Forgot ...

I forgot to tell some very exciting news yesterday!! So I weighed in and I have now officially lost 30lbs!!! I'm so happy. Another 30 and I'll be in ONEderland. I can't wait to never see a 2 on the scale ever again. Still a ways away but I'll get there!
I brought food with me to work today so I'm hoping for a success. I am going to a birthday party tonight though, hopefully the food options there are reasonable so I don't end the day horribly. I made two dozen cupcakes for it last night though and didn't have one (I did have frosting though.. I'll admit it). But I am proud. There were even three extra that didn't fit in the tray I'm brining over and instead of leaving them for me to eat I rearranged to MAKE them fit.
Well wish me luck for tonight!!! I'll keep you posted on how it goes :)

Also I asked if anyone uses a heart rate monitor a while back but didn't get responses back on that post.. so I'm going to ask again just in case it was missed. And if no one uses them I'll have to figure something else out! Lol. Do you use a heart rate monitor? What kind? What do you think about it?

Have an awesome day!!

Doing alright

So I havent been 100% on plan, but havent been doing horrible either. Ever since one slip up last week I havent been able to completely get my head in the game. I've been good at drinking my water and eating fruit... but I have been really snacky. This is going to be a quick post bc I am on my phone and hate posting through here. I have been reading all of your blogs which is probably the only reason I havent complely gone off the deep end! You all inspire me. I will get back in this full force; I need to. Especially my exercise.. I've totally been slacking on that. I'll keep you posted

<3 Tamara

Lost

So I'm totally not with it. I'm slacking on my posts and slacking everywhere else too. Saturday's weigh-in was 229.4, but the twenties were short lived. The only reason I saw it in the first place is because I wasn't feeling well the night before and practically skipped dinner. Since then it's been horrible. My eating an exercise is not happening the way it should. Monday I went to a family party and was completely off. I didn't eat a lot but I didn't eat the right things. The worst part is I didn't track anything. I need to get my head in the game. I can't just give up, yet that's what I'm feeling. Now to hit my goal I need to average 3lbs a week. That's rough because the lower I fall the harder that 3lb loss will be. I am trying to stay positive and will do the best I can from here on out regardless what the scale says. So far today I've had a fiber one 90 calorie bar and lots of water. Once I feed and get the boys down for their nap I will make myself a big bowl of oatmeal and have already planned tuna for my meal after that. I'm only drinking water. And a lot of it. And will chew gum while feeding the boys so I can't munch on their food. No slip ups. I will get back in this race now. No waiting and no complaining. I wont see good news on the scale unless I work for it.
How do you all jump back on track after a few trying days? I need all the help and support possible, if you have any advice!
Thanks!
Xo Tamara

I need to get with the program..

I need to get my head back in the game. I've been absent, kind of.. I have google reader on my phone so I am up to date with all the blogs I follow, but I haven't been on to post myself. I have felt so out of it the last few days.. I don't feel the motivation I felt in the first couple weeks. My eating hasn't been great, neither has my working out. I have been eating within calories, but I feel like most of what I'm eating are empty calories. It's like I have one real meal and the rest is just snacking, therefore I always feel hungry. I feel guilty admitting things like this! I feel like even though I'm within my calories I'm still failing. I know I need to make my calories worth it, I need my proteins and good carbs.. I need to get full with the right foods. So tomorrow I have my weekly weigh in, and hopefully I'll report good news about my eating. I am off to an alright start, I've had water and a big bowl of fruit for breakfast.
Wish me luck!!

Quick Post

I am absolutely exhausted so this will be quick.
Saturday's weigh in I was down 1.6lbs ... after a rough week I expected that. Thankfully I had a loss though. I am very grateful for that!!
I had a doctors appt on Friday and I was told to up my calories by 300. I'm stressed about this a little because I really don't want this to jeopardize my weight loss, but I don't want under eating to jeopardize my health so I am definitely going to give it a go. Because of my goal for a 2.5lb a week loss, I might play around with my calories if increasing them by 300 isn't pretty on the scale. We'll see! (I'll keep you posted on how it goes)
I'm going to bed because the yawns won't stop.. I'll be a better blogger on more sleep!
Hope you all had a great weekend!

Ohhh Elliptical...

So my main source of cardio exercise is the elliptical. I use them at my gym and the people I work for also have one (yay for being able to work out while working 13hr shifts!). But I have a dilemma with them.. the effin' heart monitors/ calorie counters are driving me CRAZYYYYY!!!
Do you all have the same problems with the inconsistencies? Depending on the machine I can range anywhere from 140-170bpm in the middle of the same intensity workout. I understand that the one at the house vs the ones at the gym are different. The quality is completely different, it's a different brand etc.. But the same things happens with the machines at the gym. They are the same make and model, yet I'm getting completely different figures. Like I said the heart rate range is way off but so are the calories. It annoys the hell out of me!
Because of this I've been contemplating getting a heart rate monitor watch that can track calories as well. Does anyone have one? Are they accurate? Do you like it?
I've been doing research but the reviews are SO up and down.. therefore I'd really like to hear some info firsthand before dumping that kind of money on something, so let me know! Thanks
Um, I've weighed myself. Sorry, I'm addicted and really don't know how to stop. I know I need to because that weekly number is so much better than the daily ones that drive me crazy, but I like to stay on track. Obviously if I go up two days in a row I'm doing something wrong.. and I'd like to know that. So I'm back down a pound from my last weigh in, which unfortunately was my weight on Sunday. But I'm back, at least the scale has been moving in the right direction. I HATE up!
I need to admit I've been slacking on water and vegetables. We really need to clean out our refrigerator and make a trip to the grocery store so I have no more excuses. So that's what I'm working on: Water, veggies, and no slip ups (even if they are small)!
I have two more days until next weigh in so I have lots of work if I want to hit that 2.5 which turned into 5 after gaining!! I can and WILL do this!!
<3

i want to quit..

Days like today I want to quit.
I gained ANOTHER pound when I got on the scale this morning, which means in three days I've lost one and gained THREE? How is this possible. I know my food selections weren't great but I was still under calories and have had 3 good cardio sessions... so what the hell?
I don't want to seem like a downer but this is very depressing. I now have to lose two pounds just to get to where I was. I am stressed at losing 2 pounds in general.. I don't want to add another two to that total to fix mistakes. I haven't been toning so it is doubtful it's muscle.
Any ideas?
I need all the help I can get right now. This mindset needs to change pronto because I try to be so positive throughout this process.
Hopefully I will be chipper next post.

XO Tamara