Ok, I am now starting a diary. I have been lurking around here since last September. This site is full with great information! At the time I started my FINAL attempt (I say final because I WILL succeed this time) for my weight loss as well as a healtier life style.
Shortly: I am 5'4" and my highest weight is 205, after I had my daughter in 2005 July. I started my pregnancy at 166 (where I am today) which was still way overweight for me. After coming home from the hospital I immediately started my "diet" and was in for a rough ride. So many give-ups, fresh starts, "poor me"s, I can't even count. And I felt miserable the whole time. My birthday last September I weighed 185, I only lost 15 lbs in 14 months . I was unhappy and disgusted with myself. I do not want another pregnancy with being so overweight. I guess I realized that I was doing it so wrong. So I started changing things but went about it slowly so I won't give up because it is too hard.
I only adjusted things in minor steps. First I cut out all sugary drinks and only drank water. Then I started cutting out on my ice-cream consumption... and so on.
The hardest part was for me is exercising. Just couldn't make myself do it. Then I joined an all women gym(not curves) and it made it all better. I found so much support there no matter the fitness level. I am still going to the same gym. Now I make sure that I exercise 6 days a week and it has to fit into my schedule. I have to give credit to hubby on this one because he had to make some adjustments too. I now run 6 days a week between 3-4 miles and do strenght-training for 2 days.

In May we went on vacation visiting my birth country, Hungary. I did not watch what I eat or drank or whatever. And gained 9 lbs back. I left with 165 and came home as 174. What a stupid thing that was. I am still not back to my "pre-vacation" weight. I did get right back on with my healthly life-style but it was a downer and all I can blame is myself.
So I am writing this diary so this will not happen again. Hubby and I are planning a brother or sister for my daughter in 2008 so I gave myself till the end of 2007 to lose the remaining 22 lbs. It would be about 1 lb/week weight loss and I am ok with that.
Our family is vegetarian so I have to make sure we eat enough protein.

So here is a start of my journey and I know i will be reading this at Christmas time 20 lbs. lighter.!!!

Hajni

Edit: In 2002 we were building our house and worked physically on it about 3-4 hrs a day. Also I took ephedra based product (which I will never do again, the side effects were horrible: mood swings, insomnia, sweats, irregular heart-beat, no periods...etc) and lost about 20 lbs, ending up 150 lbs. I kept that weight for about 6 months and then I gained everything all back... staying at a 166-170 lbs. I remember how good 150 felt, and I still have the clothes. When I look at them, I think: no way I ever fit in those. But then I think: YES I WILL FIT INTO THOSE CLOTHES AGAIN!!!

YAY You started a journal!I am sure you will make it this time your goal is very realistic!
I know how you felt going on vacation and coming back with more weight. Last year we went to Tunisia even though I was pregnant we I was able to gain almost 10 pounds in 2 weeks just because I ate too much!
As for getting enough protien as long as your eating healthy food a little tofu here and there and your legumes you should not have a problem.I read that vegetarians almost never have a protien problem unless they eat junkfood and lot of processed startchy foods!
Good Luck to ya!!!

Thank you for the encouraging words!!!

WE went to a street fair today and my husband got indian food(I absolutely love indian food) and I had some. Although I didn't eat until I was silly full, I am sure the calories were over.I was bad, but I did not eat any fried dough, ice-cream or any other sweets. I try to eat around 1300-1500 calories a day, depending if I worked out that day or not. And on top of it today is my rest day, so there was no exercise today.
I am planning to go run in the morning for 3 miles and then go the gym for another 45 min.
More tommorrow.

I am very proud of myself. I really did good on food and went to exercise for an hour.
I am about at 1500 cal/today. I usually don't list my food because I signed up with Ediets a while back for the vegetarian plan and I follow that. It is 1200 cal/day but I add my 300 cal extra because I realized that I had to eat more to lose weight.
Went to the gym, used the weight machines for only 15 min. but my main goal was cardio today. Then I ran on the threadmill 3 miles, in 38 min. (personal mini goal)
Then i came home and did my usual Sunday cooking marathon. I am so busy during the week that I cook about 3-4 different meals on Sun for the rest of the week.
The first time I sat down today is now at 5.00pm. Being busy greatly helped with my food control, I find myself binge eating when I am bored.
I am toying with the idea of signing up for a 5K in September in my area. I have not worked up the courage yet. We'll see.
This is it today.
Here is to a day just like today!!!!

