{Falling off & getting back On}

I have fallen off the wagon and gained weight back and I am feeling super depressed about it along with other stuff going on in my life I  am finding myself struggling with eating healthy. My kids are noticing and calling me out on it, which I love and hate at the same time. I know what I am doing wrong and know that I need to get back on track and get this icky weight off my bod! *sigh*

I am trying to get my house into order, feeling like such a slacker 'specially after seeing all Angie's progress on her place but I try to keep reminding myself that she is Wonder Woman in disguise. I did get my husbands "man cave" done but no one but his friends see it and I want to get the places people see done.

Anywho, I just wanted to let you know I was still here, still off the wagon but trying to pick myself up and jump back up on the weight loss wagon. It's just a struggle right now and emotionally exhausting. I do love reading about all your progress, hope to see more in the upcoming weeks.

{P & I.B. have hit my home}

This whole month has been a huge bust! Not only have I gained weight and am heavier then my start weight at the beginning of the year but my boys brought home a nasty little bug from school that made it's way thru the whole family and come to find out my littlest one has Influenza B and they thought my oldest daughter had it but after a trip to the ER on Saturday (where they found that the baby had I.B. and figured my oldest daughter had the same thing - but never tested her) and after taking both girls to the Pediatrician where she couldn't find anything wrong and thought my oldest was on the mend because her fever seemed to have broken to rushing her to the ER later that night only to find out my oldest NEVER had I.B. (just baby) and had a "substantial" case of Pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital for 2 days.

Needless to say my "Love" month has totally sucked and my emotional eating has taken a toll for the worse and to top it off I finally had my "visit" from Auntie and she stayed for like a week and a half and I was miserable from horrid cramps and made others miserable from my horrific mood swings...

Hoping that in March I can get back into the swing of things and start getting back to my workout routine at the gym.

"Sorry about the complete post whining about how I am a huge failure this month but figured I hadn't posted much and should probably explain why" (she says as her head hangs low as she walks away to go grab a corndog...)

Week 7 Weigh-In

This week I lost another pound. I had a bit of an off week and didn't really exercise much. Only once to be honest. But, at least I still lost a pound and didn't gain any weight! My total weight loss is now at 28 lbs! I started at 300 lbs and I'm now at 272 lbs. I thought I'd share some of my progress pictures with you all to see.

Here I am at 290 lbs. I never took pictures at 300 lbs, so this is my starting picture.

In this one, I'm 283 lbs and was feeling pretty small the day that I took this picture.

And this is my most recent picture at 276 lbs. I'll take another progress picture when I hit 265!

I've noticed the postings of most everyone has dwindled, I hope you all are still on board. I'd love to hear how you are doing!

{Mindless Eating"

I was curious about a "Hot topic" on my Yahoo feed and found it very interesting and wanted to share it here too.

found the image off of Amazon

Dr. Wansink explores the psychology behind how we eat with his book "Mindless Eating". You can find the artical by Dominique Dawes here with the short video that goes along with it, which is quite interesting too and goes on about other topics as well (with commercials of course...lol)...super interesting because he talks about how color can change how you eat as does music too.

I tend to eat mindless-ly and it was an interesting read and just wanted to share...Hope it's as interesting for you as it was for me.

Week 6: *shrugs*

The only loss this week is 1/4" on my thighs.  I'm very happy to lose something on my thighs, but disappointed to not have a loss anywhere else.  I'm not surprised though.  I only worked out twice all week and haven't been eating right... not terrible, but not right either.  Back on track this week... but it's SOOO hard when I'm so stressed and our house is in such a state of chaos.  I'm going to a show on Friday and I wanna look hot.  That will be my motivation for the week!

A little side note for readers of this blog.  There are several authors.  That's why the measurements and weight are all over the place in each posting.  There's been a little confusion :)

Oh Happy Day!!

Woo Hoo!!! Today is awesome, I finally fit into some jeans that I haven't been able to wear for a long time (and I wasn't sucking in). I weighed in at 227 this morning, but even though I am not losing weight as quickly as I was at first I now have proof that my belly is shrinking!! Anyhow life has had one spin after another lately and exercising and eating right has been a struggle. Still to see some fruits of my labor really brightens my day.

As far as answering the email, YES I am still fat, but not as much as I used to be!!

:)

Wednesday weigh-in

Even though it is only Tuesday. Tomorrow is impossible so I weighed today. I was shocked - I mean really shocked. I've been walking and I'm slowly getting faster again for longer periods of time but I didn't really think I'd lost anything since last week. I just didn't "feel" like I had. Apparently my feelings don't know my body very well because I lost *drum roll, please*

4 pounds!!

So that puts me at something like 6 pounds lost. The notebook I wrote all of this stuff down in was left in some VA hospital waiting room so I'm going from memory on what I weighed when I started this. It may be 7 or 8 pounds lost but I know it is no less than 6 total. So I'm going with 6.

{Hits and Slips}

I joined the YMCA the beginning of the month and it's been truly a godsend for me. I was looking for a good gym that would cater not only to me, but to my husband with mobility issues and to my kids as well and the YMCA was the only one who could do it all. I am trying out 2 classes this week and then taking 2 different ones next week and then picking the ones that will best suit me - Zumba is a little advanced for me and is out (at least for now).

(image found HERE)

Today I took the "White Water fitness" class, thinking it would be an easy way to ease my way into more exercise during the week - well it kicked my butt - in a good way but it still kicked it hard! It was in the pool they call "The River" and it has a current and not only did we do the exercises with the current but against it too - I am still feeling the burn!

Tomorrow I will be taking it again because I screwed up my schedule (forgot Yoga was today at same time and mixed up my rotation) so Yoga was missed today but I still have it on Wednesday & Friday. In the Water fitness class there was not only old (which I thought it would be mostly filled with) but young too! I was the slowest but was getting better as the class came to a close. What's great about it is that it's only 30 minuets and I can go do my regular exercises after I am all done, which gives my older daughter more time in her "busy bee" class.

(image found here)

My eating habits have been better but I did slip up this weekend. I let myself stress over the little things and have resorted to food as comfort and I really started to feel horribly guilty about it until I realized what I was doing and picked myself up and wiped off my butt and realized tomorrow will be a new day and it's fresh and new with no slip ups - which made me feel tons better.

(image found here)

I know I am going to have my slips and falls but I have to stay positive about it or else I will get into the cycle of resorting to comfort food when emotionally down and then keep doing it because I feel guilty about it and I don't want that to keep happening.

I want to make lifestyle changes and I am bound to make mistakes and fall flat on my butt - it's what I do after I slip and fall that defines how successful I will be on this journey to a healthier me!

5 Week Measurement Day!

Another half an inch on my hips and waist and three more pounds gone!  Woo-Hoo!!!  I only worked out three days this week, so I was worried, but everything is still good :)

February 7, 2011

Hips- 43 1/2 (-1)
Waist- 35 1/2 (-2)
Arms- 14 1/4
Thighs- 25 (-1/4)
Weight- 176 (-9 lb)

Red is loss since day 1

Kim's Week 5 Weigh-In

I'm still here, I've just been really busy with life. My father-in-law passed away last Sunday, so I haven't had time to write posts.

