CJK's journey BACK to the real me!!!! Comments welcomed and encouraged!!

[CJK]

Hello fellow WISHers!

I'm so thrilled to have found this board. I am on day 16 of my healthy lifestyle and it feels great so far. Here's a little background.

Eight years ago, I lost a lot of weight for my wedding (about 60 pounds), and was a very low 130 pounds on my 5ft 8 frame. Dh actually thought I was too skinny. I maintained that weight for a few months, but gradually gained it all back (in about 5yrs). In order to maintain that low weight, I NEVER cheated and exercised 7 days a week. Today, I'm back to where I was 8yrs ago. :(

My new goal is to get to about 150lbs which I think I can maintain through regular exercise (though not 7 days a week), with a little cheating here and there. However, I need to lose about 40lbs to get there!

As of 16 days ago, I'm exericising 5 days a week (alternating interval training on treadmill and taebo), plus walks with dh whenever possible (including weekends). I'm not on a specific diet, rather, I'm watching portions and calorie/fat intake. I'm writing a food journal for now as well. On weekends, I ease up a bit and allow a few more calories, so as to prevent binging!

My reasons for wanting to lose weight are two-fold. The first, is so I can fit into my old clothes that are gathering dust! ;) The other, more important reason, is b/c we're hoping to try to conceive later this year, and I want my body to be as healthy and strong as it can be for that time.

So that's my story. My main problem is EMOTIONAL EATING so I think this board can provide the motivation that I need! Any comments/responses are very much appreciated! I look forward to getting to know all of you as we continue on this journey towards our healthier selves!!! :goodvibes

[CJK]

Today has been pretty good. I ate 1550 calories. I'm counting calories and measuring all food for the first few weeks of this new healthy lifestyle so as to get a feel for how large/small single servings are.
Today:
Breakfast:
2 pieces wheat toast with 1tbsp & 1/2 of lite cream cheese
Big cup of tea with a little skim milk and sugar

Snack:
1 cup of watermelon, chopped

Lunch:
Vegetable beef soup
1 cup of watermelon, chopped
chocolate fudgicle (110 calories)

Snack:
4 cups of plain popcorn (100 calories)
10 almonds

Dinner:
2 small soft beef tacos
1 bowl of cherries (with pits - 52 calories)
1 rice krispie treat (90 calories)

Water intake: about 4 cups NEEDS WORK!! ;) Why can't water taste like coke?

Exercise:
30 minutes of Taebo in morning
5km walk at night.

Do a lot of you weigh yourself regularly? I still haven't brought myself to actually weigh myself. :rolleyes: I'm afraid that I'll be really, really upset and will self-sabotage. I have, however, taken my measurements and will check them once a week.

If I'm not involved in social events, I've done well with my eating. The problem arises when I'm out with friends. I HATE feeling deprived! This weekend/early next week will be full of social events that I'm really worried about. I need to find the balance between eating well, but still allowing for fun (ie. glass of wine with dinner, etc..).

Thanks for listening!! :wave:

[TomB'sWidow]

It sounds like your staying on track :cool1: Keep it up :cheer2: :cheer2:
as far as weighing myself, I did it for the first time in a long time the other day. I really feel I need to be honest with myself about where I need to start but everyone has to do what feels comfortable for them.

[CJK]

Thanks for the well wishes!!!

What a difference a day makes in attitude! Today marked the first day of feeling frustrated. I guess it's unrealistic to see much change in 2.5 weeks, but it's frustrating just the same. I tried on a pair of pants that I had hoped would be a little big now, but not so. They may not be quite as tight, but they definitely still fit (tight at the waist even). I'm wondering if I should reduce my carbs more? The thing is, I LOVE carbs. As you notice in my food for the day, carbs are a major part of my routine.

While my attitude wasn't so great today, I still did okay. I did 45 minutes on the treadmill (alternating walking with running). Dh is sick today, so I was taking care of him today as well. No walk tonight I don't think. I had about 5 cups of water today. I need to work on that, but it's hard when you constantly have to go to the bathroom!! Here's my food journal.

Breakfast:
2 toast with 1tbsp lite p. butter
tea with skim milk & little sugar

Snack:
1 cup of cherries (with pits)
1 cup watermelon, chopped

Lunch:
Lean Cuisine
1/2 cup frozen yogurt

Snack:
4 cups of plain popcorn
10 almonds

Dinner:
85g whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup pasta sauce
3/4 cup peas
2 cups of cherries (with pits)
= 1556 calories

I'm supposed to check measurements tomorrow, but I admit to feeling nervous since I still don't see much/any difference in my clothes. Why is it so much easier to GAIN weight??? :rolleyes:

[DisDee]

Hey CJK, I'm new to this board also, and as they say, misery loves company. Don't let yourself get too frustrated. You've committed yourself to making healthy lifestyle changes, and we all know that doen't happen overnight. I'ts a gradual process. All those little changes will make a big difference in the end. Focus on your positive choices and give yourself a reward for becoming more healthy. Keep us posted!

[kimwim8]

Hi CJK!

It sounds to me like you're on the right track! Keep up what you're doing and you will definitely see results! Don't forget...slow and steady is the way to go!

I know it really stinks to do that first weigh in, but I would encourage you to do it. It's much more rewarding to know where you started, once that number starts going down. I wish I would have measured myself when I started b/c I would love to know how many inches I've lost. But it's too late for that now.

Good luck, keep on journaling....we're here for you!! :wave:

[CJK]

Thanks so much for your comments and encouragement! It helps so much!! My attitude hasn't been so great recently for some reason. I haven't faltered in food or exercise, but I'm struggling with frustration!

Kimwim8, you're absolutely right about the scale. I sort of wish I weighed myself 3 weeks ago, so I'd know EXACTLY how much weight I've lost. I'm just so scared!!! It sounds silly, since it's only a number. But, it has been traumatic for me in the past. I remember when I was 23, I weighed myself and was STUNNED to see 176 (that was after I lost a fair bit of weight too). I know I'm way over that right now, so that's the frightening thing. I'm going to really try to do it though.... Thanks for the encouragement. I'll let you know when I get brave enough..... :blush:

Today was a pretty good day. I did 30 minutes of Taebo and 15 minutes on the treadmill (alternating brisk walk with running). I drank 5 cups of water today, and am working on my 6th right now! I still need to get that up a bit, but I get tired of going to the bathroom all the time!
June 29, 2006
breakfast:
2 bread 260
p.butter 1tbsp1/2 120
tea 50

Snack:
1 cup watermelon 50

Lunch:
lean cuisine 170
froz. yogurt 100

Snack:
popcorn, 4cups, 100
10 almonds 50

Dinner:
peas 3/4 cup 100
chic w/ rice 400
2 cups cherries 104
= 1504

I'm trying to be particularly good this week because we're going to a pool party this weekend (BATHING SUIT SEASON!!! Eek!) and then I'm hosting a friend reunion of sorts on Tuesday (and alcohol and non-healthy food will be in abundance). My plan is to still eat the food, but in smaller portions. I'll have one or two glasses of wine - not 4. ;) Any good vibes you can send me, would be great. Social gatherings are my weak points, but I love my friends and don't want to give it up either. I did think about just telling my friends that I'm trying to lose weight, but I'd rather not make a big thing of it. I did that the LAST time I lost weight, and don't really want to go down that road again.....

It really helps to keep this journal and get all of these feelings out. Oh, I forgot to write my good news! I lost 2 inches since last week (1/2 inch on thigh, 1/2 inch on hips and 1 inch in waist). It's a baby step, but I want to celebrate THAT success. Now, if I could just get onto that scale....;) Thanks for listening!!

[CJK]

Its been a funny day. I didn't do any strenuous exercise today, but I did go on two walks - one in the morning, and one in the evening.

Our house had a revolving door of visitors today which usually jeopardizes my eating plan, but I *think* it went okay. I did have a lemon spritzer with just a splash of wine, but that still only amounted to 100 calories. We had a frozen pizza for dinner (it is a fairly low-fat kind, but pizza nontheless), and I had 3 pieces (amounting to 450 calories). Still, I only had 1450 calories all day, but it feels like I've cheated! My husband thinks I'm nuts, and really, he may be right! :crazy:

Tomorrow will be a big test at the pool party. Then, next week will be difficult all week long basically with many dinners/lunches to contend with. But, I'm trying to just focus on one day at a time. Have a great long weekend. Happy Canada Day (tomorrow) and Happy 4th of July on Tuesday!! :wave:

[TomB'sWidow]

Wow two walks that's great :cheer2: .Isn't it funny how eating pizza even if it is just a few slices, it still feels like cheating. Keep up the good work :thumbsup2

[lindalinda]

CJK. your food looks great! Lots of high water content fruit is excellent! (I'm a total slacker on fruit) :thumbsup2

Pick a day...get on the scale...you need a starting point so that you can celebrate your successes! I know its hard, but we are gonna harrass you til you do (of course you dont have to tell us what it is, just yourself)

I also like the ticker things....lots of people comment on mine, which encourages me. Good Luck!

:hippie:

[CJK]

Thanks for the encouragement! I really do think about this journal and all of you fellow WISH'ers and it does help me keep going. Linda, thanks for keeping on me about the scale...........I know I HAVE to do it. I'm hoping next week........

Happy Canada day!! Not only did we have a great time at the pool party with all our friends, I didn't even blow my calories for the day AND I even exercised!!! Go figure! The ladies all gathered in the shallow end of the pool to chat for a good 15 minutes, and I decided to tread water in the deep water while chatting. What a fun and simple way to burn extra calories! Then, dh came home after fireworks and went for a 40 minute walk. The old me would have opened some chips and watched TV, but wow! What a great day!! I hope I can keep this momentum going next week with all the food. Eek!! Thanks for listening!

[CJK]

Ugh! I think I may be coming down with dh's cold that I tried soooooooooo hard to avoid! We're having a major dinner party on Tuesday, so tomorrow I was planning on doing a lot of the prep cooking and cleaning. Maybe not now! Dh better sleep with one eye open tonight! ;)

Today went well. I had the usual whole grain toast and peanut butter for breakfast, salmon sandwich on whole wheat, for lunch watermelon, rice krispie treat, grilled chicken sandwich for dinner. No veggies today though, so I must fix that tomorrow. I had about 6 cups of water though, so that's progress. I almost didn't walk tonight, but figured I'd better do it since I'm participating in the July exercise challenge. It ended up being a 60 minute walk (5.5km). It's not strenuous exercise, but I still got my heart pumping. Fingers crossed I don't get sick for tomorrow.......my vacuum is calling my name! Night all!

[lindalinda]

Good job getting that walk in even when you didnt want to, and 60 mins is excellent. Keep up the good work! :goodvibes

[CJK]

Today was a day of ups and downs. The food was "okay", but not terrific. A chicken breast on a whole grain bun, with a few strips of bbq'd sweet potato amounted to 600 calories. Even when I'm eating healthy, I still get surprised at all the calories in it. But, I still managed to keep my calorie count low for the day.

I only went for a 20 minute walk today. Too much cleaning and cooking to feel enough energy for an intense workout. I hope I can do taebo tomorrow morning if time allows. Upward and onward!

[Foxfiregrrl]

Hi, CJK! I was reading your journal and we have quite a bit in common! I too am trying to lose weight before trying to concieve early next year. My goal weight is 150 and I have been doing intervals walking and jogging. I just recently started attending a tae bo class and am really enjoying it! We are both just portion & calorie watching rather than doing a specific diet.

Nice to meet you! Good Luck! You have gotten off to a Great start! :cheer2: Your foods look good! You have been getting in a lot of fruits which is something that I struggle with. You are doing a Great job w/ your exercise also! :cheer2:

Have you weighed yet? I think you have to bite the bullet and do it. However, don't weigh too often. I know that I am becoming healthier w/ better eating and way more exercise than in the past, but the weight can be slow to come off. That is good though, they say if you lose slowly you are more likely to keep it off. Keep that in mind. I think your 2 inch loss was Awesome!! :cheer2: That is some Definite Progress!!

Have a Wonderful week! :sunny:

[CJK]

Hi Foxfiregrrl! :wave:

It sure sounds like we do have quite a bit in common! Are you sure we weren't separated at birth? Let me guess - your favourite colour is purple too? ;)

I haven't weighed myself yet. :sad2: I had planned on doing so tomorrow, but I don't think I will. The last couple of days we've been having a lot of company and done a lot of visiting, so I've definitely been eating food that I wouldn't have normally. It's not that I actually WANTED the food, it's that we were visiting friends who happened to bring out chocolate cake and pecan pie. Eek! I did have very small pieces, but still, they were high in calories and fat which definitely will stall my weightloss for this week. I hope to stay on track for the rest of the week, and weigh myself next week.....

My water consumption was practically non-existent these last couple days too and I've had some alcohol. I didn't exactly blow it (still had small portions), but I certainly didn't do as well as I've been doing the last 3 weeks. I should be happy that I didn't just throw caution to the wind and eat whatever I wanted (as I would have done before....), but I'm still disappointed in myself. I will try not to let it get me down though and start anew tomorrow!

All the best with your weightloss endeavours too. I hope we can definitely help each other with motivation. It's nice to meet someone with similar goals and methods. Good luck!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[CJK]

Today was good in terms of food, water consumption and exercise, but boy, the obstacles just kept on coming. I woke up with a terrible headache that I still have right now. Today was also the day to check my measurements. Intellectually, I know that it's unrealistic to expect much in just one week, but I was disappointed to find little change (just half an inch). I had to deal with angry clients and I was so tired all day, that even putting my lean cuisine in the microwave for lunch was a chore!

Do any of you feel "angry" for not being able to eat whatever you want? I'm embarassed to admit that I felt that way today. I went for a walk tonight to get away from food and I'm feeling better now. I hope this silly anger doesn't rear its ugly head again! Despite my negative self-talk, I'm still determined to continue.

Hope everyone is doing well - one day at a time! :goodvibes

[CACruisin']

HI CJK. Welcome to WISH. You are off to a fantastic start with eating right and exercising. I am also using portion control & fat intake as my main path along with exercise. I have also tried to add more protein (but then the fat content goes up :crazy: ) Socializing is such a toughie. We have had continuous sets of houseguests since 6/15 and I have gotten completely off track. I love having everyone visit, but I am also looking forward to being more in control of my day, eating and exercise wise.

The water thing really does seem to make a difference, and the bathroom breaks do seem to even out after a week or so. :rotfl2: Before houseguests arrived I was consistently taking in 100oz/ day and not even really trying. Now I am trying to work my way back up again - and starting the whole bathroom thing again too - sigh - but it is worth it. Think of it as flushing all the bad stuff out, and filling you up with 0 cal instead of with other stuff.

