Ending One Cycle and Starting a New One!

Now that I am more firmly entrenched in ONE-derland, I feel it is time to make a few changes here on my blog. Don't panic! I won't be leaving the topic of weight loss, exercise, lifestyle changes, and all that I've done this past year and three months, I will just be changing the posts a little, as I ease into my personal maintenance lifestyle. I want to try to be a little more structured, while I still share my journey with you. I want to reach out and help others if they want my help too.


There are a few thoughts I would like to share:

• I am open to helping out anyone who asks, but I am not a trained professional. I also don't charge a fee.
• I am just a 'normal' person who has lost a lot of weight without gimmicks. 
• I will not chastise you for not doing what I suggest. It is YOUR life, not mine and YOU have to want to change in YOUR own way. 
• I would caution you to see your doctor before doing anything I suggest.
• I don't believe I have ALL the answers. What I do is really easy and is based on common sense, not miraculous quick-fix cures.
• I am not perfect. I still struggle with temptations, eating the wrong foods, skimping on exercising, and even, sometimes, recording what I've eaten so that it looks like I did better than I really did!
• Even though I am not perfect, I DO eat better and exercise more, than I did a year ago.
• I often say to "Live like the thinner person you want to be." I first heard this over at the Fat 2 Fit Radio guys' podcast. I believe in this!!!
• I believe in exercising like the thin person I want to be too.
• I believe I AM living the lifestyle of a thinner person right now!
• I still fear that I won't have enough calories left at the end of the day... and will feel hungry ... and will stuff myself with bad foods and gain at least 20 pounds overnight!
• I still wonder if I will stay at this weight or will gain it all back.
• I still feel fat. Really!

• I digress here but I just have to tell you this story before I forget it. A a few days ago I was walking down the hallway after yoga class at the center. I was carrying my yoga mat, gym bag, and purse. After I passed by someone coming in the opposite direction, I realized I had turned so as to allow for a lot more space for the person to get by me. I then realized, in that same instant, that there was no need for me to do that! I hope that person didn't think I was treating them like they had the plague or something! I was so used to having to turn to make way for my (formerly) wide berth that I was still doing that move, subconsciously.

On the other hand, I also:

• am thrilled that I HAVE lost all this weight!
• am astonished when I see my reflection in the mirror...is that really ME?
• love shopping for clothes now!
• want others to figure this out for themselves and to be as  happy as I am!
• still have more to learn.
• hate lose-weight-quick schemes because of the money they steal from folks and because they DON'T WORK!!!

I am sure I have more to say. (Don't I always?) I hope to update this blog, once a week. What would you like me to write about more? In each posting I would like to include a discussion topic, a tip or hint, a recipe or food, and a quote. What do you think, gentle readers?

QUOTE FOR TODAY: "You can have it all; you just can’t have it all, all at once."
(Taken from the Daily Spark)

Still Trippin' Over My Changes

From July 2011 to February 2012 I lost 33 pounds.

Guess Who is in ONE-derland?

Baby Needs a New Pair of Shoes!

Now that I figured out how to get photos from my camera to the computer, I am back in business!
The talk I gave at the support group, on getting started and setting goals, seemed to go over well! I love trying to help. I've done so much research and reading and listening, that I feel like I might explode sometimes! The only thing worse than an ex-smoker is a person who's lost weight and wants to help! Just tell me to shush if I get too long winded when talking to you about how to do what I am doing. I mean well, but can go off on tangents if I don't watch out!

So, on the weight loss front, I am stagnant again. I am 200 point 2, or point 6, or point 5, depending on the day. Of course, during the middle of the week, I am seeing 199 and once even saw a 198, but until that number shows up on a Saturday for the official weigh in, it doesn't count! Maybe, carrying around my Mad Hatter's Hat in my bag, is jinxing it?

I have never been so relaxed about sitting in a plateau as I have this one though. I just know it will happen, when it happens! I heard on a recent podcast that you shouldn't think of it as a plateau but rather as your metabolism doing a readjustment. Once it is all lined up again, the weight will come off again. And this has happened several times before. I will go along, flirting with a one pound gain or loss for a few weeks and then BOOM, three pounds drop off and stay off!

In thinking about (non-food) rewards, I think a new pair of shoes would be the best one for getting into one-derland. I was shocked when I compared my oldest shoes to the newer pair. I have actually worn out a pair of shoes! The older ones are the two on the inside:
See how the nubs are flat and the white parts are worn away as compared to the newer shoes on the outsides of these sets?
You can really see it in this closeup. The newer shoes in these photos are the exact same brand and size as the older ones. I bought them last year, with the intention of replacing my old shoes with them. However, the new ones just won't break in and hurt my feet sometimes. So a new pair of good running/walking shoes IS in order and will be a welcomed reward for getting into one-derland!

