Update for two CrAzY weeks!

It’s been a little over 2 weeks since my last update.  I assure you it’s been a very fun filled 2 weeks though J.  This blog post will be all about what’s happened since my last update.

Friday the 5^th was a packed day.  Adam and Courtney’s wedding rehearsal was in the late morning.  That was a little crazy because it made me realize wow after all this planning my friends are finally getting married.  The wedding coordinator was a little scary, but we managed to laugh and make the best of it.  Then everyone in the wedding party went to a park for a BBQ.  It was a nice relaxing lunch.

Me at the BBQ!

Courtney’s Bachelorette party went very well.  I stayed sober because I knew I had nobody looking out for me that night.  Normally Aaron and I watch one another drinking so without him I don’t drink too much.  First we started at a local tavern for a few drinks while waiting for the HOT PINK hummer limo to pick us up.  Then we headed to downtown Portland to Darcelle’s (drag queen show) and that was a kick in the butt!  There was no way you were getting out of there without laughing.  Then we went to Bar 15 and had some fun on the dance floor.  The whole night was a success!

Mel (Bridesmaid), Me (Bridesmaid), Courtney (Bride), Lauren (Maid of Honor), & Rose (Bridesmaid)

Sunday the 7^th was my nephew Ramsey’s 5^th Birthday party!  It was adorable because it was a dress up party.  Most of the kids came in costume and if they didn’t there was a box of costumes for them to use.   There were hot dogs and chips for lunch. My sister in law is so creative she decided to have a “dress up your cupcake” table as well!  The kids absolutely loved it, oh whom am I kidding…I LOVED IT!  Who doesn’t like to option of making your cupcake what you want it to be?

Dress up your cupcake station!

My nephew Ramsey enjoying HIS cupcake!

Monday the 8^th was finally the BIG wedding day for Adam and Courtney!  It was crazy having to wait most of the day to get the festivities going.  Aaron and I headed to where the wedding was being held around 2:30pm because of traffic, but ended up arriving early.  We weren’t aloud in the rooms to get ready until 4:00pm.  As soon as we were aloud in we started getting hair and make up ready.  The Bride and Maid of Honor were running a little late do to hair and make up appointments that ran late.  We all enjoyed some chatting and champagne while waiting for time to pass and pictures to be taken.   There were lots of pictures taken J.

The ceremony was beautiful and short.   Luckily my boyfriend decided to videotape the special day for the two of them as a gift so they will always have that and pictures to look back on.  We enjoyed a nice dinner and some dancing before everyone had to head off because it was a weeknight.  I think everything looked beautiful and the Bride and Groom were very happy with the way everything turned out.

Rose doing my hair.

Aaron and I  at the wedding. <3

Wedding party!

Tuesday was my rest and recoup day from all the festivities throughout the weekend and Monday.

I worked two days and then it was off to another vacation…

We left Friday the 12^th for Sand Lake (4-wheeling) for 5 days!  I was so ready to get out of town and far away from cell phones and Internet.  I look forward to this camping trip every August!  Aaron’s family and mine both go along with a few other people to relax and enjoy 4-wheeling.  The weather was beautiful and we got in lots of fun activities.  My Dad brought my brothers quad (Yamaha Raptor 700) and I rode it.  Let’s just say my Dad and I are now getting one because we fell in love with it.  The speed and comfort was unlike any other quad I’ve ever ridden before.  SO MUCH FUN! 

Aaron and I at Sand Lake 2011

Sand Lake (view of the ocean)

Now it’s back to my normal work schedule with no scheduled vacations until the Holidays L.  

Small Improvements!

Hello!

WAHOO!  I’m so grateful today was my Friday!  I’m off work for 5 days in a row!  It’s the perfect mini vacation packed with lots of events.  Tomorrow my amazing nephew Ramsey turns 5 years old!  Plus I have my friend Courtney’s wedding rehearsal and a BBQ.  Then later in the evening is the Bachelorette party J.  Saturday hopefully is a relaxing day with my guy!  Sunday is my nephew Ramsey’s Birthday party, which is a costume party J.  Then Monday is Adam and Courtney’s wedding so that is a HUGE event all in itself.

Throughout this week of eating within my calorie budget and trying to watch my carbohydrates intake I’ve come to realize I have one problem that just drives me nuts.  I get the worst snack cravings at nighttime.  I realize a lot of people do, but mine are like a nagging feeling that doesn’t go away until I go to sleep.  I just want to snack even if I’m not hungry.  I have no crashed and eaten any snacks after dinner this week or even any unhealthy snacks.  However on my way home from work tonight I did stop and buy myself a little dessert for after dinner.  I decided to try Breyer’s Carb Smart Fudge Bar.  They are a DELICIOUS sweet treat!

Meals Today

Breakfast:

1 Egg

2 Sausage Links

Lunch:

2.5 oz. Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast

1 tsp. Southwest Seasoning

1 Cup of Spring Mix Salad

8 sprays of Balsamic Breeze Vinaigrette Dressing

Dinner:

3 oz. Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast

1 tsp. Southwest Seasoning

1 Cup of Spring Mix Salad

8 sprays of Balsamic Breeze Vinaigrette Dressing

Snacks:

2 Pickles

1 String Cheese

½ Cup of Strawberries

1 Breyer’s Carb Smart Fudge Bar

As you can see over the past 3 days my fat intake is still relatively high and I’m trying to focus on that.  My protein waivers, but I do go over what my goal is everyday.  And my carbohydrates have slowly gone down each day.  I knew this wouldn’t be something I learned how to control over night, but it’s amazing how these charts can show me what I’m doing right and wrong.

