I’m back up to 245 this week and I am OK with it. I expected a gain with the TOM starting soon and the weird almost sick but not feeling I have had as of late.

I do notice myself slipping back into old habits so I am starting fresh. I brought an apple and a string cheese to snack on at break instead of the hot pocket i had been bringing.

I’ve also been eating a lot of fast food for breakfast because I am waking up late. I feel tired and drained and it’s directly linked to what I’m putting into the body so I am going to be eating oatmeal even if it’s hot in the house (we’re warming up here in Cali, not so much hot cereal weather at all.)

I am going to the gym BEFORE work since I don’t have time after with school. I am not waiting until I find an appropriate gym bag like I tried to tell myself today. That’s an EXCUSE and I really don’t like excuses.

I just wanted to give a lil update. I am still reading all of your blogs. I may not comment as much lately (it’s FINALS TIME!) but I am still reading. THank you for all of the wonderful comments you’ve been leaving me. They mean so much!

As you all know I have been struggling with my commitment to weight loss for the last few weeks. It’s been a hard road and I know it’s not going to be easy. But I’ve learned a few things along the way that might help you out as they’ve helped me.

I have heard so many times how hard it is to go out to eat with family or friends. The menu choices start to overwhelm you and you opt for your old standby, whatever that may be. Mine is some sort of fried food accompanied by another fried food and a MAYBE a soup or salad. This also usually includes at least 2 thick & creamy or just strong alcoholic beverages. It doesn’t have to be this hard though.

First things first!

• Whatever you order, ask the waiter to bring you half and have them put the other half in a box for you!

If you do this you will have leftovers for tomorrow and you won’t be consuming all of those crazy calories.

The next thing is something I have been doing that really helps me out.

• Order a side salad as your appetizer!

What? No fried cheese? Nah! It’s not going to fill you up and if it DOES then you’re filled with almost a THOUSAND calories. That’s not the way to start a meal. If you order a side salad with your dressing on the side (to save calories I opt for no crutons or cheese) then you will be eating while everyone else is eating their appetizers and it will fill you up a bit before dinner. I’ve found this keeps down on the awkwardness of friends going “Hey do you want some of this [insert fried craziness here]?” and having to say “Uh no thanks I’m trying to be healthy.

Here’s a good rule of thumb whenever you eat out.

• Opt for something grilled with a side of veggies!

It doesn’t have to be a boring old grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli either. If you are at a Mexican food place get the fajitas. Ask if they grill or fry their fixin’s though! Fajitas are great when grilled. A bonus for that is it’s usually way more veggies than meat. If at all possible ask for a corn tortilla instead of flour but if not then enjoy it instead of the fried stuffy ou’d normally order.

Now we get down to the fun stuff, the drinks!

• Order wine, not the fluffy foo foo drinks!

Wine is good for you in moderation anyway so have some. It is also so many less calories per ounce than a mixed drink or blended drink. Those usually come with all kinds of sugary sweet and calorie filled mixers. Add that to the actual alcohol in them and you’ve got a whole meals worth of calories in a drink. So while your friends are filling up on drinks, and can only finish one, you can have another glass of wine and be OK!

So now we come to the end of the meal. It’s dessert time. What can we do? Well if you feel like you REALLY want dessert (make sure you think this through all the way!) you can always do what I do again and…

• Order one but share it with a few!

That’s right! Split that piece of cake, pie or ice cream between three or four people. You’ll get a couple bites to satisfy any sweet craving and won’t feel deprived.

At the end of your meal if you have any leftover food go ahead and stick it in the box with the half you saved at the start. Promptly put it in a bag and tie it up. Now you won’t pick at it while you’re conversing with your people!

There are so many other ways you can save calories while eating out. These are just what i have tried.

Question of the day!

What do you do to stay healthy while eating out with friends and family?

I didn’t weigh today but I am still noticing that I’m feeling healthier. I notice my clothes fitting looser and my stomach not being able to handle large quantities of food anymore. This is good.

