Another update from me...about weight loss

I made the decision last month to cancel my Weight Watchers membership. I really didn't see the point if the only thing I was doing was a weekly weigh followed by a mental beating for not losing weight.

I wasn't keeping my food log.
I wasn't exercising.
And, along the lines of the first one, I wasn't keeping track of my daily points.

So what was the point of paying almost $20 a month to hate my fat. I can do that for free.

If you don't already know, I gained back the weight I lost last year. And while I do want to lose it and keep it off, a diet isn't really going to make that happen.

I need a change in what I eat, completely. Not just frequently. And I need it to be fairly easy to keep up with.

I'm looking into the 21 day Fix through Beach Body. And I'm also looking into Plexus. Both, however, are expensive so I'm not fully sure if that's the route I want to take. So I'm still doing my research. And I've accepted the fact that I needed to go up a size in pants (bring on more fat hating). Hopefully I'll have my answers soon. I don't really want to wait until the beginning of the year and be lumped into that group.

And I want something that will stick with me even when I reach my goal weight. I want healthy, not gimmick.

Here's to saying goodbye to the fat!

Weight Loss is H-A-R-D...HARD!

As a lot of you may, or may not, know, I started a weight loss journey last year. It was also an attempt to get healthy.

I lost 15 pounds. Then I stopped.

I stopped losing.

I stopped keeping track of what I was eating (food diary).

And I stopped the limited working out I was doing.

As of last week, I had gained back most of what what I'd lost. Thankfully it took a year to gain it back. And thankfully I didn't gain all of it back.

But really got me was this:

It's a little dark (ok, it's a lot dark), but just look for the outline of the red shirt. That is my...in all my fat glory!

I feel so disgusting looking at this picture. I mean, I know my pants have been tighter...I can feel it. And some that fit me last year don't anymore.

But it's amazing what 15 pounds can do to you and your self image and self esteem.

So last Monday I got back on the band wagon with Weight Watchers. Thankfully I'm wasn't all the way back at the beginning...but I was close.

Last Monday, September 15, I weighed 246.3.

This Monday, September 22, I weighed 244.8. Down 1.5!

I worked out one day last week for about 25 minutes. And I kept a better food diary than I had in a while.

The hardest part is remember to write down, or keep track on the app, of what I eat every day. But, at the same time, it keeps me accountable to what goes in my mouth and mindful of how many points I have each week.

This week I've worked out one day for about 45 minutes - mixing it up with some stationary bike then some free weights, lunges, squats, and sit up. (My bootay is giving me grief for that, too!!) I hope to get in another work out before the work-week is over, cause I can pretty much guarantee it won't happen over the weekend.


I've also been working on my fruit intake. That has helped, too. Oh, and drinking water (which I hate to do) as much as possible. I even put a glass of ice water by my bed to drink in the morning before I leave the room for coffee or anything else.

I want to go back to keeping track of things with you, my viewers, here, too. I think that will help with the accountability, too. My plan is to go with Mondays, as that is my day to weigh in. But I just wanted to go ahead and get things started tonight while it was on my mind.

So, that's where that is. Thanks for bearing with me and my ups and downs.

Until the next time...

Weightloss Journey

As the first day of 2014 I thought I'd keep with tradition and do the usual weight loss goal for my year. I know, everyone sets out at the beginning of the year with a weight loss or healthier lifestyle goal. And about February, everyone has given up on that goal.

I did the same thing last year, only I made it to about June or July before throwing in the towel, for the most part. I didn't fully give up...I was still paying for weight watchers and I was still keeping track of my food (most days, or maybe two - three days a week). But I wasn't really enthused about it anymore.