I am saving up for a laptop for when I reach my next goal of 191 if I make that by April 15th. I am not sure what type of laptop I will go for, but I understand that April is a good month to buy a laptop, so it all seems to fall into place with using that as a reward.

Then on to the scariest goal of 175. This year is shaping up to be busy and interesting, all at the same time!

I've done my walk for the day and am off to run errands. I have had a good balanced breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, and fruit. I have a chicken salad made and ready for lunch and I think I may try a shrimp burger recipe while the guys here have their manwiches.

If you haven't done so already...GO FOR A WALK TODAY!

I Am Still Here

What a difference a year makes.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

I am not in one-derland yet, but I can see it from here! I was down just over a half pound this week. Today I am following the yellow brick road, clicking my heels three times (while wearing those hot pink crocs) and hoping to wake up in one-derland next week!

I have been thinking about rewards for myself for both one-derland and for reaching my final goal. I think a new pair of run/walk shoes would be a great one for one-derland. Final goal might be a laptop computer. That seems a bit extravagant though. I will have to give that some more thought.

Not much to say for today. I am working on my 'speech' for Thursday and have other commitments to tend to in my other life! I hope you are having a great weekend! Now get out there and go for a walk on YOUR yellow brick road!

Unplanned Milestone Achieved!

I didn't realize it when it happened but when I weighed in last Saturday, not only had I lost the holiday pounds, but a few more to boot! I was down to 201 and change. This officially moved me from the 'obese' category to the 'overweight' category! Woohoo!

Isn't this photo amazing?

Look at how fat sits on the body and squishes the organs!

I still feel obese. I still feel I look like this:

I HOPE I look more like this:

I guess it is time to take new photos!

Next week marks my first speaking engagement. Doesn't that sound all important? hahahaha, it isn't as grandiose as all that. I will be speaking at the support group on goal setting. I might have to do it in a funny hat because I am so close to being in one-derland!

I am getting back on track with my exercises. I've tried to change them up a little bit, and am trying to do more weights and resistance work. When frazzled though, I revert to a good hard long walk! Nothing wrong with that!!! Now YOU go do it too!

Statement of Fact

I started dieting when I was 11 or 12. I stopped dieting when I was 56. I am losing weight because I am living and eating like the thin person I want to be. I am more educated on foods. I eat between 1200 and 2000 calories a day. I exercise about 60 min. a day. (as simple as a walk, as complex as Yoga) I am working on re-educating my brain to know when I am truly hungry. I am working on 'mindful' eating...eating slow, thinking about the food I am shoveling in, the taste, the texture. I stay away from most processed foods that are chemically engineered to just taste good. I find that the less processing in foods the more foods become filling. I have been simply amazed at how easy this all has been. This is my LIFESTYLE that I CHOOSE. "Diets" do NOT work. You can't be on a 'program' for the rest of your life. You CAN change your lifestyle to that of a healthy person and lose excess pounds in the process. I wish I knew this years ago!!!

Saturday will be the first time this year that I get on the scale again and have the weight be the true recorded weight of record. I don't know what it will show! I think I lost some of the holiday weight, but I am still not back on track, exercise-wise, as 'the child' only went back to school today and we have contractors here at the house for the next few days, which necessitates me keeping close to home. Whatever the scale says it is, I am ready to deal with it. I feel good! I hope you do too.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly!

Actually, this photo fits all of the parts of the title of today's blog! The good is the Christmas tree in the background. The bad and ugly are both covered by this very blah photograph!!! lol
My ever charming husband was showing me how my new camera works. By the time he took this picture, I was no longer amused. hahahaha!!!

I am working on my goals. I have them on the side bar over to your right. Truth be told, life has been rather hectic this holiday season and it's been hard to sit still and work on thinking clear and straight forward thoughts!

All is good though. I know I've gained a bit of weight and I know I will lose it and more, once the holidays are over. I am thinking about being some sort of motivational speaker. How's that for different?! I think lots of thoughts. It must be scary for anyone who is a mind reader and tries to read mine!

I need to figure out the rewards for reaching goals too. But I wanted to post the goals though, on New Year's Eve, even though they need a bit of tweaking.

I want to wish you all a wonderful (or in MY case a ONE-derful) New Year! May 2012 be kind to you and may you be kind to yourself!

'Till next time, GO FOR A WALK!!!

A Little Holiday Fear?

