In years past I've had a number of friends do things to learn what it's like to either eat on a budget or limit their intake of food (without fasting) for specific or extended amounts of time, for both personal or spiritual reasons, but never figured I would be able to do more than what I've ever done with say the 30 Hour Famine. Recently, our house hold has had and encounter with a new fact to face that means our food budget needs to be revisited and reconfigured. Food is not cheap, no matter how you look at it. There are food pantries in almost every city, but we donate to those, we don't utilize them. It's become very difficult for me, while trying to diet and eat right, to realize that we have to cut back on the items that are most expensive when it comes to what food we buy. That means buying cheaper foods, therefore also not as healthy items. (One can only ingest a certain amount of Ramen Noodles in their lifetime!) Seriously, not cool to someone trying to change their eating habits!
So in all the mayhem that's going on in the world that is my home, I got to mulling an idea around in my head that I had talked to my husband about in the past and something an old friend of mine had done before. Randomly, this idea came up in conversation last night with a friend of mine. I told her I wanted to do this 30 Days on 30 Dollars, thing. In explaining it, I told her that you basically take thirty bucks and buy what you will use for your meals and snacks for one month (thirty days). I have tossed this back and forth a number of times in my head on doing this for different reasons. Obviously the biggest reason as of late, would be that we've recently had to seriously budget crunch in our home, and if I could cut costs for at least a month by eating certain things for said month that were purchased with a specific set aside amount of money, then that would be a bonus to saving some money. Also, budget crunches don't help those of us who diet, as I mentioned before, and this would be a challenge to find healthy, nutritious foods that can last me thirty days, again in that specific amount of money.
I'm still working on details of this. It means a lot of planning and shopping around, couponing, and ad hunting for the best deals. It means setting myself rules of not eating anything else that is in the house already, or that is purchased for the rest of my family to be eating for their meals. It is going to be a time consuming process, yes. It is going to be a challenge, yes. It is going to be discouraging as I search for the best way to spend my thirty dollars to get me through thirty days in a healthy fashion. I will also be hoping to find some amazing new recipes for things as well, because I am almost certain that I will end up just as sick of red beans and rice as I have become of Ramen Noodles!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Monday, May 30, 2011
Week 5, Day 30, Day 2
Okay so it's the fifth week of this whole "Project Manda" deal as well as day 30 so far. Kinda cool! It's also day two of my Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge. Only 88 more days to go! Okay that sounds like a lot, but at the same time, it doesn't! My Challenge End Date is the 27th of August, so 4 days after my 30th birthday. I'm hoping that I can keep up with this whole thing and not become discouraged at all. Think I can do it? I think I can do it...
Today I decided to use my shake mix for smoothies and see if makes me feel more full for a longer period of time. So far, it's working. I made breakfast with 8oz of milk, lunch with 12oz, and added frozen mango to both. However, lunch, I am still finishing. I made too much I think. Which I'm not sure how I could make too much,but apparently with some ice and some frozen mango, it added a bit more. The 12oz of milk makes it fill the whole cup I have verses the 8oz. So, maybe taking me longer to drink it will mean it will last longer for me...
Goal for after I finish my smoothie here and get this post finished, is to get the kiddos down for a nap, and then workout! My shoulder still feels funky, so I'm going to have to just wing it and see what kind of workout I'm going to actually be able to pull off as I go along. I miss doing my Zumba, but I just can't move my arm to where it needs to be moved in order to do the dances. Hopefully today I can, since it doesn't seem to really hurt bad, but just a dull ache. Pain killers and a nice hot shower afterward and I should be golden though! Hehe...
But for now....
We are off to the races!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
A New Week, A New Challenge
Okay folks! Today I did it! I started the Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge! I'm going for two meal replacement shakes a day and then healthy (preferably, healthy) meals for dinner and healthy snacks throughout the day! I'm excited to start this new venture and the end date for this current challenge is just a few days after my birthday so WOOT!!!
