100 Days of Weight Loss - Check in Day 10 - Patti

This is day 10 of our 100 Days of Weight Loss Challenge. 

Unless the scale is lying I've lost 4 pounds! Yeah!

I've identified 3 problem area that I've been working on and will continue to keep in check.

1. Late night eating. I tend to gravitate to the kitchen for a snack even though I'm not really hungry.
2. Allowing what other people eat influence my eating.
3.  I don't plan ahead for times when I'll be away from home. 

This is what I'm doing to change these behaviors:

1. After dinner I immediately go and brush and floss my teeth. I also have a healthy snack planned for the nights I just can't resist. (Fruit or a green drink works well)
2. This is most difficult for me. I'm practicing saying no (in a nice way) when others are eating or want to eat something that I don't want to eat or I shouldn't eat. I was very proud of myself for not giving in to a sausage biscuit the other morning since I'd already eaten my breakfast.:-)
3. I'm trying to take the time to fix a lunch or snack to take with me when I leave the house. Or I at least make a plan for where I'll be eating when I'm out and about. (Subway is probably the best for me although the other day when it was raining I ended up going to the drive through at Arbys because I didn't want to get wet:-( Gotta plan better!

I'm happy with this 100 Day Challenge. The lessons are short and really do make me think about what I'm doing and why. 

100 Days of Walking

I'm also walking everyday and posting over at Give It 100. Check it out and start your own 100 day project. If you follow me I'll follow you.

What can you accomplish in 100 days? Challenge yourself!

Patti 

Homemade Ginger Salad Dressing

When you eat a salad for lunch almost everyday you have to find new ways to dress it up. I was thumbing through an old issue of Redbook and came across several recipes for dressings and I thought I'd test them out.

This week I made a jar of Ginger dressing. The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of oil to be added at the end but I opted to use pineapple juice instead. I like the way it turned out. It reminds me of the dressing you get at the Japanese steak house. Easy to make and even though I didn't calculate the points or calories I think it should be pretty low.

Store the dressing in a jar in the fridge and use in 2 or 3 days.

Ginger Dressing
(This can be made in a food processor but I used a blender)

5 or 6 grated carrots (you'll need about 1 1/2 cups)
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar (use less if you don't like the tart flavor)
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
2 teaspoon soy sauce
Pineapple juice, unsweetened (just enough to make dressing the consistency you want) I used about 1/2 cup

I grated the carrots and ginger on a hand grater and then placed them in a blender with the rest of the ingredients (except the juice) and ran it on grind setting for a minute. The mixture may be too thick to run the blender but you can add the juice to help it along. Continue to add juice and blend until smooth and you have the consistency that's pleasing to you.

Patti

Day 1 of the 100 Day Challenge - Money Jar

Motivation and Accountability

Motivation and accountability are two things that are vital to me in reaching my goals. 

Rewards - Pebbles and $$$

To keep me motivated during this 100 day challenge I've set up a reward system. On a calendar I'll keep record of my days and give myself a sticker depending on how well or not so well I did. 

Based on the sticker I give myself each day I'm going to reward myself with $$$$$ cash! If I do well with my eating and exercise each day for 100 days I'll end up with $100 to spend however I want.

But I have to watch out because if I do bad on a day then I lose some of the cash:-(

Side note: Some people may not find it helpful to take reward money away but I've had too many bad days that I've allowed to slip by. I'm serious this time! When I have a bad day I get punished with holding on to weight and failing health. Taking money away is just a visual reminder to me. 

Visual weight loss

Two jars. One with pebbles representing the pounds I need to lose the other jar is empty. As I lose a pound a pebble will be moved to the LOST jar. By day 100 I hope to have all the pebbles moved from the to lose jar to the lost jar. 

I have my calendar, money jars and weight loss jars set up on my side of the vanity in my bathroom. This is where I start and end my day so I can't forget about it. 

Accountability 

To keep me accountable I'll be meeting with Trina and Renee once a week. At these meetings we'll share what we learned from the daily devotional. We've agreed that we will be successful! It's helpful to know that other people are depending on me just as I depend on them. 

Two are better than one. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one what falls when there is not another to life him up. 

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10

I've also begun a 100 day project over at  Give It 100.

You can check out my 100 day project here. I'll be walking 150 miles in 100 days. Start your own project. If you follow me I'll follow you back.

Day one of a 100 day journey!

Patti

100 Day Challenge to Lose Weight

Starting Sunday, January 19, Trina, Renee and I will be participating in a 100 day challenge.

We'll be using this book by Linda Spangle as our guide.




100 Days of Weight Loss
A Daily Motivator
The secret to being successful on any diet plan




An excerpt from the book:

Each day you will complete one mini-lesson related to some aspect of managing your weight. Then with time, you'll learn how to slip these tools into your daily routines. Eventually, just like putting on your shores or brushing your teeth, your new skills will become second nature. And when they do, you'll have found the secret to long-term success!

This concept goes hand in hand with what we've been working on this past year. Developing healthy habits to lose weight and get fit.


You can check out Linda's website Weight Loss Joy for more information on this book and her other resources.

I am excited about starting this new challenge. It's the motivation I need as well as the accountability.

Have you ever used this book? What did you think?

Patti