I lost about 15 pounds the first three to four months last year. Which, when you think about, is pretty good! I was okay with that. But then I hit a wall. I gained a pound; I lost a pound; I lost another pound; I gained a pound back. No matter what I would do, including boot camp twice a week at one point (only for a month, though...might have been the problem), I couldn't push past that mark. And I need to push past it...I'm still about 50 pounds over weight (based on medical information).  *Thankfully, I'm tall and can hide it very well...but I feel it, so it doesn't really matter that much.*

So while my goal is lose weight and get healthy this year, it's more about pushing past that wall I've hit. I'm going to make a  more conscious effort to do more activities and be more active. I bought some work out stuff the other day at Walmart that I'll be testing out later today...I'm actually excited about it! And I've done some research for stuff I can do at home...squat challenges, ab challenges, etc.

Don't get me wrong, we have a gym here at our apartment complex. And I plan to use the treadmill from time to time. But if you've been around this blog long enough you know that I get extremely board walking/running in place. And I have no workout partner, so stepping out on the street isn't in my plan. I'll need to do what I can here at home. On the flip side, Mr S is back on his call center schedule, so he'll be home when I am and we can go to the gym together (when he goes). That will be nice and some helpful motivation...since I HATE going alone!

I'm still going to do weight watchers as it seems to be a good method to keeping track of my food. I'm also going to pick back up with my weekly posts. I want to stay accountable to someone...and you, my blogging dolls, are the winners for that category! I also have a co-worker that is getting married in May and she is stepping up her game too. That will help with encouragement on the work front...we just work different hours and can't work out together, usually.

But I'm determined to make this work. I'm tired of being heavy. I'm tired of one flight of stairs winding me. I'm tired of rolls, muffin top, and back fat rolls! I want to be able to wear my swimsuit and not feel uncomfortable about my hips, belly, and thighs. I want to wear skirts and not feel ashamed of my legs. I want me knees to not hurt when I walk all day because they've been carrying around an extra 50 pounds that they shouldn't have to carry.

I want to be healthy!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 30

So it's been 30 weeks. I'm more than half way through the year. And I don't really feel like the results are there that I wanted to be there. But I'm going to keep going!

Today's Weigh in (because I missed it yesterday):  233.1
Difference from last week:  -1.4

WOOHOO for a loss this week! I don't really know what I did to make that loss happen. But I'm glad it did.

I think, no, I know that I need to do something different. I need to have more healthy foods in the house. And I need to work out more.

But right now, healthy food is too expensive for a couple only having one income.

And I have no motivation to work out lately.

Hopefully the mindset will change when I get a job. I'll feel like I'm contributing more and will be able to focus more on what I want to do and get done.

So, happy Tuesday, y'all. I hope you have a wonderful week!

Oh, and speaking of the job, I hope to have some good news on that front before the end of the week!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 28

I have been doing this for 28 weeks. There have been many ups and downs...sometimes for ups then downs. And when I say ups I mean gains...bad ups, not good ups.

Thankfully, this past week was a down. (Again, for today's blog post, downs are good...ups are bad).

This morning's weigh in:  233.9
Difference from last week:  -1.1

I have no idea what worked for me and what didn't. I only logged my food two full days. Mr S and I had a birthday party on Saturday where there was A TON of Philipino food...and I ate quite a bit of it. We were at the in-laws yesterday for BBQ, in honor of Mr S birthday, where, again, I ate a lot of food...especially my father-in-law's potato salad. OH. MY. GOODNESS! Is that stuff ever delish!! (and it's the only potato salad I go back for seconds, thirds, etc., for) And I only worked out one day last week.

So, again, no idea what worked to lose that pound.

But this week will be different. I'm going to track my food. I'm going to try to get in more than one work out this week. And I'm also going to try to mix up my work out. I usually do cardio - Elliptical and stationary bike. I want to get in some strength training, too, and get my flab toned up some.

So here's to all of us on this constant journey to get healthy and lose weight! Keep up the good work, dolls!

And may all your weight loss dreams come true!!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 24

24 weeks! It doesn't seem like it's been that long. I'm almost half way through the year! And, unfortunately, I'm not where I thought I would be by the time I got here.