This week I lost another pound, bringing my weight loss total up to 24 lbs, all since Jan. 1 st! I had a couple of days this week that I didn't track what I ate and I haven't exercised at all this week. But, I'll be back to that next week. I'm hoping for a good 3 lb loss for next week.

I hope everyone else is still on board. Keep it up, we have no choice but to get healthy. I for one don't want to die young.

Week 4 and Level 2, baby!

The only loss I saw this week was a pound... all my measurements stayed the same.  I'm not complaining too much though because as stressed out as I am with the move I'm just happy I didn't gain!

I moved on to level 2 of the Shred today and totally rocked it!  I'm sweating and panting and worn out, but I did it with no breaks!  Four weeks ago today I passed out doing day 1 of the shred.  Here I am four weeks later kicking butt on level 2!  Woo-hoo!

:)

BLAH!

So, here we are on week 4, and I've teetered at 216 for 2 weeks now. I don't have inch measurements, cause I'm a slacker and haven't done them. BUT, today is the start of a new month and I am going to do better!!! I just got asked to be the maid of honor at my friends temple sealing in May and I will look good!!!!

Starting today is new exercise and diet regimen. And I will get measurements in also!

Good luck all and Keep it up!

♥ Shelly

Wednesday weigh-in

Good news - I didn't gain. Bad news - I didn't lose. I maintained - that's the way I"m looking at it. For me that attitude right there is a big gain. I'm usually the biggest grouch on the planet. You can subsititue another word for grouch, if you want.

Now for the rest of January - onward! Ick! I think I like myself better as a grouch instead of little Mary Sunshine.

ummm...

Yesterday I had a 12" sub on white bread and 12 oz of Dr. Pepper.  Besides a bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk it was the only thing I ate all day , so I'm not too worried about the fat and calories... but I NEEDED it!  Like desperately dying inside needed it.  Stress, stress go away... come back another day...

{Feeling Relatively Good}

(image found here)

I have been having the worst time this month getting myself on track with healthier eating. I didn't have this much trouble when I was pregnant and it baffles me why I am struggling now. I am working on eating better and have been successful over the past week and a half and I have started eating breakfast every morning.

I haven't really started exercising yet but I am going to get a gym membership w/trainer next month to help get me more motivated & learn some good exercises that I can do on my own. I have been looking around online for gyms in my area and found one that has a free 7 day pass and hope to find some other gyms with passes that will allow me to check them out before committing to them.

I am also using a cool online tool that a friend shared with me, it's called My Fitness Pal and it's FREE. This program helps you track what you eat, how much you exercise and how much weight you have lost/gained. You can add your favorite recipes and it will also tell you how much calories, fat & carbs are in that dish.  I have been using the food tracker since yesterday and it's really helped me to be accountable for what I eat.

I  know this month has been a wash for me and hoping that this next month will really be the start of my new healthy lifestyle.

First Month Blues

Ok, here's the rub. I was great for the first two weeks, but dang it I love food!! Anyhow I was so excited to be below 230, but sadly I am back to 232. Still that is six pounds lighter than I started, so I guess there is hope. In about a month it will be warm enough here to swim everyday again, and then look out blubber, you're gonna die!!!

I did swim laps the other days (if you count five as swimming laps), but the water was like forty degrees. My feet shivered the entire rest of the night!!

*updated* Ok, I am not so blue now, I put on a sweater today that I haven't fit into in months. It didn't feel like trying to cram a large pig into a small bag like I thought it would. YAY!!! To all my fellows 6 in 6ers. Remember the reasons we're doing this the next time you open the fridge, look in the pantry, or pass by restaurant row with all it's tantalizing smells!!

Trying again

I'd given my diet a solid effort and lost 10 pounds, but then got tired of it, gave up, and gained 5 pounds back. Not exactly what I was aiming for. So I'm going at it once more & vow to go through the whole program so the weight will stay off this time. Those 5 pounds are gone again, and now I'm going to think less in pounds and more along the lines of days until I'm done. :)

*sigh*

jan 25

november

I'm noticing a little difference... mostly in how things are firming up and not as jiggly.  I'm definitely slimming through the whole torso area, but nothing yet on my arms and not much on my hips.  It's enough of a difference to keep me motivated though!

I'm sooooo stressed right now!  I'm struggling to keep away from Cherry Coke and chocolate.  I've had a little piece of dark chocolate the last couple of days.  I know it's not much, but that's still 4 1/2 grams of fat in one little bite I didn't need!  I've been great with the working out, but I just want to stress eat!  I'm keeping it at bay, but I don't know for how long!  I close on my new house in two weeks!  Only TWO weeks!  Once I close on it I'm going to be fixing and painting and moving for two more weeks... I HAVE to find a way to keep eating healthy and working out during that time or it will all go downhill.  *sigh*

Finally progress!

I got my nutrisystem food last week and since I started thursday, I have lost 3 lbs! That is a total of 5 lbs since I started! That is not a lot compared to my goal, but it is progress in the right direction. I really like nutrisystem. The only thing I don't like is that I have to add a whole lot of veggies, fruits, and proteins to my diet, even with all of the prepared meals! It gets very pricey and I could not have afforded it without help from my parents.

Today I bought a dance exercise dvd online, I can wait to get it! I also bought myself some good hand weights so that even when I am resting I can be doing something.

I am so excited for you all that are making progress, you are all my heroes and keep me motivated!

Sally

Week 3: Angie's Measurements

January 24, 2011: Week 3
red is total lost so far

Hips- 44 (-1/2)
Waist- 36 (1 -1/2)
Arms- 14 1/4
Thighs- 25 (-1/4)
Weight- 180 (-5 lb)

This week there was a 1/4" loss on my hips (HOORAY!), a 1/4" loss on my thighs and a 1 lb weight loss... another good week!  I was hoping for more on my waist, but I'm pretty happy with the results!  Friday I stuffed myself on all-you-can-eat sushi and this weekend was that time of the month, so I wasn't sure how the measurements and especially the weight would go, but I'm happy.  I still haven't lost anything at all on my arms even though I work them daily.  I have issues with bulking up when I'm trying to slim down, so the new muscle forming may just be equaling out any fat lost there.  I HATE my big arms... hopefully they start slimming soon.  I hate trying on shirts that fit everywhere but I can't squeeze my upper arms into them.

Another week down!

Time Management

I'm the first to admit it - I want to do everything at the same time! Work full time, train for the Iron Man, raise two toddlers and remodel my house, while reading all the books on my "to read" list, and do all the crafty things I see online. You know the old saying "your eyes are too big for your stomach"?... well, my ideas are too big for reality!
This week, I haven't done as well as I would have liked to... I didn't dive into a pint of Ben and Jerry's, but neither did I eat very healthy or exercise. In my defense, I would like to point out that I am the advisor for a high school club putting on a formal dance. In fact, I am writing this while sitting in an elaborately decorated cafeteria waiting for a really wacky DJ to show up. I will be here until 1 am. I started gathering supplies and last minute set up stuff at 10.30am. And I am soooooo glad this is only once a year.

