BIKINI PICS!!!

Day at the beach after my 40 lb loss!

40lbs lost PICS!!! BIKINI!

40 Lbs LOST!

A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS-- 30 more lbs to go!

Attack day 8- down 5lbs (39.6 total)

DAY 8 ATTACK (-5lbs)

So I'm currently down 5 lbs, but the scale hasn't moved for three days.  I think it's because I've been going to the gym and doing weights and strength training.  My goals right now are to get to 170 by the middle of July (reunion coming up), to be able to run a mile without stopping, and to tone up!

So far, I've dropped 5lbs, so I have about 10 lbs to go to get to 170 (then just 20 lbs to my final goal).  I've been running a mile every other day and each time trying to decrease my time.  (I then do 30 min of cardio then 20-30 strength training)\ every other day).  I've been doing this for about a week so about three times so far.

Here's where I was with the mile...

So I shortened my time by 53'.  I am really trying to do just a little at a time, but I think my time before was almost 16' because I kept running out of breath.  I'm not really going for time, but it's my measure, I want to just go for endurance though.  





What else... I've been VERY strict on attack (mostly all organic) and when I logged in to MyFitnessPal yesterday I was shocked!!!! This is what it told me...

That's way past my goal of 170, but granted it was a low cal day and I really pushed it at the gym, but hey I'm on my way!  I feel really great & motivated.  Not letting the scale get me down (not moved in 3 days).  I think it's all the protein stuck in my intestines!  Just need to get THAT out (sorry) and should break 40 lbs lost!!!  I did cheat because I wanted these sneakers soooooo bad and they were supposed to be my -40 gift to myself but I bought them 0.4lbs too early-- is it KARMA?  



They were so BRIGHT - the perfect reminder of all I've accomplished, and I was worried they would run out of my size (happens ALL the time), so I just just said "You know what - I'll get there tomorrow- and bought them".  Well tomorrow (-40) never came--- any day now though less than half a pound-- come on!
Here are the shoes...

Attacking Dukan (Again)

I am starting on the attack phase again.  I need to loose 15 lbs in a relatively short period of time (less than a month) and this is the only way I know how.  I went to the store today and bought a bunch of PROTEIN, but this time I got mostly all organic.  It's VERY expensive, but I think the alternative is really unhealthy.
I got through day 2 today.  I forgot how hard it was to JUST eat protein.  I really miss my veggies, and am literally counting the days till phase 2 when I get to add my veggies back.  Also, I want to start adding in more exercise to tone up.
I will be posting more frequently now that I'm back on dukan.  I have already dropped 1.4 lbs since day 1.  I had put on a couple and was back up to 185 (my halfway point) this morning I was 183.6).  I have a recipe I want to try out tomorrow for dukan bread.
My long term goal is to get to 150.  My short term goal is to get to 170, you'd think after loosing 35 it would seem easy to just loose 15, but it's not the same the second time around.  I really really hope I can drop the 10 lbs in my 10 days of attack, and then do the other five in the rest of the time (~2 weeks).  I just have to!

Bathing Suit Pics (Before & Now)

I went to the beach yesterday, and decided to wear a 2 piece because I didn't want to have tan lines, and I decided to take a picture for my "half-way" point.  Once I reached my half way point, I decided to slow down with the weight loss.  I'm still watching what I eat and making healthy choices, but I am allowing myself treats like artisan cheeses, wine, and an occasional mojito.  I have a little secret-- I go for the GOOD STUFF.  The more expensive the treat, the less likely I am to over eat.  Which means going to really hip places for drinks, and really getting the best gourmet organic "treats".
My diet was about 80% raw, but I have come down a lot to maybe 50%.  The reason being is that I was eating a lot of fruit, which has a lot of sugar and can cause dental problems for a lot of raw foodists.  My body does really gravitate towards Dukan naturally.  I don't crave carbs at all, but I do crave protein, and the all veggie thing, made me feel great, but I wanted something more.  I found myself eating a lot of salmon, which is not so great b/c of the mercury, so I've incorporated a lot of meats back to the diet (for now).  I am planning to do a meat food share from a local organic farm, which will help to reduce all the problems associated with "eating meat".
Well, just wanted to pass a long the pics.  In a couple of weeks, I'll be back to my routine, but I just wanted to take sometime "off" to enjoy the battle, and get ready to take on the war against fat!

BEFORE & NOW PICS

BEFORE

NOW

So I am currently down ~37 lbs, have past my half-way point and have 33 lbs to go.  I have days when I feel really thin, and days where I feel like I still have sooooo far to go.  This past weekend was the first weekend in a really long time that I went out partying.  I made some choices that were probably not the best, but still they were drastically different from any choice I would have made in the past.  I was really craving bad carbs this weekend, pad thai, lo mein, pizza, but it's the one thing I won't let myself have.  I feel like even having one small carb will be a very slippery slope.  Obviously, I DO have carbs like veggies, but you know which carbs I'm speaking of... the dreaded pastas, rice, bread-- all those refined carbs that go straight for the gut.   So this weekend when I felt hungry for something, I allowed myself to have some more protein then I would normally have.  

Now the weekend is over, and I'm back on track.  I have finally joined the gym, and tonight I really PUSHED IT!  It felt great!  I went to the store after my workout and got some healthy veggies, and some tuna steaks and salmon.  Now that I feel more comfortable with my diet, I want to focus more on my fitness plan.  I have been doing a half an hour of cardio (~300 calories) and then half and hour to an hour of strength training.  I am seriously thinking of getting a trainer, just so I don't feel so intimidated with some of those machines.  I need to think seriously about what my goals are for the next couple of months.  

My BIG goal was getting to my half-way point, and although I feel like I've come a long way I can't let myself think it's enough- I have to push through.  Summer's coming so that will be a great motivator.   

I am really happy with the way my body is dealing with the changes, but I really want to start toning up.  

The "now" picture was taken today after my workout, so it didn't come out so great and I've actually lost a lot of weight in my face, which doesn't show in the above pictures, so I'll do just a face shot below.

      

               

         BEFORE

NOW

Recipe: Guilt-free mini Pizza

~ 42 Calories/mini pizza 

I wanted to experiment in trying to make a non-wheat healthy pizza.  I wanted to substitute the dough, which is really the worst part for the waistline.  What I ended up doing was substituting eggplant (aubergine) for the pizza dough.


Pizza crust:
1/2 eggplant cut into slices and dehydrated overnight
(I think this might also be doable in the oven- turn and don't allow to burn)

Pizza Sauce:
1 Can of organic diced tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1/4 red onion
10 large basil leaves (fresh)
chop together in a food processor

Pizza:
Take your hardened eggplant and add 1-2 tbs of sauce.  Then top with a light sprinkling of cheese.  I used raw sheep cheese, but you can use a low-fat cheese for dukan.  Or just omit for bruschetta. Garnish w/small basil leaves and you've got healthy mini pizza!