Shouldn't that be cheer, not fear? It depends on who you talk to. Some folks that are enjoying the holidays are fearing what that scale will say once they get back to their more normal lives!In the past, many of us would use the pounds gained over the holidays as an excuse to break our most common New Year's Resolution, even before the new year is officially here!I know I have gained a few pounds over the holidays. I know why too! I actually didn't do all that bad with foods. I enjoyed the holidays and the food while eating pretty sensibly, overall. Truth be told, I am hoping some of the weight gain will be from water weight that drinking things like wine and vanilla rum will cause! I didn't pig out on candy but I did have three mini chocolate candy bars and one chocolate covered cherry over the past week. I also had a slim sliver of my husband's chocolate birthday cake and less than a half cup of vanilla bean ice cream with it.
The bigger reason I've gained a few pounds is because I haven't been exercising like I would usually be. I managed to get in some exercises every day, but not at the intensity that I would normally do.
So yes, I am guessing I've put on about five pounds.I got a lot of 'exercise' gifts this year. I now have a pretty neat home gym to broaden my exercising with! I got a heart rate monitor/watch, an exercise ball, strap on weights, and a cool pair of black with purple mottled striped exercise pants! (purple is my favorite color)
I recently found a Pilate's/Yoga DVD at the thrift store, along with a step exercise platform thingy. I already owned a pair of five pound dumbbells and stretchy-bands. Add in the shows I found on TV that I've recorded so I have a bunch of routines to pick from, and I am all set for a new set of exercises to add into my regular routine.
I know I need to build more muscle and I also know I get bored doing the same old thing all the time. All these new tools will open up a whole new set of possibilities.
When spring and summer roll around, I will change these tools around and use them in different exercises to stave off boredom then too. Plus they say that your body gets used to the same old, same old and changing things up keeps the body hopping, in more than one way.
I plan to have one more posting about goal setting and New Year's Resolutions, done around the first of the year. I have lots of plans for 2012. I hope to inspire you to make some plans along with me! Till next year, be good to yourself!
Now go for a walk!!!

Challenge Results, Goal Setting, and More

I have a lot of little things to talk about today. I will cover the fruit challenge results, goal setting for 2012, exercise changes, and a few random thoughts.

FRUIT CHALLENGE:
The fruit challenge was kinda fun! I had to look up what exactly a quince and a pummelo was, and how to eat them. The pummelo turned out to be like a very thick skinned grapefruit. It wasn't quite as sour and tart as what we think grapefruit can be. It was very difficult to peel off the outer skin and the inner membranes. It might qualify as a negative calorie food because it takes quite a bit of work to prepare it for eating! I would not bother buying one again.
The quince was even more challenging because you had to cook it to eat it. There were several recipes for using quince to thicken applesauce as it reports to have somewhat of a jelling property to it. I chose to cook it, add sugar to it and eat it as a dessert type food. It reminded me of cooked apple but didn't have much flavor of its own to add to the taste. I will not be buying quinces again.

I might be having a taste bud issue though. Both of the new fruits were not impressive in their tastes. I have also noticed that things like grapes, cherries, and most berries seem to have no flavor! I've heard that "the elderly" have changes in their pallet as they age. Maybe my taste buds are shot? I would like to think it is more because some of these foods are just not in season right now and taste like juicy air and water, but no flavor.

GOAL SETTING:
What is a goal? For me, I see it as a specific vision, with a plan, a goal timeline, and a specific reward for completion. The more I get into my lifestyle changes the more I see the need to always keep a goal or five, in mind to help keep the motivation going. So far I have come up with a few goals for 2012, that I plan to work on. I am trying to make some short term goals and some longer term ones. If I don't meet the deadlines, I will erase the end dates and put in a new one! There is no giving up acceptable. Of course, I will make goals that are reachable!

My list of goals so far:

1. To be in by Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012
2. To reach my goal weight of 191lbs by Tax Day, April 15, 2012
3. To sign up and do another 5K before June 1, 2012
4. To stop eating anything after 8pm by New Year's Day, 2012
5. To be at my secondary goal weight of 175 by my 58th birthday. (October 2012)
   

I need to set up a reward for each goal and then write it down in stone, or on the side bar of my blog, for all to see. Just the act of making goals is very motivating! I would recommend this exercise to everyone!

We all worry so much about losing the weight and getting to an ideal goal weight we have in our heads, but not what to do after that. Even though I have hit a hard plateau in the weight loss department, I am also thinking about how things will be when I declare I have reached my final goal!

I go up and down a pound or a half pound here and there and have been doing this for over a month now. I have still managed to go down if you look at the beginning of the month and compare it to the end of the month, but it has become agonizingly slow.

