Weigh In

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've posted, and I'm guessing it's because I've slowed down on the weight loss, so I haven't been too excited to write anything lately. I know why my motivation went down the tubes, but it's not worth talking about. So I'll just say that I'm hoping this week I can get back on track. I'm mentally preparing myself for the coming week. I need to get back into my workout routine as well. I know that was a huge part in my losses every week, so once I get back into that I should do better. I did discover one thing though, a positive thing. I know how to maintain!!! So when the time comes that I do actually hit my goal (21.9 lbs. to go), I shouldn't have a problem maintaining. I am pretty excited that I made it thru Thanksgiving without gaining too! That is huge for me. And now it's almost Christmas and so far I'm on the right track. My goal is to not gain. I could care less if I lose anything or not, I just really want to maintain my loss. I don't want to gain. I know I can do it.

I did go and indulge quite a bit Friday night at our church ladies Christmas party. I thought I might as well enjoy it, but that was my one big Christmas season binge. I felt like I was in a chocolate coma, but it was soooo worth it! So I think I'm good for a while now. I got quite a few compliments there too, so that made me feel really good. Nobody in this town knew me back when I was skinny, so now they're seeing it and it just makes me feel really good to have so many people notice it. It really gives a person a boost emotionally.

I am really looking forward to summer time though, because I really miss my evening walks! I have the treadmill now, but it's just not the same as getting out there really pushing myself up the hills.

Well, for 3 weeks of not posting you'd think I'd have more to say, but there hasn't been too much other than trying my hardest to not gain back weight that I've worked so hard to lose. I am going to try to post every week again, because it seems to be good for my mind set writing this. I feel more motivated already. Maybe that's all it takes for me to stay motivated, just get on here and start typing. I will be weighing in a day early from now on. Thursday is just a better day for me, so I will try to be back every Thursday! So until then, have a great week!

12-11-08 (171.9 (-.2) (Total loss -40.7) (-19.1%) (BMI: 26.1) (Week 18)
12-4-08 (172.1) (-0) (Total loss -40.5) (-19%) (BMI: 26.2) (Week 17)
11-27-08 (172.1) (-1.1) (Total loss -40.5) (-19%) (BMI: 26.2) (Week 16)
11-21-08 (173.2) (-3.3) (Total loss -39.4) (-18.5%) (BMI: 26.3) (Week 15)
11-14-08 (176.5) (-.3) (Total loss -36.1) (-17%) (BMI: 26.8) (Week 14)
11-7-08 (176.8) (+1.2) (Total loss -35.8) (-16.8%) (BMI: 26.9) (Week 13)
10-31-08 (175.6) (-2.3) (Total loss -37) (-17.4%) (BMI: 26.7) (Week 12)
10-24-08 (177.9) (-2.1) (Total loss -34.7) (-16.3%) (BMI: 27) (Week 11)
10-17-08 (180) (-1.6) (Total loss -32.6) (-15.3%) (BMI: 27.4) (Week 10)
10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6) (Week 9)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1) (Week 8)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5) (Week 7)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1) (Week 6)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5) (Week 5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8) (Week 4)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30) (Week 3)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6) (Week 2)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31) (Week 1)
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

So this last week started off a little rough, but things turned around for the last half. I had a chance to send an email and just vent. For some reason it made me feel better. So I got back on track this week and ended up losing over 3 lbs. I actually was down a little more until I had lunch with Gabe yesterday at school. They have a turkey lunch the week before Thanksgiving every year and I guess it was just too much. So I'll have to make up for it today. I was working out a little harder the first part of this week too, but after not getting much sleep Tuesday night, I haven't been getting up early enough to get a good workout in. And this darn headache I've had since yesterday morning isn't doing me any good today either. I'm guessing it's because I didn't have any caffeine yesterday, and I've been drinking a lot more lately. So it's my own fault and I'm just gonna have to deal with it now. I'm getting to that point of breaking into the 160's, so that's something I'm really looking forward to. With Thanksgiving coming up next week I'm a bit nervous, but with a 39 lb. weight loss, I'm gonna have to try to control myself somewhat so I don't go and completely blow it. I will be weighing in a day early though, because we're traveling Wednesday, so check back then!

11-21-08 (173.2) (-3.3) (Total loss -39.4) (-18.5%) (BMI: 26.3) (Week 15)
11-14-08 (176.5) (-.3) (Total loss -36.1) (-17%) (BMI: 26.8) (Week 14)
11-7-08 (176.8) (+1.2) (Total loss -35.8) (-16.8%) (BMI: 26.9) (Week 13)
10-31-08 (175.6) (-2.3) (Total loss -37) (-17.4%) (BMI: 26.7) (Week 12)
10-24-08 (177.9) (-2.1) (Total loss -34.7) (-16.3%) (BMI: 27) (Week 11)
10-17-08 (180) (-1.6) (Total loss -32.6) (-15.3%) (BMI: 27.4) (Week 10)
10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6) (Week 9)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1) (Week 8)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5) (Week 7)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1) (Week 6)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5) (Week 5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8) (Week 4)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30) (Week 3)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6) (Week 2)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31) (Week 1)
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

