Will I ever learn??

Recent pics

Since it had been so long since I updated the blog, I thought I should post a couple pictures.  :)

 First Day of School (August 1): Too early for real smiles.  LOL

 July: Beach pictures.  Aaaaah.  :o)

June: Family pics @ Heritage Park

I'm a loser!

No really!  We had a "biggest loser" contest over the summer- amongst coworkers.  Just paid $5, weighed in the last day of post planning and then again on Friday.  And I WON!  I didn't reach the lofty goal I set for myself, but I lost 3% of my body weight over the summer.  It's not flying off, but it's coming off. Slow and steady wins the race, right?  :o)

I've noticed lately that my rings are loose.  I'm more comfortable in my clothes (some of which were tight not long ago), and some are downright loose.  I'm not quite down to the next size though- so for the time being, I'm pulling my pants up.  LOL  (No, I don't own a belt.  I don't think.)  A couple people at school have commented that they noticed.  It feels good, people.  Feels good.  :o)

GO ME!  WOOHOO!

In other news, I am up to my ears in birthday party preparations. 
1) I can't believe he's going to be TWO.  No way, man.
2) Seriously?  Party in 6 days?  ACK!!  So much to do!

Alrighty.  Have a great week!!

08.10.11 Into the swing of things.

Howdy folks.  I have been terrible about keeping this updated.  It IS "one more thing to do"- BUT, I think that if I keep up on it, it will help me in several areas.  So here I am.  :)

So.  Let's see.



KIDS:
The kids are great.  Alex is a BIG boy- I mean size-wise.  He is nearing the height of my friend's three year olds.  And he'll be two in a few weeks.  Goodness.  He's talking more and more (not that I can understand it all, but quite a bit).  He's going to "school" with my friend Amy, and he loves it.  There are other little boys his age to play with, and he's loving learning new words, painting, reading books, and all that.  :)  I'm planning his second birthday party and it's sure to be fun!  (And exhausting.  LOL)
Abby is Abby.  <3  She is loving school- 2nd grade.  Craziness.  She is loving her "Challenge" (gifted) class as well.  She is a read-a-holic (gets that from me, I suppose) and reads EVERYWHERE.  The other day, she read through the store.  I would grab on to her and steer her.  LOL  She's also a bit obsessed with animals.  Pets have not worked out for us, so she's going to have to admire them from afar.  The girl makes me smile every day- she amazes me.  And then she makes me laugh, too.  :)

THE HUBBY:
Chas is doing well, still writing at CNNi.  We've been making a point to have a date night at least once a month- and it is wonderful.  I highly recommend it.  :)



SCHOOL:
School is good.  Today was the 8th day of school.  Yes.  Really.  LOL  I have said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE MY SCHOOL!  It is a truly awesome place to work.  I love Abby's teacher and they go really well together.  I am enjoying the teachers I work with.  I'm working hard to prepare for my ESOL Open House in a few weeks.  Good stuff.  It's going to be a great year. 

WEIGHT LOSS:
I have done a crappy job of counting calories/points and a crappy job of getting to the gym.  BUT, I HAVE been aware of what I'm eating.  I've been on the scale every day.  And the numbers are going down.  I've lost almost twenty pounds this year.  And truly, for the first four months or so, it was just yoyo- so the loss was really over the last few months.  I'm noticing in some of my clothes- I've not lost enough to hop down a size- but I am more comfortable in my clothes, and some are loose.  That's always nice.  :)  I've been complimented twice at work- and it feels good.  (Complimented by coworkers.  Two kids have asked me if I'm pregnant.  But that's ok- all the more motivation.  LOL)  I am doing this baby.  I'm going to add the gym to our daily routine- just trying to get used to school first.  :)


MONEY:
We're trying to follow the advice of Clark Howard and Dave Ramsey.  :)  It's hard being on a money-diet, I'll admit.  But I'm back on track with my student loans, and have been following a budget.  OK, I've been making a budget and trying to spend within it.  I've also jumped right into couponing.  I've started following a few blogs that I love- my fave being www.MoneySavingMom.com She is FABULOUS! Her "30 Weeks to a better grocery budget" video series is incredible.  I found her a few months into the year and I sat and watched a bunch of them to catch up.  LOVE LOVE LOVE her. 

