Missing In Action - AKA, The Flu!

Please forgive me. I've left you abandoned in your time of need. If it makes you feel better, I was at death's door. The FLU had me! Or, as Sweet Brown would say, "It GOT me!" As you may have heard, "Ain't nobody got time for that!" I surely didn't!!! It COMPLETELY messed up my dieting plan!!!

I know... you're sittng back in your chair going, "Yeah, yeah... poor baby... emptied her stomach and didn't get anything in her for a few days. I'm sure that really hurt her dieting cause." I'm here to tell ya! I was one of those girls that would sit in the teacher's lounge and joke, "Oh, that kid has the flu and he's going home?!? Send him over here to cough on me! I need to drop a few more pounds!"  BOY was I WRONG!

My body went into survival mode. Oh sure, when I was completely on empty and left for dead in my bed I had lost a few pounds. When it was all done I thought, "Well, at least something good came out of that!" Then, over the next few days, I realized I had ZERO energy to hit the gym. In fact, the idea of going to the gym made me think I had the flu all over again. So, I took the week off from EVERYTHING! (Terrible Idea)... I didn't get on MyFitnessPal, go to the gym, or watch my intake. I thought, "I lost 3 pounds witht he flu... I'm sure this won't hurt." WRONG again! By that weekend I had gained the 3lbs back and then some!

I did have a productive weekend and I ended up making it to my first school "Biggest Loser" weigh in with a loss of almost 2 lbs! Last night I made it to the gym and I'm VERY excited to get back again tonight. I'm also going to make an effort to start eating more foods that will give my metabolism a boost every day.

I must be pretty serious about this weight loss thing this time around because I really hate a lot of this stuff. I think I'll be picking up the ones I really enjoy and start with them. Who knows. I could learn to like almonds, right?  Well... I hope this list helps you because it really helped me see some of the things I should be munching on to give me a little bump in my dieting plan. Today at lunch, I picked up an apple and munched on it. I feel more spry already, (okay... that could just be in my head).

Until next time! Stay HEALTHY (which, if you're a teacher, is VERY hard --- lots of germs in a small space!) and keep working on it!


Remember my favorite motto - Nothing tastes as good as healthy and skinny will feel!!!

Signing off.... Mrs. Soon-to-be-Skinny Teacher

Attitude Adjustment....

Dieting makes people crabby. It's just a fact. Your body isn't used to the lack of sugar, caffeine, calories, flavor.... I could go on. There is GREAT news though! When you are crabby, people stop inviting you out to lunches and dinner parties. Then you don't have to look like a jerk complaining about only getting a grilled chicken salad while your size 4 friend scarfs down a burger and fries. This crabbiness will really save you from all sorts of awkward social situations you didn't want to be in.

Wait, what? You like lunching with the girls?!? You still want the love of your life to tolerate you?!? Well, I happen to know a solution to your problem. I don't know if you want to hear it. It's a pretty good answer.

Don't try dieting without exercising also! As the great Elle Woods once said, " Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." Very true!!! Get yourself a buddy, get yourself a routine, find a gym you love (I really love Impact Fitness on Broadway in Bradley, IL...  just sayin'), and get to work! It's no secret that you'll meet your weight-loss goals faster if you throw a little daily cardio into the equation.

I still get crabby from time-to-time.... but I'm proud to say it's because someone has annoyed me and NOT because I'm dieting! ;)

As of today, I'm down 11.2 (yes, the two/tenths matters) lbs! My work ladies and I are starting a "Biggest Loser" on Tuesday. I'm glad I started when I did but it feels like I'm going to have to work my buns off, (literally), to keep up! It will be nice to have a built-in support group at school! I have a feeling my next topic will be the dreaded "plateau!" I feel it coming. Time to spice things up with a metabolism boosting day! Don't worry. When it happens, I'll let ya know. Yay tuna. ;)

Okay, that's all for now! Get on the phone and find yourself a buddy and hit a gym! Don't forget the weight training!

Thanks for reading!
Mrs. Soon-to-Be Skinny Teacher

The First Week Back...

It's official... I made it through my first week of dieting at school! You guys would be so proud of me!!! The second or third day back, an adorable little one came knocking on my classroom door. She belongs to one of my greatest friends and she came bearing, of course, BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES! This was it... the moment of truth. I couldn't tell her no thank you. I didn't want to hurt her cute little feelings. So, I took one with the idea that I wouldn't eat it --- I would find a way to raffle it off to a student.

Well, the kids weren't in my room. They were in the library and it was my planning period. That cute little Hello Kitty cupcake stared at me for a LONG TIME! How could you resits this face.... 

It was tough, I'll tell you that!

Somehow, I was successful and managed to not even take a little taste!

I just kept repeating my new slogan, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny will feel!"    --- Keep it in the back of your head, friends. It's helped me through some tough times this week!

Once the little sweeties got back into the room, we had a Math test. I told them if they were quiet I would raffle off something yummy. Of course, they were excellent! So, one of my little fellas won the cupcake, everyone else got a pack of Smarties, and I kept my goals in tact!

Weight loss so far... almost 9 lbs!!!

The weekend will be tough, my friends! Stay strong, eat carrots, have some tuna (hold the mayo), and think about how good you will feel when you've achieved your weight loss goal!

