The Scary Before Photos

Wow, even Phil was like "but you don't usually look that big."  I tried to do one sucking it in, and then one where I didn't suck it in.  For all those who laugh at me when I say that my thinness is all an allusion of clothing - well, here you see that I'm not joking.

Here is me sucking it in.  I weigh 146, and my waist is 35 inches and my hips are 42.5 inches.

And here I'm not sucking it in.  Wow - I look 5 months pregnant!  My goal is to lose 10 pounds in 8 weeks, and tone up my stomach and arms.

Nothing else to say.  I have a plan for the week.  Grocery shopping is 90% done (just need to get to Trader Joes for a few lunch items.)  There is no candy in my house.  I need to focus on sticking to my eating plan, and exercising.

Tomorrow, our plan is to explore up in the Olympic Pennisula, with a 1.5 mile hike included.  I probably won't blog again until Monday.

Planning Week 1

It's go time.  I've been tracking my calories for a few days now, and it does make you think about what you eat a little more.  Eating around 2000 calories a day with minimal exercise will gain me about 1 pound ever two weeks from the looks of it, and that's what I've been doing most of the summer.

Here's my plan for the next week:
Sunday - traveling to the Olympic Peninsula - short hike, eating in the car almost all day
Monday - I think I'll make Chicken Tortilla Soup for dinner
Tuesday - I think I'll make quinoa patties and sweet potato fries (a rare vegetarian night - Phil might want to make a burger...)
Wednesday at work - I will come home and make some pesto pasta
Thursday at work - we'll keep or frozen pizza night - just will limit myself to 2 slices and eat a salad if I'm still hungry
Friday at work - Chicken Sausage and Asian Slaw
Saturday next week - Beef Stew

For lunch on Monday and Tuesday - I'll stick with salads and hummus.  I can eat a mini bagel and cream cheese for breakfast every day.  My standard work day packs 700 calories in snacks that I eat about 150 calories every 2 hours.

So, what do I need to buy, and what do I have already?  I also have some ripe tomatoes, so I'll make some salsa too.  Also have to get some food for the kids.

I'm going to try and make some of that "ice cream" from blending up bananas, and I think I may cut up an apple and bake it with some brown sugar, cinnamon, and oatmeal too.  Dessert is typically something chocolatey for me, so it will be a big switch.

Safeway
Onion
Apples
Bananas
Blueberries
Mini Carrots
Jalapeno Pepper
Avocado
2 Sweet Potatos
Arugula
Baby Spinach
Jar of Artichokes
Salami for the kiddos
Chicken Breast Lunch Meat
Beef Stew Meat
Quinoa
Mini Bagels
Milk
Box of Chicken Broth
Chicken Sausage
Flour Tortillas
Olives
Pickles
Vanilla Activia for lunch
Diced Pears in water for lunch

Trader Joes
Flat Bread
Hummus
Goat Cheese

Tonight, I should make my pesto ahead with Baby Spinach, Walnuts, Olive Oil, Garlic, and Basil from my garden.  I should also make some Balsamic Vinaigrette with Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic, Brown Sugar, and Olive Oil.

Next week, I should do Chicken Lettuce Wraps and my potato and egg white frittata with onion jam.  Hopefully I remember to review this when I'm planning.

I bet everyone hates me a little bit

Here's the part where everyone hates me a little bit - I've always been able to eat whatever I want.  I have always been a picky eater, and grew up on a very processed diet.  My mom is a great cook, but she went back to work when I was 6, so we had mac and cheese night, frozen pizza night, and McDonalds night weekly.  I had a theory when I was 13 that if I ate lots of candy bars and did 300 sit ups a day, I'd get big boobs, but keep a small stomach... and maybe it actually worked.  I've never liked vegetables.  Seriously, only in the last 5 - 7 years have I started eating bell peppers, olives, onions, avocados, spinach, and artichokes.  Heck, I think I only started eating corn 10 years ago, and I don't even thing that's classified as a veggie anymore.  I only eat carrots drowning in ranch, but I have found that I'll eat a carrot and cabbage slaw dressed with something vinegary.

