Happy Halloween

 Double bubble, toil and trouble. Want a sip of my witch's brew?

 

This is the third time I'm typing this up and I'm getting a little irritated. I wanted to do a Halloween post and post the witch but forgot I recently changed my blogger password. So ... when I tried to post, I got an error message, hence three times typing this up. Let's hope that that the third time is the charm!

So it's been raining and crappy here all day. It's chilly due to the rain. My knees are killing me today and I know it's because of the rain. Damn! Didn't get to do my walking today. Tim and I did go to Big Lots for some extra walking but it wasn't the same as our quarter mile walk. He missed the walk as much as I did. I found that sweet. What a lucky gal I am to have such a supportive hubby.

Hope everyone enjoys the holiday. Those of you who are making a lifestyle change, I hope you either planned for the extra calories or avoid the candy. I will not be having any candy today! Unfortunately, the fun part  for me isn't likely to happen with the rain. I love the children coming in costumes. They've been rained out here in Illinois. That's a shame.

Have a good night, everyone!

Wrapping up Week 39

It was certainly a week full of NSVs for me. I'm not going to recap them because they are all below and if you haven't been keeping up and want to know what they are ... you can go back and read them for yourself. I know that's not very nice of me but that's my decision for at least two reasons. One ... I already bragged once. Two ... if you read it before, you surely don't want to read it again!

One NSV that I don't remember if I shared with you or not is I've discovered that not only do I have knees under my bulging belly but I also have thighs! That 'AHA' moment came when I was in the bathroom and had my hands resting on them (I know too much info but humor me). I was so excited to feel and see my darn thighs! It's the little things that get me, I guess!

So ... after a week of non-scale victories, I'm not even concerned about my loss this week. Oh, it isn't that it doesn't matter. It does! But I've come to the realization that losing this weight is about so much more than the numbers on the darn scale. It's about feeling good and being excited about living ... both of which had been lacking for me for a very long time.

And now that I've really got your curiosity piqued ... my weigh in this morning reflected a one pound loss. I'm good with it. In 39 weeks I've lost 94 lbs which puts me at the average of 2.41 lbs per week. That is just slightly higher than the recommended average and I'm happy with it. Don't want it to come off too fast because I want it to stay off forever! I'm now only six pounds from my goal of 100 by Thanksgiving. I sure am having to work for those last few pounds of this 100 but why should they be any different than the ones I've already managed to shed? I've been quite pleased with my progress.

My activity level has increased. I am making opportunities to get short walks in during the day and that's helping to boost my overall walking. I met my goal of at least 3000 steps every day this past week. My lowest number of steps in a day was 3008 and the highest was 4492. The total steps registered on my pedometer for the week was 24,041 with the average being 3434. Not bad for this fat lady; not bad at all. The distance my pedometer logged was 6.8 miles total with an average of .97 (so just under one mile) per day. Going to shoot for a minimum of 3500 steps per day with one mile being the distance this week.

Onward and downward I go. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I'll have a good loss so I can make that 100 lbs gone by Thanksgiving a reality. And then I'll share an updated picture for comparison.

I hope everyone enjoys the day! It's beautiful here in IL headed up to 65 with lots of sunshine. The fall foilage is gorgeous and it's great to be alive!

Two posts in one day!

I'm baaaaack! And aren't you the lucky ones? ::big grin::

Today has been a good day! I managed to get around 3500 steps in according to my pedometer. And the night isn't even over yet! I did my 1/4 mile walk with Tim. I walked outside while Tim and Mandi went to the courthouse to get her license back. Generally I would sit in the truck and wait but it was a beautiful day so I walked in the parking lot until they came back. And then I did some extra walking tonight after dinner.

Speaking of dinner ... had a fantastic NSV (non-scale victory for those of you who may not be familiar with the term) tonight. We went to a local pizza place that we haven't been to in a couple years. The gal led us to a booth and walked away. Now normally I would have said, "Excuse me but I can't fit into a booth" and asked to sit elsewhere. But ... the chairs in this place are those wooden wrap around chairs. If I squeeze my butt into one, I leave with dents in my legs. So ... I just slid into the booth and hot damn! I actually slid into the booth. I fit! I sat there with this funny look on my face and Tim asked if I was going to be okay. Okay? I was GREAT!

Now the bad news ... I ate a nice salad but gave into temptation and had two slices of pizza. I won't try to justify and say it had plenty of protein (meats and cheese) as well as veggies (onions, mushrooms, green peppers) and the crust would be a carb. Nope ... I won't justify it. But I will say it was pretty darn good. I know I won't be having pizza out for a long time again but I also think once in a while you just have to let things go. I did it! I ate that pizza. I enjoyed it. And now ... after admitting it to you all, I'm going to take my own advice and just let it go. Tomorrow I'll be back on it 100%. Gotta love that I can do it all over again tomorrow!

Rambling on

Yesterday was a pretty ho-hum kind of day for me. Nothing interesting happened so I opted not to post. And then this morning I discover that one of my friends looks to me for inspiration and encouragement and smiles ... and now I feel like I let her down. Jeanne, I know you will disagree and say I didn't let you down ... but I know I did. I hope you'll keep visiting me anyway. I promise that it won't happen often that I skip a day of posting.

Now ... I did manage to get my 3000 steps in (just barely) yesterday. So far, I'm making my goal of at least 3000 steps per day this week. Only two more days to go and then I'll report how I've done. I think it's really helping that Tim is walking with me now. He helps me to keep pace and push myself. And when the burn starts in my left thigh (the one with the lymph edema) he encourages me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Yesterday, we were about 3/4 of the way back and I said, "I really want to stop for a minute." He paused and then said, "Do you?". My reply was, "Yes, but I'm not going to because I know I can make it. I have before and stopping would mean admitting I can't do what I know I can do." So on I continued. He's so sweet. He would have stopped right there with me, but he knew I wasn't going to stop. He just wanted me to verbalize it.

He really pushed me yesterday, a day when I really didn't want to do anything. He got me to go take that walk. And then I laid down on the floor with my legs elevated on a chair ... supposed to help with my poor circulation and the lymph edema (and I do think the swelling is a little better but not sure if it's the meds, the walking, the elevating, or a combo of all three). My goal is to be down there on the floor for a minimum of 30 minutes. I'd missed the last two days because we'd been so busy so I told Tim as I slowly got down not to let me get up before 30 minutes had passed. Big mistake on my part!

Ten minutes into it, I started to feel a bit queasy. One thing I noticed yesterday that I had not in the past was while I was on my back with my feet up, it felt like all my fat (my thighs, my stomach, my breasts) was pushing upwards toward my neck. I felt queasy and wondered if it was because I wasn't breathing deeply enough. Tried some deep breathing but it didn't help. Okay ... to distract myself I tried to do some crunches. Notice I said, TRIED! Man with all that fat in my middle I could barely get my damn shoulders off the floor! Tim says to me, "Honey when you do crunches you are supposed to sit up." Uh yeah! If I had something to throw he would have gotten it!