OK, so I guess I've been avoiding updating this because I had my first gain week before last. I've had a VERY stressful 2 weeks, and I haven't handled it the best. I'm not eating good, I'm eating more fast food and drinking more Pepsi and I missed 3 days of working out. The working out part wasn't my fault though!!! I tweaked my neck severely and couldn't move my head. I tried my hardest to still work out, but I realized after starting my work out that morning, that I just could not do it. So I made the choice to stop. I had gone for 91 days in a row. It was a huge blow for me to miss that first day. I felt extremely disappointed in myself, even though it wasn't something that I had any control over. So I took 3 days off and that 4th day I went ahead and worked out. It felt great to get back into it. So now I'm on day 9. Starting all over again. As for the eating, I am having a hard time getting back on track. I haven't been keeping in touch with the person who helped motivate me originally, so it's been hard to keep working at it (it's amazing how much it helps by someone just saying "keep it up" or "good job"). I broke down again tonight and had ice cream and a Pepsi (hoping it would help me bowl better, which it didn't by the way). I got home and started kicking myself. Again. I just can't seem to get back into it. I'm gonna try again tomorrow to get back on track. I know I'm only up .9, but I'm just so frustrated about it! I should have been down to 170 by now, but instead I'm going up. This is worse for me to gain like this after coming this far than it was to be gaining when I was already over 200. I guess because I worked so hard those first 12 weeks and losing 2 1/2 to 4 lbs. a week, then go to either gaining or just losing a tiny little bit, it's a bummer. I've been looking in the mirror lately seeing the "fat Smiley" again. I know that I'm not gaining that much back, but the mental part of the gain is really hard on me. I need to figure out how to fix it.

11-14-08 (176.5) (-.3) (Total loss 36.1) (-17%) (BMI: 26.8) (Week 14)
11-7-08 (176.8) (+1.2) (Total loss -35.8) (-16.8%) (BMI: 26.9) (Week 13)
10-31-08 (175.6) (-2.3) (Total loss -37) (-17.4%) (BMI: 26.7) (Week 12)
10-24-08 (177.9) (-2.1) (Total loss -34.7) (-16.3%) (BMI: 27) (Week 11)
10-17-08 (180) (-1.6) (Total loss -32.6) (-15.3%) (BMI: 27.4) (Week 10)
10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6) (Week 9)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1) (Week 8)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5) (Week 7)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1) (Week 6)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5) (Week 5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8) (Week 4)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30) (Week 3)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6) (Week 2)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31) (Week 1)
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)

Weight Loss/Measurements

Well, it's been a very long week. I've had some personal issues going on, so I really didn't expect to lose. Usually in my life when there is a lot of stress, I go and binge and then I gain a lot. But this week I kept it under control a little. I did have a little more than normal, but apparently not enough to hurt anything. And with Halloween being yesterday I did really good. I didn't even buy a single bag of candy to have here at home. Talk about self control! I'm in my 2nd week of 5k training, doing pretty good at that. I've still been working out every morning as well, today was day 88. So hopefully next week I'll see another good loss.

As for October measurements, here they are!
Bicep -1/4" (times two) -1/2"
Bust -2"
Waist -1.5"
Hips -1.25"
Thigh -1.25" (times two) -2.5"
Total loss -7.75"

10-31-08 (175.6) (-2.3) (Total loss -37) (-17.4%) (BMI: 26.7) (Week 12)
10-24-08 (177.9) (-2.1) (Total loss -34.7) (-16.3%) (BMI: 27) (Week 11)
10-17-08 (180) (-1.6) (Total loss -32.6) (-15.3%) (BMI: 27.4) (Week 10)
10-10-08 (181.6) (-3.4) (Total loss -31) (-14.6%) (BMI: 27.6) (Week 9)
10-3-08 (185) (-2.7) (Total loss -27.6) (-13%) (BMI: 28.1) (Week 8)
9-26-08 (187.7) (-3.4) (Total loss -24.9) (-11.7%) (BMI: 28.5) (Week 7)
9-19-08 (191.1) (-3) (Total loss -21.5) (-10.1%) (BMI: 29.1) (Week 6)
9-12-08 (194.1) (-1.6) (Total loss -18.5) (-8.7%) (BMI: 29.5) (Week 5)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (-7.9%) (BMI: 29.8) (Week 4)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30) (Week 3)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6) (Week 2)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31) (Week 1)
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)

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!

Weigh In!!!

Here I am again, 3.4 lbs. lighter though! It's been 7 weeks and I am down a total of 24.9 lbs! I am feeling so good! I'm extra happy with this weeks weigh in because it was my birthday Saturday. So of course I treated myself a little more, plus my parents were here, which is usually a bad thing food wise. My mom & I go crazy eating what we want, but I didn't do that this time. Yesterday some friends had a surprise birthday party for me and I had cake, so losing 3.4 this week was really awesome for me. And I thought about something this morning. When I lost my weight after Gabe, it took me 9 months to lose about 30 lbs. I've lost almost that much in 7 short weeks! I guess it pays when ya focus on something. And have great motivation! I'm almost to that halfway mark too, which is very exciting for me. 31.3 lbs. is halfway, so I only have 6.4 left to go to that mark! That's my next goal. I haven't gotten in as much walking as I was because of it getting dark earlier. So I'm hoping to get a treadmill sometime soon. We'll just have to see how the finances go. So pray that we can find a good deal and the money to pay for it!

I've also decided to make a list of things I've accomplished during the week. I'm going to try to do it on a daily basis and list them each week, but I may not get around to it every single week. This week really stood out for me though because of my birthday, having my parents here and going to the coast. Normally I don't work out at all when they are here and we eat a lot. We go to Euphoria chocolate usually too. But this time I told them I had to be good and watch what I eat. And I succeeded!