~Katie

Wonderful Wednesday!

Hello!

So I made it through day two of watching my intake of carbohydrates.  I’m not going to say I’m struggling with not having bread, or anything that contains major amounts of carbohydrates, but I do find it amazing how almost everything has them in it.  Today while watching my intake and eating around carbohydrates I still managed to go over 20 grams.  I think trying to limit myself to 20 grams a day is to few for me. 

Two things I’ve noticed in the past two days are my protein and fat intake are both up higher than normal.  That is because I’m eating more meat because there are no carbohydrates in meat.  Majority of the red meat we eat in my house is very lean and organic because we buy cow meat straight from a friend who doesn’t pump the cows full of crap.  I’m happy to see me protein level go up, but I’m going to need to try and control my fat intake being a little higher than normal.

Through just these past two days I’m realizing there are a lot of factors that play into eating healthy.  I’ve proven along with many others that just watching your calorie intake can help you shrink down and lose weight, but just because you are thin does not mean you are healthy.  I’m trying to focus more on eating healthy which in time will hopefully make me feel better and be at a healthier weight.

Meals Today

Breakfast:

1 Egg & 1 Egg White Scrambled

2 Sausage Links

Lunch:

¾ Chicken Caesar Salad (Pita Pit)

1.5 oz. Vanilla Frozen Yogurt (Yo Licious)

6 Blueberries

2.5 Strawberries

Dinner:

2 oz Top Round Steak

½ tbs. of Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

1 cup of Spring Mix Salad

8 sprays of Balsamic Breeze Vinaigrette Dressing

Snacks:

½ cup of Strawberries

2 String Cheese

1 Dill Pickle

½ oz. Cheddar Cheese

10 Pepperoni

Nutrient Details

Calorie Breakdown

My eating may seem rather odd, but I’m experimenting with trying different things instead of always sticking to the same snacks or meals others or myself normally eat.  I never felt hungry today and really enjoyed all the foods I did eat.  I was very proud and happy with my decision to get a small amount of Yo Licious frozen yogurt with fresh berries.  I do agree if you deprive yourself or feel like you are, you will go off track.  


~Katie

Successful Tuesday

Hello!

Today was a pretty great day for the most part.  I accomplished a lot!  I decided what I’m going to dress up as for my nephew Ramsey’s 5^th Birthday party this Sunday (August 7^th!)  That’s a surprise I’ll share at a later date J.  Then after work my Mom and I went to Ross Dress for Less and I found a very cute/sexy dress to wear for my friend Courtney’s Bachelorette party this Friday evening (August 5^th.)  So two great things I needed to do this week and I can check them off my list!

My biggest goal this week as I mentioned last night is to eat better and keep track of my carbohydrates.  With the help of my amazing iPhone app MyFitnessPal I did that today successfully!  I did eat more carbohydrates than I was planning, but that’s because my Mom forgot about my plan this week and brought me home a Burger King breakfast sandwich.  It was delicious, but it had 26 grams of carbohydrates and I was hoping to limit myself to 20 a day this week.

Meals Today

Breakfast:

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Croissant (Burger King)

Lunch:

4 oz Top Round Steak

½ tbs. of Heinz 57 Steak Sauce

1 cup of Spring Mix Salad

8 sprays of Balsamic Breeze Vinaigrette Dressing

Dinner:

2 Eggs

4 strips of Bacon

Snacks:

1 cup chopped Celery

1 tbs. Raw Almond Butter

½ cup of Strawberries

1 String Cheese

Nutrient Details

Calorie Breakdown

As shown above I did have a lot more fat today than normal because I was trying to explore other foods that are lower in carbohydrates.  Had I not eaten that breakfast sandwich I would have only had 18 grams of carbohydrates.  So this week again I'm trying to focus on carbohydrates and staying within my 1200 calorie a day limit.  Today I was successful at staying under 1200 and even eating fewer carbohydrates!

 ~Katie

Exciting Week Ahead..

Hello!

So I failed to post daily last week with my food like I said I was going to.  It’s tough when I get busy and forget or don’t make time to write.  I really want to get better about that.  I enjoy writing here even if nobody else reads it.

This past Saturday I stayed pretty active!  My family and I decided to trim some trees around the house.  Who knew that would be such a workout!  Since my Dad didn’t have a chainsaw he used a skill saw and that meant we had to twist the branches to get them to completely brake off.  So in other words I was hanging from them like a monkey twisting them until they broke.  I have so many scratches on my arms and legs from all the branches.  And when I woke up yesterday my arms and shoulders were sorer than they’ve ever been.

Seriously I can’t believe it’s already August 1^st!  Where has this “summer” gone?  I have a few fun events coming up this month that I’m looking forward to though.  Exactly one week from today my friend Courtney is getting married!  Then after that Aaron, his family, my family, and I are all going 4-wheeling for 5 days!

This week starting tomorrow is kind of a big deal because I have decided to try a low carbohydrate plan to get myself to fit into my Bridesmaids dress a little better.  It will be an interesting challenge that I’m excited to take on.  I went to the grocery store tonight and stocked up on a few things I can munch on this week.

Starting out this morning I hadn’t decided to do the low carbohydrate plan yet so I just went with my 1200-calorie plan.  I went over by about 200 calories so I ate 1400, but I’m not complaining.  I had NO soda and only water all day.

~Katie