So far, I've eaten...

Breakfast - two packets of extra fiber oatmeal and a banana
Lunch - tunafish sandwhich (real mayo)
Tea - hershey bar
Supper - ??? Really hoping I will have time to run and get something in a couple of hours.

I weighed myself this morning and it shows a 7 pound weight loss, but in inches, I only lost on my calves this time around. Everything else was the same or larger ?!?!

Is anyone an early morning exerciser? Like super early... what do you do to motivate yourself to get up in the morning? It's the only free time I have to exercise, but I cannot find the motivation to get up a 5am!

Kim's Week 3 Weigh-In

I started out at 300 lbs on January 1st and today, on January 22nd, I'm happy to report that I'm down to 283 lbs! Down 17 lbs in a little over 3 weeks! I'm so happy!! I'm aiming for a total of 20 lbs lost by next week! If you'd like to read my blog post about my weigh-in today, you can read that over on my weight loss blog, The Journey.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'm going to go pick up my Bountiful Basket this afternoon! Lots of fruits and veggies will be on the menu this week. I just hope that one basket is enough for us this week. If not, I'll have to order two for next week! I've noticed that we're eating a lot more fruits and veggies than normal. It's always good to have them on hand to snack on instead of other junk that we might usually gravitate towards.

Oh, I also wanted to let you all know about PopChips. I recently won a month's supply of them on a blog giveaway and I really love them. They come in individual size bags and they are only 100 calories a bag! They're really good too! So, if you like chips, you might want to try them out!

Feelin' Good!

I've never liked sweater dresses because I look bumpy.  I bought 3 this week for $3 each. This pic was taken on Saturday, which was 12 days into my program.  :)

 

I'm noticing a big difference in my work outs.  Exercises that were really hard at first are now coming easier and I'm able to do the harder modifications on them instead of the easy modifications.  I'm finding myself sore in new places as I'm going deeper into the moves.  I'm really hoping for a hip loss soon!  That sounds like I want to lose my hips.  I like my hips, I just want them to get smaller!  I'm dying to fit into some different pants!  After 2 weeks I'm already wearing the jeans I wore over the summer since my waist and tummy flub are shrinking but to go down more I've gotta get those hips shrinking...

SHRINK HIPS!  SHRINK!

I'm noticing myself getting smaller in all sorts of places that I don't measure, like my legs in between my knees and thighs, my lower belly, my back and my double chin.  Seeing a difference is really what's keeping me motivated.  I have such a hard time focusing on the final goal, but it's easy to avoid crap food and drink and work out when I'm exhausted when I see myself shrinking only 2 1/2 weeks into it.

How's everyone else doing so far???

{3 days later}

It's been 3 or so days since my last post and I have been eating healthy and eating breakfast (YAY!!!).  I have been working out on the balance ball & wii but haven't been walking because it's been too cold & some days it's been all rainy. At least there is some progress, right?

Below are my measurements from 3 days ago (in white) and then again from today (in red).

Hips - 57" - 57" (no change)

 Chest - 49" - 49" (no change)

Waist - 48" - 47" (down an inch)

Flabby arm - 17" - 17" (no change)

Upper thigh - 28" - 28" (no change)

Weight: 279 lbs - 275.5 lbs (down 3.5 lbs)

Ok, so I am seeing some progress. I am down 3.5 lbs & and inch on my waist. I am really proud of my progress and am feeling very motivated by the changes and from all your posts! I am hoping to see more changes this next week and get out to do some walking - lets hope the cold decides to go and it doesn't rain this next week.

Early weigh-in

Because I will be up and out of the house before o dark 30 in the morning, I went ahead and weighed today. I already knew that I had gained 3 pounds last week when I wasn't walking and I wasn't watching what I ate for various reasons. So it was a nice surprise to find out that I had lost 2 of those 3 pounds that I had gained. So, if my math isn't too horrible, I've lost a total of 1 pound since I started this. Losing is better than gaining and I'm not beating myself up over the choices I made last week. They were made for lots of reasons - none of which are worth worrying about.

As for the walking. I'm up to 20 minutes a day now. I'm going to stay at that level for 3 days or so. My foot was twinging a bit earlier when I tried to stretch it out to 25 minutes. So yeah, I'm staying at 20 minutes for awhile.

oh my gosh!!!

I measured and then measured again and then grabbed a different tape measure and measured and measured again... I lost a full inch on my waist this week!  I lost a quarter inch on my hips!  Perhaps my goal should have been more than the waist and hips though since that's all I'm losing! LOL  I think I'm building up muscle under my fat arms and thighs and that's why I'm not seeing a difference in measurements yet, but hopefully as the muscle gets bigger the fat will drop.

I'm very happy with these results!

January 17, 2011- Two Week Weigh-In

Hips- 44 1/4 (-1/4)
Waist- 36 (1 -1/2)
Arms- 14 1/4
Thighs- 25 1/4
Weight- 176 (-4 lb)

I got a new digital scale which says 181 lbs, so after this week I'll be using that.  I'm not happy about going up 5lbs. hahaha

{Today}

Sunday was the "re-start" of plan to get some weight off!

For Breakfast I had a yogurt and a small bowl of oatmeal.

For lunch I made myself a salad consisting of lettuce, sliced grape tomatoes, shredded carrot, shredded pepper jack cheese, sliced egg and a bit of Ranch dressing.

For dinner I had a string cheese and a cup 'o noodle soup

(not the best dinner but couldn't get the energy to fix anything else).

and with it all I drank water - I did have a small glass of milk when I took a few pills for my migraine 'cause I have to have something in my tummy when I take them.

My scale is working again (thank goodness!) and I got a cloth measuring tape the other day so the below measurements are correct (I don't think the ones I took in the beginning were very accurate because I used a metal measuring tape). Tomorrow I am going to walk my dogs and bring the girls with me (if it's not raining). I am also going to work out on the wii, it really does help. Below are my measurements & current weight.

Hips - 57"

 Chest - 49"

Waist - 48"

Flabby arm - 17" (ya know the part that keeps waving after you do)

Upper thigh - 28"

Current Weight: 279 lbs

I am less stressed then I was when I posted before (well not really, just trying a different outlook) because I am trying to look at things in a positive light and not dwell on the negative. I realize I am going to have "bad" days and I will slip up from time to time but I am going to keep reminding myself that "I am making lifestyle changes not doing a diet". 

(found here)

I am going to be following the "The Great Plate" advice because it's something I can do and share with my whole family and it will keep my meals more rounded like they should be. I want a healthy lifestyle that can be maintained and not do a diet that I will only lose weight to re-gain it back along with several extra unwanted pounds. 

