"Can I still call it baby weight when she's IS 4?" - comments welcome [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

mom2faith

10-14-2008, 02:59 PM

Added 11/05/08 - Click here (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28565853&postcount=35) for a link to my BEFORE photos (post #35).

Editted Nov 21, 2008 - Now she IS 4 - had to change that title. I guess the weight is mine now - LOL!!

Before my first post, I am going to give you some background. WOW!! I am posting all of this personal stuff online for all to see!!:scared1: But I am hoping to find that support and criticism and kick in the a$$ that I need from all of you.

I am 32 years old, my only child is almost 4. Before her I weighed 160 lbs. I gained 40 lbs while pregnant and I never let it go. Even worse, I gained more, and now weigh my highest weight ever 219.2lbs!!:scared1: :scared1: :scared1: Yeah, I am scared. But, that is what I am hoping will motivate me this time.

For the last nearly 4 years, I have "blamed" this weight on my daughter. Not blamed in the bad sense, but I thought I had an excuse, I thought I could get away with it. While watching her play a few weeks ago it hit me, my girl is growing up. Not only is this not baby weight, but I am missing out on things because I am so tired and lazy at the end of everyday.

Of course, she is not my only excuse, I can find many things to blame this weight on: I am on Paxil, so it is the Paxil; I have digestive problems, so I am not digesting some proteins properly; oh, and my favorite (and I have posted about this before) the last time I lost weight, I got Salmonella and ended up in the hospital - oh yeah that is a good reason to not lose weight again:confused3

Let's face it. I eat more than I need to. I eat more of the "bad" foods and less of the "good" ones. I am lazy and I do not get moving. Plain and simple. I am almost 220lbs because of me!!

So, after our recent trip to WDW, I decided that next time I go, I will be thinner. And, since we booked the bounceback, I have to start now.

This journey I am taking slow. It took me 4 years to get here, and I am not expecting to be skinny in 2 months. I know it will be hard work and a lot of MIND OVER MATTER before I get anywhere near where I want to be.

So here is my plan and here are my goals:

Current Weight: 219.2
Goal #1: 200lbs by Dec 1 (that is about 6 weeks, and at 3 lbs per week, I should do it)
Goal #2: 190lbs by Jan 1, 2009
Goal #3: 180lbs by Feb 1, 2009
Goal #4: 170lbs by Mar 1, 2009
Goal #5: 160lbs by Apr 1, 2009
Goal #6: 150lbs by May 1, 2009
Goal #7: 145lbs by June 1, 2009 GOAL!!

I also want to WALK to Cinderella's Castle. No, not really, but I want to walk enough kilometers that I have walked from my house in Canada to Cinderella's castle. A total of 4067KM (or 2527 miles). I have done the Honolulu Marathon, so this should be a piece of cake right? Hmmm, maybe not.

I have updated my goal! I am still going to walk to Cinderella's Castle, just not in 47 weeks. 12.5 KM/day was not going to happen and it was setting myself up for failure. Instead, I am going to do 10,000 steps per day and additional excersize 4 times per week.

My additional excersize plan is:
Monday - Cardio Blast Aquasize; 45 min
Wednesday - Beginners Yoga; 1hr 30min
Saturday - Yoga (on my own)
Sunday - long walk, run, bike, etc with the family making it 20,000 steps on Sundays

Below in Plum Denotes my "old" goal.

I have 47 weeks from now until my next trip to the world. So in order to achieve this, I will have to walk 86KM per week, or 12.5 km per day. Now obviously, this is NOT going to happen. But, there is no reason, why I can't include my biking, swimming and eliptical training as well. That CAN happen and is now a goal. I am going to log this daily, and I think, I mean, I know I can do this!!

Well, finally my plan. First of all the excersize will make a HUGE difference. I know that is going to help tremendously!! After that, I am going to follow my Weight Watchers plan. I am starting with Flex, but have considered Core this time. I am going to stick with this religiously as I do not want to be 220lbs.

I am excited and have a tremendous feeling that 2009 is my year!! I will be 145lbs by the time I go to the World!!!

Thank you to those who have read so far, and stay tuned for today's update (including measurements).

Amy

mom2faith

10-15-2008, 10:19 AM

Starting Weight, October 14, 2009: 219.2 lbs
Goal Weight, June 15, 2009: 135 lbs

Starting Measurements:
Chest (at biggest point) 46 inches
Waist (at belly button) 49 1/2 inches
Hips (at widest point) 51 inches

Other Goals:
Walk/Run/Swim/etc 12.5 KM per day

Achievements:
10 lbs (209 lbs)
"One"derland (20 lbs)
10% (22 lbs/197lbs)
30 lbs (189lbs)
40 lbs (179 lbs)
50 lbs (169 lbs)
60 lbs (159 lbs)
70 lbs (149 lbs)
GOAL 145 (74 lbs lost)

mom2faith

10-15-2008, 10:21 AM

OK. SO I did not make it back on last night. And, I did not take my measurements. And I did not stay OP. And I did not walk/run/swim 12.5KM. It was not a good first day.

So, what happened? I do not know. As usual, I started strong and made it until supper. I ate a great balanced meal and then....fell apart!! It was awful. I was precisely back where I started. Eating junk food, watching TV and not moving.

So, as much as I want to delete yesterday, and tear the page out of my food journal, and I not going to. Instead, I am going to keep it, so I can remind myself of how sad my eating habits really are!!

I considered saying that I started today instead, but I cannot keep doing that. I have to stop putting it off until tomorrow. I have to look at it and take responsibility. I am not getting any younger (or skinnier) so I need to really look at those bad days and determine what I did wrong.

I have no answers yet, but I will.

So, it is a new day. And I got to start with 0 points again.

I will do this, and every day that I commit to it will make me stronger and that will get me closer to my goals!!

mom2faith

10-16-2008, 01:03 PM

Another bad day. I have to GET REAL about this or it will never happen. This time, instead of giving up and not counting the daily points, I continued and finished the day with 43 points!! OUCH:headache:

What went wrong? Well, 2 things:

1. My sister brought my neice by selling her school chocolates. DARN IT!! Why is it that I can't just buy them and set them aside for DH and DD, why must I buy them and eat them? Not all, but enough.

2. Went out for dinner with my parents and not only did I make an unhealthy choice, I also finished my plate!!! What was I thinking?!?!

Well, once again, today is a new day. I can and will do this. i am hoping by actually writing about my off days and trying to figure out the problem, I will recoognize what exactly causes me to over-eat.

So today's goals are:

1. Stay OP - I am good until supper again, so I will have to think of a great supper that is OP!!

2. Drink that water - I have yet to do this as well.

3. Get moving!! OMG - I am great at setting the goal, but the follow through, not so much!! I am buying a pedometer at lunch so I can start measuring those steps so I can keep track of my KM walked per day. I need to walk to that castle!!

Tomorrow I will have a much better update.

Amy

mom2faith

10-17-2008, 11:01 AM

Well I finally had a decent day!! I do not know what was different other than my dertermination. I remember this from last time, it takes a couple of days to realize just how many points you eat a day, and how quickly they add up!!

I finished the day at 31.5 points (I am allowed 27). I still only drank 6 glasses of water. For some reason this is a problem fo rme this time, and it usually is not. Today is the 8 glass day, I can feel it!!

I also bought a pedometer. My goal is of course the 10,000 steps a day, but I really want to add that to excersize and get that 12.5 KM per day like I am planning to. I figure it is about 2000 steps per KM (that is actually a bit high, it is more like 1800, but for ease of use I am going to say 2000). So 10,000 steps is 5KM. Add that to 40 min on the elliptical and I will easily do my 12.5 KM per day!!

Now, I have to get my butt on that elliptical!! I am going to go 20 min today, and 30 min Saturday and Sunday to get into the habit.

Anyway, it is a small achievement, but being that close to my points is better than the last 2 days!! Today I will make it - right OP.

Amy

mom2faith

10-20-2008, 11:46 AM

Well today is weigh in and I had a loss!! It was exactly 1 pound. Obviously not what I was hoping for, but it was what I deserve.

I am going to refer to week one as AWARENESS week. It was my week to become aware of what I was doing to my body. Here are some examples:

WOW!! I was eating a LOT! When I was trying to stay OP and I was eating over 50 points, I cannot imagine what my points would have been when I just ate what I wanted!! I must have been eating over 100 points!!
I cannot believe how little I moved everyday. I am certain that there were days when I walked less than 1000 steps. Even when I was trying I was only getting in 6000 steps. I still have not hit 10,000 but I am certain today is the day.
Water! Water! Water! - again, I was trying and I was only getting in 6 glasses. A far cry from my 8 to 10 goals that I wanted to meet. Again, I was very unaware of how little water I drank!

So, week 2 is actually off to a really good start. I have already figured out how to increase my water, and even though it was only a small loss, a loss does encourage me to try harder. It is nice to evaluate it online like this, as you can really see it all written out - I eat a lot!! I do not move!! And, I do not drink nearly as much water as I thought I did. Last week truly reminds me of the imprtance of jouranalling.

Here is to another loss week, no matter how small (although I do hope it is bigger this time).

Amy

mom2faith

10-21-2008, 12:40 PM

My first really great day!!

I was OP - eating 29.5 points (2.5 over, which is just some of my 35 extra)

I drank more than my 8 glasses of water!!

I feel awesome after this great day!!

But, that moving, I tell you, I am not getting those steps in. I cannot seem to get off my BUTT!!!

Tonight I am swimming with a friend, it is a Cardio Blast class and it usually makes me work my butt off, so I am really excited. But that is only one day of each week taken care of!! I have to do 6 more days on my own.

It is so sad too, I have an elliptical machine and it is also still warm here (sort of), there is no reason why I cannot get moving!! I just come home and VEG!! My DH is very supportive, but still, we just chill all night and accomplish very little.

Well, lets celebrate those small wins!! BRAVO to me for staying OP and drinking my water!!

Can't wait to see what today brings. I am in control of my own destiny and I will make this happen!!

Amy

mom2faith

10-22-2008, 11:37 AM

I did it!! A perfect day!!

29.5 points (over 2.5)

45 minutes Cardio Blast Swimming

8+ glasses of water

YEAH!!! But, now I HAVE TO get those steps in. It is so sad that I only walk 3000 steps a day! I am embarrassed!!

So, today, truly is my 10,000 steps day. I am walking 10,000 steps today. That is that! I am going to do it!!

Off to a great start with my water and food, so it should not be too hard to add in those steps - right??

BTW - I weighed today, and I have lost. But it is not my official weigh in day, so I am not posting it yet. Yeah, I know I am not supposed to do this, but I had to!

I can't wait to lose more! This is where it gets exciting.

Amy

corinnak

10-22-2008, 01:36 PM

mom2faith

10-22-2008, 02:30 PM

Hi there, Amy! Look at you go - you're really getting in a groove now! It is great to see how you talked yourself around to being fully OP. I have just recently re-started WW as well and getting back on that horse is definitely a process. I'm not sure at what point "baby weight" just becomes "weight" but I'm thinking 4 might be the outer edge of that limit. ;) I love the title, though!

Yeah, I think it is time to say it is MY weight and NOT hers:lmao:

Congrats on rejoining yourself!! And, good luck!!

