[Mythnea]

As far as food goes, today is about the same as yesterday... I ate about 1300 calories, which is a long way from what I was eating before. Portion control, huh? I allowed myself to have half of a Hershey bar (Josh ate the other half), but I felt bad afterwards, even though I was below my calorie limit for the day. This is what I bought Jello for... But we have a pack of Hershey bars in the fridge that Josh bought last week before I started this, and it sounded good. *shrug* I am trying really hard to not beat myself up for it.

Breakfast: Oatmeal
Snack: Small salad and a hard boiled egg
Lunch: Chicken breast on whole wheat with mustard, lettuce, and tomato
Snack: Apple and a hard boiled egg
Dinner: 1/2 of a chicken breast with fresh basil, lemon, and garlic. 1/2 cup brown rice and a salad with raspberry walnut vinaigrette
Snack: I guess the 1/2 Hershey bar counts, right? 1/2 was 120 calories

I am also drinking around 160 oz. of water a day if not more.

We walked for 25 minutes on rugged terrain at a fairly brisk pace, and the last leg of it was uphill. It hurt, and was hard, and I cried a little at one point, but I am so proud of myself for doing it. I am trying really hard to keep the "what if I don't lose anything," "what if it's too hard," "I can't do this" thoughts at bay... It's hard sometimes, because I am so used to being inwardly self-deprecating, but Josh is at the point where he can tell when I am being mean to myself, even if I am not saying anything, and he is being very supportive and he is getting me through the rough moments. He does think I am being way too hard on myself though, so that's something to work on, I guess.

Tonight we took the dogs for a walk around the block... I was winded by the end of it because the puppy likes to walk really fast. It took about 15 minutes.

Overall it was a pretty good day. I really want some sunflower seeds (my addiction), but otherwise I am having little to no trouble just eating healthily. AND we walked for 10 minutes longer today than yesterday, and today's walk was much tougher because of the uphill leg of it.

Hopefully tomorrow goes just as well!

[soImarriedAnerd]

160oz of water! Good Gawd girl how often do you pee!

[Mythnea]

Waaaay too often.

[~*sierra*~]

awesome diet Danielle - SO healthy!
you are inspiring me to get back into the super healthy eating

[Mythnea]

Thanks Sierra! You should... I have only been doing this since Monday and I already feel better and my skin looks AMAZING. You can do it!

Well girls, no turning back now... We bought our plane tickets to Ireland about 2 hours ago.

Calorie-wise, I am a little low for today. Under 1200... Yeesh. I need to eat something after dinner. Maybe another 1/2 Hershey bar or some Jello. I don't know, I might just go to bed. Feedback on coming in under 1200 calories would be appreciated... Is that unhealthy? I don't want to mess up my metabolism.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and an orange
Snack: Small salad and a hard boiled egg
Lunch: 1/2 of a chicken breast on whole wheat with mustard, lettuce, and tomato
Snack: About 10 baby carrots and a hard boiled egg
Snack (after walking I was so hungry): Banana
Dinner: Chicken breast with garlic powder and curry grilled on the Foreman, brown rice, and a side salad with lite Italian dressing

I am at 160 oz of water for the day and counting because I am drinking another bottle right now, and will probably have another before bed. Each bottle is 32 oz by the way.

I think we actually walked a little bit farther today because we took a much less direct route... We still did it in 25 minutes and there was a lot more uphill walking involved. Josh says I walked faster than yesterday, especially uphill, which is surprising considering my toe got sliced open pretty badly this morning and it hurts a lot. I can feel it working because my leg muscles start burning... And my calves are pretty sore. We still have to walk the dogs after dinner so that is more exercise for tonight.

[soImarriedAnerd]

I'm not sure whats TOO low for normal calories?! But your food list looks good.
And a HUGE WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO for tickets!!!!!!

[Mythnea]

My jeans are usually uncomfortably tight when they have just been washed... Today they fit better! Since I haven't weighed myself in over a year, and don't really want to, that is my first indicator that this is working. I am happy!

Will update tonight after walking and dinner.

[Mythnea]

1200 calories today!

Breakfast: Oatmeal and a banana
Snack: Pear and a hard boiled egg
Lunch: Chicken breast on whole wheat with mustard, tomato, and lettuce
Snack: Small salad and a hard boiled egg
After-walk snack: Apple and 1T of peanut butter
Dinner: Chicken breast cooked in salsa (omg, so good), 1/2 cup brown rice, and a side salad
Just now: Jello

We walked again for 25 minutes tonight after work. No walk with the dogs, though, we are both too tired.

I talked with my mom earlier because I am going up to her house on Sunday to get my official birth certificate so that I can get my passport, and she is giving me her recumbent exercise bike! That means that starting next week, I will do that for 30 minutes each morning in addition to our walks in the evening.

[soImarriedAnerd]

Glad your getting a bike also. I do want to warn you not to over do it or burn out (like I always do LOL). Your muscles need time to rest when you first start on a program. If your muscles are feeling sore one day that's your body telling you to take a day off, otherwise you may hurt something.
Great job though!

