Archive for January, 2007

Woot! It’s hump day!

Posted January 31, 2007 * Comments(9)
    I am feeling so good this week, it’s almost a euphoric feeling.  The weight really is coming off with all this hard work; my efforts are not in vain.  It’s weird because for these past few years at least, I have felt that to loose weight would be impossible, a pipe dream.  But, now that I’m actually working at it I find that while it isn’t by any means “easy”, it isn’t all that hard for me either.

   

    I used to eat pretty much all day, snacking all the while.  I honestly don’t miss that, I honestly don’t miss the old lazy piggish me.  I am THRILLED to have her gone, out of my life!!!

This morning I was doing my usual workout on my Hoist machine when it kind of fell apart.  The weights slammed down and the cable was hanging loose.  Old me would’ve seen this as a most fitting way to end the workout and go have a snack…wait for the hubby to come home and fix it later.  In other words, it would’ve been a great excuse to get out of doing my work out!
Old me be damned!  New me was quite upset about this situation and started to panic, thinking, “Oh my God, what if I don’t get my workout in today?!?!  I can’t rely on just my walking to loose weight!”  So, new me pushed up her sleeves and got down to work to fix that Hoist machine.  And you know what?  It is now as good as new and my workout was as tiring and fabulous as ever!

I am so damn proud of me and how GREAT these past few weeks have gone!  How silly is that?  I’ve never been one for pride, it’s one reason I got so fat.  I do know that I will hit plateaus along my way, and I will do my best to not get discouraged when they get here.  But for now, I am going to RELISH these good times and enjoy the here and now!


 
Hey, remember my little guy, Noah, and his award last week at school for “Outstanding Academics”?  He brought his report card and award certificate in to karate and showed his Sensei, who was so proud of him!  He told Noah, “You know what this report card tells me?  It tells me that you should be in the first grade already.”  Noah was thrilled!  Sensei gave him an “honor roll” patch for me to sew onto the sleeve of Noah’s GI, right under the Black Belt Club patch.  Yay Noah!


 
I hope that you all are having a GREAT week and a most AWESOME hump day! 

 

Mondays rock!!!

Posted January 29, 2007 * Comments(10)
    I can’t believe I actually look forward to Monday now!  But I really do.  Sunday is my weigh in day and my day of rest, and I feel so refreshed on Monday mornings now, it’s crazy.  I’ve always been such a lazy person, it’s amazing to me to feel so good after going through these past three weeks of change. 

    My weight loss for last week was 4 pounds again!!

    I am actually proud of me and what I am accomplishing.  I didn’t know that I could feel that way about myself, it’s a neat feeling.

    An even better feeling is how much closer to my husband I have been feeling.  He’s always been my best friend, ever since we were 14 years old.  He’s seen me at my best and worst, and has always loved me anyway.  He’s never been very good at expressing it, but I’ve known how he feels.  Anyway, since this journey has begun he has been supporting me 100%.  He walks with me, he has told the kids not to eat certain foods in front of me, he congratulates me on my weight loss each Sunday…..he is my constant source of encouragement.  I am so thankful for him!

    And no, he doesn’t read my blog, so this wasn’t for his benefit!  Hehe

    I am proud to say that I met all of my mini goals last week!  My goals for this week are the same.

1.  Walk for 40 minutes each weekday
2.  Do 40 minutes of strength training each weekday
3.  Drink ALL of my water every day
4.  Stay within my 1200-1500 calorie range daily

    I was reading through a Max Lucado gift book Brice got me for Christmas this past weekend and came across something I thought was great in pertaining to this new life change we’re all making, and wanted to share:


Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
Goodness, faithfullness, gentleness,
And self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
And rest.

I hope that you all enjoy it also.  Have a GREAT week buddies!  I will be thinking of you guys and wishing you all well!

 

Outstanding Academics

Posted January 26, 2007 * Comments(6)

My day started off quite awesome.  Noah, my fantabulous kindergartener, got an award at school today for “Outstanding Academics”.  At the end of each trimester they give out awards to some of the kids who really shined.  This was the second trimester awards ceremony for the year, and the second award for Noah.  The first time around he got an award for being an outstanding mathmetician.  He has excelled in all areas and has mastered every subject they’ve taught.  Granted, it’s only kindergaten and not rocket science, but he’s an awesome little guy and we are so very proud!





