Update!

Well - I've lost a total of (drumroll please . . .)

18 pounds!  Yes, it is pretty slow - but at least I am losing!!!

I'm going to work especially hard this week to get in at least 30 minutes of activity - EVERY DAY this week.  I have to turn it into a habit.  Plus - the weather is beautiful this week and it is a great time to get some walking in!!

More updates to come . . .

Another pound gone!

Yes, they say slow and steady wins the race - so let's hope that really is the case!  (Ha!  I rhymed!)

I've now lost a total of 17 pounds and I made a few major breakthroughs.

I've finally gotten to the point where I don't feel like I HAVE to have the foods I used to crave.  I'm starting to feel like I can "take them or leave them" which is a HUGE step for me.

I also got in a lot of activity this week.

I love my weekly "support group" and learning about food meetings.  They really help us all keep things in perspective and be supportive of one another.  Plus - the four of us that are left in our class get along really well.

I really want to keep working on my Couch 2 5K program - but it has been raining a LOT - and I'm not one to love running indoors or on a treadmill - I guess I need to get over that.  Just another excuse . . .

For any others out there that are struggling to change your lives and get healthier - don't give up - WE ARE WORTH IT AND WE CAN DO IT!!!

16 pounds!

I finally got past that horrible 15 pound hurtle.  I've been hovering around the same 1.5 pounds for about 6 weeks.  Stress will do that.

But I crossed over to 16 and I am ready to keep moving DOWN!!!

Oh - and yesterday Mary cut about a pound off of my hair - do you think that is what did it?  ;-)

Have a great Wednesday!

Weigh-in Day & Tuesday with Mary CHALLENGE

Today is weigh-in day.  And I'm dreading it.  Because the first half of the week was probably the worst I've had since my journey started.  The good thing is - I FINALLY kicked myself in the butt and I've stuck strictly to meal replacements for the past 3 days . . . the bad thing is - it probably won't show up on the scale until next week.

But this is why - on most every Tuesday - I meet with Mary before my meeting.  We talk about our weeks, different things that have worked, our lives, etc.  And she makes me feel better about myself before I have to face the scary scale.

So I will get to see her in a few hours - and I am glad.

ALSO - Mary challenged all of her FaceBook friends this week.  And I am going to share that challenge here with all of you!!

The challenge is:

Do 50 crunches every day for 30 days. 

I just started yesterday - and I knew I was out of practice, because halfway through - my abs were already aching.  (SAD!)

I used my balance ball for my crunches - but you can do yours however you want (except you CANNOT eat 50 potato chips and say you did 50 crunches!!)

So - go forth and conquer that scale or that road or whatever goal you are setting for yourself.

OH - and word has it on the street that we'll soon be getting an update from Jen . . .  STAY TUNED!

Weekly Weigh-In and STEPPING IT UP!

Well - I weighed in and was frustrated.  I had a pretty low calorie week - but still only lost .4 pounds.

I had to be honest with myself - I HAVE NOT BEEN DOING ALL I CAN TO BE SUCCESSFUL!!!

So my mantra this week is STEPPING IT UP!

Stay tuned later today - as I have a guest post from my dear friend and inspiration Mary.  Every Tuesday - I meet with Mary for an hour or so before my weight loss meetings.  I call it TUESDAYS WITH MARY.  And I'm considering having her post on here so that all of you can also have a TUESDAY WITH MARY to inspire you!

I hope all of you are doing all you can to be successful!  If not - STEP IT UP!!!

Weekly Weigh-In and Comfort Foods

Well - I'm getting back on track.

I'm learning so much at my weekly meetings, so many things about myself that I need to focus on (or STOP focusing on) in order to be successful.

I hope to share some of these revelations with you in the coming weeks.

This week - I lost the pound I had gained.  So in all actuality - I haven't really changed weight in the past 2 weeks, but I had not been working very hard either.

I have to learn to find comfort in things BESIDES food when stress gets me down.

One of our assignments was to make a list of all the things we can use for comfort.  Here are some of the things I've come up with:

• Take a bubble bath
• Walk the dog or pet the cat
• Get out of the house and take pictures
• WRITE (blog) about my feelings
• Play an ACTIVE game on the Wii

This is just the beginning of the list I will use to get out of my rut of using food as a comfort.  I think it is amazing how everything in our culture (and many cultures) is celebrated with FOOD!  And usually - it isn't healthy food! 

