One week after the game

Hello! Just wanted to give you an update! Here was the final result of the game for me:

I lost about a pound a week, which I'm told is healthy weight loss. I am going to implement working out like I used to into my routine because I have learned that is what my body responds to. I signed up for a gym closer to my work (which I have to pass regardless of the way I take home). I also got talked into a personal trainer. If I were rich, I would workout with one every day, but my budget allows for twice a month. In this program, I will write down what I eat and then my trainer will review and make suggestions. The days I don't work out with the trainer, I will have workouts on an app through the gym and also attend group classes. Hopefully working out will allow me to eat more "cheat" items and not feel guilty about it. 

Speaking of cheat items.... Check out what my team ordered with our winnings from the game: 

Carb city. Bad to the bone. 

I'm more conscience of the things I put in my body, but I'm not going to lie- I've been bad since the game ended. It's only been a week and I put back on 2 pounds (which is half of what I lost). I find myself having a cheese stick or banana dor a snack instead of unhealthy junk. How can it be so hard to take off yet so incredibly easy to put back on?! Tonight I'm going to a chili cook-off, so that doesn't help the situation. All the more reason why I went and signed up for the gym. When you put in time and work hard at a gym, you are less apt to stuff your mouth with junk because you know you will pay for it and what it takes to make up for it. 

Here is another picture of my team celebrating:

$85 total. We ate coming back for the  $5 thirsty Thursday martini special with the leftover money. 

The game was a great way to bond with new friends too! 

I'm off to enjoy my Saturday morning coffee- with cream and sugar!!  Have a lovely day. 

Email me at ashley.falkos@gmail.com if you try the game out!! 

The final countdown!!!

I made it home by 7:30 again! I even had time to mail this Halloween treat to my stepson in NC: 

I am proud to say, I have gotten much better at having somewhat of a life outside of my job during this game. I actually walked my dog most nights and even had time to run a lot of the evenings. Tonight I ran a mile and 3 quarters. My second split was even faster that my first- accomplishment!

 I felt good (and it totally helps to be hydrated). I think being hydrated was one of the most important factors of this game for me. I didn't drink my full 3 liters every day, but I did drink at least 2 every day, which is WAY more than I used to. I could get by on 1 16oz bottle of water B.G.O. (Before game on)! Now I don't drink anything other than water with meals besides a morning coffee, and I even cut back on that. The coffee isn't what is bad. What I put in it is bad! It's morning, I ordered an espresso with agave nectar and skim milk. I'm not gonna lie- I cannot wait for my full cream and sugar tomorrow morning, but the point is- I have learned to try healthier options and now I will supplement with those instead of being unhealthy most of the time. 

Sidnote: This is my final blog, so it may be a little lengthy.... I feel like I am back in college writing "reflections." I literally remember writing reflections on reflections by the time I was about to graduate. By the way, i am glad i taught myself how to blog. I got over 800 page-views!! If you are reading this, thanks!!! :) 

I also noticed that my body MUST get 7 hours of sleep since I started. Last night, I was up doing Just Dance 2014, then was energized and didn't fall asleep until 11:30! I also didn't wake up until 6:30 this morning- exactly 7 hours. Starting next week, I am going to try to get to bed closer to 10. Before I move on, yes, you read Just Dance 2014 (which just came out). My wonderful hubby bought it for me! Before you think "as, he is so nice. Maybe she has painted a bad portrait of him, but deep down, he is a sweet guy..." He recorded me on my iPad and posted it to Facebook!! He is yet to learn happy wife, happy life.

As I am about to consume The Last Supper of this Game On challenge (see picture above of hubby being forced into good habits), I think to myself, "We better win the pot of money tomorrow!" I feel like I should have lost a lot more weight than I did, but I also love the healthy habits I have formed in the last month. Yes, I said habits, which means I need to continue some of them in the future. I could see myself going crazy and not having anything healthy just because I dot have to, but then I see the weight coming back on and the energy slumping and -- no way Jose! I am going to get a gym membership at the gym I used to go to when I lived with my parents, which is much closer to my work. In fact, it is on my way home from work, regardless of the way I go. No avoiding it! I did love that gym, so once I make an effort to go every day, I think I will start seeing results. It's not like I haven't lost anything, it's just not as much as I expected for such strict rules. In the beginning, I thought I woke never remember all the rules! Now they are like second nature.

 So if you're thinking about trying this game, I hope I haven't scared you. It really has been a journey with ups and downs, but I am glad I did it. I learned a lot about myself and it was just what I needed to focus on being healthy when life got busy. Thank you for reading my blog. If you decide you are inspired and want to try this game- I recommend you read the book. You don't have to, but if you're like me, and need justification and reasoning behind what you do, the book is great. Plus, it's hilarious and an easy read (but not for you if you are easily offended by bad language). Let me know if you try it and how you liked it!! 