After the events and upsets of the past couple weeks I decided to take all of your advice. I am just getting back to it. Yes I screwed up! It is done and over with. I am no longer sick and am ready to get back to the gym.

I haven’t been tracking my food regularly and i need to get back on that. So, my question for the day is how do you track things you’re unsure of? An example is this weekend I stayed with some of my friends who are Vegan. They made me dinner or we went out to eat. How the heck do you count a Vegan philly sandwich? It had dairy free cheese, meatless (but very meatlike) beef stuff then the bread peppers and onions. I know I shouldn’t count it like a real philly because the meat substitutes have less calories in them and aren’t as greasy as the meat used to make a meat filled philly.

What are your thoughts?

Right now I am trying to figure out how being sick affected my efforts to lose weight. Before i got sick I was really excited about getting healthy. I was going to the gym, eating healthy portions (not always healthy food but my portion size was healthy,) and doing things that would put me in a place where it would be easy to lose the weight.

I was even losing!

Forward to now where I haven’t been doing so hot. Not tracking my food, eating large portions and haven’t been to the gym yesterday OR today.

What clicked off in my head when I was sick to make me go back to what I was doing before I started this? I am truly at a loss. At first I thought it was that i wanted to eat and get my strength back after not eating hardly anything while sick. Well, that’s over now so now why? I went camping. OK that’s done too now what? I spent most of my money on this camping trip and can’t afford healthy food. YEah but i could find SOMETHING.

I just don’t know how to get motivated again.

So I’m asking for all of your healthy wisdom right now. How the heck do you get back on after something like what I’ve been through? How do you manage when you realize you’ve gained all of your weight back? How do you just get back to it and not dwell on the fact that you were 10 pounds lighter a week ago?

Back up to 246

I have no words right now. I know I was sick but before that I was at 242. I got better, went camping and now I’m back to where I started.

I was in tears this morning when I got on the scale. I got off and got back on 3 times to make sure that was right. How is this POSSIBLE? I knew I’d gain some weight back after being sick. I know I didn’t go to the gym while I was sick but I did hike and run around at the campsite.

This weekend was pretty healthy actually as i ate mostly Vegetarian/Vegan foods while camping. When I did eat at a restaurant on the road it was grilled chicken fajita or something and I didn’t even use all of the sour cream etc.

I don’t want to give up but this is more discouragement than I have ever felt. I feel like I totally did everything for nothing. I don’t normally get this emotional over a gain. I get a bit ticked, then I get over it and move on. This one though, no this is serious.

So I’m hitting the gym tomorrow. I can use the bike even though I have an effed up ankle. I think the eliptical will be put to use as well since I won’t put too much strain on the ankle. I fell right before leaving for camping and twisted my ankle pretty good. Doesn’t hurt much anymore but is still swollen.

I can’t think of a question for the day. I’m off to do homework and make some jewelry.

well this is a quick phone post but I wantred to let you know the results are in!
I will be doing 110 minutes of cardio tomorrow for the challenge!
Holy crap all! This will certainly be a challenge!
More later!

So last month Mary asked the blog community for help getting back to the gym. She pledged to do 30 seconds of cardio for each comment that was left in response to this post. At first, just a few people were going to do it but it turned into a huge challenge!

It was decided that this should be a monthly event and this month is going to be the 2nd month of it.

This month the challenge is over at Steve’s blog! The same rules are going to apply. For ever comment left on this post, he will do 30 seconds of cardio exercise. I am joining in this month as well as several other rockin’ bloggers!

I’m nervous as all hell right now though because it’s barely going to bee noon Eastern time and the commenting will go on until 4pm Eastern Standard Time! That’s not the scary part though! He’s already at 122 comments at last check! Last month we got up to 90 minutes and these crazy people (me included) are thinking it COULD get up to the 2 hour mark this time. (Why does 2 hours sound so much longer than 120 minutes in my head?)