Get on the Scale. So what if you haven't been very good this week. This is your baseline weight and you will only go down from here. It is very satisfying to see the numbers go down, but first you need to see where they start. I have the opposite problem. I have to keep from getting on the scale everyday. I want to see instant results. :blush: Actually, it does help motivate me to be good during the weekend, etc, if I see I have lost weight before the weekend starts. :teeth: It is good that you are taking measurements. That really is a better indicator of how your body is improving.

[CJK]

Thanks so much for your comments CACruisin'! Thanks for the hope about the frequent restroom breaks with all of this water consumption!! :teeth: In the meantime, I figure I'm getting a little more exercise with all the added trips to the restroom! :rotfl: Best wishes as you get back on the healthy living wagon. I agree that all that socializing gets tough!

You're also right about the scale!!! Many of you have told me to do it, but I just can't seem to make myself do it. When I noticed only a half inch loss this week in inches, my mood really plumetted. It took some major work to bring my mood back up. This is definitely an area that needs work. Rest assured, I WILL get on that scale....

Today was a good day. I had company this afternoon, but still managed to have a low cal. drink and a fruit platter to munch on. I did a 45 min. work-out on the treadmill and a 35min. evening walk. Water consumption was about 6 cups. Still needs to improve, but to think that a few short weeks ago I was drinking NONE, it's still progress.

This weekend should be pretty good foodwise (no company coming!), so I want to take advantage of that since next week and weekend will be danger zones again. Summer is great for exercise due to great weather, but lousy for food because of all the social gatherings!!! Have a great weekend! :wave:

[CACruisin']

Great job getting exercise in and sticking with the fruit platter with your company! :thumbsup2 Yes, the exercise from all the extra potty breaks is the silver lining :rotfl2: . Good job getting 6 cups of H2O. I fill a 64 oz pitcher every morning and keep refilling a big cup. It helps me keep track of what I have drunk. I hear you on the socializing. Very smart to take advantage of a no-company weekend when you can.

[CJK]

Thanks for the 64oz pitcher idea. I will do that so that I won't even have to count the glasses I'm having. I'll definitely do that, thanks!

Today I discovered a wonderful invention.....TURKEY BACON! With only 40 calories per strip, I felt like I had a breakfast of a Queen! I liked it a lot, but dh thought it tasted like fried bologna. :confused3 Anyway, it was a nice weekend treat. Otherwise, its been a pretty good food day. I had a handful of M&M's to satisfy my sweet tooth (120 calories). Right now, I'm sipping a fresh fruit smoothie. Yum!

Today I did yoga. My tennis raquet didn't look so good, so yoga fit the bill this time. I'm in pretty good spirits today which just makes everything easier. Hope everyone else is having a good weekend too!

[CJK]

I usually enjoy spending time with friends/family, but dh and I REALLY enjoyed having a day all to ourselves for a change! We went for a 45min. early walk, and then just relaxed, read, wrote letters. etc.. on the patio. It was wonderful! I made some different food choices today with salads which went well. The side salad that I bought at a local restaurant only had 15 calories without dressing which is amazing to me (considering the salad was pretty good and not pure lettuce!! I then used 1 tbsp of my favourite lowfat dressing from home which I used for dipping. I didn't feel deprived in the least!

This week we're entertaining twice which is always a little concerning for me, but if I made it through last week with all the crazy social events, surely I can get through these too (and maybe, just maybe have some fun too)! Water intake wasn't as good today, so I must get my hands on a big pitcher to fill each morning.

I hope everyone else had a good weekend too! :goodvibes

[CACruisin']

WTG on making great food choices! :banana:

The pitcher really helps me. By about 4 in the afternoon, I have generally lost track of how many glasses I have had. With the pitcher, I don't have to remember and think, just drink :rotfl2: .

I hear ya on the socializing. We have had back to back visitors since 6/15. Today was our first "guest free" day and we enjoyed just being lazy. :goodvibes

[CJK]

Thanks for the encouragement!

Sorry for not posting yesterday! I'm not sure what happened! Its been a pretty good couple of days. Dh is starting to be able to notice my weightloss. It's still a small amount (as I still fit in all of my current size clothes), but I can feel myself tightening up. If I could just get these thighs to shrink!! :teeth:

Tonight we're having company yet again which is always a big concern for me. I've prepared some healthy choices........except for the dessert! These guests LOVE chocolate so I didn't want to completely deny them that treat. My plan is to have a small piece after the fairly healthy chicken entree. I've been cleaning and cooking most of the day and managed to do 45min. on the treadmill.

Tomorrow I'm visiting another friend for lunch, so I won't have power of what I'm eating there, but I can exercise portion control. That's my motto these days - portion control.

I'm taking measurement tomorrow too. Hopefully I'll see some results. Not seeing much last week really put a damper on my spirits and I don't want to go through that again! Thanks for listening! :goodvibes

[lindalinda]

:goodvibes YAY on DH noticing! :thumbsup2 You are doing great! Keep it up, good plan on the portion control mantra!

:hippie:

[CACruisin']

Great job planning healthy choices. Portion control really is the key, isn't it. That is great that your DH has noticed your weight loss! :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2:

Why is it that the weight seems to come off the hips and thighs last while some other, err, "less endowed" places seem to be the first to go? :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: Some semblance of cleavage was the only upside to being fat for me. Now that is gone and I'm still fat. :crazy:

Good Luck with you measurements tomorrow. Get on the scale!

[CJK]

Thanks Linda, CACruisin'!

Yes...it's SOOO true that we lose weight in our chest before in your behind, thigh, stomach, hips, calf, upper arms.....need I go on?? :rotfl:

I'm still working on that scale thing..... :rolleyes1

Today started off GREAT! I measured today and lost close to 2 pounds between my waist/hips and thigh. I then had a great workout and planned to spend the day with friends.

But then, plans got turned upside down......and so went my attitude! Weird. I only had 4 cups of water only all day. I also discovered BAKED DORITOS!!! Any of you have them? 13 chips equals 110 calories. They're sooooo good. I managed to only have this one serving of chips, but it was so tempting. They tasted practically as good as the regular chips.

I'm going to try to go walking tonight if my schedule allows. Thanks for encouraging me to stay on track.

[CACruisin']

WTG on your good measurements :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2: :banana: (now get on that scale!)

I haven't had baked doritos (might have to try them though - they sound yummy!). With other baked chips, etc. I need to actually count out exactly what I can have and then put the bag away before I start eating. Otherwise, I'll eat too many.

You are doing a fantastic job on your exercise challenge this month!

[lindalinda]

I love all those baked lays chips, the cheddar chips are good and the baked cheetos too. I actually count them out and put them in little zip lock bags so I know I'm getting the correct serving. Otherwise I will eat the whole bag! I had some of the fat-free ruffles today (counted them out!) and they are good too. You have to be very careful and not eat too many of those those or you will get a tummy ache! I have bought the 100 calorie packs of different things but they are really expensive...and I can count myself!

Good job on the measuring...I have never measured myself..I dont even have a tape measure. It would probably be a shocker if I did.

:hippie:

[CJK]

Yum! I'll have to try some of those different Lays flavours. I'm the kind of person who gets ANGRY when I feel deprived of something that I really want. Chips is one of those treats that I love so these baked chips are a great find so long as I can stay within one serving.

Yesterday was a weird day. I make it a point of never eating after 7:30pm at night. However, our dinner guests last night didn't even arrive until 7:35pm. I ate very well all day and allowed myself a few extra calories for dinner last night. I did enjoy a little wine and a tiny slice of dessert, but I think I still stayed under 1600 calories for the day. My concern isn't so much about the calories, but about how late it was when we finished eating - about 10:30pm!! Hope I didn't sabotage my weight loss plan too much? Today will be good, so hopefully that will help a bit!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

[CJK]

Yesterday was a fantastic day foodwise. I had really good food from chicken breasts on buns, vegetable kabobs, salad, fruit and frozen yogurt! I was able to go on a 60min. walk in this heat too! I brought a water bottle along and was good to go. My motivation seems to be back on track and hubby is right there with me. It helps being accountable to him and to everyone reading this journal. Thank you!

[CACruisin']

You did great with your dinner party and it sounds like you had an awesome sunday too. :banana:

Glad DH is so supportive. Having a journal has definitely helped me stay on track and get back on track when I stray. :teeth:

[CJK]

Thank you!!! You're absolutely right about this journalling thing. It helps you when you stray. Today was only "okay" foodwise. I stayed on track in terms of calories and fat, but I did have too much sugar. For dessert tonight, I had frozen yogurt AND a rice krispie treat. I was just feeling a bit deprived tonight, so I figured having these treats would help me NOT binge. It worked!

Today I found out that I got a new job that I love so I was soooo excited! I immediately went on the treadmill where it felt like I floated through my workout! If only it always worked that way. :smooth: ;)

I'm hosting a baby shower this weekend so I'm really trying to stay on track all week so that I can have a few extra calories at the party.

Hope everyone else is off to a great start this week! :banana: :banana:

[CACruisin']

CONGRATS on the new job!! That is wonderful news.

Rice Krispy treats are soooo gooood! I could just binge on those! :blush: Glad it stopped your binge though. Great job!

I am currently really focusing on keeping my fat grams down. I have to really think about what I am eating. I am also consciously eating more fruits and veggies. Without the journalling I would not have realized where I was getting into trouble. Glad journalling is working for you too. :teeth:

[CJK]

Thanks for your continued encouragement. My thread hasn't caught on it seems! Ah well.

Today was measuring day again. I lost 1/4 inch there, and another half inch here. I should be pleased that the trend is going DOWNWARD, but here's the kicker. I still haven't dropped a single size in clothing. After 1.5 months of SERIOUS exercising and watching my food intake, I still haven't dropped a size. Admittedly, when I started, all of my clothes were tight, and now they're getting loose, but all of my current size clothing still fit. It's really, really frustrating me. I don't think I can do much more (except drink more, but I'm even starting to drink 8 cups of water a day). I don't think I can exercise more than I am now. I could try to increase intensity, but certainly not exercise more in terms of quantity. I do Taebo which is supposed to be similar to lifting weights. Billy Blanks always claims that with his workout routines, you don't need to lift weights because through his exercises, you're doing resisting training. I don't know. Maybe I should try resistance training?

My trip is 2 months away and I was really hoping to be in some small sizes of clothing. Now I'm wondering if that will happen. I bought a pair of jeans that are 2 sizes smaller than I am right now. I had (foolishly), hoped I'd be in them by the end of September, but now I'm thinking it was just a dream. I'm not about to give up or anything, I just think I need to let go of that unrealistic dream.

As I said, food and exercise have been good. Water intake is getting better. I'm hosting a baby shower this weekend with lots of food being there, so that will be my main obstacle for this week. But, I'll likely be running around chasing toddlers and preparing food, decorating......so hopefully the exercise can help compensate for the few extra calories!

Hope everyone else is having better luck than me this week! :sunny:

[CACruisin']

Don't be discouraged about not being in a smaller size yet. The inches are coming off. You are gaining muscle from the exercise and you are healthier overall. The smaller sizes will come. I have lost +15 pounds in the past 3 months. I was wearing a couple of 16's and 14's (very tight) and now wear all my 14's. I still don't count this as going down a size yet since I was wearing 14's before (even if they were too tight - I was NOT going to buy any more size 16's!)

You are an exercising superwoman so, I don't think any increase there is really needed. Have you tried journalling your food intake? That has really helped me in seeing exactly where the calories/fat/carbs/protein are coming from. I use fitday.com. I have seen other people recommend sparkpeople.com.

Have fun at the baby shower. You can make healthy choices, and if it is not healthy, then just remember portion control. :cheer2:

[CJK]

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement. My apologies for my mini temper tantrum yesterday!! Today is a new day and I'm feeling MUCH better. I had breakfast with a friend and made a healthy choice (whole grain bread), and then came home and had a terrific workout on the treadmill. It's amazing how much better you feel after exercising.

Sounds like our stories are very similar. All of my size 16 pants are now loose on me (were tight 1.5 months ago), but they are definitely still wearable. But, dh says it's basically as if I have lost a size because of how tight they were before..... I'm still in denial that I was ever larger than a size 16!!! You're absolutely right that we're getting healthier & stronger. I'm focusing on that today and throughout the weekend. Hope you have a great weekend too! :sunny:

[Foxfiregrrl]

HI, CJK! :wave:

I've been meaning to check in on your journal but it has been pretty hectic around here.

It sounds like you are continueing to do excellent on your eating and exercise! Don't get discouraged about the clothing size. I have been working at this since January (although possibly not eating as good as I should) and I wouldn't say that I have dropped a size. I'm similar to you and CACruisin' in that my pants were getting too tight but I just REFUSED to buy bigger clothes. I stopped shopping altogether for awhile there. All my pants fit pretty good now, but I like them to be a bit loose. So I wouldn't go down a size until that size was fairly loose :confused3 I would love to get back to a size 12 though. I was that for about 8 months 6 or 7 years ago. :cloud9:

Congratulations on keeping the inches coming off! :cheer2: I still say you've GOT to get on the scale. Even if it is only once a month. How else will you update your WISH banner? :sunny:

Keep up the good work and have a great weekend!

[CACruisin']

No need to apologize. Much better to vent and tantrum here than keep it bottled up inside or worse - have a food binge. Tantrum away whenever you need to.

:rotfl2: I just stopped buying clothes. I wore a lot of sweats because I didn't want to know that I was so big.

[DisDee]

I've always heard that the way your clothes fit is your best indicator when it comes to weight loss. If those pants are baggy on you, that is awesome! That is such a great feeling...good for you! You are definately on the right track! Hang in there, Denise

[CJK]

Thanks for your thoughts and encouragement: Foxfiregrrl, CACruisin', DisDee! :goodvibes I KNEW writing this journal would be great for my weightloss efforts. You are all so supportive. I don't know if I'd still be trying so hard if it weren't for W.I.S.H. Thank you! I'm feeling a bit better about the clothing issue. I actually went shopping for shorts yesterday. We're going to WDW in 2 months and I know that by then, I won't fit in my current size 14 shorts. It's hard to estimate what size I'll be at that time, but I needed to buy shorts NOW or there won't be any in the stores by then! I tried on a size 12 just to see how tight they were (in order to estimate my size in October). Well, I could do these shorts up! :confused3 They were too tight, but I could do them up without straining. WHY CAN'T WOMENS' CLOTHES ALL BE THE SAME SIZE??? I have a pair of capris pants, size 16, that are now JUST fitting, and here I am trying on a size 12 pair of shorts and they are just about 5-10 pounds away from fitting perfectly. I don't get it!!! But anyway, I'm trying not to stress about it. Thanks for your words of wisdom!!!

Well, I made it through the baby shower today. I resisted many temptations, and even the ones I indulged in, I was able to have small portions. I still probably had too many calories today, but I could have done a lot worse too. I'd say it was a success! The shower went very well and everyone seemed to have a great time. We took lots of pictures and I just went through them now on the computer. Well, I admit to being disappointed over how chubby I looked, but, I'm trying not to dwell on it.