To continue with exciting information for this week, I reached my two week goal and then some apparently. According to my scales I lost 4.9 lbs this week bringing my total for the past 29 days to 11.7 lbs and a current weight of 194.4 lbs! I made it under 195 even! WOOT!
If you can't tell, I'm SUPER excited about all of this!
I will continue to blog as often as I feel the need to in order to update everyone on my progress and each week will at least post my measurements and such throughout the next 90 days.
As for now, I leave you all with a YOU CAN DO IT TOO! Motivation isn't always easy to come by when you get discouraged, and let me tell you, becoming injured enough to not be able to workout for almost an entire week, doesn't help keep you motivated, but there is no way around it if you want to lose and keep losing!
Week five, here I come!
Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge Week One
Weight: 194.4 lbs
Chest: 40.5"
Waist: 36.25"
Hips: 44"
To continue with exciting information for this week, I reached my two week goal and then some apparently. According to my scales I lost 4.9 lbs this week bringing my total for the past 29 days to 11.7 lbs and a current weight of 194.4 lbs! I made it under 195 even! WOOT!
If you can't tell, I'm SUPER excited about all of this!
I will continue to blog as often as I feel the need to in order to update everyone on my progress and each week will at least post my measurements and such throughout the next 90 days.
As for now, I leave you all with a YOU CAN DO IT TOO! Motivation isn't always easy to come by when you get discouraged, and let me tell you, becoming injured enough to not be able to workout for almost an entire week, doesn't help keep you motivated, but there is no way around it if you want to lose and keep losing!
Week five, here I come!
Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge Week One
Weight: 194.4 lbs
Chest: 40.5"
Waist: 36.25"
Hips: 44"
Monday, May 23, 2011
Trying Something New
Last week I dropped the ball. I barely blogged (I think maybe only once, actually, did I blog last week), and I so completely screwed up my diet! EEK! With my lack of motivation and knowing what I was not doing that I needed to be doing, and doing what I know I needed to not be doing, I found myself only losing 0.2lbs last week, making my goal of 4.1lbs in two weeks now 3.9lbs in ONE WEEK!
Oh my goodness!
Okay, so everyone that has total faith in me is telling me that I can do this! So far, in the month of May, I have lost 6.8lbs. If I lose another 3.2 (verses the 3.9 to reach my two week goal), then I will have lost 10lbs in 4 weeks. I know that sounds outrageous, but I don't see why it can't happen. I just have to boost my workouts and eat a little bit more than I have been. I stopped counting my calories, which was just making things weird to be doing both points and calories anyway. Instead I'm sticking to just counting my points with the whole Weight Watchers system, but I've pulled out the new PointsPlus calculator and am comparing the old system to the new system for counting. With the old system I am allowed 25 points per day, along with 35 extra for the week for days I might go over my points, or if we were to go out to eat or something special. I usually have done my best to not use any of the extra points during the week. In the past, however, I always counted the extra earned points for my workouts, so then I was able to eat a larger (but not over filling) meal for dinner or even a bowl of sugar free or low fat ice cream. I have NOT been doing that this time around, but I might just decide to join that realm, once again, if it means making sure that I continue to LOSE and not gain or maintain my current weight.
Now, with this new points system, things are a bit different. I am allowed 31 points per day, and an extra 49 points per week. However, the reason for the higher point allowance is because foods have a higher point value with this new system and new way of calculating things out. I'm at a slight loss today trying to figure it all out in my head, but I'm going to make a week or two here of checking them both out. I did figure out this morning, however, that my Special K breakfast doesn't change for points. So my cereal and milk are still a total of 3 points, either program I follow. The fiber bar I had with my breakfast had a one point difference, though. All in all, not that bad, actually. It's kind of weird to think that with the new system, I still have 17 points left out of 31 for the day, where with the old I have only 13 out of my 25 left. Strange how it's only a 4 point difference for what I have left...