Birthdays - CAKE AND ICE CREAM. 

Graduation - CAKE, ICE CREAM, and FATTY FINGER FOODS!

Church Functions - PITCH-INS OF EVERY KIND OF IRRESISTABLE FOOD POSSIBLE!

Reunions - Unhealthy food, usually accompanied by alcohol!

WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS!!!

So, as Michael Jackson said [paraphrased]:

I'm starting with the [wo]man in the mirror . . .

I'm starting with ME!

One step at a time.

What other things can you use to celebrate or take comfort in, besides food??  Leave it in the comments!!

Izzy: Weekly Weigh-in

After a bad emotional week, I guess I've learned enough to not overeat so badly to sabotage myself.

I lost another 3 pounds this week for a total of 15 pounds.  This week - sticking to the plan, more activity, and more water.

How has your week been, Jen?

Jen ~ Weigh in

I am so sorry for the lack of information! How dare I? :)

This past week was a lazy one. I have lost NOTHING. Go figure, though, I shall not complain. I'd rather do nothing than not gain! :-D See, I am easy to satisify.

I will say one thing. Rick, my dear hubby, and I are in a competition this week. 100 oz of water a day + steps. If we don't consume our 100 oz we subtract 1,000 steps. Intense, huh? So far..nah, I will keep it a secret.

Its interesting to say the least.

I am also entertaining the thought on joining Weight Watchers. Why? because I like the thought of them telling me I can have so many points and I can figure out from there on packages what I need to do. =)

Whew....yes, I am long winded. Have a splendid day ya'll and cheers! (with water, of course!)

Weigh-in is looming . . .

Well, I weigh in tonight.  I'm hoping to have lost at least a couple more pounds.  My biggest success this week was getting in quite a bit of activity for me.

On Thursday, an old friend and I walked . . . and walked . . . and walked . . . for about FOUR HOURS.  But it is easy to do when you're chatting and not thinking about the exercise.  But I seriously need new walking shoes!!!

I walked more on Saturday while hanging with my sister and her family.

So let's hope it pays off!!!

Jen?  Jen?  Are you there??  ;-)

Balancing Act Begins - Weigh in tonight - and a Jamie Oliver plug!

Well - I am now sitting on my balance ball chair in the office.  It is going to take some getting used to.  AND I need a higher quality air pump so I can pump up the ball to its full capacity.  It is forcing me to sit up straight.  Which is good.  But it is different.  My rear is a tad sore - but I just shift my weight around or bounce up and down on the ball and I don't care!  It is kind of fun.

I'll keep you updated, and try and get some pictures soon.

Tonight is my first weigh in on my new program.  Wish me luck!  I did pretty well most days - but I had a few low willpower days.  But I'm still plugging away.  I will get there.  Taking it one day at a time.

Finally - I have a new hero. 

Jamie Oliver. 

I have to admit that I had never heard of Jamie Oliver until the past month.  I was watching TV and saw an advertisement for his new TV show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution."  I recorded it and watched it.  And I watched it again.  And then I heard he was going to be on Oprah.  And I recorded and watched that as well.  And when I was struggling with a pizza craving, I sat down and watched him again.  He inspired me to leave the pizza alone and eat something healthy.

Here is a quick intro to his show:



I got so excited when I watched this. These days, everything has to be fast and convenient. Very few homes have the capability of one parent staying home to cook for the family and take the time to make it healthy - so everyone relies on quick, easy, and dare I say - FAST FOOD. Parents also rely on the schools to feed their children lunch, and sometimes even breakfast. But the schools are limited to the choices and regulations laid out by the government.

If we can change the way America thinks - maybe we can all get somewhere. We can all get healthier. Health insurance and healthcare prices will go down. Getting our food under control could solve a lot more problems than we are aware of.

So - if this excites you too - go to Jamie's site and sign the petition that you support his revolution!

Join the Revolution!

Still on the way down . . .

