Jude's journal: WISHing my way to a better 2010

[jbm02]

This is my first attempt at a weight loss journal. I hope that by making my WISHes public, I will have better control over my accountability! (I thought about putting a here but frankly, that's just too sad and self defeating...I WILL do this!!!)
Introductions: My name is Jude and I'm married to a terrific DH, who fully supports my efforts to get into better shape and lose weight. I have a DS14, who is the only skinny person in our family. He used to be chubby and then grew over a foot. He runs track, is into tae kwon do and is hoping to try out for the football team this summer. I am sure I will have more to post about THAT as time goes on. My DD10 is a spirited, fun loving pixie who is what I would call "sturdy". I am girding myself from commenting on her weight too much because I grew up with what was called "constructive criticism" in my house and constructive or not, it still hurt. Sometimes I remember to bite my tongue and offer healthy food; sometimes the words just fly out. I am working on it. HARD. Anyway, she's an active little girl - basketball, tae kwon do, ice skating, school intramurals, etc. My DH is about 6'5 and overweight. Over 300 pounds. So I am doing this not only for me, but also to continue my pledge to have healthy snacks and menus in our home for all of us.
Me? I am almost 5'2" and weigh 160. My goal is to be down to 125 by whenever it takes. I'd like it to be this summer but will see how things progress. I feel like I have been on some kind of a diet since I was 12. I wasn't really big as a kid - I didn't weigh 100 pounds til I was a senior in high school. But I was the one with all the friends who could have modelled for Macy's growing up - so, in comparision, I was the "fat friend". Don't I wish that I could have realized THEN how good I looked and not felt so bad about myself? That's another of my WISHes - to recognize the strides I've made and to be happy with where I am right now.
I work as an attorney in a state office. I am also in our state's National Guard. I lost lots of weight while deployed to Iraq. Partly due to all that water consumption, heat (it's been compared to having a hot dryer on your face all the time), lack of accessability to snack foods and anxiety - not only from the job and its requirements but also from the separation from my husband and kids. I am required to "make weight" once a year. And it is always a struggle with me. The physical fitness test doesn't present problems, but the weigh-in does. Just once I'd like to hop up on the scale without my heart skipping a beat to see if I am over. Right now I definitely am over. But I am committed to fixing that this year.
I am a grazer. I love to munch - 24/7 if I had the chance. I know that my biggest issue is what I put in my mouth and am committed to doing a better job at stopping that this year! My favorite snack is goldfish crackers. A big, heaping bowl of them. I can mindlessly finish lots and lots of them. And fool myself about the amount of calories in them. Well, no more. I am not sure if I need to ration them (once a week?) or cut them out totally. I am going to cut them out for my first week and see how I do. I'll go from there. This is a learning process, right?
I am also a soda-holic. My other plan is to reduce my diet Pepsi intake to one glass a day and have water the rest of the time. That's easy at work - we have a water bubbler not far from my office. It's harder at home but our fridge has a water dispenser right on it so it can't get any more convenient. I just have to stop myself from reaching for the soda.
My exercise routine is pretty set in stone. I take a boot camp style class at our local YMCA on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5AM-6AM. There is also a satellite YMCA in my office building at work. My schedule there looks like this: run 5K plus a 15 min ab class on Mondays, Pilates on Tuesday, lift on Wednesday, lift on Fridays. Thursday can either be an "off" day or another run. Weekends are a little trickier. I work one weekend a month and so that one is never a good one exercise-wise. On the others I try to make it to the gym on at least one of the days and do the arc-trainer (a cross between the elliptical and stair climber) for 60 minutes. Our family got the BL for Wii for Christmas so I am going to try and do some routines from that too. Although my poor BL character looks like an M&M with a blonde head.
Today is Monday. So far I did my boot camp class and have downed 7 glasses of water. I slowly savored my allotment of diet pepsi about anhour ago. Lunch was a healthy salad and LF dressing. Unfortunately, there's no extra gym time for me today - I received a call at work from our school and had to pick up a sick child. After I finish writing this, I am going to finish some work I brought home with me. My DD has basketball practice tonight so hopefully I can get some exercise time in after dropping her off...
My dream is to complete a 1/2 marathon. I've been reading the DIS comments about the one this January and the Princess one in March. I called a friend and she might be interested in doing it with me. Maybe by setting my sights on one in Disney World, the pixie dust will keep me going and I won't quit when the training gets hard. So Princess 2011, I might be there...

 

[VernRDH]

Hi Jude!!

