May 20 - Thanks, Stomach Flu! - 50lbs gone

The bad news: I still have this stomach flu and some nasty sweating going on.

The good news: I lost 4 lbs in a day -- I'm officially 50 lbs lighter than I was Dec 1st!

I'll take my Nutrisystem 50 lb goal bear, thank you. And go back to sleep.

Late Breakfast: I felt like I needed something, so I whipped up some popovers. Ate 3, then the other 3. This gave my belly LOTS to churn during the day.

Dinner: Tired of being perched on the john all day, I just had a little piece of carrot souffle from Giant Eagle.

March 20 - 40 lbs officially shed!

It's another Bear Day! I have officially lost 40 lbs as of this morning! WOOT! (See previous Bear days here, here, and here.)

With Bob home this weekend, that's unlikely to last until Monday morning. Bob brings home gifts of cookies and bread and enjoys going out to eat while he's home, so I'm going to enjoy the next few hours at this new milestone.

I have 10 more pounds to go (really 13) to get to my "healthy" weight that all of the texts say I should try to achieve. As long as my BMI is still above the recommended level, I'm going to go for it. I can always put on weight. I'm really good at that. (My BMI is considered "overweight" by the CDC, and "marginally overweight" by Halls.MD)

Breakfast - Usual Fiber One Cereal / Flax Oil Gel Tab

Lunch - Spinach Salad. DAMNIT! Someone brought lemon cake/bread. Oh, well. I've been good. I'll have a piece. Then two more.

Snack - ChocoChip cookie from Panera. (Bob ate the entire rest of the package in one day.)

Dinner - We went to a little event and I porked out. A little Asian cuisine. A little pulled pork, strawberry, stuffed mushrooms. A mini sloppyjoe. 2 little pieces of pizza and some creamy blue cheese. (urp!)

Personal Observation: After looking at the food consumed today, it doesn't look like much, does it? But it certainly feels heavy in my belly this morning, and it packed on 2 lbs in a day.

February 19 - 30 lbs officially gone

If I were still on Nutrisystems, today would be the day that I earned my 30 Blue Bear. I have officially lost 30 lbs since December 1st.

I started having a mental block around the 25lb mark. I was thinking, "I've never lost more than 22 lbs in the past. I will never lose more than that again." But I put those thoughts aside and kept slogging through.

If you're trying to lose weight, keep going. It's hard, but it's worth it. Do it for yourself, not for anyone else. Do it because you want to be healthy to enjoy life, your kids, your grandkids. Do it because trips to the hospital suck. Do it because you are more important than any piece of cake or second helping of pasta.

FYI - My other Bear Days can be found here and here.

NEW: I'm not going to post pictures of coffee anymore. I drink 2 in the morn usually. 1/8 cup 2% milk, a couple Sweet & Low

Breakfast - 2 coffees. 1/3 cup dry kibble

Lunch - Spinach Salad. 10 caramel rice cakes

Snack - 2 pretzels

Dinner - baked sweet potato

Snack - Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich

January 15 - 20 lbs off.

I'm officially 20lbs lighter than I was 6 weeks ago and no worse for the wear. I had to weigh myself twice this morning, but it's true - 213.2 lbs.

What's with the bear? If you remember an earlier post, when I was on Nutrisystem, they would reward you with a colorful stuffed bear each time you dropped 10 lbs. I never lost enough weight on Nutrisystem to earn my purple bear. I spent over $1200 on Nutrisystem and never lost more than 15 lbs. So, to recognize my achievement, I'm posting my purple bear here.

Our culture is funny. When preparing dinner last night, I could hear 'everybody' saying, "That's not enough food. You should really be eating a lot more. Here, have some mashed potatoes." But I decided to instead just eat what I thought would satisfy the hunger knowing I could get more if I wanted it. After eating what I prepared, I was satisfied.

Push ups - knocked off 60 yesterday. Not great, but a start.

Breakfast - 2 cups of coffee and Flax Oil. Kept putting off breakfast for work and missed it.

Lunch - 1/2 of a quesadilla (I learned my lesson.) Spinach salad.

Dinner - Not even going to pretend that this was to be pretty. That's a 2-egg, black bean and cheese omelet - sort of. I just wanted protein. Also, yogurt, fiber cereal, blueberries.

Snack - Peanut butter cookie. I had friends stop by. Whipped up a batch. Had one. Sent the rest home with them.

It looks like I'm eating less today, but I've actually just grouped a few pics together.

Dec 12, 2008 - The Day of the Red Bear

When I was on Nutrisystems you were rewarded for every 10 lbs that you lost. For the first goal met you were sent a red stuffed teddy bear with a "10" embroidered on it. (See the pic). That first bear took me 3 weeks and $350 in their "food" to earn.

Today, I officially earn my first Snap It, Fatty bear. OK, I don't have a bear to give myself, but I have lost 10.1 lbs since I started last Sunday. Not especially hungry. Not buying 'special food'. Eating more mindfully. I think it's a win-win.

Breakfast - 2 cups of coffee & Flax Oil geltab. Cup of fat free yogurt, 1/3 cup of cereal. (Pic taken in front of Bob who slept on the sofa last night.

Lunch - some ultra thin sweet potatoes baked. Small bowl of pasta with fresh tomato & onion ragout.

Dinner - Small salad w/vinegar. 1/2 sweet potato. (Just read this article about sweet potatoes. They're staying in my diet!)