I propose a challenge mainly to myself, but it would be awesome if some of you would jump on board with me. My goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of August 2013. That is about 2 pounds a week which is considered a healthy weight loss. Let’s face it. Some of these fad/starvation diets are not realistic. They are just diets and usually most people gain the weight back quickly. I am talking about some basic cooking techniques, portion control, and of course exercise. Please join me on this weight loss challenge. I will post daily, and I will include some of my recipes for success and probably include recipes for disaster. All we have to do is change some of our behaviors and exercise, and the weight should melt off. In the past, I limited my carbohydrates and increased my protein, fruit and vegetable intake which resulted in a successful weight loss. A well balanced diet is the key, and the key to a well balanced diet is cooking at home. There are no hidden calories and fats in your food if you cook it yourself. From my past experience, once goal weight is achieved, goodies can be incorporated back into the diet. But again, it is important to pay attention to portion control and of course exercise. I am ready to get started—I hope you are too. I will chart my weight loss (or gain) each week on the blog page and include daily menus and recipes. Thank you for reading this, and I wish all of us success in our weight loss journey.

Below are some posts that I made while trying to lose weight a few months ago. I was not successful. I kept losing the same amount of weight over and over again. I am not giving up though!

Weigh in Week 6 March 20, 2013

It took me an hour to talk myself into getting on the scale yesterday. I truly dreaded it. The scale showed a gain of 1 lb. I am feeling very discouraged and frustrated. My cravings are not bad, but even with good intentions I am overeating. Usually, once I make up my mind to do something I get it done, but it is different this time. I have been trying to get this weight off for almost 3 years now and my only accomplishments have been losing and gaining back the same few pounds, high cholesterol levels, and feeling tired most of the time. At this point, I do not know what to do. I am sabotaging myself over and over again. I always say “I will start again tomorrow”. Last night I had planned on making dinner, and then before I realize it I am asking my husband to go for takeout. Honestly, I felt like hell after eating the food both physically and emotionally. I am almost at the point of just giving up and accepting the fact that I am 35 lbs overweight. This website was supposed to help me and hopefully others with weightloss challenges. I read over my posts and I say the same thing week after week. Well, I am going to think long and hard about this tonight and come up with a plan. Maybe Weightwatchers is the way to go. I do not care for their new program, but I suppose attending meetings and weighing in there once a week would make me accountable. The truth is I just cannot say no to the goodies, although I have not eaten any sweets in the past 2 days. Believe me, I am craving them, but so far so good. What happened to the days when I could just think about losing 10 lbs and it would be gone within a few weeks?
Weight Loss Progress Chart

Weigh in Week 5 March 13, 2013

Getting on the scale last Sunday was difficult, because I already knew I had gained weight which is why I am not writing about it until almost a week later. We had takeout several times during the week, and my lunches were not very healthy–some were sweets and chips from vending machines. I am still eating sweets and bread. My weight gain for the week was 1 lb. So, a three pound lost for 5 weeks. Yes, I am discouraged, but I also know that I am not going about this in the right way. Weight Watchers was big on meal planning which is something I have not been doing. To eat healthy it is important to plan menus for the week and stick to them. When shopping for meals, stick with what is on the list, and no, don’t buy those Hostess cupcakes or that Edies icecream!! Well, I get back on the scale tomorrow, and I am certainly not looking forward to it. We had takeout twice this week, and of course I have been eating more bread. On a more positive note, I did make healthy oat bran muffins which I eat for breakfast. They have no added sugar or fat and are loaded with fruit and nuts. I will post the recipe soon. Tomorrow is another day, and even though I am dreading it, I will post my weigh in results.
Weight Loss Progress Chart