Dh and I tried to get in some exercise this weekend but that was difficult due to our crazy busy schedule. Yesterday we managed to do a yoga class and today we went on a 30min. walk right after the shower. Water intake was virtually non-existent! I even had a diet dr. pepper for dinner instead of water. I haven't done that in weeks!! Ah well, tomorrow I'm back in routine and I'm not doing any entertaining for at least 2 weeks. I need the break...and so does my waistline! :p

Hope you all had a great weekend too! Here's to a great week ahead with great food choices.

[CACruisin']

Great job at the baby shower with resisting and portion control :thumbsup2 . Also sounds like you did get some good exercise in this weekend with a yoga class and a walk :cool1: .

I hear your pain on the sizing thing :crazy: . At least the 12's fit - that is great!!! Definitely by those as an incentive. Try finding other stuff by the same maker since they are cut to your proportions. It is hard to know what to do on buying stuff for your trip. You don't want to buy a bunch of stuff because they are just "interim" on your downward weight journey. At the same time, you need to have some nice, comfortable things for your trip.

Have a great week.

[CJK]

Thanks! I think I will take your advice and will go shopping tonight for some more clothes. I'm worried that I won't have any clothes to wear on our trip otherwise. I don't want to wear things that are too big, or too small. Hmm. I think I'll only buy a few things because as you say, I still want to get down to my ideal weight!!!

I learned something today. I can no longer use the excuse that I can't workout because I have a headache!! Today, I woke up with the beginnings of a lousy headache. I decided to workout right away before the pain got too bad.....and now I'm PAIN FREE! I love the fact that I was able to get rid of the pain, without taking any medication.

Yesterday went fairly well foodwise. We're still eating leftovers from the shower, but I'm having small portions. I just can't bring myself to throw the food away! haha Water intake was 48oz yesterday. I even bought a big pitcher to use, but I still haven't had a whole pitcher. I'm getting tired of having to go to the bathroom all the time, but I hear that will subside. I have faith!

Speaking of drinking water....gotta run! :thumbsup2

[CACruisin']

:thumbsup2 That is great that first you decided to exercise even though you felt a headache coming on and second that your headache went away after you exercised :thumbsup2

Good job eating small portions of your leftovers. I have the same problem about throwing away yummy food. Sometimes it is just so good that the calories are worth it :rolleyes1 . Other times though, I figure it wasn't that good that it is worth the calories and then I can walk away or throw it out.

Good job getting a water pitcher. The constant trips to the bathroom do start to stablize (or maybe I just get used to it :confused3 ), it just takes time. It is worth it and I definitely feel better when I have been drinking my water.

Have fun clothes shopping!

[CJK]

Thanks so much for your continued encouragement. It's amazing how we've never met, yet I feel like we're working right along one another, playing intricate roles in everyone else's success!! Thank you!

Well, I made it through the day! I *think*, it may have even been successful! I went to a "high tea" with a friend which included little sandwiches and pastries. I planned my day so that the bulk of my daily calories would be consumed at the tea. I also did a 45min. workout this morning and a 60min. walk with dh tonight. It all sounds good, but I know the calories I consumed this afternoon were BAD. I'm hoping I did some damage control with the exercise and little breakfast/lunch/dinner. I guess I'll find out next weekend!

This weekend should be good as we've got no family/friend get togethers for a change!! Dh and I will have to....TALK! Wow! Our plan is to enjoy the nice weather, exercise, enjoy some watermelon and have fun. August is a busy month again, so we'll enjoy a little down time. Have a great weekend everyone!!! :yay: :yay:

[CACruisin']

Great job planning your food around your high tea. :woohoo: :woohoo:

I agree with you. The WISH'ers really do keep me going. :banana:

Enjoy your weekend!

[traceycooper]

Hi cjk :)
sounds like you are doing a fantastic job with your eating & exercise!
Try not to worry too much about dress sizes as you said yourself the sizes in the shops are all over the place anyway!!!
Remember your in this for the long haul, so you have plenty of time to get there & to adjust to having a healthier lifestyle for life!! :thumbsup2

[CJK]

Thank you so much for your support! It means a lot. :goodvibes

We really are on a journey aren't we? My weekend really illustrated it. I did fine with exercise and food (not so much water.... :rolleyes1 ), but my mood was really up and down. As usual, my negative attitude can be linked to my insistance of trying on smaller clothes!!! Last year, I went to a wedding in August and bought a new dress for the wedding. I had lost a few pounds prior to the wedding, but nothing compared to my current exercise/healthy regime. I ASSUMED that if I tried on that dress now, it would be too big for me. Well, it fit.....and it fit EXACTLY the same way it fit last year.

Dh said that I had gained weight since last summer, so I still need to be proud of myself for my accomplishments this summer. I know he's right, but I was in denial! I was sooo letdown. Strange isn't it? I mean, I feel better, I'm losing inches, but it's like I want to be a size 8 NOW. It won't happen, and I know it won't, but that doesn't stop me from hoping! I need to get this in check. I'm making healthier choices and WILL get there (at least to a size 10) shortly.

Today was a good day as I've laid down the law and won't allow myself to try on any smaller clothes for a while. The frustration isn't worth it. It will all come!

I hope you're all having a great day. Thanks for listening to my ramblings!! :blush:

[traceycooper]

I know how you feel i do exactly the same thing - try on clothes i want to fit & when they dont i just want to pig out!!!
BUT i havnt pigged out & 5 months later some of them are starting to fit, i hope this will keep you motivated *** its a great feeling :)
I think your doing the right thing, give yourself a couple of months before trying anything else on, it could help motivate you too :)
Your doing a fantastic job, keep up the good work :)

[CJK]

Thanks Tracey! :sunny: I'm trying to stay motivated!

Do you ever have those days where you wake up in the morning and you just know it's not going to be a great day? I'm having one of those days. :rolleyes: I got some bad news re: this weekend, I took measurements today and didn't lose any inches (or even partial inches) and I'm in crazy pain from my workout 2 days ago. Dh and I got into a fight and here I am. Yup, it's one of those days. :guilty:

But anyway, I'm not going to give up. I've really increased my workouts this week (which is why I'm particularly disappointed in not losing inches). Maybe I'll notice a difference sometime soon. My food has been pretty good, and I've been holding steady with water (about 7 cups worth a day). I should increase it a bit more, but I'm feeling good about what I've accomplished.

This weekend is full of social events where I don't have control over what food I eat. I will exercise portion control, but it's still scary!! Here's hoping I can get through the weekend and even have a little fun.

I hope everyone else out there is having a great week! :sunny:

[lindalinda]

HI CJK. I am trying to catch up on e1s journals, I have fallen behind! Sounds like you are doing really well. Dont try to get it all done too fast, youll just set yourself up for misery that way. I just passed my 2 year mark on losing this weight. I still have a long way to go, and I keep setting unrealistic goals for myself too! Youd think Id have learned by now! I fell into a bit of a funk for a few weeks this summer since the weight wouldnt budge, nut I am determined, so I know I can pick myself up again. One thing I did do was buy the same pair of jeans in 4 different sizes. It was very exciting to go thru those changes! Keep up the good work!

[traceycooper]

Hi CJK
Just a thought but have you checked your breathing correctly when exercising?
I mention this *** i have to constantly remind myself, & if i dont it makes my stomach muscles bloat outwards, i had a 2 week break from the gym & my stomach went really flat (well in my eyes!!) & i managed to lose a couple of pounds too!
Anything is worth a try right??
Hope you & DH have made up,
Have a 'good' weekend
Tracey xx

[DisDee]

I empathize with you and the clothes issue. You know you're changing your lifestyle and doing great things for your health, so the size issue should be a non-issue. Keep up the good work and celebrate all the little changes. I know how my mind works , so I'm staying away from the fitting rooms until my old clothes start to hang on me...then I'll know it's time to shop.

Have a great week! Denise

[CJK]

Thanks so much everyone for the support! It helps IMMENSELY!!! :goodvibes

Linda - I think I'm going to do your jeans in different sizes trick! I currently have 2 sizes of the same jeans and am currently in between the 2! It will be fun to see myself go through the sizes! Thanks!

Tracey - Thanks for the tip re: breathing. I will check that out tomorrow. You might be on to something! I don't think I pay enough attention to breathing when I'm doing any exercise with the exception of yoga. Thanks!

Disdee - You're absolutely right. Improving my health should be the priority. Thanks for the reminder - I needed it!

Well, its been a crazy weekend!! It's a holidy weekend in Canada which meant that we went away for the weekend to visit family and friends. It was fun, but very busy. The GREAT news, is that my family about fainted at my weightloss! They hadn't seen me in 5 weeks and were really shocked by my shrinking body. It made me feel great, but also feel silly for all of my whining in this journal!!!! Please accept my apology to all of you readers out there!!! I feel silly now!

Food went relatively well I'd say. There were a couple meals with very little healthy options, but I had small portions. My water intake was almost nonexistent again. I really struggle with that during the weekends. I must improve that in the future. In all, however, I tried to make healthy choices wherever possible and said no to some of the really bad stuff. I'm looking at this weekend as a success!!!

I also managed to exercise all 3 days which surprised me. I did yoga on Saturday, a 60min. walk on Sunday and 45min. of interval training on the treadmill today. I didn't get in lots of minutes, but considering all the people we saw and the shuffling from one event to the other.....it went great!!

Hopefully my successful and fun weekend, will help me as we get back to work tomorrow. Thanks all and I hope you had a great weekend too!

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

Just read through your journal and you are doing a great job....don't beat yourself up about trying on smaller clothes. The time will come when you can fit into those clothes and it willl feel good. I have been at this for a year (granted I have fallen a few times) but it does feel good to try on smaller clothes. It just takes time!!!

I agree with the others, you should get on the scale. There for the longest time I didn't want to either. I didn't even own a scale when I first started WISH. Then I decided that it was time...I am glad that I did go out and buy one. I hate the thing now !!! Just kidding!!! Think about it.

Keep up the good work....you are doing great. Others can see it..that means what you are doing is working!

[traceycooper]

Wow well done :)
Sounds like you had a fantastic weekend!!
You managed to make healthy choices & still have a great time! Looks like you are 'over' & can resist temptations now, & are on the road to a healthier lifestyle & not just on a 'diet' (i hate that word!)
Dont worry about 'whining' thats what the journals are for, its not good to bottle up any insecurities & worries, better to get them out in the open :)
Heres hoping you have a fantastic week too :)

[CJK]

Well.........I think I'm getting closer to that darn scale. I *almost* weighed myself this morning, but chickened out. I did take measurements however, on my waist, hips and thighs. Half an inch gone at waist and hips and 1/4 inch gone on thighs. I know that I'm still far from my goal, but I need to be proud of my accomplishments to date.

My exercising continues to go well. The advanced taebo is really challenging though! I'm not sure how long I can keep it up since it is so difficult (and frustrating). But, I hope to continue with it, at least until our trip at the end of September. After the trip, maybe I can switch to exercise that I don't detest so much.

I went grocery shopping yesteday and bought some food that I'm looking forward to trying (ham bacon - only 50 calories for 3 slices), low cal fudgicles and a perfectly ripe watermelon. If I have food that I enjoy, I definitely find it easier. When it's the regular work week, maintaining water intake is so much easier too. Unfortunately I can't say the same about weekends!

This weekend will be a difficult one, yet again. We're having overnight guests who love to eat and drink! They're accustomed to the old me who always joined them in the food and drinking. When my trip is so close, and my trip clothes still don't fit...........I just don't have the luxury of blowing it for one weekend. My plan is to have one drink and drink it very sloooooowly. I'll have small portions of food too. Oh how I hope I don't blow it!!! We're going to a buffet breakfast the following day, so I'm crossing my fingers that there will be healthy food options there.

That's all for now. Hope everyone's having a healthy week!

[traceycooper]

Hope your weekend went well, & you managed to resisit some temptation!
Great job on the measurements, well done :)
The food sounds yummy, if definatly helps to have the healthy food in the fridge, i often get tempted at the end of the week before i have gone shoppping again when the only food left is unhealthy stuff!!!

[CJK]

Thanks Tracey!! :goodvibes I know what you mean about having unhealthy food in the house! Our company just left and we still have over half of an ice cream cake, a boston cream pie, pork tenderloin, two bake potatoes, cheesy appetizers, etc.......... eek!!!!!! I can't have any of it and dh only eats a little each day (that's why he's so slim!!) so I have to live with it for a few days. He refuses to let me throw out good food. I'll keep munching on that watermelon!!! :)

I survived my company okay. The pressure was certainly there for drinking and eating. I allowed myself a little bit of everything in small portions. I feel guilty about it, but I need to remind myself that the "old me" would have consumed easily double that amount. For drinking, I stuck with red wine and had no more than 2 glasses in a 7hr period. It took REAL determination since our friends were drinking much, much more. I actually think they were disappointed in me. :( This morning at breakfast, there were NO healthy breakfast items on the menu! No fruit platter, no cereal, no bagels - just bacon/eggs/pancakes/hashbrowns, etc...!! I couldn't believe it! I ordered a bacon/egg platter and ate 2 bacon strips, 1 egg (scrambled), about 10 hashbrowns and half a piece of buttered whole wheat toast. I'm disappointed in myself because while the quantity of food was low, the fat and calories will be big. The hash browns were fried and I felt a little queasy after all that grease. *sigh*

However, dh and I just got back from a 60min. walk, and we managed to go on a walk with friends yesterday AND did yoga. Hopefully my activity will help counter my increased calories. Onward and upward!!!! :) :)

[deelam]

Just dropped in to say Hi. I read through your journel and you are doing so well!. I wouldn't get stressed about the breakfast. You really didn't go overboard.

[traceycooper]

sounds to me like you did really well with all the temptation you were faced with :)
You made the best of a bad menu with the breakfast too & like you say the exercise will defianatly have helped :)
Well done you!!!

[CJK]

BIG NEWS!!!!!! I weighed myself this morning!!!!!!!!!

No, the boogie man didn't jump out at me, I didn't pass out, and I didn't get off the scale and eat everything in sight.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that the number that stared right back at me on that scale was worse than I thought. About 10 pounds worse.

Yet, the good news is that I wore a pair of capris I've NEVER been able to wear before today. I also visited with 3 friends today, separately, and all 3 noticed my weightloss. So, I may still have a long way to go (40pounds I think), but I'm definitely making progress.

I'll post next early next week. Hope everyone has a great week and weekend!

[deelam]

I'm so glad you took the big step and weighed yourself. When I started my diet I was scared to get on the scale. I just didn't want the bad news. But now that I'm weighing myself I've found that it is so nice to see that scale move down. Just don't get too hung up on numbers. The main thing is you look and feel better.
And How nice it is that, people are noticing your weight loss!