Well I feel like I know you already!! We are very similar, you and I. My DH is also over 300 lbs, DD is 10, a bit on the pudgy side and also takes TKD (we go to Pai's). Three years ago, I was 219 lbs at 4'11". I got down to 164 by Dec of 2007. Right now I am around 175. I need to get down to 120-125. I am looking to do that by my 40th b-day in November.

DH and I did boot camp at the Y. OMG its killer. Wish I had the funds to do it again. I am going to take a class one night during the week, take Dynamic Functional Strength training on fridays and lift on sundays. The other days I will walk or run at home. And I am going back on WW, full throttle. I gave up the soda, it just kills my gut. I am not a snacker (though goldfish are good) I just like good food.

Like I said in my PM, let me know if you want any help or suggestions for the running. I highly recommend Marathoning for Mortals, great book. Plus, check the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club or Albany Running Exchange websites for info too.

I'll check in here with ya, feel free to pop on over to my journal too!

 

[jenanderson]

Hello Jude!

I love your journal!!!! You did a great job and inspired me to start mine too!!!! I hope that the journal helps us through this journey.

I am excited to be working towards that Disney half marathon with you. It would be great if we were both able to train and complete it in 2011. I plan on starting with the Wii fit, walking outside any day it is over 10° and starting to get serious about completing such a huge goal! I would love to have us run the race together...and cross that finish line! Here's extra pixie dust for us!

Your exercise plan sounds fabulous! I can't wait to hear all about what you have to do at the boot camp class. I don't know if I could ever get up and get someplace to work out like that...WOW! As soon as my back is not hurting, I will get up and do pilates at 5:45 AM but that is as much as I can do.

Hope you are having a great night! Talk later!
Jen

 

[jbm02]

Veronica, Thank you so much for the encouragement. Believe me, I need it. Part of me feels a little foolish writing this journal - or more specifically, "publishing" it here. One of my pet peeves is "blatant self promotion" and I was nervous that this might fall in that category (do you know the type? - for me, it is the attorney always trumpeting his/her personal triumphs or always pointing to "his/her" Iraq service. I am not sure if I am explaining this correctly...once in a while is fine but constantly...I am rambling on my soapbox...sorry!)
I am about halfway through your journal - wow. I hope that I can be as committed!
My kids are at Pai's too - in North Greenbush. Actually, we are deciding whether to keep going with it. They both attained their black belt just before Christmas. DS would like to go on with it but there is a 3 year commitment - and he will be getting close to college by then. Right now we are taking a 6 month hiatus to give them an opportunity to try other sports and we'll see whether they still have the enthusiasm to return (well, Tess has already informed me with a big fat NO. LOL).

Jen, you are too funny and I am so glad we are doing this together!! Do we get to wear tiaras if we do the Princess Half Marathon??! Would any of your A team consider joining us???

As for boot camp, yesterday was less cardio and more strength work. 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squat thrusts. Mountain climbers and - my pitfall! - mountain climbers while balancing on a medicine ball. I almost broke my glasses off when I did a face plant. Plus jumping up and down on an elevated step holding a 9 lb medicine ball. Who knew that it would take 55 minutes to complete all of that?
Back home by 6:15AM in time to make three lunches and send DH off and DS onto the bus. DD had intramurals so we were there by 7:30AM and off to work for me. Today was the first day back to school after their vacation began on December 24 so there were sad little faces all around my house (including DH! ) I just grinned - for the last 2 weeks I have been the only one who has had to wake up before 9AM!
Food went okay. I got in all my fruits and veggies and water but lapsed for a snack of rye bread. It was a leftover from New Years Day dinner at my house - I will be glad when all those left overs are gone! (as long as they don't disappear into my belly!!! ) DH took Tess to basketball practice so I was able to run over to the Y for a spin class. I don't usually get there at night and boy, it's much more crowded after work than it is before work! Just trying to find a parking place was a challenge (umm..I created my own!) I managed to get a 20 min run in on the arc trainer and then did the spin class. I haven't taken a spin class in several months, and boy, did my rear end feel it. LOL. Strangely, my legs were also cramping up during the class, despite all the water I had consumed. Hmmm...not sure why.

...woke up today with a headache, maybe due to the lack of my normal caffeine intake. Had a small sip to counter that and I'm off for the day!!

 

[VernRDH]

Jude, are you telling me your daughters name is Tess? Cause if so, you won't believe this. My DD's name is Tess too!! And they are both 10? How weird is that?

