A Smidjin at a time

It has been a little while since I last posted anything. And that isn't good. See I have noticed that I do better with the food/workout thing when I am blogging more. Or is it that I am better at the blogging thing when I am "on plan"? So here are a few important updates and some plans. I had more lab work done. It is starting to be a relatively regular thing in my life. And man oh man did they come back different from the last ones. I think the only thing that came back good was that my vitamin d level came back finally to normal. My testosterone is up higher than it was when I was first diagnosed. So we are upping the metformin to try to combat that. And my cholesterol...wowza's. Needless to say the drug combo I was on was not working. So we changed meds. From the bottom of the pyramid lowest dose to the top of the pyramid highest dose. Last weekend I got to spend the entire weekend away with my amazing small group. 13 adults and 11 children all in the same beac...

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little depressed and frustrated right now. I got my last set of lab work back and pretty much the only good news on it was that my Vitamin D is at a normal level. For starters, my Cholesterol levels, still aren't good. In fact my Triglycerides are higher than they were even before I started meds. As are my LDL's. For those who can't remember their LDL's from their HDL's let me help. The LDL's are the LOUSY ones and the HDL's are the helpful ones.  Partially I think it's cause I have been really lazy with the eating right thing lately, and partially cause we had backed off on one of the meds that had originally worked to lower it. So hopefully it's just a matter of going back up to the original dose of that med. And getting way more diligent with the eating thing. I am looking at several options on that in addition to the weight watches. Secondly, and the one that is most confusing is my testosterone level. The nor...

Well I did it! I survived 6 weeks of bootcamp! Minus the 3 days I missed due to being extremely exhausted coming back from women's retreat and then when my wrist acted up. But I did it. I pushed myself a lot harder than I thought my body would go. Guess what, I can do a full push-up now. Not a lot of them, but I can do them! And I actually started making plans to continue working out with my friend Jess. As much as I seriously don't like getting up really really early, I kinda liked getting up early to work out, it was nice to know that I already had that taken care of for the day. And there were even parts I really liked, parts that Jessica and I might do later. So now on to other important things. Like finding the perfect reward!

I have been putting off a new blog entry for a while. I keep saying to myself "Tomorrow I will have time to sit down and have it sound nice". Well tomorrow keeps becoming the day before yesterday. So I guess I just need to put my excuses behind me and write something that maybe isn't as perfect as I would like. I have been stuck, and it sucks. I am not sure why. I still want to lose the weight. But the day to day motivation is so totally not there. When I signed up for the boot-camp class I thought it would maybe be a good kick-start. But I gotta tell you, the scale hasn't really budged in the last 4.5 weeks. I am hoping it is from the "muscle weighs more than fat" concept, but I am so not sure. And now my wrist is acting up so I am not sure how tomorrow's class is gonna go, though I am gonna go prepared to workout as hard as it will let me. I just need to figure out whatever the roadblock has been this whole year really. I am sticking with weight wa...

Now I am not sure if I will be posting after every workout yet or not. Maybe the novelty of that will wear off. But for now I gotta share these thoughts: We only did 40 pushups. Push-ups. That doesn't mean we didn't make up the difference in Burpees, and plank jacks, and this thing that you start in plank and just hop you feet up and back but never stand up...and if at any point you couldn't do the motion "just" hold plank. And I am curious... when doing a movement for time not reps, does anyone else have a hard time not counting the actual reps while the instructor watches the clock. I know we only have a "minute" to do, though sometimes i think she takes a long blink and it becomes a long minute, but I keep finding myself counting the number of reps. I am not sure if i wanna embrace this habit as a way to distract myself from pain or break it so as not to torture myself with numbers. She had us actually skipping across the aerobics room...skippin...

I would love to tell you what Friday was like in boot-camp. But I can't remember what all we did. So here are the highlights that I do remember. We did 160 push-ups this time. First 50 were 5 sets of 10 reps alternating with some other move. Same with the second 50 (except it was a different extra move). Last 60 were 3 sets of 20, normal push-ups, wide arm push-ups and then tricep push-ups. Now saying we did 160 doesn't mean I actually did 160, there might have been a few sets that I had to stop early and go into child's pose (one of my favorites in yoga, I mean how can one not like child's pose). But I still probably got 130-140 in. I suck at jump rope. Like big time. And that was the first thing we did when my legs were fresh even. We were supposed to do 100, i kept tripping after 10, sometimes I'd only get one done. I don't really recall jumping rope much as a kid, maybe that is my problem. I think I need to practice. To that end I have bought my own ju...