*We walked right past Euphoria Chocolate at the mall.
*At the candy store in Florence I asked for a box of caramel corn and then told her nevermind. I decided not to ruin my goals for a small box of popcorn. Right after that, we stopped to get something to drink on our way out of town and I bought a small bag of Turtle Chex Mix. I had a couple very small handfuls and then passed it over to my dad and told him to finish it. I also bought a Pepsi cause I really needed caffeine for the drive home, but ended up not drinking it. I dumped it out when we got home.
*After we got home, we weren't really hungry enough to cook dinner, so we were munching on stuff. I had a piece of sourdough bread and went for a 2nd. I took a couple bites and gave it away. I talked myself out of binging on bread.
*I worked out every single day that they were here. I got up earlier than I normally do when they're here and made sure to get my workout in. I even convinced my mom to take my 2 mile workout video home and try it. And she said she did! Maybe I'll get her involved too. :)
*Then yesterday was the big challenge. The surprise party for me. I had aleady had a cheeseburger from McD's and a small Coke. Then a 20 oz. fat free, sugar free blended mocha. So I was bad to begin with. Then I see that cake and thought I was in trouble! But I had a piece and shared it with Kassie. The rest of the afternoon I didn't eat anything. I made a pizza for Chris & the kids and when he got home from work, they ate and I went for a 3 mile walk. After I got home, I had a huge salad with very light dressing (it was fat free too) and water to drink.

So those are my accomplishments for the week. I'm really proud of myself for sticking to my goal while my parents were here and especially with it being my birthday. I have to say that this will probably be the most memorable birthday for me now, because I succeeded at something that I have always failed at. I even lost 3.4 lbs. on top of all that. So it's been a great week.

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)

10% GOAL MET!!!!!!

Wow, what a great 6 weeks this has been! Yesterday I hit my 10% goal, and today I hit my September goal of 190, 10 days early. I am down 22.6 as of today, but technically I just count Friday's weight, so 21.5. I am feeling so good about myself now! I'm focused and I've got a great outlook on everything. I'm fitting into so many more clothes that have been sitting for 1, 2, even 4 years in my dresser/closet/boxes. I'm ready to pull some boxes down from the attic, but I'm afraid to see if the clothes inside them are ruined or not from sitting in a box for over 4 years!!! Guess I'll just have to go shopping and get some more. :) My parents are visiting for the week-end and they took the kids and me over to the coast today to celebrate my birthday. We had a great time. I did indulge a little, but not too much. I couldn't see ruining my weight loss just because it's my birthday. So I had a little treat, but didn't binge like I normally would have. Unfortunately, all the bread and sugar made me feel a little blah, so I had to down about 100 oz. of water in a couple hours tonight. But I'm feeling better now.


I've been working out for 46 days in a row now! I am addicted to it I think. I'm trying to walk still at night, but it's getting dark a little too early now, so I'm gonna have to change my walk times and take the kids now (or get a treadmill whenever we can afford one). It was nice to have that hour to myself, which I guess I can still do on Chris' days off, but I am really enjoying how I feel after working out and walking. Below are a couple pictures from the coast today that my mom took. I can really tell the difference in my weight on the side view. And the shirt I was wearing today, 6 weeks ago was tight around my stomach, so I would stretch it out as far as I could so it wouldn't fit snug around my fat belly. Now I put it on and I don't have to stretch it! It fits loosely around my stomach! What a great feeling!!!


I still have a long ways to go before hitting my ultimate goal, 40 more lbs., but I know that I can do it. I have the motivation, I proved that I can lose 20 lbs, so what's another 40, right???


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, I lost but not as much as I'd hoped. I guess I can't have big losses every week. I lost 1.3, so it's not horrible. I've done pretty good all week, but I have eaten more than I have been lately. I'm not kicking myself too much though, cause I still haven't gone on any binges in the 4 weeks I've been doing this. So I'm still really proud of how far I've come. I worked out every single day, 31 days now! That's a huge accomplishment in itself! So I did 18 miles with my WATP workouts, 10.1 miles walking in the evenings and I did the Jillian Michael's workout one day. She is so brutal!!! I'm only 4.4 pounds away from my 10% goal, so I'm getting excited for that! I've managed to stay under 200 for 2 weeks in a row and I've lost for 4 consecutive weeks. So that's good for me too! And the big thing...I'm no longer considered obese!!! Not that I thought I ever was, but my BMI is 29.8 now! It's under 30!!! Woohoo!!! So we'll see how next week goes. I'll be out walking a lot (in fact, I'm heading out here in a few minutes with Kassie in the stroller). Gotta get it all in before it starts getting nasty outside. Although, at the rate I'm going, who knows, maybe I'll start walking in the rain too!

8-5-08 (212.6) (Start) (BMI: 32.3)
8-8-08 (209.2) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.4) (-1.6%) (BMI: 31.8)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30)
9-5-08 (195.7) (-1.3) (Total loss -16.9) (7.9%) (BMI: 29.8)

Weigh In!!!

