April's journey

[AprilN]

<center>...and this time, the party's for ME!!!!!

</center>

I can't believe it!!! I actually made my goal of reaching Onederland before my vacation! (with a pound to spare, no less) I set this goal months ago, not certain if I could make it happen... ta-da! And now I'm only two pounds away from that 100-lb clippie as well.

OMG, I weigh less than 200 pounds. It doesn't quite seem real yet. But it definitely is!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I love the WISH board!

 

[DoeWDW]

My dearest April, I'm so so so happy for you!!!

I'm sorry I've been away from your journal for so long! I've missed so much!! And now for the important stuff.....

NEW CLIPPIE AND ONEDERLAND!!!!

April, warmest congratulations to you!!! Your hard work, patience and determination have paid off!!! You ROCK!!!

I hope you're enjoying your vacation!

and

 

[AprilN]

Hmm, it looks like the check-in thread on the main page has died off. Oh well, I'll just have to post directly to my journal instead...

My vacation was great. It was challenging at times to make healthy choices at all the "down-home" restaurants we visited in Iowa, but I did the best I could, and still enjoyed (among other treats) Maid-rite sandwiches, Tropical Sno shaved ice, and some rhubarb pie! I also managed to exercise every day (treadmill, jogging outside, and Curves twice), although some mornings were harder than others.

All my hard work on vacation was worth it, not only because I had a great time, but when I got back and stepped on the scale this morning, I saw 196 pop up, which means not only did I maintain my Onederland status, but...

<center>

</center>
I can't believe it's really mine. When I started this journey, I thought it might be nice to reach 100 pounds gone in time for my cruise in September, but I always wondered if I could actually maintain 2.5 lb/week and make it by the end of May. Somehow, I actually made it happen. It seems miraculous... and yet at the same time, I know I've worked hard, every single day (288 of them!), to create this healthy body and life. I've definitely earned that clippie!

I've also reached a BMI of 34.7, which means I've left the world of "severely obese", and now I'm merely "obese". Pretty cool, considering I started at a frightening "super obese" BMI of 52.4.

Looks like it's time to contemplate my next "big" goal. I have several in mind: 187, which is less than I weighed at my lowest point on Jenny Craig back in 1996; 174, my fifth 10% goal; 171, which will earn me the 125-lb clippie; and 169, when I'll no longer be "obese". It would be great to reach these goals by the cruise... so I'll do my best to make it happen!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

 

[DoeWDW]

:thewave: WOW!!! :thewave:

What an amazing clippie, April!! Absolutely fabulous!!!

You're truly an inspiration!!

 

[Auntmeme]

Hi April

Just readin some journals for motivation and I'm glad to have read yours! WOW what a clippie to claim as yours

Truly inspirational! Keep up the great job of getting healthy and I know you'll make your next goal- look at your accomplishment already- WAHOO

 

[AprilN]

I'm happy to share that I've made another 2 pounds disappear this week - yippee! That leaves only 1 pound until I reach my 4th 10% goal, 3 pounds until my next clippie, and 23 pounds to go for that awesome green clippie (125). I'm also right on target to reach my Independence Day goal, only 10 pounds to go. Exercise is going great for me - I should reach 300 days in a row on Sunday!

Overall, eating has been going really well for me. While I did indulge in birthday cake and ice cream at a party on Saturday, I left food on my plate at the restaurant for dinner, and made great choices at the IKEA cafeteria for an unplanned dinner on Sunday - they have a great "big" salad with lots of different veggies! I also went to Arby's for the first time since I started on this journey (it used to be one of my regular haunts), and tried the new Martha's Vineyard salad. Two thumbs WAY up! I'm definitely having that again - it's my new favorite fast food salad. There are more restaurant meals in my future this week: anniversary dinner on Thursday, and lunch AND dinner out with my sister on Saturday. But I know I can handle them!

