 |
| ok, this photo doesn't look that appetizing |
I have a good feeling about tomorrow's weigh in. Check the sidebar numbers in the morning if you want a sneak peak.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Dinner of Champions
This is pretty much what I eat every night after Zumba during he week.
Three egg whites, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and fat-free cheese. 2 points and very filling. Love it.
I have a good feeling about tomorrow's weigh in. Check the sidebar numbers in the morning if you want a sneak peak.
I have a good feeling about tomorrow's weigh in. Check the sidebar numbers in the morning if you want a sneak peak.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Out of the Mouths of Babes
I was getting ready for Zumba last night and was low on workout shirts. There's a short sleeve one that I like but never end up wearing because it's too short in the waist. I had the brilliant idea of wearing my long black tank under it so that I had the coverage I wanted. Problem solved.
So I was getting my water together and Gracie came into the kitchen to tell me something. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, you're skinny."
It meant so much to me.
I thanked her and gave her a hug and a kiss. After she left I said to Jim "did you hear that?" and he said "I tell you that all the time!" (he does). I do appreciate it every time Jim compliments me, but it was different hearing it from Gracie.
She's five-years-old. She calls it as she sees it. She hasn't truly learned the whole if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all concept.
I have to tell you, things on the appearance front are getting really exciting now. I'm starting to wear my fall/winter work clothes and I'm looking at every inch of fabric to see how different it looks on me. I'm doing double takes in the mirror. I feel great. I'm very excited about getting to onederland (I was 205 this morning). I'm really, really happy. Enjoying life and my family. Everything seems brighter now.
So I was getting my water together and Gracie came into the kitchen to tell me something. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, you're skinny."
It meant so much to me.
I thanked her and gave her a hug and a kiss. After she left I said to Jim "did you hear that?" and he said "I tell you that all the time!" (he does). I do appreciate it every time Jim compliments me, but it was different hearing it from Gracie.
She's five-years-old. She calls it as she sees it. She hasn't truly learned the whole if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all concept.
I have to tell you, things on the appearance front are getting really exciting now. I'm starting to wear my fall/winter work clothes and I'm looking at every inch of fabric to see how different it looks on me. I'm doing double takes in the mirror. I feel great. I'm very excited about getting to onederland (I was 205 this morning). I'm really, really happy. Enjoying life and my family. Everything seems brighter now.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
"All You Have To Do Is Do It."
I saw this video posted on The Anti-Jared's blog this morning.
120 pound journey
Please go and watch it and come back.
This is exactly the type of thing that motivated me to get started. Plus the Coldplay music and imagining how proud this guy's dad must have been of his boys at that triathlon had me nearly in tears each of the three times I've watched it. This is what it's all about people.
At the end of the video he types "If you want to do it. All you have to do is do it."
It is that simple. If you want it ... DO IT.
I know I want it.
I'm doing it.
Know who else is doing it?
Jim. Last night he said he had a surprise for me. He came back a few minutes later wearing a pair of jeans that were clearly two sizes too big for him. He said they were too tight last winter.
Know who else is doing it?
My mom. She and my dad were on a casino vacation last week. They ate at 10 buffets in a span of five days and she came home with a 2.5 pound loss.
Do you want it? Are you doing it?
________________________________________________________
As promised I want to share some photos from our camping trip this past weekend. We've been saying for the past couple of years that we wanted to do more camping but we haven't found the time. Two weeks ago we decided last minute to go on an overnight trip and had so much fun we wanted to go again this past weekend. My parents came along this time and it was some great family time.
It was pretty chilly here so we were in jeans and long sleeves the whole time. Just how I like it. We spent a lot of time around the campfire.
120 pound journey
Please go and watch it and come back.
This is exactly the type of thing that motivated me to get started. Plus the Coldplay music and imagining how proud this guy's dad must have been of his boys at that triathlon had me nearly in tears each of the three times I've watched it. This is what it's all about people.
At the end of the video he types "If you want to do it. All you have to do is do it."
It is that simple. If you want it ... DO IT.
I know I want it.
I'm doing it.
Know who else is doing it?
Jim. Last night he said he had a surprise for me. He came back a few minutes later wearing a pair of jeans that were clearly two sizes too big for him. He said they were too tight last winter.
Know who else is doing it?
My mom. She and my dad were on a casino vacation last week. They ate at 10 buffets in a span of five days and she came home with a 2.5 pound loss.
Do you want it? Are you doing it?
________________________________________________________
As promised I want to share some photos from our camping trip this past weekend. We've been saying for the past couple of years that we wanted to do more camping but we haven't found the time. Two weeks ago we decided last minute to go on an overnight trip and had so much fun we wanted to go again this past weekend. My parents came along this time and it was some great family time.
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| Gracie and Grandpa setting up their tent. |
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| Gracie, Grammie and Jacob at the beach |
It was pretty chilly here so we were in jeans and long sleeves the whole time. Just how I like it. We spent a lot of time around the campfire.
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| Maggie and Grandpa |
One of the reasons we picked Mississinewa Lake was because they had a Frisbee golf course. That and it was one of the few counties that wasn't under a burn ban. We all had a great time. Especially Jacob. He liked it so much that he asked to go back the next day. Jacob is our video gamer so it was great to see him excited about a "outdoor" game.
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| Nice form Jacob |
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| Gracie Girl |
I knew there was a beach so we decided to go and check it out before it got dark. Gracie said this was her favorite part of the trip.
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| My family |
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| Too much |
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| Jim showing Jacob the arm in the sweatshirt trick |
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| Night hike |
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| Happy campers |
There is one photo that Jim took that really stuck out to me. I don't necessarily care for the look on my face, but I could not get over how thin my arms look are. (still working on that self-image thing)
To me my arms still look like this.
