Tuesday, January 31, 2012

:)

I did it; I stuck to my guns…thanks Kayla for the encouragement! You know what, I woke up feeling so much better and relieved that I held on to my determination. I did an awesome power walk just now during my lunch break and I felt amazing. I am going to remember this day next time I have a hard day. I ate some Special K with a banana for breakfast this morning, snacked on an apple, and made myself a pepper turkey and cheddar whole grain wrap with romaine lettuce for lunch. I am really getting used to choosing healthier meals and a nice side effect is that my skin is looking really nice lately.

It feels nice to tough it out even when you feel weak. I feel more empowered :)

Monday, January 30, 2012

Happy Monday!

It was a great weekend, too short! The weather was little mild so we were able to enjoy it. On Saturday, I met up with my sister to take the little one to the park and to lunch. We went to Outback Steakhouse because our cousin was working there that day, and I was able to find healthy choices. I skipped the bread, had a garden salad and a 6oz grilled steak with broccoli. Vastly different from what I would’ve normally ordered, and I enjoyed it a lot! Yesterday, J and I ran some errands with the baby, and we stopped at Wendy’s to eat because the baby loves the baked potato there. I ordered a half salad and a grilled chicken wrap. Yummy!

My sister gave me two workout DVDs, they are the “walk at home” ones by Leslie Sansone. I used to love doing her workouts when they were on-demand through my cable, so I was very happy to take them. I did my power walk during lunch, but I want to do one of the tapes this evening with some strength training.

For some reason today has been a harder day for me in terms of cravings and feeling tired. I am pushing through it because I know it’s because we all didn’t get much sleep last night because my son kept getting up. I am sticking with my healthy choices and getting through the day because I know tomorrow is another day and I will be all the more proud for sticking to my guns. I know not every day will be easy, and on the days that you have LESS motivation—you need MORE determination. That is what will take you to where you need to go.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Done deal

So, this morning I was able to pay off our Disney trip in full, thanks to my tax refund! Woot-woot, it's really happening party people! I actually cried when I did it, J asked why and I was like: "It's been 13 YEARS since my last vacation! I thought this day would never come!" LOL

Also, I pre-paid for the Disney photopass CD! I am really excited about that!

{Still can't believe it's really happening!}

Friday, January 27, 2012

A typical day at work {food edition}







So this was what I ate at work today. Honey Nut Cheerios cup with 1% milk, apple for snack, 1/4 roasted chicken {I took the skin off before eating} and salad, and apple for snack. For dinner, I usually eat at my MIL's house {steak, chicken or a pork chop with a small serving of rice & beans, and veggies}. I don't usually snack at night because I am still full from dinner, but I always have a cup of herbal tea before going to bed.

That's it! Nothing drastic or extraordinary, just healthy food all in all! Plus lots of water, and I'm good to go. :)

I'm down 8.5!

Reasons {because there are many}

I started this blog because of my desire to lose 100 pounds by the time I go to WDW on 10/27 but Disney World is not the only reason why I want to lose weight. Booking the trip was the catalyst for me to step up and get it done. While it is one of the major reasons, if not the most major, there are many different reasons why I want to do this.

For my health—Despite being overweight for the past few years, up until recently I didn’t feel bad, health wise. For a while now, I have been feeling achy, full of heart burn and indigestion, breathless, lethargic and in pain. I am only 32 years old! I may feel old, but I certainly should not be feeling that way at this age! Since starting this up last Tuesday, I have noticed a HUGE change in many ways! I am not breathless, only sore after a good workout, no more heart burn, tons more energy.

For my spirit—I have been so down and blue, and of course much of that is from grieving the loss of my mom, but I was feeling down before that. When I would get in a funk, it would affect my whole world. I wouldn’t be as social with family and friends, plus J and I would fight a lot more because I was so touchy. Now, I am in such a good mood and am positive overall, and that is trickling down to my work life, home life and social life.

For my closet—Oh boy, if you could see the bins of clothes from sizes 16 down to 4 just waiting for me {the sizes I have been throughout the years}. Many with tags. I could open up a boutique in my living room! I have been wearing the same shabby clothes for a while now because I’ve refused to buy new ones. So I’ve been in a total fashion slump, and that is not like me! I used to LOVE to wear pretty sundresses, cute skirts, nice tops, beautiful shoes. I haven’t been able to wear my strappy heels in so long because it hurts when I do, being so overweight. I need to feel like MYSELF again!!

For my relationship—As mentioned above, J and I used to fight a lot more frequently because of my depression. My weight was a huge factor IN my depression. When we met, I was a size 10, very cute & healthy…and happy! I am a very positive and optimistic person in general, so the change in my personality was very sad. We are getting back to the way we used to relate to each other, because I am much happier already.