So I have an observation and I hope it makes sense - Just from reading through your plans and your goals, it seems like you're very enthusiastic and also very ambitious. I'm a little concerned that your plan of losing 3 lbs a week might set you up for discouragement if you don't end up losing at that rate. I've you've lost at that rate before, more power to you, but for me, I know that a 3 lb week is more the exception than the rule. You know yourself best, of course!

I thank you very much for this. I am going to start with this and re-evaluate as I proceed. My bigger problem is that after the first 20 lbs, I think I am going to slow down (this is what I have done before), so I realize this goal needs to be watched and evaluated :) Thank you!!

The other concern I have is your plan to Walk to Cinderella Castle, which is awesome and a really motivating goal, but wow! - 12K a day without rest days sounds like a LOT. Even at a good walking pace, you're looking at almost 2 hours of walking a day!!! That's a lot to take on all at once. Like I said, it's a BEAUTIFUL goal - and if you're doing a lot of biking, I take it all back - biking adds up a lot faster than walking or running. :)

Umm yeah, I think I am going to have to change this one a bit :rotfl: OOPS!! Well, as they say, it is better to have big dreams than no dreams at all!!

Congratulations on a couple of good days in a row! You're on your way now. And it sounds like you were doing a great job of keeping track even on the days when you were over on your points. That can be tough, too. Hang in there - you can do it!

Thank you!! Thank you!! I am clicking the link to read your journal now. We all need supporters :)

Have a wonderful day and good luck to you!!

Amy

corinnak

10-22-2008, 02:37 PM

Yeah, I think it is time to say it is MY weight and NOT hers:lmao: You're cracking me up! :laughing:

I thank you very much for this. I am going to start with this and re-evaluate as I proceed. My bigger problem is that after the first 20 lbs, I think I am going to slow down (this is what I have done before), so I realize this goal needs to be watched and evaluated :) Thank you!!

Sounds like a good plan. I hate how it slows down after the first 20. It's good you're dreaming big and also have the foresight to be realistic.

Umm yeah, I think I am going to have to change this one a bit :rotfl: OOPS!! Well, as they say, it is better to have big dreams than no dreams at all!!

Absolutely it is! Don't give up on this one - it's a great idea. You can do it - absolutely! It's just going to take a little longer than flying to Cinderella Castle in 47 weeks, that's all! I can't wait to see how close you've gotten by that time, though.

Thank you!! Thank you!! I am clicking the link to read your journal now. We all need supporters :)

I have been off and on neglectful of my journal, but it does make it more fun when there's someone else to write to. Thanks!

mom2faith

10-24-2008, 10:38 AM

Well, as you can see in my first post, I have changed my goals. Walking to the castle in 47 weeks was setting myself up for failure. So instead I am focusing on my 10,000 steps per day. I think that plus my planned workouts is a great place to start.

The last 2 days were tough. A lot of evening snacking went on, and not all of it was healthy - but some of it was. I am beginning to see progess on the scale (I know I am not supposed to peek until weigh day), but I am still finding it hard to get out of the evening snack habit. I have to find healthy foods to snack, but even that is tough as my craving for chocolate often wins.

Everyday it does get a bit better, and the days are going really good, so celebrate thosesmall wins. I want this to be a lifestyle change, not a diet, so I have to find that balance of what works and what does not.

The water is working though!! YEAH!! I am having no problem drinking my 8 glasses, I would like to increase this a bit, but boy I do not think I could pee anymore!!

My steps are still falling short. I have a desk job and I am really struggling to find a way to get these steps in.

This weekend is going to be rough as we are going out of town for a football game with friends and then out to a casino. A lot of snack foods and alcohol could be involved and that can add up. However, I shold get my steps in. I will have to encourage myself by eating and drinking in moderation, walking a lot and staying on top of my water. Like I said, I do not want to "diet" I want to lifestyle change, and since weekends like this are going to happen, I have to learn to deal with them.

Hope anyone who is reading has a great weekend!!

Amy

corinnak

10-24-2008, 01:07 PM

Hey Amy! Great job - your new plan looks great and I love your different workout options. They seem like really fun choices!

I don't have any idea about how to get up to 10,000 steps in a day. Are you wearing a pedometer? - I have read a couple of articles about the pedometer and tried it myself for, like a week, but I kept messing the darned thing up! I bet you will think of places to take those extra steps, and probably it's another of those changes that you have to build into your life slowly, right?

What kind of snacks do you like? Are you actually hungry for snacks or is it more recreational eating? I'm working on cutting back the snacking to a reasonable level as well. :)

I bet you'll do well this weekend. You have a good attitude about it - the biggest danger with that sort of thing is just going completely overboard and telling yourself you'll start over on Monday, I think. You're so smart to realize that you're going to have weekends like this even after you get to goal and you are finding a sane way to enjoy them. I can't wait to hear how it goes for you!

Great job hanging in there, Amy! You're doing fantastic!

P.S. When is your weigh in day?

P.P.S. Have a great weekend!

mom2faith

10-24-2008, 01:25 PM

Hey Amy! Great job - your new plan looks great and I love your different workout options. They seem like really fun choices!

I am REALLY excited about the Yoga, I have never done anything like that before. I am doing it by myself too and not with a friend, which is a first for something like this which tells me I am ready to make these changes for me, by me :)

I don't have any idea about how to get up to 10,000 steps in a day. Are you wearing a pedometer? - I have read a couple of articles about the pedometer and tried it myself for, like a week, but I kept messing the darned thing up! I bet you will think of places to take those extra steps, and probably it's another of those changes that you have to build into your life slowly, right?

Yes I wear a pedometer and average from 4000 to 6000 per day now. I am hoping you are right and I have to work it in, but it seems to be one of my more challenging goals. Before this desk job I always worked retail and was on my feet all day. The odd time I wore a pedometer I was well over 20,000 steps (which is why my original goal of 25,000/day did not seem like much) I forgot how little I move now. But it will come.

What kind of snacks do you like? Are you actually hungry for snacks or is it more recreational eating? I'm working on cutting back the snacking to a reasonable level as well. :)

I am good all day it is just between 7 pm and 9 pm after supper and before bed. I want something, and I know that something is chocolate. last night after a few small pieces I made Smart Choice popcorn instead which worked, but I am going to have to find another healthy option ;)

I bet you'll do well this weekend. You have a good attitude about it - the biggest danger with that sort of thing is just going completely overboard and telling yourself you'll start over on Monday, I think. You're so smart to realize that you're going to have weekends like this even after you get to goal and you are finding a sane way to enjoy them. I can't wait to hear how it goes for you!

I think I will be OK. I am NOT giving up and starting again, I really want to stick with it!! I have to learn to live this life, and not keep giving in.

Great job hanging in there, Amy! You're doing fantastic!
Thank you, you are amazing at encouraging me :flower3:

P.S. When is your weigh in day? Monday Morning (after my weekend that could prove to be interesting!!)

P.P.S. Have a great weekend!You Too!! :hug: And :cheer2: to a great OP weekend for both of us!!

mom2faith

10-27-2008, 10:32 AM

Ahhh! the weekend! What a great weekend, full of friends, fun and food!! Oh yeah that's right, I said food. And not only food, booze too. Yup alcohol. Not good for a diet. Not good at all. But, this is not a diet this is a lifestyle change. I have to do this in moderation right? Can you remind me of that the next time the Sambuca shooters come out??

OK, so lets review the Pros and the Cons of the weekend, the good and the bad:

PROS/GOOD:
1. I walked ALOT!! To and from the football game, to the mall, to the Casino, I mean I put on well over my 10,000 steps
2. There is another PRO, but I will get to that....

CONS/BAD:
1. I drank too much!! And, drinking dehydrates me. It will take me days to get caught up on my water!!
2. I ate too much, and it was not good food in any manner!!
3. I did not drink enough water.

But, here is where my other PRO comes in, I cannot do this every weekend! I cannot even do this once a month! This was truly a rare occasion, it just happened to be on week # 2 of my lifestyle change. I am going to do these weekends in moderation!! So, even though I drank too much and ate too much, I am not going to feel guilty. I am not going to give up. And, I am not going to start over. Weekends like this are going to be a part of my life. It is rare, so I will just continue to deal with them as they come.

So, that gets me to the weigh in. Last week I was very excited about my weight as I peeked on the scale and saw I had lost 3 lbs. But, after the weekend, I am only down 0.8 lbs. :sad2: I am certain that alot of this if from being so dehydtated. And some of this is from eating too much and from eating "bad" food. So I will accept this as a loss and move on.

Everyday the water gets easier and I found myself craving it this weekend so it will not be long before I am down those 3 lbs plus more.

Tonight is swimming night, so I will work alot of that food off! And other than that, this day is about water!!

Well, here's to a new week!! :drinking:

Amy

corinnak

10-27-2008, 06:50 PM

Great job on the walking this weekend - that always helps. And you're right that sometimes splurges happen. The timing of this one was not what you would have chosen, but the important thing is not what happened on those two days, it's what happens over the next days and weeks and months. :thumbsup2 It is frustrating when the scale is higher than it was just a few days before, but they say that your weight can vary so much, I bet you will fluctuate back down before very long at all, so long as you keep on going with your regular plan.

How about hot chocolate after dinner? I always like something warm for a snack. But not if it has me up in the middle of the night, I guess. Your mileage may vary. :)

Have a great start to a great new week!

mom2faith

10-28-2008, 10:37 AM

Wow!! What a great day I had yesterday!! Completely OP (in fact 2 extra points), went swimming (Cardio Blast always gets you remotivated) and drank more than enough water!! PERFECT!!

And, this morning those 2 lbs were gone again!! YEAH!! :cheer2: Of course I am not going to record that, I have to wait until weigh in day, but YEAH!!! (Can you say Vodka + Sambuca = water retention!! No I wasn't mixing them together, just alternating drinks :rolleyes1 )

On my way for another great day!! I can feel it. It is like it finally clicked and the ball is rolling :woohoo: I LOVE THAT FEELING!!

Oh, and I adjusted my weight goal. I realized that 135 lbs is a bit low, and makes my BMI actually too low, so I am shooting for 145 lbs. (I guess I just "lost" another 10 lbs:rotfl: )

Well, off to have an amazing day!!

Oh, Corinna, thank you for all of the fabulous encouragement!! Together we will do this!!:banana: :banana: :banana:

Amy

corinnak

10-28-2008, 06:21 PM

kimwim8

10-28-2008, 08:26 PM

Hey Amy! Thanks for stopping by my neglected journal. One of these days I'll be back there again on a regular basis. I have met some truly wonderful people on these WISH journals.

I love your Monday weigh-in day. I did the same thing (and do, when I'm focused). It definitely keeps me accountable over the weekend...which is when I tend to lose control with the food.

You're really doing great and I know your success will continue! Honesty is one of the most important parts of this whole deal. You can't hide things or fib on your journal because in the end, the scale never lies. :headache: Been there, done that. :rolleyes1

Keep up the great work! :thumbsup2

JackTraveler

10-28-2008, 10:11 PM

Congrats on the great day, Amy! I love swimming, it's such a great workout, but so relaxing. I'm shooting for 135 too, I'm giving myself about a year now. I think I'm actually at 11 months, but oh well. You're doing great though. Having a good day always means that I'll have several in a row, they're very motivating.
Be careful about the alcohol though, I think it actually dehydrates you. It's salt that causes water retention. I read that in fitness I think. But despite that, it's still two pounds which is great!

