On the run options!

If you're like me, so many times I crave fast food. Not even necessarily craving, rather, I am on the go and don't have time to cook! Well, thanks to yahoo's "Trusty Guide to the Drive-Thru" here are some options you might want to try!

Wendy's Jr. Cheeseburger

PER SERVING (1 burger): 270 calories, 11g fat, 26g carbs, 1g fiber, 15g protein

This burger is JUST RIGHT in our opinion. Get it with one of Wendy's sensible side dishes, like mandarin oranges or a side salad with light dressing, and you're good to go.

McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait

PER SERVING (1 parfait): 160 calories, 2g fat, 31g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g protein

One of the best fast snacks available from a drive-thru. It's not really meal material, but if you just need something to hold you over 'til lunch or dinner, it's a great choice.

Taco Bell Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco

PER SERVING (1 taco): 170 calories, 4g fat, 22g carbs, 2g fiber, 12g protein

We LOVE Taco Bell's Fresco menu and the fact that you can get almost anything on the whole menu "Fresco-style." These chicken tacos are so low in calories, you can grab a couple for a quickie lunch. (NOTE from Cara: The Steak tastes better, and is actually lower in calories!)

Burger King Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich w/o Mayo

PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 380 calories, 9g fat, 51g carbs, 3g fiber, 25g protein

It's that mayo that'll REALLY get you in trouble. Leave it off, and you've got a terrific grilled chicken 'n veggie sandwich that you don't have to feel bad about swallowing.

Starbucks Spinach, Feta, Egg White Wrap

PER SERVING (1 wrap): 280 calories, 9g fat, 35g carbs, 8g fiber, 19g protein

Starbucks may not have a drive-thru window, but who cares? This is our go-to breakfast at the popular java chain. We were heartbroken when it went away, and now that it's back, we want to show our appreciation.

Chick-Fil-A Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup

PER SERVING (1 large bowl): 220 calories, 6g fat, 30g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g protein

Think there's NOTHING safe to eat at this house of breaded chicken cutlets? WRONG! Grab a big bowl of soup and fill up. YUM.

Subway 6" Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham on 9-Grain Wheat

PER SERVING (One 6-inch sub w/o cheese, dressing, or mayo): 300 calories, 4g fat, 47g carbs, 5g fiber, 19g protein

Pair the lean-meat duo with tasty 9-grain wheat bread, load it up with every veggie possible, and dress it with a shake of vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Maximum flavor with minimum fat and calories!

Chipotle Burrito Bowl with Chicken, Fajita Veggies, Black Beans, Tomato Salsa, and Lettuce

PER SERVING (1 bowl): 355 calories, 8g fat, 32g carbs, 13g fiber, 41g protein

The Cilantro-Lime Rice is sooo good -- add a half-order to your bowl for just 65 calories and 1.5g fat. Or if you are a guacamole-lover, order some on the side, only use half (the serving size for is humungous!), and it will add about 75 calories and 6g fat.

Sonic Chicken Wrap with Grilled Chicken w/o Dressing

PER SERVING (1 wrap): 326 calories, 8g fat, 37g carbs, 1g fiber, 26g protein

Best way to go with this one? Get the light ranch on the side, and use half of it for about 35 calories and 3g fat. Most places go way overboard with the goo. We want to taste the grilled chicken!

I Hope you all learned a little something new! So, when your friends tell you they want to go out to eat, don't be afraid to go for it! It's good practice to lay down the law and say, "If we go out, let's go to _____"  If they are your friend, they know you're watching what you eat, and they'll respect your needs!  So go out, have fun, and enjoy!! I'm thinking Wendy's.....

Stats Update!

I was chillaxin' watching my FAVORITE show, NCIS tonight, and just looking through my blog, and I realized I haven't just updated my stats for a while.  So here folks are all my stats.  I started this diet April 1, 2009.  So in about 10.5 months here is what I have accomplished:

Weight:
~Started at 244  
~Current: 178- total pounds lost, 66

~Inches lost total:  39

Body Fat:
~Started at over 40%
~Current: 29%

Pant size:
~Started at 14/16  
~Current: 8 (and I have lots of wiggle room!)

Shirt Size:
~Started at XXL womens; XL mens
~Current: M/L womens; M mens


Energy Level:
~Starting: Could barely walk the stairs
~Current: Doing running cardio classes  ( hour long!)

Other things I have noticed:
~ Appetite has decreased majorly
~ Confidence has gone through the roof
~ Able to help others with their goals
~ I love getting up in the morning, even for the 6:45 am cardio class!
~ Every day offers something new and exciting!

