PEELE-ing Away The Pounds and Stopping The INSANITY

[MuscleMom23]

Now that is my kind of camping Tracey LOL!

[dillytl]

Since DH and I are leaving this eve to go camping for the weekend, we did pics and measurements this morning!












I am just THRILLED about my progress this month!!!!

So what did I do different this month than last?

One word - DIET...DIET.....DIET

No more out-of-control "treat" days (they are now tracked) and no more food scale denial! I have become a food nazi!!! I measure EVERYTHING, and if I put something into my plan, and then end up with a slightly different meaurement, I update my program! No longer do I say "oh, well it's just a few extra grams, I don't need to update my program!" There are also NO more instances of a "tiny handful of this" or a "bite of that" that I don't track - basically if I eat it, I track it - EVERY BIT OF IT!!!

Is this fun? Hell no - but if I have to do this for the short term to meet my goal, then SO BE IT! I know this is not a forever thing, and I can live with it for now.

I have also increased my "general" activity every day. I try to get in a walk every single day (and I'm talking a stroll here - at most 2mph on the treadmill!) and I purposely take extra trips up and down the stairs. For example, instead of piling ALL of the laundry into the basket for the trip from the basement laundry room to the bedrooms (2 flights) - I'll take each load individually! EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS and it really does make a difference!!!

I'm in the 160's for the first time in about 3 years, and not only in the 160's but AT THE LOW END!!! I see the 150's in my very near future, cuz I have no plans of giving up! My goal is in SIGHT!!!!!

[sveta]

Tracey, HUGE progress, congrats!!!

[UConnJulie]

Tracey, you are ROCKING!!! That is just great ...

I measure EVERYTHING, and if I put something into my plan, and then end up with a slightly different meaurement, I update my program! No longer do I say "oh, well it's just a few extra grams, I don't need to update my program!" There are also NO more instances of a "tiny handful of this" or a "bite of that" that I don't track - basically if I eat it, I track it - EVERY BIT OF IT!!!

Is this fun? Hell no - but if I have to do this for the short term to meet my goal, then SO BE IT! I know this is not a forever thing, and I can live with it for now.

This is me too ... I print out my planned food log, then if I eat more or less of something, I write the changed grams on my printout. At the end of the day (or before) I go back into NutribaseEZ and change it, and subsequently adjust the rest of the day if needed. It does suck, but as long as I know it is only for a short time (ie less than a year) then I can handle doing it, especially if it means I NEVER have to do it again!!

Way to go!!

P.S. How many sizes have you dropped?

[dillytl]

P.S. How many sizes have you dropped?

Well....I'm not 100% sure. When I started with Leigh, I was in a VERY TIGHT size 14 jeans - I was just able to easily slip into a pair of used-to-be-too-tight size 12's - so I would guess at least 2 sizes!!!!

[Littlemermaidklb]

AMAZING progress Tracey, way to go!!

[MuscleMom23]

Well tracey if you squeezed you were probably a 16 which would be 4 sizes!

Okay on planning, I have to do this, do you guys have a bunch of favorite meals? How did you get yourself going on this. And what do you do about family meals? family meals crunch me.

[Fitwit]

Tracey, I am so proud of you and so happy FOR you! Way to go, girl! Hope your camping trip is fun! Can't wait to go myself!

[UConnJulie]

Originally Posted by MuscleMom23

Well tracey if you squeezed you were probably a 16 which would be 4 sizes!

Okay on planning, I have to do this, do you guys have a bunch of favorite meals? How did you get yourself going on this. And what do you do about family meals? family meals crunch me.

OK, this is what works for me. I do all the grocery shopping and cooking in our family. I love to cook, and I don't have a prep day as I have plenty of time during the week to cook freshly.

I plan my menu the night before. I figure out what I have and what I am in the mood to eat and I adjust amounts to reach the targeted calories and macros. I use NutribaseEZ, but have also use DietPower in the past. I just don't like Fitday. But whatever ... use something. I weigh everything. Literally. So I put my plate on the scale and hit tare. I load my meat, and hit tare, etc. If I miss my target at all (like I don't want to cut one inch off a piece of asparagus) then I adjust my intake in Nutribase.

For breakfast, it is for each his own. Hubby takes care of himself before he leaves for work (while the girls are still sleeping). They usually have oatmeal or other cereal. Easy and quick for me to make for them in the morning. Then I only have to make my own, which is usually an omelette of some variety or cottage cheese and fruit.

Snacks and lunch are pretty much the same deal, every person for him/herself. I'll make sandwiches for the girls and then mine will be something completely different.

