Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Broken Computer = No posts

My son broke my laptop screen....Asus will repair it for free, but it means shipping it to them and waiting and waiting and waiting until they fix it and ship it back. This means very little time for me on a computer. My only computer is in a back room of my house and requires that my toddler be out of sight while I use it. Basically, that means I don't really get to use it.

That being said, I'm only slightly over 3 pounds from Onederland, as we like to call it. Once I drop under that 200 pound mark, I plan to reward myself. I just need to nail down what that is going to be.

Any suggestions? I was trying to decide if it should be my nose ring or something more like a pedicure or something else. I would love to hear what you guys think. What would YOU do if you reached a major milestone in a personal journey?

I haven't been under 200 pounds in almost a decade. And I'm anxiously looking forward to getting there.

I have posted new photos on the Transformation Photos page. They aren't great quality and I apologize for that. Because of the quality, you can't really see the difference (and it's really only about 10 pounds too). Still, I'm in my smallest pair of "18s" and on my way to that size 16! Exciting!!

Wish me luck. I'm at the minimum weight watchers points plus point level now, so this is how much I eat until I'm ready to maintain (29 points, btw). It's nice to know I can't go any lower. Yay!

Anyway, my toddler is wreaking havoc in the front room, so I must go. I hope to be back on Sunday. Thanks for your patience as I get my laptop repaired!

God Bless you all!!!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Getting Excited

This week, I easily fit into new/old clothes and I was so excited I wanted to scream. I only lost .4 lbs this last week, but a loss is a loss and I got to reap the rewards. I ironed several shirts that I'd tried on months ago. When I tried them on then, they were so tight, I couldn't even pull them on all the way. I remember feeling SO fat. These were 1X shirts and I was too fat to wear them. Last week, I put them on and they looked great and felt fantastic. No problem. I was THRILLED. I also get into my size 18 jeans (down from a 22) with ease. This has got to be the best part of losing weight right after getting more energy!

This last weekend was Mother's Day and I celebrated. OH did I EVER. It started Saturday morning with homemade biscuits and gravy. Then, I followed that up with taking my mom out to lunch for Mother's Day. It didn't stop there, though. I then went to my in-laws for a Mother's Day BBQ. I ate 57 out of  30 points the day before my weigh-in day. I was surprised I lost .4 lbs. I really didn't expect much, so I was happy. I want to note, the only food splurge planned for that week was the biscuits and gravy. I'd thought about a spa day with my mom, but it turned into lunch and then, at 8:30 in the morning, my brother-in-law called me and wanted to have a BBQ for our mom in the evening. But, that's what I love about Weight Watchers. I'm in charge. And I can eat whatever I want. I just see those results at the end of the week. If I don't eat well, I don't lose as much. And I can get over it, because success isn't a straight line. I'm in this for good. This is my new way of life.

That being said, right now, I am eating with a calorie deficit which means I'm choosing to eat less. I'm choosing to lose weight by eating fewer calories. And, I'm in the process of learning to make BETTER choices. This week, my bathroom mirror is sporting the quote, "No food tastes as good as it feels to get a better health report at the doctor's office." For my husband, this would mean a normal blood pressure and reduced heath risk report instead of potato chips. For me, this means a possible go-head for a VBAC - my dream for my second child -  instead of chocolates. I know I may not ever get a VBAC, but even so, being healthy and THEN getting pregnant means for less risk all around and that IS worth the sacrifice.

That quote also means a lowered risk for type II diabetes, in my case -  a disease that runs in my family and that affected me during my pregnancy with Joshua. How angry will my children be if I end up with diabetes and they find out I never really tried to do something as relatively simple as losing my weight? I can't change my genes. I can't alter my past. But I CAN lose weight...for me AND for my children and their children. What greater gift can I give them than a mom who'll be around and an example of how to live? I can't think of any. It's not just about me anymore and THAT is why I'll succeed.

I hope all you mother's out there enjoyed your special day and I pray that you will live as a shining example for your children. Those of you who are not parents, be that shining example to all of us! We need healthy role models to look up to! I need healthy role models to look up to! lol!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Monday, May 7, 2012

So Close, I Can Taste It

I'm fast approaching "onederland." Onederland is that moment when I can say my weight is ONE something something. This week, I'm within 9 pounds of being able to do that. I'm SO close. Maybe a month or two and I'll be there, if everything goes well. I will celebrate when I get there. I'm not sure how I'll reward myself yet, but I have to. It's been YEARS since I've been ONE hundred and anything.

This week, I lost 2.8 pounds making me 208 pounds. I've still got a long way to go, but every week brings me closer to a healthier weight and a healthier body. This is SO exciting.
This week, I tried a new recipe. My husband, Steve grilled up some salmon that I'd seasoned with salt and pepper. When he flipped the fish, I put on a mixture of fresh herbs (a seafood medley), lemon zest and lemon juice with some olive oil. This created a sort of Lemon Herb Crusted Salmon. It was delish.

My husband had much to celebrate (and what better way than to grill yummy food) because this week, he lost an amazing 6 pounds. For the previous two weeks, he'd gained weight and was frustrated. I convinced him that by not eating his points for the day, he was eating far fewer calories than his body needed. I suggested that he cut out some of the simple carbohydrates he was eating and bump up his protein and fat. In the morning, he ate a breakfast sandwich with one egg, three pieces of real bacon, two sausage patties, and american cheese on an english muffin. EVERY DAY. The rest of the day was packed full of protein and fat with some carbs. I made healthy dinners and he handled managing his lunch. He ate twice or better what I did for dinner. He lost SIX POUNDS! When Weight Watchers says you have 71 Points Plus Points, EAT THEM. He thought he was doing himself a favor by eating 50-60 points a day and he NEVER got to his weekly points allowance. In reality, he was starving his body. That would have been like me eating about 25 points (below the Weight Watchers Points Plus minimum for anyone). I'd starve. My husband NEEDS to eat his daily points value to succeed on this plan. He sees that now.

As for me, my 30 points has been a struggle, but I find I eat a heck of a lot of veggies and fruit (mostly veggies, as I'm not a huge fruit fan). That's not a bad thing, so no big deal. It's better than my old habits of eating half a tub of cookie dough from Papa Murphy's for breakfast or frozen chicken with nothing else for lunch and then ending up really hungry and binging on sweets or chips. I really had some seriously bad habits that I didn't even see until I starting eating right.

Just because you like sweets or junk food, doesn't mean you can't eat right most of the time. I still have chips. I still eat chocolate. I still have strawberry shortcake and cheesecake. I just use my brain to eat in moderation and now those foods are more special. They're a treat rather than my every day indulgence. Everyone can do this. If  I can and my husband can, you can.

Weight Watchers is saving my life and I'm SO grateful.