Confession Time:

Friday I didn't work out because I was out until way too late and Saturday I ate a chimichanga, chips and salsa and a churro.  It was the only thing I ate all day Saturday, but it still wasn't the healthiest thing on the menu I could have chosen.  I did resist the urge to get a Dr. Pepper though and man I WANTED IT!  I drank a whopping 64oz of water with that meal instead!  AND I worked out when I got home even though it was after 11pm and my tummy was still full.  I woke up at 4am with heartburn.  Lame.

Measurements are in the morning... we'll see if my missed work out and fried food ruined me.

Week 2 Weigh In

Today was my week 2 weigh in. Last week I was at 289 after losing 11 lbs my first week. Today I'm at 287, 2 lbs lost this week and 13 lbs lost all together! I'm so excited that I lost that much this week. I wasn't expecting to lose more then a pound, since last week I lost so much. I'm hoping from now on to lose at least 2-3 lbs a week. My goals are to lose 10 lbs a month and since I pledged to lose 50 lbs by May 31st that will get me to that goal!

I'm finding that I like to exercise, something that I never really thought would ever happen! I had to miss my aerobics class yesterday due to having a 5 year old with a really bad ear infection. I was kind of sad that I had to miss it, but taking care of my kids comes first. And while we were out taking him to the doctors we had to stop at walmart to get his prescription. I took the kids to get some McDonald's for breakfast, since we left pretty early and they were hungry. I got just enough for them, but I resisted the temptation and opted to eat when I got home instead. That's a first for me. Control feels good, I like it a lot!

This week I did have to face some pretty strong cravings for sweets, but I've come out on top and have chosen to stick to the healthier choices. Sugar-free cook and serve chocolate pudding is SO good, especially warm! Yum!! I highly recommend it! I hope you all are doing well! I look forward to reading your weigh-ins this week!

Tiny, little baby steps

The doctor told me today that I could start walking again - starting with 5 minutes at a time - as long as my foot doesn't hurt - then adding an additional 5 minutes every day or so. I walked the 5 minutes, it didn't hurt - yes! I think tomorrow, just because I'm being overly cautious here, I'm going to stick with the 5 minutes and then Sunday go to 10 minutes at a time.

Busy Week

It's been a very busy week around here - deadlines for my job are approaching and that means extra hours to get everything completed. Plus, swimming lessons, gymnastics and various other family things, all make for a lot of running around. Not much time for "exercise". I so wish I was morning person... 5 am is about the only free time I have!

As of Monday, I lost two pounds. I'm trying to avoid the scale during the rest of week. As others mentioned the ups and downs can be disheartening.

{It was MURDERED}

(found here)

My lovely scale was MURDERED today by my husband, not on purpose but killed none the less. While he was taking a shower he didn't have the curtain closed properly and water got all over the floor and flooded my scale, which now will not work at all and I can't go out and get another one until next month, *sigh*.

This death has kinda got me bummed because now I can't weigh in every Friday on my blog or keep track of my weight loss/gain, (mostly gain 'cause I'm not eating like I should). At least I can take my measurements so I guess I will be putting those up instead on Fridays (wonder how that will work).

(image found here)

I have been stressed out by random things this whole month, first it's not having a visit from "Aunt Flow" and it's freaking me out because that never happens after childbirth, it always comes right away and now it's not and I had a tubal and worried I may be "with child" after planning we were done and taking measures to make sure it didn't happen. Then my middle son saying swear words and putting other kids down and or kicking them while riding the bus (my son is turning into a bully and I don't like it!). Then it's the stress of not having everything unpacked and in the right spots and the list goes on and on and on!

Tonight was stressful because MJ was screaming at the top of her little lungs for 3 hours until hubby came home and the first thing I did was head for was the chocolate cookies, but I only ate 4 of those but ate a thick slice of german chocolate cake BUT afterwards I did have a drumstick and I have drunk 4 sports bottles of water (within those 3 hours) since dropping off hubby at his game.

I did get a balance ball to do my workouts with and I have some weights (3,5 and 8 pounders). I haven't been walking since last week because it's been way toooooooo cold for me, (I'm a wimp). Hopefully I get back onto track (when I was preggers with MJ it was easy to watch what I ate because I was growing her and I need to do the same since I am breastfeeding her too but for some reason I just can't drop the sweets this go around...*sigh*).

I am glad I am accountable but at the same time I am feeling like a disappointment because I am not doing or being the "BEST" I can be at this and it's beginning to drag me down, could also be because I know I am experiencing some "baby blues" still and it's harder to shake the stress/emotional eating and sad feelings I may have. BUT I know I can do this, it just might take a bit more time for me to get into the swing of things this go around.

Thank you all for your support, I have been reading the daily updates from you all and am LOVING them, you ALL are an inspiration!!

Stress+no time=exhaustion. Time to regroup!

So here I am, in school, doing my internship, working as well, being a mom, being a girlfriend, and somehow planning a wedding and buying a house.... Yes I am stressed and it has taken a toll on my weight loss. I have lost two pounds in the last week so that is good. But I know I can do better.

So with my parents help, I am starting Nutri-system! I just ordered the food and the boxes should get here shortly. I think it is the best solution to my busy, have no time to think days. All of my meals are planned out for me and all I have to do is heat them up or grab and eat!

It is expensive so I am only going to be able to afford two months worth, but hopefully that should be enough to get me kick started into action at least! Smaller clothes, here I come!

Hmmmm.......

And how did that happen? Me losing any weight this week - that is. Down 2 pounds since last week. I'm happy.

The foot - I'm not so happy. It was feeling pretty good - not good enough to start walking again but better - until today. Today was a doctor day and that required a whole lot of trudging up and down long hospital hallways which did not help my foot at all. I think I'll just count the walking up and down hospital hallways today as exercise, though, play a few mind games with myself.........

So much less of me to love!!

Congratulations to all my fellow 6 in 6 ers who are struggling and seeing progress. For two days now, my scale has read 230. Woo Hoo!! I can't say I am being as good as I hoped though. It is a great feeling to put on my favorite green sweater again without squeezing it around my belly, and my belt it on the last hole!!

This weekend I am going to renew my love of fish!!



Anyhow, this is a pic of me at church Sunday!! This is the first time in years I wore my double breasted suit comfortably. I hate to say that I am shallowly social, but I don't think I'd be doing this very well if I didn't know I had a group of supporters hoping for me. (Also I think Angie would stab me if I failed!)

Till next time, you go girls!!

~Shaun

Stress = Wanting to Eat

Yesterday I found out the offer was accepted on a house after months.  I offered in September, so it really has been months.  It's a good thing and I'm excited, but oh so stressed!!!  You wouldn't believe how freaked out I am and that has made me HUNGRY.  I didn't give in to all the things I'm craving though... I'm doing good!  Last night I had Nutella on whole wheat toast (with no guilt!) and a big glass of water.  That helped the cravings.  I'm all about giving in enough to feel better without overdoing it and feeling like crap about it (which makes me wanna eat more, etc. etc).  I still worked out last night too!

I woke up with an upset tummy from stress, so I skipped the normal eggs and toast and just had a bowl of oatmeal.  Dealing with a deployment, a move, a dramatic teenager, possible wedding plans, kids' school issues, work, church, packing and just normal life in there too, it will be a real challenge over the next while since I'm trying to eat healthy... I rely so much on food as a comfort.  I don't eat a ton (I actually eat A LOT more when I'm being healthy) but I do eat the wrong things when I'm stressed.