Zumba Corner
It's been awhile since I've done a "Zumba Corner." I've mentioned before that Monday is my favorite Zumba class. It's because it's Monday, it's the only one that is at 6 p.m. and I love me some Zumba Trish. Speaking of my arms. I've noticed at the beginning of class when we're warming up that on certain moves when I'm flexing my arm a certain way I can see muscles. I stare in the mirror in disbelief and then I'm like "wait, let's do that move again so I can see it." It's exciting and a bit overwhelming.
Zumba Corner
It's been awhile since I've done a "Zumba Corner." I've mentioned before that Monday is my favorite Zumba class. It's because it's Monday, it's the only one that is at 6 p.m. and I love me some Zumba Trish. Speaking of my arms. I've noticed at the beginning of class when we're warming up that on certain moves when I'm flexing my arm a certain way I can see muscles. I stare in the mirror in disbelief and then I'm like "wait, let's do that move again so I can see it." It's exciting and a bit overwhelming.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Indianapolis Zumba Master Class
Friday night I attended my second Zumba Master Class. Two hours of intense Zumba that was held downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circle. It was a lot of fun and a great workout.
I rode downtown with a couple of my Zumba girls. We parked in a garage downtown and Heather, who was driving behind us and who I haven't seen in awhile, looked at me while we were waiting for the elevator and commented on my waist getting slimmer. I've had a couple of similar comments like this the past few weeks. This must be where my most recent weight loss has been coming off. It feels really good to have people notice.
I caught a ride home with my friend Mary since I had to be up early in the morning and we had a nice talk on the way home.
Saturday we went camping again (I'll post photos tomorrow) and we got home around 3 p.m. yesterday. I had debated going to Zumba at 4 p.m. I was really tired from camping and I HAD just done two hours of Zumba on Friday, but in the end I knew I wanted to go. I'm glad I did. It was Trish's last Sunday class so I'm glad I didn't miss it. She did some extra leg work at the end of class. It was one of those classes that after you get home you can barely move around the rest of the night. My legs are still tight today. It feels awesome though.
This morning I weighed in at 205.8. I got the pound off from last week already. I'm planning to keep up with Zumba this week and spend my points more wisely. No more eating out at lunch and I won't be traveling this week like I did last week so I'll be able to plan my meals better. I'd like to lose another pound by Friday which will put me at my goal for September. I think I can do it.
I rode downtown with a couple of my Zumba girls. We parked in a garage downtown and Heather, who was driving behind us and who I haven't seen in awhile, looked at me while we were waiting for the elevator and commented on my waist getting slimmer. I've had a couple of similar comments like this the past few weeks. This must be where my most recent weight loss has been coming off. It feels really good to have people notice.
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| The Baxter YMCA Zumba girls (I'm in the second row on the right) |
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| Monument Circle |
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| Beth, me and Fatima |
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| A few of my Zumba instructors. |
I felt really good after it was over. I imagine I felt like most athletes feel after they have a game or something like that. I never really played sports so it wasn't a familiar feeling to me. My core felt really tight. I could feel that my muscles had been worked. It was a nice feeling.
I caught a ride home with my friend Mary since I had to be up early in the morning and we had a nice talk on the way home.
Saturday we went camping again (I'll post photos tomorrow) and we got home around 3 p.m. yesterday. I had debated going to Zumba at 4 p.m. I was really tired from camping and I HAD just done two hours of Zumba on Friday, but in the end I knew I wanted to go. I'm glad I did. It was Trish's last Sunday class so I'm glad I didn't miss it. She did some extra leg work at the end of class. It was one of those classes that after you get home you can barely move around the rest of the night. My legs are still tight today. It feels awesome though.
This morning I weighed in at 205.8. I got the pound off from last week already. I'm planning to keep up with Zumba this week and spend my points more wisely. No more eating out at lunch and I won't be traveling this week like I did last week so I'll be able to plan my meals better. I'd like to lose another pound by Friday which will put me at my goal for September. I think I can do it.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Weigh In - So That's Why I Gained
Weigh-in Day
Previous weight - 205.8
Current weight - 206.8
Difference - gained1 pound
Total weight lost - 38.2
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the scale has been up all week. I was confused as to why since I had stayed within my points all week. I got on the scale this morning and was disappointed to see I gained one pound. My first gain since July 9. I knew that if I had a gain this morning I would take a look at my points for the week and see if there was something that could show me where the gain came from. Especially since I had ended the week with an extra 17.5 points. That should have given me around a pound loss.
I found where the gain came from. And then some.
My first mistake was that I figured the points for White Castle wrong. Actually, my first mistake was going to White Castle. Gross, I know, but Jim and I were looking for somewhere to eat on Friday night and we both saw the sign for White Castle, looked at each other and knew that's where we were going without a word being said. My food mistake was user error. It was a pretty big one. I entered the serving size instead of the calories. HUGE mistake. I had calculated 10.5 points for my meal and it actually was 25. Ouch.
Next mistake was using an unofficial Weight Watchers point web site. The site said my Steak-n-Shake meal was three points less than it actually was. There are my extra 17.5 points down the drain.
Next up was the Starbucks hot chocolate I had on Monday that I totally forgot to account for. That's another 4 points. Now I'm in the red 3 points.
A couple of other things I noticed was I probably didn't estimate enough points for a pizza I had at a work lunch on Monday and probably ate more than 3.5 points worth of chips and cheese at Moe's on Wednesday. And just the fact that I ate out way too much this week.
So there you have it. I do feel better knowing why I gained. It still sucks, but I have someplace to go from here.
Previous weight - 205.8
Current weight - 206.8
Difference - gained1 pound
Total weight lost - 38.2
_____________________________________________________
As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the scale has been up all week. I was confused as to why since I had stayed within my points all week. I got on the scale this morning and was disappointed to see I gained one pound. My first gain since July 9. I knew that if I had a gain this morning I would take a look at my points for the week and see if there was something that could show me where the gain came from. Especially since I had ended the week with an extra 17.5 points. That should have given me around a pound loss.
I found where the gain came from. And then some.
