when we have to have sitters. I feel like I have tried everything, last night he was very insistent about wearing his 'big boy' undies (which he had to wear backwards so that Lightning McQueen was on the front) and I kept trying to remind him to make sure to tell Dad when he had to go. But I guess ten minutes after I left to go shopping he peed his pants. :( Potty training has got to be the hardest thing I have gone through with him ... so far. However he is excelling in vocabulary, he speaks full sentences and is at the "why" stage. Some days I pray for 2 min of quietness, even though I know it's totally healthy to ask tons of questions at this age. He has opened up a lot and before he used to hide behind me when new kids approached him, now he goes right up to them and says "hi", I love seeing him make new friends and being able to play with complete strangers.

Back on plan!!

Well ... as you can see I had a slight gain (about 15lbs) but I can say in my defence that I did go crazy overboard a few days before re-committing myself, saying "Good-bye" to all my old favorites and there was Easter in there too with the yummy Purdy's chocolate! :) So, I'm sure that if I would have drank a bunch of water and waited a few days to do my official weigh in it would prob be lower but then I could always have a excuse. I am back on track with IP, and although I wouldn't say I'm loving it ... I am happy to have a plan. I didn't realize how lost I was without a plan, when I packed my lunch I really didn't have much of an idea of what or how much to pack. I don't think I am learning as much on IP for eating healthy after as I have on other plans but I know that IP gets the weight off. So, my plan is to keep on IP till I'm either at goal or passed (I might want to go below goal a couple pounds). I will phase off like you are suppose to but I really can't see myself making these huge breakfasts every morning, I really am not a morning/ breakfast person. I would like to continue with shakes/ yogurt/ fruit in the morning. I don't think I can do salads everyday for lunch for the rest of my life so I will prob change that a bit when I get to goal and go with a more low GI type diet, which also means I will probably have to workout everyday to maintain. Which is fine, I do miss going to the gym and I actually think once I am in ketosis I will start going back to the gym just to tone up a bit.

I know it's been a while since posting and not much has happened except for my crazy eating and gaining what I once lost. :( We bought a new hot tub which I'm pretty excited about trying out. Hubby went in last night and said it was really nice but I stayed in to watch Biggest Loser. I think Jacob and I will try it out tonight. Race season is about to start, which means working 7 days a week and camping at the track most weekends. It also means that I probably won't see/ talk much with hubby since he is always busy doing something for the track. Hershey is also finished school now and surprisingly passed with a 92/100!! :) I am hoping that I will be able to take her to the dog park and when I call her she will actually come but that was one of the things she wasn't so good at in class. I blame her nose, it got the best of her and she got distracted. So ... here's to hoping that next Wed my weigh in will be amazing!! I really want to have a sneak at the scale but I also want to see the big # so I will wait till next week to weigh in.

Need to make a decision...

Well, I went and talked to my 'coach' last night, it was the first time I've seen her in over a month!! (Probably been about 5 weeks since I last saw her cause it was always her niece there). It was nice to see her again after all this time and I think it was good to talk to her, someone that has "been there, done that". She said she was also having trouble getting back on 100% and she said she also gained 10lbs while on holidays, which made me feel a bit better. Not that I gained 10lbs while technically on holidays but since my last weigh in which was about 5 weeks ago I have gained 10lbs! :( I can't believe it myself, 10lbs in 5 weeks!?!? OMG! I will be back in my fat pants in no time at that rate! Sooooo ..... I need to make a decision!

I need to either decide to go back on IP 100% - no cheats, stick to the plan! OR .... try something new/ old? My thoughts on all of it is that I know IP works IF you stick to the plan 100% but it will work and it will work fast! I am just not that excited about starting it again, it wasn't really a diet I would say was "easy" to follow or one that I actually enjoyed. I'm not sure I even really learned anything on it but that could be because I never fazed out all the way. I like the idea of trying something new cause then it's exciting and new BUT ... will it work??? And then there is always the old stand by ... NS and the gym. It worked for me the first time I tried to diet and I still believe that even though it is a packaged food diet, I feel like I learned more on that diet. It broke more of my habits and taught me more about portion sizes. I feel like on NS it was more balanced then IP - I was able to have yogurt, fruit and whole grain foods, it is based on a low GI diet but on NS I didn't do well the last time I was on it cause I had the idea I was maintaining not loosing!? I just don't know what I want to do ... I'm so sick of salad but I know IP works. I am not happy with my weight yet and feel like I still have another 20lbs to go (10lbs from holidays and the last 10lbs I had before holidays). I need to figure this out and hopefully soon, cause I'm worried that if I don't have a plan I will continue to fail or in this case gain. :P

sick & tired ....

