Losing Weight for the Mouse

[Friend of a Mouse]

Hello! I'm starting this WISH journal to help myself be accountable. I guess I should explain the user name. I worked for the Mouse a long time ago and one day would like to go back. I know the job I want to do would be easier if I were a healthy weight.

Right now I am a Teacher for the Visually Impaired in Missouri. I used to teach kids with intellectual disabilities, but my school district needed a TVI. Due to a statewide shortage, they offered to pay for me to take the graduate classes for certification while I taught the kids. I started in my position the second week of school this year. Needless to say, it's been a wild ride! In addition teaching, I am also taking online graduate courses to get my certification. I also work for an amusement park as a stage tech for their shows and as a haunted house character. This year, I am considering auditioning to be in the show, which I won't do if I can't lose some weight first. As you can see I am pretty busy, which has hindered my weight loss effort.

I have tried pretty much everything. When I was younger I lost 15 lbs on WW. After going back to the classroom to get my Master's, the weight came back and then some. Since then I have bounced around between Weight Watchers and a company called Slim4Life. Weight Watchers was great but in the end I had trouble because of the planning and feeling like I had to make things in advance. Slim4Life was even worse because there were no ready made foods. I did lose 10 lbs doing the two programs, but have really plateaued.

I have joined Jenny Craig and am loving it so far. I love that they plan the menu and make the foods, I just have to worry about produce. I have found it much easier to stay on plan when I can just grab it and go! No more insane prep! I am doing their Metabolic Max, so I am using an armband similar to the BodyBugg which is also nice. I do TaeKwonDo several times a week and also work out at the gym. I am training to do a 5k by doing the Couchto5k, although I need to start back over because due to scheduling, it's been awhile since I have run.

Aside from my schedule, my health has made it hard for me to lose weight. I am a diabetic, they believe type 1.5 or LADA. Basically it is a slow onset of Type 1. My doctor thinks I may be in the rare group that does not have antibodies, so the only way to know for sure is how long it takes me to go on insulin and how much I need, which may be a few years down the road. Until then, they are treating me like a young type 2 and I am strictly diet and exercise. I have a real problem with my blood sugar dropping even though I am on no meds. This has made it hard to stay on track because when that happens, I have to eat and sometimes what I have available is not ideal. My other problem is with chronic bronchitis that is virus triggered, which sucks when you teach elementary kids who are walking petri dishes. I have a hard time exercising when I have a flare up because I can't stop coughing. I need suggestions for some gentle exercises that I could do so that I am at least doing something.

My first goal is to get into the 130's (about 8 lbs) by the time my company hold auditions in Feburary. If I can do it, then I will audition to be in their shows.

 

[dragitoff]

If you're looking for accountability, you've come to the right place. I understand the challenges of having a busy life. I work 50-60 hours a week at my job, I'm the youth pastor at a large church, and I have 2 beautiful children of my own.

I've done the diet thing and have had success with plans such as WW, but one thing that's difficult about diets is it's very difficult to live your life like that. Between the pre-planning of meals and getting burned out on eating the same stuff over and over, it's easy to lose interest or "fall off the wagon".

That's why I'm glad I started running. No diet is as good as good old fashioned exercise. I've always had the absolute worst metabolism. Since I started running about a year ago, my metabolism runs in high gear. It's a true blessing how things have turned around.

Of course, it took me months of running and losing 50lbs. to get it that way, but now I can't imagine living the way I did before. Keep posting here and reading others journals. You'll find tons of encouragement and support here!

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

I was very proud of myself yesterday. I was on track despite being sick. I have virus triggered bronchitis and have been coughing non stop for a week now despite trying the over the counter remedies that I know my doctor wants me to try first. I ended up taking a sick day so that I could go to the doctor. I still had to go in to school because I had to take my braille final. On a day like that, it would not have been uncommon for me to have a high fat, sugary breakfast, a fast food lunch, and some kind of unhealthy dinner. Instead, I ate on plan.

Breakfast:
Jenny Craig Blueberry Pancakes with meatless sausage and fresh raspberries on top

Lunch:
Jenny Craig Clam Chowder
Skim Milk
Salad (mixed greens with carrots, green onions, and celery with 2 tbsp. roasted red pepper dressing)

PM Snack:
Dagoba Lavender Blueberry Chocolate Square
Jenny Craig Bruschetta Veggie Chips

Dinner:
Green Giant Healthy Weight Blend Mixed Veggies
Pacific Natural Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Jenny Craig Cheese Ravioli

Late Snack:
Skim Milk
Strawberries

Total Calories Consumed: 1338
Total Calories Burned: 1867
Difference: -528

I am proud of myself for tracking and not giving into temptation. I love that I found those little Dagoba chocolate squares because at 45 calories they are a nice little indulgence. I don't need whole the chocolate bar when I can just savor a small piece.

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

Today was a little harder. I was back at school with the magic cough syrup from the doctor. I had what I like to refer to as the "IEP from hell" at a school 30 minutes away, this meeting went over 2 and a half hours. I then had to book it back for another IEP after school. This meant that I had to change my schedule and see all my kids in the morning and miss my lunch. Thankfully my kids were okay with me eating while they were there, although I did end up finishing my salad at red lights on the way to the meeting. When I got back to school, one of my kiddos was being lead off the bus, apparently they came back because he was managing to hit the aide and driver with his seatbelt. I had planned on trying Tae Kwon Do but the magic cough syrup had worn off earlier in the day and I did not want to take it before driving (or trying to spar without being killed by the tall guys at our studio). I also had a colossal headache from coughing all afternoon, so no Tae Kwon Do.

When I got home, we discovered that there was a problem with our water that they said will be resolved tomorrow. So I didn't cook. We got a couple of gallons from the grocery store to use for drinking and tooth brushing. I will be going to the gym tomorrow morning for a brief workout and then a shower.

Since we didn't have water to clean, I did not cook. It was a poor excuse, and really what it came down to was stress and wanting comfort food and to just get away from the situation. We went to Culvers. I knew from the get go what I ordered was not healthy, but I did not realize HOW unhealthy it was until I went to enter it in my activity manager.

On the plus side, it was one meal. In the past I would not have even attempted to record it and would have just let it sabotage my entire week. By recording it, I can see that if I meet what the program projects my calories to be, I will still be at a deficit. Not a big one, but a deficit nonetheless. Instead of a soda I drank iced tea. And instead of a Frappuccino this morning I combined my skim milk serving with coffee. It is actually starting to get somewhat enjoyable. I can get my caffeine without all the added calories.

At the bottom I am attaching a picture of when I worked at the Haunted House as my before picture.

Breakfast:
Jenny Craig Cheddar Cheese Omelette with Tostitos Chunky Salsa
Skim Milk mixed into coffee

Snack:
Half an Orange

Lunch:
Jenny Craig Meatball Stuffed Sandwich
Salad (same as previous day) with Lite dressing

Afternoon Snack:
Jenny Craig Anytime Bar
Jenny Craig Cinnamon Twists

Dinner:
Culvers 2 piece fried chicken (thigh and leg) with Wisconsin Cheese Curds

Total Calories Consumed: 2093
Projected Calories Burned: 2232
Difference: -139

My before picture:

And here's a more "normal" one at Race for the Cure earlier this fall:

This is me with my team. Second from the left is my uncle, next to him is my cousin. I'm second from the right and my dad is on the right. We were running in honor of my cousin (sister and daughter of my cousin and uncle in the picture) who was diagnosed this April.