My first mistake was that I figured the points for White Castle wrong. Actually, my first mistake was going to White Castle. Gross, I know, but Jim and I were looking for somewhere to eat on Friday night and we both saw the sign for White Castle, looked at each other and knew that's where we were going without a word being said. My food mistake was user error. It was a pretty big one. I entered the serving size instead of the calories. HUGE mistake. I had calculated 10.5 points for my meal and it actually was 25. Ouch.
Next mistake was using an unofficial Weight Watchers point web site. The site said my Steak-n-Shake meal was three points less than it actually was. There are my extra 17.5 points down the drain.
Next up was the Starbucks hot chocolate I had on Monday that I totally forgot to account for. That's another 4 points. Now I'm in the red 3 points.
A couple of other things I noticed was I probably didn't estimate enough points for a pizza I had at a work lunch on Monday and probably ate more than 3.5 points worth of chips and cheese at Moe's on Wednesday. And just the fact that I ate out way too much this week.
So there you have it. I do feel better knowing why I gained. It still sucks, but I have someplace to go from here.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Self Image
A few years ago I went out to lunch with my friend. She is about ten years younger than me, tall, fit and beautiful. We were walking down the street and she was telling me a story and not paying attention to her surroundings. I on the other hand was very aware of a man walking towards us, more than half her age that was looking her up and down. His head literally turned to look at her as he walked by.
I wasn't jealous of my friend; I was just kinda sad for myself. No one (besides my husband) had looked at me like that in years. Not that I like that kind of attention (this from the girl who's blog is title "I'm My Favorite") but I felt sad that that part of my life was over.
I will get back to this story in a minute. Now on to a conversation that happened today.
At work I was wearing a colorful blue dress. I just recently started wearing dresses again since losing weight. My co-workers are still getting use to seeing me in them and today one of my co-workers did a double take and told me I looked nice. Later in the day she and I were in another staff persons office figure out something and as I walked out of her office she told me that she had just looked at some photos from one of our work events three years ago. She told me it was amazing how differently I looked.
I knew what photos she was talking about. I hadn't looked at them in years, but I remembered not liking them when I saw them after the event. That's one of my things about self-image. Even at my heaviest I didn't see myself as I really was. I thought I was thinner and so it was always a shock to see photos of how I really looked.
When I got home tonight I found the photos she was talking about. Here they are.
It's hard to explain but it is something that I'm having to deal with emotionally and honestly, I'm not sure how well I'm dealing with it. I can tell the way that Jim looks at me that HE can see the difference and I get shy. I get shy around this man that I've been with since 1994. It's weird, I don't know how to process it. I don't know how to deal with it and get past it.
Now back to the beginning of my story. Remember when I said I was sad because the part of my life where men looked at me as I walked past them was over. Well, I've discovered that's not the case. Since I've lost weight I get a whole heck of a lot more doors held open for me. I went to Chipotle today and when I was walking out a guy was walking in, he looked at me, and backed back out of the restaurant to hold the door open for me.
That never happened when I was heavier and I've been struggling with the reason why and I think the honest answer is that I'm thinner. Are people nicer to thinner people? From some stories I've read on other blogs I'm starting to believe that's the case.
But, you know what else it could be? I have more confidence, I am holding my head high, making more eye contact.
If you look closely in my eyes in the photos above you can see it. My spark is missing. My self image issues are right there on my face.
Remember that photo I posted Friday of the brown Goodwill dress? I had so many people compliment on that photo. Look at my face. The spark is there. It's beaming off the page.
And here's a photo I took tonight before my Zumba class tonight. I took this photo tonight because I wanted to see that spark again after looking at those old photos above.
P.S. - the scale has been up all week. I ended the week tonight with 17 extra points. I will be disappointed if I have a gain tomorrow but it's looking like that's what's going to happen and I'm trying to prepare myself for it. If so I'll take a close look at my tracking for the week and see where I can make improvements. I will drink more water and less diet doctor pepper. I will be diligent with my measuring.
I wasn't jealous of my friend; I was just kinda sad for myself. No one (besides my husband) had looked at me like that in years. Not that I like that kind of attention (this from the girl who's blog is title "I'm My Favorite") but I felt sad that that part of my life was over.
I will get back to this story in a minute. Now on to a conversation that happened today.
At work I was wearing a colorful blue dress. I just recently started wearing dresses again since losing weight. My co-workers are still getting use to seeing me in them and today one of my co-workers did a double take and told me I looked nice. Later in the day she and I were in another staff persons office figure out something and as I walked out of her office she told me that she had just looked at some photos from one of our work events three years ago. She told me it was amazing how differently I looked.
I knew what photos she was talking about. I hadn't looked at them in years, but I remembered not liking them when I saw them after the event. That's one of my things about self-image. Even at my heaviest I didn't see myself as I really was. I thought I was thinner and so it was always a shock to see photos of how I really looked.
When I got home tonight I found the photos she was talking about. Here they are.
Another self-image thing for me is now that I've lost 40 pounds sometimes I don't see it. Literally don't see it. I look at my body and I don't think it's different. Or not different enough. But then I'll look at a recent photo or someone will make a comment and it helps me see how I really look right now.
It's hard to explain but it is something that I'm having to deal with emotionally and honestly, I'm not sure how well I'm dealing with it. I can tell the way that Jim looks at me that HE can see the difference and I get shy. I get shy around this man that I've been with since 1994. It's weird, I don't know how to process it. I don't know how to deal with it and get past it.
Now back to the beginning of my story. Remember when I said I was sad because the part of my life where men looked at me as I walked past them was over. Well, I've discovered that's not the case. Since I've lost weight I get a whole heck of a lot more doors held open for me. I went to Chipotle today and when I was walking out a guy was walking in, he looked at me, and backed back out of the restaurant to hold the door open for me.
That never happened when I was heavier and I've been struggling with the reason why and I think the honest answer is that I'm thinner. Are people nicer to thinner people? From some stories I've read on other blogs I'm starting to believe that's the case.
But, you know what else it could be? I have more confidence, I am holding my head high, making more eye contact.
