Current Weight (as of Saturday, April 17, 2010): 172.2 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 34.8 Pounds
Looks like my typical weekly weight loss is on a .4 pound kick. Again, not complaining but I really feel like it should've been more since I'm moving more and eating the same. Well, at least it's a loss.
On to this week's topic. Emotional eating. In all the years of trying to lose weight, I've heard all kinds of things about "emotional eating" and thought I wasn't one...
Until this past Friday! I've blogged before that Rob and I were having some financial issues and went to credit counselling to help us out. Everything is in place for them to proceed, however our payday loans places seemed to have not gotten the message. I dealt with them on Thursday and tried to explain that we were in credit counselling and that a proposal was being worked on. The guy I spoke with said "when things are signed, let us know the name of the agency and the contact person". I thought this was great and I could finally move on with my life...how wrong! I came home from work on Friday to find 6 messages from one of the places. It seems they have my number on auto-dial and it keeps dialing until someone picks up (ha!) - almost hourly! I thought, fine, I'll speak to the next person who calls and hopeful the calls will stop. Well, without fail, the phone rings, and I pick it up...I got "please stay on the line for an important call" - this repeated a couple of times and then the line clicked off. Okay, 10 minutes later, the phone rang again, and again I picked it up, and got the same message, except this time, a live person came on the line. At first quite cordial, and he knew that I had spoken with someone the day before. The purpose of HIS call was likely to dissuade me from going the route Rob and I were planning. Again, I repeated my intent, and he retorted..."well, you must be very heavily in debt Ma'am". I responded that that was not the case, I simply wanted to be free of payday loans and this was my only option. To which he annoyingly replied "credit counselling ONLY for people with heavy credit card debt - NOT PAYDAY LOANS!" and that he was speaking to me as someone who has "years" of experience in finance. Having been down this road before, I knew he didn't know what he was talking about. I stuck to my guns but I was getting increasingly testy. Additionally, he told me that if I went that route, it would be on my credit report for 7 YEARS. Again, I knew he was full of it - because I wasn't applying for bankruptcy!!!! Realizing that he wasn't going to convince me to settle up with him right then and there, he resigned and stated "well, as a citizen of Canada, I have done my duty to inform you of your options...good luck Ma'am", and with that he hung up on me. I should mention that when I was having the conversation, I was in the midst of preparing dinner (a healthy one - veggie and chicken meatball stirfry). Within minutes of the end of the call, Rob came home from work to find me in quite the foul mood. I explained what happened and he was extremely supportive and we agreed to speak to our credit counsellor on Monday about what had happened.
The next day, we went out (I went to my WW meeting) in the morning and didn't return until about 1:00 p.m., to find that the calls resumed in earnest and there were 3 messages. Throughout the day, another 3 came through, which we decided we were not going to respond to, but rather follow through with calling the credit counsellor. Rob saw that I was so upset that he suggested I make a tray of low-fat brownies. Normally, I'd be okay and decline his suggestion...this time, I went whole hog and made the brownies. When they were ready, I didn't hold back, but not before I ate 5 fajitas I made. Needless to say, while it felt good in the moment, it felt awful in hindsight. I only hope and pray that when I get on the scale this Saturday, I don't pay too heavy a price for my out-of-control emotions.
I'll let you know what happens next week.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Making an Investment
Current Weight (as of Saturday, April 3, 2010): 172.6 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 34.6 Pounds
First order of business...I'm down another .4 pounds, which, as I've said before, "a loss is a loss", so I'm embracing it and doing a happy dance. So, since I've started blogging about my journey in December (or voyage!), I've lost 11 pounds. Not bad at all, but I have to start ramping up my efforts, so I can continue to lose weight. This means investing the time to do it.
At this past Saturday's WW meeting, the topic was "Making an Investment", which dealt with finding the time to get activity into my daily routine. Kelly reviewed the Week 2 booklet which deals with activity. It suggests that for those who are sedentary (like me) that we start off with 10 minutes of activity a day and work our way up to 30 minutes a day. Being someone who doesn't do things entirely by the book, I started at 30 minutes a day right away with my walking routine - that was back in June 2009. Since the weather was amazing, getting that kind of time was really easy for me. However, it became a problem as winter set in and the weather got really cold. I think I walked a total of maybe 3 times over the winter months. Not great, but then I also started going to exercise class in November. It helped, but I could've done better. So, back to making an investment. Given that I'm already at the suggested "maximum", I may have to increase the walking component and likely change the routine where I may have to get off at an even further subway station and try walking from there - and increasing the time to 45 minutes. Investing this kind of time may turn out to be well worth it, and have me increase the weight losses every week. I have to think this through. I'll let you know if I actually do this.
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 34.6 Pounds
First order of business...I'm down another .4 pounds, which, as I've said before, "a loss is a loss", so I'm embracing it and doing a happy dance. So, since I've started blogging about my journey in December (or voyage!), I've lost 11 pounds. Not bad at all, but I have to start ramping up my efforts, so I can continue to lose weight. This means investing the time to do it.