Jumping jacks, and squat jumps, and burpees, and pushups, and up-downs, and crunches, and burpees, and bicep curl/shoulder presses, and swings, and bycicles, and stair running, and alphabet planks, and wobbly planks, and push-ups, and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups,and push-ups, oh my.  Well it has come. The day I actually had to sweat in class. I came in water bottle full, shoes tied tight. And half the class forgot to bring in their written down goals so Olivia promised us a punishment. Nice little warm up full of marching and running in place, and jumping jacks, and butt kicks, and high knees. Then we got to our punishment. 5 jump squats + 5 burpees x 5 sets. For those who don't know: Jump Squats: Burpees:  And then we moved on to the Fit Test. 4 moves, each done for a minute to see how many we can do. Push-ups, Crunches, Up-downs and you guessed it MORE burpees. My numbers were act...

Well after thinking about it an talking about it and not being able to talk myself out of it...I not only signed up for a boot camp class, but I have now also paid for it. 3 days a week for 6 weeks, of being at the gym at 5 freakin am in the morning. Which means I need to be up no later than 430. The last time I woke up that early on purpose was... I think over a year ago when I did the half marathon. I think. I might have actually been able to sleep later for that. I have never done anything like a boot camp class before. I have never purposely worked out that early in the morning. But who knows. Maybe that is my magic time. They say everyone has their own time of day that just works better for them. And maybe mornings are it for me. Workout from 5-6, go home, shower, eat a nice leisurely breakfast, do some bible study and then when all that is done go to work. yeah I would still have 2 hours after class to get a lot done before work. And then I would have all evening at home, no...

The Battle has come and gone. And first of all I want my little blog reading world to rest assured that I did physically live through it. I currently feel like one giant bruise, and I haven't moved this slow in a long time. Now, hopefully on to the fun stuff. For starters, in case you are reading this and thinking to yourself "What the heck is she talking about? Warrior What". No, it was not another name for or apart of the Trask Mountain assault that I guess took place the same day here in yamhill county and reports from friends are that the pictures look similar. If you are new to the words Warrior Dash, let me introduce you. "Warrior Dash is a Fire Leaping, Mud Crawling, Extreme Run from Hell". Their words not mine, but I don't disagree. Get there early, check in, get your timing chip laced to your shoes, bib number on, run into friends who have already gone and get a couple muddy hugs (there goes the idea of a nice clean "before" picture. ...

Well after 6 weeks of crazy overtime schedule and then another week of work and then 2 weeks of vacation I can officially say that the scale did not like my summer. And I therefore did not like the scale. And since I know the scale is just a reflection I therefore did not like me. But I got back on track last week and ate way better (still not great) and went for a couple of walks (only a couple though) and when I went to meeting I was so excited to see a -2.4 being written down by the lady at the scale! Imagine what I could do in a week that actually ate great and had great workouts more than once. Did i tell you all I signed up for a bootcamp class at my gym. I am excited for the change in what I am doing, a little scared of the 5 am start time, but grateful to know I will be going through it with a friend. Weight Watchers is currently in there Lose For Good campaign with is not just a big "push yourself to lose" thing but also a food...

I have always loved the idea of hiking. Getting out in God's creation and enjoying while getting a good workout in and hanging out with friends. I just haven't done it in YEARS, and I am so not exagerating there. And part of that was that I knew I was way to out of shape, plus I knew what search and rescue would have to do to try to get me out of whatever situation I got myself into (asthma attack at the bottom of some canyon and all the roads are at the top) and I didn't want to do that to them. But along came last friday. I went and spent the day "Living life on the edge" as my friend Teri put it. We went up to Multnomah Falls, but we took the "Old Historic Highway" there so we saw several falls. First stop was the "Portland Womens Forum" which if you ask me is an odd name for viewpoint. But we had said that we were "tourists" that day and therefore if it was a viewpoint we were gonna view. After some viewing and picture taking we g...

Pretty much everywhere. Having a hard time getting the scale to move downwards, not wanting to "eat healthy", not really wanting to go to the gym or try to go for a "run". Really feeling inspired to to craft, but that would mean finishing cleaning my craft room. I know if i just start cleaning it would actually count as "working out", and with a clean room I would maybe even finish some of the crafts I have started. Feeling like I was working out would prompt me to go to the gym and workout, and a good workout would prompt more healthy eating. And when I feel healthy and I tend to craft more. It's like a like a spinning merry go-round that doesn't stop and I have to find a way to jump on it while it's spinning.

