Sometimes you jump off, but then you need to jump right back on!

Off to my Weight Watchers meeting today and I knew it was going to be an ugly scale day.  I went to the Red Sox game on Saturday and then down to the Cape for 3 days.  I ate what I wanted and didn't workout, so of course, I couldn't expect the scale to show a loss.  I knew it was going to be up and up ugly.  No surprise there.

I'm not going to say it was the right thing to do, but it's done and it's time to move on.  I need to get back on track and focus.  I know I can do this.  I obviously have done it.  I even did it on vacation.  (If you remember, back in June, I was off for over a week and still managed to lose a pound.)  But I didn't do it this time and that was my choice so I have to own it.

And now I just jump right back on again and make the right choices and do the work to reach my goals.  No excuses!  I did what I did and know I'll do what I have to do to turn it around. 

See something, Say Something!

I know, you're probably thinking that's an odd title, but let me explain.

Last night, I got on the train on my way home and my friend got on shortly after me.  She said, "I was walking behind you and I could tell you lost more weight." 

Now, I did tell her that I've been bouncing around the same 5 lbs recently, but that the kickboxing is really helping me tone and I can tell in the way my clothes fit.  She said she could definitely tell too.

But just the fact that she noticed and took the time to say something was thrilling!  It just gives that little extra boost of confidence that something is working and that even though the number on the scale isn't consistently going down, things really are changing and people are noticing.  It's an incentive to keep doing what I'm doing!

So if you notice a friend or family member looks like they're losing weight or getting fit, say something!  It could be that little extra push that they need to keep going.  It could be the one bright spot in an otherwise dismal day. 

And it doesn't just have to be about weight either.  Say something positive!  You could really make someones day!  And that will make you feel good too. 

How do I feel?

We put so much emphasis on numbers that sometimes we forget that their are other indicators of success.  Of course losing weight is my ultimate goal, but I know that I'm getting fit and I'm getting stronger.  I can feel it.  And I need to make sure I always remember that and don't always just focus on the number.

I've been taking kickboxing for about 2 months now, usually going about once a week.  Over that time, the numbes on the scale have been on a roller coaster ride.  I can loot at certain weeks where I know that I didn't do all the work I needed to do, but this week was a little different.

Could I have done better with what I chose to eat and how much I worked out? Sure!  But I also know that since my last weigh-in, I took 2 kickboxing classes, walked every day during lunch and I really noticed a change in the way my clothes fit yesterday.  The shirt that I wore is clingy and when I first bought it this past spring, it was very fitted and really clung to every curve on my body (and there are lots of those).  When I wore it about two weeks ago, it was less clingy than when I bought it.  And when I wore it yesterday...it was significantly looser than even just two weeks ago.  I felt space between my curves (I don't think those are going anywhere - just getting smaller) and the fabric of the shirt.  That is success!

So my body is changing and even though the scale said I'm up 1.2 lbs this week, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that I stay focused on the positives and not just on the numbers.  I am going to think more about how I feel (and right now, I can tell you that I feel pretty sore from that kickboxing class I took 2 days ago) and how my clothes fit and less on the number on the scale. 

I am getting fit and gaining muscle and I can't wait to see how I look when it comes time to go shopping for my Sexy Red Dress!

I can do this!

Kicking it to the curb!

Kickboxing is really fun and I'm getting better at it.  I originally signed up for 5 classes.  It was an online special and included a free pair of boxing gloves.  Yes, that's right people, I now have my own boxing gloves.  Don't mess with me!

The special was 5 classes for $29.99.  Once I finished the first 5, I signed up for 35 more.  I'm definitely getting stronger! 

Last night, as I was punching and kicking the bag, I was daydreaming about where I'd be next year next year on my birthday.  We have plans already, and I'm really hoping that I'll be looking FABULOUS!  Of course, that means I have to keep doing the work. 

I am happy to report that at my Weight Watchers weigh-in yesterday, I was down 2.4lbs, which sounds fantastic, but what you don't know is that I was up 2lbs the week before.  I am very happy that I lost the 2lbs plus a little more, and I'm really hoping that I continue to put up some good numbers over the next few weeks.  I think 30+ kickboxing classes should help with that, plus all the walking I'm doing. 

I can do this! 

Setbacks and Comebacks

It's been a rough couple of weeks in the weight loss department, mainly because I'm not really losing any weight.  I've gained some.

I've gotten a little lazy with the workouts, but I'm slowly but surely making my way back.  I've been hitting the track and walking several times a week, plus my walks during lunch.  And I'm still going to kickboxing.  Last week's class was so good that I am still a little sore today.  How is that good?  Because I know I'm really working the muscles.  It's a good sore. 

The back pain definitely slowed me down, but I can't use that as an excuse.  I have to deal with it.  And I actually found that it felt better after kickboxing.  So this is good!!

I'm not going to post my current weight right now because I think there were some other factors contributing to the gain last week and I want to see what happens when I weigh-in this week.  So stay tuned!

No, I didn't forget my blog!

It's been 2 weeks since my last post, so I thought I should probably come in and say something. 

So what has been happening since my last post?  Well, I had a birthday, so I'm another year older.  43...still feels like 23.  Maybe that's because I still act like I'm 23. 

So what did I do for my birthday?  I celebrated.  We took a mini-vacation and went to the Jersey Shore.  I had Italian food.  And cake.  And frozen custard, zeppoles, cheese fries and fried clams on the boardwalk.  (Not all at once.)  I didn't exactly work out, and I gained almost 3 lbs.  Oh well...life goes on and I'll just have to work it off.  My birthday only comes once a year and I was going to enjoy it.

After we got home, my back started to bother me.  A rather sharp pain right across the top of my back.  Not my neck or shoulders, but my back.  It was very uncomfortable and at times, I wanted to cry.  So I called the doctor and went in to see her.  She checked me out and said that there was nothing wrong with the bones and it was probably just muscular, so she prescribed a muscle relaxer for me to take at night and also suggested to put heat on it and to take 2 Aleve twice a day.  It is much better now, thankfully.  But, because it was so painful last week, I didn't take my kickboxing class. 

I did return to kickboxing last night and my back actually felt better after the class than it has felt all week, so I'm happy with that.  I also went to WW yesterday and I lost a tiny smidge of what I'd gained while on vacation.  I'm happy to be going in the right direction again and I plan to work hard to make it back where I was and to make sure that I reach the goals I've set.

It's easy to just let it go, but I need to refocus and get back on track.  I don't want to undo all the hard work I've done this year.  I am going to get into that sexy red dress! 

Choices!

Every day we make choices.  You and only you are responsible for the choices you make. 

So where did this come from?  Yesterday, I posted on my Facebook that I wanted a cookie, a cupcake and ice cream sundae.  Several people said go for it.  I mentioned that I was going to get a frozen Greek yogurt from Pinkberry on my lunch hour and my sister basically told me not to "be good" but to go for the bad stuff.

Now granted, I didn't see that comment until late last night, long after I went to Pinkberry, but I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't have done what she said.  (Ok, she said to go get a frozen custard because she lives in IL now and forgets that MA doesn't have frozen custard.  We have ice cream, but still, you get the idea.) 

Even though I was craving something sinful, I chose to find a satisfactory alternative.  And not only that, but I went to my kickboxing class last night too, so I worked off that frozen yogurt.  But it was my choice.  I could have chosen to get a cookie or a cupcake or a regular full fat ice cream, but I didn't.  I chose to go for something better.  But not matter what I chose, I would have owned it because it was my decision. 