Today's weight:  233.2
Difference from last week:  +.06
Total since 12/31/2012:  -16.5

This week I kept to my plan. I actually got three days of exercise in! WOOHOO!
Monday:  20 minutes Dance Central on the Xbox Kinect
Wednesday:  Walking around for about an hour at a very slow place (translate shopping)
Friday:  I ventured to the gym here at the complex for some mechanical stuff - stationary bike and elliptical. I was there for about 30 minutes actually on equipment.

Bonus day: Sunday in the in-laws pool playing with little bro (who isn't so little anymore) and little sis.

I know, shopping really isn't a work out. And to you, it may not be. But I sit on Bootay ALL.WEEK. If I'm up walking around for longer than an hour, even if it's a slow stroll through the aisle of Target, I'm going to count it. Now if I'm only there for 10 minutes, it doesn't count to me. I do more sitting in the car to get there than I did actually walking around. But I'll count anything over a half hour. Especially if I'm walking at the Mall or Disneyland cause I'm usually at a faster pace there than anywhere else.

I did pretty okay with my points, too. I went over on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday. But I think having the exercise points helped. I have it set to pull from those before it pulls my extra points for the week. I also drank a lot of water. More than usual. It was actually a little annoying cause I'm not much of a water drinker. But it was good, too.

This week I want to keep up what I've been doing. Mr S is gone still, so I need to find something to keep me occupied. And why not take myself to the gym more. I'm pretty sure I get more activity points there than I do walking around the mall for an hour.

Besides, I actually feel less hungry and more stasfied when I've worked out. That's kind of a good thing, right?

Happy Monday, y'all. Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Weekly Weigh in - Week 23

I am so excited!! All that weight I gained during my vacation...I lost it! And the weight I gained the week before (the week that ended with me at my parents for three days)...I lost that too!!

Today's Weigh in:  232.6
Difference from last week:  -4.5
Total lost since 12/31:  17.1

With this loss comes a change in daily points. My allotment for each day has dropped a point. I'm not working with 36 points a day. This is probably the hardest part of losing. It usually takes me a week to adjust, which also means a bit of a gain. But I've got fruit in the fridge that I'll be using for snacks, instead of other stuff. And I'll be making a grocery trip today or tomorrow to restock for the rest of the week.

And, starting this afternoon after work, I'm officially declaring to you that I'm back on the exercise wagon! There...it's out there...no you get to hold me accountable. I'll know that each week you'll be reading my report to see what I've done. Feel free, in future weeks, to tell me when you don't see anything about what exercises I did the previous week! I need that accountability.

My plan is to utilize the wonderful work-out games we bought for the Xbox Kinect. I also have a Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred (I've done this before for a few days...killer workout!). I would also like to make my way to the apartment gym once or twice to get on either the elliptical or treadmill and the stationary bike.

All of this will help adjust to my new daily points balance!

I'm just so thrilled! I love to see the weight come off. And last week was a bit of a blah week, so that makes me feel even better about it!

Well, back to work for me. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Weekly weigh in - week 20

I didn't do this yesterday. Not for lack of wanting to, but it just didn't happen due to my schedule.

Monday's weight: 235.7

Difference:  +2.something (I don't remember)

I did none of my goals last week. The only good things I did we're salads a couple days for lunch and two work outs. But halfway through the week I quit recording my food, for the most part. I did no food logs the weekend. In my defense, Mr. S and I were celebrating my birthday a weekend early because of our travel schedules (more on that in another post). So I was expecting a gain.

And I find myself slipping into the same thing again this week. I'm on the road again. This time is not good. I have no excuse till the weekend...my birthday weekend I'll be spending with my parents. Nothing throws off a weigh loss like momma's home cookin!

I'm not really going to set goals for this week. I would like to maintain, that's the main/biggest. I do need to get a couple workouts in, if possible. And drink more water. 

To top it all off in the struggle this week, my period is due in a day or two. Hooray for water gain! 

But, all in all, I feel good! And I've had people that know me comment that I look like I've lost weight...which is always a good thing!

PS...this is my first mobile post using a new app

Weekly Weigh In - Week 19

I really can't believe it's been 19 weeks since I started this journey. Part of me feels like I should be further along...and I probably should be. But I also know that weightloss isn't just a down hill journey. There will be some ups along the way (with regards to weight, not emotions).

