Another step, another setback

Ok. So I admit it. I suck at this whole, keeping up with what I eat thing. I am the first to admit I am horrible at it. But after getting another rejection with a show I auditioned for, I realized, that I really need to get my act together. Luckily the show I'm currently in is a lot of high-energy dancing, so that helps, since my gym time has been cut short because of all the practices.
I ate slightly healthier this past weekend while on a crafting weekend retreat for Autism. I haven't had soda since last Thursday (which is a big step for me, except for a single root beer drink on Sunday...but other than that, it has been Water like no other, diet iced tea, and juice). This right here is a big step. I've also been trying to eat more meats, fruits and "good carbs" and stay away from the pastas. I haven't had much pasta at all this week, and had more carbs like potatoes and rice. I know these small changes aren't huge, but they are in the right direction. Considering 3 out of 4 of the regular castmates that go out to dinner after practice with Wren and I are on a diet, shows that we all are starting to feel the pressure of loosing weight.
Sadly today I woke up battling a sickness that has seemed so familiar...ear pressure/pain, slight runny nose, glands in the neck swollen and sore throat. I had a feeling I was going to get sick today, as last night I went to bed with a sore throat. If this ends up mutating into ANOTHER sinus infection, I think its time to say to the doctor...there is a problem. This would be the 3rd time in a row (every 2 months or so) that I've gotten a sinus infection. Same feeling, same symptoms...yes, they might all be stress related, but boy are they not fun.
Today I haven't done totally horrible, thus far (as of 6pm) I've had the following:

March 30th, 2011 menu

Lunch (didn't get up for breakfast):

• Medium Wawa Chicken Noodle Soup and 1 package of Premium Saltine crackers (150 +24 calories)
• 1 spicy southwest beef Wawa wrap (420 calories)
• 32 fl. oz. of Orange Juice (yes I drank that much OJ...I am trying to beat this sickness) (360 calories)

Snack:

• Apple slices, Mango chucks bowl from Wawa (roughly 70-170 calories...no one is really clear on this)
• Diet Raspberry Iced Tea (10 calories)

So thus far I've had 1034 to 1134 calories, leaving me with just the right amount for a small dinner.

I gotta get this diet rolling, and once this show is over, I plan on getting my gym time to really be stepped up a notch. Anyways...I gotta get through this all!
-M

Tuesday Two-step

I just got back from my Adult Ballet Class that I attend, taught my a friend of mine. Me being the 'big girl' size wise in the class of 6 women (there were only 3 that showed up today in the class), makes me sometimes a little uncomfortable, but my love of dance sometimes out weights my weight issue. I started dancing at the age of 3, and have continued to do so ever since. Since the class is an hour long, I don't have time to go to the gym on top of that, so Tuesdays is my dance nights.
I also hope to keep a food journal while I'm blogging about my weight loss goals, so below is my meals today. Here's the food I've had today:


My Meals today: Tuesday, Jan. 18th, 2011

Breakfast:
(Sadly I missed my breakfast today, due to having to get my car out of the ice...making me run late for work)

Lunch:

• 1 bottle of cranberry juice (120 calories)
• 1 cucumber roll, aka. 6 pieces of sushi (~110 calories)
• 3 wontons from wonton soup, with a dash of broth (~105 calories)

Mid-snack:

• 1 bottle water (0 calories)
• 1/2 a banana...I couldn't handle eatting the entire thing for some reason (55 calories)

Dinner:

• 2 cups of penne pasta (~400 calories)
• 2 meatballs and a hint of sauce on it all (~250 calories)

Night snack:

• mini boneless buffalo poppers...I know, the worst healthy wise of my meals today (440 calories)

Total Calories consumed today: roughly 1480 calories

I danced the night away, so now I'm dead tired. I know my meal today wasn't the absolute best, but it could be a LOT worse.
Time to dance/step with a smile!
-M

Day 1: Stepping up to the challenge

So I've already joined the YMCA gym (been twice so far) and already cut out soda completely from my diet, along with other choices I've decided upon. So what got me in this exercise and weight loss kick?
Well, I think it all started when I looked in the mirror not that long ago, and didn't recognize the person in the mirror. Was that really me?
It was only 3 1/2 years ago that I was close to 60-70 lbs lighter and was in college. When I graduated college I was a cool 140 lbs, and before college I was at a slim 120 lbs. At the time of college, I thought I was a little curvy...but little did I know I would long for the day when I was back at that weight only 3 years in the near future.
First, I blame the job I got out of college. I went from walking everywhere in college and going to the gym on the occasion, to a desk job, where I had to drive 35 minutes to and from work. The most walking I would get at work was to and from the printer and the fridge.
Secondly, I blame my eatting habits. I love my pasta and pizza. When I was done with college, I never left my bad college eatting habits behind. Eatting super late at night and eatting loads of carbs and soda = not a good thing.
Third, I blame my lack of drive to stick to a diet or exercise plan. This is all pure laziness on my part and the fact that I HATE giving up the foods I love.

But I plan to change all of this. I always know when my eatting was getting bad, because I started to get horrible hearthburn. I'm only 24 years old, I shouldn't be getting heartburn to the point of not being able to function! I also want to be able to not get winded from going on a short jog down the street to catch my scarf on a windy day. It's all got to start here.

(this is me. Currently, at 205 lbs and age 24, I tend to wear a lot of black clothes to hid my chub as best as I can)

I want to Smile stepping onto the scale, not get the urge to cry myself to sleep after seeing that number. I need to step up to the challenge, and it starts here.

Goals:

1. Loose roughly 70 lbs...however long it takes, My goal weight is 135 lbs. I know the closer you get to your weight goal the harder it gets, so I plan to give myself over a year to reach it. Ideally I'd like to loose it in a single year, but I know myself, and that's gonna be really tough.
2. Eat and drink healthier. Cutting the soda intake completely, no diet sodas either, no pure caffinated beverages. Also, drink more water in general. Cut my portions and eat less pre-packaged foods, and sub out white bread for wheat. Go for more whole wheat pastas and eat less fatty and greasy foods. Cut down or out completely eatting from Fast food places. I know this is a lot, but I refuse to give up foods I love...I just need to eat them in smaller portions and in healthier ways.
3. Exercise as much as I can. I plan to go to the YMCA gym at least 4-5 days a week. I plan to give myself 2 days of rest for the weekends, because to be honest, who really wants to go to the gym on their day off. I know I don't. That, and my gym is close to my work, not my home. So far, I've started a routine at the Y: 30 minutes on the eclyptical or treadmill, 30 minutes weight lifting (focusing on arms and abs), and 20-30 minutes doing laps in the pool. I hope to improve upon this, as I hope to be able to handle more exercise as I progress. Luckily for me, the pool is open late in the evening, so I can go after work.
4. Feel better about myself, no matter how much or how little I loose. As much as I'd love to be able to wear those cute little dresses I see in stores, I realistically know, everyone's body type is different. Mine for instance: I have hips and large boobs. Both of which I don't expect to change much, even after I loose the weight. Those two parts of my body, I know will pretty much stay the same. This weight loss is more so I can feel good in my body, and improve my health.

So, in close, this blog will help me (hopefully) to track my progress in weight loss and exercising. I plan to post my meals and improvements in exercise and weight loss, as well as the struggles that I am trying to overcome. I hope, in turn, that someday, I'll be stepping with smiles.
-M