And to think, in the beginning of the year I contemplated not sending him for another year because he was only four and I wanted to keep him a little longer. 


My husband is in the Marine Corps, is a logistics & embarkation officer, and he’s not been home much these past two weeks.  They’ve been busy bringing marines home from Iraq and busy sending more out.  I am just lucky that he is not out there again himself.  He was out there in 2004 & 2005. 

Actually, between for the years 2002 thru 2004 he was never home.  Yes, three years in a row he was gone.  He was able to come home one year for a two week visit and one time his visit lasted about two months.  He’s been to Iraq too many times for comfort.  The first time was way back in 1990 for the first war.  He left when I was seven months pregnant with our first child and didn’t meet her until she was almost six months old.  He literally missed out on the first three years of our youngest sons life.

Anyway, I digress…..I was just going to comment on how disorganized dinner has been these last two weeks or so since he’s been working late again.  In our home, family dinner time is extremely important, we gather each night at the table for a home made meal that me and/or my daughter make (sometimes the boys help out too).  But since Brice has been working late it’s been really hard to do.  Some nights we eat without him, some nights we don’t eat until almost 8 pm.  It can wreak havoc on my trying to stay on program.  To be honest, I’m getting a little bit anxious about my weigh in this Sunday and that has a small part to play in it.  I am so scared of getting on that scale and having it say I stayed the same or gained! 

Hope you all have an awesome weekend.  I will be thinking of you all and wishing you well.

 

So far so good this week

Posted January 25, 2007 * Comments(5)

First off, I have to tell you all that today is my 2nd year anniversary since I quit smoking!!!??

WOOHOO go me!!!!? After 22 years of smoking, it was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do.? But, with God’s help I did it, and I know that I can loose weight now too!

So far so good with staying OP this week.? Each day my calorie intake has been right around the 1200 mark and I’ve gotten in my exercise every day.?

I’m incredibly blessed to have a Hoist V3 gym in my garage, which I use for 40 minutes of strength training each morning.? I am ashamed to say that it’s been in our garage since my husband purchased it last year and I have not been a regular user until these past couple of weeks.? I love the thing dearly now and couldn’t live without it!??

?Check it out here: ? Hoist V3?

I highly recommend it if you’re in the market for this sort of thing.

I’ve also been OP so far this week with my walking.? I’ve made it a goal to walk each weeknight around the block at my son’s karate dojo.? While they’re inside for their class I walk around that block.? It is .4 miles one time around, and I manage to get in 4 rounds in 40 minutes.? So am walking 1.6 miles each night.? I hope to build up my speed and endurance so that eventually I can make 6 laps in the same amount of time.? Quite possibly even run it.?
Wow, me running!??? The thought alone is staggering.?

But at this point I believe that someday I really will be able to achieve it.?

In our garage by the Hoist we also have an elliptical bike.? I only use it for warm ups and cool downs right now, riding it for about 3 minutes each time, which measures at a half mile each time.? I hope to build up my endurance on that thing too, because right now it is kinda kicking my butt!??

To keep track of what I eat and count my calories I use a really neat program called FitDay, maybe some of you have heard of it or use it too?? You can check it out here:? FitDay? It does so many neat things, I really enjoy using it.? You can use it to keep track of everything you eat, and all the exercise you do.? It shows you your progress in graphs that are easy to understand.? It does so much, it was worth every penny of the $30 I spent to download it.? You don’t have to download it by the way, there is an online version you can use here:? FitDay online I just much prefer the one that you download.

Hope I don’t sound too much like I’m trying to advertise these products I use!? I just wanted to share with you all the things that are making this journey of mine an easier one.? I highly recommend them all, but there are so many ways to get it done right, these are just the things I use.

Hope you’re all having an AWESOME week!?


An inspirational poem

Posted January 24, 2007 * Comments(5)

I am really strapped for time today, so don’t have the time I’d like to have to go around to each of my buddies to say hi.  I will make sure I catch up tomorrow though.

I did come across this poem today though, many might recognize it, many will not.  But either way, I thought what a profound poem for those of us who are struggling with weight (or struggling with anything, for that matter)!  This poem has inspired many, I am sure, and I hope that it will inspire those here who may be reading my blog also. 

Take care you guys, may God always bless you and may you feel His love shining down upon you!

The Man Who Thinks He Can!

If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you dont!
If you’d like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch that you wont.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will;
It’s all in the state of mind!