[goldcupmom]

I"m just catching up on journals & see that you're doing REALLY AWESOME!!!

Isn't it wonderful when people notice the change??

Glad you stepped on the scale for a reference point, but how cool is wearing new, smaller clothes??

Have a great rest of the week and keep on keepin' on!!

[traceycooper]

Well done for plucking up the courage to get on those scales, just dont get addicted to them by jumping on every day!! Once a week on the same day i find is best. I weigh in every Friday morning.
Dont worry about the weight either i'm sure you will see it go down from now on, you must have felt great when your friends could tell you have lost weight, thats better than any scale :)

[lindalinda]

Hi! I have been soooo far behind I havent checked journals in a while. I see you got on the scale and lived thru it...Yay! :thumbsup2 Dont worry that it was more than you thought...now you get to watch that sucker move! Congrats on your hard work so far! :cool1:

:hippie:

[CJK]

Thanks everyone!!! I'm glad I finally weighed myself too. Now the trick will be to NOT get obsessed over it like I have in the past. I weighed myself again today (the day after I got back from a 4 day camping/hiking trip) and there was no change. I'm pretty disappointed because I got in loads of exercise and I ate wisely too. I'm trying not to let it get me down. This is a lifestyle change, not a "4 day change". I'll try not to weigh myself again until next week.

Camping was fantastic!!! I got in 375min. of exercise beteen the intense hiking and canoeing. I didn't really think canoeing was a lot of exercise, but I was really tired afterwards! I think I was using muscles I don't usually use. The scenic hiking trails were just breathtaking. We had a wonderful time, but now it's back to reality!

The next two weeks should be pretty easy, exercise-wise, but difficult food-wise. Today I'm having lunch at a friend's house, dinner with the gals tomorrow night and another lunch date on Wednesday. Eek! Talk about stressful! My continued plan is portion control so hopefully the scale will still move down with all of these social events coming up. This weekend is company-free so I should be able to stay on track.

It's time to get on the ole treadmill. I hope everyone joins me for a healthy and happy week!! :banana:

[traceycooper]

Well done on getting all that exercise done on your trip :)
Sounds like you had a great time too!!
At least the scale didnt go up (like mine :( )
All that exercise proberbly wont show on the scale till 1-2 weeks afterwards anyway :)

[CACruisin']

Just getting caught up ...
Congrats for getting on the Scale!!!

Even though it wasn't the number you wanted, it will give you a benchmark now. The fact that you wore capri's that you couldn't before and that ALL of your friends and family have noticed your weight loss says you have definitely lost a lot. Keep up the good work!!! :cheer2:

[Jane E.]

Congrats for getting in those capris! :thumbsup2 Its always motivating to fit into something that never fit before. Your camping trip sounded fun. What a great way to get those exercise minutes in!

[CJK]

Thanks everyone!! :goodvibes It's amazing how much your encouragement means to me.

This week has been so busy, its been plain silly! I did get to visit with family and friends, but having my routine interrupted so drastically is tough to manage. I didn't completely go off my eating plan, but I certainly haven't made terrific gains either. The amount of diet coke I've been drinking this week is nothing but frightening!! :rolleyes1 I was travelling between cities and visiting with different friends and family. I just couldn't have water with every meal and every visit. I hope to get back to my water starting today!!

I measured and weighed myself today. The good news is that I think I dropped a couple pounds. The bad news is that there was no change in my measurements (admittedly I only measure my waist, hips and thighs). My sister said to me the other day how much younger I look now that I've lost weight. That's a nice perk about losing weight isn't it? :goodvibes I probably need to lose 30 more pounds to really feel comfortable with my size. I can re-evaluate at that time. Of course, my Disney trip with free dining coming up may interfere with this goal!!!!!!!!!! Here's hoping!

Have a great week everyone!! Thanks again for all your support.

[traceycooper]

At least you drank DIET coke :)
Well done on loosing those pounds!!
We are never happy though are we?? We loose on the scale but are not happy *** we dont feel any different,
we dont loose on the scale, feel thinner, but are not happy *** the scale doesnt show it!!!!
I need therapy!!!
Its hard to stay on track when your routine gets disrupted, but i think its ok as long as you get back on track eventually :) Life would be pretty dull if we all stuck to the same routine all our life!!!
Maybe i should be a therapist!!! :)
Have a great week
Tracey xxx

[CACruisin']

it is tough to stay on plan with family and friends, but you can get back on track now.

Congrats on losing more lbs :banana: :cheer2: :banana: . What is even better is your sister noticing the change. That must make you feel really good and motivate you to keep going. :thumbsup2

Have a great weekend!

[Jane E.]

:thumbsup2 Great job on keeping up with your program even when you were so busy. WHen I get busy thats when I seem to really lose it. I end up eating at fast food places to compensate...and they're goes my diet. You must be doing well if your sister noticed. Keep up the great job!

[DisDee]

Congrats on the weight loss! Isn't it such a great feeling when someone actually notices that you've lost weight? Plus, you managed to do it while visiting with family and not following your usual routine. You did great...keep up the good work!

[CJK]

Thanks so much everyone!! :goodvibes

Oh what a great day today has been! Dh and I booked a couple priceline hotels for our upcoming trip and got some great deals (ie. $32 for an airport hotel the night before our flight). Then, I decided to bite the bullet and do some clothes shopping for our trip. I'm in between sizes. My old clothes (from my skinny days :rolleyes: ), are still too small, and my big clothes from the past couple years are now too big. I was worried I'd have no summer clothes to wear in Disney next month! Sooo, I decided to splurge and buy some clothes! Well, I can safely say I'm a size 12 now (which is great considering I started as a tight size 16). However, I'd like to be a size 10 so I bought some size 12's and some size 10's. I bought the cutest size 10 summer dress that I'd LOVE to wear to Artist Point on our anniversary!! I can do it up now, but I couldn't wear it since it's so tight. I'm going to try like mad to lose a few points before the end of September. Hopefully I can do it!!!!!

I met my exercise goal yesterday which feels great!!! My new goal is to get to 2000 minutes by the end of August. Fingers crossed! I've had a good food day today, but still lacking in the water. Part of the problem, is when I go out for much of the day, I don't even want to drink b/c I don't want to go to the bathroom all the time! What do you guys do?

So basically, today has been a good day! I'm going to settle in tonight with a good movie (In Her Shoes). Hope everyone else is having a good weekend too!! :cheer2: :cheer2: I know that all of you are BIG reasons why I'm still sticking to this healthy lifestyle. THANK YOU!!

[lovinaz]

That's wonderful that you can fit into the smaller sizes! :cheer2: :banana: :cool1:

Your body takes time to shed weight and inches, it might be less frustrating for you to measure yourself monthly instead of weekly. I bet you will see a change every time then!

And GET THAT WATER IN!!!!!!!!! It really is SO important. I notice you are a carb junkie (me too :blush: ). My Naturopathic Dr just burst my bubble and told me the main reason I have not been losing weight is that I consume too many processed carbs. For the next 2 weeks I am only allowed 1-3 complex carbs per day. OUCH! But this is something you might be able to try to jump start your metabolism. You are obviously doing something right if everyone has been noticing your weightloss! That is fantastic, keep it up and you will look awesome for your trip. :thumbsup2

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations on fitting in the size 12s! :Pinkbounc Before you know it, you will be in those 10s. :goodvibes

Thank you for stopping by my journal. I appreciate the encouragement and support. :goodvibes

Have a great week ahead! :sunny:

[CACruisin']

what a wonderful day getting your vacation details taken care of and clothes shopping too! You are going to look fabulous in that dress on your anniversary. :cheer2: Congrats making your exercise challenge :banana: :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2: :banana: and setting a new challenge for yourself as well. :thumbsup2

when I go out for much of the day, I don't even want to drink b/c I don't want to go to the bathroom all the time! What do you guys do?

:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: I can tell you where all the good bathrooms are all over town. Seriously, I make sure to go before I leave the house and anytime I am near a "good" bathroom. If I "think" I need to go, I go. Otherwise, I can guarantee I will have to go when it isn't convenient. :rotfl2: (tmi, sorry.)

[Jane E.]

Great job with hitting size 12!!!! :banana: I started at a size 16 too, hit size 12, and am now back in 14s. :guilty: It won't be long until I'll be joining you in the 12s - 14s just don't fit me well. (Baggy in the legs or else too tight in the waist.)

By the way, I love Priceline. Its way more fun than gambling. I swear I act like I've won the lottery when I get a winning bid!

Have you eaten at Artist's Point before? I've never tried it but the kids loved Whispering Canyon when they were younger. Now, that we don't go with our sons I'd love to try Artist's Point sometime. Let me know how you like it.

[Amy&Dan]

Wow, size 12's, what an accomplishment! You are doing so well, you must be feeling very confident and proud of yourself. And your exercise totals amaze me! :cool1:

[deelam]

Congrats on reaching a size 12! That is really great! All your hard work is really payiing off.

[goldcupmom]

CONGRATS on smaller clothes!! Such a BIG accomplishment and motivation!!

Have a great rest of the week!!

[CJK]

Thanks everyone! Having you stop by means so much! :goodvibes

Jane: I've never been to Artist Point before, so I'm really excited!! I have read really great reviews about it and thought it would be the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary. I'll let you know what I think!

The last couple days have been pretty uneventful. I have, however, developed a couple blisters on my feet and dh is lecturing me!! We want our feet to be in tip top shape for Disney in a month's time, so I'm supposed to stop whatever I'm doing at the first feeling of any pain. I only had 10min. left on my workout and I didn't want to finish early..... Famous last words!Just 10min. of mild pain caused my blisters. :sad2: I have to stop that, and heal quickly!

Tomorrow and the next day we're having dinner at friends' homes. These friends know I am trying to lose weight, but they also have the philosophy that you can indulge when together with friends. Oy! My one friend is famous for her rich desserts so I know that will be difficult! She'll be offended if I don't have any, so I'll just have to have a tiny piece and give the rest to dh. I don't want to offend anyone, but I'm in crunch time and my dress for our anniversary celebration isn't getting any larger! :p

I may reach my new exercise goal of 2000min. this month. I'm excited about that, since next month's challenge will have to be lower since I'll be away for at least one week of it. I don't mind exercising as much as I mind saying NO to food! Why does food have to taste so good?!?

I was thinking today that I'd like to be a bug on the wall of a slim person's house. No, I'm not a voyeur! ;) I'd be interested to see how and what they eat on a day to day basis. I know everyone is different (ie. some people have naturally fast metabolisms, others don't really care much about food, and others really watch what they eat). I guess I'm just interested in seeing how people who don't stress about every calorie they consume, eat while remaining slim. Things to ponder!

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

[Jane E.]

CJK, I hope you get thru the next few days of eating with your friends. Don't let them deter you from your goal. Once you're in a situation its so hard to say NO! Keep a visual in your head of that anniversary dress! :smokin:

[Amy&Dan]

CJK: If you ever get to be a bug on that wall, let me know what they do act like, I'm curious too! Thats too bad about your blisters. Let them heal up right as your dh says, you'll be glad you did! Way to go with all that exercise, you amaze me!

[toystoryduo]

Good morning,

You are doing a great job with your exercise! :Pinkbounc 2000 minutes is something to be very proud of! :cheer2:

I hope your dinners with your friends go well. I think having a plan up front for eating (especially about the dessert :goodvibes ) is a great idea! :thumbsup2

Have a great day today! :sunny:

[lovinaz]

You are doing great with your work outs! Just think of how hard you have worked when you are faced with your upcoming social temptations...

My ex-SIL is 5'10" and weighs about 125lbs. I can tell you her secret - she hardly eats! She will take a couple bites from something and be done with it. She worked at Cheesecake Factory for YEARS and never gained an ounce. I'd hate her, but she it just too nice...

You are going to look fabulous for your trip, keep it up! :cool1:

[DisDee]

CJK...I'm with you when it comes to exercise vs. food. In the past it was always easier to move more than to eat less. I know exactly how you feel. Keep that dress hanging some place where you can see it daily. I'm sure it will help keep you on track when you think about your trip. You've done so well...you should be very proud of yourself!

[CACruisin']

2000 minutes is very impressive! You are an exercise queen princess: .

You have a great plan with your dinners out. Just keep thinking about that dress, take a bite of the dessert and pass it on to DH. You can do it!! :cheer2:

[kmp1191]

I haven't read your entire journal yet, but you sound pretty amazing.....2000 minutes for your goal!!! WOW!!!

Keep it up and congrats on the 12's!!!

marie

[CJK]

Wow, thanks so much everyone!!! Your encouraging words and support have really been helping me keep on, keepin' on! Journalling on the DIS and reading all of your journals is really making a difference this time round. When I was confronted with HOMEMADE ice cream last night (chocolate/caramel/peanut butter cups), I actually thought about eating it. But then, I thought I would have to tell all of you and I didn't want to disappoint you!!!!! Thank you soooooooooooo much! :sunny:

Well, one down, one to go. My dinner yesterday went fairly well. I allowed myself to taste everything (ie. have two shrimp), but stopped at two. I had only a half glass of red wine. The main course was fairly healthy, but I still limited my portions. Then came the dessert. I mentioned the homemade ice cream above. Did I also mention the homemade apple/custard pie? OUCH! I sat there analyzing my plate. It all looked good, but I knew that the ice cream was what I REALLY wanted. I considered eating an entire scoop of ice cream.....but then I tasted it. Yes, it was absolutely dreamy with the cramel/chocolate/mini peanut butter cups with no preservatives since it was homemade. I realized, that one scoop would seriously hamper by weightloss for the week. Decisions, decisions!! I ended up having one bite of the pie and 3 iddy bitty bites of the ice cream scoop. Then I gave it to dh who gladly gobbled it up. WOOHOO!!! I savoured my 3 little bites, and just said no!!! I actually left their house feeling satisfied, but NOT FULL!! That never happens. Now..........if only I could have similar success tonight!!!!!!

I reached my exercise goal this morning. I can't believe it! Thanks so much for your well wishes. It feels amazing, though I have a little confession. I am wondering if my weightloss has been slow compared to all of my activity. I'm wondering if I'm still eating too many carbs. :rolleyes1 I have still been having my half cup of low fat frozen yogurt everyday (2.5g of fat and 100 calories). I'm wondering if this has been a problem. My fudgicles are 70cal with 2g of fat. I usually have a fudgicle every other day. Maybe I need to reassess my eating plan.

Anyway, I hope you're all having a great week too. I'll post tomorrow how things go tonight. Have a great day! :goodvibes

[traceycooper]

HI CJK
Congratulations on getting down to a 12!! Thats fantastic news:)
& well done for resisting temptation....again!
You have inspired me to get back on track :)
Hope those blisters have healed!

