Amy's New Start : Comments Welcome!

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Ladies.

I was having issues with my computer all day yesterday. I'd lose my internet and phone connection and it drove me nuts! I did see the Comcast trucks around and they finally got it fixed. At least now I have Direct TV so that works when Comcast doens't which is about all the time.

I had a really good day yesterday. I walked for thirty minutes, aquasized for 60 minutes and then came home and did my stairs for 2 minutes twice. Two minutes of running up and down my stairs really gets the old heart pumping. I may start doing that every day. I know its only four minutes but if I run up them and down like crazy its a good burst of activity. And Daisy is highly amused. She sits on the couch watching me trying to figure out what the heck I am doing!

Today I weigh in, I"ll post that later. I am not sure what the scale will say. In all, I had far more good days with food than bad but my lack of exercise (got in three since my last weigh in) might be the deciding factor. Oh well, I am actually okay with gaining when I know what the problem is. Its when I have those mystery gains after perfect weeks I come unglued!

Lisa: I have come to realize that even in their 40's some women cannot leave the junior high cafeteria route out of their friendships! And I have no desire to be with those type of women. Life is too short!

Amy: Thanks for believing in me, I did stay on OP even though a few times I struggled. Like when I was digging in my freezer for ground beef and found a quart size bag full of leftover Christmas cookies I had forgotten about.

Tracy: Getting back on track is typically the thing I struggle with the most. So when I do, it makes me realize I have the power to do this if I go for it!

Barb: Drama queens are for people who have time for that, I don't!

 

[inkkognito]

I hear ya about no time for drama! I'm a counselor so I get paid to deal with drama...don't need it at any other point in time in my life, hee hee.

How frustrating to lose both phone and internet. I'm glad they finally got it sorted out. Not things you can really go without for too long. Last time we lost internet here in town I went to the local coffee shop (free wireless) and half the population was there too.

 

[toystoryduo]

Sending some for weigh in. I hope it goes well for you!

Have a nice weekend!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Barb and Tracy.

I was down 1 pound. I'll take it that's for sure! I looked over my food tracker and in all, I came in right on target with points, even with my naughty Sunday, thanks to flex points. But so often when I am sick (even if I am sick to the point of nausea and not eating, go figure) I gain weight. Heck I came out of the hospital with an 8 pound baby 10 pounds heavier thatn when I went in! So I was gearing up and dreading things for nothing. Goes to show me: Go to the Weigh In!! If I hadn't gone, I would have continued to feel worried and upset and that can really backfire on my mental attitude.

After weigh in, I met dh at our bank and ran some other errands we both needed to do. We ended up having lunch at Quiznos. I got a classic sub, but got the regular size, I was so starving and thought "how much more points can this have over the small one?" I did skip chips. Good thing, that stupid sub had around 19 points! I don't eat a lot of Quiznos (maybe twice a year) and it was packed so I felt rushed to order. I came home and got on the quizno's site. That classic sub (which has all sorts of high fat meats which I didn't know til I was eating it of course) is the highest thing on their menu. And the regular vs. small has almost twice the fat and calories. Oh well. I figured it so now I know what I have to work with for the weekend.

We are going to a friend's house for pizza tomorrow. She asked if I like Sams Club pizza. I said "oh its my fave". Actually its not. I think the cheese tastes like what ds' gym socks smell like (pretty picture I just drew for all of you) and the crust tastes like cardboard. But I can always eat one small piece and no more so there is a method to my madness. I am taking a cake and I intend to allow myself one small piece. With that many people going (11 total) there won't me much in the way of leftovers. And I told dh that if I reach for a beer to pinch me hard!

I also am having stepdad and his girlfriend over for lunch tomorrow. I am making chili for that. Too bad for girlfriend, stepdad is constantly flatulent so she's in for a rough ride. I am so mean. I love myself when I get this way.

I am happy with my week, I had some bumps but I survived. And my friend and I both liked the Friday leader so much, we decided to switch. That meeting is my old meeting but a different leader who is brand new and she was great. I hope she stays. I am hoping I get my five pound star next week, I only lack about half a pound to make that happen.

Thanks for reading!

 

[lovinaz]

Congrats on another pound gone!!! I bet you will get that 5lb star next week.

I'm glad you like the new leader, I bet she might have some new tips and ideas that you may not have thought of - that's one advantage of having someone new!