*Epiphany - for every down you have in weight, you have an up in emotions. And for every up in weight you have a down in emotions. I'm sure there is some kind of "scientific" theory here that can be related, but it's too early and I haven't had enough coffee yet.  :)

On to the stats:

Today's Weight:  232.7
Difference:  -1.2
Total Lost To Date:  17 pounds.

I know this probably would be less if not for yesterday. We celebrated mother's day with my in-laws. And there were chips and dip. Chips and dip are probably my biggest weakness. I could, literally, sit around all day with a bag of chips and a container of Dean's Ranch Dip and be happier than a hog in slop (Southern euphanism). However, those binges are what got me where I am today. Unfortunately that means I have very little restraint with regards to chips and dip on the table. I tried to be good yesterday, and I did have some success...I didn't eat as many as I normally would. But, also unfortunately, there weren't any healthy alternatives out to pull my taste buds away (like fruit). Had I know that going in, I may have had Mr S stop for a fruit platter to "contribute" to the day.

And that leads me to today. Once again I find myself in an airport bound for someplace other than home. I have a lot of driving ahead of me today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Which means munchies. So one of my goals this week is to find healthy alternatives to satisfy my munchie cravings when I drive.

I also brought my work out clothes. That means another goal will be attempting to get some consistency with the work outs this week. At least getting more than one in.

And, as always on these trips, making wise food choices.

Goals:
1.  Healthy, filling snacks while driving
2.  Work out at least 2-3 times this week
3.  Meal/restaurant planning for better food.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Let's make this an amazing week!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 18 (You win some, you lose some)

This week was not a good week for me! I struggled with food. And I didn't record ANYTHING most of the week.

Today's Weigh In:  333.9
Difference since last week:  +2

What didn't work for me was not keeping track of what I ate all week. Had I done that, I probably wouldn't have eaten some of the things I did...like the "hostess" chocolate cupcakes on Monday and Wednesday (one on each day - probably worth about 10 points each, but not sure), or the bag of Smart Food White Cheddar Popcorn I consumed over the week. See...just not a good week.

And this week...we have no food in the house! I have some money before payday on Friday. I'll be getting a few things, but not much. So it should be interesting to see how it pans out this week.

Then I'm gone for almost two and a half weeks straight! Tack on to the end of that by birthday. It's kind of a busy month around here.

I need to work on staying focused on my goal. I should already be past the 20 pound mark by now. And I'm annoyed with myself for not doing any better at keeping up with things so that I could be.

But I can do this. And I will do this! I'm tired of being unhealthy. This is a change that I need to make and I need to focus.

And I need to WORK OUT! I really think if I could just get on the treadmill or the bike or the elliptical a few days a week (at least 30 minutes each/combined), I wouldn't be holding steady at the 15 pounds lost mark. I think a 3-day a week work out would really go a long ways in helping me get healthy and get the weight off. And it would help add a good habit to my life!

So my goals this week:
1.  FOOD!
2.  WORK OUT!
3.  WATER - drink more!

 

 Found this website (where the two above pictures are from). I'll probably be using them more in my future posts...they have some great stuff!!

It's a new week...Make the best of it! No looking back...only looking forward!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 17

I HAVE FINALLY BROKEN THE 16 POUND MARK!!!

You have no idea how totally stoked I am for this accomplishment! I feel like I've been hovering between 233 and 234 for WEEKS. Okay, so it's really only been 2 weeks, maybe 3...but it has felt like FOREVER!

This morning's weigh in:  231.9

Differnce from last week:  -3.1

Total weight lost since 12/31/2012:  17.8

So...I had to go back through my weight tracking to see what I've lost, total. And I have been bouncing from 135 to 133 for about seven weeks. I knew I wasn't going crazy!

Anyway...