Then I got a cramp in one of my butt cheeks. When I yelled and told Tim I had a cramp he advised me butt cheeks don't cramp. Now I know my own damn butt and it was a cramp! ARGH! Would have tossed something else at him if I'd had it.

Now I'm about 20 minutes into the whole laying down experience and I start to complain about wanting to get up. Tim tells me not yet. Ugh! I start to do some pelvic thrusts. That amused me for about ten seconds and then the next butt cramp hit! Ouch! At this point I started to laugh hysterically. Oh man ...

We have a ceiling fan in the living room, where I was on the floor, and above it is a four foot square of mirrors ... very decorative. The whole time I was watching my gyrations in the mirror and the thrusts just did me in. Woo boy ... wipe the tears from my eyes, look at the clock and yee haw! 30 minutes are up. Man ... the sad part is I'll be back at it later today.

Guess I really did have something to share yesterday, huh? Ah well ... maybe I'll be back later today to post about today. Then again, maybe not. Just depends what happens and how I feel.

Enjoy Friday .... the week is nearly over.

Wonderful Wednesday

Today was a busy day! My brother came over and removed the storm door for me. The wind caught it the other day, yanking it open and then slamming it shut, shattering the glass. It was dangerous, so we had it removed until we can replace it.

After my brother left, Tim and I went for our mid-day walk. Woo hoo! The pedometer again registered aerobic steps. I am so amazed that is happening now. I've already walked over 4000 steps today. My goal was 3000 daily for this week.

We went into town today to run errands. First stop was the bank. Next we went to the county courthouse to pay some fines. A couple weeks ago, the hubby, our daughter, and I were all caught going down the highway without seatbelts. End result was loss of license for daughter and myself with fines and a fine for the hubby. Now before you all go all hostile on me and tell me how I should always wear my seatbelt, let me say I know that! For the longest time, even with a seatbelt extension, my belt would not fit. It has only been recently that it would and I forget to put the darn thing on. Tim flat out refuses to wear his. Mandi didn't realize the middle person had a seat belt! Poor kid lost her license (but not her driving privileges) and wasn't even driving!

Got that done and then off to a discount store (K's Merchandise). Saw a pair of warm gloves I wanted to get for Mandi there the other day so we went back to get them. While there, we walked around and tried out some sofas and chairs. Left there and headed off for Tim to sign some papers.

Finally we headed on home. I've walked a total of 65 minutes today! I can't believe how good I'm feeling about that.

For those who expressed concern about my post yesterday, I honestly thing the burn was a good thing. It passed a short time later and I wasn't sore today. And while walking today, I made it farther before the burn happened. So ... I think I'm on the right track and I'm going to consult with the doctor next week and go from there.

Traipsing thru Tuesday

  Golly but today was physically a rough day for me. I went for my quarter mile walk and it hurt. By mid-way my left thigh was burning and so was my right calf. By burning, I mean I could feel the muscle burn with exertion. Of course, I was half-way so there was no turning back or saying I quit. What was I gonna do? Sit down right there in the middle of the road?

Onward I went, telling myself I could do it. When I hit the home stretch I had a pain in my hips and in my back. I don't know if it was caused by the walk or something else but by the time I got back home I was really hurting. I was almost in tears and Tim was doing his best to encourage me.

I sat down on the steps and started taking some deep breaths. Of course, the pain in the legs stopped almost immediately because I was no longer walking. The pain in my back also stopped soon after I sat down. I caught my breath and pulled the pedometer out of my pocket.

I looked down to make sure the approx 1000 steps that make up that walk were registered. They were there. But something else that has never happened was also there. The pedometer registered 858 aerobic steps in ten minutes. What? Maybe that's why the muscles were burning; I was obviously pushing myself and it made my body work harder and I was burning more calories for those ten minutes. Woo hoo! Now I'm smiling and poor Tim is trying to figure out how I went from tears to smiles in such a short time.

That walk also made me wonder something, though. How do I know when I've pushed myself too hard? Obviously, I'm going to feel some pain in moving more and more. I expect that and I will push through it. But how do I know when I've done too much? Anyone have any ideas on how to judge when you've pushed too hard? I really do wonder about this as I push myself a bit more.

Guess what I did today?

(For those of you in my e-mail support groups who have seen this already, I'm sorry. It was so big for me I had to share it everywhere today!)

Come on ... take a guess. Do you give up yet? Gosh, too easy to stump some people.

I took the hubby to his doctor appointment and then needed to go to the grocery store. I'm cooking dinner at home tonight, meatloaf, baked carrots, potatoes (for the family ... I can't eat them or the cravings will be horrible tomorrow). I needed fresh ground sirloin (94% fat free) and a few other things, so after the appointment we headed off to the grocery store.

I didn't do my morning walk with Fancy Pants (the dog) because it was really chilly here and drizzling. I wanted to walk because I'm aiming for at least 3000 steps per day so next week I can up it to 3500 and be doing one mile. I was bummed the weather wasn't cooperating.

So we get to the store and on the way in, I made a decision. I decided I don't push myself nearly enough. I grabbed a cart and started walking through the grocery store. It took Tim until I got mid-way down the first aisle to realize that I wasn't in an electric cart. I was walking! I figured I needed to walk, I don't push myself enough, and I only needed a few things so surely I could make it. I'm telling you ... I had a time or two when I wondered if I'd lost my mind. My legs felt very heavy and weak, but I kept going. I bagged the groceries and we headed off to the truck.

When I was finally in the truck and ready to come home, Tim said to me, "Honey, you have made my day! I wondered when you'd at least try to walk through the store again and not only did you try, you did it!" Yes, I did! And damn it felt good!

We got home and I helped him get the groceries inside and then guess what? Come on ... make another guess. We went for a walk. I didn't do my longer quarter mile walk, but I did walk. It added another 700 steps on the pedometer and took us about ten minutes. Woo hoo! I'm gonna be a walking machine in no time.

Have a super day. I sure am!

End of Week 38 and Down Again

Life is good!

Week 38 is now behind me. I'm happy to report that this morning I'm down another 1.5 pounds. I'm now seven pounds from that 100 lb milestone and I know I can get that off by my goal of 100 by Thanksgiving.

I've had a very busy week and was amazed at how well I did. I walked a total of 15970 steps this week per my pedometer which comes out to be 4.11 miles. On average I took 2661 steps per day (just a little short of my goal for 3000) and three quarters of a mile (just short of my goal for one mile per day). Gonna try to step that up a bit to get there next week.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I really had nothing to say. Won't happen often, but sometimes it does! ;) Have a GREAT Sunday and a good week coming up.

A Hectic Day and a Blessing

I woke up at 3:00 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. Finally at 4 I got up and went into the kitchen. Turned on the computer but not really in the mood to do much. So I ended up making a strawberry cheesecake danish struedel recipe compliments of Christina at NS. It was extremely yummy and I had that in place of a NS breakfast entree. Stats are supposed to be similar to the Cranberry Granola bar or so I've read.

