Getting through the next few days.

To say that I have a headache would be a huge understatement. It feels like my head is going to explode. Yesterday I did really well with no sodas. Diet or regular. I stuck with water, and I felt great about it. But today has been different. I stuck with my water, and I probably drank a little over 100 oz of water today. And with sticking with just water, I have had a huge headache. I have been taking tylenol trying to get it to go away. I was even able to take a 1 1/2 hour nap today when the boys were down. And NOTHING is helping. I know that if I drank some caffiene it would help, but I just don't want to. Back in 2004 or 2005, my cousin, LeaAnn, and I decided to give up caffiene. And we lasted for 84 days. And I felt great! I had so much more energy, and not the fake energy that caffiene gives you. So I know that I can do this. I just have to get past these next few days. When I told Robbie that I had a huge headache, he said that I could do this, and that it is best for me to give it up since I am still nursing Colt. After he said that, I thought to myself how much I would like to jump over the table and strangle him. But I didn't.

Not only do I have a headache from no caffiene, but I have a headache from no sleep. Colt is still trying to cut these first 2 teeth, and I am trying to keep from hanging myself   pulling my hair out. He went to bed last night at about 9:30, and I expected him to get up to eat, and he did. So he eats at 10:30, and then he won't go back to sleep until almost 12:30. Then he got back up to eat again at 3:45 am. Then back to sleep about 4:15, and then Clay got me up at 8:30 am. Now I guess that actually does sound like some decent sleep, but when I haven't been getting decent sleep in the past few weeks, it just adds up. And it seems like I can't catch up. Even with my 1 1/2 hour nap today.

Since being pretty tired today, I was really not looking forward to doing my workout. Also my Grandma came over yesterday and stayed last night and is staying tonight. I love having her here, but I am the type that does NOT like to workout in front of people. Even Robbie. I can't concentrate fully when I know that someone is watching me. The only time that I will workout with someone is if they are doing it with me. So gyms and gym classes don't bother me. Going to the track doesn't bother me. But working out in front of my husband bothers me :-) I love working out with Robbie though. In 2004 when I lost all my weight, we were going to the track every morning at 3 am to run (after he got off and before I went to work), and I loved it. He pushes me like no other person will. Anyway. Back on track....I ended up getting up and working out. I popped the DVD into my computer and worked out in our bedroom. So it worked out well. I didn't want to do it, but because I knew that I had to post about it, it got me up. So posting about my challenge IS helping!

Okay, on to what we had for dinner last night!

Beef Enchiladas! It is a recipe that my mother in law gave me (she got it from someone at work), and it is excellent! Robbie says that mine are WAY better than when his Mom makes them though. And it is because she goes way overboard with the chili powder. I put exactly what the recipe calls for, and that is it. But I'm glad to know that mine are better :-)

Here is the enchilada filling cooking.

I had cheddar cheese grated, and I put it on top (the right side). And I ran out, so I was going to grate some more. And I was out. Luckily I had some four-cheese mexican cheese in the fridge. That is what is on the left.

Now tonight I made PW's Pinto Beans and Jiffy Cornbread. I have to apologize ahead of time that I didn't get any pictures of before. After we finished eating, I told Robbie "Oh crap, I forgot to take pictures for my blog." And he said "Well I guess you will just have to say you didn't cook." I said "Oh heck no!" So these are the pictures that you get tonight....

The empty pan of cornbread. All of us like to put cornbread crushed up in our beans as well as on the side, so to have an empty pan is not a surprise. Thank God the beans are VERY low in calories. Like 40 calories for 1 cup. Not bad at all.

We did have a lot of beans leftover, so I just took some out of the crockpot to get a picture of them.

I am not sure what I am going to cook tomorrow night. We are going grocery shopping tomorrow, so maybe I will cook something that I pick up at the store tomorrow.

And with that, I am headed to bed. I think that Colt is finally asleep!!!! Until at least 2:00 am........

New Challenge!

With my cooking challenge being such a great success, I have decided to expand my challenges. Part of my New Year's Resolutions was to start cooking. And with the cooking challenge, I have done that. And I have started enjoying cooking again. I have started finding myself in the kitchen. I have started trying things that I would have never tried before. Maybe not a new food (even though I have tried new foods), but just trying different cooking techniques. And that inspires me to keep going everyday with cooking. I am in the middle of making my menu/grocery list for the next few weeks, and I am finding new recipes and trying out new things. So because I love the feeling of accomplishment, I have decided to implement a new challenge. The cooking challenge will definitely help me out in this challenge as well.

Another part of my New Year's Resolutions was to lose weight. While I have been doing so, it has been an on/off thing. I will do good here and there, and then I will have a lot of bad days. Then do good, and then a lot of bad days. So now, the bad days far outweigh the good days. And if I am going to change my lifestyle and lose weight for good, I can't do that. Because I no longer want to go back and forth with my weight, I have decided how I am going to keep from doing so.

