A semi-non-weight loss-related post

So, I've been battling some self-esteem issues the past day or so... and there's a song I've been listening to on repeat that I'm trying to use to motivate me. I'm posting the lyrics here, hoping it can inspire anyone else who struggles with their self-esteem too:


Katy Perry-Firework

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting through the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe your reason why all the doors are closed
So you can open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em goin "Oh, oh, oh!"

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

-Austin

AAAH Its December Already!!!

Where did the time go?!?!? Here I am, now 2/9 of the way to officially being a DOCTOR, with the hardest semester of physical therapy school behind me!  I can't believe I'm already this far... I also can't believe I've been able to lose weight with how stressed I've been this semester! Seriously, how was I able to balance weight loss and studying? Those are both extremely difficult things to do! And I did them! I am a bit impressed with myself, to say the least!

BUT, I haven't lost all the 12 pounds yet!  I'm at 9.4 pounds lost as of tonight.  However, this week, I suffered a minor ankle sprain, and had exams, so I wasn't able to work out until tonight. And believe me, it felt GOOD! I'm so glad that I'm done with this semester so that I can have more time to work out!

AND, I'm heading home soon... my mom has promised to get me a gym membership, and I have NO REASON not to spend a few hours at the gym every day... I have nothing else to do! My goal is to look gooood by the time I come back to start my 3rd semester in January. Plus, my family, for our Christmas gift, instead of buying each other a bunch of stuff that we will probably never use or wear, has decided to go on a family vacation to Atlantis in the Bahamas for a few days after Christmas. I'm super excited! But it also means that I have to be really diligent about losing these last few pounds and meeting my goal! And I believe I can do it!

Because I've been slacking on giving you guys recipes, and because I posted on Facebook yesterday about this amazing healthy-ish chicken parmesan that I made, I've decided to post it on here too!  I apologize that its a little non-descript, but thats one of the cool things about cooking, is that you can adjust the ingredients to your liking! Bon Appetit!

Chicken Parmesan
I take a regular boneless skinless chicken breast, dredge it in a combo of milk and butter (like a tablespoon and a half of butter and 3 tablespoons of milk, I guess?), and then coat it with a breading made from panko breadcrumbs (probably 1/2 cup, but add more if you need to), 2 teaspoons of flour, some garlic salt, and some parmesan cheese. Mix that all up, and then dredge your chicken in it. Bake the chicken in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes.

Then, for my marinara sauce, I actually take some Pomi Strained Tomatoes, put about 1/2 to 3/4 cup in a pot, add some garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste, and just warm it up and stir it every now and then. I like making my own better, because I can make it to taste... I know its not a traditional marinara, but its healthy and it works great for pasta too.

Then, when the timer has buzzed, I took 1/4 cup or so (maybe a bit less) of shredded mozzarella and put it on top, and put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes. Take it out, and enjoy!!

Current weight: 193.2 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 9.4 lbs.

-Austin

The 8th pound of Christmas!! No recipe yet though :(

Hello again!! I was just reminded by my lovely friend Krista that I stink at updating this, and because I'm trying to procrastinate doing my homework, I decided to update!

So, as you can see, I've lost another pound... well, really, its 1.4 pounds! And recently, its been a bit more! I finally am sure that I'm not gonna add a ton of weight when I tend to binge eat, and that this weight loss is for real! I'm really gonna have to hit the gym hard though, and really watch what I'm eating, if I want to lose the 4 lbs I have left before Christmas!

Because... one of my favorite holidays is coming up! The most gluttonous holiday of all, Thanksgiving! My Thanksgiving morning this year will start off with a 5k run on the beach (usually I do the 1 mile, but hey, why not step it up?), then coming home and lounging around watching the Macy's Day Parade, and then going and laying out by the pool before dinner. A tough life, right? Dinner will include lots of turkey skin (my favorite part), turkey, Brittany's and my famous mashed potatoes, noodles, green beans, spaghetti squash, Betsy's famous cinnamon rolls, and everything covered in gravy. Go big or go home! Then I'll have to really work it all off during finals week, which is ok, because I'm buying myself a new pair of running shoes next week with my tax refund checks! Thanks, US government!

You guys should also know that, in the process of becoming a brand new person, I dyed my hair BROWN! I've NEVER had brown hair, but I decided to do it... I guess my hair is naturally brown (who knew? i was always out in the sun so it was always lightened). And these past few days have been the first days I've finally been used to it! I had been feeling like I was wearing a wig, that it wasn't me... but I think it makes me look a lot older and prettier :) its always good to do something crazy!

