Day 16 - Hoping to Hold the Lead

The results were posted for the first weigh-in and looks like I'm in the lead! But what's that saying..."The top is a very lonely place." Haha I've got a lot of work to do to keep the close competitors out of first place.

Not too much more to say today, but I saw this quote on Pinterest.com and it struck a personal cord with me today:

Yesterday's Recap:

1/30

Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Salad - lettuce, green peppers, onion, carrot, roasted red pepper dressing - and some tuna salad on top (canned tuna, little mayo, relish)
Snack: Apple and mixed nuts
Dinner: (thanks to my future hubby for shaking it up) Spicy chicken breast with sweet caramelized onions, brown rice, and peas
Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 1 hour ZUMBA!

Day 15 - The Results Are In! (First Weigh In)

Drum roll please................. -10 pounds!!!!! That's a 5.32% loss!

Today was our first official weigh in and this weekend was full of challenges so I'm thrilled!

Saturday we went to the JMU @ GMU basketball game. Before the game, we met up with some friends at Fat Tuesdays. Challenge #1: not drinking beer and getting rowdy with a bunch of JMU fans.

Next, we walked over to the basketball arena. Challenge #2: not buying snacks in the convenient store even though I was hungry and wanted to so badly. I brought some snacks to the bar (grapes and apple slices), but it just wasn't cutting it. I went into the convenient store to "see if they had anything healthy" (aka drool over all the yummy goodies). I came out with a Special K meal bar, which was delicious but not filling whatsoever.

Then we finally made it to the arena. Challenge #3: I was bombarded with the smell of all things delicious: hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, nachos, BBQ, pizza, cotton candy, ice cream, etc. I was really impressed with the size of the Patriot Center, but hey I guess if you don't have a football team.... :) The game was fun (even though we lost) but I was soooo hungry! The banana I snuck in my purse helped a little.

We invited some friends over after game...enter Challenge #4: hungry boys wanted Chinese food...my weakness. As soon as the take-out menu came out, I put on my tennis shoes, hooked Jasper up, and immediately went out the door for a run. Anything to get me away for the tempting General Tso Chicken and egg rolls.

Challenge #5: When I got back there was lots of beer drinking going on so I posted up on the couch with my bottle of water. Good self control, right?

Sunday at home was pretty typical...went to church, slept on the couch most of the day while Seth watched sports, a couple house chores. Lucky for us we don't really have any snack foods around because both of us were pretty hungry all day. Because of my naps, my eating schedule was completely thrown off. But I guess it all worked out in the end because I was pretty pumped to see what the scale had to say this morning :)

2 weeks down...7 to go!

Weekend recap:
1/27
Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: Salad - lettuce, green peppers, cucumbers, onion, carrot, Balsamic Vinaigrette 1 calorie spray - and some chicken salad on top (canned chicken, little mayo, onion)
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Seafood stir fry - leftover seafood mix from the seafood counter at Safeway, brown rice, and broccoli with Ken's lite Asian sesame with ginger and soy dressing
Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 1 hour walk/jog with Jasper

1/28
Breakfast: Banana smoothie (cooked oatmeal, 2 bananas, light vanilla yogurt, and ice)
Snack: Grapes and apple slices
Lunch: Special K meal bar and a banana
Dinner: Catfish, couscous, and zucchini
Water: not sure...probably three or four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 30 minute walk/jog with Jasper and lots of walking around GMU campus

1/29
(Late) Breakfast: Banana smoothie (cooked oatmeal, 2 bananas, light vanilla yogurt, and ice) not as good with fresh bananas....let them sit and get brown first!
Lunch: Hard boil egg and a couple spoon fulls of tuna
Dinner: Tilapia, rice, and green beans
Water: not sure...not very much at all :(
Exercise: rest

Day 12 - Egg-cellent!

Steven: the amount of eggs that you eat is nasty
Sent at 9:57 AM on Friday

Well thanks brother! We may look alike but we certainly has different taste! And just for that comment I'm posting this picture:

I've never met an egg I didn't like...(here comes my Bubba Gump moment) scrambled, fried, over easy, over medium, poached, hard boiled, deviled....egg in salad, egg on a burger, I could go on and on!

