In the New Year

I have been absent for over a month. Life got busier and I didn't make this eating journey a priority. My last weigh in was 176.0 Today I weigh in at 174.5 -------- Total I am down. -1.5 I am actually encouraged by this because I have not been tracking, not drinking much water and definitely have been making some terrible food choices from time to time. Today is the day that I am back at it. I have had a healthy breakfast am making a lunch and snacks for work so that I do not sabotage myself out of convienince when hungry. Happy New Year! Here's hoping that 2013 is the year that I master this eating healthy battle.

Weighing in: Yet again

It was a tough week.  I had some emotional stuff come up and emotional exhaustion sends me into default mode.  Default mode is I just start running on auto pilot and not making a plan. So, all of a suden, I am hungry and I don't have any healthy choices available.  In good news, I did not go over my points most days.  But, I did not eat the healthiest choices nor did I drink enough water.  I didn't write down my points either.  Like I said: default mode.

I do, however, consider it a victory that I did not default into emotional eating whatever I could get my hands on- especially junk food.

Last week's weight:  184.0
This week's weight:  184.0
                           -----------
                                   0.0

My goals for this week are to get back to business.  I have already increased my water intake and I will be writing my points each day- good, bad or ugly.  I am once again packing healthy snacks for work and I will pack a lunch or have a plan as to what I will eat for lunch.  New goal for this week is make a better dinner plan for our family!

Weigh in: Duece

I want to reflect on this first week a little to have documentation for myself.  The first week back on ww was powerful for me.  The first 2 days I went over my points and I was feeling discouraged with myself.  I made myself write down all of the points I ate even when I went over for accountability's sake.  I also reminded myself that messing up does not need to ruin my entire journey.

This week's victories:
*I drank almost 5 glasses of water per day.
*I ate within my points for 5 days this week and used 26 extra weekly points.
*I was out of town for 3 days.  In the past this would have given me reason enough to eat whatever I wanted.
*I feel like I made the first steps in changing my relationship with food.

Weigh in:    185.5
Last week:  189.5

This week's results:  -4 pounds.                Yay!

Next week's goals:
-drink more water
-stay within points
-make some ww friendly meals for my family

I am back!

So in a completely random turn of events, I decided to come back to this blog and write about this new weight loss journey I am going to tackle.  Since my last post here more than 2 years ago, life has taken on a whole new look.  I have been separated, divorced, begun working full time and the one that leads me here today, gained about 15 pounds.  Now, those 15 pounds were on top of my post-pregnancy weight that was about 20 pounds higher than I wanted to be.  So, here I am today, confessing to you that I would really love to lose about 40 pounds.  I am no longer healthy and it is time for a change.

I have had every excuse as to why I wasn't ready to tackle this journey yet.  The Racer and I decided today that if we didn't just do it, ready or not, we may never.  There will always be an excuse.  I have lived enough life over the past 5 years or so to know that there will always be another stressor that I can emotionally eat my way through.  It is time to stop: time to break the cycle!

Here are my goals:

*Post my weight each week.
*Eat within 24 daily points allowing myself the 35 extra weekly points when necessary.
*Track daily points and journal what I eat.
*Work my way up to drinking 10 glasses of water per day.  (This will take a while.)

I am ready to tackle this and I need the accountability in posting it here.

checkin' in

Well, it's been over a week, so I think I better check in for some accountability. Sorry to bore you all with my weight loss journey, but it's where I am at. I thought it was getting boring to write about, so I stopped. Consequently, I also stopped losing weight and doing the things I needed to do to get healthy. So, feel free to skip this post if it bores you.

These were my goals:

• cut soda consumption down to one a day. umm, not so good here.
  
• exercise at least 4 times. consistently 3 times per week.
  
• take measurements so I can track inches lost as well as pounds. I did it.