Lola

mom2faith

10-29-2008, 04:07 PM

Amy,
Great work yesterday! I love the feeling of being on a roll as well. Keep on going! :)

I am loving your method of "losing" another 10lbs from the future. :rotfl: And it sounds like a wise choice as well.

Great to hear those 2 lbs have gone away again. I never had any doubt that they would. :hug: Are you weighing in at a meeting on Mondays? Monday sounds like a TOUGH weigh in day! I suppose it all works out in the end, though.

Thank YOU Amy for sharing your journey! It's SO nice to have found a WW buddy.

I am doing WW online. I chose Monday because I was supposed to be doing it with a long distance friend, but she has already given up :confused3 She says she did not realize I was going to do it hardcore:lmao: I do not think what I do is hardcore, but to each their own. I know what she is really saying - she is not ready. You really do have to be ready to do it for yourself.

Hey Amy! Thanks for stopping by my neglected journal. One of these days I'll be back there again on a regular basis. I have met some truly wonderful people on these WISH journals.

I love your Monday weigh-in day. I did the same thing (and do, when I'm focused). It definitely keeps me accountable over the weekend...which is when I tend to lose control with the food.

You're really doing great and I know your success will continue! Honesty is one of the most important parts of this whole deal. You can't hide things or fib on your journal because in the end, the scale never lies. :headache: Been there, done that. :rolleyes1

Keep up the great work! :thumbsup2

Thank you Kim. It is so nice to meet people!! I am trying to read up on everyone's journals and get ideas that work (and that don't). It sure is nice to know there are others out there just like me!

Congrats on the great day, Amy! I love swimming, it's such a great workout, but so relaxing. I'm shooting for 135 too, I'm giving myself about a year now. I think I'm actually at 11 months, but oh well. You're doing great though. Having a good day always means that I'll have several in a row, they're very motivating.
Be careful about the alcohol though, I think it actually dehydrates you. It's salt that causes water retention. I read that in fitness I think. But despite that, it's still two pounds which is great!

Lola

Lola,
Nice to meet you. I am going to find your journal now - I love to read what everyone is doing, I find it so motivating. Thanks for the great encouragement!! And I know alcohol is no way to lose weight, but I really do not drink that often so I am not owrried about it being a big concern.

How much do you have to lose? A year (or 11 months) is along time at 2 lbs a week so depending on how much you have to lose, you should be good. What are you doing to lose? Are you excersing? I hope you have a journal, because now I have all of these questions;)

I am heading to an update right away.

Amy

mom2faith

10-29-2008, 04:31 PM

Meh. That is all I can say. Meh.

I started out great!! But I had a treat a French Vanilla Smoothie. 6 points. Yes. 6. For a drink. What was I thinking!! It is heaven in a cup I tell you!! So, it came to supper and I had 6 points left. No problem. I had 2 eggs scrambled with water and a piece of toast no butter. Yum.

So I was OP. But, then, well I can really blame what happens next on DH (right?). DH brings out the Hallloween candy to see if we have enough. So I sample one and then another and then another. Then I stop. 6 points wasted!! :headache: Just wasted at the end of a great day.:mad: But, oh well. I can easily make up for it. I know that I can. Today I am still OP all day and I haev NOT had a smoothie ;)

No excersize yesterday. Today we are doing our pumpkins, so I may not get much in tonight, but I am doing my walking this weekend (weather permitting) or elliptical if I have to stay inside.

I have been drinking my water so that is another plus.

I am so bloated though!! Anyone have any advice on that? It is not "that time" but for the last 2 weeks I have been just a puffball!!

I am off to search for bloating information. Talk to you all soon!!

Amy

corinnak

10-29-2008, 06:22 PM

You really do have to be ready to do it for yourself.

Yes, I think a truer word was never said. Too bad she didn't keep going with you. Maybe she'll get re-inspired as you lose.

I'm doing WW online as well. I've paid for lots of meetings in the past, and they can be helpful, but somehow, it's not what I really want anymore. I don't even know how much they're charging for a meeting these days!

That's great that you found a way to work those "treats" into your day. Are you using the Flex points as well? I always feel like I should try not to use them. But then some people swear by eating every single point available. :confused3

Hmm, bloated. I don't have a lot of info on that. I bet you'll find good info, though. Maybe if you're eating a higher fiber diet than usual, that could cause a little bloating until your system gets used to it? The only other idea I'd have would be Salt, I guess. :confused3

Way to just keep on going! You're doing amazing things!

JackTraveler

10-29-2008, 11:50 PM

Hey!!
Sweet stuff is my every day downfall. I just have to eat a lot of it at one time. One thing that helps me is by looking at the calories of it, I'm no longer going to eat those snack size kit-kats because Ilearned they have 130 cals in each! But you did great before that incident! Don't worry too much though, you just have to keep working on training your body to not want sugar (isn't that awful?)
Not sure about the bloatedness either. Keep drinking water I guess....

Have a great day tomorrow!

mom2faith

10-30-2008, 09:54 AM

Another great day. But....

It was just a little mistake and I do not think it will count in the scheme of things, I did not think it was "that bad" until I looked up the points. After carving the pumpkins I roasted the seeds. I love roasted pumpkin seeds and never would have thought that they were 1 point per 8 seeds!! I had a couple of handfuls so I am guessing 3 to 4 points. Oops!! Oh well. I really would not have thought they were that high!! Oh well, I will just only have 8 today. No Biggie.

As for the rest of the day, it was great. Nothing else crept up on me. I did not get any extra excersize in, but I knew that going in. Tonight will be a bust as we are finishing getting ready for Hallowe'en, but tomorrow I am taking DD Trick or Treating so I will get a lot of steps in. And this weekend we are finishing the yard work, etc before the snow, so I know I will have and active weekend (no alcohol:laughing: ).

The bloated feeling is still there, but I am thinking it was because I have not taken my probiotic for the last 3 days. I forgot to buy more, so I got some on the way home and got back on that horse. Online I could not find much about bloating other than the usual drink more water (I do) and reduce salt intake. As for the salt, the only sodium I get is what is in my Pre-packaged Oatmeal, my whole grain bread, my one and only diet Root Beer per day and salad dressing. We do not add salt to anything. So, today I am going to keep track of my sodium and see what is up with that.

Have any of you read the "On my way to a better Mii" Journal? I stopped by there yesterday. What a great idea to use Wii Fit to lose weight. She is completely on track with her excersize because she enjoys doing it. Boy is Nintendo sure going to rake it in with that invention!! After Christmas (when it is not in such high demand and the prices aren't jacked up) I might look into one.

I am looking so forward to my Yoga class, but it does not start for another 2 weeks!! It sucks to really want to do something and then have to wait. (Kind of like planning a Disney trip:upsidedow ).

Well, off to another good day. (I might have peeked at the scale again ths morning, which might be why I am so happy today ;) but don't tell anyone :rolleyes1 )

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Amy

mom2faith

10-30-2008, 10:19 AM

I posted this on the main WISH board thread. Can any of you help with #2?

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=28442665#post28442665

mom2faith

10-31-2008, 11:07 AM

OMG!! I had a FABULOUS DAY!! Just Fabulous!!

First of all, I just am starting to feel good. Everyday it is easier to do. I am really looking forward to when this is truly a habit and a way of life. I still have to work at it, but it is easier all the time.

I had my usual breakfast lunch and snack which totals about 15 points. So I usually have about 12 points for dinner and after dinner snacks. Which is a lot, but as you know I usually slurge on something.

Well, on the way home from work yesterday DH decides to get a pizza. I am going to have a tuna salad. But as I am trying to choke down my bland tuna salad I am thinking I really want a piece of pizza!! So after 2 bites of tuna salad I say forget it. I put it away and had 1 piece of pizza. Just one. I savoured it, and took my time!! It was delicious. It was probably 10 points. But that was it!! I stopped at one! I drank lots of water and had a great night!! I had one handful of pumpkin seeds and ended up OP!! YEAH ME!!:banana: :banana: :banana:

Today we are having pizza lunch at work. I know I want 2 pieces as it is better pizza (I love Panago!!), but I also know I am going to be walking it off later for the trick or treating we are doing. I already worked it out and it is 5 points per slice of Panago, so 10 points for 2 pieces is really not that bad. I am prepared for this. I had a smaller breakfast and will have that Tuna Salad for supper so that I can have the Panago. I am so proud of myself!!

I peaked at the scale again. I cannot wait for Monday when I can change my ticker!! It is so exciting.

I wanted to let you know how I am getting my water in. First of all I have to say that what everyone says is true - once you start drinking water, you start to crave water!! It really does get easier and easier to drink the 64 oz. I do think I want to up that next week. I want to do the 1/2 my weight in water which is over 100 oz, so I am going to goal for 100 oz every day. I am almost there already, I just have to make it official. Anyway, DH and I carpool to work and it is a 1/2 hour drive. I have a water bottle that holds 32 ounces and I sip it the entire way. By the time I get to work, I have 32 oz in me :cheer2: I have replaced that morning cup of coffee with water and it feels really good. I do not even miss the coffee at all. Infact, I no longer drink it at work either. I have 1 cup of Peppermint or Green Tea when I get here and for the rest of the day it is water. (Except for the 1 can of Diet Root Beer at lunch, but that is 0 points). I think ditching the coffee was one of the best decisions I have made on this journey. Now I need to ditch the Aspertame in the Diet RB and I will be on my way!! But, one step at a time.

So, as we are driving in today I hear Brad Paisley's Online. I had to laugh at the part where he says "I lose a bunch of weight everytime I log in". It sounds like us!! We are all so excited to log in and tell our Cool Online Biddies how much weight we have lost. We are so much cooler online!!:laughing:

Well everyone, in case I do not log in this weekend, have a great weekend!! Happy Halloween to all!!

Amy

corinnak

11-01-2008, 11:39 PM

It is great the way you handled that pizzas. I think that's the great thing about WW - you truly can have the food you want, you just need to account for it and change something elsewhere. You're doing so great with it!

Awesome on the water. You are making some incredible changes one step at a time.

mom2faith

11-03-2008, 08:54 AM

Well, it was a great weekend, except for Sunday, but that was another story.

Friday - did awesome, enjoyed my pizza, and stayed OP!! :cheer2: I did use some of my 35 "extra" points for the evening, but that is what they are there for, and I rarely use them.

Saturday - amazing day 100% OP. Went on a road trip with some girlfriends to a city about an hour away for some "different" shopping (it never ceases to amaze me how the same store can be so different only an hour away). It is a smaller city, with not a lot of options, but it was a blast. Had Quiznos for lunch and got a small roast beef with no sauce. Was very satisfied and it was decent in points.

Sunday - had the flu. Now when I have the flu, I eat salty, crunchy food and drink Ginger Ale. Not WW friendly, but what I do. Did not go crazy, but I did not eat as well as I would of had I been feeling OK.