I promise this will lead to weight loss journey story telling, just bare with me. I was watching the show Criminal Minds tonight (repeat of course) and it was one my my favorite to hate episodes, favorite in that the acting and quotes are amazing, hate in that they got rid of my favorite character. She ends the episode with the following quote: I'm thankful for my years spent with this family, for everything we shared, every chance we had to grow. I'll take the best of them with me and lead by their example wherever I go. A friend told me to be honest with you, so here it goes. This isn't what I want, but I'll take the high road. Maybe it's because I look at everything as a lesson, or because I don't want to walk around angry, or maybe it's because I finally understand. There are things we don't want to happen, but have to accept. Things we don't want to know, but have to learn. And people we can't live without, but have to let go. I don't wa...

So, things are only so so. I had a butt load of activity in the beginning of the week, weights at the gym, tennis, swing dancing. Yet aunt flo decided she had to come Wednesday night, right after weigh in. So yep you guessed it, weigh in was a gain. Even with 24 activity points in the week leading up to it a gain. And then the day after weigh in was a migraine day. Full probably the worst one I have had. Thank goodness Ted had given me some imitrex, it took 2 doses of Excedrin migraine at work and then the imitrex at home before it went away, and of course I forgot the aleve with it so I had a little bit of rebound this morning. And I have been working so many hours lately. 6 straight weeks of overtime, I only need to get through 6 more days of work and I will be free for 16 days. 16 beautiful days where I don't have to go to work. 16 days where I am free during the cool sounding gym classes. 16 days where I plan on doing a little hiking (I'm thinking silver falls, multnomah fa...

So last post I mentioned how many times i had tried to do even week one of the couch to 5k training plan but how I always was cutting myself short. Well I am very happy to report that I have now done the week one work out 4 times, completely. Now it designed to be done 3 times a week and then move on to the next week. I think however I am gonna spend a couple weeks in week one and then move on the week 2. Week one still is difficult and I would like to feel it is halfway under control before I move on. I did however add some weight training today afterwards. For a total of 5 weight watcher activity points!

What you ask are those? Well since I haven't blogged in forever let me catch you up. *C25K stands for Couch to 5k. It is a programs designed to get you from walking to running. It builds with slow intervals. Week 1 is a 5 minute warm up, a 60 second running interval alternated with a 90 second walking interval, repeat for a total of 8 and then a 5 minute cool down. Each week it builds to the point that you are eventually doing all running. Well as least that is what the plan says, I have never made it out of week one. No matter how many times I did it, how good I felt going into the workout or how well rested I was, I was never able to fully complete a day. i would cut nearly half of my running intervals short by like 10-15 seconds each. So tuesday I went to Gallagher Fitness Resources in Salem. They are an awesome running and walking specialty store. They helped me find a nice pair of workout shorts that has pockets so my phone, id and house key all safely go with me for an outdoo...

I am doing so much better. Would like to report that I am doing great, but alas this is a journey after all. But I have been eating a heck of a lot better, and I have been moving more. I even did outdoor exercise the last 2 times. There is this trail next to albertsons that is a mile and a half long. So far I have only made it one time around each of the days I went out, but I was doing the couch to 5 k plan those days, so had some jogging intervals in there. I reall like the working out outdoors but I need to find a better time than right after work. It was a little hot out.

I haven't blogged in forever. Well I guess not technically forever, but over 2 weeks. Which coincides exactly with how long it has been since I had a truely "on plan" day. I had to work a stretch of evening shifts and let me tell you, they were not good to me. Besides the fact that they were bad work wise it totally threw me off eating wise. I was up late and therefore slept in late, I didn't ever feel like cooking anything healthy, was stopping at fast food for lunch, stopping at fast food for a release after work. It is not what I wanted to be doing, but it happened. And I am paying for it. The scale does not say what it just said a few short weeks ago. But that is all about to change... See I signed up for the Warrior Dash. A 5k obstacle course. With hills, and mud, and barbed wire, and fire. And what I hear is an awesome after party. And while a 5k is a lesser distance than any of the other races I have done, I have never done an obstacle course race. So Couch to ...

Today marks one year since I walked in the Helvetia Half-Marthon. And what a year it has been. The most amazingly frustratingly fulfilling year so far of my life. It actually all started back in February of 2010. I was approached by a friend saying that the adults in the family (her, her husband, her parents, her siblings and their spouses) were all doing the half and asked if I wanted to join them. For some crazy (stupid maybe even) reason I said yes. Yes, without even really thinking about the fact that a half marathon is 13.1 miles long, that I hadn't really been out on a walk in ages, that my idea of "working out" was about 30 minutes on the treadmill every 2 weeks or so, that I was out of shape and overweight. But yes I did say, and I registered pretty much right away. And once I had paid my money I realized what kinda trouble I was in. So i found a training plan online on how to walk a half marathon, gradually increasing my miles. So I did, diligently for months bec...

