Getting To My Goal Weight

For most of my life I have been overweight.  I think there was a time when I was about two years old when I was thin, but that's about it.  I have recently lost almost one hundred pounds (yeah, I know, go me!) and it was hard.  What's even harder is losing these last forty or so pounds that I still want to lose.  I know that if I would start exercising again with the wii fit the weight would come off, but after working all day, I just don't have the energy.

When I first started working, I lost a few pounds.  After being a stay at home mom for many years, actually moving every day was doing wonders for my body.  There was a time when I considered taking diet pills, but I have always been afraid of the effect they would have on me.  You see, I have a horrible time with any type of medication.   Even tylenol pm can make me sleep for days.  So, for me personally, the weight comes off with exercise and hard work.  I have been saying since my husband left that I am looking forward to turning 40 in February, and I was going to do it at my goal weight.

I guess I need to get motivated.

CoolSculpting

I am sure I am not the only woman in the world who has some weight to lose.  Most of you know that over the past couple of years, I have lost a ton of weight.  Okay, maybe not a ton, but close to one hundred pounds.  And I did it all on my own with diet and exercise.  I still have weight to lose (about 50 pounds), but I am stuck.  Diet and exercise just aren't working anymore.  I don't want o do the gastric bypass, because let's face it, that is some scary stuff.  I don't want to do diet pills either, because I don;t want to put anything like that into my body.  I plan on getting married again someday (did I just say that???) and if I ever do, I wan to do the whole white dress thing. I didn't do that he last time around.  I did the courthouse thing. 

But before I even think about trying on dresses, I want to be where I want to be weight wise.  I was reading about CoolSculpting and it sounds like it might be a great way to get rid of these last few pounds. The CoolSculpting website says "developed by Harvard scientists, our unique, patented, clinically proven procedure involves freezing fat cells without damage to your skin. There’s no knife. No suction hoses. No needles. No lasers, even. After your treatment, you get on with your busy day."  How cool is that?  You just go in, and have some fat frozen, and over the next few months, the pounds just melt away.  Of course, to maintain the loss you have to continue with a healthy diet and exercise, but it would be worth it to fit into a beautiful white dress.

CoolSculpting has a facebook page, and when you go check it out make sure you enter their 12 Weeks to Change Challenge.  There are a ton of prizes to be won, including a treatment valued at $1500.  Now, if you are anything like me, you think $1500 is a lot of money, and being able to win a treatment would be awesome.  I am going to enter the contest, and you should too.  I mean, what do you have to lose besides stubborn fat?


This was a sponsored post, and all opinions stated above are my own.

Fiber Choice Chewables Review

A couple of weeks ago, I started taking Fiber Choice Chewables, the weight management version.  I think we all know that most of us don't get the recommended daily dose of fiber.  The average adult needs between 25 and 30 grams of dietary fiber each day.  I know I don't even come close to that most days, mostly because I do not eat enough fruits and vegetables.  I am a carb girl.  I could eat bread for every meal, every day, and be a happy girl.

So, knowing my diet is lacking, I was excited to see if these Fiber Choice Chewables would make a difference.  Each tablet has 2 grams of fiber, and the recommended dose for adults is two tablets every day.  I starting taking them last Monday, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they did have an effect on me.  I took them in the evenings, and they worked to fill me up so that I didn't snack my way through my favorite television shows, which is a bad habit of mine.  I was shocked when I got on the scale this morning and saw that I have lost 3 pounds since I started taking them.  I always heard you shouldn't eat (or snack) right before bed, and by cutting out that bad habit, I lost a little weight.

The tablets themselves are pretty good.  The ones I have taste like strawberries.  The only thing I don't like is that they are really chewy, and I always end up with some of them stuck in my teeth.  It's nothing that a toothpick can't fix, and it will not keep me from continuing to take them. 

Fiber Choice comes in four different varieties;   Fiber Choice Original formula, Fiber Choice Weight Management, Fiber Choice Plus Calcium, and Fiber Choice Plus Antioxidants.  They come in a variety of sizes, too.  I found the bottle I have for about $17.00, and it had 90 tablets in it.  That's pretty reasonable for 45 days worth of tablets. 

You can find out more information by visiting fiberchoice.com or by following them on twitter (@fiberchoice).

