I've finally made the commitment to lose weight

I've finally decided it's time to actively work at losing weight. To that end, I'm now seeing a nutrionist monthly who has given me diet and exercise goals - I met her for the first time today. I also have to keep a food journal (UGH!) detailing everything I eat, along with calorie counts, fat and sugar grams, and how I was feeling. It's a total PITA (did you know a Dot has 12 calories? Or that a slice of pepperoni has 10 calories?) but it has been enlightening.

The hardest part is that I LOVE to cook, so it's tough figuring out calorie counts when I make a pot of spaghetti and meat sauce for example (whole wheat pasta, and 3/4 ground turkey to 1/4 ground beef, with tons of veggies in the sauce, so don't start with me!).

I've thought about doing something easier like NutriSystem for a loooong time now, but I just don't know. I'm not a terribly picky eater but I do have several foods I hate (any type of pea or bean for example), so I wonder how it'll work for me. Since I can't pick up their food at the local store I've never tried it, so I wonder about the taste.

One Savvy Mom! is trying NutriSystem for the next 16 weeks and blogging about it, and in conjunction with that she's offering one lucky reader a full MONTH of NutriSystem food! I envy her that she only needs to lose 25-30 pounds. She'll be blogging about her progress weekly, and then selecting a winner on Friday February 25, 2011. Entries will be combined from all her weekly posts.

If I lost half my body weight, I'd still be technically overweight. It's sobering. I just have to keep in mind that it went on 1 pound at a time, so it has to come off that way, too. I'd love to drop 50 (or 100!!) pounds overnight but that won't happen.

Update 11/30 - I got weighed, and I've lost 3.84% of my body weight since I started on 10/25. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest thing for me is eating breakfast every day - I generally don't. I've been cheating a bit by drinking a Boost on the mornings where I'm rushed (which is most weekday mornings) which the nutritionist is OK with. Plus it boosts my fiber intake for the day (which I don't really have a problem with, but it doesn't hurt).

I actually think I lost more than that before Thanksgiving, but that weekend I indulged a little (ham, mashed potatoes, red velvet cake). No where near as much as I used to eat, but I definitely exceeded my 1600 calories/day for that 4-day weekend.

Update 2/1 - I got weighed again today, and I'm down almost 10% from when I started. I still really struggle with portion control and meal composition though - which is why I'm REALLY hoping I win One Savvy Mom's giveaway!

You can read her updates over the last 4 months and find out more about Nutrisystem and their food/plan by checking out the posts below:

Getting Started *squee*

Week 1 - she's down 1.5 pounds!

Week 5 - another 11 pounds gone (and this was over Thanksgiving!)

Week 8 - a New Year, another pound gone

Week 10 - another pound gone... but more importantly she's learning healthy eating habits!

Week 12 - yet another pound gone!

Week 13 - buttered popcorn? Sign me up!

Week 15 - another 3 pounds gone!

Update 2/27 - YAYAY I won, I won, I won! I'm so excited I can't even tell you. I can't wait to try this for myself :)

Edy’s Slow Churned Shakes & Smoothies

Edy’s Slow Churned Shakes & Smoothies are a new single-serve product (found in the freezer section) that you just add milk to, stir, and drink! I first learned about them because of some giveaways I saw posted. On my last trip to Walmart, I found the Vanilla shake, and the Tropical smoothie (mango, passion fruit and pineapple) varieties.

My son claimed the Tropical smoothie (and declared it delicious!) and drank it so fast I didn't get a chance to snap a photo. I did ask him to take a picture of me drinking the Vanilla, and this was the best of the bunch (I didn't have any straws so I just drank it out of the cup).

The Vanilla tasted great, and it was very easy to blend. I'm thinking next time I might add some of my sugar-free syrups (caramel, or raspberry, or lemon) to change up the flavor.

I like that these are relatively low in calories (~200 each after you add milk) and are great for having on hand for that time when you want a shake or smoothie. This is definitely something I can work into my diet and not feel guilty. I also love that they're self-contained... no blender needed!

There's currently 4 Shake flavors (Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Cookies n'Cream) and 4 Smoothie flavors (Strawberry Banana, Mixed Berry, Tropical and Sunrise Blend (peach, orange, banana)). I found them at Walmart for $1.50 each which is very reasonable. There's also a coupon I found for Buy 2, Get 1 Free which brings the price down to $1 each.

To get the word out about their product, Edys has teamed up with several bloggers to offer Walmart gift cards to purchase their product to try for yourself! You can enter to win on the following blogs (check each blog for their specific terms and entry requirements):

3 Kids and Us - ends 2/21

Consumer Queen - ends 2/21

MomDot - ends 2/21

Mommy Goggles - ends 2/21

Outnumbered Mama - ends 2/21

The Divine Miss Mommy - ends 2/21

What's That Smell? - ends 2/21

Just Another Manic Monday ~ snow, weight gain, a MIA remote and lots of giveaways ending tonight!

Well, Christmas has come and gone and I think I gained a couple of pounds.... which I knew I would. I didn't watch what I ate, and treated myself to chocolate cake, mashed potatoes, yeast rolls and fruit juice.... not to mention all the dip I consumed. *sigh* I thought it was worth it at the time, but now.... I dunno. I didn't have to indulge QUITE so much. I guess this is part of the learning process. I'm back on the program today though.