Wow! Let me tell you, it's been a great 3 weeks! I have found my motivation and I am just gonna go with it! The last 3 weeks have been so great for me in many areas of my life. I found something to work towards and it's just making me push and push. Normally when I was doing Weight Watchers, the day after the weigh in, I'd give myself a break. I'd eat whatever I wanted in huge amounts. Then I would end up blowing it for a few days and have a hard time getting back on track. This time it's different. I'm not giving myself those cheat days. I don't want those cheat days! I never thought I would ever say that, but it's true! Before I started working on losing weight, we had decided every payday we would go to Dairy Queen for dessert. That would be this week-end, but I don't even have the urge to go! I want to keep working on eating right and exercising, which I'm starting to get addicted to! I guess if there's something I should get addicted to, exercise should be the thing. :) I've been working out everyday for the last 24 days, without missing a day. I'm doing the 3 mile Walk Away the Pounds workout, but I think I'm ready to push it a little more. It's becoming easier for me, so I need a challenge. Last night I also walked 4 miles at a very fast pace. I'm to that point of wanting to jog, but still not comfortable doing it in public. :) So for now I'll just keep walking and working out at home. I did 21 miles on the WATP workouts plus the 4 mile walk, so that's not bad for a week! I have had so many challenges come up as far as eating, like the WOE fair last week-end, having the kettle corn booth straight in front of me, the ice cream to the left and the cotton candy straight across the path, going to Eugene and eating out and today going to the bowling alley. But I have succeeded at every one! Today I had one chicken strip and a salad with water for lunch at the bowling alley. I always get the big, fat juicy hamburger with tater tots and a big Pepsi, sometimes 2, but not today. I can't see throwing away the 15.6 pounds I've already lost to just eat a greasy meal. I met someone that has given me the motivation to lose weight, and I am so thankful for that! I've been struggling for 4 years to get this far, and to have this kind of positive attitude, it's so worth it now that I've found that urge to work at it. I am 5.7 pounds from my 10% goal, which is a huge thing for me. I'm also at that 30 mark as far as my BMI, which puts me on that border between just being overweight and obese. I can't believe that I've actually been considered obese, but the fact that I'm so close to the overweight mark, it's really a huge thing for me. Next week I will be below 30, and I'm hoping in 2 weeks I'll hit my 10% goal. I also measured myself which I was anxious to see the results, because I've been wearing jeans all week that I haven't been able to wear in over a year. Today it was my Levi's, which was a really good day! I love my Levi's, so it made for a happy day getting dressed. :) I have lost 9.5 inches total this month. I measured my bicep (times two), neck (someone told me to measure there because you lose that too, which I did), chest, waist, hips and right thigh (times two). So 9.5 inches and 15.6 pounds, that makes for a happy day! But I didn't celebrate by eating something good. I celebrated by eating healthy and thinking about the next month, what I can do. I might break that 190 mark in the next month, so I can't give up now! I'm ready to kick this fat for good! So here's a big thank you to that person that gave me the motivation!!! THANK YOU!!!

By the way, I altered my weight stats a little. A friend of mine said to take my highest weight for the month and use that as my starting point. It was in the middle of the week, but I started weighing myself on Friday's after that (well, officially weighing myself, cause I get on that darn scale everyday, sometimes more than once just to see where I'm at.) :)

8-5-08 (212.6) (Start) (BMI: 32.3)
8-8-08 (209.2) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.4) (-1.6%) (BMI: 31.8)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -8.8) (-4.1%) (BMI: 31)
8-22-08 (201.2) (-2.6) (Total loss -11.4) (-5.4%) (BMI: 30.6)
8-29-08 (197) (-4.2) (Total loss -15.6) (-7.3%) (BMI: 30)

So until next week, happy (healthy) eating and maybe I'll see some of you out walking in the evening!

Weigh In

Well, today is just starting and has been a great day! I did my 3 mile workout this morning after I weighed in, which was a happy weigh in!!! I lost 5.4 pounds this week! I'm so excited! I have worked hard for it this week though. I did a total of 18 miles with my Walk Away the Pounds workouts and 9 miles on my bike this week. What a huge difference from recent months. And for the first time in quite a while, I have stopped hating myself. I have my goal set, which I'm working at very hard. And I have done a lot of thinking this last week. I turned into the person I didn't want to be. I told myself when I quit working that I would still get up everyday and fix myself up. Well, I haven't done that. I have let myself go physically, and I finally realized that I deserve to take the time and make myself feel better. So last Friday I started. I have been curling my hair everyday whether I go somewhere or not, I have been painting my nails again (which for some reason helps me feel better - I feel more feminine) and I've been working out everyday, sometimes twice a day. For the longest time, I wouldn't even walk to the mailbox across the street, for fear of people seeing me. It took all I had to go bowling every week, even though I love to go. But now I am feeling better about myself and I don't hate myself. I know that it is going to take some time and hard work, but I will get back to my skinny self once again! I just feel like a completely different person now! And in a few months, hopefully my goal will pay off and I will get the reaction that I've been wanting for quite some time now! So check back next week and see how I did!

6-27-08 (210.5) (Start)
7-4-08 (208.6) (-1.9) (Total loss -1.9) (-.9%)
7-11-08 (212.5) (+3.9) (Total gain +2)
7-18-08 (210.6) (-1.9) (Total gain +.1)
7-25-08 (209.9) (-.7) (Total loss -.6) (-.3%)
8-1-08 (208.7) (-1.2) (Total loss -1.8) (-.9%)
8-8-08 (209.2) (+.5) (Total loss -1.3) (-.6%)
8-15-08 (203.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -6.7) (-3.2%)

Lane County Fair

Here are a few pix from the fair. I kinda forgot to break out the camera more, so I didn't have a whole lot of variety. These will have to do for now! We're going to the WOE Fair though, so I'll try to get some more then.

Gabe was waiting patiently for the carousel to start.

Gabe, Smiley and some friends playing the horse race game.

Gabe trying his hardest to shoot the star

Swing that hammer!

Smiley & Gina - this is the closest we got to the ice cream! We were good girls. :)

Kassie floatin' in the canoe.