I'm going to try to avoid grocery shopping as much as I can over the next month to eat up a lot of heavy canned goods and freezer items.  This will help on the grocery budget, provide less chances to buy crap and give me less to pack.  This also means getting creative with the healthy eating though!

Here's what yesterday looked like:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 slice cheese, 2 slices 100% whole wheat toast, water
Lunch: Healthy Choice frozen meal, cutie orange, fruit snack, water
Snack: 1/2 c. mac & cheese (a coworker brought it in and I wanted to try it)
Dinner: small bowl of hamburger soup (tomato base, green beans, kidney beans, lima beans, hamburger, potato), 1 slice 100% whole wheat bread, water

Snack: 2 slices 100% whole wheat bread, Nutella
Work Out: Day 9 of the 30 Day Shred!

This was a pretty carb heavy day, even if it was whole wheat.  I think for stressing and craving and struggling I did pretty good though!

T-I-R-E-D!!!

Man, aerobics class kicked my butt today! That's a good thing though. People are getting a lot more used to seeing me there and are cheering me on, which I appreciate. Being the biggest person in the class is always fun. :) I actually inspired a neighbor of mine to come to the class too!! Pretty awesome!!

I was previously weighing myself everyday, but it's messing with my head a little too much to not be seeing any change in the scale at all. So, I'm going to be doing my weigh ins on Saturdays. I've been really good about counting all of my foods and have stayed within my points everyday. I'm feeling great about this!!

So this is why I never kept up a blog...

I am so bad at remembering to post! Geesh. Sorry about that. I did want to update you guys on my Weight Watchers Weigh in last week. I lost 3.6 pounds!!!
I am weighing in tomorrow for this week.
I got a bit off the wagon over the weekend. OOPS. But I am back on track now.
This morning I had a bowl of All Bran cereal and an apple. I love that fruit is now zero points on WW but I do feel a bit guilty eating a whole apple and not counting it.
I have so far only done one of my Leslie Sansone Dvd's. It was a 2 miler and it was GREAT! I am going to do another today.

I will try to remember to post more! I promise! And Angie Kudos to you for keeping up 2 blogs!!! You rock!

Feel the Burn

I have finally succeeded! I got my exercising done for the first time and boy am I feeling it!!!! I got a cheap AB exerciser for Christmas, and I figured that would be a good place to start. I will definitely have to be consistent just to strengthen my core enough to really get good results. I am a wimp! My legs were shaking when I was done plus my back, sides and stomach muscles are so sore. My goal of 3 to 4 days per week doing exercises and walking other days is going to be tough until I am not such a loser.

I have to do this, though, because I feel really good and want to continue to improve myself. For anyone who has struggled with whether losing weight is worth the time and effort, I am proof that it is worth whatever it takes. Since I began losing weight last year, I don't hurt hardly anymore, I don't have heartburn, I want to be active, and I have a more upbeat general feeling. It really is true that good health is an honorable goal! I just have to keep reminding myself that as the pain hits :)

flubby tummy

So you know... I have a waist that I measure... and hips that I measure... but I don't measure that flubby pooch in between. 

My pants are fitting much looser.  With only 1/2 an inch lost on my waist and nothing lost on my hips, I'm thinking it must be that pooch getting smaller!!!  HEHEHEHE

The klutz here

Grrrrr! and Grrrrrr! again. I hurt my foot today so there will be a slight lull in my walking. Just when I was getting to going good and actually looking forward to it. Instead I'll be sitting around with my foot propped up on cushions and ice on it. Blah!

One bright spot, it will be so much harder to walk into the kitchen to get food. But I still hope that this forced non-walking routine doesn't last long.

Week 1

When I got on the scale this morning for my weekly weigh-in, I honestly expected to be at the same weight if I was lucky. I was pleasantly surprised to be down five pounds!! I know I could have done better with my eating, and I didn't exercise at all with my schedule, but this gives me hope that with a bit more effort on my part I can really succeed.

My goal for this week will be to exercise 4 out of 7 days with an exercise tape or something. I also want to try to go walking at the mall with my husband, Mike another 2 days. I hope that will keep us all moving.

I want to wish all my teammates the best in the coming week; keep up all the great work. If any of my friends have any other great suggestions on what they do to stay active or eat right, please let me know. I am always in need of support.

Way To GO!

It's great to hear that so many of you did well the first week. I did good until the weekend hit. Then I crashed and burned in the form of Pizza, Popcorn, Nachos, etc... ! SO not good and I really felt sick after putting all of that crap in my stomach. It really didn't even taste that good anyway! But I will not give up so back on the plan I go! I know week 2 will be great! I have my food planned for the week (Jenny Craig) and I am going to start the Jillian Michaels Shred after work. Keep up all of the good work ladies!

Colissa

Week 2

So, here it is week 2. I did my weigh in this morning.

Drum Roll please.......217! Down 3 pounds. I don't have measurements from last week to compare against, so I will post those next week.

I am baffled because I had 2 late night munchies!! But, I did my late night eating after 4 hours of country dancing on Monday night and my 3.5 hours of volleyball Thursday night. But that was really my only form of exercise for the week. Unless you count the endless times of running up and down the stairs to get to my laundry room and all the housework I did during the week.

So, goal for this week is to actively exercise this week, keep up with my diet and shred more pounds and hopefully some inches also!!!

Keep it up everyone!!!

Shelly

Week 1: Angie's Measurements

Here it is.  The moment I've been dreading all week... measurement day.


Hips- 44 1/2

Waist- 37 (-1/2)
Arms- 14 1/4
Thighs- 25 1/4
Weight- 177 (-3lb)

I'm super happy I lost 1/2 an inch on my waist!  I'm down 3lbs as well.  I haven't lost anything anywhere else, which I find crazy with the exercises I've been doing (I thought I'd lose 1/4" in my arms and thighs), but I'm going to guess that a loss on my hips will come next week.  It seems like that's usually how it goes, one week waist, one week hips.  I'm half an inch into my 6 inch goal!!!  Happy day!  Now to just keep it up! :)

Weekend

Saturday walking - 45 minutes. Sunday walking - 25 minutes. I'm satisfied with that. I want to thank you all for being my motivation for walking every day since Wednesday.

Food wasn't bad for the weekend. We'll see if that translates to pounds lost when I weigh myself Wednesday. Who me, weigh on Monday? Surely you jest. I'm going to start keeping track of what and how much I eat this week. I usually do better when I do that. Besides it gives me an excuse to have another notebook piled up on my desk and use my collection of various colored pens.

Now for the best news of the week. My sugar level is going down. Yes! It still isn't where I - or the doc - want it to be but it is getting there. I have this great fear of having to give myself insulin shots like my grand-ma did. No thanks, I don't want that. At least not for a long, long, long time.