Now I said I was trying something new here, and the whole points thing is not really new for me. So here's the "new" thing that I am going to be doing: ViSalus! Today I joined the 90-Day Challenge with ViSalus and ordered my first month of shakes. $100 a month gets me 60 servings of their shake mix (used as a meal replacement for two meals a day) and 10 of their flavor packets. I can also add fruits or whatever to my shake if I want a different flavor, and I'm already anticipating the idea of using my blender to make more of a breakfast smoothie by adding frozen strawberries or mango... YUM!
Oh that reminds me! With the newer points system through Weight Watchers, fruits are now ZERO POINTS as well as more vegetables than before. I'm kind of excited about that whole idea and am just now trying to land a new food list with point values for fresh food items, verses packaged items that I can calculate on my own. Anyone out there know where I can snag a new PointsPlus food list without my have to go pay for a month of membership at Weight Watchers? (In store or online, I don't know that I want to pay for the use for a month just for a few items, but I guess it's worth it if I can't find it on my own, in the long run, right?)
Alright, so goals for this week:
- Lose 3.9lbs to reach my two week goal! (Or at least 3.2 to reach 10lbs in 4 weeks...)
- Boost my workouts to include more than just my Zumba routine! (Maybe some cardio boxing again? That is always fun!)
- Drink more water! (No more slacking on the aqua intake!)
- BE POSITIVE! (I know I can do this! I just have a hard time telling my brain to "think thin!")
Last week's weight: 199.5
This week's weight: 199.3
Yesterday's points: 25/25
Yesterday's workout: Zumba Cardio Party
Oh my goodness!
Okay, so everyone that has total faith in me is telling me that I can do this! So far, in the month of May, I have lost 6.8lbs. If I lose another 3.2 (verses the 3.9 to reach my two week goal), then I will have lost 10lbs in 4 weeks. I know that sounds outrageous, but I don't see why it can't happen. I just have to boost my workouts and eat a little bit more than I have been. I stopped counting my calories, which was just making things weird to be doing both points and calories anyway. Instead I'm sticking to just counting my points with the whole Weight Watchers system, but I've pulled out the new PointsPlus calculator and am comparing the old system to the new system for counting. With the old system I am allowed 25 points per day, along with 35 extra for the week for days I might go over my points, or if we were to go out to eat or something special. I usually have done my best to not use any of the extra points during the week. In the past, however, I always counted the extra earned points for my workouts, so then I was able to eat a larger (but not over filling) meal for dinner or even a bowl of sugar free or low fat ice cream. I have NOT been doing that this time around, but I might just decide to join that realm, once again, if it means making sure that I continue to LOSE and not gain or maintain my current weight.
Now, with this new points system, things are a bit different. I am allowed 31 points per day, and an extra 49 points per week. However, the reason for the higher point allowance is because foods have a higher point value with this new system and new way of calculating things out. I'm at a slight loss today trying to figure it all out in my head, but I'm going to make a week or two here of checking them both out. I did figure out this morning, however, that my Special K breakfast doesn't change for points. So my cereal and milk are still a total of 3 points, either program I follow. The fiber bar I had with my breakfast had a one point difference, though. All in all, not that bad, actually. It's kind of weird to think that with the new system, I still have 17 points left out of 31 for the day, where with the old I have only 13 out of my 25 left. Strange how it's only a 4 point difference for what I have left...
Now I said I was trying something new here, and the whole points thing is not really new for me. So here's the "new" thing that I am going to be doing: ViSalus! Today I joined the 90-Day Challenge with ViSalus and ordered my first month of shakes. $100 a month gets me 60 servings of their shake mix (used as a meal replacement for two meals a day) and 10 of their flavor packets. I can also add fruits or whatever to my shake if I want a different flavor, and I'm already anticipating the idea of using my blender to make more of a breakfast smoothie by adding frozen strawberries or mango... YUM!