Every day we make choices about what we're going to do and what we're going to eat.  It's not always going to be easy to make the healthy choice, and there are going to be times when you decide you really want that Big Mac instead of the 6 inch turkey sandwich with just veggies, no cheese, no sauce, from Subway.  But other days, you're going to choose the healthier option.  Either way, it is your choice.  You own it.  You are responsible for it.  And you know what you need to do if you want to lose the weight and get healthy. 

I'm not going to say that I never choose the cupcake because that would be a big fat lie.  But it's my choice.  And I'm the one who has to live with it.  I'll be proud when I make the healthy choice and disappointed when I make the unhealthy choice, but either way, it's all me!  Don't let others make the choice for you.  This is your life and your journey.  You decide where and how it goes.

Excuses vs. Reasons

I didn't blog last week because I didn't really have much to say. Weight wise, I was up 0.8 but I wasn't surprised since there was no kickboxing class the week of July 4th. I should have found something else to do, but I didn't. And that leads me to this week's topic actually...excuses vs. reasons.

I think there is a fine line between the two and it's very easy to blur that line or to pretend it doesn't exist. But we have to try not to let that happen. The way I see it, excuses are the easy way out. Reasons are legit.

Not having class last week was my excuse. Sure, I couldn't control that there was no class, but that didn't mean that I could take the week off. That fact that I didn't do some other activity instead is the reason that I gained weight. That is the reality. Had I done something else instead, the results would have been different.

This past week, my weight stayed the same. So what's the reason for that? I need to figure that out. I did the class and I've been working harder to get my steps in. It's been really hot out, and I could use that as an excuse, but it would be just there. There are other things I can do that don't mean being outside in the heat. Yes, the heat is keeping me from my power walks at lunch, but that means I need to step it up when I'm in the air conditioning. I find reasons to go up and down the stairs at work. I do more running/jogging at home at night. Adding those extra steps helps.

Now, if I was laid up in bed because of illness or injury, that would be a reason not to work out. It's "too hot" is just an excuse. See the difference?

Keep Moving!

Just a quick inspiration for today! 

 

 

Still celebrating!

Today's weigh-in has me down another 0.8 to put me at 205.2 lbs.  When I started in January, I was at 217, so that means I've lost 11.8 lbs.  I'd say that's a pretty good pace since I want to be under 200 by December 31st.  I'm confident I can not only get under 200, but do it well in advance of December.  And of course, there is that 185 goal for May 1, 2014.

The Fourth of July has arrived.  This is the celebration of America's independence.  A time for barbecues and fireworks.  It's also the month of my birthday - another celebration.  Cake and ice cream and hopefully a special dinner.  Do you notice a theme here?  Celebrations tend to involve food! 

So can you celebrate and still lose weight?  Of course you can.  You just have to be smart about it.  Take time to plan.  And don't kid yourself.  You are not going to be able to avoid some of those favorite celebration foods.  I can tell you right now that I will not be giving up ice cream.  No way.  No how.  I'm also going to be enjoying potato salad.  That's a favorite of mine.  But I'm going to focus on smaller portions.  Ok, who am I kidding, there will not be a smaller portion of ice cream. 

In addition, I will be making sure that I'm getting my workouts in.  That kickboxing class will help, but there are no classes this week, so I have to find other things to do.  And "It's hot!" is not a valid excuse.  Find something you can do indoors or get out early before the heat really sets in.  Yes, in this area, it is ridiculously humid so you're practically sweating as soon as you step out the door, but that is not a workout.  Hit the track.  You don't have to run.  Just go for a walk.  But make sure you drink plenty of water.  You need to stay hydrated.  And when you finish the walk, jump in the shower....lukewarm to actually wash off the sweat and then a nice cool shower to refresh!  You will feel amazing.

I also do little things throughout the day.  When I'm at work and I'm standing at the copier waiting for it to finish, I'll walk in place.  I also do this at various other times of the day.  It is not unusual to just seem marching in place.  When I'm doing the dishes, in the bathroom washing my hands, waiting for the toaster or the microwave.  If you really think about it, there are so many times during the day when you are just standing still and you could be marching or jogging in place.  You're not going to drop tons of weight doing just this, but the little things will add up and will keep you moving.  And if you wear a step counter, even better because you'll see those numbers climb.

Watching tv at night.  Get up off the couch and jog in place.  I do this all the time.  You can do it during commercials.  Or jog during the show and do something else during the commercials, like climb the stairs.  I actually count as I'm jogging.  At the pace that I count, I get about 800 steps for every 100 count.  So I'll do 100 or 200 or 500, take a break and then do another count a little later.  There are some days/nights that I get in 8000-10000 steps just from jogging while watching tv.

When I get home from work at night, I change into workout clothes.  Since I have them on, I'm more inclined to do something physical.  I'll do my jogging, use my kettle bell weights, use my exercise ball, do some stretches, or any combination of these things.  It's easy and does make a difference. 

So find the little things you can do to increase the physical activity while you're going about your daily routines. 

And remember, you can enjoy the summer season with all the ice cream, bbq, potato salad, but do it in moderation and find ways to work it off.  Instead of just sitting at the bbq, get up and walk around to mingle.  Or if you're really feel rambunctious, play with the kids.  You know they are out there running around doing something active.  Why aren't you?

Happy 4th of July!!

Find your mojo!

My birthday is 4 weeks from tomorrow and while I hadn't set a goal for that event, I'm going to set one now.  I'm going to aim for losing another 2 lbs between now and then.  I think 2lbs in 4 weeks is perfectly reasonable.  When I weighed in this morning, I was down 1.2 to 206lbs.  So for my birthday, I want to be at 204. 

The most important thing for me is to work out.  Last week, I took that first kickboxing class and I'll be going again tonight.  There was a lot of stuff that I couldn't do.  I could hit and kick the bag just fine, but the strength exercises in between almost did me in.  I know that I'll get better over time.  And everyone was so supportive, so that was a big help. 

On Friday, my foot was a bit sore.  That was the foot where I'd torn the ligaments in December 2011.  On Saturday, everything was sore.  Every joint and muscle ached.  But it felt good knowing that I'd done the work and that if I just kept at it, the pain would disappear and I'd get better, stronger, leaner.  I did buy an ankle brace over the weekend too, so I intend to wear that tonight and I'm hoping that will help with the ligament issue. 

I read something recently that said that you need to change up your workout routine because that is one of the top reasons we hit a plateau.  So while I'll still walk/jog, I think adding the kickboxing will be a big help.  And who knows what that might lead me to try in the future.  There are so many things out there, fun things, that are more than just exercise. 

I think that's a big key to success.  Find an exercise, workout, activity that you enjoy, and then find something else too.  If you don't enjoy it, you won't want to do it.  But you also can't quit after the first try.  Give it a couple of tries and then decide.  If you really don't like it, find something else.  And just keep searching for things you enjoy.  But try to find more than one thing that will keep you interested, keep you motivated, keep you moving.  One thing could probably lead to boredom and most definitely will lead you to a plateau, but having more than one activity will keep you interested and that can only lead to good things.

Find your mojo! 

Opinions needed!

I've been thinking about creating a blog about all the books I read.  I'd be posting my opinions and reviews on books I'm reading.  I'd also be campaigning, stumping, pimping for my favorite authors...just like I did in yesterday's post. 

So what do you think?  Is this something you'd be interested in reading/following? 

I wish there was a way I could do it right from my Kindle, but so far I haven't found the right app and I don't think blogger has one for the Kindle.  If anyone knows of one, please let me know!

I sorted tried Wordpress last week on the Kindle, but I can't seem to figure out how to design it and make it personal to my style.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but it just wasn't as user friendly as this one is.  Only problem is that I can't seem to publish to this one from the Kindle.  I think I can type to it, but I just can't publish it.  I need to get onto a computer in order to publish it.