Day 7: woo-hoo

I finished day 7 of that blasted 30 day shred!  *panting*  My goal is to do level 1 for 30 days, level 2 for 30 days and level 3 for 30 days... If I don't die first LOL  After the 90 days on the shred I'll decide what to do.  If I make it 90 days on this I will be amazed!

I put my week's worth of food into a food tracker at FatSecret.com just out of curiosity and saw that my calories have stayed between 1100 and 1400 each day and my fat grams between 32 and 50 each day.  I haven't bought any "diet" foods and all I've done is eat healthy.  I haven't starved myself in anyway and I've been eating a nice big meal three times a day.  These are lifestyle changes, not fads.  I can do this!

Today for breakfast I had 2 eggs, 2 slices of 100% whole wheat bread, a couple tablespoons of shredded cheddar and two mushrooms sliced up and water to drink.  For dinner I had meatloaf made with 1.5g fat per serving turkey burger, a huge helping of squash and half a can of peas with water.  I ate at weird hours since I had church from 11-2pm and then a meeting at 3.  I'm eating a lot of filling food for keeping it in a healthy calorie range.  Cutting out sweets and drinks other than water REALLY makes a difference.  That's how I lost weight last time and I'm hoping it's a winning combination again!

I'm really nervous for my measurement taking in the morning!  I'll let you know how it goes!

Honesty

To be honest, I have no idea if I will have lost weight at the end of the week. I tried to make good choices, eat a breakfast, not overeat at dinner, etc., but I pretty much blew it all yesterday. I was starving when I came home for work and just started eating. It wasn't pretty. And it wasn't healthy. It wasn't as bad as say, a 1970's after school special, but enought to make me want to bang my head on a wall.

And my exercise for the week was standing at work and a very small amount of calisthenics. So small, I really shouldn't even claim them.

But next week is a new week right? Really trying to stay positive.

Ground Meat Breakdown: In Case You Care...

We eat a lot of ground meat at our house because it's cheap.  I've also been craving a cheeseburger for days (a bacon cheeseburger to be exact) so I thought I'd research out the different fat and calories in burger.  I have all five of these types of meat in my freezer so I thought before I made myself a big old hamburger for dinner (and it's gonna be good!) I'd figure out which type of meat to thaw.

4 oz Ground Turkey 97/3

Fat: 3.5g
Calories: 140
Protein: 26g

4oz Ground Beef 85% lean/15% fat
(this is an average type beef, a lot of premade patties have 28+ grams of fat in them)

Fat:  16.95g
Calories: 243
Protein: 21.01g

4oz Ground Pork

Fat: 20.64
Calories: 300
Protein: 26.72g

Ground Lamb

Fat: 26.55
Calories: 320
Protein: 18.78g

Ground Chicken

Fat: 8.09g
Calories: 142
Protein: 16.24g

Turkey is the winner!  I'm going to make myself a nice double-decker turkey burger tonight with homemade sweet potato homefries.  I still don't have any whole wheat bread, so I'm going to drag my butt out of bed (It's 1pm LOL!) and go buy some.  The meat will only be 7g of fat and I'll serve it up with 2 slices of whole wheat bread with a 70 calorie slice of cheese.  This BETTER get rid of my dang craving!

Go me!

I managed a 45 minute walk tonight and even worked up a sweat doing it - I think I even passed that snail and left him in the dust. Next goal is passing that turtle that was in front of me tonight. As you can tell, I try not to take this too seriously. If I don't see the humor in it, I'm not going to do it. And trust me there is plenty of humor in my walking routine. I put the headphones on - tonight was the WICKED soundtrack - and sing along as I walk.

Food today wasn't bad either. Though I'll admit that was mostly due to a very sore throat and not eating much but thin, broth-like soup today.

Struggles

I was so proud of myself on the first day of our challenge. I thought that if I could be so in control of my eating I was going to be home free; however, every day since Monday I have snacked or over indulged because of stress. I knew I hadn't exercised, but I also knew it would be easy to do it the next day; here I am at the end of day five and I haven't exercised yet with the exception of a brisk walk to the Energy Solutions Arena on Wednesday. It is now 11:35 P.M. on Friday night, and I am getting ready to turn in for the night. I want to believe that the weekend with less responsibilities from work will be easier to get back on track, but I am discouraged. I have told myself that this is just the beginning and there will be ups and downs, but my diet in 2009 was such a success that it is hard not to compare. I want to succeed now as well!

So, I have made a decision! I need more help! Any suggestions for things to snack on during the day that doesn't make me turn up my nose would be appreciated. I love the 100 calorie snacks, and have tried several. I also have tried several vegetables, but am running out of quick and cheap ideas that are not completely boring. One requirement is that the cost doesn't break my very limited bank account. I also have a couple of exercise options, but if anyone has something upbeat that they might be willing to share I would be grateful! My current options are looking rather dull; I think that is one of the reasons why I haven't really worked out yet. Cost is again an option for exercising.

Thank you in advance for all of your help as well as your love and support! I am grateful for all of my family and friends (new and old). I can't wait to get into some skinny jeans with all of your help. I am keeping my fingers crossed that with your help, and with some extra motivation on mine I will get over this bump.

Have a great weekend!
Marci

Blah :(

Well, here it is Day 5 and I'm still not feeling all that fab about myself. I have been keeping my diet pretty healthy and working out has been sporadic. I did play 3.5 hours of hard core volleyball last night!!! My calves hurt as do my hips and knees. But I LOVE volleyball and will continue with a weekly set of games!!! Plus, there are some cute guys there that I wouldn't mind getting to know a little better.

Monday I will do weigh in and measurements just so I can have a better grasp of where I need to concentrate on!!!

Keep it up every one

♥ Shelly

Day 5: *sigh*

Today went well.  I didn't want to work out (do i ever???) but I did it!  Five days of the 30 Day Shred... it's the first day I felt like I wasn't going to collapse and die.  It's still super tough, but I'm getting tough too :)  I still can't do a push-up, but I'm excited I've done five days in a row!

Here's what today looked like:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, small baked potato (diced up in the eggs), 2 T shredded cheddar, 16 oz water, 8 oz chocolate milk

Lunch: nothing, I wasn't hungry because I ate breakfast at like 10:30am

Dinner: boneless skinless chicken breast cooked on my George Foreman grill (it tasted like cardboard), half a large sweet potato mashed with pumpkin pie spice, real vanilla and 1 tsp brown sugar, water

Work Out: 20 minutes of 30 Day Shred

I was craving chocolate so I had 8oz of chocolate milk and I was REALLY craving Cafe Rio, but stayed away.  It was hard.  The kids are gone for the weekend and I always treat myself to Cafe Rio once when they're gone (they don't like Cafe Rio).  *sigh*

I'm feeling pretty good about this 6 month thing!  I'll feel a whole lot better if I see something good when I take my measurements on Monday morning!  It's only 7:30pm so I may need a snack later.  I wonder if Nutella is a good after-exercise protein....

I Did It

I actually went to aerobics class today and got in a workout! The first real one in about 9 years! I obviously didn't know all of the steps, so I lagged behind a bit. But, I did what I could, and I'm very proud of myself for that! Just wanted to share that little note.

