View Full Version : Matt & Justina's journey to healthy
Matt and I are both overweight. I stood on the scale at the doctor's office yesterday and wanted to cry. Matt didn't get on the scale but he weighs himself every day at home anyway.
Anyway, with the latest doctor's visit, we've decided to take the steps necessary to become as healthy as possible while trying to avoid the surgery my doctor recommended for me. If I can beat this naturally for a couple of years and maybe pop out a couple babies in the meantime, by all means I'm going to try!
So Matt agreed to join me - since the doctor got on him for his BP levels.
So we have a goal:
He wants to be down to 250 by June 1
I want to be down to 225 by June 1
(Now for the most embarrassing part). That means as of yesterday, he's got 29 lbs to lose, and I have 33 lbs to lose.
We haven't decided what exact method we're going to use yet, but I can say we'll be working on portion control to the max, and probably doing Tae Bo a few times a week starting next week (when I get my tapes).
I am going to try to start keeping track for both of us here - then show him whenever he is feeling down about it, and I'll look at it whenever I'm craving Taco Bell :D
Heywie
01-14-2010, 01:02 PM
Awesome, Justina! I think this is a great idea since you're TTC!
Just remember back to the wedding planning days when you dropped and dropped and dropped! It won't be too hard once you get in a system again. And it will be even easier now that you'll have Matt joining in with you!
Best of luck! Stay motivated!
gwenshack
01-14-2010, 01:27 PM
:pompom: You guys can do it! :pompom:
Does this mean you're gonna get that man to eat a vegetable? ;)
Haha Gwen - I don't know yet :) I think he'll stick to salad and fruit. I'll take what I can get :)
NOTKT
01-14-2010, 02:52 PM
Good Luck! We are trying really hard to lose also, but my DH just snapped his ACL in half and I've only had excuses. Its hard to keep going when my DH just stops.
Anyway, I wish the best for you, I think you are pretty determined and I'm positive this will work for you both!
Heywie
01-14-2010, 03:13 PM
Good Luck! We are trying really hard to lose also, but my DH just snapped his ACL in half and I've only had excuses. Its hard to keep going when my DH just stops.
Anyway, I wish the best for you, I think you are pretty determined and I'm positive this will work for you both!
Oh no! Not to hijack, but how'd he snap his ACL? Kevin did this a year ago in Jiu-Jitsu and he was all about dieting while he recovered because he knew he'd be stationary for awhile!
NOTKT
01-14-2010, 06:38 PM
Oh no! Not to hijack, but how'd he snap his ACL? Kevin did this a year ago in Jiu-Jitsu and he was all about dieting while he recovered because he knew he'd be stationary for awhile!
OK, I'm not going to keep threadjacking, promise! DH was playing basketball at our gym with 3 high school guys, they asked him to join their game. 5 minutes into it, he twisted, heard a loud pop, fell on the floor with pain. He said he felt like the fat old guy and he's only 26 and not fat! So we went to our regular doc, got xrays, then a specialist, then MRI, then consultation was last week. He tore is ACL, and both lateralmeniscus and medial meniscus. He has to go to Gulfport, MS at the end of Jan so he's waiting for surgery, his surgery appointment is March 5th! He hurt his leg on December 21st! The doc says he can wait that long for surgery, there is really nothing else left for him to hurt/break. He walks with a slight limp because he can't extend his leg fully but other than that, he looks so normal. You would NEVER know he doesn't have an ACL!
OK threadjack over! Maybe I will talk him into dieting because he won't be able to exercise for 8 months!
That sounds so painful! Matt tore his ACL and hasn't ever done anything to correct it, so his leg looks like a mean case of brains - really - it looks like brains. Weird.
So today was *okay*.
I ate for breakfast top ramen *booooo*
Lunch was 2 pcs of whole wheat toast with a tiny bit of peanut butter and some honey.
Dinner was long grain brown rice and chicken meatballs.
Matt had a lean pocket for breakfast, lean pocket and 2 pcs of toast w/pb and honey on them for lunch, and chicken meatballs for dinner.
We have a full load of homework tonight, so walking's out, plus it's dark already. Next week we plan on getting active with Tae Bo as I don't wanna walk in our neighborhood anyway.