 “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of FiberChoice and received a coupon to facilitate my review and a gift code to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Healthy Eating Habits

 I have been dieting for most of my adult life.  So far, nothing has "stuck".  I can lose a little weight, but it always seems to find me again.  I am tired of doing the yo-yo thing and am looking for a way to change the way I eat for good.  I want to educate myself on making healthier choices, instead of dieting all the time.  I don't want to starve myself anymore.  I don't want to deny myself the foods I love.  I want to feel better about myself, on the inside as well as the outside.  I want to learn Healthy Eating Habits so that I can live long enough to hold my great-grandchildren.

I was browsing this site called http://www.EverydayHealthGirl.com and found Becki. She shares her story of healthy eating, and how to do so frugally. (If you sign up for the newsletter, you will get a free healthy eating guide) I think this is where I struggle the most.  It is so much cheaper to buy the bad for you foods than it is to buy the good for you ones.  For people like me, sometimes having pasta five nights a week is the only option.  Or so I thought.  If I can learn how to spend the same amount of money on better for me foods, well, I'm all for that.  I want my whole family to start eating better, because I know the example I set can mold how they look at food for the rest of their lives.

That's a pretty big responsibility, and up until now I think I might have been leading them down the wrong path.  But, I have learned that it is never too late to get on the right track.  And that is exactly what I intend to do.

Does This Really Help You Lose Weight?

I am always on the lookout for ways to lose weight.  I know that diet and exercise are crucial, but everyone needs a little help now and then.  I have, in the past, resorted to using diet pills.  I was in my teens, and they were readily available at local drug stores.  (I haven't used them in over 20 years, so I do not know how easy they are to get these days)  I also tried the Slim Fast diet, the Atkins Diet, and any other diet you can think of.  The problem with dieting is that if you don't exercise too, once you stop dieting, the weight comes back.  All of it.  Plus some.  Trust me, I speak from experience here.

Now instead of looking for easy to follow diet plans, I am looking for easy to follow exercise routines.  I saw this contour ab and it honestly brought back memories of old cartoons, where the characters strap themselves into a machine, and all it does is jiggle their fat with a huge rubber band.  Do you remember those?  Thankfully, that is not what this is.  The contour ab belt looks similar to a back brace that my husband sometimes wears.  You are supposed to wear it for ten minutes a day, and it "delivers a series of electrical impulses that cause the muscles in the abdomen to contract. This contraction process, when done over time is supposed to tighten and tone the underlying muscles".  You can set the intensity of the belt anywhere from 1 to 100.  The thing I find funny, though, is that on the website it says that in order for the belt to work, you must strictly follow their diet and exercise plan.  If you are going to follow a diet and exercise plan (which you already know makes you lose weight) why do you need the belt?

I think I will just stick to my way of doing things, which seems to be working pretty well.  I know you are probably sick of hearing about my weight loss, but I will continue to talk about it, because I am very proud of the almost 50 pounds I have lost.

Oh, I Need To Learn This Word

Moderation:

• quality of being moderate and avoiding extremes
• easing: a change for the better
• temperance: the trait of avoiding excesses

In Moderation:

• without excess; moderately; temperately

My kids hate me now. They told me so. Do you want to know why? Because I threw out the two pieces of french bread toast that were left over from supper instead of letting them eat them. I know, totally horrible of me.

But, in my defense, I am starting something new around here because, let's face it, we can all (with the exception of Brandi) stand to lose a few pounds. I thought about putting us all on a diet, but them I thought that if we started with portion control, we would work our way up to dieting. I want them to learn moderation. Heck, I need to learn about moderation. That's why I looked it up online. There it is in black and white.

The kids went to bed claiming child abuse. They were starving, and certain that they won't make it through the night. I told them to quit being dramatic, and go to sleep.

Hopefully tomorrow they will just go with the flow...or eat more at school!

This Is Me

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of wellnessdaily.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

Where do I begin? I have been saying for the past few months that as soon as we moved, I would cook more. I have been promising my family healthier, better for us meals. I want us all to lose a little weight, and I think doing it as a family will make the whole process a little easier.

So this is me. (I know I look tired...I've been up several nights in a row with a sick kid...I am in need of some serious sleep) I can see in my face that I have lost some weight, and I know that I still have more to go. My problem is finding a way to do it that I can stick with. That is why I am wanting to, once and for all, learn how to cook healthier. I want to learn what a proper portion size is. In other words, there is so much that I want, and need, to learn.