A little bit of my journey

Robbie and I started dating in June 2002. We have known each other since June 1998, and we were best friends for 2 years before we ever started dating. But in June 2002, I started trying to lose weight. I never would get completely serious with it though. I tried every diet known to mankind, and I tried losing weight with my mother in law by doing the Atkins diet. I lasted on the Atkins diet for about 1 day. I had about 50 lbs to lose. I ended up giving up, and then in May 2004, I tried again. This time I counted calories. I stuck at 1200 calories, and I exercised. I started dropping weight so fast that I didn't want to give up. Between May 2004 and December 2004, I ended up losing 75 lbs! 25 more than I really intended on losing. I was working out 1 hour everyday 6 days a week. Then in January 2005, I started easing up a little bit. And in March 2005, Robbie and I moved in together. Between March 2005 and August 2006 (when we got married), I gained back 34 lbs. I was still working out here and there, but nothing like I was in 2004. I still wasn't where I started at even with the 34 lbs back on, but I knew that I didn't want to be back to where I started either. And I knew how easily I could slip back into it.

We were origionally supposed to get married in October 2006. We were the ones paying for our wedding, and the wedding costs were spirialing out of control. We knew that we wanted to start a family immediately, but if we had to pay for the wedding for a year after the wedding, we wouldn't be able to start a family that soon. So we cancelled the big wedding, had a small wedding in August 2006, and started trying September 1, 2006 for Clay. We got a positive test on October 2, 2006. With my pregnancy with Clay, I gained a LOT of weight. After having Clay, I lost 35 lbs of what I had put on, leaving me where I started in 2004 when I first started counting calories. Once I decided to get back in gear to lose the weight for a 2nd time, we decided to start trying for Colt. That was in December 2008. We got a positive test with Colt on the 2nd of January 2009. So not only do I still have these last 24 lbs on me that I can't shake from having Colt, I still have 40 lbs on me that I didn't lose after having Clay. So I have gotten 1/2 of what I gained with them both off of me, but the other 1/2 is still sitting on my ass.

I have tried counting calories again. I have tried Weight Watchers (counting points) again, and with both of them, I just can't seem to get back into gear with it. I HATE counting. I hate having to think about how many calories/points I can have at each meal. Anyone who has done Weight Watchers or counted calories knows that it can become an obsession. And not in a good way. You get so obsessed with it that you just can't seem to think about anything else. And then when you start stressing, your body reacts, and either you don't lose weight or you gain weight. So it is not something that I want to do. With me cooking now, and us not eating out as often, that will help a lot too. But because I am cooking more complex meals, I don't want to have to sit there and figure up the calories for each meal.

So here is my plan of action:

-THIS IS MY CHALLENGE: I want to work out at least 5 days a week.
-I want to keep my breakfasts and lunches between 800-1000 calories.
-With keeping my breakfasts and lunches at that, I should be able to cut my dinners in 1/2 of what I would normally eat, and still lose weight.
-I want to cut out all sodas. I may have the occasional (diet) soda if we go out to eat, but none at home. With me working out, I need to stick strictly with the water.

My main challenge is working out at least 5 days a week. The other stuff will come naturally as I am working out. I have a tendency to not want to overeat or do bad after working out.

Another thing is that I have taken my measurements and weight. And I have them written down in only a place for me to see. And Robbie if he sees them. I don't care if he knows my weight or measurements because let's face it folks, he has seen my crotch give birth to a baby the size of a watermelon. There is not much that I feel I need to hide from him after that.

And I am not one of those that has to post my weight and measurements for all to see so I can step back and look at the reality that is my fat ass. So although I won't be posting that, I will be posting what I have lost and the inches that I have lost every other month. So the next time that I post about my weight or measurements, it will be April 15th. I already have the date marked on my calender so that I remember to update my blog with it. Just like the cooking challenge, I will be posting about this challenge in my cooking posts. Just about how I am doing with working out, no sodas, and my eating. Now somedays I might post what I have eaten for the day, others I won't. But as long as I am working out at least 5 days a week, I am meeting the requirements of my new challenge!

DAY 1: Today I did my Turbo Jam workout. It was a 20 minute workout. 20 minutes doesn't sound like much, but I will eventually get back up to my 1 hour a day. Turbo Jam has 2 20 minute workouts. 1 of them is a beginner workout. The other 20 minute video is a high intensity "when you don't have much time" video. I did the beginner video. I have eaten healthy, and I am making homemade beef enchiladas for dinner. I plan on not overdoing it with dinner, and drinking plenty of water.

So here is to not looking like a walrus anymore!