So, since getting back from holidays I have been sick and tired, apparently this cold I have is very draining! We have been going to bed by 9pm and not waking till 7 the next day so I'm definitely getting my sleep. I am finding it soooo hard to start dieting again! After taking a break at Christmas time it was hard then to get back at it but this time it seems worse!? I still really want to loose those last 15ish pounds and I know it won't take that much longer if I just stick to the plan. The problem I am having is that I know that once you start IP there are no cheat days, there are no 'just one bites' - you have to be committed, you have to be 100%. This is what I am finding hard to commit to. I am soooo sick of salads but yet I am also sick of feeling fat and heavy from not eating the right foods. I went for my weigh in last week and was going to start this week but it is already Mon and I haven't started yet. I'm suppose to be going for a weigh in again on Wed but now I'm thinking of postponing that, since I haven't started yet there won't be any change. And my coach wasn't even the one that weighed me in last week, it was her niece again!? I thought for sure my coach would have wanted to see me after my holiday and such but she sent her niece instead?

Below I have posted a pic of me - it's not the most flattering pic but definitely the most recent. I don't think I look bad but I do still see a muffin top that I would like to get rid of and I think I need to exercise more to help tone up!? But you aren't suppose to exercise on IP, so maybe I might have to do an alternative plan or find a new plan? I just like how fast IP is, I just don't know if I can be committed to it again? It's like a love hate relationship!? LOL

weigh in ...

well - I had my last weigh in on Tues (I know a few days ago) and there wasn't much change, in fact I gained a few ounces already. I weighed in again this morning and I am up a few pounds. Kinda expected from switching from diet mode to non-diet and I have been eating quiet horrible lately!? We had pizza on the weekend and Chinese on Wed and I have had a huge craving for chocolate (even though after one bite I get a instant headache).

I really need to get my head wrapped around the fact that this is a life time change, its a forever thing ... not just stop the diet and go back to eating crap? But it's soooo incredibly hard, I feel like it's my right or I earned it ?? I also have a feeling that maybe I am allergic to sugar? I get the headache and my face breaks out almost instantly after having some!? I think I might have to stay away from sugar for life? Which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing?

We leave in 4 days to go to Mexico and the close the day comes the more excited I am getting!! I can't believe that we are actually going on a trip!? Its been a long time since I have been on a plane and Jacob has never been on a plane so this makes me nervous!? I hope he does OK and behaves good! I am hoping I have enough things in his carry on to keep him busy for 6 hours!~? I'm hoping that he doesn't drive me completely insane with all his questions about all the new things (I'm certain that this WILL happen, and I know it's completely normal and healthy for him to ask so many questions but sometimes it gets very tiring answering a thousand questions when all you want to do is relax or read a book)

We have a very busy weekend planned, tonight we have a bday party to go to and Jacob is having a sleepover at the grandparents. Tomorrow morning is gymnastics then another bday party for a youth group I used to belong to. Then Sunday we have a baby shower. I also would like to get a start on packing and laundry. I am taking Tuesday off next week to take the dogs to the kennel so I will have lots of time to pack then but I don't like leaving things to last minute. I feel like I have so much to do still and only 4 days!! :0

~~ Weigh in ~~

Well - another week of maintaining, seems to be my pattern. One week I have no change and the next there is a loss. This week I gained +0.4lbs, which in my mind is considered maintaining. Things have been going well on Phase II, I don't feel like I am in any hurry to go to Phase III, all that means is that I won't loose anymore and it will be more work to prepare meals. I feel like I could stay on this phase for my lifetime, I'm not a big breakfast person and really don't have much time to make breakfast in the morning.

We leave for Mexico in 12 days and I still have a few things to do, although we do plan on buying things there so I don't have to worry about packing shampoos and soaps. I need to make sure we have enough things to entertain Jacob for the 6 hour flight! I think I should buy a new back pack for when we go on tours, new sneakers for me and maybe a money belt?

Jacob gave me a cold for Valentines day! :( But it should be OK cause now I have 12 days to get rid of it and be healthy for our trip!! He woke up this morning and said his ear hurt so I might have to take him to the doctors tonight to make sure he doesn't have a ear infection~that would be horrible to deal with on a plane!!

