A New Year.....again?

My apologies for not blogging for so long. I have been still going to the gym, but I don't feel I've been giving it my all.
As you know the holidays bring all sorts of cakes, pies, candies, oh my! And along with that comes the dreaded CALORIES!!
Well I'm happy to announce that I have not gained any weight for the month of December but I have not lost any either. This is not making me happy.
Today I started back on the routine that I used to do when I first started going to the gym.  "THE BASIC 8'  and I am feeling like you could peel me up off the floor lol. My arms are heavy even as I am typing this. My legs feel like jello, but at least I'm getting rid of the jelly in my belly I hope. So what is the basic 8? I'm so glad you asked!
It's circuit training where you work all parts of your body in one workout and I can do it on my lunch break. Sounds easy huh? Yeah well you try it!  Oh come back here...i'm just kidding :) so you do 3 reps of 12 on each machine
arms
chest
back
abs
legs
Let me tell ya..it works!
So I hope the New Year brings you new motivation to live the life you were born to live!
Toodles,
Nancy

Tomatoe gravy is going to be the death of me!!!

So we are moving to this little town called Angie, La.  And in walking distance is this little EVIL restaurant that has THE BEST TOMATO GRAVY & BISCUITS EVER!!!! Oh no! This can't be good!  I have gone there for the past 2 mornings and devoured it!   I can do this.  If I can pass up the donut shop every morning while comming to work. I can do this!!! My short term goal is to reach 200 lbs. Right now I'm 208 and when i reach this goal, I plan to go shopping and hopefully buy a smaller size,,,fingers crossed! 

With God all things are poosible

So I thought for sure I had lost the competition at the gym.   I couldn't make it this weekend to the gym because of circumstances beyond my control.  However when I got to the gym today and added up James' Points and mine.   WE ARE TIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I'VE LOST 4 MORE POUNDS MAKING A TOTAL OF 20 POUNDS I HAVE LOST!! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

I'm still hanging in there!

I apoligize for the delay in blogging.  I've had so much going on, but let me start with last week's competition at the gym.  Last week was a triumph for me, even though I came in second place, I never imagined that I would be head to head with a man who has been going to the gym for years. I never thought I could get past 5 minutes on the treadmill.  I never even thought I could make it to the gym, but I DID!. I never imagined i could lose 5 lbs, much less, 15 pounds, BUT I DID! 
God has blessed me so much!  I have made my way up to 20 minutes on the treadmill & 20 minutes on the bicycle. This is more than a diet.  This is a life change for me. Yes, I do fall and I sometimes eat really bad, but I don't quit.  I dust myself off and try again. I have found out, that if i just take the first step, God will take two!
New Recipe!!!!!
STRAWBERRY ANGELFOOD ICEBOX CAKE
I made this for my church and they devoured it.  Little did they know that, up againt the other deserts, this was very low-cal.

1 angel food cake, sqaure or bunt kind. You can make it yourself or buy it already made. However if you make this yourself and it calls for butter, you can substitute apple sauce and it comes out terrific!

1 pint of strawberries, whole.
1 cup of water
3-4 tblsp  of splenda
1 cup of low fat cool whip
cook strawberries whole on stove top with splenda & water for about 8 minutes till it forms a syrup.
Next, with a wooden spoon end, poke holes all through the pound cake. lots of holes!!!
Now pour the strawberry mixture over the cake, saving about 3 Tbls to the side.
 Refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Now mix coolwhip and strawberry mixture.
Spread it on and enjoy!

This desert is about 150-200 calories and compared to birthday cake and such...that's pretty good and well worth it!

Crusted Lemon Pepper Tilapia (180 cals)

This is something i came up with for dinner tonight.  Enjoy!

4 Tilapia filet (you can use whatever fish you like, I just had this on hand)
4 tbls butter (1 tbls per piece)
4 town house pretzel flips crackers
1 tsp garlic powder
lemon pepper (to taste)
4 lemon juice
1/2 tsp season salt
1 tbls italian seasoning
parmesan cheese to taste
preaheat oven to 400
Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a flat baking pan (for easy cleanup :)
place fish pieces flat on pan
in a bowl, melt butter, garlic powder, season salt & italian seasoning in microwave or saucepan
Spoon 1 tbls of butter mixture on each piece of fish
sprinkle lemon pepper, then parmesan
now sprinkle one tsp of lemon juice over each piece
Crumble one cracker over each piece of fish
Bake 20 min til golden brown

I cooked Scalloped patatoes & green peas to go with this and it was fabulous AND UNDER 500 CALS!!!

Still at it!

