I need to get a grip...

...on my eating habits. I was following a fabulous program for a while, and was seeing results, but since my surgery, and even a little before, i haven't been following anything at all. I need to tighten up the reins on it. I've been dabbling in what I can and can't handle since my gall bladder surgery. The only thing I've been able to really pinpoint is alfredo sauce, which is one of my favorite things to put on pasta. It's healthier for me that it isn't an option for me anymore, but it bums me out, and I have to find something else to put on pasta. I haven't found a red sauce that I like yet. They are always too chunky for me. My mom made one growing up that I like ok, but I'm usually trying to do 6 other things while I'm cooking, so throwing in making the sauce is harder for me. I might just have to make a huge batch and bottle it or something! ;)
So, if anyone has any ideas on how to help me tighten the reins on my eating habits, that would be super helpful! In the mean time, I think I will start following the most recent plan that has been working for me thanks to my friend Jeanna.

25 lbs down!

So, I have to tell you something. I am down 25 lbs down! I truly wish I had a picture of me at my peak weight, because I would love to do a side by side reveal, but alas, I cannot. I cannot express how excited I am that this journey is continuing the way it is! 2 years ago, I weighed 235 lbs.
When I started blogging, I was around 220, (even though in my picture I said I was 216, I gained 4 lbs back within the week. So I say I started at 220) So since I started the blog, I have lost 10 lbs, and I know that's a long time to wait for that weight loss, but I can guarantee, that it won't come back on me! I want to lose it the right way, and that means that it isn't going to come off speedily.
People in my life keep asking me what's different about me. I think it's mostly because I am confident, and I feel good about how my body feels now. Plus, my face is starting to thin out again, and that always makes me happy! ;)

101 POSTS!

I totally missed that yesterday's post was my 100th post! I can't believe I have been keeping up with this blog as well as I have. (My personal one with my husband hasn't hit 100 posts and I have had it much longer!) So, I thought I would share a recent picture. I have a long way to go before I reach my goal, but I am slowly getting there!
So, last night I watched an episode of Supersize vs. Superskinny. It was a very different show! It takes someone who doesn't eat enough, and someone who eats way to much, and they swap their diets for a week. Then they are put on their doctor recommended diet for 12 weeks to see how they did. It's an interesting concept. The overweight guy did really well and didn't cheat on his at all. But the girl couldn't eat everything in front of her. She couldn't relinquish her control of her food. I know what that is like to an extent. I am no where near as extreme, but I am a calorie counter, and I feel that if I go over what I think I should be eating, I get upset, and I binge. I don't purge anymore, but it hinders my weight loss journey. I'm getting better at not bingeing though.
Every day is a new day, and today is a good day so far! I will do my best to keep it that way!

What should I Weigh?

So, I was looking into what people think I should weight to be classified as "Healthy" and I was dumbfounded. They say I should weigh between 128-134 to be healthy. To be completely honest with you, that is heavier than I thought it would be. It seems that the last time I was told, I was supposed to be between 118-121. Personally, I think their choice is too thin for me.
Looking back on my life, I was happiest when I was around the 145 range. A lot of people think that is too fat, but I was really confident in myself at that weight. My stopping point on my weight calculator at the top of my blog is currently set to stop at 160, because that is where my doctor wants me to be before my hubby and I go full force into trying for a baby. The ultimate goal is to get back around 145, and be able to stay there for the majority of my life. Yes, I know I will gain weight back when I get pregnant, but I want to make my body as healthy as I can before trying for that sweet baby.
So, here's to a week with some weight loss! I weighed this morning, and I didn't gain over my lazy eating weekend, so that is something. I know I need to be better, and I will be, starting today! ;)

Healthy Eating

So, what I have come to realize through my journey so far, is that eating right is 80% of the success in weight loss. At least for me. Yes, you need to exercise. That is very crucial to having a healthy body. But most importantly, it is what you feed your body that encourages good health.
In my religious beliefs, there are also some guidelines on what we should eat. They encourage us to obstain from coffee, hot tea, tobacco, and alcohol. When you look at a lot of different diet plans, they discourage most of those things too. They also encourage us to eat meat sparingly, and eat seasonally. I love the summer months where I live, because that means I have fabulous tasting fruit! Watermelon is a favorite in our house.
As I have grown up, I have learned to love more vegetables. When I was a kid, I would only eat green beans. I would occasionally munch on corn on the cob, and I would eat a salad if I was "forced" to. (My parents were great parents, and always made me eat a couple of bites of any fruit or veggie on my plate.) Now, I love asparagus, spinach, salads, banana peppers, olives, carrots, and several others! Oh, I love yellow squash and zucchini over pasta! Yum! There are a couple of veggies I still detest because I don't like the texture in my mouth... onions, tomatoes, and broccoli. Blech! I use onion powder in my cooking so I still get that great onion flavor, and I like salsa, because the texture is different.
So, I'm putting this out there to remind myself how important it is to eat the best I can. I always feel better when I eat well!

