Jell-o Is To Jiggle....Not My A$$

MCDONALD’S LEAVES A BAD TASTE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 20:30:00 +0000

When it comes to eating healthy and trying to lose weight, one of the last places you would want to choose is McDonald’s. They may have salads and a few snacks that you can get, but that is about it when it comes to anything on their menu being healthy for you.

Most of us have eaten at McDonald’s at least once, but most more than that. Sure some think that their food is tasty and let’s face it, it makes a quick meal on the go. You don’t stop and think about what it is that you are actually putting into your mouth. Just that it tastes good and hell one Quarter Pounder never hurt anyone, right!?!

I know that I myself have eaten my fair share of food from McDonald’s in the past. Even as recent as this past Monday. My son and I were out and he wanted to buy me lunch. I caved and went to McDonald’s with him. I won’t lie either, as we pulled up to the drive thru, my mouth was watering. Oh the thought of sinking my teeth into (of all things) a Quarter Pounder…mmmm. Well I didn’t get the Quarter Pounder, I opted for some nuggets and a small fry and let me tell you……….it SUCKED!!! After not eating at McDonald’s for over eight months, I can honestly say that it was the worst lunch that I’ve ever had! It took all I had that day to force those nuggets and fries down. I still have a bad taste in my mouth from it.

I can not tell you that I will never eat at McDonald’s again. But I can tell you that if I do, it will definitely be a salad and nothing else. I thought I was missing out on something great by not having food like that since I started my weight loss journey. I know better now. The only thing I was missing was the bad taste it leaves in your mouth and all of the fat!! Which I can do without both.

I do find it funny that there are people out there that are blaming places like McDonald’s for making them and their kids fat. Um….HELLO….McDonald’s DID NOT force you to stop there once, twice, three times a day to eat. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that McDonald’s food in nothing but FAT!!! It’s called people being too damn lazy to go home and actually cook a meal. Yet it is easier to blame someone else for their laziness!!

Have you ever stopped and thought about the calories and fat that are actually in the food that is served at places like McDonald’s? Take at look at some of the nutrition labels for their food and if your mouth does not drop and it does not make you stop and go OMG, then there is truly something wrong with you. And I would hope that, that something is you have a wonderful metabolism and have never had to worry a day in your life about what you eat or losing weight.

With there being so many other places to choose from to get a healthier meal, it does still surprise me that most people would still opt for McDonald’s or places that sell similar foods. But then again, as I’ve said it is so much easier in today’s world to blame the fast food restaurants for people being fat, than it is to face the facts that some people are just lazy.

I know I will continue to choose healthier places when I eat out and McDonald’s…..well they can keep their food.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Stress and Weight Loss Don’t Mix Well

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:56:00 +0000

It’s been a couple of days since I’ve posted and even though I’ve still been keeping to losing weight, it was been very stressful these last few days here. After a breakdown and a good ole crying my eyes out, I am ready to go the next round…haha

On Wednesday, my son turned 17. I think it had more affect on me than it did him. How on earth did my baby get to be 17 years old already!?! Damn, getting teary eyed again…anyhow…….

On a good note for Wednesday, I finally walked the whole way around our hill here. I’ve sat over the years and watched other people walk by, knowing that they were doing the “loop“. Yet, I just sat here and watched! Well now I know that I too can walk the “loop”!! It’s only 2 ½ miles, but let me tell you, those hills are a bitch!! I may not of walked it as fast as some can, but I DID IT!!! I was one sore lady the next day! Looking forward to doing it again (if the weather would cooperate)!!! And working my way up to being able to run the biggest part of it.

Yesterday, even though the scale was good to me; I have no idea what came over me! I was so stressed and depressed that it wasn’t funny. I haven’t been like that for God knows how long!! All got better after my hubby got home and he did his magic of breaking through. I still to this day don’t know how he does it, but he does. After a good talk and a good crying, all is better in my little world….ha

Ok, I know what it was. It was a little bit of everything all balled into one mountain of STRESS!! Knowing all that is on my plate (so to speak) right now and not seeing the light at the end of the tunnel quite yet! Our foyer still not done which means not having my Spring cleaning done yet , trying to get work done, getting things ready for the yearly garage sale, needing to work on stuff for our Annual Red Neck Day, trying to keep up with this blog, finding time to get other things done and trying to still find time for me and my family!! Nah….that should not cause any stress at all….bah hahahahaha (crazy laugh as I slowly lose my mind)!!

The scale wasn’t so nice to me today, but I’m not gonna complain seeing as I was awake for four hours before weighing myself. And I’m sure all of the coffee that I drank in those hours had some role there!!

I know this post hasn’t been much about weight loss, but really it has. Stress plays a big part in whether you lose weight or gain weight. I know none of us can eliminate stress completely from our lives. It’s just a matter of dealing with it before it gets the better of you. I am very thankful that I have the wonderful husband that I do, who helps me when I get a little too stressed!!

Yummy burger and fries......

