Good Day

While I didn't go to the gym yesterday or do the Wii Fit, it was still a great day food-wise. I plan to go to the gym in the morning on my way to get groceries so while it isn't the 4 times each week I'd planed, it will be 3 and that is acceptable since this week I had to attend a seminar that prevented my going during lunch today. I've got to strive to be better on the Wii Fit next week as it's Thursday and I didn't get on it a single time so far this week. Maybe I'll try that tomorrow night at least. I will definitely meet my walking goal on Saturday when I meet a friend to go on the local Trail. Next week my work hours are going to change and I'll get off at 4:30 each day rather than 6pm. Wonderful news! This will mean I get home so much earlier and have time to start walking every day again! My last goal was to limit myself to only 2 days of dessert or junk in general during the week, and so far, my only day for that was last Sunday when I had a small ice cream cone with fat free ice cream. The scales showed 134.4 this morning so I am now back inside my weight maintenance range and thrilled about it. 130 is getting a little closer every day! I also had my yearly work review this morning and it was wonderful, so definitely something to be proud of on that front. Hope you had a good day too!

Goal Update

In short, my goals are:
1. Work out at Curves at least twice a week SO FAR ONCE THIS WEEK
2. Work out at Riviera at least twice a week SO FAR ONCE THIS WEEK
3. Walk at least 5 miles each week SO FAR 3 MILES
4. Work out on Wii Fit at least three times each week NONE
5. Limit myself to having desserts/evening snacks twice a week and then IN MODERATION!!
ONCE ON SUNDAY

The scale actually said 135.6 this morning which is up a little but I'm not concerned. I ate wonderfully yesterday and even had baby carrots instead of chips and dip as everyone else had with supper. No complaints just continuing on the course!

So far, so good & A Kick in the Butt too

Yesterday's meals were 100% on target. No bad food of any kind. Today the scale was down to 135.4 so "technically" I am 135 and back in my "range" I'd set for maintenance. However, that certainly isn't to say I can slack off. Nope, I want to be back around 130...the middle of my range. Enough of the splurging and enjoying too many of the things that SHOULD have been the occasional treat. I also know I need to focus my attention back to exercise which I can often be bad about not doing. Last year, until the days got shorter, I was walking ALOT (80 to 120 miles each month) on top of going to the gym at least 3 times a week. When the time changed that commitment also changed. I started out by continuing to walk on weekends and pretty soon, I wasn't doing it at all. I also wasn't being as faithful about the gym as I should have been. But I have recommitted to being better about my exercise! I am going back to Curves (my insurance started paying for it again) twice a week with my mother and I am also planning to go to my other gym (the one I actually pay for) twice a week. On top of that, yesterday I made plans with a friend to start meeting to walk every Saturday morning at 7:30am. Hubby and I had started doing the Wii Fit every night at home as well, but unfortunately that can be time consuming when I don't get off work until 6pm. I think a better plan would be to shoot for doing it at least 3 times a week as well. This is definitely do-able and is something I am going to push myself to complete. If I get more, great. If I don't do 3 times, I'll ask one of my kids for a swift kick in the butt. I am also going back to being more strict with myself. While I am at goal and CAN be more flexible and enjoy the sweets in moderation, I want to make a goal to limit myself to only a couple of days each week where I will partake of such things. With all of these things working together, I should find myself back at 130 in no time if I stay the course....
In short, my goals are:
1. Work out at Curves at least twice a week
2. Work out at Riviera at least twice a week
3. Walk at least 5 miles each week
4. Work out on Wii Fit at least three times each week
5. Limit myself to having desserts/evening snacks twice a week and then IN MODERATION!!

I plan to post every day to track my progress on meeting those goals so I can hold myself accountable. Just because I am in the weight maintenance part of my journey I don't want to get too lax and forget that my body STILL needs the exercise that got me here! Have you set any goals for yourself lately?