Oh that reminds me! With the newer points system through Weight Watchers, fruits are now ZERO POINTS as well as more vegetables than before. I'm kind of excited about that whole idea and am just now trying to land a new food list with point values for fresh food items, verses packaged items that I can calculate on my own. Anyone out there know where I can snag a new PointsPlus food list without my have to go pay for a month of membership at Weight Watchers? (In store or online, I don't know that I want to pay for the use for a month just for a few items, but I guess it's worth it if I can't find it on my own, in the long run, right?)
Alright, so goals for this week:
- Lose 3.9lbs to reach my two week goal! (Or at least 3.2 to reach 10lbs in 4 weeks...)
- Boost my workouts to include more than just my Zumba routine! (Maybe some cardio boxing again? That is always fun!)
- Drink more water! (No more slacking on the aqua intake!)
- BE POSITIVE! (I know I can do this! I just have a hard time telling my brain to "think thin!")
Last week's weight: 199.5
This week's weight: 199.3
Yesterday's points: 25/25
Yesterday's workout: Zumba Cardio Party
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Slow, Yet Promising Trend
Well, I didn't reach my two week goal yesterday. *insert sad face here* But, I did drop under 200lbs! YAY!
So goal for the next two weeks is to drop another 4.1lbs. I know that's a random number and I have to admit that as I was setting that goal in the Wii it was because I could not for the life of me remember what my actual weight had just been logged at 5 minutes prior. I guess that's what I get for rolling out of bed and weighing in right away before I wake up...
I am finding still that having a bit of a head cold is a hindrance on my working out. That sounds kind of like an excuse, I know, but is it? Breathing is difficult to do while sick like this and the longer my workout video is the longer it takes me to get through it when I have to keep pausing it so I can blow my nose! Hehe! I see that being sick and working out is a hindrance in that sense. I was hoping that all this working out and eating well would help me to NOT be sick, however, the lack of calories and food I seem to be going through here is more or less reeking havoc on my immune system. Wow, what a time to start dieting! Hopefully, I get over this fairly soon!
For now, BRING ON WEEK THREE!!!
Yesterday's points: 20/25
Yesterday's calories: 1,220
Yesterday's workout: Free Day
Last week's weight: 202.4
This week's weight: 199.5
So goal for the next two weeks is to drop another 4.1lbs. I know that's a random number and I have to admit that as I was setting that goal in the Wii it was because I could not for the life of me remember what my actual weight had just been logged at 5 minutes prior. I guess that's what I get for rolling out of bed and weighing in right away before I wake up...
I am finding still that having a bit of a head cold is a hindrance on my working out. That sounds kind of like an excuse, I know, but is it? Breathing is difficult to do while sick like this and the longer my workout video is the longer it takes me to get through it when I have to keep pausing it so I can blow my nose! Hehe! I see that being sick and working out is a hindrance in that sense. I was hoping that all this working out and eating well would help me to NOT be sick, however, the lack of calories and food I seem to be going through here is more or less reeking havoc on my immune system. Wow, what a time to start dieting! Hopefully, I get over this fairly soon!
For now, BRING ON WEEK THREE!!!
Yesterday's points: 20/25
Yesterday's calories: 1,220
Yesterday's workout: Free Day
Last week's weight: 202.4
This week's weight: 199.5
Friday, May 13, 2011
Is Being Sick an Excuse to Slack?
Okay so it looks like I missed a few days of my blog. I figured that one day in between posts was bound to happen now and again, but two or three? That's not unforgivable in my book with this! This blog is how I'm supposed to be keeping myself honest about my diet. It's my way of sharing with you guys about what I'm going through with this whole weight loss adventure. With that being said, I could make an excuse right now that could cover my butt for not posting at least once between Tuesday and today, but would it be a viable excuse? Well, let me ask this then:
Is being sick, or taking care of sick children, and excuse to slack in one's diet and workout plan?