Check out the recipe for last nights dinner under "My Kitchen". Hearty Burgers and Crispy Garlic Potato Wedges.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Ain't that the truth!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 23:23:00 +0000

Came across this today and really liked it.....click here to check out more.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Tired Of This Weight Loss / Weight Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 22:29:00 +0000

I don’t get it. How does one eat healthy, make sure they don’t go over their daily food limit, exercise and still gain weight? To lose weight is my goal, but I am getting tired of this back and forth with losing the weight and then gaining the weight back.

I was so happy on Friday to have reached my goal of losing 15 pounds. And then today, that God awful scale tells me that over the weekend I some how put back on 2 of those pounds.

I did nothing unusual over this past weekend and yet there is another weight gain. WTH!?!

We had pizza Friday night, nothing unusual there, we have pizza every weekend. Saturday, was shrimp and Sunday was chicken salad (check out the recipe under "My Kitchen"). Friday I also had a Pepsi (and don’t think I’ll be doing that again any time soon….more on that in a bit). And Saturday, I could not resist having a very small (and yes, I mean very small) piece of peanut butter pie. But there is no way that those two things caused me to gain 2 pounds, especially when I still exercised!

The only thing that I wasn’t able to do over the weekend was go for my evening walk. Damn rain! I am so sick of it raining here. But I still do not understand how that would affect my weight that much. It hasn’t before when I wasn’t able to walk. I dunno….this is gonna drive me nuts!!

Ok…the Pepsi thing. Yes, it tasted good, while I was drinking it. But man oh man let me tell you the after effects…..DAMN!!! That night my shoulders hurt so bad. I felt like someone was literally beating the crap outta me. Then the next day, I was so sluggish it wasn’t funny!! So I think I better think twice nest time before I decide to drink a Pepsi. Guess this old gal’s body can’t handle it anymore….ha

Oh well….sorry for this post being a little whinny, but I am at my wits ends anymore. I am working hard to try and lose weight and I guess I just start to get bummed and discouraged when all I seem to do is lose a little and then gain it right back. This is worse than being on a damn yo-yo diet….ha….

On the bright side, hubby brought me flowers home today!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

15 Pound Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 02:35:00 +0000

I finally did it!! I finally reached that 15 pound weight loss. As of today, I’ve lost 15.2 pounds. I’ve busted my butt for that too. What a great way to start June!!

Next is to reach the 20 pound weight loss goal. I seem to do better when I focus on only 5 pounds to lose at a time. If I focus on more than that, then I seem to fall from everything and get discouraged. The 5 pounds seems to work and that’s what I’m sticking to.

I also have set longer weight loss goals and rewards to go along with them. Losing 15, was the book I’ve been wanting, “Fifty Shades Of Grey”. Lose 5 more pounds and I get a night out with hubby . It goes something like this….

15 pounds lost…..book
20 pounds lost…..night out with hubby
25 pounds lost…..get my nosed pierced
30 pounds lost…..might be a good time for some clothes
35 pounds lost…..massage here I come
40 pounds lost…..get tattoo finished
45 pounds lost…..still thinking on this one
50 pounds lost…..might need clothes again
55 pounds lost…..thinking…
60 pounds lost…..get tattoo with friend
65 pounds lost…..thinking….
70 pounds lost…..more clothes will be needed
75 pounds lost…..weight loss goal reached….I know hubby will surprise me with
something good here!!

I know I can do this and with not only my hubby supporting me, I also got my son, whom made me feel really good last night when he said that he was proud of me for sticking to this losing weight and eating healthy thing…..gotta love them when they say things like that to you. Makes this mom proud that she has a son like she does!!

So have you set your weight loss goals? How about rewards? I’d like to know what yours are.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Month Of Challenges To Help Lose Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:49:00 +0000

Well I made it through the month of May and my month to make it count. I did something each day that I normally wouldn’t do. But I want to lose weight and am determined to make it happen.

Through out this past month, I found out that there are a lot of things that I really can do. I just never gave myself credit, or never even tried to do most of them before. I’ve learned that I also have the will power to say no to foods that I know aren’t as good for me. I’ve also learned that I actually do enjoy walking and jogging a little.

My goal is to lose weight, and even though the weight is not coming off as fast as I would like it to, I am still losing weight and that is what matters the most. I can see a bit of a difference and I know that my clothes are starting to get a bit too big for me. So I know that things are working and I am losing weight.

Now, if I could get rid of the stress, I would probably lose a lot more weight. But I don’t see that happening any time soon. So I will continue with the diet and exercise that I am doing and adding things here and there to change it up a bit.

I know I can do this and win the battle of the bulge and finally lose weight once and for all and keep it off!!

What are you doing to help yourself lose weight?

Here I go....

UGH......

Bodybuilder....now that's funny.....hahahaha

Oh look, I beat, uh....myself....

Today’s challenge…..did 30 reps of the jack knife on the Wii Fit Plus…..my abs hurt…lol

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Jogging….who me…yeah me

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:05:00 +0000

If you would of told me a few months ago that I would now be walking and jogging like I am, I would of laughed in your face. I may not be able to run with the seasoned pros, but I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish over these last few months.

When I first started out walking, I couldn’t make it very far before I couldn’t breathe and was coughing up a storm. And let me tell you, it sucked! It made it hard to keep walking, but my wonderful supporter (hubby), helped me push past all of that and now as of today, I know I can walk 2 ½ miles, with some light jogging mixed into it.