Yesterday I had a makeover! I know, surprised right!? I never really told anyone that I was doing it. A girl I know that works at this salon posted something on Face Book that they were having a contest and I thought what the heck... I probably won't win anyway ... I never win these kind of things!? But guess what .... I got a email saying they picked me... yes... me!! WOW - so then I started freaking out, not so much about what they would do to me but I knew this meant they would take before and after pics and post them somewhere!?!? So last night I went, all nervous for the picture. The lady that did my hair was pretty good, she put streaks in my hair and did this head massage thing when she shampooed it that felt amazing!! She styled it in a way that wasn't really my style and needless to say I was unsuccessful at doing it this morning. She used a iron thing, which I don't have and a hair dryer which I also don't own... I know - its crazy... what kind of girl doesn't own a hair dryer!?! Well, it's just not that important to me!? But after last night I might go get one just so I can 'try' and do my hair when I go out on special occasions!? ;) Then I went for makeup and as I sat there I wondered, why the heck didn't I book this appointment for a Sat? I won't even be able to show anyone my new look or do?! I just went home after and washed all their hard work off. I did feel quiet glamorous though! It was fun, I'm glad I didn't chicken out of it and now I just to try and do it again - first though I need to buy the proper supplies!!

The hair salon said they would send me copies of my before and after pics and I will make sure I post them here to let all you see them too!!

~~ Weigh in ~~

So this is my 2nd weigh in on Phase II and after last weeks weigh in I was starting to wonder if maybe I wouldn't loose anything at all on Phase II?! But this morning I saw a -3.4lb loss!!! I am pleased that I am now only 6lbs away from goal and might actually be able to see goal before I leave for Mexico!? I'm suppose to start Phase III tomorrow, which means adding breakfast, it excites me cause I love breakfast but I don't have time in the morning to make eggs and toast. I am a grab and go girl so I need to think of things that I can take to work and eat here.

Last week I made crust less quiche which would be good for a grab and go type breakfast, I could make individual servings and put my bread in a Ziploc to toast once at work. I believe I am also suppose to have fruit and yogurt now too, which I'm pretty excited about - I was starting to really miss fruit and dairy.

Last week I also made some kale chips, when I made them with vinegar they were so yummy - just like salt and vinegar chips! I made some black bean brownies, which were also yummy and nice for a treat. Last night I made fennel salad and it was really yummy! These are three things I have never eaten before and I'm glad I tried them, I will probably eat them even when I'm not on a diet!

We have had a few busy weeks, we are still trying to get my Dads house ready to go on the market to sell. We took Jacob to the Monster Truck show last weekend, which he loved!! And we went swimming to the water park, which was also a good time but made me realize that I need to buy a new swim suit before our holiday!!

Jacob has been so funny lately, he really cracks me up! His imagination is crazy now, and I love to hear the things he has to say. The other day I picked him up from the day home and he had a little truck with him, he held it really close to his eye and told me there was a whale in there, a really big whale. So I played along and acted surprised, he shoves the truck in my eye and says look Mommy, theres a whale in there! LOL How he figures a whale can drive his truck is beyond me but it was cute the way he insisted it was there.

I have a busy few days coming up, trying to get ready for our trip. I need to buy new shoes for me and Jacob, new swimsuit for me and I need to try and buy things to put in Jacobs carry-on that will keep him entertained for the six hour flight!! :0 I bought some new suitcases last week, the hard shell ones and probably spent way too much but at least they will last a lifetime! :) This Friday is the day I plan on saying good-bye to my beloved dog, she is really old and things are becoming very difficult for her. Her hips are giving out and she falls a lot, I haven't made the call yet to make the appointment but I am trying to prepare myself that that will be the day. :(

~~ Weigh in ~~

Weigh in this week wasn't the best, it was my first week on Phase II and it went fairly well - I suppose!? I only had a -0.2lb loss which is really no loss at all, except that it now put me in the 178's! I should be happy with this, this means that I was able to maintain during the transition to Phase II but I still feel like I want to loose those last 10lbs! :( I had a hard time adding the protein and taking away a shake, the first few days I felt like I was eating so much and wondered if I had to eat even though I wasn't hungry. Then the last few days I changed my protein to something a little smaller, 2 hard boiled eggs, but felt hungry. I think I came out of ketosis cause I had lack of energy, cravings and no loss. I hope this week will go a little better, I think I will cut down on my lunch protein a bit (meaning instead of having steak for lunch like I did the first couple days I will have eggs or low fat ham). I will also increase my veggies by about a half cup (if needed), hopefully this will work and I will continue to loose and stay in ketosis?