Trip, Weight, and Swimsuits

Our weekend trip to Panama City Beach was wonderful as it always is. The weather was reasonably nice considering it's January, and we had a lot of fun in the indoor pool area. Most of our meals were cooked in the room so I did great on that aspect. We took popcorn and fruit with us so most of my snacks consisted of those items. I did enjoy some chips and a candy bar, but I made sure to go for a long walk/run on the beach to work some of it off. The end result...the scale this morning said 135.6 so I am down 0.4 lbs from Thursday morning! I had a big smile when I saw that number. lol The biggest shock of the trip however occurred BEFORE we left. On Friday while the kiddies were in school and hubby was working, I did some errands. One of those errands was to find a new swimsuit as my old one was way too big and the family kept telling me it looked really bad. I found my usual one piece at the store to try on, and just for grins, grabbed a 2 piece as well. Figured I'd be able to tell my husband that at least I tried one on and it simply wasn't happening. lol I put the one piece on and liked it a lot. Then came the moment of truth...the first time I'd put on a 2 piece in YEARS! Well....I liked it!! Holy Cow! I even smiled at my reflection in the mirror! This prompted me to try on another one. I liked it too!!! I was just short of jumping up and down in the dressing room. Me...the woman who swore she'd never be back into a 2 piece suit...was wearing one and liking it. I couldn't decide on which I liked better so I bought both! Couldn't shake the stupid grin off my face the rest of the day. And let's just say, hubby was really appreciative too! lol It was such a feeling of freedom to walk around the resort in those new swimsuits feeling perfectly comfortable. It's a feeling I didn't expect to have when I started this journey, so it's something that shocked me. I know I've lost a lot of weight and in clothes, I've thought I looked good. But as most of you know, the skin doesn't always firm up as much as we'd like after having been so stretched out for years. THIS alone is the main reason I never expected I'd be able to wear a 2 piece suit. Now I attained another goal I'd wanted but never thought I'd reach, and again, the feeling I have gotten just strengthened my resolve to make sure I never again gain weight! I hope you all feel the same way as you continue to meet your own goals!

So far, so good

While I did post about "getting back to the grind" on Monday, and I did eat well all day...I had the munchies that night and had popcorn and the last piece of red velvet cake. Yum! No more tempting sweets in the house so that's a plus and no desire to buy more anytime soon. The last two days had been 100% on target with my eating, and while I haven't gone to the gym since Monday, that's okay too. The scale this morning showed 136.0 so I am just one little pound away from being back within the maintenance area I set for myself...barely in it, but that's acceptable anyway. Eating has gone well today, and while we will be having dinner out tonight to celebrate my mother's birthday, I plan to make my usual healthy choice at the restaurant. My dad is also bringing a cake for us to have after dinner, and I am only going to eat a couple of bites...not even an entire piece. If I hadn't been having sweet issues lately I'd have my normal size piece and enjoy it guilt-free, but for now, a couple of bites is all I'll have. Tomorrow after picking the kids up from school, we're going to head over to spend a weekend getaway at a resort we enjoy at Panama City Beach. All of the rooms have kitchens so the plan is to take healthy food choices with us and to cook/eat in the room. That way we can enjoy the trip but not over-indulge. Hopefully with all the swimming and walking on the beach I'll even come back weighing less which is always a treat after being away from home for a few days. I also made our hotel reservations for next month for our trip to South Carolina. My nephew is graduating from Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island and I simply cannot wait to see him!! I know the 10 days leave he will have after boot camp will pass much too quickly but I plan to enjoy it and am counting down the days! Good luck with your continued healthy food choices...and remember, stay focused on the end!

