No Excuses Check-In Challenge

This weekend, I ventured into the realm that is hosting a Facebook group.  The hardest part about changing your lifestyle for good is the accountability factor.  Then there is also the annoying voice in your head that tells you to skip workouts.  I don't know about you, but I have actual arguments in my head.  I swear the devil Courtney and angel Courtney actual appear over my shoulders.

I had to show off my MAD Paint skillz!  Try not to be jealous...

The inner dialogue goes a little something like this...

It has been such a long day.  I just want to curl up on the couch tonight and watch TV.

No, Courtney, you will feel so much better if you go work out.

No, No, NO!  You will feel much better if you pass out into a drooling mess on the couch.  You will feel so energized!  Nothing is more fulfilling than falling asleep on the couch at 8:00 and then waking up a couple hours later only to walk up the stairs to go to bed.  So productive! Besides, you ARE walking up stairs! Yay, activity!

Seriously, dumbass?

Bite me.  Mmmm...bite....does someone have food? 

On a good day (and most days lately), I have not been letting Lazy Courtney win.  Sometimes she does though, and I am willing to bet that sometimes your Lazy side wins too.  It happens even to the most committed of us.  The trick is not to let Lazy Courtney go on a winning streak.

For me, the tool to not letting Lazy Courtney win is accountability.  If can communicate with people who share my goals, it is very motivating.  We cheer one another on during victories and losses.  It is great! If you are interested, I would like to formally invite you toooooo...

Join!  Share your secrets!  Your successes!  Get support on your bad days.  Check in with us everyday to let us know what you have done to make that step in the right direction.  You may just make some friends along the way too. Awesome, right?  Once we have enough people in the group, I will close it to a private group, so you can feel comfortable posting pictures, etc.  I hope you will consider it.  I even plan to do some fun giveaways.  

Hope to see you there!

This Girl...

I have been on here talking about how I have been struggling and how I don't know what the hell I am doing. Just yesterday I realized that I have been being way too hard on myself.  The truth is that I AM making progress.  I AM working hard.   Check these suckers out!

After getting several comments about how much thinner I was looking (and not noticing it myself), I decided to take some progress pictures.  Of course, rather than noticing the progress, I immediately focused in on my arm fat.  My arm fat is by far the part of my body that I detest most.  Blech.  Anyway, I snapped out of it and realized that there IS progress!  This is 3 weeks of progress!! I have been doing it!  I have been working my program and doing a great job.  This is a huge inspiration for me to just keep moving and plugging along. I am sure there has been weight and inches lost.  I just have not done them yet.  If the scale doesn't read the way I think it should, I do not want that to negate the obvious progress I see in these pictures.  I let the scale have waaaay too much power.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how much I am growing as a person.  I talked about it a lot this afternoon when I met with my therapist.  (Yes, I see a therapist...)  With his help, I came to the following realizations...

I also decided that...

Ok, so how many of you instantly started singing the song when you saw this?  I did.  haha. 

So, what about you?  What are you proud of today? 

MIA and my 21 Day Fix

I have been missing in action lately.  I am sorry.  I have had writer's block and have really just taken a break to figure out what my next step is as far as getting myself together health wise.  It is just hard to get on here and know what to write about when I, myself, am not sure what the hell I am doing.

I have a better grasp on things now though.  I have this wonderful person to thank.  I have mentioned Jess in previous blog entries in reference to how much I love her blog.  She has, however, become a wonderful coach for me as I try to meander my way through this thing called weight loss.  I can safely say that I now consider her a friend in this journey.

After being turned down by my insurance company when inquiring about visiting the dietetics department at a local hospital for a consultation, I was really discouraged.  I NEEDED HELP.  I know that you are supposed to eat healthy, blah, blah, blah, but I needed actual parameters.  I have learned a couple things about myself when it comes to diet plans over the past several months...