Anyway...is that enough rambling for you?  Seriously...please let me know what you think about me creating a Book Blog! 

Hit the comment button and leave your opinion please!!

Completely Off Topic! But it's my blog so I can do what I want! :-)

This would be considered shameless self promotion except for the fact that I'm not promoting myself.  I'm promoting my friend  Lacey Weatherford and her new book, Smitten, which was just released this weekend. 

Here is the link to the book on Amazon:  Smitten

So why am I promoting this book?  Well, because I can.  It's my blog and I can do what I want.  Hehe!  But really, I'm a huge fan of Lacey.  I first read her Of Witches and Warlocks series and instantly fell in love.  I had to read her other books, which include Chasing Nikki and Finding Chase in the Chase series, and Crush, to which Smitten is the followup.

Each series she writes has one basic premise, they are all about true love.  And who doesn't love LOVE?  But each series is also uniquely it's own.  Of Witches and Warlocks is about, well, I think the title says it all, witches and warlocks.  The main characters are Portia and Vance.  The Chase series and the Crush series don't involve any supernatural beings, but they are still great stories that will make you want to read the next in the series.  I have enjoyed all of them and can not wait to read more of Lacey's books. 

I'm so glad that I discovered Lacey's books and I now consider her a friend, even though so far we've only met through Facebook, and sometimes I do wonder if she might be afraid that I could be a stalker.  Honest, I'm not!  Really!  I'm just a rabid fan.  Ok, rabid might not be a good word to use.  I do call her my obsession, but I mean that only in the most loving way possible.  Ok, even that sounds creepy.  I should just quit now.

Bottom line...if you love to read, go look for Lacey Weatherford!!  And if you have a Kindle, click that link above and buy Crush and Smitten now while they are still 99 cents!!! 

I'll even make it easy for you, so you don't have to search for Crush...here's the link:  Crush
So click this one for Crush and the one all the way up there at the top of this post to get Smitten.  Hurry up?  What are you waiting for?  Why are you still reading?  I'm done.  Over and out!  Sayonara! 

Kick it!

Yesterday's weigh-in was decent.  I was down again, but didn't lose as much as I'd gained the previous week.  But no complaints, at least it's going in the right direction.

Last night was my first kickboxing class!  That's right folks, I'm now allowed to punch and kick things.  Ok, only in a controlled environment and it's only the punching bags.  I can't actually hit people or I will still get arrested.  But at least now, if someone really irritates me, I can just picture their face on that bag and start hitting.  It's a great release!  (Have no fear, I'm not really a violent person and have never actually hit anyone.)

I am a little sore this morning, but not too bad.  I will tell you that I slept really well last night too, so that is another definite plus to taking this class. 

I saw this yesterday and I thought it was very appropriate.  And it's something I want to always remember.  As much as we'd love for it to happen, the weight is not going to just fall off.  I am not going to wake up one day with a glorious body, unless I work at it.  So while walking is good exercise, I know that if I really want to have a fit, toned and healthy body, I'm going to have to work harder and not just settle for mediocre!  Kickboxing is definitely not mediocre. 

The Candy Dish!

How many of us have a candy dish in our office?  Show of hands?  Ok, I can't really see you raising your hand, but I will tell you that we have one.  Actually, there are several.  Our office is a nightmare for anyone trying to watch their weight.  We have cake & ice cream once a month; bagels, pastries and fruit every Friday and then there are all the other parties throughout the year.  But let's get back to the candy dish.

There are a couple of secretaries who have them, but the one with the most enticing array of candy and chocolate is the one at the reception desk.  Did you catch that word chocolate?  Oh yes, this candy dish isn't just some hard candies.  Oh no, it contains mini Reese's peanut butter cups, fun size Mounds and Almond Joy, mini Snickers...you name it, it has probably been in that candy dish at one time or another. 

Have you ever seen any stats on the office candy jar and what it can do to your weight?  Let me share a bit with you:

Sweating It Off

Eating just two pieces of candy each workday adds about 480 calories to the bottom line over a work week. To burn that off, a 160-pound person would have to:

• Walk (2 mph): 157 minutes
• Ballroom dance: 132 minutes
• Golf (carrying clubs): 88 minutes
• Backpack: 56 minutes
• Run (8 mph): 29 minutes

A 2006 study shows that office employees ate nearly8 pieces of candy each day when there was a candy dish available. 

Three tiny peanut butter cups dent your diet to the tune of 120 calories plus 3 grams of saturated fat. 

I remember an article I'd read a few years ago about how much weight the average person gains when they have an office candy dish and eat candy from it daily.  I wish I could find the actual article and the stats, but it was astounding. 

So, when 2013 started, I decided that I was not going to touch the office candy dish anymore.  And I haven't.  Honesty, I have not eaten a single piece of candy from that candy dish.  I also haven't taken anything from the not-so-hidden stash that is used to refill the candy dish, with the exception of one hard candy when I had a cold/sore throat a few months ago and couldn't find a cough drop.  I have taken gum from the drawer, sugarless.  I am very proud of myself and my friend, who is the receptionist and the one responsible for filling the dish, is pretty amazed and tells everyone how I don't eat it. 

I was eating at least 5 pieces a day.  And those 3 mini peanut butter cups, yeah, that was more like 6 or 8.  I love chocolate and peanut butter together, so those were my weakness.  Along with the Almond Joy.  And then at Easter, it's the malted milk Robin's Eggs. 

But I'm not doing that anymore.  I won't say I never eat candy, but I don't eat any from the office candy dish anymore.  That was the epitome of mindless eating.  Now I look at it every time I walk by, which so far today has probably been about 20 times, but I don't touch it and honestly, it rarely "calls to me" anymore. 

(if I find that article and those stats about how much people gain, I will update this post.)

And the Streak Comes to an End!

I gained this week.  After thirteen straight weeks of weight loss, the scale tipped the other way and I put up a 1.4lb gain. 

I could say that I have no idea how that happened.  Or I could do like I've done in the past where I just get upset and frustrated and pretend like I don't know how I could have possibly gained, but let's be honest.  I know what I did and didn't do. 

So let's look at what is going on in my life.  First...I'm a woman!  (Ok, hopefully that wasn't really a revelation to any of you.)  As a woman, my body is constantly changing.  Our monthly cycle can wreak havoc our weight loss efforts.  We all know that.  And every month is different.  So while some months you won't see it have much effect as we try to lose weight, other months, it is an evil monster adding weight to our obdies when we're not looking.  So sometimes, no matter what we do, we will just not lose weight.

However, I'm not going to use that as an excuse.  I'm sure it's having some impact because I've been craving salt lately and we all know that salt causes water weight gain. 

But the other truths are that I have been slipping with my workouts and that I ate out a lot over the last week. 

The laziness in the workouts all started while we were on vacation.  You may remember that we walked a lot while we were in Chicago, but that was the end of it.  And then after we got back, the weather has not been the greatest (it is raining again now, so I'm inside during my lunch hour instead of out walking).  Even though the last couple of weeks still showed a loss on the scale, I figured it would catch up to me eventually, and it has.  I shouldn't use the weather as too much of an excuse though.  It does have an impact on my walking at lunch, but I still should be doing my at home workouts.  I have done some, but not nearly enough. 

My eating hasn't been the best either.  I made some good choices and on my workdays, I've stuck with my normal breakfast and lunch, but there was a lot of eating out before Monday.  We went out to dinner for our anniversary last week, but we went for sushi and when I weighed in the next day, that still looked ok.  But then I had my niece and nephew staying over this past weekend.  The husband and I went out for breakfast on Saturday on the way to pick them up.  Then I took them to Red Robin for lunch.  I didn't have a burger, but had a 1/2 order of wings and chips.  Then I took them out to dinner before we went to the New England Revolutions game.  I had a lobster roll, although I ate only 1/4 of the bun that it was on, and sweet potato fries.  Oh yes, and hubby brought Chinese food home for dinner on Friday night.