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Weigh in Week 4 February 27, 2013
Tracking has been difficult for the last couple of weeks due to a busy work schedule. I got on the scale and I lost 2 pounds. So, that is a total of 4 pounds in 4 weeks. Not as much as I would have liked, but is it a loss. The problem is finding the time to plan and then cook healthy meals. Bread is one of my weaknesses. I certainly did eat more bread throughout the week, but I also ate plenty of vegetables and fruit. It is so easy to put a piece of chicken on two slices of bread as I rush around in the morning getting ready for work. Packing lunches the night before would probably help. By the time I get home from work in the evening, I do not feel like cooking or planning meals. I am usually up late preparing for my lectures and grading papers for the next day. My energy levels are low in the evenings. Exercise would help with that, but how do I find the time? I know, too many excuses. I was reading an interesting article about how most of us are addicted to certain foods just as someone can become addicted to drugs or alcohol. The addictive foods are processed foods that barely resemble real food. After eating them we feel sluggish and crave more. I remember a few years ago when I was fit and healthy I never craved sweets or French fries. In fact one of the reasons I would put off any kind of diet was because I was worried that I would miss my favorite foods. The truth is, after about three days of eating healthy, I never craved the junk food. So, if I know that processed foods are addictive why do I continue to eat them? I know time is a big factor, but there is more to it. In my mind I think that I can never again enjoy a particular food. That is not true. I believe you can eat anything you want as long as it is done in moderation.
Weight Loss Progress Chart

Weigh in Week 3 February 20, 2013
Sorry to say, the scale did not move this week. I did not gain nor did I lose. This was expected because we had take-out several times last week including a pizza last night. I still have my cough, and even though I am feeling much better, I have been too tired to cook. Actually, I had expected to see a weight gain, so I am going to consider myself very lucky that I did not put on another pound or two. I really must get motivated again. Since I am post menopausal, the weight does not want to budge. I have also noticed that I cannot eat as much as I could even a year ago. That is a good thing, but again, I just seem to hold onto the weight. Menopausal weight gain is something that I suppose most of us will have to deal with at some time. Right now, I just want to get back to healthy eating and lower my cholesterol. I did not achieve last week’s goals. They were to exercise 15 minutes a day, eat more fruits and vegetables, and not order takeout. I did cook the turkey though. Except for cooking another turkey, I will set the same goals for this week.
Weight Loss Progress Chart

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Weigh in Week 2 February 13, 2013
The scale finally moved. I have lost 2 pounds. Sure, I thought that I would have lost more weight in two weeks, but I am happy that I lost something. Now I am excited again. It really does not take much to feel motivated. I have been sick with a cough for the past week, so I have not focused much on weight loss. The problem is I do not feel like cooking so we have been ordering take out. I need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet which are not appealing to me when I am sick. It is funny, but fruits and vegies are never that appealing to me, but when I do take the time to prepare and eat them, I actually do enjoy them. Breakfast is another problem. I do not like cereals so I am limited as to what I can eat in the mornings. Because of my high cholesterol, I need to limit egss which I do love. I could eat eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. They are a versatile food, but like any other food, if it is something I like it probably is not good for me.
My goal this week is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet, and to not order a takeout. Today, I am going to cook a turkey. It will provide several dinners for my husband and I as well as sandwiches for lunch. I will also make a big pot of turkey broth for soups. I will try to walk at least 15 minutes a day. That does not sound like much, but with the cough I find it hard to exercise, and 15 minutes daily is better than nothing.

Weigh in Week 1 February 6, 2013
My weigh in did not go well. The scale is at the same place it was last week. It did not move. I know that it is common to reach a plateau, but I thought that came after you lose some weight. I actually achieved all of the goals I set at the beginning of the week except for walking 20 minutes a day. I do run around campus all day, and I would think that would count for something. This is so discouraging. It makes me want to drown myself in a tub of Edies French Silk ice cream–sounds great right now. I did spend most of the weekend in bed with bronchitus, but I also did not eat much. I thought I would have lost at least a pound or two. My big concern is the high cholesterol so I can’t give up yet, but I am close. This is so unfair. I did almost everything right, but nothing to show for it. Weight Watcher meetings used to help me, but their format has changed over the years, and now I do not find them as helpful or motivating. So, how to get motivated. I would love to hear some ideas. Zero pounds lost, but zero pounds gained. We shall see what happens in Week two. I will continue preparing and eating healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and try to exercise more.