I was excited to find out about www.wellnessdaily.com. This site has so much information about all of these things I want to learn. There are articles about weight loss, exercise, eating right, and even recipes. I am looking forward to trying some of those. They have recipes where you can feed a family of four for $10, and a bunch of those recipes look delicious. There is one for a grown up grilled cheese sandwich that I really want to try. To me, grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food. This sandwich has garlic and bacon and spinach and, of course, cheese. My mouth is actually watering just thinking about it.

If you sign up right now, you can participate in the Twitter contest they have going until March 10. Just tweet "Enter to win $ towards a gym membership & JENNIE-O turkey products. Just follow @wellness_daily & RT this!" for a chance to win a WellnessDaily.com prize package which include coupons for a year-long supply of Jennie-O Turkey Store product and a one-year gym membership, valued at $1,250. You can find all the details here.

I think I am going to make myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

I'm Going To Try...

I wrote a post on my other blog today about my lack of new year's resolutions. I am just not feeling it this year. Why not? Because every year I make the same resolutions, and I never follow through.

Okay, maybe one time I did follow through, and that was when I quit smoking, although I quit in October, so it took me most of the year to get it done. But, better late than never, and that was eight years ago and I am still smoke free. This past year Junior quit smoking, and I hope he is able to stay that way.

Almost every year I say I want to lose weight, but then I don't do anything about it. If I am completely honest, it is because I am lazy. I know I am. I would much rather play video games or watch television than exercise. I am even too lazy to join a weight loss center like Nutrisystem, where they do all the work for you. Not the exercise part, but portioning out your food and making all your meals nutritious and healthy. How bad is it that I am too lazy to let someone do all that for me?

I think it is better to say that I am going to try, not resolve, to eat better and lose weight this year. (I write this as I sit here eating a peanut butter sandwich with pickles at 10:30 pm) Is there really any hope for me at all?

Attacked By An Elliptical Machine - Well, Kind Of

I want to share a funny story with you. A few years ago, I was at my friend Donna's house, and she had just gotten a new Elliptical machine. It was one that she found in the paper for free, and it was not very well made. Basically, the foot pedals were attached to the arm poles, and they went back and forth. There was no up or down, or stair climbing option. I wanted to try it, so I hopped on.

Big, big mistake.

This was before my breast reduction, when I was very top heavy. As soon as I had both feet on, they went back.

Both of them.

I found myself parallel to the floor, with my feet stuck out behind me. And when I say stuck, I mean stuck. I could not get myself out. My friend was no help, because she was laying on the floor, laughing hysterically. Eventually she got up and helped me off, and I swore I would never get on another elliptical machine.

Now that I find myself losing weight, I am wanting to look into getting some exercise equipment. Even though I promised myself I never would, I am thinking about getting my own elliptical. I found the one in the picture on Fitness Blowout, and it doesn't look like the same thing could happen on it. Fitness Blowout is great because they offer new and used equipment. They even have customer service representatives who will match you with the perfect piece of exercise equipment. I will probably need a little help in that area. I don't want the same thing happening again.

It's Diet Time

I made a decision yesterday that my family is upset with. I decided that we are all going on a diet.

That's right, all of us.

You see, we went to the grocery store the other day, and I spent about seventy dollars on food. When we got home and I was unloaded everything, I realized that I had bought a lot of processed junk food, and not a whole lot of healthy, good for you fruits or veggies. I also noticed today that most of the food I bought is gone already.

This led me to look online today for Bulk Foods. I need to get things that will help my family eat better. I want us to be healthier. Bulkfoodsdirect.com delivers right to your house, and you can save up to 40% on the products they sell. They focus mainly on health foods, like whey protein. I have seen so many recipes that use whey protein, and I think I can find ways to get my husband to eat it. I believe you can put it into smoothies, and you don't even taste it. If I remember correctly, when I was doing the low carb diet, whey protein was called for in a lot of the recipes. Maybe I need to get my whole family to do the low carb thing. I really don't want my kids following in my footsteps, and struggling with their weight for the rest of their lives.