[lovinaz]

What a great way to handle your dessert dilemma! :cheer2: :banana: :cool1: You got to enjoy the treat without going overboard. That is a huge accomplishment!

How many and what types of carbs do you eat? I would save the frozen yogurt for a once-in-a-while treat instead of having it every day. Maybe switch to sugar free jello or something for a daily sweet fix.

I think you are still doing great. A loss of 1-2lbs per week is the healthiest goal to have. Keep it up! :thumbsup2

[Jane E.]

I'm impressed!! You did an amazing job at that dinner. I can't imagne saying "NO" to homemade icecream or apple pie. :banana: :banana: It won't be long until you hit size 10.

[toystoryduo]

You did a great job with dinner and dessert the other night! :goodvibes You should be proud of yourself! :Pinkbounc

Congratulations on making your August exercise goal! :cheer2:

Hope you have a great time at your friend's house and a great weekend! :sunny:

[CJK]

Okay, all this temptation is gonna drive me to drink.............errr.........I mean eat! :crazy: Could there have been fruit last night? No. Could there have been low fat turkey? Nope. Could there at least be some dang straw to nah on? Nope, not a chance. Instead, there were mashed potatoes with cream cheese/sour cream/butter, carrots drenched in butter and a fatty pot roast. The dessert last night was a GIGANTIC peanut butter/cream cheese dripped in a thick layer of chocolate, pie. Ouch! I requested a small piece, but what did they give me? A piece of pie that filled my entire plate.

Call the authorities, get me a net - I'm reporting them!

Well, I managed as best I could. I had a couple bites of the dessert (it was soooooo rich!!), and then packed it up to take home. The host of this dinner party needn't know that I had no intention of eating it once I got home.... :rolleyes1 I had small portions of the dinner and said no to the wine! Yes, I said no to wine!!!!

Dh asked if I wasn't feeling well.

:banana: Oh why weren't there bananas there last night! :rolleyes:

But at any rate, I don't think I blew it last night. I may have offended the hosts last night, but I did explain how I've got this tight dress sitting at home . Hopefully they understand. :)

Well, that's it for food that's out of my control for this week. This weekend should be busy, but I'm in control. Today is the first of September so it's on to the new me!

Here's to great month everyone!!! :thumbsup2

[lovinaz]

Wow, peanut butter AND cream cheese all in one fantastic sounding dessert? I would have scarfed the whole thing down. In fact I think I gained a pound just reading about it! You showed the utmost restraint, WAY TO GO! That dress is not going to be tight very much longer at the rate you are going, keep up the good work! :thumbsup2

[Jane E.]

Omigod, the mashed potatoes would have done me in! :guilty: I don't see why what you ate would have offended the hosts. You were smart to sample it and then pack it up for home. Everyone understands about trying to fit into a smaller dress for a special occasion. You are right on track! :thumbsup2

[CACruisin']

:worship: You did a fantastic job with restraint! I am so impressed with how you handled the desserts especially. WOW! That dress is going to be easy to slip into at this rate. :thumbsup2 :cool1:

[toystoryduo]

Wow! You did a great job resisting that entire piece of pie! You did a great job of eating at your friend's houses this week. :goodvibes You sound like you are right on track! :thumbsup2 Keep up the good work! :cheer2:

Have a wonderful weekend! :sunny:

[traceycooper]

Mmmm that meal sounds delish :)
Well done you for resisting not to polish off the whole lot!!!!
When are you going to try the dress again?

[CJK]

You guys are really all the best! Thanks so much for dropping by and being so encouraging! :goodvibes

I'm sort of been MIA since last week. There's actually a reason for that. I had a bit of a health scare last week, and my doctor wasn't in (on holidays) until today!! I was going through some pretty severe stress this last few days and made the mistake of reading the internet for information on my symptoms. I came to the conclusion that I had about 3 types of cancer. :sad2: I'm such a hypochondriac. :(

Anyway, the GREAT news, is that I went to my doctor today, and my doctor thinks I have nothing to worry about. Some tests have been done, but my doctor was able to calm me right down. I'm a new woman. It really makes me appreciate my health even more. To celebrate, dh took me shopping for shoes this morning. What a guy!! :love:

My exercising this weekend went really well! I weighed myself after only 3 days and there was no change. I can feel myself falling into the trap of weighing myself more than once a week, so I must stop that!!!!! I'll weigh myself again on Friday and will try my dress on Saturday. I hope it's a bit looser!!!

Food was good this weekend and water........well..........not so much. But I'm drinking some right now!! I figure that after my health scare, it's up to me to take better care of this body of mine. With that in mind, it's off to the treadmill for me. Thanks everyone and here's to a great week of weightloss and good health!!!! :sunny:

[traceycooper]

Glad the 'scare' was nothing bad!!!
Your DH sounds a prince, shopping for shoes, bless him :)
I'm as bad, i got on the scales today too & shouldnt till Friday!
I wont do it again if you wont :)

[lovinaz]

Yes, one of the wonders of the internet is that we are all able to diagnose ourselves with weird diseases! I'm glad everything is OK with your health. :thumbsup2

I am one of the biggest over-weighers you will ever meet. :blush: I have finally gotten to the point where I will only weigh once in the morning, but only "officially" count the weight once a week (Fridays). I used to weigh in the mornings, when I got home from work, before I went to bed, after working out, etc. It was silly and counterproductive! :crazy: So I guess all this rambling is to tell you that there is no "rule" about how often to weigh yourself, as long as you are willing to accept that there are daily fluctuations and as long as the overall trend is going down, you are OK. Besides, that dress fitting better will be the REAL measure of your success, not the scale! :teeth:

[Jane E.]

I'm glad you're healthy! Stay away from the internet when you're sick. It'll only freak you out. You didn't take any aspirin that day did you? (Just kidding...during my aspirin on an empty stomach episode I was hoping the end was near.) Great job with the workouts! :sunny:

[Lesli54]

Just stopping by to see how you were doing. I will try to get caught up on your journal soon. Glad to see that your health is good. I have an aunt that reads too much health info on the net and is convinced of too many wrong things. Unfortunately, she figures that she knows the experts can't help her so she doesn't go to the dr. I am glad that you went and put your mind at ease.

I hope your day is a good one. ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[CACruisin']

Glad you are feeling better now. The net is definitely both a blessing and curse, isn't?

You are doing great with your food and exercise. That dress will definitely be looser this weekend. :thumbsup2

Just remember that Water is one of the best things you can give your body to stay healthy .... and all those trips to the bathroom are exercise too :teeth: ...

[kmp1191]

Let us know how the tests come back....I'm sure everything is ok! Please, don't look stuff up on the web....my sister does that and it is a pain in the butt to listen to her talk about ALL her ailments!!!

CONGRATS on resisting all the sweets and tempting food!!! You are amazing!!! I KNOW I couldn't have resisted the deserts!!!
GOOD JOB!!!

marie

[CJK]

I'm so weak!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn't going to weigh myself until tomorrow.....but I did today. :rolleyes: The thing is, that scale is enough to make me drink! It's an old, cheap kind (no batteries). Everytime you stand on it, your weight can vary as much as 5lbs! So, I really don't know what to think. I could be really happy, or really depressed! :p :crazy:

I also took my measurements today. TOM is here too, so that may be having an impact, not sure. I'm down a half inch on my hips and a half inch on my waist. So, what did I do? I tried my dress on! Yup, I have no willpower! The good news is that it does feel looser and is slightly easier to do up. However, it's still too tight. I could get away with wearing it right now, but I need to lose another half inch (one inch would be ideal) to really feel comfortable. I need to really hit it these next two weeks. Time is of the essence!!!

Dh and I have been exercising more than we ever have I think! He has his big baseball tournament this weekend that he's training for. Food has continued to be pretty good (though I realized that my turkey bacon is pretty high in sodium). The last couple days have been much better for water too.

Hey, I just noticed my new tag. THANK YOU TAG FAIRY!!!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

Thanks to everyone for reading. You've been keeping me honest. I'm embarassed to have to write how weak I am.......so hopefully next week will be better!!!

[deelam]

You are doing so good. It must put your mind at ease with the Dr thinking all is well. No matter what, you are a healthier person now because of your eating habits and excersise. Keep up the good work.

[lovinaz]

At least your dress is fitting better! I bet if you are super diligent with your eating for the next couple weeks, you will have no problems losing those inches you need.

I think you need to invest in a new scale! I don't think I could handle a 5lb variance everytime. It would push me over the edge!

You are not the only weak willpowered person on this board, believe me! That is why we all keep coming back - everyone has been there, ate that and lived to tell about it! :teeth:

[toystoryduo]

Hi CJK! :wave:

I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better and that the doctor was able to ease your mind. :goodvibes

That's great that your dress fits! You'll do great over the next two weeks and it will fit even better! princess:

I hope you have a great day today! :sunny:

[Jane E.]

:woohoo: Way to go with your dress getting looser! It won't be long until it fits perfectly! :woohoo:

[CACruisin']

Great news that the dress is looser. With your workouts and continued good eating, the dress will fit perfectly on your trip! You can do it!!

Time for a new scale. 5lb variance would be enough to send the scale flying in my house :badpc: (substitute scale for PC).

[Blueeyes101817]

Just caught up on your journal--you are doing great and its AWESOME that your dress is looser!!
I finally had to cave in and buy a new scale, because my old one was driving me crazy with the 5-7 lb difference e very time i stepped on it!
have a great weekend

[pearlieq]

Hi! :wave:

Sounds like you're doing well and are really motivated!

I've always been surprised at the variance I see on the scale--just this week I seemingly lost 8 pounds overnight! TOM will do that do a girl. :teeth:

Don't beat yourself up too much about wanting to check your weight. There are no hard and fast rules about when you should weigh yourself unless you have a history of eating disorders. If you prefer to check more often, why not? There was an article recently in Prevention magazine that said a study found that the people who were most successful at keeping weight off were actually those who weighed themselves daily. Some people like getting more frequent feedback.

Keep up the good work! :thumbsup2

[traceycooper]

Wow well done for losing the inches, that dress will feel lose in no time :)
Keep up the good work!!
Not fair the Tag Fairy has never visited me, lucky you :)
oh well i live in hope!!!

[lindalinda]

Hi! I've been so bad and now I'm so behind on journals I will never catch up. But I did read a few pages and it looks like you are doing great! I am very impressed with your willpower! You go girl! :thumbsup2 :goodvibes :cool1:

(and I have a fudgesicle every night)

:hippie:

[CJK]

Hi all!

Talk about Temptation Island this weekend!! No, no string bikinis on this island! ;) This temptation island consisted of nachos w/ all the toppings, wings, fries, onion rings and beer, beer, beer. Honestly, this weekend was nuts! My dress is still tight and I've only got two weeks left to make a dent in it. Well, this was dh's baseball tournament weekend which meant beer and pub food. I managed to avoid one of the parties (thankfully), and it's a good thing because dh said I would have gone nuts for the desserts. I did have some of the team for lunch one day and I made....chicken stir fry! :lmao: People actually seemed happy to have some health food in between their beer and wings! My friend brought extra marshmallow-y rice krispie squares. I had a small one (pure heaven!!), but she left the leftovers with me!!! Despite my attempts to get her to take them home, they're still sitting in my fridge. What's a gal to do??? :lmao:

Today, we all went to the pub for one last junk food binge. I knew this would be my biggest challenge because there's NO health food at this place. I decided to have lunch before I went so I'd be full. This was more of a social get together, than a true meal anyway. Somehow, I chose a seat that our waitress loved. All of the yummy, greasy, stomach-churning delights ended up in front of ME. What did I do? Drank some water and passed it all down to everyone else. I completely resisted!!!!! I walked out of there, both proud but annoyed. I was one of the largest women there (size 12), yet the slender women were chowing down. Ah well......I just kept thinking about that dress that's hanging in my closet at home.

Food and exercise continue to go fairly well. Water was really great Friday, and then not so good this weekend again. Back on that wagon tomorrow. I've got two weeks left to work hard before I need to pack my suitcase. Do I bring my skinny or fat clothes? :confused3 :teeth:

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

[lovinaz]

Great job resisting the pub food! :thumbsup2 Take the rice krispie treats to work to get rid of them. I always send that kind of stuff to work with DH - his co-workers love it!

Take whatever clothes you are comfortable in. If you are not sure, take the bigger clothes and don't think twice about it. There is one thing I learned while on my cruise (and I am extremely self-conscious) - there will always be someone bigger and there will always be someone smaller and NO ONE IS LOOKING AT YOU!!!!!!!!!! Once I finally got that through my head, my trip was much more enjoyable! So have a great time no matter what happens with your body! :teeth:

[CACruisin']

Ditto what Amy said about your clothes and other people. :thumbsup2 You are going to have a great time and that is really what it is all about! :banana: .

:woohoo: :woohoo: Way to go this weekend! First making a healthy team lunch and then resisting all of the goodies at the pub! WOW! :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Amy&Dan]

Ditto, ditto on what Amy said. I just got back from our cruise and there were a variety of shapes and sizes. I tend to worry too much about how I look vs. others and I really tried to just let it go this time. It felt much nicer! Very, very good job resisting that bar food. That type of food is the hardest to resist in my opinion. It smells so good and it needs beer to wash it down with! :thumbsup2 Excellent job done on that one. If nothing else, throw out the rice crispy treats. I do that all the time now. In fact I had a half a cake leftover from daughter's bday today. I saved a few pieces for the kids and the rest went in the trash. I don't look at it as wasting food but saving my health and sanity! Keep up all your hard work, its really paying off!

[toystoryduo]

Ditto, ditto, ditto on what Amy said.... :goodvibes

Don't worry too much about this past weekend... It has passed by. You have 2 weeks before your vacation comes. Just do the best you can and focus on what a great time you are going to have at WDW. :Pinkbounc

Have a great week! :sunny:

[Jane E.]

Great job on resisting that food from the pub! I bet you have a great time on your trip. Only 2 more weeks! :goodvibes

[SunFloridaDisney]

Wow, what willpower! Resisting the pub food was amazing!

I'd pack a variety of clothes, ya know how you have those days you just need your bigger clothes, and then sometimes the smaller stuff looks good and you feel great. But be prepared I guess.

You've still got some time, hope you have a good week! :sunny:

[Lesli54]

You did great at resisting the food temptations. Give yourself some, 'cause you deserve it! :thumbsup2

You sure know how to keep the goals in sight. Have a great week! ::MickeyMo ::MickeyMo

[traceycooper]

wow well done,
definatly pack the skinny clothes :)
you go girl, keep up the good work & you will need to buy that dress in an even smaller size!!!

[CJK]

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for all your advice and encouragement - as usual! It really does mean the world to me.

I've been neglecting the journals lately. Our trip is fast approaching, and I've realized that I have a lot to do before we leave. My ticker still says almost 2 weeks, but I actually leave for camping in one week.

