Day 149 - No crackers with your soup ........

That shouldn't be a problem as I'm not intending on having soup today....hehehe.  Tomorrow is weigh in and we have had company all weekend.  Trying to stay well within my plan but find it difficult when others are around.  I am so thankful that hubby has decided to join me on the journey.  Not only is he great support but it means I don't have to try to avoid foods that I would cook for him that I would find myself wanting to consume.

Today my sister, her hubby and their 14 year old foster child are coming to visit.  This is the first time we will have met him so I am excited.  Sis says he is very polite and a really good boy.  He's had a hard time having been shuffled to four different places in five months because they did not have a permanet placement home for him.  He's having a bit of a hard time believing that he is with them permanently.  My sister has never been able to have children of her own as she had ovarian cancer so this is a wonderful experience for them as well.  Going to do everything we can to make him feel welcome and loved.

Youngest son and his fiancee' have set their wedding colors for next summer as black, white and orange (can you tell he's a Flyer's fan).  I breathed a sigh of relief cuz I know black is a slimming color so no matter what I chose to wear it should cover some of the flaws.  Even if I get to goal weight I will have excess skin to hide and absolutely refuse to be girdled in on a hot summer day.  Will look for something that maybe has a tunic type top over a skirt.  Her wedding dress will be white with black trim (absolutely gorgeous, see picture in profile).

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
1 mandarine orange
1 Tassimo cappachino

After breakfast came absolute disaster.  Too much company, too much food and definitely not enough common sense.  Seems if I am gonna blow it, I do it the Sunday before weigh in.  So now I do another week of cleansing and it serves me right.  Sometimes I think I'm never gonna get this right.

Day 148 - Turn on the radio and dance around ....

Hi everyone!  Wow, what a fantastic day!  My oldest son called this morning and announced he was planning on getting engaged on April 1st.  That means another reason to get trim and slim!  Someone was asking if I was snacking between meals as this does not seem like a lot of food.  The answer is no and I have been very happy with the food and my energy level has actually increased.  I think what appeals to me is that it is all simple, basic food and does not require a lot of thought or preparation.  I get to start adding to the meals starting on Monday so you will see a bit of an increase in breakfast and lunch.  Dinner will pretty much stay the same for the next month and then have an additon to it as well.  This week has been more like a cleansing week to get rid of some of the toxins that have built up over the years.  It seems to working and once we settle into the regular meals it will look better I promise.  Thank you for caring and asking, cuz that is what keeps me going.

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
1 orange
1 Tassimo capichinno

I know this looks like a small amount but for someone that never used to eat breakfast it is definitely an acomplishment.

Lunch
6 oz salad (lettuce, cucumber, yellow pepper, bean sprouts, carrot)
3 oz crumbled ground beef
1 oz shredded cheese
3 tablespoons salsa
1 tablespoon sour cream
6 oz V8 juice

This was so yummy and just about more than I could eat.  I cooked the ground beef and added a little fajuita spice to give it some flavor then layed on my plate so it was like eating a taco without the shell.  Hubby is doing this with me, only he gets a little bigger portions, and has actually had to reduce the amount of insulin he is using.

It's actually Sunday morning and I am finishing this blog from yesterday.  My future daughter-in-law came to visit so I didn't time to put the dinner menu on.  I must admit I think I went a little out of the guidelines at dinner time as it is hard to feed company what you are eating and have them understand.

Dinner
8 oz beef stew (made with lean stew meat, onions and simmered in a ketchup/water broth and thickened with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch), of course there was a bigger pot for all to enjoy, when I measured I was trying to incorporate the onions as a portion of my cooked vegetables, I may not have got it right
4 oz white rice
6 oz salad w/1 tablespoon calorie wise Ranch dressing
1/2 cup green peas

Day 147 - Drink 8 glasses of water ...........

Busy day today and I am glad it is Friday.  Nothing new in life to report so I guess that is a good thing.

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
1 orange

Lunch
6 oz salad w/ 1 tablespoon low calorie French dressing
4 oz cottage cheese

Dinner
4 oz baked cod
6 oz salad w/ 1 tablespoon low calorie Ranch dressing
4 oz mixed steamed vegetables (caulifower, broccoli, carrots)

Day 146 - Eat a snack size chocolate.....