If you look closely in my eyes in the photos above you can see it. My spark is missing. My self image issues are right there on my face.
Remember that photo I posted Friday of the brown Goodwill dress? I had so many people compliment on that photo. Look at my face. The spark is there. It's beaming off the page.
And here's a photo I took tonight before my Zumba class tonight. I took this photo tonight because I wanted to see that spark again after looking at those old photos above.
P.S. - the scale has been up all week. I ended the week tonight with 17 extra points. I will be disappointed if I have a gain tomorrow but it's looking like that's what's going to happen and I'm trying to prepare myself for it. If so I'll take a close look at my tracking for the week and see where I can make improvements. I will drink more water and less diet doctor pepper. I will be diligent with my measuring.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Jacob's Adventures is Dietland - Episode 2 - Never Eat the Cheddar Fries
Translation for those that didn't catch it: Jacob says not to eat the cheddar fries because of the long list of ingredients on the package. Apparently he's heard me say that before.
I also found this video from the same trip to Super Target. It will give you a good idea of what life with my seven year old is like. He cracks me up. My favorite part is the last 15 seconds. Warning - if you get dizzy you'll probably want to skip this video.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
"I Want More"
I just caught up watching last week's episode of Parenthood. Now that LOST is over, I can say Parenthood is my favorite drama on television. I don't think there has been an episode yet that I haven't cried.
There was a part in the season two premier that really struck me. Let me try and summarize what happened. Adam and Sarah are brother and sister (bonus note - the actors who play these siblings are dating in real life - awkward) and Adam "co-ops" Sarah's idea to sell a clicker to help find lost shoes (Adam works for a shoe company). Sarah realizes that Adam isn't going to give her credit for her idea and she calls him out on it. She says she wants in on the development. His response is that he has done hundreds of things for his sister throughout her life and he never so much asked for a thank you. Sarah pauses and says with great trepidation "I want more."
It was not easy for Sarah to say this. It was a new feeling. She has always been the black sheep of the family. Always the screw up. She was excited that she had a really good idea and she was excited at the possibility that she might have more. She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by. She wanted more and she was going to go after it. Even though she wasn't sure what would happen. She wasn't sure if she would have another good idea. But she wanted to try.
I wanted more.
I wanted more than wishing I would wake up skinny. I wanted more than never being in photos. I wanted more than sitting on the side of the hot tub while everyone else was having fun inside it. I wanted more than what I knew. I wanted what I didn't know. I wasn't sure what would happen. I wasn't sure if I could do it. But I wanted to try.
It's ok to want more. It's ok to say you deserve more. Don't let anyone else, especially yourself, try and tell you that you don't deserve it.
There was a part in the season two premier that really struck me. Let me try and summarize what happened. Adam and Sarah are brother and sister (bonus note - the actors who play these siblings are dating in real life - awkward) and Adam "co-ops" Sarah's idea to sell a clicker to help find lost shoes (Adam works for a shoe company). Sarah realizes that Adam isn't going to give her credit for her idea and she calls him out on it. She says she wants in on the development. His response is that he has done hundreds of things for his sister throughout her life and he never so much asked for a thank you. Sarah pauses and says with great trepidation "I want more."
It was not easy for Sarah to say this. It was a new feeling. She has always been the black sheep of the family. Always the screw up. She was excited that she had a really good idea and she was excited at the possibility that she might have more. She wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by. She wanted more and she was going to go after it. Even though she wasn't sure what would happen. She wasn't sure if she would have another good idea. But she wanted to try.
I wanted more.
I wanted more than wishing I would wake up skinny. I wanted more than never being in photos. I wanted more than sitting on the side of the hot tub while everyone else was having fun inside it. I wanted more than what I knew. I wanted what I didn't know. I wasn't sure what would happen. I wasn't sure if I could do it. But I wanted to try.
It's ok to want more. It's ok to say you deserve more. Don't let anyone else, especially yourself, try and tell you that you don't deserve it.
Monday, September 20, 2010
No Time To Slow Down, But That's Just Fine
Busy couple of days. Friday night we had ballet, karate, sleep over and Star Wars party. While the kids were at their respective parties Jim and I went to the grocery store to buy food for our camping trip. We left Saturday morning after swim lessons and drove 90 minutes to the campground. We all had a great time and got in some exercise on a nice hike to pebble beach.
We got home Sunday afternoon, had a quick lunch with my brother who was in town and my parents and then we went home. I packed and headed for South Bend for the night for a work conference. It was a three hour trip and I used the alone time in the car to sing (if you could call it that) at the top of my lungs to some of my favorite songs.
I headed home today around 2 p.m. and met the family in time to change and head to the kid's school skating party.
Home now. Super tired. I'm ready to be in my own bed and get a good night sleep.
On the wellness front, I'm a little nervous that I missed Zumba the last three days. I did get a good hike in Saturday, but will need to make sure I make it to Zumba Tuesday and Thursday. With food I've been within points for the week but I'm not happy with my food choices. I've eaten a lot of fast food. My unhappiness with my choices is a bit different than compared to the past. Usually if I'd eaten this much fast food I would have felt like I cheated on my diet. Now, it's more like I'm cheating my body. I just don't feel good about the kind of foods I've been putting into it. I don't "feel" as healthy as I usually do. I'm looking forward to getting back to my healthier foods.
We got home Sunday afternoon, had a quick lunch with my brother who was in town and my parents and then we went home. I packed and headed for South Bend for the night for a work conference. It was a three hour trip and I used the alone time in the car to sing (if you could call it that) at the top of my lungs to some of my favorite songs.
I headed home today around 2 p.m. and met the family in time to change and head to the kid's school skating party.
Home now. Super tired. I'm ready to be in my own bed and get a good night sleep.