My biggest achievement for the week: not once but TWICE, I tucked in my shirt! It was a requirement on Friday, because the back of my top peeked out underneath the suit jacket - no good. On Saturday, I just decided to give it a shot with a pair of flat-front pants and a polo shirt. I can't believe it, but both times, it actually looked good. I'm on my way to becoming a "tucker"!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

 

[AprilN]

Sorry for the late post - I've been sick the last few days and didn't spend much time in front of the computer. Anyway, I'm happy to share that I've made another 2 pounds disappear this week, which puts me at 192 - so I've made my fourth 10% goal! Yippee! One pound to go for my next clippie, 8 pounds to my Independence Day goal, and 21 pounds to that GREEN 125 clippie. Exercise has been going well, although I had to cut back a bit while I was fighting this darn cold - but I still managed to get active every day, keeping my record alive. I reached 300 days in a row on Sunday! Next up, 366 days...

Eating went well this week, despite several tempting restaurant meals. I even ate somewhat reasonably at my anniversary dinner last Thursday, choosing (absolutely fabulous) salmon and veggies instead of filet and potatoes. I didn't bother to resist the creme brulee, of course. Having this cold decreased my appetite somewhat over the past few days, but at the same time, it was harder to resist snacking while hanging around the house. Somehow I survived, and now I'm finally back to work and back on track.

I hope everyone is having a great week. Keep up the good work!

 

[AprilN]

Hi there everyone! I hope you're having a great week. I'm pleased to announce that I've made 2 more pounds disappear this week, so I'm the proud owner of a new clippie - yippee! I'm definitely in the shrinking groove right now, and I hope I can stay there for a while. I'm only 4 pounds away from my next clippie, 6 pounds to reach my Independence Day goal, and 19 pounds to get that super-cool green clippie. I'm also about to leave the 190's in the dust... hello 180's!

Eating out went well for me this week - although I gave in to temptation a bit and had a small popcorn at the movies on Saturday. At least I didn't get extra butter. And I did share it with DH! I'm still working on listening to my body, and trying to eat only when I'm hungry, instead of just when I'm tempted. It's getting better, but still challenging. I'm a little nervous (and excited) about a party coming up this Saturday, as I'm going to be seeing a bunch of people from college that I haven't seen in a year. I hope they notice a difference.

A highlight from this week: new clothes! I have several new fitted stretch dress shirts from Old Navy in XXL, and new pjs from Lane Bryant - in 14/16! I was even able to button and zip a pair of size 16 jeans from the Gap, although they were a little too tight. It's almost time to make the leap to the "regular" sections and stores... definitely a whole new world for me.

Thanks for checking in, everyone - have a fabulous week!

 

[AprilN]

Hi everyone! I managed to make 2 pounds disappear this week (barely), which puts me at 188 - goodbye 190's, hello 180's! Only two pounds to go for my next clippie, 4 pounds to reach my Independence Day goal, and 17 pounds to go GREEN!! Exercise is going great these days, and I've finally been improving my running speed again - I maintained just over a 10:00/mile pace for 3.6 miles this morning. That's literally twice the speed that I started at back in August - when I walked 2 miles in 40 minutes.

I found making healthy choices extra challenging this week. Put together TOM and some stressful situations, and the result is me standing in the kitchen, searching for something to stuff in my mouth. At least I managed to recognize this reaction for what it was (emotions, not hunger) and nip the snacking in the bud... most of the time. I did pretty well at both a party on Saturday and a family Father's Day lunch on Sunday, making mostly reasonable choices without feeling deprived. This week I plan to be back on track!

When I first started this journey, I set a reward/challenge for myself to get my hair cut when I lost 100 pounds. It's a reward because I would choose a nice salon, etc... it's a challenge, because I've worn the same basic, plain, long hairstyle for the past 9 years! I think I've been hiding behind my long hair, trying to avoid attention (or something like that). In any case, I've lost 108 pounds now, so the time has come to show off my newly-revealed jawline and collarbones with a shorter style! My appointment is Saturday, and I'm already quite nervous - wish me luck!

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

 

[AprilN]

Hello, everyone! I'm happy to see that the check-in thread is alive and well - maybe we can motivate more WISHers to post each week! Anyway, I'm excited to report that I've made 3 pounds disappear this week - so it's time for another round of the CLIPPIE DANCE! I'm only 1 pound away from my Independence Day goal, 11 pounds to my next 10% goal, and 14 tiny pounds away from going GREEN. Yippee!

