The Diet Fork

I found this "diet fork" on Facebook and thought oh my, I definitely need one of these!  Then I realized that the unhealthiest foods don't require a fork....pizza, chips, cookies, candy, etc :(  So no thank you, I'll take my regular fork any day!

 

Hey, Fat Girl

I am copying this blog entry from the website www.myfitnesspal.com and it came from their Motivation/Support message boards.  Such encouragement to me!  Now I'm off to google this blog for some new reading!
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This is a blog entry from flintland.blogspot.com.


I am in love with this person!

Hey, Fat Girl.

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.


You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home. You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.

I bow to you.

Where have I been?

Seems like all of my posts start with I'm back, or MIA, or starting over.  I'm sure this one is no exception.  I realize it's been close to 6 months since I've last posted or did anything with this blog.  I need to make a habit of posting more often so that it will be a constant reminder of the weight loss journey that I am.

I'm still trying to lose weight, and I am losing, but it's just taking a long time.  I was a paying member of WW, although I couldn't tell you the last time I actually tracked anything.  At the beginning of the year, our church started a weight loss program similar to WW, so my husband and I are participating in that.  The only thing I dislike about that is it's a new scale and weighs more than the WW does so when I start recording weight, it won't be accurate with the WW scale.  Then at the beginning of February, our church started the Daniel Fast again, which is basically like a weight loss program.  I also enjoy doing the Daniel Fast, and one of the reasons is because I usually lose around 20 pounds doing, so that will be a HUGE motivator and jumpstart at getting back on track and losing weight.

Hiking at Audubon Park

(I originally typed this in October 2011 and never got around to posting it for some reason.)

My weight and WW has been somewhat of a roller coaster these past few weeks/months.  At my last weigh-in for WW, I lost 2.2 lbs, so that has me motivated again!  I've found out awhile back that some local parks have hiking trails, in different lengths, and I have been wanting to walk them.  One inparticular at Audubon Park is called the Wilderness Trail and it wraps around a lake out in the middle of nowhere.  The only way to get to this lake is via the trails.  There is a fun wooden bridge around it and I've been wanting to find it and take some pictures of it.  So this past Sunday, Shawn and I had a picnic lunch at Audubon - we had KFC chicken - not the best choice, I know, and then we walked on a few trails.  It was much more of a hike than a walk....

The gray car in the middle of the picture is mine!  I'd never been sooo happy to see my car!

I lost, I lost, I *finally* lost!

I finally *lost* weight at this week's weigh-in.  I feel like the last few weeks, I've been going in the wrong direction - up instead of down.  I lost .8 lb.  I was hoping for more, especially since Mandy and I have walked on our lunch three days this past week, however I haven't eaten the greatest, so I'm sure that's why.  With us starting to walk, and me losing weight this week, it's given me new motivation to get back on track. 

I'm Back!

WOW!!  I've been MIA for quite some time haven't I?  Well I'm back, and determined this time to make it work.  I didn't fall of the wagon completely, but I was holding on to the end of the rope and being drug down the road.  I kind of gave up on measuring and tracking, thinking I could do it on my own without that.  And then they stopped the at-work program because not enough people signed up.  I started going back to the meetings at the church in Newburgh, when I knew I had lost weight; when I knew I had gained, I didn't go.  Who wants to pay $12 a week just to get on the scale and them tell me what I already knew!  But I've realized that I HAVE to track and measure, and go to meetings, along with exercise, to make the program work!  I've got a new WW buddy.  While she really isn't new, she's my coworker and really good friend Mandy (her cute picture is below), she is new to being my WW buddy.  She is going to the meetings with me; we have both signed up for the monthly pass, which means we pay in advance so there is no excuse for not going.  We have also started walking on our lunches.  We were going to walk after work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (she's off on Monday and Friday), but that never worked out.  So we decided to walk on our lunch.  Yesterday was our first day.  We walked, ate lunch, and then walked some more.  It felt great!  Once I got back to work, I was excited about walking and excited to walk again!  Today we walked for 30 minutes; I tracked our route on Google maps and we walked one and a half miles today.  I was uber excited!, and can't wait for tomorrow's walk.  So this IS going to work!!  Measure, track, exercise, repeat! 


My Sweet Mandy :)



I finally reached a goal!

I had a very successful weigh-in today!  I lost 5.2 pounds this week and finally got under 300 pounds!  Thank you Jesus!!  I've been trying to get to the under 300 pound mark since this past September and slowly, but surely, I FINALLY made it and I'm NOT going back there!!  Bye, bye 300's! 

