Well, I suppose I should share my interesting week with you all. First, I would like to say that I kicked butt and took names on the scale this week. 5.4 pounds down this week (oh...forgot to tell you last week was 2.6 pounds)...so 8 pounds in the last 2 weeks. I am VERY happy with those numbers!
Now, for the explanation on how I managed to lose 5.4 this week...
As some of you know, I did the General Motors 7 Day Cleanse Diet this week. I don't REALLY believe in cleanses in general because I feel like they never completely do what they promise (and this one is no exception), but I felt like challenging myself this week, with the hope of losing a little extra weight and exploring other possible benefits to the program. So, I put regular Weight Watchers on hold for 7 days while I set out on the General Motors Adventure.
This particular cleanse promises to help you drop 10-17 pounds in one week (cough...BS!). But, after looking over the diet, I noticed one very interesting thing about it. It is basically your ideal, well-rounded diet...but instead of eating all those foods in one day, it's spread out over 7 days. I figured, at the very least, it would help my appetite to shrink down a bit (with my recent points decrease at Weight Watchers...due to my weight loss...I am feeling a little hungrier than I would like to feel), and it would force me to eat the foods that are good for me. No sweets! LOW sodium! 10 glasses of water a day! Natural foods that God intended for us to eat.
I began Day 1 with high hopes. I was basically supposed to eat all fruit all day...as much as I wanted...mostly melons...and you are able to supplement your diet with a vegetable soup (general recipe/guidelines listed on the diet directions). I love fruit! I like soup! No problem, right!? BZZZZZZ!!! WRONG! Melons, being a high fiber food and containing tons of water, basically just put you in the bathroom all day. As soon as you're done in the bathroom, you are STARVING again. I tried to eat melons primarily, as suggested in the directions, but crap I was hungry. So, I added in an orange, about a cup of grapes, and 12 strawberries. FINALLY, satisfied! You may be wondering "Why didn't the soup fill Marisa up? That should have helped!" Well, my response to that is...the soup was gross. Didn't want more than the half cup I attempted to take down. Maybe it's cuz I used a bad combination of veggies...maybe it's cuz it's just plain yucky. Whatever the case may be, I had forsaken the soup by the middle of Day 1.
With little hope of making it through Day 2, I was pleasantly surprised by how full I was all day...especially because I got to start it off with a baked potato topped with a pat of butter. Now THAT'S my kind of breakfast. The rest of the day, I enjoyed a variety of steamed veggies, and didn't have any problems.
Day 3 was just fine too, because I could continue with veggies and add in the fruit (sans bananas)...Didn't have to have so many melons that day. My only gripe was I wasn't allowed to have a potato that day. That didn't mean I couldn't have corn though! Mmmmm.
Day 4 was one of the oddest days, because it consisted of only bananas and milk. I did not expect to be satisfied, but darned if you don't get full on Day 4! They allow you up to 8 bananas and 3 tall glasses of skim milk. I was bursting at the seams by banana #6, and decided to forego the option of eating more. This banana/milk day is meant to replace any lost potassium from the prior 3 days, and to help take away cravings for sweets.
Day 5 was also strange. You can have up to 20 ounces of lean beef, and you must have 6 whole tomatoes, as well as increasing your water intake from 10 glasses to 14 glasses. So, being an antitomatoite (that is my word for "one who detests tomatoes and all they stand for"), I opted to cook those bad boys in with lean ground beef, making it a bit like a ragu. Not bad! Especially with some seasonings! I also cooked a steak in the crock pot with more tomatoes, and that came out pretty darn good too, if I do say so myself.
Day 6 was easy. More lean beef...as much as you want...and vegetables...as much as you want. Meat. Good. Veggies. Good.
Day 7 consisted of brown rice, all the veggies you want, and fruit juices. The juice was a stretch for me. Usually, unless it's beer or wine, I do NOT like drinking my calories. I am also not particularly a fan of how sugary sweet juice tends to be. But whatever, I can suck it up for one day. So I had pomegranate blueberry juice. Not bad if you put ice in it to water it down. Best part of my day was having the brown rice with broccoli, and dashing just a small amount of soy sauce into it...probably considered cheating, but I don't care.