On the wellness front, I'm a little nervous that I missed Zumba the last three days. I did get a good hike in Saturday, but will need to make sure I make it to Zumba Tuesday and Thursday. With food I've been within points for the week but I'm not happy with my food choices. I've eaten a lot of fast food. My unhappiness with my choices is a bit different than compared to the past. Usually if I'd eaten this much fast food I would have felt like I cheated on my diet. Now, it's more like I'm cheating my body. I just don't feel good about the kind of foods I've been putting into it. I don't "feel" as healthy as I usually do. I'm looking forward to getting back to my healthier foods.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Weigh-in and another Goodwill find!
Weigh-in Day
Previous weight - 206.8
Current weight - 205.8
Difference - lost 1 pound
Total weight lost - 39.2
I had another good day at Goodwill. I found a pair of jean Bermuda shorts in a size 16. We're going to Florida in a few months and I knew my size 20 and 22 shorts weren't going to cut it.
I also got this super cute brown Old Navy sundress while I was at Goodwill. It will be great for the beach. I love the look on my face. I know it's just because I'm looking at my camera on my phone to see if the shot is set up ok, but to me the look on my face says "strong, confident woman." Love it.
Here's a good Goodwill shopping tip if you're interested and don't want to spend a lot of time looking through all the racks. Search the racks outside of the dressing rooms and the ends of racks on the floor first. That's where you'll find all the good stuff. Let the other shoppers find the nice brands. Most of the times when they try stuff on and it doesn't fit they just stick them on the end of a rack. Like the brown dress I got today. I found it on the end of the children's pants rack.
Previous weight - 206.8
Current weight - 205.8
Difference - lost 1 pound
Total weight lost - 39.2
___________________________________________________
I had another good day at Goodwill. I found a pair of jean Bermuda shorts in a size 16. We're going to Florida in a few months and I knew my size 20 and 22 shorts weren't going to cut it.
I also got this super cute brown Old Navy sundress while I was at Goodwill. It will be great for the beach. I love the look on my face. I know it's just because I'm looking at my camera on my phone to see if the shot is set up ok, but to me the look on my face says "strong, confident woman." Love it.
I have to say I'm really pleased with how my upper body is looking these days. Those 2 pound weights I wear at Zumba are really paying off. Most nights I have to take them off for a couple of songs because they're so heavy, but overall I can tell they make a huge difference. Here's a good Goodwill shopping tip if you're interested and don't want to spend a lot of time looking through all the racks. Search the racks outside of the dressing rooms and the ends of racks on the floor first. That's where you'll find all the good stuff. Let the other shoppers find the nice brands. Most of the times when they try stuff on and it doesn't fit they just stick them on the end of a rack. Like the brown dress I got today. I found it on the end of the children's pants rack.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why Don't You Just Pack it Now?
I've had a rough week. I've been battling with feeling down emotionally and since my blog is more about positivity than being an online journal I chose not to write as much, or as in yesterday's case - not at all, until I was feeling better, which I am today.
It was a lot of little things and a lot of no good reason at all things that had me down. Things like the house being a mess or pressing work deadlines or not being able to find my calendar. Things that I let take power over me. I gave my control over to them and felt helpless. At least I knew what was going on and gave it a good fight to not let it win.
Have I mentioned how smart my son Jacob is? He's seven and wise beyond his years. Last night after the kids were in bed I was going through the kid's backpacks and I realized that I had forgotten to pack Gracie's snack AGAIN that day. I've done it at least four times in the month that she's been in school. I know it's a little thing and the teacher's have snacks on hand when this happens, but this is one of those things that I beat myself up over.
I was down on myself, giving my forgetfulness the power over my emotions. I went in to say something to Jacob and mentioned to him that I forgot her snack again and he should help me remember it in the morning. And then he said something profound. He said:
Smile. I told him he was right, hugged him and went and packed some pretzels and put them in her bag.
Here's what I took from Jacob's little nugget of wisdom. If I'm feeling down; if I'm feeling like I'm not in control; if I'm feeling like my power is gone - I need to do something about it RIGHT THEN to get that power pack.
And that's what I did today.
I am a list maker, but I took it a step further at work today. I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish each hour at work. When I succeeded in reaching that hour's goals I felt a sense of pride. When I saw that I was running behind on my goals the next hour I worked harder. When I left work today I felt a sense of relief and control and turned off my light on my clean office.
Every morning when I leave for work and turn on my van headlights I beat myself up for letting another day go by without getting my right headlight fixed. It's been out for four months now. When I got to work this morning I e-mailed my dad and asked if he could fix it. He said of course. I went over to his house after Zumba tonight and ten minutes later I had a new headlight. All those months of giving myself a hard time fixed by doing something about it right now!
My missing calendar. I could have easily gone to bed with it still missing. But I decided the first thing I would do when I got home from work would be to find it before doing anything else. On the way home I figured out where it probably was and when I got home I was right - it was in box of stuff that I had thrown under the kitchen desk. With my calendar in hand I was able to rsvp to a couple of parties now knowing what our family schedule was. Control was back in my court.
I know these are all little things, but for me it's the little things that count. They build up and every little bit of positivity helps me get my power back over my mood and my emotions. When I got home from my parent's house tonight I walked in the door and saw that Jim had cleaned the family room and kitchen. I felt a wave of relief come over me. It's just so less stressful when the house is clean.
I'm feeling a lot better and now if I have something that starts to get me down I'll just do something about it right then to make it better.
I'm proud to say that even though I had a rough week emotionally I was totally in control with my food and exercise. I still tracked and worked out as planned. I think it actually helped me hold it to together. It was the one thing I had total power over and I wasn't about to give it up.
It was a lot of little things and a lot of no good reason at all things that had me down. Things like the house being a mess or pressing work deadlines or not being able to find my calendar. Things that I let take power over me. I gave my control over to them and felt helpless. At least I knew what was going on and gave it a good fight to not let it win.
Have I mentioned how smart my son Jacob is? He's seven and wise beyond his years. Last night after the kids were in bed I was going through the kid's backpacks and I realized that I had forgotten to pack Gracie's snack AGAIN that day. I've done it at least four times in the month that she's been in school. I know it's a little thing and the teacher's have snacks on hand when this happens, but this is one of those things that I beat myself up over.
