Great job, guys!! We have lots of LOSERS this week!! Awesome!
This is just great!!! I love being a part of such a successful & supportive bunch!!
& if you weren't a loser this week, I'm proud of you, too!! :o) I know this is a really rough time of year to be trying to lose weight, for all of us.... just hold on tight you guys! Just do your best & don't give up... EVER!! Don't hold yourself so tight that you lose it because you're feeling so deprived. Give yourself permission to have some fun & just remember that everyone here is pulling for you!!
Know that this challenge just gives us something to focus on right now. None of us know how our bodies are going to react... how quickly we're going to lose weight, no matter how great we are OP, right? I know for a fact that I can't pull off an 8.7 lb loss in a month...that's just plain crazy!! Of course, you never know, right? :o) I'm not taking my eye off making it to ONDERLAND, period! I just know that if I weren't doing this challenge w/ all of you, that I might not give it my all this month... maybe I would've just been happy to settle for maintaining. But NOOOOOOOO, I'm going to kick a little bootie this month ...make some good decisions, but not expect myself to be perfect, either.
So... what do we do that we know works????
We gotta JOURNAL, EVERYTHING!! Leaving stuff out isn't going to fool even you... you're just hurting yourself, right? Journaling is KEY to our success... don't even think for a second that it's not.
WATER, water, water, water!! (you're shooting for super light pee you guys!! LOL!!)
Basics.... Milk, Fruits & Veggies, protein & yes, even added fat (2-4 points per day).
Exercise...get your body moving. Do something... at least every other day… even if it's just a quick 15 minute walk around the building @ work.
AND... at the end of each day, write down something that you did that day that you are proud of.
This life truly is driven by how you think of things... give yourself a positive outlook... remember how great it feels when things are going your way. MAKE them go your way... it's all up to you, right? You are in charge. Don't wait for something to come your way... it doesn’t happen like that. Go for it... you have no other option.
AND… give yourself the chance to see yourself as a success! You CAN do this!! Maybe you’ve never believed that of yourself. Maybe you’re like me… always giving up, eventually. Well… I’m not giving up anymore… I DO see that I can be successful at this lifestyle! I look around at this awesome support network that we have here & see all of the amazing success stories, each & every day. This is amazing, don’t you think? How can I NOT think I’m going to be successful?? I no longer have to JUST go to a weekly meeting in hopes of getting a little bit of motivation or encouragement… I have you guys to help me keep going each day. We are so darned lucky… I know I don’t have to tell you that… it’s so obvious.
Okay…I’m done. LOL!! You didn’t just skim the page now, did you? There will be a test! :o)
I'm going to leave you w/ a little something I HAD to write down from Dr. Phil last week...
This is not going to be a success only journey!
If you teach a baby to walk & he takes a few steps & falls down,
You’re not going to kick him & say "Get up you dumb baby!"
What you do is you dust him off, you pat him & you say
"We’re going to do this again tomorrow", right?
:o)
xoxo....Julie
Your GoaD New Year's Cruise Director :o)
Monday, December 1, 2003
Sunday, November 23, 2003
I WEIGHED IN YESTERDAY MORNING...
…an itty bitty 1.6 lb loss (week 42) (I know, it's not really itty bitty…but that’s a 2 week total) .... great for me, yes, but it doesn't get me ahead of the game in the New Year’s Challenge!! :o) I'm going to have to kick some major butt if I am going to get these last 10.7 lbs off in 6 weeks....a HUGE stretch!!
(PLUS, I know, as well as anybody, that the scale is NOT my friend… there could be a number of reasons why I didn’t have a larger loss…. the next few weeks will tell….who made this Challenge based on those darned numbers anyways??? LOL!!)
This isn’t a big deal… on any other day, it wouldn’t even be a thought that I’m not doing well enough… 1.6 lbs is great… it’s a great step in the right direction… but I would give ANYTHING to be in ONDERLAND by New Years 2004! That would be AWESOME!! But… I KNEW it was going to be a stretch when I started this challenge… I was up for the challenge & knew that even if I didn’t reach that goal, I would be THAT MUCH CLOSER because of the challenge!! I’m going to get through the holidays a winner…THAT is the intention of this whole challenge, right?? The great thing, too, is that I am really determined to try to figure out how to kick this up a notch… (BAM!) see if I can reach this goal in time!
Plus, the fact that I’m almost neck & neck w/ Maryellen (medowney) makes this challenge that much more fun!! We started out OP almost at the same weight, I think we were right together when the challenge started & we tend to pass eachother by ounces at each WI! LOL!! PLUS, we’re the same age… and I think our brains use the same wavelength, don’t you, Maryellen… since we posted separate posts to eachother yesterday w/in seconds of eachother!! LOL!! Scary!! :o)
I gotta figure out what to do to kick it up a bit... I mean, I'm walking AT LEAST a full hour every other day, if not daily... but I obviously need to add in some aerobic stuff... time to pull out my Richard Simmons "Sweating to the Oldies" tape! LOL!! I’m also going to pull out my Tae Bo tapes… I think I might be up to them now… I think I’m in a little better shape than I was the last time I tried them (like 2 years ago!! LOL!)!
Fats, too... I've been told to get in some added fat each day... like 3 points extra... don't know if that is oil or butter type fat, or like avocado & nuts type fat. Hmmmmmm....
&... to eat or not to eat more flexpoints... that is the question!?? I mean, I’ve been trying to end my weeks w/ at least half of my flexpoints left. But, my all-knowing leader has said that they’ve seen better losses in those that actually eat all of their flexpoints than in those that try to avoid them. (also the added fat and getting my dairy from milk is supposed to be key, too!) I don’t know. I guess I’m just going to play around a bit & see if I notice anything different. I’m going to make today a high day, like the Wendi Plan, since yesterday was so low (22 pts)
Anyways…I’m just talking to myself….talking this thing through. All in all… I’m still thrilled how things are progressing! I mean, holy crap…I’ve lost almost 55 lbs since January!!! Okay… so I may not be in Onderland by January 1st… but I WILL BE in Onderland by mid-January…right? What’s a few weeks? (something like 14 days, right? LOL!!)
Oh yeah…. 42 weeks OP… I FINALLY filled my 26 week WW weigh-in book!! LOL!! I also got a BRAVO star sticker @ my meeting because I realized that I had reached my 2nd 10% at my LAST WI, when I passed 214!
(PLUS, I know, as well as anybody, that the scale is NOT my friend… there could be a number of reasons why I didn’t have a larger loss…. the next few weeks will tell….who made this Challenge based on those darned numbers anyways??? LOL!!)
This isn’t a big deal… on any other day, it wouldn’t even be a thought that I’m not doing well enough… 1.6 lbs is great… it’s a great step in the right direction… but I would give ANYTHING to be in ONDERLAND by New Years 2004! That would be AWESOME!! But… I KNEW it was going to be a stretch when I started this challenge… I was up for the challenge & knew that even if I didn’t reach that goal, I would be THAT MUCH CLOSER because of the challenge!! I’m going to get through the holidays a winner…THAT is the intention of this whole challenge, right?? The great thing, too, is that I am really determined to try to figure out how to kick this up a notch… (BAM!) see if I can reach this goal in time!
Plus, the fact that I’m almost neck & neck w/ Maryellen (medowney) makes this challenge that much more fun!! We started out OP almost at the same weight, I think we were right together when the challenge started & we tend to pass eachother by ounces at each WI! LOL!! PLUS, we’re the same age… and I think our brains use the same wavelength, don’t you, Maryellen… since we posted separate posts to eachother yesterday w/in seconds of eachother!! LOL!! Scary!! :o)
I gotta figure out what to do to kick it up a bit... I mean, I'm walking AT LEAST a full hour every other day, if not daily... but I obviously need to add in some aerobic stuff... time to pull out my Richard Simmons "Sweating to the Oldies" tape! LOL!! I’m also going to pull out my Tae Bo tapes… I think I might be up to them now… I think I’m in a little better shape than I was the last time I tried them (like 2 years ago!! LOL!)!
Fats, too... I've been told to get in some added fat each day... like 3 points extra... don't know if that is oil or butter type fat, or like avocado & nuts type fat. Hmmmmmm....
&... to eat or not to eat more flexpoints... that is the question!?? I mean, I’ve been trying to end my weeks w/ at least half of my flexpoints left. But, my all-knowing leader has said that they’ve seen better losses in those that actually eat all of their flexpoints than in those that try to avoid them. (also the added fat and getting my dairy from milk is supposed to be key, too!) I don’t know. I guess I’m just going to play around a bit & see if I notice anything different. I’m going to make today a high day, like the Wendi Plan, since yesterday was so low (22 pts)
Anyways…I’m just talking to myself….talking this thing through. All in all… I’m still thrilled how things are progressing! I mean, holy crap…I’ve lost almost 55 lbs since January!!! Okay… so I may not be in Onderland by January 1st… but I WILL BE in Onderland by mid-January…right? What’s a few weeks? (something like 14 days, right? LOL!!)
Oh yeah…. 42 weeks OP… I FINALLY filled my 26 week WW weigh-in book!! LOL!! I also got a BRAVO star sticker @ my meeting because I realized that I had reached my 2nd 10% at my LAST WI, when I passed 214!
Thursday, November 20, 2003
NSV...
I am so proud of myself you guys!!
I normally walk 1 hour total... usually 3 miles. Well...today I walked an extra 25 minutes - 1.12 more miles!!! That was a first for me! Yeah me! WOW, it was AWESOME!!! I walked Brayden to his bus stop @ 12:30 & just started from there!!! I hit the hour mark & just didn't see any reason why I couldn't keep going! :o)
I walked the hill @ the end of our street ELEVEN times! That's a first, too! Just up & down, up & down....down the street & back to the hill, over & over & over again!! I know my neighbors think I'm nuts... but they can also see that I'm disappearing, can't they? I can't wait till spring comes around & the heavy jackets come off!!! :o) It was beautiful today, though... 53 degrees, a little overcast & breezy, but lovely & I didn't have to wear a jacket! I think tomorrow is supposed to be nice, too... so I'd better get out again... it's supposed to get nasty over the weekend, I think.
Here are my stats...
10,025 steps
4.12 miles
517 calories
1 hour 25 minutes !!!
Hill - ELEVEN times!!
7 APs
I need to take my pulse as I'm walking... what should I be shooting for?? I've never checked it. Walking has gotten pretty easy, though...I can't start jogging yet, I still have too much healing to do in my ankle & feet. Someday, though! :o)
Also... I need to start a strength training regime... @ home & to a video.... any suggestions?? Power 90? The Firm? Anything else?
Thanks, guys, for all of your support & encouragement!! Did anyone take a virtual walk w/ me today? :o)
Julie
Oh yeah...I haven't mentioned the gift my wonderful hubby bought me as an early Christmas gift, did I? :o) He got me an MP3 player, kinda like an I-Pod...only smaller...like the size of a pager. This isn't one like Sam's MP3 cd player... it uses no discs, rather it plugs directly into my computer's USB port & I download music (or audio books!!) directly into its memory! Very cool! I just love it! It has a cord so I can hang it around my neck & of course it uses head phones. Isn't he awesome? He totally surprised me w/ it. I'm a pretty lucky girl, aren't I? (don't I know it!!)
I normally walk 1 hour total... usually 3 miles. Well...today I walked an extra 25 minutes - 1.12 more miles!!! That was a first for me! Yeah me! WOW, it was AWESOME!!! I walked Brayden to his bus stop @ 12:30 & just started from there!!! I hit the hour mark & just didn't see any reason why I couldn't keep going! :o)
I walked the hill @ the end of our street ELEVEN times! That's a first, too! Just up & down, up & down....down the street & back to the hill, over & over & over again!! I know my neighbors think I'm nuts... but they can also see that I'm disappearing, can't they? I can't wait till spring comes around & the heavy jackets come off!!! :o) It was beautiful today, though... 53 degrees, a little overcast & breezy, but lovely & I didn't have to wear a jacket! I think tomorrow is supposed to be nice, too... so I'd better get out again... it's supposed to get nasty over the weekend, I think.
Here are my stats...
10,025 steps
4.12 miles
517 calories
1 hour 25 minutes !!!
Hill - ELEVEN times!!
7 APs
I need to take my pulse as I'm walking... what should I be shooting for?? I've never checked it. Walking has gotten pretty easy, though...I can't start jogging yet, I still have too much healing to do in my ankle & feet. Someday, though! :o)
Also... I need to start a strength training regime... @ home & to a video.... any suggestions?? Power 90? The Firm? Anything else?
Thanks, guys, for all of your support & encouragement!! Did anyone take a virtual walk w/ me today? :o)
Julie
Oh yeah...I haven't mentioned the gift my wonderful hubby bought me as an early Christmas gift, did I? :o) He got me an MP3 player, kinda like an I-Pod...only smaller...like the size of a pager. This isn't one like Sam's MP3 cd player... it uses no discs, rather it plugs directly into my computer's USB port & I download music (or audio books!!) directly into its memory! Very cool! I just love it! It has a cord so I can hang it around my neck & of course it uses head phones. Isn't he awesome? He totally surprised me w/ it. I'm a pretty lucky girl, aren't I? (don't I know it!!)
Saturday, November 8, 2003
I HAD QUITE AN INTERESTING WEEK...
not quite in a good way, which is why today's weigh-in w/ a 2.6 lb loss (week 40) kind of took me by surprise!! :o)
So you say you want the details?? Okay...you don't have to twist my arm! LOL!!
This week was interesting because I never realized how much I truly enjoy my walking... how much I get out of it mentally, because I was just antsy & out of sorts all week because I COULDN'T go out & walk since I SPRAINED MY ANKLE!
One week later, my ankle is feeling MUCH better...I can flex it w/out worrying that the pain is going to shoot me through the roof. I actually took a walk w/ Brayden this afternoon... a nice SLOW walk! It was nice to get out... in the mid 40's today, sunny! We were out for about 20 minutes & that was about as long as I could handle it today. A little tender & achey afterwards, but not bad. Will DEFINITELY be out each day from now on... even if it's just a short walk like today.
I don't know what I'm going to do once there is snow on the ground. I suppose I should continue to walk, as long as it's not icy, right? Sure wish my dear husband would just sweep me off my feet w/ a nice treadmill! :o) (honey...are you reading this?? LOL!)
Also, the other factor this week that made me think my WI wouldn't be as fabulous as it was, was that I had too much Halloween candy throughout the week. Not THAT much, but definitely more sugar than I normally try to go for. I journaled EVERY piece, so it wasn't like it didn't fit into my numbers, but I figured that the QUALITY of my points this week was low enough that it might have effected my weigh-in...obviously it didn't make THAT big a difference (or did it?), but that still doesn't make it okay, right? :o)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At my meetings, there is this older man who is a Lifetime member & I've seen him the last few times I was there (so, twice in a month). Well...after I weighed, I sat down in my usual spot (2nd row, center, because I want to see Michelle directly, rather than sitting on the sides & have to just look @ her profile most of the meeting!!) and a few minutes later, this man walked up from behind & said "Hi Julie, I'm Dick, nice to meet you!" we shook hands & I told him it was nice meeting him, too! (of course!) I was a little blown away w/ the fact that he knew my name, because he couldn't have seen my nametag yet, from the direction he was approaching me. He sat down we talked about his journey & what he thought about being at Lifetime. I actually asked him how much he had lost & he said 45 lbs over 2 years.... then I thought about it later, hoping that he didn't mind!! It's such a natural thing for us to actually talk about our weight & pounds lost on GoaD that I didn't even think twice about it!! Hope it wasn't too personal for him. He didn't flinch or anything, so maybe that's a good sign! LOL!! As I was talking to him, the lady behind us put her hand on my arm & said "didn't we talk a few weeks ago?" & she came up & took the empty chair on the other side of me. It was fun chatting w/ her...she's a really sweet lady. I'm really enjoying this group. It's been about 2 months, I guess, since I changed from Monday nights to this meeting on Saturday mornings...it's nice to get to know others. (& it felt really great to be sitting by these two successful Lifetime members...it felt like a "power group"! LOL!!)
