Pictures

So yesterday a friend of mine took some pictures of the kids and me. We went out to Cottage Grove lake and the leaves were absolutely gorgeous! It was a perfect day to go. And the fact that Danielle is an awesome photographer helped too! If anyone needs/wants pictures done, definitely call her or email her at jasmine3161@msn.com! I would choose her over the "professional" studios anyday! Here's a few she sent me this morning.

Weigh In

Well, this week I was a little worried. As of yesterday, I was still at 180. I gained over the week-end because I treated myself a little to some greasy junk food (which made me feel miserable afterwards by the way). Then I lost some, not quite a pound from last Friday. So I thought I'd be fine, since I had a few more days. Well, somehow the last couple days I managed to gain more! I was so good, I was working out twice a day, and I gained. I was really frustrated yesterday. I didn't want to throw in the towel though, like I used to do. I tried really hard instead. So yesterday was a great day as far as eating went. I even passed up a baked potato for dinner when everyone else was eating them. I guess I must have been bloated or something, cause I dropped 2.1 lbs by this morning. I was so relieved today when I got on that scale. I got on twice just to make sure it was right. :) I was ready to chuck it out the door if it told me something I didn't want to see. And the best part, is it put me in the 170's!!!! It's kind of a cool thought that I started out having to lose over 60 lbs. and now I'm down to only needing to lose 27.9. All in 11 weeks! What an awesome thought!!!

Another thing that was great this week, I got a treadmill. A friend of ours didn't use it anymore, so we bought it. I love it! I found a great website that talks about training to run a 5k, which is one of my goals, so I started that program this week. Here's the website in case anyone is interested:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

So anyway, I am doing the treadmill on Monday's, Thursday's and Saturday's in the evening, plus my regular workouts in the mornings (which today is day 80 of working out without a break by the way). It's a three day a week program that in 9 weeks you'll be ready to run a 5k. I've done great the last 2 days that I've done it. I even bumped up the speed and the incline last night and it felt great. I'm really excited to work towards this goal. It's the only goal that I have that doesn't actually involve weight loss, it's just me getting in shape and working towards something that I can do that's pysical.

More people have been noticing my loss and complimenting me on it. That feels so good, especially since most of the people are the ones who have never seen me skinny. I've been overweight the whole time I've lived here, so to be the lowest weight in over 4 years of being here and having people notice, it feels great.

Other than that, it's been a pretty uneventful week. Maybe next week there will be something more happening. Hopefully good! :)

10-24-08 (177.9) (-2.1) (Total loss -34.7) (-16.3%) (BMI: 27)
10-17-08 (180) (-1.6) (Total loss -32.6) (-15.3%) (BMI: 27.4)
10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31)
8-8-08 (209.2) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.4) (1.6%) (BMI: 31.8)
8-5-08 (212.6) (Start) (BMI: 32.3)

Weigh In!!!!!!

Well, today was a great day! Actually, this week was pretty good too. I didn't necessarily have a great week as far as eating goes, but it's the non-scale victories that I was happy about! I had a few junk food cravings and gave in to some, others I got thru without failing miserably. But on Tuesday I went to Wal-Mart and tried on some clothes. This is something I haven't been real excited about the last few years. Actually, for a lot of years. But I wanted to see where I was at. And the great news is, I ended up buying a size 12 pair of jeans and some really cute shirts. And the better part is, the jeans actually fit! Yeah I know, it's one thing to buy them, another thing to actually be able to wear them. So I put them on yesterday for the first time after washing them. And I noticed they fit a tad bit loose. Not much, but enough to get me thinking about size 10's. So today I was in Shop-Ko returning a pair of pants that were too big for Kassie, so I decided to go try a pair of 10's. Now let me tell you, the 12's were stretch, so I was a little freaked out that I wasn't actually in 12's, but in reality they were more like 14's. So I grabbed a pair of 10's that weren't stretchy. I headed for the dreaded dressing room with those horrible mirrors that show every last flaw on your body. And I put those jeans on. And then I buttoned them. And then I zipped them. All without having to lay down on the bed and suck it in!!! (Yes, that's what I was doing a few months ago with 16's). If I wasn't in a public place, I think I would have started jumping and screaming. But I had to contain my excitement. I have not worn a pair of 10's in years. Even after losing my weight after having Gabe, I only fit into 12's. I really have to give it to the exercise. It has changed my body shape so, so much, it's unbelievable! I am completely blown away that I actually fit into a size 10! Now granted, they're a little tight, but I'm betting in a couple weeks they'll be comfortable. I'm still going to wear them now, because it'll make me stay on track. I hit that 1/2 way mark of 181.3 (plus another 1.3, so now I'm on the downhill slide. I'm also getting a treadmill Sunday! A friend of ours doesn't use it anymore, so she's selling it to me. I'm so excited about it, that it's going in my scrapbook room. Yes, my scrapbook room that I was so excited about but haven't used in the entire year we've lived here. So I figure I can use it daily, then if I ever take the time to do any scrapbooking, I can fold it up and slide it out of the way. I can't wait to see the day that I am ready to run a 5k with my friend Gina! I have hit every goal I've made except for my actual weight goal and running the 5k. I've hit my monthly goals (which today I hit my October goal 2 weeks early), I've hit my goal of not hating myself, I've hit my goal of wearing size 12 jeans and now I'm ready to work on my last 2 goals, run a 5k and getting down to 150 lbs.