Too funny about the chili. Hey, it's covert payback for all the times he's aggravated you! Except of course you are punishing his girlfriend and not him!

 

[DisDee]

Congrats on the weight loss Amy! That's great that you like the new WW leader. Sometimes a small change makes all the difference.

You cracked me up when you wrote about your FIL and the chilli. You'll get back at him too when his girlfriend gets PO'd with him. Isn't revenge sweet?

Hope you're having a nice weekend!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Amy and Denise.

Wow, what a busy weekend. We seriously didn't get a miinute to even sit down and take a deep breath until last night. I didn't work out but since I spent all Saturday mornign cleaning and getting ready for stepdad and his girlfriend (that seems weird to call a 75 yeard old woman a girlfriend lol) so I guess that counts as a bit of acitivity. I worked up a sweat for sure! I did so so with food on Saturday but yesterday was hard. I had too much junk in the house which I rectified by throwing a bunch of it out!

I did not make chili (and can I just say I felt sooo guilty for even saying I would make poor 85 year old stepdad farty, I mean I can be so mean ). I decided that I was not quite ready to have Ruth sitting at my mom's place at my dining room table. This was only the third time we had met her and Dan and I both talked Sat. morning that it might be easier to just eat out. They both seemed relieved, I can well imagine its stressful for her. So we took them out to lunch which they seemed to enjoy and then came back here and had pie (I did make that) and coffee.

I am really feeling blue today so I am going to have to be careful not to let that translate into stress/depression eating. My biggest foes are those two emotions! I just hate to see Dan so unhappy at work and so stressed. He doesn't have time to really look for anything right now plus he wants to wait until we get back from WDW and he gets his time off and from what he's seen while poking around and talking with some contacts, its not going to be any better anyplace anyway. This is the nature of his field. And he has such great benefits which is huge this day in age. I know things will get better but in the meantime, I feel bad for him.

I also feel bad that I cannot help my sister anymore. I know, I know, she's a big girl and has made her bed. But when I see the way she lives in a house that is falling apart and is frankly disgusting (think old, dirty, lack of maintence and no money to do repairs when something breaks) and I wish so much I could just say "let me pay for some work to be done around here". But I can't. Instead what I can do is just what I did yesterday. Go down with Dan and the kids, spend time with her (I know she's lonely), have some laughs and just let her know that my wallet can help but I do care. I should clean her carpet but she lets her dog pee in there (she's just given up I guess trying to keep him from doing this) and omg its gross.

I did hear from a friend the preschool may be hiring subs and aids soon and that would be perfect. I need to find more details out. One thing about it, I could walk to work.

Thanks for reading, I cannot belive its already February! Okay, time to shake off the blues, I am heading to the gym. And sorry I was so long winded, I just needed to vent.

 

[lovinaz]

Vent away, that is what we are here for!

That is a shame about your sister, but like you already stated - you can only do so much. She needs to find it within herself to fix her situation. You are a good sister to be there for her like you are.

Don't let the so-so weekend get you down. And 4x working out before next WI is great! If you know you are limited this week, you can really kick it up a notch to make up for that 1 "missing" workout.

 

[toystoryduo]

Congrats on the weight loss, Amy!

Sending a gentle and prayers your way today. I'm sorry Dan is having a hard time at work right now. It's so hard when our husbands are worried and stressed. I hope things get better soon.

I'm sorry about your sister too. It's hard, but like you said, you can only do so much. I'll be praying for all of you!

I hope the preschool job pans out for you. It sounds like it would work well with your kids' schedules too!

Hope you have a wonderful evening, WISH sis!

 

[eyor44]

Way to go on the weight loss! Slow and steady and you will get there.

I wonder if the weight gain when you are sick is fluid retention. Do you drink a lot more when you are sick?

for you and Dan. It is always hard when a DH is having work issues. I hope it gets better or more tolerable for him soon.

Good for you on spending time with your sister. Hard I know, but I think you are doing the right thing.....being there for her.

How was the gym today?

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Ladies.

All I can say is that yesterday was TOUGH!!! But I came through just fine. I guess we all just have those off days when we feel blue, depressed, blah and can barely muster up enough energy to even want to care. That was my yesterday. I really had to be careful, at one point I wanted to just eat and snack and binge but I kept telling myself how much I'd regret it. I did allow myself a treat of watching a Lifetime movie I had recorded last week. John Stamos was in it and well, Uncle Jessie can always make this Full House lover feel better! That was my reward for not eating. I told myself, if I can make it through the morning, I"ll treat myself to some downtime with that movie. It worked. Then I was behind schedule for the rec center but I did get in my workout in late in the day so it was fine.