Anyway, todays weigh in - down 4.8 lbs from last week!!:cheer2: :dance3: :banana: :banana: :banana:

So overall, it was a good weekend.

I am now at 212.6 and looming close to that 10 lb point (where I lose a point from my daily allowance - I hate that).

Today is swim day. I never want to go, and then when I get there I am happy I went. I am certain everyone is like that.

So my friends and I were talking this weekend about being Plus and it is funny how we all play the same mind games.

I am the smallest of these two, but not by much, however I have other groups of friends where I am the biggest. I was saying how I hate being the biggest because I feel I am under watch all the time. Like everyone is judging what I eat, how much, etc. I feel they all see my shirt is too tight and my pants are snug. I am telling this to my friends and they say they feel the same way - with me!! I was shocked. I never notice that about them. It is funny how being the biggest can mess with your head!! I will be happy to not have to worry about it much longer - only a few short months and I will NOT be the biggest any longer. These 2 friends are also on the lose. One has lost 30 lbs in 2 months by not eating startchy carbs anymore. She eats whole grains and skips dessert. The other has lost body fat, but not as many lbs by just drinking a full glass of water before every meal. I am so proud of both of them. The small changes can make such a difference sometimes!!

Well, off to have a great OP day!!

Talk to you all soon!

Amy

mom2faith

11-04-2008, 09:27 AM

Yup!! Strep Throat. I was feeling crappy for the last 2 days and last night was awful. I skipped swimming, came home and went to bed at 7:00 (before DD!!). At 1:00am I woke up with that familiar feeling - Razor Blades in my throat!!

So today, it is not about what I can and can't eat for points, it is about what I can swallow.

I hate set backs like this. I have drank a lot of water already and am working on tea. I will have a banana and yogurt for lunch and I do not know for supper. Anti-biotics are horrible for making me gain weight, so the next 7 to 10 days is going to be a write off!! This stinks!!:mad:

I am NOT going to give up!! I am not using this as a free pass. I will just have to be careful about what I eat over the next few days. I cannot worry too much about weight loss too much this week, but I will continue to focus on my new lifestyle!!

Off to have more tea :sick:

Amy

corinnak

11-04-2008, 01:02 PM

Wow - Amy! We're really on a wavelength with our synchronized derailments! Sorry to hear about your strep - what a bummer that is. Just hang in there and stay sane. Take care of yourself, feel better and keep up those pro-biotics. :hug:

mom2faith

11-05-2008, 10:33 AM

Well, like I said yesterday, it is hard to count points when you are worried about what you can or can't swallow. But, yesterday was an OK day after all. I had lots of water, tea and some hot chocolate. I did not get moving at all (in fact I stayed in bed most of the day). I know this medicine will make me gain a little, so I am prepared for it. Overall, I stayed OP, I just did not eat that healthy - I mean crunchy veggies were NOT what I wanted. But I had some soft pasta and some bread for dinner.

Today is much the same. I must've got it bad this time, as the drugs are taking forever to kick in. Usually after 24 hours I feel great, but here I am still not able to swallow that well. So today it will be another long day. I ahve no energy to move, but I am at work at least, so I wil get some normal moving in. (I am at least not in bed all day again). All I can do it drink water and flush this bug out of me.

I am interested to see what the surgery will do for my weight. If I get my tonsils out and cannot eat for a week - that would help a lot. But, I imagine I will not be out walking or swimming either that week. DH and I are meal planning for the tonsilectomy already, so any suggestions are welcome. I told him I want to be prepared so when it happens I am not sulking that there is nothing to eat and then turning to unhealthy options. So far my plan is as follows:

1. Boost - but only for the first couple of days when I really cannot eat. I find Boost can actually make you gain weight, so i will have to flush it with LOTS of water.

2. Frozen yogurt - I am going to start sampling some so I know what I like. I do not want to end of eating ice cream

3. Popsicles - I have found that these are a lot lower in points than you would think.

4. Soup - again, I am going to plan ahead which soups I want and the point values.

That is the plan so far.

I do not know when I am going to be called for the surgery, which makes it hard. I have been on the waiting list since Feb 2008 and yesterday they advised me I was still 12 months away (yes it is 18 to 24 months waiting list to have your Tonsils out here!!). But, I got put on the emergency cancellation list, so if someone cancels I will have 48 hours notice that I can get called. My Dr is also writing a letter to the sepcialist to attempt to move up the date. I have missed a lot of work as a result of this, and since Feb. I have had Strep 3 times.

Well, enough about that. I am off to see what I can swallow now.

Tomorrow wil be better - right??

Amy

corinnak

11-05-2008, 11:48 AM

mom2faith

11-05-2008, 12:03 PM

Oh my goodness, it sounds like you've been having a terrible time. How tough to be on that long of a waitlist for surgery. I certainly hope that tomorrow is better.

Do you have an ice cream machine? It might be something to consider, going into this. You could freeze just about anything into a nice, cool slush or make your own healthier ice cream. I've got the one from Cuisanart and have found it surprisingly helpful.

I'm sure you'll find healthy ways to continue getting some nourishment into you, but right now the main thing is that you take care of yourself and get better soon. Make the best choices you can - I know you will!

Feel better soon, Amy! :hug:

I do have an Ice Cream machine!! What a great idea!! I should start making things now for the freezer!!

Yes, it is a long wait list in Canada. Pros and Cons to governement run health care - it is free, but there is a cost, your time. I am really hoping this letter from my Dr helps speed things up.

Thanks Corinna!!

Amy

mom2faith

11-06-2008, 12:54 AM

So I was looking for a before photo and was trying to find one from our recent trip to the World. I managed to find some REALLY unflattering pictures!! And, one that I can say looks like me (I hope).

Look at this one - I look HUGE!! I look twice the size of DH and I really am not (you will see that in later pictures). Does anyone else have one of "these" photos?

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb35/amyscraps_photos/Disneyworld/DSC_0508.jpg

Here are some more "bad ones" :

Oh Yeah that is my big butt!!

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb35/amyscraps_photos/Disneyworld/DSC_0271.jpg

Here is a shirt that flatters all of my rolls!!

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb35/amyscraps_photos/Disneyworld/DSC_0801.jpg

Here is one that I like to think shows more what I look like, I will consider this one my "before photo":

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb35/amyscraps_photos/Disneyworld/DSC_0511-1.jpg

Can you see how out of proportion that first one was? EWW!!!:crazy:

Anyway, there is the "before" pictures (and a few to motivate me). I cannot wait to go again and post pictures that are more flattering view of me as a skinny gal!!!

Amy

corinnak

11-06-2008, 11:46 AM

Well, first of all, you three make a beautiful family! Your little Faith is so adorable. I love your costumes - I was a BIG Flinstones fan when I was growing up.

Those photos are incredible - especially the ones where you're wearing white. It's an optical illusion from the color and the angle, and you look much, much smaller in the last photo. It's like a before-after photo, but they are both befores. :confused3 Thanks for sharing your photos. I always have a hard time putting those out there - I think it shows your level of commitment, though, that you did. I can't wait to see your progress over the coming months!

mom2faith

11-06-2008, 11:53 AM

Well, first of all, you three make a beautiful family! Your little Faith is so adorable. I love your costumes - I was a BIG Flinstones fan when I was growing up.

It is DH's favorite too. We decided on the costumes at the last minute and they were so easy for me to make. And they were so COOL in the September heat!!

Thank you for complimenting my little Faith - we think she is pretty adorable too!!

Those photos are incredible - especially the ones where you're wearing white. It's an optical illusion from the color and the angle, and you look much, much smaller in the last photo. It's like a before-after photo, but they are both befores. :confused3

It is hard to believe they were days apart, I mean I know we were on Free Dining, but I do not think I ate THAT much!! :lmao:

I am looking forward to seeing your progress too. Thank you for checking on me :hug:

mom2faith

11-06-2008, 12:04 PM

Well, it is hard to beleive the weekend is almost here again!!:banana: :banana: :banana:

Not much to report today. I took that "Wilma" photo from above, cropped DH and DD out and printed a bunch of wallets. I am pasting them everywhere so I can see me "fat" photo wherever I look (on the fridge, on the pantry door, on my computer at work, in the car, etc). I am using it as motivation to keep going.

I figured out a way to get a quick workout in at work. We sell motor parts and have this one round piece that resembles a dumbell circle. I now have one at my desk to lift with my arms while I am on the phone. I may not get it in much some days, but there are days when I know I can lift a few reps during a call (espcially when I am on hold). May arms are not a huge trouble zone, so I know I will not spend a lot of time on them elsewhere, so this is my chance to tone them up. (My Boss will think I am nuts, but it is just to two of us and he is getting used to my antics :laughing: )

A SMALL WIN to celebrate today. My Size 18 Levis (that I just bought 3 weeks ago) are getting too big. I can slide them off without undoing them!! I actually need that belt now!!:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :banana: :banana: :banana: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: (Can you tell I am excited!!)

Not much is planned for the rest of today. It is snowing a little here, not too much, just enough that you can see it, it is not staying. But boy is it cold!! I was going to walk to the Scrapbook Store tonight, so I will have to bundle up (or drive, no I cannot drive, I must walk!!) Other than that we are tidying the house and doing laundry as we are having some friends over on the weekend.

Oh, yesterday points results, I almost forgot! I was OP, but did not eat lunch as my medication was making me nauseous. Today I am fine, so I will have lunch as I know skipping meals is not the way to go!!

Whew, long update today. Talk to you all soon!!

Amy

corinnak

11-06-2008, 12:14 PM

Look out, Amy! You're being inspiring again:

My 5 year old had found a 5 lb dumbell in the living room - I know, just FOUND it. And h brought it over to the table where I'm sitting right now and when I read about you lifting an auto part during phone calls, I thought - well, if she can do it, I can do it! Thanks for a great idea!

Congratulations on your loose pants - that's always such a good feeling! Hang in there and have a good lunch!

mom2faith

11-07-2008, 10:06 AM

Well another Friday. The snow was just a few flakes and did not stay!! YEAH!! I am not ready for that yet. But it is chilly here!!

I did walk to the Scrapbook store last night, which is not that far, but it was better than driving.

I stayed OP all day and even had a smoothie for a treat :)

This morning I was down again. I am not posting the results until Monday, but so far so good. I just have to survive the weekend. I feel so determined this time, it is very weird!!

Anyway, the plans for this weekend are as follows:

Tonight - clean house as we are having guests tomorrow

Saturday - Optomotrist in AM and while I am in the city I want to buy my Christmas tree (oh yeah, its that time of year again!!:santa: ); friends coming over for 3:30 football game (Go Riders!!) and staying for a supper (which will be pizza, ao I have to plan those points again)

Sunday - nothing. YEAH!! Relax, maybe scrapbook a little and hang out with DD (She loves to scrapbook with me, so it will be a good day).

I do not know what you in the US do for Veterans Day, but here in Canada we have Rememberance Day so we are off of work on Tuesday. I am going to spend the day scrapbooking with friends, so I am really looking forward to that!! (Oh why can I not have a hobby that involves walking? No, I pick the sitting hobby - LOL)

Well off to have another OP day. I have a feeling I will be short 1 point next week, so I will have to re-evaluate my whole eating plan! Isn't it funny how one point becomes so precious!! You work around this 27 point plan and know exactly what you can eat everyday and than BAM! you lose a point and have to change everything!! Oh well, part of life is adapting. I will come up with something.