Alright, so I made it halfway with my goals. Things I have done well:

• Had four straight days of tracking my points and staying within my daily points.
• Drank 4 to 8 glasses of water per day.
• Have taken an assortment of aerobic classes and have loved some of them. I really get excited about going to the gym for some of these classes. (quite miraculous for me)
  

Things I still need to work on:

• Continuing all of the above goals.
• Cutting down on soda.
• Getting to a weight watchers meeting every week.

Since I have been exploring different exercise styles over the past few weeks, I am wondering, "What else is out there?" What types of things do you like to do to get your exercise on? Leave me a comment.

Back in the saddle...

The main reason that the Racer and I started this blog was to be involved in a weight loss blogging community. In order to link to their weigh ins, we needed a blog. So, we dipped our big toes into the blogging world. If you read our early posts, you can see all the gruesome details of our weight loss journeys. Since then, the site has ceased to exist. And, clearly, so have my weight loss efforts.

Life has happened. You know how it goes, right? Major Hunk comes home from the desert. We eat out lots of yummy goodness that he has been missing. We buy a house. I stop going to the gym. And weight watcher meetings, well they became a thing of the past. And, if you have spent any time here whatsoever, you probably know that I am an emotional eater.

So, over the past 6 months, I have gained 15 pounds.

Out of 36 lost.

UGH!

Now that I have had some time to ponder the changes I need/am willing to make, I'm ready to go public. The Racer and I have talked much this past week about how one of the things we need to address is that we have lost focus. During our "weight loss 2007", we were spending time encouraging one another in the journey. We were exercising together. We were sharing recipes and encouragement we found online. So, I am ready to get back at it, before none of my clothes fit me anymore.

So, I will be checking in here with all of you, my interpeeps, to put some accountability back into my life.

These are my goals for the week:

• cut soda consumption down to one a day.
• exercise at least 4 times.
  
• take measurements so I can track inches lost as well as pounds.

Alright, there they are my first baby steps back into the world of healthy choices...

So, tell me friends, what things do you do to encourage a healthy lifestyle?

to be accountable

Well, I did not weigh in this week, and I was going to let it slip by without saying anything about it. I easily could have gotten away from it, because both of our readers are so kind, that they wouldn't have said anything :)

I didn't weigh in due to some health issues that have been going on over the course of a couple of weeks. I will spare you all the gory detail and just suffice it to say that I am feeling heavy throughout it.

I will weigh in again next Tuesday.


Until then, here are some good things I did this week:

I have consumed a lot of water.

I have only had the equivalent of one diet soda over the course of a week.


Things to work on this week:

Get more exercise.

Pre-plan what I will order when we are eating out.

Weigh In. Ugh

Back to some accountablility.

I have gained.

I weighed in this morning at 131. I was up to 132.5 last week. This may not seem like a lot, but I stand on a slippery slope with my eating. I feel like I'm always only one binge away from disaster! I know I need to work on that mentality, because each item I put in my mouth is a choice, not the end all.

This week's goals:

1. Workout video 5x this week. My goal is to do my Slim in 6 workout for the next 6 weeks in hopes to buy a bathing suit after that.

2. Drink some water.

Weigh In

I weighed in last night hoping to have redeemed some of that surprising weight gain from last week. Apparently, a week of nerves, busyness cleaning my house, and the relief of my husband being home to stay paid off in the weight loss department.

I lost 5.6 pounds!! And, I finally hit the 30 pound mark!! And, I officially weigh less than I did on our wedding day!!

Wow! This is a big week for me.

Now, realistically, I know some of that was water weight. I was definitely expecting a loss for that reason alone, but I didn't expect that much.

I am pleased that we have not been eating out too much. I think Major knows he has plenty of time to eat his favorite foods now, there is no rush to get to all of them this week. This new development will be good for my waistline.