I lost another 1.4 pounds this week. I'm a little frustrated, because it seems to be coming off a lot slower this time around. (Punishment for my 6 month stress fest.)

I need to start scheduling my day better - as I work at a desk job all day and then I have to come home and grade papers for my online classes that I teach. My life is sitting in a chair!

I'm considering buying one of these.

Do you sit a lot for your job? What kind of things do YOU do to keep active in these situations?

Still tracking, still losing

I lost a pound this past week, and that is better than nothing! I just got something exciting via UPS, that Hunkahubby and I are going to test out and then review for you here.

I don't want to give away the secret just yet.

I'm doing well at tracking everything I eat and keeping within my allotted "points" for the day - but I'm still struggling with adding consistent activity every day.

Hopefully, my new gadget will be an inspiration.

More soon!

Back to losing . . .

I lost 3.8 pounds this past week. I've tracked every single thing that I've eaten and I'm slowly getting back into the habit of exercising, thanks to the help of Hunkahubby.

I'm frustrated because I look back to June of last year and how well I was doing, and I'm trying to decide what it was that frustrated me so much that I gave up and gave in. I know I had a plateau for a long time where I didn't lose but I didn't gain either - and I need to find a better way to get through those without giving up. I still have a ways to go before I get back to where I was in June. :-(

Stay tuned this week for some Healthy Food Finds, Wii game reviews, and other exercise information.

Happy Monday!

Happy 4th - and Happy Loss!!

Happy Independence Day! Me? I'm looking forward to a continued life where I am NOT a slave to food. :-)

I weighed in. And I finally lost more than point something or other. I lost 2.8 pounds! This is awesome, because I've been at a stand still for an entire month. And I'm finally BELOW the 190s!!! I've lost a total of 28.2 pounds! (And I think I'm nearing the goal of weighing less than my husband . . .)

Here are my weights so far . . .

(image from http://www.weightwatchers.com)

What did I do differently? I stopped 'relaxing' my habits and got back down to business. I drank my water, I tracked my food, and I tried to get some sort of exercise every day. And obviously - it worked.

I am determined to be more vigilant, and not so relaxed with my habits so I can continue to go down and lose that next 25 lbs. I am declaring my independence from the emotional eating fat person within me! :-)

Have an awesome holiday everyone!!!

Go directly to Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200

I have decided, for my sanity, that I will not weigh in this week. This will be the first time I haven't weighed in since I started on March 1st.

Why have I decided this???

1. I know, because of several factors (one something I cannot control) that my weight is up. I don't need the scale to tell me that - I can feel it.
2. This has been a crazy, crazy week and my emotions are already stretched thin. So . . .
3. I am vulnerable and afraid I will bum myself out and blow it big if the scale is mean to me.

The last meeting like this at work was right before I started my journey to a healthier me. Most of the people at this meeting are from all over the world, so I only see them 4 times a year. Several people commented on how good I looked. I want to lose 25 more pounds before the next quarterly meeting - so I have to get my BOOTIE in gear.

Here are my goals for next week:
1. TRACK MY FOOD. I know this is vital to me watching what I eat, it makes me more conscious and I can't believe I let myself get out of the habit.
2. Start the Push Up Challenge over. I absolutely did not have time to work it in this week - as I was at work from 6 in the morning until 11 at night almost every day this week. PLUS - I have a co-worker wanting to do this with Hunkahubby and I - so it is a good reason to start over and do it together.
3. Do other work outs (walking and/or Wii Fit) 3x this week.
4. Get back into drinking water and NOT Sprite Zero which only makes me thirstier.

Those are my goals. And I know I can do it.

And I have to tell you that those of you who have commented on my blog and encouraged me thus far, your words mean so much to me, and I really appreciate all of you. Have a GREAT Friday.

Weigh-In . . . FINALLY . . .

I've been stuck at 193 for 2 weeks. Mostly due to stress and not making great eating choices several of those days.

But this week, I tried very hard to STICK TO THE PLAN. I got some walking in (not as much as I'd like) and my poor Wii Fit is lonely because my husband decided to re-do the big room upstairs that I use to exercise! But I did make pretty good eating choices all week.