For my son—I have SO many plans for him this spring and summer. I want to take him to the park all the time, to the zoo, aquarium, amusement parks like Six Flags and Sesame Place, the farm, mini road trips. All the while being able to run after him because he is a FAST little man! I don’t want to feel dragged down by my weight, I want to feel energetic and healthy. Aside from that, I want to be a good example and role model from him. I want him to learn to be active and healthy at a young age so hopefully he won’t go through what I have been going through. And lastly, being happier with myself makes me a happier mommy, and what could be better??

I am going to do another post later on with pictures of what I typically eat at work! :)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Finding a routine

So, I’m 9 days in and I lost 7 pounds so far. I am very happy with that! I have 37.5 pounds to go before I hit Onederland, I can’t wait to get there. I have been in the 200’s since 2009, and I am ready to leave, people!

I have to tell you, when I went for my lunchtime walk yesterday I felt a huge difference, power wise. I was able to walk much faster, and for longer without feeling pain. It is only a little over a week and I am seeing a difference with my stamina. I want to buy some cardio dance DVD’s to workout at home with so I can get an even better burn at night. I probably have to wait for my next check in two weeks because this is my “rent check”, but I am going to start browsing to see which ones look fun. I would love to get Zumba! I have a pair of 3 pound free weights at home that I need to find, they’ve gone missing since we moved to my apartment but they’re around somewhere!

This weekend I will start a strength training routine for myself to do at night, and I am going to start doing abdominal crunches and squats & lunges as well. I know it will help me to firm up some more—and I could use that! :)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Baptism

So, it’s time for J and I to start planning our son’s Baptism! We are planning on doing it in June, and we need to plan early because J’s brother is our little one’s Godfather and he lives in Florida, so he needs extra advance notice to make arrangements. He wasn’t able to come sooner, so we’ve had to hold off on it until this year. The reception will be an intimate party at a catering hall with about 25 people, just family and best friends.

I really, really, REALLY want to be a size 14 by then. I want to look nice for that day. We had a big party in a hall for his 1st birthday, and I was so sad when I saw the pictures of the day, I was embarrassed by how big and out of shape I looked. It was a beautiful party and I enjoyed it so much, but when I look at the pics I try not to look at my own. How sad is that??

That is why I am working very hard to reach my mini goal of being a size 14 by June. I won’t be at my ultimate goal of course, but I will feel so much better about myself! His Baptism will be so special and meaningful for me and I want to cherish the memories!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Blast from the past





WDW 1996!

I'm in the white dress in both pics, I was only 16 back then, such a baby! I barely have any pics from that trip...Can't wait to go back to Disney and make more memories :)

This shall be mine!




Ahhhhhhhhh! Dooney & Bourke will be offering a new Disney print! I loveeee it!!

Hmmm, maybe this will be my other gift to myself at WDW??

I need this one in the tote! :)

First week completed :)

I completed my first week, and I am very proud of myself! I have been improving myself each day {mind, body & spirit} and I am so happy that I made the decision to change. I weighed myself this morning, and my weight has stayed the same for three days, but I am not discouraged at all. Yesterday was my best day yet in terms of healthy choices plus exercise. I think that because I lost weight so rapidly the first few days, my body is now like—whoa—what’s going on?! LOL I know that I will see a loss very soon, and I am excited for it.

My clothes are already getting looser, and J sees a difference. She said she can’t wait until she sees me wearing my cute clothes and heels again like I used to. My mini goal is to get back into my size 14 jeans that are waiting for me, I think I can by this May! I am hunkering down this winter and working hard so I will feel much better about myself this spring.

Although I am very chipper and happy, make no mistake, it hasn’t been always easy this week. I went through a few rough days at work, so it was almost a battle with myself at some point to keep on my game. That’s where hot cups of herbal tea came into play. When I was hungry and craving something at night, I made some chamomile or cinnamon apple tea, and I felt much better. I just don’t want to give the wrong impression about my journey, it hasn’t been without some sort of internal struggle. But I am even happier BECAUSE I pushed through it. That makes me even more positive, because I know I CAN do it.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Chug, chug, chugging along!

Happy Monday! Today was a very productive day all around for me, got so much work done, got in lots of activity, ate really well, drank lots of water, and I just feel good! Tomorrow will make one week since I started making changes, and I have lost 5.5 pounds so far. My mood has been elevated tremendously. This is just a quickie because I have to get back to the little one, but just wanted to check in!

PS--Thank GOD for Lipton herbal tea!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Balance

I'm enjoying this "lazy" Sunday as much as I can, because my work week is very busy and on the go. My boy actually slept until 10 am which is unheard of, so I got to sleep late for the first time in a long time! Yesterday was a great day, we had our first snow of the winter so we stayed in, but I had a blast playing with my little one and just bonding.