GIRL SCOUTS:
We're still doing Girl Scouts- Abby will be a Brownie this year (our troop currently has 5 brownies and 2 daisies).  We haven't had our first meeting of the year yet- still trying to sort out schedules, but we're excited for a new year of fun!

Alright.  I think that's everything for now.  And I swear.  REALLY going to try to keep up with it this time.  :)

Some more catch-up

Man I suck at keeping this updated.  Really trying to work on that.

Here are some pics to catch you up the last couple of months:

May:

It helps me.  Maybe it will help someone else, too.

My Journey

So.  One of the reasons that I started this blog was to track my weight loss journey (life change, getting healthy, whatever you want to call it).  

I have tried and quit, tried and quit, tried and quit.  I lose focus (=excuse: too many things going on to worry about it right now).  I get angry (=excuse: everyone else can eat a burger and fries, why can't I?).  I forget (yes, sometimes I literally forget to be healthy- and fall right back into my unhealthy ways).  It's too expensive (well, kinda, but in the long run, not AT ALL).  I've got every excuse in the book.  

In January, I double checked on my membership at the gym (yes, I'd been a member for over a year).  I joined the "Biggest Loser" competition at school.  I posted a weight tracking chart above the scale in my bathroom, as well as a list of reasons/ goals.  It included:

Why should I lose weight?

1.          I want to be a better role model for Abby and Alex.  I would never want them to grow up fat and deal with the pain that comes with it… but if they do not have a better role model, it seems inevitable.

2.          I want to be able to keep up with the kids.

3.          I want to walk up the stairs in my house without getting winded.

4.          I want to have more energy.

5.          If I lose weight my feet, ankles, and hip will stop hurting.

6.          If I lose weight I will be able to stop taking blood pressure meds.

7.          If I lose weight, maybe my hormones will level out and my PCOS will go away.

8.          I want to feel attractive.

9.          I want to feel confident.

10.        I want to be able to shop in any clothing store without worrying if they have my size.

11.        I want to wrap up in a regular towel and have it fit around me.

12.        I want to sit on furniture and not worry if it will break or wear out too soon.

13.        I want to fit in the booth at a restaurant without being uncomfortable.

14.        I want to go parasailing…. But I weigh too much.

15.        I want to go horseback riding… but I worry that I weigh too much.

16.        I want to take Abby on roller coasters… but I’m afraid I won’t fit in them.

17.        I want to be able to live- without constant thoughts about whether my size is going to get in the way.  I want to be healthy and happy.

And guess what.  None of that helped.  Well, I will say this: I was more aware of what I was putting in my mouth.  But I didn't track calories or points (just that first week when I joined WW!).  I didn't go to the gym.  And I didn't lose weight.  Well, I lost and gained the same 8 pounds over the course of 3 months.

Then I remembered that we're going to the beach this summer.  And I was talking to Abby about going to Six Flags (she'll get a free ticket for reading so much).  And I ate out somewhere and felt like there was someone staring at me the whole time.  And I went to Florida for Spring Break. While on  spring break, we spent time with family and friends- it was an excellent vacation.  But it also provided several reminders for me.  The biggest came in the form of a photo.  My mother in law, Abby, and I went to the beach.  We were only going to  be there for an hour or so, and it was super windy- so even though I had my bathing suit on under my clothes, I never got in the water.  Abby, however was frolicking in the surf.  I took a bunch of pictures and then rolled my capris up and joined her.  Mary Lu picked up the camera and took some pictures.  I saw her and was glad- usually I'm the photographer, and I knew there were hardly any pictures of me on this vacation.  We had fun and drove home shortly later.  One of those pictures gave me a start.  I guess because it was truly candid (Abby and I were playing... I wasn't posing), it was eye opening.  And I've made changes from the moment I saw it.  (I also realize that the picture may not seem out of the ordinary to people who spend time with me, but surely you understand that what I see in the mirror never quite looks like that, to me...)

Of course the emphasis is on health- but our appearance- certainly our physique, but also our complexion and even hair- are outward signs of our health.  And mine was a stop sign.


Starting at the end of that vacation, I started tracking my Weight Watcher points again.  I've been to the gym 3 times a week most weeks (with other exertion on the other weeks- walking at the zoo or Noah's Ark, Relay for Life, Komen Race for a Cure).  And I've lost about 11 pounds.  :)  The consistent downward motion of those numbers on the scale is encouraging.  


For the first time in a long time, I feel like I can do this.


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