Today I was down 0.4 pounds, and I'll TAKE IT!!! :-)

This isn't easy. And it can be a struggle. But I KNOW - it is so worth it.

So if you are on this journey with me . . . Don't Give Up!!!

Have a great Friday!

Weigh-in Information and Weekend Update

Thanks to all who followed my Wii Fit Adventure. I hope to post more updates as I unlock more games/exercises.

This weekend, my family and I went to Holiday World (a holiday themed amusement park in Santa Claus, Indiana). I didn't have time to post my weigh-in information, but it wasn't exciting.

I didn't lose any weight, and I didn't gain any either.

I'm a little worried about this weekend, because I didn't eat very well. Not that there were a lot of healthy choices!!! :-) I'm going to stay STRICTLY on plan the rest of this week and make sure I exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. That is the best I can do. :-)

How was your weekend? Did you enjoy this gorgeous weather? (Or did you get BURNT like I did?)

Have a great Monday!!!

Another Milestone Reached

I weighed in this morning. I got onto the Weight Watchers website and logged my weight and was greeted with this message:

(image from www.weightwatchers.com)

Woohoo! 25 pounds. I was seriously prepared for just a maintenance week, so I was pleasantly surprised by the scales this morning!

I have been offically "on plan" for 14 weeks. So that's about 1.7 pounds lost per week. Which is just about right. :-)

Here is my cool little chart:

And since we're all about 'full disclosure' here . . . here is a list of my weight over those 14 weeks.
(images from www.weightwatchers.com)

So because I've lost 25 pounds, I suppose it is time for a picture, which Hunkahubby hastily took with my iPhone this morning before I left for work.

Here I am - 25 lbs lighter! Still a long way to go - but I'm getting there!!

This week's goal - using my Wii Fit EVERY DAY!! What are your goals for this week?

The gain was inevitable - but it is ooookay

I was back up to 196 today. But after 4 days (Memorial Day weekend) of not tracking my food and the dreaded (but makes for a great excuse!) water weight gain, I wasn't surprised . . . and I'm determined to make up for it at the next weigh in.

As for the Wii Fit, I continue to be impressed by how it motivates me. It is so FUN I don't realize I'm exercising. I LOVE IT. Best money I've spent. (Yes MizFit, you NEED one.)

My two favorite activities (that I've unlocked so far . . .) are the step aerobics and the boxing. Both of these activities involve rhythm and music and I'm a frustrated dancer anyway.

My goal for this next week is to get up early every morning and use the Wii Fit. My problem this past week has been working it in whenever I have a few minutes and so the measurements have been all out of whack because I've done it at various times, instead of the same time every day. I have to start making this as much of a priority as watching what I eat. I also found this information about the best time of day to exercise, and I totally agree.

I also found an enlightening blog online about a guy who used the Wii Fit for several weeks before his wedding and journaled about his experience. The final report is here. Check it out.

Finally - I have another Healthy Food Find. I tried a different South Beach Wrap Kit.

The Southwestern Style Chicken Wrap Sandwich Kit is AWESOME. I like it almost as much as the Sesame Wrap Kit. And this one is good both warmed up or cold. I've become a salsa addict of late, so this feeds into that rather well. :-) This yummy meal has 240 Calories, 11 g of fat,
15 g of fiber, and 25 g of protein. (Quite a bit of sodium, so don't eat this every day!) Try it - you'll find it in the lunch meat section of the grocery.

Everyone have a GREAT weekend and keep on striving to be healthy!

Still going down!

This morning I weighed in at 194.4. Total loss - 23.6 pounds.

I have had a weird thing happen to me this week, though. I'm tired of food. At first, I was excited about all the different things I could try that tasted good but were still healthy - now I'm kind of in a food 'rut'. Nothing ever looks good and a few days I haven't eaten all the Points I should, because I just didn't feel like eating anything else.

I guess I should be happy - I've never had this kind of problem. I have always loved food!

I'm sure this issue will go away - I just need a new Healthy Food Find to excite me all over again.

Have any of you ever had this issue? Where you are really just BORED with food? What did you do to get out of it? Any of you have any new Healthy Food Finds you want to share?

This weekend - I will post more Wii Fit updates! Have an awesome Memorial Day weekend!