We have a funeral to go to tomorrow, hubbies Grandpa. It is the first and hopefully the last of funerals for this year!? We had enough of them last year!!

~~ Weigh in ~~

For some reason I kinda thought I would have a bigger loss for weigh in, not that I'm not happy with the -1.6lbs loss!!! :D But I just thought it would be more for some reason? I have a NSV too!! (non-scale victory) .... I tried on my pre-pregnancy jeans (size 9) and guess what?!? They fit, I had to wiggle a bit to get them on but it wasn't like I needed a coat hanger to zip them up! Another couple pounds and they will fit really good! It's actually kinda funny how the last time I fit in these jeans I was about 5lbs thinner. They say that on IP you loose fat instead of muscle so it's interesting to me that I weigh more but fit a smaller size, maybe it's true? Can you imagine that if/ when I do get to goal (10 more pounds) what size jean I will be in then!??! I hate to judge myself purely on vanity size but it sure feels good to be in single digit jeans!!! :o

I have 4 more weeks till we go to Mexico, there is still lots for me to do. I have to buy Jacob new sneakers and sandals (if I can find them) he will also probably need a new swim suit!? Plus I need to pack his carry on with lots of new toys and things to entertain him for 6 hours!!? I should be ok for clothes cause I can now bring out all my skinny summer clothes!! However I might need to find myself a new pair of sandals too!? I heard there is a Wal Mart in Mexico now so we might stop there to buy some stuff instead of packing it all.

Starting tomorrow I am suppose to start phase II and I'm kinda nervous about it, I still want to loose more and I don't think I will but I want to phase off properly this time and not like I did at Christmas. The Fat chicks website has been useful in giving me advice on what to have for my lunch protein so that I'm not having to cook a whole chicken every two days!

Good weekend

We had a excellent weekend! Sat I took Jacob to gymnastics, then dropped him off at the inlaws so that I could go help my Mom clean up the house. We spent a little longer then expected cleaning and packing but I feel like we got lots done! On Sunday, I got to sleep in (yeah) then cleaned house a bit, when Jacob went for his nap I went shopping for a couple hours but had to be home by 3pm cause we were taking Jacob to his first show! Toopy and Binoo!!! Jacob LOVES Toopy so I figured this would be a good show for him. The show was about a hour and a half and had a 20 min intermission. Jacob did good - he sat on either mine or Dads lap for the entire show and only started to get restless during the last 10 minutes. We bought him a shirt and a light wand thing. As soon as we got home he HAD to put the shirt on and wouldn't take it off, he's probably still wearing it! haha It was nice to see him enjoy himself, we will definitely be going to more shows. I wanted to take him to the circus when it's in town but we will be in Mexico so maybe next year!

I feel good this week, I'm thinking ketosis has kicked in cause I have more energy then before, no head ache and my hunger/ cravings are mild. I made my veggie soup so for lunches this week I have been having a salad AND soup! I wonder if that will effect my weight loss?? Guess I'll find out on Wed! I am also thinking that by this time next week I should be able to fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans!!!! I'm pretty excited, I can't wait to shop off the rack again and get good deals on clothes.

weigh in ....

I am sooo tired today, Jacob has a cold (which he decided to share with me) so he was coughing all night, woke up twice and came in our room. Then the dog decided she needed out, twice! I had a hard time falling back asleep every time I woke up so I probably only got about 4 hours of sleep!? I am the type of person that NEEDS at least 6-7 hours of sleep, 8 would be perfect! :( So today might be a long day and early to bed kind of day!

Yesterday was weigh in day and I am sad to say that for the first time ever I gained!?!? +0.8lbs!! Not a bunch but still, its weird to have a gain without having a real cheat!? I feel like I wasn't in ketosis for the past week, even though I had a huge loss the week before? I weighed myself at home on Sunday and was up almost 2lbs so I cut back on my coffee intake and had a big glass of water before I could have anymore coffee. I think this helped cause by weigh in day I almost dropped that weight and this morning I weighed myself again and I am back to 179.6 so hopefully this week will be much better!!

