2012...Resolutions

Happy New Year to my blog followers and readers!!! I hope this year brings you much love, joy, prosperity, and good health!

My resolutions in 2012 are:

1. Stay with Weight Watchers and keep losing!
2. Focus on moving more.
3. Read the Bible cover to cover! (My church is doing this together, you can learn more about it here: Project 4:4)
4. Be better about cleaning our house regularly, not just when some one is coming over!

I've made up a little sheet that will be laminated and hung on our fridge to help me stay on track with these goals each week. I thought I'd share it with you so if you like it you can make your own. It was super easy to type up in Word and took all of 3 minutes to do.

Merry Christmas to me!

I have Christmas and birthday money to spend and yet I can't think of anything I want more than to reach my goal weight and live a healthy, active life from now on! Looking at the pictures below, I hardly recognize the girl in 2009 and what a great feeling that is! When I was that girl, I felt like I was about as big as I am now. Crazy how we lie to ourselves, isn't it?! I was so unhealthy and living in denial about just how big I really was. I look at that girl in 2009 and I feel elated that I'm not her anymore. In so many ways, I've changed since that picture was taken. Not to be "braggy", I'm a better person inside and out. I've grown so much as I've shrunk and I can't wait to see how much more I grow during 2012!

No More Soda

this photo is not mine, it has many online sources that I've found

I've said it before and meant it when I said it then. I'm saying it again and hope to hold true to it this time. I'm giving up Diet Coke. I've read many articles lately about how back diet soda is for you and the side-affects it can give you and realized that I have many of those side-affects and I don't want to poison my body any longer. Yesterday I had two cans left in my fridge and I drank them both. Now there is no soda for me in the house to be tempted with. I want one right now, but I'm chewing gum instead. I don't want one bad enough to get in the car to go get one, so that's progress. Hopefully I can keep this up and be soda free forever! No more artifical sweeteners for me. No more addiction to something SO unhealthy for me!


Wish me luck, this might be a long week! 

Starting again...again...again....

I realized last night why I've been on a "plateau" since July. My husband was doing WW with me and quit in July. It isn't his fault I basically quit, too, but at least I've now realized why I've done what I've done. Today I weighed in since I missed my Tuesday meeting thanks to a cold. It wasn't pretty, but I faced it anyway and am back to tracking faithfully as of today. I have some work to do to get back to my lowest weight since starting this journey, but at least I haven't gained any sizes! Thankful to be starting again with the knowledge of why I got off track to begin with. Short-term goals of mine are to get back to faithfully tracking every day. I started doing this yesterday and tracked almost everything I ate. Today I've tracked everything. I also plan to focus more on activity points and the healthy guidelines that WW provides. I know that these things will help me get back on track. My other short-term goal is to cut Diet Coke, the only soda I drink, out of my diet completely. I have two cans left in my fridge and then that's it. Water will be my priority and I'll use points to drink milk and juice, too, which I don't typically do. I don't want to end the year regretting this month like I've regretted the last few. I want to end the year on a positive note and get back to losing weight. My health depends on it!

I think I can...I think I can....

I'm still here! I'm plugging away at WW and am struggling with the numbers on the scale. I've lost inches, but not weight and it's frustrating! I'm focusing on those inches and just keep tracking my food and such and hope that the numbers on the scale will eventually go back down. :)

What If?

Last week my WW meeting had a substitute leader and she asked us all, "What If?". What if we tracked everything we ate? What if we got more activity in? What if we chose a healthy snack over a savory treat? What might happen? Well, she got me thinking and I started tracking again. What if I started tracking again....I might lose 5.2 pounds in a week! Hmm...what if I did that consistently for the next 11 weeks until my birthday or the next 13 until Christmas? I wouldn't expect 5 pound losses each week, but what if I lost a half pound each of those weeks? Would that make a difference? Yes of course it would! 1-2 pounds per week is a healthy rate. How would I feel 11 pounds, or....22.....lighter at my birthday?! What about 13 or 26 pounds lighter by Christmas?! WHOA! 13 pounds from where I am right now is exactly what I weighed when I got married. What if I could weigh that for Christmas? What a gift that would be to myself and my family! I'm not going to make that an official goal of mine, but I'm going to work towards doing it. I think it's a great question to ask of ourselves...what if. What if I got off of this computer and folded some laundry right now? I'd check something off of my list and my husband would be thankful to have clean, folded clothes...plus I'd be moving! What if I went for a walk after dinner tonight? What if I planned menus for each week and stuck to them? What if I went to the gym a few times a week? What if I tried a new fitness class? What if...?