I tried to go back to bed about 8 but the darn phone kept ringing. I had scheduled for the furnace to be checked out next week because that is when our next check comes but got a call asking could they possibly come today because they were going to be in the area. The gal said the owner would either accept a post-dated check or trust me to mail the payment next week. What a blessing! It's been rather cool here in IL in the mornings and I've been turning on the oven to take the chill off.

My older sister called and asked me to come over and set up her DSL service. She is very computer challenged and though I assured her it would be a 'piece of cake' she wanted me to do it. Just as I'm headed out the door, Mandi's boyfriend (who lives with us) called from school. He doesn't feel well and needs a ride home. Mandi drove today. So off to school to fetch him and then back home to drop him off. Got to my sister's and the data cable from the phone jack to the modem was way too short. Off to Radio Shack for a longer cord. Still not quite as long as she needs but made it work. Got her all set up, including member accounts. Whew!

Back home to find out the furnace guys have come and gone. Furnace was full of dust and grime. They cleaned everything, checked wiring all over the place, checked the thermostat and voila! We now have heat. Thanks, guys!

Hung out for a little bit and then ran to my brother's. Today is his 49th birthday. Dropped off his birthday card and visited for a little while. Then off to the job fair. Oh my goodness! What a poorly planned event that was! Imagine 40 people crammed in a room with only two people to conduct interviews. Eventually three more interviewers showed up. I was thirty minutes early yet still waited almost two hours to do the interview. That went okay, I guess. I'm not thrilled about the job but did put my best foot forward. They'll let me know if I get a second interview in the next two weeks. They're hiring for six positions.

Went out to dinner with Tim, who sat in the bar at the hotel while I was at the job fair. What a honey! I was good and had a sandwich and salad with iced tea. Wanted custard with a payday in it, but resisted.

I think once I get this posted, I'll be heading off to bed. It's been a very long day and I'm dead tired. Have to make sure Tim gets up in the morning to go to his ACT test. He missed it last time and in IL it is required to graduate now. Gosh ... I'm tired!

Ultrasound Update

It's wet and quite chilly here in Illinois today. When I got up this morning it was only about 56 and the high is low 60s. I doubt we're even going to get there with the rain that's falling. Since it's raining, no walk for Fancy this morning.

Went to the hospital this morning for my ultrasound and had another non-scale victory. I was able to sit in the chairs in the imaging waiting room. The last time I tried to sit in one of those chairs, the wood popped and I was afraid of ending up on the floor so I ended up prying my large behind out of the chair and sitting on a table that was a LOT more sturdy! The real test of the day was getting up onto the gurney they wanted me on for the ultrasound. I looked at it and thought "You've got to be kidding!". With the help of the tech I did manage to get up there. She did the ultrasound and then left the room to get another tech. That one did some more images just in case. The tech helped me to climb back down from the gurney and I got dressed. She said she didn't see anything but swelling and fluid and had me wait for the doctor to take a look in case he wanted more images. He did not but said that my doctor may recommend a CAT scan or MRI. Guess now I just wait to find out how my new doctor wants to proceed. Once again I amazed myself with my stamina in walking in and out of the hospital and to everywhere I had to go.

I'll be going in a short while to my follow-up visit with the doctor to find out about the blood test results from a couple days ago. Hopefully nothing will be bad and the medications will be minimal. I'll check back later to let you know how it goes.

[Edit: Back from the doctor visit. The ultrasound showed no abcesses, no blockages, no infection; just swelling and fluid. No CAT scan or MRI required per the doctor. My kidneys and liver are functioning fine. My bad cholesterol is okay. My good cholesterol is low so he said I need to exercise more. Okay ... like I didn't see that one coming! My thyroid is seriously out of whack! Um yeah ... that's one of the reasons I'm here, Doc. ;) So ... back on thyroid meds (no surprise). Blood pressure still pretty high so back on bp meds (not much of a surprise there). And on a water pill for water retention in hopes of getting rid of the fluid in my legs. (That one surprised me for some reason.) Go back in two weeks. In the meantime, continue losing weight and add more exercise.]

Over the hump

What a wonderful Wednesday! The weather here in central IL has been just beautiful but the forecasters warn it's going to drop off and cool down now. We've had sunshine and a nice breeze today.

Was up with Tim a lot last night. At first, we thought he had food poisoning from a Subway sandwich, but that should have been gone through his system night before last. Poor baby was up and down a lot and it wan't until I got up this morning (at 6) that I thought to check to see if we had any Immodium. Why didn't I think of it sooner so maybe we could have gotten a little sleep.

Our check finally arrived today so I was able to go grocery shopping and get the things we need. I wanted to go by myself since Tim didn't feel well but he wouldn't hear of it. I am honestly blessed with this man by my side! By the time we finished he was feeling very weak. Rushed home, got stuff put away and checked his blood sugar. It was up a little but not bad so an insulin shot and he is now resting. Poor baby.

I'm going to take Fancy for an extra walk this evening. It's just too nice to plop in front of the tube and sit for hours on end. I will definitely be there for Lost and Invasion, though. I will not miss Lost for sure! That show leaves me with more and more questions every week.

Thinking of my many friends in the path of Wilma right now. It's supposed to hit the Gulf coast of Florida. We lived in the Tampa area for a few years and I think of the people we know that are there as well as some of my cyber buddies. I would hope the darn hurricane would fizzle but I know that isn't going to happen. I'll pray all is well and everyone gets out of the way.

Tomorrow's blog post may be late. I've got a busy day with the ultrasound on my leg in the morning and doctor appointment in the afternoon. Hope to get a walk in the park squeezed in between the two, but we'll see. Depends on how Tim feels and the weather. So ... if I don't seem to be around anywhere, now you know why. ;)

Darn it!

Went for my bloodwork early this morning. I am so proud of myself. Back in February when Ceci (granddaughter) was born, I made it from the parking lot to the front door of the hospital and had to sit down. Then I barely made it up to labor and delivery before thinking I was gonna collapes. Today I walked from the parking lot into the hospital, to registration, all the way to the elevators (opposite end of hospital than entrance for some odd reason) and all the way to the lab without sitting down! I also made it all the way back out to the truck with no resting. I tell you that, my friends, is progress! The doctor should have the results of those tests back by my appointment Thursday afternoon so he can decide dosage of thyroid med, etc. I have the appt for the ultrasound on my leg that morning but not sure how long it will take for him to get that report. Until then, I've been flexing when sitting and trying to move around more.