 

[inkkognito]

Whew, that boot camp sounds like a great exercise plan. I am the same height as you and was around your weight but managed to get down to the 140s. I have the same eventual goal as you but the timeframe isn't set in stone as long as I am making progress on my eating and especially my exercise plan.

Keep plugging and I'm sure you'll make it to that marathon!

 

[jbm02]

Jude, are you telling me your daughters name is Tess? Cause if so, you won't believe this. My DD's name is Tess too!! And they are both 10? How weird is that?

Veronica,
How funny is that?? There are no other girls named "Tess" at her school, although we were lucky to meet a great girl named Tess on our last cruise.
My SIL and family are in Clifton Park (Summerhill neighborhood, off Vischer Ferry) so we're up there periodically for football, basketball and swim meets. We actually looked into moving up there so that the cousins would be closer distance-wise but I couldn't deal with the commute to Albany. I'd have road rage in 10 minutes...

..as for my journal. Not much to report today. I am BURIED at work and it only got worse today so I worked right through lunch, which was going to be my Pilates class. Groan. I have a feeling the rest of the week might be following a similar path. But I did pretty good food-wise so I am not going to obsess over it too much. The water consumption is going better than I thought. I brought some green tea with me this morning and had some of that too. But, thank God, the ladies room isn't too far from my office. Right now I am blissfully having a 1/2 glass of Diet Pepsi. LOL.

Back to my boot camp class. Since I don't have alot to say about my day I thought I would fill in some details about the class. There are about 20 people who are nuts enough to get to the gym by 4:55AM in the class. About 2/3 women. It's taught by three different instructors: Colette has Monday, Jen has Tuesday and Kendra has Fridays. Colette is such a chi-chi name, you'd expect a fluffy headed little blonde, wouldn't you?? (no flames, please! I'm a shade of blonde too!!!) Ha. Short little Italian dynamo who would give Jillian a run for her money - in exercise, and especially in double entendres sprinkled thoughout the class. She is an absolute task master and an incredible trainer. Definitely scary. At one point she had us on the treadmill at a 10 incline running at 5.5. I think the only reason we kept going is because we were afraid not to! I look forward to her classes because I know she is going to kick my a$$...Tuesday with Jen. Sweet little Jen is a special ed teacher, about 4'11 and the mother of 8 month old TWINS who are teething. We thought her class would be a pushover - OMG, OMG, NOT!! Her favorite move is putting glides on our feet and having us pull our bodies across the gym (the long way, not the short way!) in a plank. I don't think we get through a single class of hers without that torture. She's a walking weight loss story (she lost about 75 pounds and is now less than 100) so our desperate pleas are just fodder for new methods to bring us to exhaustion. Kendra is the most cardio-oriented of all the instructors. She is a self described "evil smurf on caffeine." About 5'2 and a toothpick. She has more energy than I have ever seen in a single person.

I haven't gotten to the bookstore yet to look into some running books to start preparing a running plan. I probably won't be able to go til next weekend because I have drill this weekend. That's okay - it's something to look forward to (and I still have B&N gift cards from Christmas!!!)

 

[jenanderson]

There are about 20 people who are nuts enough to get to the gym by 4:55AM in the class

Jude - I cracked up when I read this whole section...but you are right about being nuts to get to the gym by 4:55AM!!!! CRAZY!!! There is no way I would do that - you continue to amaze me!

Sounds like you are in for a busy week...mine is getting there as well. Too much relaxing on break instead of writing more lesson plans. I almost worked through my lunch today but then realized that I needed to stop and eat. I am horrible if I miss a meal...I tend to snack nonstop later and in the end have more food than I would have if I ate the meal.

Hope you enjoy watching BL tonight!
Jen

 

[inkkognito]

Sounds like you're going to put the gift cards to good use.

I fell ya on getting so busy at work that it gets in the way of exercise. I've been doing my workout very late this week due to work myself (I work at home so I have odd hours). But that boot camp sounds like a real butt kicker!