Hello people. So I know it's been a few days since my last blog. I'm still alive and I'm still hard at it! I think my weight to date (WTD) is 210. I'm still eating my chicken salad sandwiches on wheat everyday, almost,  for lunch, along with the soup of my choice.  Yes, you can have a whole can of  Campbell's chunky soup, (most flavors) for under 300 calories for lunch. Not bad. It keeps me full all day until i get off work at 5. I also have snacks throughout the day. Right now i'm on peaches, yum! If you get the "no sugar added" kind, it's about 50 cals. Anytime you can get a snack for under 100 cals your doing good. Also rice krispies treat, yes the real ones are only 90cals. I hate diet food and there are many good foods out there low in cals that are "regualar" food.
Also, something i love is Wendy's Chili, (small with CHEESE!) is only about 285 cals plus i dont' feel like i'm depriving myself of what i like...i love me some Wendy's!
Now i'm going to let you in on my secret tool!!
LOSE IT! app for iphone/itouch LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
i use this everyday, many times a day, to track what i eat and my exercise.
If you can't get this, a regular old notebook will do & a calculator. I know this sounds really neurotic but it's very easy once you start.
TRACK ALL OF YOUR FOOD, EVEN A GRAPE!
AND TRACK YOUR EXERCISE.
This app lets you know how many cals you should eat per day & how many cals you burn for different exercises & it has a large data base to choose from.
Another trick i learned recently is Protein...it increases your metabolism and helps to burn fat...I try to get some sort of protein in every meal. Wendy's chili is loaded with protein :) other protein rich foods are:
EGGS
MILK
CHICKEN
CHEESE
YOGURT
PEANUT BUTTER
LEAN MEATS
GRAINS
BEANS
NUTS
FISH

Wow i'm writing a book here lol. I'm going to end with some websites that my friend, Ivy gave me that are very useful, I have not gone to all these yet ,but plan to....check 'em out!
http://www.galtime.com/
http://www.skinnytaste.com/
http://www.shapefit.com/
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/
http://www.hungry-girl.com/
MY FAVORITE
http://www.sparkrecipes.com/
MOST IMPORTANT: GET MOVING!!!!

lost 14 lbs since my last dr. apt a month ago!

So i went to my regualar check up Thursday and the nurse tells me I've lost 14 lbs! Wow! I dont' feel like i've lost that much and I can't really tell in my clothes but I guess the scales dont' lie. She also told me that my blood pressure was back to normal and I'm waiting to hear from the dr. to see if I can lower my insulin dosage.  I give God all the glory!  I have a long way to go, but I know I can do this and you can too.
Today I'm cooking a birthday dinner for my husband, meatloaf, mushroom gravy, rice, & of coarse a red velvet birthday cake.  I will eat a small piece.  I'm learning that  are so many different aspects to losing weight.  That's why there is no quick fix. If there was, Oprah would know about it!!
1. Portion Control
2. Count calories
3. Healthy food is delicious!!
4. Exercise
Bye Bye for now

Day # whatever i lost count!

Ok so yesterday I was bad!  It was circumstances out of my control of course.  At any rate, I didn't make it to the gym and I went 500 calories over my budget!!! Yeah I can feel my rear end spreading even as i type.
BUT TODAY IS A NEW DAY. I got up at 5:30 this morning to make over here to the gym before work for a nice 45 min workout..AND i'll be going at lunch back to the gym for another 45 min workout. I tried to eat cream of wheat this morning instead of  the usual oatmeal...GROSS!  Not ready for that yet, but I had 1 packet of oatmeal (160 cals) with 1 cup of peaches in very light syrup (100).  For lunch i'm going to have Wendy's yes Wendy's!!! Chili & 5-piece chicken nugget, I hear the chili is good because it has protein, no telling what else it has lol. so my lunch will be about 600 cals which isn't too bad.  I usually eat Campbells chunky soup which is amazing! I get full and it's only about 300 cals for the whole can!!! But I'm burning 1,000 cals today at the gym so I can afford a litlle Wendy's. I just cant' get the # whatever and make it a super size! um no

Day 2..night time

Well it's 9:48.  I may have over done it today at the gym.  I'm really sore and I think a hot Jacuzzi bath is in order.  For now I don't think I'm going to get a scale  for home.  I know if I had one I would be a slave to it.  Now I just need to stay away from it at the gym.
Also, I'm finding that I really need more self control when i'm off work.  When I'm at the office, I have my meal & snacks planned out.  I need to do that for home too. It doesn't help that EVERY time I go to church, it's a " Eating Meeting"!  Bro. Rickie made pear cobbler tonight for bible study!  Are you kidding me???  What part of bible study has Pears or Cobblers???  But it was delish! I had a small bowl :) Even with the cobbler I was still under my calorie budget of 1495. So it was a good day. Now going to join the bubbles, then bed.

Should i get a scale or not???? That's the question.