Gee this should have been yesterday's thought for the day.  Sorry for the lateness of my post today.  Slept late and then had an executive meeting tonight.  Some days the time just flies by.  Nothing spectacular to report today.  I did have my snack size chocolate, stopped at one and feel good.

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
1 orange

Lunch
6 oz salad w/1 tablespoon low calorie French dressing
6 oz steamed beets
4 oz pork chop

Dinner
9 oz pork stir fry w/onions, mushrooms and 1 tablespoons stir fry sauce
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon low calorie Ranch dressing

Well I am off to bed as I've had two sleepless nights and hopefully will get some rest tonight.  Take care everyone and see you tomorrow.

Day 145 - Effort only fully releases it's reward after a person refuses to quit...

That statement is pretty self-explainatory.  Without effort there are no rewards, makes sense to me.  Weight lose is a journey of efforts.  If we do our best and believe in what we are doing we will be rewarded.  I think this last few days has been an eye opener for me.  I've been sticking to my 3 meals a day and walking.  I tried the snacking but it did not work for me, as one snack always led to another and another and another.  This way I am not focused on eating every couple of hours.  For some snacking works but it is not for me.

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
5 oz cubed cantaloupe

Lunch
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon low calorie French dressing
6 oz steamed vegetables (yellow beans)
4 oz cottage cheese

Dinner
4 oz grilled pork chop
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon regular Russian dressing
3 oz yellow beans
3 oz steamed baby bok choy

Had a small oops today as was totally stressed out.  Forgot to take snack packs to work so ended up with a handful (about 10) of chocolate covered almonds.  It did the trick and I even managed to stop at the one handful.  Hopefully it won't affect things to much.  Also had a Tassimo cappichinno after work.  Really craving caffiene today.

Day 144 - Jog on the spot ......

Good morning everyone!  I haven't got much to say yet this morning except.......I feel gooooooood!!!  I remember the last time that I tried this food plan I didn't much stick to it.  I would step on the scale and see that I was down a couple of pounds and then get complacent and eat things I wasn't supposed to.  This time I am doing what I am supposed to.  I started walking on my breaks at work again yesterday.  The weather has been ideal for a short 10 minute walk.  I need to take advantage of it well I can, especially since this is Alberta and it could very well be 40 below.  It was nice this morning to be able to put on my jeans and not struggle to get the zipper done up.

There was a time that I remember not being able to get into a pair of jeans with a zipper.  My highest weight ever was 320 lbs.  At that time I could hardly find sweat pants and tops that would fit me.  My wedding dress was a size 28.  That was 8 years ago.  I decided at that time that when the time arrived and I could throw away the sweat pants and get into jeans again I would never again wear anything with eleastic in the waist.  I have stuggled this past while to get into my jeans but have managed to do it.  Then I realized I don't want to struggle.  I want to be able to put them on and do them up without laying on the bed and then be cut in half because they were so tight.  Or worse yet, wear bigger shirts so I could leave the button open for a little bit of comfort.  How stupid was that.  Well this morning they went on fine, I got them zipper and buttoned no problem and I can even leave the button done up.

Breakfast
6 oz cataloupe
4 oz yogurt

Lunch
4 oz roast beef
6 oz steamed vegetable (broccoli, cauliflower)
6 oz salad w/ 1 tablespoon low calorie French dressing

Dinner
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon low calorie Ranch dressing
10 oz beef sitrfry (8 oz leftover roast beef cut in thin strips, 1 med onion, 1 lge green pepper, 1 cup fresh mushrooms, stirfry together in nonstick pan and add 4 tablespoons tereyaki sauce (40 calories), I then split this with hubby

Day 143 - 279.4 lbs/279.8 lbs

Well, tonight is weekly weigh in.  As you can see from above, I am down some so have to wait and see what the scale has in store this evening.

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
6 oz cantaloupe
8 oz water

Lunch
7 oz salad w/1 tablespoon low calorie French dressing
4 oz roast beef
6 oz mixed steamed vegetables (beets, green beans, cauliflower), I was cleaning up the left overs
8 oz water

Wow, weigh in was great.  My scale and that one are almost the same.  I feel pretty good about the lose.  Now I just have to learn how to maintain it and continue to drop a bit at a time.  We did go out for dinner after the meeting but I was very careful about what I ate.

