Amy's Journal: Comments Welcome!

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Good luck with WI tomorrow. I'm sure you'll do fine! You have been working hard and making good choices, that is what is important.

 

[traceycooper]

I did decide to look at the Cinnamon Roll Incident with a "glass half full" mentality! I ate one half of a roll. I could have done much worse.

I walked thirty minutes tonight. The kids came with us, so it was nice and active family time.

So I am at 530 minutes so far, I should make the challenge pretty easily.

I'll post after WW tomorrow, I am not sure how I did. I had some great days and my activity has been good.

My clothes feel better but the scale may not reflect that. I'll just deal with it whatever the number says.

look at all those positives there Amy
who cares what the scale says if your clothes are feeling better!
My nurse said at my WI yesterday that sometimes the scale doesnt show a loss straight away as your body needs time to adjust (& i'm talking no loss after 2 weeks here too!)

I'm glad the mammogram results came back good

 

[toystoryduo]

I agree with Tracey. Look at all of the positives that you had yesterday. That's a lot to celebrate, Amy! I am super proud of you!

No worries about weigh-in today....You are doing a great job no matter what the scale says!

Have a wonderful day WISH sis!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you Jessi, Tracey and Tracy. I weighed at home (I always do that so I don't go in "blind" so to speak) and I think I am roughly the same. I can take that or anything else. I just can't let myself get hung up on the number.

If I have stayed the same or gained I know exactly why: food. I typically have a problem getting my food end and exercise end of the weight loss equation on the same page. If I work out a lot, I eat more. If I don't exercise I am more disciplined with food. And there lies my dilemma. I generally lose weight when I don't exercise that much. But I know thats not smart. It has to be both. I have to find a way to do both things sucessfully. Which is why I am not doing more activity, I plan on not shooting for more than 800 minutes of exercise per month. I feel like that is enough to still be pretty healthy with activity but not so much I get that "I can eat anything I want since I workout so hard". For over seven years I worked out at least one hour a day for six days a week. I did step aerobics, weights, treadmill and yoga. And I gained about 25 pounds (above what I had gained) in that seven year period since my food was out of control.

So I am looking for balance.

Today would be my mom and stepdad's 20th anniversary. I woke up thinking about 20 years ago. I was 23, my mom was 53. I remember taking her to get her hair done before the wedding and being so excited she was remarrying again. My dad had been gone for 16 years at the time and it was so nice to see her happy. Stepdad's kids boycotted the wedding, sent him awful letters and told him how they wished they had the guts to shoot my mom. Ahh, some things never change! 20 years later and they are still so immature and moronic. Oh well, their loss.

Stepdad is coming over for dinner. I have planned a pretty healthy one other than making a buttermilk pie. Stepdad loves his sweets! I plan to have one piece and send the leftovers home.

I'll post my weigh in results later. Not sure if I'll exercise or not today, I have to take the kids to the ortho, clean the house and make this dinner. I want to go all out, stepdad needs some TLC. He said he cried in the card ailse at the store yesterday, he found the perfect card to give my mom if only she was here. Poor guy.

 

[Goofydiane]

Way to go getting out for a family walk, even if it was only 30 minutes. That and a family dinner are huge successes in this day and age.

Sending positive thoughts for the WI and thinking of you on this day....just remember all the memories you have and spend time with your family today.

 

[lovinaz]

Oh, your poor stepdad! How can such a nice, sensitive man (for the most part) have raised such awful children?!?!?! How great of you to celebrate their marriage with him, I'm sure it means so much.

How did WI go? The clothes fitting looser is way better than whatever number the scale shows! And I agree, it is really hard to do good on both exercise AND eating at the same time. If the 800 minutes a month works for you, stick to it for a while. It's better than sitting on the couch for those 800 minutes!

You are sounding very positive and upbeat right now, keep up all the good work!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Diane, yes, I have been concerned lately because dh works late every night and we don't seem to sit down for a real meal that much. And the kids need to exercise too. Its been so blasted hot lately, they have been staying inside more unless we go to the pool.

