Day 1

So here it is... Day 1. 

Through the power of facebook and friends I have joined a Biggest Loser weight loss challenge with 1 friend and  16 other women I have yet to meet.


My goal:  To lose 20 lbs in 10 weeks
I picked a goal I could foresee reaching with out disappointment. 

Realistically I would love to lose 70lbs in 6 months. This although daunting, I think I can do if I work hard enough at it. 

Here is how I got to here.  From the time I can remember I have yo-yo dieted up and down. I have read every book written on the subject from no carbs, to all carbs, to never diet again to hypnotize your weight off, I have belonged to diet centres, or a weight loss groups for the past 20 years on and off. And yet I find myself 70 lbs overweight. For the past 5 years I have blamed my 2 small children for my mummy tummy and flabby butt and for the entire 70 lbs, but truthfully, I was probably 20lbs overweight when I got knocked up and although I like to think they made me this way it was me... every chocolate, every peanut butter covered apple was me. I put it in my mouth and I sat on the couch instead of being active. 

What have I learned?  With-out effort nothing happens. Period.
If you are not ready, or not really wanting to let go and accept change, you won't.
And if you want to hear it's not your fault - look on the the Internet or in any book stores and you will find thousands of ways to take the blame off you, and give it to numerous other people and or reasons as to why you are fat. 

Here's the truth I made myself fat.

So here I am,  70 lbs over-weight, with no more excuses and I am ready to change. 
Through this blog, the weight loss challenge I have signed up for and with my friend for support, I am on a new path.

So today this is what I did to better myself:
I am writing down everything I eat
I am weighing or measuring everything I eat
I am drinking water and tea only
I went to the gym and did 50 minutes on the treadmill and 10 minutes of stretching
I tracked my results at the gym (according to machine)
I am listening to my body and what it wants as long as it is real food

Here is what I refuse to do to lose weight: 
I refuse to fill myself with artificial sweeteners, I refuse to fill myself with processed foods, I will not beat myself up.

Here is the basis of my plan:
Every morning I will remind myself I am doing this because I love myself and my children. I will take 5 minutes to meditate. During this time I will thank my legs for holding me up, thank my arms that allow me to hold my children close, and thank my brain for giving me the power to better myself.
I will try to stay within 1350-1400 calories each day, but allow myself 1 day to have up to 2000 calories each week.
I will go to the gym a minimum of 5 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes but with the goal of 1 hr.
I will be more active at home, and with my family.
I will love my husband and children more. Each day find one thing to appreciate them for and tell them, after-all it is easy to spiral into a self loving narcissism spiral and forget why I want to be healthy. (I want to be healthy so I live a long and happy life enjoying my children, husband and one day if I am lucky, my grandchildren)
I will reflect each day on how I feel, what I did well, to notice any feelings that came up during the day and sit with those feelings.
I will blog 5 times a week or more on my progress and what I am feeling/doing. What is working and what is not.   This blog is intended to keep me on track.

Food for today:
Breakfast:  Smoothie with 3/4 cup yogurt (180 cal), 1 cup berries (70 cal), 1/2 cup OJ (125 cal)
 375 cal total
Lunch: 2 hard boiled eggs (140 cal), carrot sticks (24 c), celery sticks (20 c), Roma tomato (35 c), fat free dressing for dip (20 c), 30 grams of marble cheese (120 c).
359 Cal Total
Snack:
Apple (74 cal) with 1 tbsp light peanut butter (80 C)
154 Cal total
Dinner:
1 BL SL chicken breast baked (114c)
1/2 cup broccoli (steamed) (27 c)
5 spears asparagus (25) roasted in 1/2 tbsp olive oil (60 c)
1 medium potato (164 c), 1 tsp olive oil becel (35c)
425 Cal total
Snack:
1 cup watermelon (46 C)

Day total: 1359