Now for the darn it! I put my pedometer in the pocket of my pants every morning. One morning I walked from my house to the truck and then was sitting in the truck for an hour and a half. The pedometer registered 250 steps during that 90 minutes. Huh? How in the heck did it measure steps while I was sitting down? ::shrugging::

I was excited about all the steps that were racking up today what with the walking at the hospital (about 30 minutes all total). I just knew today would be the day that I made it to the one mile in steps! I got home just a little bit ago and look at the pedometer and it is reading 68 steps. What? Darn it all! I am betting when I put my seatbelt on, it hit the pedometer and caused a reset. I am pretty irritated about that! Guess I won't be putting the darn thing in my pants pocket anymore. I'll either clip it on or put it in the pocket of my shirt. (I wear a lot of pocket tees.) I am disheartened but I'll just keep going. I thought maybe the data would be in the memory but NO! It shows the last seven days ... and yesterdays total is the newest one saved. ARGH!

A bit of good news ... I found out that a local cable company (well, it's actually in Champaign which is a good 30 minute drive and could be farther depending where the office is) is having a job fair on Friday evening. They are hiring customer service representatives. I applied at Cingular Wireless (my old employer) and have been given the royal run around so I figure what the heck! I have got to get to work. Money is so tight here and we are going without necessities. I'm tired of living like this for one to two weeks every month when the money runs out. I'm still scared spitless about what will happen to Tim when I find a job, but I have to get a job. That's all there is to it! I've tried to find things I could do from home but so many are a scam and many want you to have worked for them for years first. So ... I'll be going to the job fair on Friday and hoping they hire me. It isn't my dream job ... hell, I don't even know if I have a dream anymore ... but it will bring money into the house and we desperately need that right now.Wish me luck!

Onward and downward I go ...

The doctor visit

Got up this morning and was really worrying about this doctor visit today. I worried what would happen to Tim if I have to surgery. Who would wake him up and see he took his meds and ate? Who would take care of Fancy Pants? What if I couldn't climb into the truck or even drive for a while? Who would do the grocery shopping and run all the mundane errands I take care of every day?

I heard my mom in my head saying I was borrowing trouble and worrying for something that may not even happen. I heard her clear as day. But still I worried.

Took Fancy Pants for our morning walk today though I didn't want to go. I kept thinking about it being cold outside (39 here when I got up). Then I asked myself what the heck is wrong with me! I wouldn't walk a couple weeks ago because it was too hot and now I'm saying it's too cold. Sheesh! There is just no pleasing me.

I took the hubby to the doctor to get his ears flushed out this morning. Seems he had a real reason to not be hearing me! Now he has one ear clear and one that we have to go back for more flushing next week. It was packed full!

We went out for lunch and I had a taco salad from Wendy's. Not a bad choice, in my opinion. Then we went to the park and walked for about twenty minutes. It was a beautiful day and being outside in the sun and breeze was quite enjoyable! After that, we went to my own doctor appointment.

I really liked this doctor. I felt that he listened to me and he took his time with me even though he had a waiting room full of patients. I didn't feel rushed at all. He says that the thing on my leg is lymphedema caused by blood pooling there. He says I have a circulation problem in that leg and need to do more moving. He was glad to hear I'm losing weight and said that should help some to resolve much of the problem on it's own through the diet and moving to keep the blood pumping. (I need an old treadle sewing machine. That would keep my ankles moving and the blood flowing!)

He's sending me for an ultrasound, just in case his diagnosis is wrong. I go for that on Thursday and will hear back from him when he gets the results. He also had a bunch of blood tests run ... CBC, metabolic panel, lipid profile, and TSH for thyroid. I go for the blood tests in the morning and see him again Thursday afternoon. My blood pressure was up a bit (no surprise there) so he may also start me on meds for it.

It's definitely a load off my mind to know that this isn't something life threatening and I won't be needing surgery anytime soon. Whew! Guess my mom was right just like she always was when she was here on this earth.

Once home, I did 20 minutes of my exercise video. All in all, it's been a very good day!

Weigh-in for Week 37 and Goals

THE WEIGH-IN
With some trepidation, I stepped on the scale this morning. I had one day this past week that I messed up and ate food that would not be acceptable on any diet program. I paid for it for the rest of that day (the incident occurred at breakfast) and into the next. Man did I ever feel sick! I will not be repeating that behavior anytime soon, I assure you. So ... back to the scale. I step on and find I am down one more pound this week. That means thus far in October I've rid my body of 4.5 pounds. That leaves me with 3.5 more to go to achieve my goal for October of eight pounds gone and only 8.5 pounds to get rid of to make my Thanksgiving goal of having my first 100 pounds gone. I have the goal in my sights and I'm closing in! Onward I go!

I walked for a total of 60 minutes last week, which was my goal. My walking goal for this week is to continue that walk and try to add at least 15 minutes more. I did 75 minutes total of working out with my videos. I will increase that to a minimum of 90 minutes this week.

Started wearing the pedometer this week. My steps are a long way from impressive, but they did give me something to build upon and I know that any steps I take every day is an improvement over the number of steps I was taking nine months ago.

PEDOMETER REVIEW
Monday 1702 steps--.48 mile
Tuesday 2650 steps--.75 mile
Wednesday (walked from my home to my truck and rode an hour and a half and upon arrival the pedometer said I had walked 210 steps. No way so I took it off and didn't put it back on until the next day.
Thursday 2792 steps--.79 mile
Friday 2586 steps--.73 mile
Saturday--forgot to grab and put in pocket.
Total steps for four days--9730 steps and 2.75 miles.
Average for four days is 2432.5 steps which translates to .6875 mile of walking per day.

I hope to increas that walking to about 3500 steps per day which would be approx one mile if my math hasn't failed me. Those of you who know me know that math is NOT my strong suit! So, okay ... I have my goals for the week.

GOALS FOR THE COMING WEEK
*Eat the foods I am allowed.
*Walk a minimum of 75 minutes.
*Exercise to the videos a minimum of 90 minutes.
*Increase daily steps registered on the pedometer to 3500 which should put me right about a mile.
*Smile every day because it's a new day and I can start over all over again.
*Forgive myself for any slips and keep on going.

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!

Absolutely nothing

I have absolutely nothing much to say today. It has been a very uneventful day here. Kids worked and Tim watched the Sci-Fi channel all day ... marathon of Return of the Living Dead movies. UGH!

Poor daughter did laundry today and didn't check her pockets. Ends up she had a crayon in there and it is now all over all the clothes. She's extremely upset and putting spray and wash on it in hopes it washes out. Poor kid! Bet she doesn't forget to check next time! How many of us have had something like that happen at least once? ::raising hand::

Eating was okay today. Very uneventful ... on program. Weigh in is in the morning and from the looks of the numbers this morning it's going to be a minimal loss this week. It's okay. I had that one day earlier this week that was horrible and next week will be better.

One step, one meal, one day at a time! Onward I go.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Man, oh man! Some days I don't know what comes over me, but today is one of those days that I wish I could just crawl back into bed, pull the covers up over the top of my head, and hope that the hours pass quickly! I seem to be having those days more and more often of late. And before someone tries to tie it into the female cycle, I'm here to tell you I've not found any correlating evidence of that yet. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for these kinds of days. They just happen. Believe me, if I could track the trigger on this one ... it would definitely be history!