Anyways...Michelle started out the meeting asking if anyone had anything they needed help with & this one lady, maybe 50?, said that she was having a hard time staying on track. She just couldn't get herself to journal & make good choices & on & on & on!! Tons of "I can't do this" stuff... negative after negative comment... she came up w/ an excuse w/ each suggestion. I just wanted to smack her! (but Dick held me back!! LOL!! Just kidding!) So, instead, I raised my hand & said that I thought she was waiting for the motivation to find her & it just doesn't happen that way. That she needed to do this because it was the right thing & that the motivation will come later. Michelle stopped me @ that point because that was what she was going to get to in the meeting. The group came up w/ some great ideas for this lady & she was asked to pick three that she thought would help her & she picked them, but all the while was saying "I guess I can see if I can do this" & "I'll just have to work on my willpower", etc..... ARG! I don't think she heard anything anyone was saying!! I was about to give her my eMail address so I could help her break through this negative train of thought, but decided I couldn't handle that right now! :o) Anyways (I sure say that alot, don't I?) ... it just made me realize that THAT was MY thought process forever. I gave up way too easily because I just "couldn't do it". I found excuse after excuse why it wasn't going to work for me, etc.
I am THRILLED to see how much I have internalized the changes I have made this past year. It still blows me away...but THIS IS MY LIFE...from now on! It's not hard to do...it IS work, of course, that's the idea... to be 100% on the ball, to know exactly what I am doing & to be aware of where poor choices will get me...physically & mentally.
Okay...I HAVE to be done here!! :o) I think I've exceeded my 2000 character limit, don't you? (yeah, like that ever stopped me!! LOL!) If you REALLY want to do some more reading :o) , I just posted two new pages in the RAMBLINGS section...go ahead, check it out...you know you wanna! :o)
Hope this post finds you all on the right track as well!!
So you say you want the details?? Okay...you don't have to twist my arm! LOL!!
This week was interesting because I never realized how much I truly enjoy my walking... how much I get out of it mentally, because I was just antsy & out of sorts all week because I COULDN'T go out & walk since I SPRAINED MY ANKLE!
One week later, my ankle is feeling MUCH better...I can flex it w/out worrying that the pain is going to shoot me through the roof. I actually took a walk w/ Brayden this afternoon... a nice SLOW walk! It was nice to get out... in the mid 40's today, sunny! We were out for about 20 minutes & that was about as long as I could handle it today. A little tender & achey afterwards, but not bad. Will DEFINITELY be out each day from now on... even if it's just a short walk like today.
I don't know what I'm going to do once there is snow on the ground. I suppose I should continue to walk, as long as it's not icy, right? Sure wish my dear husband would just sweep me off my feet w/ a nice treadmill! :o) (honey...are you reading this?? LOL!)
Also, the other factor this week that made me think my WI wouldn't be as fabulous as it was, was that I had too much Halloween candy throughout the week. Not THAT much, but definitely more sugar than I normally try to go for. I journaled EVERY piece, so it wasn't like it didn't fit into my numbers, but I figured that the QUALITY of my points this week was low enough that it might have effected my weigh-in...obviously it didn't make THAT big a difference (or did it?), but that still doesn't make it okay, right? :o)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At my meetings, there is this older man who is a Lifetime member & I've seen him the last few times I was there (so, twice in a month). Well...after I weighed, I sat down in my usual spot (2nd row, center, because I want to see Michelle directly, rather than sitting on the sides & have to just look @ her profile most of the meeting!!) and a few minutes later, this man walked up from behind & said "Hi Julie, I'm Dick, nice to meet you!" we shook hands & I told him it was nice meeting him, too! (of course!) I was a little blown away w/ the fact that he knew my name, because he couldn't have seen my nametag yet, from the direction he was approaching me. He sat down we talked about his journey & what he thought about being at Lifetime. I actually asked him how much he had lost & he said 45 lbs over 2 years.... then I thought about it later, hoping that he didn't mind!! It's such a natural thing for us to actually talk about our weight & pounds lost on GoaD that I didn't even think twice about it!! Hope it wasn't too personal for him. He didn't flinch or anything, so maybe that's a good sign! LOL!! As I was talking to him, the lady behind us put her hand on my arm & said "didn't we talk a few weeks ago?" & she came up & took the empty chair on the other side of me. It was fun chatting w/ her...she's a really sweet lady. I'm really enjoying this group. It's been about 2 months, I guess, since I changed from Monday nights to this meeting on Saturday mornings...it's nice to get to know others. (& it felt really great to be sitting by these two successful Lifetime members...it felt like a "power group"! LOL!!)
Anyways...Michelle started out the meeting asking if anyone had anything they needed help with & this one lady, maybe 50?, said that she was having a hard time staying on track. She just couldn't get herself to journal & make good choices & on & on & on!! Tons of "I can't do this" stuff... negative after negative comment... she came up w/ an excuse w/ each suggestion. I just wanted to smack her! (but Dick held me back!! LOL!! Just kidding!) So, instead, I raised my hand & said that I thought she was waiting for the motivation to find her & it just doesn't happen that way. That she needed to do this because it was the right thing & that the motivation will come later. Michelle stopped me @ that point because that was what she was going to get to in the meeting. The group came up w/ some great ideas for this lady & she was asked to pick three that she thought would help her & she picked them, but all the while was saying "I guess I can see if I can do this" & "I'll just have to work on my willpower", etc..... ARG! I don't think she heard anything anyone was saying!! I was about to give her my eMail address so I could help her break through this negative train of thought, but decided I couldn't handle that right now! :o) Anyways (I sure say that alot, don't I?) ... it just made me realize that THAT was MY thought process forever. I gave up way too easily because I just "couldn't do it". I found excuse after excuse why it wasn't going to work for me, etc.
I am THRILLED to see how much I have internalized the changes I have made this past year. It still blows me away...but THIS IS MY LIFE...from now on! It's not hard to do...it IS work, of course, that's the idea... to be 100% on the ball, to know exactly what I am doing & to be aware of where poor choices will get me...physically & mentally.
Okay...I HAVE to be done here!! :o) I think I've exceeded my 2000 character limit, don't you? (yeah, like that ever stopped me!! LOL!) If you REALLY want to do some more reading :o) , I just posted two new pages in the RAMBLINGS section...go ahead, check it out...you know you wanna! :o)
Hope this post finds you all on the right track as well!!
Monday, November 3, 2003
BRAD & I GOT TO SPEND THE AFTERNOON IN THE ER...
after I landed poorly on my foot while going down the stairs today. Thought for sure I had broken my ankle, sure feels like there's some bone-on-bone action going on in there...OUCH...but luckily it's only sprained! They wrapped me up w/ an Ace Bandage, put on an inflatable splint, crutches & gave me some Tylenol w/ Codeine & sent me on my merry way. (Still having a hard time believing it's not broken...sure feels like there's some bone-on-bone action...very localized pain...ouch!)
Anyways...we were home no longer than 15 minutes when I started getting chest pains! YEOUCH! It freaked me out because I've already had my gall bladder removed, so what else feels like a heart attack but a heart attack? Waited a good 15 minutes...through about 4 waves of severe pain (constricting pain, radiated around to the back & hard to breathe) & some serious sweating (I was drenched!) & I finally got Brad to call 911. (poor Sam...he was balling, like me, he was so scared...I had Brad go calm him down while I was dealing w/ myself. Brayden was being a good nurse, trying to take care of me! LOL!!) Paramedics came, hooked me up to a heart monitor & everything looked good, but as I was still having these attacks, they took me to the ER. 2 more waves on the way there & then they stopped! The nurse that helped me earlier saw me & said "hey...you were just here!!" LOL!
So...what was it? I was having some sort of reaction to the stupid codeine!!! What a relief, I can tell you! Had to call Sam right away @ my neigbors house to let him know I was okay. (poor guys...spent the first half of the afternoon @ one neighbor's & the 2nd half @ another neighbor!!)
Well, anyways...I'm home now...exhausted & feeling like crud & really bummed out that I didn't get out for my walk today!! LOL! (the boys & I were JUST heading out to buy them some new shoes...guess they'll have to wait!!) But also relieved that my ankle is JUST sprained & hopefully I'll be back on my feet soon. I’m also bummed because I won’t be able to go on a field trip w/ Brayden tomorrow! :o(
So...how was your day?? :o)
Julie
Anyways...we were home no longer than 15 minutes when I started getting chest pains! YEOUCH! It freaked me out because I've already had my gall bladder removed, so what else feels like a heart attack but a heart attack? Waited a good 15 minutes...through about 4 waves of severe pain (constricting pain, radiated around to the back & hard to breathe) & some serious sweating (I was drenched!) & I finally got Brad to call 911. (poor Sam...he was balling, like me, he was so scared...I had Brad go calm him down while I was dealing w/ myself. Brayden was being a good nurse, trying to take care of me! LOL!!) Paramedics came, hooked me up to a heart monitor & everything looked good, but as I was still having these attacks, they took me to the ER. 2 more waves on the way there & then they stopped! The nurse that helped me earlier saw me & said "hey...you were just here!!" LOL!
So...what was it? I was having some sort of reaction to the stupid codeine!!! What a relief, I can tell you! Had to call Sam right away @ my neigbors house to let him know I was okay. (poor guys...spent the first half of the afternoon @ one neighbor's & the 2nd half @ another neighbor!!)
Well, anyways...I'm home now...exhausted & feeling like crud & really bummed out that I didn't get out for my walk today!! LOL! (the boys & I were JUST heading out to buy them some new shoes...guess they'll have to wait!!) But also relieved that my ankle is JUST sprained & hopefully I'll be back on my feet soon. I’m also bummed because I won’t be able to go on a field trip w/ Brayden tomorrow! :o(
So...how was your day?? :o)
Julie
Sunday, November 2, 2003
RAMBLING...LETTER TO A FRIEND...
Hey Jane (Doe) ...
As far as 50 lbs seeming so far away...I know exactly what you mean...I've always thought like that...it's just way WAY too overwhelming if you look @ it all like that. I mean, geez, I have a total of like 125 lbs to lose if I wanna get down to 140 (the TOP of my healthy weight range for my height!!)....THAT is a huge amount of weight. But when I started thinking about all of the years that I had been thinking like that...
"I can't do this, it's too much to lose"
"I'll never make it, why bother?"
...I realized that not only had a ton of time passed, but that I was getting larger & larger each year...when was it going to stop? Even if I had changed just a little something in how I did things all of those years that I was overwhelmed... stop drinking pop, stop eating fast food, start walking more, etc...I would've been healthier by now. Crazy, huh?
So...one thing that I've been working on this last year is to realize that things aren't just going to happen on their own. I've always thought "when I'm feeling better (not depressed, not scatter-brained), I'll do something about this (weight, house, work, etc...)"....I've come to realize that things just don't happen like that. If you don't actually DO SOMETHING about it, it's not going to happen...& will probably get worse. It sure happened that way w/ me. The more I left things to happen on their own, the worse & more overwhelming it got. How in the heck do I tackle all of that? Talk about stress, anxiety, etc. You know how I feel...when I let the house get out of control, it's soooooooo overwhelming...where in the heck do I start? So I usually just don't...I shut down...& then what happens? It gets worse. It's not going to fix itself on its own, right? Nope!! Same thing w/ the weight...you gotta make it happen & it's not going to happen over night. I can't hire an organizational lady to come in & organize my house w/out getting into it w/ her & learning all about how to keep it that way, right? If I don't, the house will go back to an unorganized mess in no time.
Same w/ weight-loss, Jane. Look @ John (Doe)...he goes for the quick fixes...the hand-holding...the strict "diets" that do the work for him & teach him nothing about living in the real world....Metabolife, Atkins, Jenny Craig, Slimfast, Optifast, Diet Centers, etc...so he has great success w/ them while he's on their program, but the minute he's on his own, he doesn't know what to do except what he has always been doing when he's on his own.
Do this the right way, Jane...know that it's going to take alot of time...but you HAVE alot of time. Time is going to pass either way...you can spend it getting yourself moving in the right direction, or you can continue to backslide, right?? As much as I would love to just take you by the hand & say "listen to me...I know what I'm talking about" (cuz I do! LOL!!), you're still going to have to figure all of this out on your own.
I heard people say for years that...
"you have to do this for yourself" (not for your spouse or for a reunion, wedding, party, etc...)
"it has to be a lifestyle change" ....what's that?? A lifestyle change???
Well....it's true!! I NEVER did it for myself...it was always for an outside reason....always.
And I never understood the "lifestyle change" theory, until I realized that what I had been doing all along was "dieting"...something temporary, till I got the weight off, then I went back to my OWN LIFESTYLE...unhealthy eating...bad choices...compulsive picking, etc... OH...THAT'S what a lifestyle change is...ANYTHING BUT THE ONE THAT WAS ALREADY SECOND NATURE TO ME...that's what!!! WOW...LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!! :o) So...you mean I actually have to CHANGE?? Yep....I have to make a healthy lifestyle become second nature to me...I have to become that healthy thinking person. Crazy, huh??
Anyways...I'm talking myself into circles. :o)
Do you watch Dr. Phil?? I LOVE him.....I know alot of people don't...but I do & I really believe that he knows what he is talking about w/ this weight loss issue, cuz every time I see him, he just verifies what I've been working on the last year...the stuff that I've been internalizing. He's asking these people, who are following his "plan", to dig way down deep inside themselves & work on that part before they start to work on the outside....you REALLY have to do that, Jane. As much as I'd love to believe that there are new meds out there that would be the magic pills that would magically allow us to naturally keep the house clean & help us make the right choices in our lives, there aren't...we are the ones who actually have to do the work!! ARG! It sucks, IF you think of it as sucking. When you realize that "hey, yeah...I actually have to make this happen" you can go one of two ways....
- HATE IT...because you really don't want to work for it...work sucks!!! So you hate every step you have to take & will never figure out how to live w/ having to do that the rest of your life...
- or you can EMBRACE IT...yeah, I know that sounds corny...but you can figure out how to find a little JOY & SATISFACTION in what it takes to get your act together...KNOWING that you have to do it for the rest of your life, so you may as well figure out how to enjoy it, right?? You gotta!!
I HATE to exercise...always have...but I realize that when I'm out walking, I actually enjoy it...I think about what it is doing for me...it's helping my metabolism, which is going to help me w/ my weight-loss & it's going help shape my butt & legs...right?? It's doing something for me & I LIKE THAT!!! Wow...that means I must like exercise!!! NOT!! LOL!! But I like what I'm getting out of it, so I'm going to do it!! (& not dread it cuz I found the benefits!!)
Same way w/ food...
Same way w/ my attitude. I could sit here & think...
"man, I only lost a pound this week...this is going to take forever" or
"why in the world did I gain this week? I was GOOD....this isn't worth it...I'm doing all this for nothing!!!"
Nothing?? Hello...those 50lbs didn't come off over night & didn't happen all by themselves, did they??
I am FIFTY pounds lighter than I was 9 months ago!!! I just can't believe that! I would be just as thrilled if I were 10 or 20 lbs lighter, cuz if I hadn't started this process, I would surely be 10-20 or more lbs HEAVIER than where I started!! I would more than likely be OVER 300 lbs now & that is really REALLY scary!! (but reality!!)
When things are going S L O W... Arg! ...I realize that I am building the super strong foundation that I need to keep this lifestyle w/ me for the rest of my life...it's becoming MY LIFESTYLE more & more each day. It's actually GOOD that this is a long process...I'm learning so much about myself & my life w/ food...how I react to different situations & how my body reacts to different types of food. I'm working it all out & that's really important!
Yikes...I sure know how to go on & on, don't I? LOL!!
Jane...you can do this...I know you can! Start small...find one thing you can do each day & be proud of it. Feel that pride way down deep & remember it. Remember how great it feels to feel good about something, rather than to be down on yourself, again.
Anyways...I think I need to quit now...otherwise I'll be another dozen paragraphs into this & realize that I'm still going on...& on & on!! LOL!!
Love you...let me know if there is ANYTHING I can do for you!
