A New Challenge

I decided that I need to spend less time sitting and more time moving. I wouldn't say that it is a "New Year's resolution" because I have a tendency to self-sabotage myself when something has that label!

So here's the deal. In order to watch TV, I have to "pay" for my time. If I have worked out for the day, I have to "pay" 100 jumping jacks (without stopping to rest) for every hour of TV that I watch. If I didn't work out that day, I have to do the same thing for every 30 minutes. It seems to be working. I have been watching less TV which has given me more time to get things done around the house. And when I have watched TV, I get a little bonus workout!

I should probably do the same thing for my computer time. I would be doing 1000 jumping jacks a day! Okay, not really, but I would be doing a lot. Baby steps...for now, I'll stick with TV.

It's been a year....sorta....

On December 12, 2009, I weighed in at 136.6 and that is the weight I chose to stick with for my year of maintaining. A little over a year later, I am still at 136.6 (or lower)! I can't technically say that I maintained that weight for a year because I did have my little gain last January but here we are a year (plus a little) later! I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that I would have taken off the weight that I did, let alone KEEP it off! Four more weeks (January 30), and I can officially say that I maintained my weight for a full year! WAHOO!!

I was actually thinking that was pretty cool until I started reading statistics that say 90% of people who lose large amounts of weight will put it back on within five years. FIVE YEARS!!?!? Man! I thought one year was a major hurdle and I was home free!

Okay, that was my initial reaction. My calm down, think rationally reaction is - One year really is a big deal. And who cares about "statistics"? I'm bound and determined to be a "freak of nature" (as one blogger labeled people who actually keep the weight off for five years) who actually keeps the weight off!!

I got to thinking about "statistics" and where they even come from? I know I am not part of any statistic. I haven't been to a doctor or joined any organized weight loss group. So who is included in these statistics anyway? People who go to a doctor and get put on a "miracle" pill to lose weight and then gain it all back when the pills stop? People who join weight loss groups and gain the weight back when they lose the support of their group? I really don't know.

Here's what I do know. I know how to eat. I know how much to eat. I know what exercises kick my butt and which ones really don't do much. I know that I can push myself physically much further than I ever thought possible. I know that I don't need diet pills, drinks, fads, etc. to lose and/or keep weight off. I know that I CAN DO THIS!! And...I know that YOU CAN TOO!!!!

Here's to a happier, and HEALTHIER me and YOU in 2011!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Whew! I made it through Thanksgiving and still stayed under my weight! I was even a full pound below! Now, to make it through Christmas (which shouldn't be bad) and New Years (BAD, VERY, VERY BAD)....

I did it, kinda....

Well, at my "offical" weigh in last week, I was 136.6. But I had to "kinda" cheat. My sweet hubby decided to sabotage me and take me out for a surprise date Friday night. At first, I kind of panicked! I avoid going out to eat on Friday like the plague because it has a tendency to wreak havoc on my weigh in Saturday morning. I expressed my "concern" to him and he told me that he had arranged a babysitter, I WAS going to go out to eat, and WAS going to enjoy myself!

Secretly, I decided I would just go along with it and find the lowest calorie thing I could find on the menu and then only eat half of it. This after starving myself all day Friday to make up for what I would eat that night. But after some thought, I decided to listen to hubby and ENJOY myself ON FRIDAY NIGHT!

So....I did my weigh in Friday morning so I wouldn't even think twice about what I ate Friday night. Keep in mind that I was worried about making it to 136.6 on Saturday and this would cut out a full day of getting myself down to that weight! So even though I technically cheated by doing my weigh in a day early, I am actually proud of myself for getting down to that weight quicker than I thought I would!

AND....I am grateful that I have a wonderful husband who MADE me get out and enjoy myself!! We really did have a good time. And not only did we go out to eat (and stuff ourselves silly) but we went out to ice cream afterward. Take that you stinkin' scale!!

BLAHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I don't think anyone even reads this anymore but it is therapeutic so I am going to keep on postin'! I have heard so many times that stress causes a body to not lose weight. I have never really been major stressed about my weight....until now. I don't know why I am so stressed out! And I worry it will show on the scale.

