Photos

I've never shied away from having my picture taken.  I have always thought it was foolish to avoid it. 

I've been looking at my vacation pictures and I'm horrified!  I don't feel as fat as I look. 

This weekend I stepped it up a bit.  I drank a ton of water and I ate reasonable meals.  I even took a couple of walks.

I can't go on like this.  I'm now afraid to show up on film as well....

Checking in.

I’m checking in. But I haven’t been working very hard. Shari’s progress and enthusiasm is amazing and inspiring! I’ve read the last post at least 3 times. I’m *this close* to signing up for a race to run myself! But it’s too scary and I’m still holding back. I wish I was as brave as Shari and could just DO IT. But it’s on my mind and I may be easily swayed...   I just got back from a fabulous vacation. I was very concerned about not being able to lose weight or at least be able to maintain while I was gone. So concerned that I decided not to weigh myself before I left. That will save the from the disappointment of seeing the scale increase when I got home right? I did weigh myself though. Only because I wanted to make sure that my luggage wasn’t overweight.   We ate 3 meals a day about half the time. Every single night was a wonderful German or Italian meal and I ate every bite on the plate and enjoyed every morsel with a glass or two (or four) of wine. Breakfast was always a wonderful German breakfast with cheese, meat, and bread. I always included fruit to cancel out the real, fresh, cream I put in my coffee each morning. We skipped lunch on many days. I think we only stopped for a real meal at lunch time about half the time. But we did stop for ice cold drinks, granitas (lemon or mint), or gelato to keep us cool (I only tasted the kids gelato on most days. I seriously only got one for myself ONE time).   We walked a lot. There were castles to climb to and cities to explore. Bridges to cross and small elevators to avoid (stairs instead). There was definitely a lot of walking. Each night we all went to bed simply exhausted! I weighed myself when we got home. I was very anxious about it. But I had a baseline and so I had to know the damage that I had done and where to start this week. I weighed exactly the same! The walking cancelled out the food. Just like it’s supposed to do. And several days later I weighed myself again and found that I was 2 pounds less.   And now I’ve been home a week and I’m afraid that I have lost the momentum! My excuse right now is jet lag. I’m sooo tired after work. More than usual for sure. I have washed all the clothes from the trip, but very few of them actually got put away! After dinner we all simply sit in front of the tv until we turn in early. We all get up early too, but who wants to get up at that hour when we already get up earlier than most people! So I’m saying now that I’m getting organized. I have lofty plans to schedule out the menu (I’ve said it before and I’ve never gone and done it), and to schedule in some hikes and bike rides. I simply can’t sit around and HOPE to get skinny anymore. So a plan is in order, and then maybe a cattle prod to set the plan in motion.

Getting back on track!!

Hi everyone

Well I'm back. I wasn't actually planning on going anywhere but unfortunately we had some very sad circumstances that led me to have to travel home unexpectedly in June for a few weeks. Due to this, I have ended up having a little over a month off my weight loss journey, but oh well, life happens sometimes & we just have to roll with the punches. Anyway, I am back now and started back on my eating plan on Tuesday & my exercise regime today.

I did put on a few kilos while I was away but I managed to get it off this week &
I went for a weigh in this morning & lost 1.6kg (3.5lbs), which now means that I have lost a total of 31.1kgs (68.5lbs)so far & 20.6kgs (45.4lbs) this year. I still have about 40kgs (88lbs) to go by the end of the year which is still achievable. Even though I had to take some time out I have worked out that I need to lose around 1.7kg (3.75lbs) per week to make my goal. I can do that. I can. I just have to really roll my sleeves up & dig in now. I am determined I am going to do it & I will!

Next July I am going to run the 10km in the Gold Coast Marathon. My sister ran it this year & I was going to walk until I found out that there was a 1.5hr time limit. I tried to train to walk 10km in the time they gave but I just wasn't fast enough. She was very disappointed, but I am determined that next year not only am I going to do it, but I am going to be running it. I can run now but definitely not 10km. It is a long way!! But by next July I should have dropped another 60kgs (130lbs) at least - a whole person even - & I will be able to run 10km. I might be dead at the end of it but I will do it!!

One good thing when I had to fly home - I didn't have to ask for a seat belt extender!! I asked my daughter to go & get one automatically & while I was waiting, I thought I would just try to do my belt up & it actually fit!! I couldn't believe it - I was sooooooo happy!! And next time I fly I might actually be able to breathe with it done up lol!! I didn't care that it almost cut my circulation off - I could do it up & that was such an awesome thing to be able to do & it has been such a long time since I could.

Anyway, that's it from me until next time. I hope you are all well & going great on your own journeys.

Shari

Nobody likes a quitter

I've already quit Curves.  I knew I would.  That is why I paid in full each month rather than the $10 cheaper version for people with more sticktoitiveness.  The skinny lady tried to talk me into paying the cheaper way.  But I knew that I wasn't going to do Curves for long.  I didn't know the reason though.  I thought I'd use it as a jumping off point to get back into a routine or a habit of working out.  That is what I had planned on.  But I got bored.  I dreaded going.  I didn't have fun.  I quit.  And I didn't get into any habit.  

(The skinny lady made a big deal about "calculating how much I owe them for quitting early", when I pointed out that I paid the full amount each month.  She huffed at me, but didn't have anything to say about that).

So now what?  I'm no closer to enjoying exercising than I was before.  But I have recently been reminded how much I like hiking in the woods and being outdoors.  Perhaps I can work that into a routine sometime.  If it ever stops raining here.  And my boys are both big enough to ride bikes with.  They can probably handle more distance than I can.  We live near some wonderful bike trails.  Maybe I can do that. 

One thing is certain.  If I want results, I have to do more than I'm doing now.  And if I'm going to have to do more, I have to figure out something I like. Sigh...

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!