[Mythnea]

Angela, my muscles were sore today... We still walked, but took it easy. I actually did really well today because instead of pushing myself like I usually do, I only had to take one really short break in all of 25 minutes, taking the same rugged route, and I didn't hesitate walking up the last hill! Progress! Monday I am going to do 20 minutes on the bike in the morning and our walk after work and we'll see how I feel on Tuesday. I am really trying to slow myself down because Josh was worried that I was pushing myself too hard.

I'm at just over 1300 calories for the day, and I have a low carb Monster to drink later, which is 20 calories.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and a banana
Snack: Apple and 1T of peanut butter, and a hard boiled egg
Lunch: Salad with cucumber, tomato, and grilled chicken, with lite Italian dressing
Snack: Two slices of pineapple and a hard boiled egg
After exercise snack: One serving of reduced fat cheese its
Dinner: Broiled salmon, broccoli, and brown rice

I feel good today! I'm hoping this weekend goes alright... We'll be up at Josh's parents' house, and they are not health-conscious people at all, so there will be snackies, grease, and high calories a'plenty. I am taking loads of fruit and some oatmeal for breakfasts.

[soImarriedAnerd]

Glad to hear your slowing down a little...i was worried also
so how did your weekend go. Mine was CRAP LOL

[Mythnea]

The weekend went okay. We walked on Saturday night for 20 minutes... The elevation change up there about killed me, which is why we went for 20 minutes instead of 25 or 30. We took last night off because I went over to my mom's to get my birth certificate.

The eating went better than I expected, actually. I strayed a little around dinnertime on both nights (I had a rib on Saturday night and a bite or two of this really yummy casserole that Josh's mom made last night) but I never went over 1500 calories and I stayed with the healthy stuff for the rest of the day. Today I feel good and am right back on track. Eating my breakfast as I type this. Used the exercise bike for 25 minutes this morning... MUCH more low-impact on my ankle than walking is. I'm really looking forward to walking tonight for the first time since I started this... We'll see how I feel 8 hours from now when the time comes, though.

Thanks for thinking of me, Angela. Sorry you had a bad weekend.

[Mythnea]

Exercise bike for 25 minutes this morning, walked our regular route this evening, finished 2 minutes faster!

Breakfast: Oatmeal and an orange
Snack: Apple and a hard boiled egg
Lunch: Leftovers from dinner last night... 1/2 chicken breast, 1/2 cup brown rice, and a salad
Snack: Pineapple and a hard boiled egg
Dinner: Steak and portobello mushrooms from the Weight Watchers menu at Applebee's... 330 calories and so delicious

We had frozen yogurt for dessert. That should put me around 1300 calories for the day.

[soImarriedAnerd]

good job!

[midnight_starr]

Keep it up girl!!

[Mythnea]

Well, I felt great when I got up this morning... Used the exercise bike for 22 minutes and it felt awesome! I didn't eat much today though because I was busy with other things and just not in the mood for eating (I had an emotional day... PMS, I hope *fingers crossed*), and didn't drink as much water as I have been, and by the time Josh came home at 4 I had only had like 300 calories, so we went on our walk (took it easy today because I was so unmotivated and grouchy), and then went to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant because I needed comfort food. *sigh* So I didn't do very well on the eating front today but I am climbing right back on the horse tomorrow.

I feel bad now, though.

[soImarriedAnerd]

Your allowed crap days, and if thats your crap day I am TOTAL JEALOUS! I would take your crap over my normal LMAO
But we are all going to have them. So whats "not to much water to YOU" LOL like 80oz (keep up the good drinking I'm just teasing because I am totally jealous of that also). Plus you workout out today still that 1s great. Did you know if you work out within 3hrs of a meal you absorb less of the fat from the meal (read it in either SELF or Fitness magazine).

On a side note--did you get your passport application in?

[Mythnea]

Thanks Angela... I have to admit, it was a good way to blow my diet. Dinner was amazing.

Yes, around 80 oz, probably... I had two and a half bottle of water yesterday instead of my usual five or six.

Thanks for the info on eating after working out! I didn't know that!

Long story... We were supposed to do it yesterday afternoon. Josh got approved to get off at 2:30 so that we could go, and then the big boss (Mike) ended up sending him out of town to do something, and he assured me they would be back in time for us to still go, which they were. However, when they got back, Mike sent him somewhere else to do something that he could have done himself just as easily, causing Josh to not get home until 3:45. When does the passport office at the post office close? 4 PM, of course. So we weren't able to make it. I was furious because I had taken yesterday off of work in anticipation of going, so I got all of our documents ready and double checked everything with the passport office, and I will be the first to say that my hair looked amazing, and then it didn't work out. So basically I was just out a good hair day and a day of work. We are going to go today, though, as far as I know. Josh says he can get off early today since yesterday didn't work out, so I am going to take off at about 2 so that I can come home and touch up makeup and stuff.

[soImarriedAnerd]

I went to the salon the day I got my pictures done! LOL Good luck with the passports today!

[Mythnea]

As I was leaving the office today, my friend Shantel (boss' wife) stops me and says, "I can tell that you've lost weight."