You'd think I'd be over-the-moon excited about our trip right now wouldn't you? For some reason I'm feeling a little blue. Anyone else ever get that way? I know I'll be fine once I'm there, but it's a strange feeling right now. It's almost like I don't want the trip to actually get here because I don't want to give up the "anticipation" of the trip.

My eating and water have been fairly good. We had dinner with friends last night and the choices weren't healthy. I just watched my portions and did the best I could. That was the last really difficult food situation before we leave, so that's a relief. My weightloss continues to happen. I figured out that since I weighed myself on Aug. 14 (or 15th? :confused3 ), I've now lost 13lbs. I still have to lose about 20lbs to my goal, and then I'll re-evaluate. I care more about how I look and feel, rather than what the scale says.

Exercising is still going well. It still amazes me how easily I can exercise. The eating is much, much harder for me. I'm hoping that my exercising will really show up when we're walking the Disney parks. I don't want to feel so tired so easily. I haven't tried my dress on for almost a week, but I'll do that tomorrow. I only have one week left to lose any weight, so if it's too tight, I'll just have to bring another dress instead. Our anniversary is 4 days into our trip, so I figure I may have already gotten a little thicker :rolleyes1 from the free dining!

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend. I'm off to the travel agent's office to pick up our Disney package. Maybe that will cheer me up! :teeth:

[lovinaz]

I don't know what to tell you about the pre-vacation blues. That has never been a problem for me, I get as excited as a 2 year old at a toy store!

GREAT JOB on the 13lbs!!!!! :cheer2: :banana: :cool1: :Pinkbounc :thumbsup2 :yay: Even if the dress doesn't fit for your anniversary, it will fit for a different special occasion. You are getting there, keep it up! :teeth:

[Jane E.]

Way to go with the 13lbs you've lost! :banana: :banana: :banana: Are you getting stressed out with the planning? I'm like Amy I've always been too excited to get blue BEFORE the trip! Have fun!

[SunFloridaDisney]

Congrats on the loss!!!! You are doing awesome.

I only get the blues because I get so stressed before a trip, with so much to do. If I can just take a deep breath and remember that my vacation is for FUN, nothing else matters, that seems to help.

Great that exercise is so easy for you. I tend to be the same way, I feel so good when I exercise, that usually isn't my problem area. The food, now that's another story. My mind can play tricks with me - you exercised so much today, go ahead and eat the whole bag of candy, CRAZY!!

Have a good weekend. :sunny:

[CJK]

IT FITS!!!!!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

I can hardly believe it! I was able to do it up today with no struggle. The zipper goes from my lower back right up to my neck and I was able to go all the way up with no problem. I'm so thrilled, I practically cried!! I've got one more week to hopefully give me even more room.

Thank you SO much for all of your encouraging words and support. I firmly believe my success has a lot to do with all of you amazingly supportive people. We can all do this TOGETHER!! :goodvibes :goodvibes

[Blueeyes101817]

CONGRATS on the dress fitting!! isnt that one of the best feelings?!?! I have a dress to try on too--ill be waiting a couple more weeks doing that ;)

I get the pre-vacation blues...usually about a week or two before we leave--i think about all the stuff i need to do before the trip...But about 2 or 3 days before the trip, im excited as can be again!

hang in there..enjoy your sunday!

[traceycooper]

WELL DONE :)
I'm sooo happy for you :)
All that hard work & effert has paid off!
I too get the pre-vacation blues, we spend so much time planning & looking forward to it that when it actually comes around we dont want it to happen!!!
BUT i'm still looking forward to our trip & the very best way to get over the blues is get another trip booked :)
Well done, well done :) :)
I cant stop smiling for you :)

[CACruisin']

Congrats on the Dress fitting!!! :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: That is wonderful news, and as you said, you still have another week to go to give you some extra margin too!

I am so impressed with your exercise and weight challenges progress this month. You are nearly at your goals and the month is only half over. :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

I don't get pre-trip blues, but I definitely get hyper stressed. I just want everything that I have planned to go off perfectly. Once I am actually on a trip though, I can take a much more laid back attitude and be happy. Hang there. You are only a few days away now from a wonderful vacation!!!

[pearlieq]

Congrats on the dress fitting! I'm sure that feels great! :cheer2:

Hopefully that will put the extra spring in your step to help you get excited about the trip!

Have a great weekend! :sunny:

[Amy&Dan]

Way to go!! That is great news, you have worked so hard for this and really earned every inch you have lost! I also read a few entries back about your pre trip blues. I get that way every time. As it gets closer it subsides and I begin to get excited again. I only get this way for Disney trips, probably because I put so much time, effort and money into them they take on a life of their own! Again, big, big, big congrats on your weight loss, you enjoy it!

[toystoryduo]

WOOHOO!!!! :yay: Congratulations on your dress fitting!!! princess: I knew you could do it! :cheer2: :woohoo:

Have a great week! :sunny:

[lovinaz]

That is great about your dress fitting! :cheer2: :Pinkbounc :yay: :banana: :cool1: Hopefully that will make you feel a lot better about things and get rid of those pre-vacation blues! :teeth:

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

Congrats on the dress fitting!!! Isn't that the most awesome feeling in the world? when something you want really bad and you have worked so hard for it and it all comes through in the end!!! Congrats!!!

You are doing a great job on reisisting all the good things when you go out! It's hard. Reading some of the things that you resisited, such as the ice cream, wow you are good. I gained just reading it!!! But then again ice cream is my down fall. I could never give that up!

You will do just fine with your eating when you come back from WDW.....speaking of WDW, your trip is getting closer, how exciting. I do know what you mean about not really being that excited. I get that way before we leave too! Usually I am too excited up until the last 2 weeks or so. Then I start to worry about something. Usually it's the puppies that I worry about. Then when I get to FL I want to go home and I worry the whole night. Wake up the next morning and I am good to go. I think I just have to get through that first day and then I am good! You will have so much fun....I wish I could go back right now to be honest with ya!

Keep up the great work! You are doing a wonderful job!

Happy Tuesday!

[Jane E.]

IT FITS!!!!!! :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc


My 2 favorite words! :woohoo: I can't believe your trip is only a week away. Have fun!

[CJK]

Thanks so much everyone!!!! :goodvibes

I think this will have to be my last entry before we leave. We leave Saturday for camping, and then off to Florida next week. I can hardly believe it's almost here!!! :cool1:

I'm frantically trying to wrap things up with work and pack for two different trips (one cold weather and one hot weather)! I'm such a list person. But instead of crossing things OFF the list, I seem to be adding to my list! :confused3

I continued to have a good week of eating and exercise, but I only lost half a pound. Not sure why really. But, I also took my measurements today and I'm down close to two inches between my hips/waist/thigh. My dress still isn't quite as loose as I wanted it to be, but there's nothing I can do about it now. I can breathe in it, so that's the important thing! ;)

I've decided to pack some small shorts (size 10) as well as a couple 14's. You never know what that free dining will do to you! :rolleyes1 I'm planning on enjoying myself and having that dessert that I really want. However, if there's something that I only moderately want, I'll try to get the healthier option (ie. shrimp cocktail as an appetizer). I hope I don't gain too much weight. I would still like to lose around 20lbs from where I am right now.

Anyway, thanks so much for listening. I'm hoping to get to your journals later today. Have a great couple of weeks and I'll be sure to report back. I'm going to write a trip report as my attempt to prolong the trip a bit longer!! Bye all!!! :cloud9:

[pearlieq]

Have a great time!

Sending you :wizard: for safe and fun travels!

Your plan for handling vacation eating sounds great--if you really want it, enjoy it to the fullest, and if not, try to find a lighter choice. Perfect!

[traceycooper]

Have a lovely time CJK, you deserve it :)
Cant wait to read the trip reports!

[lovinaz]

Have a wonderful time! Great decision taking a couple different sizes of shorts. Better to be comfortable than anything else!

Don't worry about any gain while on your trip. It happens to all of us. The key is to get back into your routine as soon as possible once you get back. I don't think you'll have any problems with that.

Can't wait to hear all about your fun time when you get back! :cool1:

[Blueeyes101817]

I hope you have a GREAT trip!!!!!!!
i cant wait to hear about it..enjoy, you deserve it!

[Amy&Dan]

CJK: Have a great trip and enjoy your free dining (because in all truth it isn't free, and you're on vacation so please do enjoy it)! You have done so well, you should really be proud of yourself. One good thing about WDW is that the amount of walking you do really helps balance out what you eat. Just drink plenty of water and have fun! We will "see" you when you get home! :wave:

[toystoryduo]

Have a great trip!!!! :cool1: :Pinkbounc :banana: :woohoo: :wave:

[deelam]

Have a great trip! Enjoy the Disney Dining. You really are doing so well with staying on track.

[Jane E.]

. :tinker: Have a great trip!!!! Let me know how the free dining works out.

[CACruisin']

Have a wonderful trip!!! :wave: Enjoy yourself and all that WDW has to offer. Can't wait to hear all about it when you get back. :sunny:

[Blueeyes101817]

hope you are having a great weekend

[CJK]

I'm baaaaack! :) Boy does it feel like I've been away for a long time. It was 16 days total with 10 of them being in Disney.

I hope all of you are doing well and have had a great couple of weeks. No doubt you've been eating better than me! :lmao:

We had a great time!! The dining plan was great for the taste buds and lousy for the waistline! Some highlights included Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Narcoossee's, Le Cellier and Kona Cafe (to name a few)! I indulged in a rice krispie treat in downtown disney (Goofy Candy Co.) that was SMOTHERED in milk chocolate, broken m&m's and drizzled with white chocolate and caramel. Oy! It was considered a snack on the dining plan too. Amazing, but wow - was it sweet!!! I'm still eating it now.

I was able to wear my anniversary dress twice this trip (once at Artist Point and again at Narcoossee's). It was a little tighter by the time Narcoossee's rolled around, but it was very manageable!

The wonderful news is that I could REALLY feel how fit my body had become. I may be 20lbs above my final goal (maybe a few pounds more now... :rolleyes1 ), but my body was really able to walk the miles and miles each day with no aching muscles. Our room at Pop Century was on the 4th floor and I managed to use the stairs each and every time I went to the room. It was such a wonderful feeling being able to scoot into Epcot for an Eat to the Beat concert, and head back to the Magic Kingdom, quickly, for Wishes without getting winded. Dh even had trouble keeping up with me!! :teeth:

Well, I've got to try to get some sleep, some laundry done and all that comes with coming home from a trip. I just wanted to check in before calling it a day. I will try to get to all the journals later this week. Night all!

[toystoryduo]

Welcome Back! :Pinkbounc

I'm glad to hear that you had a wonderful vacation! :thumbsup2 Will you be writing a trip report?

Hope you have a great Tuesday! :sunny:

[traceycooper]

Welcome home :)
I've missed you!!
Sounds like you had a fab trip, any pics??? or trip reports???

[lovinaz]

Welcome back! That is great that you were able to reap the benefits of all your hard work and dedication before the trip. And you got to wear your dress twice! That is awesome!!!

[kmp1191]

Welcome back...even though I didn't know you were gone. I hate not having the DIS at work anymore!!! It's so hard to stay caught up on everyone!!!
So, this means that this weekend I will be reading journals so I know what everyone has been up to!

10 days at DISNEY.....I hate you!!

love,
marie :teeth:

[CACruisin']

Welcome back! How wonderful that you got to wear your dress twice. :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: I want to hear all about Le Cellier and this Goofy's candy shop (yum!)

Have a great rest of the week!

[Jane E.]

Way to go with fitting into that anniversary dress! Also, great job on using the stairs! Sounds like you had a blast!

[Blueeyes101817]

Welcome back!!!! Sounds like you had a great vacation and AWESOME job using the stairs :)

[CJK]

Thanks so much for all your kind words. It really was a fabulous trip. Here's a link to my first installment of my trip report in case any of you are interested. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1249849 I'll try to post a couple pictures too.

I'm shocked (and thrilled) to report that I'm actually DOWN a pound since before our trip. I got enough nerve to weigh myself this morning and was shocked to see a loss rather than a gain! I ate soooo much food during the trip! I did a lot of walking too, but I didn't think that would be enough to combat the food I ate! I'm so thrilled. Only 19lbs to go.....

My apologies for not getting to many journals yet. I'm starting to get back into routine today, so I hope to get to them. I hope you all are well and have a great weekend planned ahead!

[traceycooper]

:banana:
Wow whats your secret???
Well done on having a fab holiday AND losing :thumbsup2
Hope i can follow in your footsteps :)
Off to read your trip report now :sunny:

[DisDee]

Welcome back!!!! It's great to hear that you had a wonderful trip... I'm so jealous! You did such a super job with your weight loss while preparing for WDW, and you lost a pound to boot-simply awesome! Keep up the good work!

[lovinaz]

WOW, I can't believe you actually LOST a pound!!! That is the best way to top off a wonderful trip. Maybe you can give me some pointers for when I go on my cruise. I can almost guarantee there will be no loss happening during that week... :rolleyes1

You are going to reach your goal in no time, keep it up! :cool1:

[toystoryduo]

That is great that you had a wonderful WDW vacation and you came home to a one pound loss! Way to go! :cheer2:

I look forward to reading your trip report! Have a great week! :sunny:

[CJK]

I need a remedy for the post-trip blues!!!! Ugh! This feeling is the pits. As the weather starts to turn cold, I'm finding myself longing for our glorious Florida vacation and all the fun that we had. My usual plan for combatting the blues, is to start planning our next trip. Unfortunately, I can't do that this time. Dh has had enough of Disney for a few years. I know....I didn't get it either. ;)

I've jumped back into routine with respect to work, exercise and eating. Maybe I'm going through some sort of shock?? We got A LOT of candy from MNSSHP. I did consider giving it all away, but that would make me mad! Since coming home, I've allowed myself 3 pieces a day, and I'm still down 2lbs since before our trip. But, maybe this candy his contributing to my mood? The sudden sugar rush, and subsequent drop? :confused3

I'm trying to get going on my trip report, but I keep wondering if my negative mood will make the report dull. I can't let that happen!! I guess I'll get out of this funk somehow. It's tough being confronted with family illness and other stresses so quickly.

Hope your weeks are off to a better start than mine! :goodvibes

[Jane E.]

I hate the post trip blues! Can you plan a trip somewhere else besides Disney? Even if its a minitrip or a trip for next year at least it'll get your mind out of the post funk blues!

Great job losing weight in spite of your trip and candy!

[Blueeyes101817]

I hate the post trip blues!! Its horrible, isnt it?
I hope you get over them soon!! Great job with the weight loss!!!!!!!!!!!

[lovinaz]

I'm with Jane, can you plan another trip? And I bet once you start writing that trip report, you will get cheered up with all the fun memories.