Ok, well, I'm deciding its time for bed. Get to sleep in an hour tomorrow, too! Hurray!

Current weight: 194.2 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 8.4 lbs.

Goodnight everyone!
-Austin

New Update... Not so happy...

I am the worst blogger ever. I am so so so so so so sorry that I haven't been updating this on time. Recently, we've started having class from 8-5 (with a 1 hour break for lunch) on Wednesdays, so by the time I would get around to updating this, I'm just exhausted and usually forget about it.  However, Wednesdays are also Storm Chasers nights on TLC (I think? Discovery maybe?), and if you know anything about me, you know I'm a complete weather nerd, and so I need to stay up until at least 10 to watch that.

So, this is not such a happy entry, as the title says. Hopped on the scale tonight, and it says I've only lost 4 pounds total.  Now, this is a bit of a shock to me, because the past few days I've been down to like 193.8, or at the highest 196, so 198 was pretty shocking to see. I'm pretty sure it was because I had Chipotle tonight, and because I haven't had time to work out the past 2 days. But NO EXCUSES! I cannot keep "treating myself" to unhealthy food after I've had a tough/long day, or saying I don't have time to exercise (well today, I really haven't had time... I've had 5 free minutes all day, seriously). But I need to be stricter with myself, because really, you only get out of it what you put into it, and thats why  I need to up my effort.

However, I'm posting some recipes tonight mainly because A) I have lost this weight, and this is just post-yummyness weight that is in my stomach right now, and B) Because people are begging me for recipes.  So tonight, I'm gonna post this Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells recipe that one of my favorite people in the world, Laura Roxberry Euler, shared with me (and she got it from Giada, so its gotta be good!).  Laura was the Honors College Advisor at College of Charleston, and she was such a great mentor to me during my time there.  She also has a blog in which she shares recipes and news about her adorable son Stafford, which you can find here: www.storybookreality.blogspot.com. So here's the link to the recipe, hope its ok if I share it with everyone, Laura! http://storybookreality.blogspot.com/2010/10/super-stuffed-shells.html

Sorry, too lazy to copy-paste everything, plus, it gets her views on her blog!

I promise, y'all, I am going to step up my effort and lose this weight! I don't want to let you guys down!

Weight tonight: 198.4
Total weight loss to date: 4.2 lbs (BUT IT HAS BEEN MORE AT TIMES!)

-Austin

                                                                           

 

Quick update... the 7th pound of Christmas!!!

I'm so sorry I haven't updated this recently. A huge physiology test has been taking up all of my time, and I had it today and did well, but I am EXHAUSTED. A well deserved long weekend is upon me, and I am greatly looking forward to spending it with my family, friends, and dogs :)

So, here's a quick update on the weight loss. I thought I hadn't lost any this week, but I hopped on the scale tonight and sure enough, I'm another pound lighter! This is crazy!

Current weight: 195.6
Weight loss to date (4 weeks): 7.0 POUNDS!

I owe you guys like a billion recipes.  In 2 weeks, when midterms are over and I have time in my life again, I'll do a bunch of cooking one week and give you guys some new stuff. I'm really really sorry I haven't been keeping up with it!

Well, I hope all of you guys have a great weekend.  And I want you all to know that, even once I lose all 12 pounds, I'm not stopping until I'm happy with how I look.  Especially now that its coming off faster than I planned! Not a bad thing, but I have to be sure I keep it off!

-Austin

Drumroll please!!!!! On the 4th, 5th, and 6th days of Christmas!

Yeah, you heard it! I've lost 6 pounds! Not sure if tonight's weight is a fluke, but I'll take it!  Its really weird too... I ate really really unhealthy today... Starbucks pumpkin latte (non-fat, but with whipped cream) and a low-fat raspberry muffin for breakfast, and 2 pieces of pizza for lunch (with a Weight Watchers meal for dinner... ok, I was good at that part), AND didn't work out, and lost another 2 pounds today!

This whole weight loss thing is becoming slightly addictive.  The more weight I lose and the better I look (more later) and the better my clothes fit, the more weight I want to lose! I'm not gonna take it to an unhealthy level (don't worry, I like food too much to do that), but it really is driving me to lose more!

So, I went retail therapy shopping today after having a rough day, and was able to fit into a size 10 dress, and a medium dress at another store! Granted, they were stretchy, but the last time I wore a size 10 in dresses was back in high school! So, this weight loss is really working! I can't wait to see people from back home and back in Charleston so they can see how great I'm starting to look!