But why do I eat eggs everyday (other than because they're delicious)? Here are some health benefits I found:

1. A randomized control trial led by Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of infection and obesity at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center found that overweight and obese women who consumed a breakfast of two eggs a day (for five days a week or more) for 8 weeks, as part of a low-fat diet with a 1,000 calorie deficit:
• lost 65 percent more weight
• had 83 percent greater reductions in waist circumference
• reported greater improvements in energy levels than their dieting counterparts who consumed a bagel breakfast of the same calories
2. Eggs are great for the eyes! Researchers found that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing cataracts, also because of the lutein and zeaxanthin in eggs. **Go to know because cataracts runs in the family :( **
3. They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. **Getting smarter by the egg :) **
4. They contain the right kind of fat. One egg contains just 5 grams of fat and only 1.5 grams of that is saturated fat.
5. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.
6. Eggs may prevent breast cancer. In one study, women who consumed at least 6 eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44%. **Hell yea - shout out to my Grammy who kicked breast cancers ass!**
7. Eggs are cost effective! I'm definitely more likely to buy a pallet of eggs for $5 that will last a while!
8. Not only have studies shown that eggs do not significantly affect cholesterol levels in most individuals, but the latest research suggests that eating whole eggs may actually result in significant improvement in one's blood lipids (cholesterol) profile.

So there....enjoy something egg-quisite!!

Yesterday's recap:
1/26
Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Progresso Light Soup: Chicken and Vegetables - with some leftover couscous
Snack: Grapes
Dinner: Stuffed peppers! See below for the awesome recipe I created.
Water: five 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 45 minute walk/jog with Seth and Jasper (which I kind of regret because they walk/jog too fast for me haha)

Stuffed Peppers:
Saute 1/4 onion and one clove of garlic in a pan with some extra virgin olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add about a half pound of ground turkey. When the meat is done, add one can of roasted tomatoes. Heat up the tomatoes and then add some cooked brown rice (I cooked a half cup of uncooked brown rice in our steamer beforehand). Cut two green peppers in half lengthwise and remove the insides. Lay the peppers in a glass baking dish, load them up with the stuffing, and sprinkle some shredder cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Eat up :)

Day 11 - H2-Ho

So I'm wondering what is so different this year that I would lose 7 pounds before the first weigh in?? The only thing I can think of that is different is that I drink a LOT of water now....I mean a LOT....I've become an H2-Ho (get it? get it?)

Maybe since I drink so much water and have to pee all the time, I'm getting exercise walking to the bathroom?? Haha I duno but I did a little research and found a pretty cool site: 10 Ways How Water Helps You Lose Weight

You can go to the site to read the extra details but here is the list (along with my commentary of course!):

1. Water suppresses the appetite - hmm the jury is still out on this one.
2. Water helps reduce cholesterol - good to know. I got a pretty scary voicemail from the doctor last year after I had some blood work done: "Hi Amy, this is the doctor's office. Can you please give us a call back regarding your test results?" First thought: I'm dying. Second thought: I'm dying. Haha not quite...but my cholesterol was approaching an unhealthy level. They recommended diet and exercise...of course.
3. Water helps to tone muscles - the first thing I think of when I hear muscles + women = body builders...yuck. I'm not sure how much I want to "tone" my muscles, I just don't want to be flabby anymore. But hey, if water will help me look like this, I'm in:

4. Water is necessary for proper digestion - I'm gonna disagree with this one and leave it at that :)
5. Water helps the liver to function - well this combined with no alcohol...my liver must be a happy camper!
6. Water helps soothe digestive problems - see comment #4
7. The right amount of water causes the body to stop retaining water - this is probably the most interesting fact I learned. I assumed that the more water I drank, the more I would retain, and the more bloated I would feel. But that's not the case! Feeling good :)
8. Water stops you confusing hunger and thirst - nope...still hungry.
9. Water moisturizes the skin and makes it more radiant and supple - I duno about this...maybe it's just the winter weather or the fact that since I have to pee all the time I'm constantly washing my hands, but my skin is soooo dry! I feel bad for the one dude that sits in our room at work since he has to smell my Victoria's Secret "Amber Romance" lotion all day...sorry Phil!
10. Water washes the toxins out of the body - as I was filling up my water bottle for the billionth time yesterday, a lady at work asked, "So are you just filling up on water??" I responded, "Haha trying to! I don't know how water helps you lose weight but I hope it's working." She said, "Well yea, it's flushing out all the toxins"........WTF are toxins anyway and how the heck did they get in me??? Oh well, I'm sure they're bad so if water gets rid of them, fill up my glass :)

Yesterday's Recap:

1/25

Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Salad - red leaf lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, onion, carrot, roasted red pepper dressing - I attempted to eat a pre-cooked chicken breast because it was terrible. How many chicken breasts have you seen that are round? The fake grill marks were a nice touch, but it was so obvious that it was processed like a chicken nugget..and not a yummy chicken nugget (mmm I want Wendys!) ...Exhibit A:

Snack: Almonds (about a palm full) and sugar free Jello
Dinner: (shout out the future hubs!) catfish, couscous, and steamed broccoli
Water: five 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 1 hour and 10 minutes in the gym (45 minutes cardio, 25 minutes strength)

Day 10 - Feeling Good!