As recently as 3 days ago, I was asked what I've done to loose the baby weight.  Seriously, I'm up at least 7 or 8 pounds since June, but people still ask me how I've lost weight.  I manage to hide it well I think.

So why am I doing this then?  Well, mostly for vanity I suppose.  Partly because I'd like to continue rounding out my diet and eat less processed, more vitamin rich foods.  But the biggest motivator is this photo from my honeymoon.

I worked pretty hard to fit into my wedding dress, and tried to eat "skin foods" for a few month leading up to my wedding - I think that is when I forced myself to try avocado and discovered it was good.  I was somewhere between 125 and 130 pounds in this photo.  I seriously drool looking at the stomach and the arms here.  Those are my biggest problem areas.  I think the angle of this photo also helps me, but that is the body I'd like to get back.

I know my thighs and butt are bigger now too, but that doesn't bother me as much, probably because I don't look at them much.  Also, Phil sort of likes some booty, so I'm ok with those new post baby curves.  The lowest I've gotten since children is 139... but I'm typically between 143 and 145.  I haven't weighed in yet (still have a few days) - but I'm sure I'm pushing 150 right now.

I remember hearing really talented gymnasts complain about their abilities, and being like "man - I wish I could do that skill you are whining about..." - so I realize that to many people, I'm already a skinny person.  And, a skinny person who has a poor diet and barely exercises to boot.  So I understand why you hate me.  This is just some of the insight into my brain and what I'm hung up on.  I'm going to have Phil take some before photos soon.  I'll do a "sucked in" photo, as well as a not so sucked in one, and show you the love handles and arm issues that are driving me crazy.  I'm hopeful that really trying to focus on better food and exercise will make a difference.  Even if my version of better food still makes the health nuts cringe, it's an effort that I'm hoping moves the bar more than I've been able to manage in the past.

I suppose I'm sort of like Scarlett O'Hara - after her kids she couldn't corset her waist to 16 inches anymore, she was stuck at 20 inches.  I just hope in my vanity quest, I don't lose my husband like she did.  I have a feeling I might get a little grouchy.

Brainstorming on what dinners I can make that are on the healthier side.  Here's my list so far to draw from:

1. Chicken lettuce wraps
2. Chicken tortilla soup
3. Chicken sausage and Sweet Potato Fries
4. Spinach and Artichoke Pesto Pasta
5. Arugula salad with Avacado, Feta, Strawberries, and Walnuts
6. Pizza (lets face it, it's easy, so I'll continue doing this once a week)
7. Pulled Pork Open Face Sandwiches
8. Open Face Roast Beef Sandwiches

Hmmm - I'm struggling now.  I'm sort of a picky eater, so these recipes are things I've tested in the past that I like to eat, but aren't totally outrageous in calories, and might even have some vegetables in them.

I've found tons of pinterest desserts that are lower calorie than I normally eat, like using bananas to make ice cream.  Will have to give them a try.

Just a few days until I start the calorie counting and more frequent exercise.

Well, it's time to face it.  I'm 34 years old, and can no longer eat anything I want with minimal exercise and stay "in shape".  The truth is, I've never been a healthy eater.  I've always eaten a ton of processed food, all the gluten and refined sugar, tons of carbs, almost no vegetables... I know - you hate me a little bit right now, right?  Well, after 2 kids, I just can't be stuck where I am any more.  So I'm going to make a concerted effort in September, 2013 to really focus on a healthy lifestyle, and see what changes I see.

I know me - it can't be too extreme or I'll never stick to it.  I'm going to start logging everything in MyFitnessPal soon, just to track what I am eating, and then work up some health and figure conscious recipes that I like as well as try to get at least 3 hours of exercise a week.  I'll take a before and after shot, and then see if I can maintain parts of this plan in normal life.

I will never completely give up on dessert... but I probably don't need it every night.  Let's see how creative I can get.