At this past Saturday's WW meeting, the topic was "Making an Investment", which dealt with finding the time to get activity into my daily routine. Kelly reviewed the Week 2 booklet which deals with activity. It suggests that for those who are sedentary (like me) that we start off with 10 minutes of activity a day and work our way up to 30 minutes a day. Being someone who doesn't do things entirely by the book, I started at 30 minutes a day right away with my walking routine - that was back in June 2009. Since the weather was amazing, getting that kind of time was really easy for me. However, it became a problem as winter set in and the weather got really cold. I think I walked a total of maybe 3 times over the winter months. Not great, but then I also started going to exercise class in November. It helped, but I could've done better. So, back to making an investment. Given that I'm already at the suggested "maximum", I may have to increase the walking component and likely change the routine where I may have to get off at an even further subway station and try walking from there - and increasing the time to 45 minutes. Investing this kind of time may turn out to be well worth it, and have me increase the weight losses every week. I have to think this through. I'll let you know if I actually do this.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Buddy Up?
Current Weight (as of Saturday, April 3, 2010): 173.0 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 34.0 Pounds
Another week, another 1.6 pounds down! I know my losses aren't "Biggest Loser" losses, but they're losses nonetheless and need to be celebrated. So, for the first time in a long time, I decided that at the beginning of my WW meeting, I would raise my hand when Kelly asked if there are any celebrations. She didn't get to me immediately, but eventually she did and along with everyone elses losses, mine was celebrated with the awarding of 2 "Bravo" stars - they immediately went onto my record book as badges of pride.
After all the celebrations and announcements were dispensed with, Kelly started to talk about the topic of the week "Buddy Up!". I instantly thought "oh no, she's going to make me buddy up with another fellow WW member. Not that I'm anti-social, but I'm so shy that having to share anything with another person terrifies me (maybe another thing to work on at another time?). Well, that wasn't what happened...what followed was a discussion on finding a buddy you feel comfortable with when you're going through a weight-loss journey (I think I have to find another word besides journey, as people are getting tired of it being referred like that - I think I'll use "voyage" or "odyssey").
This got me thinking about who my "supports" are. I have direct support in the form of Rob. But, I also have "indirect" support. My family and friends support my efforts, especially when it comes to family functions. My sister is extremely supportive in that she will ask what I can have and what I can't. I simply tell her that I can have everything she puts on table, I just have to be accountable for what goes into my mouth. That responsibility does not, nor should it, fall on her or any one else!
At work, my boss is also extremely supportive. She knows that I attend an at-work exercise class during lunch hour. She's supportive in that she allows me to come back and have my lunch at my desk afterwards. Not many bosses are that supportive - thank you Jane! Having said this, her motives for support are on the selfish side...she knows I have health issues and if I don't take care of them, I'll be calling in sick at some point - not something she can cope with very well (I've seen e-mails to colleagues where she states "I'm cc'ing Cutey on this so she can help you when she gets back...without her here, I'm paralyzed"). Nice sentiment and nice to know she's that reliant on my services! I won't look a gift-horse in the mouth on this one - I really appreciate the support and I'm just grateful that my supports are there and in place.
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 34.0 Pounds
Another week, another 1.6 pounds down! I know my losses aren't "Biggest Loser" losses, but they're losses nonetheless and need to be celebrated. So, for the first time in a long time, I decided that at the beginning of my WW meeting, I would raise my hand when Kelly asked if there are any celebrations. She didn't get to me immediately, but eventually she did and along with everyone elses losses, mine was celebrated with the awarding of 2 "Bravo" stars - they immediately went onto my record book as badges of pride.
After all the celebrations and announcements were dispensed with, Kelly started to talk about the topic of the week "Buddy Up!". I instantly thought "oh no, she's going to make me buddy up with another fellow WW member. Not that I'm anti-social, but I'm so shy that having to share anything with another person terrifies me (maybe another thing to work on at another time?). Well, that wasn't what happened...what followed was a discussion on finding a buddy you feel comfortable with when you're going through a weight-loss journey (I think I have to find another word besides journey, as people are getting tired of it being referred like that - I think I'll use "voyage" or "odyssey").
This got me thinking about who my "supports" are. I have direct support in the form of Rob. But, I also have "indirect" support. My family and friends support my efforts, especially when it comes to family functions. My sister is extremely supportive in that she will ask what I can have and what I can't. I simply tell her that I can have everything she puts on table, I just have to be accountable for what goes into my mouth. That responsibility does not, nor should it, fall on her or any one else!
At work, my boss is also extremely supportive. She knows that I attend an at-work exercise class during lunch hour. She's supportive in that she allows me to come back and have my lunch at my desk afterwards. Not many bosses are that supportive - thank you Jane! Having said this, her motives for support are on the selfish side...she knows I have health issues and if I don't take care of them, I'll be calling in sick at some point - not something she can cope with very well (I've seen e-mails to colleagues where she states "I'm cc'ing Cutey on this so she can help you when she gets back...without her here, I'm paralyzed"). Nice sentiment and nice to know she's that reliant on my services! I won't look a gift-horse in the mouth on this one - I really appreciate the support and I'm just grateful that my supports are there and in place.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Current Weight (as of Saturday, March 27, 2010): 174.6 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 32.4 Pounds
Sheesh...I hope I'm not yet another rollercoaster. I've had a few weeks of success and am on top of the world, and then I get on the scale on Saturday, and boom, there's one of the pounds I've lost!