So I do know what I've been doing wrong.  And I know I can change it.  I refuse to give up on this quest.  I need to stay focused and remind myself that I want this and that I need to do the work if I'm going to make it work. 

I'm also about to sign up for that kickboxing class so I can kick this weight to the curb! 

Am I really going to do this?

Kickboxing!?!  I've said a few times that I thought I'd enjoy kickboxing and that it would be a great way to get in shape.  But I seem to keep dragging my feet and I've never signed up.

Well, I just took a baby step.  I sent a message to Personal Best Karate in Foxboro, where they have kickboxing and I guess they'll be contacting me. 

I am pretty nervous.  I've never really done anything super athletic.  Although, I have wanted to kick some butt before.  Ok, I probably want to kick some butt on a regular basis.  Not that I've ever really done it, but I've wanted to.  Somehow I think that I'll be the one getting my butt kicked in this class, for a while at least.  But hey, if it helps me drop some weight and feel more energized, it will be worth it.  Maybe I'll be in the best shape of my life in my mid 40's. 

So wish me luck!  I'll keep you posted on my progress of actually getting into the class. 

Recipe!! (I should do this more often!)

How about a recipe?  This just looks so good to me, I thought I had to share it.

One of the healthiest and yummiest breakfast/snacks ever!! High in protein and healthy fats. SO good for you! And delicious ;-)
Ingredients:
Whole avocado
Egg...s
Cayenne pepper (or any spice of your choice)
Cheese (optional)

Remove the stone from an avocado. Scoop out a little more avocado to increase the size of the stone's crater. Crack an egg into the crater. Sprinkle with Cayenne pepper (cheese too if you desire). Bake in the oven at 180 degrees until egg is cooked to the level you like.

What works for me may not work for you!

So it seems that my post yesterday created a bit of turmoil, so I want to make a statement about this blog in general. 

I decided to do this blog for me, to chronicle my success (and failures) as I work toward my goals with weight loss.  I am not a professional, a weight loss expert, or a nutritionist.  I am posting about what I'm doing and what is and is not working for me.  I am not trying to tell anyone that this is what they need to do to have success. 

Yesterday I mentioned that I weigh myself on my Wii Fit every day.  I have been doing this for years now.  I do not obsess about my weight.  I do not freak out when I step on the Wii balance board and it tells me I gained 0.2 or 0.4.  In fact, most of the time, within 5 minutes of when I step of the board, I forget what it said anyway.  I use it as an informational tool but it does not rule my life.  When it told me on Monday that I was up 2.5lbs, I thought about how that could be and I realized, I had consumed more sodium on Sunday than I normally do.  It gave me the chance to evaluate what I had eaten and then I was able to make adjustments to the rest of the week to swing that pendulum back in the right direction.  I have never and will never starve myself. 

I can tell you that had I not seen that 2.5lb gain on Monday, I would have eaten some things during the next couple of days that would have simply compounded the problem.  Instead, I was able to fix it.  Again, I didn't starve myself.  I still ate every meal plus some snacks.  I even had ice cream!  Yes, I did.  (I love ice cream and you can never make me give it up!!)

All of the "experts" say that you shouldn't weigh yourself every day.  And yesterday, I had several people telling me that I should follow what the experts say.  If you knew me, you'd know, I'm a rebel.  You can keep telling me "don't do it!", but I'm still going to do it.  Because this is about me and I know what works for me.

It may not be the right thing for you.  It may not be the right thing for 90-99% of the world.  But it is right for me.  I am not blogging to tell anyone what they should or should not do.  I am blogging about what I am doing.  If some of what I do works for you, that is great.  But if it doesn't, I am not offended by that and I'm not asking you to mirror my actions.  Find what works for you and do that.

I sincerely appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog, to send me comments, etc.  But please, do not take my words for gospel.  This is about me, my thoughts, my feelings, my progress.  It's about what I'm doing.  There are a million other ways I could go about losing weight and getting fit, but I know ME.  I know that there are some things that just won't work for me.  There are some things that only work for me.  And there are so many things that I have not tried yet that might work.  I just don't know. 

Again, thank you so much for reading!   

Struggles and Surprises!

Yesterday was my 9th wedding anniversary.  Do you know what that means?  That means that less than 1 year from today, I will be wearing my sexy red dress celebrating our 10th anniversary. 

I was about to say that this journey is a constant struggle, but that's not really true.  There are some days where it seems easy, because I'm focused and it just comes naturally.  But then there are the days when I just want to dive into a giant ice cream sundae and forget all about weight loss and working out.

This week, I was actually convinced that I was going to see a gain on the scale.  I weight myself on my Wii Fit every morning.  I never miss a day unless I'm away on vacation.  I know, they say you shouldn't weigh yourself every day.  In fact, in my WW meeting this morning, the leader even said that exact thing.  I wonder if it's because he heard me talking to others about the fact that I do exactly that. 

Well, I'm not going to stop!  It works for me.  If I didn't weigh every day, I am sure I would have had a gain this week.  See, on Monday morning, the Wii Fit said I had gained 2.5 pounds.  My heart dropped.  WHAT!?!  How is that possible?  Two and a half pounds is a lot to gain in 1 day.  But then I thought about what I'd eaten the day before and what I'd done (or not done since my workout was almost non-existent.)  I realized that I'd eaten more foods high in sodium on Sunday than I normally do. 

That realization made me feel a little better.  And then it was time for the hard work to begin.  I was extra cautious about what I ate on Monday and Tuesday.  But yesterday was my anniversary!  We were going out for dinner.  What was I going to do?  Well, I decided we were going out for sushi.  That would be a much better option than the sports bar that we'd considered going to.  I was still going to celebrate my anniversary, but I was going to be smart about it.

I still expected the scale to show a gain.  I figured there was no way I could make up that 2.5 pounds.  I checked the Wii this morning and I was down a nice chunk.  Ok, this is good.  So I looked at the graph to compare today to last Thursday and it said I was down 0.2 overall since last week.  Still good, but I know that the Wii is not the same as the WW scale, so I was thinking maybe it will show that I stayed the same or even a 0.2 gain (which is what hubby guessed I did this week.) 

I get to the WW center.  I take off my little sweater and my jewelry just like always.  I go to the bathroom, just like always.  And then I take a deep breath and head to the scale.  I step on and I'm just thinking "same!  same!  same!"  And she doesn't say anything.   It felt like an eternity before she finally said, "you're down 0.4."  OMG!  What!  Woohoo!!  So awesome. 

My current weight is 206.4.  That is 10.6 lbs from where I started at the begining of the year.  To remind you, my first goal was to be below 200 this year.  My second goal is to be 185 by May 1 of next year so I can go dress shopping. 

I'm very happy with the progress so far.  But I am determined that this week, I am going to get back on track with my workouts. 

Must get back on track!

I'm slipping.  I didn't even post last week after my weigh-in, but I was actually down 0.2 last week.  That was good, but I'm still struggling to get back into the swing of things from before my vacation and I'm fearful that the scale is going to show it this week.

The weather has not helped, but I'm using that as an excuse far too often.  I need to find other things to do when it's raining or when it's too hot.  I was very lazy over the weekend, and since I had Friday off, that was 3 days of laziness.  The good thing is that today, I can get out at lunch and walk because it's beautiful out there.  I am really looking forward to getting out. 