Funny how now I actually look forward to going for an evening walk with my hubby. I’ve also noticed that walking does indeed help a lot with losing weight. When I wasn’t able to walk because of the weather, there didn’t seem to be a lot of weight loss going on. And I don’t like that one bit.

The goal here is to lose weight not stay the same or add more.

Do you walk at all? Jog or run any? If so, how far can you go? And if not, why aren’t you? I’d like to know. If I can get out there and do it, I know you can too. And trust me, it will make you feel a lot better.

ZUMBA!!!

Shakin' them hips....ha

Belly Dancing....oh my!!

AHHH......stretching!!

Yep...45 minutes, kicks your butt

Today’s challenge…..did the Zumba Intermediate 45 minute, class 2 on the Wii. And added ½ mile to the walk….for a total of 2 ½ miles now.

Tried more recipes that I came up with, wrapped salmon and grilled peaches. Check them out under “My Kitchen”.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

What A Weekend….

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Wed, 30 May 2012 03:59:00 +0000

Well I made it through the weekend and don’t think I did too bad, even though there was a weight gain. Knowing all of the food that I ate and did not eat, I still feel pretty good with the end results of the holiday weekend.

Friday kicked off our start of celebrating. I made it though the mountain pie night and was impressed with myself. Usually I can eat one right after another of them, especially the pizza and apple ones….yum!! But I did good, I only had two mountain pies. Then opted for some apples on the side.

Even got to play the Xbox Kinect for the first time. Talk about something that gives you a good workout and all while having fun!! Now, I am trying to convince my hubby to get me one. I loved not having to mess with a remote while playing.

The rest of the weekend was spent at home with family. We had a cookout here on Sunday and I tried my best to cook healthy foods.

Most of the weekend was spent in the rain and we didn’t have power half of the night Sunday and all day Monday, thanks to the storm that decided to blow through. Which made getting things done a bit hard. Didn’t get to do much walking since it was raining and couldn’t use the tv to do my Zumba on the Wii, since the power was out. So yeah, it was a bit challenging and didn’t help me at all in losing weight.

But all in all it was a good weekend even with all of that going on, plus my back hurting since Friday and having a Charlie horse since Sunday.

Tonight, I tried some new recipes and must say that I was shocked that my son and hubby both liked everything I came up with. Buffalo Pork Chops, Spicy Grilled Parsnips, and Sweet Grilled Banana’s. Check them out under “My Kitchen”.

Today’s challenge……walked 1 ½ miles, taking a different way that added another hill to the walk.

Got bored with the power being out.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Memorial Day Weekend….

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Fri, 25 May 2012 22:23:00 +0000

I really am torn when it comes to holidays, especially long weekend ones like Memorial Day. Lots to do, too much food, places to go, too much food, friends and family to see, oh and did I mention, too much food!!

You can not turn your back on those that are not trying to lose weight and just lock yourself up in your own home, so you have to be brave and face the fact that while everyone else is devouring hotdogs, hamburgers,…..damn I’m hungry now….oops…my bad there….ok…you have to be brave and choose the healthy foods (if there are any) and know that you are going to be ok.

Not saying that you can not have one hotdog or burger, hell I know I will have at least one. But that’s the thing, you have to be able to control yourself and not gorge on everything that may be there to eat. You have to have the self control not to let yourself slip off of your diet too much.

Just because it happens to be a holiday, does not mean that you do not have to still watch what you eat and take count for it all. Nor does it mean that you get to slack on the exercise part.

There are lots of different things that you can do to get in some good exercise while still enjoying the holiday with friends and family.

Such as, play a good ole game of kick ball, volley ball, bad mitten…etc, you get the picture there. There is no room for excuses just because of a holiday.

So all in all, yes you can enjoy Memorial Day and the weekend, eat, have fun and still stick within your diet and lose weight.

I know for me this weekend will be a challenge, I have a few places to go and even a cookout here at home to do. And remember I love food!! Tonight’s agenda….mountain pies at a friends place. Oh my….that is a weakness in itself for me. I really love food cooked over an open fire and mountain pies are the BOMB!!!

But I know I can do it, there will be nothing wrong with having one (ok, maybe two), and then digging into the fruits and veggies. Ok, all this food talk is really making me hungry.

Hope everyone does have a healthy, happy and most of all safe, Memorial Day weekend!

No way I was getting up there

So hubby had to do it and throw the bales down

They are kinda heavy

There I go....

Stacking away....

Today’s challenge…..stacking bales of hay for my hubby….talk about a workout…damn!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Even the cat was panting…

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:11:00 +0000

So today I decided to go down the road for my walk and I knew it would be a workout, but holy cow!

All down hill from here.

Ok, so it wasn’t the going down part that got me, but the coming back up all of the hills. Driving it every day seems like nothing, but let me tell you, walking it….those hills are killers.

First hill to climb back up

Poor thing, traffic scared her so bad, I had to carry her.

But I am so close to reaching that 15 pound weight loss and I am bound and determined to reach it one way or another. Keeping my fingers crossed for when I step on that scale tomorrow morning, that I have finally reached it.