Dinner
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon regular Ranch dressing
6 oz New York strip steak
6 oz steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower)
1 small slice garlic toast

Yay, I did it, I bypassed the stuffed potato and soup starter, opting for a salad and lots of vegetables.  The steak was a little bigger than I should have had but it was protien not carbs so I feel ok with that.

Day 142 - Eat until satisfied, not over filled.....

Good day everyone!  It's a cool, crisp day here in Alberta but at least it's not 40 below.  Had an awesome day yesterday.  Did my 3 meals, no snacks and was able to stay on track.  This food plan is pretty awesome and I know some of you are probably saying it does not look like enough.  The first week is sort of a cleansing week and then other food items get added to it.  You will see what I mean as the day's go by.

Breakfast
4 oz yogurt
1 orange
1 cup decaffinated green tea
8 oz water

Lunch
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon low cal Catalina dressing
4 oz cottage cheese
6 oz steamed cauliflower
8 oz water

Dinner
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon loc cal Ranch dressing
6 oz steamed broccoli
4 oz roast beef
8 oz water

You may have noticed that I changed the name of my blog.  I realize now that there is no way I can reach my goal in one year cuz I've been horsing around for over a third of it.  I love to dance and maybe someday I will be able to again.

Also, as a note to any one that has a blog site listed that shows me as following.  If you do not do an update within 30 days of my adding you to my site I will delete the link.  I want to stay positive and encourage others as we struggle to get our weight under control.  If you haven't posted in a month then that tells me you are not serious and have gone on to other things.  I know this sounds somewhat cruel but this is not a game that we should just play at when we have the notion.  I first got started in blogging because of Stacy and now she is a figment of our imaginations.  You can't support what you can't see.

Day 141 - Journal your progress ....

Yes, journal your progress.  Writing for me is definitely a stress buster and it makes me very aware of what I am doing be it right or wrong.  Today is a new day and I plan on getting back on track and staying there.  Welcome Tina to the world of blogging.  Have fun, be honest with yourself and don't worry about what others think.  Take critisim with an open mind and you will succeed.  Happy Saturday everyone, catch you later.

Ok, here we go folks, I'm back on track and heading for home.  I have managed to finish our year end books now just waiting on T4's so I can take it all into the accountant.  Woohoo, I'm way ahead of myself this year, I am truly impressed.  While I was down in the office I went looking for my old food plan from my FA days and low and behold I found it.  Yep, I'm on a roll... anyway, decided that I am going to give it a try.  It requires absolutely no fancy foods or preparation and if I recall correctly it lead to a major weight lose.  So gonna give the cat another kick in the pants and see how far it can fly.  This food plan is easily adaptable to anyone that is extremely obsese, such as I am.  So hang onto your seats cuz here I come.

Breakfast
4 oz low fat yogurt
1 orange
1 cup green tea
8 oz water

Lunch
6 oz salad (heavy on the vegetables, light on the lettuce)
1 tablespoon dressing (doesn't have to be low cal as long as sugar is not listed in the first 5 ingredients, makes you read labels) - I had calorie wise ranch
4 oz water packed tuna
6 oz cooked vegetables (no peas or corn), I had green beans
8 oz water

Dinner
4 oz sirloin tip steak grilled
6 oz salad with 1 tablespoon dressing
6 oz steamed cauliflower
8 oz water

I forgot to mention that I stepped on the scale this morning just to see how much damage I had done over the past few days:  285.6 lbs.  Not as bad as I thought it would be but definitely a gain.  Official weigh in is not till Monday but I needed to see for myself what the damages were.  It's amazing that we can struggle for a week just to drop a pound but can go on a binge and put on a pound a day.  Doesn't quite compute in my mathematical brain.  But just the same definitely an eye opener when you think of it in those terms.

Day 141 - The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step ...

Absolutely horrible day, I don't want to write or talk about it.  I'm just going to tear the page from the calendar and pretend that it never was.  Need I say more, I think not.  I need to go sit in a corner and really think about my actions, thoughts and just what the H I am doing.

Day 140 - Take the stairs....

I had said I was going to post again last night and I came home from work, crept upstairs with my blanket and flannel pj's and said goodnite to the world.  My intention was to watch some of the Olympic highlights, blog a bit and go to bed.  Sleep won out.  I don't even remember hubby waking me and telling me to go to bed.  I did wake up this morning feeling better than I have for a couple of weeks so hopefully I am on the mend.