My coach was there this time, which made me happy cause I really don't like dealing with her niece. Not that her niece is mean but she is really skinny and has no clue about IP, if she was there again I was going to tell her I was switching coaches. So I was talking to my coach and since I am close to goal and I am going to Mexico in 5 weeks, we decided that I should start phasing out, starting next week I am moving on to phase II!! :o I'm kinda excited, kinda nervous. She says the only thing that really changes is that instead of having a shake with my lunch salad I have 5oz of lean meat, just like dinner. 5oz of meat is a lot! Part of me thinks about the cost, right now I am having about 1 1/2 chicken breast for dinner so I would have to buy/cook 3 chicken breast per day!!! WOW and meat is expensive too!! I think I will start buying it from Costco, they supposedly have good meat anyway. So I will do phase II for 2 weeks then switch to phase III and by the time we go on our trip I should be good! I might not be at goal though cause I will loose slower on phase II.

Oh - I got measured last night too cause even though I didn't loose any weight I told her I felt skinnier, my muffin top felt smaller. I have lost 4 inches alone in my waist since the middle of Dec!! She didn't believe it and asked me twice if the measuring tape was on my belly button!?! LOL So since starting with IP I have lost a total of 22 inches and 38.6lbs, in 13ish weeks!! :)

Tonight I am making veggie soup, I'm pretty excited about it - not sure why? Maybe cause it will be a change from having salad everyday and it will keep me nice and warm since it's winter here and not so nice out! I plan on using one of the 2 cups of veggies I'm allowed for the soup and still have one cup of veggies in my salad. But now I will feel like I have two meals, soup AND salad!! :) It might also make the transition to eating more a little easier!? I also have a couple WS products in my cupboard which are similar to IP but higher in carbs, so I was thinking I might use those up in my transition - maybe when I am in phase III? I'll have to check the labels on them to see if they are good!?

5 weeks ....

In 5 weeks .... in 5 weeks we are going to Mexico, in 5 weeks I want to be at my goal, in 5 weeks I plan on being in my pre-pregnancy jeans!! Doesn't seem very long, and although I only have another 10lbs to go to get to goal I feel like these last 10lbs and 5 weeks are going to the toughest yet! I feel like ever since Christmas it has been hard to be 100%, which is making the diet hard to follow. IP is the type of diet you have to be committed 100%, there are no 'cheat days', you have to stick with the plan - no nibbling off your sons plate, no extras, just stick to the plan and you will feel good, loose weight and not be hungry! I however have been having a few "cheats" making me not fall into ketosis and making me feel hungry and crave certain foods. It's all such a mental thing for me - I feel like I have come pretty far but I also feel like I have sacrificed enough and want that cheat. I don't think I will do well on this weeks weigh in.

I also feel like my "coach" isn't doing much coaching, last week she wasn't even at my appt, she sent her niece to do my weigh in. Which would be fine if her niece had any idea of what IP was and could answer my questions but no ... she is clueless and ubber skinny, clearly never having a weight issue! If my coach is not there again this week I am going to tell the niece to hand over my file and that I am going to a different coach, one that wants to see me and how I'm doing!

There is how ever a bit of good news .... I was getting a little stressed that I still have 10lbs to go before I am where I was before. I was worried that my skinny shorts won't fit me till I'm at that goal weight making me have to find/ buy new shorts for our trip! However .... I tried all my skinny shorts on yesterday and they ALL fit!!! :D I'm soooo happy that I don't have that stress anymore, it's OK if I don't get to goal before my trip. Although I feel like if I don't get to goal before my trip I'm not sure I will come back on IP after our trip!? I may just live off IP for a while, just eat "healthy".

Weigh in!

Well, I lost track of what week I am on... I think technically I am on week 13 after taking two weeks off for Christmas? Any who ... all that really matters is that I finally got rid of my Christmas weight and more!!! :) For this week I am down another -4.4lbs!! Putting me under 180 and into the 70's!! I am only 10 more pounds away from goal which should totally be do able before we leave in 6 weeks!!! I love seeing the big # loss on the scale it makes it all worth it, all the temptations I passed on, all the cravings I have turned away from - all totally worth it! And I really don't feel that deprived!? I still have my coffee (actually I am having more then I probably should cause it's cold outside and I feel like it's my little treat!), I sometimes have a little more veggies or meat at supper time, I even have a Tim's once and awhile!! I am used to having salad for lunch and actually enjoy it (most days). Although I do have cravings and feel hungry more then I think I did on other diets. I am a little worried about getting to goal, I am worried that I will not stick to maintenance, I will feel like I earned the pizza/burger/cookie/etc that I crave. I worry that because I still have these cravings that I will always have to fight the little devil on my shoulder. The only time I want to gain weight again is if I get pregnant! Otherwise I want to try and stay within 5lbs of my goal. Hopefully this won't be too hard!?

back on track...