I don't know how Matt's going to do this weekend - but I'm going home to see my mom. Hoping to make a pot of homemade beans - YUMMY.
This morning I had 2 pcs of wheat toast w/pb & honey and a few Wasabi Peas. I'm soooo hungry and don't have a healthy snack so I'm waiting for lunch.
SkippyNXC
01-15-2010, 12:15 PM
i am thinking of this just b/c i finished eating a bag but pretzels i found are a good filling snack that usually are low-no fat and very few calories... just had a nummy 100 calorie-no fat bag of pretzel crisps
my mother also swears by animal crackers but that was more of a weight watchers "points" thing... i think you could have a lot of them and they'd only count as like 1 point...
Thanks Nicole! I did WW and learned a bunch of tricks of the trade - like 24 chocolate chips are a point hehee!
I've decided I'm not going to stress - I'm going to work on portion control, quality control, and Tae Bo. That's it. No stress, no stepping on the scale every day. I can DO THIS.
brendalin
01-15-2010, 12:47 PM
You know that you can do it! Think how great you did before the wedding and how much weight you lost then! It helps that you have something to motivate you! A baby! Good luck! I know you can succeed!
Thanks Brenda!
I had 2 pcs of whole wheat bread for lunch - one with pb & honey, the other with hummus on it. And about 2/3c of cooked brown rice w/ smart balance. I'd been shaking all morning so I had to eat enough to get me through till about 6 when I get home.
So far so good :)
NOTKT
01-15-2010, 01:05 PM
You are doing great Justina!
f77g4
01-17-2010, 08:44 PM
Good luck Justina (& Matt)! You guys can do this!
Thanks ladies!!
This weekend I went home - so I'm not sure how Matt did, but I think I did pretty good up until dinner tonight :irked: we had Taco Bell :doh:
I made homemade vegetarian chili on Saturday and it turned out fantastic!
Anyway... on to a new week!
I made a pot roast on Monday - my first one ever! And I did it in the crock pot. It didn't smell too yummy like I like, but it sure tasted yummy!!!!
I braised it in red wine and put it on a bed of onions, tatoes and carrots with about 2 cups of wine and a cup of water. Put it on high in the crock pot for about 8 hours and it turned out perfect. I tied it to keep it together - good idea courtesy of my cousin LOL.
Here it is after braising/before starting it - the stuff on top is finely chopped carrots/onions:
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5737&stc=1&d=1264006497
Done yumness - it just fell apart when I took it out:
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5733&stc=1&d=1264006468
The veggies:
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5734&stc=1&d=1264006474
Gravy in the works - the juices from the crock pot:
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5735&stc=1&d=1264006481
Gravy done - a bit lumpy lol.
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5736&stc=1&d=1264006489
And dinner was served - guiltless if you ask me :)
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5738&stc=1&d=1264006794
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5739&stc=1&d=1264006797
Heywie
01-20-2010, 11:28 AM
Awesome job, Justina!
Now that you're eating healthier, you'll be able to experiment with all sorts of new foods!
That looks great!
Thanks Haley!
I forgot to report, I've lost 6 lbs on merely watching my portions... :) Might be 'cuz the doc caught me at a bad time, but I'm going with that as my starting weight anyway :)
amisteratwisterandme
01-20-2010, 11:57 AM
:bang_head: The WHOLE time I a was reading this I thought you said MEAT loaf, then I looked at the pics and was thinkin, "I HAVE NEVER SEEN MEATLOAF LOOK LIKE THAT!" DOH!!!!!
Looked really good Justina. Good for you! We are having a roast tonight!
:bang_head: The WHOLE time I a was reading this I thought you said MEAT loaf, then I looked at the pics and was thinkin, "I HAVE NEVER SEEN MEATLOAF LOOK LIKE THAT!" DOH!!!!!
Looked really good Justina. Good for you! We are having a roast tonight!
Heheheheee.... That's funny :)
I am going to end up with fast food tonight :irked: :realmad: Let's goooooo good decisions!
gwenshack
01-20-2010, 12:18 PM
Thanks Haley!