This morning, J surprised me with breakfast, pancakes and turkey bacon. I was happy that she made me the beautiful meal, but I didn't want to break my "diet" by eating a big plate. I ate one small pancake and two strips of turkey bacon. What is working for me is to not deprive myself of certain foods completely because I feel I am setting myself up for failure in the long run. Instead of the three pancakes and four strips of turkey bacon, I just ate a small portion and was full from it.

I want to make changes for life, not just changes until I reach my goal. I am learning that I don't have to say no to everything, I just have to eat in moderation and within reason, while balancing out my meals with plenty of healthy choices. That is how I envision myself carrying this out for the long run.

For lunch, I made myself a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and tomatoes and mustard. That is what I call balance.

We have family coming over for dinner, and I just finished up the salad. It made me think of how excited I am for the summer to come, and I'm looking forward to our BBQs. I plan on making them healthier, with options like turkey burgers, grilled veggies and fruit salad. Healthy doesn't have to be boring! I am so looking forward to enjoying the summer at a much healthier weight and in shape! Bring on the tank tops!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Bad day

So I had a really bad day at work. Probably the worst I've had in the almost 7 years that I've worked there.

When I went home, I ate.....

Hardboiled eggs.

Then made some chamomile tea.

I didn't order pizza or fast food out of stress and frustration.

I'm getting there, little by little. These are the small victories that are actually the most important ones in the long run.

PS--Thanks for all the positive encouragement Kayla! I wish you had a blog so I could reciprocate, but since you don't, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate it! :)

Energizer Bunny for the night!

I’ve said that I’m not following a strict diet or joining a gym, but I have to have SOME sort of plan in order to lose 100 pounds, right? Right. It’s not just going to happen by dreaming, there has to be some DOING.

Here’s what I’m doing. During my lunch break at work, I put on my headphones and walk briskly around the neighborhood for almost an hour. I love it because mentally I can zone out, listen to music, get the endorphins going and mentally check out of my office. When I come back, I feel like a different person. I have been doing this before I committed myself to losing the weight, and it just feels good. Sometimes at home, I blast music and dance while my little one is playing. He giggles and smiles watching me, and I feel super silly, but it transports me back to the good ole clubbing days of my early twenties. I used to go out dancing at least twice a week, so I was in great shape back then!

As far as eating goes, I am not doing anything drastic. I eat a light breakfast of an egg white wrap, cereal or oatmeal. Lunch is a sandwich or a lean cuisine type meal. I drink mostly water, tea and seltzer. Dinner is usually what my partner’s mother cooks because she babysits our son while we work and she makes dinner most days. She is Puerto Rican, so her food is not always the healthiest {rice & beans}, so I will only have a small portion of it. If I cook dinner myself, I will make chicken breast, sweet potatoes, salad, etc.

What I need to be doing:

1. Strength training. Gotta tighten up everything!
2. Drinking more water.
3. Eating more fruits and vegetables.

I’m already getting more energy, it’s awesome. After I left work, I picked up the baby, went home, gave him a bath, washed the dishes and bottles, fed the dog and my two parakeets, straightened up and vacuumed—all in one hour! I felt like a domestic goddess at that moment! LOL

3 days in, 4 pounds down, 96 pounds to go! Wouldn’t it be nice to lose weight at this rate all the time? I know it will slow down, but I’m in it for the long haul!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Pick-a-Pearl in Epcot

Yay, I got my first comments! Woot-woot! Thanks girls!

So, I am definitely doing the Pick-a-Pearl from Epcot in the Japan pavilion on our trip. I’ve read about it on the DIS boards, and it looks like so much fun! I love pearls, so this experience is right up my alley, in fact I am wearing a pearl pendant right now. I want to have my son pick out an oyster, I will always treasure wearing a pearl handpicked by my baby boy! I think it’s going to be so much fun picking out the perfect setting to go along with the pearl because it will be my birthday gift to myself AND my reward for losing 100 pounds {cause I’m going to do it!} so I want it to be special!

I’m a full-fledged girly girl, and proud of it. But in my family of three, I’m the only one into pink, Disney Princesses and all things girly. That’s okay, I kind of like being the only Queen of the house! In preparation for our trip, I ordered two Disney Dooney & Bourke bags from the Disney Store! I ordered the blue Erica bag and the pink Sketch crossbody, they had an awesome sale, plus 30% off the sale price and free shipping that day. That is pretty much the only reason I ordered them because I never really spend on myself anymore. It’s the “Mommy Guilt”. Anytime I have some extra cash it goes to things for the little one, but I haven’t bought anything special for myself since before he was born so I took the plunge while the price was right. I am especially excited over the crossbody which I will wear for the parks. Easy to carry, and cute! Disney & Dooney…what a great combination! Be still my heart!