So, I get up this morning and I feel fine. I feel like I rested pretty well in spite of getting up four times to go to the bathroom. Will I ever learn to get all my water in before 7:30 PM? I'm working on it! Anyway ... I went to bed about 10:30 and woke at 7:15 so not bad. I did what I needed to do and headed into the living room to put on my shoes and socks. And I just lost it! The tears started to flow from out of nowhere. Poor Mandi (daughter) walked by and was very concerned. She wanted to know what was wrong and acted insulted when I didn't tell her. How can I tell her what's wrong when I don't even know?! She hugged me and patted my back and tried to assure me that everything will be okay. (Well yeah, it would be if I knew what the heck was wrong in the first place!)

I get my socks and shoes on and head off on my morning walk with Fancy. We set out later than usual which meant more kids out than usual. I hate walking when the kids are waiting at the bus stops. They laugh, point, and tease the dog. I ignored them when I really wanted to rip them all new ones! Fancy and I continue on. We followed our usual route and by the time we got back home, the crying jag seemed to be over.

Next the sadness crept in. I don't know why I'm sad. I just am. That happens to me a lot, as well. I'm fine and then wham! Something hits me up side the head and I'm sad. The sadness progresses to feelings of futility and hopelessness. And the questioning sets in. Why do I bother? Why do I place so many demands on myself that I am stretched so thin? Why does everything have to be a struggle for me and for us as a family? Isn't it enough that I'm fat? Isn't it enough that Tim can't see very well and has those damn tremors all the time? Isn't it enough that we do the best we can each and every day and feel like we're getting nowhere but we keep going? Do we have to struggle financially, too? I guess now I'm on to a "It isn't fair" rant! No one ever said life would be fair but damn! How about leveling the playing field just a little?

I know all of this will pass soon and I'll be back to my usual chipper and happy self, feeling that nothing can go wrong in my little world. That's what I mean by the 'emotional rollercoaster'. I'm sure some of you may experience the same thing. I tell myself maybe it's a menopausal related thing. I guess when I see the doctor on Monday (woo hoo ... thank you state of Illinois for your kindness in the medical assistance and thank you doctor office for accepting said medical aid ... that was a chore to get through!) I could ask him. Maybe I will, in addition to the other issues at hand.

Until then, though ... I'll ride out the rollercoaster and know that eventually all will level out and I'll feel more like myself again.

Breakfast was NS Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with an apple chopped up in it, added cinnamon and one packet of Splenda and a teaspoon of ICBINB spread. And now I'm off to 'Sweat to the Oldies' with Richard and crew.

Have a great Friday!

Just One of Those Days

You know ... you've had them. One of those blah days when nothing seems to matter. You don't care how you look. You don't care if you eat or not and you certainly don't care if you stick to an eating program to lose weight. You don't care if you take a walk or exercise or even get out of bed. Well ... that's the kind of day I sort of had yesterday.

First, Tim had insomnia and didn't sleep all night. Every time I got up to go to the bathroom (and it was five times because I had water after 7:30 PM the night before ... will I ever learn?) he asked me what time it was. Finally at 4:00 AM I couldn't take it anymore. He kept wanting to chit chat. Why didn't he get up and watch TV or something? Didn't he know I needed my beauty rest?!

At 4:30 he started talking food. He had a craving for something and nothing would make him happy until he got it. So ... at 5 we get up and by 5:15 we are out the door. Now, the closest place to get what he was craving is an hour and a half away! UGH! I don't mind driving, though the cost of gasoline did have me questioning our sanity. Ah heck, you only live once, right? Off we go, arriving at our destination about 7:00.

I wasn't going to eat anything ... trust me ... NOTHING on the menu was NS friendly. The dining room was not open and the food had to be eaten in the truck. But ... I pulled up to the drive thru window and found myself ordering the same thing for me that Tim wants. What in the hell was wrong with me?! I had no desire to even try to fight the urge. I pretty much said, "Ah well ... it's one time and I've been so good for nine months." Damn it! Have I learned nothing in the last nine months? We ate the food and headed back, stopping to run errands in the city near us on the way home.

Let me tell you ... I berated myself over this. I said nothing to Tim but he felt so bad for suggesting this place and then saying nothing when I placed the order. He usually keeps me in line but I don't know that him saying anything would have made a difference.

We get home and since he didn't sleep all night, he went to bed. I rested for about two more hours and then got up. I felt awful. I was physically ill. I had the taste of the horrible food in my mouth. I felt I could smell it seeping out through my skin. I was mad at me and I wanted to just give up and eat all day long. I'm happy to report, I didn't do that. I got right back on track and ate on program for the rest of the day, but the damage was done. I felt crappy all day and into the night. I got up this morning and still feel horrible. How long is it going to take to flush that junk out of my system?

Tim felt so bad last night, especially when he realized I was sick. He feels he let me down. I tried to explain to him that he didn't let me down. I let me down! I was the one who ordered the food. I was the one who ate the food. I was the one who had no self-control. He just said "We're a team and you support me and keep me from eating the things I can't have because of my diabetes. I wasn't a part of your support team and I'm sorry." Poor guy! All is forgiven because there's nothing to forgive.

This morning I'm back on track, though I still don't feel well. I took Fancy for our morning walk. I had NS scrambled eggs with a vegetable sausage patty, an apple, and two slices of whole grain toast (90 calories total in the toast) with ICBINB spread. One meal down and drinking my water. I'm off to do a minimum of 20 minutes with one of my workout videos and hopefully, this horrible feeling will pass.

I've assured Tim, and I'll now assure you all and myself ... that isn't going to happen again for a VERY long time. I don't want to feel like this again. And I have that goal of 100 lbs gone by Thanksgiving to think of. I'm going to get there and keep on going.

Beautiful Tuesday

Got up this morning and there was nothing going to stop me from walking the dog. My knees were aching because of the humidity in the air. I had a sinus headache (bordering on a migraine) also compliments of the weather. And it was spitting rain. But I figured if my friend Paul could walk in the rain yesterday (and it was only dripping here) I could walk and not have the 'sense to come in out of the rain' either! I was a woman with purpose. I headed right on out to the living room, got my shoes and socks on, leashed up Fancy Pants and we were off! We did ten minutes, 700 steps. I won't post the calories burned because I could not enter my weight and therefore the calories burned is wrong. I suppose I could try to figure out the difference, however, I am definitely NOT a mathmetician!

When we returned from our walk, I then popped in my Sit Tight video and worked out with Richard Simmons for 25 minutes! Woo hoo ... it was only 7:30 in the morning and I had 35 minutes of moving the ole body completed already.

Breakfast was 1 cup cheerios with 1/4 cup milk, a Morningstar vegetable sausage patty, 1 cup of carb clever pears (sweetened with splenda in the can) for a double fruit serving and a slice of whole wheat toast with a tsp of ICBINB spread sprinkled with cinnamon and splenda.