Second hill

Third hill

Seriously though, going the other directions on the road we live on was really a workout. I wanted to go more, but my hubby said no. And let me tell you, I am so thankful that he did. I don’t know if I could of went more then worked my way back up all of the hills to get back home.

Third hill still going but I can see home at the top of it.

One last little climb up the driveway and I'm home!!!

I really don’t know who was panting more, me or the cat. Yes, the poor thing was panting. I can say though that I am glad I did it and know now that I can do it.

We shall see what tomorrow will bring. Fingers crossed and hoping like hell!!!

Today’s challenge….walked 1 mile, with almost half of it being uphill.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

For the love of Subway….

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:34:00 +0000

Jared

What would I do without Subway? Probably never eat out again…ok, that’s a lie. But I am proud that now when we do decide to get a bite to eat outside of home, I do usually opt for Subway.

Hey if it worked for Jared and helped him lose weight, it can’t be all that bad…ha. Besides, I really do like their subs and when you ask them to pile on more veggies, they never argue! And veggies are good for you….yum

I happen to like their Italian BMT and have to say that it’s my all time favorite there. What’s your favorite sub from Subway?

I’ve also noticed that instead of devouring a whole 12”, I am completely satisfied and full with just a 6” now. You know that could be taken really bad there, but I’ll let it be and your mind can go with it….hahaha

That is one of the joys though, that I have found while losing weight here. I no longer feel the need to eat, eat and eat. I am finding that I really am full on less and satisfied at that. Never thought I would be one to say that. I still love food, just learning to love it in a different way.

Today’s challenge….choosing Subway for dinner over the many other places we could of went to.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Oh my…..

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Well after a wonderful weekend, even though I ended up getting too much sun which made me sick and put me down for a day; I am back and loving it!!

Here’s the run down of my weekend till today…..enjoy…ha

Saturday, we got a lot of work done in our foyer that we have been renovating. All was good, till I spilled about ¾ of a can of polyurethane. Oops!! My bad!! At least there was enough still in the can to finish the last board…haha. Spent the rest of the evening with friends, cooking on the grill and playing cards.

Sunday, hubby and I went to “The Blessing Of The Bikes” with two other couples. It was really nice. Once all of the bikers got there, we ate a small lunch, then they came around and blessed us and our bikes and for the other drivers to see us. Then A nice ride followed to get ice cream. I know, I know, should of skipped the ice cream, but I was good and only got a baby cone and nothing else on it. And yes it was damn good!!! This is the day I got too much sun, but it was well worth it all!!!

All the bikes lined up and waiting to get blessed

Monday, well now that’s another story. The sun got to me and I was in pain and sick all damn day. I didn’t do much of anything, besides laundry, once my hubby got home to help me carry the baskets. Yes, my arms hurt that bad, that I couldn’t even lift a basket of clothing.

Today….oh my…I feel a hell of a lot better!! Was able to get up and move without pain today and get some things done! And now that I am done with this, I get to go and spend the evening with my hubby!!

Sunburn is looking a lot better!!

So yep, had a wonderful weekend, even though I got sick. And yet I still lost weight!! I really am glad that my Coconut Palm Sugar finally came in and I am back on track of losing weight!!!

Saturday’s challenge….added about ¼ mile to the walk, which I jogged.

Sunday’s challenge….again keeping my balance on the back of the bike…haha

Monday’s challenge…oops…I couldn’t of done anything even if I wanted to cos of the pain and being sick.

Today’s challenge…power walked almost 2 miles, damn rain!! Jogged about ¾ mile of it.

Yep, you get wet when you get caught in the rain....haha

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

More Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Sat, 19 May 2012 02:18:00 +0000

Well seeing as I am beat and the good ole brain does not seem to want to function properly, I think I’ll just give ya some more tips to help in losing weight.

Do not skip breakfast. Doing so can tend to make you eat fewer calories throughout the rest of the day.

If you work outside of your home, make lunch and take it with you. Doing so will most likely be more healthy for you, have less calories and oh yeah, cost less too.

If you have a big lunch, do not have a big dinner that same day. If you eat more than you should at one meal, cut back on the other.

Eat SLOWLY! Savor your food and you’ll see that you will be satisfied with less food.

Drink a glass of water before you eat a meal. It will help you feel full.

Drink another glass of water at the end of your meal. It will help you when you are wanting seconds of your meal.

Only eat when you are seated at the table, it will help you do less snacking.

Do not eat right out of the bag or box. Measure your food and you’ll see that less is more than enough.

Do not focus on the foods that you can not have. Instead focus on what you can have more of, fruits, veggies, etc.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep. You are more likely to give into cravings if you are tired.

Today’s challenge: Jogged a little more than I did yesterday.

They say “no pain, no gain”, right? But damn they never said the pain was gonna hurt this bad!! I feel like my shins have been beat to hell and back.

Who came up with the bright idea to change things up and do more here? Oh yeah, that was me…der. What the hell was I thinking!?!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Busy Bee Today

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:45:00 +0000

Even though today was busy and I am tired as hell, I must say that today was another great day. Actually is was better than great and I am feeling pretty darn proud of myself, if I do say so!!