Have a great weekend!!

Amy

kimwim8

11-07-2008, 11:55 AM

Hey Amy! You are doing SO great! Thanks for posting the before pics. Trust me, I know how hard that is! But it's also awesome to be able to put that pic next to the "after" pic when you've reached your goal. Or as you're assessing yourself along the way. :thumbsup2 I love the idea of putting your before pic all around to stay on track. I have one of my before's here at work too. I wasn't brave enough to post it on my monitor...but I have it here taunting me, just the same. :rotfl2:

Good luck with your surgery and I hope it comes soon. I had my tonsils and adnoids out when I was around 5, but one of my friends had it done as an adult. I know it's quite harder on adults, so definitely plan on having the cold, refreshing type drinks available for a while afterwards. I'm not sure about water though. I think you're gonna be limited as to how much you're gonna want to swallow (for a little while) so you might want to make whatever you're swallowing to be "filling" or soothing, you know? (I don't know if that made sense at all). I can put you in touch with that friend since she's here on the boards if you have any questions.

Keep up the great work and have a wonderful weekend!:goodvibes

sdarwkcabemanmy

11-07-2008, 01:13 PM

Love the photos, Ams. :)

corinnak

11-07-2008, 05:26 PM

Sounds like you've got a busy, busy weekend in the works. I know what you mean about being thrown for a loop when you lose a point. It helps keep the weight coming off, but it's a definite adjustment. I know you'll be able to make it work. After all, you've still got the flex points and activity points to work with. :thumbsup2

I'm glad the snow isn't sticking around for you yet.

Have a fantastic weekend!

mom2faith

11-10-2008, 10:13 AM

OK. Let's deal with it. I did not record my weigh in today. It was bad. It was not a gain, but it was not the loss I was hoping for. The reason: well, I am ovulating (sorry for TMI, but since we are trying, I do know this). I did not realize how much that would affect my weight. Since today is the last day it should affect my weight, I am weighing in tomorrow and whether good or bad, that is going to be my weigh in for this week. I am just hoping for some good!:goodvibes

The weekend recap:

Saturday was OK. We had friends over, so I had saved my Flex Points and boy did I use them: chips, vodka, pizza. But I was still reasonable and did not go crazy.

Sunday was not so good. We went for lunch at the local restaurant and I ate a burger and fries!! But, I was OP for the rest of the day, so it was not so bad. I did not get in my water either of the 2 days, which I feel today. Boy, it is amazing how you can become addicted to water!!

One thing that did happen that was good, I was testing a new fondant recipe for DD's birthday cake (I have to make it next weekend). Anyway, it is marshmallows, crisco, water and LOTS of icing sugar. So while testing the making process, we all tasted it (I was hoping it tasted better than regular bland fondant - and it does). Anyway, I do not really have much sugar anymore and so the few small samples of this very sweet icing actually made me nauseous!! Yeah!! DH and DD loved it and I had to take it away from them, but it make me ill. I am glad that my sugar addiction is waining. One more small win for me:woohoo:

Well cross your fingers for a good weigh in tomorrow!! I have to face it whatever it is!!

Amy

corinnak

11-10-2008, 08:42 PM

Amy,
I bet you're seeing a lot of water retention right now - that was a lot of saltier food this weekend, and if you didn't drink as much water as usual, your body will use that salt to hold onto every bit of moisture it can. Which is heavy! So drink your water today and hopefully it will all wash away for tomorow's weigh in.

Great job on the sugar! Well, not on feeling ill, but on getting to the point where sugar doesn't make you want more sugar. That's really a great place to be!

Weekends are definitely very challenging. Good luck with your WI tomorrow!

corinnak

11-10-2008, 08:43 PM

Oh, I almost forgot - how are you feeling with your antibiotics and strep? Better? When are you done with the medicine?

corinnak

11-12-2008, 10:37 AM

Hi Amy! :wave:

Just checking in to say hi and how are you doing today? I hope your Wednesday is going well.

mom2faith

11-12-2008, 11:04 AM

Oh, I almost forgot - how are you feeling with your antibiotics and strep? Better? When are you done with the medicine?

My strep is gone, I have a few more days of the Anti-biotics.

I LOVE Pro-biotics and seriously cannot imagine life without them!!

I have been watching the bloating, and have found that the Diet Root Beer might have an affect. Oops. But, I have given up coffee and lots of treats, so I am not ready to give this one up yet, I say yet because I am cutting back and hope to give it up soon too. I just have to find a replacement ;)

Thanks for checking on me.

mom2faith

11-12-2008, 11:10 AM

Well, lets start off with the weigh in. It was exactly the same Monday as it was Tuesday, so the day really did not matter. I lost 2.0 lbs. Now, I know this is good, but last Friday I was at 3.0, so I was disappointed. I really have to stop peaking at the scale!!

Now for the rest of Tuesday: :sad2: :sad2: :sad2: BAD BAD BAD DAY!!!

OY!!! We have a holiday for Rememberance Day here in Canada, so I was off of work. I went to a girlfriends house and a bunch of us scrapbooked all day long. It was Potluck and I thought I was going to be OK. Boy was I wrong!! It started with the Tim Horton's French Vanilla Smootie (6points), Caramel Almond Chocolates ( I dunno 3 points each times 3 for a total of 9 points) and well, need I say more. Let's be real here I stopped counting.

It is not that I ate that bugs me, it is not even what I ate that bugs me. What is bothering me today is that I am trying to make a lifestyle change, not just diet, and I totally caved!! Why could I have not just sampled a couple of things and moved on? Why did I have to eat everything? Why did I have to have seconds? Why did I just give up and throw it all away? I know it was just one day, but I had already had my "treat" day on Saturday and wanted to have another one this Saturday. I did not mean to mess things up so early on. Has anyone else had one of these moments? Like I said, I really want it to not be a diet, and yesterday I ate like I was on a diet and then gorging!!!

Today, I am paying for it. My tummy hurts!! So, I am drinking alot of water, and trying to get back on that horse. But, boy is it hard for some reason.

On a high note, I start my Yoga class tonight, so I am hoping that that makes me feel a lot better. I have never done Yoga before, so it is just a beginners class, but it is for 1 1/2 hours every Wednesday. I am really looking forward to that relaxing feeling that I hear happens when you do Yoga. And, the girl that I am doing it with has already found us a Belly Dancing class for after the Yoga class. I am really excited for that (it starts in January). I am hoping trying new things will keep me motivated. After I have some core strength back I really want to try Pilates. I have a cousin who lost 60 lbs doing Pilates and she looks amazing!! (She has also had 3 kids and you could never tell, her abs are amazing!!)

Well, today's focus is to FLUSH all of the FAT I ate yesterday - WATER WATER WATER!!!

I also have to refocus and get over it and move on. It happened. I do have to think about why it happened and why it got so bad that I am actually ill today, but I have to realize that I cannot change yesterday, I can only make smarter decisions for the future (even writing already makes me feel better).

BTW - for the record, a Food Hangover is a lot worse than a Sambuca/Vodka Hangover. I feel just awful today!!!

Talk to you soon,

Amy

corinnak

11-12-2008, 02:06 PM

mom2faith

11-12-2008, 02:44 PM

Hi Amy,
I hear you on the scale-peeking being bad for morale at times! Two pounds is a GREAT loss and not easy to achieve. Good work! :thumbsup2

As for the rest of the day, you know we've all been there, too. :hug: It sounds like the situation was maybe part of the problem as well - if scrapbooking and decadent snacking have gone together for a long time in your life, it makes sense that when you get into that situation, the usual pattern is so in place, it's harder to overcome. Especially when everyone else is eating, too. And the food is sooo appealing. It's going to take time to re-train yourself for what the "new OK" is, as far as eating and scrapbooking. Whether it means you need to bring snacks along for yourself that are safe to munch or plan a certain number of points to spend on it and then switch to, say, hot tea or water, you'll find a new way to relate food and your hobby, I'm sure! (Oh my gosh, I just reread this and - oh my, I don't mean to sound like such a know-it-all..... I dont' mean to give so much advice!!)

I think you're right, too, that it's harder to get back on track after a big, unintentional slip. You can do it!

I'm so glad your infection has subsided and you're feeling healthier. Have fun at your Yoga class tonight!

Gee, I never thought of it that way, I guess I do associate Scrapbooking with Food. It is funny how some habits are so easy to change and others you cannot even recognize until someone points it out.:confused3 For example, going shopping with the girls and then for lunch is one of my favorite things to do (although we do not go that often) and I met that challenge head on and ate healthy (a few weeks ago). I guess I never went to the Crop with a plan as I thought that I would be OK and then one weak moment and I fell like a house of cards!!

Thanks for the things to think about. I have another crop on the 22nd, so I am going to go in with a plan and maybe even pack some healthy snacks so I do NOT fall apart again!!

(BTW - you do not sound like a know-it-all, you truly gave me some insight I had not thought of before!)

Thank you!!

Amy

corinnak

11-12-2008, 02:56 PM

Well, I'm glad to help in whatever small way I can. I'm glad I didn't come across as too know-it-all. But even gladder that you got something from what I wrote. You'll be ready for them at the next one!

BTW - GREAT job on the shopping and lunch success. Your mindfulness made a huge difference. It's so great that things can still be so enjoyable even with less or different food!

mom2faith

11-12-2008, 04:16 PM

So, I have decided to take some time here and really think about my food choices. I have borrowed this idea from corrinak's journal which can be found here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1468626

So the first list is foods that are DANGER foods, things I crave or binge on. I am hoping that I can determine why I crave these and if it is boredom, depression or something else.

The second list is full of changes I have made to help my weight loss journey along the way. From this list I am hoping to remind myself of the commitments I have made and I hope to continue to make these "wiser" choices.

The third list is a reflection of my first month OP. I do have some areas that need some TLC and I need to put it in writing so I can remind myself of them. (Kind of like seeing that bad photo, if I do not write it down, is it really going to happen?)

DANGER FOODS

Chocolate - I can eat it anytime, all the time and I do not know when to stop. Espcially peanut butter chocolate (like Reese's Pieces or Peanut Butter Cups or Oh Henry's - I can go on and on!!)
Sampling while baking or cooking dinner. This is a big problem for me. I smell dinner cooking and I get so hungry I have a few tastes along the way. I also sample my baking along the way eating raw cookie dough or spoonfuls of icing. This is truly all about convenience. I have to just be strong - but I am not!!
Crunch - there are days when I want crunch. This mostly entails chips and dip or crackers and cheese. I crave crunch.
Fast Food - again convenience plays a huge role. Although living in a small town helps, there is still a restaurant here full of burgers and fries. And, I am in the city everyday for work with those places within a tempting reach. I have found this has simmered significantly since starting WW this time, but there are days when I want a JUICY BURGER with GREASY FRENCH FRIES and there is nothing that will stop me!!
Ice Cream - now that it is colder this has also simmered, but in the summer Ice Cream is all I want after a meal. And I cannot get a low fat ice cream, I need a rich creamy ice cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkle - you know the WORKS!!
Tim Hortons -There is a whole list of 10 items from Tim Hortons that are my danger foods, but in general Tim Hortons alone is a danger. (This is similar to a Starbucks/Dunkin' Doughnuts) I love French Vanilla Smoothies (6 points), jelly filled doughnuts (10 points), Iced Cappucinos (16 points). Like I said, I can go on. Tim Hortons is always convenient and always open and always has such yummy addictive items - that are ALL BAD FOR YOU!!
Sneaking a treat - aside from Chocolate or Crunch, I tend to give myself treats (1 point here and 1 point there) and they start to add up. Like fat free pudding made with skim milk - 1 point per serving, but you have to actually stop at one serving
Carbs - I love my bread, pasta, potatoes, cereals, etc. I try to make wise choices here too, but the temptations to go grab a bowl of cereal after supper or have bread at every meal are strong. I know using too many points on carbs is bad, but I crave them!! I love them!!

