Gone.

Three more pounds, gone. And, I don't miss them at all.

This week has been hard for me, so I was surprised when I stepped on the scales Thursday afternoon. I had three meals on my own this past week and expected that it would hinder my weight loss. Turns out, I chose wisely and I'm three more pounds closer to thin.

Total Weight Loss (4.29.11): 8.2 lbs

Soon To Be Thin,

Court

It's Been Three Weeks...

Today marks three weeks on Jenny Craig. I've learned a lot, but the following list sums it up perfectly.

1. Self-motivation is key - this was not present before JC

2. I think about what I'm eating...before I eat it.

3. People genuinely care about others (of course, I've always known this).

4. When I'm tempted, I turn to two things...my Bible and my sister.

5. In PR, planning is important. In JC, planning is important. Thank goodness I'm passionate about my career!


Soon To Be Thin,

Court

Daily Dish (4.21.11)

"God is faithful."

-- Mom

Daily Dish (4.20.11)

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

-- C. S. Lewis

source: brainyquote

Just Another Manic...Tuesday?

It's a stormy night in Tennessee and I cannot sleep. Today has been a little off in general, including my food.

I'm an avid fan of Jenny Craig food, but today's menu was not that great...with the exception of breakfast.

Breakfast: Egg, Potato, Cheese & Ham Scrambler

Every time I eat this, it makes me feel like I'm at Huddle House. DELICIOUS!

Lunch: Pizza

I assume that most people are weary of pizza that does not come from Pizza Grocery, Old Venice or the chain pizza places. Well, today's pizza proved why weariness of pizza is important. I did eat a wonderful side salad though.

Dinner: Chicken w/ pasta shells

Ehh. It was filling, but it was not JC Chicken fettucini!

Dessert: Oreo Cheesecake with Strawberries

The highlight of my day. Words cannot describe how fantastic this was. The portions were perfect too.

The Moral of the Story:

Jenny Craig lets us pick and choose our menus, so now I know what I don't like and what I absolutely adore. This program is absolutely delectable!

Soon To Be Thin,

Court

Five Pounds Closer To Thin

It's been a few days since my last post. Weekends tend to be super busy for me, especially when I go to Corinth.

Speaking of weekends, how hard is it to stay on track with a diet from Friday through Sunday? For me, it's immensely difficult. Thankfully, I have a supportive (somewhat hard-core) sister that bluntly tells me, "Courtney, don't you even think about it," or "Courtney, that spicy ranch dip tastes horrible." She has lost a lot of weight in the past and is absolutely gorgeous and healthy--making her my role model/mentor for weight loss.

To put it short and sweet, I made it through the weekend without cheating on food and my first week of Jenny Craiging proved to be successful!

How do I know?

Well, I went to my weekly weigh-in today and the scales said I lost...are you ready?

5.2 pounds!

I'm thrilled and even more motivated to continue with the program. Thanks Jenny Craig for providing me with an effective way to get thin!

Soon To Be Thin,

Court

It's The Simple Things...

Day 3: Food, ok. Energy, incredible.

Instead of boring you with a play by play of my food intake today, I think I'll share how my mind and body are reacting to my lifestyle change.

Of course, the food is important, so here's a list of what I ate:

1. Breakfast bar with strawberries
2. Anytime Bar
3. Cheesy Enchilada and side salad
4. Mac & cheese, black-eyed peas and green beans
5. Cinnamon twists with strawberries

Now, for the rest of the story...

In the past three days I have seen a complete 180 degree turn in my energy level. Before JC, all I wanted to do was sleep, eat carbs and sit on the couch. I still love my sleep and I still love to sit on my couch, but I'm moving around a lot more. Simple things like taking the stairs, parking a longer distance from my apartment building, and dancing around the house or in my car are becoming more common these days.

On a mental and spiritual level, I feel so much better about myself. In my first post I shared that I've never been neglected because of my weight. This is true, but I think I was neglecting myself by harming my body with unhealthy things. In addition, I am seeking and finding more evidence why and how God is in control. He wants His children to be healthy, so I am working to do this for my heavenly father and myself. I hope you are enjoying my DAILY DISH. Scripture is the best place to find encouragement!

Ok, I think it's time to dance to NKOTBSB!



Soon To Be Thin,

Court

Daily Dish (4.13.11)

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

-- Matthew 6:33,34 (NKJV)

Two Words: FRENCH TOAST

Day Two: Can't Complain

Breakfast: French Toast with JC Syrup

I had to wake up early this morning to play teacher at U of Memphis. Do you know what gave me the motivation to jump out of bed? Two words: FRENCH TOAST. My breakfast did not fail me. It absolutely delicious & I got to class on time.