My goals for the week:

• Increase activity.
• Continue drinking lots of water
• Decide what I am going to eat before we go out

Updated Stats:
Starting weight: 188.4
Today's weight: 156.6
Total loss: 31.8

Weigh In

Well, I forgot to post my weight loss last week so let me begin there. Last week I had lost 1.4 pounds and hit the 29 pound mark. Then I got the news about my hubs coming home and with all the sleep deprivation and eating celebration, this week's weigh in took a big hit. I gained 2.8 pounds. I won't lie. I am very disappointed. Not only did I not make the 30 pound mark like I had hoped, I set myself further back in attaining that.

Oh Well...Back up on the horse. Nothing is going to rain on my parade this week!

Weighing In

Well, since I have been silent on this front, you can probably guess that my weight loss journey has taken a back seat since the holidays. I have been able to maintain and even lost a couple of pounds over the past month, so it has all worked out fine.

But, I am pleased to announce that I have been distracted.
I am distracted because my husband is COMING HOME after 21 months!!!

Here's hoping I can use my nervous energy for good instead of eating myself senseless.

Updated Stats:

Starting weight: 188.4
Todays' weight: 160.6
Total loss: 27.8

Ok, so looking back, I was 161.2 on Nov 20. Wow, I have lost .6 pounds in a month and a half. That is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that I haven't gained.
However, it is good accountability for me to see that written out. Here's hoping that I can find the motivation to lose the last 15 pounds now that my life is going to be in major transition.

Either way, I am looking forward to stepping into this new phase in my life.

Weigh In

Well, with much fear and trembling, I went and faced the scale this morning. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I lost 2 pounds! Wow! I have no idea how that happened considering my Christmas menu consisted of mashed potatoes, hashbrown casserole, mint chocolate brownies and a little bit of pot roast to round out all the carbs. I did workout well the past 2 weeks and hadn't seen any results of that on the scale yet. Maybe it was just catching up. Either way, I am thrilled and planning to get back on track. Today has been a good eating day.

This week's goals:

• Workout 3 times this week (a challenge since it is already Wednesday evening).
• Say it with me..."Drink more water".
• Track my daily points.
• Break into the 150's!
  

Updated Stats:
Starting weight: 188.4
Today's weight: 160.4
Total loss: 28.0

Measuring Up...

OK. I have been a real slacker as of late. I have not been weighing in and I have not been checking in at Tales from the Scales. I know that this is a terrible time of year to play the ostrich game. I know all too well, that if I ignore it, the weight will creep back on and I won't have even seen it coming. So, in order to keep myself accountable, I decided to measure myself this morning. I will add my weight after I go weigh in this afternoon.

The Racer and I officially began this "healthier lifestyle" journey last January. That is when we did our first measurements. We measured again in October. So, here are my totals of inches lost.

In the past 2 months: 10.25 inches lost
Since January: 20.00 inches lost

Yes, you read that right. Over half the inches I have lost have been in the past 2 months. Yippee!!

Goals for the holiday season:

• Limit soda intake to 2 per day.
• Workout a minimum of 3 times per week
• Be conscious of emotional eating.
  

Maintaining

I'm a little late on this post, but I need to do it anyways. In holding myself accountable with Tales From the Scales, I have maintained my goal weight. I weighed in Wednesday morning at 129.5 pounds, so yay for that. But for the record, I have had a HORRIBLE exercise week and a not so good eating day yesterday. So my goals for this next week are:
1- Run 3 days, strength train abs/arms 2X
2- Don't go to Ben and Jerry's every night

Speaking of my friends Ben and Jerry, OH MY WORD they have the yummiest ice cream flavor there. You'd think I'd be mentioning some chocolate concoction, because I have been known to dunk my head under a chocolate fountain, but it's not. It's Cinnamon Buns, and it's pretty much heaven right here on earth. I'm am most positive that it was inspired by Jesus Himself. Just writing about it makes me want to load the kids in the car and drive to the scoop shop to get some. In fact, I think that may be what I do...I guess not going there every night can start tomorrow!

Thankfuls and weight loss goals

Saturday and Sunday: I am thankful...

• For nights out with other military wives.
  