I'm here for you...always!!
xxoxoxoo....Julie
As far as 50 lbs seeming so far away...I know exactly what you mean...I've always thought like that...it's just way WAY too overwhelming if you look @ it all like that. I mean, geez, I have a total of like 125 lbs to lose if I wanna get down to 140 (the TOP of my healthy weight range for my height!!)....THAT is a huge amount of weight. But when I started thinking about all of the years that I had been thinking like that...
"I can't do this, it's too much to lose"
"I'll never make it, why bother?"
...I realized that not only had a ton of time passed, but that I was getting larger & larger each year...when was it going to stop? Even if I had changed just a little something in how I did things all of those years that I was overwhelmed... stop drinking pop, stop eating fast food, start walking more, etc...I would've been healthier by now. Crazy, huh?
So...one thing that I've been working on this last year is to realize that things aren't just going to happen on their own. I've always thought "when I'm feeling better (not depressed, not scatter-brained), I'll do something about this (weight, house, work, etc...)"....I've come to realize that things just don't happen like that. If you don't actually DO SOMETHING about it, it's not going to happen...& will probably get worse. It sure happened that way w/ me. The more I left things to happen on their own, the worse & more overwhelming it got. How in the heck do I tackle all of that? Talk about stress, anxiety, etc. You know how I feel...when I let the house get out of control, it's soooooooo overwhelming...where in the heck do I start? So I usually just don't...I shut down...& then what happens? It gets worse. It's not going to fix itself on its own, right? Nope!! Same thing w/ the weight...you gotta make it happen & it's not going to happen over night. I can't hire an organizational lady to come in & organize my house w/out getting into it w/ her & learning all about how to keep it that way, right? If I don't, the house will go back to an unorganized mess in no time.
Same w/ weight-loss, Jane. Look @ John (Doe)...he goes for the quick fixes...the hand-holding...the strict "diets" that do the work for him & teach him nothing about living in the real world....Metabolife, Atkins, Jenny Craig, Slimfast, Optifast, Diet Centers, etc...so he has great success w/ them while he's on their program, but the minute he's on his own, he doesn't know what to do except what he has always been doing when he's on his own.
Do this the right way, Jane...know that it's going to take alot of time...but you HAVE alot of time. Time is going to pass either way...you can spend it getting yourself moving in the right direction, or you can continue to backslide, right?? As much as I would love to just take you by the hand & say "listen to me...I know what I'm talking about" (cuz I do! LOL!!), you're still going to have to figure all of this out on your own.
I heard people say for years that...
"you have to do this for yourself" (not for your spouse or for a reunion, wedding, party, etc...)
"it has to be a lifestyle change" ....what's that?? A lifestyle change???
Well....it's true!! I NEVER did it for myself...it was always for an outside reason....always.
And I never understood the "lifestyle change" theory, until I realized that what I had been doing all along was "dieting"...something temporary, till I got the weight off, then I went back to my OWN LIFESTYLE...unhealthy eating...bad choices...compulsive picking, etc... OH...THAT'S what a lifestyle change is...ANYTHING BUT THE ONE THAT WAS ALREADY SECOND NATURE TO ME...that's what!!! WOW...LIGHTBULB MOMENT!!! :o) So...you mean I actually have to CHANGE?? Yep....I have to make a healthy lifestyle become second nature to me...I have to become that healthy thinking person. Crazy, huh??
Anyways...I'm talking myself into circles. :o)
Do you watch Dr. Phil?? I LOVE him.....I know alot of people don't...but I do & I really believe that he knows what he is talking about w/ this weight loss issue, cuz every time I see him, he just verifies what I've been working on the last year...the stuff that I've been internalizing. He's asking these people, who are following his "plan", to dig way down deep inside themselves & work on that part before they start to work on the outside....you REALLY have to do that, Jane. As much as I'd love to believe that there are new meds out there that would be the magic pills that would magically allow us to naturally keep the house clean & help us make the right choices in our lives, there aren't...we are the ones who actually have to do the work!! ARG! It sucks, IF you think of it as sucking. When you realize that "hey, yeah...I actually have to make this happen" you can go one of two ways....
- HATE IT...because you really don't want to work for it...work sucks!!! So you hate every step you have to take & will never figure out how to live w/ having to do that the rest of your life...
- or you can EMBRACE IT...yeah, I know that sounds corny...but you can figure out how to find a little JOY & SATISFACTION in what it takes to get your act together...KNOWING that you have to do it for the rest of your life, so you may as well figure out how to enjoy it, right?? You gotta!!
I HATE to exercise...always have...but I realize that when I'm out walking, I actually enjoy it...I think about what it is doing for me...it's helping my metabolism, which is going to help me w/ my weight-loss & it's going help shape my butt & legs...right?? It's doing something for me & I LIKE THAT!!! Wow...that means I must like exercise!!! NOT!! LOL!! But I like what I'm getting out of it, so I'm going to do it!! (& not dread it cuz I found the benefits!!)
Same way w/ food...
Same way w/ my attitude. I could sit here & think...
"man, I only lost a pound this week...this is going to take forever" or
"why in the world did I gain this week? I was GOOD....this isn't worth it...I'm doing all this for nothing!!!"
Nothing?? Hello...those 50lbs didn't come off over night & didn't happen all by themselves, did they??
I am FIFTY pounds lighter than I was 9 months ago!!! I just can't believe that! I would be just as thrilled if I were 10 or 20 lbs lighter, cuz if I hadn't started this process, I would surely be 10-20 or more lbs HEAVIER than where I started!! I would more than likely be OVER 300 lbs now & that is really REALLY scary!! (but reality!!)
When things are going S L O W... Arg! ...I realize that I am building the super strong foundation that I need to keep this lifestyle w/ me for the rest of my life...it's becoming MY LIFESTYLE more & more each day. It's actually GOOD that this is a long process...I'm learning so much about myself & my life w/ food...how I react to different situations & how my body reacts to different types of food. I'm working it all out & that's really important!
Yikes...I sure know how to go on & on, don't I? LOL!!
Jane...you can do this...I know you can! Start small...find one thing you can do each day & be proud of it. Feel that pride way down deep & remember it. Remember how great it feels to feel good about something, rather than to be down on yourself, again.
Anyways...I think I need to quit now...otherwise I'll be another dozen paragraphs into this & realize that I'm still going on...& on & on!! LOL!!
Love you...let me know if there is ANYTHING I can do for you!
I'm here for you...always!!
xxoxoxoo....Julie
Saturday, November 1, 2003
RAMBLING...What's up w/ the "TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY" crap? :o)
I came across this "rant", below, in a post on one of the WW boards several weeks ago... from a lady who pulls no strings when she posts. A little bit harsh, but HONEST. Obviously doesn't like whiners. :o)
Anyways.... I kind of like what she had to say here.
And here's a little mini-rant on my part:
If there's one concept that just annoys the BLEEP out of me it's that whole "tomorrow is another day" crap. Yup, that's right, tomorrow IS another day, but there's always another tomorrow and another and another and another. And pretty soon, you'll have a string of restarts behind you, but you won't have gotten anywhere. The idea that you can always start fresh tomorrow is just rationalizing not being able to stick to your commitment TODAY. End of mini-rant.
So...how many more tomorrows are you going to be starting over?
Yeah, it IS nice to be able to get back up on your feet when you've taken a detour...no guilt, no kicking one's self, etc... just get over it & get on w/ it, right? That's what you HAVE to do...what is your alternative??
BUT...when are you going to actually get serious about what you are "trying" to do here? When are you going to get back on your feet & say "ENOUGH!! I AM going to do this...I'm not going to TRY, I'm not going to TALK about it....I'm going to actually DO this!"
I know so many people who can't deal w/ the long term reality of this journey we're traveling. I don't know if they've EVER looked @ the big picture...you know, 1 year, 5 years, 20 years down the road. They just want to deal w/ TODAY... w/ just one meal, then the next, & so on. I don't get it. I think you HAVE to look at the big picture! Get used to it, comfortable w/ it...know what your future looks like...feels like...& shoot for that! I haven't given myself any other future than a successful one.
Haven't you ever looked at your PAST? I sure have! Don't you realize that if you keep doing what you've always done, you're always going to end up in the same place that you did in the past? So...why do people continue to repeat this pattern day, after day, after day?
I know that for me, when I look down the road & see my future, I KNOW that it is going to be a healthy one. I have a path to follow. No, I don't expect to be perfect, I'm NOT perfect (that's for sure!)...I know that I'm going to step off that path from time to time...BUT I also know that I'm going to find my way back to that path & continue on in the right direction. I also know that even if I'm 100% on track, things might not go exactly as planned...I'm ready for that!! (I've already had to deal w/ THAT! Plateau, unexplained gains, etc...) Why would I say "I don't like how this is going, all this work for nothing...I'm going to quit!"? Why would I do that?? Why would ANYBODY do that???! I know that THAT sort of stuff is temporary...and my plan shows me being on the right side of things when the rough times are through.
How about you?
Do you have a plan?
I hope so!
Anyways.... I kind of like what she had to say here.
And here's a little mini-rant on my part:
If there's one concept that just annoys the BLEEP out of me it's that whole "tomorrow is another day" crap. Yup, that's right, tomorrow IS another day, but there's always another tomorrow and another and another and another. And pretty soon, you'll have a string of restarts behind you, but you won't have gotten anywhere. The idea that you can always start fresh tomorrow is just rationalizing not being able to stick to your commitment TODAY. End of mini-rant.
So...how many more tomorrows are you going to be starting over?
Yeah, it IS nice to be able to get back up on your feet when you've taken a detour...no guilt, no kicking one's self, etc... just get over it & get on w/ it, right? That's what you HAVE to do...what is your alternative??
BUT...when are you going to actually get serious about what you are "trying" to do here? When are you going to get back on your feet & say "ENOUGH!! I AM going to do this...I'm not going to TRY, I'm not going to TALK about it....I'm going to actually DO this!"
I know so many people who can't deal w/ the long term reality of this journey we're traveling. I don't know if they've EVER looked @ the big picture...you know, 1 year, 5 years, 20 years down the road. They just want to deal w/ TODAY... w/ just one meal, then the next, & so on. I don't get it. I think you HAVE to look at the big picture! Get used to it, comfortable w/ it...know what your future looks like...feels like...& shoot for that! I haven't given myself any other future than a successful one.
Haven't you ever looked at your PAST? I sure have! Don't you realize that if you keep doing what you've always done, you're always going to end up in the same place that you did in the past? So...why do people continue to repeat this pattern day, after day, after day?
I know that for me, when I look down the road & see my future, I KNOW that it is going to be a healthy one. I have a path to follow. No, I don't expect to be perfect, I'm NOT perfect (that's for sure!)...I know that I'm going to step off that path from time to time...BUT I also know that I'm going to find my way back to that path & continue on in the right direction. I also know that even if I'm 100% on track, things might not go exactly as planned...I'm ready for that!! (I've already had to deal w/ THAT! Plateau, unexplained gains, etc...) Why would I say "I don't like how this is going, all this work for nothing...I'm going to quit!"? Why would I do that?? Why would ANYBODY do that???! I know that THAT sort of stuff is temporary...and my plan shows me being on the right side of things when the rough times are through.
How about you?
Do you have a plan?
I hope so!
Sunday, October 26, 2003
THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR INQUIRIES LAST NIGHT...
...(since I didn’t come straight home & update you guys…busy day!!) & for well wishes today…very heartwarming!
THANKS for all of your skinny vibes, love & support...it obviously worked, cuz YES, I REACHED 50.2 LBS YESTERDAY!!! (week 38)
Of course I was beside myself when I saw that number on the scale! My leader was ALMOST as thrilled as I was, she knew how much this meant to me!
I sat down & had the hardest time holding myself together...I'm sure everyone around me thought I had a rotten WI or something cuz I was blinking back the tears. I had to just "breathe....just breathe Julie" Whew!
Michelle did the awards at the end of the meeting & left me 2nd to last (there was a man who reached 75# yesterday!!! YEAH!). I think that being a part of GOAD makes us a different kind of meeting member, don't you? I mean, Michelle asks me questions cuz she knows how I feel about this whole thing & knows that I'm able to get the "reality" of this lifestyle across to these people (WHEN I can keep it together, anyway...I almost lost it several times when I was talking) in a way that will hopefully make them think about challenging themselves & the way they think about how they are dealing w/ this weight of theirs. Whereas, this man who has had this incredible 75# loss had very little to say.
It was great! The lady next to me reached over & rubbed my shoulder & said "Congratulations!". I just love it when people reach out to you like that... it seems to happen to me @ each meeting when I've lost another 5 lbs or reached a milestone...very personal...knowing that they want to make sure you made a personal connection w/ someone.
Anyways…I immediately called my DH when I got out of the meeting & balled…. then called my parents in Colorado…I was so excited!!
You guys know how I feel about this…this has been such an incredible journey for me… a truly life changing journey… different, cuz I’m 100% here, you know? I’ve figured out how to make this a life one that I can embrace as my own & be satisfied w/ it!
Having all of you here right beside me is such a vital part of it…you have helped me to reach way down deep inside of myself, to challenge myself everyday to do my best… to do what I know is right & to know that this is something that I CAN DO & to be PROUD!
I AM PROUD of myself & I thank you guys for being here for me & for eachother and for letting me be such a huge part of your lives as well!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a few new NSVs (Non-Scale Victories)!
#1 - I now weigh LESS than what my Driver's License says....and I just renewed it in May! Why in the world I didn't lower my weight another 50 lbs or so is beyond me!! LOL!!
#2 - I have a good buddy on GoaD that has challenged me to start climbing a hill in my neighborhood that I had been avoiding up till about a month ago. My neighborhood is just a "boot shaped" street...a full mile round trip if I leave off the hill, which you could call the "heel" of this boot. (the hill adds another 1/10th mile) It's a cul-de-sac that goes down to the lake & the kids love to go down there & throw rocks...climbing it after playing down there for a while used to wind me really easily. Well...not only have I increased my walks from 2 miles @ 40 minutes up to 3 miles in an hour, but I have added this hill as well. I head straight to it when I start out...walk down & then back up it once, walk a 1/2 mile to the end of the neighborhood (the toe...another cul-de-sac) & back to the hill to walk it TWICE...then back to the "toe" & then to the hill to walk it THREE times (I walk down, then back up...reach the top & then turn right back around)... back to the "toe", then to the hill to walk it FOUR more times (ten times total) & then up to the other end of the neighborhood (the leg?) & back to my house...3 miles/1 hour. I was just walking the full neighborhood 3 times w/out doing the hill & that was kinda boring. This hill certainly breaks the walk up a bit...give me a challenge to be proud of & doesn't wind me or slow my pace down anymore!! Awesome, huh??
#3 - It's been a while since I took my measurements, but all of my NEW pants are getting really baggy...I even had to take a safety pin to the waist of my jeans the other day! (no belts in sight!)
...look @ these numbers...(I didn't take my measurements until I had been OP for 2 months & had already lost 9 lbs)
BODY PART...INCHES LOST LAST 2 MONTHS...TOTAL INCHES LOST SINCE MARCH 2003
Waist......1.5"......5.5"
Hips......2"......7.5"
Bust......1"......5"
Upper Arm......0"......1"
Wrist......0"......1/4"
Thigh......1/2"......2.5"
Calf......1/4"......1"
Ankle......0"......1"
If you guys haven't taken your measurements yet, or in a while, do so!! THIS is why I don't really worry about what the scale says...these measurements & my clothes are telling me the WHOLE story!! Yeah!
Okay…I think I’m done now! LOL!!
Thanks guys!!!
xoxxoxooo......Julie
THANKS for all of your skinny vibes, love & support...it obviously worked, cuz YES, I REACHED 50.2 LBS YESTERDAY!!! (week 38)
Of course I was beside myself when I saw that number on the scale! My leader was ALMOST as thrilled as I was, she knew how much this meant to me!
I sat down & had the hardest time holding myself together...I'm sure everyone around me thought I had a rotten WI or something cuz I was blinking back the tears. I had to just "breathe....just breathe Julie" Whew!
