"I Have Something To Confess": Part 1

I'm dividing these "confessionals" up into a couple parts.

How IS everyone today?

I'm doing well, but there is something that I wanted to share with you all. I've been wanting to tell you for awhile, but I just didn't feel it was the time.

But there is another reason that I have been able to stick to my new diet plan. It hasn't just been my determination that has carried me through this new diet. And it wasn't only my wonderful resolve that helped me to get back on track after I'd fallen off the wagon a few weeks ago.

Remember the post when I said that I will often use fitness goals to help me achieve my weight loss goals? In this post, I said that weight loss isn't a big enough reason to keep us motivated to lose weight and stay in the gym. We need goals that we can utilize to help steer us toward our ultimate weight loss and body image goals.

I will also use smaller goals along the way to keep me focused. One example of this is the 100 push-up challenge or a 5K race. I will stack goals one upon another so that there is always another goal waiting in the wings to be met after a goal has been achieved. This ensures that my mind and body are constantly striving and working toward a physical achievement of some sort.

I would have never been able to drop those last fourteen pounds unless I had begun embarking on my most recent goal. I would never have had my eyes opened to the powerful effects of clean, wholesome eating unless I had begun chasing after this most recent goal.

The reason I hadn't shared this most recent goal with you is because I wasn't sure if I could do it. I wasn't sure if I could stick to the diet plan...I wasn't sure if the diet plan would work. I had no idea what would happen if I tried it.

But, now I know that it does work.

Some of you may suspect what my next goal has been because of the extensive amount of weight lifting that I have been doing. In fact, this goal has been in the back of my mind for a year and a half.

My most recent goal hasn't been to train for just a few 5K races, it has been to train to compete on stage in a two piece bikini in a figure competition, where body fat is lowered to exhibit your God-given physic and symmetry.

I have been tracking my body fat through fat caliper analysis. I had measurements taken before I began the new diet plan and three weeks into the new diet plan. In three weeks time, my body fat dropped four percent.

My next measurement has yet to be taken.

But, that's my first confession. See, it wasn't a bad confession. In fact, it's something very exciting for all of you to hear about. And this is why... Look at what I have recently achieved because of a fitness related goal. Look at how my perspective on food has changed because I stepped outside the box and started training for something that I had never done before.

Do you realize I've had five kids? Silly question, of course you do. I didn't think my belly would "look right" enough for a show after all that. But, you know what I discovered? You drop enough body fat, and things start to even out a little. I can walk around in a sports bra and shorts and not be ashamed. In fact, I look darn good if I don't say so myself.

So, that's the first confession.

In the mean time, here are some chocolate, protein oatmeal cookies that I cooked today. Remember yesterday's post where I said the oatmeal cookies I made tasted bland?

Well, these are better. Here they are again with a few different ingredients added:

1 cup of oatmeal (300 calories)

2 scoops of chocolate whey protein powder (220 calories)

4 egg whites (51 calories)

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/4 cup of raisins (130 calories)

1/4 cup of crushed walnuts (180)

cinnamon to taste (oops, I forgot that today)

1/4 cup of sugar free syrup (15 calories)

cook at 350 degrees for several minutes

This batch made about 14 cookies which averaged out to 64 calories a cookie. If you took out the raisins and walnuts, the calories are only 41 calories a cookie.

I liked the crunchy texture. I did not use old fashioned oats, just quick oats. I think old fashioned oats would definitely add to the crunchy texture. I could taste the maple syrup flavor. I noticed that it was definitely a sweeter cookie than yesterday's version. Next time I might try it without the syrup and instead just try sweetner to see how that tastes.

What's great about these cookies is that you're getting over 3 grams of protein per cookie, and a healthy sources of fat (if you put in walnuts) and fiber. You also don't have to worry about the fat retaining effects of white flour and sugar because these cookies do not contain any. In fact, my dad who does not eat sugar, and must limit his salt intake could eat these. Maybe I'll make him some too.

And seriously, they take me a whole 20 minutes to whip up.

Push-Up Challenge Update

Oh, and on a little side note, last night I was able to complete the last day of week 6 in the push-up challenge. That means I completed nine sets of 26, 26, 33, 33, 26, 26, 22, 22, 60 for a total of 274 push-ups.

My husband is working on week 5 of the push-up challenge and recently completed eight sets of

20, 20, 24, 24, 20, 20, 22, 48 for 198 total.

We will continue are push-up training and aim to complete 101 push-ups on March 7, 2010, our 101st month wedding anniversary.

Hope your week is going well! And thank you again for all of your kind words and for taking the time to visit this blog.

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama