Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself...

It has taken a lot for me to come back to this page. I have thought about it often, but could not force myself to visit. After numerous talks with myself, here I am. For awhile, it was hard for me not consider myself a failure, but then I realized that you are never a failure until you give up. I have not given up. I can't give up. Especially on something like this. It means so much to me because it essentially something that will either make or break my life. With that being said, here I am... Again.

 

I do not know if any of you have ever read my blog before now so I will give you a brief synopsis of its purpose. I started this blog a couple of years ago, 2011 I believe, as a way to motivate myself on my weight loss journey. I had a goal of losing 75lbs in 100 days (BIG challenge, huh? Yeah, I know but it was doable). In the beginning, I was working out, eating right, and everything was okay. As time went on I continued to work on my weight loss and I was doing so well! As the days turned into weeks, LIFE took over. Different factors erupted and for a while, I did a great job of managing those factors coupled with the challenge of losing weight. THEN the 100th day hit and I was NOT 75lbs lighter, but I was okay with that. Of the total 75lbs, I lost about 30. For the first time that I can remember, I was under 250 and that was an AMAZING feeling. I remember walking into Old Navy and getting a size 18 jeans off the rack-- and they were loose in the thighs and waist!! I did not have to go to the PLUS section to get them or order them from the website. That is something that I have NEVER been able to do in my entire adult life. But I digress (Did I say a brief synopsis?). With all of that being said, I managed to maintain that weight for a few months, then it was all uphill from there. I gained it ALL back PLUS some. That was depressing. The fact that I literally worked my a** off to get to that point just to gain it back depressed me in ways I cannot even explain. It did a serious number on me and I am just now getting past it.

 

That brings us to NOW. I am back! I am ready to shed the pounds and keep them off. After many talks with myself, the time is now and I just have to do it. Officially, I started back with my calorie counting and working out last Tuesday, so it has been a little over a week. I have rededicated myself to getting healthy and fit because I know it needs to happen. I am a single mother with two kids and I HAVE to be here for them. They are so active and so inspiring to me. My 8 year old runs nonstop and can easily run a mile. My 13 year old daughter ran a mile today in 7 minutes and 50 seconds. I have to get to that point. I WANT TO RUN A DAMN MILE! And as God as my witness, I am going to get there!

 

Now that I have essentially caught everyone up with what's been going on, I am going to take a moment and log off, but never fear! I shall return shortly! Before I go, I want to thank everyone who inspired me even a little bit to keep going on my journey. Thank you!!

 

Until I return, Happy Calorie Counting! :)

It's in the bag

I've created my own little survival bag. Cutest little thing!! It's basically just a lunch bag that I ordered and had customized for me. (You should get one! Not too expensive and quite stylish, if I do say so myself. I ordered it from a company called Thirty-One. Here's the web site if you're interested: http://www.mythirtyone.com/kristyharley/. They also have different styles and patterns.)

 

The way it works: each morning I pack my bag (when time permits) with what I will consume for the day. That includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Since I generally take in 1000-1200 calories per day, I usually pack enough food that takes up about 400-600 of that caloric intake.

 

The rules... Rule #1: plan for the day! If you know that you are in the office until about 5 or 6 p.m., then make sure you have enough food to sustain you throughout the day. Rule #2: Choose wisely! Know what you are packing for breakfast, lunch and snacks. Count the caloric value of the items. This includes everything! Rule #3: If its not in the bag, DON'T EAT IT! This rule is very important. One of the key elements to calorie counting is knowing how many calories you are eating and sticking to the goal that you have set. By only eating what you have allotted yourself during the day, it makes it easier to keep up with your caloric intake, as well as plan out what you will have for dinner.

 

Along with my food, I also keep my food diary (a record of what I eat from day to day) and a Calorie, Fat, and Carbohydrate Counter; both of which can be purchased from The Calorie King (http://www.CalorieKing.com). They are both handy, very informative, little guides to keep with you.

Needless to say, any little trick to keeping up with your calories will help. My nifty little lunch bag definitely helps me out BIG time.

Until next time, Happy Calorie Counting! :)

What's on your plate?

As always, one of the greatest challenges in weight loss is what you eat. I've heard many say that you can eat what you want as long as you exercise daily. And to those people I give a great big *side eye*. Maybe that works for some individuals, but definitely not for me. Exercise matters greatly when trying to lose weight, but I will continue to believe that if you choose baked chicken and brussels sprouts (plus exercise) over Whoppers and french fries you will, without a doubt, lose weight much quicker (and keep it off).

I am a single mother, I work full-time, and I spend at least 3 nights a week on the soccer fields so I know fast food can quickly become my bff. Plus, I am not a fan of cooking. I will say this though: if you work it out right, you can fix healthy meals (that don't take long) and actually taste great. I always try to cook enough so there's some left over for my lunch the next day (<<-- money saving tip :)).

For the days when my kids consume the entire pot, I resort to those good ol' frozen meals. That's right- frozen "diet" food. Sounds disgusting, huh? Well they don't exactly cause my taste buds to explode with excitement, but they get the job done. My top choices are Healthy Choice Steamers and Smart Ones. As frozen ("diet") food goes, these are the best. And at around $2-3 each, you can actually save money if you plan it right. AND because its a boxed meal, your calories, fat, and whatever else you keep track of is on the back- already totaled for you! Woohoo!! (I find joy in little things.)

