Trying to lose weight with new problems

So I am not able to go running right now. It is so hard for me to not be able to work out. It has become such a huge brain cleanser for me. So while I am unable to run, I am trying to come up with other ways to continue losing weight.
 Right now, I am really working on my calorie counting. But it seems to be the only thing that I can think of to do. I need some suggestions!
 Please help me out with some ideas I can do while my wrist is broken.

Sweet Rewards

I have been taking the 'reward' strategy to a new level. Not only do I earn money by working out, but also for resisting sweets. I decided that if I crave or am offered a sweet and I deny myself of said sweet, I instantly earn  $.50. I reasoned that this was a fair amount for a candy bar costs at least that much. That way, I am given the added strength to resist the sweets and earn a reward in return.

Go ahead, try it. Let me know if the lure of money or the lure of chocolate wins out.

Small Battles Win the War- From Jessica Williams

When I started this "Battle of the Bulge" (meaning my bulge) then I visions of myself losing pound after pound each week until magically (without cravings or exercising) I would be the slim size 6 that I want to be. Then reality hit with the battle really beginning with my first craving for a cookie. I lost that battle. But I realized after my first day that if I really want to change how I look, for good this time instead of doing the fad diet and looking good for a little while only to gain it all back with friends,  then I have to change my attitude and approach to how I am attacking this (or my battle plan). Some days it feels like a battle, I force myself to go running (which I hate), I force myself to limit my calorie intake (which is not nearly as fun as eating whatever I want) and I force myself to pay attention to what I am eating (instead of blissful ignorance where I can pretend that I didn't just eat that entire batch of cookies by myself). Every day that I failed to either exercise like I thought I should or ate more calories that I should I would beat myself up about it. Getting discouraged by the way I wasn't losing weight and upset at myself for my perceived failures. But I kept at it, some weeks I had more good days then bad days and some weeks I had more bad days then good days. There were weeks when I only exercised once during that entire week but I  never abandoned the battle completely.

Last week I had an epiphany, I went dress shopping and I realized that I have dropped two dress sizes since I started the fight, from a 12 to a 10 and I realized I needed to approach this battle differently. Winston Churchill said, "Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." I need to stop beating myself up for every time I fail and start paying attention to when I succeed. Also, as long as I am having more good days then bad days then I am going to see results. This doesn't mean on my bad days I can let myself eat an entire batch of cookies by myself but that I try my best. Obviously, I am not going to lose as quickly as I want (which in reality is being a size 8 tomorrow) but I am going to get there. Benjamin Disraeli said, "Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure."  So I am going to keep trying and hopefully by the time bathing suit weather gets here I will be down another two dress sizes. Even if I haven't dropped that much I will count it success if I don't gain the weight back. So be happy with the small victories and focus on your success instead of your failures and eventually you will get to where you want to be.

Our First Guest Blogger! Jessica Williams!

Jessica is going to help me with some posts while my wrist is healing. I appreciate her doing this for me!

Gazelle vs. Duck or Why I Run

When Jocee and I first spoke about doing this weight loss journey together (by together I mean each of us trying to out do the other because that is how we are) I decided that I would run as my exercise of choice. I had visions of myself gracefully running into a slimmer body. I had seen the other women, we will call them gazelles, effortlessly running down the road, their long legs eating up the distance and barely breaking a sweat. I spoke with some of these woman and was told once you get past the pain of the first couple of weeks I would love running and find it as easy to do as them. Little did we all know that they were talking to me, we'll call me a duck. What is the difference between a duck and a gazelle you ask?! Well, a gazelle runs gracefully without much trouble, a gazelles concerns are with how fast they are running a mile, can they train adequately for the next marathon they are planning on entering, other such lofty goals as that. A duck is concerned with actually running. It is a painful thing to watch, it looks unnatural, there are arms/wings moving in ways that nature did not intend and a lot of strange noises that come from the duck while actually running. A duck is more concerned with the fact that they actually ran, forget about how fast it is all about actually performing the painful process. I am a duck. I have been running now since January, my face turns beet red within 5 seconds of me starting, my body moves in painful ways and I pant like a dog in the middle of summer.

About two weeks ago, after being passed by a couple of gazelles on my run I started to get discouraged but then I reminded myself of why I really chose running as my exercise regime. While I did have delusions of gazelle grandeur I really started running for more practical reasons. Like many of you I have a hard time scheduling in exercise time. I understand how important it is and how I feel better about myself and my life when I am exercising regularly but I don't enjoy, I never have. But if I am going to do the dreaded deed (and trust me it is dreaded) then I am going to burn as many calories as I can in the shortest amount of time, which unfortunately is running. Another reason I chose running because I am a full-time law student who spend approximately 110 hours per week sitting down either studying or attending class. I decided I needed some kind of exercise that would get me outside for a little while, running does that because I can't stand running on a treadmill. Finally, I chose to run because I needed a forced time to just be. I am constantly reading and studying for school, when I am not doing school work I am reading and writing for my website which leaves very little time for me to mentally process things. Don't get me wrong, I love to read and voluntarily spend so much time doing so but I realized that I never just stop and let my mind wander. Running forces me, at least for a little while, to stop focusing on other things and just let my mind wander. I do listen to music as a run but more as a beat motivator to get me to run faster and consistently then to keep my mind focused on the music.

Despite the fact that I will never be a gazelle, and I hate running, I will continue my running goals and highly recommend them to anyone else who is in the same position I am in regarding time and time spent outdoors.

