Posts by kelly1029

I love my ability to laugh at myself whenever I do something silly. I love my strong legs that carry me through each and every day!

I am on my way to my goal weight. I am about 5 lbs off so, it won't be long. But I want to maintain it forever. After a month of maintaining it I am heading home to see my family and friends. But mostly after maintaining a healthy lifestyle for one year, I am going back to Greece. Next step, aquiring my Personal Training Certifiacate. That is the ultimate goal.

I am doing this for myself and for no one else. I just want to be healthy and strong physically as well as emotionally! That is the reward!

So you know the old saying, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." That is me! I have two weddings in which I am a bridesmaid this fall and would love to be a part of this! Weddings are always great motivators for weight loss and beginning a healthy lifestyle forever!

My sister was a size 14- 16 before she was married. She changed her eating habits to healthier foods and actually included exercise in her day to help accelerate the weight loss. It did not happen overnight or without a few setbacks but, she wanted this for herself and that is what motivated her to keep at it! Not only did she lose the weight, she has kept it off three and a half years later. She is rejuvinated because she is active and healthy!

Who cares about the smaller sizes at the dress shops! You fiance is marrying you for who you re today, now in the present. He obviously loves you as you are not as you will be! That is something you should always remember!

First thing is first you should not keep temptation foods in the house. It makes it hard at first to resist and in my experience leads to binging when you get frustrated. With that said, load up on fresh fruits and veggies. I really like crunchy veggies like carrots, sliced peppers and broccoli with salsa or spicy mustard as my dipping sauce! Fruits I enjoy bananas because the creamy, soft texture is great and they have loads of beneficial nutrients. I also like apples for snacks, grapes(frozen for a popsicle type treat), grapefruit, kiwi and cherries. I try to avoid dried fruits because they tend to have high sugar contents!

 For breakfast make sure you get some protien (2-3 egg whites) with healthy whole grain, high fiber carbs! When it comes to dairy I like yoplait light yogurt or I opt for Stonyfield fat free plain yougurt and flavor it with splenda or low sugar red raspberry preserves. I add Fiber One or Kashi Go lean for some crunch and they pack loads of fiber. I also eat oatmeal, high fiber cereal with skim milk.  Do not skip breakfast because it leads to crashing and binging later in the day.

I have a mid morning snack, usually an apple, but not more than 100- 150 calories. See below for more recommendations.

Lunches are ususally salads loaded with veggies and a little protien like tuna, chicken or hard boiled eggs and a slice of whole grain bread. If I want a sandwhich I will have a slice of whole grain bread with turkey, mustard, lettuce and tomato. I sometimes put pickles on there too! Soup low in sodium is also a great option! Tomato soup or vegetable soup like minestrone are very filling and satisifying. And I usually have a piece of fruit for dessert.

I look forward to a mid afternoon snack wheather it be pretzels and mustard, yogurt, fruit, veggies or an energy bar! I try to limit this to 100- 150 calories. Jolly Time kettle corn minis are great! I add cinnamon for an extra bit of flavor.

When dinner time arrives, I again opt for salads(veggies), chicken breast, salmon, white fish like halibut/ tilapia paired with whole grain couscous, brown rice, a sweet potato or whole grain pasta. If you are craving something sweet, wait 20 minutes afer dinner before you have it. You will recognize how full you are and better know what will satisfy your craving(which might even subside).

Sweet treats fo desserts: Special K chocolate drizzle bars, fiber one bars, real fruit popsicles, yogurt, fresh fruit with fat free whipped cream, a low fat/ fat free latte, or even a bowl of cereal!

 The common theme is whole grain, high fiber, high water content fruits and veggies and lower calorie/sugar foods. Frozen veggies are great in the winter when selection is not so great in the produce section. I drink LOADS of water and green tea rather than soda like diet ccoke! I limit myself to one cup of coffee in the morning too! Try to avoid high sodium contents which lead to bloating. You can do it and there are so many options out there! Good luck and welcome to Calorie Count!