Today, I got my long workout in (30 minue fast walk, 60 miutes of aquasize)and that felt good.

Amy: Thanks for being supportive, I did kick things up a notch to make up for my non happening 5th workout!

Tracy: Yep, when the hubby ain't happy, its tough for me to be. I know you can relate!

Lisa: I actually think its not drinking enough water when I am sick. Strange as it sounds the less water I drink, the more I retain!

ETA: I just got online and bought myself a new swimsuit for aquasize. I didn't want to spend the money but my curren suit is jsut worn out and so faded and ugly I decided to treat myself to a new one. So much for a no buy day!

 

[eyor44]

I am very proud of you Amy. You made it through a bad day. Awesome. What a wonderful show of will power and strength. I hope today goes much better for you.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thanks Lisa, it was a challenge for sure. I told my friend that if every day was as hard as Monday was, I'd be in big trouble! Thankfully, most days go pretty well all in all.

Yesterday was perfect with food and exericse. The scale had me up a bit when I weighed yesterday (am back to my daily routine of weighing which is too bad but I can't seem to help myself). Today that weight was off, but I am still about the same I was last Friday. I am hoping a good day today and tomorrow will have me down what I need to be to make my five pound goal on Friday. We'll see.

Today's plan is to do Shred at long last, I had loaned that DVD to a friend and finally got it back. I need to sweat! I see the folks on Biggest Loser dripping with sweat and see people at the gym sweating and for the most part, I am not doing that. I walk as fast as I can and even that doens't have me sweating like I want. So hopefully this will. I know years ago when I did step aerobics I sweated like a pig. But my knees and weight are so much more an issue now than they were 6-8 years ago when I did that form of exercise and I am not sure I could handle that. But my goal is that by June, I will be doing that. I enjoy it and I also enjoy taking a class. So maybe this Shred will help me work up to a one hour intense exercise class. I hope so!

 

[lovinaz]

Good for you on both the perfect day AND treating yourself to a new swimsuit! The suit is well worth it, especially since you enjoy the water class so much.

Good luck with Shred. I can guarantee you will sweat! Take it easy on the jumping jacks if your knees hurt - I've found that by turning my knees outwards and squatting when I land the "jack" part, the pressure is taken off the knees, and that is how I've been doing them lately. Maybe that will work for you too. If you are not sweating with your walks, I think you are ready to pick it up to spurts of jogging! Try it, you are increasing your endurance and will need to continue to increase it to see results. Either that or walk with hand weights and do arm workouts at the same time (if you're not doing so already).

Keep it up, Amy, you are doing awesome!!! I bet you will get the 5lb star on Fri!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Omg, Shred is so hard. I know I must have looked about as graceful as a hippo doing all that. And the jumping jacks, were so hard and so painful I literally couldn't do them. Jillian says "no modifiying" with those but I literally had no choice. But I stuck with it and completed the whole thing.

I felt very down and discouraged during and just after I did this. I kept thinking about how much I can't do and how back around 6-8 years ago I was about forty pounds lighter and able to do step three or four times a week. In spite of being one of the larger women in the class, I was actualy in decent shape and never had to modify a move and I always kept up and actually did better than many women. Women who might weigh fifty or more pounds less than me. But this last five years and this last 30-40 pounds has really taken its toll. I've done it to myself. I used to feel really proud when I could do a sixty minute long class of that intensity, today I could barely make twenty minutes with all my modifications. Its a wake up call for sure. And as the day wore on, I started to feel better about the whole thing and no way am I giving up on this. I know I can do it and can improve!

My plan is do this 2-3 times per week. I like my aquasize and my walking but this is a great thing for me to do in addition and will definitely be more intense than those things.

Amy: Thanks for the tip on the jacks, hopefully I can work my way up to doing them as you suggested. For now, I just have to do it the non jumping way with one leg out at a time. Even that had me huffing. At least I have something definite to aspire to in the privacy of my own family room. Cause no way am I able to do anything like that in a group setting. I'd be too mortified and that would just send me to the frig in humiliation!