NSV: Smaller clothes

The last two weeks I've had a loss on the scale and I'm super excited about that.  I've also been shopping lately and have been buying smaller size clothes including a smaller size underwear and bra.  I was so excited! 

It's about time

At today's WW meeting, I got a great surprise on the scale - I had lost 6.4 lbs.  I was SO UBER EXCITED!  I haven't had a loss in a few weeks so this was such a blessing and such inspiration for me to keep going.  I was pretty strict with myself all week - no sodas, no tea, no buffets, and no bad meals.  I didn't get to do any water aerobics, but Saturday night we did get jiggy with it at Cassie's wedding, and then Sunday evening I started digging a new area for my landscaping project and that was definitely a workout!

NSV: Smaller undergarments

I was stoked when I went to Lane Bryant the other day to buy new underwear.  I was able to get them in a smaller size and they actually fit!  That makes me happy.  I also believe that the next time I need to buy new bras, that I am going to try to get them a size smaller! 

Tracking + Measuring + Exercise = SUCCESS!

This past week I have been very diligent in tracking and measuring my food and have taken water aerobics classes at the Y on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night, two classes each night.  The result:  minus 3.6 pounds for a total loss of 21.8 pounds.  BLESSING!

Time to get back on track

Wow....it's been over 3 months since I last posted.  I know I need to post more often to help keep me on track with WW.  I feel like I have gotten off track and am right now slowly getting back on track.  I've been having a hard time tracking my food and measuring my food.  When I do these two things, I have seen success.  And when I haven't, I have seen failure on the scale.  Angie and I have also started taking water aerobics at the Y and are loving them!  (I'll create another post about them.)  I know that exercise coupled with diet is nothing but a great thing!  We have another weigh-in tomorrow and I'm kind of iffie about it.  Earlier in the week I felt confident that I had lost weight, but right now I'm not so sure.  I just pray for a blessing from the Lord on the scale tomorrow.

New Program

Yesterday was a great day for me at WW.  At the weigh-in I had a loss of 2.8 pounds.  I was UBER excited!  I haven't had a loss in a while, so it was definitely what I needed to get me back on track.  Then in the meeting, we were introduced to the new WW program.  There was alot of material given out and that I bought and I haven't had a chance to really sit down and go through everything, but they have a new way of figuring points and everything had a new point value, including the number of points I am allowed per day and the number of weekly allowance points WW gives you.  I was getting 36 points per day and now I get 46 points.  And everyone was allowed 35 weekly allowance points and now that number is up to 49.  Alot of one and two point fruits and veggies are now zero points, so that's an incentive to try to get more fruits and veggies in the diet.  And instead of using the slider scale to figure your points based on calories, fat, and fiber, we have a calculator to figure points based on fat, fiber, protein, and carbs.  I love change, so I definitely believe this is going to be a good thing; it just may take me a while to get it all figured out.

I've been MIA!

I've been struggling the last few weeks with WW.  My plan every day is to stick with it, measure my food, eat what I brought, track my points.  However I'm struggling with this.  It may be that I forget to track, or eat more than I measured, or give into temptations and go out to eat a bad meal, or buy an unfriendly snack at the store.  Whatever it is, I need to give it to God and get focused again.  I'm upset with myself, and that's not good.  So starting this morning, I am getting back on track. 

I got up this morning before my alarm went off and went into the bonus room and found some old workout tapes.  I popped ol' Billy Blanks Tae Bo in the VCR and did a little bit of the workout.  No, I didn't finish the tape, but what I did do, well that's better than just thinking about doing it.  I have also measured out and tracked all of my food today.  This is something that I need to get back into the habit of doing.

At the meeting today, I was up 2.6 pounds.  I knew I had gained weight, but didn't realize it was that much.  I also got my 16 week SAS charm.  SAS stands for Stay and Succeed.  It's a little gold looking charm of two hands clapping and has 16 engraved in it.  That means I have been attending meetings for 16 weeks.

Victory in Jesus...and the scale!

At our WW meeting yesterday afternoon I got on the dreaded scale.  I lost another 2.4 pounds for a total loss of 20 pounds!  WOOHOO!  That also means that since November of last year, I have lost 40 pounds total!  I feel great!  I know I have a LONG ways to go, but each little victory is motivation to keep going!