I will post one last time tomorrow to let you know the results of the game. Crossing my fingers for a good weigh-in.  Let's hope I am a richer woman tomorrow!!!! 

One dinner and one full day left!!

 

Yuumm- dinner. I can't wait! This is what I end up looking forward to after eating salad, string cheese,  fruit and some nuts during the day. REAL, hearty food is what I am craving right now!

I just went to go for a run, which turned into a long walk with Lucky, wich turned into my hands freezing and me going inside, without the running part!  I am so lucky it was such gorgeous weather for the duration of this game. Otherwise, it would have been a great excuse to not do anything active. I did do the Wii last night (before bed- bad idea because then it energizes you). My husband said he will get me Just Dance 2014. I hope he meant on the way home from work....

Today I made motivational messages to put in my team's mailboxes. The quote on the picture said, "sweat is fat crying." That made me giggle. One of my teammates stopped in my office after she got it and we chatted. We agreed that we should pool all our winning money together and go out for a celebration dinner. WHEN we win, that is. Seriously, we've been ahead the whole game, if anyone swipes the title now, I will be very disappointed. Anything could happen, so I better stay on track!

The Last Tuesday

Back to the routine. I feel like America could really benefit from mandatory 3 day weekends. Just enough time to have fun and still get a day to accomplish adult things. We need more fun in our lives.

I ate pretty well today, but probably not as much as I should have. I really like the Belvita biscuits I have discovered. They are tasty! Ihad a Lean Cuisine for lunch and some all-natural baked pretzels with laughing cow cheese as a snack. I also made myself a warm caprese panini with the tomatoes from the fresh market and fresh bread. Perfect with some soup on a fall evening!

I didn't have time to go for a run because I was on the phone and then it got dark. Looks like it's going to be an in-home workout for this chick tonight. I'm so not motivated once I change into comfy sweats. I also need to start chugging water. It's 8:40!!!

Day 3 of the 3 day weekend

You would think being off work would make an eating schedule easier, but not really! Sleeping in automatically makes me miss a meal and then my whole day is thrown off. I am looking forward to being off the 5 meals a day mandate because on weekends I am just not that hungry and I actually find it hard to eat all the food. I made whole wheat pancakes for breakfast and threw in some cinnamon and brown sugar for taste. I also used almond milk, which gave them really good flavor. I am glad I have tried new foods during this diet, makes me venture outside of my comfort zone.

After a little while, I wasn't very hungry so I ate some Mandrin oranges then later on I had a cheese stick and some sunflower seeds. They were easy to throw in my purse as I was out and about. I will keep snacks on hand after this game is over because I usually just wait to eat until I get him then I am so hungry I eat more than I should (or resort to a drive-thru). Not anymore! 

My husband and I checked out a fresh market on our way home this afternoon. Loved all the fresh produce ! I should have been shopping there this entire game! We stocked up on fruit and fresh meat. Quite expensive, but I should be good to go for the remainder of the game (3 days!!!). Check out my fridge- I am stocked. 

I find it helpful to take the time and prep the food so it is accessible and I actually eat it (especially for mornings when I am in a hurry, which is most of the time).

After we put the food away, my husband and I went for a run together (this is kind of a big deal). He is a Marine, so I ran a mile in under 8 minutes in order to keep up with him. That is a normal pace for what I used to run, but now i don't run every day so i am slower. That was a minute and a half off my last spilt time! whew. I think he is going to start some weird fruit diet this week. Have I inspired him?

Here is what we had for dinner: 

Wish me luck to finish strong!!! 

I plead guilty. Very guilty.

Hello, my long-lost blogging friends!

I lost points for the first time on Friday because I forgot to write! I went for a drink after work with my co-workers and by the time I got home, totally forgot to blog. Good thing I'm allowed a beer with my meal off, because, let me tell ya- I needed one after the institute day we had. Our Game On teams decided we could spread the day off over the course of the week, so I had my drink Friday night and my meal off this afternoon. I ate at the best Italian place, Vinnie Vinuccis, for lunch today. Plus, I had great company, so it was a double-whammy of goodness. Shout out to my BFF, Nicole (the only one who has commented on this blog and been a faithful reader- this is why I love her)!!!

In case you are wondering why we are standing in a bathroom, it's because we got into our college apartment and took a walk down memory lane....which brings me to tell about the rest of my weekend from diet hell.....

