STILL CHIPPING AWAY

I am still working at it even though I have not being blogging about my journey.

I have been stuck on a plateau for nearly 3 months. In July I got my 45 pound star and was so happy. It appeared that 50 was right around the corner. I even set a goal to hit 50 pound loss by Labor Day and then my body just stopped. It was almost like it decided I had lost enough. I have not gained, but bounced between 170 and 168. So today I went to weigh in and had a 1.6 loss. I am hopeful that this is the beginning of a change.

A few weeks ago Lynda, my leader, mentioned I should start to think about goal. I think mine is going to be 149. Which means I only have 18 more pounds to start to work on lifetime. Very exciting.

Last Saturday I did the Making Strides Breast Cancer Awareness Walk with my friend Tiffiny. It was a great walk. We did it at Liberty Park. We walked the loop 3 times. The loop is 1.4 miles, so we walked a total of 4.2 miles in about an hour. My next big event will hopefully be the Moab Half Marathon. I did participate in the Ogden Half in May and have wanted another event to plan for. It is a lottery to get in, so we may not know if I got in for a few months. And if I don't there is always Salt Lake in April and then Ogden again in May. The fact that I am even considering doing some of these things is mind blowing.

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6
CURRENT WEIGHT 167.6
TOTAL +/- -47

Boston Trip & Prepping for Ogden

It has been a few weeks since I have checked in. Last week Steve and I went to Boston. It is a trip we have planned since he ran in the St. George Marathon last October. He qualified for the Boston Marathon and we both thought it was an opportunity we could not let pass by. We had quite a good time. We walked or took the "T" everywhere we went, which was good for fulfilling my workout quota. I did eat gnoccis at La Dolce Vida in the North End. I split the order with Steve. I don't think Steve enjoyed the pasta as much as I did. I had been looking forward to eating there since we planned the trip. We also stopped by Mike's Pastry for for a cannoli a few days later. I brought it back to our hotel room and ate it. I enjoyed tasting it, but after having not really eaten sweets for a while, it was hard on my tummy. Steve had to dig through his bags to find me a pepcid and even then I tossed in bed for a while.
I weighed in last Wednesday, the day after flying home, and actually had a loss. It was .8. I am not going to say only .8. I take pride in any loss I have and really it is just that much closer to my goal.

Today I went out to wa-og (walk/jog). The Ogden 1/2 marathon is only a few weeks away and I am having some serious panic attacks about it. So my friend Stacey told me about the loop she does that is about 8 miles. I told Steve and he said he would be willing to come along with me as my "support vehicle'. He loaded up with water, gel shots, snacks and wore his Garmin watch to take my pace and miles. I did better than I thought I would. I did not jog much. There is still just too much of my to be jiggling around and landing on my knees. But I still managed to walk at 4 miles an hour. That is not too bad. I am not sure I can keep that up for the whole race, but taoday I went 7.25 miles on just under 2 hours. It has left me feeling a bit more confidant for the 1/2 marathon and my abilities.

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6

CURRENT WEIGHT 177.2

TOTAL +/- -37.4

Just Another Weigh-In

I was a little nervous to go to my weigh in this week. I watched what I ate Tuesday evening. Tried to stay clear of taking in too much salt...did not snack in the evening...and hen Wednesday morning got up a little bit early and headed to the gym. Kind of my version of the last chance workout. I did not break any records at the gym, but it felt good to do something prior to getting on the scale. Well something paid off because I lost 1.6 lbs. Thwas enough to earn me my 7th gold star. FYI, each gold star represents 5 pounds. I am about half way to my ultimate goal.

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6
CURRENT WEIGHT 179.2
TOTAL +/- -35.4

Barbell Strength

I have been going to the gym quite often the last few weeks.

I am still doing some stuff on the treadmill as I get ready for the half marathon in May, but one of the reasons I decided to start attending the gym was to do strength training. My girlfriends, who have been members for a while, had told me about this barbell class. I was a little nervous the first day I went in there, but Jill and Sandra were in there with me and to help me out. It was an hour long class and I was sweating. I used muscles that I am sure had never been used before. half way through on of my legs began to shake almost uncontrollably. Following the class I went downstairs to the cafe and got a child size smoothie and the 20 minutes later went back to the classroom to take a class named Dance Jams. That was a ton of fun. There is very little choreography...we danced tribal, then like super models, and then we mambo'd and chacha'd. It was a blast and a fun way to stretch out all those muscles that had been exhausted in the previous class. I did not feel the effects of the weight class until the next morning when I got out of bed and stepped on the ground...my quads, bum, shoulders all hurt. BUT I must say it was a good kind of hurt. That was last Tuesday and I went again on Friday and then yesterday. The lingering pains is becoming less and less after each class. I am definitely finding joy in going to the gym. I truly feel confident that I am actually going to reach this huge goal I have.

