So.

I came to a realization the other day, while my husband and I were out having a nice meal and a nice restaurant sans child - a very rare occurrence indeed, that I do not have the same body as I did pre-Mateo and from years ago. I mean, it was never like I could eat a donut or two and not suffer the consequences, but I could get rid of it pretty quick by exercising and eating well.

So instead of dieting by counting calories, I decided I really needed to cut back on what types of foods I've been eating and eat more fruits and veggies. I began this on Sunday. I don't know what I weighed then, but I do know from the last time I weighed myself, I've lost 3 lbs.

My husband and I have horrible eating habits. He still has been bringing donuts home, we eat out a lot, we eat a lot of carbs and fattening foods. So who am I kidding that I can eat that stuff while exercising 2-3 times a week and lose weight? It's just not going to happen.

I stopped the constant snacking on processed foods and started eating more fruits. I stopped the bowl of cereal for dessert - if I want that, I have a small amount but not a full meal-sized bowl, which is what I've been doing. I am eating veggie soup for lunch and only bringing fruit and yogurt to snack on and a health bar for breakfast.

I went to the doctor today to get referred to a podiatrist because I have a painful bunion I would like "taken care of" (sounds so much more sinister that way), and I was told I have high blood pressure. I'm always told this, but no doctor seems to care until today. I was told that while I might look 25 years old (thanks doc!), I have to treat my 35-year old body like it's 35 and not 25. And I guess that's what I've been doing. So she said to cut out salt and excess sugars and eat more fruits and veggies and exercise. And to lose weight. I told her I am, I am, I know, I know. She then told me to come back in 6 months and get rechecked, and if my blood pressure isn't better, she's going to treat me because, as she put it, she's not letting me have a heart attack or kidney failure on her watch.

Shhhesh, put it that way....

Then I went to the podiatrist whose nurse was concerned about my blood pressure as well, and then the doctor mentioned it, and okay, okay, OKAY! I get it.

The biggest change in our eating habits at dinner is not eating a heavy carb with our meal, which is something we always seem to do and we do it excessively. I have a nice repetoire of healthy veggies sides to go with some sort of meat item. It's been working out okay, and yes, I do realize it's only Tuesday, but give a girl a break.

So here I go, climbing back on the wagon and heading off on into the sunset.

Nondate instead of update.

I was going to weigh myself, but as I jumped on the scale, I noticed it screaming "BATT" at me, which means the battery is dead. By the time it would be charged, I would have eaten and this and that and there and so on and so forth, so I just decided to skip this week.

I have been going to the gym.

I have been eating better.

I probably have not lost weight, though.

Sigh.

Meals for the week (now that the week is almost done).

So things have been a tad hectic this week, and I yet again didn't post our weekly meals. I ended up having to change it, but this is what it was and will be:

Sunday and Monday: Chicken breast marinated in a tasty teriyaki marinade with Couscous Black Bean Salad (was supposed to be Quinoa, but I used israeli couscous instead because it's darn tasty).

Tuesday and Wednesday: Trader Joe's Tequila-lime Chicken Burgers with some TJ's guacamole, tomato and red onion on a whole wheat bun and some shoe string fries.

Thursday and Friday: Crockpot Green Chile Pork with corn tortillas and refried beans. I only use the linked recipe for the pork part of it. I don't make the roll-ups. We've had this before, and it's darn tasty.

Sunday and Monday: Pork Teriyaki Kabobs with white rice. We haven't had kabobs in a long time, so I thought this would be a good change from my crockpot cooking.

Saturday is our "free" day, which really means I don't have to cook. Ha!

Weight update.

Phew. I lost weight. Not much, but I did.

I am 209.2 lbs.

Go me!

Oh dear. I "forgot."

I weighed myself and was sad, so I forgot all about posting my weight update. I even made a point to weigh myself after I went to the gym in hopes I would lose 5 lbs from sweating, but alas, that was not the case.

So the total for yesterday was 210.6 lbs. Yes, that's right. I go and join a gym, eat some pizza, have a cupcake or two, and gain back the 1 measly pound I lost plus .6 oz. Go me!

I had a doctor appt. later that day, and I weighed even more than that, but I was fully clothed, so boo on their stupid medical scale.

I also had high blood pressure, which only the nurse was concerned about. I chalk that up to being fat.

Today we had a fun-filled fire drill, where we had to go down 4 flights of stairs and then back up 4 flights of stairs, and I was doing really good until I got up 2 flights and I thought I was going to keel over and die or my legs were going to give out on me.

I told my husband that I needed to use the treadmill more to build up my endurance. And once I did that, then I just might try the horrible, horrendous, and very much hated elliptical. Because it's very obvious to me that my leg muscles are only strong enough to keep me upright and walking and nothing else (like hiking up 4 flights of stairs without almost collapsing).

My husband told me that the elliptical would help me in that area, and it's really good to use a variety of equipment instead of just one type.

So I told him, Mr. I love to exercise at 4:30 in the morning, that if I got on the elliptical today (or tomorrow, or even next week), I would be the "fat girl" on the elliptical. And after a few pumps of my legs, I would soon fall over to the side, and all the gym people would come over and say, "Oh, look, the fat girl fell over," and I so did not want to be someone's funny story for the day.

Unless it's my funny story.

That's different.

Lesson #123: No weighing yourself with wet hair.

So I weighed myself this morning with wet hair and was 210, which made me very sad because I feel better so why doesn't my weight reflect that, and then a whole mess of internal whining ensued.

Then I dried my hair and weighed myself (same clothes on - PJs basically), and I lost a pound!

Lesson learned? Don't weigh yourself with wet hair unless that's how you started weighing yourself.

So I lost a whole pound and I am darn pleased.

I forgot to do my dinner updates for the week, so here goes:

Chicken Tenders (I cooked them in the oven at 425 for 20 minutes with a soyaki sauce on them) with Cilantro Pesto (soooo good) with a side of savory herb rice (super easy to make and really tasty - beats a boxed rice mix any day).

Santa Fe Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn cobs.

Slow Cooker Quick & Easy Pork Chops with a side of frozen veggies from Trader Joe's.

Our meals got screwed up this week because of St. Patty's day, so I'm not sure when we're having the last two, not that that really matters.

As far as the gym goes, I've been going and walking for an hour each time, and I'm really glad I joined because it gives me time alone for one hour and who doesn't love that?

As far as being bad goes, we were bad on St. Patty's and had horrible fish and chips, and my boss gave me a lemon tart on Monday, and I, being the piggy that I am, started eating it without even thinking that I was trying to lose weight. But it was good.

So that is my story for this week.

One pound! Woohoo!

Fatty weight update.

Argh.

So yes, I finally did it.

And like ripping off a bandage that you know will hurt like a dickens, I leave you with this and then I'm off to count calories (even though I have been doing well without counting them, thank you very much):

I am 210.

TWO HUNDRED AND TEN POUNDS!!!!

I'm so glad I'm going to the gym today to walk my butt off.