Day 237: First SAWS Weigh In Day!

SAWS!!!!

How’s it going everybody! Sorry for that whole not blogging thing yesterday. To summarize Saturday: Wii Fit, Wedding Singing, Workout, burned more than 700 calories. Tada, there was yesterday’s post. Okay, now that that is out of the way. Today was the first post-SAWS weigh in day and I was hoping for a loss of around 2-3 pounds if not better. So you can understand my disappointment when I only lost 1.4 pounds. For the first time in a while, I had worked out every day, and for the most part I stayed on point with my points. I’m thinking that the weight loss honeymoon is over and that now it’s really going to be work to lose every week. I know you’re really only suppose to lose 1-2 pounds healthily so maybe that’s where I’m at. You know what though? I’m okay with that. With lifting weights regularly is going to change my figure more too and add muscle so I’m definitely not going to change what I’m doing. Regardless, I’m in the 260’s (269.2 to be exact) for the first time in at least a decade and I have lost a total of 88 freakin’ pounds. The reality is, every weigh in I am treading in to new weight loss territory. And that feels awesome.

Breakfast: I just had a bowl of Kashi. Nothing new. However, we bought some Back 2 Nature cereal (you know, the hippy kind that’s in a bag to make it more earth friendly) since it was BOGO at Publix so I’ll have to review that this week. 4 points

Lunch: After church, the young professionals class went to Moe’s for lunch. As you may know, I’m not a huge fan of Moe’s but I can stand it every once in a while to at least give it a chance. I had the Art Vandalay Jr. Lite with grilled veggies, guac, the works. It was a decent sized burrito and their salsa bar is pretty epic so it eased my craving for queso (which is a delicious demon that I deal with daily.) The burrito with chips was  12 points so it wasn’t bad and I would definitely have that again.

Afternoon Snackage: It was a gorgeous day in Tallahassee with a high barely reaching 80 so Megan and I sat outside and read our respective Harry Potter books and enjoyed the day. While out there I had an english muffin with honey to enhance my reading experience. 1 point. Then, we went over to Starbucks and I had some dirty coffee for 3 point.

Dinner: So grocery day is tomorrow so by this time in the week, we are getting a little creative for meals and this week Megan delivered. She made this Pasta Premavera with shells that turned out really well. The serving size was huge for only 5 points so I had half a serving of seconds for 7.5 points. 


Evening snack:
I had a Vitatop with a glass of milk for 3 points. Hooray.

So today I got to 30.5 points which works fine for me. See ya tomorrow.

Day 235: Friday Funtimeness

Greetings reader!

You are a special reader and I’m glad you are reading my blog (when I say you, I’m really just talking to you.) 🙂 Anyways, today has been pretty awesome! Not having classes on Friday is going to be pretty nice. Alright, let’s do this thang!

Breakfast: So we actually slept in a little late and I wanted to go to Subway for breakfast but instead I got a little creative. We had two Flatout breads left in the fridge so I used them as flatbread. I made some scrambled egg whites, added some turkey breast and added a slab of cheese and then put it then oven on broil for 2 minutes. I think it turned out pretty well (Megan liked it so that’s a good sign) and it was really filling. Plus it was cheaper than Subway too! 6 points.

Exercise: So we were going to go to Leach, then Tom Brown park, but instead we went to the San Luis Mission park close to our house. It’s extremely hilly and wooded so it was a pretty awesome leg workout too. It was also really hot and humid so we were both pretty zapped after it all. We went a total of 3 miles so it was a really solid workout.

Lunch: I wasn’t really hungry until the afternoon so I had some Kashi in Chobani for 4 points and then Megan made some whole wheat cous cous so I ate that too 6 points.

Dinner: So we got to go to the rehearsal dinner for our friend Becca’s wedding since we are singing and it was awesome. Dan’s family who’s from the South made some killer BBQ for the dinner. I might have went a little overboard but I mean it was some of the best BBQ’ed chicken I have ever had. The sides were also killer too! The coleslaw was made with real mayo so it was pretty rich but oh man it was all good. I did go for seconds and I did have some cake. I overdid it and I knew I did but that’s just how it works. Although I’m still able to acknowledge situations like this I still need to work my portion control. This is still a journey and I’m still working on it.