• For pottery painting fun.
• For laughter in my life, it really is the best medicine.
• That I can take my worries and fears to the cross and leave them there. This truly is the only place I can take them and be confident that One who knows far better than I has got it covered.
• For the peace I find when I can truly leave it at the cross.
• For mommy breaks!

Weight loss goals:

I think I need to set out some really tangible goals to keep me focused during this holiday season. They need to be realistic as well, factoring in all the holiday temptations.

• Find a new meeting to attend. I just received the sad news that Dale, my weight watcher leader, passed away unexpectedly. My gut feeling says that I don't want to go to "his" meeting anymore and have it run by someone else.
• Lose another 10 pounds by my anniversary in February.
• Go on a soda fast for a week. I have really gotten ridiculously hooked on diet soda. I need to give it up cold turkey for a while and really ramp up my water intake.
• Get back on the training schedule. Once life interrupted and I could not do the 10K, I really got lazy about following the schedule. I am going to start the training back at the beginning. Do a 2 mile and a 3 mile "wog" this week. (I read about wogging -walk/jog- on a few other posts and I feel like it is a better description of what I do than running.)
• Focus my mind. Because I know that therein lies the majority of the battle.
  

Weighing in

Well, today I went in to face the music. I will admit I have not been tracking my points or exercising regularly. I have also been drinking little more than diet soda each and every day. My eating has been pretty good. My portions have been small and I have made some good choices. Those do not include the cookies I continue to eat from the cookie exchange I went to on Sunday.

Last weigh in was right after Major Hunk headed back to the sandbox and before my cross country trek for a funeral. If you recall I was up 4.8 pounds...ouch!

Well, better news today. I lost 4 pounds since my last weigh in 2 weeks ago. Yipee!!

Goals for the week:

• Be really mindful of emotional and mindless eating during this emotional week.
• Eat thanksgiving dinner one time...not over and over all weekend.
• Now that the weather is cooling down in the mornings and evenings, strap Cutie into the stroller and get walking. At least twice this week.

And I want to give a huge WOOT WOOT to the Racer who met her weight loss goal this week. If you haven't checked it out, read about it here. I am so incredibly proud of her! She has worked amazingly hard and made many real life changes that will serve her well throughout her life. She hasn't just lost weight, she has really been transformed. And can I just say that she looks fantastic?! She is not only super skinny (which she is), but she is toned from all that running she does. She really is the Amazing Racer!!! Thanks for sharing the journey with me, friend!

Updated Stats:
Starting weight: 188.4
Todays' weight: 161.2
Total loss: 27.2

**I have now lost 15% of my starting weight. Wow!


And my Wednesday Thankfuls:

• For a wonderful pedicure and some time catching up with one of my favorite young gals.
• For 8:00 bedtimes on rough days
• That my girl was able to have some fun bonding time with her auntie. Aunts really are the best, aren't they??

***And to answer a question I got regarding yesterday's thankfuls: The bible study is called Loving Your Military Man. It is written by Beatrice Fishback. It is a study of Phillipians 4:8. I found it on family life's website. Here is the link.***

Insert Happy Dance Here (Weigh In)

FOLKS!!!!! The day is here. On this Tuesday morning, one day shy of exactly 8 months since I began this journey of battling emotional eating, I have reached a very exciting milestone...my GOAL WEIGHT!!!!!

Starting Weight: 168

Today's Weight: 130

Total lost: 38 lbs

I can't even believe it's here!!! I weighed in Friday, and rechecked today (for accuracy and continuity) and sure enough, I legitimately weigh 130. I'll be writing another post on this soon, because for now, I have to get my buns in gear because we are leaving for Grandma's house for Thanksgiving...but I do have some goals for the long holiday weekend.

#1) Run 2 days that I am out there. This will most likely be Thanksgiving morning and Saturday morning.

#2) Bring alternative snack bag (already packed) on trip to help carb cravings. My folks typically have good fruit and veggie snack choices, but I packed some Fiber One bars and Curves bars for those must have carbs moments.