Things I have changed

I drink LOTS of water now. I can easily get my 64 oz in and hope to get up to 100 oz until this weight is off. Then I would like to stay at that 64 oz level for life.
I cut out the coffee. And, I feel better without it. Don't get me wrong, it was hard, but I had to do it. I do not drink my coffe black so there were always points in it.
I only bring a small lunch to work with 1 snack. My lunches used to be huge - 2 snacks and a large lunch. Now, I only bring a small lunch and then do have a small snack at around 3pm. I do not go out for lunch (although I am tempted) and I do not have any food stored at work.
Herbal Green Tea - I have been drinking this at work along with my water. It is a warm treat without the calories.
I eat a small healthy breakfast everyday. I used to have abig breakfast or no breakfast (depending on the day). When I had a big one, I felt lethargic right from the get go. When I skipped it, I was starving by 10 am and I would snack for the day. Now I have a small bowl of oatmeal and a glass of skim milk for a total of 5 points every morning.
I do not skip meals. I try to eat at regular times even if I do not feel like it. If I do not, I tend to binge later because I am starving. Now I am not talking forcing myself to eat, but today for example, I was hungry but did not really want what I had packed for lunch. I ate it anyways so I woul dnot be starving in an hour and then rush off to get fast food.
I use my flex points for treat days. I try not to use my flex points throughout the week and then on Saturdays I allow myself some treats. Like a Burger (with a salad) or a drink. It seems to be working for the most part.

Things I need to work on

I need to get moving. I tried the 10,000 steps a day, but so far have not succeeded (and now DD broke my pedometer, so I have to get a new one). I skipped swimming 2 weeks in a row. Yoga tonight is even up in the air because we have freezing rain and DH want me to come straight home so I am not driving on the highway at night in freezing rain. There is always an excuse to not get moving. I have to get over this and get moving. If I cannot go swimming, I have to get on the Elliptical or do something else at home. For some reason this has been one of my harder changes.
I have to get to the bottom of why I binge. It is mindless eating and I have to become aware of it so I can determine why I am doing it.
I have to stop being so hard on myself - I really beat myself up when I havea bad day and I have to get over it and move on!! I cannot continue to do this.
I have to celebrate the small wins. I say I do, but really inside i am disappointed that they were not bigger wins. I have to take it one step at a time and not always think I should've done better.
I have set realistic goals. I have already altered my goals once, but as Dec 1 looms closer, I realize I will not have lost the 20 lbs I was hoping for. I thought this goal was realistic, but obviously this time it has been harder to take the weight off. I will wait until Dec 1 to see how I did and then work from there.
I have to remind myself that this is not a diet but a lifestyle change. I do not want to diet, I want to change my eating habits forever. I want to change my life!!

corinnak

11-13-2008, 09:11 AM

Great lists, Amy! I have to admit, your Danger Foods list is making me, well, not hungry, but foody? Food-lusty? I hear you on the ice cream - I can not even keep it in the house, I kid you not. And I definitely feel the same about "sneaking a treat." A point here, a point there and I never really feel like I've had a snack!

I love your "changes" list - that's a great way to see how much progress you've made, regardless of what the scale says on a given day. :thumbsup2

And it looks like we are both caffeine free Green Tea fans! :yay:

And there's always more to work on, of course. One thing at a time. :) And a lot of those things are definitely "process" aren't they? The goals are probably one of the hardest things. It's so hard to know how fast or slow things are going to go, and when we pick a number with a deadline, is it going to be more beneficial to have that to strive for or more discouraging if we don't keep pace? Tough one! But I bet in December, you'll look at whatever progress you've made and say "I am better off than I was when I started."

Great job on those lists. It seems like so much of it is mental, doesn't it?

mom2faith

11-13-2008, 03:31 PM

mom2faith

11-13-2008, 03:41 PM

Well, after such a BAD day on Tuesday, Wednesday was a bit better, although not perfect.

I had my usual breakfastm but then I had a Taco Salad for lunch - homemade, but still a bit high in points, then DH made HashBrown Casserole and Farmer Sausage for dinner, so again high in points. But aside from that, I drank my water and did not snack, so it was an OK day.

Today DH packed me leftovers for lunch, so I feel a bit guilty for having Farmer Sausage again, but oh well. Eating well on a budget sometimes calls for leftovers.

Yoga last night was, well, interesting. It was a different kind of Yoga than I thought, called Iyengar Yoga. It uses a lot of props like blankets, blocks, etc. I feel like I only did about 5 poses in the hour and a half class, but I did feel like a got a good workout. And did it knock me out!! I was in bed shortly after 9 pm and fast asleep!!

Today is setting up the main tree night. DD has been begging since I bought it to put it up, so we promised her tonight. That will give me a workout - LOL!! Lugging all the boxes and the up and down and up and down or decorating.

Tomorrow will be a good day - after all it is Friday!!

Amy

kimwim8

11-13-2008, 08:07 PM

sdarwkcabemanmy

11-14-2008, 02:28 PM

It is not that I ate that bugs me, it is not even what I ate that bugs me. What is bothering me today is that I am trying to make a lifestyle change, not just diet, and I totally caved!! Why could I have not just sampled a couple of things and moved on? Why did I have to eat everything? Why did I have to have seconds? Why did I just give up and throw it all away? I know it was just one day, but I had already had my "treat" day on Saturday and wanted to have another one this Saturday. I did not mean to mess things up so early on. Has anyone else had one of these moments? Like I said, I really want it to not be a diet, and yesterday I ate like I was on a diet and then gorging!!!

I am right there with ya girl. I was raised by some very old Southern women who thought that gravy was a beverage, food must be deep fried or at least panfried in lard (bleh!:crazy2: ) to taste good and that if it was good for ya, you were eating like a rabbit. And I was raised to be a member of the 'clean plate club'--you HAVE to finish everything on your plate whether you like it or not.
I know that I am going to have to change to make this work and it's hard. But at least I'm not alone in this whole thing.:hug: It'll be a long hard road but worth it in the end, yeah?

mom2faith

11-14-2008, 02:42 PM

Hey Amy! I really like the lists! I think I need to work on some of my own as well. That darn Corinna...she's inspiring us all! ;)

You're doing really great! Great job with the water. And you know, I agree with the leftovers. I am doing the same thing. Making bigger portions and eating the leftovers for lunch. That'll save money, and I'd prefer to eat "normal" food for lunches rather than lean cuisines all the time.

Not sure if you wanna hear...but I made an awesome dinner in the crockpot today. I put frozen boneless chicken tenderloins in the crockpot, a jar of salsa and a brick of lite cream cheese. Cooked on low for 8 hours. It didn't look too appetizing when I got home from work, but I stirred it up (the chicken kind of fell all apart) and then it looked better. And OH MY LORD, it was fantastic!! And really not bad at all for us! I did put it over some egg noodles, but it wasn't necessary. Could've just had the chicken by itself or with salad or something. Anyway...just thought I'd pass it along b/c I loved it. :thumbsup2

Keep up the great work, Amy! And have a great weekend!

Oh, wait, when you say "set up the tree"...do you mean Christmas tree?:confused3

MMMM the recipe sounds great!!

Thanks for checking on me (and yes I do mean Christmas tree :santa: )

I am right there with ya girl. I was raised by some very old Southern women who thought that gravy was a beverage, food must be deep fried or at least panfried in lard (bleh!:crazy2: ) to taste good and that if it was good for ya, you were eating like a rabbit. And I was raised to be a member of the 'clean plate club'--you HAVE to finish everything on your plate whether you like it or not.
I know that I am going to have to change to make this work and it's hard. But at least I'm not alone in this whole thing.:hug: It'll be a long hard road but worth it in the end, yeah?

Worth it, but what a long road!! I realize it did not take me a couple weeks to get this big so why I should I expect it totake a couple weeks to lose the weight, but still, I am an Instant Gratification Kind of Gal!! Give me scratch lotto over lottery draws any day. :rotfl2:

mom2faith

11-14-2008, 02:48 PM

Don't have too much to report....

Yesterday was another down day. DH is the cook in our house and he does not always make WW friendly meals. I know he means well, but....you know. Anyway, last night we were late getting home so we had a quick soup and grilled cheese sandwich meal. The points are crazy in a quick meal like that!!

Tomorrow we are going for groceries again and I have to find something I can do that is quick (and not salad or lean cuisines, you can only have so much of those ;) )

Because we were late getting home we did not get the tree up, so now that is on tonight's agenda.

For the rest of the weekend we are doing some Christmas shopping, going to see Madagascar 2 with DD, and then Sunday I have to decorate her birthday cake and decorate for her party. Her birthday is next Friday and her Party is Sunday. I know we are doing this early, but we have a busy week ahead of us so this is our chance. I will pop the cake in the freezer when it is done and we are decorating the basement playroom, so it should not interfere with our lives too much for the few days that it is unusable.

Well, have a great weekend everyone!!

Amy

corinnak

11-17-2008, 07:12 PM

Hi Amy!

How was that weekend? Is the tree up? The cake baked? You sure had a lot going on!

It's always tougher to be on the points when someone else is controlling the food coming out of the kitchen, I think. You're really lucky to have a cooking husband, though!

I hear you on the grilled cheese. Using all regular food and butter, yowsa, lots of points. Have you tried modifying it so it's more loss-friendly? I like the 2% cheddar as well as the regular stuff at this point. Not that there's anything wrong with using a bunch of points on a favorite, either, if that's what you choose to do. ;)

Hope your day has gone well.

mom2faith

11-18-2008, 09:52 AM

Hi there,

I did not get to my update yesterday, I have no reason, I just did not get there.

OK Saturday - Went Christmas shopping and walked a lot!! We were gone for 9 hours!! YIKES!! But, we are almost done!! Just a couple of stocking stuffers and my dad left. We ate McDonalds (DD got her choice because she was good) and I was BAD. But, I paid for it later. Man, when you do not have crap for so long, your tummy does not like it!! Anyway, came home and crashed!!

Sunday - worked on the cake all day. And I hate it!! I will post pics later, but it just did not turn out how I wanted it to. Oh well, live and learn.

Monday - OK all day and then we went to get groceries. We were late coming home from work as a result so we had nachos and cheeze for supper. Not a very WW friendly dinner, but what can you do. It was quick and easy.

