Catching Up

The McLife has been all Max, all the time lately, which I know is what most people want. But...I thought I'd take a minute to blog about some other things for a day. So...if you could care less, and just want to see pictures of Max, I'm sure he'll be back very soon. If you want to know all my business, read on.

1. On the 50 by 30 front, I sadly don't have much to report. I was down 25 pounds when we left for Texas, and then I decided to eat my way through the Metroplex. Two words: guacamole and cupcakes. So...I'm rocking a 22 pound loss these days, and I haven't seen a whole lot more movement since we've been back. Mostly because I think it's okay to run twice a week and eat dessert every night. Sigh. It's a marathon right?

I know my 50 by 30 is looking a little dismal right now, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. And I could list all sorts of excuses, but I'm not going to do that either. I'm just going to say it's a daily thing. And I've decided that if it ends up being 30 by 30, I'll take that, too. I would much rather take it in small pieces and keep pushing than to decide it's not going to happen and give up all together. So...that's where that's at. Now you know.

2. I haven't sewed in months. I can tell you exactly when it happened. The day Max started crawling and realized he didn't have to play in the floor right next to me. And the day he realized that he can pull cords out of the wall. You can't sew if someone keeps unplugging the machine. Now, clearly, I could sew when he's asleep. I can't say I haven't had the time. You make time for what you want to make time for. I just haven't made it a priority. And I'm totally good with that. But I am working on some fun things for our upcoming birthday celebration!

3. Same goes for couponing. I'm still clipping those coupons and using them as I can, but I am not planning grocery trips around them. As I started to change my diet and the way I shop, I found that I used very few food coupons. I also found that I would get home with 15 cans of tomatoes and nothing to eat them with. I started using E-Mealz , and I love it. I am saving money, coming home from the store with actual meals, and adding a lot of variety to our diet. I do the low-fat for two plan and modify it.

I do have to say that although I'm not using as many food coupons, I still think couponing at a drugstore is the way to go. I feel like if I'm saving lots of money on toiletries and cleaning products, I don't have to worry as much about the food side of it.

So there you have it. Food. Exercise. Sewing. Coupons. Bam. I couldn't be any cooler if I tried. More Max coming right up.

Run to Eat

I've been running. Sometimes, when I'm out there, I expect to look up and see pigs flying above me. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm going to keep watching. Last week I ran a mile without stopping. I know it's probably a little sad to be so excited about such a small distance, but ya'll. The last time I ran a mile without stopping I still Instant Messaged with people and Friends was nowhere near it's last season. Apparently those are my great cultural references, and yes I just made IM a verb.

In other news, the weight loss has been slow the past couple of weeks. I'm sure it's me just piling on the muscle. Or the fact that I feel the need to eat so much on the weekends. Either one. Sigh. I'm working on that.

In the meantime, I thought I would share some of my favorite snacks right now. I really wish that the following list consisted of celery sticks and garbanzo beans, but I do like my processed foods. I'm working on that one too.

VitaTops make me happy. They aren't a brownie, but they do satisfy my need for chocolate. Put a tiny amount of natural peanut butter on top and you have yourself one delicious snack.
Aged White Cheddar Pirate's Booty. Okay, I know this stuff has been around forever, but I had never tried it. And then I did. And now I can't get enough of the stuff. Luckily, they come in portion sized bags for those of us learning food willpower.

Are you noticing a trend here? I do love me some chips and salty snacks. I also like proper grammar, but for some reason it evades me.

Okay, those are my top 3 right now. Along with all the healthy whole grains, fruits, veggies, and nuts of course. Do you have any (mostly) healthy snacks I should know about? If you do, please share!

50 by 30: 5 months in

A quick little weight loss update for you.
5 months in, 20 pounds down.
7 months and 30 pounds to go.

Short-term goal: 5 more pounds by July 12.
(halfway to goal weight by halfway to 30!)

50 by 30...an Update

I haven't written anything about my goal of losing 50 pounds by my 30th birthday in awhile, so I thought I would. Because it's not called accountablity if you talk about it every 3 months. Last month, I hit 15 pounds lost, and for some reason I felt the need to celebrate by eating. And then eating some more. Which isn't exactly what I am going for.

I get SO frustrated with myself, because I know exactly what to do to lose weight. I know what to eat. I know how to exercise. And I tell myself I'm going to do it. And then someone puts a pie in front of me and I eat three pieces. Without even thinking about it. Special occasions turn into "I'll start over next week," even though I know next week will just have its own excuses. And repeat. So...I am still at 15 pounds. Just being honest. Here's hoping I have much better news in the coming weeks!