1. I HAVE TO EXERCISE and do so rigorously or I lose momentum FAST.
2. I cannot participate in a diet which totally eliminates a food group.  Knowing that I cannot have the food makes me feel deprived and then I get pissed and throw in the towel.  It is all mental, I know.  I could have a diet that says I am prohibited from eating fish eyes and I would then crave them.  Well, maybe not...but you see my point.   
3. I need something that is easy to understand, cause complicated also is a sure way to make me give up in two days.

After learning that a dietitian would not be in my future, I learned of this:

The eating plan is simple.  You have a series of colored containers and a different food group corresponds with each color.  You get a certain amount of containers per day and as long as the food fits in the container, you can eat it.  The food plan guide outlines preferred foods for best results and recipes.  I am loving this plan so far!  Jess happens to be a Team Beachbody Coach, so she has been a great guide as I have figured out this plan. 

The workouts are GREAT!  They are only 30 minutes and work muscles that I don't think I even knew existed in my flabby frame.  I am getting stronger already.  I pair these workouts with my gym workouts. Again, I L-O-V-E them.  I am not one to say I love exercise either -- ever. 

Now, the big question?  Has it been working?

YES!

Over the past couple weeks, I have lost a little over 5 pounds (which is really good for me).  I did take my measurements before, but have not remeasured yet to see if I have lost inches.

This has been working so well, in fact, that 3 people at work have complimented me and have noticed that I am dropping weight!  One of them was a man!  Men never notice these things, I my opinon...so, SCORE!

Soooo, I just wanted to let you know that I am still at it over here.  I have just taken a break because I had no clue what I was doing for awhile.  I am sorry if have been sick of reading about my diet of the week.  It is just something that has truly been an experiment for me.  What will work?  What will be the program that really clicks with me?   This one really has so far.  It says 21 day fix, but I plan to stick with it for more than 21 days.  (I recently became a Beachbody Coach, so if you are interested in the 21 Day Fix, let me know! I would be happy to give you more information!)

I have also been involved in a 90 day challenge with Jess and some of her readers.  We are trying to get our bodies presentable for swim suit season.  I know that I want to feel more confident in my bathing suit when I head to the beach in June!  So far so good!  I am going to continue to work myself hard so that I can feel good when relaxing on the beach.

Courtney at a High School Dance

As I have mentioned in previous posts I am a high school guidance counselor.  I love my job and really do try hard to have a positive relationship with all my students.  I truly do mean that...ALL of them.  I figure, I cannot to my job well if my students do not trust and respect me.

ANYWAY, I try really hard to stay involved, but the one thing I have always avoided in my 12 years of working in education is chaperoning high school dances.  I have avoided it like the plague.  What is the big deal?  Well, I also avoided them in high school.  I went to a total of 2 dances in high school...the homecoming dance my Senior year and Senior prom...This was in 1997.

Let's relive some good 'ol 'memories...

I went to homecoming with my gay friend, Tim.  Not a big deal, he was a dear friend...but I was the chubby chick who went to homecoming with the gay guy.  It wasn't bad.  He and I always had fun together. Before the dance, he treated me to dinner at a Frisch's Big Boy.  That doesn't SOUND bad unless you know what the Richmond, Indiana Frisch's was like in October 1997...not exactly meeting health codes, I imagine. What could I expect though...it wasn't like my date was trying to impress me so that he could get to first base at the end of the evening... Later at the dance we ended up ditching one another.  For the record, he ditched me first.  I ended up dancing the night away with my group of girl friends.  We had a GREAT time and I ended up getting a ride home with one of them.  I cannot, for the life of me, find a picture of this event. There is probably one hanging around at my parents' house somewhere.

Prom:  It is supposed to be this magical evening.  Instead of going with a guy, I went with a group of my friends.  This isn't a bad thing at all.  We made a lasagna dinner at my house and then went on to the prom. It was just sooooo disappointing.  We got there and we were all thinking, "THIS is prom??!!"  We ended up leaving early and going back to my place for junk food and movies.  I DO have a picture of that. However, I have tastefully covered the faces of my friends, because the one person in this picture that I am still friends with, would probably KILL me if I posted this picture to the world with her face fully visible.