So, the weigh in result after a week on bad days? Up 0.4 lbs. Not too bad. But, it was a gain.

I think I have fallen off the wagon, but I am not giving up. I still drink my water and I have smaller lunches and only one snack during the day. It is just the nights and weekends that are getting me. And we are so busy this week that I know there will be some "quickie" meals that are not all the healthy coming into play. I just have to celebrate those small wins, stay off the scale, drink my water and watch my portions. I am not going to gain weight, but I really want to keep losing too.

Oh well. Everyone has those weeks.

Amy

sdarwkcabemanmy

11-19-2008, 11:50 AM

Don't give up just because you fell off the wagon, girl. :) Look at me, I dive headfirst off the wagon all the time and I'm still perservering. :rotfl2:
You can doo eet!

mom2faith

11-19-2008, 12:41 PM

Don't give up just because you fell off the wagon, girl. :) Look at me, I dive headfirst off the wagon all the time and I'm still perservering. :rotfl2:
You can doo eet!

:lmao: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

mom2faith

11-19-2008, 12:51 PM

First of all - yesterday was a better day. I did have some chips at lunch, and some mini cream puffs after supper, but overall I just felt better yesterday.

Today is OK. The usual lots of water and small breakfast, small lunch. Dinner tonight farmer sausage, but again I will watch my portions and take it easy.

Now for my news: Well all of my letter writing and complaining must of done me some good because I got called for my tosillectomy today. I go next Thursday, Nov 27 (Don't worry I am in Canada, so it is not Thanksgiving for us, I will not be missing any turkey:laughing: ) So, that means for the rest of this week and early next DH and I will be planning my soft meals. I have been advised to take at least 10 days off of work :scared1: I am going to start with the 2 days next week and the full week following so I only mis 7 paid days. I do not get covered by my insurance for this as I do not have short term sick leave. Oh well. We knew this was coming. I am glad we are almost done our Christmas shopping.

I am a little scared, I am not a fan of surgeries or going "under". I have only been under once and it terrified me, so I have to really focus on what this means for me in the long term just to get myself to do it. I will no longer have strep throat every 3 months. I will not have to worry about anti-biotics or the "razor-blades" in my throat. And, my minor sleep apnea should stop, meaning I should have a sounder nights sleep - which sounds good to me!!

Anyway, I will keep you all posted. If I am not on the boards much over the next week it is because I am frantically trying to get ready to be laid up for a couple of weeks.

Talk to you all soon!!

Amy

mom2faith

11-19-2008, 01:22 PM

I realized I forgot to let you know about my tree Corinna. So, here it is:

After weeks of searching and pricing out Pre-lit trees I finally bought one at Walmart. My big concern was I wanted one that was not over $250 but still looked good. This was not that easy, as most of the cheap ones looked cheap.

I finally found the perfect one at Walmart for $150 - the 7.5" Kennedy Spruce. It looked awesome and I liked the price.

So, last Friday night DH starts to set it up. He gets it out of the box, puts it together and plugs it in. It did not work. So he reaches in to test one of the plugs and gets a SHOCK!! There were 2 bare wires just sitting there in the middle of the tree!!:scared1:

So, we pack it up and on Saturday when we went to the city to Christmas shop we took it back. I wanted my money back (I did not want another tree from Walmart for obvious reasons) but I also wanted to let the manager know. So after waiting more than 5 minutes for the manager, I told him the story and showed him the wires and his response was "Oh, well you must have pulled off one of the lights." Umm..no we didn't!! This is a faulty tree and perhaps you should ensure there are not more like it on the shelves. Someone could get hurt or a fire could start!!

Anyway, our conversation with him was not going to go anywhere so I just got my refund and left. But that left us with no tree.

We ended up going to Costco and buying a NON-Prelit tree for $120, and will will just buy lights. Now the pre-lit thing is freaking me out (which I know is crazy, but still...)

So, after all of that and then Sunday was cake decorating day, we still do not have our tree up. With DDs party this weekend, it will not happen until at least next weekend now. And, now I am having surgery so who knows when it will get up!!

Oh well :sad2:

Amy

sdarwkcabemanmy

11-19-2008, 02:19 PM

mom2faith

11-21-2008, 08:50 AM

I knew there was a reason I didn't want DH to buy a pre-lit tree. Yikes!

I also have a special dislike for fakey trees. We had one for most of my childhood that was a reject my mom dug out of somebody's garbage. About 1/3rd of the limbs were missing so there were always funky looking holes in the thing. There was no doubt about it, if you had never seen this tree before, you would not assume it was real. It looked VERY fake.:rotfl:

DH did buy a fake, unlit tree several years ago and when you fluff it up just right, it almost looks real. :)

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas but I'm getting better. Working for a number of years in retail kinda killed any Christmas spirit I MIGHT have had to begin with. I really am trying to recapture some of that spirit for DS's sake. He's just a kid and he doesn't need to know how much Christmas can suck with all the commercialism, the running ragged trying to find the perfect gift,t he delicate balance act of religion and secular and how a lot of people think Christmas just SUCKS in general. At least not yet. ;)

Oh-oh!! Now we cannot be friends!! Just kidding!!

Yeah, I am now not recommending a Prelit to anyone. It reallly scares me. I am sorry to hear you do not LOVE cChristmas. I too spent too many years in retail and it always made me so sad that I missed so much. That is why I never went back to retail after DD. It took my a while to find a job where I made decent money, but the time I get to spend with her is worth it.

I always try to be nice to all retailers at this time of year, after all it is their job, and not everyone can just "find another job" right now.

mom2faith

11-21-2008, 08:52 AM

Just quick note to say that I had to change the title of my journal!!

DD is now 4!! She is getting so big!!

Today we used enchanted call to get a call from Aurora to wake her up - she loved it and cannot believe that Aurora knoew it was her Birthday. We also gave her High School Musical on Ice tickets for February.

Sunday is the big Pirate and Princess party that I know she is going to love.

Well, sorry for the quick update,l but I will be back on that wagon right after my surgery. Right now, I have so much to do since I keep getting told that I will not want to do anything for a week afterwards!!

Amy

sdarwkcabemanmy

11-23-2008, 08:20 AM

I think that my dislike of Christmas started long before I worked in retail, really. My parents always seemed to have their worst arguments (and they wre ALWAYS fighting!) at Christmas. Getting into retail because I'm not really qualified for anything else didn't help. Harried, angry customers, not enough people to staff the stores, endless Christmas carols/songs just really did it in for me.

I really have tried to be better about it, for DS's sake. And it's been easier since I became a SAHM a couple of years ago. It's not as stressed and I have time to actually appreciate some of the things that go on during the season. We get to be in a Christmas parade and we're probably going to a Breakfast With Santa in about 2 weeks or so. :) Plus I get to watch all those neat Rankin-Bass Christmas specials they have on ABC Family. :) So it's better. I'm still not a big fan of the season, but at least I can put up with it now.

kimwim8

11-26-2008, 03:09 PM

Hey Amy. I'll be thinking about you tomorrow. Good luck with the surgery and rest, rest, rest afterwards. :hug: Take care!!

corinnak

11-26-2008, 08:47 PM

Wow, Amy - that was a tree ordeal! I am glad you got one without problematic wiring, though.

Good luck with your surgery tomorrow. I'll be thinking about you as well and hoping it all goes smoothly. Hopefully the recovery will be easier than you expect.

And congratulations on having a 4 year old! Tomorrow I will have a 10 year old. November is quite a month for birthdays!

mom2faith

11-26-2008, 09:07 PM

Thank you Kim and Corrina! I will keep you posted.

Corrina congrats on having a 10 year old! November is big around here too. Hmmm what is 9 months before November - LOL!!

I will post on Friday or Saturday depending on how I feel. I have to stay overnight at the hospital tomorrow (weird huh?) but oh well, it will be OK.

Thanks again!!

Amy

corinnak

11-27-2008, 12:04 PM

November is big around here too. Hmmm what is 9 months before November - LOL!!

Unless I am mistaken, that would be.....Valentine's Day. :lovestruc

mom2faith

11-28-2008, 08:30 AM

Unless I am mistaken, that would be.....Valentine's Day. :lovestruc

:rotfl2:

Home now. There were not enough beds to keep me over night, so I was home by about 8 pm last night. Long night as I kept waking up needing Ice Water, but I am not in pain (yet). So far it is manageable with popsicles and ice water. I even ate some cream of wheat last night - I was starving!

Today is rest day, so I will not be online much, but I will be back soon.

mom2faith

12-02-2008, 12:07 PM

Well, Friday and Saturday were really good. I could talk some and swallow a little (popsicles, cream of wheat, etc).I had great days and thought this was not going to be so bad.

Sunday, I was really groggy all day. I had chills and it hurt more to swallow. But it was OK.

Then Monday happened. Pain like I never knew was possible! My ears, my throat, my head...everything. I spent all day in bed. Seriously - all day.

Today I am in between, not as bad as yesterday, but not as good as Sunday (yeah I am referring to Sunday as one of my good days now - lol).

I have very small bits of food and water and popsicles. I know I am not drinking enough water, I am really trying but it hurts so much!!

There is another change in my plan of staying home alone all week to recover. On Saturday DD's daycare provider (who has also become a very good friend of ours) called to say that her FIL had collapsed. They came by our house to drop off their puppy and headed for the 3 hour drive to the ILs. Sadly, they did not make it and her FIL passed away (he was only 52!!). So, they will be gone for the week (which is fine obviously) to deal with everything. I feel so bad for them!!

So, DD is going to be home with me tomorrow. YIKES!! I will have to remain conscious for the day - LOL!! Monday she went to my Dsisters, and today she went to my DGrandmas, but tomorrow she is all mine.

I am going to rest again now, I feel like I am just blabbering anyways. I think my biggest problem is the pain killers, they make me woozy but make the pain bearable. Kind of a catch-22.

Amy

sdarwkcabemanmy

12-02-2008, 01:07 PM

Hope you feel better soon. :hug:

corinnak

12-03-2008, 06:26 PM

Amy - it sounds like the recovery is not going as smoothly as we all had hoped for. I hope your daughter is taking good care of you - sometimes those little guys can rise to the occasion and help out a lot. Any idea what the deal was on Monday? It sounds terrible! I'm glad you were at least a little better yesterday. How's it going today? Hang in there. :hug:

mom2faith

12-08-2008, 07:32 AM

Well, it was a very long week. I am supposed to be going back to work today, but that is not going to happen until at least Wednesday. I still have ear pain, throat pain and I am not sleeping very much as it is stilll difficult to breath as I am still a bit swollen.

I am eating again, although not a lot. I still have popsicles for breakfast as after waking up my throat is so dry it burns. I can barely have anything doughy (like buns or bread) as it tends to get stuck in my throat. I have not tried too many fruits as I am scared of the acid/citrus problems. So my diet is still soups, noodles, etc. Boring!!

I have lost another 5 lbs in the last week - although I do not recommend this as a diet plan!! It is not worth the pain!!