#3) Get full on blessings, not dressing this year. I don't need to eat it like there won't be leftovers!!!! I can enjoy a couple of small turkey meals instead of one that makes me feel sick afterwards. I want to be focused on the amazing people in my life instead of what dish they'll be cooking.

#4) Take a nap on the drive over today. I have not had enough sleep the last two days!

Alrighty, off to pack I go!

Recipe

This is my recipe on how NOT to make pumpkin pancakes.

Pancake mix
canned pumpkin
Pumpkin pie spice
water

Mix together. Cook on skillet for the rest of your life, because it ain't NEVER going to cook through. Makes giant mess and a mom that had to go to plan B.

Enjoy. Or go through a drive thru.

Own It

Weighed in last night. I have gained 3 lbs.


I don't even know what to say about that.

Except that I deserve every pound. I have not kept track of anything, I have eaten a ton of cookies/cakes/chocolate fountain treats. And now I am paying the price.

Good thing that it's a new day and I will make better choices today.

Goals:
1. Drink water. My 10K is on Sunday and I want to be well hydrated. I want to be well hydrated on a day to day basis, but this week is especially important.

2. Fill house will healthy choices. Because I need them so I can succeed.

3. Keep track of food. If I don't know how many points something is, I will find out. Because I am worth taking care of.

4. Run - today and tomorrow. And Sunday. Also do Pilates video at least 2 days this week.

Starting Weight: 168
Current Weight: 136 (+3)



I'm not sure if I need to reevaluate my goal to get to 130 by the end of the year. This gain makes that potentially very difficult. So, I think I will make that decision next week when I have made some good choices. There's no need to set myself up to fail, especially during the holiday season when there are plenty of goodies to drown my sorrows in. Breaking that bondage is way more important than a few pounds.

Time to get the running shoes on...

back to the basics

Ok. The Major is gone. Life is returning to our current state of normal around here. By normal I mean waiting for phone calls, avoiding housework and staying busy enough that I don't have to think about it. Our time together was amazing. It was just what I needed to feel refreshed enough that I feel like I can tackle the next few months until he is home...to stay!

I did go and weigh in today. I didn't go to my regular meeting last night because I was too busy drowning my sorrows in appetizers, drinks, dessert, rounds of pool and an odd movie. I couldn't possibly have made it. I had far more important things to do. I have some really great friends who knew I needed to get away and have some good laughs. And boy, did we laugh. By the time I had a drink in my lap, my abs had gotten some serious laughter workout time! But, I digress. I did make it today to go and face the music. I was really tempted not to go and just try to have a good week and make up the difference. Boy, was I surprised what I saw. I peered over the counter to see the number she was writing on my card. I think it took my breath away for a moment. I had gained more weight than I really thought was possible in just one week. In fact, the lady behind the counter said to me, "I won't even calculate how much of a gain that is, because it will depress me." Oh, yes.she.did. 4.8 pounds!!! Holy Cow!! I am not depressed about it, because frankly, the reason I gained was because I was so busy enjoying my husband that I didn't really care about anything else. And the fact that I knew he was leaving again and had a little emotional eating going on as well. Add to that my miniature panic attack. So, all in all, I'm keeping it in perspective.

So, here I am ready to recommit and leap head first back onto the bandwagon. I had a good day. I stayed within my points today. I did have a momentary lapse in judgment when I ate some of the leftover cheesecake from our date night. I have a tear in my eye when I say I am going to throw the last of it in the garbage. But, I have to, or I will eat it all.

Goals for the week:

• Water
• Get moving
• Track my points- every day!

I also realized today that I have my beginning weight posted wrong. So, now all my calculations are off by .4 and that is makes me a little crazy. So, here's the update:

Starting weight: 188.4
Todays' weight: 165.2
Total loss: 23.2

My mini goal is to get back to the 25 pound mark once again!

*updated to add that I did throw away the cheesecake. And then I had a moment of silence...