Look at this picture, I am wondering a few things.  Why did I butcher my hair right before the prom, so that I had no way of styling it whatsoever?  How did I get a corsage?  I think my mom bought it for me.  Wow, I look like an eggplant.

ANYWAY, let's fast forward to 2014 shall we?  Here I am actually chaperoning a dance.  I felt like an old woman.

I found myself thinking the following:

"I cannot believe her mother let her out of the house like that.  I would lock Darcy in the closet first.  She looks like she is showing up for an audition for a Sir Mix-a-Lot video."

"Man, it is almost 11:00. This is way past my bedtime!  Sooo, sleepy!"

"They are dancing way too close."

"So, THAT is what the Dougie is!"

"Are they dancing or is this foreplay?"

"Sitting at a side table, drinking punch, and watching everyone else dance...not much has changed in 17 years."

Then there was a moment where the kids requested that we listen to something "old school" and they played Michael Jackson's "Bad"....  Michael Jackson is not old school, damn it!!  Michael Jackson is TIMELESS! TIMELESS, I tell you!  ;o)

Damn, whippersnappers...

My Least Favorite Word

Obese
/adj/ excessively fat

Obesity
/noun/  more than average fatness

I hate the word obese.  I think I would still hate it even if I wasn’t categorized as being it.  The very definition is just awful.   Unfortunately, the reality is that I am what obese is defined as being.  So, why does this word bother me so much?  I guess because I feel like in too many circumstances a person call allow the word obese to define them.  I have done this.  If I am not excessively fat or obese (cringe) then who am I?  I AM, afterall, the fat girl.

I have tried really hard to change this unhealthy way of thinking.  The thing is...I don’t feel like I am the definition of a fat girl (whatever that may be) anymore.  I am enjoying my new active lifestyle and I feel so much better now that I am eating healthy.  Now, fat girl Courtney takes over my mind now and again, but she does not DEFINE me.  She is no longer who I am.  Healthy Courtney is fighting her off.

I bring up my distaste for the word obese because I recently went to the doctor and under a list of my illnesses were the following:

Illnesses.

I know that being overweight is detrimental to one’s health – I have not been living under a rock.  It was just an eye opener to see that word on my medical chart as a health impairment.

I am going to fight this.  I don’t know how long it is going to take me.  I don’t know exactly what  is going to be the method that clicks for me to get the job done.  I do know, however, that this is not a fight I am willing to lose.  I know that my weight does not define who I am.

Zuppa Toscana Lightened Up

I have been trying very hard lately to pack healthy lunches that I can prep ahead of time on Sundays.  I am not a fan of deli meats for a solid week, so I try to make a yummy and healthy recipe that can be preportioned in containers.  That way I can just grab my lunch in the morning and go.  Mornings are hectic enough, right?

Lately I have been a big fan of making soups.  They fill me up and are typically very easy to throw together.  For the past couple weeks I have been using my old go to recipes.  This week, however, I decided to try something different.  A friend at work introduced me to a great website called Organize Yourself Skinny.  This site may be old news to many of you, but it was definitely new to me.  I have at least a dozen of her recipes on my list that I want to try.  Her lighter version of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, however, won at being the first to be prepped in my kitchen.  I am not the best at writing my own recipes, but I will always give credit where credit is due.  I just thought I would share this recipe on here, and hopefully you will visit her blog if you haven't already.  It really is outstanding.

Here are the ingredients that you need.  The thyme and oregano are not pictured, because it wouldn't be a food prep post without me forgetting one or more of the ingredients in the big ingredient pic.