Michelle did the awards at the end of the meeting & left me 2nd to last (there was a man who reached 75# yesterday!!! YEAH!). I think that being a part of GOAD makes us a different kind of meeting member, don't you? I mean, Michelle asks me questions cuz she knows how I feel about this whole thing & knows that I'm able to get the "reality" of this lifestyle across to these people (WHEN I can keep it together, anyway...I almost lost it several times when I was talking) in a way that will hopefully make them think about challenging themselves & the way they think about how they are dealing w/ this weight of theirs. Whereas, this man who has had this incredible 75# loss had very little to say.
It was great! The lady next to me reached over & rubbed my shoulder & said "Congratulations!". I just love it when people reach out to you like that... it seems to happen to me @ each meeting when I've lost another 5 lbs or reached a milestone...very personal...knowing that they want to make sure you made a personal connection w/ someone.
Anyways…I immediately called my DH when I got out of the meeting & balled…. then called my parents in Colorado…I was so excited!!
You guys know how I feel about this…this has been such an incredible journey for me… a truly life changing journey… different, cuz I’m 100% here, you know? I’ve figured out how to make this a life one that I can embrace as my own & be satisfied w/ it!
Having all of you here right beside me is such a vital part of it…you have helped me to reach way down deep inside of myself, to challenge myself everyday to do my best… to do what I know is right & to know that this is something that I CAN DO & to be PROUD!
I AM PROUD of myself & I thank you guys for being here for me & for eachother and for letting me be such a huge part of your lives as well!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have a few new NSVs (Non-Scale Victories)!
#1 - I now weigh LESS than what my Driver's License says....and I just renewed it in May! Why in the world I didn't lower my weight another 50 lbs or so is beyond me!! LOL!!
#2 - I have a good buddy on GoaD that has challenged me to start climbing a hill in my neighborhood that I had been avoiding up till about a month ago. My neighborhood is just a "boot shaped" street...a full mile round trip if I leave off the hill, which you could call the "heel" of this boot. (the hill adds another 1/10th mile) It's a cul-de-sac that goes down to the lake & the kids love to go down there & throw rocks...climbing it after playing down there for a while used to wind me really easily. Well...not only have I increased my walks from 2 miles @ 40 minutes up to 3 miles in an hour, but I have added this hill as well. I head straight to it when I start out...walk down & then back up it once, walk a 1/2 mile to the end of the neighborhood (the toe...another cul-de-sac) & back to the hill to walk it TWICE...then back to the "toe" & then to the hill to walk it THREE times (I walk down, then back up...reach the top & then turn right back around)... back to the "toe", then to the hill to walk it FOUR more times (ten times total) & then up to the other end of the neighborhood (the leg?) & back to my house...3 miles/1 hour. I was just walking the full neighborhood 3 times w/out doing the hill & that was kinda boring. This hill certainly breaks the walk up a bit...give me a challenge to be proud of & doesn't wind me or slow my pace down anymore!! Awesome, huh??
#3 - It's been a while since I took my measurements, but all of my NEW pants are getting really baggy...I even had to take a safety pin to the waist of my jeans the other day! (no belts in sight!)
...look @ these numbers...(I didn't take my measurements until I had been OP for 2 months & had already lost 9 lbs)
BODY PART...INCHES LOST LAST 2 MONTHS...TOTAL INCHES LOST SINCE MARCH 2003
Waist......1.5"......5.5"
Hips......2"......7.5"
Bust......1"......5"
Upper Arm......0"......1"
Wrist......0"......1/4"
Thigh......1/2"......2.5"
Calf......1/4"......1"
Ankle......0"......1"
If you guys haven't taken your measurements yet, or in a while, do so!! THIS is why I don't really worry about what the scale says...these measurements & my clothes are telling me the WHOLE story!! Yeah!
Okay…I think I’m done now! LOL!!
Thanks guys!!!
xoxxoxooo......Julie
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Weigh-in update & Setting Goals
Most recent weigh-in shows 2 more pounds gone FOREVER!! :o) (week 36) 46.4 pounds total loss puts me UNDER 220!!! I am THRILLED! (& very VERY proud of myself!!) Things are going GREAT...life is awesome! My only OP problem these days is EXERCISE!! (what's new?) I'm trying to get my bootie out the door as often as possible for a nice walk. (AT LEAST every other day!) Shooting for an hour, which is 3 miles for my short legs. It sure feels great when I'm out there. I've started carrying Sam's MP3 player w/ me...music makes such a big difference! You can't get bored when you're listening to music & your pace is faster...especially when you're listening to stuff like The BackStreet Boys, Metallica, Hoyt Axton, Guns-n-Roses, etc. (LOL!! Seriously...this is what is on Sam's MP3 disk...I HAVE to burn my own music!! LOL!!) I strut down the street! :o)
This morning I woke up at 5:40 (nature called...darned water!!) went back to bed but never fell back to sleep... ....sooooooooooooo...I got up & went for a walk!! It was a cool 43 degrees & dark when I started out...kinda fun!! I need to remember this when I'm trying to talk myself into taking a walk! I DO enjoy it! BUT...w/ it getting colder, I'm not sure what I'm going to do...the cold air this morning hurt my sinuses after about 40 minutes...I can just imagine how long I'll last if it's below freezing!!
How about an NSV??
Remember that gorgeous fitted dress jacket I talked about in my last journal entry...the one that has been sitting NEW in my closet since my 5 year old was born & it FITS now?? Well...I had a party to go to a week ago & I wore it! It was a 90th birthday party for the mother of one of the designers I work with...Eleanor...she's such a doll!! It was a "ladies only" party...about 20 ladies stuffed into Sandy's small house! I knew most of these ladies, but haven't seen the majority of them this year! Needless to say, the comments & open mouths were numerous! I loved it! (of course!!) The jacket really accentuated the fact that there are smaller curves there!
Cool, huh? :o)
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I want to talk about GOALS...
My meeting a few weeks ago talked about goal setting (Storyboarding)…writing out the steps it will take to get to a specific goal. Well…I had a hard time coming up w/ something for this one, cuz I'm not really big on setting specific goals & and rewards (I’ve always thought that taking care of myself & getting this weight off is a reward all its own, right?)
I've just been moseying along, losing weight... not worried about exactly where I am, just confident of where I'm going. Well…this meeting made me think a bit...which I guess it was supposed to do! We’re supposed to set a goal to reach by January…
Well that night I took a look @ LinemanTX's website ...I have heard about his mini-goal chart, but never took a good look at it. He has a great chart set up w/ a note about why he set these mini-goals up & it just made a TON of sense to me! So...maybe I’ll set up a goal list for myself....just tracking those little pieces of progress, having the dates & all would be really great to look back on!
Anyways…I’ve decided on that ONE specific January goal to shoot for...to be in ONDERLAND by January 1st! How is THAT for a goal? As of this past weigh-in, that's 18.7 pounds & 12 weeks away (Jan 5th, final check-in day)...which means I have to average 1.6 lbs or so per week. I really don’t like timed goals...but I think it's a great thing to try to shoot for. If I don't reach it, I'll be fine. It's do-able...a slight stretch for me & how I've lost weight up till now (avg. of 1.3 lbs/week)...but it just means that I have to kick things up a notch, doesn't it? I know I'll at least be close!
The holidays aren't going to stop me! I'll be out of town for Christmas & into the first week of January (Colorado ...family & New Year's wedding) ...so it'll be a test...especially w/ my Mom's holiday goody baking...but I've been on two vacations this summer...both visiting my family and I've come home to great losses...so I KNOW I have the control it takes to get me through the holidays w/ my family!
So...w/ that said... I posted a challenge to my buddies on the GoaD board a few weeks ago to see if anyone wanted to join me in a New Year's Challenge! Well...the response was GREAT!! Check it out! AND JOIN US!! Set a goal for yourself & let me know...I'll add you to the list!
xoxxoxo.....Julie
This morning I woke up at 5:40 (nature called...darned water!!) went back to bed but never fell back to sleep... ....sooooooooooooo...I got up & went for a walk!! It was a cool 43 degrees & dark when I started out...kinda fun!! I need to remember this when I'm trying to talk myself into taking a walk! I DO enjoy it! BUT...w/ it getting colder, I'm not sure what I'm going to do...the cold air this morning hurt my sinuses after about 40 minutes...I can just imagine how long I'll last if it's below freezing!!
How about an NSV??
Remember that gorgeous fitted dress jacket I talked about in my last journal entry...the one that has been sitting NEW in my closet since my 5 year old was born & it FITS now?? Well...I had a party to go to a week ago & I wore it! It was a 90th birthday party for the mother of one of the designers I work with...Eleanor...she's such a doll!! It was a "ladies only" party...about 20 ladies stuffed into Sandy's small house! I knew most of these ladies, but haven't seen the majority of them this year! Needless to say, the comments & open mouths were numerous! I loved it! (of course!!) The jacket really accentuated the fact that there are smaller curves there!
Cool, huh? :o)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I want to talk about GOALS...
My meeting a few weeks ago talked about goal setting (Storyboarding)…writing out the steps it will take to get to a specific goal. Well…I had a hard time coming up w/ something for this one, cuz I'm not really big on setting specific goals & and rewards (I’ve always thought that taking care of myself & getting this weight off is a reward all its own, right?)
I've just been moseying along, losing weight... not worried about exactly where I am, just confident of where I'm going. Well…this meeting made me think a bit...which I guess it was supposed to do! We’re supposed to set a goal to reach by January…
Well that night I took a look @ LinemanTX's website ...I have heard about his mini-goal chart, but never took a good look at it. He has a great chart set up w/ a note about why he set these mini-goals up & it just made a TON of sense to me! So...maybe I’ll set up a goal list for myself....just tracking those little pieces of progress, having the dates & all would be really great to look back on!
Anyways…I’ve decided on that ONE specific January goal to shoot for...to be in ONDERLAND by January 1st! How is THAT for a goal? As of this past weigh-in, that's 18.7 pounds & 12 weeks away (Jan 5th, final check-in day)...which means I have to average 1.6 lbs or so per week. I really don’t like timed goals...but I think it's a great thing to try to shoot for. If I don't reach it, I'll be fine. It's do-able...a slight stretch for me & how I've lost weight up till now (avg. of 1.3 lbs/week)...but it just means that I have to kick things up a notch, doesn't it? I know I'll at least be close!
The holidays aren't going to stop me! I'll be out of town for Christmas & into the first week of January (Colorado ...family & New Year's wedding) ...so it'll be a test...especially w/ my Mom's holiday goody baking...but I've been on two vacations this summer...both visiting my family and I've come home to great losses...so I KNOW I have the control it takes to get me through the holidays w/ my family!
So...w/ that said... I posted a challenge to my buddies on the GoaD board a few weeks ago to see if anyone wanted to join me in a New Year's Challenge! Well...the response was GREAT!! Check it out! AND JOIN US!! Set a goal for yourself & let me know...I'll add you to the list!
xoxxoxo.....Julie
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
RAMBLING...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY...
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL PROUD??
I started a new daily thread on GoaD toward the end of October because I think that this is an important thing to focus on.
Pride in yourself.
So many of us focus on what we did wrong in our journey, but that sure doesn't get us anywhere, does it? Nope! We kick ourselves & feel sorry for ourselves & go soothe our emotions w/ food. Yeah, that sure sounds like the right thing to do, doesn't it??
I want all of us to make a point of finding AT LEAST one thing each day that we can say "hey, I did THAT right...I'm proud of that!!"
~ ~ ~
So, you blew your points last night....BUT you journaled them anyways! Be PROUD OF THAT!!
So...your WI didn't go as expected (or maybe it confirmed what you already knew!!)...but you took it as a challenge to kick butt the coming week... BE PROUD OF THAT!!
So...you're feeling a bit overwhelmed as you get started on your journey? Do ONE THING today that you can be proud of!! (then do it again tomorrow...then the next day & the next....then add something new next week!!)
~ ~ ~
Find something to feel good about! It's time to change your thinking, because this journey is going to be a long one (the rest of your life!!) & you need to focus on the positive each day! Get excited...find some satisfaction!!
So...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL PROUD?
(or what are you GOING TO DO today?)
I'm going to post that question every evening on GoaD. Think about it & make yourself proud.
This doesn't necessarily have to be "journey" related each day.
So...time to dig down deep & figure out what you can be proud about!
(I know it's there!!)
Julie
I started a new daily thread on GoaD toward the end of October because I think that this is an important thing to focus on.
Pride in yourself.
So many of us focus on what we did wrong in our journey, but that sure doesn't get us anywhere, does it? Nope! We kick ourselves & feel sorry for ourselves & go soothe our emotions w/ food. Yeah, that sure sounds like the right thing to do, doesn't it??
I want all of us to make a point of finding AT LEAST one thing each day that we can say "hey, I did THAT right...I'm proud of that!!"
~ ~ ~
So, you blew your points last night....BUT you journaled them anyways! Be PROUD OF THAT!!
So...your WI didn't go as expected (or maybe it confirmed what you already knew!!)...but you took it as a challenge to kick butt the coming week... BE PROUD OF THAT!!
So...you're feeling a bit overwhelmed as you get started on your journey? Do ONE THING today that you can be proud of!! (then do it again tomorrow...then the next day & the next....then add something new next week!!)
~ ~ ~
Find something to feel good about! It's time to change your thinking, because this journey is going to be a long one (the rest of your life!!) & you need to focus on the positive each day! Get excited...find some satisfaction!!
So...WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TODAY TO MAKE YOU FEEL PROUD?
(or what are you GOING TO DO today?)
I'm going to post that question every evening on GoaD. Think about it & make yourself proud.
This doesn't necessarily have to be "journey" related each day.
So...time to dig down deep & figure out what you can be proud about!
(I know it's there!!)
Julie
Saturday, September 27, 2003
It’s been weeks since I’ve had a major ramble session…
DARN...my points target went down to 26! Well...that's a good thing, I suppose, since it means that I lost enough weight to lower my target, huh? 5.2 pounds!!! (week 34) Yeah! (3 week loss) That is ALMOST 45 lbs gone FOREVER!!!
I am .7 lbs away from being out of the 220s...can't believe it! Guess Flexing is working okay for me, huh? :o) I wasn't quite sure what to expect…I've been good...always am, for the most part...but I've had 3 week periods where I've gone in for WI & only had a pound or two loss. It's never a big bummer...just always surprises me...especially if I've been REALLY good...getting in extra APs, etc. So...it was a nice surprise to have a nice WI this weekend!
How about an NSV?
I decided to clean out my closet on Friday because, basically, it was jam-packed full of clothes I really won’t ever wear…time to purge. So…two 30 gallon trash bags later…I have “just” the clothes I KNOW I will wear and some in smaller sizes that I’ve either purchased for the future or have hung on to since I was that size. Now…I have this beautiful tailored dress jacket I purchased just after my now 5 year old son was born, it didn’t fit when I purchased it, but it would have BEFORE I was pregnant, so I KNEW it was going to fit soon! Well…5 years later IT FITS! I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t expect it to…I just thought I would try it on & it fit! It’s so nice & I have my nephew’s wedding coming up in January that I can wear it to now! (might have to be taken in @ that point!) Many other items in my closet fit as well…I was blown away! That’s such an awesome feeling!
At my meeting, when my leader was doing awards, she got to me (cuz I passed up 40#...the next 5# increment) & asked me to share how much I’ve lost & I told the group 44 lbs & then she asked me what changes I have made since being OP & I said “everything, but mainly my head” & she said “I know what you mean, but why don’t you explain it to the group, I don’t know if they’ve heard your story” (I just moved to a new meeting day...Saturday...so a new group) …so I said “I’ve done this many times before, but it was always a temporary process…just a diet…something that I could finish & then get back to being “normal” again… but we all know that diets don’t work & before I began this process again, I realized that I had to make this something I could do for the rest of my life. I needed to decide that this was a great way to live my life & it is! I’ve been doing this since January & it’s been a breeze! Well…not really a breeze, but it’s not a struggle…it’s not anything to dread, to be depressed about…it feels good to be taking care of myself. I’m really proud of myself & I know I have what it takes to do this for the rest of my life!” & of course, being the emotional girly girl that I am, I have to stop cuz I’m going to get choked up…and a lady behind me pats me on the back & says “Congratulations, that’s really awesome!”.