Okay so that's a loaded question, right? Obviously, I am supposed to be taking care of my children and myself above anything else. So I see where maybe failing to get a blog entry typed and posted is something I can get away with, but what about my eating habits? What about my workouts? I will admit that I did not slack off in my workout plan, yet. I am still on goal for this month with my Zumba layout this week, and yes being sick has made it so I feel like I can barely make it through a full video. However, I have spent two days writing out the points for my food choices, and the calories I'm consuming and burning, but I've been horrible at actually watching what I am eating. Yesterday, I blew it completely. I used all of my points for the day and only did I use them all because I had a moment of weakness in my feeling ill and in need of comfort, that I opted to have a serving of shortbread cookies. Oh, I should explain that I had that one serving of cookies, three times! Yay me! NOT! I knew I blew it when I realized as I was putting in my calories that I was getting awfully close to my daily allowed calorie intake of 1,700, but my points were down to 3 by the time dinner rolled around. So what did I do? I said, "Oh well!" and grabbed another couple of cookies. Yeah, that was smart, right? I even told myself that I would make some air popped popcorn for my snack for the night. (I admit, I never made the popcorn, and did end up just going to bed.)
So yeah, that was my day yesterday. Wednesday wasn't the greatest as far as eating went either. However, I just failed to eat anything on Wednesday verses overeating on Thursday. Was I maybe feeling like I had to make up for something there? Huh, I never thought of it that way, I guess. Either way it wasn't right of me to do and to go through and so here I am thinking that I really screwed up this week. But everyone has an off day, right? I guess that is still no excuse...
Well, with all that admitted and out in the open, here's my day so far. I'm left with 10 points for the day and I have only had 850 calories. My plan for the night was air popped popcorn (zero points) with a number of choices for flavorings with the help from Kernel Seasons (again, zero points), which will keep my points count well below my allowed points for the day, and even with the calories included in each item above, not near enough to boost me to my 1,700. Maybe in the next week I'll figure out a way to stay within my points range and actually consume my full calories as well. I fear hitting a major weight plateau in another week if my calorie count stays as low as it has been, but I would sure hate to drop the Weight Watchers points counting deal seeing as it really does keep me on target for less junk food throughout the day!
Goal for tomorrow: BREATHE! BE HEALTHY! EAT RIGHT! and ZUMBA!!!
Yesterday's points: 26/26
Yesterday's calories: 1,372
Yesterday's workout: Zumba Cardio Party
Is being sick, or taking care of sick children, and excuse to slack in one's diet and workout plan?
Okay so that's a loaded question, right? Obviously, I am supposed to be taking care of my children and myself above anything else. So I see where maybe failing to get a blog entry typed and posted is something I can get away with, but what about my eating habits? What about my workouts? I will admit that I did not slack off in my workout plan, yet. I am still on goal for this month with my Zumba layout this week, and yes being sick has made it so I feel like I can barely make it through a full video. However, I have spent two days writing out the points for my food choices, and the calories I'm consuming and burning, but I've been horrible at actually watching what I am eating. Yesterday, I blew it completely. I used all of my points for the day and only did I use them all because I had a moment of weakness in my feeling ill and in need of comfort, that I opted to have a serving of shortbread cookies. Oh, I should explain that I had that one serving of cookies, three times! Yay me! NOT! I knew I blew it when I realized as I was putting in my calories that I was getting awfully close to my daily allowed calorie intake of 1,700, but my points were down to 3 by the time dinner rolled around. So what did I do? I said, "Oh well!" and grabbed another couple of cookies. Yeah, that was smart, right? I even told myself that I would make some air popped popcorn for my snack for the night. (I admit, I never made the popcorn, and did end up just going to bed.)
So yeah, that was my day yesterday. Wednesday wasn't the greatest as far as eating went either. However, I just failed to eat anything on Wednesday verses overeating on Thursday. Was I maybe feeling like I had to make up for something there? Huh, I never thought of it that way, I guess. Either way it wasn't right of me to do and to go through and so here I am thinking that I really screwed up this week. But everyone has an off day, right? I guess that is still no excuse...