My Coconut Palm Sugar finally came today and that makes me very happy. Now I can drink my iced tea and not feel guilty about it. And like I’ve said before, it is better for you and does still lets me have my sweetened tea and still lose weight.

After exercising and tanning this morning (yes, I fake bake….deal with it) and the scale showing another weight loss, those 11 boards from yesterday, gave me another workout. I had the pleasure of sanding them and of course putting another coat of polyurethane on them again.

Next was a little time to check things on the net and grab some lunch. Then outside I headed to mow the grass. That only took three hours. Yep, got a huge yard here, so my a$$ was on a riding mower, but at least I mowed it…ha.

By then, my hubby came home from work and seeing as the weather here has finally decided to cooperate and be nice, we headed out for a walk. And what do I decide to do? JOG!! We did our usual 1 ¼ mile walk, with jogging for about ½ mile of that. We’d walk a little, then jog a little. Had to walk at certain parts of the road, for no matter which way you go from my house, there is a hill and I am not ready to jog that yet…ha. The ½ mile of jogging may not seem like much to some, but for me it is HUGE!

Only complaint I got about jogging, is man does it hurt the “girls”, if you get my drift there….. haha. So, looks like the next trip to the store, I am buying a good supporter for them. I know I can jog and I am looking forward to doing it again.

I am determined to get over this hurtle and reach that 20 pound weight loss. I have been stuck for too long now between a 10 to 13 pound weight loss and it just is not cutting it. Besides, jogging actually felt really good while doing it. Granted, I am sure I will be very sore tomorrow, but hey that’s a day away yet and we shall see.

One last note, came up with a new recipe for tonight’s dinner and must say that even though it was a tad on the hot side for me, it wasn’t all that bad. Check it out under “My Kitchen”

These damn boards might get the best of me yet...ha

Today’s challenge….take your pick, the boards, the grass or the jog….I did them all and am feeling pretty proud of myself!! I sure did “make it count” today!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

A Good Day

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:08:00 +0000

Well today was a wonderful day, other than my thighs are still hurting like hell from doing the Jillian Michaelsworkout yesterday!! The scale said I lost weight…woo-hoo!!! It’s about damn time there was another loss! I got a lot of work done as well and found out through today’s challenge that even the simplest of things can make you work up a sweat and give you a boost in your confidence as well.

It amazes me the things that one can do when one has the right mind set while doing it. I know for me, I used to make every excuse as to why I could not do something. Let’s face it, I could always do anything that I wanted to (ok…well almost anything….ha), I just did not feel like it. Now, I am determined to prove to myself that I can do most of the things that I was always making those excuses for.

Deciding to make May the month “To Make It Count” has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of ways that I can get in extra exercise on most days to help me lose weight. It has also made me stop making those excuses and just do things that I knew all along that I could.

I enjoy trying to think of something new everyday to do for the day’s challenge. If this damn rain would stop, I might actually be able to get outside and do more things as well. I haven’t been able to go for a walk in some time now and it’s starting to not only bother me, but not helping my weight loss either.

So yeah, today was a good day. Even dinner was good….made my homemade Sloppy Joe's (check out the recipe under My Kitchen). And actually got to eat dinner with both my husband and son for a change.

Ok…enough of me rambling on here....

yep....I did those

May have been only 11 boards, but they gave me a good workout

Movin those boards...all by myself!!

Today’s challenge….polyurethane boards and move them by myself ( I usually made excuses as to why I couldn’t move them myself….not today). And let me tell you, I worked up a good sweat!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Tv and Exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Tue, 15 May 2012 23:51:00 +0000

Tv and exercise!!

Oh yeah “America's Got Talent” is back on. I got talent, at putting weight on, not losing weight like I am to be doing…haha. I want my damn Coconut Palm Sugar, NOW!!!

But seriously, there is nothing wrong with sitting down and enjoying some tv now and then. But you don’t have to be just a couch potato while doing so. You can get in some little exercises while watching things on tv like “America’s Got Talent”, when the commercials come on. Instead of going to the fridge or cupboard to get something to snack on, get some exercise in.

We all know that there are loads of commercials during any show and when shows like “America's Got Talent” are on, they seem to add extras in there somehow. Anyhow, try doing some form of exercise every time the commercials come on.

Things like: jumping jacks, jump rope, push ups, sit ups, arm curls….etc. You get the picture. There are hundreds of different things that you could to while watching tv to get in some extra exercise. 

See, there can be more to it when you decide to watch tv, then just being a couch potato. Hope this gets you motivated and moving. 

Now thanks to my DVR, I myself am going to go and enjoy watching “America's Got Talent” and yes, I too will be doing some form of exercise during those commercials. This way I can say that I have talent too!!!

After doing Jillian's DVD....damn I was tired!!!

Today’s Challenge…..Did a Jillian Michaels workout….damn that woman is hard on ya!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Keep Your Supplies Stocked

I am to be losing weight, not gaining it!! The scale has not been my friend for the past week or so. And it’s taken me till now to realize what the hell is going on.