 

[jbm02]

I had Jen's "boot camp" class on Wednesday - It was incredibly hard and challenging. I couldn't keep up with everything because my quads were absolutely screaming at one point. I know I had a week off, but OMG, OMG. Terrific class and exactly what I needed to get my rear in gear. (or, more accurately, get RID of my rear!)
The sessions run for 7 weeks - so when a new one starts, you are never quite sure if the buddies you made last session will continue. Generally, there has been a core group of us who have made it through 3 sessions but you never know. This time, there were at least 10 new people and about 8 "veterans". I was really glad to see Mary M - she doesn't know it, but she is my "inspiration" person for the class. She is about my age and has the same lower body issues that I have. What my family calls the "Colarusso curse" - big hips and thighs. She does everything and never stops, and with heavier weights that I can manage. Every time I want to stop I take a peek at her and if she is still going, I crank out at least one more of whatever we are working on. There may be others who keep up but either I can't see them (LOVE being a back-bencher!), they are babies (I was working out with one and she told me that she graduated from high school in 2005 - that is 22 years after I did!! OMG, !) or the guys, who just seem to have more stamina than me. Something about Mary (LOL - NOT referring to the movie!) just makes me want to keep going.
I'm rambling. Sorry.
Anyway, as for food, I am doing okay. I am keeping my journal and have managed 8 glasses or more of water a day - something that I was really slacking with during the other sessions. I am struggling with dinner choices. Grilled chicken was a family favorite but now it is just too darn cold (frigid!) to consider going outside to grill. Even though Sean dragged our grill to just outside the the sliding doors to the patio, it is still too cold. I purchased a Cooking Light and Biggest Loser cookbook and am experimenting with some dinners. (one that was totally AWFUL was their meatloaf one from the BL cookbook. Really, really bad). And, unfortunately, I used to use the leftover chicken in my salads for lunch. I need some kind of protein at lunch to feel satisfied and the lunch meats at the cafeteria here are processed sandwich meats - yuck. So, if you have any good chicken recipes, please consider passing them down!!
Tuesday was a little strange - I had absolutely NO appetite. None. I drank about 15 big glasses of water though. I have been trying to remember to "eat only when I am hungry" since I LOVE to graze. 24/7 if I could. Especially goldfish and bread. Is it any wonder that I have a weight problem?? So I waited til I was hungry to eat...and waited...and waited. Finally, at about 8 PM I had a hard boiled egg. I still wasn't hungry but knew I needed to put something into my body. I am NOT trying to starve myself but it was a very weird feeling.
While I wasn't hugely hungry on Wednesday, I made sure to start off with breakfast after class - apple and 1/2 hard boiled egg. Lunch was an organic burrito. I know it sounds horrible but the nutritionist at the Y recommended it. We went on a "shopping trip" with our boot camp class to our local supermarket and she pointed out good food choices, etc. This was one of them. It is a "Cedarlane Bean, Cheese Rice style Burrito" (with organic tortilla, beans and rice). It has 1g fat, 7g fiber, 13g protein and 260 cal. The sodium is high - 490 but I figure that since I have cut out my pretzel snacks and have stopped salting my food at dinner, I can handle it. It's very filling and the taste is much better than I thought. But I was also not hungry today for my usual mid-morning fruit snack (I keep apples and clementines at work...). Is this just a phase? Maybe it is the effect of all the water I have been drinking? I don't know.
I'm buried at work, which usually spells disaster for my healthy eating plans since I can nibble mindlessly while sitting at my desk. I deliberately didn't bring in any snacks other than fruit so hopefully that will not happen. Like I said, it isn't that I typically eat when hungry, I just eat without thinking...<==trying to "unlearn" this behavior!
We're still getting rid of a few left overs at home. I actually threw away an entire loaf of really crusty, yummy rye bread because I knew I simply didn't have the will power not to pull it out and slather several slices with butter. Note that I did not say "one". One leads to 2, which leads to 3, etc etc. Tonight is the last of the ham, which while not great, should be okay since I don't eat more than a small slice (less than the size of my palm). I'll load up my plate with veggies and homemade applesauce (made with brown sugar splenda!) instead.
I had too much work to make it to my regular lifting schedule at lunchtime yesterday. I missed my Pilates class Tuesday too. Bummed, but I need to be responsible to my work too. Not only here, but I have a ton of Guard work that I need to complete in preparation for our drill this weekend (On drill weekends I work Saturday and Sunday from 7AM- 5PM). Once I get caught up this week I will be able to work out with the knowledge that i am not short changing anything to be at the gym.
I also - gasp - finally got up the nerve to do my measurements. I am going to post them here and hope that each month or so I will update them. Knowing that I have to post my progress is a big motivator for me! So here they are:

hips: 42.5
pooch: 42.5 (OMG. That was scary. I used to have a concave stomach. Ha. That's just a memory!)
waist: 32
thigh:25
chest: 37
upper arm: 13

Hopefully this will be the last time that I have to post THOSE!!!