Ultimately, I DO feel cleaner inside. The cleanse gave me the boost I needed to fit into some jeans that I have been itching to wear for a long time. It did decrease my appetite, and I am drinking more water now. Overall, a good experience. They say if you choose to do it again, you can, but I think I will wait awhile till I hit a plateau. The good thing about the second time you do it is that you can add in up to 2 glasses of white wine or champagne each night...apparently it helps with digestion. I will go with that. :-)
Now, I am back to points, and OH HECK was I happy to go to Applebees and eat the steak and shrimp on the "Under 550 calorie" menu tonight. I am celebrating another 5.4 pounds gone from my body. I am celebrating the fact that I made it through the week without cheating and sneaking some sort of Weight Watchers ice cream out of my freezer (I love sweets...although I really am not craving them after that cleanse...) And I am just celebrating life in general!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Well-Rounded Life, Not-as-Rounded Body
I have to say, I am getting more and more excited about everything lately. And I mean EVERYTHING. I am upbeat, positive, and super-happy about all the fantastic things going on right now. For the first time in forever, I feel like I am well-rounded. I am taking good care of myself, which is helping me to take good care of my baby, and it makes me a better wife too (I would like to think). I feel like I have a healthier number of true, reliable friends. I am involving myself in everything going on around me. I am up for adventure, I am down for chilling. And at the same time, I am losing the weight (without making myself a slave to dieting), which I have no doubt is also affecting this overall peace within me. I liken myself to Jim Carey in the movie "Yes Man," without over-extending myself. It's seriously time to start saying yes to opportunities and experiences.
With that being said, I think my relationship with God has grown a lot too recently, so thanks to Him, I can really rock this life! :-) In the meantime, I would also like to say that this overall happiness will not affect my sarcasm, my dry sense of humor, nor will it prevent me from my occasional little rants...after all, I AM human. I like to think that even God laughs at me a little sometimes. When I come up with something witty, or say something surprising at just the right moment, I like to picture Him chuckling to Himself and giving me a little high five, while saying something along the lines of "See...THAT'S why I created you."
I think the point I am trying to make here is that life is to be enjoyed. Yeah, it's work. Yeah, there are things you "have" to do sometimes. But I think what the most important thing is in this life is to make the best out of everything. At my old job, there were a lot of days that things were just a drag (and the bosses were in bad moods), but even then, I got the concept of making the best out of things. We had ordered a new copy machine, and they were keeping the empty box in the office of two of my coworkers...so, when they were out of the room, I hid in it. Once they returned, I gave them a moment to settle in before jumping out and screaming, scaring the absolute turd out of them.
It's all about embracing the moments. Make people laugh if you can, because you never know what kind of day they are having. Pay a compliment that you KNOW will touch them, because it's a REAL compliment. Do an extra little favor. Participate. Show up for life. Don't miss out. Tomorrow comes too quickly, and next year will be last year before you know it. If you need to make yourself a healthier person, physically, emotionally, spiritually...do it now. Again, it's work, but it's sooo worth it. You find new ways to have fun. You find new challenges and obstacles to conquer that make you stronger. Sooo worth it!
My girl (though not always the best role model) Miley will close me out this week:
"There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side...It's the climb."
With that being said, I think my relationship with God has grown a lot too recently, so thanks to Him, I can really rock this life! :-) In the meantime, I would also like to say that this overall happiness will not affect my sarcasm, my dry sense of humor, nor will it prevent me from my occasional little rants...after all, I AM human. I like to think that even God laughs at me a little sometimes. When I come up with something witty, or say something surprising at just the right moment, I like to picture Him chuckling to Himself and giving me a little high five, while saying something along the lines of "See...THAT'S why I created you."
I think the point I am trying to make here is that life is to be enjoyed. Yeah, it's work. Yeah, there are things you "have" to do sometimes. But I think what the most important thing is in this life is to make the best out of everything. At my old job, there were a lot of days that things were just a drag (and the bosses were in bad moods), but even then, I got the concept of making the best out of things. We had ordered a new copy machine, and they were keeping the empty box in the office of two of my coworkers...so, when they were out of the room, I hid in it. Once they returned, I gave them a moment to settle in before jumping out and screaming, scaring the absolute turd out of them.
It's all about embracing the moments. Make people laugh if you can, because you never know what kind of day they are having. Pay a compliment that you KNOW will touch them, because it's a REAL compliment. Do an extra little favor. Participate. Show up for life. Don't miss out. Tomorrow comes too quickly, and next year will be last year before you know it. If you need to make yourself a healthier person, physically, emotionally, spiritually...do it now. Again, it's work, but it's sooo worth it. You find new ways to have fun. You find new challenges and obstacles to conquer that make you stronger. Sooo worth it!