Amy: I swear to high heaven, I don't know how in the Sam Hill stepdad raised those two kids of his. I feel bad for him but in the end, they weren't the Cleavers and my poor mom sort of came in to a minefield of family mess. God bless her she tried but never succeeded. In any case, stepdad's two kids can bug off. I am thankful I will never have to see or speak to them again.

So weigh in today not so great. I was at 239.0, so .02 up from two weeks ago.

Remember my clothes that fit better? I kid you not, today when I got dressed to go my capris were tight, my bra was cutting off my circulation and my wedding ring barely fit on my fat sausage finger. I made a healthy dinner last night but it was sort of high in sodium and the fact I ate at 8:30 at night didn't help. Oh, and its been over 100 degrees. So all of that and my poor food choices for probably a full third of the last fourteen days didn't lend to a loss. But that's life, better weight next time!

The leader asked us to reflect on why we do Weight Watchers, what makes us stick with it even when we aren't successful. I didn't say this (was afraid I'd cry) but I thought of my mom. She never really took care of herself. She didn't eat right (except she did love fruit but only the kind that is in season in the summer), she was on and off with activity (and in fact never exercised at all until she was in her mid 50's) and she never went to the doctor for check ups. Never. She lost her life and maybe she would have died anyway but I can't help but think that all of that didn't help. I want to live to be old. Really, really, old. I don't want to get sick when I am 66 and die when I am 72. So I have to take steps to keep that from happening as much as possible. I have spent a lot of my life overweight. But I hope to be on the final path to end that. So that is why I press on, paying my $9 a week, giving myself a fresh start each week, and never completely giving up on myself even when I continually screw up.

So that is this week. Hopefully next week will show a different scale story. I'll have to think about that tonight when I cut the buttermilk pie!

Thanks for reading and not giving up on me ladies. When I get to goal we'll all celebrate okay?

 

[toystoryduo]

When I get to goal we'll all celebrate okay?

How about a trip to WDW for a WISH sis meet? I'm up for it!

Amy, I am so proud of you! We've been on this journey for a couple of years together now and I am so proud of the progress that you are making. Each step of the way, you are unlocking ideas along this journey that will help you make your ultimate goal. It's not always about the scale, but it's about the progress that you make getting back to yourself and what makes you feel centered and happy. It's about finding ideas that work and doing the best that you can do each day. It's about the journey to get to consistent healthy living. You're getting there WISH sis! Keep on keeping on! I'm right there with you cheering you on. You CAN do it!!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Tracy, we have been on this journey together for awhile haven't we? I couldn't have made it this far without you that's for sure! A Wish Meet in WDW is sounding better all the time!

So we had our family dinner. It felt very strange to be together with stepdad on this day but not my mom. But we had a nice evening. We got off to a late start, dh had to work late so it was 8:00 by the time they got here. I felt bad, stepdad doesn't usually eat nearly that late, but he was just happy to be here. I was able to get 45 minutes on the treadmill before they arrived so that was good.

I did well at dinner, I did have one Coors Light and some chips but I measured them out! I had my piece of pie. Not too much in the way of leftovers, ds ate two pieces. Now mind you, this kid doesn't eat sweets, except for Reese's Pieces. But he is digging that pie. He said he wants that for his birthday instead of cake! Which is good, since every darn year I make or buy him a cake, he doesn't eat but maybe one or two bites and then guess who eats the leftovers?

Food today: I am too tired to calculate points, I'll have to do that tomorrow so I know how many flex points I used.

Breakfast: ff/sf yogurt, one tablespoon natural peanut butter
Lunch: Lean cuisine, serving of fresh cherries
Dinner: 6 oz. of steak, 1 cup steamed green beans, 2 small pieces of garlic bread, 6 popcorn shrimp (stepdad contributed that bless his heart) and one piece of buttermilk pie. YUMMO, whatever the points are it was worth every single one. I also had the 1 oz of chips and one Coors Light.