I have to admit, I really, really, really took advantage of my day off this weekend. I headed back to my home-away-from home, Dubuque, IA. I went to college there and it was homecoming weekend, so I got to relive my glory days! I started off my trip with a grande, not my usual tall, but a GRANDE mocha (not mocha lite, in case you are wondering). I knew I was off to a bad start.... then I had popcorn and some nachos when I arrived at the tent party. I also had a few carbonated drinks with alcohol, and then found sweets (which  haven't had in a while). It was bad. A couple hours later, we went to a nice dinner and I indulged in a couple martinis (one was a "slimrita"- I was being 1/2 good). I ate a fillet dinner (but again, the salad and asparagus was okay, right?) followed by cocktails while out on the town. Good thing I am only allowed to step on the scale on Friday mornings because I'm pretty sure I undid all of last week in one day! Yikes.

I realized the healthy lifestyle is not easy, but easiER, to follow when I am on somewhat of a routine, like the workweek. When my social life comes into play, forget it. So far, I've had a wedding and a homecoming during this game. Thank goodness for days off. I do, however, find myself paying more attention to the havoc I'm wreaking on my body. Prior to this diet, I probably would have felt guilty, but not guilty enough to make up for it the following week. Overall, this is making me form better habits by paying closer attention to what I am putting in my body (and how much of it). I have to admit, I am ready for it to be over. 5 more days. The real test will be tomorrow when I am off work and around my husband whose favorite line to me lately is, "I can eat whatever I want, I'm not on a diet." Wish me luck- I may be ready to kill him in his sleep by the time we go to bed.

12 hours until weigh-in # 3...

 I definitely increased my workouts and I feel better (physically) now that I've been running a little more consistently. I used to run religiously, to the point where I felt off if I skipped a day. I miss those days...before life took over.

I don't feel like I've had a lot of food intake, especially with burning more calories. But I also don't feel as particular about my meals as I used to. I still try to portion and follow the guidelines, but I'm not such a freak about it anymore. I hope I'm not being lax and will pay for it tomorrow when I step on the scale. I'm hoping I'm just getting more used to the lifestyle and not stressing about it as much. I definitely am more used to the portions, but I've been bad about timing my meals and water intake. I've already lost more than 10 points for not drinking all my water. That will be my goal for next week.

It's my 3 year "engagement anniversary" tonight (10-10-10). Too bad I can't have my husband wine and dine me. He's picking up carry-out instead. I ordered a chicken and avocado club and substituted the fries for a small salad. I'm really looking forward to my meal off tomorrow night....

Cross your fingers I make weight tomorrow. This will be me if I don't:

Feelin' fine!

I am happy to report that I gathered all my will power and avoided the sweet table and work. There were so many scrumptious treats, but I only had one chocolate covered pretzel as my 100 calories of whatever. A laughing cheese wedge and all-natural baked pretzels held me over until I had soup for a late lunch. Before my afternoon meeting, I ate an apple with some all- natural peanut butter. The I had a cheese stick in my way home from work before I walked my dog. It was kind of a goofy day schedule-wise, but at least I stayed somewhat on track. I just made whole wheat pasta with some Parmesan  sprinkled on it and had a little salad for dinner. 

I had a great workout today. I tried interval running with my new app Runtastic. It prompts you to warm up by running slowly for 5 minutes, the run 1 min at a steady pace. The you get a minute and a half of slower running to catch your breath. I did this for about a mile and a half and I felt great! 

I want it to be summer again...

Busy, busy, busy day. And it's dark outside. And cold. Sorry for being such a Debby Downer, I just really miss summer :( I could be running outside right now because it would still be light out. Looks like it's Wii Just Dance for me again tonight. Not that I'm complaining, but I know I should be working out harder. In fact, last night I got a little carried away with the BollyWood style dancing and when I looked at the clock, it was 10:30! Guess what I found out today? 

Its out- Oh yeah!!! So excited!I am a huge dork. 

I stayed on track with my meals all day and had a BBQ chicken salad for dinner. I realized waiting any longer than 4 hours until my least meal causes my stomach to eat itself. Grapes, nuts, and cottage cheese just don't hold me over. 

Tomorrow I get to wear workout clothes to work, so I will have no excuse to not go running after school. I hope it's nice weather out! It isn't also treat day for October. Yikes- this is going to be a rough day. I better keep reminding myself our team is winning and we have been winning the whole time. This is no time to start losing because I can't resist a scrumtious table of edible goodness. Will power. 

Week 3 day 2

Mmm homemade vegetable soup for dinner. It drops to below 50 degrees at night: cue the bowls of soup! 

I didn't get to workout to play because my husband and I refinanced my car after work. The best part about getting a lower rate- no payment for 45 days and we get our first payment to Ford refunded!! Oh, and lower car payments. Wahoo... Guess who is buying a new gown for the Marine Corps ball?! Anyway, I'm off to play Just Dance on the wii because its the only form of exercise this lady is getting before bed ....