I was down on myself, giving my forgetfulness the power over my emotions. I went in to say something to Jacob and mentioned to him that I forgot her snack again and he should help me remember it in the morning. And then he said something profound. He said:
"Why don't you just pack it now?
Smile. I told him he was right, hugged him and went and packed some pretzels and put them in her bag.
Here's what I took from Jacob's little nugget of wisdom. If I'm feeling down; if I'm feeling like I'm not in control; if I'm feeling like my power is gone - I need to do something about it RIGHT THEN to get that power pack.
And that's what I did today.
I am a list maker, but I took it a step further at work today. I made a list of things that I wanted to accomplish each hour at work. When I succeeded in reaching that hour's goals I felt a sense of pride. When I saw that I was running behind on my goals the next hour I worked harder. When I left work today I felt a sense of relief and control and turned off my light on my clean office.
Every morning when I leave for work and turn on my van headlights I beat myself up for letting another day go by without getting my right headlight fixed. It's been out for four months now. When I got to work this morning I e-mailed my dad and asked if he could fix it. He said of course. I went over to his house after Zumba tonight and ten minutes later I had a new headlight. All those months of giving myself a hard time fixed by doing something about it right now!
My missing calendar. I could have easily gone to bed with it still missing. But I decided the first thing I would do when I got home from work would be to find it before doing anything else. On the way home I figured out where it probably was and when I got home I was right - it was in box of stuff that I had thrown under the kitchen desk. With my calendar in hand I was able to rsvp to a couple of parties now knowing what our family schedule was. Control was back in my court.
I know these are all little things, but for me it's the little things that count. They build up and every little bit of positivity helps me get my power back over my mood and my emotions. When I got home from my parent's house tonight I walked in the door and saw that Jim had cleaned the family room and kitchen. I felt a wave of relief come over me. It's just so less stressful when the house is clean.
I'm feeling a lot better and now if I have something that starts to get me down I'll just do something about it right then to make it better.
I'm proud to say that even though I had a rough week emotionally I was totally in control with my food and exercise. I still tracked and worked out as planned. I think it actually helped me hold it to together. It was the one thing I had total power over and I wasn't about to give it up.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Family Time
I go through periods where I really, really miss my kids. I'm going through one of those times this week. I think there is a direct connection to Gracie and I having a lot of mommy and daughter time lately. She had two sleepovers at our house this past weekend where I spent a lot of time with her and her friends - shopping and doing crafts. Today I went to her school to volunteer for the Kindergarten Apple Day. I spent the morning with her and her classmates, then had lunch with her and then I had lunch with my 2nd grader Jacob. And then I went to work.
It was hard to go to work. To switch from talking about Hello Kitty and Tinker Bell to sitting in meetings about disaster recovery plans and phone calls to our printer.
So I knew I needed more family time tonight. I didn't want to sacrifice exercising today so I found a way to have both. Jim and I walked and the kids rode their bikes to their school's playground. It was fun and just what I needed. Here are some photos from today's adventure.
I was super hungry when we got home so I threw together some spaghetti and a new sauce I got at Whole Foods. It was delicious. We just got the kids to bed and I think I'm headed there myself.
Update - added 9/15/10
If you were wondering after reading my Monday post, I did go to Zumba on Monday night and it felt great. Also, I checked this morning and the walk to the kid's school from our house is almost 2 miles round trip.
It was hard to go to work. To switch from talking about Hello Kitty and Tinker Bell to sitting in meetings about disaster recovery plans and phone calls to our printer.
So I knew I needed more family time tonight. I didn't want to sacrifice exercising today so I found a way to have both. Jim and I walked and the kids rode their bikes to their school's playground. It was fun and just what I needed. Here are some photos from today's adventure.
Update - added 9/15/10
If you were wondering after reading my Monday post, I did go to Zumba on Monday night and it felt great. Also, I checked this morning and the walk to the kid's school from our house is almost 2 miles round trip.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Why would I mess things up now? Because it's easier.
Some interesting thoughts entered my head today and some interesting internal examination followed. I don't have any conclusions yet but I'm hoping writing about it here will help me find some answers.
So, if you remember, last week I was out of weekly points two days into my week and had also used 11.5 points that I didn't have available. I ended up getting as much exercise in as I could to make up the difference. I wrote about how I didn't like feeling a lack of control. I wrote how I would end most evenings without any points and how that made me feel. I stressed about the what the scale would show on Friday and when I finally did weigh-in I was elated with my 1.6 pound loss.
This morning I actually thought to myself - I wonder if I would still lose over a pound if I only worked out three days instead of five this week.
It wasn't until about 20 minutes ago that I realized this is a real problem that I need to take care of promptly. I'm less than seven pounds away from the 100s. Why would I want to change anything up now?
What I was doing this morning was trying to talk myself out of going to Zumba tonight. I didn't go yesterday. I had planned to, but I told Jim I would miss it so we could go to 5 p.m. mass instead of 11 a.m. mass. And then we didn't even end up going to mass.
I just had a thought as I wrote out that last paragraph. Was I feeling guilty about missing Zumba last night so much that I was trying to justify not going by concocting this idea that I don't need to work out as much? I think I may be on to something here.
Jim has a meeting tonight which means in order to go to my 6 p.m. Zumba class I have to pick up the kids, run home, change clothes and run to the Y to make it in time. All the while listening to the kids say they don't want to go to child watch. That's the hard part. It would be easier to not go. EASIER.
The thing is, Monday is my favorite Zumba class. I love Trish's classes and I like the 6 p.m. start time because it leaves me with an extra hour at home with the kids and I don't miss out on bedtime. There's also something about starting the workweek out with a good workout too. It's my favorite class of the week. Why would I want to miss it? Because it's easier.
At dinner last night Jim was telling me that he hadn't done well tracking his points over the past couple of days. I had warned him that this would probably happen to him a few months into the program because it happened to me. We talked about it a little. He said things like "I kinda want to see if I can maintain on my own without tracking." and "I'm pretty happy at the weight I'm at right now." Why do I think he wants to experiment with not tracking? Because it's easier.