As for the recovery (a warning to others - LOL):

Thursday (day of surgery) - fine, I woke up fine and ate some jello, drank lots of water, etc
Friday and Saturday - I honestly thought everyone who said this was going to be rough was a bunch of whiners. It was not that bad, I was talking and could swallow OK (only broth and water, but still...)
Sunday - a bit rougher, but not horrible
Monday to Thursday - OMG!! I thought I was dying!! I was in terrible pain. My ears hurt, by throat felt like razor blades, it was awful!!
Friday and Saturday - better, but not great
Sunday - bad again, but not as bad as the Mon to Thurs
Today - well, I will let you know

I have to say, I would NEVER do it again!! NEVER!! EVER!! EVER!! Not even if you paid me $1,000,000.00!! Nope. Notta. Never.

Well, today and tomorrow I am focussing on feeling better and getting back to the norm. I am finding it hard not to go back to work, but there is no way.

I will check out your journals today sometime. Talk to you ladies soon!!

Amy

corinnak

12-12-2008, 10:06 AM

Amy,
Rough times! I'm sorry this recovery has been so hard on you. How are things going now? I hope it's not TOO cold where you are!

kimwim8

12-13-2008, 04:15 PM

Hey Amy. I'm so sorry you've had some rough days in there. :hug: I do think though, that in a couple years, when you're not dealing with constant strep...you'll be glad you had the surgery. You're really doing great though. Hanging in there and rolling with the punches.

Sorry I've been out of a touch a bit...I'm super crazy busy with these darn holidays.

mom2faith

01-05-2009, 11:42 AM

Well, it has taken me a while to get back into the groove but here I am.

Since my original goals are now really out of whack, I am going to make some new ones now.

Here are my 2009 goals!!

Jan 1 - 212.0 Actual
Feb 1 - 199.0, 13 lbs lost (forget the 200's, I am out of there by Feb 1!!)
Mar 1 - 185.0, 14 lbs lost (27 total)
Apr 1 - 170.0, 15 lbs lost (42 total)
May 1 - 155.0, 15 lbs lost (57 total)
June 1 - 145.00 10 lbs lost (67 total) GOAL!!!

So, they are a bit high, but I am OK with that. I want to make them high and then re-evaluate as I proceed. I am really determined to be goal by summer (which has always been my plan).

So, how am I going to reach that goal?

Well, first of all I am counting points and I am journalling!! I MUST JOURNAL TO BE SUCCESSFUL!! There I said it. Maybe now that it is in writing I can do it.

I will also be doing Wii Fit. Man is that a lot of work. I find the balancing to be great for my abs.

Finally, walking and elliptical. I am pushing for 4 times per week total in combination of the two. Walking is out right now due to the cold. Yesterday it was -64F, yes that is true, -64!! Vehicles did not start, noses froze, we actually just stayed inside all day!! Not very motivating that is for sure!!

Along with this another couple and my DH and I are also having a Biggest Loser challenge. We all weighed in together and in 4 weeks we are going to weigh in again. The person with the highest percentage of weight loss will get $20 from each of the other people, for a total of $60 to go buy someting for themselves. Oh yeah, the $60 is MINE!!!

Well, anyway, I will try to stay on top of it and keep everyone posted. Hope you all had a great holiday season!!

sdarwkcabemanmy

01-06-2009, 10:16 AM

I MUST JOURNAL TO BE SUCCESSFUL!! There I said it. Maybe now that it is in writing I can do it.

I will also be doing Wii Fit. Man is that a lot of work. I find the balancing to be great for my abs.

I find that I hold myself more accountable and that I'm more cautious about how much food is on my plate when I realize that I have to write it down later. :)

I've said it before..I LOVE my Wii Fit. Love it love it LOVE IT!:love:

My DH is supposed to clear out some space in his home office (namely get rid of the OMGHUGE executive desk that he doesn't need anyway) so that I can put an exercise bike a friend of mine has donated to me in here. He doesn't want it in the living room, even though there is room. Oh well..it's in the garage and as soon as he makes room for it in here, I'm dragging it inside. :)

corinnak

01-12-2009, 10:51 PM

Hi Amy,
Sorry it's been a while since I stopped by - things were a little crazy for a while there! I just got back from Marathon weekend and thought of you as I jumped right back into journaling (I had left my computer at home for the trip).

I can not believe it was -64 at your house! That is colder than I have ever, ever been. Or ever hope to be, for that matter.

Your new goals look great - what a good idea to break it down like that!

Take care and stay warm!

mom2faith

01-13-2009, 11:13 AM

Corrina - I want to hear all about the marathon!! I did one 2 years ago, and will never do it again - LOL!! But I am so glad that I did it!!

As for me, here is my update:

The week was great. I stayed OP everyday and managed to drink all of my water if not more. I worked out on the Wii Fit and the Elliptical, and by Saturday was feeling awesome. Weigh in on Sunday was great!! I lost 7.2 lbs in my first week back at it!! YEAH!! Now, I had gained 7.4 over Christmas, so really I just lost almost all of what I had gained back. So I am right back on track!!

So, I am resetting my weight loss to start at 212 lbs and not the 219.2 from October. It is just to confusing to have 2 starting points KWIM? So for the fresh start, I have 62 lbs to lose and I have lost 7.2!! YEAH ME!!

Sunday was not so good. I declared it a "no points" day as we had a Christmas celebration with my grandparents that involved a lot of treats. So I did not weigh myself yesterday, as I did not want to get discouraged, knowing I had overeaten. This is part of my lifestyle change. I am allowing myself those days where you know it is going to be hard, so relax and go with the flow. It is not Christmas everyday, only once a year. I want to have the freedom to eat those treats and know that I can get right back on track - which I did.

Yesterday, again an OK day. Supper was a little fattier than we had planned as we got home late and ended up doing scrambled eggs and toast, but still, it was OK. And, I stuck to my portions and made sure I did not over eat. I did go over in points, but that is what Flex are for (I just hate using them up on Monday - LOL).

I have to post this link here. It is for the Valerie Bertinelli Jenny Craig commercial. I found this to be such a motivating commercial and I had chills when I saw it for the first time.

http://www.jennycraig.com/new_commercial

I want to do that next New Year's!! I can see me doing that and thinking that way!!

Did anyone watch Oprah yesterday? It had the gentleman from Biggest Loser who won season 3 and is now over 300lbs again. I really wonder what that show is teaching people about the long term I mean yeah great you lost 200 lbs in 6 months, but now what. That is really why I am trying to not restrict myselfs on those special days (like Christmas), I just want to embrace them for what they are and move on. I do not want to end up back here in 2010!! I think that is the problem with the BL, they are so strict and you cannot live your life like that, you have to have some freedom, but you also have to know when enough is enough and get back on that "wagon" (as Oprah would call it).

Well, off to have another OP day!!

Amy

sdarwkcabemanmy

01-13-2009, 11:36 AM

Glad to hear you're feeling better. :)

think that is the problem with the BL, they are so strict and you cannot live your life like that, you have to have some freedom, but you also have to know when enough is enough and get back on that "wagon" (as Oprah would call it).
I totally agree.:thumbsup2 I mean, who has the time to go to the gym and work out for six to eight hours a day the way they do on the show?:confused3 Certainely not me, or I'd be as skinny as Jillian. I think once they get home from the ranch, they realize it's going to be a LOT harder than they'd anticipated (finding time to work out, being able to afford healthy food, etc) and it's just easier to go back to the old way of life. I didn't really start watching BL until this last season. There were some I could see would really make the changes they needed to make but one in particular (Icky Vicky) I can see gaining all her weight back and then some because she was just there to play the game not lose weight.

corinnak

01-13-2009, 01:58 PM

Amy,
That Valerie commercial IS great. I want to be there next New Year's as well, not thinking about losing weight. We can make this happen, one day, one week, one pound at a time!

I did write a little something about my experience at the half marathon on my journal - it was a fantastic weekend for me. My time is going to be no problem to improve on - I really did not push myself, pacewise but instead just went at a "happy pace." I had such a great time, I'm already registered to go back again next year!

What do you think of the new Weight Watcher's Momentum plan? I was actually so shocked that they changed it, it kind of threw me off for a few days. I guess it's not really THAT different.

I agree with all you've said about the BL. It's not a realistic way for most people to lose. The leader at my meeting (a few years ago) always said that losing is the easy part - keeping it off is the hard part! I do think that's right about getting back on the wagon. Unfortunately for the BL contestants, the "wagon" is strict food management and 8 hours of working out a day. It would be very hard to go back to that, especially on your own. It seems to me that the "wagon" needs to be a somewhat appealing thing to get back onto or stay on in the first place. Otherwise, the old habits will creep back in slowly and take over again. And that's what I think. :)

Oh, and way to BLAST through all your holiday weight like that! Way to get back on the wagon.

corinnak

01-21-2009, 10:34 PM

Just a little bump to say hello and how are you? :wave2:

mom2faith

01-22-2009, 03:04 PM

I am here - just having a busy week and not getting online as much as I like to :)

Quick update: I am stuck at 9.8lbs. STUCK!!! Not moving!! STUCK!!! I know I have not been excersizing, but I have been religious about my points and am very disappointed. Oh well, another week to go for our Biggest Loser challenge. I know DH is also not doing as well as he planned, so I am probably out some $$ to our neighbors.

Other updates: Almost changed the trip, thought maybe we should go to Hawaii instead (DH and DD have never been and I only went for a quick 4 day trip to do the marathon). Anyway, we hemmed and hawed, made spreadsheets, priced it out, did a pros vs cons list, and .... we are still going to Disneyworld. It all came down to DD's age. Hawaii is more relaxing and touristy and I just do not think a hike up to the top of Diamond Head would enthuse her. When she is 6 or 7, then we will go. I am still very excited for the DW trip and actively planning it now (trying to find flights), but a part of me really wanted to go to Hawaii.

Well, this weekend is busy for us, so I may not check in again for a few days.

Amy

corinnak

01-23-2009, 09:43 AM

mom2faith

01-23-2009, 11:53 AM

Being stuck is never fun - however, it is better than a gain, so keep on hanging in there. You are doing GREAT!

I think it's good you're keeping your trip to WDW - it would take a lot longer to walk to Hawaii! :) You'll get back there when the time is right. I have been thinking a lot about Hawaii as well lately. It is definitely on our list here as well. Which reminds me - what made you decide on the marathon in Hawaii? That's a long way to travel for a race. Not that I don't understand, I do. :)

Have you looked at the Biggest Loser challenge here on the DIS? It's not too late to join and it's been definitely fun and helpful to me this past week.

Have a great weekend!

I actually did the Honolulu marathon through Joints In Motion with the Arthritis Society. My sister, sister-in-law and I fundraised and trained for a year and then did the race. It was a LOT of work,a nd I am so glad I did it that way. As I am sure you know from your recent race, that having that group of support there who did it with you is awesome!! The girl I walked with and I were the last from our city to cross the finish line and the entire team was there to greet us!! It was very overwhelming and powerful.

I always say I will never do a marathon again, but I am not so sure. It would be nice....but what a lot of work!! Like I have written before, 9 hours 11 minutes and 31 seconds is a long time to walk. I almost did not make it. And, we had the same encounter that you did, we were about 2 KM away from the starting line, so you have to add that in too!! I think there was an additional 25 minutes of us just getting to the starting line.

Talk to you soon Corrina!! Have a great weekend!!