I'll come up with recipes/tips/stuff this weekend, I promise!  And believe me, I have a guilty conscience about everything, so if I don't, just yell at me!  Also, I want to hear how your weight loss is going! If you know me personally, shoot me an email! I want to be there for you and help you out!

Current weight: 196.4 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 6.2 lbs.

Have a lovely Thursday, and weekend (because I probably won't update tomorrow... have to be studying for my physiology test next week!)
-Austin

Update

Well, I don't have much to update. I'm sorry I haven't updated much these past few days, but I've been enjoying my days without studying :) No tests until next Wednesday, so I have a few days where I don't have to hit the books. Its been nice being able to watch tv and sleep in.  Its also been nice being able to work out again, because I've been missing it.  There's nothing like a good workout to make me feel confident about myself.  Plus, its fun to be able to see the results already!

I am frustrated, though, that the weight isn't coming off quicker.  I know I set the "one pound a week" goal, but I just remember doing Weight Watchers when I was in high school and the weight just coming off like 2 pounds in a week.  I for sure hit the plateau doing that, so hopefully by slowing down the weight loss, and allowing myself to splurge every now in then (I would die without Chipotle), I will be able to avoid the dreaded "plateau" that often comes with weight loss.

Current weight: 198.4 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 4.2 lbs.

Good luck this week, all those who are doing this with me! We can do this!
-Austin

For the 2nd and 3rd pounds of Christmas, I am giving to you....

WOOHOO! 2 more pounds down! As I am writing this, I am having a few bites of celebratory Graeter's peach ice cream. If you live in Atlanta or in Ohio, you need to try this stuff, because it is like gold running down your throat. But only a few bites, because its pretty bad for you! How did I end up losing weight when I worked there?!

Anyways, so, I need to give you some things today because I lost 2 more pounds this week!  And I promised recipes! So, here we go!

For the 2nd pound of Christmas, I am giving to you...
CREAMY CHEESE TOMATO PASTA SAUCE
Ok, so this one is pretty simple.  I take some plain tomato sauce... I have recently been using Pomi Strained Tomato sauce.  Put as much as you would like in a saucepan (I think I use about 1/2 cup per cup of pasta?). Add a bit of salt and pepper.  Then, I take a clove of garlic (peeled of course), chop it in half, and put it in there.  I heat this up, stirring occasionally.  Once it is hot, I remove the garlic and throw it away.  Then, I add either a tablespoon of cream cheese, or for more flavor, a Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb wedge.  This usually adds a bit of creaminess, for only 35 calories.  YUM!

And, for the 3rd pound of Christmas, I am giving to you...
A couple of simple, very few calories dessert ideas!

The first one is just to freeze some zero fat Cool Whip... It ends up tasting a lot like ice cream, and is nice and silky as it melts on your tongue!

The second one is 10 calorie Jello with a dollop of zero fat Cool Whip on top... When I did Weight Watchers waaay back when, this is what I ate a lot.  It ends up being like 30 calories, and is the perfect after-lunch dessert!

Current weight: 199.0 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 3.6 lbs.

Hope you enjoy these! Please let me know if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them! And hopefully I'll have the taco recipe perfected by next week!
-Austin

Excuses

I've always been one for making excuses... "I am too tired" or, my most commonly used one, "I'm too busy"... with losing weight, excuses have to go out the window.  You can't make excuses and expect to lose weight.  There is no "too tired" or "too busy"... its a constant effort every day.  When I am "too tired" to workout, I think of the final goal and of how skinny and how much healthier I will be.  When I am "too busy" and just want to go get carry-out to eat, I think about how bad it is for both me and my wallet, and I am driven to cook or get something healthy.  Both "too tired" and "too busy" are things I am experiencing all the time in PT school, but I am learning that you have to perservere and be above these excuses in order to see results, both in the classroom (grades) and on the scale (weight loss).

Current weight: 199.6 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 3.0 lbs.

Have a wonderful Tuesday! I will because not only do I get to wear my white coat for the first time (I'm so official!), but I'm also going to the Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Atlanta Thrashers preseason hockey game with a friend :) LETS GO JACKETS! I'm so excited to rep Columbus in Atlanta!
-Austin

I'm a work in progress

Yes, just like the classic Alan Jackson song... losing weight isn't easy! Not at all!! But just like a snowball, once I start seeing results, my enthusiasm and drive to lose weight builds.  I'm starting to see results, both numerical and visual, and its really driving me to stay true to the diet and continue exercising.

