Stampindipity By Deidre: New Year, New Me!!!

If you are here for the stamping and don’t care about my dieting adventure...scroll down for some eye candy! For anyone else who cares…I have lost 15 pounds since October and I am thrilled! I actually didn’t think I could ever do it. Now don’t get me wrong and think that weight is all that important to me...I knew I was healthy, I knew I had curves and I didn’t want to change any of that, still don’t! But Susan Lucci is my height and her, albeit bony self, weighs 100 pounds. I was at 157.5…so I knew somewhere in the middle was much more appropriate for me!! But anyone who knows me knows I work out like a maniac and what else could I do? I was getting really tired of not seeing any results and of getting injured. My Mom actually thinks I am addicted to exercise. I can guarantee you that is not the case!!! But I do love regular exercise; especially here in San Diego where you can do so much outside.

I guess it all kind of hit me last fall when I was talking to a friend about my running partner being so fit and she made the comment, “well she works out all the time!” I just looked at her and she goes, “but you do too, don’t you?” I thought to myself what the heck am I doing, I know for a fact that I work out as much, if not MORE, than my running friend! It is kind of like the definition of insanity…doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I was definitely ready for a change.

I have had success in the past with the Bill Phillips Body for Life plan so I tried that..basically healthy eating, one cheat day per week and weights and cardio. So I tried that again…I couldn’t go two days without cheating! The sweet tooth always gets me. I have tried weight watchers before and had moderate success on that, but I really hate keeping track of my points. That is where I am the most horrible…writing it all down. I also knew what I didn’t want…even though I know people who have had great luck with medfast and with the HCG diet it just never made sense to me to try a diet where the calories are so low you shouldn’t exercise. I knew I didn’t want to give up my exercise!! I had tried Nutri System when I was training for a triathlon a few years back and although the food tasted good, I still overate, justifying it with my workouts. Nothing worked for me!

I read Jacquie Werner’s new book called “This is why you are fat” that is just fantastic and kind of made some things click in my head. She discusses in the book about supplements and vitamins and how they all effect your hormones and how that all ties in to weight and the stuff she said made sense. I knew I needed a good multivitamin and I was especially interested in using some amino acids. A friend had just started selling Advocare and I remembered Advocare. I had taken some of their vitamins in the past, but I had a hard time remembering to take them on time, but I did remember I liked them and knew they had been around a while. My friend suggested I try the 24 day challenge. I was leery, I freely admit! She broke it down into two parts for me, a 10 day cleanse and 14 day follow-up. I had to be super good on the 10 days..no coffee, no alcohol, no sugar. YIKES!!! On the 14 days I could be good 80% of the time and bad 20% of the time. Which meant a glass of wine or two per week, some small deviants with the attempt to be mostly good. I decided to give it a try. I could do anything for 10 days right?? I was really unhappy about giving up my coffee and creamer…man I love that stuff, but I knew I had to try something different. The first day was pretty hard but it started to get easier and surprisingly, I didn’t cheat! I made it through the first 10 days but only lost about 3.5 pounds. I was happy but I also was expecting something more. I mean I didn’t cheat!! I always cheat..I thought that would make such a difference!! I was expecting Biggest Loser type results I guess! I will have to say that my cravings had completely gone away by this time.

During the second phase I met with my friends upline who was on the US Bobsled team!! Very fit chick who has so much cool information to share with me and we discussed my food intake. She strongly felt that I wasn’t eating enough and encouraged me to eat a higher protein snack around 8:30 at night, since I normally go to bed at 11. That shocked me, as I thought you really shouldn’t eat after dinner and would try my hardest not to. But I started having a snack at night, usually my greek yogurt with some berries and fiber cereal and lost another 4 pounds. Then I went to Vegas and had a great time with hubby and ate and drank…not crazy and we did exercise but we had a good time, then we had Thanksgiving and I weighed and had gained 1.2 pounds back! (but it was worth it!!)

Now we are at the holidays...dangerous territory!! I could easily gain 5 pounds in one week of parties, wine, cheese, Christmas cookies and candy. Luckily the gym I work out at (Studio Sweat, so awesome!) decided to do a healthy holidays contest. The whole goal of the contest was to lose weight or NOT GAIN any during the month of Christmas. I loved that idea and although I did have my share of Christmas goodies, (gingerbread crème Brulee on Christmas day just to name one!!) wine..three parties in one week too! But thanks to the vitamins I didn’t have cravings…I used some techniques like, I have to drink two glasses of water before I can have another glass of wine, and I was running a bunch as I prepare for my second half marathon in three weeks so I was burning quite a few calories. I was pretty sure I was at least staying the course and not gaining at least. (I hate the scale and rarely weigh myself unless I have to!!) I had decided that I wanted to do the 10 day cleanse again starting January 1 to clean out all the junk from the holidays and get a fresh start for 2011. I had to weigh in the first day and you can only imagine my surprise when I saw that I had actually lost 3 pounds over the holidays. I was stunned.

Now, I am on day 6 of this cleanse and down another 3 pounds and am so happy! No wonder I am feeling faster when I run…I have removed 60 pounds of pressure (5 pounds =20 pounds of pressure) off my knees alone!! I feel so much better, my clothes look better on me, and I know that I am not going to get injured this time. Can I get a YAHOO!!

Anyways that is my journey..I am 7.6 pounds away from my goal weight. Even more importantly, on Sunday I plan on doing my second half marathon WITHOUT injury. 2011 is going to be my healthiest year ever!!!

Joel has been out of town but as soon as I can get him to take some pictures I will show you guys the new me!!!

For all you stampers out there..I am so far behind!! Here is the technique called bleach pastels that I did in November for my club members..basically you stamp in bleach and then rub pastels over for a soft color look..I love how it turned out and love that peach parfait color!!!