I sort of expected this gain as I think I'm, as they say, "full of IT". I just didn't think I was quite so full of IT (live and learn). I'm back on my exercise routine (2 excercise classes per week and walking every night), so it can't be that I'm not moving enough. I'm also wondering if I'm having side-effects from the new medication my doctor's prescribed for my high blood pressure. After my WW meeting on Saturday, I went about my normal shopping routine, which includes a stop in at Walmart. I decided it might be a good idea to see if the meds were working on lower my BP. Good thing I was sitting down - my BP had shot up to an alarming 191/86 - it's never ever been that high. I told Rob about it, and he dismissed it as a very unreliable reading and made nothing of it. Frankly, I'm petrified that I could have a stroke in my office and be one of those who isn't discovered too late and not until much later in the night by cleaning staff. I'll try it again this weekend at my local drug store and see if the reading at Walmart was even close to being accurate.
I'm also having a problem with "sample" tasting. As I'm cooking, I'm tasting to make sure my food is edible. So, I need to stop doing that and pray that I'm not feeding Rob bland food.
Lastly, just this morning, I heard on the news that 90% of those of us who are or have lost weight will not or ever keep it off. Pretty discouraging considering all the effort many of us make. However, I'm one of those who's determined to prove the "experts" wrong. Again, I may not lose the weight overnight, but I didn't put it on overnight either - so I'll persevere until I reach my goal - even if it kills me!
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 32.4 Pounds
Sheesh...I hope I'm not yet another rollercoaster. I've had a few weeks of success and am on top of the world, and then I get on the scale on Saturday, and boom, there's one of the pounds I've lost!
I sort of expected this gain as I think I'm, as they say, "full of IT". I just didn't think I was quite so full of IT (live and learn). I'm back on my exercise routine (2 excercise classes per week and walking every night), so it can't be that I'm not moving enough. I'm also wondering if I'm having side-effects from the new medication my doctor's prescribed for my high blood pressure. After my WW meeting on Saturday, I went about my normal shopping routine, which includes a stop in at Walmart. I decided it might be a good idea to see if the meds were working on lower my BP. Good thing I was sitting down - my BP had shot up to an alarming 191/86 - it's never ever been that high. I told Rob about it, and he dismissed it as a very unreliable reading and made nothing of it. Frankly, I'm petrified that I could have a stroke in my office and be one of those who isn't discovered too late and not until much later in the night by cleaning staff. I'll try it again this weekend at my local drug store and see if the reading at Walmart was even close to being accurate.
I'm also having a problem with "sample" tasting. As I'm cooking, I'm tasting to make sure my food is edible. So, I need to stop doing that and pray that I'm not feeding Rob bland food.
Lastly, just this morning, I heard on the news that 90% of those of us who are or have lost weight will not or ever keep it off. Pretty discouraging considering all the effort many of us make. However, I'm one of those who's determined to prove the "experts" wrong. Again, I may not lose the weight overnight, but I didn't put it on overnight either - so I'll persevere until I reach my goal - even if it kills me!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
This Week...Same as the Last...Sort Of
Current Weight (as of Saturday, March 20, 2010): 173.6 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 33.4 Pounds
Another week, and I've lost another 1.8 pounds - yay me!
This is pretty exciting and I'm hoping that I'm getting past that infamous plateau. The fact that I'm closing in on a 40 pound loss is amazing and the most amount of weight I've EVER lost. I know that I've been at this for 40 weeks, but I have to keep reminding myself that I didn't put 75 pounds on my body in 40 weeks - it's more like 30 YEARS. So, if it takes me more than a year to take it off, so be it.
This week, however, I'm facing some emotional challenges that have me making questionable choices. I got quite the double-whammy from Rob. He came home on Monday to tell me that as of mid-June, he will be laid off his job at the warehouse due to technological upgrading - others in the warehouse are also affected. He appears to be okay with this, but I know differently. He has self-esteem issues and they will surface again as June approaches. So, for me, this results in unbelievable worry - and that leads me to the fridge where there's chocolate and other goodies not so good for me. The other whammy came in the form of declined credit. Rob's car insurance was summarily cancelled as he has a somewhat unsteady payment history. Let me explain by going back to the beginning of the story...
Several years ago, he was working for a courier company that does not provide their own vehicles (or anything else for that matter). So, Rob had to use his own vehicle to make deliveries in the downtown core. In our town, the police are quite vigilant about cars parked where they're not supposed to be and ticket accordingly. Well, he accumulated numerous tickets over a very short period of time (none of which were paid for by his employer). Anyone who drives knows that the insurance industry doesn't care what type of infraction was committed, all offenders are punished equally. Rob quit this job because it came to the point where he was making no money and constantly getting tickets he had to pay for (not to mention to toll the abuse was taking on our car!). Rob went from job to job over the next while and making marginal money. Things got so bad, we had to sell our home, and we were left with nothing because we amassed huge debt. We moved into a modest apartment (almost didn't get that because of bad credit) and Rob got a new used car (the old one died). We're managing the car payments quite well, but the monthly insurance on it is outrageous - more than the monthly car payments! This because of the mountain of tickets Rob got while doing his previous job. The insurer figures Rob's a bad risk and really shouldn't drive, nevermind have insurance. Bear in mind that before this, he had a very clean record, now it's awful and he pays $450/month to drive. Well, this cost is absolutely prohibitive and Rob had trouble paying, so the insurer cancelled his policy. He's been searching for an insurer to take him, and found one. The problem is that they want $3,300 for six months of coverage up front!!!! We simply haven't got that money! So, Rob went to a financial institution to apply for a loan and was denied (actually we both were) because of a matter that is on our credit report and won't come off for a long time yet. So, it looks like we're stuck without insurance and the inability to drive around town. Again, an added stress to me...I know I'll be attempting a fridge raid again tonight when I go home. Chocolates - hide now!!! Wafers - hide now!!!! Ice cream - move to the back of the freezer and hide!!!!