Much of the research I have done, points to eating more food to lose the weight and/or doing more muscle building exercises to gain muscle mass that will boost my metabolism and cause more fat pounds to go off my body. They say that a starvation diet will only work just so far before the body slams on the brakes and will not let a single pound leave, because it thinks it is starving.

Scientific weight loss....eat as the thin person you want to be...do not starve yourself. I hear this all the time. I am afraid to let go of the old tapes though. The old tapes say that if you are not losing weight, you need to cut even more calories and exercise even harder. I bet you all think this too! I want to believe that I can eat 2000 calories a day and just do my exercise routines as they are and that the weight will still keep going down. So far though, I just can't grasp the belief that this will happen!

What I plan to do about it is to take a month to track my food intake even more stringently and to increase my muscle building exercises. If there is not a significant change, I will have to revisit my whole plan to see just where the problems are. That is the plan anyway.

Recently a person contacted me via email and wanted help to lose weight. I offered to help in any way I could. I asked her to start doing ten minutes a day of 'on purpose' exercise and to write down what she eats. I never heard from her again. This makes me sad. I can just hear her telling herself that she couldn't find ten minutes to do exercises and couldn't write down all the food she ate, and that she was a failure.

You tell yourself this when you set yourself up to fail from the start. I know. I did that at the beginning of this whole thing, last year. When I handed over my $20 to pay for the books for our support group, my inner brain was telling me that I was wasting this money, buying this program, and it would fail like all the rest of them that I have spent money on, in the past. I am super-duper happy to tell you that this time I was wrong! And now look at me! I have lost over eighty pounds. I can walk up stairs easier. I can fit into clothes that don't have half the alphabet on the size tag. I used to be afraid of hills when I went walking. They still challenge me, but I no longer stick with a specific route to avoid them. It has been a long journey, but it has been short too. The biggest thing that bugs me right now is why it took so long to get things right? How different my life might have been if I hadn't carried this monkey, no, this GORILLA on my back?

The past is past though. There is no going back...only forward. I'd like to think I am helping others move forward with me! Hang in there everyone! Go for a walk and keep a smile on your face!

I have a challenge for you!

It's been a challenge to get my exercising in this week. Over the weekend we had a big rainstorm come in. Usually I can watch the radar and get a run/walk done, in between downpours. Not this time! It rained steadily from Saturday night through Monday morning!!!
I still was able to get to the center for my usual Saturday swim. I was down a pound again. (happy dance) Sunday I was unable to get much of anything done, exercise wise. I was just 'off' that day and gave myself permission to relax a bit. Monday I braved the flooded roads and went to the center for my Yoga class. However, when I got there, the class had been cancelled! RATS!!! I went home and spent hours, decorating and cleaning house. I was exhausted by the end of the day and my legs were noodle-ish.

Though the weather had turned colder on Tuesday, I was back on the trails for a wonderful run/walk! How cold was it you ask? Cold enough to have this facing us Wednesday morning:
Thankfully the roads were mostly just wet. The overpasses were icy and there were a lot of fender benders out there. I have one overpass between myself and the center and braved the route to the center for the Wednesday Yoga class. It took a lot longer than normal, to get to class, but the teacher was there and it was a great workout!

During my run/walks, I most always listen to a podcast or three. One of my favorites is the Fat2Fit guys podcast. In the episode I was listening to, the guys posed a challenge to buy ten fruits for the week and to have several of them be fruits that you have never tried! I already had an orange and frozen raspberries so I bought eight more fruits at the store. Two are ones I have never had or used before.
You can see, in the photo above, a pineapple, strawberries, a banana, grapes, an apple, a pear, a quince, and a pummelo. Those last two are new to me! The quince is the smaller yellow fruit on the left and the pummelo is the grapefruit (on steroids) to the right.

My challenge to you is to buy or have, ten fruits in your house at one time, with at least two being ones you have never tried before! I will report back to you, how I did with the quince and pummelo.

Until next time, go for a walk!

Numbers, it's all about the numbers...

• I still cannot escape the comforting numbers of the scale that tells me I am still on track.
• I still cannot keep from having a bedtime snack, although now it is usually dried fruit instead of M&M's.
• I still cannot keep from eating too fast, although I am more cognisant of this flaw and I do try to slow down...now and again.
• I still have cravings for fattening foods, and sometimes have some treat, although I don't binge on huge slices of cake, several cups of ice creams, bags of candy, bowls of nuts, boxes of crackers, huge chunks of cheeses, or bags of chips.
• I still fudge here and there on my calorie counting, although I just as often, will fudge in either direction, under estimating as often as over estimating...just to play it safe.

I am normal.

I have changed.

