Showing posts with label Natalie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natalie. Show all posts

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Mickey Mouse or Thomas the Train???

Odd Title Huh?  Maybe a picture will help…

Disney Toddler Plate by The First Years/Learning Curve*photo credit: Amazon.com

I have downgraded myself to my son’s toddler plates.  We have a handful that look like this, and a few that are just plain color squares, but the point is that they are much smaller than my dinner plates.  So I can fill them up, eat until I’m full, and still feel like I had a plate full of food.  They are also smaller and easier to wash.  Oh, AND my son gets a kick out of me eating on plates like his as well. 

I have actually been thinking of going by Target or maybe even Goodwill to find some pretty plates just for me in the smaller sizes.  I read somewhere if you drank water out of a fancier glass you enjoyed it more.  Well, if I get me my own small PRETTY plates, I’ll enjoy eating on them even more – maybe??? We will see.

But honestly, I kinda like the Mickey Mouse plates.  Shhh.  Don’t tell.  It can be our secret.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Victory Moments

Something the three of us are constantly sharing with each other are Victory Moments (VMs).  These can be big or small moments where we felt victorious over food, our attachment to food, emotional eating, or feelings related to ourselves in general. 

So I think the very first VM I should share today is a HUGE VM for me.

As of this morning, I have lost 10.2 lbs since last Sunday night.  That is correct.  10.2 lbs.  And I haven’t been struggling like I normally do with diets.  I haven’t been starving myself and I haven’t been avoiding the foods that I love and crave.  In fact, I think what has made this work so well (besides the only eating when hungry part) is that I know I can have those foods so I don’t want them all the time non-stop.  It is preventing me from binging.

And just for some examples, I want to share my super crazy week with you.  Monday – Thursday I didn’t get home from work and after work activities until around 7pm.  Which meant none of my meals or lunches were home made and all that super nutritious. 

These are just a few examples:

Tuesday:  We had a pizza party for my son’s soccer team.  Pizza, cupcakes, cookies and sodas were served.  I only had a few sips of Coke, didn’t eat anything, and had a lean cuisine at home for dinner.

Wednesday:  Lunch – ate loaded nachos.  Said no thanks to the nacho cheese, but yes to the sour cream b/c I love it so!  Ate until I was full, and left about half of the nachos on my plate.  Previously I would have eaten every single bite.

Dinner – another party at Burger King.  I ordered a JR Whopper, and no fries or soda.  That was ALL that I ate.  It was enough to satisfy me and I was full as well.  Oh, I think I might have stolen about 3 fries from my son, but I didn’t eat a whole serving.

Thursday:  Lunch – ordered happy meal at McD’s.  Only ate ½ the bun on cheese burger and threw away half the fries.  Drank ½ the kids size coke.

Friday:  Every Friday I eat with my Grandma at her independent living retirement community here in town.  They actually have VERY good cooks and serve 4 course meals everyday for lunch (lunch is the big meal of the day for them).  Fried fish is typically on the menu – and it was this week as well.  I ate the fried fish, onion rings, a few bites of pie, and about 1/2 a salad.  I said no to a full salad, no thanks to the soup, drank water instead of sweet tea, didn’t eat the peas or the roll – and only had a few bites of the pie while asking for a to go box so I could send the rest back with my grandma for her to eat later.

So if you are still reading – the reason I’m putting all this down is so I can prove to myself later (if needed) that even when I’m super busy and don’t have time to cook good meals, that I CAN still lose weight and cut back.  Now, if this is the way you already currently eat, you would probably have to cut back even more to lose weight – say with a JR Grilled chicken sandwich at BK or a side salad w/a few chicken nuggets or something.  But this is what is working for ME right now. 

I would also like to add that I don’t plan to eat this way all the time, because I know this isn’t all that healthy.  Today I plan to meal plan for my family for this week, and those will be healthier home cooked meals for next week, but I did want to share what worked for me this week during my super busy time. 

