I can't find my scale.

Seriously.
I woke up this morning and it's gone.
Richard has hidden my scale!

I didn't realize how addicted I was to that stupid thing til now :oP

In other Sniper News...
I ran outside for the first time today. Thought I was going to die BUT I made it. I should preface that by saying walk/run, not a full run (YET.)

I've had to take on the mindset of...
"Don't think about it, just do it!"

That's the only way I run anywhere. I'm praying for the time to come quickly when I enjoy this!

Week 19 - Weigh In

This picture says it all.
Week 19 Weigh In: +1.2
(yes, that's a PLUS.)
my scale is going up in the attic at least for 1 week, maybe 2

Visualizing It.

I'm so nervous about tomorrow's weigh in. I haven't hated the scale this much since January 11th 2011. Ha!

Tonight I kicked it in high gear after work.
I did some 5k training on the treadmill, doing 30 minutes of my walk/run split. Then I headed over to Spin out for over an hour on the bike. I spun for an hour and 6 minutes, new record for me. It's funny how I despise the first 15 minutes of Spin Class, but then I enjoy the last 30 because it becomes a competition for me to see how hard I can finish.

In Spin, I kept visualizing 199.
It made me push a little harder, and crank that little red devil knob another turn to the right.

199. 199. 199. 199. 199.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.

It's hard when you've been consistently seeing the # on the scale go down each and every week for 4 1/2 months, then it stops. It even stops when you shove your workouts into overdrive 6 days a weeks. I guess this is God's way of telling me to stop obsessing about the number on the scale. So hard not to do.

Either way, I WILL get to ONEDERLAND.
Maybe tomorrow. It may be next week. It may be next month.
I WILL get to ONDERLAND.
199. 199. 199. 199. 199.

I don't trust myself.

Rich bought a box of pastries.
There was one luscious looking fruity triangle left in that see-thru box.
I made him put it in his car, and take it with him to work.
I DON'T TRUST MYSELF alone!

Even knowing that I could possibly dump after eating something like that~ it's SO FRUSTRATING that my mind still wants it.
_________________________________

Rich went to his nutrition class today, and somehow ended up telling Amber (our Nutritionist) that my weight at plateaued and I was frustrated that I was exercising everyday with no change. Her response was reassuring, pretty much saying that it was normal and one day I'll wake up and have lost 10 pounds. I'm READY for that day ;o)

My Favorite Protein Shake

For anyone trying to gag down low sugar, low carb protein shakes... I wanted to share my favorite again. Especially since I had such a hard time finding a shake that I could tolerate after surgery (your tastes change so much!)

Max Protein. It may cost a bit more, but I'm serious when I say~ the higher price is SO worth it!

THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHAKE:
Banana Bread Protein Smoothie.

It was created by Michelle over at The World According to Eggface.

Week 18 Weigh In

UGH! Week 18 has just about kicked my tail!
I have been VERY diligent this week exercising in hopes that I would reach that 70 lb goal, but it slipped through my fingers this week. SO irritating!
I lost 1 pound this week, bringing my total to -69.2 lbs.

I have to keep things in perspective though.

• In the last 18 weeks, I have averaged a weight loss of over 3.8 lbs a week.
  
• I have not been at this weight in over 11 years.
• I could put my feet together this week.
• I bought a pair of jeans in the regular MISSES section last Saturday.
• I see glimpses of collar bones!
• I started training for my 5k Run this week.
• I completed a grueling 60 minute Spin Class with Boot Camp Instructor, Jane on Thursday.

I'm off to Spin Class :o) I just know wk #19 is going to be fabulous!

All TOGETHER Now!

I can put my feet together!
Wanna see?!?!
These tootsies haven't been this close in 68 pounds ;o)

Baked Spaghetti... sort of ;o)

I just made the most delicious Baked Spaghetti.
... with NO PASTA!
Instead I broke the mold and used spaghetti squash.

It was my first attempt using spaghetti squash and honestly, I wasn't too hopeful that spaghetti squash would be a good substitute for pasta... but it is!

HOW TO COOK a SPAGHETTI SQUASH:
Pick out a hard, pale one.
Cut in 1/2 length-wise.
In a roasting pan (I used a cookie sheet), add 1 cup water.
Place squash face down in the pan.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
Let cool enough to be able to handle.
Take a fork & shread the insides of the squash. It will pull away from the sides in shreds like thin spaghetti.
Now you can use it like pasta!



For my Baked Spaghetti, I made my favorite meat sauce (ground beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, basil, diced tomatoes, & tomato sauce). I tossed the sauce with the shredded spaghetti squash, and I basically made it like lasagna.

I layered the squash/sauce mixture with Ricotta mixture (Ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, 1 egg, salt, pepper) and mozzarella cheese.

OH YUM. I will definitely be using this low-carb substitute in many more dishes!

4 Month Surgiversary Present

Happy 4 months!
Today I was about a pound short of my 70 pound goal :o)

BUT I got an awesome gift in the mail... my lab results from my 3 month check up!

My cholesterol is NORMAL!!! (172)
I haven't seen anything below 200 since high school.

AND my triglycerides are a NORMAL 97! Down from a-heart-attack-waiting-to-happen 317.

I'm pretty stoked at gaining a healthier me!
I have got to up my exercise to get my HDL up a bit but overall, I'm very happy with my progress!

Happy Healthy Lipids to you all!

Wk 17 Weigh In

Slowly but surely, I'm creeping up on my milestone.
I lost -3.2 this week 17 post op. (-68.2 pounds total!)
I want that -2.8 pounds so bad though~ah!

My exercise has been halted since last Thursday when I dropped a casserole dish lid on my big toe. I can't remember anything in recent memory that hurt that bad. I still can't wear closed toed shoes yet. And because a picture is worth a thousand words (don't look if you get queasy tummy)... here's my battle wound--

Week 16 Post Op/Weigh In Update (& Pics)

Oops! I missed wk 16... time got away from me!

Last week I lost 2 1/2 pounds to bring my total as of May 4th to -65 lbs gone! Woot! We took some pictures yesterday for Mother's Day... here's a little before and after shot. (Yesterday I was down another -2 lbs -- and since every pound counts, I updated it at -67 lbs) :o)


** I am 3 pounds away from a major milestone. When I get there... I'll be posting my actual weight ;o)