Picture on Register Guard website

Kassie & I had our picture taken on the carousel at the fair yesterday by someone from the Register Guard. I don't know if it's actually in the paper or not, cause we don't get it, but it's on their website. Kassie looks so cute! Gabe is to the right of the picture sitting on the bench in front of us, but he's just a blur cause we were moving pretty fast. Click on the link and check out picture #11.

http://rgweb.registerguard.com/rgn/index.php/rgp/scenes_from_the_2008_lane_county_fair/

Fair Food!!!

Well, today was the biggest challenge of the year for me I think. The County Fair. Normally when we go, I completely indulge. I have a corndog, Pad-Thai meal (lots of bad food!!! But tastes so good!) I have cotton candy, kettle corn, a licorice rope, elephant ear and several really big Pepsi's. Oh, ice cream too. So yes, I pig out completely. Well, today I went in with a goal in mind. Not to eat that much!!! I planned on having maybe a bite of everything, just to get the taste. And I did awesome! I had my 2 eggs for breakfast before we went and then a fat free, sugar free mocha on the way. We walked around for a couple hours before getting lunch. While 7 other people around me enjoyed whatever they wanted, I was good. I had chicken on a stick. So there wasn't much to it. Chicken and a little bit of sauce. And the chicken was about the length of a corndog, but very thin. I drank water. As for the treats, I had one bite of elephant ear, a small one I might add, one small bite of cotton candy, 3 pieces of kettle corn, yes only 3. Chris offered me a bite of chocolate covered frozen cheesecake...and I turned him down!!! I drank water the entire day. No Pepsi at the fair! So we left and I was so proud of myself!!! All this plus the walking, plus my 3 mile workout this morning before we left. We ended up going out for pizza at Abby's with Chris' parents. That was challenging. I was so hungry by then, cause it had been about 4 or 5 hours since I'd eaten. So I got a salad and put a little bit of dressing and 3 croutons on it. Not too bad. I did get a Pepsi, but it was a lot of ice and I only drank about 3/4 of it, and it wasn't a 32 oz, maybe a 20 oz??? And I had one small piece of pizza and 2 bites of another. I did so great! I'm really proud of myself today. This was a challenge that I was afraid I was going to fail. But I kept my motivation in my mind all day and it worked!!! I can't wait to see my final weigh in on Friday morning! I weigh myself everyday, so I know where I'm at, but I'll wait to surprise you all on Friday with the total. :) It's gonna be good, that's all I can say!

Anyway, I just had to share, because this was the very first time I have eaten good at the fair. It was a huge milestone for me!!! So until Friday...

Working Out

Wow, what a difference the last few days have made! Today was day 5 of working out. Normally I take Sunday's off from working out, but today I had the urge to actually get up out of bed after a few short hours of sleep (about 4 cause I couldn't get my brain to turn off last night...again) and pump it up a notch! Instead of the 2 mile workout, I did the 3 mile, which is a 45 minute aerobic workout. I haven't done that one in over 5 years! And when I felt like I couldn't keep going, I pictured my goal in my mind and pushed even harder. And I feel so awesome right now! A little wobbly, but better than I've felt in months! A little motivation from pretty much a complete stranger, who I only talked to once I think. And that's all it took for me. Now I have it in my sights what I am going to do and I'm going for it! In the last 2 days I have actually lost 2.5 pounds! And my stomach actually has lost some of it's bulge! I've decided to cut back on the carbs a bit. Instead of a sandwich, I just ate the tuna straight out of a bowl. It's the little things like that that I have to work on. But I know I can do it now. I have my goal set and I hope to be there and see the results in a few months. It'll be awesome when I get there! So, to anyone who is fighting to lose weight, just wait, your time is coming! It will hit you like a ton of bricks when you least expect it!!!

Weigh In

Oops, forgot to add my weights. Guess I got out of the habit on my little "diet vacation". Here ya go!

6-27-08 (210.5) (Start)
7-4-08 (208.6) (-1.9) (Total loss -1.9) (-.9%)
7-11-08 (212.5) (+3.9) (Total gain +2)
7-18-08 (210.6) (-1.9) (Total gain +.1)
7-25-08 (209.9) (-.7) (Total loss -.6) (-.3%)
8-1-08 (208.7) (-1.2) (Total loss -1.8) (-.9%)
8-8-08 (209.2) (+.5) (Total loss -1.3) (-.6%)

I had a pretty rough week, so I'm not a bit surprised that I gained. But, the good thing is that it was at the beginning of the week that I was showing the gain, so I've managed to lose the last half of the week. It was a lot worse. :) I need to learn stress management!!!

Weigh In/Working Out

So today I kind of slept in. I couldn't sleep last night. Thoughts of different things kept rolling thru my head and I just couldn't get to sleep till after 2:30. My alarm went off at 6, but I didn't get up till 8. But an amazing thing happened today. I woke up and actually looked forward to working out! I wanted to get out of bed and go do it right away. I had some ideas flowing for why I want to lose weight, the reasons I've been trying to and some other strange ideas. Too many to go into here, and a little strange, so I won't get into it. But I have my own little private goal that I'm just not gonna mention. I think part of the problem is opening my mouth to other people, then they have all these high expectations of me. So I'm just not gonna ruin it. It'll be my own little secret. :) But let me tell you, as I was working out this morning, I pushed myself like I have never done before. So something finally clicked. I also thought about what I did wrong last night at bowling. I did so good with my food portions, but stupid me, I drank (2) 32 oz. Pepsi's! I'm not a big tap water fan, it just tastes nasty with the chlorine. But I wasn't thinking about the vending machine with the bottled water! DUH!!! So next time I need to remember to look for bottled water before Pepsi. One of those habits that I've had for so long (Pepsi with bowling - kind of like pizza and beer for some people). So now I need to break it. Anyway, I just had to get on here and share how excited I am! I haven't felt this good and this motivated in quite a while.