So somewhat of a splurge of a dinner but I am okay with that. Resisted spinach dip (stepdad brought that too, it was pure fat), another beer and another piece of pie.

I am content with the day. I would love to see that scale move down next week and I am the only one that can make that happen. I am taking the kids to the museum all day tomorrow so I may not walk. Which is why its good I did today even when I didn't feel like it.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Amy,

I think it is wonderful that you and Dan take such good care of your stepfather. He is very blessed to have you in his life.

How did the museum go? I hope you had a great time.

Have a wonderful weekend, WISH sis!

 

[traceycooper]

Hi Amy
so really the scale didnt go hardly up at all right??
Am i right that .02 is less than 1 lb??
i dont even count the .oo's!!!
Well done for resisting more of that yummy pie & the beer
& i LOVE the dis meet idea

 

[Goofydiane]

I wouldn't worry about a .02 change on the scale, that could just be a difference in material in the clothes you are wearing. You are getting yourself into a good rhythm and just keep it going.

Celebrate the change in how clothes feel - I keep telling myself to remember that 1 lb of muscle takes up 1/8 of the space in your body as 1 lb of fat. So losing fat and gaining muscle may not move the scale, but it changes how you look and feel. This comes directly from a motivate me speech my trainer gives me on a regular basis and it keeps me going, so I hope it helps you as well.

How was the museum? I think the only place I went when I was in Denver was the zoo and I really enjoyed it. I was just never in town long enough to do anything and I was always too tired and heavy to go out.

Flex points are used just like you used them - you resisted seconds and just enjoyed what you chose to have. Be proud of that!

 

[Goofydiane]

Forgot to add - I'm up for a DIS meet, never been to one and this would be fun!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you Tracy, Tracey and Diane. I guess .02 (yes tracey that is well below a pound but it was still a gain) isn't the end of the world.

Yes ladies a dis meet one of these days is a must do!

The museum was great. We spent about six hours there, did two IMAX films (I now want to go to Greece ) and had lunch. I did well at lunch, it was a food court with lots of greasey options and desserts, but I got a roast beef sandwich out of the grab n go (wanted Turkey but it had mayo which I hate) and ate it open faced so that I ate two halfs but only one slice of bread. I did have a bag of chips but no dessert. And we walked all over that place! I didn't count that as any exercise since it wasn't constant.

My food was so so on Friday. We had Chili's for dinner, I just wasn't in the mood for anything of of the Guiltless Grill menu so I had a salad. Since we were doing take out, I was able to sub my own lowfat cheese and dressing but it was iceberg lettuce and not that great and still high in points.

Today has been good with food, I aquasized for 60 minutes and plan to walk tomorrow. I still feel comfortable I'll make Challenge.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

[traceycooper]

glad you had a nice day at the museum Amy
Hope the rest of your weekend is a great one

 

[lovinaz]

You are doing great with your exercise challenge!!! And congrats on making a good choice out of all the greasy options, that could easily have been a diet disaster...

 

[Amy&Dan]

I didn't walk today as planned. I went over to stepdad's to pack up my mom's Christmas dishes that I am taking to my brother this weekend. That sort of took a lot of time (stepdad is frequently chatty and I just hate going off and leaving him alone without stopping to visit). I also polished my mom's silver tea service for him. He was so thrilled. I swear it doedn't take much to make that man happy. Came home, started watching a Food Network marathon and just sat on my buns watching tv all afternoon and evening. It was nice I must say. I really wanted to walk and just didn't make that happen. My food was also not great. I did do very well yesterday. We went out to dinner after church, I got a side salad with dressing on the side and a grilled chicken sandwich, which I cut in half so I could eat only half the bun (but all the chicken). I did have one light beer but also had a huge glass of water. It was nice, we have a favorite place we go to that sits up on a hill with an nice outdoor area with an incredible view of the front range. We sat and talked and I concentrated on family time and the view. And not the food! We ate out way too much this weekend, my efforts to cook all weekend failed miserably. Of course its broiling hot so that doesn't help. I did at least take a picnic to the pool yesterday and didn't get one thing from the snack bar. So that was good.

