I think people get to a point in a weight-loss journey where things are going good, and there isn't much to talk about, but at the same time, some pretty profound things are happening.

Take this morning for instance...

1. Wake up to a smiling baby...finally after two days of non-stop night screaming.
2. Do the morning ritual.
3. Step on the scale.
4. Step off and do a happy dance.
5. Get dressed, find out skinny jeans are ummm..LOOSE!

There are times when significant things happen that deserve celebration and praise, but I think that the most important things are the small changes. The subtle things that often go unnoticed. Like being able to chase after your toddler in the park, and not get winded. Standing for a long period of time without looking for somewhere to sit. Taking a second glance in the mirror to admire your new jawline.

It is things like this that keep me moving, keep me motivated. I may not shrink 5 sizes in 2 months, but I am doing this the right way, the healthy way!

In retrospect, I also just started the bible study Made to Crave. Being a Jesus girl has helped so much in this journey, but I am ready for more. I am ready for more of God and his blessings. I am ready to stop eating for comfort and to rely more on Him.

If you are wondering where to start...I totally recommend this book/study. In just the three days I have been reading, I have learned so much about why I ate the way I did, and what I can do to fix it. Believe me, it is NOT a diet plan, but a total mind transformation.

Today's Meal Plan

Breakfast- 296 calories

Thomas Everything Bagel Thin
1 slice of bacon
1 egg, over easy
Dannon Light and Fit Strawberry Banana Yogurt

Lunch- 450 calories

1/2 cup spaghetti style pasta
1/4 cup tomato meat sauce
salad (1 cup fresh baby spinach, 4 medium strawberries sliced, 1 oz cinnamon covered almonds (crushed), 2 tbsp reduced fat raspberry vinegrette)
90 calorie snack Quaker mini delights

Dinner- 307 calories

Broiled tilapia with Tony's, 1 fillet
Broccoli (steamed with minced garlic and crushed red pepper)
Sweet potato, baked with (Smart Balance, Smart Balance Omega Plus Buttery Spread, 1 Tbsp, Granulated Sugar, 1 tsp, and 1 tsp of cinnamon)

Snacks- 221 calories

Pink Lady Apple (YUM!)- after lunch
Skinny Cow Ice cream sandwich- after dinner

Total Calories- 1275 with all of my carb, protein and fat levels met.


I have lost 18lbs in 8.5weeks, and I am so proud of myself.

I did a little happy dance in my bathroom. I ran to give my husband a hug. I smiled all day! There is just something about setting goals and meeting them that makes a person feel strong, empowered.

When I stepped on the scale, I wasn't expecting a big drop. I knew I was eating in my calorie range and was working out plenty, but I also knew that my body was not in the habit of letting go. The excitement of seeing that 1 in front instead of the 2 was exhilarating!

So, goodbye 200s and hello 100s!

My reward? A full pedicure. :)

Want your body to change? Push it.

I have been working out and eating right for exactly one month now. In that month, I have lost 4 inches off my waist, 1 inch off my hips, and 9 lbs off my body. I feel great, and have so much more energy. A week ago, I reached a plateau. My weight was not moving, and my inches hadn't changed for two weeks. Did that get me down? NO! It got me motivated.

I started biking every morning for 30 minutes. That enabled my body, and I lost another lb in 2 days. So knowing this, I stepped it up tonight and added a 30 minute aerobic dance video to my routine. I could feel my body burning. I could feel my muscles moving, and it hurt. But, BUT!!! I was having fun. I knew that this was helping. Truly, what else was I going to do, sit on the couch and watch another episode off the DVR? LAME!

Here is moving, grooving, and losing!!!

Today, while packing snacks to come to work I had an epiphany.

On Wednesdays (yesterday), Caleb and I eat at church before service. The ladies there prepare awesome meals, including dessert. It takes us a while to get seated b/c we have the carseat and then Brayden's booster seat, etc. By the time I am sitting and eating, I am starving! As I eat, I am savoring and making sure to enjoy all of the flavors, and then it hit me...I was full. So, naturally I pushed my bowl away and started focusing on getting Brayden to eat "just one more bite, and then you can have your cupcake".