So go on over there and add some time to our workout. I will be biking this challenge at the gym and will be doing it tomorrow.

Today I started to feel a bit better. Stomach trouble has kept me from eating a whole lot though. Im hoping that this is the tail end of this cold and stomach junk though. I actually miss the gym.

Yes you all heard it here today. I said it. I MISS THE MF’N GYM!!! This would have never passed my lips a month ago. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t know if you all inspired me out there in the blog world or if I just really love it. It’s a tough call.

I am hoping to have a normal posting schedule after I’m feeling better. More recipes and reviews. I still have a couple book reviews to do (of my own reviewing. Nobody gave me anything to review as of yet just to get the legalities out of the way.)

But i want to hear from you?

What do you love about your new healthy lifestyle that you would have never thought you’d love before?

Another note i need to make before I go. I am TRYING to reply to comments. I do apologize for the untimely replies. I have been hit pretty hard by some spamtards and have had to weed through my comments. I am hoping I didn’t delete any legit ones. If I did and you notice your comment hasn’t been posted please send me a message and I’ll fix it.

Yes I am still sick therefore, no video yet again. I will not subject you to nasely voice and weird looking face because I’m sick haha.

I was going back and forth as to weather to count this weigh day or not though. I’ve been sick for a week and not eating right throughout. I’ve been averaging 1 to 2 meals a day if that some days due to stomach issues and generally feeling crappy.

But it’s weigh day and I need to count it regardless. Maybe it’ll keep me motivated when I feel better. It’s been a week since I’ve hit the gym so something has to help me along right?

I’m down to 238! Do you know what that means? I’gve hit my first mini goal! I’m going to give myself a week to make sure that this isn’t just weight lost from being sick then I am going to head out and get my pedicure! I won’t lie, I’m also giving myself the week because this weekend I am going camping. This means that if i get my pedi I will surely eff it up over the weekend!

I never thought I would get out of the 240′s! I never thought I’d be 18 pounds away from where I was when I left my ex for good back in 98! I’m 18 pounds away from the weight I was at age 20! I am in shock and super excited.

Now it’s time to be a little bit more honest than I would like…

I ate a damn ButterFinger today. A whole candy bar and I ate it! I told my mom to bring me one, she did and i ate it! I know it’s not the end of the world but I also know that this particular candy is my weakness. It is the thing that starts binges. Since I’ve been sick and am finally getting well I can eat again. I now have to worry that I’m going to go crazy. I have work tomorrow though so it’ll be an early bed night and who has time to binge when you’re on the phone all day anyway right?

By this time next week I plan to be back at the gym, tracking calories correctly and well on my way to goal # 2!

I’m sitting at my desk finishing off a cup of Throat Care tea while I write this quick update. Yes, I’m still alive and will be replying to comments most likely Sunday.  I have been dealing with  THE COLD OF DOOM this week since Tuesday. This has derailed any gym plans, tracking meals etc. I haven’t eaten more than a can of soup in 2 days it’s been so bad. Tonight was the first full meal I ate and it was a HUGE grilled chicken sandwich and french fries. No, this wasn’t the best choice and I know it but at the time I was SO HUNGRY I couldn’t stop myself.

I have been off work, not blogging and trying to get healthy so I can attend a friend’s costume birthday party tomorrow. If I do go i will not be in my skimpy Goddess costume like I had planned.

I am worried about weigh day on Monday because I don’t even know if i should count it this time around. I mean if i did lose weight it was from being sick. That could result in what would look like a huge gain the next week if I record it. What are your thoughts?

I want to thank you all for your support and kind words via Twitter and my blog. You all are helping me through this more than you could imagine. This community is so supportive it makes me want to keep going even when I’m all emo and dealing with the COLD OF DOOM.

I’ll be back on Monday with more recipes and more randomness. Hopefully I’ll be back at the gym too! I have a challenge to meet after all!