Week 3 begins

 My husband and I went to a wedding last night, so I took my day off. I found that I just eat less often on my days off. Then when it came to dinner, I found I couldn't even eat as much as I would have liked to. I hope my stomach is shrinking... 

I didn't have to be anywhere until 5, so I had time to try making whole wheat pancakes for the first time. They were good! While I was in a baking mood, I decided to make banana bread because I had organic bananas sitting around. I am not one of those people who are crazy about organic (mostly because I can't afford it), but there is a difference I taste from normal bananas!! Anyway, I used almond milk and whole wheat as well. It turned out great! 

I threw some chocolate chips in for my sweet craving... 

Something else I find helpful is to plan my meals the night before for the following day. Even if it's the last thing I want to do when I'm tired. Here's what I have for tomorrow: 

Cheese stick, an apple, and pb

Grapes, cottage cheese, and pistachios 

Greek yogurt and granola

1/2 Chicken sandwich with avocado

Trying to portion out fully sanctioned meals in the morning= stress. 

I am half way through this challenge, here's to finishing strong!! 

The end of week 2

I missed my goal weight by less than a pound. I don't even want to talk about it.

Somehow, our team is still in the lead, but the scores are close. I better get better results next week! On the positive side, I stepped on the scale and my weight was lower than last week (but not by much). That's a half-win right? 

I played basketball before school with coworkers and realized it had been almost 13 years since I had played basketball. I was just about as good as I used to be, which is not very. It was good exercise, I will say. Plus, it was nice to get my workout out of the way before 8 am. Waking up so early wasn't very nice however. 

Because I got my workout out of the way early, I was able to meet my mom and aunt after school for pizza. Real Chicago pizza! Mmmm...what a treat after a week of health food. I was good and ordered thin crust instead of deep dish. I also ordered root beer instead of a beer....

Afterwards, I met the author Richard Peck. My mom loves him and I think my great aunt does now too. They were so cute talking WWII and he even gave her a kiss. I think they would make a cute couple and they could travel the world together... Just sayin'. 

Cute, eh? 

Twas the night before weigh-in

Today was not the greatest of days in the history of the Game On challenge. Here is my food journal for the day:

Greek yogurt and an apple for breakfast

String cheese about half hour later as the "later part of my breakfast" <--- your meal can technically last 90 minutes (prob for when you go out to eat , but I'm taking it and running)

Carrots and hummus (tried to eat celery but I'm just not into it) & sunflower seeds

Theeeennnn I got so busy during my day it occurred to me as I was running out to help at the xc meet that I hadn't eaten since before noon. S,I had part of my lunch, which was brown rice. 

I went for a run around a lake I used to run around, so you can imagine that by the time I got home, I was pretty hungry. I made myself some tacos with lean ground beef, low fat cheese, and these new whole wheat tortillas: 

I am short a liter of water and bedtime is approaching quickly... 

Wish me luck that I make I make weight tomorrow morning! 

Day 12

I just got back from my weight lifting class and I feel fantastic! It was so nice to get home and not be starving and exhausted. I actually had energy to work out for an hour! I miss going to that class, like in the glory days of summer. A ahh summer....darn you, September, you stole summer! 

Look: my waistline in starting to become visible again!

I figured I'd be like Jared and order up a Turkey sandwich for dinner on the way home from the gym. There is no way he lost all that weight by eating sandwiches (hence the gym part). 

Protein, veggies, carbs, and healthy fat (olives). I even ordered my favorite (Italian sub) for my hubby. *tear* no chips or pop either. *tear* ill make it up by having this for dessert:

My 100 calories of whatever (it must be that time of month because I am CrAvInG chocolate)! TMI?

By the way, I was very close to losing my sleep points last night. My husband decided to make a work phone call AT 3 AM!! So, naturally, I woke up. Then I couldn't go back to sleep. In turn, I started stressing about not getting my sleep points, so then I really couldn't go to sleep. On the upside, I went to bed a little before 11 then overslept. I must be getting used to my full 7 hours because my body was NoT waking up before it got its full 7 hours. If you're wondering, I made it to work exactly on time. Don't ask me how...

It's technically day 11

Today we had a weird schedule because of testing, so I lost 6 whole meal points! I literally didn't have time to eat until my window of 4 hours since breakfast had passed. Then I was so hungry by the time I did get to eat, my apple, string cheese, and Belvita biscuits just didn't do the trick. I had cottage cheese and some crushed pineapple on the way to work the football game after school, but again, I was so hungry by the time I got home. I ate dinner right away, then I ended up walking my dog in the dark as my exercise. Totally not the plan. I didn't plan on staying at work until after 6 either. I felt like my day spiraled out of control!