The snow we got on Christmas Day (over 6") is still here, and still gorgeous... of course, I can say that from the relative warmth and safety of my house! It's a bit windy today so the snow is blowing around, giving the illusion it's snowing but it really isn't. I hope the roads are OK tomorrow, because I have to go back to work. :(

I can't find the Dish remote to the TV in my bedroom, and it's making me bonkers. I reeeeeally hope I didn't accidentally grab it when I grabbed my bathrobe and towel this morning...if I did, it's currently sloshing around the inside of my washing machine. :( Somehow I don't think that's a good thing.

I've entered a total of 15 (!) giveaways that end tonight... here's a sampling of what I'm hoping to win:

Fun Saving Money is offering a $50 gift certificate to IGIGI. Anyone who knows me, knows I love IGIGI clothes. They're not just clothes made in plus sizes, they're specifically tailored to flatter the various types of plus-size figures (like hourglass, inverted triangle, oval, rectangle, etc.). For example, I'm an oval... so clothes that call attention to my waist don't look great on me, I need something that falls from the bustline, and then skims my hips to camoflauge my tummy. I also love that their clothes aren't trendy... they really are investment pieces that will be in your wardrobe for years to come. IGIGI is also now offering lots of great accessory pieces, so if I win this I'm not sure if I want to put it towards a new dress, or maybe treat myself to this Athena ring. Decisions, decisions.

Mom Start is sponsoring a giveaway by JoeShopping.com for a $50 Amazon gift card! JoeShopping.com is a shopping comparison site, but with a social media twist. Not only can you compare prices, you can review products, share finds with your friends and solicit their feedback, and so much more! I recently joined and I look forward to exploring the full functionality of the site. Not sure about the badges they have (they look a bit too Nickelodeon for my taste) but it's a nice idea.

Sweeps4Bloggers is giving 5 of their readers a copy of Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns (22nd Edition, published 2010). There are several B&Bs locally listed in here that I'd love to stay at, and included in the book is a certificate good for a second night free when you book in advance, which is a tremendous savings! I'd love to book a weekend getaway, and getting the 2nd night free would make that much more affordable.

Sweeps4Bloggers is also giving 3 winners a "Small Battle" Pulled Pork Gift Box from North Carolina Barbeque Company! With a retail value of almost $55, there's enough in here to satisfy your taste, whether you prefer Eastern or Western style BBQ.

• 1 lb Piedmont pulled pork BBQ
• 1 lb Eastern pulled pork BBQ
• 1 pint Piedmont BBQ slaw
• 1 pint Eastern Cole Slaw
• 1 (5 oz) bottle of Piedmont BBQ dip
• 1 (5 oz) bottle of Eastern BBQ sauce

We like both styles of Carolina BBQ in our house, so this would satisfy both of us. They're based in Greensboro, but I'd never heard of them until I saw this contest. I wish they had a restaurant open, I'd be there for lunch regularly!

New Age Mama is holding a giveaway sponsored by Plastic Jungle - 3 winners will each receive a $25 gift card to one of the retailers on the Plastic Jungle site. Since they offer 75 different retailers from 1-800-FLOWERS to Zappos, you're sure to find one that appeals to you. I've used Plastic Jungle before and they're great. I buy gift cards at stores I already use at a discount, so I'm already saving money. Add that to a great sale price, maybe a coupon or two and you can really save a LOT of money. If you have some gift cards you don't want to use, you can sell them to Plastic Jungle - check their site to see what retailers they're buying cards from and how much they offer. They offer higher payout percentages on more popular cards like Best Buy and Target, but if you're not going to use the card, it's better to have the cash!

Shining 2 Save is giving away a Keurig Gift Pack that includes a Keurig Mini Plus Brewing System and 4 boxes of K-Cups! Anyone who knows me knows I love my Keurig, and I hate not being able to drink coffee at work. If I'm lucky enough to win this, it's going in my office, along with some Donut Shop coffee, maybe some Caramel Vanilla Cream coffee, or even a box of Celestial Seasonings Variety Mix. I've had to cut waay back on my caffeine on the recommendation of my nutritionist, but I can still indulge (just not as much!).

Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House has 2 great giveaways ending today. The first one is for a Shenzhen Ceramic Knives 3 piece Chef's Set which includes a 6” Ceramic Chef’s knife, 4.8” Ceramic Slicing knife, and 3.2” Ceramic Paring knife. I was lucky enough to win a ceramic knife last year and gave it to my mom - she RAVES about it. I hate to admit it, I almost hate that I gave it to her - I want one of my own! I hate sharpening knives, and I hate when they get rust spots on them (I've told my son NOT to leave them in the sink but he doesn't listen), so these would be perfect.

The 2nd giveaway from Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House is for a a Yoplait Smoothie Prize Pack which includes free Yoplait Smoothie product and a 3-speed KitchenAid Blender. I love smoothies, especially now when I have to make sure I eat breakfast every morning *sigh* I'd much rather have a smoothie for breakfast than a bowl of cereal, or scrambling some eggs. I love that a package of Yoplait Frozen Smoothies contains one full serving of fruit and only 110-120 calories per serving.

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