5 Lbs Lost this week!!!

Spaghetti Squash = YUM!

Tonight we had a couple small spaghetti squash in the fridge to use up from last week.  I didn't really feel like spaghetti sauce, so I decided to make it with some pesto sauce.. plus it's Saint Patty's Day and pesto is green ;). I roasted my squash in a 325 oven for 45 minutes (or until fork tender)...  meanwhile I got my veggies ready.  I fried a whole head of cauliflower, then added some mushrooms... cooked till tender.  I added a few sliced collassal green olives, scallions, and about 1/2 cup of classico pesto sauce.  I took the spaghetti squash and scraped some of the squash strings, and then topped each one with the veggie mixture.  I topped with some reduced fat mozzerella cheese and broiled in the oven for a few minutes.  It was delicious!  :) 

Yesterday was Wednesday Weigh In and I'm happy to say that I lost 5 lbs this week!!!!  My wonderful husband lost 4.2 lbs!!!!!!  We are on a roll!!!  :)  So happy that what we're doing is working. 

So a lot of you ask me, what are you doing?  Well... I think the key to my success is counting calories and exercising regularly... but mostly the calorie counting.  The website that I use is...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

They start you out by asking you some simple questions to find out what your calorie intake should be based on your lifestyle (sedentary, lightly active, highly active, etc.) and how many calories you'd like to lose... anywhere from maintaining weight, or losing .5 lbs to 2lbs.  I have mine set at 2lbs... and have been having more success... and I'm not entirely sure why other than the fact that I've got a lot to lose and I have a bigger deficit most days than they want based on my exercise.  There's a huge debate on the online message boards of MFP on whether or not you should eat your exercise calories, and I do eat some of them, but not all of them.  And it depends on the day...  I think whatever works for you, go for it... if you start to plateau, maybe you're not eating enough, switch it up a little.  As long as I lose my 2lbs per week, I will be happy. 

Exercise is my second key factor.  I know from my experience and getting out of work at 5pm that I'm too tired to put in a good workout at the end of the day, coming home and cooking is the last thing I want to do after working out, and I'm usually starving by the time I eat dinner (at a late hour).  So I get up early in the morning (my husband starts my car in the am when he's getting ready for work)... and unless I want to leave it running, I have to get out of bed and get to the gym.  Mornings are just better for me, but everyone is different, so you just need to find what works for you.

Another few things that have helped me is that I log everything I put in my mouth into MFP.  I'm brutally honest, not only so I feel accountable for what I'm eating, but also because if I don't see results I can look back and see what I've eaten and how much I've exercised and I can make the necessary changes.  My diary is viewable on MFP, so my friends can see what I'm eating.  If you want to be my friend on MFP, my email address is Cathy_Cloutier@yahoo.com.  You can request me to be a friend by adding that email.  :)

But probably the most important part of my success is the support I have from my family, friends, and especially my husband.  My husband is right next to me on this journey, exercising, eating right, and excited about every new healthy meal I make.  Without his support and inspiration, I wouldn't be able to do this.  Support comes in so many forms though...  I have friends that I talk to, my family who is proud of me, a message board on MFP to help, and all my great blog readers like you, who inspire me to make more healthy meals to write about.  Thanks for reading! :)

Remember one meal at a time... one step at a time...  We can do this!!!!