I forgot to report, I've lost 6 lbs on merely watching my portions... :) Might be 'cuz the doc caught me at a bad time, but I'm going with that as my starting weight anyway :)
:pompom: That's awesome! :pompom:
Ninedays9
01-20-2010, 03:04 PM
Portions really are important in weight loss... that's something DH and I need to work on, too. I also just made roast in the crock pot for the first time just last week... It was awesome! And I also have to tell you because I never did, that I really like your plates.
Well ladies... I haven't been doin' too hot. As some of you have seen in my recent vent, I have had family living with me lately. Well, more people means less food in the house...
So I've been eating ramen for breakfast or lunch. While I've limited to one package per meal, that's still 500 calories of nothing. The other day, my sis made dinner of white rice and Asian chicken (breaded/sautee'd with a spicy sauce or something, it was store bought with everything with it). It was YUMMY but totally void of nutrition. So I had leftover rice for breakfast yesterday, ramen for lunch, and I made boiled chicken last night, wrapped it in tortillas, and crisped them on the stove with a tiny bit of oil. So boiled chicken burritos, corn and peas for dinner last night wasn't too bad, except for I ate when I wasn't hungry so I felt sick afterwards.
Today, I'm eating boiled chicken w/mild sauce for breakfast, 3 hard boiled eggs for lunch, and who knows what for dinner....
I stood on the scale this morning and about cried. I'm back up but I think I've been slipping lately anyway. I gotta focus focus focus and keep eating my dried soybeans ;) (high in fibers)....
Oh yeah, I also ate a banana yesterday that messed me up baddddd. I would have to say that bananas are almost the absolute worst food I can eat when it comes to my acid reflux. O. M. G. talk about a stomachache! :blink:
Note to self: as much as you like bananas - STAY AWAY!
Yesterday I had boiled chicken for breakfast and some boiled eggs for lunch. I knew the eggs would cause havoc with my acid reflux, so I got some *fried* zucchini to go with em and I felt fine!!
Last night I made pasta sautee'd with fresh onions, garlic, and some olives. It wasn't near as good as it usually is cuz I used the wrong frying pan, but it hit the spot.
Today it's top ramen for breakfast and lunch, then probably pasta again for dinner. Man, having a few more mouths in the house sure makes a difference on the groceries :doh:
Last night I sautee'd pasta with onions, leftover chicken and ham, and made chicken parmesan to go with it. I wasn't going to have the chicken parm but ended up having one piece. So far I"m not doing too well with these efforts... we're down to nothing but starch/carbs in our cupboards :(
This morning I had some dried edamame and 2 boiled eggs.
Lunch will be 1 boiled egg and 1 c of leftover pasta.
Oh, and drinking lots of water!
I'm soooo not back in the journal game :doh:
Yesterday I made Tilapia for the first time - it turned out pretty yummy, but Matt wasn't much a fan cuz of the texture. Anyway, I made fried Tilapia, fetteccini alfredo w/pesto, and I had asparagus and Matt had corn. I even got a pic but my camera is nowhere near me right now :blink:
So, I had a few deviled eggs for breakfast this morning - felt fine 'cept for my weird cramps....
Snacked on a granola bar....
....lunched on some leftover pasta.....
... snacked on some dried edamame and still couldn't keep my eyes open...
... so Matt bought me some gummy worms :irked: They did the trick of keeping me awake but 400 calories later, I feel like cr@p for eating them...
...dinner was a bunless burger and two chicken soft tacos...
I told Matt I'm going back to Ramen. Scr*w this eating leftovers thing. At least I was losing weight on Ramen!
Although, this morning when I stepped on the scale I was down 8.5 lbs from the 13th :whoohoo: Matt's got me beat, he's down by like 12 lbs. YAY MATT!!!!
Heywie
02-09-2010, 09:55 PM
Awesome job, Justina! Isn't it wonderful to see progress?! I think it's so great you guys are doing this together.
Don't feel too bad about the gummy worms. You have to splurge every now and then on the bad stuff. As long as it's not an every day package of gummy worms, you're doing just fine!