Dinner, we try to eat as a family most nights (ie all sit at the table, say Grace, the whole 9 yards). What I do is make a meat that everyone will eat ... let's say chicken. So I'll grill a bunch of chicken breast, which we all eat. Then I'll make a carb ... like rice or quinoa or beans or potatoes or something. Depending upon what it is and who will eat it, I might make an additional starchy side like a from-the-box (but whole grain and organic) pasta side dish. For example, even my hubby won't eat quinoa, but sometimes I crave it. And my 3- and 4-year old daughters, no way. So I make my quinoa and then pasta for them. Or with potatoes, I try to eat only sweet potatoes, but hubby and my youngest hate them. So I make both sweet and regular potatoes when I make them. And for our veggie, I am lucky in that my girls like most of the things I make ... green beans, asparagus, broccoli, etc. All good. If I make something like swiss chard which they won't eat, then I cut up cucumbers and tomatoes for them and hubby and I eat the swiss chard.

Honestly, it sounds much harder than it is. I'll give you tonight's example. I made ground turkey breast ... seasoned Mexican style. Based upon my macros for the day, I had mine on top of a giant salad made with romaine, cukes, tomatoes, and salsa. My little one likes tacos, so I put her meat into a toasted taco shell with some cheese. My older one like quesadillas. So cheese in a flour tortilla in the microwave. And hubby likes burritos. So, flour tortilla with meat and cheese in the microwave. I cut up extra tomatoes and cukes for the girls too.

Tomorrow might be grilled chicken breast, steamed green beans, and wild rice, with a pasta side for my girls who don't like rice.

We have one major rule in our house. You have to try EVERYTHING that I made at least one bite. You don't have to like it, but you have to have at least one "no thank you" bite. Even if you have tried something before and didn't like it. I think this is why my girls eat so many veggies. They know that they have to try it and after a few times of trying it, they actually end up liking most things.

Now if I am making something I either don't want to fight them about or something special for hubby and I, then we feed the girls something quick and kid-friendly and we eat after they are in bed.

I decided early on that if I had to eat healthy, then everyone else does too. I am not making tater tots and chicken nuggets for the girls when I wouldn't eat them myself. Some of my friends think I am gyping my children out of a "normal" childhood by depriving them of Spaghetti-Os, but I think they are getting a bigger gift of a healthy palate and a love of fresh, healthy food. JMO.

Hope that helps!

[foodfromafar]

Great progress, Tracey!

[LWilson212]

Tracey you look fantastic! Your butt is so much smaller and same for your middle. Great job!

[L'ilJ]

Wow Tracey...awesome progress! Diet sure is key.

[gregl515]

Damn, that camper is nicer than most partments I have lived in!
Of course, when I was starting my criminal practice and scraping for money, I realized at least one of the jails I saw clients in was nicer than my apartment!

You have every right to be proud of your progress. You look great! The weighing your food thing was a downfall for me when my wife and I went on Weight Watchers. She weighed everything and had great success. I eyeballed things and did not do so well.

[stephanie932]

Originally Posted by dillytl

I am just THRILLED about my progress this month!!!!

So what did I do different this month than last?

One word - DIET...DIET.....DIET

No more out-of-control "treat" days (they are now tracked) and no more food scale denial! I have become a food nazi!!! I measure EVERYTHING, and if I put something into my plan, and then end up with a slightly different meaurement, I update my program! No longer do I say "oh, well it's just a few extra grams, I don't need to update my program!" There are also NO more instances of a "tiny handful of this" or a "bite of that" that I don't track - basically if I eat it, I track it - EVERY BIT OF IT!!!

Is this fun? Hell no - but if I have to do this for the short term to meet my goal, then SO BE IT! I know this is not a forever thing, and I can live with it for now.

I have also increased my "general" activity every day. I try to get in a walk every single day (and I'm talking a stroll here - at most 2mph on the treadmill!) and I purposely take extra trips up and down the stairs. For example, instead of piling ALL of the laundry into the basket for the trip from the basement laundry room to the bedrooms (2 flights) - I'll take each load individually! EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS and it really does make a difference!!!

I'm in the 160's for the first time in about 3 years, and not only in the 160's but AT THE LOW END!!! I see the 150's in my very near future, cuz I have no plans of giving up! My goal is in SIGHT!!!!!

Tracey..........I'm sooooooooo proud of you! I know that that may sound corny, but I am. I remember you being so upset over last month's results and with a change in measuring and paying attention to those "cheat days" you have really come back around. You are so upbeat and positive and really teaching us all lessons that we need to learn. I think I'm smiling from ear to ear just looking at your results. You should be so proud of yourself.

I hope you had good weather for your trip. Can't wait to hear how the new camper was.

[nutbar]

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful progress, Tracey!!