Almost 2 weeks down

So last tuesday was my first week of weight watchers completed. I lost 2.6 lbs! (I guess I need to update my little side bar). I only really had one tough day- my two friends' wedding. The rest wasn't too bad. Now in 2 days will be 2 weeks done, so we'll have to see how I did on Tuesday.
So far I've come across a few things by doing this:

1) Sticking to the points is no sweat, but sticking to the number of servings of vegs/fruits and water...that's the hard part
2) Frozen mangos ROCK! (great thing to add to breakfast- like photo below) and Whole grain English muffins are not too shabby as well. (also in photo)

3) The Special K crackers- good, Special K chips- icky.
4) The Weight watchers cheese wedges and dulce-de-leche ice cream bars (in photo below) are both wonderful, their refrigerated dinners (like tv dinners)- icky.

5) smart ones so far makes the best frozen dinners with the points listed right on them (lean cuisine is good too, but you have to figure out the points on those).
6) Most alcoholic drinks are 2-3 points. A bud light lime is 3 pts every 12 oz, for example.
7) figuring out the weight watchers points on those mini foods (like the mini appetizers and mini desserts at weddings- too difficult!)
8) there is an app for everything- Fooducate so far has been the best app for Weight Watcher Points (on packaged things at least).
9) white rice is super high in points, as is my fav. frozen Del monte fruit freezers. (5 pts a cup of cooked white rice, and 5 points a small cup of frozen fruit freezes by del monte).
10) Weightwatcherswiki so far has been one of the best sources for points online- for restaurants, alcohol, etc.


It's been a crazy few weeks with all of the stuff I have to do on top of work and doing weight watchers. Hopefully I can keep up a little better on here with my progress. With Halloween just around the corner, I hope I can avoid the chocolate/sugar craving. So far I've been good, but I know at work on Monday it is going to be tough!
Hopefully I can get to my goal of being down 20 lbs by the end of the 10 week session, or at least close to it. *crossing fingers*
Laters.
-M

The countdown begins...

So, this is a heads up. This blog will be getting a lot more use (hopefully) come next Tuesday.
I have officially signed up to join Weight Watchers at my work. Because if you complete it fully, our insurance gives us the money back. That mixed with the fact that my mom said she'd pay for it up front...yeah, I thought, "Why not!?" I lack motivation in every other way of trying to loose weight, so maybe this will work.

Crossing fingers, but till that fateful start date, I'll have to be prepared...
-M

Changes are the driving force to exercise

Ok, so I have gotten LAZY! There is no other word for it. I basically haven't stuck to a good diet and haven't been to the gym in well over a month. I may blame the theater production I was in, but really, I'm just lazy. However, with my work forcing me to go to all night shifts later this month, I think I need to take this opportunity to force myself to exercise and eat better. Luckily the night crew enjoys their late-night walk around the building 4 times, so I will do that, and hopefully be able to go to the gym before I head to work (to avoid the traffic at rush hour (when I'd be HEADING to work, not leaving work...lol).
I'm giving myself today as my lazy day, but tomorrow, I have NO excuse!
Hopefully I can do it! *crossing fingers*
-M

Step-by-step

Ok. So I've been lazy, bad, horrible...whatever you call it...not good! I have been slowly trying to make it to the gym, though right now I'm averaging only once a week. With my work schedule, auditions for a show, and lots of plans with friends, my workouts have kind of taken a backseat. I know...HORRIBLE! And I know I haven't really lost much weight, as my clothes still fit the same, and to be honest, I'm afraid to get on the scale. I am petrified of it to be quite frank.
But, on a better side, I have kicked drinking soda. I might have a single Sprite over the weekend, but for the most part, Soda has gone bye-bye. So that's a step in the right direction, right?
Sadly right now, I'm still having issues drinking just water, or even crystal light water. I need me some raspberry tea. The kind your mom used to mix up in a big pitcher during the summer...yeah...that kind of sweetened ice tea is the only beverage getting me through my day. No coffee, no soda...yeah...tea right now is my only sugary fix.
However, thanks to some great deals at the grocery store on Lean Cuisines, my lunches have been comprised on one of those, and some fruity goodness stuff. My FAVORITE right now in the cuisine line is their new Garlic Chicken Spring Rolls. They are AMAZING!