Well after a two week break from IP I am back on track and once again following the plan. I must admit that at the end of my two week free for all I was kinda excited to be on a plan again and my salad tasted wonderful!! On day 2 I started feeling that crappy feeling, I had a headache for most of the afternoon and was very lazy. Day 3 was a bit better, no headache but still feeling lazy. Today is day 4 back on IP and it is ok, I was very hungry this morning but now I feel OK, it is time for my morning shake. Everyday this week I have packed a extra shake in my lunch bag just in case I got really hungry but I haven't had to use it yet. Tonight I go see my coach and I don't think I have lived up to my end of the deal!? I promised her that I would be either the same weight or lighter when I came back for my weigh in. This morning I weighed in at 184.2lbs, which is -2lbs lighter then last week (after only being on plan for 4 days) but before holidays I was down to 181.4 - I'm still another 2.8lbs away from that!? Oh well, it will come off ... eventually! I am actually kinda surprised that I haven't dropped a huge # like I did the first week I started IP (3 months ago). I guess technically my body has just started ketosis so now it should really burn fat. Maybe next week I will have a better #?

I am giving myself 7 more weeks on IP, by the end of February I WILL be at goal and maybe even a little bit more? I have 15 more pounds to go before goal but my coach wants me to be 5 under so that when I go off plan and gain a few I will end up at goal. So... if I say 20 more pounds that works out to 2.9lbs per week, tough but do able if I focus and have NO cheats at all!! Maybe exercise a bit more now that I am getting closer to goal. All I know for sure is that in the beginning of March we have a trip booked for Mexico and I WILL be happy with my weight!! :)

Merry Christmas!!

Well, I have officially taken two weeks off from IP and my diet and I can honestly say that going off the diet felt just as crappy as starting it!? For the first few days every time I would take just one bite of sugar I would get an instant headache and if I ate too many carbs my tummy would rumble like crazy. However, now that I have been 'cheating' for two weeks I can eat carbs and sugar again with no after effects (accept maybe weight gain)! I have gained +4.8lbs over the holidays which is exactly what I thought I would gain. And even though I kinda stayed on track with what I was allowing myself to gain I feel like I have gained almost 15lbs! I just feel fat, I can still fit in my clothes and haven't had to resort to putting on my "fat pants" but I feel bigger? I plan on going back on IP tomorrow but I may put it off till next week so I can have one last celebration on New Years Eve. I don't see the point in starting again just to cheat on the weekend!? I have to be committed to IP if I'm going to start again and I need to be committed to loose these last 15ish pounds!! I'm so close and yet I feel so far away!? I feel like my skin hasn't had a chance to tighten up, maybe I need to start working out? Even though I am in pants one size away from my goal I still feel fat and giggly!? Maybe I should drag my Wii out again!?

So .... Christmas was good! We had everyone over at our house and hubby deep fried the turkey. It was our first time deep frying a turkey and I must say, it turned out great!! I made make ahead mashed potatoes and I made the salad the night before (broccoli/ cauliflower) and since hubby did the turkey all I had to do was make the stuffing and put things in the oven at certain times!!! We had one issue of not having enough oil so hubby had to run out and get some last minute but everything seemed to be ready on time and tasted delish!! After supper we cleaned up a bit and the boys took the kids for a walk. MIL and myself grabbed all the gifts that were hidden in the basement and stuck them under the tree. Jacob seemed a little surprised when he walked in the door and immediately wanted to unwrap ALL the gifts! It was a little awkward having so many people there watching Jacob open so many gifts and I did feel a little like we were spoiling him too much. I think next year we might not invite as many or do things a bit different?

Christmas Day we went to the inlaws for supper and didn't do much else. Then Boxing Day we were back at the inlaws for their open house, which is always a good day! By the end of the holidays and hussel and bussel I did have a few tears thinking about all the people that passed this year. It was tough to celebrate without them, I had to keep busy - it was when I slowed down and was by myself that I started thinking too much. Hopefully next year will be a little easier but I never want to forget.