Well ladies, I feel off the wagon yesterday and today and really badly.  In fact so bad that I am not even going to write down what I ate.  I think it is still the after effects of the prednisone and antibiotics or maybe just a lack of will power...how do you tell?

I get so stressed about being sick that sometimes I just make myself sicker, if you know what I mean.  I am not one that likes being sick and will still get up and go to work no matter what.  And guess what that just makes me sicker because instead of resting and getting better I keep going.  What a fool I am.  Everyone else in the office calls in sick on a regular basis but nope not me, not the heroine.  Ya right some heroine!!  I couldn't fly down off a roof top and land on my feet if my life depended on it.  More like jump, plop and splatter.

Going to try to get back on track tomorrow.  Being a food addict is so hard, sometimes I just want to throw my hands up in the error and to heck with it all.  But I can't do that...I need to get better for myself and my family.  Please pray for me.  I need God to help me through this difficult time and I need to learn to give it up to Him.

Going to try and watch some Olympics for awhile and then head off to bed for hopefully another good sleep.  Tomorrow I am going to start walking on my breaks again now that my chest has cleared enough that it doesn't hurt to breath.  Will definitely check in with you all tomorrow.  Good night and God bless.

Dat 139 - Try a new vegetable.......

Good morning everyone!  Sorry I've been missing for a couple of days.  Seems not only does my body not like prednisone, it also rebels against the super antibiotics.  I have been bed ridden for the past two days with exteme bouts of nausea and diarreha.  Could hardly keep fluids down much less solids.  I have taken the last of the antibiotics so hopefully will be back on track now.  Still feeling somewhat queasy this morning but all all much better.  I've slept so much the past couple of days and now I have insomnia.  Will post more later today.

Day 136 - Happy Valentine's Day - mind the portion sizes ...

Another emotionally charged day.  Jaimie, Vince and kids finally got away around 11 a.m.  We went to MacDonald's for breakfast and from there they were on their way.

Breakfast
1 egg/bacon McMuffin
1 hash brown
1 small chocolate milk

Lunch
4 oz cottage cheese
1 medium orange

Dinner
1 cup homemade turkey noodle soup

Snack
5.5 oz grapefruit sections

Yey Canada, we got our first Olympic gold while hosting the games.  More to come I am sure.

Day 135 - Drink a smoothie and go for a walk.........

Well today will be so much better as I have now finished that awful prednisone.  Was up at 5 because it kept me awake most of the night.  Changing over from metric to Imperial with my portion sizes.  I can never figure out if they are the right amount in metric.

Today will be a little difficult as our good friends and neighbors are moving to Manitoba today.  It is gonna be hard saying goodbye.  I can feel the tears welling up behind my eyes already.  I wish them well and know that it is a good move for his career, but it still doesn't seem fair.

Breakfast
1 pkg instant regular oatmeal
3.5 oz yogurt
4 oz cottage cheese
5.5 oz grapefruit sections

Lunch
Egg salad sandwich on brown
orange

Dinner
4 oz ham and scalloped potato casserole
1/2 cup coleslaw
1 cup green beans

A very emotionally charged day.  Jaimie and Vince were supposed to have left today but there was a delay with the moving van coming so I had them over for dinner and they will leave in the morning.

Day 134 - Have a hot relaxing bubble bath...

Well I am late posting this evening but I am here.  Was a long day at work and I hurried home to get things organized so I could watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games.  I must say it was impressive right up to the end when they had Wayne Gretzky light the final torch.  And that is as much as I am going to say on that subject.

It's been really hard today even with my snacks.  By the time I was done work I was ravenous so I thought I'll just pop by Wendy's and grab dinner so I don't have to cook.  Well by the time I got home I really didn't feel like fast food anymore so I gave half my burger to hubby, Pugs got the fries and I had half my milkshake.  So much for wanting junk food.  Probably just as well it went like it did.

Not posting much tonight as I am really tired and can't think anymore.  Thank you for your comments and I will check out the sites Tina posted tomorrow.

Day 133 - Do shoulder lifts: 12 x 3

Well it's been a fight from the start today due to the wonder drug the doc gave me to open my airways.  All I can say is if you never need to take prednisone you are very, very lucky.  One dose of that stuff and I become a raving food addict.  You are ravenous all the time and can't seem to get enough.  I have had to fight all day just to stay on top of it but I managed.  I added a little extra at breakfast in order to help me through till lunch.  Tina I tried your suggestion of eating smaller meals and I actually think it helped me today.  At least when I got that starving feeling I knew there would be a little something coming in a little while.