So today I got to 16 countable points and I still might have went over with 14 points left and exercise points but I think it was close. That’s life. The wedding is going to be finger foods so I will have a little bit and maybe half a piece of cake. We’ll see how it goes. See ya tomorrow.



Day 234: SAWS Thursday!

Hello Children!

It’s Thursday already? Wow! This week went by so fast! Alright, enough small talk, let’s get down and dirty… with the food I ate today?

Breakfast: Kept it simple and had a bowl of Kashi. Hooray for yummy things! 4 points

Lunch: We went to Super Perros for some lunch and it was awesome. We split the Godzilla, which is basically a massive burrito with chicken, peppers and beans tucked beautifully and deliciously inside. Such a beautiful dish.

Workout: Instead of getting up super early, we slept in (to 7:30) and decided to swim in the afternoon. We had tried to work out early every day before and we usually get burned out so to avoid that from happening, we are going to work out early 3 days a week and then pick a time in the day when we want to for the rest of the week. Anyways, we went for a swim. I did some treading exercises and then did mini laps. I’m not sure how much exercise we really got but it was a lot of fun! We would like to start doing some water aerobics. Any suggestions?

Snack: After our swim, I had a blueberry vitatop with a glass of milk. Vitatops are so awesome. 3 points.

Dinner: Megan, our friend Aimee, and I are going to sing in our friend Becca’s wedding on Saturday so we were invited to a dinner with he family. Becca’s aunt can cook! She made this awesome spaghetti dinner, but the salad was ridiculous. It had all these meats, olives, cheeses, garbanzo beans and a ton of veggies. I had seconds on salad and that worked because didn’t have that much spaghetti, which was whole wheat so the dinner wasn’t that bad at all. It was a spectacular dinner.

Snack: While I’m writing this I am chomping on some popcorn 2 points.

So the points that are able to be counted comes out to 9 points and I’m pretty sure the two meals weren’t 21 points combined and even if they were I still have some exercise points and I haven’t really tapped in to my weekly points so I’m good. See ya tomorrow.

Day 232: Tuesday Fantastico!

Good Golly Miss Molly it is Tuesday!

Intro/Workout: I hope yall are doing well! It was day 3 of SAWS today and it rocked. I thought getting up early for a second day in a row was going to be a nightmare but it turned out really well. We got to the gym around 6:45ish so we didn’t have as much time today but we hopped to it. After a quick warm up on the treadmill (Leach finally has new treadmills FINALLY!) I did a beastly arm workout that my friend Kyle showed me how to do along with cable pulls and other fun stuff like that. I worked on arms for around 45 minutes then I went to my old nemesis: (and I’m sure yours as well) the Stairmaster. I was going to do about 15 minutes but in to minute 8 my calf suddenly cramped up so I just called it good then. I’m not sure why it happened, I had been drinking water all morning but fun stuff like that happens. Anyways, tomorrow I’m working my core which really really really needs it. My torso is my last big problem area (man boobs, gut, and all) so I’m making a plan of attack to flatten it all out. Thanks to my peeps on SAWS (have you joined yet?) They sent me some really good core workouts from P90x and even the SEALS training. (And we all know how good the SEALS are at dominating enemies. I’m not comparing my torso region to Osama Bin Laden… oh wait, I kinda am.)

Breakfast: Before the workout, I had a bowl of Kashi to get the day started right 4 points and then after workout I ran home before my 9:00 class and had a wafflewich (last waffles in the box. Sad days :'( ) and that was 5.5 points.

Lunch: While we were at Earth Fare the other day, Megan found this Veggie Chicken Thai meal for one that was being discontinued so I got it. Some rice in microwavable meals is really gross, but this one was actually really good. It was long grain jasmine which smelled and tasted awesome. Unfortunately, the sauce for the “chicken” was really lacking. There was no “umf” or flavor to it so it was disappointing. Of course though, like how it always goes, it was high in calories and sodium. Why are meal mistakes always really bad for you too. Hooray for insult to injury. It was 8 points but awe well. It’s being discontinued for a reason. For a snack after lunch I had matzos and laughing cow cheese for 3 points. 