Today was my weigh in and things went pretty well. Last week I had no change...which was good because there was no gain, but that meant that there was no lose and that was a little hard for me to swallow I felt that there should have been something I had worked so hard. But I stayed focused all week and did the right things and it paid off. Today the scale said I had lost 1.8...So a big WhooHooo!!!!

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6

CURRENT WEIGHT 180.8

TOTAL +/- -33.8

Successful Weigh In

Yesterday was weigh in day. I had actually gone up +.4 lbs. last week. To most people that doesn't seem like such a big deal, but it was. I had been to dinner with my parents and kids the night before and thought I done ok, but the scale said, "...maybe you shouldn't have eaten that second roll..." But instead of getting totally discouraged I recommitted myself to doing better this week. I got together with my friends to sew table runners and for lunch they decided to get Cafe Rio. I LOVE their Pork Salad, but I decided to skip it and just have the Tortilla Soup. I am sure it was a much better choice. I also got a membership to LifeTime Fitness. A couple of my girlfriends go and have invited me out a couple of times. Steve said it would be OK, but that I needed to get all the use out of it, since it is so expensive. Tuesday, Steve and I went to dinner to celebrate our 13th Anniversary. We went to AppleBees, which is perfect for me because they have a WW menu. I chose the Chili Lime Salad and ate half of it then asked for a box to get it out of my site. Then Steve and I split the WW dessert...that was very yummy. So probably for the entire dinner I ate 6 points at a restaurant!!! That's CRAZY.

Yesterday morning I got up and put on my weigh in clothes and drove over to WW. I was hoping to be down -.6, what I had gained the week before and what it would take to get to 30 pounds. I was actually down -2.6!!! WHOOO HOOOO!!!!

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6

CURRENT WEIGHT 182.6

TOTAL +/- -32

I Lost LBS on a Cruise

Steve and I went on a cruise a few weeks ago. I actually boarded the ship quite confidant that I would not gain "too much" weight. I had used some of the skills that I have learned from my WW meetings. Even prior to the actually trip I had thought about what my game plan would be in different situations.

So I did not look at the desserts when eating from the buffet. Although I did occasionally have a bowl of jello. I also ate a lot of fruit and vegetables. I exercised a few times on the ship, took the stairs often and was just pretty darn busy.

Then the Wednesday after the cruise I went to my regular WW meeting and discovered that I had lost 3 POUNDS!!! Holy Hannah!!! I did it. I went on the cruise had a goal to lose weight and actually did it.

Discovery of a Cool Website

(Originally Posted January 31, 2008)

It has been a while since I have posted, but it is not because I fell off the wagon. I have just been BUSY.

Yesterday was weigh in at WW and I hit 189 lbs. (on the home scale I am 187) I received my 25 lb. award too. That was pretty awesome. I put it on my keychain attached to my 10% keyring so I can look and admire it often. This whole journey has been slow. I haven’t had any set backs. I actually lost 7 pounds from Thanksgiving to New Years. Once a month I seem to drop 3 pounds in a week then the rest of the month I have losses of .2 lb to 1.0 lb.

So here is my coolest find for the month. This is a neat website http://www.weightview.com/new/ You send them a current photo of yourself , your weight, how tall you are and how many pounds you would like to loose.

What you get back is a picture of how you could look at your goal. I want to look like this so bad. I have hung it up on fridge. It is kind of cool to see this picture because I have actually dreamed myself looking like that. That is the girl I know is inside of this body.

I am still walk/jogging at least 3 times a week. This is the most consistent I have ever been at exercising. I am in a very good place. I don’t want to go back to where I have been for the last 11 years. I like feeling the way I do. I still have a ton of work (ie 45 more lbs.), but I willing to put in the time and effort.