I've been eating ok, but have given myself a few extra treats and I really need to watch that.  We'll see what the scale says on Thursday, but I'm fearful because the Wii has not been good this week and now I'm not sure that I can undo the damage before Thursday morning.  I'm still going to try because if it doesn't help for this week, at least I'll be doing the right things to get myself back on the right track.

You CAN lose weight on vacation!

Yes, I speak the truth.  You really can lose weight on vacation.  How do I know this?  Because I did it. 

We left for Chicago last Tuesday.  I did go to a Weight Watchers center on Thursday to weigh-in and I was down 0.4.  Not bad.  Granted, I'd only been on vacation for 2 days and it was Chicago so that included lots and lots of walking.  The real test would be Friday-Tuesday when I would be at my sister's house for my nephew's graduation.  That meant dinner and a graduation party.  Could I do it?

I will admit that I was very nervous before vacation started.  I knew I wouldn't be counting points.  I knew that there would be plenty of yummy foods on this trip and I knew that I wouldn't be able to say no to everything.

I did avoid some things.  But most, I did in moderation.  I did have Chicago pizza.  I did have a cupcake at the graduation party.  I may have had 2, but they were the home baked, not the giant ones you get at cupcake shops these days.  But when we went to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings, I had the salad with the chicken tenders on top and I got both the wing sauce and the salad dressing on the side.

I brought my hot cereal with me to make for breakfast so I wouldn't be tempted by junk.  I bought strawberries when we went to the farm store, so I'd have fruit to snack on.  I did have ice cream in Chicago, just a single scoop cone.  And a frozen custard, but a mini with fresh strawberries in it. 

I stopped eating when I felt like I was getting full instead of eating until I felt sick. 

And it worked!  When I went to Weight Watchers yesterday, I was down a full pound!!

So yes, you can lose weight on vacation.  You just have to be conscious of what you are doing!  Make the right choices.  Eat the things you really want, in moderation.  And try to get in the exercise. 

Slow and steady wins this race!

This is so true!  One thing I have always said as I try to lose weight is that I didn't put it on overnight, I can't take it off overnight.  It's taken me about 40 years to gain the weight and now I hope it doesn't take me 40 years to take it off. 

Monday Motivation!

I didn't have time to post on Friday, so we're on to Motivation Monday instead.  It had a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

So the focus of today's post is vacation!  Tomorrow I'm flying to the Midwest and I have to admit, I have been very nervous about what this is going to do to my recent success.  10 plus weeks was huge, and I really want to continue to lose, but I am afraid of what can happen on vacation because I will be out of my element.  There are some things that I won't be able to control.  I know that, but I have to remember that vacation does not give me a free pass to eat whatever I want.  I have worked very hard over the past 10 weeks to get where I am and I can't throw that away now.

This isn't going to be easy.  I know that.  But the best things in life doesn't come easy.  They take work and the results are worth it when we work hard.  So I will get out and walk.  That will be the first thing I need to do.  And the hotel has a gym, so I need to make sure I use it.  But even if I don't, I'll need to walk.  And I'll be keeping an eye on my pedometer and my ActiveLink.  That will tell me if I am doing the work.

Food is also going to be something I really need to think about.  We all love to try new foods in new places.  But I need to focus on keeping those to a minimum.  Moderation.  A taste.  No over indulging.  As my BIL said, "it doesn't taste any better when you go back for seconds or order a larger size."  I can still enjoy something in a smaller portion, so that is what I need to do. 

Wish me luck!! 

Oh, and while I'm away, I will be weighing in at a Weight Watchers center to see how I'm doing.  So you should see a post from me again on Thursday with those results.

A Perfect 10!

That's right folks, 10 straight weeks of weight loss.  Today was another 1.2 drop on the scale. 

This has not been an easy week and I would not recommend following my example this week if you really want to lose weight.  It started out with the Cinco de Mayo party at my office last Thursday after work.  I can say that I didn't eat as much as I would have in the past.  I was full, but not stuffed. I did eat things with cheese.  And I had churros.  So not the healthiest choices, but again, I didn't stuff myself. 

The weekend was ok.  I did get out to the track.  I did less laps on Saturday, but more than made up for it on Sunday. 

And then the work week started again.  UGH!  The beginning of the week was very stressful.  Just so much stuff to get done.  Monday was ok as far as eating and I got out to walk at lunch, but I ran out of my oatmeal and the substitute was 1 point higher than the one I normally eat.  And by the time I got home Monday night, I was pretty exhausted and didn't do a full workout. 

Tuesday was just awful.  I was pretty much tied to my desk the majority of the day because of work and wasn't even close to my daily goal of 5000 steps by lunchtime.  And then there was lunch.  I was asked to have lunch with some potential new employees.  The firm ordered lunch for us from California Pizza Kitchen.  Between the food and the fact that I didn't get out to walk during my lunch hour, that was a double whammy.  And then by the time I got home, I was completely exhausted and had no energy to work out.  I barely scrapped up 10,000 steps for the day and my ActiveLink only registered 1 earned activity point for the day.  I have been averaging 6.

Yesterday was a little better, but the weather cut my walk short.  There were off and on showers and while I managed to get out, I didn't walk as far for fear of getting caught in a downpour far from the office.  I was running around the office quite a bit, so I racked up the points that way.  I was at nearly 8000 before I went to lunch.  But again, when I got home last night, no energy for a workout. 

So stepping on the scale this morning, a loss of 1.2 was HUGE under the circumstances.  But I also know that this is not the norm and if I were to continue to do this every week, I would quickly see the numbers climb. 

The next few days should be ok.  But I am nervous about the next 2 weeks.  Vacation!  We'll be spending 4 days in Chicago and that means eating out for every meal.  On the plus side, lots of walking.  And then it's off to visit family for a few days.  That can be torture.  Not because I don't want to visit but because I get lazy.  I don't pay attention to what I'm eating.  I don't do my workouts.  So I know that I must stay focused.  I must push myself. 

And I have given my husband permission to question me about everything I put in my mouth.  For the entire time that we are away, he gets to crack the whip and keep me in line.  But only for this week and only when it comes to my diet and exercise. 

So today's weight:  208.4
Year to date total weight lost:  8.6 lbs

I can do this!

Friday Motivation! - or a little background on me, not sure how motivating it is.

In my Weight Watchers meetings, they often ask the question "what made you join Weight Watchers?"  Sometimes it is referred to as you "Aha Moment."  Well, I'll be honest.  There wasn't anything that suddenly clicked and made me say "I'm going to do this."  I'm sure that's not what people want to hear, but really, it's the truth.

I joined Weight Watchers with a friend.  She had decided to do an "at work" meeting that was actually being held at the office across the street from ours where her friend work and she asked me if I wanted to go with her.  I decided, sure, why not? 

I've been overweight (obese) my entire life.  I was never a skinny kid.  I don't have clothes in the back of my closet that I used to fit in when I was 18, 20, 25.  There are no "skinny clothes."  I was always the fat kid, but honestly, I didn't hate myself or feel miserable.  Well, almost never.  I know there were times when people made not so nice comments about my weight, but that was just who I was.  I didn't let it stop me from doing what I wanted to do...except that one time. 

I was in junior high.  Gym glass.  All us fat girls just love gym class, don't we?  My gym teacher was not my biggest fan.  We were doing gymnastics and that day, it was the uneven bars.  There was this one move that I really wanted to do.  I was up on the bars and the teacher said "I don't know why you're even going to bother.  It's not like you'll be able to do it anyway."  I wish I could tell you that I said "I'll show you!" and I did it.  But no.  Instead, I got off the bars and said something along the lines of "fine, then I guess I won't do anything" and I spent the rest of the class sitting along the wall.  BUT, there was some positive out of that.  Several of the "popular girls" talked to me and told me how rude she was and that she wasn't right, that I should try it if I wanted to do it.  I think the next time we had gym, I tried that move.  I wasn't the most graceful, but I at least tried.  I may have given up the first time, but I went back and tried again. 