First, you start off browning your sausage in a soup pot with a tablespoon of olive oil.  The recipe itself calls for  ground turkey Italian sausage.  The only turkey Italian sausage I could find in my store was the Jennie-O version which is sold in casings.  No biggie!  I opted for the spicy version and removed the sausage from the casings.

After the sausage is browned, you add in your dry spices, onion, and garlic.  Allow that to cook for 5 minutes.  You shouldn't have much grease to drain, as the turkey sausage is very lean.

Next, add in the potatoes, milk, and chicken broth.  Give it a good stir and allow it to simmer on the stove for about 30 minutes.  You are wanting the potatoes to get soft.  I know this has an orange tinge to it.  I did drain grease, but I figured the orange-ish color is coming from the seasonings in the sausage itself.

Now it is time to stir in the kale.  Let the soup simmer for another 15 minutes.

Time to eat!  This soup really is delicious.  This recipe makes about 7 servings.  It is perfect for the work week and Sunday night dinner.

The website says that the calories are 316, but when I entered the recipe into the My Fitness Pal recipe builder, it came in at 293 calories per serving.  It may be because I used a different type of sausage.

Speaking of My Fitness Pal...have you SEEN their new Recipe Builder?  I have used it quite a lot, but not as much as I use the calorie counter/journal.  Now you can just import a website link and it generates the calories for you!   You don't have to type in each individual ingredient!!  I was way too excited about this, but time savers always get me excited.

Here is the recipe itself -- as taken by the Organize Yourself Skinny website.

Zuppa Toscana (Lightened Up)

Ingredients:
1 lb turkey Italian sausage (I used Jennie-O spicy version)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 medium russet potatoes, sliced up
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3-4 cups of chopped kale
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in soup pot with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil
2. Once sausage is browned, add in chopped onion, garlic, and dried seasonings. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add in potatoes, broth, and milk.  Simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are nice and soft.
4. Stir in kale.  Simmer for 15 more minutes.
5. Serve.

Nutritional Information:
Calories 293
Fat 10g
Carbs 31g
Fiber 3g

Flying Pigs

I ran my first 5K....well kind of ran my first 5K in October 2012.  I decided to do a Color Run.  I thought it would be “fun.”  Pffffffffft...  Let me share a little background...

I trained for this 5K for about 12 weeks.  I trained on a treadmill with no incline.  THEN, I decided to run a 5K in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio.  I decided to run a 5K (with no outdoor terrain training)  in a city which is nicknamed  “The City of Seven Hills.”  BRILLIANT!

So, picture this...

I am waiting patiently for the next heat to be released to run.  I have my music ready.  I am PUMPED!  The dude at the starting line tells us to go and I am off!  I am running with my music....running like the wind...albeit a very calm wind.  About 2 minutes into running I realize....this shit hurts!  Pavement hurts!  Holy crap, I still have 2.8 miles to go!  Somebody just get my stretcher now!  THEN, I get past mile one and get the color powder crap thrown on me.  I cannot breathe.  I cannot see.  I am grumpy because I am already walking.  I feel like a failed, already
.
Luckily, I did end up finishing the race.  I walked more than I would like to admit.  I did not feel as proud of myself as I had hoped.

Well, I want to do it again.  The Flying Pig Marathon is a Cincinnati tradition.  Of course, it is an actual MARATHON – which there is no way in hell I am ready for.  The cool part is that they also have 5K and 10K options.  I would love to try to run the 5K this year.  Quite frankly, I want another shot at this. I think I am better off than I was the first time I ran.

I really would like a running partner though.  Requirement include:

• Must be willing to run with someone who runs like a calm wind...or breeze.  Yeah, THAT’s IT! You must run like the breeze!
• Must not be offended by cursing and must be willing to ignore my pleads to put me out of my misery.  
• Must be certified in CPR (Well, not really, but it couldn’t hurt!  LOL)

Anybody up for it?

I am linking up with the Motivation Monday team today.  The prospect of running this 5K in a couple months has definitely motivated me enough to get my exercise in!