So today at weight watchers meeting we talked about the best supporting actors in our weight loss journeys. It was really a fitting think since I am 2 weeks away from 1 year on weight watchers. And it got me thinking, I don't know if I thank you all enough for the encouragement and support you all have given me over the last year. So here it goes, it no paticular order, well actually whatever order you come to mind is the order you get listed in. Erin T- I know I wouldn't have had the courage to go to that first meeting if I didn't know you worked there and had heard your story and seen your results. Jenn S- Thank you for joining me on this journey. It has been such a joy to share it with you, the successes (losses) and the tough parts (plateaus and gains). You continue to motivate me with your openness about the journey you are on. My friends at church who have joined weight watchers after me- Everytime you tell me that somehow I was a motivting factor in you joining/rejoi...

I am not sure if that really makes sense, even to myself. I want to lose weight, I want t get in shape. I plan my meals, I plan my workouts. I even get excited abut them. But then staying focused when I am on the treadmill, or lifting weights is so hard. And not go to the grocery store on my way home to get something that suddenly sounds better than whatever healthy thing I had planned.

I am very happy to report that after my ugh weekend, Monday's reboot, tuesday and so far today wednesday have been amazing. Stayed on plan, uber activity points (yesterday at least) and total side benefit, saved a ton of money on healthy food at safeway. And once again the chineese smelled really good, and I got in line. But I only got 2 potstickers, and they weren't nearly as good as I remembered them being. Which hopefully means the chineese won't tempt me nearly as much. I'm sure it will tempt me but hopefully not as bad. So this week my work schedule is a little weird and I won't make it to weigh-in tonight, I have to wait till the saturday one. I haven't been to the saturday one months. I am actually kinda glad I have these extras days thanks to my funk weekend.

re·boot (rē bo̵̅o̅t′) intransitive verb, transitive verb Comput. to boot again, as to restore the computer to operation after a program failure We all have done it to a computer. And we all have wished we could do it sometime in the middle of the day. You know, go back to bed and try waking up all over again, even just walking out of the office for a minute and then walk back in all fresh. Trust me, this past weekend was a major "program failure" Friday night pizza, saturday lunch pizza, saturday dinner burger and fries, sunday lunch chicken nuggets and fries, sunday dinner mac and cheese. Oh and an entire bag of those stupid powdered mini donuts. And boy was I feeling that all sunday afternoon, not my normal peppy self. It was time to reboot. So this morning, instead of sleeping in super late I got up and decided today was the day I restored my programs. I ate a healthy breaskfast, did 20 minutes of a Bob Harper workout video (I only survived 20 minutes is more like it) did ...

Blah, thats how I ate, blah how I feel, and blah cause I basically couldn't come up with a catching title. I am so glad I earned 16 activity points yesterday. Becasue let me tell you, except for breakfast and and orange at lunch I did not eat healthy at all (unless you count Mental health). My back has been hurting that last couple days and needless to say I didn't really feel like standing in the kitchen cooking with last night or tonight. So pizza last night and a burger tonight. And just incase anyone is curious, no i did not hurt my back earning those 16 activity points. My back hurt yesterday morning, felt better in the afternoon so I went to Zumba and then hurts again today.

Before I get the to the important part I just need to get the following statement out: Popeyes Fried Biscuits are AMAZING. Always have been, always will be. They are the whole reason why 1999 when we had a layover in the Atlanta airport mom sought out the Popeyes in the concourse to get us food from there. Motivation Techniques: The other day while watching Biggest Loser (I got a lot of epiphanies from this last episode) we got to see the final 4 contestants (2 guaranteed in the semi-finals and America gets to vote out of the other 2) go home. As the embarked on the at home portion of the contest they were given a DVD that had a recorded message on it. It wasn't just the host wishing them good luck but it was someone to remind them how far they had come. See the first week they got to the ranch they recorded messages to their future selves. And they get them 6 months later. I really liked that idea. I decided that even though I can't record videos to myself I can write letters....