Breakfast
1 pkg instant oatmeal
1/2 cup 1% milk
100 gr yogurt
1/2 banana

Snack
1 pkg Thinsations yogurt covered pretzels

Lunch
Shrimp Wonton Soup (120 calories), I found these at Costco and they are really delicious
1 cup grapefruit sections

Snack
Baby Bell Cheese

Dinner
veggie stir fry with chicken in stir fry sauce, I made lots and lots of veggies with just a little chicken and enough sauce just to flavor

I knew I would have to make lots of veggies if I was to stay sane so I make a whole pot full of veggies and added 4 ounces of chicken breast and about 2 tablespoons of stir fry sauce and this was plenty for both hubby and I.

I added the oatmeal at breakfast because I felt I was too hungry at lunch time and it seemed to help this morning.  Mind you till I finish this drug I won't know what is working and what isn't.

I went through my list of blogs this morning and deleted any that had not posted in the past month.  People start something and then for whatever reason they stop.  I figured if you haven't posted in two weeks it's not likely you will be back.  I can't support anyone if they do not want to put forth the effort themselves.  I have some wonderful sites that I am following and getting some good ideas and inspiration from them.  If I can ever figure out how to add the links to my page then you will know which ones they are.

Day 132 - Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out

Doesn't that saying just speak to you?  How better to measure success than by small efforts at all times, wow.  It's been an ok day, I'm still not feeling well, finally went to the clinic after work.  I have a bad sinus infection and bronchitis.  Great combination if you like being sick.  Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in right away.  Horrible think in that he gave me prednisone for 3 days.  I am really going to have to be careful as that can kick me into high eating gear real fast.

I want to thank Tina for her suggestions.  I have mixed feelings about eating more than 3 meals a day as it seems that when I snack I have a harder time trying to stay on track.  But I am going to give it another try and see if I can find a balance.  They say a food addict should only eat 3 meals a day.  I can see though where Tina is right when she says maybe I am eating too much at one time.  So think I will try to spread things out tomorrow and see how it goes.

Breakfast
100 gr yogurt
1/2 banana

Lunch
Michelina's Meatloaf (210 calories)
1 cup of grapefruit sections

Dinner
3" square of lasagna
1 small wedge of garlic bread

I have no appetite tonight just because I am feeling so crappy.  Probably not the best food choices for sure.  I will try to do better once I get to feeling better.

Day 131 - No whte flour today....

Ok, so I have had my pity party now it's time to get really serious about this.  I am gonna pick myself up, dust myself off and stop feeling sorry for myself.  It's not the end of world cuz I'm still breathing and as long as I have a breathe left in me I am gonna fight these demons that are making me eat so foolishly.  I sometimes wish I had chosen to be some other type of addict at least that way I would have the option of going cold turkey.  Unfortunately, for us food addicts that is not an option.  I just have to keep reminding myself that it is only fuel for my body and a horrible monster that can get out of hand if I don't control it.

Breakfast
1/2 banana
1/2 cup yogurt

Lunch
2 cups garden salad with 1 tablespoon low cal dressing
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 baby bell cheese

Dinner
1 oz Cdn back bacon
1 scrambled egg
1 slice whole wheat toast

You ladies are absolutely awesome.  Even when I sound like a spoiled brat you praise me and encourage me, that is more than I deserve.  Food addiction is the worst type of addiction in my eyes.  You can't just stop doing "it".  If we could it would be so easy.  I regularly attend a 12 step program (although I didn't go tonight because of this rotten cold) and it does help.  I just have so much pent up anger and frustration, especially with myself, that I have a hard time letting go.  I am thinking about changing the name of my blog, Fat to Thin in One Year, is not only going to be impossible now but it sounds rather ridiculous as well.  Do you have any ideas?  Would love to hear them.  Thanks again for all your support.  I'm not quitting just getting ready for round two. 

I also took the Quaker mini crisps out of my lunch menu as I realized they had white flour in them and that was to be avoided today.

Day 130 - 283.8/284.4 lbs

It is weigh in tonight at my support group so will see how that goes.  Still not feeling all that great but much better than I was.