I ran the vaccuum over the carpet in the living room, master bedroom, and master bathroom. UGH! I hate carpet in the bathroom but it was here when we bought the home. Someday I'm going to have it ripped up and linoleum put down. Who in the heck would want carpet in the bathroom with the toilet and shower. ICK! This was a good accomplishment for me. I usually hint to my daughter or her boyfriend and they do this chore. Today I figured there was no real reason I couldn't do it myself, so I did.

I swapped lunch and dinner today. So for lunch I had the NS green pepper steak with rice, 5 oz low sodium V-8 juice, 1 c broccoli, and a slice of whole grain bread with a tsp of ICBINB spread.

For my mid-day snack I had a string cheese and an apple.

For dinner I'll be having 4 ounces of chicken (3 for the entree and one for the extra protein) and a large tossed salad with cucumber, tomato, and onion.

I'm going to be offline the rest of the evening so everyone have a good one and check back tomorrow.

I am Blessed

I just want to take the time today to say that I am indeed blessed! I have made many friends along this journey. Some come here to my blog on a daily basis to check in. Some pop in once or twice a week. Some email me and remain 'behind the scenes'. But I want to say I am thankful for each and every one of them.

Part of my purpose in starting this blog was to be able to reach more people. I had no idea if I would motivate or inspire anyone ... and honestly, I don't know that I thought about it at all or even cared. But I can tell you today that I do care. When someone pops in and tells me that reading my rambles or success has inspired them, I am proud. I am proud that I embarked upon this life changing journey. I am proud of how far I've come. And I know (there's that determination) that I am going to get where I'm going!

But back to the blessings ... A few months ago, I hit a stall in my weight loss. I had to stop my autoship and go on my own due to finances. A person I really didn't know very well sent me an entire month plus the one week of NS foods. She wanted nothing in return. She felt led to do it, so she just did it. I am so very thankful. Because of her generosity, I broke through that plateau and moved onward. This same person sent me a huge box of clothes. I'm not in them yet, but one day I will be. I do have an outfit picked out for Christmas. Don't know if it's going to fit, but when it does ... she'll be getting a photo of me!

I met another who sent me walking cassette tapes. I've lost touch with her. She quit doing NS and never responded to my emails. But I think of her often and how grateful I am that she sent me those tapes. I received the first two NS bears from a friend I made when I started NS. I've received a couple books and a lot of support, encouragement, and inspiration, as well as a few friendships I know will last beyond the span of my weight loss.

The current round of blessings and generosity occurred today. I was expecting a shipment from NS of my last earned six bears so the knock on the door did not surprise me. What did surprise me was that the package was not my bears but a brand new pedometer! Wow! It was a total surprise. I say here, in my public place, thank you my friend! Know that it will be used daily and is appreciated so much. This same wonderful person also sent me a workout tape that is also going to come in quite handy!

Lastly, I am expecting a winter coat to arrive sometime this week. A wonderful person read how I said last spring my coat was going to be huge on me this winter so she is sending me a coat she no longer can wear.

I am just in awe of the generosity of everyone. I only hope that my words, my thoughts, my enthusiam ... helps others in a similar manner. It makes it all worth it!

Have a GREAT week, everyone!

Weigh-in for Week 36

With 36 weeks behind me I am so close to having that first 100 pounds gone. It is exciting because when I started I had over 300 lbs I wanted to lose. That number is now nearing the 200 lb mark and what a wonderful feeling of success that brings.

I stepped on the scale this morning expecting to see a gain. I even had my eyes closed because I wasn't sure I could take it if I had to report a gain. I was the only one in the house awake so I had to open one eye to read the scale. Huh? Was that number real? Now both eyes open and I stare intently at the scale. Yep! Same number there ... 439.5. Woo hoo! I wanted so badly to be below 440 this week and I did it! That ugly gray scale monster gave me the sweet taste of victory!

My next mini-goal is to hit that blessed 100 pounds gone mark before Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure if I continue eating, drinking, and moving the way I have that I will be there. Shoot ... maybe I'll even make it before the first of November.

You know ... since I started this journey back in Februray, I have always believed in me. I vowed to myself I was going to lose this weight that has held me down in more ways than one over the last 20 or so years. Dang ... twenty years ago I weighed 230 lbs and I thought I was fat then! LOL If I only knew then ... My determination has never been stronger. I finally took the advice of a dear friend and put myself first and the pay-off is the pounds coming off. I knew in February that I could do this ... the real question was "Would I do it?" I have to say today the resounding answer is "Hell yes, I will!" I will continue until I get to the place that I want to be at and I'll do it for me.

I do have to say I wasn't sure I could get 100 lbs off in a year but I am pleased with myself because I am going to do it in less than a year. Just imagine ... this time next year I could very well be yet another 100 lbs lighter which would put me at 339. The only weight I have any memory of being before now is 230 pounds. Each day that brings me closer is an inspiration to keep going.

Thanks to the old friends who are hanging in here with me. Thanks to the new friends I've made since starting Nutrisystems and become my support network of those who really do understand the struggle of the journey I have embarked upon. You guys and gals keep me going every single day.

Have a great Sunday!

Saturday ... What a challenging day!

This post will likely not contain much about weight loss but more about my personal life and an issue there. I used to keep this kind of stuff in a journal at a forum I created with someone but have given my presence at that forum up. Because I feel it's important to address emotional issues in this entire process ... it is coming out here. If you aren't interested, feel free to skip the post today and come back tomorrow, please!

My youngest daughter works for my cousin and his wife in a family style restaurant. My cousin's wife has gone our of her way to make my daughter miserable. The last couple weeks, her hours have been cut to the point why bother even going to work? When she questioned it, she was told according to labor laws because she is a student, she can only work 20 hours per week. I investigated this and even called the Illinois Dept of Labor and was told that is not true. They can choose to only schedule her 20 hours or less but it has nothing to do with child labor laws. So my daughter printed info from the internet and took it to work to educate her employers. It didn't go over very well.

Today the wife got in the kids face screaming and telling her she is a trouble maker and gossip and a lot of other horrible things. None of what the wife said is true but still it got to my daughter. The last time my daughter was this hurt and upset she hurt herself (cutting her arms and scarring them forever). She wasn't trying to commit suicide and I actually didn't know about it until it had all healed up. She wore long sleeves and I just didn't see it. Anyway ... I spent a lot of today calming her down and talking it all out. I think she's come to the realization that she doesn't need or deserve any of this junk and she's going to quit tomorrow.

Top all that off with me getting up this morning to a cold house. I make the decision to kick the furnace on just to take the chill off and nothing. The furnace is broke. I call my brother who comes to check it out for me and tells me he can't fix it, I'm going to have to call a professional. Damn!

My nephew came by soliciting money for jumping rope for the American Heart Association. We really don't have any extra money, but I gave him $5 anyway. Told him I was sorry but that was the best I could do. Then the hubby and I got into it a little over the five dollars. I know money is tight but my sister did a LOT for our oldest daughter and for me when the granddaughter was born. The hubby can get over it.

