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