Once again, I'm heading out of town again. That means that, once again, one of my weekly goals will be keeping an eye on what I eat and making better choices when I eat out. I'll be in three different hotels this week, so it'll be a little harder to shop. But I can shop at lunch instead of eating out. We'll see how it goes.

I also need to work on the exercise. Surprisingly, I didn't do ANY this past week. So that needs to change. I packed my stuff to work out this week, so I'm hoping I'm not too worn out at the end of the day to get in some time on the treadmill.

Those are my goals for the week.

Happy Monday! And thanks for joining me on this journey!

Weekly Weign In - Week 14

I'm out of town this week, but wanted to make sure to update y'all on the status.

Weight:  133.3 (as of Sunday Morning).

I did my weigh in a day early because I left Sunday for my trip and I knew I wouldn't have access to the same scale I have at home.

And, since I'm gone this week, I'm keeping this post short.

My goals this week are:

1.  Healthy meal choices
2.  Some form of exercise

I didn't reach my small goal fo 20 pounds before this trip, thanks to the weekend of Wonder-Con and Legoland. But I did lose the weight I gained that weekend, and then some. So I'm ok with that.

This is journey. It's not going to happen in one day, despite my desire for it to do so. So I just need to sit back and enjoy the process of eating more healthy and adding healthy routines to my life.

Until later...

Weekly Weigh in - Week 8

Some times I wonder if my scale is telling me the truth.

236.0 was my weight this morning. I lost 2.5 pounds this week. My total weight loss is now 13.7, which means I've met my first WW goal - 5% loss (or 12.5 pounds).

So I set a new goal today - 10 % (or 25 pounds lost). I'm half way there, so I can do this!!

So why do I wonder about the truth of it. Because yesterday I found a new restaurant that serves one of my favorites, as a true Southerner - Fried Catfish. But, when I put it in the points calculator, it didn't come up as much as thought it would. But then there was the Peach Cobbler that I had, and well, that made up for the lack of points from the catfish. I ate well over my allotted points for the day and used some of my extras.

And then there were a total of 3 Activity points for the week. THREE!!

And yet I still lost 2.5 pounds. I think, with the exception of the first week, that's my biggest weekly loss so far.

Don't get me wrong...I'm fine with that. I just wonder, sometimes, what is going on with my body that the loss is so weird when my food intake seems to not vary much (I save my extra weekly points for the weekends so I have a little more wiggle room as that's when we usually do most of our eating out since Mr S works M-F like me).

This week I'm on the road again. So if you've been following this weekly adventure, you know what my goals are:
1.  Healthy, smart choices for food.
2.  Activity points, as always.

Happy Monday, y'all!!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 7

I can't beleive I've been on this journey for 7 weeks now! It really doesn't seem that long, which is a good thing, I guess.

Today's weigh in - 238.5!

Good, right? Well, sort of.

As you know, last weekend I gained thanks to Disneyland and poor choices on my part (I accept most of the responsibility, but not all!). Then I was out of town for the rest of Monday until Friday afternoon. I have to admit, I did pretty good. With the exception of a couple questionable choices at lunch, most of what I ate were good decisions. But there was very little exercise. I did get a little walking in each day, but not enough to really be worth anything - 10 minutes here and there, depending on the day (mostly from having to park a block from my destination and walk to/from). I think that may have been in my favor because when I weighed myself Saturday I was shocked to see I had LOST WEIGHT during the week I was gone! Like quite a bit of weight...okay, fine, I'll tell you...I was 237 Saturday Morning!!

See where today's weight might not be so great? BUT...I'm back to over 10 pounds lost, so I am ok with today (besides, some not-so-great food decisions were made on Saturday and Sunday so I was kind of expecting this).

I'm still completely STUNNED that I lost last week while on the road. But I'm thrilled, too. Because it means that I can do this while I travel. I passed my biggest hurdle so far!

And, to be honest, all those little 10-20 minutes of walking added up: I hit my goal of 10 activity points for a week!

Who knew my week away from home would be the week I met some pretty great goals?!?!

So now that I'm back home, it's back on track for me. Especially regarding food! And maybe, just maybe, I'll talk myself into a lap around the complex every day to get my activity points in, too!