Lunch: Tortilla Soup + Side Salad

I felt like I was in Panera eating from the "Choose Any Two" menu. The soup was hearty and portioned perfectly. I used JC ranch dressing on my side salad & couldn't even tell it was not Hidden Valley! Side note: I ate my lunch in an actual office (with tons of to-be-graded quizzes around me while talking to Amanda on the phone). My words to her were, "I totally feel like a grown-up." Needless to say, I love teaching (even if I've only taught for one day).

Snack: Anytime Bar

It still tasted perfect. Who doesn't love cookie dough & white chocolate?

Another Snack: Strawberries with Sweet n Low

Wednesdays are early days for me, so I got home in time to prepare my afternoon snack. Strawberries make me smile, but I usually eat them with gobs of cream cheese fruit dip. Today, however, I chose sweetener. While I adore the fruit dip, sweetener was a nice alternative.

Dinner: Meat Loaf w/ Barbecue Sauce, Roasted Potatoes, English Peas & Side Salad

My nightly meals are my favorite. I anticipate the arrival of dinner everyday. Being on this diet does not make me anticipate it any less. Tonight, I felt like my mama cooked a Sunday afternoon meal for me. YUMMY!

Lessons Learned:

1) Taking the stairs is not that bad.
2) I don't have to eat to prevent boredom. (Thank you pinterest.com, Twitter, American Idol & iTunes)
3) Saying no to sinful snacks is not hard!

Soon To Be Thin,

Court

Daily Dish

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

-- Proverbs 3:5,6

Preparation Is Key

Day One: Success

My first day as a Jenny Craiger proved to be fairly simple, with a little bit of clever thinking and preparation. I've learned already that these two words are key on this diet. I planned out my day last night and it really helped me stick to a healthy plan.

Breakfast: Morning meeting at Bronte @ Davis Kidd

I proudly pulled out my cereal and ordered a glass of milk, side of fruit and a bowl. The PRSA Vox committee members congratulated me for taking a step toward a healthier me and I was beyond thankful for their support. I discovered two things: I like pineapple and milk + side of fruit + diet coke = too much money at Bronte.


Lunch: Outing at Republic Coffee

I ate lunch with Claudine, one of my new Memphis friends, who was very excited when I told her I joined Jenny. I brought my chicken salad kit and put it on a salad with nonfat balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was delicious & very filling. For dessert, I had an anytime bar (which tasted like cookie dough covered in white chocolate.

Afternoon Snack: Grad lounge

While furiously trying to finish an assignment, I remembered I had JC cheetos in my bag. They were wonderful, but very sticky (as most cheetos are). Elise, another one of my new Memphis friends, gave me some fabulous tips while I was chowing down on my snack!

Now let's pause for the moment where I almost caved under pressure.

I didn't though. Just say no to vending machine brownies.


Dinner: Finally home

This was my favorite part of the day. Chicken fettuccine and English peas. Even though I ate at 9:15 p.m., I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Now it's almost bed time and I had a fulfilling day.

I feel it's important to thank everyone who encouraged me today & checked in to see how I was making it--Mom, Dad, Aunt Anne, Christie, Vox Committee, Claudine, Elise, Maggie, Kristen & Cynthia. I'm beyond blessed to have many new & old friends who support me!

Soon To Be Thin,

Court

Daily Dish

"For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All these things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat meat nor drink win nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith, for whatever reason is not from faith is sin."

Romans 14:17-23 (NKJV)

Today's The Day

The last meal. Sounds very final, doesn't it?

I had mine tonight because tomorrow morning, I am beginning an adventure to a new me. This has been long overdue & attempted many times before, but often without fail or relapse. This time, however, I am doing this for me (not for a boy or a shopping trip). My health & happiness are most important and I'm taking the steps to improve that.

It is important to share why weight loss has been so hard for me. It's not because I turn to food for comfort or because I'm not accepted by my peers. I've led the atypical fat-girl life. Acceptance. Clothes. Happiness. Relationships (although those have been very few and far between). Needless to say, I've never felt that my appearance has kept me from living a fulfilling life.

However, losing weight (50 pounds to be exact) is going to make my life even more fulfilling. Funny that I choose to use the word FULFILLING, isn't it? Most of the time, diets do not fulfill you...growling stomachs, boring salads and too much exercise. This diet, however, is going to be different.

I joined Jenny Craig today and I have the most delicious-looking food in the kitchen. My meals are cheaper than the typical restaurant meal and they don't take very long to prepare. The best part is that I can change foods that I might not like and I get to incorporate restaurant foods in the mix.

Thank you for joining me in my adventure to become thin & healthy. I hope you find encouragement and happiness in this blog.

Soon To Be Thin,

Court