I will tell you, my dog encountered what I thought was a little black dog or cat during our walk.  it was dark, I couldn't tell. Then he got closer and I realized he was sniffing like CRAZY! It was a skunk!!!! I cannot believe Lucky didn't get sprayed. That would have been awful. He sure is "Lucky!"

Good thing he was on E. 

Here's to hoping tomorrow is a better day....

Day 2, Week 2

A new week a fresh start! The weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I came home from work and took Lucky for a walk then went for a run. I just couldn't bring myself to spend another hour inside a stinky gym when it was so nice outside. My husband was actually home for dinner (miracle), so we grilled porkchops and asparagus. I had a wheat bun on the side and voila- fully sanctioned meal. I didn't take a picture because I didn't want it to get cold and I was so hungry!

I have drank 2/3 of my water for the day. My team is really motivated and I'm so happy to be with people who are taking the game seriously. I don't feel alone and I tell myself, "If everyone else can do it, so can I." I'm not gonna lie- when I got home from work, I was exhausted. The last thing I wanted to do was go run. But I forced myself and did it. I also ran a mile split faster than the last time. I think it helps to be hydrated.

I have only had 4 meals for the day, so I think I'm going to try this bananas foster recipe as dessert:

Sautéed Bananas

Sautéed banana with honey-  when bananas are cooked add to top of plain Greek yogurt.  Top with almonds and a little drizzle of honey. 

 

Viola!! Fix my craving for some sweet!!!!

Day 1 of week 2

Hello! 

It's a beautiful Sunday morning. I just finished making this for breakfast: 

All egg white omelette with wilted spinach, fresh mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes. I cooked the veggies in a basil olive oil for my healthy fat. I'm going to use feta next time for more flavor; it was a little blah. My husband asked, "Are the tomatoes supposed to be the flavor?" What a charmer. 

He really seems like a jerk, but he loves me deep down. He got me these on Friday for the end of my first week and making my goal weight: 

Stuff like this makes him a little more tolerable ;) 

I'm off to run in this beautiful sunshine! Enjoy your Sunday! 

ONE WEEK DOWN

I made my goal weight!! And our team is in the lead :) :) :) Check out my score at the end of week one: 825/850. Our team averaged 825 points (which was weird because that was my exact score)  and lost over 10 lbs between the 4 of us. We all lost at east 1% of our starting weight and got the 20% bonus points. Wahoo! I lost the least amount on my team, but that didn't surprise me. I am not someone where the weight just falls off in the first week, but I wish I was! I can't believe all that for less than 2 lbs. I guess an average healthy weight loss is supposedly 1.5-3 lbs. per week. Everyone on my team was within that range, so we must be doing something right! I have to remind myself it's not about the weight lost, it's about forming a healthier lifestyle.

I celebrated with a dinner out as my meal off tonight. Ironic? Before you judge me, I ordered a chicken dish that wasnt entirely unhealthy, but I did steal a few little peices of pizza from my husband (and I didn't even feel guilty about it).

Next week, I really need to up my work outs. I know myself and that's what my body responds to. I also would like even more points in my total so WHEN I make weight again, I can have a higher amount of points for the 20% bonus. Boom! And it was payday. Double boom!

Day 7

It's been almost a full week since I started the Game On diet. I do feel more satisfied eating smaller meals now that my stomach has adjusted to the portions. I find myself making healthy choices and not being as tempted by bad foods. My body feels good without chemicals; this clean eating thing isn't so bad!

I walked into work and there was a birthday celebration today complete with cake. I remember the Game On book specifically saying, "You don't have to be the person at the party who can't have the cake. Just have a little of it." So I had the cake: breakfast of champions (just kidding, I really had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, this was my breakfast's dessert). My 100 (ish) calories of whatever was officially gone the first half hour of my work day.


 Here is what I just finished for dinner:

 

 

The pineapples were considered my carbs, sadly. I think I cheated a little because I put a dash of brown sugar in the pineapple juice. It was light brown sugar, for the record. Hey, a week ago I would have been making a whole marinade to soak it in...

 

On a sidenote, I worked another football game tonight against the school district I used to work for. I saw two former students on the field because they are in middle school now! They recognized me and it was so neat to see them :) They kicked our butts.

 

Wish me luck on my weigh-in tomorrow morning. I'm really nervous. I may have put on pounds from stressing about what I am eating constantly and worrying about all this being for nothing. Is this normal? I feel like next week I'll have the hang of it and not stress so much. Cross your fingers- I'll let you know if I lost anything...:/



Day 6

I have exactly 27 minutes until I need to be sleeping in order to get my full 7 hours. I'll have to make this quick...

I went to a Zumba class with one of my teammates today. That's twice this week I've done something active with a teammate. The social component of it makes it something to look forward to, instead of ,"I have to make myself work out today." I would recommend making exercise fun and inviting a buddy for anyone who is reluctant to working out after a long work day. Chances are, I would have talked myself into the walk I had with Lucky counting as my activity today. But-- I made a time and place to meet a friend, so I was held accountable and actually danced for an hour as opposed to a measly 20 minutes of walking. If you haven't tried Zumba before, you must! You forget you're even working out (and proably working parts of your body you didn't know you could work).

 I like the fact that I am making it a point to do SOMETHING every day during the Game On challenge, but I do feel like I am slacking off in the exercise department. If I want to seriously lose some weight, I need to up my game in that department. I used to be someone who could eat whatever junk I wanted, as long as I worked out. Then I hit 25 and that went down the drain. The hardest adjustment for me is the eating component (clearly, I talk about food a lot on this blog). I enjoy being active, but I do admit that some days I just want to come home and relax. So, I'll consider this week as my body adjusting to clean eating, being hydrated, and getting a full night's rest. Next week I'll make it a point to get some real workouts in (resistance training, running, and hopefully I can get to my kick box cardio class). 

Sorry for the short post today. I had to watch the season premier of Nashville!!!! Can I say? It did NOT disappoint! It's the little pleasures in life :)

OBSESSED.

 

Day 5

Hey there, friends!


Tonight I worked the football game after school and a kid broke his arm :( Nothing like the shrilling cries of pubescent pain.

 

 

After that eventful game, I headed home to take Lucky for a 10 minute walk and go for a run before it got dark out. I did make it home as the sun was setting and the streetlights were glimmering (before 7:30, might I add). Bad news is that I have only drank a liter and a half of water and it's almost 8 PM. I will be up all night peeing.


My half of a plain sandwhich and sunflower seeds really aren't holding me over. My husband is on his way home from work (earliest all week), so I ordered take out so he didn't have to suffer through one of my "ethiopian meals," as he likes to put it.


I would recommend ordering take out from Chilis, I think it saved me $15 and a ton of calories. They actually have a lighter choices menu, so I was able to order Margarita Chicken with rice and cinnamon apples for dessert (my free 100 caloreies for the day, but not horribly unhealthy). It would be too hard to sit in a restauant and druel over apps and beer and fried food. This is the way to go, dieters! Plus, it doesn't hurt that it's right around the corner from our house :)

Enjoy your night- I'm going to enjoy this!

Day 4

I'm baaaaa-aaackk!!
I took my first day off yesterday (only two days in, I know). I've decided I can take a day off during the weekend because it leaves enough time to make up for my gorging before weigh-in on Friday. I enjoyed my day off contantly thinking about food. We went to pumpkin farm to welcome autumn (it was more like mourning the loss of summer to me). Check out my perfect pumpkin I found:

Today wasn't the best day. I found out one of our teammates forfieted the game this morning. But before that, it did actually start off well. Here's why: one of my co-workers complimented me and said I was looking "fit." She's a sweetheart, and it was from a distance, aaannd I was wearing my new dark brown dress pants. In any event, it was nice of her to say and it made me feel like I may actually be getting results from all this. It's sure a lot of effort, so to be complimented by someone who didn't even know I was doing the Game On challenge made my week get off to a fantastic start!

I stuck to my fully sanctioned meals all day and I walked some trails with a one of my teammates after work and before we headed to the school board meeting. I really like the commradery of this game. We had so much to talk about while we walked and I felt like I wasn't the only one going through this after walking with her. I stopped at my parents' house to say hi to my dad after we finished. I thought I could spice up my daily diet by raiding my mom's fridge for some healthy fat. I found black olives in a little snack bag. It was like she knew I was coming-- portioned for me in a snack baggie and everything! I went to eat them while chatting with my dad on the back porch and low and behold- MOLD growing inside of them! Good thing I didn't eat too many. However, if I do get sick, maybe I will lose my pound and a half for the week....?

I was introduced to the school board members as a new hire tonight, so I didn't make it home by 7:30. No old habit points for me today.  There's a neat Italian fresh market  on my way home, so I stopped there to buy some food for tomorrow (3rd trip to a food store since I started on Friday, I'm going broke). On the up side, I have all my meals planned and portioned for tomorrow. It does take a lot of time to to that, but it's worth it when you don't have to decide what to eat the next day (impulse eating= fast and cheap).
Here are some meals/snacks I've had recently:

 The new Yoplait blends taste awesome!! They are all natural, too!

This was called : "I'm about to go out to eat and I can't really put one more thing in my mouth today, so my next meal is going to be whatever I can find in the house" Not very exciting.

 This was my din-din :) Can you tell I went to the Italian market? Whole grain pasta, parmesean cheese, wilted spinach tossed in olive oil, and tomato sauce (my 100 calories of whatever for the day).