I could probably go on and on! To have accomplished this in a little over 10 months has not been an easy task to say the least!  I've gone through several plateaus, some of them 2 or 3 months at a time! I've wanted to quit and give in to the chocolate cakes, cookies and all the best sweets ever!! However, I stayed strong! I have about 40 more to go, and I have faith I'm going to be able to continue!

To all of you, thank you for reading my blog! I write to inspire all of you! Whether your goals are weightloss, or to accomplish something you thought you couldn't do, I'm here to tell you that you can!! And thank you all for keeping me honest, and helping me up when I am feeling down! The lows were pretty low, and you all helped me up!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I hope you all continue to follow my journey, I'll keep going as long as ya'll keep reading!!

If you're lacking motivation, here are a few more quotes that I love! Feel free to take them and use them at your will! Just don't be afraid to accomplish your goals!



You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt (This is my FAVORITE!)

Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.
-- James Allen


Even if I don't reach all my goals, I've gone higher than I would have if I hadn't set any.
-- Danielle Fotopoulis


The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly; who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who at the best, know the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
-- Theodore Roosevelt


Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
-- Mark Twain

Test dummy of home gyms

Today is a crappy day outside today.  So I figured I would do a cleaning refresher course of this apartment.  As I was off collecting things and putting things away I realized that I have A LOT of workout equipment sitting around here. .  So here my friends, is my review on the equipment that I have tried in the past!

Equipment:
Kettle bells:  These are great things have to have sitting around, as long as you have the proper weight.  Currently, I have 2 10 pound kettle bells! While they were AWESOME at first, unfortunatly, I am WAY past the 10 pound weight! These are great for snatches, as well as other exercises you would do with regular dumb bells. They work your bi-ceps, tri-ceps, and you can invent ways to have them help with your core!   Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Resistance band:  I do love my band! What I really like about it, is it takes very little effort! I'll be sitting watching TV, lay on the floor and do leg lifts! Sometimes I use it for upper body work as well.  The downside about them, it's more a calorie burner than actual toning! It adds a little extra something to your television experience!   Rating: 3 out of 5 stars!

Balleys Ab Spinner: Basically, what this thing is, is a 2 part disc. You stand on it, and you use your core to spin back and forth! When I first started my diet, this thing actually worked pretty well! I felt it when I used it, and it did help me lose, again I repeat, at first!  However, once I actually started going to the gym and doing more advanced core workouts, this thing lost all it's glory! Now it's sitting in my corner gathering dust!  Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Shake Weight: Yes! I, Cara Ann Berg Rainey, spent money on the shake weight!! Why? Because I must have a totally sick mind and I fall for subliminal messages! (Watch the commercial, you'll understand, I included a review from Ellen!) Now, what do I think of it? This is a little tougher one.  At first, I thought it was lame, and did absolutely nothing! However, I popped in the dvd today to give it a fair shot, and while I was doing the workout my arms felt the burn A BIT! I think if I didn't work out so much with real weights, I might actually feel it! So, for the avid gym rat, I would rate this product 2 out 5 stars (2, primarily because it's super in the mind in the gutter, and it's super funny to watch!)  However, for the not avid Gym Rat, 3.75 out of 5 stars!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6VBrZx6jU0

Finally, my final tv informercial endeavor...

The Bender Ball:  I have to say, I LOVE THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT!! It's a very simple concept. It's a small ball, that gives you a full range of motion on situps! You can be sitting and watching tv, and instead of just sitting on your butt, pull out the Bender Ball, and whip out a bunch of sit-ups! This things works! It makes doing crunches easy on your back, more efficient and just purely enjoyable to do! Luckily, Target does sell this now...do NOT order from the website! They like to charge your card every single month. Yeah, so, seriously, if you're trying to get your abs in shape, invest in a Bender Ball! However, keep it away from pets!!  They like to play with it just as much as humans do! My rating would be a strong 5 out of 5 stars!

If there is a piece of equipment under $50 bucks out there, I will certainly try it! I am always looking for ways to burn extra calories and make my muscles strong! However, out of all of the equipment I have tried, and will continue to try, nothing beats the personal trainer! :)

Life is too short...

Once more, this particular blog isn't necessarily about weight loss, rather about what we have! I'm sitting here watching "Hope for Haiti Now" and I am so touched and so moved.

Not since 9/11 have I seen Americans come together and just help each other like this! I believe there is a moment in every presidency where all politics should be put aside, and we all become human beings.  We're not democrats, we're not republicans we are people, on a spinning globe full of so many other PEOPLE!! Even with another country, we realize they aren't creatures, they are people too.  They have families and friends and lives!