What kinds of "what if" questions could you ask of yourself and what if you did something, just one small thing to make a difference in your weight-loss journey?

Weigh-In Sept 19th, 2011

It's been a month since I last blogged! Oh no!! Being away from my blog, meant I was away from Weight Watchers, too. I was going to weekly meetings and weighing in, but that was about it. This past week, though, I started to track my food intake again. -5.2 pounds this week and it goes to show that TRACKING WORKS! Long ago I would say to people "I don't understand how people can say they're "on Weight Watchers" if they're not tracking" and yet I was doing that! No more! I'm back on track, back to tracking and back to losing! I'm 1.2 pounds away from being OUT of the 200's. I've lost 91 pounds and ready to keep going and reach my goal. My goal to reach life time and someday work for Weight Watchers so that I can motivate and encourage others to do the same. Losing weight is hard whether you have 5 pounds to lose or 305 pounds. I want to be a WW leader to show those who have 100+ pounds to lose that it can be done, it can be maintained, and that I'm living proof of it. I'm ready to face the end of this journey head on and finish strong. I've got about 41 more pounds to go to reach my goal, maybe a tad more, and I can't wait to get there!

Catch-Up

I've been a bad blogger lately! Let's just say it's been a busy last few weeks with my son having surgery on his ear, a trip to Colorado, house guests, an out-of-town wedding, and getting ready to take my son to kindergarten! Life is settling back down a bit now and I'm thankful for it! Updates on those things: the wedding was beautiful and it was great to see family, house guests were fun to see, surgery went well and he's recovering beautifully so far, Colorado is gorgeous, and kindergarten started on Tuesday with no tears from me (the tears came Wednesday!)!

Since my son is in kindergarten all day, I've gone to the gym the last two mornings. It's been great! I've had lots of people ask me what I'll do with all of my time while he's in school. I'm the coordinator for my MOPS group, so that takes time, I have a house to clean and going to the gym will hopefully lead to a job someday as I'd love to work for Weight Watchers, but can't do that until I reach my goal! I do teach piano lessons, too, some evenings. I may go back to school after Christmas, but time will tell on that one. In other words, I'm plenty busy!

I've had some gains lately, but with going to the gym and getting back to tracking my daily points, I'm back to business this week and am sure I'll be seeing losses once again. Today is my 11th wedding anniversary and I'm *this close* to fitting into my dress. I hope this time next year that dress will be too big! I have some goals in my head that I may share later, for now just know that I'm refocused after a crazy summer!

Are you focused right now? What do you do to stay on track during crazy-busy times?

Overweight Can Snack Up On You!

Snacks. I love them and hate them at the same time. I need snacks to get me through my day, but don't always make the best choices. I often grab a mini Weight Watchers snack bar. While they're quite tasty, they don't fill me up and I usually end up eating something else, too. I've been trying lately to switch up my snacking to healthier choices that fill me up and stick with me. It so happens that this topic was what we talked about at my WW meeting yesterday, too. Yes, I went to WW on vacation, I've never missed a meeting since I joined! So what kinds of foods fill you up for longer and make good snacks? Anything that gives you energy and keeps hunger at bay such as:

• low-fat dairy
• eggs
• sliced lean deli meat
• Whole-grain breads
• whole-grain crackers
• whole-grain chips
• Fruit
• veggies
• fiber-filled cereals
• hummus

Healthy fats such as avacado, nuts, and peanut butter should be enjoyed in small amounts, but provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and are great to pair with foods from the above list.

My new favorite snack is apple and peanut butter sandwiches. They fill me up, give me my peanut butter (I love PB!) and satisfy a sweet craving, too. Apples are full of fiber and peanut butter gives me protein, so this snack is sure to stick with me between meals without wanting anything else.