To answer that first I have to say I am intimated by fit guys so a regular gym was not for me. I signed up with a small all women gym (not Curves).What I found out is I met with some extremely supportive ladies no matter what the fitness level is. The owner is a personal trainer and is very supportive. I told her I was there to lose weight. She encouraged me to start slowly. She does have a curcuit training set-up where everyday something changes so it won't be boring. Also about 3 bikes, 3 treadmills, 3 ellipticals. She told me to do cardio to start out about 3 times a week. I started on the elliptical and I could only do like 3 min!! Also it is owned and operated by her solely. she is always there. So when I use her machines she is always watching to have the right posture the right setting..etc. She asks about food and gives advises to what to eat and how much. But not like a written or concrete plan. I did a lot of online research this forum is one of them and kind of just made up my own routine. It always changes though. Now I am running 6 days a week in the morning for about 45 min. Also I am going to "boot-camp" class in the same gym on Mon and Thurs. It is intense and very small setting, about 3-4 girls at the time. I love it.
Hajni

PS: I lost this weight in 2 years, I am going to lose the last 20 lbs in a shorter period of time hopefully!!

Ok I went to run at 5.30 am this morning to the nearest park. I forgot to drink water before I left so around halfway I was ready to die but proud to say I finished all 3 miles. Terrible time though : 42:27. I refuse to look at this as a failure to my running, I cheerish the determination that made me stick it out even if I had to walk a major part of it.
I will make it up tonight's boot-camp class in my gym.
I am one of those crazies who looks at the scale everyday. Right after my weigh in day on Thurs. it read 166 and it has been there since. So I am hoping to reach 165 or 165.5 by this Thurs. that would be great.

I should talk about my rewards :
165 lb : Buy new heart rate monitor (nothing is wrong with mine but I am going to give it to my dad. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago and recently started having trouble again.)

160 lb : a new jogging bra!!or two i already have my eyes set on a couple of them. I only have 2 and these are constantly in the wash.!!

155 lb: some kind of an exercise equipment. something small, like a ball or some weights. I did not think this far yet!!

150 lb : This is a biggie : a bike. I am not sure this will happen. I had one: it got broken by my brother-in-law last year.

MY GOAL 145 lb : of course clothes-shopping!!!!!

One thing I could not give up but I accepted it slows down my weight loss is my morning coffee. This is the way I drink it : 2/3 cup of coffee, then 2 tbs of cappuchino powder(carb-wise, sugar free but not fat free) and fill up my mug with hot water. This might be the worst way of drinking coffee but I like it!! It does add an extra 100cal/day as well as 4 gr of fat. i tried to give up but became a grouch!!

ok this is it for now.

hey bacteria, thanks for stopping by. Ha-ha, my hubby thinks it is too much. Up until now I only got rewards for every 10 lbs lost, but I wanted to change that to motivate me better.
Thank you for your kind words. I am a determined person by birth although my hubby calls it the Hungarian stubborness!!!

Your on a role!!!Definitely sign up for 5k its so fulfilling and you get a tshirt-LOL
I am planning on doing 1 race a month and try to move up to 8 and 10ks but slowly I dont want to break my body down.
You gym sounds cool-I was toying with the Idea of joining an all women gym but I think I perfer a good mix-I sometimes like the challenge being next to a man on the same machine and trying to keep up or go faster-LOL
Your rewards are great!!I want a bike too!!!You know over here in europe everyone rides a bike or so it seems.
I dont think your coffee is slowing down your weight loss at all I actually read caffine is good for weightloss.As long as its not those 600 calorie starbucks coffee you should be good.
Keep up the good work.I love the title of your jornal its so empowering!

Hi Hajni,

Hope you don't mind me posting on your diary. I have a 3 year old little boy. I know you have a 2 year old little girl. Our reason for doing this are really simliar. I started out my pregnancy with my son at 220 lbs and ended up at 241. I started gaining weight due to getting back on birth control big mistake... lol Anyways, I am now hoping to lose this weight as well as encourage others to do the same.

I think its great that your doing this and are so motivated. I don't have the money to join a gym so I do all my workouts at home or by walking to different places instead of driving my car all the time as gas prices are so expensive now. I hope we can get to know each other and motivate each other to accomplish our goals and become healthier not only for ourselves but our children too.

Good luck on your journey, and keep up the good work.

Can't agree more!! And of course you can post in my diary, I can use all the support I get.!!
Just came back from boot-camp. It did kick my butt.
I am going to list my foods today although I don't always know the exact measurement, I think I am pretty good by now with the portions just by looking at them

Breakfast:: about 500 cal
2 slices low carb whole wheat bread (90cal)
1 oz reduced fat swiss cheese (90 cal)
protein shake(310 cal): 1 scoop protein powder(100cal/25gr protein
2/3 c. strawberries
6 oz fat free plain yogurt
8 oz fat free milk

skipped snack because breakfast was filling.