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 33.4 Pounds
Another week, and I've lost another 1.8 pounds - yay me!
This is pretty exciting and I'm hoping that I'm getting past that infamous plateau. The fact that I'm closing in on a 40 pound loss is amazing and the most amount of weight I've EVER lost. I know that I've been at this for 40 weeks, but I have to keep reminding myself that I didn't put 75 pounds on my body in 40 weeks - it's more like 30 YEARS. So, if it takes me more than a year to take it off, so be it.
This week, however, I'm facing some emotional challenges that have me making questionable choices. I got quite the double-whammy from Rob. He came home on Monday to tell me that as of mid-June, he will be laid off his job at the warehouse due to technological upgrading - others in the warehouse are also affected. He appears to be okay with this, but I know differently. He has self-esteem issues and they will surface again as June approaches. So, for me, this results in unbelievable worry - and that leads me to the fridge where there's chocolate and other goodies not so good for me. The other whammy came in the form of declined credit. Rob's car insurance was summarily cancelled as he has a somewhat unsteady payment history. Let me explain by going back to the beginning of the story...
Several years ago, he was working for a courier company that does not provide their own vehicles (or anything else for that matter). So, Rob had to use his own vehicle to make deliveries in the downtown core. In our town, the police are quite vigilant about cars parked where they're not supposed to be and ticket accordingly. Well, he accumulated numerous tickets over a very short period of time (none of which were paid for by his employer). Anyone who drives knows that the insurance industry doesn't care what type of infraction was committed, all offenders are punished equally. Rob quit this job because it came to the point where he was making no money and constantly getting tickets he had to pay for (not to mention to toll the abuse was taking on our car!). Rob went from job to job over the next while and making marginal money. Things got so bad, we had to sell our home, and we were left with nothing because we amassed huge debt. We moved into a modest apartment (almost didn't get that because of bad credit) and Rob got a new used car (the old one died). We're managing the car payments quite well, but the monthly insurance on it is outrageous - more than the monthly car payments! This because of the mountain of tickets Rob got while doing his previous job. The insurer figures Rob's a bad risk and really shouldn't drive, nevermind have insurance. Bear in mind that before this, he had a very clean record, now it's awful and he pays $450/month to drive. Well, this cost is absolutely prohibitive and Rob had trouble paying, so the insurer cancelled his policy. He's been searching for an insurer to take him, and found one. The problem is that they want $3,300 for six months of coverage up front!!!! We simply haven't got that money! So, Rob went to a financial institution to apply for a loan and was denied (actually we both were) because of a matter that is on our credit report and won't come off for a long time yet. So, it looks like we're stuck without insurance and the inability to drive around town. Again, an added stress to me...I know I'll be attempting a fridge raid again tonight when I go home. Chocolates - hide now!!! Wafers - hide now!!!! Ice cream - move to the back of the freezer and hide!!!!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Current Weight (as of Saturday, March 13, 2010): 175.4 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 31.6 Pounds
Another week, and I'm down 1.8 pounds - so, in all, I'm a very happy camper. Last week I was up 1.2 pounds and now I've lost it plus.
With the weather really warming up this week, and the sun shining, there's no excuse to ramp up my activity level. So, in addition to working out twice a week, I'm back to walking home from the subway in the evening. Here's to keeping my fingers crossed that the addition to my routine will result in another week with a nice weight loss.
I really need this weight loss because last week, I went to my GP, and my blood pressure is still up, despite the fact that I've been taking my meds religiously and doing all the right things (163/89). So, the good doc has put me on an additional medication with the caution that I shouldn't be alarmed if he has to put me on a third medication. Apparently, it's not uncommon for patients to be on 3 medications to control their blood pressure. This bit of news bummed me out because Rob also suffers from hypertension and he's on the same medication as I am and that one little water pill has kept his number down and quite normal (120/80). I go back to the doctor in May for a further follow-up - let's keep our fingers crossed that med #2 will do the trick in conjunction with a much needed weight loss.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'll be back next week.
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 31.6 Pounds
Another week, and I'm down 1.8 pounds - so, in all, I'm a very happy camper. Last week I was up 1.2 pounds and now I've lost it plus.
With the weather really warming up this week, and the sun shining, there's no excuse to ramp up my activity level. So, in addition to working out twice a week, I'm back to walking home from the subway in the evening. Here's to keeping my fingers crossed that the addition to my routine will result in another week with a nice weight loss.