Week 11 ~ weigh in

Week 11 ~ Weigh in

-1.8lbs

Well, not the best loss but I suppose if you consider that I was off plan for the week then I did pretty good? We had pizza for supper on Thursday and it was amazing!!! Then I went to my Grandmas for lunch on Sat and didn't have my salad. I think I might have snuck a Christmas cookie in there somewhere too (and got a immediate headache from it). It's so cold out that I have been drinking coffee like it's going out of style but I have also been trying to up my water intake to make up for it so needless to say .... I'm peeing A LOT!! hehe

I have one more week to be on plan and hopefully loose another 2.4lbs to put me under 180!! But after my weigh in next week I plan on going completely off plan, I am not going to go crazy stuffing my face but I will enjoy some of the simple things that I may have been missed if I stuck to plan. Like stuffing and cabbage rolls!! YUM!! Maybe even a slice of pie!! ;)

We are hosting Christmas at our hose this year, we did it last year too but this year there will be more people then I have ever had! I'm a little nervous about it, which is nothing new - I always worry that the turkey won't turn out and all my guests will starve or we will run out of food. This year we are going to try and deep fry the turkey, I know it sound so unhealthy considering I'm suppose to be watching what I eat but we have tried it before and it really isn't that greasy. I just don't have a big enough oven, I also plan on doing a ham, cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes and stuffing (these all need to be in the oven). I am also planning on setting up the basement for dinner and then moving everyone upstairs for when Santa comes. This way we don't have to worry about cleaning up too much of the mess or moving a table, etc. I just need to try and plan the best seating arrangement and maybe move a few things out of our living room to make room for chairs (like the TV and my hope chest). I'm worried that we are going to be bombarded with gifts, not that I'm complaining, just trying to plan where to put everyone and everything!! We are thinking that we will have to pile presents in the front doorway!?!? LOL It should make for some good pictures!! :)

I still have some wrapping to do and I need to pick up a few small things for our extra guests. I just feel bad that they are going to sit there and watch us open piles of gifts so I wanted to get them each something small. I know it probably doesn't matter and that they are probably just happy to be with family on Christmas but I feel it is necessary.

Above is a pic of Jacob, we went to the Festival of Trees where he decorated a gingerbread cookie, got a Santa hat, trimmed a mini tree, went "fishing" and colored a tree ornament. It was fun but I'm not sure I would go again next year. I ended up doing most of the crafts for him and he seemed more interested in the Polish dancers on stage then doing the actual craft? I will post more pics of what we did next time.

Week 10 ~ weigh in

Week 10 ~ Weigh in

-2.2lbs

It's hard to believe it's been 10 weeks already and that I am so close to goal, although I will probably be set back a bit from Christmas. I am please with IP and my results, it definitely isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I wouldn't say that the diet was "easy" because there are a lot of restrictions but the reward is worth it. NS was definitely a easier diet with way less cravings but it also took about twice the amount of time to get to where I am now, with exercising everyday. I haven't done any real form of exercise since starting, I am just now thinking that maybe I should start to go back to the gym in the new year, just to tighten up the skin a bit and tone up. I am currently 183.2lbs and would really like to be in the 170's before taking my break from this diet and enjoying all the Christmas festivities. That gives me two weeks to loose another 4lbs - totally do able!! My plan is to slowly go off the diet, as if I am already at goal - I don't want to shock my system too much. So starting the week of the 20th I think I will gradually add more healthy carbs, I will make a egg bake that should last all week for breakfast since I don't have much time in the morning to make breakfast, then I can warm it up at work and eat it at my desk. I will add my own protein to my lunch - maybe make a chefs salad instead of just greens or bring some tuna. Supper will remain the same and so will my snack. I don't think this will halter my weight loss too much but it's the treats I plan on having during Christmas and Boxing day that might set me back. My inlaws have a open house on Boxing Day and there is ALWAYS a good spread of different things, healthy stuff and yummy treats!

Above is a pic of the advent calendar I made Jacob, he loves it - unless he gets socks or something other then chocolate! hehe We celebrated St.Nicholas day on Dec 6th, except on the 6th he wasn't a very good boy and wasn't listening at all so we made him wait till he was good, which happened to be the next day. I can tell already that he is going to really be into this Santa thing this year. He really enjoyed the kids Christmas party we had at work, the Moms group Christmas party and his St.Nick gift. I'm excited to see him open all his gifts this year and see the look on his face when Santa comes.

Week 8 ~ weigh in

Things are ticking along quite well, if you ask me! For week 8 I am down another -3lbs, which is almost 30lbs in just two months!!! I have less then 20lbs left to be at goal and I'm hoping they go by just as fast as the first eight weeks have! I figure another 6-8 weeks and I should be right where I want to be! I plan on taking Christmas off and enjoying the festivities but I might have to slowly introduce sugar and carbs cause I think last time I dove right in it made me sick?