You are doing great with your weight loss! Toss some of that ability over my way!!! :teeth:

[Amy&Dan]

Welcome Home! That is so great you lost weight, that gives me hope for my DDP trip in December! And I am glad you liked Wolfgang Puck Cafe, I just made an ADR there tonight but I don't see much about it on the dis and was a little worried. I also think you should plan a trip anyway. Your dh may change his mind once he reads your trip report and begins to relive the experience. In any case, I am glad you had fun, ate well and managed to lose weight in the process!

P.S. I also made a note about that rice krispy treat from Goofy Candy co. Uh oh!

[CJK]

Thanks so much everyone. It means so much to have your support. I actually am going to plan another trip - to Branson. Have any of you ever been? Our plan is to go with my family at the end of November. I've never been before, but as a music lover, I'm sure I will love it. Any recommendations?

I also wrote another installment of my report. I am feeling a bit better today and even managed to write more of my report. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1249849

I have two social events this week that are revolving around food. Eek! It's a little scary, but I guess we've got to get used to it if we're in this for LIFE. I'm off to do aerobics now. Hope you all have a great day!!

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

Welcome home!! That is great news that you lost while on vacation!!! I hear ya on the WDW blues. We have been back almost two months and I still have them!!!
Funny your DH has had enough Disney for a few years...mine said that same thing when we got home. Then I busted out the pictures and we started going through them, and I have him convinced that we need to go back next year!! Maybe that will happen to you too!!

You're doing a great job...keep up the good work!

Have a great day :)

[keenercam]

Welcome Home! I am so incredibly impressed that you lost weight while you were in WDW on free dining! That is miraculous! Obviously all that muscle you have been building, together with your incredible discipline (and all that walking) helped.

I am looking forward to reading your trip report. I already LOVE your description of your father-in-law's passion for Disney. :lovestruc

Congratulations on getting into your dress and having it fit even after many days of Disney food! :thumbsup2

Keep up the great work. Your goal is soooo close!

[Jane E.]

Love that trip report! I can't believe that the PT Cruiser only cost $4 extra! Your trip is off to a great start!

I can't sleep before my vacations either. It also doesn't help that I have a teenager who gets phone calls late into the night.

Have fun at Branson. We've never been but dh has several relatives who have gone and love it.

[CACruisin']

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: Congrats on the loss during your trip!

Good idea to plan a trip. That always puts me in a better mood :teeth: . I did the same thing last week. We usually go on our family vacation the last two weeks of October. This year however, DD11 and DD12 are at different schools therefore completely different breaks - no family vacation. :sad2: I've been feeling blue, so I found a hotel for Veterans Day weekend at the Grand Canyon. :cheer2: It will be a super quick trip to see the big hole in the ground, but should be fun.

I'm off you read your trip report. Have a great rest of the week!

[lovinaz]

That's great that you will be able to plan another trip so soon! It always helps.

Don't worry about the social events, I think you will do fine. You know what choices you need to make and don't have a problem only tasting desserts, you'll be OK! :thumbsup2

[CJK]

Wow, thanks for all the responses!!! In all honesty, I haven't a clue how I would continue with all these healthy changes if it weren't for you guys!!

I wrote another installment in my trip report today. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Sometimes I think my humour is a little on the kookie side, so it's nice to know people don't mind it! LOL

I joined the Purple Biggest Loser team today!!! I'm so excited about it! I'm hoping that the challenge will encourage me to reach my goal by Christmas. That would be the best Christmas gift I could ever give myself. It's a VERY ambitious goal....but I'd like to give it my all.

I had Chinese food for lunch today with a friend. I was expecting my chicken curry to be on steamed rice, but it was chicken fried rice. Ahhh! I did eat some and just packed up the rest for dinner. My dh will have most of it. I feel guilty about today (I had a spring roll along with the curr w/fried rice), but I am proud for keeping my portions low. Hopefully my water and exercise today will help compensate!

Thanks for stopping by!

[kmp1191]

Post trip blues....do a scrapbook!! ...no...maybe not....I'm still working on ours from last years trip..get depressed every time I think about it!! :confused3

Good job on the Purple Team....you can and will meet your goal!! It's destiny!!
(or just good planning??? either way, you can do it!!)

[lovinaz]

Don't worry about the spring roll. Remember, you are in this for life and there will be times you make bad choices. The key is to make good choices the majority of the time. And if you splurge, enjoy it, don't feel guilty about it!

You are doing great, keep up all your hard work! :banana:

[CACruisin']

Ditto what Amy said!

And Congrats on the Purple Team. :cheer2: :cheer2:

[goldcupmom]

WOW! I'm just getting caught up and I am SO IMPRESSED you LOST on vacation! Can you teach a class on how to do that???? I get the post trip blues, too, no matter how long I'm gone or where I go and that just seems to add to my trip weight gain.

Have a great weekend and chin up.....Another trip can't be too far off(or at least the planning which is half the fun!)

[Jane E.]

Great job on joining the Biggest Loser Challenge! The TV show always motivates me! :banana:

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations on joining the Purple Team for the Biggest Loser Challenge! :cheer2: We'll be cheering you on to victory! :cheer2:

I am hoping to sit down and start reading trip reports tonight.... Life has been somewhat hectic lately and I haven't had a chance to get caught up on them. I'm looking forward to reading your report! :goodvibes

Planning another trip sounds like a great idea! My grandmother has been to Branson in the past two years so if you would like me to ask her any questions, please let me know.

Hope you have a great weekend! :sunny:

[Blueeyes101817]

Congrats on joining the purple team--you will do great and im sure you will love the results by christmas!!!!

have a great weekend!

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

congrats on joining the BL purple team!! Great news!!!

Hope you are having a good day!!!

Keep up the good work, you are doing a great job

Have a wonderful weekend :)

[bekkiz]

I was reading your trip report--it sounds like you guys had an fantastic time!

Keep up all of your good work; you're awesome :)

[CJK]

Thanks so much everyone!! :goodvibes Thanks for dropping by!

I'm not sure if it's good or not that I'm writing my DINING trip report. While it's fun to relive the food memories, it's also making me VERY hungry!!! I'll give you the link here if you're interested (I'm written 4 days worth already), but beware......you'll want to have a snack! :teeth: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1254728

Dinner went pretty well yesterday with my women's group. I had water to drink and a salad with fruit and nuts. It was huge so I just ate half and brought the rest home. I'm continuing to exercise daily, but I just haven't been able to really work HARD. Today for instance, instead of my usual 60min. on the treadmill, I stopped at 52minutes. I was just so tired. I've been mixing up my routines by doing different exercise videos. I'm not giving up or anything, but I'm just finding myself at a bit of a lull.

I'm going to drink some water and get to your journals this weekend! Have a great one!! :cool1:

[Amy&Dan]

I think you're doing great! You have done very well getting back into the swing of things since you got back from vacation and thats not easy. I can't wait to read your trip reports over the weekend. Keep up the good work and congrats on joining the purple team, good luck!

Amy

[honeymo78]

I've been reading through your journal and its great to see the successes you are having. I'm starting out higher in weight than you but I have basically the same goals too - get to 150 and lose weight before trying to have a baby, though that's still about 2 yrs off for me. Keep up the great work and I'm glad you had a good time at disney.

[Foxfiregrrl]

Hi, CJK! I went back and got all caught up on your journal! WOW! Your dedication is Impressive!! :cheer2: I am amazed at how well you do during social events involving food!! Your weight loss and exercise have been really impressive too!!

I will definitely come by more often for some good motivation!! You have done a good job at getting back into your routine after vacation. I know it is hard to get back into the groove. We had a mini trip at the beginning of September and I don't think that I have fully bounced back since then :rolleyes1

I think that you will be able to reach your goal by Christmas if you keep powering through it the way you did before vacation!! Keep up the good work! :cheer2:

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

Even though you didn't complete the full 60 minutes all that matters is that you did it. 52 minutes is nothing to be ashamed of!!! Congrats for completeing it!!!

You're doing a great job! Keep up the work!!!

Have a great day :)

[CACruisin']

good job mixing up the exercise video's with the treadmill. Sometimes we get into a slump and need a change of pace to get going again. Are you taking a vitamin? Maybe that would help your energy level too.

Great job eating out with your womens group. :banana:

Have a great week! :sunny:

[Blueeyes101817]

Hope you are having a GREAT week!

[kmp1191]

Time for you to check in....we're missing you're entry this week!
(I may not post daily...but I try to read daily)

Anyway, hope you're having a great week...keep up the good work...you are an inspiration...losing weight on vacation...who does that??!! :confused3

[toystoryduo]

Hi CJK,

I hope that you are having a great week so far! :goodvibes

[Amy&Dan]

Hey CJK, just stopping by to say hi, :wave: , I need to go over to dinnig reviews and see if you have anymore since my last check! Hope you are having a great week!

Amy

[CJK]

Hi, remember me? :blush:

I'm sorry I have been MIA recently. I've had so much going on that I'm just barely keeping my head above water. We had to take a couple days off and head to our hometown to be with family. MIL had hip surgery and my grandmother moved into an assisted living facility. Talk about an emotional time! I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster, but hopefully everything will work out in the end.

The good news is that I lost 2lbs this week! I was able to watch my food intake and exercise all but one day last week. I feel pretty good about that loss b/c I was beginning to doubt it would happen. My water consumption was non-existent during my travel days however. I just can't bring myself to do it b/c I didn't have time for bathroom breaks!

I'm also very sorry for not getting to your journals. I hope to get to them this week b/c we're back in family mode this weekend with crazy visiting. My birthday is this weekend as well and I'm too busy to get excited for it! Argh!

But, 'nuf of my complaining! :p Time to catch up with a little work and then it's off to the treadmill for me!! Hope you're all having a great week!!

[toystoryduo]

:grouphug: CJK,

It sounds like the past few days have been tough for you and your family. How are your MIL and grandmother doing?

That's great that you have lost 2 more pounds! :cheer2: :cheer2:

I hope you have a very :bday: !!!! party:

[bekkiz]

You just take care of yourself and your family!

We'll be here when you can get to us :)

[lovinaz]

I'm sorry to hear about all the family things you have going on. Hopefully that will calm down soon for you.

That is great that you were able to lose 2lbs while traveling! I just schedule a trip and GAIN 2lbs. :rolleyes1 Keep up the good work!

[Blueeyes101817]

Sounds like you have had a lot going on this weekend..

but, congrats on the loss and happy birthday!!

hang in there and have a good weekend

[Amy&Dan]

Hi there, its good to "see" you back but I am sorry you have this family stuff to deal with. That is very hard and yet you have still managed to lose weight! Good for you. I hope you had a fun birthday with some time for you. Just hang in there and keep up your good work! Keeping your mil and grandmother in my thoughts and prayers and hope they are doing well and adjusting to what life has dealt them.

[CJK]

A big thank you to everyone for all of your support and for thinking about me during this particularly rough time. It means so much to me.

Tonight's the night!!! Yup, I'm gonna start catching up on everyone's journal. I'm looking forward to it!

I ended up having a nice birthday yesterday! I did have to go to the hospital to visit MIL and show a family friend around our Canadian city on this, her first time in Canada. It all went well and I got some pretty nice birthday gifts (ie. tickets to RENT!).

My food? Oy! I had little control over what I ate, so I grasped onto my "small portions" motto as much as possible! Nonetheless, I DID have apple pie, cake, red wine, etc.... Even a small piece of apple pie is......well....still apple pie! :p I also didn't exercise all weekend AND I drank little water until now. Yup, not much to be proud of this weekend. I'm debating whether I should weigh myself or not tomorrow. We'll see how I feel. ;)

The good news..... My grandma is enjoying her new home fairly well so far. She likes the concept of not having to do laundry or cook anymore! My MIL is now home from hospital. She's still got a long road a head of her, but at least she's home. Thanks for all of your warm thoughts and prayers - it's working!

I hope everyone has a great week of healthy eating and exercise. I know I'll be jumping on that treadmill tomorrow morning! 'Night all!

[toystoryduo]

Hi CJK~

I'm glad to hear that your grandmother and MIL are doing better. :goodvibes We'll continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers. :grouphug:

Please do not worry about the food that you ate this weekend! Don't forget that any food that you eat on your birthday has zero calories and zero grams of fat. :teeth: :Pinkbounc :woohoo: ;) Seriously, it was your birthday celebration and you enjoyed it. Please don't worry about it, okay? :grouphug: Today is a brand new day! :thumbsup2

Hope you have a great week! :sunny:

[lovinaz]

Glad to hear all is well with the family.

Happy belated b-day!!!

Don't worry about the weekend. Remember, you are in this for life and as long as you are making healthy choices 80% of the time, you are doing great. Today starts a new week and you can get right back on track. :thumbsup2

[Jane E.]

I'm glad that your grandmother is happy in her new home. That must be a HUGE relief for you. I'm also happy that your MIL is doing better. You've had lots of stuff to worry about - I'm just glad things are getting better. Happy Birthday! :bday:

[kmp1191]

Happy Belated Birthday!! :banana: :banana: :banana:
Glad to hear it was a good one!
Also glad to hear MIL & G-mom are both doing well. Family "issues" are so draining. Hang in there and take care of yourself first and foremost!!

I'll be hitting the "mill" with ya....getting out there is the hard part!!

Have a great week, and again....take care of you!!

marie

[Blueeyes101817]

Glad to hear your grandmother and MIL are doing well!! Hope you are doing okay as well!
have a great week

[honeymo78]

Happy Birthday! RENT tickets sound like a wonderful gift. I got DH tickets to Spamalot for his birthday.

Don't worry about eating well on your birthday - its not like you eat that way everyday. And I'm right there with you getting back on the treadmill. We can do it!

[CACruisin']

Happy Belated Birthday :bday:

I'm glad that your family is doing better and very impressed that you lost weight with all the family stuff going on. That really shows that you have made a lifestyle change for the good.

Hope you are having a great week and the weekend will be a calm one for you! :sunny:

[Amy&Dan]

It sounds like things are settling down a bit for your family. I think small portions is key to success and you did that. One small piece of apple pie is not biggie, believe me! Its when you deprive yourself for too long and then binge eat a whole pie you are in trouble! I hope you have a nice weekend!

[SunFloridaDisney]

Lots going on for you, hope you can relax a little this weekend. :sunny:

[DisDee]

Just thought I'd stop by and say "hi". I've been among the missing for the past few weeks, so its time to get back into the support mode. Hope you're enjoying your weekend and taking it easy! Denise

[Blueeyes101817]

Just checking in and saying hello! hope you are having a great weekend

[kmp1191]

Hope you are having a good weekend....also hoping the family issues are subsiding.
Haven't heard from you in a few....catch up when you can!

marie

[CJK]

Sorry to have been missing again!!! I must confess that my motivation has been waivering slightly and I felt a little guilty about posting! :rolleyes: But, by me NOT posting, I'm probably feeling even MORE guilty! So her goes!