I sit here, day after day struggling about losing weight! But I have food. I can drive in my car, go up my elevator walk into my apartment and go to my fridge.  Should I have my fresh fruit, or maybe my low calorie yogurt! Oh, I don't want plain water, I want crystal light!!

These people in Haiti NEED water, they need food! It's as simple as that! I also am watching and listening, and how lucky are we to have the health care we have?! Doctors are using vodka to disinfect, people are getting legs amputated in the middle of parks! How lucky are we, if we have a bump, or a cold, we can just go to the doctor and get pills!?

These people in Haiti need help, simple as that.  We call ourselves Americans, we call ourselves Christians, well people, let's put our money where our mouth is!  Let's help the people who are suffering, who have lost EVERYTHING.  Give of ourselves to help them!

James 2:14-17 

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

The Power of the Scale

Isn't it amazing how three little numbers can completely make or break your day and or night?

Well, my battery is starting to go on my scale, so I decided to actually invest in a new scale! I was walking through Target, and saw "The Biggest Loser Scale!" As I was checking out all my options, this one just caught my eye! It tells BMI, but also how many calories I should eat to maintain the weight I'm at, so, naturally, eat less, lose weight...AWESOME!!

So, to test it out, I stepped on my old scale, and it was about where I thought it would be...cool! Then, I stepped on the new scale, and WTF MATES?! 5 POUNDS HEAVIER!!!??? Did I really just gain 5 pounds in 2 seconds?! The thing that sucks, the box claims ultra reliable, accurate numbers! 

Three numbers, totally ruined my whole night!! Sure, it made me want to work harder the next day, but the scale is a big physiological game!  It shouldn't be, and I know that! From months and months of working out and learning about nutrition and just being aware, I know I shouldn't pay attention to the scale! HOWEVER, it's those damn numbers!

As I was running this morning, I was informed that I don't look my weight! Which means my muscle is building big time. I know that, my pants tell me as they keep getting bigger! Tell the Army that!  Unfortunately, the military is still stuck in the dark ages, where weight is all that matters! Oh military, let me teach you a little thing about muscle build! 

Now, I'm not bragging, but I am at this point, I can out-lift, out-flip and out-strengthen MANY of the average woman! I pride myself on being strong, physically, emotionally and mentally! All things the military requires, HOWEVER...one thing that can BREAK me, physically, emotionally and mentally, EVERY time, without doubt....those three little numbers....

8 Foods to Eat MORE to Lose Weight

I found this article on Yahoo.  So many times when I read these articles, I see things like the ubernadabonkeyberry fruit will help lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks! Well, unfortunately, Cub doesn't carry the ubernadabonkeyberry fruit.  This article, however, has REAL foods that will actually help with weight loss. I found it amazing, so, if you didn't see the article, I am sharing it here with you, right now! :)

" 8 Foods to Eat MORE of to Lose Weight: By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief

1) Pasta
Practice that fork twirl! Turns out you can enjoy spaghetti, rigatoni and all the rest, and still drop pounds—as long as you opt for a 100-percent-whole-wheat version. Whole grains contain more fiber, so it takes a smaller serving to satisfy you than standard spaghetti would. Boil up a pot for a speedy supper—just stick to a 1-cup cooked serving topped with marinara and supplement with steamed veggies to keep a lid on calories.

2) Fish
Remember that corny joke about the "see food" diet? The vitamin D in fatty swimmers such as wild salmon may curb your appetite, according to research from the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis. Marinate your fave fillet in a mixture of lime juice, garlic and cumin; chill for 20 minutes, then grill for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, flipping once. 

3) Veggies
Putting a generous amount of low-calorie, high-fiber fruits and vegetables on your plate before adding a smaller portion of carbs fills you up without bulking you up. In fact, by eating at least 34 grams of fiber per day, you’ll absorb up to 6 percent fewer calories. Toss 1/4 cup navy beans on your salad (5 g), add a half cup of raspberries to your cereal (4 g), snack on an apple with the skin (3.3 g) or pair a baked sweet potato (3.8 g) with your dinner. Organic local produce often has more nutrients, so opt for pesticide-free when possible.

4) Fat
Yes, you read that right! Despite its name, not all fat will make you fat. In fact, the healthy kind helps you feel full, so you'll eat less over the course of a day. It also aids your body's absorption of the vitamins in other things you eat. Add a bit of healthy fat to each meal and snack, such as almond butter on an apple and olive oil on your greens, to stay satisfied and head off cravings. Looks like we should start calling fat "slim!" 