Finally, and really this should be first, because it definitely is NOT last, but my prayer life and prayer walk has been very focused around God helping me through this journey during this past week.  Because I know I can NOT do it myself.  Can NOT.  I have proven that to myself over and over.  So every time I get on the scale and see movement, I praise God.  Every time I realize that I’m not obsessing about food, I praise God.  Every time I feel the freedom of being released from my bondage to my food addictions, I praise God. 

“For the joy of the Lord is my strength” Nehemiah 8:10

Friday, September 30, 2011

Is something FINALLY clicking???

First off, let me start off by saying, I’ve only been ‘re-motivated’ at this whole diet thing again for 5 whole days.  Refocusing came on Sunday night when I stepped on the scale and realized I had gained 2 lbs since my Thursday night weigh in just 3 days prior.  Hum, probably due to my horrid food choices last weekend, but that is in the past.  Let’s focus on the future.

So, this week, I have been focusing on my hunger signals and only eating when hungry.  This is a method Amanda (fellow Skinny Twit) told me all about and was having great success with.  Honestly, her success helped me get going with the re-motivation and re-focusing I’m referring to.

Only eating when hungry.  Stopping when full.  Sounds so simple, yet we treat dieting and losing weight more like Rocket Science on typical diets.  But these two rules I can live with, and what is best is that I can eat anything when I am hungry.  ANYTHING.  Which has been my biggest downfall for most diets, because as soon as you tell me I cannot have something – I WANT that food more than anything else!  Period. 

This week, for the first two days or so I was struggling, mostly with the stopping when full part…but I’m trying my best to stick to this.  And you know what???  In 5 days I have lost 5.8 lbs.  And it feels great.  {{Note to self: Remember this feeling!!!}}

I have had great starts to diets before though, so I have a habit of doubting myself while I wait for my ultimate downfall.  But something in my mind did start changing over this last week.  Finally!!!  My mentality went from, ‘i think i COULD do this’ or ‘i know i should do this’ to, I CAN do this, and I AM going to do this.  I’m praying strongly for God to help keep me motivated during this journey, which will be a long one for me because I have at least 50-65 lbs to go!

And I’m also relying on God’s strength instead of mine to help me through the rough spots.  The times when I want a cookie, or brownie, or whatever it is when I’m not hungry but that hormonal, emotional, needy eater inside of me wants a treat.  I can do this! 

So until next time, here is my motivational image for the day.  It seemed perfect for this post…

Photo credit: http://fromfatty2fit.tumblr.com/post/8124054974

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Simple Concept

It is the application of the concept that can be difficult.  But we can do it ladies!!!  We can do it!

Photo credit: http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ln06tvef401qlxhoao1_r1_500.png

Little Introduction is in order

Hi, my name is Natalie, and I love food.  And I think food loves me too, at least that is the lie it has been telling me for years.  I have tried every diet you could imagine, some multiple times, and failed at just about every single one.  Honestly the only thing that probably has ever worked for me is Weight Watchers, but after having baby number 2 (Jan 2011) I haven’t been able to jump back on that band wagon either.

Amanda and Christina are two of my best friends.  We have all three been on this diet journey at different points in our lives together on and off since 2005.  Yes, that is what, 6 years now.  We have been successful at times together and we have been not-so-successful at times together. 

So why did we start this blog?  Well, honestly, I think it would be a great way to track all of our successes and failures in one location.  And wouldn’t it be nice if we could look back now, to what all worked and didn’t work over the years for each of us?  We are also hoping that this blog can help us stay focused and motivated.

I also want to add that we are NOT fitness experts or dietitians.  We are just 3 not so skinny gals looking to lose weight, encourage each other and others, and document our progress here on the blog.  So welcome.  This is our journey to becoming Three Skinny Twits. :)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Welcome

Alright ladies - this is our blog.  We can update it and make it our own, but for now lets introduce ourselves.  And for some inspiration for our first post...

photo credit: http://fitnessinspiration.tumblr.com/post/5527015257