I have been doing some Christmas baking this week and have been successful at NOT sampling the cookies! However if there are any left by Christmas time I might sample a few, just to see if they are worth baking again!? It worries me a bit to do baking or cooking but not sample the food, what if people are just trying to be nice by saying they are good? Maybe I watch too much Hells Kitchen and hear Ramsey yelling at the chefs to always taste their food! LOL

Jacob had his Christmas photos last week and we finally got the proofs sent to us to look over so we can place an order. I'm not 100% happy with them but my hubby says it's cause I'm too picky. Above is one of the poses we did that I liked. I am still waiting for them to do some editing to a couple pics to make my decision on which pose I want to order. Hopefully they send them soon cause I really need to send out my Christmas cards!! The weeks seem to be going by very fast and I'm worried that before I know it Christmas will be here!!! :o

I also need to go through "Santa's workshop" and see what "Santa" has bought for everyone. I'm a little worried that Santa went a little over board this year. It just seemed like there were so many good deals on things that I am certain Jacob would like! Santa's elf needs to get those gifts wrapped and hidden.

Week 7 - weigh in

Week 7 ~ weigh in

Down another -3.4lbs this week!! :)

Things are going good, I'm not hating salads for lunch everyday as much as I thought I would? And it isn't that much harder to pack a lunch to go to my Dads old house then it was to eat the lunches I was before? I do still have cravings and I think those will always be there but I just have to learn how to deal with them and not let them take over my whole thought process. I still have my hungry days but I also think that is normal and will be a forever thing. I am trying to stick with just the IP shakes and puddings instead of adding some of the "restricted" items that you are allowed. I have tried a few IP recipes, the mashed cauliflower that was suppose to taste like mashed potatoes was not that great but the mock tato salad (like potato salad but with cauliflower) and the stuffed peppers were great!! I also made some mini turkey meat loafs which were excellent!!

I find it odd that I am doing so well on the program and have lost over 25lbs but when I think of myself I still see the 220lb person!? I remember feeling this way last time I lost a bunch of weight but still think its funny how you still relate to yourself as the fat girl even though according to the scale and my BMI ... it really isn't that bad?! I know there will be a day that I wake up, try on a new outfit, look in the mirror and say "Holy sh*t! I'm skinny!? Where did the fat girl go??" That's pretty much what happened last time, then I couldn't stop looking or trying on clothes!! haha I do feel good and when I look at certain parts of my body (like my upper thighs) I can see a difference but I am still in the fat chick mentality.

Week 6 weigh in!

I'm pretty excited today, I weighed in twice just to make sure it was right! This week I lost another -4lbs!! I didn't think I was doing that well on IP, I mean ... I don't feel like I have restricted myself so much that I am missing out on things. I haven't "cheated" at all with sugar, I passed up on all the little Halloween chocolate bars and I changed from using milk in my coffee to using half and half - which is way lower in sugar but a little higher in fat, but it gives the coffee a creamy taste that I have been missing. I was wondering if it would have an effect on my weight loss but I don't think it has so I will keep using half and half. I have "cheated" a couple times with higher fat foods, I made mashed potatoes but with cauliflower but felt like it was missing something so I added butter to my helping. And having a slice of cheese here and there but I have been pretty good at staying away from sugar (with the help of Splenda) and staying away from bread. I do crave bread still and thought by now that would pass, every morning I crave breakfast - a nice egg sandwich or breakfast burrito, I can't wait to have breaky!! :)

So thing are going pretty good I think ... I am at my half way point, I have finally passed the 10% mark and can't believe that I am almost out of the 190's !! :D I would like to be at 179 by Christmas, which is another 14.2lbs in 6 weeks - which works out to 2.4lbs a week, I think this is very reasonable!! I plan on going off plan during the Christmas holidays just like I did at the retreat. Not too crazy but I will probably enjoy a few high carby things. Then January 1st or so get back on the program to loose my last 10lbs!! :)

The weeks seem to be flying by, I can't believe that Christmas is only about 6 weeks away. I think I am almost done my shopping but I still have to wrap them and set up my tree. We are in the process right now to move the office downstairs and adding a craft table for me. Then we are making the office Jacobs playroom. We have to do it fairly quick though cause we are on a deadline (if we don't so something with his toys we won't have room to host Christmas or put up a tree) so we won't be painting either room for now. There seems like so much to do just to move one room downstairs!? I plan on working on that tonight and Thursday cause I have the 11th off!! Above I posted my graph chart... I like to see how close I am to my goal line and how it is dropping, kinda puts a smile on my face!! Pretty soon I will have to buy new jeans again but this time they will be a much smaller size!!