Finding the Extra Boost

I find that some nights I look down and take a good hard look at my fat rolls. At times like this, when I am caught home alone, I am tempted to hold tight to thoughts of self pity and depression. These thoughts would lead to no exercise, and the inhalation of lots of sweets and fatty foods. Obviously, this will not do if I want to get rid of those fat rolls.

So what helps me? Honestly, the simple quarter method I outlined previously. How does this help? Well, if I think about it, I will receive more benefits from working out (i.e. Ipod Touch and vanquishing the fat rolls) than from sitting in mode of loathing myself and gaining more weight that I will need to work off  later. Plus, I would be loosing money that I want to use for an Ipod Touch.

I find this is the 'extra' boost I need to get me going and keeping strong. What do you do for that 'extra' boost? My husband plays video games when he works out - that certainly gets him going! Does a routine keep you strict to a schedule or do you have rewards for yourself or am I missing out on a method you use?

I liked this article from Calorie Count

What to Choose if You Want to Lose

By elisazied on Feb 10, 2011 03:00 AM in Dieting & You

By Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN

You know that eating less is easier said than done. If losing weight were really that easy, 68 percent of American adults wouldn’t be overweight or obese, and we wouldn’t, on average, gain one pound a year between the ages of 20 and 60.  So, how can you lose weight - or at least, prevent weight gain - without feeling deprived and unsatisfied? Instead of focusing on what to eat less of – focus on what to eat more of! 

Instead of focusing on particular foods to avoid, think in terms what you should eat and about following a diet rich in a wide variety of healthy foods.  A healthy nutritious diet can help you feel satisfied (instead of deprived) and feeling satisfied makes it easier to manage your weight for life.

Here are some foods and food groups that were recommended in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans based on the latest scientific evidence about food and nutrition and what to do to reduce overweight and obesity and the risk of chronic diseases.

Fill Up on Produce

• The evidence shows that adults who eat more fruits and vegetables seem to be protected against weight gain.  Consuming fruits and veggies may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke) and protect against some cancers. 
• The current recommendation for most is 3.5 to 4.5 cups a day of fruits and vegetables combined.  That’s 1.5 cups of fruit and 2 to 2.5 cups of vegetables for a 1,600 to 2,000 calorie dietary pattern (which is appropriate for most women.) 
• Aim for at least ½ cup of fruits or vegetables every time you eat, and mix up choices to get different tastes and combinations of nutrients and powerful plant chemicals.

Get More Whole Grains

• The evidence shows adults who eat more high-fiber whole grains weigh less than those who eat fewer whole grains.  Consuming whole grains may also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
• The current recommendation is 5 to 6 1-ounce servings a day of grains, with at least half as whole grains.  (A 1-ounce serving equals about ½ cup pasta or rice, 1 slice of bread, or 1 cup flaky cereal.)
• Unfortunately, Americans don’t eat enough whole grains.  In one day, they average only one serving of whole grains and about 7 servings of refined grains.
• Eat twice as many whole grains as refined grains.  Replace refined grains (white bread, enriched grain cereals, crackers, and pasta, and white rice) with whole grains (whole wheat pasta, bread, crackers, oatmeal, brown rice, and others) often.

Milk Your Diet

• The evidence links a higher intake of milk and milk products with improved bone health, especially in children and adolescents.  Consuming milk is also linked to lower blood pressure and reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
• The dietary guidelines recommend 3 cups a day – or 3 1-cup equivalents - of low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products.  A 1-cup equivalent is 1 cup of milk or yogurt, 1.5 ounces of processed cheese, or 2 ounces of hard cheese.
• Add one more cup of low-fat or fat-free milk every day, rounding out your intake with yogurt and/or cheese.  You can have milk straight up, easily add it to oatmeal or a smoothie, or pour in your coffee.  Most of us get only 1 serving of milk a day instead of the 3 servings we need. 

Power Up with Protein

• The new dietary guidelines count “protein foods” as:  seafood (fish and shellfish), meat, poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products, nuts, and seeds.
• Consuming more protein won’t magically help you lose weight.  In the short run, high-protein, low-calorie diets promote greater weight loss, when compared to low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diets, but after one year there is little difference in total weight loss between the two.  Protein is important to consume when cutting calories because it can help reduce the loss of lean muscle tissue that accompanies weight loss and it can fill you up to prevent wide swings in energy and blood sugar levels.
• The dietary guidelines recommend around 5 ounces a day.  They also recommend weekly totals for seafood (8 ounces); meat, poultry and eggs (24 and 26 ounces, respectively); and nuts, seeds and soy products (4 ounces).
• Incorporate some protein-rich food into each meal and snack.  To save calories and minimize saturated fat, choose the leanest meat options such as skinless, white meat chicken, and sirloin instead of prime rib.

Accidents happen and make posts hard to keep up on!

Well, as I was out doing my running on Thursday, I managed to find probably the only ice in Henderson! Four hours later, three very cranky and hungry kids, and one very exhausted husband (he'd been up for almost 24 hours a this time), I found out I had one broken wrist. I went in today and they put on a very pretty pink cast (color was chosen by my kids)! The good news... it is my left wrist that I broke and I don't have yo have surgery (at this time)... the bad news.... I have 6 weeks of this and I have found that there are a lot of things that require both hands!
 I will try to keep up with my blog, but they wont be very long since I can't "hunt and peck" very well. Hope all is well and I'll try to get a picture of my cast.

Traveling

I have found that I am quite consistent at working out at home, but when visiting and traveling I am horrid with a schedule. I have found a work out in dancing, chasing, and lifting my niece and nephews. Maybe that counts. What do you think? What do you do for exercise when you are on vacation?