Breakfast
100 gr yogurt
1/2 banana

Lunch
2 cups salad with 1 oz of deli pepper ham and 1 tablespoon low calorie dressing
1 baby bell cheese
6 oz V8 juice
1 pudding cup (100 calories)
1 pkg Quaker mini crisps (90 calories)

Well this weigh in was certainly a bust.  I feel like a stupid fool.  I can't even lose weight when I'm sick, how pathetic is that.  I'm to the point of giving up, nothing I do seems to work.  I try to eat healthy, get more exercise and look where it gets me.  I'm still nothing but a fat slob that can't accomplish even losing a pound a week.  So what's next I ask?  I have no idea, except tonight I go to bed with tears in my eyes and hope I have the courage to continue on tomorrow.  If anyone has any answers for me please share them with me.  I am at my wits end.

Day 129 - Do 10 jumping jacks...

Ok I survived yesterday, did manage to eat a little bit of supper.  Had 2 sushi rolls, 4 bite size pieces of buffalo chicken and 3 bites of birthday cake.  Today going to try to eat regular meals as IBS is on the go again.  Can't handle the stomach cramps so well when it kicks in.

Megan, I checked all my information books on my Wii but it does say anything about weight restrictions so I am assuming there are none.  If you want to send Nintendo customer service an e-mail they could tell you more information.  It has a few warnings but none related to weight.

Breakfast
2 slices Cdn back bacon
1 egg cooked in non-stick pan
100 gr yogurt
1/2 banana
1 cup Tassimo coffee

Dinner
2 oz roast beef
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup green peas
2 tablespoons gravy

Couldn't eat lunch, stomach was heaving way to bad.  Got dinner down and it stayed so hopefully on the road to recovery.  Going to go to work tomorrow so it is early to bed for me. 

Day 128 - Have a cup of green tea today...

Green tea maybe all I can handle today.  Still feeling under the weather.  Took some cold medicine last night and it kept me awake all night.  Had to do a little shopping this morning as we were out of fresh fruit and vegetables, that took just about all the energy I had.  Poor hubby, his 50th birthday today and he has to settle for a boughten birthday cake cuz I don't have the energy to make one.  A least he's good about that kind of thing.  I sent him off to have breakfast with his biker buddies this morning so the day wouldn't be a total lose for him.  I can't even think about food right now.  Going to have a nap and then maybe will feel like eating something.

Day 127 - Treat yourself but share with a friend...

The only thing I can say about today is ugh........I feel rotten.  I did go to work and made it through the day but am now ready to crash.  Food has been nonexistent I'm afraid.  Managed to get a Smart Choice Turkey Slices Dinner in at noon (210 calories) and currently sipping on one of my coffees hoping it will help the sore throat.  I think that is going to be the extent of my food for today.  Brain hurts as well so can't think of much to say.

Day 126 - Drink 8 glasses of water

I can tell you I did not drink 8 glasses of water today.  My throat is so sore I can hardly swallow but I did have a couple of cups of green tea.  I feel absolutely miserable.  One more day of work and then I can rest for the weekend.

Breakfast
100 gr yogurt
1 homemade bran muffin

Lunch
1 serving of Taco bake left over from last night
1 pkg Quaker mini crisps

Dinner
1 cup spaghetti in a light tomato sauce with 3 italian meatballs

I am only eating because if I don't I get sick to my stomach and everything goes haywire.  I have no appetite so have not really been paying attention to making sure that everything is balanced.  As I look at it though not too bad other than a lack of vegetables and fruit.  I have to get to the grocery store as the fridge and cupboards are getting a little thin.

I apologize but I feel like crap so not up to writing much tonight.  Thanks for the protien mix info Megan I will check WalMart here and see if they have it.  Thanks for your support everyone catch you all tomorrow.

Day 125 - Get 5 to 10 servings of fruits & vegetables today

Do you know how hard it is to get that many servings in one day.  I did manage 7 so think I did pretty good.