Well, tomorrow is another weigh-in. And unfortunately I think it will just be another weigh in, you know one of those 0.4 weeks. I am really good at 0.4. So I am watching Biggest Loser right now, and since it the the week before the final they are doing one of their signature challenges. The "put it back on" challenge. For those who don't know what it is here is what they do. The take the total weight each contestant has lost on the ranch and make them wear it again. It is usually broken down into something that can take off in the same increments they lost it in. This paticula one they are walking/jogging a golf course carrying golf bags with poles equal to the weight they lost each week and at each hole they get to get rid of the pole that corrosponds to the week that hole represents. I have always loved it this paticular challenge (a close second is the car pull). I think sometimes you need to take that breif temporary trip back to where you came from to gain ful persp...

the deliberate obstruction of or damage to any cause, movement, activity, effort, etc. Why do I do it? We all do it. We all workout really hard, only to "refuel" with donuts or the entire container of potato salad. We all do a long race, and then take 4 weeks off of working out. I have spent the last 5.5 months losing 3 pounds. No really 3 pounds. Mostly cause I am really good at losing 0.5 pounds then gaining 1, then losing 0.5 then gaining 1.5, then losing 0.5. I don't think deep down inside that I want to so this. But I keep doing it. Is it my will power, is it something deeper emotionally. And if so what can I do to "fix" the problem.

Snowball effect is a figurative term for a process that starts from an initial state of small significance and builds upon itself, becoming larger (graver, more serious), and perhaps potentially dangerous or disastrous (a vicious circle, a "spiral of decline"), though it might be beneficial instead (a virtuous circle). This is a very common cliché in cartoons and modern theatrics. The common analogy is with the rolling of a small ball of snow down a snow-covered hillside. As it rolls the ball will pick up more snow, gaining more mass and surface area, and picking up even more snow and momentum as it rolls along . Well I hope to not gain mass like the snowball but I am really hoping this last 0.4 pounds that I lost will be my snowball. See it took me up to 27 pounds lost so far. Out of the 26 point something I have been flucuateing around for weeks now. I am wanting that motivation to keep growing, and the numbers to keep growing. One good workout leads to another, which leads...

Has anyone else noticed that standard safety features are not standard on bandwagons? Cause I keep falling off, and I know that with a seatbelt I wouldn't. It's getting annoying, and I am getting bruised up and tired. I would really like to stay on board, but everytime I hit a pothole the springs over the wheels bounce and flying out I go. I am very proud of the fact that I chose a nice big salad for dinner tonight, it was a moment of at least grabbing the reigns of the horses pulling the wagon, hoping to jump back on here any moment. It's makeover week on Biggest Loser. And I needed it this week. I needed something to remotivate me. It was so amazing seeing the transformations, especially Olivia and Hannah (my purple team). They looked so pretty, and they felt pretty and beautiful, and that made them look even better. I want to feel that. most days I feel good, but I hardly ever honestly feel pretty or beautiful. And I want to, I want to look in the mirror and not have ...

I would love to report that I just got back from weigh-in and that it was amazing. That I had stayed on plan food wise and worked out all week and that I had a big loss on the scale. But I'm not. In fact, I didn't even go to weigh in tonight. I have a cold. I managed to make it all winter without one and I go and try to do a little spring cleaning and i get sick. So I skipped weigh-in, for the first time since I started Weight Watchers in June. And it's probably a good thing that I did, cause I am positive the scale would show a gain. It just wasn't a good week. I didn't work out very much, I didn;t track hardly so I am not sure how bad I was (though I am sure the answer is bad bad). And it was an emotionally difficult week too, 2 very dear friends passed away. It had definitely been a roller coaster. I am eagerly hoping and praying that this week goes better. See the problem with being sick is that everything that can be considered a junk food/bad for you sounds go...

Dear Polka-dot dress, How are you enjoying Jenn's house? I am sure she is taking goo care of you. Has you hanging up somewhere so you don't get wrinkled. I am sorry you aren't here with me right now. I'm sorry I slacked off this week and didn't stay on plan. I know there is a ransom over your head. I am really planning on paying it. You just gotta hold on a little longer while I earn that ransom "money". Keep up hope, we will get there, you will get to come home soon. I can't wait to see you again. And when we do I promise to take you out for a hot ladies night out with your good friend Jenn. In the mean time I need you to help Jenn. She needs to see you constantly and remember that there is a hot little number hanging out over here waiting for her to pay the ransom too.

Dear Legs, I know you don't hear me say this enough, infact you have never heard me say this, but thank you for being my legs. I know most of the time I am critical of you. How short you are, haw fat you are. How because of that combo finding cute pants/skirts/knee socks is difficult. But today I want to tell you how much I appreciate all you do for me. You walked a 10 kilometer race today! And you rocked it. You proudly wore a running skirt with only shorts underneath it and thank you for only minorly objecting to the chafing from the cold tempratures this morning. You willingly went further than I trained you for and for that I grateful, and you did it in 1 hour 38 minutes and 13 seconds (unofficially), which is a pretty darn fast pace. You are strong and amazing, you never hurt at all during the event. I am sorry I didn't stretch you out very well afterwards, I promise to make it up to you and my feet tomorrow with a pedicure. Love, Me P.S. I promise to use Glide next time I...