NOTKT
02-09-2010, 09:55 PM
Oh that is not too bad! You both are doing great! You have to have gummy worms every once in a while! I'm really proud of you both, I don't know what you are so mad for! Justina, change is hard and you are doing the very best you can. That's all you can do. Don't beat yourself up! Just hang in there and you will continue to see the weight drop!
Thanks ladies :hearts: You're right! I should be looking at the 8 lbs I've lost and not the gummy worms that went to my thighs today :rofl:
Tomorrow I'm planning on cereal for breakfast, ramen for lunch, and hopefully something healthy for dinner....
What sucks, is I can't even eat fruit or carrots or any of the healthy snacks cuz they give me heartburn. When I go bland and/or have fewer carbs I feel great. Weird.
gwenshack
02-09-2010, 10:04 PM
Congrats to you both on your weight loss!! :w00t:
mj512
02-09-2010, 10:25 PM
Just be careful with that ramen, there is a lot of sodium in them. What if you had some veggies and a wrap? I like to take a wrap (the kid we get are huge and are 100 cals for the whole grain wrap-- not including what I put in it of course), and I put lettuce and ham and a little mayo and wrap it up and it is yummy! I sometimes put cucumbers in it. Then if you are craving something sweet maybe a pudding cup or jello.
BTW I'm still working on trying to be healthy... so these are also suggestions to myself lol. Or I like an Orange when I need a snack.
Of course I'm awful and also like ice cream when I need a pick me up snack hahaha
Congrats on the weight loss babe, that is soooo great. Matt may have you beat in lbs, but did you calculate %? :)
mj512
02-09-2010, 10:26 PM
Never mind my orange comment, I just saw the heartburn post :)
Hehe.... thanks Jacklynn! Anything whole grain - tortillas, bread, snacks, flare up my acid reflux. It sucks - healthy food just does it to me. I can usually do a salad depending on the dressing I use though. You're right - there's a lot of sodium in Ramen - maybe that's why my fingers are still swollen lol.
I'm going to have to work out a system. I found some lean meals for $1 each at Walmart and Matt loves them. I think I will buy extras next trip and start eating those in place of Ramen. At least some have veggies and chicken in them - and they're fewer calories than Ramen.
My cramps are reduced a lot so far from yesterday, but I haven't eaten yet, so we'll see what happens today :blink:
ETA: Come to find out - most carbs flare up my reflux. I'm trying a lower carb diet. I felt like cr@p yesterday after I ate the fetteccini for lunch - so I'm going to reduce my carbs and see if it makes a difference. I mean, I'm not cutting them out completely, but avoiding white pastas (besides Ramen which doesn't do it - WEIRD), some breads, etc....
mj512
02-10-2010, 09:10 AM
I've had those Walmart meals They are like Michelle's or something like that? I like them, my only issue is sometimes I'm still hungry afterwards haha.
That stinks that so many things give you issues. I've been reading into a Low Glycemic diet, I wonder if that would help you - have you tried having protein with any carbs? I dk if it would help anything or not, just a suggestion. So weird that Ramen doesn't give you issues lol
Yeah I think they're Michelinas.... And I agree - they do leave me wanting to eat more - that's why Matt eats one of those with a lean pocket LOL!
Okay, so when I eat a lot my reflux is at its worst. When I eat small meals I feel great. Like I can eat at 6am, 10am, 2pm and 6pm - small meals mind you (like a package of Ramen, bowl of cereal, or a quesadilla), and my reflux doesn't hardly act up (if I'm careful what I eat). BUT, if I eat 3 regular meals a day, I'm hurting.
So I tried something different last week. I had a huge dinner that was mostly proteins - fish, lobster, shrimp (Red Lobster).. I had 2 biscuits and a couple bites of mashed potatoes throughout the whole meal. I was also drinking water with my meal and afterwards.
Well, usually I can't drink water with or after my meals because it REALLY messes up my stomach. I felt just fine after that meal... even with water and drinking it after my meal. I think that the water mixing with carbs creates an upset in my reflux.... Who knows. But I'm SLOWLY learning what I can and can't eat, and how much I can and can't eat.