After my meeting, I wrote out a note to my leader, who is just awesome, and told her I would love it if she checked out my personal weight-loss website. AND that I was so grateful for her enthusiasm…for what she is doing to change peoples’ lives. And, that I KNEW I was going to make it to goal & I was going to become a leader, too, so I could impact the lives of other as well! I hope she checks it out…
I was talking to my DH several nights ago about how I can’t believe I’ve been OP for so long (since January)…I’ve NEVER been able to hang on this long…I would’ve quit by March, if I kept up my usual MO…but this is definitely DIFFERENT…this is now a LIFESTYLE, OUR LIFESTYLE (as he pointed out to me!). Isn’t that awesome? :o)
Hope you guys have your heads in the same place…I know that being part of GoaD is a huge part of the equation! I’ve said it before (but that’s never stopped me!)… I know that I would’ve been okay if I had never come across this great board, but I know that I am THRIVING because of it! I come away from my computer just about every day learning something new about myself because of you guys.
Thank you!!!
Julie
I am .7 lbs away from being out of the 220s...can't believe it! Guess Flexing is working okay for me, huh? :o) I wasn't quite sure what to expect…I've been good...always am, for the most part...but I've had 3 week periods where I've gone in for WI & only had a pound or two loss. It's never a big bummer...just always surprises me...especially if I've been REALLY good...getting in extra APs, etc. So...it was a nice surprise to have a nice WI this weekend!
How about an NSV?
I decided to clean out my closet on Friday because, basically, it was jam-packed full of clothes I really won’t ever wear…time to purge. So…two 30 gallon trash bags later…I have “just” the clothes I KNOW I will wear and some in smaller sizes that I’ve either purchased for the future or have hung on to since I was that size. Now…I have this beautiful tailored dress jacket I purchased just after my now 5 year old son was born, it didn’t fit when I purchased it, but it would have BEFORE I was pregnant, so I KNEW it was going to fit soon! Well…5 years later IT FITS! I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t expect it to…I just thought I would try it on & it fit! It’s so nice & I have my nephew’s wedding coming up in January that I can wear it to now! (might have to be taken in @ that point!) Many other items in my closet fit as well…I was blown away! That’s such an awesome feeling!
At my meeting, when my leader was doing awards, she got to me (cuz I passed up 40#...the next 5# increment) & asked me to share how much I’ve lost & I told the group 44 lbs & then she asked me what changes I have made since being OP & I said “everything, but mainly my head” & she said “I know what you mean, but why don’t you explain it to the group, I don’t know if they’ve heard your story” (I just moved to a new meeting day...Saturday...so a new group) …so I said “I’ve done this many times before, but it was always a temporary process…just a diet…something that I could finish & then get back to being “normal” again… but we all know that diets don’t work & before I began this process again, I realized that I had to make this something I could do for the rest of my life. I needed to decide that this was a great way to live my life & it is! I’ve been doing this since January & it’s been a breeze! Well…not really a breeze, but it’s not a struggle…it’s not anything to dread, to be depressed about…it feels good to be taking care of myself. I’m really proud of myself & I know I have what it takes to do this for the rest of my life!” & of course, being the emotional girly girl that I am, I have to stop cuz I’m going to get choked up…and a lady behind me pats me on the back & says “Congratulations, that’s really awesome!”.
After my meeting, I wrote out a note to my leader, who is just awesome, and told her I would love it if she checked out my personal weight-loss website. AND that I was so grateful for her enthusiasm…for what she is doing to change peoples’ lives. And, that I KNEW I was going to make it to goal & I was going to become a leader, too, so I could impact the lives of other as well! I hope she checks it out…
I was talking to my DH several nights ago about how I can’t believe I’ve been OP for so long (since January)…I’ve NEVER been able to hang on this long…I would’ve quit by March, if I kept up my usual MO…but this is definitely DIFFERENT…this is now a LIFESTYLE, OUR LIFESTYLE (as he pointed out to me!). Isn’t that awesome? :o)
Hope you guys have your heads in the same place…I know that being part of GoaD is a huge part of the equation! I’ve said it before (but that’s never stopped me!)… I know that I would’ve been okay if I had never come across this great board, but I know that I am THRIVING because of it! I come away from my computer just about every day learning something new about myself because of you guys.
Thank you!!!
Julie
Monday, September 1, 2003
I feel pretty great about how things are going...
I have managed to lose an average of about 1.5 pounds per week this summer...really good when you figure in 2 long vacations & a good 5 week plateau, too! :o)
WW FlexPoints started this past week...I'm a little hung up about it because it's playing w/ my head a bit..don't know why, but it's obviously not hurting me too much, since I lost 4.2 lbs. this past WI...AFTER a 2 week vacation even! It'll just take some getting used to!
How about some NSVs? (non-scale-victory)
I took my measurements last last week...26" gone!! Yikes!! (I need to add a measurement chart to the site, don't I?) Also...I tried on a pair of size 20 jeans today that I bought early this summer (on clearance, couldn't pass them up...even though they didn't fit!) & THEY FIT!! (I was in size 26/28 in January) AND 1X shirts are fitting as well! (3-4X in January) AND I found a slinky nighty under my bed last night that clung to me (slinky or not) at the beginning of the year...now it just looks pitiful! LOL!
WW FlexPoints started this past week...I'm a little hung up about it because it's playing w/ my head a bit..don't know why, but it's obviously not hurting me too much, since I lost 4.2 lbs. this past WI...AFTER a 2 week vacation even! It'll just take some getting used to!
How about some NSVs? (non-scale-victory)
I took my measurements last last week...26" gone!! Yikes!! (I need to add a measurement chart to the site, don't I?) Also...I tried on a pair of size 20 jeans today that I bought early this summer (on clearance, couldn't pass them up...even though they didn't fit!) & THEY FIT!! (I was in size 26/28 in January) AND 1X shirts are fitting as well! (3-4X in January) AND I found a slinky nighty under my bed last night that clung to me (slinky or not) at the beginning of the year...now it just looks pitiful! LOL!
Monday, July 28, 2003
The future's so bright...
It's been 3 weeks since I weighed in last...I've been GOOD, walking regularly…just about every night this past week (2-3 miles)...so I was expecting a nice loss...you know, 4 - 6 lbs!? Well...the scaled showed me down 1.4 lbs! I was just shocked...not necessarily disappointed, just SURPRISED because I have been consistently losing 1.5 - 2 lbs each week the last few months. Oh well. I sat down & thought about it as I was waiting for the meeting to start, realized that it really wasn't a big deal to me...that I wasn't traumatized (as I might have been a few years ago!!)...that it didn't really disappoint me because I KNOW how you can't count on the scale to always tell you what is going on, right??
So...I'm still moving in the right direction & I'm still 100% here...happy, ready to tackle anything that comes my way...knowing that I'm going be living this healthy life forever, loving it...proud of myself!! This is over 36 pounds that are GONE FOREVER!! My new pants are getting lose…everyone I come across that hasn’t seen me in the last few months says I’m just melting away! :o) What a kick!!
It's kind of funny...tonight's meeting topic was about getting through a plateau & Michelle described it as losing less than a half pound a week for at least 3 weeks in a row. Well, hello...that's me this week....but I don't know. I won't consider it a plateau until the next time I weigh-in & that will be a few more weeks...so who knows? It doesn't matter...I might be a bit more determined to walk more each day...start doing more aerobic activity, etc... but I know for the most part that it just takes time. Bodies do this...I am expecting to deal w/ at least one plateau on this journey...why not now? :o) The idea is to deal w/ it & getting through it w/ as much of this attitude as I had going in, right??
Michelle asked what we needed to do to get through a plateau & I said "just deal w/ it...knowing that you don't have a whole lot to say about when it's going to happen & sometimes no idea how long it's going to last" & a guy (yes, we have 2-3 men in our group!) who has lost 70-some lbs said that he didn't quite believe that...that we really do have a say in how long it's going to last...that it's all about motivation & determination, because he just dealt w/ a 2 month plateau & he was struggling a bit, realizing that he was slacking a bit & decided that enough was enough & that he started tightening up his journaling & measuring & all that...and it passed. I said "yeah, but can you really consider that a true plateau?" & Michelle went on to say that yes, you can. I felt a little bad that I kind of discounted what he went through....but I truly don't consider slacking off, so you're not losing, a true plateau, do you? There truly will be a time when you're giving it your all, doing everything exactly how you should, & your body is just refusing to budge. Sometimes this will last several weeks...sometimes MONTHS. But throughout this whole plateau period, you're still giving it your all...100% OP......THAT's what I consider a plateau.
Anyways...who knows? I'm not worried that this is where I am now...I know that I'm going to be fine...that this is my lifestyle now...forever & it feels great that this is my reality!
Hope you all are as enthused about your futures as I am...it's sooooooo bright!
Thanks to all...your encouragement & inspiration keep me going...always!
xxox.....Julie
So...I'm still moving in the right direction & I'm still 100% here...happy, ready to tackle anything that comes my way...knowing that I'm going be living this healthy life forever, loving it...proud of myself!! This is over 36 pounds that are GONE FOREVER!! My new pants are getting lose…everyone I come across that hasn’t seen me in the last few months says I’m just melting away! :o) What a kick!!
It's kind of funny...tonight's meeting topic was about getting through a plateau & Michelle described it as losing less than a half pound a week for at least 3 weeks in a row. Well, hello...that's me this week....but I don't know. I won't consider it a plateau until the next time I weigh-in & that will be a few more weeks...so who knows? It doesn't matter...I might be a bit more determined to walk more each day...start doing more aerobic activity, etc... but I know for the most part that it just takes time. Bodies do this...I am expecting to deal w/ at least one plateau on this journey...why not now? :o) The idea is to deal w/ it & getting through it w/ as much of this attitude as I had going in, right??
Michelle asked what we needed to do to get through a plateau & I said "just deal w/ it...knowing that you don't have a whole lot to say about when it's going to happen & sometimes no idea how long it's going to last" & a guy (yes, we have 2-3 men in our group!) who has lost 70-some lbs said that he didn't quite believe that...that we really do have a say in how long it's going to last...that it's all about motivation & determination, because he just dealt w/ a 2 month plateau & he was struggling a bit, realizing that he was slacking a bit & decided that enough was enough & that he started tightening up his journaling & measuring & all that...and it passed. I said "yeah, but can you really consider that a true plateau?" & Michelle went on to say that yes, you can. I felt a little bad that I kind of discounted what he went through....but I truly don't consider slacking off, so you're not losing, a true plateau, do you? There truly will be a time when you're giving it your all, doing everything exactly how you should, & your body is just refusing to budge. Sometimes this will last several weeks...sometimes MONTHS. But throughout this whole plateau period, you're still giving it your all...100% OP......THAT's what I consider a plateau.
Anyways...who knows? I'm not worried that this is where I am now...I know that I'm going to be fine...that this is my lifestyle now...forever & it feels great that this is my reality!
Hope you all are as enthused about your futures as I am...it's sooooooo bright!
Thanks to all...your encouragement & inspiration keep me going...always!
xxox.....Julie
Monday, July 7, 2003
Reality check...
You guys know that I normally WI bi-weekly...my weight loss seems to go in cycles, good loss, not so good loss...every other week...w/ this week being my "up" week, I normally wouldn't WI tonight (the scale is much friendlier this way! LOL!!). Well...I decided to do it anyways...I figured "what the heck"...I had a hard time keeping under my points this week (although I was only -2 in the bank @ the end of the week) & wasn't as active as I should've been & wanted a little "reality check".
Well...reality was good to me because I lost another 1.8lbs!! That dropped me into the 220s!!! Yeah! I haven't seen 220 in years!! 35lbs off so far! Two-teens are right around the corner...I can't believe it!! Yikes!!
AND...I earned 11 APs today....some walking & then mowing the lawn (90min)
AND :o) we have a wild raspberry bush that planted itself in our yard last year...just picked 12 ounces of beautifully ripe berries...yum!! I'm DEFINITELY going to do a veggie garden next summer!! It's cool to be able to go outside & pick your own healthy food!! Yeah!
Thanks, guys...you know that you are what keeps me going!!
Well...reality was good to me because I lost another 1.8lbs!! That dropped me into the 220s!!! Yeah! I haven't seen 220 in years!! 35lbs off so far! Two-teens are right around the corner...I can't believe it!! Yikes!!
AND...I earned 11 APs today....some walking & then mowing the lawn (90min)
AND :o) we have a wild raspberry bush that planted itself in our yard last year...just picked 12 ounces of beautifully ripe berries...yum!! I'm DEFINITELY going to do a veggie garden next summer!! It's cool to be able to go outside & pick your own healthy food!! Yeah!
Thanks, guys...you know that you are what keeps me going!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
RAMBLING...REWARDS & GOALS
My buddies on GoaD were discussing Rewards...how you reward yourself for your successes as you travel down the path of this journey & I have to say that I never really understood why this time around I haven't been into "rewards" or even finding it necessary to set specific goals till these guys got me thinking about it yesterday.
In the past, when I celebrated how well I was doing, I would blow it...each & every time... never could figure it out...kinda like the complacency issue. I NEVER continued w/ WW (or any other diet) after that 20lb celebration…don’t ask me why, I really don’t have a clue. (this is why getting my 10% keychain was HUGE for me!!)
But this time, early on, I realized that continuing to take care of myself & being proud of my progress was my reward...I DIDN’T decide that THAT was going to be my reward, I just really FELT it, deep inside.
In the past I would "reward" my great WI w/ something I loved & felt deprived of... usually something deep fried... it wasn't really a reward, it was more of a "whew, I made it to WI & now have a whole week to get over what I'm about to put in my body" type of thing. It didn't take me long, this time around, to realize that I didn't want to do that anymore... how was THAT a reward? Was that really a celebration?? NOT! I realized that I DESERVED THE VERY BEST...I wanted to continue the feeling of pride & accomplishment & there was no way that I was going to keep that feeling going by doing something that was completely unnecessary.
For me, feeling like I have to give myself a reward for doing the right thing seems unnecessary…I’m not saying that it should be that way for you…it’s just this way for me. Don’t ask why…I have no clue. :o) I don’t need a doggy treat to do the trick, you know?? When I get to goal, I’m going to be proud of myself & confident & that’s huge for me.
Goals…I only have one…to get healthy, get strong & be happy (well…I guess that’s more than one…but it’s all-in-one) …I’m going to enjoy the changes along the way… the clothing NSVs & other such things & I’m certainly going to celebrate my progress w/ my friends & family (blood & GoaD) but my eye (& heart) is on the big prize…the rest is just going to happen anyways.
The further I get into this journey, the easier it’s becoming…it’s going to take me at least another year to get this weight off…but it doesn’t matter. I’ve begun to get excited about the future I am creeping up on & I’m ready to do what I can to make it the best future. I’m FINALLY getting excited about getting some sort of APs daily…I got a short bike ride in w/ the boys yesterday & then when everyone else went to bed, I took a quick 2 mile walk in my neighborhood (yes, in the dark) carrying my 2# WATP balls w/ me (need to get some wrist weights instead), enjoying it like I have never enjoyed it before…excited that I am getting stronger each day & knowing that this is something I’m going to enjoy for the rest of my life. Brad & I are going to start walking or biking each morning before he goes to work (early…ugh!). I haven’t gone overboard w/ working out…I know that THAT is unrealistic for me to be able to keep up an over the top routine for the rest of my life…knowing that the minute I pull back even a fraction I’ll start gaining again (just like starting to eat “normal” again…doesn’t work)
I’m fortunate to have a hubby that is super happy w/ healthy food & is all for sharing a full portion w/ me when we go out…has no problem w/ me buying a lean (& pricy) cut of meat & didn’t chide me when I came home w/ a new (expensive) digital food scale, but instead took out some strawberries & weighed them…saying “cool, it weighs in grams, too!!” (LOL!!) We’re going to grow healthy together…he’s even dropped 2” from his waist w/out even trying. (& not really needing to)
Okay…you know me, I can go on all day…I’m just reflecting…excited about my future …knowing that this is becoming more natural each day… 2nd nature is what I’ve been shooting for…hope you are too!
You guys are the best…hope you don’t mind my ramblings & even come away w/ a little something for yourself.