Last week (work week), I exercised all 5 days and kept my calories in a reasonable zone. This weekend however, I ate a couple hundred more calories than usual each day. While that's not too bad, my food choices were BAD (ie. 13 cheesies made up my afternoon snack yesterday consisting of 160 calories). Oy! I also had no formal exercise yesterday, though I did do some walking while shopping (and spending money that I don't really have, but that's another story......;) ). I hope the scale won't show any real damage this week. I'm still hoping to lose, but all the sodium and extra calories I had probably won't help any...

I think all the stress of the last couple weeks has taken its toll. The family concerns are a bit better. We're now onto the business of getting ready for Christmas and all the events leading up to it. I'm just finding that I'm too busy lately. I need to take some down time and try to do this thing called relaxing.

I hope everyone has a terrific week!

[toystoryduo]

Hi CJK~

This certainly can be a stressful time of year :crazy: ... Plus, you have other family stuff going on too. :hug: Despite it all, I think that you are doing quite well! :thumbsup2 You have exercised during the week and watched your food intake..... You may have had a couple of snacks over the weekend, but you still did a fabulous job all week long! :cheer2: I am so proud of you! :hug:

I hope that you get some time to relax soon.... :cloud9: It will definitely help recharge your batteries! :goodvibes

Take good care of you! :hug:

[eeyore25]

Hi there,

Glad to hear that things are settling down with the family. As Amy said, a small slice of apple pie is not a big deal, just don't eat the whole thing!

You're doing a great job...I can definitly understand the stress of the holidays. But they will be here and gone before we even know it!

Keep up the good work!!!

Have a great day :)

[Blueeyes101817]

This seems to be such a stressful and chaotic time of the year..i hope things are starting to settle down and you get some time to relax this weekend!!! I wont be around til the 20th, so have a great weekend/week til then!

[kmp1191]

Hey CJK....don't worry about not posting every day...we're gonna wait for ya until you do!
I totally understand about the crazy business of the Holidays! I'm not looking forward to it at all!!!
Hang in there, and oh....ONLY 13 cheesies???? Better than the whole bag, right??!! Always look on the bright side!!! :teeth:

Hope you're having a good weekend, and keep up the exercising, you're doing great!

marie

[CJK]

Okay, you guys are AMAZING to me! How you keep up with all the journals week after week truly inspires me. I must try to do better. I've been continuing with the purple big loser team as well as the November challenge, but my journal seems to be waffling a bit.

I'm sticking to my healthy lifestyle! Last week showed no loss on the scale which was a first for me since August. I think it was due to the salt and lack of exercise on the weekend. I weighed myself today and was down a few pounds so maybe I've flushed the salt out of my system. Wednesday is my official weigh-in day so hopefully this weightloss is real!

The holiday social events have officially begun! Last week I had 4 social events revolving around food, 4 days in a row! I managed to do okay, so hopefully this is a sign of how I will be during the holidays too. This weekend will be a REAL test since I'll be away visiting friends and family. I have plans to eat EVERY meal out and the crowd I'll be with is big on appetizers and drinking. Ouch! Then, we are going to Branson for a week. We'll get very little exercise on that trip, but our hotel has a good gym so my goal is to exercise each evening.

I've decided to only try to lose another 10 or 11lbs. I'm still 25lbs heavier than I was when I got married, but I don't think I could maintain that low a weight without a lot of struggle. If I lose another 10lbs, I'll be safely in my healthy BMI range. Maybe when I get there, I'll re-evaluate. But for now, it's nice to know that I'm getting close to goal.

Well, that's it for now. Please send me your positive vibes this weekend. Have a great weekend everyone! I'm off to read some journals! :sunny:

[Amy&Dan]

CJK: You can do it! Its great the hotel as a gym, that really helps when you are travelling. This time of year is tough plain and simple but you haven't come this far by not having a good plan in place and being successful. Don't let the time of year sway your determination! Enjoy your time with friends and family and enjoy being the healthy new you even more! Have fun in Branson (never been there but it looks so fun). Keep it up girl!

[traceycooper]

Hi CJK
Glad to hear you are still losing,
Hope the family issues are calming down, you proberbly needed a treat to 'pick you up' it doesnt hurt now & again, especially as you have done so well over the months, you are an inspiration :)
Hope the WI shows a loss tomorrow :)

[CACruisin']

CJK - how wonderful to be 10-11 lbs away from your goal. That is really exciting for you!!! :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2: You really have changed your lifestyle. You will have a great time this weekend. I'll bet you find that even though others are gorging on appetizers, you will have moderate portions and do ok. I'm a journal slacker too. I wish I wasn't because it really does help me stay on course, but I am just too tired some nights to log on and the days are just getting sooo busy.

I hope your WI went well this morning. :cheer2: Have a great time in Branson too, if I don't get back here before you go.

[honeymo78]

You have been one busy lady lately. I know you can stay on track with the holidays - you've been doing a great job so far. It's wonderful that you are so close to goal. We are all so proud of you!

[CJK]

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement. It's so great having all of you to talk to about weight loss, since people in my real life don't seem to want to hear it. Thank you!!!

Good news: I lost 4lbs this week! Well, that's not exactly true. Last week showed no weightloss at all due to TOM and salt, so I think that 2 of these lbs were really lost last week. Still, I like saying good-bye to all 4lbs, regardless of when they were lost! :teeth:

I'm TWO POUNDS away from being in my healthy BMI range. Just 2 more pounds away from being able to enter my weight into a BMI calculator and not being told that I'm overweight. I can hardly wait for that! Hopefully I'll be able to achieve this mini goal before our trip (next weekend). It's a hefty goal since I have so many social events coming up, but I'm going to try!

Hope you're all having a great week!!! :thumbsup2

[Amy&Dan]

CJK: GREAT job on losing 4 pounds. And that is just incredible that you are so close to a healthy BMI. I dream of that day for myself and am so happy for you! Being healthy is what this is all about and you are doing a great job. Sometimes its easier to converse about health and weight loss here on the WISH than in real life. I think sometimes people (other women in particular) are too envious of people that are close to them that are losing weight. But we are all very proud of you here on the WISH! You can do it during this social time, just keep thinking about how healthy you are and how hard you have worked. Some good eats in moderation are also not a bad thing so enjoy!

[CACruisin']

Great news about the 4 lb loss :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2:

I am so excited for you to be so close to your healthy BMI :Pinkbounc . Just having that as a mini goal will help keep you on track during your social functions. You can do it! :woohoo:

I agree that it is easier to talk to people here. WISH is so non-judgemental. :grouphug: In my real world, it is too competitive, not supportive like here. And sometimes I feel guilty when I have lost weight and I know that my friends haven't because of other stuff they have going on. Here I am just happy for your success!!! :cheer2:

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations on your 4 pound loss! :cool1: :cool1: :cool1: :cool1:

You are definitely going to make your goal! Keep up the good work! :thumbsup2 You CAN do it!!!! :cheer2:

[lovinaz]

Congrats on the loss!!! :cool1: :cheer2: :banana: :Pinkbounc :yay: :thumbsup2

That is wonderful that you are almost at a healthy weight. You'll get there in no time, and I don't think you'll have a problem maintaining! :teeth:

[honeymo78]

Wow, 4lbs is awesome. And I'm dreaming of a healthy BMI - I'm so happy that you are almost there!!

[SunFloridaDisney]

Congrats!!! Keep doing what you're doing, because it is obviously working!

Have a great weekend, and a nice Thanksgiving in case I don't stop in again before then. :sunny:

[lovinaz]

Just a quick note to let you know I posted the sweet potato-n-banana recipe in my journal. It's really good and low fat too!

[Amy&Dan]

CJK: Hope you have a fun weekend! Don't worry about making your monthly exercise goal. Its something to aspire to and motivate you but not a deal breaker if you don't make every minute. This time of year it just isn't easy but you are continuing to lose and make great choices overall!

[traceycooper]

Congratulations on losing the 4lbs :)
You are doing fantastic, i dont remember you having one week where you gained, keep up the great work :)

[kmp1191]

congrats on the loss! i'm jealous!!
keep up the good work!!

marie

[CJK]

Bailey's & ribs & chocolate........OH MY!!!!!

Confession time!

Okay, so I had good intentions, I REALLY did. I started Saturday morning with a good breakfast (low-fat oatmeal, turkey bacon & tea). I then headed to my friend's house for tea. Some of my girlfriends and I were going to spend the afternoon together having lunch and shopping, and then all get together for dinner with our husbands and children. Sounds innocent enough, right?

My friend and I decide to go for TEA before lunch by going to her fiance's new cafe. Her fiance was understandably very proud to show me around. The place was beautiful! He then asks me what I'd like to order - on the house. I settled on chai tea with a splash of skim milk. He was positively horrified! He wanted me to try one of his specialty pastries, have a latte, bailey's & coffee....SOMETHING! Now, I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I settled on a chai latte. It was rich, it was creamy, it was HIGH CAL, but oh so delicious. No problem, I'd do better at lunch.

My friends ordered the cheesiest, most garlicy mushroom caps and I WANTED SOME. I resisted....and ordered a salmon patty on salad for lunch. The salad dressing had sesame seeds and a very sweet flavour to it. Not sure how bad the dressing was for me, but at least I had salmon so I felt relatively "clean". My friends had lattes and other thick and rich coffee drinks for dessert and I.....sipped on water.

Okay, I was worried that I had still overdone it, but it could've been worse right? We then went back to the cafe before going to dinner. My friend's fiance positively insisted I have a shot of bailey's on the rocks (one of my favourite pasttimes :rolleyes1 ). I tried to say no.....but he actually seemed insulted, so I weakened. :( Before dinner, my friend INSISTED on making me a raspberry martini. It was her specialty drink and she really wanted me to try one. I really did try to politely say no, but she said she had been looking forward to this weekend for months and really wanted us to try one of her martini's together. Soo, I weakened yet again.

Onto dinner. What was on the menu? One glass of red wine (thankfully I was able to only have 1), hash browns, ribs, salad, asparagus, chicken, chocolate candy, raspberry cheesecake, tiramisu, choc. chip cookies, and... Well, you get the idea! OY! I managed single servings of the main course and only a sliver of cheesecake and half a choc. chip cookie for dessert. But boy, was I FULL and feeling full of guilt over the food. :crazy:

Unfortunately, I'm not done with the bad eating yet! Today was a four person birthday party in my family. Lunch included chicken parm., fried cheesy potatoes, bacon/broccoli salad and cake & ice cream for dessert. Oy! I stuck to my motto of single servings of the main course with a small piece of cake with no ice cream.

Did I exercise at all? Nope. Did I drink my water? Nope. Did I overeat? Yup!

That's my confession for this weekend. Other than during my trip to Disney, I haven't eaten so much food since June! Plus, we leave for vacation next weekend so even more food is coming my way!! Oh the temptation!!! I'm quite nervous about weighing myself this week, so I think I'll wait until Wednesday.

In the meantime, if you need me, I'll be on the treadmill. :teeth:

[lovinaz]

Yes, we've all had weekends like that! But you do so well most of the time, a bad weekend is not going to do any permanent damage. I think the goal for the holidays should be to maintain, since it is so hard to actually lose anything with all the hidden goodies!

Today starts a new week and I bet you can get a few days of healthy eating in before you leave for vacation. Didn't you just get back? You travel more than I do!!

[Blueeyes101817]

we all have those weekends..i think i have more than most!

You are doing great, just get back to it..you are so close to the healthy BMI--great job!!

have a good night

[DisDee]

Sound like you had an awesome weekend even if it did include too many eating temptations. You got through it and are back on track, so that's what's important. You've been so dedicated to your healthy lifestyle and should be congratulated for being so close to your goal!

[CJK]

Thanks for dropping by everyone! :sunny: I'm on a mission to get to journals today. I leave for Branson this weekend, so I'd like to try to catch up on journals before then!

Well colour me silly! Is that a real expression?

Anyway....I lost 2lbs this week! I'm pretty shocked considering my 1.5 days of bad eating on the weekend. Dh thinks I didn't eat enough last week, so my body welcomed the extra food on the weekend and my body realized I wasn't in starvation mode so it dropped the 2lbs. I did get right back on track Sunday afternoon/evening so that likely helped too. I'm still shocked though!

With these 2lbs gone, I'm now in the upper upper upper end of my BMI healthy range!!! Woohoo!!! I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get here! If I drop 10 more pounds (I'm considering 13), then I'd be comfortably in the healthy BMI range.

Now, if I could lose weight in my belly and legs and STOP losing in my chest, I'd be all set!!!!!! :teeth:

I'm off to Branson this weekend so I won't be posting next week. Thankfully our hotel has a fitness center so dh and I plan to use it! I won't have too much control over food, but I'll try. With Christmas being a month away, I don't want to GAIN before Christmas even gets here!! Oy!

Have a great week and American Thanksgiving! Best wishes to continued losses for all of us!!! :cheer2: :banana: :cheer2:

[CACruisin']

You are officially no longer overweight! Huge Congrats!!!! You should be so proud of this major milestone!!!

Now, if I could lose weight in my belly and legs and STOP losing in my chest, I'd be all set!!!!!!

I hear ya sister! :rotfl2:

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful vacation too! :banana:

[kmp1191]

CONGRATS ON THE LOSS!!!! :woohoo:
Have fun in Branson!! Enjoy yourself and relax!!

(I'm on my way to IL and we stopped at a Sonic...still in TN and DD says, are we in Canada yet? I said, Yep, just crossed the border! After she got her Grilled cheese she says..."Wow, I"ve never had Canadian food before!")
ok....so she's a little strange!!

Have a good vacation!!
marie

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations on the loss, CJK! :thumbsup2 I'm so proud of you! :goodvibes

Have a great time in Branson!

Happy Thanksgiving!

[lovinaz]

Congrats on the loss, that is wonderful that you are finally in your healthy weight range!!! :cool1: :cheer2: :banana: :Pinkbounc :yay: :thumbsup2

It is the pits that we can't choose where the weight comes off, isn't it? Just keep at it and eventually it will come off where you need it! :teeth:

Have fun in Branson!

[Blueeyes101817]

CONGRATS on the loss!!!!!

Enjoy your time away!

[Amy&Dan]

Wow CJK that is awesome news! We are very proud of you and your efforts to be healthy have certainly paid off! Way to go! :cheer2: :cheer2: I hope Branson was fun!

[kmp1191]

Ok....update!!!
Are you home yet? How was the vacation? Did you like Branson? Did you lose more weight?
C'mon!!! Don't leave us hangin!!

:teeth: marie

[bekkiz]

I hope your trip went well, but more importantly

CONGRATS!! You're doing a great job and I know you can hit your targets in no time :)