And because of a blinky coupon I saw at the store, I gave these Dole Crisps fruit cups a try. The Apple Cinnamon is wonderful, especially heated. The pinapple/mango...not so much. I think i can stick to the apple crisps...only like 150 cals...perfect snack!

I'm hoping I can step it up this summer and get my butt in gear. Once I find out how this audition went, I can really plan my schedule around the gym and work. I also got to get over my fear of the scale. I need to know what I'm working with after all. I have a few weddings I'm attending later this year and next, and I don't want to be such a whale in the photos. No fun!
Go go gadget weight loss!
M

Coughs and better steps

So I've been battling this sickness that has hit me recently. Coughing, sinus junk, ears hurt, sore throat and all that jazz. But maybe because I'm feeling cruddy, I'm eating in better calories. lol
Had practice for the show today, so I danced all morning. (burnin' burnin'!)
Anyways, this is what I had to eat yesterday and today. I think I did pretty good for me. :D

April 1st, 2011 calories

Breakfast:

• 1 bowl of dry Special K Vanilla Almond cereal: (220 calories)

Lunch:

• 2 turkey dogs with ketchup (light amount)  on wheat buns: (280 calories total)
• 3 apple slices: (30 calories)
• 1 handful of veggie straws (roughly 12 straws): (56 calories)
• 4 popcorn kernals: (5? calories)

Snack:

• 1 bottle of white grape juice Crystal Light: (10 calories)
• 16 shelled peanuts: (97 calories)

Dinner:

• 4 pulled pork sandwiches (4 white rolls, 2 slices cheese total and 1 cup total of pulled pork): (920 calories)

Total Calories for the day: 1613 calories!

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April 2, 2011 calories

Breakfast:

• 1 oatmeal cream pie: (330 calories)

Lunch:

• 3 french dip sliders: (532 calories)
• 1 cup of tortilla soup: (180 calories)
• 1/3 of a 32 oz sprite: (94 calories)
• 5 french fries and 2 chips with spinach dip: (roughly 90 calories?)

Dinner:

• 1 pulled pork sandwich, on wheat bun with 1/3 slice of cheese: (260 calories)

Total Calories for the day: 1486 calories

(so I still have room to have something small, but other than that I did good the past two days. Not the most entirely healthy, but I stuck to my calories...slowly but surely. I didn't have time this morning to eat much, and that oatmeal cream pie...ugh...so many calories! Anyways, luckily my large lunch keep me going. That plus being sick, equals not a huge appetite.
Anyways...off to bed soon. Netti pot clearing, nyquil then sleeping in for Sunday! I can't wait for that. :D
Adios.
-M

Sushi and smoothies

Ok. So I'm a day late putting this up, but here is what I ate yesterday. I was bad at dinner, but luckily I had a semi- light calorie intake during the day, so I didn't go over 2000 calories  by much (only went over by 120 calories). Ideally I would of been more at 1500, but I just was so starved by dinner and needed the extra umph! after giving blood.
So I gave blood yesterday. Woo...I did my part in giving "3-people's" worth (one bag). I woke up yesterday feeling 100% better than the day before, so I thought, "yes, I got over that sickness/cold/or whatever it was!"...sadly today I woke up feeling far worse than Wednesday. Ugh.
Anyways, here is what I had yesterday. I'll post today's intake later. :)

Calories for Thursday March 31st, 2011

Breakfast:

• 1 (12 oz) wild berry smoothie: (210 calories)
• 1 package of apple slices: (35 calories)

Snack:

• 1 McChicken Sandwich, with no lettuce (I hate McD's shredded lettuce): (360 calories)

Lunch:

• 1 pt. of wonton soup, with 3 wontons: (129 calories)
• 1 cucumber roll: (110 calories)
• 1 fortune cookie: (106 calories)

Snack (after gave blood):

• Small bag of pretzels: (120 calories)

Dinner:

• 5 medium slices of Papa John's plain cheese pizza (I know I know. BAD MO!): (210 calories a slice x 5 = 1050 calories)

Total calories for the day: 2120 calories

I drank a lot of water throughout the day, so hopefully that helped, but I still went over 2000 calories, so that wasn't good of me. My goal is to aim closer to 1500 calories a day, but eh. When you give blood and are fighting off a cold, you tend to slip up. I just gotta get better and not do that again!
Anyways, laters!
-M

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