5) Flax
Want to squeeze even more power from your sandwich? Choose bread that contains flax—these seeds have lignan, a phytoestrogen that may help you slim. Aim for a loaf that also has at least 3 g of fiber per 100 calories and is made from 100 percent whole grains (all the flour and all the grains should be whole). Four grams of fiber and fewer than 120 calories per slice, and is made from filling stone-ground wheat, says SELF contributing editor Janis Jibrin, R.D

6) Snacks
Fueling up on a 150-calorie snack in between meals means you're less likely to vacuum up your lunch and dinner. Stash smart, shelf-stable nibbles such as nuts, dried fruit, energy bars and whole-grain crackers in your desk drawer, and make hummus, sliced veggies and string cheese permanent fixtures in your fridge—they're your edible insurance against overeating

7) Eggs
Sunny-side up or over easy, an egg a day keeps the weight away! According to research, people who had eggs for breakfast ate fewer calories over the next 24 hours than those who scarfed predominantly carbs—yet they were more satisfied! Research shows you can have seven a week without raising your risk of heart disease. If you’re typically a bit, well, scrambled, in the morning, make a veggie frittata on Sunday and nuke a slice to eat each day during the week. Get cracking!

8) Spices
Want to curb hunger while adding flavor? Grab a shaker! Seasonings like cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, rosemary and sage offer major flavor for almost no fat and calories, making good-for-you foods as delicious as they are healthy. And research shows 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes on your pasta can help you eat fewer calories and fat at later meals. Make this spice and others a part of your life and you'l look hot, hot, hotter than ever!"

Stress...it sucks!

Ya know what's really funny?! Well, not really ha ha funny, rather more of a "gee, that's too bad" kind of funny!  This past week, I have been SOOOO good on my diet, I mean, really good! My exercise is getting to the point of how it used to be when I first started this diet.

So, in good faith, I stepped on the scale, and WTF mate? It stayed the same!! I even changed the foods I ate! Added lots of good proteins, with fish and seafood! *Sigh* really weight loss?! Out of all the websites I've looked at, things I've studied as to how to break a plateau, I do them all!

The other thing that eerks me is I feel like my clothes are getting just a WEE bit tighter! At least, I think they are! It felt as if a week ago, I was on the brink of hitting a size 8 and now, a 10 still feels comfortable!

I am hoping, and I am praying that a lot of this is due to stress! Colin coming home, applying to school, just surviving day to day, stress gets hard for weight loss!  I know what you're thinking and no, I'm not making an excuse. I gave up on doing that about 1 month into this crazy journey of mine!

I'm going to try to get through this crazy thing, just like I got through every other long haul of this. But holy crap in hand basket, I NEED TO START SEEING THOSE NUMBERS MOVE!!!

Homecoming and pickles!

As many of you know, my husband Colin, is in the Army and has been deployed for the last year of our marriage. Well, this isn't so much about weightloss, rather a big change in both our lives! Why? BECAUSE MY SOLDIER IS COMING HOME!!!!!!!!!!


So, in the next few weeks, Colin is going to be coming home from his deployment. It's been a year, and a very LONG year, but I'm having so many mixed feelings! Of course I'm ecstatic, but I've gotten this life down to a routine! So, I thought I would lay out for you all the great and not so great, things there are when dealing with homecomings! Cons: You may ask "Cara, how can there be cons? Your husband has been gone a year, it should be all roses, puppies and rainbows!" Let me tell you my friend, there are things...OH, there are things! One thing, how he eats damn pickles! He will suck off the juice then take about another 20 minutes to eat one spear! UGH!! It drives me CRAZY, and he knows it does! So, here are a few more cons:

- I can't listen to my country music all the time anymore 


- I'm no longer the driver of the car! 


- I've trained Tony to listen to me, now the poor pup is going to be confused! 


- Grocery bill will be doubled (plus more, who are we kiddin?) 


- My closet space is divided in two, as well as my dresser space! 


- I lose a lot of my sleeping t-shirts!


- I've gotten my diet so strict that I don't keep anything extra in the place anymore! 


- Golds has become a second home, now I have to keep both our reputations up! 


- I have to share my puppy cuddle buddy  




With cons, come even more pros however. I get to get a hug and kiss every single day!! There is absolutely nothing better than that at all! It makes all the pickles worth it! Here are some of the awesome things about having Colin home:


- I don't have to take Tony out in the morning or at night anymore! 


- Finally, someone to help me carry the groceries up the stairs! 