..off to work...

 

[jenanderson]

Jude -

OMG!!!!! I do not know how you are doing these workouts! I feel like I am getting a workout just reading about what you are doing. Right now I am feeling like a total slacker...if you can do that work out...surely I can figure out how to get myself in gear and exercise a little bit. It was my goal to do so today but my schedule did not really cooperate. Again, I should get this figured out because your days always sound crazier then mine and you are finding time to work out.

Tell Sean to suck it up because we are still grilling in Minnesota! Paul does get a bit irritated when I ask him to grill on days where it is below 0°!

I have some good chicken recipes that I can pull out this weekend. I have a great lemon chicken recipe that I am trying to play with a bit to lower the WW points for and I will give you that one too. It does get hard to keep on having chicken night after night.

I hated doing the measurements! I am so glad you were brave enough to do yours too! I am hoping that as we continue on with our weight loss plans that we will see some great improvements in those areas as well.

Keep up the great work!
Jen

 

[kritter]

Hi Jude,

You and Jenn are inspiring me to start exercising again!!

 

[VernRDH]

Hi Jude

Hope things are going well for you. Now that I am back from vacation it is time to buckle down. Restarting WW tomorrow, exercise on Monday. Going over the Y schedule for classes to take.

How is Boot Camp going? I remember it fondly, well except for when I was cussing under my breath about the sadist instructor Carlie. Keep us posted!!

 

[jbm02]

Well, I was "off" for a while and just couldn't get the time to post. And, unfortunately, my weight loss showed it - in the last 2 weeks, I only lost 2 pounds. And none of that was from last week. So I am convinced that if I have to journal it here, I just might stop that hand full of food from going into my mouth!!
Sunday, January 24
exercise: 60 minutes run (6.4 miles); 10 minute walk for a cool down
food:
breakfast: hard boiled egg, 1 clementine, 1 glass skim milk
lunch: 1 slice cheese pizza, 5 baby carrots
snack: 2 clementines
dinner: 1/2 breast chicken, green beans

I almost did a lot less running except that I saw a friend of mine running on a treadmill just down from mine. And she kept going, and going, and going - all i could think of was the Da@$ energizer bunny!! I figured I would go at least as long as she did - because she is THREE months pregnant. (yup, I guess I am a little more competitive that I usually own up to...I mean, heck, is someone that's pregnant hasn't stopped, what kind of a wimp would I be if I couldn't keep up with her???). Anyway, she didn't stop til I was at 57 minutes. OMG OMG. I was a puddle but figured I could push it out for at least 3 more minutes to make it to the full hour. I have NEVER run for that long before - ever. Although I hated it while I was actually doing it, I am pretty glad right now that I finished. I needed this boost to start my week off well!!

 

[VernRDH]

Nothing wrong with being a little competitive! It keeps you going a lot of the time. I remember when I first started running and I went out with FIL for a run. He got ahead of me, but yelled, "don't worry if you have to walk" in such a tone of voice. I was he!! bent for leather that I wouldn't walk a step and give him the satisfaction. I nearly had heart failure, but I did it.

Food can be tough, especially when I am home on the weekends. This will be a better week for you!!

 

[jbm02]

I missed yesterday but no way amd I going to miss two days in a row again! On the plus side, I got in all my water on both days!!

Monday:
exercise: 60 minute boot camp class. More on this later!
breakfast: hardboiled egg, 10 grapes
snack: 10 baby carrots
lunch: salad with 1/4 breast grilled chicken, FF vinaigrette dressing
snack: clementine
dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, green beans, glass of skim milk
snack - here's where I screwed up: 3 oreos

Tuesday:
exercise: 20 minutes elliptical, 50 minute Pilates class, 15 min ab class
breakfast: 1 slice whole wheat toast with all-fruit spread
snack; clementine
lunch: multi grain noodles, chicken and apples
dinner: (busy night here - kind of a catch as catch can!!): egg white omelet with FF cheese, broccoli, peppers
snack: 1/2 brownie (went three days without having any and I finally gave in to temptation> Ugh).

Monday's boot camp class was another killer. Ten clean and sweeps with 10 lb weights, 10 push ups (no knees allowed), 10 jump up and down onto a step. Colette (aka evil Randall - remember hime from Monsters Inc??) also proclaimed that she was timing each of us and noted the time when we each finished - which stopped any thought of taking a breather while in the midst of doing this torture. LOL. My chest was heaving at the end, let me tell you...From there, we had mountain climbers, tucks and pikes on a ball, etc etc. Truthfully, it has all kind of smushed together in my mind. I was wringing wet when I finished.