As I said before, I love my sweet tea, but know that regular sugar is not all that good for me and that is why I started using the Coconut Palm Sugar. But, I’ve been out of it for a little over a week now. I forgot to order it before I ran out and now I am paying for it, while I patiently wait for it to be delivered.

I should of known better than to let that happen. I mean der….I make sure to keep my fresh fruits and veggies in stock here. I also make sure that there are other healthy snacks on hand here at home, just in case the fruit and veggies get tiresome. But for some reason, I failed to remember to order more of the sugar that is good for me and is helping me lose weight!!

Tip…make not only mental notes, but put an actual note where you will see it so that you will remember to order things like the Coconut Palm Sugar when you are getting low on it. That does not sound all that hard, so why is it hard for me to remember something that is so beneficial for me in losing weight?

It is important to keep your healthy food supply in stock at all times. That way it will help you from straying from your diet. If you have healthy food choices on hand, you will be less likely to choose those unhealthy foods.

It really is that simple. Keep healthy food in stock. Make healthy food choices. And you will lose weight. Oh and be sure to add some exercise in there somewhere!

well at least the bike and mower look good in the back ground!!

Saturday's Challenge....10 squats, while holding a 35 pound push bar off of a pick-up....that damn thing was heavy too....ugh!!

Today’s Challenge….leg lifts for a minute…those damn things hurt!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:52:00 +0000

Some Tips For Losing Weight

…Don’t start a diet if you are under a lot of stress.

…Don’t shop for groceries if you have not eaten yet, you’ll

 end up buying more unhealthy foods on impulse.

…Don’t skip meals. If you get too hungry, you’re more likely to 

 make unhealthy choices.

…Make sure you are eating enough though. Not having the proper 

 calorie intake can slow down your metabolism.

…Cut down on your food portions, not cut them out completely. 

 This way you can still have those foods you crave.

…Having a slipup is ok. Just make sure you choice healthier  

 foods for your next meal.

…Dieting alone isn’t enough. You also need to add some form of 

 exercise.

…A little exercise everyday is better than longer workouts a 

 couple times a week.

…For a healthier weight loss, you should not lose more than 1 to 

 2 ½ pounds per week.

…To lose the weight for good, know that you must change your 

 eating habits and let your old ones go.

Today’s challenge….To go to a “Family Fun Night“ and eat

healthy!!! I am glad to say that I did this.I stayed within my points for the day,even with all of the goodies that were there!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:28:00 +0000

Time To Change It Up 

That damn dreaded scale has told me for two days in a row now that I have gained weight. 

Eat right, exercise every day and GAIN!!

And why did it take my hubby to tell me that maybe it was time to change it up again. Who the hell knows!?! But he is right. I’ve been through this before and should of known that on my own (ok, I probably did, but just didn‘t want to admit it to myself). I reach a certain point in losing weight and then it comes to a stand still. 

Your body gets used to it when you do the same kind of exercises every day or even every other day. You need to change it up and keep your body guessing in order to help you lose weight. Let’s face it, you can not really lose weight without exercising. 

So that is the goal now, change it up more and add different forms of exercise to what I already do to help me get past this hurdle and move on to losing more weight. 

Guess this is where the treadmill and bowflex will come into play more. If you got them, you should use them….der….haha.

Also, not taking that evening walk all week, thanks to the rain, has not helped one bit either. Again, that is where the treadmill would of worked. Now why didn’t I think of that sooner? 

Now is the time to sit down and make out a plan of different forms of exercise that you can do to keep your body guessing and help you to keep losing weight.

Excuse the way I look

Wednesday’s challenge….was to clean the house without any breaks from start to finish. I did do it, and man let me tell you, you work up one hell of a good sweat when you just keep going. Another plus is that it doesn’t take all day to get it done either…ha

A bit blurry......but I did them!

Today’s challenge….jumping jacks for a minute….which turned into 2 minutes in order for hubby to get a decent pic of me doing them…talk about being SORE…but felt good afterwards!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:04:00 +0000

Makin’ A List

Keep on keeping motivated. Get your a$$ in gear. You can do it. These are some of the things that I keep telling myself (well the more polite things any how ..ha).

It can get tough every day, finding a new challenge to do here. This is only day seven and I’m running thin on ideas already. This damn rain does not help matters either.

Stuck in the house, can’t go outside….thought we got past the cabin fever issues!?!

On a good note…the scale, my friend, said I lost weight again today….woo-hoo for me!!

Hubby’s on vacation this week….lovely…not really….it’s turkey season, so it’s hunting in the morning and him working on house stuff the rest of the day. And where am I, in the office trying to catch up on about a million things. Would that count as a challenge, getting things done that you have been putting off???

Think of things that you know you can do but would not normally do. And there you go, you got a list of challenges that you could probably make do with for the rest of the month. Now, why the hell didn’t I think of that?

Guess that is my goal for tomorrow….make a list of things that I know I can do, but just don’t normally do and then duh….DO THEM!!!!

And while we are at it….get off of you’re a$$ and join me already!!!