This will be my morning snack/2nd "meal" tomorrow (2% cottage cheese, peanuts, and  organic black grapes).

Time to finish my water and start getting ready for bed!

Day 2

Greetings! I'm drowning.

I grocery shoppped again last night. This is really starting to add up. I'm trying to buy organic when it is on sale and doesn't cost a fortune. I'm hoping once I buy all this food it will last a while because the portions are so dang small! I did make it home by 7:30 last night (with a half hour to spare)! I was offered a donut at my husband's work when I stopped by and refused without hesitation! Take that, you sweet tooth temptress! I went home and made this healthy dinner:

 

I just made it up: wilted spinach and argula, cooked cherry tomatoes, a thin chicken breast (Purdue Fit & Trim), cooked in olive oil and seasoned with garlic and lemon. It was quite delicious. When I served it to my husband, he asked if I was high (I've never done drugs in my life, so he should have known the answer to that question-- but I think it was retorical). Then he proceeded to have two sandwiches with the leftover roast I had made earlier this week. That was after going through the entire process of ordering a pizza online in front of me AND drinking my favorite bottle of wine, savoring every sip and telling me how delicious it was. He loves taunting me.

 

 

 

As you can see, I successfully finished my 3 liters of water by 10 PM! Not to mention how happy Lucky looks that I was home to spend time with him :)  I'm going to try to finish it 2 hours before bed from now on because I did wake up in the middle of the night to pee for THE NINTH TIME!

 

I can't wait until I've done this for a week and I don't have to think about everything so much. However, within an hour of waking up (let's just say I surpassed my 7 hours of sleep I was supposed to get), I had already completed this many points:

 

My breakfast consisted of one serving (which is 3/4 cup by the way) of Special K in almond milk with 3 tablespoons of cooked egg (whites only) and a cup of herbal tea. I'm sure I will be hungry in another 20 monutes, but that's the beauty of this game: I get to eat in another 20 minutes! Until then, I'm going to go for a run on this beautiful Satuday afternoon! Sometimes ya' just need a Saturday in life. Enjoy yours! 



Day 1

Hello!

Well, I took full advantage of my last night of freedom yesterday. I didn't get home until almost 10:30 and I went to my parents' house for a delicious pork chop meal :) I didn't make it to the grocery store to stock up on enough healthy food to last me through today until after 9. Can you believe mothers bring their small children grocery store on a weeknight after 9 PM?! I had no idea. On my way home I stopped by the Marine recruiting office to see my husband for the first time with his eyes open all week. My poor dog was absolutely crossing his legs by the time I got home. Good thing I gave him a pig hide bone to make up for being the worst dog mom ever. I really was planning to get home by 7:30....and this is why I made this my bad habit to change.

I woke up and chugged some water. Then I spent about 10 precious morning minutes planning for my small "meals" of the day. Here is what I ate for breakfast:

 

Turns out, the Greek plain 1% yogurt is nasty. It has no flavor whatsoever. I added a dash of honey and it was actually not bad! My table spoon of peanut butter was my healthy fat. My whole grain toast was my carb. Protein-carb-healthy fat- DONE and DONE! On my way to work I picked up an Americano at Starbucks because I knew I couldn't get through an entire day of meetings on a Friday without some caffeine. The barista was so accommodating when I asked her to just put a dash of skim milk and some agave nectar in it to sweeten it. I later learned whatever I put in my coffee is my extra 100 calories of whatever I want. Darn.
At the grocery store last night, I  found these nifty little snack packs that have extremely small portions. So my second meal consisted of carrots, hummus, and sunflower seeds. I then had some celery as a snack (the only snack allowed) later on when THIS table of tempting goodness was making me crazy:

 

Seriously?! This is what I walked into after I was feeling so proud of myself for being motivated.

Panera, you did not get the best of me! I just drank my water every time I wanted something from the table. By the end of our long day of meetings, I had drank a whole liter by 3:30. I realize I have 2 more to go. I figure I will go for a run when I get home and then I'll be thirsty enough I will WANT to drink water. That way I won't drown either.