Freebie Snack: While I was reading for my class, I was really hungry because lunch sucked so I had some baby carrots that really filled me up! Hooray for real food! They were also no points!!! Huzzah!

Afternoon Snack: So instead of dropping money and calories on the idol Starbucks today, Megan made some fruit smoothies (you know… with fruit) instead. She made use strawberry-bananasmoothies with an orange juice base and they were awesome!!! How could it be better you ask? How about it was only 2 points! 

Dinner: We had leftover chili so we put what was left on some chips, added a little cheese and sour cream and had nachos. It was the bee’s knee’s yo! (Seriously though, it rocked.) It was 9.5 points and then for a snack later I had 2 points worth of almonds.

So today I got to 32 points which with exercise points I am well within my limit. With working out everyday now I’m having to figure out how to get the most filling food for my points. To be honest, only having 30 points really sucks so for the rest of this week I’m going to try to figure those things out so I don’t get burned out in a week or so. See ya tomorrow.


Day 231: SAWS MONDAYNESS

Why haven’t you joined SAWS yet!?! SERIOUSLY!!!!! It will change. Your. Life.

Breakfast: I had a 4 point bowl of Kashi Go Lean Berry Crisp. Yumtastic.

Workout: So we got up bright and early to go to Leach and it actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Getting up tomorrow on the other hand will be the true challenge. The first day is always easy, but the second one is the beast so we will just see what happens. I worked out legs first and then got on the elliptical and beasted (for us SAWSers that is a verb) out 35 minutes on a weight loss setting. It’s really nice just to go in, do your thing, and be done with it for the rest of the day! SAWS! (Also, when you see this acronym imagine me yelling it with my arms up as if I was Steve Holt. Steve Holt!)

After-Workout Snack: I just had a 4 point Nature Valley Oats and Honey granola pack.

Lunch: Megan made her awesome flatbread pizzas with veggie pepperoni so I had that with a big salad that had balsamic vinegar, trail mix and cherry tomatoes on it. The best 8 point lunch ever!

Afternoon Snack: I had some matzos with laughing cow cheese and then I had a tall strawberries and cream frap with soy milk. It was 7 points of afternoon snacking. A little high but it was still good!

Dinner: For dinner, we went with a classic and had Uncle Jim’s Veggie Chili. It was pretty legit. Hooray for delicious food and tons of fiber! YUM! I might have went a little over and had 13 points worth of chili. Still worth it.

I got to 36 points and with the exercise points I am good. Awesomeness. Seriously, have you joined SAWS yet? See ya tomorrow.

Day 230: Weigh In After Vacation!

What is up yo!?!

So even after a week of being at Disney and indulging like a boss, I’m starting the summer of right! I lost 2.2 pounds this week!!! I don’t know how it happened (it must have been all the walking and my super workout yesterday) but it happened and I am inching my way to breaking the 100 pound mark soon! With today’s weigh in, I have lost a total of 87 freakin’ pounds and am 13.6 pounds away from 100 pounds! I have a date in mind of when I want to break it by but we will just see what happens.

Yesterday, Megan and I committed ourselves to working out about six times a week and eating healthy in order to drop as much weight as possible this summer. We are calling it Super Awesome Workout Summer otherwise known as SAWS!!!! (You have to yell the abbreviation when you say it.) We also created a SAWS Facebook group for others like us who want to drop some lb’s this summer as a place for support, tips and recipes or even a place to just vent. We are already at 20 people which is really awesome! If you want to join, request to be added (I think you might have to be my friend on Facebook, if so add me as a friend.) Search for it on Facebook as “Super Awesome Workout Summer (SAWS!!!!!)” I hope you will get on board for a summer of getting your health back on the right track!

Anyways, about today…

Breakfast: Although I am a huge fan of the wafflewich, I needed to try something a little different this morning. So I went back to a staple and had Kashi Go Lean Berry Crisp cereal. I must have been really hungry because I had 2 servings so breakfast was 7 points which is high but it was really filling.