I really need this weight loss because last week, I went to my GP, and my blood pressure is still up, despite the fact that I've been taking my meds religiously and doing all the right things (163/89). So, the good doc has put me on an additional medication with the caution that I shouldn't be alarmed if he has to put me on a third medication. Apparently, it's not uncommon for patients to be on 3 medications to control their blood pressure. This bit of news bummed me out because Rob also suffers from hypertension and he's on the same medication as I am and that one little water pill has kept his number down and quite normal (120/80). I go back to the doctor in May for a further follow-up - let's keep our fingers crossed that med #2 will do the trick in conjunction with a much needed weight loss.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'll be back next week.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Just Call Me The Human Yo-yo!
Current Weight (as of Saturday, March 6, 2010): 177.2 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 29.8 Pounds
Yes, I put on 1.2 pounds this week, and have an idea why. At the very least, I used and OVERUSED my points allowance - bad me. I really lacked any self-control and I'm beating myself up for it.
This past week, the social workers at my hospital were celebrating National Social Work Week. I had a very central role in organizing the grand finale event, which was a lunch, award ceremony and key-note speaker presentation. I was responsible for ordering the lunch which was as follows:
5 Leaf Lettuce Salad
Orzo Pasta Salad
Assorted Sandwiches
Assorted Dessert Tarts and Squares
Diet Pop
Not so bad, but I really should have stayed away from the dessert table - that was my huge downfall. I had a couple of squares and then at the end of the function, someone plunked a nice slab of birthday cake in front of me. Sadly, I didn't have the willpower to say "no thanks", instead, I wolfed the thing down like I was a holocaust survivor who hadn't had cake in years! By the time I realized my glutonous behaviour, it was too late - the cake was gone and in my belly. 8 points later, and I feel like crap. I'm so embarrassed by this.
I thought I could make it up by starting my intense walking again - no such luck. By the time I got on the scale on Saturday, the tale of the scale told a very ugly story.
On the positive side, I went with my parents to update my spring wardrobe, and was absolutely thrilled to discover that I'm now a Size 16 - which is 2 sizes smaller than when I started my journey. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face that day.
So, while I had a bad weigh in, I had a great clothing experience.
Until next week....
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 29.8 Pounds
Yes, I put on 1.2 pounds this week, and have an idea why. At the very least, I used and OVERUSED my points allowance - bad me. I really lacked any self-control and I'm beating myself up for it.
This past week, the social workers at my hospital were celebrating National Social Work Week. I had a very central role in organizing the grand finale event, which was a lunch, award ceremony and key-note speaker presentation. I was responsible for ordering the lunch which was as follows:
5 Leaf Lettuce Salad
Orzo Pasta Salad
Assorted Sandwiches
Assorted Dessert Tarts and Squares
Diet Pop
Not so bad, but I really should have stayed away from the dessert table - that was my huge downfall. I had a couple of squares and then at the end of the function, someone plunked a nice slab of birthday cake in front of me. Sadly, I didn't have the willpower to say "no thanks", instead, I wolfed the thing down like I was a holocaust survivor who hadn't had cake in years! By the time I realized my glutonous behaviour, it was too late - the cake was gone and in my belly. 8 points later, and I feel like crap. I'm so embarrassed by this.
I thought I could make it up by starting my intense walking again - no such luck. By the time I got on the scale on Saturday, the tale of the scale told a very ugly story.
On the positive side, I went with my parents to update my spring wardrobe, and was absolutely thrilled to discover that I'm now a Size 16 - which is 2 sizes smaller than when I started my journey. You couldn't wipe the smile off my face that day.
So, while I had a bad weigh in, I had a great clothing experience.
Until next week....
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
So, What's Up With The Contents of My Kitchen?
Current Weight (as of Saturday, February 27, 2010): 176.0 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 31 Pounds
I'm happy to report that I had yet another week with a weight loss - a total of .6 pounds. Mind you, I'm not complaining. After all, I'm a firm believer (and practitioner) of "slow and steady wins the race". So, as long as the number on my LCD display scale keeps going down, I'm a very happy camper. Also, more and more people are really taking notice of my slimmer frame.
This leads me to believe I must be doing something right...right? Well, I confess, I'm not doing everything right. Lately, when I come home from work, I have started foraging in the fridge for something to tide me over until I have dinner with hubby. The other day, I actually dug into Mr. Cutey's Raisinettes - he must not have had any since then, otherwise, he would have asked me where half the box went, and I'd have to sheepishly admit to my moment of weakness.
It so happens that this week, at my WW meeting, the topic was "The Weight Loss Friendly Kitchen". The timing couldn't have been better! The leader, Kelly talked about the 4R's when dealing with the kitchen and making it more weight loss friendly:
Recognize that certain foods are not safe in the house.
Remove foods that are not safe in the house.
Renovate - Go through the kitchen and decide what you want and what needs to go.
Record - Track everything that goes into your mouth!
She gave us some homework too. We need to choose one task from the following list:
- Throw away 10 of the trigger foods that clutter my home.
- Renovate the kitchen contents.
- Or, on the fridge door, post a list of the current contents inside.