My numbers impress some...they should. Look what I have done in one year! I have gone from the first numbers taken November 2010 to the second numbers taken November 2011:

• Weight: 291 lbs. to 208 lbs. (83 pounds)
  
• Waist: 50" to 39" (11")
  
• Chest: 53" to 42" (11")
• Hips: 54" to 46" (8")
• Thigh: 29" to 23.5" (5.5")

Slow and steady IS the way to go. Do I get impatient? You bet I do! Do the numbers on the scale affect my moods? Yes indeed! Do I worry that this will stop working for me? All the time! Do I consider myself successful at this? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. Ask me that one in three years. And although you've heard it often, it is SO true...if I can do this, anyone can! Really? Really!!!

Why is it, IT?

Why is it that a scale can read SO differently? I admit it. Today when I went in to my Yoga class, I just HAD to step on the scale to see what it might say. I closed my eyes and listened for the beep to signal it was done reading my weight. I opened my eyes and saw 208! Wow! I must have been bloated with water from all the salty foods or something. I dunno. I am just glad that it happened. Now on to more important stuff...like baking a cake for my son's 11th birthday! Don't worry, although he is having pizza, cake, and ice cream, I am hungry for chicken and roasted brussel sprouts! See ya next time!

Why is it?

I really would like to know how our bodies can gain five pounds in 48 hours and then take 48 days to lose those same pounds? I expect I will find I have gained five pounds from the Thanksgiving feast. Even though I didn't eat half a pie with real whip cream, I did drink wine and I did have some dressing. Is that all it takes?

Here is a partial list of what I indulged in, over a 48 hr period:

• wine - 1000 calories
• pie - 400 calories
• dressing - 300 calories
• turkey - 200 calories
• smoked oysters - 240
• pickled herring - 300
• crackers - 300

That adds up to 2740 calories over two days. The other foods eaten were things like my oatmeal and fruit breakfasts, the veggie tray, fat free/sugar free jello salad, a half a cup of mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, coffee, and other usual food consumptions. I must have amnesia or something. I have to be forgetting some foods!My normal intake for two days would be between 3000 and 4000 calories. If I add 4000 calories and 2740 calories and then divide that in half I get 3370 calories per day or just a little under 1400 calories over what I would normally eat. Even using those numbers, how can that add up to a five pound gain?

I won't really know until I go weigh in this morning, on the 'official' scale. Maybe my scale at home needs a new battery? But...if I HAVE gained that much, I really want to know why! It just doesn't make sense!!! Watch for my update to this posting, later today if you want to see what the results of today's weigh-in was!

I did gain...about three pounds. Unless you look at the actual weight that was recorded two weeks ago. According to that, I only gained two pounds. Blah! There is a silver lining to this. No one was there today, so I have a whole week before I weigh in again! hahahaha!

Gobble, Gobble!

It is Thanksgiving morning here and I am about to go into the kitchen to start preparing some more of the food we will have today. I just got back from a half hour walk. It is cool and cloudy outside! I feel better for having walked too.

I plan to eat smart but I also plan to not worry about overeating a little bit.

I like the thought that my diet is a lifestyle and if I were a skinny person, I would enjoy the day. I just don't have to gorge myself sick! I feel that the 90/10 rule works pretty good. I eat right and exercise right, 90% of the time. 10% of the time I might miss a day of exercise or have foods that are a bit on the indulgence side. As long as I go right back to the 90%, I can live, eat, and enjoy life without guilt over that extra smoked oyster, pickled herring, cracker, slice of cheese, piece of dark turkey meat, dressing (or stuffing as many call it), glass of wine (or two), or anything else I might have!

I DID make some changes for today. I have some low fat cheeses, crackers, and a very low fat pumpkin pie (using phyllo dough for the crust). I have lots of 'nibbles' in the form of healthy veggies. No one will go away hungry. Those that don't care as much, will eat the more fattening foods. I won't make THEM feel guilty because I am sitting there all mopey faced, depriving myself of the feast!And I won't chastise anyone for eating as they wish! Why ruin a perfectly good meal and wonderful day? It doesn't have to be such an ordeal to eat smart and to enjoy a 'foodie' day like Thanksgiving! In this house, it won't be an ordeal, but a celebration!

I hope you enjoy your day today. I love having family around and like Thanksgiving almost better than Christmas. It is mostly because there are no presents involved...it is all about family and sharing, not keeping up with the Jones or who got the best or most presents. (Although, if my husband reads this, "Honey, I really DO like presents, any time!")

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
(and no, that is not me in a bikini!)

She's All Wet

This morning, I thought I would talk a little about water. We've all heard it..."Drink gallons of water every day!" No? Ok, I suppose gallons would be a bit of an exaggeration. Did you know you can kill yourself by drinking too much water at one time? I doubt most of us will ever have to worry about that.