Went to the mall and got some walking in. (I promised Alejandra I would walk today and I did.) The daughter got a new pair of shoes she desperately needed. Then we went out to dinner. Two problems ... 1) She's a picky eater and the one place she really wanted to go, Chili's, was packed with quite a long wait time. Poor kid. Her day got worse. We ended up at a Baker's Square (Village Inn for those in the south). I made okay eating choices. Had grilled chicken on focaccia bread with mushrooms and onions and a nice tossed salad with lite dressing and two glasses of water. 2) Ate dinner late. I try not to eat or drink anything after 7:30 PM and it was almost 8 before we got to the restaurant. Dang it all. Tomorrow is weigh in and what will happen will happen. I really wanted to get below 440 this week but doubt that's going to happen now. Add to this the monthly water retention and weight gain that comes with it and well ... it's been a crappy day.

Tomorrow is a new day and it will be better. I just know it!

Now ... since I focused mainly on the negative in this entry I'm going to say this week was a good week. I exercised with my workout videos a total of 120 minutes and walked for 50 minutes (ten short of my goal of 60 ... darn!). I really wanted a slice of pie after dinner tonight but resisted knowing I'd really hate myself come weigh in tomorrow though I don't believe what I eat one day shows on the scale the next.

Onward & Downward I shall trudge. If you made it through all that rambling and complaining you are a real trooper!

Freezing Friday

I have been cold all day today. I woke up to temps in the mid 30s and though I want Fall to be here, I'm just not ready for Winter! BRRRRRRR! It has only gotten up to 57. Without my extra 87 pounds of extra padding I am just downright COLD!

And now suddenly, my home seems to have been invaded by flies. I've deleted about six so far and there are more. We never had flies when it was warm so I don't understand why or how we have them now. I do know that they are pesky and I'll eliminate each and every one of them if I can. ICK!

Breakfast was 1 cup Cheerios with 1/4 cup milk, 2 Morningstar vegetable sausage links, 1/2 cup of natural applesauce, and a slice of whole wheat toast with ICBINB spread. Lunch was NS macaroni with cheese and beef ... my last one :( ..., 5 oz low sodium V-8 juice, 1 ounce pork tenderloin ... saved from last night's dinner ..., and 1/2 cup natural applesauce. I have no idea what dinner will be as I'm posting a little early tonight. I'm thinking probably a 4 oz grilled chicken breast, tossed salad, 2 medium tomatoes, and one green pepper ... both added to the salad ..., with a slice of low calorie bread spread with ICBINB spread.

I made a vow to Alejandra in my comments from yesterday that I will walk tomorrow morning so I know that I will do it. Pretty much if I commit myself to something, it is what I do. I'm making no committments beyond tomorrow morning at this point. So far this week, I have walked a total of 30 minutes and exercised for 125 minutes. I think that's pretty darn good for someone who normally just vegs in front of the computer screen or television all the time. Of course, I'm still doing that too! LOL I will say as of this morning, I am still seeing the scale going downward so I have to be doing something right!

Enjoy the evening and if you don't make it back ... have a GREAT weekend!

Tired Thursday

I managed to get myself moving with the exercise video this morning but I was tired. Here comes my excuse for not walking today ... I was tired. It was chilly here in IL this morning and I just didn't feel like it. I don't know what is wrong with me. I am determined each night to walk in the morning and then morning comes and I won't go. ARGH! I did make myself vaccuum today though so that added an additional ten minutes of moving for a total of 35 minutes today.

Breakfast was NS scrambled eggs, a vegetable sausage patty (cut into small pieces), 1/2 cup of natural applesauce, and two tortillas (50 calories with 2 grams fat each). Cooked the eggs and sausage and then mixed them together and ate them wrapped in the tortillas. Good stuff for sure!

Lunch was the NS dinner entree Mushroom Risotto, 1 ounce of grilled chicken, and 5 oz low sodium V-8 juice.

Snack was 1 ounce of string cheese and a small apple.

Dinner was 4 oz baked pork chop (tenderized mechanically), 1 1/2 cups Italian green beans, 1/2 small baked potato (I'm going to regret that tomorrow--cravings), and one tbsp I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread.

Dessert was two Snackwells Sugar Free Oreo cookies (100 calories for two).

I drank 16 -- 8 ounce glasses of water today so four more than I have been but felt with the pork tonight I needed the extra water to rid my body of the sodium.

That's it for today! Hope everyone who's on the weight loss journey had a successful day. For those of you reading who aren't dieting, I hope you had a nice day. Fall is definitely here in IL. Yippee!!!

Not a bad day

Yesterday is behind me, where it belongs. Today was a pretty good day. I managed to stick to my program and for those who have been following my daily food log, I'll try to motivate myself to get back to posting it tomorrow. Tonight, the vision is a little fuzzy and when I finish here I may be heading off to La-La Land! (I am definitely headed toward granny glasses and I mean soon ... bi-focals.)

I moved the body with Richard today for 25 minutes. I said I was going to get back to walking this week and have not done so. In the morning, I am going to make myself leash up Fancy Pants and off we will go on our old route. I give myself the rest of this week to do that route and then starting Monday of next week, I'm going to add to it. I have to make myself do this. I don't find any joy in walking right now, other than I can actually walk and not feel like I'm going to die with the next step. I think if I wasn't walking by myself or I actually made sure it was a part of my daily routine, it would be easier. But again, I'm learning that I really only have myself to rely on. No way will Tim get up early (6 AM is my usual time) to go walking with me! And I wouldn't want him to. If he doesn't get all his beauty rest his mood is just UGLY!

I heard from a couple old friends today out of the blue. That was nice and it was a nice reassurance after the last few days. I don't know why I let what others say influence how I feel about myself when I know what was said to me wasn't true about who I am. I also continued to build a new friendship (thanks for the phone call, Nellie ... if you're reading here) and that feels GREAT!

One meal, one step, one day at a time ... I continue Onward and Downward just like my friend Eva!

Moving on

There comes a time in everyone's life when one must decide whether to sit still or to move on. This comes in decisions like weight loss, employment, family, friendships, and well ... just life in general. No matter how sad or defeated it may make one feel, sometimes it's best to say "Okay, I gave it my best shot" and move on. Darn life anyway! And that's enough about that.

Today was an okay day. I helped a new friend figure out quite a few things using the computer, using Yahoo, etc. It was fun to be making a new friend and helping someone. I think that is part of what I am here on this earth to do. Help and serve other people in whatever way I can. And sometimes it's time to move on. (There it is again.)

I stuck to my food program today and the scale showed a slight loss this morning since Sunday. (Yes, Paul, I know I shouldn't weigh every day but I can't seem to help myself no matter what.) I drank 96 ounces of water today and 12 ounces of diet Pepsi. I moved my body to my exercise video for 20 minutes so I've now completed a total of 75 minutes already this week!