Anyway, that's about the only "fat girl" moment that sticks out in my mind.  I'm not sure where much of my confidence comes from, but I'm glad that I have the attitude that other people's opinions of me will not determine who I am.  Sure, I have insecure moments, plenty of them, but they don't rule my life. 

As I said, I've always been heavy, fat, overweight...whatever you want to call it.  I don't know what I weighed because for most of my life, I didn't own a scale.  I just didn't want to know.  When I'd go to the doctor, I wouldn't look and I wouldn't ask.  Now...I pay attention.  I still don't live or die by the numbers on the scale but I really do like seeing the number get smaller and I am really looking forward to getting below 200 again, and to that magic 185 that I've set as my May 1, 2014 goal...less than a year to go now.  (And I'm a little excited at the possibility that I might even see that 185 before May 1, but I can't think about that now.  One goal at a time.)

So while I do pay more attention to the numbers now, how I feel is even more important.  I never let my weight get in the way of doing things that I really wanted to do.  I never wanted to run, although I'm finding that it's really not so bad.  And I enjoy excercise more than I thought I would.  But I didn't hide away in the house because I was fat.  I went out.  I traveled.  I walked a lot, even when I was a kid, but to me it wasn't exercise, it was just a way to get where I wanted to go. 

Where am I going with my life story?  I have no idea.  Maybe I'm just saying that don't use your weight as an excuse not to do things.  If you feel like it's getting in your way of doing the things you really want to do, then do something about it.  I can't help you find your "Aha moment" because I don't even know what mine was.  I just know that I said "sure" when someone asked me to go to Weight Watchers with them and I decided that maybe now was the time to lose some weight and to see what it was like to not be the "fat girl" anymore. 

There is a saying:  Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.  My response to that has always been, well I don't know because I've never been thin, but I sure have tasted some really good food in my life.  Maybe one of these days, I'll know how thin feels.  

Make yourself a priority!

I'm going down!

C'mon everyone, sing along...I'm going down!  Ok, I don't really know anymore words to the song right now.  LOL

But the words are true.  I am going down.  For the 9th straight week, I have seen the number on the scale get smaller and smaller.  Today it was down 0.8 lbs.  I was thinking 0.4, so double that is twice as nice.  And, I broke the 210 plane.  I was hoping to break thru that 2 weeks ago, but then the bombings happened and the manhunt and the stress of the week kept my numbers low, but they were still down.

So, for a recap with the numbers, with the loss this week, that means I am down 7.4 so far this year.  If you remember, I originally set my goal to lose 15lbs by year end.  Then I changed it to be down more than 17lbs because I really want to get below 200.  So the 7.4 puts me about halfway to my original goal, which is a month ahead of schedule.  I think that means the 17+ lbs is definitely do-able. 

So how am I remaining consistent?  One of the keys is walking.  I walk every day.  I go out on my lunch hour and walk around Boston.  Then at night, I have started walking after dinner.  And my wonderful husband has been joining me on several of these walks.  On the weekends, I hit the track.  I'm still just walking the track, but this past weekend, I boosted my laps from 8 laps to 10 laps.  I will soon start running, really, I promise I will.  Maybe after my vacation.  Or maybe I'll just try to run some this weekend so by the time I get back from vacation, I can do a whole lap.

I do wear a pedometer and I have the Weight Watchers ActiveLink so those both help to motivate me.  I have been logging at least 15000 steps this week.  Now I just need to focus more on counting my points.  I do it most days, but on the weekends, I just don't do it.  No excuses.  I just don't feel like it.  But I know I need to. 

No excuses! - Friday Motivation/Inspiration

That pretty much says it all.  Just do the work.  If you don't do the work, then don't make excuses, just own it.  Look yourself in the mirror and admit that you didn't do the work.  You don't have to answer to anyone but yourself because the desire to lose weight and get in shape must be all about you.  You can not do it for anyone else or it just won't happen. 

Yes, I want to get into that sexy red dress, which I know my husband will enjoy, but I want to be able to look in the mirror and see myself in that sexy red dress.  I want to walk into a room and know that I look good.  Whether I turn heads or not, it's about how I will feel knowing that I did the work and I earned that dress for myself.  So that I could celebrate not only my 10th anniversary, but hopefully many more because I made sure that I got myself healthy. 

I'm going to be 43 in a couple months.  I don't feel 43 and thankfully, I have been pretty healthy.  But I want many more years because there is still so much I want to do.  And yes, I know that life is not a guarantee, but I'm going to give myself the best shot at living a long and healthy life. 

So no excuses!  If I don't do the work, I don't get the dress.  If I don't do the work, that is my fault.  Sure, life will throw us curveballs and sometimes, we just can't find the desire to move more or to eat the right things, but when that happens, own it.  Admit it.  And then make the next step a step in the right direction.  Don't keep yourself down.  Pull yourself up and get moving! 

Administrative Professional's Day! Time for a treat?

As you know, normally I weigh-in on Thursdays, but since today is Administrative Professional's Day (aka Secretary's Day, or in our office it's Staff Appreciation Day), and the firm likes to reward us with a big lunch, I thought I'd weigh-in today before I eat.

Now I know that the "right" choice would be to only have salad or to not eat all the yummy and fattening stuff that they are bringing in, but c'mon...we're ordering from Maggiano's (click the link at your own risk).  That's Italian, my friends.  ITALIAN!  Only the best food in all the world.  Who doesn't love Italian?  I am not passing up Italian food.  My inlaws might disown me if I did.

Oh, and did I mention the tiramisu?  Heaven on a plate right there.  All that creamy goodness.

So I am going to enjoy my lunch without feeling quilty about it.  Because I believe that I can still lose weight and get fit and healthy while still enjoying the foods that I love.

First...moderation!  I will have a little of everything that I love so that I can satisfy my taste buds.  I don't need giant plates of pasta and meatballs, but all I need is a taste.  I remember one of my prior Weight Watchers leaders saying that you already know what your favorite things taste like, so why do you need to eat them?  Well, that's exactly why.  Because I know what they taste like and I know I really like them, but if I have a taste and not a giant plateful, that it perfectly within reason.  Denying myself the things I love is not going to help me lose weight.  So MODERATION is my word of the day...and pretty much my life.

Second...workout!  Just because I'm going to treat myself at lunch today doesn't mean that I forget about the rest of the day.  That doesn't mean that I can just do whatever and eat whatever I want today.  No!  I will still do my workout, getting in my walking and doing both cardio and weights/strength after work.  I am aiming for at least 6 points earned on my Activelink, maybe even 7.  I can do that.  In addition to that, the other meals I eat today will be healthy, low point options. 

We all deserve a treat.  Denying ourselves the things we love does not help us.  It makes us miserable.  It makes us crave those things.  And if we try to ignore it, we are much more likely to overindulge when we do finally allow ourselves to enjoy those things.  So treat yourself.  Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite things, but do so in moderation and just make sure that you still continue your workouts and healthy eating habits throughout the rest of your day. 

Thank you!

I just want to thank you all for reading.  My "Stronger" post wasn't my best work, but I promise I'll get better.  My brain is just a little mush this morning.  I'm relaxed and relieved and I want to enjoy that and just not think too much.  LOL  But I can assure you that my thoughts will get back on track and sound better.  I have a lot of thoughts floating around in my head, but for this weekend, I'm locking them away and I'm just going to enjoy not thinking too much. 