It is obvious that when you workout and sweat that you need to rehydrate. It might not be obvious that if you workout in the pool, you need to rehydrate too. I am not the best when it comes to drinking water as much as I should. I do keep a refillable bottle of water near me all day though. As soon as I think I am thirsty, I drink some!

I have heard all the suggested amounts and ignored them for years. One of my goals is to strive to be better about re-hydrating my body. These are my beliefs about water:

1. You don't have to drink eight glasses of water per day.
   
2. If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated.
3. If you need to use a lot of lotion, you are dehydrated.
4. If you need to use a lot of chap-stick, you are dehydrated.
5. Water flushes out your system better than anything else.
6. When I wake up, I try to remember to drink at least one glass of water, before coffee, before eating breakfast, before brushing my teeth. I need to start the day with a drink of water, as soon as I can.

Step number six above, is a new goal of mine. I have made it a point to drink as much as I can, as soon as I can, after getting out of bed. My refillable bottle is on my nightstand, and I grab it as I head off to the kitchen to make coffee. I don't want ice cold water, first thing in the morning. My bottle of water is just the perfect temperature to have then! The photo above is the actual type bottle that I own. It is made by Rubbermaid and is readily available in many grocery stores or department stores. They are BPA free too. We have a built in filtration system for water from our fridge. That is what I use to fill my bottle. (This is one thing you can do to help the environment too...the amount of plastic water bottles in the landfills is enormous!) I own several bottles and change them out every few days. I wash mine in the dishwasher to disinfect them. I used to reuse regular water bottles. Then I read about the chemical reactions and that they are not as sanitary as these other ones that I bought. Whether it is true or not, I prefer to use my own refillable bottles over the store bought bottled water bottles.

How much do we need to drink per day? Do you think it is something like eight, eight ounce glasses per day? Would you be surprised that you might not need so much???
It is true! Although most of us never drink enough water, thinking that we have to drink a half gallon or more per day is not true either. Just keep it in your brain that if you ARE thirsty at all, don't ignore the feeling. You do NOT have to go get a full eight ounce glass either! Four ounces at a time is a lot easier to swallow.

• Make it a point to get a few ounces down before, during, and after exercising.

• Don't forget to get a little water in your system before and after pool exercises too.
• Drink a few ounces, before anything else, in the mornings.
• If you even have a hint of thirst, be sure to get a drink.
• Strive to take a sip or three, every time you can, throughout the day.
• Don't worry so much about the amount of water that you think you have to drink in a day. Listen to your body 'more better', as it will tell you when it needs water.

Let's raise our glasses for a toast! CHEERS!
Until next time, bye for now!

RACE DAY!

I set out my outfit for race day, the night before. The rain was supposed to hold off until later in the afternoon. I got up early and had my usual oatmeal with fruit for breakfast. Husband and son were ready on time and we headed out to where the race was going to be run. We'd never been there before, but found it just fine, with time to spare!

The starting line had pretty balloons. They announced they had 125 people who signed up for the 5K. I was a little nervous. Mostly I worried about being last! When they said "GO" I was at the back of the pack. About fifty people starting running off down the street. NO ONE ELSE was walking!!!

I had planned to walk for the first ten minutes or so, just to warm up. I lasted five minutes. I had to start jogging or I was going to be last for sure! I was pretty much alone. I did pass a few folks around the first mile. I ran as best I could and then walked when I was breathing too hard and hurting. Soon all the runners were coming back, passing me by. I counted as many as I could because only the first 75 finishers were getting medals of completion. I really hoped I could be in that top bunch so I could get a medal too. I soon realized I had no worries about that. I would not be finishing in the top 75.

I kept on going though, and hoped that I would be going fast enough to beat my previous personal best (unofficial) time of 18 minutes per mile. That is the speed that I do out on the trails I like. Oh, and asphalt is very hard on your knees and legs! I missed my softer trails!!!
As the finish line finally came in view, I dug down deep and talked myself into speeding up for a strong finish! I didn't want to embarrass myself or my family!
I heard my son and husband cheering me on and it was also nice that there were others in the crowd who were clapping too. I thought there must be a bunch of people behind me. (there wasn't)

Here I am, at the finish line! The time was 48min/15sec. I had beaten my old time by three minutes per mile! Yay me!
I wasn't in the top 75 finishers, as I had realized when so many passed me by as runner after runner went by me on their way back. So I didn't get a medal. Oh well, I wasn't last. I passed others. I went faster than I've ever gone before. And I have the tee shirt and photos to prove it all! hahahaha

I don't know if I will be brave enough to do a competitive race someday or not. This one mixed walkers, runners, and run/walkers all together. I was the 85th person across the finish line. This means I was faster than about 40 other people! (IF they had all showed up and run the race too)

Ok, ok, truth be told, those other 40 included a lady with a walker, an old man, a young girl that was heavier than myself, and others that were physically challenged! But you know what? I finished and a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to make it from the parking lot to the start line. I think that is the most important thing to take away from this...along with smiles and a great sense of accomplishment!