This was a pretty good week, eating-wise. I gave in to temptation a couple of times, when cake and ice cream showed up in my office for a retiree's party. At least I only had one small piece. It didn't even taste that good. I did really great at dinner on Saturday, though - my shrimp and chicken fajitas at Chevy's were fabulous, and I managed to stop myself from finishing the last one when I realized I was full - I actually put it down! It feels like making healthy and balanced choices has finally become ingrained - I still need to think about what I'm eating, but I always remember to think about it. Make sense?

The big highlights of this week were getting my hair cut and shopping! For the first time in 9 years, I have just above shoulder length (with shorter layers) hair! I'm still getting used to the change, but it looks cute - and my face looks so much smaller and longer. And I bought clothes at not one but TWO regular-size stores! I picked up some running pants in XL at Lucy (workout clothes store), and a cute tank/shorts silk PJ outfit in XL... from the GAP! I think I'm about a 16W right now, so I'm just on the edge of making the big jump to regular-size stores full time. I even tried on a sheath dress (size 16) in a fancy-schmancy boutique - and it almost zipped!

Keep up the good work, one and all! Onwards and downwards...

 

[AprilN]

Hi there, everyone.

I can't believe it, but it's been an entire year since the day I finally realized that I deserved to be the healthiest person I could be. Wow, has the time flown by! Thanks to the amazing support of my DH, my family and friends, and of course, the lovely ladies and gentlemen of WISH, this has definitely been the most life-changing, fantastic year of my life. I know the first few weeks would have been impossible without the encouragement I received here on WISH. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

I just wanted to share a few stats from my journey thus far - yeah, it's time for a little bragging. I think I've earned it.

In the past year, I have:

made 123 pounds disappear forever

removed 87.5 pounds of FAT from my body

decreased my body fat percentage from 49.3% to 33.2%

lowered my BMI from 52.4 to 30.6

lost a total of 103.5 inches

exercised EVERY DAY for an entire year (366 days!), and twice a day for nearly 100 of those days

improved my mile time from 20:00 (walking) to 9:43 (running)

went from a clothes size 28 to size 14-16

bought "regular-size" clothes at several stores - I've almost made the move out of plus-size forever

made PERMANENT healthy changes to my eating and lifestyle

Here are a couple of pics; the "before" is me at 296 pounds (right around when I started my journey), and the "current" is last night, at 173.

<CENTER><TABLE border=0>
<TR valign=top><TD><CENTER>

</CENTER></TD><TD><CENTER>

</CENTER></TD></TR></table></center>

Hooray for me! Have a great day, everyone!

 

[AprilN]

I almost didn't post this morning, but I promised my DSis and her friend (Hi Becca and Emily!) that I would finally post to my journal (and this thread), as I've been avoiding it for over a month for some reason. Anyway... I'm up a pound this week. I hate when this happens, because it's never related to my choices over the past week. I made basically the same choices with exercise and eating last week as I did the week before, but last Tuesday I was down 3 pounds, and now I'm up. It wouldn't be so frustrating if I could point to a big meal, or a whole lot of snacking, and say "that's the culprit". Instead I just sit here, wondering what went wrong.

I did pretty well this week, too. I really struggled on Friday night, when I was upset over a disappointment. I immediately had the urge to eat, eat, eat, to cover up the bad feelings inside. Of course, once I acknowledged where the eating urge was coming from - I couldn't let myself give into it! So I just sat there, feeling sad. At least I didn't give in to the urge - I settled for a diet Slurpee (a major treat for me these days) and a little extra light ice cream.

Oh well, I'll probably feel better tomorrow. I have been a little snacky this week, as I've been dealing with a lot of stress from my job search and other stuff. So, I'm going to crack down on my post-dinner snacking this week, only allowing myself one reasonable dessert each evening, and that's it. If I'm still "hungry" (but probably not really), then it's time for more water! I'm also going to increase my jogging workout in the mornings, as it's time to bump it back up to 40 minutes. Hopefully that will get things moving in the right direction scale-wise! I really want to make it to that gorgeous GREEN 125 clippie sometime soon...

I finally got to try the new WW menu at Applebee's this week - two thumbs up! I had the Chicken Tortilla Melt (10 points/480 calories, but I only had half) along with a salad, and the Berry Lemon Cheesecake (5 points/230 calories). Yum! I was pleasantly surprised and quite impressed - I will definitely be visiting Applebee's again to check out more of the menu.