It wasn't until this morning that I realized what I had done. I had turned down more food. I became full before devouring an entire plate of delicious food. People this is HUGE! I am now able to listen to my body and to take heed it's cues.

After being on a two week plateau, I weighed myself this morning. 8.9lbs down! I am 1.1 lbs away from my first goal!!! What kind of reward should I give myself??

Any journey starts with a determined goal in mind, whether it is specific or not is the question. What specifically do I want to get out of my lifestyle change? What are my short-term and long-term goals? How and I going to get there? So many times I have started to "diet" and then quit a few days later, or I have worked out for a couple of days and then "got too tired, was too sore, had no time, etc...).

What is the difference now, and how have I determined to stay on track? The difference now is that when I look in the mirror I do not see Deidre. I see a large distortion of what I could be. I see the me underneath all of this weight and the person that is screaming to get out. The person that is tired of drowning in fat and processed foods.

My long-term goals in all of this are to 1) Get to the point where making healthy choices is no longer a choice, it's a habit 2) Be able to chase my son around without getting winded or asking for a timeout 3)Feel great in a size 8 little black dress. In the short-term range, I want to 1)get under 200lbs, 2)drink at least 8cups of water a day and 3) workout everyday.

In order to obtain these goals, I am going to have to be determined. I am going to have to workout EVERY.DAY.NO.MATTER.WHAT. I am going to have to track my calorie intake and make sure it stays under an acceptable level. This is not rocket science, but it also is not going to be easy.

What I want to pull out of this is to know without a doubt I am setting my children up to making healthy choices for the rest of their lives. That they can know that their mom WILL NOT be a statistic in the obese world.

Always remember:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

I am now halfway into my second week of diet and exercise. I can't say that I haven't cheated, and I can't say that I haven't thought about quitting. The thing that has truly kept me going is knowing that my 10 year class reunion is coming up at the end of this year!!! (EEK!!) My goal weight is only 60lbs away, and I have 9 months to achieve it.

I can do this!
I CAN do this!
I CAN DO this!
I CAN DO THIS!!

So far: 1 inch loss in my waist, 1 inch loss in my hips, and 6.8 lbs down!

Here I am 6 days into my new lifestyle change, and I feel great. Not only do I have tons more energy, but I am able to see how horribly I was eating before. I have not gotten over 1600 calories a day this week, and have worked out at least 20 minutes a day.

The deal for me was that I was wincing and anticipating the hardships that I would have to go through to get to where I wanted to be. Now that I am here and doing it, I would say that it is pretty easy! I am not hungry because I am eating just as much quantity as I was before, but it is food that is so much better in quality.

Here is what is on the menu today for Breakfast and Lunch:

Breakfast
1 cup of Frosted Shredded Wheat
1 cup fat free milk
1 medium banana
1 6oz container of Yoplait Light Strawberry Yogurt

Lunch
1 serving Oscar Myer fat free Turkey Breast
1 slice swiss cheese
1/2 cup of whole leaf spinach
1 tsp mustard
1 100% whole wheat sandwich round
10 baby carrots
1 1oz bag of Sunchips (original)

This totals only 900 calories, which leaves me 700 calories for a snack and dinner. Crazy, huh?

Now, for the best news of all. I am now 5lbs lighter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am embarking on a new journey. Weight loss and fitness here I come! After being asked when I was due (you know...with a baby)when I am 5 months postpartum, I have decided that I am determined to lose some poundage. Though, the last time I did this I got 20 lbs lost and then some loser knocked me up...Nice eh? :)

Pretty much, I will be highlight the highs and lows right here. woot!

Today, I am sore. Mostly my back muscles and my abs (oh what! they do exist!). Jillian totally kicked my butt, but it wasn't as hard as I initially planned it to be. Though, I will definitely need to invest in a yoga mat because doing push ups on your knees on a hard wood floor is not cool.

As for my diet, I am strictly following the Sparkpeople.com menu plan. It is there and I have to follow it. It counts my calories for me and does all the hard work so I don't have to.

In the end, I want to lose 50 lbs and look great in a little black dress. Not much to ask right? We shall see...