Given that I don't think I have 10 trigger foods in the house, I don't think this would be practical, but a good start would be to get rid of Mr. Cutey's cookie dough ice cream, what's left of his Raisinettes, and the 3 packages of vanilla wafers sitting on the microwave!
Renovating the kitchen contents isn't practical either because most everything (except the offending foods listed above) is healthy and okay to eat (hey, I didnt' lose 31 pounds eating ice cream and wafers!).
So, that leaves me the option to take inventory of my 2 fridges and post the contents on the door. By having to write down everything that comes out, just may be the trick to keep me honest and stop the theft of those pesky Raisinettes (Whoppers, anyone???). I'll keep you posted and let you know how that's going in the coming posts.
Until next week...
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 31 Pounds
I'm happy to report that I had yet another week with a weight loss - a total of .6 pounds. Mind you, I'm not complaining. After all, I'm a firm believer (and practitioner) of "slow and steady wins the race". So, as long as the number on my LCD display scale keeps going down, I'm a very happy camper. Also, more and more people are really taking notice of my slimmer frame.
This leads me to believe I must be doing something right...right? Well, I confess, I'm not doing everything right. Lately, when I come home from work, I have started foraging in the fridge for something to tide me over until I have dinner with hubby. The other day, I actually dug into Mr. Cutey's Raisinettes - he must not have had any since then, otherwise, he would have asked me where half the box went, and I'd have to sheepishly admit to my moment of weakness.
It so happens that this week, at my WW meeting, the topic was "The Weight Loss Friendly Kitchen". The timing couldn't have been better! The leader, Kelly talked about the 4R's when dealing with the kitchen and making it more weight loss friendly:
Recognize that certain foods are not safe in the house.
Remove foods that are not safe in the house.
Renovate - Go through the kitchen and decide what you want and what needs to go.
Record - Track everything that goes into your mouth!
She gave us some homework too. We need to choose one task from the following list:
- Throw away 10 of the trigger foods that clutter my home.
- Renovate the kitchen contents.
- Or, on the fridge door, post a list of the current contents inside.
Given that I don't think I have 10 trigger foods in the house, I don't think this would be practical, but a good start would be to get rid of Mr. Cutey's cookie dough ice cream, what's left of his Raisinettes, and the 3 packages of vanilla wafers sitting on the microwave!
Renovating the kitchen contents isn't practical either because most everything (except the offending foods listed above) is healthy and okay to eat (hey, I didnt' lose 31 pounds eating ice cream and wafers!).
So, that leaves me the option to take inventory of my 2 fridges and post the contents on the door. By having to write down everything that comes out, just may be the trick to keep me honest and stop the theft of those pesky Raisinettes (Whoppers, anyone???). I'll keep you posted and let you know how that's going in the coming posts.
Until next week...
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
This Is The Last Week of February and Still Continue to Soldier On!
Today's Weight (Wednesday, February 24, 2010): 176.6 Pounds
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 30.4 Pounds
Yes, we're into the final week of February and I'm still continuing on in my "journey to fitness"!
I have to say that at this point, it's getting tougher to do all the things I need to do, given that winter returned to my neck 'o the woods this week. I have gone to exercise class (and will again tomorrow), but my walking routine seems to be out the window. I'm really hoping that the weather warms up very soon because without that walk I don't think I'm getting all of my required 10,000 steps per day in. This is critical for me to get out of the half-pound per week weight loss I'm going through right now. My BP follow-up appointment at the doctor is coming up in a couple of weeks and I want to show him that I'm serious about losing the weight and getting my BP under control (right now, I don't think it is and the doctor will be making a medication adjustment - I'm sure of it!).
At least, I'm not going nuts in the eating department. I continue to weigh the pros and cons in my head when it comes to having that extra portion of chicken, or mashed potatoes(!).
Last week at my WW meeting, the topic was "how to manage eating out". This topic, while interesting, was not one I needed at this time, since I hardly eat out any more. This was quite the primer on what to look for in menus. Needless to say, I would absolutely stay away from anything that says "fried"! I tend to go for anything that's baked or broiled.
Anyway, it's been a slow week and I'm on track and hopefully at my next weigh-in, I'll have lost more than .4 pounds!
Till next week!
Total Weight Loss To-Date: 30.4 Pounds
Yes, we're into the final week of February and I'm still continuing on in my "journey to fitness"!
I have to say that at this point, it's getting tougher to do all the things I need to do, given that winter returned to my neck 'o the woods this week. I have gone to exercise class (and will again tomorrow), but my walking routine seems to be out the window. I'm really hoping that the weather warms up very soon because without that walk I don't think I'm getting all of my required 10,000 steps per day in. This is critical for me to get out of the half-pound per week weight loss I'm going through right now. My BP follow-up appointment at the doctor is coming up in a couple of weeks and I want to show him that I'm serious about losing the weight and getting my BP under control (right now, I don't think it is and the doctor will be making a medication adjustment - I'm sure of it!).
At least, I'm not going nuts in the eating department. I continue to weigh the pros and cons in my head when it comes to having that extra portion of chicken, or mashed potatoes(!).