I was filling up my water bottle this morning in the kitchen at work and asked one of the ladies I work with next to me how she was doing. She replied, "Fine, thanks! You're awfully smiley today..."

And I guess I am! Yesterday, I successfully ran over 1.5 miles without stopping! This may seem trivial to many, but even at my smallest, I was never a runner! In fact, I purposely played defense on the soccer team because there was LESS running involved. By the way...

The simple fact is...I don't like running. I don't like not being able to breathe, I don't like my calves and thighs burning, I don't like cramping in my sides and back, I don't like my ears aching from the cold, and I certainly don't like people seeing me running:

(Thank you Pinterest.com)

...I DON'T LIKE IT OKAY?!?

But on my way home last night, I decided to measure out a mile in my car, just out of curiosity. I picked one street, drove up and back to my house....1 mile total....0.5 to the end of the street and 0.5 back.

I told myself that if I could just run to the end of the street and not die, I'd be a good day. Well not only did I run to the end and back, I also took a couple detours around a couple cul de sacs! Yes, I did want to die afterwards but the pride of not stopping outweighed the pain (pun intended). Now if I could only get more good weather days like yesterday I'd be set! But it's back in the 40s again today, so back to the gym I go...oh how I hate thee treadmill.

Oh one more detail I almost forgot to mention....I'VE LOST 7 POUNDS!!! Hopped on the scale this morning and was more than pleased to read that I'm down to 177! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

In celebration and for your viewing pleasure, because who doesn't love a little Michael Buble:


Yesterday's Recap:
1/24:
Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Mandarin orange
Lunch: Progresso Light Soup: Italian Style Vegetable, with some leftover brown rice stirred in. (And I think a part of me died while I was digging out the pasta noodles...RIP pasta...you are loved and missed)
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Chicken stir fry: chicken breast marinaded in Ken's lite Asian sesame with ginger and soy dressing, frozen stir fry veggies, and steamed brown rice.
Water: five 24 oz bottles!
Exercise: ran 1.5 miles in the neighborhood :)

Day 9 - It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

Sitting next to a window all day has its perks, but on days like today...it just makes you NOT want to work. Blue skies and sunshine all day long! Totally skipping the gym tonight and going for a long run instead :) Gotta take advantage of the vitamin D opportunity and the endless paved sidewalks throughout my neighborhood. So pumped!!

Yesterday's Recap:
1/23
Breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
Snack: Grapefruit
Lunch: Should have listened to Seth when he warned me that my leftover salad from Saturday night wouldn't be good...he was right. So I picked out the tuna, green peppers, cucumbers, and carrots and had a bag of grapes.
Snack: Sugar free jello
Dinner: (shoutout to my future hubby!) baked flounder, zucchini, and couscous
Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: 1 hour of ZUMBA!

Day 8 - One Down, Eight to Go!

It's officially Monday morning, which means I've officially completed week one of the Biggest Loser competition! And I am proud to report that in spite of this weekend's temptations and lack of exercise, I've already lost 5 pounds!! This is extremely good news and very encouraging, especially since at last year's first 2 week weigh in, I only lost 1.69%! But this year, after only one week I've lost 2.69%! Whoop Whoop!

I missed blogging yesterday so here's a two day recap:

1/21:
Breakfast: Hard boiled egg and banana smoothie
Lunch: Teriyaki chicken and white rice from Yama Sushi in Vienna...YUM:

Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Caprese salad from Delia's: mixed lettuces, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grilled chicken, with a couple dips in the raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: none :( unless you count the workout I got from taking down and hanging up heavy wedding dresses :)

1/22:
Breakfast: Hard boiled egg and apple
Snack: Almonds
Lunch: Sweet and spicy chicken from Chili's "Lighter Choices" menu: chicken breast, steamed rice and broccoli
Snack: Almonds
Dinner: (thanks to my lovely future hubby) Tilapia fillet, brown rice, and steamed broccoli
Water: four 24 oz bottles
Exercise: none :( unless you count walking around The Great Bridal Expo with my mom :)