Goals for this week:
* ACTIVITY POINTS!!! (as always - this is going to be key to my continued loss)

Happy Monday, y'all!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 5

I DID IT!!!

I finally hit the 10 pound marker!!

239.5!! WOOHOO!!

I did pretty good this week on the road. Monday I had sushi. Nothing fancy, just plain Cali roll and Shrimp Tempura roll. They're a little less in points than all the fun stuff. But it's kind of nice to do something plain for a change. Then the rest of the week I either did low calorie snacks (about 2-3 points each depending on what it was) or ventured into a grocery store for salad/fruit stuff. All in all, it was a good week, even with the Super Bowl party yesterday.

I accomplished one of my two goals for last week:
Good decisions on the road - check!
Activity points - no check. 

So that is the goal for this week - ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY!!

But I feel a renewed motivation. I don't know what it was about the 10 pound mark, but it just seemed so elusive. Now that I've reached it, I feel like I have a renewed purpose.

If I maintain at the rate I'm at, I will be my initial goal weight by the summer! That makes me very happy! (I realize at some point I will plateau, but for now I'm not focusing on that. I'll deal with it when it gets here.)

Happy Monday, y'all!

Weight Loss Weekly - Week 1

Well, it's been a whole week of doing Weight Watchers. For the most part it's been fairly easy. So easy that there were three days I didn't eat all my points. Which is technically not the way this is supposed to work. However, I more than made up for that yesterday - I ate all my daily points and all but 10 of my weekly "freedom" points (the points you're allotted each week for when you splurge or have a day out or whatever).

Despite my mega splurge yesterday, I lost 3.9 pounds last week! It's not a lot, but I'm still excited that I'm making progress.

While I didn't keep a daily food log to post on here for you (I do log it, but online or via my phone to the WW points tracker), I'll break it down some. I'm allowed 39 points a day in regular foods. It's one of the things I love about doing the Weight Watchers program. You truly can eat whatever you want...it's just more about portion control. And you do need to focus on eating the right things, too. But it helps knowing that if I want a cookie or a piece of cake, I can have it (in moderation). I also have 49 extra points to use during the week. These are used when I go over my daily points (like yesterday) to give a little cushion.

Now, I've been weighing myself every day this week because I want to see the daily changes. This kind of gives me an idea of what works and what doesn't. And I discovered something that DOES NOT work for me - using my weekly points all in one day (like yesterday). When I weighed in yesterday morning I had lost 4.9 pounds. Then Mr S and I had two meals out (we were supposed to be at Disneyland yesterday, but because of the weather our plans to meet up with friends was cancelled and we had not prepared anything for back up meals at home). Those two meals cost me all of my daily points and most of my weekly splurge points. They also cost me a pound gained. While the weekly splurge points are there as cushion, I am not one who can use them and see the same results as if I didn't.

Another thing that helps is activity points. Depending on the exercise and the amount of time you do it, you can earn points. For example, a 20 minute walk on the treadmill set to 3MPH gives me an extra 2 points to use (if I want). I don't have to use them. And I can set my system up to pull from Activity Points before pulling from the weekly splurge points (which I do).

One of my biggest issues, no and in the past, has been meal planning. I need to eat healthy, low points food...but I need to make things Mr S will eat, too! I still haven't set a week's plan in place, and I probably won't until there is a little more grocery money (and we have food we can use right now). Eating healthy is not cheap!! But, with the help of a couple friends that are also on WW, we've found some various websites that have A TON of great, healthy recipes! Here's some of the sites I've been pulling from:

Emily Bites
Hungry Girl
Skinny Taste
Spark People Recipes

I've done three recipes from Emily Bites:  Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes, Slow Cooker Taco Chili, and Four Cheese Sausage Stuffed Shells. All have been approved my Mr S! In fact, the Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes will be making a reappearance today in honor of the BCS Championship Bowl Game! And since I'm making them again, I'll actually take pictures and post the recipe later (maybe tomorrow).