Rice is almost the worst for me - I think it's the pure carb/starch. I can eat beans almost no problems though :blink:
I'm not sure if any of that made any sense :blink:
OH! And another thing! I can eat spicy foods! I can eat like chile rellenos, enchiladas, hot sauce, etc... and I'm fine! But boy give me tomatoes, bananas, carrots, onions, or whole wheat bread and I'm done for.
CaseyK37
02-10-2010, 11:46 AM
Congrats to you and Matt on your weight loss! That is great!!
Do you take anything for your acid reflux?
Congrats to you and Matt on your weight loss! That is great!!
Do you take anything for your acid reflux?
Thanks Casey!
I was taking Prylosec for a year - but I stopped taking it in November. It helped only for a short time a day and I have an endless prescription for it, but I saw it more as a band aid which didn't allow me to heal. So I weaned myself off of it... and I'm learning how to control it without the meds. Plus, the meds aren't good for being :preggo: so I didn't want one more thing to worry about if/when we get preggers ;)
CaseyK37
02-10-2010, 11:56 AM
Thanks Casey!
I was taking Prylosec for a year - but I stopped taking it in November. It helped only for a short time a day and I have an endless prescription for it, but I saw it more as a band aid which didn't allow me to heal. So I weaned myself off of it... and I'm learning how to control it without the meds. Plus, the meds aren't good for being :preggo: so I didn't want one more thing to worry about if/when we get preggers ;)
Good idea!! I have acid reflux too that comes and goes - it really irritates my stomach. I am glad you could wean yourself off of it! They say it's something that you only need to take for a short amount of time but my moms been on it for years!! Apple cider vinegar is suppose to help and my dad use to take baking soda for it.
Good idea!! I have acid reflux too that comes and goes - it really irritates my stomach. I am glad you could wean yourself off of it! They say it's something that you only need to take for a short amount of time but my moms been on it for years!! Apple cider vinegar is suppose to help and my dad use to take baking soda for it.
I've heard of the apple cider vinegar.. but I think that'll tear me up. I'm too chicken to try it! Baking soda - I don't think I could do that either 'cuz while it might help acid reflux, I can't justify just eating it straight :blink:
Everyone has different triggers, but I'm learning the hard way what works for me and what doesn't. So far it's working for me! I think losing weight is helping me as well - I'm not overeating and when I was at a healthy weight, I didn't have reflux. So here I go - trying to get back into my skinny jeans in hopes it helps my fibroids shrink and my reflux to go away.
Oh BTW here's my first attempt at fish - Tilapia!
That's pesto alfredo sauce over pasta, fried Tilapia, and asparagus. It was sooooo yummy! I sure didn't feel very good after eating it though. It was the stinkin noodles!
http://forums.onewed.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=5770&stc=1&d=1265830871
mj512
02-10-2010, 02:56 PM
The first thing I noticed were those fun cute plates!
Dinner looked great. I love tilapia :) I usually either grill it or put some olive oil on it and a little bit of bread crumbs. I love the Italian bread crumbs on it. And Asparagus, yum! We just bought some at the store today (publix had it on sale) now I may have to cook it up tonight after seeing yours!
The first thing I noticed were those fun cute plates!
Dinner looked great. I love tilapia :) I usually either grill it or put some olive oil on it and a little bit of bread crumbs. I love the Italian bread crumbs on it. And Asparagus, yum! We just bought some at the store today (publix had it on sale) now I may have to cook it up tonight after seeing yours!
Thanks! I LOVE my new dishes :) They're so much fun :lafhard:
I should try grilling it - rather than frying it next time. And the asparagus - I microwaved it, and you'd never know. It was soooo yummy!
NOTKT
02-10-2010, 06:10 PM
The fish looks yummy! Good job!
mj512
02-11-2010, 01:46 PM
hmm I never thought of microwaving it. Did you do anything to it before? I usually toss it with a little olive oil and use garlic and such.... but microwaving it sounds so easy lol
hmm I never thought of microwaving it. Did you do anything to it before? I usually toss it with a little olive oil and use garlic and such.... but microwaving it sounds so easy lol
Seriously! I put it on a plate with a few tsp of water, and put a moistened napkin over it and put it in for 3 minutes. Perfecto and it still tasted way yummy!
I will have to try it with olive oil and garlic!
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