I tried out my chicken tacos recipe tonight (the one that was supposed to mimic the fantastic tacos I had last weekend)... and they are missing something.  I think its lime, but I'm gonna continue to experiment until I have it right.  In the meantime, I've got another recipe to give you guys on Wednesday if I stay true to my plan and lose another pound. Actually, I'll have to give you 2 things! Better start my planning now!

Thanks for all of your support. I am so happy to hear how I am impacting all of you, and please let me know if I can help you in any way!

Weight tonight: 199.6 (under 200! yay!)
Weight loss to date: 3.0 lbs.
-Austin

THE FIRST POUND OF CHRISTMAS!

Well, technically, it has been a week since my first blog post, and I've lost a pound!  Sure, there was a little bit of a spike in the middle, but, being the scientist I am, I'm going to go with "net weight loss"... so, I started off at 202.6, and tonight I weighed in at 201.4! So 1 pound down, 11 more to go!

I'm still working on a recipe to share with everyone, so I guess I will save that for the next pound.  My weight loss tip for this pound is going to be about the importance of exercise.  Insulin is usually used after a meal to stimulate cell metabolism (ie. what normal people just call metabolism)... its basically the breaking down of what we eat to use it as fuel. This is done by inserting a special molecule that helps facilitate the glucose (the food) to move into the cell.  However, exercise is the only thing that also can do this, but without insulin.  So, when you exercise, you are promoting cell metabolism, and therefore are burning calories!  Also, exercise is what exercise scientists call a "post-absorbtive state", which means you aren't circulating glucose immediately from a meal... therefore, your body has to make glucose from things such as fat!  And thats when you lose fat and get skinny!

If that all confused you and you want a better explanation, let me know.  Honestly, I would have had something prepared if I had remembered that I had started last Wednesday (well, now I know that Wednesdays will mark my weeks!)... maybe I'll give you something to make up for the not-so-stellarness of this one later in the week.

Tonight's weight: 201.4
Total weight loss to date: 1.2 lbs.

Huge physiology test tomorrow morning, so heading to bed now!
-Austin

Inspiration

No, I'm not talking about breathing (hahaha... ok, that was the exercise scientist in me)... I'm talking about people who motivate me... to lose weight, to be a better person, to study (ok, not so much), etc.  These people make a change in our lives and inspire us to be better people.

I had one of my blog followers today tell me that she was avoiding eating something bad for her because she's doing the 12 Pounds of Christmas goal too... I was so impressed/happy/motivated by that! Thats dedication, and thats the type of dedication we all need when we are trying to lose weight.  Find someone who does something that you admire, and use that as motivation to continue your weight loss.  I am using her as an example for me to have will power to not go out and grab something to eat, just because it is fast and delicious.  Weight loss is about sacrifice, and the rewards are totally worth it in the end!

Another person who has inspired me was my Grandma, my mom's mom.  She passed away after her fight with 3 different types of cancer, 1 year ago tomorrow.  She was such a great example of what a person should be.  She was a great wife, mother, and grandmother.  She spoiled me rotten.  One time, we drove down to the Ritz Carlton on the beach just to have lunch... man, that was a tasty $16 cheeseburger.  But more than that, she was also just a nice person in general.  She lived in a golfing community in Florida, and knew the names of everyone living in the community AND everyone who worked there.  She would say hi to everyone she ran into when we were out and about. And even in her last days, she faced them stoically and with a strong faith in God.  She is the type of person I want to be, and I keep her in my thoughts with every interaction and decison I have.

Current weight tonight: 200.6 lbs.
Weight loss to date: 2.0 lbs. HURRAY!!!!

Have a wonderful night, and I challenge you to think about what motivates or inspires you!
-Austin

Getting better!

Not going to write much today... Went shopping for the week, and bought a LOT of healthy fruits and vegetables!  And stuff to try to make my chicken tacos recipe!  Its such a good feeling to buy healthy foods... now, lets see if I actually eat them!

I went to go make a nice dinner tonight (steak, asparagus, baked sweet potato) and it got all smoky and somehow the power went out.  I dont know if I was just using too much power, or what, but it was out for 2.5 hours. And then, when they came to fix it, the maintenance man tells me "We might have a problem". WHAT? Turns out it might be Georgia Power, and not me.

Also, I'm not going to get TurboFire until I find a good place to do it.  I dont like the idea of doing it in my apartment, because I don't want to be too loud by jumping and stuff and make the people who live beneath me mad, and because my carpet is too plush to do exercises on.  As much as I love workout videos, I need the right place to do them!

Weight tonight: 203.0 lbs
Total weight loss to date: Gained 0.4 lbs.
So really, I lost weight from yesterday, and thats how I'm choosing to look at it!
-Austin

Uh oh...