- Lightbulb out? Colin to the rescue! - I have too many high dishes! 


- I don't have to put the silverware away anymore when dishes are clean! :) 


- No more folding socks for this lady! 


- Breakfasts will be taken care of! :) 


- I get to spend the next two years with my best friend and the love of my life!!!  






So, obviously the pros completely outweigh the cons, but it's going to take some time to adjust to each other! We've been apart for a whole year, and he has developed his life, and I have mine, but it will be so nice waking up every morning to my soldier laying next to me! It will make all the crazy way he eats those damn pickles, totally worth it!

Fat TV

I'm waiting on going to a new cardio class at Golds, and I've been flipping through the channels, and holy crap, I never realized HOW many shows there are on TV about "fat" people!  It's amazing though, because, I don't ever fail to NOT watch them!

Of course we all know the Biggest Loser, however, that is my least favorite of them all! Why, you may ask? Sure, it's pretty entertaining, but I think out of all of them, it's the most Hollywood, but it's also the most unrealistic! The people who GET to participate in this show, have personal chefs, trainers every day, they aren't put in real situations! The most stress they have to deal with, is whether they're going to get to stay another week!  I'm jealous! I would love to go on that show!

If you ever watch the Style Network, they have shows, after shows, after shows of people who are morbidly obese! My favorite out of these is Ruby! If you haven't seen it, watch it! There's something about that show that seems really real, and you want her to do well!

Then, as I really am enjoying this show, what pops on? A commercial for the Pussycat Dolls "sexy" workout video! Really? Seriously? Yup, those are the people I really want to help me get thin...the Pussycat Dolls! Um, no!

With all those, it made me want to watch ONE hour of "fat" tv, and pay a lot of attention to the commercials. So far, as I've been writing this blog, I've seen the following:

The show "Too fat for 15" and the following commercials:
Xenedrine
Special K weight loss diet
Jenny McCarthy - "virtual exercise" for Wii
Weight Watchers
Pussycat Doll workout video
Nutrisystem
Bally Fitness

This was in 2 commercial breaks...and some of them were actually REPEATED!! Yes...2 commercial breaks! That's about 4 minutes worth of ads, and about 70% are weightloss ads! So, for a society that is obsessed with losing weight, why are we all so OVER weight?? Maybe it's because it's the new year and this is the time people vow to lose it!

Out of those ads, they all "guarantee" results! However, I can tell you, eat 1200 calories, and exercise, and I will guarantee you results too! I'm not saying they all are wrong, by any means, I just think for a society who seems to be so obsessed with "getting hot" we are way too unhealthy!

My point about the shows, is, I hope that people take what a lot of these contestants, or stars, or whomever, and learn. Learn that it is possible to take off the pounds. It's not easy, and you will fluctuate, but you just have to keep pressing on!! I have to remember that too!

Well, it's time to hit the gym! Good exercise and good health everyone!

Gotta get back on track!!

It feels like this is a common trend for me lately!

I honestly wish I could tell you what has derailed me from everything, but I can't! I feel like I'm not pushing myself as hard in my workouts, and I feel like I'm slacking on my diet too much!  Something is stopping me, and I don't know what!

I don't know if a part of it is regret. Regret for my decision, or regret on not doing it sooner!? I don't know, and I really am struggling!!

I'm struggling with my diet! I'm having a hard time saying no to the food I used to be able to pass by! The food that I could just say, meh, to, are now my greatest hurdles!! I find myself getting hungry, and I mean REALLY hungry at night! And if there's cereal anywhere, I'll eat it! I'll neglect my measuring and just go for it! What has gotten in my head?!!?

I think I need someone to kick my butt, and say "Cara, what the HELL are you doing?!" For the last 9.5 months I've been answering to myself, and I'm feel like I'm almost taking the role of mother and child! I'm testing myself to see how far I'll push my limits! How many "extra" things can I eat without seeing the movement on the scale?!  I keep pushing it, and I have to stop!

My other problem again is portions! When I first started, I was SOO good! I pre baggied all my chips, all my ceral, EVERYTHING was portioned ahead of time, so I could grab and go! Now a days, it's just, grab and go, and hope for the right portions!

It's time to get back to how it was!! 1200 calories! Not 1535, not 1410, not even 1320, 1200!! Exercise needs to be hardcore again!! Tons of cardio, and giving 200% with the workouts I have left with Norman! Take away what I can and learn, so when I'm on my own, I CAN do it!! It's going to be SO hard, but I know with everyone's support, I can get back! I need to do it before Colin comes home, simple as that!