Lunch: 450 cal
Lean Cuisine squash stuffed ravioli : (350 cal)
2 c. lettuce, no dressing (20 cal)
1 small apple (80 cal)

Snack: (200 cal)
2 plain rice cakes with about 2/3 tbs reduced fat peanutbutter

Dinner: about 500 cal
Brown rice with Chickpea stew (all homemade) about 400 cal
1 peach

So total about : 1700 calories.

I burned about 300 with my morning running and another 250 with my boot camp. (that might be higher)

The calories on the high side for me I usually average 1500-1600 but it is ok.
I am not sure I am going to be able to run tommorrow, it supposed to rain here all day and after work I already have other commitments. We'll see.

I didn't run this morning, I felt lazy, instead I decided to mix it up a little bit. I found my old Pilates tape and I will do that (1 hr) after work today.
Listing my food for today, I already have it all prepared and I am usually good sticking to it.


My foods:
Breakfast : 440 cal
2 slices low carb whole wheat bread (90 cal)
2/3 tbs peanut-butter (120cal)
1 oz (uncooked) oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and vanilla extract (130 cal)
1 coffee (100 cal)

Snack: 210 cal
1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese
1 small orange

Lunch: 400 cal
1 Lean Cuisine Ravioli 240 cal
6 baby carrots
1 c. raw broccoli
1 peach

Snack: 150 cal
5 celery stalks
2/3 tbs peanut butter

Dinner: 400
1 c lentil soup
Grilled cheese sandwich with the low carb ww bread and reduced swiss cheese, two slices of tomatoes
1 kiwi

1600 cal total.

I saw 165.5 lbs on the scale today!! I might be able to make 165 for Thurs. on my weigh in day!! Yay, it would mean a 1.5 lb loss in a week!. Let's hope.
I struggled through my Pilates tape today. I am glad I did, it moved muscles that I have forgotten about also it felt my muscles were too tight and not flexible at all. I am going to have to do this more often.
There were a lot of moves I could just not do!! And I don't see how anybody can?
Set my mind on running tomorrow morning. 5.30 get up, run for 45 min. and home by 6.30. Then I have to get my daughter ready and off they go at 7.00.We have a good routine going. On the morning I run, I still get my daughter dressed and ready to go and DH drops her off at the babysitter, then I pick her up at 5.00. On the days I work out in the afternoon, I take her in a morning and DH picks her up. I am spolied. By the time I get home from my work-out, they both had dinner!!! I can't complain, I got a very supportive DH, he won't say encouraging things per say but makes it possible for me to work out any time I want to. And hides the sweets!!!
This is enough for now.!!!

your doing great with your running keep up the good work.

Hi Hajni,
Thanks for the encouraging words. Keep up the good work with running and doing your pilates video. I have never tried do those but i have been doing my walking away the pounds videos and some of those are kinda hard since i don't have very good balance. Anyways, I hope we can get to know each other and be a good motivation for each other.

Thank you for the encouraging!!

Hi Heather, I visited your diary today also!!

Ok, so I did go to run this morning, 3 miles 41:03, not great and I had to walk more than usual. I guess there are good days and bad days. I am slow runner and accepted that so the time does not bother me, but I wish I could just run without a walking period!!. The only time I accomplish that is in the gym on the treadmill.
We recently signed up for life insurance had to have bloodwork done..etc. The results came back and we both were declared the healthiest ever seen. Belong to the highest category and they even reduced the initially quoted premium!!. My blood pressure is great 110/75, cholesterol: 168.
I went to the dr last week for regular check-up, she diagnosed me with slow heart rate?!! (48-50/min). Now I have to have blood-work done?? She also thought it might be low because I am extremely active (I don't know about the extreme part though!! ) or I have hypothyroidsm? so we'll see.

My foods:
Breakfast :
6 oz fat free plain yogurt
1/2c. All Bran cereal
2 tbs walnuts
1/2 c. frozen blueberries

Snack:
1 banana

Lunch:
1 c. lentil soup
3 pc. melba toast
1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese
2tbs sliced almonds
1 small plum

Snack:
Changed this to:
6 oz plain yogurt
25 Wheat thins, Reduced fat. Not the best choices ,but I was just so hungry for something.

Dinner:
3.5 oz barbequed tofu
2 c. lettuce
1 tomato
1/4 c. soybeans
3 small breadsticks
1 1/2 tbs salad dressing
1 peach

Looking at this, I might throw in some extra as I ran this morning. When I exercise I try to add a little extra.

So my fellow life-syle changers, to all of us : keep it going!!!
Hajni
My weigh in day is tomorrow, YAY!!! Also I take measurements once a month and it is coming up tomorrow. I will post and treat is as starting point.