I am determined to make tomorrow and Tuesday very successful, I weigh on Wednesday. Then on Thursday, we get up, drive to lovely Omaha and meet my brother (Omaha is the halfway point between him and me), give him the boxes of my mom's things he wanted, spend a few days with his family and mine and then come home. I really want to see my brother and his family, but the thought of driving through eastern Colorado and Nebraska is unappealing! I also am worried about four solid days of eating out. I am going to have to stay very focused. Its only three days at the hotel and two days on the road. Again, I am so excited to see brother, his wife and the girls, but just don't feel like leaving home for the third time this summer and its money I don't really feel like spending. But seeing my family is worth it. I just wish we could meet someplace a bit more inspiring than Omaha!

Oh forgot to add that I did do aquasize for an hour yesterday. I really worked hard, I was sweating in the water (which was freezing).

 

[lovinaz]

Whoa, I never knew you could sweat underwater! I guess you can, I just have never been in that situation... Most of my pool time consists of floating around on my pink floatie At least you have cold water, our pool is about bathtub temperature right now!

Don't stress about the upcoming trip. For the 2 days in the car, you can pack only healthy foods, and not eat on the road. For the rest of the time, you already know how to make good choices at restaurants, so use that knowledge! Good times and family fun don't have to revolve around food - concentrate on visiting and just remember to eat to live, not live to eat. You'll do fine!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Amy. I am planning on packing food for the road, although my car is going to be so loaded with boxes I hope I have room for the cooler! We can literall get our small suitcase in and that's it. But if nothing else, I can find a Wendy's and have a salad. Wendy's salads are way better than the yucky one I had from Chili's the other night that's for sure!

I aquasized today for 65 minutes. I added that extra five minutes to make 700! 100 minutes to go and two days to do it in. I think I can do that. I plan to walk those two days. I feel like the aquasize is the reason my clothes fit better, I really feel like I am working those muscles in the water.

Food today:
Breakfast: oatmeal w/ walnuts
Snack: ff/sf yogurt
Lunch: Lean Cuisine with extra veggies
Snack: Fiber One Bar
Snack: Some nachos I really have to stop eating those. Ds and I split an order at the pool.
Dinner: Subway club sandwich (no mayo, no cheese) and a piece of fruit.

I am too tired to cook. Frankly, five hours at the pool was a bit long. I took the kids early so I could do my water workout then a friend joined us. She's a Disney nut and we love to sit and chat about that!

I am really trying to maximize the summer, spend lots of time with the kids and let them know they are #1 again. When my mom was so sick these past years, so often I just spent more time with her. Which I don't regret but I know the kids are really enjoying this.

I got a good job lead (I thought) but the hours didn't work. I need 9-3, they want 10-4. I have to be able to pick up the kids at 3:30. Since they are open enrolled there is no bus. Its only about a mile and half but they would have to cross a busy, four lane street with no light. I am just not prepared for them to do that yet. Dd in particular. So she said she would see if maybe they could tweak the hours on a different position that might be opening. Its a basic, clerical positon, phones, some customer service and stuff like that. Not great money but it would be a way to get myself back in the working force. And I told them 3 days a week. I am not willing or needing to work full time. If dh didn't work 60 hour weeks it might be different. I feel like I can be picky until the right thing comes along. The lady was very understanding and said they get a lot of openings. So maybe something will work out for the fall. It was definitelya much better sounding set up than the job at the financial planning firm that I was contacted about a few months back. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Amy,

Great job on getting your workouts in! You have almost made your goal for July!!! Great job!!

Sending some for the job search. You'll find something!

I hope you have a great time with your brother and his family!

Have a safe trip!