In the past, when I celebrated how well I was doing, I would blow it...each & every time... never could figure it out...kinda like the complacency issue. I NEVER continued w/ WW (or any other diet) after that 20lb celebration…don’t ask me why, I really don’t have a clue. (this is why getting my 10% keychain was HUGE for me!!)
But this time, early on, I realized that continuing to take care of myself & being proud of my progress was my reward...I DIDN’T decide that THAT was going to be my reward, I just really FELT it, deep inside.
In the past I would "reward" my great WI w/ something I loved & felt deprived of... usually something deep fried... it wasn't really a reward, it was more of a "whew, I made it to WI & now have a whole week to get over what I'm about to put in my body" type of thing. It didn't take me long, this time around, to realize that I didn't want to do that anymore... how was THAT a reward? Was that really a celebration?? NOT! I realized that I DESERVED THE VERY BEST...I wanted to continue the feeling of pride & accomplishment & there was no way that I was going to keep that feeling going by doing something that was completely unnecessary.
For me, feeling like I have to give myself a reward for doing the right thing seems unnecessary…I’m not saying that it should be that way for you…it’s just this way for me. Don’t ask why…I have no clue. :o) I don’t need a doggy treat to do the trick, you know?? When I get to goal, I’m going to be proud of myself & confident & that’s huge for me.
Goals…I only have one…to get healthy, get strong & be happy (well…I guess that’s more than one…but it’s all-in-one) …I’m going to enjoy the changes along the way… the clothing NSVs & other such things & I’m certainly going to celebrate my progress w/ my friends & family (blood & GoaD) but my eye (& heart) is on the big prize…the rest is just going to happen anyways.
The further I get into this journey, the easier it’s becoming…it’s going to take me at least another year to get this weight off…but it doesn’t matter. I’ve begun to get excited about the future I am creeping up on & I’m ready to do what I can to make it the best future. I’m FINALLY getting excited about getting some sort of APs daily…I got a short bike ride in w/ the boys yesterday & then when everyone else went to bed, I took a quick 2 mile walk in my neighborhood (yes, in the dark) carrying my 2# WATP balls w/ me (need to get some wrist weights instead), enjoying it like I have never enjoyed it before…excited that I am getting stronger each day & knowing that this is something I’m going to enjoy for the rest of my life. Brad & I are going to start walking or biking each morning before he goes to work (early…ugh!). I haven’t gone overboard w/ working out…I know that THAT is unrealistic for me to be able to keep up an over the top routine for the rest of my life…knowing that the minute I pull back even a fraction I’ll start gaining again (just like starting to eat “normal” again…doesn’t work)
I’m fortunate to have a hubby that is super happy w/ healthy food & is all for sharing a full portion w/ me when we go out…has no problem w/ me buying a lean (& pricy) cut of meat & didn’t chide me when I came home w/ a new (expensive) digital food scale, but instead took out some strawberries & weighed them…saying “cool, it weighs in grams, too!!” (LOL!!) We’re going to grow healthy together…he’s even dropped 2” from his waist w/out even trying. (& not really needing to)
Okay…you know me, I can go on all day…I’m just reflecting…excited about my future …knowing that this is becoming more natural each day… 2nd nature is what I’ve been shooting for…hope you are too!
You guys are the best…hope you don’t mind my ramblings & even come away w/ a little something for yourself.
Tuesday, July 1, 2003
4.2 more pounds bites the dust! Yeah!!
This is my bi-weekly WI (& blab session)...I was a little nervous because I was kinda thinking that the 8lb loss I had two weeks ago (after 3 wks on vacation) was a fluke...that maybe they recalibrated their scales back to what they SHOULD really read, etc... LOL!! Also...I had a tough time staying w/in my points this week...I started out in the hole after going out for my Anniversary mid week & just couldn't keep it out of the hole, till Sunday. I finished my week w/ 1 point in the bank. Needless to say, I was quite excited w/ the loss!!
So...hopefully next WI I will be in the 220s!! WOW!
It was kinda funny tonight because Michelle, my "lively" leader, brings a new lady over to me & says "Julie, this is Diane...she's never done WW before! Why don't you tell her how much you've lost!" & so I sat down w/ Diane & chit-chatted w/ her, told her all about WW website, eTools, Dotties, Skinny Cows, Laughing Cow cheese & all sorts of other stuff! LOL!! She's really nervous about the small amount of points she gets & so I was telling her about water & veggies & low point fruits, etc... just told her you've gotta get creative, you know??
Anyways...there was another newish girl sitting in front of us & she turned around when I mentioned Skinny Cows & got in on the conversation. She's a youngish girl...probably in her 20s & she's at least 300lbs... I told myself "I'm gonna befriend her next week & see if I can help her stay motivated"
MOTIVATION
Our meeting tonight was about MOTIVATION. She asked us to write down what brought us to WW & then what was motivating us now…so I wrote my LIST (just a few words…yeah, right!! LOL!!) & then she went straight into awards. Well…I got another 5 lb star today & so she asked me what changes I have made since being on WW & of course I went back to how it took me a long time to get to the point that I was ready to get healthy & that my attitude was completely different this time… that I was eating like a healthy person now, that there was no question to me that I would be that healthy person eventually. And that I’m really proud of myself. Then she asked me what I had written down as my motivation for coming to WW & I said “do you want me to read the WHOLE list?” & she laughed & said “sure…it’s been a quiet meeting tonight” So I said…
What brought me in to WW was…
Ready to change what obviously wasn’t working for me
That I was getting WAY too close to 300lbs & could actually see no end to the amount of weight I had the potential to gain
And that I had way too many aches & pains for my age…including a broken bone in my foot that hasn’t healed well because of my weight.
What’s motivating me now…
Knowing that I have control of myself.
Being proud of my progress & attitude.
Knowing that I’m doing this for the right reasons (ME!), the right way & for the last time.
And a great support system from a fabulous group of people on an online WW board.
She went on to other awards…one of which was a girl that was getting her 50 lb magnet & was only 7 lbs away from goal & Michelle asked her what motivated her & she said… “everything that Julie just said!” (LOL!) That’s a kick.
Anyways…after the meeting, a nice lady that I had talked to a few weeks ago (on her first night) came up to me & said that I inspired her. WOW! That’s awesome!
It’s kinda neat to me…to take the inspiration & motivation & enthusiasm that I get from GoaD & spread it on to others outside of the board. It’s cool, too, that I feel like I’m becoming more of a part of that meeting group…I haven’t been a regular to this meeting time & even then, I usually only go every 2 weeks…but I guess I’ve made some sort of an impression on my leader! :o) That’s good…I really want to make a solid connection w/ her at some point because the more I think about it, the more I want to be a leader!
So…that’s it! :o) Life is good, isn’t it?
Thanks you guys...can't do this w/out all of you!
So...hopefully next WI I will be in the 220s!! WOW!
It was kinda funny tonight because Michelle, my "lively" leader, brings a new lady over to me & says "Julie, this is Diane...she's never done WW before! Why don't you tell her how much you've lost!" & so I sat down w/ Diane & chit-chatted w/ her, told her all about WW website, eTools, Dotties, Skinny Cows, Laughing Cow cheese & all sorts of other stuff! LOL!! She's really nervous about the small amount of points she gets & so I was telling her about water & veggies & low point fruits, etc... just told her you've gotta get creative, you know??
Anyways...there was another newish girl sitting in front of us & she turned around when I mentioned Skinny Cows & got in on the conversation. She's a youngish girl...probably in her 20s & she's at least 300lbs... I told myself "I'm gonna befriend her next week & see if I can help her stay motivated"
MOTIVATION
Our meeting tonight was about MOTIVATION. She asked us to write down what brought us to WW & then what was motivating us now…so I wrote my LIST (just a few words…yeah, right!! LOL!!) & then she went straight into awards. Well…I got another 5 lb star today & so she asked me what changes I have made since being on WW & of course I went back to how it took me a long time to get to the point that I was ready to get healthy & that my attitude was completely different this time… that I was eating like a healthy person now, that there was no question to me that I would be that healthy person eventually. And that I’m really proud of myself. Then she asked me what I had written down as my motivation for coming to WW & I said “do you want me to read the WHOLE list?” & she laughed & said “sure…it’s been a quiet meeting tonight” So I said…
What brought me in to WW was…
Ready to change what obviously wasn’t working for me
That I was getting WAY too close to 300lbs & could actually see no end to the amount of weight I had the potential to gain
And that I had way too many aches & pains for my age…including a broken bone in my foot that hasn’t healed well because of my weight.
What’s motivating me now…
Knowing that I have control of myself.
Being proud of my progress & attitude.
Knowing that I’m doing this for the right reasons (ME!), the right way & for the last time.
And a great support system from a fabulous group of people on an online WW board.
She went on to other awards…one of which was a girl that was getting her 50 lb magnet & was only 7 lbs away from goal & Michelle asked her what motivated her & she said… “everything that Julie just said!” (LOL!) That’s a kick.
Anyways…after the meeting, a nice lady that I had talked to a few weeks ago (on her first night) came up to me & said that I inspired her. WOW! That’s awesome!
It’s kinda neat to me…to take the inspiration & motivation & enthusiasm that I get from GoaD & spread it on to others outside of the board. It’s cool, too, that I feel like I’m becoming more of a part of that meeting group…I haven’t been a regular to this meeting time & even then, I usually only go every 2 weeks…but I guess I’ve made some sort of an impression on my leader! :o) That’s good…I really want to make a solid connection w/ her at some point because the more I think about it, the more I want to be a leader!
So…that’s it! :o) Life is good, isn’t it?
Thanks you guys...can't do this w/out all of you!
Monday, June 16, 2003
I DID IT!! I DID IT! I DID IT! OMG...I DID IT!
Picture Janice on Friends...
OH
MY
GOD!
So...I go to my first WI / meeting tonight in a month...since before I left town...I'm praying for at least a little loss...I mean, hey I WAS okay OP on my vacation & have easily slid right back into my everyday WW life since I've been back this past week, so I figured it would be a stretch if I had a gain...but what the heck, this is my life & I just go on from here...right??
Well...I stepped on the scale prayed for 241, 241, 241...& saw 234.8!!! 8 lbs! I lost EIGHT POUNDS!
BUT...not only did I lose 8 lbs... but I also got my 25lb magnet AND I hit my 10%!!!
I have to admit...I was pretty girly tonight... I just about balled right then & there...I know that I jumped up & down when I realized before my leader had it figured out that I had passed my 10%! She is so cute...she says "aren't you pleased?" & I said "OH YEAH!" I had a huge smile on my face from that point on...had a really really hard time keeping myself together through the meeting!
When she got to awards @ the end of the meeting, she called my name & asked me to share w/ the group how much I had lost & then gave me my 25lb magnet & asked me what am I doing differently than before WW & I usually say "everything!!" but I told myself that I wasn't going to go blank this time...so I said...
"It took me about 10 years to get to the point that I was ready to start WW again...I knew that I needed to get myself together mentally, because I knew that I wasn't about to DIET again...that this was going to be for life...that I was going to be journaling for the rest of my life." & she turned to the group & she said "do you guys get that? this is huge!" And then I continued on (what a surprise!!) "this isn't a race for me... there is no start & no finish to this...no matter how long it takes, I'm there...I am in this for life!"
Then my leader hands me my 10% keychain & I start to well up & she asks if I had anything else to share & all I could do was shake my head...she looked @ me & said "This is huge, huh?" & I just nodded & let the tears come! Yikes...I'm sure the whole group thought I was losing it...but you gotta realize...I have NEVER...in all my years of dieting...NEVER made it this far on my own...knowing that I am going succeed @ this just takes me over the edge! This IS huge!! :o)
Anyways...so many people came up to me afterwards & congratulated me and gave me hugs & I chatted w/ a new lady about getting over the fear of beginning this process, then I walked out to my car & called my husband & told him my news!! He is really proud of me! :o) The next thing I wanted to do was to celebrate w/ my GoaD family... but there was no computer access in sight! LOL!! So...I went shopping instead!! :o)
I walked through the door & there is Brayden standing @ the top of the stairs (in his underwear, no less!) & he says "Mommy...congratulations on losing the weight!!" gives me a huge & then walks back to the computer to finish his Freddie Fish game! LOL!!
So...I gave Brad a kiss & said..."I have to go tell my friends...Brayden, get off my computer!!"
So...here I sit...laughing @ myself for how excited I am...knowing that I'm well on my way to my new healthy sassy self! :o)
Thanks to all of you for playing such a huge part in this success of mine...I love you guys!!! As I say in many posts...I think I would've been okay if I hadn't found GoaD, but I know that I'm THRIVING because of all of you!!
OH
MY
GOD!
So...I go to my first WI / meeting tonight in a month...since before I left town...I'm praying for at least a little loss...I mean, hey I WAS okay OP on my vacation & have easily slid right back into my everyday WW life since I've been back this past week, so I figured it would be a stretch if I had a gain...but what the heck, this is my life & I just go on from here...right??
Well...I stepped on the scale prayed for 241, 241, 241...& saw 234.8!!! 8 lbs! I lost EIGHT POUNDS!
BUT...not only did I lose 8 lbs... but I also got my 25lb magnet AND I hit my 10%!!!
I have to admit...I was pretty girly tonight... I just about balled right then & there...I know that I jumped up & down when I realized before my leader had it figured out that I had passed my 10%! She is so cute...she says "aren't you pleased?" & I said "OH YEAH!" I had a huge smile on my face from that point on...had a really really hard time keeping myself together through the meeting!
When she got to awards @ the end of the meeting, she called my name & asked me to share w/ the group how much I had lost & then gave me my 25lb magnet & asked me what am I doing differently than before WW & I usually say "everything!!" but I told myself that I wasn't going to go blank this time...so I said...
"It took me about 10 years to get to the point that I was ready to start WW again...I knew that I needed to get myself together mentally, because I knew that I wasn't about to DIET again...that this was going to be for life...that I was going to be journaling for the rest of my life." & she turned to the group & she said "do you guys get that? this is huge!" And then I continued on (what a surprise!!) "this isn't a race for me... there is no start & no finish to this...no matter how long it takes, I'm there...I am in this for life!"
Then my leader hands me my 10% keychain & I start to well up & she asks if I had anything else to share & all I could do was shake my head...she looked @ me & said "This is huge, huh?" & I just nodded & let the tears come! Yikes...I'm sure the whole group thought I was losing it...but you gotta realize...I have NEVER...in all my years of dieting...NEVER made it this far on my own...knowing that I am going succeed @ this just takes me over the edge! This IS huge!! :o)
Anyways...so many people came up to me afterwards & congratulated me and gave me hugs & I chatted w/ a new lady about getting over the fear of beginning this process, then I walked out to my car & called my husband & told him my news!! He is really proud of me! :o) The next thing I wanted to do was to celebrate w/ my GoaD family... but there was no computer access in sight! LOL!! So...I went shopping instead!! :o)
I walked through the door & there is Brayden standing @ the top of the stairs (in his underwear, no less!) & he says "Mommy...congratulations on losing the weight!!" gives me a huge & then walks back to the computer to finish his Freddie Fish game! LOL!!
So...I gave Brad a kiss & said..."I have to go tell my friends...Brayden, get off my computer!!"
So...here I sit...laughing @ myself for how excited I am...knowing that I'm well on my way to my new healthy sassy self! :o)
Thanks to all of you for playing such a huge part in this success of mine...I love you guys!!! As I say in many posts...I think I would've been okay if I hadn't found GoaD, but I know that I'm THRIVING because of all of you!!
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
1.8 lbs down!!