I’m down 3 pounds so far! I know my weight won’t be coming off so quickly soon, so I am enjoying it while it does!

I had a mini revelation. When I am on a journey to get fit and healthy, I am happy. When I am not, I am not happy.

That’s it, that my revelation.

Why the heck has it been so hard, then? If all signs point to happiness by doing the right thing for myself, why have I been hindering and holding myself back?

I am just two days in, and my energy level and mood has lifted tremendously. I know it’s because I am in the beginning stage and it’s easier to be all hoo-rah about it. I know that in this journey, I am going to have my bad days. But there’s comes a point when you need to make a choice. When you see the fork in the road, and two directions to take, take the road less traveled. I’ve been down the other road before, countless times. It’s never the right direction to take; it will never take me to where I want to go. But I just kept taking the same darn road.

If I feel this good only two days in, how good will I feel 20 days in, 200 days in?

Someone wrote on their blog a post about not thinking of your goal weight as the end of the journey, think of it as the starting point. I love that concept. When I get to my goal, I can’t think that my work is complete because my journey will just be beginning.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

A little background info:

I’m Mina (nickname of mine), I’m 32 and from Queens, NYC. I’ve been with my partner J for almost 9 years and we have a 14 month old son. I haven’t always been this overweight. I was kind of chubby as a kid, lost all the baby fat in my teens, became a cheerleader and worked at a gym. I was in the best shape of my life, and was very athletic and healthy. After I met J, I started gaining some “happy” weight, but then we went through a lot with losing loved ones, employment issues with the recession, having to move a few times, etc. Things became so tough and I started eating more out of stress. Last May, I lost my 50 year old mom to cancer, only three weeks after she was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. I was with my mom when she passed away, and it was the most traumatic experience I have ever been through. My mom was my best friend. The next few months after she died were a blur to me. My baby was only 6 months old when she passed, and while it was so hard to take care of him while grieving & felt like I didn’t get a chance to mourn at the time, but he was my angel. He gave me a reason to keep going, and put a smile on my face during my worst days.

Today makes 8 months since she passed away, and I am starting to feel like phoenix rising through the ashes. While I will ALWAYS miss her, I know that I will see her again one day, and that makes me feel better. I know she is watching over me, and I want to make her proud of me. She loved her grandson SO much, and I know she would want me to be healthy and happy in order to be the best mommy I can for him. I resolved to have more fun this year with my family, to make wonderful memories. The day I made that resolution, I booked our trip to WDW. I haven’t been there since 1996, and wanted to go back for so long. J and I have never had a vacation together, and of course this our first trip as a family. Getting excited for the trip has given me the motivation to lose 100 pounds for it! I want to enjoy this long-awaited trip as much as possible, and I know getting in shape will help me do just that.

This morning I weighed myself and already lost a pound and a half since yesterday! Off to a great start!

There is a mantra that I came across this morning by someone who lost almost 100 pounds, she tells herself: "Surprise yourself". I like that. I am going to keep telling myself when I don't feel too into it to surprise myself by how far I can go.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Goals to strive for...

My goals for WDW:

1. Be able to walk around ALL.DAY.LONG without my feet hurting!
2. Have tons of energy to run around AND keep up with my active toddler.
3. Be able to wear all the cute clothes in my closet, and feel comfortable in my own skin.
4. Take our family Christmas card picture there!

We're going to Walt Disney World! :)

So my blog title says it all, I am looking to lose 100 pounds by the time I go to WDW! We are going the week of Halloween, and we are also celebrating my son's 2nd birthday and my birthday. My starting weight is 244, and I am going to work very hard to get down to 144 by October 27th.

I am not following a strict diet plan. I'm not joining a gym. I am using what I call the "common sense diet". Less fat, healthier eating overall, and more activity. I refuse to stress or obsess over this. I am going to work hard to keep my motivation up, but I don't want it to rule my life. Shoot, with a 14 month old at home, I don't have TIME for it to rule my life! I want to make changes NOW that will last me forever.

This isn't going to be an easy journey for me. I am coming off of a very hard time in my life, becoming a new mommy and also losing my own mother way too soon. But all I want is to be healthy and happy, and live my life to the fullest. I dream about it all the time,but have not made the changes I need to make yet.

So here are our plans! We are staying at the Pop Century resort because I was set on our first trip to be at a WDW resort. I plan on booking free dining if it becomes available during that time frame, which historically it has been. Our son will be turning two when we arrive, so I plan on making his birthday extra special! I am not going to book many ADRs, but I want to book a character breakfast and dinner, and have dinner at T-Rex because I think my son will love it! I am so excited for our trip, and while I know we will have to expect the unexpected with having a toddler, I am ready for it! I hope this is the first of many trips to WDW in our future. 

Alright, here we go, the journey begins today!