I've been forcing myself to go to the Pilates classes. No offense meant, but all I can think of is the amount of calories I could be burning on the treadmill or arc trainer instead of simply stretching. But all the books and experts insist that its an important part of getting my body in shape so I'm gritting my teeth and going through it. I PO'd some of the people in class today though. The class is taught in semi-darkness with the only light coming from a closet with the door cracked open (what is up with that??). I kept pushing the door open a little more because I needed to see the instructor. Apparently not cool. I apologized but explained that I needed to see her form and how her legs, arms etc were positioned.

Tomorrow is boot camp class. Jenn says its gonna be an "all legs all the time" class. She already warned us that if we live in a house with stairs we might have some issues on Thursday...oh joy.

 

[jenanderson]

You go girl!!!!

I am so proud of you! I don't think the 3 oreos are a deal breaker. Yesterday I ate licorice and then realized what I was doing. Decided that I could not have a real supper because I used my points on the candy. I owned up to it and lived with it. If you look at the rest of the day, you were fine. You owned up to your oreos and were fine.

I totally relate to the pilates...I feel like it is a waste of my time in some ways but then I see the results. I have actually lost 2" in my waist and I think a lot of it is due to the pilates. I have a great 20 minute pilates DVD that I use in the morning.

There is absolutely no way I could do your boot camp workout. Here is an honest truth...I cannot do even 1 push up. You have now inspired me again...I will be adding push ups to my day - every day - until I can do 10 of them.

I will say it again...YOU GO GIRL!!!

 

[jbm02]

Jen, thank you sooo much!!! I needed that. Kind of down today - no special reason, just getting frustrated, you know. And feel like I was the class bi^&ch today.

I am waiting til my 30 day mark to take measurements. My fingers are crossed....

 

[jbm02]

..wrote this yesterday and saved it to an email so that I could post when I got home, but never had the chance to get on the computer. So I'll update it tonight!!!

Great class today. At some point I hope to actually do every exercise, all the time. Try as I might, I always seem to stop at least one time. I need to buy a headband or something to keep the sweat out of my eyes!! (won't I look so 80s??? LOL). As promised, today was all about legs. Lots of lunges with waits, sprints down the hallway and around the gym and stair climbing . I was wiped by the time that I got home...but in a good way! LOL. My legs have been a little stiff at work and I've taken quick walks around the floor evey hour or so to ease the achiness.
Anyway, got home and had a hardboiled egg for protein as well as a half a glass of skim milk. One of the nutritionists at the gym took look at my food journal and said that I need to add more milk and also that I need to eat more - and especially, more veggies. That's hard for me. I grew up eating NO vegetables. None - well, maybe peas now and then and corn on he cob in the summer. I've tried to incorporate more vegetables into our sit down dinners but as for getting more vegetables in during the day...it is still a work in progress. .
Lunch was a salad with romaine, carrots, broccoli and grilled chicken, with carrots and clementines for snacks. Plus a kashi bar that I keep at work. I have a retirement dinner tonight - yikes. I signed up for the grilled fish (figured that was a better choice than the chicken piccata or beef tenderloin...) but getting through appetizer hour is going to be tough. I may try to schedule my arrival a little later so I miss some of that...I love to graze and am hoping that the crowd around the cheese, crackers, etc will be too big to push through. I plan to head straight for the veggie platter. I hope.
Weight is slowly starting to get better. Over the weekend I gained 1.5 pounds but am back down to 153 today. My goal had been to be out of the 150s by the first of February and then 5 pounds each month til I hit my goal. Hopefully I am back to moving in the right direction.

 

[jenanderson]

Morning Jude -

I bet your legs are hurting a bit! I like that you tell about your classes because it always gives me new ideas of things to try. Yesterday after I did my pilates, I did try some push ups. I have discovered that I can do a few on my knees and don't think you could count what I tried to do when I wasn't on my knees! I am going to keep it up though. Hopefully as I lift weights a bit it will get better.

I am glad that you had someone look at your food intake. I agree that you need to eat more food. I think what they told you sounds great. I am not really a veggie person either but am eating baby carrots all the time throughout the day. They seem to be a little sweet and the crunching is very satisfying.

Good luck at your special dinner. I like how you have a plan to head right to the veggie platter! Just keep your plan in mind and I know you will do great!

Hope you have a great day!!!
Jen