If you must rely on fast food, just remember to choose wisely. In my area there aren't many choices... Chic-fil-A, Mickey D's, Taco Bell. All of these places offer "healthy" choices but sometimes their version of healthy doesn't match what I call healthy.

Just be aware of what you're eating... READ! And continue on your path to righteousness aka calorie counting. :) Ask yourself, "What's on my plate?"

BTW: if you are lucky enough to be near a Chipotle Mexican Grill, try em out on your lunch break. Fresh ingredients, truly healthy choices, and oh so tasty! *insert drool here*
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Change Of Plans

Sunday's workout complete! That included a mile (plus a teeny bit more) walk and about 20 minutes of aerobics. Just as I said before, I am slowly but surely getting back into my routine, including the calorie counting AND the workouts. It hasn't been long since I've re-embarked on my weight loss journey, but I can already tell the difference in my energy level. I'm hoping I can stick with it until I get where I need (want) to be. I've revamped my goal to reflect where I'm at now. I can officially where 16's and my original goal size was 14. That puts me just one size away from where I want to be, BUT I'm not ok with that. Although I'd be ecstatic to wear a 14, I feel like my thighs need to be smaller so I'm gonna shoot for a smaller size. Let's just say that I am going to drop 50 more lbs, and whatever size I'm in then will work for me- I hope. :)
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Quick FYI...

Ready to embark on this calorie counting journey with me?? Need help? Here's one of the best calorie counting sites/publications a girl (or guy) can use. It's affordable and it actually helps you not only find out how many calories are in the foods you eat, but also helps you keep track of your daily caloric intake. Try it for free...
http://www.calorieking.com/

*sneaks back in* *sits down* *acts like I haven’t been M.I.A.* Hey Ya’ll!

I’ve been on hiatus the last five (or more) months. I’m sure you all feel that I have abandoned my entire weight loss journey. I have not! I’m still here, but let’s just say that life happened (ßBIG time) over the last few months and my mind was everywhere but on Fantabulous Me. That coupled with the fact that I haven’t had internet to post any updates, basically left “Fat to Fantabulous” up in arms. So with that being said, let the updates begin…

It’s all quite simple really. No complicated updates. Just two words will sum it up: Still Fat.

Nevertheless, I’m still quite fantabulous just in a size 16 (Ugh!). I honestly can’t tell you how much I have gained back because I am completely avoiding my scale. I have decided that I will continue to embark on my weight loss journey WITHOUT that evil mechanism. Well at least until October 1. At that point I will force encourage myself to get on that pink and red Weight Watchers scale. *sad face*

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I have spent the last few months devouring everything that I have in the kitchen. I just cared less (a lot less) about the caloric number of foods and ate items that I would usually stay clear of. I did continue to exercise though. That’s probably the only saving grace I have had through my calorie counting lull. I know I’ve gained weight back (not all, but definitely some), but due to the fact that I kept on working it out (Yay Zumba), I don’t have to start all over again.

I must say that I have missed Fat to Fantabulous. Something about posting on this blog gives me more of an inspiration to keep pushing on. And although I am giving myself a great big, huge, without a doubt, you can do better, I can’t believe you fell off, you better get it together speech; I know I’ll fall back into the groove with no problems. I just wish that I could snap my fingers and be right where I want to be, but like I’ve said countless times before “This is not going to be easy, but it can be done” and it will be done.  September 1^st (yes, yesterday) marks my FIRST official day back at my calorie counting. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I have to get right! ASAP-ually!!

Life gave me lemons, and I made lemon butter sauce!

In my quest to keep this low calorie "diet" interesting I am ALWAYS looking to find something tasty & guilt free. Let's also keep in mind that I don't like to cook so it must be simple to prepare.

The situation:
It was late in the afternoon, I was tired, and really didn't want to cook. I did, however, have a craving for steamed broccoli. I decided that broccoli was the way to go, but I needed more than just those little trees (which is only 60 calories for 3oz *smile*) to satisfy my appetite. So with that I added chicken to the menu. Now, to be honest, I'm almost "chickened" out! I've baked it, sauted it, grilled it, had it on salads, had it in pasta, chicken and veggies, chicken and yellow rice... Blah, blah, blah! So needless to say, I needed something to kick the chicken in gear. While standing there trying hard to decide what to do, I remembered that I had a lemon so I let the creative juices flow. And what I came up with, was simple and oh so yummy! *Check it out!*

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Ingredients:  
1/4 cup Parkay (in the tub or the spray)
2 tablespoons REAL lemon juice
1/2 garlic, minced  
1 zest of a lemon (optional)

Directions:  
Mince the garlic and zest and juice the lemon. In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt about a tbsp of butter (Parkay), and saute the minced garlic for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add the remaining butter and stir until it melts. Add in the lemon juice. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and you're done! Pour over your food of choice and top with lemon zest.
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Its quick and easy, not to mention, low in calories and muy delicioso! Try it and let me know what you think.
*Happy Calorie Counting!*
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®