Crooked Eyebrow

Lets see, if I do the math correctly (yes i’m counting on my hand…sheesh)today is the 6th day of my new weight loss journey. 6 days already? really? wow. Most importantly, I still feel really good about it.

Although I haven’t recorded every meal for each day, I did plan out my breakfast, snacks and lunch this week. Planning dinner this week was a bit of a challenge since we were getting things ready for Thanksgiving. There was a night of frozen pizza but I used  some self control in portion sizes( seeing that I didn’t wolf down half a pizza by myself). Not to be outdone by the dinner of cheerios. Yummy right?

I am curious how others thanksgiving dinners went though. Here is mine:

Breakfast: black coffee and lots of it

(no snacks or lunch)

Dinner: @3pm

1small slice of turkey (not a turkey fan but I needed protein)

3/4c of mashed potatoes

1/2c gravy

3/4 c green beans

1/2c stuffing

1 small slice of white cake

2 cups of milk

Late night- 1 Smirnoff Ice beverage

According to WW I used 25 points for the day(my target is 27) and I am completely satisfied with that. Normally I would have consumed 25 points in appetizers alone on thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for me was a dieters success. I managed not to over indulge but yet I still enjoyed everything I like, including cake!

While the eating was under control for these past 6 days, my increase in activity has not been. My goal to do an exercise video each day never did happen. It seems that I have a HUGE problem with doing exercise at home. Every time I get ready to take 30 minutes out for exercising I find that the laundry needs to be done or a child wants to be fed. Excuses…excuses… I know.

So in the next few days I am planning to increase my water intake, plan dinners and find time to increase my activity. (Feel free to send me emails nagging me to exercise, I’ll need it.)

The day is here, Thanksgiving, the day where families sit around and eat. Then a few hours later after our naps we go and eat again. Well I just want to remind everyone that you hold the power. The power of self control.

Before you set out for the day make a plan. Plan your attack on Thanksgiving dinner. Eat what you like and what you enjoy but remember portion control and serving sizes!. For example, a serving size of meat would be about the size of a deck of cards. For more ideas look here.

My plan for the day is to drink plenty of water , not sample everything before dinner and to start my meal off with a big salad. I’m not using a great big plate to eat off of either. I always feel compelled to fill ‘er up(which I don’t want to do this year).  Of course I’m going to try everything that was made, but in small amounts. Once during a weight watchers meeting(one that I actually went to) the woman passed out a plastic knife and gave the advice to “cut” our portions in half and to let the knife be our reminder. For some reason that stuck with me and it has worked.

So with my plan in place I am ready to start enjoying Thanksgiving. From the Crooked Eyebrow family to yours, we wish you a healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

*Don’t forget that our challenge Starts soon! We hope you will join us here at the sisterhood while we are dreaming of a light Christmas. Just email us and grab a button!

“Mom…you look like Rachel Ray. Only you know, bigger”

This said while passing through the aisles of cook books at Borders last night.

Definitely time to lose weight…

Twas the night before the diet, when all through the house

not a person was cooking, not even ordering out…

The lunches were packed sitting in the fridge with care

In hopes that shrinking jeans would soon be near.

Crooked Eyebrow was nestled with her laptop on the couch with care

While visions of ice cream and brownies danced in her head.

in her XXL shirt and fat pants

she had just settled in for a dieting plan.

When out of the kitchen arose a sweet smell

she sprang up to see what was going so well.

Away from the cookies she went out in a flash

and to the cabinet there was a big bash

tonight it will only be water in a glass

for no longer does Crooked Eyebrow want to have a big ass.

*jotted down on the eve of our launch*

When people hope to lose weight, there is usually a big motivator right?  A wedding, to lose baby weight or even a vacation. I have had every single one of those reasons, but yet it for some reason or another I never made it work for me. Now??? I want to change that. I need to change that. After eight years of being “obese” and even having a doctor suggest bariatric surgery, I am ready. Ready for a new chapter of my life to begin.

In 6 short months a new decade beings for me. The big 3-0. Thirty. Twenty-one plus a few. However I  say it, it all remains the same. After years of  shoveling unhealthy food in and sitting on the couch, it’s time for a healthier lifestyle. Crooked Eyebrow does not want to start her thirties off overweight and unhealthy.

With  a motivator set in place, now comes the goal. Sure I could probably go on some extreme weight loss craze and drop all my weight before May but having done that in the past, I know it doesn’t work.  Been there done that and the 10 extra pounds I gained back with it.