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself
before you can win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the strongest or fastest man;
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can!

Author ~ Walter D. Wintle

4 pounds gone last week

Posted January 22, 2007 * Comments(7)

Good morning buddies!? I hope that you all had a great weekend! ?

I had my second weigh in yesterday, and lost 4 pounds the previous week, bringing my total weight loss for these past two weeks to 18 pounds! ?

We went out to eat yesterday after church, we like to do that once every other week or so.? Went to Godfather?s pizza and I had three slices of pizza,? 1 ? breadsticks and a slice of their dessert pizza.? Yeah, I know I pigged out a bit.? Didn?t eat as much as I normally would have.? Couldn?t have if I?d wanted to anyway, because my stomach got full.? So, I was excited to learn that my stomach had shrunk over the previous two weeks.

Anyway, piggin? out a bit every once in a while is a good thing, I think.? I kept the rest of my day?s intake to it?s regular and still went for my evening walk.? It?s been great getting back on schedule today.? Can?t believe I am actually looking forward to Mondays now; I used to hate them.? But, it is great getting to start a brand new week of weightloss! ?

I am going to set my weekly goal to walking around the block at karate every night this week (Mon-Fri).? I only got in my walk there once last week.? I also am not going to stress out about all week about what the scale is going to tell me next weigh in.? I know as long as I take care of me the way God intended me to take care of me, I will be just fine!

Got this in my email and thought it was good so wanted to share it:

I was shocked, confused and bewildered as I entered
heaven’s door, not by the beauty of it all, nor by the
lights or its decor.
?
But it was the folks in heaven who made me sputter and
gasp; the thieves, the liars, the sinners, the alcoholics,
the trash.
?
There stood the kid from seventh grade who swiped my lunch
money twice.??Next to him was my old neighbor who never
said anything nice.
?
Herb, who I always thought was rotting away in hell, was
sitting pretty on cloud nine, looking incredibly well.
?
I nudged the angel, ‘What’s the deal???I would love to hear
your take.??How’d all these sinners get up here???God
must’ve made a mistake.
?
And why’s everyone so quiet, so somber???Give me a clue.’
?
‘Hush, child,’ said he.??’They’re all in shock.
?
No one thought they’d see you.’

It’s a mental game

Posted January 19, 2007 * Comments(8)

I’ve tried to loose weight so many times I can’t count.? I’ve been thinking about it a lot this week, and why this time around feels so different.? I think that it is because it is a mental game and I refuse to back down, I won’t let the bad thoughts in.? No more wallowing in self pity, no more wishing I was someone else, no more hating me for what I have let happen to my body, no more thinking that to loose weight will be too hard; a dream that cannot be accomplished.? I CAN DO THIS!

The Lord keeps telling me to stop wishing to be someone I’m not and to actually enjoy myself and this journey we’re on.? I intend to keep the Lord in the front of my mind and he is going to guide me along the way.? With His help, I surely can accomplish anything.

An update on my brother:? He was released from the hospital yesterday!? The clots are all still there, so he has to continue taking blood thinners by giving himself two shots in the stomach each day.? They’ve also got him on some pills and he has to go to a clinic three times a week to be checked out.? He will be on the medication for at least a year after the clots have cleared to help prevent further clotting.? Please keep him in your prayers that the clots will go away.? Praise God that his situation is no longer so precarious as to keep him in the hospital though!? Thank you all for your prayers!

I hope that you all have an awesome weekend!

It’s a healthy weight loss

Posted January 17, 2007 * Comments(4)

I know that at first it might seem like losing as much as I did that first week isn’t healthy, but it is.  When you’re as obese as I am, the first few weeks of weight just kind of fall off if you’re doing things correctly.  I by no means have starved myself, so no worries guys.  To have slowed my weightloss down that first week I would’ve had to eat badly and/or not exercised, and that is what would’ve been foolish.

rn

I eat three healthy meals a day and have 3 low fat/calorie snacks a day, while exercising moderately.  I measure my food to make sure I am getting the serving amount, no more, no less.

rn

For the heck of it, here is a sample of what I eat daily:

rn

Breakfast:

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1 packet Quaker brown sugar oatmeal prepared with 2% milk

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1 banana

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Mid morning snack:

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1 container Lite N’ Fit Creamy yogurt

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Lunch:

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Scrambled egg omlet & toast (will post the recipe, cuz’ boy is it good! hehe)

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Afternoon snack:

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1 apple

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Dinner:

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Pork chop, mashed potatoes & gravy with broccolli, cauliflower & carrots

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1 8 oz. glass of 2% milk

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After dinner snack:

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1 bag of 100 calorie Sandies cookies

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My calorie intake varies slightly each day, but is always between 1200-1500.  I haven’t been hungry either.

rn

A sample of my daily exercise:

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Morning: 40 minutes of strength training on my Hoist machine.