Yeah!! That is a THREE week total...not as great as I thought it would be, but I did have a busy birthday weekend (37) & a 39 point day Sunday! (all the exercise in the world won't bring down the actual weight of a high point day the night before, will it? LOL!!) Who knows?? I'm still thrilled w/ it...I was just expecting more cuz my clothes are much looser! :o)
I suppose I could tell you about what I would think was an NSV, huh?? I just spent $160 @ Fashion Bug for myself!! (I got a TON of stuff, though!!) Can't believe I did that...I don't like to buy clothes when I'm losing weight...but I REALLY REALLY need some!! & I got some really great deals!! The $45 jeans I bought just a month or so ago are already big, so I thought, there is NO WAY I'm going to spend that much money on jeans each month...so I got 2 pair for $20 each!! Several pair of capris...several pair of lightweight cotton plaid pants...kinda seersuckered, you know?? Great for the beach! A few tops...I need to find some more...but I still can't believe I spent that much money on clothes that will more than likely be too big in a month or so!! The NSV is that I've gone from a 26/28 in January to a 22 in jeans!! AND, the baggy cotton plaid pants were 18/20. I can BARELY get them up over my butt, but once there they fit fine! LOL!! AND...I am now below my low weight when I took my "break" from WW last spring!! Only 4 more lbs till I hit my 10%! Slow & steady! Alright!!! :o)
Anyways...this was my last WI till June 16th as I'll be going on vacation on Friday!! I PLAN on coming home lighter!! Keep me in your thoughts!!
I suppose I could tell you about what I would think was an NSV, huh?? I just spent $160 @ Fashion Bug for myself!! (I got a TON of stuff, though!!) Can't believe I did that...I don't like to buy clothes when I'm losing weight...but I REALLY REALLY need some!! & I got some really great deals!! The $45 jeans I bought just a month or so ago are already big, so I thought, there is NO WAY I'm going to spend that much money on jeans each month...so I got 2 pair for $20 each!! Several pair of capris...several pair of lightweight cotton plaid pants...kinda seersuckered, you know?? Great for the beach! A few tops...I need to find some more...but I still can't believe I spent that much money on clothes that will more than likely be too big in a month or so!! The NSV is that I've gone from a 26/28 in January to a 22 in jeans!! AND, the baggy cotton plaid pants were 18/20. I can BARELY get them up over my butt, but once there they fit fine! LOL!! AND...I am now below my low weight when I took my "break" from WW last spring!! Only 4 more lbs till I hit my 10%! Slow & steady! Alright!!! :o)
Anyways...this was my last WI till June 16th as I'll be going on vacation on Friday!! I PLAN on coming home lighter!! Keep me in your thoughts!!
Thursday, May 1, 2003
RAMBLING...SLOW WEIGHT LOSS - May 2003
I know all about slow weight loss! I never got any of those big water weight losses the first few weeks being OP this time around, so it really felt like I never got off the mark, you know? It WAS just a little bit frustrating because psychologically, it's nice to have those bigger losses @ the beginning when the road ahead seems oh-so long, isn't it??
Well...I quickly came to realize that I TRULY needed to NOT CARE about what the scale said, period. (who needs that kind of discouragement??) I'm NOT going to let the scale guide me through this process...I know I'm eating healthy and I'm changing my life! My attitude is GREAT & I'm in this for the long haul, no matter how long it takes, I know I'm doing this the right way!
For me, this isn't ALL about losing the weight, but rather sculpting a new lifestyle. There is no question about the loss of weight & the ability to keep it off in the future.
If you're struggling w/ slow weight loss...remember...THIS is your life now...you are already eating like a healthy, thin person...your body just needs some time to reflect that, right? It'll come...all it is is time, right? Time is going to pass either way ...you don't really want to look back a year or two from now & realize that you would've already reached your goal if you had just stuck with it, do you? You are headed in the right direction...just keep going, okay? (I know you’re not about to quit…it's just time to look at this from different angles)
I've been at that "I'm frustrated & disappointed" point too many times in my life of weight-loss attempts & I know it only got me to one place...at my all time high of 275 lbs, that's where! I wasn't about to start ANY weight-loss program again until I knew I could get past all of those little disappointments & frustrations w/out those icky thoughts of failure again. I'm so happy to say that I am there now, which is why I am doing WW now! It's a big BIG head game...you just need to put the right spin on it.
I am now weighing myself bi-weekly...the scale is much friendlier that way! LOL!! Actually, I have found that I have a bi-weekly weight cycle...I lose really well one week & then next it's usually a teeny tiny loss or nothing or even a teeny tiny gain...no matter how great I was that week! So it just makes sense to me to do my WI this way. So far I've consistently had 3-4 lb bi-weekly losses....perfectly AVERAGE & perfectly perfect!!
This isn't a race for me. There is no starting or finishing line because this is LIFE!! Life is going to happen anyways...
Keep on doing what you’re doing, challenge yourself…figure out how to make this program part of your life, striving to make it all 2nd nature. Find JOY & SATISFACTION in the whole process!! YOU’RE WORTH IT!
Well...I quickly came to realize that I TRULY needed to NOT CARE about what the scale said, period. (who needs that kind of discouragement??) I'm NOT going to let the scale guide me through this process...I know I'm eating healthy and I'm changing my life! My attitude is GREAT & I'm in this for the long haul, no matter how long it takes, I know I'm doing this the right way!
For me, this isn't ALL about losing the weight, but rather sculpting a new lifestyle. There is no question about the loss of weight & the ability to keep it off in the future.
If you're struggling w/ slow weight loss...remember...THIS is your life now...you are already eating like a healthy, thin person...your body just needs some time to reflect that, right? It'll come...all it is is time, right? Time is going to pass either way ...you don't really want to look back a year or two from now & realize that you would've already reached your goal if you had just stuck with it, do you? You are headed in the right direction...just keep going, okay? (I know you’re not about to quit…it's just time to look at this from different angles)
I've been at that "I'm frustrated & disappointed" point too many times in my life of weight-loss attempts & I know it only got me to one place...at my all time high of 275 lbs, that's where! I wasn't about to start ANY weight-loss program again until I knew I could get past all of those little disappointments & frustrations w/out those icky thoughts of failure again. I'm so happy to say that I am there now, which is why I am doing WW now! It's a big BIG head game...you just need to put the right spin on it.
I am now weighing myself bi-weekly...the scale is much friendlier that way! LOL!! Actually, I have found that I have a bi-weekly weight cycle...I lose really well one week & then next it's usually a teeny tiny loss or nothing or even a teeny tiny gain...no matter how great I was that week! So it just makes sense to me to do my WI this way. So far I've consistently had 3-4 lb bi-weekly losses....perfectly AVERAGE & perfectly perfect!!
This isn't a race for me. There is no starting or finishing line because this is LIFE!! Life is going to happen anyways...
Keep on doing what you’re doing, challenge yourself…figure out how to make this program part of your life, striving to make it all 2nd nature. Find JOY & SATISFACTION in the whole process!! YOU’RE WORTH IT!
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
GO JULIE, GO JULIE, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY...
Well...it's not really my birthday (3 more weeks) but it sure felt like it last night!! :o) FOUR more pounds bites the dust!!
This is a 2 week loss...so I'm still right on target w/ a 2 lb per week loss! I love it!! (.6 away from 20 lbs)
My leader asked "what have you noticed being better now that you've lost 19.4 lbs" & I just said "I'm just so proud of myself!!" Which I am!! Most people say "my clothes fit better", etc... but I'm really not @ that noticing point yet, especially since I don't wear fitted clothes. (I DID invest in the first pair of jeans I've worn in NINE years a few weeks ago!! Love them! & they're not elastic waisted, so they will actually get baggy @ some point (rather than the black stretch leggings [with LONG flowing tops] I've worn since I was pregnant w/ my first son!) I need to take some new measurements (been a month) & some new pictures to see what the physical changes have been...but I really don't worry about that...I know those great changes will come! I'm just so excited!! (you certainly can't tell, can you?)
& you know how when you get all excited about a great WI & you want to go treat yourself to something indulgent (or maybe it's just because you've had your WI & the rest of the night just doesn't matter, so why not??) ....well...I don't get the inkling to do that type of thing anymore! (it was a ritual of mine since my first go-round w/ WW in the early 80's) I want to be good to myself now! I went to my favorite chinese restaurant & got my favorite wok-seered potstickers (4pts) & a chinese chicken salad (5.5 pts for a large yummy salad) & enjoy!! Then, I wanted to come home & go ride my bike!! (but I had to go shopping before & it was dark by the time I got home...shopping APs are the best, though! LOL!)
Anyways....thank you all so much for keeping me consistently revved up & excited about taking care of myself!!
xxoxoooo.....Julie ...oh my, sure wish I could open up a bit more... you all will never get to know me @ this rate! :o)
This is a 2 week loss...so I'm still right on target w/ a 2 lb per week loss! I love it!! (.6 away from 20 lbs)
My leader asked "what have you noticed being better now that you've lost 19.4 lbs" & I just said "I'm just so proud of myself!!" Which I am!! Most people say "my clothes fit better", etc... but I'm really not @ that noticing point yet, especially since I don't wear fitted clothes. (I DID invest in the first pair of jeans I've worn in NINE years a few weeks ago!! Love them! & they're not elastic waisted, so they will actually get baggy @ some point (rather than the black stretch leggings [with LONG flowing tops] I've worn since I was pregnant w/ my first son!) I need to take some new measurements (been a month) & some new pictures to see what the physical changes have been...but I really don't worry about that...I know those great changes will come! I'm just so excited!! (you certainly can't tell, can you?)
& you know how when you get all excited about a great WI & you want to go treat yourself to something indulgent (or maybe it's just because you've had your WI & the rest of the night just doesn't matter, so why not??) ....well...I don't get the inkling to do that type of thing anymore! (it was a ritual of mine since my first go-round w/ WW in the early 80's) I want to be good to myself now! I went to my favorite chinese restaurant & got my favorite wok-seered potstickers (4pts) & a chinese chicken salad (5.5 pts for a large yummy salad) & enjoy!! Then, I wanted to come home & go ride my bike!! (but I had to go shopping before & it was dark by the time I got home...shopping APs are the best, though! LOL!)
Anyways....thank you all so much for keeping me consistently revved up & excited about taking care of myself!!
xxoxoooo.....Julie ...oh my, sure wish I could open up a bit more... you all will never get to know me @ this rate! :o)
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
RAMBLING...PERMANENT PROGRESS... doing this the right way! - April 2003
I have always hated to exercise...but I at least try to get out for a walk now that it's getting nice out (having kids helps...they love getting out, walking to the lake to throw rocks, etc...)...I have tapes & stuff that would help me out even more, but I can't seem to talk myself into doing them more than once a week at the moment. I guess for me, at first I was trying to get comfortable w/ the food thing first, but then I realized that instead of waiting till I was thinner to start exercising (cuz it will probably be easier then), that I should be thinking about starting now so that I'll be that much farther ahead of the game when I do get more of this weight off, you know? So I try to make it a point to get some sort of exercising in at least every other day. (if I HAVE to! LOL!!) BUT, I also know that I don't want to go crazy w/ exercise, like going to the gym 5 days a week like some of these guys do because I know that it is impractical for me to think that I have the time to do that & that it is something that I would keep up w/ forever...I know that the minute I back off I'll see some weight come back on...even if I were eating right. I think it's really really important to do what you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life. This is why I haven't given in to the diet pill industry, I KNOW you can't take those things for the rest of your life, so why bother? Why bother doing it the wrong way quickly just to find myself back where I started when I can do it the right way slowly & make permanent progress???
So...in slowly finding permanent progress...I'm TRYING to find JOY & SATISFACTION in the things that I used to find torturous (exercise) & boring (fruit & veggies)...realizing that the only way I can make this work is if I mentally change quicker than my body does. I don't want to get to my goal weight & not have it figured out to keep it off for the rest of my life. Up till now, this had ALWAYS been about weight loss to me...always about getting down to a specific size w/ curves in the right places, being able to wear cute clothes like my little (thin) sister...a reunion or special occasion...not wanting people who haven't seen me this big to see me this big, you know?? It had never been about my health...never about making a real change in how I view food, how I deal w/ stress (& food!)...never making a plan on how to keep the weight off after I've gotten it off, you know?
It took me a LONG LONG time to get to the point that I would try to take this weight off again. I even thought I was ready in late 2001...I knew that I wasn't going to even start anything if I couldn't do it for life...& I got 20 some pounds off in a few months, then the holidays happened & life happened & it all got in my way & I went back to mindlessness...you know what I mean...not caring what I was putting in my mouth...well, not NOT caring, just not wanting to take the time to do the right thing...to plan, etc. I knew I wasn't going to give up...I COULDN'T...I knew that if I did I would balloon up even more...I would gain that 20 some pounds back & then 10 more & then even more. I saw myself getting way too close to 300 lbs and I could finally see no end to the weight I could gain...that was scary! I just had to find the motivation & all the stuff that you need to keep this change in lifestyle going till it became natural.
I've been lucky enough to not have any weight related health problems (other than a broken bone in my foot that refuses to completely heal, more than likely because of my weight)...but I certainly knew they were right around the corner.
So...here I am. I think I've finally gotten it together...I know that this is about alot more than the weight...for me it's about living a healthy lifestyle that will eventually include a great body...but more than anything, I know that it is the lifestyle that I'll be bringing along w/ me into my 40's & 50's & up into my 80's & 90's...I'm eating like a healthy person & I know that I just have to give my body time to catch up! :o)
So...in slowly finding permanent progress...I'm TRYING to find JOY & SATISFACTION in the things that I used to find torturous (exercise) & boring (fruit & veggies)...realizing that the only way I can make this work is if I mentally change quicker than my body does. I don't want to get to my goal weight & not have it figured out to keep it off for the rest of my life. Up till now, this had ALWAYS been about weight loss to me...always about getting down to a specific size w/ curves in the right places, being able to wear cute clothes like my little (thin) sister...a reunion or special occasion...not wanting people who haven't seen me this big to see me this big, you know?? It had never been about my health...never about making a real change in how I view food, how I deal w/ stress (& food!)...never making a plan on how to keep the weight off after I've gotten it off, you know?
It took me a LONG LONG time to get to the point that I would try to take this weight off again. I even thought I was ready in late 2001...I knew that I wasn't going to even start anything if I couldn't do it for life...& I got 20 some pounds off in a few months, then the holidays happened & life happened & it all got in my way & I went back to mindlessness...you know what I mean...not caring what I was putting in my mouth...well, not NOT caring, just not wanting to take the time to do the right thing...to plan, etc. I knew I wasn't going to give up...I COULDN'T...I knew that if I did I would balloon up even more...I would gain that 20 some pounds back & then 10 more & then even more. I saw myself getting way too close to 300 lbs and I could finally see no end to the weight I could gain...that was scary! I just had to find the motivation & all the stuff that you need to keep this change in lifestyle going till it became natural.
I've been lucky enough to not have any weight related health problems (other than a broken bone in my foot that refuses to completely heal, more than likely because of my weight)...but I certainly knew they were right around the corner.
So...here I am. I think I've finally gotten it together...I know that this is about alot more than the weight...for me it's about living a healthy lifestyle that will eventually include a great body...but more than anything, I know that it is the lifestyle that I'll be bringing along w/ me into my 40's & 50's & up into my 80's & 90's...I'm eating like a healthy person & I know that I just have to give my body time to catch up! :o)
RAMBLING...FREE DAYS
FREE DAYS
Purposely not journaling for a day.
I think that is actually a pretty normal ritual for alot of people on their WI day or on the weekend!
I know I used to do that (all the way back to when I first joined w/ my Mom in the early 80s)...of course I had always gone to meetings & had WI @ night, so I'd just splurge till I went to bed. But for some reason I stopped doing that this time around...for some reason when I think about treating myself after my WI, I usually end up deciding that I want something "special" that will keep me on track...not always, but I'm finding myself doing this more & more. I think I've finally come to the realization that if I want to make this my lifestyle...if I want to be a healthy person, a thinner person (of course), that I need to be eating like one, period. I guess I've decided that my health, my progress was worth more than my favorite Jalapeno Poppers @ Arby's or KFC Honey BBQ Wings!! :o) Don't get me wrong, I still find a way to fit those things into my points...but I just don't go overboard...I know exactly what I am doing. (read my ramblings on REWARDS & GOALS )
Some people feel that they really really need a free day from time to time. IF you're unsure about whether or not you should be having "Free Days", first of all, make sure that you have the control to not let it get out of hand...letting it continue into the next day & the next...& make sure you "give yourself permission" to do this...no regrets later. I guess I would also suggest to you would be to maybe try to keep track of what you are eating on your free days...don't try to figure points, just try to pay attention to what you're consuming & then maybe figure it out the next day...just to see how much damage you really are doing. You might be surprised to find that you are making better choices than you probably did before WW...even if they are out of your points range.