I also had a great night last night. I went with Gina to the Weight Watchers meeting. For those of you who don't know, I have tried those darn meetings 3 or 4 different times in the last 4 years of living here. Now don't get me wrong, I know they work for thousands of people. But I just wasn't ready to lose weight when I went. I was just throwing my money away. I finally found my motivation in August, and I'm still focusing on "it". But I told Gina that sometime when I've lost a good amount of weight, I wanted to go to a meeting with her and let the leader see that I did it. And that night was last night. She was so happy to see my success, she gave me a huge hug, which surprised me, and she kept complimenting me. Then she sent me in to see her daughter (who is also the receptionist) and she was telling me how much of a difference she could see in my face, as well as my body. It felt great to go in there over 30 lbs. lighter and show them that I finally did it! So now I'll have to go in when I hit my final goal. I've also been getting a lot of compliments from everyone around me. I saw my mother-in-law today, who I haven't seen in a few weeks (normally we see her every week). She couldn't believe how much I've lost either, and I talk to her almost everyday. So it was good to finally get to see her and see her reaction. Now, I can't wait till we go to California for Thanksgiving! That's gonna be fun. The last time I was there, I was my heaviest and looked like a complete slob. I didn't want to go into the stores for fear of people that I knew from when I lived at home would see me. Now I'm going to go in to all the stores with my head held high. It's a great feeling to be confident. I haven't felt that in many, many years.

Anyway, enough of my book! I'm just excited and feel like sharing my success. So we'll see what happens next week! I'm gonna be in the 170's!!!! Woohoo!

10-17-08 (180) (-1.6) (Total loss -32.6) (-15.3%) (BMI: 27.4)
10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31)
8-8-08 (209.2) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.4) (1.6%) (BMI: 31.8)
8-5-08 (212.6) (Start) (BMI: 32.3)

Slipping

Well, I now know how easy it could be to fall back into my old ways. Friday after my weigh in I decided to treat myself a little. I had a couple of waffles for breakfast, then the kids & I went bowling and had lunch down there. So I had a really yummy cheeseburger and fries, with a Pepsi, then I never made it to the store, so we decided to go out for Chinese food for dinner. Now, I didn't eat as much as I used to, but I did eat more than I have in a while and felt stuffed. Then to top it off, we went to Dairy Queen. I just got a small Blizzard, but it was bad nonetheless. So yesterday when I stepped on the scale I about flipped out. I had "gained" almost 4 pounds! I know it was just all the sodium from the Chinese food, but still! That was really scary to see! And to think I used to do this all the time. If I kept eating like that everyday, I'd gain that 31 lbs. back in no time. So yesterday I was very careful how I ate and this morning I have lost all but .1 of it. So I feel better, but it's definitely a wake up call. I can't go back to my old eating habits, that's for sure.

Weigh In!

Well, I was actually really surprised by the scale today. It hasn't been a great week for me. I let the stress get to me a little on Wednesday and ended up eating a candy bar. I kicked myself for it afterwards, but what's done is done, so I dealt with it. I have been very frustrated this week too because of the weather and it getting dark earlier. I haven't been walking all week. So last night I decided to go ahead and work out at home. So I did my 3 mile Walk Away the Pounds workout in the morning and my 4 mile one last night. It felt really good to know I worked out twice yesterday. And I guess it helped, because I lost 3.6 lbs. this week! I also got over 8 hours of sleep last night, so that may have helped a little too.

I also had a couple challenges this week that I beat. The first one was the 2 day crop-a-thon. There was a chocolate fountain both days and eating out. Saturday I stopped and got breakfast at McDonald's, but just got a breakfast sandwich and no hashbrown like I normally would have. The Village Green provided lunch, which I was a bit concerned about because it had a sandwich. I've been trying really hard to stay away from bread, but I went ahead and ate it anyway since I didn't really have a choice. But I didn't eat the chips that came with it. Saturday night we went to Carl's Jr. for dinner and I just got a burger, no fries. Then Sunday morning came a challenge. Gabe had a friend spend the night and they slept in the living room. Which meant I couldn't work out in the morning. I waited until 7:30 hoping they would wake up and I could kick them out, but it didn't happen. I didn't have time to get a good walk in, so I decided to run. I haven't run in 18 years. But I was gonna sure try. I actually did pretty good. I ran 5 minutes, walked a couple, ran about 5 more, walked a couple and alternated that way the whole time. I did 2 miles in 20 minutes and 4 seconds. I thought I was gonna die by the time I got home, but I was so proud of myself for doing it. And I worked up quite a sweat from it too. :) I ate a good breakfast - 2 eggs, and then for lunch split a patty melt and fries with a friend. It was a late lunch plus the snacks at Village Green, so I wasn't hungry, so I ended up not eating dinner that night. As for the chocolate fountain, I barely touched the chocolate. I ate mostly fruit the first day, the second day I split a brownie with a friend and had a little bit of other stuff on my plate. But I feel like I accomplished quite a bit the last week. The last three challenges I would normally have failed, I've done great with. The County Fair, my birthday, the crop-a-thon. So now I feel like I can tackle any challenge that comes along.