Last Night's Splurge

It is just my luck that after I start this that I find a greasy spoon that has food worth going back for. I went out last night, and my date wants to find the best gooey cheeseburger in the valley, so we tried Burgesa Burger. I apologize in advance for this description, but the burger I had was freaking awesome:

The Monumental Jr.:
Beef patty, slice of cheese, ham, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, refried beans, crunchy tostada, and special creamy sauce on a delicious Bimbo^® sesame seed bun, crowned with a whole jalapeno pepper


The perfect fusion of burger and Mexican. I also found out that the people who opened Burgesa Burger are the same people who opened my favorite deli, Which Which. I could have had the Monumental non Jr., so I was a little good. Oh and their spicy fries were awesome!!

For what it's worth though, my scale this morning said 232.6. Maybe a little splurge is ok!! ;)

I want my own island

With or without Johnny Depp, though with sounds more fun.

This was not a good day exercise-wise, eating or much of anything else. The entire day was spent at a hospital for tests - not for me. I did manage a 20 minute walk while waiting for the testee to be done. Only 20 minutes because I HATE snow and it was snowing and 20 minutes was my absolute limit on walking in the icky stuff.

I think this will just be my "I blew it" day and move on from here - to that island. I wish.

Day 4: Feeling a Little Better

breakfast today

 I did another full work out last night.  I don't think it's getting any easier yet and my knees are sore, but I did it!  The stupid trainer on the video (dang her for making me work hard! lol) says that you'll notice a difference in endurance in sessions 5, 6 and 7.  I'm hoping! Caleb walked passed the living room while I was working out. He shouted, "Go Mother, don't give up! You can do it! I love you!"  What better motivation?  Caleb is such a good boy.  He could have laughed at my attempted push-ups (I even struggle with the girl kind) but instead he saw me struggling and cheered me on.  I'm so proud of my boy!

For breakfast today I had 2 scrambled eggs with 1 oz of cheese and a mug of Pero, which has basically no value except the 2 tsp of sugar and little bit of skim milk in it.  I also had a glass of water.  I've started getting in the habit of eating while I put on my makeup.  I haven't been getting out of bed very early lately... basically climbing out of bed when it's time to take the kids to school and then climbing back in until the absolutely last minute of getting up and getting ready for work.  It's not a good habit to be in, but I'm emotionally drained these days which means I'm physically drained too.

 

new stripper shoes

This is not weight-loss related, but I bought these sweet shoes yesterday at a thrift store for $5.  I love them.  I guess they are weight-loss related in the fact I want to look amazing wearing them!

Hopefully by the time the ice and snow thaws I'll not only have a place to wear them, but I'll be looking better in them too!

I only ate one!

Here's what I did yesterday:

Breakfast- oatmeal, skim milk, peach sauce, brown sugar and water
Lunch- nuts, 1 oz reduced fat cheese, orange, fruit snack, water
Dinner- One slice pizza with chicken, ham, tomatoes and mushrooms, water
Snack- One mini cupcake (and a lick of the batter *hanging head in shame*)  I had to try out a new recipe for a cooking class I'm teaching
Work Out- 20 minutes 30 Day Shred

I love reading what all my 6 in 6 peeps are doing!  Good job everyone!

The only guy man enough to do 6 in 6!!

Ok after 4 days I am feeling the cravings for a greasy taco pirata!!! I even had a good friend call and ask if I had one lately. Curses to tempting friends!! For those who don't know, a taco pirata is a taco with a homemade tortilla, beef fajita, refried beans , and melted cheese. Oh and everything is made with lard.

Anyhow I have been weighing myself, eating lots of tuna, and exercising a bit more every day. I am very happy to announce that I started at 238 and this morning my scale said 233.5!! The lowest I ever weighed (as an adult) was 165 when I got off my mission. The doctors say my ideal is 185, but I look like a bean pole at that weight, so 210 would be comfy for me. Maybe then I can get away with wearing pleated khakis and have a non baggy shirt tucked in!! :-)

Day 6 & 10 lbs of Flubber GONE!!

I'm Kim, I just joined the 6 in 6 yesterday! I started my journey to lose weight on the 1st, as my New Year's resolution. I'm counting Weight Watcher points, but since I'm kinda too poor to be spending money on the meetings or even the online version, I'm just counting points by myself. So, after six days of counting points I've lost 10 pounds! I'm so excited about that! My ultimate goal is to lose 100 lbs, but I could probably stand to lose closer to 150 lbs. Starting out at 300 lbs, it's probably a lot easier for me to drop the weight quickly in the first week then it would be for someone that is a lot lighter. And I'm sure it will take me a good 30 lbs before I start noticing it in myself. I'm not even sure if I'll be down a size after 30 lbs. I guess we'll see.

My biggest problem is exercise, I really don't like doing it. And I live in a very rural area, so a gym is out of the question. Especially since my husband works weird hours and I have three small children that I don't want to have to take with me. But, yesterday while I was at a church function a gal came up to me that is a friend of mine on facebook, so she heard me talking about my weight loss. She told me that on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at one of the local church buildings they have aerobics at 8:30 in the morning! Which is free!! It just so happens to be right across the street from my kindergartner's school, so I think I'm going to go ahead and do it! One less kid will be great for me and my baby, who is 4 months old, can come and sleep in her car seat and my 3 year old can play with all of the other women's children. It's kind of a win win for everyone. And on the days that my husband doesn't have to work until late he can stay home with the kids for me! So, tomorrow I'm going to go. I'll probably get my big butt whooped, but that's what I need!

Bat glass

One of the things I want to do is start drinking more water. Not because I'm supposed to but because I want to. I know that probably doesn't make sense but I really hate being told I need to do something or should do something. So it has to be MY idea to want to drink more water. In support of that today, I found a purple Halloween glass with bats on it. Perfect. I figure if that is all it takes to get me to drink more water, it was .50 well spent. And if it doesn't work - well I can always put my Diet Coke in it. Because y'all I am not giving up my Diet Coke. Nope, not a chance, no way. It is my treat. Sometimes it is my sanity saver.

So on to the other stuff. Food choices were good today: Breakfast - 3 egg whites, 1/2 of a whole wheat English muffin and yep, Diet Coke. Okay so that wasn't the greatest but it does make me much easier to get along with first thing in the morning. Lunch - grilled cheese on rye, tomato soup and tea. Ha! You thought I was going to say Diet Coke, didn't you? Supper (where I'm from it is called supper always) - lentil soup, the other half of the whole wheat English muffin and okay, okay, I confess, Diet Coke. My snack tonight was almonds and water in the bat glass.

I walked my 45 minutes tonight at a speed that wouldn't impress a slow snail. But I walked it and I will speed up and PPPPFFFFTTTT to that slow snail if he laughs at me as he is passing me on by.