Guess What I Did Last Night?

I walked the Big Dam Bridge from North Little Rock to Little Rock, and back again! It was at night and my husband and son went with me. They really have lights that color up the bridge like this photo too! It was a free event to promote fitness and community. We all got t-shirts. I was kinda tickled that I fit into a size L instead of XL. It took us 25 minutes to do this. We were walking really fast too! It was fun and I hope we can do this again next year!

Approaching the One Year Mark!

Next weekend will mark a full year since I started on this lifestyle change! As of this posting, I've lost 82 pounds. The graph above shows the pounds lost over this past year.

A safe way to lose weight is to aim for one to two pounds a week. My loss averaged out to be 1.9 pounds per week. WELL within what is considered safe and healthy for weight loss. It will also be easier to maintain the weight loss, for the rest of my life because it is gradual. New habits take time to take hold!

I really am feeling the move into the transition phase of my journey. I've used Sparkpeople.com for their tools that include calorie counting, figuring out calories in recipes, motivational articles, fitness tracking, and many many other tools. It is a vast website with almost too much information! I can usually find answers to most any question I might have though. Regarding food or fitness or recipes, this site has an unbelievable amount of information on it.

I also really like the podcast that the Fat 2 Fit guys have. I love their motivation. I am not sold on their methods just yet. They advocate eating like the thin person you want to be. Generally this allows for more calories than I would be comfortable with eating! I am trying different things they are suggesting because it is more like a lifestyle, rather than a diet. Why am I not totally sold on it yet? Well, it is just too easy to follow their ideas! There is little to no suffering that I have always associated with weight loss or even with exercising. Can it really be THIS easy? Time will tell. For now though, I am sticking with these guys to see if this really does keep working as it has so far!

Next week I will be getting ready to run/walk my first official 5K. This also marks the one year anniversary of the beginning of my new life. I think it will also be the time to change when I jump on the scale. I think I should try to do this every other week for a while. Once I can prove to myself that the weight is still coming off, slow but sure, I can get rid of that crutch of a scale! To flip this around, because I AM at the tail end of the journey, weighing in every two weeks will show more pounds lost than every week would. I might only lose a half pound a week now. If I weigh in every two weeks, that will show as a pound loss.

Everything in moderation seems to be the ticket I need. Whether it be food, exercise, or most anything that touches me in my life, if it is in moderation, it seems to be the best way to go. Slow and steady might be boring, but it really seems to be the wise way of doing things!

PS: I gained .4 pounds today. I am not worried. Annoyed? YES! But not really all depressed about it. It will be two weeks before I weigh in again. See ya then! (or probably sooner!)

Don't Tell Charlie the Tuna!

If you are old, like me, you will remember the Starkist commercials that featured Charlie the Tuna. Don't tell him about what my lunch was today! There are two ounces of tuna, canned in water, in this mix. The rest is filler. I added chopped onion, pepper, tomato, and bread and butter pickles. There is also some fat free cheddar, low fat Miracle Whip dressing, honey mustard, and seasonings. (the tuna comes prepackaged in two ounce cans...very helpful to have a pre-measured serving!)

I took about half the mix and put it on a few slices of french bread and then broiled it a bit.
The rest was put in lettuce cups. Remember that lettuce that I like so well? The artisan romaine? I love putting tuna salad or egg salad in them and eating them like this:

The lettuce is so crunchy! It really satisfies the mouth.

As I move into the maintenance phase of this lifestyle change, am I finally getting it? Sometimes I really don't understand why this is all working like it is. It has been too easy! Yes, there have been challenges, but they were all surmountable. Mind you, I am NOT complaining!!! I just feel, if I could grasp why this worked this time and never had in the past, I could help others, even more!

If I ever figure it out, I will be sure to share!

Really?

It has been two weeks since I last weighed in. Since we were out of town and eating on the road, I didn't expect to see much of a change, other than perhaps a gain of a pound or two. I did not expect a loss. Really? TWO - OHHHH - NINE???!!! I'll take that!
What a wonderful feeling to be validated that I CAN work a maintenance program and live like a normal skinny person. What a wonderful weight to say out loud. Two O nine. Not two-ten, or two-twenty, or two-insert all numbers other than an O, but two O nine!