Sleep

So I have been sleeping Really Well since I had my gall bladder out. I can't believe how much better I function when I get good sleep! It boggles my mind still! I chose this picture with my post today, because I would love to find a sleep mask like that! It's so adorable! That's one thing that I have heard can really help you get restful sleep. So, in the spirit of that today, I thought I would share this article from Dr. Oz on how to help yourself get better sleep!

This article can be found on the Dr. Oz Website under "Lose Weight Through Better Sleep"

1. Stick to 1 Sleep Schedule: The consistency of a regular sleep schedule allows your brain to know when it is time to sleep and when it is time to be awake. The more regular your schedule, the more likely you are to fall asleep and stay asleep. Remember, the longer you sleep, the more calorie-burning REM sleep you get.
Sleep Tip: Use your alarm to help you know when to go bed to get the right amount of quality sleep. Don’t use the snooze button to potentially interrupt those final minutes of REM sleep! Set your alarm in the morning for the last possible minute you need to be out of bed.
2. Stop Caffeine by 2 p.m.: Caffeine can be in your system up to 10 hours after you drink or eat it. Caffeine can not only prevent some people from falling asleep, but caffeine also keeps your brain out of the deeper more refreshing stages of sleep that you need for weight loss.
Sleep Tip: If you are feeling drowsy in the middle of the day, try my Nap-a-Latte™ technique: quickly drink a small cup of cool drip coffee, and then take a 25-minute nap. The Nap-a-Latte™ reduces your drowsiness and the caffeine will wake you up, but taken at the right time (before 2 p.m.) will not keep you awake at night.
3. Stop Alcohol 3 hours Before Bedtime: It takes about four hours for an average person to metabolize the average alcoholic beverage. Once metabolized, your body needs to urinate and this can disrupt sleep. Alcohol can certainly make you drowsy, but keeps you out of the deep stages of sleep you need for weight loss.
Sleep Tip: Try the “glass for a glass method.” Drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you drink. And stop all alcohol 3 hours before your bedtime alarm goes off (Sleep Tip #1) .
4. Stop Exercise 4 Hours Before Bed: Research shows that raising your core body temperature a few hours before bed can help you fall asleep, and regular exercisers get more deep sleep where growth hormone is produced, which tells your body to burn fat.
Sleep Tip: Work out earlier in the evening and consider yoga, deep breathing, or stretching before bed.
5. Give the Sun a High Five Every Morning: Light resets your biological clock every day and sunlight is the best type of light there is! Getting 15 minutes of sunlight each morning keeps your sleep rhythm regular and works well to help burn those calories at night.
Sleep Tip: Have your breakfast outside in the morning, and get plenty of sunlight to help reset your internal biological clock.

A couple of other things that I have been including in my own routine is to turn my alarm clock away from me on the nightstand, because sometimes the light can effect how you sleep. I also don't keep my phone on my nightstand anymore. I keep it in my bedroom in case of an emergency, but I don't keep it next to me, so that when I get those middle of the night Facebook notifications, I am not woken up by them anymore. I am also always laying down at least 30 minutes before I really want to be asleep. It helps me make sure I'm getting enough sleep!

So, now that my husband is going to be working graves through the rest of the summer, I have to ensure that I am getting enough restful sleep! I hope this article helps someone!

Home Workouts

So, I feel a little limited on what I can do for home workouts right now. I think too much dancing would be bad because of all of the twisting, so it seems I only have walking. The problem with that, is that I get really bored walking most of the time, unless I have someone with me.

I also just found out my husband is going to be working mostly nights through the summer, so I've now lost my walking buddy. What are some of the things that you guys do? I have my T-tapp, but I'm scared to do that right now, because I don't want to strain any of the incisions for another week or so, but I want to do some workouts! I'm so frustrated! HELP!