Last week at my WW meeting, the topic was "how to manage eating out". This topic, while interesting, was not one I needed at this time, since I hardly eat out any more. This was quite the primer on what to look for in menus. Needless to say, I would absolutely stay away from anything that says "fried"! I tend to go for anything that's baked or broiled.
Anyway, it's been a slow week and I'm on track and hopefully at my next weigh-in, I'll have lost more than .4 pounds!
Till next week!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Taking Care of Me First!
Today's Weight (February 13, 2010): 177 Pounds (Lost .4 Pounds Since Last Post)
Total Weight Loss: 30 Pounds
Another week down and another .4 pounds down too! This feels amazing - I'm at my lowest weight in about 20 years. I've started to go back into my closet and find clothes which I haven't been able to wear comfortably in so long that really when people see me they comment on my "new" clothes!
This week's WW topic was Putting Yourself First. This actually was a continuation of the discussion on motivation. To start with, Kelly (our fearless, funny leader) told us to ask ourselves why we chose to come to the meeting. For me, the answer is simple - I have to in order to take care of ME! Also, I get a lots of helpful information from others there (more on that later).
Kelly shared some very interesting strategies on how to put myself first. Here's some of the suggestions:
1. Write out my meeting and/or exercise plans on a calendar. This is helpful because once it's on paper (or even in cyber-space), you're committed!
2. Ask for help.
3. Make enjoyable changes. This suggests finding activities that make you happy and are fun.
4. Celebrate accomplishments. This is so important and, at least for me, motivates me to continue on in my journey to better health and fitness. As a matter of fact, this week, I reached a very important milestone - I've lost 30 pounds to-date! Yay me!
5. Last, but not least - Strive for persistence - not perfection! I believe this last one ties in all of the other points mentioned before.
I don't think I need to write down my meeting/exercise plan because I'm completely committed to coming to meetings and attending exercise class twice a week, and trying to walk at least once a week (weather permitting!). However, I think I need to add to this, by making an enjoyable change. I have for some weeks been contemplating this, and have to decide on whether or train for a 5 KM run or train to climb the CN Tower in October, as part of the United Way fundraising I participate in at work. I'm torn about this because I'm still pretty heavy and tried running across the street earlier this week, and my knees were not impressed. However, on the same day, I walked for an hour, and then tackled the stairs in my apartment building. I live in a building with 14 floors - I made it up 6 flights. I don't think that's too disasterous after walking an hour. However, I think the true test would be walking up the entire building a few times consecutively. I may try that in coming weeks and see how that goes. I will also check out the website www.fromthecouchto5k.com.
Until next week, take care!
Total Weight Loss: 30 Pounds
Another week down and another .4 pounds down too! This feels amazing - I'm at my lowest weight in about 20 years. I've started to go back into my closet and find clothes which I haven't been able to wear comfortably in so long that really when people see me they comment on my "new" clothes!
This week's WW topic was Putting Yourself First. This actually was a continuation of the discussion on motivation. To start with, Kelly (our fearless, funny leader) told us to ask ourselves why we chose to come to the meeting. For me, the answer is simple - I have to in order to take care of ME! Also, I get a lots of helpful information from others there (more on that later).
Kelly shared some very interesting strategies on how to put myself first. Here's some of the suggestions:
1. Write out my meeting and/or exercise plans on a calendar. This is helpful because once it's on paper (or even in cyber-space), you're committed!
2. Ask for help.
3. Make enjoyable changes. This suggests finding activities that make you happy and are fun.
4. Celebrate accomplishments. This is so important and, at least for me, motivates me to continue on in my journey to better health and fitness. As a matter of fact, this week, I reached a very important milestone - I've lost 30 pounds to-date! Yay me!
5. Last, but not least - Strive for persistence - not perfection! I believe this last one ties in all of the other points mentioned before.
I don't think I need to write down my meeting/exercise plan because I'm completely committed to coming to meetings and attending exercise class twice a week, and trying to walk at least once a week (weather permitting!). However, I think I need to add to this, by making an enjoyable change. I have for some weeks been contemplating this, and have to decide on whether or train for a 5 KM run or train to climb the CN Tower in October, as part of the United Way fundraising I participate in at work. I'm torn about this because I'm still pretty heavy and tried running across the street earlier this week, and my knees were not impressed. However, on the same day, I walked for an hour, and then tackled the stairs in my apartment building. I live in a building with 14 floors - I made it up 6 flights. I don't think that's too disasterous after walking an hour. However, I think the true test would be walking up the entire building a few times consecutively. I may try that in coming weeks and see how that goes. I will also check out the website www.fromthecouchto5k.com.
Until next week, take care!
Friday, February 12, 2010
I'm Baaaack!!!
Today's Weight (Friday, February 12, 2010): 177.4 Pounds
Total Weight Loss Since Last Entry (December 29, 2009): 5.8 Pounds
Yes, I'm back at blogging about my journey to fitness. I know that the last entry was done before the New Year, and I've been somewhat negligent in making my entries, but that's what tends to happen as you get further into the "journey". I even had been slacking off in making my daily food journal entries figuring that I know what I ate and figure that I'm okay and within my WW points allotment for the day or even week.
I've lost weight since the last entry, but I feel like I'm about to hit another plateau, and that's not good for keeping my motivation going. So, when I went to my WW meeting last Saturday, the topic couldn't have been more appropriate - Keeping Motivated.