Hi!

Well, I've been so obsessed with myspace lately, I've been ignoring the blog that everyone else can see who's not on myspace. :) Not a whole lot of new stuff has been going on, just the typical family stuff and working on the yard a little here and there. I've lost a bit of my ambition as far as the yard goes. We were so gung ho the first few weeks of nice weather, I just got burned out. So now I'm trying to get refocused on it, but it's hard. We're also having some issues with the contractor who owns the lot behind us. He decided to tear down a section of the fence to rebuild it on part of our lot, but he did it without telling us. So there's been some stress there.

I'm also at kind of a low point in my life right now with my self esteem. I've been trying and trying to succeed at Weight Watchers, but for some reason I just can't focus. So I've decided to take a break from it, and just try things on my own once again. I'm actually doing better the last few days. We even had a potluck for the last night of bowling tonight and I controlled myself really well. I was actually really impressed with myself on my eating. I didn't even fill my plate! I think I was putting too much thought into WW, but not enough common sense. So I'm working on it. Maybe one of these days I'll be skinny again. I'm needing that self confidence boost. I think being a stay at home mom has affected me a little too. I have fallen into that whole scene of "I don't have to go to work, so why bother fixing myself up everyday". So I've decided even if I don't go anywhere, I'm gonna start taking care of myself again. I'm gonna fix my hair and do as I would if I were heading out to church or somewhere nice. It's amazing how much it's made me feel better the last few days. I know, it sounds kind of stupid, but hey, if it works, I'm all for it. I'm just hoping that I get back to being skinny and have it boost my emotional state. It's amazing how being over weight makes you feel really crappy all the time.

Well, enough about that. Just had to vent in writing a bit I guess. :) I hope you are all doing well and having a great summer! I would love to hear from anyone I may know out there! Till next time...

Gabe's 8th Birthday!

I just realized since I haven't been blogging that I didn't even post Gabe's 8th birthday! Yikes! So here are some pix of the big birthday boy (2 months ago)! We had a family celebration on his birthday, but on the Saturday before we took him and some of his friends to Chuck E. Cheese and then had a sleep over. Chris had fun playing light sabers with them in the yard later too. They all had a great time!

New bike that may be a little too big still!

Racing at Chuck E. Cheese with Alex

Present time!

Light saber time! Kassie was chasing the boys down!

Weigh In

Here we go again. After gaining back all of my weight plus two extra pounds, I'm back at it. I've decided I can't keep going like this. I'm miserable being this heavy. This is the most I've ever weighed except for being pregnant. I'm only about 9 lbs. away from my weight when I came home from the hospital with Kassie, and she's four years old now. So I figure it's time I crack down and take this seriously. I know that the older I get, the harder it's going to be to lose the weight, so I better do it now. I've decided not to set any short or long term goals, other than my goal weight, and I'm not giving myself any incentives to look forward to. I've found that by setting the goals, if I don't meet it I get very frustrated. So I'm just going to go day by day and see where it gets me. Hopefully skinny. :) I can't afford to go to the meetings, so I'm doing it on my own. So wish me luck, pray for me and send me any ideas you may have for Weight Watchers! I've done it before, so I know I can do it again. Oh, I also did as the WW leader told me (I saw her in the store the other day). I bought a full length mirror last night. I've got it in my bathroom, so I walk by it every single time I go in there. I'm hoping that by actually seeing myself everyday now, not just my head, that it will help motivate me too. I think I'll attach a skinny picture of myself on there too, for a little added motivation.

Starting weight: 210.5
Goal weight: 150

Weigh In

Well, I've had some ups and downs along the way with my weight loss. This week is my "break the cycle" week. I had two small losses the last two weeks, but my pattern has been when I have two losses, my next WI is a gain. So this week I am determined to break that cycle! I'm gonna have 3 losses in a row if it kills me! And my other goal for the week is to break 200. So I need to lose at least 1.7 lbs. to be under 200. That's my goal. I should be able to do it if I stick to counting points. The last couple days I haven't, but with the kids gone, I've been doing what I please. :) So tomorrow it's back on track.

12-6-07 (208.6) (Start)
12-20-07 (207.8) (-.8) (Total loss -.8) (-.4%)
1-3-08 (211.2) (+3.4) (Total gain +2.6)
1-10-08 (205.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -2.8) (-1.3%)
1-17-08 (202.8) (-3) (Total loss -5.8) (-2.8%)
1-24-07 (205) (+2.2) (Total loss -3.6) (-1.7%)
2-7-08 (205) (-) (Total loss -3.6) (-1.7%)
2-21-08 (208.4) (+3.4) (Total loss -.2) (-.1%)
2-28-08 (205) (-3.4) (Total loss -3.6) (-1.7%)
3-6-08 (202.4) (-2.6) (Total loss -6.2) (-2.8%)
3-13-08 (202.8) (+.4) (Total loss -5.8) (-2.8%)
3-20-08 (202) (-.8) (Total loss -6.6) (-3.2%)
3-27-08 (201.6) (-.4) (Total loss -7) (-3.4%)

Kassie's 4th Birthday!!!