So I just got back from the gym and had a really good workout. Got some cardio in, some circuit traing ( which is basically using weight machines on arms, legs, abs) and i go around the gym and do reps of 12 on each one of these machines. I worked up a really good sweat and was feeling pretty good about myself. Then, on the way out the door, i stop at the weigh scale...big mistake.  Now when i first started on Monday Sept. 20, 2010, I weighed 212. The following Monday I had lost 2 lbs...yay!! I was very excited about this because my goal is to lose 1-1/2 lbs per week.  Well i get on the scale today and this evil thing says I'm 212 again!  What the???  So i'm hoping that this is just some muscle I've gained and not FAT  from over the weekend.  My gym is in Bogalusa where i work which is about 45 min. from home, so i dont' get a chance to go on the weekend, but i have an ab lounge & a Nordic track elliptical trainer at home.
I'm just feeling a little bummed right now, which is why i'm afraid of buying a scale for home.  I dont' want to be a slave to the all mighty weigh scale God!  What to do??

No butter has 0 calories...sorry.

http://caloriecount.about.com/truth-calorie-parkay-butter-spray-ft91707
http://www.thatsfit.com/.../i-cant-believe-its-not-butter-spray-is-full-of-fat-buyer-be/

Ok if these links don't work, just google "I cant' believe it's not butter or Parkay butter spray. www.thatsfit.com/.../i-cant-believe-its-not-butter-spray-is-full-of-fat-buyer-be/

Day 2 of blog..What's for breakfast??

So while making my chicken salad sandwich this morning for lunch, i decided that i would eat a half chicken salad sand. for breakfast, then, after 2 bites, i changed my mind and gave it to my dog, so should i count the calories in that 2 bites???? I guess it would be about 50, since the whole sandwich is like 250. Anyway I decided i'm gonna eat 1 pack of oatmeal when i get to work. Quaker has one that has raisins, dates, & walnuts...mmmm so good on a cold morning and it's only 160 cals. I put A FEW SPRAYS  of "I can't believe it's not butter, but beware of this product!!! They advertise 0 calories....Lie!  It does have calories, when I get a chance i will post more about this. If it sounds too good  to be true, It is!!!  They would love nothing more than for all the fat people of the world to buy this butter, thinking it has no calories, and POUR IT INTO THEIR FOOD WHILE THEY SIT BACK AND LAUGH THEIR WAY ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!  I am learning to taste my food and not just butter, but it's a work in progress. Oh how i love BUTTER. I'm going to see if I can find some facts on the Lying Butter Bussiness...BRB.

food for thought

A quick easy way to have yummy chicken breast ready to eat for the whole week:
1 Dump a bag of chicken breasts into your crockpot before you go to bed or whenever
2. Season with your favorite herbs & spices ( i like Zatarain's or Tony's)
3. Set the crockpot for overnight 8-10 hours.
4. When you wake up, you'll have moist, delicious chicken breast you can use throughout the week for:
Chicken Salad
Fahitas
soups
sandwiches
wraps
or freeze it for later!
For lunch everyday, I usually have soup & chicken salad sandwich on wheat...delicious!
MYTH: YOU HAVE TO DEPRIVE YOURSELF OF FOODS YOU LOVE TO LOSE WEIGHT...WRONG!
 
The fact is, if you deprive yourself, it will catch up with you. You may do well for a week or so eating raw veggies, rice patties, egg whites, & fish with no taste...gag!  But as for me, i will get a craving for some taco bell or Wendy's about day 5 and eat a # 5, 6, 7, & 8 and ruin any work i had done! Meet the roller coaster diet!  If you want a fry, for Pete's sake eat a fry, but make room for it.
Also, you can use the net!  Before you go out to eat, look up the nutrition facts online.  Most places have low calorie choices. You can have Taco Bell every now & then, but instead of eating an entire Grande Meal, try something low calorie, (under 175 cals) YOU WILL BE SUPRISED HOW EASY IT IS..DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP...HMMM NOW I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR..

Nancy's Weightloss journey (loving me)

So this is the first time i've ever done this...In fact i thought people who blogged were kind of silly..no offense!  But a good friend of mine, Christina decided to create a blog about recycling so I thought hey this may be a good way for me to encourage someone out there who may find themselves in the tangled web of dreaded 'WEIGHT LOSS' dum dum dum!
With the help of my Girl Ivy, who is such an inspiration to me, i decided to get off my butt and get moving! Now let me splain to yall, I AM NOT A FITNESS EXPERT AND ANYTHING I TELL YOU IN THIS BLOG WILL BE THE TRUTH IN MY OPPINION. I promise to be totally honest with you. If i eat a brownie, which i just did, I will tell you..If i lose 5 pounds, I will tell you. And if I gain 10 lbs, you'll know that too. Why? Because i need to be acountable to someone and congratulations, you're it!!! What do they win Johnny?? You get to hear me gripe, complain, cry, laugh, & whatever other emotion I may be having at the time.  And maybe through that, I can encourage some one out there who may be struggling too. 
So here is what i'm doing:
1.  I am going to the Gym 5 days a week for 45-60 min a day (on my lunch break)
2. Keeping my calories under 1500 a day with the help of "Lose It" on iphone/Ipod touch..this just helps me track everything i eat, and yes i log every single morsel i put in my mouth. (even the brownie lol)
3. Praying a lot!!!!