As for working out, today was day 66! I haven't taken a day off in 66 days. I don't even have the urge to take a day off. It feels really good to get up in the morning, no matter if there is school or not, and get that workout in. It makes me feel like I've already accomplished something for the day, before it's really even started.

I'm almost halfway to my goal. I have .3 left to lose, and only 1.6 to hit my October goal of 180. So come back next week to see where I'm at!

10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31)
8-8-08 (209.2) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.4) (1.6%) (BMI: 31.8)
8-5-08 (212.6) (Start) (BMI: 32.3)

Inches lost

So I've had a few people ask me in the last couple weeks how many inches I've lost. So I thought I'd just add it here.

(As of 9/30/08)

Bicep - 1" (times two, so 2")
Neck - 1 1/4"
Bust - 1/4" (darnit) ;)
Waist - 3"
Hips - 5 1/4"
Thigh - 2 1/4" (times two, so 4 1/2")
Total inches lost - 16 1/4"

Not too bad for less than 2 months. :) I'm happy with the totals!

Weigh In!

Well, it was another great weigh in! I was a bit worried, because I'm one of those that gets on the scale everyday, morning and night. It helps me stay on track, so I have to do it. But yesterday was a bit frustrating. I had actually gained .2. Now, I know it's not a big gain, but it caused me to be down only 1/2 a pound for the 6 days since my last weigh in. So I was really upset, not knowing why I wasn't losing, because I'd been really good the last few days. So all day yesterday I was in a funk, trying to figure it out. I really pushed myself to eat good, especially since my workout wasn't very good in the morning. I wasn't feeling very good yesterday when I got up, I was just plain exhausted, had a head-ache and was really dizzy. So I thought for sure my day was ruined. But I stuck to it, didn't have any caffeine. I got on the scale last night and was actually .9 lower than in the morning. I even got on the scale twice just to make sure it was right. So that gave me a little hope that today would be OK. And then I get on the scale this morning and had actually lost 1.9 since yesterday morning! I was blown away! So I must have just retained water for some strange reason. I knew I worked hard to lose weight, so on the day it matters, it came out OK. I was quite relieved. Then today I went to Eugene. I planned on eating what I wanted for a change when we went out for lunch, but when it came down to it, I stuck to a kids meal at Wendy's. I just can't bring myself to sabotaging what I've accomplished. I was also going to sleep in this morning for another hour and skip my workout, but my alarm went off at 4:50 and I ended up getting up a little after 5 and did my 4 mile workout. I just can't tell myself no. But I was really glad I got up and did it, because it made me feel great and I feel like I accomplished something. I still can't believe how motivated I still am. I know this time I'll get to the finish line, that 150 mark. I still have 35 lbs. to go, but after 27.6, I'm not turning back. I will never go back up again. I've worked too hard to let it slip away again. And my self esteem has gone up tremendously! So for any of you out there reading this, please consider doing this! It's amazing how much better you'll feel, even after losing 10 lbs. I'm still amazed that I'm almost at 3o lbs! That's huge!

Now, I have another challenge. This week-end is the 2 day crop-a-thon. Last year we had lots of junk food sitting in front of us, and I told myself this year I wouldn't do it. I really don't want to ruin what I've worked so hard for. So I thought I would just buy one bag of Halloween candy and eat some of that. So I went to Wal-Mart today, walked thru the whole candy aisle twice, and left. I couldn't bring myself to buying any! I'm so proud of myself! I looked at every kind of candy, even the jr. mints, which are my favorite, and walked away. I have some baby carrots that I'm going to put in ziplocs and take a small cooler and munch on those. My goal is to lose weight this week-end, not gain like last year. But I know I can do it, because I have some great motivation!!! So until next time...

10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31)
8-8-08 (209.2) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.4) (1.6%) (BMI: 31.8)
8-5-08 (212.6) (Start) (BMI: 32.3)

September totals!

Wow, what a month September was! I am so glad I wrote down what I did as far as exercise everyday. I decided to count it up last night and I feel like I accomplished a lot!

*Lost 10.1 lbs.
*Lost 6.75 inches
*Walked 56.2 miles
*Logged 91.5 miles with Walk Away the Pounds workouts
*Did Jillian Michaels workout twice
*Only lasted 15 minutes on Billy Blanks Tae Bo Boot Camp. (That was kind of stupid to think I was that in shape right now. I'll save that for later). :)

I knew I worked out a lot, because I was doing it every morning (the WATP workouts) and then walking at night. But I didn't realize how much it added up to until last night. I'm feeling really good right now. I'm hoping to hit the 180 mark this month. As of today I'm at 186.7, so I should be able to lose 6.7 lbs. in 31 days! If not, that means I slacked, which I don't plan on doing! Check back Friday for the official weekly weigh in!