{Day 3: Stress Eater}

(image found online)

Hello, my name is Arya and I am a stress eater.  Whenever I get upset or over stressed I head for the sugary foods and I have been trying to banish this habit but tonight I totally failed! I got super upset and ran strait for the cookie dough I bought for making chocolate cookies for my kids and guess what, no cookies will be made because I ate the dough, *sigh*.

(image found online)

I know that my behavior is counter productive to my weight loss. Don't get me wrong I am working on changing my life style and making healthier choices but by no means am I going to get rid of having a slice of cake or eat a cookie every once in a while. I just don't want to eat sweets because I am having an emotional meltdown.

(image found online)

I have started walking and it's slowly helping but I find I am constantly reminding myself that food isn't supposed to be used as a stress reliever and emotional eating is what got me to the weight I am now (and 30 of those pounds was from birth control, but that's besides the point).

I know this week I am probably going to be up in weight and not down because of the emotional rollercoaster I have been on since Saturday. I am going to try using other methods to ease my stress instead of turning to food. I will keep you all posted on the progress or lack there of. I am hoping that there is lots of progress.

(image found online)

I want to get to the point where I "crack the code" to my own emotional eating and finally lose the guilt. I'm really glad we are all here for support and it's awesome and very helpful to have a place where I can be more accountable.

(found online)

*by the way the cartoons help remind me that I am in control and need to fight the urge to stress eat and are funny too - gotta love humor!*

No S Diet

Happy Hump Day! :)

I'm Jana. I'm a single mom to very, very adorable toddlers. I'm also a high school English teacher. Pretty much I get up in the morning and start running around like a chicken with it's head cut off until the kids go to sleep. Then I collapse. I need roughly 4 extra hours in the day, preferrably between the hours of 11am and 4pm. An extra four hours of afternoon would be great, you know? So, what I really need is more energy. More energy to get everything done (or at least half of it), more energy for my kids and more energy for me! I need to loose about 80 pounds to get a medically appropriate weight, but my focus is more on getting back to being as healthy as a horse, not having being the size of a horse.

I've tried pretty much every diet on the planet and never stick with any... I am a quitter. That's why I'm trying something that is pretty simple. The No S diet. No snacks, no sugar, and no seconds. And I started using the kids' dishes for my meals. While one serving of oatmeal barely covers the bottom of a regular bowl, it's a heaping serving in your basic toddler bowl. It's really easy for me to "fill a plate" and have it equal out several servings, instead of just one.

So far, there have been a couple of hiccups. Monday I spent all of my lunch time on hold for insurance stuff, so had to grab a couple of chocolate cookies from the vending machines, because it was the only thing I could grab and eat in under two minutes, given that it would take me 3 minutes to walk to the vending machine and back. Today I forgot my lunch so I grabbed a bag of pseudo healthy chips. I really need to stock up with some healthy stuff at school, for the days I forget lunch.

Day 3: I'm Hungry

Last night after my work out I showered and went to bed.  My eyes were tired and puffy from an emotional day of crying.  I laid in bed for a while, but my loud phone and grumbling tummy got me out of bed.  I didn't eat dinner, so I went looking for food.  We all know looking for food isn't a good idea, but I did ok.  This is what yesterday looked like:

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 slice 100% whole wheat toast, 1 slice cheddar cheese, water
Lunch: boneless pork, 1/2 potato, 1 serving of peas, small handful of sugared peanuts, water
Dinner: 1oz reduced fat cheese, orange, small handful sugared peanuts, small handful almonds, water
Work Out: 20 minute 30 Day Shred


For breakfast this morning I had a bowl of oatmeal with pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar, peach sauce and skim milk.  It was way too sweet.  I couldn't finish is.  Next time no brown sugar... I didn't realize how sweet the peach sauce was.  Now I'm hungry and it's not even noon.  When I eat eggs I'm not hungry until around 1pm.  I packed a lame-o lunch today.  I'm kinda excited for my weigh-in/measurements at the end of the week.  I'm REALLY hoping to see a change, any change.  To keep on task I need to lose around 1/4" each week. We'll see what happens I guess!

A background on me...

I have struggled with my weight most of my life. I was always the chubby kid at school.Not really fat but enough to be teased. I remember in 7th and 8th grade all the girls shopped at 5,7, 9 and they only sold up to a size 9. I could wear the 9's sometimes and it sucked not being able to shop where all the other girls did. Another of those bad memories was a crush I had on a boy in 8th grade. One of my friends told him and he wrote a note back saying that I was shaped like a potato and he drew a picture of a potato with legs. :(
OK, so anyway I lost weight the summer before 9th grade and was about a size 7 or so. I was about 120 pounds which was a good weight for me.

I was good all through high school. Then I got married at 18 (bad idea all around) and got up to 145 in a matter of months. Then just kept gaining and gaining. It was never ending. I reached a high point of 185 and that was sufficient to scare me. So I started eating an almost vegetarian diet with lots of natural foods. I lose about 25 pounds then me and the husband separated. I moved back to Georgia from Oregon and moved in with my parents.


Amazingly I did not gain any weight back. I guess I was too depressed to eat.
I then decided to join the Air Force Reserves. I really started working on the weight and even started running everyday. Sometimes twice a day.
As soon as I got down to the Air Force limit I went to the recruiters office.

All of that kind of blurs in my mind. It happened quickly and before I knew it I was at Lackland Air Force Base in basic training. It was wonderful!
Of course I lost even more weight running all day long and doing push ups every few minutes! I got back down to a nice and toned 120. Oh it was amazing.

Hmm, I wonder if TSgt Johnson is available to be a personal trainer!!!!!!

Ok so graduated basic and moved on to tech school. Oh my... we had vending machines in our dorms, ice cream in the chow hall and all kinds of junk while we were in classes.

So yea I got back up to 140 in a couple of months. And have been gaining ever since.
I am now inactive reserve but have played with the idea if I ever get in shape going back in.

HEre is a pic of me after basic training. I had already gained back about 10 pounds. But wow.. I want to be back to that weight. :)

I did manage to stay around 160-170 for the longest time til oh maybe 2 years ago or so then I moved in with Jason(my then boyfriend.. now hubby) and apparently gave up completely on weight loss. I started drinking regular soda instead of diet, ate whatever the heck I wanted every day and did VERY little int he way of activity. Before too long I was at 200 pounds.

At this time last year we were putting the finishing touches on our wedding planned for Jan 23. During this time I had managed to lose around 10 pounds so I would look a little better in my dress. Then my dad unexpectedly passed away just 6 days before our wedding date. That was beyond devastating. We postponed the wedding til Feb 20 and I gained back that 10 pounds.
Since we married I have gained another 8.

I just rejoined Weight Watchers and my first weigh in was 208.6. My 2nd weigh in will be today and I hope for good news. :)
My eating has been ok. I really need to work on the fitness part. My goal is to do a Leslie Sansone walk at home DVD 3 times a week and some Wii Fit stuff 5 times a week.
So here I am disgusted with my body and myself for allowing this to happen.


Ok so I am now ready to get on the ball (both literally and figuratively) and do this thing! :)

PS: Sorry for the way too big pics... Gotta figure out how to re-size.