Well, my baby girl is finally 4! I can't believe it! She thinks because she is 4 that she can do pretty much whatever she wants. Well, think again!!! Here is her new bike and helmet we got her for her birthday, and the knee and elbow pads and gloves Gabe got her (he even picked them out himself). She is so excited cause it's a "big girl bike". Amazingly enough, she's really good at riding it! She's even better at braking though, which I guess is a good thing. :)

Kids update...

Well, since all I've been posting lately has been about the house, I thought I'd also throw in some pictures of our cute little munchkins. They just got back from their Grammy Sue and Grandpa John's house where they were for 2 nights (giving me the time to finally get something accomplished here! And get some of my sanity back for a little while at least). :) Anyway, last Saturday we went to an Easter egg hunt in Creswell, then Sunday we all went to the church breakfast and service, then had a quiet afternoon at home, just the four of us. Kassie was a little tuckered out, as you can tell below.

House pictures!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted house pix, so since we've been working like busy little bees, I thought I'd show you what we've been up to. I got my scrapbook room organized last week, so all that's left is a little bit of painting, hanging stuff up, changing outlets and light switches, then it's time to play! Well, after I'm done painting Gabe's dresser drawers that is. I have 16, so it could take a while. :)

Scrapbook room before:

Scrapbook room after:

To the right is the closet space, which I never did take a picture of, so you'll just have to get an idea from looking at this picture from before:

Closets after:

Entryway, looking in from outside (before):

Entryway after:

Ugly light and cabinets before:

Nice place to hang coats and hats now:

Before:

After:

Benches that Chris built:

Looking into entryway from living room:

We still need to put crown moulding up around the ceiling and then on the benches Chris is going to add some little drawer things for hats/gloves. But it's done for the most part. What d'ya all think? A little better than the pink and blue they had before I think! :)

More demolition!

Well, I couldn't take it any longer. Our small bathroom at the back of the house was driving me nuts. I'm a bit chlosterphobic and it's so dinky, so I don't like to go in there. We plan on remodeling it anyway, and the shower was nasty so we never use it, so I decided to tear it apart tonight. It was a little more than I anticipated, so Chris had to come to my rescue. I tell ya what, the guy who lived here before loved to nail and screw as much as he could to make sure whatever it was didn't go anywhere. And he attached everything to everything else. So there was a lot of wood breaking all around. Nothing bad though, so it's liveable. It's just ugly. :) So we're hoping we won Powerball tonight so we can fix it now, rather than wait till we have money to do it. It's not likely, but it sounds good, right? Well, here's a couple pictures of Chris doing the major demolition (the part that I couldn't do).

Here is the bathroom before we even moved in. It's hard to see, because it's so small so I couldn't get a good picture, but the shower sits right next to the toilet and the other side of the shower is actually attached to the cabinet for the sink. There just isn't much room to move.

Here's Chris in the middle of trying to figure out how the heck that darn wall is supposed to come out of there! He looks happy, but he's really cussing under his breath at me for involving him in this after he got home from work. But hey, I fed him dinner first, so he can't complain. :)

And here's the "finished" project. It is definitely ugly, but I don't get panicky in there anymore. So now I'll actually get in there to clean it!

Blooming flowers!

We have our first flowers in our new house! There is so much stuff, we have no idea what most of it is. I have a feeling though, there are a lot of daffodils. There are bulbs popping up everywhere and a bunch of them are starting to bloom. Here's the first batch from the backyard! I think I'm going to cut some tomorrow and put them in a vase on my table. I haven't had flowers from my own yard on our table in a very long time. It's about time!

Also, does anyone know what kind of flowers these are? They are all over and are so pretty, but we don't know what they are.

Well, that's it for now. I'll have to post some more pix soon! We're working away on the house, slowly but surely. I can't believe how time consuming it all is!

NEW OVEN!!!!

I have to say, I love the delivery and installation guys!!! Talk about perfect timing! The delivery guy pulled up, and as soon as he was done unloading it off the dolly, the contractor walked in the door. They both made my day!!! And guess what? The oven works! And it's beautiful! I of course had to add a picture, cause it's so beautiful! Actually, I had to add three, cause even the knobs are fancy! And it's all digital for the oven. The kids are already begging me to make a cake today. They've been deprived for 3 months now. :) I've never had an oven this fancy before, and the best part about it is I didn't have to pay a dime! Actually, the best part about it, is I'm done dealing with the warranty company (as long as they send me my money for the installation, that is). Guess I better get busy reading the directions so I can bake that cake.

New dishwasher!!!

Well, we finally got our new dishwasher last week. It's been a very long process, but it's finally coming together. This is the nicest dishwasher we have ever had, so it's really nice to have! It's a lot quieter and has more features than I know what to do with! I'm opting to not use the heat dry, cause my dad told me they wear out faster that way and it runs the power bill up, which we don't need right now. So that's taking some getting used to, having to dry them off after they get done, but it's so worth it! We are getting the new oven delivered tomorrow and then someone is coming on Friday morning to install it. I'm really excited about that!!! Now, you may be wondering how we afford all this. Well, we don't. The seller's bought us a 1 year home warranty that covers these things if they break, so since all the appliances are 18+ years old, they're starting to fall apart already. I'm not big on the customer service this company has given us, and how long it's taken, but saving us as much money as it would have cost us to replace these is worth it I guess. So this week-end I'll actually get to use my oven! I haven't cooked or baked in the one we currently have cause it burned everything I made. And no, I'm not THAT bad of a cook! :) The thermostat was off by so much, it just doesn't work right. So I'll be posting a picture of my oven Friday! Be watching for it! And pretty soon I'll post pix of the entryway that Chris has been working on. He just has crown moulding to put up and then it'll be done and I'll show pix of that. We're getting there, slowly but surely.

