Still plugging away!

Hi everyone!!

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while - sometimes my life gets so crazy that I wonder how I even find the time to sleep and I think this year there is going to be a lot of that!! I have a lot to get accomplished this year - some stuff I want to do, some stuff I have to do, and some stuff is a bit of both. The weight loss thing this year is one of those things that I want to do and is also something that I have to do.

I have so much I want to do in my life and it just seems that I am held back so much by my weight. So many times I have wanted to do something & not done it because of my size. I know I shouldn't be that way but I am a very shy person at the best of times and even more so when I am overweight. The only real time I have come out of my shell was when I was a size 12 which seems oh so long ago & for such a brief time of my life!! Being "normal" gave me so much more confidence & I was so much more willing to participate in life. I find that being the size that I am, although people try to get me to, I find ways to avoid putting myself out there. I also want to have the time to enjoy a healthy & active life, be around for my kids & be able to do so much more with them. Even just something as simple as going on rides at theme parks with them. I am always the one volunteering to hold the bags - not because I want to, but because I don't FIT on the rides. I don't like to admit that to people because it is SO embarassing, but it is part of my world. It is something that I have to deal with everyday & most people don't even realise. Even situations as simple as going to a bbq can be uncomfortable & embarassing which is why so often I try to find ways to avoid attending. I don't like to sit on plastic outdoor chairs because I am so heavy that they can break & chairs with arms can be a problem too because most often they are not wide enough. Flying is fun too - I have to get my daughter to go and ask for a seat belt extender because the seat belt doesn't fit & I am too embarassed to do it myself. These are things that I haven't told anyone before because it is so humiliating. So I guess if people want to know why I want to & need to lose weight, then these are some of the biggest reasons. There are probably lots more but I think I have enough reason already lol!!

Anyway, I am still plugging away at it & the good news to tell after all the depressing stuff I just churned out is that I have had good weeks the last few weeks since I blogged & have now lost a total of 27.4kg (60.4lbs). My goal for this year is to get to 100kg (220lbs), which will mean I will have lost approx 60kg (132lbs). I won't be at my goal, but I will be over half way which will make it easier for me next year. So far this year I have lost 16.9kg (37.3lbs), so I am on my way to reaching my goal for the year. I am going to really ramp up my efforts for the next few weeks though, because I want to get to the the 30kg (66lbs) by the end of June if I can since that will be the halfway mark. That means I have 6 weeks to lose 13.1kg (28.9lbs). It will be hard & I may not make it but I am sure as heck going to try!!

I hope you are all still plugging away like me. It is not an easy thing to do & it takes an awful lot of hard work & determination, but as long as we just keep plugging away we will all get there in the end.

Good luck & I hope to talk to you all again soon!!

It worked!

Well, it worked. 

I didn't change much of anything last week.  I went to Curves a few times (not enough times).  I ate "frozen ugly's" for lunch (frozen instant meals) rather than fast food.  I ate my typical meals at dinner.  I tried to eat fruit for breakfast but it turns out that I'm allergic to mango's (that's new) so I just had coffee, like normal. 

I didn't drink anything with alcohol in it.  And I stepped up the water.  I drank A LOT of water. 

I was only 0.2 pounds short of loosing a whole 5 pounds last week.  5 POUNDS!  That's significant.  It will be interesting to see if that keeps up this week.  I plan to go to Curves or out for a walk in the SUNSHINE more often this week, but not much else will change from last week. 

I hope I'm winning!

Do you know how MANY?

I don't think most people think about the number of calories in the alcohol they drink.  Or maybe they do and I'm the odd one out.  Until recently I didn't really consider it much.  But I'm considering it now.    When the WW program changed the points system I recalculated how many points were in my martini.  OK recalculated is the wrong word.  I calculated.   I was drinking 9 points worth of martini!  That's more points that I allotted for all of lunch or breakfast.  So you know what I did?  I quit counting it.  I earned that you know.  I worked hard, I counted points, I exercised (sometimes).  I deserved to sit with my husband and drink my martini, or glass of wine, or what have you.   Just because I quit counting those points didn't stop me from consuming them!

April was a WILD month.  My birthday is in April and I typically celebrate in one way or another for a least a week.  It doesn't have to include liquor, but this year it did!  Even after birthday celebrations, it seemed we made a reason to have a party and people around every weekend.  There was a lot of drinking done in April.  And you know what?  It shows.  I gained weight. 

So during May, I'm taking the month off.  No beer, wine, or liquor.  It's not the only change I'm making this month, but I'll bet it has the biggest impact on my waist.  And if I find it difficult to get through 1 month without booze, I think I may have to consider making it longer than 31 days.  I think the hardest part will simply be changing the routine though.  I don't need the booze, just the "hand to mouth" that it provides. 

The other thing is that I have been challenged.  A friend and neighbor has issued a weight loss challenge to me.  We set up some rules to follow and I'm going to work hard to beat her at this.  There is a big goal and several mini's in this challenge.  And I intend to WIN them all. 
May is going to get interesting!