Regardless, I still have positives from the week - I accomplished a lot in terms of goals I was hoping to complete. I have evaluated the things I am involved in and determined what needs to be a priority and what I can cut out (even though it make me feel terribly guilty).
In terms of my weight loss baby steps (this week being to modify my beverages). I did extremely well. Pepsi has been cut out. As for coffee - this is a work in progress...I love coffee - I love trashy coffee, the trashier the better - meaning lots and lots of sugary delicious creamer. I love me some trashy coffee. Drinking black coffee is not going to cut it. I have tried making clean eating creamers, I tried almond milk, honey, other sweeteners. None of it is doing it for me. None of them suit me, therefore I know none of these alternatives will stick. So - unless I magically come across a miracle alternative that I equally enjoy - coffee may just have to be a Saturday/Sunday treat, and that is going to take some will power!
So let's talk about water. Another goal, this week. I am trying to ensure I drink the daily requirement of water. Except - how much is that? Some of the research says 64 oz, some say 91 oz. But since this is a new concept to me, I decided to start with 64 oz.
Which leads me to my fabulous find of the week!! I am not a drinker. I could go all day and drink from one glass. I can sit and eat a meal without a liquid of any sort. Drinking this amount of water is going to be a full-time job! If you have similar issues - pay attention...
I bought a bottle, like above. I filled it and kept it refrigerated so the water is nice and cold AND, most importantly - measured out for you. You know how much water you have managed to drink and how much you have left. I also carried around a smaller water bottle to fill and actually drink from - instead of lugging around the large container.
I try to consistently drink from it and of course, the goal is that it's gone at the end of the day. In the beginning, I felt so water logged. I was literally choking it down the first few days - forcing myself to finish, but it's getting easier. One thing I find that helps is to mark the large jug, like in the photos below.
The next piece of the "dieting" puzzle is to make modifications to my meals and snacks. This seems like a multi-step process - and that's because it is! This week I want to ensure I continue to keep a food diary - like my TOPS leader says - If you bite it, write it! Some areas I want to begin to watch and work on are cutting down on carbs, watching my sugar and sodium levels, and...drum roll please....portion control!
This is going to take a few weeks to work out. My biggest concern is what a fussy eater I am. It really limits my options. I have already started to work on this - and I will not lie, I spent countless amounts of time planning for this past week. It's not easy. I spent hours online looking for recipes, making shopping lists and preparing meals. It seems like such a waste of time - as I could be doing some kick ass cardio or a kettle bell work out, but it really is as equally important.
I managed to find a whole week worth of low-carb, low calorie meals that were enjoyable and filling (again...it took me a LONG time to do this). But, to help you all out - I am going to share another fabulous find, and hopefully help cut out some of the time consuming planning for you.
Check out Stuffed Peppers from Kayln's Kitchen. Many stuffed pepper recipes include beans and many things I am just not going to eat. This recipe was great. The only change we made was to use turkey burger opposed to turkey sausage and add a little bit of spice to make up for the missing flavour from the sausage. Our peppers worked out to be 390 calories each. One pepper was more than enough! Becca and I even shared a pepper for lunch the next day, which made an UNDER 200 CALORIE LUNCH that was filling and nutritious. Perfection!
So, now for the moment of truth - after weigh-in this week I am 4.8lbs. smaller! I feel great about my weigh-in, I think this is a good start and I'm taking things slow enough that it should be sustainable for the rest of my days, not just the next 218!
So let's talk about water. Another goal, this week. I am trying to ensure I drink the daily requirement of water. Except - how much is that? Some of the research says 64 oz, some say 91 oz. But since this is a new concept to me, I decided to start with 64 oz.
Which leads me to my fabulous find of the week!! I am not a drinker. I could go all day and drink from one glass. I can sit and eat a meal without a liquid of any sort. Drinking this amount of water is going to be a full-time job! If you have similar issues - pay attention...
I bought a bottle, like above. I filled it and kept it refrigerated so the water is nice and cold AND, most importantly - measured out for you. You know how much water you have managed to drink and how much you have left. I also carried around a smaller water bottle to fill and actually drink from - instead of lugging around the large container.
I try to consistently drink from it and of course, the goal is that it's gone at the end of the day. In the beginning, I felt so water logged. I was literally choking it down the first few days - forcing myself to finish, but it's getting easier. One thing I find that helps is to mark the large jug, like in the photos below.
The next piece of the "dieting" puzzle is to make modifications to my meals and snacks. This seems like a multi-step process - and that's because it is! This week I want to ensure I continue to keep a food diary - like my TOPS leader says - If you bite it, write it! Some areas I want to begin to watch and work on are cutting down on carbs, watching my sugar and sodium levels, and...drum roll please....portion control!
This is going to take a few weeks to work out. My biggest concern is what a fussy eater I am. It really limits my options. I have already started to work on this - and I will not lie, I spent countless amounts of time planning for this past week. It's not easy. I spent hours online looking for recipes, making shopping lists and preparing meals. It seems like such a waste of time - as I could be doing some kick ass cardio or a kettle bell work out, but it really is as equally important.
I managed to find a whole week worth of low-carb, low calorie meals that were enjoyable and filling (again...it took me a LONG time to do this). But, to help you all out - I am going to share another fabulous find, and hopefully help cut out some of the time consuming planning for you.
Check out Stuffed Peppers from Kayln's Kitchen. Many stuffed pepper recipes include beans and many things I am just not going to eat. This recipe was great. The only change we made was to use turkey burger opposed to turkey sausage and add a little bit of spice to make up for the missing flavour from the sausage. Our peppers worked out to be 390 calories each. One pepper was more than enough! Becca and I even shared a pepper for lunch the next day, which made an UNDER 200 CALORIE LUNCH that was filling and nutritious. Perfection!
So, now for the moment of truth - after weigh-in this week I am 4.8lbs. smaller! I feel great about my weigh-in, I think this is a good start and I'm taking things slow enough that it should be sustainable for the rest of my days, not just the next 218!
Woohoo! Great job, Brit!! I hope you start feeling better soon. I love that big water container and the messages it has! Where'd you find that?
ReplyDeleteBtw - that was me! lol
ReplyDeleteThanks Tab! Pinterest of course - such a great resource!
ReplyDelete