A little play on the good the bad and the ugly. The Ehh: Today I ran a ton of errands. They took me into Salem, I had a good breakfast a little light on the protein but it was good, grabbed a latte and was on my way. Forgot to grab my water bottle. And I went the whole day without water, but idea, I could tell by the end of the day. Did a ton of running around, scrapbook supply buying ans dress trying on, and banking. However I forgot to plan for being out at lunch time and in addition to having not grabbed my water also didn't grab any healthy snacks what so ever. Was really tempted in West Salem to just hit one of the drive-thrus and grab like fries, or maybe a bean burrito at taco bell, but I resisted the lure of fast food and drove home and made a PB&J sandwich. And then went out for more errands. And by the time I was done with those the sandwich had worn off. And while doing my grocery shopping I caved and bought some of those dang hostess mini donuts I have talked about....

Literally. It was a nice day today, so I took my treadmill training outside today and went for a 3.3 mile walk. It was so nice. Just warm enough that I could go out in just a tee shirt no jacket needed. And I realized something really cool. I was walking faster than I did last year when training for the half marathon. It felt so much better. Amazing the differance 26.8 pounds can make when it comes to walking. It felt great. And I noticed I was walking with more confidence too, and with better "mechanics" as it were. This week Weight Watchers kicked off it's 3rd annual Walk-It Cahllenge. It is a challenge to train for national weight watchers 5k Walk-It day which is May 22. Now I am still undecided about doing the official walk but I will diffinately do the workout consistency part of the challenge. And I just might have to buy the cool shirt.

I got on the scale today and I lost something other than 0.6 pounds. See if you look at my weight tracker that seems to be my average. It's a number my body is good at losing. It likes to lose 0.6 but than gain 2. And somehow the last two weeks I have had two good weigh-ins, in a row. For a total of 5 pounds in 2 weeks. Maybe I have somehow convinced my body that it really can lose more than a little bit at a time. Remember my post about SSEB, my super secret eating behavior? My challenge this week is to at least track it. Not neccessarily tell you all about it but at least tell my points about it. That way I can fully see the consiquences of it.

I am nervous for this weeks weigh in. And I shouldn't be, at leasts that what I keep trying to tell myself. For starters I get to go to go to the thursday meeting with my friend Jenn. Every time I have gotten to be there with Jenn I have ended up having a good weigh in. Plus since it is a thursday instead of a wednesday I have an extra day. And I have been working out like crazy. I mean hello, sunday afte church, and shoppign with tara, and 2 small group bible studies I still managed to throw my workout clothes on a do a dvd in the living room. One of my older ones, that I kinda sometimes forget is there. I loved it. So on paper it should be a good weigh in. But I am nervous, cause it seems that after every good weigh-in (last weeks 3.2 for example) I have a bad one. But I want to break that cycle. I have this smoking hot dress waiting for me at my friends house. And I really wanna wear it out. There are a couple people who have seen it, but I can't wait to share it with the re...

We all do it. Super Secret Eating Behavior. We all have something that we buy at the grocery store, or Target or walmart or the drive through that is usually located at the registers that we we wouldn't buy if friends were with us, or our kids were in the cart, or we saw our Weight Watchers Leader 2 people behind us in line. You know what it is, the pay day, the snickers, the reeses, the mini powdered donuts, the Dutch Freeze. And the whole reason why we buy them is that we know they won't make them home, they will be completely consummed in the car before we get to our next destination. Even the wrappers won't make it inside. They get shoved under the seat until clean the car daym, and then you take the car to a car wash so you can put it in a totally differant trash than your own. And somehow this super secret eating doesn't count for points. I am sure of it. It was never on the shopping, not in the bags when you got home so therefor it doesn't exist....right? Un...

Where we just don't feel like it. Where we just wanna. I didn't mess up, just didn't eat as on plan as possible. Choose not to work out, but replaced it with sometime watching a kids soccer game followed by a trip to my favorite salon and day spa in Newberg for a visit with some friends and a 10 minute massage. Not sure I am gonna have time to workout tomorrow, but sunday will be a good workout, this I promise. See I am signed up for 10k race in a couple of weeks. Good news is I think most of the others I am doing it with are going to be waling it as well. I hope that it is warm enough to wear my cute sports skirt.