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Evening:  1 mile walk

rn

I took Sunday off, I figure that is a good day to rest. 

rn

One thing about the exercise that I have reasearched and fully believe it does help; I do the strength training in the morning before I eat my first meal.  It helps burn fat vs. food in my stomach, and it also helps set the course of the entire day.  Also, for the evening walk I prefer to do so before I eat because it helps your body to burn calories and you tend to eat less. 

rn

One other thing that has made a HUGE difference for me, is I no longer drink soda of any kind, not even diet.  I drink water throughtout the day and milk with dinner.  I don’t drink juice of any sort either because of the high amount of calories.  Someday I will get back to drinking juice again, but not in the beginning when it is important to have a lower intake of calories then your body needs to maintain it’s weight.  I’d rather get my calories by eating rather then drinking.  I also take a one-a-day vitamin each morning, while taking a garlic pill, aspirin & Coenzyme 10 for heart health.

rn

Gotta go get my kindergartener from school now or else I’d yap some more hehe.  Take care all, and have a blessed day!

rn

Still reeling from yesterday

Posted January 15, 2007 * Comments(6)

Still reeling from yesterday’s weigh in  of 14 pounds weight loss!  Oh how I wish that I could do that at every weigh in hehe. 

rn

I am feeling so good about my diet and exercise this time around, that I truly believe this is it for me.  I am making a total life change, with everything.  Not just what I eat and how much I move.  I intend to live each day the way God intended me to live it.  Enjoying all things in moderation! 

rn

Sit Up

rn

I thought I would start making a list of what I am looking forward to doing when I am thin:

rn

1.  Fitting in the booth seats at restaurants without feeling like I couldn’t be crammed in there any tighter.

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2.  Ride a rollercoaster again!

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3.  Shop in the normal sized clothing departments.

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4.  Have a better sex life.

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5.  Fit behind the steering wheel without my belly rubbing against it.

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6.  Live to see my future grandkids, and be able to play with them.

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7.  To live a longer life with my husband.

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8.  To be able to comfortably tie my shoes.

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9.  Heaven forbid having to be picked up by EMT’s and put into an ambulance this fat….also, would like to be thin when I die…imagine the embarrassment my husband would go through otherwise.

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10.  To feel good about the way I look.

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11.  To not get out of breath while climbing a flight of stairs or two.

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12.  To not sweat so much over little things…literally.

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13.  To make less messes on my shirt while eating.

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14.  To roller skate with my kids.

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15.  To be able to run again!

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….I’m sure the list will continue.  I’ll stop with that for now though.  It’s a good start.

rn

 

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My brother’s condition is still the same, his clots are not dissolving, they’re still just hanging around as if waiting for something to happen.  Apparently his body is fighting the blood thinners.  He is very tired of being in the hospital, but they won’t let him go home until they dissolve.  If that doesn’t happen soon, he will have some filters surgically implanted in his heart.  He will have to be on blood thinners for the rest of his life,   and will have to go to the hospital frequently to have x-rays done to determine if he’s getting any new clots.  For the mean time though, he is stuck there in the hospital with the situation being precarious.  Please continue praying for him and the family.

rn

I thank you all so much for your prayers, kindness, and support! 

rn

 







My first weigh in today

Posted January 14, 2007 * Comments(4)

It was incredible, I’ve lost 14 pounds this past week.? If only I could keep up that sort of weight loss every week.? I know alot of it is water loss and whatnot, but I worked my butt off all week with strength training and walking.? Plus, counting calories and keeping them between 1200-1500.? I am ecstatic about it!!!? ?

I also wanted to mention here that I completely stopped drinking diet cola and drank only water and milk this last week.? I think that has a lot to do with it also…loads and loads of water going in.?

Thank you all for your prayers for my brother, I will be sure to update you all.

Also, thank you all again for your warm welcomes to the site, I already feel at home here.?

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