Last week I ended with eight extra points. Usually I have 20-30 extra points. I had a good loss with only eight points left. You know what thoughts entered my head don't you? I thought to myself - I wonder if I could eat all but ten of my exercise points every week and still lose over a pound.
WHY WOULD I MESS WITH WHAT'S WORKING???
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE EASIER.
Yes, it would be easier to not track points, it would be easier to not measure EVERYTHING, it would be easier to sit down to dinner and eat instead of scurrying to look up point values before I join the family for dinner. It would be easier to pick the kids up from school, go home and relax while Jacob played video games and Gracie played with the neighbors and not workout. I haven't forgotten that all of those things are easier.
But is that what I want?
Is that what I want?
NO.
I dont' want that. I want to feel that thrill I get from walking into the Zumba class and walking past all those new faces and going to the front of the room to "my spot." I want to feel like a rock star for knowing all the moves to the songs while the newbies have that look of what is going on here? I want to see my Zumba friends and ask how their day was. She how Fatima is doing with calorie counting. Ask Ashley how her son is doing in preschool and if she found the burgundy ribbon she needs to make the bows for my Gracie. To ask Beth how her new job is going and Shannon how her grandson is. To ask Mary Ellen if Gavin had fun at our house on Friday. To be in charge of Trish's iPod.
I want to make the right food choices. To keep my numbers out of the red all week. To take the guess work and "what ifs" out of the equation. I know what works. I know if I end with 20-30 points for the week I will lose. I also know that if I honestly thought about the fact that two weeks ago my WW point were reduced by 21 points a week because of my weight loss so far that technically I did end last week with 20-30 points. I want to get on the scale every week knowing I will lose.
I DON'T want to mess things up now. It would have been so easy to mess it all up. I'm so glad I decided to write about this. I understand it better now. I know it will probably happen again and I know that I need only to look at what I want to be able to stay on the right path even if it's the NOT the easier path.
So, if you remember, last week I was out of weekly points two days into my week and had also used 11.5 points that I didn't have available. I ended up getting as much exercise in as I could to make up the difference. I wrote about how I didn't like feeling a lack of control. I wrote how I would end most evenings without any points and how that made me feel. I stressed about the what the scale would show on Friday and when I finally did weigh-in I was elated with my 1.6 pound loss.
This morning I actually thought to myself - I wonder if I would still lose over a pound if I only worked out three days instead of five this week.
It wasn't until about 20 minutes ago that I realized this is a real problem that I need to take care of promptly. I'm less than seven pounds away from the 100s. Why would I want to change anything up now?
What I was doing this morning was trying to talk myself out of going to Zumba tonight. I didn't go yesterday. I had planned to, but I told Jim I would miss it so we could go to 5 p.m. mass instead of 11 a.m. mass. And then we didn't even end up going to mass.
I just had a thought as I wrote out that last paragraph. Was I feeling guilty about missing Zumba last night so much that I was trying to justify not going by concocting this idea that I don't need to work out as much? I think I may be on to something here.
Jim has a meeting tonight which means in order to go to my 6 p.m. Zumba class I have to pick up the kids, run home, change clothes and run to the Y to make it in time. All the while listening to the kids say they don't want to go to child watch. That's the hard part. It would be easier to not go. EASIER.
The thing is, Monday is my favorite Zumba class. I love Trish's classes and I like the 6 p.m. start time because it leaves me with an extra hour at home with the kids and I don't miss out on bedtime. There's also something about starting the workweek out with a good workout too. It's my favorite class of the week. Why would I want to miss it? Because it's easier.
At dinner last night Jim was telling me that he hadn't done well tracking his points over the past couple of days. I had warned him that this would probably happen to him a few months into the program because it happened to me. We talked about it a little. He said things like "I kinda want to see if I can maintain on my own without tracking." and "I'm pretty happy at the weight I'm at right now." Why do I think he wants to experiment with not tracking? Because it's easier.
Last week I ended with eight extra points. Usually I have 20-30 extra points. I had a good loss with only eight points left. You know what thoughts entered my head don't you? I thought to myself - I wonder if I could eat all but ten of my exercise points every week and still lose over a pound.
WHY WOULD I MESS WITH WHAT'S WORKING???
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE EASIER.
Yes, it would be easier to not track points, it would be easier to not measure EVERYTHING, it would be easier to sit down to dinner and eat instead of scurrying to look up point values before I join the family for dinner. It would be easier to pick the kids up from school, go home and relax while Jacob played video games and Gracie played with the neighbors and not workout. I haven't forgotten that all of those things are easier.
But is that what I want?
Is that what I want?
NO.
I dont' want that. I want to feel that thrill I get from walking into the Zumba class and walking past all those new faces and going to the front of the room to "my spot." I want to feel like a rock star for knowing all the moves to the songs while the newbies have that look of what is going on here? I want to see my Zumba friends and ask how their day was. She how Fatima is doing with calorie counting. Ask Ashley how her son is doing in preschool and if she found the burgundy ribbon she needs to make the bows for my Gracie. To ask Beth how her new job is going and Shannon how her grandson is. To ask Mary Ellen if Gavin had fun at our house on Friday. To be in charge of Trish's iPod.
I want to make the right food choices. To keep my numbers out of the red all week. To take the guess work and "what ifs" out of the equation. I know what works. I know if I end with 20-30 points for the week I will lose. I also know that if I honestly thought about the fact that two weeks ago my WW point were reduced by 21 points a week because of my weight loss so far that technically I did end last week with 20-30 points. I want to get on the scale every week knowing I will lose.
I DON'T want to mess things up now. It would have been so easy to mess it all up. I'm so glad I decided to write about this. I understand it better now. I know it will probably happen again and I know that I need only to look at what I want to be able to stay on the right path even if it's the NOT the easier path.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Pickle Weigh In
Weigh-in Day
Previous weight - 208.4
Current weight - 206.8
Difference - lost 1.6 pounds
Total weight lost - 38.2
Previous weight - 208.4
Current weight - 206.8
Difference - lost 1.6 pounds
Total weight lost - 38.2
Booyah!