Today’s challenge….Did a new yoga pose on the Wii Fit Plus, the Grounded V and wow, it‘s hard and hurts like hell…..I decided no pic of this one….camera was not set at a very good angle….was bad…bad I tell you!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:21:00 +0000

Weekend With Friends

No one ever said it was going to be easy losing weight, but holy cow, no one told me I would be challenged every day either!

After spending a weekend with friends, I now realize what an every day challenge it really is. Do not fret though, I said a challenge, not impossible.

I did get in my daily challenge that I set for myself all weekend and had a blast too.

Saturday was a little tricky while having a cookout with friends, but it was all good. Even though we had burgers, there was also grilled veggies, which was a plus and healthy for you to boot. Dessert, now that is another story. Strawberry shortcake, but on the bright side, under Weight Watchers, it was only 4 points. So, I can not really complain there.

Sunday, now that was a little more challenging for me. A long ride on our Harley with friends proved to myself that I can go out to eat and still make good food choices. While everyone else ordered fries and bacon cheese burgers (oh how my mouth watered at that one, even though I had a burger the night before), I ordered a good ole healthy sandwich, piled with veggies. And I must say that it was actually really good. And seeing the grease fall from everyone else’s burgers, made me realize that I made a wise choice there.

Now, I have to be honest and keep it real here. I am sad to say that upon stopping at Sheetz on our way home, I broke down and got that damn doughnut!! And man, let me tell you, IT WAS GOOD!!! I ate every damn bite of it and then felt like crap for doing so!! No, I don’t like depriving myself of sweets and that damn doughnut called my name, so what was I to do?

After getting on the scale this morning, I am done beating myself up over that doughnut. There was no weight loss, but no weight gain either. So all in all, yes I had a great weekend, finally had that damn doughnut and do not feel guilty in the least about it!!

See you can diet, lose weight and still have those sweets every now and then. As long as you don’t over do it on them, still do your regular exercise and eat healthy, you’ll do fine.

man those were hard

Saturday’s challenge…..push ups….only did ten, but man did my arms hurt for two days afterwards!!!

hubby & I

Sunday’s challenge….keeping my balance on the back of hubby’s bike…haha….ok seriously, ordering healthy food, while friends did not….and ok, doughnut temptation got the better of me.

ugh.....

Monday’s challenge….30 sit-up’s….and man are my abs still hurting!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:20:00 +0000

Doughnut Temptation 

Well the scale actually showed a loss this morning, so no one had to hear me scream…lol. It wasn’t a big loss, but any loss is good when trying to lose weight.

Today’s challenge proved a lot to me. It proved that I can and do have willpower when needed the most.

Hubby and I were at Wal-Mart, and of course I had not eaten lunch, so yes I was hungry. And what’s the first thing that catches my eye…DOUGHNUTS!!! Oh my how they looked good, damn good to be honest. And there’s me eyeing them for all I’m worth (I think there might have been some drool there too….haha). I even said to my husband about how good they looked and how much I wanted one. Yet, he said not a word and just looked at me. I think he was just waiting to see what I was going to do.

Now, I’m not going to try and tell you that I didn’t want one, for that would be a line of sh!t. I really think at that moment I would of tackled anyone just to have one. I could almost taste it already and that made the desire to have one even worse.

These are the moments when dieting that let’s you know who has the control, you or the food. I know in the past, the food would of won by far. I never used to stop and really think about what I was grabbing when on the go. If it looked good and it’s what I wanted, it’s what I got. Those are not good habits when you want to lose weight.

I am very proud to say that the doughnut did indeed stay on the shelf!!! It wasn’t easy at all, but when I stopped and really thought about it, I knew it wasn’t a good idea to get it, period. 

I feel pretty damn good as I write this knowing that I was able to fight that urge of wanting something that I know is not healthy for me. I know that I can still have doughnuts and such on those special occasions, just not as often as I use to. After all, it is that kind of eating that led me to be over-weight in the first place and will do me no good in trying to lose weight.

Today’s challenge…..fought doughnut temptation!!!

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:33:00 +0000

My Wonderful Supporter

Only the third day in May and I was wanting to slack on doing the challenge already. The humidity was high here today and made me miserable and lazy. Not good things to be when trying to lose weight, now is it? Yet, I did my morning routine and got my exercise done…note that the humidity was not up yet at that time.

On with the rest of my day. By the time my hubby came home it was so stinking hot out. I tried to talk him into letting me take a lazy day and fib on the challenge. Yes, I am admitting that I did ask him that. But what kind of weight loss supporter would he be if he actually said yes? You would think him being my husband, he would of said yes, but nope not my husband. He actually told me no….can you believe that one….ha

So we went for our normal walk and then some. We walked to the spring to get a drink and then up through a four-wheeler path, which added about another quarter of a mile to our normal one mile walk. And let me tell you, those damn paths are not easy to walk on either. Talk about having to keep your balance and walking through some rough spots. But it was all good and by the time we got back home, I was actually feeling pretty good. Sweaty, but good. So you see, having someone there to really support you when you are trying to lose weight, really does pay off.