Say Good Bye to 200's

(Originally Posted October 30, 2007)

For the last few weeks I have been teetering between 202 and 200. It has been a little frustrating. I have been walking and have even incorporated a little weight lifting into my repetoire, eating within my points range. I even went away during that time on a girls weekend and did not over do. I only ate the meals and had reasonable portions and still did not change much. UGH!!! Frustration!!!

Well, today I stepped on the scale and had dropped to 199.5 lbs. That felt so good. I almost didn’t want to eat breakfast, but I am hoping it will start a trend of being in the 100’s.

Something to Laugh At

(Originally Posted on October 7, 2007)

I got this in an email from a girlfriend…

I had no idea I had been weighing myself all wrong.

This could really change things

I Survived

(Originally Posted September 14, 2007)

Last night I had some girlfriends over to scrapbook. I love having friends over and spend the evening listening to old 80’s music, scrappin and eating. Usually my way of thinking is, that a crop is NOT a crop without CHOCOLATE!!! So since it was at my house and I did not want to sabotage myself, I stocked the food table with a veggie platter, Chex mix, Tortilla chips with Salsa. I also provided a birthday cake for my friend Sandra’s birthday. She and a couple of other women had a piece, but there was still a 3/4 of cake when 2:00 am rolled around. The house was empty of scrappers and my family was upstairs tucked snuggly into their beds. And there I was carrying that single layer chuck of tempation up the stairs and into the kitchen. It did go through my mind to cut a piece and eat it…”who would know”….”I would just have a small piece”…BUT then the coolest thing happened. I said NO. I said I want to lose this weight, way more than I want that piece of cake. So I laid the cake on the counter, got a glass of water and went up to bed. I fell asleep with a much more satisfying felling than the piece of chocolate cake would have left me with.

1 battle down…a LIFETIME to go!!!

Loses and Anxiety

(Originally Posted on September 12, 2007)

I was a little nervous about this week’s weighin. Not because I have not being eating correctly because I had, but because I am 2 days from my period and I am feeling a little bloaty. But I still showed a -1.4 pound loss. WOOHOO!!!

So this week, Steve and I went out to dinner with some friends on Friday night. We went to Joe’s Crab Shack and I had pretty much decided I would have salmon. They had served me quite a large portion and I ate a little more than half of it. I tried to concentrate on serving size. Then we went bowling after dinner and I did not get any other snacks, just a fountain drink. I think so far I am doing a pretty good job at staying focused and my eye on goal. I feel pretty confidant.

I am a little nervous about next week. We are leaving for Rhode Island, but I already looked up where the WW is there and the time for their meetings. So I am going to go and do my weigh in. I also went to www.mapmyrun.com and mapped out a walk around my mother-in-laws home. So I am trying to continue to plan out my activities, but you know so many things are out of your control when you are staying at someone else’s home. And we are spwnding so much time on the plane, I need to plan out some healthy snacks. Well, wish me luck!!

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6

CURRENT WEIGHT 205.4

TOTAL +/- -9.2

Partners

(Originally Posted September 6, 2007)

Yesterday was weigh in day. I knew I had done pretty well all week, but you still get a little nervous to step up onto that scale. I had talked to my friend Tammie at church on Sunday. She had done WW a few years ago and made it to “LIFETIME”, but has put back on some of that weight. I invited her to come back. She said she would think about it. She called on Tuesday and said she would like to come, but would I pick her up so she doesn’t talk herself out of it. So she came along with me. I hope she can do it. I am excited to have a friend to do this with. I did it last time back in 2001-2002 with my friend Bobbi and that was the most successful I have ever been.

My parents are here the next few days and we eat out a lot when they are here, so I have been giving myself mini pep talks ab out making the right choices. Last night my mom suggested we go out and get ice cream cones, and I spoke up and said, “Hmmm, I don’t want to do that. I am on WW and I don’ have the points left.” I was so proud of myself. That is HUGE for me. I usually cave and rationalize why it is okay to do.