Wednesday, halfway through most peoples week yet only the beggining for me. See wednesday is my Weight Watchers Weigh-in day. Also the day all my numbers on the e-tools reset, the activity points I earned go bye-bye, but I get all my weekly points back. Remember in my last blog that I talked about that sit down I had with Jenn. It really paid off, I had a great weigh-in. Back where I was before my recent slip up. And it feels good. I am just trying to imagine what a full week of being remotivated will look like next week. Really hoping to keep this snowballing. Oh and I am going back to online tracking. I do much better with it and keep track of everything with it. It's easy for me to do it either at work at home or on the go. Like when I am out to eat I can go to the mobile site and look stuff up and add it right then. It also helps me preplan for the rest of the day easily. So here is to a whole week of this new motivation. To working out whenever I can. To choosing power foods ...

I had a wonderful surprise today. My friend Jenn texted me to ask if I wanted to meet for coffee, which I was delighted to do. Jenn joined weight watchers a couple months after I did and it has been my delight to be her inspiration and be along side her in this journey. However the last 2 months have been hard on us both as far as weight loss goes, as she puts it "Take 2 steps forward, take 1.99 steps back". I mean think about it, I had finally hit 24 pounds lost at the end of last year, it took another 2 months to hit the 25 pound mark. Really, 2 months for 1 pound. So while trying to brainstorm we came up with a couple ideas oon how to motivate each other. One is that we are each gonna blog more. I mentioned that I more inclined to blog when things are going well then when things are, kinda a share your success hide your failures kinda thing. And in sharing those blogs with you all I get remotivated by the positive feedback I get, and that in turn keeps my efforts as far as...

I fell off the band wagon and I think it might have left me behind. I seem to self sabotage after every milestone. Gains after 5%, 10% and 20 pound. And it takes me forever to get the ball rolling again. But this has to stop. Yes 25, well really I think I have put the work into 35 pounds but have gained 10 of them back at various times, is great but that is only a quarter of the way there. And I really need to get there.

I made it to the 25 pound mark. As in 25 pounds gone, vamoosed, skedaddled, never to be seen or heard from again. It feels so amazing to not have them anymore. I don't miss them at all. I hope that in it taking 8 months to lose it means it will stay away. Now you all might think that losing this weight would all me great, however there are some "downsides" to it. There is the common 'clothes not fitting' syndrome suffered by many women. However in this case it's cause you can't keep the jeans up when you get them zipped, that is if you even need to unzip them to get them on or off. And even if it seems like you just went bra shopping chances are you will need to go bra shopping again soon, that is unless you like the uncomfortable needs adjusting often feeling. And don't forget the fact that when your pants literally start falling off you, you will be between sizes so nothing fits quite right or the store you love shopping at literally have every size ...

Last June was a big month. I completed my first half marathon, joined Weight Watchers and got a diagnoses that will stay with me for the rest of my life. During my first appointment with my new doctor he suggested we test for something based on some symptoms I had been having for 2 ½ years combined with some other stuff. So after the lab results came back, so came the diagnoses. PCOS Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome On one hand it was great to have a diagnoses and an answer (and a prescription) but at the same time it sucks. It has no cure, affects different aspects of ones life/body and presents completely differently in each person. As a result of the PCOS I am on 2 meds now. Metformin for the insulin resitance component and Niacin for the high cholesterol. So this will be something that I will have to fight for the rest of my life. I hope in getting things “under control’ now that hopefully the rest of life will not be...

Challenge: Try 10 new foods this week. That was the challenge we were given at the end of the meeting last week. 10 new foods, sounds easy right? WRONG! My parents didn't allow me to be a picky eater. And it was a pretty internationally varied palate. Artichoke...check. Asparagus, canned and fresh...check. Okra...check. Ground Beef, turkey and chicken...check. Squid...check. Matzo Ball soup...check. Gelfilte Fish...check. Whole Wheat Pasta...check. Tofu...check. Things I haven't had: Manwich, mom always made sloppy joes from scratch. Nesquik, mom always used chocolate syrup. So I had to get really creative with this assignment. Which is funny cause I hardly eve do the homework and it's not like I am getting a grade for it. So I had to modify it. 5 foods or food combos that I haven't had as an adult. Since I forgot to start this until 2 days before the next meeting I opted for only half. So here is what I got. 1. Jicama- Just had it with dinner and it was good. Sliced it...