Hubby getting a drink at the spring

My turn

heading down the four-wheeler path

and yet another hill

Now let me tell you, that was not the end of my challenge for today. After we got back, my hubby asked me if I could help him cut some boards. We are redoing our foyer and everything is being done here by hand, by us. Now I am thinking okay, a few boards and we’ll be done….ha….he kicked my butt! Guess that was a lesson to learn for asking him to take a lazy day. Oh hell NO!! I will not make that mistake again.

Cleaning up the mess

Yup....had to push the wheel barrel, and up a slight hill too...ha

Dumping the mess

And he got the easy part of burning it....nice...

All I know now is that I am one very tired chick here and if that damn scale does not show a minus tomorrow, everyone will be able to hear me scream!!!

Today’s challenge…..added a quarter mile to my walk and got my butt kicked helping hubby….lol

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Wed, 02 May 2012 22:14:00 +0000

Mother Nature $uck$

Well guess I was all too happy yesterday about the nice weather and Mother Nature just had to come crashing down on me this morning. I’m not talking about Mother Nature’s work outside, I’m talking about that ever so loving Mother Nature that hits most of us women once a month. Yes, I am going there (so men, you may want to skip this part…haha).

One time a month I truly hate being a woman! Bloat, cramp, heating pad, repeat. Why I’ve never gotten use to this monthly occurrence, is beyond me (* insert sarcasm here*)! It plays havoc with you and let me tell you that good old scale does me no favors either this time of the month. Ugh….really another weight gain! How does one gain 2 pounds of extra weight over night then magically lose them again. Makes no sense to me.

So yes, I do really think that being a woman sucks once a month and that Mother Nature needs to find another form of entertainment and kindly leave me alone!!

MEN…..you can pick up here again…haha

Okay, I’m done venting about that now.

So yesterday I said that I was making May the month “To Make It Count”. I’ve decided that every day this month I am going to challenge myself with something different. Whether it be something big or small, it has to challenge me and be something that I don’t usually do in my normal routine.

My weight loss has come to yet another stand still and I can not handle that any longer. Yeah, yeah, I know, if I would not of spent a good part of last month not exercising and not eating right, I would most likely be over this hurdle and would of lost more weight.

I actually did two challenges today. One was getting in my exercise this morning. When Mother Nature does her calling, I usually am not up for anything. But this morning, I remembered what I said about making it count and got my a$$ in gear and did it. Then for my walk early, I walked backwards for about 100 yards. Oh my, let me tell you that made my legs burn in places I did not think they could burn. Also made me work up a good sweat and we all knowing that will help with the weight loss.

So hubby has agreed to help me every day this month with a different challenge. Bring it on baby, I can handle it. If I repeat that enough, I just might believe it….haha. Actually I am a little scared cos my husband goes at full speed and never stops!! Then again, if you look at his picture, you’ll see there isn’t much to him. So it’s a bit easier for him to go like that. But I am up for the challenge. I know that he will push me just enough, but not to where it’ll hurt me. I will lose this weight one way or another.

So, are you up for this challenge too? Would love to hear what you do to challenge yourself everyday!!

Please do not mind the outfit....haha

Today’s challenge…..walked 100 yards backwards.

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

noreply@blogger.com (Vic D) — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:13:00 +0000

Finally A Walk

Starting out for our walk

What a beautiful day it turned out to be for the first day of May. I actually got to go for a walk this afternoon and I don’t think that the “cabin fever” will come to full surface now. Which is a relief cos I was not getting anywhere near excited only bummy with the crappy weather. So it is time to kick it into high gear and make the most out of May.

Me and Jem, the cat that should of been a dog

I’ve decided that I’ve spent enough of this year already not staying on track completely with the whole weight loss. And have declared May to be the month of “making it count”. There will be no days to be lazy (except for Sunday’s which is just a walking day). I will exercise one way or another every day. No more of “I don’t feel like it”, “It won’t hurt if I miss one day”, or “I can eat that and be okay”. NO, NO, NO MORE OF THAT!!!

Just a little steep

Long a$$ hill

I mean come on who am I kidding but myself thinking that I can skip a day here and there (or more) and still lose weight. Dah, didn’t I already go over the fact that there is not a miracle pill out there to make all of this extra weight disappear? So how is taking a day or two off from getting the exercise that is needed helping me achieve my weight loss goal? It’s not and deep down I know that, which is probably why I usually end up feeling like sh!t when I do things like that.

Going down the other side

As you can see I had two followers today

I’m sure I am not alone in having days like that, but they do not do me or anyone else any good who is trying to lose weight. This is where I am so thankful for my hubby. He gives me that little push when I need it and just like today, all I had to do was ask if he’d go for a walk with me. Like that is really the first thing he

wants to do when he gets home from work, but he does it for me.

Willow (on my right) has never went with me before today

Heading back home

So yes, I am so glad that I finally got to get back out there and go for another walk. I never thought the day would come that I would hear myself saying “I actually like to walk”. Isn’t it funny how we change as we get older? But I really do enjoy going for that walk each night with my husband. It not only gives us some quality time together, but I get to do a form of exercising and have fun doing it. And never once think that I am only walking to help me lose weight.

Guess they needed a break

My hubby picked me flowers....so sweet

Till next time…..remember to eat healthy, get some exercise, and most of all, love yourself!!! Now go make it count!!

Hubby & I