I hope you'll come and share your progress for the week on this check-in thread (and look for one next week - or start it yourself!). Have a great week out there in WISH land!

 

[DoeWDW]

April, it's great to see you journalling again!

Please don't sweat that one pound gain. It's probably water retention and can be caused by so many things. Even exercising more can cause you to retain water.

The best thing to do is keep drinking!

Hang in there, April!! You're lookin' great!!

 

[AprilN]

I'm very excited to post today, because I'm doing the...

<center> GREEN CLIPPIE DANCE!!! </center>

Looks like my extra running and less snacking paid off - thank goodness my gain last week was temporary. I really needed this emotional boost right now, that's for sure. And I'm only one itty-bitty pound away from dumping the "obese" title FOREVER! I can't wait to be overweight.

This week went pretty well, but I could have handled Sunday a little better. My family gathered for an early dinner at my parents' house, and while I knew the meal was scheduled for 3:30 (much earlier than I normally eat on Sunday), I still ate my normal large breakfast at 10:30. Of course, I had almost no room for dinner, but still managed to eat a "normal" meal - which made me stuffed. Ugh. Next time I'm presented with that situation, I need to force myself to eat a smaller breakfast, and leave room for the family meal.

Emotional eating is still rearing its ugly head these days, because I've been depressed over my lagging job search. Food used to my my ultimate comfort, but I just can't use it like that anymore. Unfortunately, I haven't found a good replacement yet, so I'm just kinda fighting through it, trying to deal with these raw emotions rather than burying them in food. I think it will all work out in the end... I just need to figure out how.

This week should be reasonably easy eating-wise. The only challenge is a picnic on Saturday with a bunch of foodies from a discussion board my husband frequents - so there is going to be some GOOD food there, I'm sure. I'm bringing a veggie platter with dip, so I can be sure there will be at least one safe thing to snack on.

I hope everyone has a fabulous week!

 

[DoeWDW]

April, congrats on that new clippie!!!

You may want to eat something before the picnic so you don't show up hungry - always dangerous!! Don't forget a big bottle of water to hold onto all day!

Best wishes for the job search and for coasting through the emotional eating! Good for you for trying to push through it!! Exercise often helps and hey, ya can't eat WHILE you're exercising! I've heard Dr. Phil talk about doing something that is "incompatible with eating", like crochet or needlepoint or anything that will keep your hands busy. Maybe you can break out a big puzzle??

Hope today is a wonderful day!

 

[AuroraluvsPhillip]

Dear April,

I was sitting in front of the computer, thinking about my journey toward a healthy lifestyle and wondering why I've managed to get to my "goal" weight several times, only to lose that necessary motivation and drift back into bad habits (and undo all my hard work and sweat!) So I started thinking: How do April and Catherine do it, day after day, for such a long time? I only have about 20 pounds to lose, why do I struggle so much? So I came to your journal to try and find out what motivates you to continue to make the right choices.

I think the exercise is a major factor. If you work out daily, you aren't burned as much with slight overeating every now and then. Your metabolism can deal with it. Without exercise, every extra calorie really hurts more...and personally, I find it much harder to follow a strict diet than to exercise.

I could see myself in alot of your emotional eating struggles. I do the same thing with "unconscious" eating and really have to focus and think before I put crap in my mouth...it's so easy to overeat if you don't watch out, and then you have that horrible stuffed feeling...ugh..

I think your main motivation is...this is for life, and I'm not going back!!! I need to think that way too, instead of, well, when I get to this weight I can ease off a little on exercise or I can eat a little more...believe me, been there, and it doesn't work! 7 days of workouts drops down to 5, then 3 then 1, then oh, I'll go tomorrow, and then I feel tired and before you know it, the pounds are coming back, not right away, especially if you've been working out alot, but gradually, your metabolism slows again and all your progress is reversed...this has happened to me twice!!

So I have to believe that no matter how discouraged I get by the lack of movement on the scale, that the important thing is to continue with the same plan....that it's the daily journey that is the most important, the great results are just icing on the cake so to speak...

Thanks for listening to me ramble and for being such an inspiration for me! I hope you have a wonderful time with your DH on your cruise! Can't wait to hear about it!

Best WISHES,
Jean