Given that it's winter, it's been pretty easy to come up with excuses not to go to my weekly meetings. As a matter of fact, my husband, Rob came up with a real doozy..."if it snows, you're not going anywhere". Well, for heaven sakes, we live in Canada - in February it snows all the time! Except that this year, the weather gods have been smiling on the city I live in, and we've had the least amount of snow EVER! So, that excuse goes out the window. So, out of excuses, I get dressed, put my shoes on and Rob drives me to my meeting. When I get there, I'm pretty nervous about getting on the scale, most week's the news is good to great, then there's others where I wish I hadn't bothered coming (like the week of New Years - where I gained a whopping 1.8 pounds!). Then the following week, I lost 3.2 pounds - it's those weeks I live for. So, not only did I lose the gain but I even added to the lost total.
What's motivating me these days to go to my WW meetings is my fantastically funny leader Kelly. She is such a positive and motivating person, that I would feel guilty if I missed a meeting. Also, I would wonder what funny tidbits of her own journey she she shared and that I missed. So, every week, I go not just for myself, but also to laugh about some hilarious anecdote she shares with the group. I've noticed that since joining in June 2009, the group has grown - I don't know if it's because there's more people who need to lose weight, or whether people have heard about Kelly and how funny and motivating she is. She always has a positive attitude, and encourages all of us to continue on. She even encourages us to e-mail her during the week if we have a question or just want to unload on her.
Last week, Kelly had some very wise advice:
1. Lose weight without perfection - it's okay to make mistakes;
2. Learn from my mistakes and make changes;
3. Do some positive self-talking;
4. Come up with a motivating strategy; Think of the potential payoff;
5. Anchoring - "I did it before - I can do it again";
At the end of the meeting, Kelly challenged all of us to do one of the following:
1. Give myself 10 passes to forgive myself for bad choices;
2. Read one success story each day;
3. Keep a victory log in which I record the positive things I do daily for weight loss;
4. Start an on-line blog;
Well, the easiest and best thing for me is to do the blog option. So, here I am, back on the proverbial horse, and will try to post on a much more regular basis. Optimally, I should do this each week. I'm going to commit to this. Now that it's out there in cyber-space for the world to read - I'm committed and WILL BACK NEXT WEEK - PROMISE!
Total Weight Loss Since Last Entry (December 29, 2009): 5.8 Pounds
Yes, I'm back at blogging about my journey to fitness. I know that the last entry was done before the New Year, and I've been somewhat negligent in making my entries, but that's what tends to happen as you get further into the "journey". I even had been slacking off in making my daily food journal entries figuring that I know what I ate and figure that I'm okay and within my WW points allotment for the day or even week.
I've lost weight since the last entry, but I feel like I'm about to hit another plateau, and that's not good for keeping my motivation going. So, when I went to my WW meeting last Saturday, the topic couldn't have been more appropriate - Keeping Motivated.
Given that it's winter, it's been pretty easy to come up with excuses not to go to my weekly meetings. As a matter of fact, my husband, Rob came up with a real doozy..."if it snows, you're not going anywhere". Well, for heaven sakes, we live in Canada - in February it snows all the time! Except that this year, the weather gods have been smiling on the city I live in, and we've had the least amount of snow EVER! So, that excuse goes out the window. So, out of excuses, I get dressed, put my shoes on and Rob drives me to my meeting. When I get there, I'm pretty nervous about getting on the scale, most week's the news is good to great, then there's others where I wish I hadn't bothered coming (like the week of New Years - where I gained a whopping 1.8 pounds!). Then the following week, I lost 3.2 pounds - it's those weeks I live for. So, not only did I lose the gain but I even added to the lost total.
What's motivating me these days to go to my WW meetings is my fantastically funny leader Kelly. She is such a positive and motivating person, that I would feel guilty if I missed a meeting. Also, I would wonder what funny tidbits of her own journey she she shared and that I missed. So, every week, I go not just for myself, but also to laugh about some hilarious anecdote she shares with the group. I've noticed that since joining in June 2009, the group has grown - I don't know if it's because there's more people who need to lose weight, or whether people have heard about Kelly and how funny and motivating she is. She always has a positive attitude, and encourages all of us to continue on. She even encourages us to e-mail her during the week if we have a question or just want to unload on her.
Last week, Kelly had some very wise advice:
1. Lose weight without perfection - it's okay to make mistakes;
2. Learn from my mistakes and make changes;
3. Do some positive self-talking;
4. Come up with a motivating strategy; Think of the potential payoff;
5. Anchoring - "I did it before - I can do it again";
At the end of the meeting, Kelly challenged all of us to do one of the following:
1. Give myself 10 passes to forgive myself for bad choices;
2. Read one success story each day;
3. Keep a victory log in which I record the positive things I do daily for weight loss;
4. Start an on-line blog;
Well, the easiest and best thing for me is to do the blog option. So, here I am, back on the proverbial horse, and will try to post on a much more regular basis. Optimally, I should do this each week. I'm going to commit to this. Now that it's out there in cyber-space for the world to read - I'm committed and WILL BACK NEXT WEEK - PROMISE!
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