That, or I am giving a "heads up" "cop out" for not losing weight this week! I have been pretty good though. I expected to see something on the scale. I actually promised myself that I wasn't going to step on the scale until Saturday. But I wanted a treat tonight so I stepped on to see if my weight was "low" enough for a treat. It wasn't...and things aren't looking good for Saturday...

I am frustrated because I have been doing so good with sticking to my points. I really expected see miracle numbers. Okay, maybe HOPED would be a better word than expected. A couple more days...

Really? Are we back to this?

I decided to go back into full on diet mode and can I just say....I HATE IT!! It is important to me to not gain all the weight back to I know I need to do something. I have done pretty good. But all I want to do is EAT!! Today has been really bad for some reason. I just want to bury myself in my kids Halloween candy.......ahhhhh...!!!

I wonder if that has anything to do with it! I don't buy treats for this VERY REASON! If they are here, I want them. But I feel like a mean mom getting rid of all their candy. Why? I am being mean because I want them to be healthy? Hmmm....I may have to think through this one...

9 months was a good run...

I have been HORRIBLE lately! What is my problem? Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea why I have been so bad. My eating freely on the weekends is catching up to me. Eating whatever I want on the weekend and then trying to get back on track during the week WASworking. But I have found myself getting further and further into each week before I get "back on track." I am back to wanting to eat everything in sight all day long. And my weight creeps higher and higher.

"Technically", I still haven't gone over my 136.6 but I have used every "trick" in the book to keep it under that number for my Saturday weigh in. This week, I decided it was time to get serious and get back on track. No more free weekends. I need to be eating right all week, not just on select days. That lasted until my kids brought home their Halloween treats...and it has been a DOWNWARD SPIRAL ever since!

I have to get back on track. I realize that one or two pounds isn't the end of the world. But it is the start of going back to where I was when I started this journey. I am super frustrated with myself right now. I had taught myself how to eat, what to eat, how much to eat. My little "weekends off" crap has thrown all of that right out the window! I want to "enjoy" food every day, not just weekends.

I know I am just rambling but I am really frustrated and sometimes getting things out helps. So there it is...the truth...out in the open. I am completely and totally falling back into old habits...and I HATE it! If only I could switch my love for food with my despise for exercise! THAT would be AWESOME!

Well, I better run...there is candy a few feet away calling my name...

Still hangin'....by a thread

Just wanted to report that I have still maintained my 136.6 weight! That makes 7 1/2 months now! The last couple of weeks have not been by much though! So I am back to exercising and trying to watch what I eat a little more closely! I want SOOO bad to maintain for a full year WITHOUT going over! That would be SOOOO cool!

Individual results may vary

Lately, there has been a lot of hype about diet drinks (or artificial sweeteners found in them) causing weigh gain. I was a little concerned when I heard about this because I use diet drinks and don't want to gain weight as a result! I couldn't figure out how something with no (or minimal) calories could cause weight GAIN. Then I realized that I LOST the majority of my weight while consuming them!

So I did a little research. As it turns out, the artificial sweeteners supposedly trigger cravings and thus increase other eating which results in weight gain. A friend of mine is taking a nutrition class. Her professor told her that these drinks can increase cravings for sweets by as much as 10x! My take on the whole thing? ~ "individual results may vary"! Diet drinks are literally what got me through my "diet". When I had a craving for sweets, I poured a glass of crystal light and the craving was gone (plus I got an extra glass of fluid!).

I wonder of part of this can be attributed to calorie tracking. When I was drinking the diet drinks, I was very closely monitoring my caloric intake. There wasn't the temptation to grab an extra snack (okay, maybe there was a temptation, but I knew it would take me over my daily points if I gave in).

I guess what I am saying is don't listen to all the fads and crazes. Do what works best for YOUR body!

I love this time of year!!

This time of year is the easiest for me to eat healthy. We have a pretty large garden and now is when everything is ready to eat! For lunch today, I had new red potatoes, corn on the cob, and tomatoes. I will admit, I probably ate more than I should have and potatoes and corn aren't the lowest calorie veggies on the planet, but it sure beats a bowl of ice cream for lunch! I would highly recommend planting a garden if you can! We actually can/freeze a lot of it too so it lasts longer (but nothing beats getting it right out of the garden).