Watched the show "The Biggest Loser" tonight and was amazed at the losses. I realize that is reality TV but dang! The losses ranged from 4-17 pounds. I said to Tim, "Gosh, I'd give anything for a ten-spot right now". He said, in his matter of fact know-it-all voice, "Well if you moved around and pushed yourself like they do, maybe you would." That kind of pissed me off! (Sorry for the language, but it did.) I am moving more than I have in a very long time and though I know he's right, dang! Can I get a "good job" or "atta-girl" out of him when I feel defeated? Nope. He goes into telling it like it is and reserves the pats on the backs for when I really don't need them. That irritates me. Is it time to move on?

That seems to be my theme of late ... Is it time to move on? Is it time to cut my losses and say adios? Is it time to tell myself I've done the best I can do and there's nothing else I can do?

I was reading a blog the other day and the owner (Bob) was talking about the psychological impact of losing weight. I think he may be onto something. I want to believe that as I lose weight, who I am won't change. I generally like the person I am ... except for the outside wrapper. I don't want my personality to change. I don't want to become a thinner person to find I don't like me anymore. And I don't want my family or friends to not like the new me either. Losing weight is so much more than getting the number on the scale to go down.

I'm tired and not sure I'm making sense so I'll just say this. In one aspect of my life, I have made the decision to move on. I'm okay with it, though I understand someone has been hurt in the process. I'm not okay that I hurt them as that was never my intention. But I am okay in my decision to just be done.

Hope each of you has a great night!

Boy I'm Wiped!

Well I said I was going to walk a minimum of 60 minutes this week and today I managed to knock out half of that! I can hardly believe I did it.

First was a trip to the mall for a haircut. We had to park out in the boonies so it was quite a hike to get into the mall. Once there, I sat down to catch my breath and stop sweating. I hate to sweat! Then I had my hair cut. After, Tim and I decided to take a little stroll around the mall. I made it all the way to the end of one hallway and back before I had to sit down again. Rested up and then the hike out to the truck.

Grocery shopping was next on the list. I ended up using the electric cart (I was tired and knew I'd never make it through shopping without it ... lame I know). Once the shopping was done, I stood and packed all the groceries into the boxes (shopping in a pick-up truck can be interesting so we box everything!). I then pushed the cart to the truck and once everything was packed away I returned the cart. So ... 30 minutes of moving my body completed.

This was in addition to the 25 minutes I spent with "Richard" this morning, working out my upper body. My arms and across my shoulders and back are really hurting this evening. I am really tired, but it's a good tired. I know that the more I move, the more calories I burn, the more revved up my metabolism is going to be, the more muscle I'll build and thus burn even more calories. Woo hoo ... I'm really on a roll now!

No food posts for yesterday or today. Not because I've been off program, but because I just don't feel like posting it. I'll get back to posting it again soon.

Week 35 and I had a loss

Yep! It's true. Cutting a bit of my water, adding extra calories, and moving my body resulted in a weight loss this week. A shedding of four pounds to be exact! I'm pretty happy about that. My official total loss is now 67 pounds but unofficially it is 97 pounds. I never did know for sure what my starting weight really was as I had no scale to weigh on. I'm guessing in the seven weeks it took to get my scale and then get the scale to weigh me I lost about 30 pounds. I'll never know for sure and while that niggles at me a bit, I'm going to let it go. I'm really happy with the 67 pounds, for sure!

This week I'll be adding walking back into my day. This last week, I let it slide a bit while I was getting into the exercise videos. Now that I have an established routine with those, I really need to walk, too. So my goals for moving this week will be 120 minutes of exercise videos and at least 60 minutes of walking. I really want to keep the loss going.

I am moving onward and downward, one day at a time and it feels GREAT!

Food log for Saturday and movement goals for next week

Breakfast was NS cereal with milk (entree), one vegetable sausage patty (protein), a medium apple (fruit), a low fat honey graham cracker (carb for 100+). Lunch was out and was 4 ounces of turkey breast (NS entree and protein), medium sized tossed salad with tomatoes, cucumber, and onions (salad), 2 Tbsp FF ranch dressing (free), tortilla wrap with tsp mustard (entree). Dinner was the NS macaroni with cheese and beef (entree), 5 oz low sodium V-8 juice (salad), tossed salad with tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers (vegetables), 1 Tbsp low fat dressing (fat), and two slices low cal whole grain bread (carb for 100+). I drank eleven glasses of water for a total of 88 ounces. Other than the usual moving about that I do during a normal day, I didn't do any extra exercise. I'll be back at it tomorrow, though.

I did move my body for 120 minutes this past week! I am SO glad I finally dug out the VCR (thanks for the prodding, Rachelle) and got it all hooked up so I could use my videos. I am shooting for a minimum of 120 minutes of exercise with videos and a minimum of 60 minutes walking during the coming week. I can do this!

I'll let y'all know how the loss went this week in the morning but will say I was pleased with the peek I took this morning. Now if it just holds true until morning! Woo hoo!

Non-Scale Victories this week

I have to say I've logged quite a few non-scale victories this past week. After much time of not seeming to have any, they have hit full force over the last week. Or am I just paying more attention now? ::shrugging:: I dunno but they can be motivating.

First ... Yesterday I had the granddaughter for several hours. My husband generally gets down in the floor to play with her and I haven't been able to do that. I pick her up and hold her in my lap to play 'patty cake' or 'itsy bitsy spider' or to bounce on grandma's tummy, but I really wanted to get down on the floor on her level to play. Yesterday, I did just that! I had a hard time getting down there, but once there I was able to lay on the floor and play with her for about thirty minutes before my back started to tell me it was time to get up. It was even more difficult to get up, rolling to the end table so I'd have something to use for leverage, but I did it! Woo hoo! I can now play with my granddaughter on the floor!

The next NSV came when we went out to dinner last night. We went to a restaurant we go to quite a bit. One of the servers came over to me and said "Wow! I can really tell now that you've lost a lot of weight!" She is the first person to really notice I've lost weight and she's known from the start I was dieting. It really made me feel good to have someone say they can tell.

On another note, I've been lamenting that I haven't lost more weight when something occurred to me. I never really knew what my starting weight was. I know I had lost some weight in the month it took me to get the money together to order my NS food and then I lost some more when I started drinking more water, marching in place, and watching what I was eating. When my scale arrived, the last number it registered before going to the EEE was 510. So when I started NS, I weighed MORE than 510 pounds but used that as my starting weight. My hubby and I guess I had probably lost close to 20-30 pounds before I got my scale so I probably have lost close to that 100 pound mark I want to get to so very badly. I'm not going to fret about it anymore. I am losing weight and that is all that matters. I am feeling better and moving better and I know I'm going to go all the way no matter how long it takes. All it costs me really is time and I'd just as soon spend the next two-three years losing weight than gaining more!

I'll post later today my meal plans for the day. Thanks for the support of reading my thoughts every day. It means a LOT to me!