Normal????

Tight budget, "normal" food, and hopefully some weight loss!

My Profile

  • Name: TatumsMom
  • City: Oakland
  • Region: Tennessee
  • Country: United States

My Calendar

23
May '12
< May >
S M T W T F S
    1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30 31    

My Photos

Before After
Really Simple Syndication
06/25/2009 15:02

THE DRESS

Okay, so we all remember THE dress, right?  Well, this wedding is two weeks from Saturday.  I knew there was really no hope that the dress would fit me by then.  I haven't lost much since the last time I tried it on.  It's a halter in the front, but there is a racer back.  So it has to go over your head.  There's a zipper on the side though.  My problem was that I couldn't get the empire waist part to go over my boobs.
 
Last night I decided to try the dress on without a bra.  I had no intentions of wearing this or any dress without a bra.  But I knew it would make the girls more mobile and I could finagle them into the dress better.
 
Guess what?  It worked.  It fit.  So then I went to unzip it.  I realized the zipper goes down WAY further than I thought it did.  Once I unzipped it, I was able to put my bra on and get it all back on and zipped.  OMG!  I'm so excited.
 
I won't be able to make any sudden moves in this dress.  It's a little snug, but I think wearable.  And I have two weeks!  I can make some progress in two weeks that might make it less snug!
 
I'm rather excited about this!!!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (14) Top
06/17/2009 19:11

It's Okay!

You know what I'm learning?  I'm learning that it's okay to be happy.  It's okay to LET yourself be happy.  It's okay to feel good about yourself.  This is not vanity.  I'm talking about the YOU on the inside. 
 
Before you say, "Oh I already know this" stop a second.  Because I knew this too.  I was just having a hard time relating it to MY life and my world. 
 
It's also okay to feel sad or mad or whatever other negative feeling.  But it's not okay to let it consume you.  It's so not good for you.  I know I'm tired of feeling bad.  Physically and mentally.  I feel like I'm finally taking those REAL steps that will get me to where I want to be.  WHO I WANT TO BE!
 
Now, I did my measurements and weight after 3 weeks on the BFL program.  I think I could have lost more if I had followed the program 100%.  However, I made progress and I am making so much progress on the inside that I know the outside WILL follow.
 
In 3 weeks I either lost 3.8 pounds or 7.8 pounds.  See, what I used for my starting weight was actually done a few weeks before I started the challenge.  The day I actually started, I weighed 4 pounds heavier.  It doesn't really matter.  It's going in the right direction.
 
Most of my measurements stayed the same.  I lost 0.5" in my chest and 0.5" in my waist.  My body fat percentage went down too.  Not sure the exact amount because I think I had a fluke with the first reading.  I think the first reading was abnormally hight for some reason.  But if I go by that, I've lost 6.63% body fat.  I'm actually thinking it's more like 3%, though.
 
You know, I eat 6 small meals a day.  I rarely have cravings.  And when I do, I know that free day comes every Saturday!  I start getting hungry about the time that it's time for my next meal. 
 
Hope you guys are all doing well.  If you have struggles in your life, please know that it is still in your power to be happy! 

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (12) Top
06/12/2009 19:16

Progress

DH & I had a seriously huge financial bomb dropped on us Tuesday.  I have to say the way I've handled this is so different than had it happened, say four weeks ago.  This Transformation stuff is amazing.  I am realized...for real.... that things are just external.  They don't have to affect my mood or what I eat.  I'm not saying I won't still mess up.  But overall, I'm still at peace.  Even after the huge news.  I had cake the day I found out the news.  But I still got all my workouts in and that was the only little stray that I had.
 
I am also learning to really love myself.  I put a bathing suit on the other day and did not immediately gag when I looked in the mirror.  Granted, I still didn't like what I saw, but it wasn't a BASHING session on myself.
 
I want everybody to realize how important this is... to change from the inside.  I've known this for a long time, but I guess I just didn't really "get it".  It's so not about dieting.  Yes, you have to do the work....eating healthy and working out.  But more importantly, you have to find peace.  Once you find inner peace, the rest is easy.
 
I'm not all the way there on inner peace, but I tell you, in less than 3 weeks, I'm so much better than I was!
 
Have a great day!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (16) Top
06/05/2009 15:18

Misery!

You know I have this co-worker who is always down.  There's ALWAYS something wrong.  She walks around with her eyes sulking and her head tilted in that way... you know.... when you don't feel well.  She has physical problems, but she also is never happy.  It has gotten to the point where nobody really wants to ask her the simple, "How are you?"  because it's a 45 minute conversation on how miserable she is.
 
Is that any way to live?  NO!
 
I am so thankful that I'm not a miserable person.  I have my issues.  I need to work on things.  I'm not there yet on being "happy" all the way.  But I am not a miserable person.  I see the positive.  I realize that there is a positive in most things.
 
More importantly than that... I know the key to happiness lies within me.  I know that I have control over whether or not I'm happy.  I have control over how I re-act to situations.  I have control over whether or not I let the misery overcome me.  I choose not to.  I want to be happy.  I want to be happy being happy.  Not happy being miserable. 

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (16) Top
06/03/2009 16:38

Free Day!

I just kind of had an aha moment about Free Day.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Body For Life, you eat six small meals each day.  Each meal should have complex carbs and a protein along with some veggies with at least two of the meals.  Then you get one free day each week.
 
When I first heard of this concept, I completely disagreed.  I thought, "well that's just giving a license to binge." 
 
I had my first free day Saturday and I have to disagree.  First thing is that you've worked so hard all week and the cravings aren't quite like they used to be.  Then, I found I was more selective on what I was going to eat.  I wasn't going to eat a mediocre McDonald's cheeseburger when I could have something I truly loved.  (So I had ribs at Corky's.) 
 