For now ---  Mrs. (Soon-to-Be) Skinny Teacher, Signing off!

The First Five

Well, it's working! So far this week, I've been to the gym everyday with Hubs, eaten more carefully, and cut pop out - minus the few sips I had today. ;) I'm officially down 5lbs!!! Yay!!! 

I still have a long way to go but I feel good about my start! I'm not without help. If you're looking for some too, may I recommend my FAVORITE APP? Anyone on a diet should check it out. It's similar to the concept of Weight Watchers... but it focuses on calorie counting instead of "points"... which I always found annoying. Any who, the app is called MY FITNESS PAL. Look it up, use it, love it! I haven't found anything it doesn't know the nutrition information for and it's usually very accurate. It even has a barcode scanner so you can search for products that way too. It was my lifeline when I lost 20lbs last year. I also love that you can have "friends" on it! If you are looking for a diet buddy, friend me on there. I appreciate all of the support and I enjoy supporting others in need!

Tomorrow marks the first day back after our Christmas vacation. First order of business - remove all junk food from my classroom! After that, I'm going to teach my buns off as usual, get girl-child to dance class, and hit the gym!

Have a great Monday everyone! I'm off to get my sleepy babies to bed, do a little at-home-cardio, and prep to see my smiley second graders in the morning! I can't wait!

Until we meet again,  soon-to-be Mrs. Skinny Teacher - signing out!

Missing: Willpower... reward if found.

       I bet you didn't think I'd be back so soon. Well... this time around my willpower isn't what she used to be! The kids and I, (I have 2 little sweet things. A 5 year old daughter and a 3 year old son), went on an outing to pick up daddy and bring him to the dentist. After that, for being SO good, we went to a Chinese Buffet place of yummy. I was REALLY pretty good - at first. I had a salad and a little tiny portion (fist size... that's what they say and all...) of pork chop. I also had a small portion of baked potato cubes, (WAY less than I usually would've had). Good for me, right? Wrong.                                                                                                             Well... Girl child didn't want some of her fries, so I ate some. Then boy child wasn't eating his breaded chicken fingers, so I ate some. After that, both of them wanted dessert. Hello! There's a FREAKING CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN in this place! That didn't get me though. It was the scoop-your-own ice cream station that did. I just had a teeny tiny scoop, (really I promise), but I still felt bad in the end for having consumed it.    

Words for the day:

NOTHING WILL TASTE AS GOOD AS

HEALTHY AND SKINNY FEELS. 

 

 

I need to remember this next time I'm out.

 

NEW RULE: I have to stop consuming things off of my children's plates!

 

 

   So, now we're home. My handsome hubby is sleeping off the Novocaine and the kids are playing nicely. I'm full but still considering EATING SOMETHING! It's a boredom thing. Perhaps I should go clean a room or do some laundry but I ALWAYS find myself standing in that KITCHEN looking at the pantry full of nonsense thinking, "There must be something in here I can just snack on that isn't terrible for me." I realized this was the actions of a crazy person so I came up to blog instead. T-minus 40 minutes until the Kid's Club opens at the gym and the four of us can scoot over there and I can do something away from that KITCHEN, (I'm really starting to harbor some angry feelings towards that place... it's quite possibly very unhealthy).

 

 

Here are today's words of wisdom, (again... thank you, Pinterest). I'm trying REALLY hard to follow them!

 

 

Wish me luck on my road to Mrs. Skinny Teacher! Clearly, I need it!  

Turning into Mrs. Skinny Teacher...

Skinny teacher... two words that don't always go together. Sure you have those young, cute teachers with all of their energy and metabolism - but we all know that isn't the norm. Most of us are "would you like a birthday cupcake" eating, pop drinking, and quick lunch eating fools! I was blessed this year to start teaching at a new school where the parents are VERY giving. Indirectly, they've given me about 20 pounds I didn't start the year having. Don't get me wrong! I LOVE it there and I LOVE everyone I get to work with! I just don't love that I've undone everything I worked hard to accomplish this time last year.

Those that know me well know that this isn't my first weight loss blog. The last one ended last May after hubby made me a deal. I had to get rid of 20lbs before my step-son, Zachary's, birthday. It took a LOT of work but I did it! The deal ended with me getting a new fun summer wardrobe. Unfortunately... old habits die hard. SO! Here I am again... healthy choices round two.

Here's my first tip for the dieting public. I'm starting mine today and I'm VERY excited. I found this idea on Pinterest, of course, and I thought it was exactly the visual I need! I'm planning on keeping it in my kitchen. I've been avoiding that place, (the kitchen), all day and it has been HARD! I know it will get easier once I start back to school. Teaching may make dieting hard, (you know... because of the cupcakes), but staying home with that KITCHEN hanging around is WORSE!

 

So... that's all I have for this installment. Today I've had some oatmeal for breakfast (a metabolism booster), and a salad with a little parm and a tiny scoop of cranberries in it. Yum! I forgot that I actually like eating healthy food. Any words of advice and encouragement are always welcome in comments! I appreciate all of the help and support!!!

 

For now... Mrs. Skinny Teacher (or soon-to-be), is signing off!