Purposely not journaling for a day.
I think that is actually a pretty normal ritual for alot of people on their WI day or on the weekend!
I know I used to do that (all the way back to when I first joined w/ my Mom in the early 80s)...of course I had always gone to meetings & had WI @ night, so I'd just splurge till I went to bed. But for some reason I stopped doing that this time around...for some reason when I think about treating myself after my WI, I usually end up deciding that I want something "special" that will keep me on track...not always, but I'm finding myself doing this more & more. I think I've finally come to the realization that if I want to make this my lifestyle...if I want to be a healthy person, a thinner person (of course), that I need to be eating like one, period. I guess I've decided that my health, my progress was worth more than my favorite Jalapeno Poppers @ Arby's or KFC Honey BBQ Wings!! :o) Don't get me wrong, I still find a way to fit those things into my points...but I just don't go overboard...I know exactly what I am doing. (read my ramblings on REWARDS & GOALS )
Some people feel that they really really need a free day from time to time. IF you're unsure about whether or not you should be having "Free Days", first of all, make sure that you have the control to not let it get out of hand...letting it continue into the next day & the next...& make sure you "give yourself permission" to do this...no regrets later. I guess I would also suggest to you would be to maybe try to keep track of what you are eating on your free days...don't try to figure points, just try to pay attention to what you're consuming & then maybe figure it out the next day...just to see how much damage you really are doing. You might be surprised to find that you are making better choices than you probably did before WW...even if they are out of your points range.
Monday, March 31, 2003
You know the weight has been coming off rather slowly for me...
& that's really okay, because I've got my mind set to NOT let the scale guide me through this process, right? Well...I LOST 4 POUNDS!!! :o) LOL!!
Actually...I've decided to weigh-in every 2 weeks & it's really turned out well. So, that was 4 lbs in 2 weeks, which is absolutely perfect!
Things are going so well...I've really got this mental thing under control...this IS more mental than anything, you know? I'm starting to exercise because I WANT TO & loving it...excited to get started (simple stuff @ the moment). I'm eating fresh fruit & veggies and feeling totally fulfilled. Finding pleasure in everything that I've always found to be a chore. I sure hope you guys feel this way, too!
My normal M.O. for WI night (since my first try in high school) is to splurge on something for dinner...usually not something fabulous, either, but I'm not doing that this time around! I have found that my FAVORITE Chinese food is low points! Wok Seered PotStickers (pork dumplings) a point a piece, so I head to my favorite local Chinese place & get an order of 4 & a Chinese Chicken Salad...for a total of about 8 points!
Okay...I need to go for a walk, I have WAY too much energy right now! LOL!!
Thanks for being such a HUGE part of why I have this mindset...you guys are AWESOME! :o)
Actually...I've decided to weigh-in every 2 weeks & it's really turned out well. So, that was 4 lbs in 2 weeks, which is absolutely perfect!
Things are going so well...I've really got this mental thing under control...this IS more mental than anything, you know? I'm starting to exercise because I WANT TO & loving it...excited to get started (simple stuff @ the moment). I'm eating fresh fruit & veggies and feeling totally fulfilled. Finding pleasure in everything that I've always found to be a chore. I sure hope you guys feel this way, too!
My normal M.O. for WI night (since my first try in high school) is to splurge on something for dinner...usually not something fabulous, either, but I'm not doing that this time around! I have found that my FAVORITE Chinese food is low points! Wok Seered PotStickers (pork dumplings) a point a piece, so I head to my favorite local Chinese place & get an order of 4 & a Chinese Chicken Salad...for a total of about 8 points!
Okay...I need to go for a walk, I have WAY too much energy right now! LOL!!
Thanks for being such a HUGE part of why I have this mindset...you guys are AWESOME! :o)
Saturday, March 1, 2003
RAMBLING...I LOOK AT WEIGHT-LOSS LIKE THIS...
HOW I SEE THIS...
If I were mid-life & stuck in a rut career wise, it's just so easy to say...
"I'm too old to change"
"I can't go to school full time, it'll take me YEARS to get a new degree, why bother?"
"At least I'm getting paid well...I get all of these perks...it doesn't really matter if I hate what I'm doing, that I'm depressed & all stressed out, but at least I'm getting paid well."
(I could go on & on...)
If you make the decision to take that STEP towards a new career path (or a new healthy body), taking the time (no matter how long it takes) to get that certificate or degree, look at where your life can be a few years down the road (as long as the economy is good! LOL!). Who cares if it took some time...at least you got there, right?
Okay...and now you have this wonderful new career (healthy body) ...life is good, perks are pretty good, too. Are you ready to make the decision that you are going to take the time to do what is right for your life? Whatever it takes, no matter how much or how long?? (say YES!)
Time is going to pass...those better jobs (health) are out there. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO LOOK BACK A FEW YEARS FROM NOW & BE DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DIDN'T DO SOMETHING TO SET YOURSELF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
Something to think about. (yes, I AM talking about weight loss & working for a better life... of course if you don't like your job, you can use this message for that, too! LOL!!)
Julie
If I were mid-life & stuck in a rut career wise, it's just so easy to say...
"I'm too old to change"
"I can't go to school full time, it'll take me YEARS to get a new degree, why bother?"
"At least I'm getting paid well...I get all of these perks...it doesn't really matter if I hate what I'm doing, that I'm depressed & all stressed out, but at least I'm getting paid well."
(I could go on & on...)
If you make the decision to take that STEP towards a new career path (or a new healthy body), taking the time (no matter how long it takes) to get that certificate or degree, look at where your life can be a few years down the road (as long as the economy is good! LOL!). Who cares if it took some time...at least you got there, right?
Okay...and now you have this wonderful new career (healthy body) ...life is good, perks are pretty good, too. Are you ready to make the decision that you are going to take the time to do what is right for your life? Whatever it takes, no matter how much or how long?? (say YES!)
Time is going to pass...those better jobs (health) are out there. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO LOOK BACK A FEW YEARS FROM NOW & BE DISAPPOINTED THAT YOU DIDN'T DO SOMETHING TO SET YOURSELF IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
Something to think about. (yes, I AM talking about weight loss & working for a better life... of course if you don't like your job, you can use this message for that, too! LOL!!)
Julie
Monday, February 10, 2003
WEIGH-IN: 3 WEEKS OP
My first 5 lbs!! Yay me!! :o) But this was a MORNING weigh-in...my normal meetings are on Monday night...so I know this loss isn't totally accurate.
Weeks OP: 3
Weight: 259.2
Loss/Gain: -1.8
WW Total Loss: 5.8
*TOTAL Loss: 15.8*
Pounds to Goal: 114.2
*includes the 10lb lost before WW.
Weeks OP: 3
Weight: 259.2
Loss/Gain: -1.8
WW Total Loss: 5.8
*TOTAL Loss: 15.8*
Pounds to Goal: 114.2
*includes the 10lb lost before WW.
Monday, February 3, 2003
WEIGH-IN: 2 WEEKS OP
Great week!!
Weeks OP: 2
Weight: 261
Loss/Gain: -2.8
WW Total Loss: 4
*TOTAL Loss: 14*
Pounds to Goal: 116
*Includes the 10 lbs lost before WW.
Saturday, February 1, 2003
HELLO! ......YOU FOUND ME!
So...you wanted to get a little glimpse into the life of ME?
r e m o d e l i n g _ m e
(aka Julie)
…I hope you do cuz this is kinda long
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like I said before...my name is Julie
I'm married (1989) to a FABULOUS man named Brad & have two boys...Brayden ('98) & Sam ('95).
...AND THIS IS MY PRE-JOURNEY STORY...
I was a fairly normal sized kid growing up...never really had a weight problem until I started working at DAIRY QUEEN when I was 16. A year later & 20 lbs heavier, I joined Weight Watchers with my mother for the first time! (if I only knew then what I know now!)
I was a size 7 when I graduated from high school (Columbine, Littleton Colorado - 1984) & met my future husband, Brad, a few months later. Gradually gaining back those 20 lbs & then some over the next year, I joined Weight Watchers for the 2nd time as a size 13 in 1986 before starting design school @ Colorado Institute of Art. I was as a size 9 when school started! Gaining back that weight & then some by graduation in early 1989, I joined WW again for the 3rd time to get skinny for my June wedding. Wedding plans & a new job kept me from getting serious about losing this weight & I ended up actually gaining a few more pounds (had to let my wedding dress out!) & was around 170 lbs when the wedding came around.
Moving to Minnesota a year after being married left me depressed & lonely...I ballooned up to 200lbs in no time. I tried WW one last time in 1991 & as always, got that first 10 lbs off & blew it.
I finally gave up “dieting” that year, because I was just getting heavier after each “failure”…I wasn’t going to go on any fad diet, use any diet pills, etc… I knew they wouldn’t work if I couldn’t do it for life… so until I had my head together enough to do it right, I wasn’t going to do it at all. [ although I did manage to get down into the 190s the summer before getting pregnant with my youngest, thanks to a medication that had nothing to do w/ weight loss & that I had to go off of to get pregnant! :o( Never forming any new healthy habits, I gained every bit of it back, & then some! I don't count this phase as part of my weightloss history. ]
Two kids & 10 years later...I found myself at what WAS my heaviest...267 lbs!
I was always so overwhelmed at the thought of trying to lose all of this weight, I remember saying how easy 20 lbs was to lose way back when I only had those 20 lbs to lose, but THIS had always been so overwhelming to me. But then sometime in mid 2001, I realized that if I had changed even just ONE thing in 1991 (when I gave up "dieting") in how I did things, whether it was incorporating a walking routine or portion control or even just giving up my 3-a-day Coke/Mtn Dew habit, I probably would have slowly dropped weight instead of gaining. All of these years had passed & I could've been thinner by now, but I wasn't. I don't want to look back 10 years from now & be disappointed that I didn't at least do something to set me in the right direction.
Finally, a friend asked me to join WW w/ her in September 2001 & at first I panicked, cuz I WASN’T GOING TO DIET! …but I knew I was finally “ready” & knew the new changes to WW were worth checking out…so I joined (meetings & e-Tools) …lost 20 lbs & then got too caught up in other things to keep the ball rolling... so I took a LONG break...but NOT ONCE did I decide to quit …I knew I’d be back. NOT ONCE have I been overwhelmed @ the amount of weight I needed to lose .... I am in this for my life, not just till I lost the weight...I know I will never be able to put the blinders back on ... I know that no matter what, time is going to pass & if I lose 100 lbs or 10 lbs this year, at least I am going in the right direction!
In December 2002, I weighed in at my doctor's @ 275 lbs... my HEAVIEST EVER!! Yeah... time to do SOMETHING!!
So...I re-joined WW in late January (2003) with a starting weight of 265lbs & go to Saturday morning meetings where they have an awesome "lively leader" Michelle. I found a FABULOUS board on WeightWatchers.com that is here to support me & it feels so great to be able to offer the same support to others! (THANK YOU!)
Yeah, I would like to take it ALL off in the next year or so, but it's not a race for me... it's just a future destination... & I know I'll be learning so much in the process.
So…yes, I can be long winded… but I’m also sincere & like I say in my public profile, I have a BIG warm heart, I'm a total smart-aleck & I'm an awesome friend! :o) (TRY ME!)
r e m o d e l i n g _ m e
(aka Julie)
…I hope you do cuz this is kinda long
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like I said before...my name is Julie
I'm married (1989) to a FABULOUS man named Brad & have two boys...Brayden ('98) & Sam ('95).
...AND THIS IS MY PRE-JOURNEY STORY...
I was a fairly normal sized kid growing up...never really had a weight problem until I started working at DAIRY QUEEN when I was 16. A year later & 20 lbs heavier, I joined Weight Watchers with my mother for the first time! (if I only knew then what I know now!)
I was a size 7 when I graduated from high school (Columbine, Littleton Colorado - 1984) & met my future husband, Brad, a few months later. Gradually gaining back those 20 lbs & then some over the next year, I joined Weight Watchers for the 2nd time as a size 13 in 1986 before starting design school @ Colorado Institute of Art. I was as a size 9 when school started! Gaining back that weight & then some by graduation in early 1989, I joined WW again for the 3rd time to get skinny for my June wedding. Wedding plans & a new job kept me from getting serious about losing this weight & I ended up actually gaining a few more pounds (had to let my wedding dress out!) & was around 170 lbs when the wedding came around.
Moving to Minnesota a year after being married left me depressed & lonely...I ballooned up to 200lbs in no time. I tried WW one last time in 1991 & as always, got that first 10 lbs off & blew it.
I finally gave up “dieting” that year, because I was just getting heavier after each “failure”…I wasn’t going to go on any fad diet, use any diet pills, etc… I knew they wouldn’t work if I couldn’t do it for life… so until I had my head together enough to do it right, I wasn’t going to do it at all. [ although I did manage to get down into the 190s the summer before getting pregnant with my youngest, thanks to a medication that had nothing to do w/ weight loss & that I had to go off of to get pregnant! :o( Never forming any new healthy habits, I gained every bit of it back, & then some! I don't count this phase as part of my weightloss history. ]
Two kids & 10 years later...I found myself at what WAS my heaviest...267 lbs!
I was always so overwhelmed at the thought of trying to lose all of this weight, I remember saying how easy 20 lbs was to lose way back when I only had those 20 lbs to lose, but THIS had always been so overwhelming to me. But then sometime in mid 2001, I realized that if I had changed even just ONE thing in 1991 (when I gave up "dieting") in how I did things, whether it was incorporating a walking routine or portion control or even just giving up my 3-a-day Coke/Mtn Dew habit, I probably would have slowly dropped weight instead of gaining. All of these years had passed & I could've been thinner by now, but I wasn't. I don't want to look back 10 years from now & be disappointed that I didn't at least do something to set me in the right direction.
Finally, a friend asked me to join WW w/ her in September 2001 & at first I panicked, cuz I WASN’T GOING TO DIET! …but I knew I was finally “ready” & knew the new changes to WW were worth checking out…so I joined (meetings & e-Tools) …lost 20 lbs & then got too caught up in other things to keep the ball rolling... so I took a LONG break...but NOT ONCE did I decide to quit …I knew I’d be back. NOT ONCE have I been overwhelmed @ the amount of weight I needed to lose .... I am in this for my life, not just till I lost the weight...I know I will never be able to put the blinders back on ... I know that no matter what, time is going to pass & if I lose 100 lbs or 10 lbs this year, at least I am going in the right direction!
In December 2002, I weighed in at my doctor's @ 275 lbs... my HEAVIEST EVER!! Yeah... time to do SOMETHING!!
So...I re-joined WW in late January (2003) with a starting weight of 265lbs & go to Saturday morning meetings where they have an awesome "lively leader" Michelle. I found a FABULOUS board on WeightWatchers.com that is here to support me & it feels so great to be able to offer the same support to others! (THANK YOU!)
Yeah, I would like to take it ALL off in the next year or so, but it's not a race for me... it's just a future destination... & I know I'll be learning so much in the process.
So…yes, I can be long winded… but I’m also sincere & like I say in my public profile, I have a BIG warm heart, I'm a total smart-aleck & I'm an awesome friend! :o) (TRY ME!)
Monday, January 27, 2003
WEIGHT-IN: 1 WEEK OP
Having a fabulous time OP! Great support on WW GoaD board.
Weeks OP: 1
Weight: 263.8
Loss/Gain: -1.2
WW Total Loss: -1.2
*TOTAL Loss: -11.2
Pounds to Goal: 118.8
*includes the 10lb lost before WW.
Weeks OP: 1
Weight: 263.8
Loss/Gain: -1.2
WW Total Loss: -1.2
*TOTAL Loss: -11.2
Pounds to Goal: 118.8
*includes the 10lb lost before WW.
Monday, January 20, 2003
1ST OFFICIAL WEIGHT WATCHERS WEIGH-IN...
My official Weight Watchers starting weight
Weight: 275
Loss/Gain: --
WW Total Loss: --
Grand Total Loss: --
Pounds to Goal: 120
Grand Total Loss: --
Pounds to Goal: 120
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