Diet Time, Again

I have written post after post about my desire to lose weight. It is not just a question of beauty for me, because I am happy right now and know I am beautiful. :) It is more of a health thing for me. I have always been on the heavy side, but ever since having my youngest daughter seven years ago, I have steadily gained weight. It didn't help that I quit smoking right around that time, too. I have read many success stories, written by women like me who have found ways to lose weight and keep it off. I know the success rate is not good for obese people to keep the weight off once they lose it, but I really want to be one of the successful ones. I just need to find something that will work for me.

So starting tomorrow, I told Junior we are going to walk every day. I know it doesn't sound like a big thing, but I think it is a step in the right direction, no pun intended. Hopefully this will motivate us to do more. I am tired of losing my breath doing the simplest things. I am tired of not being able to bend over. I'm hoping this will be the beginning of my success story.

Supplements

If you have been reading my blogs for any length of time, you know that I am the queen of dieting. If there is a diet out there, I have most likely tried it. I have done weight watchers, low carb, low fat, no fat, high fiber, only salads and fruit. You get the picture? The problem is that none of these diets have had long term success. Sure, I have lost a ton of weight, but as soon as I stop the diet, I gain it all back. My problem is that I have yet to find the right diet for me, that I can adapt into a healthy lifestyle.

I remember when I did the low carb diet, I was working at the time. I worked fast food, so I was on my feet all day, constantly moving. There were many times when I got light headed, and felt like I was going to pass out. I know now that it was because I was depriving my body of essential vitamins and minerals that it needed. I should have been taking some kind of supplement, but I didn't know what. There are so many different supplements available, that sometimes it is hard to know which ones are the best for you. Luckily, Whole Foods Market is now doing podcasts that can help answer some health related questions. The topic of this months Whole Foods podcast is the ABC's of supplements. They hope to answer a lot of questions about the benefits and different forms of supplements, and how they should be regulated. I am looking forward to listening

Promising Diet Program

It's been a while since I have heard of a diet that actually works. I was excited to read about the Flat Belly Diet because it promises such great results. Right now, Prevention Magazine is looking for a women who want to try this diet, for free. That means you get the Flat Belly Diet book, a one year membership to the Flat Belly Diet website, and an exclusive membership to their success story club, all for free. You could also get the chance to blog about your experience on their website.

You're wondering what the Flat Belly Diet is, right? Simply put, it's a diet developed by Prevention Magazine that focuses on MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) to help you lose weight around your middle. New research has found this to be true.

If you are like me, and many other women out there, losing weight is not an easy task. Maybe you need the structured environment of a program like this. I know I'm going to look into it a little more. It won't cost me anything, and it really does sound promising. They do have some requirements, though. You must be enthusiastic about losing belly fat and transforming your tummy, willing to read the book, and excited to share about your experience with the diet. I read some success stories, and these woman are really happy with their results. I want to be a success story, too.

Weird

I was dropping ecards the other day, and read something that struck me as odd. I can't remember who's blog I was on (sorry), but it was a post about drinking water with meals. There were two sides to the argument, and I wasn't sure which was right.

One side said drinking ice cold water while eating solidifies the fat in your meal, making it difficult to digest, and therefor causing weight gain.

The other side said drinking cold water with a meal makes you digest your food faster, because your metabolism speeds up to warm the water.

The second made more sense to me, but since I am not an expert, I googled both sides, and found both to be untrue. While drinking water keeps you hydrated, it does not speed up your metabolism, or solidify fats in your stomach. They are both just old wives tales. (at least according to google)

Have you ever heard either of these? If so, what do you believe?

Get A Flat Belly

It's time, once again, to talk about my ongoing struggle to lose weight. Like many women, I carry my weight in my belly. Sure, having three kids didn't help, but I can't keep saying it's baby weight. I mean, it's been almost seven years since I had my last baby. In those seven years, I have lost a lot of weight, then put even more weight back on. I can't seem to find the answer to keeping weight off.

I found out that stress can destroy your ability to lose belly fat. The Flat Belly Diet suggests that in order to lose weight and keep it off, you need to deal with the stress in your life. I know when I get stressed, I get depressed, and then I eat. And eat. It's finding other things to do beside eating that will help me, or you, succeed in reaching a healthy weight. Taking time for yourself, finding "me time", will help reduce stress. Do something you love to do, but haven't taken the time to do in a while. Take a bath. Take a walk. Read a book. Maybe blog a little. Whatever it is, finding a way to manage stress is encouraged as part of the flat belly diet regimen.