Well, with all that admitted and out in the open, here's my day so far. I'm left with 10 points for the day and I have only had 850 calories. My plan for the night was air popped popcorn (zero points) with a number of choices for flavorings with the help from Kernel Seasons (again, zero points), which will keep my points count well below my allowed points for the day, and even with the calories included in each item above, not near enough to boost me to my 1,700. Maybe in the next week I'll figure out a way to stay within my points range and actually consume my full calories as well. I fear hitting a major weight plateau in another week if my calorie count stays as low as it has been, but I would sure hate to drop the Weight Watchers points counting deal seeing as it really does keep me on target for less junk food throughout the day!
Goal for tomorrow: BREATHE! BE HEALTHY! EAT RIGHT! and ZUMBA!!!
Yesterday's points: 26/26
Yesterday's calories: 1,372
Yesterday's workout: Zumba Cardio Party
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Happy Sore Muscles
Yesterday, I failed to blog. Oops! Guess my day was just so randomly thrown together and getting up and getting out of the house right away didn't help me to remember to sit down and blog! Oh well, onto today...
Monday was a welcome surprise. I'm not a fan of surprises. I like to know what's going on, especially when it involves the whole family being out of the house at one time, over the lunch hour, and when we're not spending money on eating out this month. However, despite my waking up with a horrible head cold making me not want to leave the house at all, I'm glad that Rob dragged me out. He surprised me with a wonderful Mother's Day gift of a full body massage at Salon 297! YAY! It was wonderfully relaxing and I felt great the rest of the day. Okay so for the most part. When I got home and worked out, I actually ended up in pain. I let the masseuse really ream on my upper back and shoulders and my workout yesterday used the toning sticks for Zumba. I don't think that I have ever experienced pain in this way before. Hehehe...
The only downside to the sore muscles is that I still have to workout today before I have a free day with Zumba. I'm hoping that my 50 minute Cardio Party video won't make me too terribly sore added to the rest of my soreness for the day. I'm actually hoping more that I can make it through more than 10 minutes of it while I'm feeling the effects of my cold. I'm kinda thinking that working out will help me get over this cold faster, but only if I actually have the energy to keep up with my workout!
Well, here's to Tuesday and making the rest of the day count!
Yesterday's points: 26/26
Yesterday's calories: 1,255
Yesterday's workout: Zumba Sculpt & Tone and Zumba Flat Abs
Sunday's points: 23/26
Sunday's calories: 1,175
Sunday's workout: Zumba Cardio Party
Monday was a welcome surprise. I'm not a fan of surprises. I like to know what's going on, especially when it involves the whole family being out of the house at one time, over the lunch hour, and when we're not spending money on eating out this month. However, despite my waking up with a horrible head cold making me not want to leave the house at all, I'm glad that Rob dragged me out. He surprised me with a wonderful Mother's Day gift of a full body massage at Salon 297! YAY! It was wonderfully relaxing and I felt great the rest of the day. Okay so for the most part. When I got home and worked out, I actually ended up in pain. I let the masseuse really ream on my upper back and shoulders and my workout yesterday used the toning sticks for Zumba. I don't think that I have ever experienced pain in this way before. Hehehe...
The only downside to the sore muscles is that I still have to workout today before I have a free day with Zumba. I'm hoping that my 50 minute Cardio Party video won't make me too terribly sore added to the rest of my soreness for the day. I'm actually hoping more that I can make it through more than 10 minutes of it while I'm feeling the effects of my cold. I'm kinda thinking that working out will help me get over this cold faster, but only if I actually have the energy to keep up with my workout!
Well, here's to Tuesday and making the rest of the day count!
Yesterday's points: 26/26
Yesterday's calories: 1,255
Yesterday's workout: Zumba Sculpt & Tone and Zumba Flat Abs
Sunday's points: 23/26
Sunday's calories: 1,175
Sunday's workout: Zumba Cardio Party
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