Weight loss methods

Since I have been a slacker since my last post and haven't responded to the several comments I received, I have decided to do so.
Thank you for all the congratulations. You should be happy to know that two weeks later I am maintaining my weight loss and feeling good.
Several people asked me how I did my weight loss, and the answer is really simple, basic and unglamorous ... it was portion control, eating less calories after 6 p.m. and exercise.
That was really it. Crystal's cooking being as good as it is, I had to work hard to do it, but I did.
The fact that it was a contest helped a lot, too, because I could get my competitive juices flowing to help me go.
One trick for portion control is using smaller plates. Crystal and I have full-size dinner plates, but for most meals we use half-size plates (maybe you'd call them salad plates) and that limits the amount of food we can put on the plate. There is something satisfying about seeing a full plate of food in front of you, and if your plate isn't as big, it can be full and you don't eat as much.
Another thing I found is that in the evening, about 9 p.m., usually, I get kind of peckish, and want a treat. At that point, I would drink a can of diet beverage, which had the taste I wanted, with between 10 and zero calories, plus it filled me up enough that I didn't want anything.
Finally, on nights when it was really hard, I would brush my teeth early so I had another barrier between me and the fridge.
One key was also that I didn't tell myself anything was off limits. I had ice cream a couple times and some cupcakes, etc. I just didn't have them every time they were available or every time I wanted them.
As for exercise, I have been running about 3 miles at least once a week, and playing basketball for one or two hours on other days.

As an interesting aside, I am now getting used to how my body feels with less fat reserves. Fast Sunday was a lot harder this past month because my body didn't have as much backup energy. Also, on Monday, I ran three miles then came home, showered, and ran some errands for a couple hours with Crystal and Clara. By the time we got home I was really, really hungry. I ate my dinner pretty quickly, but I didn't eat a lot (bowl of chili, biscuit and an artichoke), but afterward I felt really crummy and later ended up emptying my stomach into the lawn. My body just wasn't up for exercise and then a three-hour wait for food. Kind of a rotten way to learn my lesson there, but I certainly learned it.
I never thought about it beforehand, but there are a lot of changes beyond the physical ones after losing a chunk of weight. I would be interested to hear how the people who lose 100+ pounds deal with learning to live with their new body.

Biggest Loser contest

Now that it is April 1st, I have completed my first major project of the year. On January 1, thanks to the creativity of my brother- and sister-in-law, I started a family Biggest Loser contest. The last day was March 31, so I did my final weigh in and now you get the results.

By the way, I know that today's date might throw some of you off, but I have photographic evidence below.

I am so glad to be done with this contest. I made a big change in my life and saw results, and I am excited to continue with my healthier lifestyle, but I am also excited to allow myself an indulgence here and there.

I started at 231 pounds and my final weight was 194.5 pounds. I lost 36.5 pounds, for a total weight loss of 15.8 percent. I haven't weighed under 200 since I was 19 years old. I turn 29 in about 30 days, so I'm going to try to better when I turn 39.

Here are my before-and-after shots.


I can now even wear my UnderArmour shirt without feeling self-conscious!

Clara's Animal Sounds

Clara is a funny girl. Here is a video of what sounds she thinks animals make.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What is this?!?!

So apparently my hands just can't get a break. My finger is finally healed up from me cutting a piece of it off back in January, but now I have something new and intriguing. Just take a look at these lovely pictures:

I couldn't sleep, so I had to take pictures by myself so I could write this. Both hands look like this, but seeing as I am not that talented, I couldn't take a picture of both hands at once, and since they both look the same, you guys get to see good old lefty.

I bet you are thinking "wow, what did you do?" and the only answer I have is I HAVE NO IDEA! I woke up with this yesterday morning. It started out as just some redness and swelling at the base of my fingers, and then yesterday afternoon blisters started to form. You can really only see two blisters in the pictures, but I have 4 more on that hand hiding in between my fingers, plus 4 on the other hand. The tips of my fingers are fine- it seems to just be at the base and in between my fingers and a whole lot of swelling in the knuckles. Also, it is only on the dorsal surface, nothing on my palms. It feels like I burned myself, but I haven't. I haven't changed any lotions, soaps or detergents in my house in probably a month. I can't think of anything odd or new that I have come in contact with recently. I called my OB she said it doesn't sound pregnancy related since she has never heard of that before. So I called my general doctor who said that sounded really weird and I needed to come in and have it looked at. My doctor, as well as all her colleagues in her office, were all stumped. None of them could think of any possible reason for this to happen. So now I get to play the waiting game this weekend and see what happens. Weird, huh!

Cheap Diapers

If any of you are looking for cheap diapers out there and have never used diapers.com, I have a deal for you! You can get $50 of diapers for $25! Here is how:

Go to diapers.com

http://www.diapers.com/MyDiapers.aspx

Fill your cart with $50 worth of diapers.

Use coupon code CCIN6116 at check out to get $10 off your order of $50. You will automatically get free shipping because the order is over $49. This coupon code only works for NEW customers, so if you already have an account with them, it wont give you the discount.

When you are checking out, look for a banner that looks like this:

Click on it and print out the refund offer. Fill it out and send it in with a copy of your diapers.com receipt. I believe this refund is also only available to new customers.

With the coupon code and the refund, you get $50 of diapers for $25. For the sizes that I ordered, I got 284 diapers, which comes out to a little over $.08 per diaper. Not bad! I already ordered mine and they came in just a couple of days, so the free shipping is really fast. I submitted for my refund, also. It takes a few weeks to get that back, so I don't have it yet, but that will be a nice surprise in the mail when I do get it! Hope this deal helps some of you out!

UPDATE: I have received an email from parenting magazine and my rebate is on its way!