Weight Watchers encourages tracking of all food you eat and the activity you do. At meeting you can get these little paper booklets that have it all laid out, including where you can mark off how many of the extra weekly points you use and mark off the activity points you gain (and choose to use). It also has little check boxes for fruits and veggies and lean proteins and fluids. It's all in a nice little format you can just slip in your purse. Then there is the E-tools tracker. Tons of foods and commons serving sizes pre-programmed in you just have to type and click. Automatically does the math if you have more or less than the normal serving. It will automatically deduct from your weekly points if you go over your daily points target. And they have a mobile version of it that you can access on your smart phone. My first week on Weight watchers I did the paper tracking, then I switched to the e-tools tracker. And I love it. It is so easy, especially using my phone. But I am a secr...

I am sitting here feeling the urge to blog but not really having any idea what I wanted to blog about. So I came up with 2 things and now I am gonna share them with you. So when you join weight watchers they have all these goals for you. First 5%, 20%, 16 weeks, 25 pound medallions. And your ultimate goal weight. It took me a while to get to those 5 and 10%. and I still haven't quite gotten to my 25 pound marker. But I know that I need to keep my goals small. So I am just going from 5% to 5%. Of couse each time that becomes a differant number, but that is my goal. You also are supposed to set an ultimate weight loss goal sometime with them, I haven't yet. And I am okay with that really. Because I ahve a goal but I don't. I have a number that is right in the range of all the charts and graphs and guidelines. But I don't want to focus on that number, not yet, adn maybe not all. To don't wanna get so focused on it that I lose sight of the bigger picture, my health. And...

So well my labs that I had drawn 2 weeks ago came back. I am sure they have been back for a week, I just got the card in the mail. Some are doing better. Like my HA1C is down by a half point. And my testerone level came down by 2 points, still high but much closer to normal. Liver tests are doing better. And benefit of the testerone and HA1C coming closer to normal is that AF has come to visit every month since stating the Metformin. But my HDL is low and my LDL is high. Which is totally no bueno and apperently the next big hurdle for me to tackle. So thursday I have an appointment with my doctor to discuss what the next step is. And I am re-researching(is that a word) to see what can be done from a herbal/supplemental route. I haven't read ony of my PCOS books in a while, so i guess it's time for a refresher course.

So I totally planned on writing some nice (long) retrospective blog entry about my weight loss journey for my birthday. This is not it. I am simply trying to get my brain to turn off enough for me to get some sleep before work in the morning. I haven't been doing great the last couple of weeks, but thankfully I haven't done horrible either. I have tried to balance things out and still get my fruits and veggies in on days I eat 2 cheeseburgers. I have still been doing to the gym and putting in a workout even if it hasn't been the best workout of my life. But I can't keep doing that. I need to be putting in full workouts cardio and strength. And I need to be eating on plan whole-y not picking and chooseing aspects of it. I actually did good today, still had a couple daily points left over. But I think my biggest problem is that I am still so horrible about the measuring and weighing of foods. I do a lot of eyeballing, and that doesn't work. So that is what I am gonna ...

My weight watcher friends will know that NSV means Non-Scale Victory. We all have things that are exciting milestones on the weight loss road that don't exist on the scale or don't always show on the scale. A smaller pair of pants, Being able to walk up the stairs without getting short of breath, passing on the donuts without even having to think about it. Well today I had a NSV. I did the first day of the Couch to 5K running program. It's a 9 week training plan that gets you to running a 5K. You do a 5 minute walking warm up and then alternate 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes and then a 5 minute cool down. If you do the math that means I ran 8 intervals. So 8 minutes. Me...running....for 8 whole minutes. Seeing as how my version of interval training used to be "walk for 10 minutes, jog for 30 seconds, walk for 20 minutes", running for 60 seconds 8 times is pretty dang impressive. Now to see if I actually remember to do it again on s...

I had a great Christmas week as far as weight loss goes. In the 2 weeks since I have gained it almost all back. I haven't made truly horrible decisions, I just haven't made great ones. So I am gonna try to reset. When WW debuted the Points Plus program we all got a new getting started guide book. In it is a pull out Kick start guide, it has a great table of mix and match breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas. My plan for the next week till weigh-in is to eat exclusively off this chart (except for lunch Monday when I am out shopping with Rachel and David). I have through Saturday planned out and when then plan out through Wednesday. And hopefully this will be the jump start/reset I need. Also I just got my two new books and I am totally excited. The one sitting on my coffee waiting to be read still is Believe It, Be It by Ali Vincent who was the first female winner of Biggest Loser. The one I am currently reading is Fat Chance by Julie Hadden. She was also on the biggest loser, made...