Breakfast
100 gr yogurt
5 oz canned pears (2 servings)
3.3 oz homemade bran muffin

Lunch
2 cups of green salad (2 servings)
1 individual can of tuna
1 cheese stick
1 pkg Quaker mini crisps
1/2 cup canned mangos (1 serving)

Dinner
1 serving Soft Taco Bake (when made according to pkg directions, which I did, is 430 calories)
1 cup green and yellow beans mixed with carrots (2 servings)
1 cupTassimo cappichinno with creamer

I'm trying to use up some of the stuff we have in the cupboards and still stay within my 1500 calorie leeway.  The Taco Bake was okay except when I looked at the package one serving has 1070 mg of sodium and the daily allotment is 1600 so I am way over there.  I am starting to realize that convenience foods are exactly that - a convenience but definitely not always healthy.  Even the tuna I had at lunch comes in a 85 g tin for a 180 calories and 12 grams of fat where ordinary tuna canned in water is 60 calories and 1 gram of fat for half a tin.  That goes to prove that even though something seems that it can be good for you, you still have to read those labels.  The problem with the individual tuna was the nutrition facts are on the reverse side of the label so you can't see them when you are shopping.  I certainly won't be buying anymore of them and I may take the ones I have in the cupboard and make a care package for the food bank.

Busy day at work and then when I got home I had some bills to pay and company books to clear up.  I was awake at 3 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep.  I hope to sleep better tonight.  I have started reading a book by Kay Sheppard called From the First Bite A Complete Guide to Recovery from Food Addiction.  It goes with my 12 step study program.  Have just started it so not sure how it will help but at this point it can't hurt.  I know I need to understand what triggers my binges before they happen in order to have recovery.  It's just a whole lot easier to say than do, like most things.

Day 124 - Do a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise today....

Breakfast
100 gr yogurt
4 oz canned peaches
1 pkg Maxacchinno drink mix (60 calories)

Lunch
Smart Choice Seasme Chicken (300 calories)
1/2 cup canned mangos
1 pkg Quaker Crispy Delights (90 calories)

Dinner
1 cup homemade chili
1 cup canned yellow beans
2 cups green salad (lettuce, cucumber, yellow pepper) with 1 tablespoon calorie wise dressing
1 Tassimo cappichino with 2 tablespoon International Creamer (90 calories)

It's been a good day today.  It is really busy at work and I have been putting in some extra time but I so enjoy what I am doing that the workload doesn't bother.  My daughter works in the department where I was before and it breaks my heart to talk to her as she seems so depressed but not quite ready to make a change as the .8 she works gives her more time with the kids.  I just wish that they had a manager like I have in my new department, someone that really cares about her employees instead of trying to make friends with everyone and then gets upset when they turn on her.  Best decision I made was to get out of there.

I went to my 12 step study group tonight but did not stay for the meeting as I have a bit of a headache and am tired.  Last night I taught my support group about differences in fast food items and how to read labels.  For instance the coffee that I like has almost 4 times the calories, fat and sodium if I get them at Starbucks or Tim Horton's.  By using the maxichinno powders and making my latte's and cappichinnos with the Tassimo I save a lot of calories and sodium and I can still put flavoring in them without adding extra calories.  It's a win, win situation for me.  Also, it allows me the freedom to make the choice to have them without getting all concerned about the extra calories and stressing out which in turn usually makes me head to the cupboard or fridge.

My support group has decided to do a count down, something like counting down the 12 days of Chrismas, so I am going to use each day's square that we have to mark off as the title for my daily blog.  And I have set a goal of 25 pounds by May 24th.

Day 123 - 284/283.4 lbs

Well today is a new day and a new beginning.  Already got in half an hour of exercise (snow shovelling). You will see something just a little bit different starting with today's post.  I am going back to weighing in on Monday's only but there will be two weights: 1) first thing in the morning with no clothes on (I know, pretty disgusting when you get that picture in your mind); 2) in the evening at support group weigh in (I always try to wear the same outfit so that there is a consistency from week to week).  That way both you and I will have a true picture of where my weight stands.

Weigh in tonight saw me down another 1.2 pounds from last week.  I am quite happy with that.  If I could lose that every week I would be so pleased.  That makes a total of 6.2 pounds in 2 weeks, not a marathon number just slow and steady.

As I said earlier I had a cleansing day today which consists of drinking just fluids.  The IBS will sometimes respond positively to that and then everything gets to working the way it is supposed to.  Yep, success in that area too.  Been a heck of a day for this old gal, even got in a 15 minute walk to go with the snow shoveling.  Can't ask for better than that.

Have a great evening everyone, see you tomorrow.