Working Out

I just got done with my 2 mile WATP workout. So I'm up to 4 miles for February. I ended up not sticking to my points yesterday, but at least so far I've met my goal for exercise! It's kind of fun to watch my ticker walk across that ladder and know that I am on my way to gettin' skinny!

TAC

For those of you who don't know, I've decided to quit selling TAC. I just don't have the time to work it as a business. I'm not going to leave the company, but I'm just going inactive. Who knows, maybe someday down the road I might have more time to do it, but for now it's just too much added stress. So I'm going to just be a customer now, as long as I can find some money to go spend on it! LOL! Let me know if you need someone to order from, cause I have several people I would recommend!

Weigh In

Well, it's been a bad couple of weeks. Last weeks weigh in was a 2.2 lb. gain. I didn't even go this week. I gave up for the week and just took a break. We've had some issues with our warranty place trying to get an oven and dishwasher and it's been going on for almost 2 months now. I've been dealing with a lot of not so smart people and I didn't deal well with the stress. So I just binged. Kinda stupid, I know. But I got back on track today. I worked out, did my 2 mile Walk Away the Pounds video, then had breakfast. I set an exercise goal for myself for the month of February. I'm going to do my 2 mile video 6 days a week all month. I'm on week 9 of WW and when you get to week 16 you get a little charm to add to your 10% keychain. Well, at the rate I'm going, I'm gonna get that charm before I actually get the keychain. So I decided I need to kick myself into high gear and work harder. So I'm going to force myself to do this. My friend Gina told me I need to just set it up like an appointment and work out everyday at that time and not get side tracked. So I stayed in bed longer today (which was nice) and just took Gabe to school (minus me taking a shower) and came home and worked out right away so that I wouldn't find something else to do. So we'll see how this goes.

12-6-07 (208.6) (Start)
12-20-07 (207.8) (-.8) (Total loss -.8) (.4%)
1-3-08 (211.2) (+3.4) (Total gain +2.6)
1-10-08 (205.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -2.8) (1.3%)
1-17-08 (202.8) (-3) (Total loss -5.8) (2.8%)
1-24-07 (205) (+2.2) (Total loss -3.6) (1.7%)

New ticker

I just added a new ticker. Weight Watchers sets a 10% goal when you start. Mine is 20 pounds. As soon as I hit that mark, I get a 10% keychain. Now, both times I have gone to WW meetings I have not made it to my 10% goal. So this time I am determined to do it. So watch me "run" to my goal!

Weigh In

Had my second weigh in last night (well, second when I've actually been counting points). :) I did really good all week. I even ate Taco Bell and counted points!!! I need to start the exercise part of it, then I'll do even better. But I lost 3 pounds last night, so that's pretty good I think. I got my first 5 pound star too, so that was cool. Now I just have 14.2 to go until I get my 10% keychain. I'm looking forward to that! Well, I better go and eat breakfast, otherwise I'll forget about it altogether and that could throw off my whole day. So I'll be back next week with another great weigh in, or maybe sooner with some pictures of our house! Chris is working on the entryway currently, so I'll post some pix of that this week-end maybe. Tata for now!

12-6-07 (208.6) (Start)
12-20-07 (207.8) (-.8) (Total loss -.8) (.4%)
1-3-08 (211.2) (+3.4) (Total gain +2.6)
1-10-08 (205.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -2.8) (1.3%)
1-17-08 (202.8) (-3) (Total loss -5.8) (2.8%)

Weigh In

Well, tonight was a great weigh in! I ended up losing 5.4 pounds! Now, had I not gained last week, this would have been an even better loss. But I'm on the right track. I stayed focused all week long and didn't touch fast food. I cut way back on the pop, even drinking diet!!! That's not a normal thing for me. For those who know me well, I can't stand diet. But I put on a new attitude, and things went well, as you can see by the loss. My WW leader made a huge deal out of it tonight at the meeting too, so that really helped. I went and got my Taco Bell fix and had some ice cream, but I'm ready to start my week right tomorrow. I have a whole new attitude about weight loss this time around. I blew up some skinny pictures of me and posted them on the fridge, so if I feel the need to eat something bad, I just look at those pictures and realize where I want to go this year with my weight and I walk away. I haven't been eating whatever I want. I just walk away and drink a glass of water and I'm good after that. So I'm really proud of myself. Here are my current stats:

12-6-07 (208.6) (Start)
12-20-07 (207.8) (-.8) (Total loss -.8)
1-3-08 (211.2) (+3.4) (Total gain +2.6)
1-10-08 (205.8) (-5.4) (Total loss -2.8)

Demolition Day!

Well, I decided I'd had enough of the little benches in our dining area. Those benches were nothing but a pain, so I took it upon myself to tear them out. I figured Chris has enough to do on the rest of the house plus working, so I played the construction girl today. To tell you the truth, it was kind of fun. :) Great way to take out some aggressions. :) So here are some before and after pix. I can't believe the difference in paint color, what was there before and then the white that we used before we moved in. The only problem, I have more painting to do. But that'll be another day. I'm in no hurry for painting. I'd love to get the house unpacked first!

Here is the wall. You can really see the difference in color here.

Now, on to the lineoleum. That'll be down the road a little ways, cause there's a lot of floor to cover in there!