Finally!

I feel like I am making REAL progress again with my weightloss - as opposed to the fake kind =). I am 242.2 this morning which means I have lost 55 pounds. I am VERY anxious to get out of the 240's. I have been in them forever - it feels like forever. I have gotten back to eating the majority of my meals at home and I'm not really counting calories - I have a good idea of my calorie count during the day and I am focused on eating a smallish dinner and having my Healthy Choice fudge bar at night (with the occasional tablespoon of chocolate chips).

I took my measurements this morning - I'm not sure if I'll get the chance with the big move at the end of next week - and I have lost :
1/2 inch off my chest (when I say chest, I mean my ribcage right below my chest)
1 inch off my waist
1/2 inch off my hips
1/2 inch off each upper thigh
1/2 inch off each quad (I measure a couple of inches above my knee cap)
1/2 inch off each calf

Which is a total of 5 inches since January 5th. I have not lost anything from my arms since the end of October, but I'm pretty confident that they will shrink some more with the next 20 pounds and I am definitely building my muscles there. I had not posted a loss from my quads since I started taking measurements in September so I was really excited to see them shrinking - I could tell a difference even without taking the measurements. And my calves have been the same size since the end of October, so it was great to see that too!

My new favorite way to eat my spinach is the following:

-About 3 cups baby spinach from Costco
-2 oz. shredded chicken breast (I put a couple in the crock pot with some montreal steak seasoning and use them all week)
-2 hardboiled eggs
-1/4 sliced, medium avacado
-1 T. sunflower seeds
-3 T. Light Zesty Italian dressing

It is SO good and comes in around 425 calories. It is also much cheaper than my turkey salad I was making before. One of the things that helps me eat healthier is really looking for sale prices on basic things like chicken breasts - they were on sale at the grocery store here a few weeks ago for 1.57/pound and I eat about 1 pound of the chicken per week for my salad - I was paying $12 for 14 oz. of the turkey from Costco - and don't get me wrong, it is delicious, but I am on a budget.

Anyone remember the song "Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me....do as I'm doing, follow, follow me...."? My lifestyle changes have been going on long enough that they are now affecting my children. My mantra used to be "Do as I say - ignore what I do" and now I am able to be an example to my girls of the importance of taking care of their bodies. Whitney LOVES oatmeal - has it for breakfast 3 or 4 days a week and eats it just like me, with some pb, splenda and a little bit of milk. Both of my girls love that shredded chicken I make for my salads and like to take it in their lunches sometimes. They drink a TON more water, ask if they can eat hardboiled eggs and love to have oranges and apples each day. I stopped buying chips for their lunches a couple of weeks ago - NEVER thought I would do that. But they are just as happy having pretzels in their lunch and haven't even asked about chips. I also stopped putting a treat in their lunches like fruit snacks or a granola bar, and they haven't said a word. When they get home from school now, they can chose to have the fruit snacks, granola bar or animal crackers for their after school snack. Before they would have had a treat in their lunch, a treat when they got home and usually a treat before bed....... because their mom was doing the same thing. They are still doing what I do, the only difference is I DO want them to follow my example now.

Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me......

this is me now.