So, if I gain a pound, do you guys give me a tip/recipe? Is that how it works?  Because thats the path I'm going down right now :(  I should have known better than to start it the weekend that my parents come and I eat out every meal.  But really, thats not a good excuse, because I will always be going to to eat for one reason or another.  I need to learn to say no to the bad things, and make healthier choices.  I did have a salad for dinner tonight, so at least I had good intentions for one meal!

Ugh... not happy.

Current weight: 204.4
Weight loss to date: Gained 1.8 pounds
-Austin

My downfall...

I have always been a splurge eater... I'll eat really good for a day, and then completely not care about what I eat for a day.  And I think this has a lot to do with my inability to lose weight.  Today was one of those days... yes, my parents are in town, and its a celebratory weekend, and I just had one of the best meals of my life (details later), but I really need to gain some willpower to say no to food! Because I can't!

So, dinner tonight was at The Iberian Pig in Decatur.  Oh my gosh... best restaurant in ATL.  Yes, its a bit expensive, but totally totally worth it.  It is a tapas bar, so you get a bunch of mini plates... we had 7 between 3 people, haha.  My favorite was the pork cheek tacos... you know that TV show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"? These things belong on it. Super yummy pork that is super juicy and perfectly seasoned, topped with a corn and avocado and something else slaw, all in a mini hard taco shell.  So good.  I decided that I'm going to make a version of it, and I'll post it on here, for sure!  We also had some yummy sheep cheese from Spain.  I want to go back... both to Spain, and to Iberian Pig, haha.

The unfortunate consequence of today is that I gained weight :( I'll be better tomorrow! Hopefully!

Current weight: 202.8
Weight Loss to Date: Gained 0.2 lbs

Thanks for being awesome, guys!
-Austin

Day 1 down...

Well, I have survived day 1.  Almost didn't survive my workout today... I did Jillian Michaels' "30 Day Shred" today, which is the hardest 20 minute workout I've ever done.  Basically, its 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs... times 3.  I really liked it, but my only complaint is that I felt like I wanted more ab-work. It kicked my butt though! And, the best part about it, was that it only costs like $10 at Target or Walmart.  There's 3 workouts on it, and you progress from one level to the next, and its possible to lose 20 pounds in 30 days!  If I do that, we're gonna have to make it "The 30 Pounds of Christmas", or something like that!

Also, I've already had several people tell me they want to join me in losing "The 12 Pounds of Christmas", which I am so excited about! We can do this!

Weight today: 201.4 lbs
Total weight loss, to date: 1.2 lbs
YAY! But remember, I must keep it off for a whole week in order to post a tip!  And, my parents are coming this weekend, so there's a good likelihood that I won't be eating like I should! But I'm gonna try!

-Austin

Introduction to the crazy idea...

I'll start off this blog with a little about myself.  I'm a 22 year old female, and I grew up in Columbus, Ohio, completed my undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and am now earning my Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at Emory University in Atlanta.  I have been overweight almost my whole life.  I swam competitively when I was younger, but I always told myself that it was okay to eat more because I was working out... now, years later, I have reached 200 pounds.  I've always told myself that when I hit 200 pounds, thats my breaking point, and I'm going to need to lose weight.  So, here I am, and here we begin!

So, I came up with this crazy idea today.  There are approximately 12 weeks of school left for me before Christmas break.  Therefore, to go along with the popular Christmas song, "The 12 Days of Christmas" or whatever its called (you know what I'm talking about!), I've decided that I'm going to aim to lose a pound a week, or 12 pounds before Christmas.  I'm going to weigh myself every night and post it on here as often as I can, so you guys can keep me accountable.  And, for every pound I lose and keep off for at least a week, I will post a healthy recipe or an exercise tip or something health-related (I got my undergraduate degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Exercise Science)... so, after the first pound, there will be one tip... then 2, then 3, etc. I saw a statistic today (and I can't verify it) that people gain on average 10 pounds between October 31 and January 1... thats not going to be me this year!

I'm going to lose this weight not only by eating healthier, but also in investing in some exercise videos.  I think I'm going to purchase TurboFire, thanks to @KickboxMommy (follow her on Twitter!) who has helped me immensly in choosing a product.  And, there is a very good possibility that I will lose more than 12 pounds before my deadline, but that won't keep me from posting more great tips and motivational things!

So, my beginning weight is 202.6... so my goal weight by December 25 is 190 pounds.  And if you want to join me in the "Lose 12 pounds by Christmas", I would love it!

Thanks for reading this, and hopefully for your continuing support in my endeavor!

-Austin