Up and down. . .

Yes, last week I gained 1.8 pounds, but this week I lost 3–so a net loss of 1.2.  I’ll take it!  That makes my total so far 9 pound lost.  Could it be better?  Sure.  Could it be worse?  Absolutely.  The scale is moving in the right direction, and I’m making better choices.  It’s all good. 

I should update my picture, but I think I’ll wait for the 20 pound mark.  Honestly, on this body ten pounds doesn’t make a huge difference yet.  Hopefully I’ll hit the 20 pound mark in March.  That means I’ll have to step it up a little, but I can do it!!

WTH is that following me. . .

So I’m walking down the hall and I walked by the trophy case.  The kind with the big glass windows that kind of throw a reflection back like a mirror.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it.  A big  IT.   A huge IT, and IT was following me.  I stopped and did a double take.  Looking in the glass  and standing sideways to assess the situation, I was shocked, amazed, surprised, HORRIFIED to find IT was my BUTT. 

WHAT?  WHEN? WHERE? HOW?  HOW did this HAPPEN??  I began to see a vision of myself as the pied piper of pounds.  I’m walking away and they just follow me, and then they jump on the big ‘ol caboose take up freakin’ residence there!  Holy Mother of God, how did I not know about this?

I’ll admit that sometimes trying to squeeze between the dining room table and buffet (placed kind of closely together), I have noticed that objects sitting on the buffet are knocked to the floor.  I just thought they were placed precariously, but in hindsight (yes, pun intended) they have been knocked off the buffet by my bulldozer butt!

I ran to the bathroom (as quickly as a fat girl can run), shut and locked the door, and in an effort to see my full backside in the mirror, executed some moves that would have made a contortionist proud.  Maybe it’s just the angle, try this. . . .   NO, no, look at it from. .  AHHHH that’s worse.

Well, sh*+, no angle makes it look any smaller.  Wow, this is bad.

These past two weeks have been rough, and now this??   Last week I gained weight, and I’m not sure what this week will show when I weigh on Friday, but I am back on the bandwagon.  And yes, that’s my butt draggin’ behind . . .

Official Weigh In Day

Friday is my official weigh in day.  I’ve joined a weight loss team at school, and we’re all competing for something.  I honestly don’t know what the prize is, but it doesn’t really matter because the prize I’m competing for is a healthier me. 

To be part of the team, though, we have to wiegh in each Friday morning.   Today, with some trepidation, I approached the scales.  I had a rough start to the week, but I felt like I had finished strong.  I took off my shoes and approached my advesary.  Stepping up, I was almost afraid to look.  Opening one eye and peering down at the numbers, I saw that I had lost 3.2 pounds!  YAY!  It’s not the 8 and 9 pound losses that some of the other people are experiencing, but I’ll take it.  That brings my two week total to 6.6 pounds, and that’s a start.

Here’s to all the skinnyme’s out there!  Stay strong and stay on course!

Need to Change Something

I’m doing the right things (mostly), eating the right things (mostly), but those numbers are not moving.  Lots of things I could blame—age, job, the misalignment of the planets–but none of that helps me move closer to my goal.  Only one thing will–I need to try harder.  If I can just manage to maintain this week without having gained, I will be happy.

A birthday dinner on Saturday followed by a bridal show on Sunday with SkynnyLynda helped bring back the 3.2 pound I had lost.  Man, those caterers and cake makers at the bridal shows sure know their stuff.  Who knew you could get a 5 course meal while planning a wedding?  It WAS fun, though.  Karley and her friend Tori were maniacs in the cash cube and won discounts for her caterer, her venue, and her DJ.  A little blood was shed in the grabbing and stuffing of money, but hey, it was for a good cause!

I’ve never been great at focusing on too many things at once.  When I lost weight before, people teased me about my weight watchers journal being my bible, and we couldn’t eat anywhere that wasn’t on my “list” of places with “good” foods.  I became obsessed.  I don’t think I want to go back there, but a middle ground is what I’m searching for.

Haven’t found it yet, but it’s closer.  This week is my week to focus on water.  Drink, drink, drink!  That’s the habit I’m creating this week.  Next week will be something else.  One habit at a time, one stepping stone closer.

Forward Motion

Just keep going–that’s what I’m telling myself.  Keep it up.  I didn’t see as much of a loss the first week, and I was a little bummed, but I’m not quitting–I will keep going.

Eye on the prize, right?  It’s all worth it.  I’m gonna step it up and see some better progress next this week.

