Weigh-In Wednesday

#20

(Okay, so the fonts and spacing are all weird in this post for some reason and I can't figure out how to fix it. Sorry in advance.)

It's been a while since I have actually checked in about how my progress is going.  Honestly, I waver between wanting to post each week because of the accountability that it gives me and not wanting to post because sometimes it feels a little self-centered and redundant. I know that a lot of people lose weight all the time.  And many are doing a better job than I am. I'm still trying to figure this whole thing out and still battling habits that I formed in my early years. Most days, I am right on track and eat the foods that I am supposed to. But some days, I really struggle. It's easier for me to pick up a boxed pizza rather than prepare baked chicken, broccoli, and fruit. It is second nature to me to grab a pre-packaged brownie and it's much harder for me to choose a healthy snack like almonds. Even after a few months, I still feel like I am reconditioning my brain to make healthy choices. This summer, with the kids being home, it has been even more difficult for a routine of working out and making healthy food choices since we have been on the go a lot more. But, I am not giving up.  

Recently, I tried Shakeology for the first time. It's a meal replacement shake with lots of nutrients and vitamins. I only ordered a sample pack to see if I would like it. So far, I have had the strawberry and the chocolate. I like the chocolate the best.  Not sure if I will order more, but giving it a go for now.

I really enjoy working out, but the nutrition side of things is hard for me.  I have been really frustrated in the previous weeks because my weight loss went from steady to hardly anything with me not changing my eating habits. For example, here is what a day's worth of meals typically looks like for me.

Breakfast: Two eggs, scrambled. Two pieces of turkey bacon, 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese (I put on eggs), and 1/2 cup blueberries. water with lemon and coffee with 1 tbsp creamer and one packet of stevia,

Lunch: grilled chicken tenderloin, 1/2 baked sweet potato with cinnamon honey butter, and a salad.

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology made with 1 tbsp of peanut butter and one cup of unsweetened coconut milk.

Dinner: Same as lunch but with broccoli instead of salad.

If I need another snack: 1/2 apple with 1 tbsp of almond butter or packet of almonds

I have been really frustrated not seeing the scale move down even when I am eating healthy. (Granted, I have been a little more lax in the last month, but not completely going wayward at all.) So yesterday, I talked with a nutritionist who is going to take a week to watch my food entries on My Fitness Pal and come up with a plan for me and see what I have possibly been doing wrong. (I am Amandore on MFP if you want to add me and we can cheer each other on!) Last night, when I got finished logging in all of my calories and fitness for the day, I checked my weekly summary of my food intake. I honestly don't remember the last time I did that. But what I saw kind of astonished me. It breaks down your food entries for the week into a pie chart and separates carbs, fats, and proteins. I thought that protein would've been my largest percentage but it wasn't. I was really surprised to see the breakdown as 53% fats, 19% protein, and 28% carbs. I really was shocked! (Now this is still all within my calorie limits.)I had no idea that the breakdown of what I have been eating mostly fats! That may be my problem right there. A couple of websites I looked at suggests:

• 45% to 65% of calories eaten should come from carbohydrates.
• 20% to 35% of calories eaten should come from fat.
• 10% to 35% of calories eaten should come from protein. (from SparkPeople)

Obviously, I need to work on getting the right combinations 

of foods from now on. I will be a lot more mindful of that. I 

just wish I had looked at my stats earlier so that I could've 

corrected the problem before now. 

This was DAY ONE! The first day of getting healthy!

And this was over the weekend.  I have a long way to go, but I am so glad I took the first step!  Sorry about the blurry picture...cell phone pic. (with my workout buddy, Bethany)

Last night walking/running the track and running up stairs. It was a beautiful evening!

I had great workouts the last couple of days! Zumba on
Monday night was awesome! I'm not sure how many squats
we did in those routines, but it was a lot! And last night, I
walked/ran two miles and ran up and down the stairs at the
stadium. (Well, I ran up the stairs, but gingerly came back
down the stairs. I still cringe thinking about a little mishap at
my graduation where I fell down those very stairs, twisting
my ankle. I still have problems with that same ankle. But that
is another story for another time.) Then, I headed to the gym
for a few minutes on the eliptical.

Guys, I'm not giving up. Just trying to figure things out and
keep going. I'm not sure if I will post each Wednesday like I
was at the beginning of this journey, or just update you guys
less often. But keep me in your prayers and you will
definitely be in mine!

You can see my weight loss journey from the beginning here!