Knowing when to snack is another obstacle for some. I often crave something around 10AM and 3PM. Knowing this, I try to be prepared and don't let myself get past those times without a snack to avoid over-eating once I do get a snack or to the next meal. Being aware of when you usually need a snack is powerful knowledge that you can use to your advantage. Being prepared for those snack times will help you in your weight-loss goals. Keep in mind that food is fuel. It should be enjoyed, but not too much and make sure that whatever you're eating is worth it! You're worth it!

Weekly Weigh-in {August 2nd, 2011}

Starting Weight: 292
Last Week: 205.8
This Week: 202.8
Weekly Loss: -3 pounds
Total Loss: -89.2

Finally feel like I'm getting back on track! I lost three pounds this week. I'm on vacation in Colorado right now and am having a great time! Here are a few pictures of what we've seen so far:

 A thunderstorm coming over the mountains.

 From the top of Pikes Peak.

 Coming back down from Pikes Peak

 What does it mean?! Hahaha.... a double rainbow last night. Just beautiful!

Sunset last night after the little rain that caused the rainbow.

Weekly Weigh-in {July 19th, 2011}

Starting Weight: 292
Last Week: 203
This Week: 204
Weekly Loss: +1 pound
Total Loss: -88

I went out of town for a wedding this last weekend, so a one pound gain is okay with the fast food and lack of activity. Still disappointing to have two gains in a row, but I'm staying positive and am moving forward. I've got to turn July around before it's over!!!

Weekly Weigh-in {July 12th, 2011}

Starting Weight: 292
Last Week: 201.2
This Week: 203
Weekly Loss: +1.8 pounds
Total Loss: -89

I was expecting the gain this week. I didn't track every day and splurged over the weekend. It was expected, I know what I did and I'm already moving on with a new week starting today! No big deal in the grade scheme of things.

What It Looks Like To Lose 90 Pounds!

This is my after losing 4.4 pounds and then today at -90.8 pounds!

Click on picture to enlarge

Weekly Weigh-in {July 5th, 2011}

Starting Weight: 292
Last Week: 202.4
This Week: 201.2
Weekly Loss: -1.2 pounds
Total Loss: -90.8

I'll be updating my progress pictures later today for another ten pounds lost!

Happy 4th of July!

I posted this last year, but thought that it was worth posting again. Happy 4th of July to all of my US friends! Enjoy the holiday, make smart choices and stay safe!

 

Thin Dependence Pledge

I pledge allegiance to myself in quest of my weight goal

and to the healthiness for which it stands.

One body...

under control...

indisputably...

with confidence in new clothes for fall!

Perfect Girls

Real girls aren't perfect.

Perfect girls aren't real.

I just read that saying online a few days ago and thought I'd share it with you all. How true it is! Real women aren't perfect, we all have imperfections. We aren't good at cleaning our houses, are over-weight, are too thin, don't read our Bibles enough, are bad drivers, forget to return library books,  lose things, have baskets of laundry everywhere, have enough dust bunnies under our beds to create a cat, or forget to feed the dog. That is real. That is normal.

Perfection isn't something I even strive for. As a Christian, I believe that only God above is perfect and that no human being is, or ever will be, perfect. It is not possible to be perfect. Even Martha Stewart and Jillian Micheals aren't perfect. We, as women, need to stop comparing ourselves to other women, especially to super models and celebrities in all of their air-brushed glory. 

Photo Source

Is this what perfect looks like? 

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 Or this?

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Is she perfect?

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What about her?

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Are these women perfect?

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Not one of the women above are perfect. Not one of them is more "real" than another. I often see plus-sized women defending their size by calling themselves "real." Would that make thin girls fake? Are they some kind of animal or monster? No, we're all human no matter what kind of body we wear. God doesn't make mistakes or fake people. We're all real and beautifully imperfect. Ask any women out there, even the ones who seem to be perfect, and there will be something she's unhappy with about her body or herself. Everyone has some kind of imperfection. I'm writing this today to encourage you all, and to remind myself to do the same, to embrace those imperfections and love yourselves anyway. You are beautiful in the eyes of God and those who love you, cherish that and give yourself a break. Perfect isn't real.

Most of you read my blog because you're trying to lose weight. I hope that you're trying to lose weight to get healthy. I hope you're not trying to lose weight to get skinny and to be "perfect". I hate to say it, but if you are losing for those reasons, you will never reach your goal. You will always have imperfections. Instead of fighting them, love yourself.