Back to the Grind

I have noticed in the last month that I have gotten much more lax about my eating and have been allowing myself WAY more junk food than I need. Thankfully I haven't had any of the days where I just want to eat anything that gets in my way, but my routine has changed and I need to make the necessary modifications to continue my weight maintenance. My routine changed because we were on vacation the last week of December/first part of January and then returned home to my husband going back to day shift after having spent the last 3 years on the 3 to 11 shift. Don't get me wrong, I am LOVING having him home in the evenings and being able to eat as a family and cuddle on the couch in front of the fire each night. BUT on the flip side, hubby is an awesome cook! When he was working nights, the kids and I generally ate dinner with my parents who are also dieting so my suppers would be pretty low calorie (meats, steamed veggies, etc.). But now that hubby is home to cook, he has been making fabulous suppers that have had me being tempted into "just a little more" seconds, something I haven't done in a very long time. This is okay every now and then, but not on a routine basis. One night he also made a delicious red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for dessert. Hold me back! lol Sweets are my weakness and something I have to constantly be careful with. We rented movies the other night and ran by the pharmacy to grab something and I was in the mood for M&M's. However, instead of being semi-good and getting the little pack, we got a 3 lb. monstrosity. Why??!! I sure as heck didn't need that many M&Ms sitting around the house calling my name, but we got it anyway. Big mistake! HUGE mistake! Ate way too many that night, some more the next day, and you know how it goes. lol Thankfully the kiddies have nearly wiped those babies out (of course daddy and I have done our part to help with the cleanup process...it is our parental duty you know), the cake is down to only 1 slice (which my daughter most likely finished off today while she was home from school), and I have vowed to clean up my act. My weight is still doing okay. I'm averaging 137 lately which is okay, but not within the "range" I really want to stay in. My own fault and that's fine. On a positive note, figure I'd doing pretty great metabolism wise if I have been splurging way too much and still have been mainting around 137. Anyway...it's time to get back to the grind, get back to limiting my portions to ONE ONE ONE, and stay away from the junk food except every now and then (every night does not constitute "every now and then"). I had a lot of motivation to continue on my path of weight maintenance over the weekend. I have finally signed up for Facebook at the urging of several good friends. I was pleasantly surprised how many of my former classmates are on it and have had a blast reconnecting with them and catching up with how they are all doing. You can post pictures of yourself, family, etc. so I postd some of mine. I got several messages from old classmates telling me how great I look and one went even farther to say it looks like I just stepped out of high school while every one else has aged! Boy this made my head swell just a tad! lol It made me think back on the years before I lost weight and how back then, I would not have even THOUGHT of posting my picture, and if I did, it would most certainly have been a head shot only, which still would have embarrassed me beyond belief. But now, well now I was actually proud to post my picture! That feeling along made me remember how so very worth it every good food choice and every day at the gym or walking really was. I will forever hold onto that feeling of pride and accomplishment that I was reminded about when my friend sent me her message. Hope you all are doing well and continuing to fight your battle! The end is SO WORTH THE HARD WORK!!!

Productive Weekend

Hubby started his new schedule of being back on day shift last week and his off days are now Wed/Thu. This got me in the mindset of making the most of my being off and home alone on Fridays now. I got up at 6:30am and started my day of cleaning. Got the kiddies off to school and continued with my "to do" list. I literally spent about 13 hours that day cleaning the house and about 3 hours doing errands (groceries, donating clothes to the local nursing home, donating odds/ends to the Waterfront Mission, donating empty printer cartidges to the school, going to the bank). I didn't even stop to sit down and eat breakfast or lunch...I just made it and sat it on the counter and took a bite as I passed by the plate. lol Hubby took over making dinner while I continued to clean. Saturday I got up around 8:30am and started cleaning again. This went on all day except the time I took my oldest to/from the skating rink and to go out to dinner. I didn't stop until 11 that night. Sunday was more of the same until around 10pm. I'd pulled my back a bit on Sunday so I stayed home from work yesterday to relax. Didn't get up for the day until after noon and then I had lunch and did the remainder of my laundry. I am so proud when I look around at my immaculate house!! Ahhhh! It's been way too long since I took the time to really de-clutter and organize and it feels wonderful! With the hours and hours of cleaning I figured that more than made up for not exercising this weekend. Did you do anything that made you feel like you accomplished awesome things?

Family Response to the "New Me"....