Stronger - Friday's Inspiration - a Day Late

I know that today is actually Saturday, but I think you'll all forgive me for being a day late with my Friday Inspiration.  I just couldn't wrap my head around things yesterday.  Boston and the surrounding towns were in lockdown as the local and state police, FBI, SWAT and everyone else hunted for "suspect #2".  It was a very tense day and there was great concern for those we knew in Watertown.

If there is one thing we have learned over the past week is that we are all stronger than we ever knew.  And that is the focus of this post. 

 (thank you Nancy for sharing this and providing the inspiration for this week)

When life throws things at us, we can cower in fear or we can find our strength.  This week, all of Boston, Watertown, pretty much all of Massachusetts, we found our strength and we grew stronger. 

At first I thought I was going to dispute the "it never gets easier" portion of this picture, but then I thought about it.  Maybe it really doesn't get easier, maybe we just adjust.  With each step and each day, we are more focused on getting stronger and we adjust to the hard part.  We don't forget, but we make getting stronger a higher priority.  Nothing in life is easy.  And sometimes, life throws curveballs at us, so we change and adjust and we find what keeps us going.  So while it may seem like it's getting easier, maybe we forget about how hard it is because we're finding ways to deal with it.  

And that applies to our health and fitness goals too. We can all agree that losing weight isn't easy.  Does it ever get easier?  I don't think so.  If it was easy, we'd all be thin.  We have to work at it each and every day.  And as we do, we are getting stronger.  We make adjustments in what we eat and in our workouts and we lose weight.  One day at a time, one step at a time. 

But who doesn't have those days when they really want that piece of cake or that ice cream sundae or we just don't feel like working out?  Is it easy to walk away from the goodies or to start the workout?  Nope.  But with each day you're a little stronger and you find the will to walk away or to just start walking. 

And of course, there will be those days when you give in and you eat that piece of cake or you don't do your workout, but you can't beat yourself up over it.  Because we are going to have to eat for the rest of our lives and sometimes, you just need a piece of cake.


We are all STRONGER!  (And I'm pretty sure none of us are EASY!  )

Stress!

If you're looking for scientific information about how stress effects weight loss/gain, you've come to the wrong place.  I am not an expert or a doctor, but I sure that stress has an effect on my weight loss efforts.  I think we can all agree that stress affects the body and so it would make sense that it would impact weight loss as well. 

Some people are stress eaters.  Some will consume alcohol at times of stress.  Both of those will obviously impact weight.  I am not one of those people.  I actually tend to stop eating, which some might think would equal weight loss, but it doesn't.  When you stop eating, your body actually goes into survival mode and it basically holds onto whatever stored resources it has so you don't lose weight.  This is actually why starvation diets don't work.  Ok, that is actually scientific. 

I'm sure that we can all agree that this has been a stressful week.  (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, what hole have you been living in?  I don't really want to know.  Just go back and read my post from yesterday.)  I've been tense.  My stomach has been in knots for days.  I didn't really eat on Monday night, but I have forced myself to get back into a more normal eating routine since.  With all that has been going on, I really expected a small gain this week.  I was hopeful that maybe my weight stayed the same.  But I was pleasantly surprised when she told me at Weight Watchers that I was down 0.4.  I did continue to work out this week, going for long walks mostly, and with pushing myself to eat normally, that must have worked.  I am hopeful that I will see an even bigger loss next week. 

I want to thank everyone who has followed along on my blog this week.  And of course, all those who reached out to me to offer some support or to let me know they were feeling the same way.  I wish none of us had to go through this, but I hope that my words offered you some comfort.  I just know that I needed an outlet for my thoughts.  I don't always find it easy to talk about these things, but I can usually write/type and that helps. 

As I continue to go through each day, I think of the victims, those who lost their lives and those who lost their legs.  As I go for my walks, I will think of those who can't walk, those who will need to learn to walk again.  I will be grateful for all that I have and I will try not to take it for granted.  And when I'm walking and I just don't want to do it anymore, I will remember them and I will push myself further and harder because I have that option while others don't. 

Heartbreak!

(Tuesday:  April 16, 2013)

Yesterday, April 15, 2013, was Patriot's Day in Massachusetts.  It is also known as Marathon Monday.  The Boston Marathon has been run on Patriot's Day in the City of Boston for well over a hundred years.  It is a historic day.  It is a day about triumph and perseverance.  It is a day when the city celebrates in a way that no other city can.  It is Boston's holiday.  But this year, it was marked by tragedy when two bombs exploded near the finish line, resulting in the deaths of 3 innocent spectators and injuries to over 150 other people.

This was the act of a coward!  As of now, the police do not have anyone in custody so we do not know if it was one person or a group, but no matter, whoever did this was a coward!  Those who run the marathon are just everyday people from around the world.  The Boston Marathon is one of the most prestigous races in the world and it draws thousands of people into the city.  There are runners from all walks of life.  There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who run for various charities.  I know of several people who run to raise money to help others.  And for some coward to set off bombs to kill and injure those who are on the sidelines, cheering them on, showing their support, pushing them that last and final leg to finish the race of a lifetime, I just don't know what to say.  It is times like this when I wish our justice system believed in an "eye for an eye". 

I have been awash with emotion since these events unfolded yesterday.  I was actually at the track walking when I received a text from my husband simply stating that 2 bombs had gone off at the finish line.   When I read it, I don't think it really registered as to what it meant.  But then I got a text from a friend from out of state asking if I was ok.  And then just as another couple arrived at the track, the guy received a phone call, apparently from his son, who was telling him about the explosions. 

I finished my laps and started to walk home.  I realized that I should probably call my Mom because even though I didn't really know anything, she would probably be worried if she didn't realize that my office was closed for the holiday so I wasn't in the city.  We talked all the way home and I immediately turned on the TV.  Shortly after, my sister tried to call my cell, and then she called the house.  My brother-in-law had heard the news and they were watching it in his office, so he called her to have her check in with me.  Then my mother-in-law called because she had gotten a call from my husband's brother.  Their fears started to hit me, along with the news coverage and the emotions just came rolling in over me and I cried.  I was safe, my family was safe and as far as I knew, all of my friends were safe.  But some coward had attacked my city and changed so many lives and we don't know why.

And when I learned that one of those killed was only 8 years old, my heart broke.  As I heard stories of those who were injured, it broke even more.  But as with everything, there are stories of heroism too.  All those people who ran toward the blast sites as they tried to help the injured.  Everyone from fire, police and other rescure personnel to race volunteers, news crews and so many others. 


(Wednesday, April 17, 2013)

I was going to come back and edit the above post before publishing it since I felt it was a really rough draft less than a day after the attack on the marathon.  But I've decided to leave it as is because I hope it shows the range of emotions, confusion and shock I felt over this senseless act.

Another day has now gone by and while I still can't understand why someone would do this, I am at least making some sense of my feelings.  I am angry, as I know many others are also.  I am still sad and heartbroken about what this has done to so many people and to this city, but I am finding amazing strength all around me.

This country was built on strength and perseverence and the Boston Marathon and Patriot's Day embody those characteristics.  Anyone who can run 26.2 miles and then continue to run to the nearest hospital to donate blood for the injured...they are strong.  The first responders, race officials and volunteers, the media and all the other spectators who ripped down barriers to get to the injured...they persevered.  The doctors, nurses and all the medical personnel who worked tirelessly to do everything they could for those injured...amazing, although they'd probably tell you it is just their job.  So many who were willing to help when they had no idea if they too could be in danger...that is Boston.  Those are the qualities that built this city, this country and it all started here in Boston, in Massachusetts, in New England.  It is why we celebrate Patriot's Day.  We do not give up the fight. 