My girl (though not always the best role model) Miley will close me out this week:
"There's always gonna be another mountain. I'm always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose. Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side...It's the climb."
Friday, March 4, 2011
I Want it That Weigh...
I would just like to take this moment to pay tribute to the Weight Loss Fairy this week. I am happy to say I lost 2 more pounds at my weigh in today, totalling my Weight Watchers journey at 20 pounds, and approximately 32 pounds overall. Usually I only count the Weight Watchers weight, but since I sort of began the journey on my own right before the holidays, I should probably give myself some credit for being able to lose weight during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I am also happy to report that some of my friends, who are on a different program called "Prism," are also doing quite well! Great job, Tina and Beth! Although I don't know Beth's number at this time, I DO know she is looking fantastic, and her clothes are hanging off of her...and Tina...I am so proud of you as well! In only 6 short weeks, you have managed to drop a pretty darn significant number, and you're looking amazing! You are both helping to inspire me; especially because I KNOW what dedication, work, and faith you are putting into your efforts, and that is something to be SO very proud of! :-)
I also want to give a shout out to my bestest buddy, Cindy, who is taking part in a weight loss challenge at CSUF. She is working her butt off with trainers, and I know her hard work will pay off! Thank you for always always always being such an incredible friend, and for helping me strive to be better! :-)
I also want to thank Michelle for being such a great support to me. I am beginning to report my weekly results to her, and she is always there to encourage me, which I REALLY need! Thank you so much! I am here to support you too, and look forward to more workouts together! It helps so much to have that accountability.
To my friend, "Other Marisa," who has also been doing a great job of shedding the pounds in the last couple months: I am amazed at how well you are doing with your online program. Not only have you dropped the weight, but you have done it with fewer guidelines and "rules." That...my friend...is impressive. :-)
This blog is short and simple: a shout out of praise and thankfulness to those of us who are striving to be healthier individuals. Lastly, I want to thank Iva for a great talk a couple weeks ago back at MOPS. Your energy and excitement are truly uplifting, and I am looking forward to getting to you know better!
So instead of my regular TV/Movie/Music quote, I sign off with my own lyrics to the Backstreet Boys song, "I Want it that Weigh (Way)"
"Ain't nothin' but a cheesecake (Tell me why) Ain't nothin' but a juicy steak (Tell me why) I never want the scale to say that I want it that weigh...(Tell me why) Ain't nothin' but a back break (Tell me why) Ain't nothin' but a muscle ache (Tell me why) I never want the scale to say, I want it that weigh...Cuz I will make my goal, someday!"
I am also happy to report that some of my friends, who are on a different program called "Prism," are also doing quite well! Great job, Tina and Beth! Although I don't know Beth's number at this time, I DO know she is looking fantastic, and her clothes are hanging off of her...and Tina...I am so proud of you as well! In only 6 short weeks, you have managed to drop a pretty darn significant number, and you're looking amazing! You are both helping to inspire me; especially because I KNOW what dedication, work, and faith you are putting into your efforts, and that is something to be SO very proud of! :-)
I also want to give a shout out to my bestest buddy, Cindy, who is taking part in a weight loss challenge at CSUF. She is working her butt off with trainers, and I know her hard work will pay off! Thank you for always always always being such an incredible friend, and for helping me strive to be better! :-)
I also want to thank Michelle for being such a great support to me. I am beginning to report my weekly results to her, and she is always there to encourage me, which I REALLY need! Thank you so much! I am here to support you too, and look forward to more workouts together! It helps so much to have that accountability.
To my friend, "Other Marisa," who has also been doing a great job of shedding the pounds in the last couple months: I am amazed at how well you are doing with your online program. Not only have you dropped the weight, but you have done it with fewer guidelines and "rules." That...my friend...is impressive. :-)
This blog is short and simple: a shout out of praise and thankfulness to those of us who are striving to be healthier individuals. Lastly, I want to thank Iva for a great talk a couple weeks ago back at MOPS. Your energy and excitement are truly uplifting, and I am looking forward to getting to you know better!
So instead of my regular TV/Movie/Music quote, I sign off with my own lyrics to the Backstreet Boys song, "I Want it that Weigh (Way)"
"Ain't nothin' but a cheesecake (Tell me why) Ain't nothin' but a juicy steak (Tell me why) I never want the scale to say that I want it that weigh...(Tell me why) Ain't nothin' but a back break (Tell me why) Ain't nothin' but a muscle ache (Tell me why) I never want the scale to say, I want it that weigh...Cuz I will make my goal, someday!"
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