....Or I should say the "new us" as both hubby and I have both lost weight since they last saw us (me the 150 lbs or so and him about 75 pounds). Thank you Karyn for the reminder about including this on my blog. They weren't completely surprised as we had sent out photo Christmas cards a couple of weeks before Christmas but were still shocked to see us in person as the card photo was pretty closeup so no one had the "full effect" until we arrived. Gary's mom talked about how tiny I was and how proud they were of what I have accomplished. I wish they'd made a bigger deal out of what my dear husband has done too but I made sure to point it out when no one else did! Granted he isn't at his goal weight yet but he has worked hard and I am so proud of him and want others to recognize his success. His sister was amazed too but unfortunately I think that made her feel worse. I say this because she has a lot of health problems that have contributed to her gaining at least everything I lost, probably more. I will continue to pray for her that the drs. figure things out so she can start to lose some weight soon. Hubby's other brothers haven't seen either of us since several months before we started losing weight, other than the photo card. We had a dinner for them the day after we arrived and the first thing one of the girlfriends said to me was 'OH my gosh...I have to ask, did you do it on your own or have the surgery??" I was so proud to be able to say it was all done with diet and exercise! I saw her again the day before we headed home and she showed me her "before" pic...before being before she gained weight. And she was talking about starting a diet too. While I certainly hope and pray that no one sees my weight loss and thinks badly about themselves, I am thrilled if I can be a small part of someone's motivation to get healthier! I couldn't help but feel so proud to go to family functions while up north and be the smallest one in the room (other than the kids), or to easily sit down in my husband's lap when all the chairs in the room were taken. I think that is always going to be one of my favorite things about having lost weight!

Back to the "Real World"

Vacation is over and I today was my first day back at work. It was sure rough getting out of bed this morning when the alarm went off (or truth be known, 5 minutes after the alarm went off when my dear husband lovingly dragged my lazy butt out of bed laughing the entire time). But thats okay, the "real world" isn't horribly bad and it was nice to get back to my own home. Our Christmas was wonderful as I hope was the same for each of you. Our day was very relaxing and enjoyable with all of our family. We left that evening heading north to Michigan and all was well until the last 60 miles when we hit ice...and ice in a HUGE way! At that point our speed began to average 10 to 15 mph IF we were lucky. Thank God for answered prayers and a hubby who grew up in that mess and remembers how to handle it. About 30 miles out we were caught behind a bad wreck that had us sitting for over half an hour. We gave up and tried alternate routes, the first of which was axed due to the interstate we were heading toward being closed. Back the other direction and ended up on a 2 lane road with horrible conditions but we were able to make it thru...instead of arriving at 830am as we expected, it was nearly 3pm. Then later that evening we got stuck 2 houses from the cottage we rented on Lake Michigan. Ugh! AND hubby and I both fell on the ice, I ended up with 2 nice bruises and we thought he broke his hand, thankfully he did not. Once hubby's family came to help out with the problem and get our car down to the cottage, I could breathe a little easier. Though I did tell him if the weather and roads did not get better, my butt was NOT leaving the cottage all week and if anyone wanted to visit us, they could come to us!! lol Thank God for more answered prayers in the way of rain all night which helped to clear the roads. The rest of the trip was great with much visiting but also lots of time spent with just Gary, me and the kiddies by the fire. AHHHH....relaxing! We headed home last Friday morning, stopped to spend 5 hours at a mall in Nashville and arrived home by midnight. Then bliss...two whole days to relax before going to work today. A perfect way to end a vacation!! I was a bit scared to get on the scale but I was pleasantly surprised that I was basically the same as when I left. How I"m not sure since I surely didn't worry too much about diets up north, but thats okay. Now I'm home and back to watching what I eat more closely. Also back to the gym during lunch today and though it was brutal and I wanted to quit early, I trudged forward and finished the entire workout. Tonight hubby and I will be continuing the routine we have started of spending some time on the Wii Fit the kiddies got for Christmas. I hope that each of you made some special memories this Christmas and were able to enjoy the holidays in moderation!