I just finished my 3rd meal which was apples, a little bit of yogurt, and a tiny bit of granola. It's 5:00 now and I'm heading home (on time yippee)! I have two more meals to go and 2 liters to drink before bed. I have communicated with my team and I have done my good habit by reflecting on here.  Good news: I can sleep in tomorrow and my dog will love me again. Bad news: tonight will not be a Friday Wine and Pizza Night ;(

Gearing up

I finished reading the Game On book tonight! I'm feeling inspired and determined to get healthy! I am so excited this isn't just a fad diet (I refuse to do those). I really hope it will change my habits and give me a new way of life! Here are a few things I did today to prep:

1. Finished reading the book (duh) and checked out www.gameondiet.com

2. Downloaded a PDF file of the FYT food list 

3. Tried drinking my coffee black this morning (that lasted about two sips..I decided I prefer my cup of joe tan and no other way)

4. Went to a resistance training class for an hour at my gym (in the middle of a monsoon- that's motivation)

5. Worked out an eating schedule ( 5 times a day...eek, hope I don't forget)

6.I made skinless chicken breast with a little but of rice for dinner (then had Ben & Jerry's for dessert)

This is the last time I will be posting after 11 pm....Baby steps. 

This definitely helped my current  "get it all in while you can" mentality. 

Aaaaand this is what I've been doing for the past two days. Living' it up while l I can. Friday will be a rude awakening.....

 

 

The start of a life-changing, excellent escapade!

 

 

Hello, fellow bloggers!

I have never written a blog before, but I thought I'd give it a shot as a part of a "new habit" I am trying with the Game On challenge by Krsita Vernoff and Az Ferguson. I journaled throughout my entire childhood and I find it a great way for me to gather my thoughts and reflect. At this point in my life, I am choosing to blog as a way of stress relief, and I am going to try very hard to not have it turn into one more thing to add to my to-do list.....

Why have I decided to start blogging, you ask? I started a new teaching job in the district I grew up in and my coworkers are starting The Game On Diet. The staff is doing this as a way to promote groups working toward a common goal. For the teachers out there, it is a way to reinforce the idea of PLCs- but for me, it's way to get my butt back in shape (literally). This blog is a way to hold me accountable. I'm puttin' it all out there, baby- for the world to see (yikes)!

A little background and why I would ever want to add so many restrictions to my daily life in the midst of starting a new stage of my career:
The last time I changed positions in the teaching world, I put on 15 lbs. Part of it could have been I had an extremely challenging group of students that year, I started my masters, and my boyfriend proposed to me all within two weeks, but I digress. As you can imagine, in the midst of a rigorous graduate program, a full time new job, over two hours spent commuting every day, and, let's not forget- planning a wedding-  my waistline was not shrinking as most brides hope for it to do. I am now fully aware that stress = extra weight for my body. With stress comes little time to plan healthy meals, late work nights, less sleep, and oh yeah-the dreaded emotional eating thing ;(

Nevertheless, I have struggled with weight issues since I put on the extra pounds three years ago. I am 5'7" and I graduated high school at 120 pounds. I ran varsity track all four years in high school and continued to run NCAA track in college. This obviously kept me in shape. Will I ever get back to that body? Without coaches pushing me to my physical limits for 2-4 hours a day-- more than likely not;  but I don't expect to. I have accepted that with age comes a slower metabolism. However, I would be happy being back to my size 6, 130 lb. frame (I would even be okay with 135, which is a perfectly acceptable and healthy weight for my height). I am not one to try fad diets or ever starve myself (I just love food way too much). I am also not one to buy the next size up in pants because, to me, that means I've been defeated. I've lost control (and I'm a bit of a control freak). So what did I do to look good for the big day? I tried Weight Watchers, like the rest of the women who can see the program has clearly been good to Jennifer Hudson (Jessica Simpson, well, let's not go there).  I eventually shed the extra pounds and was happy with my body image. Don't get me wrong- it was a lot of work and self-discipline to get me to a satisfying weight (a roller coaster of emotions, to put it lightly. Let's just say, I'm glad my husband still married me. I'm pretty sure he reconsidered every week when it was time to step on the dredaed scale).

I successfully kept the weight off for over a year because I had developed healthier habits as a result of the Weight Watchers program. I learned portion control, gave up most sweets, and rarely went near a drive-thru. I also made it a point to get to the gym no matter how tired I was at least 3 times a week. Now it has been a little over a month of working at my new position and I am already starting to see the extra pounds creep on (on top of some that came with rarely seeing my husband after a job-change in his career-- emotional eating, you are the devil). It wasn't until the first casual Friday when I went to put my on new jeans and struggled to button them. I successfully buttoned them, but I was in pain the rest of the day. When this Game On Diet was proposed, I jumped all over the idea, got a copy of the book, read 8 chapters, and I plan to start this Friday.

So that's the reason for this blog and for beginning this new escapade. It will be tough- they don't call it a challenge for no reason! I won't be perfect and there will be a learning curve, but I will try my best. I am deciding to commit 100% to it now and hopefully change my entire lifestyle to be healthier in general. I hope other women can identify with me as I go through the ups and downs that this challenge will bring. I appreciate anyone who follows and encourages this decision. Here's to hoping it turns out to be a good one! :)

Until next time,

Ashley
Game on Ammature Extraordinaire