LIFE HAPPENS!

We have been so busy!  Trips here and there - working occasionally - weeding, mowing, and planting the yard!  And, through it all, we are maintaining our weight by paying constant and vigilant attention to what we are putting into our mouths. 

July 4, 2012, parade - Butte, MT.

 Yes, indeed!  Life does happen!  Through all of the holidays and vacations, I managed to put on an additional 15 - 20 pounds.  I have often commented that when I wore a size 5X, (380 pounds) 10 pounds one way or the other didn't make much difference.  But, now that I have reached my goal weight of 170, 10 pounds means the difference between a size 10 pair of pants and a size 12 pair of pants. 

The best thing that could have happened to me was Bob deciding to go on program when we returned from Jack's graduation the third week of May.  I consented to go back on program with him, and consequently, we are BOTH  slightly below our goal weights, and have a little "wiggle room".  We started on Phase 3 of the Ideal Protein program last Thursday. 

 

WHAT DO YOU EAT?

 I am constantly being asked, "What do you eat?"

Phase 3 Breakfast

 As you progress through the phases, it becomes a little more difficult to make the proper decisions that are required to be able to maintain your new body.  It is imperative to read labels, count calories, and determine if the food you are eating contains the proper balance between calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein, etc.  Thankfully, we are given two weeks of phase 3 before we are dropped into maintenance.  We are now reintroducing fruit, carbohydrates, dairy, and some fat into our diet.

 Toasted wheat rounds, tomato slices, bacon, poached egg and fruit.

The Ideal Protein coaches' manual says:  "Meals (breakfast at this point) should consist of 30g or less of grain carbohydrates, 20g or less of fruit carbohydrates, 15g or less from dairy carbohydrates.  Aim for about 25g of protein and try to keep total fat less than 15g.  Breakfast should be between 400 and 500 calories in Phase 3".

Grilled Asparagus
Chicken stuffed with rosemary and basil
Tomato, cucumber and onion salad

Poached tilapia
Sauteed cauliflower
Steamed spinach

Dinners and lunches are easier.  Two cups of vegetables (from approved list) and up to 8 ounces protein.  As you progress through the phases, the protein supplement packages are reduced.  Phase 1 requires 3 per day; phase 2 requires 2 per day; and phases 3 and 4 are reduced to 1 per day.   

We have been enjoying an Ideal Protein candy bar or cookie following our evening walk.  But, I really miss some of the supplements that have become so much a part of our daily diet.  For instance, I love the IP Mango ready-to-go drink.  And, mixing our morning coffee with the chocolate mix is really delicious.  And the ready-to-go vanilla drink mixed into a Starbucks iced coffee is to die for!

"You don't stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing."  ~ Unknown

 And, that brings up another change.  It is now okay, and even recommended, to add exercise into our daily routine.  That is very hard for me - I have been unable to exercise for so long that it just isn't a natural part of my day.  We have started walking every night.  I have to laugh, though.  There is a walking trail in the park behind our house, which is around .25 miles long.  There are benches situated every few hundred feet around the trail.  The first time I tried walking around the trail, weighing around 350 pounds, it took me 45 minutes to get around once - and I sat on every bench along the way.  We now walk between 2 and 4 miles every night, at an average pace of a little over 3.1 mph.  I tried riding my bike the other day, though, and realized that the bone-on-bone in my knee is still a factor that I must take into account before I get too far from home.

           "Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can."
         ~Danny Kaye

 We have a lot of paint to throw on our canvas, and we are throwing as much as we can as fast as we can.

Next weekend, we will participate in the boat races at Columbia Park, Toni and the girls will arrive the next day (Bob's birthday), the following day we will head to Montana for our 4th annual Stratton family campout, and on August 23, we will embark on our European trip.

 Yes, life does happen!  And, since I have lost weight, life just keeps on getting better. 

I loved this quote, but as I thought about it, I realize that where weight is concerned, we do carry our mistakes with us.  Our challenge is to learn from our mistakes and carry as few of them as possible.