Lunch: After church, we kept it simple and had southwest chicken soup, salad with dijon and trail mix and a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch. It was really good. I really love putting trail mix on my salad. It’s a beautiful marriage of leafy and hearty. 10.5 points. 

Snack: I had some matzos with some laughing cow cheese for 3 points. 

Dinner: I had to fend for myself for dinner so I searched in the depths of our freezer and pantry and got a little creative. I had two veggie chicken sandwiches on expired english muffins and some Cape Cod reduced fat chips. It turned out to be a pretty good 6 point dinner.

Snack: I had a couple banana chips (like 4) and a little peanut butter which was about 2 points.

So today I got to about 28.5 points which it’s probably a little more than that since I might be wrong about the banana chips and peanut butter but regardless I did pretty well today. SAWS!!!! JOIN NOW! See ya tomorrow.

Day 229: Back To Life, Back To Reality Edition

Why hello there!

I know I know, I missed you too. It has been a crazy week full of good intentions of blogging while on vacation and sending you videos of awesome things and stuff like that, but alas that didn’t happen. It wasn’t for a lack of motivation, but more of a lack of energy after days of walking a crapton of miles while running over foreigners and slow moving people in wheelchairs. We had a blast on our trip though, the crowds were relatively light, the weather was perfect and we made it on all the rides we were hoping too. As far as food went, we packed our lunches a few days, I ordered a kids meal and we split a few meals which really helped, but some indulging did go down. If you haven’t been, Disney is pretty unhealthy but in the sinful delicious way we all love. From French pastries to a cheeseburger at 11:00 at night, I bent some of my eating rules while not completely breaking them. I split a pastry with Megan and instead of fries with the cheeseburger, I opted for the apple slices. It’s hard at Disney because you walk so freakin’ much (we walked about 32 miles this week) that you get really hungry and unless you have a lot of snacks it’s easy to cave and get some caloric bombshell.

With that all being said, I think I’ve made a lot of progress since back in the days of the 350’s; I’ve changed my mindset with how to handle certain situations. I used to just justify my poor food decisions with an intention of denial, back then I would have said “Oh, I can get the apple slices and then that offsets the burger so I’m okay.” (For some reason, people think that fruits and veggies have these magical powers to undo any greasy thing eat.) I wouldn’t acknowledge that it was a bad decision/situation which snowballs in to size 54 pants rather quickly. Now, it’s more about damage control. My mindset now it “okay, I know this is a bad situation (cheeseburger at 11 pm) but how can I modify the meal to make it bearable?” So that’s what I do know instead of just saying “everything will be fine.” Whenever you’re in a situation like that, think about how you can make it better.

Alright, now that we have that all squared away, let’s talk about today!

Breakfast: Wafflewich, old friend I have missed you. 5.5 points

Lunch: So we bought these awesome bowls from the Japanese Pavilion at Epcot that had Owls inside so what better way to try them out than with tomato soup and grilled cheese! Instead of schlacking the bread with a ton of butter, I just gave them a few spritzes with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! spray and it worked just fine! I also made this a salad with trail mix and FF honey mustard dressing. It was a light but very hearty lunch for 9.5 points. 

Workout/NSV: Today was the start of our Super Awesome Workout Summer (S.A.W.S.) Our objective is to workout six times a week in the morning before my classes to get trim and healthy. I’m in a desperate need of getting toned and I’m really ready to break the century mark so needless to say we are both really stoked for this summer! We went to Leach and got a really good workout in to ease the blow of this week. I also got a new Under Armour shirt at the outlet mall in Orlando as an weight loss goal reward. I bought my first UA workout shirt in 2009 that was an XXXL and it was still a little tight in some places. This one is an XL and it actually fits. I was really stoked because the XXL’s were too big! What the crap? I haven’t crossed the “Only XL t-shirts fit” threshold yet, but it’s on the horizon and that is going to be huge because I have been wearing XXL’s since the 5th grade. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah! At Leach I hit the elliptical for 35 minutes on a cross-training program and then I did an arms and abs workout for about 4o minutes. I think the plan for the summer is to start out with cardio everyday and then alternate arms/legs/core workout. Maybe a class thrown in there somewhere. Anywho, I had a really good workout and burned a good chunk of calories. Good workout indeed. (PS, I don’t know why I have such a serious/constipated look on my face in that picture.)