I've always thought that I did better if I just had daily treats in moderation.  So here comes the a-ha moment.  I find that when I have a treat, it makes me want more.  But when I'm told that is allowed, and more importantly ENCOURAGED to eat whatever I want, I suddenly don't have that urgency to eat whatever IT is. 
 
I'm not being a rebel when I indulge on my free day.  I'm allowed to and no guilt is be involved.  I love that. 
 
I can relate this to when I was growing up.  I always wanted to stay out later than my curfew.  No, no, no.  So sometimes I'd sneak out and end up in lots of trouble.  Then, when I turned 18, my dad said, "Okay, no more curfew.  Be an adult and you get to choose when you come home."  And the first few weekends, I stayed out late.  But then I regulated myself and realized that it didn't have the same effect since I was allowed to do it. 
 
Also with free day, you can only stuff yourself silly so much.  I never thought that was possible.  But after being hardcore all week, your body feels different when you eat crap.  So when I was having those daily treats, I was probably eating more in the long run.  And not feeling as good physically either.  So....
 
Those are just my thoughts.  I'm still loving this program!  I love not focusing on the weight, but knowing that it's coming off.  I love focusing on the inside.  Don't get me wrong... I'm working hard and working OUT hard!!! 
 
Have a great day!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (14) Top
05/28/2009 21:18

Hope!

Do you remember THE dress?  The perfect blue dress that I bought in January to wear to a wedding I'm going to in July?  And the fact that the dress is a size too small because I was hoping to use it for motivation to lose weight.  It hasn't worked yet.  I haven't lost a pound.  In fact, I've gained.
 
But this past Monday I started my Transformation Challenge.  It's an evolved version of the Body For Life Challenges.  And it has given me so much hope!  I know that I will be seeing major changes.  I'm not just talking on the outside, though I know those are coming.  I'm talking on the inside.  And I'm so excited.  I want to share it!
 
Now, how does the dress fit into this post?  Well, because, whether it fits or not, it doesn't matter.  There's HOPE.  There's hope that it will fit in time, but even if it doesn't, there's hope that I will reach my goals.  Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. 
 
This challenge and the Transformation web site has given me so much hope.  While I'm excited, I'm also at peace and calm about the whole weight loss thing.  Because in reality, weight loss isn't even the issue.  The outside is a direct reflection of what's going on inside.  And obviously, I have some turmoil going on inside.  But I'm also confident that in the 18 weeks of this challenge, I will hit this turmoil head on!!!
 
FYI... Two days in a row I got up at 4 am and worked out.  And I've eaten on plan.  Rock on!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (20) Top
05/27/2009 22:34

Iced Chai

For those of you who like chai tea, here is a great recipe for a protein shake.  I swear it tastes like it could come straight from Starbuck's.
 
1/2 cup Vanilla Soymilk
1/2 cup Chai Concentrate
1 scoop Natural flavored protein powder. (I actually used about 1/2 scoop because I didn't want the protein aftertaste)
Ice

Blend!
ENJOY!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (6) Top
05/26/2009 21:12

Day 2

Welp, I'm in Day 2 of my Transformation Challenge.  I'm loving it.  The eating is very similar to Clean Eating.  There might be a little more leniency in this, which I love.  I love the concept of Clean Eating.  But Tosca is a little more hard core than I was willing to go! 
 
Yesterday was a struggle.  The whole family was home.  So that was out of the ordinary.  Remember....off work days are much harder for me to stay structured in my eating.  I am happy to report that I didn't eat anything off plan.  However, I didn't get all six of my meals in.  Late start to the day and all.  But today is shaping up to be great in the eating department.  And so far, everything I've tried from the Eating for Life book has been AMAZING!
 
I didn't workout yesterday.  I'm rather embarrassed that I skipped my first workout.  I didn't do it before we left for some family fun.  And when I got home, I just chose not to.  It's all about choices.... I chose not to workout.  Looking back, it was the wrong choice, but it is what it is.  So today.... walking AND upper body workout to make up for yesterday. 
 
Hope you all are doing great!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (9) Top
05/22/2009 16:45

Shin Splints

So my shin splints keep flaring up.  What am I going to do about it?  Well, for starters, the max I will run is one time per week.  I will walk the other days.  If the one day a week hurts, I will not do it. 
 
I will also get new shoes.  I'm not sure how many miles I have on my shoes, but I got them last July, so I'm sure they aren't helping.

Question... what do you runners do with your old shoes?  I mean, really, they still look fine.  I just know they are probably broken down on the inside...kind of like me... except I don't look great on the outside either.  But I feel bad just throwing them away.  Hmmm...  Just curious about suggestions on what you guys do.
 
I'm so ready for the long weekend.  And I'm so ready to start my 18 week BFL Transformation Challenge on Monday!  I think it's exactly what I need.  I had hit a point where I just didn't care to do what needed to be done anymore.  In more areas than just weight loss.  I feel like this is going to help me so much.  Can't wait to share the journey with you guys!
 
Happy Memorial Day!

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (15) Top
05/19/2009 14:09

Fresh Start

I deleted all of my posts.  So I'm starting anew.
 
Monday I am starting a Body for Life Transformation Challenge.  I'm really excited about it.  But also nervous.  The assignments are going to have me digging deep into my soul.  But I feel I will emerge a better person!  And let's face it, what I was doing before wasn't working.  I get the general concept that you have to change from the inside in order to really change on the outside.  I was just missing a few "hows".  I really feel this will help me.
 
Last night I did Week 4 Day 1 of C25k.  I thought it was going to be so easy.  Just a month ago, I was running over 2 miles without walk breaks.  It was so brutal!!!  But I did it and I didn't quit!!!  On my way to the half marathon!  Haha! 

Posted By: TatumsMom Add Comment | Comments (18) Top