Once long ago I weighed a beautiful 135#. Am I ever going to see that again? Nope. For me I think I would feel so much better 50 pounds lighter. That is going by what I think I would feel good at. I did not look up my BMI and I didn’t have a doctor tell me what I “should be at”.  To put it simply, I am setting a goal that I am comfortable with setting for myself.  Am I going to be able to reach that before May? Probably not but knowing that I’m on my way to the 50 pound mark on my 30th birthday will be the best birthday gift I could ever give myself.

Mark it on the calendar folks…

May 31, 2009

I WILL be entering my thirties in a much lighter, healthier and happy way.

It’s been 24 hours since I started to monitor what I eat and how I eat.  You know what the hardest part for me was today? The office at work. Yes, that room where everyone brings donuts and cookies each Monday. Those evil so and so’s. Don’t they know I’m trying to be good here? Nope. So while putting my lunch (slim fast) in the fridge I slid out quickly. Yeah for me! I didn’t touch one single sweet or delicious pastry. Have I told you how much I love Boston creme donuts? NO? Well, I used too…

Another issue I noticed I have is not getting a chance at work to stop and drink water like I should be doing. Since I’m a nurse, majority of the rules for infection control prohibit any food and or beverages in my work area. Makes increasing my water a bit tough no? I can see one goal right now is to get plenty of fluids before and after work.

I work full time out of the home which makes preparing dinners hard(for me anyways). In the week to come I am hoping to plan my meals. But the big problem lies with eating on the go. I eat breakfast running around the house getting everyone ready. At lunch I am usually running errands drinking slim fast and dinner? Well I’m usually last to the dinner table if we do cook. My meals are rushed and in a hurry, trying to get the next thing on my list done. It is my hope that if I plan wisely I can actually sit, digest and not just stuff food in. I’m eating way to fast!

My first day. I’m not always going to type it all here but to begin I need to look back at where I’m going wrong! I wanted to snack so badly tonight, so instead I cleaned. Instead of shoving another piece of halloween candy in my mouth, I swept and mopped floors, did laundry, did dishes and cleaned a bathroom. If I can managed to get past snacking after work for one week I should be right on track. At least I have the first 24 hours done!

Breakfast- 2 frozen waffles, black coffee(about 10 cups)

Lunch- small sierra mist, chicken cobb salad, very little dressing &avoided the blue cheese

(I skipped the planned slim fast  to have lunch with a co-worker, I did choose a salad over normal crap)

Dinner- small bowl rice krispies with 1% milk

If feels great not to have caved. Really good .

Hello, my name is Crooked Eyebrow and I am a overweight, young , married, emotional eating mommy. Did you get all that? I have struggled with my weight since I was a child and unfortunately as an adult as well.

My weight gain as an adult started with the late night studying in nursing school and it just never seemed to stop. Who knew that chugging Mt. Dew and cramming little debbies for lunch for a few years would have that effect? Ha. I thought I would I would beat that whole hereditary (lack of )metabolism. Nope, I was wrong.

Soon after nursing school I fell in love with a foodie. I love my husband. He cooks. He cooks well. He has taught me how good food can taste. Therefore, we have become “foodies” together in this marriage. Before meeting him I had never eaten a steak and soon I was hooked. Putting away a 16oz porterhouse with all the fixings became a routine thing for me. Hello?? Metabolism you still there? NOPE. Just checking.

While my appetite was picking up and the weight was already starting to pack on, low and behold we were having a baby. Eating for two indeed. I gained another 60 pounds by the time JC was born. Now, as I type this I am the exact weight I went to go deliver at. Scary.  8 years later almost exactly to the week I am the same weight. See the problem? though, this time I am not pregnant, just fat.

I’ve done the crazy weight loss quick tricks. I’ve only eaten protein while I treated carbs as my mortal enemy. That fact is I like carbs and I don’t want to give them up. Weight watchers? Been there. While it did work, I made every excuse in the book not for it to work. Although I may not be a meetings type of gal, the system did work.

Looking back now at one of my weight loss stints, the only one that made me feel good and healthy(and on top of the world) was when I was going to a personal trainer who made my diet. You know what the key was? Good food choices with the right proportions and exercise. Lots of it. So during my journey I will most likely take that path. The right food, the right size and the right amount of exercise.

In joining the sisterhood of the shrinking jeans my hope is to (of course shed weight) but to get rid of the emotional baggage that holds me back from succeeding. It’s my goal to encourage others just as their stories will continue to push me to my goal. Together, a sisterhood(+one boy).

That’s my story,what’s yours? Tell us. We would love to know…