Since this post has gotten way longer than planned, I'll end here. Next week will be shorter with my weigh in, what I did this week as far as points usage and activity points, and a new recipe I tried this week. And I'll also include a goal for the following week.

Goal for this week:  8-10 Activity points earned!

To all those who are on this weight loss journey, regardless of the plan you're on, I hope you meet all the goals you've set for your self!

A look back

It's so hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2011. Where did the time go?!?!

I went back through my old posts and found this where I said what I was going to do this year. HA!! Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with a resolution. However, in my defense, there were two that I accomplished...well, one and a half.

Apparently I like to start at the end and work backwards, because that's the one that I did accomplish: #5 - Blog more. And my #4 is my half - read more. I did the 100+ book challenge (here and blogged my list here) and I'm not quite done with book number 50. But I gave it a good shot. And if she does the challenge again, I'll join again.

As fore #3, #2 and #1...well, looks like those will be on the list again. I did do a couple classes towards my BS, but not enough to really put a dent in my required balance. My first class of 2010, Theories of Personality, starts on Wednesday! #3 got put on hold due to the paying for our nuptials, and all that entailed. But I'm already back on track with that one and I even have a head start - I paid off two store cards last week!! And my lovely Mr S has paid off two of his cards as well (unfortunately, we brought some debt into this union). See...we're well on the way!!

And then there was #1. That is still my #1 priority this year! I joined Weight Watchers about four months before the wedding. I lost 10, gained 5, then have maintained since then. Which was great at the time - no alterations needed on the wedding dress is ok by me!! But this is not ok any more. I am over weight. Those that know me or have seen me in person may not think so, but I'm a tall chica and can hid those pounds very well!! According to what all the nutritional stuff says (based on height, age, bone structure, etc) I'm 75 pounds over weight. However, based on me and what I know about myself, I would look anorexic if I lost that much weight! So I'm shooting for a loss of 50. That will put me down two sizes, too, which will be nice! My biggest hurdle is exercise. I hate it!! Eating right, I can do that all day long...but exercise and I are not friends.

This is how I feel about running:

I'm not sure where I'll start on the exercise regime...but I know I'll start somewhere. To be honest, the Wii Fit was nice...when I was doing it. There's also the Wii Dance Party we currently have through GameFly...but that has to go back soon. (the game may turn into an investment...that or the Zumba one) I've thought of C25K...but if you would look to the above picture, you'll see how I really feel about that!! I've got a ton of ideas on Pinterest for different exercises and plans and such. I guess it's just picking one and going for it.

Anyway, enough about all that. Back to goals and looking forward. I really don't think my goals have changed and I'm not sure about adding anything. But I'll give you more about that in my next post.

For now...I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's weekend!

Hugs...

It's been a while...

What, like two weeks now. Sorry to those of you that are faithful readers! Here's my updates:

Foodie Fridays: I flew home from Atlanta on the 26th. From the time my plane landed in San Diego to the time I walked through my front door it was just about 2 - 2 1/2 hours (thank you California Friday traffic). Dear Mr S was so kind to have cooked and left me a plate to heat up since had left for work. Therefore there wasn't one on the 26th. And on the 2nd I was cooking for 1 as Mr S was going to be later than usual on the arrival home...so I didn't cook anything spectacular. I am, however, very sorry to say that I managed to eat a whole box of Mac & Cheese by myself (I'm not really proud of that).

Thursday's Through The Lense: *surprise!!* I've not taken any good pictures lately so I've not had anything to share. But I'm hoping to get some up over the next few weeks...probably some oldie but goodies.

Work: changes coming/finalizing. I'm back with CSU as of Thursday. I'll still be doing some travel, but it sounds like I'll be keeping to the West Coast - which is FINE by me after jaunting all over the Central-East US the past 8 months. I'm not kidding when I say all over the Central & Eastern US: San Antonio, Atlanta (twice), Minneapolis/St. Paul (twice), Iowa (Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, & Des Moines all in one week), Orange Beach (Alabama), Tampa, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and DC. Plus two work trips to Arizona and one Conference in San Diego that I actually got to stay IN San Diego for (instead of driving in every day). But the majority of my travel this year has been out of my time zone. Even if I'm gone for a week at a time with the new position, it'll still be nice to be on the same zone has home. There will be more details to come with this as things unfold and finalize.