I'll take that. Thank you very much!

Staying Motivated As I Go Into Transition

Staying motivated is always a problem when "dieting". It doesn't get easier, just because I call it a "lifestyle change". In the beginning I was a fanatic about food, especially the fat calories. It has been almost a year now, since I started relearning how to eat better and exercise regularly. I honestly never thought I would still be working my program this long! Now I am gradually moving into maintenance mode. I still have 20 pounds to go before I reach my first goal of losing 100 pounds. I hope I can reach the 170's someday.

The closer I move towards that first 100 pound loss, the more I am trying to "live like the thin person I want to be." I had my first taste of this life, this past weekend. We went to a renaissance and fantasy festival out of town, where my husband, son, and I performed as minstrels. I took a bag of apples along and some sandwiches that I had made. We supplemented this with foods from the performers' kitchen and fast foods. We also had wine one night, after the show closed down. It was a two day show where we did a lot of walking around the fairgrounds where this was held. We also performed on stage twice a day. We had a great time!

It was scary to not be using my old crutches, faithfully. I did not count calories but did keep mindful of what I was putting in my mouth and how much of it I was having. I had funnel cake! Yes I did! But where I would have eaten the whole thing in the past, I had little bits of it as my young son scarfed it down. I think I might have eaten a sixth of the whole thing. In the past, that would amount to ONE whole bite! I nibbled little bits and was more than satisfied because not only had I enjoyed the sweet treat, I had enjoyed it sensibly. NO GUILT!

After our last performance on the second day, we collapsed into the car for the long ride home. We had slept in a motel for two nights and been outdoors for the festival for two days and we were spent! We got supper on the way out of town, at a fast food place. Mind you, I have not had a fast food hamburger for at least a year now. I was ready to indulge and enjoy one! I actually had given myself mental permission to do this on this trip.

We stood in the short ordering line at the restaurant and I kept looking at the menu over the counter. That hamburger didn't look all that great. I recalled that I read somewhere that the chili was better for you than the fries. I ended up and got the grilled chicken sandwich with veggies and no sauces or cheese, the chili, and a diet soda. Not only did it taste better than the burger would have, I again, had NO GUILT! I think not having guilt makes the food taste better.

Here is a before and after photo of me in the costume I wear for performances. They were taken about four years apart. It is the same dress in both photos, but in the one on the right, I had taken the dress in, over eight inches!!!















I am going to have to totally remake my costumes if we do many more of these shows next year. You can only alter them just so much before they start fitting really weird.

I remember in the beginning of my lifestyle changes I stayed motivated because I had a lot of support and no excuse to not keep on trying. I had access to a gym and exercise classes and swimming pools that I could afford to utilize. I also had over 45 years of 'training' in how to lose weight! I had the full support of my family to keep me on track too.

The middle part of my saga was filled with challenges of my child being home from school for summer vacation, and the hot summer weather, making exercise time a challenge. If I slipped on my eating or exercise, I would not let it become an excuse to quit though. When I wavered I would look at how far I had come and how long I had been working on this. Why would I want to throw all that away? Why would I want to have my knee hurt again, so badly that I needed a cane to walk? Why would I want to find ugly fat clothes to wear again? Why would I want to risk dying too early due to obesity? How could I give up the new-to-me clothes that I had been buying as I shrunk? How could I want to crawl back into my hole and hide from the world? Slowly but surely my mindset is changing. The rewards of keeping on with my changes mean more to me than eating a candy bar, or a cheeseburger, or a bag of donut holes. (You know donut holes don't have any calories, right?)

If I feel myself wavering I make it a point to address that feeling. I might listen to something motivational. I might go to the support group meeting and address my feelings, if need be. Often I find that helping others to be motivated, helps me to keep motivated. It is important to not let any slip become an excuse to quit. It took me 56 years to become the way I was last year. I am only one year into the new me. I need to remember this. And if I do slip, I don't wait until tomorrow to get back on the right path, I get back on the minute after the slip happens. This is my new way of living for life.

Don't wait until tomorrow to begin changing your life. Do something, anything, to change right now, today. Even if it is eating one less bite or walking out the door and around your house and back inside, that is one more thing you are doing right now, that you were not doing before.

Baby steps lead to toddler-hood. Toddler-hood leads to child. Child leads to teenager. Teenager leads to young adult. Young adult leads to adult. Adult leads to mature adult. I am not sure, but I think I am somewhere between child and young adult. I am still impulsive, but I am starting to 'grow up' a bit.

I hope you are growing up (not out) and learning how to live the best life you can. We really have only one chance at life that we know of, for sure. Why would we want to squander that?

I'm Working On It!