Perspective

Ever have one of those days that hits you square in the face and makes you remember what’s important?  Today is one of those days for me. 

“Bing needs us” was the title of the e-mail.  For those of you who don’t know who that is, Bing is one of our “photography family”.  She is the daughter you would love to have, the sister who would giggle with you until the wee hours of the morning or cry with you in the darkest part of the storm, or the girl in school who is popular because her soul is joyous and shines through to everyone she meets. 

She is the friend that we are incredibly blessed to have, and she is scared and hurting right now.  Her younger brother is sick–the doctors have found multiple tumors in his brain and he is (or has had by now) surgery this morning.  Bing was flying to be with him today.

I don’t know why bad things happen to good people, I just know they do and it sucks.  But I also know that prayer is a powerful thing, so if you are reading this, stop right now and say a prayer for Bing and for her brother Brad.  Please pray that God will be with Bing and her family during this time, and for healing for Brad.

We love you, Bing.

I want pie. . .

. . . and I want it bad.  Funny, because that’s not something I generally crave, but right here, right now, I’m tellin’ you I WANT PIE!  Coconut cream, chocolate, or pumpkin–doesn’t matter, I just want pie.  Now, the good thing is that I’m not a  great cook and I don’t keep ingredients on hand to make something like that.  Whew!  Who ever knew that being a sucky cook could pay off?  LOL

I’m going to go drink some water and tell myself it’s mike’s hard lemonade.   Then I’ll eat some triscuits and tell myself it’s pie.  I think it will be coconut cream. 

Back to Work!

Ahh, today is the first day back to work after the holiday break.

After yesterday’s grazing at the bridal show, the pounds I lost last week found me again!  AHHHH!

That’s ok–I will succeed!!

Trying to get back in the swing of things is always a little bit of a headache.  It always takes me at least an hour to get ready in the morning.  Why is it that after a few days off  I think that I have miraculously become able to apply makeup and do my hair faster than I ever have before?  As my hand hit the snooze (twice!) I kept telling myself that I could get ready in 45 minutes, in 30 minutes, in—-OMG,  GET OUT OF BED, ALREADY!!

No time for breakfast!  Sitting at my desk, I noticed some Dove chocolates still left from before the break.  No, I will not give in.

They are calling to me.  SHUT UP, Dove.

LA-LA-LA-LA-LA—I can’t hear you, stupid Dove Chocolate.

Crap, Dove chocolate really speaks to me.  I gave in and ate one.  For those of you who don’t know what Dove Chocolates are (could there really be anyone who doesn’t?), they are heaven in small bites.  YUM!!  They also have an inspirational message inside the wrapper.

What was the message on the inside of this wrapper?  “Success is the sum of many small efforts”.  Seriously, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

So true, success IS the sum of many small efforts.  My first small effort is to walk the rest of the dove chocolates into the teacher work room where they can speak to someone else for a while. 

Keep going everyone–we will succeed!!!

My body aches. . .

my back, my joints, my feet

Now, if I could only claim the reason for the pain was a great workout.  Nope.  I attended a bridal show with Lynda and her beautiful daughter Karley.  Wow, who knew you would be on your feet for 4 hours?  It was so much fun.

From a diet standpoint, bridal shows are evil.  Cookies from one vendor (the really great, thick cholcolate chip walnut ones).  Did I have one?  NOOOOO!   I had two.    All the cake vendors have samples (almond creme filling is to DIE for!).  And the caterer—don’t even get me started.  (between you and me, though, the Red Diamond Room had homemade onion dip that was so good my eyes glazed over and I think I may have snuck a second one if I had thought i could have gotten away with it!)

Maybe it wasn’t so bad since it was breakfast and lunch.  I got back on track with 1/2 of a leftover Subway sandwich and water for supper.  I’d take a walk, but I don’t think I can move right now. . . .

Gathering My Tools

I know from experience that this journey is easier with support–got that covered (love the skinnyme’s!!!).

Portion control is key–you need measuring tools and you need to use them.  Got that.

Cabinets need to have good choices—got that, too.

I have tons of great cookbooks from my weight watchers days–so that is covered as well.

This is what I ordered today.  I’ve been hearing about these books for a while now, and they look very interesting to me.  They have some common sense ideas that will help save calories, and, let’s face it, weight loss is all about calories in versus energy spent.  I’ll let you know what I think after I’ve read them!

Denise