 

[toystoryduo]

Way to go on the Shred workout, Amy!!! I know what you mean about feeling discouraged about the workout. I can't do Shred without some modification either. If we keep pressing forward though, we'll be able to do the workout without modifications in no time. Keep up the good work!

I'm super proud of you for making it through that tough day. I like how you rewarded yourself with a movie. Great idea! (By the way, did you see the Full House when they went to WDW?!?!?! )

I hope you have a great day today!

 

[eyor44]

Omg, Shred is so hard. I know I must have looked about as graceful as a hippo doing all that. And the jumping jacks, were so hard and so painful I literally couldn't do them. Jillian says "no modifiying" with those but I literally had no choice. But I stuck with it and completed the whole thing.
YAY!!!!! for you. Way to go on sticking with it.

I felt very down and discouraged during and just after I did this. I kept thinking about how much I can't do and how back around 6-8 years ago I was about forty pounds lighter and able to do step three or four times a week.
And that was how many years ago?!?! Amy, you will get back to the energy level you once had.

Its a wake up call for sure. And as the day wore on, I started to feel better about the whole thing and no way am I giving up on this. I know I can do it and can improve!

That's the attitude to have! You can do it and you know you will succeed!

(By the way, did you see the Full House when they went to WDW?!?!?! )

One of my favorite's I want to rub the magic lamp and be a "princess for the day".

 

[solar]

Hi Amy, finally catching up with journals. I wanted to do each justice and take the time to read what I'd missed, so I'm sorry it took me a bit to get here.

So glad you got yourself back to walking - it's scary how fast we can just "stop" doing something, and not want to start again. Trust me, I know that feeling, and am so happy to "be back on track".

WOW, so proud of you! Taking yourself out of a situation that didn't make you happy, the friend thing...nice job. THAT'S GROWTH woman, true maturity and taking care of yourself. Nicely done - not snarky, a simple, no thank you or i can't...well done, well done!

Glad the vaseline worked for you...love that stuff now! LOVE IT!!!!

Laughing at the stairs...I do a step thing to help my quads..I do it on the bottom step only though, i'm too clumsy (as you've seen in the last few weeks!)..but i step up left foot/right foot - step down -- do this a bunch of times, then switch and do right foot up/left foot up ---down, down

Great to hear you lost a pound...that's 4 sticks of butter off your body girlfriend!!!

Maybe try a veggie sub or something - just get the tomato/onion/lettuce/add some peppers/olives/mushrooms - whatever it is you like in place of the meats...maybe that could cut some of the points in the future

ha...laughing, feels the same way calling my mom's boyfriend a boyfriend..he's in his 70's, she's in her 60's...but it's what he is...her boyfriend! just happy she has someone in her life that makes her smile and she's happy

benefits - huge yes...our benefits cost us what a mortgage does, just darn scary.

Good luck with the school/aid thing...hope it works out

Amy - look at today hon, not a few years ago...today is today...let's just work with what we have and go from there. okay? (hugs) you've been doing so well, allow yourself to celebrate THAT

Cheers, Deb

 

[inkkognito]

I'm so glad you went from feeling down to knowing you can do it! It may take some time to build back up, but think about how proud you'll feel once you've got it aced. Do modifications if you have to. That's what it takes to get built up to that level where you can tackle the exercises head on.

 

[DisDee]

Hey Amy, Congrats to you for hanging in there during that Shred W.O. It will get better and I know you have the drive to hang in there! Keep up your excellent work!

I have a suggestion for you for your new bathing suit. My water instructor gave us a tip for a swimwear product that protects and preserves bathing suits from chlorine. Its called Summer Solutions-Suit Solutions. You just swish your b.s. in a basin of water with it and it takes out the chlorine. I was lucky enough to find suits at our Penney's clearance store a few weeks back for $14.99 each. I bought 4 thinking I'd return those that didn't fit, but I bought 2 different sizes so I decided to keep them all-2 for now, 2 for later. They cost a lot less then I spent at DTD a couple of years ago when I discovered when I put my suit on at the WLV and found it had stretched out to twice its size.Now you know I'm not easy to fit, so $80.00 bucks plus later I had a new b.s. for our Wonder Cruise. Gotta love Disney prices! BTW...I got the wash at a local ski/swim shop but I'm sure you could probably find it at a national chain.

Have a great day!