__________________________________________________________
Have a great weekend everyone! I'll try and check in over the next couple of days.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Handling Stress
It's been a busy, stressful week for me at the office. Juggling multiple projects and trying to meet deadlines. I'm proud of how I've handle the stress. I'm proud of the way I've reacting to obstacles. Several times today I repeated the phrase "chin up Stephanie, chin up." At one point I went outside to clear my mind and come up with a solution to a problem I was having.
Let's just say I've come a long way in how I'm responding to these situations than I would have a year ago and I feel good about it.
Besides the fact that I controlled the emotional side of stress I was glad to see that I wasn't tempted to binge to "make myself feel better." I have a box of individually wrapped chocolates on my desk that are 1.5 WW points and I ate one this afternoon. I consciously chose to eat it and I enjoyed every bite. I was also looking forward to my Zumba class all day knowing that the exercise would relieve some stress.
I feel calm and in control. Not panicked, not depressed. Chin up Stephanie, chin up.
Let's just say I've come a long way in how I'm responding to these situations than I would have a year ago and I feel good about it.
Besides the fact that I controlled the emotional side of stress I was glad to see that I wasn't tempted to binge to "make myself feel better." I have a box of individually wrapped chocolates on my desk that are 1.5 WW points and I ate one this afternoon. I consciously chose to eat it and I enjoyed every bite. I was also looking forward to my Zumba class all day knowing that the exercise would relieve some stress.
I feel calm and in control. Not panicked, not depressed. Chin up Stephanie, chin up.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Restaurant Nutrition Calculator
Have you guys seen these fancy restaurant nutrition calculators? I know Red Robin and Moe's Southwest Grill have them. I really like them. First of all they're fun, but it's also great that you can customize them to what you actually ate. Say you get the cheeseburger but don't eat the bun, you can adjust it so it gives you the correct nutrition information.
Something else I like to do with these calculators is to play around with them and look up stuff I would have eaten prior to joining weight watchers.
We go to Moe's every Wednesday for the free kids meals. My usual is the Art Vandalay Streaker (veggie burrito bowl without the tortilla).
Now let's take a look at what I used to get at Moe's prior WW. The Billy Barou nachos.
Guess how many WW points that is. Go on guess (this is a common game in our house).
42 WW points! Shut the front door.
Craziness.
Hey guess what? I won another blogger award :)
Thank you Shrinking Blubeari
Here's how this one works.
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
Thanks again Shrinking Blubeari!
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Nominate fifteen newly discovered blogs. - I just nominated several bloggers for an award so I'm going to defer to that post.
4. Let your nominees know about the award
Here are my 7 things!!
- I geek out for office supplies. I have two cups full of colored pens on my desk at work. Today I went to Office Max and bought the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil.
- I'm addicted to my phone. It's the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I check before I go to bed. If I wake up in the middle of the night I check it too.
- Just thinking about paper cuts makes me freak out. If I think about getting a paper cut on my tongue from licking an envelope .. ok, I have to stop before I pass out.
- My favorite job ever was as a camp counselor in college. If you were ever a camp counselor you know why.
- My second toe is longer than my big toe. I also have an unusually large amount of space between my big toe and second toe. One of my husband's favorite things is to call attention to these two things.
- I didn't make Chef Boyardee pizza until I was married.
- When I eat something like a cheeseburger I eat around the sandwich until I've left the perfect bite to eat last.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
How I'm Going to Get Out of This Pickle
So I find myself in a sort of a pickle this week. We went to my favorite Italian restaurant for dinner on Saturday on a whim and I ended up way underestimating my points at dinner. This isn't a chain restaurant so I have to find similar dishes at other restaurants to figure out my points. When all was said and done and I entered the damage in my plan manager, this is what I was faced with.
Red numbers are never a good thing. Even with a 3 point walk on Friday and an 8 point Zumba session on Saturday I had a overall 11.5 deficit for the week (which had started on Friday). I do not like being in this position. Normally I would have just made sure I made it to all the Zumba classes offered this week to earn extra exercise points but the Sunday and Monday Zumba classes were cancelled because of the holiday. I did end up taking an hour walk on both Sunday and Monday with Jim and the kids which was really nice and earned me 6 points. I just got back from Zumba which was another 8 pts and puts me in the green again with 2.5 points.
Tomorrow we have Scouts so that just leaves me with Zumba on Thursday with a final point total of 10.5 for the week. Normally I have 20-30 exercise points at the end of the week. I'm really hoping I can pull off a loss this week. This has been a learning experience for sure. It's amazing how one meal can throw off your whole week. Although I did enjoy the food Saturday night this experience will keep me from over-indulging the next time we go back. I've also felt some new things this week because of this one meal. Last night at around 9 p.m. my points were all used for the day with no flex points available and I was hungry. I DID NOT like not being in control. I was hungry and was not willing to eat points I didn't have so I just went to bed. I don't like being in that position. I like always having the option to eat a lite snack if I need to because I always have extra exercise points available. The scale has been kind so far and there's always the chance I overestimated the Saturday meal. I should have a pretty good idea where I stand when I weigh tomorrow. Anyway, enough about that.
Two things I want to share from my four-day holiday weekend. First I made a dent in my personal goal for the month of September - to clean out closets and dressers. I switched over the kids school uniforms to the dressers downstairs and brought up the kid's play clothes to the dressers upstairs. Jim and I also cleaned out the pantry. Here's a before and after.
 |
| Where'd all the food go! |
My most favorite part of the weekend was taking the kids to the art museum and walking around the art pieces in their 100 Acre exhibit outside. It was such a beautiful day and we just had so much fun. The kids were excited to do something they had never done before and I was in heaven with my camera. Here a few of my favorite shots.
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