PS: I am reading this book (again). Here's to keeping my cravings focused where they should be. On God and not the things of this world. Amen.

50 by 30: Weight Watchers Edition

Have I ever mentioned how much I love food? Well, I do. As long as I can remember, my family planned vacations, weekends, birthdays, and any other celebration around the places we could eat. In my family, going out to eat is a big deal, and "wasting" a meal by eating at a bad restaurant is a tragedy. Dinner is most definitely followed by dessert. It's better if it's fried. Cheese is a food group. And if it isn't delicious, it's not worth it. Although I'll probably eat it anyways. Just keeping it real...

I'm working on changing the way I look at food, but it doesn't happen overnight. Honestly, I don't see a day where a grilled chicken breast looks more appetizing to me than a chicken fried steak. Which is why I found myself way (I mean way) overeating this weekend. Mike's dad was in town, which was clearly an excuse to splurge. I can't go to my favorite places without getting what I've always gotten, right? Sigh. It's something I'll have to keep working on...probably forever. Moderation is not my strong suit.

So, when I got on the scale Sunday (my weigh in day) I wasn't surprised to see I hadn't lost last week. I was just relieved I hadn't gained! I am happy to report that I am back on track, and as of this morning I am 12 pounds down...38 to go! That does add up to 50, right?

Anyhow, I told you I would talk a little bit about why I love Weight Watchers, so here it goes. (Just so you know, I am doing the online version and don't attend meetings. This was a financial choice with me, but if you can I would think the meetings would be very beneficial!)

*Weight Watcher's uses a point system, and they assign each food a point value.
*Based on your weight and activity level, you get a specific number of points each day.
*I hate counting calories. Points are much easier for me.
*You get points for activity and exercise. So...exercise get to eat more. I like it.
*On top of your daily points, you also get "weekly" points. You can spread these out, or you can use them for a special treat. (But not five special treats like I did this weekend).
*I can access my account through my iPhone, which makes tracking easy!

I have followed WW before, but I have to say I LOVE their new system. So much better in my opinion.

*With the new Points Plus system, the "value" of food is taken into account. For example, in the past a cookie and an apple may have both been 3 points. Now, the fact that an apple is actually much better for you is taken into account, so the cookie takes more points than the apple.
*Point values are calculated by looking at the fat, carbs, protein, and fiber in a food.
*Most vegetables and fruits are zero points. This is great for days when you use all your points but still feel hungry. You can grab an apple and be good to go. Although you probably shouldn't grab 5 apples.

That's all I got. Here's to staying accountable!

Fifty by Thirty

I always thought it would be fun to do a "Thirty before Thirty" list. You know, thirty things to do before I turned thirty. But when I started thinking about it, I realized that there was something I wanted (and needed) so much more. So...I have embarked on a journey. I'm going for FIFTY before thirty.

Fifty pounds that is. As I entered my twenties, it became clear that I couldn't eat whatever I wanted anymore. Although I buckled down for awhile, it's been very easy to make excuses the past few years. First it was, "I can gain a few pounds. I'll get pregnant and it won't matter." Then it was, "Poor me. I can't have a baby. But I can have a cupcake." And after that it was, "Give me some food. I'm pregnant!" While the pounds actually came off easily after Max arrived, they piled back on faster than I even noticed.

So, I figured the time for excuses is over. I need to take care of this business now, for the sake of my health, my self esteem, and definitely for the sake of my closet and my clothing budget. I need to get back in those clothes!

I began the year by cutting out sodas and trying to eat better, but in an effort to really kick it up I have joined Weight Watchers. So far I LOVE it...I'll write more about it in the future.

Why am I writing about it here? Well, mostly for accountability. I'm not going to lie. It's March, which means I have put off writing this post for over two months. It's not exactly a girl's idea of a good day to share all of this with people. Have you noticed that I don't exactly load a ton of pictures of myself on here? Yup. Now I will know that people (at least a few) know what I'm doing, and I'll know they are watching to see if I succeed. Not that you will all mock me if I don't, but it definitely gives me motivation!

So...here I go! I am currently 9 pounds in, which means I have 41 to go! I am not looking at this as a sprint. It's definitely a marathon, but I'm determined to succeed. I'll keep you posted...