I can do this…I am going to do this…

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6

CURRENT WEIGHT 206.8

TOTAL +/- -7.8

1st Five Pounds

(Originally Posted August 30, 2007)

Yesterday was weigh-in day. I felt pretty confident that I would have a lose, but I was pleasantly surprised to be down -3.6. This brought my whole total to 6.2. This earned me my 1st 5 lb STAR. I know to some people those little rewards seems stupid, but it meant so much to me. I am trying not to look at the finish line of losing nearly 70 lbs, but rather I am focusing on every 5 lbs. I am feeling very good. I have been making smart choices. Last night I took Becky out for an ice cream and instead of getting cone for myself I got a small watermelon slush (4pt) I was so happy with making the right decision. I have even been consistant with my walking. Yesterday was pretty crazy, so I did not get to walk then, but this morning I woke up especially early and jumped on the treadmill. I stayed on and walked for 42minutes. So another YEA!!! for me

STARTING WEIGHT 214.6

CURRENT WEIGHT 208.4

TOTAL +/- -6.2

Playlist

(Originally Posted August 27, 2007)

I went for a walk around the neighborhood this morning. I had taken the weekend off from walk, but still got up this morning and dressed in my walking clothes ready to hit the road. KUDOS for me. I am really enjoying my morning walks, which s a new thing for me. I put on my iPod and enjoy my music. My walking playlist:

Crazy in Love Beyonce
Put Your Records On Corinne Bailey Rae
Hollaback Girl Gwen Stefani
River Deep, Mountain High Erasure
You Can’t Stop the Beat Cast of Hairspray
Fat Bottomed Girls Queen
Brand New Girlfriend Steve Holy
Everything Michael Buble

So for lunch I went to Rumbi. A bunch of the neighborhood Mom’s were going there to celebrate Suzanne’s birthday. I went to Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone on the computer and looked by Rumbi. It is a great site to look up restaurant food and see what the points values are. So I decided to order the tortilla soup and a side salad. I felt pretty good when I walked out of there. I knew I had not eaten too many points and I did not feel over stuffed. We did have an awesome time. We were there for nearly 2 hours It was so good to visit and laugh.

Temptations Are Still Around

(Originally posted on August 23, 2007)

So this morning, I decided to goto the library and pick up a few books that are on hold and to find one a friend had told me about. As I left the library the thought, “maybe I could stop at Cafe Rio and get a salad” popped into my head. I pushed the thought out of my mind and then as I drove down the street that leads to our neigborhood I thought about stopping at Albertson’s and buying a sandwich, chips and getting a Vanilla Bean Frappacino from Starbucks. It really fought with the thought and managed to turn on the road to the house rather than proceeding through to the grocery store. It sometimes feels like it would be easier just to pick up something prepared to eat for lunch rather than to look in our cupboards and try to figure out what I am going to eat. I also get so bored from soup and a sandwich, which is what I usually have. I need to figure out a way to spice up my lunches so I do not revert to the drive thru.

So, I have tried to be a little more active lately by getting up and going walking the neighborhood just as the children are leaving for school. I walk about 2 miles. I have really been proud of my attempt and sometimes I just wish Steve would say, “good job.” But the other day instead he said, “So far you are doing okay.” I know I am not very consistent when it comes to working out, but it almost felt like he is anticpating the day I would stop altogether. It kind of got to me. Steve is so extremely active and in good shape and NEVER has felt like this. It was just kind of a discouraging thing to hear and I know he probably did even think it would be.

The same thing kind of happened back at the beginning of the year with my mom. I had been keeping track of my calories, visiting chat rooms and blogging on another weight loss site. I was feeling pretty positive about what I wanted to accomplish. I had gone to a website where they can make a virtual picture of your body and I had done one of me at my beginning weight and one of what I wanted to be when I got to goal weight. I had showed her when she came for a visit. Her comment was, “You know you will never look like that.” Now let me tell you, my goal weight is not unreasonable for my height. I am 5′5″ and I would like to weigh 145 pounds. She TOTALLY burst that bubble.

For some reason I let comments from people really get to me. Maybe I use it as an excuse to fall off the wagon. Who knows, maybe I will figure it out as I continue on…

Hello World!!!

(Originally Posted on August 22, 2007 )

I am doing it once again.


Attempting to lose weight. I have been on this road many time since I as 14 years old (I am now 35) That means for more than half my life. So here I sit…all 212 pounds of me…still not happy with the woman I am on the outside. I have an incredible husband, 4 beautiful chidlren, and a great life and yet I am not entire hppy. Maybe happy is not the appropriate word. I think a better description would be that I am not comfortable. I am not happy just having a few outfits to wear, the rolls and excess body is not comfortable, I hate that I can not go runing along with Steve and it is mostly because there is so much of me to move. I NEED to make the change.

So, in order to do that I have joined Weight Watchers again. I have had success before .