Snack: After Leach, we went through the drive through at Starbucks for their buy one get one half off on frappuccinos. We both got the Strawberries and Cream with soymilk and no whip. It was delicious and I didn’t miss the whip at all. It was still 4 points but wasn’t bad for a frappucino. I used to get the Venti with whip and regular milk which was a crapton of calories and fat (the whip cream alone is a nightmare.) It was a nice afternoon snack.

Snacking again: I had a thing of matzos with some laughing cow cheese and then had some popcorn before dinner. 5 points. 

Dinner: Megan has been Jonesin’ to make this Southwest Quinoa recipe so she finally made it tonight and it was the bomb diggity yo! (Yes… that good.) It was basically quinoa, black beans, corn, cilantro and cayenne so it was only 2 point for 1/2 cup! It’s easily the most filling meal for the points I have ever had. I had 2 cups which was 8 points. It really filled me up. A super win of a meal.

So today I got to 32 points which isn’t bad considering I have some exercise points. Tomorrow I have a weigh in that once again I don’t know where I stand. I haven’t been on the scale at all this week which has really helped keep my sanity. That is another big goal I have this summer, not to be obsessed with knowing what I weigh every five seconds, it just makes you feel like crap and it doesn’t do any good. Anyways, I am cautiously optimistic that the walking will help but we will just have to see. See ya tomorrow.

Day 225: Reporting From Disney!

So I’m going to keep this brief because I’m really tired but here are the highlights of today and I promise tomorrow I will have an epic Wordless Wednesday with a video from Disney:

  • Had an awesome breakfast at Cracker Barrel
  • Had leftover mac n’ cheese for lunch
  • NSV: there is a heckuva lot of room on the rides now compared to even last time
  • According to our pedometer, we walked a total of 8 miles today
  • I ordered a child’s meal at a counter service (fast food Disney style) in Hollywood Studios which was sadly still a lot of food
  • I passed my stats class!!!
  • Megan and I shared this massive sundae that I ate on my own when I was in 7th grade.
  • Epoct tomorrow. Dare I say my favorite park. What’s yours? See ya tomorrow.

Day 224: First Monday of the Summer Edition

Let the summer fun begin…

Today was the first official day of summer and it was pretty awesome since we were getting ready for out trip to Disney!!! Needless to say we are pretty stoked to get out of town and to just take it easy for a while (In this context, “take it easy” is defined as fighting off Euro trash from cutting in line at Splash Mountian.) Anyways, so at this point, like the kid in the commercial, I am too excited to sleep!

Breakfast: I had a wafflewich. Can you say… YUM!!!!!!!!!! 5 points

Snack: I had Christian Nachos (matzo and laughing cow) twice today so I’ll just put it right now 4 points

Lunch: Before we went out and about, we had a Kashi pizza which is good in theory but not really that filling which sucks because it was 9 points.

Snack: We went to Earth Fare to get some trail mix for the trip (we are going to be eating well on our trip!) and Megan found some Newman’s Own dark chocolate that was on sale. I had half of the bar which was 3 points.

Snack: Publix had a deal on Odwalla (which I’ve always wanted to try) so I bought a superfood drink and a chocolate protein drink. I had the superfood one which was epically delicious and 3 points.

Dinner: We haven’t had our awesome creamy stovetop mac and cheese in a looooong time so we finally made it again tonight. I never thought mac and cheese and broccoli would go together, but brother let me tell you it is something special for your mouth. I had a serving and a half with a lot of broccoli for 9 points.

So today I got to 33 points again so basically I just need to cut out one extra snack a day (or not eat non-filling pizza) and I will be okay everyday. I’ll definitely work on the because I WANT TO LOSE SOME MORE WEIGHT! PPPPPPIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAA. See ya tomorrow.