You can attack us but you will not defeat us.  You are a coward!  You killed a defenseless 8 year old and seriously injured his sister and mother.  But you did not break the Richard family becuase while they may be battered and bruised now, the rest of this city, this nation, is rallying around them in support.  They will find strength and love all around them and they will persevere!  The coward who did this will not and did not win. 

Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell and the 3rd victim will not be forgotten.  The Boston Marathon will go on and they will be in our hearts and minds every time a runner crosses the finish line, signifying another win for Boston!

We are Boston!  We are strong!  You can not break us. 

Numbers are Evil - Friday Inspiration/Motivation

Have you ever realized how our lives revolve around numbers?  And often, those numbers can be evil. 

There's age.  Although, I'm not so afraid of that one.  I am sometimes amazed that I am 42 because I'm just not sure where the years went and I don't feel 42.  Although really, what is 42 supposed to feel like anyway?  (And hey, that's a new movie that I can't wait to see, about Jackie Robinson - sorry, another baseball reference.) 

And with our bodies, there's weight and clothing sizes.  We all hate looking at the scale and when we have to buy clothes, how many of us hate the number on the tag? 

Why do we let numbers define us? 

Am I really a 42 year old, 211 lb, 14-16?  No!  I'm a person!  I'm a wife, a daughter, a sister, and hopefully, a friend to many.  I love Disney, sports, summer, my birthday (even though it's associated with a number, I just really love my birthday), traveling, Paris!  Oh so many things!  I am more than just the numbers that surround me. 

Now that doesn't mean that I won't continue to battle my weight and hope for a lower number on the scale, but I'm also going to make sure I focus on how I feel.  How my clothes fit and not the size on the tag.  How much strength and energy I have. 

And that is my Friday Inspiration/Motivation tip this week.  Find the positives in your life, and if you're trying to lose weight and get healthy, focus on how you feel and not on the numbers associated with it.  Because we are all so much more than the numbers! 

Look at yourself as a Perfect 10!  Make yourself #1.  See...those numbers are so far apart, but when you look at them like that, they sound pretty darn good, right?

5 Pounds in 5 Weeks

It's Thursday.  Weight Watchers day.  And for the 5th straight week, I have lost weight!  C'mon, let's dance!  This is a time to celebrate.  I can't tell you the last time I had 5 straight weeks of weight loss.  I seriously want to dance, but I'm at the office and I think that might look a little weird.  But I'll be dancing when I get home tonight!  I'm sure my husband would love to see my little weight loss dance. 

For those of you who don't want to do the math, I'll do it for you.  This week was a weight loss of 0.6. 

I've decided to set a goal for next week's loss.  I want to lose more than a pound next week.  Why, you ask?  Well, because that will put me below 210.  Right now I'm at 211 exactly, so a loss of 1.2 or more and I'll be below 210 and that much closer to the Mendoza line.  (Ok, how many people know what the Mendoza line is?  It's a baseball reference.  And anyone who really knows me or knew me "back in the day", knows about me and baseball.)

As you know, at the beginning of the year, I set a goal for weight loss.  (I refuse to make resolutions.  I set goals.)  I said I wanted to lose 15 lbs, but I adjusted that to 17 as I was at 217 for my first WW weigh-in of 2013.  And you know that I've lost 5lbs in the past 5 weeks (it says so right there in the title), but my total for the year is 6lbs.  Yep, between Jan 3 and Feb. 28, I lost a total of 1 lb.  I can't remember what flipped the switch once March arrived, but I'm glad it flipped and I plan to stay focused and just keep moving forward / downward!

The "Before" Photos

So, since I've already posted my weight here on the blog, I figured why not just put it all out there and so, we now have, my before photos.  Aren't they great?  LOL  This is what 211-212lbs looks like on me.   Stay tuned for more photos as I fight to get this weight off.  I'm not sure how often I'll be posting pictures, but I'll try to make sure I'm wearing the same outfit so that eventually I can make a cute little collage.

Friday Inspiration

 



 

 

 

I am going to try to post at least twice a week, once after my weigh-in so we can see my progress and then I think I'll do a "Friday Inspiration" post, which will be something like this. 

I hope to have other posts along the way as well, but I know me, and I won't be able to post every day, and really, who wants to read about what I eat every day or what exercise I did that day?  That will get old fast, especially since Monday - Thursday, I eat pretty much the exact same breakfast and lunch. 

For anyone wondering, breakfast is Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Hot Cereal (3 pts) and a hard boiled egg (2) points, and lunch is a salad of mixed greens, blueberries, strawberries, gorgonzola and Sweet Apple Vinaigrette which my sister gets for me out at Eckert's in Belleville, IL.  http://eckerts.stores.yahoo.net/ecsadrsa.html  The salad is 5 points, 3 for the gorgonzola and 2 for the dressing.  I also try to make sure I snack on fruit or celery during the day as it is 0 points. 

Now I won't lie and say that I never eat junk food or not so healthy foods.  That's just not realistic for me right now.  Maybe it will be some day, but it's not right now.  Today for instance.  It's Friday, which means our office has breakfast brought in from Panera - bagels, fruit and pastries.  I love bagels, so Friday is my bagel day.  I have my bagel with honey walnut spread and a bowl of fruit.  I also still have my hard boiled egg for the protein because the bagel and fruit is like a carb overload and I'm certainly not running a marathon today.  I still have to make sure I track it and the whole thing is a lot higher than the 5 point breakfast I normally have, but it's what I want and if I try to force myself not to eat it, I know that I'll end up failing in the long run.  It's who I am and I have to do what is right for me.  I used to eat a bagel every day for breakfast.  Now it's really just for Friday and it's something I can look forward to. 

So even though I posted my inspiration above, I'm going to post a little tip too.  And that is that you have to do what works for you.  We're all different and not everything is going to work for everyone.  I quit drinking soda a few years back and that was easy for me.  (I don't drink diet soda either.)  But quitting my bagels cold turkey...can't do it.

What is Operation: Sexy Red Dress

Welcome to my new blog!  This one is all about getting into a Sexy Red Dress for our 10th anniversary, which occurs on June 5, 2014.  We will be on the Disney Wonder Cruise to Alaska for that anniversary and I have decided that I want to look amazing and wear a sexy red dress.

So how will I get there?  And what exactly does this goal entail?  Well, it will require hard work, dedication, motivation, commitment.  It will mean that I need to actually focus on what I've learned at Weight Watchers. 

I joined WW several years ago.  I think it was 4 years.  When I joined, I didn't really set many goals, but I did pretty well on it.  I lost almost 30 lbs and at my lowest, I was just under 190lbs.  (Yes, that's right, I'm posting my weight.)  Well, things happened and I slowly but surely put most of the weight back on and on Jan 3 of this year, I weighed in at 217.4.  Less than 2 lbs from where I had started.  That was not acceptable. 

So I set a goal that I would be below 200 again by the end of the year.  I'd love to say that I hit the ground running, but I didn't.  It was a slow crawl.  And until 4 weeks ago, I'd only lost 1 lb.  But then I went to the doctor and we chatted about my weight, as we usually do.  But this time, I didn't leave feeling bad.  I was inspired.  My doctor had asked what my lowest was and I told her 189 on my 40th birthday.  (It was actually 189 point something, but I like to claim 189.)  She was amazed and I realized that I really wanted to be back there again.  And of course, I want to be even lower than that but first I need to get below the 200 that I set for the new year and then we'll get back to the 189 and then I'll just keep fighting until I get to my ideal weight, which I'm not going to reveal just yet. 

But right now, the first goal is under 200 by Dec. 31.  Then, I want to be at 185 by May 1, 2014 so I can go shopping for the Sexy Red Dress!!  Wish me luck!