Progress report

So I figured it was time for a little check in on how my fitness journey is going!  I'm actually really proud of myself, I have been NEVER worked so hard at it before.  I put my "start date" as July 11th. That was the day I did my first real workout.  That was 11 weeks and 2 days ago.  In the time (as of Monday), I lost 15.8 lbs.  I don't want to jinx myself, but I have had a few peeks at the scale this week, and I'm going to be posting a pretty big number next week, as long as something crazy doesn't happen!  My day to day body is unpredictable, so I'm really hoping it sticks around, because I am getting SUPER close to 20 lbs lost and SUPER close to under a big number I've been dying to get to!  I've also lost over 7% of my total weight, which is pretty astounding to me!  I still have a long way to go, but I'm feeling really good about everything I've done so far!  I even bought two new pairs of pants in the last couple weeks in A SMALLER SIZE!  :) That felt really good, let me tell you!  My clothes are really getting baggy!

I thought I'd put together a list of a few things that are really working for me:

Basic meal notes:

• Breakfast-I usually eat pretty light in the morning and I seem to strive to keep this meal pretty low cal since it's the easiest opportunity for me to save some calories for later.  I discovered a fruit crisp from Special K that I really like, although it's sort of high in sugar, but only 100 calories. They are my go to if I am running late.  I've also been eating a lot of cereal, namely cheerios (100 calories), Special K (their Cinnamon Pecan is really good and only 110 calories per serving and I think I'm going to try the chocolate strawberry next--TIP you really have to watch out for the serving size, some cereals have a service size of 3/4 of a cup, most people pour quite a bit more than that), or cinnamon chex (120 calories). I don't like milk in the morning, it tends to make me sick to my stomach if I drink much, so I don't drink what's left in the bowl.  Occasionally I'll have a low cal english muffin or a skinny bagel with half a wedge of laugh cow cream cheese. I've experimented a little with eggs and egg beaters, but I haven't found anything I really cared for yet.  I usually drink water, but occasionally I will have a small glass (about 6 oz for 35 calories) of low sugar OJ.
• Lunch-Varies pretty widely.  I try to have something fairly simple to put together, pre-made tuna or egg salad for a sandwich, along with veggies or a salad, some fruit (usually I end up eating it for a snack later), and maybe a low sugar jello (10 calories and a nice little sweet).  I usually allow myself a Diet Pepsi with lunch also.
• Dinner-This one totally depends on the family. Since I don't do the cooking and I have two other adults to think about, eliminating something is impossible.  I do my best with portion control and make small changes like for-going a bun.

General notes

• I'm definitely eating more Fresh veggies--these are the ultimate in snacks.  I have a hard time keeping my meal calories down enough to allow for a lot of snacks, so veggies are PERFECT for me.  Most veggies and a few fruits are really low in calories.  I eat tons of salad (romaine or iceberg lettuce, combined with carrot slivers, celery, cauliflower, and tomatoes) (approx 30 calories for 1 cup).  I pack little baggies of celery (6 calories per stalk), carrot sticks (about 50 calories per cup), radish slices (20 calories for 4 large radishes), and cucumber slices (15 calories per cup).  I made my own Pico de gallo to go with tacos and chips (carefully counted out serving of taco chips)(35 calories for 3/4 cup-I just use tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lemon juice and a dash of salt).  I also love little microwavable veggie sides like broccoli with cheese sauce for 40 calories. I know it's processed, but it's still better than chips or something to go with lunch.
• I love fruit, but it's typically a tiny bit higher cal than veggies and comes with extra sugar, something My Fitness Pal is showing me that I struggle with.  Here are a few of my favorites:  Watermelon (40 calories per 1 cup), Braeburn Apple (70 calories, medium), clemintine (35 calories), strawberries (10 calories per berry), grapes (62 calories for 1 cup).  I cut up a couple of strawberries to add to cheerios instead of sugar or munch on watermelon for dessert after a workout.
• Another slightly more splurgy snack (not really nutritious) 100 cal popcorn.  Pop Secrets home style popcorn-I eat it for a snack or with a sandwich at lunch. You get a decent sized bag and it's great!
• Bread.  I love bread, but I've found that regular old bread isn't something I can't live without.  I've switched over to a whole grain white low cal bread (35 calories per slice) for when I want a sandwich (I make up fairly low cal tuna or egg salad), but for burgers or hot dogs, I've typically been going sans bun altogether!
• Breakfast-I usually eat pretty light in the morning and I seem to strive to keep this meal pretty low cal
• Working out--right now, I'm on day 19 of the 30 Day Shred. It's about time to think about attempting level 3 and I'm a little nervous about that!  I'm determined to complete the challenge this time! 11 more days!  Once I'm finished, I'm considering a few options, either combining a few days a week of the shred with a few days of elliptical or I might pick up another workout DVD.  Not quite sure yet.  But workouts will still be a part of just about every day!
• I'm also trying to get in at least 1 brisk 15 or so minute walk per day at work.  My pedometer says a quick lap is worth over 1000 steps I think it's a small thing I can do so that my metabolism isn't too slow during the day, since my workouts are pretty much always late at night, which I know isn't great.

Two and a half months and going strong!  I am really doing this!