Wedding (what everyone really cares about): coming right along. Invites went out on the 22nd of August and are slowly coming back in. I know, I sent them early. But after looking over the guest list I think we might be going over our original number and getting them early allows us to make the necessary financial arrangements in time to compensate. I really didn't think there would be as many people on the invite list as there were. I had my appointment with the florist last week: went $160 over budget!! The good news on that, though, is it may come down. I'd really love to do something fun and unique for the boutineers, like this:

but I just don't know what yet. So I went ahead and ordered them for the guys just in case the plan never comes to be. I've just about got the centerpieces figured out...I just need to find out if three of them are going to be too tall and what to do if they are (I don't have the receipts for the pillars...and I bought them late last year?) If they're too tall I might put them on a food table or at the guest book area. Speaking of, I've decided there will be no guest book. I'm going to do up little cards for the guests to write words of wisdom or such on them and either have them hang them on some manzanite (or similar) branches or put in a jar. Still undecided on that part of the detail. But I really like the idea of the guest book being more personalized than just putting your name and address in a book.

Weight Loss: ugh! I've lost about 10 pounds. Yup...that's it since May. How depressing?! But it's really all my fault. I fluctuate on keeping track of my points like I'm supposed to. And I've not been working out. I mean, I can only go so far with just watching what I eat. I was actually doing really good...lost the 10 pounds and then I screwed up a week (a week I was out of town) and that sent me back to fluctuating between gaining and losing. With all the back and forth, the scale says I've lost a total of 10 pounds. This week I'm really getting on the ball though. I've worked out twice this week already and I'm keeping in my points each day. I've got to keep going and lose SOME weight before Nov 13. It's not that my dress doesn't fit...it's actually perfect. But I'd rather lose than gain and it not fit at all (that would be a nightmare!!).

I think that's all I've got, for now. Look for more posts later this week!

Hugs...

Biting the bullet, so to speak

I finally did what I've been thinking about doing for some time now....joined Weight Watchers (online). I went with the online version because of my travel schedule: committing to weekly meetings just isn't going to happen. The registration fee was waived with a 3 month commitment, so I just jumped on in.

Now I've done a loose version of this in the past. Loose translates to I never paid for a membership and I used a friend who was paying as my source of information. While I did it, it was working. But then I stopped. No reason...I just quit paying attention to what I was doing. Maybe having a monetary investment will keep me motivated. I'd hate for that money to go to waste!!

So here are my motivations:
* the money spent
* November 13, 2011!! My dress fits, perfectly. But I'd really like for them to have to take it in when I go in 8 weeks before the wedding!!
* health: I really think my knees, ankles, and hips wouldn't hurt like they do if I wasn't carrying around so much extra weight.
* me...I want to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror! Mr. S thinks I'm sexy just the way I am and I so love him all the more for that...but I am not happy with my body and I want to be. Don't get me wrong, I think I'm pretty...and I know I hide my weight very well (Thank God I'm tall), but there are a lot of areas on my body that I don't like and I want to change that way of thinking!!

So I'm heading down the weight loss road once again. I'll do what I can to keep you updated of my progress and any other fun things I encounter along the way. Oh, that reminds me, I did discover (some time ago, actually) that our On Demand Free menu has an exercise channel. I did some Beginners Belly Dancing and Standing Abs last night as a trial run. They show the time at the top corner and such. There's quite the variety! I'd love to find and try a Zumba work out, but I didn't see any last night. I'll keep looking though. I did enjoy what I did...I like the idea of not having to fight the rest of the complex tenants for a chance on the treadmill or elliptical. But I still plan to utilize both/either from time to time too. :)

Well, I'm off to figure out what I can do for lunch. Hugs...